Xu Ao wasn’t one to gossip. Even though he knew the reason, he remained vague and didn’t elaborate.
Those who had been forced to stay and work overtime due to their laziness and slacking off wouldn’t reveal the real reason either, all for the sake of their precarious dignity.
Auntie Xu the Second was unwilling to accept that her family members had returned so late. After pestering them with questions for a long time, she drew a scolding from Second Uncle Xu: “They’re back, isn’t that enough? Why do you have to ask so many questions?”
She resentfully tugged at the hem of her clothes and said, “I was just worried about you.”
“How could you…”
“Mother.”
Xu Minghui stepped forward and said, “Father is already very tired. Why don’t we let him freshen up and get ready for dinner?”
The brick kiln didn’t provide meals. All they had in their stomachs were the two steamed buns they’d eaten before leaving home, which had long since been digested.
Auntie Xu the Second, her eyes red with frustration, reluctantly closed her mouth. The atmosphere remained silent even during the meal.
After dinner, Old Master suddenly asked, “Ao’er, how much longer can the work on your side last?”
Xu Ao replied, “I asked today. It can last another ten days.”
Ten days could pass in the blink of an eye, but they could also feel excruciatingly long.
Old Master cast a complicated glance at his two sons, who looked utterly dejected, and said calmly, “Once these ten days are over, we’ll need to think of other ways. Let’s finish these ten days first.”
His words silenced Old Madam’s hesitation and successfully made Auntie Xu the Second and Auntie Xu the Third grit their teeth and hold their tongues.
After the meal, everyone returned to their rooms. Sang Zhixia carefully recalled the charcoal-burning process she had seen in a documentary and selected an empty plot of land behind the vegetable garden.
Once the firewood collected from the mountain was brought there, it would be burned and then completely covered with fine soil to cut off the air supply. After the flames were extinguished and the temperature dropped, the finished charcoal pieces could be sorted by quality, bagged, and eventually sold.
Xu Ao listened thoughtfully to her plan and asked, “Will it sell?”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
Sang Zhixia chuckled and said, “I casually asked around when I went to town today. The demand for charcoal here in winter is no less than in other places. As long as we can produce it, there’s no fear of not being able to sell it.”
Most villagers relied on burning firewood directly for warmth and had no use for something as troublesome as charcoal. But it was different for those living in towns and county seats.
Although the price couldn’t compare to that in Jingdu, it could still be considered a source of income, especially since there were no other options at the moment.
Xu Ao hadn’t expected her to accomplish so much in one trip. He laughed and said, “You certainly haven’t been idle.”
“Just look at the situation here. How could I dare to be idle?”
Sang Zhixia tilted her chin toward the door and sighed, “If it weren’t for Old Master holding things together, we’d have at least three big arguments a day. So, we need to get things done before Old Master changes his mind, or I won’t feel at ease.”
Xu Ao rubbed the edge of the medicine bowl repeatedly with his fingertips until it was no longer hot, then handed it to her. “Drink your medicine. Take your time with the household chores. Leave the heavy work for me to handle when I return.”
Sang Zhixia hummed in agreement, frowned as she drank the medicine to the last drop, and then scrunched up her face, unable to resist saying, “I’m already better. Maybe I should stop drinking it.”
“No.”
Xu Ao was uncharacteristically firm. He closed his eyes and said, “We can’t be careless about what the doctor said. After you finish this dose, we’ll have the doctor adjust the prescription for you.”
She was so capable when it came to tasks, yet she couldn’t help but act coy when drinking medicine.
If this bitter medicine isn’t adjusted, I’m afraid it won’t be drinkable for many more days.
Even with the candy in her mouth, Sang Zhixia felt a bitter taste on her tongue. Just as she was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Xu Ao, who should have been asleep long ago, suddenly said, “Shall I tell you about Grandfather?”
“Grandfather?”
Sang Zhixia propped herself up on one elbow, curious. “What do you mean?”
Xu Ao gazed at the ceiling above and said softly, “My father was often away on campaigns, so I was raised by Grandfather from the age of two. No one in the family knows his temperament better than I do.”
“Want to know how to make Grandfather stand more firmly on your side?”
Sang Zhixia perked up immediately, her eyes sparkling. “Go on, tell me more.”
She was dying to know!
Their nighttime conversation was hushed, and though Sang Zhixia slept late, her spirits were high.
