By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 92 Your cousin is such a handsome guy! [Please subscribe! Please vote!]

Lunch had just been finished, and there were still some oil stains and a few grains of rice stuck to the rim of the bowls and plates on the table.

Grandma started tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, the porcelain bowls clinking together.

Grandpa sat sideways in the tattered rattan chair by the door, squinting as he slowly picked his teeth.

After finishing the initial cleaning, another batch of tobacco was added from the tobacco pouch.

As he lit his cigarette, a thin wisp of smoke drifted leisurely from his mouth and nose.

The courtyard was very quiet.

Several hens were digging in the soil at the base of the wall, scratching with their claws and pecking at the food with their heads.

The yellow dog lay by the door, resting its head on its two front paws, its eyes half-closed, its ears occasionally twitching as it tried to shoo away unseen flies.

Cicadas chirped in the distant trees, one call after another, their long, drawn-out chirps echoing through the air.

Grandpa and Grandma don't have much energy to do anything right now, and they're resting peacefully.

Li Younan didn't let himself be idle. He paced back and forth silently, carefully observing everything in his grandparents' house.

Going out the back door of the courtyard, you'll find a slope that extends to the Baishui River. This slope is covered in loose rocks and is quite large; it's estimated to be about thirty or forty meters down from the back door to reach the riverbank.

The flow of the Baishui River has always been stable. In my grandfather's words, over the decades, the highest the river level rose was only two or three meters above the slope, and in the year with the lowest flow, the slope only extended two or three meters at most.

This slope can be considered the private property of my grandparents' courtyard, completely enclosed within their yard.

Li Younan strolled leisurely down the slope, bent down to pick up a stone, and casually tossed it into the Baishui River, splashing water everywhere.

The rocks on the slope weren't just randomly thrown there; they were large stones, some of which were exposed on the outside, while others were buried deep in the soil.

Li Younan touched one of the stones. Because of his carving skills, he had a very clear understanding of the texture of these stones and also had a general understanding of their growth patterns.

This barren, sloping land is full of these large rocks, which is why vegetables can't be grown here.

After observing the area, Li Younan had already formed a simple plan in his mind for what to do with this area.

He plans to transform this place into a small waterfall near the river. He will dig a two-meter height difference at the top of the slope, then use an excavator to level the area below and push all the stones to the riverbank. This way, a small dam can be built while leveling the ground.

The small waterfall flows down from the height difference. If a shallow ditch is dug and hardened, the clear water can flow into the Baishui River.

The ditch in front of my grandfather's house often overflows, sometimes flooding the area in front of his house. It would be good to build a drainage channel to divert water from another direction to this area.

When the time comes, plant some flowers and plants on both sides of the stream, which is several tens of meters long, and add stone tables and chairs, and it will become a natural leisure spot.

Li Younan buried this rough idea in his heart and slowly returned to the courtyard.

At this moment, Grandma moved the bowls and chopsticks into the yard and scooped water from the bucket to wash them.

Li Younan strolled into the main room, which was blackened by cooking fumes. There was a large stove that wasn't used much in the summer.

Behind a curtain were an earthen stove, a cutting board, and a cupboard... that area resembled a kitchen.

Li Younan silently observed everything in the room, occasionally tapping the wall lightly with his hand, his gaze following the exposed old wires on the wall.

Grandpa has gone for a nap, and Grandma has almost finished washing the dishes.

Li Younan went out to help carry the bucket of water in.

The kitchen and the main room were separated only by a curtain.

The cured meat hanging on the kitchen beams was thoroughly infused with the flavor of the cooking fumes, which also meant that the old sofa in the main room was also thoroughly infused with the flavor of the cooking fumes.

While Li Younan was observing, his phone rang.

He picked it up and saw that it was a message from JK Dragon.

It was rare for Brother Long to be in such a leisurely mood; he even took the initiative to send a message during the day, asking, "What are you doing?"

Li Younan suddenly remembered that this guy's contract... he didn't know if it had been sent yet.

He didn't answer JK Long's question, but instead asked, "By the way, did you send that contract?"

JK Dragon said, "I asked you first."

Li Younan thought to herself, "Why is this guy so stingy?" and sent a few words in a bad mood: "Playing in the countryside."

JK Long then asked, "What are you doing in the countryside? Aren't you traveling anymore? How long do you plan to stay at home?"

Li Younan said, "You ask a lot of questions."

"Don't interrupt, answer me."

Li Younan typed a few words and sent them: "Didn't you still need to look at your eyes?"

This probably left JK Long speechless. He was silenced for a long time before finally throwing out a few words in annoyance: "What a lame joke."

