Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 213 He Ci'en Moves to a New Home

Jing Yan touched the cabinet door; it felt quite smooth. Liu Qiang smiled and said, "This surface has been coated with a layer of clear varnish. It's colorless, but it's waterproof and mildew-proof, so it's not afraid of heavy kitchen fumes."

The balcony is enclosed with glass windows, allowing sunlight to stream in from all sides. Now that it's winter, standing on the balcony and feeling the warm sun on your skin is very pleasant.

“This place is quite spacious. Besides drying clothes and putting in a washing machine, there’s also room for a recliner. In this weather, it would be so comfortable to lie on the rocking chair,” Jing Yan said softly, tilting her head back and squinting her eyes.

Moving to the bedroom, the floor was already laid, and the wardrobe was already built in. They still needed to buy a bed. Jingyan looked at He Ci'en and asked, "What size bed are you planning to buy?"

He Ci'en thought for a moment and said, "I'll sleep alone, a single bed will be fine."

Jingyan sighed: "Let's buy a double bed. It's comfortable for me to toss and turn however I want. And when we get married, it won't be crowded with two or three people lying in it. What, are you planning to stay single forever and not get married?"

He Ci'en smiled shyly: "Okay, I'll listen to my aunt and buy double beds for both rooms."

"Have you written down everything you want to buy?" Jingyan asked him.

He Ci'en nodded: "I've written down what Auntie said. Oh, right, I haven't written down the curtains yet."

Liu Qiang took out a notebook from the side: "This is the size of the window. It's safest to buy curtains that are 1.5 or 2 times larger than this size. After all, curtains can't be stretched too flat, and if they're too small, they won't completely block the view."

He Ci'en thanked her, took the bag, and copied down the dimensions.

Jingyan thought the renovation was fine. He Ci'en then looked at He Zhijun, who nodded. He Ci'en immediately paid the remaining balance. The rest was about buying furniture and appliances, which Jingyan didn't want to get involved in. She let the uncle and nephew shop on their own and went home first.

When the father and son returned, it was already dark. Jingyan asked, "Have you two had dinner?"

The two shook their heads, and Jingyan was speechless: "We've already finished eating, how about I cook you two a bowl of noodles to fill your stomachs?"

The uncle and nephew were truly exhausted and slumped on the sofa, not wanting to move. Jingyan was too lazy to say much, so she went into the kitchen to cook noodles for them. The noodles were ready quickly, with two poached eggs and a handful of greens added. After they were cooked, she added two drops of sesame oil, and the aroma immediately filled the air.

Perhaps they were genuinely hungry, because the noodles smelled delicious, and they finished off the soup in their bowls. Seeing how quickly they devoured the food, Jingyan was exasperated: "What are you doing, so hungry? Don't you have any money? Can't you find a restaurant to eat at?"

He Zhijun waved his hand: "Weren't we going to buy home appliances and furniture? Home appliances are simple. The shop we bought from before is reliable, so we went directly to him, told him our needs, and he agreed to assemble the goods."

"We're exhausted from choosing furniture. It's just a sofa, coffee table, TV stand, dining table and chairs, and bed—not many items in total. But I didn't expect there to be so many patterns and styles on the market, even European styles! We're completely overwhelmed and haven't really figured out what to choose."

"Did you buy it?" This was what Jingyan was most concerned about.

He Zhijun didn't speak, but He Ci'en shook her head: "No, I was overwhelmed by the choices and didn't know which one to choose, so I didn't decide."

"Okay, you've been working hard all day and haven't chosen anything. How about we go back and choose again tomorrow?" Jingyan asked.

He Ci'en smiled and said, "Auntie, could you please come over tomorrow and help me choose something? I think everything looks good."

Jingyan sighed: "Alright, I'll go with you tomorrow. Zhijun, are you going tomorrow?"

He Zhijun nodded: "We'll go. The furniture market only offers delivery, not moving, and the moving fees are quite high. I'm thinking the two of us can move it, and you can watch the furniture downstairs."

Jing Yan nodded: "Okay, then let's go together tomorrow, the three of us. Will the appliances also be delivered tomorrow?"

He Ci'en asked curiously, "Auntie, Uncle didn't seem to mention delivering the appliances tomorrow. How did you know?"

"That shop owner is always quick to fulfill orders. The appliances I buy are usually delivered to the island the day after I order them, unless they can't be sourced locally and I have to wait. But now the demand for appliances is high, and I reckon that shop owner, given his personality, would definitely stock up on them," Jing Yan said lazily.

