Chapter 23: Friends from the Past Arrive

"What's going on?" Lin Heng looked at his father.

"Of course, it's about building the house. I've already talked to the village committee, and they've given their approval.

I also consulted someone about the auspicious days this morning, and a Feng Shui master will come to check the house's orientation. The official start of construction is set for the eighth day, which is four days from now."

Lin Heng's father paused for a moment before continuing, "I heard you picked the plot on the west side this morning?"

"Yes," Lin Heng nodded.

"Well, you've made your decision." Lin Heng's father nodded and then added, "It's good that both you and your brother are here. We can discuss how to build the house."

"How to build it, how big to make it, all that depends on both of you. Each of you has about 400 square meters of land to build on," Lin Heng's father said.

"Wait a minute, Dad," Lin Heng said, and then went to the bedroom to get a pen and paper to sketch a plan. He quickly completed a simple floor plan.

"This is my blueprint for the house. Just build it according to this."

Lin Heng handed the blueprint to his father, and his older brother and third uncle gathered around to look.

"I don't plan on building something too big, just 100 square meters is enough, with a yard in the front and back.

The house will be 12 meters wide and 8 meters deep, with three bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, and a storage room.

The second floor will have three bedrooms and one storage room," Lin Heng explained. He planned to draw an elevation view later to increase the size and number of windows. Traditional rural houses have poor lighting.

"Looks like you've really learned something in middle school. This drawing is quite good. The design is nice, though the area seems a little small," Third Uncle Lin Xuetao commented, clearly impressed.

"You can build it however you like," Lin Heng's father said, slightly surprised. Lin Heng's design was quite impressive. In rural areas, people usually build houses without any blueprints. Lin Heng's casual sketch looked quite professional.

"It's not small. I don't like things too big. Two floors should be enough for the family," Lin Heng said.

"Lin Heng, make me one too, something similar to yours, but with two extra side rooms in the back for storage or whatever," his older brother Lin Yue said with a smile.

"If you like a bigger house, you could go for a courtyard style, like a traditional four-sided house," Lin Heng suggested.

"A courtyard style? What's that?" Lin Yue asked, curious.

"I'll draw it for you. You'll see what I mean," Lin Heng said, and then quickly sketched the traditional courtyard-style house.

"Let's stick with the original idea. This seems too complicated and hard to build," Lin Yue said, shaking his head after seeing the drawing.

"Alright," Lin Heng said, then drew the design his brother requested.

"This looks great. Let's build it like this," Lin Yue said, satisfied.

"Thanks, little brother. It's good to have someone with some education in the family," Lin Yue said, patting Lin Heng on the shoulder.

"No problem," Lin Heng said, waving his hand. "I'll need your help when it's time to build."

"Don't worry. I've got this," Lin Yue said confidently, patting his chest before heading off to share the good news with his wife.

Lin Heng's father was holding his granddaughter while looking at the blueprints. Lin Heng, meanwhile, was busy with his own project — making a nice bamboo fishing rod.

He had watched videos on how to make bamboo fishing rods in his past life and was planning to make one himself. He hadn't caught any fish today mainly because his equipment wasn't up to par.

He decided to make a two-meter-long rod to practice. He grabbed a bamboo shoot that had grown for more than three years from a nearby patch. The bamboo was about as thick as his thumb and three meters long. After removing the very thin tip, it was just the right length for a fishing rod.

He carefully shaved off the branches, making sure not to damage the main stalk, and that was the first step done. It was still just a piece of bamboo, not yet a fishing rod.

Next, Lin Heng went to the kitchen to get some charcoal. He placed the section of bamboo he wanted to bend over the hot coals, softening it by heating it and bending it straight. After cooling it in water, he repeated the process until it was fully straightened.

"Are you making a fishing rod?" Third Uncle Lin Xuetao asked as he watched Lin Heng work.

"Yeah, I'm trying to make one myself," Lin Heng replied while adjusting the bamboo rod.

"I know a place where there's purple bamboo. I'll bring some to you. How about I get you some too?" Third Uncle offered, clearly interested in fishing as well.

"Purple bamboo? That's great! Can you get me a couple of shoots to plant?" Lin Heng asked, surprised. Purple bamboo was rare, and having some to make a fishing rod would be wonderful.

"No problem. I'll dig some up for you in a few days," Third Uncle said with a grin, patting his chest confidently.

"Thanks," Lin Heng said, nodding, then continued adjusting the bamboo rod. Third Uncle stayed and helped.

Finally, before dinner, Lin Heng had finished straightening the rod. He clamped it with wooden boards to let it dry and set in the yard.

"Wash up, dinner's ready," Lin Heng's mother called out.

When Lin Heng went out to use the restroom, he noticed that the argument outside was still going on. The voices had become hoarse, and neither party was willing to stop. The amount of hatred must have built up over a long time.

"Lin Heng!" As Lin Heng turned to go back inside, a shout came from the distance.

He turned around and saw three young men approaching, about his age — his old friends.

They must have come looking for him since he hadn't gone to see them in a while.

"Where have you been these past few days? Why haven't you come to hang out with us?" The leader, Zhao Hu, the village head's son, was dressed fashionably. His hair was dyed gold and styled into the popular "drifter" hairstyle of the time — long, slightly curly, with sideburns and a beard, giving off a free, romantic, and rebellious vibe.

The other two were named Jin Hai and Liu Sheng. They were dressed simply, and Liu Sheng, Lin Heng's childhood friend, had grown up with him, and their relationship had been good. Later, both of them had been tricked by Zhao Hu, leading to very difficult lives in their later years.

"Yeah, what have you been up to? Yesterday, I even caught a water snake and was going to invite you for drinks, but you weren't around," Liu Sheng said with a laugh.

"Enough talk, let's go! We're going to the town to play cards and drink. After a couple of days, we'll head to the city," Zhao Hu said impatiently.

"Yeah, Zhao Brother's treating! Hurry up and get ready!" Jin Hai added. The town and city had a much greater allure for young people than their village, which still lacked electricity.

At this moment, Lin Heng's sister-in-law, his younger sister Caiyun, and his mother all came out. Caiyun looked at Lin Heng with her bright eyes but said nothing.

"You guys go ahead. I'm not coming," Lin Heng shook his head.

Zhao Hu furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"

"Yeah, I need to work to make money and support my family. I'm not going anymore. You guys go ahead," Lin Heng said with a smile.

"What's the point of farming? You don't make much money," Zhao Hu said, a little angry. "Come on, let me take you to the city. You'll make way more money than you would farming here. Don't waste your education, I really need your help."

Zhao Hu had only attended elementary school but still thought highly of Lin Heng.

"I'm not going," Lin Heng shook his head. He had thought about continuing to hang out with Zhao Hu and using his advantage from being reborn to trick him and get revenge for his past life. But he couldn't bear to be apart from his family, so he decided to abandon that plan. Family was more important than revenge.

Besides, once he had money, it would be easy to take revenge on Zhao Hu.

"You'll regret this decision," Zhao Hu said, looking at Lin Heng with disdain. Then he turned and walked away, thinking Lin Heng would come crawling back in half a month.

Jin Hai and Liu Sheng exchanged surprised glances, and Liu Sheng couldn't help but walk up and ask, "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Lin Heng shook his head, looking at his childhood friend. He then advised, "Listen to me, it's better to stay grounded."

"It's fine. I'm not married yet. I can have some fun for a few years," Liu Sheng said, waving it off, before walking away.

(End of Chapter)