Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 923 922 If only I had a donkey
"Mom, the housing management bureau sent a lot of workers over to repair our house. We don't have enough cornbread, so I'll take all of these over." When Tang Zhitong arrived home, Zhang Guifang had just taken out a freshly steamed pot of cornbread.

"How many people? Do you need so much dry food?" Zhang Guifang was a little surprised. Yesterday she said there were ten people, and she steamed about twelve or thirteen catties of food yesterday, which her son took away early this morning. This pot in front of her weighed more than ten catties.

"Twenty-seven or twenty-eight. The Housing Management Bureau has put in a lot of effort, completely renovating the roof. Once it's finished, you'll definitely love it when you see it." Tang Zhitong wasn't sure if Wan Shan's twenty-six people included himself, so he planned to bring a few more in case there wasn't enough food.

"Okay." Zhang Guifang subconsciously agreed when she heard there were so many people, but she felt even more distressed. Life wisdom told her that her family had to provide this grain, but reason secretly reminded her that there was a lot of grain.

"Mom, I'll go out again by National Day at the latest. I guarantee we won't run out of food, so don't worry." Tang Zhitong could see his mother's reluctance, and having just made a windfall, he spoke with great confidence.

With the money he had just received, Tang Zhitong felt that even if he didn't go out to buy food, but instead bought everything around Beijing, it would be enough to keep his family safe through the food crisis of the next few years.

"Okay, take it with you, take it with you." Zhang Guifang turned around, waved her hand, and thought that out of sight, out of mind. But in the end, she turned back to help her son pack cornbread into the flour bag.

"I'll pack some more pickled vegetables over. It's hot now, and the workers sweat a lot, so they'll definitely eat a lot of pickled vegetables." Since the grain has already been distributed, a little more pickled vegetables won't make a difference. Tang Zhitong left the flour sack open and planned to go inside to pack a large bag of pickled toon leaves.

"Is there a stove over there? We need to boil some water for the workers, right?" Zhang Guifang asked, checking and filling in any gaps in her son's knowledge.

"Oh dear! I forgot about that. Then I'll bring a pot, a ladle, and some firewood." Reminded by her mother, Tang Zhitong chose to bring only fuel and a pot, but not a stove.

There are four stoves in the house. The fifth stove is used daily; the arrow stove is too heavy and inconvenient to carry; the stove in the bathroom is still connected to the chimney and is about to fall apart. It will probably break down if it is carried along the way; the last one is a small stove that he made by hand two years ago. That thing is even less sturdy.

"Is there a stove over there?" Zhang Guifang turned her head and glanced at the firewood that still covered half of the wall outside, and asked.

"The stove is easy to make. There's no shortage of bricks and tiles over there. A group of skilled craftsmen can surely build a stove," Tang Zhitong chuckled. The stove in the east wing hasn't been dismantled yet, so they can easily salvage a few bricks. They can just pile them up in the yard to make a simple stove. It doesn't need to be durable; as long as it lasts for three days, it will be considered a success.

Seeing that her son had an idea, Zhang Guifang didn't say much and turned around to help pick up the firewood.

The mother and daughter packed their things together. As Tang Zhitong was leaving, she said, "Mom, you can rest at noon. I'll come back this afternoon to buy cornmeal to make steamed buns."

"A grown man shouldn't be so fussy. You just stay there and watch over things. Letting the workers do their jobs well is more important than anything else." There was no going back now; Zhang Guifang only hoped to get her money's worth.

"Okay." Tang Zhitong smiled and agreed.

The round trip only takes an hour or so.

Seeing that the host had brought more dry rations, the workers beamed with joy. After all, it was because of Director Zhu's relationship with them. They couldn't say anything when there wasn't much food in the first bag of flour, but now that there was more, they were naturally happy.

"Comrade Wan, the workers haven't had hot water all morning. I brought a pot from home. Could you set up a simple stove and boil some water?" Tang Zhitong parked the car and took the pot and dry food out of the vehicle.

