Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 686 Restoring it to its original state
Wednesday, September 12th.

At 4:30 p.m., Chen Fan drove to the Beijing Hotel, registered at the front desk, and went straight upstairs.

Inside the room, Zhou Zhengdong and Zhou Yali were packing their things. Someone had probably been there, as the door was still open.

Chen Fan knocked on the door and went straight in. He first took off his light cashmere coat and hung it in the closet. Then he rolled up his sleeves, looked around, and said, "Is there anything else that needs to be packed? I'll help."

Zhou Yali casually pointed and said, "Help me drink that beverage."

Chen Fan turned his head and saw a yellow beverage bottle on the coffee table, with several empty bottles next to it.

You don't even need to look at the label to know that this is Arctic Ocean soda.

Pick up the bottle of soda, and without using a bottle opener, just use your fingers to pry open the cap.

Chen Fan tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then exhaled, "It's too warm, the taste is a bit off."

Zhou Yali turned to look at him, her face somewhat speechless. "Why drink something so cold in the middle of winter? Aren't you afraid of getting a stomachache?"

Chen Fan downed the remaining half bottle in one gulp, put the bottle on the coffee table, let out a burp, and sat down on the sofa with a shrug. He said irritably, "You still know it's the dead of winter? Who drinks soda in the dead of winter? You didn't even offer to pour some hot tea."

It's best to add a few goji berries for health benefits. I'm almost thirty, it's time to start taking better care of myself. Otherwise, what if people say I'm prematurely aging in a few years?

Zhou Yali struggled to zip up the suitcase, took a couple of breaths, and turned to sit down next to him. "Of course there is. I asked the hotel staff, and they drink this all the time. They even take thermos flasks to the market to buy it in bulk."

(A soft drink vending machine in Dongfeng Market in 78)

Chen Fan blinked and turned to look at her. "I knew you'd take the water bottle to get beer, but you also get soda?"

Soda is sold in bottles, right? In the summer, there are soda stalls everywhere on the streets and alleys. They just have a simple folding wooden table with two cases of soda and a big block of ice on it.

Bottles of soda are placed on ice, and they cool down in no time. Sometimes, when there are many customers, they are sold out before they can be properly chilled.

After selling out, the salesperson would ride a bicycle to the nearest supply and marketing cooperative to pick up the goods. Sometimes they could make more than ten trips a day, selling dozens of boxes and consuming two or three large ice blocks.

If one stall sells dozens of boxes, how many would be sold throughout the entire capital? And what about the whole summer?

It is said that as early as 61, Beibingyang soda had a net profit of 878 million yuan a year, and it is now no less than that, which shows its popularity.

But bulk soft drinks?

He had never seen this before.

Zhou Yali patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Young comrade, you've become out of touch with the masses! I know all this, but you haven't even heard of it. No problem, I'll take you shopping tomorrow, we'll go to the market and see for ourselves, then you'll understand."

Chen Fan smirked slightly. "If you want to go shopping with me, just say so. No need for excuses."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But didn't you forget that we're supposed to go house hunting tomorrow?"

Zhou Yali: "Uh... then I'll go get some beer the day after tomorrow."

Zhou Zhengdong pushed two large suitcases out of the room, staring wide-eyed at his daughter, "You still dare to drink?"

Zhou Yali chuckled and said, "I'll buy both soda and beer. I'll drink the soda, and you guys can drink the beer."

Seeing her father nod slightly, Zhou Yali couldn't help but sigh, "Old Zhou, your youngest son hasn't even been born yet, and you're already starting to dislike me?!"

Originally, "youngest son" referred to the son who stayed at home to care for his parents. However, since in most parts of my country, it is the youngest son who takes care of his parents, it has gradually become a synonym for the youngest son.

But does Zhou Zhengdong have a younger son?
Chen Fan stared wide-eyed at the two of them and asked, "When did Auntie give birth to a son?"

Zhou Yali blinked and looked at Zhou Zhengdong, "Dad, didn't you tell my brother?"

