"Do you really want to build a house?" The two walked side by side, Wang pushing the bicycle and Splash carrying firewood.

"Since you want to come back, you have to have a place to stay, you can't always live in the old branch secretary's house!" Wang Zhong said with a smile.

Shui Hua looked at Wang Chong and said, "Building a house will cost a lot of money!" ”

"I've saved some money over the years, and it should be enough to build a house."

"No wonder!" Shui Hua said suddenly: "A few days ago, I called Uncle Shui and took the people in the village to say that it was to dig soil and press bricks for you, two meals a day, and eat white flour buns and mutton stewed potatoes at one meal, everyone said that the Chinese New Year was not so good!"

"Everyone has done their best for me, and I have to make everyone eat better."

"The villagers haven't seen you yet, so they all praise you for your generosity."

“······”

The two chatted all the way into the village and separated in front of Splash's house.

Wang Chong went straight back to the old branch secretary's house, just in time for the old branch secretary to come back from the field with a hoe.

"So many things?" Looking at the pots and pans on the bicycle, the quilt thermos, and the large military backpack behind Wang Chong, the old branch secretary hurriedly put down the hoe.

"It's all necessities of life, since you have decided to stay in Yongquan Village, you have to buy them sooner or later, so it's better to buy them as soon as possible."

The old branch secretary nodded, and then frowned again: "Aren't these all in the family!" ”

"Isn't I going to build a house, I'll have to buy it when it's done."

The old branch secretary smiled, didn't say anything, and helped Wang Chong move everything into the house first.

······

"Brother Wang Chong! Do you really want to build a house? Ma Debao stood in front of the homestead that had been painted in front of him, looked at the large adobe bricks piled up on the empty flat ground, and asked with some excitement.

"Of course it's true." Wang Zhong said with a smile.

Ma Debao said: "It costs a lot of money to build a house!" ”

"No matter how much money you want, you can't do it, the house has to be up, I can't sleep in the old branch secretary's house all the time!" Wang Chongdao: "Men must always have their own home and their own world, and they can't always rely on others."

As he spoke, he looked at Ma Debao, leaned to his side and lowered his voice: "I will marry a daughter-in-law in the future!" ”

"Brother Wang Chong, you're right!" Ma Debao's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light, although he was still a half-old child, he could think a lot, and his heart was not low, otherwise, this kid would not run out with all his thoughts and wanted to live a better life.

"I'm going to build my own house in the future." I added a sentence in my heart: marry Mai Miao home again!

Wang pat him on the shoulder and said, "You can definitely do it!" ”

Ma Debao was stunned for a moment by what Wang Chong said, and looked at Wang Chong with some disbelief: "Brother Wang Chong, are you serious?" ”

"Of course it's true!" Wang Chong said: "But you are still young now. As he spoke, he looked the kid up and down, and said, "The bones of this body have not grown yet, and the strength is not enough." ”

"Our manly husbands are either knowledgeable, well-exported, and have thousands of splendid treasures in their chests, or they are physically strong, strong as oxen, and have a craft!"

"Are you now, your physique and strength can grow even longer, that's your craft!" Wang Zhong said and paused: "What will you do?" ”

Ma Debao was a little overwhelmed by Wang Chong's question, and racked his brains to think about it, but even if he emptied his mind, he couldn't think of any craftsmanship he had!

Speaking of strength, Ma Debao is a thirteen or fourteen-year-old doll, and he is not the kind of talented person, although he works with his parents all the year round, but all year round, he can't get any meat, and his strength is like that.

"Your brother Wang Chong is right, you are a coward, or you will learn from your brother, come back from the secondary school exam, and give your father and me a long face! Either learn a craft, this man earns money to support his family, if he doesn't have a craft, then he can only be like your father and me, facing the loess and facing the sky for the rest of his life. ”

"Do you want to learn any trades? Is it possible to learn your medicine skills with half a bucket of water? Ma Debao was confused by the two of you and me, and suddenly replied angrily.

"You are a coward, even your father dares to make it up!" Ma Shoushui's face changed, he opened his mouth to scold, bent down and prepared to take off his shoes, Ma Debao reacted faster, and when Ma Shoushui just scolded, he ran away.

"I'll go to the field to help my mother collect rice!"

Before the words fell, the man had already run away, leaving behind only countless dust rolled up.

"Crushed! Run fast! Ma shouted and scolded Ma Debao's back in a low voice.

"Young man, energetic!" Wang Zhong said with a smile.

Ma shouted that he clapped his hands, wiped off the dust on his hands, and said with a smile on his face: "What's the matter, is this homestead still satisfied!" ”

Wang nodded and said, "Satisfied, such a spacious place is much better than the small house in the city!" ”

In the huge flat field, Wang Chong looked at the front and back of the area, which could cover almost one acre.

