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墨書 Inktalez
"Grandma, you're busy, we're going to fix the house!" Liu Qingxi greeted with a smile.
"Girl, you have great skills. Go ahead and do a good job; this winter, the kids won't have to worry!" The old woman looked at her with loving eyes.
It had been autumn for some time now, and the weather was getting colder. Winter was approaching, and in previous years, many houses had collapsed under the weight of heavy snow due to their dilapidated condition.
But what could be done? Generations had lived this way, relying on luck to survive the harsh winters.
Recently, news had spread that Liu Qingxi could repair houses. From initial disbelief to the reality now before them, it was a rare blessing for everyone.
"Grandma, you keep busy; I'm heading out now!"
The old lady stroked her gray hair and said, "Go on, go on!"
Liu Qingxi walked along, greeting people as she passed by. The tall stacks of straw by the roadside, the slightly messy firewood in front of doors, and the children running around made her feel warm and welcomed.
The family she visited this time also had a house that hadn't been maintained for years, resulting in various cracks. Compared to the damage at Zhang Dafuku's home, it wasn't too severe, but there were just too many cracks!
There were cracks around door and window openings and under beams; none were particularly serious on their own, but together they posed a significant problem.
The homeowner was a man in his fifties. His children had gone out to work while he and his wife stayed home to farm and take care of their grandchildren.
Without strong laborers at home, it wasn't easy for the elderly couple and their children. So everyone agreed to prioritize fixing their house.
Liu Qingxi walked around the house to assess the situation; it was relatively easy to repair. "Grandpa Zhang, don't worry; this is easy to patch up and not too troublesome. Do you have any bamboo at home?"
Grandpa smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum; the wrinkles on his face couldn't hide his excitement. "Yes, yes! There's a patch of bamboo behind my house that we can cut anytime!"
"Perfect! Second Grandpa, let's go cut some bamboo right away so we can get your house fixed as soon as possible!" Liu Qingxi looked at the three strong men beside her; with them around, these labor-intensive tasks would be no problem at all.
Grandpa Zhang shares the same surname and is considered to be of a higher generation in Ten Li Pu, ranking second among his brothers, so everyone generally calls him Second Grandpa.
"But how do we calculate this silver?" The old man felt quite embarrassed.
His sons earn hard-earned money working outside, and his daughters-in-law are also out working. The old man and his wife have very little money!
If the whole family works, life shouldn't be too difficult, but the problem lies in the fact that they are supporting a scholar.
Every year, the tuition fees and books are a significant expense for an ordinary farmer, but Grandpa Zhang insists that they cannot neglect his grandson Zhang Xiu's education.
Zhang Xiu, Liu Qingxi has heard from the villagers a few times, is Grandpa Zhang's eldest grandson. He is fifteen years old this year and excels in his studies, often receiving praise from his teacher.
From then on, the Zhang family devoted all their resources to support his education, which led to a sharp decline in their living conditions, day by day becoming worse.
Liu Qingxi could see the old man's predicament at a glance. Indeed, the family's situation didn't look good; perhaps two hundred coins were quite a lot for them.
Most importantly, she greatly admired Grandpa Zhang's choice. If one didn't know him well, they would never guess that this simple old man had such strong determination.
"Second Grandpa, you don't need to worry about this. We can finish your house in no time with just a few of us working on it. Sixty coins will be enough!"
This amount was just right for the wages of the three workers.
She didn't plan to make a profit off Grandpa Zhang; she considered it a way to build good relations!
"This..." The old man was choked up!
Compared to the prices from previous families, sixty coins was an incredibly low amount!
Standing behind Liu Qingxi, Zhang Sanyou hesitated to speak. The Sixty-Coin Girl had no chance of making a profit at all, and as she stepped forward to remind her, her sleeve was suddenly tugged by Zhang Dafuku. Turning around, she noticed the other two shaking their heads at him.
He let out a light sigh and swallowed the words that were about to come out.
The elderly man with tears in his eyes and the poverty that several children faced in their daily lives weighed heavily on them. At that moment, he really couldn't bring himself to ask for more money.
The old man, with his head full of white hair and a hunched figure, wore straw sandals that exposed his toes and patched clothes that were layered with mending. This sight made Liu Qingxi's heart ache.
Fearing she might not be able to hold back her emotions, she quickly changed the subject. "Second Grandpa, let's go cut some bamboo. You should come help us too; with all of us working together, it will be faster!"
Old Man Zhang quietly turned his head to wipe away his tears with the corner of his clothing and sniffled. "Ah, let's go then. By the way, I'll have a few kids come help too!"
Grandpa Zhang's grandchildren included some older than Liu Qingyan and others around her age, all of whom were particularly sensible and worked alongside them.
Despite their young age, their hands were covered in wounds, and the thick calluses on their palms did not belong to children. A deep sense of sorrow arose within her.
If they had been born in modern times, they would have grown up in a honey pot, never having to experience such hardships.
The old man bent over with a heavy load on his back but moved just as quickly as Zhang Sanyou and the others.
Liu Qingxi was closest to him; perhaps because she didn't talk much usually or perhaps because she was more likable, the old man enjoyed chatting with her. "Girl, you’ve worked hard!"
"Second Grandpa, don’t mention it! I’ll be relying on you a lot in the future; I've heard Brother Zhang has great knowledge!"
Due to having educated family members, Grandpa Zhang held quite a high reputation in the village.
Indeed, Grandpa Zhang was very proud of his great-grandson, Zhang Xiu. The smile on his face was infectious, and he spoke enthusiastically.
"This time, Master has sent him to the county town to participate in the Provincial Examination. If all goes well, he should pass and become a student!"
The old man spoke endlessly; with such achievements from his great-grandson, all their efforts were worth it. No matter how tough or exhausting it was, thinking of this grandson filled him with motivation.
"Your family is truly impressive; it's not easy to raise a scholar!" Liu Qingxi said with admiration. Even in modern times, not many would spare no expense to support their children’s education.
As time passed, the bamboo needed for Grandpa Zhang's family was nearly ready within an hour!
"Uncle Sanyou, let’s hurry and finish the repairs for Second Grandpa's house before moving on to others. While it’s still not too cold, we can get more done!"
"Sure thing, no problem!" The man rolled up his sleeves and was ready to put in the effort.
Liu Qingxi provided technical guidance; it only required penetrating the wall at the cracks with bamboo and tying it together. This was much simpler than the internal binding at Zhang Dafuku's house.
By the end of the afternoon, they had completed the longest load-bearing wall, accomplishing about one-third of the work.
When they finished for the day, Liu Qingxi asked Zhang Sanyou and a few others to leave first.
Suddenly recalling her conversation with Grandpa Zhang about Zhang Xiu, she had an idea!
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