Indeed, repairing the kitchen was not as simple as she imagined.
A nan bamboo was deeply buried in each of the four corners.
"This pillar makes it sturdy."
A bamboo is split into four pieces, then each piece is strung together, adding another piece of nan bamboo at intervals.
"Look, even if you shake it, it won't move."
After a day's work, the bamboo walls were erected, transforming the kitchen, which had been burned away by fire, into bamboo walls which looked just right when enclosed.
"Tomorrow morning we'll complete the roof, and we'll also need to chop bamboo to serve as beams and rafters, and then cover it with thatch. Not to boast, but it will last three to five years without leaking."
"What is Brother Niu doing?"
Chun An saw Brother Niu cutting the straw into half-inch segments and mixing them in wet mud.
"Plastering the wall, so that it won't let in the wind during winter, and also to act as a barrier to prevent the bamboo from rotting from being battered by wind and rain."
Da Niu cupped the mud in his hands and slowly smoothed it over the bamboo walls. After he was done, a "earthen wall" appeared before their eyes.
"Wonderful."
Chun Nuan was very grateful; he was indeed an experienced person.
"Uncle Niu, how much is the wage?"
Zhao Minghua handed over a tael of silver in advance. Yesterday, they bought some auxiliary materials for processed medicinal herbs, costing one hundred and sixty wen. Money is easy to spend but hard to earn.
"My son and I worked for two full days, making four workdays in total. So you can give us eighty wen."
Uncle Niu remembered his son's advice. Originally, they weren't supposed to take the money, but Miss Xiao was stubborn. If she didn't pay, she would feel she owed a favor, so they charged less on purpose.
"Alright, thank you, Uncle Niu."
It was less than they had anticipated. They had accomplished a lot with little money, making Chun Nuan very happy.
There was another person to thank, and that was Old Master Zhang.
"Chun Ning, we don't have much to offer Old Master Zhang, so let's fry some flower cakes and send them to him."
"Sure."
They had cut thirty-eight pieces of bamboo from the Zhang family's estate, alongside eight pieces of nan bamboo.
In terms of value, that would be at least fifty wen.
Fifty wen might be a drop in the bucket for Old Master Zhang, but for the Xiao family at this time, it was a substantial sum.
Chun Ning took Chun Nuan along to see Old Master Zhang, hoping to lease an acre of land from the Zhang family.
"Cough, cough..."
Old Master Zhang coughed for quite a while, then apologized in a somewhat resentful tone: "I'm sorry, my health has been poor again lately. I'm sorry for the rudeness, please forgive me."
"Old Master Zhang, your words are too heavy. It's us who are intruding on you."
A lean, elderly man, very amiable.
Chun Ning presented the flower cakes, explaining that they were homemade, a token of their appreciation.
"Thank you, they smell pretty good." Old Master Zhang smiled and instructed Uncle Ma standing by: "Remember to set them on the table at lunch, I want to have some."
"Yes, Master." Uncle Ma went over to take a look and paused: "Miss Xiao, have you been selling these flower cakes at the wharf?"
"Yes, my elder sister fries them personally." Chun Ning quickly stated, indicating they were not purchased but handmade, emphasizing their personal touch over commercial value.
"Miss Xiao is quite the chef." Uncle Ma turned to Old Master Zhang and said, "Master, what you probably don't know is that lately, the Second Miss has been fond of these flower cakes, asking Xiaohe to buy them every day."
"Oh?" Old Master Zhang chuckled, "Xiao Xue does have a sweet tooth. Let's send a portion of these cakes over for her to eat."
After saying this, he coughed several times, out of breath.
"Old Master Zhang, your health..."
"Ah, I'm old and useless." After saying that, Old Master Zhang laughed at himself, "Even when I was young, I've never been in good shape, always feeling short of breath, always coughing severely."
Afterwards, his cough and sneezes intensified, even bringing tears to his eyes.
He felt embarrassed and apologetic, quickly retreating to a side room to manage himself.
