Restarting life in Siheyuan

Chapter 397 A man named Xu moved into the backyard
Seeing that Zhu Xuefeng seemed to have a lot of questions to ask, the two of them did not refuse and followed Zhu Xuefeng into the side room.

The two children saw that their eldest brother had come back inexplicably. They were curious when they saw two sisters coming in. They had been here several times in the past two years, but they still had some impressions, so they hurriedly stepped forward and said in unison.

"Happy New Year to you two sisters!" Liu Jiaqi smiled and touched her little sister's face, "My little sister is more beautiful, but my sister didn't prepare any New Year's money, so I'll give you this bow."

As she said this, she took out a beautiful bow from her pocket. She must have just bought it, and it was wrapped in a thin paper. The younger sister looked at her elder brother, reached out and took it, and said thank you.

"We're all students, we're all from the same generation. No matter what kind of New Year's money you get, this is pretty good." Zhu Xuefeng said with a smile, opened the drawer and took out two small boxes.

"I just happened to meet you during the Chinese New Year. This is a facial cream made in Yangcheng. You two can take just one portion each to protect your little faces. Haha, it's just right."

Seeing this situation, Chen Rui became anxious and finally handed over a pen, "Little brother, remember me. I give this pen to you. Study hard and get into a good school like your brother."

Zhu Xuesong also glanced at his elder brother, thanked him and took it.

"Go and make some tea. Let the two sisters drink some hot water to keep warm in the winter. Xuemei, go and bring the snacks and fruits over and let the two sisters try them."

This time I also brought back a lot of fruits from there and gave some away. There were quite a few at home. Zhu Xuefeng was not in the habit of eating fruits and rarely put them outside for fear of attracting attention.

Chen Rui leaned forward and stretched out her hand as if to stop him.

"You don't have to be so polite. It's not like you've never been here before. If you do this, we really can't sit still."

"Okay, okay, we are all old classmates, there is nothing to be polite about. Can any of you tell me what is going on and why Professor Xu lives here?"

Liu Jiaqi looked at Zhu Xuefeng. She didn't seem to be pretending. She probably really didn't know, and said with a smile.

"Co-author, you really don't know. Professor Xu was transferred to our steel rolling mill. The transfer order was issued in the second half of last year. Professor Xu insisted on finishing the semester's classes, so he postponed it until now. Now he is already in When you report to work at the steel rolling mill, Chen Rui doesn't care about Professor Xu running around. He's anxious to get me to do sanitation and is waiting to help Professor Xu move."

Zhu Xuefeng was a little confused. A university professor came to the factory inexplicably. Although the steel rolling mill was in great need of such talents, the professor from the Polytechnic University was still overqualified for this job.

It's hard to ask about this kind of thing, so I have to pretend to be confused, "It's just cleaning. It's simple. Let's rest for a while. I'll take care of it. I'll help you clean up the house today. If you can arrange it, I'll come over tonight." Find someone to help Professor Xu move.”

Chen Rui said with a smile, "Just do some hygiene. The moving steel rolling mill promised to send people and trucks, so we don't need to worry."

Seeing the little girl bringing up a bowl of fruit that she had never seen before, Chen Rui had a complicated mood and pointed at the fruit and asked.

"Old classmate, what kind of fruits are these? This one looks like an orange, but it doesn't look like it. This one looks like a super small orange. This one is even weirder and doesn't look like a fruit. I've never seen any of these before. Can you introduce me to them? "

"Oh, you said this, it's called Chaozhou tangerine, it's very sweet. This one looks super small and it's called kumquat. As for this one, we don't really have it. It's called jicama, it's also sweet. Sometimes it's used as a tangerine in the south. Rice, sometimes we use it as a dish, sometimes we use it as a fruit, it’s a good thing, you can eat it after peeling off the skin, it’s quite sweet, and it’s full of water..."

"With such a big thing, even if you have an empty stomach, you will probably be full."

Liu Jiaqi looked at this big guy and estimated that it was a pound smaller.

"It's okay. It's done. I'll cut it up again. It's a little crispy in the mouth and has enough water. I think it's just right for us in the north to eat in winter, so I brought it all the way from Yangcheng."

It was interesting to hear Zhu Xuefeng's introduction. The two of them were very considerate and ate a few, especially the cold potatoes. Unexpectedly, they finished them easily in a while.

"The name is good. It tastes cool and a little crispy, and it feels good."

When the two children saw their eldest brother chatting with someone, they greeted him and went in to read. Liu Jiaqi looked at the two of them and asked curiously.