"Oh, Comrade Tang, there's no need for all that trouble. It's so hot; just drink some tap water if you're thirsty." Wan Shan, ever perceptive, stepped forward to help Tang Zhitong unload the firewood.

"No way, they're helping me renovate the house. If we don't take good care of them, what if one of the workers gets diarrhea? It's a minor issue if it delays the progress, but it's a major problem if they get sick. After all, health is the foundation of everything." To be honest, the tap water these days is just so-so. The water treatment plant might disinfect it, but what comes out is a different story. It has a strong rusty smell. But there's nothing we can do about it; tap water pipes are prone to rusting.

Tang Zhitong meant well, and Wan Shan didn't insist. He asked two master chefs to build a simple stove, and Tang Zhitong filled a pot with water, started a fire in a few moments, clapped his hands, stood up, and planned to find some work to do.

After hearing Tang Zhitong's purpose, Wan Shan was extremely unwilling and directly pulled him out of the construction area: "Comrade Tang, you don't need to interfere. The workers are all experienced. It's not only unsafe for you to go over there, but they will also find you to be in the way."

"Alright, then I'll watch the stove and boil water for everyone." Tang Zhitong glanced at the workers on the roof and scaffolding, and didn't argue.

Wan Shan said that these masters were all carefully selected elite soldiers, and Tang Zhitong, judging from their working posture, was indeed so.

The roof tile remover would shout "Coming!" without turning his head, pick up a tile and throw it down. The workers below could easily catch it, and while responding "All done," they would neatly arrange the tiles on the ground, ready to be used again in the afternoon when covering the roof with mats and tiles.

Construction was underway simultaneously on the main house and the east and west wing rooms. The east and west wing rooms were smaller, and all the tiles had already been removed. The mats had also been lifted and passed down. The workers on the roof were sweeping the dust off the beams with brooms in preparation for the next laying of the tiles.

The workers who finished their work didn't rest. They turned on the taps to wash their faces and arms, poured water into their bellies, and then left in groups.

Around noon, there was a commotion outside the door, and then truckloads of supplies were pushed in.

At this moment, the pot boiled. Tang Zhitong pulled out the firewood from the stove and went over to lend a hand, but was "disliked" in a friendly manner and could only watch them work from the side.

The people pushing the cart were all unfamiliar faces. Seeing that they were about to leave, Tang Zhitong pretended to take out cigarettes from the flour bag, but actually took out two more packs from his storage space, two packs for each person: "Thank you for your hard work. The cigarettes aren't very good, but don't mind them."

After seeing all the laborers pushing the cart out the door, Tang Zhitong turned and went into the courtyard, asking Wan Shan, "Comrade Wan, do we really need so many things just to replace the tiles?"

"This is nothing! This won't be enough for the afternoon's construction. More materials will be delivered after lunch. If we bring them all over the yard at once, we won't have enough space," Wan Shan replied cheerfully.

“Last year, when we were building a side room in my old house, I remember we laid a layer on the wooden rafters, then applied a layer of some kind of plaster backing, then applied another kind of plaster on top, and finally covered it with tiles,” Tang Zhitong recalled the process of covering his side room with tiles.

"That's not bad, it can last for thirty or forty years. This house must have been renovated before, the roof was done very perfunctorily, the mats are rotten, and the ash on it is not thick. If it is not renovated soon, sooner or later you will experience a situation where it rains heavily outside and it drizzles inside after you move in."

Fortunately, the wooden rafters here are quite sturdy. Director Zhu's idea was that since they were going to do it anyway, they should make sure it was done beautifully and solidly, using the existing materials to prevent leaks and also to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer.

Wan Shan was once again currying favor with Tang Zhitong on behalf of Zhu Ju.

"Director Zhu is very thoughtful." Tang Zhitong wanted to ask how much this game would cost, but she held back. She had money, and if four hundred wasn't enough, she could add more from her savings.

