Uncle Yonghe studied the drawing carefully first, then said, "I've heard that the bricks in *Sha Village are made by firing, but we've tried firing them ourselves, and the bricks crack—they can't even be dried properly, and the dried bricks ** are completely unusable."
There were unfamiliar words, but she could understand the gist.
Meaning, people in this world had already figured out how to fire bricks, but the villagers here had tried it and failed.
No wonder he didn't seem surprised when he heard about brick-making.
An Xiao breathed a slight sigh of relief and explained, "The mud is different—you should use river mud. Our village is right next to the river, so it's easy to get."
Uncle Yonghe's eyes lit up.
An Xiao thought for a moment, then continued, "River mud used for bricks is a bit…"
She hadn't learned the word for "wasteful" yet.
"River mud would be better for making soup pots, plates, and things like that. For firing, you should dig deep soil from underground—as long as it doesn't have sand in it."
Uncle Yonghe grew excited: "Are you saying ** can also be fired?"
An Xiao didn't understand that word, so she said cautiously, "I'm not sure—I've only heard about it."
Uncle Yonghe smiled and nodded: "Just having heard about it is impressive. No wonder you're so capable at such a young age. It seems going out ** was a good thing after all."
An Xiao blinked.
The original body had left the village before? …That opened up a lot of possibilities!
Uncle Yonghe took another look at the drawing, then spoke to Lin Zhuoyuan: "We'll use the old method to patch up Wu Lao'er's wall for the next couple of days. I'll find some people to try this out later."
Lin Zhuoyuan looked at the picture and said, "I'll go find a suitable spot to dig a kiln later."
Uncle Yonghe waved his hand: "No need for you to do that—I'll just find a few young lads. Oh, right—did you come looking for me? Do you need something?"
Lin Zhuoyuan: "Ah, I need to buy a few things."
He looked at An Xiao.
Uncle Yonghe paused, then looked at An Xiao as well.
…Did they really have to talk while squatting?
An Xiao sighed helplessly and spoke up: "I want to buy some everyday food and supplies. Where would have the most complete selection?"
Uncle Yonghe was taken aback. His gaze swept over An Xiao's clothing, and he frowned slightly, saying tactfully, "** shouldn't be lacking in food and supplies, right?"
An Xiao: "…"
She didn't need a door-to-door survey to guess the economic state of this village.
They might not be starving, but their meals probably weren't as good as what they had at home… Just the fact that Lin Zhuoyuan could haul back two kills every day was beyond what ordinary people could do.
She was thinking about how to express her actual needs with her limited vocabulary when Lin Zhuoyuan helped her up by the arm.
Uncle Yonghe quickly stood up as well.
"Lin Yonghe." Lin Zhuoyuan said flatly. "Just answer the question."
Lin Yonghe's expression turned serious, and he bowed his head slightly: "Yes."
An Xiao figured it out. This uncle was also surnamed Lin—he must be a relative of Lin Zhuoyuan's. He seemed to be of a lower generation.
Lin Yonghe turned to her and asked patiently, "What do you want? I'll see which household has it and take you there."
An Xiao: "."
No wonder Lin Zhuoyuan had just taken her straight to someone's house to get sugar… It turned out this whole village didn't even have a single shop.
She thought for a moment, then pulled up her sleeve and asked, "Does anyone in our village know how to make this kind of fabric?"
She guessed not.
A place without even trade would struggle to advance technology.
Sure enough, Lin Yonghe's smile faded slightly as he said, "No. All these ** fabrics are things I brought people to buy from *Sha Village."
"Another *Sha Village? They fire bricks and weave fine cloth there… Why doesn't this village learn from them and adopt those techniques?"
He suppressed his curiosity and nodded. "Let's talk about that later. I'd like to buy some food and daily necessities."
Lin Yonghe glanced at Lin Zhuoyuan, swallowed his words, and said, "I'll go have a word with them and give you a tour around."
Lin Zhuoyuan nodded.
