Reborn in 1977

Chapter 262: You Good, I Good, Everybody Good

In the afternoon, Zhang Cuie adjusted her learning focus and concentrated on studying Chinese, starting with the basics. After assigning her learning tasks, Chen Fan went to the newly built breeding farm not far outside the village.

This was a flat area near the riverbank, not too far from the village, about two li away. Two large, semi-open livestock sheds were built here using adobe bricks and wood. The style was similar to pigsties, with walls on three sides and a low wall only one meter high on the facing sides of the two sheds. Inside the sheds were rows of bamboo cages.

During this time, An Quan hadn't done anything else but supervise the construction of the breeding farm with Ye Shubao.

When Chen Fan arrived, they were covered in mud, discussing the layout of the breeding farm with the workers.

These workers were actually members of the Lujiawan team. Except for the main walls of the livestock sheds, which were overseen by master builders from the construction team, everything else was done by the team's own laborers. For team members who were used to doing everything themselves, building a livestock shed was not a difficult task.

When they saw him coming, almost everyone greeted Chen Fan.

"Teacher Chen is here."

"Teacher Chen, have you eaten yet?"

"Teacher Chen, give us some pointers and see if there's anything here that needs to be changed."

"Teacher Chen, these cages were all made by a few of us. Please take a look and see if they meet the requirements."

Chen Fan responded with a smile to each of them, "Hello, hello everyone. I've eaten. If I didn't eat now, I'd be starving. It's built very well. You are all experts, no need for me to give pointers. This rabbit cage is well made, even better than the ones I made myself. Worthy of being a master craftsman…"

An Quan walked over, took out a cigarette, handed one to him, and said with a smile, "Master, give us some pointers. What else should we pay attention to in the breeding farm?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Fan didn't hesitate, stomped his foot, and said softly, "The ground needs to be hardened. Too much soil makes it inconvenient to clean and easily accumulates bacteria. If possible, use bricks and stones to pave the ground. If not, use cinder. It can't just be bare."

An Quan nodded slowly, "If you want coal, I really can't do anything about it. That's a controlled material. But I can get several truckloads of burnt cinder, that's no problem."

Chen Fan turned his head and looked at the two large livestock sheds on the left and right, and said, "In the rabbit sheds, sprinkle more lime on the ground for disinfection, and pay attention to cleaning the rabbit cages…"

Based on his experience raising rabbits during this period and the knowledge he learned from books, he pointed out several key points to pay attention to, and An Quan recorded them all.

After he finished speaking, Ye Shubao said, "Then we will build this place into a model breeding farm according to your standards, accumulate experience here first, and then gradually increase promotion."

Then he looked at Chen Fan, "When can your rabbits be handed over?"

Chen Fan turned his head to look at the environment here, "This place is not yet ready for large-scale breeding. Let's wait a little longer, about the end of May or the beginning of June. When this place is ready, I will transfer a portion of the rabbits first, large and small, male and female."

The main reason was that many of the rabbits he raised seemed to be pregnant again. The people at the production team's breeding farm had no experience in taking care of baby rabbits. He had to wait until this batch of baby rabbits came out and teach a few people how to handle them before transferring a batch of rabbits over.

Ye Shubao nodded lightly, "It's okay to wait another month. We'll be transplanting rice soon. After transplanting rice, we'll be a little more free. That's the best time to receive them."

After a pause, he added, "But don't be too late, it will be troublesome if it coincides with the 'double抢'."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "That definitely won't happen. I still have a sense of proportion."

An Quan looked at him with a smile and said, "You must have a sense of proportion. This breeding farm all depends on you."

Chen Fan quickly waved his hand, pointing to Ye Shubao next to him, "Depends on me? Then where do you put Team Leader Ye?"

Ye Shubao calmly took a puff of his cigarette, "Where do I put myself? I'll hang on the wall."

Hearing this, Chen Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, while An Quan laughed heartily.

…

Time passed bit by bit, and soon it was the end of April.

In the vegetable garden behind Yang Chuanfu's house, a dozen people were gathered together, and on the village road next to them, there were dozens or even hundreds of people watching.

Today was the day Chen Fan "delivered the goods" for the first time, which was the squatting toilet.

It wasn't enough to just deliver the goods, he also had to provide after-sales service. Otherwise, if they bought it back and no one knew how to build this flushing toilet, wouldn't it become just a decoration?

According to what Chen Fan and Team Leader Yang had agreed upon before, today he would teach on-site, building a toilet for Team Leader Yang's family while instructing the members of the "toilet construction team."

