Starting a new chapter in life

He Zhijun thought it over and agreed. "We have a general idea now. Next, we need to find a reliable craftsman. I need to ask around for that. But right now, the most important thing is to get the shipped items back. We can store them in the yard with the shed. What do you think?"

Jingyan nodded: "Let's stay in one room for now. Anyway, even if we renovate, we can do it one room at a time. Let's stay in the room that needs the least modification and use the cot. Once everything is set up, we can put the furniture in properly."

He Zhijun also thought it was feasible, "Then let's first find out where we can rent a truck?"

“Neither of us is familiar with this area. We could either go to the neighborhood office to ask, or go to the train station to inquire. Since the train station handles freight, it should also have a fleet of trucks for transportation. I just don’t know if they would be willing to take on our job,” Jing Yan suggested.

"Okay, let's go together then."

Jingyan shook her head: "I see there's a big broom in the yard. Go find a car and bring the things back. I'll clean up the yard under the awning. We'll be piling things up later, so it needs to be clean. If we have enough time, I'd also like to inquire if there are any skilled craftsmen nearby. If there are any close to us, at least we can go home to stay tonight."

He Zhijun thought it was a good idea. When he left, Jing Yan gave him 100 yuan: "Although we only need to hire a car and people to help with the moving, it doesn't seem to cost much, but it's better to bring more money. In case of any other expenses, having money in your pocket will put your mind at ease."

"I noticed you seem worried that I don't have any money." He Zhijun couldn't help but ask when he took the money. Although he wasn't short of money before, he rarely carried cash with him. He would only carry cash if he needed to buy something. He didn't smoke or drink, and he generally didn't go out for social events. Jing Yan's behavior made him feel like he was being kept, but he was clearly the main breadwinner in the family now. Was this just a misconception?

Jingyan… “Is there a problem? You’re going to run some errands. If you don’t have enough money, are you going to just give up or come back to get more? Besides, you said you’re going to do major repairs here. What if you meet a good craftsman on the way? Aren’t you going to book him right away? Or buy some white paint for the walls while you’re at it? Or are you just going to let this opportunity slip by?”

He Zhijun thought about it and it seemed to make sense, but something also seemed off. "Oh, what you said doesn't seem wrong either, but I just feel that you're going to spoil me. Before, when I helped buy things, my mom would give me exactly the right amount of money, afraid that I would spend it recklessly. You're so different from her."

“Your mom treats you like this because you’re a child, but she wouldn’t treat your dad like this. If you don’t believe me, ask your dad later if he has any pocket money.” Jing Yan said with a smile.

He Zhijun shrugged. "I wouldn't dare ask. If my dad really doesn't have any money, I'd be asking for a beating."

“See, you know that if your dad really doesn’t have any pocket money, he’ll lose face. And I don’t want you to lose face because of these things. Even if you don’t care, I can’t not protect you. It’s my duty as a wife. Of course, I also expect you to be devoted to me and the family. It’s my right as a wife.” Jingyan looked into his eyes very seriously.

He Zhijun didn't look away and nodded seriously: "Don't worry, I will cherish our home and everything I have. Well, I'm going to the train station now. We won't be able to cook at home for the next couple of days. When I get back, we'll go to the state-run restaurant."

Jingyan agreed and watched him leave. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw a very muscular man standing awkwardly at her door. He looked to be almost 1.9 meters tall, and Jingyan, who was at least 1.7 meters tall, had to look up at him. Jingyan asked curiously, "Comrade, is there something you need?"

The man's face turned bright red, but he still spoke up: "I'm from the north. I just came back here with my wife. We live two streets away from here. I heard that your house might need some renovations. I wonder if you've found any workers? Do you need any more help?"

"Is your wife from Shanghai? Are you looking for work?" Jing Yan asked to confirm further.

The man rubbed the hem of his clothes with both hands, but still nodded: "I was a sent-down youth before. I got married to my wife while supporting rural construction. She's from Haishi. Now that the college entrance examination has been reinstated, my wife and I both took it and passed. However, my grades weren't very good, and I only got into a junior college. But I still passed. There's still some time before school starts, and I'm thinking of finding some work to earn some living expenses. I'm very strong, and I can do carpentry and bricklaying."

