Zhang Minghui was unwilling to say anything more, but what he had already told He Yi pointed clearly enough to the biggest issue. Once He Yi thought through the implications, he could understand somewhat why Zhang Minghui had treated him that way.
He did not know the full story of the previous generation, and blindly believing only one side would be foolish. More importantly, it was hardly his place to pass judgment. A’ma had been the first person in this world to treat him well, and to the original owner she had been the most important family member. He should not, based on imagination alone…
He Yi only felt that his thoughts were in complete disorder. He suddenly rose to his feet and prepared to leave.
“No matter what, thank you for telling me.” He Yi gave him a formal bow.
Zhang Minghui lifted his eyelids and gave He Yi a sidelong look before standing as well. “No need. But unless you have some real reason, don’t come here again. My mother probably can’t take it.”
“I hope the old madam stays well. I’ll be going.”
“Mm.” Zhang Minghui watched He Yi cross the threshold, turn the corner outside, and vanish from sight before finally letting out a heavy breath.
Zhangjia Village was not only prosperous, it was broad in territory and densely populated. Even following only the roads, one probably could not walk through all of it in a single day.
But He Yi had no mind to look around and no desire to linger. He only wanted to find Zhang Qin’s household, order the building earth, and leave.
On the way to Zhang Qin’s home, he passed a tofu workshop and a cloth workshop. Apparently, the cloth shop in town and this workshop were run by the same family. He Yi went inside for a look, but there were hardly any ready-made clothes to choose from, and the workshop itself did not have much variety in fabric. The women there told him that if he wanted cloth, he would have more options at the shop in town.
He Yi was not especially picky, but he had not brought his carrying basket. If he bought cloth now, he would have to carry it back by hand, which sounded troublesome, so he decided not to buy any here.
Zhang Qin’s house was also built with blue-gray brick, but only the central portion used brick. The side rooms on both sides were ordinary earthen structures.
Zhang Qin himself was a small, thin old man. His two sons were not tall either, though the muscles in their arms and legs were visibly lean and solid.
He Yi had already calculated the types, weights, and proportions of the building materials he wanted. Zhang Qin had been about to ask how large a house he planned to build and how many rooms it would have so he could estimate the amount needed, but when He Yi calmly gave him precise quantities, surprise showed on the old man’s face.
“Who calculated all this for you?” Zhang Qin asked, biting the cord attached to his writing brush as he looked sideways at He Yi.
“I did.”
“Oh? Then for the yellow earth, do you want raw earth or prepared earth?”
“Raw earth. I know how to prepare it myself.”
Hah. Big words! Zhang Qin set down his brush, pulled He Yi aside to sit, and prepared to test him properly.
Zhang Qin fired off a string of detailed questions about things like the amount of water to add when preparing the earth, how different amounts of lime affected rammed earth, and the proper proportion of gravel.
He Yi had no intention of telling him everything he knew. He deliberately held some things back and instead used the conversation to draw out the local builders’ practical methods for rammed-earth construction, so he could compare them against his own knowledge and see whether anything could be improved.
Zhang Qin could tell the young man knew what he was doing, but clan rules and trade rules were still rules; some things were not meant to be passed to outsiders. He did not get carried away either. Each side yielded where it could and guarded what it would not share, until in the end neither managed to fool the other, and Zhang Qin could only offer He Yi a fair market price.
“Kid, for someone coming here to buy building earth for the first time, I normally wouldn’t give a price like this. You’ve made out well,” Zhang Qin said, winking.
“Sir, I asked around before coming. I have a rough idea what other people have paid you before. You really did lower the price this time, and I’m grateful. But to say you’re taking a loss at this price probably isn’t true either, is it?” Their relationship was nowhere near close enough for Zhang Qin to sell at a loss just to do him a favor, and He Yi was not buying the act. The old man was shrewd and had spent so long probing him earlier. If He Yi did not make it clear that he was not a fool, then the next time he came to buy something he knew less about, he might very well be taken in.
“You’ve got nerve, kid, saying that to my face!” Zhang Qin had already seen that He Yi was clever and not afraid to offend him. Amused by the young man’s courage, he burst out laughing and clapped He Yi on the shoulder. He wrote out the agreement and promised that in two days he would deliver the raw earth, gravel, and lime.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll head back now. Next time I need more building materials, I’ll come to you again.”
“You’d better keep your word!” Zhang Qin stroked his long beard as he saw He Yi out.
