Reborn in '77, I have a job panel!

Chapter 80 Brick and Tile Factory

Chapter 81 Brick and Tile Factory

Team Leader Li took me to the brick and tile factory. Director Liu was quite agreeable and offered a good price. Blue bricks were 1.5 cents a bolt, and red tiles were 12 cents a piece, much lower than the market price.

Qian Cheng calculated that three rooms would require seven or eight thousand bricks and more than a thousand tiles. Adding in lime, timber, and labor costs, it would cost about five hundred yuan.

He took out 500 from his savings, keeping the remaining 300 for future use.

The day construction began was a bright and sunny day.

Captain Li arrived with his men, carrying shovels, picks, and hoes. Hou Yufen was boiling water in the outer room, preparing lunch. Qian Lu was also there, helping to move things.

Qian Cheng stood in the courtyard, looking at the few dilapidated mud-brick houses, and felt a little emotional.

The house I've lived in for twenty years is going to be demolished.

Captain Li walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"What? You can't bear to part with it?"

Qian Cheng shook his head: "It's not that I'm reluctant to part with it, it's that I'm happy."

Captain Li laughed: "Alright, as long as you're happy. Tear it down and build a new one."

He called out, "Brothers, let's do it!"

A dozen or so people rushed forward, shovels and picks working together. The adobe bricks were dismantled one by one, and the roof beams were removed one by one, raising dust in the yard.

Qian Cheng also went up to help and worked alongside them.

By noon, all three rooms had been demolished.

A pile of adobe bricks, a few old roof beams, and a heap of junk lay on the ground. The original spot was now just a flat area.

Hou Yufen invited everyone to eat. She stewed a pot of meat, steamed a pot of buns, and made a pot of wild vegetable soup. About ten people sat around the table, eating with sweat pouring down their faces.

While eating, Captain Li said, "Chengzi, your house is the first of its kind in our village."

Someone nearby chimed in, "That's right, three big brick houses, he won't have to worry about finding a wife in the future."

Everyone laughed.

Qian Cheng smiled along with him, feeling pleased with himself.

After finishing our meal, we got back to work.

They laid the foundation, dug trenches, filled the soil, and compacted it. A group of people worked enthusiastically, sweating profusely.

Qian Cheng worked alongside him, even with blisters on his hands, he didn't stop.

Zhang Mingxi arrived in the afternoon, carrying a kettle of water. She stood beside him, watching Qian Cheng work, a smile in her eyes.

Qian Cheng saw her and waved to her.

Zhang Mingxi walked over and handed him the kettle.

Are you tired?

'

Qian Cheng took the drink, drank a sip, and said, "Not tired."

Zhang Mingxi looked at him and whispered, "Work slowly, don't tire yourself out."

""

Qian Cheng nodded, returned the kettle to her, and went back to work.

Zhang Mingxi stood there for a while, then turned and left.

She went back to help Hou Yufen prepare dinner.

The foundation was laid when the sun went down.

Captain Li looked at it and nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay, we'll start building the wall tomorrow."

Everyone packed up their tools and dispersed.

Qian Cheng saw the last person off and returned to the courtyard.

Hou Yufen and Zhang Mingxi had already set out dinner. Stewed meat, scrambled eggs, wild vegetables, and steamed buns filled the table.

Qian Cheng sat down, picked up a steamed bun, and took a bite.

Hou Yufen looked at him and said, "You must be exhausted?"

Qian Cheng shook his head: "Not tired."

Zhang Mingxi served him food and whispered, "Eat more."

Qian Cheng looked at her and smiled.

After we finished eating, it got dark.

Qian Cheng escorted Zhang Mingxi home.

When they reached the Zhang family's door, Zhang Mingxi stopped.

She looked at Qian Cheng and asked, "Now that the house is built, what are you planning to do?"

Qian Cheng said, "Keep making money. When I've made enough, I'll buy you a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a watch, and then I'll marry you."

Zhang Mingxi blushed again, lowered her head, and whispered, "I don't want those."

Qian Cheng asked, "Then what do you want?"

