Back to 2008: I Helped My Dad Become the Richest Man

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, just as dawn was breaking, the sound of firecrackers echoed throughout the village.

At this time of year, Luo Xiyuan and Luo Wen would have been dragged out of bed by Li Minxia, ​​changed into clothes that didn't fit well but were definitely the best in the house, and prepared to kowtow to their elders to wish them a Happy New Year and receive some lucky money.

But this year, when Luo Xiyuan opened her eyes and heard the commotion outside, she was preoccupied with other things.

She got out of bed, walked to her parents' room, and gently knocked on the door.

"Dad, Mom, are you up?"

"Get up, get up! Why are you up so early today?" Li Minxia's voice came from inside the house.

The door opened, and Luo Xinde and Li Minxia were already dressed. Li Minxia was holding two sets of clothes. One set was for Luo Xiyuan, a pink cotton-padded jacket that she had bought last year and was now a little too small. The other set was for Luo Wen, a blue one with white frayed edges on the cuffs.

"Quickly, change into your new clothes. After we finish eating dumplings, we'll go to your grandma's house to wish her a Happy New Year," Li Minxia urged.

Luo Xiyuan looked at the pink cotton-padded jacket and shook her head: "Mom, let's not go to Grandma's house today."

"Not visiting relatives and friends on the first day of the Lunar New Year? What kind of talk is that?" Li Minxia was stunned, and Luo Xinde also looked at her strangely.

"We're going to pay New Year's visits, but not to my maternal grandmother's house." Luo Xiyuan took a deep breath and revealed her plan. "Our first stop today is the village chief's house."

"Go to the village chief's house?" Luo Xinde frowned. "It's the first day of the Lunar New Year. We have no relation to his family. What would we do there? It's not appropriate."

"Dad, it's precisely because it's the first day of the Lunar New Year that we're going." Luo Xiyuan pulled her parents to sit on the edge of the bed, lowering her voice, "Aren't we going to start a pig farm? The first step is to acquire that land of the abandoned primary school. This requires the village chief's approval. Today is the New Year, so we'll bring New Year's gifts to his door, both to pay our respects and to get things done. If he's in a good mood, things will be easier to discuss."

Li Minxia understood, but still hesitated: "But... but can we talk about this at the dinner table? Wouldn't it be too abrupt? Wouldn't people think we're too opportunistic?"

"That's why we need to be strategic." Luo Xiyuan had already thought it through. "We can't start talking business right away. Let's offer New Year's greetings and chat first. Once the atmosphere is right, Dad, you can then bring up our idea. Remember, it's not about begging him, but about discussing it with him. We want to contribute to the village by making use of the abandoned land and paying rent to the village. It's a win-win situation."

As Luo Xinde listened to his daughter's analysis, his initial reluctance gradually dissipated. He realized that his daughter's thinking was more thorough than his own, a man who had lived for nearly forty years. She not only thought about what to do, but also how to do it, and even considered the appropriateness of her words.

"Then... what kind of gift should we bring when we visit?" Luo Xinde asked. Since they had decided to go, they had to be polite and respectful, so as not to be looked down upon.

"I've been prepared for this for a long time," Luo Xiyuan said with a confident smile.

She led her parents into the kitchen and pointed to a pile of things in the corner. There were two cartons of good cigarettes, which Luo Xinde had asked someone to buy for him as New Year's gifts. Next to them were two large gift packages wrapped in red paper.

Luo Xiyuan opened one of the bottles; inside were two bottles of fine wine, along with some candy and cookies. She had specially gone to town to buy these a couple of days ago.

She opened another one, and what was inside surprised Luo Xinde and Li Minxia.

Inside were two pieces of pork belly neatly wrapped in oil paper, a plate of tender white tofu, and a small bag of golden oranges.

"This... is it appropriate to give away things we sell ourselves as gifts?" Li Minxia felt a little uneasy.

"Mom, this is a gift that truly touches people's hearts," Luo Xiyuan explained. "Tobacco, alcohol, candy, and tea—who doesn't receive those during the New Year? The village chief's house is probably overflowing with them; giving them away wouldn't make a difference. But what we're giving is different. This meat, this tofu, these oranges—these are the rarest things in the village right now! What does that show? It shows we have the ability and the connections. We're not just giving away things; we're giving away our strength. The village chief is a smart man; he'll understand immediately."

Luo Xinde stared at the neatly wrapped pork, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. He was utterly impressed. He truly didn't know how his daughter's mind worked. He'd always thought she was obedient and sensible, but now he realized it wasn't just obedience; it was a mind full of wisdom!

