Chapter 41: Hauling Bricks

Hauling bricks required six taels of silver and five hundred wen.

Hua Qi went back inside and counted the money, then happily called to Xi Jue and Dou Ming, “Come on, come on, come on. We’re going to haul bricks. Once the bricks are brought back, we’ll be able to build the house.”

They had been working hard for this all this time, and now that they were about to succeed, they were naturally very happy.

Tuo Tuo heard them from inside the room. He nimbly jumped down from the kang, slipped his feet into his shoes, and ran out the door. “I’m going too.”

Da Mao and Er Mao also wanted to follow along. They had never gone along to haul bricks before.

Da Mao got off the kang, then turned back and saw that Xiao Cong was still sitting by the window embroidering. Curious, he asked, “Brother Xiao Cong, aren’t you going to watch them haul bricks?”

Xiao Cong shook his head. “You all go. I’ll watch Yun Shan and Chun Hua.” There had to be a demon keeping watch by the Little Temple Master’s side.

“Da Mao, hurry up. Uncle and the others already left.” Er Mao ran back in from outside and anxiously called to Da Mao, “Hurry, hurry. Tuo Tuo already followed them out.”

“You all hurry along,” Xiao Cong urged him too.

Even though he really wanted to go watch them haul bricks as well, after looking at the Little Temple Master, Xiao Cong still willingly stayed behind. Nothing was more important than the Little Temple Master. If he wanted to watch bricks being hauled, he could run to the brick kiln and see it there. There was no rush for this moment.

Da Mao turned and ran out of the room with Er Mao.

The kang, which had originally been crowded full, emptied all at once. With the noisy human voices gone, Yun Shan was suddenly not used to it. He began calling out, “Ya, ya, ya.”

Xiao Cong crawled over to Yun Shan’s side. He propped his chin in one hand and poked Yun Shan’s increasingly chubby little cheek with the other. “Little Temple Master, keep your voice down. Chun Hua is sleeping.”

Yun Shan stared at him with wide eyes. Both hands clutched the edge of his own clothes and tugged it back and forth, while his little feet kicked in the air. “Ya!”

Xiao Cong turned around and held the clothes he had just embroidered out for Yun Shan to see. “Little Temple Master, look. Are these clothes pretty? Xiu Niang said embroidery thread comes in all kinds of colors. Once we’ve saved up money, I’ll have Hua Qi buy me a few more colors of embroidery thread. Then I’ll make you beautiful clothes.”

“When you grow a little bigger, I’ll make you ritual robes. I’ve seen Ling Yin’s ritual robes before. In the future, I’ll make you a set exactly like those.”

Yun Shan grabbed the corner of the clothes in Xiao Cong’s hand and tried to stuff it into his mouth. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Xiao Cong pulled out the embroidery needle that had been stuck in the cloth.

The corner of the clothes was soaked with Yun Shan’s drool. Xiao Cong did not mind at all. He took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the corner clean.

He sat back by the window and continued embroidering. Xiu Niang was sweeping the courtyard. The large bamboo broom scraped across the ground with a clear swish, swish.

Yun Shan had fun playing by himself too. He stuffed the thumb of his right hand into his mouth and smacked away at it with relish. After a while, he let out an “ah.” No one paid attention to him, so he continued eating his hand.

After Xiao Cong finished embroidering half an auspicious cloud, noise came from outside the courtyard.

“Auntie, Auntie. We hauled back a huge cart of bricks.”

That was Er Mao’s voice.

Xiu Niang stopped what she was doing and went with them to the back to watch the commotion.

Xiangzi, the brick seller, stopped the cart. Qiu Sheng climbed onto the top of the cart, untied the ropes securing the bricks, and tossed them down.

Xi Jue climbed onto the cart with him. Dou Ming and Hua Qi stood below to receive the bricks.

“Where should we stack the bricks?” Xiangzi asked.

Hua Qi answered, “Beside the foundation.”

Xiangzi carried four bricks from in front of Dou Ming and moved them to the side of the foundation.

Tuo Tuo ran over to help. He stuck out his bottom and picked up six bricks at once, the pile blocking him all the way up to the tip of his nose. He stretched out his arms, used all his strength, and walked with his two chubby legs planted wide. He looked exactly like a little crab walking sideways.

“Tuo Tuo, put those down quickly. They’ll smash your foot in a moment.” Xiu Niang hurried over to take them from him.

