After knowing that she had this habit, Brother Sang would always heat a pot of water on the stove in advance so that she could scoop it into the basin and soak her feet as soon as she came back.
The wooden foot basin was also made by Brother Sang. Since building his new house, Brother Sang's energy has improved visibly, and he is more energetic than before in everything he does.
This may be the deep-rooted sense of belonging of the Chinese people towards home. Once they have a house, they want to complete the empty house, furnish it warmly, and live comfortably.
Many small objects and daily utensils at home were made bit by bit by him with a carving knife.
For example, bowls, ladles, bowls, buckets... Although he can't do gravity work, he is very good at this kind of small carpentry.
Zheng Quchi pulled a wooden pillar in the kitchen and sat down to soak his feet. After getting rid of the chill and fatigue all over his body, he suddenly thought that there was someone else in the room.
At this time, Yu Wensheng was observing Zheng Quchi's room.
The interior of the room is very simple. There is a canopy bed with no curtains on the north side, a chest of drawers on the right, and a table on the left with a few pieces of yellow rough bamboo paper padded with river stones. There is a wooden cutout on the table. Carved vase with two budding red plums in it.
In the room, there was a faint fragrance, including camphor wood, yellow pistil and red plum, and also the body fragrance left by Zheng Quchi and unique to her.
The floor of the bedroom is paved with dried wooden boards and painted with a layer of varnish composed of pine grease and gum. Zheng Quchi was worried about moisture at the beginning, so he specially raised it 30 centimeters above the ground, so the ground feels very smooth and comfortable for his feet. , unlike ordinary rammed earth, the ground will become pitted after being stepped on for a long time.
In addition to the lingering irritating light fragrance, this room's simple and clear color scheme, layout and simplicity made Yu Wensheng feel very suitable.
Compared with the private rooms built in the camp, they are completely different from here.
The door was pushed open, and Zheng Quchi came in with a basin of hot water: "Liu Fengmian, let's take a dip in your feet."
Yu Wensheng turned around and wondered: "Soak your feet?"
There is no such combined noun in Ye State. It is important that people wash their feet before going to bed, but they only wash them with warm water. Very few people use the word "soak".
"Blank your feet with hot water and soak them for a while to drive away the cold, reduce edema, and eliminate the fatigue accumulated during the day."
She specially asked her brother to make a cover for the footbath. Two holes were dug in the cover to extend the legs, so that the water temperature could be maintained for a longer period of time.
Yu Wensheng had never soaked his feet and didn't believe in such a thing.
"You must be tired after standing for so long today. Just give it a try."
After saying that, she sat him down on the bed without any courtesy. Knowing that his eyesight was inconvenient, in order to make up for the fact that she almost accidentally killed him today, she also waited for him all afternoon. She didn't hesitate to help him take off his shoes and socks. Ask him to move his feet into the hot water.
Yu Wensheng's hands and feet have been cold for many years, which may be related to the skills he has practiced, or it may be related to the inherent damage to his heart.
When the hot water soaked his feet, a strange warmth instantly enveloped him.
"Comfortable?"
"……Um."
Qi and blood flow downward, and the smooth flow of meridians releases both muscles and spirit. His voice is now lazy and relaxed.
No one can escape the law of true fragrance. Zheng Quchi yawned and didn't wait for him anymore: "The water will get cold soon, so don't take a bath. Dry your feet and go to bed. I'll come back tomorrow to fill the water." "
After she left, until the water in the footbath was completely cool, Yu Wensheng's feet were still soaked in the water, and the warmth he had absorbed before was gradually replaced by the familiar chill.
Thinking of Zheng Quchi turning away without any hesitation, annoyance flashed in his eyes.
He lowered his eyes, feeling dizzy from the moon and feeling cold and uncertain. He kicked the footbath down with one kick.
Bang!
"What's wrong?"
Zheng Quchi put on a coat and trotted over. When she saw the water pouring on the floor and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed without saying a word, she went to help up the footbath: "Did you fall? I told you Just let me pour the water."
She thought he wanted to get up and pour water, so she kicked the basin over because of the inconvenience to her eyes.
Yu Wensheng was startled.
He thought that when she came over, she would immediately accuse him of knocking down the water and being useless like a waste, or even if she could hold back her temper, she would show her face to him, thinking that he had caused trouble for her... But she rushed When she came over, she cared about him first, and then took care of him without any complaints.
Yu Wensheng opened his mouth with innocent eyes: "I think I can..."
Liar, he just knocked down the water on purpose.
