| TBBOTOF | 294
Wei Dong is a man of action. As a carpenter, he would never drag things out. So after breakfast, the two of them didn’t bother waiting for the mule cart.
“Father..” Just as Wei Dong was about to set off, a small hand grabbed his pants from behind. Looking up with a questioning face, Da Bao asked.
Ever since Liu Yao and Tang Li got engaged, the children in the family had started addressing Liu Yao differently, radiating a sense of delight.
Seeing him approach, Liu Yao squatted down and asked, "Are you going with your father to the carpenter's house to make furniture or not?"
The chubby boy rubbed his chubby little chin with his hand and sneaked a glance at Wei Dong’s face.
Noticing this, Wei Dong raised an eyebrow and said, “If you want to go, tell your dad.”
The chubby boy’s eyes lit up. He kicked his legs twice, and Liu Yao quickly set him down on the ground. The child ran off with little footsteps to find Tang Xu. After a while, he came back with a small bamboo basket on his back.
“Father, I’m ready!” The chubby boy’s face was full of excitement.
Wei Dong hummed in acknowledgment, thinking to himself that kids just love to run around as they grow up—it’s hard to keep them settled at home.
“Isn't Er Bao and Xiao Bao coming along?” Liu Yao saw the chubby boy hopping and skipping outside, hurriedly reaching out to steady him. “Slow down, don’t trip.”
“Er Bao is in the backyard chasing ducks. Dad said to have him watch the ducklings swim. As for Xiao Bao, when he heard it was far away, he wasn’t happy to go. He said he couldn’t walk that far.” The chubby boy looked around curiously, finding everything new and interesting.
On the way, when he saw someone familiar, he smiled and greeted them.
“Hello, Grandpa~”
“Hello, Grandma~”
“Hello, Uncle~”
“Hello, Auntie~”
Liu Yao listened as the chubby boy greeted everyone they passed. Once they moved along, Liu Yao couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know all those people?”
“Nope,” the chubby boy tilted his head up to look at him, his big eyes curving into cheerful crescents. “Dad said I should be polite. If people smile at me, of course, I should greet them. And I’ve seen some of them before.”
Liu Yao took a deep breath and ruffled his hair. “You’re amazing.”
The chubby boy wobbled his little head proudly. Of course—he was very clever.
The village had several carpenters, and the one they were heading to was the Huang family’s. It wasn’t far, just a fifteen-minute walk.
If it were just Wei Dong and Liu Yao, they could’ve gotten there even faster.
The Huang carpenter’s house had a large courtyard filled with various half-finished furniture pieces. Cabinets, tables, chairs—big and small, in all kinds of colors—lined the space, offering quite a complete selection.
Wei Dong called out, and a burly man with a thick beard emerged from the house. He froze momentarily upon seeing Wei Dong, then burst into hearty laughter as he came forward to greet him. “Dongzi! What brings you here today?!”
"Someone in the family is getting married," Wei Dong bumped fists with him. "It’s for my younger sister-in-law. This is my eldest son, come over and greet Uncle Huang."
The chubby boy stepped forward and greeted cheerfully, "Hello, Uncle Huang! My name is Wei Junsong, and I’m six years old!"
“Well, well, I’ve heard your three kids are good-looking, but this eldest one is just too charming!”
Wei Dong placed a large hand gently on son’s head and then turned to Liu Yao, introducing him. “This is my future brother-in-law.”
Huang Daming looked Liu Yao over and clapped him warmly on the shoulder, motioning him into the courtyard. “What kind of furniture do you need? A full set or just a few pieces?”
Liu Yao thought about the size of the house he and Tang Li would be living in and turned to Wei Dong. “Brother, what do you suggest?”
Wei Dong replied, “Order a full set. Brother Huang’s craftsmanship is excellent, and his cabinets are sturdy. The set he made for me and Tang Xu when we got married is still as good as new.”
“A full set can be a big set or a smaller one,” Huang Daming explained, his grin growing wider at Wei Dong’s praise. He pointed to a row of shelves against the wall. “There are small models up there; go have a look.”
