Chapter 145 - 137: Brick and Tile House

Chapter 145: Chapter 137: Brick and Tile House

Hu Feng had no idea what was running through her mind, but judging by her expression, she was clearly displeased with the grain shop owner’s behavior.

"He’s a businessman. The whole point of business is to make a profit. Isn’t what he’s doing perfectly normal?"

Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow and shot a sideways glance at the bewildered Hu Feng. "Normal? The refugees haven’t even arrived, and he’s already doubled the price of rice. Do you think it will *stop* at double once they’re here? They’re called refugees for a reason—do you think they’ll have the money to buy rice at such high prices? When the time comes, it won’t just be the refugees going hungry. The townspeople will suffer too. Who knows how many poor souls will starve to death then. You call *that* normal?"

’Put that way, it really wasn’t normal,’ Hu Feng thought. ’But what did it have to do with her? She was just a commoner who had only started living a decent life for a couple of days. What could she possibly do about it?’

Hu Feng said no more and started driving the oxcart back.

As they passed a pastry shop, she went in and bought some desserts. Then she saw a house being built across the street. It was being made with blue-gray bricks and tiles, and it looked far sturdier than the adobe houses in Huangtuo Village. She wanted to build a small, two-story house, and adobe definitely wouldn’t be strong enough. She had been worrying about where to buy bricks and tiles, never expecting to just happen upon an answer.

She left Hu Feng behind and ran up to a man who was laying bricks. "Excuse me, sir," she said, approaching him from behind. "Can I ask you something?"

The man was focused on laying bricks. Bai Zhi’s sudden shout from behind startled him, causing his grip to falter. The blue-gray brick slipped from his grasp and plummeted from above, heading straight for Bai Zhi’s head.

Bai Zhi was too terrified to move, forgetting even the basic instinct to dodge.

Her eyes widened in terror as she watched the brick hurtle toward her head.

If it hit, her skull would have been split open.

Just as the brick was about to strike, she squeezed her eyes shut. In that instant, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and her body was spun away.

She had dodged the danger, but she heard the brick hit someone with a solid THUD.

Hu Feng, who was holding her, staggered for a moment before steadying himself.

"Friend, are you all right?" the young bricklayer asked anxiously.

’He had never seen someone get hit by a brick that big and act as if nothing happened, without even a change in expression...’

Hu Feng let go of Bai Zhi and reached a hand back to feel his spine. "I’m fine," he said. "It hurts a little, but I’m not injured."

Bai Zhi finally snapped back to her senses. She quickly checked the spot on Hu Feng’s back where the brick had hit. Only after confirming he was truly unharmed did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"That was so close. Thank you." She was a bit embarrassed. She knew she could have dodged, but for some reason, her mind had suddenly gone blank, and she’d forgotten to move.

Hu Feng shot her an irritated glare, then turned and walked back to the oxcart. He didn’t even know what he was so angry about, but he was furious.

Bai Zhi stuck her tongue out at his retreating back before turning to the young bricklayer. "Sir, where do you buy these bricks and tiles?"

The young man smiled. "Why do you ask? Is your family building a house too?"

Bai Zhi nodded. "Mhm. Our wooden cabin was blown down by the wind. A brick house like this is much sturdier."

The young man looked her up and down, then laughed. "Bricks and tiles like these aren’t cheap. Do you have any idea how much it costs to build a house like this?" he asked, pointing to the nearly finished structure behind him.

Bai Zhi shook her head. "I don’t. How much?"

The young man held up five fingers. "For materials and labor, you’ll need at least fifty taels."

————