Lin Ning decided to build a five-story building on the plot, modeled after the layout of modern shopping malls, dividing it into individual stores to be rented out.

In the 1980s, building a house required finding a construction team yourself, overseeing every detail from start to finish, and even providing meals for the workers—a massive undertaking.

Lin Ning toured Dong’an County several times, meeting with a few construction teams and discussing her plans.

The foreman of the first team she approached looked her up and down, saying, “Young lady, building houses isn’t something women understand. Get a man from your family to come talk to me.”

“I make the decisions in my family. Just tell me if you can do it.”

The man’s eyes flickered briefly. “Of course, we can build anything. As long as you can pay for it.”

“How do you calculate the labor costs?”

“Eighty percent upfront, and the remaining 20% upon completion.”

Lin Ning didn’t waste time arguing and turned to leave. From his tone, she could tell he was trying to take advantage of her. Normally, payments were made in installments, based on progress—an 80% advance payment was unheard of. Who was he trying to fool?

She met with several other construction teams, but most dismissed her because she was a young woman.

At the time, it was almost unheard of for young women to build houses. Land-use rights were typically given to men in the family. If a father passed away, the land would go to the son, then the grandson, or even a nephew. If no male relatives existed, the land would eventually revert to the village committee.

Women were rarely given land-use rights. A daughter was considered part of another family after marriage, so giving her family property was seen as giving it to outsiders. Even daughters-in-law were regarded as outsiders, making it impossible for women to have land registered in their names.

Because Lin Ning was a young woman trying to hire a construction team, they assumed she was just making inquiries for her family and didn’t take her seriously.

In Dong’an County’s Lumachang Town, Lin Ning finally found a construction team led by an older man named Lao He, who was in his fifties.

Lao He didn’t dismiss Lin Ning and instead answered all her questions seriously. Lin Ning appreciated his professional attitude and learned that his reputation was solid.

“Have you built a five-story building before?” Lin Ning asked.

Lao He perked up. “You want to build five stories?”

“Yes, and it has to be solid. If anything goes wrong, we’ll both end up in jail. You need to have plenty of experience.”

Lao He nodded firmly. “No problem. I’ve led construction teams in the south for years. They build high-rises there, often over ten stories tall.”

Satisfied, Lin Ning decided to hire Lao He’s team. They agreed verbally, and once Lin Ning completed the necessary paperwork and purchased materials, Lao He’s team would start construction.

Building a house wasn’t as simple as just starting work. Lin Ning first had to apply by filling out a “Personal Housing Construction Application and Review Form” at the local street office. After the office approved it, the application had to be sent to the county for further approval. Finally, the Land Resources Bureau would issue the necessary permits.

At the street office, Director Li reviewed Lin Ning’s application form and asked, “You’re building five stories?”

“Yes.”

“Building a multi-story house is different from a single-story one. You can’t block your neighbors’ sunlight. A five-story building would be about 15 meters tall, so according to regulations, it needs to be at least 15 × 0.7 = 10.5 meters away from your neighbors’ homes. In other words, the distance between your back wall and their front yard must be at least 10.5 meters.”

Director Li set down the application form. “Comrade Lin Ning, you need to discuss this with your back neighbors first. The conditions must be met, and they need to agree before you can build this structure.”

Lin Ning hadn’t known about this regulation, but it made sense—she couldn’t block her neighbors’ sunlight just to build her own house.

She left the street office and went to talk to the neighbors behind her plot. To her dismay, there weren’t just one or two neighbors, but three.

The houses Lin Ning had purchased from Grandpa Han and Zhang Tao had three back neighbors. When Lin Ning inspected their properties, she realized their courtyards were no more than eight or nine meters long, falling short of the required 10.5 meters.

This discovery was discouraging—building a five-story structure was out of the question. Even a three-story building would block their sunlight entirely.

Frustrated, Lin Ning walked around to the back of the properties and noticed that behind the neighbors’ homes was a wide street, at least ten meters across, with no residential buildings. If she could buy the neighbors’ courtyards, connect them into a single plot, and expand her land, there wouldn’t be any issues with sunlight.

Excited by this idea, Lin Ning approached the three families about buying their courtyards.

The first two families hesitated briefly before agreeing. Their courtyards were small and noisy, and Lin Ning’s offer was reasonable. With the money, they could purchase better housing. The transactions were completed quickly.

The third family, however, posed a problem. The homeowner, Lu Zhengguo, had done his homework. He learned that Lin Ning had already bought the other four properties and was planning to build a large structure.

A thought occurred to him: his courtyard was the missing piece to make Lin Ning’s land rectangular. Without it, her plans would be incomplete.

When Lin Ning approached him, Lu Zhengguo made an outrageous demand.

“What? Ten thousand yuan?”

“Yes, not a cent less.”

“Your courtyard isn’t very large. It’s worth, at most, two thousand yuan. I’m offering you two thousand five hundred—already very generous.”

Unmoved, Lu Zhengguo waved her off. “Then find someone else. I won’t sell for less than ten thousand.”

Lin Ning turned and left. She wasn’t about to indulge his greed. He was treating her like a fool, much like the opportunistic landowners in future demolition disputes. Fine, she thought, I just won’t buy it.

After Lin Ning left, Lu Zhengguo’s wife suggested, “Two thousand five hundred is a lot. Our run-down courtyard isn’t even worth two thousand. Let’s just sell it.”

“You don’t understand,” Lu Zhengguo replied smugly. “She needs this land, not us. Just wait—she’ll come back begging.”

Back home, Lin Ning redesigned her plans. She excluded Lu Zhengguo’s land, deciding to turn the front section into a children’s playground. The remaining area would still accommodate a five-story building with 1,600 square meters of floor space—plenty.

Her revised application was approved smoothly. Hearing that Lin Ning was building a commercial complex, the county enthusiastically supported her efforts. They had been seeking outside investment but were thrilled to see local funding instead.

With permits in hand, Lin Ning purchased bricks, sand, and stone, and construction began.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhengguo waited and waited, watching as the neighboring houses were demolished and the foundation was laid. Finally realizing Lin Ning wasn’t coming back, he panicked and sought her out.

“I’ll sell you my courtyard for three thousand yuan, and we can finalize the paperwork immediately!”

“I’m not buying.”

“Two thousand five hundred, then—just like you offered before!”

Lin Ning shook her head. “I’m really not interested. Look, my designs are finalized, and the foundation is already being laid. I don’t need your land anymore.”

Lu Zhengguo glared at the construction site, where the machinery roared. He knew it was too late.

Enraged, he shouted, “You can’t build a tall building in front of my house! If you block my sunlight, I’ll report you and make sure it gets torn down!”

Lin Ning laughed coldly. “I’m not building anything in front of your house. Your sunlight will remain completely unobstructed. Don’t worry.”

Defeated, Lu Zhengguo wandered off, unwilling but powerless to change the situation.

Watching the bustling construction site, Lin Ning felt deeply moved. The old houses were gone, replaced by a deep foundation. Workers labored tirelessly, and her building was finally coming to life!