The next morning, a light fog enveloped the ancient city, shrouding the treetops like a thin veil of smoke. Distant scenes were faintly visible, as if immersed in a glass of milk diluted with water. As agreed, Rui Xiaodan arrived punctually at the north gate of Rose Garden Community. Feng Shijie and Ouyang Xue were already there, waiting by the Cherokee Jeep.
Feng Shijie, still somewhat reserved, opened the car door and said, "I came out early, so I picked up Miss Ouyang first. With the fog today, we'll take it slow on the road."
The three of them got into the car, with Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue sitting in the back.
Wangmiao Village was about 20 kilometers from the ancient city. After exiting the ring road, the car turned onto a narrow country asphalt road. Despite being paved, the road was narrow and covered in dust, with piles of corn and peanuts drying on either side, making the already narrow road even more constricted. Farmers could be seen working in the fields. The 20-kilometer journey took over an hour, and it was past 10 a.m. when they arrived at Wangmiao Village.
Instead of driving into the village, Feng Shijie parked the car in a jujube grove, stopping in front of a shed. A vast jujube grove stretched out before them, the trees heavy with bright red dates that bent the branches. The ground beneath the trees was mostly planted with peanuts, with a few patches of green vegetables, creating a beautiful contrast with the red dates. The open fields extended as far as the eye could see, the air fresh and cool, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Several men and women were working in the jujube grove, some harvesting peanuts, others picking dates.
Rui Xiaodan got out of the car and asked, "Why are we here?"
Instead of answering directly, Feng Shijie pointed to the people in the grove and said, "These are all my relatives. Since you're here, you should try some fresh dates and take some with you when you leave. They're not worth much."
Ouyang Xue, sensing something was amiss, asked, "Mr. Feng, what is this about?"
As he led them into the grove, Feng Shijie explained, "We're all audio enthusiasts. Guests are guests. I originally wanted you to taste fresh dates from the countryside, but that requires coming out before dawn, and I didn't want any misunderstandings, so I didn't say anything. Our village is one of the poorest in a poor county, so there's not much to offer guests."
Only then did Rui Xiaodan realize that the supposed visit to check the speakers had an ulterior motive. But since they were already there, it was unwise to say anything further. Due to the fog, dew had formed on the green leaves and red dates. She picked a dew-covered date, wiped it in her palm, and bit into it. It was crisp and sweet.
Ouyang Xue tasted one and said, "So crunchy, unlike the dates you buy. Let's call it a dew date."
The women in the field greeted Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue shyly. Ouyang Xue, who had only heard of "date picking" but never seen it, asked, "Mr. Feng, why are they picking dates instead of hitting them?"
Feng Shijie explained, "Hitting dates involves using a pole to knock them down onto a large plastic sheet, both good and bad ones. Picking dates means selecting only the best ones, with no damage to the skin, usually for gifts."
Holding a few large, red dates, Ouyang Xue asked, "Mr. Feng, isn't this a bit forced? What's the point?"
Feng Shijie replied, "I'll take you to see the speakers and cabinet in a while. It's almost lunchtime, so come to my house for a rural meal. My mother and wife are preparing it. After lunch, we'll go back. I've always wanted to treat you to a meal, and today, being at my doorstep, is an opportunity. But our rural food can't compare to what you get in a hotel."
Seeing that Rui Xiaodan remained silent, Ouyang Xue assumed she understood and didn't press further.
They spent over half an hour in the jujube grove before driving into the village. Rui Xiaodan now had a clear, direct impression of what Feng Shijie meant by "a poor village in a poor county." The poor-quality asphalt road was incomplete, and broken-down mud walls and old houses overgrown with weeds were visible on both sides. Children played in dirty, ill-fitting clothes, a scene reminiscent of the bleak images from old movies.
As Feng Shijie drove through the village, people greeted him, and he responded casually. Rui Xiaodan sensed from their expressions and tone that they regarded Feng Shijie as a wealthy person.
The car entered a yard that, despite repairs, still appeared dilapidated. Among the several houses was a new brick house with a cross painted on the wall in cement and red paint. Anyone with basic religious knowledge would recognize it as a Christian church.
Inside the church, the voice of a local female preacher could be heard.
Neither Rui Xiaodan nor Ouyang Xue had ever seen a rural Christian church. Feng Shijie, noticing their curiosity, stopped the car and led them over. Inside, rows of long wooden benches were arranged, and a large blackboard at the front had messages written in chalk: "Believing in the Lord brings salvation, believing in the Lord leads to heaven, eternal happiness..." Over 20 people, mostly women, were gathered inside, their expressions and demeanor almost uniformly devout, their skin prematurely aged from years of hard work. The female preacher, in her thirties, was reading from the Bible.
A woman at the door whispered to Feng Shijie, "Why didn't your mother come?"
Feng Shijie replied softly, "We have guests at home, preparing food."
The woman grumbled, "She cares only for her own house, not the Lord's house."
Not wanting to disturb the service, Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue took a brief look and left.
About 20 meters away was the woodworking shop, where four people were working. Among them was Ye Xiaoming, who looked like a different person in old work clothes, his face no longer clean and white as in his audio shop, with bits of unknown material clinging to him. He sat on a low wooden stool, reading an audio magazine, surrounded by multimeters, soldering irons, and screwdrivers. The other three men greeted Feng Shijie and his guests, and after introductions, they were identified as Zhou Guozheng, Wu Zhiming, and Li Tiejun, all relatives or friends from the same village, in their twenties or thirties.
Ye Xiaoming, the only familiar face to Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue, put down his magazine and stood up, smiling, "Earning money this way is really hard. I never thought it would be so difficult."
Feng Shijie chimed in, "Of course, these speakers are much more complex than the ones I made. They're not in the same league. Just lifting them, you can tell they're different. Each one weighs 18 kilograms. That's something."
The speakers, though not much different in size from ordinary bookshelf speakers, looked very solid, giving a sense of stability and durability. The color of the cabinets was the same black as Ding Yuanying's speakers, and although some details of the lacquer finish were not perfect, they were almost negligible. Overall, the speakers looked very beautiful. The eight binding posts on the back were custom-made, large, and exquisite, gleaming with gold, exuding a sense of power.
The cabinet, already assembled, had eight compartments, matching the color and lacquer finish of the speakers. Nearby, 11 audio components in cardboard boxes and a plastic bag full of signal cables were neatly arranged.
Ye Xiaoming said, "The cabinets are made from the best material, with 32mm thick walls, all nailed with bamboo dowels. I guarantee they won't rust or deform for a lifetime. The lacquer finish uses piano lacquer technology, which will never peel off and gets shinier the more you polish it. The 16 binding posts are custom-made, 22mm in diameter, high-quality oxygen-free copper, 24K gold-plated, absolutely top of the line. If you can't bear the cost, add 600 yuan for the binding posts, or just leave it. I made the decision on my own. Whoever uses my work must get something decent."
Rui Xiaodan said, "Alright, thank you."
Ye Xiaoming continued, "The cabinet is definitely prettier than Mr. Ding's. Although the dimensions are the same, it's more solid and substantial. If you're satisfied, I'll disassemble it for transport; otherwise, it won't fit in the car. After lunch, we'll go to your place and assemble it."
Rui Xiaodan said, "Okay, do as you suggested."