Chapter 363 Moving into the Siheyuan
When the day of departure came, Lizhan was unable to escort them back, so he sent them on board and told Xiaowen, Xiaowu and Beibei to look after their younger brothers and help the adults take care of them. He also told the triplets to be obedient and that if they dared to fight or make trouble, he would deal with them when he returned.
Finally, he hugged Xia Juanjuan, kissed her on the ear, and whispered, "Juanjuan, be careful on your journey. When you get to Beijing, send me a telegram... No, call the headquarters. Do you hear me?"
Xia Juanjuan nodded, and couldn't help but say: "I made some dumplings for you and put them outside to freeze. Remember to eat them tonight. There is still flour and meat left at home. Remember to make some dumplings and cook them for yourself on New Year's Eve. Do you hear me?"
Li Zhan smiled and said, "I see. There are dumplings in the cafeteria on New Year's Eve, so you won't be hungry anyway. You worry too much."
Xia Juanjuan glared at him. She cared about him so much that she even complained about him.
She suddenly came over and whispered in Li Zhan's ear: "On New Year's Eve, don't let your comrades play in your dormitory. Turn off the lights and go to bed early."
Li Zhan was stunned for a moment. What was going on? We were already back in Beijing, so why were we still checking on him?
Suddenly he remembered that his wife's portable space could teleport thousands of miles away.
Lizhan's eyes lit up and he asked with his mouth: "You want to come over?"
Xia Juanjuan blinked at him, pursed her lips and smiled tenderly, but did not answer.
The ship was about to leave, so Li Zhan reluctantly got off the ship and waved to them while standing on the dock.
The triplets, Xiaowen, Xiaowu and Beibei stood in a row on the deck, shouting, "Dad, Fourth Uncle! Goodbye! Goodbye!"
Xia Juanjuan didn't feel comfortable shouting, so she just waved her hands desperately.
The wolf cub also followed them back to Beijing. He was an expert at guarding the house and protecting his young master.
It was also walking around the deck, sobbing, and was obviously sad about being separated from Lizhan.
Along the way, I first took a boat, then a bus, and then a train. I changed trains again and again before finally arriving in Beijing. It took exactly five days, so it was relatively smooth.
With the help of Xia Shuangshan and Lin Yuru, Xiaowen was also an older child. He helped carry luggage and took care of his younger brothers and sisters, etc., and he also shared a lot of responsibilities.
Xia Juanjuan looked at Xiaowen and couldn't help feeling tender in her heart.
When she first came through, Xiao Wen was only as tall as her calves, but in the blink of an eye, he was as tall as her chin.
However, his nature of protecting his younger siblings has never changed since he was a child.
Fu Nanzheng drove a jeep to the train station to pick up people. As there were so many people and luggage, he did not go back to the Fu family, but went directly to the courtyard house next to Shichahai Lake.
The triplets excitedly clamored to ride in the jeep. Fu Nanzheng carried them one by one into the car, and let Lin Yuru and Beibei get in as well. He sent one group over first, and asked Xia Juanjuan, Xia Shuangshan, Xiaowen and Xiaowu to wait for the next group.
Xia Juanjuan saw a state-owned snack shop at the entrance of the station selling freshly-baked fried dough twists, so she bought some and gave them to Xiaowen and Xiaowu.
The fried dough twist is crispy and tastes better the more you eat it.
After eating for a while, Fu Nanzheng came back and took Xia Juanjuan and the others over.
The children were so excited to see such a big yard that they started running around and playing in the yard.
Xia Shuangshan and Lin Yuru were also amazed: "Juanjuan, this yard is so big? It must be bigger than the house in Tonghua Lane!"
Xia Juanjuan smiled and said, "That's right. I heard that the original owner of this house was a high-ranking official. A Beijing official, very impressive, how could the yard not be big?"
Xia Shuangshan said with some worry: "How much does it cost to rent this? Otherwise, I'll move back to the village, and you can rent out the front and back entrances and the annex..."
