Chapter 2: One Who Cherishes the Past

I again recall the messed-up days that Xiao Guo and Xiao Hua spent in Hulutao.

If I hadn't taken them out of Hulutao, they wouldn't know what kind of life they'd be living now.

Xiao Hua is now the General Manager of Da Heng Group, responsible for the company's specific management and operations.

I merely handle the planning of investment direction behind the scenes at the company.

Xiao Guo also returned from the Provincial Capital, going from a beggar to become the Mine Director of Qi He Kuang.

They have what they have today entirely thanks to my efforts as Zhaoerhai.

But we no longer have that brotherly feeling we once had,

they haven't even said a word of thanks to me.

It seems as if this good life is something they deserve.

Just then my phone rang, interrupting my recollection,

I saw it was a call from Shi Yong.

Shi Yong asked over the phone, "Brother, are you up?"

I said, "I'm up. Shi Yong, arrange the car; I'm going to the Provincial Capital today with your sister-in-law. Also, regarding the matter of Da Jun causing trouble with the Guanghua Community homeowners' representative, you should step in and try to settle it with money so they stop causing trouble."

"Brother, I've already arranged the car; take the Mercedes. Let Da Jun handle the Guanghua Community matter himself—whoever made the mess cleans it up. I'll drive you and your sister-in-law to the Provincial Capital."

From Shi Yong's tone, I could tell he didn't want to get involved in this matter.

Yeah, nobody wants to apologize.

But this little thing can't be left for me to handle, can it?

I told Shi Yong, "We'll go to the Provincial Capital and come back the same day; you don't need to go. Just handle this matter. Represent me, go soothe the Guanghua Community homeowners' representative. Spend a bit more money, don't let them post nonsense online, or else it'll look bad for Da Heng Group."

"Okay, brother, I'll listen to you. Also, there's another matter: Elder Brother Li Jiayou went to the city hospital for a check-up recently and might have a serious illness. He wants to see you, but actually he just wants to ask you for money. Brother, just pretend you don't know." Shi Yong said over the phone.

Upon hearing that Li Jiayou had a serious illness, my heart ached.

This Li Jiayou is my sworn elder brother,

we worked together on the construction site at Niushiling, and when I first started out, I also relied on his support.

But later he did many things he shouldn't have, such as seizing the construction site, driving me and Shi Yong away, and what happened between him and Qiao Jie.

Some things are unforgettable for a lifetime.

I'm not the type to hold grudges; if I were, I wouldn't let Li Jiayou come back to work with me.

He followed me in contracting the construction site of the Dawang Town dye factory, and he earned a large sum of money.

With that money, I wanted him to find a decent woman to settle down with.

But he didn't listen to me at all, and got to know a hostess at a KTV in Dawang Town,

insisting on spending his life with that kind of woman—how unreliable such a woman is—result: the woman scammed him out of his money and then fled.

After that, he completely gave up, living each day by drinking alcohol. He no longer managed the construction site.

There was nothing I could do; I could only give him a little money each month to support him.

Hearing Shi Yong say he had a serious illness, my heart still felt uneasy.

"Shi Yong, wait until I return from the Provincial Capital to see him. First arrange for him to be hospitalized; I'll cover the cost." I said.

"Why should you pay? What has Li Jiayou ever done for the company? He's ended up like this entirely through his own fault. I'll just give him a thousand yuan." Shi Yong said over the phone.

"Shi Yong, listen to me: Li Jiayou is after all our sworn elder brother. We were five brothers, but Song Erguang died early, leaving us four. No need to say more—I'll cover Li Jiayou's hospitalization expenses." I said firmly.

"Brother, you're too sentimental. Alright, I'll arrange his hospitalization." Shi Yong said and hung up.

After Shi Yong hung up, my heart still couldn't calm down.

When people reach middle age, all kinds of bad news tend to come.

In fact, one sign of a man's maturity is experiencing the various life-and-death events of relatives and friends; only then can one understand life.

Having lived through several decades of life, experiencing the loss of relatives, I've realized that life truly has no damn meaning—just living, eating, sleeping, struggling to make money, and reproducing.

Forget it, I don't want to think about these philosophical issues.

At that moment, Zhou Wei called from downstairs: "Husband, breakfast is ready."

I replied and went downstairs.

The breakfast made by the maid He Jie consisted of fried eggs, milk, whole-wheat bread, ham, and other Western dishes.

This was the standard lifestyle for wealthy people in Zaocheng at that time.

Actually, I'm not used to eating this at all.

What I still like most to eat is a pancake roll with pickled vegetables or a freshly baked huo shao with some pork head meat, accompanied by a sip of alcohol.

That's really refreshing.

But once you live a wealthy life, you can't live like you used to.

You have to upgrade your lifestyle.

I took a sip of milk and ate a bit of fried egg.

No appetite.

When He Jie saw how little I ate,

she quickly said, "Sir, is the fried egg too oily?"

I shook my head,

wiped my mouth with a napkin,

"Zhou Wei, today we're going to the Provincial Capital and not staying there."

Zhou Wei said: "Dad, this is also an old problem; there's Zhou Gang watching over there. We'll just go have a look."

By the way, I saw a piece of clothing at Ginza in the Provincial Capital that I want to try on."

I said: "Good. We have time for that."

Just then, the doorbell rang outside.

I said, "Let's go, the car is here."

Zhou Wei picked up a Chanel bag and hooked my arm.

Zhou Wei and I walked out of the door together.

A brand-new Mercedes-Benz S600 was parked at the entrance.

The driver, Wu Ping, was wiping a bit of mud off the car with a towel.

Wu Ping saw me,

Wu Ping saw me and immediately smiled, saying, "Good morning, Chairman, good morning, Aunt Zhou."

I merely nodded slightly.

Zhou Wei chuckled at Wu Ping.

"Wu Ping, I've told you many times, don't call me Aunt, you're making me sound old."

I said, "If that doesn't work, let Wu Ping call you Grandma."

"Get lost." Zhou Wei glared at me.

Then Wu Ping hurried to the back, opened the car door, and let Zhou Wei and me get in.

Wu Ping is such a perceptive young man, very articulate and sensible.

I really like him.

Wu Ping is none other than the son of Wu Xiezi.

Does everyone still remember Wu Xiezi? He jumped to his death after an incident in a demolition relocation.

I've always had a good impression of Wu Xiezi; I relied on him for contract work in Niushiling, and he assigned me to follow Xia Yuan. Later we founded Great City Company together.

Not long after Great City Company was founded, I went to prison and he jumped to his death.

He was a guiding figure in my life.

Since his death by jumping, I have done my best to take care of his family.

His son Wu Ping didn't get into college after high school, so I hired him at the company—first as a general helper, then gradually as a driver, and eventually he became my personal driver.

Even in the afterlife, Wu Xiezi would hold no grudge against me.

I strive to repay everyone who has helped me.

Really, as Shi Yong said, I am very sentimental.

After Wu Ping waited for me and Zhou Wei to get in the car, he started the engine.

Then he opened the interior curtains.

This separated the driver from the passengers.

No matter what the people in the back talked about, the driver couldn't hear it.

The car was very quiet.

Zhou Wei and I looked at each other in silence.

The car quickly drove out of the villa area of Cloud Top Mountain and headed for the highway.