Chapter 238: Construction
Editor: Atlas Studios
The Mu family’s house was finally completed in the morning. Xiuhong happily pulled Xiuhong and Bowen around the house.
There were two entrances to the house. There were five rooms at the front and five at the back. There was a courtyard in front and behind. A kitchen was built on the right side of the front courtyard, and there were two rooms on the left that were used to store food and chores.
In the backyard, Liu Ting built a cowshed and pigpen for them. This way, it would be more convenient for them to raise livestock in the future. He built them all on the left side, and Great-aunt planned to plant some vegetables on the right side.
The courtyard was huge, and Bosi and Kejia were already old enough to run all over the place. Now, as long as the door was closed, they could run around as they pleased.
Of course, as the new house was still damp, they would not be living in it for the time being. The newly built brick bed also had to be heated once a day to rid it of humidity. According to Shu Wanniang’s calculations, they should be able to live in it before the winter solstice.
Today, Mu Yangling would settle the wages for the nine people hired. As for Liu Ting and the rest, they would be given strips of pork each weighing about two catties. Each person would receive two pieces of fatty pork belly.
Liu Yuan asked gluttonously, “Ah Ling, this pork doesn’t look wild. It looks domesticated.”
Smiling, Mu Yangling said, “It’s domesticated. I carried the wild boar I caught two days ago to the city and exchanged it for a domesticated pig. The people in the city like to eat wild boar meat more.”
Liu Yuan nodded. “Domesticated pork has a higher fat content, but wild boar meat is firmer and more fragrant!”
Great-aunt brought out pots of vegetables from the kitchen with a smile. “Alright, everyone, sit down and eat. I got Ah Ling to bring back two catties of wine. Have a good drink.”
This was a joyous occasion in the village. On the day a house was completed, they had to treat the people who built it to a good meal. When they moved into the new house, they had to invite their relatives and friends to warm up the house and have a meal.
The nine people who were hired to build the house were very happy to see how generous the Mu family was. They sat down one after another. Since Mu Shi was not around, Liu Ting brought Liu Yuan to entertain the guests on his behalf.
Including those from the Liu clan, there were a total of twenty-one people. Two tables were filled in the courtyard.
Liu Xing stuffed a few mouthfuls of meat into his mouth, then squeezed his way to Mu Yangling. He asked, “Ah Ling, my big brother hasn’t returned in the first half of the year, and there’s no news in the middle of the year. Do you think something happened to him? Can you help me find out what he’s doing?”
Liu Xing’s eldest brother, Liu Yong, was in the 3rd Division. Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, “Didn’t he transfer to be with Cousin Li? Is there no news of Cousin Li either?”
“It’s precisely because there’s no news of Brother Li that I’m anxious. When he didn’t come back in the first half of the year, my parents thought that he had something to attend to. In addition, Brother Li didn’t come back either, so we weren’t anxious. However, there’s no news in the middle of the year either. It’s almost the end of the year. Look, even after the winter wheat has been planted, there’s still no news. Do you think they’ve been sent on some dangerous mission? There’s no news of the few people who are in the same section as my brother.”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to find out. There’s a little competition going on between the camps. If there’s a mission, it’s even more impossible to find out.” Seeing Liu Xing’s frustration, Mu Yangling said, “How about this? I’ll help you ask the Little General the next time I see him.”
Liu Xing heaved a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly. “Thank you.”
“Alright, quickly go eat. If you don’t go now, they’ll finish all the food.” Mu Yangling pushed Liu Xing to eat.
After sending everyone away, Great-aunt circled the house happily and said, “Great, we won’t have to fret about winter anymore. Ah Ling, bring Xiuhong and Xiulan with you tomorrow and gte more firewood. I’ll help you watch over the rabbits.”
Xiuhong said, “Cousin, didn’t you say that you would send a wild boar to your uncles after the house is completed? You haven’t caught one yet.”
Smiling, Mu Yangling said, “That’s not difficult. I’ve already found its hiding spot two days ago. I’ll go catch it tomorrow.”
“You have to be careful. Don’t be careless just because you’re capable.” Shu Wanniang said, “Many accidents start from underestimating the enemy.”
