Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 223 The Big Tree and the Seed

After leaving the "Qian Xuesen Engineering Science Base", Zhai Da drove back to the city. Lu Siwen's class wouldn't end until six o'clock, so Zhai Da planned to go back and take a shower first.

On-site construction work, especially involving metal, is quite strenuous. Zhai Da wanted to relax, but he also worried about getting dusty on his body, which was both unhygienic and unsafe.

It is said that companies that "process gold" even require their employees to shower at the company every day before leaving get off work, so that the boss can collect the dirt that the employees scrub off during their showers and then refine it into gold again.
It has to be said that people can come up with all sorts of ingenious ideas when it comes to money.

After entering Lu Siwen's home in "Ziyan Garden," Zhai Da took a change of clothes and went straight into the bathroom, where the sound of running water could be heard soon after.

When he came out again, drying his hair as he walked, he suddenly saw another figure in the living room at the edge of his line of sight.

Zhai Da was taken aback and immediately took a step back, his body tense and on guard.

The figure seemed surprised as well.

After recognizing the person who had come, Zhai Da relaxed a little, as did the other person.

"Uncle Lu? When did you come to northern Beijing?"

The handsome veteran Lu Zetao still maintained his successful and polite demeanor, dressed in a well-fitting light-colored suit, as if he had just come from a meeting. He seemed quite nervous, but breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing Zhai Da.

Hmm, they're a reasonably acceptable candidate.
Lu Zetao took a deep breath and tried to speak in a gentle tone: "I wanted to give Siwen a surprise, but she gave me a surprise instead. I arrived today, what day did you arrive?"

"yesterday."

"It was a false alarm. Please sit down and have some tea."

"No problem, Uncle, but could you please put away your golf clubs for now?"

Lu Zetao put away his golf club expressionlessly: "Sorry, I was just wondering whether or not to go play golf."

Zhai Da nodded and silently put away the [Golden Secret Staff] on his back: "I understand."

A few minutes earlier, the father, who had wanted to surprise his daughter, opened the door to find a pair of unfamiliar men's shoes, a messy bedroom, and the sound of running water in the bathroom.

Honestly, being able to sit quietly and wait for the person inside to come out already shows impeccable manners.

Holding the golf club wasn't meant to break up the couple. Even if a blond guy came out, he would only chat with him. The golf club was just in case a stranger came in; he knew Lu Siwen rarely came to this house.

Taking out tea leaves from the cabinet, Lu Zetao brewed the tea while saying, "I didn't expect you to be so busy in your freshman year. You have a job in Beijing, right? Just treat this place as your own home and come stay anytime."

He never interfered with the relationship between Zhai Da and Lu Siwen, but from his own observation, the two inevitably drifted apart after going to university due to geographical distance.

It's understandable that Zhai Da's daughter was excited about his visit to northern Beijing, and it's not surprising that she invited him to stay here.

Zhai Da took the teacup and politely asked, "How's Aunt Qian? Is she alright?"

Lu Zetao: "Your Aunt Qian is gone."

Zhai Da's hand trembled. His mind raced, flashing through images of that person's face. After a long pause, he said in a deep voice, "Oh, this is too sudden."

“We came in together just now. I was afraid she would get emotional, so I asked her to wait downstairs.”

"I mean, it was so sudden, I didn't even have time to say hello. Could you invite me up for some tea?"

Lu Zetao shook his head: "Forget it, I don't plan to stay long. I was originally planning to stay one night, but since you're here, I'll fly back in two nights. You don't need to tell Siwen that we came, so as not to embarrass her."

Zhai Da, who has never been a father, found it difficult to understand exactly how Zhai thought about this.

Daughters will always get married, have someone they like, and even have their own lovers and children.

Many parents expect their children to always put them first, but in reality, a little reflection reveals that they themselves found it difficult to do so when they were young.

The tree always hopes that the seeds will always be attached to it, but they were once seeds that had left the tree.

Lu Zetao, who got married very early, was mentally prepared for this and also had rather unique views.

The sun outside the window had already reached its waning point for the day. In northern Beijing, it gets dark particularly quickly in winter. Lu Zetao stared blankly for a moment before choosing to change the subject.

"I heard from Lou En that your new book and my new book were completed at the same time? I never thought that the bet we made in the garden back then would actually come true."

Zhai Da smiled and said, "After going to university, I had more free time, so I wrote a book. What was the final subject of your work, Uncle?"

"It was that flash of inspiration that night that led to 'The Barrel of the Gun and the Sheath,' a long novel written in the form of poetry."

"Just as there was the Odyssey in ancient times, there is now the Gun Holster. I wish your new book great success."

At least the name is eye-catching; in a sense, Lu Zetao is luring readers in to kill them.
When the new book comes out, it will be sealed in plastic film, and the cover will be designed to be more sophisticated. No one will be able to open it unless they buy it, and some people will definitely fall for it.

