C116 In the Forest District They Built a New House and the Two Girls Fought over the Room(2)

"Yes!" Lin Leyan and Sun Meng exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"The hall is currently empty, but tomorrow I'll bring in tables and chairs. We've got to have a place to eat, right?" Tang Bing went on, "The study will house all sorts of books, but since we don't have shelves yet, we'll just pile the boxes in there for now. Next up is the bathroom... We've got separate ones for men and women, but I can only build the simplest, old-fashioned squat toilets. You'll need to flush them with water. The septic tank is located at the far end of the backyard, in a corner of the farmland. The waste can be used directly as fertilizer..."

"Ugh~" Sun Meng grimaced in disgust, quickly covering Tang Bing's mouth with her hand, "Bing, spare us the details! I'm trying to figure out what to have for dinner and you're grossing me out!"

Tang Bing couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

Indeed, it's a feeling you just don't get when you're on your own.

"Sorry about that!" he said with a laugh, "But let me ask, does anyone here know how to build a better toilet? One with an automatic flush would be ideal."

Everyone shook their heads in response; not a soul had that expertise.

"Okay, let's drop the toilet talk," Tang Bing said, a hint of disappointment in his voice as he steered the conversation elsewhere. "The first floor is divided into these sections, and the second and third floors each have 12 rooms, making 24 in total. They're roughly 14 to 15 square meters each, though I haven't measured precisely. Every room comes with a washroom, and once we figure out how to install toilets with automatic flush systems, we won't have to rely on the basic communal ones. I'll also sort out the shower facilities as soon as I can. The city has solar water heaters, and there's a clean water source up in the mountains. For the next couple of days, though, we'll all just have to make do."

"I'm fine! There was a time I went a whole month without a shower," Zhao Dagang chuckled heartily.

At his words, the women shot him a collective look of scorn.

Tang Bing realized he truly was a creature of community; the camaraderie of idle chatter with his teammates felt great. With a smile at Zhao Dagang's laughter, he went on, "This time around, I'm turning the third floor into a dedicated workspace and storage for my workbench, furnace, and the like. We'll also keep our collected supplies up there. It's best to organize them by category! For instance, we can store food and water together, furniture in one spot, daily necessities in another, and clothes in their own section..."

"I'll take care of that!" Qin Mengli stepped forward eagerly. "I've inventoried all the supplies. No one knows them better than I do!"

"Great!" Tang Bing gave her an approving nod. "Then you're in charge of the supplies."

"Bing, what about me? What should I manage?" Sun Meng approached with urgency.

Tang Bing gave her a puzzled look. "Aren't you already managing the kitchen with Teacher Lin? Why are you asking me?"

"I mean, besides the kitchen, is there anything else I can help with?" Sun Meng glanced at Qin Mengli. "Just tell me what you need; I'm on it!"

Seeing Qin Mengli through Sun Meng's gaze, Tang Bing wondered what the competition was about. After a moment, he addressed Sun Meng, "Don't you have your nursing skills? Taking care of everyone's health and injuries is crucial. That's an important role!"

"Oh, of course!" Sun Meng's face lit up with a playful grin as she snapped a cute salute. "Consider it done, sir!"

Tang Bing couldn't help but smile, then turned to address the group. "We've got plenty of rooms, so feel free to pick any you like! I've got my eye on the one by the right-side window, but the rest of you can choose as you please."

"Any room at all?" Sun Meng asked quickly.

"Any room," Tang Bing confirmed with a gentle nod.

"Then I want the room opposite yours!" Sun Meng wrapped her arms around Tang Bing's arm, gazing up at him with a flirtatious pout. "Bing, I'm claiming the room across from yours!"

"No way!" Qin Mengli interjected hastily. "I want that room!"

"Why should you get it?" Sun Meng shot her an irritated look.

"In the factory, I was also living across from Tang Bing!" Qin Mengli replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Just because you lived across from Bing back at the factory doesn't mean you get to call the shots here!" Sun Meng, hands on her hips, declared, "This room is mine now!"

"You think it's yours just because you say so?" Qin Mengli retorted, her voice tinged with irritation, "What a joke!"

