Volume 1, Chapter 42: "Look, the sky is still dark, no rush, no rush."

Jia Dongxu, standing nearby, also roared, "You useless wretch, you can't even keep an eye on your own son, what use are you! Go look for him! In such freezing weather, what if Stickpin freezes to death? Look at others, and then look at you, you can't even raise a child properly. Had I known this, I should have divorced you!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's eyes welled with tears, but she dared not utter a word. She wiped her hands and hurriedly rushed out to search for Stickpin.

"Stickpin! Stickpin!" Qin Huairu called out.

Meanwhile, a weary Silly Zhu was scratching his back as he walked toward the public latrine, feeling a strange itch down below. He didn't think much of it, assuming it was just because he hadn't bathed in a while.

"Tomorrow, I'll borrow some money from the First Uncle to take a bath. Constantly itching like this is no way to live."

Though Silly Zhu muttered these words, his mind was occupied with the graceful figure of Li Lanhua and the alluring silhouette of Qin Huairu he had seen earlier.

"Jia Dongxu, oh Jia Dongxu, when are you going to die? When that time comes, I'll take care of your wife for you. Sister Qin is so beautiful, how could she possibly remain a widow!"

Silly Zhu talked to himself, completely unaware of a tiny figure trailing closely behind him, stepping with utmost caution. The moonlight cast a very long shadow of that small figure.

Stickpin had picked up a stone from somewhere, his little face frozen red, keeping his eyes locked on Silly Zhu ahead.

"Silly Zhu, you really are a fool, not even remembering to disparage my mother while going to the toilet!"

A raging fire burned in Stickpin's heart at the thought that this idiot actually harbored delusions of becoming his father.

Though he frequently sneaked into Silly Zhu's house to pilfer things, though he always regarded him as a fool and occasionally played tricks on him, deep down in his heart, Stickpin had never once looked up to Silly Zhu.

"I'll show you what I'm made of! Even if I took things from your house, you have no right to treat my mother this way!"

Recalling how Su Jianshe had told him that Silly Zhu constantly plotted to insult his mother and even committed unspeakable acts, Stickpin gripped the stone in his hand even tighter.

Just at that moment—

"Stickpin! Stickpin! Go home to sleep, stop making a fuss!"

Hearing his mother's call, Stickpin felt a pang of internal conflict, and finally, he gritted his teeth fiercely.

"Hmph! Consider yourself lucky!"

As his mother's footsteps drew closer, he hurled the stone viciously into the public latrine before him.

Plop!

The sound of the stone plunging into the water echoed inside the latrine.

"Oh, good grief!"

"Which bastard is throwing stones into the toilet in the middle of the night? Don't let me catch you!"

Silly Zhu jumped out with half of his trouser legs soaked, cursing furiously into the alley.

Yet immediately afterward, a sharp pain struck his abdomen. Unable to bear the agony, he hurriedly bolted back into the public latrine.

As for Stickpin, he had long since fled.

"Ma, I'm right here!"

Seeing Stickpin, Qin Huairu finally put down the heart that had been hanging by a thread.

Before she even had time to scold him, she heard someone cursing at the mouth of the alley and was hurriedly pulled away by her son.

Just now... did that sound like Silly Zhu?

...

The night was pitch black.

Yet Su Jianshe's home remained brightly lit.

The bedroom was completely empty, save for strange noises faintly emanating from the washroom.

The light inside the washroom did not leak a single ray to the outside!

Silly Zhu, returning from the public latrine, glanced enviously at Su Jianshe's house.

"Su Jianshe, just you wait, relying on a little money at home. Just you wait, one of these days I'll show you!"

Catching a whiff of the stench of excrement clinging to his body, scratching his lower parts while shivering from the cold, Silly Zhu hurried toward home.

Upon reaching his doorstep, he stared in confusion at the steaming ground beside it.

"How strange, why is this ground smoking? Is there a hot spring underneath?"

Silly Zhu recalled hearing during his days as a chef that in certain places, no fire was needed; a single match could ignite a large flame because of coal seams or hot springs beneath the earth.

But why was there a foul odor outside his own courtyard?

Could that be a unique characteristic of a hot spring?

He didn't dwell on it further, hitched up his trousers, scratched his lower parts, and went inside to sleep.

The bitter wind howled, and a cold front swept through once more.

The year-end was approaching, and the Four Nine City seemed completely enveloped in a bitter freeze.

Many people wrapped themselves tightly in cotton quilts, wondering if they would even survive the winter.

In the middle of the night, awakened by the cold wind, Su Jianshe hoisted his quilt, took Chu Yan with him, and hid inside the bathroom before finally feeling warm.

"Construction Brother, turn off the bathroom heater, it's too hot, I'm so thirsty!"

Wrapped in the quilt, Chu Yan looked helplessly at Su Jianshe as he undressed.

In this Four Nine City, they were probably the only ones who could be woken up by the heat.

"No need, this temperature is just right!"

