When Xiao Bao laughed at his grandfather, Father Lu and Mother Zhang promptly closed their mouths.
This set off a wave of laughter at the breakfast table, filling the room with joyful voices from both adults and the child.
Once the laughter died down, Father Lu made a decision.
“Let’s go with Ah Ying’s plan, then.
Now that the wound on my leg has healed, I should be able to go out and cut some bamboo for the fence.”
Mother Zhang immediately objected.
“I agree with Ah Ying, but you really shouldn’t be moving around much just yet.
Your leg may look healed, but it still needs rest.”
“I agree with Mother,” Zhao Ying added.
“It’s best to let your leg fully recover, or it could become a chronic issue later on.
And given how everyone knows we left the main house with nothing, digging garden beds as a cover-up is a good way to avoid prying eyes.”
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.
“I’ll help Mother plant vegetables, too!” Xiao Bao said, copying everyone with a serious expression, like a little adult, which sent the family into another fit of laughter at his adorable behavior.
That day, they all went to the backyard to clear the garden plot.
As noon approached, Zhao Ying went into the kitchen to prepare egg noodles, one bowl per person.
After lunch, Madam Zhang began working on new pillowcases and blankets for everyone with the fabric Zhao Ying had bought.
In the afternoon, Tang Xian arrived with another man, tall and muscular, his skin tanned and face flushed from years of hard outdoor work.
“Lu Santing, I brought Ah De over today to look into digging that well,” Tang Xian called from the front yard.
“Come in, come in!
We’ll just wait a moment for Ah Ying.
Xiao Bao, go fetch your mother and tell her Uncle Tang is here to discuss the well.”
Xiao Bao nodded and ran to find Zhao Ying, who was still in the backyard, collecting grass clippings for composting.
“Mother, Grandpa said to tell you that Uncle Tang brought someone to dig the well.
He wants you to come help discuss it.”
Zhao Ying put down the bundle of leaves in her arms and dusted off her clothes.
“Alright, let’s go,” she said, smiling as she took Xiao Bao’s hand.
As they reached the front yard, she saw Uncle Tang and the unfamiliar man examining the area, appearing to search for a suitable spot to dig.
Zhao Ying walked up and greeted them with a respectful bow.
“Good afternoon, Uncle Tang.”
Tang Xian introduced the man beside him.
“This is Tang De.
He’s the one who’ll be digging your well.
You can trust him; he’s skilled and has lots of experience in this line of work.”
“Good afternoon, Uncle Tang De,” Zhao Ying greeted them.
“Your work must be exceptional.
I just have a few questions about the style of the well we could build here.
What are the options for our home?”
Tang De, who was used to doing such work throughout the county, looked at her briefly and then answered honestly, “Your house is near the foothills, and there’s a river that runs past the back of your property.
We won’t need to dig too deep—just two or three zhang down should yield clean water.
If you want a basic well without brick lining or a pulley system, it’s five taels.
For one lined with thick brick and a metal pulley, it’s eight taels.”
Zhao Ying looked over at Father Lu, who seemed hesitant, clearly reluctant to spend so much money.
He looked back at Zhao Ying as if to let her make the decision.
“Ah Ying, you can choose whichever style you like.
Just let Uncle Tang De know,” Father Lu said.
Zhao Ying, understanding her father-in-law’s reluctance to spend money, nodded calmly.
“Uncle Tang, please make it with brick lining for extra safety.
We have a young child in the house, so it’ll be one less worry.”
“Alright then, I’ll pick up the bricks and other materials this afternoon,” Tang De replied.
“Please wait here for a moment, Uncle,” Zhao Ying said, before quickly running inside to fetch seven taels to pay Tang De.
He accepted only four, saying he’d take the rest after the work was completed to her satisfaction.
Zhao Ying didn’t insist and turned to Tang Xian, who was chatting with Father Lu about his injury.
“Uncle Tang Xian, thank you so much for helping us arrange this.
Please, stay for dinner tonight.”
“Haha, no need to go to any trouble, Ah Ying.
Tang De is family, so it’s only right.
Just call me whenever you need something,” he said with a smile.
“Of course, thank you.”
“Alright, I’d best be on my way; I’ve got more work at home.”
After seeing off the two men from the Tang family at the gate, Zhao Ying turned back and explained the plan for the well to Madam Zhang.
“Mother, I arranged for the well to be lined with bricks so it’ll be safer for us.
Also, since there’s still time left in the day, I’ll go check the traps in the forest.”
“Be careful, and don’t stay out too long.
It’ll be dark soon,” Madam Zhang reminded her, turning back to continue her sewing.
She worked quickly, knowing that once the daylight faded, she wouldn’t be able to finish.
Seeing her mother-in-law working so diligently, Zhao Ying felt a pang of sympathy, though there was little she could do.
She had offered to hire someone to help, but Madam Zhang had refused, saying it was just a small task she could handle herself and that they should save the money.
“Alright, bit by bit,” she thought, planning to gradually ease her mother-in-law into accepting more help as needed.
After this, Zhao Ying headed back to continue clearing the garden.
By the end of the day, nearly all the weeds had been removed.
She started preparing small plots behind the kitchen to grow medicinal herbs she’d found in the forest.
Zhao Ying planned to cultivate her own herbs, rather than relying solely on the mystical herbs from her mystical dimension.
Many of these rare herbs, such as ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms, were limited in supply and weren’t commonly found in the nearby forest.
If she sold too many too often, it could raise suspicions.
For now, Zhao Ying aimed to establish a steady income while conserving her resources.
Her mystical dimension was limited in size; she couldn’t access the larger plots of medicinal plants due to a barrier, which confined her to just two small garden patches and a couple of rooms.
“Well, this is already an incredible advantage,” she thought to herself.
Besides the herb garden, she also planted some new vegetable seeds she had purchased, watering them with the special spring water she brought from her dimension’s garden.
This spring water was mineral-rich, sourced from a hot spring Zhao Ying had directed from a spring in the mountains behind her cabin.
She had discovered that this spring water had high mineral content that aided in wound healing, and when used in herbal decoctions, it could dramatically boost the effectiveness of the medicine.
Using it to water plants made them grow exceptionally well, better than with any chemical fertilizer.
After sowing the seeds, Zhao Ying prepared to head up the mountain again.
Little Xiao Bao, looking rather pitiful, asked to go with her.
“Mother, may I come with you into the forest?”
“You’re still too young, Xiao Bao.
Let’s wait until you’re a bit older, and then you can join me.
How about that?”
Bringing him along wasn’t an option because the journey was far, and he likely wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Carrying him the whole way would be too much for her, especially with her already hefty body.
Plus, she planned to check her traps near the waterfall; if she managed to catch some animals, it would be too challenging with a child in tow.
“How about this: I’ll bring back lots of delicious fruit from the forest for you.
Does that sound good?”
“Yes, Mother!
Today, I’ll help Grandpa pull weeds,” Xiao Bao replied enthusiastically.
“My Xiao Bao is the most well-behaved boy,” Zhao Ying praised him, patting his head gently.
“Just remember to drink plenty of water too, okay?”