Chapter 38 Recognition of relatives
Wang Deming, his godmother and his sister had already had dinner, but his brother-in-law and his family had not returned yet.

If he doesn't come back by now, it will probably be 9 or 10 o'clock in the evening.

Wang Shuqin thought for a moment and said to Wang Deming, "Come on, Deming, take me to your newly bought house."

"Mom, wait for me, I'll push the bike out."

"Don't push the bike. It's very close. We can just take a stroll to digest our food."

Yan Baozhen also stood up and prepared to go, but Wang Shuqin raised her hand and called her: "Baozhen, you should stay at home and look after the children while waiting for your father-in-law. It's better for you to stay at home."

"It's enough to have Deming accompany me."

Wang Deming and Wang Shuqin strolled towards Nanluoguxiang. They arrived there soon. Wang Shuqin smiled and said, "It's really close."

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have bought this house, and I might not have known that Xiaoru had come to the Central Court for a blind date." Wang Deming came to No. 95 Nanluoguxiang again at this moment, feeling complicated. Is this the corrective force of the world?
Wang Shuqin patted the back of Wang Deming's hand and said, "Deming, after this is over, you two should live a peaceful and stable life."

"Ah."

It was evening, and the people in the front yard were all enjoying the cool breeze and digesting their food. When the sharp-eyed Yan Bugui saw Wang Deming supporting an old lady, he immediately came over with a smile and said, "Hey, Comrade Wang, are you here to look at the house today?"

"Lao Bai's family moved out on the 28th. I was wondering why you haven't come to collect the house yet?"

"But don't worry, we have me in charge of the front yard, so I guarantee that the things will be fine."

"Who is this?"

"Thank you, Teacher Yan, this is my mother." Wang Deming introduced his godmother: "Mom, this is the manager of the front yard, his surname is Yan."

"Well, Teacher Yan, hello," Wang Shuqin smiled at Yan Bugui, "What a coincidence, my husband's last name is Yan!"

Just now, when Yan Bugui approached Wang Deming and his wife, he noticed Wang Shuqin's clothes. She was wearing an old-fashioned dark blue silk cheongsam with a slanting collar and a small round collar. She must be from a wealthy family.
Now, when she heard Wang Shuqin say that her husband's surname was Yan, she was even more delighted: "Oh, isn't that a coincidence?"

"Can you please tell me if your husband's ancestors came from Shanxi? To be honest, my ancestors came from Shanxi and used to run a grain store in Guangqumen."

"Ah!" Wang Shuqin exclaimed softly, "My husband's ancestors opened a grain store in Guangqumen."

Yan Bugui clapped his hands excitedly, "So, we really are relatives! We haven't even gone beyond the fifth degree of mourning yet!"

"Yes," Wang Shuqin continued to smile, "I heard from my husband's family that they moved to Changping because of a conflict between the two brothers who ran a grain store and split up."

"Uh"

Wang Deming said at the right time: "Mom, let's go and see the house. Let's discuss how to renovate this house."

"Teacher Yan, you are busy."

Yan Bugui would not miss the opportunity to deepen their relationship. He finally got close to her. "Oh, I'm fine. Let's just chat and digest our food. Come, I'll open the door for you."

Yan Bugui hurried ahead of Wang Deming and opened the door of the east wing. He also explained, "Old Bai should lock the door when he leaves and leave the key to me."

"I said I was watching in the front yard, how could anything be lost in this house?"

"Comrade Wang, this..."

Wang Shuqin gave Yan Bugui another way out, "Teacher Yan, I am older than you, you can call me elder sister or sister-in-law."

"Haha, then I will call you sister-in-law, after all, we are relatives, right?"

"Comrade Wang, look, the few remaining tables, chairs and benches in this room are all here."

"Here's the light cord. I'll turn it on for you to see."

Yan Bugui pulled the light cord by the door and told Wang Deming the price of electricity. "Our hospital charges by light bulb. One light bulb costs 2 cents a month."

"Comrade Wang, if you want to add another light bulb, please tell me in advance, but one light bulb per family is enough."