Su Jianshe said as he turned on the dehumidifier. The hot air was drawn away, yet the two felt no chill; instead, they found the atmosphere cozier as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Silly Zhu's home had neither a stove nor coal, leaving him shivering uncontrollably.

His only pair of cotton trousers hung by the doorway.

"Achoo!"

As the cold wind blew, Silly Zhu curled into a ball, wrapped tightly in his quilt, terrified that the frigid gale would claim his life.

"I simply must buy some charcoal tomorrow, otherwise surviving this winter will be difficult!"

Yet right at that moment, jolted fully awake by the cold, Silly Zhu suddenly remembered that his household seemed completely cleaned out, and his last twenty yuan had already been borrowed by Qin Huairu.

"Perhaps... tomorrow I should go find Qin Huairu and ask for some of the money back?"

With great effort, Silly Zhu pulled another quilt from his home and wrapped it around himself.

Inside the courtyard, the wind blew fierce and cold, forcing everyone to grit their teeth and bustle about preparing meals amidst the freezing chill.

Many rubbed their hands together to fight the cold, feeling utterly helpless and filled with anxiety.

Several middle-aged women gathered to draw water, their faces etched with worry.

"What is to become of us if the weather keeps getting this cold!"

"What on earth has gotten into the heavens, freezing us to this absurd degree!"

"We must hurry and buy charcoal, or this year will be impossible to endure. I wonder what the price of charcoal is like this season?"

Everyone trembled from the cold.

Meanwhile, Su Jianshe was stretching his limbs comfortably inside the spacious bathtub.

"Sleeping so pleasantly, this temperature is just right, neither too cold nor too hot. If every day could be like this, how wonderful it would be!"

Removing his sunglasses, a beam of bright light pierced his eyes.

He wondered about the quality of the bathroom heater gifted by the system; would leaving it on all night cause any malfunction...

Fortunately, electricity was free.

Just as Su Jianshe was about to get up, he caught the faint aroma of millet porridge.

Only then did he notice that the bathroom door had been opened at some point.

The washroom connected to the outer room, seemingly intended to lower the bathroom's temperature while raising it in the other chambers.

Even though the coal stove had yet to be lit, the indoor temperature was steadily rising.

Chu Yan was already busy in the kitchen.

When Su Jianshe stepped out of the bathroom, a bowl of millet porridge was already set upon the table.

Su Jianshe curved his lips into a light smile, washed up, and stepped into the kitchen. He immediately felt a wave of comforting warmth. Compared to the biting cold outside, this place was vastly cozier; even wearing a woolen sweater, the temperature felt spot on.

"Xiaoyan, why did you wake up so early today?" he asked softly.

Hearing this, a blush crept onto Chu Yan's cheeks, as if she had thoughts on her mind. "Usually Construction Brother handles the cooking, and as a wife, I seem to have failed in my duties," she said, her gaze flickering. "Look at the aunties in the courtyard, busy at their stoves the moment dawn breaks. I've been oversleeping these past few days, and it weighs heavy on my conscience. I'm afraid people might laugh at me."

With that, Chu Yan lowered her head in deep remorse, seemingly determined to rise early from then on to prepare breakfast for Su Jianshe.

Seeing this, Su Jianshe affectionately stroked the top of her head, feeling a helpless fondness. He was a man from another time and placed no stock in such conventional notions. Whoever woke up first cooked; where was the rule that a wife had to cook for her husband? Supporting one another was the true essence of life.

"From now on, don't force yourself to wake up early. Breakfast can be made by whoever rises first; there's no need to copy others," he gently persuaded. "Look, it's still dark out, no need to rush at all."

A warmth spread through Chu Yan's heart, deepening her blush as she lowered her head shyly. After a moment, she added with a slight smile, "Construction Brother, it's actually not that early anymore. Everyone in the courtyard is nearly up."

Chu Yan knew Su Jianshe's habits well; he would rather be late than wake up early, and he was somewhat prone to morning irritability. Coupled with the exceptional cold of today, she had chosen not to wake him.

"No matter, the back kitchen has nothing pressing today." Su Jianshe took Chu Yan's hand and sat down with her at the dining table. As for being late? Liu Dazhuang was there. You train an army for a thousand days to use them for a single hour; it was time for him to earn his keep.

As he sipped the millet porridge and chatted idly with Chu Yan, the system prompt suddenly rang in his ear: "Ding! Would you like to check in?"

Su Jianshe wondered inwardly what he might receive today. It was a pity he hadn't asked Wangcai about today's fortune.

Su Jianshe felt a flicker of curiosity and immediately uttered the word, "Check in!"

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Household Constant Temperature Retrofit Card!"

Before the system's voice had even faded, a strange stream of information flooded into Su Jianshe's mind.

A moment later, he grasped the true essence of the household constant temperature renovation.

In short, this item was akin to modern heating, yet far more advanced and comfortable, nearly rivaling the effect of air conditioning.

