Chapter Forty: Raising the House

Here, the act of building a house is called “raising the roof.” Shale’s home was a single-story blue-brick house with a tiled roof, long neglected and now quite dilapidated. Whenever it rained, torrents would pour from the sky, and inside, a gentler rain would fall, forcing them to set out basins and jars to catch the leaks. In the past, repairs had been impossible for lack of money. Now that he finally had some, it was time for a proper renovation.

Nowadays, in the countryside, new houses are all cement villas in the Western style—pleasing enough to look at, but inside, freezing in winter and suffocating in summer. He disliked them. When he was in Foshan, Boss Hong had invited him several times to dine at a mountain estate. From the outside, it looked unremarkable, just a typical house of red brick and tiles, but inside, it was entirely finished with wood—elegant and stylish. He’d paid careful attention then, thinking that he’d like to do something similar at home; it was far superior to those cement box-like villas.

Everyone was building cement villas, leaving the timber unused. New wood was cheap, but the excellent timber salvaged from old houses was only fit for firewood. Shale decided that his new house would be in the style of that mountain estate. The first step was to collect old timber at dirt-cheap prices. Old wood might not look as good as new, but in the past, trees grew larger and the wood was sturdier. Next, he bought cement and had several truckloads of sand and gravel delivered. But before repairing the house, he would build the snake garden.

The snake garden didn’t need to be large; as long as it could house about a thousand snakes, that would suffice. He chose the bamboo grove on his own land. The bamboo didn’t need to be cut down—just a proper wall built around it.

There were plenty of bricklayers, tilers, and carpenters in the neighboring villages, who didn’t bother to seek work elsewhere, specializing instead in local construction. He quickly hired a team of craftsmen, settled on a price—forty-five yuan per day per person without meals, thirty-eight with meals. Laborers were even easier to hire; with everyone idle at home during the off-season, uncles and aunts could be called in, and their wages were only twenty-five yuan per day without meals, eighteen with meals.

He set to work at once, tackling both the snake garden and the house in parallel. Building the snake garden relied mostly on laborers, who dug the foundations. The base of the garden wall was crucial: it had to be dug half a meter deep, then poured with stone and cement, lest the snakes burrow their way out. As for the house, it was simpler. The old walls didn’t need to be torn down—the blue-brick walls were solid enough. All that was needed was to remove the roof and add another story.

He hired six carpenters. Some planed, some sawed. The first thing was to alter the doors and windows. The old windows were too small, leaving the rooms dim.

As soon as work began, dozens of people swarmed the site. Luo Yinxing was especially enthusiastic, helping an elder aunt manage the cooking.

“Shale, you rascal, you’ve really struck it rich. You’ll be spending tens of thousands this time!” Master Tao Shilu, holding half a bowl of wine, said to Shale during a break. Shale had bought two jars of rice wine; during breaks, everyone could drink water or wine as they pleased.

“It’s not much—I’m not spending that much,” Shale replied, grinning as he handed out cigarettes.

“I heard you made a hundred thousand in one go—how is that not rich?” a bricklayer next to him said as he puffed on his cigarette. “That little snake of yours is truly a treasure. Where’s it gone?”

“Heh, it’s off playing in the mountains,” Shale chuckled.

“Just make sure nobody steals it—a snake made of gold wouldn’t be worth as much!”

“No need to worry. Even the snake catchers in Guangzhou couldn’t get it. Who around here has that kind of skill?” Shale replied with confidence. “That thing is deadly—if it bites you, you’re finished. Only someone with nothing to lose would dare mess with it.”

Everyone knew how poisonous the snake was, and indeed, no one dared touch it.

“You really are lucky—raising a snake and earning a hundred thousand. We raise pigs and cattle all our lives and never make that much.”

“Comparing yourself to others will only drive you mad. Look at Sha Qiang—he used to be just like us, covered in mud, but now he drives a car, owns a house in the city, and they say he's got a mistress, too. We can only dream.”

The conversation grew lively—some bantered, some cursed, and the scene was full of noise and laughter.