Jingyan could tell he was trying his best to promote himself, so she tried to lower her voice: "You said you're from the North, so do you know how to build a kang (heated brick bed) and a fire wall?"

The man's eyes lit up immediately: "You're from Northeast China? I can hear your accent." In his excitement, he blurted out in Northeastern dialect, "I know how to build a kang (heated brick bed). I helped build it when my family was building the house before, but I've never done it on my own before. But I really know how. Do you need me to build a kang?"

Seeing Jing Yan nod, he smiled more relaxedly: "That's true. You're from the Northeast, so you must not be used to the damp cold of winter here. The place where I was sent to the countryside is not far from here, and the climate is similar. It took me three years to barely get used to it. If you need to build a kang (heated brick bed), I need to come and see how you plan to do it so I can estimate whether it's possible. This house is different from the one in our hometown. We built it together when we built the house, so the flue and everything else were already there. It would be quite troublesome to build a new flue here, so I need to come and see it in person."

He noticed that Jing Yan still didn't intend to let him in, and then he realized: "You, is there something you're worried about?"

Jing Yan smiled and said, "My family just came from the Northeast. My husband also came here after taking the college entrance exam. He's gone to pick up our luggage and isn't home yet. Since your home isn't far, why don't you come over around 3 or 4 pm? If there's anything that needs to be changed, just tell my husband. I don't know anything about these things."

The man suddenly realized: "Sorry, I know you're from Northeast China and I subconsciously felt close to you, so I forgot about that. Men do tend to know more about civil engineering. Okay, I'll come back and take a look this afternoon."

Watching the man leave, Jingyan closed the gate, bolted it from the inside, put on woolen gloves, picked up the only broom in the yard made of bamboo strips, and swept the cement ground under the awning. The trash she swept up consisted mostly of dust, fallen leaves, and debris left behind by several families when they moved. There were scraps of paper and broken pieces of porcelain, but fortunately, there wasn't much. She swept it to the corner near the gate and it piled up in a heap.

After thinking for a moment, I took a big broom and went into the house. I swept the brick floor in the living room as well. As for the other rooms, I really didn't want to go in. Anyway, I was going to turn them all into cement floors later, so I could clean them all together then. Although I only swept the floor, it still looked much cleaner and more pleasing to the eye. I put the broom against the wall and took a good look around. The overall layout was really good. Except for the living room, every other room had a window, and from the end of the stairs on the second floor, you could go directly to the large terrace, which was the roof of the living room and the two rooms on the right.

The roofs of the houses here are all flat, unlike the equilateral triangular roofs in Northeast China. Because of the heavy snow in Northeast China, roofs like that would either leak or collapse after a few years. So, it really is interesting how each place has its own unique architectural style.

This place is really nice though. It's damp and cold here in winter, but it's quite warm here when the sun is out. I'll get a set of rattan tables and chairs later, and it would be nice to sunbathe here. Hmm, I also need to get two clothes racks, it will be so convenient to dry blankets and clothes in the future.

She was having a good time when she saw a large truck coming down the street. Although she couldn't see the people inside, judging by the time, it should be He Zhijun returning. Without thinking twice, she ran downstairs, crossed the yard, and took the latch off the gate. Just as she opened the gate, He Zhijun was about to knock when she paused, then laughed and said, "As expected of you, we're so in sync!"

Jingyan, who was also not very romantic, turned around and pointed to the roof on the right: "I was there just now. I saw a big truck coming in, and I guessed it was you, so I came to guard the door."

He Zhijun's smile froze slightly. "You're absolutely right, there really are trucks available at the train station. We'll handle the transportation; you just need to pay for the truck and handling fees." He then fully opened the door.

By this time, the people on the train had gotten off. There were four of them. They opened the side panels of the carriage, two people jumped on and started passing things down, while the other two people below received them and carried them toward the yard. "Where should we put them?" one of them asked.

