Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 23: I Won the Lottery

The two returned to the company. Mu Dong picked up the liquor from Han Yong’s desk, then headed to the hotel. Mu Dong asked the front desk to book a train ticket for tomorrow morning. He went back to his room to drop off the liquor, then headed to the restaurant for a hearty meal. After dinner, Mu Dong asked the front desk for a sturdy paper bag. Those two bottles of Moutai were still in a mesh bag—way too conspicuous. He was taking the train tomorrow, so he’d better keep a low profile. His nightly routine was to chat on the phone with Xiao Xiao for hours. Mu Dong felt as if a fire had ignited in his heart, making his blood boil. After hanging up, he went to the bathroom for a cold shower, which finally calmed him down enough to slowly drift off to sleep. It was time to go back—he missed Xiao Xiao so much. Early the next morning, Mu Dong got up very early; he was going to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony. It was a bit chilly in Beijing in mid-October. Mu Dong wanted to get there early to secure a good spot, so he got up very early and was already in a taxi by 4:00 a. m. The time of the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square varies every day. It is precisely calculated by the Beijing Astronomical Observatory based on the time of sunrise. Today was October 17, and the flag-raising was scheduled for 6:27 a. m. The weather was nice. The moon hung high in the pitch-black night sky, surrounded by the faint twinkling of scattered stars. Tiananmen Square was ablaze with lights, and the towering Monument to the People’s Heroes stood majestically and solemnly under the illumination. Mu Dong was lucky enough to find a spot relatively close to the front. The crowd was dense, and the air was filled with hushed whispers. The sky gradually began to lighten, turning from deep blue to light blue, and then quickly to a grayish-white. The lights on the square went out, and a squad of flag bearers marched in unison from the distance. The crowd fell silent. As the stirring national anthem began to play, people couldn’t help but sing along. In that moment, everyone felt a deep sense of pride in their country; the sense of unity evoked by the ceremony deeply moved everyone present. Mu Dong, too, felt his emotions welling up. The spirit of the nation was fully embodied in this moment. Mu Dong took the subway back to his hotel, had breakfast, and checked out. At 10:00 a. m. , carrying two bottles of liquor, he boarded the train back to Quancheng. While going through security, Mu Dong was a little worried about whether he’d be allowed to bring the alcohol onto the train. In the end, the security officer took a quick look, saw that the bottles were properly sealed, and let him through. Before the train departed, Mu Dong called Liu Wei to tell her he had checked out and left, thanking her for her care and help. He then called Chen Hong to say goodbye as well. After thinking for a moment, he sent a text message to Wu Gang. “Hello, Mr. Wu, this is Mu Dong. I’ve left Beijing. Thank you very much for your hospitality; I’ve really enjoyed my time exploring Beijing these past few days. Wishing you all the best in your work.” To his surprise, Wu Gang replied: “My young friend, have a safe trip!” By noon, Mu Dong had returned to Quancheng. He’d eaten lunch on the train—a high-speed train boxed meal that wasn’t very tasty or filling, but it was enough to tide him over. Mu Dong first went home to drop off two bottles of wine. Then he headed to a jewelry store on Quancheng Road. After some browsing, Mu Dong spent 3,000 yuan on a platinum ring. The design was simple, with sleek lines. Since he was still in the early stages of starting his business, Mu Dong didn’t want to spend money recklessly. Besides, based on what he knew about Xiao Xiao, she would wear a white gold ring every day. If he bought an expensive diamond ring, it would likely end up gathering dust in a drawer. Then Mu Dong went to a flower shop and bought a large bouquet of red roses. In the history of Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao’s relationship, this was definitely an unprecedented luxury. Mu Dong also considered booking a table at a Western-style restaurant. After thinking it over, he decided against it and resolved to just go home and cook a meal. After work, Xiao Xiao walked home feeling a bit down. She hadn’t expected Mu Dong’s business trip to affect her this deeply. It had been several days now, and he still hadn’t come back—she really missed him. She walked up the stairs alone, idly pulling out her keys to unlock the door. Wait—the kitchen range hood was humming. It was her own kitchen. Mu Dong’s back! Xiao Xiao quickly opened the door and just caught sight of Mu Dong setting a plate of food on the table. “Mu Dong!” Xiao Xiao shouted, startling Mu Dong so much that he flinched. The range hood was so loud that Mu Dong hadn’t heard Xiao Xiao open the door. When he came out of the kitchen, he had his back to the doorway. Mu Dong turned around just as Xiao Xiao rushed toward him like a whirlwind, and the two embraced tightly. Mu Dong asked softly, “Honey, did you miss me?” Xiao Xiao nodded and whispered, “Mm-hmm.” They