Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 26: The New Yard Opens

While the workers were cheering, Mu Dong and Mu Xiaoxia went to the bank together to withdraw cash. Paying out cash. Mu Dong believed that cash had a powerful visual and psychological impact. So, for this payday, he and Mu Xiaoxia went to the bank specifically to withdraw cash, foregoing bank transfers or other electronic payment methods. At 4:00 p. m. , payroll distribution began at the yard. A window between the office and the break room—which hadn’t been used in a long time—was put to use once again. Everyone lined up to collect their pay in small denominations. Those in line chatted loudly, bursting into laughter from time to time. Those who had received their pay greeted everyone cheerfully and quickly made their way out. That’s right—once they got paid, they could clock out. The yard was closing early today. Of course, those on the night shift still had to report to work on time; they’d just need to put their money away safely once they got home. Many had been working at the yard since the preparatory phase; by the end of October, their cumulative hours had reached over fifty days—just under two months—so their pay was naturally substantial. The money for Uncle Mu’s family of three was all handed to him—14,400 yuan. Uncle Mu felt a bit overwhelmed. How could there be so much? Zhong Guodong and Mu Xiaoxia, the married couple, also received over 9,000 yuan. Finally, Mu Dong also received his wages: 7,200 yuan. Clutching the stack of bills, Mu Dong wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Was this just moving money from one hand to the other? With that, the Mu Family Yard’s first payroll distribution came to a successful close, and the 100,000 yuan in cash that had been set aside was completely distributed. At the dinner that evening, everyone except the night shift workers had a few drinks, and the atmosphere was friendly and lively. Boss Mu was once again plied with drinks by the excited workers until he passed out; no matter how hard Mu’s mother tried to protect him, it was to no avail. The next morning, Mu Dong, suffering from a splitting headache, was awakened by the roar of machinery. After a quick breakfast, Mu Dong spent the entire morning in his office, crunching the yard’s recent financial figures. Sand sales were steady, with daily sales exceeding 10,000 yuan; as of November 5, cumulative sales had reached nearly 500,000 yuan. With the cash reserves from earlier periods, plus the 600,000 yuan Mu Dong had secured by mortgaging his house, he now actually had 1. 62 million yuan on hand. Moreover, as revenue from future sand sales came in, his total available funds continued to grow. Ah, back when money was tight, he worried the yard wouldn’t be filled to capacity. Now that he has plenty of money, the yard isn’t big enough. The stockpile covers 36 mu (24,000 square meters). After setting aside at least 3,000 square meters for access roads and loading/unloading areas, even with an average pile height of 8 meters, we can only store about 170,000 cubic meters of sand. We can’t pile it any higher—the risk of landslides and collapses would be far too great. According to our records, the current net sand inventory has reached about 110,000 cubic meters. There isn’t much storage space left. After running the numbers, Mu Dong was distressed to discover that there was still approximately 1 million in funds with no clear use. How could this be? Boss Mu would never allow such a situation to happen. After a rough calculation, he determined that a plot of land measuring at least 20 mu would be needed to make proper use of the funds. Mr. Mu sprang into action. First, he called Mu Huafeng to ask if there were any plots of land in the village available for lease—at least 20 mu—but it turned out there wasn’t a single mu available. So he’d have to come up with another solution. Mu Dong called his Third Uncle and asked him to come to the storage yard after lunch, saying he had something to discuss. After lunch, Uncle Mu arrived, and Aunt Mu came along with him. Aunt Mu was now very enthusiastic about the storage yard; upon hearing there was something to discuss, she followed Uncle Mu right over. Mu’s parents, Uncle Two and Aunt Two, Uncle Three and Aunt Three, plus Mu Dong—seven people in total—closed the office door to hold a meeting. Mu Dong shared his idea: since the sand pit was no longer sufficient, he planned to stockpile sand on the family’s farmland. Everyone fell silent for a moment. After all, this was farmland. Moreover, the fall harvest had just been completed, and wheat had already been planted; the wheat seedlings were now beginning to sprout. Destroying young crops was something farmers were extremely reluctant to do. Mu Dong’s proposal turned out to be even more ambitious: not only did he want to stockpile sand on his own land, but he also intended to lease several adjacent plots to create a contiguous area, bringing the total size to 20 to 30 mu. Mu Dong patiently explained the current operations of the stockpile yard, pointing out that if they didn’t expand, they would lose a significant amount of profit in the future. Earn less? How could that be acceptable? Many had just been dazzled by their paychecks, not to mention that everyone held shares in the stockpile yard—so if the yard earned less, it meant less income for their own families. All right, even