Chapter Seventeen: Hiring Artisans

"Miss Xiao, do you need a lot of bamboo to repair the kitchen?"

"Yes, we’re planning to build a bamboo fence wall and cover it with thatch; otherwise, it’ll be troublesome when it rains."

"Just your family doing the work? That won’t do. This is skilled labor—it requires strength and technique. Your whole family, women and children alike, simply can’t manage it." Qingsheng exclaimed, "Really, Miss Xiao, you’re underestimating this. You’ll need to hire craftsmen."

"It’s fine. We’ll learn as we go," she replied.

People are often pushed by necessity.

Chunwan thought: If I had money, I’d hire craftsmen too. The problem is simply the lack of funds.

When every penny counts, where’s the luxury to pay craftsmen?

"Indeed, it can’t be done," she admitted.

What she had thought would be a simple matter of cutting some bamboo turned out to be a major project.

Zhao Minghua paused after hearing this, then threw down his machete.

"Qingsheng, go fetch your father and elder brother to help."

"No need, no need," Chunwan said anxiously. "We can manage with our own family..."

"Miss Xiao, are you sure?" Zhao Minghua rolled his eyes at the stubborn girl before him. "Your grandmother, mother, aunt, and sisters-in-law—what can they do? And your younger siblings under ten, what help can they offer? Don’t forget, you also have to process the pinellia."

Processing pinellia requires time and energy.

Chunwan bit her lip; he was right.

"But I can’t afford to pay craftsmen, nor can I provide for their meals."

"No need," Qingsheng said generously. "My father and elder brother are idle on the estate anyway. Let them help; it’ll be done in two days."

"That won’t do. I don’t want to owe anyone favors."

Zhao Minghua truly was stubborn.

Are all the girls from the capital so proud that they suffer for it?

"I’ll pay you one tael of silver for processing this pinellia. You can advance it, so you’ll have money to hire craftsmen and provide meals."

"Still no."

Zhao Minghua rolled his eyes in exasperation. No this, no that—what else could be the reason?

"My family is all women and children; it’s inconvenient to host craftsmen."

"Tch, that’s no big deal," Zhao Minghua said. "You don’t have to provide meals; just add a bit more to the wage. Everyone’s happy that way."

That actually made sense!

"Qingsheng, go bring your father and elder brother to help."

"Yes, young master."

---

Qingsheng dropped a big bundle of pinellia and ran off.

"This little rascal, the young master has to carry it himself," Zhao Minghua muttered.

Chunwan dragged bamboo back home with her younger siblings, Zhao Minghua following closely behind carrying a bundle of pinellia.

"Mr. Zhao."

The Xiao family was familiar with this young man who had once freeloaded a meal. Madam Xu, busy washing clothes, quickly greeted him.

"Auntie, you continue your work. I’ve brought medicinal herbs for Miss Xiao to process."

"So much?" Madam Xu worried her daughter wouldn’t manage everything; after all, she baked flower cakes every day and handled much of the household.

"It’s fine. I’ll deliver in half a month." Chunwan looked at Zhao Minghua. "If there are more herbs to process in the future, you can send them over."

"Alright." Zhao Minghua noticed that the women of the Xiao family subtly avoided him, as if he were some kind of monster.

Feeling uncomfortable around them, he decided to leave.

"Qingsheng, once you’ve brought your father and elder brother, just tell them what to do." Zhao Minghua added, "Uncle Niu is an old basket weaver. He’s more experienced with this kind of work. You should listen to his advice."

"Okay, thank you."

Zhao Minghua waved off the thanks casually and walked away.

When Madam Xu brought a bowl of hot water outside, she caught a glimpse of the young man’s retreating figure.

"Warm-warm..."

"Mother, it’s fine. I invited Qingsheng’s father and elder brother to help repair the kitchen." Chunwan immediately felt that having money really made many things simpler.

All her worries and doubts vanished in an instant.

Right now, her main task was to process the pinellia and earn that one tael of silver steadily.

Opening the cloth bag, she gave a bitter smile: she still needed alum, old ginger, and lime to process the pinellia.

Buying those would also cost money, so the one tael of silver wasn’t pure profit!

She decided to divide the bundle of pinellia into three parts first.

While she was dividing it, Qingsheng returned with his father and elder brother.

"Miss Xiao, tell me how you want the kitchen repaired."

Chunwan explained her ideas.

"Alright, I understand." Uncle Niu told his son, "Da Niu, dig out the foundation. Pile the excavated soil to one side; I’ll find a use for it."

"Okay."

Chunwan led them to the bamboo grove of Old Master Zhang to cut bamboo.

"You know, Old Master Zhang is kind-hearted. They say good people get good luck, but his luck hasn’t been good—his health has been poor for years. He’s constantly seeing doctors and taking medicine—from the Hundred Herbs Hall and the Thousand Gold Hall, and even doctors in Changzhou County—but nothing cures him. It’s really pitiful," Uncle Niu said cheerfully. "Poor folks like us have one advantage—we’re sturdy, can eat well, drink well, and sleep well. The only worry is having no grain to eat."

Chunwan gave a wry smile; that was her current wish, too: poverty didn’t matter, as long as her body was strong. Medicine was simply too expensive—she couldn’t afford it.

Speaking of Old Master Zhang’s health...

No wonder Chun Ning asked her to accompany him when visiting the leased land.

He wanted her to check on Old Master Zhang’s illness?

"Do you know what illness Old Master Zhang has?"

"He’s had a cough and shortness of breath for years, but the details are unclear."

Chunwan nodded.

Uncle Niu cut bamboo while his son Da Niu dug the foundation.

The previous foundation had a layer of stones, which they unearthed piece by piece.

"If we use bamboo walls, these stones won’t be needed," Uncle Niu said, hauling bamboo back. "Miss Xiao, can you find some straw as well?"

Why straw?

"Cut into small segments, mix with the mud, and use it to plaster the walls."

Chunwan didn’t quite understand but went to look for some.

She planned to buy it from the neighbors, the Luo family.

"How much straw do you need?"

"I’m not really sure."

Aunt Luo had no choice but to follow Chunwan to ask the craftsmen.

"Not much, one bundle of straw will do," Uncle Niu explained what he needed to Aunt Luo, who immediately understood. "Warm-warm, it’s just one bundle of straw. Don’t give me any money—if you do, everyone will laugh at me."

"But..."

"My son Xiaogang said Chun Ning is teaching him to read. We don’t have much to offer you. These worthless things, if you want them, just take them. Don’t pay anything; we’re neighbors after all. No need to make things awkward."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Chunwan recalled Chun An’s words: there are still many good people in the world.

When experts get to work, you know right away. Uncle Niu and his son worked swiftly.

By noon, they finished for the day and went home to eat.

"We’ll come back this afternoon and continue. Don’t worry, we’ll finish in two days."