Chapter 3 The Returning Wanderer After one hour. We have arrived at Yujia Village. The village was more dilapidated than I had imagined. The villagers looked pale and thin, their clothes were full of patches, and the ancestral halls looked dilapidated. In recent years, the Dajing court has suffered frequent natural disasters, successive defeats in wars and huge amounts of reparations, so it can only continue to increase land taxes and grain taxes, and there are also a large number of other types of exorbitant taxes such as "mu donation", "pig tax", and "manure tax". The county magistrate would squeeze the people's money every other day in the name of building bridges and roads. The common people bear such a heavy burden. It would be strange if there were good days. It is said that Yujia Village had thousands of households in its heyday, but now there are only two or three hundred households, with a total population of only about one thousand.
Life is extremely difficult! At this moment, an octogenarian holding a cane was waiting at the village entrance with about a hundred or eighty villagers to greet them. Yu Xiao was not surprised. For today’s homecoming in glory. He laid the groundwork and prepared for half a month, and the village knew about it long in advance. The old man is the village chief and clan leader Yu Guotai. He passed the imperial examination when he was young and is now nearly eighty years old. He has been an upright, honest and kind person all his life. He is not only highly respected in Yujia Village, but also has a good reputation in the surrounding area. When facing Yu Xiao, who is full of nobleness and appearance. Yu Guotai excitedly stepped forward and shook his hand: "Are you the descendant of Awang?!" Yu Xiao nodded with a look of joy on his face: "Old Patriarch, I am Yu Xiao. Before my grandfather passed away, his greatest regret was that he could not return to his roots. Today, I can finally come back on his behalf to recognize his ancestors and return to his roots." "Good good!" The octogenarian burst into tears when recalling the past. "Alas, if it's not because they can't survive, no one wants to die in a foreign land. In those years, many people were forced to go to sea. Awang was one of the earliest batch, but no one has ever been able to return to his roots!" Yu Xiao couldn't help but sigh. According to the information he had found, most of these people were building railways in the West, and nine out of ten had died on the way or during the construction process. Even if they managed to survive, they were still considered inferior people in the local area and would not receive the respect they deserved. The character Yu Xiao created for himself is. My grandfather Yu Guowang was one of the first people from Yujia Village to go out to sea. He participated in the construction of the Pacific Railway in the Maple Leaf Country and married a local laundry worker. The two later opened a restaurant in the local area, saved some money, and moved to Victoria, British Columbia, where their father Yu Qingshan was born. Yu Qingshan was educated at the Oriental Home School founded by the Missionary Association, and started his own business from scratch at the age of fifteen.
We now have industries in North America and Southeast Asia. He is a wealthy businessman who is extremely low-key! However, after years of hard work, his health was deteriorating. He could not help but think of the old man's last wish before his death, which was to let his only son, who had just turned 20, come back to recognize his ancestors for him. Yu Xiao explained: "My father is very busy and can't spare time. He has not been in good health recently and I am afraid he can't stand the long journey... But, old patriarch, don't worry. As soon as my father recovers, he will return to the country to recognize his ancestors!" The heart of defense is indispensable! Why would we specifically invent a non-existent “father”? In fact, he just wanted to tell others that there was someone powerful behind the scenes. Although he was rich, the money was given by his father, and all the family property was in his father's hands. It makes people feel fearful. Can reduce a lot of trouble. Yu Guotai: "It's okay, it's okay. I am already very happy to have you come back to represent Qingshan and Guowang." A middle-aged man with a square face asked, "Ah Xiao, how long do you plan to stay in China this time?" He is Yu Qinghai, the son of the old patriarch. Yu Xiao clasped his fists to everyone and said: "I am returning to China not only to recognize my ancestors, but also to represent my father in investing in China and building a prosperous country. I will not leave in the short term. I hope you will take care of me in the future." The villagers cheered. "it is good!" “You’re capable!” "Returning home in glory and contributing to the country through industry is the way it should be!" "..." No one would doubt the identity of the person in front of them. Although I don’t know how big Yu Qingshan’s overseas business is, the value of the clothes of this young man in front of me is so great that ordinary people may not be able to afford it even if they don’t eat or drink for a few years. If a young man like this didn't have his ancestral home here, why would he come to such a remote and remote place to make friends with a bunch of poor relatives? Flatter well. Maybe I can have a taste of the soup in the future. Yu Xiao naturally guessed everyone’s little thoughts? These villagers are generally poorly dressed and look pale and thin, which shows that most of them do not have a good life. Now that we have this relationship, it will be easy to bribe them. Yu Xiao said: "To celebrate my safe return home, I bought a batch of supplies on my own initiative and planned to hold a banquet to give back to my fellow villagers." After saying this, he waved his hand and asked the porters to deliver the things. "Here are 5000 kilograms of rice, 1000 kilograms of pork, 1000 kilograms of fruits and vegetables, 500 kilograms of cooking oil, and 50 jars of liquor..." The total cost was about 300 yuan, which was a drop in the bucket for Yu Xiao and was nothing at all. However, it directly shocked the fellow villagers in front of him. The impact was too strong. How much does it cost? It would probably take an average person more than 20 years to earn that much even if he didn't eat or drink.
