Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 218 Demarcating the Boundary Marker

On the woodpile in the front yard, there were many short wooden strips that Chen Fan had simply processed a couple of days ago. These short wooden strips were the materials he planned to use to make a drawing board.

Beyond the two acres of land that were cleared, there were still some scattered miscellaneous trees. He selected a fairly sturdy linden tree, cut off a few branches to use as materials, and after a simple drying process, he started making it today.

The wide benches, tool tables, and toolboxes used for woodworking were also made of miscellaneous trees.

These miscellaneous trees are unsuitable for making furniture or building timber, but they can be used to make small items.

With a pencil tucked behind his ear and a tape measure in his hand, Chen Fan had tools such as an inkwell, a set square, a saw, a plane, and a chisel beside him. He was busy drawing lines and cutting with the saw, working hard on the wood.

Just as he finished cutting the wood strips into planks, Captain Yang's voice rang out from the courtyard gate, "Oh, you can do carpentry too?"

Chen Fan straightened up, put down the tools in his hand, and said with a smile, "Just play around if you think it's interesting. Anyway, they're just miscellaneous trees. If they're ruined, we can just burn them as firewood."

He gave a casual, perfunctory reply, clapped his hands, and went to greet the captain, "What brings you here today, Captain? Is there something you need to tell me?"

Then he turned around and pointed to the "multi-functional room" inside, saying, "Come inside and sit down. I'll make you some tea."

As he said this, he was about to walk in.

"no, I'm fine."

Captain Yang waved his hand repeatedly and chuckled at him, "Hasn't your homestead been designated? I'll bring people over to mark the boundary for you."

Setting up boundary markers?
Chen Fan was overjoyed. Once the boundary marker was erected, construction could begin. Even if they didn't wait for the off-season, he could slowly do some work such as laying foundations and building walls.

He quickly smiled and said, "Then you should definitely come in for a cup of tea, otherwise people will say I don't know any manners."

Then his smile vanished, and he said seriously, "Well then, it's just in time for lunch, let's have a drink here."

He then headed to the kitchen to ask Jiang Lili to cook a few more dishes.

Captain Yang quickly pulled him back, smiled, and said, "No need for alcohol. You still have to work in the fields this afternoon. When you want to build a house next time, you won't be able to do it without alcohol. Tea is fine too, just give me a cigarette as a treat."

He then lowered his voice and whispered, "They're all from our team. When we get there, give each of them one of your Peony cigarettes first, and another one when we're done. That'll be enough."

Chen Fan understood what he meant. A pack of Peony cigarettes cost 49 cents, so two cigarettes would cost 4.9 cents, which was equivalent to half a pack of economy cigarettes. Offering two Peony cigarettes would be more expensive than half a pack of economy cigarettes costing 8 cents, which would be both presentable and make the other person look good.

But two cigarettes are far too few. Who asks someone for help and only gives them two cigarettes?

He thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "Captain, the Donghai cigarettes that the parents of the veterinary students sent on the second day of the Lunar New Year are still here. How about we each get a pack of Donghai?"

A pack of Donghai cigarettes costs 17 cents, which is equivalent to two packs of economy cigarettes, thus creating a significant price difference.

Captain Yang clicked his tongue and said irritably, "The team hires people for help, and they get a whole day's wages. This little job can be done in a few seconds, so half a bag's wages is enough. If you give it to Donghai, what are the others supposed to do?"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He had thought that Captain Yang wanted to save him money, but it turned out that this was the reason. He had been presumptuous.

But I only have Peony and East Sea cigarettes in my room, no economy cigarettes.

You can buy a carton of those for 8 cents, and you don't need a ticket, but Chen Fan has never bought any. He can't just give them away like that.

"so,"

Captain Yang suddenly said, "We're not providing meals, but a pack of cigarettes will do. There will be four of us later, so I'll cover four packs of Economy cigarettes for you, and you can give me two packs of Donghai cigarettes in return. Consider it a two-cent discount on me."

Chen Fan pursed his lips and said, "If that's the case, then you sponsored me 5 jin of wine when Company Commander Zhang came over that day. Did I say anything? Or should I give you the money for the wine?"

Captain Yang immediately put his hands on his hips and said irritably, "Hey, if that's how you put it, then my Xiaoju is here with you, eating the fish you catch every day and even taking extra classes. Should I pay you tuition?"

Chen Fan blinked, "Then, if you put it that way..."

Captain Yang stared at him. "Go on, keep talking. After you're done, I have Yang Zhijun tutoring right here. And Xiao Ju made over 50 yuan last time."

Chen Fan raised his hands in surrender, "Then let's not settle the score, you go get some cigarettes."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Hey, when are they coming?"

Captain Yang pointed behind him, "It's already over there."

Chen Fan's face fell. "Alright, I'll go say hello first. Could you get me some cigarettes?"

Captain Yang patted his pocket and chuckled, "I've been prepared for a long time."

Chen Fan forced a stiff smile. This old guy!
They ran into the room, grabbed two packs of Donghai cigarettes for Captain Yang, and then the two strode towards the back.

As Captain Yang walked, he said, "I was originally thinking of finding a few more people to clear the whole area behind, but you and those girls did it all, which saved a lot of trouble."

