Although the temperature inside was much higher than outside, it was still not enough to take off my cotton-padded coat.
Fortunately, the kang (heated brick bed) was still warm.
Liang Liang sat on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove), a quilt covering his legs, handing out gifts to his family.
What was given to her father was still cigarettes and alcohol.
Wine is not easy to handle; it takes up a lot of space and is fragile.
Liang Liang brought two bottles with him, not Moutai or Wuliangye, but local military-brewed liquor, given to him by Qin Wenju.
I brought two packs of cigarettes, which were the kind of red camellia cigarettes that were sold in stores back then.
For the mother, sister, and brother, the most practical thing was naturally clothing, one set for each of them.
She also brought back some cosmetics and a bunch of snacks for her mother.
The mother had no objections to anything else, but she had some complaints about cosmetics.
Her reasoning was that she was almost 40 years old, so why should she wear cosmetics? A little face cream would suffice.
“What are you saying? You’re old at 40? It’s still early. You have many good days ahead of you. In another ten years, I’ll buy a car and take you and Dad to travel all over the country to see the beautiful landscapes of our motherland.”
"Buy a car? You really dare to dream. There isn't even a single motorcycle in Liangshui Bay right now!"
Back in 1993, not only Liangshui Bay, but the entire Pingshan Village didn't have a single motorcycle, not even the Happiness 250 motorcycles that the fishmongers rode.
"The changes in this world are astonishing. In ten years, we might actually be able to afford a car. That day will come."
Liang Liang remembers very clearly that in 2003, a wholesaler in Gaobao Township owned the township's first private car, a Buick.
Before 2003, Liang Liang will have his own car, and I guarantee it will be better than that Buick.
Liang Qiuqiu wasn't interested in the car; what she was interested in now was the pile of snacks, which she munched on endlessly like a mouse.
"Leave some for your second brother, so you don't eat it all."
Liang Liang's younger brother is a diligent and good boy. He goes to school early in the morning with his schoolbag on his back.
Hey! Why aren't you going to school?
"I'm sick!" Liang Qiuqiu said without hesitation.
"Are you sure? The way you're putting it in your mouth doesn't look like you're sick at all."
"Usually, seeing delicious food helps alleviate my symptoms a bit," Liang Qiuqiu replied seriously.
Who taught this child to lie so much?
"Are you done eating? If you are, get out of here and stop making me angry!"
Liang Qiuqiu filled her little cloth bag before excitedly running out to play.
After taking his younger sister out, Liang Liang took out a whole stack of hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and placed them in front of his mother.
This is 10,000 yuan of the 13,000 yuan prize money from the Haikou competition.
"This is the money I've earned recently. I didn't have time to mail it back, so I brought it back with me."
"It's dangerous to walk around with so much money on you."
The mother was no longer surprised that Liang Liang brought money home, but she was still bothered by the fact that he carried so much money on his trip.
Since her son left home in May, Liang Liang has sent a total of 70,000 to 80,000 yuan home.
This was a staggering sum of money in the rural areas at that time.
"Son! We're building a house next spring. What kind of house do you think we should build?"
What's there to consider?
There are essentially three types of houses built in the countryside: ridge houses, single-story houses, and small multi-story houses.
Of these three types of buildings, the ridge house is the cheapest, while the multi-story house is the most expensive.
Liang Liang rejected both the cheapest and the most expensive options.
“Build a single-story house! A ridge house is too low-class, and building a small building will be more troublesome to deal with in the future. Let’s build a single-story house! A five-room, nine-meter-span single-story house.”
In five or six years, around 1998, the Liaonan region will promote the development of rural towns, and the roadsides in Gaopu Township will be developed.
By then, at the very least, Liang Liang's family will build a small house in Gaopu Township, and if they want to live a more luxurious life, they might settle down in Yahe City.
He had no intention of going to a big city.
In this case, it's questionable whether he can sell the small building he builds here in the future.
Therefore, a bungalow is the best option as it is both stylish and easy to manage in the future.
After living here for six or seven years, I'll sell the bungalow and build a small house by the roadside in the township. We'll decide where to live next later.
Building a single-story house, from laying the foundation to moving in, costs 20,000 yuan, which is within the Liang family's means given their current financial situation.
"Have you found a bricklayer yet?"
"Found them! It's Xie Decai and his group from our team."
Xu Decai and his group started building houses around 1995; they were also a team of experienced bricklayers.
"How's the preparation of the materials going?"
Bricklayers only earn money for their labor in building houses; they don't provide materials. You have to buy all the materials yourself when building a house.
"We've hauled enough stones for the foundation, and the sand is almost ready too. We've only hauled 10,000 bricks, and the timber is all ready. We won't need the cement until construction starts. All we need now is the steel reinforcement for the upper and lower ring beams," Liang Bentang explained to his son.
It seems like we're not that far off in terms of materials.
"I'll still be out and about after the New Year, so I can't help at home at all. It'll just be up to you and Mom to work hard."
"It's alright! We can move into our new house next July or August. Once the new house is built, we'll find you a wife and arrange an engagement."
"Mom! I'm so young, why are you in such a hurry? It's like your son can't find a wife."
"Find a good one early, so you don't end up not finding one later."
I'm so tired of Liang Liang. He'll have enough to worry about when he brings someone home. My mother is also worried that he won't be able to find a good one.
It's time to go out for a stroll; otherwise, most of Mother's conversations will likely revolve around her marriage prospects.
He's technically a few days shy of 18, so why is he already arranging marriages for him?
Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.
Liang Liang got off the floor and hung the instrument case on the wall: "Don't let my sister and brother touch it! It's worth seven or eight thousand yuan! I'm going to wander around the small shops downstairs."
"Come back for dinner at 11 o'clock!"
Liang Liang left his house and walked out of the courtyard, imagining that he had arrived at the small shop at the street corner where they lived.
The shop is busiest in winter, with people crowding around the stove and everywhere else.
From teenagers as young as fifteen or sixteen to men in their sixties or seventies, the participants span all age groups and include both men and women.
After entering, Liang Liang greeted each of the men, young and old, in the shop.
The man offered cigarettes, and the woman sprinkled candy.
Next came answering various questions from the villagers, which meant introducing himself and what he had been doing outside lately.
I chatted with the villagers at the small shop until noon, then went home for lunch.
After lunch, Liang Liang returned to the room where she and her younger brother lived, intending to take a nap first.
For now, I don't want to think about anything. I just want to rest and have some fun at home. I'll start thinking about gathering a band in three days.
Oh no! Wang Fan doesn't have a pager or a phone number.
He has to go to his house to find him.
What bad luck!
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