The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Wang Gang slept in Fengxiang Hutong for one night, and got up early the next morning to start cleaning the house.

When He Wenhui moved out, she had already taken all her personal belongings with her, so it was relatively easy for Wang Gang to pack up.

His main task today is to sell the furniture and then have a new set made.

Wang Gang promised Yang's parents that he would make a set of thirty-six legs for Yang Maixiang, and naturally he kept his word.

The furniture in the house now was made when Liu Hongchang and He Wenhui got married. It's only been used for three months, and it looks brand new.

The furniture was all custom-made by carpenters, so naturally we can't throw it away. Selling it secondhand is the best solution.

There are many people buying second-hand furniture these days. Wang Gang had barely let the news out when Erqing's mother came knocking on his door.

"Master Liu, I heard you're going to sell furniture."

Wang Gang was slightly surprised that Erqing's mother showed up uninvited.

"You want to buy it?" Wang Gang asked.

Erqing's mother glanced into the room and her eyes lit up when she saw the brand-new furniture.

“Master Liu, we’re all neighbors, and I’m genuinely interested in buying. Please give me a fair price!” Erqing’s mother said with a smile.

"Your son is going to marry He Wenhui, so you're buying furniture for their wedding, right?" Wang Gang asked, looking at Erqing's mother.

"Yes!" Erqing's mother admitted without any embarrassment.

Wang Gang asked in surprise, "Don't your son and He Wenhui mind?"

Erqing's mother said dismissively, "What's there to mind? He Wenhui is used to it anyway, so let's just keep using it."

Wang Gang pursed his lips, already guessing that Erqing's mother must have come without telling her son and He Wenhui.

"Let me make this clear first: once the furniture is sold, there are no returns," Wang Gang reminded them.

"Why would I return it?" Erqing's mother said nonchalantly.

"Alright, I'll pack up all the furniture in my house and sell it off for five hundred yuan, no bargaining. If you're really interested, you can take it away today," Wang Gang sneered.

"Isn't five hundred yuan too expensive? These are all used ones. I can have someone make a new set for only six or seven hundred yuan." Erqing's mother wanted to bargain.

"Then go find someone to make furniture!" Wang Gang tried to close the door.

"No! Four hundred, I'll take the four hundred yuan." Erqing's mother said, blocking the door.

"Five hundred, not a penny less. Take it or leave it, don't waste my time." Wang Gang sneered, "I spent six hundred yuan just on the wood for this set of furniture."

Erqing's mother certainly knew the value of the furniture; otherwise, she wouldn't have shamelessly come over.

"Five hundred it is, I'll have someone drag me home today," Erqing's mother said through gritted teeth.

"Pay with one hand and deliver with the other hand."

"Wait here, I'll go home and get the money right away." Erqing's mother rushed home impatiently, afraid that Wang Gang would change his mind.

Wang Gang certainly wouldn't go back on his word. He was more worried that Erqing's mother might change her mind later, since it would be impossible for her son and He Wenhui not to feel awkward if they found out.

Daqing took over his wife and his old furniture. What do outsiders think?
Wang Gang thought Erqing's mother was also a remarkable person!

Erqing's mother acted quickly, returning within minutes and handing Wang Gang five hundred yuan.

Wang Gang carefully checked each item one by one, and after confirming that everything was correct, he asked Erqing's mother to bring people to move the furniture.

Because they lived in the same courtyard, Erqing's mother asked her neighbors for help and quickly moved the furniture back to her own home.

Many neighbors had strange expressions when they learned that Erqing's mother had bought furniture for Wang Gang and He Wenhui's wedding!

Wang Gang didn't care about any of that; he just watched the whole time without offering to help. When Daqing got home from get off work and saw the room full of furniture, he was a little puzzled.

"Mom, where did you get such new furniture?"

"Hehe, isn't the furniture nice? Look at the wood, look at the carpentry, it's really worth the 500 yuan!" Erqing's mother said proudly.

Daqing examined the furniture closely, and the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. He said, "Hmm, where have I seen this furniture before?"

Erqing's mother said, "Of course it looks familiar. I moved here from Liu Hongchang's house."

"What?" Daqing exclaimed in surprise, "Mom, these are Liu Hongchang's furniture."

“Yes!” Erqing’s mother said with a smile, “This morning I heard that Liu Hongchang wanted to sell furniture, so I immediately ran over and bought some.”

Daqing angrily said, "These furniture pieces were made by Liu Hongchang for He Wenhui. Why did you buy them back?!"

Erqing's mother said with a stern face, "What are you talking about? I bought it because it was cheap!"

I asked a carpenter, and he said a new set of furniture would cost at least several hundred yuan. Now we can get such a brand-new set for half price; we've made a profit!

Daqing said angrily, "Take it back! Take it back! I don't want Liu Hongchang's stuff."

Erqing's mother said with a strange expression, "Why not? This furniture has only been used for three months, it's as good as new. Where can you find such new second-hand furniture for five hundred yuan?"

Daqing said angrily, "Then I don't want it either, it's so disgusting! What will He Wenhui think when she sees this later?"

Erqing's mother said nonchalantly, "What's so uncomfortable about it? You even took Liu Hongchang's wife, so what's wrong with using his furniture?"

Daqing said urgently, "How can that be the same! He Wenhui hasn't consummated her marriage with Liu Hongchang yet, she's still a virgin, but this furniture has already been used by Liu Hongchang, especially this bed, he doesn't know how many times he's slept in it."

Erqing's mother said, "This bed is clean. I wiped it several times this afternoon. I'll put a new quilt on it later, and I guarantee it will be soft and comfortable."

Daqing said angrily, "If you won't back down, I'll go back!"

Erqing's mother also got angry and said, "You really don't know how to manage money. Do you know how much money the family has to spend on your wedding?"

Daqing said, "Isn't my salary with you after I started working?"

Erqing's mother sneered, "That's still not enough! We only have this much money at home. If I don't spend it sparingly, you can forget about getting married."

Seeing the room full of furniture, Daqing felt extremely awkward and asked, "Does He Wenhui know? Will she mind?"

Erqing's mother said dismissively, "What's there to mind? Anyway, she's comfortable using these pieces of furniture, so isn't that perfect?"

Daqing said, "No, I still have to go and tell He Wenhui, Mom, what kind of mess have you made of this!"

Hearing her son's complaint, Erqing's mother immediately retorted angrily, "Fine! They say that once you have a wife, you forget your mother. You, my new wife, haven't even entered the house yet, and you dare to talk to me like that?!"

"No, that's not what I meant," Daqing said, sounding embarrassed.

Erqing's mother's eyes reddened, and she began to sob, "I worked myself to the bone to get all this furniture, but who did it all for? My good intentions have been completely wasted! Don't call me 'Mom' anymore!"

Daqing was at his wit's end and could only try to appease his mother.

The mother and son argued at home for a long time until Erqing's father came home from work and intervened, which finally calmed them down.

In the end, Erqing's father made the final decision: all the furniture would be kept. As for whether He Wenhui minded or not, Erqing's father didn't care.

“He Wenhui is a divorcee. She is already very lucky to have married into our family. What right does she have to be picky? If she doesn’t want the furniture, she can buy it herself.”

"Exactly, the He family is so poor, what right do they have to complain about this and that?"

Seeing his parents' firm stance, Daqing had no choice but to reluctantly accept the furniture. (End of Chapter)