Chapter 114: Covering the House

  Jian Zhonggen was worried that there wouldn't be enough money, but Shen Sisi laughed and said: "Dad, we have silver at home, don't worry. Although this place is good, it's just too small. Now that we're doing business at home and there are more people, it's really not very good to be crowded together..."

  "But the second and third children will have to go to school too, it's a huge expense, is there enough money?!" Zhong Gen Sheng worriedly said.

  "Afterwards, our family will have a net income of nearly five or six taels of silver every day..." Shen Sisi smiled and said: "Braised meat and braised dry goods are very profitable..."

  "Five or six?!!" Zhong Gensheng looked at her in disbelief and said: "......so many?!"

  "Yes, Father, we don't lack money at home. Moreover, this earth house is not warm in winter, and it's cold... Shen Sisi said helplessly: "In the future, Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao will all get married, and Si Bao will definitely stay at home too. You can consider him as half a son. In the future, we need to build more houses. And the kitchen for braising meat, I want it to be bigger, so it's convenient to do things later. Also, in the backyard, I want to fix up the pigpen, plant some fruit trees, dig another pond to raise fish, and also make a vegetable garden..."

  "......" Zhong Gensheng could only widen his eyes and stare at her, "......so many plans?!"

  He was completely stunned.

  "Yes, Dad, in the future our home will get bigger and more people will come, if we don't plan well, how can we live comfortably? Even if we want to build a house, let's do it once and for all, so we won't have to spend money again to rebuild." Shen Sisi smiled and grabbed Zhong Genshen's arm, saying: "Dad, in the future our family will really get better and better, you don't need to worry about anything... especially not about money..."

  Zhong Gensheng nodded, delightedly saying: "This is also good, building a house will make our family's life much better. This earth house was built by your grandfather's generation and has become a dilapidated house where it rains outside and inside... Building a house is good, our family can build a green brick and tile house..."

  He said with tears of joy: "Our Tuni is really something!"

  "Dad, our home is just a little far from the village, isn't it? The closer to the village, the more gossip there is..."

  "Alright, let's go to Li Zheng's house after dinner...". Zhong Gensheng said: "Do you have a plot of land in mind?!"

  "That piece of wasteland in the west is quite good, it's big and nice..." Shen Sisi smiled and said: "I've been eyeing that land for a long time, buying it to open up and plant fields will definitely yield average results, but we're building a house, so that land is the best choice..."

  Zhong Gen thought for a moment and said, "Indeed it's a good place, but won't it be too big? I heard from Li Zheng before that the wasteland is sold in bulk, although the average price per mu is not high, but with such a large area, the total price won't be cheap..."

  Shen Sisi smiled lightly and said: "What's there to be afraid of? Our family has money now, I want to build a house in a non-traditional way..."

  She ran back into the house, took out a hand-drawn map and said: "Dad, let's build according to this plan. In the future, each of Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao, and Si Bao will have three rooms, separated but connected, so they can live separately later on and avoid conflicts. What do you think, Dad?"

  She pointed one by one for Zhong Gensheng to see, and Zhong Gensheng nodded, saying: "Right, right, brothers' wives will also have conflicts, it's not good to squeeze together every day..."

  "In each of the three rooms, there is a kitchen and a toilet. If they can't get along, they can eat separately. Father and mother live in the main house, and the children are also nearby, isn't that great...?" Shen Sisi smiled and said: "The front yard is empty, the back yard is bigger, we'll build a pigpen here, next to the pigpen is a vegetable garden, behind it I want to dig a big fish pond, and plant fruit trees all around..."

  Shen Sisi planned, Zhong Gensheng listened and nodded repeatedly, saying: "...... Tuniu, you can even draw this out, great."

  Sweat, she's a sneak attack, after all, there are many things in her brain, and the perspective is absolutely not limited to this ancient times.

  "To build five toilets, just arrange them in a row behind the house. This way they are connected and also cleaner..." Shen Sisi smiled and said: "It's better to separate them, with many people at home, if you only build one, it will be troublesome when they squeeze together..."

  Zhong Gensheng listened and smiled awkwardly, saying: "You child, how can you say such things? Tuniu, you're a girl..."

  Dad, you finally realized it, thinking of her as a girl only in this kind of situation, sigh.

  The two people looked at the drawings, talked more and more excitedly, until He Axiu came out to call them in for dinner. They stood up reluctantly, with Zhong Gensheng having a smile on his face, and his steps were much lighter.

  Shen Sisi watched from behind, feeling a little heartache. For the past eight years, the hardships of life had weighed heavily on this honest man, making him bear the burden so heavily that he couldn't stand up straight, becoming more and more silent and depressed. Now, his footsteps were so light and carefree, Shen Sisi's heart felt uneasy as she watched.