Lu Zetao nodded with considerable pride. He appreciated Zhai Da's analogy, even though he personally didn't like "The Odyssey" and preferred Dante's "Divine Comedy."

"Seeing you today reminded me that Lou En mentioned you have a book signing event in Beijing? When is it?"

"Next week, the exact time is still undecided because my work situation is uncertain." "If I come to northern Beijing again, I could join in the fun."

------

Lu Zetao didn't stay long. He chatted briefly for half an hour before leaving, and the teapot was still warm when he left.

The minor incident did not change Zhai Da's plans. After separating from Lu Zetao for a few minutes, Zhai Da went out and headed to the east gate of Peking University.

Many people's impression of Kyoto University is a vermilion gate with upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters. That photo is often used as the symbol of Kyoto University, making people imagine that the inside is like a royal garden.

But this is just like the common misconception that Harbin Institute of Technology is a "military missile base." As a modern university, it has many gates, most of which are quite ordinary. Delivery trucks, bicycles, and cars come and go, and students come out in groups of three or five, laughing and joking as they go to eat or go shopping.

Cover up the signboard, and what happens here is no different from what happens at the gates of many universities.

When Zhai Da arrived at the agreed place, he could see the little deer eagerly waiting in the cold wind.

Lu Siwen wore a white knit sweater today, and camel-colored snow boots added a touch of playfulness.

If Lu Wei's attire is always simple, then Lu Siwen's attire is always very appropriate.

Or perhaps there are no inappropriate clothes in the wardrobe.

Zhai Da walked up behind Lu Siwen and teased, "Hey~ Are you alone, girl? It's so cold, do you want to get in the car and turn on the air conditioning?"

Lu Siwen turned around in surprise, looked around at Zhai Da, and covered her mouth with a soft laugh, "Okay, okay, where's the car?"

Zhai Dazha assumed a horse stance and pointed to his rear end: "Isn't this it? Get in the car!"

Lu Siwen hopped over to the back and awkwardly assumed a horse stance.

"set off!"

"Okay, this car is a bit shaky, hold on tight."

Then the two of them, one in front of the other, shuffled forward a few meters, until they couldn't keep up the act anymore.

The hearty laughter of the young boy and girl drew envious glances, and even some jealous looks, from those around them.

In fact, Lu Siwen had already attracted a lot of attention while she was waiting.

A photo of someone when she registered for university was posted online, attracting a lot of attention. At first, she was called the "most beautiful freshman" and was even featured in the campus newspaper and official website news. Later, the discussion intensified and she was given an exaggerated nickname such as "Goddess of Peking University".

In short, some people's hearts soared, while others' hearts were broken.
Zhai Da originally planned to drive, but Lu Siwen suggested that they should stay nearby, as there was a Quanjude restaurant just two intersections away.

At this point in 08, Quanjude had not yet completely lost its glory. Although there were many young challengers in northern Beijing, the old brand name was still quite competitive.

Half a roast duck, roasted duck heart, mustard duck feet, and sesame duck pieces.
In the noisy lobby, Lu Siwen rolled up a roast duck with her slender, white fingers as she spoke:

"Zhai Da, do you know? You're quite famous in the Chinese Department of Peking University. Probably because everyone in our department considers themselves literary figures and often discusses famous writers, you're the only young writer who is genuinely praised. Your reputation is even better than Guo Jinming's and Han Han's!"

Zhai Da laughed and said, "Really? No one scolded me?"

"Yes, but I'll argue with them. Actually, they all thought you'd come to the Chinese Department at Peking University. I heard from the professors in the department that it's a pity you were the top science student, otherwise the Chinese Department at Peking University might have produced another celebrity."

Times have changed. There are more and more literary works and writers, but they are developing in a "non-professional" direction.

For example, high school dropouts, college dropouts, power plant engineers, and civil servants who have become civil servants are becoming increasingly rare, while those with formal academic backgrounds are becoming fewer and fewer.

Most Chinese literature majors end up as media editors or advertising planners.
Even in the Chinese Department of Kyoto University, very few people have become writers in the last decade.

Ask around and you'll find a gathering of renowned figures; a quick search reveals they're all from the 50s and 60s, a gap of ten years or even longer.

So if a department could get a famous writer into the campus for free, they would be very happy.

Unfortunately, Zhai Da was the top science student, and they were on completely different wavelengths.

Zhai Daxin kept his promise and didn't tell Lu Siwen that her father had come. They chatted casually: "I took some time to look through your works, but I didn't finish reading them."

Lu Siwen asked expectantly, "What do you think?"

Zhai Da gestured with one finger: "8 points. As a debut work and to satisfy myself, it's good enough. But as a newcomer and to satisfy the market, it might not be attractive enough."

Lu Siwen was somewhat disappointed and asked, "What is the standard for 10 points?"

Zhai Da: "Similar best-selling works on the market."

"How many points would you give Zhai's 'The Long Road to Lu'?"

"Oh, that's about 23 points."

Lu Siwen: ?
(End of this chapter)