Chapter 219: The Origin of the New Year’s Atmosphere, How Many Pieces of Furniture Can Be Made?

“It’s me.”

“Ah, Carpenter Liang.”

Upon hearing the voice, Lin Heng showed a look of realization.

Carpenter Liang displayed a kind and honest smile, saying, “I just finished the work over at Shimen Village today. I thought I’d rest here tonight and start working at your place tomorrow.”

“Come in, I’m just cooking. We can have a drink later,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Carpenter Liang grinned broadly, “That sounds great. I’ve been missing the food at your place for a long time.”

Following Lin Heng into the courtyard, Carpenter Liang immediately noticed the Sidecar Motorcycle parked there and stood frozen in place.

He took a deep breath and asked, “Lin Heng, did you buy this?”

“Haha, yes,” Lin Heng nodded with a slight smile.

“Impressive, very impressive. You’re young and promising,” Carpenter Liang remarked with admiration.

For a moment, he felt the disparity in the world was so vast. Just half a year ago, he looked down on this family, but now he feared he couldn’t even reach their level.

The red-tiled white walls, Bluestone floor tiles, the Motorcycle whose price he dared not ask, and the businesses Lin Heng owned were all beyond his imagination.

“It’s nothing, just a means of transportation. I bought it second-hand,” Lin Heng said, waving his hand as he invited him inside.

Hearing it was second-hand, Carpenter Liang felt slightly relieved and casually remarked, “Even so, it must have cost a thousand or two. I’ve never seen this kind of Motorcycle before.”

Lin Heng casually replied, “About that, it was three thousand.”

“Wow!”

Carpenter Liang gasped, shocked that even a second-hand one cost three thousand. It was truly astonishing.

He became a bit curious. Was Lin Heng’s Procurement Station really that profitable, or had he found some treasure in the mountains?

Inside, Carpenter Liang put down his tools and was quietly amazed at the current setup of Lin Heng’s home.

Simple calligraphy and paintings adorned the snow-white walls. The house was clean and tidy, with decorations made from bones and antlers, making it look nothing like a mud house. It appeared even more beautiful and warm than some brick houses.

A pot of charcoal was placed in front of the table, and a large red-furred cat lay on a chair, paws tucked in. Xiao Xia occasionally flipped its ears, and after a while, the red cat would shake its head, flipping its ears back. Xiao Xia would then giggle foolishly.

“Warm yourself by the fire,” Lin Heng said with a smile, pouring a cup of tea for Carpenter Liang from the kettle.

“Thank you.”

Carpenter Liang seemed a bit reserved, but fortunately, Lin Heng didn’t have an overbearing demeanor, which put him at ease.

After exchanging a few words with Carpenter Liang, Lin Heng went to the kitchen to ask Xiulan to add a couple more dishes.

“Your cat and dog are quite unusual,” Carpenter Liang remarked curiously after warming up.

“The cat is a wild one I found in the mountains. The dog is just a bit larger,” Lin Heng explained with a smile.

“Woof!”

Xiong Ba seemed to know it was being talked about, lifted its head to bark, then lay back down.

“I see. I noticed two puppies outside. Did you buy them?” Carpenter Liang asked.

“Yes, I bought them recently in the city,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

“I thought they looked special,” Carpenter Liang said, impressed. The puppies were bought, indicating wealth indeed.

He then talked about the wooden horse Lin Heng made, saying that although it was ugly, Lin Heng had talent and suggested making a wooden cart for Xiao Xia.

Soon, Xiulan finished cooking, and Lin Heng helped bring the dishes over.

There were six dishes and a soup, including three meat dishes. The soup was a creamy white carp and vegetable mushroom soup. Carpenter Liang’s appetite was piqued, thinking how nice it was to work for the Lin family.

“Come, let’s have a drink first!”

Lin Heng raised his glass with a smile, and they drank a few rounds with Carpenter Liang.

After the meal, Carpenter Liang was satisfied and full. Lin Heng took him to the old house to settle in, planning to make an extra bed so guests could stay over.

Back in the house, Lin Heng saw Xiulan preparing a wooden bath barrel with hot water and couldn’t help but smile, “What, planning to take a bath with me?”

Xiulan gave him a sidelong glance, “You’re thinking too much. I just want a soak.”

Before Lin Heng could respond, Xiulan poked him, “You should go tell Xiao Xia a story and put her to sleep.”

Xiao Xia was on her little bed, fiddling with an educational toy, the Luban Lock. Lin Heng played with her for a while, then pointed to a fairy tale book to teach her to read, not rushing her to sleep.

Xiao Xia seemed quite interested, attentive to both words and pictures. Caiyun occasionally taught her to draw.

Lin Heng played with Xiao Xia for half an hour until she got sleepy, then started telling her a story to lull her to sleep.

Meanwhile, Xiulan had adjusted the water temperature, pinned her hair up with a hairpin, and stepped into the bath barrel. The misty steam and her snow-white skin created a hazy allure.

