The next day, Wei Aiguo met his master and his son. They made a good impression on him; they seemed like honest and reliable people. After a brief chat, Wei Aiguo learned a lot about them.
The eldest son took over his father's job, and the old man is now unemployed at home. The third son returned to the city with his wife. Without a formal job and with a family to support, life must be tough.
They're eager to find odd jobs using their skills. It seems they also want to build a reputation so that work will come their way in the future!
Wei Aiguo stated his requirements. They estimated the materials needed for the house repairs would cost around two hundred yuan.
For example, the garden in the middle of the yard was completely destroyed, and they had to rebuild the flower bed enclosure.
There's an underfloor heating system in this house, but it seems to have been unused for many years. The collapsed areas need to be repaired and cleared.
"Earth dragon" was a term Wei Aiguo had never heard before. But as soon as Master Ji explained it, he understood—wasn't this just like a firewall? This was a good thing; we had to build it.
The windows and doors all need to be repainted. The beams and pillars should also ideally be repainted to make them last longer.
The kang (heated brick bed) also needs to be rebuilt.
The roof tiles need to be strung together, as some are broken.
The toilets and other facilities also need to be tidied up...
After counting all the items, it seems like it only cost 200 yuan, which isn't expensive at all.
They want a 100 yuan labor fee.
However, the third son's carpentry work is not included in this calculation. The cost of carpentry work depends on the amount of work required.
Aunt Ji acted as guarantor, and Wei Aiguo gave her two hundred yuan first.
Wei Aiguo pulled out two hundred yuan without batting an eye. His wife gave him a thousand yuan, so he had plenty of money in his pocket.
After the negotiations were completed, both parties signed an agreement. Wei Aiguo followed Ji Laosan, who had finished taking the measurements, to the scrap metal recycling station. They didn't return until the afternoon, having made a considerable haul.
After an afternoon of observation, it became clear that Ji Laosan was quite knowledgeable. He spoke eloquently about the types of wood used in the furniture.
At the scrap metal recycling station, Wei Aiguo saw a bed with carved decorations on the surrounding railings and a canopy.
After examining it, Ji Laosan quietly remarked that it was a fine piece of furniture; it was a canopy bed made of huanghuali wood. However, buying something like that would be too conspicuous.
Wei Aiguo understood what Ji Laosan meant.
Wei Aiguo felt his wife would definitely like this kind of thing. His mother lived in the easternmost room with a kang (heated brick bed). He planned to live in the westernmost main room with Song Yan. The plan was to build another kang. He wondered if replacing it with a bed would be acceptable?
The west room is not big enough to accommodate both a kang (heated brick bed) and a bed.
Wei Aiguo: "Will it be cold in winter if I sleep in the west room of my house?"
Ji Laosan: "It's cold here in winter, but there are plenty of people who don't live on a heated brick bed. Besides, your house has a central heating system; if you're willing to burn it, the house will be very warm."
The warehouse was huge, with all sorts of furniture piled up almost to the ceiling. Most of it was broken; very few pieces were intact.
Wei Aiguo pulled Ji Laosan inside, and quietly asked the old man at the recycling station, "With your skills, can you take it apart and then put it back together when we get back?"
Ji Laosan's eyes lit up. Afraid that the old man at the purchasing station would hear if he said too much, he nodded with bright eyes.
Wei Aiguo understood, and he looked through everything. There were quite a few things in the house that he could actually use.
Wei Aiguo: "This bed is quite nice-looking, and it looks pretty sturdy. How much is it, sir? Don't make it too expensive, or I can't afford it."
The old man looked at the bed, then at Wei Aiguo, and said, "Don't be fooled by how old this bed is; it's still worth something. It's just... it was used by those capitalists back then."
Wei Aiguo: "Grandpa, those people are just being fussy. Look at this place, it's just a sleeping area, yet they've carved so many flowers there."
"Brother, aren't you a carpenter? Could you take this bed apart? I just need a bed I can sleep on; I don't want any of the fancy stuff."
"Okay!" Old Ji agreed and got into bed, patting the ceiling a few times. A panel on the ceiling actually fell off.
The bed is constructed entirely of mortise and tenon joints. Those in the know will find the last installed plank, making disassembly much easier from there.
"Hey! This bed belongs to the government, you can't touch it!"
Wei Aiguo: "That bed was just for show. Look, my third brother took it apart right away. It wasn't very sturdy."
Ji Laosan was just checking the situation; he wouldn't dare dismantle the bed directly. He nodded.
Wei Aiguo: "Grandpa, I really don't have a bed. This bed frame looks pretty sturdy. I don't want the surrounding parts, you can take them all apart and keep them for firewood! I just want the sleeping part of the bed, is that alright?"
The old man at the scrap metal recycling station said, "We didn't plan to sell it like this."
"Sir, to be honest, who would dare to buy this bed with this canopy and enclosure? Besides, it's not very practical! You might as well dismantle it and sell it."
"Didn't you disassemble and sell the larger items?" Wei Aiguo said, handing over a pack of cigarettes that cost three mao (0.3 yuan).
The old man thought about it and realized that made sense. "You wait here, I'll go ask the leader."
"Grandpa, just ask how much this firewood costs. My family needs it to heat our kang (heated brick bed)," Wei Aiguo said, and the old man didn't doubt him at all. The bed was too conspicuous in his house. He thought no one would dare to do this.
The old man went out, and Ji Laosan quickly said to Wei Aiguo, "These four round-backed chairs and six folding chairs are all quite good. They are all made of good wood. Although the round-backed chairs have some defects, they can all be repaired when we get back."
Wei Aiguo nodded without hesitation.
Ji Laosan could tell that the other person was really wealthy. He also liked these things; since he couldn't afford to buy them himself, helping others buy them was a pleasure. He was also willing to repair these things. Otherwise, it would break his heart to see such nice things destroyed.
"I don't know if you'd like to have a study. This chaise lounge would be perfect for a study."
"I think these items must have come from the same manufacturer; they're all made of the same wood, and the craftsmanship is almost identical," asked Ji Laosan. He genuinely wanted Wei Aiguo to buy the chaise longue.
Such good stuff will be ruined if it stays in this damp warehouse any longer.
Wei Aiguo felt he didn't need a study, but his wife would definitely like it; she liked pretty things. "Keeping a side room as a study would be fine. I wonder how much that would cost. If the price is right..."
"They also know that the wooden furniture here will deteriorate if left for too long. Although we can't negotiate the price down, the price was set in advance. But we can ask for extra."
"If you give him another pack of cigarettes, tell him to wait for us after work. It'll be a little late, so I'll find someone to help you haul it back. It won't be conspicuous. I guarantee the hauling fee won't be high," Ji Laosan interrupted Wei Aiguo anxiously.
What Ji Laosan said was exactly what Wei Aiguo wanted to say. He wanted to buy these things, but how could he get them back? They were too conspicuous.
Well, this guy has already thought of everything for me.
“Okay!” Wei Aiguo agreed.
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