Jingyan said, "Then someone should be home at your place tomorrow, right?"

He Ci'en nodded: "Okay, I'll call my grandparents later and ask them to check out the house for me tomorrow. When the appliances are delivered, they can tell the delivery person where they can be installed so as not to cause any delays."

After He Ci'en finished her call, everyone washed up and rested. He Zhijun, unusually, started snoring tonight. Jing Yan, who was still half asleep, heard it, turned over, covered half her head with the blanket, and waited for a while before slowly falling asleep.

The next morning, the three of them went out again and headed straight to the furniture store. The basic decoration of the house was already mostly solid wood, so they only needed to buy furniture in the corresponding colors. Those strange and unique features were actually unnecessary.

Jingyan spent the morning with two people at the furniture store and ordered all the furniture they needed for their home. Actually, they didn't have much time to choose; most of the time was spent bargaining. Even if the price was reduced by a few cents or a 10% discount, the savings added up to a considerable amount.

After giving the address and receiving the receipt, and confirming that the delivery would be made in the afternoon, the group went back to their new house. The appliance delivery person hadn't arrived yet, and the house was empty. The elderly couple had somehow gotten a long bench and placed it on the balcony, where they were sitting in a row, basking in the sun.

Hearing the door open, the two turned to look at the entrance. Upon seeing the group of people entering, the uncle pulled his aunt up by the arm and said, "You're back! This house is really nice, with good lighting. It's so warm to bask in the sun here. But the appliance delivery person Ci'en mentioned hasn't arrived yet."

Jingyan pointed curiously to the bench on the balcony: "Where did this come from?"

The uncle pointed to the house across the street: "Our neighbors have already moved in. Before, when their family came out, they saw our door was open and came over to take a look. Knowing that the furniture hadn't been bought yet, they lent us a bench so we could sit for a while. It's not appropriate to sit on the floor; it's too cold in winter."

He Ci'en scratched his head sheepishly: "I'm sorry, Grandpa and Grandma. Yesterday I was so busy saying I would come and wait for the appliances that I forgot to mention that there isn't even a place to sit at home. If I had known, I would have bought a few small stools first. It wouldn't be right for you two to stand. It's my fault, my fault."

The uncle waved his hand dismissively: "Alright, we never expected you to be so thorough. The house is almost done now. We're just waiting to see when you can settle down. Only then will your grandma and I be at ease."

He Ci'en...

The uncle pointed at him and said to Jingyan, "Look at him, he's always like this when it comes to marriage. I called his parents a few days ago, and they can't transfer him back. They're just waiting until he retires to come over."

Those two can only take care of themselves. These two sons are treated like they're not their own. Oh well, the younger one is too young to worry about, and the parents aren't concerned either. We two old folks can't control them anymore. Let them do what they want.

Jingyan smiled and said, "Uncle, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. We just need to take care of ourselves. There's no need to worry about them. If we interfere too much, they'll just find it annoying. It's already noon. Let's find a restaurant to have a meal."

The uncle shook his head: "They didn't say what time they would come. We can't leave the house unattended. You guys go eat. After you're done, your aunt and I will just grab a bite to eat."

Jingyan thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll go to the restaurant and get some food to go. We can eat at this bar counter later. Hmm, the chairs and stuff haven't been delivered yet, so we'll have to stand." Jingyan pointed to the fixed counter that had been set up as a partition in the entryway.

The uncle nodded: "That's great. At home, we don't have to worry about missing out on people. As for eating standing up, what's wrong with that? Maybe we can even eat more."

He Ci'en wanted to go out with Jing Yan, but He Zhijun pulled her back, saying, "She's my wife. If anyone's going to go out, it'll be me. You stay home with your grandparents."

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, He Ci'en was completely bewildered: "What does my uncle mean by this? Can't I just do some manual labor?"

The uncle smiled and said, "They're a good couple, that's all. It's normal for someone like you who doesn't have a partner to not understand."

He Ci'en... was he being looked down upon?

Not long after, the couple returned carrying six dishes, a soup, and a bowl of rice. The uncle was dumbfounded when he saw the huge pile of lunchboxes and bowls: "Why are you using lunchboxes to carry your food? You'll have to return them after you finish eating?"

Jingyan shook her head: "Logically speaking, you should pay a deposit if you use someone else's tableware, and you should clean it and return it after you're done using it. I just didn't want the hassle. Anyway, Ci'en doesn't have anything here, so it's no big deal to buy some. I bought these at the store over there, and the restaurant staff cleaned them for me so I could use them to hold my food."

