Siheyuan: Walking the Path of Qin Huairu

He Yuzhu nodded and said, "Master Lei's words make sense. We need to inspect the roof tiles, repair the doors and windows if necessary, replace the ones that need to be replaced, scrape and re-plaster the wall, replace the floor tiles with new ones, and replace the furniture with new ones. How much do you think this whole thing will cost?"

Master Lei: "480 yuan for labor and materials."

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, "So much money? My annual salary is not enough to buy a new house."

Master Lei: "My craftsmanship is one of the best in the city. I use genuine materials and I guarantee that you won't find fault with my work. Besides, building a loft is like having two more rooms."

He Yuzhu felt the money in his pocket. It was the money his father had just given him. After renovating the house and buying some furniture, there would probably be nothing left. He gritted his teeth and stamped his feet, thinking that he didn't have the money. It was better to spend it so that people with ulterior motives wouldn't worry about it.

So he temporarily moved to Yushui's house and asked Master Lei to renovate the main house first. After the main house was renovated, he would renovate Yushui's wing room.

Today is Sunday and it's Sunday off duty. He Yuzhu was watching the masters working in the yard when Cai Quanwu came.

He Yuzhu and his sister were already grateful to Xu Huizhen, and when they heard that Xu Huizhen needed him to cook, they came without saying anything, bringing their own tools and seasonings. Once they met, they became familiar with each other, and the two families became familiar with each other.

Xu Huizhen took the brother and sister to the backyard, where all the ingredients in the kitchen were ready, and asked him to watch them. He Yuzhu took a look and said with a smile: "Sister Xu, you have prepared a lot of ingredients!"

Xu Huizhen: "That's right! Otherwise, I wouldn't be so embarrassed to bother you. If you need help, just ask Yingzi to come."

He Yuzhu: "Okay, just look at you."

Xu Huizhen came out of the kitchen and saw He Yushui and Hu Yingzi playing around. He Yushui was tall and thin, but she looked pretty. Xu Huizhen noticed that her clothes were a little too small and the sleeves were too short. This was also a child without a mother, and her brother was a hard-hearted person.

Xu Huizhen found a ruler and measured He Yushui's size. She wanted to make a piece of clothing for Yushui, as well as repay He Yuzhu for cooking for her.

He Yushui asked doubtfully, "Sister Huizhen, what are you doing?"

Xu Huizhen: "I was just about to make clothes for Yingzi, and I saw that the clothes you were wearing were a little small, so I made one for you."

When He Yushui heard about making new clothes, she said happily, "Thank you, Sister Huizhen. I'll give you money later. My father gave me a lot of money before he left."

Xu Huizhen: "You can keep the money for school. I hope Yushui can get into college in the future and bring honor to your He family. The clothes are a gift from your sister."

He Yushui: "No, how can I take your things for free?"

Xu Huizhen: "Look, I asked your brother to come over to cook, so I have to pay him. I can use his wages to make clothes for you, is that okay?"

Yushui: "Sister Huizhen, you are so kind. If you hadn't told us about my dad sending money, our family would have been kept in the dark by the uncle. Most importantly, I know my dad didn't abandon me. So it's only right for my brother to cook a meal for you."

Xu Huizhen: "Since you call me sister, it's only natural for me to make you a dress. You two can look after the child, I'll be back soon."

It just so happened that, considering that all the people invited were men and she was afraid of a bad influence, she wanted to go to Chen Xueru's silk shop and let Chen Xueru join in the fun.

Fan Jinyou hit a wall with Xu Huizhen, so he turned his attention to Chen Xueru. Coincidentally, Chen Xueru had just divorced the man surnamed Hou. The man surnamed Hou abandoned her and went abroad with his family.

Chen Xueru was a woman no matter how smart and capable she was. This incident was a big blow to her. So she was in a very low mood. Fan Jinyou saw the opportunity and often came to her house to show her warmth and love. No one knew what was wrong with Fan Jinyou. He seemed to be the same as Cao Mengde, liking young women. He was specifically targeting the two strong women under the Zhengyang Sect.

Xu Huizhen came to the silk shop and went straight to the inner room as if she was familiar with the place. Unexpectedly, Fan Jinyou was there. He was talking and laughing with Chen Xueru. Xu Huizhen pushed the door open and the expressions on their faces froze instantly.

Xu Hui really understood the plot and knew that the two people had entered the ambiguous stage. She said awkwardly: "Haha, I think I came at the wrong time, then I will come another day."

She was about to turn around and leave. Chen Xueru naturally couldn't let her go like this, so she said, "Huizhen, don't leave. I'm discussing public-private partnership with cadre Fan. Come in and do it."

Xu Huizhen didn't know whether to leave or stay, so she stood at the door without moving. Fan Jinyou stood up and said, "I have something to do and I have to go. You two can chat." Then he stood up and left.

Chen Xueru: "Shopkeeper Xu is the type who never comes to visit a temple for no reason. Tell me, what's the matter?"

Xu Huizhen said, "The day before yesterday, my relatives from my hometown came and brought me a turtle. I asked He Yuzhu, the heir of Tan's cuisine, to cook it. Do you want to try it?"

Chen Xueru: "Then I have to join in the fun."

Before leaving, Xu Huizhen picked out a piece of fabric suitable for girls and asked the master to make a top for He Yushui and Hu Yingzi according to the size she brought. The master asked her to come back four days later to pick it up.

After coming out of Xueru Silk Shop, she stopped by Han Qingqiu's house. Since the Spring Festival, the two of them have been in contact with each other. Xu Huizhen found that Han Qingqiu was knowledgeable, well-mannered, and had a wide range of interests and hobbies. Even though he was born at the wrong time, in this era, with the hat of a capitalist on his head, he still lived cautiously.

When Xu Huizhen entered, Han Qingqiu was embroidering a picture of a magpie on a plum tree. The magpie was colorful and lifelike.

Xu Huizhen couldn't help but praise: "Auntie Han, your skills are really amazing. It would take at least 20 years to master them."

Han Qingqiu: "I have nothing to do, just killing time. Why are you here at this time?"

Xu Huizhen said, "I'm having a party at home today and I've invited Chef He to cook. Do you want to come and improve your life?"

Han Qingqiu asked: "Oh? You are treating us, is there something happy going on?"

Xu Huizhen: "What good news can I have? My mother's side has a younger brother who wants to get a job in the city. I would like to ask the neighbors to help me keep an eye out for news in this regard."

Han Qingqiu: "Then I won't go. You know I like quietness these years."

Xu Huizhen: "You can eat in the backyard with Yingzi. Master He's ancestors were imperial chefs, and his cooking skills are amazing. Why don't you try it? You'll never see this restaurant again."

Han Qingqiu thought about it and said, "Okay, I'll be there in a minute."

Professionals do professional things. He Yuzhu is really good at cooking. The kitchen soon wafted with fragrance. Hu Yingzi sniffed hard. It smelled so good. How delicious must the dish be! I guess I will have another good time today.