A Siheyuan Home Brings Good Fortune

Chapter 50: Defending the City (I)

I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Aunt Qian's aura was so strong, which showed how powerful Zheng Yaoxian's aura was.

He Yukai decided to see if he could find a chance to help the great god on the hidden front. As his idol, although he didn't want to work in that field, it didn't mean he would watch his idol go to Qing Province and overdraw his vitality.

Heroes should not be forgotten, and talents should not be buried. Let’s talk about it when there is a chance!

He cannot be careless, otherwise he will bring trouble upon himself. The TV series also said that Zheng Yaoxian's identity cannot be publicly acknowledged, and he has to plan carefully, which can be regarded as making up for a small regret in his previous life. However, if there is no opportunity, then there is nothing he can do. He Yukai dare not take risks, as the whole family depends on him.

In my previous life, I felt very sorry for Zheng Yaoxian's ending. Such a great person did not shine and a lot of his time was wasted. It's a pity that I can only sigh and say that if I had the chance, I would have tried my best to let him have a better life in his later years.

Perhaps this was also the reason why He Yukai felt unhappy after watching TV in his previous life!

On the other hand, He Yukai arranged his family affairs and came to the Zhengyangmen Tavern. He had called in advance to inform Cai Quanwu that he should be ready as well.

To put it bluntly, He Yukai went to Baocheng to report the situation at home and find out the reason why He Daqing ran away, while Cai Quanwu went there to recognize his relatives and settle accounts, with different purposes.

I took the train in the afternoon and arrived in Baocheng the next morning. The speed of trains in this era is not very fast. Maybe I was used to the acceleration of high-speed trains, so I felt a little uncomfortable.

Looking at the city in front of him, He Yukai thought a lot. His aunt lived in this city in his previous life. He always wanted to come and see it but never had the chance. Now he had to arrive at this place in this way. Things in the world are unpredictable.

I found a restaurant selling donkey meat hotpot and ate first. Nothing is more important than my stomach.

"Boss, two bowls of donkey meat soup and four steamed buns."

"Okay, please take a seat."

"Xiao Kai, what's your plan?"

"Uncle, this is what I think. We shouldn't go to his house to look for him. We probably won't be able to find out what happened if we go there, and there might even be trouble. The matter has already been settled, so we should find my dad to find out what happened first.

Go directly to the factory to look for him. I happened to have a letter of introduction. When my father just left, Zhuzi came with Yu Shui, but unfortunately he was blocked by the White Widow and didn't see my father. We don't know the real situation. Knowing yourself and the enemy will ensure victory in every battle. Don't be anxious."

"Okay, as long as you have a plan, the White Widow has nothing to do with us, so it doesn't matter whether you meet her or not."

"Okay, my dad is working at Baocheng Iron and Steel Plant now. Let's go directly to their plant manager. Their plant manager has business dealings with the steel mill, so it can also conceal our whereabouts. What if my dad has no other choice but to leave?"

"Okay, eat, and then we'll be there when you're done."

Not to mention the delicious donkey meat hotpot, the best thing here is definitely donkey-hide gelatin. I will buy some back when I finish my work and give it to my wife as a nourishment.

Donkey-hide gelatin is a good thing for women. It has the effects of replenishing blood, nourishing yin and moistening dryness. It is very suitable for women. Nowadays, donkey-hide gelatin is purely handmade without any additives, which is rare.

"Hello, we are from the Beijing Red Star Steel Rolling Mill, and we are here to see your Director Zhu. Here is a letter of introduction."

"Chief He, please wait a moment. I will call the factory director's office right away."

"no problem"

The scale of Baocheng Iron and Steel Plant is very small, and it is dwarfed by the rolling mill. The last time the achievements of the public-private partnership of the rolling mill were publicized, it was organized personally by the ministry. The person who came from Baocheng was Director Zhu. We met by chance. He knew he was from Baocheng, so he took good care of him in order to establish a good relationship.

Cai Wenqing called Baocheng and after some twists and turns he found out that He Daqing was a chef at the Baocheng Iron and Steel Plant.

This is such a coincidence, and no wonder, because the only factories that need chefs in Baocheng at this time are these factories.

"Chief He, we didn't expect to meet here again after we last met in Beijing. It really is fate."

"Director Zhu, you are too polite. I didn't expect that we would meet in this way. I am flattered that you would come to pick me up in person."

"Thanks for your care. We gained a lot last time. Many of the information are not available to others. Thanks to you, our transformation is going well. Come on, let's talk in my office.

He Daqing? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the cafeteria at this time? No, how come you suddenly look so much younger?"

