Years ago, he had sewn Jiang Zhou’s entire wardrobe, using the high-quality material brought back by Wen Yuanxing – originally intended for Wen Yan himself. Fortunately, there was enough material, and two sets were made. Following Jiang Zhou’s suggestion, one for each of them, and the extras were sewn for Xiao Yi.

Initially, Jiang Zhou was supposed to try the clothes yesterday, but he seemed to have gained weight recently, and the waist part was a bit tight. A change was necessary.

When Wen Yan mentioned it yesterday, Jiang Zhou looked skeptical. It wasn’t until he tried on the clothes that he had to admit he had indeed put on some weight. However, he found a good excuse for himself. The time traveler had lived alone for over half a year, money was tight, so naturally, he lost weight.

After returning, he enjoyed good food and drinks, often cooking on his own. It was normal to gain a little weight. Regardless, observing Wen Yan’s affection, he secretly decided to exercise more and shed the extra pounds.

The stitches on the clothes were meticulous. He inherited Li Yue’s skillful hands, excelling in both sewing and embroidery. Thankfully, when he originally sewed, he intentionally tightened the waist for a nice shape. Now he could easily undo and resew it.

Picking out the thread with scissors, he utilized the daylight to mark the length and width. After confirming, he flipped the belt and started sewing again. Once completed, he turned it over, hiding the stitches from view.

It was a meticulous job, and he rarely get distracted.

Wen Yan had sewn clothes for Jiang Zhou when they were young. Initially, his skills weren’t as proficient, with uneven stitches and threads not cut cleanly. Nevertheless, Jiang Zhou wore them without a hint of dissatisfaction. He proudly strolled around the village in those randomly stitched clothes, telling everyone, “Ah Yan sewed these for me.”

Initially, there were laughs, but Jiang Zhou, being a bit of a tough character, would confront anyone who spoke ill of Wen Yan, demanding apologies. Over time, the village children changed their tune, praising Wen Yan’s handiwork.

Jiang Zhou even feared and they had end up with bruised noses, so he’d give them boiled eggs to cover it up before allowing them to visit Wen Yan. This mix of tough love and sweet treats made Jiang Zhou the child king of the village.

However, most of those children had grown up, started families, and taken on the responsibilities of supporting their households. They no longer retained the innocence they had in their childhood.

The three boys of the Liu family were not part of that group.

Jiang Zhou wasn’t very acquainted with them, but the first person he got to know after returning to his body was Liu Sanlang.

After giving half of the pig to Liu Sanlang, he received many things in return. Spending time together, he got to know Liu Sanlang’s temperament and character.

Since he planned to find Liu Erlang, he thought it would be wise to ask Liu Sanlang to accompany him.

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Upon arriving at Liu Sanlang’s house, he found the family was having dinner and warming themselves by the fire—a common winter tradition in the village. The cold weather discouraged outdoor visits, and with limited entertainment, gathering around the fire was the preferred way to stay warm.

When Liu Sanlang saw him, he was about to bring out the tea but was stopped: “I’m here to ask for help, so don’t bother.”

Liu Sanlang asked, “What is it?”

“I’m going to build a house after the new year. You also know that the place where I live is cold in winter and hot in summer. It should have been changed a long time ago. I heard that your second brother is a good house builder, so I wanted to come and ask about the situation first.”

“It just so happens. I heard my brother say before that he will be free after the new year. Since you want to build a house, I will take you there.”

After saying that, he glanced at the thing handed over by Jiang Zhou and wrinkled his eyebrow: “Why are you giving these for?”

“It’s just a small thing. I asked you to help me during the Chinese New Year. It’s not worth much. I made a few snacks myself. You can use it, whether you want to eat it yourself or give it to someone else.”

Liu Sanlang declined several times, but Jiang Zhou insisted on letting him accept it, and finally, he kept the gift box after some persuasion.

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After the two of them went out, Liu Sanlang’s wife opened the gift box and took a look. It was about a ten-inch box with small grids separated by pieces of paper. There was a small snack in each grid, two of each kind, and there were actually eight kinds.

Madam Liu’s sister happened to be there, and when she saw the gift box, she marveled at the ingenuity. Most of their snacks are just put on a plate, and most of them are hard snacks, such as rice dumpling candies and rice crips treats, which were the most added this year. The snacks were sponge cakes, and others, you could tell by the smell that they were all good snacks.

Her sister’s mind was spinning quickly, so she whispered to her elder sister: “Since he gave this gift box, I know he must make a lot. I wonder if we can get two boxes out. Tomorrow is the second day of the new year, and the married girl has to come home. You can bring it with you. Wouldn’t this be more dignified than other things when we go back?”

Madam Liu also thought so in her heart, so she prepared to ask them first when they came back later.

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On the other side, Jiang Zhou and Liu Sanlang walked to Liu Erlang’s house.

Liu Erlang also lived in Xiaohe Village, and it only took ten minutes to walk down the road.

The life of Liu Erlang’s family seemed to be going well. There was a big yard, and there was a vegetable garden on the side, with radishes planted in it. Half of the snow that fell early had melted and was half-stretched on the radish tassels.

“Erlang!”

“Hey, hey, you are here!”

A short man came out of the house, holding a poker in his hand. He was a little stunned when he saw Jiang Zhou, and glanced at his younger brother: “This is…Jiang Da Right?”

Seeing Liu Sanlang nodding, he immediately welcomed the people in: “Rare visitors, rare visitors. It happens that my wife is making camellia tea, come in and have a bowl.”

Jiang Zhou put the gift box in the side room and followed him into the house, walking while observing Liu Erlang’s house.

His house was built like a patio. There was a hole in the area where nothing was placed. The upper part was hollowed out, and the bottom was the well. Inside was a single kitchen. Jiang Zhou didn’t go in, so he could see it from a distance.

The place where they lived was close to the door. He had built two main rooms with three beds, which could be used by many people.

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Liu Erlang used the tongs to knock down the blackened wood and gathered the fire: “Will it be repaired after the new year?”

Jiang Zhou nodded: “I am planning to repair it after the new year. I have been looking for craftsmen and materials these days. Yeah.”

Liu Erlang shook his head: “You are in such a hurry today. It’s no problem here. I can do the work just by carrying the box, but I can’t repair the house by myself. All the materials and craftsmen have to be reserved in advance.”

Jiang Zhou naturally knew that he was in a hurry, but he thought that if he built it after the new year, he would be able to live in it in the spring. If he built it slowly, he would only be able to live in it in the summer, and he would move at that time. The weather was hot, which made Wen Yan and Xiao Yi miserable.

Seeing him frowning and thinking, Liu Erlang spoke: “If you are really in a hurry to build a house, I have craftsmen who can usually cooperate with me here. I will ask for you. As for the materials…”

Jiang Zhou said: “The main materials I use are sand, gravel, and soil, and I only need some ordinary beams.”

“In this case, it doesn’t matter. It’s a coincidence. It turns out that a new member has moved into the town, you know? It turns out, right? The official back then wanted to build a new house. Later, he moved to another place and stopped building it. The wood he had stored was all vacant. It was all good wood, and no one would use such good wood. He never sold it. Go and have a look. If you want it, I’ll give it to you, but it’s just more expensive than usual.”

Jiang Zhou was currently in a good financial position. After the New Year, there would be new business, so he didn’t care much: “Money is not a problem, as long as there is good wood.”