Chapter 49 Of course she wanted a better environment...

After the rain, the air in the Gobi Desert was filled with the earthy smell and the scent of grass roots. As soon as the sun peeked out, moisture rose from the ground.

The children were frightened, so Shu Ran asked Xu Junjun to check on them one by one to make sure no one was sick before letting them go home one by one.

She stood in front of the tool shed, which was covered in muddy water, her hair still wet and plastered to her forehead, her clothes half-dry.

She didn't rush into action. First, she walked around the tool shed a few times, carefully examining how the reed bundles on the roof were constructed and how the adobe bricks at the base of the walls had become soaked and crumbled in corners by the rain. Then, she found a branch and roughly marked the length and width of the shed on the muddy ground.

Sister Wang came over from the cafeteria, carrying a steaming enamel mug: "Teacher Shu, quick, some ginger water to warm you up. I heard you took the children to the warehouse to take shelter from the rain... Are the children alright?"

"It's nothing, just a bit of a fright." Shu Ran took the drink and sipped it, her throat burning from the spiciness. "Big sister, in our company, who knows how to build houses? Real mud-brick houses."

“Building houses? That’s all technical work.” Sister Wang thought for a moment. “Even our old employees, like Zhang Degui from the third platoon, seem to have worked as assistants for others in the past. And the people in the infrastructure team know the most, but they’re all busy building the new company headquarters office. Director Zhao is keeping a close eye on things, so they can’t spare any time.”

Shu Ran nodded and didn't ask about the students' parents. She knew that at this time of year, the adults were busy harvesting in the fields and digging ditches, so no family could spare a strong laborer to help the school with this kind of private work.

The company was also in a state of chaos after the rainstorm, but the difference was that people were scooping water at the entrance of many dugouts, while in the distance, several rows of newly rammed adobe walls had been erected, simple yet solid.

Shu Ran went back to her dorm and changed out of her wet clothes. She then opened her notebook and started scribbling on it with a pen.

The approximate length and width of the shed need to be measured accurately. How many adobe bricks are needed? The veteran workers said that making adobe bricks is hard work, but the company can do some during the winter off-season. What about rafters? Reed mats can be made in the reed beds, but that requires an application and manpower. Roofing felt is the most precious material; I heard the regimental logistics sometimes has some discarded old materials—enough to keep out some rain…

She was calculating quickly in her mind when Sister Wang leaned closer to take a look and clicked her tongue: "Oh, what's the big deal? This shed is no good; one rain and it'll be exposed. Our company is going to build two rows of mud houses this year. Although they're made of clods of earth, they're a world of difference compared to dugouts!"

Shu Ran's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Sister Wang: "Sister, how much labor does it take to make adobe bricks? Where do you usually get the rafters?"

"Oh dear, I can't say for sure, you'll have to ask the old master. What? You want to build a house?" Sister Wang's eyes widened.

"I just want to make the classrooms more sturdy first, so the kids can't always study in a leaky place." Shu Ran said casually, as if it were nothing difficult.

Sister Wang was stunned for a moment, then sighed: "It's hard on you... Then you can look for Sun, the custodian in our company, the old Sun! He used to be a bricklayer back in his hometown."

Shu Ran noted it down.

Li Xiulan leaned over and asked, "Teacher Shu, what are you drawing?"

"Application report." Shu Ran said without looking up, "I'm applying to build a new classroom for our Qiming Elementary School."

"What?" Li Xiulan and Sister Wang were surprised and gathered around again.

The notebook contained a drawing of a small rectangular house with its dimensions marked, and next to it was a dense list of the materials needed: adobe bricks, wood, reed mats, tarpaulins...

"This...is this going to work?" Li Xiulan thought the idea was too audacious.

"It has to be done, even if it's not feasible." Shu Ran continued writing. "The report must clearly state that this is not for me, Shu Ran, but to ensure that the children of our Production and Construction Corps are not left behind, to ensure that the children from the pastoral areas can stay and study with peace of mind, and to ensure that they can contribute more to the construction of the border region in the future. We must make sure to make this reasonable statement to the letter."

Her tone was crisp, but her thoughts were driven by a pragmatic self-interest. Of course, she wanted a better environment to teach. But this matter itself was altruistic, beneficial to the collective.

The next day, she took the report and sketch to Company Commander Ma.

Ma Zhanshan was overwhelmed with planning for production after the rain. He took the paper, glanced at it briefly, and his brows furrowed in worry.

“Teacher Shu, I understand how you feel. But look,” he pointed out the window, “the production tasks are heavy! All the labor is in the fields and on the irrigation ditches. Building houses? Where will the quotas come from? Where will the manpower come from? Director Zhao will be the first to reject it!”

“Company Commander,” Shu Ran said calmly, “the quotas are fixed, but people are flexible. We can build the adobe bricks slowly. We can use the timber, tar paper, and reed mats that the company has discarded or that are old materials stored in the warehouse. Or I can ask the regimental logistics department if we can find some old materials. All we need is for the company to agree to allocate a plot of land, coordinate the labor if necessary, and get a permit. Building this classroom will also reflect well on our livestock company, won’t it? When the division leaders come to inspect in the future, they will see that we are here, and the children can still study in a proper classroom. This will show that you can take care of the overall situation and manage both production and education!”

Ma Zhanshan pondered, tapping his fingers on the table. Finally, he pushed the report aside: "This matter needs to be discussed at the branch meeting. I'll go and talk to Secretary Liu first."

