Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 11: A Conflict Arises

In the afternoon, a light drizzle began to fall. Mu Dong sat on the train, watching the raindrops start to slide down the windowpane. He quickly called the stockpile yard to inquire about rain protection measures. Only now did Mu Dong realize just how fortunate it was that the stockpile yard was built on a gentle slope. It was still the rainy season, and the gentle slope allowed for easy drainage, meaning operations could resume as soon as the rain stopped. If the yard had been on flat ground, the muddy conditions after every rain would have brought operations to a standstill for several days. Mu Dong chose to take the train back to Quancheng this time. There was an afternoon train that fit his schedule perfectly. By this time, summer vacation was over, but perhaps because it was the weekend, the train was still quite crowded. Sitting across from Mu Dong were two young women who looked like college students; they seemed to be traveling together. One had a round face and shoulder-length hair. The other had an oval face and wore her hair in a ponytail. When she saw Mu Dong hang up the phone, the girl with the round face asked, “Brother, you sound like you’re from southern Shandong, too, don’t you?” Mu Dong had just been on the phone with the yard, so he’d been speaking in his local dialect. Normally, when he was in Quancheng, he spoke Mandarin. Mu Dong replied, “Yes, I’m from Southern Shandong, but I work in Quancheng. You two beauties—are you students or working?” The girl with the round face replied, “We’re students at Ludong University.” Mu Dong said, “Didn’t the semester start a while ago? It’s already mid-September, isn’t it?” The round-faced girl replied, “We’re seniors—our semester started late.” It’s a blessing to have someone to chat with while traveling. The girl with the oval face spoke very little, only chiming in occasionally. Mu Dong learned that the round-faced girl’s name was Fang Xiaojie, and the oval-faced girl’s name was Liu Fangfei. They were both seniors in the School of Management at Ludong University and roommates. Three and a half hours later, the train pulled into the station. Before getting off, Fang Xiaojie asked Mu Dong for his phone number. She said that if she ever needed anything in the future, she’d ask her fellow townsman for help. After a moment’s hesitation, Mu Dong took out two business cards from Northern Electronics and gave one to each of them. Then the three of them got off the train and went their separate ways. Mu Dong called Xiao Xiao, who said she was at school. Mu Dong hopped on a bus to pick her up, planning to have dinner together that evening. Xiao Xiao had been feeling quite troubled these past few days. Last Saturday, Gao Ya had insisted on dragging her to a gathering at a café, saying it was organized by a group of her friends—just a chance to unwind. Xiao Xiao didn’t like attending such gatherings, but Gao Ya said she’d be too lonely going alone. Unable to resist Gao Ya’s persistent nagging, Xiao Xiao finally agreed. Once she got there, Xiao Xiao realized she’d apparently been set up by Gao Ya. There were only four people, and the other two were men. This didn’t feel like a get-together at all—it felt more like… a blind date. And that was exactly the case. Xiao Xiao had been set up by Gao Ya. Gao Ya had recently started dating a new boyfriend named Qin Gang. Qin Gang’s family ran a large-scale renovation business and had considerable wealth. Qin Gang had a cousin named Su Mengda. Su Mengda’s family ran a building materials business and served as an upstream supplier to the Qin family. The Su family’s business was much larger than the Qin family’s. It could be said that the Qin family had gradually grown thanks to the Su family’s support. A while back, Su Mengda accompanied Qin Gang to pick up Gao Ya. At the school gate, they saw Li Xiaoxiao coming out with Gao Ya. Su Mengda was instantly struck by her beauty and felt he had found his true love. In fact, Su Mengda often found “true love” like this. As the young master of the Su family, he was notorious as a playboy within his social circle. So Su Mengda asked Gao Ya