Chapter 40: Unique

Chapter 40: Unique

Whether in this era or the future, a house holds an extremely important position when it comes to marriage. It's nearly impossible to marry a satisfactory wife without a house. If you're lucky enough to meet a woman who doesn't prioritize material conditions and chooses to be with you, consider it a lottery win—cherish her!

With a beautiful house, finding a wife becomes much easier.

Apart from anything else, once Deng Shirong built a large blue brick and tile house spanning several hundred square meters, his five sons could practically choose any wife from anywhere in the town. As long as his sons liked the girl, no matter which family she came from, they would surely not be refused.

Deng Shirong's biggest regret in his previous life was not finding the right daughters-in-law. Now that he had a chance to start over, he was determined to keep a close eye on his sons and ensure they married virtuous women.

"Uncle Jiu, I'm impressed. Your generosity is truly extraordinary. If this house is built, I doubt there will be any house as beautiful as this in all of Double Prosperity!" Deng Yunfeng exclaimed in amazement.

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Yunfeng, if the house is built like this, can you help me estimate the cost?"

Deng Yunfeng pondered and said, "Although I've never budgeted for a blue brick and tile house like this, I know the prices of cement, blue bricks, and various tiles. I may not be able to give an exact figure, but I can estimate the approximate amount needed."

Deng Shirong nodded. "We don't need an exact number. A rough estimate will do."

Deng Yunfeng said, "That's no problem. Yunheng, get me a pen and paper. I'll do the math now."

Deng Yunheng was about to fetch the items, but Deng Shirong stopped him. "No hurry, let's finish drinking first. We can calculate it slowly afterward."

Deng Yunfeng said, "Uncle Jiu, I've almost finished my drink. Now I'm also curious about how much it will cost to build such a large blue brick and tile house."

Seeing this, Deng Shirong didn't stop him. Soon, Deng Yunheng brought over a pen and paper. Deng Yunfeng began calculating right at the table. After about ten minutes, he arrived at a staggering figure.

Deng Yunfeng took a deep breath and said, "Uncle Jiu, according to my calculations, it will cost you about 3,800 yuan to build this house, not including decoration and furniture."

Deng Yunzhen and Deng Yunheng both gasped upon hearing this.

Last year, the most authoritative newspaper in the country had reported the story of the first millionaire. In an era where earning 10,000 yuan could make headlines, 3,800 yuan was an astronomical sum.

The three of them were shocked by the figure, but Deng Shirong only felt one thing: it was too cheap!

After all, in his previous life, his four sons gave him more than this amount in living expenses every month.

Of course, Deng Shirong understood that a few thousand yuan in this era couldn't be compared to a few thousand yuan in the future. Still, seeing this number, he felt it was a bargain.

"Yunfeng, when my house construction begins, you'll have to come and help coordinate everything. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it's no problem for me to help. But Uncle Jiu, are you really going to spend so much money to build this large blue brick and tile house?"

"Of course, I'm serious. I'm going to consult the master tomorrow to choose an auspicious date."

"...Alright."

After finishing their business discussion, the two continued drinking until dark, when Deng Yunfeng walked home with light steps.

The Next Day: Chinese Valentine's Day.

The rural areas of Bobai County had never placed much importance on this festival. It wasn't until later generations that men began to pay attention to Valentine's Day to impress women, and women began to expect gifts.

After breakfast, Deng Shirong rode his bicycle to Deng Yuncheng's home in Shejiao Village.

Deng Yuncheng's father had been a famous Yin-Yang master in the area, but he had passed away several years ago. Now, Deng Yuncheng had taken up his father's mantle and continued the family business.

When Deng Shirong arrived, Deng Yuncheng was repairing farm tools at the door. Seeing Deng Shirong, he greeted him politely, "Uncle Jiu, have you had breakfast? Come in and have a bowl of porridge."

Deng Shirong stopped his bicycle and smiled. "I've already eaten!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Deng Shirong explained his purpose. "Yuncheng, I plan to build a house. Can you help me choose an auspicious date?"

Deng Yuncheng readily agreed. "Of course, no problem."

A few minutes later, Deng Yuncheng smiled and said, "Uncle Jiu, I've calculated it. The 16th is suitable for laying the foundation, and the 21st at 6:28 in the morning is the best time to start construction."

After getting the specific dates, Deng Shirong thanked him, left a red envelope of five yuan, and then rode his bicycle to the brick factory.

This expense couldn't be avoided. When building a house in the countryside, choosing an auspicious date was essential. Starting construction blindly was out of the question.

This practice wasn't limited to rural areas—it was the same even in big cities.

As one of the several brigades in the Double Prosperity area, the Help and Correct Brigade had a brick kiln and a bowl factory in addition to the pottery kiln.

Before Deng Shirong and Deng Yungui contracted the jar and tile kiln, someone had already contracted the brick kiln and bowl factory.

The person who contracted the brick kiln was a local from Jimaoling named Deng Changbao.

When Deng Shirong met Deng Changbao, he was helping the workers move bricks. Sweat poured down his face, and his clothes were dirty. If Deng Shirong hadn't known him, he would have mistaken him for a laborer rather than the owner of the brick factory.

"Uncle Jiu," Deng Changbao greeted him with a smile, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Changbao, you're the boss, yet you work so hard. You truly deserve to be rich!" Deng Shirong said with admiration.

In his previous life, Deng Changbao had contracted the brigade's brick kiln and worked diligently for twenty to thirty years. Although he didn't become a billionaire, he was one of the few multi-millionaires in the village, far surpassing Deng Shirong and others who had contracted the jar and tile factory or the bowl factory.

This was also Deng Changbao's luck. Among the three major factories in the Help and Correct Brigade, the jar and tile factory and the bowl factory were gradually phased out by the times. Only bricks would see increasing market demand in the coming decades. As long as the brick factory operated normally and avoided major mistakes, it was bound to make money.

Deng Changbao smiled and said, "Uncle Jiu, you're too kind. My brick factory isn't as good as the jar and tile factory you and Uncle Yungui contracted. If anyone's going to make money first, it'll be you."

Deng Shirong waved his hand. "Our tile factory might look okay now, but its future development definitely won't match your brick factory."

"Uncle Jiu, you're too modest!"

"I'm not being modest; I'm just telling the truth."

After exchanging a few polite words, Deng Changbao asked, "Uncle Jiu, what brings you here to see me?"

(End of this chapter)