"How did you become the eldest brother? Your younger brothers and sisters are so well-behaved, and they are still studying during the Chinese New Year. Unlike my brother, my father beat him and refused to read. He still said plausibly, vacation, vacation, do you know what a vacation is? He is still studying during the vacation. It’s no different from not having a holiday, it makes my dad lose his temper at all.”

"Haha, who's kid is not like this? It's only been a few days since the Chinese New Year, and he's already acting wild..."

After a while, the restraint disappeared, and the three of them chatted harmoniously. From time to time bursts of laughter broke out, which was quite lively. The three of them shared their experiences and jokes about the two schools, and talked about their respective majors. .

"I entered this school by mistake. Even the majors were assigned and I had no choice. What did you two think at the time? A girl went to study mechanics."

Both of them smiled awkwardly, but Chen Rui spoke first, "Isn't it because I want to learn something practical so that I can participate in construction and gain strength? I don't know much about anything else. There are many children in the steel rolling mill in our class, and they can only listen to mechanics. Too much, it’s just a matter of time.”

"Both of you plan to engage in mechanical design and manufacturing in the future?"

Zhu Xuefeng admired the two people's choices and couldn't help but ask.

"Of course. After studying for so long, I really like it. Professor Xu taught us a lot..."

"Stop it, Professor Xu has taught you a lot, okay? Now there is no one else to teach you, Professor Xu."

Liu Jiaqi smiled and teased Chen Rui. Chen Rui was a little embarrassed and her face was a little stiff. She frowned slightly. Zhu Xuefeng knew it and didn't ask. When Liu Jiaqi saw Chen Rui's look, she stopped carefully and didn't mention it again.

The three of them chatted for a while, and then came to Xu Damao's former house in the backyard. The damaged areas outside had not been completely repaired, and the door was in tatters. Chen Rui took out the key and opened the door. There was nothing inside but nothing. There were spider webs all over the beams, and there were traces of whitewashing all over the glass and the scattered pieces of broken furniture, making it a bit messy.

"This house needs to be repaired before people can live in it. Just painting it white won't do it. So, you two, leave it alone and don't lock the door. I'll find someone to clean it up and repair all the doors and windows and replace those that need to be replaced." The beams in this house need to be cleaned and painted, and it will take a few days before we can move.”

"I'm sorry, it will cost a lot of money."

Chen Rui squinted her eyes with a hint of sweet longing, which made Zhu Xuefeng a little confused. Good guy, how come he and she are the hostess.

"It doesn't cost a lot of money. I'll find someone I know well. They have good workmanship. They were the ones who renovated my house."

The two of them took a closer look at Zhu Xuefeng's house just now, and it was indeed much better than before. Chen Rui seemed very relieved to hear that it was the same group of workers who did it.

"Old classmate, please tell me how much it will cost. I will ask Professor Xu to give it to you, but don't look at me. I am just a poor student with no money in my pocket, haha."

Zhu Xuefeng strengthened his judgment and said lightly. "Professor Xu and I also have some friendship. This doesn't matter. Just think of it as me congratulating him on his move."

...

At night in the compound, the two girls were tutoring the two primary school students again. Zhu Xuefeng waved to Lin Na. Lin Na nodded and followed him into the north room. Xia Yuhong looked at their backs in surprise and continued to tutor the little girl.

"Nana, do you know that your uncle has been transferred to another job?"

Lin Na looked at Zhu Xuefeng and nodded slightly, "I know, I heard about it when I got home. My mother said it was decided at the end of last year, but he delayed it until the end of last semester."

"Do you know which unit to go to? He is a key professor at a key university. How can he be willing to leave the school? Doesn't he really like the research atmosphere of the school?"

"I don't know, and my mother doesn't seem to know either. I haven't seen my brother-in-law since I came back. He hangs around you every day, and you don't want to see my parents again."

Zhu Xuefeng didn't care about Lin Na's slight rebuke and said with a smile.

"I seem to have accidentally discovered your uncle's secret. Do you want to hear it?"

Lin Na was a little surprised. What secret did his brother-in-law have? He was a simple and pure person who couldn't get out of research.

"Let me tell you this, your brother-in-law must have been transferred to the steel rolling mill. Didn't I arrive late this morning? That's it..."

Zhu Xuefeng told him exactly what happened in the morning, and Lin Na opened her mouth in surprise.

"You mean, my brother-in-law's current home is in the backyard of this courtyard? Will he move here in a few days? Do you suspect that your classmate is having a relationship with my brother-in-law?"

Zhu Xuefeng nodded, his tone very affirmative.

