Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 27: Buying a Car

The visitor was Mu Jinqian. Mu Jinqian had indeed come regarding the plot of land. The village was abuzz with rumors, and word had reached Mu Jinqian’s ears. To be honest, Mu Jinqian could have handled this matter on his own, but since Mu Huayu was Mu Hua Feng’s distant older brother, he decided to come and discuss it with Mu Hua Feng anyway. Mu Jinqian was two or three years older than Mu Huayu. The two had grown up together since childhood, running around bare-bottomed. Although they were of different generations, they got along quite well when they were young. Later, through his own hard work, Mu Jinqian gradually became a wealthy man. Mu Huayu, on the other hand, lost both his parents to illness one after another; his fiancée called off their engagement, leaving him disheartened. He gradually turned into a good-for-nothing in the village, and after living in poverty for so long, he developed a few minor health issues. Seeing his childhood friend turn out this way pained Mu Jinqian deeply. He had tried several times to find Mu Huayu a job, but Mu Huayu was so used to being lazy that he would quit after just a few days. Over time, Mu Jinqian gave up on trying to help him get back on his feet and instead resorted to providing occasional financial assistance. Today a little rice, tomorrow a bag of grain; during festivals, some meat or a bottle of oil. Fortunately, although the two were childhood friends, there was a generational gap between them. It was perfectly natural for an uncle to give his nephew a few things, so Mu Huayu accepted them without feeling embarrassed. Sometimes, when Mu Jinqian went a long time without giving him anything, he would even feel a faint sense of anticipation. So, strictly speaking, Mu Huayu had the protection of two powerful figures—Mu Jinqian and Mu Huafeng. That’s why, over the years, even though Mu Huayu was constantly getting into trouble, no one ever took him seriously. Fortunately, while he was always up to some minor mischief, he never committed any major offenses. When Mu Huafeng saw Mu Jinqian arrive, he immediately realized his younger uncle was about to step in. “Great! Let’s go together.” After discussing it for a while, the two decided they shouldn’t be anonymous heroes, so they headed side by side to Uncle Mu San’s supermarket. Once inside the supermarket, they found Uncle Mu No. 3, and Mu Jinqian said, “Hualei, grab me two bottles of liquor—I’m heading over to Huayu’s place.” Mu Huafeng, standing right behind Mu Jinqian, gave Uncle Mu a knowing wink. Uncle Mu caught on right away. He grabbed a case of wine worth about 100 yuan and asked, “Uncle, should I help you deliver it?” Well, no need to beat around the bush—let’s go together. The three of them arrived at Mu Huayu’s front door. Not far from the entrance, two old ladies who were known for their loud cursing were basking in the sun; they’d probably gotten tired of cursing and were taking a break. Cursing is hard physical labor, after all. Mu Jinqian shook his head and walked through the courtyard gate. Mu Huayu was also at home, drinking alone to drown his sorrows—this time with nothing but a dish of pickles. He hadn’t been able to go out for the past few days; times were so tight he couldn’t even find a single green radish. Hearing the courtyard gate creak, he turned to see Mu Jinqian coming in and quickly stood up, saying, “Uncle, you’re here.” Then, spotting Mu Hualei behind him carrying a case of liquor, he gave a soft snort. There was only one small stool—and it was filthy to boot—so Mu Jinqian stood there as they spoke. “Huayu, I’m here to tell you something: I’ve actually invested in the Mu Family Storage Yard.” Mu Huayu was taken aback—he really hadn’t known about this, nor did he pay much attention to such matters. He then felt a bit awkward and kept his head down, saying nothing. Mu Jinqian continued, “Do me a favor and give up the land. As for the money, spend it sparingly. It’s still over two thousand, after all.” Mu Huayu replied, “Uncle, since you’ve spoken, I’ll certainly do as you say.” He then held out his hand to Uncle Mu San and said, “Hualei, give him the money.” Third Uncle Mu couldn’t help but smile wryly; he still hadn’t put down the box he was holding. He quickly set it down and said, “Big Brother, I don’t have the money on me. I’ll bring it over to you later. There’s an agreement that needs your signature.” Mu Huayu rolled his eyes. Mu Jinqian said, “All right, that’s settled. Hualei will come find you later to get your signature and give you the money. I’m off.” With that, the three of them started to leave. Mu Huayu grabbed Mu Huafeng and said, “Huafeng, get some relief grain for me. Hualei’s wife has taken all the grain from our house.” Mu Jinqian laughed and said, “The life you’re leading…” Mu Huafeng shook off Mu Huayu’s arm and said, “No way. Figure it out yourself.” The three of them left. At the courtyard gate, Mu Jinqian walked over to the two old ladies who had been cursing in the street and said, “Ladies, why don’t you both go home and rest? This matter has been settled. Have whoever’s in charge at your house go find