Chapter 0008: Building a House

Upon hearing about the ten yuan, Li Fucheng smacked his lips, intending to call his second and third sons over. However, he felt a bit troubled. One was his own eldest grandson, whom he wanted to support, while the other two were his sons, and he felt embarrassed to let them work for nothing. He then said, "No need to look for others; your second uncle and third uncle, I will just go over and greet them later. As long as you keep it in mind, as long as you don't lose money, just let them take five yuan each and that will be enough"

Li and Ke La would not lower themselves to take such advantage. As long as one is working, meals are provided. They sit around two tables drinking and enjoying lavish dishes, with plenty of food and drink. Everyone says that Li is being too courteous, as they are all family and there is no need to prepare such extravagant food and drink.

It became simpler when returning home, as people could directly sit on the donkey cart, with the ground cart directly attached to the back of the donkey cart, making it much more efficient. Li and Zhao were lying on the donkey cart, sleeping.

After settling the accounts and receiving the receipts, Li He directly instructed Li Long to go to the finance office to collect the money. The few of them washed their faces at the faucet by the pool, their clothes soaked with sweat, which they took off and stirred in the water, then filled their water bottles. As for cleanliness, there was not much concern. The only things to quench their thirst were ice pops and water, particularly mineral water; however, even if they had money, there was nowhere to buy drinks like mineral water or cola.

In the days to come, I will collect and deliver eels every day

Liu Chuanqi glared and said, "Are you the only one who can do it? Do you think your father is a fool?"

Another day has been wasted, Li and the others made breakfast for my mother and elder sister, and then went with the drivers to the brick kiln to haul bricks. The kiln is more than 20 miles away, so we had to set off early. In the back, we dug the foundation and built the walls; with more people, the work progressed quickly. Li's family had plenty of food, and everyone was genuinely committed to working hard without any ulterior motives.

Li and Ge both felt that giving ten yuan was cheap. Moreover, Da Zhuang also gave ten yuan, and even his own uncle giving five yuan would be a topic of gossip. So, he decided to do the favor thoroughly. "Sir, going to the provincial capital, pulling a cart will take more than five hours, and the road is bumpy, which is quite a hardship. Besides, I am sure I will make a profit, so you need not worry."

Li and He glanced at the accounting ledger, noting that the amount of loach and eel collected this time exceeded 2,000 jin compared to yesterday. Villagers from the neighboring village have started sending their catch this way. By evening, collecting 6,000 jin will be no problem at all. Dazhuang is a bit anxious, saying, "Erhe, 2 donkey carts are not enough; I estimate there will be even more later, and it will be quite difficult to borrow livestock again."

In the end, isn't it just like this? Naturally, it will come to nothing. There will be others who will take advantage of the situation. Liu Chuanqi directly retorted, if you have the ability, you can also make a fortune; no one is stopping you

The entrance was bustling with activity, with people coming and going at intervals. Li He decided to set a specific time frame, stating that he would only collect items every day between 4 PM and 6 PM. After this time, he would no longer accept anything. This way, he could free up time to attend to other matters, as he would need to build a house in the near future. With such chaos, it was impossible to manage anything effectively.

Li is indeed too lazy to pay attention to idle gossip, not that he is unaware of the importance of being low-key

Li and Ke did not worry about this; looking at the new house that they would soon be able to move into, they could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy. This was the most fulfilling achievement since their rebirth

On the way, Li and He made a decision: they would no longer collect loach, only yellow eel, which has a price difference of 0.9 yuan per jin. Transporting 5,000 jins at once is already the limit; if they transport all yellow eel, they can earn an additional 200 yuan in profit. If they continue to collect loach, they would have to find more carts and hire more people, which would be quite ostentatious.

Calculating the time, it is only early August

This wise decision has resulted in a daily profit of over 400 units.

You are too young

First of all, the current policies are not as strict as before; those with the capability will prosper.

Li and he did not disrespect Wang Yulan, but rather, their mother lacked assertiveness and had a somewhat gentle temperament. Thus, he spoke up, "Mother, our father might not return for a long time. We are all grown up now and cannot continue to squeeze together. Moreover, the youngest is already quite big; without building a house, where will we find a spouse?"

That old man Li Fucheng used to smoke dry tobacco, and now he smokes what? Now he smokes Hongta Mountain.

At the same time, the family began to build a house. During the era of production teams, when a family built a house, the entire village would help. For significant matters such as house construction, there was never any mention of hiring workers, rent, or transportation fees. All those who came to help were assigned by the production team and volunteered their labor.

Liu Li, after saying this, secretly glanced at her father. Seeing no reaction, she continued, "Li He from their family ranks either first or second in the county. I heard from our teacher that getting into university this year is basically a sure thing. Nowadays, there are no political reviews for university admissions, can you still influence someone’s chance to go to university? After graduation, it’s a direct allocation, and they will be eating commercial grain; who knows what success they might achieve? If you hold a grudge like this, can you resolve it later? Just a few days ago, didn’t their third son bring you two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor? If you go to investigate now, isn’t that just typical of someone who eats well, wipes their mouth, and turns their back on others?"

During the era of production teams, the more people there were, the greater the strength. There was plenty of food and drink, and no one had the time to slack off. Moreover, building a tile-roofed house was straightforward; once the foundation was well laid, it was just a matter of continuously laying bricks. The most troublesome part, which was the tiling, only took two days, and in total, it was completed in less than ten days.

When arriving at the provincial capital, the time was slightly earlier than yesterday. The seafood company is busiest in the early morning, so once it is delivered, there is no fear of not finding anyone.