Li Younan burst out laughing at himself in front of the screen, then became a little more serious and said, "I don't plan to run around for the time being..."

After sending the message, JK Dragon replied with an "Oh" after a while.

For some reason, Li Younan sensed that JK Long seemed a little disappointed.

He replied: "It's like this, I went back to my grandparents' house in the countryside this time. Their house is a real old house, and it's not very convenient for the two elderly people to live there. I want to help them renovate the old house."

This piqued JK Long's interest, and he asked, "That sounds quite interesting. I've seen videos of renovating old houses. What are you planning to do?"

Li Younan said, "My thoughts, well, I can't explain them to you in just a few words... but I have a rough plan in mind."

"To be honest, there are quite a few areas in my grandparents' house that need renovation. Apart from a slope in the backyard that can be worked on with an excavator, most of the area is not so easy and will have to be done manually."

"First of all, the plumbing and electrical work has to be redone, and many of the mud tiles and bricks on the house also need to be re-laid. However, since the house is only one story high, the workload isn't actually that heavy, and I plan to do it slowly..."

After sending the message, JK Long didn't reply with a cold "Too long, I won't read" as he usually did. Instead, after a moment, he asked curiously, "What do you mean... you're planning to take your time? Don't tell me you're planning to do the whole modification process yourself?"

Li Younan started showing off again, saying, "You know I can do woodworking, right? I learned it by building blocks when I was in elementary school."

"But what you don't know is that when I was a kid, I played with mud and learned bricklaying skills. Then, when I played with four-wheel drive cars, I learned electrical work as well. In short, what's in front of you is an excellent bricklayer, plumber, carpenter..."

As expected, Li Younan was once again looked down upon by JK Long after sending the message.

The disparaging remarks are too harsh, so I won't post them.

After a moment, JK Dragon became a little more serious and said, "You can record the whole thing and send some videos."

He paused, then sent another message, "I even think you could livestream the entire renovation process, using multiple camera angles—close-ups, wide shots, and several other angles. Then, I'll be responsible for compiling the videos from each camera angle and the daily results into a video. Whenever a section is completed, I'll compile it into a video and release it."

Li Younan shared a similar idea with JK Long, and the two hit it off on this point.

After thinking for a moment, Li Younan suddenly became curious again and said, "Brother Long, I was really surprised that you went online in the afternoon today."

JK Dragon remained silent for a while after hearing this, before sending a message: "I occasionally go out during the day too."

Upon hearing this, Li Younan chuckled. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Actually, it's best to be active during the day. Constantly having your days and nights reversed isn't good for your health."

JK Dragon only replied with three words: "You don't understand."

Li Younan is most afraid of people saying things like, "You don't understand," which can trample on all your subjective opinions, whether well-intentioned or otherwise.

Li Younan could only think that perhaps Brother Long was just working day and night because of his job?
Forget it, if he won't tell me, I won't ask.

Li Younan came out of the house and suddenly sent a voice message to JK Long: "By the way, Brother Long, we've known each other for so long, but we've never video chatted. Let me show you my grandparents' house in the countryside!"

Li Younan sent the voice message and then opened a video chat, only to have the other party hang up immediately.

Li Younan was taken aback and said, "It can't be that bad, Brother Long, can't we even make a video call?"

JK Dragon sent an angry emoji: "What are you doing? Suddenly calling on video will scare people..."

Li Younan was stunned for a moment, then typed: "Brother Long, what you said was... so girly..."

JK Dragon: "..."

"Fine, if you don't want to make a video call, then don't... I won't show it to you then."

Li Younan put his phone back in his pocket and went to tease the big yellow dog next to him.

After a while, my phone rang again. JK Long sent me a message saying, "It's still worth taking a look. It will help me guide you on where to set up your camera positions."

Li Younan sent two words in an annoyed tone: "Pretentious."

Finally, JK Long took the initiative to call the video chat, and Li Younan readily answered. After all, he had just called her pretentious, so he had to show a different side of himself, right?

Since they've already filmed videos and shown their faces online, there's no need to be so hesitant.

This was the first time Li Younan had a video call with JK Long. He looked at the screen with great interest, then blinked because JK Long's camera was completely black, obviously deliberately blocked.

Li Younan said helplessly to the phone camera, "Seriously, Brother Long, are you really that ashamed to be seen in public?"

A very magnetic voice came from the other end of the line. Li Younan immediately recognized it as the voice that had dubbed the video earlier. He said, "Never mind what I look like. Switch the camera to the back so I can see your yard."

