Liu Laoda is beating his wife, and the neighbors have all come out to watch the commotion.
Only at Liu’s second house, no one came out.
Not even someone peeking out to look.
Li Yuzhu and her siblings followed Mu Yuanxiu into Liu’s second house.
The atmosphere in this house took Li Yuzhu by surprise.
Everyone in the main room looked gloomy.
Sitting at the head was an old man of about sixty, medium build, presumably Old Liu. He hung his head, lost in thought.
Mu Yuanxiu called out to him, "Grandpa Liu."
Old Liu raised his head and forced a smile, "Oh, it’s Yuanxiu, you’ve come down from the mountain?" He then noticed Li Yuzhu and her siblings, exclaiming in surprise, "Aren’t you the siblings from the Li Zheng’s house who sold the leopard meat?"
Mu Yuanxiu nodded, "Yes, it’s them. They have something and would like Grandpa Liu’s help."
The Princely Heir stepped forward with his younger siblings and cupped his hands politely to Grandpa Liu, "Grandpa Liu, our family would like to build a few houses and would like to ask for your help."
Liu the bricklayer sighed, "Our family right now..., alas, I can’t help, I can’t leave."
The Princely Heir said, "We don’t need Grandpa Liu to go personally, just introduce a few bricklayers to us."
Liu the bricklayer shook his head, "You really caught them at the wrong time. At the beginning of this month, a wealthy family in the county started renovating a shrine. The project is for half a year, and they’re offering ten percent more pay than usual. Every bricklayer I know has gone to work there. If it weren’t for some matters at home, I and my sons would have gone too."
It truly was bad timing, and everyone was very disappointed.
Second Young Master Li looked at the Princely Heir, "Big Brother, should we head back then? We’ll make do in that cave for now, and when the craftsmen return, we can build the house?"
Li Xing’an said, "We can find some realgar to sprinkle in the cave to keep the snakes away."
The Princely Heir frowned, "Making do is certainly possible, and there are ways to drive the snakes away. But the cave is damp, and living there for long isn’t good for one’s health. Our parents are old, and Guoguo and Jingjing are young..."
Li Yuzhu nodded, "Big Brother is right, we really can’t stay there long. It’s only spring now, and the cave is already unbearably damp with little rain. If it gets to the summer with continuous rainy days, it would be even more uninhabitable."
"But, I really can’t help," Liu the bricklayer said awkwardly.
"There might be a way..." Suddenly, Second Lady Liu, sitting beside Liu Er, spoke up.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"What way could there be? Huh? What way?" Liu Er glanced coldly at her, "You think you or Father can handle the matters of the main family? That house has been in upheaval, and none of us can go work!"
Liu Er’s wife fell silent.
Liu the bricklayer kept his head down, frowning and saying nothing.
Mu Yuanxiu, who had been silent until then, asked, "Aunt Liu, what way are you talking about?"
"She’s talking nonsense, Yuanxiu, don’t believe her." Liu Er waved his hand dismissively.
Liu Er’s wife glanced at him, pursed her lips, and seemed hesitant to speak.
Li Yuzhu noticed her expression and said to the Princely Heir, "Big Brother, let’s go back."
While saying this, she winked at the Princely Heir.
The Princely Heir glanced at her, then turned to Liu the bricklayer, "If that’s the case, we won’t trouble Grandpa Liu further. We’ll think of another way. Farewell."
After leaving Liu’s second house, the Princely Heir immediately asked Li Yuzhu, "Third Sister, did you come up with another good idea?"
Li Yuzhu said, "It’s Second Lady Liu; she seems to want to say something. Let’s not leave yet, and wait here to ask her about the way she mentioned."