60s: I have a store

Chapter 548 The Pavilion is Completed

The next morning, the uncle, Dapeng and Li Youde came to the building materials market.

The market was bustling with people, and the sounds of shouting and bargaining were endless.

Dust was flying all over the sky under the sunlight, cement and sand were piled everywhere, and the smell of wood mixed with the smell of various building materials was a bit pungent.

Li Youde and Dapeng were not used to it, so they kept wanting to cough but couldn't, which made them feel very uncomfortable.

When the old man saw this, he could only comfort her by saying, "You'll get used to it!"

After saying that, he took the two of them straight to a lumber store.

The salesperson saw the old man and quickly came over to greet him: "Hey, old man, how come you have time to come here today?"

The old man smiled and shook hands with the salesman. "I'm going to buy some things for the yard. I'm planning to build a pavilion. I was thinking of coming to you to pick out some good wood."

The salesman patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, old man. The wood here is of the best quality! Look at this red pine. It has clear texture, is strong and durable, and is perfect for building a pavilion."

The old man squatted down, stroked the surface of the wood carefully with his hand, knocked it again, listened to the sound, and frowned: "This wood looks good, but why does it feel a little damp? Don't fool me with inferior products."

The salesman's face changed, and he quickly said, "Look at what you said, old man. How dare I do that? This wood just arrived. It may have been a little damp on the way. It will be fine after two days of drying."

An old man stood up and shook his head. "No, damp wood will deform after a short time. If we build a pavilion with it, it will be troublesome if something goes wrong in the future. Give me drier wood and we can negotiate the price."

At the insistence of the old man, the salesperson had to move another batch of wood from the warehouse.

This time, the old man checked more carefully and took out the tape measure he carried with him to measure the size of the wood to ensure that the specifications met the requirements.

After some selection, we finally chose the right wood.

After buying the wood, the three of them went to the cement and sand stalls.

The old man and the salesman were old acquaintances. As soon as they met, they started joking: "Lao Zhang, I heard that you have made a fortune recently. Please don't cheat an old man like me."

Li Youde and Dapeng did not expect that the old man actually knew so many people, and everyone was quite respectful to him.

The salesperson smiled and responded, "Sir, how dare I say that? No matter how much you want, I will give you the most affordable price."

However, when checking the quality of the cement, the old man found that the cement packaging bag was somewhat damaged and the cement inside seemed to be a little lumpy.

His face darkened and he said to the salesperson, "Lao Zhang, this cement of yours is not good. It has all clumped up. I'm afraid it has been stored for too long and the quality cannot be guaranteed."

Seeing this, the salesperson quickly explained: "Old man, this bag has been stored for a long time. If you want, I can replace it with a new one."

The old man insisted: "It's not enough to just exchange one bag. I have to open every bag and check. If there are still problems, this deal won't work."

In this way, the old man carefully checked each bag, and if he found any problems, he insisted on replacing them.

The salesperson felt a little helpless at the old man's seriousness, but he didn't know what to say and could only do as the old man asked.

If it were someone else, they would have been kicked out long ago. This is not the future, the customer is God. If the salesperson is unhappy with you now, he will simply ignore you.

I can only say that it’s a good thing that the old man is an acquaintance of mine, otherwise if I wanted to buy the ingredients today, they would definitely not be washed.

During the purchasing process, Dapeng and Li Youde couldn't help but admire the old man for being so serious and responsible.

Dapeng scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "Uncle, if it weren't for you, we really wouldn't have discovered these problems and almost bought defective products."

Li Youde also echoed: "Yes, the old ones are the wisest. We really can't learn from your experience, uncle."

The old man smiled and said: "When purchasing materials, the most important thing is to be careful. Don't just go with the cheap stuff. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, we will be the ones who suffer."

After most of the day's hard work, I finally purchased all the necessary materials.

The old man also discussed the delivery time and place with the salesmen to ensure that the materials could be delivered to the courtyard on time.

By the time everything was arranged, the three of them were already exhausted and out of breath, their clothes soaked with sweat.

But looking at the high-quality materials purchased, everyone had a gratified smile on their face.

The construction plan of the pavilion is progressing steadily with the concerted efforts of everyone. The materials have been almost purchased, except for a few beams.

The old man quickly reported the purchase amount to Wen Aiguo.

After hearing this, Wen Aiguo took out the account book and started to keep accounts. Since the uncle was highly respected in the courtyard, Wen Aiguo did not ask many questions.

