Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 157 Making Ice Lanterns

Perhaps sensing that Xu Bei's composed and assertive attitude was not that of an ordinary person, the male clerk said, "Please wait a moment."

Then he turned around and took out a stack of brand-new ten-yuan banknotes, also known as the "Great Unity," from the metal safe behind him.

With a crisp, pleasant scraping sound, it was quickly lit and placed on the wooden counter.

"Let's count them, thirty sheets."

Xu Bei picked up the stack of money from the counter and, in front of the teller, his slender fingers flew across the paper, quickly and efficiently counting the banknotes from beginning to end.

After confirming that everything was correct, he quickly packed up the money and household registration book and left.

After successfully receiving the money, the next step was to deliver the goods to the Chen brothers.

However, Xu Bei did not check in his luggage at the Forestry Bureau's train station this time.

After all, even if we ship the goods here, they still need to be sent to the city and then to the provincial capital. There's no need to go through the extra trouble.

Afterwards, Xu Bei took his sister to the city by car and left her at the new house to watch over the burning of the house.

Because they were worried that it would be unsafe for the little girl to be home alone if a stranger broke in, they specifically locked the door from the outside.

Then, Xu Bei took five folding tables and some wooden stools to the freight office of the city's train station to handle the shipment.

After much trouble and effort, a shipping label stamped with a bright red official seal was finally handed to Xu Bei.

Looking at the clearly written details of the goods and destination on the document, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

Next, we'll see what feedback Chen Jianguo and his team give after receiving the goods.

If it sells well, they might soon send another telegram to request more goods.

In that case, more money would come in, and the market in the provincial capital would gradually open up.

In the midst of a busy day, time flies by.

In addition to finding a suitable carpenter to take measurements and prepare to make shelves and counters, Xu Bei and her sister also bought a lot of things for their new home.

When the brother and sister returned to the forestry bureau to pick up the person from the shop, only Zhao Fengying was there guarding the shop.

As the mother and her two children tidied up and prepared to close the door and go home, they talked about what new things they had bought.

When she heard that the kang (heated brick bed) and other furnishings in both rooms had been replaced with new ones, Zhao Fengying didn't seem to mind the cost; instead, she sighed with emotion.

"Back when we came out of that fight, we were quite disheveled. When we went to the Peking University building to buy kang leather, we were so careful with our money. We couldn't bear to spend even one piece. Now that we have a shop and can make money, things are different from before."

Xu Juan also chimed in, "Yes, I remember back then, the regular ones were 1.5 yuan a meter, and the thick leather ones were 2.5 yuan a meter. We thought the regular ones were too expensive and couldn't bear to buy them. Today, when my brother and I went to choose, we picked the most expensive and best ones."

Xu Bei locked the wooden shutters on the outside windows. As soon as he entered the house, he heard his mother and sister talking. He laughed and said, "Money makes people bold. If we don't buy the most expensive and best things now, are we going to use the worst?"

Alright, hurry up and get dressed, we can chat more on the way back. When we get home, I need to hurry and continue making ice lanterns with buckets. Tomorrow night, we should at least light a few ice lanterns with candles in the yard to celebrate.

If it weren't for the fact that he's been busy renting and cleaning a house and other things lately, Xu Bei definitely wouldn't have waited this long to start making it.

However, the outdoor temperature is still a natural refrigerator, making it very easy to do.

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As Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan quickly put on their coats, hats, and gloves, they both said, "Then I'll hurry up and cook when we get back. You can cook it; it'll freeze solid outside in a little while."

"Brother, could you make me a smaller ice lantern, about the size of a tin can, so I can carry it when we go ice skating on the river?"

Xu Bei patted the top of his sister's hat with his gloved hand. "You little rascal, you're quite the demander, but what can I do? I'm a good older brother, so I'll definitely grant your request. I'll make it for you when we get back."

The three quickly dressed, locked the shop, and headed straight for their rented house.

Once home, they stirred the stove to warm it up, and their mother cooked by the fire, while their younger sister assisted. Xu Bei rolled up his sleeves, scooped a full iron bucket of water from the water vat, and carried it to the yard.

Although it's not as cold as the dead of winter, with temperatures often reaching 30 or 40 degrees Celsius, the outdoor temperature at night can still drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Just a short while after the bucket was placed on the cleared snow outside, a thin layer of ice began to form on the surface of the water in the bucket at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But what Xu Bei wanted was not solid ice, but a crystal-clear ice shell.

So, he followed suit and prepared several buckets of clean water and a small ice lantern for his sister. After placing them side by side, he would occasionally put on his coat and go out to check on them over the next few hours.

Until after 11 p.m., the surrounding area was quiet, and it was estimated that everyone in the household had already fallen asleep.

Only the occasional bark of a dog could be heard.

Xu Bei took the flashlight and went to the yard again. When he got closer, he immediately smiled.

He discovered that the water in several buckets had frozen into thick ice shells, with a pool of still water remaining in the center that was not completely frozen.

The timing was perfect.

Xu Bei hugged the bucket with both hands, turned it upside down, and slammed it down hard.

With a muffled thud, a round, translucent ice dome, as clear as crystal, was perfectly unmolded and landed on the snow where he was wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat.

Then, before the ice in the middle completely froze, Xu Bei figured out a way to make a round hole in the middle and poured out all the unfrozen water inside.

Next, he found half a red candle and placed it steadily on the base of the ice lantern.

When the match was struck, the candle was lit.

The moment the faint candlelight was gently placed into the ice lantern, its orange glow refracted through the pure ice, creating a beautiful sight.

Especially on this quiet winter night, it illuminates the surroundings in a dreamlike way.

Xu Juan, who had already woken up, heard the noise outside. She lifted the curtain of the east room and saw the scene in the yard. She smiled excitedly.

But considering her mother was sleeping soundly and snoring softly next to her, she didn't make a loud noise to disturb her. She tiptoed out of the room, put on her cotton-padded coat, and waited patiently in the kitchen.

Xu Bei extinguished the candle, rubbed his hands which were red from the cold, and came in. He was almost startled when he saw his younger sister sitting on a small stool next to the kitchen stove.

"Are you still half asleep? What are you doing sitting here?"

Xu Juan yawned. "Brother, is my little ice lantern finished?"

"It's done. Go back to your room and get some sleep. You'll see the finished product tomorrow morning."

As Xu Bei spoke, he also caught the yawn. Even with an iron body, he was tired and sleepy after running around for so long.

The brother and sister looked at each other and smiled.

They then went back to their rooms.

The next morning, Xu Bei woke up naturally.

Then he discovered that his mother and sister had given the ice lanterns he had made some new modifications, some of them even adding color, making them look even more interesting and festive.