Qiu Sheng laughed from the cart. “I never expected Tuo Tuo to be this strong too.” A five-year-old child like Tuo Tuo could carry six bricks. That was not simple. He must have taken after Xi Jue.

“Xiu Niang, I can carry them.” Tuo Tuo turned slightly to the side, dodging Xiu Niang’s hands as she tried to take the bricks.

“Xiu Niang, don’t bother with him. Let him work. Tuo Tuo can carry them,” Hua Qi said while receiving bricks. It was not easy for the little ginseng spirit to finally do some work. He had to make him do more.

Xiu Niang said wordlessly, “Are you really using him like a grown person?”

As soon as Xiu Niang said this, the demons present all stiffened and looked toward her in unison. Had this human seen through something?

Tuo Tuo widened his eyes, hugged the bricks tightly, and asked stammeringly, “Wh-why can’t you use me like a person? I am a person!”

“I didn’t say you’re not a person.” Xiu Niang smiled. “You’re a little person. A little person can’t be used like an adult.”

Dou Ming let out a soft breath and went on with the work in his hands. If Xiu Niang had really discovered something, he would have immediately used a spell to remove the memories these humans present had of them. Thankfully, it was a false alarm.

“Huaniang, even if Tuo Tuo is strong, what work can such a tiny person like him do? The bricks are stacked up to the tip of his nose. He can’t even see the road. Don’t let him bump into something in a moment. Let him go home and play with Da Mao and Er Mao,” Qiu Sheng said.

He just could not stand seeing Xi Jue and Hua Qi show too much favoritism toward Yun Shan, while not treating Dou Ming, Xiao Cong, Tuo Tuo, and the others like their own.

Hua Qi had just been startled by Xiu Niang. He was afraid their way of doing things differed too much from humans’, so now whatever Xiu Niang and Qiu Sheng said went.

Hua Qi turned to Tuo Tuo and said, “Go play with Da Mao and Er Mao. You’re not needed here.”

“Oh.” Tuo Tuo looked in surprise at Hua Qi, who loved bullying demons, not understanding why he had suddenly changed his ways and was being so nice to him.

Since that stinky black snake did not want help and was telling him to go play, Tuo Tuo immediately put down the bricks, grabbed Da Mao and Er Mao, and ran straight toward Xiu Niang’s house without looking back.

Hua Qi turned and met Xiu Niang’s gratified gaze. He paused, then hurriedly lowered his head. What was with Xiu Niang’s eyes? Why did they look so strange?

Xiu Niang, however, felt that Huaniang had finally shown the children some affection for once! As expected, her nagging had not been wasted. People changed slowly.

The ox cart made five trips before all the bricks were hauled over.

Xiu Niang and Hua Qi went home to make lunch. Qiu Sheng took Xi Jue to find the families who had helped lay the foundation last time and notify them to come help build the house.

Dou Ming had nothing to do, so he wandered back to the courtyard.

Tuo Tuo was playing with Da Mao, Er Mao, and the group of boys who often came to the courtyard gate. Dou Ming took one look. They were lying on the ground rolling pellets again.

Dou Ming quickly walked into the courtyard in disgust.

“Dou Ming, I was just looking for you. Wash your hands and mince the meat,” Hua Qi’s voice came from the kitchen.

Dou Ming walked over to the basin. He stuck both hands into the water, then immediately pulled them back out again, while his mouth answered along, “Coming, coming.”

Hua Qi was peeling garlic inside the room. When Dou Ming saw it, he immediately said, “Peel more. I like eating it.”

Hua Qi rolled his eyes at him. “Whoever likes eating it can peel it himself.” But his hands did not stop at all. After peeling one bulb, he twisted another off the garlic braid and continued peeling.

Dou Ming shrank his neck back and obediently picked up the knife to mince the meat.

Xiu Niang smiled and nudged Hua Qi.

“Why did you suddenly nudge me?” Hua Qi tossed the garlic cloves into the basket, tilted his head, and asked Xiu Niang in puzzlement.

“Because I think you’re good,” Xiu Niang said with a smile.

Hua Qi was suddenly praised, and his face was full of bafflement, but the corners of his mouth could not help curving up. He said stubbornly, “It took you this many days to discover that I’m good?”

“Who says I only just discovered it?” Xiu Niang reached out to add a handful of firewood and said playfully, “I discovered it long ago. I just, just suddenly wanted to tell you.”

