God-Tier Get Rich System – CH95

Chapter 95: A Thousand-Yuan Reward

At this point, Mu Lantu paused.

Everyone could sense that he had more to say.

The educated youth settlement was in the northwest corner of the village. With Mu Lantu’s arrangement, the well would be northeast-southeast of the settlement, closer to the village. This would likely leave a better impression of the educated youth on the villagers.

Mu Lantu said, “As for the distance, it’s best if it’s a bit farther from us. Everyone’s fetched water before—you know it can get noisy when there are too many people around. What do you think about 40 or 50 meters away?

Later, we can find some stones to pave a path to the well. Even if it’s a bit far, it won’t be a problem as long as the road is easy to walk. And anyway, it still won’t be as far as the other two wells.”

Xu Huazhang listened quietly to the man he loved talk confidently, his heart at peace.

Miao Jiaze raised both hands in agreement. “Yes, yes, don’t put it too close. When we’re not doing farm work, we like to sleep in during the mornings—too close would be terrible!”

“Fantastic!” Bai Ningning was unable to contain her excitement. “In summer, when us girls want to wash our hair, we won’t have to worry about saving water anymore. If we use some, we can just fetch more. If we can’t carry a full bucket, we can still carry half!”

The girls laughed happily.

Du Xuewen asked, “Can we carve something into the side of the well? Like ‘Built by Educated Youth in 1972.’ Who knows—maybe it’ll become a famous historical site someday.”

Everyone perked up, looking at him approvingly. That was a great idea!

Xu Huazhang gave Du Xuewen another glance—this guy had a clever mind.

Mu Lantu said, “Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll talk to the brigade leader about it.”

Zhang Guodong and Zhang Jingxian were still as quiet as ever.

Su Qianqian was also unusually silent today—possibly troubled by her upcoming wedding. The date wasn’t far off.

Once everything was discussed, Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang returned home. After bathing, they lay on their warm kang bed and chatted.

The kerosene lamp bathed both of their faces in a warm, orange glow.

The kang was heated and covered with new quilts—soft and cozy.

The wind rattled the paper windows, making Mu Lantu worry they might tear.

“Huazhang, when are we replacing the glass windows?”

Xu Huazhang glanced at the window. “After the well is dug—that’ll be the right time.”

The villagers would be less likely to criticize them for extravagance after seeing the effort they put into building the well.

Besides…

Xu Huazhang took his jacket from the edge of the bed and pulled out a bankbook, handing it to Mu Lantu.

Tucked inside was a handwritten certificate stamped with an official seal.

“Five thousand?” Mu Lantu slipped it into his pocket.

The diesel harvester designed by Xu Huazhang had caught the attention of a city machinery factory, which planned to produce it on a large scale. As thanks, they rewarded him with 5,000 yuan!

Xu Huazhang’s hand slipped under Mu Lantu’s shirt. “With this money, we can afford to live a little more lavishly.”

Of course, they’d still keep a low profile. But now, if anyone questioned their lifestyle, they had a solid explanation.

“I’m not doing too bad either—I bought a house,” Mu Lantu shared joyfully.

Seeing his proud look, Xu Huazhang pulled him into his arms, curious about how he managed it.

He himself had asked so many colleagues but still hadn’t found one.

After Mu Lantu explained, Xu Huazhang said sincerely, “You’re really smart.”

“You’re just realizing that now?” Mu Lantu kicked his legs playfully and told him the address. “Tomorrow, check if the Zhou family has moved out. If not, give them a nudge. I arranged with Old Man Zhou to leave the key in the hollow under the thickest poplar tree by the door.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to let the Zhou family stay a few more days—but winter wasn’t going to wait.

“Got it.”

“And tomorrow, help me mail two letters.”

“Sure. Anything else?”

“Not for me.”

“Well, I do.”

Xu Huazhang blew out the kerosene lamp…

The next morning, Mu Lantu could clearly feel it was colder than the day before. He layered up: thermal underwear, a sweater, a plain collared jacket, and a gray overcoat. On the bottom, he wore thermal leggings and thick black winter trousers. On his feet were hand-sewn cotton shoes from his aunt—clunky but warm.

After breakfast, he delivered dried seafood to the brigade leader and others, then returned home to prepare rations for the well-digging workers while waiting for them to arrive.

Master Luo found a suitable spot near where Mu Lantu had indicated and began work that very day.

A commotion that large couldn’t stay unnoticed in the village.

When the villagers heard that the educated youths had donated the well, the entire village was stunned!

Master Luo, though elderly, was still vigorous. He brought two sons with him, both in their prime. The three took turns digging, making fast progress.

At noon, Aunt Chunhua cooked lunch for the workers at Mu Lantu’s house. They had cucumber and mushroom scrambled eggs, stir-fried wild greens with lard, red-braised eggplant, and pork bone stew with dried radish strips.

The staple food was steamed buns made from a blend of corn, sorghum, and wheat flour—finely milled and sweetened slightly, they were delicious.

The workers ate well and were motivated, only resting half an hour before getting back to it.

Mu Lantu even brought them a coal stove so they could have hot tea all day.

By 4 p.m., it was getting dark, so Mu Lantu hurried them off.

The workers lived far away, and traveling late wasn’t safe.

The area was close to the mountains—they couldn’t let their guard down.

That evening, they had dinner at the educated youth settlement. Mu Lantu didn’t bring much—just a pound of dried kelp for everyone to try something new.

