Chapter 42: The Completion of the Enclosure Wall

  In early May, the wall surrounding Lin's house was finally completed after two months of repair. The wall stretched from Linjia Village and Chenjia Village to the three-forked road leading to the town, with one side extending from the three-forked road to the large slope in Chenjia Village and the other side extending from the three-forked road to the rock pile in Linjia Village. The wall was over six meters high, built with large stone blocks that had been polished smooth, making it solid and thick. It was not something that could be easily damaged with ordinary tools. Additionally, the foundation of the wall was quite deep, and although the soil on the mountain was not very thick, with rocks visible in some areas, the bricklayers overcame many difficulties to build the wall. Where they encountered large stones, they used a mixture of mud and stone to connect them to the mountain rocks, making it secure and sturdy.

  As the wall was completed, the stones that Shi Jia had polished were almost all used up. Lin Chun had no choice but to postpone the construction of the house until August, so he could take a break himself. Da Tou was already eight years old this year, and next year Lin Chun hoped he would participate in the Tongsheng examination. He didn't care whether or not Da Tou could pass the exam, as long as he had gone through the experience. The exam was just to test his learning outcomes at each stage, which wasn't something Lin Chun was particularly concerned about.

  That day, Lin Chun was at home drawing the May shipment to Qianfuyuan, thinking that Lin Er Lang and Lin Da Zhuang would be released from prison in a few days, but the Lin family village had no place for them to stand, Lin Chun didn't want them to bring any more trouble to their own family, so he planned to go to the county town to see if he could get these two men to leave Yuxiang Town and nip everything in the bud.

  "Miss, Old Man Qian sent someone to deliver a message saying that the young master of Qianfuyuan has arrived in Qingxi Town and wants to see you. I think the person who brought the message seems to be in a hurry." An He had been acting as a gatekeeper since Lin's family built their wall and installed a red-painted iron door, reporting anyone or anything that wanted to enter the house to prevent any troublemakers from getting in. An Zhu and An Mu were not at home, having gone with the Li family to study the new furniture for Lin Chun's painting studio. An Zhu was skilled at raising chickens and ducks, and had recently been busy going around the village, looking for households with chicks or piglets, small pigs, or ponies to buy back and raise. Lin Chun supported this idea, thinking that once their own house was built, they could build a larger chicken coop, duck shed, pigpen, and horse stable for An Zhu, which would not only provide food for the family but also be a way to make a living.

  An Wu and An Feng have been frequenting the ironwork shops in town and county, wanting to forge some good farm tools for Lin Chuan to open up his large mountain land. Once that's done, they can just hire some skilled farmers to help with the cultivation, and it'll be best if they can grow their own grains and vegetables. With many things on his mind, Lin Chuan also wants to tidy up some areas on the mountain to plant fruit trees and timber, which are all good ways to develop their livelihood. Lin Chuan naturally doesn't want to give up on this, as buying this mountain and land was originally for the sake of having more and better places to develop in the future. Now that they have both mountains and lands at home, everything should be falling into place.

  "Oh, was it said why we met? I've been drawing the blueprint for these few days and you brought people in...” Lin Chun furrowed his brow. He had originally asked Qian Uncle to keep it a secret and didn't want to have much contact with those young masters. This young master Qian Fuyuan should understand his intentions, so why did he come to Qingxi Town and even sent someone to invite him?! Lin Chun felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.

  "Miss Lin, I've come under Master Qian's orders to deliver a message. He requests that you visit the Qian Fu Yuan tomorrow, as our young master has arrived and wishes to meet with you to discuss some important matters." The person delivering the message was none other than Xiao Shui, who had helped Lin Chun carry the red wooden box on that day, and Lin Chun still felt a bit affected.

  "Alright, I understand. You go back and tell Uncle Qian and your young master that I will definitely visit Qianfuyuan tomorrow morning." Lin Chun knew that some things Xiao Shui didn't know about, and thought that if it was an important matter, it wouldn't be good for too many people to know, so he also didn't ask Xiao Shui much.

  "Anhe, take Xiao Shui to the next room for some tea, and then see him out. Remember..." Lin Chun instructed, making a hand gesture.

  An nodded, indicating that she understood Lin Chun's meaning, and took the little water to the next room. Lin Chun continued to concentrate on drawing, planning to take the drawings directly to the county town tomorrow to avoid running an extra trip. Lin Chun also had some of her own ideas, as the family was currently in a state of disrepair, but with the wall already built, she could now implement her plans step by step. Now, within her own courtyard, she didn't have to worry about the gossip and strange looks from the older generation in the village, nor did she have to worry about rumors spreading among the womenfolk who knew nothing about household affairs.

  After dinner, Lin Chun called all the people in the house together, and let An Pobuzi and Li Pobuzi prepare some snacks and tea. Everyone sat around the stone table in the courtyard, waiting for Lin Chun's instructions and arrangements.

  Lin Chun saw that everyone was present, and without beating around the bush, he directly stated his intentions. "An He brothers, you have been at my house for quite some time now. I am well aware of your abilities and your good intentions towards the Lin family. Today, I called everyone together to discuss the future development of our household. First, let me express my thoughts, and then please feel free to share your opinions. Da Tou and Er Ya are no exception; anyone with good ideas or suggestions can speak freely."

  "Yes, miss." Everyone saw Lin Chun's serious expression as if discussing important matters and also respectfully addressed her as "miss", no longer calling her "Lin Chun the big girl" like they usually did.

