The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 360 Labor Glory Construction Brigade
The cold wind howled across the training school's playground, but it couldn't dispel the vibrant energy rising from the ground.

Including the artisans brought back from Xiping, there were a total of 140 artisans from rural areas lined up separately.

Together with them were 420 eager educated youth team members.

One craftsman mentors three apprentices.

Qian Jin went to pick up Han Zhaoxin. The company commanders dispersed and quickly formed ranks. When Qian Jin accompanied Han Zhaoxin to the flagpole, five or six hundred people were lined up neatly, with upright military posture and high morale.

They were all wearing uniforms, brand new black cotton-padded jackets and trousers, and non-slip, warm water boots.

So many people standing together in neat rows, like a dark forest.

They stood solemnly under the bright sun, like trees in a forest growing vigorously.

Upon seeing this, Han Zhaoxin couldn't help but nod: "Comrade Qian Jin, comrades from the construction team, you're all working very quickly!"

As he spoke, the leader wore an approving smile and strode up.

Qian Jin said, “Repairing houses for the citizens is a matter that cannot be delayed. I quickly set up our team, but in urgent situations, we must act expediently. The team has not yet been reorganized, so it is still lacking in discipline and conduct.”

Han Zhaoxin looked at the crowd and nodded again, smiling, "I think it's very good."

He then shook hands with Xu Weidong and other key members of the assault team. Xu Weidong said excitedly, "General Han, what brings you here? You are so busy with your affairs, how do you still have time to pay attention to us? This is really exciting for us."

Han Zhaoxin laughed and said, "The Labor Assault Brigade has established a labor production and construction brigade to serve the people. How could I not come and see such a big event?"

He patted each of the commando leaders on the shoulder, making them feel like they were having an orgasm, their eyes shining and their faces flushed.

Han Zhaoxin walked to the front of the line and quickly passed by the front row.

Looking at the spirited team, he nodded in satisfaction again: "Good, Chief Qian, your team has a real drive to get things done."

Qian Jin immediately led the applause: "Comrades, let's welcome Leader Zhao Xin to speak to our construction team!"

There was a wave of applause.

The farmers and artisans were especially excited, clapping with great force, as if their hands didn't belong to them, and they weren't afraid of the pain.

Han Zhaoxin clapped along, but the applause continued.

The artisans were just too excited.

This is the city's second-in-command!
This is a high-ranking official they would never see in their entire lives!
Han Zhaoxin had no choice but to press down his arms.

The applause didn't stop!

Because the craftsmen didn't understand what it meant, they still clapped enthusiastically, which left the educated youth team members with no choice but to clap even more.

You can't let the leader feel that you don't love him as much as these farmers do.

There was no other way but for Qian Jin to speak up: "Stop clapping, stop clapping, everyone listen to what the leader is saying!"

The applause quickly subsided.

Han Zhaoxin stepped back to the front of the group and said loudly, "Comrades, fellow members of the Labor Assault Brigade Construction Team, I am here on behalf of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government to visit you!"

"Your team is a force that Captain Qian Jin mobilized at a critical moment, a service team to solve the urgent needs of the people!"

"Many houses in the city have been damaged by the blizzard, and many people are waiting for your rescue. So, I'm here today to get straight to the point and won't waste your time!"

"Captain Qian Jin's determination to serve the people has been tested by numerous disasters. This time, his initiative to lead the team to solve problems for the people has received high attention and support from the municipal government!"

"After our research, we have decided that the house repair work for this snow disaster will not require your construction team and emergency response team to pay out of their own pockets or do any hard labor!"

"The municipal finance department and the neighborhood committee will jointly fund the project, conduct a professional calculation based on the actual damage to the house, the labor and materials required for repairs, and provide a reasonable quote!"

"In other words, your brigade will receive every penny due! We want you to work hard and earn the rewards you deserve!"

Qian Jin was the happiest person to hear this.

He originally planned to use the renovation of old and dilapidated houses as a stepping stone for his construction team to expand its work throughout the city. He didn't want to make money first; he wanted to gain a reputation and establish a foothold.

