Chapter 647 Good Days Are Coming
Shen Chunhua, a woman who is usually careful and considerate, was the first to recover from her shock.
She frowned slightly, with doubt and expectation in her eyes. Her fingers unconsciously circled the corner of her clothes. After hesitating for a moment, she tentatively asked:
"Um... Comrade Jianguo, I need to ask you clearly, how do you build a brick house?"
As she spoke, she raised her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Wang Jianguo, as if trying to find the answer from his eyes.
Shen Chunhua paused and continued:
"We all know that the brick factory in town does sell some bricks every year, but what is going on?"
"The quantity is very small each time, and they are sold to the advanced model workers in the production team. Those model workers have contributed a lot to the village and the farm, and they deserve to be rewarded."
"But ordinary people like us can only watch helplessly, and there is no chance for us to get our turn."
There was a hint of unwillingness in her voice, as well as helplessness towards reality.
"I was thinking, this new brick factory we built won't be like this, right? If it's still like that, the little hope that has just been ignited in our hearts will be extinguished again."
As Shen Chunhua spoke, he looked around and saw that his fellow villagers' eyes were also full of worry, and the worry on his face became even more serious.
When the people around heard what Shen Chunhua said, they all nodded. Everyone's faces, which were originally red due to excitement, were now covered with a layer of gloom.
The young men clenched their fists, as if to cheer themselves up, or as if to express their anger at unfair treatment.
The wives held each other's hands, the longing in their eyes dimmed a little, and they muttered softly:
"Don't let this be another false celebration."
"Yes, yes, don't wait for us to pay to buy it and then refuse to sell it to us."
The old men sat aside, puffing on their pipes; their expressions could not be seen clearly in the smoke.
But those heavy sighs were clearly heard by everyone, as if telling of the hardships of the years and the confusion about the future.
The warm sunlight shone through the window of the kitchen in the backyard of the supply and marketing cooperative, onto everyone inside the house, illuminating faces full of expectation and anxiety.
Wang Jianguo stood among the crowd with an upright posture. He felt a mixture of hope and doubt in everyone's gazes.
So he cleared his throat, put on a warm smile, and patiently explained:
"Sister Chunhua, I understand your concerns. We have worked hard for most of our lives and hope to live in a sturdy and warm house. This matter cannot be ambiguous."
Wang Jianguo turned slightly, looked at Shen Chunhua sincerely, nodded slightly, and continued:
"I just said that there is a world of difference between this brick factory and the one in town."
He paused for a moment, a hint of pride in his eyes, as if he was recalling those busy days, and then he continued:
"In order to bring this benefit to the folks in our village and farm, Shuzhuo and I worked almost non-stop during the few days we were in the city."
"We ran around, found various departments, handed in materials, explained the situation, and reported the living conditions of our fellow villagers to the leaders in detail."
"As you know, most of the houses we live in now are made of mud and straw. When it rains, it pours down outside and drizzles inside. We can't even get a good night's sleep."
"In winter, the cold wind blew straight into the house, making the elderly and children sick."
Wang Jianguo's voice was slightly choked. He calmed down, glanced at everyone, and saw the tears in everyone's eyes. He became more resolute:
"We can't let our fellow villagers suffer like this any longer. So, Shuzhuo and I specifically sought support from the city leaders, repeatedly emphasizing the urgent need for our people to improve their living conditions."
"Fortunately, hard work pays off. The leaders were moved by our sincerity and saw the actual situation here, and finally approved our plan to build a brick factory."
"From the beginning of planning, this new brick factory was positioned to serve farmers and ordinary people, with regional construction as a supplement."
"The purpose of its existence is to enable each of us to afford bricks and build brick houses."
As Wang Jianguo spoke, he gestured with his hands, as if he had already seen the brick houses rising from the ground in the village in the future.
"As long as you have enough money and really want to improve your life, you can go to the brick factory and buy bricks to fulfill your housing dream."
"Unlike the brick factory in town, which has so many restrictions that ordinary people like us can only sigh at the sight of bricks being made."
After listening to Wang Jianguo's explanation, the gloom on everyone's faces gradually dissipated, replaced by excitement and excitement.
Shen Chunhua's eyes lit up, she clapped her hands lightly, and a bright smile bloomed on her face:
"Oh, Jianguo, hearing what you said, I feel relieved. This is really great. We have been looking forward to this day for a long time."
The guys around were also eager to try:
"That's good. Once the brick factory is built, we will work hard to earn money and strive to be the first to build a brick house."
The daughters-in-law gathered together and chattered about the style of the future house:
"I want to plant flowers all over the yard and build a grape trellis to make my home beautiful."
The old people sat aside, puffing on their pipes. Although they didn't say anything, the gratified smiles on their faces said it all.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the kitchen was as warm as a burning fire. Everyone was immersed in the vision of a better life in the future, as if they had already seen the brand new brick house shining in the sun.
The warm winter sun shines through the old but cleanly wiped window of the kitchen in the backyard of the supply and marketing cooperative, filling the house. Mottled light and shadows fall on everyone, adding a bit of warmth to the lively scene.
Everyone sat together, their faces filled with excitement or anticipation, and were enthusiastically discussing the construction of a new brick factory.
Aunt Cheng was sitting near the stove. She was very old, and the years had carved deep wrinkles on her face. Those lines seemed to tell of the hardships and vicissitudes of the past.
But at this moment, these wrinkles seemed to be filled with joy. She smiled so hard that her eyes narrowed into slits, the wrinkles on her face became deeper, and a mouthful of incomplete but still white teeth was revealed from time to time.
Aunt Cheng couldn't help laughing happily. Her laughter was bright and loud, echoing in the small kitchen:
"Jianguo, this is such a great thing!"