  "That's good, I'll say something first. Since An Zhu and An Mu are not here today, let's not discuss their matters for now. The wall around our house has been completed, so An He can take some time to discuss with Da Shan Bo Bo about building three brick houses inside the courtyard near the big iron gate, and also build a large kang. In the future, the guards who watch the gate can live in this house. If the guard gets married, the three rooms can also accommodate them. This is one thing that needs to be done urgently, so I hope An He will take care of it." Lin Chun said seriously to An He sitting in front of him.

  "An Wu and An Feng are skilled at making farm tools and weapons, but now our home can't provide a place for ironwork, nor do we have any iron to work with. So I'm afraid I'll have to trouble the two of you to run errands in town to the blacksmith's shop, to prepare tools for our family's future farming needs. As for silver and money, don't hesitate to ask for what you need, just make a list of the items and expenses and come to me for payment, I'll fully support it.

  Mr. Yu still teaches Er Ya, Da Tou, and Xiao Shan to read and write as before. However, next year when spring arrives, Da Tou will be taking the Tong Sheng exam, so Mr. Yu needs to put in more effort to guide him well.

  An Po Zi and Li Po Zi may not speak much, but they are wise and have a keen eye for detail, taking good care of everyone in our household. An Po Zi is particularly attentive to the daily lives of my three siblings and me, while Li Po Zi is skilled at managing household chores. With both of you by my side, I feel at ease.

  However, as time goes on and our household becomes busier, I've been thinking that it would be good to find a few more women or maids to help out. As Er Ya and I grow older, having a maid by our side will make things more convenient for us, and also alleviate some of the burden from both of you. What do you all think about these matters?" Lin Chun asked.

  "Miss, don't worry, I'll go to discuss with Uncle Dashan tomorrow about building the house, and try to finish it as soon as possible so that it can be used in time. However, should the three rooms be one main room, one guest room, and one kitchen? Moreover, our family has not dug a well yet, and using water is also very inconvenient, should we dig a deep well first to alleviate the trouble of fetching water?"

  "An He's big brother said it well, this well is the most important thing, and our family doesn't just need one well. In the future, when we build a new house on the mountain slope, we'll also need to dig a well. Although the mud on this mountain is thick, but deep down it's still rocky. It seems that in the future, when we have time, we should go into the mountains and see if there are any mountain springs that can be channeled back home. As for the foot of the mountain, when building a house, let's first dig a 200-meter well to supply water for the family guarding the gate. The layout of this house is not as good as this: the master bedroom is set behind the living room, with a corridor in between, and two guest rooms are built on either side of the master bedroom. In the back, build a kitchen. If guests come to our home, they can first have tea in the living room, and with the corridor, we don't have to worry about the people in the backyard and the children. And if the family guarding the gate has guests, they can rest in the guest rooms on either side. Also, this well is built in the kitchen, which is convenient for use. Then, use a fence to enclose the area behind the master bedroom, connecting it to the kitchen. What does An He's big brother think?"

  "The young lady's idea is great, this house can be compared to a rich farmer's house in Linjia Village, and it will also make the gatekeeper feel at ease, guarding the door with all his heart and without any worries. I'll go find Uncle Dashan tomorrow and start construction as soon as possible." An He was overjoyed, most importantly, he felt that she could consider even a humble gatekeeper's well-being, showing her kind heart and pure intentions.

  "Miss, Anmu and I will follow your instructions. As for the money issue, we'll discuss it among ourselves first and then come back to you." Anzhu's excitement was evident on his face, while Anmu nodded enthusiastically beside him.

  "Uh, okay, our family can only prepare everything we need before engaging in production and making plans for future development. As the saying goes, 'sharpening a knife doesn't delay chopping firewood', that's why I had you all make farm tools beforehand."

  "What a great saying 'Sharpening the knife doesn't delay cutting firewood', Miss always says something that makes me amazed, as for the second miss and young master's study, Miss can rest assured, Miss has given me such a good environment, I will naturally work hard."

  "I am at ease with Mr. Yu's teachings, but I also hope that the teacher will be strict in his guidance. As I have many things to attend to and need to prepare drawings, I don't have much time to take care of and teach my younger siblings, so I hope the teacher will take care of it. Lin Chun has great respect for Yu Xinle, which also brings comfort to Yu Xinle's heart."

  "Sister, my sister and I are both diligent in our studies, so you can rest assured on that front. You have a lot of things to take care of, not just managing the household chores, but also thinking of ways to make money, it's already very tiring for you. My sister and I are already sensible, we won't let you worry about us. Sister, when you have time, rest more often, and occasionally come find us to chat, that would be great." Da Tou said with a hopeful face.

  Lin Chun looked at Da Tou's appearance, her eyes full of love and care. She knew that she had been spending less time with him and Er Ya lately, as the two had always relied on her since they were young. Now, because of her studies and busyness, she had neglected their sibling intimacy. Lin Chun blamed herself in her heart for this, but nodded her head in agreement to Da Tou's request. Er Ya saw Lin Chun nodding in agreement, and her small face lit up with joy, her eyes shining with delight.

  "Miss, there are many things to do at home, and Lao Niu and I are busy enough. It's only right that you hire more people. In my opinion, Miss, it would be best if you could find two maids first, to accompany you and Second Miss, and it would be even better if they were around the same age. As for the older women, just two more would do. I trust your judgment, Miss, and I'm sure you'll be able to find two people who are compatible with Lao Niu and me. With everyone working together, our household will be harmonious."

  "What Aunt An said is very right, only when everyone in the family works together in harmony can things go smoothly. As the saying goes, 'harmony at home brings prosperity everywhere.' I'll remember this and be careful when hiring someone." Lin Chun knew that Aunt An was afraid she would hire someone like Zhao's wife, and Lin Chun herself was also worried.