The stone table and bench were pulled by two bullock carts
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and a total of four master masons carried them through the gate, placing them in a suitable position under the jujube tree according to Ji Yuanâs instructions.
The table, stools, and labor together cost 1 tael of silver, which could be said to be the most expensive item he had purchased in this trip. After placing the items in their designated locations, the four stone masons collected their pay and left Juâan Pavilion without saying a word. Ji Yuan wanted to be polite and offer them a drink of water, but didnât even get the chance.
Now that Ji Yuan has a place to rest, he sat on the stone bench in the courtyard and watched the people in the main and side rooms of the house. From time to time, he went over to give them instructions on where things went.
âThese market vendors in ancient times are actually quite professional, and their hands and feet are so nimble!â
Plus, the men and women who were cleaning didnât even seem like they were working excessively hard. They had originally estimated that the cleaning would take half a day, but at the rate they were going Ji Yuan estimated that, with their efficient work method, it would take at most a little over an hour!
Interestingly, some shops came to deliver their wares but didnât even come in, such as the people who sold his quilts. Some shopkeepers moved their wares inside, then took the money and left immediately after without stopping to chat or look around, as if there was some urgent matter to attend to.
The group of people who were invited to clean acted normally. The cleaning proceeded at a rapid pace and they worked without any complaints. Even if someone wanted to chat, a manager would stop them. He hadnât realized that the working conditions here were so strict.
âThe people in ancient times were very hardworking! â
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Ji Yuan sighed in his heart and held his chin in a daze.
The cleaning work was basically just removing dust. The each room was dusted, and then wiped down with a wet towel and mop. Another person fixed up the paper windows.
Ji Yuan was curious, so he went crush some of the scrapped paper in his hands and found that the window paper was actually quite tough. It was similar to the oil paper used in making umbrellas. It certainly couldnât be punctured by just a little moisture like what was shown on TV, and would be fine regardless of wind or rain.
. . .
He didnât know how much time had passed, but Ji Yuan, who was yawning as he listened to the busy people the various rooms, suddenly felt a chill in his heart. He subconsciously turned his head to the well, and frowned at it for a long time.
Since water was needed for cleaning, the plank covering the top of the well had been removed. Just now, he felt that it was a little colder in that direction. Now that he was looking at it, the whole surface of the well appeared dark. He wasnât sure whether it was due to the shade being cast on the well by the tree.
As Ji Yuan opened his eyes a bit more and continued looking, the shadows under the well gave him an uncomfortably gloomy feeling.
For some reason, Ji Yuan couldnât help but recall the horror movies he had watched in his previous life, giving him goosebumps.
âYouâre really scaring yourself!â
Ji Yuan rubbed his arms and forced himself to stop thinking about it.
âMr. Ji, Mr. Ji?â
At this moment, a deafening voice seemed to come from far away, which startled Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan shuddered and woke up, only to realize that he had just fallen asleep on the stone table.
Turning around, he saw that the helpers hired to clean the mansion had all carried their buckets and tools to the yard. A total of 8 people were standing beside him.
âMr. Ji, weâre done cleaning, can you take a look?â
âYouâve finished? So quickly?â
âUm, hey, yes.
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Please take a look. If youâre not satisfied, we can clean it again.â
After they finished their words, Ji Yuan stood up from the stone bench.
âOkay, let me take a look!â
He walked around a few rooms, from time to time reaching out to wipe a finger along the base of the windowsill, and looked under the bed and in every corner. It was basically all clean.
When he had gone to hire someone today, a lot of people had refused to come when they heard it was at the end of Tian Niu Lane. Because of that, this team was able to double their price, but now it looked like they were worth the money.
He went back out to the yard where the group of people stood waiting.
âYes, that you for your hard work.â
Ji Yuan took out his purse, took out a pile of five-wen coins, counted forty in front of them, and added two more on top.
âHere is your pay, and the extra 10 cents are for treating everyone to tea!â
âThank you, Mr. Ji!â
âThank you, Mr. Ji!â
âThen, shall we take our leave?â
As everyone expressed their thanks, the leader hurriedly took the money and bid him farewell.