Wen Aiguo would remember whatever the old man said, and he was not afraid that the old man would make false reports.

However, due to the needs of construction technology and other factors, everyone in the courtyard decided to ask a team of outside construction workers to help.

The old man wanted to refuse, but with the unanimous recommendation of everyone, he had to take on the task of connecting with the construction team.

After get off work, Xiao Zhao was already waiting at the door of Zhou Yimin's office.

After seeing Zhou Yimin open the door of his office, Xiao Zhao hurried over to him with a flattering smile on his face. He rubbed his hands and said, "Chief Zhou, did you forget to come to my house for dinner tonight?"

Zhou Yimin was a little embarrassed. If Xiao Zhao hadn't reminded him again, he would have forgotten. But he certainly couldn't say it out loud: "Xiao Zhao, of course I didn't forget."

Then the two of them came together to where the motorcycles were parked.

Under Xiao Zhao's guidance, they opened the gate of the steel plant. Many people were very envious when they saw Xiao Zhao sitting on Zhou Yimin's motorcycle. They also wanted to sit on it and feel what it felt like to ride a motorcycle.

It didn't take long to drive, just through a few narrow alleys, and we arrived at Xiao Zhao's house.

The old-fashioned wooden door was ajar. Before I even entered, a rich fragrance filled my nose.

Xiao Zhao pushed open the door and shouted, "Mom and Dad, Section Chief Zhou is here!"

There was the sound of dishes colliding with chopsticks in the house. Mother Zhao poked her head out of the kitchen wearing an apron that had been washed so much that it turned white. She smiled and said, "Finally, we have a distinguished guest. Come in and have a seat!"

As soon as Zhou Yimin stepped over the threshold, Zhao's father came out from the inner room and held his hand tightly with his rough big hand: "Chief Zhou, thanks to you for helping Xiao Zhao, otherwise this child would have been worried about his hair turning white!"

Zhou Yimin waved his hands quickly: "Uncle, these are all trivial matters. Xiao Zhao is down-to-earth and hardworking. Anyone would help."

Father Zhao nodded quickly: "That's right!"

The furnishings in the room were simple, with a paint-chipped round table in the middle and a few crooked benches surrounding it.

There was a large coarse porcelain bowl on the table. Yellow chicken soup was steaming and the oil was glowing temptingly under the light.

Apart from this bowl of chicken, there were only two plates of pickled vegetables and a pot of stir-fried vegetables.

After the four of them sat down at the table, Zhao's mother put a chicken drumstick into Zhou Yimin's bowl while muttering, "Chief Zhou, eat more."

Xiao Zhao scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly: "Chief Zhou, I don't have anything good to treat you, please don't be disgusted. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have the chance to add meat to my home."

He also knew that Zhou Yimin must have eaten well, but this was the best he could offer. If he hadn't established a good relationship with Taojia Village during this period, he probably wouldn't have been able to buy this chicken.

Zhou Yimin looked at the chicken legs in the bowl and his throat tightened a little.

He knew what a chicken meant to an ordinary family in those years of material scarcity.

At the dinner table, Zhao's father opened up and talked about the embarrassing things that happened to Zhao when he was a child, which made everyone laugh.

Zhao's mother added more dishes to Zhou Yimin from time to time, but she only took pickles for herself.

Even Xiao Zhao and his father basically just ate the vegetables and hardly touched the chicken.

Zhou Yimin put the chicken leg into Xiao Zhao's bowl several times, but Zhao's mother quickly took it back: "Chief Zhou, you have helped us so much, you deserve a chicken leg!"

He also knew that he had no choice but to eat the chicken leg in the bowl.

When Zhao's mother saw Zhou Yimin eating the chicken leg, she was about to pick up the second chicken leg, but was stopped by Zhou Yimin.

"Aunt, I only need one."

After hearing this, Zhao's mother had to give up the idea of ​​giving the second chicken leg to Zhou Yimin.

The last chicken leg went into Xiao Zhao's stomach.

He didn't expect that he could get another chicken leg. It was agreed today that both chicken legs would be given to Zhou Yimin.

After all, we didn’t have any good food at home, so we could only use two of the most delicious chicken legs to entertain you.

As the night deepened, Zhou Yimin stood up to say goodbye, but Zhao's father and mother insisted on seeing him off.

Before leaving, Zhao's mother stuffed a handful of dried wild mushrooms into his hands and said, "Son, these are from my hometown. Take them to nourish your body."

