Chapter 169 I want to build a house in the village
At noon, the sun was too hot, so Liu Zhiye and others had to return to the old house.

Although it was only the end of May, the temperature in the mountains had already risen to 30 degrees. They hurried along the way, sweating profusely, and could not stand the hot weather.

The old house is located on the edge of the village. It is located on high ground, surrounded by green trees and has a quiet environment.

As soon as Liu Zhiye and others stepped into the house, they immediately felt a hint of coolness, as if they had entered another world.

They sat on the stone bench under the grape trellis in the yard, drank the cold mountain spring water, and took a rest.

I got up a little later and found it was getting late.

"You guys sit for a while, I'll make lunch..." said the aunt, and walked into the kitchen.

Seeing this, the eldest sister Liu Yucui also hurried to the kitchen and said, "Mom, let me help you. Second Aunt, you guys sit down for a while..."

"Sister-in-law! Let me lend you a hand. With more people, we can get things done faster." Deng Ru also went to help.

Liu Zhiye stopped Gan Ning who was about to help and said with a smile: "Just take a rest over there. There are so many people here, we don't need you."

My aunt is undoubtedly a hardworking housewife who can always cook delicious dishes with ordinary ingredients. At this moment, she is cutting vegetables on the chopping board and preparing rich ingredients.

The kitchen was filled with the faint aroma of food, making people feel warm and comfortable. My aunt skillfully controlled the heat to the right degree, and delicious dishes came out of the pot one after another.

Soon, the table was filled with various delicacies, including braised pork, steamed fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, stewed chicken soup, etc., which were delicious and mouth-watering.

At this time, the grandfather returned home with his two sons.

The uncle sniffed and exclaimed: "Wow! It smells so good!"

Liu Zhiye, Gan Ning, and his younger sister shouted happily, "Grandpa!"

The old man asked with a smile: "Xiao Ning and Xiao Ruo, you are here? Is it fun on the mountain?"

Liu Zhiruo hugged his grandfather's arm and said with a smile: "It's so fun in the mountain. We even went to pick cherries!" Grandpa smiled kindly and nodded.

The old man said to Gan Ning kindly, "Come, Xiao Ning, let me feel your pulse..."

"Okay, Grandpa!" Gan Ning smiled and helped Grandpa sit on the stone bench. The old man skillfully put his hand on his wrist. This scene was like a scene in a movie, warm and touching.

"How have your diet and sleep been lately?" the old man asked after taking my pulse.

Gan Ning replied: "Grandpa, I have a good appetite, good sleep, and a happy mood..."

Listening to Gan Ning's answer, the old man nodded slightly and smiled with satisfaction. Then he nodded and said affirmatively: "The fetus is developing healthily, and you are also in good health, so you can rest assured!"

When Liu Zhiye heard this, he smiled and responded: "Since Grandpa said so, there must be no problem!"

He turned to Liu Jingzhai and said with a hint of teasing in his tone: "Dad, you really can't sit still. Where are you going for a stroll?"

"I spent the whole morning at the school construction site. Looking at the school that is about to be completed, I can't tell you how much I like it." Liu Jingzhai said with emotion.

"If this school is built, the children will have a good place to go." He added, "Looking at all this, I really feel that our lives are full of hope."

The younger sister Liu Zhiruo smiled and said, "Dad, if you like, just go back to the village to teach. Our village is pretty good, we don't have to worry about food and clothing, and the place to live is spacious..."

This is said unintentionally, but listened to intentionally.

When Liu Jingzhai heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, but then he remembered something and shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. Let's not talk about anything else. My organization has been transferred to the city, and it's not that easy to come back."

He paused and added: "Besides, aren't you three brothers and sisters still in the city?" When Liu Zhiye heard this, his heart moved, and he thought to himself: "Father, it seems that he also wants to return to the village to open a business. This way, I can save the trouble of persuading them to come back in a few years." Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look forward to the future.

He continued, "Dad, if you really want to go home, it's not impossible. I can help you with the transfer."

After hearing this, Liu Jingzhai nodded and said, "If you can go home, it would be great. Now that you have achieved something, and the second child is about to face graduation assignment, I don't need to worry about him. The only thing I need to worry about is my younger sister. As long as she can get into college, I will feel at ease."

