Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 267 Near Future! A New Light!
After mopping the floor twice, collecting the sheets and blankets that had been drying, and taking out the trash several times, Zhai Da finally had some free time.

Ms. Yu really took this seriously this time. She finally gave up some things that Zhai Da had mentioned countless times before but couldn't bear to throw away, just to make the house look more spacious.

Zhai Da had no complaints about this; his perspective on adoption was somewhat different from others.

When Ms. Yu told her old friends about this decision, the first reaction of those elders was: What does Zhai Da think?
In fact, Zhai Da's thinking was very simple.

It's not about having a younger sister or another child in the family; the focus isn't on Tang Xiao Kui, but on her mother.

Having a companion for Mom, someone she can see and touch and who cares about her, is the most important thing.

For such a lovely girl as Tang Xiao Kui, being able to grow up better is secondary.

Although Zhai Da also liked the child very much, as mentioned before, sympathy is not enough to justify adoption; love is required.

In conclusion: The most important thing is that Mom is happy.

After taking a shower and returning to his room, Xiao Mutou was still organizing mathematical conjectures.

Zhai Da walked behind her and squeezed Lu Wei's rounded shoulder: "You'll be sharing a bed with Mom tonight, are you scared?"

Lu Wei looked up, somewhat puzzled: "Why are you afraid?"

Whenever they went out together, such as during the time they were on their way to university, she would share a room with Teacher Yu.

Zhai Da leaned down and gently kissed Lu Wei's forehead. The warm touch traveled through the lines of her lips to her brain, like kissing a warm petal.

Although it's only temporary, Little Wood did give up his room, so he deserves a reward.

Little Wood closed its eyes and blinked slightly. After a moment's hesitation, it pouted its pink lips.

When someone offered to let him try it, Zhai Da naturally wouldn't refuse.

It's not sweet today.

But it's very moisturizing.

A moment later, Lu Wei opened her eyes, pursing her lips, seemingly a little embarrassed, and changed the subject: "By the way, the report cards are out."

"What report card?"

Oh right. I'm still a college student, and this is my final exam transcript.

Each school releases its results at a different time. This year, the holidays and the Spring Festival holiday are close together, so the results will be released later.

Zhai Da didn't pay attention to it from beginning to end because he knew what was going on.

However, since he had nothing else to do while discussing this topic, he still logged into the school's student system to take a look.

Sure enough, the long list of tables was filled with high ratings.

Some of the assessment courses were marked "Excellent", some of the rating courses were marked "A", and the scores displayed after that were mostly above 95, with nearly half of them being 100.

Pleasant to the eye.

Those who didn't get full marks didn't necessarily fail the exam. Let's redefine "failed" for now.
It's because he missed a lot of classes, was exempted from attending, and took more than ten days off at the end of the semester. The teacher may not have given him full marks for his participation, but he didn't get any points for it.

"And yours?"

Lu Wei logged in using Zhai Da's computer. Zhai Da looked through Lu Wei's transcript and found that almost all of them were perfect scores.
Excluding math subjects, their academic abilities are probably about the same. However, Lu Wei is more attentive in class and gets higher grades in regular classes. I guess the teacher likes a student who is serious but not arrogant.

"Overall, I'm satisfied. We both have a 4.0 GPA, but I don't know how we rank in our respective majors and colleges."

The holy sons/daughters of sects should at least be the top students in their respective academies, right? Otherwise, how can they run rampant in school next semester?

Lu Wei shook her head: "Professor Jiang sent a message saying that universities do not publish rankings and cannot compile statistics. Even within the same college, the courses for different majors are different. At most, each teacher knows the ranking of their course."

"Fine."

There's nothing left to show off.

With nothing to do and his computer on, Zhai Da thought for a moment and then opened "Tieba" (a Chinese online forum).

Editor-in-Chief Lou En commented that the "Zhai Da Bar" showed a high level of activity this time, with many of Zhai Da's senior fans organizing offline purchase events in more than one city, which aroused Zhai Da's curiosity.

Just as "The Bar for the Mentally challenged" doesn't need the permission of the mentally challenged, "The Bar for Zhai Da" doesn't need Zhai Da's permission either; this is his first time here.

At first glance, nearly 40 followers and over two million posts were already very active figures in 09.
I clicked in and wow! This is just plain stupid!
"Sashimi is actually sashimi of dead fish, and waiting for a red light is actually waiting for a green light."

"I bit a spider, will it turn into a human hero?"

"We must face the gap squarely. While most Chinese people are sleeping, Americans are working hard."

After reading the announcement in the forum, Zhai Da finally understood what was going on. In fact, this forum had existed for a long time, dating back to when he first started exploiting Xinglang's resources. At that time, Zhai Da posted many philosophical phrases on his blog, which were widely circulated and quoted, eventually leading to the emergence of a "Short Philosophy Forum".

