However, the deputy mayor is indeed a highly intelligent professional. Knowing the proverb "a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow," he bought a villa in his hometown of Pengcheng, intending to use it as a place to keep his mistress. Money? Needless to say, someone naturally gave him some. Moreover, the mayor made full use of his professional knowledge, telling his beloved on more than one occasion that the interior design of this villa was the most prized work of his life.
Unfortunately, the mayor had the ambition of Emperor Wu of Han to keep a beautiful woman in a golden house, but he lacked the ability to rule the world. Not long after the villa was completed, a letter of denunciation brought him down, resulting in a twenty-year prison sentence, which meant he would spend the rest of his life singing "Tears Behind Bars".
Not counting the value of the villa itself and the cost of the interior decoration, the renovation of the villa's exterior alone reportedly cost more than 20 million yuan. This is why Song Jun said Zhuang Rui was lucky and got a great deal financially. Moreover, the original owner, who is still in prison weeping bitterly, didn't even get to enjoy this place for a single day.
Such a scandal in the brother city could not be publicized, so Pengcheng was entrusted to auction off the villa. The country's losses should be recovered as much as possible. However, the price of the decoration was difficult to calculate, and with the Song army's interference, it could only be auctioned off at the current house price. Of course, only the Song army participated in the auction.
Some friends might say, "Aren't you just fooling the public by doing this? Auctions should be open and fair. How can you let only one person participate?"
However, their reasons were also quite aboveboard: they acted in accordance with principles, first publishing the auction information in the newspaper before conducting the auction, and there was a notary on site, fully complying with the principles of fairness and openness.
To be fair, Song Jun's behavior wasn't too bad; otherwise, offering eight million would have been reasonable, given that there were no competitors.
Auction time? Well, the auction took place at noon on the same day the newspaper published it. But that's because the neighboring city was eager to close the case; we also need to consider their actual needs.
So, Zhuang Rui can be said to have hit the jackpot again. Not only did he find a hidden gem in the cultural relics, but he also stumbled upon a leaky roof. No wonder he was smiling so broadly.
While Zhuang Rui and Song Jun were on the phone, the house-viewing group took a tour of the villa. Although the entire villa was empty, everyone still praised it highly. Liu Chuan even shamelessly fought with Xiao Nannan for a room. It is said that lying in bed at night and watching the stars is a very romantic thing.
"Darling, let me tell you, big bad wolves will come down from the sky at night to snatch little girls. It's not safe to sleep there."
Seeing that reasoning wasn't working, Liu Chuan started resorting to intimidation.
"You're lying, the big bad wolf didn't come down from the sky."
The girl remained unmoved.
Liu Chuan scratched his head, feeling that in the stories he had heard, the big bad wolf had entered the house from the sky.
"Da Chuan, that's enough. Stop trying to fool Nannan. My house doesn't even have a chimney, what are you afraid of?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't stand it anymore. This guy's story wouldn't even fool a three-year-old.
Seeing Liu Chuan's persistent look, Zhuang Rui continued, "Da Chuan, let me tell you, the surveillance satellites in the sky can clearly capture images down to one centimeter on the ground. If you want a globally broadcast program, then I'll give you that room."
"Really?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Chuan felt uneasy and never mentioned the glass-roofed room again. Although he really wanted to watch the stars with Lei Lei, he didn't want their lovemaking to be broadcast globally.
Seeing the envious look on Zhao Guodong's face, Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, why don't you pick a room too? There are so many rooms, you can all stay here sometime."
"Okay, we'll find a room on the third floor, and the entire second floor will be your new home."
Zhuang Min readily agreed. The environment here was indeed wonderful, and it would be a great choice to bring her daughter to stay here for the weekend.
Where's Mom?
Zhuang Rui was about to let his mother choose a room as well, but found that his mother was not in the room.
“I’ll stay on the first floor. I’m too old to climb stairs. I’ll take my daughter to the yard for a while.”
The voice of Zhuang's mother came from the doorway. Compared to the empty room, she preferred to sit in the four-cornered pavilion and watch the fish swimming in the pond.
There was nothing in the empty villa, so there wasn't much point in staying inside. Zhou Rui, Liu Chuan, and the others all left one after another, leaving Zhuang Rui alone in the living room.
"Strange, wasn't there supposed to be a basement? Why can't I find it?"
Zhuang Rui held the blueprints of the villa and examined them carefully. Every villa in this resort had a basement, but the place where Zhuang Rui was standing was supposed to be the entrance to the basement. There was no door at all, just a painting hanging on a wall.
