Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 155 Good News

After pushing open the door, Xu Bei subconsciously looked inside.

The yard wasn't big, but it was kept quite tidy.

It has a similar layout to the forestry bureau's compound, with firewood stacks and firewood sheds for burning in winter.

The toilet was located next to the storeroom.

After entering the house, it felt like it was about 30 square meters.

Upon entering, there is a small living room, with the main room on the right, and further in is the kitchen, with a small hut next to it.

The kitchen was fully equipped with a stove, indicating that someone had lived there before, but it was only recently vacated.

Xu Bei had decided to rent it before he even arrived, and after seeing it, he was even more satisfied.

Therefore, when the other party asked for ten yuan a month in exchange for Song Zihou's help, he didn't even haggle over the price and immediately nodded in agreement.

After exchanging money and keys, Lao Wan's younger brother left first.

Xu Bei stayed in the house, not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he lit the stove and hearth to warm the house.

He fiddled with the two unfamiliar keys that had suddenly appeared in his hand, feeling extremely pleased.

In such a short time, they have both a place to open a shop and a place to stay in the city. How could they not be happy and overjoyed?

When they returned later, Zhao Fengying and the others learned about Xu Bei's competence and good luck, and they all praised him highly.

If it weren't for the late hour, it would take over an hour to get from the Forestry Bureau to the city by car, and the newly rented house was unfurnished and uninhabitable, so they would probably have gone there that very night to investigate both places.

However, early the next morning, apart from Zhu Wenliang who had to go to work, Xu Bei, urged by his mother, led several women from his family to take the first train straight to the city instead of opening the shop.

After getting off the bus, the group went to the street-facing house near the department store.

Looking at the exterior wall of the department store not far away, Zhao Fengying clapped her hands excitedly and laughed, "Oh my god, it's so close! It'll be so convenient for people who come to the building to buy clothes or big-ticket items to just walk a few steps and stop by our store."

"Yes, I didn't expect it to be so close. There's a reason why the rent is so expensive."

Seeing how good the location was, Xu Li felt much less guilty and worried. She smiled and pointed to the flat area in front of the door, saying, "From now on, whether you come to buy things by bicycle or deliver goods by horse-drawn carriage, it's quite spacious. It's much better than the entrance to our Forestry Bureau."

Xu Juan is still a student and doesn't know as much as her mother and sister, but the training she received during the winter break has helped her mature a lot. "Yes, and the flow of people in this city is much greater than that of the Forestry Bureau down here. The rent money is well spent, and I should be able to earn it back easily."

As Xu Bei unlocked the door, he chuckled teasingly, "Our Xiao Juan truly lives up to her reputation as a college student; she's quite the expert when it comes to business now."

Zhao Fengying and Xu Li laughed along with them.

"Yes, my youngest daughter isn't just focused on studying anymore."

"Of course, my little sister is much more quick-witted now, and she can talk a lot more."

Xu Juan was embarrassed by the teasing, "No matter how eloquent I am, I can't out-argue you guys."

Just then, Xu Bei unlocked the door and invited everyone inside.

So, everyone stopped laughing and joking, and went inside with curiosity and excitement.

The house is now tidied up with almost no clutter, making it easy to see at a glance.

The morning light streamed into the room through the glass windows, making it even more pleasant to look at.

Xu Bei then shared his ideas: "The layout of this room is square and there are no extra pillars blocking the view. I plan to build two rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves against the wall, and put glass counters in front of them so that customers can see the merchandise clearly as soon as they enter the room."

On the side where clothes are sold, space needs to be reserved for racks and wall displays. Especially the fitting rooms; this time they need to be made to look decent, not as rudimentary as the ones at the Forestry Bureau with just a curtain.

Zhao Fengying and the others nodded repeatedly, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation, showing no objection whatsoever.

Later, the group left and went to their accommodation near the school.

Xu Juan attended high school for a semester, but never walked into this alley.

Once they confirmed that the house was in the middle of the third route, it wouldn't take long to walk to school, and it would be even faster if they jogged. They could even sleep in late, and the little girl was so happy she almost lost her bearings.

Xu Bei was delighted to see his younger sister display the innocence and liveliness expected of a teenage girl. He smiled and opened the door, gesturing for her to come in.

The mother and her two daughters were amused by him and walked around the house and the yard with great joy, even examining the fruit trees in the backyard to see if they were plums, cherries, or crabapples.

In conclusion, I was quite satisfied with the final result and couldn't wait to move in.

However, this is just wishful thinking.

After all, it's not just our residence and shop that need tidying up; we also need to find someone to build shelves and counters. The lease on our rented apartment hasn't expired yet, and there are still a few days before school starts, so there's no need to rush.

Because the shops at the Forestry Bureau still needed to be open for business, Zhao Fengying and Xu Li took a car back first.

Xu Juan insisted on staying, becoming a little shadow following Xu Bei around.

Xu Bei was happy to take his younger sister with him wherever he went, and doted on her like a daughter.

When it was time to eat, the brother and sister went to a restaurant.

Not only did they order braised pork and rice for dining in, but they also ordered stir-fried bean sprouts to cut through the richness. Later, they packed two large lunchboxes of braised pork to take home for their family to eat later.

Xu Bei and Xu Juan didn't return to the Forestry Bureau until three or four o'clock in the afternoon.

As the brother and sister passed by the tailor shop carrying their cloth bags, they were stopped by Sister Liu, who opened the door.

"Brother Xu, I just saw you. I've finished making those clothes. Come in and take a look and see what you think."

Xu Bei had been busy with renting a house these past few days and hadn't even had the time or energy to check on the production of Xiaoqing's shirt. Upon hearing this, he immediately smiled and said, "Sister Liu, you're doing it pretty fast. I thought it would take another two days to make the pattern."

"I was just worried you'd be anxious. The buttons were just sewn on."

As Sister Liu spoke with a smile, she ushered the brother and sister into the shop.

Then, she picked up the red shirt that was on the cutting board and showed it to him.

After Xu Bei took it, he carefully examined the style and workmanship, and praised it generously, "Sister Liu, your craftsmanship is even better than the ready-made clothes in the department store. It's about 70-80% similar to the one worn by the female host on the Spring Festival Gala. I'm extremely satisfied!"

Sister Liu beamed with delight at the praise, "You're quite the smooth talker, but I really did put in extra effort. I even found a picture in the newspaper to compare it to."

Xu Bei then showered Sister Liu with many more sweet words, which made her laugh heartily.

Then, the two decided to continue production according to this style and standard.

Xu Bei also carried the newly made Xiaoqing shirt and took his sister back to his family's shop first.

Zhao Fengying and Xu Li had only seen the semi-finished products before, but now that they saw the finished garments, they both praised them.

However, there was another piece of good news that I couldn't wait to share with Xu Bei.

"Son, look! A telegram and a remittance slip have arrived from the provincial capital!"