◎Third update◎
Of course Song Jianguo knew that this was 20,000 yuan, but it would be so comfortable for a family to live in such a big and beautiful courtyard. He didn't feel much when he lived in Liang's house in Damian Village before. The houses in the village were made of bluestone tiles, which was incomparable to the exquisitely carved courtyard.
Who wouldn’t be fascinated by the Siheyuan?
He was full of energy at the moment and wanted to work hard to save money. "I'll apply for a few more night shifts when I get home. We can take our time!"
Liang Baoying frowned when she heard about the night shift application. How much money can you get from the night shift subsidy? "You are just an old-fashioned person."
Song Jianguo touched the back of his head and said, "What's the big deal? As long as I can make money, that's fine."
Now that his wife's grocery store has been shut down and speculation is being strictly enforced, he is the only source of income for the family, so he has to work hard!
The adults were all busy, and Shanshan was playing with her sister Mengmeng. Mengmeng was older than her, so she quietly asked the questions that had been bothering her for a long time.
"Sister Mengmeng, do you know what wedding dowry is?"
Mengmeng is already nine years old this year. She has heard adults talk about many things, including dowry. "Dowry is something a girl brings with her when she gets married."
Shanshan nodded her head, no matter whether she understood or not, and then grinned at her cousin and said in a baby voice, "What is getting married?"
"It means your mother comes to live with your father."
Shanshan didn't understand, "But my mother is originally at home, my mother and father are a family."
"No." Meng Meng raised her voice slightly and tried to explain seriously, "Aunt and your father were not from the same family before. They became a family only after they got married."
Shanshan thought seriously with a serious face, her eyes like ink rolling around. She was not mistaken, mom and dad have always been a family. But she didn't say anything more. After all, sister Mengmeng is the eldest child and she has to save face. She couldn't point out sister Mengmeng's mistakes directly, or she might cry.
Not everyone remembers it as clearly as I do!
She remembered clearly that her mother and her mother had always been a family.
"Forget it, let's go clean the tables too."
"Okay!" Meng Meng saw that her cousin didn't say anything else, and thought that she must have understood, so she didn't mention the matter of getting married and dowry anymore.
The two cousins held hands and went to help the adults with work.
"Mengmeng, you don't have to come, go play over there." Liang Baozhen looked around and saw that there were enough adults at home, so there was no need for the two children to help. She took out a dollar and asked Mengmeng to take Shanshan out to buy something to eat. "There's soda and candied haws for sale outside."
When they heard there was soda and candied haws, the two children's eyes lit up. Mengmeng took the money from her aunt, turned around and prepared to leave with Shanshan, then she heard her third aunt say something.
"Don't give Shanshan too much soda. Just one sip at most."
"Got it. I will definitely keep a close eye on Shanshan."
Shanshan pursed her lips and looked at her mother, then opened her mouth and answered loudly, "Mom, I am very self-conscious!"
"Okay, go ahead, Mengmeng, take good care of Shanshan, we must walk hand in hand."
"good."
Coming out of Chunri Hutong, the road was asphalt. Occasionally, a few green leaves fell from the trees, floating slowly to the ground. They were stepped on by Shanshan's most precious red plastic sandals, causing her to curl up.
Mengmeng bought a bottle of soda and a string of candied haws. She thought it over. Shanshan would take a sip of the soda and they would each have half of the candied haws.
"You drink the soda first." Meng Meng thoughtfully opened the lid and comforted her little cousin, "If auntie agrees, I will definitely give you half, and we will each have half, but auntie said that you can only drink one sip."
Shanshan had no objection. She stood obediently and took the soda with both hands impatiently. The orange soda was delicious. She held the bottle and started drinking it.
"Hey~" Mengmeng looked at Shanshan drinking soda without stopping, pouring it into her mouth continuously, "Just take a sip when your aunt lets you, Shanshan!"
Shanshan drank one-third of the orange soda in one breath, and then she was satisfied. She returned the soda to her cousin and sighed, "It tastes so good!"