about Xiao Xiao and learned that Xiao Xiao had a boyfriend from the countryside who worked as a small-time salesman. Su Mengda felt no pressure at all. Gao Ya had met Mu Dong a few times and didn’t hold out much hope for his future with Xiao Xiao. She believed that, given Xiao Xiao’s beauty, she could easily change her future through marriage—there was no need to struggle alongside Mu Dong. Now that Gao Ya had the chance to curry favor with Su Mengda—and indirectly with her new boyfriend, Qin Gang—why not take it? So Gao Ya orchestrated this “blind date,” of which the female lead was completely unaware. When Su Mengda saw that Gao Ya had actually brought Xiao Xiao along, he beamed with delight. He kept summoning the waiter, ordering this and that one after another. At the same time, he kept telling Xiao Xiao how delicious and rare this coffee was, and how exquisite and tasty that pastry was. The subtext boiled down to one word—expensive! Xiao Xiao was good-natured. She sat there patiently for a while before excusing herself and leaving. Seeing Xiao Xiao leave, Su Mengda jumped to his feet in a panic, ready to chase after her, but Qin Gang grabbed him by the arm. “Mengda, this girl is different. You have to take it slow and steady—haste makes waste.” Su Mengda sat back down grudgingly, muttering something under his breath. From then on, Su Mengda became a familiar sight outside the gates of Fifth Elementary School. The young master, dressed to the nines and leaning against a silver BMW X5, would hold a large bouquet of roses and wait punctually at the entrance every afternoon after school. As soon as he spotted Xiao Xiao, he’d hand her the bouquet amid a sea of curious stares. Although Xiao Xiao refused it every time and hurried away, Su Mengda persisted, showing up on time every single day. Today was Sunday, a day off. Xiao Xiao was alone in her dorm; Gao Ya had gone out early that morning. Starting at 9:00 a. m. , Xiao Xiao’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing—Su Mengda was asking her out to lunch. Xiao Xiao politely declined, of course, explaining that she really did have a boyfriend. But Su Mengda kept calling over and over, even saying he’d come pick her up at noon. Frightened, Xiao Xiao hurriedly left her dorm and went to school. What Xiao Xiao didn’t know was that as soon as she arrived at school, Gao Ya found out and notified Su Mengda. So, starting at noon, at the deserted school gate on the weekend, Su Mengda once again put on a show of “a playboy, a luxury car, and roses.” When Mu Dong arrived at the entrance of Fifth Elementary School, he saw the scene from a distance. Mu Dong knew he must be waiting at the gate for some beautiful female teacher. But he never imagined that the person he was waiting for was actually Xiao Xiao. It wasn’t until he saw that slick-haired, made-up guy, roses in hand, walking toward Xiao Xiao as she appeared at the gate that Mu Dong finally realized this timeline was, after all, somewhat different from the previous one. This scene hadn’t happened in the previous timeline—or perhaps he just hadn’t known about it? Had Xiao Xiao handled it on her own? When Su Mengda saw Xiao Xiao walk past him toward Mu Dong on the other side of the entrance, his face turned pale with anger. So this guy was Xiao Xiao’s boyfriend? What kind of person was he? Judging by his clothes, he really did look just like Gao Ya had described—just a lowly office worker. Was Li Xiao Xiao ignoring him just for a guy like this? This was a damn humiliating defeat! With that thought, Su Mengda shouted, “Li Xiao Xiao, you’re ignoring me just for this guy? You really have great taste!” Then he turned to Mu Dong and said, “Buddy, you’re Mu Dong? Name your price—hand Xiao Xiao over to me.” Mu Dong, having traveled through time, already possessed the mindset of a middle-aged man, so naturally he wasn’t going to waste his time arguing with some young punk here. He stared at Su Mengda for a moment, then took Xiao Xiao’s hand and turned to walk away. Su Mengda had originally intended to pick a fight, but when Mu Dong didn’t take the bait and just stared back at him, Su Mengda felt a bit confused and somewhat surprised, so he