Zhou Yimin couldn't refuse, so he had to accept it. He thought that he should bring something with him next time he came.

Eating and taking things for free is not his style. If he hadn't forgotten to come to Xiao Zhao's house for dinner today, he would definitely prepare something.

As the night deepened, Zhou Yimin said goodbye to Xiao Zhao and drove his motorcycle towards the courtyard.

He saw from afar that his door was half open and the copper lock that was originally hanging on the door handle was missing. His heart skipped a beat and he quickened his pace unconsciously.

"Could there be another thief?" As this thought flashed through his mind, Zhou Yimin's heartbeat suddenly accelerated and his breathing became rapid.

He approached the door cautiously and picked up a wooden stick from the corner and held it in his hand.

The moment I opened the door, the room was dark and terrifyingly quiet.

Zhou Yimin fumbled to turn on the light with trembling hands and quickly scanned every corner of the room. The items on the table were in disarray, the door of the closet was wide open, and the bedding on the bed was in a mess.

He was extremely anxious and walked quickly to the drawer where valuables were kept. He found that the passbooks, letters, etc. in the drawer were still there. Only then did his tense nerves relax a little.

Although nothing was lost, Zhou Yimin knew that the matter was of great importance.

He immediately knocked on the door of the uncle's house and told him what had happened. Upon hearing this, the uncle looked serious and immediately summoned everyone in the courtyard.

After everyone heard the news, they ran back to their homes in panic to check.

For a moment, footsteps and shouts were heard one after another in the yard.

Fortunately, after a check, everyone's belongings were safe and sound.

But this sudden situation still left everyone with lingering fears.

The old man frowned and said worriedly: "This is too strange. How could the door be opened for no reason? If the thief was scouting the area, he might do it next time if he didn't steal anything this time!"

Li Youde also agreed: "Yes, there are many elderly people and children in our yard. What if something happens?"

Aunt Qian patted her chest with lingering fear: "It scares me to think about it. If a thief breaks in at night, my old bones won't be able to withstand the torture."

Everyone sat in the yard, discussing how to solve the safety hazards.

Zhou Yimin looked at everyone's anxious expressions, pondered for a moment and said: "This time we invited an outside construction team, with a complex personnel system and a lot of people coming in and out, it's inevitable that there will be security loopholes.

I think, for the safety of our yard, we should have our own people do the construction of this pavilion. Although it will be slower, we all know each other well and can feel more at ease. "

An old man stroked his beard and nodded in agreement: "Yimin is right. We have been neighbors for decades and we can take care of each other, which is better than hiring outsiders. Although we are not a professional construction team, as long as we work together, we can always build the pavilion."

Dapeng scratched his head, smiled and said, "I don't have any other skills, but I can still help with some strength!"

Li Youde also joined in the fun: "Count me in, I'm young and I learn fast!"

With everyone's positive response, the atmosphere, which was originally low due to safety issues, gradually became lively.

In this way, the residents of the courtyard spontaneously formed a construction team.

Since he was the most free among the three uncles in the courtyard, he became the "commander-in-chief".

Three middle-aged ladies are responsible for logistical support. They prepare tea early every day for everyone to replenish water. The young and strong men are responsible for moving bricks and mixing cement.

Anyone who is not working has to come out and help, but their work will not be in vain. Their wages will be calculated and can also be deducted from the money spent on building the pavilion.

That’s why everyone works so hard. Otherwise, we can only wait until everyone gets off work or takes a break to repair it.

Otherwise, others have to pay money and contribute labor, so how do we calculate the money?

Although none of them were professional construction workers, everyone was extremely serious during the construction process.

When you encounter a problem you don’t understand, get together to discuss it or ask someone with experience for help.

Under the scorching sun, clothes were soaked with sweat and blisters formed on hands, but no one complained about the hardship or tiredness.

With everyone's joint efforts, the outline of the pavilion gradually emerged.

After seeing this scene, everyone in the courtyard became more motivated and wished they could work 24 hours a day.

We want to build the pavilion in the shortest possible time, but that's not very realistic because the construction will cause noise, and it's dark now, so it can only be illuminated by a few electric lights.

After a week of hard work, an antique pavilion was built.

The branches of the old locust tree stretch down from above the pavilion, adding a touch of natural charm to it.

There is a stone table and several stone benches in the middle of the pavilion, and some flowers and plants are planted around them.

After seeing this scene, everyone in the courtyard was filled with pride. This pavilion was built by themselves in their courtyard without hiring anyone to do it.

(End of this chapter)