Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The grinding, inspection, and finishing of the entire batch of rice transplanters was a complex and time-consuming process. Everyone focused intently on the work, meticulously grinding and repeatedly checking each machine. It took them three full days to complete all ten machines. Even though everyone was careful and vigilant every day, constantly dealing with splinters, getting splinters in their hands was still a common occurrence. The siblings all had small cuts and scrapes on their hands, and Guixiang was no exception.

The little girl's fingertips were delicate, and several tiny thorns had pricked them, leaving them red and slightly swollen, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings. Looking at his daughter's red fingertips and tearful, pitiful expression, her father's hands trembled with heartache. He hesitated, his hand gripping the fine needle, afraid of hurting her too much. After much deliberation, he finally couldn't bring himself to remove the thorns. This utterly doting fatherly behavior left onlookers feeling helpless; he was truly beyond saving.

In the end, the mother was the more hard-hearted one. She knew that if the splinter remained embedded in the flesh, it would cause more inflammation and swelling in the future, making her suffer even more. Ignoring Guixiang's tears, she steadily held the fine needle, her movements swift and gentle, carefully removing all the splinter embedded in her fingertip. She then applied a little medicinal wine to reduce the swelling and pain. The whole process was decisive and swift, without the slightest hesitation or soft-heartedness.

After the meticulous sanding and full inspection processes were completely finished, the subsequent assembly and finishing work, including applying tung oil, no longer required Xingbao and his younger colleagues to do the work. In particular, the crucial finishing step of applying tung oil was the most demanding test of skill, and the Liu father-son duo were true experts, their techniques exceptionally professional and skillful.

The rich, heavy aroma of tung oil filled the entire workshop, mingled with the slightly bitter scent of the wood itself. Father and son, each holding a special brush, applied the oil evenly along the grain of the wood, their pressure and strokes precise and steady. Every inch of wood was coated with a consistent layer of oil, leaving the surface smooth, lustrous, and evenly translucent. Not a single drop of tung oil fell to the ground or picked up any dust; their craftsmanship was clean, efficient, and impeccable.

Seeing this, Father was happy to have some free time and simply became a hands-off manager, standing aside to observe and oversee the whole process. The eldest and second eldest brothers, completely ignoring the pungent smell of tung oil, gathered around to carefully observe and learn their unique techniques. After all, the second eldest brother's earlier work on the bunk bed and the wooden porch in front of the shop was a stark contrast; the paint was uneven and patchy, practically unsightly. This was a perfect opportunity for him to hone his skills and make up for his shortcomings.

Assembling the entire machine and meticulously applying the oil took a whole day. The summer heat and excellent ventilation meant the tung oil dried extremely quickly; under normal weather conditions, as long as there was no rain, the surface layer would be completely dry and set within the next three days. To be on the safe side and prevent later dampness and wrinkling of the paint, my father, after careful consideration, decided to let it air dry in the shade for an extra day, a full four days, to ensure the inner and outer wood were thoroughly soaked in the oil and completely dry and stable.

With the machinery work temporarily completed, everyone turned their attention to tackling the remaining tasks, focusing on building a dedicated four-wheeled cart for transport and mass-producing outer packaging wooden crates. Working collaboratively and diligently from morning till night, until the sun began to set and dusk fell, all the carpentry work and finishing touches were finally finished.

After everyone had tidied up their woodworking tools, organized the scattered items, and swept away the sawdust and dust, the workshop was now clean and tidy. With some free time before dinner, the carpenter and his son couldn't help but look at the bunk bed with cartoon designs in the corner.

This bunk bed features a modern cartoon style never seen before in this era, with an exquisite and unique design, full of childlike fun, and sure to please children. The father and son were curious and eager to see it when they first saw it, but in the past few days, everyone was busy rushing to complete the rice transplanter project, and the tight schedule left them no time to pay attention, so they had to suppress their curiosity and not be able to examine it closely. Now that the main construction of the rice transplanter is completed, and the tung oil is waiting to dry, there will be no need to come to work tomorrow. At this moment, they could no longer suppress their curiosity and stood by the bed to carefully examine and repeatedly ponder its structure.

Father took in their expressions and instantly understood their thoughts. He quickly thought that the bed had been sitting for several days, and the smell of wood and paint had long since dissipated. He could take advantage of his free time today to assemble it. Firstly, Guixiang had been looking forward to this new bed for a long time and was very impatient, so this would fulfill the little girl's wish. Secondly, it would allow Liu the carpenter and his son to see the complete structure of the bed, as a token of their gratitude for their hard work.

Having made up his mind, the father immediately said, "Carpenter Liu, the smell of this bed has almost dissipated and it's completely clean. Give me a hand, and we'll assemble the bed together so you can see its complete appearance and structure."

Carpenter Liu was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this, and quickly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, smiling as he replied, "Then thank you very much, Manager Song, for your kindness!"

Upon hearing this, Gui Xiang was the happiest person in the room. The little girl's eyes lit up instantly, her face filled with anticipation and joy at the prospect of having her own new bed. Xing Bao followed closely behind. From now on, he would also have his own bed and wouldn't have to squeeze in with Gui Xiang anymore. He was equally lighthearted and excited.

After dinner, dusk completely fell, and the countryside quieted down, broken only by the chirping of insects. Liu the carpenter and his son packed up their woodworking tools, slung their canvas tool bags over their shoulders, and walked up to the father, sincerely bidding him farewell: "Manager Song, we'll take our leave now. Thank you for your hospitality these past few days. We'll come back to lend a hand when it's time to pack and deliver the machinery."

Father nodded slightly, his expression gentle and sincere, and replied, "Alright, thank you both for your hard work these past few days. Go back and get some rest. If the next few days are sunny and dry, the timing will be perfect, and you can come over on your own. If it rains, the tung oil will dry slowly, so wait until the equipment is completely dry and properly packed before I have someone come to call you."

"Alright, let's do it Song's way!" Carpenter Liu laughed heartily and readily agreed. He then bowed and took his leave with his son. The father and son walked slowly away along the quiet country road, one after the other, into the deep night.

After watching the two walk away, the Song family members finally relaxed, relieved of the fatigue from working over the past few days. All they had to do now was wait three more days for the tung oil on the rice transplanter to dry completely before they could begin preparing for the final steps of packing and transporting the equipment.

As everyone prepared to pack up and close the shop, Guixiang's eyes were filled with the newly assembled bed, and she had no desire to sleep on the old one. She tugged at her parents' clothes, begging them to help her lay down clean, fluffy straw on the new bed and then spread a smooth straw mat on top. As soon as they finished, ignoring her still-healing injured finger, she eagerly climbed onto the bed, rolling around on the soft mattress, kicking her little arms and legs wildly, and occasionally burying her face in the straw mat, chattering, "My new bed! My bed all to myself!" Her eyebrows curved into two little crescent moons, and her mouth stretched wide, unable to hide her joy, making her both charming and adorable.

That night, Xingbao slept exceptionally well, without a single dream. Perhaps it was because he was still young, and the long hours of work he had done with his family for days had truly exhausted him; or perhaps it was because the rice transplanter order in the village had been successfully completed, allowing his tense mind to finally relax; or perhaps it was because he could finally escape the days of being crammed together and have his own independent bed. All these reasons combined to wash away all his fatigue and tension, and accompanied by the chirping of insects outside the window, he fell into a deep sleep, enjoying a restful night's rest.