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“Old man, may I inquire about something?”

“Go ahead!”

The old man was carrying a load of tender grass, panting heavily.

“Here, let me carry that for you!”

Qin Niu was strong and took the burden willingly. The load, over a hundred pounds, seemed extremely light on his shoulders.

After all, with the strength of a normal man made threefold, carrying such a load of green grass was hardly difficult for him.

“I’d like to hire some experienced masons to build a house. Do you know any in the village whose skills are solid?”

“All, that’s all you want! Then you’ve found the right person. I’ll volunteer myself. My three sons, except for the youngest who works for the government in the city, the other two are masons. The three houses of our family were all built by them leading teams. You can go over and take a look first, and if you’re satisfied, then do consider my sons for the job.”

Upon hearing this, the old man grinned broadly.

He had only a few teeth left.

“Alright, I’ll go take a look at your house then.”

Qin Niu did not rush to agree.

Building a house is a major matter; it must be solid, beautiful, and comfortable.

And it’s not for just a day or two.

You definitely need skilled masons for the job.

Soon, he arrived at the old man’s home. There stood three impressive brick-and-tile houses side by side.

“This is my youngest son’s house. He lives in the city with his wife and children and seldom comes back, so I look after the house for him. When I’m free, I raise some fish and a few sheep. There was a flood a few days ago, but fortunately, I was well prepared and moved the fish into the house. That’s how we avoided any loss.”

The old man spoke of this with not only relief but also a hint of pride.

Before a flood, experienced villagers usually make some preparations.

“No wonder all three of your sons have grown their family enterprises so well, with you being so strategic in handling things, your three sons can only be more outstanding.”

Qin Niu gave the man a compliment.

It delighted the old man, who grinned once more.

“Young man, please have a seat. I’ll go make some tea for you!”

“Old man, no need for tea. I’ll just look at your sons’ houses, and if I’m satisfied, we can settle the matter right away.”

Qin Niu didn’t have the time to sit around drinking tea.

“You are one to value your time like gold! Feel free to look around!”

The old man led Qin Niu on a tour of his youngest son’s house.

The house was three bays and seven spans wide, indicating that the old man’s youngest son held a considerable official position. Ordinary clerks could not be called officials.

At the very least, one must be on the level of a Historian to be considered an official.

The old man’s youngest son must be slightly higher in rank than Official Liu, who visited last time.

“The layout of this house is quite good, and the walls have been built strong. The courtyard looks simple, but it feels very comfortable. There’s even a spot for parking horse-drawn carriages, which is quite nice.”

After looking it over, Qin Niu was very satisfied with the house.

Officials really know how to enjoy their lives.

Ordinary households would not consider a place to park carriages, but the homes of those with real power and money are very thoughtfully arranged in all aspects.

They’ve considered defense as well.

The gate, courtyard walls, and main house had onefold layers of defense.

In daylight, it seems normal, but once the doors are closed at night, thieves and robbers would have to exert immense effort to break in.

The master inside would be awake by then, with ample time to respond.

“This house was built only last year. My youngest son has been blessed by our ancestors these past two years, enjoying a smooth career; he thought of having a place to settle down in his hometown, and so he built this house.”

The old man spoke of his youngest son with considerable pride.

Any parent would be proud to see their children successful.

“Come on, I’ll take you to see the homes of my eldest and second sons. The second one might be out, but the eldest should be home.”

The old man took Qin Niu to the next house, which belonged to his second son.

While also impressive, it had only three bays and five spans. The second son’s wife was very kind and hospitably made tea as she asked Qin Niu to sit.

He politely sat for a moment before getting up to visit the old man’s eldest son.

Similarly, it had three bays and five spans but looked much older, suggesting it was built at least a decade ago.

“Eldest boy, this young man wants to hire some competent masons to build a house. Have a good talk with him.”

The old man told his eldest son.

“I know you!”

The eldest son was just over forty, of average height but quite sturdy.

Upon seeing Qin Niu, he recognized him at a glance.

