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Although the weather was hot, Hu Qihua, Hu Zhenhua, and Hu Ruoyun showed no signs of slowing down as they worked hard to carry bricks.
After much discussion between Zhao Meirong and Hu Qihua, they finally put the plan to build a new house on the agenda. The house they currently lived in was the one they had built when they first got married, consisting of three main rooms with "exterior brick and interior mud brick" walls. The roof was made of wooden beams, purlins, and rafters, covered with a layer of reed mats, which were then topped with a mixture of mud and wheat straw, and finally sealed with a layer of ash mixed with cement for waterproofing.
Not only was the house nearly twenty years old, but it also leaked during rainy days, making it increasingly unlivable. The eastern room was occupied by the couple, while the middle room served as a living room, and the western room had two small beds for Xiao Feng and Xiao Hu.
Hu Ruoyun's two small rooms had originally been half filled with fodder for livestock and half furnished with a small bed and desk. After selling the livestock following their purchase of a tractor, there was no longer any need for fodder. With Hu Ruoyun attending school, Xiao Hu moved into his brother's room, no longer needing to share a space with his sister.
Hu Qihua and his wife decided that this time they would build five rooms in total—three main rooms for their eldest daughter-in-law when she married (the son’s needs were easier to accommodate, but it was essential not to slight the daughter-in-law), while their younger son and daughter would occupy two side rooms. They themselves would move into the small house that Hu Ruoyun had previously occupied.
Hu Ruoyun agreed to the construction but disagreed with his parents about how the house should be divided. He stated that Mao Na still had over two years until graduation, making marriage a distant prospect. Once the new house was built, he suggested that his parents continue living in the main rooms while Xiao Hu and Xiao Feng each took one side room. He would remain in his original small room for now. As for what would happen when it came time for marriage, they could figure that out later.
Hu Ruoyun understood that no matter how well-built the house was, he could not expect to live at home long-term with Mao Na. After graduation, she would likely work in the county town; even if both she and her mother agreed to live at home, commuting nearly 40 kilometers daily was impractical.
For now, Hu Qihua and Zhao Meirong set aside discussions about living arrangements as they busied themselves ordering 40,000 red bricks, several thousand pounds of lime, and four tons of cement from the village brick factory. They decided against using wooden beams and instead opted for reinforced concrete beams and prefabricated panels. To gather ideas for their new home, they even visited third aunt's newly built house.
They planned to follow their eldest son's suggestion of constructing a flat roof instead of a traditional peaked roof like tile houses have; this way, they could dry grain on top—a particularly appealing idea.
The couple also had another thought: the mud wall on the eastern side adjacent to the alley had collapsed badly; it could barely keep pigs or sheep in check. Even an eight or nine-year-old child could easily climb through gaps. Since dismantling the main gate for the tractor purchase, they hadn’t put it back up yet. The wall separating them from their western neighbor had also eroded due to rain; thus, they decided to take advantage of this opportunity to build proper brick walls around their yard and entrance.
It was their duty as parents to provide for their children without using any money from their son. If they did use his money, he wouldn’t mind; after all, his wife was such a good person that she wouldn’t complain either. Yet they still felt uneasy about relying on their son's funds.
Calculating their savings revealed some gaps; before they could voice their concerns, Hu Zhenhua and his wife arrived with all the money earned from carrying bricks over the past year: “Don’t use Hu Ruoyun’s money; what he has is his own! We’ll pay for this house ourselves!”
The children’s uncle and aunt arrived along with their maternal grandmother and grandfather in an ox cart. The aunt represented Zhao Meirong’s family: “Sister-in-law, our parents have discussed this; you can use this over five thousand yuan first without rushing to pay it back... Don’t worry; our family won’t be upset about this!”
Then came more relatives—second aunt, third aunt—and others like Brother Jie and Second Master Kuei... Some contributed thousands while others gave hundreds; when everything was totaled up later, it exceeded ten thousand yuan—more than enough!
Teacher Zhou Dong wrote that the single volume of Humanity's Forbidden Island had sold an astonishing fifty thousand copies and orders continued to come into Story Collection’s publishing department.
As of now, Hu Ruoyun had received over forty thousand yuan in royalties. He withdrew twenty thousand from his savings account to give to his parents; however, they insisted on repaying borrowed money rather than accepting funds from him that didn’t need repayment!
The most selfless were indeed his parents!
Mao Na was on summer vacation and, upon hearing about the situation, immediately told Hu Ruoyun to "handle it."
On that day, Hu Ruoyun, Hu Qihua, and Hu Zhenhua were bustling about in the yard with a group of neighbors who were helping out. The three main rooms had already been demolished and cleared, and the construction team was about to move in. Suddenly, Mao Na arrived on a bus, her demeanor fierce, causing Zhao Meirong and Hu Qihua to panic. Why had she come here unexpectedly at such an odd hour?
The house was in complete disarray; even if they wanted to host her properly, it was impossible!
In front of all the helpers, the "daughter-in-law" confronted Hu Qihua and Zhao Meirong directly: "Auntie, Uncle, are you planning not to let us live in this house?"
Zhao Meirong and Hu Qihua looked flustered. "How could that be? This is specially prepared for your wedding!"
A woman from the crowd snickered, "Looks like you can't escape this one! The bride's side is here to stir things up!"
Mao Na's expression remained fierce. "Then why aren't you using Hu Ruoyun's money for this?"
Hu Qihua and Zhao Meirong couldn't possibly express their true thoughts to their future daughter-in-law, leaving them momentarily speechless.
Mao Na continued her tirade: "Since you're building a house, isn't it only right for Hu Ruoyun to contribute? Why does everyone have to be so divided? Are you saying that when Xiao Hu and Mei Feng get married, we won't have a say as their older siblings?"
Zhao Meirong's eyes turned red as she trembled with emotion, unable to speak. Hu Qihua sighed deeply and turned his face away.
Seeing that the moment was right, Mao Na pulled out the twenty thousand yuan cash that Hu Ruoyun had given her and slapped it into Zhao Meirong's hands. "We won't be living in this house; this twenty thousand yuan is from both me and Hu Ruoyun. In the future, when we buy a house in the county town, you and Uncle can help us out!"
Aunt Kui watched from the side and said to several women nearby, "Hu Qihua and his wife must have done something great in their past lives to have such a daughter-in-law. She's sensible and understanding—much better than those who create trouble for no reason!"
Zhao Meirong and Hu Qihua felt completely chastised in front of so many people by this "daughter-in-law" but still accepted the twenty thousand yuan.
Inside, they felt an overwhelming sense of joy; there was a saying that fit perfectly—this girl was indeed one in a million.
Aunt Kui approached Mao Na and took her hand seriously. "Dear girl, do you have any sisters at home?"
Mao Na didn't know how to address this elderly lady or what her relation was but managed to respond awkwardly, "No, it's just me and my younger brother! What about you?"
The old lady patted Mao Na's hand affectionately with her other hand. "I have a grandson who's a year younger than Hu Ruoyun. I thought if you had a sister, I could introduce her to my grandson. You're such a good person; your family must be just as wonderful..."
Mao Na found herself both amused and exasperated by the situation.
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