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Two days later, the three Jiang brothers returned from hunting in the South Mountain, their backpacks filled with wild chickens and hares.

Jiang Sanlang was also carrying a hefty roe deer on his shoulder, attracting a crowd of villagers to come and gawk.

At this moment, a skinny man timidly approached Jiang Sanlang and quietly asked, “Sanlang, does your family still need furniture made?”

Jiang Sanlang saw that it was his childhood companion Wang Ke and suddenly recalled that Sun Licheng had taken people to collect their grain taxes two days ago, and nodded subconsciously, “Yes.”

Satisfaction spreading across his face, Wang Ke tentatively asked, “Sanlang, I…

I also know carpentry. I made the doors and windows for your house. What if… I help your family make furniture?”

Jiang Sanlang thought for a second before nodding, “Alright.”

His family needed furniture anyway and the wood had already been bought; it was all stacked up in the new brick and tile house.

Wang Ke was so thrilled that he nearly knelt down in front of Jiang Sanlang.

“I will start working tomorrow then, alright?”

Jiang Sanlang patted Wang Ke’s shoulder and smiled, “Sure, but I can’t pay you much.”

Hiring a carpenter to make furniture at home meant providing him with two meals a day. Hence, without having to deduce Wang Ke’s intentions, Jiang Sanlang already understood.

However, he was also willing to support his childhood friend, which is why he agreed so readily.

“No problem, no problem.” Wang Ke waved his hands frantically, scratching his head awkwardly, “Just pay whatever you think is suitable.”

Early the next morning, Wang Ke arrived at South Mountain with his carpentry toolbox and also brought his two sons along as helpers.

His older son, Wang Dashan, who was thirteen, was just as dark and thin as him and knew how to measure and trim wood. His younger son, Wang Xiaoshui, who was nine, could run errands and pass things, as well as do some polishing.

Jiang Sanlang didn’t say much, simply informing Wang Ke of what furniture they needed and their measurements.

“The kitchen needs a plate cabinet, a grain cabinet, a small dining table, six benches, and a pair of water buckets.”

“The hall needs an altar table, a large square table, four chairs, and six stools.”

“The eastern room needs a dress table, two clothes boxes, a clothes rack, and a wooden bed.”

“The western room needs a wooden bed, a desk, two chairs, two clothes boxes, a bookshelf, and a dress table.’

“That’s about it for now.” Jiang Sanlang finished in one breath, and then noticed Wang Ke sketching on a piece of paper.

Upon a closer look, he had drawn all the furniture Jiang Sanlang mentioned using a charcoal pen.

Pointing to his sketches of furniture in each room, Wang Ke said, “I’ve drawn all the furniture for each room, you check if it’s correct.”

Jiang Sanlang stroked his chin and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, that’s right. As for the size, you handle it.”

Laughing, Wang Ke assured, “Sanlang, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.’

This amount of furniture would allow him to work from winter to spring, solving the problem of food for himself and his two sons. Come springtime, when Sanlang could settle his wages, no matter the amount, it would help his family get through. Sigh.

Afterwards, Wang Ke and his two sons moved into the new house in South Mountain and started their diligent work every day, ensuring that each piece of furniture was finely crafted and smooth.

Jiang Cheng and Jiang Quan now had company. Besides preparing two meals each day, they spent the rest of their time hunting birds and rabbits with little Xiaoshui on South Mountain, providing food for everyone.

Occasionally, Jiang Sanlang would also visit, bringing them some grains and vegetables.

One day, Yingbao and Youyou joined their dad for a trip to South Mountain.

Although South Mountain seemed nearby, the winding path to climb up was more than two or three miles long.

After crossing a small stream, they finally reached the mountain.

Actually, it wasn’t exactly a mountain but rather a high slope.

Clusters of wild bamboo forests and patches of farmland filled the slope.

Due to the poor soil quality of the fields that made them unfit for wheat, the villagers could only plant millet. The millet was already harvested, leaving only frost-covered mud.

