Chapter 33: Be a Little Rougher
Zhuang Wan was quite speechless, shaking a stack of papers at Su Tao:
“What kind of trash dares to apply? Look at this—children’s doodles? Random scribbles?”
Su Tao flipped through them, finding it both funny and exasperating. Someone even submitted a drawing of just four squares.
“Thank you for your hard work. This is indeed like finding a needle in a haystack. But we must find a professional to design this properly. Otherwise, as more houses are built, management will only get more difficult.”
In the past, in Dongyang, houses were crammed shoulder to shoulder, with narrow roads that maximized every inch of land. Large public spaces like plazas and gardens were a luxury that didn’t exist.
Su Tao was genuinely looking forward to it. She also wanted to build an office building for herself and Zhuang Wan, as well as for future staff involved in Taoyang’s development.
She just wasn’t sure where it would be most suitable and aesthetically pleasing.
Hopefully, they could find a reliable designer with good taste and experience.
However, things didn’t go as smoothly as Su Tao had hoped. She wasn’t satisfied with any of the candidates who made it through the resume screening to the interview stage.
Perhaps because they were quite young, born into the apocalypse era, their initial drafts were all cramped, resembling another Dongyang.
The extreme utilization of land seemed ingrained in their bones—they wanted to stuff as many buildings as possible onto limited land.
Haste, overcrowding, and coldness seemed to be the main themes of this era.
The more Su Tao looked, the more her brow furrowed.
Zhuang Wan tried to comfort her: “Isn’t this quite good? It will allow more people to live here. When we have more money, we can expand further.”
Su Tao understood her point, but her deep yearning for a beautiful living environment made it impossible for her to agree against her conscience.
After dinner, a couple living in Unit 002 suddenly knocked on Su Tao’s door.
Su Tao was quite surprised, as this military couple rarely appeared and didn’t often interact with other tenants. They must have had a specific reason to visit her.
The wife, Tang Qingshu, spoke gently:
“Ms. Su, I heard you’ve been looking for a community planner or spatial designer to design a land-use plan for Taoyang? We have someone very suitable to recommend. These are samples of the teacher’s work.”
She handed over a thick folder, seemingly filled with the creator’s efforts.
Su Tao accepted it with both hands, and after glancing at the first two pages, her eyes lit up. She eagerly asked:
“This teacher must be quite elderly, right? These designs seem to be from the peaceful era before the apocalypse. They look so comfortable and grand.”
Tang Qingshu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:
“Yes, he’s already 78 years old. Before the apocalypse, he did urban planning for provincial and higher-level cities and won numerous awards. He is an extremely experienced teacher. Unfortunately, after the apocalypse, no more land was available for him to showcase his talents.”
Su Tao asked, “Where does he live? I’d like to visit him at a suitable time.”
The couple exchanged a glance before the husband spoke first:
“Mr. Mei doesn’t have his own place. He lives with his son and daughter-in-law in the base’s welfare low-rent housing.”
Tang Qingshu checked her communicator and gave Su Tao an address.
Su Tao thanked them and then set out with Zhuang Wan and Guan Zining.
Tang Qingshu watched the trio leave hurriedly and held her husband’s hand:
“I hope Mr. Mei succeeds. At his age, still wandering around… His son and daughter-in-law aren’t filial… Oh, it makes my heart ache. He was such a respectable university professor, and now look at him.”
Her husband comforted her:
“Ms. Su is a sensible person. She has been so picky, and none of the candidates so far satisfied her. It shows that she cares more about the tenants’ living quality than just maximizing profits through rent. She and Mr. Mei are alike—it will work out.”
Tang Qingshu nodded:
“Ms. Su is a good person, but she’s quite young. Is she twenty yet? She doesn’t seem to have a partner, right? You know, I have a nephew…”
Her husband pulled her along:
“Ordinary men wouldn’t catch her eye. Save your matchmaking ideas.”
“True, true.”
…
Guan Zining parked the car on the street:
“You two get off first. The address is in an area where the car can’t enter.”
As soon as Su Tao got out of the car, she stepped into muddy… dirt roads. Residents poured their household water outside, nearly turning the place into a muddy ditch.
They hadn’t walked far when curious residents began peeking out of their uneven windows.
This was a resettlement area near the East District, where the population was a chaotic mix and the environment harsh. It was rare to see outsiders as well-dressed as Su Tao and Zhuang Wan.
Looking at the surroundings, Su Tao realized Mr. Mei’s life must indeed be difficult, prompting her to quicken her pace.
As they approached the destination, they suddenly heard someone shouting angrily:
“Useless old man! Painting, painting, painting! All you do is hole up in the room and paint. Not an ounce of help to anyone. I have to handle everything in this household. What a miserable life! I found a useless husband and got stuck with a crazy father-in-law. What sin did I commit in my past life?”
Su Tao stopped, seeing a woman fuming at the doorway, yelling inside.
The neighbors seemed unfazed, continuing to wash clothes and cook on the narrow, muddy road as if nothing unusual was happening.
Zhuang Wan glanced at the doorplate: “This is the place, but maybe it’s not a good time.”
The woman finally noticed them, looking Su Tao and Zhuang Wan up and down:
“Who are you?”
The ever-professional assistant, Zhuang Wan, explained:
“We are here to see Mr. Mei. Could you please let us in?”
The woman’s eyes darted around before she said:
“See him? Are you from the West District? What do you want with him? If you don’t say, I won’t let you in.”
She then stood at the door, blocking them.
Zhuang Wan gave Su Tao a puzzled look, unsure of what to do, even wondering if they needed to offer money to get in.
Su Tao thought she was being too polite. With this kind of person, it was better to be a little rougher. She told the woman:
“He owes us money. Don’t get in the way of us collecting the debt, or we’ll hold you responsible.”
Zhuang Wan was stunned.
The woman was also shocked, quickly stepping aside and no longer blocking them.
Su Tao smoothly led Zhuang Wan inside. In the dim, crowded room, they saw a small old man sitting by the windowsill, focused on his drawings.
Mei Hongyi felt that not only were his old eyes growing dim, but his hearing was also failing. How else could he have heard a child born in this apocalypse say they wanted a comfortable home, rather than a cramped space that could fit as many people as possible?
But he hoped to stay hard of hearing like this forever: “Yes.”
Su Tao’s smile bloomed, dazzling the bleak apocalypse in this April day.
