After seeing the house, Ji Shuyu felt more assured and began making plans.
The house was sturdy and well-located, but it was too bare—lacking the lived-in warmth of a home.
On the way back, He Yuan noticed her deep in thought and said, “Whatever we need, I’m off tomorrow. I’ll take you to the supply and marketing cooperative to shop and gradually get what we need.”
Ji Shuyu agreed verbally, but her mind was on the points mall.
Goods from the supply and marketing cooperative required coupons, and shopping elsewhere would cost money. The points in the system, however, were there for the taking—why not use them?
That night, after He Yuan had fallen asleep, Ji Shuyu immersed her consciousness in the system.
The mall interface was as dazzling as ever. She directly filtered for the home and daily necessities category.
A pure cotton printed bed sheet set in solid colors, a thick soft-pile rug (light gray), a high-end enamel washbasin (with double happiness character), an embossed tin thermos, a set of pure white bone china tableware (12-piece), and handwoven storage baskets (a set of large, medium, and small).
Ji Shuyu carefully calculated and used her points to exchange for a few items that were most urgently needed and wouldn’t attract too much attention.
She had quite high standards for her quality of life—she couldn’t compromise on enjoying life.
That yard was where she would live from now on, so of course, it had to be arranged to her comfort.
Early the next morning, just as He Yuan was preparing to go to the supply and marketing cooperative, Ji Shuyu stopped him.
“He Yuan, wait. Yesterday, while organizing the luggage we brought, I found some things I previously asked someone to bring back from Shanghai. I’d completely forgotten they were buried at the bottom of the trunk. They’ll come in handy now.”
As she spoke, she asked He Yuan to come in and take a look with her.
He Yuan looked at the obviously brand-new, high-quality items and was momentarily stunned. “You bought these before?”
He remembered her luggage hadn’t been much.
“Yes, I almost forgot about them,” Ji Shuyu said without changing her expression, smoothly covering her lie as she handed the items to him.
Fortunately, He Yuan rarely doubted Ji Shuyu’s words.
“Perfect, that saves us a trip. Look at this bedsheet—it’ll be comfortable to sleep on,” He Yuan said, taking it and feeling the fabric. It was indeed much finer and thicker than what the army issued or what was sold at the supply and marketing cooperative.
The thermos was also heavy, with a bright, glossy finish.
“These are really good. This makes things much easier for us,” He Yuan said with a smile, ruffling Ji Shuyu’s hair. After speaking, he said he’d go to the house to clean up and that Ji Shuyu could pack their few belongings at home.
There weren’t many things in the room. When they moved back from Su Wenjuan’s place, Ji Shuyu hadn’t unpacked or organized many items.
After He Yuan left, her mother-in-law, Wang Shufen, came over.
“Shuyu, this is a little something from me. Now that you and Yuanzi are moving out, my heart feels a bit empty.”
The older generation preferred having the whole family together, living lively and bustling lives.
But young people, after all, value their privacy and prefer living independently.
Coupled with past incidents, having so many people together inevitably led to friction.
Wang Shufen had come to terms with it: if that’s how it was, she’d let them live their own lives.
Ji Shuyu saw the money and coupons Wang Shufen offered and quickly tried to return them.
“Mom, I can’t take these. He Yuan and I are still young, we can earn our own. You should keep them.”
Wang Shufen took Ji Shuyu’s hand and said, “Take them. When the second son left, I gave him some too.”
“I only have these few children. These things will all be yours after your father and I pass away.”
The children were filial, always bringing her things whenever they visited. She had no use for the money and coupons she saved up, so she might as well give them to the children.
Ji Shuyu couldn’t refuse and had no choice but to accept them.
Over on He Yuan’s side, with He Ze, He Han, and a few other brothers, the work progressed quickly.
At noon, Ji Shuyu prepared food and brought it over to them, which touched He Yuan deeply. He said she shouldn’t have made the trip, especially since she was pregnant.
But Ji Shuyu felt that since everyone had come to help, providing a meal was the least she could do.
Actually, she hadn’t done much of the cooking herself—she had exchanged for the food using the points mall.
After the mall upgraded, it even allowed exchanges for ready-made meals, which had completely surprised her.
She now had plenty of points and wasn’t worried about running out, especially since Director Wang was a major source.
Everyone was full of praise for He Yuan’s good fortune when they saw the food Ji Shuyu brought: three dishes and a soup, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, along with steamed buns made from white flour.
After all, the dishes were incredibly delicious, and the steamed buns were soft and slightly sweet.
That meal boosted everyone’s morale, and they worked even harder. Work that should have taken two or three days was completed in just a day and a half.
By the time Ji Shuyu visited again, the weeds in the yard were gone, the outhouse had its roof completed, the windowpanes were wiped clean, and the interior of the house was bright and spotless.
Seeing this, Ji Shuyu finally felt a sense of reality wash over her—this was a home.
She directed He Yuan to bring the items over and place them on the sofa.
Together, they started arranging everything.
The large bed in the main room was dressed with brand-new bedsheets, and a soft rug was laid beside it.
Ji Shuyu stepped on it barefoot to test it out—it was warm and cozy, making her eyes crinkle with a smile.
He Yuan looked at her smiling face, then at the instantly cozy bedroom, and his gaze softened.
On the low cabinet in the main hall, the tin thermos and two brand-new enamel mugs were placed.
The square dining table was set with an elegant white porcelain bowl, plate, and chopsticks, giving it a clean and refreshing look.
Ji Shuyu also placed the set of woven storage baskets in the corner. The large one could hold sewing supplies, the medium-sized one could store unfinished snacks, and the small one was left empty for now, maintaining a tidy appearance.
She even found a piece of blue-and-white checkered cotton cloth, measured it, and had He Yuan nail it over the empty kitchen cupboard as a curtain to hide the bottles and jars inside. The kitchen immediately looked neater.
Finally, she planted a few easy-to-grow Chinese cabbage seeds she had extra from the mall exchange in the yard.
“Maybe we can add a dish to our meals soon,” she said, patting the soil off her hands with a smile.
He Yuan looked at their home, which had undergone a remarkable transformation. The once cold and empty rooms were now filled with the warmth and comfort of lived-in moments.
Almost all of this was arranged by Ji Shuyu.
He gave her a deep look—his wife always seemed to hold unexpected surprises.
“You’ve arranged it well. It feels like a home now.”
Ji Shuyu also felt a deep sense of accomplishment. The points were well spent.
Although He Yuan didn’t ask much, she knew these items had appeared somewhat abruptly. She would need to be more careful in the future or pretend to purchase things at the supply and marketing cooperative to legitimize more items openly.
With the house set up, Ji Shuyu organized the remaining belongings. They could spend the night here that very evening.
Ji Shuyu patted her belly and asked He Yuan, who was boiling water in the kitchen, “Should we invite your parents, the family, and your friends over for a meal tomorrow?”
“Since we’ve moved to a new home, we should have a housewarming, right?”
Besides, He Ze, He Han, and He Yuan’s friends had helped a great deal.
He Yuan brought in the hot water and set it at Ji Shuyu’s feet. “I’m worried you’ll overexert yourself. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Second Sister-in-Law to help. That way, it’ll be easier for you.”
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