Chapter 39: The Bookshelf is Here
Chapter 39: The Bookshelf is Here
With only two days of fishing and two days of drying nets, Cheng Bing and Fang Yuenian, encouraged by Boss Lin, stopped fishing altogether and just dried their nets. Every day they would get up early to have breakfast, look around, and sometimes even go to town to buy popsicles to cool down the workers. After a week of hard work, the two of them had a great time and got a tan, but the bookshelf was still nowhere to be seen.
When the weekend arrived, Cheng's father, who was enjoying family time at home, finally learned the news and couldn't hold back any longer.
"All you know is how to run off and waste money!" Grandpa Cheng sat in the main room, scolding his grandson.
Cheng Bing had just returned home, covered in sweat. Her once fair face now had a slightly tanned hue, a result of her summer outing. Her figure was now much more slender and upright, and she seemed to have grown taller.
"Where are some fun places to go around with all that traffic? Have you ever fallen or hurt yourself there?"
Cheng Bing was very thirsty, so she gulped down the entire glass of water before replying, "I didn't fall..."
"You've been sunburnt like this!" The old man was still angry and was about to continue speaking when two beautiful granddaughters came in from outside the door, laughing and joking.
Both of them were wearing sun hats and sun-protective sleeves, and their faces were flushed from the heat. When they saw the grandfather and granddaughter in the house, Cheng Junjun said, "Hey, Bingbing's back? Grandpa's here?"
"Oh, right, I came over to ask..." Master Cheng's expression changed, and he said with a smile, "Why did it take you two so long to get back? You must be sweltering in the heat."
Cheng Bing quickly poured water for them. Cheng Junjun took the cup from him and handed it to Cheng Xiaoxiao, who took it and drank it all in one go.
"I'm so thirsty, oh my god. Grandpa, there are so many people there. We have to listen to lectures and sing at night. Junjun and I can't take it anymore."
Cheng Junjun took off her hat, took the second glass of water poured by Cheng Bing, and said, "They all say it's more lively at night. I should have gone at night." She looked at Cheng Bing, "Do you want to go and see tonight?"
These past few days, a theatrical troupe has come to the village to set up a stage and perform. There have been many such events in the past, but the students in this family have never had the opportunity to watch them. Besides, it is theatrical performance, which is more popular with the elderly. The children go just to join in the fun. Every time this kind of theatrical performance comes to the countryside, there are many vendors selling all kinds of food.
Cheng Xiaoxiao and Cheng Junjun had just finalized their university choices and were in a relaxed state of mind when their mother-in-law said she wanted to go, so the two girls went with her. However, today was incredibly hot and there were so many people that their mother-in-law had a headache and returned before noon, leaving the two girls to linger there for most of the day before finally heading back.
Cheng Bing quickly shook her head. Cheng's father asked, "Did you eat anything delicious? I heard yesterday that they ate some fried chicken cutlets and loved them."
“We ate some too!” Cheng Xiaoxiao laughed happily. “Grandpa, that was really not good, and it was all flour. Junjun and I both liked the chicken strips, but Grandma didn’t.”
“I also like the tofu!” Cheng Junjun said quickly, “It’s just that the little guys in line are so noisy, it’s unbearable.”
With a smile, Cheng asked, "Are you going again tonight?"
Cheng Xiaoxiao shook her head: "I'm not going, I'm too tired."
She suddenly noticed her younger brother beside her, stared at his face with some surprise, and said, "Hey, I've noticed that you seem to have gotten quite tanned?"
Cheng Junjun leaned closer: "Really? What did you do? The sun wasn't even that strong when you went out this morning."
Cheng Gong snorted, "He's just running around outside like a madman. Junjun, ask him, he's sure the bookshelf for you is finished, right?"
Cheng Junjun turned her gaze to Cheng Bing, "Right?"
Cheng Bing had no choice but to honestly reply, "It hasn't been done yet."
Cheng smiled and said, "Then you guys need to hurry up, the progress is a bit slow."
Cheng Junjun glanced at him sideways: "So what have you been doing these past few days? Working for Dad?"
Cheng chuckled: "He's just playing games!"
Caught in the middle, Cheng Bing knew he was in the wrong and dared not speak.
After a two-day weekend, Lin Guohui brought people to the factory and finally said that they would start making cabinets.
Fang Yuenian: Excited, eager to try, and ready to make a name for himself.
Lin Guohui said casually, "It's simple, it can be done in a few days, at most a week."
Cheng Bing did not speak.
On the first day, Cheng Bing cut the wood under the safety supervision of the masters. He was quite fast and successfully cut two small pieces of wood. Fang Yuenian ruined three pieces, and another piece of wood was leaning against the corner of the wall when he accidentally stepped on it, so four pieces were ruined.
The next day, Cheng Bing continued cutting materials, this time using proper wood instead of the thin pieces he had practiced with. He quickly cut three planks that met the required shape. Fang Yuenian requested to use wood, and Lin Guohui agreed, so three more planks were ruined that day.
On the third day, Cheng Bing stopped cutting the material and started grinding the edges. He was experienced and did a very good job, earning praise from the other craftsmen. Fang Yuenian didn't grind anything; he was playing with a piece that Cheng Bing had already ground when it crashed to the ground with a thud. A craftsman next to him was startled and almost poked himself. As he rushed to pick up the plank, he tripped and nearly hit his head on the corner of the table. Cheng Bing threw down the half-ground plank in his hand to pull him up, and the plank crashed to the ground with a thud, almost hitting Lin Guohui's foot again.
Lin Guohui was startled several times in a row. He stared blankly at his son and said, "No wonder your grandfather told me to stop letting you go out to play and to hurry up and make the cabinet."
Cheng Bing chuckled twice, remaining calm.
Lin Guohui then announced: "From now on, I won't let you go out and play anymore. I feel that time is very precious and we need to hurry up."
However, even with one person's efforts and another person's added trouble, the bookshelf was finally born after overcoming numerous difficulties.
Upon hearing the news, Cheng's father was overjoyed and personally came over to apply the oil.
Fang Yuenian refused to admit that he hadn't contributed to the cabinet, while Cheng Bing also said that he had indeed helped. So when the cabinet was delivered, the two of them frankly said to Cheng Junjun, "This is a gift that the two of us gave you together!"
Besides causing trouble, Fang Yuenian picked up some scraps and cobbled together a crooked bookend. Because it was too simple, no one wanted it after asking around, so she could only give it to Cheng Bing.
After finishing their craft work, the two went home, asked Cheng Xiaoxiao for her phone, and hid in the carpenter's shop to call and check their middle school entrance exam results.
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