Reborn in 1977

Chen Fan had already built a half-meter-high wooden架子 by the wall in the backyard to keep out moisture, specifically for storing cement and steel bars. With the help of Anquan and the driver, the truckload of goods was quickly unloaded.

He gave the driver two packs of Mudan cigarettes and a set of pottery he had made himself, happily sending him off.

This was only because of Chen Laoshi and Anquan's influence, considered a small gift; otherwise, he would likely have had to provide a meal and drinks.

There was no other way. Drivers these days were just that arrogant. Even a tractor driver had to be treated differently. If it were a mule-drawn cart "driver," two packs of economy cigarettes or one pack of Mudan cigarettes would have sufficed.

Of course, the transportation fee was separate.

Lu Siye had just told him this morning that people were divided into different classes, but in fact, there was no need to divide them into classes; distinctions were everywhere.

The sound of the tractor faded into the distance. Anquan clapped the dust off his hands, took the cigarette Chen Fan offered, lit it with a lighter, and looked at the wooden frame, saying, "Even if you keep it half a meter off the ground, you can't leave it for too long. From now until the double抢 harvest season, not to mention anything else, the plum rain season alone will cause most of this cement to become damp."

Chen Fan also took out a cigarette and lit it, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll build a shed later and borrow a piece of tarpaulin from the brigade headquarters to cover it. That should last for a while."

Anquan looked at him, "Let me tell you, don't think I brought you so much cement at once. There won't be any more if you want it. This stuff is very difficult to get; it's a planned commodity. Ordinary people who want to buy it have to beg and plead. It's good if they can buy three or five bags. You want to build a building, and I brought you twenty bags all at once. There won't be even one more bag, even if you're a great writer."

After a pause, he suddenly smiled, "Unless you can gain the appreciation of the county leaders, then that's another story."

Chen Fan shrugged, "I don't know anyone in the county. I might as well rely on you to appreciate me."

Anquan laughed loudly, "Then let's appreciate each other."

Chen Fan smiled, looked at the pile of things, and said softly, "To be honest, I actually want to build a lot of things, so I don't know if this cement will be enough."

Hearing this, Anquan's expression changed.

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to help me buy more."

Anquan rolled his eyes, "There won't be any more even if you ask."

Chen Fan smiled, "The proportion of concrete is generally one part cement, two parts sand, and three parts gravel. These 20 bags can be used for a lot."

After a pause, he added, "But I still want to prepare more special soil cement, partly for plastering walls, and partly to use as a substitute if there isn't enough cement."

Anquan hummed twice, "Soil cement is soil cement. What's special soil cement?"

Chen Fan gestured, "Let's go talk in the front."

Entering the courtyard through the back door, Chen Fan looked at the two round little pigs in the pigsty, the two little lambs that had already shed their fluff, patted the head of the little foal reaching out, and touched the nose of the little mare, walking straight ahead.

Passing by the bamboo cages for raising rabbits, Anquan suddenly asked, "When can your rabbits be taken out of the cage?"

Chen Fan looked at the several large, fat rabbits in the cage and said without turning his head, "I told Captain Ye a few days ago; it should be about half a month."

Anquan nodded, "Before transplanting rice seedlings, I also ran to several production teams with Lao Ye, contacted other cadres stationed there, and reached a cooperation agreement with them. It is estimated that after transplanting rice seedlings, a large number of seedlings of chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs will be sent over, as well as a small number of horses, donkeys, and sheep. When this batch of seedlings arrives, it is estimated that we will be busy."

Chen Fan understood what he meant, "Got it, I will stagger the time with the seedlings they send."

He turned his head and smiled, "Anyway, the rabbit seedlings are all here. Come and take them whenever you have time. It's fine."

Anquan smiled and said nothing, looking at the rabbits as he walked, seeing the large and small rabbits jumping restlessly in the cages, he couldn't help but nod secretly.

He thought to himself, no wonder Zhou Station Chief was so keen to bring this man into the veterinary profession. He even had a knack for raising rabbits. It was estimated that this breeding plan should not have too many twists and turns.

Arriving at the front yard, Yang Ju and the others had already gone to work. Seeing them coming, Jiang Lili took the initiative to return to her room to study, leaving the comprehensive office to them.

Chen Fan took a cup and asked, "Do you want to drink Yip's herbal tea or the green tea fried by Team 9?"

Anquan was stunned, "You have green tea from Team 9?"

