{"id":12806,"date":"2020-09-26T19:00:20","date_gmt":"2020-09-26T23:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=12806"},"modified":"2020-10-24T12:30:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-24T16:30:43","slug":"epiphanies-of-rebirth-37-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-37-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphanies of Rebirth 37.1"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12806\" class=\"elementor elementor-12806\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f035568 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f035568\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chapter 37.1<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67aa1986 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"67aa1986\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32971be7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32971be7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The establishment of the central business district was definitely a qualitative leap in the commercial development of Yan City.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The advantages of this model had been demonstrated in many countries\u2014it usually represented the centralization of financial, business, and service institutions, better utilization of land, and more efficient transportation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While enterprises would benefit from this, it would also promote the economic development of the northern area, as well as the whole city.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across the country, people working in the business sector erupted in excitement after hearing the news.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before that, the domestic market had always been in a dangerous and ambiguous position; free-market activities, and even the use of currency, had only become prolific in recent decades. This special social model made it difficult for the people living within it to understand exactly what \u201ccapital\u201d was and the legalities of it. It was precisely because of this reason that many workers reacted with disapproval when self-employment was mentioned, like Father Zhou had in the beginning.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The country did strive to change this, as proven by the establishment of special economic zones and the opening of Shen City Stock Exchange, among other activities. Unfortunately, this kind of subtle encouragement seemed too obscure for many of the less daring entrepreneurs. However, when Yan City announced it was creating a \u201cbusiness district\u201d, and that companies who moved their offices there would obtain several special privileges, the message was straightforward enough!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one had any doubts about what this policy meant for future business prospects.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Businessmen were all driven by profit; under the premise of controlled risk, the substantial benefits promised by the words \u201cspecial privileges\u201d were enough for them to \u201cbravely and fearlessly advance wave upon wave\u201d.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And so, the deserted land in the north quarter, which had previously been of no interest to anyone, overnight became the focus of attention for real estate developers in Yan City and even the entire country!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Land prices changed day by day, and even hour by hour, when people rushed to snatch up the plots previously listed for sale. But no one was a fool\u2014with the prospects of what the northern district would shape up to be in the future, who would sell a hen laying golden eggs at such a time? Companies which had originally been trying to dispose of the land which was only bringing in losses were now all making an about-face and clinging on to it for dear life, planning to take advantage of the opportunity to make a huge profit later. There were a handful of smaller companies with little assets which couldn\u2019t afford to hold on to the land for that long and were all too happy to sell it, but the prices they asked for were, predictably, sky-high. What\u2019s more, in the current market situation where demand far exceeded supply, the price negotiated one morning might change by the time a contract was signed in the evening.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All the real estate companies with land in the north of the city became extremely popular, with hordes of lobbyists descending upon them\u2014especially Flux Realty, which had, out of blue, acquired four plots there the previous year. This move had been spiritedly discussed in the real estate circles, with the majority of people not feeling overly optimistic about it. Some even ridiculed Flux Realty in private, saying that because the company had only experienced smooth sailing so far, its decision-makers became overconfident in their abilities and dropped the ball. Now, their faces were all slapped swollen\u2014when the city disclosed more of the development plan, it turned out that each of the four pieces of land owned by Flux Realty in the north could be considered top-grade real estate.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hu Shaofeng, Flux Realty\u2019s official manager, had never felt so popular\u2014usually, he didn\u2019t get more than ten phone calls a day, but now his cell phone was ringing from morning \u2018til night. Each caller tried to sound him out on whether the company was intending to sell the land, with indirectly proposed prices that got higher and higher as the market situation changed. The longer this continued, the more he had to force himself to restrain any abnormal reactions when he heard the increasing numbers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To put things in perspective, take the piece of land near the small pond that Xiao Chi won for 19 million yuan at the last autumn bidding meeting. It had been left alone for several months as Xiao Chi neither said to sell nor develop it; the whole company treated it as if it didn\u2019t exist. At this moment, however, this land had transformed into a delicious cake that the bosses of all the major real estate companies wanted to eat, provoking an unofficial bidding war. From the news of the highway construction a month ago, to the confirmation of the highway\u2019s entry and exit access points, and now culminating with the announcement regarding the establishment of a central business district\u2014in barely a month, the value of that piece of land had soared from 19 million to 37 million, nearly doubling.