Chapter 1 of 100
Chapter 1
12 min read2,935 words
The cold autumn wind blew, making people feel the chill. On the streets, many passersby had already put on their winter clothes. However, those fashion-conscious girls were undeterred by the cold, wearing as little as possible to show off their curves to both familiar and unfamiliar faces.
This is Yundong City.
As an international metropolis, skyscrapers towered, and traffic flowed continuously. It was common to see foreigners with high noses and blue eyes speaking fluent Chinese on the streets.
But all of this had little to do with Lei Huanxi anymore.
This was his most unfortunate day.
After graduating from university with great effort, he failed to find a job and temporarily worked as a doorman at the luxurious five-star Xihai Grand Hotel, the largest in Yundong City. He planned to earn money to support himself while looking for another job.
His parents had divorced when he was young, leaving him to be raised by his grandfather. His grandfather, a simple peach farmer, had worked hard to raise peaches and support his grandson all the way through university.
After three years of university in Yundong City, he had thought he would eventually integrate into this big city. But who would have thought...
Everything started this morning...
...
Early in the morning, Lei Huanxi put on his doorman uniform, exchanged a few jokes with the familiar staff, and walked to his post:
The main entrance.
Manager Song, the hall manager, had specially instructed him that Jiang Bin, the son of Jiang Weisheng, the chairman and president of Xihai Group, the owner of Xihai Grand Hotel, would be coming today. He was told to be observant and speak sweetly.
Lei Huanxi was not worried; he had no other skills, but he could talk sweetly.
A Mercedes-Benz stopped at the entrance, and Lei Huanxi quickly opened the door: "Welcome to Xihai Grand Hotel."
A young couple stepped out, but the woman's eyes made Lei Huanxi quickly turn his head away.
"Lei Huanxi?" The woman recognized him immediately.
"Ah, Xu Yanyan, hello." Lei Huanxi greeted her stiffly.
She was his university classmate, a standard rich and beautiful girl from a family that owned three companies. Lei Huanxi had once pursued her in university.
Of course, the result was predictable.
"Lei Huanxi, what are you doing here?" Xu Yanyan, seeing his work uniform, immediately understood: "Ah, you're a doorman here. Weisen, this is my university classmate, Lei Huanxi. Your father is the boss here; why don't you help him get a better job? He's quite pitiful, ending up like this."
Then, she leaned into the man's shoulder, acting coquettishly: "I forgot to introduce you. My boyfriend, Jiang Bin, Weisen is his English name. He just returned from studying in the UK. Xihai Grand Hotel is his father's property."
Lei Huanxi smiled bitterly. Manager Song had made him wait for Jiang Bin all morning, but he never expected this outcome.
"Mr. Jiang, welcome to Xihai Grand Hotel for your inspection," Lei Huanxi said calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
Xu Yanyan whispered something in Jiang Bin's ear, and he suddenly realized: "So you're the toad who wanted to pursue her, as you told me."
He spoke loudly, and Manager Song, who had rushed to the entrance upon seeing Jiang Bin, heard clearly and covered his mouth, laughing.
"Mr. Jiang, if someone who has studied abroad doesn't even know the basic respect, I don't think there's anything to admire or respect about him," Lei Huanxi said without anger. "If it weren't for your good father, you might not even be as good as this toad. At least I know how to treat a regular guest."
Growing up in a poor rural family, Lei Huanxi had faced many cold looks, but he was used to it, turning them into motivation.
However, Jiang Bin was different. He had grown up with flattery and orders, and had never been scolded by a mere doorman.
Just as he was about to explode, Lei Huanxi suddenly took off his hat and handed it to Manager Song: "Manager Song, I think I can't work here anymore. Thank you for your care during this time. I resign."
With that, he turned and returned to the hotel...
Jiang Bin had never been so embarrassed, especially in front of his new girlfriend, his face turning pale: "Manager Song, go call the security manager..."
...
Lei Huanxi changed back into his own clothes and didn't even ask for his salary.
As soon as he left Xihai Grand Hotel, he felt much lighter. But as he looked up, he saw Security Manager Gu Biao and two security guards standing in front of him.
Gu Biao used to be a gangster and had even been in prison. Later, he somehow joined Xihai Grand Hotel and gained the trust of the boss, Jiang Weisheng. Even the vice president of the hotel had to give him some respect.
"Manager Gu, what's the matter?" A sense of foreboding crept into Lei Huanxi's heart.
"Did you offend Mr. Jiang?" Gu Biao smiled sinisterly. "Mr. Jiang is very unhappy. Lei Huanxi, I have no grudge against you, so don't blame me."
Before Lei Huanxi could speak, the two security guards pounced on him, one on each side, holding him down.