As a result, Zheng Guodong, Han Zhaoxin, and Wang Zhenbang really treated him well, ensuring that the labor shock brigade did not waste their labor.

Moreover, Han Zhaoxin treated him especially well, and knowing that the construction team was officially established today, he came to support him.

Judging from this incident and the fact that the main leaders went to support him at the first meeting of the Approval Committee, these veteran comrades are quite protective of him, the new comrade.

Veteran warships have been protecting and safeguarding this newborn warship.

After offering brief congratulations on the establishment of the construction team and stating that the municipal government's finances would cover their expenses, Han Zhaoxin prepared to leave.

Qian Jin seized the opportunity to get the leader to say a few more words: "President Han, since you're here, and our construction team doesn't have a name yet, why don't you give us one?"

He winked at Wei Xiongtu, the principal of the training school.

The brother-in-law and sister-in-law were of one mind; Wei Xiongtu rushed back to the office and brought back all the writing implements.

Han Zhaoxin did not refuse. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Chief Qian, comrades, your team is a collective of laborers. So, I think we should call it 'Haibin City Labor Glorious Construction Brigade,' because labor is the most glorious thing."

"I believe you are doing the most glorious job, so I hope you will live up to my expectations and make our construction team a success!"

"Yes, Mr. Han! We guarantee to complete the mission!" Qian Jin shouted to the crowd.

Wei Xiongtu brought the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to invite Han Zhaoxin to inscribe the calligraphy.

And believe it or not, Han Zhaoxin is the current president of the Haibin City Calligraphers Association.

So he immediately picked up his brush and wrote ten powerful characters: "Haibin City Labor Glorious Construction Brigade".

The wind was strong in winter, and the ink dried quickly. It was then solemnly posted in the principal's office of the training school.

Qian Jin explained, "Our labor assault team doesn't even have an office yet..."

Han Zhaoxin laughed heartily, understanding the unspoken meaning: "I'll solve your office space problem this month!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd became even more excited:
"Our team is called the Glorious Labor Construction Brigade? What a great name!"

"We're a regular army now, and the city leaders even named and inscribed our name for us! That's awesome!"

"Work hard with Boss Qian, and we must bring honor and prestige to the city leaders. We absolutely cannot let them lose face!"

The team members were in high spirits and their morale was high.

Having completed his mission, Han Zhaoxin, as usual, was the first to leave.

Qian Jin waved goodbye to the car and then took out the megaphone he had bought from the mall.

Soon, his voice, clear and powerful, echoed across the playground:

"Comrades, today is the official day of the establishment of our Labor Glory Construction Brigade."

"Just as there are ancient examples of the Soviet Red Army rushing to the battlefield after the Red Square parade, there is also the matter of our Labor Glory Construction Brigade being fully prepared to fight the tough battle of repairing dilapidated houses after its establishment."

"Today I want to propose a slogan: the first battle is the decisive battle! We must treat every property that needs repair as the most important one and carry out the repair work accordingly. We must never be complacent!"

"To win this battle, enthusiasm alone is not enough! We need organization, discipline, and combat effectiveness!"

His piercing gaze swept across the entire room: "Now, I announce! The Glorious Labor Construction Brigade—officially formed!"

He picked up a list, his voice growing louder:

"The entire brigade is divided into twelve construction companies! Each company is a sharp blade, a fighting fortress!"

"Each squadron has a fixed number of fifty people, including one squadron leader, two deputy squadron leaders, ten core members mainly composed of technical experts, and forty educated youth apprentices!"

"The candidates for company commander! I nominated them, and the brigade headquarters approved them! They are—"

Qian Jin paused, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces at the front of the line. In this matter, he had to appoint his own people.

The construction team was formed abruptly, so he had to hand over the team to someone he trusted. He didn't expect them to make any contributions, but at least they had to be under his command.