The educated youths had also gone all out that night—six dishes in total, three of them with meat: pork ribs with potatoes, braised pork belly with cabbage and glass noodles, and minced pork with tofu—hearty and flavorful.

The corner of the main room was piled with dried vegetables and mushrooms the villagers had brought.

Mu Lantu’s house alone received more than half a sack—enough for ten to fifteen days.

The well took five days to complete. Water flowed smoothly, and after a few days to let it settle, it would be ready for use.

On the concrete cover of the well, as requested by Mu Lantu and the others, the brigade leader had carved, “October 25, 1972 – Donated by the Educated Youth of Dongfanghong Brigade.”

The educated youths felt a surge of pride each time they saw it.

Their relationship with the villagers also improved noticeably. More young people began visiting their settlement, and some women would take detours when gathering firewood to walk with the educated youths.

Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang were exceptions.

For some reason, the villagers still felt a distance from the two of them, so most social visits were still to the others.

That, and the fact that both of them were genuinely busy.

After finishing the well, Mu Lantu got busy renovating the house in the county.

Since he couldn’t find any private workers, he inquired at the housing bureau. That’s when he learned that in this era, the bureau not only managed housing allocations but also handled repairs and maintenance. Their workers were more specialized.

The bureau also took on private jobs. Whether for state-owned or private homes, their job was to serve the people.

Because Mu Lantu’s house was privately owned, labor fees were higher.

Repairs took three days—the walls were repainted, and the floors inside and out were dug up and redone. It needed to be ventilated for a few days before move-in.

Xu Huazhang checked in on the house daily.

Meanwhile, Mu Lantu had to attend Su Qianqian’s wedding.

She had ultimately decided to go through with the marriage.

Mu Lantu privately asked Xu Jincheng, “Did she ever ask the educated youth office about the groom’s background?”

“I never heard her mention it. Either she didn’t check, or there were no issues,” Xu replied.

The wedding was simple. Aside from the people at the settlement, only the brigade leader, the party secretary, the accountant, and the women’s director were invited. With the groom’s wedding party, there were three tables in total.

It was the first time Mu Lantu and the others saw Su Qianqian’s fiancé—Li Changsheng, a tall, handsome 22-year-old with strong brows and striking features. No wonder Su Qianqian had fallen for him. He seemed a little shy that day, perhaps because it was his wedding, and often couldn’t respond to jokes—just smiled, which made him seem unfit for the role of a procurement officer.

But when his and Su Qianqian’s eyes met, there was mutual joy. Everyone offered sincere blessings and gifts.

Some gave face cream, some pillow towels, combs, tea mugs, or enameled basins with lovebird patterns.

Xie Xiaojun and Zhao Chengxin, having given up on pursuing Su Qianqian, gifted a soap dish and a towel, respectively.

Everyone had coordinated in advance to avoid duplicate gifts.

Knowing Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang were well off, the two weren’t stingy—they gave Su Qianqian a pair of thermos flasks.

Thermoses weren’t as valuable as radios or bicycles, but they were still considered high-end items.

Bai Ningning even half-joked, half-serious: if she got married, would Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang give her a pair too? But Du Xuewen and Miao Jiaze playfully cut her off.

Under the women’s director’s guidance, Su Qianqian and Li Changsheng completed a simple ceremony, had a meal with everyone, and then set off for Lushan County.

As a distant bride, no one accompanied Su Qianqian on her journey.

The educated youths walked them to the village entrance.

Su Qianqian, with a red flower on her head, sat alone on the back of the bicycle. In the dim winter sunlight, she kept looking back, her beautiful face a mix of smiles and tears, tinged with a bit of fear for the future.

Yue Xiaoying clung to Bai Ningning’s arm, pale-faced. “This is so weird. Why is my heart pounding so hard…”

Bai Ningning stared at the fading group and forced a smile. “Don’t overthink it. Maybe it’s just because you’re worried for Qianqian—she’s going alone, after all.”

“Sigh! It’s not just you ladies. For some reason, I feel really down too—very conflicted inside,” Miao Jiaze jumped in place, as if trying to shake off the emotion. “Don’t get me wrong—I’m not into Comrade Su. It’s just… it feels weird now that there’s one less person in the settlement.”

Xie Xiaojun turned away impatiently. “Let’s go back. It’s freezing.”

Du Xuewen hunched his shoulders. “Yeah, the wind’s cutting straight into my neck!”

The two groups walked in opposite directions—almost as if foreshadowing different futures…

That night, Xu Huazhang came home and asked about the wedding.

“It was alright. Personally, I think marrying far away isn’t fair to women. Just think—if she gets into a fight with her husband, there’s not even a place for her to cry alone.”

Mu Lantu poked the coal stove’s ash tray with tongs, fanning the fire. The kelp and pork ribs in the wok began to steam, spreading a rich aroma.

On the kang table’s small brazier, rice was being kept warm.

“Everyone chooses their own path. She’ll have to walk it herself,” Xu Huazhang commented lightly.

Mu Lantu picked out a tender rib and fed it to him. “Try it. I had a piece earlier—thought it was an improvement.” This time, he hadn’t added any of the spring water.

“It’s delicious. You worked hard.”

Cooking in winter was worse than in summer—washing and chopping froze the hands.

Remembering a plan made long ago, Xu Huazhang thought to himself: It won’t be long now—soon, Lantu will be free from this.