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This meant a profit of nearly 20 million! A simple sale would garner them a gain comparable to what they\u2019d usually earn only after laboriously developing an empty plot into a real estate property!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hu Shaofeng found this situation hard to endure, as if he was slowly being roasted over a low fire. To make matters worse, Brother Xiao was still shunning him. Once in a while, he would take pity on him and answer a phone call, but his attitude was ambiguous\u2014he would only say to wait and see, tell Hu Shaofeng not to worry and to carry on as usual, and that he shouldn\u2019t contact him unless it was something of major importance.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aggrieved, Hu Shaofeng threw himself into his social life to soothe his sorrows, and spent the rest of the winter break \u201c<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/approachinese.com\/dict\/zh2en\/%E6%B2%BE%E8%8A%B1%E6%83%B9%E8%8D%89\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fondling the flowers and trampling the grass<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d. By the time the new term was about to start, Yan City\u2019s north district had become as hot as the center of a blazing inferno.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He finally managed to catch Brother Xiao when he was paying a New Year\u2019s courtesy call to Elder Fang.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1bf77df elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1bf77df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When he was younger, Elder Fang used to be an influential player in the political arena. After retirement, he became a benevolent old man spending time on his hobby of appreciating antiques and kindly watching over the younger generation. Despite belonging to a different faction, even the juniors of the Xiao family would come to visit him during the New Year, and the Xiao parents, who for once were able to spend the holidays in Yan City, insisted on personally giving him a New Year gift.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just before the New Year, Elder Fang accompanied the National Museum delegation to the British Museum, and didn\u2019t fly back until the end of the first lunar month. Once he came back, the accumulated visitors poured in in torrents, nearly wearing out his doorstep, and the Fang family\u2019s house was bustling from morning till night.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Hu Shaofeng and his father came, several members of other families were sitting in the living room. The Shen couple and their daughter, Shen Tiantian, had already finished paying their respects and were leaving, and the two parties exchanged polite but distant greetings as they passed each other. When Fang Wenhao came back after accompanying them to the door, he whined, \u201cDid you see it? Fuck, Shen Tiantian\u2019s stepfather is still as terrifying as usual, don\u2019t your legs shake when you see him? I\u2019m scared to talk to him.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao thought of Lin Runsheng sternly telling him there was no need to see them off and shuddered. This uncle, who was said to be a teacher at the nearby university, commanded in his heart an amount of respect second only to that of Xiao Chi\u2019s family.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Fang and Shen family\u2019s houses were not far from each other, and Shen Juanying\u2019s remarriage was an exotic, exciting event to children in the compound. How did this man manage to conquer their famously smart and capable Aunt Shen? This made the adolescent boys burn with curiosity, but the awe-inspiring might exuded by the middle-aged man they saw at the wedding successfully dispelled all their ideas of asking for advice. Since then, they never dared to bully Shen Tiantian again and gave the Shen family\u2019s house a wide berth; whenever they got wind of Lin Runsheng appearing somewhere, they\u2019d all flee that place. Gradually, there was almost no contact between them and the Shen family.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there had been a lot of rumors about the Shen family recently, and it had become one of the most popular topics of gossip in the local community because of the sudden reconstitution\u2014it was said that Uncle Lin actually had a son from a previous marriage. Everyone couldn\u2019t help but overthink, wondering whether this sudden new addition to the family would affect the relationship between the couple. However, during New Year visits, they were still only accompanied by Shen Tiantian, just like always, which seemed to imply some deeper meaning.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, no one had seen the rumored child, and his name and personal details except for gender were unknown. However, it seemed obvious that he hadn\u2019t been able to make any waves since the couple hadn\u2019t brought him to visit any relatives, and probably hadn\u2019t even spent the New Year with him. So, there were two possibilities: either the child was too <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E9%A0%91%E5%8A%A3#Chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unruly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and was not fit to be brought out, or the Shen couple wasn\u2019t as concerned about his existence as outsiders assumed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his mind, Hu Shaofeng eagerly flipped through the gossip, but on the surface, he looked innocent and well-behaved. After paying his New Year\u2019s greetings to Elder Fang, he quietly sat on the sofa, looking at his Brother Xiao pitifully.