23 – Saving the Village Demon
“Sister-in-law, you must have had a wonderful time with Brother Mo Han last night.” Qingqing set down the basket from her back, knowing they had consummated the marriage the previous evening.
“It was alright.” Qin Yue felt a lingering unease at the memory of the night before and quickly changed the subject. “Qingqing, what does your cousin usually do? He always seems so busy.”
“He’s involved in big business deals. Apart from recuperating, he’s always making money. They say the money he’s earned could last him a lifetime.” Cuicui chimed in eagerly, her eyes shining with pride. “Sister-in-law, do you know why everyone in our village is so well-off?”
“Obviously, because we have a mountain full of food and resources.” Qin Yue replied dismissively.
Cuicui smiled faintly. “That’s part of it, but there’s another reason. Cousin earns a lot of money and uses it every year to buy grain from the south. That’s why none of us starve.”
“So that’s how it is.” Qin Yue had been puzzled why Sangyu Village still had food when locust plagues had devastated harvests in all the surrounding villages for miles. Now she understood—it was because Sang Mohan brought in supplies from elsewhere.
Having lived in this world for several months, she knew it was extremely backward, comparable to the 1970s from her previous life, with underdeveloped transportation and communication. Anyone who could succeed in big business under such conditions was truly remarkable. She couldn’t fathom why people outside would spread rumors labeling such a capable man as a fool.
However, Qin Yue wasn’t interested in his wealth. Her focus was on how to reduce the Big Boss’s Baleful Value.
“Qingqing, do we have any wood or similar materials at home? I want to make a few things.” Remembering how cramped Sang Mohan had looked sitting on the small stool during breakfast, Qin Yue decided to make a taller table so he’d be more comfortable.
“Yes, we do. But what do you need them for, sister-in-law?”
“I want to build a taller table and make a sofa.”
“Sofa?” Qingqing was clearly startled by the unfamiliar term. What was a sofa? She had never heard of it.
“A sofa is a very soft chair that’s extremely comfortable to sit on,” Qin Yue explained.
Qingqing, who had been planning to nap, suddenly perked up with interest. Cuicui also wanted to see how a sofa was made, so the two of them gathered plenty of wood together.
In no time, they had prepared a stack of wooden planks in the yard—enough to make several tables and sofas. The wood was high-quality fir cut from the mountain, perfect for furniture, and Qin Yue was quite satisfied.
She then gathered the necessary tools for carpentry—axes and planes were essential.
With the tools ready, she set to work. In her previous life, she had done plenty of such tasks during home renovations, so this wasn’t difficult for her.
First, she sketched out drafts for the table and sofa, determining their approximate dimensions. Qingqing and Cuicui watched her draw with admiration. Neither had attended school; they couldn’t even write their own names, let alone draft designs.
After finishing the sketches, Qin Yue began sawing the wood according to the measurements. Since villagers often chopped firewood, axes and saws were common household items.
Qin Yue tied her hair into a simple bun, tucked a pencil into it, and set to work with great concentration.
Qingqing and Cuicui were fascinated by this hairstyle. Though they had never seen it before, they found it inexplicably chic and wanted to learn how to do it themselves.But when they let down their braids, they simply couldn’t style them into that same shape.