Furthermore, the selection of the team leader and deputy team leader is temporary and will be adjusted at any time based on the work situation. Therefore, the leaders and cadres this time were appointed by himself.
"First Squadron Leader: Wang Xiaoyi!"

"Second Squadron Leader: Xu Feng!"

"Third Squadron Leader: Zhu Xiaohu!"

"Fourth Squadron Commander:..."

"Squadron Leader of the Twelfth Company: Song Tiezhu!"

The twelve people whose names were called stepped forward in unison, chests out and heads held high, and loudly replied, "Here!"

Of these twelve people, eight were veteran members of the Taishan Road team, and the other four were acquaintances of Qian Jin.

Generally speaking, he might replace eight veteran team members later on, and the other four acquaintances are all capable people from other street labor shock brigades or educated youth who returned to the city.

For example, Zhu Feng, the captain of the second squadron, was the captain of the Huashan Road Labor Commando Team. He also received the honor of being an advanced individual in the rural support work in 1977.

For example, Song Tiezhu from the 12th Squadron was a well-known elder brother among the educated youth on Songshan Road, whose status was similar to that of Qiu Dayong in the past.

At the same time, Song Tiezhu's father was also a deputy head of the Haibin City Public Security Bureau, a very useful connection.

Of course, this sheriff was an incorruptible and impartial person; otherwise, his son wouldn't have been left without a good job and would have ended up in a labor shock brigade.

However, Qian Jin didn't care whether Song Tiezhu's father was impartial or not. In fact, they didn't need to use the father at all. As long as some people knew who Song Tiezhu's son was, many things would be much easier to handle.

Anyway, these twelve people are the four Heavenly Kings and eight Vajras that Qian Jin has carefully selected. At least they can stand on their own.

This can be seen from the enthusiastic applause that erupted from the ranks; everyone was quite convinced of the appointment.

Of course, I also admire Qian Jin.

The squadron leaders stepped forward, and Qian Jin shook hands with each of them, giving each one a badge that looked like a medal.

The badge was quite large, about the size of a child's palm, with the words "Squad Leader" on it, along with simple symbols such as a hammer and saw teeth.

This is also a product of the online marketplace.

With its metal base and enamel finish, it looks very high-end and classy.

But one only costs two yuan...

Qian Jin guessed that this was some DIY gadget, and the hammer and sawtooth logo was a copy of the hammer and sickle logo.

It just so happens that the hammer and saw mark really suits their construction team, so he bought a bunch of them.

Wearing badges on their chests was a treatment the company commanders hadn't expected.

Qian Jin stamped their seals one by one, and the feeling was completely different.

It has a stronger sense of being a regular army.

"The appointment of deputy captains!" Qian Jin continued, "Each company will have two deputy captains!"

"The first deputy captain is the technical deputy captain, and he must be an experienced master craftsman. He is responsible for technical guidance, quality control, and safe production. He is the pillar of the squadron!"

"In professional work, the squadron leader should also give due consideration to the opinions of the deputy technical squadron leader, and when the squadron leader is not present, everyone should listen to the arrangements of the deputy technical squadron leader first."

"The second deputy captain is the management deputy captain, who is one of our assault team members or educated youth comrades. He is responsible for the daily management of the squadron, attendance, discipline, and logistical support, and assists the squadron captain in managing the team!"

Qian Jin's gaze shifted to the old craftsmen:
"The candidates for deputy technical team leader were nominated and recommended by the brigade's technical guidance group, and approved by the brigade headquarters! They are—"

"Deputy Technical Captain of the First Squadron: Ma Congfeng!"

"Second Squadron Technical Deputy Captain: Ma Pengzi!"

"Third Squadron Technical Deputy Captain: Zhen Kailai..."

"A separate technical team will be set up, headed by Comrade Zhang Houde. Your team will not participate in the actual work; you will be responsible for providing me with work plans, repair schemes, and inspection results..."

These experienced workers who were called out were mentally prepared last night—Qian Jin had them vote on the leader on the way back yesterday and then talked to them after dinner last night.