Zhuang Rui reached out to take the painting down, but found that it was hanging on the wall without moving. After trying to pull it down a little, a two-meter square iron door suddenly appeared silently on the floor below the stairs. However, the door was tightly closed. There were three rows of Arabic numerals on the door, so it should be a security door with a combination lock.
Zhuang Rui recalled the documents Song Jun had handed over to him. One of them seemed to mention a lock, so he quickly opened his bag and started searching. Sure enough, the document contained the password for the basement security door. This door was no ordinary door; it was made by a professional security company, and it would be very difficult for an ordinary person to open it without the password.
Zhuang Rui carefully read the description of the security door. After understanding it, he first opened the door using the password in the document, and then reset it. From then on, only Zhuang Rui could open the door.
As the security door opened, the lights inside immediately turned on, presumably voice-activated. Zhuang Rui could see a wooden staircase extending down from the doorway.
"Damn, is this a basement or a treasure room?"
Just looking at the seclusion of the basement, Zhuang Rui decided that he would move his red jadeite rough and the imperial green jadeite he got from Yang Hao's stall into the basement. As for the place to cut the stones, Zhuang Rui also had his eye on it. He could put a small stone-cutting machine in the garage, close the garage door, and no one would know what was going on inside.
The basement wasn't large, only a dozen square meters, with two air vents, allowing cold air to reach inside without making people feel stuffy. There was also a row of shelves inside, like the kind used in antique shops to display antiques. Perhaps because they weren't very valuable, the investigators didn't remove them.
This made things convenient for Zhuang Rui; the whole place was a ready-made collection room. It seems that the previous owner was not only accomplished in architecture but was also very likely a collector. The only pity was that the shelves were all empty, without even a scrap of paper left.
After leaving the villa, Zhuang Rui was so busy for the next few days that he barely had time to sit down. He had to buy more than a dozen beds for the villa alone, and everyone had their own opinions, so the styles couldn't be the same. Even Qin Xuanbing, who was far away in England, subtly expressed her wishes: "Well, the newly released waterbeds seem pretty good."
There was no other way. Apart from his niece, who was a junior, everyone else was older than him. To satisfy everyone's needs, Zhuang Rui even drove to Nanjing. After three days, he finally filled the villa.
As for tidying up the room, Zhuang Min will take care of it. There are still five days until Lao San's wedding, and Zhuang Rui will be driving to Shaanxi tomorrow.
Chapter 236 Oil Rat (Part 1)
After her son resigned from Zhonghai, he became even busier than before. He had only been home for a few days when he had to leave again. Although Mrs. Zhuang was a little reluctant, she didn't say anything, only telling Zhuang Rui to drive carefully on the road.
Actually, if it weren't for attending Lao San's wedding and then immediately going to Shanxi for the International Tibetan Mastiff Exchange Conference, which required bringing the Tibetan Mastiff along, Zhuang Rui would have already planned to fly to Shaanxi. The initial excitement of driving would have long since worn off.
Although Zhuang Rui hasn't owned the car for very long, he's been driving long distances all the time. After each trip, he's practically falling apart from exhaustion. Spiritual energy? Please, that can only relieve physical fatigue; it doesn't help with highly stressed nerves.
Because Zhou Rui and Liu Chuan had to prepare for the Tibetan Mastiff exchange meeting, Zhuang Rui had to drive alone this time. The journey from Pengcheng to Weishi in Shaanxi Province was over 800 kilometers, which was quite a challenge for him. One section of the road did not have a highway and was a winding mountain road, requiring absolute concentration. A slight mistake could result in a fatal accident.
We took the highway from Xiaoxian County in Anhui Province, then drove straight to Shangqiu and into Henan Province. We passed through Lankao, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, and Luoyang before reaching Lingbao in Shaanxi Province. The entire journey was on the highway, and Zhuang Rui was driving very fast. We set off at around 6 a.m., and now it's only 1 p.m., so we've already entered Shaanxi Province.
After carefully driving along a not-so-easy road, passing through the famous Tongguan and Huaxian counties, Zhuang Rui finally arrived at Lao San's hometown, Weishi, Shaanxi.
The journey passed through many historical cities, especially in Henan, which witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties. Zhuang Rui felt a little regretful; if he had more time, he could have traveled at a slower pace and probably found many good items in those cities.
Weishi City is located in eastern Shaanxi Province. It boasts a long and rich history, serving as the capital region for twelve dynasties from the Zhou and Qin dynasties to the Han and Tang dynasties for over two thousand years. Agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, commerce, and transportation were all relatively developed. This led to the formation of many famous ancient towns and cities. As a gateway to Xi'an, it has long been known as a "key passage in Shaanxi and a thoroughfare connecting eight provinces."
