Chapter 72: Keep Guzzling Away
Shang Wan brushed Lu Chengjing’s wind-tousled hair behind his ear, gently pinched his earlobe, and asked with a smile, “What do you want to eat in a bit?”
Lu Chengjing came back to his senses, his lips curving up. “Anything is fine. You all decide.”
No matter how Shang Wan looked at it, this smile seemed fake. She smoothed down the deliberately lifted corner of the man’s lips in front of her and frowned at him. “Are you tired or feeling unwell somewhere?”
Lu Chengjing shook his head and answered Shang Wan’s previous question. “I want to eat Yangchun Noodles.”
Shang Wan looked at him a few more times, then turned to ask Xiao Huan and Shi Tou what they wanted to eat. Both said they wanted noodles, so Shang Wan went with the majority, found a noodle shop with lots of customers, and ordered four bowls of noodles and three side dishes.
Yuan Yuan was drinking goat milk.
While Xiao Huan and Shi Tou were inquiring about news, they saw a beverage shop selling goat milk. Xiao Huan immediately ran in to buy a large pot and also bought a new milk bottle for Yuan Yuan.
The little one was now hugging the new milk bottle and gulping it down happily, eyes curved in a super satisfied smile.
The noodle shop wasn’t big, but there were plenty of customers. If not for a table of guests leaving just in time, Shang Wan and the others wouldn’t have had seats.
Many customers were sizing up Lu Chengjing. In these times, it was rare to see someone going out in a wheelchair, so curiosity was inevitable.
Shang Wan could hear discussions like “cripple” and “broken leg.” With Lu Chengjing like this now, he would surely be talked about when going out. As long as it wasn’t excessive or said directly to the person involved, Shang Wan could pretend not to hear.
The noodles came quickly, with generous portions. The noodles were chewy, the soup fresh and flavorful. The side dishes were refreshing and went perfectly with the noodles. No wonder the shop had so many customers.
Shang Wan contentedly sipped some noodle soup, eating noodles while listening to the shop customers’ discussions below.
The customers’ topic had long changed. Some chatted about neighbors’ family matters, some about this earthquake disaster. Someone mentioned the Lu Family theft, sighing that the little thief had some skills, as the government still hadn’t caught him.
Others discussed the earthquake, saying the current emperor was muddle-headed and incompetent, angering the heavens. The emperor had dragon aura protecting him, so Heaven vented its wrath on pitiful commoners like them.
Shang Wan glanced sideways. The speaker was a man with a full beard, wheat-colored skin, deep-set eyes, and a high nose bridge. If he shaved the beard, he might look pretty good.
The man hadn’t said two sentences before his tablemate stuffed a marinated egg into his mouth, warning him not to talk nonsense, lest he bring deadly trouble.
Shang Wan glanced at the two burly figures. Seeing them only eating and no longer speaking, she withdrew her attention from them.
She looked up across the table and found Lu Chengjing spacing out again.
This guy really had something on his mind.
Shang Wan thought for a moment, raised her hand to call the shop assistant, and added a poached egg to Lu Chengjing’s noodle bowl.
“Customer, please enjoy your meal slowly.”
Lu Chengjing: ?
“At least respect the food a little.” Shang Wan picked up some pickled radish with chopsticks, wrapped it in noodles. “Eat properly when eating. Whatever it is, you can think about it after we’re done.”
Lu Chengjing stared at the poached egg for a moment, his long lashes drooping slightly, then seriously started eating the poached egg.
Xiao Huan vaguely knew why Lu Chengjing was distracted. She had also seen the person in the carriage earlier.
She worriedly glanced over here twice, wanted to say something to Shang Wan, but thought better of it and swallowed her words.
Brother-in-law probably wanted to tell Sis those things himself. If she blurted it out rashly, it might backfire.
Shi Tou was carefree, and mainly, running around all morning had made him really hungry. His attention was all on the noodles.
He followed Yuan Yuan’s gulping rhythm, slurping his noodles vigorously. In the end, feeling not full enough, he ordered two more bowls.
Yuan Yuan glanced at Uncle Shi Tou, picked up the milk bottle she had set down, and continued gulping.
The big and small one ate like they were competing, both stuffing their bellies round. They looked at each other and chuckled.
Xiao Huan couldn’t bear to watch, gently rubbing Yuan Yuan’s belly to avoid her vomiting milk later from the bumpy ox cart ride.
They settled the bill and left. Shi Tou drove the ox cart to the bricklayer’s place.
The bricklayer was surnamed He. Because half his left pinky finger was cut off while working for someone, all the neighbors called him He SIZhi, and over time, his real name was forgotten.
He SIZhi was in his thirties, with no parents at home. His brother had joined the army five years ago and not returned. His wife died of illness the year before last, leaving a son nicknamed Liang Liang, who had just turned ten this year. The father and son depended on each other.
He SIZhi took on two apprentices last year, one named Gao Yan, one named Ma Jieyong, both diligent and honest, and very respectful to Master He SIZhi.
Hearing the purpose of Shang Wan and the others’ visit, He SIZhi thought for a moment and said building a house was a big job, so he needed to bring both apprentices.
As for wages, master forty wen a day, apprentice twenty-five wen a day, settled every three days.
The building materials had to be bought by Shang Wan and the others themselves. Once all materials were ready, he and his apprentices would go over, and wages would start counting from the day they arrived.
Normally start work at chenshi, lunch and rest for one hour, stop when it gets dark.
If the host family was willing to pay extra and provide lighting, the three could work into the night, but at most two extra hours, to avoid over-fatigue affecting the next day’s work.
No work on rainy days, no wages counted.
For convenience, arrange lodging for the three. Meals with the host family. Tool wear and tear shared half by each side.
Shi Tou had inquired that among city bricklayers, He SIZhi worked the fastest and best, though his wages were ten wen more than others, but his apprentices were cheaper.
Gao Yan and Ma Jieyong had apprenticed at the beginning of last year, followed He SIZhi to many host families for work, accumulated plenty of experience, and could be treated as skilled hands.
All in all, hiring He SIZhi was more cost-effective.
Shi Tou had told all this to Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing on the way, and the four had discussed and decided before heading straight to He SIZhi’s home.
What He SIZhi said matched what Shi Tou and Xiao Huan had heard. After observing, Shang Wan simply confirmed the deal.
Seeing the host family so straightforward, He SIZhi hesitated a moment and made a request.
He wanted to bring Liang Liang along, eating and staying together. If the host family agreed, his wages could drop to thirty-six wen.
Liang Liang was too young. Before, when he and his apprentices went out to work, they always entrusted him to neighbors with some things.
Over time, Liang Liang became increasingly silent, gradually losing the vitality of a child his age.
He SIZhi had only this one child, so naturally he worried and wanted to spend more time with him.
But with his skills, working in the city was fine, he could barely rush home each day. Going outside the city wouldn’t work; it would delay work and displease the host family.
For livelihood, he couldn’t only take city jobs.
Seeing Shang Wan and the others looked kind and spoke straightforwardly, he tried making the request.
Shang Wan turned to size up the little boy standing by the door. He was skinny, shorter than peers his age.
Since they entered the house, except for one initial glance up at them, he had been standing quietly, completely without the liveliness of a child his age.
Of course, Shang Wan’s reference for a peer was Li Xiaoshan, that boy was lively like a monkey. Though a bit rowdy, that was a child’s nature.
Liang Liang was too silent, seeming to trend toward autism.
