Chapter 149 – A Rainstorm

After satisfying the group of children, Miantang entered the military camp.

When she entered the military camp, Miantang saw Cui Xingzhou standing on a wooden frame with bare arms from a distance, commanding a group of soldiers to build a camp.

Since the local people could not be recruited, the soldiers could only do it themselves, and even Cui Xingzhou took off his coat and started working together.

Miantang was quite satisfied to find that among a group of shirtless men, her husband was the most tall, muscular, and tangible.

At a glance, she was immersed, and Miantang felt a little regretful to think that it had been a long time since she hugged that sturdy waist.

At this moment, the coveted young handsome man looked towards her.

She covered the scorching sunlight with one hand and waved to Cui Xingzhou.

Cui Xingzhou saw her and pushed the shelf with his left hand, jumping down and gently landing on the ground. When he jumped, Miantang could even see several strong muscle blocks formed at his abdominal contraction, so she swallowed again.

As he approached, Cui Xingzhou first looked at the basin in Miantang’s hand and asked, “Have those little boys returned the basin to you?”

Miantang nodded and asked him, “Why do you care so much about this basin?”

Cui Xingzhou pulled her to a shady place and said, “These young children are not very old, and their thoughts and actions are mainly influenced by their father and brother. From them, we can see their father and brother’s behavior. Your copper basin is very exquisite. Let alone for children, even adults who see it would want it for themselves. You didn’t say you need them to return it, but these children returned it, indicating that although the local customs are fierce and exclusive, they are also simple and kind.”

Miantang smiled and said, “You’ve been working with Lord Li Guangcai for a long time, and you’ve been looking at people tactfully now.”

Cui Xingzhou pointed to the dark cloud in the sky and said, “The local guide said that there would be a rainstorm in a few days. If the barracks had not been built by then, the soldiers would have to sleep in the rain. If the soldiers and generals who had suffered from gastrointestinal diseases were exposed to the cold again, they would get sick and lie down first without waiting for the Japanese to attack.”

Miantang was also a bit anxious and said, “We can find local experts. I think their houses are built very simply. Even without tiles, the thatched roofs are also insulated and waterproof. The way they stack and weave roofs is different from elsewhere, and it’s difficult to learn at the moment… Wouldn’t it work to hire those villagers with money?”

Cui Xingzhou said, “The previous supporting armies also said they hired local people, but after letting the villagers work for nothing without giving a penny, those villagers were still beaten, so all the soldiers sent to recruit were unable to bring them back.”

Miantang now understood Cui Xingzhou’s intention and smiled, “Why don’t we hire some children to do some simple things first?”

Cui Xingzhou touched her head and said, “You’re clever! Just letting some children come won’t do anything. You’ll have to be tired and prepare more snacks…”

Miantang took the opportunity to grab the carefully decorated waist that she had been coveting for a long time and patted it, saying, “Haven’t you returned to the mansion for a long time? I don’t know if this waist is good or not. As long as you work hard to pay enough money, everything else can be discussed.”

Cui Xingzhou looked at the sugar cake hanging in her arms and felt as if he had been teased by a female bandit. The sticky and greasy piece of cake was also very tempting. Remembering the way she was being bullied with tears in her eyes, her waist was indeed ready to move.

Unfortunately, this was a barracks, and although they stand in a secluded place under the shade of trees, they are also unable to do whatever they want.

In a moment, those children wiped their mouths and returned the kettle. Miantang took the opportunity to ask if they would like to help build the house. Those children also felt bad to reject after eating the food of others, and they liked this fairy sister very much. After a brief discussion, they agreed and climbed onto the roof like monkeys in a few clicks.

Miantang didn’t think about how well they could do it. However, these children were skilled in handling, paving, and smoothing grass with bamboo poles, each doing their work and cooperating proficiently. A few soldiers haven’t finished paving half of it in half a day, and a few children were going to finish paving soon.

The so-called poor children have long been the masters of the family, and Miantang now has a good understanding of these children.

When they finished paving a room and jumped off the roof one by one, Miantang handed over the already prepared wages to them one by one, saying, “You can’t work for nothing. This is today’s wages. Tomorrow, you can find some people to help me to work, and the wages will be paid according to the day.” The children had never seen so much money before and were extremely surprised when they held it in their hands. Another child put the money in his mouth, biting hard to see if it was real or fake.”

They amused Miantang and took out a bag of maltose to share with them, telling them to go home quickly.

That night, Cui Xingzhou went back to the mansion.

After all, the female bandit expressed her desire. If he doesn’t go back, he will reflect to be too uninterested and easily lose the favor of the mountain king.

The main beams of the house have been replaced, and the roof tiles have also been sent by Lord Su.

Perhaps because the soldiers and horses from the State of Zhen had been here for a few days, but they had never stirred up the people around them, let alone occupied the magpies’ nests and Su’s house, Su stopped being sarcastic and occasionally sent people to send them tiles and wood window screens and other items.

