Chapter 114: Rented Out Completely

"Since you've put it this way, I won't stand on ceremony. You’ve done me a huge favor; if there were such good things happening every day, I’d wish for a fire daily! I won’t cheat you, Old Jin. How about this: once the third day of the Lunar New Year passes, I’ll call a meeting of the Party committee specifically to discuss this enamel factory fire. If you change your mind before the third, I won’t blame you. But after the third, once it’s been brought to the Party committee, there will be no turning back, understand?" Director Zhou’s mood had improved significantly. He even found the time to savor his Marlboro cigarette, his hands clasped behind his back, chest puffed out, restoring his image as a cadre.

"Rest assured, Director. When have I, Old Jin, ever gone back on my word? I’ll have the renderings sent to you before the third so you’ll have something to present at the meeting. However, about the lease term—could we make it a bit longer? I don't want to take too much of a loss..." My uncle had already boarded Hong Tao’s sinking ship and decided to abandon any thoughts of retreat. His mind was clear, and he was focused on the most critical issue: the duration of the lease.

"Ha! That’s a trivial matter! This is all state property; it’s going to be leased to someone regardless. It’s not going anywhere just sitting there. We already agreed on twenty years for your two small shops, right? Let’s add another ten years. But you’ll have to cover some of the water and electricity costs—the enamel factory is gone, and I have no place to record those expenses anymore!" Director Zhou was very generous, adding ten years without hesitation.

"I think that’s fair. Paying for housing and utilities is only right. But, Uncle Zhou, could you have the sub-district office step in to clear away this rubble? And while you're at it, help us purchase some cement and steel reinforcement. If we're going to rebuild, I don't think we should just put up small, single-story shacks again. We should build a two-story structure with concrete pillars. We can’t occupy the land for thirty years and then return a pile of ruins to the state—that would be undermining the nation. We can’t do that, can we?" Hong Tao began to sing the praises of the state. He already had the renderings in mind; the only problem was that cement and steel were highly sought-after materials, and his uncle’s housing management office couldn't secure that much on its own.

"My goodness, Old Jin! Your family’s upbringing is truly impeccable. From you to your nephew, you all know how to 'drink the water and remember the well-diggers.' To be thinking about the state at such a young age—he’s bound to be someone of consequence when he grows up. What you mentioned is indeed a problem, and I will certainly bring it up at the Party committee meeting. We can’t have you spending money only to end up with a poorly built house. Don't worry, I can promise you the cleanup right now. I’ll send people over after the fifth! I can’t promise the steel and cement yet, but I can write a report to the district. You are the new model for reform and opening up. The vice-district mayor was very satisfied with your work last time, and I believe the district will support you again! Just wait for my news. Also, that drawing—the sooner you get it to me, the better. I’ll take it straight to the district; it’ll be a highlight of our sub-district’s work!"

Director Zhou was beaming so hard his back molars were nearly visible. A row of dilapidated single-story houses transformed into a two-story building after a fire! In his mind, it was a fantastic deal. Moreover, with the Yonghe Temple and the Imperial Academy area soon to become a tourist attraction for foreign guests, the city, district, and sub-district were under immense pressure to renovate the old city. If the common people could fund the renovations themselves, he could sleep soundly as a sub-district director. He had already decided to make this happen—it would be a key project for the sub-district's reform efforts. Once this benchmark was set, it would be an example for the whole district and a significant achievement. It might even affect his political career for the rest of his life.

With this topic on the table, neither Director Zhou nor Hong Tao cared about the fire anymore. Only my uncle remained uneasy; after all, he had been following Hong Tao’s lead for a long time without any real sense of security, and he still couldn't figure out why Hong Tao wanted so many rooms.

"Xiao Tao, you’ve really dragged your uncle into a mess this time. This isn't a small amount of money. Such a large property, and you want to build a second floor? Do you know how much that costs? If things go south, we’ll have to dump the savings from both our families into this! This won't do. You have to be clear with your uncle: what exactly are you trying to do?" It was just before dawn. Director Zhou had left in high spirits, eager to handle the aftermath, looking nothing like someone who had just come from a fire scene. But my uncle couldn't hold back. As soon as Director Zhou left, he pulled Hong Tao into an empty spot and whispered his concerns.