  No matter what, they must make their lives better, not to let them down for raising her with hardship in such a difficult environment, and never stinting on food for her. Everyone in the family loves her dearly, how can Shen Sisi not be moved? She naturally wants to make their lives easier and have more smiles. At least they should be able to eat their fill, no longer being looked down upon by even the villagers.

  He Axiu saw Shen Sisi holding something in her hand and laughed: "Tuni, what are you holding that makes you so happy to talk to your father?!"

  "Mother, this is the blueprint for building a house. I plan to buy a vacant lot and build a new house. We'll keep this old house for now and continue to sell braised meat here. When the new house is built, we'll move everything in and then rent out or sell this old house..."

  "What?!". He Axiu was momentarily stunned, mainly because she hadn't expected her family to build a new house so soon.

  Zhong Gensheng smiled and said, "I originally wanted to build here, but after hearing Tuni say that, I think she's right. With many people in the family, we'll need more houses in the future. Why not build a new one? Tuni also said it's better to be a bit far from the village, west side is fine..."

  He Qiu's heart was racing as she asked: "...... Is the money enough?!?"

  Shen Sisi smiled lightly and said: "Money can't be earned completely, our family doesn't lack silver, mother, don't worry."

  "Then you have to ask Li Zheng..." He Axiu muttered: "...it depends on whether the land is expensive or not, if it's too expensive, it's better to build here..."

  "Mother, this place is too small, and besides, if we build a house here, what if the earth house collapses? Where will we live then? Even the braised meat business will be delayed..." Shen Sisi pulled her back: "Mother, don't worry, when building the house, you just need to take care of one meal for the bricklayer master at home..."

  He Yaxiu nodded and said: "...... Alright, I have no problem with this, but Tuyue, is the money really enough?!"

  Chen Si thoughtlessly gazed at her, while Zhong Gensheng hastily pulled her along, softly saying: "Our household income is only five or six taels of silver per day!"

  He Qiu Xi was shocked and stared at Zhong Gen Sheng in amazement: "So many?!"

  She had never seen so much silver before, and for a moment she didn't know what expression to make or how to react. Even when their family was doing well eight years ago, during the best month of the year when they would go hunting in the mountains to add some extra income, it wasn't this much. This is five or six taels of silver per day...

  "Mother, just from Zheng's wife's side alone, we're making one or two silver coins a day. The braised meat and fermented bean curd are selling really well now, four to five silver coins a day is the bare minimum, all of which is pure income. If you don't believe me, ask Da Bao, he has the account book..."

  He Ashu subconsciously looked at Da Bao, and Da Bao pretended to take the account book. He Ashu only believed it then, and hurriedly stopped him, saying: "Don't take it, I won't understand it anyway..."

  "She was overjoyed and said: '... Building a house is a happy event, that's great.'"

  She finally put down the big stone that had been weighing on her mind, and built a new house. In the future, when her son gets married, at least during the wedding, she won't have to worry about the house anymore. However, what she doesn't know is that not only has Tuniu been targeted by others, but all four of their children have also been targeted, each thinking about how to marry into this family. Even if her house was even more dilapidated, there would still be people willing to marry in, because they have a good business and make a lot of money.

  Only the four treasures had a better market, and Tuniang was too powerful, so most of the villagers who pitied their sons gave up their thoughts, or were afraid that they couldn't even marry her back, and more people gave up their thoughts. Those with daughters at home just wanted to marry their daughters into the Zhong family...

  These people are not in the minority.

  "Let's eat, after eating, Da Bao and Si Bao will watch the pig being killed, I'll go to Li Zheng's house with Tuniu... " Zhong Gensheng said: "A Xiu, Xiao Hua, you two just stay in the room, there is a heavy bloody atmosphere in the yard, don't come out... In the future when our family builds a big house, we'll separate the place where pigs are killed, it will be more convenient for you, and you won't have to hide in the room..."

  He Yaxiu nodded happily.

  The whole family finished dinner excitedly, and Wang Tufu arrived early. Zhong Gensheng greeted him and took the gifts and Tu Niu with him.

  Li Zheng's home is located on the east side of the village, and the living conditions are quite good. It is one of the few tile-roofed houses in the village. Shen Sisi smiled to herself as she looked at it from outside, thinking that once their house was built... it would be the largest and best house in the village.

  As soon as they entered the house, the woman inside saw them and smiled: "Are you Gen Sheng and Tu Ni? Come in quickly and sit down. What's with the things you've brought?"

  Zhong Gensheng smiled foolishly and said: "It's nothing valuable, don't despise it, wife..."

  "Not at all, please sit down..." He said as he went to pour tea.

  Inside the house, they sat down and said: "Gen Sheng, what's going on?!"