Chapter 279 Completion
Song Yuanchao's courtyard house was finally completed.
In fact, at the end of last year, the basic restoration of the courtyard house had been completed, but many details still needed further improvement. For this reason, Professor Yao specifically asked Song Yuanchao for his opinion. After all, the cost of handling and repairing the details is very high, even higher than the cost of some big workers, and this is a delicate job that takes a relatively long time.
After asking about the cost, Song Yuanchao readily agreed Professor Yao's suggestion. These costs are a huge sum of money for ordinary people, but it is nothing to Song Yuanchao. Moreover, a team like Professor Yao will not be available even if you have more money in 20 years. You should know that the team not only includes experts like Professor Yao, but also some older craftsmen.
These craftsmen all came from the old society, and their skills are beyond reproach. They are not comparable to the so-called professional engineering teams in later generations who only know how to use tools. Each of them has his own unique skills. When these people gradually pass away in the next 10 to 20 years, these traditional and exquisite crafts will no longer exist.
On the day of acceptance, Song Yuanchao went to see the courtyard.
The exterior of the courtyard has not changed much. Looking from the alley to the courtyard, it still retains the vicissitudes of time, and even the part facing the gate is still mottled. The exterior of the courtyard wall has only been repaired in damaged places, and everything seems to be the same as before.
Song Yuanchao specifically requested this treatment method. He didn't want to attract too much attention. If the courtyard was completely renovated from the outside to the inside, it would be too conspicuous. The current appearance is just right for Song Yuanchao.
When I pushed the door open, the inside was completely different.
The destroyed structure and chaotic scene have completely changed. At first glance, it seems as if you have traveled through time and space back to the past.
The restoration of the entire courtyard house is not to demolish the old and build the new, but to restore the old as it was. All the layouts are restored according to the original appearance of the courtyard house. Some major frameworks are not changed. The bungalows that were added later are all demolished, and the damaged parts are replaced with the same or the closest materials, and the construction is carried out according to the drawings left at that time.
This courtyard house has a great origin. It was once Mu Zhang'a's villa. Although it is not his residence, it still displays the style of a powerful official.
The restored courtyard is not exactly the same as the original one, but it is at least 90% the same. In addition, the front and back yards have also been rejuvenated. In addition to the two old trees that were originally planted in the yard and witnessed a century of history, some new trees and flowers have been replanted, and Taihu stones have been transported to rebuild the rockery.
As for the hall and rooms, they all look brand new after restoration, basically maintaining their original appearance. However, at the request of Song Yuanchao, the structure of the original house was slightly adjusted. The main adjustments were the addition of the courtyard's electrical wiring layout, water supply, drainage and sewage systems, etc.
After all, it is not a hundred years ago now. With the changes of the times, many new things that did not exist back then have emerged. These did not exist when this courtyard was built, and there was no planning later. When Song Yuanchao got the courtyard, the wires inside the courtyard were as densely packed as a spider web, which not only posed a huge hidden danger, but also was not beautiful at all.
The same is true for the water supply and sewage system. The water pipes were all installed 30 years ago and are directly exposed. There is almost no drainage system. When it rains, the ground is very muddy. To go to the toilet, you have to go to the toilet shed built later on the side of the yard. The shed has a few large wooden barrels and is extremely simple. In the summer, the place stinks and is swarmed with flies.
Now all this has changed. During the restoration, the water, electricity and sewage systems were all redesigned and re-laid out, and floor heating was specially installed, giving this old courtyard new-age functions.
After walking around the courtyard, Song Yuanchao felt extremely satisfied. If there was one flaw, it would be the furniture and displays in the house.
After all, so many years have passed, and no one knows where the old furniture in the courtyard had gone. As for the furniture left when the courtyard was purchased, they were all purchased later . No matter in terms of style, materials, etc., they do not match the overall beauty of the courtyard at all.
Song Yuanchao started to pay attention to these problems last year and purchased some in advance. However, because the area and rooms of this courtyard house are much larger than the one he lives in now, the furniture and furnishings he prepared are far from enough. Now he can only barely complete the hall, the main house in the backyard and two side rooms, and the other rooms can only be left empty for the time being.
There was nothing that could be done about it. It was not easy to gather so many suitable pieces of furniture, even in this day and age. This could only be done slowly, but Song Yuanchao believed that with his financial resources and current situation, it should not be difficult to complete all of them. Perhaps by next year, this quadrangle would be exactly the same as he had imagined.
In order to thank Professor Yao and his team for their efforts, Song Yuanchao specially booked two tables at the hotel after the acceptance and invited everyone to have a good meal.
After the meal, Song Yuanchao also prepared red envelopes for everyone as a thank you. Although many people were not used to Song Yuanchao's behavior, they still accepted the red envelopes with a smile and thanked him, and had a very good impression of Song Yuanchao.
