Li Juan graduated, Li Qiang began his internship, and the Fourth Team underwent a transformation

Meng Hai moved quickly. Two days later, Feng Guoqing arrived at the Fourth Team with workers, machinery, bricks, and timber, and began building houses according to the plans.

Working their way down from the upper end, they started with Li Jianguo's and Li Long's homes.

Feng Guoqing had brought a dozen or so men this time, so work began on both homes at once.

The foundations were already there, and the rammed earth was of fairly good quality, so there was no need to excavate and refill them. They only needed to add some yellow soil, compact it, dig the trenches for the houses, and fill them with stones and cement.

Li Long and Li Jianguo both watched from the side. Seeing the workers cooperate with the machinery, working quickly and efficiently, Li Jianguo remarked:

"Times really have changed. In the old days, building a house meant calling in all the laborers in the village, feeding everyone, molding mud bricks, digging mud, preparing the earth, and raising the beams. It took days, and you had to pick a slack farming season.

"Look how good it is now. We pay people to do the work without interfering with the busy farming season, and they work neatly and clean up properly."

Li Long smiled. "You still need money for that. Look how many people on the Team have been building houses lately. I'm sure some are still doing it the way you described."

As they spoke, Team Leader Xu Chengjun came over with Lu Yingming and Tao Daqiang beside him, while Tao Dayong trailed not far behind.

Xu Chengjun greeted Li Jianguo and Li Long, then took Lu Yingming and the two Taos over to mark out their homesteads.

After measuring the foundation lines with a tape, driving in wooden stakes, and