Chapter 41
Now that the grand wedding was over and there was no need to go into the city to check on the shop or slaughter livestock, Huo Shu suddenly found himself with no urgent matters to attend to.
But after spending over a decade in the military camp, he had long developed a habit of never staying idle.
Even without fixed tasks, he sought out farm work to do, filling his days to the brim.
He took on all the heavy and laborious chores for the Ji family like chopping firewood in the mountains and cutting grass in the frost. Never tiring, never fearing the cold. Even hired laborers weren’t as capable as him.
Ji Yangzong and his wife grew increasingly satisfied with this son-in-law.
Taking advantage of two clear days, Huo Shu also went to help Yuan Huiru repair the roof of the Zhao family’s house.
The Zhao family’s home was far inferior to the Ji family’s. Made of mud and thatch, the roof, long neglected, couldn’t withstand the continuous rain after winter and began to leak.
In the depths of winter, though it rarely snowed here, the endless drizzle made the house damp. The house was already drafty, with barely any warmth from the fire. Now, with the roof leaking, the cold became unbearable.
If they didn’t fix it while the weather was good, they’d have to endure the chill until the new year passed.
"All done. With such a thorough repair, this roof shouldn't leak again for quite some time."
Yuan Huiru looked at the newly laid and tightly bound straw padding on the roof and smiled. "This roof hasn’t been touched in years."
Ever since Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu got married, Huang Manjing and Yuan Huiru had been interacting much more frequently. The villagers, being opportunistic, suddenly became warm and attentive to the widow once they saw her connection to the Ji family.
In terms of village socializing, Yuan Huiru’s life was actually livelier than before.
Huo Shu also often came over to help with tasks, making her days far better than they used to be.
Ji Taoyu rushed over at the sound of voices, arriving just as Huo Shu climbed down the ladder. "How does it look?" he asked.
Huo Shu wiped his hands on his trousers, glancing up at the repaired roof. "Good enough. As long as there’s no strong wind, it should hold."
Huo Shu put away the ladder and moved it under the eaves.
The roof repairs had left dust and debris scattered throughout the interior and around the exterior of the house, so everyone worked together to sweep and clear the mess.
What had initially seemed like a simple cleanup job ended up consuming most of their day as they moved between tasks, fetching tools and disposing of the waste.
It wasn't until dusk, when every last speck of dirt had been cleared and all tools put away, that Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu began making their way home
"Didn’t do much work, but my arms and legs are sore anyway."
Huo Shu observed the young ger trudging ahead, massaging his sore shoulders while grumbling under his breath. Without a word, he reached out and lifted him effortlessly onto his back.
Ji Taoyu immediately molded himself against Huo Shu's broad shoulders, his chin finding its familiar place in the curve of his neck. "We're practically home already," he protested halfheartedly, "you really didn't need to—"
Huo Shu ignored the ger’s contradictory words. Though he claimed he didn’t need to be carried, he clung tighter than anyone.
Huo Shu steadied his grip on Ji Taoyu's legs as he changed the subject. "Thatch and mud walls won't last forever. The Zhao house needs complete rebuilding within two years, the main beams are rotting through."
Ji Taoyu tightened his arms slightly around Huo Shu's shoulders. "Why wait for winter rains?" he asked. "We could start the foundations now during the farming off-season. Laborers are more available before spring planting."
Now that he was married, Ji Taoyu considered himself an adult. Beyond his own affairs - no longer just tending his herb garden, he also had to think about his elders’ future care.
Huo Shu adjusted his hold as he considered the timeline. "Let's wait. In two years when Zhao Pan reclaims his family heritage, we'll know his plans, whether he'll establish his household in the city or return to village life."
Ji Taoyu's chin bobbed against Huo Shu's shoulder in agreement. "You're right. Godmother will have to follow her son and grandchildren. Whether they settle in the city or the countryside, we'll stand ready with both labor and silver." His fingers absently played with a loose thread on Huo Shu's collar as he contemplated their future obligations to both branches of the family.
"Mm."
Ji Taoyu picked a cobweb out of Huo Shu’s hair, thinking about how this man had been busy nonstop since their wedding without a single day of rest. "There’s a temple fair for Little New Year soon. Let’s go together, alright?"
[Little New Year (小年, Xiǎonián): a traditional Chinese festival celebrated a week before the Lunar New Year (usually on the 23rd or 24th of the 12th lunar month)]
"What are you praying for?"
Huo Shu pinched Ji Taoyu’s slender ankle. "A child?"
Ji Taoyu narrowed his eyes and suddenly bit Huo Shu’s earlobe. "Praying to the gods won’t help with that."
A warm, damp sensation on his earlobe made Huo Shu pause. "Keep this up, and if you fall, don’t blame me."
"One little bite and you’ll drop me?"
"I won’t drop you."
Huo Shu stated matter-of-factly, "But this makes my legs weak."
Ji Taoyu’s face flushed instantly at those words.
He wanted to point out that Huo Shu had walked across high, slippery rooftops as if they were flat ground without so much as a wobble, yet now, on solid earth, his legs were weak?
Burying his face against Huo Shu’s back, he refrained himself from causing any more mischief.
When they got home, the Ji family was quiet. Ji Yangzong and his wife had been invited to a banquet in the city and had asked Ji Taoyu to join, but he had stuck with Huo Shu to fix the Zhao family’s roof.
Now, they had to make their own dinner.
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