held each other tightly, but suddenly, Mu Dong pushed Xiao Xiao away and rushed back into the kitchen. A wail rang out from the kitchen: “My shredded potatoes!” Xiao Xiao covered her mouth and laughed. There was nothing to be done—the shredded potatoes had burned beyond recognition. He had no choice but to throw them away. Mu Dong had originally planned to serve six dishes, but now that the shredded potatoes were a total loss, he had no choice but to open another can of herring and plate it. Then Mu Dong went to the balcony to retrieve the bouquet of roses he’d hidden there. He took out the jewelry box, opened it, knelt on one knee in front of Xiao Xiao, and said solemnly and tenderly, “Li Xiao Xiao, will you marry me?” At first, Xiao Xiao watched in surprise as Mu Dong rummaged around. In her mind, Mu Dong was a steady, level-headed person—though he might occasionally show a bit of passion, he was definitely not the romantic type. This huge surprise came out of nowhere. Seeing Mu Dong kneeling on one knee, holding the roses and raising the ring high, Xiao Xiao was overwhelmed; tears of joy streamed down her face. She haphazardly wiped her tears with the back of her hand, took a step forward, accepted the ring and roses, nodded repeatedly, and stammered, “I’ll marry you, I’ll marry you. Get up quickly—I’ll marry you, I’ll marry you.” Mu Dong jumped to his feet. Although he’d known all along that Xiao Xiao would say yes, he was still overcome with emotion at that moment. The two embraced once more. After a long moment, Mu Dong said, “You must be hungry, my wife. Let’s eat first.” The meal was lavish: braised pork ribs with lotus root, spicy chicken, spicy stir-fried clams, seafood dumpling soup, shiitake mushrooms with spinach, plus a can of herring—six dishes in total. There was also alcohol. Of course, it wasn’t Moutai, but Mu Dong did show off a bit during the meal—he’d gone to Beijing and brought back two bottles of fine wine. The wine was a small bottle of cellar-aged dried melon wine that Mu Dong had brought from his hometown last year—he’d never brought himself to drink it until now. On such an important occasion as tonight, a toast was in order. They each poured a small glass and sipped it slowly. A warm, intimate atmosphere filled the room. At first, they served each other food; then they began feeding each other; after a few bites, they’d kiss; and finally, they couldn’t continue eating. No sooner had they finished their small glasses of wine than they moved the action to the bed. In a daze, Xiao Xiao suggested taking a shower first. Come on, who needs a shower? Their passion was like a boulder tumbling down a mountain—there was no stopping it, and in an instant, it engulfed them both. Absence makes the heart grow fonder—soon, the two were passionately entwined. Xiao Xiao felt as if she were a blade of water grass, with waves of pleasure surging in and receding like the tide. Amid the tides, she rose and fell with the rhythm. Feeling as if she were about to suffocate, Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but let out a heavenly, low moan. Mu Dong was even more aroused by this. He leaned close to Xiao Xiao’s ear and whispered, “Honey, call me ‘husband’—let me hear it.” In her daze, Xiao Xiao murmured, “Husband.” Her voice was barely audible. Mu Dong continued to tease her, thrusting a few times with effort, and said, “I can’t hear you. Say it louder.” Xiao Xiao tilted her head back slightly, looked straight at Mu Dong, and said shyly, “Husband.” It was clear and distinct—the volume left Mu Dong very satisfied. He leaned down again and whispered, “Honey, call me that from now on.” Finally, drenched in sweat, the two of them calmed down, neither of them wanting to move a muscle. After a long while, Mu Dong rolled over and pulled Xiao Xiao into his arms. “Sweetheart, are you tired?” Xiao Xiao snuggled into his arms and whispered, “You’re so naughty—every muscle in my body aches.” “Hehehe…” Mu Dong chuckled softly. As they slowly regained their strength, they got up and tidied up a bit. They hadn’t finished their meal yet, and the food had gone cold, so they reheated it and continued eating. The intense physical exertion had given them a hearty appetite, and in the end, they polished off every last bit of food. After clearing the dishes, the two snuggled up together to watch TV. Mu Dong gently stroked Xiao Xiao’s hair and asked, “Honey, what kind of house do you like?” Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and said, “I like a house at the foot of a mountain. The air is fresh, I can hear birds singing in the morning, and when I have free time, I can go hiking.” Mu Dong continued, “Don’t most girls usually prefer a house by the sea—facing the ocean, with flowers blooming in the warm sunshine?” Xiao Xiao replied, “A house by the sea is certainly nice, but it’s too damp. I prefer a drier climate. I like it when the quilts smell of sunshine after being laid out to dry.” Mu Dong thought to himself: Just as I expected—so that’s what you’d say. Mu Dong decided to buy a house. Xiao Xiao had already accepted his proposal, so they needed to set up their own little nest. As for funding, if he won the lottery, he’d use the winnings. If not, he’d take out a mortgage for