Chapter 26: The Black Box

Gou Ye glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby, then hurried home with the box clutched tightly in his arms. Even as he entered his house, he couldn’t help but peer outside once more, making sure he hadn’t been followed.

With haste, he lit a candle and, using its faint light, took the box from his pocket. It was entirely black, its material unknown, and it exuded an unusually strong fragrance.

Gou Ye shook the box gently and could sense something inside, but after studying it for a long time, he had no idea how to open it. The box was seamless, as though it had been sealed shut from the start.

Upon closer inspection, Gou Ye noticed a tiny, inconspicuous hole on the side of the black box, very much like the slot on a modern phone for a SIM card. After much effort, he found a long stick, broke it down to palm-length, and whittled it into a toothpick shape with his knife.

Holding the box in one hand and the makeshift pick in the other, he slowly pushed it into the hole. The pick slid in smoothly until halfway, where it seemed to hit something. Fearing the stick might break inside, he hesitated and eventually gave up. He considered hacking the box open with a knife or axe, but worried he might destroy something fragile hidden within. Or if he forced it, he might ruin whatever was inside. Gou Ye racked his brains for a solution, but nothing came to mind. In the end, he dug a hole in his earthen bed just the right size, placed the black box inside, and decided to study it further another day.

The next morning, Yun Niang came as usual to Gou Ye's house. Smelling the strong fragrance, she frowned and sharply questioned him about where he’d been the night before and why the house reeked so. Gou Ye, unable to explain, simply took out the black box and told her everything, asking her to keep it secret. In the daylight, the two of them examined the box thoroughly, but still could not find a way to open it.

At first, Gou Ye thought of giving it to Aunt Wang, but considering it carefully, he realized that such an item would never be left in a dog’s den by her. Besides, Aunt Wang was terrible at keeping secrets and would surely show it off to everyone. It was likely the box didn’t belong to Aunt Wang at all—she probably knew nothing about it.

To test his theory, Gou Ye visited Aunt Wang’s home under the pretense of seeing Little Fatty, her dog. While playing with the dog, he deliberately said loudly, “Aunt Wang, your dog’s den has become terribly damp. Little Fatty must be uncomfortable in there. Let me fetch some dry straw and re-bedding it for you.”

Aunt Wang, hanging out her laundry, replied with a laugh, “Sure, Gou Ye. What brings you here today with so much free time, coming to play with the dog?”

Seeing her glance his way, Gou Ye made a show of rummaging through the dog’s den, but Aunt Wang didn’t react at all. That confirmed his suspicion—she truly knew nothing of the box. Most likely, Little Fatty had found the box somewhere, dragged it back, and left it in the den. The strong scent must have lingered, and that was why the dog refused to enter.

Soon after, Gou Ye finished tidying up the dog’s den with a smile and took his leave. Aunt Wang, puzzled by his odd behavior, went to check the den herself but found nothing unusual, and returned to her house, full of questions.

With his suspicions confirmed, Gou Ye promptly gathered craftsmen to begin work on his grand project—building his own house.

In this Ming dynasty era, houses were mostly built of wood for speed and practicality. Few buildings were constructed entirely of brick or stone. Gou Ye, recalling the blue bricks used for walls in the Duke of Jing’s manor, which were similar to modern red bricks, asked the craftsmen if it was feasible to build entirely with blue bricks. The head craftsman, astonished, asked, “Are you sure you want it built entirely of stone?”

“Yes, mostly with stone. The doors and windows can be wooden. I don’t know the technical details, but I can tell you my general idea and structure. The rest is up to you.”

The craftsman, realizing Gou Ye didn’t understand, said directly, “Young Master Gou, it’s not unheard of to build with stone, but you know, prisons are built that way. If you ask me, better to stick with wood. I can design it to look like stone but built from wood. Otherwise, I fear a stone house could be inauspicious for the master of the house.”

Having lived his modern life in high-rises, Gou Ye was not about to be swayed by such superstitions. He politely declined the craftsman’s suggestion, insisting on his brick-built plan.

This robust young craftsman was the most skilled builder in the area, nimble in his work and never one to procrastinate. Though Gou Ye’s ideas were unconventional, the craftsman was open-minded and even offered many suggestions of his own.

“The village chief was right about you. You really do have some talent. Whose son are you? I don’t recall seeing you before,” Gou Ye asked the craftsman.

He replied, “I was born in the neighboring village and grew up there. With years of turmoil on the frontier, all the men in my family went off to war, leaving me to care for my aged mother. My father taught me the trade from a young age, so I took up odd jobs in the county to support us. To make travel easier, I moved with my mother to Tumen Village two years ago.”

Gou Ye nodded. “I see. I’ve lived here since I was a child, so that’s why you looked unfamiliar to me. What should I call you?”

“My name is Wang, courtesy name Li. Because of my strength, everyone calls me Mighty. You can call me that, Young Master. Whatever you need, I’ll do my best.” Mighty grinned as he spoke.

Gou Ye was very satisfied with Mighty and appointed him head of the craftsmen, equivalent to a modern foreman, giving him full authority over the house construction.

“Mighty, based on your experience, how much silver would it cost to build this house?”

Mighty pondered for a long while, then replied, “Young Master Gou, this house is unlike wooden ones. It covers a large area and requires a lot of materials. Even if we economize and don’t use fancy materials, and not counting interior furnishings or decorations, just building the house will cost no less than three thousand taels of silver.”

“Three thousand taels!” Gou Ye exclaimed in astonishment. He had never imagined building a house would be so expensive, and this was only for two simple rooms. Thinking of the Duke of Jing’s estate, that must have been an enormous sum. Meanwhile, all his silver combined barely totaled a thousand taels—it seemed he would have to work even harder to earn more.