Zhou Zhengdong came out of the room again, carrying large and small bags. "You often correspond with Xiaofan, but didn't you mention that you're about to have a younger brother?"

Zhou Yali pouted, her eyes somewhat unfocused, "This isn't something I should be saying, is it?"

Zhou Zhengdong was speechless. After holding his breath for five seconds, he immediately jabbed his daughter's forehead with a single finger strike. "When your brother grows up, don't come looking for me if he bullies you!"

Zhou Yali's eyes darted around, her expression defiant. "Then I'll bully him first!"

Chen Fan, who was standing to the side, finally understood: the little guy hadn't been born yet.

However, after calculating the time, a look of realization flashed in his eyes, and he grinned and chuckled, "Uncle, is the old wine still effective?"

At this moment, Zhou Zhengdong was thinking about whether to vent his anger for his son and beat up his daughter. When he heard Chen Fan's words, even with his thick skin, he couldn't help but blush slightly. "Okay, okay."

He then tossed the things aside, shooed his daughter away, sat down next to his nephew, and whispered, "It's just that there's too little. Could you bring more to take with you this time?"

Chen Fan stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "How about I find you some medicinal herbs, and you can take them back and brew them yourself?"

Zhou Zhengdong blinked. "It's good, but the effect...?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "As long as the medicinal herbs and aged wine are fine, and you follow my method, the effect will definitely be good."

Zhou Zhengdong clapped his hands together and put his arm around his nephew's shoulder. "Hehehe, then thank you for your hard work."

After packing, I asked a waiter to bring me a luggage cart, and then pushed five large suitcases and three bags (one large and two small) downstairs.

This doesn't even include Zhou Zhengdong's briefcase and Zhou Yali's shoulder bag.

There's just so much stuff.

After loading everything into the van, Chen Fan drove them home.

Upon entering the courtyard, the group came out to greet them upon hearing the noise.

Liu Juan and Ma Lan greeted Zhou Zhengdong and Zhou Yali first. They had never met Zhou Zhengdong before, but they had met Zhou Yali before, so they were not so unfamiliar with each other. Then they quickly helped carry the luggage.

As for the other three, they were naturally the three masters who had met Zhou Zhengdong once.

As Chen Fan's elders in China, even if it were his own uncle, they would still have to greet him.

It's a bit absurd, really. On one hand, there's the "master is like half a father," and on the other hand, there's the "mother and uncle." They're practically equals.

Chen Fan watched them exchange pleasantries and was happy to relax, so he leisurely entered the house.

With guests expected, all the heating pipes in the house were turned on, making it warm and cozy, comparable to a medium-sized boiler in the workplace.

As soon as Zhou Yali entered the room, she took off her down jacket. Just as she was about to speak, she turned her head and saw two little monkeys squatting on the cabinet by the wall, blinking at her.

(This big)
Seeing their adorable appearance, Zhou Yali couldn't resist. She quickly ran over, picked up the two monkeys, and hugged them to her arms, her face full of surprise. "Oh my, they're so cute! Little brother, where did you find these?"

Chen Fan didn't get involved with his master and uncle. He walked over to the sofa, sat down, looked at Zhou Yali who was walking over, and laughed, "This stuff is hard to find. Don't even think about getting a freebie."

Zhou Yali pouted and sat down not far from him, "I didn't say I wanted it..."

She turned to look at Chen Fan halfway through her sentence, raising her voice, "Brother...!"

Chen Fan shuddered and quickly said, "Don't be silly, this monkey is as precious as a panda. If I dare to take it abroad, guess what will happen?!"

Although there's no wildlife protection law these days, it's just that there's no legislation. From ordinary people to leaders, everyone knows the preciousness of rare animals. While it's true that "anything not prohibited by law is permitted," and if the monkey had been given to Zhou Yali, she could have taken it back, but that's not how things work.

At least Chen Fan doesn't have the guts or the inclination to send the little monkey abroad.