The house of the three Jiang brothers was built in their permanent field, occupying a broad area surrounded by the inferior lands they had bought.

As Yingbao calculated the number of fruit tree saplings in her den, she sat on Youyou’s back, looking around.

Three terraced brick houses were adorned with large tiles, surrounded by a wall over a man’s height, covered with green tiles, tidy and beautiful.

The courtyard was large, triple the original size, so much so that one could ride a horse in it.

In front of the three main rooms was a five-foot-wide wooden column corridor. An earthen wall with a tile roof was built to the east of the main room.

A chicken coop and a deer pen were built on the west side of the courtyard, along with a long bamboo shed which took up most of the western courtyard wall.

Jiang Quan poked his head out of the kitchen, seeing his uncle carrying provisions and his young niece riding a deer, he immediately ran towards them.

“Uncle, why did you bring Yingbao?”

Jiang Sanlang carried grains and vegetables into the kitchen, replying: “I brought your niece to see our new house.”

Jiang Sanlang carried grains and vegetables into the kitchen, replying: “I brought your niece to see our new house.”

Jiang Quan burst into laughter, lifted up his cousin from the deer’s back, and led her into the room. “It’s a good thing you came today, my brother and I just caught a wild rabbit, it’s stewing in the pot now.”

The main room was filled with wood shavings. A lean man sat on the floor, busy woodworking, two teenagers nearby were helping collect the planed wood.

Yingbao recognized him at first glance as the man who died on the mountain in her previous life.

It seemed that her father had given the man woodworking jobs, so he didn’t have to go up to the mountain to cut firewood in the snowy weather, saving him from dying in the mountains.

Yingbao felt suddenly uplifted and joyously ran to check out the two rooms.

The rooms were large and the windows were big. The carved window frame could be pushed outwards, allowing direct sunlight into the room on winter days.

There was a bed by the window, with plenty of room left for a small bed and a table.

Jiang Sanlang followed to look around: “Yingbao, you will stay in the west room when finished. When your younger brother grows up, Daddy will build another house for them.’

“Hmm.” Yingbao happily touched the new bed, glanced at the already completed desk and dressing table, then grinned.

She was moving into her new house, and planned to plant various fruit trees at the front and back of the house. She wanted to have fruits for all four seasons, she could pick whatever she wanted to eat, and the surplus could be transported for sale in the town.

She also wanted to plant a lot of cotton in the surrounding fields to replace the filling in everyone’s cotton jackets with soft fluffy cotton, and use the same cotton for bedding so it’s warm and doesn’t prick at people.

“Yingbao, your second brother will take you bird hunting.” Jiang Quan stood outside of the window, one hand holding a bamboo screen, and the other holding a bunch of fine hemp rope.

“I want to see the pond.” Yingbao didn’t want to hunt birds, she wanted to inspect the surrounding environment and plan where she was going to plant her fruit trees and cotton.

“What are you hunting birds for, it’s almost time for dinner.” Said her first cousin Jiang Cheng.

It was already noontime, Jiang Cheng had steamed several baskets of buns, just waiting for the rabbit meat in the pot to cook.

“Let’s eat, let’s eat.” As soon as Jiang Quan heard that it was time for dinner, he immediately dropped the bamboo screen and dashed to the kitchen to set the table.

Today, Jiang Sanlang not only brought rice and grain, he also brought some turnips and a jar of preserved cabbage for his nephews and the father-son duo, Wang Ke, to eat.

In the winter, there weren’t many fresh vegetables, so farmers mostly ate preserved salted vegetables.

Jiang Cheng filled a bowl with shredded turnip, cut up some preserved cabbage, ladled out a basin of cooked rabbit meat from the pot onto the table.

There was also a basket of steamed buns made of dark flour, larger than a fist, which was divided into three to four pieces per person.

Because Jiang Sanlang was present today, Wang Ke and his two sons sat at the table a little restrained, all too shy to reach out and pick up their chopsticks.

Jiang Sanlang didn’t say much, just told them to eat more and get full, so they wouldn’t delay their work..