Chapter 817: Going to Survey

The next morning, Xiao Shitou drove the car and took me to see the Gucheng Qiang in Xue County.

Shi Jinhe was already waiting for me there.

After I arrived,

I saw that ropes had been strung around the Gucheng Qiang,

many trees had names written on them.

When Shi Jinhe saw me arrive, he hurried over,

"Brother, you're back."

"Jinhe, why are there ropes all over the Gucheng Qiang?"

"Brother, you don't know they were put up by the local villagers. They're afraid we would remodel the Gucheng Qiang on our own. And these trees, they all claim them.

They want us to pay compensation.

Are they cheating people, this land was originally ownerless,

and once we start developing, it gets an owner. What is this about?"

"Jinhe, I've already discussed with Cui Xian, letting him handle this matter; whatever compensation is needed, they'll do it.

Our most urgent task now is to get the work underway.

Li Jia has already gone to the highway bureau to negotiate, urging them to repair the road as soon as possible.

When Tian Shi arrives, I still need to discuss the Shanghu dock with him.

On our side, we must develop according to the plan.

I looked at the project documents; we need to build an Ancient City covering 500 hundred mu.

500 mu, I think that's still too small,

We must connect the Ancient City with Beishan, so that once you enter the Ancient City, you can go straight to Beishan for tourism.

Visitors will be able to stay. Come on, let's talk as we walk," I said to Shi Jinhe.

Shi Jinhe nodded, and walked slowly around the earthen wall with me,

"I understand, brother,

so I've already brought the crew to Xue County, ready to start at any time.

In the preliminary stage, we need to clear the Gucheng Qiang, then build outward from it as the center.

I've already obtained the design blueprints,

all of them are in ancient style.

Brother, do you remember? I told you at Huaihai that I wanted to build a set of ancient-style buildings I designed myself.

Then we'll use the ancient rammed earth method to build a set, with ancient bricks for the exterior.

Because only a section of the Gucheng Qiang remains here, its external persuasive power is too weak."

Hearing Jinhe say that, I was pleased,

Who says Shi Jinhe is a rough man, just a foreman doing the work? He also has his own ideas.

I of course fully support his ideas.

I smiled, "Jinhe, I fully support your idea.

Today we came mainly to examine the terrain here,

We can't just follow the blueprints to build houses; some things the designers only glanced at superficially,

they don't know what the Ancient City looks like in our minds."

After saying that, I slipped through the rope barrier.

There were many low trees growing on the Gucheng Qiang.

I scooped a clod of soil from the Gucheng Qiang with my hand and gently crumbled it,

the yellow soil floated in the air with the wind.

This is our history,

yellow soil, yellow skin,

yellow earth, yellow beauty.

Our ancestors cultivated here,

and propagated their offspring here.

Here, life continues endlessly,

this is our homeland.

I looked at the Gucheng Qiang and sighed inwardly.

Following the slope of the Gucheng Qiang, I climbed up.

Although a thousand years of wind have passed, the wall is still sturdy.

It's not that kind of shoddy construction.

The Gucheng Qiang is over two meters wide, with weeds growing everywhere.

Standing on the Gucheng Qiang, looking into the distance,

the wheat in the distance looks vigorous. It seems this year will be another bumper harvest.

How many ancestors fought wars for this land,

how many ancestors are buried here.

Time, it passes silently.

I seemed to travel back to antiquity, seeing a group of ancient people in varied clothing, walking or pushing carts toward the Ancient City.

"Brother, come down, the top is too dangerous. Some sections have collapsed," Shi Jinhe shouted from below.

I walked another ten meters, but the weeds were too thick, and there was no road above.

I could only come down from the Gucheng Qiang.

"Jinghe, is there any ancient battlefield here or something?" I asked.

"Xixi said that a little over five li away, some skeletons were excavated; archaeologists said those people were from the Spring and Autumn period and died in war," Shi Jinhe pointed out to me.

"Fine." I nodded. "Jinghe, have you ever thought about what we let people see? It's all replica architecture. This section of earthen city wall has too little allure."

"Then what should we look at? We still have Beishan," Shi Jinhe said.

"Jinghe, have you read any history books?" I asked.

"I don't like reading; whenever I read I fall asleep easily," Shi Jinhe laughed.

I took out a cigarette and gave it to Shi Jinhe,

"Jinghe, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period is the most exciting era in our history; during this era, sages multiplied.

Moreover, many ideas transcend a thousand years; besides those sages, there are the wars of the ancient city and the diplomatic maneuvers among the states.

All are very interesting.

Not inferior to modern international affairs.

In fact, more than two thousand years ago, we already illustrated modern international relations with concrete examples.

"Jinghe, if visitors here see a series of scene plays from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, what then?"

"Like a movie, each day presenting a different story,"

"And it is performed strictly according to history."

"Just like the Three Kingdoms ancient city."

"For example, this generation represents the state of Lu, over there Qi, also Wei, Chu, and so on."

"Condense these states together and let them reenact history here."

"How do you feel?" I said, smoking and gazing into the distance.

"Brother, you are so talented.

"These things you said, how could I not have thought of them?"

"Right, what will people come to see?"

"The replica architecture won't have that."

"It has to be different from others."

"I went to Kaifeng Qingming Riverside Garden; everything inside is a full Song‑style replica architecture."

"There are many actors inside, and their daily work is to act."

"We can take inspiration from that."

"Of course, the history we refer to is the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period."

"The scenes would be different from there."

"Brother, should we revise the design blueprint?" Shi Jinhe said, looking at me.

"This one? Jinghe, you should communicate more with Xixi, letting her dig out some things from history.

Then, you go to the Planning Institute and replan.

I still say the same: 500 mu of land is insufficient; we will requisition more and must build the best Ancient City.

"Alright, brother, I'll go find Xixi tomorrow. We'll re‑discuss."

"With that from you, I can boldly conceive."

"Because before, I didn't know how big you wanted to do."

"I told the Design Institute; after they visited, they began development around the Gucheng Qiang."

"At this scale, it's too small, like a family shrine."

"It must have scale; only then will visitors have something to see here," Shi Jinhe said.

"Jinghe, we've always been in construction,

In the past we were foremen, working for others; later we founded Da Heng Group, developed real estate, built houses for others, and those houses were all designed by others.

We only need to do the building.

I want to take this opportunity to tell you my thoughts,

We are ordinary people,

but have you considered, after a thousand years,

what history will have left.

Do you see that section of the Gucheng Qiang, lasting longer than any emperor's existence.

If we were given a chance now, what should we leave behind,

I think now is the best opportunity.

That is this Ancient City.

For this Ancient City, we will design it ourselves and build according to our wishes—such as the rammed earth construction, brick-and‑stone construction, and so on.

We will find ways to pass these things down.