The uncle nodded: "If Ci'en doesn't want to eat in the courtyard in the future, and doesn't want to cook at home, it's fine to take a lunchbox and go to a restaurant to get two dishes to eat at home."

The group gathered around the bar, opened their food, and began to eat lunch. After finishing his meal, He Zhijun pouted and said, "The restaurants here aren't as good as Chef Zhou's at our restaurant. Yet, they still manage to do well. If Chef Zhou opened a restaurant here, I bet everyone around here would go out of business."

Jingyan glared at him: "There are plenty of good chefs, but most of them open their shops in densely populated areas. Ci'en is already quite remote. The shops that can open nearby mainly cater to people who have no home or job and can't cook. If someone at home can cook, eating at home is cheaper than eating out."

Unless there are special circumstances, chefs usually open their restaurants in the city center, where there's high foot traffic, and once word-of-mouth spreads, business is much better there than here.

After finishing his meal, He Zhijun took his lunchbox and the newly bought baking soda into the kitchen. Putting everything else aside, the sink was really convenient to use. In no time, he had cleaned the lunchbox and placed it on the kitchen counter.

They all stood on the balcony, chatting while basking in the sun. "By the way, have you bought the curtains, bedding, and pillows for Ci'en yet?" Jingyan suddenly asked.

He Ci'en shook her head: "We can just bring the bedding back from the dormitory, there's no need to buy anything else."

Jingyan thought about it. Since he was living alone anyway, she figured it was fine for him not to prepare too much. Besides, after eating and drinking her fill, her head felt heavy, which was not a good time to think. It was most comfortable to clear her mind.

Around 2 p.m., the appliance and furniture deliverymen arrived one after another, and the whole house started to get busy. The washing machine was put on the balcony, the refrigerator was put in the living room, and the stove, range hood, and water heater were installed and tested by the technicians in the kitchen.

The TV is now in the living room, and the TV cabinet and sofa arrived just in time. Everything was set up perfectly, and the installer even connected the TV antenna to make sure it could receive a signal.

Now there are dedicated TV signal cables available. Although it costs a few dollars a month, at least you don't have to carry a satellite dish and search for a signal everywhere, which saves a lot of trouble.

The double bed in the bedroom was also being assembled. With so many people suddenly arriving, the already not-so-small house became incredibly crowded. There was nothing in the house, so of course, there was no hot water. After initially directing the placement of appliances and furniture, Jingyan followed her uncle and aunt on the balcony, watching others work.

He Zhijun and He Ci'en are young, strong, and educated, so they can be of great help. Watching the once empty house gradually become complete brings He Ci'en a great sense of satisfaction.

Now that the house is ready, He Ci'en can gradually move her belongings over before the Lunar New Year, and move in directly after the holiday. The dormitory can then be allocated to other people.

During the winter break, all six of his children insisted on visiting the new house. He Ci'en happily took them there and helped them move the last of their belongings from the dormitory. He planned to move in before the new year and was quite impatient.

Everyone came to see it, but after they went back, they didn't feel much. After all, they were either too young or still in school, and they didn't have much of aspiration for the house. Only Rong Gang, who had just gotten married during the National Day holiday, felt a little guilty towards his wife when he saw He Ci'en's house.

Back in their rented apartment, Rong Gang said to Huo Benqin, "Honey, don't worry, I'll work hard with Mom to manage the chicken farm, and we'll try to buy our own house within three years."

Huo Benqin wasn't particularly attached to the house: "We're doing quite well, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Look at He Ci'en's education and what kind of job she does."

"They earn the equivalent of three or four months' salary in a month, and they can still afford a house because their company has good benefits and paid half the cost. We're just ordinary people. As long as we're not lazy, things will get better sooner or later. There's no rush."

Rong Gang was appeased by Huo Benqin's gentle attitude. He was indeed a bit impatient, but he listened to advice. However, he did put more of his energy into the chicken farm afterward. The first batch of laying hens were already two years old, and now they were laying fewer and fewer eggs, and with winter approaching, they weren't laying any at all.

Rong Gang took advantage of the time when everyone was busy preparing for the New Year to take the chickens to the market to sell. Although selling them individually was slow, the price was much higher. He didn't have much to do now, so besides delivering goods, he would set up a stall to sell live chickens whenever he had time.