408 Renovation Go!
Having been dragged into the house, Zhuang Zhuang was not very happy to begin with. When he asked for the reason, Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were vague and didn’t give him a convincing reply. That made him even more depressed.
While Xiao Zhu and Yu Ling were clearing the table, Zhuang Zhuang secretly ran to the kitchen. Before he entered, he heard some noises.
For some reason, Zhuang Zhuang stopped smiling and quietly squatted down by the door, peeking inside.
What were his parents eating?
!!
Zhuang Zhuang sniffed hard, but he didn’t smell any meat. It wasn’t meat or bones. What were they nibbling on?
Feeling curious, Zhuang Zhuang stretched his neck to take a better look. Other than their flushed faces, he could not see anything else.
Zhuang Zhuang stomped his feet in a fit of pique. They didn’t even ask him along when they had good food. He was not going to care about his parents anymore!
It was the same for Sister Yu Ling and Sister Xiao Zhu. They must know that his parents were secretly eating delicious food and wanted to help them hide it from him. He had taught them to read and write for nothing, so he should ignore them too!
With that thought in mind, he left angrily.
Fortunately, Zhuang Zhuang had left at this moment and did not continue looking. Otherwise, the two of them would have been exposed.
Inside the room, Xiaoguo pushed Jiang Danhe’s wandering hands away with all her might. Breathing heavily and looking at each other with passionate eyes, the two of them stepped away from their embrace.
Xiaoguo turned her head away first. She said nervously while tidying her clothes, “Hurry up and cook.”
Jiang Danhe turned around and tried his best to calm down. He also replied shyly, “Okay.”
The two of them tacitly understood what had just happened, and they immediately busied themselves with their work. Neither of them brought up the fact that they had almost lost control of themselves.
However, both of them were aware that after today, they would become even closer with a deeper emotional connection. They would also become more committed as a couple.
They both noticed this change in their relationship and it warmed their hearts. Even when they occasionally glanced at each other, it was incredibly sweet and intimate.
—-
The next morning, as they still had to go to the county to look for renovation workers, the two of them got ready to set off after breakfast.
“Zhuang Zhuang, if we’re not home by noon, remember to go to Auntie Yang’s house with Sister Xiaozhu and Sister Yuling. Do you understand?”
Zhuang Zhuang’s mouth moved slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly thought of something. He closed his mouth and nodded indifferently, indicating that he understood.
The boy was not being his warm usual self. Although his behavior made Xiaoguo feel uncomfortable, she did not manage to figure out the reason behind his change.
Ever since dinner yesterday, Zhuang Zhuang had been acting cold and aloof. When she spoke to him, he didn’t completely ignore her, but he didn’t behave like his usual self.
In fact, there was no need to explain these things to him in detail, since Zhuang Zhuang was a smart and perceptive child. Xiaoguo was only trying to strike up a conversation with him.
The outcome was obvious. No matter how much she said, he still behaved the same way.
Xiaoguo sighed and Jiang Danhe narrowed his eyes without saying anything. He then got on the horse with Xiaoguo in his arms.
She still wanted to say a few more words, but Jiang Danhe did not give her a chance and rode off before she could say anything.
“Why are you in such a hurry? I still want to talk to him.”
Xiaoguo turned to look at him unhappily.
Jiang Danhe touched her head. “It’s useless to say anything to him now. Just wait until he gets over it. He got his stubbornness from me.”
“Are you proud of that?”
At the mention of this, Xiaoguo got a little worked up. The boy was feeling upset for some inexplicable reason. Even after asking and coaxing him, he refused to say a word. She even has to put up with his attitude. What a little brat.
“No, no, no.” Jiang Danhe did not dare to nod. Although it was a good thing that his son resembled him, there was a time and place for everything. If he nodded his head at this moment, he would definitely get a good beating from her.
“I’m more obedient than him. I don’t need any coaxing.”
After Jiang Danhe finished speaking with a smile, he gave the horse’s belly a squeeze, and the horse sped off immediately.
