Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

Chapter 134 Heating and Water Heaters

"Xiangyang, your new house is just finished, and so many eyes in the village are watching. If any gossip starts circulating before the wedding, tell me, where will your parents, the Li family, put their faces at the ceremony?"

After dropping Li Xiaoyun off, Li's mother returned with a grim expression, wishing she could slap her own son twice.

But looking at his son's face, which was becoming more and more like his father's, he finally lowered his raised hand.

Realizing his mistake, Li Xiangyang lowered his head in shame, feeling utterly ashamed.

In rural areas during this era, reputation is more important than anything else.

Even a little rumor can ruin the reputation of both families.

Why can't I control myself? What if something unexpected happens...?

“Mother, you’re right,” he said earnestly. “I hadn’t thought things through.”

Li's mother's expression softened: "In that case, it's best if you and Xiaoyun don't see each other for the next two months."

Li Xiangyang opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing the worry in his mother's eyes, he swallowed his words back: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Just then, a shout came from outside the courtyard: "Blacksmithing, skilled in everything, repairs and patchwork too. Last chance for a bargain, time to pack up..."

"Mom, please calm down. I really realize I was wrong, but I have more important things to do right now."

Upon hearing this shout, Li Xiangyang's heart immediately stirred, and he rushed out of the courtyard to stop the blacksmith.

Winters in Northeast China are so cold they can freeze you to death.

In the past, people would freeze to death every winter.

Life is better now, but it's not like we don't have any.

Therefore, keeping warm is always a top priority.

And for heating, the first choice is naturally central heating.

These days, finding a professional team to install heating is nothing short of a pipe dream.

But don't underestimate the artisans of this day and age, especially those who dare to set up stalls and go from street to street.

To say that they handcrafted an aircraft carrier is a bit of an exaggeration.

But ordinary tasks are really no challenge for these craftsmen.

Once it's in their hands, it's no big deal.

This is why Li Xiangyang rushed out of his house when he heard the blacksmith's shouts.

If the blacksmith could make a heating system, then winters would be much more comfortable.

"Master, wait a minute!"

Under the moonlight, a tall, thin man carrying a toolbox was about to turn a corner.

Hearing the shout, the man stopped: "Big or small, if it's a big item, we'll talk about it tomorrow..."

“It’s a big item, but it won’t take much time, sir. Why don’t you come inside and rest for a bit, and see if you can do it?” Li Xiangyang quickly caught up with him, and as he spoke, he was already ushering him into his home.

Although the blacksmith hesitated for a moment, he still followed him into the house.

Li Xiangyang took out paper and pen and began to draw blueprints.

"Look, I want to install a heating system in my home. The furnace body needs to be made of iron plates four or five millimeters thick, in a cylindrical shape. Inside, the core will be lined with refractory bricks, and then bound together with refractory mortar..."

The blacksmith took the blueprints and looked at them with increasing surprise: "This job is quite difficult... It's doable, but it will require a lot of materials. Just the iron plates and steel pipes alone will cost a fortune. Are you sure you want to do it?"

"Hey, about the materials, if you know where I can find them, please help me. I'll pay for it."

"That'll cost you a hundred yuan for your work," the blacksmith said, glancing furtively at Li Xiangyang's reaction.

"Sure!" Li Xiangyang readily agreed. "If you can do a good job, this money will be well spent."

The blacksmith, surprised by Li Xiangyang's agreeable response, became much more enthusiastic: "Alright, I'll go to the scrap metal yard in town tomorrow. If I'm lucky, I might find some cheap, good materials."

"What about refractory bricks and refractory mortar?"

“That’s easy to do, we have them at the brick kiln,” the blacksmith said, then carefully examined the blueprints. “Your design is truly original. Nobody in the village has ever done anything like this before.”

“I believe more and more people will want to install heating systems in the future,” Li Xiangyang said with a smile. “Then you’ll be the first installer of heating systems in our area. This skill will definitely be in demand.”

These words struck a chord with the blacksmith.

He nodded: "Don't worry, I'll definitely do this job well for you. Let me tell you, the reason I'm charging you a hundred yuan isn't because I'm greedy, but because this job requires a power drill, and those things aren't cheap..."

"Sir, the price is very reasonable. If you can fix this heating system, I'd also like to install a simple water heater in the bathroom," Li Xiangyang said, seizing the opportunity.

The blacksmith frowned slightly: "A water heater? What's this new gadget?"

“It’s not complicated,” Li Xiangyang said, picking up a pen again to draw. “It’s just making an aluminum bucket, fixing it to the wall, with an inlet at the top and a showerhead at the bottom, so it can be hung on the wall. We’ll also make a special bucket and use the siphon effect to pump the diluted water in.”

The blacksmith took the blueprints and looked at the simple structural diagram drawn by Li Xiangyang: "I can make the bucket, but the sprinkler head and hose will have to be bought in the county town. How big do you want the bucket to be?"

"A hundred catties of water is about right," Li Xiangyang said. "Any bigger, and carrying water will be too much trouble."

“Alright,” the blacksmith nodded, “this job isn’t difficult.”

"How much more money will it cost?" Li Xiangyang asked.

"The cost of materials is separate; I'll only charge you ten dollars for labor," the blacksmith said. "It's just a side job anyway."

"Then it's settled!" Li Xiangyang was overjoyed.

The blacksmith put away the blueprints, stood up, and said, "I'm leaving. I'll go find the materials tomorrow. I'll give you a quote once I've made the arrangements. Young man, with all this fuss, isn't it time you got married?"

"Yes." Li Xiangyang smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

"No wonder, any girl who marries you is truly blessed."

"Take this ten yuan deposit first," Li Xiangyang said, taking the money out of his pocket and handing it over. "We'll talk about the rest once you've gathered all the materials."

The blacksmith took the money, smiled, and walked out: "Alright, I'll go and arrange it first thing tomorrow morning."

After seeing the blacksmith off, Li Xiangyang returned to the house and said to his mother apologetically, "Mom, all the money is gone after all this. I was thinking, since the new house has enough rooms, you and Xiaohua can move in. If the whole family lives together, I can take care of you. We'll wait until next year when we have more money..."

Li's mother was silent for a while, her eyes reddening slightly: "We agreed that you two would live separately, you child..."

“Mother, how can I enjoy happiness while you and Xiaohua suffer? Please don’t refuse.”

"Silly child, I'm content just knowing you have this intention. But..."

"No buts. It's settled!" Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "Once the heating and water heater are installed, our whole family will move in."

"Okay," Li's mother responded, then added, "But remember, you can't be with Xiaoyun for the next two months..."

"Yes, Mother," Li Xiangyang quickly replied. "Don't worry, I will definitely behave."