Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1249 House Viewing

The seafood here is indeed quite good, very flavorful.

After finishing our meal, we went to the lounge, ordered tea again, and chatted while watching videos. In the end, we didn't go downstairs to see the beautiful young ladies.

The next day, after having breakfast in Dongfangli, Xiaowei and the other two went straight back to Fengtian.

It had been almost half a month since they returned, and the two of them didn't linger any longer. They packed up and went to Kyoto, otherwise they would miss another class.

On the courtyard side, the entire front yard has been dug out, reaching a depth of more than three meters.

It wasn't intentional to dig so deep. I originally thought that about two meters would be enough to start building. But water started flowing before we even reached two meters, so we had to dig more than three meters. We had to do some waterproofing work first, which added a lot of work to the project.

When Xiaowei and Chen Hui returned to the courtyard, they saw this scene: the water pumps were constantly pumping water, and the soldiers were fighting the water in the pit, shirtless and barefoot.

Commander Hou was squatting by the pit, along with Engineer Wang, Hao Dawei, and Mi Zhiqi.

Xiao Wei asked with a smile, "How come you all got together like this? Da Wei, what are you doing here too?"

Commander Hou stood up and said, "It's all because of you guys who brought this up. This job has become complicated now. If the underground water isn't dealt with properly, there will be big hidden dangers. Since they're all here, I thought I'd ask them to discuss it together."

Xiao Wei offered cigarettes to the group, and Engineer Wang stood up, took the cigarettes, and said, "This job was done a bit recklessly. Now we can only do our best. Fortunately, the old frame is sturdy enough. As long as it doesn't continue to leak, there shouldn't be a big problem."

Chen Hui said, "How was it repaired back then? There must have been more water back then, right?"

Engineer Wang said, "How can that be the same? Originally, it was built as a whole, taking into account the overall settlement stability. Now you've just dug out a separate pit, and you can't move anything else. I'm worried about affecting the entire underlying structure. Water is a tricky thing, very dangerous."

Xiao Wei asked, "So what do we do now?"

Engineer Wang said, "We have no choice but to keep going. Filling it in now won't help. It's alright, I told them to widen it outwards and downwards, use quick-setting grout to fix the entire underground cage column together, and then pour the cage in the middle. That should be about right."

Xiao Wei said, "It's good that it's not a problem. This whole thing is the old layout, and I didn't redo it because I was afraid of causing problems downstairs."

Mi Chengqi said, "This house was originally built to high standards. If it were a regular residential house, it would definitely be ruined. Once the water rises, it's easy to cause pipe damage, you know? Little by little, the foundation would collapse. I took a look, and the foundation and everything here were laid together as a whole. As long as this area is properly treated to prevent the water from continuing to flow in all directions, it will be fine."

Engineer Wang laughed and said, "You guys are really bold. Don't you even know where you are? This place is only a short distance from the lake. How many years has it been like this? The underground environment must be incredibly complex."

Chen Hui said, "If we control the four sides, then let it overflow in the middle. Wouldn't that save us from flooding it?"

Commander Hou said, "If you just want to build a pond to raise fish and lotus flowers, that'll definitely work. It might even turn into a small river later. Swimming is out of the question."

Hao Dawei said, "Then it will be connected to the lake outside. Over time, the underground will be completely hollowed out and the whole area will be connected. At that time, not only your area will be in danger, but the entire area will be in danger. You never know when you will wake up one morning and this area will be gone."

Engineer Wang nodded: "It's too close to the big lake. It looks calm, but the currents are huge. In three to five years, it could really hollow out the area below."

Xiao Wei said, "There's no use saying all this now, we've already dug it up. Engineer Wang, Brother Mi, please put in the effort and make sure it's sturdy. It's okay to spend some money, but we can't let anything happen to the house."

Engineer Wang said, "The entire area under these houses is covered by a geothermal system. The craftsmen back then were really skilled. As long as you dig this place up and fill it with water, it'll be fine. A little bit of impact won't be a big problem. The key is to maintain balance inside. As long as it doesn't overflow, it'll be okay."

Chen Hui asked, "What balance?"

Engineer Wang explained, "The pressure difference between the lake water and the groundwater on this side causes the lighter water to flow towards that side."

Manager Jing came out of the office: "Chairman, President Chen, you're back."

Xiao Wei nodded to Manager Jing: "Is everything alright here?"

Manager Jing walked over and said with a smile, "What could be wrong? There are no operational problems right now." He was the manager of the Kyoto branch of the development company, and theoretically, he was Hao Dawei's subordinate. In fact, he had more power than a typical branch manager, since this was Kyoto.

"I've looked at a few places the last time you asked me to find. Chairman Chen, when would be a convenient time for you and I to go take a look together?" Manager Jing said, taking the cigarette Chen Hui offered.

Xiao Wei said, "So fast? Sure, anytime is fine. Engineer Wang, is everything alright here?"

Engineer Wang said, "It's alright, everything's arranged. Just use quick-setting cement to seal the bottom and then build the foundation."

Xiao Wei said, "Why don't we go check now? Is my sister behind us?"

Manager Jing shook his head: "I don't know." No one in the company has ever been to the back; this is the boss's private territory, and everyone knows the importance of it.

Xiao Wei and Chen Hui went straight to the back.

Chen Xiao, Qin Xuemei, and Wang Jiwei were not there. The backyard was occupied by Xiao Liu and the other staff members. Chen Hui went to ask them and was told that they had gone out in the morning.

The two men came out again and went to see the place with Manager Wang, Engineer Hao Dawei, Head of the Regiment Hou, and Mi Zhiqi.

The manager found three houses not far from this side of the courtyard.

The building is currently a music bar, but it seems to be struggling and the owner wants to quit. The manager spoke with the owner once, and the owner is considering selling, but neither of them mentioned a specific price.

The other two are on the opposite side of the lake. One is also by the lake, diagonally opposite the music bar. It's a two-story building, about 130-140 square meters in total, and is now a restaurant. There's a small courtyard in the back, but it's been converted into the restaurant's kitchen.

As soon as Xiaowei and Chen Hui entered, they both shook their heads. There was no other way to do this place except to continue running the restaurant. The entire backyard was a mess, covered in grease, and it would be a huge challenge to clean it up. The only option was to demolish and rebuild it.

The last one is a separate small courtyard house in Doujiao Hutong.

The courtyard is located at the intersection of Doujiao Hutong, not far from the Central Academy of Drama dormitory. The environment here is quite nice, situated in a narrow alley, a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle.

There are two trees in the yard, quite old, reaching high into the sky, with lush branches and leaves.

In the last few hours of 2018, I coincidentally posted this chapter with such a lucky number. Wishing all my fellow readers a prosperous and smooth-sailing New Year, with virtuous wives and filial children, abundant wealth, family happiness, and all your wishes fulfilled. I also wish myself all the best and a very auspicious New Year.

(End of this chapter)