The words that were about to come out of Xiaoguo’s mouth were sealed by his sudden actions. After settling on the horse’s back, she glared at him helplessly. He was already an adult, but he still behaved like a child.
Jiang Danhe smiled at her innocently. He didn’t mean anything else—he only enjoys hugging his wife.
The two of them arrived at the county and made their way to the place that Mrs. Yang had recommended. When they arrived, they discovered that this area was densely populated with carpenters and painters.
The shop that Mrs. Yang mentioned, was the largest shop in the area.
Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe split up. Xiaoguo went to Mrs. Yang’s cousin for consultation while Jiang Danhe went to the surrounding shops to check things out.
Price and craftsmanship were two major considerations. Whichever shop that offered the best services would be chosen for their services.
“Brother.” Xiaoguo walked into the shop and stopped someone. She asked, “Do you know where Yonghai Luban is?”
Yonghai Luban was the title of Mrs. Yang’s cousin in Yonghai county.
The man, who was stopped by Xiaoguo, wiped his sweat with a towel draped over his shoulder while sizing her up. “I am him.”
Xiaoguo exclaimed in surprise. What a coincidence.
“And you are?”
Xiaoguo quickly introduced herself. When Yonghai Luban heard that it was his cousin who had recommended him, he immediately became excited.
“Haha, since you were referred here by my cousin, I won’t treat you as an outsider. Take a look around. I’ll finish the work in my hands first. It won’t take long.”
Xiaoguo smiled and quickly nodded. Then, she took a few steps back to get out of the way.
After everyone returned to their work, Xiaoguo decided to look around while waiting.
The courtyard was neither big nor small. It was neatly filled with finished and half-finished wooden furniture. The workmanship of the furniture was exquisite and the carvings on them were beautiful.
More than a dozen carpenters were working hard to chisel the wood in their hands. Blocks of shapeless wood were meticulously polished and carved to become exquisite works of art.
Xiaoguo was halfway through when she made up her mind.
Jiang Danhe came back to the shop rather quickly. After looking around the place with Xiaoguo, he nodded at her silently.
The two of them had great chemistry. They could read each other’s thoughts with just one look.
...
After looking around at the other shops, Jiang Danhe discovered that Mrs. Yang’s recommended shop was the best. In terms of the workers’ attitude and the craftsmanship, everything they had to offer was the best.
All they needed to find out now was the price. To be honest, based on their workmanship, it was acceptable if they asked for a higher price.
Xiaoguo had spent the previous night drawing a sketch. Although it didn’t look quite professional, Mrs. Yang’s cousin was able to give her his suggestion right after seeing it. Xiaoguo couldn’t help but admire his professionalism.
Mrs. Yang’s cousin took her drawing and took a closer look. Based on his decades of experience, he was able to tell her what she had envisioned in her mind.
The happiest thing in life is when your hairdresser understands your request just from a few words, or when your decorator can capture the exact style you want. It’s just so comforting!
After bargaining, Mrs. Yang’s cousin gave the two of them an honest price very quickly.
Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe were both pleasantly surprised. The price was very low, even lower than they had expected.
After careful verification, Xiaoguo signed the contract with him.
Jiang Danhe paid a third of the renovation cost as a deposit.
The remaining two-thirds would be divided into two payments. During the renovation period, they would make the second payment and the last payment would be made when the job is complete.
Moreover, the shop was also responsible for the painting work and the excavation of a cellar in the backyard that Xiaoguo planned to build. They were taking care of almost everything, so Xiaoguo could just sit back and relax.
...
Since they had not seen the house yet, Mrs. Yang’s cousin sent two men to follow Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe to the two-storey building for an on-site inspection. They would survey the scene and draw a new sketch based on the actual conditions of the house.
Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe rode in front while the two craftsmen drove behind in their carriage, all of them traveling towards the two-story building.
When they arrived at the entrance of the two-story building, Xiaoguo had a bad feeling.
Feeling the same, Jiang Danhe looked at Xiaoguo. It was obvious that the two of them had guessed the same thing.
“Has Shu Botong gotten himself into trouble again?”
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