Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 694 Moving into a new house is ruined by hatred
"Brother Li, you're back. We're moving back today."

"The house is renovated so quickly?"

"Yes, the smell has dissipated several days ago. We'll move back in today since we have some free time. We're sorry to have bothered you these past few days."

"Don't mention it. I should thank you for cleaning up the side room for me. I won't have to clean it anymore." Li Kailang waved his hand.

"Do you need help?"

"No need, no need, I'm almost done packing. There aren't many things, so it's not much trouble." Bai Xiuwen waved his hand.

"Okay, call me if you need anything." Li Kailang didn't insist.

Bai Xiuwen, together with Xu Sinan and Bai Chi, officially bid farewell to Li Kailang's side room.

More than half a month has passed, and Han Gong and others have not only finished renovating the Cui family's old house, but also the Bai Xiuwen and Xu Sinan's house.

The two rooms were combined and connected, suddenly increasing the area by more than double.

The three returned to the door of the new house. Bai Xiuwen looked at the bright and brand-new house and nodded with great satisfaction. He could never get tired of looking at this new house.

"The house is so clean, I can't bear to move in, for fear of getting it dirty."

Xu Sinan rolled her eyes: "If you don't want to go in, where do you want to stay? Brother Li has already returned his house, do you want to sleep on the street?"

"Alright, hurry up and move these pieces of furniture in. We're moving into our new house today!"

"We're moving into our new house!" Bai Chi cheered excitedly, jumping up and down. She had come to see the house every day during the renovation process.

You could say that she watched this house change.

"Alright!" Bai Xiuwen carried several pieces of furniture inside and once again looked at the decoration of the new home with Xu Sinan and Bai Chi.

The new home includes two bedrooms, one large and one small. One bedroom was naturally prepared for the newlyweds Bai Xiuwen and Xu Sinan, while the other was reserved for Bai Chi.

In addition, Han and others cleverly set up a workbench in a corner of the living room to facilitate Bai Xiuwen's maintenance work.

Of course, the most important thing is the bathroom's decor.

“This money was well spent!” Bai Xiuwen stood at the door of the newly built bathroom and turned to Xu Sinan with a smile.

"From now on, we can take showers at home and won't have to go to public bathhouses anymore."

Xu Sinan laughed, saying that she was not from the north and was not used to the feeling of being naked while bathing together in a public bathhouse.

"Taking a bath is great! Now I can take a bath at home!" Bai Chi said with a smile, looking at everything in the bathroom with great curiosity.

After reviewing the layout of the house, Xu Sinan sighed, "With Han's craftsmanship, this money was well spent."

Bai Xiuwen nodded: "Yes, it was worth it, and we spent quite a bit of money."

The house could be renovated to be even better, but Bai Xiuwen and Xu Sinan don't have that much money.

The renovation costs money like water, and after paying the renovation fee, the couple found that they only had a dozen yuan left.

Fortunately, I received my salary a few days ago, and suddenly I had an extra fifty or sixty yuan, which made my wallet much fuller.

It is worth mentioning that Bai Xiuwen and Xu Sinan secretly obtained their marriage certificate on May 25th, officially becoming revolutionary comrades.

The two are now husband and wife, and everyone in the courtyard knows that they are married.

That day, the couple distributed wedding candies to everyone as a token of their appreciation.

This made Yan Bugui envious and jealous. He looked at the two people who had fled here, and they had not only gotten married but also renovated a new house. Meanwhile, he was still a failure.

Qin Huairu was even more resentful towards the Jia family. If she had paid the deposit earlier, the job at the steel mill would have been hers, and she would have had a bright future.
Closer to home.

When Xu Sinan heard that they had no money, she just rolled her eyes and said, "We can earn money slowly in the future. It's already good enough that we don't owe any money."

"Besides, isn't there a workbench for you in the living room? You can make money by doing repairs there, so what's the rush?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiuwen nodded. The feeling of being in debt was unpleasant; every morning when he woke up, he felt as if a sword was hanging over his head.

Although Li Kailang never pressed for payment, he didn't want to break his promise because of it.

"Yes, yes, yes, my wife is right."

Upon hearing the word 'wife,' Xu Sinan blushed: 'Don't talk nonsense.'

After saying that, he elbowed Xu Sinan.

"Ugh~" Bai Xiuwen clutched his chest in pain.

"I didn't use much force, are you trying to lie to me again?" Xu Sinan rolled her eyes and pulled Bai Chi: "Little Bai, let's put the furniture in, and we'll move into our new house today."

"Great!"

Everything is moving in a better direction.

the other side.

Cui family.

The old house where Aunt Cui and Cui Gang lived was renovated half a month ago.

It's less about renovation and more about refurbishment.

The overall layout of the two houses was only slightly altered, mainly to increase the space for cooking.

There used to be only one stove, but considering that Liu An would marry into the family in the future, an additional stove was installed.

Cui Gang now has his own bedroom, so he can move in directly when he gets a girlfriend or gets married.