But now that they have been entrusted with important responsibilities and this has been widely publicized, most people still can't help but show a proud smile on their faces.

They were all peasants; apart from a few like Ma Congfeng and Ma Congli who had served as brigade or production team cadres, the others were commune members their entire lives.

Unexpectedly, thanks to his excellent skills, he has now not only found a job and obtained a household registration in the city, but has also become an official!
Who cares what kind of official he is? Anyway, no one in their poor peasant family has ever been an official for at least three generations.

Zhang Houde felt particularly excited.

He took off his cotton hat, letting his almost entirely white, messy hair dance wildly in the sea breeze.

Just like his mood right now!
At this moment, he was truly experiencing a burst of youthful exuberance despite his old age. The simple and honest old craftsman looked at Qian Jin with only one meaning in his eyes.

A scholar dies for a confidant!

"Selection of deputy team leaders!" Qian Jin continued, looking at the educated youth queue. "Nominations will be made by each squad leader and reported to the brigade headquarters and the general team for record-keeping. Requirements: strong sense of responsibility, fairness, and management ability. The specific list will be announced by each team during the work process!"

"Come to my place to get your badges then. I will compile a set of management regulations for our labor assault team, which will include reward regulations, work clothes, job rank display methods, and other aspects."

The squadron leaders immediately took the lead in applauding.

They were indeed very satisfied with Qian Jin's arrangements.

Putting aside everything else, the city's second-in-command came to announce the establishment of their team, and then the arrangements for the middle and lower-level leaders of the team were reasonable. They were also provided with uniform work clothes, uniform tools, and even badges for the leading cadres.

That's really impressive.

The arrangement of the squadron leader and deputy squadron leader, in particular, not only ensured their direct control over the team, but also secured their core technical position through the technical deputy leader, and gave the squadron leader room to cultivate management talent, which can be described as painstaking.

Again.

This is clearly not a self-taught method.

This is a regular army!
"I also want to clarify that, due to the urgency of the work, your battalion commander, deputy battalion commander, and technical director have not yet arrived. They will gradually arrive starting today." At this point, Qian Jin looked at the company commanders and deputy company commanders: "I hope you can cooperate with their work and not engage in any infighting."

"I can tell you all right now that I, Qian Jin, hate infighting and backstabbing the most. If I find out who's forming cliques or gangs to exclude their colleagues, they're fired immediately!"

"Those from the countryside, get back to the countryside! Those from the streets, get out of the labor shock brigade and go back to your streets—you who get out, remember this: from now on, you are the enemies of our labor shock brigade!"

The young people shrank back upon hearing this.

That would be a terrible outcome!

The Labor Assault Team currently gathers some influential young people from all the streets of the city. If you make an enemy of the entire assault team, you basically won't be able to survive in Haibin City.

After the reprimand, Qian Jin immediately arranged for the deputy technical squadron leader to lead the team members to collect their tools, while he called the squadron leaders away for a meeting.

The meeting was only halfway through when Han Zhaoxin arrived, so we have to continue until it's finished.

Money can't be brought in superficially. After letting them get to know each other, he immediately said, "Our team is too young and too temporary. There are many things that are not professional enough."

"But we are not afraid of problems. As the national leaders said, practice is the standard for testing everything. We will discover and correct problems in the practice we will follow."

"We must emulate our Eighth Route Army predecessors by honing our skills in real combat and strengthening our ranks through battle!"

These words instantly ignited the passion of the entire audience.

In this era that still reveres revolutionary spirit and prioritizes collectivism, the name "Eighth Route Army" is synonymous with arduous struggle and invincibility.

Qian Jin patted the shoulders of several acquaintances nearby and said, "Your positions as company commanders may be adjusted midway. As I just said, you are temporary company commanders."

"But this adjustment is not necessarily because you are not doing well and you are being let go. It is a different arrangement, to make the best use of resources."

"So you mustn't throw a tantrum or act out when the time comes. You must obey the organization's arrangements and trust me, Qian Jin, and our brigade organization. We will definitely not bury talent, let alone practice nepotism."