though it’s hard to part with those tender green wheat seedlings, let’s do as Mu Dong says. Seeing that everyone had relented, Mu Dong went on to outline his plan. First, whether using our own land or land belonging to neighboring households, we’ll lease it for half a year. Before next year’s wheat harvest, we’ll clear out the sand and return the land to the farmers Second, the rent is 1,500 yuan per mu Third, before returning the land to the farmers next year, the Mu Family Stockyard will be responsible for hiring heavy agricultural machinery to deep-plow all the land. These three points received unanimous approval from everyone. Currently, the income from wheat per mu is at most around 1,000 yuan; after deducting the costs of seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and planting and harvesting, the net profit is at most six or seven hundred yuan. Deep plowing is also essential. After six months of use by the storage yard, the heavy pressure from vehicles will cause the soil to become compacted; deep plowing is needed to loosen the soil so that crops can be planted. The Mu brothers’ fields are all contiguous, arranged from east to west: first belongs to Father Mu, then Uncle Mu No. 2, and finally Uncle Mu No. 3. Together, they total about 10 mu. To the west of Uncle Mu III’s plot are two other households, covering about 5 mu; further west lie a drainage ditch and a road. Therefore, the western side of the plots can add a maximum of 5 mu. To achieve the plan for 20 to 30 mu in Mu Dong, expansion must occur to the east. Mu Dad scratched his head and said, “I’m afraid this might be a bit of a hassle.” Adjacent to Mu Dong’s plot was the plot belonging to Mu Huayu, the village’s bachelor. Whenever Mu Huayu’s name came up, the villagers would scratch their heads. This guy, in his mid-forties, was lazy and greedy—and to make matters worse, he had dirty hands. One moment he’d be stealing vegetables from one family’s garden, the next snatching a melon from another’s field; in his spare time, he even liked to climb over widows’ walls. He was the village’s classic troublemaker. Mu Huayu and the Mu Dong family are neighbors, and there have been plenty of problems between them in recent years. Sometimes he complains that the Mu Dong family has plowed their fields too far off course; other times, he claims their pesticide spray has damaged his crops. In any case, he’s constantly causing minor trouble. Mu Dad didn’t bother to argue with him—after all, Mu Huayu was just acting out. With so many brothers and a large family, Mu Huayu didn’t dare do anything too serious. A while back, the old bachelor noticed how booming business was at the Mu family’s storage yard, so he approached Mu’s father, asking to come work there. A lazy good-for-nothing like him spreads nothing but negativity wherever he goes. Not only does he refuse to work properly himself, but he also leads others astray, so Mu’s father politely turned him down. The old bachelor came back several times afterward, but Mu’s father sent him away each time. Now that the land issue has come down to him, if he doesn’t throw a wrench in the works, he wouldn’t be himself. After hearing this, Mu Dong said, “Forget about him. At worst, we’ll just use our own land—as much as we can fit.” Regardless of whether the surrounding farmers were willing to rent out their land or not, they could start working on their own land right away. The whole family sprang into action. They entrusted Uncle Mu San with negotiating with the farmers on either side. Uncle Mu San ran a supermarket; he was quick-witted and well-connected, making him the perfect person for the job. Mu’s father and Second Uncle were responsible for two tasks: first, hiring workers—they’d need about ten people—and second, building two prefab units, since the plot would eventually need to be cleared and wasn’t suitable for permanent construction. Mu Dong assigned himself two tasks: first, to contact the company that had previously supplied the conveyor belt and have them manufacture another set according to the same specifications. This was straightforward—a phone call would suffice, followed by a deposit transfer. Mu Dong specifically emphasized that this was urgent and installation must be completed as soon as possible. Second, Mu Dong needed to arrange for Tan Jiaming to drive a crawler tractor out to the fields to compact a path. Since it was all farmland, no leveling was needed; the tractor just had to make a few passes back and forth to compact the ground firmly enough for vehicles to drive on. Once these two matters were coordinated, Mu Dong grabbed a bank card, called Zhong Guodong, and headed to Lunan City. The two went straight to the used machinery and equipment market. The new storage yard also needed its sand piles sorted, so they needed to buy another loader. Although it wouldn’t be needed for very long, Mu Dong felt that renting one would be too expensive. It was better to buy one and sell it after use. After some selection and comparison, by evening, the two brothers had transported a used 30-ton loader back from Lunan, spending 46,000 yuan. The 30 loader was one model smaller than their original 50 loader and had slightly lower productivity, but Mu Dong felt it would be sufficient for their needs. After returning, Mu Dong went to inspect the plot. The land was right next to a wide farm road, offering convenient access. In just