Once Lin Yonghe walked off, An Xiao tugged at Lin Zhuoyuan and asked in a low voice, "Is that *Sha Village far from here?"
Lin Zhuoyuan thought for a moment. "On foot at full pace, it'd take over ten days. Even riding a *beast would take seven or eight."
…That far? An Xiao frowned. "Are things there very expensive?"
Lin Zhuoyuan looked displeased and stared at him. "I have money. You can have whatever you want."
An Xiao: "…My—"
How do you say "point" in this context?
Forget it.
He furrowed his brow. "I'll discuss this with you later."
"Why do they all call you **? Is the first syllable 'shan'? Is it your nickname?"
Lin Zhuoyuan: "Mm. The first is 'shan,' the second is '*,' a form of honorific. Every mountain * has one to several **, respectfully addressed as *."
An Xiao: "…"
Again, he was explaining something he didn't understand using words he didn't understand.
Still, he roughly got the gist—Lin Zhuoyuan held a fairly high status here.
Good. Much better than those yellow-haired thugs who bullied and robbed.
An Xiao joked, "So should I call you Shan* too?"
Lin Zhuoyuan: "No need. You're my partner."
"…Oh." An Xiao rubbed his nose, not knowing how to respond.
He still hadn't figured out how he and Lin Zhuoyuan had ended up together, but Lin Zhuoyuan was convinced that the "An Xiao" he knew was him, and he'd firmly chosen him…
He just thought Lin Zhuoyuan was a decent person, and that cohabiting and getting by together wouldn't be so bad.
It was just this "partner" thing… that felt hard to get used to.
He hadn't even been into guys in the 21st century—was he supposed to keep up with the trend after transmigrating?
"All set, Shan*." Lin Yonghe returned, extending his hand respectfully. "This way, please."
Lin Zhuoyuan gave a slight nod, gently taking An Xiao's arm and guiding him forward.
Lin Yonghe stepped two paces aside, avoiding An Xiao, and moved to Lin Zhuoyuan's other side, trailing half a step behind.
The avoidance was too obvious.
An Xiao was taken aback. He'd only asked about the fabric—was this uncle already that quick to take a disliking to him?
An Xiao shook off the thought and spoke past Lin Zhuoyuan to him. "I want to buy some everyday items—like things for washing dishes, bathing, lighting… anything you can think of. The mountain's too short on supplies."
Lin Yonghe's expression softened slightly. "That's simple. We'll find a few aunties to get some cloth scraps and **. For lamps… the meat Shan hunted—cut off some fat and render it into oil in a small bowl, and that'll do."
An Xiao: "…"
He'd forgotten about oil lamps!
"Then we'll need to buy a few small bowls. We don't have many at home."
Lin Yonghe nodded.
An Xiao continued, "Also need some seasonings and vegetable seeds. We'll plant them later. Can't make it in time for this season, so we'll have to buy some—fresh or dried, either works."
Eating meat all day, every day—he couldn't take it.
Lin Yonghe finally broke into a smile, nodding repeatedly. "That's right, exactly. That's how life should be lived."
An Xiao blinked. So, the uncle's sour face earlier—was it because he thought An Xiao was spending Lin Zhuoyuan's money recklessly? …Seems this uncle was pretty protective of Lin Zhuoyuan.
Lin Yonghe led them through a series of twists and turns before knocking on the door of a house with a patched, worn wooden door and crumbling mud-brick walls.
The door was opened by a middle-aged woman whose clothes were covered in patches. Seeing Lin Zhuoyuan, she grew nervous and flustered, stumbling over her words.
An Xiao found it both amusing and helpless. Glancing at the expressionless Lin Zhuoyuan, he simply pulled him back a few steps and pretended to look at the flowers and plants by the roadside.
Lin Yonghe spoke a few brief words with her.
The woman hurried in and out of the house, bringing out a few old melons and several bundles of sun-dried vegetables.
An Xiao watched from the corner of his eye, and his mouth nearly watered at the sight of the dried vegetables.