Of course, the most important thing now is studying. Having a separate bedroom will allow me to study quietly without worrying about being disturbed.

"Tsk tsk tsk"

Yan Bugui strolled around the yard with his hands behind his back, glancing into the two houses every now and then, muttering to himself, "The decoration here is really nice."

"Look at how well this is decorated. When I have money, I'll decorate like this too. The bathroom and toilet are just like those in a tenement building."

In just one month, the number of households in the courtyard that had bathrooms jumped from only Li Kailang's family to three.

Originally, everyone was just envious, but now they're all starting to feel a little tempted to install their own bathrooms.

"Why can all three of their families do it, but ours can't?"

Everyone harbors the same idea, but while they all think about it, no one seems to actually consider the practicalities.

Look, Cui Yuan and Bai Xiuwen have met.

It was a rare opportunity for the two of them to be together, and Yan Bugui was not about to let it slip by.

"Xiao Cui, Xiao Bai."

"Third Uncle/Teacher Yan".

Yan Bugui cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations! May your life be prosperous and thriving after moving to your new home."

"Thank you for your kind words," the two said, bowing with their hands clasped in gratitude.

Yan Bugui quickly added, "I see that you two have finished renovating your house this month and moved in. Why don't you have a housewarming party together to celebrate?"

"How about we let everyone share in your housewarming joy?"

"By the way, Xiaobai, you and Xiaoxu are both married now, why don't you take this opportunity to hold your wedding banquet together?"

After saying that, Yan Bugui looked on expectantly.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled slightly, both guessing Yan Bugui's purpose.

They were just thinking of getting a free meal, but unfortunately, they were willing but unable to.

Cui Yuan said, "What Third Uncle said is true, but I spent a lot of money on the renovation. As you know, I renovated two rooms, which was a huge expense. I'm short of money right now."

Bai Xiuwen chimed in, "Yes, Teacher Yan, I emptied my wife's pockets to renovate the house, and now I'm completely broke."

"Even if we wanted to, we couldn't. We simply lacked the ability."

"I see." Yan Bugui was slightly disappointed.

Bai Xiuwen then added, "However, since Third Uncle has spoken, it wouldn't be right not to hold a celebration. How about this, Third Uncle, why don't you lend me some money so I can have a small celebration to liven things up?"

"Hehe~" Yan Bugui chuckled awkwardly upon hearing the words "borrow money." "Perfect, lend me some too," Cui Yuan chimed in.

Yan Bugui quickly explained, "I also wanted to lend you both money, but as you both know, I have a whole family to support, and my salary is spent as soon as I get it. I really have no money to lend."

"Oh! Is that so? What should we do? Neither of us has any money. Are we still going to have the banquet?"

The two of them just stared at Yan Bugui.

"Since it's so difficult, I think we should just let it go. It's just a banquet, not a big deal. We can talk about it later."

"Well, I have something to do, so I'll be going now. You guys keep chatting."

After saying that, Yan Bugui hurriedly left this place of trouble, afraid that if he left too late and someone really asked him for money, he would suffer a huge loss.

"Haha~" The two looked at each other and laughed, then went about their own business.

"Almost, almost." Yan Bugui rushed home, clutching his pounding heart.

Instead of getting something for free, I almost got something for free myself.

Just as Yan Bugui returned home, Xu Damao strolled to the central courtyard with a cigarette in his mouth and saw Bai Xiuwen carrying the last wooden stool to the new house.

"Wow, Brother Bai, your new house is really impressive! It even has a bathroom. It's better than some cadres' housing conditions!"

Bai Xiuwen wiped his sweat and laughed, "Brother Xu is joking, it's just ordinary renovation."

As they were talking, Xu Sinan came out of the backyard carrying an enamel basin with a few fresh mugwort leaves floating in it—a custom for people in the South to move into a new house.

Xu Sinan had splashed water on her new house and was thinking of splashing water on Li Kailang's side room as well.

Xu Damao suddenly raised his voice: "If you ask me, you two are the luckiest people in this courtyard! You fled here and you're doing better than the long-time residents!"

Before he could finish speaking, the window of the Jia family's house was flung open with a bang, and Jia Zhangshi leaned out, her face dark: "Xu Damao, who are you cursing?"

Seeing the Bai family renovating and moving, Jia Zhangshi noticed that Bai Chi had even done better in his exams than her beloved grandson.

Today I was still being manipulated by Qin Huairu. Nothing has gone smoothly these past two days, and I'm having one misfortune after another!

"Oh, Jia Zhangshi, I was praising Xiaobai, why are you angry?" Xu Damao feigned surprise, but turned to wink at Bai Xiuwen.

"If you ask me, some people have lived for decades without achieving anything significant, so it's no wonder they're envious of others."

Before she could finish speaking, Jia Zhangshi had already stormed out of the courtyard gate, cursing and swearing.

"You son of a bitch, I'll beat you to death, Xu Damao!"

