The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 72 Continues (and more)

Shang Wan brushed the wind-blown strands of Lu Chengjing's hair behind his ear, gently pinched his earlobe, and asked with a smile, "What do you want to eat later?"

Lu Chengjing snapped out of his reverie, a smile curving his lips. "Anything is fine, you can discuss it."

Shang Wan couldn't help but think that smile was fake. She smoothed out the corners of the man's deliberately raised lips, frowned at him, and asked, "Are you tired or something is wrong?"

Lu Chengjing shook his head and answered Shang Wanwan's question, "I want to eat plain noodles."

Shang Wan glanced at him a few more times, then turned to ask Xiao Huan and Shi Tou what they wanted to eat. Both of them said they wanted noodles, so Shang Wan followed suit and found a noodle shop with many customers, ordering four bowls of noodles and three side dishes.

Yuanyuan drinks goat milk.

When Xiao Huan and Shi Tou were asking around, they saw a beverage shop selling goat milk. Xiao Huan immediately ran in and bought a big jug, and also bought a new milk jug for Yuan Yuan.

The little guy is currently chugging his new milk bottle, his eyes crinkling with satisfaction.

The noodle shop wasn't big, but it was quite busy. If a table of customers hadn't just left, Shang Wan and his group wouldn't have had a seat.

Many guests were staring at Lu Chengjing; these days, it's rare to see someone go out in a wheelchair, so it's understandable that they were curious.

Shang Wan could hear discussions like "crippled" and "broken leg." Given Lu Chengjing's current state, he would definitely be talked about when he went out. As long as it wasn't excessive and didn't reach the person in front of him, Shang Wan could pretend not to hear it.

The noodles arrived quickly, the portion was generous, the noodles were chewy, and the soup was fresh and delicious. The side dishes were also refreshing and went perfectly with the noodles; no wonder the restaurant is so popular.

Shang Wan took a satisfied sip of the noodle soup, listening to the conversation of the customers in the shop as she ate her noodles.

The guests had long since changed their topics of conversation. Some chatted about the gossip of the neighbors, others about the earthquake disaster, and some mentioned the theft at the Lu family's house, lamenting that the thief was quite skilled and had not yet been caught by the authorities.

Some people discussed the earthquake, saying that the current emperor's incompetence and foolishness angered Heaven. Since the emperor is protected by dragon energy, Heaven vented its anger on the poor people.

Shang Wan glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that the speaker was a man with a full beard, wheat-colored skin, deep-set eyes, and a high nose. If he shaved his beard, he would probably be quite good-looking.

Before the man could say two words, his tablemate stuffed a hard-boiled egg into his mouth, warning him not to talk nonsense or he might get himself killed.

Shang Wan glanced at the two men's burly figures, and seeing that they were only eating and not talking, she withdrew her attention from them.

She looked up at the opposite side and found that Lu Chengjing was lost in thought again.

This guy is definitely up to something.

Shang Wan thought for a moment, then raised her hand to beckon the waiter to add a poached egg to Lu Chengjing's noodle bowl.

"Please enjoy your meal, sir."

Lu Chengjing: ?

"At least show some respect for the food." Shang Wan picked up a piece of pickled radish with her chopsticks and wrapped it in her noodles. "Just eat properly. You can think about anything else after you finish eating."

Lu Chengjing stared at the fried egg for a moment, his long eyelashes drooping slightly, and began to eat the fried egg seriously.

Xiao Huan vaguely understood why Lu Chengjing was so distracted; she had also seen the person in the carriage earlier.

She glanced over here worriedly, wanting to say something to Shang Wan, but then swallowed her words.

My brother-in-law probably prefers to tell my sister those things himself, right? If she blurts them out rashly, it might backfire.

Stone is a carefree person; he was just really hungry after running around all morning, and his attention was focused on the noodles.

He followed the rhythm of Yuanyuan's slurping noodles, eating with great gusto. When he felt he wasn't full, he ordered two more bowls.