"Okay! That's settled then!" Luo Xinde made the decision. "Minxia, ​​cook dumplings! We'll go after we eat!"

The family enjoyed a lively meal of dumplings. Luo Wen also changed into his new clothes; although the sleeves were a bit short, he didn't care at all, his little face full of excitement.

After finishing their dumplings, Luo Xinde carried cigarettes and alcohol, while Luo Xiyuan and Li Minxia each carried a gift bag. The family of four locked the door and headed towards the village chief's house, bathed in the morning sunlight.

Along the way, we encountered many villagers who came out to pay New Year's visits.

"Hey, Lao Luo, where are you going? You're carrying so much stuff."

"Brother Xinde, you've struck it rich! Look at how much better you look!"

The villagers looked on with envy at the Luo family's spirited demeanor and the New Year's gifts they carried.

Luo Xinde straightened his back, his face beaming as he responded to everyone who greeted him. He hadn't felt this sense of being looked up to in many years. He knew in his heart that all of this was thanks to his daughter.

"Dad, when we get to the village chief's house, don't be nervous. Just treat it like visiting relatives," Luo Xiyuan whispered to him.

"I understand," Luo Xinde replied, but his palms were still sweating.

The village chief, Wang Jianguo, was in his early fifties. He was a shrewd and capable man with high prestige in the village. His house, a magnificent two-story building, stood out among the surrounding bungalows in the center of the village.

When the Luo family arrived, Wang Jianguo was sweeping snow in the yard, while his wife was entertaining guests inside. The sounds of mahjong and laughter came from the window.

"Village Chief Wang, Happy New Year!" Luo Xinde called out from afar.

Wang Jianguo looked up and saw Luo Xinde and his family. He paused for a moment, then his face broke into a smile: "Oh, it's Xinde! Come in, come in! Happy New Year, Happy New Year!"

He warmly welcomed the family into the house.

Sure enough, a group of people were playing mahjong inside. When they saw the Luo family members carrying large and small bags in, they all stopped what they were doing and looked over curiously.

"Sister-in-law, Happy New Year!" Li Minxia placed the gift bag on the table. "It's just a small token of my appreciation for you and the village chief."

When the village chief's wife saw the two rather heavy gift bags, especially when she saw the pork and oranges peeking out from one of them, her eyes lit up noticeably.

"Oh, you've come all this way, don't bring anything, you're too kind!" She said politely, but her hands honestly accepted the things, and her smile became much more genuine.

"Sit down, sit down, have some tea!" Wang Jianguo greeted them. "Xiyuan and Xiaowen have grown so tall. Come on, have some candy."

Luo Xiyuan and Luo Wen obediently greeted the people, but did not go to get the candy. They just sat quietly next to their parents.

Wang Jianguo handed Luo Xinde a cigarette, and the two of them stood there chatting.

"Xinde, I heard you made a small fortune the other day," Wang Jianguo said with a smile, his words carrying a hint of probing.

"Hey, what do you mean by getting rich? It's just a lot of hard work and some money I've earned." Luo Xinde answered modestly, just as his daughter had taught him. "It's mainly because the kids were just messing around and got lucky."

"Your Xiyuan is quite the capable girl," Wang Jianguo said, glancing at Luo Xiyuan sitting quietly beside him. "I've heard everything. The day she sold vegetables, she completely shut up Boss Li and the others. She's got that quick wit, just like you!"

"She just loves reading and daydreaming," Luo Xinde thought to himself, but dared not admit it outright.

The two chatted about all sorts of things, from the weather to the harvest, and then to young people going out to work, but never getting to the point. Luo Xinde was getting a little anxious and tried several times to steer the conversation in that direction, but Wang Jianguo subtly changed the subject each time.

Luo Xiyuan listened quietly to the sound of their voices. She knew the time wasn't right yet. The village chief was assessing them, observing their true purpose for coming today.

Just then, the mahjong table inside the room broke up; someone who had lost money left cursing and swearing.

Wang Jianguo's wife walked over and said to Luo Xinde with a smile, "Xinde, come on, we're one short for mahjong, come and play a couple of rounds."

Luo Xinde waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, sister-in-law, I can't."

"It's just for fun, the point of the New Year is to have some fun."

Luo Xiyuan knew that the crucial moment had arrived. She stood up, walked to Wang Jianguo's side, and said in a clear voice, "Uncle Wang, my dad really doesn't know how. Besides, we came here today not only to wish you and Auntie a Happy New Year, but also to discuss something with you."

As soon as she said that, everyone in the room turned to look at her.

Luo Xinde's heart jumped into his throat.