Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 257 Years Without Fate, No Crossing
The Spring Festival is just around the corner.

The Yu family and the Zhai family, which are basically the same three, have also entered the pre-Lunar New Year preparation phase.

Some say that the smaller the place, the poorer it is, and the stronger the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Zhai Da was also very interested in his first Spring Festival after his rebirth.

With Lu Wei's help, the couplets were pasted up.

The window decorations were pasted on the window by Yu Xiaoli herself. It is said that her grandmother taught her how to make them when she was alive. Unfortunately, Ms. Yu was not very good at it and could only make two kinds.

One is "Spring", and the other is "Double Happiness".

The three of them, each wearing an apron and a mask, cleaned the Sanmao neighborhood home spotlessly, even scrubbing the grout lines in the bathroom floor tiles with an old toothbrush.

Even though Ms. Yu plans to buy a new house after the spring, this place will still be the only symbol of home.

As for his relationship with Lu Wei, he has been immersed in tenderness during this period, trying out various "new flavors of little wood" every day.

Of course, because of Yu Xiaoli's presence, there were no major breakthroughs.

Zhai Da was not in a hurry about this.

They were already certain they would be inseparable, so if Zhai Da was in such a hurry, why wait until now?
Are the beds in Harbin not soft enough? Or is the heating in Harbin not warm enough?

With his mother by his side, there was no need to rush. On the contrary, Zhai Da felt that he should cherish this unique time.

Once we get back to Harbin, there will be plenty of opportunities for a "major breakthrough".

The days passed by.

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year is getting stronger in Dongyang County. You can hear loudspeakers selling New Year's goods everywhere you go, and the most lively stalls are the fireworks and firecracker stalls.

Even in 09, when big cities began to regulate fireworks, small towns allowed them to be set off freely.

Zhai Da had a large budget and spent lavishly, buying two of the most expensive "Wan Chun Lai He" gifts, and taking plenty of the rest as well, which was a form of revenge spending.

In addition, Chu Xiang, who was a master at organizing activities in Utopia, actually managed to organize a "second event" on New Year's Eve.

Everyone agreed to go to No. 99 Luochuan Road together after their respective New Year's Eve dinners.

Chu Xiang has already contacted a hot pot restaurant that is open during the Spring Festival. They can prepare the tables, stoves, pots, and ingredients and deliver them all over.

As preparations became more and more thorough, everyone was filled with anticipation for that day, determined to stay up until dawn and enjoy drinks together.

January 25th, Lunar New Year's Eve.

In the morning, the family of three, carrying large and small bags, arrived at the Dongyang County Cemetery, panting heavily.

Zhai Da was the most exhausted, carrying the large box with the inscription "Wan Chun Lai He" all the way to the hillside of the cemetery, with a large plate of firecrackers with 5,000 shots placed on top of the box.

It weighed over thirty kilograms in total, and even though Zhai Da was a seasoned stamina expert, he was sweating profusely.

Halfway there, Zhai Da even secretly put on the [Extreme Wristband] so he could take a breather by taking advantage of the "enhanced oxygenation under sunlight" effect.

The customs for tomb sweeping vary from place to place.

Some visits are before the Lunar New Year, and some are after, but it's certain that the worship of relatives will reach its peak during such an important festival as the Spring Festival.

Whether it's a formal family activity or a genuine expression of longing, it's completely different from when summer comes.

That day, the sun was blazing overhead, and there were very few people around.

Today, a cold wind blows and people jostle each other.

With so many people, there's a lot of trash. The cemetery is short-staffed, and many traces of rituals can't be cleaned up in time, leaving it in a mess.

Finally arriving at the first stop, Yu Xiaoli took out a handkerchief and wiped the tombstone of "Zhai Zhihong".

Lu Wei arranged the offerings and cleaned the incense burner.

Zhai Da, not far away, embraced the sun.

I've got a side stitch.
"It's Chinese New Year, I came to see you. Time flies!"

Yu Xiaoli has a habit of muttering to herself, which she considers an essential part of tomb sweeping and a manifestation of "emotion" beyond the "ritual."

Anyone can burn paper money.

But this time there was a different voice. As Lu Wei arranged the offerings, she whispered:

"Uncle, these oranges are so sweet."

"These are dumplings made by Teacher Yu, filled with pork and bamboo shoots."

"Uncle, this is shortbread. Happy New Year!"

As Yu Xiaoli listened, she smiled happily.

The first stop was Zhai Zhihong's grave, followed by Ms. Yan Jingwen's grave, and finally my maternal grandfather Yu Lihua's grave.

