Chapter 87

While eating, Xu Ran, Foreman Li, and Xu An started to have a chat again. Xu Ran didn’t understand many things about building a house so he asked Foreman Li, who had been building houses for so many years. He was so adept at the construction industry that he could answer all of Xu Ran’s questions. Xu Ran was also very satisfied with him and thought that if he farmed out the work of building a house to him, he shouldn’t have any problems.

However, Xu Ran was not sure how much it would cost to build a house per day.

Foreman Li said, “It would cost twenty coppers to build a house in the town per day if you don’t provide free food and accommodation for us. And it would cost fifteen coppers per day if you provide free food without accommodation. Then it would cost only ten coppers per day if you provide free food and accommodation. Usually, we’ll live in a tent built by ourselves. Although the conditions are primitive, it can also mean big savings to us.”

Xu Ran understood this kind of life; it was not easy to earn money for he had also been a corporate slave back in modern times.

He asked Foreman Li, “How many people do you have in your construction team?”

“A score, and there are some Ge’ers who just do some easy work and help cook the meals. Usually, they don’t have any wages. Only those who are generous will give them a dozen coppers more than they need to pay for the bill.”

Xu Ran nodded and asked Foreman Li, “Mr. Li, if you build the house for me, I would just provide you with free food. My home is not big enough to accommodate all of you. How much wages would you need per day?”

Foreman Li thought it over and said, “Fifteen coppers. It’s not easy for my men to leave home and earn a bit of cash. Being displaced, we just hope that we could bring more back home next year for the Spring Festival. So we left home soon after the Spring festival this year.”

“Alright, Mr. Li, I’ll leave everything about building my house to you. You can just buy bricks and tiles as you like. After all, you have acquaintances in this field. And you can directly chop down the trees for wood that you need in the mountain behind here. In the end, as long as I’m satisfied with the house, I’ll give you an extra wage for your hard work of fifty taels of silver. How do you think about it?”

Fifty taels of silver was not a trifling sum for these people for everyone could be allotted more than 1 tael of silver, which was an extra wage. Foreman Li was so delighted that he was about to jump up.

However, Xu Ran’s words were still hypothetical and had not been decided at all, so no matter how excited Foreman Li was, he still had to disguise his delight.

The courtyard which was going to be built was so big that the construction would take at least four or five months with the preparation. So apart from anything else, the labor cost would be five or six hundred taels of silver. And it would be more expensive with the cost of other building materials. The more Xu Ran thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

Everyone at the table including Foreman Li could tell Xu Ran was worried about money. After all, in rural areas, a family could barely afford to build a house which was worth five hundred taels of silver, let alone a more expensive one.

Foreman Li promptly comforted Xu Ran, “Xu Ran, don’t worry! We’re all experienced. As long as the bricks, tiles and wood are enough, we would complete the house for you before long. And the cost won’t be more than one thousand taels of silver.”

‘Less than 1,000 taels of silver?, How about 999 exactly?’ It hadn’t comforted Xu Ran to hear his words at all.

However, he couldn’t reveal his dissatisfaction in front of so many people. He could only nod, “Then would you mind doing me a favor in due course, Foreman Li? If you agree to the business, we’ll find the village head as a witness this afternoon and then sign an agreement so that both sides can be relieved.”

“Alright, you’re really decisive, Xu Ran.” Foreman Li stood up and said happily.

Xu Ran felt that it needed to be completed quickly, otherwise none could know what would happen later if it was dragged out. After dinner, Tangtang and Guoguo ran behind the house to play.

With Xu Ran and Liu Tong, the four of them discussed on the empty space for a while. After they settled, Xu Ran went to look for the village head.

Seeing that Xu Ran was looking for him again, the village head thought that he was going to talk about the field. But he didn’t expect Xu Ran to say that he wanted to build a house. He had just bought the land and now he was building a house again. “How rich should he be? Where did Xu Ran get his money?” The chief couldn’t help thinking about it.

After walking behind Xu Ran for a while, the village head’s patience finally snapped. He held Xu Ran back and asked, “Xu Ran, tell me the truth, where did you get your money? You ought to have been very poor, but after you were driven out, you firstly bought the land and then the field. And now you’re going to build a house. Where did you get so much money?”

The village head looked like Xu Ran’s mother who was worried about what crimes he had committed outside. The instant Xu Ran imagined it, he couldn’t bear the thought.

Seeing that Xu Ran was in a daze, the village head thought about it even more. “What a good kid he is! But why has him done the foolish things?”

When Xu Ran came to his senses, he saw the village head looking at him with sympathy in his eyes.

Xu Ran rubbed his nose. “Village head, you have mistaken what I mean. A friend of mine lent me the money. He runs his business in the town and he has even been to my home during the Spring Festival. Xu An and the others know it, too. You needn’t to worry. I didn’t do anything bad.”