Li and He got up and served a bowl of rice. He continued, "After all, we are both grown men, so you need not worry. I have already spoken with our grandfather, and when the time comes, we will come to work. You just need to cook the rice well."

Li He understood the old man's temperament, so he did not say much more

There is no plan to tamp the earth anymore; everything will be built with red bricks, following a budget of 1,000 yuan, purchasing materials while constructing.

The Li family is undoubtedly a three-generation family of poor peasants, with a solid foundation and a legitimate background, and cannot be labeled with any derogatory terms.

His current requirements are truly not high; as long as he is not eating coarse grains, wild vegetables, and steamed buns every day, it will be fine

There were also quite a few idle rumors that reached the ears of the brigade secretary Liu Chuanqi. If one were to investigate, it would be somewhat humiliating for this widow and her orphan. If Li Zhaokun were at home, he would definitely not be lenient. On the other hand, if they chose not to investigate, it would make it difficult to lead the revolutionary team in the future

When the local cart is loaded with goods, pulling the cart is not an easy task. The road to the town is bumpy, making it laborious to pull. With 2 donkey carts and 4 flatbed carts, this amounts to over 5,000 pounds, and a significant portion of that is moisture

The yellow eel is truly abundant; a half-grown child can catch over ten pounds in a day with an iron hook whenever he finds a moment of free time, and then he joyfully brings it here to Li He

On the night of the day when the roof beams were installed, Li and the old master Li Fucheng secretly delivered money to each household according to their trades: 4 yuan for the small workers and 5 yuan for the large workers. Everyone felt that the second son of the Li family was generous. As for the plastering of the walls and the laying of tiles, Li and his family did not have to worry at all

Li Fucheng said, "You child have the heart to take care of your uncle, so I won't say much. I will also pull a cart and join you. You don't need to give me anything. I am your grandfather, and it is only right for me to do this."

The happiest person is also Li Mei, and the most troubled person is also Li Mei, because there is simply no place left to hide money. After excluding the expenses for purchasing sand, gravel, bricks, and beams, there remains a substantial sum of over 2000 in hand, a figure that was previously unimaginable.

Although Wang Yulan is not very assertive, she is not foolish. With two sons at home and no prospects for their wives, she can only feel anxious. "But where is the money going to come from? It requires quite a bit of money. Your uncle spent over 500 yuan last year to build three tile-roofed houses."

Due to the slow pace of the ground-pulling carts, they had to set off early, departing shortly after 10 o'clock. Li Long and Da Zhuang took the lead with two donkey carts, carrying lanterns. Li was accompanied by two uncles and their grandfather, with four ground-pulling carts trailing at the back. The old man, considering himself still strong, was quite stubborn and insisted on pulling the ground-pulling cart, unwilling to drive the donkey cart, muttering, "When I was young, I would go to the mill across the river, carrying a basket in winter, swimming across the Huai River, making two round trips."

According to Li He’s idea, the three earthen houses at the back will not be demolished for the time being. His side is empty, and the homestead is also his own. He will only build three tiled houses in front, leaving a courtyard in the middle, and enclosing it with a wall. When conditions improve in the future, the earthen houses can be demolished and replaced with a two or three-story small building, which would be appropriate.

A large satellite suddenly appeared in the village, and everyone's sympathy turned into envy. This emotion became quite complex. It is not uncommon to see three tiled houses in the countryside, but this one is entirely made of bricks, with a cement floor, high beams, and a large area. This is truly one of a kind. Many people secretly cursed, wondering just how much money the two pups in Li Zhaokun's family had actually made.

Once again, it is the grandfather and the uncle who are present, and even Liu Laohan's youngest son, Dazhuang, is constantly following behind them all day long

Indeed, there is a little calculation in my heart. I shared my thoughts with my wife, but my second daughter, who was sitting beside me, spoke up. "Dad, haven't you noticed that the situation is different now? Look at the town, there are small vendors everywhere. Right next to our county's high school, it's all over the place. Which family in the village doesn't secretly raise a few chickens or plant some vegetables in their yard? Just like our family, what do you think is in that cellar?"

If one were to say that no money was made, then how did those three large tile-roofed houses come into being? They are all made of red bricks, with each red brick costing 0.32 yuan. The most valuable of all is still the timber, with the best pine beams; it would definitely cost no less than 1,000 yuan to lay the foundation.

Even 5 yuan is not a small amount, as carpenters working outside, building houses, earn only 2 yuan at most

Once the ground vehicle is borrowed, it requires someone to pull it. Li He informed Li Fucheng about this matter, assisting in finding someone, and promised to pay 10 yuan for a trip.

The siblings exchanged glances, each able to understand the other's thoughts, waiting for our father to return, as there would be no water to drink in the northwest.

Li and Yi thought, indeed, it was quite generous of the production team to lend him two donkey carts. To ask for horses or oxen would be a bit ungrateful. Therefore, he said, "You and Lao San check which household has a flatbed cart and a tillage cart, whether from the production team or from any household, just borrow them. Offer 2 yuan, and if necessary, we can pull it ourselves. At least borrow 4 carts."

During dinner, Li He mentioned the plan to build a house at the table, and Wang Yulan was taken aback. "Oh dear, you child, your father is not home, and such a significant matter as building a house, you just decided on your own?"

Even though Li Zhaokun was previously labeled as a speculator, he merely followed the crowd to repair the river embankment, which is referred to as labor education

The exterior walls of the new house are entirely made of bright red bricks, tightly sealed with cement. The roof is directly covered with tiles, without the use of reeds or straw. With a height of 4.2 meters, it is considered quite substantial in the village. The ground is directly laid with crushed stones and sand, coated with cement, and the whole family looks on with great delight.