"Master, Dai Village."
Li Haochen, after contributing a small act of kindness, took a taxi straight to Dai Village.
Meanwhile, Dai Changrun's home was as lively as a festival. A dozen people were busy in the kitchen behind the house, slaughtering geese and chickens.
"Zirui, go buy two bottles of good wine."
After instructing his son to buy wine, Dai Changrun bustled around in the kitchen, saying nervously, "Old woman, do you think anything is still missing?"
"Nothing is missing..."
"Let me check again..."
Upon arriving at Dai Village, Li Haochen felt it would be impolite to come empty-handed. He walked back and found a small department store, buying two packs of cigarettes and a fruit basket.
Entering the village, he saw mostly low, one-and-a-half-story houses, with only a few reaching two stories, and those were mostly old. It was evident that the income in Dai Village was not high.
Following the house numbers, he found Dai Changrun's house.
"Uncle Dai, are you home?"
"The benefactor has arrived." Hearing Li Haochen's call, Dai Changrun's face lit up, and he hurried out.
Upon seeing him, he looked at Li Haochen with a hint of annoyance, "Benefactor, we are already very happy that you could come. Why did you still bring things?"
"Just a small token of my appreciation."
"Quick, quick, don't just stand there, come in and sit."
Li Haochen's arrival prompted the busy Dai family relatives to come out. The few people he had met at Wuzhou Island last time were also present. After a warm welcome and sincere gratitude, they returned to the kitchen to continue preparing the banquet.
"Uncle Dai, you are too kind. Just cooking something simple would have been enough. Don't waste money. We are from the countryside, we don't stand on ceremony. It's the sentiment that matters."
Li Haochen, who had just returned from the restroom, was startled by the lavish spread of dishes but also deeply touched.
"It's not much money. Everything is raised or caught by ourselves, so it doesn't cost much, hehe!"
"Next time, I won't dare to visit like this. By the way, Uncle Dai, how is that matter I mentioned on the phone going?"
"Hahaha, of course, there's no problem. My second and third brothers' families have agreed, but they can only start after the New Year."
Li Haochen was overjoyed. Although the threat from the Mu family was gone, there was no guarantee another Mu family wouldn't appear. With the addition of their three families, the fleet would be established, and the initiative would be in his hands. Even if there were further suppressions or targeting like the Mu family, Murong Yanran's hotel could be secured.
"Uncle Dai, there's no rush for them. Booking ships also takes time. After the New Year is perfect. The ship you were using has just had its papers finalized. I'll find you a place to live in a couple of days and then notify you."
"You arrange it, hehe!"
"Let's eat!"
A shout came from behind the house. A dozen people carried out dishes, all served in rooster-patterned bowls, piled up like small mountains. Although they lacked the presentation of restaurant dishes, they were more delicious than anything a hotel could make.
Rooster-patterned bowls were a rare sight in cities now, but they were still used in the countryside, albeit only for festivals.
Villagers always used these bowls for banquets, partly due to tradition, and partly because village banquet tables were not large, and these bowls did not take up much space.
Because the bowls were small, the dishes were often piled high like mountains. As they were consumed, someone would bring a large iron ladle to refill them, making for a lively scene.
Good food, good wine, and even better people. That evening, Li Haochen deeply understood the Dai family's interpretation of the concept of family.
As an honored guest, Li Haochen received enthusiastic hospitality from everyone. He drank and toasted, refusing no one. In no time, Li Haochen's face was flushed.
After the banquet, Li Haochen was quite tipsy. Although not completely drunk, his steps were unsteady. Seeing that it was late, Dai Changrun and the others were worried, so Li Haochen had no choice but to stay at the Dai family's for the night.
Lying on the bed, Li Haochen, still dizzy, called Murong Yanran to inform her of the situation and prevent her from worrying.
After hanging up the phone, he soon heard snores...
The next morning, Li Haochen woke up, rubbing his still slightly throbbing head. He walked out of the room to find that the Dai family had already prepared breakfast and were waiting.
"Benefactor, quickly wash your face and come eat breakfast."
After a hearty breakfast, Li Haochen walked out of Dai Village with a wry smile. Both his hands were filled with large bags, weighing at least several tens of pounds, all local produce. If Li Haochen had driven, they might have even given him a pig to take back.
"They're too hospitable..."
The two large bags were quite cumbersome. It would be a hassle to take a bus to the station, so Li Haochen hired a car to return to Binhai.
He arrived home around 3 PM. After putting down the produce, Li Haochen immediately rushed to the shipyard.
Upon arrival, he saw Li Yongxin leading a young woman, introducing her to some small yachts. Seeing that he was busy, Li Haochen didn't want to disturb him and wandered around the warehouse by himself.
"Huh..."
Li Haochen stopped at the JY700 display boat and looked at it with great interest. After walking around, he put on shoe covers and stepped onto it. Just as he was about to enter to look inside, a middle-aged man, who appeared to be a successful businessman, came out.
The man was startled. Seeing Li Haochen's ordinary attire, he became displeased. "Hey, don't touch anything randomly. It's very expensive. You can't afford to pay if you break it."
Li Haochen glanced at the man with a slight frown but ignored him and walked directly into the cabin to inspect it.
"It's quite nice, with one master bedroom, two secondary bedrooms, and more than ten berths, plus two bathrooms with showers. If we switch to this one, traveling and fishing would be much more comfortable..."
As Li Haochen stepped down, Li Yongxin walked over with the man and the young woman.
"Brother Li, I apologize. I had two customers to attend to. Please wait a moment."
"Manager Li, no need to say more. Give me the lowest price quickly."
"Mr. Chen, 1.8 million is the lowest. You've been here five times. I don't need to tell you more about this JY500. With such good configuration and appearance, this price is truly a great value."
"This boat is indeed excellent, comfortable and stable, with strong endurance. It's very good for sea trips."
Li Haochen interjected appropriately, causing the man to pause. Just as he was about to speak, Li Yongxin beside him said, "Mr. Chen, I'm not bragging. Ask Brother Li, and he'll tell you if the boat is good or not. He bought one too."
"Ah..."
Li Yongxin's words stirred something within the man, and he became embarrassed, saying with some awkwardness, "Brother, I was a bit rude just now."
Li Haochen smiled slightly and nodded without speaking.
"Ring ring ring..."
Li Haochen picked up his phone and walked to the side to answer it. As he held up his phone, the Vacheron Constantin he was wearing was seen by the man, who immediately gasped.
"It's true that the poor play with cars and the rich play with watches. One watch costs nearly half a boat. I can't afford it..."