Chapter 70

The entire Xiantao Village was in a state of疯狂而失控. ⊙

Everyone believed that as long as they could find the money—no matter how: from their life savings, money for their son's wedding, borrowed or loaned—by handing it over to the village chief, and then to Er Fatzi, they could become rich.

Lei Huanxi had no way to stop this from happening.

Since that was the case, the only thing he could do was pray that Er Fatzi would really make money, and that he was overthinking it.

The 300,000 yuan for the contract of Fairy Mountain became Lei Huanxi's top priority.

What to do about this money? Where to get it? Each day of delay increased the possibility of Zhu Guoxu getting ahead.

Sell the two dragon fish? It was hard to find a buyer in a short time.

Mortgage the villa? Mortgaging a house in the countryside was very troublesome, and the likelihood of rejection was high.

Holding a can of beer, he squatted by the pond, watching the two dragon fish and Xiao Pang swim freely and happily in the water, feeling envious.

They were carefree.

Xiao Pang was very capable, but he couldn't magically produce money.

His phone rang at an inopportune time. Lei Huanxi didn't want to answer, but the call persisted.

"Hello."

"Brother Huanxi, it's me, Jin Yan."

"What's up?"

"Didn't I tell you I wanted to stay at your place for a while? I was going to come, but my mom asked me to go to Dafosi Temple in Haishan City to repay a vow. We're leaving tomorrow, and you should come with us."

"Haishan City? I won't go, you go by yourselves."

"Brother Huanxi, please come with us." Zhu Jin Yan pleaded on the phone: "Fatzi isn't going either. If you don't come, it will be so boring for me and my sister. Besides, Haishan is very close to our Yundong. It's just a short flight. If you don't have fun, you can come back the same day."

Haishan borders Yundong and is surrounded by the sea. It is a popular tourist destination every summer. Moreover, there is a historically significant Dafosi Temple there, which is said to be very effective. Many pilgrims go there to pray and repay their vows on the first and fifteenth of each month.

Lei Huanxi was thinking about the 300,000 yuan and had no interest in traveling. He was about to refuse, but Zhu Jin Yan's persistent pleading on the phone made his head hurt. He thought that it would only be a two or three-day trip, and he couldn't magically produce money in these two days. Perhaps a trip to the seaside would help him calm down and think of a solution.

So he reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, it's settled then." Zhu Jin Yan became excited: "Send me your ID number, and I'll book the flight tickets right away."

Lei Huanxi sent his ID number via text message. Less than 10 minutes later, Zhu Jin Yan called back, telling him that the tickets were booked and that he should meet at Yundong International Airport by 10 AM the next day.

"Xiao Pang, I'm going out for a few days." Lei Huanxi said to Xiao Pang: "Stay at home and be good..."

Seeing Xiao Pang's contented appearance in the artificial seawater, Lei Huanxi's heart stirred.

The sea? Dragons come from the sea, soaring over the ocean. Although Xiao Pang no longer had the appearance of a dragon, the sea was still his former home.

Just by looking at him in the artificial seawater, one could tell.

He had done so much for Lei Huanxi. Should he take him to see the sea this time?

Given Xiao Pang's size, taking him to Haishan wasn't difficult. This thought made Lei Huanxi decide: "Xiao Pang, do you want to go see the sea?"

Xiao Pang's body froze.

The sea? The sea? A familiar name.

His memory of the sea was very vague, but when Lei Huanxi mentioned it, a faint image of the sea appeared in his mind.

When the sun rises, the vast blue sea sparkles. The nearby waves surge onto the beach, chasing and playing with each other, crashing against the rocks. In the distance, the waves roll one after another, row after row, chasing and surging...

Yes, that was the sea.

A memory, though vague, that could never be erased.

Xiao Pang leaped out of the pond.

Lei Huanxi reached out, and Xiao Pang landed in his palm. He saw Xiao Pang's two small eyes looking at him, as if they were saying something.

Was it a memory? Or gratitude?

He brought his hand closer, and Xiao Pang made an effort to crawl forward a few steps.

When they were close to his face, Xiao Pang stretched his neck and affectionately rubbed against Lei Huanxi's face.

This was the first time Xiao Pang showed affection towards Lei Huanxi.

At that moment, Lei Huanxi's heart melted.

At that moment, Lei Huanxi felt that anything he did for Xiao Pang was worth it...

...

When the sky was just beginning to brighten, Lei Huanxi got up.