Jingyan quickly went inside and pointed to the spot under the awning near the outer wall: "Just put it along this wall, close to the base of the wall."

The two put their things down, and the person who came in confirmed with her again: "Are you sure you don't need us to help you put your things away? Even if you don't need us to set them out, our moving fee won't be less."

He Zhijun came over at this time and replied with a smile, "We still need to renovate this house, so it's fine to leave it here for now. Thank you for your help."

After receiving confirmation from the two of them, the person who came didn't say anything more, turned around and went out to continue working. "After our house is finished, we'll have to find someone to move it again." Jingyan felt a little sorry for him.

He Zhijun patted her and said, "It's okay. We can handle some of the small pots and pans. It's just that we need to move the cabinets and the bed. The people who come to help us will lend a hand, and it shouldn't cost much."

When he mentioned the workers, Jingyan remembered the man from the north: "Zhijun, when you went to the train station today, a man came to our house and offered to help with the work. He said he knew how to build a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed) and a fire wall."

He originally wanted to come in and take a look at the house to confirm if it could be modified, but I didn't let him in since you weren't home. I told him to come over again around 3 or 4 pm this afternoon, and you can come with him then. If he can really handle it, then we won't have to worry about winter anymore.

He Zhijun nodded: "Did you ask him where he lives? Did you mention that we don't provide accommodation?"

“He said his home is just two streets away from us, very close. Also, he was a sent-down youth before, and he also came back from college after taking the college entrance exam. He went to a junior college, but I didn’t ask for details. Anyway, both he and his wife are college graduates, and you are the only college graduate in our family.” Jingyan said, sounding a little disappointed.

“What’s the big deal? There are more and more college students these days. When we have a child, I’ll tutor him, and he’ll get into college too. Then we’ll have two college students in our family.” Jingyan couldn’t help but laugh at He Zhijun’s words. “You’re so good with words.”

Seeing the people still moving things, Jingyan nudged his side and said, "Go over to the truck and keep an eye on things, don't forget anything."

He Zhijun obediently went out the door. Jing Yan watched from the yard as they lined up the truck against the wall. After they finished moving the truck, He Zhijun thanked them and saw them off. After the truck left the alley, the two of them closed the gate.

Jingyan pulled him into the house: "I want to open a window on the back wall of the living room so it will be brighter. I just don't know if it's possible to do it here, or if it will damage the wall."

"Once we've gathered everyone, we'll consult with professionals. If there aren't any major problems, we'll open a window."

"Good~"

Jingyan then took him to the terrace. "It's spacious here, great for drying blankets, clothes, and people. We can also have the drainage checked again. I like it here, it's bright and airy."

He Zhijun went downstairs and brought back two stools from the yard, placing them on the ground of the terrace: "Sit and watch."

Jing Yan sat down as instructed: "Which room will we sleep in tonight? First, set up the cots, and make sure they're thick enough, it's really too cold here."

"No rush, let's rest for a while and then go eat."

Jingyan rubbed her stomach and stood up: "Let's go now, I'm hungry."

He Zhijun smiled, took her hand and went downstairs. As they walked toward the state-run restaurant, he said, "The truck we rented today cost a total of twenty yuan. It's mainly because the distance is far, and the prices here are higher than in Jiang City."

"It's a big city after all, but now there are people starting to do small businesses? Look, are those clothes on that cart?" Jing Yan saw a woman who was covered up quite a bit and pushing a small cart full of clothes at the corner when she passed through a relatively secluded alley. The clothes were piled up haphazardly together. She asked He Zhijun curiously.

He Zhijun glanced at it and said, "Let's not join the crowd. If you want to buy clothes, let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative. I heard that there are still old craftsmen here who can make clothes by custom, but you need to have someone to introduce you. My grandma used to wear mostly clothes made by those craftsmen, but she hasn't made many new clothes in recent years. I don't know if we can still find them."

Jing Yan shook her head: "I don't lack clothes, I don't need to buy any. It's just that I saw some people starting to set up stalls, and I was thinking that if the policy really allows or relaxes, I can also find a place to set up a stall to sell braised meat or barbecue."