1983Fishing and Farming between Mountains and Seas

Chapter 214: The Bottom of the Box
It was a brand new red brick house, and the wooden bed was also bought not long ago when they got married. In the two days since moving in, Chen Xiangbei was very diligent, going in and out, tidying up all the time.

The kitchen was clean, the firewood was lit, the smoke rose, and the smell of home spread.

As long as she is there, swaying warmly around, even if it is just the two of them for the time being, that warm atmosphere is still there.

Another two days passed, and the new house was finally tidied up. They lay in bed at night, and this time they really relaxed and took a break.

The wooden box was still moved to the bedroom, not far from their wooden bed. This way it was very convenient to put money in and take money out.

Furthermore, the place where you store your money must be under your nose, so that any mishaps can be avoided to the greatest extent possible even at night.

The two of them counted the money in the wooden box together.

Liang Ziqiang's original plan was to spend about three thousand six hundred yuan on all building materials such as red bricks and tiles, plus hiring so many craftsmen.

Now when I actually calculate it, it’s not exceeded, but slightly lower than this number, and it only cost about 3,500 yuan.

The cost of building materials such as bricks, tiles, mortar, and wood beams was not much saved, which was consistent with the estimate. However, as for labor, every now and then, a few friends and relatives would come to help out without asking for money. This invisibly increased the number of people and accelerated the progress, thus saving a hundred yuan in labor costs.

Of course, we had to prepare lunch every day, and the food for the beam raising and the new house was spread all over the floor, so we had to spend at least 10 yuan per meal. We spent more than 300 yuan, almost 400 yuan, on cigarettes, alcohol, candy and food.

Adding this in, the actual cost goes to more than 3,800, close to 3,900.

Their total savings in the wooden box was about 4,000 yuan. After the new house was built, their savings dropped, leaving only a little over 100 yuan.

Fortunately, I later used a stilt fishing net to catch clams, and found a flame bead inside a papaya snail, which instantly increased my savings by another 180.

So the young couple counted the money and found that they still had about 300 yuan at the bottom of the box.

At present, there is no problem living in this new building, but there is still one link that has not been completed, which is the floor slab of the second floor.

Now they were sitting on the bed, looking up they could see the tiled roof directly above their heads. Between the tiled roof and the bed, on the second floor, wooden beams were neatly installed in the air.

Later, you need to get fir or pine boards and nail them between the wooden beams one by one. When all four rooms are nailed, leave a hole for the wooden stairs, and the space on the second floor will be formed.

Theoretically, the second floor can be counted as four rooms, which can be used to place various items. If relatives come to stay overnight, they can also put a bamboo bed on the wooden board on the second floor, or just sleep on the floor.

Unlike the house they rented before, it was not big enough for the family and there was no way for relatives to stay overnight.

Liang Ziqiang originally wanted to wait and see whether to start laying the floor immediately after moving in. But now it seems that he has to wait and see.

The three hundred dollars in my hand cannot be spent on this.

The New Year is coming soon. Buying New Year's goods for yourself costs money, and giving gifts to elders also costs money.

It will not be until the end of March or the beginning of April next year that there will be fish to catch in the shallow sea again. There will be no income in the intervening months, but the money is needed for food and daily life.
The daughter-in-law has to go to the hospital for check-ups, and it costs money to take care of the fetus and improve nutrition.

As he thought about it, Liang Ziqiang began to feel that the three hundred yuan alone was tight for the above expenses.

No, I can’t wait until March or April. After the Chinese New Year, I have to think of a way as soon as possible to see if I can get money from the sea again.

For him, making money is an urgent theme in life that will never become outdated...

After putting the money back in the bottom of the box, the two of them sat on the bed, as if they could not find any other entertainment except counting money.

We just finished dinner, it's still early. If we were in the rental house before, Lizhi and Xiaohai would be so happy right now, they would come up with some shows for you if there was nothing to do.

But here, at 7 or 8 o'clock, it was as quiet as midnight. Duobao's occasional barking and the chirping of birds behind the window did not bring any noise, but made the night seem even more peaceful.

If there is no entertainment, then we have to create some. Besides, quietness is not a bad thing. Isn't this what Liang Ziqiang wants?
Thinking of this, he moved closer to his wife and whispered in her ear:

"Wife, this is a new house, and we didn't even celebrate properly after moving in!" Chen Xiangbei felt that he was lying with his eyes open:

"You're talking nonsense. Why didn't we celebrate? We set off a lot of firecrackers on the day we joined the gang!"

"Those cannons were fired outside the house. They have never been fired behind closed doors..."

"what are you saying?"

Chen Xiangbei was still too young in some aspects and couldn't keep up. Until he matched the movements of his hands and inspired her.

She finally realized that this firecracker was not that firecracker.

"What are you thinking about? We just had dinner, how can it be so early..."

She seemed to have formed a habit of thinking that she could not do it too early. Usually, they would wait until late at night when everyone in the house, young and old, was asleep before they would start to act quietly.

Liang Ziqiang thinks this is not good and that this habit should be changed:

"You thought we were living in the old place. Now it's just the two of us in the new house. My parents haven't come yet. Besides, even if they move in later, you don't have to worry about them. Don't you think about how thick my wall is..."

He was fearless and even a little self-satisfied.

Unexpectedly, it would have been fine if she hadn't mentioned the wall. As soon as she mentioned it, she remembered the day when the whole village congratulated her on her "many children and good fortune" at the house construction site.

"What do you mean by thick wall? It's because you are thick-skinned!" She said angrily, "So many people have said that to me. They all think that I encouraged you to build such a thick wall! Get out of the way!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She didn't want him to come up to her and kept pushing him away.

How did this backfire?

But it doesn’t matter. Even if you can’t win the argument with words, your hands are not just for show.

Don't stop, continue to inspire her, and inspire her more...

Facing the fragrant and warm daughter-in-law, his hands have always been diligent and brave enough to explore. Facts have proved that God rewards hard work. She blamed him for a while, but was gradually moved by his hard work, and another sound replaced it in her throat.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Liang Ziqiang acted decisively and succeeded...

The only drawback is that although my daughter-in-law's voice is nice to hear, it is still the same mosquito-like sound as before, with a humming sound.

Such a low-key voice, it's a bit of a waste of the wall! He even got out of bed and closed the thick wooden door just now, just to make her feel more at ease and relaxed.

"Wife, you can't hold it in your throat. If you are happy, just let it go. You know this wall. Its quality is very reliable!" He wanted to make things perfect and asked in a low voice.

"Suppress your head, I don't feel anything, I want to sleep!"

"I still don't feel it yet, so let me try a different method..."

"Don't change it. Where do you get so many tricks from..." This time she gritted her teeth and forced herself to say it.

My wife is really stubborn. Even in this state, she still grits her teeth and refuses to open her voice.

Wait, one day, let her beautiful voice float to the new beams above her head and linger on the beams for three days...

Burst

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(End of this chapter)