Shu Ran knew that she had passed half of the first hurdle.

The next afternoon after school, Shu Ran saw the children off and went directly to the construction site behind the company headquarters.

The foundation had been laid, and several workers were ramming the earthen wall, chanting slogans. Zhao Weidong was indeed there, pointing at the base of the wall and talking loudly to an experienced worker.

Shu Ran didn't get close; she watched from a distance. She observed how they secured the boards, how they checked the moisture level of the soil, and how they mixed chopped wheat straw into the mud to increase its resilience. The old craftsman held a level-like object in his hand, occasionally gesturing with it.

After watching for a while, she turned and went to the warehouse.

Old Sun was drying damp burlap sacks at the door when he saw her. He dusted himself off and said, "Teacher Shu? What a rare guest. Did your stuff spoil again?"

"Uncle Sun, I have something to ask you." Shu Ran asked respectfully, handing over a new pencil. "What are the standards for building a decent mud-brick house in our production and construction corps? How thick should the walls be? What materials should be used? Is there a set procedure?"

Old Sun paused for a moment, then looked her over: "Oh, you're asking about this? There must be regulations; the construction team has a tattered manual. As for materials..."

He took the pencil stub and counted on his fingers, “The adobe bricks have to be at least the standard size, about a hand's length, half a hand's width, and three fingers thick. They have to be completely dry, otherwise they won’t be able to bear weight. Good soil with low alkali is needed. The rafters have to be straight poplar or pine wood; red willow branches can only be used for roofs, not main rafters. The reed mats have to be newly made and thick. And we have to hang red cloth strips on the roof beam, it’s quite a hassle.”

"If it's adobe bricks, where would we even find a place to make them ourselves?"

“Look, that flat land by the flood dam at the west end is it. What, Teacher Shu really wants to build a house?” Old Sun found it a bit unbelievable.

"Let me ask first," Shu Ran smiled. "Could I borrow that handbook to take a look?"

"That's difficult. The construction team treats it like a treasure, and besides, it's all blueprints and numbers. Even you'd be confused looking at it!" Old Sun shook his head.

After leaving the warehouse, Shu Ran went to the adobe brick factory at the west end. Several teenagers were playing with mud there; the actual brick-making work had obviously stopped, as the labor force had probably been mobilized for the harvest. She saw some semi-dry adobe bricks piled up nearby, picked one up and weighed it in her hand—it was heavy and had rough edges. She tried to pry it with her fingers; the wet adobe brick crumbled easily.

She realized that this was far more complicated than she had imagined. Making adobe bricks herself would require specialized land, a large amount of water, and manpower—something she and her children simply couldn't manage on their own. She knew nothing about material standards or building codes.

At night, under the kerosene lamp, she made a list on the back of a piece of scrap paper, planning to find out the specific process, key difficulties, and required working hours for building the house from the experienced construction workers.

The next step is to get my hands on that manual, even if it's just for a glance, to know what the standards are.

We also need to hire someone to calculate the materials needed, down to the exact number of adobe bricks, rafters, and bundles of reed mats. We need to know the source and price of these materials, and how much it would cost in cash or work points.

Finally, assess your manpower: besides possible infrastructure support, what resources can you actually organize?

If none of the above works, then we need to look for policy support. Are there any documents from higher authorities regarding improving school conditions? Even just a single sentence.

The next day, instead of going to the company headquarters to find the leaders, she waited on her way home from work and stopped the old foreman she had seen at the construction site that day. The old foreman's surname was Qian; his face was deeply wrinkled, and his fingers were thick and covered in mud that couldn't be washed off.

"Master Qian, excuse me for taking a moment." Shu Ran adopted a very humble attitude. "I am Shu Ran, a teacher at Qiming Elementary School. I would like to ask you about building adobe houses. Our classroom has been leaking so badly the day before yesterday that it's unbearable to stay in."

Master Qian glanced at her and sighed, "Alas, that shed won't do. But building a house is difficult."

"I know it's difficult, so I want to learn from a master like you first, to see exactly where the difficulty lies, and how to take the first step." Shu Ran said sincerely, "I'm not afraid of difficulties, I'm just afraid of taking the wrong path and wasting my time." As she spoke, Shu Ran took out a pack of Xue Lian cigarettes from her pocket and stuffed it into Master Qian's pocket.

Master Qian sighed, squatted down by the roadside, picked up a twig, and started drawing on the ground: "The first step is to have land. Even though it's within the company, you still need the leader's approval to allocate the land. The second step is to prepare the materials. The adobe bricks are the biggest part; they need to be made well in advance and dried, otherwise the walls won't be sturdy. The wooden rafters need to be purchased from the forest belt, and the reed mats need to be woven by someone who knows how..."

He explained it in great detail, and Shu Ran listened even more attentively, asking questions every now and then. Finally, Master Qian said, "That manual of regulations is held by the construction team leader; it's not lent out. But... I can occasionally flip through it. If you don't understand anything, you can come and ask me."

"Thank you so much, Master Qian!" Shu Ran said.

She gradually gained a better understanding of the situation and felt more deeply the complexity of the matter.

She glanced in the direction of the company headquarters, thinking to herself: I need to write the application report, but now is not the time. I'll wait until I truly understand the ins and outs, have calculated the costs and benefits, and come up with a plan that is almost impossible to refute before I knock on that door.