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Xiao family members\u2019 excellence seemed even more evident in comparison to the other people in the living room. For example, Hu Shaofeng, despite exerting all his skills to pretend, was still unable to match the Xiao brother\u2019s and sister\u2019s presence and poise, and was consequently stabbed by his father\u2019s unsatisfied gaze that scolded, <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Why can\u2019t you take an example from them?\u2019<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Miao sat like a demure lady, with a straight back, both legs together, and a serene expression on her face. Her long neck curved gracefully as she leaned over to say something in her brother\u2019s ear, genteelly blocking her mouth with one hand.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi, as a gentle and loving older brother, listened patiently. Soon, a rare smile appeared on his usually solemn face and he whispered something back, also covering his mouth.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one knew what he said, but right away, Xiao Miao\u2019s eyes glimmered and a pink blush blossomed across her cold face.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heavens, what a beautiful scene!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guests, including Elder Fang, all cast envious glances at Xiao Shenxing and his wife. In upper-class families, children were usually precocious, and siblings with such a close and harmonious relationship were a rare sight.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hu Shaofeng didn\u2019t know who he should envy, Brother Xiao or Xiao Miao. If only Brother Xiao could be so patient and gentle with him! And if only Xiao Miao could look at him with such a shy expression, full of dependence!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3de3039 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3de3039\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Xiao parents sat close enough to hear the whispers, but not even the slightest glimmer of embarrassment managed to pierce the perfect smiles on their faces.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Miao: \u201cBrother, that shimmery pink skirt Shen Tiantian wore looked pretty, I also want one like it.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi: \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t want it, you\u2019d definitely look ugly in it.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Miao:\u3010Bursting into flames of rage.jpg\u3011<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His envy of the sibling\u2019s bond was the last straw that broke the camel\u2019s back; it allowed Hu Shaofeng to gain enough courage to bar Xiao Chi\u2019s way as they were leaving.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He wanted to ask what he had done so wrong to be snubbed for almost a month! But as his eyes were attracted to the neatly zipped-up leather jacket Xiao Chi was still wearing in the warm indoors, what came out of his mouth was, \u201cBrother Xiao, aren\u2019t you hot?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Xiao Chi was most definitely not hot. He pulled out a string of wooden prayer beads that had been specially chosen to match the color of the jacket and responded to Hu Shaofeng\u2019s anxious expression with a calm look. \u201cI need to stay away from you for a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy!\u201d Hu Shaofeng\u2019s tears were about to stream down, but Xiao Chi, fearing that being too close to him would invite bad luck, left him behind mercilessly.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aggrieved, Hu Shaofeng hugged the baffled Fang Wenhao. \u201cWhy!? Is it because I smoke?!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only thing he could think of was this. Xiao Chi hated the smell of smoke and had admonished him countless times before.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao had no idea what was going on and could only pat his back. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBrother Xiao seems to be in a bad mood!\u201d Hu Shaofeng sadly confided. \u201cDid he practice that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/baike.baidu.com\/item\/%E9%97%AD%E5%8F%A3%E7%A6%85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">silence meditation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> again? He\u2019s been ignoring me since New Year\u2019s Day!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo way.\u201d Fang Wenhao took out a tissue to wipe his tears. \u201cHe\u2019s in a good mood. Just now, he asked me which day the Finance Department\u2019s classes start.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t comfort me.\u201d Hu Shaofeng slumped on his shoulder and blew his nose with the tissue to fully demonstrate his grief.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao was a little confused\u2014he wasn\u2019t just placating Hu Shaofeng, Xiao Chi definitely seemed to be in a good mood. When they\u2019d talked just now, he not only asked which the day the new term started, but he also inquired about many other things, such as when Lin Jingzhe was returning to Yan City and so on. He\u2019d been so uncharacteristically talkative that Fang Wenhao had felt overwhelmingly flattered by his favor!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But once he remembered Lin Jingzhe, he didn\u2019t have many thoughts to spare on Hu Shaofeng and his woes. Which day Lin Jingzhe planned to return to Yan City was also a question he was very concerned about. Unfortunately, he\u2019d failed to ask in advance.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On New Year\u2019s Day, he and Lin Jingzhe had spoken by phone, mainly to exchange New Year\u2019s greetings. At that time, he actually asked about Lin Jingzhe\u2019s plans for the plots of land in his possession, but the youth dodged the question, vaguely saying that there was no hurry and that they\u2019d talk about this matter once he was back in Yan City before the start of the new term.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At that time, he\u2019d still been very anxious. He feared that the land was like an unsalvageable shipwreck, and that Lin Jingzhe, caught in it, would eventually be dragged to the bottom as well. Who knew that before the winter break ended, the real estate market in Yan City would change completely?