Chapter 11: Renovation Completed
"Sister Wanqing, the rabbit meat you cooked is so delicious. I think we won't have enough rice to cook for lunch today." Gu Xiang walked around the stove.
"It's okay. I cooked plenty of rice, enough for us to eat." Li Wanqing put the spicy diced rabbit into the bowl.
"You take the dishes out, I'll mix some cold dishes, and then we'll eat." Li Wanqing handed the dishes to Gu Xiang and asked her to take them out.
"Okay, Sister Wanqing, I'll go let my dad and the others wash their hands." Gu Xiang is fourteen years old this year, but because she has been favored since childhood, she has a somewhat cheerful temperament.
Less than a minute later, Li Wanqing heard Gu Xiang calling from outside: "Dad, big brother, second brother, third brother, fourth brother, come out and wash your hands and eat.
Today, Sister Wanqing made spicy diced rabbit, so each of you should eat an extra bowl of rice today."
Zhang Dahua came out first. She took the broom and patted the dirt off her body. "You little girl, why are you yelling so loudly? You're not quiet at all. You're going to find a husband soon. I don't think anyone would dare to marry you if you keep yelling all day."
Although Zhang Dahua was muttering, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
"I'm not afraid. If no one wants me, I'll stay at home forever." Gu Xiang muttered and ran to get the dishes and chopsticks.
Zhang Dahua shook her head: "This girl is not steady at all."
"Dad, it's time for dinner." Gu Yan also put down his tools and came out of the wooden house.
The kang has been set up in the cave, and now we just need to light a fire to dry it.
The partition wall has been built and the stove has been rebuilt. It is now burning every day. The kang is already half dry and it will probably be safe for people to sleep in in two days.
The stone wall was also covered with white rough paper.
New window paper was also installed on the windows.
I have to say, after this cleanup, this cave is no worse than a newly built tile house.
Wait for Li Wanqing. Then hang up the door curtains and window curtains, and it will look even better.
Even Zhang Dahua, who had always complained about Li Wanqing's messiness, said that the cave was really neat after being tidied up like this.
She even said that she would tidy up like this when she had time when she got back.
Gu Yan and his team are now building a wooden house. There is not much else in the deep mountains, but there is plenty of wood.
The wooden house is now half built. If Li Wanqing hadn't asked for so much, it would have been completed by now.
"Dad, eldest brother, second brother, fourth brother, hurry up and wash your hands and have dinner. This is the wine I brought back from the foot of the mountain yesterday. Let's have a drink." Gu Yan said as he poured wine for several people.
"Okay, we haven't had a drink together for a long time, but fourth brother, you should drink less." Gu Chongshan said with a smile.
"Why can I drink better than my third brother even though I drink less? Third brother, fill my glass." Gu Chuan, the fourth brother, started to make a fuss inside.
"Okay, I'll fill your glass. I won't be responsible if you get drunk." Gu Yan smiled and took his glass and filled it up.
"Come on, Dad, let's have a drink together." Gu Nian raised his glass.
"Dad, eat some food. Wanqing made this rabbit very well. It's delicious."
It was at this time that the eldest and second daughters came: "Grandpa, grandma, and third uncle."
"Big Girl and Second Girl, why are you here?" Before anyone else could say anything, Gu Nian, their biological father, spoke.
"I...we...we're here to help Uncle San." The girl's voice got lower and lower.
She is a grown-up girl now. Although she is greedy and wants to eat delicious food from her uncle's house, she also knows how to feel ashamed.
"Hey? Why are Da Niu, Er Niu and the others here? Let me go out and take a look." Zhang Dahua said after hearing the voice.
Li Wanqing and Zhang Dahua and Gu Xiang did not eat with Gu Chongshan and his son.
Gu Chongshan and his sons were eating on the platform at the entrance of the cave.
Li Wanqing ate with Zhang Dahua and Gu Xiang in a small cave nearby.
The wooden door that Li Wanqing saw when she first came here was this small cave.
It was originally dug by Grandpa Gu himself and used as a warehouse. Later, when Gu Yan grew up, he dug a bigger hole and let Gu Yan live there.
Now that the child has come, Li Wanqing can no longer stay in the cave, so she follows him out.
"Big girl, second girl, what are you doing here?" Zhang Dahua asked her two granddaughters.
"Grandma, we...gurgle,gurgle." Before the eldest girl could finish her sentence, the second girl's stomach started growling.
Zhang Dahua saw that there was nothing she didn't understand, she knew they were here for the food.
This was her own granddaughter, so it was nothing for her to eat her meal. She was just angry at Zhang Cuihua, who knew that the third child was busy, but not only did they not come to help, but also sent the child to eat here.
"Okay, come in and eat." Although Zhang Dahua's face looked unhappy, she did not stop her granddaughter from eating.
"Big girl, second girl, come and eat." Li Wanqing served each of them a bowl of brown rice.
"Thank you, Auntie San." The girl thanked her politely.
However, her address made Li Wanqing blush, and she didn't know whether to agree or not.
After dinner, the eldest girl rushed to wash the dishes.
The others started working again. The wooden house would be finished today. The furniture inside was not there yet, but there was no rush. Every man in the mountains knew some carpentry skills. Gu Yan knew it too.
Just wait until you have time after you get married and do it slowly.
"Well, you know what, this wooden house of yours is really nice. I think we can live in it directly in the summer. It's very bright." Gu Bei said as he looked at the built wooden house.
"Yes, it's good. When I have time, I will build one too. It can be used as a living space in the summer or as a kitchen.
I cook in the cave every day, and the smell of rice can be smelled even when I sleep.
Wanqing is smart. She has cleaned up the cave well. Although it cost a few cents to cover the stone walls with rough paper, it does make the cave look a lot brighter.
And with this partition, the cave becomes an inner and outer room, so visitors can't see through it all at once." Zhang Dahua looked at the renovated cave with increasing satisfaction.
"Wanqing, the cave has been renovated. Let's find a good day to do your thing." Zhang Dahua said.
"I'll listen to you, Auntie." Li Wanqing didn't object. Ten days had passed in a flash, and she was becoming more and more satisfied with Gu Yan.
Since neither of them had any objection, Zhang Dahua started to take charge.
Although it is called a big event, in fact, getting married in the mountains is just like that.
The betrothal gifts have already been given, so all we have to do is look at the almanac to find an auspicious day, prepare two tables of banquet at home, and invite all the relatives and friends to have a meal, and then it will be over.
This is still the case if the conditions are good. If the conditions are not good, all you can do is take your wife home with a small cloth bag and two sets of old clothes and start your life there.
The same thing happened to the Gu family. Zhang Dahua looked through the old almanac and saw that the eighth day of the fourth lunar month was a good day for marriage, so she set the date on that day.
He also asked Gu Yan to inform his second uncle and aunt.
However, his second uncle only brought a gift of one or two taels of silver, and did not come in person.
Gu Yan's aunt promised to come back that day.
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