Zhou Xiaoyun’s Happy Life

Chapter 68 The Zhou family built a tiled house (3)

On this day, the Zhou people in the city came home.

Zhou Guoqiang called his eldest brother Zhou Guofu over, and the three brothers had a good meal at noon. After the meal, the bricklayers all went to work, leaving the three brothers still drinking and chatting.

Zhou Guoqiang drank about half a catty of wine and felt drunk: "Guomin, don't you have to go to work every day? Why are you back today free?"

 Zhou Guomin was much more polite in eating food than his brother. He didn't explain but just smiled.

Zhou Guofu was sensitively aware that Zhou Guomin seemed to have something to say to Zhou Guoqiang, so he went out on the pretext of going to the toilet.

When only brothers Zhou Guomin and Zhou Guoqiang were left in the house, Zhou Guomin took out three hundred yuan from his pocket and said to Zhou Guoqiang: "Second brother, I took the time to come back today to give you three hundred yuan. You will definitely use it everywhere when building a house. Money, you take it, if it’s not enough, tell me.”

Zhou Guoqiang was startled and hurriedly declined: "Guomin, my second brother can't take this money from you. I have money, so take it back quickly."

Zhou Guomin forced the money into Zhou Guoqiang's hand: "Second brother, don't worry, I have discussed this money with Mingli, and it is considered as a loan from us. When you are rich in the future, you will not be too late to repay us. My brother, Don't be polite here. Building a house is a lifetime event. So many of your children are not financially well-off. We all hope that you will build the house soon. I guess you have all the materials ready, but I am afraid that you will give it to others. The salary may not be enough. It just so happens that the post office has paid a bonus this month, so I will discuss with Mingli to get the money back for you to use. "

Zhou Guoqiang's nose felt a little sore. He no longer refused and put the money in his pocket: "Guomin, thank you. To be honest, your second sister-in-law and I did the math and we still didn't have enough money. I originally thought that I would owe part of the wages first and then I would pay. Pay it back slowly after you have paid it. Now that you are talking about this, I will not hold on to this face. Your second brother will accept it, and I will pay you back next year..."

Zhou Guomin waved his hand, indicating that he should stop talking: "Why do we talk to two different families? Come on, let's continue drinking."

 After lunch, Zhou Guomin said there was still something to do at the post office and left. Zhou Guoqiang quietly told Zhao Yuzhen about the three hundred yuan sent by his brother.

Zhao Yuzhen was surprised and happy: “Dad, this money came just in time.”

Zhou Guoqiang said with a smile: "Yes, we are worried about what we will do if we are short of wages. With these three hundred plus the family's money, it is probably enough. This money is a timely help. It's better to be a biological brother!"

 Zhao Yuzhen felt a little uncomfortable after hearing this, remembering the conflict she had with Zhou Guoqiang last time over the gift money for Zhao Gang's wedding. If you listen to these words again at this time, how can you not be worried?

However, she had her own way to deal with it: "His dad, the third child's Zhiyuan will have his sixth birthday next year. We will buy something for the child then, so we can repay the favor. From now on, the boss and the third child's family will still have things to do at the child's aunt's house. We all gave him 20 yuan as a gift, after all, the situation is much better now than it was two years ago.”

Zhou Guoqiang felt very comfortable after just a few words, and he and Zhao Yuzhen were particularly energetic when they went out to help.

Seeing that the house is getting taller and taller, it will soon be able to have its beams erected.

The wood has been planed by Zhou Guofu a long time ago. Once the bark is removed, it can be used with a plane until it is smooth. We chose a more auspicious day to officially put up the roof beams, and the house was almost completed.

On the day when the beams were hung, Lao San and his family came back from the city. Xiaobao, who had not been home for a long time, was so happy that he ran around when he saw the family's new house.

 Zhou Fang's family brought a long whip when they came, and also bought a large piece of quilt and a quilt. This is the custom of hanging beams in rural areas. The girl who gets married has to buy something when she comes back. Of course, you don’t need to actually hang it on the beams, but you do need to buy quilt tops, sheets, quilts, blankets and the like.

Of course the eldest family is also indispensable. Together with Zhao Yuzhen’s two sisters and brothers, as well as the bricklayers, there were two tables set up that day.

 After hanging the beams, the roof was quickly put up.

Zhou Guoqiang and Zhao Yuzhen were discussing what to do with the floor inside the house at home. If it were just a dirt floor, it would not match the house well, but laying a cement floor would add a lot of expense. After much discussion, we decided to spend the money. Apart from anything else, I won’t have to worry about being at home on rainy days in the future. The cement floor is dry and comfortable to walk on. If you save this money now, you will have to pave it sooner or later.

The main house with tiled roofs has three rooms facing south, and a kitchen, a utility room, and a bedroom are located in the corner facing east, making a total of six rooms.

The room in the middle is the main room, which is equivalent to the living room later. The east room is the bedroom of Zhou Guoqiang and his wife, and the west room is reserved for brothers Dabao and Xiaobao.

Zhou Xiaoyun is now getting older and can no longer live alone with his older brother and younger brother in a newly built small room.

This room is next to the kitchen. There is a small hall in the middle for storing some miscellaneous items. There is a small bedroom in it, but Zhou Xiaoyun is already very satisfied.

 Finally I have my own private room, which will make it much easier to do things in the future.

By the time everything was ready and tidied up, and it was the next spring, there was nothing to decorate in the house except to paint the walls with white plaster and lay a cement floor. I didn’t buy any new furniture, I just moved in the existing furniture.

However, not to mention Zhou Guoqiang and Zhao Yuzhen, even the big and small treasures would be happy to live in their own tile-roofed house. Not to mention Zhou Xiaoyun who has his own room.

 (End of this chapter)