Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 14 The construction team arrives, and Yan Bugui's plan falls through.

The next morning, as dawn broke and the air still carried a chill of early spring, Lin Yan tightened his cotton coat and, following the address given by Director Wang, arrived at the construction team's address in Mianhua Hutong. Yan Bugui's plan had failed, ending up in a large, crowded courtyard.

This courtyard was even more crowded and dilapidated than courtyard number 95, with many makeshift shacks erected there. Several little girls, their faces red from the cold, were playing hide-and-seek in the yard, their giggles adding a touch of life to the chilly morning. A middle-aged woman in her forties, wearing an old apron, was lighting a stove at the door. Seeing Lin Yan's unfamiliar face, she sized him up for a moment, then came forward and asked, "Young man, you look unfamiliar. Who are you looking for?"

Lin Yan forced a smile and politely replied, "Hello, ma'am, sorry to bother you. I'm looking for Mr. Wang, the foreman of the construction team from our neighborhood committee."

"Oh, you're looking for Old Wang? Wait a minute, I'll go call him for you." The older woman was quite enthusiastic, turning around and raising her voice towards the backyard, "Old Wang! Old Wang! Someone's looking for him! It's a young man!"

A short while later, a middle-aged man with a slightly hunched back and dark skin, wearing faded work clothes, emerged from the backyard, carrying a measuring tape and an old notebook. "Who was looking for me?"

"Hello, Mr. Wang," Lin Yan stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Director Wang from the Nanluoguxiang Subdistrict Office asked me to come to you. I live in courtyard number 95, my surname is Lin, and I would like to ask you to take a look at the house and do some simple renovations."

Master Wang sized Lin Yan up and down. Seeing that although he was young, his eyes were bright and his speech was clear and logical, he nodded: "Alright, young boss! Just hearing about it isn't enough. We need to see the dimensions and beam and column structure in person before we can give a quote. Shall we go take a look?"

"That's great, thank you for making the trip," Lin Yan said quickly.

The two returned to courtyard house number 95, one after the other. As soon as they entered the front yard, Yang Ruihua, an old woman sweeping the ground at the entrance, saw them. In particular, when she saw that Lin Yan was followed by a master craftsman who looked very experienced and was carrying tools, she immediately understood and felt a surge of jealousy.

She put down the broom and greeted him with a smile: "Oh, Lin Yan, you're back? And who is this gentleman...?"

Lin Yan stopped and introduced in a calm tone, "Auntie, this is Wang, the foreman of the construction team from the neighborhood committee. Director Wang recommended him to take a look at my house, give an estimate, and we're going to do some simple tidying up."

Upon hearing the words "renovation" and "appraisal," the old woman's discomfort returned, and her smile froze slightly. "Oh...renovation...good thing, good thing...it's time to tidy up..." While speaking politely, her eyes darted like searchlights towards Lin Yan's two rooms, her mind racing with calculations: Renovation? That definitely means throwing away old furniture, right? Those tables, chairs, wooden cabinets, and old bed boards, though a bit worn, could be salvaged and sold to a trust shop or a tricycle junk collector—at least ten or eight dollars! Her eldest son, Yan Jiecheng, worked odd jobs all day, toiling away for barely a penny. If she could take advantage of this freebie...

Lin Yan saw right through the Third Aunt's thoughts, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply gestured to Master Wang and then led him into the east wing of his house.

Master Wang, an experienced craftsman, didn't exchange many pleasantries after entering the house. He took out a measuring tape and began carefully measuring inside and out, making notes in his notebook as he went. He also carefully tapped the walls to check the load-bearing capacity of the beams and the condition of the wood. Lin Yan explained his requirements in detail: it should be divided into two floors, using sturdy, high-quality hardwood; downstairs, a separate kitchen, bathroom (hoping for a simple shower), and a small dining room; upstairs, two bedrooms plus a small study; most importantly, the tap water from the yard should be connected to the house, and the sewer system should be properly connected; finally, all the walls should be painted white.

As he listened, Master Wang quickly calculated, occasionally confirming details. Finally, he closed his notebook, pondered for a moment, and quoted a price: "Young master, this job sounds simple, but the actual workload is considerable, especially connecting the water supply and drainage and using good timber for the partition. The total cost, including labor and materials, will be this much—" He held up five fingers, "five hundred yuan. Also, during the construction period, we old buddies will provide lunch. If it's inconvenient for you to cook, you can give us a food allowance instead."