calmed down. Mu Dong walked along, holding Xiao Xiao’s hand. After a while, Xiao Xiao tugged on his arm, stepped in front of him, and whispered, “Mu Dong, let me explain.” Mu Dong gently wrapped his arms around Xiao Xiao and whispered in her ear, “Honey, there’s no need to explain. The moment you walked toward me, I already had my answer.” That’s right—for two people who had once supported each other through thick and thin in another timeline, there was nothing left to explain. Mu Dong added, “Let’s go get something to eat. What do you feel like having?” In the end, they decided to go for barbecue. Barbecue on a summer night in Quancheng is truly a huge hit. While they were eating, Xiao Xiao still explained the whole story from beginning to end. After listening, Mu Dong said, “You can’t stay at Gao Ya’s place anymore. Here’s what we’ll do: move out tomorrow and come stay with me. It’s a bit farther, but it’ll give you some peace and quiet for now. I’ll be heading back to Southern Shandong in a few days, so just stay there and relax—you’re not doing anything else anyway.” Unexpectedly, Xiao Xiao was even more anxious and said, “Let’s not wait until tomorrow. After we finish eating, come with me to move right now.” Mu Dong thought about it and agreed. After they finished eating, the two went to the dorm to pack up Xiao Xiao’s clothes and some personal belongings, then left in a hurry. Xiao Xiao was a bit reluctant to part with some of the larger items—like the bed, a set of desk and chairs, and some kitchenware—but Mu Dong persuaded her, and she let them go. Back at Mu Dong’s place, they took turns washing up and then cuddled up to watch TV for a while. Mu Dong whispered softly to Xiao Xiao, “Honey, just hang in there for a few more months. Once I buy a house, we’ll get married.” Xiao Xiao felt a warm glow in her heart and nodded gently. In Xiao Xiao’s mind, buying a house was a given. Mu Dong had said that selling sand could make money; if only they could save up enough for the down payment, they could pay off the rest of the mortgage little by little, and life would eventually get better. Little did Xiao Xiao know that, in Mu Dong’s plan, the house represented an obsession spanning two different times—he wanted to give her a surprise. Before long, Xiao Xiao began to doze off. She’d been mentally and physically exhausted from Su Mengda’s harassment these past few days, and now that she could finally relax, she fell asleep quickly. Mu Dong gently tucked a blanket around Xiao Xiao, then turned on his computer to prepare his business trip report. Technically, he was still on the job, so he had to keep up appearances. Fortunately, although he hadn’t done much detailed research, he had some information stored from the other timeline, so writing a business trip report was a breeze. An hour later, Mu Dong finished his business trip report, climbed into the top bunk, and fell into a deep sleep. He had truly been worn out these past few days. The next day, Mu Dong first checked out of his leave with the company’s General Affairs and Finance departments. Then, he emailed a report titled “Market Survey of Southern Shandong and Outlook for the Future Mobile Phone Market” to Han Yong, with copies sent to the company’s Finance and General Affairs departments. No sooner had he sent the email than Cheng Qiang showed up. As soon as they met, Cheng Qiang told Mu Dong he was being unfair—he’d been away on a business trip for so long, yet came back without even a souvenir. Mu Dong replied, “My bad, my bad, buddy. No more excuses—I’m treating you tonight. What do you feel like eating?” Cheng Qiang replied, “You said it, so remember to bring your wallet tonight—we’re going to Boiling Fish Village. Don’t worry, I won’t skimp on your expense. Oh, and I’m bringing a pretty lady tonight—you should invite your wife, too.” Mu Dong naturally agreed. He then called Xiao Xiao to let her know about the dinner plans. Mu Dong then went to Han Yong’s office, but Han Yong wasn’t there. After asking the General Affairs Department, he learned that Han Yong had gone back to the Beijing headquarters for a meeting. Mu Dong thought to himself that there must be some progress on the