When Cui Xingzhou entered his house, the interior had already been repaired and taken care of. The walls are smoothed with lime, the window screens are stained with turquoise green, and there are flower vases at the head of the bed, filled with local unknown and enchanting flowers, giving off a lively atmosphere of summer flowers. Although the decoration of the house was the difference between heaven and earth compared to the previous residence. But it was a hundred times stronger than in the military camp.

Xiaoyi’er had just taken a shower and applied the anti-prickly heat-refreshing nectar. His bare buttocks, rolling with flesh, stood up trembling on the bed, clutching the bedside cabinet.

Although his chubby legs kept shaking, he giggled proudly at his father as if he had done something remarkable.

Cui Xingzhou picked up his son and threw it in mid-air before catching it, making Xiaoyi’er giggle again.

Miantang was combing her hair when she saw their father and son playing. She also smiled and said, “Don’t throw him up high! If he gets addicted and you leave, you are making trouble for people. I have an old wound on my hand, and I can’t throw this little flesh lump up.”

Cui Xingzhou kissed his son’s tender tofu face and said, “Do you hear that? When I’m not at home, don’t make trouble with your mother.”

Xiaoyi’er was stung by the stubble on his father’s face, and he used his little hands to tug at the fur on his chin, making his plump little hands get incredibly stronger when scratched.

Miantang smiled when she saw it and asked someone to fetch water and a shaving knife so that she could clean Cui Xingzhou’s face.

A while ago, Cui Xingzhou had the idea of growing a beard, after all, the men in the court still consider their elegant beards to be beautiful.

But Miantang, who likes a handsome face, doesn’t want him to grow.

Cui Xingzhou said unhappily, “I’m not a playwright, how could there be a reason why even in my prime, I still have a shiny face?”

Miantang thinks those actors and actresses are all pretty, so she doesn’t want to eat a mouthful of hair when kissing! So the princess consort said bluntly, “If you have grown a beard, you seemed to be somewhat connected to Prince Sui. When we sleep together, I will feel like the one beside me changed.”

These tune words naturally persuaded Prince Huaiyang to press her spanking and let Cui Xingzhou stop thinking of growing a beard.

After shaving off his beard, the feeling of jade-face banishing immortals came to her nostrils. For a moment, Miantang was amazed by his beauty and couldn’t bother having dinner, and she hastily pulled the beautiful man into bed.

That sturdy waist pole, not to mention how captivating it was!

However, the weather was really hot. Miantang touched the sweat on his body and said, “It’s so hot, it’s really disappointing. You said there are few people here, isn’t it because it’s too hot to lift their spirits?”

Cui Xingzhou pinched her nose and didn’t allow her to talk nonsense, but the weather did continue to be hot and stuffy for many days.

According to Lord Su, this was a sign of a coming rainstorm.

If the barracks cannot be built anytime soon, his soldiers will be soaked in the rain

The next day, when it wasn’t dawn, Cui Xingzhou returned to the barracks and saw a group of children standing in front of the gate. In addition to the children from yesterday, there were also several taller and stronger teenagers waiting eagerly in front of the gate. When they saw Cui Xingzhou, they gathered around and said they wanted to help continue building a few thatched houses.

Cui Xingzhou brought them into the military camp and found an officer to arrange for them. In a moment, they began to work. These older children will earn more and work more decently.

They built the framework, beat the pulp, mowed the grass, and a few younger children climbed up to lay the grass. It didn’t take them long to repair a thatched cottage.

In this way, in just one day, they built three thatched houses, and naturally received several times more wages than yesterday. Several older children couldn’t close their mouths with laughter, and when they left, it was clear that they would bring more people over thus, the military camp would leave them with plans for tomorrow.

The next morning, in front of the barracks, people were standing, not only young men but also more middle-aged and elderly people. It was estimated that the entire village has arrived.

The officer in charge of repairing the house led them in, agreed on the salary, assigned the work, and they went on with enthusiasm.

In a day’s effort, a small thatched hut was erected in the camp. Lord Su was accompanying Cui Xingzhou on a camping trip when he saw that most of the local people had come. He couldn’t help but glance at the handsome man beside him and curiously asked, “How did you invite these stubborn and unruly people to help, Your Highness?”

Prince Huaiyang’s answer was somewhat ambiguous, “My beloved princess consort is very good at cooking herbal tea, perhaps the fragrance brought them in.”

Lord Su rolled his eyes and took a sip from the wine jug, feeling that the prince, full of nonsense, might have drunk too much.

After several days, all the thatched houses were built before the rainstorm came. Although the thatched cottage was simple, the soldiers no longer had to sleep in the open, and the mosquitoes inside were much fewer than outside. After lighting the lavender, they were no situations of occasionally bitten awake.

On the second day after the straw hut was built, it began to rain heavily. The rain poured down from the sky like a river overturned, hitting the thatched cottage with a splash. On the ground, only the sound of rain could be heard, and even the smoke from the kitchen cooking could not be lifted by the rain, scattered and unformed.

The soldiers listened to the sound of rain hitting the eaves in the thatched hut and congratulated themselves on the timely construction of the hut. Otherwise, many people would not have been cured after such heavy rain.