one afternoon, Tan Jiaming had already compacted a sturdy path along the right side of his own plot. Tomorrow, the sand could be delivered. During dinner, Uncle Mu San brought news that the two households on the west side were both willing to lease their land, so the 5 mu on the west side were now secured. The four households east of Mu Huayu on the east side—totaling 11 mu—had also agreed to the terms. The key now was Mu Huayu’s one and a half mu of land. If Mu Huayu didn’t come around, the 11 mu deal would fall through; without a contiguous plot, the stockpile yard’s operations would be much less efficient. “Then let’s go meet this Mu Huayu.” Mu Dong and Uncle Mu went together to Mu Huayu’s house. Mu Huayu lived at the eastern end of the village in three low-ceilinged tile-roofed rooms with a cluttered courtyard. Mu Huayu was drinking alone; on the table was a plate of pickles, half a plate of peanuts, and a half-eaten green radish. Uncle Mu addressed him as “Big Brother,” while Mu Dong politely called him “Uncle.” The two explained the purpose of their visit. Mu Huayu’s heart leapt with joy, and he immediately made an exorbitant demand: “Rent! Since it’s my own nephew, of course I’ll help. For half a year, 10,000 yuan will do. And if you find me a job, 3,000 yuan a month will be fine.” After saying that, he went back to drinking on his own. Mu Huayu knew full well that the villagers didn’t like him. Since this father and son had come knocking on his door, it meant they couldn’t avoid dealing with him regarding that plot of land. If he didn’t take advantage of them now, when else would he get the chance? Uncle Mu San and Mu Dongzhi grimaced; there was no way to negotiate this. Uncle Mu San said, “Big Brother, let’s just forget it. At that price, we can’t afford to rent it.” With that, he motioned for Mu Dong to leave. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford it—it was that they couldn’t let him get away with this. If they really gave him 10,000, what would happen to the other farmers? In that case, let’s just get to work on the current 15 mu of land. After Mu Dong returned to the storage yard, Uncle Mu Er and Zhong Guodong came to find him. The three of them sat there for a while without saying much. Finally, after Mu Dong pressed them, Uncle Mu Er hesitantly asked if they could reinvest the wages they’d just received back into the storage yard. Mu Dong sighed inwardly. He had more money than he could even spend—and now they wanted him to invest more! Was this what it meant to be rich? He couldn’t say that out loud, though—these were his closest relatives, and he had to handle the situation carefully. So Mu Dong said, “Uncle Mu, Brother-in-law, investing is definitely no problem. But since we’ve been in business for a long time, we can’t count this as a shareholding. How about this: I’ll pay you interest. As for the exact amount, I’m not sure yet—we’ll discuss that later. But rest assured, it’ll be significantly higher than what others offer.” After a brief pause, Mu Dong added, “Uncle, brother-in-law, we’re all family. If anything comes up in the future, just let me know directly. No need to feel awkward about it.” The two were very satisfied and felt it saved them face. They hadn’t intended to become shareholders in the first place; they’d simply wanted to earn some interest. In the end, Uncle Mu II put up 15,000, and Zhong Guodong contributed 10,000. Mu Dong wrote separate promissory notes for each of them. Early the next morning, amid the sound of firecrackers, the Mu family’s new sand yard opened for business. From preparation to opening, it took only half a day—a remarkably swift turnaround. The previous evening, Mu Dong had spread the word to some drivers about the new storage yard. These sand-hauling trucks came from various nearby sand pits, and those located close to the new storage yard naturally chose to deliver their sand there. With lower fuel consumption and shorter travel times, they could make a few extra trips a day—why wouldn’t they? Once the firecrackers died down, the trucks began rolling in. Mu Dong called on his father and second uncle to manage the new stockpile. His father had run a small business in his youth, so keeping records and the like was no problem for him. Zhong Guodong was assigned to operate the newly purchased 30-ton loader. At the same time, a young, quick-witted worker was selected from the crew to learn how to operate the loader under Zhong Guodong’s guidance, so he could take over the shift in the future. Meanwhile, at the old storage yard, an apprentice was also added to fill the position vacated by Zhong Guodong. As for the other workers, aside from the two transferred from the old yard, the rest were all new hires. The Mu Family Yard had a good reputation, and when word got out that they were hiring a few more workers, applicants nearly broke down the door. In just one afternoon, they selected 10 people. With this mix of new and experienced staff, operations ran very smoothly. In just one morning, the new stockpile received 150 truckloads of sand. Mu Dong called Mu Daguo to check on the unloading volume at the old stockpile, which hadn’t decreased at all and had reached 310 truckloads. It seems that previously, when unloading was concentrated at a single yard—even with multiple unloading points—there was still a bottleneck. Now that drivers spend less time waiting in line, efficiency has