Chapter 385 – Buying Furniture
After Lu Xia agreed, Hou Yong led them to the warehouse in the back.
As they walked, he explained, “Originally, these items were displayed in the front, but they were expensive, and most people couldn’t afford them. So, they were moved to the back. They’ve been here for two months now and still haven’t been sold. If you’re interested, we can offer you a discount.”
He then opened the warehouse door.
There were quite a few items here, and it seemed better than what was displayed in the front. It was evident that they were reluctant to put these items on display or were reserving them for internal use.
Lu Xia pretended not to notice and followed him inside until they stopped in front of a pile of beige furniture.
“It’s these ones. They were very new when they arrived, all purchased from foreign trade stores, and barely used.”
Lu Xia examined them closely and noticed that even the plastic wrap on the mattresses had not been removed. They were indeed very new.
“Why are they being sold if they’re so new?” Lu Xia asked.
Hou Yong didn’t hide anything. “This furniture was originally bought by an elderly couple of professors for their son’s wedding. However, their son decided to stay abroad, so the elderly couple also planned to go with him. That’s why they’re selling it. I doubt anyone has even slept on that bed!”
Lu Xia raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. With this explanation, she was quite satisfied with this set of furniture.
Then, Hou Yong added, “When this furniture first arrived, everyone was reluctant to part with it, thinking about who could keep it for themselves. However, they realized it was too large and impractical for most households. So, they decided to sell it. Despite the initial interest when it was displayed, no one ended up buying it because not many households have enough space for it.”
Lu Xia nodded in understanding. In this era, most people lived in government-provided housing, and their families were often crowded. As for those who could afford larger houses, they rarely purchased second-hand furniture.
Looking at the size of the furniture, especially the bed, which was around two meters by two meters, it was not something most households could accommodate.
Therefore, the number of potential buyers was quite limited.
However, Lu Xia was quite satisfied. The rooms in their small courtyard could easily accommodate this furniture.
She also liked the sofa and coffee table set, which looked very nice.
Jiang Junmo noticed that Lu Xia was interested, so without waiting for her to speak, he asked Hou Yong about the price. With one party interested in buying and the other in selling, and with the presence of Yan Hai as an acquaintance, they engaged in some negotiation.
After some haggling, they managed to purchase this set of furniture.
The price they paid was only one-tenth of what it would have cost at a foreign trade store, making it extremely affordable.
Of course, Hou Yong was also delighted. This furniture had been in their shop for too long, and he was finally able to sell it.
They arranged for the furniture to be delivered to their home after the purchase, so Lu Xia and the others left for now.
Afterward, they treated Yan Hai to lunch as a token of gratitude since he had helped them so much.
Yan Hai didn’t refuse their offer, and after the meal, he arranged to meet with them again the next day to start digging the pond.
Once Yan Hai left, Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo went to the foreign trade store.
They had already purchased the furniture for the master bedroom and living room, but they still needed to buy furniture for their son’s room. So, they decided to go to the foreign trade store together to get everything they needed.
The furniture styles in this store were quite ordinary, and the beds were basic wooden frames.
Lu Xia didn’t look very satisfied, but Jiang Junmo thought otherwise. “This kind of bed is perfect for a child; it’s not too soft, which is better for their posture.”
“Really?” Lu Xia expressed doubt.
“Absolutely, overly soft beds aren’t suitable for children.”
Seeing him so confident, Lu Xia believed him. “Alright, let’s go with this one then.”
After choosing the bed, they also purchased a desk and wardrobe for their son’s room. They bought some kitchenware as well, arranged for it to be delivered, and then headed back home.
*
Chapter 386 – Planting Vegetables and Flowers, Digging a Pond
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In the afternoon, the furniture from the trust store and the foreign trade store was delivered.
Once they had arranged the furniture, the house no longer looked so empty.
However, Lu Xia glanced around and furrowed her brow, feeling a bit out of place with the mix of modern and antique furniture.
But Jiang Junmo thought it was fine, saying, “This way is good enough; it’s comfortable for us to live in.”
Lu Xia agreed upon reflection. As long as it was comfortable, she didn’t need to worry about anything else.
That evening, they returned to the main courtyard. The next day, they came back to the small courtyard with seeds and tools in hand.
When they arrived, Yan Hai and his team were already waiting.
They went directly to the courtyard to dig the pond, while Lu Xia worked alone, tilling the soil in the front yard.
The three plots of land weren’t large, and she finished tilling her part in no time. Then, she took out the vegetable seeds she had brought and planted them, watering them with the spiritual spring water, of course.
Afterward, she went to the backyard and found that the pond had already been dug and was filled with water, albeit a bit murky.
Lu Xia approached Jiang Junmo, who had been working alongside the laborers, and asked, “Did you find the spring source?”
Jiang Junmo nodded, “Yes, we found it. It’s not deep, but there’s quite a bit of silt that needs to be removed.”
Lu Xia looked around and remarked, “Perfect, after you’ve dug it up, we can use it to fertilize the soil.”
Jiang Junmo smiled and agreed, “Sounds good!”
While they were digging out the silt, Lu Xia didn’t just stand around. She began tilling the soil in the backyard as well.
Jiang Junmo couldn’t help but feel sorry for her when he saw her working so hard with a hoe in hand.
“Take a break; I’ll come over and help with this side after we finish on my end.”
Lu Xia smiled at him and replied, “It’s okay, I’m not tired. Besides, I only need to till the vegetable garden. I don’t need to dig up the entire area for planting flowers.”
Seeing her determination, Jiang Junmo had to relent.
They spent the entire morning reviving the dried-up pond, and while the water was already filling it, it was still a bit murky. They expected it to clear up in a couple of days.
The backyard had also been mostly tilled, and after Yan Hai and his team left, Lu Xia and Jiang Junmo spent the afternoon planting vegetables.
Moreover, Lu Xia had taken some fruit tree saplings from her space, including apple, pear, and grapevines, which she also planted.
As for the flower seeds, she had obtained some from Grandpa Dong the day before. She didn’t know what type of flowers they were, but she scattered them around the garden.
After planting everything, Lu Xia watered them with spring water, feeling quite satisfied.
“It should look beautiful here in a few months,” she commented.
Jiang Junmo agreed, “It’s perfect since we’ll be moving in during the summer vacation.”
Thinking about it, Lu Xia became quite excited. She looked around and added, “We can also set up some tables and chairs in the backyard. With such a beautiful garden, we can relax here when we have free time.”
“Sounds good.”
“And for the area with grapevines, we can put up a swing. It’ll be very comfortable to sit there.”
“Okay, we’ll do that.”
“Didn’t we agree to raise chickens? We can build a coop in the garden, in the corner near the wall, away from the house to avoid any smells.”
“Alright, I’ll take care of it when the time comes.”
Lu Xia continued with her plans, “We can’t just put fish in the pond; it’ll look much more beautiful with some lotus flowers.”
“Okay, we’ll plant lotus flowers. I’ll listen to you.”
Seeing how readily he agreed to each of her suggestions, Lu Xia smiled, “This is our home, how can you just listen to me?”
Jiang Junmo also smiled, “In our home, I’ll listen to you.”
Lu Xia blushed when she heard his words. This person… when did he become so eloquent?
…
After tidying up the small courtyard, the two of them made an agreement to come here every week in the future. They would gradually prepare everything they needed, whether it was lotus flowers or fish, for their new home.
