Chapter 74

On the afternoon of that day, Old Sun gathered all the villagers and announced his imminent departure, designating Uncle Ma Si, a senior villager, as the new clan leader to handle village affairs, including the acquisition of "sea cucumbers" for the穿越者 (time travelers). Tian Xie then swore to the villagers, saying that since he had been taken care of by them since his arrival, if he ever became successful, he would definitely return to repay their kindness.

The villagers, upon hearing this, felt both envious and reluctant to part. However, thinking that Old Sun and his family were going to the city to enjoy a better life, they all gathered around to offer their congratulations. Afterwards, Old Sun and Tian Xie returned to their residence to pack their belongings, preparing to set off early the next morning.

In fact, these few people did not have much to take with them. According to Fan Wucheng's suggestion, apart from the relatively well-preserved military uniform of Huang Hai and less than two pounds of dried "sea cucumbers" collected from the entire village, everything else was to be left behind. They would buy new things once they arrived in the city. However, as the saying goes, "a poor home is worth ten thousand strings of cash." Normally, they did not feel much, but once they were about to leave, a sense of reluctance naturally welled up in their hearts. Especially for Old Sun, who had lived here all his life, he picked up one item after another, touching them, unable to bear to part with any of them. He even almost changed his mind and decided not to go with Tian Xie and the others. It was only after Tian Xie repeatedly persuaded him that he finally gave up this idea, deciding to take only a fishing basket he had used for many years and his wife's memorial tablet. The rest of the items were given to the villagers, who could take what they needed. Tian Xie and the others also took one or two items of special significance as a memento of their hard times.

On the 21st of the second lunar month, the group set off in a vehicle amidst the blessings of the entire village, speeding towards Liangxiang City, quickly disappearing from the villagers' sight.

On the afternoon of the 25th of the second lunar month, Fan Wucheng and his group returned to "Qingyuan." Wang Xiaojun led all the time travelers who were at home to form a line in front of the main house in the front courtyard, warmly welcoming the new members. Seeing the sincere smiles and hearing the heartfelt welcome words, Tian Xie and the others were deeply moved. They walked a few steps forward and firmly shook hands with the four committee members. The hardships,委屈 (grievances), and unease of nearly a year mixed with their current feelings, all pouring out through their tears without restraint. Even the young Gao Jun hugged Xu Shaoran, who was shaking hands with him, and wept bitterly.

Seeing Tian Xie and the others unable to control their tears, Wang Xiaojun and the others did not immediately try to comfort them. They knew that the four of them had endured so much hardship and had been under constant mental stress, and needed a good release to avoid psychological issues. Fortunately, apart from Zhong Ziqi, Qingchen, and Old Sun, only the time travelers were present, so there was no risk of the servants seeing and causing any negative impact.

Tian Xie and the others vented their emotions to the fullest, and others were also moved, including Old Sun, who shed tears. The few women present cried uncontrollably and were comforted by their husbands for a long time before they stopped crying.

Seeing that everyone had vented their emotions, Zhang Weixin called everyone to the main house in the second courtyard, which was the team's large meeting room, to sit down and talk. Then, Wang Xiaojun and the others walked arm in arm with Tian Xie and the others, warmly leading them into the large meeting room.

Everyone found a seat, and Wang Xiaojun introduced the time travelers and Zhong Ziqi to Tian Xie and the others. Tian Xie and the others greeted everyone, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Tian Xie then briefly introduced the four of them and their adoptive father, Old Sun, as well as their experiences over the past year, which naturally made everyone sigh with admiration, and many people gave them a thumbs up for their perseverance and courage.

After a few more words of casual conversation, Tian Xie stood up and bowed to the four committee members, saying, "Four committee members, I and my three brothers are deeply grateful for the team's acceptance. Although we are all from the same place and can be considered fellow countrymen, as the saying goes, 'receiving undeserved favors makes one uneasy.' Therefore, I and my three brothers hope to do something for the team to repay the team's acceptance. I wonder if the four committee members and all the fellow countrymen can give us this opportunity."

After saying this, Tian Xie looked at Wang Xiaojun and the other committee members with a sincere expression, waiting for their response. Just as he had shown in the fishing village, as a man of principle, Tian Xie naturally did not want to live a life of dependence and begging for charity. He hoped to demonstrate his abilities and play a role in the team, thereby earning the respect of everyone.

The Huang brothers clearly had the same idea, so as soon as Tian Xie finished speaking, they also stood up and said in unison, "That's right, we share the same thoughts as Brother Xie. We hope that all the fellow countrymen can give us the opportunity to contribute to the team."

Looking at the three pairs of determined and sincere eyes, Wang Xiaojun and the others felt both gratified and admiring. Wang Xiaojun stood up and returned their bow, saying sincerely, "Brothers, there's no need for such formalities, and don't consider yourselves outsiders. Since we are already one family, every family member should contribute to the development of the family. Your request will definitely be agreed upon by the committee.

