Father, as usual, focused on his health, his modest paunch preceding him as he went out for a walk. Eldest Brother, just as habitually, retreated to his room to surf the internet.

As for Wang Guan and his mother, they settled in the living room to watch television.

It had been a while since he’d watched TV, and Wang Guan found the experience quite novel; he even felt a strange, long-lost familiarity with the trashy commercials being broadcast.

Of course, it would have been even better if Mother hadn't been constantly muttering by his ear.

"Over a million! Society is so complicated these days; carrying that much cash on you is hardly safe," Mother Wang worried, her brow furrowed. "Besides, you're supposed to be learning antique appraisal, not buying antiques. What do you need so much money for?"

After this barrage of lecturing, Wang Guan reluctantly conceded. He resolved to go to the bank the next day and transfer one million into a separate savings book, keeping only two hundred thousand as his personal spending money.

Thus, Wang Guan's near three-million fortune was instantly reduced by ninety percent. Even though the money was still technically his, he could no longer spend it at will.

"That’s more like it."

Mother Wang beamed, her face lit up. "Too much money, and I’d be worried you’d pick up bad habits."

"Am I that kind of person?" Wang Guan gave a bitter smile, then suddenly asked, "Mom, Dad and Brother’s reactions seemed very strange. Do they not know about the money?"

"Why should they know?"

Mother Wang frowned, showing disdain. "If they knew, they'd just go spending recklessly. Don't think that two million is a fortune; it won't last long if you start squandering it."

"It’s much better saved. Just like you said, when your brother gets married, we can buy him a car. Or, when you’re ready to open your shop, this will be the capital…"

Perhaps Mother Wang hadn't grasped the adage that it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to reverse the trend. She was also likely unaware of the theories concerning stimulating domestic demand and promoting economic prosperity.

But as a mother, as the mistress of the household, she knew with absolute clarity that thrift and diligence were the path to longevity.

Understanding his mother's careful planning, Wang Guan was convinced, and the slight resentment in his heart vanished like smoke. The next day, he dutifully went to the bank, separated one million into its own savings book, and handed it over to his mother for safekeeping.

Watching his mother hide the savings book away while his father and brother remained completely oblivious, Wang Guan couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. He then pretended to know nothing and went out to meet his friends.

The weekend passed entirely in a haze of dining and drinking with his friends.

Afterward, Wang Guan finally had some breathing room, as his friends all held down jobs, some even supporting families. He couldn't keep them from their work indefinitely.

However, after socializing with his friends, Wang Guan had to endure his mother's nagging once more. Several of his friends already had children old enough to fetch soy sauce.

Before, his mother had been more concerned with Wang Guan's career prospects. But now, knowing he possessed a large sum of money and no longer worrying about his security, her focus immediately shifted. She began relentlessly asking about his girlfriend. At first, she tried to fish for information indirectly, but seeing him play dumb, she switched to direct questioning.

And it wasn't just his mother. Even some of Father Wang’s friends, upon seeing Wang Guan return, became extremely interested in this matter. Upon learning he was still single, they often teased him, offering to introduce him to someone.

For a time, Wang Guan was utterly exasperated. Finally, on the fifth day back home, he could bear it no longer. Carrying several large bags, he bid farewell to his parents, borrowed a motorcycle, and sped off.

Of course, he wasn't returning to Cidu (the porcelain capital); he was setting out to visit relatives—specifically, his maternal uncle, his mother's younger brother.

Wang Guan’s maternal grandfather and grandmother had passed away when he was very young. The only remaining relatives on his mother’s side were several uncles, with whom they naturally maintained regular contact.

However, for years, Wang Guan had either been in school or working away from home, returning only a few times a year, leaving little opportunity to meet his uncles.

Yet, there remains an indelible bond between kin, one that doesn't fade due to infrequent meetings.

Riding the motorcycle at full throttle, Wang Guan arrived at a small town in half an hour. He immediately slowed down, steering the bike onto the bumpy dirt track, heading toward a more distant mountain village.

After another jarring thirty minutes of bouncing along, Wang Guan reached the crest of a slope and finally arrived at his destination.

It was a large village, home to several hundred families. Wang Guan didn't know much about the village's general condition, but he remembered the direction of his uncle's house.

He navigated the motorcycle through a few turns and parked it on a square patch of ground. Before him stood a two-story bungalow constructed of blue bricks.

Attached to the side of the bungalow were three smaller rooms: a woodshed, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

At that very moment, Wang Guan spotted his uncle—short-haired, deep crow's feet around his eyes, and radiating an aura of competence—standing in front of the kitchen door, expertly chopping a chicken or duck with a cleaver.

"Guan! You’re here."

Hearing the motorcycle, his uncle looked up, smiled broadly, set down what he was doing, and hurried over to meet him.

"Little Uncle!"

Wang Guan dismounted, carrying his bags, and followed his uncle into the main room amidst warm greetings.

After a lively round of small talk, his uncle returned to the kitchen to continue his butchering, while Wang Guan, not wanting to be idle, started helping by fetching water and washing vegetables, chatting casually with him.

"By the way, where is Auntie?" Wang Guan asked casually. He didn't ask about others because he had spoken to his uncle on the phone before leaving, confirming that his male and female cousins were working away and wouldn't be home.

"She’s busy out in the fields."

Speaking of this, the uncle sighed with feeling. "Your eldest cousin is married, and your younger cousin will marry eventually since she's working far away. Let's not talk about them. But your cousin... he didn't take to schooling, and he refuses to farm, always running off elsewhere. If this continues, the family land might just lie fallow in a few years."

Wang Guan smiled faintly, unsure what to say. After all, the economic development of the cities drawing young rural people away to work, leading to the abandonment of farmland, had become a societal issue.

Today's youth, having glimpsed the superficial glitter of the world, how could they be content being tied to the soil for life?

Amidst his uncle's complaints, a relatively hearty lunch was prepared and laid out in the hall. Without waiting for Auntie to return, the two men began eating and drinking.

Half an hour later, full and satisfied, the uncle packed some food in an insulated container to take to his wife in the fields, telling Wang Guan to stay home and watch TV or go visit his Second Uncle, who lived in the same village.

Wang Guan naturally had no interest in television; walking around after eating seemed like a good way to aid digestion. He bid his uncle farewell and confidently navigated the small village paths toward the Second Uncle's house.

Along the way, Wang Guan couldn't help but marvel. Ten years ago, this village was dominated by mud-and-tile houses; now, most structures were modern buildings made of blue or red brick.

However, despite the many brick houses, the flaw was that the roads remained dirt tracks.

Wang Guan hopped and skipped to avoid a patch of mud, only to hear the sound of a horn from the road beside him. He looked over and saw a luxurious vehicle slowly driving toward him.

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