Then pave the road from the bathroom outwards, and lay bricks next to the prefabricated slabs to make curbs.

The work was finished at four o'clock and the yard became clean immediately.

Zhou wanted to settle his wages with Master Ma Gua, but Master Ma Gua refused to accept.

"You've given me the skills again, how can I ask for money? Because so many people came this time and everyone learned, I can't give you a commission, so don't talk to me about wages."

Seeing that he was truly unwilling, she agreed, "Okay! Thanks for your hard work again!"

"It's not hard. I'm here to learn technology."

When Zhou's mother heard that he hadn't received his wages, she felt bad. "How about we not ask for his commission next time he comes to deliver the kang?"

"Next time he offers me a commission, take it no matter how much it is, and then tell him not to take any more after that."

Zhou's mother nodded, "That's fine."

Father Zhou looked around and came back and said, "Now that we have more space at home, aren't you planning to seal up this old stove?"

"No, Master Magua said it's not good to seal it. It's better to just tear it down if it's not in use. When the stove in the small pot room is usable, we'll tear it down here and put the water tank there to hold it down."

Zhou's mother nodded after hearing this. Water controls fire. The old stove has been used for several years and has already formed a fire direction. It would be appropriate to press it down with a water tank.

After dinner, when Ling Ran returned home, he told Zhou Xiang that he was going to the county town tomorrow.

Zhou Xiang felt embarrassed and said, "I'll make you work hard for a few more days."

Ling Ran rubbed her hair and said, "It's okay. I'm happy to help you. I'll be back in a couple of days and come play with you again."

Zhou Xiang nodded, "Okay!"

After watching Ling Ran leave, Zhou Xiang returned to the house and saw his sister petting the cat again and not cleaning the table, so he sighed.

"Second sister, it's my turn to cook today. There are so many people at home, and you don't help with cooking or washing dishes. This is the precedent you set. When it's your turn to cook, even if there are a hundred people eating, I won't help, because you do the first and I do the fifteenth."

Zhou Yu replied lazily, "That's fate."

"Okay! Let's see who's lucky!"

Zhou Xiang quickly washed the dishes and then washed himself.

Pulling his second sister off the kang, he said, "Don't sleep on my kang until you wash up. Throw the cat into its nest."

Zhou Yu had no choice but to get up and wash. His sister was tired after a whole day, but she still wanted to wash. Did she have obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Zhou wanted to throw the cat into the space while her second sister was washing up. This cat was too unsuitable for her. She was lazy to begin with, and petting a cat all day long made her even lazier!

The two dogs looked at Zhou Xiang with wet eyes. Zhou Xiang secretly cracked two eggs, one for each dog.

After his sister fell asleep, Zhou Xiang entered the space under the quilt. He had been busy for several days and had no time to check the space.

The cat was called over and scolded, meaning that it had to be obedient. If it didn't, it would not have any eggs to eat, and if it didn't obey, it would be thrown into someone else's house.

The cat lowered its head and licked her feet.

Zhou wanted to avoid it and told it to go play somewhere else. He started to tidy up his space. It was time to collect the fruits, vegetables, and eggs. The watermelon vines in the fenced yard were bearing watermelons.

After finishing my work, I simply took a nap in the space. I have been sleeping outside in recent days and there is not enough time, so I feel sleep deprived.

After a good sleep, Zhou Xiang got up to feed the chickens. He mixed the leftover bran from the New Year and fed it to two of the chickens. They refused to eat it, so he had to continue feeding them fruits.

When the little white cat saw Zhou Xiang feeding the chickens, it came over to eat. Zhou Xiang used the peach in his hand to tease it, but it actually scratched the peach away with its claws and squatted aside to eat it.

Zhou Xiang was stunned. It is normal for chickens to eat fruits, but is it normal for cats to eat fruits?

I took out my junior high school history and politics textbook and started reciting. There have been too many trivial matters at home recently, which have delayed my studies.

Feeling that it was almost five o'clock outside, Zhou thought of a way out and stayed in bed for a while. He kicked the other end with his foot and said, "Second sister, it's time to get up and cook."

Zhou Yu muttered something, turned over and fell asleep again.

I waited for a while and kicked again, but he still didn't wake up, so I simply got up and picked up some coal for the fire.

A few minutes later, Zhou Yu jumped up again, shouting, "Zhou Xiang! Did you do this on purpose?"

"I didn't mean to. Can you get up? I've called you so many times that I'm tired of it. If you don't hurry up, Dad won't be able to eat when he gets home, and you'll be scolded again."

Zhou Yu got up reluctantly. When Zhou Xiang came back after washing up, she hadn't folded the quilt yet.

"I'm telling you, it's six o'clock now, and Dad wants to eat at seven."

Zhou Yu started to get anxious, "Go empty the urine bucket!"

“No!”

"Then help me steam the buns."

“No!”

"Help me sweep the floor."

“No!”

"So what can you do?"

"I'm going to sit here and wait for dinner."

Zhou Yu angrily went to empty the urine bucket, came back to wash up, and then started to burn the old stove.

"Friendly reminder, it's half past six."

Zhou Yu didn't appreciate it, "I don't want your fake kindness."

"oh."

At exactly seven o'clock, Zhou's father entered the kitchen and saw his eldest daughter still cooking porridge, with steam rising from the new stove.

"Second brother, what's in that pot over there that's so hot?"

"Steamed buns."

"How long has it been distilling?"

"Huh? It seems like it's been distilled for a long time."

Zhou's father opened the lid of the pot and looked at the bottom of the pot where only a bowl of water was left. He was so angry that he threw the lid down.

"Wait two more minutes and the pot will be dry, hurry up and pick out the buns!"

"Oh." Zhou Yu put down the spoon in his hand and came over to pick out the buns.

Father Zhou opened the cupboard, took out the pickle bowl, and saw the little bit of pickles at the bottom of the bowl. "Second brother, have you made the pickles?"

"No."

Before Zhou's father had time to get angry, he smelled a burnt odor and hurried to the old stove, picked up a spoon and stirred the porridge.

It was too late, the fire had already stuck to the bottom of the pot and was burnt. Father Zhou pulled out the firewood from under the stove, threw it outside, and put out the fire with water.

Zhou Yu was so scared that he stood aside, at a loss as to what to do.

Father Zhou came into the room, pointing his finger at her. "Tell me, what can you do? The buns are overcooked, the water in the pot is almost dry, the porridge is burnt, and the pickles are not soaked. How can we eat this breakfast? Huh?"

Zhou Yu felt very aggrieved. "My sister got up early. I asked her to help, but she refused."

"Really? Then there were more than a dozen people having dinner yesterday. What did you do to help your sister?"

"They're having lunch, not breakfast."

"Early? Then what time did you get up? Did your sister call you?"

"Six, six o'clock, my sister called."

"So what time did she call you?"

"She said she'd call me at five."

"Then why don't you get up at five?"

"I can't get up!"

"Then how did your sister wake up?"

"She's used to it."

"Oh, she's used to getting up early, but you're not. She came to town at the age of five and has been getting up at five every day to help with cooking, sweeping the floor, and washing dishes. You're not used to it. You don't have to get up early when you follow your grandmother, so how dare you say that you suffer when you follow your grandmother?

From now on, when I get up at three o'clock to boil water and slaughter the pig, I will wake you up so that you can practice your habit."