I suggest you investigate; this person doesn't seem to be a first-time reborn individual.

Early the next morning.

"Mom, I'm an adult now. Could you please knock before entering my room? Please give me some privacy."

Lin Ran was still asleep when Wang Meiling dragged him out of bed with his hair disheveled, and he protested vehemently.

He was dazed and confused as he was dragged to the underground parking garage, only to find a pile of things in front of the car: a basin of rice water, a brand-new strip of cloth, three sticks of incense, and a small dish of fruit.

"Go inside," Wang Meiling instructed.

Lin Ran obediently sat in the driver's seat.

Wang Meiling started working. She first used rice water to wipe the front of the car, the headlights, and the tires. She worked very carefully, muttering to herself, "May all the dust on the road be washed away, and may the road ahead be peaceful."

Then, she picked up the red ribbon and carefully tied it to the rearview mirror, making a tight knot, just like she was tying a red scarf for Lin Ran when he was a child.

"May everything be prosperous and bright, and may all bad things give way."

Finally, she performed the "invocation of the car god." She placed apples in front of the car and lit incense sticks. She didn't kneel or bow; she simply clasped her hands together and watched the wisps of smoke rise.

"By the God of Cars," her voice was soft but clear, "this piece of metal is now in your care. My son is young and drives recklessly, so please bear with him. Please keep an eye on him on the road, remind him of any ditches or bumps, and keep a steady hand on the helm in wind and rain."

Lin Ran was only allowed to get out of the car after the ceremony was completed.

"Mom, what's going on?" Lin Ran looked at the three incense sticks and felt it was a bit surreal.

"May the God of Cars bless us."

"A racing god?" Lin Ran scoffed. "Cars have only been around for a few years, where did this kind of god come from?"

Wang Meiling glared at him: "Whether you believe it or not, just for good luck, consider it what you young people call... a sense of ritual."

Lin Ran was taken aback. In his previous life, he would get a headache whenever he heard the words "sense of ritual," but today he suddenly understood what a sense of ritual really was.

Dumplings for Chinese New Year, glutinous rice balls for the Lantern Festival, rice dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival, and mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival—these are unique rituals for the Chinese people.

Praying for a car is a mother's way of wishing her son a safe and sound journey; it's a ritual for her.

But at some point, the sense of ritual in the future began to change.

If you take your girlfriend to retrace the Long March route on Army Day, she won't feel it's a sense of ceremony; if you plant a tree on Arbor Day, she won't feel it's a sense of ceremony; if you sweep the tomb on Tomb Sweeping Day, she won't feel it's a sense of ceremony.

What kind of rituals does she want? She only brings her mouth when eating, only takes her legs when shopping, wants money transfers on Valentine's Day, wants red envelopes on Women's Day, and wants her shopping cart emptied on Singles' Day.

Even on ordinary days, capital can create hype around things like "the first milk tea of ​​autumn" and "ten grilled sausages in winter"...

Capitalists deserve to die.

Of course, except for Master Lin.

-----------------

A mother's patience has a pitifully short shelf life when her son comes home for vacation.

On October 1st, my mom prepared a huge feast, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat all laid out on the table. She waited for Lin Ran to arrive before we started eating.

On October 2nd, her mother cooked fewer dishes, but there were still three dishes and a soup, all of which were Lin Ran's favorites.

On October 3, Ms. Wang cooked two dishes, one meat and one vegetable. The leftovers from lunch were reheated for dinner, and Lin Ran ate the same thing for two meals.

On October 4th, at lunchtime, Lin Ran went to the restaurant and found the table empty. Wang Meiling was gone.

When Wang Meiling received Lin Ran's call, she told him that she had forgotten to wash the plate from yesterday, and there was still some vegetable soup on it. She suggested that he make do with the steamed buns, and if that didn't work, there was still a braised pork knuckle left over from the New Year, which he could heat up and eat.

"What was left over from the Lunar New Year?" Lin Ran looked at the October calendar in silence.

"Three of a kind... Sister Wang, it's your turn to play!"

"Coming, coming, Lin Er, remember to wash the dishes after you finish eating!" The phone was then hung up.

Lin Ran checked the time and decided to go to the hotel to find Lin Feng for a free meal. The day after tomorrow was Lin Da's wedding, and he was sure Lin Feng was at the hotel keeping an eye on things.

Hengshan Restaurant is the same restaurant where Lin Ran previously organized a group purchase for a college entrance banquet.

