Chapter 1183: Chapter 1183: Busy
After dinner, the couple washed up before finally getting into bed. It had been a really exhausting day.
Especially for Li Yungui, who only managed to take a nap in the car and had been busy the entire day.
Early the next morning, after assigning tasks, Li Cunshan took six people and two ox carts to the countryside to process cotton. This time, Li Yungui had Tao Chunhe accompany them since the cotton had to be delivered to the granary, and Li Cunshan couldn’t read.
Tao Chunhe was quite surprised. He thought after the Yan Shuping incident, none of the educated youths would have it easy, yet he didn’t expect to be given such a good task.
Processing cotton was quite tiring. However, everyone was skilled at working, and even Tao Chunhe and Xu Chunshan were very efficient.
Li Yungui started finishing up the pig farm at home, installing glass today, with plastic curtains on the outside and thick straw curtains further out. There was no doubt about the insulation being adequate.
Jiang Xinyu came to check again and did not find any areas needing improvement.
Actually, she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable, but she had visited a village pig farm, which had good relations with Grandma. She would often bring vegetables.
This was how it looked in her memory.
"Teacher Jiang, I think we could drive the pigs over the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll get Doctor Liu to provide the disinfectant."
"I think it’s about right too, but will it be too troublesome to drive them over? If not feasible, just catch them directly. If we don’t keep an eye on them, we’ll have to chase them," Jiang Xinyu thought about the scene, secretly laughing inside; it was quite humorous.
By noon, the work was done. In the afternoon, Li Yungui and his eldest son started installing glass at home.
Green bricks and red tiles, high courtyard walls—these were things not dared to be imagined before.
The main house had a straight row of nine rooms, with three additional side rooms on both east and west sides. This was surely enough space.
The father and son labored until the evening before finally finishing. Li Yungui carefully stored away the glass cutter. His heart ached over the small item that had cost five yuan; it was too expensive.
After dinner, the whole family came to the new yard, feeling incredibly happy.
"Manjiang, you and your wife will live in the middle three rooms, your dad and I will stay on the east side. The west side will have one room for Xue, one room for Hongling and Cheng Lin, and Chaoyang and Changhe will live in the east side’s side rooms. In the winter, you brothers should stay together."
Qu Xiaoli rejoiced, never imagining she could live in such a nice house in her lifetime.
"Second Aunt, I think I should stay in the side room," Li Xue said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"No way, my girl must live well."
Li Xue felt deeply moved. This second aunt was way better to her than her own mother.
"Mom, when can we move in?"
"Starting tomorrow, you and Hongling can start airing the rooms, but be careful not to break the glass. The rooms are damp; your big brother’s room needs special attention with the fire."
"No need, tomorrow we can also paint the walls with lime, making the rooms white and bright."
"Good! Tomorrow our whole family will take a day off, and we’ll finish in a day. I’ll go borrow a scraper right now." Qu Xiaoli walked off excitedly.
The rest of the family continued taking a look around. "Dad, we’re still missing four iron pots."
"Hmm, we’ll get them when the tractor returns. I’ll go to the city for a sewing machine and buy them there; your uncle gave quite a few industrial tickets, don’t worry, it’ll be enough."
"Second Uncle, I’d like to go back to the city too, we still need curtains at home, our old ones are too small."
"Alright, we’ll all go."
"Can we two go too?"
"Yes, everyone can go, but it depends on your performance."
"Dad, we’ll be sure to behave and work diligently."
The family locked up the house and went home. Li Xue enthusiastically planned what was needed at home, feeling particularly excited.
Thinking about having her big brother measure sizes tomorrow, curtains and door curtains would require quite a bit of fabric.
Li Manjiang was a bit worried; why has the stamped application not arrived yet? Once it does, he still needs to go to the armed forces department for a stamp.
Li Cunshan and the others didn’t return home tonight at all; it was Da Guo who returned with the empty cart.
Li Yungui was smoking. His wife must have stopped to chat with someone again; it was so late and she still hadn’t returned.
He heard a knock on the door, opened it to see Da Guo, knowing they would definitely be late today.
"Is everyone back?"
"No, just Er Bao and I returned; they stayed to keep working tonight, we’ll haul another load over tomorrow morning."
"Alright, bring them food tomorrow."
"We borrowed food tickets from Tao, and will pay him back with grain."
"Okay, quickly go rest."
The next day, another hundred bags of cotton were loaded. Li Yungui, concerned, sent his brother along.
Today, at home, whitewashing; the whole family took leave, moving large pots of slaked lime from the team. Add water, drop in lime chunks, and soon it reaches the desired consistency.
All were capable workers. By midday, all the rooms were done with the whitewash; now yet undried and not showing white, but when thoroughly dry, it would be bright.
They measured all the room sizes. Qu Xiaoli had the eldest son drive the cart and take him to Zheng Family Village to buy kang mats.
They required twelve kang mats in various sizes.
Qu Xiaoli felt that since they were moving into a new house, the kang mats must be new for good luck and auspiciousness.
Upon return, she hurried to find the village carpenter; other rooms could use old furniture, but the eldest son’s room must have new furniture.
"Yungui’s family, I have ready-made cabinets and the like now, should I show them to you?"
"Okay, Second Brother, go back first, I’ll find my daughter-in-law and let her have a look since it’s mostly for her future use, it needs her approval."
"Alright, just come to my house to find me."
In the past, there was no time for furniture; it was only this year that it could be arranged in advance.
Qu Xiaoli found Wang Menglin, and the two went directly to the carpenter’s house.
The furniture was ordinary, made of old elm wood. The style was also plain.
Wang Menglin didn’t mind; she was deeply satisfied with the future mother-in-law’s efforts.
They picked two upright cabinets, two kang cabinets, and a table, also ordering a few wooden basins. Water buckets, small benches, and large stools were all ordered.
"Second Brother, I’ll come to collect them in a couple of days."
"Alright, they’re all set aside for you." Knowing that Manjiang was in a rush to get married, he understood.
Li Manjiang was tidying up the yard. Cheng Lin rushed in, "Big Brother, there’s a postman, says there’s a registered letter for you."
This finally put Li Manjiang’s heart at ease. It’s finally here; he has only fifteen days before needing to return.
He quickly headed to the brigade office. After showing his ID, he secured the letter. Without opening it outside, he went directly home, where Qu Xiaoli was chatting with Wang Menglin.
"Mom, Menglin, the registered letter from the military arrived."
"That’s great; Menglin still needs a letter of introduction from the educated youth office, right?"
"My uncle will provide the letter; the educated youth office just needs to stamp it."