Then he looked at the melons—so old they were cracked and wrinkled—and understood immediately. It seemed they used the dried fibers of old melons as scrubbers for dishes… oh, and they could also be used for bathing.
His face lit up with a grin. He tugged Lin Zhuoyuan forward to load the items into the bamboo basket, while he opened his cloth pouch and pulled out a small piece of silver, offering it over.
Lin Yonghe and the woman who had brought out the goods both froze in place.
Then the woman waved her hands frantically.
Lin Yonghe added, "The village will arrange for some compensation for Auntie Shitou later."
An Xiao was puzzled. "Is silver useless here?"
The woman looked panicked, wiping her hands repeatedly, and said in a trembling voice, "It's… it's too precious."
Lin Yonghe also said, "It's too much. They wouldn't dare accept it."
An Xiao looked at the small piece of silver in his hand—about the size of his thumbnail—and thought for a moment before asking, "Auntie Shitou, do you grow a lot of vegetables?"
Auntie Shitou: "Ah, they're behind the house." She glanced at the silent Lin Zhuoyuan, then said cautiously, "If you want some, I'll have to go pick them."
An Xiao smiled. "No need, no need. I'll leave this silver with you, and I'll come by every few days to get some fresh vegetables… hmm, five times, and each time give me a small half-basket. Is that enough?"
He gestured to the large bamboo basket Lin Zhuoyuan was carrying.
Auntie Shitou waved her hands repeatedly. "Too much, too much."
She looked anxiously toward Lin Yonghe.
"It's still too much. The vegetables aren't worth—"
"Five times isn't enough, then make it ten." An Xiao cut off Lin Yonghe's words.
This big village didn't even have a small workshop; to buy anything decent you had to go to *Sha Village, so silver was definitely useful.
Besides, this Auntie Shitou was dressed head to toe in patches washed pale and threadbare. With silver, their family could buy some cloth—or if not cloth, trade for something else—and life would be a bit easier.
Seeing that Lin Yonghe still had more to say, An Xiao put on a smile. "I don't see any problem with it, and Zhuoyuan—brother—doesn't either. Uncle Yonghe, do you have any other objections?"
Lin Yonghe instinctively looked at Lin Zhuoyuan.
The latter said flatly, "Just give the silver."
Lin Yonghe: "…Yes."
Auntie Shitou fell silent as well.
An Xiao pressed the small piece of silver into Auntie Shitou's hand and asked with a grin, "Auntie Shitou, about how many days between harvests for your vegetables?"
Auntie Shitou clutched the silver, excited and nervous, stuttering as she spoke: "Recently, two or three days—no, no, five or six days—um—"
An Xiao helpfully translated, responding gently, "Is it that some vegetables are harvested every two or three days, and others every five or six?"
"Yes, yes."
An Xiao thought for a moment. "Then we'll come every three days. You can prepare some for us as you see fit—whether it's one kind or another, just gather a bit for us, and we'll come pick it up then."
Auntie Shitou hesitated and looked at Lin Yonghe.
An Xiao: "…"
He turned to Lin Yonghe with a smile. "Uncle Yonghe, Auntie Shitou is waiting for your nod."
That was passive-aggressive, practically saying outright that Lin Yonghe had more authority than Lin Zhuoyuan.
Lin Yonghe stiffened, not daring to glance at Lin Zhuoyuan, and quickly said, "Listen to An Xiao. You get things tidied up later. If the mountain folk don't come down, I'll find someone to help you send it up."
Only then did Auntie Shitou dare to accept. Her knuckles went white as she clutched the silver ingot, bowing repeatedly to Lin Zhuoyuan and An Xiao, unable to speak a word.
An Xiao quickly pulled Lin Zhuoyuan aside to avoid the bows, not forgetting to call out to Lin Yonghe: "Uncle Yonghe, lead the way—Auntie Shitou, we're off now. See you in a few days."
And with that, they made a swift getaway.
Only once they were away from Auntie Shitou's house did An Xiao let out a breath of relief.
Lin Zhuoyuan patted his head.
