Chapter 52: Hope

“Dad, I’m back.”

It was already noon when he returned to the scrap collection station. Ye Tian walked into the room with his little head drooping, completely wilted, looking nothing like the proud and energetic boy who had marched down the mountain that morning.

Ye Dongping did not get angry. He gave his son, who looked like a little mud-monkey, a calm glance and said, “Sit down. Let’s eat.”

Ye Tian stole a look at his father. Sensing this wasn’t the calm before the storm, he felt relieved. Carefully picking up his bowl, he began to scoop small bites of rice into his mouth, not even daring to take much of the side dishes.

“Ye Tian, come on, eat some vegetables. Why aren’t you eating any?”

Feng Kuang had been eagerly watching Ye Tian ever since he entered the room. Now, he even more attentively served vegetables into Ye Tian’s bowl. He had long given up hope regarding the Police Station and was now waiting to hear any good news Ye Tian might bring.

However, even with Feng Kuang’s interruptions, the meal was incredibly somber. After eating his fill, Ye Tian busied himself clearing the dishes, which left Feng Kuang stunned. When had he ever seen this kid be so diligent?

“Ye Tian, come in here…”

Just as Ye Tian was lingering in the yard, reluctant to enter the house, Ye Dongping’s call made him obediently go and sit inside.

“Tell me, what is your Master’s opinion? I, Ye Dongping, promise to recover those calligraphy and painting pieces for him within my lifetime.”

Although Ye Dongping’s words were firm and forceful, he also knew that his own lifetime might not be long enough for the Old Taoist to see their return. The old man was already over a hundred years old.

“Dad, Master doesn’t blame you. He said bad people get their just deserts, and you shouldn’t worry about it…”

Ye Tian didn’t dare tell the whole truth. If Ye Dongping found out his Master had encouraged him to use a Feng Shui Arrangement to solve this problem, his dad might just find a chain and tie him up.

“Sigh, even if that’s what he said, your dad still failed his teacher.”

After hearing his son’s words, Ye Dongping’s expression improved slightly. He then asked, “Did your Master… say anything else?”

Just like Feng Kuang, Ye Dongping held little hope for the Police Station to solve the case. The reason he silently allowed Ye Tian to visit his Master was that he secretly harbored a sliver of hope—what if the Old Taoist had a way to handle this matter?

Ye Tian shook his head and said, “No. Master just said that by looking at your Physiognomy, you might receive help from a noble person. That’s all he said.”

“Help from a noble person? What noble person could possibly appear?”

Ye Dongping laughed bitterly. His life had been very difficult for over a decade—a failed marriage, family discord, and even as a Self-Employed Businessperson, he was being pushed to the brink by others.

“Alright. Now that you’re back, don’t run off anywhere. I’ll go ask about the situation at the United Front Work Department and the Police Station again…”

Ye Dongping no longer tried to hide things from his son. If there was no resolution to this matter, the Recycling Station would probably have to close down for good.

“Dad…”

Ye Tian opened his mouth but finally said, “Be careful…”

Ye Dongping patted his son’s head, said goodbye to Feng Kuang, and walked out. Even though he knew going there might not yield results, there was always that tiny bit of hope.

After his dad left, Ye Tian perked up again. He pulled Feng Kuang and said, “Brother Fengzi, let’s go find Sister Wang Ying to play? She said she would teach me how to ride a bike.”

Hearing Ye Tian’s words, Feng Kuang listlessly waved his hand. “Another day. I’m going to sleep for a while. This damn weather is too hot; I didn’t sleep well last night…”

It wasn’t that Feng Kuang didn’t want to see Wang Ying. He just felt that since the Recycling Station was about to shut down, and he, a country boy, would soon have no place to stay in the County Town, what face did he have to pursue Wang Ying?

“Brother Fengzi, are you still worried about the Recycling Station?” Ye Tian asked in a tone like a little adult.

“Isn’t that obvious? I wish I were your age again, not having to worry about anything…” Feng Kuang truly envied Ye Tian, who played happily all day without a care in the world.

Ye Tian suddenly asked, “Brother Fengzi, do you know where that person called Dai Xiaohua lives?”

“Knowing doesn’t change anything. Your dad is afraid of trouble and won’t let me call people from the village…”

Feng Kuang answered irritably. He had sneaked over to Dai Xiaohua’s scrap collection station several times after dark. However, the place was always bustling with people, many of whom were shady-looking hooligans, so he hadn’t dared to get too close.

Ye Tian tugged on Feng Kuang’s sleeve and whispered, “Brother Fengzi, take me to have a look. Maybe… I have a way.”

“If your dad can’t do anything, what can a little kid like you possibly do?”

Feng Kuang said it offhand, but then something occurred to him. He grabbed Ye Tian and asked, “Ye Tian, did the Old Immortal tell you something? Or… do you actually have a way?”

Before Liao Haode left for the United States, he had repeatedly instructed Feng Kuang never to treat Ye Tian as just a child. He also said to try his best to meet any request Ye Tian made, and if he couldn’t, to call him via international long-distance.

Remembering this, the incident of Ye Tian finding his great-aunt’s grave also came to Feng Kuang’s mind. He realized then that the child before him might actually be able to solve problems that they, the adults, could not.

“Brother Fengzi, let’s go check that place out first. By the way, do you also know where that Uncle Dai lives?”

“Ye… Ye Tian, I don’t know where his uncle lives, but I can find out. Tomorrow… no, I can find out tonight…”

Ye Tian didn’t directly answer Feng Kuang’s question, but the implication in his words excited Feng Kuang. There were many legends in the countryside about Fengshui Masters, whose methods were mysterious and unfathomable. Perhaps he really could solve the issues plaguing their Recycling Station.

“Brother Fengzi, is that the place?”

Over an hour later, Ye Tian and Feng Kuang, who was wearing a straw hat, arrived outside Dai Xiaohua’s scrap collection station. To be honest, the environment here was much better than theirs. It was surrounded by residential homes, with people coming and going, making it very lively.

Through the open gate, Feng Kuang saw Dai Xiaohua sitting in the yard and couldn’t help but grit his teeth. “Yes, this is it. That man with the beard is Dai Xiaohua…”

Ye Tian didn’t say anything more. He had Feng Kuang stay further away while he himself walked around the front and back of the collection station. Luckily, there were many kids his age in the city, so he didn’t attract much attention.

After using the Geomancy method in his mind and the Physiognomy techniques for dwellings that the Old Taoist taught him to assess the place, Ye Tian couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “What a great spot. The Feng Shui here is much stronger than ours…”

Dai Xiaohua’s collection station consisted of three rooms with a full courtyard. The orientation of the house door and the courtyard gate was excellent. Furthermore, the two windows in the inner rooms overlooked the winding streets nearby, forming a Feng Shui layout that gathered wealth.