Reborn in 1977

Just as Chen Fan ran out of the small path in front of the educated youth spot, he saw a group of people digging pits and burying water pipes along the road.

Immediately, he unconsciously slowed down his horse.

Zhang Wenliang caught up from behind, looked over in the direction of his gaze, and said with a smile, "Those are the master construction workers from the county water tower giving guidance.

They have also built water towers for the villages next to the county town before.

In the beginning, the water pipes were placed in the ditches, but sometimes when scooping water from the ditches, or doing other things, it was easy to bump into the water pipes, and there were even cases where the water pipes were damaged with a shovel.

So, according to his design, the water pipes should be placed as far as possible from places where cultivation takes place, and they should also be buried deep underground.

If they must be exposed, they should also be wrapped with multiple layers of material, and the wrapping material must have a certain degree of protection, so that it cannot be easily damaged.

The requirements are quite high…"

Riding his horse at a slow pace, Zhang Wenliang told Chen Fan about the current water pipe laying situation, "He said that our place is relatively easy to lay pipes.

One goes east and the other goes west, and one water pipe goes straight to the middle of the village.

Like your Team 6, you can connect to each household by pulling another straight line.

Our Team 5 is a little more troublesome.

In addition to a straight line, we have to go around in a circle, which costs more pipes."

Zhang Wenliang kept talking along the way.

In fact, Chen Fan knew all of these things, but seeing him like this, it was obvious that he was overly excited, so he didn't stop him and let him talk to his heart's content.

Now, in the entire Nanhu Commune, apart from the commune government compound and the waterway transportation company, Lujiawan has tap water.

It doesn't matter whether it's third or not, the main thing is that they can use tap water, so it's understandable to be so excited.

After talking for a long time, Zhang Wenliang suddenly asked, "Hey, I heard An Ge say that the water pipes in your house have been laid?"

Chen Fan nodded, "Yes, faucets have been installed in the kitchen, bathroom, and two restrooms.

The inlet is behind the kitchen, and it can be used as soon as the main water pipe is connected."

He had considered the issue of tap water when building the house.

When tap water is connected to the village, it is only responsible for connecting one faucet, wherever it is fixed.

For him, it would definitely be less convenient.

There are two restrooms in his house, so he can't possibly carry water there even after tap water is connected.

So, when the house was being finished, he asked An Quan for help and bought dozens of meters of cast iron water pipes from the hardware store in the county.

He also hired a professional plumber to come to his door, bringing various heavy tools to connect the pipes section by section.

First, he laid all the parts that would be used in the house, waiting for the tap water to be turned on so that it could be connected.

However, considering that the lifespan of cast iron water pipes at this time was only 30 to 50 years, he did not use the embedded process, but directly buried the water pipes in the ground after simple rust prevention treatment.

The pipes also ran along the outer wall upwards, then a hole was drilled through the wall into the house, and the hole was sealed with cement.

For this reason, he owed another sum of money for the water pipes.

Now, no one doubted that he really didn't have any money, because the money to buy the water pipes was advanced from the team after selling rabbits!

In fact, plastic water pipes were already available at this time.

As long as there was no external damage, they could be used until the new century without any problems.

They were also not easily cracked by freezing in winter, and there would be no rusty water or other problems.

But Chen Fan still chose cast iron pipes.

Because plastic pipes were expensive!

(Only the invoice for plastic water pipes, 6 yuan per kilogram.

Cast iron pipes are several times cheaper)

The two rode their horses and chatted, and soon arrived at the small earthen slope between Team 5 and Team 6.

This place belongs to Team 6's territory, but because it is a barren earthen slope, it was not included in the cultivated land in the first place, so there is no question of compensation.

Just start construction directly.

On the top of the earthen slope, dozens of people were digging the foundation together.

As the shovels flew, the foundation was dug in a short time.

Then, the laborers were pulled away to dig pits and bury pipes, leaving only a dozen people here to assist the master builders of the construction team in building the water tower.

The two master craftsmen invited from the county construction company were smoking and chatting with Captain Yang and others, occasionally shouting a few words to point out the main points of building the water tower.

From the enthusiastic attitude of Master Wang, the captain of the construction team, one could tell that his words were all to the point.

These old master craftsmen of this era, no matter what their attitude is, their attitude towards work can definitely be described as rigorous.

Since they have come, they will not be perfunctory.

Smoking is smoking, but that is because there are too many major workers here, and they don't need to do anything themselves.

They only need to say a few words casually, and the major workers can immediately understand the essentials, and work well and quickly.

Even these two master craftsmen praised them, and said that they would recommend them to work in the county construction company.

Master Wang and the others naturally declined with a smile.

Working in the commune construction team, the income is not low and it is close to home, so why go far away from home to work in the county?

They are unfamiliar with the place, and the salary may not be very high, so why would working in the commune be comfortable.