"Director Zhu, you are too polite. This is my uncle. He Daqing from your factory is my father. They just look alike. No wonder you made a mistake. We came here today to take a look and we also have some personal matters to deal with."

"Okay, okay, please forgive me, you two look too much alike. Let's go inside and talk."

Director Zhu was very enthusiastic. He knew that now was a good opportunity to make good connections and that there would be many opportunities to use the steel rolling mill in the future. Even those scraps that others didn't want were very important raw materials. He was a steel mill, and as the name suggested, output was the unit of steel produced to be delivered.

I knew it was not my place to get involved in other people’s private affairs, so I didn’t ask too many questions (leaders have high emotional intelligence).

He Yukai and I are in the same grade, and maybe I will need his help in many things in the future. However, I didn't expect that He Daqing, that taciturn man, has such an outstanding son. As for why he went to Baocheng, it is not something I consider.

After sitting down in the factory director's office, several people drank tea and reminisced about the past. The factory director's secretary went to invite He Daqing to the office. Since he was looking for someone, it was better to find him as soon as possible. Only after finishing the business could they build a good relationship with him. Otherwise, he would be absent-minded and unable to reminisce about the past.

"Xiao Kai? When did you come here? Why didn't you inform us in advance? Do you know our factory director? And who is this person?"

He Daqing arrived in more than ten minutes. He knew that the factory director must have something to ask him and he must not be careless.

If you want to make a living under someone else, you have to lower your attitude. From this point of view, He Daqing is much more sensible than He Yuzhu. He Daqing's cooking skills are among the best in Baocheng, although he is not ranked among the best in Beijing.

"Dad, I just arrived this morning. This is my uncle. Let's talk later."

"Okay, let's go out and talk so as not to disturb the factory manager."

"Okay, Chief He, you two go and talk first. The guesthouse has been arranged. We'll have dinner and drinks together tonight. It's a good coincidence that you haven't tasted your father's cooking for a long time. If nothing else, your father's cooking is one of the best in our Baocheng."

"Director Zhu, no problem. You have no choice but to entertain us if we meet here. Haha, let's go talk about business first and we'll chat in the evening."

"Okay, you guys get busy." Several people said goodbye to Director Zhu, left the factory and went to a restaurant outside. There was nowhere else to go. He Daqing was only the chef, not the canteen director, so he didn't have a separate office. He could only find a private room outside and deal with the things he had to do first.

"Dad, this is my uncle, I think you should know what's going on."

He Daqing was originally very nervous, because he knew He Yukai's temper well. To put it bluntly, he was a tough guy. He hadn't seen him for many years, and now he had just come back from the battlefield, so he couldn't yell at him.

Now he seems much more mature and calm. As the eldest child, he has always listened to his mother since he was young. No matter what the reason, it was wrong for him to leave Sha Zhu with his young daughter. Although he sends him living expenses every month, he still feels guilty.

"Uncle? Could he be from Zhengyangmen?"

"Brother, yes, my mother's last name is Cai."

"That's right, I know about this. Judging from his appearance, there is no problem. So how did you two meet?"

"Brother, I met Xiao Kai by chance. There is a tavern near Zhengyang Gate. We met there. We haven't seen each other for many years. We should have a good chat. But today I have something to say. Please forgive me, brother."

"Little brother, you say, brothers, there is nothing you can't say to each other"

"I want to know how cruel you are to abandon a half-grown child and a young daughter? You followed the widow here to recruit gangs. Even a storyteller can't say that.

Do you know how much hardship Zhuzi endured in that courtyard with the rain? Do you know that he almost starved to death? This is not something that we men can do."

“I know it’s wrong for me to do this, and I have my own reasons, but isn’t it a bit too much to say that Zhuzi and Yushui almost starved to death?
Not to mention that I arranged for Zhuzi to take over the job at the steel mill, I also sent Zhuzi and Yushui ten yuan a month for living expenses. If they didn't live well, how could they live badly? How could they starve to death?"

"Dad, are you telling the truth? Do you really send living expenses to Zhuzi and Yushui every month? And wasn't Yi Zhonghai the one who found Zhuzi's job? Is there some hidden secret here?"

He Yukai certainly knew that He Daqing had arranged for Zhuzi to take over, so he asked in order to know the truth in detail and strengthen He Daqing's sense of guilt.

"Bullshit, I asked the canteen director to arrange Zhuzi's job and asked him to take over the factory. I also went to Hongbin Building to handle the formalities for Zhuzi.

What does this have to do with Yi Zhonghai? No matter how shady I am, I can't just walk away. I love Yu Shui the most.

Zhuzi has grown up and although his skills are not in the field, there is still no problem in the factory."

