RPAGF Chapter 436 Last-minute preparation
Chapter 436 Last-minute preparation
Old Lu spoke up abruptly; the rain started suddenly, and they didn't have time to take precautions.
In fact, it wasn't just the protection that was lacking; the daily maintenance was also poorly done.
Let it grow freely.
"Is it an old osmanthus tree? It would be a pity if it really fell." Xu Pinghai felt it was a pity, as it's not easy for a tree to grow for so many years.
Before he could finish his reflection, Xu Yiyi had already come out of the storage room carrying a bunch of things.
"Old Lu, could you help me cut off that extra part of the tree crown on the left?" Before Xu Yi could even hand him the machete, he had barely finished speaking.
Lao Lu scrambled up the tree in a flash.
The strong wind made the osmanthus trees sway incessantly, and even the old road seemed to dance along with them.
As soon as he regained his footing, he drew a dagger from his waist and chopped off the excess tree canopy in one swift motion.
"Hey! This old man is about the same age as your grandfather, right? He's so agile, he doesn't look like an old man at all."
Xu Pinghai stared wide-eyed, completely incredulous.
Xu Yiyi's mouth twisted into a sneer.
Isn't Grandpa Xu incredibly agile, unlike an old man?
With that in mind, she distributed the items she had already prepared.
Three bamboo poles thicker than her arm, a bundle of hemp rope soaked in tung oil with excellent toughness, and several discarded burlap sacks.
"What good is last-minute preparation? I think most of the trees have already fallen..."
Xu Anshu stood under the eaves, hands on his hips, watching.
"He's not dead, so why is he useless?"
……
"Hurry up, what are you standing there for? Don't you feel cold?"
The rain hitting your body is not just cold, it hurts even more.
Xu Yiyi's face turned red instantly, reddened by the raindrops.
Lao Lu jumped down from the tree and dragged away the cut branches, afraid that the wind would blow them directly onto Xu Yiyi.
He then stepped forward to find a good angle to fix the bamboo pole in place.
The three bamboo poles are loosely tied together at one end with hemp rope, and the other end is separated radially to form a stable tripod.
The top is positioned just below the main branch point, with the bamboo pole at approximately a 45-degree angle to the ground, deeply embedded in the soil, facing southeast where the wind is coming from.
This angle is the safest.
Just as Xu Anyang was about to tie the rope properly, Xu Yiyi stopped him.
"Wait a minute! Tying it directly might rub the bark raw and damage its vitality, preventing it from blooming next year..."
As Xu Yi spoke, she picked up the burlap sacks and carefully wrapped them around the top of the bamboo pole where it could touch the bark, then gently secured them with thin rope.
Finally, Xu Anyang wrapped the hemp rope soaked in tung oil around the contact point of the cushioning material, securing the bamboo pole to the tree trunk.
"Don't tie it too tightly."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Anyang, before he could even wonder, immediately loosened his grip.
"Why? If it's not tied tighter, won't it fall over?"
Xu Yiyi took the rope and continued tying it. The knot she made was both strong and clever. It wasn't tightened too much, but rather left a finger's width of space, allowing the osmanthus tree to sway naturally in the wind.
“Tie it too tightly, and it will be easier to break.” She explained to Xu Anyang, “We need to let it dissipate the force.”
After doing all this, the group was completely soaked.
Xu Anyang was wearing a hat, but it was blown away by the wind.
Xu Yi took a few steps back, glanced at the old osmanthus tree, and saw that there was nothing wrong with it.
Three bamboo poles firmly protected the tree trunk, and now that the wind has come again, it is no longer as shaky as before.
Raindrops splashed against her contours, creating tiny droplets that trickled down her jawline in a silvery line.
Xu Yi ran back to the eaves and casually wiped the water off her face.
A chorus of shouts immediately erupted.
She looked to the side in confusion; Xu Anshu and the other boys were standing there dumbfounded, seemingly oblivious to what was going on.