naturally improved significantly. In the afternoon, the prefab housing units were set up. A kitchen was also set up at the new stockpile yard. Mu Dong invited Mu Huafeng’s wife to run the kitchen and asked her to find her own assistant. Mu Huafeng was very pleased and felt that Mu Dong had been very considerate. For the next two days, Mu Dong stayed at the new yard, helping out with some management tasks. After two days, the conveyor belt was installed, and Mu Dong felt that he and his second uncle had become well-versed in managing the operation—he could rest assured. “Time to head out,” he thought, “to Quancheng, to find my wife.” On the afternoon of November 9, Mu Dong took a bus back to Quancheng. Mu Dong had been away for five days, and during that time, Xiao Xiao had gone from being a doted-on young wife to a lonely, resentful woman, her heart in agony. It happened to be Sunday, and upon hearing that Mu Dong was coming back, she had been waiting at the bus station since early in the morning. When she saw Mu Dong step off the bus, Xiao Xiao happily ran to greet him. The two shared a gentle hug and left the station hand in hand. They took a bus home, and as soon as they stepped inside, the once-empty room immediately came alive. Xiao Xiao had already prepared the ingredients, though she hadn’t started cooking yet. Since moving into their new home, Xiao Xiao had grown to love the feeling of cooking. The neat and spacious kitchen made even the work itself a pleasure. During the few days Mu Dong had been away in Southern Shandong, Xiao Xiao had been cooking for herself at home. Looking at the kitchenware Mu Dong had once handled so skillfully, she would sometimes feel a deep sense of contentment. The two of them pitched in together and quickly prepared the meal. They poured some red wine, and a warm, sweet dinner began. The heating had already started, and the house felt so warm… Mu Huafeng had been feeling a bit frustrated these past few days. Several farmers on the east side of the Mu family’s new storage yard hadn’t managed to lease out their land. Uncle Mu San explained the reason to everyone: Mu Huayu had demanded an exorbitant price, making it impossible to consolidate the plots into a single block, so they had no choice but to give up on it. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…” A few farmers voiced their dissatisfaction. That old bachelor and good-for-nothing Mu Huayu—wasn’t he just standing in the way of everyone making money? After all, every household had three or four mu of land, and each mu brought in 1,500 yuan every six months—that’s four or five thousand yuan per household! So, on every street corner and in every alley, people were saying that Mu Huayu was a scoundrel. Two elderly women of higher social standing took turns going to Mu Huafeng’s doorstep to curse him out, and occasionally they even teamed up for a “duet.” Aunt Mu San was even more ruthless. Since Mu Huayu was short on cash, he inevitably had to buy liquor and cigarettes on credit at the supermarket. Aunt Mu San brought two other women along to collect the debt in person. No money? Easy fix! The women got to work together, snatched a few bags of grain, then tore out the pages of the ledger where Mu Huayu had signed, threw them in his face, and stormed off. Mu Huayu was helpless—when women go crazy, an old bachelor can’t hold them back. He glanced at the grain jar—there wasn’t much left. Oh well! Word of these incidents gradually reached Mu Huafeng’s ears, and he stamped his feet in frustration. Mu Huayu was Mu Hafeng’s distant older brother. Mu Hafeng’s grandfather and Mu Huayu’s grandfather were first cousins on their grandfathers’ side. This older brother of Mu Huayu’s was a real embarrassment to Mu Huafeng. No matter what the village called for, Mu Huayu was always the absolute laggard, dragging everyone down. But as soon as there were low-income assistance quotas or relief grain and funds, Mu Huayu was the most eager and active. Refuse to give it? If you refuse, he’ll make a scene—at the village committee, at your home, day and night—until you give in. Later, whenever similar aid became available, Mu Hua Feng would simply give Mu Hua Yu a share. If anyone on the village committee objected, Mu Hua Feng would say, “How about letting Hua Yu go cause a scene at your house?” No one wanted to provoke Mu Huayu, that mangy dog, but behind his back, they’d still take jabs at Mu Huafeng. Now, Mu Huafeng knew that regarding the new storage yard, it was his older brother who had blocked Mu Dong’s path, putting him in a difficult position. He knew he couldn’t handle his older brother, but at the same time, he felt he was letting Mu Dong down. Mu Dong was sensible, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and respected him. Now, with this troublesome situation, he couldn’t help him—he felt he’d let him down. With his wife working at the new storage yard and the house cold and empty, Mu Hua Feng sat alone at home, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. As he drank, his mind wandered aimlessly. “What am I going to do with my older brother in this state?” Someone pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard. Mu Huafeng couldn’t be bothered to look—he assumed it was just another villager coming to ask him for a favor, all trivial nonsense. “Hua Feng, drinking alone?” Mu Huafeng looked up and smiled—this would be easy to handle.