Hua Lei to sign the papers and collect the money.” With that, he walked off on his own. A short while later, Uncle Mu returned. In addition to the agreement and the money, he brought a bag of grain, some ham sausages, and instant noodles. That evening, when Mu Dong received a call from Uncle Mu, he had just finished an activity with Xiao Xiao. He was very pleased to hear the news. Mu Dong then called both Mu Jinqian and Mu Huafeng to thank them. Mu Huafeng offered a few polite remarks. Mu Jinqian said, half-jokingly, “How are you planning to thank me, kid?” Mu Dong replied, “Big shot, whenever I hear of a way to make money, I’ll let you know. How about that?” Mu Jinqian was very satisfied with this answer. He hung up the phone, thinking to himself: Not a bad kid—he’s got what it takes. Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao continued watching TV on the couch. A financial news program was focusing on a hot topic: “four trillion.” Mu Dong knew that he didn’t have much time left to stockpile sand. Mu Dong stayed in Quancheng for two more days. Aside from taking care of Xiao Xiao, he met separately with Han Yong and Cai Jiaojiao once each during that time to discuss the situation at the new storage yard. Both expressed satisfaction with the yard’s operations. He had originally planned to return to Southern Shandong on Thursday. However, on Tuesday evening, a phone call from his uncle-in-law, Wang Shaoqiang, prompted Mu Dong to head back a day early, arriving in Southern Shandong first thing Wednesday morning. Wang Shaoqiang told him over the phone that Coach Zhang had heard about a good car and asked Mu Dong to go take a look. When Xiao Xiao heard that Mu Dong was planning to buy a car, she was delighted and urged him to return. Once their romantic relationship had blossomed, although Xiao Xiao relied heavily on Mu Dong, she remained, at heart, a traditional woman who supported his business and rejoiced at every small step of progress he made. As a result, she knew exactly how to draw the line. With his wife’s support, Mu Dong was in high spirits. Early the next morning, he took a taxi to drop Xiao Xiao off at school, then headed to the bus station. Around noon, Mu Dong arrived at Mu Hong’s restaurant. Just like last time, Coach Zhang and Wang Shaoqiang were waiting for him. The three of them took their seats, and the meal began. While they ate, Coach Zhang explained the details about the car owner and the vehicle. The owner was Coach Zhang’s former student, who ran a handicraft business. The car was an Audi A4, purchased in May 2005; it had been on the road for three and a half years and had 70,000 kilometers on the odometer. Since it was a personal vehicle, the owner had maintained it very well, and it was still in 80 percent new condition. Now that the owner’s business had expanded significantly and he had made a fortune, he had bought a new Mercedes-Benz and wanted to sell this one. Mu Dong asked, “As a business owner, you could easily let your employees use this car—how can you bear to sell it?” Coach Zhang laughed, “That boss is pretty tight-fisted. He plans to sell this car and buy a few minivans for his staff to drive.” So that’s how it was. Mu Dong thought to himself, “If he’s that stingy, it’s probably going to be tough to negotiate a good price.” After lunch, the three of them went to check out the car together. They entered a large courtyard with a sign reading “Star Craft Arts & Crafts Company,” and from a distance, Mu Dong spotted the car parked inside. It was a black Audi A4 with a 1. 8T engine. The paint job was flawless—it certainly didn’t look like a car that had been driven for over three years, clearly a testament to meticulous maintenance. In the early winter sunlight, the black paint reflected warm rays, making it look truly dazzling. Its appearance alone won Mu Dong over. Mu Dong glanced around the courtyard, which was filled with baskets and other woven items. He immediately realized that this was the type of handicraft they produced. Several townships in the northern part of Shuhe County have been producing handicrafts woven from white willow twigs for hundreds of years—items such as wicker baskets, storage baskets, and flower baskets. In the early days of reform and opening-up, to earn foreign exchange through exports, these crafts were modified and transformed into gift baskets, fruit baskets, and household storage baskets, which began to be exported and gradually grew to a significant scale. Today, in several townships in northern Shuhe County, every household produces these items, and the farmers collectively refer to these willow-woven handicrafts as “willow weaving.” Shuhe County has many handicraft companies specializing in the export of willow-woven products, which have become a pillar of the county’s agricultural sector. In a short while, the car owner came out to greet them, and Coach Zhang introduced the two parties to each other. The car owner’s name was Jia Fugui; he was in his forties and quite overweight. Upon hearing the name, Mu Dong felt a twinge of unease—the combination of that given name and surname was simply bizarre. After a brief introduction, the owner opened