It operated on the efficient release of energy, allowing a small amount of coal to keep the room warm as spring, while the system thoughtfully lined all four walls with insulation materials to prevent heat loss, supplemented by a smart chip to regulate room temperature.

Once deployed, this small cottage would truly experience perpetual spring.

At that moment, a cold gust blew past, causing the thinly dressed Chu Yan to shiver slightly.

Though the room was relatively warm, the gaps in the old house had not been sealed, and the drafts cutting through remained piercingly cold.

"Xiaoyan, the millet porridge you brewed is exquisitely delicious, I've decided to give you a gift!" Su Jianshe smiled.

Chu Yan looked at him curiously, not particularly attached to the gift, but driven more by curiosity.

Su Jianshe smiled slyly and said, "Xiaoyan, go wait in the washroom for a moment, ten minutes will do."

"Ah? Okay..." Chu Yan obediently walked into the washroom.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Jianshe activated the constant temperature renovation, targeting this small dwelling directly.

"Confirm renovation?"

"Confirm!"

Instantly, a strange radiance enveloped the entire house, though its exterior remained completely unchanged, looking utterly ordinary.

Though the work took only the span of three breaths, Su Jianshe deliberately waited the full ten minutes and even manufactured some noise.

Ten minutes later...

Chu Yan stepped out of the washroom, her eyes widening instantly as she gazed in utter astonishment around their dwelling, which seemed to have taken on a brand-new lease of life.

The exterior of the house remained as rustic as ever, showing no major alterations.

Yet upon closer inspection, the walls, pipes, and even the floor tiles seemed to have undergone a subtle adjustment.

How could Chu Yan, who had grown up in this very house, fail to notice these minute changes?

What surprised Chu Yan even more was that Su Jianshe handed her a small, pitch-black object resembling a television screen, upon which numbers were constantly flickering.

"Construction Brother, what is this?" Chu Yan asked, bewildered.

Su Jianshe smiled and began his explanation: "This is a constant temperature system, a gift for you. You just need to add a single piece of coal, and the temperature will rise accordingly, allowing you to regulate the indoor temperature entirely to your liking!"

"It was a gift from an overseas friend yesterday, and installation is simple."

With that, ignoring whether Chu Yan believed him or not, he fetched a medium-sized piece of coal from the pile and tossed it into the fuel chamber. As the chamber closed, the energy bar surged, rapidly filling to maximum.

Beep-beep sounds echoed.

Su Jianshe adjusted the temperature to twenty-six degrees.

During this season, insulation conditions were less than ideal.

He worried that if the temperature were set too high, the drastic difference when Chu Yan stepped outside might affect her health.

Before long, the temperature throughout the house began to rise steadily, nearly rivaling the bathroom.

Wearing her woolen sweater, Chu Yan felt the temperature was just right.

"Construction Brother, you're amazing! Our family will never have to freeze again, this winter will be wonderfully cozy!" Her face flushed with excitement, Chu Yan embraced her beloved husband.

"All right, it's too cold today, get some good rest at home, I'm off to work!" Su Jianshe settled Chu Yan in, changed his clothes, and prepared to leave.

Before departing, he specifically used his system privileges to link the constant temperature system with the bathroom, ensuring that apart from himself and Chu Yan, no one else could operate it, and only then did he leave with peace of mind.

The cold wind raged once more, yet inside the home, Chu Yan felt not a shred of chill. At that moment, both her body and soul were enveloped in warmth.

Su Jianshe originally intended to leave, but a sudden thought crossed his mind, and he strode directly toward the back courtyard. "I wonder if that old geezer has kicked the bucket yet; if so, it'd really be letting him off too light!" A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He swore to unearth conclusive evidence proving that the women in those photographs were Deaf Old Lady in her youth, and he would ruin her reputation completely, making her wish she were dead. Harming Chu Yan meant that no punishment could ever be too severe for this old scoundrel.

Meanwhile, back in the courtyard, Silly Zhu, who had been curled up in bed, bolted awake with a start. "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" Having suffered through the freezing night and only falling asleep in the wee hours, he scrambled out of bed, only to find his legs deathly cold. He wrapped himself in his quilt to grab his cotton trousers, but the moment his hands touched them, his expression shifted drastically. Though dry, the trousers still held shards of ice and emitted a strange odor that deeply distressed him.

"I absolutely cannot wear these trousers. What if Sister Lanhua comes looking for me and gets driven away by this stench?" Thinking of Li Lanhua's captivating charm, Silly Zhu panicked. Turning his gaze to the single trousers in his wardrobe, he hardened his heart, added a pair of wool-blend long johns, hoisted his broom, and rushed toward the rolling mill.

The biting wind howled, leaving Silly Zhu shivering so violently he felt like abandoning his legs altogether. But the thought of the multiple toilets waiting to be swept made him barely able to hold onto his broom. "If I finish sweeping these toilets, my legs are going to be completely ruined."