Chapter 300: Wood Mortise Admires You

Chapter 300: Wood Mortise Admires You

Xianjin thought Qiao Hui would leave the next day, but to her surprise, he stayed comfortably for seven or eight days.

He gathered with Zhou Ergou, Zheng Da, and Zheng Er, and in the morning, they ran together after taking off their shirts. He even taught them to lift stone locks and carry poles. Within two days, Zhou Ergou and the Zheng brothers were already calling him "Big Brother Qiao," "Bro," and "Boss" with sweetness in their voices.

Xianjin: ...

Big, my foot.

Qiao Hui was the same age as her, even two years younger than Zhou Ergou!

On a rare clear day, Qiao Hui organized an outing to chop firewood in the mountains and search for stones in the river with Zhou Ergou. He carried several loads of yellow mud to the small courtyard, mixed cement, laid bricks and tiles, and built stone slabs. Covered in dust, he set up heated brick beds for the main house, the east wing, and the west wing.

"This place has great feng shui—river in front, mountain behind, facing south—but the winter winds and snow will still find their way in. Without a heated bed, you'll freeze to death by the time the twelfth lunar month comes around."

In late autumn, even on a clear day, you could see your breath when speaking.

Qiao Hui, leading the men in their work, wore short and thin clothes. After looking around the small courtyard with a look of disdain, he said, "...The fence is so low, the bed is so short, and the walls are so thin. It's like playing house. Spring, summer, and autumn are fine, but with the first and second nines coming up, aren’t you feeling the chill?"

Xianjin wasn’t bothered by the cold. Her daily practice of the Eight Pieces of Brocade had strengthened her body so much that she didn’t even need a heater in winter. She was like a little sun herself.

Chen Fu, her frail but resilient father, was bundled up like a mummy, rubbing his hands and hunching his shoulders as he limped under the eaves. As he stepped outside, he saw three or four burly men carrying sacks of sand and wielding shovels.

"It’s freezing here compared to the city! We definitely need those heated beds!" Chen Fu rubbed his hands and called out to Qiao Hui loudly, "Thank you, Young Master Qiao!"

Lowering his voice, he moved closer to his daughter and said, "Is Young Master Qiao giving up on the imperial exams to become a bricklayer?"

Xianjin added, "He’s now working for one of the most powerful officials in the court, and it won’t be long before he’s promoted."

Chen Fu clicked his tongue, "Then why is he laying bricks and tiles at our place?"

Xianjin didn’t think much of it, "We're friends."

Chen Fu gave a complicated look, eyeing Xianjin as if she were a fool.

"Let's put it this way, is this how friends are treated in the Capital City? Do those dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, and barons casually help plow fields at their 'friends'' homes?" Chen Fu found it unbelievable.

Xianjin frowned, "Maybe in the Capital, people are just more into community service?"

Chen Fu: ...

It wasn’t that he was seeing romance everywhere; it was just a bit suspicious.

Chen Fu, sneakily peeking out, secretly observed Qiao Hui's tall and slender figure, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and straight, lean back. His finely chiseled face, with sharp features but a casual and peaceful demeanor, always exuded a relaxed ease.

Very good.

He was very satisfied.

If he could snag this son-in-law, he’d be the coolest father-in-law in Xuancheng—no, in all of Southern Zhili!

Chen Fu thanked him loudly again, "We'll add meat for lunch! I'm going to buy a roast lamb leg!"

Qiao Hui stood up, gave a wave, and nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Fu let out a "tsk" and said, "Master Qiao is such a good person. I’m truly unable to repay him, so I can only offer my daughter in return."

Xianjin: ؟

Forget it.

Xianjin emphasized, "We are best friends!"

Chen Fu was extremely perfunctory. "Yes, yes, yes, best friends, friends who make your heart flutter."

After Chen Fu finished, he winked at Xianjin.

Xianjin rolled her eyes. "You’re just setting yourself up for trouble!"

……

At noon, during the meal, Chen Fu, somehow, managed to get a whole roasted lamb leg. Chen Fu cut a large piece of crispy roasted meat with a small knife and handed it, skin and all, to Qiao Hui.