As soon as he said this, he realized, "That's right, you are now a popular figure in Lujiawan. It's only right that Lao Zhong sent you some green tea."

Then he gestured, "Then let's have green tea. It's been many years since I've had this stuff."

Chen Fan took out the bamboo tube of green tea that Lao Peng had sent from the cabinet, used a bamboo chip to scoop a little into the cup, put the bamboo tube back, turned around, and smiled, "Next year, Team 9 won't have to send it. I asked for a few tea trees that Captain Lao Yang dug from Team 9 and planted them in the medicine garden. If I take good care of them for a year, I should be able to pick a lot of tea next year. I'll send you a can then."

Anquan nodded with a smile, "Okay, I'll wait for it."

Chen Fan poured himself a jar of Yip's herbal tea with a large teapot, sat down on the other side of the table, turned his head, and looked at him, saying, "I've been reading the book 'Construction Technology' these past two days, and there is a section that specifically introduces several types of soil that acted as cement in ancient times, such as glutinous rice juice rammed earth for building city walls, and fermented soil that can be waterproof and moisture-proof, used for coating exterior walls."

Hearing this, Anquan understood, "That's the special soil cement you mentioned just now?"

Chen Fan nodded and said, pursing his lips, "Glutinous rice juice rammed earth is too difficult to obtain. It requires at least several hundred catties of glutinous rice. Not to mention that there is not so much glutinous rice to buy, even if there is, I wouldn't dare to use it."

Anquan said half-jokingly, "If you dare to use it, I'll be the first to report you."

Chen Fan laughed and continued, "So I can only use fermented soil. According to the data written in the book, the effect of this special soil cement is actually not worse than cement, and it is even better in terms of heat insulation, insulation, moisture resistance, and crack resistance. The reason why it has not been popularized is because the production process is very cumbersome and time-consuming."

He said, smiling, turning his head to look at Anquan, "Fortunately, I don't have anything else, but I have time. After transplanting rice seedlings, I will ask Captain Yang to help find a few people to build a simple cellar for making fermented soil."

Anquan asked curiously, "What's so special about this fermented soil?"

Chen Fan explained, "Fermented soil is somewhat similar to the soil cement used in rural areas. It also uses clay, fine sand, lime, and plant ash as the main ingredients for mixing. The only difference is that several fresh medicinal herbs must also be added to the mixed soil and fermented together, utilizing the ingredients of these herbs to ferment with the mixed soil."

He pointed outside and said with a smile, "Now is a good time for medicinal herbs to grow. I can pick enough in two or three days alone, chop them up, mix them with the mixed soil, and then pile them into the cellar to ferment. The fermentation time is about half a month to 20 days, and then you can get a kind of loose-looking black soil. When you want to use it, just mix it with water, and you can use it like concrete."

Anquan clicked his tongue, "I was thinking what a good thing it was, with an effect better than ordinary cement, and I even wanted to promote it in rural areas. But listening to you say it's so troublesome,"

He shook his head repeatedly, "Forget it."

Rural areas already have soil cement. Various materials are mixed together, and a water buffalo is used to pull a stone roller to plow it several times, and then it can be used directly. Why bother to add any medicinal herbs or ferment it?

Just for a better effect? Isn't it too troublesome?! And wouldn't it be better to dry those medicinal herbs and send them to the medicinal materials store to exchange for money?

He glanced at Chen Fan, shaking his head and sighing, "I'm afraid only someone like you, who is rich and has plenty of free time, would not find it troublesome."

Chen Fan immediately denied, "I don't have money!"

After a pause, he added, "In fact, this kind of fermented soil exists in many places. Lujiawan also has it, but you just don't know it."

Anquan looked at him in surprise, "Lujiawan has it? Who has used it?"

Chen Fan pointed in the direction of Team 5, "The courtyard wall of the Lu Family Courtyard is made of fermented soil, and many of the brick walls inside the house also use fermented soil as the bonding material."

Anquan rolled his eyes slightly, "That's not right. You just said that fermented soil is black, but the courtyard wall of the Lu Family Courtyard is yellow. It's obviously just ordinary yellow mud smeared on it."

Chen Fan smiled, "How many repairs do you see on the outside of that courtyard wall?"

Anquan frowned and thought, shaking his head gently, "I didn't notice."

Chen Fan smiled, "I paid attention. Except for a very few cracks, there are almost no signs of repair. Can ordinary yellow mud be used for so many years and still be intact?"

