In the time before the autumn harvest, the An family building their house became the liveliest event in Shili Gou.
Every day before dawn, many people would go and help dig the foundation. The crowd thinned out during the day, but after the day's work was done, it would swell again in the evening.
Every day, Lin Cuihua had to prepare lunch, which kept her busy all day long.
Three days later, the An family's foundation was finished.
"Many hands make light work." The saying seemed especially true in the village.
After the foundation was laid, the cement and bricks Jiang Xia had arranged for arrived.
A Jiefang truck, carrying a full load of cement and bricks, arrived at the foot of the mountain in Shili Gou.
The village's bricklayers and carpenters had all been hired by the An family.
This was a paid job.
While the An family continued to build their house, the harvesting of smaller crops in the fields also began.
For example: sesame, millet, and proso millet.