“You sure have a sweet mouth.” Hua Qi wanted to hold back the corners of his mouth, but no matter what he did, he could not pull them back down. He simply let go and allowed the corners of his mouth to rise into a big curve along with his mood.

Dou Ming, who was mincing meat, secretly glanced at those two out of the corner of his eye. He really wanted to ask Xiu Niang how she had managed to see anything good in Hua Qi.

Ever since Dou Ming could remember, Hua Qi had been the one all the demons on Yunling Mountain did not dare provoke. Dou Ming had not even dared to approach Hua Qi’s cave dwelling, for fear of offending this fiend.

He really did not know what kind of eyes Xiu Niang had, or how she could find anything good in Hua Qi.

There were too many things he could not understand. Dou Ming never made things hard on himself. He shook his head and continued mincing the meat with loud thunks.

After Hua Qi finished peeling the garlic, he volunteered himself to Xiu Niang. “I’ve been learning from you for so many days. Let me try cooking today.”

“All right.” Xiu Niang gave up her place. She put the meat Dou Ming had minced into a basin. As soon as she turned around, she saw Hua Qi pouring half a small pot of oil into the wok. Xiu Niang hurriedly stopped him. “Stop.”

Hua Qi did not understand why. Holding the oil pot, he looked utterly confused. When stir-frying, you put oil in first. The steps were not wrong.

Xiu Niang, heart aching, scooped the excess oil into a large bowl while murmuring nonstop, “Too wasteful. Too wasteful. Cooking like this ruins a household.”

Seeing Hua Qi standing there blankly, Xiu Niang explained, “You don’t need to put that much oil. For one basin of meat, one iron spoonful of oil is enough.”

Hua Qi held the spatula and lowered his head, watching Xiu Niang scoop out more than half of the oil he had poured in.

The oil heated up quickly, steaming with hot vapor.

Xiu Niang put the bowl of oil away in a cabinet off to the side and covered it with a wooden lid. Then she turned back and stared at Hua Qi. “I really have to keep a close eye on you. Once the oil is hot, you can add the meat. Why hasn’t the garlic been smashed yet? Dou Ming, hurry and come cut the garlic.”

Dou Ming, who had just stepped out the door, immediately turned back. He picked up the kitchen knife he had just used to mince meat, only for Xiu Niang to stop him again. “You just finished mincing meat. Hurry and wash it before cutting the garlic. There’s water in the basin to the side.”

Xiu Niang directed the other two people in the room until they were spinning in circles.

Sizzle—

The entire basin of meat was poured into the wok. There was water on the meat, and when it met the hot oil, it instantly sent up splatters of oil.

The flying oil splattered onto Hua Qi’s hand. He endured it the first time, but then oil splashes kept popping out one after another, scalding him until he cried out.

“Aiya, dodge back!” Xiu Niang tugged urgently at Hua Qi’s clothes.

“Give me the spatula. Hurry and have Dou Ming draw a bucket of cold well water. Soak your hands.” Xiu Niang pushed Hua Qi out the door with all her strength. “You must soak them in cold water. If blisters form, absolutely don’t poke them.”

“I know, I know.” Hua Qi jumped out the door.

Dou Ming followed behind him and quickly drew a bucket of water, then poured it into a basin.

By the time Xiu Niang finished cooking the dish, several blisters had already risen on Hua Qi’s hands, standing out especially clearly against his fair, delicate skin.

“I’ll have Qiu Sheng bring you some ointment to apply in a bit.” Xiu Niang felt a little distressed looking at them.

Hua Qi did not dare use demon power to heal them, afraid Xiu Niang would see a flaw. He asked Xiu Niang, “Xiu Niang, how long will this take to heal?”

Xiu Niang lifted his hand and examined it carefully. “It’s different for everyone. Some people heal quickly, and some slowly. For the fast ones, about half a month. For the slow ones, it takes a month or so.”

“Aiya, such beautiful hands. They absolutely mustn’t scar,” Xiu Niang said regretfully.

Hua Qi was a snake and usually disliked seeing sunlight. His whole body had a cool, pale complexion. In the eyes of the villagers, she was bewitching and aloof.

Hua Qi said, “It’s fine.” An injury of this level definitely would not leave a scar on him.

Seeing his unconcerned manner, Xiu Niang warned him, “You have to take proper care of them.”

Hua Qi looked at her serious expression and quickly agreed, “Mm, I’ll definitely take proper care of them.”

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