The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Chen Shi had worked all day and was exhausted, his back aching and his body aching. He collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep, not caring how many rats there were.

After a good night's sleep, I felt perfectly fine, and my body returned to normal.

It's great to be young; you can sleep it off and wake up to find everything's fine, and then you can get back to work.

There are only two kinds of work: physical labor and mental labor. When you get tired from physical labor, you can take a nap, wake up, and your body will be back to normal, so you can continue working.

Mental work is different. If a problem is not solved, it will stay in your mind and will stay with you whether you are sleeping or doing something else.

People with depression are mostly engaged in mental or physical labor, leaving them no time to think about anything else; all their mental energy is focused on their overloaded bodies.

Take a break, wait for your body to recover, and then continue.

In fact, many people who do mental labor want to do physical labor without having to think so much or worry about interpersonal relationships.

After finishing the work, I go home, collapse into bed, and continue the next day—simple and joyful.

Chen Shi had this feeling at that moment, abandoning everything and pushing his body to its limits. He had only one thought in his mind: should I finish this so I can rest? I'm too tired.

After helping Wang Yanhong's parents harvest corn for three days, there wasn't much left. The two returned to town and did nothing but sleep for two days before their fatigue was completely gone.

The National Day holiday passed quickly, and I returned to my post to resume the repetitive work.

October passed quickly, and in November, Chen Shi received a call from his father informing him that a monument was to be erected.

Chen Shi took a day off to go back and erect a tombstone for his grandparents; he had to go back himself.

Chen Xing, Wang Xiufen, and Chen Jianyong all took leave to come back.

The Chen family ancestral graves are on a hillside, a kilometer away from the highway via a mountain path. The path is rugged, uneven, and difficult to traverse. Cement, sand, and bricks all have to be carried up by hand, which is physically demanding.

Chen Shi returned home early in the morning, while everyone else was already there, gathered around the stove to warm themselves.

Chen Shi walked in, and everyone stood up.

"Xiao Shi is back"

It seemed that everyone was waiting for him to assign them work. From the moment Chen Shi became the deputy director, he had become the backbone and head of the Chen family.

Chen Shi was carrying three cartons of good cigarettes and handed them to Chen Xing: "Brother, distribute these cigarettes to everyone."

Chen Xing took the cigarette and distributed them to everyone.

Chen Shi looked at Chen Yanshi: "Dad, what time should we erect the monument?"

"At nine o'clock sharp, the geomancer will arrive at eight o'clock."

Chen Shi checked the time, 7:20, and looked at Chen Jianhua: "Brother, you know how to lay bricks. Take three people who know how to lay bricks and help the geomancer erect the monument."

Chen Jianhua called out three villagers; all the people had been invited in advance, and he had hired ten people to help.

"Take your tools and go pick up the geomancer. Once you've picked him up, go directly to the cemetery."

Chen Jianhua responded and left with his men.

Chen Shi looked at Chen Jianyong: "Second Brother, getting cement and sand is heavy work. You take the rest of the men and go now to move the cement, sand, and bricks to their positions."

Chen Jianyong nodded: "Okay."

He led the rest of the people out.

Chen Xing stood to the side, wanting to ask, "Then what should I do?"

Chen Shi looked at Chen Xing: "Brother, you stay home and take charge of slaughtering the sheep and cooking the mutton. Have two people help you."

"Just leave one person to help me."

"Okay, it should be ready around 1 p.m., then we can come back for dinner."

Chen Shi looked at his three sisters-in-law, his gaze lingering on Xu Hui, who was the most reliable among them.

Wang Xiufen talks too much and lacks practical skills; Chen Jianhua's wife complains about everything she does and is also incompetent.

Only Xu Hui was quick and efficient, always smiling, and had a strong sense of responsibility.

"Second sister-in-law, you take them and are in charge of cooking. The food should be ready by around one o'clock."

