Either he didn't hear her or he was simply ignored her as he made no attempt to even acknowledge her presence. She called him again, this time raising her voice above the noise; "ZHANG JIAN!"
He frowned as he tilted his head towards her direction. He was deeply engrossed in his work and had not heard or seen her approach. She waved at him and he nodded back.
"Zhang Jian pardon my ignorance, but what are you doing?"
He chuckled to himself as he thought; "These nobles are a funny bunch. Only a highborn would see me building and still ask what I am doing." Then he remembered that she was mentally unstable and answered patiently;
"Oh, I am building an extension of the hut so there will be additional room for everyone to stay comfortably."
His reply made sense to Zhao Ling'er but that didn't explain why he was using his hands. So she asked again; "But why are you using your hands?"