However, Wang Sannai's stubborn self-esteem made her refuse any help from the outside world.

Even though the old village chief helped secretly many times, it only temporarily alleviated the urgent need.

Today, the kang-making team of Zhangjia Village is well-known, and neighboring villages are seeking cooperation.

The village chief then had the idea of ​​asking Zhang Laoer to bring the two children to join. He did not ask them to become experts in making kangs, but only hoped that they could safely survive the coming severe winter under the collective protection.

While helping with the work, Zhang Siwa listened attentively to the adults' whispers and secretly cast his eyes towards the two brothers who looked thin and ragged.

They look so thin, almost the same as the homeless children on the street, which makes people feel pity for them.

No matter how thin I am, I am still stronger than them!

Zhang Siwa was secretly measuring himself in his mind, a spirit of unwillingness to admit defeat quietly surging in his thin yet tough body.

When the tempting aroma of pork and cabbage stuffed buns wafted from the kitchen, and plump white buns jumped out of the steamer into view, Zhang Laoer quickly put a few of them in his arms. He could still feel the warmth from the hot steam through the cloth. He had already planned to take Wang Hai and his brother to the village to make a kang.

Today's itinerary is to go to Sanniu Village to help others, so we have to get up at dawn.

The three were about to step out of the house when a nimble figure suddenly appeared in front of them. At the signal of her second brother, Xiao Youniang hurriedly caught up with them, carefully holding a bowl of steaming meat buns that had just come out of the oven in both hands.

She stuffed all the buns into Wang Hai's slightly open hands. Without waiting for his reaction, she giggled to herself, turned around nimbly, and threw herself into Zhang Siwa's open arms.

Wang Hai was so frightened by Xiao Youniang's sudden and slightly childish action that he stood there in a daze. The bun in his hand seemed to still retain her body temperature. The rich aroma of the meat instantly penetrated the chill of the early morning and rushed straight to his nose, making him both surprised and moved.

Just as he was hesitating whether to return the heavy gift, Zhang Laoer's weathered but unusually gentle voice rang in his ears: "It's given by the child, so just accept it. If you eat well, you will grow fast and strong."

At that moment, Wang Lin, who had lowered his head, quietly raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears that had inadvertently slipped from the corners of his eyes. It was a silent gratitude touched by the warmth of being surrounded by family affection.

Wang Hai, on the other hand, suppressed the sadness and emotion surging in his heart and straightened his back.

The kang-building team from Zhangjia Village worked hard for three whole days in Sanniu Village, brick by brick, tile by tile, soil by tile, and stone by stone, and finally built all the reserved kangs.

It only takes time, about seven or eight days, for the newly built kang to light a warm flame, bringing a touch of warmth to the villagers in the severe winter.

With the remarkable results brought by the kang in Sanniu Village, this magic recipe for heating quickly spread by word of mouth among neighboring villages.

The threshold of the old village chief's house was almost broken down. There was an endless stream of people coming to visit and seek advice, including many strangers who were visiting the place for the first time.

Under the leadership of Zhang Laoer, Wang Hai and Wang Lin became members of the kang-making team.

At first, they were like two lambs thrown into a pack of wolves. They were treated coldly everywhere and could only follow the skilled craftsmen and do some menial work.

However, as time went by, with their unremitting efforts and learning, the two were not only fully accepted by the team, but were even regarded as valuable apprentices, receiving generous teachings from their predecessors.

At first, the two brothers were afraid to even pick up their chopsticks when eating, for fear that taking one more bite of food would cause dissatisfaction or contempt from others.

But gradually, the strong men in the team began to notice these two diligent and studious teenagers. From time to time, someone at the table picked up chopsticks, picked up pieces of juicy dishes and put them into their bowls, until the two teenagers had their mouths full of oil, burped continuously, and their faces were filled with happy yet slightly embarrassed smiles.

All of this was silently watched by Wang Sannai.

Whenever it was late at night and everything was quiet, she would always shed tears quietly because she missed her son and daughter-in-law who were traveling far away, but at the same time, her heart was filled with endless comfort.

The children not only survived the coldest winter in their lives, but also learned to grow during this difficult journey. In the days to come, what difficulties will they not be able to overcome together?

After hearing that the method of building a kang had spread in the countryside, Zhou Xiucai had different thoughts in his mind.

He privately reminded his students and suggested that they persuade the village chief to report this method to the county magistrate.

You know, the impact of this snow disaster in Anzhou is far-reaching. It is not limited to Zhangjia Village, but has caused hardship to countless families in a wider area.

Unfortunately, not everywhere has such a smart response.

If the kang technology of Zhangjia Village could spread to the prosperous capital, then the Zhang family would gain not only material wealth, but also immeasurable prestige and honor!

However, Zhang Sanwa himself did not put much thought into these ambitious plans.

He has a straightforward and honest character, even a little stubborn. Although he is well-read, he is not good at dealing with complex interpersonal relationships, and is a complete layman when it comes to worldly sophistication.

Zhou Xiucai took great pains to correct his character flaw. After months of patient training and guidance, Zhang Sanwa finally became easy-going and no longer resisted the necessary strategies for dealing with things and interpersonal relationships.

When Zhou Xiucai's suggestion finally reached Zhang Sanwa's ears, he decided to tell his family the important news without hesitation.

On the night Zhang Laoer learned the details, he could not wait to find the village chief. Under the dim light, the two of them had a deep discussion about the changes and hopes that the kang might bring in the future...

The old village chief's eyes flashed with wisdom and depth beyond ordinary people, and he directly saw the profound meaning behind Zhou Xiucai's proposal.

He realized that once this kang technology gained the favor of the county magistrate, and even had the good fortune to enter the distant and glorious capital and be favored by the emperor, the name of Zhangjia Village would not only resound throughout the world, but its unique kang would also become a solid line of defense for the villagers against the greedy division of the outside world.

So, without hesitation, he immediately mobilized his network of contacts and pushed this application, which carried the hopes of the entire village, step by step to the desk of his superiors.

At this time, Magistrate Longyi was working day and night because of the various difficulties brought about by the continuous snowstorms. His brows were almost never relaxed, and he was overwhelmed by the casualties reported by various villages every day.

When the letter from Zhangjiacun was placed on his desk, he frowned unconsciously, thinking that it was another urgent request for help from somewhere, but he did not expect that what he unfolded was a page of simple yet intelligent kang design drawings!

Every stroke of that blueprint was the product of Zhang Sanwa's ingenuity. It not only elaborated on the many advantages of kang heating, but also thoughtfully listed every material needed for its construction. Between the lines, his deep affection for the warmth of his hometown and his deep sympathy for the suffering of the outside world were revealed.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like