In the countryside, building a house was a huge event. For Zhu Shun Yao, breaking ground was a major milestone. It was the most critical first step for the homeowner. His old roof tiles were mostly intact. Even the broken ones could be reused. Everyone in Gǎn'ēn Village knew Zhu Shun Yao’s background. He hadn’t been abused, but he had no privileges either. He had barely survived hunger and cold. He hadn’t even finished middle school. He had found his own job and won his wife on his own. After marriage, he was assigned to a dilapidated mud hut. The Zhu family had houses, but they never let him live in a good one. Now, he was ambitious enough to build his own home. This was naturally a very big deal.
The first step in rural house-building was breaking ground. The timing mattered greatly. If the start was auspicious, the family would live in peace. If not, the house would bring trouble. Some called it superstition, but in the village, most people believed in it.
Xie Xinlian had prepared the offerings early. Zhu Shun Yao placed a large table at the door. Xie Xinlian arranged three meat dishes, six vegetable dishes, three teas, and six wines. She also placed a pair of red candles, though they were unlit. They would only be lit when the auspicious time arrived.
When Xie Zhong and his family, along with Zhu Yanyi, arrived, there was still half an hour until the lucky hour.
"Ani is here." Seeing Zhu Yanyi return, the villagers watching the scene became even more excited. The news that Zhu Yanyi was the Medical Buddha Girl had spread throughout Gǎn'ēn Village.
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Aunt Qiao…" Zhu Yanyi greeted everyone as she walked past. By the time she reached the door, her mouth was dry.
"Ani is here." Zhu Shun Yao smiled when she saw Zhu Yanyi. She walked over, picked her up, and weighed her. "Hmm, you’re heavier. It seems you ate well at your master’s place."
"My masters treat me very well. They care about my food and clothes. Don’t worry," Zhu Yanyi said. She looked around. "Dad, where is Sister? I don’t see her." It was such a big event, yet Zhu Yanli was nowhere to be seen.
"Your sister isn’t as free as you. She has school. We didn’t disturb her for the ground-breaking. We didn’t let her take leave," Zhu Shun Yao explained with a smile. "Your sister will be back for lunch."
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "I haven’t seen my sister for a long time. I miss her."
"It’s not that your sister won’t let you see her. It’s that you didn’t come back," Xie Xinlian said, stepping out with her pregnant belly. She greeted Xie Zhong and the others. "Father, Mother, please sit. The time hasn’t arrived yet."
Zhu Yanyi struggled to get down and pulled Yan Aohan forward. "It’s not my fault. I was treating her."
Yan Aohan took the opportunity to bow to Zhu Shun Yao. "Uncle Zhu, Auntie Zhu, hello. I am Yan Aohan. I am Ani’s first patient." He then pointed to Zhang Haifeng beside him. "This is my childhood friend, Zhang Haifeng. You can just call us by our names."
"Then I won’t be polite," Zhu Shun Yao said. He could see that Yan Aohan and his friends came from a different background. But to him, he was just a farmer. He had no thoughts of climbing the social ladder. Besides, they were here for medical help. In terms of relationship, they were just his daughter’s patients. Most importantly, they were her first patients.