Liu Yao led the curious chubby boy over to check out the models. Unable to see the higher shelves, the chubby boy tugged on Liu Yao’s arm and stood on tiptoe. “Uncle, pick me up! I can’t see!”
Liu Yao quickly bent down and hoisted him up, then asked, “What do you think your auntie would like?”
“That one looks nice!” The chubby boy pointed to a small rabbit-shaped chair on the shelf. “Xiao Bao would definitely love it!”
Liu Yao couldn’t help but look at him helplessly.
The chubby boy giggled and pointed to another item nearby. “That one’s nice too! The red one!”
The red item was a pair of large boxes, their cheerful color perfect for festive occasions.
Liu Yao nodded and picked them up for a closer look. Even though they were small models, they were finely crafted, with intricate carvings of mandarin ducks playing in the water.
“The full set includes four large boxes, while the smaller set has two,” Huang Daming came over to explain. “That side’s the full set, and over here’s the small set. The difference is in the number of cabinets and boxes.”
Liu Yao scanned the shelves and, after some thought, said, “Let’s go with the small set. The house doesn’t have enough room for the full set.”
The small set consisted of seven pieces: a tall cabinet, a low cabinet, two boxes, a table, and two chairs.
Standing behind them, Wei Dong added, “Include a kang cabinet and a through cabinet, like the ones we had made before.”
“Got it,” Huang Daming nodded with a wide smile. “Since it’s for a wedding, we can carve some mandarin ducks or floral patterns—whatever you prefer.”
Liu Yao scratched his head, unsure how to decide. He’d need to discuss it with Tang Li.
Seeing his hesitation, Huang Daming said, “Why don’t you go discuss it first? I’ll start working on the furniture. You can let me know the designs later.”
Liu Yao quickly nodded. “Do we need to pay a deposit now?”
Huang Daming laughed heartily. “You haven’t even picked the wood yet—what deposit are you talking about?”
Wei Dong raised his hand and patted Liu Yao on the shoulder. “Go inside and pick the wood. There are several types.”
Liu Yao followed Huang Daming into the room. The air carried the distinct scent of wood—rich but not unpleasant.
He looked at the various planks of wood, differing in thickness and color, and quickly felt overwhelmed.
How was he supposed to choose?
He scratched his head repeatedly, the sound of his nails on his scalp making a faint scritch scritch. The chubby boy frowned as he listened.
“Uncle, stop scratching your head and pick something already!”
“I don’t know how to choose,” Liu Yao admitted, looking completely baffled.
“That one’s camphor wood—it repels insects, so it’s often used for wardrobes and boxes to store clothes and bedding. Over there are elm and willow, and that one’s rosewood. The last one is paulownia wood,” Huang Daming explained, pointing to each type in turn. “Most families in the village go for camphor wood. It’s reasonably priced, durable, and practical.”
Liu Yao nodded. “How much for a whole set?”
“For the family, of course, I’ll take care of you. A small set with an added bed cabinet will be twenty-five taels,” Huang Daming said, then turned to Weidong. “What do you think?”
Wei Dong raised an eyebrow. “Make it twenty taels. Once the new courtyard is finished, we’ll come back to you for more furniture.”
Huang Daming smacked his lips, then gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, twenty taels it is. Five taels as a deposit, and I’ll have it done in two months.”
Wei Dong glanced at Liu Yao, who quickly nodded in agreement.
After leaving the carpenter’s house, Liu Yao said with some excitement, “I thought it would cost thirty taels! That’s such a good deal.”
“Nothing’s that expensive around here in the village,” Wei Dong replied.
Liu Yao chuckled sheepishly and thanked him.
The chubby child tugged at Wei Dong’s hand and asked, “Father, are we going home now?”
“Nope, we’re going to the mountains to pick some fruit. Your dad’s going to make dried apricots,” Wei Dong said, looking down at him. “Are you tired?”
The chubby boy thought for a moment before nodding. “Father, you can carry me now, and when we get to the mountain, I’ll walk on my own.”
“Alright.” Wei Dong hoisted him up effortlessly and let him sit on his shoulders, and held onto his small legs. “Hold on tight and don’t wiggle around.”
“Whoa! So high!!”
The chubby boy squealed with excitement, thrilled by the ride.
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