"Xiao Song, you don't have to be so polite. Restoring this courtyard is not only your business, but also the business of an old man like me. During these days, through this restoration, I feel like I have returned to the past and have benefited a lot. In addition, several of my students have also learned a lot from it. This knowledge cannot be learned from books!"
When the last and largest red envelope was prepared for Professor Yao, he politely declined. In his opinion, it was okay for others, such as the masters who worked for him or his students, to accept red envelopes. In the past, it was customary for the employer to give everyone some thank-you gifts after they had done work for him.
But Professor Yao is different. His identity and status are different. The reason why he took action this time is, on the one hand, that he is somewhat in line with Song Yuanchao's taste. Secondly, Professor Yao has been thinking about the past when he was an assistant to Mr. Liang Sicheng and his wife during these years at the Imperial University of Peking. He wanted to take this opportunity to relive his work when he was young and to teach his favorite disciples well.
Now that the courtyard house is finally completed, Professor Yao feels more proud. As for money, it is something that cannot be brought with you when you are born and cannot be taken away when you die. People of his age do not value money that much, but rather feelings and achievements.
"Sir, Zigong redeemed the man and Zilu received the cattle. This is just a small token of my appreciation, so you..." Song Yuanchao said this with a smile.
Professor Yao was slightly stunned, his eyes fell on Song Yuanchao's face, and he suddenly laughed at Song Yuanchao: "You kid is still a set, okay, since you said this, then I will accept it with disrespect."
After saying that, Professor Yao took the red envelope handed to him by Song Yuanchao and put it in his pocket.
Seeing Professor Yao accept the red envelope, the somewhat nervous expressions of several of Professor Yao's students instantly became relaxed. Noticing this, Professor Yao sighed in his heart, he really didn't understand the ways of the world as well as Song Yuanchao, it was thanks to Song Yuanchao's reminder, otherwise his unintentional actions would have put his students in an awkward situation.
After seeing Professor Yao out of the restaurant, Song Yuanchao waited for others to leave before personally driving Professor Yao back. The car he drove was Luo Yang's, which he had borrowed specially for today.
On the way back, Song Yuanchao suddenly remembered something and asked Professor Yao about his knowledge of Western architecture. Hearing Song Yuanchao's question, Professor Yao subconsciously asked him how he had just finished renovating the courtyard house. Did Song Yuanchao also plan to renovate a house with Western architecture?
Unexpectedly, Song Yuanchao smiled embarrassedly. Seeing him smile like that, Professor Yao suddenly realized that Song Yuanchao actually had this plan.
After asking about the situation, Professor Yao learned that Song Yuanchao actually had a villa in his hometown of Shanghai. This villa was similar to the Siheyuan in Yanjing and had a history of more than a hundred years. Due to the long time and poor maintenance over the years, many parts of the villa were no longer in their original appearance. Song Yuanchao planned to renovate it and also had his own ideas about the decoration and furniture in the villa.
Compared with Chinese-style buildings such as courtyard houses, villas originated in the West and belong to a type of Western architecture. Moreover, the houses in European countries have their own characteristics. For example, Song Yuanchao's villa is Spanish-style. It is a four-story villa with a attic. The total construction area is about 1,500 square meters, plus a large garden.
Speaking of this villa, it was Song Yuanchao who asked Li Daqi to help him find it in Shanghai. There are many villas in Shanghai, but not many that meet his requirements and location.
Song Yuanchao's first choice was naturally the old French Concession area, and he required a villa with a separate entrance and a garden, which further narrowed the range of choices.
After nearly a year, Li Daqi finally found this villa for Song Yuanchao. Although Song Yuanchao was in Yanjing and did not go back when he found it, when he asked Li Daqi about the location and house number of the villa, Song Yuanchao, who grew up in Shanghai, immediately knew which villa it was and made the decision on the spot over the phone.
After taking it, the villa naturally had to be renovated. Since the courtyard was already renovated, it was better not to bother two people with one thing. Song Yuanchao naturally thought of Professor Yao and asked him about this matter.
As a professor of the Department of Architecture at the Imperial University of Peking and an elite who had studied abroad in his early years, Professor Yao had studied both Eastern and Western architecture. Renovating a villa was not a difficult task for him. However, because the house was in Shanghai and Professor Yao lived in Yanjing, it was impossible for him to put down his work and go to Shanghai to do this. So after considering it, Professor Yao declined the invitation.
However, Professor Yao did not just give up on the matter. He recommended an old friend to Song Yuanchao, an associate professor at Tongji University in Shanghai. The associate professor had deep insights into Western architecture and had rich practical experience. If Song Yuanchao wanted to renovate the villa, he would be the most suitable person to help.
