Chapter 4, Properly Managing the Construction of Houses
Old Master Liu is so reasonable that he has made things much simpler. Three days later, the condition of the Third Young Master has improved, and he is able to get out of bed. The town's doctor has examined him and stated that he will recover in a few days. Therefore, Lu Da bids farewell to the Liu family and prepares to leave
The butler's son, Dayong, seems to have a bit of an interest in Miss Xiaoya. He does not like her wandering around the construction site, which is filled with men and sometimes even shirtless. After speaking to her a few times and then receiving a scolding, he finally ceased his advances
This young man, not to mention anything else, is indeed an expert at physical labor
Moreover, he is originally in this line of work, and wherever he works, he is engaged in the same.
The little carpenter wielded the shovel with great speed, and before long, he had dug a large pit at the feet of Wu Banjian
Lu let out a sigh and then said: "This time, the matter of rejecting the matchmaker should, in theory, have settled the issue. However, while the situation may have calmed down, the resentment has not dissipated. The other party's methods are indeed malicious, and if the root of the problem cannot be resolved, I fear that in a few days, this place will once again be in turmoil"
In order to retain Lu Da, Master Liu offered a very high salary.
Wu Bansian is a clever person, naturally aware of the reasons behind this. He clasped his hands and said: "Let us discuss this when reporting to Lord Liu tomorrow."
Lu Dakou spoke incessantly, while the young carpenter stood solemnly beside him and said, "Alright, be careful."
She probably enjoys the atmosphere on the construction site, so she comes the next day and chats with the carpenter.
However, she is the daughter of a secondary wife, and her mother was a maidservant who accompanied the main wife, which places her status low. Therefore, this young girl is not favored in the Liu family, and precisely because of this, she does not exhibit any of the temperaments typically associated with young ladies
In addition to the coarse servant girl from the Liu family who delivers meals, there is occasionally the young girl in the blue coat whom the carpenter encountered at the Liu household.
With excellent skills, the treatment is naturally high. The meals for these two apprentices of Master Lu are all prepared separately, sent over from the old residence, and are particularly rich in flavor
Liu Xiaoya seems particularly enthusiastic about the carpenter, which inevitably leads to discussions among the local villagers behind their backs
Old Master Liu could not resist the servants' chatter, so he came to take a look and decided to have the young carpenter make a complete set of furniture for the new residence, using only the finest wood.
Lu Da is responsible for overseeing the overall situation, while Gan Shisan focuses on his carpentry skills. All the carpentry work on the construction site is led by him, whether it is beams, railings, doors, windows, or intricately carved flying corners, all of which are not difficult tasks under his hands. The group of carpenters who originally mixed around the site did not respect this sixteen-year-old young man, thinking, why should you command us? However, after the young carpenter completed a series of tasks, they all submitted to him.
Wu Bansian seemed to sense something and asked, "Is it good, is it alright?"
To reach such a size, it would take at least six to seven months
Lu Da relaxed from his earlier tense demeanor, let out a long breath, and said slowly: "I have not failed in my duty"
Qiancheng County is located in the western part of Hunan, tucked away in a corner. The rural folk have limited knowledge and are unaware of the great skills of Lu Ban, nor do they know anything about the teachings of Lu Ban. However, they are familiar with the renowned Wu Bansian. Thus, under the enthusiastic promotion of Wu Bansian, the originally anxious workers finally gathered their courage. After the host provided an extra meal and slaughtered a fat pig for a feast, they too became eager and enthusiastic.
On the other side, Lu Da no longer paid attention to the silent Da Yong, but instead turned around and walked in front of Wu Banxian.
Wu Bansian was so frightened that his soul seemed to leave his body. Just as he was about to lift his foot, he found himself completely stiffened, unable to move. It felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, with a chilling breath surging from the Yongquan point at the soles of his feet, firmly anchoring him in place.
Wu Bansian felt the darkness enveloping him like countless tentacles, yet in the final moment before his consciousness faded, he heard a sound of "dong".
Wu Bansian stepped out of the circle, and suddenly, Lu Da shouted sternly: "Beast, return at once!"
Those families originally possessed land, and now with the additional compensation, naturally each of them speaks highly and praises the authorities.
When the pit was three and a half feet deep, the shovel finally struck something
A tiger does not father a dog; with such a formidable master, the disciple is naturally not inferior.
He spent three days crafting a carved bed, and the flowers and butterflies on the bed appeared so lifelike that they seemed ready to take flight. After polishing, even before applying the paint, those who saw it were left in awe.
After Lu Da finished inserting the wooden stake, he continued to mutter incantations. Before long, Wu Banjian finally felt his body no longer stiffening and was able to move. He cautiously opened his mouth to ask: "Can I leave now?"
This information spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, leading to a continuous stream of people coming to the temporary storage room at the construction site to take a look. Frightened, Master Liu had no choice but to call for help and have the intricately carved bed moved to the old residence first
However, at this moment, Master Liu proposed an idea to appoint Lu Da as the chief overseer and master craftsman for the new residence, to assist in completely constructing the house
After all the insects had disappeared, Lu Da stepped forward and took out seven wooden sticks from his pocket
Lu Da instinctively took two steps back, yet the little carpenter seemed completely oblivious, continuing to shovel and dig the earth.
A wooden box oozing with pus and blood, covered with a dense mass of insects. These insects resemble leeches but are flatter, with blackish-red bodies that continuously roll and writhe, enveloping the wooden box and giving it an appearance as if it were alive
Struck by the ink line of the ink ruler, each impact resonated like a great bell. Wu Bansian regained some awareness, yet he heard Lu Da speaking to him: "Do not move recklessly, that evil entity seeks to control your body. Do not panic, let me handle it."