An Quan opened his mouth, "So, this kind of fermented soil used to be quite common?"

Chen Fan shrugged, "It was very common regionally, but in terms of the user base, only landlords and wealthy people could afford it."

City people don't build earthen-walled houses, and ordinary rural farmers can't afford this kind of fermented soil, so isn't it only the landlords and wealthy people who can use it?

He suddenly chuckled, "If there's not enough cement, I'll play the role of a landlord and build a house with fermented soil. After it's finished, I'll smear a layer of fermented soil on the brick walls. Once it dries, it'll be a layer of yellow mud. From the outside, it'll look like an earthen-walled house!"

An Quan scoffed, "Come on, where do you see a two-story earthen-walled house?"

Without saying a word, Chen Fan went back into the house, grabbed the book "Construction Technology," opened it, searched for a bit, and then handed it to him, "Take a look, isn't this a two-story earthen-walled house?"

An Quan held the book, his eyes almost popping out, "There really is a two-story earthen-walled house?!"

Chen Fan rubbed his hands and smiled at him, "Even rammed-earth city walls over ten meters high can be built, so why can't an earthen-walled house five or six meters high be built?"

After a pause, he took the book back from An Quan and chuckled softly, "I've also thought about it. Building a two-story brick house in this place is a bit too ostentatious. It's better to be low-key."

"Later, I'll use this fermented soil to plaster the exterior walls, and I won't even use roof tiles. I'll just put a thatched roof on it. Although it needs to be repaired every year, thickening it a bit can save a lot of trouble. Moreover, compared to a tiled roof, a thatched roof is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, making it more comfortable to live in."

An Quan pointed at him, and after a long while, he finally managed to say, "You're being too careful. As long as you don't make mistakes, even if you build a big villa here, who can do anything to you?"

Chen Fan shook his head, "Caution prevents big mistakes. We should avoid trouble whenever possible. Blending in with the world is the highest state of life."

An Quan scoffed, "Tch, you're even bringing out the highest state of life. Look at how capable you think you are."

Then, looking at him, "I don't care how you build your house, I'm just coming over to eat. By the way, how's my belt coming along?"

Chen Fan, "Oh."

He was just about to talk about the progress, but he suddenly stopped, turned to look at An Quan, and asked in a deep voice, "Where's the leather I asked for?"

His expression was no different from a criminal transaction scene.

Unfortunately, An Quan didn't understand his joke and waved his hand, saying, "Don't worry, I won't embezzle your leather. I'll send it over to you tomorrow."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, "Then your belt is also ready, except for two things."

An Quan, "What two things?"

Chen Fan, "One is the belt buckle, but I'll get that done in the next few days. The other is rivets."

An Quan hadn't recovered from the surprise that Chen Fan was even taking care of the belt buckle, and he was shocked by the next sentence, "Rivets? What do rivets have to do with the belt?"

Chen Fan, "Using rivets to fix the belt can better secure it and make it more aesthetically pleasing."

After a pause, he looked at An Quan, "I asked at the supply and marketing cooperative, and they said that only the electronics equipment store in the county town sells rivets. If you know someone, please ask them to bring back a few more, as I'll also need them for making saddles. If you don't have any connections in that area, then I'll have to wait until I'm done with this to go to the county town myself to buy them."

Without saying a word, An Quan immediately asked, "What kind of rivets do you need?"

Chen Fan smiled slightly, "I knew you'd have a way."

Then, gesturing, he said, "I need the largest size. I'm making belts and saddles, so the smaller ones won't do."

An Quan nodded, "Okay, wait for it."

After speaking, he got up and left.

Chen Fan quickly stood up and followed behind, "Don't leave, have dinner here today."

Without turning his head, An Quan waved his hand, "I'm not eating, I still have to go to the fields to keep an eye on things. Maybe next time."

As soon as he finished speaking, he had already left the courtyard gate and strode towards the paddy fields.

Chen Fan smiled as he watched his back, then turned and went into the courtyard.

Jiang Lili walked out of the room and asked softly, "Is Chief An gone?"

Chen Fan nodded, "He's gone to the fields."

Jiang Lili pursed her lips and said, "I finished reading all the magazines this morning. Where's the manuscript for your second novel? I'll help you transcribe it."

Chen Fan looked at her and suddenly smiled, "I feel like you just want to read the next installment."

Jiang Lili's face turned slightly red, and she chuckled twice, "It's mainly for transcription."

