Chapter 155: The Coal Heating Renovation Project

The vegetable market in the dead of winter was desolate, offering little more than radishes and cabbage. As the year-end approached, pork became a scarce commodity, with most stalls requiring government-issued ration coupons for purchase. A few stalls operated without such requirements, but they were strictly monitored and relied on mobile sales; unless one went to great lengths to track them down, they were nearly impossible to find.

It took Lin Jiayin over an hour to procure the groceries she needed before heading home. Upon stepping through the door, she was stunned by a wave of intense heat that rushed to greet her.

"What on earth—did the house catch fire!?"

Her first instinct was that something had gone terribly wrong. She dropped her groceries on the floor and rushed inside. To her surprise, she found her husband, Chen Huajiang, playing with their daughter, Huanhuan, in the living room. Both were dressed only in sweaters, their heavy cotton-padded coats cast aside, and they appeared to be quite comfortable.

"What is going on?"

Lin Jiayin realized there was no disaster, yet she was even more bewildered. "You didn't light a coal stove inside, did you? Damn it, the stove belongs on the balcony! Open the windows immediately, or we’ll suffer carbon monoxide poisoning!"

She grew furious as a second, darker possibility crossed her mind. Her husband was an employee of the Red Flag Factory; how could he be ignorant of such a basic danger? Last winter, an elderly couple in their residential complex had died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to poor ventilation while heating their home. The incident had caused quite a stir, and the neighborhood committee frequently posted notices reminding residents to keep their homes ventilated during the winter.

"Wait, wait! You’re overreacting," Chen Huajiang said, standing up to stop her before she could open the windows. "Do I look like the kind of person who doesn't know the risks? Look up—the source of the heat is right there; the stove is still on the balcony!"

He then explained the heating system he had rigged up, leaving Lin Jiayin speechless.

"You made this... for heating?" She stared in astonishment at the white pipes running along the wall. What she had initially thought looked ugly and repulsive now seemed almost ingenious.

"Of course," Chen Huajiang said with a smile. Seeing his wife’s amazement and admiration made every bit of effort worth it. Most importantly, little Huanhuan was warm and much more comfortable than before.

Lin Jiayin excitedly lunged forward and planted a firm kiss on Chen Huajiang’s cheek. In these times, surviving the winter was an ordeal for most, and every year, many perished from gas poisoning. It wasn't that they were unaware of the risks; it was simply that the cold was unbearable, forcing them to bring coal stoves indoors despite the dangers. They hoped that ventilation would be enough, but accidents were frequent—windows were forgotten, or gusts of wind would slam them shut.

That evening, Lin Jiayin hummed a tune while preparing dinner. Freed from the burden of heavy, restrictive coats, she felt entirely at ease.

The following day, their home was packed with visitors. In the residential complex, the slightest change in routine drew attention; every little detail of daily life became common knowledge. The fact that Chen Huajiang had punched holes through his walls to route an aluminum chimney outside was far too conspicuous to go unnoticed.

"It’s so warm in here! Huajiang, can you help me set one up in my place, too?"

"Jiayin, back when you two were too busy to look after Huanhuan, I helped watch her for months. You must do this for my place as well!"

"Yes, yes, me too! Name your price, Huajiang. I was the one who showed you the ropes when you first started at the factory."

Having experienced the warmth of Chen’s home, the neighbors were completely won over, especially the elderly, who were particularly moved. Neighbors with good relationships with the couple didn't stand on ceremony, pressing them with requests. Chen Huajiang turned no one away; as long as they weren't like his neighbor, Ma Hongfeng, he agreed to help.

The complex was filled with identical Khrushchev-style apartment buildings. If everyone could convert their heating, the overall temperature of the stairwells would rise, benefiting every household—much like the radiator-heated buildings in the north, where even those who didn't pay for heating could still benefit from the ambient warmth of their neighbors. This had been part of Chen Huajiang’s plan all along, and he was happy to share it.

Over the next few days, Chen Huajiang recruited a group of workers to assist with the modifications. He charged only for the cost of materials and provided the service for free to elderly residents living alone, earning universal praise from the complex.

"What’s the point of that? It’s just a bunch of pipes. I don't believe it can actually make it that warm," Ma Hongfeng scoffed. Because of her bad blood with the couple, she wasn't included in the modifications. Naturally, after their previous falling out, she couldn't bring herself to ask for his help. Everyone else just smiled at her sour-grapes attitude.

Once the residential complex was finished, the news spread like wildfire to other complexes. The workers involved in the project became the first to take on private jobs, some to gain social favors and others to earn extra money. A wave of coal-stove heating conversions swept through the residential complexes of Nanming City, and workers skilled in these modifications became highly sought after.

The Kunlun Coal Stove company capitalized on the trend by launching a "conversion stove," which featured a trapezoidal No. 8 connector on top, allowing for easy connection to aluminum piping. The rest of the work—drilling through walls and routing the pipes—was simple enough. Kunlun was the first to raise its prices, jumping from two yuan to two-fifty, and they provided promotional brochures and installation guides at every sales point. As the first to capitalize on the trend, they sold plenty of units.

However, the two-fifty price point deterred many. Fortunately, the "Red Flag Factory Coal Stove" was launched just in time. These stoves were sourced by Chen Huajiang from Gou Weidong; with a simple addition of the trapezoidal connector, the price rose from one-forty to one-eighty. At seventy cents cheaper than the Kunlun model, they sparked a buying frenzy. The last ones to react were the original coal stove factory stoves, priced at two yuan—which, of course, were also supplied by Chen Huajiang. The Red Flag Factory stoves became the hottest commodity, leaving every distributor scrambling for stock.

"Brother Chen, that grandson Gou Weidong actually fell for it!"

"Damn, I’ve never seen anyone so shameless—he actually demanded you raise the price."

That day, Liang Long rushed over to find Chen Huajiang, his voice filled with disdain. At the same time, he looked at Chen with newfound admiration, realizing that half a month ago, Chen had already predicted exactly how this would play out.