âOkay, feel free to head out slowly, thereâs no need for me see you out!â
Ji Yuan smiled and nodded to them with a gentle and elegant demeanor. After all, he hadnât yet tried to match his new outfit, so he had to practice anyway.
However, these workers had similar reactions before and after: they were all very enthusiastic. It was unclear whether it was because of the money or because of his demeanor.
It wasnât until the sound of the groupâs footsteps came from farther away that Ji Yuan could vaguely hear some discussions.
âThis house is really nice!â
âHey, Mr. Ji is a very nice man, and he seems to be a knowledgeable person!â
âThe name of this house sounded familiarâŠâ
When their leader heard this last comment, he just urged them onward.
âStop talking, walk faster, hurry up!â
âI couldnât tell how old that gentleman was, but he was so handsome!â
âAgain, as I said, hurry up, whatâs the use in looking good?â
âŠ
Okay, Ji Yuan was satisfied after hearing the last few comments, but he couldnât understand what they meant by his age. Could it be possible that they saw him as old? And what was the use of looking good? It was certainly better than not looking good!
At this time, the sun was setting in the west, and it was already close to dusk.
Although the facilities in the rooms were still relatively simple, it had everything he needed. Ji Yuan sat in the yard, lost in thought.
It was a pity that there was no Internet or mobile phones, and no naive young heroes coming to see Mr. Ji from time to time.
âHey, Iâm a little lonelyâŠhaahâŠâ
Ji Yuan sighed and suddenly turned his head to look at the well, nervous. He stood up and walked over to the side, grabbed the wooden cover, and slammed it back on top of the well.
âHuh⊠I feel much more comfortable. I should have watched fewer horror movies in my last life and scared myself less!â
. . .
In the middle of the silent night, the watchmanâs voice spread far and wide, reaching Ji Yuanâs ears.
âDong⊠dong, dongâŠâ
âAll is safeâŠâ
âDong⊠dong, dongâŠâ
âAll is safeâŠâ
âŠ
He didnât know why, but Ji Yuan tossed and turned all night without being able to sleep. He tried all kinds of tricks, like counting sheep and doing math problems in his head, but they just didnât work.
As soon as the watchman struck the clapper, Ji Yuan, who had his eyes closed, realized that it was already time for the third watch when the sound of the clapper struck three times.
Although it was just after 11 oâclock in the evening, it got dark early, and there was nothing in terms of entertainment, so the only thing people could do here was go to bed and rise early.
âCould it be that Iâm just having trouble sleeping in a new bed?
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Or am I just excited about owning a house? â
At his thoughts, Ji Yuan realized that the temperature had dropped a lot without him noticing.
âSqueak⊠squeak⊠squeak⊠squeakâŠâ
An old wooden creak sounded from the courtyard outside the door. It was very faint, but it definitely couldnât escape Ji Yuanâs hearing.
Ji Yuan paused. He kept absolutely quiet and listened carefully, hoping that it was just an auditory hallucination .
âSqueakâŠâ
The wooden plank on the well, which was pressing against the stones, was lifted up little by little, making a creaking sound as if the wood were struggling under the pressure.
Ji Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, lying on the bed, and all kinds of associations of things that happened during the day flashed through his mind. A chill shot up his spine and straight to the top of his head. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as if by magic.
âSqueakâŠâ
âBang!â
The stone that had been pressed on top of the board had fallen to the ground. Ji Yuanâs heart jumped violently alongside the stoneâs thud.
The wooden cover was pushed to one side, and a dense mass of hair overflowed from the wellâŠ
âGuruâŠâ
As the chill grew heavier, Ji Yuan gulped, pulled up the quilt on the bed, and quietly covered his head with extremely slow movements.
âDammit⊠How could I be so unlucky! Damn broker, curse you! â
A kind of ox-drawn cart â©ïž
T/n: Ji Yuan⊠Buddy⊠â©ïž
Hesitation/stutter â©ïž
éŸäžææèźĄæäșșć± ç¶èżèź€ćș? Difficult translation â©ïž