Yu Xiao continued, "In addition, on behalf of my father, I have prepared a small gift for the old patriarch and all the elders." So generous! So generous! He is indeed a wealthy man! Yu Guotai couldn't believe it: "This... this is too expensive. You just returned to China, so you shouldn't spend money lavishly." Yu Xiao smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry. This is nothing to my father. It's just a small token of my appreciation. I'm unfamiliar with the country and will need the care of the elders in the future." This is nothing? How rich is Yu Qingshan? Yu Guotai smiled so much that his face was full of wrinkles: "Okay, okay, you are such a good child!" the next day. The banquet was held in a lively manner. The staple food of poor families in those days was rice bran dumplings. Even villagers with better conditions often collected young leaves, elm seeds, wild vegetables, etc., mixed them with cornmeal, and steamed or fried them before eating. Not only was it difficult to swallow, it was also very harmful to the stomach. Yu Xiao provided thousands of kilograms of rice for everyone to eat. Can you imagine the sensation it caused? The buffet lasted for three days. Several nearby villages also received invitations. Many villagers did not hesitate to walk more than ten miles with their families, young and old. Just to eat a few bowls of hot white rice with a spoonful of sizzling broth! Ordinary people these days not only lack material enjoyment, but are also extremely poor in spiritual enjoyment. Yu Xiao also spent 50 dollars to find a famous opera troupe nearby to perform for three days, making the whole village shrouded in an atmosphere more lively and festive than the Chinese New Year. This is the situation. The happiest person was the old patriarch Yu Guotai. The more I look at this young man Yu Xiao, the more I like him. Yu Xiao obtained the identity as he wished and successfully established his character. Even the county magistrate sent someone to Yujia Village to express his congratulations. in this process. Yu Xiao felt the hint from the stone tablet. 【Reputation +1! 】 【Reputation +1! 】 【Reputation +1! 】 【…】 A grand return home, plus three days of buffet, net profit of 20 reputation points! The experience bar of reputation level is directly filled to 20%!
Yu Xiao was naturally overjoyed. This is indeed the right way to gain reputation. The so-called reputation seems to be a positive kind of fame. In the future, the more things you do in this world, the higher your reputation level will be, and the more luck you will generate! After the banquet is over. Yu Xiao distributed the remaining rice and flour to the villagers of Yujia Village, and bought beef, mutton, pork, shrimp, crabs, grouper, fine rice wine, etc. He set up a luxurious family banquet and specially entertained the elders of the clan. "Yujia Village hasn't been so prosperous for a long time. This time it's all thanks to Ah Xiao. I'd like to offer you a toast!" Yu Qinghai toasted Yu Xiao on behalf of the old patriarch: "You have studied abroad, you are a learned and capable person. When you start your own business in the future, please take care of the children of the Yu family. If you need our help, please don't hesitate to help us!" A few days down. The time has come. Yu Xiao felt that it was time to get down to business. He then said: "You should all know that the imperial court is crumbling and chaos may break out at any time in the future. We should prepare for the chaos as soon as possible, especially to ensure that the Yu family can live a good life." Everyone was moved when they heard this. The current situation is on the verge of chaos and is extremely precarious. It is truly admirable that a noble man would give up his luxurious life abroad, return to his country to buy property and care about his fellow countrymen. Yu Guotai's eyes moistened as he said, "Ah Xiao, even though I'm not a big shot, I still have some connections and influence in the local area, and the Yu family is united as one. We will definitely fully support your career!" Yu Qinghai: "Yes, if you need any help, just tell us. As long as we can do it, we will never refuse!" The Yu clan is not stupid either. This golden thigh fell from the sky! Shouldn't you hold on tight?! (End of this chapter)