"You all understand what I mean, right?"

Veteran player Wang Xiaoyi immediately said, "If you don't want to get fired, you have to find a way to become a model player and an advanced worker, so that the other players will respect you!"

Qian Jin lightly punched him in the chest and laughed: "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"Then let me say a few more words. Our goal is to repair those houses. We should try our best to repair them, but we don't necessarily have to repair them. If some houses are really beyond repair, we shouldn't do anything futile. We should just report them to the local neighborhood committee."

"Also remember, our discipline is to obey all commands and that safety is of paramount importance!"

"Safety is a crucial issue that must be taken seriously. The cotton hats you are wearing now provide some protection for your heads. I will be purchasing safety helmets for you all later, and you must wear them when you go to the site!"

Just then, someone else arrived, and the gatekeeper rushed over: "It's someone named Chen Jingdi..."

"He's the captain, call him over right now!" Qian Jin immediately interrupted the gatekeeper.

Chen Jingdi ran over carrying his luggage, panting heavily, his face and head covered in sweat despite the cold weather.

Qian Jin asked in surprise, "You didn't run here, did you?"

Chen Jingdi placed the electronic larynx under his throat and said, "I couldn't wait for the 52 bus, so I took the 41 bus and then... ran two stops."

The unfamiliar mechanical voice caused everyone to look at him in surprise.

Qian Jin pulled Chen Jingdi over, patted him on the shoulder, and pointed to the group: "These company commanders are your direct subordinates. You'll get to know each other later."

He then introduced Chen Jingdi to the group.

In his words, Chen Jingdi became a person who was unfortunate in his childhood and became mute due to illness, but he did not give up his pursuit of the future. He learned the skills of silversmith and blacksmith, and taught himself plumbing, carpentry and masonry.

During one of his trips into the city, he stayed at the Chengnan District Supply and Marketing Cooperative Guesthouse. He diligently repaired all the damaged items in the guesthouse, which caught the guesthouse's attention, and he was hired as a maintenance worker.

“Team Leader Chen is a formal employee with a permanent position and enjoys the benefits of a formal employee. He has also transferred his household registration to the city. You all know how difficult it is for him to do all this, right?”

The company commander was stunned.

This person is simply amazing!
It's very difficult for rural people to change their status from agricultural to urban residents, but this person not only changed his status but also moved into a guesthouse—which turned out to be the guesthouse of the supply and marketing cooperative!

That must be so difficult!
Qian Jin continued, "What is most admirable about Captain Chen is his pure and enthusiastic heart for serving the people. When he learned that we were going to set up a construction team to repair houses and renovate old buildings, he took the initiative to come to me and wanted to help."

"I believe he has certain management skills and is knowledgeable about the skills and craftsmanship of various industries, so I recommend him to represent me as the captain of this brigade."

"Come on, everyone, let's give a big round of applause..."

The group quickly clapped their hands.

Chen Jingdi was a little flustered and subconsciously clapped along.

He had never been an official, let alone led so many people!

However, Qian Jin had already told him that he was just a messenger, and that Qian Jin was actually the captain.

Qian Jin chose him as the brigade leader because he was a trusted confidant of the people.

This made him feel at ease again.

No problem, it's just passing on a message, I can handle it myself.

Because he was mute since childhood, he was very sensitive and could remember everything people said. Over time, this developed into an extraordinary memory, which was the main reason why he was able to learn so many skills in a short period of time.

Simply put, he takes his work seriously.

Qian Jin appreciates this point; being attentive is a rare quality.

The two sides introduced themselves to each other, and Chen Jingdi memorized the names of all twelve people almost in one go.

Qian Jin finally reminded the company commander: "You twelve companies are twelve combat units. You company commanders and deputy company commanders are both commanders and vanguards."

"Gentlemen, you must be like the veteran squad leaders and platoon leaders of the Eighth Route Army, leading by example, caring for your soldiers, and leading your troops well!"

