174: Chapter 175 Home is where Mother is

"The road is finished. Next, it's time to do something about those old earthen houses in the village."

Shen Du leaned back against the soft seat, his eyes flashing with unquestionable determination.

If it hadn't been for the Billion Yuan Subsidy Plan war that lasted a year and drained all the liquid capital Jiyuan Technology could mobilize,

Shen Du would have already, a year ago,

created a magnificent, modernized plan for the village and flattened all those dilapidated, crumbling houses to rebuild them.

But now,

with the business war completely over, the Jiyuan Empire had ushered in a post-war harvest of massive cash flow.

Returning to his hometown this time, Shen Du did not intend to delay any longer.

He wanted to use the wealth in his hands to completely renovate the entire village.

He wanted to let his mother enjoy a retirement in this beautiful, scenic place that even wealthy city dwellers would envy.

After several hours of smooth driving,

the pitch-black Rolls-Royce Phantom, like an elegant giant beast,

wound its way along the wide asphalt road that Shen Du had spent millions to build, driving deep into the heart of the mountains.

The treacherous, potholed, and muddy mountain road of the past, where even tractors would bounce violently, no longer existed.

In its place was a flat, straight, two-way lane.

The brand-new crash barriers on both sides shimmered with a metallic luster under the sunlight,

silently declaring to the entire mountain the terrifying, heaven-reaching financial power of the one who had built the road.

At the entrance to the village, it was already bustling with people and lively.

There were never any secrets among the villagers, especially regarding news about the "successful big boss of the Shen Family."

The villagers who had gone down the mountain early to shop had seen the top-tier luxury car in town and immediately spread the news back.

To welcome the pride of the entire village, a large group of simple, honest neighbors had gathered spontaneously at the village entrance early on.

Several respected village elders had even personally prepared two strings of special red firecrackers, each over ten meters long,

laying them out from under the big banyan tree at the village entrance to the middle of the road.

"They're here! They're here! The Shen Family boy's car has entered the village!"

As the distinguished, black, streamlined car body with the shimmering dark gold emblem appeared at the end of the mountain road, the entire village entrance instantly erupted.

Several quick-witted village boys shouted excitedly,

immediately pulling out lighters to ignite the fuse, then covering their ears and running far away.

"Crackling—boom, boom, boom!"

The deafening sound of firecrackers instantly resounded through the entire valley.

Red paper scraps filled the sky like a gorgeous red rain, falling down in front of the Rolls-Royce's wide hood.

This was the most traditional and simplest highest form of welcome ceremony in the country!

The black Rolls-Royce came to a smooth stop under the big banyan tree at the village entrance.

The private driver wearing white gloves immediately got out of the car and respectfully opened the heavy, rear-hinged door of the back seat.

In the awe-struck and shocked gazes of the villagers,

Shen Du, dressed in a suit with an aura of profound composure, stepped onto the land of his hometown with a smile.

Immediately after, several capable assistants stepped quickly from another accompanying off-road vehicle.

They carried several heavy black briefcases, walked behind Shen Du, and with a "click," opened them in public.

Inside, there were rows of neatly stacked, bright red cash bills!

"Hand out the red envelopes!" Shen Du smiled and gave the order.

Because he was deeply trapped in a cruel business meat grinder last year, Shen Du hadn't been able to find time to return home for the New Year.

Although he had already arranged for people to send generous New Year gifts to every household at that time,

in the eyes of someone like Shen Du who valued loyalty and affection, not being there in person was ultimately lacking something.

Several assistants immediately and skillfully stuffed the thick stacks of hundred-yuan bills into specially made, gold-stamped red envelopes.

They began to distribute them to the villagers present, household by household.

The thickness of each red envelope was enough to equal what these mountain people earned from tilling the soil for an entire year!

As the deafening sound of firecrackers gradually subsided, Shen Du did not put on any airs of a big boss of a multinational conglomerate.

He directly took off his expensive suit jacket and handed it to an assistant.

He strode forward on his long legs, actively walking towards the group of neighbors who had, to some extent, lent a helping hand when he and his mother were at their most difficult times.

"Uncle Li, has your leg rheumatism improved?"

"Auntie Zhang, I couldn't come back to wish you a Happy New Year last year. As a junior, I apologize to you."

Shen Du's face, which was usually cold and ruthless at business negotiation tables, was now filled with the most sincere smile.

One by one, he shook hands with these rough, calloused hands, greeting and chatting familiarly.

And right in this incredibly lively scene at the village entrance, which felt like the New Year,

a slight and somewhat jarring "creak" suddenly came from the small road behind the village path.

Hearing the earth-shaking sound of firecrackers at the village entrance,

Shen Du's mother, Wang Hanmei, immediately knew that it must be her beloved son, whom she thought of day and night, who had returned!

This mother, who had given birth to the country's youngest billionaire tycoon,

did not put on any arrogant airs of a wealthy lady because of her son's success.

She was still wearing those simple, coarse cloth clothes that had been washed until they were faded.

She was riding an old, dilapidated small electric scooter that had seen better days, with one of its rearview mirrors broken.

"Beep-beep—"

Wang Hanmei pressed the horn of the electric scooter, which sounded a bit out of tune, and drove wobblingly along the potholed dirt road.

Her wrinkled face was full of uncontrollable eagerness and anticipation.

She stumbled into the scene at the village entrance, where the multi-million Rolls-Royce was parked.

The appearance of this scene formed a strong visual impact at the bustling village entrance.

On one side was the dark night-black Rolls-Royce Phantom, worth millions, like a mobile palace.

And the top-tier elite assistants in suits, holding boxes of hundred-yuan bills and frantically distributing red envelopes.

On the other side, however, was the most ordinary and simple person in the world,

a rural woman riding a dilapidated electric scooter with a broken rearview mirror, wobbling along the dirt road.

These two completely different, and even incompatible, styles collided together.

Not only did it not make people feel the slightest bit ridiculous, but it also revealed a soul-stirring shock.

Because everyone present knew clearly.

This rural woman, who was even trembling while riding the electric scooter, was Shen Du's own mother!

"Mom!"

Hearing that familiar, out-of-tune electric scooter horn, Shen Du immediately stopped his small talk with the surrounding villagers.

He stepped forward to meet her, not caring at all that his expensive, high-end handmade suit was stained by mud splashed from the electric scooter.

Shen Du directly reached out both hands and steadily held the wobbling, dilapidated electric scooter.

He carefully helped his mother, Wang Hanmei, down from the seat.

"You brat! Why did you suddenly come back without a word?"

Wang Hanmei's pair of rough, calloused hands grabbed Shen Du's arm tightly.

Her eyes were red, and she looked up and down at the son she hadn't seen for almost a year; tears instantly welled up in her eyes:

"And you didn't call home in advance; I didn't even have time to kill the free-range chicken you love to eat…"

"Mom, I just wanted to give you a surprise."

Shen Du let his mother's mud-stained hands stroke his expensive clothes.

He lowered his head slightly, a smile of the softest and most authentic kind from his two lifetimes hanging on the corners of his mouth:

"The big battle outside is over, and your son has won a great victory.

In the days to come, I have plenty of time to accompany you properly."