Chapter 194: Da Hei Grows Vegetables! Master’s!
At dinner time, Jian Xingxia and Lin Sanniang rode the little tricycle back to the old house. They changed the bedding and toiletries in the guest rooms, heated up a few dishes, boiled a large basin of noodles, and steamed a basket of buns. Carrying everyone’s “wages,” they headed down to the foot of the mountain once more.
Once darkness fell, working in the mountains became difficult.
The mountain left behind by her grandmother had not undergone excessive development. Most of it remained in its primitive state, with lush, green vegetation growing freely. The crowns of the large trees were much wider than those in the city; just a few big trees could easily block the view of anyone underneath.
Jian Xingxia brought along a set of bamboo tables and chairs, placing them next to the newly constructed chicken pen. She announced that this would be the temporary rest area for the temporary workers from now on.
“Shang Yue, the next time you come, build a row of small bamboo huts over there. They don’t need to be too large—just three or four square meters… Oh, about five feet by six feet in length and width. Just enough for one or two people to sleep in and store some items.”
The chicken pen Shang Yue built was very beautiful. Especially after Jian Xingxia brought over the iron wire, the construction speed of the chicken pen accelerated significantly, and the bamboo strips were bound much more neatly.
Shang Yue stared at a small lamp placed in the center of the bamboo table, unable to speak for a long time.
“This… how can this lamp light up without being ignited by fire?”
“What is this lamp cover made of? It is just like that water bottle, both tough and sturdy.”
“The wind in the forest is strong, yet how can this lamp wick and candle flame remain completely unmoved, defying the blowing wind?”
The first two times Shang Yue came, it was a life-or-death crisis. His mind had been entirely focused on survival, leaving him no time to observe the oddities of this manor. But this time, he stayed for a much longer period. Having spent several watches with his benefactor, Da Hei, and Lady Lin, Shang Yue was no longer as silent and restrained as before.
The small, round white lamp on the bamboo table dealt a massive shock to Shang Yue. This lamp was so small—only the size of a bowl’s mouth—yet it was so bright. In the mountain forest, it was unexpectedly much brighter than several lanterns gathered together.
Jian Xingxia took a look—ha, wasn’t this the solar night light she bought at the supermarket when Liang Chengcheng came? Placing it on the windowsill to charge during the day allowed it to sense the darkness and light up at night, making it very convenient to wake up for water or use the restroom.
Hearing Shang Yue’s exclamation and continuous questioning, Jian Xingxia couldn’t help but feel a tiny surge of pride in her heart. As a modern person, although she frequently felt a lot of pressure, she had to admit that life was indeed convenient, interesting, and colorful.
“This thing is a night light unique to our manor. It doesn’t use lamp oil or candles; it runs on electricity.”
Jian Xingxia didn’t explain too much. For one, she didn’t know how to explain the principles of electricity, and for another, even if she did, Shang Yue wouldn’t necessarily understand. They were just like Lin Sanniang—by watching and using it first, they would slowly form their own understanding over time.
Jian Xingxia even reached out and tapped the night light.
Tap!
The light went out. The surroundings instantly fell into pitch darkness, leaving only the headlight of the small electric tricycle on nearby, which attracted a massive swarm of moths and mosquitoes.
“The light went out!” Da Hei and Shang Yue cried out in unison. Only Lin Sanniang, having seen it frequently at the old house, was no longer surprised.
“Hehe,” Jian Xingxia chuckled under her breath and tapped it again.
The night light turned back on. This little gadget cost less than ten yuan, but in the eyes of Da Hei and Shang Yue, it was a shocking, miraculous existence.
Shang Yue’s lips parted slightly. He remembered Jian Xingxia saying that if he worked a full day—eight watches—she would pay him sixteen yuan. Since this night light only cost ten yuan…
However, in the next second, Jian Xingxia cut off his surging thoughts: “A pity that the development level of your dynasty isn’t high enough; you can’t carry this back with you.”
Shang Yue: “…”
If one were to ask what was the most painful thing in the world, it was having the night light right in front of him yet carrying no way to take it back.
But as Shang Yue calmed down, he also recalled his previous experiences of bringing things back. His benefactor’s place possessed its own rules. He looked around, and from the items he could carry away, he finally selected the iron wire within his wage limit: “Benefactor, you said this morning that as long as I can carry it away, I can choose anything within my wage range. I want to choose the iron wire.”
“Iron wire?”
“Yes.”
Shang Yue had thought it through. There was no shortage of wood in the quarry. If he brought back tools or other items, his wages wouldn’t cover much. But his benefactor had just mentioned that this iron wire was not very expensive, costing only a few yuan per catty. One catty of iron wire was a zhang and a half long. If it could be cut into sections and wrapped around wooden clubs to form spikes and bindings, it wouldn’t be any worse than plundered staves when fighting broke out.
Jian Xingxia fell silent for a moment, then agreed. Once the temporary workers moved past their initial phase of bewilderment, she stopped interfering much with what they chose. Everyone had their own ideas; what she thought was good might not be perceived the same way by them. She only needed to fulfill her responsibility to remind them, telling them what the items were for and how to use them. Shang Yue had spent half the afternoon handling the iron wire; if he wanted to choose this, then so be it.
Da Hei and Shang Yue held their respective food basins, eating with frantic, snorting efforts.
Da Hei was the first to leave. He now possessed a slight amount of independent awareness. Last time, he had asked Jian Xingxia for a clay pot; this time, he selected a hoe and a box of matches.
Da Hei scratched his head. “Starting a fire is too difficult; cannot keep the fire alive.”
Living alone was still exceptionally exhausting; eating, drinking, sleeping, clothing, and shelter—every single thing required worry and effort. In the past, Da Hei used the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed, exposed to the elements, caring only about staying alive. Now that he had cleared his own fields and settled in a cave, he had finally begun to “live.”
Jian Xingxia was delighted by Da Hei’s progress. But then again, the price of a complete hoe was a bit too expensive. She had Da Hei remove the wooden handle so he could take just the iron hoe head back, where he could carve his own wood to assemble it.
Matches were very cheap; a few yuan could buy a hundred boxes, making each box cost only a few cents. The matches Jian Xingxia selected were the most rudimentary, unprinted, earth-brown packaged old-fashioned matches. When they were delivered, the package was entirely ragged—some boxes were crushed, others torn. But it happened to be perfectly suited for the ancients at her manor.
Jian Xingxia stuffed a few extra utility blades into Da Hei’s bundle. Only after filling his remaining wage quota did she add the matches, packing three boxes in.
Da Hei was practically bubbling with happiness. Clutching the iron hoe head, the blades wrapped in tree bark, and the few crumpled boxes of matches, he shouted his farewell to Jian Xingxia.
“Master! Call me! I grow vegetables for Master!”
Jian Xingxia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she exhorted him: “Those are your vegetables! Eat your fill first after you grow them! If there are neighboring villages or farmers nearby, you can also use them to barter for some cloth, eggs, bowls, and plates.”
Bringing items like eggs, bowls, and plates back from modern times wasn’t cost-effective. Modern eggs cost fifty cents each, whereas in ancient times they were only one or two wen, which could be bartered for with just a few large radishes.
But Da Hei didn’t think that way at all. He insisted, “Da Hei grows vegetables! Master’s!”
Da Hei felt that he was merely being “exiled” by his master to the Great Yu Dynasty to grow vegetables and perform labor for her. He carried no desire to live alone in the Great Yu Dynasty. His master was at the manor!
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Da Hei departed blissfully with his wages.
Over here, only Shang Yue’s wages remained. Jian Xingxia and Lin Sanniang worked together to “distribute wages” to Shang Yue.
