Civil Engineering in the Mortal World: Ten Years Without Knowing Today's Events

Chapter 24 Construction Period

The schedule was revised seven times before President Zhou finally gave her her approval. It wasn't two months, or two and a half months, but two months and ten days. She signed the final version of the plan, and as she pushed the paper back, she said, "We can't delay any longer."

I said, "Okay, Mr. Zhou," put the plan into a folder, and left the client's office. The corridor was long, covered with a gray carpet, and safety production posters hung on the walls. I walked on the carpet without making a sound, like walking on cotton.

Back at the construction site, I saw that the pile driver was already in operation.

The enormous machine was drilling into the ground, the sound of the drill bit spinning deep and powerful. Mud gushed from the borehole, flowing down the drainage ditch into the sedimentation tank; it was grayish-white and had a fishy smell.

Old Hu stood to the side, holding blueprints in his hand, his brow furrowed.

"Chen Mu, the geological report indicates the presence of a loose quicksand layer beneath this site, but it only mentions a shallow distribution and completely fails to accurately specify the exact burial depth and thickness range. This is a major oversight. The pile foundation is the foundation of the building's load-bearing capacity, and the foundation cannot be taken lightly. We must immediately contact the surveying unit to conduct on-site supplementary surveys and accurately determine all the data of the quicksand layer before we can proceed with pile driving."

"I contacted the surveyors early this morning, and they made it clear that the second site visit for targeted supplementary surveys, the mobilization of specialized deep sampling equipment and professional testing teams, and the on-site sealing of soil and rock samples for laboratory testing are not within the scope of the original contract. All the extra work will be charged separately."

"Add it if you want. I will communicate with the client in advance. After the surveying unit enters the site, you need to keep all the image data. I will go through the special visa process to report and approve this fee. The geological conditions are vague and the basic data is unclear. If we blindly drive piles, once the pile body penetrates the quicksand layer, there will be hidden dangers of hole collapse, deviation, and pile breakage. Later, the foundation will settle unevenly. When we have to rework and reinforce, stop work for rectification, the money spent will be hundreds of thousands or millions, which is far more than this supplementary survey fee, and it will also delay the construction period."

"it is good"

I took out my phone, found the number for Engineer Ye from the surveying company, and dialed it. It rang five times before connecting.

"Mr. Ye, this is Chen Mu from the Yunxi Mansion project in the provincial capital. Could you please come and conduct a supplementary inspection of the underground quicksand layer?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "A supplementary investigation is possible, but it'll cost an extra 30,000."

"Thirty thousand?"

"Quicksand layers are not ordinary soil; they require specialized equipment, sampling, and testing. 30,000 is already the lowest price."

I glanced at Lao Hu. Lao Hu nodded.

"Okay, 30,000. When are you coming?"

"next week."

After hanging up the phone, I put it in my pocket. The pile driver was still running, thumping like a heartbeat.

……

Time flies! It's already been a month since I came to the provincial capital.

Aside from the last time I went home to accompany my dad for a check-up, I haven't been home since. It's not that I don't want to go back, it's that I can't. There's too much data, too many blueprints, and too many meetings.

The client, Mr. Zhou, comes to the construction site every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each time he comes, he checks the progress, asks questions, and makes requests. The supervisor, Mr. Li, comes every day, makes a round of inspections, doesn't say anything, and takes notes in his notebook. Mr. Hu is there every day, from morning till night, sometimes still in the office at 11 or 12 at night.

She sends me a message every day during our little meeting; she doesn't say much, just a few sentences.

"Brother Chen, have you eaten?"

"Brother Chen, you've worked hard."

"Goodnight, Brother Chen."

Every time I reply to her message, I stare at the chat box for a few seconds. Sometimes I see the "typing" indicator flash a few times and then disappear. I don't know what she typed and then deleted. Maybe she didn't know how to express herself, or maybe she typed too many words and felt she couldn't explain it clearly.

……

In the middle of this month, my mother called.

"Little one, it's already mid-November, when are you coming back to propose marriage?"

"Mom, I'm busy here..."

"You always say you're busy. Your dad isn't well, how are we supposed to manage if you don't come back?" Mom's voice became anxious.

"Mom, I'm going back at the end of the month."

"What day of the end of the month is it?"

Number 28 or 29.

"Then you should let us know in advance so your dad and I can prepare."

After hanging up the phone, I looked at the still-running pile driver. It was already the fifth pile; the drill bit was spinning underground, and mud was gushing out. Suddenly, I felt that the machine was like myself, constantly turning and drilling, not knowing when it would end.

My phone vibrated. It was a voice message from Xiaohui.

"Brother Chen, when are you coming back?"

"End of the month."

"Okay, Brother Chen, I'll wait for you."

She said "I'll wait for you" very softly, as if those three words were very heavy and she dared not say them loudly.

I know there are some things I can't get rid of.

……

With five days left until the end of the month, I asked Lao Hu for leave.

When Lao Hu heard that I was going to propose marriage, he smiled with satisfaction and said, "Congratulations in advance! You have to treat me to a drink when you come."

"Okay, Mr. Hu."

……

After dinner, I called Xiaohui. The call was answered shortly after.

"Xiao Hui, I have something to tell you."

"Brother Chen, what is it?"

"I'm going to your house to propose marriage the day after tomorrow."

She paused, taken aback. "What's a marriage proposal?"

"It's about telling your parents that I want to marry you."

After the words were spoken, there was silence on the other end of the phone; it was so quiet that you could hear only the faint sound of breathing.

I quickly asked in a soft voice, "Xiao Hui, are you still listening?"

The next second, a soft, suppressed sob came through the receiver, gentle yet real.

I panicked instantly and quickly tried to comfort her: "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She sobbed softly as she said, "Brother Chen, I'm happy. Let's go to the street to buy new clothes tomorrow."

I felt sorry for her and amused at the same time, and gently advised her, "You don't need to buy new clothes. Simple is just fine."

"Yes. I need new clothes to meet Brother Chen's parents, and I also need new clothes when Brother Chen comes to propose marriage."

"Okay, I'll go with you to buy new clothes tomorrow."

"it is good."

……

After having breakfast with Xiaohui this morning, I took her to the mall to buy clothes.

The mall is small, with three floors, and sells clothes, shoes, and cosmetics.

Xiao Hui tugged at my sleeve and led me from the first floor to the third floor.

She tried on several dresses—red, white, and floral—and finally chose a light blue cotton dress with a small lace trim around the neckline, similar to the pink one, just a different color.

"Brother Chen, is it good?"

"nice."

She twirled in front of the mirror, her skirt billowing like an open umbrella.

When it was time to pay, Xiao Hui took out the plastic bag from her pocket, intending to pay herself. I gently pressed her hand down.

"I'll buy it."

"No. Brother Chen spends too much money."

"fine."

She looked at me, clutched the money in her hand, and didn't insist any further.

As they left the mall, Xiao Hui carried the bag of clothes and walked very slowly, as if afraid of wrinkling the clothes.

"Brother Chen, are you coming to my house tomorrow?"

"Come."

"I asked my mom to cook something delicious."