“Shale, now that you’re raising the roof, it’s time to talk about getting a wife, isn’t it?” a bricklayer named Xiao said, sitting on the ground. “Why don’t I play matchmaker for you? My niece Peach Blossom is nineteen—she’s the perfect match for you. Marry her, why not?”

“Xiao Pockmark, forget it. Your niece is just as pockmarked as you—would Shale want her?”

“Huang Cripple, are you trying to marry off your daughter Yellow Lily to Shale?” Xiao Pockmark spat. “What’s wrong with pockmarks? My Peach Blossom has big hips and a big chest—she’ll give you two fat sons. Your Yellow Lily has a skinny waist and a small chest—how can she compare?”

“Nonsense! My Yellow Lily is hardly flat-chested!”

Shale listened to their quarrel, torn between laughter and tears. The others egged them on, laughing and joking. Luo Yinxing perked up her ears when she heard talk of matchmaking for Shale, glancing at him from time to time. But she didn’t dare speak up; who knew if it would prompt Shale to give her a beating.

Fortunately, the master called everyone back to work, and the bickering died down. During breaks, there was lively chatter, but once work resumed, everyone bent their heads and labored, still talking as they worked.

Three days later, it was time to set the beam.

“Shale, where’s your rooster? We’ll need it tonight for stealing the beam timber,” Master Tao called down from the high parapet.

There was a local custom: the beam timber had to be “stolen” at night for good luck. No matter whose forest was being harvested, if someone stole timber for a beam, nobody objected. Afterwards, you just made your apologies and hosted a dinner, and all was well.

“They’re ready—two red roosters, both vigorous,” Shale replied.

“Good. Tonight, I’ll take five men to steal the beam timber—you’re coming, too.”

Setting the beam was an important ritual. The blood of the rooster was used to ward off misfortune during the “theft,” and again during the raising. That night, led by Master Tao, they went to the Luo family mountain and cut down a fir tree with a four-foot circumference for the beam. First, they used rooster’s blood to purify the site, sprinkling it on the ground and the tree. Then they set off firecrackers, tied a red cloth to the tree, and finally cut it down.

But this was hardly theft—it was brazen.

The next day, the beam raising was a lively affair. Uncle Shengtian insisted he host several tables to mark the occasion and bring good fortune. Shale couldn’t refuse. He bought dozens of pounds of pork, fresh vegetables, seaweed and noodles, and Uncle Shengtian personally took charge of the cooking. Tables, benches, pots, bowls, and plates were borrowed from around the village, and the feast was laid out in the new house, still without a roof.

The beam was raised. The timber wrapped in red cloth was passed up to the top of the house. As it was handed over, people shouted “rise,” a wish for the family’s fortunes to ascend. Guests arrived, each handing over a red envelope, the contents modest—three yuan, five, eight, or ten. Shale didn’t have many relatives; most guests were villagers.

Unexpectedly, Secretary Tao arrived, along with the village head and Teacher Feng.

“Shale, why aren’t you raising a cement villa?” Teacher Feng asked with a smile.

“I don’t have the money for that. Just being able to build this house is enough to make me laugh in my sleep,” Shale replied.

“Always claiming to be poor! I’m not asking you to lend me money.”

“Heh…” Shale grinned, seeming honest and a bit shy. He dared not lie to the girl he would depend on in the future. “Those cement villas are only impressive on the outside. Inside, they’re nothing special. Here, I’ll finish everything in wood—guaranteed not to be worse than a cement villa.”

“Oh, you really are different,” Feng Shuya nodded with a smile. “You have your own ideas, never just go with the flow. Not bad—I never expected to meet someone like you here.”

“Please don’t praise me—come, have a seat. There’s nothing special to eat, so don’t blame me.”

As soon as Feng Shuya arrived, Luo Yinxing’s gaze settled on her, though only secretly. Soon, every seat was filled. In the past, Shale had only eaten at other people’s banquets, never imagining he’d host one himself. He felt a sense of dignity.

Even more important, Secretary Tao and the village head themselves brought gifts and congratulations. Among the villagers, this was an honor—many who hosted banquets couldn’t get them to attend.