Chapter 205 White and Flowery
As the saying goes, a family that cuts ice does not raise cattle or sheep.

The ice-cutting family is a family with an ice cellar at home, and having an ice cellar at home proves that the family is definitely a wealthy family. Traditionally, wealthy families cannot compete with the people of the lower class for profits.

There is an icehouse in the east courtyard of No. 18 Qinlao Hutong. In addition to storing ice in the summer, it can also store fruits and vegetables in the winter. The icehouse is located under the pond in the courtyard, which helps to keep warm.

The entrance to a normal ice cellar is located near the moon gate in the east wing, and is covered by a square iron-clad wooden board on the ground.

However, when the mansion built the ice cellar, the owner was careful and dug two ice cellars, or in other words, the other was a cellar, to store gold and silver. The openings were in two places, one was the pavilion in the middle of the courtyard, and the other was the rockery in the middle of the pond.

But because it has been too long, unless the pavilion is dismantled, others will know at a glance that the ground has been dug. It would be more reliable to dig a rockery, then apply some mud and add water, and it will be perfect.

No one knows.

There was a "ding" sound, which was the sound of the shovel hitting the iron ring. Wang Deming put on rubber gloves and bent down to feel in the direction of the shovel. After a few tries, he touched an iron ring. He exerted a little force, but it didn't move. It was probably rusted.

Wang Deming applied a little more force and heard a few "cracking" sounds. A corner of the rockery began to move, revealing a gap.

Fortunately, it was Wang Deming. Others might not have been able to pull it at all. Wang Deming estimated that the pulling force he just used was at least a thousand pounds.

I took off my rubber gloves and put my hand in the gap to feel it. Wind was constantly blowing in and I could smell a rotten smell at the tip of my nose.

I took a look at the gap that had just been opened. It was okay. It was impossible to see it if you didn't pay attention, unless you came down to the pond yourself to observe it closely like Wang Deming did.

Wang Deming walked up the steps in the southeast corner of the pond, turned on the tap to rinse off the gloves and the mud on the water, took them off and hung them directly on the clothesline in the yard. He then went into the house and checked the time.

Tsk tsk, if I were a cow or a horse, the cows and horses would cry to death in the toilet. It’s not even time for lunch yet.

This damn work efficiency is outrageous!

Now Diana is the only one living in the five northern rooms of the East Cross Courtyard. Previously, two female classmates she called from the Soviet Union lived there, but later they moved to Shanger Tiao outside Chongwenmen for the convenience of doing experiments.

The exterior of these five northern rooms is still decorated with traditional green bricks and tiles, but the interior has changed a lot.

The wooden floor, fireplaces on both sides, and the hollow gauze floor-length covers are divided into three areas. One area is the study, which has several bookshelves and a long desk; the other area is a double bed with a large Simmons mattress, two five-door wardrobes, and two bedside tables;
The last area is where the central hall was originally located. The most eye-catching thing is the square mahjong table in the middle. Ivory mahjong tiles are neatly arranged on the flannel tablecloth.

On the north wall are busts of Stalin and Chairman Mao.

Wang Deming did not consider himself an outsider, nor did he change his shoes. He went straight to the study, picked up a book at random, lay on the recliner next to the bookshelf and began to read "How the Steel Was Tempered".

Wow, what a good book. Everyone in the previous life should read this book. If you don’t make yourself as hard as steel, how can you accept all kinds of blows from society and gradually take shape?
The police have such a hard time, they have to patrol bridges, rivers and lakes every day.
After reading a few pages, Wang Deming's eyelids began to droop, so he put the book "Steel" on his head and fell into a deep sleep.

"Hey! Wake up? Why are you sleeping like a pig?"

In a daze, Wang Deming felt someone kicking his thigh. He took away the steel and glanced sideways, and saw Diana coming back.

What a wooly girl! In the spring and autumn, there are still many people in Beijing wearing sweaters, but this sister has already started wearing skirts.

No, it should be called bragi, the kind with bare thighs. No, there is still a pair of black stockings to keep warm, but I take them off as soon as I get home.

Seeing Wang Deming wake up, she took off her rolled-up stockings and threw them aside, asking casually, "Why did you sleep here?"

Wang Deming's eyes were unconsciously attracted to the pair of shiny thighs, and he did not reply immediately.

Diana lifted up the hem of Bragi's skirt, did a ballet pointe, and said proudly, "How is it? Does it look good?"

"Ah!" Wang Deming looked away and looked out the window. "I'm just tidying up the garden. What time is it now?"

"Hmph!" Diana snorted and lowered her skirt, "It's almost 12 o'clock noon. Are you so free now?"

Wang Deming put his hands on the back of the chair, exerted force on his waist and abdomen, and stood up from the recliner. He said, "The Western medicine course of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Continuing Education School ended last week. From now on, the focus will be on traditional Chinese medicine. I am not qualified yet, so now I have a lot of free time. I can just go to the Dongsi Clinic occasionally to see patients with my master and spend my days."

"I have to wait until next year, when I complete three years, before they can issue me a Chinese medicine qualification certificate."

This is a sad story. All other policies have been changed, but the requirement that Chinese medicine apprentices must complete three years has been retained. Even though Wang Deming passed the exam, he is still a medical assistant and cannot practice medicine independently.

Diana's eyes lit up, and she secretly glanced at Wang Deming's waist. This waist was really strong, but she asked, "What are you going to plant in the garden? Roses?"

"We Chinese call that thing: roses. You can plant some, and when it blooms, you can ask someone to help make rose cakes. Oh, it's a kind of dessert, very delicious."

Wang Deming tugged at his clothes and said, "Come on, I'll take you to Yuhuatai Restaurant on Wangfujing Street. Now is a good time to eat river fish. They specialize in Huaiyang cuisine, and their river fish is excellent."

"In the afternoon, call Shouchun and the others to go to Xiaojingchang to play mahjong. We can play until the evening."

"How can I do that? I have classes tomorrow morning and I need to prepare for them." Diana said no, but her body was honest. She put on her windbreaker and followed Wang Deming out.

First, he went to the Xinying Clothing Store in Ganyu Hutong to call Qin Huairu, and then called Zhang Shouchun and Jin Yuqing in the store. Soon, they all gathered in the private room of Yuhuatai Restaurant.

Fortunately, the chefs at Yuhuatai are very skilled in knife skills and remove all the fish bones when processing river fish. Otherwise, Diana really couldn't eat it because she doesn't know how to spit out the bones.
After having a sumptuous meal of river fish at noon, I strolled back to Xiaojingchang to digest the food. Then the sound of mahjong was heard.

At night, I ordered a box of spring rolls from Jinhualou outside Donghuamen. I didn't even have to leave the table. I rolled the rolls with one hand and played cards with the other. I continued to work hard.
Wang Deming used the excuse of going out to join the militia patrol and quietly returned to Qinlao Hutong. After going down to the pond, he pulled the mechanism of the rockery hard. After a "click", a corner of the rockery opened completely, revealing a dark hole leading to the stairs below.

After turning on the flashlight and going in, the room was not big, probably only about a dozen square meters, with a few boxes and a few large vats.

The flashlight was shone in the direction of the big jar, which was filled with a pile of black things, which were copper coins.

MD, why are the copper coins hidden here?
The boxes were all locked. Wang Deming opened a box by twisting and lifting it. It was also black and square in shape.

Wang Deming lightly stroked with his finger, and suddenly a white silver light emerged.

Yes, silver ingot!

(End of this chapter)