Seeing her younger brother's firm attitude, Zhou Yali didn't say anything more, and could only hug the little monkey with a wronged expression, "Then can I have it for this period of time?" Chen Fan tilted his head at the two wronged little monkeys, indicating that he couldn't help them, "Sure."

So the two monkeys became Zhou Yali's accessories, and she took them with her wherever she went.

Fortunately, Chen Fan bathes the monkeys every day, and they rarely touch the ground, making them cleaner than many people. Otherwise, he really wouldn't dare let Zhou Yali play with them.

Who sleeps with a monkey?
They're not afraid the little monkeys will hold it in.

……

The next day, Thursday, December 21st.

Chen Fan, along with Zhou Zhengdong and Zhou Yali, and their three masters, arrived at the Ningjun Prince's Mansion.

Unfortunately, Mr. Huo had to leave Beijing yesterday for some business, otherwise he would have come to see what was going on today.

It's alright, though. Although he has only visited the mainland a handful of times in his publicly announced itinerary, in fact, since his first visit to Beijing, he has secretly traveled north almost every year, spending less time in Beijing and more time in his ancestral home of Nansha.

Especially now that a meeting is in progress, after the meeting ends, his trips to the north will become even more frequent, and he will no longer conceal them, but will openly and legitimately engage in these exchanges.

Therefore, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, so there's no need to worry about the immediate future.

When the car arrived at the entrance of the Prince Ning's Mansion, Deputy Director Li was already waiting there.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone went inside.

Last time I came, there were people guarding the gate, but now it's deserted. Plus, it's winter, so there isn't even a chirping insect in the huge mansion.

As for the architecture, it wasn't much different from when I last visited.

After Deputy Director Li brought the people in, he went straight to the first main hall, which was the Yin'an Hall.

Yin'an Hall is also the main hall of the entire Prince's Mansion. It has seven bays in width and five bays in depth, with nine purlins. It is surrounded by a corridor, with a hip roof and barrel tile roof. Under the eaves, there are single-curved and double-tiered seven-step bracket sets...

Unfortunately, the Ningjun Prince's Mansion is now unrecognizable, and the Yin'an Hall, the main hall, is no exception. The vermilion pillars are mottled and the gray tiles on the roof are incomplete, covered with a few tiles of other colors. Along with a few weeds on the roof, it looks particularly desolate.

Inside the main hall, in the center was a large table made up of several long tables joined together. The tabletop was covered with a cotton cloth, and dozens of design drawings were placed on the cloth. Next to the table stood five middle-aged men wearing thick cotton coats with pens clipped to their pockets.

It's obvious without asking that they must be designers from a design institute.

As expected, upon entering the Yin'an Hall, Deputy Director Li said with a smile, "These are all designers from the design institute."

He then introduced them one by one: "Engineer Yang, Engineer Tong, Engineer Liu, Engineer Lü, Engineer Liang."

Chen Fan had told Zhou Zhengdong yesterday that he would be in charge of today's meeting.

Although the property deed is in Zhou Yali's name, she is still relatively young and not suitable to deal with those older engineers. Chen Fan is even less suitable, so they can only let him take the lead and let Chen Fan do the talking.

After Deputy Director Li finished his introduction, Zhou Zhengdong stepped forward and shook hands with each of them to greet them.

After exchanging pleasantries, they began discussing the design plan.

Without hesitation, Engineer Yang said solemnly, "Our design institute has attached great importance to this task from top to bottom, and specially selected five of us to be in charge of the restoration and renovation of the Ningjun Prince's Mansion."

He then emphasized the strengths of each person, saying, "I am skilled in the research and restoration of ancient buildings. Tong Gong and Liu Gong are like me; they are experts in the field of ancient architecture and have a deep understanding of this area."

Pointing to the remaining two, he said, "Engineer Lü and Engineer Liang are very knowledgeable about modern architecture and have participated in many large-scale projects, such as the recently completed Beijing Hotel building, which they were also the designers of and fully involved in the construction of."