As she turned to lean against the edge of the wooden barrel, she was even more captivating, the pressure of the barrel’s edge accentuating her curves.

“Honey, I’m here.”

Lin Heng coaxed Xiao Xia to sleep, quickly shed his clothes, and dashed over. He had a feeling that Xiulan had been deliberately teasing him earlier.

“Make sure you take a proper bath, don’t get any funny ideas,” Xiulan said with a playful wink.

“How about I give my wife a shoulder massage?” Lin Heng chuckled as he snuggled up next to Xiulan.

Her skin was so smooth and tender that he couldn’t help but let his hands wander. With a straight face, he said, “I’m just checking to see if you’re healthy.”

“Get off,” Xiulan replied, blushing but not really annoyed.

In truth, she was quite pleased, especially with how Lin Heng had behaved during the day. Gradually, the two of them became one, with Xiulan gripping the edge of the wooden tub, trying to stifle her sounds so as not to wake the child.

After their bath, they moved to the bed for more intimate conversation, exploring each other’s bodies and trying some new moves.

The next morning, Lin Heng woke up earlier than Xiulan. He couldn’t resist pulling her into his arms to wake her gently.

“You rascal,” Xiulan murmured, biting her lip as she opened her eyes.

“Quick, wrap your arms around my neck. Let’s whisper some secrets,” Lin Heng said, enjoying the feel of her soft skin.

“What kind of secrets?” Xiulan asked innocently, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Mmm…” She hadn’t expected Lin Heng’s secret to be the legendary “tongue language,” which left her head spinning and her mind soaring.

“Is this your idea of a secret?” Xiulan asked breathlessly, glaring at him.

Lin Heng laughed heartily. “Did you like it?”

Xiulan blinked before biting his chest, causing Lin Heng to hiss from the mix of pain and strange sensation.

“I whispered a secret too. Did you like it?” Xiulan said with a satisfied hum, admiring the teeth marks she left.

Lin Heng wasn’t sure if it was a punishment or a reward, but he was grateful she didn’t have sharp canine teeth, or it would have hurt more.

After a couple of glances, Xiulan rested her head against him again.

Lin Heng checked the time and decided to lie back down. Experiencing these moments with Xiulan, who was unacquainted with the vast world of adult relationships, was truly delightful.

This made Lin Heng grateful to be born in this era, where a pure-hearted romantic could thrive. In a future filled with fleeting romances and overused metaphors, someone like him would struggle.

When daylight fully broke, Lin Heng watched his wife put on new undergarments and got up as well. After his morning exercise, he glanced at Xiulan and said, “Hold still.”

“What’s up?” Xiulan asked, curious but trusting enough not to move.

Lin Heng reached out to tidy her disheveled hair. Xiulan blinked, pursed her lips slightly, and adjusted his collar in return.

“I’m off to find Carpenter Liang to start work,” Lin Heng said to Xiulan.

“Go ahead,” Xiulan replied with a smile, turning to dress Xiao Xia.

Lin Heng headed to the old house, where Carpenter Liang was already having breakfast. His parents were early risers.

Father Lin looked at him and said, “Son, have a bite to eat. We’ll head over together afterward.”

“Alright,” Lin Heng agreed, not refusing, and ate a bowl of pickled vegetable noodles.

After breakfast, the three of them went over. Father Lin carried a chainsaw, prompting Carpenter Liang to ask curiously, “Is that a diesel chainsaw? How much did it cost?”

“A little over a hundred. Lin Heng gave it to me. It’s great for cutting boards,” Father Lin replied with a smile.

Carpenter Liang was skeptical. “Can it really cut boards?”

“It’s excellent,” Father Lin assured him, explaining how they’d cut many boards and even built a small wooden house, making Carpenter Liang quite envious.

Upon entering the courtyard, Lin Heng told Xiulan, “I’ve had breakfast, so just make something for you and Xiao Xia.”

“Okay,” Xiulan nodded, planning to turn the leftover fish soup and rice from yesterday into porridge, adding some vegetables for their meal.

They moved some things in the main room and headed upstairs.

“Dad, let’s build a permanent staircase to the second floor later,” Lin Heng suggested with a smile.

The walls on the second floor were plastered, and the floor was made of three-centimeter-thick wooden boards. Although the ceiling wasn’t finished, it was still comfortable to live upstairs.

However, since there weren’t many people at home, the second floor wasn’t fully furnished and was used for storage.

“Sure, it won’t be difficult,” Father Lin agreed.

They discussed a few things and moved all the bog wood into the courtyard. Once Carpenter Liang marked the lines, Lin Heng and his father secured the wood and started cutting with the electric saw.

The four-meter-long bog wood was cut in under five minutes, revealing a pale yellow interior that looked finer than ordinary wood.

“This is premium camphor bog wood, and it even has a fragrance,” Carpenter Liang said enviously. Such a treasure was something Lin Heng had stumbled upon.