Qiao Hui thanked Chen Fu and looked up to see Chen Fu staring at him with burning eyes.

As if he was very expectant.

Chen Fu urged, "Eat quickly! The lamb at Old Li's place at the village entrance is excellent. The lamb leg is delicious. Try it!"

Qiao Hui took a big bite.

Xianjin saw his expression light up instantly!

Like something out of a cooking show, his eyes lit up! A colorful halo seemed to appear behind him! It was as if this bite of lamb had sent him to heaven!

"It’s the flavor of the Silk Road! It’s the taste of the Silk Road!"

Qiao Hui squinted, pretended to savor it for a moment, and then looked at Chen Fu with admiration. "Incredible! Third Brother, this is incredible! The flavor is both fragrant and fresh! The lamb is exceptionally well-raised, without a hint of gaminess, only delicate meat, tender texture, and an unprecedented taste!"

Qiao Hui pounded the table and shouted, "Incredible!"

Xianjin was dumbfounded.

If someone didn’t know any better, they’d think Chen Fu had roasted the lamb himself.

No, wait.

If someone didn’t know any better, they’d think Chen Fu had raised the lamb himself.

No, no.

If someone didn’t know any better, they’d think Chen Fu had transformed into the lamb...

Upon receiving such high praise, Chen Fu instantly adopted the demeanor of a bosom friend across the seas and shouted, "Right? Right! It’s incredible, isn’t it!"

Like a triumphant warrior, Chen Fu stood up, beaming, and urged everyone, "Dig in! Come on, everyone, enjoy!"

Xianjin, still grieving, could only watch as everyone rushed to grab the lamb. Xianjin secretly asked Suo'er, "Is it really that delicious?"

Suo'er, with oil dripping from her mouth, turned her head and nodded. "Delicious, delicious!"

Xianjin felt relieved and turned to look at Qiao Hui.

This tall, composed gentleman sat casually on the stool, calm and composed, naturally lowering his eyes, his right hand lazily picking at some peanuts—not even glancing at the plate of roasted lamb again.

Xianjin was taken aback.

If it's so delicious, why aren't you eating it?

As it approached nighttime, Xianjin went to the east wing room—she had written a draft of her essay on the coexistence of agriculture and commerce and was planning to ask Qiao Hui to review and offer suggestions for improvement.

The door to the east wing room was wide open.

There was a "buzzing" sound.

Xianjin poked her head in and saw Qiao Hui squatting on the ground sawing wood.

Xianjin was speechless.

This guy never runs out of energy.

Xianjin knocked on the door.

Qiao Hui looked up.

Xianjin waved the rolled-up paper in her hand, stepped inside, and saw wood shavings all over the floor and table, with several oddly shaped blocks of wood on the table.

Curious, Xianjin asked, "What are you doing?"

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Qiao Hui took a teacup and drank some water. "Making mortises."

Xianjin was familiar with this.

A traditional Chinese craft, where complete objects can be assembled without a single nail—small enough for ornaments, large enough for houses. The wisdom of the ancestors was both beautiful and magical.

Xianjin leaned over the table, examining the small wooden blocks with a smile. "You're quite the all-rounder, huh? Masonry and carpentry, you've got it all covered."

Back in my old life, my nouveau riche dad would have loved this—he was in home renovations and always preferred multi-talented foremen.

Qiao Hui shot her a look, wiped his hands, and said, "I learned masonry from *Tiangong Kaiwu* to make sure you guys don't freeze this winter."

He continued, "Carpentry became my hobby. When I was stuck on that pirate ship, which was originally a timber transport, there were huge logs in the hold. I had nothing else to do, so I couldn't just keep eating hairtail fish, right?"

Xianjin, reminded of the fish again, clutched her forehead in mock frustration. "I’ll give you three thousand taels if you stop mentioning those fishy, shiny things in front of me."

Qiao Hui chuckled, set the saw aside, and offered Xianjin a cup of cool tea like a good host. "When I had downtime on the ship, I’d work on carpentry. Eventually, I realized it helped me relax."

As if casually mentioning it, Qiao Hui said, "The zodiac carvings I gave you and Baozhu last time were actually made using mortise joints."