Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 433 When you say "Pui, pui, pui," you need to knock on the wood.
That afternoon, Zhai Da and teacher Shen Rui visited Sunmazhuang for the second time.

This time, the focus is no longer solely on the core area, but also on the surrounding peripheral areas.

Shen Rui could talk about which towns bordered it, their approximate population, and their occupations with great accuracy.

Give him time to update his information so that it becomes more comprehensive.

If Zhai Da were only making a regular investment in building a factory, given his current power and influence, he could easily ignore such trivial matters and delegate them to his subordinates.

But he wants to gradually develop an entire region, so he also needs to have a concept of the surrounding local people and communities.

Otherwise, even a sesame seed could turn into sand in your shoe.

This turn led to darkness.

I've only been back for two days, and I haven't had a single day of rest. Especially considering that tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, the feeling of being busy is particularly strong.

Because of this, Zhai Da hasn't had time to meet with his old classmates and members of Utopia, and the reunion has been postponed twice.

Chu Xiang and the others were already impatient, and even Wu Yue returned to Dongyang.

Compared to the simple reminiscing of the past, there will obviously be a lot of serious matters to discuss this year.

The number of messages in the group was increasing at a rate of 999+ per day. Zhai Da didn't even have time to scroll through the messages, so he simply tagged everyone and asked them to meet him the next day.

On New Year's Eve, there was an arrangement that couldn't be more perfect.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

January 14th, Lunar New Year's Eve.

Being constantly busy has made Zhai Da's perception of the "Spring Festival" blurry.

She didn't participate in buying New Year's goods, didn't help her mother fry cakes, didn't accompany her to clean Sanmao's old house, and didn't even notice that Tang Xiaokui had bought a new set of clothes.

When I opened my eyes in the morning and was woken up by the sound of firecrackers, I was even dazed for a moment, feeling as if the "festival" had been abruptly slapped onto my face.

Chinese New Year: I'm here!

The continuous absence of family activities left Zhai Da in a state of being only able to follow orders. Early in the morning, Ms. Yu instructed him to wander around aimlessly, and everything had already been arranged for him to put up Spring Festival couplets, window decorations, and what clothes to wear.

After two busy hours in the early morning, the whole family went out. First, Ms. Yu brought out the prepared paper money and firecrackers from the basement.

Yes, the new house also has a basement and two parking spaces.

Afterwards, she drove to a nearby supermarket and bought a large amount of daily necessities, filling Ms. Yu's Volvo XC90 to almost bursting.

Finally, at 10 a.m., the four of them headed towards the cemetery, all in perfect order.

Sweeping tombs on New Year's Eve is a family tradition. The cemetery is always more lively on this day. As the only geographically significant "high ground" in Dongyang, the crowds climbing up look like ants from afar.

The various items they were carrying resembled the harvest carried by ants returning to their nest.

From the place called reality, we gather nourishment to reach the spiritual world.

After parking his car, Zhai Da was more cautious this time. Instead of blindly carrying the firecrackers up the mountain, he went directly to the security guard at the foot of the mountain.

"Master, can we set off firecrackers this year?"

The security guard, without turning his head, said, "We stopped allowing it last year because of the fire risk!"

Just then, a burst of firecrackers came from the mountainside, making the security guard feel awkward.

It seems that the problems that weren't managed properly last year are the same this year.

Recalling Ms. Yu's feat of taking down a security guard for ten yuan last year, Zhai Da also took out a twenty-yuan bill from his pocket.

It's the same cold noodle dish that we didn't send out yesterday.

“It’s the Lunar New Year, and we all want to have a festive atmosphere. I certainly can’t let it catch fire. Consider this 20 yuan as a cleaning fee. Is that alright?”

The security guard was clearly familiar with the procedure, and his hand shot out with lightning speed.

Rules are rules, and traditions are traditions.
If he collected taxes like this last year, wouldn't it seem like he's changing his mind all the time if he doesn't collect them this year?
Besides, he didn't take all the money; everyone in the security team got a share.

But after seeing Zhai Da's face, he paused for a moment, then withdrew his hand.

"Hey~ Isn't this Boss Zhai? A famous figure from Dongyang! Dongyang's pride and joy!"

The security guard put on a bright smile, but lowered his voice and whispered, "Mr. Zhai, just go up and find a quiet place to put it. I'll clean it up for you later."

"money"

"We can't accept this! You're coming back to support your hometown, how can you accept this!"

A moment later, Zhai Da returned to the car with an unreadable expression. Because they were going to four places, the process was becoming increasingly complicated. Yu Xiaoli, who was sorting various items, asked, "What do you mean? Can we put it here?"

Zhai Da thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "Let's forget about it."

Some things that were possible before are no longer possible.

The rules haven't changed, only he has.

The importance of status has increased.

Ms. Yu didn't hesitate: "Okay, let's go quickly, there are four places."

The family carried large and small bags uphill, and even without firecrackers or fireworks, they were still struggling to climb the mountain.

Tang Xiao Kui was carrying a large bag of paper money.

The little girl was rather quiet today.

This year, in addition to his father Zhai Zhihong, maternal grandfather Yu Lihua/maternal grandmother Liu Huijuan, and Xiaomutou's mother Yan Jingwen, there is a new location.

Tang Fengyi and Dong Jingyao, a married couple.

