"Sister-in-law's mind is so ingenious; where did all these ideas come from?" Lu Taobao exclaimed in admiration.
Shen Xiaoyan smiled shyly. She couldn't possibly say she had copied them, could she? All these things were commonplace in her previous life.
Lu Taobao wasn't foolish either and immediately asked a more pressing question, "Where does all this wastewater go?"
Shen Xiaoyan smiled and replied, "Not far behind the courtyard, we've dug a pond. It all flows there. This stuff is all excellent fertilizer; even if we don't use it ourselves, we can give it to the villagers later."
Shen Xiaoyan wasn't just saying this to sound good; she genuinely meant it. In an era without chemical fertilizers, people relied on the most primitive forms. Shen Xiaoyan and her family had no plans to grow staple crops, nor did she intend to use this fertilizer, so she would indeed give it to those in need.
After touring the premises, Shen Xiaoyan and the other two were about to leave. As they walked out of the main house, they saw Shen Xiaoming running towards them with Luoluo and Baibai.
"Sister, I just went to see my room. It's big and bright, and there's even a study and a washroom. I've already figured out how to use them!" Shen Xiaoming shouted to Shen Xiaoyan as he ran, his face beaming with joy.
"Slow down, be careful of the steps," Shen Xiaoyan quickly called out, watching Shen Xiaoming, who was sweating profusely but full of enthusiasm.
By the time she finished speaking, Shen Xiaoming had already reached them. He grabbed Shen Xiaoyan's hand and excitedly said, "Sister, my room is over there."
As he spoke, Shen Xiaoming pointed towards the east wing and then pulled Shen Xiaoyan, asking her to accompany him to see it again.
Shen Xiaoyan smiled and followed Shen Xiaoming towards the east wing, with Zheng Wei and Lu Taobao trailing behind. The east wing only had three rooms, but they were very spacious. The entrance was still a hall, which could serve as Shen Xiaoming's small living room. To the north was the bedroom, and to the south was the study. The bedroom also had a similar washroom. Although the rooms were bare except for the walls and the kangs, and even the windows weren't fully installed, Shen Xiaoming was still thrilled.
Lu Taobao stayed for a while longer before bidding them farewell. He had to go to town to sell two ginseng roots. He knew that Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei were waiting for the money from the ginseng to pay the craftsmen. However, before leaving, Lu Taobao promised to bring the money back in the afternoon. Shen Xiaoyan also specifically asked him to bring back as much small change and copper coins as possible, as whole bills would be inconvenient for paying wages.
Not long after lunch, Lu Taobao's cart stopped in front of the new house. Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei hurried to greet him. Lu Taobao jumped out first, then turned around and carried a wooden chest out of the cart. Shen Xiaoyan immediately understood; it contained the money. Indeed, as soon as Lu Taobao alighted, he handed the chest to Zheng Wei, and the three walked into the courtyard.
The courtyard had already been tidied up. Tables and chairs were placed in front of the main house, and the three sat down. Lu Taobao said, "I took the two ginseng roots to Jin Cao Hall in town. Master Hu at Jin Cao Hall said they were both good ginseng roots, over ten years old. He offered 110 taels of silver for one, making it 220 taels for both. I took the liberty of exchanging it all for small change and copper coins, which will be more convenient for use."
Zheng Wei, who had been holding the wooden chest, had already guessed this from its weight. Hearing Lu Taobao's words, he said, "You've been very thoughtful."
Shen Xiaoyan also smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble. We've built a house once, and you've helped so much, both with money and effort."
Lu Taobao disagreed, saying, "We're family, so there's no need for formal talk. Besides, Master Hu said these wild ginseng roots are rare. Although they are over ten years old, their quality is excellent. It's perfect for my mother to supplement her health. I should be thanking my elder brother and sister-in-law for letting me profit from this." Although Lu Taobao looked young, his words and actions were mature, making it very pleasant to interact with him.
The three chatted for a while when the craftsmen returned from the backyard, saying they had finished installing all the doors and windows. Shen Xiaoyan went to inspect and confirmed to Zheng Wei that there were no issues. Lu Taobao, hearing this, led his men away first. The remaining people were the thirty who had worked hard to build the house for the past month, along with the two elder craftsmen.
Zheng Wei stood up and addressed everyone, "Thank you for your hard work. The house is finally completed, and it's time to settle your wages." As soon as Zheng Wei finished speaking, everyone's attention focused on him. Those who had been whispering fell silent. What could be more important than money? Zheng Wei, seeing everyone looking at him, spoke without reservation, "We agreed that everyone would be provided with one meal a day, and the daily wage was 20 li. However, building my own house took more effort than others. I appreciate everyone's hard work, so I'll add 10 li per day for each person."
Upon hearing this, the crowd was first stunned, then excited, and they all thanked Zheng Wei, praising his generosity. Shen Xiaoyan sat at the table without saying a word. These matters had been discussed and agreed upon beforehand. Although Shen Xiaoyan felt she was capable, she was not as adept at dealing with the outside world as Zheng Wei, so it was better for him to handle such matters.
Opening the money chest, Shen Xiaoyan found it contained a little less than half in small change, with the rest being copper coins, strung in units of 100 coins, saving Shen Xiaoyan the trouble of counting. Shen Xiaoyan had previously bought a scale for weighing money and had already calculated each person's wages: 10,300,50 li per person. These people lined up, and Shen Xiaoyan first weighed out 1 tael of silver, then gave them 3 strings of coins, and counted out an additional 50 coins. Those who received their money did not leave immediately but stood aside, carefully counting the 300,50 li to ensure accuracy before putting it into a cloth bag and tucking it away in their clothes.
Meanwhile, Zheng Wei had taken the two elder craftsmen into the house. They had agreed to pay each elder craftsman 10 taels of silver. The reason for paying so much was that they had put in a great deal of effort. Otherwise, with Shen Xiaoyan's theoretical knowledge alone, it would not have been possible to successfully install the sewage system and the self-flushing toilets. Although it was not perfect and lacked a piped water system, Shen Xiaoyan was already very satisfied.
After distributing everyone's wages, Zheng Wei asked them to help load the tables and chairs rented from town onto the cart and take them back. The cart, of course, was rented from the village. When Zheng Wei returned, it was already dark. Shen Xiaoyan had already gone back to her original courtyard and prepared dinner. The new courtyard's door was locked with a large padlock, and no one could open it without a key, which made her feel secure. Besides, their old courtyard had nothing. After a day of hard work, the three of them went to bed early after dinner. The next morning, when Shen Xiaoyan woke up, the sun was shining brightly outside. Zheng Wei was no longer beside her.