When He Daqing heard He Yukai ask this, he knew that things were not going according to his pace, and he immediately began to explain. He knew He Yukai's temper very well.

"That's not right, Dad. What I can tell you is that Zhuzi didn't receive any of your living expenses.

When I got home, a meeting was being held in the courtyard. Under the chairmanship of Yi Zhonghai, they were preparing to ask Zhuzi to give up the two large rooms and move into the ear room.

Zhuzi picked up garbage and begged for food to make a living. It was said that Yi Zhonghai asked the canteen director to arrange for Zhuzi to enter the factory. He has been a temporary worker for more than a year and has not been converted to a regular employee. If I hadn't come back, I probably wouldn't know if he would have been converted to a regular employee by now."

He Daqing was stunned. How could this happen? He had already made arrangements and sent living expenses to Yi Zhonghai every month.

Now that what he heard was true, Yu Shui was lucky not to starve to death. He had been playing with eagles all his life, but he didn't expect to get his eyes pecked by an eagle in the end.

When we were in the courtyard, I saw the honest Yi Zhonghai stabbing me in the back. He had contact with all kinds of chefs, so he must have extraordinary knowledge. I immediately understood Yi Zhonghai's plan.

"Damn you Yi Zhonghai, I'll go back to Beijing and kill you. I have no objection to you letting Zhuzi take care of you in your old age, but with your high salary, it's unclear who's taking advantage of whom.

But you shouldn't have plotted against my young daughter. I thought Zhuzi would be bullied because of his personality, so I invited Yi Zhonghai to dinner and asked him to take good care of her. I didn't expect this bastard to stab me in the back."

"Are you sure you sent money to Yi Zhonghai? Do you have any proof?"

"I'm your father, don't you believe me?"

He Daqing became unhappy when he heard He Yukai's tone. What's the matter with me? How could I lie to you?

"Now it's not a question of whether I believe you or not. Don't be angry if I tell you. You did something like this, which makes it hard for me to believe you.

You have to show me the evidence now. If Yi Zhonghai really plotted against the two children, I have plenty of ways to punish him. Isn't he plotting against my retirement? I will make his plot go to waste.

I haven't been in the army for so many years in vain. Besides, I have my uncle here. He doesn't talk much, but with your IQ, you may not be able to beat him. If grandma wasn't powerful enough, you would definitely not be the head of the He family."

"Forget it, I won't argue with you. Wait a minute. The evidence is in the factory. I'll go get it for you. Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. Although I had to leave the capital for my own reasons, it doesn't mean that I'm a ruthless person."

After saying that, He Daqing went to get the credentials without waiting for He Yukai to say anything. He Daqing was very confused. It was a close call. If Yu Shui hadn't been lucky, he might have really starved to death.

I said that Shazhu hadn't replied to me for such a long time, and I thought it was because of Shazhu's bad temper. Unexpectedly, neither of the two children received the letter nor the money.

Yi Zhonghai's plan was very simple, and He Daqing knew it very well. This man had such a plan because he wanted Zhuzi to support them in their old age. To be on the safe side, he embezzled the living expenses he sent, so that Zhuzi would hate him and stop contacting him, and their relationship would naturally become distant.

Yi Zhonghai appeared as a saint to show concern and help, and used his own money to make Sha Zhu grateful to him and provide for his retirement.

He Daqing didn't think much of the retirement provision. Your salary is so high to provide you with retirement, but in the end, isn't it your own son who gets the benefit?

But you should never calculate that little living expenses. According to the boss, it is Shazhu's ability that Yu Shui did not starve to death. Without a formal job, living expenses are a problem. Yu Shui still has to go to school, so it is not enough. Thinking of this, he hates Yi Zhonghai to the core.

If the eldest brother hadn't come back early today, perhaps my house would have been taken away. Yi Juehu, don't give me a chance to go back. When I come back, you just wait for me.

He Yukai looked at He Daqing who left in a hurry and thought about how to deal with Yi Zhonghai. Yi Zhonghai must be taught a lesson, but calling the police directly would allow Yi Zhonghai to enter the sewing machine, but wouldn't the skills of the eighth-level worker be wasted? He should pay a large amount of money, empty the old man's pension fund, and then deal with it in the factory.

It's easy to deal with it at the factory. Not only will you be demoted and ruined, but your skills will not be wasted.

Cai Quanwu listened to the whole process and thought more about human nature. He originally thought that Fan Jinyou was shameless enough, but now it seems that his understanding of shamelessness was not comprehensive enough. Today's events refreshed Cai Quanwu's cognition. Which kind-looking old man could do such a cruel thing? Don't judge a person by his appearance.

(End of this chapter)