At worst, I can borrow some money from Wu Haiyang and his wife to cover the hole in name only. Then, every week I'll "bang" two rabbits from my virtual space and say I caught them myself, using the money from selling the rabbits to pay off the debt.

During the meal, Tang Zhitong and Wan Shan learned a lot while sitting together.

The roofs of the courtyard houses of wealthy families in Beijing typically consist of five layers, from bottom to top: wooden rafters, base layer, thatching layer, bonding layer, and tiled roof.

A lining needs to be laid on top of the wooden rafters; this layer is called the base layer.

Lining is divided into two types: firewood lining and board lining. Firewood lining refers to sheet-like materials woven from bamboo, wood, brambles, willow branches, etc., while board lining refers to flat board-like materials made from thin boards, bamboo strips, etc.

A mat or reed mat needs to be laid on top of the lining.

The layer on top of the mat or reed mat is called the backing layer, which is further divided into two types: mud backing layer and gray backing layer.

Mud backing is used on the base layer of roofing. There are two types: slippery straw mud backing and hemp knife mud backing. Slippery straw mud backing is made by adding wheat straw softened by burning with lime water to the mortar.

The ash backing is applied over the mud backing, and there are two types: moon white ash backing and blue ash backing. Moon white ash backing is made from hemp fiber ash, while blue ash backing is made by repeatedly adding blue slurry and pressing it on a hemp fiber ash base. Because the backing layer also serves the functions of heat preservation and waterproofing, this layer is carefully considered and is laid multiple times depending on the size and grade of the building. Large buildings such as temples are generally 20 centimeters thick, while large buildings in the Forbidden City can reach 30-40 centimeters.

The bonding layer is the structural layer between the ash backing layer and the tile surface. It is generally called the bottom tile mud, which is made by mixing ash and loess with water. Generally, three or four centimeters is enough. The tiles are covered immediately after the mud is applied.

The roof tiles aren't anything special; the main difference lies in the material, such as glazed tiles or gray tiles.

Of the five layers mentioned above, only the wooden rafters cannot be omitted; the other layers can be reduced or even omitted altogether, emphasizing flexibility in terms of budget and comfort.

"Will you get the whole Five Ridges and Six Beasts again?" Wan Shan asked after giving Tang Zhitong a long speech, seeing that she was interested.

"No way, we're just ordinary folks, it's better to keep a low profile. I even want to use old roof tiles." Tang Zhitong waved his hands repeatedly. "Five ridges and six beasts" in colloquial speech means bored and idle, but it is actually a type of architecture.

The five ridges refer to one main ridge and four sloping ridges, while the six beasts refer to the two swallowing beasts at both ends of the main ridge and the crouching beasts on the four sloping ridges.

"Okay! We'll find old tiles to replace them all, it'll look neater." Wan Shan nodded. The housing management bureau provided the personnel and building materials, but the original tiles were still used as much as possible.

The quantity is definitely insufficient; if new ones are used, it will inevitably give the impression that they have been gnawed on.

“Sure. If it’s renovated like this, I don’t think it can be done in just one or two decades, right?” Tang Zhitong took a bite of cornbread and then a bite of pickled vegetables.

The cornbread had a slightly musty smell, which was due to the grain store's supply, but Tang Zhitong felt that he had to accept it himself first so that he could give the other chefs the impression that he wasn't being treated differently.

"That's Director Zhu's conservative estimate. I think it can at least keep it from leaking for forty years." This was the first time Wan Shan had said something bad about Director Zhu in front of Tang Zhitong, but it was in a positive way.

"That's great, we can live here in peace now." Tang Zhitong nodded with satisfaction. The idea she gave to Director Zhu was worthwhile. In a few years, some of these veteran craftsmen might be driven away for having served a certain type of person. It would be difficult to properly repair the house then.

Tang Zhitong brought nearly 30 jin (15 kg) of cornbread from home on two separate trips, and there was hardly any left after lunch.