Although Li Younan was somewhat speechless, he still did as instructed, taking a picture with his phone and explaining his idea to Brother Long in the video.

A dozen minutes later, Li Younan hung up the video call.

It wasn't that I didn't want to show it to JK Dragon anymore, but someone called. It was my cousin.

……

As soon as the video call connected, my cousin's chattering voice came through: "Cousin, cousin! Are you back already? I heard from my mom yesterday that you were already in the county town, why didn't you call me? Cousin, cousin, oh, where are you? Cousin, cousin, I have a question for you. I'm looking for a summer job, do you have any suggestions?"

Before Li Younan could say a word, his cousin Lu Xiaolan started talking non-stop.

Li Younan blinked and seized the opportunity while Lu Xiaolan was speaking to say, "I'm at my grandparents' house now."

It's worth mentioning that Lu Xiaolan, who just graduated from high school, is a chatterbox.

In the video, she has her hair tied in a ponytail, which is actually braided into a single braid. She has an amazing amount of hair, and the braid is very thick. It looks a bit rustic, but it's also very unique, with two wispy bangs floating casually.

She chuckled at the camera and said, "Cousin, when are you coming back? I need to talk to you about something."

Li Younan glanced back at the area of ​​his grandparents' house that needed renovation. He already had a clear plan in mind, but he still needed to design it with blueprints to ensure timely construction and to plan for materials in advance. However, these things couldn't be done here immediately; he would have to go back first.

So he said to Lu Xiaolan, "I have to be back tonight. I'm going to the building materials market tomorrow. What's wrong?"

Lu Xiaolan said happily, "Then I'll come to see you tomorrow."

Li Younan nodded.

Lu Xiaolan thought for a moment and then asked, "Brother, can I bring my friend along?"

Li Younan became wary and asked, "Male or female?"

Lu Xiaolan rolled her eyes and said, "Cousin, look at me, I don't even know how to dress up, how am I supposed to find a boyfriend?"

Li Younan thought about it and realized that it made sense. His cousin wasn't ugly, but she was unsophisticated and a chatterbox, so it was hard to imagine that she would be liked by a high school student.

The key is that she's so open and honest; I was just overthinking things.

Then Li Younan chuckled to himself. Lu Xiaolan is already so old, even if she is in a relationship, it doesn't matter, right? He was just worrying for no reason.

Li Younan said, "Okay, see you tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Grandpa got up, and Grandma started getting ready to go to the vegetable garden to work.

Li Younan went over to tell his grandparents about his idea of ​​renovating their house. It took him a lot of effort to explain things clearly to them, as the elderly don't understand as well as young people.

Grandma said, "No need, no need. Everything is so convenient now. Before, we had to go several kilometers to fetch water, but now it's much better. We have running water right at our doorstep."

Grandpa said, "You don't need to do anything for us two old folks. I'm just happy that you came to visit me."

Li Younan began to use "moral blackmail" on them: "Everyone else in the village has moved into new houses, but you, Grandpa and Grandma, are still living in the old house. It makes me feel bad, and people will laugh at my mother and me. Can you bear to see my mother and me being laughed at?"

Grandpa slapped his thigh and said angrily, "Who dares to laugh at my grandson!"

Li Younan stiffened his neck. Good heavens, things have gone too far. Judging from his grandfather's posture, he looks like he's about to start a fight.

However, after much persuasion from Li Younan, his grandparents finally agreed to let him come and help with the renovation.

However, in the process of persuading his grandparents, Li Younan gradually realized that his grandparents did not seem to fully understand his meaning and still thought it was just a simple repair or a small job like changing a water pipe.

But it's okay. Renovation is something that can be done step by step. We can just explain it to Grandpa and Grandma as we go.

It wasn't until evening, after dinner, that Li Younan prepared to go back.

I picked up my package at the village's mail station before leaving.

I thought I would be staying at my grandparents' house for a long time, so I filled in this address as the shipping address for the photography competition certificate and medal.

It was opened, revealing a rather exquisite-looking wooden certificate, meticulously framed. At the bottom of the certificate cover was a QR code that could directly link to the official website to verify its authenticity.

The prize money wasn't much, but it's already in my account.

The winning photo was taken of Schelling earlier, and the $2,000 prize money is equivalent to more than 10,000 yuan.

Li Younan readily transferred 5000 yuan to Xie Lin, since Xie Lin deserved half of the military medal.

Schelling was absolutely unwilling to accept the money; he almost jumped up in the chat box, refusing to take it no matter what. In the end, he only symbolically accepted 500 yuan and returned the rest.

