Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 862 Too Many

The last time Zhou Zhengdong returned to the Zhou family ancestral home was the last time.

It was May of 1978. Zhou Zhengdong and his family returned to China for the first time. Their main task was to verify Chen Fan's identity and find their nephew. Their secondary purpose was to visit their ancestral home and see if any of their old friends from the Zhou family were still alive.

All three tasks were successfully completed, but each had its own regrets.

His eldest nephew was reunited with him, but he refused to go to America with him, dashing his hopes.

My old friend only found one company, and the situation is not satisfactory. There is still no news from the other two companies.

As for the ancestral home, that's probably the worst off; it's long since become ruins.

If it were just ruins, Zhou Zhengdong would have tolerated it. After all, the Zhou family had been gone for too long, and the past was turbulent, with the Japanese, the Anti-Japanese United Army, the Blue Army, guerrillas, and even bandits occupying the area.

With the changing of the guard on the city walls, by the time a strong wind blows, the old houses that were only used and not repaired are already dilapidated. Given the reputation left by the Zhou family back then, it is quite normal for them to be directly demolished in a strong wind.

But even the ancestral hall and the cemetery behind it were completely leveled, which was unacceptable.

This infuriated Zhou Zhengdong to the point of utter despair.

Fortunately, Chen Fan gave him an example: At least the Zhou family's ancestral graves are still there, and the ancestors haven't seen the light of day, which is already quite good. Look at Lujiawan, the Lu family settled there during the Kangxi era, how many years has that been? And Master Lu the Fourth is still alive, but in the end, the Lu family's cemetery became farmland.

In comparison, you should be content!

Zhou Zhengdong readily accepted the good advice and calmed down. He then entrusted an old man who had once been a tenant farmer of the Zhou family and was now the production team leader of Zhoujia'ao to help rebuild the Zhou family ancestral hall and cemetery.

With money and favorable policies, all kinds of materials were quickly put in place, and the ancestral hall and cemetery were restored in no time. On the ruins of the original Zhou family old house, the three-courtyard Zhou family mansion was rebuilt.

The cost was not low, totaling over ten thousand US dollars for Zhou Zhengdong, equivalent to three or four hundred thousand RMB, almost enough to buy another Prince Ning's Mansion.

But don't worry about the price; everything looks pretty clean on paper anyway.

Zhou Zhengdong had seen the photos the old team leader had sent him. In the photos, a blue stone archway stood majestically, behind which was a field about an acre in size, paved with blue stones, and beyond that was the "Zhou Family Ancestral Hall".

Behind the ancestral hall is a small garden. Passing through the garden, you will find the hillside where the Zhou family's ancestral graves were located.

The hillside in the photo is covered with turf and nestled among the pine trees, just like the photo taken when Grandpa Zhou moved his family years ago.

It even has a touch more neatness and elegance.

Zhou Zhengdong was busy with official duties and hadn't come again since. Today was his second time coming, so in a sense, he came back to pay respects to his ancestors and also to inspect the house.

When the convoy stopped in front of the Zhou family ancestral home, Zhou Zhengdong got out of the car immediately and recognized the scene in the photo.

He immediately took out the photos from his pocket and compared them one by one. "That is the Zhou family's ancestral home. Back then, it also had the same blue bricks and black tiles. In addition to this old house, six families from four different surnames also built houses on both sides of the ancestral home. At that time, there was a row of blue brick and tile houses. It was very impressive and could be counted in the surrounding area."

Then he looked to the other side, "That's the Zhou Clan Ancestral Hall. My father said that the archway in front was donated with several thousand silver dollars, and the inscription was written by Old Zhang himself. Later, when we moved, my father originally wanted to smash it, but then he thought that it was Little Zhang who was disappointing, not Old Zhang, so he left it alone."

"Hmm, the style of this newly built archway is consistent with the original, but the words 'Zhou Family Ancestral Hall' are quite different from the original."

(Old Zhang's handwriting)

Chen Fan jumped out of the car, wiggled his butt and stretched his limbs. He turned around and looked back. Jiang Lili, Jiang Tiantian and Zhou Yali also got out of the car. Not only were they all stretching their bodies, but even the two little monkeys and the two raccoon dogs, Banjin and Balang, were stretching on the ground, looking half-dead.

As for the various materials on the vehicle, there are naturally dedicated staff to move and lift them.

With the help of several young Taoist priests, Master Liu descended the large truck step by step along the ladder that was placed on the truck bed.

Well, it's not just Master Liu; all thirty-six senior masters are in similar situations.

After all, these old Taoist priests were "scripture practitioners," not "cultivators" like Chen Fan who possessed extraordinary skills.

Although the arranged Jiefang trucks were equipped with cloaks and had a thick layer of straw laid in the cargo bed so that the old Taoist priests could sit half-reclined, they were still too old for the trucks. The road conditions were also poor, and the experience of riding in a Jiefang truck was something only those who had ridden in it could understand.

