There were nearly a hundred people in total. Each family took in two children who had lost their parents or elderly folks who had lost their children. Since a tree must branch as it grows, everyone longed for a home of their own, and the same applied to the fields; once the land was reclaimed, it would be divided equally among them. For now, the priority was to unite and cut down trees to build houses before the rainy season arrived.
This project would require at least three hundred taels of silver. The group discussed selling seven or eight wolf skins and two tiger skins to raise the funds needed for tiles, stone, glutinous rice, and other construction materials. However, since Si Jiuyue had hunted the tigers, they had to ask for her opinion. Si Jiuyue said they could go ahead and sell them; the proceeds would be used for the collective building effort. She had no other objections. Hearing this, Uncle Zhao Ba and the others breathed a sigh of relief—if they had truly been left to build the houses on their own, there was no telling how long it would have taken them to save up the silver.
Next was the task of mapping out the area. Once the land was reclaimed, everyone would have their preferred spots. Some wanted to be closer to the fields, while others wanted to be further from the foot of the mountain, but they all ensured their positions remained within sight of one another. Si Boyan decided his family would stay in their original spot. Once the others from Zhao Village h…
Chapter 245