Chapter 85: Everyone thought Lu Yuan was going to demolish the house, Pang Kage, Gao Tingyu

Taking a bath at home in winter is really unpleasant.

However, clever working people still have some good methods.

Hang a thin plastic film from the ceiling, just like hanging a mosquito net.

But unlike those big square mosquito nets, this thing is cylindrical.

When taking a bath, put a large basin of hot water inside, then lower this thing down.

The hot air can't escape, it all gathers in this plastic film, so bathing isn't so cold.

If I really had to describe what this thing is like…… Lu Yuan could only say it's a bit like an extra-large…… uh…… condom.

Especially when there's a lot of steam inside, after the plastic film bulges out, it looks even more like that.

Lu Yuan has seen this kind of thing on Earth before, or rather, he used it when he was very young.

After waiting for the hot air from the basin inside to prop this thing up, Lu Yuan locked the door, drew the curtains, then he and Su Liyan stripped naked and went in to bathe.

But…… it's still damn cold.

This kind of rustic method, in Lu Yuan's eyes, is really useless.

Lu Yuan wondered…… whether his three‑courtyard‑deep, three‑exit manor had any floor heating??

Probably not……

This world seems to have no concept of heated chambers.

In ancient times on Earth, the emperor living in the Forbidden City did have heated chambers.

The principle is the same as heating a kang.

And although Lu Yuan has never been to this world's imperial palace, the emperor and such here probably use spiritual power cores to release heat for heating.

After all, this world is still a bit different from Earth.

While Su Liyan was scrubbing Lu Yuan's back, Lu Yuan thought that in the coming days he would install floor heating in his home.

Otherwise, this winter would be truly damned unpleasant; that stove basically does nothing.

Moreover, in winter the stove is usually used to boil water.

Once the stove boils water, all the heat gets sucked away by that kettle of cold water.

The house simply isn't warm.

Installing floor heating…… is actually quite simple.

Tomorrow Lu Yuan will go out to have a look, and bring back a cartload of red bricks.

Then mix some cement, go find a few migrant workers coming into the city, and dig a downward twenty‑centimeter warm channel inside his house.

Lu Yuan plans to make a basic version of a kang heating duct.

If he works fast, he can finish it in about a day.

Speaking of which, does his 《Ingenuity》 contain a method for making such a kang heating duct?

Of course, whether or not 《Ingenuity》 has it, Lu Yuan can make it himself.

With this kang heating duct, Lu Yuan can walk around at home naked every day; its only drawback is that it consumes a lot of coal.

Because it has to burn all day, you can't just use firewood like on a stove.

This kang heating duct must use coal.

Otherwise, if you used wood, when you're asleep in the middle of the night the wood in the kang heating duct would burn out—would you really have to get up in the freezing cold night to relight it?

So you have to use coal.

But burning coal is burning coal; Lu Yuan isn't unable to afford it!

While Lu Yuan was thinking, a shy voice came from behind:

"Brother~ I'm done scrubbing…… brother…… brother, could you also scrub my back?"

Lu Yuan turned his head and saw his wife looking at him with a full face of shyness.

Speaking of which, Su Liyan's skin is truly like sheep fat; when they usually sleep embracing each other, it's really smooth like jelly.

Moreover, Su Liyan's skin isn't just that white; it's a white with a reddish pink tint.

It looks especially fair and tender.

And now, perhaps because of the steam here, or because Su Liyan is shy, her face and such are completely flushed crimson.

At this moment Su Liyan also has her back to Lu Yuan, handing him the scrubbing towel.

After Lu Yuan took the scrubbing towel, he gave a hehe smile and said:

"Just scrub the back, huh?

Brother is diligent; I'll also help you with the other places~"

After Lu Yuan said that, it caused Su Liyan to let out an extremely shy chirp~

……

After finishing the bath, Lu Yuan sat in the main hall, smoking while lowering his head to begin drawing design plans.

This siheyuan will have to be lived in for another three or five winters at least.

Lu Yuan thought, since we're going to renovate, we might as well do a major overhaul.

After all, this is also our family's ancestral home!

Not only will we install warm channels, we'll also add two heated walls, putting two heated walls in each room—then it'll be comfortable.

However, that would be a fair amount of work; if we can't finish in one day, we'll need two days.

That's fine; we'll go sleep at the grand manor tomorrow.

The day after tomorrow we'll be able to come back.

Lu Yuan was drawing the plans, while Su Liyan sat to the side, waiting for her hair to dry a bit before going to bed.

While waiting for her hair to air-dry, Su Liyan sat nearby and curiously leaned over to say:

Brother~ is that the thresher?

When she went out this afternoon, Su Liyan naturally also heard Lu Yuan mention that thresher.

However, Su Liyan looked at the drawings her husband had made, and they didn't really seem like that machine...

