Treasure Hunt Tycoon

There were more festivals after Halloween. There was still Thanksgiving in November and then Christmas in December after that, as well as New Year’s Day. Thanksgiving was an important holiday in America, and Sophie and Li Du spent it with the Martins after they returned to Flagstaff. After the holiday, he would head to Riverdale to attend Big Fox’s wedding.

They drove down to Riverdale. The town was peaceful and uneventful as ever, the retro vibes compounding the nostalgia. As they transitioned into winter and the town saw fewer and fewer tourists, it seemed to give off some sort of desolation that only added to the feeling.

As Li Du drove into the town, he bumped into a strong, blonde youth who drove his pickup truck into the supermarket to get some stuff. The two of them greeted each other and Li Du waved to him. “Hey, Jack.”

The blonde was Big Fox’s brother-in-law. The first time Li Du met him, his child had been diagnosed with meningitis and Li Du sent a helicopter to rescue him.

Jack broke into a huge smile at the sight of Li Du. He got down from his car to shake hands with the man and he said, “Hey, Li, you’re early. You guys go on ahead to the ranch first. Hans and Barbara probably can’t wait to see you guys.”

Sophie asked, “How’s Chuck? He must be getting pretty big and strong.”

Chuck was his son, who had had meningitis. Jack smiled brightly at the mention of him. “Yep, we’ve got good genes in our family so the little man’s becoming a strong lad.”

Many things were needed for a ranch wedding, which was why Jack’s pick-up truck was completely filled. Li Du opened his trunk to help ease his burden. Jack still had stuff to buy so Li Du brought some of the people back to the ranch first.

The ranch was decorated with colorful lanterns and there were balloons and ribbons wrapped around the simple gate and fence. Every time the wind blew, numerous ribbons floated in the air, making the place look lively.

After Li Du parked his car, he saw Hannah and Stephen. The pair had come down before Li Du did to help prepare for the wedding; otherwise, the bunch of them could have been traveling together.

Because he moved to Los Angeles, it had been quite some time since he last saw Hannah and Stephen. The old friends were overjoyed when they reunited. Li Du pulled the two of them into a hug and asked them, “Aren’t you guys getting married one of these days?”

Hannah chuckled. “We’re just waiting for Hans to get married, and then it’s our turn. What about you guys, Li? What are you and Sophie planning?”

Sophie shrugged. “Well, I’m just waiting. No one’s offered to set the date yet, so I can only wait.”

Stephen looked at Li Du as he said, “That’s a hint, bro, that’s a hint, I tell you. Hurry, man, just make your move. Good things come in pairs, right? Maybe we could have our weddings at the same time.”

Li Du smiled but did not say anything. Changing the topic, he said, “What about Big Fox? Isn’t he going to come to greet an old friend who traveled all this way for his wedding?”

“He’s with Barbara. She’s trying on wedding dresses. I never thought this brother of mine would stay here like this. Barbara is his whole world now,” Hannah remarked.

Stephen sighed. “It’s true. I used to be sure Big Fox would never get married in this life. He was Flagstaff’s prodigal son, but here he ends up getting married before we did. On top of that, he even became a traditional cowboy. I would never have believed this if I didn’t witness it myself!”

Hannah smiled. “I give thanks to God and to my parents.”

There was still some doubt lingering in their words, and Li Du found this amusing. “We do have to respect him, though. He might be a prodigal son, but there’s no denying he’s a good one. I knew he was a good person the moment I saw him help the kids from the welfare home.”

“That is true. Even now that he’s come to Riverdale, he still makes time to go to Flagstaff to volunteer there,” Hannah nodded.

Li Du came to the wedding with a mission. He was Hans’ best man, but ranch weddings were simple, and all he had to do was walk with him for a bit during the ceremony, so he did not come to the ranch too early.

The main reason was the unfortunate timing. The wedding was right after Thanksgiving, which he had had to spend with his future parents-in-law to discuss certain matters regarding his and Sophie’s wedding. Otherwise, Li Du would have been here earlier, too. He did indeed miss Hans a great deal.

Hans finally appeared after Li Du had spent about an hour at the ranch. The man looked completely different from before. In the past, he would be cleanly shaven and sport the trendiest hairstyle, always staring at passing women. Now, his head of blond hair was in an old-fashioned and simple style. A full beard covered the lower half of his face; his skin had become coarse and had a healthy, reddish hue to it. His aura was completely different from what it had been before.

At the sight of Li Du, he mimed drawing a gun. Li Du opened his arms and the two of them hugged fiercely.

“You’re about to get married. How are you feeling?”

Hans laughed boisterously. “Like I’m in a dream. It’s great, man. Hurry and get married, marriage is the true meaning to life.”

Li Du patted his friend’s shoulder. “You go on ahead and look for this meaning you speak of. Come back and talk me through it once you’ve found it.”

Barbara’s family had been considerate in reserving a private space for them. In the afternoon, Hans brought Barbara over to welcome Li Du.

There was a new building on the ranch. Its style was simple, and it was to be Hans and Barbara’s new home. At the sight of their new house, Li Du smiled and tossed a key and a land certificate to Hans. “Seems like my gift is a bit useless now.”

Barbara took the items from him, then looked up at him at asked in confusion, “What’s this?”

Hans knew even without looking. “Aren’t you generous? A house?”

Stephen went over to peep at the certificate and surprise colored his face. “Good Lord, is this a villa at Beverly Hills? How much is it worth? Probably a few million, right?!”

This was the best of the houses Li Du had won in property auctions in the recent period of time. Its auction price alone was five million, but the property stood to rise in value. He could not think of a better wedding gift for Hans, so he chose the villa.

Li Du said, “Just think of it as a resort villa. You can’t possibly stay here at the ranch all the time, right? You’ve got to take Barbara out to have fun once in a while, no?”

Hans chuckled. “What’s so bad about staying at the ranch? I love it here so much, and the longer I stay here, the less I want to go out into the world.”

“You’re this close to attaining Buddhahood with how ascetic you are,” Li Du said with his thumbs up. This was not the Hans he had known from before.

Barbara had a simple, a bit naïve disposition; she had little interest in money, preferring things she could own instead. This was the first time Li Du and Sophie were at their new house, a house that Barbara was rather proud of. She took the two of them around the house, giving them a room-by-room tour. Hans went along with them; he was steady and gentle, the smile never leaving his face

Looking at Hans, Li Du could not help but think about the past. Time was truly the greatest force on this earth. To think it could completely shape a person into someone else in a mere year.