Chapter 27: Building a House
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“Boss, how much for this donkey?” Sheng Wanqiu only wanted to settle the matter quickly. After enduring the stench and walking around the market, she settled on a particularly sturdy donkey.
An ox cart was too slow. Besides, once people saw it, they might come to her house asking to borrow the ox for plowing. What a nuisance!
A horse-drawn carriage, on the other hand, would be far too conspicuous. What sort of household would dare buy one?
Sharp-eyed people might start wondering whether the ginseng she had dug up had sold for more than thirty taels of silver.
One must never underestimate the cleverness of the ancients. For the sake of safety, a donkey cart was still the most sensible choice.
“Miss, you have an excellent eye. If you truly want this donkey, I’ll let you have it for six taels of silver! All my livestock come with a guarantee. I promise it’s perfectly healthy.”
The owner immediately approached with a beaming smile when he saw someone asking about the price.
“Six taels? Fine, I won’t bargain. Give me the cart behind you as well, and I’ll pay.”
Sheng Wanqiu pointed toward it. The owner turned around and stared in disbelief.
So that was what she meant by not bargaining?!
The wooden cart behind him had only just been finished. He had originally intended to keep it for his own use, so he had chosen good timber and put considerable effort into making it. He had even coated the entire thing with tung oil.
This girl’s eye was far too sharp. Wasn’t she practically robbing him?
“Miss, if you had this wooden cart made yourself, the cost of the timber and workmanship would be at least two taels. You can’t just come in here and expect me to throw it in for free!”
The owner refused outright.
“All right, then. Thank you. Goodbye!”
Sheng Wanqiu turned and walked away.
She had never liked making things difficult for others. You named your price, she made her offer, and if you couldn’t agree, she would simply try another shop.
“Wait, wait! Miss, hold on!”
Seeing how decisively she had left, the owner hurriedly called after her.
“Miss, how about this? Eight taels, and you can take both the cart and the donkey,” he said, putting on the expression of a man who had suffered a tremendous loss.
“Six taels.”
“If you agree, I’ll take them. If not, forget it!”
“I may need to buy horses, sheep, and oxen in the future as well. We’ll have plenty of business ahead of us. Don’t you agree?”
The owner gritted his teeth.
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Sheng Wanqiu was very good at making promises and painting a rosy picture. In the end, she secured the donkey cart for six taels and five mace of silver.
The owner was fairly honest. He even taught Sheng Wanqiu how to maintain the wooden cart.
“Thank you! I’ll come back to you next time.”
Sheng Wanqiu thanked him politely, not forgetting to keep selling him on future business. Then, beaming with satisfaction, she drove the donkey cart out of town.
The first thing she did after returning to the village was visit Magistrate Sheng. She was about to build a house, but she was completely at a loss about where to begin, so she had no choice but to seek his help.
She parked the donkey cart directly outside the village headman’s home. On the way back, Sheng Wanqiu had given the donkey some spirit spring water, hoping it would remain healthy and avoid becoming agitated or falling ill after changing environments.
Unexpectedly, after drinking it, the donkey seemed to have become cleverer. It went when she told it to go and stopped when she told it to stop, remaining exceptionally obedient and docile.
“Wanqiu, where did this donkey cart come from?” Magistrate Sheng asked. Seeing a donkey cart outside his home, he had assumed that a servant from some wealthy household had come to ask him for help. He had not expected it to be Sheng Wanqiu.
“I bought it. I’ll be taking my younger brothers to the neighboring village to study from now on, so this will make things more convenient in the mornings and evenings.”
Sheng Wanqiu answered frankly, then explained the purpose of her visit.
“If you want to build a house, I can take you to Chen Erzhu. He makes a living building houses.”
After saying this, the village headman took Sheng Wanqiu to Chen Erzhu’s home.
Sheng Wanqiu understood at once. No wonder Chen Erzhu’s family was the only one in the village with an ox cart, and why they lived in a brick-and-mud house. Skilled craftsmen were valued wherever they went.
The village headman explained their purpose, and Chen Erzhu immediately agreed. When business came knocking, there was no reason to turn it away.
When Sheng Wanqiu handed him the plans she had drawn the night before, Chen Erzhu’s eyes lit up.
“Wanqiu, you drew this?”
“Yes. About how much would it cost to build a house like this?” Sheng Wanqiu asked with a nod.
“I’ve watched you grow up, so I won’t overcharge you. If I provide both the labor and the materials, building a house like this would cost around fifteen taels.”
“If you prepare the materials yourself, eight taels for the labor will do.”
Chen Erzhu considered it before replying.
“Uncle Chen, here you are.”
“I’m not one to haggle endlessly. I may have a bad temper, but it depends on who I’m dealing with. If someone shows me one foot of respect, I’ll return ten feet. Respect goes both ways.”
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“As long as you build me a beautiful house, it can serve as a living advertisement for you too, can’t it?”
“Take this banknote. We’ll settle the difference later, whether you have to return some or I have to pay more. In any case, I have only one requirement: use good, genuine materials.”
Sheng Wanqiu took out a banknote worth twenty taels and placed it on the table.
“All right! You’re a straightforward girl, and you’ve even called me Uncle. I guarantee I’ll build you a beautiful house!”
Chen Erzhu greatly admired Sheng Wanqiu’s decisiveness. Despite her young age, she was efficient and direct, far more capable than several of her uncles.
With the matter of the house settled, Sheng Wanqiu asked Chen Erzhu about a carpenter who made furniture. She drove him in the donkey cart to the neighboring village, where they found the carpenter he recommended. Before long, she had placed an order for a whole batch of furniture.
Naturally, Sheng Wanqiu provided the designs as well. After she gave a simple explanation, Carpenter Shi understood them immediately.
She spent another ten taels to settle the furniture order, then drove Chen Erzhu back to Green Mountain Village.
News that she had bought a donkey cart and planned to purchase land and build a house had already spread throughout Green Mountain Village. The villagers were all envious and jealous, though some were resentful as well.
The White Lotus family, for example, had already spent nearly half an hour cursing at home.
In particular, when Bai Haowu was playing in the village and saw Sheng Huaimu wearing new shoes and new clothes, he burst into tears and ran home, pestering Madam Bai to buy him new clothes and shoes too.
Children were children, after all. He only knew that Sheng Wanqiu used to send every good thing she had to his family. Now, however, she gave everything to her own younger brothers, and he immediately felt it was unfair.
It was not only the child who felt that way. Madam Bai was resentful too. She had seen Old Madam Sheng leave the house the day before, flaunting her silver bracelet.
All those things should have belonged to her. The thought made her head ache with rage.
“Mother, that little wretch Sheng Wanqiu has bought a donkey cart, and she’s going to build a house too!” Bai Xiaolian announced the moment she entered, telling her mother everything she had just heard in the village. “It’s all Eldest Brother’s fault. If he had managed to keep Sheng Wanqiu wrapped around his finger, all those things would belong to our family!”
Bai Xiaolian was furious and blamed her useless elder brother.
“Mother, think of something!” Seeing that her elder brother remained silent, Bai Xiaolian could only turn to Madam Bai.
“What can I do? Why don’t you go dig for ginseng in the mountains too?” Madam Bai said irritably.
“Sheng Zhaodi lost her leg! I’m not going into the mountains to throw my life away!”
Bai Xiaolian waved her hands frantically. She had seen Sheng Zhaodi’s leg, and it had terrified her. She had even suffered nightmares that night.
She would never go into the mountains, not even if someone beat her to death. She still wanted to marry a wealthy man, so she had to protect her legs at all costs.
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