'

Zhang Mingxi looked up at him.

"I only want you."

After saying that, she turned and ran into the yard, closing the gate behind her.

Qian Cheng stood there, stunned for a long time.

Then he laughed.

He turned and walked back, his steps light and quick.

The moon was round and bright, shining on the road.

His heart was overflowing with emotion.

For the next two weeks, I was busy building the house every day.

The group of people worked quickly and well on everything from building walls and installing beams to laying tiles and plastering.

Qian Cheng worked alongside them every day, developing thick calluses on his hands. Zhang Mingxi came every day to help with cooking and delivering water, and Hou Yufen was also busy with chores.

After delivering goods during the day, Qian Lu would come back and help with the work.

Three brick houses were erected day by day.

Two weeks later, the house was completed.

Three large brick houses, with blue bricks and red tiles, glass windows, and cement floors. They are so much better than the old mud-brick houses.

On the day it was completed, Captain Li brought people to see it.

"Okay, this house is well built." He nodded. "It won't leak when it rains, and it won't be cold in winter."

Qian Cheng stood in the courtyard, looking at the three new houses, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart.

Hou Yufen stood to the side, her eyes reddening.

She finally got to live in a brick house after all her life.

Qian Lu and his sister-in-law also came. The sister-in-law, who was heavily pregnant, stood in the yard for a long time, her eyes full of envy.

Qian Cheng walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, you and my brother should build one together in the future."

The sister-in-law laughed: "Okay, once the baby is born, we'll save enough money to build one too."

Zhang Mingxi stood to the side, looking at the three new rooms with sparkling eyes.

Qian Cheng walked up to her and whispered, "From now on, this will be our home."

Zhang Mingxi blushed, lowered her head, and remained silent.

But the corners of his mouth were turned up.

That evening, Qian Cheng hosted a banquet in his new house to invite the people who had helped him to dinner.

A large pot of stewed meat was prepared, along with several stir-fried dishes, and there was plenty of steamed buns. Captain Li, Liu Laosan, Grandpa Wang's son, and about ten other people sat around the table, eating with sweat pouring down their faces.

Captain Li picked up the bowl and said, "Come on, let's toast Chengzi. This kid's got some skills."

Everyone picked up their bowls and drank it all in one gulp.

Qian Cheng also drank some, and his face turned red.

After the meal, everyone dispersed.

Qian Cheng sat in the new house, looking around.

The walls were snow-white, the windows were bright and clean, and the cement floor was swept clean.

He felt secretly delighted.

Hou Yufen walked over and sat down next to him.

"Chengzi, Mom is content with my life."

Qian Cheng looked at her and said, "Mom, there's a long road ahead. Let's take it slow and make it better."

""

Hou Yufen nodded and wiped her eyes.

Outside the window, the moon was round and bright.

The room was warm and cozy.

Life got better day by day.

The house is built, and life is stable now.

Every morning, Qian Cheng would get up, collect the eggs first, and then sprout the bean sprouts. Qian Lulai would take them to the mine, while he would pack the eggs into a basket and take them to the county.

The egg business is booming. Villagers know Qian Cheng pays high prices and are willing to sell to him. Some families raise over a dozen chickens and can collect about ten eggs a day. Qian Cheng calculates that he can now collect over thirty jin (approximately 15 kg) a day, earning more than one yuan per egg when delivered to the county.

The bean sprouts are still the same as before: fifty catties are delivered to the mine every day, and a little is sold in town on market days. In a month, that brings in fifty or sixty yuan.

Qian Cheng calculated that he could now earn 150 or 160 yuan a month. After deducting the money he gave to the villagers for the purchases, he could keep 70 or 80 yuan for himself.

He thought that once he saved up a bit more, he could buy some things for the house. A sewing machine and a bicycle were both necessary. He also needed to prepare a dowry for Zhang Mingxi.

That evening, he sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) again, calculating the accounts.

Hou Yufen was sewing shoe soles nearby when she saw him fiddling with the abacus and asked, "Are you doing accounting again?"

Qian Cheng nodded: "Yes, let's calculate how much we earned this month."

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