He made breakfast and ate it with Xiao Pang.

He took out a box, filled it with snacks, and let Xiao Pang crawl inside.

Although reluctant, Xiao Pang's desire to see the sea was the strongest. He obediently crawled into the box.

He put the box in his suitcase and dragged it to the fish pond.

Ye Tianlong had already gotten up and was busy there.

"Brother Ye, you're up early."

"Ah, I'm trying to figure out what method I can use to make the fish grow so quickly." Ye Tianlong didn't even look up, muttering to himself.

Under Lei Huanxi's deliberate guidance, Ye Tianlong was increasingly convinced that the sudden rapid growth of the fish was due to his own efforts, but he couldn't figure out what skill he had.

These past two days, he couldn't eat or sleep well, his mind constantly on the ten-acre fish pond.

Seeing his serious expression, Lei Huanxi didn't disturb him: "Brother Ye, I'm going out for a few days. The fish pond is in your hands."

"Go, go."

The journey from Zhunan to Yundong was short, but the road from Yundong to the airport was not easy.

The subway was always crowded with all kinds of people, and finding a seat was almost impossible.

What could he do? If you wanted to take a taxi from the station to the airport in Yundong, you would only see the meter's numbers jump, and the traffic was so bad that walking would be faster.

This was Lei Huanxi's first time at the airport.

After being expelled from Yundong, Lei Huanxi had experienced many firsts.

"Brother Huanxi, you're here." As soon as he called Zhu Jin Yan, the other party was eager to say: "Go get your boarding pass first. We're having breakfast in the terminal. Yes, my sister and I are waiting for you here."

After getting his boarding pass, Lei Huanxi followed Zhu Jin Yan's directions to where they were having breakfast.

As soon as she saw Lei Huanxi, Annie beamed and let him sit next to her: "Brother Huanxi, what would you like to eat?"

"I've already eaten. Why did you come so early?"

"We stayed at a hotel near the airport last night." Annie forced the menu into Lei Huanxi's hands: "The flight is at 11 AM, a short trip, no meals on the plane. Have something to eat. Besides, Jin Yan is paying, don't be frugal for him."

Lei Huanxi casually ordered two items: "Isn't there a cross-sea bridge now? Why not take the bus?"

"That would be too slow. The flight only takes half an hour."

Closing the menu, Lei Huanxi was curious: "What vow are you going to repay in Haishan?"

Annie explained. It turned out that when Zhu Jin Yan was born with a health issue, his mother went to Dafosi Temple in Haishan City when he was 10 years old, praying to the Buddha to protect her son.

Now that Zhu Jin Yan's health had improved, his mother, who was a devout Buddhist, had been urging him to repay the vow.

That made sense. Lei Huanxi really wanted to tell her that the one she should thank the most was Xiao Pang, who was in the suitcase. If it weren't for the ginseng grown from his dragon saliva, Zhu Jin Yan would still be sick in bed.

The breakfast he ordered was served, and Lei Huanxi took a bite, frowning.

He thought the food at the swimming team training base was bad, but it turned out there was always something worse. The bowl of wonton soup was almost impossible to swallow, the broth as bland as water. The few pieces of seaweed floating on top looked lifeless, as if they were resenting the chef.

"How can you eat this?" Lei Huanxi frowned.

"Got used to it. It's the same at every airport." Annie drank a beverage: "Not to mention the food, half of this drink is water. Just make do."

He forced himself to eat, but seeing that Annie and Zhu Jin Yan still had at least two-thirds of their food left, he wondered why they ordered so much if they couldn't finish it.

When the bill came, Lei Huanxi was even more surprised.

Zhu Jin Yan took out four large red bills: "No change needed."

The waiter was overjoyed, repeatedly thanking him, but Lei Huanxi sighed.

Rich people are rich. He was worrying about the contract fee for Fairy Mountain, but they spent 400 yuan on breakfast.

Thinking about money, he reached into his pocket: "Here's the money for the flight."

"What are you talking about, Brother Huanxi?" Zhu Jin Yan looked upset: "I asked you to come with me, not to pay. Are you slapping me in the face? From here to Haishan and back, all expenses are on me."

Annie also smiled: "Brother Huanxi, don't be polite. My father set up a fund for him long ago, and he gets a monthly allowance from it."

Lei Huanxi could only smile bitterly.

When he graduated from university and was still looking for a job, the other person was already getting money from a fund. When he was still worrying about money, the other person was traveling around.

Forget it, consider it a motivation.