Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

Holding the design plan for the earthen bed, Tang Susu stood with Yang Feicheng beside the foundation of the new house, carefully explaining the overall layout of the new house: "In the center of this new house is a flower hall, with four rooms on both sides. The back is divided, with one side for the kitchen and the other for the bathroom. The outhouse and bathroom are connected together, making it clean and convenient."

She paused, then added, "The latrine should be covered and connected to the wasteland behind it for easy composting; a poultry shed should also be built next to the latrine so that poultry manure can be used for composting as well, without wasting any fertilizer."

Speaking of the earthen kang (heated brick bed), she pointed to the blueprints and said, "The stove in the kitchen should be connected to the earthen kang in the room. This way, when cooking, the smoke and fire can go into the kang through the passage and heat it up, saving firewood and keeping it warm."

"But we don't need to build a large kang in every room. Just in the room where Bao'er and I are, we can build a large kang. When it's snowing and it's especially cold, the children can come over. The boys and girls can sleep separately, so it will be warmer for both of us."

Yang Feicheng nodded and then asked, "Miss Su, according to the village rules, the foundation only needs to be dug two feet deep. Shall we stick to the old method?"

"No," Tang Susu shook her head firmly. "We need to dig three feet deep. The deeper the foundation, the more stable the house will be. It won't collapse even after decades of living here, and it will also prevent the foundation from being damaged by rainwater during the rainy season."

After speaking, Tang Susu handed the completed drawing of the earthen kang (heated brick bed) to Yang Feicheng.

Yang Feicheng took the blueprints, looked at them for a long time, and asked in confusion, "Miss Su, is this... a new style of wooden bed? It doesn't look like one."

Tang Susu couldn't help but laugh, patiently explaining the principle of the earthen kang: "This is not a wooden bed, it's an earthen kang, used for heating in winter. There are passages inside the kang, so when cooking, the smoke and fire go along the passages and heat the surface of the kang; after the food is cooked, you add some chaff to the stove, which can keep it warm all night. It saves a lot of firewood compared to burning charcoal, and it's also warmer."

After hearing this, Yang Feicheng exclaimed in amazement, "There are such good things? They save firewood and keep you warm, so practical! Miss Su, you have such a great idea. Leave this to me, I guarantee I'll build it for you. The construction isn't difficult, all our workers can do it."

The number of construction workers has increased from over thirty to nearly fifty. Everyone is working with great enthusiasm, and the construction period has been shortened considerably compared to expectations.

The foundation will soon be dug up and ready for backfilling. Yang Feicheng plans: "After backfilling, we will first lay the foundation with bluestone bricks, and then build the walls with mud bricks, which will be sturdy and durable. I don't plan to use thatch for the roof. I have already asked the village head to help order the tiles. They cost one coin per tile. The whole house will probably need about ten taels of silver for the tiles."

Tang Susu nodded: "I'll do whatever you say. You're experienced, so whatever you do best will be firm."

That day, Tang Susu went out to Yang the hunter's house to get some game. On the way, she met Granny Zheng, who was accompanied by a girl, Luo Cuiju, her niece from her maternal family.

Luo Cuiju, dressed in bright fabric and with an elaborate hairstyle, stood in stark contrast to the girls in the village who mostly wore coarse clothes.

When Granny Zheng saw Tang Susu, she forced a smile and greeted her with feigned politeness, "Miss Susu, where are you headed?"

Tang Susu replied casually, "I'm going to go to Hunter Yang's house to get something."

Granny Zheng glanced at Tang Susu's clothes, her tone disdainful, and muttered in a low voice, "I don't know what she's so busy with. Her family is dirt poor. Granny Tang used to be stingy, so I couldn't be bothered to visit her."

As she spoke, she looked at Luo Cuiju beside her, her tone somewhat belittling: "Cuiju, don't be like some people who, when they get married, insist on marrying a rich man and living a life of luxury. Don't marry a poor, pedantic scholar like Tang Chengyu. Following him will only lead to hardship and suffering."

Luo Cuiju blushed and quickly tugged at Granny Zheng's sleeve, whispering to stop her, "Auntie, don't say that. Miss Tang Susu has an excellent reputation in the village. It wouldn't be good if she heard this."