Xu Hui said with a big smile, "Okay, let's start cooking right away."

Chen Yanshi lit his pipe and took a puff: "Xiaoshi, Jianyong and I are going to move cement and sand."

"No need, let's go to the cemetery and wait for the geomancer."

After Chen Shi and Chen Yanshi left, Wang Xiufen looked dissatisfied. "You're good at making arrangements, but you don't do anything."

He came home and still wanted to be a leader, to boss others around.

She thought this to herself, but dared not show it; Chen Shi was someone she couldn't afford to offend.

Just as Chen Shi and Chen Yanshi arrived at the cemetery, the geomancer arrived, and Chen Shi quickly went forward to offer him a cigarette.

The geomancer lit a cigarette, looked around, and slowly said, "This cemetery is good. The back mountain is solid, and there is a small river in front, which means wealth will flow in. This cemetery will produce officials at the provincial level or above, and if you want to do business, it will produce billionaires."

"Of all the places I've looked at in Fushan Town, this is the only one with truly auspicious feng shui."

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, sir."

The geomancer looked at Chen Shi and said, "Young man, with your appearance, you are destined for greatness. Combined with this burial site, your fortune is beyond measure."

Those around them looked at each other, wondering if Chen Shi's success was all due to his ancestors' good burial.

Chen Jianhua was very unhappy. "I am also a grandson, and the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife. This burial plot is so good, why didn't it fall to me?"

Not long ago, the acting village party secretary was removed from his post. He wanted to join Chen Jianyong in the tobacco bureau, but Chen Shi refused to help him. He has had the worst luck this year.

Since the cemetery didn't bring blessings to himself, he wondered if it could bring blessings to his descendants. He quickly asked, "Sir, can this cemetery bring blessings to my descendants?"

The geomancer stroked his long beard: "This burial site will bring prosperity to at least four generations of descendants."

Chen Jianhua was overjoyed. He himself was not destined to be an official, but his two sons were.

When your son becomes an official, it's just like you becoming an official yourself. All the gloom in your heart is swept away, and you start working with great enthusiasm.

Chen Yanshi was very pleased, never expecting that the burial site he had chosen so casually back then would turn out to be a place of great feng shui.

The Chen family had been farmers for generations, and it was something they never dared to dream of producing a cadre at the provincial or ministerial level.

Thinking back to my childhood, there was nothing to eat or wear.

When my parents passed away, we didn't even have proper coffins, so we just found a random place to bury them.

I never expected it to be such a blessed place. When good fortune comes, you can't stop it.

Chen Jianyong led his men to carry over the stone tablet.

Chen Shi looked around and saw that there were many people; they were all villagers who had come to help without being asked.

Chen Jianyong whispered in Chen Shi's ear, "Xiao Shi, I took some people to move cement and sand. A lot of villagers came to help, about twenty more than usual."

Two sheep aren't enough to eat; we need to slaughter four. We need to prepare more for cooking at home.

Chen Shi had anticipated this, and yesterday when he asked Chen Xing to buy groceries, he bought twice as many as possible, just in case some villagers offered to help.

"Call my brother and tell him to buy two more sheep to slaughter. I'll pay for it."

Chen Jianyong nodded and went to make the arrangements.

To Chen Shi's surprise, Tian Guangming, who was acting as the village party secretary and village director, came to help with his son Tian Xiaojun and accountant Tian Defu.

Chen Shi quickly went up to them and offered them cigarettes.

"Uncle Tian, ​​please sit down. How can I let you do such heavy work as carrying cement and sand?"

Tian Guangming took the cigarette and smiled, saying, "We're all from the same village. Seeing that your sand and cement shop is far away, we called on members of the village committee to come and help."

"Thank you, Uncle Tian. You're getting old, so you can just stay here and direct them. Don't go and move cement and sand."

Tian Guangming chuckled and said, "Okay, I'll help you supervise their work and see if anyone is slacking off."