A week passed again, and it was a chilly in the dormitory when I woke up in the morning. Because the weather was getting colder, most of the classmates from the county went home to get their clothes. I had an agreement with Yuan Yuan, so I couldn't go back.

After breakfast, I was reading books in the dormitory and waiting for Yuan Yuan. She arrived after nine o'clock. As soon as we met, we complained that we had gotten up late and Jiji was like a carefree little sparrow. We went out of the training center together. Under her guidance, I rode the car all the way through the streets and alleys, from the west to the east of the city, and finally got into a secluded alley.

It seems that the residents of this place used to be neither rich nor noble. Behind the tall courtyard wall are small western-style buildings of various colors. In front of a tall western-style gatehouse in the innermost alley, Yuan Yuan jumped out of the car from the back seat: "Wu Ping, we're here."

After hearing her reminder, I quickly pinched the brake with both hands, watched Yuan Yuan walk to the purple-red door and ring the doorbell inside.

The doorbell jingled for a long time, and the purple-red door opened with a "creak" sound. A smart and capable woman in her fifties walked out. Judging from her neat and elegant dress, she should be a cultural and status cadre.

"Little Yuanyuan, did you come so early?"

"Aunt Liu, where are my cousins ​​and the others?"

"I went out with your fifth brother early in the morning. Recently, both of them were too busy. I finally took some time today to make an appointment to buy things for marriage." Aunt Liu said with a smile while invited us to the yard, "Hey--Don't stand at the door, come in quickly."

Aunt Liu was well maintained, her gray hair was combed in a slight scattered manner, and her speech was slightly slight. She looked at me behind Yuan Yuan and asked with a kind face: "This... is the electrician you invited, right?"

"It's him, the classmate from our training class, came from the county below." Yuan Yuan smiled slightly and glanced at me sweetly.

Aunt Liu nodded at me, turned around and led us into the yard: "Actually... I could have asked the Municipal Party Committee Logistics Department to send a master to do these things, but I am afraid that it will be too ostentatious and bad. My old comrades and I have too many old comrades in the past. If you know that your fifth brother will come to marry, you will come. Isn't it now that we advocate changing customs? We cadres should take a good start."

Aunt Liu and Yuan Yuan were chatting eagerly, but they didn't forget to turn around and ask me, "Hey---young man, are you your surname?"

"My surname is Wu, just call me Xiao Wu." I took a step forward and answered hurriedly.

Aunt Liu's yard is very large. Behind a vigorous wisteria frame is an exquisite small western-style building. The small western-style building looks a bit old. The leaves of the ivy on the exterior wall have fallen, and the vines are like a solid wire mesh, tightly wrapped around the building.

After climbing the granite steps of the small building, I pushed open the heavy pine door and saw a spacious living room. The decoration of the living room is very simple, with only a large leather sofa and a few coffee tables. The leather surface of the sofa has been shiny and wrinkled, but from its majestic body shape, you can still feel the glamour and wealth at the beginning.

There is a brick-cut fireplace on the wall in the middle of the living room. I have seen it in illustrations from foreign novels and know it is for rich people to use for heating in winter.

A large group photo was hung above the fireplace. The hostess was wearing a dignified and elegant Lenin outfit. I recognized that this was Aunt Liu when I was young. The male host was wearing a straight cadre suit, with two pens in her pocket. She looked majestic with her tall and handsome appearance. Surrounding them were five children of different sizes, and the girls were all wearing beautiful Bragis (I know in Soviet novels). The only little boy showed two little tiger teeth and smiled carefreely and had a bright face.

Stepping on the sounding wooden stairs, Aunt Liu led us to the second floor, turned to a beautiful study room with landscape paintings, and walked into a large suite with bathrooms in the sun.

"This new house is so grand. My cousin shouldn't be too happy?" Yuan Yuanhuan looked at the freshly painted empty room and turned around lightly. Her exaggerated expression made Aunt Liu smile.

"It's all your fault. The organization has arranged it for him several times, but he just doesn't want it and is still squeezing in that government compound. If our little Yuanyuan gets married in the future, should we live there?" Aunt Liu patted Yuan Yuan's thin shoulders and said jokingly.

"Oh—Aunt Liu, what are you saying? I am not as anxious as my cousin, I will never get married for the rest of my life, so it would be great to be with my parents..."

