Chapter 516: The Red Plum
Chapter 516: The Red Plum
Zhou Bingqiang's wife walked into Jiang Xia's courtyard and directly asked, "Are you planning to raise the height of your compound wall?"
Zhou Chenglei was helping to unload bricks, and Jiang Xia, standing beside him, replied, "Yes, we're raising it a bit higher for fire prevention, theft prevention, and peeping prevention."
"Who would peep at you? Do you think you're some precious treasure?" Zhou Bingqiang's wife became infuriated upon hearing this. With their houses so close, who would she be preventing from peeping? Was she implying that her own son was peeping at her?
Jiang Xia: "Of course I'm not a treasure, but there are people who love to watch how we live all day long. They love to watch my man, and it's not surprising since he's so good-looking. What else can I do? I'm preventing the red plum from climbing over the wall!"
Zhou Bingqiang's wife: "..."
She couldn't help but think of Wen Wan and her son's arguments. Every time, Wen Wan would talk about the neighbors and Zhou Chenglei.
That despicable woman must have taken a liking to Zhou Chenglei, right? Zhou Bingqiang's wife had a bit of self-awareness, not much, but this tiny bit of self-awareness forced her to admit that Zhou Chenglei was indeed much more handsome than her own son!
In the entire production team, which wife didn't praise Zhou Chenglei for his good looks? She looked up at their second floor.
Wen Wan sat by the window all day long, and by looking up, she could see the courtyard on this side and the second floor across the street.
Most of the men in the rooms were shirtless, wearing only large shorts as they walked around, and only Zhou Chenglei and his wife lived on the second floor.
With this thought, Zhou Bingqiang's wife felt that her son's head was greener than the vegetables in their own garden!
That shameless Wen Wan! No wonder she didn't want the compound wall raised!
"How high do you plan to build it?"
Zhou Mu: "We'll build it as high as we want. What business is it of yours?"
Zhou Bingqiang's wife: "I have no say in it, but if you build the wall too high and block our family's fortune, that won't do. Don't think of suppressing our luck!"
Their house was on the left, and their building was taller than hers, with the compound wall also higher. Wasn't this entirely suppressing their family? Now, they didn't even have the money to raise their house.
Jiang Xia: "Of course, we'll build it to half the height of your second-floor window. As long as no one can peep at my man, it's fine. Auntie, I think this is a good idea. If you don't want to be blocked, there are two solutions. The first is for you to raise your own compound wall. That way, it's not us suppressing you; it's you suppressing us. We don't mind being suppressed. The second solution is even more cost-saving. Have your son and daughter-in-law change rooms, and don't always stare at our house from that window, just stare at my man!"
Wen Wan also came over, unable to bear it any longer: "Who has been staring at your man?"
Jiang Xia: "Do you dare to swear that you haven't peeped at our house? Can you make a fortune by peeping at Zhou Chenglei for a lifetime?"
Wen Wan: "..."
What a venomous woman!
Jiang Xia smiled: "Are you scared now?"
Wen Wan: "Who has been peeping? Our window is right there. Every day, when I open the window, I can see your courtyard! Is that called peeping? If you're not looking at me, how would you know I'm peeping? I even said that Zhou Chenglei peeped at me changing clothes!"
Zhou Chenglei looked at Jiang Xia: "I absolutely didn't!"
Jiang Xia ignored Zhou Chenglei: "Is that so? How did he peep? Did you not close the window when you changed clothes, letting him peep?"
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
Wen Wan: "..."
Zhou Bingqiang's wife: "..."
Jiang Xia sized up Wen Wan: "So you're so bold, changing clothes with the window open? How many people have walked by and seen you?"
Wen Wan: "..."
Zhou Bingqiang's wife turned her head and glared at Wen Wan!
Wen Wan was almost infuriated by Jiang Xia, feeling both angry and embarrassed: "Don't make baseless accusations. I was just giving an example!"
Jiang Xia coldly smiled: "You sure know how to give examples! Using this kind of thing as an example, do you really covet him and want to change clothes without closing the window for him to see?"
Wen Wan: "..."
"Don't accuse me! I didn't do it!"
Jiang Xia ignored her and turned to Zhou Bingqiang's wife, "Auntie Qiang, you see, no matter who peeps at whom, we need to address the issue with that window, right? So, should we build the compound wall on our side or yours? If you don't build it, then we definitely will! Don't blame us for blocking your view! I just don't want anyone peeking into our home! And I don't want others misunderstanding my husband either. After all, with the window wide open, sometimes you can't help but see things you don't want to see!"
Wen Wan's eyes turned red with anger, "Who are you calling a peeping tom? Who are you insulting?"
Zhou Bingqiang's wife was furious, "We'll build it! You don't need to!"
She glared at Wen Wan, "Why don't you just go home?"
She left those words hanging and dragged Wen Wan away. In a fit of anger, she rushed home, found a wooden board in the firewood room, grabbed a hammer and nails, and hurried upstairs to board up the window!
Tomorrow, she would buy bricks and sand to raise the compound wall!
Wen Wan was furious, but she couldn't be bothered to argue.
Zhou Bingqiang's wife was such a fool, believing everything after just a few provocative words.
Next Door
After purchasing the bricks and sand, Zhou Mu asked, "So, are we building the compound wall or not?"
Jiang Xia heard the sound of hammering from next door, "No rush, let's see if they build it. If they raise their wall, we won't bother."
Suddenly adding a wall would look so ugly.
Moreover, their compound wall was also decorated with stone rice, and for a better appearance, they would need to whitewash it, fix the exterior, and the protruding wall would be awkward.
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If the neighbors are building, of course, let them build first!
Zhou Mu: "Then what are we going to do with all these bricks we bought?"
Jiang Xia: "If they're not needed, we can use them for Second Brother's house. It won't be wasted anyway."
Zhou Mu was speechless, "You don't even know when Second Brother will build his house."
Zhou Chenglei: "He'll build it sooner or later."
Zhou Mu thought about her second son, who had also earned a considerable sum this month. They didn't live in the village permanently, and building a house wouldn't require many floors—one would be enough.
Building one floor meant the foundation didn't need to be too sturdy, and the house didn't need to be too big. Two or three rooms would suffice, with simple furnishings. Including the compound wall, an additional stove room, and one or two storage rooms, it could all be done within 10,000 yuan.
The following year, the second son should also have a chance to build.
Zhou Mu asked again, "How much are bricks now?"
Zhou Chenglei: "They're more expensive than when we built our house. By one cent per brick."
Zhou Mu frowned, "Really? The price went up again? The price hadn't increased when your great-grandmother ordered the bricks."
Zhou Chenglei: "It just increased recently. The factory director said that construction is going on all over the city, and brick prices will continue to rise. Sand has also increased by ten cents per cubic meter, and cement prices have gone up too."
He was already planning to have his second brother buy some bricks and store them.
Zhou Mu couldn't help but grumble, "Everything's getting more expensive, but your second brother and sister-in-law's salaries aren't increasing!"
"Bricks are more expensive, sand is more expensive, and cement and steel prices are following suit. Everything's getting more expensive, but wages aren't. How are we supposed to save up for a house?"
Zhou Chenglei remained silent. Everyone's wages would eventually increase, and so would his second brother's.
But building a house required a significant amount of money, and a small wage increase wouldn't solve the problem.
It all came down to gradual accumulation.
After lunch, with the sun shining brightly, the net cages should have been completed. A few days ago, they were almost done, so Zhou Chenglei took Jiang Xia out to sea to take a look.
This chapter makes up for last night's~
(End of Chapter)
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