“Mother, I know. Don’t worry.” Mu Yangling had already figured out most of the terrain on the mountain in the past year, so even if the weather had already begun to turn cold, she was not as afraid of entering the mountain as last year.
Mu Yangling located the wild boar’s lair and scattered the wild boars. She led them to run in the mountains for a while before choosing a fat wild boar to kill. Just as she was about to carry it down the mountain, she took another look at the forest on the left.
Mu Yangling lowered her body and hid behind the forest. She remembered that she had run around that place just now. The bushes there didn’t seem to be so dense then.
Mu Yangling tightened her grip on the bow and arrow in her hand as she observed her surroundings. Seeing that the leaves in front of her on the left also moved slightly, she slowly retreated. After retreating from the place just now, she slowly circled around to the bushes.
The leaves were dense and nothing could be seen. Mu Yangling picked up a stone from the ground and threw it in another direction, but there was still no movement at all.
Mu Yangling tilted her head and threw a rock at the spot where she had been lying just now. The bushes moved slightly, and a head carefully stretched out to look at the spot where Mu Yangling had been lying just now. It carefully moved over.
Seeing that person’s face, Mu Yangling frowned slightly and looked around. She cursed in her heart. Qi Haoran really had nothing better to do. To think he dared to surround and lie in ambush for her.
Mu Yangling looked at the wild boar on the ground as she weighed the pros and cons. In the end, she took out a dagger from her leg and quietly approached the person lying in ambush in the bushes…
Mu Yangling circled behind them, placed the dagger on their necks, or slashed at them. They all consciously realized they had to fight for their lives.
Mu Yangling pulled out the waxed arrows behind them, nocked the bow, and shot them out one by one. The people who were shot felt pain in their backs and flopped to the ground, pretending to be dead.
Qi Haoran, who had been secretly aiming arrows at Mu Yangling, couldn’t help but frown. Mu Yangling’s mobility was too strong. Almost as soon as he saw her, she vanished behind the bushes without a trace. If this continued, his people would all be “killed” by her.
Qi Haoran’s gaze turned sharp. He left the ambush spot and focused all his attention on Mu Yangling’s trajectory. Just as she dodged and hid in the bushes again, Qi Haoran’s arrow left the bow at the same time. When Mu Yangling heard the sound of the arrow piercing through the air, she subconsciously dodged to the right, but the arrow still hit her shoulder. Mu Yangling fell to the ground from the force. Not daring to be negligent, she rolled away from the spot just now. Just as she was about to draw the bow and shoot, she remembered that her left hand was already crippled in theory and she could not pull the bow.
Mu Yangling hid behind a tree, threw the bow and arrow, and held the dagger tightly in her right hand.
Qi Haoran smiled when he caught up to the bow and arrow that Mu Yangling had thrown down. He also threw down his bow and arrow, drew his sword, and chased after her.
Mu Yangling’s advantage was her bow and arrow. If she couldn’t use this with her injured arm, it was only a matter of time before he caught her.
It was indeed a matter of time. But in the end, they waited in the forest until evening. Just as the sun was about to set, Qi Haoran finally managed to press Mu Yangling under him and held the dagger against her neck.
Mu Yangling looked at him and said, “You lost because you’re not familiar with the terrain. How does it feel to be led around by the nose for a day?”
“But in the end, you still ‘died’ in my hands,” Qi Haoran said.
Mu Yangling nudged him. “Alright, get up quickly. You’re suffocating me.” Mu Yangling said, “You’re not any better.”
Mu Yangling looked at his chest. If she hadn’t used the back of a knife to put on an act, Qi Haoran definitely wouldn’t have been able to get up.
Qi Haoran laid on the grass and said, “I think your strength has increased again. Did you really not cultivate your internal energy?”
Mu Yangling shook her head. “I don’t feel anything at all. Do you think there’s a problem with the mental cultivation technique you gave me, or is my understanding wrong?”
Qi Haoran pursed his lips and said, “Fortunately, you haven’t succeeded. Otherwise, I would have died in your hands today.”
Mu Yangling kicked him and said, “Get up quickly. The sun is about to set. We have to get out quickly.”