The village head stared at Xu Ran again and found that he didn’t seem to be lying, so he believed him, patted him on the shoulder and said with great sincerity, “Xu Ran, think about your spouse and children. Be careful of the things in the society.”

Hearing what the village head said, Xu Ran felt a little touched. To be honest, after coming to this world, thevillage head was the first to say such words to him, who was so much better than his dad and daddy.

Xu Ran nodded solemnly. “Thank you, village head. I got it, and I will.”

After the chat, the two of them walked towards Xu Ran’s home. Liu Tong and the others were waiting for them. After thevillage head arrived, Xu Ran introduced them to each other again.

Xu Ran took out the writing brush as well as paper and wrote the agreement in front of everyone.

What Xu Ran wrote was clear, and the treatment for the construction team was not bad, especially when it came to eating. There were three meals a day. Both lunch and dinner included meat, and breakfast consisted of brown rice porridge and pickles, which was not bad either.

The wage was paid half monthly, and if the employer was satisfied after the completion of the house, the construction team could be rewarded with an extra cash bonus of fifty taels of silver.

No matter how one looked at the agreement, it would draw and enthrall him.

After Foreman Li read it, he immediately signed the name without hesitation. He also put a thumbprint on it. The red ink paste used for seals was brought by the village head, and Xu Ran quickly signed it, too. Finally, there were only the village head and Xu An, the two witnesses, who hadn’t signed it.

The two parties had signed the agreement, so the two witnesses needed not to hesitate about it.

As the people who built the house had been found, Xu Ran breathed a sigh of relief. He asked Foreman Li, “Mr. Li, when will you bring enough men over? I’ve found someone to see it. He said that it would be the best to start building the house on February 15th so we have to bring back the wood, bricks and tiles before that. And you also have to find somewhere to live.”

“We’ll be able to bring people over to work tomorrow and promise you that we can start the construction on February 15th,” Foreman Li said.

“Then thank you for the trouble, Mr. Li. By the way, when you come over, would you mind preparing all the food? I don’t have any food here. I can buy the grain in the village, but it’s impossible for me to prepare meat and vegetables that I haven’t grown in the field. You can buy them first and bring over here and I will pay the money to you. Is it okay?” Xu Ran asked.

Foreman Li shook his hand, “No problem. Isn’t it just to buy food? Rest assured, we also have the tools to cook the meal. Xu Ran, you don’t have to worry.”

“Alright, I won’t say more platitudes. Mr. Li, I’ll put you in charge.”

After talking for a while, Foreman Li was about to return to the town too. Xu Ran was going to send him back. So Xu An lent his ox cart to him, which could also help Xu Ran return quickly.

Xu Ran sent Foreman Li back to the town and met Foreman Li’s men. They looked honest with patches on their clothes. Even the Ge’ers were simply dressed, but they were positive and philosophical about that.

When Foreman Li introduced Xu Ran to these people, he had many good words to say about him, like he was a fine young man. Xu Ran felt that he must have misjudged the foreman before for he hadn’t expected Foreman Li to be so eloquent.

After speaking for a while, Xu Ran saw that it was getting late, so he excused himself, and Foreman Li did not keep him there for their place was inconvenient too.

When Xu Ran returned home, the sun almost set, and there were red sunset glows  in the sky. It seemed to be another fine day tomorrow.

The playmates of Tangtang and Guoguo worked very hard this day, and two more piles had banked up behind home.

Tangtang and Guoguo were playing in front of the cages with the chicks while four dull dogs followed by them. And the scene was kind of interesting.

Xu Ran walked over and patted the two children on their backs. “What are you playing? It’s smelly here and cold weather is closing in. Do you know it’s cold for your daddy to wash your clothes?”

Tangtang and Guoguo were playing happily. As soon as Xu Ran said to them, they immediately stood up and threw away the grass in their hands. They dusted off their hands and stood upright, “Dad, we know we are wrong. We won’t do that in the future.”

“I didn’t say that I won’t allow you to play, but I just want you to keep track of time, okay? You needn’t to be so obedient.” Xu Ran rubbed Tangtang’s head, feeling a little sad. These two children were just obedient.

Tangtang and Guoguo didn’t understand what was wrong with being well-behaved.

Xu Ran did not explain to them and walked into the house with the two children. Liu Tong had lit the firewood in the basin as well as the oil lamp and he let the three of them sit down and play.

Ever since he handed over every dish he could do to Liu Tong, Xu Ran couldn’t be bothered to enter the kitchen. As soon as he came in and out of the kitchen, he was covered with oil, which was completely incomparable to modern times. There was even no detergent when washing the dishes, so he could only wash them in hot water with a dishcloth, which was scalding

During dinner, Xu Ran told Liu Tong about Foreman Li’s men whom he saw in the town today, expressing his satisfaction and said the food could be better when he prepared for them.

Liu Tong got no problem with that.

After dinner, the whole family had a talk for a while before they went to bed, looking forward to the arrival of tomorrow.