Lu Yuan turned his head to look at his wife, who looked even more beautiful and tender after her bath, couldn't help but move closer and give her two quick kisses, making Su Liyan laugh shyly and protest:

Brother~~ what exactly is it~

Lu Yuan laughed twice, then continued lowering his head to draw, saying:

I won't tell you now, but you'll know the day after tomorrow~

After hastily finishing the drawing, Lu Yuan took out a measuring tape and began measuring the lengths around the house; tomorrow when buying bricks and cement, etc., don't buy too much.

Su Liyan completely didn't understand what her husband was doing, but she knew he was definitely doing something really impressive~

After finishing measuring and tidying up, Lu Yuan glanced at Su Liyan, tilted his head slightly, then gave a wicked smile and said:

Wife, shouldn't it be time to sleep?

Su Liyan blinked, then lowered her head slightly and said shyly:

Brother~ my hair isn't dry yet~

Looking at his wife's appearance, Lu Yuan simply loved her to death.

Lu Yuan just liked this about his wife, no matter how wild and proactive she was in bed the previous night.

But the next day, as soon as he got out of bed, he was just like a little wife again— that shy little demeanor, really captivating.

The next second, Lu Yuan, hearing Su Liyan's soft cry, picked her up and walked toward the bed.

It's fine, we won't sleep just yet; we need to exercise a bit~

Accompanied by Su Liyan's infinitely bashful chirping, Lu Yuan turned off the light.

……

The next day, 9:30 a. m.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes; there was nothing in his arms, his wife had already gone to work, leaving only a faint scent.

Lu Yuan lay on the bed, recalling how his wife's emotions had peaked the previous night.

He smacked his lips.

I really hit the jackpot!

After getting up, as usual he went to the pot, took out the meal his wife had kept warm, and casually took a couple bites.

Then Lu Yuan rode his horse out to buy materials.

First he bought red bricks, cement, and putty.

After buying these items, he had someone push a cart to deliver them straight to his home.

These items were quite expensive, totaling seventy or eighty dollars.

However, labor and such were still quite cheap.

Around Huangcheng here, there's nothing much except a lot of migrant workers.

Lu Yuan rode his horse to outside the East City Gate and saw a crowd of people squatting at the base of the city wall, gathered together either chatting or playing cards and chess.

Upon arriving here, Lu Yuan directly shouted:

«Bricklayers, carpenters, heavy laborers, anyone?! »

When Lu Yuan shouted, these people put down their cards and chess, rushed toward him, waving and calling out:

«Boss, boss, I'm a bricklayer; seven cents a day is fine. »

«Me, me, me, boss, I'll do six cents a day, as long as you provide lunch! »

Finally, Lu Yuan rode ahead on his horse, leading a crowd of people who followed in a mighty throng toward Dongming Community.

This drew the attention of passersby around, who all glanced sideways, thinking someone was building a big house.

Actually, Lu Yuan's entire heating ducts and walls didn't need that many people.

But……

Seeing a group of people standing in the cold wind, Lu Yuan also felt a bit reluctant.

These people didn't know whose husband or father they were.

They all came from the countryside; with no farm work this winter, anyone with a bit of skill came to the city to work as a laborer.

I heard some of them even bring bedding to sleep under bridges at night.

In this deep winter, Lu Yuan feels cold even heating his home, and has no idea how these people manage to survive outside.

Lu Yuan also gave these people quite a bit in wages.

Bricklayers: one dollar a day.

Carpenters: eighty cents a day.

Those doing heavy labor, who will later chisel the heating ducts and smash the walls inside the house, get fifty cents a day.

These rates are all above market price.

Moreover, Lu Yuan also provides meals.

«Boss, are you really giving us this much?! »

A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, wearing a thick patched winter coat, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, quickly approached the horse's side and asked in disbelief:

Lu Yuan turned his head, glanced at this man, then raised his eyebrows and said:

«What, boss, I don't look like a rich person? When I arrive, I'll just give you the money first. »

Hearing these words, these people repeatedly shouted happily.

Everyone knows this boss is a good person.

Each one hurriedly promised, guaranteeing they would work hard for Lu Yuan.

Just treat it as one's own home, absolutely no mistakes.

After Lu Yuan brought the people back to the Siheyuan, he glanced at the Gao family.

The door was tightly shut.

She, Gao Xushi, also knew it was embarrassing; she hadn't gone out either yesterday or today.

At least a few more days before she could go out.

When Lu Yuan led a group of migrant workers home, many people had gathered in the backyard.

The Siheyuan residents looked at the red bricks, cement, etc., that Lu Yuan had people push back, and they were somewhat confused.

Since just now, a bunch of people have been pushing carts, clanging, unloading things in the backyard; everyone didn't know what Lu Yuan intended to do.

Building a new stove?

That wouldn't need so much stuff, would it?

"Lu Yuan, what are you trying to do?"