Ms. Yu will not forget this kind of thing, much less "deliberately forget".

She always manages to arrange things at home perfectly, making everything warm and comfortable.

At the graves of Tang Fengyi and his wife, Tang Xiaokui's tears kept falling, but she behaved better than Zhai Da had imagined.

Perhaps this is what letting go is: endless longing and yearning, yet no longer causing distress or heartbreak. Little Wood, too, at his mother's grave, shed fewer tears each time, but murmured more and more.

"Mom, I'm doing great. I'm studying my beloved math. By the way, my recent research might help with future weather forecasting."

After cleaning the tombstone, Ms. Yu stood behind Lu Wei with Zhai Da. Looking into Xiao Mutou's gentle eyes, she wiped her forehead and sighed, "Our business is getting bigger every year. We wouldn't be able to handle another one!"

Zhai Da's eyes widened: "You can't just say things like that! Quickly, spit it out!"

According to the customs of his hometown, when spitting, one should also knock on a piece of wood, so Zhai Da took his mother's hand and patted Lu Wei's head.

Lu Wei: ?
The last stop for tomb sweeping is always my maternal grandfather, who passed away first and whose grave is located in the highest position.

As Yu Xiaoli kowtowed, she murmured, "Dad, you should remember that Xiao Kui came before. She's my daughter. From now on, please protect her as well."

The incense sticks on the incense burner became even redder and brighter as the wind blew them.

“Xiao Da is planning to come back. Many people say it’s not easy to do this, but I didn’t stop him. It’s not that I’m holding him back from going far away, but I feel that he’s only in his early twenties. Even if he messes up this time, there’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s nothing for a boy to fall down once.”

Behind her, Zhai Da silently tapped Lu Wei's head three times.

Lu Wei didn't ask, but Tang Xiao Kui did: "Why did you knock on my head, brother?"

Zhai Da: "It's a matter of custom."

"Then why didn't you knock on me?"

"Because you're not a blockhead, you're just a simpleton."

After Ms. Yu finished speaking, it was Zhai Da's turn.

Zhai Da kowtowed three times, intending to say something, but suddenly realized that everything that needed to be reported had already been reported by Ms. Yu.

After hesitating for a while, he finally had a flash of inspiration. He folded the twenty-yuan note that he had repeatedly failed to spend and placed it under the incense burner.

It doesn't contain much, but it does include some of his insights.

Then he pointed to the west and said, "Grandpa, watch my performance!"

This place corresponds exactly to Sunmazhuang.

Although the distance is very, very far.
But if the buildings are tall, dense, and grand enough...

It's still visible.

------

It was already 2 PM when we came out of the cemetery.

All the paper money, paper ingots, and inflation vouchers from the Heaven and Earth Bank have been burned.

However, the car's trunk was still packed full.

Because they had other places to go, not far from the cemetery.

Dongyang County Welfare Home

Compared to last year, the welfare home is very different. The courtyard is still the same, but there are two more buildings.

A toilet and a small two-story building.

The toilet was sponsored by Wu Yue, because he had been rained on himself, so he held up an umbrella for others.

A toilet that can accommodate six people (three men and three women) only cost tens of thousands of dollars, yet it can prevent the original "connect the dots" game.

The small second floor was donated by Lu Zetao, who is also a man of strong character. Moreover, Li Kangda was also there that night, so he had to show his appreciation.

The small second floor has been converted into a new dormitory, and the children now live in rooms of two, with extra space for an activity room. It's much better than before.

When Zhai Da's family entered the welfare home, there were already many guests in the courtyard.

Wu Yue and Fan Junwei have already arrived, clearly indicating that Zhai Da intends to use this place as a meeting spot. The other members of Utopia will also arrive later.

Oh, and there's someone Zhai Da wanted to see after he came back, but couldn't find the time.

He was also the only one who wasn't summoned by him.

Inside the courtyard, a middle-aged man dressed in an expensive suit and exuding elegance was being led by Dean Li Huifen on a tour of the small second floor.

It was Lu Zetao.

The third key figure!

Beside the handsome older man stood a pretty woman, listening attentively to Dean Li's explanation.

She wore a long skirt, snow boots, and fluffy earmuffs around her neck.

Since returning from the United States, Lu Siwen hasn't seen Zhai Da for over two months because someone has been holed up in Harbin and hasn't moved an inch.

So when Zhai Da appeared from the side of the gate carrying a box full of daily necessities, Lu Siwen immediately waved happily.

"You're here!"

She skipped over here with small steps, clearly unable to contain her joy. She had this habit since high school, which is also the origin of her nickname "Little Deer".

But by the time Lu Wei appeared around the corner, right behind Zhai Da, it was too late for Lu Siwen to change her childish gait.

Then, with a smooth movement, she adjusted her direction and knelt down in front of Tang Xiao Kui: "You're here! Xiao Kui! I missed you so much!"

Tang Xiaokui took a half step back in surprise and wariness, even putting her arm in front of her.

Sister, are we very close?

Meanwhile, Zhai Da's gaze was fixed on Lu Zetao.

"Uncle Lu, it's been a long time."

This man, now the richest man in Dongyang and the third key figure in "Renhe" (a local business group), laughed heartily:

"It's been a long time, I didn't expect to run into you today."

(End of this chapter)