Xie Lin, unusually assertive in front of Li Younan, said, "If you transfer any more money to me, that means you're disrespecting me! Are we still brothers?"

Later, Li Younan learned that Xie Lin had downloaded the winning photo from the competition's official website, used the 500 yuan to print it out at an advertising company, framed it, and hung it in a prominent place in his rented room.

Even when we moved later, I always carried that photo with me.

When Li Younan returned home, he casually placed the photography competition certificate on the shoe cabinet, changed his shoes, and slowly told his mother about his trip to the countryside that day, adding that he had already talked to his grandparents.

The first thing that caught her mother's eye was the wooden certificate that Li Younan had casually placed on the shoe cabinet. She picked it up curiously and her eyes lit up with joy. She looked at Li Younan in surprise and asked, "When did you win another award?"

Li Younan said nonchalantly, "I just submitted something randomly and it got selected."

Compared to Li Younan's nonchalant and indifferent attitude, his mother took it very seriously.

She held the certificate in her hands with great seriousness and solemnity, looked at it again and again, wiped it with a towel, and examined it from left to right.

One wall in the living room was covered with all of Li Younan's trophies, medals, certificates, and awards from childhood to adulthood. There was no room for this particular certificate.

After thinking for a moment, Mom put the certificate back on the shoe cabinet and said, "Never mind, I'll go out and buy some more glue tomorrow and find another wall to make a new honor corner."

Li Younan found it somewhat amusing, but she didn't stop her mother. This was her mother's happiness, and even the person involved shouldn't try to ruin it.

Before going to bed, my mom cut some fruit, and the two of them chatted in the living room.

Li Younan talked about what happened in the countryside today, mentioning that he visited his grandparents and discussed the house renovation with them.

Afterwards, Li Younan found a piece of white paper and roughly drew some basic ideas on it, such as how to deal with the slope behind and how to plan the water and electricity circuits.

Although my mother didn't understand, she listened very attentively. Only at the very end did she look up and ask a question: "Approximately how much will it cost?"

This question also surprised Li Younan.

To be honest, Li Younan had never really thought about spending money.

But Mom was right; there's no such thing as a renovation without spending money.

Although Li Younan planned to do most of the work himself, the cost of buying materials and using excavators alone would be considerable.

My mom smiled and said, "I'll give you 10 yuan."

Upon hearing this, Li Younan quickly shook his head: "No need, I'll pay for it."

Mom was immediately displeased and tapped Li Younan on the head: "What are you saying? Do you think Mom's money can be taken to the ground? Of course it's all yours! Don't say you'll pay and I'll pay..."

"You just quit your job and traveled all over China. Where would you get any money? Even if you did, do you think I, as your mother, need you to spend money on my parents?"

Since Li Younan's mother married into the family, she has called his grandparents "Mom and Dad".

These words left Li Younan speechless. He smiled and said, "Mom, that's not what I meant. Well... okay then."

Li Younan thought that his mother was right. Although he still had tens of thousands of yuan in savings, it was really not enough to help his grandparents renovate their house.

Although Li Younan's mother is a single woman, she works at a bank and her income is not low.

There were no major expenses at home. She hadn't bought a car or needed to buy a house, and she wasn't a person who liked extravagant spending. The only fixed expense was probably Li Younan's tuition. Over the years, 10 yuan wasn't much in her savings.

Mom added, "If you don't have enough money, just tell Mom. Don't say things like 'yours' or 'mine' anymore, understand? What's Mom's is all yours!"

My mom was unusually serious for once.

Li Younan felt a slight sense of awe; his usually gentle mother exuded an indescribable authority when she became serious.

Silent all night.

The next day, Li Younan planned to go to the building materials market.

He got up very early in the morning.

While his mother was preparing breakfast, Li Younan listed the ingredients he would need on a piece of paper.

Of course, you don't have to buy them all at once.

The first step is to pave the road outside Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Next, scrape where it needs to be scraped, dismantle where it needs to be dismantled, break down the old before building the new.

The materials needed at this stage are not many, so there is no need to buy them too far in advance.

The question then becomes: where to store the materials for the subsequent plumbing and electrical renovations, painting, and other work?

After compiling the list, Li Younan took a picture, planning to go to the building materials market to take a look in a while.

Just then, Lu Xiaolan called via video: "Cousin, cousin, are you up yet? Can I come over a little earlier?"

Li Younan said, "Okay."

Then in the video, Lu Xiaolan said to someone next to her, "Great, my cousin agreed, let's go over right away."

Li Younan vaguely heard a girl's voice coming from outside the video camera: "Wow... your cousin is really a handsome guy!"

(End of this chapter)