the car door and invited the group to take a look inside. The interior was spotless; the genuine leather seats were well-maintained, and even the headliner was free of dust. They also opened the hood to take a look—it was just as neat and tidy as new. The headlights, tires, and everything else were in perfect working order. With Mr. Jia’s permission, Mu Dong took it for a test drive. The ride was smooth, the power delivery was steady, and acceleration was strong—the car was indeed in excellent condition. After inspecting the car, Mu Dong was very satisfied and decided to buy it as long as the price was reasonable. The group went to the office for tea to discuss the price. Jia Fugui explained that the car had originally cost 310,000 when new; given its excellent condition and low mileage, he was asking 190,000. “That price is a bit high—he really is a tightwad,” Mu Dong thought to himself. After several rounds of haggling, Mr. Jia lowered his price to 180,000 yuan, saying he wouldn’t go any lower—he’d rather not sell it at all. Coach Zhang, who was on friendly terms with him, teased him: “Mr. Jia, I heard you’re planning to sell this and buy a few minivans instead.” Jia Fugui’s chubby face flushed red instantly, and he retorted indignantly, “I knew those underlings were talking behind my back. Don’t they realize that a car like this can only be driven by one person—and who do you think I’m driving it for? If I get a few minivans, several people will have a ride—isn’t that better? Besides, in our line of work, we’re either hauling baskets or wicker—minivans are perfect for that. Are we supposed to use an Audi to haul wicker? It’s just wicker, not gold bars—it’s only a yuan or two per jin. It’s not like it’s anything valuable…” A few people chimed in: “Yeah, yeah, it’s not exactly valuable stuff…” A thought suddenly struck Mu Dong. Huh, is willow not valuable? One or two yuan per jin? He thought hard, really hard……… It seemed to be at a high school reunion when a classmate said, “The best willow branches these days are even more expensive than pork!” That classmate must have been from some town up north, where his parents ran a processing business back home. What year was that reunion??? When was it??? “Classmates, it’s been eight years since we graduated—the War of Resistance lasted only eight years—so we should get together,” Mu Dong’s mind raced. It must have been eight years after high school graduation: one year of retaking the college entrance exam, four years of college, and now a little over two years since college graduation. It must be next summer—the eight-year high school reunion. Hmm, it was summer. A male classmate got drunk, went up on stage to sing, and even took off his shirt—he was shirtless. In other words, by next summer, the best willow branches will be more expensive than pork. How much is pork now? A little over ten yuan, right? Thinking of this, Mu Dong found Boss Jia truly endearing—with his round, chubby face, he looked festive no matter how you looked at him. Mu Dong said, “Mr. Jia, isn’t that just how companies are? Employees never understand the boss’s predicament. There’s a joke that goes something like this: a company is like a tree covered with monkeys—when you look down, all you see are smiling faces; when you look up, all you see are butts.” “Hahaha,” Boss Jia burst out laughing, the flesh on his face quivering. “Little Mu, I love that joke. The people below only see the boss’s backsides; they can’t see the boss’s train of thought at all. They’re always all smiles to your face, but behind your back, they’re talking trash. Just for that line, I’ll let you…” As he spoke, he held up two fingers, paused for a moment, then lowered one. “One thousand.” Mu Dong just smiled, saying nothing. But inside, he was thinking, I’ll take the 180,000 too—I might just make that money back from you pretty quickly. He just didn’t know how big Liu’s network was. If it was too small, a layman investing several million might easily attract envy. In the end, Coach Zhang stepped in. He analyzed the market prices for similar cars and pointed out a few minor flaws—like how the tires needed replacing, the car’s high maintenance costs, and a bit of rust on the exhaust pipe. Finally, Boss Jia relented and agreed to 168,000. The car also came with three months of insurance included. Mu Dong, of course, agreed to the price. There was still plenty of time, so Mr. Jia gathered all the vehicle’s paperwork. Mu Dong drove the Audi, Mr. Jia drove his Mercedes, and Wang Shaoqiang drove his Volkswagen Passat. The four of them, in three cars, headed to the DMV to complete the paperwork. Instructor Zhang was very familiar with the procedures there, and many of the staff at the service counters were familiar faces, so the entire process went smoothly. Two hours later, the payment was settled, the new license plates were issued, and the transfer of ownership was completed. This time, Mu Dong had brought a bank card with him. The lesson he’d learned from the last time he’d transferred funds to buy a house had been quite profound, so now he was spreading his risk across several options; consequently, he transferred the payment to