Building earth itself was cheap, but He Yi was buying a large quantity. Zhang Qin’s price genuinely saved him quite a bit. Compared with He Yi’s original estimate, he would spend roughly thirty copper coins less.
The trip had gone fairly well, but money truly vanished quickly. He now had less than five taels in cash left.
As He Yi headed toward the edge of the village, he saw people steadily carrying things into the Zhang clan ancestral hall. Some were hauling timber together, while others pushed wheelbarrows loaded with sand and stone. It looked as though something inside the ancestral hall needed repairs.
He Yi had originally been walking in the opposite direction, but when he turned and looked back at the imposing ancestral hall, he somehow found himself following the others inside.
Zhangjia Village truly deserved its reputation as a place dominated by a powerful clan. Their ancestral hall was probably the most magnificent place He Yi had seen in this dynasty: carved railings, painted beams, and thick incense smoke. When he first entered, he was nearly swallowed by the crowd. Only after reaching the western garden did things become quieter.
He Yi was looking at the vividly painted wooden carvings when someone suddenly slapped him on the back and grabbed his arm. “Still not done looking? They’re waiting for you to apply the raw lacquer over there. Come on!”
But no matter how the man pulled, He Yi did not budge. Only then did the man turn around. The instant he got a proper look, he realized he had grabbed the wrong person. “Hey, little brother, I mistook you for someone else! Sorry, sorry! Huh? Where did that fellow run off to?”
He Yi did not mind. Instead, he asked, “I heard you mention applying raw lacquer?”
“Yeah. There are two altar tables that urgently need a coat of raw lacquer. What, do you know how?”
He Yi had been about to nod, but then he remembered that this was no longer the body from his previous life. He had no idea whether this body might be allergic to raw lacquer, and he had not come into contact with it since arriving in this world. If he happened to react badly, that would be troublesome.
So He Yi shook his head, though he did ask one more question. “Is there anything else you need help with?”
“You look unfamiliar. You’re from another village, right? Outsiders normally aren’t allowed to work on the ancestral hall. Nothing personal. Even here in our own village, not just anyone is allowed to take on repair work for the clan hall.” The man smiled apologetically.
He Yi nodded to show that he understood and turned to leave.
The man went off to look for someone else.
But before He Yi had even made it out through the ancestral hall’s main gate, the man came running after him again. “Brother! Do you know how to apply tung oil? Come help us out!”
He Yi found it strange that the man had changed his mind so quickly about letting an outsider help. After asking, he learned that once the man left the western garden, he had found the person he had originally been looking for, a tall fellow with roughly the same build and complexion as He Yi. Unfortunately, that man had been working in another garden and had accidentally fallen from a roof, injuring his left hand and left leg.
Raw lacquer could not be handled casually by just anyone. But with their usual craftsman injured and no other expert available on short notice, they had no choice but to switch to the cheaper option of tung oil, which could still protect the furniture. The trouble was, none of them knew how to apply that either.
He Yi raised an eyebrow and nodded. “I do.”
Applying tung oil was not actually very difficult. It mainly required repeated sanding and repeated drying in the shade. But to complete novices, even the proper sequence was unclear, which was why they had resorted to grabbing at anyone who might know how.
So while the people of Zhangjia Village continued with their own work, they kept sneaking looks at He Yi, this unfamiliar outsider. Some were watching him, some were doubtful, and others were simply curious.
“If A’Tu’s family weren’t holding a wedding tomorrow and we didn’t need the altar tables ready for offerings to the gods and ancestors, we wouldn’t have to let an outsider work on them today!” complained a man named Zhang Xing as he planed a piece of wood.
The man who had brought He Yi over, Zhang Xue, was unconcerned. “Hey, maybe he has relatives in our village. Then he practically counts as one of us!”
“So who’s going to ask him?” A small, thin man named Zhang Lang chimed in from the side.
“You ask. I’m not doing it,” Zhang Xing immediately said.
When the other two both stared at him, Zhang Xing put on an exaggeratedly casual expression. “What? It’s not a big deal. It’s just a little job. Anyone can do it.”
The other two: “…”
He Yi ignored their chatter and quietly finished applying tung oil to the altar tables that needed it. The surrounding voices gradually died away. Everyone crowded closer to inspect the tabletops, now polished until they were nearly mirror-bright.
“You really do know how!” Zhang Xue exclaimed, sounding especially shocked.
