GBP Chapter 302 Making Earth Bricks
Chapter 302 Making Earth Bricks
"Earth bricks?" Niu Er didn't quite understand.
Xie Jiaojiao nodded and explained, "It is similar to the blue bricks we bought, but blue bricks need to be fired, while this one does not. It is more convenient to make. If you use it to build a house, the house will be warm in winter and cool in summer. If this mud brick is made, you can buy some tiles, and the house will be similar to a blue brick and tile house, and the most important thing is that the cost is much lower."
This was the first time Niu Er had heard of this thing. After listening to Xie Jiaojiao’s explanation, he nodded hurriedly and said that he wanted to learn it.
Xie Jiaojiao asked him to prepare a dustpan to sift the fine soil, and to dig some white mud from the mountain to increase the stickiness of the soil. "It looks like the sun will be shining for a few days, so hurry up, otherwise it might not be dry by then!"
Niu Er nodded, turned around to greet Wang Po, and went to prepare the things that Xie Jiaojiao would need.
When Wang Xiuer heard that he was going up the mountain, she said she wanted to follow him.
"Auntie, I've been here with you for so long these days, I'm going to go up the mountain to pick mushrooms for you."
Xie Jiaojiao nodded: "Okay, if you pick it up, I'll still give it to you at the previous price."
"No, no, no, what I picked up doesn't count as silver." After saying that, without waiting for Xie Jiaojiao to reply, he followed Niu Er.
Sun Ruhua looked at her and said to Mrs. Wang, "This Wang Xiu'er is still a good person."
Mrs. Wang smiled and nodded: "That's the only thing I'm happy about."
Sun Ruhua joked, "I think, after a while, you can arrange the marriages for the two children. Then, I can give birth to a great-grandson for you sooner, and your family will be more lively."
"Don't worry, wait until life gets better. Otherwise, there will be one more mouth to feed and I'm afraid I won't be able to afford it!"
As they were talking, they arrived at the backyard. Sun Ruhua was going to tidy up the backyard. She would go to the town to buy some seeds and plant the backyard. When tidying up the backyard, there were some rotten watermelons. Sun Ruhua quickly picked out the seeds from the watermelons, thinking of planting them again next year. The two old women were chatting and laughing as they tidyed up the backyard, and they could see that life was slowly becoming hopeful again.
Xie Jiaojiao took Cuizhu and Hanlu and cleared a piece of open space on the other side of the field to use for drying the soil. The location of their field was very good, and they could basically get sunshine all day long.
Then she found some leftover wooden boards from repairing the house, cut them into pieces with a saw, and then pieced them together to make them look like bricks. She also asked the two of them to find some straw. No one knew where the straw came from, but after the flood receded, she had put it on the dam next to her house. After a few days of drying in the sun, it was now completely dried.
She went to the pigpen, found a cutter, and cut the straw into small sections. This completed the preparations.
Niu Er came back from the mountain carrying a load of white mud. Xie Jiaojiao let him put it aside and followed Niu Er, carrying the load to the house where Niu Er and his friends used to live, preparing to carry the soil under the house back to make mud blocks. Xie Zhili happened to have picked up firewood from the mountain, and seeing Xie Jiaojiao having difficulty carrying the load, he put down the firewood in his hand and came over.
"I'll help you." After saying that, he took the burden from Xie Jiaojiao.
Xie Jiaojiao glanced at him and didn't refuse. She just asked him to walk in front and carry the load for her. She turned around and took the firewood he was carrying back to him.
Once the firewood is on your shoulders, it should be lighter.
Many people in the village were surprised when they saw this scene. Aren’t Xie Jiaojiao and Xie Zhili getting along?
Xie Jiaojiao carried the firewood back to him and took a look at where Xie Zhili lived. The Xie family was no longer the same as before. There were still some remnants of the former adobe house, but now there were only two simple thatched houses in the former yard. These thatched houses were built roughly, and if winter came, they would definitely leak wind from all sides.
Xie Zhili also came back at this time, panting and said, "Why did you bring it back for me? I said I would go back and pick it myself."
Xie Jiaojiao glanced at him and said, "I don't want to owe you anything."
After saying that, he turned around and left.
After hearing her words, Xie Zhili just pursed his lips, then bent down to spread the firewood in front of his thatched house, thinking that after it was dried, he would make a few more trips to the town to sell it, so that he could buy some food then. He could not rely on Sun Ruhua to support him, otherwise he was afraid that his mother and Xie Jiaojiao would have a conflict over him.
He had already been a useless person anyway, so just being alive was enough, and he didn't have any other thoughts.
Xie Jiaojiao walked for a while, finally sighed, and turned back.
"Thank you, Zhili."
Xie Zhili was very surprised to see Xie Jiaojiao appear again, but he didn't dare to speak.
Xie Jiaojiao looked at his cautious eyes and suddenly remembered the times he had helped her, testifying for her, taking care of the crops in the fields, etc. It seemed like those days when he was a jerk had been a long time ago...
Xie Jiaojiao looked at him and said, "Do you want to repair the house together? If so, pick up some mud from your home and bring it to my house."
After Xie Jiaojiao finished speaking, she turned around and left without waiting for his answer.
She left. Xie Zhili looked at her back, feeling uneasy for a long time. Did Xie Jiaojiao take the initiative to ask him to go to her house?
Although for him, he was alone and could live anywhere, but if she asked him like that and he refused, he didn't know if he would have such an opportunity again in the future.
Xie Zhili hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly spread out the remaining firewood and started carrying the soil on his shoulder.
Sun Ruhua originally boiled some water for Xie Jiaojiao and the others, and was surprised to see Xie Zhili there.
"Zhili, why are you here?" Sun Ruhua pulled him aside and asked.
Xie Zhili looked at Sun Ruhua and said with a smile: "Jiaojiao asked me to come here, saying that she would take me with her to repair the mud brick house."
When Sun Ruhua heard this, she looked at Xie Jiaojiao in disbelief. She saw Xie Jiaojiao was teaching Wang Xiuer to pour the mixed soil into the brick mold.
Xie Zhili said to Sun Ruhua: "Mom, I have to go and get busy. The sun is so strong, you should go inside and have a rest."
Sun Ruhua's eyes were red, and she nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, your sister asked you to do something, so you should be more efficient."
"Don't worry, mom. I know."
After Xie Zhili finished speaking, he carried the bucket to the river. He fetched water, Niu Er mixed the mud, and Wang Xiuer, Xie Jiaojiao and two maids turned the mill. They worked quite quickly.
Sun Ruhua was very happy when she saw this scene. She turned around, found the white flour at home, and took Wang Po together to prepare some steamed buns.
Seeing her happy face, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you? Why are you so happy today?"
Sun Ruhua smiled and said, "Jiaojiao wants to bring Zhili to repair the house together!"
"There is also this matter!"
Sun Ruhua nodded, her eyes red again: "Just like you said, half of our bodies are buried in the soil, and our only hope is that the children are fine."
"That's right! Your Xie Zhili has changed a lot since the incident with Zhou Cuihong. He will definitely be a good person in the future."
……
Xie Zhili was embarrassed to eat here at noon, but Xie Jiaojiao directly put the steamed bun in his washed hands: "Eat it, mom made it."
Xie Zhili then took it and his eyes became red.
Xie Jiaojiao held a steamed bun in one hand and a bowl of pickled vegetable soup in the other, and couldn't help but say, "It would be nice to have a bowl of fish soup."
Sun Ruhua listened and immediately smiled: "Mom will go to the town to buy you some fish tomorrow."