Chapter 130: Renovation Plan

Xiao Weiguo quickly found a pair of white cotton gloves and handed them over. “Don’t let Dad’s hands get scratched; he still needs them for washing dishes.”

As Xiao Pingle slammed the first piece of junk harshly onto the doorstep of Yang Hu and Yang Bao’s house, the two brothers rushed out in a hurry, hurling vulgar curses at them.

The other residents in the courtyard, hearing the commotion, came out to watch the spectacle.

Xiao Weiguo stepped forward and loudly recounted the whole incident to the gathered crowd. “We must not lose on the grounds of righteousness.”

Seeing that they couldn’t out-argue Xiao Weiguo, Yang Hu and Yang Bao exchanged glances, their eyes meeting sharply.

Suddenly, they charged toward Xiao Weiguo.

These two brothers had knocked down countless enemies with this very move. No matter how skilled the opponent, when caught off guard by their sudden attack, the other side usually lost the initiative. With two of them working in tandem, what followed was almost always a brutal beating.

If you meet this perfect pair of brothers, consider yourself unlucky.

Then, at twice their original speed, they flew back, crashing heavily onto the doorstep.

Both were stunned, bewildered: Who am I? Where am I? How did I fly back here?

Xiao Weiguo’s strength had recently increased further. Now, without even using his mental focus, he could easily handle these two alone, feeling no pressure whatsoever.

Just moments ago, he had swiftly kicked each of them once, sending them flying back.

Inside the house, Old Mrs. Yang saw her sons suffer a rare defeat. Proudly, she let out a cry, followed by a series of wailing and howling sounds.

Xiao Weiguo felt a headache coming on. He hadn’t expected the two sons to rely on physical attacks, while the old lady wielded magic attacks.

However, the first scolding Mrs. Yang received was surprisingly from one of her own sons.

Yang Hu shouted toward the house, “Stop the noise! Shut your mouth.”

Immediately, Mrs. Yang fell silent, quietly whimpering.

At this moment, Xiao Weiguo said to the two brothers, “If you’re not convinced, keep practicing. My hands are still itching.”

Unexpectedly, they showed resilience, saying nothing, helping each other into the house.

They knew they couldn’t win.

Seeing them quiet for the time being, Xiao Weiguo joined in clearing the debris.

Before long, the two rooms were cleaned spotless.

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Xiao Weiguo inspected the house. The overall structure was still sound, though some roof tiles needed replacement.

Several windows needed to be opened on the south-facing wall to avoid the house being too dark, cold, and damp.

The doors and windows were somewhat rotten and needed to be replaced.

After repainting the exterior walls with whitewash and some simple repairs, furniture could be moved in.

He asked Xiao Pingle to return inside to freshen up.

Following instructions from Comrade Xiao Liu, Xiao Weiguo went to the neighboring courtyard to find Master Zhang Shunde’s home.

Fortunately, the master had no work today and was home taking care of his grandson.

Xiao Weiguo explained the situation and led the master over.

Xiao Pingle, seeing Master Zhang arrive, excitedly followed behind, offering his opinions.

At least the house could be registered under his name, so it was acceptable to voice his suggestions.

Master Zhang examined the house and listened to the owner's requests, then said, “This is a small job. Give me two days to finish. It depends on how you want to cooperate.

“One option is full service: you just pay, and I’ll handle materials and labor. The other is you provide the materials, and I just do the work.

“Of course, whichever option you choose, the owner must provide lunch. If you can provide dinner too, even better.”

“Master, how much for the full service?”

“Hmm… twenty-three yuan. I’ll bring two assistants to help and aim to finish in a day and a half.”

Hearing it was just over twenty yuan, Xiao Weiguo felt relieved and didn’t want to haggle. He nodded and agreed, asking the master to start repairs as soon as possible.

Xiao Pingle, standing nearby, felt heartbroken. Over twenty yuan was so much money—it was nearly his entire monthly salary, which was only 27.5 yuan.

27.5 yuan was Xiao Pingle’s current monthly wage—a relatively low level. However, those in the hauling team received subsidies based on the quantity and weight of goods, and sometimes night shifts warranted extra pay.

Master Zhang then took out his tools, carefully measured the house, recorded everything in his notebook, and left.

Before leaving, he said to Xiao Weiguo, “Owner, I’ll bring my apprentices first thing tomorrow morning. And remember to prepare meals for the next two days.”

Xiao Weiguo quickly agreed.

After the master left, Xiao Weiguo looked at Xiao Pingle and considered whether to have his own father prepare the meals.

Obviously, that wouldn’t work.

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Actually, Xiao Weiguo could cook himself, but he feared work obligations might keep him busy.

After considering everyone in the courtyard, he thought Aunt Tian Guixiang in the middle yard would be suitable. She stayed home with her grandchild every day. For the next couple of days, she would just need to prepare four meals for four strong workers, including Xiao Pingle.

Thinking this, Xiao Weiguo hurried to the middle yard.

“Aunt Guixiang, here’s the deal: for the next two days, can you cook lunch and dinner—four meals total—for four strong laborers? I’ll provide all the ingredients and pay you two yuan for chef fees. How’s that?”

Xiao Weiguo said this to Aunt Tian Guixiang, who was caring for her grandchild.

“Wei Guo, I do have time, but my cooking is pretty ordinary. Will the masters be able to eat it?”

“Aunt Guixiang, home cooking is fine. The master is our neighbor, Master Zhang. You probably know him—it’s not like he’s a stranger.”

“Oh, it’s him? Then no problem. That old man eats anything cleanly. Wei Guo, just bring the ingredients before lunch tomorrow.”

She seemed unconcerned.

Yet, she lowered her voice and said to Xiao Weiguo, “Wei Guo, you better watch out for those two brothers. They’re not easy to handle. Mrs. Yang raised two boys by herself and was quite a tough character back in the day. You have to be careful.”

Xiao Weiguo grew a bit impatient. This family was like flies—everyone warned to be cautious.

The key was that Xiao Weiguo couldn’t act openly anymore; he had to wait for them to make the next move.

He had to respond one by one, naturally on the defensive, which was quite frustrating.

After thanking Aunt Tian Guixiang and promising to bring the ingredients early the next morning, Xiao Weiguo slowly returned home, pondering how to solve the problem once and for all.

As for the ingredients, that was the easiest part. He could just ride his bike around, then bring in vegetables, grains, and meat from his storage space.

As for Aunt Tian Guixiang’s potential embezzlement, that was unavoidable, but how much could she steal in just two days?

Besides, there was a chief supervisor at home.

Xiao Pingle said he could remember every piece of meat’s grain pattern—if anyone tried to pilfer, no way.