Five hundred yuan! In an era when an ordinary worker's monthly salary was only thirty or forty yuan, it was undoubtedly a huge sum of money. But Lin Yan knew in his heart that the price included those rare hardwood materials, the technical work of connecting independent water and sewage systems, and special permits. Master Wang's quote was fair, and he might even have not charged more because of Director Wang's face.

He nodded almost without hesitation and said, "Master Wang, the price will be as you say. But what about lunch..." He looked troubled. "You've seen my family's situation. My cousin-in-law is the only one doing all the work, and I'm not in a good health to help. I really don't have the energy to prepare meals for everyone. How about you just give it to everyone as a cash subsidy? I'm so sorry."

He deliberately avoided mentioning food, because even the food produced in ordinary areas of the space was far superior to ordinary food from the outside world in terms of grain fullness and the faint vitality it contained, making it too conspicuous to bring it out.

Master Wang glanced at his pale face, and remembering that his family had just held a funeral and he was still sick, he nodded understandingly: "Okay, monetary compensation is fine too, it's all the same. The young master is very considerate."

Lin Yan readily counted out three hundred yuan and handed it to Master Wang: "Master Wang, this is the deposit. The rest will be settled in one lump sum after the completion and acceptance. My body really can't take any more noise and commotion. For all the specific details of the subsequent construction, you can directly contact my cousin Lin Gang or his wife Wang Cuihua. They can make the decisions."

Master Wang took the money, looking at the young man's thin frame and uncharacteristic composure, and couldn't help but feel a little regretful. His tone softened: "Don't worry, young master, I, Old Wang, am a reliable worker. The materials and workmanship are worth the price. Just rest and recuperate, and I'll make sure everything is taken care of. I'll discuss anything with your brother and sister-in-law."

Once the deal was settled, Master Wang hurriedly left, agreeing to bring people and materials to start work early the next morning.

After Master Wang left, Lin Yan asked his cousin Lin Gang to go around to each house in the middle and back yards to say hello. He explained that the house would be under construction the next day, and there would inevitably be some knocking and banging noises during the day, which might disturb everyone. He apologized and asked for everyone's understanding.

Most of the neighbors expressed their understanding, after all, that's how it is when living in a large courtyard; everyone needs to make repairs sometimes. Only from the direction of the Jia family could one faintly hear Jia Zhangshi's muttering curses, neither loud nor soft, simply complaining about the noise, the inconvenience, and the ostentation, but she only dared to mutter behind closed doors.

Just then, the third auntie seized the opportunity and approached Lin Yan's door again, a smile she thought was incredibly kind and friendly on her face: "Lin Yan, I want to discuss something with you. Your house is about to undergo a major renovation, right? Those old furniture... you see, if you find them in the way and don't want them anymore, I'll help you get rid of them? I'll make sure everything is neat and tidy, so you don't have to find someone to throw them away later, right?"

Lin Yan almost burst out laughing inwardly. This old stingy Yan was practically throwing money down his sleeve. But his face instantly contorted with embarrassment and awkwardness. He even coughed weakly twice, his voice thin and feeble, and said, "Third Aunt, thank you... thank you for your kindness. But... but you know, my health isn't what it used to be. All these years of medical treatment and medicine have almost depleted my father's savings. Now all we have left is this pension. Even repairing the house is a struggle; we have to be extremely frugal. These pieces of furniture are a bit old, but my father bought them piece by piece, saving wherever possible. My cousin took a look and fixed any minor problems, so we can still use them. We really... really can't bear to replace them with new ones..."

His words portrayed him as a pitiful young man who had fallen into poverty due to illness, missed his father, and lived frugally. This was a reasonable and convincing image that left the three women speechless, making their petty thoughts seem particularly ridiculous.

Upon hearing that she wouldn't get any profit, the third aunt's smile vanished instantly. She pursed her lips, too lazy to even utter a single insincere polite remark, and with a sullen "humph," turned and went back to her own house, probably cursing Lin Yan countless times in her heart.

Lin Yan watched her retreating figure, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Trying to take advantage of me? No way. His "hard times" are only just beginning.