"It would be a waste of money if there is more, right? It can buy two pounds of noodles." An incandescent lamp on the roof was lit. Although the pale yellow light was not very bright, it illuminated the two rooms very clearly.

In fact, nothing was left behind after the previous family left. The tables, chairs, and benches mentioned by Yan Bugui were all incomplete. They were either padded with bricks or fastened with hemp ropes. They were only kept for burning firewood and making stoves.

"Sister-in-law, when are you and Comrade Wang going to move in? Let me tell you, this east wing in our front yard is one of the best rooms. We just need to clean it up a bit and buy a stove and move in."

Wang Shuqin didn't say anything. She looked around and then turned her head to ask Wang Deming: "Deming, how are you going to renovate these two rooms?"

Wang Deming let go of Wang Shuqin's arm, walked to the middle, patted the pillar, and stamped his feet, "Mom, you see, the floor of the house needs to be paved with square bricks. It's full of potholes and many of them are broken."

"And the walls in this room were damp before, and the paper on them is all mottled and about to fall off. I have to scrape them white again."

"There are also doors, windows and roofs. The edges are deformed and the wind is blowing through them. The glass is also broken. They will definitely leak in the winter and freeze. They must be rebuilt. And the roof. Should we buy some wooden boards to make a shed? And then use the boards to separate out a few rooms?"

"Mom, it's fine if I live here by myself. I'm young and can handle it. But if I want to bring you here to live in the winter, this house won't work. It's too cold and not warm enough. I'm worried you won't be able to bear it."

"I'm also planning to remove the kang in this room. Now people are burning fire directly under the kang, which is not only unsafe but also wasteful. I'm going to put the kang and the stove together again, so that I can use the stove here to cook and keep the kang warm."

Wang Shuqin looked at her son's excited face and nodded with a smile, "Well, Deming, you are very thoughtful. Okay, if you don't have enough money in your pocket, Mom still has some money at home."

"Haha, Mom, it must be enough!"

Yan Bugui listened to the mother and daughter talking about the renovation of two rooms, and couldn't help but be shocked. How much would it cost to renovate this whole set? They could buy another room, right?

Hey, this relative of mine is really rich. Even if there's a little leakage between his fingers, it'll be enough for me to eat.
Wang Shuqin was satisfied, and the corners of her mouth rose involuntarily, "Okay, let's go back, Teacher Yan, thank you for your busy schedule."

"Well, it's what we should share." Seeing Wang Deming and his wife preparing to leave, Yan Bugui suddenly said, "Comrade Wang, do you still want these tables, chairs and benches?"

"Your house is undergoing a major renovation, so it's not appropriate to keep it here any longer."

"Shall I help you deal with it?"

"What? Aren't we going to keep this wood for the stove?"

"Ah, haha, that's right."

"Teacher Yan, we have a long way to go."

"Yes, you are right."

"Oh, mother-in-law, I am sorry for neglecting you! I am sorry for neglecting you!" Old Man Chang and his family did not arrive home until 9: in the evening. As soon as they saw Wang Shuqin, they were full of apologies. "Today is the National Day celebration. There is a play by Mei Lanfang."

"We were so fascinated by what we heard that we forgot you were coming today!"

"I'm so sorry."

Wang Shuqin immediately stepped forward and asked, "What are you talking about, father-in-law?"

"I haven't thanked you for helping De Ming arrange the apprenticeship ceremony yet."

"He is still young and doesn't understand these things. Don't you have to remember them in your heart?"

"Besides, if it weren't for you, De Ming wouldn't have the opportunity to become your disciple, right?"

"It's a strong word."

"You have to stay longer this time. Baozhen, Youguang and the children have been thinking about you."

"Well, even if you don't tell me, I will have to bother you for a while. After Deming becomes your disciple, won't he have to go to the advanced training class? And I have to wait for him to take me back home during the weekend!"

"Haha, mother-in-law, if it were you, I would say you should just come to the city with Deming to live! I have seen Deming's potential in the future."

"Thank you for your good words, but I can't do without the help of my father-in-law, right?"

(End of this chapter)