Zhai Da stood in front of the tombstone and said, "Grandpa, I went to Harbin Institute of Technology and studied there for a semester. It was great. I met your friends and found your file. Oh, and I also went to northern Beijing."

"Now, both my family and I have participated in major national projects."

"Finally, I had the honor of meeting Professor Qian. I don't know if you had any dealings with him back then, but it's highly likely you didn't."

In my mind, I silently added, "Sorry, Grandpa, I had to melt down the bicycle. But it's worth it; I'll bring it back to show you next time."

After the last three people kowtowed, Zhai Da looked at the fireworks and firecrackers he had carried all the way.

Yu Xiaoli said, "Fireworks are just noise when set off during the day, it's such a waste."

Zhai Da said nonchalantly, "I can splurge occasionally; I still have plenty at home."

Looking around, Zhai Da spotted a sparsely wooded, open concrete area and huffed and puffed as he carried it over, preparing to set off firecrackers first, then fireworks.

After much effort, the firecrackers were finally unfurled and coiled into three large circles, ready to be lit with the "Enchanting Lighter".

(Parentheses - Equipment effects are off)

An elderly man in a security guard uniform walked over and said, "You can't set off firecrackers here."

Zhai Da froze on the ground, then looked up in shock: "Huh?"

Yu Xiaoli was also unhappy: "Didn't other families always allow it in previous years? Why won't they allow it when it's my turn?"

Security guard: "This is a new regulation this year! It's easy for fires to start in winter."

"It used to be less prone to fires?"

"We have to get our hands on it, isn't this a precaution?"

Zhai Da stood up: "Grandpa, you were at the crossroads when I went up the mountain, weren't you? Why didn't you say anything when you carried me up?"

Why didn't you tell me beforehand?! My inner layer is soaked with sweat, and you're telling me I can't wear it?

"I could still hear firecrackers going off down the mountain! Otherwise, I wouldn't have carried them up here!"

"That's because we didn't catch them, but you guys caught them, didn't you?"

Zhai Da: Okay, okay, so you're going to play like this, randomly picking unlucky people?
Silently activating the effects of the [Pure Gold Secret Cane], just as she was about to launch into a verbal battle, Yu Xiaoli pulled out a ten-yuan note from her pocket and handed it over with a look of disgust.

They have clearly grasped the core essence of the problem.

The old man's hands moved so fast they were almost blurry; Zhai Da didn't even see the money before it was in his pocket. "Well then," he said, "it's not easy for you to come all this way. Your firecrackers are too long, so I'll cut one off and set off half of them. I won't take this money for nothing; I'll have to come back to sweep the floor for you later."

This fully demonstrates that sometimes, having equipment isn't as convenient as spending ten dollars.
Sometimes, those who cheat are not as good as those who issue invoices.

The old man left after speaking, and Zhai Da looked at Yu Xiaoli: "What do you say? Cut it in half?"

Yu Xiaoli rolled her eyes: "Why cut it? He's so good at math, how could he possibly count whether it's 2500 or 5000?"

A dozen seconds later, the sound of firecrackers crackled from the mountain, no different from the previous ones. I just don't know if anyone else paid an extra ten yuan.

It ended faster than I expected; it felt like less than a minute.
Little Wood: "Between 2350 and 2400."

Zhai Da: "What?"

"The cannon fires."

Zhai Da took a deep breath and remained silent for a long time.
"Let's go home and prepare the New Year's Eve dinner."

"Fireworks!"

"I'll carry it back."

--------

Night falls; it's Lunar New Year's Eve.
The streets of Dongyang were much less crowded. Small towns don't offer much entertainment, so spending the night with family was the most popular choice.

Every household was brightly lit, with thousands of lights shining like candles.

May we share joy and happiness year after year.

As the most important festival in China, the Spring Festival is imbued with too many meanings, like an "aggregate" of all festivals. But no matter the era, kinship, blood ties, and clan are the core themes.

But just as the sun cannot cover every shadow, there are always corners that are deserted, especially during holidays.

At the Dongyang County Welfare Home, Li Huifen spent the whole day preparing four dishes and a soup for ten children.

Braised pork belly, boiled prawns, stir-fried cured pork, stir-fried rapeseed shoots, and chive and egg soup.

Even in a welfare home, people still need to eat something good during the Lunar New Year.

However, each person gets three prawns, regardless of size.

Because they heard that there would be fireworks in the county tonight, they specially moved all the tables and chairs into the yard, and even the old television set that the hospital had discarded was brought out.

