"Dr. Li, you're embarrassing me. How could I possibly use those old demolition materials for you again? If you want them, I can bring them over for you to take a look. If they've been used, I won't charge you a penny for the carpenter's work this time."
Wow, now that they've put it this way, how could Li Chu possibly refuse? If they really are all made of golden nanmu and sandalwood, that would be absolutely amazing!
"Okay, find some time to bring it over and put it directly in the yard next door. I'll take a look then."
Li Chu understands things like wood, so he's not afraid of being fooled.
Seeing that the second rich man had settled the matter of the wood, the eldest rich man followed up by saying, "Dr. Li, I can get a batch of gold bricks from my side. Would you like them?"
"Cough cough..." Li Chu, who had just picked up his cup to drink water, almost choked on it because of his words.
"BRICS?"
The eldest son of the wealthy family knew from Li Chu's expression that he had misunderstood. He put down the floor plan in his hand and shook his hands together: "Dr. Li, it's my fault for not explaining clearly. You have misunderstood. To be precise, it should be called Beijing Brick. Later, it was called Gold Brick for the sake of sounding better."
After his explanation, Li Chu finally realized that what Boss Fu was talking about was the kind of floor tiles used in the imperial palace in the past. Because of their fine and dense texture, they made a metallic clanging sound when struck, hence the name "golden bricks." They were not made of gold, but rather of clay.
These floor tiles are quite large, basically two feet square, which is a square with a side length of more than sixty centimeters.
But as far as he knew, there were only a few thousand coins in the palace. Where did this rich guy get them from?
Believe it or not, these two brothers have quite a few good things in their possession; these remnants of the fallen dynasty should not be underestimated.
"Boss Fu, can you get your hands on this? How much can you get?"
"Dr. Li, if you're asking about paving your entire yard with these tiles, then I really don't have the ability to do that. But if it's just for the main house, then I can definitely get them. Of course, the price will be..."
I Have a Scroll of Ghost and Deity Illustrations
"Alright, bring them over here, as many as you want." Li Chu spoke with an air of wealth and arrogance.
"Dr. Li, that's great! Don't worry, everything my brother and I got for you is guaranteed to be genuine and of high quality. However, the cement, glass, and drainage pipes..."
"You don't need to worry about these things. Just give me a number later, and I'll find someone to buy it."
These are all planned supplies; it's impossible to buy them without an approval slip.
With the help of Boss Fu and his ilk, they can manage a small amount, but they can't handle more than that.
Therefore, Li Chu still needs to get these things himself.
"That's all, Dr. Li. It's getting late, so my brother and I will head over first. We'll start preparing the materials now. As for those we mentioned earlier, we'll find a chance to get them over there so you can take a look at them in person."
"Okay, anyway, they're just next door, so it'll be convenient either way."
After seeing the wealthy brothers off, Li Chu strolled around the courtyard, pondering carefully. He truly hadn't expected that the two brothers could still acquire such valuable items.
If we sturd it up properly, this yard won't need major repairs for a hundred years.
It really became a family heirloom for Old Li.
The problem is that Old Li's family is rather small.
Li Chu scratched his head, also a little confused as to why his wife could no longer get pregnant.
Did God only allow him to have one son and one daughter?
Thinking of this, he looked up at the sky. There were clouds tonight, and he couldn't see a single star.
He turned off the lights in the yard and went into the living room.
Taking off his coat, Li Chu quietly pushed open the bedroom door and went inside. It was pitch black inside, and the two children and his wife were already asleep.
He slowly retreated and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
When he lay down on the bed, Ding Qiunan, who was already asleep, coiled around him like a snake.
"What time is it? Why are you only coming in now?"
"It was a little past ten o'clock. We had just finished talking about the house over there."
"Have you all discussed this?"
"That's about it. They're preparing the materials first, and they'll start working after spring arrives."
“Li Chu, when I was lying in bed just now and couldn’t fall asleep, I was thinking, is such a big yard too big for just the four of us?”
Ding Qiunan is right about that; it is indeed a bit too big. And we'll need to install a doorbell at the main gate, otherwise we won't be able to hear anyone knocking when we're in the middle of the courtyard.
"So, how about we find some more people to live with us?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chu felt a pinch on his waist.
"What are you saying? You want someone to come and stay? Who are you looking for?"
"Didn't you say you felt our family was too small?"
"Hey, you're playing dumb with me, aren't you!" Ding Qiunan raised her upper body in the darkness.
Li Chu smiled bitterly to himself. He knew exactly what his wife meant, but it seemed that trying to brush it off with a laugh wouldn't work.
Alright, let's get back to work. Otherwise, we might upset someone and end up suffering the consequences.
He picked her up and sat her up, moved her to the edge of the bed, put on his slippers, and walked out of the bedroom.
Just as he was about to walk towards the study, Ding Qiunan whispered in his ear, "Let's stay in the living room tonight, and don't turn on the lights."
Alright, the sky is big, the earth is big, but my wife is the biggest. However, the four dogs are destined to be unlucky tonight.
He turned around and pulled the bedroom door shut, then cautiously walked to the sofa in the darkness.
...
It was past midnight when the two of them finally got back into bed.
Ding Qiunan nestled in her husband's arms, lazily said goodnight, and quickly fell asleep.
Li Chu was always in awe of his wife's speed in falling asleep; how could she fall asleep so quickly, within a minute?
He closed his eyes, his mind wandering, sometimes thinking about the neighbor's yard, sometimes about what his two children would do when they grew up.
Then I thought, what if my daughter runs into a scumbag when she grows up?
When the daughter was about to get married, it was precisely the time when the clash between Eastern and Western ideas was most intense in China.
My two kids can forget about ever going abroad.
Perhaps in the future, we might allow them to travel abroad, but for their schooling, work, and daily life, it's best to keep them in China.
He wasn't worried about his son in this regard. He and Wang Jun had already verbally arranged the marriage between their two children. As long as the two of them didn't cause any trouble when they grew up, the marriage was a done deal.
That's not right, the child is not even five years old yet, isn't this thinking too far ahead?
Realizing he had done something foolish, he raised his hand and gently patted his forehead.
Why worry so much? When they grow up, draw a line for them. As long as they stay within that range, let them do whatever they want. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings.
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