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This astonishing development had stunned Fang Wenhao beyond words. He was one of the real estate developers who failed to grab opportunities in the north quarter. Since last year, Lin Jingzhe had attempted to persuade him several times to buy even a small piece of land there, but he never took the young man\u2019s advice seriously.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, within a scant few months, New Beginnings Real Estate had successfully transformed from a newly established, little-known real estate company to an existence that everyone in the industry was speculating about. Rather than a fairy tale of coincidence, real businessmen were more willing to believe that this small company which had appeared out of nowhere might have a stronger background than them since it could learn in advance the information that had been kept so highly confidential.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one knew the inside story better than Fang Wenhao, so the news hit him with amplified impact, and the shock in his heart was many times harder to dissipate.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a892889 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"a892889\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-45b7275 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"45b7275\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA coincidence, it\u2019s just a coincidence,\u201d Lin Jingzhe said when he was caught by Fang Wenhao after returning to Yan City. Facing the other party\u2019s questions, he remained calm, as if the fact that, with every passing moment, the land in his hands was rapidly increasing in value didn\u2019t make him excited at all. \u201cWhat else could it be? Even you weren\u2019t able to get the news beforehand, Brother Fang, so how on earth would <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> get it?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao scrutinized his face, trying to find a trace of awkwardness in his expression, but it was in vain. He couldn\u2019t believe Lin Jingzhe\u2019s excuse of \u201ccoincidence\u201d, but at the same time, he couldn\u2019t pick out the slightest loophole in the youth\u2019s explanation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, he was clear about Lin Jingzhe\u2019s background\u2014when the donation of antiques happened, his grandfather had told him about the young man who made the decision. Lin Jingzhe was born and raised in a small city deep in the south. His parents were divorced and he\u2019d been raised by his maternal grandfather who had a little bit of money; in fact, his parents were so estranged that his father\u2019s name couldn\u2019t be found in Liyun Town\u2019s archives. His grandfather did have a little bit of money, but without mentioning Yan City, he couldn\u2019t be considered an influential man even in Qunnan Province. To be honest: if one ignored Lin Jingzhe\u2019s appearance and demeanor and only focused on his origins, he was exactly the \u201ccountry bumpkin\u201d city youngsters typically looked down on.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So yeah, where could he hear this news? Highway and urban planning had always been issues that were kept highly confidential and were all done by a special team. Even someone in a very high position might not necessarily have the ability to get any information. Fang Wenhao had pestered his grandfather for a year or two, probing him in a roundabout manner until the old man got furious; ultimately, he had no choice but to conclude that Elder Fang really didn\u2019t have any inside information. If the person in question was Xiao Chi, Fang Wenhao could still believe it, but Lin Jingzhe?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was simply impossible.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Lin Jingzhe\u2019s decisive and almost irrational land hoarding appeared too bold. Without a certain amount of confidence, would he really dare to bet it all on a single throw like this?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao sat in his family\u2019s living room, drinking tea made by Lin Jingzhe as if the youth was actually the host. His grandfather, who was always quick to get angry at him, chatted amiably with Lin Jingzhe about lost Chinese antiques exhibited in the British Museum; Fang Wenhao listened absently as he continued pondering over this question.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, he couldn\u2019t figure it out no matter how much he puzzled over it, so he put it aside for the moment\u2014right now, there was another more important issue at hand.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBy the way, Mr. Xue from Riverside Properties asked me to lobby for him. He\u2019d like to know if you have any intentions of selling the plot next to the 2nd Middle Road.\u201d Insiders with a better information network knew that Fang Wenhao had helped Lin Jingzhe acquire his business license, and as a result, thought that he had a close relationship with New Beginnings Real Estate. And so, Fang Wenhao had many visitors recently, most of them expressing a strong interest in the land owned by New Beginnings. \u201cI remember you bought it for 6.9 million? Mr. Xue said he\u2019s willing to offer 18 million and hopes that you\u2019ll give him priority if you plan to sell it.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, right,\u201d Fang Wenhao continued as he recalled the rest. \u201cHe said that if you don\u2019t want to sell that one, he\u2019s also willing to buy the plots at Shiku Lane. He\u2019ll give you 41 million for the east-side piece, and he\u2019s still considering the west-side one. I guess both of them together are too big and he\u2019s not sure if he\u2019ll be able to swallow them without choking.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe listened thoughtfully, inclining his head. Instead of expressing his opinion, he asked, \u201cWhat do you think I should do?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019re asking me?\u201d Fang Wenhao hesitated for a moment. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely not possible for you to develop all three plots on your own. Luckily, the price of land in the north district is rising right now\u2014the piece by the 2nd Middle Road more than doubled in value. If it was me, I\u2019d keep one plot to develop it myself and sell him the other two.