Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

The next morning, the Jiang family of three drove to the maternal grandmother's house in the countryside, which was more than ten miles away.

As the car drove away from the increasingly noisy city, the scenery outside the window changed from buildings and shops to endless rice paddies and scattered white walls and black tiles.

The air was filled with the scent of green rice seedlings and damp soil, mixed with the bitter fragrance of roadside mugwort dampened by the morning dew.

My maternal grandmother's house is located under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

In the small courtyard with blue bricks, lush loofah vines climb the corner of the wall, and several speckled chickens stroll leisurely in the yard.

"Grandma!" Jiang Haoran pushed open the car door and called out.

Inside the main room, an elderly man with silver hair, dressed in an indigo shirt, put down his needlework upon hearing the sound, leaned against the doorframe, and looked out. His face instantly blossomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile: "Oh my, my dear grandson is back."

Grandma held Jiang Haoran's hand, looking him up and down carefully, her cloudy eyes full of love: "You've lost weight. Studying must be hard, right? Come in quickly, Grandma just made some red bean paste rice dumplings this morning, they're still warm."

Mother Chen Fang smiled as she carried the pastries, fruits, and tonics she had brought into the house, while Father Jiang Jianguo skillfully moved a small stool over and sat at the door to help his grandmother pick the freshly picked amaranth.

Amaranth in June is as good as eggs; amaranth in July is more valuable than gold. Now is the season for eating amaranth.

Sunlight filters through the branches of the old locust tree, casting dappled patterns of light on the bluestone pavement. The chirping of cicadas fills the air, and time seems to slow down here.

Jiang Haoran ate the soft, sweet rice dumplings while listening to his grandmother chatter about village gossip: whose grandson got into university, whose fishpond had a good harvest this year, and the old ancestral hall at the village entrance was going to hire an opera troupe for the Dragon Boat Festival...

"Oh, right," Grandma suddenly remembered something and said to Jiang Jianguo in a low voice, "a while ago, Xiao Bin, the guy from the village who works at the city police station, came back and mentioned that your distant nephew Jiang Tao's case seems to be quite complicated."

Jiang Jianguo paused in his vegetable-picking motion: "What's wrong with this case?"

"Xiao Bin said that when they arrested the woman, they found not only several Hong Kong bank cards in her bag, but also a brand new Hong Kong passport."

Grandma lowered her voice even further, filled with lingering fear, "Judging from what Xiaobin said, this woman probably already planned to run away."

"If the police hadn't arrived in time that day and apprehended him on the spot, if it had been half a day later, he might have taken his passport and headed straight to the airport and slipped away! In that case, it would have been impossible to catch him even if we chased him to the ends of the earth."

"Thanks to Haoran's quick wit, clear mind, and foresight, he managed to keep trouble at his doorstep."

"Xiao Bin said that this group of people are very cunning. The money they swindled has already been transferred to those overseas accounts in batches. Now that they have caught the people, they can't get the money back. The few people they have managed to catch here have hardly any money left."

Grandma sighed, "What a tragedy! They only prey on their own family. I heard you're not the only ones who've been scammed; several factories in Jiangbei have been ruined by them..."

"There was a boss whose factory went bankrupt after being swindled, and his wife ran off with someone else. He couldn't take it anymore and jumped off a bridge..."

The room fell silent for a moment, save for the incessant chirping of cicadas.

Jiang Haoran lowered his eyes and slowly chewed the rice dumpling in his mouth.

In my past life, my father died in despair after his factory went bankrupt and he was burdened with debt. My mother also passed away soon after due to overwork. Wasn't that another kind of "family ruin and death"?

In this life, he personally seized fate by the throat.

"I was blinded by greed. If it weren't for Haoran," Jiang Jianguo suddenly spoke, his voice heavy yet carrying a sense of relief. "If it weren't for him, our family... sigh."

Grandma looked at Jiang Jianguo, who was filled with self-reproach, and said in a gentle voice that carried the wisdom of someone who had seen the world: "Jianguo, don't take all the blame on yourself. Those bad people are scheming and deliberately target honest people; it's impossible to guard against them."

She patted Jiang Haoran's hand, his wrinkled hand warm and rough, his affection tinged with deep pride: "Luckily, our Haoran is smart. He noticed something was wrong beforehand and quickly found the right way (referring to calling the police). Otherwise, our factory might really have been ruined by that heartless bastard!"

