Chapter 82.1

Translated by Aviana

While Yang Tiezhu was busy shopping for household essentials in an unbridled fashion, the third branch’s husband and wife also began to splurge. They didn’t have much kitchenware from the beginning in their family. After separation, they usually had meals in the second branch.

Yao shi too, after long contemplation, decided to buy all the household essentials for their new house. She felt disinclined to use old and torn bedding in their new house as well.

The third branch’s husband and wife were usually quite thrifty. Though they had earned a lot from the business, they had been quite unwilling to spend the money and buy anything. At most, Yang-shi just added two sets of new clothes for Yang Tiegen and the two girls but didn’t buy anything for herself.

She had bought new clothes for Yang Tiegen because he has to go out to deliver the goods, and can’t lose his image in worn-out clothes. As for the two little girls, from a young age, the number of clothes they had were pitifully low. All of their clothes were either handed down from Yang Daniu or were made by altering adults’ clothes into kids’ ones. Lin Qingwan previously had given Yao-shi a few meters of fabric to make dresses for the two girls. Yao-shi, to make up for the two girls, gritted her teeth and bought a few more meters of fabric to make more clothes for them. Thus, at the moment, decked with new clothes from inside to out, the pair of sisters fared better than their father.

This time when moving into their new house, Yao-shi had become generous for once. She unrestrainedly bought a large amount of cotton and fabric, intending to make bedding. Dreading that the large bags might attract attention from the villagers if directly taken back she asked her husband to take them to their new house and finished the needlework there.

Once all the preparations were done, Lin Qingwan and they began to make arrangements to move houses. In the past few days, the third branch had also been frantically sorting things out and was ready to move along with them.

However, after moving away, what should they do with the vacant house?

Lin Qinwan proposed to put all unusable miscellaneous things in the spaces and lock them up. In the future, if the eldest branch or fourth branch demands these rooms, they can certainly use them; but after exchanging them with silver. She refused to let them have things just like that.

Yang Tiezhu had always complied with his wife’s wishes. Besides, the third branch’s husband and wife also didn’t hold any favorable impression of those two, thus they too decided to lock their room along with the second branch.

Once the two families have discussed this, they begin the preparations to move.

On the day preceding the entry into the new house, a ceremony to offer sacrifices to the deities needs to be held. As for how to conduct the ceremony and related stuff, they were all handled by the two brothers.

As a pregnant woman, Lin Qingwan doesn’t need to worry about these matters.

****

According to the Chinese calendar, the following day was the best time to move houses.

Early in the morning, the two families woke up early and began to make necessary arrangements.

Actually, women refrained from moving houses when they were pregnant, lest they startle the fetus. However, Luoxia Village didn’t follow this rule strictly. Nonetheless, pregnant women wouldn’t show up during the ceremony. Thus, Lin Qingwan made her way to the Yang-shi’s house quite early in the day.

Yang-shi and her family came along with the mule cart to help the two brothers shift things. Once everyone had arrived, they lit a firecracker at the entrance of the yard.

There was a set of rules and procedures that needed to be followed while moving into a new residence. Firstly, all the daily household essentials, namely eatables and other essential items need to be moved in.

Representing the food cereals, Yang Tiezhu filled 80 percent of the barrel with rice, symbolizing the prosperous life in days to come. Additionally, he also placed a small red envelope filled with nine coins in the barrel, representing wealth. Besides, character nine had always been held as auspicious ever since ancient times, hoping for boundless wealth in the future. Likewise, representing water, seventy percent of the barrel was filled with water. As for the kitchenware, they first took an even number of bowls, cups, and chopsticks. Apart from these, a dustpan and a broom tied by a red cloth were also taken in along with a few pieces of personal clothing of the family members entering the house.

The second and third branches entered the house at the same time, each taking a set of household essentials, respectively into the new house.

It was only at this moment that the others in the Yang jia felt something was amiss. The second and third branches’ actions seemed to be that of moving houses. Usually, no words were exchanged between the two. The Yang jia’s members stood by the side and watched for half a day. Only when the two brothers came back to move things did they send the thick-skinned Wang-shi over to inquire.

Due to the presence of a pregnant woman at home, every time Yang Tiezhu came to move things, he would sweep the place clean to remove any debris and dust. Thus, with his hands full, he didn’t have time to pay attention to Wang-shi.

With no other choice, Wang-shi could only go over to Yang-shi’s side. Yang-shi, whilst guiding people in moving things, affirmatively replied to Wang-shi about the two brothers’ moving into their new residences.

The news of Yang Tiezhu and Yang Tiegen moving into new residences was akin to a bolt from the blue to Yang jia, leaving Wang-shi and others dumbfounded.

How long has it been, ah? Putting aside the matter of them moving out, when did they even build the house? How come they weren’t even aware of it?

However, what obligation does the other party have to let them know about it?! In other words, why should others tell you?!

The Yang jia was itching to inquire more, but the other party had a look of ‘ I am quite busy, don’t disturb me’, making them stop in their tracks.

Their sons were moving out of the house and had built their personal residence, yet their parents, brothers and sisters-in-law had no inkling of it. Wasn’t that too much?

Furthermore, Yang-shi dashing in here with such great fanfare attracted a lot of inquisitive villagers. Upon hearing that Yang jia’s second and third sons have built a new house and were moving out, they all gathered around to spectate over a bustling scene. In the presence of a bustling crowd, Yang jia found it quite embarrassing to step forward and inquire.

The two families in fact didn’t have many things that needed to be moved, and also most of the things were already arranged in the house. Only things like bedding and a few clothes were left to be taken over. Thus, coupled with a mule cart, all the necessary things were moved in a single trip.

When the luggage was being transported, many villagers excitedly followed after the cart.

Only then did the villagers realize that the new house that was recently built was Yang jia’s second son’s.

“Yang Tiezhu, you punk, you truly are too secretive, ah! You even built such a big house?”

“Precisely, I had long known about the house being constructed here, but I didn’t know whose it was. Never did I expect it to be yours….”

With a silly chuckle, Yang Tiezhu replied that he was too occupied to manage, and had thus hired a masonry team.

Seeing Yang Tiegen also ceremoniously enter the neighboring house, everyone realized that both the brothers had built the house at the same time, with the larger courtyard belonging to Yang Tiezhu while the smaller one belonged to Yang jia’s third son.

They managed to build the house not long after their separation. The onlookers praised the two as they smacked their lips for being able to build their own big roof-tiled residences not long after their separation.

Yang Tiezhu’s courtyard wall appeared magnificent. Everyone mused the interiors to be even more magnificent. Though Yang jia’s third son’s courtyard wall was not as impactful as his brother’s, it was nevertheless a decent-sized courtyard in Luoxia village.

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