Chapter 69

Fang Zhao spent the night at his second uncle's home . In the morning, he visited the apartment he'd bought in Yanbei and tidied it up a bit . It was just a place to crash—80-odd square meters, a bedroom, and a study . After he was done, he went to the cemetery to pay his respect to the parents of his body's previous owner .

In the New Era, cemeteries for the masses weren't typical cemeteries . They were run by individual companies . The parents of his body's original owner had died in an explosion . The entire building was reduced to ashes, so the cemetery held not their remains but some of their personal items .

The original owner of his body never visited his parents' gravesite in Yanbei . Instead, he would pay his respects remotely by logging into the website of the company that ran the cemetery where his parents were enshrined . You needed to make an appointment in advance to pay your respects in person . You were assigned a waiting area, and the remains of the deceased or their personal items were pulled from central storage . In contrast to the martyrs' cemetery, these centralized corporate cemeteries were more compact . When Fang Zhao arrived, he was told he owed a year in back fees . After paying the overdue bill, Fang Zhao went ahead and paid for 10 years of storage in advance .

In the New Era, rank-and-file citizens weren't allowed to be buried . Their remains were housed in cemeteries like this one . You chose from the various private cemetery companies according to preference and affordability . Some were backed by the government . Others were completely private . The cemetery where the parents of the original owner of Fang Zhao's body were enshrined was funded by the government . Even though it wasn't something to write home about, it was managed with more discretion . Despite incurring a year's worth of back fees, the Fang parents' storage box hadn't been cleared . All the cemetery company had done was send a reminder via text message . Fang Zhao had not been pestered endlessly .

Second Uncle wanted the whole family to visit Great-Grandfather Fang at his retirement home on Memorial Day . He also wanted Fang Zhao to meet other elders in the family, so he kept Fang Zhao for the night . As a result, Fang Zhao had yet to spend a single night in his new apartment in Yanbei .

Fang Yu's military assignment had been settled and Fang Zhao was back, so Second Uncle couldn't stop smiling . This gave Fang Qi, who'd almost flunked his exams, some breathing room . But what Second Uncle and family felt awkward about was the fact they were still guarded in front of Fang Zhao . It wasn't entirely due to the favor Fang Zhao had extended, although that was part of it . Second Uncle couldn't quite explain himself . He just followed his gut feeling .

Fang Yu also felt that the way Fang Zhao looked at him reminded him of the old man who lived upstairs . Fang Zhao's gaze was somewhat paternalistic, to the extent that Fang Yu felt inferior in front of his cousin . He even spoke with caution .

Fang Yu tried to figure out why he acted this way . Maybe it was like his father had said—people who are competent command a sense of respect .

Fang Zhao also noticed that Second Uncle and family were wary of him, but he couldn't change overnight . He didn't know how to act young, or rather, he didn't know how to pretend to be a young man . The reason for his visit was simple—he wanted to see what Yanbei looked like in the New Era . It had been six years since his last visit . Even if his personality had undergone massive changes, friends and family wouldn't make a big deal of it .

On Memorial Day, Fang Zhao, Second Uncle, and his family took a public train to a retirement home for former officials in the suburbs of Yanbei .

It was a bustling day at the retirement home .

Rapid advancements in technology and improved human health after the Period of Destruction had increased life expectancy . The retirement age for most industries was now around 150 . At that age, it was common for five generations of the same family to be alive . As a result, families were quite large . Some families had six or seven kids . The numbers added up .

But in the New Era, what counted was personal ability, not the size of your family . Jobs in the New Era were demanding, which put a strain on family relationships . Even siblings could easily grow apart .

The various branches of Great-Grandfather Fang's family decided whether or not to visit the head of the family on their own . They never coordinated their visits .

When Fang Zhao and Second Uncle's family arrived at the retirement home, their first stop wasn't Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother's living quarters but rather the neighboring woods .

"The two elders get many visitors on Memorial Day . If everyone visits at the same time, it's way too crowded in their residence, so the retirement home allocates a small house for the family reunion . " Second Uncle was worried that Fang Zhao wasn't familiar with the protocol .

When Fang Zhao and party arrived, there was already a crowd of 20-odd people . They sat at adjoining tables . The family members on good terms chatted in groups, while relatives at odds with each other ignored their enemies .

"The two elders will also chat with the younger Fangs, but the time they spend with each person varies . The more they like you, the longer they'll spend with you . Last year, they spent a lot of time with a female cousin, and the year before that, it was a male cousin . But I don't know either cousin well . We've never spoken . " Fang Yu filled Fang Zhao in on scenes from previous Memorial Days as he walked . Second Uncle's family typically dropped by to pay their respects . They were never the center of attention .

"I don't see Grandad . Maybe he's come and left . Grandad doesn't like our family . He typically shows up every year with Third Uncle and Third Auntie," Fang Yu continued in a whisper .

Not only did Second Uncle struggle to communicate with his nephew's generation, he got into arguments with his own dad easily because they had similar temperaments .

"Oh, you're here, Fang Lang," said a man sitting at a table beneath a tree .