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "So please don't mention Yang Zhijun and Yang Ju anymore. It's all about you helping me and me helping you, how can you be so calculating?" Captain Yang smiled and nodded, "Yes, that makes sense."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "What are your plans for this area? Do you want to level the slope?"

Chen Fan shook his head. "No need for that. I'll just build a small path made of blue bricks later."

He can make the bricks himself, so he doesn't need to buy them from outside.

He turned to look at Captain Yang and smiled, "I'd like to make some changes to the rest of this small hill, but I don't know if the team will agree."

Captain Yang looked at him in surprise, "Reform? How?"

Chen Fan made a gesture, "I just want to clear out that patch of mixed trees around here and plant cedar trees instead. The mixed trees are worthless and don't grow very big; they can only be cut down for firewood. Planting cedar trees will at least be somewhat useful."

Captain Yang suddenly slowed down, frowned, and walked forward for a while before pulling him aside and whispering, "This is not a good matter. Should we count the tree planting as yours or as everyone's?"
It's on your behalf, there's no such regulation. It's on everyone's behalf, we're all too busy with other things to have time to clear land and plant trees.

Besides, there's plenty of timber on the slope where we stayed earlier; we can't use it all up. There's no need to cultivate this area, and I doubt anyone would be willing to do it. So you'd better think about this matter more carefully.”

Chen Fan understood perfectly well that telling him to "think about it some more" was actually a polite way of declining.

He smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll think about it some more and we'll talk about it later."

But his mind was racing, and it seemed that his "Forest Plan" needed some adjustments.

Giving up is out of the question. Unless we move out of here in the future, who wouldn't want a better environment around them?

At worst, I can get some cedar branches to propagate by cuttings. Cedar trees can be propagated by cuttings, and the survival rate is not low. Early spring is the best season for cuttings, so I'll get some cedar branches tomorrow and plant them.

In a few years, when those fir trees grow taller, we can contract out the land.

Surely no one would compete with me for this piece of land? As a villager, I could easily contract this hillside, along with the former educated youth settlement in front of it, or even just buy it outright, right?
Just as Chen Fan was quietly making his own plans, they also walked to the back.

Four people were standing at the bottom of the slope. When they saw Chen Fan coming, one of them immediately shouted, "Teacher Chen, could you please point out the location so we can dig a hole and fill in the monument?"

Chen Fan quickened his pace and went over to take a look. The so-called boundary marker was actually just a square column-shaped stone. At the top of the stone were the three characters "Chen Fan Boundary". On the other two adjacent sides, there were two arrows, which should point to the boundary line.

There are four stone pillars in total, which mark the four corners of the residential site.

Captain Yang walked over, took out four packs of economy cigarettes and tossed them to them, saying, "This is a small token of Teacher Chen's appreciation for you."

The four of them accepted the gifts with a laugh and thanked them profusely.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Excuse me, masters, the spot I chose is at the top of the slope, and we still have to walk up a bit further."

This boundary marker can only be placed on the corner of the homestead and cannot exceed the area of ​​the homestead. No matter how large the yard is reserved, it cannot exceed the boundary, otherwise it will not match the homestead certificate.

One of them laughed and said, "The top of the slope is good. There's no water accumulation at the top, and we won't be afraid of flooding when it rains. Okay, we'll carry it up there."

They could earn a pack of cigarettes just by breaking a few stone pillars, and it wouldn't interfere with their work, so they were happy to do it.

Four stone pillars were tied together, and four people stood on either side, using carrying poles to lift ropes and carry them uphill.

Soon they reached the top of the slope. Chen Fan pointed to a wooden stake he had driven in beforehand and said, "This is the spot."

He then looked at Captain Yang and said with a smile, "Captain, take another measurement, don't take too much."

Captain Yang didn't mince words. He immediately pulled out a rope marked with measurements, and with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, said, "It's for measuring. If you dare to take more than your share, that's definitely not allowed!"

Then he tossed the rope to another person, saying, "Third Brother, help me pull the string."

Chen Fan looked at the man and suddenly remembered that this "Third Brother" seemed to be Yang Zhijun's biological father.
He blinked, looking thoughtfully at the taut rope being pulled back and forth, guessing that today his land area was probably calculated as "indoor area," and there were probably no exterior walls!

Sure enough, after the measurement was completed, Captain Yang immediately put the rope away and shouted, "Teacher Chen is really skilled. His calculations are spot on. Just make sure the stake is inside. When you're digging the hole, just dig around the stake from the outside."

The four of them laughed and pretended not to see it. After he finished speaking, they responded loudly and began digging the boundary marker pit.

The pit wasn't big, but it was quite deep, and it was clear that a large section of the boundary marker would be driven into it.

However, Chen Fan underestimated the skills of these people. After they finished digging the pit, the wooden stake was still firmly planted in the same spot, without even touching the edge of the pit.

Then the stone pillar was buried in the pit, leaving only a short section, with the three characters "Chen Fanjie" and two arrows exposed. When the house was built later, this stone pillar would be part of the outer wall.

The wooden strip that Chen Fan himself planted was still more than a foot away from here.

(End of this chapter)