Self-blame and apology: "You are also tired today, but I still rely on you for such a small thing..."
By lying, he just wanted her to take him as the priority in everything.
Hearing what he said, Zheng Quchi paused and said with a smile: "You can rely on me, you don't have to force yourself."
She had known about the candidate's situation when he came back, and it was certainly impossible for her to dislike him now because of his shortage.
Yeah?
Yu Wensheng raised a bright smile towards her: "The water is cold, I still want to soak."
His smile has a magical power, just like looking at a beautiful woman under the moon, giving people a unique kind of beautiful enjoyment.
Zheng Quchi was stunned for a moment, but he did not indulge him blindly: "Your feet will not be able to bear it if you soak it for a long time. I will do it for you tomorrow."
"But my feet are cold."
Still cold after soaking for so long? She subconsciously wanted to touch it, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She guessed: "You must be cold. When I have time, I will make a soup for you. Put it on your bed and it will keep you warm all night until dawn."
"What is Yuboshi?"
"It's made of copper, like a round pot. Fill it with boiling water and tighten it tightly. It will stay warm for a long time just like a charcoal basin."
In her time, Mrs. Tang seemed to have only appeared during the Song Dynasty. From the perspective of productivity, the world she traveled through now should still be in the earlier period of division in the Southern Dynasty, when the countries were in constant chaos.
People's livelihood is basically in a state of decline and stagnation, and it is normal that things such as Yuboshi that pursue the quality of life have not yet been invented.
Yu Wensheng had never heard of it before. In the past, if the quilt was not warm, he could only sleep in the cold.
"I'll get you another basin of hot water. Don't soak it for too long this time. Go to bed as soon as your feet are warm."
This time when the water was fetched, she watched from the side. She estimated that it was almost time, so she took the water away and urged him to go to bed quickly.
This time, Yu Wensheng didn't cause any trouble.
Lying in this unfamiliar room, he initially disliked the bedding that Zheng Quchi had covered with him, but after a while he felt that his finally warm feet began to get colder. He hesitated for a moment, and then pulled on Zheng Quchi's new quilt that had been dried by the sun. Cover.
People are like this. Once they have tried warmth, they are not willing to go back to the coldness of the past.
After covering his feet for a while, he felt warm again. Then he closed his eyes with satisfaction and fell asleep all night until dawn.
When he woke up the next day, he was in a daze.
For so many years, he had never truly slept peacefully, and his long-term lack of sleep often left him in an uncontrollable and manic state.
But sleeping for too long at once also made his temples a little swollen.
Early in the morning, it was very noisy outside, and he heard voices.
"Second, sister, Yaomei also wants to play."
"No, children can't touch scissors. Do you like birds? I'll cut one for you."
Yu Wensheng opened the door and felt a chill coming. Autumn and winter are coming, and it will probably snow in Fu County soon.
Walking to the fence and looking up, the courtyard in the daytime is a new feeling.
In the blue sky, white clouds are like washing. The leaves of a circle of planted fruit trees have turned yellow. Under the breeze, the yellow leaves slowly float down. Under the bamboo pavilion, Zheng Quchi and a child of several years old are sitting on the stone pier. Fidgeting with something.
"What are you doing?" Yu Wensheng walked over.
"You're awake, wait a minute."
Zheng Quchi was concentrating on using the scissors he borrowed from next door, cutting the paper smoothly and quickly.
Today's scissors are different from modern ones. They are U-shaped like those unearthed in the Western Han Dynasty. Although they can cut, they are not as easy to use as the improved versions later.
After several times of twisting, she was able to make decent paper cuts. If she was dissatisfied with the paper, she would have to trace it with a knife.
Paper-cutting is an ancient folk art that is loved by many people. Zheng Quchi once saw the performance of an old craftsman. He said that paper-cutting itself is not difficult. The difficulty lies in the superb thinking ability. Thousands of cuts can be made without leaving a trace. .
First draw a picture in your mind, connect any composition points of the picture, use scissors to cut, and carve out the gaps between the lines with a carving knife. The resulting painting will have a hollow feeling. Beautiful paper cut drawings.
Coincidentally, mental painting is also one of Zheng Quchi's strengths. She knows the backtracking method.
As long as the things are recorded in her mind and passed through specific memory points, she can completely restore them.
"Okay."
When she unfolded the paper, a lifelike bird jumped on the paper. She gave it to Yaomei who had been waiting.
"Wow~" Yaomei took it excitedly, and then held it in circles happily.
"Be careful, don't fall."