"Okay."

Chen Fan didn't say much, quickly walked to the room, put the book away, took out his own handwritten draft, turned around, came out, and handed it to her, "It's all here."

Jiang Lili quickly took it with both hands, opened the manuscript, and smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescents.

Chen Fan shook his head with a smile, "You can transcribe it slowly, I'm going to the brigade headquarters to work."

As he spoke, he was about to leave.

But Jiang Lili suddenly stopped him, "Xiao Fan."

Chen Fan stopped his steps to turn around, looked back at her, "What?"

Jiang Lili looked at the manuscript in her hand, then looked at him, with a bit of flattering smile on her face, "Can I ask you a question?"

Chen Fan raised his eyebrows slightly, "Speak."

Jiang Lili raised the manuscript in her hand and asked curiously, "I want to ask you, how did you practice your handwriting? I feel like your calligraphy has improved so quickly recently."

Calligraphy?

Chen Fan looked at the manuscript in her hand and smiled, "Oh, maybe it's because I've been practicing large characters recently, and my calligraphy has improved a bit, which has also led to some improvement in my hard-pen calligraphy."

"Hard-pen calligraphy?"

Jiang Lili murmured a sentence, then looked up at Chen Fan and said softly, "Hard-pen calligraphy, is that the same as fountain pen writing?"

Chen Fan's eyes rolled slightly, and he nodded inexplicably, "Yes."

Jiang Lili pursed her lips, then gently bit her tongue. She clearly had something to say, but she hesitated.

Chen Fan immediately put his hands on his hips and smiled at her, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. With our relationship, what can't be said?"

Hearing this, Jiang Lili's face turned slightly red, and she finally mustered up the courage to say, "I want to learn hard-pen calligraphy from you, can I?"

"Learn hard-pen calligraphy from me?"

Chen Fan first said with a wry smile, and was about to say that it would be better to buy a calligraphy copybook and practice it yourself than to learn from him.

At this moment, there was suddenly a boom in his head, and he was struck by lightning.

Seeing his face change suddenly, Jiang Lili couldn't help but roll her eyes twice, and then looked at him and asked softly, "What's wrong, is it not possible?"

But Chen Fan suddenly laughed, opened his arms and hugged her, let go, and smiled at her, "Yes, of course, it's possible."

Jiang Lili was stunned on the spot, at a loss.

What's the situation?

Chen Fan was so happy that he spun around in place, muttering to himself, "Hard-pen calligraphy, copybook, made a fortune, made a fortune…!!!"

Question: What was the best-selling book in the 1980s and 1990s?

Parentheses: Excluding "Mao Zi."

This "best-selling book" only looks at sales, nothing else.

Answer: "Pang Zhonghua Calligraphy Copybook"!

Really! Throughout the 1980s, Pang Zhonghua's booklet "Talking About Learning to Write Fountain Pen Characters" sold a full 10 million copies.

At that time, Wang Shuo, who was known as the number one madman in the literary world, had a novel that sold only hundreds of thousands of copies, but he was already sought after by the masses and became extremely arrogant. However, Pang Zhonghua's calligraphy copybook outsold him by dozens of times.

Not only that, from the 1980s to the 1990s and then to the 2010s, in 30 years, the genuine sales of "Pang Zhonghua Calligraphy Copybook" exceeded 150 million copies, most of which were sold in the first 15 years. If you include the sales of pirated copies, the number cannot be estimated. It can only be said that it is conservatively estimated to exceed 450 million copies.

Which student in that era hadn't practiced "Pang Zhonghua Calligraphy Copybook"?!

Therefore, if Chen Fan wants to make money by writing, whether he writes martial arts or writes about the wounded, or other messy things, in terms of making money, "teaching writing" is number one!

Thinking of this, how could Chen Fan not be overjoyed?

Jiang Lili's words simply opened up a huge treasure trove for him. This kind of book doesn't involve plagiarism. Mr. Pang writes his own, and Chen Fan writes his own, allowing the majority of students to choose their favorite font. At most, it's just free competition, and he doesn't feel any psychological burden.

If he remembers correctly, the first edition of "Talking About Learning to Write Fountain Pen Characters" was published in 1980. As long as he can get ahead and launch his own "Brief Discussion on Hard-Pen Calligraphy," he can seize the opportunity, or at least grab half of the gold mine.

Then, after a little operation, there will be only two words left, "Make a fortune"!