Chapter 664: Site Selection of Brick Factory

Chapter 664: Site Selection of Brick Factory

When he said this, his throat rolled as if he was swallowing saliva.

"Guess what? A hundred steps away from the beach is the reservoir's drainage channel. Once the gate is opened, the water will rush to the edge of the field."

"If we build a kiln there, we can just use a wooden bucket to scoop out the water for mixing with mud, and we don't even need a shoulder pole."

The sunlight came in obliquely through the gaps in the window frame, casting a spot of light on the shoulders of his shiny cotton jacket.

He suddenly stretched out his hand to gesture the shape of a kiln, his sleeves revealing half of his tanned arm, with veins bulging like old tree roots:

"As for the clay, the soil around the reservoir is quite sticky and the bricks made from it make a clanging sound when knocked."

"When I was young, I worked in a kiln with an old master. I know that if the soil contains a lot of sand, the bricks will crack halfway through drying, like a grinning gourd."

"But the soil under the reservoir is different. It can be squeezed into a ball in the hand and bounces back when dropped on the ground. The bricks made from it can definitely be sold at a high price."

Liu Chuanjun was so absorbed in listening that he unknowingly raised the enamel mug to his lips, only to find that there was no tea in the mug any longer, so he tapped the edge of the mug with his fingertips.

Seeing this, Zhao Shuzhuo picked up the tin kettle from his feet and refilled it with water. Steam rose up and condensed into fine water droplets in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes:

"Of course, there are difficulties."

He suddenly lowered his voice and paused his pipe heavily on the "drain".

"During the rainy season, the reservoir gates are opened to release floodwaters, and the water rushes down like wild horses. We have to build a half-man-high stone dam around the kiln factory, and then dig a diversion ditch directly to the wasteland downstream."

"I went to measure it a few days ago. If the foundation of the dam is built on a slope three meters above the water surface and then reinforced with pebbles, it will definitely not collapse."

Having said this, he suddenly pulled out a crumpled ball of paper from his pocket, and when he unfolded it, it turned out to be a simple topographic map drawn in pencil.

The words "reservoir," "weir foundation," and "diversion ditch" were scribbled on the map, and the location of the drainage ditch was roughly marked in red pencil:

"Look here,"

His fingernails scratched across the mark of "kiln site".

"It's only half a mile from the village road. Once the bricks are baked, we can pull them down the slope with the ox cart. It's much easier than taking the narrow path on the other side of the depression."

"Last autumn, Mr. Zhang's manure cart got stuck in the mud in a depression, but it took five strong men to pull it out."

The old locust tree outside the window rustled, and a yellow leaf fell on the topographic map, just covering the end of the "diversion ditch".

Zhao Shuzhuo reached out and brushed away the leaves, leaving a faint gray mark on the paper with his fingertips:

"I've calculated that if I can compact the foundation before summer, I can build the kiln before the rainy season. When the first batch of bricks comes out of the kiln, it will be just in time for families to build new houses after the autumn harvest."

He suddenly looked up at Liu Chuanjun, his pipe spinning rapidly between his fingers.

"Director Liu, can you please tell me whether this place is suitable or not?"

Liu Chuanjun listened quietly to Zhao Shuzhuo's detailed explanation of the site selection for the new brick factory. His fingers gently stroked the edge of the teacup, his eyes cast at the spring rain falling outside the window, and he fell into deep thought.

After a while, he retracted his gaze, tapped the table with his fingertips, and shook his head slowly:

"Shuzhuo, your plan sounds reasonable at first glance, but it's still not sound after careful consideration. Although you can build a dam, how high should it be? What materials should be used?"

"If the floodgates upstream are opened to release floodwaters during the rainy season, the water will rush down with mud and sand. Can a temporary dam like this withstand it?"

"Last year, a brick factory in a neighboring county was located too close to a river. A heavy rain washed away the brickyard and caused a loss of tens of thousands of yuan."

He leaned forward, fished out a cigarette case from his trouser pocket, took out two cigarettes and handed them to Zhao Shuzhuo and Wang Jianguo respectively. He bit the cigarette holder and struck a match. The light from the fire made the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deeper:

"We can't let our hard-earned money go to waste. By the way, have you ever been to the barren hillside west of your village reservoir?"

"I passed by there last time on my bike and went up to take a look. The mountains there are gentle and the loess layer is thick. It is easier to dig deep into the rock layer to get the clay, which saves labor and effort."

"The key is that the altitude is two meters higher than the reservoir dam. Even if there is a flood upstream, the water will not reach the top of the dam."

"And it's only 800 meters away from the reservoir's water supply network. If we run a water pipe there, the water used for brick making can save 30% of the electricity cost compared to the current land."

At this point, he stubbed out his cigarette and crushed it in the ashtray, then took out a crumpled topographic map from his canvas bag and spread it on the table, poking the contour lines on the west side of the reservoir with the tip of a pencil:

"Look, there is an abandoned tractor road that leads directly to the county road. If it is widened by 300 meters, it will be able to accommodate large vehicles."

"If we build the brick kiln here, we can avoid the risk of flooding and save transportation costs. In the long run, it will be much more cost-effective than choosing a site near the river."

Zhao Shuzhuo's face turned pale instantly, his fingers unconsciously clenched his trouser legs, his Adam's apple rolled up and down twice before he spoke.

His eyes wandered a little, as if he was trying to piece together those long-forgotten memories, and there was an imperceptible tremor in his voice:

"Director Liu, the piece of land on the western hillside you mentioned was actually included in my site selection plan from the beginning."

"To be honest, when I first went to survey the area, I pushed aside the waist-high weeds and noticed that the soil there was darker than elsewhere."

"If you dig a layer with a shovel, you can see fine clay particles in the soil. Rub it in your hands for a few times and you will find it is very sticky. It is indeed a top-quality material for making bricks."

Having said this, he suddenly paused, his eyes became a little complicated, as if something was stuck in his throat.

The wind outside the window blew through the treetops, making a rustling sound. He subconsciously shrank back in his chair and lowered his voice:

"But... you know, the old people in the village often say that that hillside was a mass grave before liberation."

"My grandfather told me that during the famine, many people who died of starvation had no place to be buried, so they were just dumped there. Later, when war broke out, many unidentified bodies were also hastily buried there."

"When I was young, I didn't know much. One time, I went there with my friends to rob bird nests. I accidentally tripped over a tree root and pressed my hand on a raised mound of earth. As a result, I dug up the loose soil and saw..."

He shuddered violently, as if he was feeling the cold touch again.

"The white bone fragments were exposed, and there was a half-rusted copper lock hanging on the wrist bone. We were so scared that we ran away. After returning home, I had nightmares for several days in a row."

He swallowed and tapped his fingers nervously on the table:

"Now the elderly in the village avoid it when they pass by it. Although the young people don't believe in it, they still look different every time they mention the word 'mass grave'."