"Did you see that?" Xu Anshu looked at Xu Anyuan, who was standing closest to him. "Yi Yi really has style."
"He's handsome!"
Sihai suddenly popped his head out of the window, and after speaking, he deliberately tossed his hair and gave them a smug smile.
……
In the study of the brokerage firm.
It was so quiet that the only sound was the faint crackling of the candlelight.
Manager Li opened the food box that Xu Yiyi had brought, and the aroma of mung bean cakes immediately filled the room, instantly permeating the heavy, ink-scented atmosphere.
He carefully took out the plate of golden mung bean cakes and gently placed it on the corner of the table next to the man.
The man was Wen Shichen, the owner of the brokerage firm. He didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze still fixed on the book in his hands.
He was only wearing a casual indigo straight-leg shirt, leaning lazily against the chair, his eyes slightly lowered, looking quite nonchalant.
Steward Li held his breath and stepped aside, standing with his hands at his sides, not daring to make a sound.
Although Wen Shichen's gaze remained on the book, his thoughts drifted for a moment.
Xu Yiyi's words were still ringing in my ears, so clear they were almost irritating.
However, it must be said that there was a tiny bit of truth in what Xu Yiyi said.
Hong Gang has lost all face and his business is failing.
At this rate, Ruyiju certainly won't last long.
It's better to make plans sooner rather than later.
I wonder if Xu Yiyi will become the next Hong Gang.
Lost in thought, he finally looked away from the book and casually placed his gaze on the plate of mung bean cakes.
The pancakes that Xu Yiyi brought weren't particularly fancy, but they were baked to a golden brown and had a homely feel to them, as if they were baked for her own family.
I gave him a few pieces of rice along the way.
Wen Shichen casually picked up a piece.
The texture on my fingertips was crumbly, as if I could crush the pancake into pieces with the slightest pressure.
He scoffed. With such a cheap snack and a few self-righteous words, how dare they think they could take over the Ruyi Residence building from him?
He suddenly let go, throwing the mung bean cake back onto the plate with a dull thud.
His face showed disdain.
That's utterly nonsensical.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the heavy rosewood door to the study creaked open without warning.
They've learned all the rules but haven't understood them at all!
Wen Shichen's brows suddenly furrowed, and a hint of obvious anger surfaced in his eyes.
How dare someone in the brokerage firm barge so brazenly push open the door without prior notice?
He looked up, his icy gaze shooting towards the door like a sharp arrow, but it melted instantly the moment he saw the person in front of him.
"How did you get here? You didn't get wet in this heavy rain, did you?"
With a concerned tone, Wen Shichen stood up and walked over with some haste, carefully helping Fu Wanying.
"I felt really stuffy when I woke up, so I thought I'd come find you."
Fu Wanying placed her hands on his, her tone full of coquettishness.
"You're quite heavy-set, you should be more careful."
His voice was deep, and he held her hands firmly, as if he were holding a rare treasure.
Fu Wanying, using his strength, slowly walked to the rosewood armchair next to her and sat down.
"I'm not that delicate," she said with a light reproach.
After settling in, he suddenly sniffed.
"what?"
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping around the study. "What delicious food are you hiding in your study? It smells so good... I'm actually getting hungry from the smell."
Her tone was filled with undisguised craving, and her hand unconsciously touched her slightly protruding belly.
Wen Shichen was taken aback upon hearing this.
Then it dawned on her that she must have been referring to the aroma of mung bean cakes.
When Butler Li brought it out earlier, he only felt annoyed, but now that his wife mentioned it, he suddenly found the mung bean cakes very delicious.
"It's a mung bean cake."
He quickly gestured to Steward Li, who was standing to the side, "Steward Li, bring over the mung bean cakes..."
"It was delivered when a restaurant owner came over to discuss some business matters; it didn't look very appealing."
After saying that, Steward Li placed the small dish containing mung bean cakes on the table.