There were a total of 12 people, each of whom had worked as a laborer several times. Learning how to build a toilet, as long as he explained the key points to them clearly and then told them what to do, they would quickly learn.

Under Chen Fan's guidance, a dozen people worked together, and soon a toilet was built.

Like the toilet in the backyard of the educated youth spot, it occupied an area of four square meters. The difference was that adobe bricks were used here, but the walls were also plastered with lime. You couldn't tell anything from the outside. Squatting inside, it looked quite decent.

After it was built, Old Team Leader Yang curiously looked at the toilet door, "It's built just like that? Then where does the manure go?"

Yang Chuanfu looked at the newly built toilet with satisfaction and said with a smile, "Don't worry, old man, the manure won't be wasted. It's all flushed into the septic tank behind, which is even more convenient to empty than before."

Yang Auntie pulled Yang Ju aside and asked, "Is this flushing toilet really that easy to use?"

Yang Ju said softly, "I've told you so many times, it's really easy to use. When the cement in it dries completely, the sewer can also be used. You'll know once you try it. After using the toilet, a scoop of water flushes it clean immediately. If it smells, it's the septic tank behind. But the septic tank is usually covered with a lid, so there's not much smell, much better than the original manure vat."

Yang Auntie nodded lightly, glanced at Chen Fan, who was talking and laughing with others not far away, and asked softly, "You've been there for two months, have you gained anything?"

Yang Ju was slightly startled, thought for a while, and said, "Yes, I've now learned the textbook up to the second year of junior high school, and I'm about to learn the third year. If it's fast, I can finish the high school curriculum this year. Teacher Chen said that after we finish the high school curriculum, he will teach us a skill, whether it's veterinary medicine, cooking, pottery, or being a broadcaster or repairman, we can do it."

Yang Auntie frowned slightly, "Has that Zhang Cuie also finished the high school curriculum?"

Now everyone in the brigade knows that Zhang Cuie is learning to be a broadcaster with Chen Fan, and she has naturally heard of it.

But Yang Ju shook her head, "It doesn't seem like it, it should be about the same as us, but Teacher Chen said that Zhang Cuie doesn't have to work, so her learning progress is faster than ours, and plus she's in the 5th team, next to the brigade headquarters, so she will be taught in advance."

Aunt Yang curled her lip and nudged Yang Ju, whispering, "You're so naive, believing everything people say. Teacher Chen is giving her special tutoring because she's currying favor. Why can't you be a bit smarter?"

Yang Ju looked troubled. "But I don't know how to do that."

Aunt Yang sighed, realizing she didn't know how either.

On the other sides, Huang Ying and Liu Dan were in similar situations.

Before, everyone was on the same starting line, so they didn't feel much. But now, Zhang Cuie was suddenly learning broadcasting techniques ahead of time, giving them a sense of urgency.

It wasn't that they worried Chen Fan wouldn't teach them the technique after teaching Zhang Cuie, but they feared losing the advantage and missing out on the opportunity.

They say proximity brings opportunity, but even though Zhang Cuie was close to Chen Fan's workplace, they lived in the same courtyard as Chen Fan. How were they falling behind?

They couldn't figure it out.

Despite their confusion, they all felt a sense of urgency, but hadn't yet figured out how to respond.

…

Once the toilet was built, Chen Fan had a big drinking session at Captain Yang's house, attended by all the members of the "Toilet Construction Team."

Today wasn't Captain Yang's treat. Normally, according to the rules, he should be the one hosting since it was his project. But this was such a small project that it didn't require a dozen people.

It wasn't like the last time when Chen Fan renovated the courtyard, transplanted trees, made a back door in the educated youth compound, and built a toilet. Captain Yang only gathered so many people then because it was several projects combined.

Today's main purpose was for these "Construction Team members" to learn skills from Chen Fan. These people were mostly from the "Three Big Families" of Team 6. Furthermore, if they learned something and went out to earn money, they would have to give a portion to the team. So this meal was paid for from the team's public funds.

In addition to that, each team member bought Chen Fan a pack of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor.

It wasn't as formal as an apprenticeship, but it was a return gift for learning a skill, similar to when he taught them how to cook soft-shelled turtle.

With Jiang Lili and the other three helping to carry the gifts back, Chen Fan naturally stayed behind to drink with them.

As the drinks flowed, Chen Fan, supporting his cup, spoke grandly, "Don't underestimate building this toilet. If you want to build it well, there's more to it than you think."