Plug it in, set up the antenna, and it plays footage from the Spring Festival Gala.

Several large bowls of food were placed on the long table, along with many drinks. After Zhai Da left, Li Huifen put them away. If left unattended, they would all be eaten in a day, and the children would drink them directly like water.

Each person carries a tray to get their food, then receives two bottles of drinks and a handful of candy. They then sit in the courtyard watching TV and eating sunflower seeds until "Unforgettable Tonight" plays before rushing to bed. Li Huifen is very familiar with this routine, which she follows every year.

Occasionally, kind-hearted individuals or organizations will come to offer their condolences, but that usually happens during the day or before the Lunar New Year. On New Year's Eve, it's always the same scene.

Tang Xiao Kui wasn't very enthusiastic about queuing and ended up being the last one to get food. Li Huifen gave her a little extra meat: "You haven't eaten properly for a single day since you came here, so eat more today."

Tang Xiaokui bowed politely without saying a word.

"this kid"

The meal was eaten quickly, but the Spring Festival Gala programs were still very attractive to the children, who watched them intently.

It was past eight o'clock. By this time, most families had finished their New Year's Eve dinner and were probably sitting on the sofa texting to digest. Li Huifen checked her watch. Leader Wang said that there would be two fireworks displays today, one at 9 o'clock and one at 12 o'clock, organized by the government, and it was expected to be very spectacular.

The problem is, if the view is blocked by a house in one of the directions, then all that effort will be wasted.
Finally, it was nine o'clock. Li Huifen stood up and looked around, and called the children to get up and search together.

"Fireworks! Let's watch the fireworks!"

"I wonder if it's big?"

Fireworks are expensive!

"I've seen it before! My dad bought it for me!"

Even Tang Xiao Kui looked around expectantly; no child could resist the allure of fireworks.

Sure enough, a few dozen seconds later, the fireworks exploded in the sky over Dongyang County.

The sky seemed to have taken on color.

"call out!"

"Boom! Boom!"

Then more and more of them joined together, illuminating the entire night sky and adding a splash of color to the whole of Dongyang.

In countless houses, adults and children gathered at the windows to enjoy the free fireworks.

The children at the welfare home, gazing at the wall that blocked their way, quickly lost their excited smiles.

Their direction was not blocked.
The goal was simply too far away, and they were too short.

Even at a distance of countless kilometers, the fireworks that pierced the sky were still buried under the brick walls of the welfare home, with only the faint glimmer of light visible at the edges.

It flickers on and off.

There was no light to be seen, nor any sound to be heard.

Li Huifen glanced at the roof of the low building, but ultimately abandoned the dangerous plan, waving her hand to everyone, "Never mind, if you can't see it, just keep watching TV."

The children returned to their seats disappointed, but the atmosphere was no longer the same, and even the skits on TV weren't as interesting as before.

A moment later, a screeching sound of brakes broke the frozen atmosphere in the courtyard.

"Screech!"

Everyone looked towards the iron gate, and a figure stepped off a tricycle and stamped his foot: "Is this the place?"

He was an old man, and he looked rather grumpy.

Xu Xuejun shouted inside, "Open the door, the stuff is heavy."

Li Huifen asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

"Zhai Da sent me to deliver a shelf."

"Boss Zhai? Arrogance?"

Xu Xuejun pointed to the item on the back of the tricycle: "A barbecue grill."

Li Huifen was increasingly confused.

Fortunately, the person who came to explain arrived quickly. A taxi stopped at the door, and Zhai Da got out and asked in surprise, "How come you were faster than me? I was just saying I'd ask first."

Zhai Da turned to Li Huifen and said, "I sent you a message but you didn't reply, so I had to come over and ask if I could borrow your venue."

"Venue. What is a venue?"

"This is the courtyard."

Zhai Da pointed to the small courtyard of the welfare home and the children who were craning their necks and looking on with expectant eyes.

Yu Xiaoli and Lu Wei got out of the taxi behind them. Yu Xiaoli, in particular, looked at the sign for the welfare home with surprise.

Looking at the children of all ages inside, the kind-hearted Ms. Yu sighed. She had lived in Dongyang for so many years and had never noticed such a place before.

A well-dressed little girl stood at the edge of the dividing line of the courtyard gate, her hands behind her back, seemingly looking at the little red flowers across the road.

Before I knew it, I had been picked up.

A gentle smile appeared in Tang Xiao Kui's field of vision: "Oh my, this child is so handsome!"

Tang Xiaokui looked up and asked, "Hello, Auntie, who are you?"

"Me? My name is Yu Xiaoli, what's yours?"