"Kid, close your eyes," Gu Biao said with a grin, then punched Lei Huanxi in the face with a solid thud.
Lei Huanxi's nose was instantly broken, and blood flowed out.
Gu Biao didn't stop, delivering several more punches. He had trained in martial arts, and his punches were heavy and hard, quickly leaving Lei Huanxi with a bruised and bloody face.
Surprisingly, Lei Huanxi didn't make a sound or beg for mercy, which caught Gu Biao off guard.
Seeing that he had beaten him enough, Gu Biao signaled his subordinates to let go.
As soon as they released him, Lei Huanxi fell to the ground.
Gu Biao squatted down next to him: "Good, kid, you have some backbone. Still, don't blame me; blame yourself for offending Mr. Jiang."
With that, he stood up and left with the two security guards...
...
After a long time, Lei Huanxi could finally move, but every movement caused intense pain.
His phone rang in his pocket, and he managed to pull it out: "Hello."
It was Xu Cunzhang, the village chief from his hometown, who had watched him grow up, speaking urgently: "Huanxi, come back quickly, your grandfather is not doing well!"
Ignoring the pain in his body, Lei Huanxi ran as fast as he could.
He only had his grandfather left as a family member...
Getting on the bus, Lei Huanxi took one last look at Yundong City from the window. This departure might mean he wouldn't return for a long time...
When he first came here, he was inspired by the towering buildings and bustling streets, but those dreams and ambitions might take a long time to realize...
...
Lei Huanxi's hometown was Zhunan Town, about an hour's drive from Yundong City.
Zhunan Town was famous for its peaches nationwide. Among all the villages in Zhunan Town, Xiantao Village was the most renowned.
There was a beautiful legend about Xiantao Village. It was said that when the Monkey King Sun Wukong stole peaches from the Heavenly Peach Garden, he threw a peach pit, which landed here, and thus the village began to produce peaches.
The villagers of Xiantao Village often boasted: "Besides the Heavenly Peaches, our peaches are the largest and most delicious."
Lei Huanxi rushed back, but he was a step too late.
His grandfather had already passed away.
Xu Cunzhang told Lei Huanxi that his grandfather had been ill for a long time but had hidden it to avoid worrying his grandson and to let him focus on his career in Yundong City.
Until he could no longer hide it...
Xu Cunzhang sighed: "If you had come back a few hours earlier, you could have seen your old friend one last time..."
Tears streamed down Lei Huanxi's face...
...
With the help of the village chief, Lei Huanxi buried his grandfather. On his way back, he saw a large villa with a high wall surrounding it at the eastern end of the village.
Lei Huanxi was curious: "Uncle Xu, when did we get this villa?"
"A big boss from the city built it," Xu Cunzhang said. "He bought several acres of land from the village, not only building this villa but also creating a small farm and a fish pond inside. The foreman is my distant nephew, and they say the interior is decorated like a palace. The boss apparently plans to retire here, but strangely, he hasn't come back since it was built, and the water in the fish pond has gone bad."
Lei Huanxi nodded.
Nowadays, rich people from big cities often like to visit the countryside, eat farm food, and breathe fresh air. This boss probably had similar ideas.
Back home, Xu Cunzhang introduced Lei Huanxi to the matters left by his grandfather.
Lei Huanxi's grandfather, in his old age, had only leased half an acre of peach orchard. Due to his illness, he couldn't manage it, and now only a few peach trees remained.
"The lease has five years left. Huanxi, what do you think?" Xu Cunzhang asked tentatively.
"I'll take it," Lei Huanxi said without hesitation. "I learned how to grow peaches from my grandfather; I'll do it."
Actually, where else could he go now?
"Good, as long as you can endure the hard work and manage the orchard, your life will surely improve," Xu Cunzhang said, not saying much more. He took a small box from his pocket: "This is what your grandfather left for you."
Lei Huanxi opened it and found only a peach pit, which had turned black over the years.
Perhaps his grandfather wanted him to remember his roots?
After seeing off Xu Cunzhang, Lei Huanxi felt a bit more spirited. Returning to the countryside wasn't bad; at least he wouldn't have to struggle to find cheap rent anymore.
His grandfather's old house was 120 square meters, and Lei Huanxi could live in it as he pleased.
Seeing that it wasn't dark yet, Lei Huanxi took the box and went out.
The peach orchard his grandfather leased was a bit far from the village, quite isolated. A few lonely peach trees stood there, looking desolate.
Holding the peach pit in his hand, he sat under a peach tree. What should he do in the future? Although he had learned how to grow peaches from his grandfather, he had forgotten much over the years.
What else could he do?
As he thought, Lei Huanxi fell asleep...
At that moment, the peach pit in his hand suddenly emitted a faint blue light, but the sleeping Lei Huanxi didn't feel it at all.
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