"Bing said we could pick any room! I chose this one first, so it's mine!" Sun Meng vigorously shook Tang Bing's arm, seeking confirmation, "Right, Bing?"

"Tang Bing!" Qin Mengli frowned at him, her gaze carrying a subtle hint of warning.

Why did it increasingly seem like they were vying for his attention? She had convinced herself it was all in her head before, but now it felt undeniably real.

Tang Bing was baffled by what had transpired in the last five days.

He found it hard to believe that in such a short time, two women could fall for him simultaneously.

Ah, now it makes sense!

His departure must have left them feeling insecure. Without that security, they were looking for someone to depend on.

With Zhao Dagang's heart set on Liang Hui, he clearly wasn't the support they sought. So upon his return, Qin Mengli and Sun Meng started competing for his favor. In truth, they weren't really into him; they were simply jockeying for the most advantageous position within the group.

Realizing this dampened his spirits considerably.

If the two women genuinely liked him and were fighting over him, he'd be thrilled!

But if their goal was merely to cling to strength for survival in this harsh world, he couldn't help but feel disdain and a profound sense of gloom.

His mood soured at the thought, and with a heavy sigh, he addressed the women, "It's just a room. What's the big deal? Dagang, you'll be living across from me."

"Ah?" Zhao Dagang's face fell at these words, "But Bing, I don't want that!"

"What?" Tang Bing's frustration boiled over at the refusal, "Who was it that said they'd follow my lead from now on?"

"But Brother Bing, I already promised Huihui and the others I'd live next to them!" Zhao Dagang protested, clearly troubled.

Tang Bing caught Liang Hui's slightly embarrassed look and then turned to Lin Leyan, who was chuckling. He couldn't help but wonder how Zhao Dagang had managed to win over both Liang Hui and her mother-in-law in just a few days. It looked like Liang Hui was getting along well with Zhao Dagang, and even Teacher Lin seemed to be on board. How did he pull that off?

"What are you getting at?" Sun Meng asked, clearly annoyed. "Brother Zhao, if you three are all living in this row, where does that leave us?"

"Exactly! That room is supposed to be mine..." Qin Mengli pointed to the room across from the one Tang Bing had chosen.

"Hey, isn't the solution obvious?" Zhao Dagang turned to Tang Bing. "Brother Bing, if you just switch spots, all our problems are solved!"

"Why should I have to move?" Tang Bing grumbled, shining his flashlight in protest.

Zhao Dagang blocked the beam with his hand and suggested, "Brother Bing, how about I take the middle room, and you take the one across from me? Just like you said! Then Miss Qin and Ms. Meng can take the rooms on either side of you, and there'll be no reason for them to argue, right?"

"That's a great idea!" Liang Hui chimed in. "Brother Bing, I'm all for it!"

"What are you agreeing to without thinking?" Tang Bing shot back, turning to Qin Mengli and Sun Meng. "How about this: Qin Mengli, you take the middle room, and Sun Meng, you take the one on the end."

"Sounds good to me!" Qin Mengli beamed.

"No way!" Sun Meng immediately objected. "Why does she get the middle room? If anyone should get it, it's me!"

"Tang Bing has made his decision; you need to follow orders!"

"Mind your own business! I'll discuss it with Bing myself!"

...

The two women resumed their bickering.

Tang Bing was at his wit's end; this was the last thing he wanted to deal with. Zhao Dagang, Liang Hui, and Lin Leyan all watched him with expectant eyes, silently pleading for him to put an end to the squabble.

They say one woman equals five hundred ducks, and with Qin Mengli and Sun Meng together, it was like a thousand ducks quacking in unison. The noise was giving Tang Bing a headache. Finally, with no other options, he capitulated, "Enough already! I'll take the middle room, Qin Mengli can have the inside room, and Sun Meng can have the one on the end. Everyone will be next to me. Can we agree on that?"

"I'm going to check my room!" Sun Meng said, beaming as she spun around and dashed off.

Qin Mengli remained silent, offering Tang Bing a meaningful glance before she too turned and made her way into her room.