Back to the 60s: The Struggle Career of a Charmed Wife-Chapter 1698: Prosperity 2

Wang Zhenguo, who was not far from seventy, and Lu Jiang’s father stood outside the crowd, looking spirited and rosy-cheeked.

These years, they hadn’t suffered hardships, their food and clothing were decent, making the two elderly stand straight, with keen senses. If not for their white hair and brows, they looked no different from ten years ago.

"Brick and tile houses are indeed better than mud houses. The single-story house looks more imposing, neat and square with edges and corners. My three sons are quite moved by it, wanting to build a few single-story houses themselves, or at least three brick and tile houses with east and west wing rooms. Grandchildren are already at the age for marriage; we can’t have the whole family cramped in those three low and narrow mud houses," Wang Zhenguo said.

His three sons had given him several grandchildren over the years, totaling over a dozen. The eldest had five children, the second six, and the third five.

Not to mention marrying off wives, if they didn’t renovate or expand, there wouldn’t even be room left to stand.

Lu Jiang’s father smiled and asked, "Do your sons plan to build by themselves or apply for a separate plot for the next generation to build on?"

Renovating doesn’t require paying for a plot, which can save a significant amount.

The land is collective, and even though Wang Zhenguo is still the brigade leader and highly respected, he can’t bend the rules.

Wang Zhenguo sighed, "With their faces to the dirt and backs to the sky, having so many kids, how much money can they save? They might want to build single-story houses, but in my opinion, renovating three brick and tile rooms and adding some mud wing rooms would be good enough, and materials won’t cost less than three hundred. But they suggest I apply for a plot for each family to build new houses, deferring land payments to year-end to be deducted from work points. By then, sons of marriageable age would live in the new houses to marry, and the older generation with younger kids would still stay in the old house."

Though Wang Zhenguo still had some gold and cash, he didn’t want to foster a lazy temperament among his sons and grandchildren, nor did he plan to distribute it to them, fearing they might become lavish in building big houses if they had the money. Luckily, they were unaware of the gold’s existence and hadn’t coveted the elder’s savings.

Building houses is a matter where going too far would be as bad as not doing enough; see how even Lu Jiang’s father shelved his plans to rebuild houses.

Lu Jiang’s father knowingly nodded, "Xibao has two land plots, neither too big nor too small, located at the east end and center of our production team. Acheng and Ayu want to build nearby us, so they haven’t used them. Maybe I should ask Xibao to transfer the plots to your two sons, and they can pay us later, saving debts with the brigade."

One of those plots was left to Xibao by a lone elderly person before passing, as a token of appreciation for Xibao accompanying him through his final days, keeping him from hunger and cold.

The other plot was exchanged three to four years ago by Xibao for thirty jin of wheat, a hundred jin of dried sweet potatoes, and two bags of brown sugar.

Wang Zhenguo pondered for a moment and went to discuss with Xibao.

Without hesitation, Xibao said, "If Uncle’s family needs to build a house, just take it; it’s just sitting empty anyway, and we don’t plan to build there. But, Grandpa, you can’t shortchange me!"

"Rest assured, one plot for eighty yuan, you’ll be your two uncles’ creditor."

Both plots are about the same size as the plot in Guan Yu, small only to a limited extent, and though both are less than the total area of Lu Jiang’s old house and yard, as living standards have improved, the price is higher than ten years ago, thus set at eighty.

... In the previous Chapters, the Guan Family’s land price was adjusted from two hundred to eighty, not affecting the storyline. In the rural sixties and seventies, it was quite common to exchange grains for private plots. My family got an old plot with thirty jin of wheat, and by the late eighties, when my parents got married, plot prices had skyrocketed to two thousand yuan.

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