now. Oh right, the lottery—the drawing is tonight! He’d been so busy all afternoon, his head spinning with anticipation, that he’d almost forgotten. Mu Dong hurriedly dug out the lottery tickets he’d bought earlier and waited to watch the live broadcast on TV. At 9:00 p. m. , on the Lu Dong Qilu Channel, the drawing began, and the ping-pong balls rolled down one by one. “All right, viewers, the first basic number ball has been drawn. The first number is 5…” “The second main number is 12…” “The third main number is 3…” All three numbers matched!!! Mu Dong’s heart skipped a beat, and his breathing quickened. Could it be… today is the day!!! Mu Dong clutched his lottery ticket tightly, his eyes fixed intently on the TV screen, not moving a muscle. Xiao Xiao noticed Mu Dong’s unusual behavior. She glanced at the lottery ticket, then back at the TV, and her body went rigid as well. “The fourth main number is…” Yes! “The fifth main number is…” Right! “The sixth main number is…” Right! Mu Dong felt like he couldn’t breathe, his mind screaming over and over: 28! 28! “All right, viewers, the last main number has been drawn—the final main number is 28! Let’s all wait with bated breath for the bonus number…” “I won! Hahaha, I won!” Mu Dong didn’t even need to see the bonus number—he’d matched all seven main numbers, securing the first prize. He jumped to his feet and shouted at the top of his lungs. Then he suddenly scooped Xiao Xiao up from the bed and spun her around the room like crazy, shouting, “Honey, we won! We won! Hahaha!” He was practically going crazy. Xiao Xiao kept screaming, “Ah—Mu Dong, put me down, put me down, ah—ah—” Mu Dong had spun himself dizzy as well. He set Xiao Xiao down, and the two of them collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily. Although Mu Dong had control over more than two million in capital for his sand-hoarding business, that money came either from loans or from relatives and friends. Strictly speaking, none of it was his own—it was all earmarked for the sand business. As a result, Mu Dong had originally planned to wait until the sand business was wrapped up before he could afford to buy a house. But now, with the lottery winnings, he could do whatever he wanted with the money—how could he not be overjoyed! It took them a long time to calm down. Xiao Xiao asked, “How much did you win?” Mu Dong froze—he’d been so caught up in his excitement that he actually had no idea how much it was. Mu Dong scratched his head and said, “All I know right now are the winning numbers. We’ll have to wait for the official announcement to find out the details and the prize amount—probably tomorrow.” Xiao Xiao asked, “Can’t we look it up online?” Mu Dong: “I don’t think so, but I’ll check and see.” Sure enough, the winning details hadn’t been posted online yet. Xiao Xiao started chattering excitedly, already figuring out what she’d buy if they won a few million. Mu Dong, however, knew better—based on his memories from another timeline, the prize money should be less than one million. After chatting for a while, Mu Dong said with a grin, “Honey, how about we have a little fun?” Xiao Xiao rolled her eyes. “Fun, my ass!” In the end, she couldn’t resist Mu Dong’s persistent coaxing, and the two of them did it a second time before falling into a deep sleep. The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Mu Dong hurried online to check the lottery results. Three first-prize winners, with a prize of 756,074 yuan!!! Excited, Mu Dong woke Xiao Xiao up, shaking her shoulders and saying, “We’re rich, honey! We’re rich, we’re rich! Even after taxes, that’s still over half a million!” Xiao Xiao asked innocently, “Do they actually take taxes out of lottery winnings?” Mu Dong deflated instantly and snapped, “Of course there’s tax! Any prize over 10,000 yuan is taxed at 20 percent.” Xiao Xiao chuckled. Mu Dong said, “Hurry up and get up, honey. Let’s go claim the prize!” Xiao Xiao mumbled sleepily, “It’s the weekend—is the lottery center even open?” Mu Dong: “Honey, of course they’re open. Hurry up, hurry up.” The two got up, washed up, and ate breakfast. When they checked the time, it was only seven o’clock. Xiao Xiao teased Mu Dong, “You’re a poor man who’s suddenly struck it rich. What time is it anyway? The lottery center doesn’t open until nine, does it?” Mu Dong was at a loss for words. He paced restlessly around the room. After a while, he said to Xiao Xiao, “Honey, how about we have some fun again?” “Are you out of your mind?!” Xiao Xiao snapped. Their plans fell through. At least they managed to hold out until 8:30. The two of them grabbed their lottery tickets and IDs and took a taxi to the lottery center. When they got there, the staff had just started their shift. Claiming the prize was much simpler: they presented the ticket, signed the back of it, wrote down their ID numbers, filled out some forms, and an hour later, Mu Dong received a cashier’s check for 604,856 yuan. The Welfare Lottery Center then sent someone to accompany Mu Dong to the bank to complete the transfer. Another hour later, Mu Dong’s account had grown by more than 600,000. Although he had been prepared for this, Mu Dong still felt as if he were in a dream. “So this is what it feels like to have