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe nodded with a smile. \u201cThat makes sense,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI most certainly plan to sell the land.\u201d But he still didn\u2019t give Fang Wenhao a definite answer. Putting down his tea cup, he continued mildly, \u201cPlease tell Mr. Xue not to worry and to keep an eye on the market. When I decide that the time is right to sell them, I\u2019ll definitely inform him which one I plan to put up for sale first.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fang Wenhao was delighted to hear it. \u201cIf you plan to sell them, you might as well sell them to me. Why don\u2019t you let me have both of the plots at Shiku Lane? They\u2019re too big for Mr. Xue, but they\u2019re not too big for me! I\u2019ll give you 75 million for both\u2014how about it?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe only smiled and took a sip of tea, but the old man sitting next to him spluttered. He put down his tea cup with a clatter, pointed at his grandson, and growled, \u201cYou really can dream!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHuh? Why?\u201d Fang Wenhao looked at him, puzzled. \u201cBack then, he got it for about 30 million. My price is already 5 million higher than the current market price, so you can\u2019t say I\u2019m trying to cheat him, can you?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing that his expression was completely serious, Elder Fang stared at him, speechless. Lin Jingzhe exchanged glances with the old man and couldn\u2019t help but smile.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He crossed his legs and reclined on the sofa in a rare relaxed manner, caressing the tea cup. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, sir, it\u2019s just that he\u2019s still too young. He\u2019ll understand later,\u201d he comforted.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a pity that, when coupled with his young face, this sentence didn\u2019t exactly have the effect he intended. Looking at Fang Wenhao\u2019s uncomprehending gaze, Elder Fang became more and more angry. He picked up the walking stick that usually played a solely ornamental role, and clobbered his grandson hard.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d0bbc86 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"d0bbc86\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11cc40a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"11cc40a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Translator&#8217;s Notes:<\/h3>\n<ol>\n \t<li><em><strong>&#8220;Free-market activities, and even the use of currency, had only spread in recent decades&#8221;<\/strong> &#8211;\u00a0<\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think I need to do more research on this so I won&#8217;t fumble with an explanation here. You might consider reading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quora.com\/How-did-Chinas-dual-track-system-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this explanation on Quora<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.china.org.cn\/books&amp;magazines\/2008-11\/13\/content_16760802.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this article<\/a>.<\/li>\n \t<li><em><strong>&#8220;&#8230;<\/strong><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><strong>When he was paying a New Year\u2019s courtesy call to Elder Fang&#8221;<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; here&#8217;s an introduction to the Chinese New Year traditions (New Year&#8217;s visits in &#8220;When to Make Visits&#8221; part): <a href=\"https:\/\/ltl-school.com\/chinese-new-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese New Year Traditions and Superstitions<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3d76eae5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3d76eae5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-38674ce8\" data-id=\"38674ce8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50b5930 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"50b5930\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cd91a0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cd91a0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Translator: Eques<\/em><br \/><em>Editor: Luoshenhua, Austera<br \/>Consultant &amp; proofreader: Austera<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9dffd33 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"9dffd33\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d89bf67 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d89bf67\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Eques:<\/h3><p>*Throws the chapter at readers and runs away*<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c14d728 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c14d728\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7544ad7c\" data-id=\"7544ad7c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47abfc44 elementor-button-info elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"47abfc44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-36-2\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span 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href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f12f416\" data-id=\"4f12f416\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70cf5ebc elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"70cf5ebc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-37-2\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Next<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c545038 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c545038\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b58f857\" data-id=\"b58f857\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":11243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[35,39,68,41],"class_list":["post-12806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eor","tag-bl","tag-modern","tag-power-couple","tag-second-chance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/EoR-e1584633810703.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12806"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12961,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12806\/revisions\/12961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}