"When shall we go shopping at the department store again? These things aren't really in a rush. The main thing is to get a mattress and bring these little things back so we can move them over as soon as possible."

"In my opinion, it would be better to open the windows and let the air out for a couple of days. Also, Heng-ge, I think their doors and windows are a bit old. Since we'll be living here for several years, why don't we fix them up to perfection so we can live more comfortably in the future?"

Since Bai Jiaojiao said that, Shen Heng had no choice but to nod in agreement: "Then you can leave these things to me. Just tell me what color you want the windows painted and I'll arrange it."

"Our original color is fine, a bright and festive purplish-red. As for the front door, let's do the same as our neighbors, paint it black."

"Okay, that's easy."

Shen Heng knows how to assemble these things himself. As long as he finds someone to do it and brings the parts back, it's not a big deal.

"We need to soak that laundry tub outside in some sodium hypochlorite, otherwise I reckon it'll grow mold when the weather gets warmer, and I won't dare use it anymore."

What's even more convenient here than in Shili Village is that every household in this community has running water, so there's no need to fumble in the well. It's very convenient for both drinking and using water. The laundry tub is made of cement, and the craftsman who made it even specially designed a slope on one side, with ridges and bumps like a washboard so you can wash clothes.

"good."

Shen Heng thought that Bai Jiaojiao was indeed thoughtful, so he listened to her arrangements.

"Let's come over this weekend and clean up the rest of the place properly, and see if any rats have made a nest here."

After all, since no one lives here for a long time, it's hard to say whether any "little guests" will stay here.

If you only clean one room, and something keeps popping out from other rooms, life can be quite chaotic.

"Hmm." Shen Heng didn't intend to let Bai Jiaojiao do the work. He would spend two hours a day working, which would be more efficient than Bai Jiaojiao working a whole day.

When the time comes, Bai Jiaojiao will just give him instructions, and he will do as she says.

Bai Jiaojiao hadn't figured out how to decorate yet. Unlike Shen Heng, she wasn't in a hurry. She wanted to take things step by step, from the hardware to the software, so that it would be comfortable for them to move in later.

The next day, Shen Heng followed Bai Jiaojiao's instructions, had someone come to measure the width of the doors and windows, discussed the style, and then filled the laundry sink with water and soaked it in sodium hypochlorite.

Now even pure tap water won't freeze outdoors, and the freezing point is even lower with the addition of sodium hypochlorite.

Shen Heng removed all the windows, discarding the old glass as well. He kept the window frames for chopping wood, but gave the glass to a scrap metal yard. Only the main gate remained.

Without windows, and with Shen Heng having put away all the junk left by the Gao family, standing in the room really gave the feeling of being in a completely destitute place.

Shen Heng spent a week cleaning bit by bit, until the mop and broom were completely worn out and the rag was torn. He finally managed to clean the house before Bai Jiaojiao came over again on the weekend.

The window maker first delivered the first batch of windows to Shen Heng at his request, which were the south-facing windows of the two bedrooms and the back window of the main hall. Shen Heng was in a great hurry at the time, and the craftsman did not know what he was in a hurry for, but he still made the windows as soon as he asked.

"If we install it for you, it will cost an extra ten yuan, and we can install it for you this morning."

"You really can't earn this kind of money." Shen Heng saw them off with a sullen expression. It would be better to keep the ten yuan to buy clothes for Bai Jiaojiao. Why spend it on this?

Bai Jiaojiao looked at the house that Shen Heng had cleaned up, which was no different from a new house. Even the dust on the beams had been cleaned by Shen Heng.

“We went to that lady’s house at the end of the alley the other day, and I saw that they had covered up the roof beams. Let’s get someone to fix them too. That would be much more impressive and would keep the rats away.”

In Shili Village, false ceilings weren't common yet; when you went to sleep, all you could see when you looked up was the roof beam.

Bai Jiaojiao immediately agreed: "If the price is high, hang it in the bedroom; if it's still acceptable, hang it all up."

Shen Heng nodded, then led her to the pool as if to take credit: "I change the water with hypochlorous acid every day, and when I change the water, I also use that shoe brush dipped in laundry detergent to scrub it again, and I think it's very clean."

"Mmm, you're really amazing."

"Let's go to the department store first and pick out a wardrobe. I'll take you back to school and then come back to install the window."

The main problem is that this place is drafty from all sides, and if Bai Jiaojiao were to stay with him, she would definitely freeze.

"Heng-ge, I'll stay with you."

"No need. Just stay out of my way and don't let me accidentally bump into anything. Installing these three windows won't be a big deal. Once I've installed them, come back tomorrow, and this whole row will be ready to live in. The one next to the kitchen will be used as a woodshed and storage room. You don't need to furnish it. I've already checked it out; there are no rats or anything. If you don't want to buy a new big pot in the kitchen, then we'll buy a new one."

"Brother Heng, how about we tear down that stove and build a new one, like the one we used to have, with a big platform?"

"Okay, I'll do as you say, but there's no rush. We can just eat at the school cafeteria, so you don't need to cook much."

"Aren't you tired of eating the same dishes every day?" Bai Jiaojiao was fed up with the food and desperately needed a kitchen to improve her meals.

Nowadays, canteens are all government-run canteens, and their purpose is not to make money, so the kitchen staff have little incentive to develop new dishes.

Not only are the dishes the same, but they're also often too salty or too bland, and the reactions don't help. The chefs there all got their positions through connections, and they all have a lot of influence.

Shen Heng simply didn't want Bai Jiaojiao to be tired, but when it came to improving her meals, he was speechless.

He could make do with him, but Bai Jiaojiao couldn't; Shen Heng noticed that Bai Jiaojiao had become quite thin.

Shen Heng said, "Look at me, haven't my cooking skills improved a bit in the past two years?"

"...You're not even as good as the cafeteria."

When Shen Heng cooks, he just makes sure the food is cooked through.

"Well, you used to lie to me and say I was doing a great job. Now you're finally telling the truth."

Shen Heng pinched Bai Jiaojiao's chin, kissed her, and then said, "I'll remember this debt for now, and I'll definitely come back to you for it later."

Bai Jiaojiao slapped Shen Heng's hand away: "Go away. Those were white lies I told before, I didn't want to dampen your enthusiasm, and now it's become my fault?"

"I don't care. Alright, let's go pick out a cabinet. It's just that bringing it back is a headache."

These days, home delivery isn't a thing. Bai Jiaojiao said, "We can just borrow their tricycle. It's several miles from here to the department store. It's really too much trouble for us to carry it all the way back."

"You've seen more of the world." Shen Heng started saying nice things again. That's just how he is, sometimes serious and sometimes not. Bai Jiaojiao reached out and pushed his lowered head aside, and then warmed her hands with Shen Heng's neck.