"Uncle, if our business is this profitable, don't you think others will see it? If you were them, what would you think and do? Look at this street—besides the intersection at Beixinqiao, where else is better for business? Didn't you hear Director Zhou? This place is about to become a tourist attraction, and one that hosts foreign guests at that. Do you know what that means?" Hong Tao couldn't explain this in a few words, but he couldn't leave his uncle completely in the dark, as he would be the primary executor of many things.

"Of course others can see that it's profitable; no one is a fool. If it were me... I’d just learn to open one too. If I can’t earn 10,000, can’t I at least earn 1,000? As for the tourist attraction stuff, how would I know what that means? Just tell me straight, don't test me. I didn't even finish middle school; I don't have all those twists and turns in my brain like you!" My uncle grew more anxious, truly frightened by Hong Tao's plan. A whole row of houses, plus a second floor! Good heavens!

"Actually, you're overthinking it. We’re only building the front row of houses; we’ll leave the courtyard behind for now and deal with it when we have more money. The tailor shop and the hair salon will definitely expand—I estimate they’ll take up at least a quarter of the new space. We can lease out the rest or partner with others. Look, the housing management bureau's price is less than ten cents per square meter per month, but our rent won't be that low—at least a yuan. Just from that rent alone, we won't need to do anything, and the construction costs will be recouped in two years. The remaining decades will be pure profit. Are you still worried about losing money?" Hong Tao painted the future for his uncle.

"Can we really lease it out? Are you sure?" My uncle was still skeptical. Who would spend so much money to rent a dilapidated house? Aren't there houses everywhere? Why pay a premium to rent here?

"I'm sure. Have I ever lied to you? Let me put it this way: with this plot of land, once we build, your family, our family, and Grandpa’s family will never have to worry about money again. We’ll have enough to eat, drink, and play for the rest of our lives. And the property will only become more valuable over time. If I weren't afraid of scaring Director Zhou, I would have signed a 100-year contract with him, earning enough even for your great-grandchildren!" Hong Tao stood with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the smoking ruins, as if he were commanding the landscape. He finally understood why great men throughout history liked to put their hands on their hips when surveying their territory—it truly conveyed an air of "if not me, then who?"

"Fine. Since you're so sure, your uncle will go all in. I don't care about great-grandchildren; I’ll be satisfied if I can afford a decent coffin when I kick the bucket." My uncle didn't fully understand, but he chose to trust Hong Tao.

"Cremation is popular now. Should I buy you a crystal urn?" Hong Tao’s mouth was never idle unless it was getting beaten.

"You brat! It's the Lunar New Year, don't talk about urns! Don't think your uncle won't smack you. Go, get home. We don't need you here; your uncle and your younger uncle can keep watch. You just go back and finish that rendering—that's what's important. You’re useless here." My uncle couldn't help but laugh, patting Hong Tao lightly on the head before starting to delegate tasks.

In the end, the matter couldn't be hidden from Grandpa. Even if they didn't say anything, the neighbors weren't blind; they could tell there had been a fire. At first, the old man was frightened, his face turning pale, but after Hong Tao and my uncle explained, he seemed to believe the flames had some sort of divine protection—they hadn't touched their shops, only leaving them soot-stained.

Grandpa didn't fully believe it until he went to see for himself. Indeed, there was no major damage; the rooms had been cleaned, and except for water stains on the walls and broken glass in the doors and windows—which my uncle had temporarily covered with boards—everything was fine. He planned to bring people in after the seventh to replace the windows and fix the wooden trim on the storefronts.

Hong Tao didn't hide the plan to lease the whole courtyard and build a second floor from Grandpa, as he held the bankbooks. To Hong Tao's surprise, after quietly listening to the plan, the old man didn't oppose it; instead, he praised Hong Tao, saying that many businesses had started this way in the early days. According to the old man, it would be even better if they could buy the land outright. If they had their own property, it would be a family legacy that could be passed down for generations. He would be the founder of the family lineage, and who wouldn't want their descendants to remember them?

Regardless of whether Grandpa's logic was sound or if buying the land was feasible, the matter was settled. Hong Tao spent two days drawing four renderings from different angles. He didn't just draw the restored two-story building; he included the surrounding streetscape, primarily the arches of the Yonghe Temple and the Imperial Academy. Although Hong Tao hadn't studied sketching, his experience drawing fashion models was enough to make the sketches recognizable.