Now that the arrangements for the long-term laborers were settled, Er Niu and Lin He turned their attention to quickly constructing the housing for them. They decided to hire the same bricklayers they were familiar with, bringing in extra hands to ensure the houses were finished before the New Year. After the New Year festivities began in the first lunar month, no one would be available for construction, and they wouldn't have the time to work on it themselves.

Having built houses before, they knew it was grueling work. They needed to procure all the necessary materials, plan for the daily meals for the workers, and decide exactly how many people to hire—all of which required careful planning. Fortunately, they had Da Sheng, Da Jiang, and Uncle Qin nearby to oversee things, which was a great help with so many aspects to manage.

Construction started swiftly. The women and children of the household stayed at Lin He's courtyard to prepare the meals, while the men were all at the building site. The matter of Er Niu hiring long-term laborers also caught the attention of many in the village. Although everyone knew the houses weren't for Er Niu's immediate family, the merchant had entrusted these affairs entirely to him, effectively making Er Niu the master here.

Many villagers harbored suspicions. While Er Niu had ostensibly purchased the land on behalf of someone else, that buyer had never appeared. Since the houses were being built on the land Er Niu had acquired, some wondered if the property wasn't secretly his own. However, considering the sheer size of the landholding, they concluded that Er Niu’s family likely couldn't afford such a purchase, and the doubts eventually faded away.

However, the terms Er Niu offered for hiring the long-term laborers certainly caused a stir in the village. Many people were eager to work for Er Niu, as the annual wage was a full eight taels of silver, complete with red envelopes during the New Year and extra bonuses—easily amounting to ten taels of silver or more in annual income. Everyone wanted the position.

Of course, those families who owned their own land couldn't easily abandon their fields to become hired help, so they dismissed the idea. Many other villagers who rented land came to inquire, but Lin He turned them all away, citing the busyness of the construction. Any diligent villager eager for work who didn't have land to cultivate would have already sought employment elsewhere; they wouldn't have waited until now to apply as long-term laborers.

Even Old Madam He, upon hearing at home how much silver Er Niu’s hired laborers would earn annually, discussed with her son and daughter-in-law whether to send Qing Shan over to work. If Qing Shan agreed, Old Madam He was determined to secure him a position with Er Niu, as the accounts looked incredibly appealing.

If Qing Shan also worked there, the father and son together could earn nearly twenty taels a year, and in just a few years, the family's fortunes would vastly improve. However, Qing Shan himself disliked farm work and was often reluctant to even manage his own family's chores, let alone take on the duties of a long-term laborer. Seeing Qing Shan’s refusal, Old Madam He had no recourse but to give up the idea.

Because they had prior experience from the previous constructions, Lin He’s household managed the current building project smoothly despite the larger number of houses required, thanks to good division of labor. The family worked diligently for over a month, and the houses were finally completed. Yet, upon seeing the finished structures, everyone felt a sense of oddity. Wasn't housing for long-term laborers supposed to be one large communal dormitory? Why were these houses built this way? What purpose could such distinct rooms serve?

The structure was divided into four sections. Facing the entrance, there were two small rooms with chimneys, intended as kitchens. Opposite the kitchen area, the space was wider, accommodating six small rooms. To the right of the kitchen, only four rooms were built, two of which were larger and connected, resembling typical dwellings of the time. The remaining section featured five rooms, a configuration that differed somewhat from Lin He's initial vision.

However, it was undeniable that Lin He's original concept had been too simplistic, failing to account for many necessary details. After discussing it with Er Niu, Er Niu relayed the adjustments to the bricklayers, and after several modifications, the layout took its final form.

This arrangement was certainly more practical. The dozen or so small rooms were designated for the long-term laborers. The two larger rooms would house the foreman who would eventually be appointed from among the laborers. The kitchen was obviously for preparing the workers' meals. The remaining few rooms were kept aside for potential future hires. A small courtyard was situated in the center, which was perfectly suited for storing farming tools brought back by the laborers after their workday. In this manner, all practical needs seemed to have been addressed.

Once the houses were finished, the furniture crafted at Uncle Li’s place began to arrive. This furniture was uniform for all rooms, except for the one assigned to the foreman in the kitchen section. As the living quarters were small, they couldn't hold much; the furniture was custom-sized to fit perfectly: simple beds, stools, and small tables—just enough space, and the laborers themselves didn't own many possessions.

When curious villagers saw the complex Er Niu’s family had built, some busybodies came to ask what the building was for. Zhao Shi also approached Er Niu, inquiring, "Er Niu, what is this structure you’ve built? It's so small in sections, what use is it for?"

Er Niu replied, "This compound is prepared for the workers. Since there will be quite a few long-term laborers, if we built a single dormitory, it might be inconvenient. This way, they will be more comfortable."

Zhao Shi finally understood. However, she also knew this construction was commissioned by the merchant through Er Niu, so she didn't blame him. She merely commented, "This boss is truly wasteful. No matter how rich they are, they shouldn't provide such fine lodging for hired hands. Such high wages for the year, and now such luxurious housing—they must have money to burn."

Er Niu then understood why his daughter had advised him not to widely publicize their family's involvement in these matters. Perhaps this was what they meant by "the tree that stands too tall invites the wind." Even his own mother thought the arrangement was excessively extravagant. He shuddered to think what she would say if she knew this was all his family's doing.

The houses were done, and December arrived. The weather had turned cold. However, Lin He felt this year wasn't as biting as the previous one. She wondered if it was because their family's circumstances had improved, warming her spirit so that the external cold felt less severe. Indeed, it hadn't snowed yet by this time, and though the wind howled outside, one could still venture out.

Since the start of December, Er Niu had been spending more time outdoors. The New Year was approaching, and Da Sheng and the others had returned home for the holidays. Er Niu was left to manage everything, inside and out. A few days before the New Year, Er Niu planned to sell off some of the fish from the pond, intending to restock with fingerlings in the spring. Some species of fish grew quickly, and by the New Year, they were already a few catties heavy—considered plump fish for this season.

Lin He agreed that selling the fish now was a good idea; having fish for the New Year would certainly make the celebrations feel richer. But the weather was so cold now; how were they supposed to manage harvesting the fish?