Chapter 154 The Whole Family Takes Care of Food, Clothing, Housing, and Transport

They say many hands make light work, and when even the Du family's most lazy and idle third aunt began to pitch in actively, the progress was exceptionally swift and the results remarkably gratifying. In less than half a month, the Du household seemed transformed from top to bottom, every corner radiating a festive glow.

Though the house remained the same, both inside and out it had been tidied up with meticulous care, leaving not even a stray blade of grass. The greasy black stains on the kitchen stove were completely gone. With the walls freshly pasted over in bright white paper, the entire interior appeared vastly brighter.

"Well, if we had gotten things moving like this earlier, the home would have looked much better," Du Yun's grandmother said, sitting on the edge of the heated brick kang. Looking at the completely renovated house and her children and grandchildren bustling back and forth across the floor, her heart felt lightened, and her expression was no longer perpetually stern.

"Grandma, the camphor-wood chests ordered for older sister have arrived. Where should we put them?" Du Yun ran in from outside, her cheeks flushed with a faint rosy glow. Seeing the changes taking place in her own home day by day, her heart was filled with joy.

Over the past few days, the family's meals had improved by more than a notch. The meat Du Yun bought from town no longer needed to be divided in half, with one portion hung above the stove to be smoked and saved for the New Year. When cooking daily meals, they could afford to be more generous with cornmeal, use a bit more oil in the stir-fries, or even fry up some eggs without Du Yun's grandmother barking out sharp scoldings.

The primary reason for all this was simple: they had money! Yes, ever since Du Yun returned from the county town, she hadn't kept all the earnings from making pastries for herself; instead, she divided the money into four equal shares. Two shares were handed over to her grandmother—one designated for household expenses, and the other used to prepare a dowry for Du Zhizhi. Of the remaining two shares, one was given to her mother to keep, and only the final share was kept by Du Yun herself.

To Du Yun, money served no purpose other than as working capital, so she preferred to use it to substantially improve her family's living conditions and allow her older sister to marry happily and in high spirits.

Although the money handed to her grandmother for Du Zhizhi's dowry amounted to only a quarter of the total sum, it was still a considerable amount. Du Yun made twenty catties of pastries every day that month, which came out to fifty yuan. A quarter of fifty yuan was twelve and a half yuan—a single day's earnings nearly matching the entire betrothal gift Du Zhizhi had received. A short while ago, such a sum would have been unimaginable to anyone in the Du family.

Du Yun's grandmother was no fool; otherwise, she would never have been able to hold the Du family together through such hard times without letting it collapse. Unlike other elderly women who clutched every coin tightly to themselves and grew estranged from their children, she was quite willing to listen to the suggestions of the younger generation.

Hearing that daughters from wealthy families in the town included furniture in their dowries, she had also set her mind on getting some for Du Zhizhi. However, the Du family's past conditions had been too poor, and the Tang family's circumstances weren't top-tier either; if they spent all their money at once on bulky furniture, it would actually appear somewhat inferior and tacky.

After consulting with Du Yun and Du Zhizhi, Du Yun's grandmother decided against full-sized furniture. Instead, she opted for a pair of camphor-wood chests adorned with exquisite copper hardware. Not only were they understated and elegant, but they would also be practical for storage and look stunning in the new bridal chamber.

"Quick, bring them in!" Du Yun's grandmother was just pondering the chests when she heard Du Yun's words and hurriedly beckoned with her hand.

"Coming right up!" The two men carrying the camphor-wood chests entered the room one after the other. As the bright red chests were carried inside, Du Yun felt as though the previously dim room was instantly illuminated by a brilliant, glowing red radiance.

"Oh, let me see, let me see!" When Du Yun's grandmother was young, she too had owned a camphor-wood chest as part of her dowry, but after all these years, that festive bright red had faded into a dull, dark brownish-red.

Watching the two chests being carried in, their vivid crimson hue so bright it dazzled the eyes, Du Yun's grandmother felt as though she had been transported back to her youth. She couldn't help but wipe the corner of her eye and gently caress the bright red wood.

"Good, very good! The carpentry work is truly exceptional!" Du Yun's grandmother gazed at the chests, utterly enchanted, and showered them with praise while her face broke into a full, blossoming smile.

"Grandma, if you love them this much, once we build a new house for our family, I'll have a couple of new chests made for you, along with a matching kang cabinet and wardrobe—all brand new!" Seeing her grandmother's boundless joy, Du Yun couldn't help smiling as she spoke.

Du Yun knew in her heart that ever since she arrived in this world, though her grandmother had been very strict with her, the old woman's affection for her was entirely genuine. Whenever she could within her own capabilities, Du Yun was more than happy to bring a smile to her grandmother's face.

"Oh, my dear good child, then I shall just wait for you to build me a grand house and commission new furniture!" Hearing these words, Du Yun's grandmother instinctively chalked it up to childish tall tales and didn't take it too seriously. Yet, deep down, a faint spark of anticipation bloomed nonetheless. If such a promise were ever to come true, she could close her eyes in peace when her time came.

"Grandma, just rest assured and wait for it!" Du Yun promised with a beaming smile. Seeing her grandmother so happy, she felt that any hardship or exhaustion on her part was well worth it.

"Alright, now that the chests have arrived, let them air out for a few days, and then we can slowly pack your sister's dowry items inside," Du Yun's grandmother instructed earnestly. She watched as the two carpenters carried the chests into the west room without a single bump or scrape, and only then did she settle the payment.

"Will do!" Du Yun replied with a smile. Because the family now had money, there was much more Du Yun could accomplish. It wasn't just limited to the camphor-wood chests and funds; she had also taken charge of procuring many other items.

The bedding, originally consisting of just two padded mattresses and two comforters, was directly doubled to six sets of each. The previously sparse dowry had grown considerably thicker and more substantial. Even for everyday wear, every single member of the family received two extra sets of new clothes.

Taking advantage of her several trips to the county town, Du Yun retrieved bolts of fabric and miscellaneous goods from her storage grid, using a portion for Du Zhizhi's dowry and keeping the rest for household use.

The ordinary cotton and printed floral fabrics were used to make everyday clothes for the family members, while the finer materials and silk fabrics purchased in the town were saved—some tailored into garments for the elders, and a generous amount reserved for Du Zhizhi's dowry to be brought to the Tang family.

Amidst this daily bustle of activity, the eve of Du Zhizhi's wedding rapidly approached. Calculating the days, Du Yun hurried into the starship to produce seven or eight days' worth of pastries all at once, storing them safely inside her inventory. That way, when the auspicious day arrived, she wouldn't find herself overwhelmed trying to bake pastries while simultaneously managing her sister's wedding preparations.