money—it’s just like being drunk,” Mu Dong thought to himself. “Let’s go shopping first,” Mu Dong said, dragging the equally dazed Xiao Xiao to the mall. With the season about to change, it was time to buy, buy, buy! Cashmere coats, sweaters, lingerie, boots… They quickly spent 10,000 yuan. Just as Mu Dong was looking at a Meihua ladies’ watch priced at over 6,000 yuan at the watch counter, Xiao Xiao snapped out of her daze, dragged Mu Dong out of the mall, and headed home. Pushing Mu Dong into a chair, Xiao Xiao said, “Honey, I know you care about me and want to buy me nice things, but we really can’t spend money recklessly. We’re getting married, we need to buy a house, and we’ll have to raise kids someday—this money just isn’t enough. We need to plan ahead.” Aside from moments of deep affection, this was the first time Xiao Xiao had called Mu Dong “honey.” Mu Dong felt a bit frustrated—he’d lost his composure today. In the end, this ordinary person couldn’t withstand the sudden pressure of wealth and was brought down. Mu Dong pulled Xiao Xiao close and whispered, “Honey, I’m sorry. I was so happy I got carried away. You’re right—we need to plan ahead. Let’s talk about the house first.” Once they settled down, they realized they were hungry. Mu Dong said, “We just won the prize—we’ve got to treat ourselves to a nice meal. Come on, honey, a buffet for 128 per person. Your husband’s treating you.” At that price point, Xiao Xiao found it acceptable, so the two went out for lunch. Over lunch, they discussed buying a house. They ultimately decided to buy a pre-owned home in the city center, preferably near the Fifth Elementary School. That way, it would be convenient for Xiao Xiao to get to work. They were looking for a place between 80 and 100 square meters; based on current city real estate prices, their budget was 400,000 to 500,000. They planned to take out a mortgage if possible to free up funds for Mu Dong’s business; if a mortgage wasn’t an option, they’d pay in full. With the details settled and their stomachs full, the two set out to look at properties. Before viewing the properties, they first took care of one matter: returning some items. This was something Xiao Xiao insisted on. Xiao Xiao thought the few pieces of clothing they’d bought that morning were too expensive. She told Mu Dong, “They’re too pricey, and they make me feel restricted when I wear them. Let’s return them—we really need the money right now.” In the end, at Mu Dong’s insistence, they kept the red cashmere coat and returned the rest at the mall. Worried that Mu Dong might feel embarrassed, Xiao Xiao asked him to wait on the first floor of the mall while she went from store to store to make the returns herself. Mu Dong felt rather helpless, and a little heartbroken. When buying a pre-owned home, naturally they had to go through a real estate agent. The two visited several real estate agencies, explained their requirements, and that very afternoon, an agent took them to view properties. Memories from another time and place resurfaced once more. Price, location, floor plan, ceiling height—and so on—there was always something that didn’t quite meet their expectations. The two of them viewed properties from Saturday afternoon all the way through Sunday morning. They were growing increasingly fed up, yet they still hadn’t found a single home that satisfied them. On Sunday afternoon, finally, a property caught their interest. The complex was located at the foot of Wanfeng Mountain, on the north side of Jinshi 11th Road. Built in 1997, the complex is small, consisting of only a dozen or so buildings. Originally serving as dormitories for the Provincial Telecommunications Bureau, residents refer to it as the “Telecom Complex.” The buildings aren’t very tall, with the tallest reaching only five stories. The complex is fully equipped with natural gas and central heating, has a low plot ratio, wide spacing between buildings, and plenty of parking spaces on the ground floor, making parking very convenient. Furthermore, the complex is only five stops away from the Fifth Elementary School, accessible via multiple direct bus routes. The apartment for sale is located in Building 10 at the southernmost end of the complex. When you open the window, you look directly across to Wanfengshan Park, and the air quality is excellent. The apartment is on the third floor—neither too high nor too low. Inside, the rooms are fully renovated with a simple, elegant style, and even the hardwood floors are made of light-colored wood. According to the owner, the renovation was completed just last year. The owner’s surname is Ji; he is a plump elderly man in his sixties. The old man had a rosy complexion and moved with agility. He said in a loud voice, “This apartment was originally allocated to me by my workplace. Later, during the housing reform, I bought it. I had planned to renovate it for my son to use when he got married, but he ended up moving to Shanghai for work and decided to buy a place there, so I had no choice but to sell this one—housing prices in Shanghai are just too expensive!” The old man couldn’t resist adding a final complaint. The house was truly lovely, and Xiao Xiao fell in love with it at first sight. It was just way too big!