Chapter 171 - 171 Bricks for Building a House
171 Bricks for Building a House
The family would typically get ready for bed whenever it got dark. They would work at sunrise and rest at sunset. They could not bear to light candles even if they had some because candles were not cheap.
However, Su Wenzhe, Liu Yinyin, and Su Binglan often went to town for work, so the family had little time to discuss family matters. Since the Su family was more comfortable talking about things together, they were willing to light candles.
Su Binglan went to her uncle’s house with her father immediately after. Su Zhengde was in the room, holding a candle while looking at the blueprints. The more he looked at them, the more excited he became. His hand trembled as he studied the blueprints.
Madam Zhou, Su Zhengde’s wife, laughed and said, “You’ve been a builder for many years and built countless houses, but I’ve never seen you like this.”
Su Zhengde kept looking at the blueprint without shifting his attention. “You don’t understand. I’m looking at some extraordinary blueprints here. I never expected Fengmao’s family to have such an excellent seedling. She’s a bright child.”
Madam Zhou said, “You’re talking about Binglan. Our family only has one girl, so she’s smart.”
The entire Su family looked at Su Binglan as their greatest treasure. They always thought she was perfect, no matter what.
Su Zhengde said with a sigh, “Fengmao is blessed. It would be great if we had a daughter like Binglan.”
Madam Zhou’s expression changed as she said, “Did you forget we have three sons? Do you envy your eldest brother?”
Su Zhengde noticed the change in his wife’s tone, so he hurriedly explained, “N-No, that’s not what I meant!”
Madam Zhou said sternly, “Hmph, I never know what’s going on inside your head, but don’t say that you’re envious because I’m not. Girls are typically more thoughtful, so how can our three boys be as thoughtful as Binglan.”
Madam Zhou lied when she said she did not envy Shen Qiuhua and Su Fengmao. Still, she remembered how excited everyone was when Shen Qiuhua gave birth to Su Binglan.
The whole family had rushed over to see and carry Su Binglan. Many years had passed in a blink of an eye, and Su Binglan had grown into a fine young lady. Madam Zhou became emotional when she thought of the past.
‘Time passes so quickly.’
“Oh, you said Binglan is coming over soon, right? Where are the sugar candies I prepared earlier? Binglan can have some when she arrives.” Madam Zhou scoured the house as she spoke.
Su Zhengde said, “Now that Fengmao’s family conditions have improved, they will have plenty of sugar candy at home. Also, Binglan is not a child anymore.”
Madam Zhou said, “Then Binglan can eat the sugar candies buns I made.”
She had made buns with delicious sugar candies. Most villagers could not afford to eat sugar or cook with it, but since Su Zhengde was an excellent builder, his family was well-off. Therefore, his family could often cook delicious foods.
Sometimes, Su Zhengde’s family would send some food to Shen Qiuhua because they remembered how much Su Binglan enjoyed eating their food.
…
Su Binglan followed her father to Su Zhengde’s house, quickly arriving since they lived in the same village. It did not take long for them to arrive since they lived nearby.
Madam Zhou heard footsteps from outside, so she hurriedly went to the door to welcome Su Binglan and Su Fengmao, “Binglan, you’re here! Come in, come in!”
However, they ignored Su Fengmao. Still, he was already used to it as he simply rubbed his nose. He knew the couple would ignore him because he had brought his daughter to visit them. Su Binglan was the Su family’s treasure, after all.
Su Binglan addressed Madam Zhou crisply, “First Aunt, how are you?”
“Quick, come in. I’ve heated some brown sugar buns for you because you used to like eating them.” Madam Zhou passionately pulled her niece along as she spoke.
Su Binglan accessed her memories and recalled Madam Zhou’s cheerful and warm personality. She also remembered Madam Zhou sending over delicious food because they were well-off.
Su Zhengde said, “Hey, I called Binglan over because I want to talk to her, but you’re hogging all the attention, Zhou.”
Madam Zhou said, “Fine. I’ll give Binglan a bun, and you two can talk.”
Su Binglan entered the house as Su Zhengde smiled and said, “Please take a seat, Binglan.”
Su Zhengde was typically a serious person and barely smiled. Many felt intimidated whenever he was around. Nonetheless, he was afraid of scaring his niece with his stern expression, so he tried his best to smile.
Su Zhengde’s expression and demeanor amused Su Binglan, so she said, “You can relax, Uncle Zhengde. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Su Zhengde was still thinking about what to say and did not expect his niece to be so straightforward. “O-Okay, I’ll speak my mind. D-Did you draw these blueprints yourself?”
Su Binglan responded smilingly, “Yes, I did. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me, Uncle Zhengde.”
Su Zhengde replied, “I think these blueprints are incredible. The drawings are apparent and adequately marked. Also, the structure of the building is unique. Based on your designs, I can tell this building will be a comfortable place to live.”
Su Binglan was patient as she explained the contents of her blueprints to her uncle. She spoke in detail while Su Zhengde listened with great interest. Still, the more he listened, the more shocked he became. Indeed, his niece was a talented young lady.
He also told Su Binglan his thoughts on how to build the house. However, she frowned when her uncle told her he would build the house with wood and stone. “Uncle Zhengde, don’t you use bricks?”
Su Zhengde was dumbfounded. “What are b-bricks?”
Su Binglan looked at her uncle’s expression and then at her father. She noticed Su Fengmao was also confused. She thought of the many thatched huts in the village and realized they were all made from good wood and stone. She understood that no one knew about bricks.
She said, “Uncle, bricks are made of specially mixed soil. After sifting the soil a few times, you can build a kiln to burn it. Then use a rectangular mold to make bricks. You can dry them in the sun and burn them with a kiln.
“Bricks are convenient for building houses and walls. They’re also hard and much sturdier than building houses with wood and stone.”
Su Binglan said a lot of things but was very detailed. Su Zhengde and Su Fengmao listened with great interest and even looked at Su Binglan in a daze. Su Zhengde could not recover from his shock until she finished speaking.
Madam Zhou poured the trio some water and said, “Here, drink some. We’ve been talking for a long while now. Let Binglan rest.”
Su Zhengde only regained his senses when his wife spoke. He slapped his knee and said excitedly, “Binglan, that brick thing is excellent if I can make them. Then I will save time and materials when building houses in the future.
“It’s also more cost-effective, and many villagers can live in houses like this. They also won’t worry about snow destroying their roofs during winter.”
Su Fengmao nodded in agreement. “The soil you mentioned is at the back of the mountain, Binglan. We can use it to make bricks.”