"Tang Xiao Kui"

The little girl blushed.

This was the first time in a month since her father left that someone had picked her up.

It may also be the first time an older woman has picked her up since her mother passed away.

Meanwhile, Zhai Da was negotiating with Li Huifen: "Some friends and I are planning to set up a stall for a second round of food on New Year's Eve. Could we borrow your yard for a bit?"

Li Huifen quickly replied, "Yes! Yes! I was just worried it would be too deserted!"

Zhai Da laughed and said, "Then I'll call them over right now. They're all waiting for my message."

"There are quite a lot of people, but don't panic, this yard is big enough."

At first, Li Huifen didn't understand what "there are a lot of people" meant.

But she soon understood.

Ten minutes later, Ao Wen, Xiang You, and Liu Meng arrived at the welfare home with their parents.

The parents' eyes widened: "Dongyang County has an orphanage? And this really is our son? The place you chose this time is very meaningful!"

Ao Wen laughed and said, "Zhai Da chose it. I was originally waiting on Luochuan Road! He said he would change the location."

Fifteen minutes later, Chu Xiang and the hot pot restaurant's van arrived. The detachable large round table was unloaded from the van, along with pots, stoves, condiments, bowls, and chopsticks.

"Come quick, there's so much stuff! Can this yard hold it all?"

"Hey? How old are you, young man?"

"fourteen."

"It's the perfect age to work, come and help move things."

Twenty minutes later, Fan Junwei and Lin Shuyao arrived. Their parents were not there, but seeing this only lively corner in the suburbs from afar, they quickened their pace and joined the army of decorating the yard.

Fan Junwei brought many colorful lights, while Lin Shuyao brought strings of sparkly plastic sheets.

"Sister! Sister, you're so beautiful!"

Lin Shuyao smiled happily and said, "Really? How beautiful is she!"

"He's just a little bit less skilled than the older sister over there."

Lin Shuyao:
"Big brother! You're so tall! How tall are you?!"

Fan Junwei chuckled, picked up the four- or five-year-old boy, and put him on his shoulders.

"It's this high, aren't you scared?!"

Thirty minutes later, the courtyard was already taking shape.

Zhai Da and Fan Junwei hung up the colorful lights, Xu Xuejun fiddled with the barbecue grill, Chu Xiang directed the placement of the hot pots, and Xiao Mutou squatted in the corner trying to light the charcoal.
Zhai Da: "Old Xu, why does this barbecue grill look so familiar? Why is it made of such good material as angle steel?"

Xu Xuejun: "Why worry about all that? As long as it tastes good, that's all that matters!"

Just then, a Bentley pulled up at the door, and Lu Siwen jogged in, waving excitedly.

Lu Zetao glanced at the sign for the welfare home, lost in thought.

Thirty-five minutes later, an Audi A4 pulled up in front of the door.

County Magistrate Li Kangda looked at the lively scene inside the gate and was filled with emotion.

Li Dongdong asked, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you've done something wrong?"

Li Kangda kicked out, but missed.

"What wrongdoing could I possibly have? I know this place by heart. I even came to offer my condolences during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

However, it was merely a matter of knowing and offering condolences. He received all the necessary subsidies and support, but he couldn't just focus on a small welfare home, nor could he invest social resources indefinitely out of sympathy.

People with a heart for the community can think that way, but he can't.

However, today he is simply a philanthropist.

Forty minutes later, a Land Cruiser Prado with a black license plate (Heilongjiang A) pulled up at the entrance, looking dusty and worn.

Wu Yue, dressed in a black jacket, stretched after getting out of the car. "My cousin's really gone mad. Just to show off his new car, he actually wants to drive all the way back to Dongyang."

I must have been crazy. I thought it would be nice to travel with just the two of us, so I agreed to go with him.

From a distance of more than ten meters, you can see Zhai Da writing Spring Festival couplets in the courtyard.

There was another table nearby, where the handsome old man Lu Zetao was writing. Although he was not good at writing articles, his handwriting was surprisingly good, no worse than Zhai Da, who had the talent of "dexterous hands".

Zhai Da suddenly looked up and met Wu Yue's gaze.

Wu Yue smiled and said, "I'm not late, am I?"

Zhai Da smiled and said, "You've come at just the right time."

The once quiet and deserted courtyard has now become bustling with activity and vibrant with color.

Like scattered stars, people gather because of the warmth of spring.

Not too early, not too late, the years will pass if we are not destined to cross them.

　Don't rush, we'll wrap things up tomorrow, and finish the big part.

　　It will be a good story.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)