Chapter I    Building Basics

Where to Build Your House?

Build in high and well-drained place,

to keep away from dampness and poisonous gases.
Build on firm and level ground,

to secure a solid foundation that can not be moved.

Avoid building upon sand and mud,

which may sink under the weight of house.

Neither build in filled ponds or dried riverbeds,

 whose ground does not make a good foundation.

Do not  build upon unstable rocks,

 which will break under the pressure of the house.

Nor build in lowlands or valleys,

 where damp and cold air, and unhealthy gases gather.
 

Surround Your House with Beauty

Plant trees and shrubs around the house,

their branches and boughs will make happy home for the singing birds,

their green leaves will give us shade in the heat.

Surround the house with beautiful flowers,

How lovely are their colors, how sweet their fragrance!

But permit no trees to stand too near the house,

 nor allow any vines to cover up the windows,

for they will darken our rooms,

and bring dampness to the house.
 

How to Decorate Your House

The furniture does not need to be expensive,

 but health must be considered above everything else.
Comfort is better than display,

harmony more than extravagance,

but the beauty of simplicity few can understand.
 

Sunlight may make the furniture fade,

but it will let our cheeks glow.

 Let every room be brightened by the sunlight,

let every bedroom not lack of the healing agent.

 

Bouquets of fresh blossoms,

vases with dried flowers,

can make a house like a palace;
and love in the heart and smiles on the face,

 make a home into a paradise.