Fang Lang was Second Uncle's name . The man who noticed Second Uncle was his cousin—their fathers were siblings—although they weren't close . They got to know each other better recently after working on a project together .

"Who's that over there?" the man asked, gesturing to Fang Zhao .

"That's Fang Zhao, my late older brother's only son," Second Uncle responded .

The man pondered briefly before making the connection . "Oh, him . " He had too many relatives to keep track of . He didn't want to bother with minor characters .

Second Uncle's cousin was more interested in the box Fang Zhao was carrying than in Fang Zhao himself, but it was their turn to meet Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother; otherwise he would've pried .

Fang Zhao watched Second Uncle's cousin and his family enter a neighboring house . The houses located in the woods were all rather retro, resembling the homes with tiled roofs from before the apocalypse . This was the only house in the vicinity . It was winter already . Although it had been sunny the past two days, temperatures were quite low . The two elders were holed up inside .

"Why don't you take a seat . My cousin's family will be at least half an hour," Second Uncle said .

Fang Zhao was about to sit down when he heard someone inside the house yell his name .

"Fang Zhao! Hey, Fang Zhao! Yes, you . Hurry up . Your great-grandfather and great-grandmother want to see you . "

It was Second Uncle's cousin . He must have mentioned Fang Zhao to the two elders, so they let him cut in line .

"Oh, they didn't ask for you, Fang Lang . You and your family wait here . " Second Uncle's cousin gestured at him to stay put, letting only Fang Zhao through .

"Little Zhao, you be careful . " Second Uncle was worried . He himself was super nervous every time he met with the two elders . They projected a dominating aura . He was worried Fang Zhao was too young and would cave under the pressure .

Fang Zhao picked up the gift he had prepared for his great-grandparents and walked in confidently .

The house was quite warm . About a dozen people were sitting in the living room . They spoke in whispers . They whispered to each other when they noticed Fang Zhao entering . Their gaze also landed on the box Fang Zhao was carrying, as if gauging its contents .

"In here . " Second Uncle's cousin pointed to a room . "I'll take you . "

Second Uncle's cousin led Fang Zhao into the room and left . But when he left he made a sly move . He didn't shut the door completely, leaving a small gap, so he could eavesdrop from the living room .

Inside the room .

Fang Zhao saw the two gray-haired elders sitting inside . The old lady looked friendly, wearing a gentle smile . She gauged Fang Zhao, as if comparing his stature now to the small child from 10 years ago . However, the old man sitting next to her was in a foul mood . His gaze was hawk-like and he projected an intimidating aura . An untested young man would have felt nervous .

"You two look like you're in good spirits," Fang Zhao said with a laugh . He placed the box he'd brought onto the table and opened it to remove its contents .

Great-Grandfather Fang was going to throw a tantrum . The kid hadn't shown up in 10 years, after all . He needed a dressing down . But when he saw what Fang Zhao removed from the box, he couldn't maintain his composure .

"The Sirius?" Great-Grandfather Fang exclaimed .

What Fang Zhao removed was a silver-gray spaceship model about 30 centimeters long . It was emblazoned with a logo and lettering .

The Sirius was a battleship built by mankind for space exploration during the New Era . One of the pioneering spaceships, the Sirius had already been retired . But even though it was retired, it was still a popular design among model manufacturers, not because of its historical significance but for its economic value .

And the reason Fang Zhao had picked the Sirius was that Great-Grandfather Fang and Great-Grandmother Fang had served on the spaceship .

When Fang Zhao handed over the model, Great-Grandfather Fang played cool and didn't lift a finger . It was the old lady who accepted it .

She was stunned the moment she felt the model .

"This material . . . " She also examined the detail before looking at Fang Zhao and saying, "How thoughtful of you . "

Their children and other grandkids had bought them models of the Sirius before, but Great-Grandfather Fang had tossed all of them . His descendants were under the impression that they didn't like models, but the fact was that those models were poorly made and got many details wrong . Only model makers who understood the history of the spaceship would notice the finer features .

But the model Fang Zhao presented got all the small details right and was made with the exact same material as the real spaceship . The model had to have cost a fortune .

Great-Grandfather Fang's mood improved somewhat . At least Fang Zhao had put some thought into the gift . He and his wife loved it .

Now that Fang Zhao had extended an olive branch, Great-Grandfather Fang stopped pouting .

"It's been 10 years since we last saw you . Looks like you're doing well . Where are you working?" Great-grandfather Fang asked .

"An entertainment company . " Fang Zhao sat down on a chair next to the elderly couple .

"Oh, the entertainment business . " Great-Grandfather Fang was intrigued . Another thought struck him and he asked, "Where did you complete your military service?"

"I haven't yet . I've been too busy . My schedule for this year is full," Fang Zhao responded .

"Oh, you haven't served yet?" Great-Grandfather Fang straightened his back . "You're that busy? What are you busy with?"

"Gaming . "

" . . . " Great-Grandfather Fang withdrew the hand with which he was about to offer a red packet .