Nanyang Village, around nine in the morning.
Many people had just finished breakfast and were lazily sitting on large stone stumps in front of their houses, soaking up the sun.
It wasn't the farming season yet, and households hadn't started their busy work. Only a few of the more diligent ones had already headed to the fields to prepare for cultivation.
Suddenly, at this moment, the sound of a tractor, "duang duang duang!" rumbled from the distance at the village entrance, immediately capturing everyone's attention.
Many villagers, out of curiosity, emerged from their homes to see what was causing such a commotion in the village.
Under the gaze of many eyes, a tractor appeared at the village entrance, loaded with a full bounty of red bricks and various tools.
Sitting atop the red bricks were five or six dark-skinned, rugged men, each looking around with curiosity.
"What's this for?"
"They look unfamiliar, I don't know anyone."
"What do they need all these red bricks for?"
"Don't know..."
Seeing this scene, the villagers chattered amongst themselves, filled with gossip and curiosity.
Suddenly, someone noticed a group of people at the foot of a slope, running down quickly and waving their arms towards the tractor.
The villagers recognized Qin Chuan, Qin Gang, and Qin Yang, the three brothers, along with the entire Ren Qiheng family among the group.
"Holy crap, no way, are these red bricks for the Ren Qiheng family?"
A villager gasped upon seeing this.
"Look, the Qin Chuan brothers are here too!"
"I heard that Ren Qiheng's son, Ren Tao, got engaged and is planning to build a new house soon!"
"I heard that too, but shouldn't their new house be made of mud and stone? Why do they need so many red bricks?"
"Could it be..."
They all talked over each other, and finally, they all rushed towards Ren Qiheng's house.
Meanwhile, Qin Chuan, standing outside Ren Qiheng's gate, had already met up with Liu Long, the tractor driver, and a group of workers. They were all chatting enthusiastically.
"Brother Liu, and all you elder brothers, thank you for your hard work!"
"Have a smoke! Have a smoke!"
Qin Chuan enthusiastically offered cigarettes to everyone, introducing them to each other during the process. The atmosphere was lively.
He and Qin Gang had returned to the village ahead of Liu Long and his crew, and had already prepared everything.
Just then, the arriving villagers also reached the scene. Ren Qiheng and his son Ren Tao, seeing this, quickly started offering cigarettes, a standard rural custom.
"Ren Tao, what are you doing with so many red bricks?"
An impatient villager asked.
"Building a new house!"
Ren Tao replied.
Huh?!
The words dropped like a bombshell, and all the villagers who had arrived opened their mouths in disbelief. Even the village chief Xiong Lianshan and his son Xiong Dongmao, who had arrived out of curiosity, were stunned.
"You mean, your family is building a new house with red bricks?"
Xiong Lianshan exclaimed.
This was definitely the first in Nanyang Village, and even unheard of within a ten-mile radius.
"Yes, that's right!"
Ren Qiheng grinned and explained to the villagers, "Originally, my family was planning to build a mud-and-stone house, but Qin Chuan suggested we build a brick and tile house!"
"He said that brick and tile houses are more beautiful, grander, and cleaner than mud-and-stone houses, and the price isn't too high, so we agreed!"
"Look, Qin Chuan helped us contact these workers!"
Hearing that Qin Chuan was behind it all, the villagers' gazes all turned to Qin Chuan's face, and then a barrage of questions followed.
However, the most common concern was about the price.
"Uncles, aunts, and elders!"
"The cost of a brick and tile house isn't actually that high, it's only around 1,500 yuan per room!"
Qin Chuan, his ears almost exploding from the noise, finally announced the most anticipated piece of information loudly.
"I think this price is acceptable for everyone. In the future, all of us will be able to afford brick and tile houses like those in the city. Brick and tile houses aren't exclusive to city dwellers!"
"Nowadays, every household's life has improved, and we should learn to enjoy life, especially when building a new house for your son's wedding, it's definitely the best choice!"
"Of course..."
At this point, Qin Chuan paused, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Xiong Lianshan and his son in the crowd.
"I think the new decoration of the village chief's mud-and-stone house is also very beautiful!"
"After all, mud-and-stone houses are inherited from our ancestors, and many people are used to them. Moreover, the price is much more affordable than brick and tile houses!"
"In the future, everyone can choose according to their own preferences!"
"Of course, if anyone needs renovation or wants to build a house, they can come to me!"
After Qin Chuan's speech, all the villagers started discussing, clearly weighing the pros and cons of mud-and-stone houses versus brick and tile houses. The atmosphere was lively.
Meanwhile, Qin Chuan had already asked the Ren Qiheng family to invite Liu Long and his crew inside for some tea to warm them up.
Finally, he walked over to Xiong Lianshan and his son. While no one was paying attention, he offered each of them a cigarette.
"Uncle, Brother Dongmao, you're not unhappy, are you?"
Xiong Dongmao, being younger, wasn't good at hiding his emotions and remained silent.
After all, he was about to get married. His family was originally considered the most prominent in the village. Unexpectedly, after only a few days of glory, another family suddenly announced they were building a brick and tile house, which seemed even more impressive than his. How could anyone be happy about that?
"Xiao Chuan, I'm not that petty!"
"After all, our new house was built much earlier!"
Xiong Lianshan took a few puffs of his cigarette and said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, his smile becoming even brighter. "With your words, uncle, I'm truly relieved!"
"Actually, I never expected the Ren Qiheng family to be so bold!"
"A few days ago, when his son and he came to my house to ask about renovations, I casually mentioned the idea of brick and tile houses. I didn't expect them to actually agree!"
"They were willing to spend an extra two to three thousand yuan to build this brick and tile house. I couldn't back down from my word, so I brought people from the city."
After saying this, Qin Chuan paused and turned his gaze to Xiong Dongmao.
"Brother Dongmao, you really don't need to compare yourselves with the Ren Qiheng family. Mud-and-stone houses and brick and tile houses are two different styles of decoration, each with its own advantages and disadvantages!"
"For example, our mud-and-stone houses are warm in winter and cool in summer, very suitable for health preservation. Brick and tile houses are different; they are very hot in summer and extremely cold in winter. They are nowhere near as comfortable to live in as mud-and-stone houses!"
"I believe that in the future, many people in our village and surrounding areas will choose the same decoration as your family. Your family will be the leader of mud-and-stone houses in our village..."
After Qin Chuan's analysis and some motivational words, Xiong Dongmao's expression gradually improved, and he started smiling again.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan didn't say any more. After chatting with the father and son for a while, he took the opportunity to leave.
If Xiong Lianshan and his son became dissatisfied with him or alienated him because of this, he couldn't help it.
If they became distant, so be it. He would have less and less time to interact with the village in the future.
After all, for any great and successful individual, who would stay and develop in their hometown forever?
When you achieve success, your old friends and neighbors are destined to drift apart and become strangers.
This is a law that no one can escape. Qin Chuan, as a reborn person, understood this very clearly.
Therefore, he cherished the current neighborly affection. Except for the Li Yuan San family, he was very enthusiastic towards other households in the village.
Not for himself, but for his parents!