Ma shouted: "Now there is no land in the village to give you a little more, so the big guy will discuss that on the homestead, give you a little more!" At least you can grow some food in front of the house and behind the house! ”

In the countryside, there is nothing else, that is, there is a lot of land, but Yongquan Village is poor, and the slightly better fields have long been divided.

"This is what the villagers decided after a meeting in the village!"

"It's just a little bit out of the way!" Ma Shoushui shook his head and said with some regret, the closest future neighbor to Wang Chong's house is still dozens of meters away.

"Thank you, Uncle Shui!" Wang Zhong guessed that Ma Shoushui and the old branch secretary must have contributed here.

"By the way, when are you going to start construction, do you want to pick a good day!" Although feudal superstition is not advocated now, no matter what people do, they are still used to reading the yellow calendar, picking the day, and mainly taking a good omen.

"Don't be in a hurry to start construction first." Wang Chong said: "Shouting Uncle Shui, I see that these bricks will be almost dry in two days, I plan to take advantage of these two days, first get a few small clay kilns, and then go to the county to buy some coal, burn these bricks, and then bring some cement and fine sand back, so that it can be more durable." ”

"You're going to burn bricks? Will you dig a kiln? Brick? Ma Xiangshui was stunned for a moment, and looked at Wang Chong with some surprise, the houses of every household in Yongquan Village are either adobe houses, or directly earthen embryo houses, and none of the houses are made of burned bricks.

Burning bricks requires craftsmanship, and digging kilns requires craftsmanship.

In the original plot, the one surnamed Ann married by Shui Hua is an example.

I wanted to dig a water cellar to please the water splash, but I didn't think that the water cellar was not dug up, but I made myself crippled, paralyzed my lower limbs, and dragged the water splash for a lifetime.

The cave of burning bricks, more to the craft, especially on the high slope of the loess, a radius of dozens of miles, I have not heard of who has this craft, from the outside of the county to buy the price is expensive, there are only a handful of economic strength, and the price is much higher than the adobe house.

Wang Chongdao: "I know how to get it, but I haven't actually operated it, and I have to do it to know if it works." ”

Ma Shoushui looked at Wang Chong with a somewhat complicated gaze: "Coal, cement and fine sand, no matter what, it's not cheap!" ”

Xihai Guben is a well-known poverty-stricken area in the country, and the people of Yongquan Village rely on artichoke to feed their stomachs all day long, and when they encounter a slightly rotten situation, they have to rely on the government's relief grain to live.

"Uncle! Money is earned and spent, and besides, the house can be passed on to future generations, and now that I have built the house, my children and grandchildren will be able to save more in the future! ”

Wang Chong's words went to Ma Shoushui's heart: "You broken baby, you don't look like a young man in his early twenties······" But halfway through the words, Ma Xiangshui remembered Wang Chong's family, and then sighed.

Perhaps it is precisely because of the misfortune of the family and the early sacrifice of his grandfather and father that Wang Chong is so young, and he is like a middle-aged man in his thirties and forties!

Ma Shoushui thought of this, and looked at Wang Chong's gaze with a little more meaning: "You just have it in your heart, and Uncle won't say much!" Other uncles can't help you, but if you want people to have strength, this is what our villagers in Yongquan Village don't lack. ”

Wang Chong said: "Uncle, you have all helped to finish this heavy work, if you make a kiln, I will do it myself, besides, now the rice in the field should almost be collected, anyway, I am not in a hurry here, you and my aunt will finish the work in the field first, if you don't dislike it, you can let Debao and Gawa they follow me for a while, we will explore together, they are young, their brains are flexible, and they have read books, and it is easier for adults to learn things." ”

Ma Shoushui was stunned for a moment, and then looked at Wang Chong with some surprise, Debao and Gava, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old little doll, whose strength could not be compared with adults, Wang Zhong took them to burn bricks together, and listened to Wang Chong's meaning, as if he wanted to give this craft to Debao and them.

"Uncle, I see that Debao is a heart-to-heart, thoughtful, and flexible brain, if he can really drum up the art of burning bricks, he will be able to have a skill in the future."

Ma Shoushui sighed, looked at Wang Chong, and said in a rather heavy tone: "Wang Chong, you are also a member of our Yongquan Village, and my uncle will not hide it from you, not only our Yongquan Village, but also the nearby Kushui Village, and even our entire Xihaigu, in the past ten years, the grain grown in the ground has been decreasing year by year!" The population of every household is increasing, and this day is not easy! ”

"The little grain grown in the field has to be stopped after a year, and we have to live on the relief food issued by the government."

