Transmigrated Family C30

Chapter 30: A Salted Fish Has No Ambitions

Qi Wu had only apprenticed under Carpenter Liao for a few years, but despite specializing in making coffins, there was a lot to be said about his craft.

He was the kind of person who learned slowly but was diligent. While he hadn’t memorized all the master’s teachings, he had definitely mastered how to shape and smooth wood to perfection.

Some households insisted on using no nails, so he had also honed his mortise-and-tenon joinery skills.

The Qi brothers were tall and strong. Whenever Qi Wu had free time, he would go deep into the mountains to cut down trees and drag them back himself to practice. All the tables, benches, and beds in his house were handmade by him, exuding a simple, rustic charm.

Yan Lao’er was very satisfied—he just wanted a sturdy and durable cart shed, none of those fancy embellishments.

Qi Wu was a little nervous.

He didn’t know how to carve patterns or polish and varnish wood. Everything he made looked plain and unrefined—just like him.

His family didn’t have many interactions with the villagers, and Yan Lao’er was the first person to ask him to make something.

“Yan Er-ge, my master makes coffins… You’re not superstitious about that, are you?”

“Rising in rank and fortune—what a great omen! Come on, Qi Wu, look at the blueprint I drew. See if you can build this.” Yan Lao’er didn’t waste words and directly presented the design.

This was a collaborative masterpiece between him and his daughter!

Qi Si and Qi Wu immediately felt a sense of respect.

Yan Lao’er could draw blueprints for wooden structures?

Qi Wu, honest as ever, admitted, “Yan Er-ge, I can’t read, and I don’t know how to interpret this. Can you tell me what kind of cart shed you want?”

He had glimpsed his master’s blueprints before, filled with dense writing and tiny drawings. He could barely make out the designs, let alone understand them.

Yan Lao’er was adamant. “Qi Wu, listen up. I want a shed that can hold heavy objects on top. Ideally, it should be just like the original cart frame—strong enough for a few people to lie on. It should also have railings about four feet high around it.

“Simple, right? Just a few pieces of wood.”

Qi Si leaned in and remarked, “Yan Er-ge, isn’t this just a tall bed on wheels?”

Yan Lao’er took a closer look—hey, it really did resemble that!

“Exactly! Just extend the bed’s legs so people can move around underneath. Add railings, and I can store straw, grain, iron pots, luggage, whatever. Easy, right?”

Qi Wu nodded. “It can be done, but Yan Er-ge, with all that weight, the ox might not be able to pull it.”

“Use lighter materials! Small wooden slats for the railings, and the bed boards can be joined from planks instead of a single solid slab.”

Ah, cutting corners.

Qi Wu understood and considered Yan Lao’er’s suggestions. Indeed, that would make it much lighter.

“Also, since this is a two-wheeled ox cart, I’m worried it might not be stable with heavy loads. So, let’s add two more wheels and turn it into a four-wheeled cart.

“Qi Wu, look at this blueprint again—I’ll attach a small trailer to the back and connect it with wooden planks. Problem solved!”

Qi Si and Qi Wu: …

Qi Wu hesitated. “Yan Er-ge, building it from scratch might take too long. I have a larger cart at home—we can see if it can be attached.”

Anyone else would dismiss Yan Lao’er’s ideas as nonsense.

But he had chosen Qi Wu—an honest man taking on his first custom order.

Not only Qi Wu and Qi Si, but even Qi Da came to help.

Yan Lao’er, having nothing pressing to do, stayed behind to lend a hand as well.

—

The previous night, Li Xuemei and her husband had stuffed all their belongings into cloth bags.

Most were seasonings—salt, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and chicken bouillon mixed together for convenience, while chili powder and cumin were combined in another pouch.

The latter was at Yan Lao’er’s insistence—his daughter loved grilled meat, and with these two ingredients, any meat would taste delicious.

One must have dreams. Who knows? Maybe one day they’d achieve meat-eating freedom.

Lao Yan never questioned the source of their rice, flour, or vegetables, as long as they were obtained through proper means. The only troublesome thing was the toilet paper—it was far too white and conspicuous.

Not a single sheet could be left out in the open. It was so glaringly bright that they now had to dig holes and bury their waste after doing their business.

Yan Lao’er had smuggled in a good amount of straw, and now Li Xuemei was finishing the last touches—stuffing the straw into their bags as filler.

They had no choice—their loads looked too empty, and in the future, if they needed to take something out, they’d need some cover.

When Yan Yu bounced home, she was met with piles of large and small bags in the house.

At first glance, it seemed like they owned quite a lot.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Li Xuemei asked her daughter.

“It was amazing! Mom, sleeping on a bed is the best!” Yan Yu replied solemnly.

Li Xuemei chuckled. “You sure got to slack off. Look at your father and me—we just finished packing.”

Yan Yu casually asked, “Where’s Dad? Off somewhere again?”

“He went to the Qi family to build that cart shed you two designed.”

“Haha! Mom, Dad didn’t have breakfast, right? I’ll bring it to him later.”

“He’ll survive missing a meal. If you really want to go, go empty-handed.

“The Qi brothers are honest folk—if you bring food, they’ll insist on preparing a whole spread for your father. In this village, when hosting guests, people always serve the best they have.”

Li Xuemei took the opportunity to teach her daughter.

“Got it! I’ll wait a bit before going.” Then, something occurred to her. “Mom, about the words you couldn’t recognize on that bamboo slip—I’ll copy them down and ask Uncle.”

Li Xuemei thought for a moment. “Xiao Yu, what if we just give the bamboo slip to your uncle directly?

“I was thinking of saying that your father found it by chance. It wouldn’t be suspicious—after all, Yan Lao’er still carries the reputation of a scholar.”

Yan Yu shook her head vigorously. “Mom, this is only Bamboo Slip Three. Later, we’ll have Bamboo Slips One and Two, plus Handwritten Copies One, Two, and Three… Wouldn’t it be better to show them all at once?

“For now, I’ll just ask about a few characters. Uncle won’t suspect anything—he’ll just assume they’re obscure words from some book. Meanwhile, I’ll also let him realize that I can read.

“Mom, I don’t want to stay illiterate forever.”

Li Xuemei pulled her daughter close, redoing her hair while speaking softly. “Xiao Yu, you do understand that in ancient times, even if a woman was well-read, she had no opportunities to use her knowledge…”

She worried her daughter might feel frustrated.

“Mom!” Yan Yu spun around dramatically, eyes wide with mock horror. “You don’t actually think I have some grand ambition, do you? No way, absolutely not!

“I just want to be literate—read books, write and doodle without raising suspicion. Like that cart shed design I made with Dad—just using my brain a little so it doesn’t rust.”

Li Xuemei sighed in relief.

Yan Yu then threw her arms around her mother, tilting her face up with a bright grin. “Let Dad take care of us! He can work hard and earn money while we stay home looking beautiful. Haha! Mom, doesn’t that sound perfect?”

Li Xuemei couldn’t hold back her laughter. “It sounds too perfect!”