Chapter 006: The Old House

That is good, that is good, it would have worried the elderly greatly

Once a house is uninhabited, it deteriorates rapidly, much like many places. Bian Rui has noticed that some of the wood is clearly showing signs of decay.

On the road, I encountered two elders again, and Bian Rui greeted them respectfully. It was only when we ascended the slope that this lessened, and Bian Rui continued to walk up along the bluestone path.

Then I will take care of it here first, thank you, Aunt San, said Bian Rui

Your brother-in-law's family will not get up until around 8 or 9 o'clock, Jingjing is also asleep, and the child is sleeping soundly said Bian Rui's mother happily

Although the old ancestor wears a Taoist robe, he is not a Taoist priest, and the place he resides in is certainly not a Taoist temple. The house occupies a considerable area, approximately over 2 acres, and in front of it, there is a sunbathing area made of blue stone slabs, covering about 400 square meters. Previously, Bian Rui was curious about how this was done, but now Bian Rui understands that with spatial manipulation, not only can this 400 square meter blue stone platform be managed, but even larger areas can be handled.

Aunt San said, "You go ahead, by the way, Da Rui, we are slaughtering pigs at our house today. You like to eat liver, I will send some to your mother later"

Everyone behaves this way, with mutual exchanges, and naturally, the relationships in the village are very harmonious. For instance, since Bian Rui can remember from childhood, he has never witnessed any quarrels between sisters-in-law or among brothers; everyone gets along amicably.

To the east of the main house, there is a small archway, and behind the archway lies a small training ground made of bluestone. Bian Rui spent the longest time in the kitchen of the west wing, as well as in the training ground during his childhood.

Thinking of the precious timber, Bian Rui felt a bit restless. He was not considering using the space to enjoy it himself, but rather contemplating whether he should get a piece for his daughter. When his daughter grows up, this large piece of golden silk nanmu might be able to be exchanged for a house in a first-tier city.

The large bed is quite valuable. From Bian Rui's perspective, without even considering the material, the intricate carvings on it alone are worth a considerable amount. However, selling such an item is clearly inappropriate; if sold, where would Bian Rui sleep

In summary, the house is not small, and Bian Rui is quite familiar with it, having cleaned it countless times during childhood, even knowing where every brass nail is located with his eyes closed

Bian Rui's grandmother said: "Your grandfather is going out to herd sheep. I have prepared breakfast and made lunch and dinner for him. I didn't expect you to wake up so early. What would you like to eat? I will make it for you!"

As soon as Bian Rui's grandmother heard this, she immediately turned around, took the keys from the room, and handed them to her grandson

It is quite common in the village for families to share the meat when someone slaughters a pig or a sheep. For instance, when Aunt San's family slaughters a pig, it is likely that they won't be able to sell much meat, as most of it will be distributed among the families in the village.

Crossing the small stone bridge, one arrives at the vegetable gardens of each household, where stands can be seen everywhere, and the green vegetables and radishes are flourishing, presenting a pleasing sight.

What about them?" Bian Rui asked.

The door was opened, and with a gentle push, it emitted a creaking sound. A shadow wall appeared before me, adorned with a stone mosaic depicting a crane. As I walked around the shadow wall, I found two side rooms, each of which was not much smaller than the small restaurant that Bian Rui currently owned.

Beyond the screen wall lies the front courtyard, which is not large. A ginkgo tree, which two people can barely embrace, occupies nearly one-sixth of the space. The small courtyard features three-bay houses connected by a corridor. Directly facing the screen wall is the main house, with rooms on either side, and the central area serves as the hall.

It looked close, but it still took a bit of walking; after about seven or eight minutes, Bian Rui finally arrived at the entrance of the old ancestor's residence

Standing at the door, the lock on the door is an old-fashioned brass lock, approximately half the length of an adult's arm, entirely made of brass and quite heavy

The entire courtyard is in a Chinese style, but it is not like the traditional siheyuan of the capital from the Ming and Qing dynasties. This architecture is relatively simpler. The elder had mentioned before that this is Tang-style architecture, but Bian Rui has not seen much Tang-style architecture, so he is unsure if that is correct.

Seeing Dahei, Bian Rui's grandfather scolded, and thus Dahei obediently tucked its tail and returned to the courtyard to lie down, its pair of dog eyes enviously watching the son who was running back and forth beside Bian Rui.

If it were something left by the master, Bian Rui might have sold it, but when it comes to the belongings of the ancestor, Bian Rui is not so superstitious. Moreover, this large bed is truly beautiful, and even if sold, it would be hard to part with it

"You are back, Third Aunt, are you busy?" Bian Rui stopped, turned to face Third Aunt, and responded with a respectful expression.

Aunt San smiled and said, "Pulling weeds, the newly planted cucumber seedlings are afraid of the wild grass stealing the nutrients. You are back, has Xiao Jingjing returned? Your parents, uncle, and aunt have been nagging for many days now" Aunt San said

This is different from many villages today, where families in rural areas live their own small lives, and some relatives even interact as if they were enemies. However, in Bianjia Village, or in several villages near Bianjia Village, such situations are rarely found. This is attributed to the almost stringent traditional education provided by Bianjia Village Primary School

There is no way around it; middle-aged men with daughters often have such trivial thoughts. They tend to think about accumulating resources for their daughters, keeping them as a means of support for the future, primarily because they feel that no man is reliable except for themselves.

After finishing the inspection of the old ancestor's study and room, Bian Rui looked around again. The house had been uninhabited for a long time, and some of the wood had rotted, indicating that it would need to be replaced. However, fortunately, the main beams and essential components were still in good condition, showing no signs of damage, which reassured Bian Rui.

