Chapter 30: A Busy Construction Season in Mashan Village

After some discussion, Chu Chen finally purchased the entire mountain for one hundred taels of silver.

For Wang Defa, this piece of land, which yielded nothing and was completely barren, was a burden. Being able to turn it into a source of profit for the village was exactly what he had hoped for. Thus, after pocketing the ten-tael "consultation fee" and the one hundred taels for the mountain, Wang Defa cast aside all thoughts of spending quality time with his new bride. He hurried toward town, calling back over his shoulder, "Don't worry, Chu lad, I’ll have all the paperwork sorted out for you today."

Chu Chen returned home with a smile on his face and immediately headed toward the mountain on the west side of the village. Upon reaching the hillside, he took an entrenching tool from his bag and drove it into the earth, stroke by stroke. Less than a meter down, he struck a yellowish-white crystalline substance. He let out a shout of excitement. He had originally expected to travel all the way to the coast to transport seawater, but to his surprise, he had solved the problem right on his own doorstep.

He rushed home to find his second uncle, Chu Dazhuang. "Second Uncle, I want to build a workshop at the foot of the mountain to the west. Could you help me find a few craftsmen in the village?"

Chu Dazhuang looked at him suspiciously. Was this lad trying to find another way to squander his wealth? "You have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life without a care in the world—why on earth are you building a workshop?"

Chu Chen laughed heartily. "Just listen to me. Once this is done, our Chu family will be far more than just a small, simple household."

Chu Dazhuang walked over and placed a hand on Chu Chen’s forehead, wondering if the lad had been rattled by the government officials. "My dear nephew, did those officers hit you? We didn't see you when we went to town, and later Qinglian said you were back—are you feeling alright?"

*As if,* Chu Chen thought. *The officers are already in the ground; they aren't hitting anyone.* He looked at his uncle seriously and said, "Don't worry, Second Uncle, I'm perfectly fine. Building this workshop is to fulfill a promise I made to a noble benefactor. I have to see it through properly."

Seeing that Chu Chen mentioned a noble benefactor, Chu Dazhuang stopped questioning him. He promised to take care of it and prepared to leave. To save time, Chu Chen spent half an hour drawing a rough sketch of the workshop and gathered one hundred taels of silver. He found Chu Dazhuang again, handed over the map and the money, and said, "Second Uncle, this is the plan and the funds. I’ll leave the responsibility to you; I only want the finished product."

"You child, can you stop throwing money away? Does building a workshop really cost this much?" Chu Dazhuang tried to return some of the silver.

Chu Chen quickly insisted, "Second Uncle, I trust you. Build it sturdy. If it’s not enough, I have more, and if there’s any left over, keep it for yourself."

***

Chu Dazhuang no longer insisted and left with the silver. By the time this was settled, it was already evening. Chu Chen headed home. With his housing and the workshop taken care of, he decided he would spend some time just taking it easy. What was life for, if not for enjoyment?

At home, Li Qinglian was cooking dinner. The meal was simple; after two days of rich, oily hotpot, he had asked her to prepare something light for the evening.

"Qinglian, are you literate?" Chu Chen asked suddenly.

Li Qinglian looked at him, utterly bewildered. Did her husband not know whether she was literate or not? In truth, although Chu Chen had inherited most of the original owner's memories, he remained quite a stranger to Li Qinglian. The reason was simple: the original "jerk" had never thought much of this farm girl. He had treated her like a servant, never bothering to engage with her on a deeper level.

Seeing her confusion, Chu Chen said awkwardly, "I think that beating at the gambling den left me with a lot of memory gaps. Forgive me, my wife."

Li Qinglian gently reached out to touch his forehead. "It has been so hard on you, my husband. I am just a farm girl; how could I possibly be literate?"

Being illiterate was a problem. Among the books he had found, there was a *Collection of One Hundred Home-Cooked Recipes* that he had intended for her to study. If she couldn't read, he couldn't expect her to learn them one by one—that wasn't practical.

"It’s alright," he said. "Starting tonight, I will teach you how to read."

"I see how you've been running around all day, you must be exhausted," Li Qinglian replied, trying to decline. "Besides, for a woman like me, literacy is of no use."

Chu Chen sighed, pulled out the cookbook, and said, "This is a secret culinary manual I stumbled upon. If you learn to read, I’ll have an endless supply of delicious meals to enjoy. You must learn so you can understand it."

Li Qinglian took the book with delight, flipping through it as if it were a treasure. It was filled with colorful illustrations the likes of which she had never seen in this world, and the dishes depicted looked so appetizing they made her mouth water. She immediately promised to study hard, if only to take better care of Chu Chen’s appetite. That night, the two of them delved into their "deep, academic exchange."

The next morning, Chang Wei and Laifu arrived with a large crew of workers and set up tents on the open ground. A line of ox-carts loaded with building materials began to arrive in Mashan Village.

They didn't disturb Chu Chen and his wife, who were still sound asleep after their late-night studies. When Chu Chen finally pushed open the door and saw the bustling scene, he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. Having an EPC turnkey contract was wonderful—he didn't have to manage a thing.

The neighbors gathered around to watch. "My, Chu lad, looking at this setup, you’ve really struck it rich, haven't you?"

"Indeed! Just look at those stones and that high-quality timber. They don't even build like that in the city!" the village women remarked.

Chu Chen smiled without a word, while Li Qinglian boiled tea in the kitchen to host the onlookers.

"Mr. Chang, thank you for your hard work. How are you handling the food situation?" Chu Chen asked, approaching Chang Wei with concern.

"Don't worry, Young Master Chu, leave everything to me. It’s just that the silver..."

Only then did Chu Chen remember he had only provided a one-hundred-tael deposit. He hurried back inside, retrieved five hundred taels in banknotes, and handed them to Chang Wei. "Forgive my memory; I completely forgot. Just let me know if you need anything else."

He then called over Chu Dazhuang and Huzi. "This is my second uncle and my cousin. If I’m not around, Mr. Chang, you can coordinate with them."

Chang Wei nodded and rallied the workers. Some began laying the foundation, while others leveled the ground. It was a lively scene.

Feeling confident in Chang Wei, Chu Chen returned home to have breakfast with Li Qinglian. After all, the man was the leading builder in Qingyun City and had his own team; professional matters should be handled by professionals. If he interfered too much, he would only cause trouble.

Watching Li Qinglian, Chu Chen thought of something else. "Qinglian, hasn't it been a long time since we visited your parents' home?" he asked tentatively. In truth, the original owner didn't even know where her family lived, let alone anything about them.