However, when they went out early the next morning, Second Uncle Xu unexpectedly brought Xu Minghui along.
He said, “Minghui is already sixteen. It’s no good for him to keep doing odd jobs around the house. He’ll come with me to take a look.”
Xu Minghui dared not disobey his father.
Auntie Xu the Second, unaware of the underlying reasons, was secretly pleased.
“It was agreed that each family would send one person. Minghui going with you is just for training, not as a laborer to earn money.”
It was just as well he went out, sparing him from being watched all day carrying water back and forth at home. Besides, with father and son together, they wouldn’t suffer any major losses.
Second Uncle Xu grunted vaguely and walked out the door with Xu Minghui.
Seeing this, Xu Ao merely curled his lips. “Third Uncle, are we ready to go?”
Second Uncle Xu could bring his eldest son to help, but Third Uncle Xu only had an eight-year-old daughter.
Suppressing his discomfort, he forced a bitter smile. “Alright, let’s go.”
Words spoken are like water spilled—even if you can’t bear it, you have to endure it.
As the workers left one after another, it was Auntie Xu the Third’s turn to cook today.
Sang Zhixia couldn’t be bothered with Auntie Xu the Second, who thought she had gained an advantage. Grabbing a hoe and a basket, she said, “Mother-in-law, Xu Ao and Second Uncle’s dirty clothes are in the basket. When you go to wash them, don’t take Mingxu and Jinxi along. Let them stay at home with Grandmother.”
It wasn’t safe for children to go near the water.
Xu Wenxiu hastily agreed and stood up to fetch the washing tools.
Seeing her move quickly, Sang Zhixia smiled and turned to Old Master. “Grandfather, I’m going to look for a place to dig soil.”
The soil in the vegetable garden was reserved for growing food and couldn’t be disturbed.
Nor could they take soil from others’ farmland. To find soil for burning charcoal, they had to dig from unclaimed land at the foot of the mountain and carry it back.
Old Master thought for a moment and said, “I’ll go with you to take a look.”
This was the first step the Xu Family was taking, and Old Master intended to oversee it personally.
Sang Zhixia was more than happy to see this.
If Old Master was taking the initiative, who would dare not follow?
Watching Sang Zhixia and Old Master walk out one after the other, Auntie Xu the Second asked in confusion, “Where are they going?”
“How strange that you don’t know and come asking me?”
Old Madam said with a dark expression, “Even at a time like this, you still lack any sense of awareness. I really don’t know what use you are!”
Auntie Xu the Second wanted to argue but ultimately held back her resentment and gritted her teeth.
She knew the reasoning, but Old Master had always favored the eldest branch. What could she do?
Afraid of provoking another scolding from Old Madam, she grabbed Xu Mingyang and tried to go inside.
But Old Madam said, “The water vat is empty. Go fetch water and fill it up.”
Auntie Xu the Second stammered in disbelief, “Mother, we agreed that I was only…”
“Minghui has gone out, so who else will do the work he left behind if not you? Surely you don’t expect me to do it?”
Old Madam scolded with a dark expression, “Stop wasting time with nonsense and get to work! Mingyang, go fetch the carrying pole and buckets for your mother!”
Grumbling under her breath, Auntie Xu the Second shouldered the buckets and went out. Meanwhile, Sang Zhixia and Old Master found a suitable spot for digging clay with the villagers’ guidance.
After testing the soil by digging a few times with a hoe and crumbling it in her hand, Sang Zhixia said, “This will work, though it’s a bit damp at the foot of the mountain. We’ll probably need to spread it out to dry after bringing it back.”
The old man watched her skilled handling of the hoe with a dazed expression and remarked, “But you were raised in comfort at home. Where did you learn all this?”
Having gained experience in dealing with Xu Ao’s inquiries, Sang Zhixia chuckled lightly and said, “Grandfather, as you know, I was born of a concubine and never received much attention from my father. In my spare time, I could only occupy myself with these useless pursuits.”
She gave a self-deprecating smile and added, “But now they’ve all come in handy, so it seems my efforts weren’t in vain.”
A complex expression crossed the old man’s face as he lowered his gaze, murmuring almost inaudibly, “By some twist of fate, Ao’er made the right choice after all.”
If it had been her delicate, pampered elder sister who married into the family, they wouldn’t have been able to dig up this handful of clay today.
Sang Zhixia didn’t catch his words and asked curiously, “Grandfather? What are you muttering about?”