“This would make valuable furniture,” Father Lin noted, recognizing the exceptional quality of the wood.

“How long will it take to make?” Lin Heng was concerned about the time, as the New Year was approaching, and a lengthy process wouldn’t do.

Carpenter Liang shook his head. “With your diesel chainsaw, making furniture will be much faster. It won’t even take a week.”

Witnessing the power of the Diesel Chainsaw, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. Unfortunately, it was too expensive; otherwise, he would have loved to buy one himself.

There were only three pieces of camphor wood, and they were quickly cut through. Then, they moved on to sawing the red cedar Bog Wood.

The sawdust from this wood was a dark red, making one wonder about its inner quality.

“Wow, this red cedar wood is really beautiful.”

When the wood was finally cut open, everyone was taken aback. While it wasn’t exactly blood-red, it was a deep red with unique patterns, making it incredibly attractive.

Carpenter Liang remarked, “With a bit of polishing, this could be turned into a tabletop. The quality of this Bog Wood you picked is really impressive.”

There were seven or eight pieces of red cedar Bog Wood, each about three to four meters long, with diameters around thirty centimeters.

The first three pieces turned out great, but the fourth piece had a surprise; the core of the red cedar was rotten.

“What a pity, it’s so red. The core shouldn’t have rotted,” Father Lin said regretfully.

Lin Heng, however, was unfazed and laughed, “No worries, it can be used for paperweights or something. We can cut it into smaller pieces for little crafts.”

He planned to select the reddest parts to make beads and create a few bracelets for himself.

After spending over two hours, the three of them had turned all the Bog Wood into boards. Only two had internal issues; the rest were usable.

Looking at the wooden boards in the yard, Lin Heng asked, “Carpenter Liang, how much furniture do you think we can make from this wood?”

Carpenter Liang glanced at the boards on the ground and said, “You could make a large table two meters long and one meter wide, a small square table, a small tea tray, and ten chairs with backrests. There might even be enough left for a bookshelf.”

Lin Heng nodded with a smile, “That sounds good. I want everything to be in a classical style, more refined. Even if we can’t finish everything, it’s fine. Next year, I’ll need you to help with some things at Red Maple Mountain. We have plenty of time.”

“Don’t worry, I guarantee you’ll like what I make,” Carpenter Liang assured, patting his chest.

His confidence came from his heritage; his family had been carpenters for generations, crafting for landlords and officials, mastering various styles.

Lin Heng nodded with a smile, confident in Carpenter Liang’s skills.

He asked his father to help out, while Lin Heng went inside to prepare tea for the two of them.

“Honey, your malt syrup is almost ready. Do you want to come and see?” Xiulan called out to him. After breakfast, she had started making malt syrup for Lin Heng, and now only three or four jin of water remained.

“Sure.”

Lin Heng nodded, first going inside to gather the puffed rice he bought from the street, raisins from the city, roasted and peeled peanuts, and diced Hongzao from their own supply, along with a large tray and two glass jars.

Once everything was ready, he went to check on the malt syrup. By this time, the syrup had turned a reddish-brown with dense bubbles, and stirring it with chopsticks revealed its viscosity.

Xiulan turned down the heat, and Lin Heng stirred vigorously. After ten minutes, the large bubbles turned into small, dense ones, indicating the syrup was almost ready.

From twenty jin of glutinous rice, they made about four jin of malt syrup. Lin Heng first scooped some into the glass jars, each holding a jin, filling them with two jin of liquid malt syrup.

Once the jars were filled, Lin Heng quickly poured the remaining syrup into the oiled tray, adding the puffed rice, peanuts, raisins, and diced Hongzao, stirring quickly to mix everything evenly.

After spreading it flat, it became a homemade version of the sticky rice cake, one of his favorite childhood treats during the New Year, which his mother made every year.

Now that he had his own family, Lin Heng wanted to make it for Xiao Xia. The festive atmosphere was created by these small, homemade touches.

Xiao Xia had been watching from the side, but her attention was soon drawn to Xiulan. Xiulan was using chopsticks to stir the remaining malt syrup in the pot, pulling and twisting it into white taffy.

“I want to make some too!”

Xiao Xia took the chopsticks, mimicking Xiulan’s movements, and after a few tries, popped it into her mouth. The sweet malt syrup made her beautiful eyes curve into crescent moons.

(End of Chapter)

— Translator’s Notes —

– Procurement Station: A state-run facility in China during the planned economy era where farmers and producers sold agricultural products, raw materials, and handicrafts to the government at fixed prices.

– Luban Lock: A traditional Chinese interlocking wooden puzzle toy, named after Lu Ban, the ancient carpenter and inventor credited with creating many woodworking tools and devices.

– bog wood: Ancient wood that has been preserved underwater or in peat bogs for centuries, often valued in Chinese culture for its durability, unique patterns, and rarity when used in furniture making.