"You little brat, are you rebelling? This means your father has become wishy-washy too. Your dad, I have a real man’s temper, not like Xiao Wu. In my opinion, it’s your mom who raised Xiao Wu like a girl. Right, what are your plans for that courtyard? You must have heard from Xiao Wu. If you move to the county, there will be no one living here. Why don’t we just build a simple three-to-five-room house?"
Zhang Guoqiang shook his head, "Like those thatched houses in the village? No, just leave it as it is. After discussing with Xiao Wu, it won’t cost much. Besides, this is our hometown, not far from the county. You and mom are here, we should come back often. If I go to the county, I definitely can’t afford to buy a house. Renting a small room will feel cramped, so I’ll come back and stay. There’s also vacation time, the house won’t be empty. When we have more kids, it’ll be spacious. Plus, we can grow some grains and vegetables in the backyard; relying solely on what’s supplied in the city won’t do."
Mr. Zhang nodded, "That’s a good way to think about it. In the city, even a single green onion costs money. You can grow them, and your mom and I will take care of them. Over the year, we’ll gather a fair amount. You should arrange things well, and if your wife’s job isn’t set yet, she can take care of the home.
After work, I’ll talk to the team leader about building the courtyard and find people to cut stone. We need to let him know early. Otherwise, if everyone in the village goes to help us, he’ll have to rearrange the farm work. Our family won’t be working in the fields for now, and there’s not much to do during the off-season. Your mom and your wife still need to prepare food."
"I’ve already found someone for the stone-cutting. They’ll start tomorrow. I’ve talked to Third Grandpa about it. These days, without fieldwork, I’ve made arrangements. I’ve secured the timber for the two courtyard beams, apart from what we have at home; I borrowed some instead of buying. We’ll return it once Xiao Wu and I cut some from the mountain.
We’ve ordered roof tiles and some miscellaneous items. Dad, there’s nothing else to order. Just waiting to lay the foundation tomorrow. The three of us brothers have almost cleared those two foundations. Then we mix the clay, pile the bricks. Once the stones arrive, we can build the house. I’ve calculated the time. We’ll build both courtyards together. Mixing the clay and piling the bricks are hard work. We’ll prepare some steamed buns, cook some meat and veggies; nothing else to worry about."
In the countryside, there are "the four big labors": mixing clay, piling bricks, pulling the plow, etc. "Mixing clay" means adding plant fibers like straw or hemp to clay, making it stickier and stronger, then mixing it with water to form a thick paste. The more you mix it, the stickier and harder it becomes. Piling bricks involves putting the mixed clay into a mold and pressing it into shape. Once dried, they become brick-like blocks for building walls. These are all back-breaking tasks, enough to wear out even the strongest workers!
The Zhang Family wants to build a house like the old courtyard, but it’s a tough job. The men in the family will be the main force in mixing the clay, and they’ll need to prepare some clay bricks. Completing the two courtyards is expected to be exhausting.
Mr. Zhang nodded, having all arrangements made to start building early tomorrow. Along with his brothers and a few nephews, plus the tile craftsmen bringing some extra hands, it will take a couple of weeks to finish. Once the ground freezes and it snows, they can start working on the furniture inside the house. By next year, they’ll be ready to separate and move in, marking a significant milestone for the old couple.
"Make sure to talk to your master too, prepare the doors and windows. Don’t take on other jobs yet. With just Xiao Wu’s courtyard, there’s plenty of carpentry work. We’ll need to buy wood, talk about it when we run short. Let’s go with what you’ve planned for now." After saying this, Mr. Zhang started pulling the iron plow again.