Chapter 158: Dealt a Blow

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Dealt a Blow

’Maybe the old man will only give up on his own when he sees that all this hard work is for nothing, even with the Fish Spring. I won’t even have to persuade him.’

’It’s such a shame,’ he thought. ’That Fish Spring just had to be so deep in the mountains. Otherwise...’

He also thought about his sister. Even without the free fish from the Fish Spring, she could still make money selling pork buns. It was even possible that without their meddling, she might make more money on her own.

Gu Nuan Nuan was at a loss for words.

She didn’t know what her uncle was thinking, but she could tell from his tone that despite taking unpaid leave, he probably wasn’t very optimistic about this venture. She fell silent, pondering. ’I guess I am selfish, after all. I want to lay out my vision, my blueprint for the future, for Mom first. If she’s inspired and gets the ambition to really go for it, then I’d be more than happy to support her from the sidelines, letting her be the one to lead the charge...’

Zhang Wei Qiang pedaled quickly. The journey wasn’t long, and they soon arrived at the entrance to the village.

"Do you want to come with me to see the new house being built, or would you rather find your mom?" Zhang Wei Qiang asked. "She’s probably at the other house right now, cooking lunch for everyone."

"I want to see how the new house is coming along first," Gu Nuan Nuan said without hesitation.

"They just tore everything down and are still laying the foundation. It’s a total mess; there’s really nothing to see." Despite his words, Zhang Wei Qiang led Gu Nuan Nuan forward. Sure enough, a moment later they saw an open plot of land ahead where more than a dozen shirtless men, towels draped around their necks, were hard at work, their backs glistening with sweat. Zhang Dazhuang was right there in the thick of it.

"Grandpa!" Gu Nuan Nuan jumped off the bike, waving to Zhang Dazhuang.

"What did you bring her here for? There’s nothing to see when it’s not even built yet. Hurry and take her over to Minzhen’s," Zhang Dazhuang said as he came over, gesturing for Zhang Wei Qiang to leave.

"No need to take me. Just tell me where to go, and I’ll find it myself in a little while." Gu Nuan Nuan surveyed the foundation being dug, feeling quite satisfied. ’Just as I thought. Building plots are cheap right now, and the village is so generous with the land they approve.’ She was practically drooling over the size of it, nodding enthusiastically when Zhang Wei Qiang asked, "Are you sure you can find it on your own?"

Seeing her nod, Zhang Wei Qiang gave a casual nod in return. He locked up his bicycle, stripped off his shirt, and jumped in with the other men, taking over the job Zhang Dazhuang had just been doing.

Gu Nuan Nuan was thrilled. "Grandpa, how many stories are we going to build? What’s the design?"

"Stories? Plural?" he scoffed. "You sure have big dreams. This lot is so big, one floor is plenty. Think about it, it’s just the two of you. So you’ll have your own bedrooms. Even if we set aside a guest room or two for when your grandma and I, or your uncle and aunt, come to visit... then add a kitchen, a woodshed, a washroom, and all the other miscellaneous rooms... a single story on a plot this size is more than enough."

As he spoke, Zhang Dazhuang gestured to map out the plan for her. "See, the courtyard gate will open here. Inside, we’ll make a small vegetable garden, and then we’ll fence off another area to raise a couple of chickens. We’ll forget about pigs; your mom probably doesn’t have the energy to look after them. Then, over here, we’ll plant some grapevines, just like at our place. I’ll even find you some nice rocks and build a stone table and some stools under the vines..."

Gu Nuan Nuan felt her heart sink. She had to admit, the traditional farmhouse her grandfather was planning sounded quite lovely, but it was a far cry from the modern rural villa she’d been imagining. She made a last-ditch attempt to argue, "But... but... I thought we’d build at least three stories! Or two, if three is too much... We’re really only building one?"

"That costs money, you know. This isn’t the town; even if you have the money, there’s no reason to just throw it away out here in the village. Look around, who in this village has a two or three-story house?" Zhang Dazhuang gently tapped Gu Nuan Nuan on the head. "Your mom has some money now, but it’s not unlimited. Why waste it when we can be frugal? There will be plenty of expenses later on. But building a house is a big deal, so even if it’s only one story, the fact that we can afford to make it a concrete one is already fantastic."

Gu Nuan Nuan clutched her head with a pout, wondering when everyone in the family had picked up the habit of tapping her on the head. "Grandpa, if I get a ninety-nine on my next test, it’ll be all your fault. All of you are going to knock the brains right out of me."

"Heh heh, ninety-nine is still very good. What did you get this time?" Zhang Dazhuang finally remembered that Gu Nuan Nuan had gone to school to get her report card. From the sound of it, her results must have been good, so he asked with a grin.

"Perfect hundreds! And her other subjects—conduct, P.E., and art—didn’t fall behind either. They’re all above ninety-five. Nuannuan, quick, show the report card to your grandpa so he can celebrate too!" Zhang Wei Qiang had sharp ears and had overheard the conversation while working. He called out from a distance, and his announcement not only delighted Zhang Dazhuang but also caused a stir among the other men. They all marveled, "How can a little girl be so brilliant?"

Gu Nuan Nuan did as he said, taking out her report card and handing it to her grandfather. Zhang Dazhuang beamed, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Hmph, now that’s what I call talent. None of your older cousins have ever brought home grades like this."

Gu Nuan Nuan stuck out her tongue. She didn’t feel much of a sense of accomplishment, knowing full well that this was just a different kind of cheating. Her eyes drifted back to the foundation being laid, and she had a sudden moment of clarity. ’Of course it all looks backwards from my future perspective.’ But honestly, if they built the house exactly as her grandfather planned, it would already be one of the nicest homes in the entire village.

She immediately turned to her grandfather and said coaxingly, "Grandpa, since Mom’s funds are tight, let’s not build with concrete yet. A simple brick-and-tile house will be good enough for now." ’Besides, we’ll probably tear this house down and rebuild it in two or three years anyway, so why use concrete? It costs more, and it’ll be a pain to demolish. It’s best to save money where we can.’

"You certainly change your tune quickly," Zhang Dazhuang said, confused. "Weren’t you just complaining that one story wasn’t enough? Now you’re saying we don’t even need to build it with concrete?"

"I’m just so used to the buildings in town, it took me a second to adjust," Gu Nuan Nuan said with a giggle. "Besides, Grandpa, there’s no hurry. When we have more money in the future, we can just plaster the walls with cement then, right? Why make things so tight for ourselves now? It won’t be a big deal to add a coat of cement later."

"You think building a concrete house just means smearing a layer of cement on the walls?" Zhang Dazhuang roared with laughter.