"Hey!" As he spoke, the horse shouted water and couldn't help but sigh again.

In Ma Shoushui's heart, Wang Chong must be able to burn bricks and kilns, Wang Chong said that, but it was a modest statement.

"It's okay to let Depot and Gava help you, but ······"

"Uncle!" Ma shouted that he didn't speak, and Wang Zhong interrupted him: "I can't do it alone. ”

Ma Xiangshui looked at Wang Chong, who had a smile on his face, but his eyes were firm and open, sighed, and said, "You just have a number in your heart." ”

"By the way, uncle, if you are busy digging kilns and burning kilns these days, you will be very busy, and there is a house to build later, there will definitely be no time to cook, it just so happened that the last time the splash girl saved me, I haven't had time to repay her, how about I ask her to come over and cook for us?"

"What are you doing with the water splash cooking, just eat it at my house!"

"Uncle, if I were alone, then I would definitely bother you, but this is me asking someone to help me with the work, how can I still let you and my aunt break the bank."

"Besides, you and my aunt don't have to be busy with the things in the field, this bag of rice is finished, the rice pole is cut and brought back, and the ground has to be turned! There's a lot of work to do! ”

Seeing Wang Chong's firm face, Ma Shoushui knew that Wang Chong had a right mind in his heart, so he didn't continue to persuade: "Okay, okay!" Then Uncle won't be polite to you! ”

"Then trouble you, uncle!"

"What's the trouble with this!"

Immediately afterwards, Ma Xiangshui led Wang Chong to find a suitable place to dig a kiln, fortunately, Wang Chong's homestead was at the end of the village, leaning against the mountain, there was no one behind, there were many suitable places, and Wang Chong quickly chose a good location.

At the head of the village, Shui Hua is making lunch in the kitchen, there is smoke in the chimney, noodles are boiling in the pot, steaming potatoes, and Shui Hua is sitting on a small stool, adding wheat straw and thatch to the stove.

"Is Splashgirl at home?" Suddenly there was a shout outside the house.

"Who?"

Splash didn't sound very familiar, and walked out of the kitchen in confusion while responding.

The fence door can be pushed open with a raised hand, but Wang Zhong still chose to stand outside the fence door, and saw the splash coming out of the kitchen next to him.

"Splash Girl." Wang Zhong still said hello with a smile in his hand.

"It's you!" Splash also smiled: "Is there anything wrong with me?" ”

Splash went to the door of the fence, pulled it open from the inside, and asked the king to come back into the house to drink.

"Where's Uncle Li?"

"My dad is still collecting rice in the field, and I'll come back to make lunch." Water Flower Arrangement.

Wang Chong stopped when he heard this, and did not continue to enter the house, but stood in the courtyard, and looked at Wang Chong suspiciously: "Come into the house and sit?" ”

"No need!" Wang Zhong smiled and said: "Splash girl, I just came to the village, in addition to calling Uncle Shui and the old branch secretary, I also know you, I want to find someone to help you with something, think about it, and the person I can think of is only Splash Girl." ”

"How can I help you?"

Seeing Wang Chong standing in the courtyard and not entering the house, the water splash was a little surprised, but she was a smart person, and instantly thought of the reason why Wang Chong did not enter the house, Wang Chong saw that she was the only one in her house, a lonely man and a widow, and the two were young, afraid that people would see rumors come out, so they did not continue to persuade them, and went straight into the house and poured a bowl of water for Wang Chong, and brought it out and handed it to Wang Chong.

"Let's drink saliva first!"

"Thank you!" Wang Zhong smiled and took the bowl and took a sip, saying, "Splash girl······"

"Just call me Splash!" Splash said with a smile, for Wang Chong, who is polite and completely different from the people in the village, Splash's impression is a little better.

"Good!" The smile on Wang Chong's face was even worse: "Splash! ”

"I just returned to the village, and I'm not planning to build a house recently! Now I still live in the old branch secretary's house, eat, but also with the old branch secretary, these two days are fine, but if a few days after the start of work, I will definitely invite the village to help eat, I want to ask you to help cook, make two meals a day, lunch and dinner, every day you also eat with us, a day I am giving you two yuan of wages. ”

"Do you think so?"

"No, no, no!" Shui Hua hurriedly shook his head: "You can help, but you can't take this salary!" ”

"Splash!" Wang Chong said: "You listen to me first. ”

"I'm anxious to get the house right, I must be in a bit of a hurry in time, I've been busy with farming recently, if you help me, I will definitely delay the work in the field, I know you're enthusiastic, but I can't let you suffer."

"Two pieces is too much! Just cook two meals a day! "Shui Hua is not the kind of person who doesn't know what to do, Wang Chong said so, if she refuses, Wang Chong will definitely forget it.