His reaction made it seem as though he had never expected He Yi to succeed at all. Slightly speechless, He Yi said, “There shouldn’t be anything else you need me to do, right? It takes a long time to get back to Chongzi Village. I should probably head out now.”
But He Yi was not getting away that easily. Zhang Xue and the other two immediately came over and threw friendly arms around his shoulders. “What’s the rush? You helped out at our Zhang clan ancestral hall, so of course we have to thank you. The aunties will be bringing over the big-pot stew soon. Eat before you go!”
“That’s right. We were a bit rude earlier, but you look like a broad-minded sort, brother. You won’t hold it against us, right?” Zhang Xing had made those comments about He Yi without lowering his voice, so he knew he was in the wrong and admitted it openly.
“What if I do want to hold it against you?” He Yi asked coldly.
Zhang Xing froze, frightened by his tone, but the next moment He Yi smiled. It was a rare, almost swaggering grin, and then he said, “I’m kidding.”
All three men stared at him for a moment, especially Zhang Xue standing directly opposite. Then Zhang Xue burst out laughing too. “You’re interesting! Hahaha!”
Before long, the big-pot stew really was brought over.
It was called big-pot stew because both the cooking pot and the vessel used to hold it were enormous. They even used a shovel to stir and serve it.
One batch was enough to feed dozens of villagers repairing the ancestral hall, with every bowl filled right to the brim.
He Yi received a bowl too, ladled out for him by Zhang Xue. Seeing that the food was piled so high it was almost spilling over, He Yi quickly used his chopsticks to pick up and eat a strip of tofu skin hanging halfway outside the bowl.
The first bite brought the long-missed taste of soy sauce. Tofu skin absorbed sauce especially well, and its naturally chewy texture paired beautifully with the deep, savory flavor.
This batch of big-pot stew was packed with ingredients. Besides tofu skin, it contained vermicelli, tofu, wheat gluten, bean sprouts, pickled greens, and spring cabbage. The vermicelli was the star of the dish. Soaked dark brown with sauce, it was deeply seasoned, springy, smooth, tender, and pleasantly chewy.
As for all the other ingredients, He Yi could not find a single one he disliked. Each had its own texture and flavor, but every one of them worked with the sauce and vermicelli. Everyone eating the big-pot stew wore unmistakable satisfaction on their faces.
The smell of the braised vermicelli was good enough to make a person’s nose fall off. By the time He Yi finished a bowl, he was even beginning to sweat.
Only after eating did He Yi realize something was wrong. Wait, how had he already eaten the late-afternoon meal? Was it really this late already? He had thought it was only around the Wei hour, but looking at the sky now, it had clearly reached the Shen hour.
Elio’s Notes: The Wei hour (未时) is roughly 1–3 p.m., while the Shen hour (申时) is roughly 3–5 p.m. The chapter uses these traditional two-hour periods to show how badly He Yi misjudged the time.
That meant it would be completely dark by the time he made it halfway home, and the road was not easy to walk at night… Sigh. Not having a phone to check the time really was inconvenient.
He Yi was still worrying when Zhang Xue patted him. “What’s wrong, brother? The braised vermicelli not to your taste? Why the long face?”
“Is there anywhere in the village I could stay overnight? I misjudged the time, and I’m afraid I’ll have to walk home in the dark…” He Yi said.
“Tiny problem, tiny problem. I know you’re from Chongzi Village and it’s a long way from here. If I dared keep you for a meal, of course I already thought about that! Zhang Xing! Zhang Xing, come over here!” Zhang Xue waved to Zhang Xing not far away.
“What is it, big brother?”
“Is your ox cart here? Didn’t your eldest daughter marry into Chongzi Village? You haven’t gone to see her in ages, right? Take this little brother back with you while you’re at it!”
“…That’s pretty sudden. Wouldn’t it be a little strange to show up at my son-in-law’s house at night?”
“Then why not let him stay at our place tonight and leave tomorrow?” Zhang Xue could only suggest.
“Eh, I’ll take him back after all… I really should go see my daughter.” Zhang Xing thought for a moment, then said to He Yi, “But I’ll stay at your place tonight. Got a spare room? Even a floor mat will do.”
“I do.” He Yi did not mind sleeping on the floor mat himself.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Yet just as He Yi finally saw Zhang Xing drive the ox cart over, Great-Uncle suddenly appeared behind him, patted He Yi on the shoulder, and called, “Yi’er.”