In an era when the basic interior decoration consisted mainly of white walls painted green,
wallpaper and other such decorative items seemed particularly avant - garde.
Li Chuchu spent several days visiting numerous stores before finally finding the patterns she desired. She also purchased a brand - new, spacious wooden table, two wicker chairs, and a matching small round table.
The old cabinet was a bit shabby and needed to be replaced.
Li Chuchu bought a half - height cabinet with brown drawers and a brand - new bed.
She had never slept well in the previous bed. Now that she had some money, she decided to replace it as well.
Li Chuchu thought that since the money was given to her by Shen Yanshan, she might as well buy a new bed for him too.
When she reached the fabric section,
she took a fancy to white sheer curtains with delicate little floral lace.
These sheer curtains allowed light in without making the room stuffy, making them perfect for daytime use.
The salesperson in the imported goods department noticed Li Chuchu's elegant demeanor and her willingness to make purchases. He approached her enthusiastically and introduced, "Miss, would you like to take a look at the carpets over here? Feel the texture. It's made of imported foreign cashmere. It's comfortable and stain - resistant. It would look great in a bedroom. It's on sale now for only twenty foreign exchange certificates. It's a really good deal."
Li Chuchu was immediately attracted to the large, brown, furry carpet at first sight.
She remembered that Shen Yanshan had given her some foreign exchange certificates, about a hundred yuan worth.
In this era, foreign exchange certificates were worth about fifty percent more than regular currency, which meant this carpet was roughly equivalent to thirty yuan.
Such a large imported cashmere carpet was definitely worth the price.
"Okay, I'll take it."
"The total is two hundred and thirty yuan and twenty foreign exchange certificates."
After the salesperson at the furniture mall calculated the price, they sent workers to deliver the items to Li Chuchu's place.
Thankfully, the wallpaper came with installation service, which saved Li Chuchu a great deal of trouble.
Having money really made a difference.
She remembered when she first transmigrated here, she had nothing on her. She would stand in front of the department store watching others make purchases. Now, she could spend two or three hundred yuan without batting an eye.
Li Chuchu thought that she should invite the neighbors for a meal. Since she had the idea, why not do it today?
She went to buy some cooked chicken, duck, and beef, as well as new bowls, plates, chopsticks, and spoons.
The old tableware at home was no longer usable, so she simply replaced everything at once.
After the decorators had finished pasting the wallpaper.
Li Chuchu stood on the table and hung up the newly bought curtains.
Then, in front of the window, she laid a thick cashmere carpet and placed two wicker chairs and a small round table on it. She replaced the old wooden table with a missing corner and uneven legs with a newly bought carved wooden table.
She put the old table outside the door. Li Chuchu planned to use it to place some potted plants in the future.
After several days of hard work, the shabby little home had taken on a brand - new look.
"Mrs. Shen, oh my, you've redecorated your place!"
Aunt Wang had just come back from grocery shopping. She took a casual glance into Li Chuchu's room and was immediately dazzled.
"How beautiful!"
She exclaimed in admiration, truly meaning every word.
After the incident with Wu Gui last time, the relationship between Li Chuchu and the neighbors had become much closer. She often chatted with Aunt Wang and the others.
"Yes, I've been free these days, so I thought I'd tidy up the house."
Aunt Wang nodded in approval, "Yes, this is the way to live. Life will get better and better."
Li Chuchu invited her in. Aunt Wang, carrying a vegetable basket, wiggled her waist as she stepped onto the porch. She took a careful look inside and was surprised to find that the walls were not tiled.
Li Chuchu explained that it was wallpaper. Aunt Wang nodded half - understandingly, "This stuff is really beautiful. I'll tell my daughter to use it when she decorates her house."
The curtains were in a novel style she had never seen before.
The cabinets, tables, and chairs were all in the latest and fashionable styles.
A few days ago, when her daughter took her to the department store, she remembered that a single cabinet like this cost seven or eight yuan.
Not to mention the large brown cashmere carpet on the floor, which immediately elevated the whole room to a higher level.
It was as delicate as a small Western - style building.
Aunt Wang felt embarrassed to step in, "Oh, I've just come back from outside. My shoes are dirty. I don't want to stain your new carpet. I'll just stay outside."
"What are you saying? The carpet is there for people to step on. Aunt Wang, you can come over for tea and a chat whenever you're free. With the sheer curtains and screens, there are no mosquitoes."
Aunt Wang felt extremely comfortable hearing Li Chuchu's kind words.
It was really worth being nice to her these days.
Li Chuchu brought up the main topic:
"By the way, the neighbors helped me so much last time. I haven't invited them for a meal yet. How about coming to my place for dinner today?"
"Oh, won't this be too much trouble for you?"
"Oh, what's the trouble? I've already bought marinated pig's feet, marinated beef, roast duck, and cold dishes. I've also bought a big watermelon and some good wine. Everything is ready."
Before Aunt Wang entered the door, she had seen a fresh - looking big watermelon in a bucket outside. It was summer, the season for watermelons, but they were still quite expensive at this time. Only the watermelons in the fruit store opposite the department store were fresh - looking.
But the price was high too, thirty cents a jin.
It was twice as expensive as rice.
It wasn't something that could fill your stomach or keep you warm, so Aunt Wang usually didn't want to spend money on it. Seeing the watermelon now, she felt a sudden thirst in her throat. "Okay, I'll go tell the others. I'll come back later to help you."
With that, she rushed back home.
She dumped her things at home. Uncle Wang had just come back on his tricycle.
Uncle Wang collected junk at the scrapyard every day. Now that the weather was hot and people weren't very hygienic, he had a bit of a bad smell on him.
He parked the tricycle under the shade of a tree and was about to take a rest in the yard.
Aunt Wang scolded him playfully, "Don't cook dinner tonight. Chuchu has just decorated her house and is inviting everyone for dinner. She's even prepared good wine. You should clean yourself up. You smell bad. Go take a shower right away."
Uncle Wang perked up at the mention of wine.
"Okay, okay, I'll go take a shower now."
Old Man Li and his wife were sitting under the tree enjoying the cool and chatting. Their son, Li Daqiang, was still working outside, and his wife, Yang Xiufen, was at home.
Old Mrs. Li was a bit farsighted. She squinted her eyes and looked outside for a while, "Is someone decorating the house across the yard? I've seen people carrying things in there these days."
"It's Mrs. Shen who bought new furniture. I guess the decoration will be finished in a couple of days," Old Man Li, wearing a traditional Chinese undershirt, sat on the steps with his legs open, fanning himself casually.
He guessed that after the decoration was done, Mrs. Shen would definitely invite them for a meal.
Aunt Wang ran over cheerfully. Coincidentally, she bumped into them chatting in the yard.
She greeted them warmly, "Oh, Sister Li, it's great that you're all here! Don't cook dinner tonight. Chuchu said she's inviting us for dinner!"