layoff issue. There wasn’t much to do in the Marketing Department right now. Mu Dong spent the whole day in his office, browsing online for various materials on yard management. Through these materials, he realized there were some minor issues with the yard that needed improvement. He planned to address them once he returned to his hometown. After work, Mu Dong picked up Xiao Xiao and they went to Boiling Fish Village. This afternoon at the school gate, he didn’t see Su Mengda hanging out there trying to look cool. Cheng Qiang hadn’t arrived yet; he’d said on the phone that he was picking up his girlfriend. Since there were only four of them, Mu Dong didn’t request a private room but chose a booth in the main dining area instead. The booth was partially enclosed and nicely decorated. About fifteen minutes later, Cheng Qiang arrived with his girlfriend. Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao stood up, ready to greet them. As Cheng Qiang walked over with a round-faced, slightly plump girl, Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao’s eyes slowly widened. They exchanged glances and saw the same look of surprise in each other’s eyes. They had both seen this girl before. She was the nurse from Quancheng First People’s Hospital—the one who’d poured Mu Dong a glass of hot water. Xiao Xiao had also seen her a few times at the hospital later on, so she recognized her. Seeing the expressions on Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao’s faces, Cheng Qiang asked in confusion, “Do you two know her?” Mu Dong replied, “We’ve met before. We’ve met before. I’d also like to thank your girlfriend for taking such good care of me.” Cheng Qiang introduced them to each other. The girl’s name was Cai Jiaojiao; she was a nursing graduate from Ludong Medical University who had just started working. She’d been introduced to Cheng Qiang by his parents’ friends. That made sense—since both of Cheng Qiang’s parents were doctors, they naturally gave priority to people within the medical field when looking for a girlfriend for him. Cai Jiaojiao actually couldn’t quite remember Mu Dong. With so many patients coming and going at the hospital every day, it was like a never-ending stream—she really couldn’t recall him clearly. Besides, Mu Dong’s face had been so terribly swollen back then that it was a sight to behold—completely different from how he looked now. After Mu Dong gave her a hint, Cai Jiaojiao remembered and said, “Right, right, I remember now—you’re the one who got stabbed twice in the butt.” Mu Dong felt a bit embarrassed. Well, this girl certainly had a straightforward personality—she’d actually be a pretty good match for Cheng Qiang. Cheng Qiang burst out laughing. They ordered their food and chatted as they ate. Since they’d known each other for quite some time, there was none of the awkwardness that often comes with meeting strangers. Mu Dong had always been grateful to the nurse who’d given him two bottles of water when he first woke up. Now that the nurse had become Cheng Qiang’s girlfriend, it made him truly happy—and he was glad for Cheng Qiang, too. It was Cheng Qiang’s good fortune to have met such a kind-hearted girl. Mu Dong brought up the story of those two bottles of water again, mainly to tell Cheng Qiang. Mu Dong said it was the sweetest, most thirst-quenching water he’d ever had—and, of course, the hottest. Upon hearing this, Cheng Qiang looked at Cai Jiaojiao thoughtfully, feeling a bit surprised. Cheng Qiang couldn’t say he was dissatisfied with Cai Jiaojiao, nor could he say he felt any spark with her. She’d been introduced by his family, and he’d found her rather ordinary. But now, after hearing Mu Dong’s words, he actually found Cai Jiaojiao much more appealing. Mu Dong and Cheng Qiang had always gotten along well, and now that Cai Jiaojiao was part of the picture, Mu Dong felt a sense of gratitude. After thinking it over, Mu Dong told Cheng Qiang about his plans to resign and the sand quarry project, adding that Han Yong had also invested a small amount of money, so the returns over the next year should be decent. Cheng Qiang was somewhat surprised—first, because he hadn’t expected Mu Dong to be