The aunties in the courtyard, seeing Lu Yuan return, immediately came over curiously to inquire.

These things aren't cheap; just now several aunties had asked the delivery workers.

All these things together would cost seventy or eighty bucks.

Lu Yuan dismounted, while paying the dozen or so workers, he said:

"Renovating the house."

The Kang heating ducts, heated walls, etc., explaining them would be too troublesome.

Lu Yuan didn't have time to explain to these people.

Quickly hand out the money, let these people start working; I also need to go out to buy some steamed buns and vegetable soup for them.

These masons and such also need to eat lunch, right?

Many aunties listening to Lu Yuan's words were a bit confused.

Renovating the house?

Um...

After everyone thought it over, they all secretly spat.

This Lu Yuan really gets arrogant with a little money!!

Still renovating the house.

Really doesn't know how to live!

Everyone in the courtyard knows that Lu Yuan earned over two hundred bucks from the last banquet.

Everyone felt they had been schemed by Lu Yuan.

Everyone was also jealous of that money.

But there was no reason to let Lu Yuan share a bit with everyone.

After all, Director Xu came for Lu Yuan, and those fellow workers also came for Lu Yuan.

Even if everyone felt uncomfortable about the money, there was nothing they could do.

Could only secretly call Lu Yuan a wicked person.

Although this time nobody suffered a loss, Lu Yuan earning over two hundred bucks feels worse than everyone losing two hundred bucks!!

Lu Yuan handed out the money; these migrant workers carefully put the money into their inner pant pockets, then Lu Yuan led them into the house.

Afterwards, he said here along the central line of the house:

"You dig a trench from that end, twenty centimeters deep and thirty centimeters wide, extending from this end to that end."

"Understood?"

Everyone knows how to dig a trench, but they don't understand why such a nice house needs a trench inside.

But however the landlord says, everyone does accordingly; immediately everyone nodded.

However, if we follow the landlord's instructions, some things need to be moved out, such as the big bed.

Also, things like sewing machines need to be covered with cloth; such valuable large items must not get dusty.

Immediately, these migrant workers began moving things carefully.

The landlord is generous and good; everyone is careful, afraid of breaking things for Lu Yuan.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan led two strong workers to the other side of the house, namely the chicken coop fence, and said:

"You dig a big pit here, sixty centimeters deep, leave twenty minutes of lime around the sides, because I want to build something similar to a stove on both sides; understand?"

Lu Yuan intends to open the mouth of the Kang heating ducts outside.

That way, just fill coal outside and scoop ash; that's enough.

If this were inside the house, in winter we'd still have to haul coal in, and the key part is scooping ash; doing it this way makes the house unclean.

And the outlet of the Kang heating ducts, Lu Yuan wants to extend it to the kitchen stove.

Then the smoke and such will exit along the kitchen stove side.

Lu Yuan has finished designing all of this.

There are still some steps ahead, like heated walls; after finishing this first stage, Lu Yuan said.

After giving the orders, Lu Yuan rode his horse to buy steamed buns for these people.

His wages have already been paid enough; this meal, naturally, just let these people make do.

Speaking of which, for these migrant workers in the cold winter month to be able to eat cornmeal steamed buns in the city is already a blessing; Lu Yuan isn't a philanthropist.

Could it be that we should also give them refined white flour?

Not necessary.

While these migrant workers were working hard, the aunties in the courtyard sat together in the distance, cracking melon seeds and chatting.

These melon seeds are still the ones everyone snatched when Lu Yuan held the banquet last time.

The aunties glanced at the clattering noises coming from Lu Yuan's house and couldn't help muttering under their breath:

This good-for-nothing isn't spending his own money; when he spends, it's really without any plan.

With his spending habits, I bet by the time the New Year comes, this scoundrel will surely have no money left, and then we'll see what he eats!!

Exactly, exactly, who knows, he might end up having to go back to eating at his father-in-law's house!!

How did Su Liyan end up with such a good-for-nothing who can't manage his life!!

……

At the same time, at Bing Jia Chang, the commendation ceremony.

Specifically, the Forging Bureau awards 200, the Agriculture Bureau awards 100, a total of 300 in prize money, to be collected on stage by Lu Yuan's coworker's beloved, Su Liyan, in his place.

Everybody, clap!

Immediately, enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd below.

Pang Kaige, Gao Tingyu went numb.

No way…… Lu Yuan got honored again, damn it!!!!

Thanks to book friend 20221011 old brother for the 5000 book coins reward.

Thanks to Xuexixingchen old brother for the 1500 book coins reward.

Thanks to Yueluo Xingsui old brother for the 500 book coins reward.

Thanks to Zimo Changqing for the 288 book coins reward.

Also thanks to the four old brothers, Mo Zhi, Hu Wukelian, Xu Jingbei, Zhong Yi, for the 100 book coins reward.

Very grateful to the several old brothers above, muah~

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(End of chapter)