Weishi is renowned for its agriculture, boasting vast land, a mild climate, ample sunshine, and moderate rainfall. Arable land accounts for 96% of its total area, providing favorable conditions for the comprehensive development of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline production, and fisheries, and for the regionalization, commercialization, and modernization of agriculture. Its total grain, cotton, and oilseed output ranks among the top in the province, earning it the nickname "Shaanxi's Granary." Lao San and Zhang Rong both come from a county under Weishi's jurisdiction. After graduating from Zhonghai, they passed the civil service exam and entered their hometown's small county to work. Lao San works in the Grain Bureau, while Zhang Rong works in the Finance Bureau—both are considered quite good positions, as both departments are considered important in the local area.
Zhuang Rui drove directly to the entrance of Zhang Rong's workplace and saw her standing under a tree, looking around. He parked the car, rolled down the window, and asked, "Sister-in-law, where's Third Brother? Does he really want you, his new bride, to show your face in public?"
"Keep talking nonsense. Something came up at Changfa's workplace and he had to go back to work overtime. He should be back tonight. Let me take you to his place to stay first. It's a rented house in the county town, so it's not very convenient."
Zhang Rong opened the car door and got in. She didn't know what her husband's company was up to. They had called Liu Changfa to the company yesterday, but he hadn't shown up for two days. If Liu Changfa hadn't called back, she would have thought her husband had been kidnapped. Of course, this thought only came to her after she received the 1 million yuan. Before, who would have kidnapped her penniless husband?
"Why don't you buy a house in the city? The house prices shouldn't be too expensive, right?"
Zhuang Rui started the car and casually asked.
“You make it sound so easy. We didn’t have the money to buy a house before. My parents built a house in our hometown and are now heavily in debt. I’ve been looking at houses these past few days, but they won’t be ready in time for the wedding. It will take several months to buy one and renovate it.”
Zhang Rong's family is from the county town, and they originally planned to pool their money to buy a house there. However, Liu Changfa's parents refused to agree and insisted on building a house in their hometown. They spent a lot of money, but they might not have time to live there in the future.
Zhang Rong has a good temper and can understand the thoughts of the third son's parents. If it were someone else, they would probably have made a scene long ago. It was only when she was talking to Zhuang Rui that she grumbled a few words.
The third brother's family lived in the countryside, nearing the border of Lintong. By the time they arrived, it was almost dark. A small village with smoke rising from chimneys and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking appeared before Zhuang Rui's eyes.
As Zhuang Rui drove into the village, a group of naked children suddenly appeared, chasing and playing behind the car. Several stray dogs joined in the fun. Along the narrow village road, adults sat at their doorsteps with bowls of rice in their hands, loudly scolding the children, but their eyes were also fixed on Zhuang Rui's car, filled with curiosity.
Following Zhang Rong's directions, the car was parked in front of Lao San's house. The children who had been chasing the car then scattered, but they didn't leave. Instead, they stood at a distance and looked in this direction.
In the countryside, the most important thing for weddings is the house. If parents can't build a house for their son, they'll be looked down upon. Although Liu Changfa's university education cost a lot of money, his family still borrowed money to build him a bungalow next to their old house. It has five rooms and a yard, making it the best house in the whole village.
Actually, Lao San and Zhang Rong might not be able to live here. It's still 20 or 30 kilometers away from the county where they work, and it's too inconvenient to go back and forth.
The third son didn't want the house built at first, but since the whole village only had one college graduate, and his daughter-in-law was also a college graduate, it was a matter of great pride. So, Liu's father sold everything he owned and borrowed a lot of money to build it anyway. If it weren't for the one million yuan that Zhuang Rui gave him, the third son's salary would probably have belonged to someone else for the next four or five years after he and Zhang Rong got married.
After Zhuang Rui and Zhang Rong got out of the car, Liu Changfa's parents came out of the house to greet them. Both of them were in their early fifties, and they looked a bit older, probably because they had been doing farm work for many years. Knowing that Zhuang Rui was their son's classmate, they were very enthusiastic. Together with their younger siblings, they surrounded Zhuang Rui and welcomed him into the house.
"Kid, your big dog is something else! No one in our village can compare. Come on, come and eat, are you hungry?"
Seeing the white lion following behind Zhuang Rui, Liu's father looked on warily and herded the children into the inner room, fearing that the white lion might suddenly attack and hurt them.
Knowing that their son's classmates were coming, the third son's parents had prepared the meal well in advance and were waiting for them.
"It's alright, Uncle, this dog doesn't bite."
