Chapter 73 - 70: New House!

Chapter 73: Chapter 70: New House!

"It can’t be repaired. The wooden boards have already rotted, and on top of that, the damage is severe..."

The next day.

Su Tan had asked the village chief to come over and help. Village Chief Chen spoke helplessly.

The house was quite old. The original materials used had been of poor quality to begin with, and even before Su Tan moved in, it was already dilapidated. Most of the rafters supporting the roof tiles had snapped, leaving gaping holes in the ceiling. Weeds grew wildly inside and outside the courtyard. Because of the holes in the roof, wind and rain would pour in during storms, rotting some of the wooden boards inside. Later, to provide Su Tan with a place to stay, Village Chief Chen had replaced the rafters and tiles, swapped out the moldy and rotted wooden wall panels, and tidied the place up so it was barely livable. However, the quality of the wood was still subpar. Now that Su Tan smashed it up every few days, it would be better to build a new one from scratch rather than try to repair it.

"I suggest we just build a new one," the old master of the Xu family chimed in.

Su Tan pondered this. Building a new house was fine, but he would have to spend time adjusting to a new living environment. Since he had to adapt anyway, should he rebuild here or move somewhere else?

"Sir, if you’re accustomed to the current layout of the house and the scenery of the courtyard, we can actually plan the new house to look almost identical to the current one," Xu Xiuwu suggested.

This idea was feasible. Su Tan liked being in the Chen Family Village. On Earth, people often moved for the sake of education, work convenience, transportation, commerce, and other amenities. In this world, people moved for nothing more than making better money or growing stronger. Su Tan didn’t worry about making money, nor did he worry about his cultivation. He could grow stronger right here in the Chen Family Village without worrying about resources. Besides, Village Chief Chen and the other villagers were people he was familiar with. Why bother moving elsewhere?

After some brief consideration, Su Tan made his decision: he would rebuild on the original site. However, they didn’t need to completely replicate the current house. They could add some new facilities—such as an Alchemy Room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Ideally, it would be two stories high, with a large balcony on the second floor where he could bask in the sun.

Su Tan shared his thoughts with Village Chief Chen and the Xu family. The two parties took charge of the construction. Once the decision was finalized, the Xu family brought in carpenters, and Village Chief Chen rallied some able-bodied young men from the village to start the work. They helped Su Tan move his belongings into a simple temporary shelter next door before tearing down the old house. The reconstruction had officially begun!

"Be careful, don’t step on the flowers and plants in the courtyard! These are Master Su’s beloved items." Xu Xiuwu personally served as the construction captain, handling everything meticulously and hands-on.

RUMBLE!

Accompanied by a cloud of dust, a massive crash echoed out. The house was completely leveled. It truly had been too rotten; much of the timber was already on the verge of collapsing, making its downfall only a matter of time.

Su Tan was present at the construction site every day. Though he couldn’t see, he could feel the changes happening day by day. Whenever he was in high spirits, he would bring out good wine and meat to treat the workers. The scene was bustling and in full swing. All the collapsed timber and roof tiles were cleared away.

"Sir, the original site is a bit small. I suggest expanding the foundation," Xu Xiuwu suggested.

"Alright, you handle it."

Every time there was a modification, he would seek Su Tan’s approval.

"Sir, didn’t you mention wanting a balcony? My suggestion is this: we’ll follow the normal layout for the first floor, but on the second floor, we’ll only build three rooms. The rest of the space will be left open and unroofed. You can bring a reclining chair up there to bask in the sun during the day. Furthermore, we’ll position the balcony directly above the main gate. Since the prevailing wind blows from east to west, you’ll be able to enjoy the breeze. What do you think?

"Also, the courtyard is a bit small, so it might be better to expand it as well. The location of the garden won’t change, but we can rebuild the flowerbeds with a new design. If it’s convenient, we could even dig a koi pond in the courtyard so you can plant lotuses and raise koi fish, Sir..."

Xu Xiuwu had put a tremendous amount of thought into building the new house for Su Tan. He had frantically studied courtyard design and even hired several master designers to help plan a home that was both low-key and luxurious, perfectly suited for Su Tan. As for Village Chief Chen, while he couldn’t help with the design or materials, he contributed his physical labor, which was also a massive help.

This bustling activity lasted for over a month. Finally, a brand-new house rose from the ground on the original site of the Su Tan Courtyard. The entire courtyard was several times larger than before. Its style was retro; while it didn’t look overly opulent, it certainly didn’t look ordinary either. It was a uniquely distinct courtyard. Xu Xiuwu felt it perfectly matched Su Tan’s temperament—low-key and luxurious.

It had two floors in total. The house remained in its original location. The placement of the main gate, and even the doors, tables, bed, kitchen, and bathroom inside, hadn’t changed.

Out in the courtyard, the areas for planting flowers and grass still faced the same direction, though the flowerbeds had been pushed outward by several meters, giving the courtyard a much wider area for activities. The original large tree still stood untouched. Beneath it sat a new set of table and chairs made of Cold Stone Jade, smooth and warm to the touch. The courtyard wall was a one-meter-high artistic stone wall that seamlessly connected to the flowerbeds, creating a unique aesthetic. The ground outside was paved with stone slabs, while the floors inside the rooms had been replaced with wooden floorboards. This was the detail Su Tan was most satisfied with. Because he liked cleanliness, the wooden floors would prevent dust from kicking up.

"How does it feel, Sir? If there’s anything you’re unsatisfied with, we’ll change it immediately!" Xu Xiuwu said.

"It’s excellent!"

Led by the Little White Wolf and Xu Xiuwu, Su Tan took a stroll around. He explored the courtyard, the rooms, and the second floor. Aside from the second floor, the layout wasn’t much different from before. However, the materials and exquisite design were worlds apart from his old house. This new building could be called a luxury villa, whereas the previous one could only be described as a dilapidated, rotting shack.

The positions of the house, the courtyard, and the flowerbeds had barely changed; it was as if everything had simply been upgraded. The new additions—like the bathroom, the Alchemy Room, and the cultivation room—were easy to find, with simple layouts that were easy to adapt to. The koi pond in the courtyard was situated on the left, adjacent to the left flowerbed. To prevent Su Tan from accidentally falling in, the edge of the pond had been deliberately raised by a meter. Xu Xiuwu had done a fantastic job. Su Tan found that it took him hardly any time at all to familiarize himself with his new residence. The table, chairs, bed, and wardrobe were all brand new. Su Tan had long since discarded his old bedding, replacing everything with fresh sets.

Standing inside the house, he could no longer smell the damp stench of rotting wood; instead, there was a fresh... scent of orchids. A few pots of orchids had been placed in the room for decoration, their fragrance wafting through the air. This was Su Tan’s new house! His mood was exceptionally joyful.

For the past month, he hadn’t logged into the Void God Realm, nor had he paid any attention to the outside world. Aside from cultivating, he had spent his time experiencing the process of the house rising from the ground and discussing the design with Xu Xiuwu.

What Su Tan didn’t know was that in the Void God Realm, someone was growing as anxious as an ant on a hot pan because he hadn’t logged in for so long. That person was the Fat Monk.

"Oh man... why hasn’t that guy shown up yet? It’s over... It’s completely over... There’s gonna be a huge problem. Dammit... I accidentally let him snatch that thing...

"When is he coming back? I’m doomed...

"Daddy, I’ll call you daddy, okay?! Just log in already... I’m seriously about to cry..."

Su Tan didn’t know this, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have cared. Let the storms rage and the waves crash; he was going to finish building his house first.

...