Accountant Liu, pouring him wine, nodded repeatedly with a flushed face, "That's right, that's right."

Supervisor Huang echoed, "I heard you talking earlier, there are quite a few tricks to it. The surrounding ground should be higher, the squatting pit should be in the lowest position, and scattering a few ping pong balls to measure the height difference—those are all good tips."

Chen Fan waved his hand, his face red, "That's not what I'm talking about."

He looked hazily at the people around him and smiled. "Don't think it's just building a toilet. The most valuable thing isn't the bricklaying, but the interior decoration."

Hearing this, everyone stared at him intently.

Especially Captain Yang and the other two, they exchanged glances and perked up, waiting for Chen Fan to continue.

Accountant Liu even wanted to take out a notebook to write it down, but this wasn't the right occasion.

Chen Fan seemed a bit drunk and said vaguely, "If toilets need decorating, shouldn't the houses people live in be decorated too?"

Captain Yang immediately chimed in, "Of course!"

Chen Fan nodded at him and said, "Of course they should, but there's a difference in how you do it. The people here, when they build houses, at best, they're brick houses with cement floors and whitewashed walls, very rough. If you read more newspapers and books, you'll know that people in big cities are very particular about building houses."

The others looked at each other. Asking this group of semi-literates to read newspapers and books? That might be a bit difficult.

Accountant Liu's eyes flickered, and he raised his glass to clink with Chen Fan's, asking softly, "How are they particular?"

Chen Fan took a sip from his glass and blinked, saying, "How are they particular?"

He put down his glass and gestured with his hands. "The floors are tiled. Do you know what tiles are? Ceramics, ceramics, rough pottery and fine porcelain, all called ceramics. Tiles are much more advanced than the pottery shards I fire, and the patterns are nicer. The walls, whitewashing is basic, but do you know about Kesai Silver?"

Seeing everyone shake their heads, Chen Fan chuckled. "You don't know, do you? You know the Great Hall of the People? When they built the Great Hall of the People, they used Kesai Silver on the walls. Whitewash only lasts a few months, and if you touch it, your hand will be covered in white. Kesai Silver is also a white paint, but one coat can last three or four years, and it doesn't shed dust when you touch it.

That's not all. After applying Kesai Silver, at the bottom of the wall…"

He turned and gestured to the wall beside him. "From here to the ground, paint it all with paint, usually green paint, but red is okay too. Paint lasts even longer than Kesai Silver. As long as the paint doesn't peel, it won't collect dust.

And the ceiling…"

He looked up and pointed to the thatched roof above. "Use wooden boards or oilcloth to seal off the top, so that the dust from above doesn't fall down. And then there's plumbing, carpentry, doors and windows, furniture…"

After saying all that, listing the main items for renovation, he finally slapped the table. "And then there's the toilet."

The others, who had been listening intently, were startled by the sound and snapped back to attention, continuing to watch him.

Chen Fan turned his head and looked around, chuckling. "We all build toilets in the backyard now. Secretary An said last time that in the city, people who live in apartment buildings have toilets inside their homes. Anyway, they're all flush toilets. You've all tried the toilets at the educated youth compound. With one flush, they're clean and there's no smell at all. Building them inside the house doesn't have any impact."

After saying this, he ate a few bites of food, then put down his chopsticks, spread out his hands, and said seriously, "If you can research and master the technique of building toilets, and apply these techniques to home decoration, you can gain a foothold not just in Nanhua Commune, but even in Gufeng County.

At that time, use building toilets as a breakthrough, and include all the decoration projects I just mentioned, providing decoration services to the people, helping them with whole-house renovations. Think about it yourselves, is it more profitable to renovate an entire house, or just build one toilet?"

Did they even need to calculate that? The larger the project, the higher the profit. Wasn't that common sense?!

Accountant Liu immediately raised his glass. "Come, come, come, Teacher Chen is indeed Teacher Chen, he's got the skills. Let's all toast Teacher Chen."

Everyone immediately raised their glasses and clinked them with Chen Fan's in a burst of clattering.

Captain Yang drained his cup in one gulp, his eyes shining. "Little Chen, you said just now that there's also carpentry, but we don't have any carpenters in our team?"

Chen Fan chuckled. "Captain, eating alone will choke you to death. Lucun Bay is so big, are there few carpenters and bamboo weavers? Share a little bit appropriately, and it'll be good for you, good for me, and good for everyone!"