Xia Juanjuan said with a straight face, "Dad, what are you talking about? Didn't we agree that when I pass the college entrance examination, we will move to Beijing together? I will go to school later, and my mother will be alone in taking care of the house. How can she take care of it? I will feel at ease if you are here with me. Besides, if we let someone else live in, what if he has bad character and quarrels with each other? It will be difficult to drive him away in the future. Wouldn't that be troublesome? Don't worry about the money. I have a subsidy for college, and Lizhan also has a subsidy."
After hearing this, Xia Shuangshan didn't know what to say.
However, Xia Juanjuan could also see that Xia Shuangshan was feeling uneasy.
It was fine when he was on the island before, as the big house on the island was arranged by the resident without spending any money. He just tended the vegetable garden, helped take care of the children, and occasionally helped enthusiastically when someone on the island built a house or repaired a chicken coop. Life was pretty good.
But now in Beijing, I can't earn a penny by renting a house with this money, and I am afraid I feel a little ashamed of eating for free.
Xia Juanjuan sighed.
She also understood that Xia Shuangshan would be most comfortable living in the village.
He is an expert in knowing when to plant what crops and when to do what farm work, whether it is weeding or harvesting. He is also confident in building walls and houses.
After arriving in Beijing, he suddenly became an old man with nothing to do and nothing to eat. He must have felt uncomfortable.
She had somewhat neglected these things.
However, for now, we can only bear with him for now and talk about it later.
Xia Juanjuan smiled and said, "Dad, there are many people and cars in Beijing. This house is not far from the school, but we have to cross several main roads. We have many children in our family, and the triplets will also go to school in the fall of next year. In the future, I will have to trouble you to pick them up every morning and evening!"
Xia Shuangshan was shocked when he heard this and said, "Oh! Then I will definitely go to pick them up. It's just... our family has so many children and the expenses are huge. When six little ones go to school, the tuition alone will be a huge debt. We have to find some way to get more money..."
Xia Juanjuan said, "There's still a long way to go. The country doesn't allow private businesses right now, and we both have rural household registrations. I'm afraid it'll be difficult for you to find a temporary job. Wait a little longer, and I'll keep an eye out for you."
After hearing this, Xia Shuangshan said nothing more.
However, he was also thinking in his heart that he had heard from his former colleagues that there were people from the countryside who went to the city to do the dirty and heavy work that people in the city were unwilling to do, such as pressing coal briquettes, pushing a flatbed cart to deliver coal briquettes, delivering goods, and even cleaning out feces, and sometimes temporary workers were needed.
There is usually something like a labor market in the city. You hold a piece of grass and wait there. When someone sees you, they will come over to pick it up. If they pick you, you will work for a day and be paid on the same day.
He planned to wait until after the Chinese New Year, when he was settled, and then go explore the route without telling Xia Juanjuan and Lin Yuru.
Every extra cent earned is a penny earned.
It’s different from the village now. We can find something to fill our stomachs in the mountains.
There's no place to even dig up wild vegetables here, and everything costs money.
The child is growing bigger day by day, and the little brat is eating me to death.
With six children, the daily expenses for food alone are high, and there are also tuition fees and book fees.
Xia Shuangshan was always doing the math in his mind and was always worried.
Juan'er was not a man who would compromise on food. He was really afraid that his family would run out of money.
Xia Juanjuan had no idea what Xia Shuangshan was thinking.
After putting the luggage into the house, Xia Juanjuan arranged accommodation.
She still lived in the east wing with the triplets, while Lin Yuru and Xia Shuangshan lived in the east wing. Xiaowen and Xiaowu lived in the west wing, and Beibei also had a separate room. Considering that she was a girl and still young, she lived in the west wing. If she was scared at night, she would come to live with Xia Juanjuan, or Lin Yuru would come to sleep with her in the west wing.
There are no arrangements for the front and back courtyards for the time being.
The curtains and other things in the room were all prepared by Xia Juanjuan in advance, with quilts and other things taken out from the space. There was even a coal stove in each room, and a small shed in the yard was filled with firewood and coal briquettes, all in great order.
Xia Juanjuan didn't even bother to pack her luggage, and the whole family went to the Fu family in a grand manner.
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve.
Xia Shuangshan and Lin Yuru had been to the Fu family twice before, and this time when they returned to Beijing, they still had to pay a visit out of courtesy.