Zhou Zhengdong nodded slightly, his face full of satisfaction, and said with a smile, "Thank you all, and thank you for your attention, your organization and leaders. I can guarantee that the budget is sufficient. I hope that by working together, we can restore the former glory of the Ningjun Prince's Mansion, while also incorporating modern living facilities that reflect the advanced technological achievements of the new China in the field of architecture."

Chen Fan stood to his side and slightly behind, and couldn't help but blink.

My uncle is a real talent! He's only been back to China twice, but he's already mastered the art of speaking. He'll definitely make a name for himself here in the future!
Hearing Zhou Zhengdong's words, Engineer Yang and the others nodded in satisfaction.

They said they would talk about progress, but the most crucial thing was that the budget couldn't be reduced. With Zhou Zhengdong's statement, they felt relieved.

In the construction industry, the worst thing is wanting this and that, and then when it comes to money, there's nothing available and not enough.

Since the budget can be guaranteed, what else is there to say?!
Engineer Yang immediately unfolded the design drawings and explained their design concept: "When we received the task, we also received a restoration plan. The overall idea is to restore the Ningjun Prince's Mansion to its original appearance as much as possible from the exterior."

In terms of usage, it requires all possible modern facilities, including but not limited to tap water, toilets, electrical circuits, telephones, televisions, and other things that require buried pipes and wires.

However, based on the first principle, these pipelines cannot be exposed; they must be concealed or run through hidden channels, and must also facilitate future maintenance and replacement…

The concept of low-voltage electricity does not yet exist. It was formed between 1990 and 2000, so we can only discuss it one by one.

Zhou Zhengdong listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time.

Chen Fan stood aside, looking at the design drawings, without saying a word.

After Engineer Yang finished his introduction, he said to Zhou Zhengdong, "This is our overall design plan. Mr. Zhou, uh, if you have any different opinions, please feel free to raise them."

Zhou Zhengdong turned directly to Chen Fan and asked, "Xiao Fan, what do you say?"

Yang and the other four turned to look at him, their eyes full of curiosity.

They had seen the design drawings of the self-occupied house designed by this architect. First of all, the drawings were very standard, and secondly, the design concept was novel and practical, which inspired them. They realized that he was a real architect and wanted to hear his opinion.

Chen Fan looked up and suddenly pointed to a design drawing, saying, "Is there a four-eyed well here?"

Engineer Yang nodded. "It turns out that it was a Xinhua Bookstore, part of the west wing of the Prince's Mansion. Since you bought the entire Prince's Mansion, the whole west wing was moved, and that's when we discovered this well."

Based on your design concept, our idea is to restore this well, build a well house, renovate the ancient well, and connect it to the entire mansion's water supply system as a backup water source for the residence.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "That's a good idea."

He straightened up, smiled, and said, "Then I only have one opinion."

Engineer Yang immediately took out his notebook and said seriously, "Please go ahead."

Chen Fan raised his hand and pointed outside, and said with a smile, "Although the basic design concept of this Prince's Mansion is to restore it to its original state, it is ultimately meant to be inhabited, and with such a large house, security issues cannot be ignored."

Upon hearing this, Engineer Yang nodded without saying anything.

The current public security situation is already well-known, so there's not much to say about it.

Chen Fan continued, "So, please raise the wall by one meter and install inconspicuous steel spike rings on top, just like this."

Mr. Yang immediately replied, "Raising it by one meter and installing the steel spikes are no problem at all."

Chen Fan smiled and said to Zhou Zhengdong, "I have no problem."

Zhou Zhengdong turned to look at his daughter, "And you?"

Zhou Yali was holding the baby monkey when she looked up blankly and said, "Anything is fine with me."

Zhou Zhengdong's lips twitched slightly, so I didn't ask any more questions.

He then extended his hand to Engineer Yang and said with a smile, "Then I'll have to trouble you all."

(End of this chapter)