My Gold Rush Career Begins in 1984

Chapter 164 Enduring and Everlasting
Zhou Jingming's return journey was relatively uninterrupted, and he arrived home around 2 PM.

Shen Fengqin asked Zhou Jingming and learned that he had eaten something on the way and was not hungry at the moment, so she did not rush to prepare dinner. She said she was going to the next village to invite Zhou Xingyao and Liu Jianfeng to come over and have some fun together.

He said hello and left in a hurry.

Zhou Jingming felt lazy. Returning to this warm harbor from Altay, all his guard and vigilance were gone. After days of long-distance travel, he was incredibly relaxed, and his fatigue surged up like a tide. Even sitting in front of the door drinking eagle tea, he would unconsciously doze off.

He simply greeted his father, went upstairs, spread the rolled-up bamboo mat from the corner of the house onto the bed, wiped it clean, lay down on it, casually covered himself with the blanket, and fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

When I woke up, it was almost dark.

Inside the main room, you could hear the voices of Zhou Xingyao, the younger sister, and Liu Jianfeng, the brother-in-law.

Knowing they were waiting for him to eat, Zhou Jingming quickly got out of bed and went downstairs. He saw the family chatting around the earthen stove, talking about nothing more than everyday matters.

On the table, the dishes that can be cooked early are already prepared, while the dishes that can be stir-fried quickly and are fresher are simply prepared and set aside.

Seeing Zhou Jingming come downstairs, Shen Fengqin and Zhou Xingyao immediately got busy. In an instant, the low-ceilinged room was filled with mist around the dim light bulbs.

The pungent smell of chili peppers and the spicy and numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns were almost unbearable, yet Zhou Jingming found them so familiar and couldn't bear to avoid them. As a result, he coughed incessantly, tears and snot streaming down his face, just like the warmth of a family gathering.

In the afternoon, Shen Fengqin made a special trip to Haichao Town with a basket on her back and bought a lot of vegetables. In addition to the chicken and cured meat at home, she also planned to make Mapo Tofu, Twice-Cooked Pork, and Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce.

In addition, Zhou Detong took advantage of his free time to cast a net into the river and caught two catfish, which he planned to steam. He also planned to fry the remaining small fish.

They prepared it in such a way that it was even more lavish than the Lunar New Year.

Zhou Jingming noticed that Zhou Xingyao's lower abdomen was already slightly protruding. Calculating the days, it would be the time for her child to be born next year, which coincided with the time he knew in his previous life.

He chatted casually with Liu Jianfeng and learned that after finishing his family affairs in the past few months, he had also been helping the villagers build a reservoir in Haichao Town. It wasn't exactly a skilled job; his daily work consisted of breaking up large rocks and helping to move stones. It was all physical labor, and he left early and returned late every day.

Until a month ago, when he learned that Zhou Xingyao was pregnant, and it was also the busy farming season, he returned from the reservoir construction site and stayed by Zhou Xingyao's side every day, not letting her do anything, not even go out to gather pig feed. He took very good care of her.

These words came from Zhou Xingyao's mouth, and judging from the happiness radiating from her face, it was true.

No matter what, the young couple's life may be ordinary, but as long as they are happy together, that's all that matters.

This meal was naturally very enjoyable. Just like the saying goes, there's no place like home, and the familiar taste of home always brings a sense of familiarity that can't be found elsewhere.

That night, the family chatted in the house until after ten o'clock. Zhou Jingming also briefly told his sister and brother-in-law about what had happened in the past year. When he mentioned again that he was going to lead people to Altay, Liu Jianfeng asked Zhou Jingming with anticipation in his eyes if he could go with them.

Zhou Jingming's thoughts remained unchanged from when he went to Altay at the beginning of the year.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to lead Liu Jianfeng to make a fortune, but rather that he didn't want him to get involved in the disputes of the gold rush.

Besides, Zhou Xingyao is in such a state now, we can't be careless. If we take her to Altay, it won't be easy to get back when things get critical. We can't let the father be unable to be there for the baby when it was born.

You should know that once you go to a remote and isolated place like the Gold Rush Valley, you can't contact them by means of letters or anything like that.

Before they went home, Zhou Jingming gave them the gifts he had prepared for his parents and the young couple. Worried that Liu Jianfeng might feel resentful because he refused to take him to pan for gold, Zhou Jingming specially escorted them a long way.

As he prepared to return, he called Liu Jianfeng aside and said, "Brother-in-law, let me tell you the truth. It's not that I don't want to take you to pan for gold to make money. Besides Xingyao needing your care, the more important reason is that in the Gold Rush Valley, people often die because of fighting over a mine with a high gold yield or because someone else is eyeing your gold."

It is no exaggeration to say that wherever there are people seeking gold, there is bloodshed every day.

I don't want you to get involved, nor do I want you to become my Achilles' heel in my quest for success.

Tell me, what will happen to my sister if something happens to you?
What should I do if people find out about my relationship with you and use you to blackmail me?
In my life, there aren't many people I care about. Besides my parents, it's just you and my sister.

Besides, after I leave, I'll be thousands of miles away from home. My parents will have to rely on you and Xingyao to take care of them. I feel at ease leaving them in your care. Only with no worries can I focus on my work.