Mr. Jia on the spot. Character has two sides; the flip side of being frugal is being meticulous and cautious. Among the items Mr. Jia handed to Mu Dong, even the vehicle manual was brand-new, still sealed in a plastic bag. Once the paperwork was complete, Mr. Jia drove away. Mu Dong finally had his own car. He was a little excited, so he called Xiao Xiao to tell her about the purchase and mentioned that he’d be driving back to Quancheng in a few days. Xiao Xiao giggled over the phone, clearly delighted. Afterward, Mu Dong and his two companions headed to the Jin Yuyuan Restaurant to show his car to his eldest aunt—hehe. Mu Hong was also delighted; her nephew had made something of himself, and as his aunt, she felt a sense of pride. The group sat down to drink tea. During the meal, Mu Dong took his aunt aside, found a red envelope, and put two thousand yuan inside. Then he returned. Taking out the red envelope, he said earnestly to Coach Zhang, “Coach Zhang, since my uncle is your brother-in-law, I should call you ‘Uncle Zhang.’ Thank you so much for today. This is a small token of my nephew’s appreciation. Please do me the honor of accepting it—you’ve been running back and forth all day, and you’ve gone to a lot of trouble!” Coach Zhang tried to decline, but Mu Dong continued, “Uncle Zhang, if you don’t accept this, I’ll feel too embarrassed to bother you if I ever need your help again.” Mr. Mu had adopted an extremely humble demeanor, so Coach Zhang went along with it and said, “Well, I won’t be polite then,” and pocketed the red envelope. Later, when he got home and counted the money, he was quite surprised. Coach Zhang had expected no more than a thousand. Mu Dong then took his leave and drove home. Mu Hong was a bit worried and gave him a long list of instructions. Wang Shaoqiang said, “Just put your mind at ease. Xiao Dong’s a much better driver than I am.” On the way home, Mu Dong called his father to tell him about buying the car and asked him to buy some firecrackers. When a new car arrives at home, firecrackers must be set off—first to pay respects to the gods, and second to ward off evil spirits. According to local customs, this is a very formal occasion. As it turned out, several people were waiting at Mu Dong’s doorstep: his father, Mu Daguo, Zhong Guodong, Mu Xiaoxia, Xie Donglin—even his mother was there. Seeing so many people from a distance, Mu Dong felt a bit down. If they’d all come over, what would happen to the yard? But then he let it go—everyone was happy, so he might as well join in the celebration. He figured they’d all made their own arrangements anyway. Xie Dong spotted the car from a distance and shouted, “Is this the one? An Audi, an Audi!” As he got closer and saw that it was indeed Mu Dong behind the wheel, he jumped up and exclaimed, “It’s Brother Dong! It really is an Audi! Hurry up, light the firecrackers…” The others were also very excited. As the firecrackers went off, more people were drawn by the noise and gathered around; even Uncle Mu San and Mu Huafeng rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Mu Dong quickly got out of the car and began handing out cigarettes and lighting them, while Mu’s parents handed out candies and sunflower seeds to the people around them, inviting everyone to come inside for a visit. Everyone gathered around to look at the car. Mu Dong opened all the doors and let everyone take a good look without hesitation. Xie Donglin was so excited that he sat here and there and touched everything, but Mu Xiaoxia told him not to mess with it. After a bit of commotion, most people dispersed, while a few went inside to drink tea. Standing in the courtyard, Mu Dong said solemnly to the few remaining people, “Sis, Brother-in-law, Daguo, Donglin—as long as we all work hard together, everyone will live in a nice house and drive a car.” With that, Boss Mu waved his hand broadly and said, “Go get to work.” The four of them were energized and set off to carry out their orders. Mu Dong went inside to talk with everyone. He also told his parents to order dinner from the town restaurant and have it delivered to the yard—everyone was happy, and they planned to celebrate together that evening. He immediately called the town restaurant to reserve two tables. Mr. and Mrs. Mu also went to get busy; Mrs. Mu said she would prepare a few extra dishes to add to the spread. Mu Dong invited Mu Huafeng and Uncle San to join them that evening, and both happily accepted. Next, Mu Dong called Mu Jinqian to tell him about the car purchase and the evening celebration, inviting him to join them. Mu Jinqian said he appreciated the invitation but wouldn’t be coming—he didn’t want to make everyone feel self-conscious. That was true—his seniority in the family hierarchy was sometimes a disadvantage. Originally, Mu Dong hadn’t planned such a high-profile celebration—it was just buying a car, after all. But when he sensed his family’s heartfelt joy, he was swept up in it too. Since everyone was happy, he certainly couldn’t pour cold water on the celebration and spoil the mood. This was a great opportunity to foster family cohesion, so he decided to go with the flow and make the most of the moment.