They can still get off the bus on their own with the help of others, which can be considered "still vigorous in their old age". We really can't ask for too much.

After getting off the car, Master Liu stretched his limbs a few times and finally caught his breath. He was turning his head to look for Chen Fan when Chen Fan appeared right in front of him.

"Ha, it really is the real person. Appearing and disappearing like a ghost, it gave me a fright."

Master Liu stretched his old back and looked at him, asking, "Junior brother, let's find a place first to change us into Taoist robes, and then we can get started."

Chen Fan looked at him, then at the bundles in the hands of the seventy-two middle-aged and young Taoist priests on the other side, and couldn't help but say, "You old-fashioned people, you still know to start work. You're keeping up with the times, so many of you, and you don't even have a suitcase. If you really can't, just say the word and I'll give each of you a travel bag."

Look, everyone's carrying a bundle, some even in brightly colored floral fabrics. Do they have to be so traditional?

Master Liu looked around, then grabbed his arm and whispered, "You can only say this to me, don't say it in front of outsiders, it's very embarrassing. If it's serious, people will think that we Taoists are not high-class enough, and no one will come to us for future rituals."

He paused for a moment, then added, "You said you'd give each person a travel bag, could you print the Taoist Association's logo on it?"

Seeing that Chen Fan was wide-eyed and silent, he quickly said, "It's okay if we can't print them, but it's best if the brand and style are the same. Otherwise, it will be hard to distinguish them, and some people who are not skilled enough will say that we are favoring one over the other."

Chen Fan sighed softly and asked, "The words 'Yindao Association' are in your name, right?"

Master Liu nodded quickly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Can it be printed?"

Chen Fan said, "Yes, we can print it. In that case, I will give each of the fellow practitioners who participated in this Dharma assembly a souvenir. For the thirty-six high priests, we will give them a suitcase with four sets of winter and four sets of summer clothes."

The other seventy-two fellow cultivators each received a travel bag, along with two sets of winter and two sets of summer clothing.

Upon hearing this, even though Master Liu knew his junior brother was wealthy, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "Junior brother, are you kidding me? This souvenir is no ordinary item!"

He had been in charge of the reopening of Baiyun Temple and had also coordinated the allocation of resources among various Taoist temples in the capital. It was because of this that he understood the significance of his junior brother's gift.

Money is a minor issue; the main problem is the amount of cloth coupons, cotton coupons, and industrial vouchers involved in these souvenirs. Given his current abilities, there's nothing he can do about it.

Chen Fan patted his arm and said seriously, "As long as you promise me one thing, I guarantee that promise will be true and valid."

Master Liu's expression turned serious, and he pointed at him, "Speak, what is it? As long as it's within my power, I will do it without hesitation."

Chen Fan said, "When you call me, could you please not call me 'Junior Brother' but just 'Junior Brother'? Actually, I'm not that young. I can show you my household registration book if you don't believe me." Master Liu blinked. "That's it?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, "That's it!"

Master Liu smiled slightly, "Little... no, junior brother, don't worry, from now on I will call you junior brother, there will be no 'little' in it!"

Just as Chen Fan nodded with satisfaction, Zhou Zhengdong ran over with photos, saying with a hint of excitement, "Director Sun just gave me a brief look. The Zhou family's old house, ancestral hall, memorial archway, and ancestral graves have all been restored to their original state, and there are no problems in any aspect."

Now I feel more confident when facing my ancestors.

Um,..."

He looked at Chen Fan, then at Master Liu, his expression unusually devout. "When will this ancestral worship ceremony begin?"

When there were outsiders present, Master Liu reverted to his otherworldly demeanor. He bent his index finger, raised his palm, made a Taoist gesture, and said calmly, "We just need to find a place for us to change into our Taoist robes, and the ancestral worship ceremony can begin at any time."

Without saying a word, Zhou Zhengdong pointed to the Zhou family's old house, which even he hadn't been inside yet, and said, "Over there, it's newly renovated and no one has lived there yet. You can choose any room you like and go inside to change your clothes."

Master Liu looked in the direction he was pointing and nodded in satisfaction. "That's good."

He then waved his hand and said, "Come with me and change your clothes."

Watching the group of Taoist priests enter the Zhou family's new "ancestral home" in a grand procession, Zhou Zhengdong clapped his hands together and laughed, "I didn't realize it before, but now that I see them, even without them wearing Taoist robes, I feel that they are numerous and powerful. Today's ceremony will definitely be a great success."

Chen Fan snorted twice, "Wait until they come out in their Taoist robes, then you'll know what real pomp and circumstance is!"

He glanced at Zhou Zhengdong and said softly, "Uncle, how much would this kind of extravagance cost in America?"

Zhou Zhengdong turned to look at him and said, "It's not about the amount of money. Even if you searched every Taoist temple in the United States, you still couldn't gather this many old Taoist priests."