Zhuang Rui was also somewhat helpless. Now that the white lion was too big, it wasn't very convenient for it to go anywhere. In this rural area where stray dogs roamed everywhere, it even managed to scare people.
Thinking about this, Zhuang Rui had a headache. When he went to Beijing to study in the future, this white lion would be a big problem. It had been with him since it was born. If he left it in the manor, he was afraid no one would be able to control it.
The dishes and wine prepared by Liu's father were all specialties of Shaanxi. The dishes were beef and mutton, and the wine was Xifeng wine, which is a famous wine in Shaanxi and is not usually served to guests. The main dish was hot noodles with minced meat sauce, sprinkled with scallions. The aroma made Zhuang Rui's appetite soar. He didn't stand on ceremony and sat down at the table. He poured wine for Liu's father, and the two of them drank together.
Zhang Rong then prepared food for the white lion. She knew that this was Zhuang Rui's treasure. She prepared a full plate of bones with bits of meat on it and brought it out. However, Zhuang Rui had to take it and put it on the ground before the white lion would eat it. Even at home, the white lion would only eat the food that Zhuang Rui's mother asked for, and it wouldn't even smell other people's food.
Liu's father was a man of few words, a simple and honest countryman. He just kept urging Zhuang Rui to drink. Xifeng liquor had a strong aftereffect, and after the meal, Zhuang Rui had drunk quite a bit before going to sleep in Lao San's new house.
In the countryside, it's considered taboo for girls to sleep in the new house used for weddings. However, there's no such taboo for young men. Lao San didn't stay in the new house for a single day, but Zhuang Rui took the lead.
After driving all day, Zhuang Rui was exhausted. Coupled with the effects of alcohol, he fell into a deep sleep and slept soundly until the next morning when he was awakened by the noise from the yard.
In rural areas, wedding banquets still follow the old customs of the past, with a continuous feast where one table finishes eating before the next person is served. Dishes are served one after another, and a lot of things need to be bought, so preparations need to be made several days in advance. All those noisy people are there to deliver the dishes.
"Third Brother, when did you get back?"
Zhuang Rui got up and walked into the yard, where he immediately saw the third brother offering cigarettes to people.
"I got back late last night. I didn't wake you up since you were already asleep. I'm so sorry, youngest. Something urgent came up at work and I only finished dealing with it yesterday."
The third brother turned around and saw Zhuang Rui, and quickly ran over. Of course, the other brothers from the same family were taking care of things over there.
Zhuang Rui knew the nature of Lao San's job and couldn't help but feel a little strange. He asked, "Aren't you in the finance department? What business is it of yours if it's urgent? We're getting married soon, why would we bother you?"
"Don't even mention it, we're about to become famous all over the country..."
The third brother's expression was somewhat strange.
"What's wrong? Tell me..."
Zhuang Rui became interested.
"Hey, a bunch of tomb raiders are neglecting their duties. Instead of digging up so many ancient tombs, they've turned to stealing oil like rats. They've almost emptied an oil storage tank in our county. They called me over yesterday to tally up the losses."
"Tomb raiders stealing oil? Cooking oil?"
Hearing what the third brother said, Zhuang Rui also felt somewhat incredulous.
Chapter 237 Oil Rat (Part 2)
The world is so big and full of wonders. After listening to what the third brother had to say, Zhuang Rui was speechless for a long time. He realized that his knowledge was really very shallow.
As is well known, Henan and Shaanxi have been home to many imperial tombs and the tombs of generals and ministers since ancient times. For example, the Mangshan Mountains north of Luoyang in Henan and the eighteen Tang Dynasty tombs around the Wei River in Shaanxi have given rise to a very special profession: tomb raiding.
Although tomb raiding has existed since ancient times, as far back as the Three Kingdoms period during Cao Cao's reign, it was even granted official titles, known as "Captain of Tomb Raiders" and "General of Tomb Raiders." The rank of Captain was quite high, second only to General in the army, and commanded a special army. The General of Tomb Raiders was a skilled tomb raider, with a salary as high as two thousand shi (a unit of grain). In modern times, there was the tomb-raiding general Sun Dianying. These people are representative figures of "official tomb raiders."
However, in today's society, "official thieves" have disappeared. It is impossible for anyone to excavate ancient tombs on a large scale to enrich themselves, as this is not allowed by law.
Those who sneak into desolate mountains and tombs under the cover of darkness are called "private thieves" or "civilian thieves." This mainly refers to tomb raiding by individuals or groups. Most of these people get to know each other through mutual benefit, but many more are relatives and friends. They work in the fields during the day and raid tombs in the dark at night. They usually act like law-abiding citizens and are difficult to be discovered.