"And the technical deputy captain, you must respect your deputy. They are your team's mentors and your support in your work."

"The deputy captain is the head steward of your team. He has to manage discipline and daily life so that everyone can focus on the battle without distractions. Therefore, it is essential to choose someone with prestige and enthusiasm for their work."

The company commanders repeatedly gave their assurances.

Qian Jin summoned the deputy squadron leader and all the technical team members, and handed the photocopied map to the squadron leader:

"The squadron leader and deputy technical leader are responsible for on-site command and technical guidance!"

"The deputy team leader is responsible for personnel allocation, material supply, and logistical support!"

"The technical team will conduct rounds of inspections, coordinate solutions to difficulties, and at the same time, check and ensure the safety of workers during construction!"

"Now return to your respective squadrons and proceed to the construction site immediately according to your assigned areas!"

"My last three sentences, my three pieces of advice: First, be careful! Second, be careful! Third, and most importantly, be careful!"

The technical team followed Chen Jingdi, and they were also his advisory group.

The first squadron was assigned to an old house on Wulongshan Road in the west of the city. The house was in particularly bad condition, with half of the roof collapsed.

When Chen Jingdi arrived at the scene, he was immediately baffled.

He looked at Qian Jin with a wry smile.

This is a house that needs to be rebuilt!
How did I come to know this?

Qian Jin understood what he meant and said, "You don't know how, but do I? If you don't know how, then you should learn. Anyway, you have a teacher."

He pointed to the experienced technicians in the technical team: "These people could form the best construction team in the countryside, so if you have any technical issues, just go to them and they will give you advice."

"Of course, you should learn as soon as possible. After this busy period, you can go to a training school for classes. I will give you some books on architecture to study. You can learn how to take a holistic view, plan projects, and organize teams."

Chen Jingdi said, "Okay."

The head of the technical team was Zhang Houde. After inspecting the site, he said with difficulty, "This will require a lot of building materials, which we don't have right now. Mr. Qian, it's not that I'm afraid of difficulties, but even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice..."

Qian Jin waved his hand: "What are you here for if there are no building materials?"

"You can inspect the site first. I've already sent someone to notify the office to coordinate the delivery of building materials—Squad Leader!"

Wang Xiaoyi, who was leading her team to move the landslide debris, rushed over: "Hey, Mr. Qian, what's up?"

Qian Jin asked, "Have you sent anyone to the neighborhood committee on Wulongshan Road to check on the situation? Have the building materials been delivered yet?"

Wang Xiaoyi said, "It's been arranged, but it's a bit of a distance from their neighborhood committee, and the people who went haven't come back yet."

Qian Jin nodded.

Communication and transportation are issues.

He thought for a moment and said, "We can't rely on running or cycling to communicate with the neighborhood committee. The street neighborhood committees are alright, they're all on the same street, so they're relatively close. But what if there's an emergency that requires support from other squadrons or guidance from a professional technical team? What do we do then?"

"So we went to nearby tobacco and sundry shops and stores, and used public telephones to call the neighborhood committees of each street and our headquarters office."

"As for the transportation work—well, I'll take care of that, it's easy."

"You should start preparing to repair and maintain this old house."

The technical team is indeed very professional.

Although the house was badly damaged, it was still a single-story building, so it was a good fit for their profession.

Several experienced experts got together for a brief chat, and a repair solution was devised.

They reported to Chen Jingdi, who picked up the electronic throat and immediately began to take command:
"Comrades, let's clean up the site first. Master Zhang, you take the carpentry team to check the broken purlins, measure the dimensions, and prepare new wood!"

"Master Li, where are the bricklayers? They're here to direct the clearing of the landslide and come up with a plan to reinforce the wall. Once the bricks and cement arrive, we'll start building the wall!"

"Squad Leader Wang, when you lead your men to demolish the dangerous wall, please be extremely careful!"

"Has the second deputy squadron leader of the other squadron been selected? Good, comrade, you pick ten of the strongest comrades. You are the materials team, so make sure the red bricks, cement, and sand are in place!"