"Mom! What are you doing!" Qin Huairu suddenly shouted, startling Jia Zhangshi into not daring to do anything rash.

"return!"

Qin Huairu glared fiercely at Xu Damao, while Jia Zhangshi dared not speak out in anger.

Seeing that his attempt to cause trouble had failed, Xu Damao chuckled and strolled to the front yard.

As we passed the front yard, Li Kailang was repairing a bicycle. Without looking up, he said, "Da Mao, you should watch your mouth."

Li Kailang wasn't speaking up for the Jia family, but rather for the Bai family, to avoid him inciting hatred towards them.

Xu Damao paused, grinding his cigarette butt on the ground: "Brother Li, what are you saying? I'm just happy for the newcomer!"

Li Kailang glanced at him indifferently: "I think you're not happy for the newcomers, but just looking for trouble. I happen to be free too, so why don't we practice together?"

"Oh! No way, I wouldn't dare. I have something to do, so I'll be going now." Xu Damao fled the courtyard as if he were escaping.

"Brother Li, I've come to splash water on your side room." Xu Sinan came over carrying a basin and explained the reason.

"Okay, thank you for your help." Li Kailang had heard about this custom before.

The three of them moved back in, and they made sure to clean up the side room so that they could use it immediately after dusting.

Standing at her own doorway, Jia Zhangshi gazed in the direction of Bai Xiuwen and Xu Sinan's new house, muttering resentfully:

"Hmph, you refugees, what right do you have to live in such a nice house? Even with a bathroom? My house doesn't even have one yet, and you're already enjoying this?!"

Qin Huairu came out of the house and saw Jia Zhangshi's resentful look, and said helplessly, "Mom, what are you muttering about again?"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes flickered, and she stammered, "No, nothing."

Qin Huairu knew perfectly well what Jia Zhangshi was thinking.
"Stop causing me trouble all the time. If something happens, you'll have to figure it out yourself. I'm not helping you!" Qin Huairu warned.

Madam Jia nodded quickly in agreement: "Don't worry, don't worry, I definitely won't cause any trouble."

After Qin Huairu left, Jia Zhangshi's eyes widened again, staring intently in the direction of the Bai family.

"They've only been here a short time, and they're already getting married and renovating, and they even owe Li Kailang money. Where did they get their connections? They must have pulled some strings!"

Jia Zhangshi was envious of the Bai family's increasingly better life while her own was getting worse and worse, and the thought of revenge quietly grew in her heart.

The next morning.

Bai Xiuwen got up and prepared to wash up. He turned on the tap connected to the water tank to get some warm water to brush his teeth.

"Huh?!" The tap was turned on, but not a single drop of water came out.

"What happened? Is it broken?"

Bai Xiuwen turned the switch on and off several times, but no water came out: "That's strange. Could it be broken? It's only been two days and it's already broken? That's impossible."

"What's wrong?"

Upon hearing Bai Xiuwen's voice, Xu Sinan rushed over to check the situation.

"The tap in the water tank has no water," Bai Xiuwen explained briefly.

"Could there be a problem with the water tank?"

The two immediately opened the door to take a look, only to find a large water stain at the doorway.

"How could this be?" Xu Sinan asked, puzzled.

Bai Xiuwen looked at the water tank and found that the connecting water pipe had inexplicably split in two. He quickly went over to check the break.

The fracture surface was found to be smooth and flat, clearly indicating that it had been split in two by a sharp weapon.

"Someone must have deliberately sabotaged this! Damn it, which bastard did this!" Bai Xiuwen's face turned extremely gloomy.

After cursing a few times, Xu Sinan stopped Bai Xiuwen from cursing: "It must be someone who is jealous of our good life, so they secretly did this bad thing."

Bai Xiuwen nodded; this was the only possibility.

"Who on earth would do something so despicable?"

Neither of them could think of anyone who could retaliate against them, since they hadn't caused any trouble in the past two days.

The two immediately recalled what had happened yesterday.

Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, Yan Bugui
The first two are most likely, but the most suspicious is definitely Jia Zhangshi, after all, she has the worst reputation.

Xu Sinan said, "Luckily, the tap on the water tank was turned off, otherwise, if the water had been running all night, I don't know how much it would have cost."

Bai Xiuwen nodded: "So how do we handle this?"

They have to go to work today, and they don't have time to do these things early in the morning, since they don't have much money in their pockets.

Xu Sinan's eyes narrowed, and she decided, "Call the police! We must call the police!"

"We can't swallow this, or they'll think we're easy to bully."

"Here's what we'll do: you go to work, and I'll stay and cooperate with the police investigation. This matter absolutely cannot be left unresolved."

"Okay, I'll go now."

Bai Xiuwen immediately rode his bicycle to the police station.

Xu Sinan looked around but found no clues.

He glanced at the houses in the back, since they were the closest to his home, but he only looked at them a few times. After all, they had no grudges against each other, so there was no need to retaliate against them.

"Who on earth did this?!"

(End of this chapter)