Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Beautifully Done (1/2)

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Beautifully Done

Translator: 549690339

When Zhuang Qingning arrived home, the sun was setting, and a sheet of sunset clouds already floated in the sky, casting a glow that turned the whole earth red. It was brcathtakingly beautiful.

After sorting out her things, Zhuang Qingning divided the braised pig’s head meat she had bought from the town into four portions. She gave two of these portions to Zhuang Qingsui, instructing her to deliver them to Zhuang Yonghe and Mrs. Wen’s house, respectively. She saved a portion for herself to eat in the evening, and she set off with the last portion towards Zhuang Jingye’s house.

As she passed the entrance, she went to find Ye Dayong and the others.

Zhuang Qingning’s “new house” now had a clear outline.

The structure was discussed between Zhuang Jingye and Zhuang Qingning beforehand. It was a typical courtyard house with a hall facing south and rooms on the east and west, two additional eastern and western rooms, and a courtyard in the centre. To the south, a low, carved flower wall divided the courtyard into two smaller ones.

This setup made the house look layered and completely separated, feeling both clean and spacious. For the two young girls who would be living in the courtyards, it also provided them some sense of privacy.

The beams of the house were now in place and the rafters were installed, just waiting for the tiles to be fixed. The window spaces had been left open, propped up with wood, ready for frames to be fitted afterward.

Three or four layers of the courtyard wall had already taken shape. At this rate, it would likely be finished in time with the tiling.

The open space next to the house had been cordoned off, prepared to be built together with the courtyard’s enclosing walls.

Since she’d been using Mrs. Wen’s tofu shop, Zhuang Qingning had not yet decided what to do with this open space. However, having already laid the groundwork, she chose to fence it off for future use.

Considering this pace, in about ten days, the interior and exterior of the house ought to be completed.

At that moment, Ye Dayong was organizing the workers, settling wages, and providing refreshments. He was also advising them on when to start work the next day and what tools to bring.

Ever since they started digging the big pit, Zhuang Jingye was expected to oversee the construction. But he had been out of practice for some time and seemed somewhat rusty. Moreover, the construction was to be done hastily and coincided with the busiest agricultural season. Consequently, Zhuang Jingye discussed with Zhuang Qingning and decided to hand over the construction duties to Ye Dayong.

Ye Dayong was given a lump sum of wages and a rough timeline. As for how many people he would hire, that was up to him to manage.

Ye Dayong was familiar with this type of work. He quickly organized a team of skilled contractors, including many adept at masonry, without breaking a sweat.

Zhuang Qingning hadn’t been visiting the construction site frequently in the past few days. Yet, she could see that everything was neatly arranged, and this reassured her. She grew to have an increasingly positive impression of Ye Dayong.

As for Ye Dayong, he spent most of his days eating and drinking at Zhuang Jingye’s house. Every day, he’d hear praise for Zhuang Qingning, on how intelligent, nimble, diligent, and capable she was despite her young age, and he was quite impressed by her.

He noticed that Zhuang Qingning was different from other homeowners who hired them. More often than not, they’d watch the workers like hawks, tallying their materials daily, and closely observing their every move, paranoid that they were being lazy or cutting corners.