"Well, let's wait a year or two before we talk about it. To be honest, I'm really tired of living in the city. Not only are the houses small and boring, but the air is also bad, with dust and haze all over the sky..."

Liu Zhiye listened with deep emotion. He not only felt his father's desire to return, but also had the same wish. If it were not for the pursuit of career advancement, and he was not ready to return to retirement, now that his family was rich, it was enough for him to enjoy a few lifetimes of leisure.

He imagined building a courtyard house in the village and living a leisurely life. Moreover, although their village was remote, it was not too far from the city, only a few dozen miles away.

The environment around the capital is much better than that in the city. The air quality in the capital is not very good now, which is mainly caused by the special geographical environment.

The spring in the capital is particularly short, so short that it can be almost ignored. There is a special term for this, called "short spring neck". Summer comes just as winter passes.

Sometimes, it is not just "spring neck is short", it is simply no neck. A year's plan depends on spring, which is usually the most beautiful season, with grass growing and birds flying, and flowers blooming. But there is almost no spring in Beijing. Isn't this a tragedy?
Spring is short, so autumn and winter seem long. But the biggest problem in Beijing's autumn and winter is the heavy wind and sand. Yu Dafu said in "Four Seasons in Peking" that in Beijing's autumn and winter, "the sky is always gray, and the road is always covered with gray barriers." Old Beijingers say, "The wind blows for three days, the wind blows for three days."

When the wind blows in the capital, it often lasts for three days. Strong winds of level 7 or 8 mixed with sand and dust are very common.

Many writers who have lived in Beijing have written about Beijing's sandstorms. Lu Xun described the sandstorms in Beijing in his diary: "The wind carries the sand and the sun is osmanthus yellow." Liang Shiqiu wrote in "Streets in Beijing": "'Without wind, there is three feet of dirt; with rain, there is mud on the streets.' This is a portrayal of the streets in Beijing.

Some people also say that when it rains, the capital city is like a big ink box, and when it is windy, it is like a big incense burner. Not only is there a lot of wind and sand, but the air is also very dirty.

In addition to wind and sand, there is also haze. When it is windy, the sky is full of sand and dust, and when it rains, the ground is covered with black mud.

After becoming the capital again in 1949, the population of Beijing gradually increased. With so many people burning coal for food and heating, many factories and mines were built. Standing on the Tiananmen Tower, you can see the chimneys everywhere. The air quality was probably not much better.

The topic has gone a bit off topic, but Liu Zhiye came up with an idea to build a large courtyard in the village.

This yard will not only make his future life more comfortable, but also provide preparations in advance for his relatives and friends to live here in seclusion in the future.

At noon, the third uncle and his brother-in-law Liu Fusheng came back, and Liu Jingzhai and others naturally became lively again. They drank and chatted about family matters, and then Liu Zhiye put forward his idea.

"Uncle, I want to build a house in our village. I would like to ask if you have any specific requirements?" Liu Zhiye said seriously.

"What? You want to build a house?" the third uncle said in surprise.

Liu Zhiye nodded and replied, "It will be convenient for my family to come back and live here in the future. My dad and his family also hope to return to their hometown in the future."

The third uncle asked in confusion: "Jingzhai, isn't it good in the city? Why do you want to come back?"

Liu Jingzhai explained: "Actually, I have stayed in the city long enough. I will not come back immediately. I have to wait for a few years. The general situation is like this..."

"Hey! That's great! It's good to come back. Life in our village will get better and better, and there won't be any worries from the outside world. If you want to teach, you can teach in the village. Our village is in need of excellent teachers like you." The third uncle said excitedly after hearing the news.

Liu Zhiye asked: "Is it difficult to build a house?"

The third uncle frowned and said, "The approval of the housing land is based on the number of registered households. Since your household registration is not in the village, it may be a bit troublesome."

Seeing this, the uncle at the side said anxiously: "Why are you still building a house, kid? Is this old house not big enough for you to live in, or what?"

He added: "Although your father has moved his household registration out, your father's half of the property in this old house is still there."

Liu Zhiye smiled and comforted him: "Uncle, I have no such intention, please rest assured. I built this house for a purpose. There are important matters that cannot be handled in the old house."

(End of this chapter)