planning to quit, and second, because he hadn’t expected Han Yong to have invested in the sand quarry. Everyone in the company knew just how shrewd “Big Boss Han” was. Fortunately, Mu Dong didn’t mention that Han Yong had invested 500,000; if he had, it might have scared Cheng Qiang. Mu Dong continued, “Qiangzi, if you have any spare cash, you can invest some too. Don’t worry—I promise to make you some money.” Then, turning to Cai Jiaojiao, he added, “Little Cai, if you have any spare cash, you might want to consider it too.” Xiao Cai actually did have some spare cash. Her mother was a doctor, her father was in business, and her family owned a modest fortune. As the family’s only precious daughter, she was spoiled rotten. Throughout her four years of college, Cai’s father provided her with a generous living allowance. Although Cai Jiaojiao had a generous nature, she wasn’t flashy and didn’t spend money recklessly. By the time she finished college, she had actually saved several ten thousand yuan. Combined with her New Year’s red envelope money and other savings over the years, Cai Jiaojiao, fresh out of college, already had 100,000 yuan in savings. Cheng Qiang trusted Mu Dong implicitly, and above all, he trusted his judgment regarding Han Yong. However, he claimed he didn’t have the money and said he’d go home and ask his mom for it. Cai Jiaojiao shot him a disapproving glance but didn’t say anything. Mu Dong appreciated the gesture and didn’t press the matter further; the group continued their meal. A short while later, Cai Jiaojiao got up to use the restroom, and Xiao Xiao accompanied her, leaving Cheng Qiang and Mu Dong to talk. “Hey, isn’t that the broke kid? Eating in the lobby?” Mu Dong looked up and saw Su Mengda, who was clearly drunk. Su Mengda had been dining with a few of his ne’er-do-well friends in a private room upstairs. On his way down to use the restroom, he happened to spot Mu Dong. Bolstered by the alcohol, Su Mengda came over to show off. Cheng Qiang wasn’t having it. He asked Mu Dong, “Bro Dong, who’s this asshole?” Hearing this, Su Mengda reached out to shove Cheng Qiang, cursing, “You fucking fatso, who are you talking about?” As soon as Mu Dong saw Su Mengda make a move, he stood up, gathered all his strength, aimed right at Su Mengda’s face, and—smack—landed a hard slap. Mu Dong had been itching to slap this guy since yesterday, but he’d held back until now—and finally, he struck. Su Mengda, being spoiled rotten, was knocked off balance by the slap and plopped down on the floor. He scrambled to his feet and swung a punch at Mu Dong’s face, but Mu Dong sidestepped it. Su Mengda cursed furiously, grabbed a dining chair nearby, and was about to smash it into Mu Dong when Cheng Qiang snatched the chair away. Then Cheng Qiang raised his foot and kicked him hard, sending him crashing to the ground. Su Mengda was nearly out of his mind; he scrambled to his feet again and charged at Cheng Qiang. Halfway through his charge, he suddenly came to a screeching halt and stared straight ahead. Following his gaze, Mu Dong saw that Cai Jiaojiao and Xiao Xiao had returned. Mu Dong thought Su Mengda had stopped because he’d seen Xiao Xiao, but when he saw Cai Jiaojiao walking toward Su Mengda, he realized he’d been wrong. “Su San, what are you doing causing a scene here?” Cai Jiaojiao spoke up. “Su San” was Su Mengda’s nickname, though few dared to call him that. Unfortunately, since Cai Jiaojiao had given him that nickname, Miss Cai, of course, had no qualms about using it. Cai Jiaojiao and Su Mengda had been playmates in the same neighborhood since childhood. Su Mengda was a year younger than Cai Jiaojiao and had been bullied by her since they were little. Back then, the Su family’s business wasn’t as big as it is now, and Su Mengda was frail as a child—he looked just like a girl—so Cai Jiaojiao gave him the nickname “Su San.” Now that the Su family has become wealthy, Su Mengda still doesn’t dare to cross Cai Jiaojiao. Although Mr. Su’s business isn’t very large, the Cai family has a powerful figure whom the Su family cannot afford to offend: Cai Jiaojiao’s second uncle, Cai Guoliang, the 42-year-old Deputy Mayor of Quancheng City.