Chapter 13: The Warmth of Humanity

After breakfast, feeling rather gloomy, Ugly Uncle didn’t go out but returned to his room, busy with something unknown. Wu Ning and Qiao’er had just finished clearing the table when Sixth Uncle arrived.

Sixth Uncle was the carpenter in the hollow, from the same branch as Tiger’s father, and rarely visited Wu Ning’s home. But evidently, the Old Ancestor had sought him out early that morning. Without delay, he entered the courtyard and carefully inspected the two dilapidated rooms Wu Ning intended to fix.

“The main beams are rotten. We’ll need new ones,” he declared. “The back wall needs rebuilding too. If you ask me, just tear it down and start over!”

Wu Ning followed behind, smiling wryly. Where would he find the money to rebuild?

“Can you repair it, Sixth Uncle?” Wu Ning asked.

“I can, just takes more effort,” Sixth Uncle replied.

Wu Ning bowed quickly. “Thank you, Sixth Uncle!”

To save money, repairs would have to do; rebuilding was out of the question.

“Alright!” Sixth Uncle nodded. “Later, ask Jiulang to gather a few helpers. Tomorrow, I’ll lead them to remove the thatch and take down the old beams.”

“It’ll take at least a month,” he added, turning to leave.

“I’m off, I’ll return tomorrow morning.”

Wu Ning tried to persuade him. “Have you eaten, Sixth Uncle? Stay for a bite.”

Sixth Uncle didn’t even turn his head. “I haven’t started work yet, what’s the point of eating? Tomorrow.”

After sending off Sixth Uncle, before Wu Ning could head to his soup stall, three boys about his age arrived outside the courtyard.

The leader was a little older, around twenty, followed by others from his grandfather’s branch.

He led them into the yard. “Jiulang, I heard from Balu that you’re fixing your house.”

Wu Ning glanced over and immediately laughed. “Old Eight even brought Seventh Brother here.”

He pointed to the dilapidated rooms. “They’re just sitting idle; a little work and they’ll be livable.”

Old Seven didn’t say much, but like Sixth Uncle, he surveyed the rooms inside and out. “Has Sixth Uncle seen them? What did he say?”

“He’s seen them. Said he’d come tomorrow to remove the roof and beams.”

A younger boy behind Old Seven scoffed, “They’re so ruined, just rebuild them.”

“You know nothing!” Old Seven glared at the boy—his own brother, Eleventh in the hollow.

Old Seven knew Wu Ning’s family wasn’t wealthy. He looked at the broken house again. “Fixing it is good enough.”

“But you’ll need to finish before the busy summer, right?”

“Exactly,” Wu Ning agreed. “Otherwise, n