Su Xiaotian was willing to entrust the five-story building project in her hands to Old Qian for this very reason.
She felt Old Qian’s character was trustworthy.
“As I said, I won’t take ill-gotten gains!” Old Qian grinned, his teeth appearing even whiter against his tanned skin.
Although she had already decided in her heart to let Old Qian take on this project, Su Xiaotian still harbored doubts about whether such a construction team could actually build a building.
Old Qian, unaware of what this young girl, Su Xiaotian, was thinking, felt a flutter of anxiety in his chest.
The construction team they had assembled was intended to earn money by working hard to build houses for others, to improve their families’ lives. They dared not rest, nor could they afford to.
“May I know what kind of building you plan to construct?”
As Old Qian asked this, his nervousness was palpable.
Although this young girl was young, the requirements she proposed were not small.
Despite having only interacted with Su Xiaotian for a few days, he could sense that this girl was no ordinary person.
When she mentioned having more significant work, it was bound to be substantial.
The renovation work for the shop he had just encountered was something he had never seen before.
If the young girl hadn’t explained it to him bit by bit, he would have had no way to complete the shop’s renovation according to the requirements.
He wondered what kind of significant work the young girl spoke of.
Old Qian was prepared for Su Xiaotian to explain, but then he saw Su Xiaotian open her bag.
She then took out a thick stack of papers from inside.
Looking at the top sheet, it appeared to be architectural blueprints.
“Uncle Qian, please take a look. These are the design drawings I’ve sketched. They might not be entirely professional, but you should be able to understand them. I plan to build a multi-story building.”
Hearing the words “multi-story building,” Old Qian found it a little hard to believe.
Some factories built multi-story buildings now, but he had never heard of a young girl saying she wanted to build one herself.
Or perhaps, was the young girl also running a factory?
She didn’t look like it; she was too young.
Then she must be planning to renovate her family home!
Old Qian thought he had guessed correctly and asked, “Are you planning to renovate your family home into a two-story house?”
Old Qian hadn’t looked at the blueprints yet, not out of unwillingness, but because he felt his lack of education might prevent him from understanding them.
“No, I bought a disused factory. The factory building is too dilapidated to be usable. I plan to demolish it completely and construct a five-story building. Can your construction team handle it?”
Su Xiaotian said this so casually, as if she were talking about a farmer demolishing an old house in their yard to build a brick house.
However, to Old Qian, it was like thunder rolling in his ears.
First, he doubted if he had heard correctly, and then he felt that poverty had limited his imagination.
This young girl must be from a family with considerable wealth.
Girls from ordinary families would not have such boldness.
Su Xiaotian, at this moment, was still worried about this issue.
Such a project team was indeed a bit small.
The most likely reason Old Qian wasn't accepting her blueprints was that he couldn't understand them.
She wondered if anyone in the construction team could read blueprints.
If none of them could, this matter might become quite troublesome.
“Uncle Qian, can you understand blueprints?”
Old Qian first shook his head, then nodded: “I can understand ordinary ones, but I’ve never seen blueprints for a multi-story building.”
So, he couldn’t understand them?
Su Xiaotian felt a little disappointed, but this disappointment was fleeting.
In this era, how could an ordinary small construction team have anyone who could understand professional blueprints?
After all, the talents cultivated by the state in architecture all went to large enterprises and specialized institutions; hardly anyone would go to construction teams to make a living.
This was the result of Su Xiaotian’s inquiries during this period.
If she hadn’t been unable to find professional help for such a long time, Su Xiaotian would still have been considering whether to entrust the construction of the building to such a team.
After all, it was a five-story building. If there was a quality issue, losing money would be a minor matter; a safety accident would be truly fatal.
“How about this, Uncle Qian, why don’t you look at the floor plans first!” Su Xiaotian suggested.
Old Qian felt his lips suddenly become dry.
He licked his lips and said, “I’ll try!”
Although he hadn’t built multi-story buildings before, he felt he could give it a try.
“Uncle Qian, the cost of this building is very high. Besides the construction period, the quality must also be guaranteed,” Su Xiaotian reminded him. “Whether you can understand it or not, you must tell me the truth.”
Old Qian nodded. That was natural.
Then, he took the blueprints from Su Xiaotian.
The moment he saw the blueprints, Old Qian’s breathing briefly stopped.
Although he wasn’t particularly skilled at reading diagrams, he could still discern some clues.
This building was five stories high, and the requirements were not low. If he could successfully secure this deal.
His brothers would have work for the entire year.
Moreover, perhaps they could establish a foothold in Beijing in the future.
After all, there were many construction teams of various sizes in Beijing, but only a small fraction of them could secure work.
This was simply an opportunity sent by heaven.
However, as the young girl said, it wasn’t just about building it; the quality of the construction also needed to be guaranteed, and he felt he might not be able to achieve that.
Ultimately, Old Qian resisted the temptation and told Su Xiaotian the results of his review of the blueprints.
This outcome clearly left both of them somewhat disappointed.
Su Xiaotian had to admit at this point that she had thought things were too simple.
After all, it was still very backward. Although there had been great changes after several years of rapid development, it was only limited to people having enough to eat and wear.
As Old Qian watched Su Xiaotian put the stack of blueprints back into her bag, he felt as if a piece of his heart had been dug out.
This was his opportunity, and also an opportunity for his brothers!
If they missed this chance, perhaps in a short while, his brothers would have to return to their hometowns.
And it was unknown when they would be able to come out again.
Finally, after a period of internal struggle, Old Qian spoke.
“Comrade Xiaotian, can you give our construction team a chance? As you’ve seen, we work very diligently.”
“But, Uncle Qian, the requirements for this building are too high.”
Working diligently was one thing, but capability was another.
If the conditions allowed, Su Xiaotian would have liked to give these honest, hardworking men a chance, but she couldn’t gamble her own fortune on it!
“I know our construction team’s current capabilities are insufficient, but each of us will work hard.”
Su Xiaotian shook her head slightly and then saw a fleeting look of sadness on Old Qian’s face.
Just as Su Xiaotian thought Old Qian might give up, she heard him continue, “I can find a way to recruit more highly educated workers and also find someone who truly understands architecture to help.”