"In my opinion, it's almost the same. I really didn't expect it. If this happens, I will suffer a big loss."

Lin Na glared at Zhu Xuefeng, "What's wrong with you? Are you also interested in this classmate..."

Zhu Xuefeng was so choked that he almost couldn't speak. It took him a while before he spoke.

"My mind is full of things. If your brother-in-law and the two of them really become friends, I will have to call my classmate my brother-in-law. Do you think I am at a loss? I am a generation shorter for no reason."

Lin Na smiled and punched Zhu Xuefeng, "You're not serious, but tell me what your classmate is like, what his character is like, what he looks like, what he does at home..."

It seems that loving gossip is a woman's nature, and it has nothing to do with age, knowledge level, age, etc. Lin Na, who doesn't care about other things, will also start the household registration mode out of curiosity.

Zhu Xuefeng shook his head, "We are just classmates. We don't interact much. I can't explain clearly. You should be able to figure it out if you ask Xiaoxia. Girls like to get together and chat, so they should know something."

"Okay, then I will find a chance to ask Xiaoxia. My brother-in-law is not young anymore. He will be 33 this year. My mother has urged him many times for this matter. I didn't expect it. I didn't expect it. Now I have found a young partner. It should be Not even twenty yet.”

"She probably hasn't arrived yet. It will take me several months to arrive. She seems to be a little older than me. You should ask Xiaoxia for details. I really don't know how old she is."

...

A few days later, Yan Zi had left quietly. Zhu Xuefeng was talking to three girls in the study room. School was about to start and he needed to confirm some things.

"Da Ya, you are saying that Master Wang is a little tempted, but he hasn't made up his mind yet."

Da Ya nodded, "In the past few years, there have been very few jade carving jobs. Especially last year, it was basically difficult to get jobs. Master Wang's family couldn't support it. His wife has no job and his two grandsons are still in school. Both sons are gone, so the whole family relies on him to support them. If we hadn’t sent some food and money stamps from time to time, their family wouldn’t have been able to survive last year.”

Zhu Xuefeng nodded. There are a few people who play with stones these days. Master Wang's jade craftsmanship has been passed down for generations, but now there is no market in the country, so of course he can't survive.

"Point of attention, if he lets go, I will arrange for him to be sent away immediately. If nothing else, I will definitely have no worries about food and drink, but it must be kept secret. You must know what you should say and what should not be said."

Da Ya nodded, "I know, I didn't say a word more. I just said that there is a place where jade work can be done, where you can have enough food and clothing, and where your children can go to school."

"What about you two? What's going on with Master Jin?"

"We tried it. Although Master Jin's job is not much, he can barely make a living. Now he seems to have no idea. He is reluctant to leave this place. He said that his ancestors have been here for generations and he will die here. So we didn't continue to test it. , afraid of attracting his attention."

Master Jin is alone, and his specialty is making old-fashioned clothing. This should be custom-made in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, but since people don't want to stay away from their hometown, Zhu Xuefeng doesn't want to try again.

"Then don't test it, so as not to cause trouble. You two should work hard to learn all his skills. Be more filial and don't give rare things. Take some food and drink from home from time to time. Be sure to do small favors. Learn his technique of pressing the bottom of the box.”

Erya and Sanya nodded in agreement. This work has been carried out for almost half a year. It is not impressive, but the results are not satisfactory. Zhu Xuefeng does not care too much. If you succeed, you cannot fail. These two businesses In his territory, the proportion is very low.

"Master, do you want to send us away too?"

Da Ya summoned up the courage to ask. In the second half of last year, Zhu Xuefeng found an opportunity to make it clear to the three of them that he had an industry in Xiangjiang, and his clothing and jade shops would also have their own front rooms.

Zhu Xuefeng nodded, "That's what I think. You still have a long way to go. You can't always be apprentices. Now there is a broader world for you to face. If you learn the craft well, you can live your whole life without relying on others. better."

Da Ya lowered her head and hesitated for a moment, then looked at Er Ya and San Ya. The eyes of the two girls were encouraging, and then she mustered up the courage to speak again.

"Master, you gave us these. We don't want to leave, we just want to serve you. Can you please don't send us away?"

Zhu Xuefeng also saw the interaction between the three of them. It seemed that the three of them had discussed this matter privately. But a few years later, who knows what will happen when the strong wind blows. He is a little white boy, and he is not able to protect these three little ones. Girl.

"Did you discuss it? It's not that I want to chase you away, it's just something I have to do. I can't explain it clearly to you now. Don't have other ideas. We have agreed that we are a family. Even in the past, you helped me take care of the property. "

(End of this chapter)