“You’re the son of Old Man Liu from Shuangfeng Village, aren’t you?”

“That’s right, my name is Qin Niu. Uncle, have you been to our village?”

Qin Niu didn’t recognize the person.

“They all call you Ah Niu, right? Please, have a seat!”

The old man’s eldest son invited Qin Niu to sit down and moved a chair for his father as well.

This small gesture showed the family’s values of respect and filial piety.

The old man’s three sons had all managed to develop the family business so successfully for a reason.

The eldest son’s wife came out with brewed tea.

She first offered tea to Qin Niu, the guest, then to her father-in-law, and lastly to her husband.

The old man’s son and daughter-in-law were decent people.

They didn’t look down on Qin Niu for his ragged clothes.

“Hehe, that’s what people in the village call me. May I ask for your esteemed name, uncle?”

“My name is Tang Fang, known as Tang the Tiler. Are you looking to renovate your house, or to rebuild it entirely?”

Upon hearing the surname Tang, Qin Niu’s heart skipped a beat.

In the village, those sharing the same surname were usually relatives.

The kind with blood ties.

Qin Niu wondered what relation this Tang Fang might have with Tang Wenhan?

Tang Fang asked such a question, clearly aware of Qin Niu’s family circumstances. Renovating a house wasn’t cheap, but it was much less expensive than building a new one.

“I want to build a new house.”

Qin Niu answered.

“If you’re building a mud house, you could directly hire the two tilers from Shuangfeng Village! Asking for my help means you think highly of me. However, among us tilers, there’s an unwritten rule to not take work away from others.”

Tang Fang explained to Qin Niu.

“No, I want to build a brick-and-tile house, just like the one your youngest brother has if possible.”

Qin Niu was now an Insect Master, a privileged class.

Building a house could be done with the privileges of an official; constructing a threefold-sevenfold structure would be no problem.

“You want to build a brick-and-tile house? And you want one like my youngest brother’s house?”

Tang Fang looked at Qin Niu with a peculiar gaze, probably thinking the rumors of Qin Niu from Shuangfeng Village being a bit simple-minded might be true, wondering if something was off with his brain.

“Yes!”

Qin Niu nodded earnestly.

“Cough… Brother Qin Niu, the cost of building a brick-and-tile house isn’t small, you know. My youngest brother’s house cost nearly eighty taels of Silver Money to complete. Moreover, my youngest brother is an official with rank, which is why he can build a threefold-sevenfold house. An ordinary person can’t build that type of house.”

Tang Fang patiently explained to him.

“I just like that kind of house. Money is not an issue, and neither is status.”

Qin Niu said indifferently.

He had seen the houses of all three brothers, and the one that suited his heart the most was the youngest brother’s.

It was simple, comfortable, sturdy, and beautiful, and he was very satisfied in all aspects.

“Uh… well, as long as you have the Silver Money and the position, I would definitely be very glad to take on the job.”

Tang Fang’s expression became somewhat stiff.

It was his practice to avoid offending anyone as he lived off the hospitality of many, which is why he refrained from saying anything that might displease Qin Niu.

Just then, the sound of a horse-drawn carriage came from outside.

The few turned to look towards the courtyard, only to see Steward Yan Qi from the official’s residence get off the carriage.

The reason a carriage was considered a luxury was not only because of its high cost, but also because it required a driver.

Moreover, the paperwork for it had to be facilitated through connections.

Without some status, it was very difficult to get approval.

Seeing Steward Yan Qi, Tang Fang quickly got up to greet him.

“All, Steward Yan Qi, what brings you here today? Please, come sit inside!”

“Last time I hired you for a job, I hadn’t settled the payment, right? I had our chief steward settle your wages first, and as soon as I received the money, I immediately brought it over to you.”

Yan Qi was still as talkative and as humble as ever.

“Haha, thank you, thank you! I feel secure working for Steward Yan Qi.”

Tang Fang showed a joyous smile upon hearing that the wages had been paid.

The greatest fear when working for wealthy families was not settling the payment..