In fact, before your arrival, I and the other three committee members and the heads of various functional groups had already discussed this matter and decided that after you arrived, you would rest for a while to recover your strength, and then we would assign you to the appropriate functional groups based on your expertise and abilities.

We just got caught up in the welcoming atmosphere and didn't have the chance to mention this. I hope you don't take offense and don't consider yourselves outsiders. From the moment you entered the 'Qingyuan' gate, you have been part of the team, with the same rights and obligations as other team members. From now on, don't talk about repayment, as that would make us seem distant."

Wang Xiaojun's words not only reassured Tian Xie and the others, allowing them to work and live with peace of mind, but also reminded the other team members not to consider themselves the owners and not to feel superior because they had joined the team a few days earlier.

Tian Xie and the others, while happy, insisted that they were in good health and did not need any rest, and could start working immediately. To prove their physical fitness, Huang Hai even flexed his biceps. However, the committee was not fooled by the surface appearance and had Dr. Lin conduct a thorough physical examination for them. Dr. Lin's diagnosis report, which stated that they needed to "supplement nutrition and rest for a month," left the three of them speechless, and they had to accept the arrangement of resting before working. However, to ensure they could rest with peace of mind, the committee had already inquired about their personal strengths and specialties and arranged corresponding work content based on this information.

Among them, Tian Xie, who had long operated a restaurant before the time travel, was assigned to the trade group, mainly responsible for the management of "Tianfoulou," taking over the work previously handled by Fan Wucheng. Of course, Fan Wucheng would not lose his previous position; he would still be the head of the trade group, responsible for the overall management of all the team's commercial activities.

Huang Hai, a former naval officer of the People's Liberation Army, was assigned to the security group, which had been feeling understaffed due to half of its members being dispatched to train the soldiers. Of course, as a naval expert, Huang Hai would also provide assistance to the technology group in his spare time to help accumulate knowledge and materials.

Huang Shan, a professional in ship design with experience working in a shipyard in his previous life, was naturally assigned to the technology group. He would be responsible for organizing his professional knowledge for archiving and contributing to the mechanical research and development work of the technology group.

As for the youngest, Gao Jun, who was only a high school sophomore before the time travel, he was not assigned any work for the time being. First, he lacked professional knowledge and could not participate in the work of the technology group, trade group, or medical room. Second, due to poor living conditions and lack of relevant training over the past year, although his physical fitness had improved after the time travel, he did not meet the requirements for security work and could not join the security group. As for the material management group, finance group, and archive room, which involved the team's core and most important interests, it was impossible to let such a young and inexperienced child participate.

Therefore, after discussions between the committee and Tian Xie and the others, it was decided that Gao Jun would not participate in any functional group work for the time being. Once he had recovered, and with his consent, he could consider learning martial arts and then joining the security group to perform security work.

Gao Jun himself had no objections to this decision. As a well-off high school student, he had basically been "clothed and fed" before the time travel, and now being allowed to live a carefree life like a holiday, he had no reason to be unwilling. However, for his future, Tian Xie did not want him to be in a completely "free-range" state, so he required him to take care of his adoptive father, responsible for his daily life and meals.

Fortunately, Gao Jun had mainly taken care of his adoptive father in the fishing village, as his brothers had mostly kept him from going to sea or doing heavy work to take care of him, so he was quite adept at this task. Of course, as a playful teenager, he was naturally unwilling to spend all day around an old man. However, although he had now joined the team and should follow the team's arrangements, in his heart, the authority of his big brother, Tian Xie, had not changed. Therefore, even though this suggestion was not from the committee, he readily agreed.

Tian Xie and the Huang brothers were very satisfied with this arrangement and repeatedly expressed their determination to recover quickly and contribute to the team's development as soon as possible.

That evening, a grand banquet was held at "Qingyuan" to welcome the four new members. Considering that Tian Xie and the others had been on a long journey, especially Old Sun, who had traveled a long distance and was physically exhausted, everyone, despite their cheerful mood, did not urge them to drink too much. Wang Xiaojun only represented the other team members to toast them three times, and then everyone was free to enjoy themselves.

After the banquet, Tian Xie and the others went to their assigned rooms to rest, while Fan Wucheng was called to the committee meeting room. The committee required him to submit a report within three days, covering both the predetermined tasks of the coastal trip—finding "sea cucumbers"—and the detailed process of discovering the "four coastal time travelers." They then discussed the issue of "Tianfoulou" with him, hoping that he would not have any reservations about the committee assigning Tian Xie to manage "Tianfoulou."

Fan Wucheng expressed his firm commitment to the committee's decision and his strong support for assigning the management of "Tianfoulou" to Tian Xie. This would allow him to have more time to consider the future development of the team's trade work and to look at issues more comprehensively. The committee was very satisfied with his response, encouraged him further, and then let him rest, even giving him three days off to adjust his state.