Lu Huaijiao listened with a smile.
He Meizhu also stood up with a smile.
"Jiaojiao, you're awake? Are you hungry? Let's eat right away!"
The meal had been prepared long ago, but since it wasn't like being in the village where there was a rush to work in the fields, He Meizhu decided to wait for Lu Huaijiao to get up before eating.
She always went to bed very late, and her mother-in-law took care of everything in the kitchen. Even with her thick skin, Lu Huaijiao couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
But she also knew that her body was just so uncooperative; if she stayed up too late at night, she definitely wouldn't be able to get up during the day.
So, aside from feeling embarrassed, she didn't say anything else.
It's impossible for her to promise herself that she'll definitely get up early to work next time. First, she doesn't know if she can keep that promise, so it's not good to make such a commitment. Second, even if she did get up, she wouldn't be able to do much work.
He Meizhu wouldn't give in, and neither would Gu Changzheng.
In conclusion, she has no choice but to obediently and shamelessly become a freeloader.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mom."
Lu Huaijiao sweetly thanked her.
He Meizhu waved her hand, completely unconcerned.
"What do you mean by hard work? If we're talking about hard work, Jiaojiao, you're the one who's really working hard. Mom made some fish soup, drink some more later to nourish yourself." She said as she went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"..."
Drink more and replenish your energy.
Lu Huaijiao was momentarily at a loss for words.
Just then, Gu Changzheng looked up and smiled at her.
"Wife, it's cold outside, go inside and warm up by the fire."
Lu Huaijiao scoffed, not wanting to pay any attention!
After the family finished eating, Gu Changzheng washed the dishes, tidied up the kitchen, and went back to work.
Lu Huaijiao couldn't help much with physical labor, but she could still lend a hand with other things. For example, she had a good idea of how to set up the small shop and what to mainly sell.
She drew the ideas in her mind onto a picture, and after Gu Changzheng finished building the small house, he decorated the convenience store according to her design.
Because the shop had two open sides facing outwards, all that was needed was to build two walls in the yard. Gu Changzheng bought the bricks but didn't hire a bricklayer; he did it all himself.
The little house was built in just a few days.
When it came to deciding what materials to use for the roof, Gu Changzheng was somewhat conflicted.
Should we build a traditional tile roof, or make the kind of flooring used for small bungalows?
Installing flooring is quite expensive and requires a bricklayer; it can't be done by one person. However, laying roof tiles can be done by one person.
"Let's install flooring. Then we can fence it off, put up a ladder to go upstairs, and Mom can hang some things out to dry."
Using concrete for flooring is better than using tiles; you don't have to worry about snow, hail, or heavy rain.
As for the cost, their family doesn't lack that money.
Lu Huaijiao made the final decision.
Gu Changzheng nodded, and the next day he found a bricklayer, bought cement and steel bars, and spent a day and a half to finish the roof.
The roof was finished on the twelfth day of the first lunar month.
Gu Jianhua came up from the village with some luggage and his family's big black dog on a leash.
As soon as I got off the bus, I saw the new little house that had appeared in my house.
It faces the main street on one side and opens up into the alley on the other; it is tall and bright.
Gu Jianhua walked over quickly with a smile.
Gu Changzheng was cleaning up the fallen concrete when Dahei saw him and started barking and lunging at him.
"Quiet down, we're home. What are you yelling for?"
Gu Changzheng raised his head and glared at Dahei.
The originally excited Big Black's loud voice instantly became softer, and it whimpered like it was being affectionate.
Gu Changzheng was finally satisfied.
I greeted Gu Jianhua.
"Dad, are you satisfied with this convenience store? Put your things down and come over to take a look. See if you have any other needs. This will be your new job from now on."
Gu Jianhua was taken aback at first.
"Why is this my post?"
As soon as he spoke, he realized that his son and daughter-in-law needed to go to school, and Old He needed to send his three grandsons to preschool. Wasn't this convenience store his job?
Thinking about this, he became anxious.
"I'll go put my things away and come out right away."
Although the convenience store has two sides facing outwards, it's a mess inside, so you can't carry things or walk your dog through it.
To get inside, you have to go through the original main door.
Fortunately, the main gate was right next door.
Gu Jianhua led Dahei into the yard and closed the door behind him.
Laughter from the three babies and He Meizhu came from inside the main house. Gu Jianhua called out "Sanbao!" and Dahei rushed over in a flash.
The three babies were overjoyed to see Big Black.
I was even happier than when I saw my grandfather.
This left Gu Jianhua feeling somewhat frustrated!
However, he was thinking about helping his son with his work outside, so he didn't linger. He put the two bags of luggage he brought in their room for He Meizhu to unpack, and then changed his clothes and shoes before going to help with the work.
There was a small door in their yard that led directly to the convenience store. Gu Jianhua walked over the door, and without Gu Changzheng saying anything, he knew what he had to do.
People who are used to doing manual labor have a clear understanding of what work is involved in.
No one needs to make arrangements.
With Gu Jianhua's arrival, the family had more able-bodied workers.
The remaining miscellaneous tasks at the convenience store were handed over to Gu Jianhua.
Gu Changzheng and Lu Huaijiao, a married couple, took advantage of the time before their children went to school to go to the wholesale market in the north of the city and bought a lot of things.
These are miscellaneous items, worth about a thousand yuan, which we'll use to display when the convenience store opens.
On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the shelves that Gu Changzheng ordered from the furniture factory were delivered to his door, along with the doors for the convenience store.
Once the pillars securing the floor slab on the roof of the convenience store are removed, the doors and shelves can be installed.
On the fifteenth, Lu Huaijiao took her whole family out to the department store, dressed in new clothes, and bought New Year's gifts for everyone. They also went to a state-run restaurant and packed some cooked food to take home.
The number of people in state-run restaurants has decreased significantly compared to previous years.
Although meal tickets are no longer required for meals, business at state-run restaurants is even more sluggish than before.
He Meizhu muttered something about what was going on, and Lu Huaijiao explained with a smile that it was an inevitable manifestation of the progress of the times.
She recalled that during this period, not only did state-run restaurants gradually decline, but other state-owned enterprises, such as performing arts troupes or other similar entities, also gradually faded away.
He Meizhu nodded. Although she didn't know how things would develop in the future, she could feel the changes in society.
Things will get better and better in the future.
They should just follow the children.
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