Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 456 School-Run Factory

Engineer Wang turned his head and glanced at it, saying, "Of course there is. Where else would the water go? You mean how would the dirty water be drained? No problem, I'll arrange everything for you. It's a small matter. I'll build the wall according to the measurements we laid out yesterday. This end extends to the back of the neighborhood committee building, right? What about this side? Oh, this side doesn't need it. Just build the shops directly. Have you contacted the school yet?"

Xiao Wei glanced at the school-run factory and said, "Not yet, we'll go over in a bit. You understand everything here, right?"

Engineer Wang nodded and said, "Alright, I'll ask you again if there's anything else. We'll bring the materials to build the wall this afternoon, and then we'll start dismantling it. You guys go and take care of things at the school, just in case anything goes wrong."

Xiao Wei checked the time and said, "Okay, then we'll go to the school to look for it. Wang, you're busy, just call if you need anything."

Wang Gong waved his hand and turned to watch the workers who were marking lines and setting stakes get to work. Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng walked out, passed through the school-run factory, and entered the school's courtyard. This school-run factory seemed to be a factory that produced chalk and mops. The factory buildings were just pieced together, and the ground in the courtyard was not paved; it was just an earthen embankment. Things were piled up haphazardly, and it looked a bit messy.

No one paid any attention to them. They could hear the machines running in one of the factory buildings. Occasionally, one or two people would walk by in the yard, but they ignored Xiaowei and Xia Maosheng. The two of them went through the side gate of the school-run factory and entered the school.

This school is a relatively new primary school, established in 87. It consists of a two-story building with three large single-story houses on the sides, an earthen playground, and a vegetable garden right outside the main gate. To the left is Wanliutang Avenue. After looking around, Xia Maosheng smiled and said, "This school has a really good location. It's surrounded by vegetable gardens and farmhouses on all sides; there's plenty of land to occupy."

Xiao Wei nodded. He could see that the school had encroached on a lot of land in all directions. The residents in this area were gradually being urbanized, and most of the land was abandoned. In addition, people's awareness of the value of land was extremely weak in this era. Except for houses, it was really just arbitrarily occupied. Just like Zhang Huzi, he didn't feel anything when someone built houses and factories on his land. He only knew how to guard his own house.

Surprisingly, the principal's office wasn't located on an upper floor, but rather at the end of a row of single-story houses, with a small wooden sign painted white and words written in red.

Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng walked to the principal's office, peeked into the room through the glass door, knocked, and then opened the door and went inside. In this era, the sense of alienation between people didn't yet exist like in later generations, and leaders in most places hadn't yet learned to put on airs.

"What's up?" The principal was a woman in her forties, who was writing something behind her desk. She looked up and peered at Xiao Wei and Xia Maosheng through her reading glasses.

Xiao Wei walked over with a smile and said, "Hello, Principal. I live behind the school. I just bought this land and was planning to rebuild. Yesterday, when I was taking measurements, I discovered that your school's factory was built on my land, so I came to ask about it."

The principal paused for a moment, took off his reading glasses, placed them on the table, sat up straight, thought for a moment, pointed in the direction of the school-run factory, and said, "That, Old Zhang's house?" Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Yes, Old Zhang's house. I bought it, house and land. Here are the new house deeds and land deeds. Take a look."

Xiao Wei placed the property certificate and land deed in front of the principal. The principal picked them up and examined them carefully, then thought for a moment and said, "I can't really say for sure. When I came here, the school was already like this. According to your land deed, the boiler factory to the north and a section of classrooms all used your land. How is that possible? Why didn't anyone come to complain when they were being built?"

Xiao Wei said, "The dimensions on this land deed are exactly the same as the original old land deed. This whole area used to be Old Zhang's vegetable garden. Later, his family members all went to work in the factory, and the land was abandoned and they didn't take care of it much. Not only your school, but the neighborhood committee area behind it is also mine."

Xiao Wei said, "I looked around carefully yesterday. According to our plan, I don't need to take back the boiler room and school buildings; we can discuss that. But the school-run factory must be returned to me. There's still space behind the school; you can move the school-run factory here."

The principal said, "You two sit down. What are your surnames?"

Xiao Wei said, "My surname is Zhang, and his surname is Xia. Principal, what is your surname?"

The principal said, "My surname is Sun. You all look so young, yet you're already buying land and houses. Where are you from? Why are you buying houses here? This place is much more dilapidated than the city. The transportation and daily life here aren't very convenient."

Xiao Wei said, "Isn't this also Fengtian? At the current rate of development, it's only a matter of time before this place develops. Besides, I'm buying a house to live in, so it just needs to be spacious and comfortable. I can also grow some land to feed my family. I come from the countryside, and my parents are farmers; we can't live without the land."

Principal Sun said, "Going back a bit, weren't we all farmers? My family farmed when I was a child. Did you even have water to drink?"

Xiao Wei said, "No need, Principal Sun, you don't need to be so polite. Let's discuss the land issue directly. My construction team has already started work and will begin building the fence this afternoon. We can't delay any longer."

Principal Sun said, "I can't make that decision myself. I have to ask the former principal and also communicate with the Education Commission."

Xiao Wei said, "Principal Sun, that's not very helpful. We all know what's really going on. I'm not asking for everything back. Just the school-run factory area, the space occupied by the school buildings and the boiler, is negotiable. If you still think that's not enough, then we can't talk anymore. In that case, I'll just take it all. I'll arrange for someone to come and demolish it this afternoon. I have the land deed right here, I'm not afraid of any lawsuits."

Principal Sun frowned and said, "This is a school, and land allocation is decided by the Education Commission. You can't just come here with a land deed and take over the land. Why don't you go to the Education Commission? I don't have that authority."

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "When you're occupying land outside the designated area, you don't need to go through the Education Commission. But when I take it over, you're just blaming the Education Commission. Actually, Principal Sun, you know perfectly well that your school has probably occupied quite a bit of land outside the designated area. I can't interfere in other people's business, but you can't just brush me off like this. Besides, my demands aren't unreasonable. I've already said that the school building and boiler are negotiable."

Principal Sun said, "You really need to talk to the Education Commission about this. We are a government agency, and it won't do you much good to tell me this."

Xia Maosheng said to Xiaowei, "Forget it, let's not keep arguing here. Let the urban construction department come and measure the land. Whatever the land is, that's what it is. We don't want his land, and we'll take back all ours. This is pointless."

(End of this chapter)