As for the finances, don't worry. I will try my best to meet any needs the family may have, and I will support whatever you want to do in the future.

There are many ways to make money; you don't have to go down the gold rush route. You and the others hold a different place in my heart... do you understand what I mean?"

Liu Jianfeng was silent for a moment: "Is it really that dangerous?"

Zhou Jingming nodded firmly: "It is that dangerous. Many of those who go to pan for gold are fugitive criminals, and many others are people who can't make a living back in their hometowns. They are all going there for the gold, risking their lives to make money."

I don't dare to tell my parents about these things in detail, for fear of worrying them. You are the only one who knows the truth, and I hope you can keep it a secret and not let my parents and sister know, so as not to worry them.

"If you still don't believe me, wait until I bring the people back next year, and you'll hear what they have to say." Seeing how serious Zhou Jingming was, Liu Jianfeng nodded: "I understand. I'll take good care of Xingyao and Mom and Dad... You need to be careful too."

Zhou Jingming knew that if he led the locals to the Gold Rush Valley, his parents would know what the Gold Rush Valley was like when they returned.

He's still hiding it because he believes that when he comes back, he won't be just an ordinary foreman, but a wealthy boss.

This was a promotion in status within the Gold Rush Valley, and not someone anyone could easily touch. He believed he had the ability to protect himself.

The premise is that there shouldn't be too many worries.

After watching the young couple leave, Zhou Jingming returned to the house with a flashlight.

Inside the house, Shen Fengqin had already boiled water and was waiting.

Zhou Jingming poured hot water to soak his feet, then went upstairs to the bed that Shen Fengqin had remade and fell asleep. Although he had already slept for several hours, the warm and comfortable bed seemed to have a hypnotic effect, and he fell asleep quickly and slept until the sun was high in the sky.

On this day, Zhou Jingming mainly rested, but in the evening he went to see the feng shui master in the village who knew how to choose auspicious dates and finalized a date that would be suitable for starting construction on the house.

Setting the time in seven days is quite suitable.

As for the location of the house, Zhou Jingming still prefers the location of his old house, which is near the river and has a quiet and pleasant environment. He has no intention of changing it.

As for the approval, there is no such thing. He just wants to demolish the old houses and build new ones on the original site, which will only expand the area considerably.

These days, the controls aren't very strict.

Moreover, even if the higher authorities do not agree and construction is forced, it will eventually be recognized after a few years.

The most troublesome thing is actually the various building materials such as steel bars and cement; you have to ask someone for help with that.

Therefore, he made a special trip to the town, spent a little money, bought some gifts, and went to see the people in the town government.

To some extent, Zhou Jingming was a well-known figure in the town because he had attended a university specializing in agriculture and industry and worked in a geological team.

It's not particularly difficult to get this done; it's easy to get the approval slip.

In addition, he spent two more days traveling around several villages, finding a few experienced builders and several laborers from the villages. He also started looking for tractors to help transport stones, sand, and gravel.

After settling his parents in his sister's house, he began gathering manpower to demolish the old house.

The house was originally a timber and earth structure, so most of those materials were no longer needed, making it easy to dismantle.

After the house was demolished, a fortune teller was hired to set up a compass, select the correct location, and mark the points. Lines were then marked with lime, and it was time to start construction.

Zhou Jingming did not intend to simply build three brick houses.

As someone who has been through it all, he has seen many different house styles from later generations, but what he truly loves is the courtyard house.

Courtyard houses are not unique to Beijing; they are also common in Sichuan, where they are usually called "sky courtyards."

In his view, this kind of architecture is a timeless existence.

The term "Sihe" refers to a space enclosed by four sides: east, south, west, and north, forming a closed "口"-shaped space. Within this space are functional areas such as the main house, the main gate, the courtyard, and the eaves corridor.

In his design, the main house is the core area of ​​the courtyard house, with three rooms. The central room is the main hall, which is spacious and bright and used to worship ancestors and entertain guests. The east and west sides of the main hall are bedrooms. The east side is for the parents or important guests, and the west side is the residence of the younger generation.

The Longmen, or the main gate of a courtyard house, is not only the entrance to the home but also a bond for emotional exchange among neighbors. Whenever they have free time, relatives and friends would gather at the Longmen to share their life experiences and joys and sorrows. This is the origin of the Sichuan custom of "telling stories at the Longmen".

The courtyard in a traditional courtyard house, also known as a skylight, serves functions such as ventilation, lighting, drying clothes, and planting flowers and grass. It is paved with bluestone slabs, and drainage ditches must also be properly constructed to catch rainwater pouring down from the eaves.

In this courtyard, family members can cool off under the eaves, women can do needlework, children can play, and neighbors can enjoy tea, play chess, and chat about everyday life.

He doesn't need anything grand or luxurious; he just wants to capture the deep affection for his hometown, and that's enough.

It sounds like it requires a lot of money, but actually, these days, seven or eight hundred yuan is enough to build three brick houses.

The four thousand yuan that Zhou Jingming brought back was actually enough to do a very good job.

(End of this chapter)