RYEY -Chapter 454 Ten Acres of Land

“My dad is a hero, and I’m the son of a hero. I want to be a hero too!”

Li Chen’s eyes sparkled, filled with the brightest hopes. Qin Daqiang suddenly regretted his earlier coldness; Jiang Meili had not spoiled the child.

“Comrade Jiang Meili, Comrade Li Bing has found several water sources. If all goes well, he should be back within three months.”

Jiang Meili felt a relief. She had hope now—no longer facing the dark nights alone, no longer worrying that her child would be unloved.

The mood lifted. Xiao Dan picked up a wine cup to toast Qin Daqiang. As his highest-ranking superior, eating together was a rare honor.

“Kid, no need to toast me now. On your wedding day, I’ll toast you. Haha, hope you can handle it.”

“Please have mercy, Brigade Commander. Today I’ll drink one cup myself, hoping it counts as ten on my wedding day.”

Xiao Dan downed his cup in one go, then waved at Chen Xiaoniu to introduce Qin Daqiang to her. Chen Xiaoniu didn’t hesitate and drank hers in one gulp.

“Alright, for your wife’s sake, I’ll let you off this time. But you have to have two children in three years—can you do it?”

Xiao Dan immediately stood at attention and saluted: “I can!”

Chen Xiaoniu: “…You blockhead.”

Boss Deng’s wife served dishes while listening to the lively conversation, feeling envious. Her family was unreliable, her in-laws few, and her son had been born with a congenital heart condition, needing bed rest daily.

“Xiao Dan, don’t just drink. I bought a piece of land and plan to build a compound like a grocery store. If your dad has time, he can help with the construction.”

“Second Brother and Second Sister, mighty! I… no, I mean, Brigade Commander, please allow me to go back and see my father tomorrow.”

Qin Daqiang had been glancing at Xiao Dan, but seeing him correct himself in time, he wanted to laugh. For his own dignity, however, he nodded coldly—agreeing only for Cheng Qiao’s sake.

“Wow…”

At the neighboring table, Li Chen suddenly cried, pointing at Hantong with teary eyes. Hantong awkwardly put the bear paw back on her plate.

The steamed bear paws were too delicious. She had forgotten about all the children at the table and had unknowingly eaten their portions.

Cheng Li and Li Ming didn’t say anything—they knew this woman was protecting their mother. Guoqing quickly picked a few pieces and shared them with Xiao Nuan, Ye Jing, and, of course, Lele.

Li Chen was still little, and his eyes had already fixed on the smallest piece of bear paw meat. Unexpectedly, it was taken by this gluttonous woman, and in a panic, he started crying.

“Sorry, I was greedy. How about I catch a bear for you on the mountain next time to play with?”

Li Chen: “…What nonsense is this woman talking about?”

Seeing Li Chen stop crying as he looked at her, Hantong quickly placed the bear paw into his bowl, looking embarrassed. Jiang Meili couldn’t help but laugh as well, feeling so envious that Cheng Qiao had such a friend.

After three rounds of drinks, it was time for everyone to leave. Jiang Meili reluctantly handed Li Chen over to his mother and quickly headed home, knowing that tomorrow would be another hectic day.

Xiao Dan was finally married, and the daughter-in-law had met her in-laws. When Chen Xiaoniu saw the blue-brick, tiled house of Xiao Dan’s family, she realized it was no worse than her own home, and her anxious heart settled.

A few days after Xiao Dan got married, Yang Jun brought the villagers to the outskirts of the garrison. Someone had already laid out a line—ten acres of land all belonged to Cheng Qiao.

That was more than 6,000 square meters of open space. Initially, there were only a few carts or tricycles parked there, making it cold, desolate, and very empty.

But since the reform and opening-up, more and more people had come here, gradually turning it into a loose marketplace where people came to buy, sell, or trade goods.

Now, people looked at the fenced-off area and whispered: “Who bought this land with such a big gesture? Does this mean we can no longer do business here?”

The answer was no. Cheng Qiao had already discussed it with Li Huan and the others—they would turn it into a family-style farm, focusing on livestock and crop farming.

Moreover, at the front near the road, they planned to build a few large storefronts similar to Spring City’s general store, which could house small shops or stalls for rent.

Lele raised her hand—she wanted to rent Second Sister-in-law’s small shop; she was familiar with this line of business.

“Lele, doesn’t your school assign jobs for you? Why not be a teacher? That’s such a stable job.”

Jiang Meili couldn’t understand. With a guaranteed job in hand, why insist on being self-employed? What logic was that?

“Big sister-in-law, the school is too far from here. Even with a guaranteed job, it wouldn’t be here. My eldest brother and second brother are here, and so is my husband. Of course I’d give it up.”

“Lele, can I work with you?”

“Of course, I was planning to work with you anyway. I can’t manage it alone.”

Second Sister-in-law’s Spring City general store had already hired four clerks. With help from her mother and Xuhui’s Grandma, plus occasional help from herself, one person alone definitely couldn’t handle it.

“Great! From now on, whether we profit or lose, we split everything fifty-fifty.”

Xiao Dan looked humorously at his newlywed wife—how could they possibly lose doing business under Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law? Look at Shouhou and the others—they were already in suits and ties.

Yang Jun wasted no time organizing the villagers to build houses. Cheng Qiao, not dragging her feet either, brought out the designs she and Xiao Nuan had agreed upon. Yang Jun shook his head in disbelief.

How much money would it take to finish this? Not to mention the surrounding wall for ten acres, which had to be two meters high—this alone would cost a fortune.

“Uncle Yang, first build the small shop and general store so Lele and Xiaoniu can start working. Second, put up the fence. Third, deal with the rest after the front is done.”

“Alright, we’ll do it your way. Whatever you say, we’ll follow.”

Yang Jun agreed heartily. This Cheng Qiao was their family’s money god. From nothing to a modestly well-off life, it was all thanks to her.

Yang Jun moved quickly, ordering bricks from the brick factory and cement from the cement factory. These manufacturers had been struggling, but now with a big order, they immediately started working overtime.

The government department, upon hearing the news, rushed to the site. Once there, they saw the thriving work scene: dozens of villagers with safety helmets working diligently.

Truck after truck arrived, loaded with cement, red bricks, yellow sand, stones, and steel rods. Every truck driver had a broad smile—this month’s bonus was guaranteed.