When he came out, there was no improvement.
"Old Master Zhang, do you feel worse around this time and in autumn?"
"Yes, oh, how do you know that?"
Could it be that his servants had spread the word?
"Old Master Zhang, are you always taking medicine?"
"Medicine, I've been taking it since childhood, haven't stopped. I take medicine from both of the town's pharmacies and have seen doctors in the county as well. I feel slightly better when on medicine, but it's not significantly effective."
"Old Master Zhang, do you feel worse when you smell pollen?"
"Pollen?" Old Master Zhang was taken aback for a moment, "I haven't noticed."
"Old Master Zhang, I noticed your courtyard has some flowers. Why don't you take a walk around there?"
Without even making a lap,
He took just a few steps and started sneezing and coughing continuously, tears streaming, feeling utterly miserable.
"Old Master Zhang, I have a pill here that might provide some relief." Chun Nuan took a small porcelain bottle from her pouch, pouring a single pill for Old Master Zhang.
"Master?" Uncle Ma quickly signaled with his eyes: You cannot recklessly eat unverified medication!
"Old Master Zhang." Chun Nuan understood Uncle Ma's intention, recognizing him as a loyal servant: "My grandfather once served in the Imperial Hospital, but due to unfortunate circumstances, he didn't meet a good end. However, you might have heard of his medical skills. Chun Nuan, not measuring up, was under his tuition from an early age, grasping some basic pharmacology."
Not claiming proficiency, just a general understanding suffices.
"If I'm not mistaken, Old Master Zhang, this isn't a common asthma, but allergic rhinitis. Upon exposure to allergens, you would experience symptoms like itchy eyes, tearing, redness and burning, along with itching in the throat, chest tightness, cough, and asthma attacks."
"Miss Xiao, what allergen are you mentioning?" Old Master Zhang was astonished, "I've experienced all those symptoms, varying in intensity, but no doctor has been able to cure it. Moreover, upon your mention, I realize spring and autumn make my days more unbearable."
"Old Master Zhang is likely allergic to pollen, willow catkins, dust mites, or animal dander."
"Cough, cough, cough..." Old Master Zhang once again descended into a coughing fit, before suddenly noticing the pill Chun Nuan had given him. He hastily swallowed it with a tip of his neck.
"Master." Uncle Ma panicked; consuming unknown medicine wasn't advisable!
"Water."
Old Master Zhang felt the pill was too large, getting caught in his throat, and gulped some water to wash it down.
"Miss Xiao, from what you're saying, can my illness be cured?"
"May I take Old Master Zhang's pulse?"
"Please, young lady."
Old Master Zhang responded quite cooperatively; he had been plagued with this illness not just a day or two, but for decades. He had taken countless medicines, with no doctor ever identifying the cause.
This young lady discerned the issue with a glance, seeming almost like a miraculous healer.
Perhaps, his ailment could finally see a cure.
Chun Nuan checked Old Master Zhang's pulse, and then switched to his other hand for the pulse.
After Old Master Zhang coughed again, Chun Nuan asked him to stick out his tongue for inspection.
"May I boldly examine your eyes, Old Master Zhang?"
"By all means."
She looked under his eyelids and asked several routine questions.
"Young lady..."
Seeing Chun Nuan in deep thought, Old Master Zhang grew inexplicably nervous. Could this illness be treated?
"Chun Nuan shall prescribe a remedy for Old Master Zhang; let's try this first."
"Thank you, young lady." Excited, Old Master Zhang said, "You might as well prescribe a few more doses, I can tolerate bitterness."
He could afford medication, his only fear was that they couldn't cure his illness.
"One dose will initially explore the issue. If effective, additional doses can follow."
"Furthermore, curing Old Master Zhang's ailment requires addressing some issues."
"What issues?"
The mere thought of being cured was a dream come true, wasn't it? How could he not be thrilled?
Whether a few issues or a plethora, he could overcome them.