Moreover, those young Taoist priests were no ordinary people; they were all quick and nimble, carrying bundles in their hands. They looked like practitioners of Taoism, unlike some monks who were dressed in fine silks and satins, better dressed than I was.”

He paused for a moment, then turned to Chen Fan and said, "You want to ask how much appearance fee we should give them, right?..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan immediately corrected him, "It is incense offered to the Dao Ancestor, so don't taint it with the stench of money."

Zhou Zhengdong lightly slapped his mouth. "Right, right, it's incense. So, how much incense do you think is appropriate?"

He squinted and thought for a moment, "Since there are 108 people, how about offering 1,080,000?"

Chen Fan's eyes widened instantly. "One million eight thousand?"

Zhou Zhengdong clicked his tongue. "Isn't that enough? I'm talking about US dollars."

Chen Fan gasped, the temperature within three feet of him rising three degrees. "US dollars? You mustn't be so generous. Giving them so much money isn't offering, it's digging a pit!"

Zhou Zhengdong blinked, glanced cautiously at Sun Ruihe in the distance, as well as the local cadres and staff, and asked in a low voice, "You mean, there's too much?"

Chen Fan snorted lightly, "It's not too much, it's far too much."

After pausing for two seconds, he said, "In a few days, it will be the ninth day of the first lunar month, the birthday of the Jade Emperor. Baiyun Temple and other Taoist temples in the capital will reopen on this day. You can donate 50,000 yuan to Baiyun Temple and 10,000 yuan to each of the other Taoist temples. That should be enough."

Zhou Zhengdong looked at him and asked, "Dollar?"

Chen Fan sighed softly, "RMB!"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "In addition, I just promised them that I would give each of the seventy-two Taoist priests a travel bag and two sets of winter and summer clothes, and each of the thirty-six high priests a suitcase and four sets of winter and summer clothes."

I'll have Yali inform the factory in Shenzhen to prepare the gifts. Later, when you speak to Master Liu, just mention it as a small token of our appreciation, so he knows it's from you.

Zhou Zhengdong immediately gave an OK sign and laughed, "I knew it was the right decision to entrust this matter to you. You really are thorough and excellent."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly.

It's really great! I wonder who it is that's been so anxious these past two days, clearly not believing in me.

Zhao Wanru, Zhou Yali, and the others walked around in circles a few times, looking at the archway and ancestral hall in the distance, the Zhou family mansion nearby, and the distant Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River. They were quite satisfied and even felt that the two-hour bumpy ride was worth it.

It's a pity that the Taoist priests went into the mansion to change clothes, so we can't go in for a visit yet. Otherwise, we would definitely go in and take a look.

Just then, a group of people walked over quickly, and Sun Ruihe immediately went to greet them.

They quickly gathered together, exchanged a few words, and then walked towards Zhou Zhengdong.

Zhou Zhengdong quickly noticed the commotion over there, turned his head to look, and first frowned slightly, "Who is this again?"

Chen Fan looked at him and was about to speak when Zhou Zhengdong suddenly slapped his forehead and said in realization, "Oh, he's the production team leader here, the former tenant of the Zhou family."

He immediately strode forward, and before he even got close, he stretched out his right hand from afar and laughed heartily, "Brother Jiao, thank you so much! This place has been basically restored to its original state, all thanks to you!"

This former tenant farmer of the Zhou family, now the head of the Zhoujia'ao brigade, whose real name is Jiao Tianyou, was embarrassed to mention his name when he first met Zhou Zhengdong because he had not protected the Zhou family's ancestral graves.

However, Zhou Zhengdong only needed to make a few inquiries to find out his name.

Seeing Zhou Zhengdong's enthusiasm, Jiao Tianyou blushed and looked somewhat ashamed. "No, no, when my father was still alive, he said more than once that when I was born, it was thanks to Mr. Zhou's loan of ten silver dollars and twenty catties of white rice that the family was able to get through that difficult time. Otherwise, my mother and I might not have survived."

"I am already deeply grateful that you don't blame me for not protecting the Zhou family ancestral graves; I don't deserve your thanks at all."

Zhou Zhengdong's face immediately hardened, and he said solemnly, "What happened back then has nothing to do with you, brother. You've already done a great favor by protecting our ancestors from the light of day. How can you be too harsh on us?"

"You also helped repair the old house during the reconstruction of the Zhou family ancestral graves. If I didn't even offer a word of thanks, I would be disgracing the Zhou family ancestors."

The two were still struggling when the gate of the Zhou family mansion suddenly opened, and Master Liu, holding a whisk, wearing a yellow robe and a Zhuangzi turban, rode out first.

Dozens of high-ranking martial arts masters in similar attire followed closely behind, their imposing presence instantly stunning everyone present.

Even the monkeys and raccoons dared not act recklessly.

(End of this chapter)