Bian Rui's family has two dogs, one yellow and one black, both of which are local breeds. Their names are quite ordinary; the yellow one is called Da Huang and the black one is called Da Hei. Da Huang is the son of Da Hei

Gazing at the lush wild grass and the robust seedlings, listening to the gentle sound of the flowing stream and the crisp chirping of the birds, Rui's heart seemed to be as pure and refreshing as the countryside morning

Oh, there are indeed some good things. On the wall of the small room where Bian Rui used to rest, there hangs an ancient guqin, a seven-string guqin. When Bian Rui was young, his ancestor taught him to play this instrument, but for some reason, the ancestor never sent this item into the space.

Early in the morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Bian Rui got out of bed, dressed quietly, and gently pushed open the door to his room. He walked into the small corridor on the second floor, stretched lazily, and saw that his grandparents and both parents were already up.

Apart from these pieces of furniture, the remaining items are not worth much. Things like paperweights, brushes, and inkstones are all modern items, of decent quality, but they do not fetch a high price, at most they are worth around three to five thousand.

Bian Rui took the key and walked towards the door, while the two dogs that had been lying in the courtyard wagged their tails and followed him

Unfortunately, after a thorough search, Bian Rui gave up. Everything in the study and the room was clear at a glance; apart from an intricately carved large bed, there was not a single item of value.

Then I will eat with them. I will go around first and take a look at the master's house, pondering how to practice the method said Bian Rui after a moment of thought

Thank you, Aunt San. What kind of pig are you slaughtering at this time?" Bian Rui curiously asked one more question

Sitting in the house and pondering, Bian Rui found it somewhat difficult to understand whether the ancestor was truly serene and elegant, or if he was simply afraid of prying eyes. With such resources at his disposal, it was surprising that he did not install a few golden silk nanmu pillars in his own house, or at least acquire a huanghuali desk or a zitan antique shelf.

"Da Hei, why are you following me? Honestly, come with me to herd the sheep!"

After walking about 10 meters, I arrived at the small stone bridge beside the village. The small stone bridge is quite old; it is said to have been built during the Ming Dynasty. The single-arch stone bridge is entirely constructed of bluestone, and despite enduring several hundred years of wind and rain, it still stands firm. The bridge body shows little sign of damage, and it seems that it could easily last another one or two hundred years.

Seeing Aunt San wave her hand, she said, "You go ahead and be busy." Only then did Bian Rui nod to Aunt San, take two steps back, turn around, and continue walking forward

Then you are busy, I will go up the slope to take a look, said Bian Rui

Upon reaching the entrance, I lifted my gaze and saw the surrounding dark green mountains. Between the mountains lay rows of farmland. Although it was still early in the morning, there were already figures in the nearby fields and vegetable gardens.

The big yellow dog was very excited, not sure whether it was because it had not seen its owner for a long time or for some other reason, joyfully running back and forth around Bian Rui, its paws making a damp pattering sound on the stone slabs.

The material of the main beam has also been examined by Rui. Initially, I thought it was some precious material, but upon inspection, I found it to be just ordinary nanmu wood. Although nanmu is not as valuable as golden silk nanmu and the like, it is still nanmu. Selling it could yield some money, but finding such a large and well-preserved piece again would likely be difficult. Therefore, the idea of relying on these twenty large columns is not feasible.

Grandfather, Grandmother...

In addition to the large bed, the study features some antique shelves and a desk, which are quite nice; however, they are not suitable for sale. What would one do with a Bianrui after purchasing it? Would it be appropriate to place a boss's desk in such an antiquated and elegant residence? That would be quite inappropriate

"He has returned and is currently sleeping in late," said Bian Rui

Bian Rui smiled and said, "It's nothing, I slept very comfortably; it's just that I've developed a habit of going to bed early and waking up early! Are you cooking with milk?"

Last night after dinner, my brother-in-law's family did not leave and stayed at our home. The little girl did not sleep with Bian Rui, but insisted on sleeping with her grandmother, so Bian Rui had a big bed all to himself last night

After taking a round, Bian Rui discovered that his mother indeed often came to clean the house. However, it was limited to cleaning, and many places still bore the marks of the house having been uninhabited for a long time

Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Bian Rui arrived at the old ancestor's room and study, preparing to see if there were any valuable items left behind. He did not dare to think of works by the Sage of Books or the Sage of Painting; even a piece from the Ming Dynasty would suffice, such as a Xuande furnace. Whether for use or for selling, it would be quite good.

The ancestor of emotions has hidden all the good things in the space

Your third uncle said he wanted to visit the old aunt's house, and here we are, bringing a slaughtered pig and its hind legs over

The son has returned, and the granddaughter has also come back, which makes the elderly lady feel very content

Walking along the stone path at the entrance with the big yellow dog, the sound of crisp pattering echoed as my feet struck the stones. The morning stone path still bore the dew from the previous night, giving it a slightly damp feel. The moss and small grass growing between the stone cracks were also glistening with morning dew, presenting a vibrant rural landscape all around.

"Why don't you sleep a little longer? Is it because you are not used to sleeping in a different bed?" Bian Rui's mother asked with concern as she saw her son come downstairs

Stepping out with the big yellow dog, Rui took a deep breath of air and immediately felt a rush of cool air infused with the scent of earth filling his lungs. After taking another breath, he felt completely refreshed.

"Dai Rui, are you back?"

In the vegetable garden, a middle-aged woman saw Bian Rui, straightened up, and greeted him.