That is, the "ultra-short philosophy".

Later, after Zhai Da published his book and gradually achieved success, the forum was renamed "Zhai Da Forum" by the moderator. Book fans still made up the majority of the forum, but the posts also included some "philosophers" showing off their language skills, or even just dry jokes.

"What would a fish say if it spent all day sunbathing on the beach?"

It said: I'll do it, you can do whatever you want.

Hmm, it's quite interesting.

Zhai Da ignored these so-called "short philosophies" and wanted to see what everyone thought of "How Long Will I Love U?", so he casually clicked on a related post.

"Did anyone notice that, although it's not explicitly stated in the book, it gives the impression that we were very powerful and doing very well back then?"

"That's wishful thinking. Let's surpass Japan first. The author is probably a patriotic traitor."

"Warning once, insult the author again and you will be banned."

"They can't surpass us. Although our GDP is close, this is the middle-income trap. Just you wait and see. Once the economic crisis is over, they will definitely leave China far behind. The lost 20 years will be over, and the whole world will be shocked!"

"Leaving that aside for now, the technology inside is really interesting, amazing, but not quite that amazing. For example, that robot vacuum cleaner, a friend of mine who does business in Shenzhen told me that it seems to be really possible."

"That's so outdated. Robotic vacuum cleaners already exist overseas, they're just not as widespread."

"There are cars that are purely battery-powered and can travel hundreds of kilometers? What kind of battery do they use?"

"The book says it's still a lithium battery."

"Don't you think Gu Xiaonian's phone is even more amazing? It can order takeout, hail a taxi, watch videos, and even talk to AI."

"This shows that there has been a major breakthrough in communication technology. Anyway, 3G networks are out of the question. Forget about watching videos, even viewing photos will be like playing Tetris, with layers of text scrolling by."

"I envy you guys. I'm still on 2G. 3G monthly fees are too expensive."

"AI sounds like science fiction and is very far away. It's said to rely on graphics cards, which sounds a bit like pseudo-science."

"It's a combination of soft science fiction and romance, and amateur science fiction is already quite impressive."

"I don't know about other things, but I have used food delivery services in Shanghai. It wasn't an app, it was a phone call, and a few college students were working on it."

Seeing that everyone was discussing the future in the book, the instigator revealed a satisfied smile.

He's not afraid of the consequences of predicting too much; countless people in the world try to "predict the future," and that's the meaning of science fiction. It's only because the main users of the forum are male that they like to discuss these things; most book fans focus on the story itself, and the descriptions of the "near future" are just decorations.

On a whim, Zhai Da registered an account, wanting to participate in the discussion, but when he actually faced the white input box, he suddenly felt that he had nothing to say.

After pondering for a moment, he could only shake his head in disappointment and type a few words:
"The author's writing is truly amazing!"

------

February 9th, one week before the end of winter vacation.

Within three days of its release, "How Long Will I Love U" has sold over 30 copies, and the growth remains strong with no signs of slowing down.

With the release of the new book, "The Long Road of Lü" also experienced a second spring, selling nearly 100,000 copies. After all, many bookstores displayed the two books together.

Zhai Da once again demonstrated his "status" in the physical book industry, and this book was placed on the desks of many film and television production companies and directors.

Popular works bring their own audience, and popular authors are a brand name. In the current state of the film and television industry, where things are not yet fully open, the quality and popularity of the original work are sometimes more attractive than the star-studded cast.

However, Zhai Da is unaware of all of this for the time being, and even if he were, he wouldn't care.

Because life is more than just conquering mountains, the upcoming arrival of a new member to the family, in addition to the new book, may have a more profound impact.

Early in the morning, Yu Xiaoli dressed quite formally and even put on makeup. Then, she took Zhai Da and Lu Wei to the "Dongyang Welfare Home".

In fact, because his mother intended to adopt, Zhai Da stopped coming around as much after the Spring Festival, so as not to affect Tang Xiao Kui and her mother's mutual judgment.

However, Yu Xiaoli has taken her place quite often and is now even more familiar with him than Zhai Da.

This time they did not bring any supplies. After the wonderful New Year's Eve, the small welfare home has received attention that they never dared to imagine before. The children of Utopia, their parents, and even County Magistrate Li Kangda have all shown more care.

Supplies have piled up like mountains. Li Huifen has told each guest not to bring anything for the time being. It's hard to go from extravagance to frugality. The short-term surge in supplies will actually make future management more difficult.

Inside the orphanage, Tang Xiaokui also put on her best clothes: a thick red wool skirt, white tights, and a small yellow bag, looking as exquisite and beautiful as when she arrived.