Seeing Chen Fan coming over, Secretary Yang immediately waved to him, and then said to the two master craftsmen, "This is the great hero of our small water tower construction.

That diesel engine was bought back by him from the prefectural committee, and this water tower was also designed by him, Chen Fan, Teacher Chen."

He turned to look at Chen Fan, "These two are the master craftsmen from the county construction team, this one is surnamed Qiu, and this one is surnamed Ma."

Chen Fan immediately extended both hands, "Hello, Master Qiu, hello, Master Ma, thank you for your hard work."

Master Qiu had already shone his eyes, extended his hand to hold it, "So you are Teacher Chen, seeing is believing!"

The other Master Ma also shook hands with Chen Fan, and said with a smile on his face, "Sure enough, he is a man of talent.

No wonder he can publish articles in the Prefectural Committee Daily and 'Jiangnan Literature and Art'.

There are two of your articles in this month's 'Jiangnan Literature and Art', right?

Amazing, amazing!"

One is naturally the serialized "On the Field of Hope", and the other is a Shuangqiang novel created by Chen Fan with Jiang Lili and the others as prototypes in order to buy an electric fan.

Because the emotions were real and he was an "old customer", it was also adopted by "Jiangnan Literature and Art" magazine and published in the latest issue on August 1.

It can be regarded as catching the tail of Shuangqiang and gaining a wave of popularity, causing a great response in Jiangnan Province.

Want to ask how Chen Fan knew?

The magazine sent him two large packages, all of which were letters from readers all over the province to Chen Fan at the magazine.

A large part was because of "On the Field of Hope", and the other part was that novel.

Moreover, most of these letters were from female readers.

For this reason, Zhang Wenliang and Yang Xingxiu also gave Chen Fan a nickname, called "Friend of Women"!

In addition, Chen Fan's original purpose was not in vain.

Among the manuscript adoption coupons sent to him by the magazine, there were two precious electric fan coupons, which can be regarded as fulfilling his wish.

He returned one electric fan coupon to Zhang Wenliang, and bought another electric fan, just one for his room and one for the girls, and spent this Shuangqiang day safely.

Faced with the enthusiasm of the two master craftsmen, Chen Fan also seemed very modest, "Where, where, I am just describing some objective facts.

It is still our commune members who are down-to-earth and willing to work, otherwise I would not be able to write it."

Master Qiu looked like he understood very well, "Art comes from life.

This is very much in line with the spirit of Mr. Li's speech at the Yan'an Literary Symposium."

Chen Fan remained modest and cautious, "Yes, yes, yes, it was done according to Mr. Li's instructions."

The two master craftsmen were even happier when they heard this, and kept talking to Chen Fan.

It was clear that they were two bricklayers who had only attended literacy classes, but they insisted on chatting with Chen Fan about literary creation.

However, their conversation wasn't the kind of idle chatter like "the emperor using a golden hoe"; instead, it was purposeful. They discussed whose article was detached from reality and whose was pertinent, with each point well-reasoned and supported.

Chen Fan listened with shining eyes.

Many people understand labor and life, and many understand artistic creation, but few know how to find fault in literary works and which aspects of labor and life can be integrated into creation.

No wonder it's said that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure; these two veteran masters are indeed treasures.

Moreover, they not only have rich life experience but are also the backbone of the construction team. They have followed the team to many places, reaching neighboring areas far from Gufeng County and even participating in national-level professional construction projects for water conservancy in other provinces. Closer to home, they have traveled almost all the communes of Gufeng County, making them truly "well-informed."

Chen Fan gained a lot of creative material from chatting with them.

Secretary Yang and the others stood aside, their faces filled with smiles.

Ye Shubao, smoking a cigarette, said softly, "Little Chen is really something. Just now, these two masters practically had their eyes on the top of their heads, not even glancing at our people. Now that Little Chen is here, they're like they've met relatives, and the smiles haven't stopped."

Xiao Lie nodded and chuckled, "It does feel different. Although they were very responsible just now, not hiding anything they should point out, their cold faces were really uncomfortable to look at. Now it's much better, all friendly and harmonious, so much better!"

Team Leader Zhang nodded repeatedly, chewing on his pipe, "I was worried they would go back today. With Little Chen here, staying a couple more days shouldn't be a problem, right?! At least they should finish building the small water tower and pass the inspection before they leave."

Secretary Yang's eyes flickered, and he said softly, "Originally, they only agreed to come and help for a day, taking advantage of Sunday. But being able to stay two more days would be great, even if it costs a few more yuan in labor fees."

After a pause, he added, "But we can't rely entirely on Little Chen; we also need to put in more effort."

Ye Shubao looked at him and asked, "How?"

Secretary Yang pondered for two seconds and secretly called Zhang Wenliang over, whispering, "Is lunch ready?"