Aunt Liu introduced that this house was built for Soviet experts in the early 1950s. They came here to help us build a large phosphate mine. This phosphate mine was one of the 100 key projects of the country at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Looking at this spacious and grand house, listening to the conversation between Yuan Yuan and Aunt Liu, thinking about the small distribution room where they lived in their own small residence, and the mobility blockers who were still crowded in the collective dormitory after getting married and having children, I felt a little sad. It was so annoying that people were so angry.

Yuan Yuan was wandering around the room. I quickly sorted out the chandelier, wall light, socket and wires, and spread them on the ground in the assembly order. I asked Aunt Liu to bring two stools, stack them together, and let Yuan Yuan hold them with his hands to serve as a ladder for me.

I climbed up to the top of the stool, used a hollow steel pipe with a sharpened head, and began to pull holes in the wall. After digging a row of holes, I punched a small wooden plug into each, ordered a wire buckle, lined up the wires, and installed a lotus chandelier and two glass wall lamps.

Because the workload is not large, when I installed the switches and sockets one by one and packed them all, Yuan Yuan sincerely exclaimed, "Okay... Wu Ping, you are really smart and have a good job. No wonder you have a good brain when you study."

After hearing other people's praise, I was a little proud, but I just said casually: "These are all minor things. If you are ready to get married, say hello to me in advance. I will definitely come and help you clean up better."

"What are you talking about? Who wants you to clean up?" The girl gave me shy and angry look.

Just as we were joking, Aunt Liu walked in and looked at the edges and cornered wires, stable chandeliers, and obedient wall lamps, and also showed a satisfied smile. She insisted on keeping us at home for dinner, saying that the nanny had bought the dishes and started cooking. I was busy refusing to say that I had something to do, so I quickly gave Yuan Yuan a wink.

"Aunt Liu, don't be busy. My father just came back from a meeting in Beijing yesterday. He hasn't met for half a month. He has to go back to have a reunion dinner with the old man." Yuan Yuan understood what I meant, so he found a reason to shirk.

After hearing Yuan Yuan's words, Aunt Liu stopped insisting and just smiled and joked: "Old Yuan is very busy with work, and it is not easy to go home for a meal. Your two brothers are not at home, and they are just a baby daughter. Before you go out to get married, please spend more time with your parents."

"Look at what you Aunt Liu said..." Yuan Yuan's cheeks were flushed and he glanced at me a little shyly. I pretended not to see it, and continued to lower my head and packed up the tools.

We went downstairs together. As soon as we arrived in the yard, we were about to push the cart away, suddenly, the electric bell on the door rang again.

"Probably your cousin and the others are back?" Before Aunt Liu finished speaking, Yuan Yuan happily rushed towards the gate of the courtyard.

As soon as the gate of the courtyard opened, a tall and beautiful girl walked in from outside. Before she could come to her senses, she was hugged by Yuan Yuan.

"Bride, you are so beautiful today! I am so envious of such a beautiful new house..."

"Little Yuanyuan, why are you here?" the beautiful girl asked a little surprised.

"I'm here to clean up your new house. I've been tired all morning. Thank you for your good thanks!" Yuan Yuan continued to act coquettishly with a brilliant face.

"Hmph, these five sons can really help others? Even our eldest lady dares to use it." The beautiful girl deliberately looked angry on her beautiful face.

"I'm not a young lady, I'm a real working class." Yuan Yuan pouted and argued mischievously.

I guess this beautiful girl must be Yuan Yuan’s cousin and Aunt Liu’s daughter-in-law who has not passed the door. The two girls laughed and laughed, and suddenly entered the state of selflessness.

Seeing the two sisters intimately endlessly, I could only stand aside and wait blankly. I dusted the dust on my body and hung the tool kit on the handlebar. I had been busy all morning, and my stomach started to rumbling, and I felt a little hungry.

Just as the two girls were joking, a tall man with a white mask on his face and a high-end wool uniform pushed a brand new "permanent" bicycle with large and small bags of things hanging on the handlebars, and walked into the yard steadily.

"Oh!" Yuan Yuan exclaimed, let go of his cousin and beat the person who came coquettishly, "I can't call you 'Fifth Brother' now, call you brother-in-law?"

"Is it still a good call to Brother Wuzi? Is my brother-in-law an outsider?" The man stroked his sleeves that were wrinkled by Yuan Yuan, and Guangjian's hair elegantly shook back, laughing and having fun with the little girl.

Seeing the man taking off his mask freely, I couldn't help but say "Ouch" and stayed there in an instant.
Chapter completed!