"It's more than two meals!" Wang Chongdao: "Every few days, I have to go to the trouble to help go to the butcher to buy some mutton and come back, so that the big guy can improve the food. ”

"How can you delay any effort!" Splash said indifferently.

"Then one piece a day!" Wang Chongdao: "No less!" ”

The water splash was a little crying and laughing, I had never heard of the price of the bargain, and I had never seen Wang Chong who had to stuff money into people.

"Alright then!" Splash reluctantly responded, asking, "Is it starting tomorrow?" ”

"That's right! Tomorrow! Wang Zhong said: "As long as it doesn't rain, it will start tomorrow!" When the time comes, I'll have to trouble you to send it to us! ”

"Okay! No problem, just wrap it up on me! Splash replied with a smile.

After agreeing with the water splash, Wang Chong immediately rode a bicycle to the county again, and bought 500 catties of white flour, 1,000 catties of cornmeal, 200 catties of fat and thin Heitan mutton, and bought new horn hoes, shovels and other tools, all of which were placed in the space.

The space that has been raised to eight cubes is more than enough to fit these things.

I bought dozens of catties of white flour and 20 catties of mutton and piled them up behind the bicycle, found a place to sell coal and cement, and then rode the bicycle back to Yongquan Village.

The white noodles and mutton dragged back by the bicycle were put in Shuihua's house first, and then at the market price, he ordered hundreds of catties of cornmeal from Shuihua's father, Li Laozhuan.

In the early morning of the next day, Ma Debao led his followers Shui Wang and Gava, as well as a rather handsome female doll, carrying a hoe, shovel and cart to the old branch secretary's house to find Wang Chong.

"Brother Wang Chong, my father asked me to come to you!" Ma Debao looked at Wang Zhong with an energetic face.

Wang Chongtian got up before dawn, and helped the old branch secretary make breakfast, cooking pimple soup, "Uncle, I'll go first!" ”

I didn't want the old branch secretary to follow, walked to the West House with his hands behind his back, took out a hoe and a shovel, carried it on his shoulder, walked to the gate of the courtyard, and turned his head to look at Wang Chonggen, who was still standing stupidly in the courtyard, and Ma Debao and a few half-grown babies.

"What are you doing standing stupidly? Let's go! ”

"Uncle, what are you doing here?" Wang Zhong reluctantly walked up to the old branch secretary: "Aren't there any work in your field?" ”

"That little work on the ground, there is water to prosper his father and mother! You don't need me! The old branch secretary waved his hand: "Don't touch it, while it's still cool now, hurry up!" ”

Wang Zhong shook his head and followed helplessly, followed closely by Sixiao.

But I made up my mind in my heart that I would repay this kind-hearted simple northwest man more in the future.

Wang Chong's speed is fast, he is responsible for digging, the old man and a few small helpers to transport the soil to the side, looking at Wang Chong's inhuman speed, Rao is serving the old branch secretary of the field for half his life, and he can't help but sigh: This kid is a cow, not to mention his strength, and his physical endurance is far beyond ordinary people.

Each dome kiln of about three or four cubic meters, with the close cooperation of everyone, was dug in two days!

This is still because of the delay in transporting soil out of the country.

On the fourth day, Wang Chong went to the city again, brought back several large rolls of tarpaulin, and bought coal for two tractors.

It took the old branch secretary and a few small carts to use horses to shout water, and it took two days and 30 trips to transport the coal of two tractors from outside the mountain to Yongquan Village.

When it was time to fire the kiln, the village leaders came over curiously to watch.

When the first batch of three kiln bricks came out of the kiln, the whole Yongquan Village was a sensation, but unfortunately Wang Zhong understood that this batch of bricks looked okay, in fact, the quality was really average, and the clay bricks that were really superior to the top were extremely high in terms of soil, and they had to go through up to half a year of wind and sun, and then naturally eroded their internal decomposition and loosening, and then carried out manual crushing and sifting.

Then add water to the pure soil to moisturize, repeatedly and refining, the bricks should be dried in the shade, and the bricks should not be exposed to the sun to make the bricks cracked and deformed.

Wait until the bricks are completely dry, and then they can be fired in the kiln.

The process is quite complex.

But now Wang Chong is in a hurry, omitting a lot of steps, although the bricks are very good-looking, but in fact, the quality is like that.

But I listened to Wang Chong's words.

It took ten days of hard work, and the 5,000 adobe bricks that the villagers worked together to make were all burned.

During this period, Wang Chongke was not idle, and began to burn tiles with clay with a few hours.

Fortunately, it is now the wet season, otherwise Wang Chong would really not be able to do it.