Yuanyuan glanced at Uncle Stone, picked up the milk bottle she had put down again, and continued to chug milk.

The two, one big and one small, were having a competition, both stuffing their bellies until they were round and full. They looked at each other and chuckled. Xiao Huan couldn't bear to watch, so she gently rubbed Yuan Yuan's belly to prevent her from spitting up milk later due to the bumpy ride in the oxcart.

After paying the bill, Stone drove the oxcart towards the bricklayer's lodging.

The bricklayer's surname was He. Because he lost half of his left little finger while working for someone, the neighbors all called him He Four-Finger. Over time, they forgot his real name.

He Sizhi is in his thirties. He has no parents. His older brother has been in the army for five years and has not returned. His wife died of illness two years ago, leaving behind a son nicknamed Liangliang, who just turned ten this year. The father and son depend on each other for survival.

Last year, He Sizhi took on two apprentices, one named Gao Yan and the other named Ma Jieyong. Both of them are diligent and honest, and they have great respect for their master, He Sizhi.

Upon hearing the purpose of Shang Wan and his group's visit, He Sizhi pondered for a moment and said that there was a lot of work to be done in building houses, so he had to bring his two apprentices along.

As for wages, the master earns forty coins a day, and the apprentice earns twenty-five coins a day, with payment made every three days.

The building materials had to be purchased by the businessmen themselves in the evening. Only after all the materials were purchased would he and his apprentices go there, and the wages would be calculated on the day they arrived.

Work usually starts at 7 AM, with a one-hour lunch break, and ends when it gets dark.

If the employer is willing to pay extra and provide lighting, the three of them can work through the night, but at most two extra hours, so as not to be too tired and affect their work the next day.

No work is done on rainy days, no wages are paid.

To make the work easier, a place to stay should be arranged for the three people, and they can eat with the host family. Each party will bear half of the cost of tools.

Shi Tou had inquired around and found out that among the bricklayers in the city, He Sizhi was the fastest and best at his job. Although he was paid ten coins more than other bricklayers, his apprentices were cheaper.

Gao Yan and Ma Jieyong became apprentices at the beginning of last year. They followed He Sizhi to work for many clients and accumulated a lot of experience. They are fully capable of being used as experienced workers.

All things considered, it's still more cost-effective to consult He Sizhi.

They had already discussed these stones with Shang Wan and Lu Chengjing on the way, and the four of them had also planned it out before heading straight to He Sizhi's house.

What He Sizhi said was similar to what Shi Tou and Xiao Huan had found out. After observing the situation, Shang Wan decided to make a deal.

Seeing that the host was so agreeable, He Sizhi hesitated for a moment and then made a request.

He wanted to take Liangliang with him, so he could eat and stay with him wherever he pleased. If the employer agreed, his wages could be reduced to thirty-six coins.

Liangliang was too young, so in the past, when he and his apprentice went out to work, they would take their belongings and ask the neighbors to help take care of him.

As time went by, Liangliang became increasingly taciturn and gradually lost the vitality of a child his age.

He Sizhi only has one child, so naturally he worries about him and wants to spend more time with him.

But with his skills, it was fine if he worked in the city, and he could barely make it home every day. But it wouldn't work outside the city; not only would it delay his work, but his employer would also be unhappy.

To make a living, he couldn't just take jobs in the city.

Seeing that Shang Wan and the others all seemed friendly and spoke frankly, he tried to bring it up.

Shang Wan glanced at the little boy standing by the door; he was rather thin and shorter than his peers.

After they entered the house, apart from glancing up at them once at the beginning, they stood quietly, showing none of the liveliness and activity of children their age.

Of course, the child Shang Wan was referring to was Li Xiaoshan, who was as lively as a monkey. Although he was a bit noisy, that was just a child's nature.

Liangliang is too quiet; it seems like he's developing autism.

(End of this chapter)