"Yangzi, your business is growing by leaps and bounds. You need to maintain good relations with the old village head and Old Man Tu."
"Even though we've made money for the villagers and eased the village's burden, they bore the pressure for us. Many other villages are envious of our business. It's only because the old village head and Old Man Tu are watching over us that no one dares to come into the village and steal our business. Su Dan Novels dot com.
For instance, when I went to discuss the homestead issue with you, the old village head signed without a second thought."
"That's a significant favor."
When Chen Yang returned, Shen Futang and Cui Jianguo had already spread the lime. After placing the order at the brick factory, they would move things from the old house tonight, and excavation for the foundation could begin tomorrow.
"Dad, I understand. I'll go to the county town brick factory with my uncle to place the order later, and I'll visit the old village head and Uncle Tu's homes when I get back."
"We know who treats us well."
Shen Futang hadn't mentioned it, and Chen Yang truly hadn't known, finding it peculiar.
Other brigades had also started buying fish, yet when others brought fish to him, no one came to Shenjiaba to buy it. It turned out the old village head and Old Man Tu had been blocking them.
He owed them a debt of gratitude!
Without their protection, his business likely wouldn't have continued. After all, the reform and opening up had just begun, and not everyone had the courage to break the old rules.
"Uncle, thank you and your second brother for accompanying my eldest son-in-law. I'll help move things. While the house is being built, they and their family will have to stay at my place first."
After instructing Chen Yang, Shen Futang also called Cui Jianguo and Shen Guangfu to accompany Chen Yang to the brick factory to place the order.
Nowadays, you couldn't buy ready-made bricks. You had to place an order at the brick factory three days in advance, then wait for the factory to fire the kiln. It would take about three days before you could pick them up.
"Uncle, I plan to build a house with three rooms: a main hall, a bedroom, and a kitchen."
"The main hall will be in the middle, the kitchen to the west, and the bedroom to the east. It needs to be spacious. In the main bedroom, we'll partition off a smaller room. Can you estimate how many thousand bricks we'll need?"
This was something Chen Yang had planned for a while. The reason he wasn't building four rooms was mainly that the baby was too young, and he couldn't bear to let her sleep alone.
By partitioning a small room within their own room, they could keep an eye on her at any time without affecting their marital bliss.
"Three rooms mean two cross walls at the front and back, and four vertical walls in the middle. That's about thirty thousand bricks."
Cui Jianguo, who had been a bricklayer for over twenty years, had never built a house requiring such a large quantity of bricks himself.
At the same time, he felt a sense of admiration for his niece's husband. If this house were built, it would be unparalleled not just in Shenjiaba, but in the entire brigade and even the surrounding villages.
Shen Futang would have immense pride when he walked out in the future.
"The price for the blue bricks is 0.022 yuan each. Thirty thousand bricks will cost 660 yuan. That's not cheap, just for the bricks."
"For the roof beams, we'll need to select wood. The three main beams will be the most expensive, costing around 21 yuan, while the others are cheaper. I estimate about another hundred yuan."
"Blue tiles can also be fired at the brick factory. They're 0.01 yuan each. We'll need about twenty thousand pieces, costing another 200 yuan."
Cui Jianguo calculated it carefully for Chen Yang. His rough estimate alone was approaching a thousand yuan.
Shen Guangfu was astonished just listening. He couldn't save this much money in his lifetime.
"Uncle, build it to the best standard. For the foundation, let's use stones. We have plenty by the river."
"Tomorrow when I collect the fish, I'll tell the villagers. One yuan per fish. Since we're building, I want to build the best."
Shen Futang had only mentioned five hundred yuan, but the calculation showed it would be a thousand. However, Chen Yang didn't mind.
As long as Shen Xue and the baby could live happily, he was willing to spend any amount of money.
Ever since he decided to build the house, he had noticed Shen Xue's happiness.
Chen Yang could guess the reason.
In the past, their family was poor, and Shen Xue couldn't hold her head up in the village. Now that they had money and were building this grand tiled house, who would dare look down on her!
People, living in this world, always cared about face.
As long as it made his wife happy, Chen Yang felt the money was well spent.
...
"Director Yao, I've paid the deposit. I'll be back in three days to pick up the bricks."
At the county brick factory, Chen Yang shook hands with the factory director, Yao Hui. He had come to order bricks and tiles, and coincidentally, the brick factory had invited the county cinema to show a film.
Workers, with black curtains drawn, were watching a movie in the factory's auditorium. He couldn't find anyone, almost making Chen Yang think the brick factory had gone out of business.
"Comrade Chen, don't worry. Your bricks and tiles will be fired and ready in three days."
Yao Hui issued the receipt. In those days, brick factories also struggled, with little output throughout the year. Individuals couldn't afford them, and state-owned factories often paid with IOUs.
The feeling of receiving several hundred yuan at once was incredibly wonderful for Yao Hui, as so many mouths depended on him for their wages.
"Projectionist Liu, we agreed that when my house is built, I'll invite you to show a movie to liven things up."
Not only did he sort out the bricks and tiles on this trip to the brick factory, but Chen Yang also got acquainted with a projectionist from the county cinema.
In those days, people had little entertainment at night. Besides sleeping, there was nothing else. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many children.
Showing a movie was a rare event. If a brigade hosted a movie screening, villagers from miles around would likely flock to it, creating a scene more lively than a New Year's temple fair.
Since Shen Xue wanted to gain face, Chen Yang decided to let her have her moment of glory.
He had finally earned money; he had to spoil his wife.
"Comrade Chen Yang, don't be so polite with me. If I, Liu Changfa, promise something, I always keep my word."
Projectionist Liu Changfa patted his chest. The couple had given him a couple of yuan. He already had a quota for rural film screenings. Where he showed them didn't matter. Since they were paying and he could also get a free meal at the housewarming party later, he wouldn't refuse such a good opportunity.
All the way back, Cui Jianguo and Shen Guangfu were almost numb. They watched Chen Yang chatting and laughing with the director of a state-owned factory, someone they usually viewed as high and mighty, and a film projectionist.
Shen Guangfu still remembered that two years ago, when this projectionist Liu came to their brigade, the old village head treated him with fine wine and cigarettes, yet he still complained that Shenjiaba village's hospitality wasn't good enough. He hadn't returned for two years.
Chen Yang had only said a few words, and he had promised to come.
The difference between people was so vast.
Chen Yang naturally sensed the changes in their thoughts. But these two honest, hardworking men had no idea that this was the charm of money.
In the process of reforming from a planned economy to a market economy, the special treatment brought by wealth would become increasingly magnified.
Chen Yang understood this better than anyone.
After going to town, Chen Yang bought a carton of baijiu from the large department store at the supply and marketing cooperative, after buying a few packs of "Da Qianmen" cigarettes from Uncle Liao Er.
A housewarming feast and celebrations would be incomplete without it.
They were inviting relatives who were within five generations of kinship. Even if they weren't paid, it was a characteristic of the era. They had to be well-fed and well-watered, otherwise, Chen Yang wouldn't have the nerve to ask for their help.
Thinking of having a spacious new house, he wished they could also bring in electricity and install a large light bulb...
Having light at night, that would be wonderful!
Thinking of Shen Xue's shy expression, Chen Yang's motivation to build the house grew even stronger.