"Thank you two..."
"cough!"
"elder sister."
This child, after teaching her all morning, has changed the way she usually calls her.
"Okay, call me brother-in-law, and you can go and play by yourself."
Brother-in-law?
What is it?
Yaomei tilted her head and looked at Yu Wensheng beside her. Her normally pale complexion looked much better due to adequate sleep. He was smiling and looked gentle and easy to get along with, but Yaomei looked at him. His eyes looked a little timid.
"Sister, brother-in-law."
After shouting obediently, Yaomei quickly went to find Brother Sang with the sparrow that Zheng Quchi had cut.
Zheng Quchi said to Yu Wensheng, "I'm cutting paper."
I have heard of paper cutting.
"In addition to cutting birds, what else can you cut?" Yu Wensheng sat on the stone pier, playing with the part of the word "囍" she had cut out.
"Actually, there aren't many people who know how to do it. I just cut out more red pairs. I'll cut out a few and stick them on the door to make it more festive."
Originally, Brother Sang asked her to buy it, but the miser Zheng Quchi was unwilling. As long as she could do it by herself, she would never let others make money from her.
He picked up a piece of paper with the character "囍".
Bright red, the same color as blood, is this festive?
The smile on his lips remained.
"Why is it red?"
It's obviously ominous and bloody, isn't it?
"You don't like red?"
He thought for a moment: "That's not true."
"There's only one left."
Yu Wensheng was not interested in this. He was sitting next to him with empty eyes, looking at the long white clouds in the sky. At this time, a hand was handed over from the side.
"Here, give it to you."
He came back to his senses and glanced away.
"Besides birds, I only know how to cut window flowers. These are peonies, which represent elegance, prosperity, and also mean perfection and happiness in life."
He reached out and took it, thinking it looked pretty good: "There are so many ways to play with something made of paper like this."
"It's for good luck."
Zheng Quchi stood up and looked at the sky: "If you are cold, you should get some sunshine, otherwise it will be even worse in winter. I am going to the county town to buy some necessary things. Do you want me to bring anything?" "
At this time, a gray pigeon quietly landed on the wall, looked left and right, and made a soft "coo" sound.
Yu Wensheng glanced casually.
"No."
"Then don't go anywhere today. The wedding will be held when I come back. Then... I have something very important to tell you."
Zheng Quchi planned to solemnly mention their contract marriage.
However, Yu Wensheng thought that she was planning to use the atmosphere of the wedding to express her true feelings to him, and he smiled.
"good."
——
After saying hello, Zheng Quchi picked up a backpack and went out.
When she arrived at the county seat, she saw a group of people discussing loudly around the bulletin board.
"Look, the county is spending a lot of money to hire masons! The price is too high, I'm so excited when I see it."
"Hammer, you know what? I went there just now. They want professional masons. If ordinary masons go, they only get paid a few copper plates. How can there be so much?"
"I heard that many people have signed up, but what is the county going to do to recruit so many craftsmen at once?"
"It seems that they are going to repair the city wall, and some people are saying that they are going to dig canals. Anyway, these officials are very mysterious in what they do. How can ordinary people like us know?"
"How much money does this big brother have, that surprises you so much?"
A dark-skinned girl finally made it to the finals after a lot of effort. Unfortunately, she was too short and was blocked by the tall men in front of her from the content posted on the bulletin board.
"Of course it's a lot. Those of us who work hard all our lives probably won't be able to save so much money. It's a lot."
Zheng Quchi's eyes widened: "...Shi Guan?!"
"That's right, as long as the person recruiting the masons is willing to hire you, you can get ten thousand bucks for the job!"
"Then how to sign up?" Zheng Quchi asked excitedly, his eyes shining.
The elder brother who spoke glanced at Zheng Quchi, who had a strange complexion, and said in surprise: "You want to go?"
She waved her hand: "No, I signed up for my second brother."
"It's not easy to make money. You'd better go back and discuss it with your second brother first." The eldest brother is sincere.
Zheng Quchi smiled: "No need, he still needs to make money to support his wife and family. Besides, there is no money that is easy to make in this world."
This is true.
"Well, that's the registration place over there. You can go and ask first for your second brother."
Zheng Quchi received the guidance, thanked him and trotted over impatiently.
She saw a middle-aged man wearing a black hat. He was drowsily holding a writing brush. There were two pieces of paper in front of him. One had only two people's names written on it, while the other had The names were all marked with X's.
It seems that the recruitment of craftsmen is really difficult this time.
(End of chapter)