"Why did you drink so much? You'll be scolded if your aunt finds out." Meng Meng had no idea that Shan Shan could drink so much in one breath.
Shanshan raised her pretty face and looked up at her cousin. "I have a big mouth, I can drink a lot in one gulp. Mom only said to drink one gulp, but didn't say how long I can drink in one gulp. Sister Mengmeng, it's okay. Mom won't scold me."
Meng Meng thought about it and it seemed to make sense, so she handed the candied haws to Shan Shan again, "You eat the candied haws first, it's my turn to drink the soda."
"good."
The two of them finished the candied haws together. Mengmeng drank the rest of the soda, and then they went back to the courtyard hand in hand.
As soon as they got back, Mengmeng felt a little guilty and let Shanshan drink a lot of soda, for fear that her aunt would find out. She wanted to take Shanshan to another place, but as soon as they passed the hanging flower gate, they were discovered by Liang Baozhen.
"Mom!" Shanshan ran towards her mother, which made Mengmeng nervous for a moment. She hoped that her cousin would not reveal anything.
Then I heard Shanshan mention soda, "I drank orange soda, it was delicious."
"Sweet, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Shanshan felt that her mouth was still sweet, "I only drank one sip."
"You're so good." Liang Baozhen didn't have time to take care of her daughter, so she let Mengmeng take care of her. "Go play with Sister Mengmeng, we'll have dinner soon."
"Okay." Shanshan ran to sister Mengmeng again, "Sister Mengmeng, did you hear that? Mommy is praising me for being good."
Meng Meng: "...I worried for nothing."
We got home just in time for lunch, so a group of us went out to a nearby state-owned hotel, had a bowl of noodles each, and then came back to continue cleaning.
This time Shanshan and Mengmeng also joined the battle.
Shanshan was running around in the yard with her short legs. She heard from her mother that this would be her new home. At first she didn't quite understand what a new home was. Didn't she want the place she lived in now anymore?
But now she loves running around in the big, spacious yard, especially since her dad said he wanted to build her a swing in the yard!
Swing!
"Dad, where is my swing?" She was running around the yard just to see the swing, but where was the swing?
Xu Shengjie thought the girl was being silly, "Dad hasn't done it for you yet."
"Oh~" Shanshan's eyes dimmed instantly, "Then when will we do it?"
"Come back after this courtyard is cleaned."
"Cleaning? Okay!" Shanshan turned around and was about to join the battle. She struggled to pull up her sleeves, revealing a section of white and tender arms. The little girl took the towel that her mother had placed aside and began to wipe the table legs.
Why the table legs? Because she couldn't get anything else.
She wiped it very hard, gritting her teeth, biting her small row of teeth up and down. Liang Baozhen was really amazed to see the lady's attitude. If there was an award, she would give her the Model Worker Award.
However, Shanshan had just wiped herself for a while when her father took her away with the towel. Xu Shengjie's hands were still dirty, so he just put his arm under the girl's armpits and took the silly girl away. Shanshan was a little surprised to be suddenly free in the air. She kicked her two short legs weakly in the air, and then began to enjoy it.
"Dad, I want to fly higher~"
"You are so beautiful." Xu Shengjie put the girl at the door of the hanging flower gate where there was not much clutter. "Go and play. Be careful not to bump your head against the things inside."
As he spoke, he confiscated Shanshan's weapon and took away the handkerchief that was tightly grasped in her little hand.
Shanshan had no choice but to follow Sister Mengmeng to wash her hands.
A group of people worked for a whole day and finally tidied up the courtyard. Now the courtyard is completely new. Walking in from the gate, everything is clean and tidy. The yard is clean as if it is spotless. The sweet-scented osmanthus tree in the middle of the yard has a trunk as thick as a bowl and stands upright in a corner of the yard. There are clusters of green shades on the tree, occasionally dotted with small flower buds, which add a bit of vitality to the yard. The six rooms are empty at this time, and seem particularly spacious.
Even Zhou Yun, who was originally worried about the money, showed joy after taking a look around. The money had already been spent and there was nothing she could do about it, but the house was real. Looking at such a beautiful and spacious land, she was also satisfied.
