Chapter 400

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

"Chai Mi's place……"

The next morning, Li Jinfu drove his tricycle over to deliver the doors and windows.

Hearing the sound, Chai Mi immediately stepped forward briskly to greet him: "Master Li! You're truly punctual! Quick, quick, unload — just put them on this open ground, it's spacious!" She directed the placement on the open ground.

Li Jinfu directed the two clerks to carefully unload the door and window frames. He walked up to one window frame and pointed rather proudly at the large piece of glass set in the middle: "Chai Mi, take a look! This material, how thick and solid! And look at this glass, how transparent! Like crystal! This is what's popular in the city now! A hundred times better than those old wooden doors and windows — not afraid of wind, sun, or rain, won't warp or deform for decades! Keeps warm in winter too!"

With his hawking, everyone working in the courtyard was drawn over.

These several sets of plastic-steel windows looked particularly eye-catching, and particularly novel.

Neighbor Liu Chengjie was the first to crowd around, extending a finger to carefully touch the edge of the window frame, clicking his tongue: "Wow! This thing is truly bright! This window frame, slippery smooth, like a mirror surface! This glass, transparent enough to use as a mirror!"

Song Qingshan also leaned in close, pressing his face almost against the glass to look inside, then looking outside, clicking his tongue in wonder: "It's different! Truly different! If this were installed in the house, hey, it'd definitely be blindingly bright! At night you probably wouldn't even need to light a lamp!"

Chai Youqing, who had been squatting resting, also curiously came over, circled the door and window frames twice, smacked his lips, and asked with a peasant's innate sensitivity to price: "This…… this newfangled thing looks good, but…… this must cost a pretty penny, right?"

Chai Mi glanced at her father and answered crisply: "Eight hundred, all-inclusive! Delivery and installation are both included." She turned to look at Li Jinfu, who was checking the reserved wall openings: "Master Li, how do these wall openings look? Can they be installed today?"

Li Jinfu took his tape measure and measured the width and height of the wall openings, then tapped the corners of the brick wall, nodding with satisfaction: "Mm! The openings are properly reserved! Dimensions are just right! Can install! No problem!" He waved at the two clerks: "Get moving! Aim to finish before dark."

"Right on, Brother Li!" The two clerks responded and moved at once, immediately pulling out electric drills, levels, screws, and other tools from the toolbox, then starting work.

Right in the midst of this bustling activity, a head quietly poked in at the courtyard gate, hair neatly combed, figure slightly plump, face carrying a few parts reproach and a few parts curiosity.

It was precisely Chai Mi's second aunt's cousin, Yao Lianhua.

"Chai Mi! You girl!" Yao Lianhua said directly as soon as she entered: "I was wondering! How come you haven't come to my place to get pickled vegetable lumps for quite a few days? Mom's been muttering at home, saying the several big jars she pickled for you are about to overflow, afraid you wouldn't have enough to eat over here, urging me to hurry and send some over. Wow! You…… you're really something! Quietly, making big moves! Building a house?! And three spacious side rooms at that……"

Seeing it was her cousin, Chai Mi hurriedly put down what she was doing and trotted over to welcome her: "Eldest Sister! Aiya, what brings you here? Come in, come in, sit! Look at this mess here…… chicken flying dog jumping, there's hardly a spot to set foot." She pulled Yao Lianhua around the tools and materials on the ground, "Recently it's truly been busy to the point of feet hitting the back of my head, wish I could split one person into eight pieces to use. Building this house is mainly thinking of preparing a quiet room for Xiu'er's future studies. My dumpling stall over there, I simply can't attend to it at all, it's been shut for several days already."

Yao Lianhua handed the pickled vegetables she brought to Chai Mi, then said: "I was wondering! No wonder I haven't seen you set up stall for so long. Your dumpling stall can't just stay idle like this forever!"

Chai Mi naturally understood her meaning.

Nothing more than that she herself was too busy on this side to set up stall, so the pickled vegetables on that side had no one to buy them, so she came over to have a look.

"Sister! Your timing is truly perfect! I've been worrying over this so much I can't sleep! How about this? You don't rush back today, help me a big favor! Look, you go to Song Qiushui's house, together with her, wrap the dumplings out? Her house has a big kneading board, tools are all complete. Then tomorrow early morning, I'll prop the stall up!"

Yao Lianhua appeared somewhat surprised, not expecting to be pressed into service the moment she arrived.

"Helping for a day is fine, but tonight I have to go back, the kids at home can't……"

Chai Mi nodded. Indeed she hadn't gone out to set up stall for several days; she really needed to go brush up her presence, otherwise people would truly think she wasn't doing it anymore.

"Qiu Shui?" Chai Mi immediately shouted loudly toward the distance: "Qiu Shui! Qiu Shui! Come out a moment!"

As soon as her voice fell, Song Qiushui came running over.

Chai Mi hurriedly pushed Yao Lianhua forward a bit and introduced: "Qiu Shui, this is my second aunt's cousin. You take my sister to your kitchen, your kneading board is big, tools are all there, you two work together, wrap extra! Tomorrow we'll set up a stall too!"

Song Qiushui agreed readily: "Aiya! So it's cousin! Long heard Chai Mi Sister mention you, saying you wrap dumplings fast and well! Welcome, welcome! Come to my place! My kneading board, rolling out skins is so smooth, guaranteed not to delay things! We start right now?"

"Let's go, let's see if you can sell what I wrap!" Yao Lianhua also laughed, stepped forward, and naturally linked arms with Song Qiushui, looking very familiar.

After a while, Li Jinfu's side finished.

"Chai Mi! Come take a look! Windows are all installed properly! Look, suitable or not? Smooth to operate?"

Chai Mi then walked briskly to the newly installed windows.

Felt no issues; after tearing off the protective strips later they can be used.

"Master Li, your craftsmanship is truly flawless! Seamless fit, so perfectly square! Inside and out it's brighter by a large margin! Hard work for you and the two clerks!"

Hearing this, Li Jinfu said proudly: "That's right! Our Jinfu Doors and Windows have been in the ten li eight xiang for so many years, we pride ourselves on being solid! Materials solid, workmanship solid! Look at this brightness — at night you light a small lamp inside, from outside it looks like daytime, transparent! This sealing, the northwest wind in winter won't be able to drill in a bit!" His tone shifted, carrying a businessman's habitual smile, "The labor fee, we already agreed on it before. Now that the doors and windows are installed, the final payment……"

Chai Mi understood perfectly, and immediately crisply took out four brand-new hundred-yuan bills she had prepared long ago, handing them over: "Here! Master Li! Count them, four hundred exactly, all square! Not a cent short!"

Li Jinfu took the money, counted it, nodded quickly, smile widening: "Straightforward! Chai Mi young lady handles things crisply! If your family needs to replace doors and windows again in the future, or relatives and friends need them, you must definitely still find old me Li! Guarantee to give you the most solid price, the best work!" He tucked the money into his inner jacket pocket, zipped it up, waved at the two clerks, "Pack up! Job done! Let's go!"

"Hey! Master Li, walk slowly! Be careful on the road!"