Chapter 2114: Changing with Each Passing Day

Zhou Andong led the people toward the parking lot. The sky presented a gloomy scene. He looked up at the sky. This dark tone looked very much like smog, but Zhou Andong knew it was sand and dust.

Since modern times, with industrial development, the ecological environment has been seriously damaged. Especially since Beijing is located in the north, close to the Gobi Desert, sandstorms occur frequently from March to May every year.

Since the end of the 1970s, government departments in surrounding provinces and cities have begun to take active actions, vigorously carrying out tree planting and afforestation activities, and are committed to restoring the regional ecological environment.

These measures aim to reduce the amount of sand blowing to the capital and improve air quality. It is expected that in eight to ten years, the sand and dust situation in Beijing will be significantly alleviated.

Therefore, in this era, even in July, Beijing still has the possibility of encountering sand and dust weather. However, compared with spring, the sand and dust at this time are not as serious as then, and the feeling given to people is more like smog.

Everyone arrived at the parking lot, ready to retrieve their vehicles. After being parked for more than a week, the car body was covered with a thick layer of dust, looking gray.

After everyone got in the car, they first turned on the windshield wipers to wipe the dust on the glass clean, and then started the car. With the roar of the engine, the motorcade slowly drove out of the parking lot and merged into the city's traffic.

At this time, Old Cricket was slowly pedaling that dilapidated tricycle along Chang'an Street from east to west.

He turned into the road right next to the Forbidden City wall. This road still has no name to this day.

From south to north, the south exit is Chang'an Street, the west side is the Forbidden City wall, and the east side is the entrance to five hutongs.

And the north end is the courtyard wall of Zhou Andong's backyard garden, connected to the Forbidden City wall in a T-shape.

Originally, there was an open space between the entrance of Anqiu Hutong and the backyard garden wall, which has now become the entrance to the underground garage.

So this road has always been a dead end, but for some reason, it has never had a name.

As soon as Old Cricket turned in, he saw that there were people everywhere under the old locust tree, men, women, old, and young.

And the hutong directly facing the old locust tree was full of dust, and the noise was endless.

"What is this for?" Old Cricket pedaled a few times and rode over.

"Uncle An!"

A young man wearing a suit, tie, and shiny leather shoes greeted him.

"I didn't even know you sold the courtyard. I was just thinking about finding you to drink someday."

Seeing the young man, Old Cricket smiled. "When did you come back?"

The young man was the Second Squire, Wang Yihai. He took out a Huazi from his pocket and lit one for Old Cricket.

"I came back yesterday."

(Forget to look back at Chapter 481)

Old Cricket looked at the Huazi in his hand. "You kid, it's been almost two years since you left. It seems you've been mixing very well in the south."

"It's alright."

The Second Squire said with emotion, "I've been gone for less than two years, and the changes in our area are so big. Many neighbors have moved away."

Old Cricket sighed. "Those who moved away still have the possibility of meeting, but Uncle Wang is gone, and I can't see him even if I want to."

"I heard about it as soon as I came back." The Second Squire also felt sad. "Uncle Wang's body was so strong, and he just passed away. When I came back that day and my mom told me, my heart felt empty."

"For people of our age, the soil has already been buried under our noses. Maybe one day we'll just go 'snap,' so we are living one second at a time now."

Old Cricket shook his head with some sadness, and then adjusted his emotions and looked up at the hutong full of dust.

"What are they doing?"

The Second Squire also looked up. "All the courtyards in the hutong have been sold. People are tearing down walls, preparing to open them up. As for what they are doing, I don't know."

Old Cricket smoked. "Just ask Boss Zhou and you'll know."

"Ah?" The Second Squire asked with some surprise. "Did Boss Zhou buy that too?"

"Definitely!" Old Cricket said with a smile. "Except for Boss Zhou, who has such great strength, and who has the ability to get all those tenants away."

The Second Squire's heart moved, looking at an eight-immortal table and four chairs on the tricycle.

"Uncle An, are you sending this stuff to Boss Zhou?"

"It's rosewood." Old Cricket patted the table. "Only by sending it to Boss Zhou can its value be reflected."

The Second Squire laughed. "You just say that the price Boss Zhou gave is high enough."

Old Cricket followed with a smile. "Whenever I have good things, I send them to Boss Zhou, and I never haggle."

The Second Squire lowered his voice. "So, you have also earned a lot from Boss Zhou."

Old Cricket shook his head slightly. "Actually, the price given to Boss Zhou is not high, it's all market price. It's just that Boss Zhou is righteous, and he adds a little bit every time."

The Second Squire didn't continue on this topic. No matter how good his relationship with Old Cricket was, he couldn't get the truth out of such things.

"Uncle An, when you see Boss Zhou in a while, ask him if he still wants courtyards."

Old Cricket looked at the Second Squire. "How about it, is your courtyard going to be sold too?"

The Second Squire leaned toward Old Cricket, and his voice lowered again.

"In our area, there are only two rows left, more than thirty courtyards. If Boss Zhou has the intention to want them, I can discuss with the other families and sell them all to him."

Old Cricket raised his eyebrows. "Boss Zhou said that if someone sells courtyards, he will buy them, but if no one sells them, he won't force it."

"I believe Boss Zhou said that." The Second Squire smoked a cigarette and continued, "But except for the five-entry courtyard he lives in himself, those two rows of courtyards have all been opened up. He must be doing something. I don't believe he has no ideas about the remaining thirty-plus courtyards."

Old Cricket sized up the Second Squire and said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "What do you want?"

The Second Squire reached out and twisted his fingers. "Just give me some agency fee. How much, it all depends on Boss Zhou's reward."

"Alright, I'll tell him when I see Zhou Andong."

Old Cricket agreed, because if this business was successful, Zhou Andong would certainly not give him less.

"Is that Boss Zhou's car?" The Second Squire was just about to say something when he saw several cars turning in from the intersection.

Old Cricket looked back and a smile appeared on his face. "It really is his car."

And Zhou Andong also saw Old Cricket. After Wang Wentian stopped the car, he got out.

"Old Cricket, do you have good things again?"

Old Cricket smiled and patted the eight-immortal table. "Rosewood, one table, four stools, all sent to you."

Zhou Andong nodded and looked at the Second Squire. "Second Squire, ever since I moved here to live, why haven't I seen you?"

The Second Squire reached out and shook hands with Zhou Andong. "I went to the south and just came back yesterday. In less than two years, the changes in this area are too big. Many people have moved away, and I'm really not used to it."

Zhou Andong took the cigarette handed over by the Second Squire. "If you wait another two years to come back, don't talk about this area, the changes in the entire Beijing will make you feel strange."

The Second Squire took a lighter and lit the cigarette for Zhou Andong. "Now the city construction is too fast, it can be said to be changing with each passing day. I have deep experience in the south, it's really different every day."

"Right!" Zhou Andong laughed. "Looking at you, you've been mixing quite well in the south. It's just that in this hot weather, you wear a suit and tie, aren't you afraid of getting prickly heat?" ===== CHAPTER 2115 =====