Back to the 70s: My Childhood Sweetheart Spoils Me Rotten-Chapter 118 - 117: Mezzanine?
Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Mezzanine?
Gong Ruwen looked at the pile of books beside Uncle Zhao Gang and then at the stuff by his own feet, feeling like crying.
The gap was indeed huge; it really seemed like his dad came here to help Gong Ruini buy boxes, as he took all the boxes here.
"Why did you buy so many boxes?" Although Zhao Gang thought these boxes were unusually dirty, he wasn’t foolish; he knew what kind of person his own friend was.
Not to mention tight-fisted and stingy like the landlords of old times, at least not someone who spends money easily.
Even if he had to buy boxes for Gong Ruini, he wouldn’t buy so many. There must be something off here.
Zhao Gang regretted not asking earlier, but looking at the books by his feet, he felt it wasn’t too much of a loss. He gained quite a lot this time.
"Good stuff," Zhao Gang affirmed.
Gong Tao chuckled, "We didn’t come here without a plan. These things can be used as furniture when we bring them back."
"You know kids grow up; they need their boxes, and we have more stuff too." Gong Tao cheerfully explained why they needed so many boxes.
Sure, pack them, just pack them as they said, really making everyone look like fools. Zhao Gang squinted his eyes at Gong Tao.
Laugh, Gong Tao continued to smile honestly and sincerely. Good stuff wouldn’t be shared with friends so easily; once you pay for it, it’s truly his, only then will he be at ease.
Li Jianjun was a bit surprised by the things they picked, but he didn’t say anything. He signaled Zhao Gang to put the stuff on the scale, "Separate calculation?"
Zhao Gang nodded, "Separate so it’s easier to settle accounts."
Li Jianjun picked up the receipt and, in no time, wrote it out, then collected the money, and proceeded to weigh the books Zhao Gang selected.
While paying, Zhao Gang planned to put the books onto the ox cart. Though the books on top were serious, what if someone came up and casually flipped through them?
Gong Tao now bought boxes, which happened to be able to separate them compared to the boxes being a bit too dirty; Zhao Gang had thought of putting the books in the boxes, which would definitely be unseen by others.
"Put the books in the boxes. I’ll go get some newspaper to line them," Gong Tao looked at what they bought today; the small horse carriage would be a bit tight for three children.
"Don’t worry, the inside of the boxes isn’t that dirty." Gong Tao didn’t deny, thinking Zhao Gang was disdainful of the boxes being dirty, while his books placed on the grounds were just as dirty.
"Really?" Although Zhao Gang still felt uncomfortable, there was no choice, since making the kids travel in the snow was not an option.
Zhao Gang endured the myriad of annoyances and prepared himself mentally, but when he bent down to move them, he was startled by the heaviness of the boxes.
Such big boxes, Zhao Gang had moved them before, but he was sure none were this heavy. How come the boxes Gong Tao bought were so heavy? Was there something inside?
Suddenly, Zhao Gang remembered that rich people used to prevent robberies by having a double layer; could it be that there was such a layer here too?
A double layer was good stuff, who knew if there were valuable things inside. Thinking of this, Zhao Gang regretted, how come he just walked past Treasure Mountain by chance.
"What are you thinking? These boxes are heavy; I found these good woods and put them in. We can make some shelves when we get back." Gong Tao suddenly opened the box, and dust filled the air, drifting lightly with the wind.
Li Jianjun peeked in and saw it was indeed more than half a box of wood. Although he found it odd, leaving it here was just for some people to take them for firewood.
Ah, it’s wood. Zhao Gang honestly didn’t know what to say; was wood a problem for them?
Never heard of getting short of wood near a mountain, even though they weren’t from the village; if they really wanted to make furniture, talking with Village Chief Li Jian Country wasn’t out of the question, and maybe they could cut some trees.
"This wood has been air-dried for a long time and can be used immediately." Gong Tao closed the box, ready to move it with Zhao Gang onto the cart.
The wood was air-dried and could be used, but with so many boxes, could his friend truly make furniture?
Besides, it’s not like they lacked air-dried wood, and the neighboring villages should have it, right?
Even worse, a quick talk with the carpentry master would definitely find wood, knowing well they bought a lot of books this time, which were quite heavy. Yet still, they had to get wood, making Zhao Gang want to split open Gong Tao’s head to see what’s inside.
Why not consider the old cow’s plight a bit? Pulling three kids and two adults was already hard enough, now even adding more stuff.
"I can get off and walk." Even if he had to walk back, Gong Tao insisted that these things must be brought back, "I promised to help Ni Zi make something for her room."
Gong Tao planned to make something for her? Gong Ruini was confused; she hadn’t a clue about this. Earlier, he promised to make her a box; now that so many boxes were bought, there was no need for making one.
Moreover, Gong Ruini worried that Gong Tao would make things himself, making her anxious, as her old man had never done any carpentry; his craftsmanship probably couldn’t be shown, yet sometimes her dad was rather sensitive.
Just a few unhappy words made him chatless for quite some time, leaving Gong Ruini quite helpless, "Dad, build me a shelf."
Gong Ruini thought that making a shelf wasn’t hard; just nail some planks together. She also wanted to make a bookshelf beside the kang, which could not only hold books but also slightly block the view.
"Okay, I’ll make it for Ni Zi." Gong Tao knew they didn’t really trust his craftsmanship, but he promised to amaze everyone, to show them what he’s capable of.
Anyway, no need for much talk. He could prove everything with his skills—Gong Tao was confident.
He ceaselessly promised Gong Ruini, "Ni Zi, don’t worry, Dad will give you a big surprise."
A surprise... Gong Ruini could only smile. All in all, she hoped it wasn’t just a big shock. Gong Ruini, though anxious inside, smiled brightly; she couldn’t make her dad lose face.
Sigh, just put on a show, but Ni Zi was a good girl. It was a sudden plan from Gong Tao, but she went along with it, supporting her dad entirely—this was a daughter.
Zhao Gang couldn’t imagine if it was his turn, his son would likely be disdainful and contemptuous. For sure, he wouldn’t readily go along with such talk.
"Don’t worry, I have ancestral skills." Gong Tao reiterated, he wasn’t clueless.
Not mentioning ancestral skills was better—mentioning it only made Gong Ruini feel hopeless; the so-called ancestral skills mostly fooled people. More importantly, Mr. Gong wasn’t one with such skills, having heard about machine repair, never carpentry.
Putting it aside, even Gong Ruwen was covering his face, showing how much Gong Tao was bragging.
Gong Ruini dared not expect much, just hoping this boastful talk wouldn’t result in a bust, having no other demands whatsoever.
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