"This is a blessing from God, a stroke of good fortune that brought us survival after such a disaster!"

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from the courtyard. Uncle Chen Jingge walked in carrying large bags and small boxes.

"Mom, sister, brother-in-law, Haoran!" he greeted with a smile, his forehead still damp with the fine sweat from his journey.

"Jin Ge is here! Come in, come in!" Grandma stood up happily. "Perfect timing. Talk to your brother-in-law and cheer him up. We're old, and sometimes we don't understand things. Give him some advice so he doesn't get stuck on those upsetting things."

Lunch was laid out under the shade of the locust tree. The dishes were simple and home-cooked, but they tasted especially delicious because of the family reunion.

During the meal, after a few cups of rice wine, Chen Jingge became more talkative.

He looked at Jiang Haoran with undisguised admiration in his eyes: "Sister, brother-in-law, you have no idea, Haoran really opened my eyes in Shanghai this time."

Jiang Jianguo and Chen Fang both looked over.

Chen Jingge sighed, "Haoran is truly different. Not only is he intelligent, but he also has exceptional insight. He handles things with remarkable competence. He's not just a theorist."

"I introduced him to several business owners in the manufacturing sector. When they talked about the market and industry trends, he was incredibly insightful and had a keen eye for business. Several seasoned veterans told me privately, 'Your nephew is remarkable; he's got investment potential!'"

Mother Chen Fang's eyes lit up as she listened, and Father Jiang Jianguo also put down his chopsticks, his expression focused.

Jiang Haoran felt a slight tightness in his chest. He knew his uncle might bring up their joint operation. The amount and risks involved were definitely not something his parents should know now.

Sure enough, Chen Jingge continued enthusiastically, "Take, for example, one of the opportunities we've been focusing on recently... well, commodities. Haoran used the knowledge he learned in school to do an analysis that was incredibly detailed and logically sound. Even I admire him. And in such a short time, he's already..."

"Uncle," Jiang Haoran spoke up at the right moment, his tone naturally carrying a hint of junior's shyness and caution, "I was just guessing based on textbooks and news reports, and I got lucky a few times."

"The financial market is very risky. What I'm doing is just small-scale dabbling, just learning some practical experience. I'm still figuring out the specifics myself, so I won't presume to teach my parents."

As he spoke, he gave Chen Jingge a sincere and clear look.

He instantly understood who Chen Jingge was.

He laughed heartily, following Jiang Haoran's lead: "Right, right, practice makes perfect! Young people have ideas and are willing to delve into things—that's their greatest asset! Come on, brother-in-law, let's have another drink, to celebrate having a thoughtful kid like Haoran in our family!"

Although Jiang Jianguo sensed a hidden meaning in his younger brother's words, seeing his son's composed expression and his brother's change of subject, he didn't press the matter further. He raised his glass and said, "We should be happy! Come on, drink!"

In the afternoon, Jiang Haoran was sunbathing in the yard with his grandmother. Chen Jingge walked over, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and sat down on the small bamboo stool next to him.

"Afraid your parents will worry?" the uncle asked in a low voice, exhaling a smoke ring.

"Hmm." Jiang Haoran looked at the dust dancing in the sunlight. "They've worked hard their whole lives. Futures trading leverage is so high, and the volatility is so great. If they knew, they definitely wouldn't be able to sleep. It's not too late to let them know when I've really settled in and achieved real results."

Chen Jingge nodded, his eyes filled with even more approval: "You've thought this through. Your parents are blessed to have such a clever and insightful son." He paused, lowering his voice even further.

As the sun set, Jiang Haoran's family bid farewell to his grandmother and returned home.

As the car drove onto the national highway, in the rearview mirror, Grandma's figure standing under the locust tree waving grew smaller and smaller until it finally blended into the twilight-shrouded village.

Jiang Haoran leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His grandmother's rough, warm hands, his father's relieved sigh, his uncle's eyes filled with a mixture of shock and support, his mother's satisfied smile... these images intertwined.

He knew that his battlefield was in the real market and in the invisible network of capital.

But the foundation that supports all his courage and wisdom is deeply rooted in this simple land, and in the unconditional love and trust of the people who are connected to him by blood.

Only with deep roots can a tree flourish. This time, its branches and leaves will surely reach for an even higher sky.