In the dormitory, Tang Xiaokui sat anxiously, her whole body tense, her delicate white hands clenched into fists, devoid of color.

Time ticked by, and the anticipation and tension made Tang Xiaokui want to go to the restroom.

At this moment, Dean Li Huifen walked in and sat down next to Tang Xiaokui. This middle-aged woman, who had a somewhat worldly air about her, took the girl's hands.

"Xiao Kui, your mother will be coming to pick you up soon. I have a few words to tell you that you should remember."

Tang Xiao Kui nodded quickly, hoping someone could teach her what to do.

Li Huifen said gently, "I can't explain the big principles, but you must be lucky that you were able to leave so quickly. The Yu family are all good people."

"Don't always emphasize your orphan status when you're with someone else. Whether you're adopted or biological, it's all about living life together. And living life together means living in harmony and happiness."

"In the past few years, I have seen many people who were adopted before being sent back. Most of them couldn't get over their own mental barriers and always felt that they were different from others."

"When you arrive at your new home, treat them like your new mother and brother. Don't be shy, be affectionate."

Tang Xiaokui pursed her lips and nodded.

Just as she was about to say a few more words, she heard a commotion in the courtyard, and Li Huifen quickly got up to greet them.

Tang Xiao Kui patted her small chest and took a few deep breaths.

A few minutes later, the door was pushed open again, and Yu Xiaoli stood in the doorway with a smile, with Zhai Da and Lu Wei behind her.

Is she her future mother, brother, sister-in-law, or sister?
"Xiao Kui, I've come to pick you up!"

The formalities were completed long ago, and the pickup was much faster than expected.

Perhaps it was because they didn't want the other children in the orphanage to witness this fortunate moment for too long, as it would make them feel bad.

However, Zhai Da promised that his donations to the orphanage would not stop because of Tang Xiao Kui's adoption.

In the taxi, Zhai Da sat in the front passenger seat, while the three ladies sat in the back.

But the place she was going to was not the new home Tang Xiao Kui had imagined.

It was a photo studio.

Tang Xiao Kui stared blankly at the sign for "Xin Guangming Photo Studio".

Yu Xiaoli pulled Tang Xiaokui and said, "We've moved into a new house, let's take a new family photo! Your brother Zhai will be starting school soon, it's rare to have everyone here, if we wait any longer we won't be able to take one."

Zhai Da and Lu Wei exchanged a smile, clearly not surprised by the arrangement.

So, the first stop for Tang Xiao Kui's new family was to take a nice photo with all the family members.

"Handsome guy, tilt your head slightly to the left, and your shoulder slightly to the right."

"Mom, please straighten your collar and cover up the wrinkles on your neck!"

"Hey beautiful, don't get so close to handsome guys! The composition is off!"

"Little sister, relax, don't be nervous! This whole family is beautiful!"

"Alright! Everyone look at me, don't blink! Three! Two! One!"

Click!

Amidst the flickering white light, Yu Xiaoli drifted off into thought again.

I was reminded of the old photos on the wall at home.
Life is a cycle.

This photo studio is very old. I remember my father taking me here back in the days of black and white photos.

Back then, it wasn't called "New Guangming," it was just called "Guangming Photo Studio."

Yu Xiaoli, who once had a happy family and stood carefree in front of her parents for photos, has grown up and has a husband and children.

Then came the cycle of loss, the number of people in the photos dwindled, and eventually she became an orphan and a widow.

But as long as you persevere, the small family will gradually have new members joining and become full again.

Including Tang Xiao Kui.

She believes there will be new people in the future, and even a house full of children and grandchildren, so many that there won't be enough photos to fit them all!
The only change is that "Little Yu Xiaoli" has become Ms. Yu Xiaoli.
Finally, she became Grandma Yu.
Also good.

(See author's note for details)

　Regarding donations:
　　The mosaic is from Alipay, which shows my name. The QR code was removed for review purposes, but the certificate number is genuine. Everyone is welcome to supervise.

　　Another point is "donation projects". In previous comments from readers, the Han Hong Foundation was the most popular choice. However, after some research, it seems that they do not currently have any ongoing "orphan" projects and are more inclined towards disaster relief. Therefore, I made a "non-targeted donation".

　　Meanwhile, on "ZFB Charity", I found something that interested me: "End-of-life care for terminally ill orphans". To be honest, this is the most desperate situation I can imagine, and I was immediately drawn to this project.

　　My abilities are limited, and this is my first time doing this, so my research isn't very thorough. I can't rule out the possibility that it will all be for nothing. But as an author, I really don't have time to get more involved in charity work, since I'm a poor wretch who doesn't even have any drafts saved up.

　　Although I know that going to see for myself is more sincere than simply donating money.
　　Just say so much.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)