Chapter 76: Furniture Construction Completed

Chapter 76: Furniture Construction Completed

With the villagers rushing to harvest, all the rice was gathered in just a few days. The efficiency was truly astonishing, which made Deng Yunjun, the production team leader, sigh that if everyone had worked with such enthusiasm before, their Thatchfield Production Team would undoubtedly have been the richest in the county.

The rice had been harvested, and it would take several days (if the weather held) to dry it. However, that was relatively light work that could be handled by the women in the family and didn't require the help of strong laborers. Therefore, the reclamation work on Deng Shirong's orchard could continue.

While every household in the village was busy drying the grain, Zhang Jiefang and several other carpenters worked diligently for a full month and a half and finally completed all the furniture Deng Shirong needed.

The doors and windows had been installed long ago, and after all the furniture was assembled, the once-empty house was completely transformed.

Deng Shirong was in high spirits after seeing this, and that night he prepared a lavish feast to entertain the carpenters.

After they had eaten their fill and were satisfied, Deng Shirong took out the wages he had prepared and handed them to the carpenters one by one. With a smile on his face, he said, "Thank you for your hard work over the past month and a half. The housewarming will be at 6:18 the day after tomorrow. Remember to come and join us for the meal!"

The carpenters received their wages and looked at the bills with satisfied smiles.

However, polite words still had to be said, especially by Zhang Kangmei. Deng Shirong had been his matchmaker, so after receiving his wages, he kept only half and handed the other half back to Deng Shirong, saying, "Uncle Jiu, you've been providing us with such good food and drink for so long. Why do you need to pay so much? This is enough!"

Grandpa Zhang and Father Zhang also politely returned half of their wages.

Seeing this, the other carpenters felt embarrassed to take the full amount and also returned half.

Deng Shirong didn't accept it. He smiled and waved his hand, saying, "This is what you deserve. Stop pushing it back and forth. If I need more furniture later, I'll have to ask you to come and help again!"

After some back-and-forth, the carpenters happily accepted the money.

"Uncle Jiu, if you need any furniture made in the future, just let me know. I'll make it for you as soon as possible."

"Uncle Jiu, thank you for your hospitality during this time. These have been the most comfortable days of my life!"

"Uncle Jiu, if you need anything in the future, just tell me. I'll be there whenever you call."

After exchanging pleasantries, the carpenters left.

After leaving Deng Shirong's house, the three generations of the Zhang family naturally went to their relative Deng Yunjin's place to say hello.

The work of the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren was finished, and the next step was to prepare for Zhang Kangmei's wedding.

…

Whether in this era or in the future, moving into a new house is an extremely important event for rural families.

After all, rural people have limited means, and many may only build a new house once in their lifetime, so it's not excessive to attach great importance to it.

The Hakka people in Bobai call moving into a new house "Fire-Welcoming," and they usually invite all relatives and friends over for a meal. If the house they build or buy is particularly high-end, they will often hold a grand celebration called "Fire-Welcoming Banquet," which is almost as elaborate as a wedding.

After Deng Shirong's house was built, it was unique in the entire Double Prosperity area. If it were any other family, they would definitely hold a grand celebration.

However, Deng Shirong had no plans to make a big fuss.

Firstly, in his mind, this house was just a transitional one. At most, it would be demolished and rebuilt in ten or eight years. Therefore, this house wasn't as important to him as outsiders might imagine.

Secondly, the girl he had chosen for his eldest son would be coming to visit in a few days, and he would have to invite relatives and friends over for dinner. If he bought liquor and prepared a big feast, the frequency of banquets at home would be too high.

Of course, starting a fire is still a significant event. Although Deng Shirong didn't intend to make a big deal out of it, he still wanted to invite relatives and friends over for a meal, so he informed the carpenters to come for dinner the morning after next.

…

October 14th of the lunar calendar.

At 6:18 in the morning, amid the sound of crackling firecrackers, Deng Shirong, his children, relatives, and friends entered their new home together, uttering auspicious words.

After completing various customary procedures, they began to light the fire and cook.

Today, Deng Shirong didn't cook himself but let his eldest daughter, Deng Yunzhen, take charge of the kitchen. She had a large group of helpers and only needed to oversee the overall process and do the cooking.

Deng Shirong accompanied his relatives and friends to tour the new house.

Although friends and relatives had already seen Deng Shirong's new house after it was built, the feeling of an empty house versus one filled with furniture was completely different. Naturally, they had to take another good look.

Needless to say, all the relatives and friends were once again astonished.

In rural areas of that era, furniture was a rarity, and only a handful of families owned wardrobes.

Deng Shirong's house had thirteen rooms, and each room was equipped with a large wardrobe, which was outrageously luxurious.

What was particularly admirable was the wedding room Deng Shirong had prepared in advance for his eldest son. The bunk bed in this room featured a pattern of the Chinese character for "happiness," which looked both beautiful and festive. The large wardrobe in this room was also different from the others, as it had a mirror. After seeing this wardrobe, the women present all showed a look of desire, clearly wishing they could have one like it.

In addition to the bunk bed and wardrobe, there was also a dressing table that looked very elegant.

These two or three pieces of furniture would be considered modest in later generations, but in this day and age, friends and relatives who saw them praised them wholeheartedly.

Chen Dacong (Deng Yuntai's second uncle) said with admiration, "Brother-in-law, this big brick and tile house, paired with such beautiful furniture, is stunning. When the girl comes to visit the day after tomorrow, she won't be able to take her eyes off it!"

Chen Daming (Deng Yuntai's third uncle) also praised, "Yes, this room is truly beautiful—clean cement floors, a large and bright space, and such high-end, beautiful furniture. When the woman sees it, she'll definitely be very satisfied."

Deng Shirong smiled upon hearing this and agreed with his two brothers-in-law. It had cost him a considerable amount of money to have so much furniture made.

Even though he provided the wood himself, he paid the carpenters seven or eight hundred yuan for their labor after they worked hard for a month and a half, not to mention the good food and drinks they had enjoyed for over a month. After spending so much, it would have been strange if there hadn't been an impressive result.

(End of this chapter)