Indeed, expensive things have their value.
After a busy day, people visited the Siheyuan and praised it highly.
Liang Baojun liked it more and more, and kept shouting that he wanted to buy it. Everyone in the courtyard heard it. Xu Shengjie urged him, "I was a little hesitant at first, but luckily your sister insisted. Otherwise, I would definitely regret missing this courtyard. You guys should hurry up too."
Xu Shuping gently pushed the man and said, "He's talking nonsense. How can we afford a courtyard house? Just take a look for your own enjoyment."
"Not necessarily. There will be opportunities in the future."
"Really? If that doesn't work, we can just come here for a free meal. It's also an experience."
"Of course you're welcome! You can come every day."
The sky was splashed with ink, as blue as water. As night fell, Xu Shengjie treated everyone to dinner before everyone left.
A gentle breeze blew in the evening near the beginning of autumn. An elderly person was singing storytelling on the opposite side of the lake. Many people who had finished dinner were out for a walk. The wind blew through the willow catkins, making them flutter and dance, swaying with the ripples on the lake.
"The environment here is great, really nice." Zhou Yun felt that the air seemed to be much better, fresh and comfortable.
It's much smaller than outside Yueya Hutong and not that crowded.
"Right, there's a tree-lined path right outside, and there's a lake on the opposite side, how beautiful." Liang Baozhen also liked this place. She had thought about renovating the yard after she moved in. She would arrange a swing for Shanshan and a lounge chair under the osmanthus tree, and she could also grow some vegetables and flowers in the yard. It would be great to have the entire courtyard as her own and she could do whatever she wanted with it.
"Shanshan, do you like it here?" Xu Shengjie looked at the girl with a blushing face, picked her up and put her on his shoulders.
Shanshan nodded excitedly. She was sweating after playing all day and her sweaty hair stuck to her cheeks, but she didn't feel tired. It would be great if she could do this every day.
"Dad, do we not want our current home anymore?"
"We will move here soon and live in our new home from now on."
Shanshan had no idea about moving, how could she move? But she liked this courtyard house, especially the big yard, which was all Shanshan's!
On the evening when they returned home, the family boiled water for bathing and washing their hair. The stove in the Xu family never stopped burning, and Shanshan was surrounded by her mother, grandmother, and aunt while she washed.
There were three people serving her alone. Shanshan, who was already three years old, suddenly felt a little shy. She twisted her body and didn't want to take off her clothes. Why were so many people watching her taking a bath?
She was a little embarrassed.
But her shyness was of no use. Soon her mother peeled her skin off, turning her into a peeled lychee, white, tender and smooth, which was put into the bathtub.
Shanshan felt more comfortable sitting in the water. Her mother and grandmother were washing her, and her aunt was helping her. She was playing with the water with her little hands, moving around in the water.
Shanshan was the most active when using the soap. She liked the smell of the soap, the sweet jasmine scent, the same smell as her mother's body. She stretched out her little hand and asked her mother to put some on her own hand. The two little hands rubbed each other and bubbles appeared after a while.
She put her hand to her nose and sniffed the rich scent of jasmine, which made her smile even brighter.
Because she was worried about catching a cold, she took a quick bath. Her mother carried the naked Shanshan to the bed and covered her with a small quilt, leaving only her little head exposed.
She lay quietly, waiting for her mother to come and dress her.
The white and tender lychees had put on their shells again. Shanshan excitedly sat between her parents and urged her father to make a swing. She had heard of swings but had never sat on one.
Xu Shengjie hasn't resumed his business yet, so he has plenty of time. He promised to make a swing for her in a few days. Shanshan cheered and fell asleep contentedly.
In the dream, the swing that I had never seen before and heard could fly smelled like orange, and there were candied haws hanging on it. As Shanshan dreamed, a little bit of saliva flowed from the corners of her mouth. It smelled so good~
The author has something to say:
Thanks to the cuties who irrigated the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of Qianmo Hongchen; 20 bottles of Yuheshu; 1 bottle of Buer Frosted Glass;
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