Carpenter Zhang and his team of carpenters were the first to go on stage.

They carefully examined the broken purlins and the roof structure that hadn't yet collapsed. Carpenter Zhang squinted, using an old-fashioned carpenter's ink line to draw straight black lines on the wood, muttering to himself:

"It broke in the middle and can't be used as a purlin, but it still has other uses."

"We need to prepare a new purlin. You and two others will be pushing the purlin later. Make sure the mortises are cut accurately and the shoulder fits perfectly. This is the main load-bearing beam, so we can't be careless!"

When the pine wood arrived, the burly man immediately took two carpenters and skillfully picked up a large saw, plane, and chisel to begin processing the new pine wood according to Zhang the carpenter's instructions.

Sawdust flew everywhere, wood shavings curled up, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of pine.

They used the traditional mortise and tenon structure without using a single iron nail. The newly made wooden beams were tightly interlocked with the remaining old beams, and then reinforced with nails to ensure that the roof frame remained as stable as ever.

The technical deputy leader of this group was Ma Congfeng, who led the bricklayers to clear away the collapsed adobe bricks and rubble.

Ma Congfeng is in his forties, physically strong, skilled, and quick. While explaining things to the two educated youths, he also used shovels and baskets to clear away the ruins.

Demolishing and rebuilding walls is also one of their jobs.

The house was in terrible condition; one of the adobe walls was severely cracked, and if you kicked it, it would even teeter on the verge of collapsing.

Qian Jin asked, "How do we do it? Tear it down and rebuild the wall?"

Ma Congfeng wiped his nose and said, "Tearing it down and rebuilding it is too costly. I think reinforcing it with through-wall reinforcement would be sufficient."

Zhang Houde smiled upon hearing this: "Little Ma, you even know the wall reinforcement method?"

Ma Congfeng laughed heartily: "I learned it from the stable master."

The implementation of this plan was made possible thanks to the good conditions in the city, which provided thick steel bars as materials.

He led a few stonemasons to first drill holes in the adobe walls on both sides of the crack with steel chisels, then inserted thick steel bars into the holes and tightened them with large washers and nuts at both ends!

This is like installing "steel plates" on the wall.

The bricklayers led the educated youth to start mixing the mortar. They had already held a brief meeting to determine the proportions, and all that was left was to arrange for the educated youth team members to mix the cement, lime paste, and sand in the correct proportions.

After mixing the mortar with hemp fiber, Zhang Houde grabbed a handful to test it, nodded, and said nothing more.

The bricklayers went on site to carefully fill and smooth the cracks.

Finally, a layer of single bricks was laid on the outside of the reinforced wall, which was both aesthetically pleasing and increased in strength.

Wang the stonemason, along with several strong laborers from his team, was responsible for dismantling another completely collapsed and dangerous wall.

They first carefully loosened the wall with crowbars and sledgehammers to prevent secondary collapses that could injure people or damage neighboring houses.

The old adobe bricks that were dismantled were sorted out for use, and those that were not were transported away.

After the foundation was cleared, according to the plan agreed upon by Zhang Houde and others, they no longer used adobe bricks, but instead used red bricks to build a new wall.

Several bricklayers personally took charge of the work; bricklaying was their specialty.

Qian Jin did indeed recruit some excellent people.

The bricklayers were eager to pass the test, and with Qian Jin by their side, they all wanted to do their best.

So they secretly competed with each other, waving their arms around like windmills.

One by one, the bricklayers held bricks in their left hands and wielded trowels in their right, deftly applying mortar, pressing the bricks onto the lines with a "smack," and then, with a flick of their wrists, scraping away the excess mortar with the trowel.

Each and every one of them moved with fluid grace, laying bricks on the wall in one smooth motion.

Qian Jin went over and took a look. The brick joints were straight and the mortar was full and even. He nodded and said, "They are a good team!"

Soon, a straight and sturdy new wall rose from the ground at a speed visible to the naked eye!

(End of this chapter)