Song Huaiyu felt a surge of annoyance. As the village head, was he really to be threatened by a mere village woman? Just as he was about to order someone to seize Du Chunzhi’s bamboo basket, Zhao Laoliu spoke up: "The brick wall was built by the brothers from my brick kiln, and the bricks, tiles, and labor costs haven't been paid for yet."
Du Chunzhi immediately grasped his intent. She planted her hands on her hips and put on a show of shrewishness. "Since you won't let me live here, I won't pay a single copper! Whoever lives here can pay it themselves!"
Zhao Laoliu then began calculating the costs for the crowd: "The bricks and tiles total twenty-five taels, the carved peony bricks cost ten taels, and the labor is another ten taels, making it forty-five taels in total. Who is planning to take over this house? Will you settle the bill on the spot, or pay it off over time? I need to know so I can report it to my brothers at the kiln."
Chapter 16