An Xiao smiled at him, then lowered his head and started mulling things over.
Lin Yonghe caught up and studied An Xiao from across Lin Zhuoyuan.
A chill emanated from the man.
Goosebumps rose on Lin Yonghe's skin instantly. He quickly averted his gaze and bowed his head slightly toward Lin Zhuoyuan, who was casting him a cold look, as a gesture of apology.
An Xiao didn't notice.
He was pondering the situation in this village.
Before he could figure it out, they arrived at the next house.
Again, a ramshackle house with a wooden door, again a family dressed in patched clothes.
This one was an old woman with two small children, raising a few fowl.
Of course, they wouldn't dare slaughter the fowl—they just accepted a small basket of eggs.
This time, An Xiao didn't give silver. Seeing how skin-and-bones the two children were, he made a direct call: he'd come by every ten days to collect eggs and trade them for meat.
This time, Lin Yonghe didn't object either.
Next were seasonings.
Again, a poor-looking household, but the old man here had some skill in identifying plants. By trading various edible roots and seeds that could flavor meals, he barely supplemented the family's income.
This time, An Xiao gave silver and cleaned out every edible root, stem, and leaf the family had.
Lin Yonghe looked like he wanted to say something, but a glance at the unruffled Lin Zhuoyuan made him swallow his words.
They went to Uncle Jiang and Aunt Cai's house, who knew how to make sugar, to buy some coarse-grained sugar. Then they stopped by a household that frequently went out of the mountains to buy supplies, restocking on salt and coarse cloth. Finally, they detoured to a woman's house and asked her to make two sets of clothes. Only then did their shopping trip barely come to an end.
Why barely?
Because An Xiao hadn't bought enough, but Lin Yonghe said there was nothing left to buy in the village.
An Xiao thought about how Lin Yonghe had led them around most of the village, deliberately picking out poor households with no able-bodied men. Suppressing his displeasure, he asked, "Does anyone in our village have any skills?"
Lin Yonghe thought for a moment, then said, "Some of the aunties in our village are pretty good at making wool blankets and wool clothes."
An Xiao stared at him. "Besides these women's crafts, what can the men do?"
Lin Yonghe said matter-of-factly, "The men all have to work the fields and hunt, and occasionally repair houses. What else would they need to know?"
An Xiao: "…Don't the women also work in the fields growing vegetables?"
Lin Yonghe explained, "Most of it's still done by the men. The field work is too heavy. As long as a man can manage it, who would let their own mother or wife go work the fields?"
Only then did An Xiao feel a bit better.
He held back the sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue, thought for a moment, and said tactfully, "The people in the village don't seem very well-off."
Lin Yonghe glanced at Lin Zhuoyuan and gave an awkward dry laugh. "That's right… mainly because not many people are willing to marry into our village. We have a lot of bachelors."
An Xiao noticed his gaze and followed it to Lin Zhuoyuan—who had inexplicably darkened his face.
An Xiao shot him a glare.
Lin Zhuoyuan: "…?"
An Xiao didn't look at him again, continuing from Lin Yonghe's words: "Are you saying that because of poverty, no one marries into the village, so there are fewer children? With fewer children and no able-bodied young adults, the village becomes even poorer?"
Lin Yonghe was somewhat dejected: "Mm."
An Xiao: "…You've got it backwards."
Lin Yonghe: "?"
An Xiao had just taken a stroll around the village and had a rough idea of the villagers' situation. Looking at the two people before him—one a so-called "Mountain Lord," the other the village administrator—neither had recognized the real problem.
He held back, then couldn't restrain himself any longer and let loose: "It's not that fewer people marry in and fewer children are born that makes the village poor—it's that the people in charge don't do their jobs and don't use their heads, which is why life has gotten so bad."
Then he glared at Lin Zhuoyuan, "Especially you, Mountain Lord! You enjoy people's reverence for nothing—why don't you think about giving back to the village? Do you only grow brawn and not brains?!"
Lin Yonghe: "!!"
Lin Zhuoyuan: "…"