When he first started, Master Liu was still uneasy, sending the old steward to check three to five times a day. However, after hearing the reports, he finally felt at ease and said to others: "Inviting Master Lu here was truly the best decision made this year"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, Liu Xiaoya's face instantly turned bright red, and she glared at him, scolding: "You, you rogue!"
Many people still come to the old steward to plead, saying that their own younger generations are strong and capable, and asking if they can be recruited to the construction site
Immediately following were a few brief and hurried sounds, and the little carpenter rushed to his side, appearing in front of him one moment and then darting behind him the next. The reason for the hurried sounds was that the line of the chalk snap had snapped against him.
Inside this wooden box, there is a formed stillborn fetus.
That is a wooden box
Master Lu is a capable person. This time he came, and with his expertise, the illness was cured and the problem was resolved effortlessly, truly impressive. The next day, he spoke again with the host family, mentioning that Lord Liu is a reasonable and open-minded person. After understanding the situation, although he was furious with those who acted behind the scenes, he did not wish to stir up more trouble. He then instructed the old steward to find several families involved in the land exchange and provided them with compensation.
Lu Da nodded, turned around, and called over the Liu family's servant, who was standing in the distance in a daze. He brought back the unconscious Da Yong, while Lu Da gathered some firewood and burned the wooden box on the ground, along with the dead infant inside, turning them into ashes.
As the pit grew deeper, an indescribable stench emanated from the ground. This odor resembled that of a dead rat, yet it was also infused with a rich metallic scent of blood, causing a sensation of blockage in the nostrils and a nauseating feeling in the throat, making one unable to resist the urge to vomit.
Her name is Liu Xiaoya, and she is indeed the daughter of Lord Liu
Nalu is indeed a person of true capability, having immersed himself in the field of construction for over half a lifetime. Whether it is wooden structures or stone and brick buildings, the styles of the elderly or contemporary designs, he has all of this firmly in mind. Furthermore, he can discern the quality of various materials at a glance, and he is well aware of the precise ratio of cement to sand. His management of the craftsmen under him is also very effective; he knows who excels in their craft, who does not, who is lazy, and who is diligent and hardworking. He has a systematic approach to handling and allocating tasks, maintaining order and responding with ease.
Wu Bansian stood frozen in place, his face displaying a mixture of fear and resentment, while the young carpenter had already set down the chalk line and pulled out a very sharp pointed shovel from the wooden box
The two master and apprentice beside them also turned pale.
The young carpenter initially did not take it seriously, but later became annoyed and finally found an opportunity to speak directly to Miss Liu, saying: "I have a partner, it is a marriage arrangement made by my master..."
This remuneration is one that Lu Da cannot refuse
Dong!
Dong, dong, dong
The carpenter exerted force to pry the wooden box, which was about the size of a food container, up to the ground. Upon placing it down, the insects covering the wooden box immediately scattered, rushing in all directions.
This sound was like the voice of thunder, startling Wu Banjian to tremble all over, and at that moment, he suddenly heard a mournful sigh, followed by the abrupt disappearance of the originally cold sensation
No wonder it is so wicked
Wu Bansian was overjoyed, stood up straight, and said: "Master Lu, excellent skills"
Whether it was fear or something else, his face appeared somewhat stiff
He opened his mouth, wanting to call for help, but felt as if he were drowning, his entire body enveloped in a viscous liquid. Covering his mouth and nose made it difficult for him to breathe, and a wave of darkness wrapped around his consciousness, swiftly sweeping it away... The light before him was extinguished, retreating into darkness...
On the day of resuming work, under the supervision of the master builder Lu Da, a new beam was installed, and a ceremony was held to worship heaven and earth. Lord Liu spent a considerable amount of money, not only purchasing foreign sugar cubes but also scattering a basket of copper coins during the beam installation. This event attracted not only all the children in the town but also many adults who, disregarding their dignity, joined in to collect the money, making it even more lively than a market day.
He surrounded the wooden box in the shape of the Big Dipper and thrust it down to the ground
The scene was enough to make one's scalp tingle, yet Lu Da took out a handful of slightly yellow powder and scattered it on the ground. Upon encountering it, those elongated worms immediately transformed into black smoke and vanished
The reason for this is twofold: firstly, Lu's longstanding expertise lies in this field, with a solid reputation for quality; secondly, the new residence has been embroiled in controversy, causing quite a stir, which has made many local laborers fearful and reluctant to come to work. Having an experienced person like him present will certainly help to reassure everyone.
The little carpenter used the pointed iron shovel to pry open the lid of the wooden box. Although Wu Banjian's body could not move, he was able to observe and saw that inside the wooden box was a pool of flesh and blood, and in the center, there was a fist-sized outline, which was the face of an infant. Suddenly, a wave of nausea surged to his head, and with a "wow," he vomited.
The carpenter stayed for about ten days, and after completing the major tasks from the earlier phase, he assigned the rough work to several subordinate carpentry teams while he focused on making furniture
The carpenter works skillfully, especially the carved window frames, which are exquisite like works of art
This shovel resembles a Luoyang shovel, but it is much shorter, and the iron mouth is very hard, seemingly made of steel
After finishing, he nodded towards the little carpenter
Hehe ... ...
Thus, Lu Da and his young apprentice stayed behind