"Comrades, have you all eaten your fill?" After finishing his meal and drinking a few sips of water, Wan Shan stood up, clapped his hands, and asked loudly.

"We're full!" The chefs were full of energy after having a hearty meal.

"The host is serving us good food and cigarettes, so we can't be rude, right?" Wan Shan and the chefs lost all their literary airs and spoke very directly, clearly implying that they were about to start work.

"I'll start working after I finish this cigarette."

"I need to pee first."

"Hurry up, I need to poop."

"Hey, you pooped right after eating? You have a short digestive system, don't you?"

The master chefs weren't stupid either; they stood up in twos and threes and made the final preparations for starting work.

The sun was high in the sky, and according to Tang Zhitong, they should rest for at least two more hours before starting work. However, Wan Shan had already made the work arrangements, and as an outsider, he couldn't interfere arbitrarily.

After the water boiled, Tang Zhitong took it aside to cool, waiting for the master chefs to come and drink it.

Because there was no pot lid, there was wood ash on the water's surface.

Some people will skim off the ash first, while others will scoop it up and drink it directly, with a good reason: wood ash is not dirty and drinking it is good for health.

Wood ash is indeed not dirty, but it is generally not taken orally; it is mostly used externally.

Since it was a roof renovation, it was unavoidable to use mud and sand, and Tang Zhitong experienced it again.

The reason I say "experienced again" is because before coming here, Tang Zhitong had tried working here once. It was dirty and tiring, and the pay was low. It was the lowest level in the construction industry.

"Comrade Tang, we need more mud tomorrow. In order not to delay the progress, do you think we should hire a few more laborers?" Wan Shan suggested to Tang Zhitong while mixing mud.

“Okay. If it’s convenient, we can have the laborers come in today, and I’ll pay them as usual.” Tang Zhitong hadn’t been used to this job before, and she still hasn’t been able to adapt.

"Okay, then I'll go back and call someone." Wan Shan glanced at the sun; there was still half a day left. He'd pay them half a day's work when they arrived.

"Okay, I'll go back and prepare some dry rations. We'll provide meals for all of them tomorrow. Is that enough for ten more people?" Tang Zhitong was very perceptive. Wan Shan asked him this mainly to recruit workers, but it was also a blatant hint that meals would be provided.

"That's enough. With these ten more laborers, the renovation work can be finished by the morning of the day after tomorrow. We don't need to prepare lunch for that day." Wan Shan said, returning the favor to Tang Zhitong, who had understood his meaning.

"That's great, it's settled then."

Tang Zhitong stopped arguing, finished speaking, dusted himself off, washed his face, and hurried home.

Today I need to prepare about 40 jin of dry rations, which is quite a lot of work. I need to go back and continue buying rations, and I also need to take advantage of this time to grind more cornmeal so that my family won't go hungry.

Whenever Tang Zhitong thought about grinding flour, he wished he had a donkey. He could blindfold it, tie it to the stone mill, and the donkey could push it forever.

These days, buying a donkey is difficult, but raising one is even more difficult. If only there were an electric vehicle, it could serve the same purpose, though the motor would be a challenge.

Huh? There seems to be a horse lying in my own space, but unfortunately there are people at home so I can't pull it out to serve.

"Humans are really hard to get used to. They've only been comfortable for a few days, and they're already thinking about all sorts of things," Tang Zhitong said with self-deprecation.

Since starting work and school, Tang Zhitong feels that she has become lazy. Apart from being enthusiastic about exercising and communicating with her classmate Xiao Wang, she no longer has the energy to do many physical tasks.

Decades later, some people have come to a realization: "When I am rich, I will be lustful; when I am poor, I will be unfaithful; when I am powerful, I will submit to temptation; when I suffer, I will not endure hardship; when I am not blessed, I will endure hardship."

However, this kind of thinking should be criticized and rejected now. We should pay more attention to it in the future and not become detached from the workers and peasants.

(End of this chapter)