Tang Susu was walking not far away. She heard their conversation clearly, but pretended not to hear it. It was better to avoid trouble. She didn't want to argue with Granny Zheng and only hoped that she wouldn't cause trouble for her own child.

Soon, Tang Susu arrived at Yang the hunter's house.

Hunter Yang was already waiting at the door, and said with a smile, "Miss Su Su, you've arrived. I caught a small wild boar with a trap yesterday, and it's been cleaned up. It weighs forty-one catties in total. Please count it."

Tang Susu took the wild boar meat, examined it carefully, nodded in satisfaction, took out some silver and handed it to Hunter Yang, then carefully put the wild boar meat and its offal away.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw Yang the hunter's daughter holding a wild rabbit and asked curiously, "Do you keep this rabbit?"

"Yes," Yang the hunter's daughter nodded, "this rabbit is pregnant, and in a while it will give birth to six or seven baby rabbits."

Tang Susu's eyes lit up, and she started to calculate: a female rabbit can breed several litters a year, so she can breed nearly two hundred rabbits a year. Braised rabbit meat tastes good and will definitely sell well. Raising rabbits can be a good source of income.

She smiled and said to Hunter Yang, "Uncle Yang, when these rabbits have babies, could you give me a pair? I'd like to try raising them."

Hunter Yang readily agreed: "No problem, it's no big deal. I'll send the baby rabbits over as soon as they're born."

Tang Susu, remembering that Miao Yulan was about to give birth, said worriedly, "Uncle Yang, there's something else I'd like to trouble you with. My sister-in-law is about to give birth, and I'm worried that she won't have enough breast milk. It's also inconvenient for her to use other things. Could you help me find out if anyone has a ewe or cow that has just given birth? I want to buy one to milk for my sister-in-law to help her recover, and also to have some for the baby."

"That's not difficult," Hunter Yang nodded. "I know a hunter who caught a pregnant goat a while ago. It'll probably give birth soon. I'll ask around for you and let you know if I find out."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Yang." Tang Susu quickly thanked him, then picked up the wild boar meat and turned to go home.

As soon as I got to my front door, I saw Song Zhifeng and Jin Huihuang standing at the gate, looking around.

The courtyard was muddy due to construction, and the workers were covered in sweat. The two men were dressed smartly—Song Zhifeng was wearing a blue robe and holding a fan in his hand.

Jin Huihuang was wearing a long robe with a piece of mutton-fat jade hanging from his waist. Both of them stood on tiptoe, afraid that the mud on their feet would soil their brocade boots, and hesitated to enter the door.

Upon seeing Tang Susu return, Song Zhifeng spoke first, his tone somewhat polite: "Miss Tang, we've come to see Mr. Tang Chengyu, hoping to study with him."

Tang Susu glanced at them indifferently and said, "Cheng Yu and Lu Hao have already gone to study at the Yang family ancestral hall. There is construction going on at home, which is too noisy and affects their studies, so we moved their study to the ancestral hall."

Upon hearing this, the two looked somewhat helpless, but they could only turn around and walk towards the Yang family ancestral hall.

Meanwhile, Tang Chengyu and Lu Hao were on their way to the ancestral hall. Lu Hao dawdled, dragging his feet despite the short distance, taking one step and stopping every now and then, his face full of reluctance.

"Lu Hao, can you hurry up? If you keep dawdling, the sun will be high in the sky. If you miss your studies, I'll tell your father." Tang Chengyu couldn't help but urge him, his tone carrying a hint of threat.

Lu Hao immediately exploded, stopping in his tracks and saying angrily, "Tang Chengyu, you're such a bad brother! All you do is tattle! I was just walking a little slower, is it really that big of a deal?"

As he spoke, he reached out and pushed Tang Chengyu. The two started playfully fighting and bickering all the way, but they weren't really angry.

While playing around, Tang Chengyu thought to himself: At first, he disliked Lu Hao's mischievousness, but after spending more time with him, he found that Lu Hao was actually quick-witted and very talented. It was a pity that he was not ambitious and thought about playing all day long, wasting his talent for studying.

The two were arguing and playfully walking forward when suddenly, a father and daughter approached from the opposite direction. As their figures became clearer, the two instinctively stopped and their eyes fell on the father and daughter.