The hotel was still the same as before, with some signs of wedding preparations already visible in the lobby. Lin Ran, familiar with the place, skipped the banquet hall and went straight into the hotel's office area.

"Hey, Mr. Lin!" Xu Wenbin looked up, his face immediately breaking into a smile. He stood up to greet him, "What a rare guest! What brings you here today to offer your guidance?"

"It's my brother's wedding; I've been helping out for several days." Lin Ran casually sat down on the guest sofa. "Mr. Xu, business has been good lately?"

"Thanks to you, the group purchase for the graduation banquet last time was quite well received," Xu Wenbin said while making tea. "But when can we organize another round of this event?"

Lin Ran found it amusing; this kind of thing only happens once a year, not every day.

But he didn't show it on his face, and just chuckled: "There will be opportunities, there will be opportunities. We'll cooperate again when the time is right."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Xu Wenbin wisely refrained from asking Lin Ran what she was busy with; a student who could make a graduation banquet so elaborate must have more than just that.

When his craving for cigarettes kicked in, Lin Ran naturally reached into his pocket and then looked at the cigarette pack on Xu Wenbin's desk.

Xu Wenbin immediately understood, pulled out a cigarette and handed it over, and then picked up a lighter.

Lin Ran leaned over, lit the cigarette, took a sip, and then slowly said, "I haven't had lunch yet. Mr. Xu, do you have staff meals here?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Xu Wenbin immediately picked up the internal phone. "Have the cafeteria send two set meals to the operations department. Yes, right away."

Ten minutes later, Lin Ran finished the last bite of his meal, took a toothpick, tucked a cigarette behind his ear, and walked towards the lobby while picking his teeth.

Watching Lin Ran leave, Xu Wenbin called the sales manager: "Anyone getting married here in the next couple of days? Surname Lin..."

He's not stupid; Lin Ran wouldn't make a special trip just for a staff meal.

Lin Feng was indeed in the lobby, talking to someone. Standing next to him was a quiet boy in a school uniform, Meng Jingyu, Meng Jingshu's younger brother. Lin Ran had seen him twice before and remembered that the boy was not very talkative.

"Perfect timing." Lin Feng saw Lin Ran and waved. "I was just about to call you."

Meng Jingyu looked up at him and greeted him softly, "Brother Lin Ran."

Lin Feng said to the two of them, "At the wedding the day after tomorrow, you two keep a close eye on those old men and women there. Don't let anyone steal the spotlight. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable." The last sentence was directed at Lin Ran.

"Snatching the joy" is a local superstition. It is said that some elderly men and women will appear in front of the camera before the newlyweds enter, trying to steal the joy of the newlyweds and transfer the good luck to themselves.

Although Lin Feng didn't believe in this, he didn't want anyone to ruin his mood on his wedding day.

Lin Ran: "Okay, I guarantee I'll complete the mission, Mr. Lin."

Lin Feng waved his hand: "Jingyu, go see if your sister needs any help."

"Okay." Meng Jingyu replied, nodded to Lin Ran, and turned to leave.

After he walked away, Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, his expression exactly the same as Lin Ran's. Blood ties are sometimes really strange.

"There's something else I need to ask you," Lin Feng said.

"What?" Lin Ran raised an eyebrow.

"Jingyu is a senior in high school, and he hasn't been acting right lately. Your sister-in-law says he seems... a little reluctant to go to school. Go and talk to him."

Lin Ran rolled her eyes: "No, I'm only a freshman! He's only a year younger than me, what can I say to him? When I was his age, I didn't even want to go to school."

Lin Feng glanced at him: "Stop talking nonsense, just go."

Lin Feng knew his younger brother's temperament best: he was tough and resilient, had a lot of ideas, but fortunately, he would listen to harsh words.

But Lin Feng knew he couldn't do anything about Meng Jingyu's quiet and sensitive personality. He was afraid of hurting her if he spoke too harshly, and it would be like punching cotton if he spoke too softly—it simply wasn't his style.

More importantly, Lin Feng had his own plans.

Lin Ran, this kid, is only a freshman in college and he can already build a team of more than ten people and run a business quite well, which shows that he is not incapable.

Starting a business and managing a team are two different things. Meng Jingyu's current situation is a ready-made case. Let him try it. Whether he succeeds or not, it will be a valuable experience for Lin Ran.

Of course, Lin Feng couldn't openly admit that he was sacrificing his brother-in-law to help Lin Ran grow.