031, House Repair
031, House Repair
There is a saying that is very true, some money should be earned by others.
The two hired workers spent an afternoon cleaning the well in the yard and repairing the leaking roof, doors and windows. They made an appointment to come back tomorrow to finish the remaining kitchen, toilet and fireplace.
It was Lu Mingfei who came up with the idea of building a fireplace in the house. Since there were no kangs in the city, sleeping in the house would definitely be very cold in the winter. Many people would place a brazier inside the house to burn charcoal for warmth. However, he knew that burning charcoal in a house with the doors and windows closed could cause carbon monoxide poisoning, so he shared the idea of a modern fireplace with his father and the old craftsman.
Fireplaces also use fires to keep warm, but they exhaust gases outside through a chimney, avoiding the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Fireplaces can also be used for multiple purposes, such as heating water and cooking food in winter. They are safer and more versatile than burning charcoal in a brazier.
Fortunately, his idea was unanimously approved by his father and the old craftsman. The old craftsman even said that he would waive his wages and only ask them to pay for the materials to help them build the fireplace. However, the old craftsman also proposed that he would take this technology away to help other families make similar things.
He had no objection to this. Originally, this thing was not invented by him, he was just copying others. If this method of heating could be spread, it would be a good thing for the people of this era.
The advantage of paying someone to do the work was that they didn't have to work so hard. Otherwise, just the housework would take them ten days or half a month, and their work wouldn't necessarily be as good as a skilled craftsman's.
Fortunately, nothing was found at the bottom of the old well after cleaning, so the water from this well can be used normally. They did not waste the cleaned water. They kept some for their own use and asked some neighbors to take some home for washing clothes and watering vegetables. The cleaned water was not very clean and could not be eaten, but it was safe to use.
Taking this opportunity, their family also got to know the neighbors nearby.
A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Now that their family has moved here and become neighbors with the people around them, they would like to greet each other and get to know each other in advance so that they can help each other if they have any problems in the future.
By the time the two craftsmen left, the sun was almost setting.
The neighbors had left long ago, and the only ones left at home were the elderly, the weak, women and children. These people had to go home to cook, so they all went home early.
"Okay, mother, you have to hurry and cook." Liu Sanniang was also busy at this moment. There were so many things to do at home, and everything depended on her. She was so busy that she even forgot the time. When she came to her senses, she realized that it was almost dark, and their family hadn't even cooked dinner yet.
Seeing his mother anxious, Lu Mingfei said, "Don't worry, mother. Let's take our time. It's just a meal for the three of us."
"Okay." Liu Sanniang then remembered that they were no longer at the Lu family's old house. The three of them had moved into the city. Cooking for three people was much easier than cooking for more than twenty. Most importantly, when she was working herself to death, there would no longer be someone standing by and scolding her.
So even though she has been very busy and tired these days, she is willing to do so. She is happy to be tired and the busyness is worth it.
After the two craftsmen left, they closed the door of their yard, and Lu Mingfei and his mother prepared dinner for their family today. He also wanted to try the dishes they were going to make at the stall, and make medicine for his father.
The chimney of the big stove in the kitchen was broken and could not be used for the time being, so they built two small stoves with stones in the yard, one small stove for boiling his father's medicine and the other small stove for cooking.
They bought pots, pans, firewood, rice, oil, and salt yesterday, and this morning someone sent them a cart of firewood. They went to the city gate to order the firewood yesterday, and the person delivered it to their home today.
This cartload of firewood was definitely not enough to last the entire winter, but since winter was still some way off, they could take their time preparing for the winter and not rush to get everything done in one day. Their family's funds were limited at the moment, so they couldn't spend lavishly, so they had to be frugal.
The rent for this house cost their family fifteen taels of silver, and even then, out of consideration for Mrs. Xu, the other party only charged them three months' rent. Generally speaking, rents in the city start from six months, and some are even charged annually.
But his father's injuries hadn't healed yet, so he had to save some money for his medical treatment and medicine. They rented a house here, and they also had to spend money on pots and pans, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar. So, in the past two days, the little money they had was flowing out like water.
Lu Mingfei calculated the silver his mother had and found only about thirty taels left, including their startup fund. If he spent it freely, it would be gone in less than a month.
But don’t worry, they will soon be able to start a new way to make money!
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