The two women's talk of shopping was just that, talk. The house still had many financial gaps to fill, so they couldn't add to Li Haochen's burden. Moreover, they had to return to work and weren't that free.
After sending Li Haochen back, the two women drove off to their respective workplaces.
It was still early, so Li Haochen rode his bike to the warehouse to stock up on some coconut products. Afterwards, he bought a carton of cigarettes and some fruit from a mall and headed back to the construction site.
In two days, the entire hill had transformed. What was once covered in reeds was now bare, as if the top had been shaved off, leaving a large flat area, at least as big as a basketball court.
He ate lunch at the construction site, discussed his ideas with Supervisor Wang, and then left.
Instead of going home, he went to a fishing tackle shop, bought some fishing lines, leaders, and hooks. He also bought four circular fish cages, each eighty centimeters in diameter and three meters long, as well as some crab cages and plenty of bait cages.
Back home, he brought these items, along with a seine net, into his space in batches. He hadn't been out to sea for several days and planned to go tomorrow. Since he was just idling, making money was appealing, especially with the ten million yuan deficit for the house and the Butterfly Bay project.
In the afternoon, he went to the pier and cleaned the Starlight. After checking the engine room instruments and confirming everything was normal, he locked up and left. Of course, he didn't forget to give Wang Xiaoming at the security office a pack of cigarettes.
As he rode away, the shaved ice shop by the pier whetted his appetite. He devoured two large bowls before leaving satisfied. On his way out, he remembered the two "divine beasts" at home and bought a bucket to take back.
Upon reaching the entrance of Dalong Village, he saw crowds of people all around, both from Dalong Village and those enjoying the cooler evening air or sightseeing nearby. The sound of gongs and drums continuously emanated from the village.
Unable to enter, Li Haochen dismounted and pushed his bike, wondering about the lively scene. "It's not a festival today, nor is there any sacrificial activity, what's going on?"
"Hey handsome, what's happening here?" Li Haochen asked a young man beside him.
"Uh... sorry, I don't know either. I just saw so many people gathered around and came to see the excitement," the young man replied awkwardly, unable to provide an answer.
Li Haochen smiled and nodded. After waiting for a while longer and the crowd thinned out a bit, he pushed his bike through the gaps and slowly made his way home. The closer he got to home, the more people there were, and the sound of gongs and drums vibrated his eardrums.
"What's going on, why are they all piled up near my house?" Ten minutes later, Li Haochen finally squeezed close to his home, but the crowd was so dense that movement was impossible.
With no other option, and the shaved ice melting rapidly, Li Haochen had to shout, "Hey, uncle, auntie, can you let me get home first?"
This shout turned many heads. Huang Haiyuan, not far away, also spotted Li Haochen. He squeezed through the crowd, shouting, "Hahaha, Haochen, you're back! Hurry home, it's good news!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding villagers parted, creating a path. The commotion also drew the attention of those in the inner circle, and a hush fell over the area.
"Good news?"
Li Haochen, perplexed, pushed his electric bike towards his home. Huang Haiyuan, meanwhile, squeezed into the innermost area and had a brief conversation with several unfamiliar faces.
These individuals immediately became excited and hurried towards Li Haochen. Upon meeting him, all three immediately knelt before Li Haochen, preparing to kowtow.
Seeing this, Li Haochen exclaimed, "This won't do! How can I let people kneel to me? Am I dead?" He quickly squatted down and helped the three to their feet. "Uncle, auntie, what are you doing? Please get up."
"Benefactor, we finally see you. I..." As he spoke, the middle-aged man's eyes welled up with tears, and he knelt again.
"Hey, no, no, uncle, you're going to kill me with respect! Please get up, get up."
"Benefactor, if it weren't for you, our family would be ruined. You are a great benefactor to our entire family."
By now, Li Haochen had a strong guess. He took the man's hand and said, "Uncle, auntie, please don't be like this. Really, anyone would lend a hand in this situation."
"That may be so, but..."
"Stop talking, uncle. Let's go inside and sit down. It's so hot today."
"Then... alright, lion team, gongs and drums, hurry up!" the man shouted to those behind him.
Instantly, the gongs and drums roared. Li Haochen felt helpless, but since it was their heartfelt gesture, he let them be. He successfully returned home, and the villagers watching outside also dispersed gradually.
Through their conversation, Li Haochen learned that the middle-aged man was Dai Changrun, the woman was Dai Ruhao, and the young man was their son, Dai Zirui. The few people behind them were Dai family relatives who had come to help.
The group brought in a lot of items: a whole roasted pig, two live roosters, and many pastries. These were likely part of their customs. Li Haochen didn't object to these items, but there were too many to handle.
Dai Changrun asked his son to take out a banner and unfurl it. Holding a large red paper packet, wrapped into a brick-like item, he approached Li Haochen. "Benefactor, this is our token of appreciation. You must accept it."
Li Haochen had already guessed what Dai Changrun was holding and immediately pushed it back. "Uncle Dai, I'll accept the banner and the pastries, but please take this back. You need it more."
"That won't do. Benefactor, please take it."
"Uncle Dai, if you insist on giving it to me again, I won't accept even those things," Li Haochen said, feigning annoyance.
"This... what a good person you are! We don't know how to thank you enough." Dai Changrun and the others' eyes reddened again. Li Haochen, unable to do anything else, let them be.
"Uncle Dai, what are your plans for the future?"
"Alas, what plans can I have? We'll buy a new boat and start again."
"You... you still dare to go out to sea?"
"That was just an accident. We have no knowledge or culture, only this skill to make a living. How can we abandon it?"
Hearing Dai Changrun's words, Li Haochen conceived an idea. "Uncle Dai, I have something I'd like to discuss with you all."
"Benefactor, please speak. If we can do it, we will go through fire and water."
"It's like this. I want to buy a fishing boat for you all to manage for me. In addition to a fixed salary, you'll receive thirty percent of the fishing profits. Moreover, we won't need to find buyers for our catch. My girlfriend's hotel will purchase it. What do you all think?"
"Okay, salary is not a problem. As long as we have food to eat, that's enough."
"Uh... you agreed so quickly?" Dai Changrun and the others' rapid agreement caught Li Haochen somewhat off guard, but he was immediately overjoyed.
The reason for this idea wasn't to make money, but rather for the catch. With an extra fishing boat, if Murong Yanran's hotel encountered any unforeseen events in the future, she would at least be less passive.
"Alright, you all go back first. This fishing boat won't be ready overnight. Once everything is prepared, I'll contact you."
After the Dai family left, Li Haochen distributed some of the roasted pig and other pastries to the various households in the village. The two large roosters were kept in the yard.