Zhang Wenliang nodded repeatedly, "Xingxiu is taking people to prepare it. We slaughtered a chicken, prepared a big carp weighing over ten pounds, and also slaughtered a rabbit. There are also loach and eel, and we'll also make stir-fried bullfrogs. Every dish is a hard dish!"

Secretary Yang was slightly stunned, "Who knows how to cook the rabbit?"

Hearing this, Zhang Wenliang couldn't help but swallow, "Little Chen's rabbit meat is absolutely amazing!"

He sighed again, "Last time we agreed that after the rabbits grew up, we would sell rabbit meat together. As a result, he went to the prefectural committee in May, had to teach classes for the study group in June, and then there was the double rush in July. Today, I've only tasted it once. Otherwise, I should be selling rabbit meat at the market today, and I could definitely earn at least several dozen yuan!"

Secretary Yang's eyes narrowed slightly, "Stop bragging. Let Little Chen cook it later and see. Also, go find a big turtle and ask Little Chen to show off his skills and let the two masters taste the specialty of our Lujiawan?"

Chen Fan was chatting with the two masters aside, but he had sharp ears and eyes. Hearing Secretary Yang and the others' words, he couldn't help but glance at them.

When did turtle become a specialty of Lujiawan? Why didn't he know?

But it's just cooking two dishes; no big deal.

He also hoped that these two experienced veteran masters could stay for two more days, but Secretary Yang and the others wanted them to oversee the small water tower, while he wanted to extract more material from these two masters' mouths.

His own social circle was too small after all, and the stories he heard were limited. If he didn't collect more good stories, where would he get so much material to write about?!

That day at noon, Secretary Yang and the others hosted a banquet at the brigade headquarters to treat the two masters to a meal.

Taking advantage of the two masters being tipsy, Secretary Yang took the opportunity to smile and say, "Master Qiu and Master Ma are really skilled. Master Wang is the best builder in our commune, and even he praises the two of you."

Master Qiu immediately waved his hand, "Hey, we're just a few years older. At Master Wang's age, we weren't as good as him."

Master Ma also gave him a lot of face, "Master Wang's skills are also very good. When I said I would invite you to our county construction company, it wasn't just polite talk. If you're interested, write me a letter anytime, and I'll arrange it."

Master Wang naturally offered another round of thanks and flattery.

Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Team Leader Zhang quickly smiled and said, "Master Qiu, Master Ma, look at this small water tower. It concerns the vital interests of our Lujiawan people. Although we have a lot of people, it will take at least two or three days to build this water tower. What do you think? Why don't you stay for two more days and help us oversee it?"

Hearing this, Master Qiu and Master Ma both hesitated.

The leaders at the table couldn't help but look at each other. Weren't these two impervious to persuasion?!

At this moment, Chen Fan smiled slightly and subtly winked at Secretary Yang and the others.

Secretary Yang and Team Leader Zhang smiled at each other, and their hearts were relieved. They lowered their heads and remained silent.

Chen Fan raised his glass, first clinked glasses with Master Qiu and Master Ma, and without mentioning asking them to stay, he smiled and said, "After listening to the stories of the two masters today, I realized that our construction workers have so many stories closely related to national affairs."

He looked at Master Qiu, "You participated in the construction of the North Sluice of the Jingjiang Flood Diversion Project, right?"

Then he looked at Master Ma, "You participated in the construction of the Sanmenxia Hydropower Station Dam?"

Chen Fan sighed regretfully, "These are all major projects related to the people's livelihood. I wanted to hear more of your stories and then use them as a blueprint to write a novel about our construction workers, but alas…"

He stopped abruptly.

But Master Qiu and Master Ma couldn't sit still.

Master Qiu grabbed him and asked with wide eyes, "Write a novel about our construction workers? Really?"

Chen Fan looked serious, "Could there be a fake?"

He pointed to Master Wang, "Master Wang of our production team is also a construction worker. If I dared to talk nonsense, would he let me go?!"

Master Wang held back his laughter and nodded seriously, while also blurting out, "Yes, yes, Teacher Chen mentioned this to me before, but what I did were all small projects, of no value, and I couldn't say anything of substance."

Master Ma immediately took out a Peony cigarette and handed it to Chen Fan, grinning, "You writing a novel for construction workers is a big deal, and it shouldn't be delayed."

He turned to look at Master Qiu, "Old Qiu, then, shall we stay for two more days?"

Master Qiu immediately decided, "We must stay for two more days; it can also be considered a small contribution to this novel of yours."

Chen Fan immediately looked surprised and raised his glass, saying, "That's not a small contribution, but a crucial one. If it weren't for the material you provided, even if I were locked in a house for three years, I wouldn't be able to squeeze out a fart!"

The sudden vulgarity made the two masters feel very close, and they immediately raised their glasses and laughed as they clinked glasses.

Secretary Yang and the others were overjoyed to see this. Was the matter resolved so easily?!

Seeing them clinking glasses, they all raised their glasses and clinked them with each other, and the atmosphere suddenly improved.