Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2857 Old Master Ouyang

Grandpa Ouyang was filled with mixed emotions. His family was to have a banquet, as they were the bride's family and honored guests at the wedding.

According to his original plan, the wedding had to be held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, clearing out all the prominent people in Beijing. Even if they couldn't attend the banquet, they still had to send a gift in return.

In this way, his plan was accomplished.

Although Ye Yuze was the person he looked down on the most in the Ye family, he was just a businessman. In the eyes of people like them, businessmen had the lowest status.

But Wang Honghua, Ye Yufan, and Ye Feng—yes, and the fourth brother too. Aren't they all incredibly important figures? They're all of higher status than him. What right does he have to look down on them?
There is a common problem among Chinese people: they look down on most of their own country's businessmen, but they attach great importance to Western financial magnates.

Inviting someone from afar and spending a fortune on a meal makes one feel like their status has increased dramatically.

I don't know how this value system came about, but most people seem to think this way.

If the spontaneous celebration of the wedding by the people of Junken City moved Grandpa Ouyang, then the guests from afar truly impressed him.

Bigwigs in Beijing, and even those foreign conglomerates.

The key point is that these people didn't need Ye Yuze to entertain them at all; they took care of their own food and lodging. And the key point is that they were all scattered among the happy crowd at this moment.

Grandpa Ouyang stood to the side of the viewing platform, his knuckles slightly white as he leaned on his sandalwood cane.

In the distance, on the Junken City Square, the temporary stage with its colorful ribbons fluttering was illuminated by tens of thousands of lanterns, making it as bright as day. The cheers and laughter of the crowd, mixed with the sound of gongs and drums, surged in like waves.

His original plan to host a banquet for political and business elites at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse seemed so inadequate in the face of the overwhelming celebration before him.

"Old Ouyang, this is much more lively than our annual party!"

A familiar laugh came from behind him. When Old Master Ouyang turned around, a thin layer of sweat had already seeped from his back—

The leader standing in front of him was smiling and patting an elderly man in a suit next to him.

This is Mr. Robert, a Wall Street financial magnate, who reportedly canceled a closed-door meeting of the Federal Reserve for this wedding.

Robert nodded in greeting, speaking broken Chinese:
"Mr. Ye helped us avoid half of the losses from last year's Asian financial crisis. How could I not attend the wedding of such a friend?"

Before Old Master Ouyang could recover from his shock, two more Hongqi sedans slowly drove into the square.

The car door opened, and several bigwigs got out, chatting and laughing. One of them saw him and waved from afar, saying, "Old Ouyang, your grandson-in-law has been keeping a low profile!"

On the main road of the military reclamation city, vehicles with special license plates drove in one after another.

Oil tycoons from the Middle East, dressed in traditional robes, walked side by side with Silicon Valley tech elites.

The heads of major domestic enterprises and groups had pleasant conversations with academic luminaries and art masters.

Several international superstars wearing sunglasses even appeared in the crowd, seemingly unconcerned about being surrounded by enthusiastic fans for photos.

"President Ye!"

The crowd suddenly parted to make way, and several soldiers in camouflage uniforms strode forward. The leader saluted and smiled, saying:

"The soldiers and civilians of Junken City asked me to bring you a congratulatory gift."

Before the words were even finished, the roar of helicopters could be heard in the distance. Six armed helicopters formed a formation, leaving six colored smoke trails in the air, and finally hovered above the square. After the cabin doors opened, countless rose petals fell like red rain.

The Ouyang family members stood in the VIP section, staring in disbelief at everything before them.

The youngest son of Old Master Ouyang's hand trembled slightly as he held the invitation:

"Dad, isn't that the big shot in charge of import and export at the business department? He's actually talking to Ye Feng about agricultural machinery?"

Ouyang Xue's father pointed to the distance and exclaimed in surprise:
"Look! UNESCO officials are interviewing Yifei, saying they want to include the museum preservation model of the Military Reclamation City in the global case study!"

What's even more astonishing is that when night falls, the originally simple Junkencheng Stadium is transformed into an international-level open-air gala venue.

On stage, national-level symphony orchestras and folk art troupes took turns performing.

Below the stage, guests casually sat around a long table, enjoying the local specialty of Junken Town: roasted whole lamb and homemade wine.

Robert, holding a rough earthenware wine glass, joined Soros in clinking glasses with the entrepreneurs from the military settlement next to them.

"This is more enjoyable than eating at a Michelin three-star restaurant!"

As the banquet reached its climax, Ye Mao led his bride onto the stage.

Amidst thunderous applause, Old Master Ouyang saw that the usually stern and unsmiling leaders were now cheering on the newlyweds like ordinary elders, urging them to drink the nuptial wine.

What surprised him even more was that when the bride mentioned her family home, the leader actually stood up on his own initiative:
"The Ouyang family has raised such an outstanding young lady; I propose a toast to the Ouyang family!"

After several rounds of drinks, the younger members of the Ouyang family were pulled aside by guests to exchange contact information.

Grandpa Ouyang's grandson was surrounded by several tech company founders, discussing a collaborative agricultural AI project.

The granddaughter received an invitation from an international art organization. Even the most inconspicuous distant relatives were warmly invited by a local official to inspect investment projects.

"Old Ouyang, you really hit the jackpot this time."

As the banquet ended, a retired senior leader patted Mr. Ouyang on the shoulder.

"The international agricultural alliance founded by Ye Yuze has already influenced one-third of the global food trade. These people ostensibly attending the wedding, but in reality, they want to establish a closer relationship with the Ye family."

On the way back, the Ouyang family members were still immersed in shock.

Outside the car window, the lights of the military reclamation city shone like stars, and residents on both sides of the street were still setting off fireworks.

Grandpa Ouyang gazed in the direction of the Ye family villa in the distance, where people were still bustling about.

He suddenly remembered what the Wall Street tycoon Robert had said to Ye Yuze that afternoon:
"You have changed the world's perception of Chinese businessmen. Now they know that true entrepreneurs not only create wealth, but also change people's lives."

That night, the Ouyang family's WeChat group exploded. Congratulatory messages poured in, some inquired about the Ye family's potential collaborations, and others tried to act as matchmakers.

Even the elders of the Ye family who usually had reservations about the Ye family sent large red envelopes in the group chat to congratulate them on the "joyful marriage."

A few days later, when Mr. Ouyang returned to Beijing, he found many unfamiliar vehicles parked in front of his house.

Among those who came to visit were business representatives seeking cooperation, officials hoping to get to know the Ye family, and even cultural institutions wanting to do a special report on the marriage between the two families.

To his even greater surprise, at a meeting, the leader who had toasted him at the wedding took the initiative to mention the Ouyang family's contributions to cultivating outstanding talents.

Three months later, the Ouyang family's company secured the project they had been dreaming of in a development zone in the south.

The project manager privately revealed, "President Ye specifically instructed us to give special consideration to companies with kinship ties to the Ye family."

At this moment, Old Master Ouyang finally understood that this wedding brought far more than just superficial glory—it completely changed the Ouyang family's position in the political and business world, and made everyone re-recognize this once insignificant family.

Late at night, Old Master Ouyang spread out a sheet of Xuan paper and wrote a sentence on it:

"To form a marriage alliance with the Ye family is a great fortune for our family for a hundred years."

Outside the window, the neon lights of Beijing flickered, but his thoughts drifted involuntarily to the brightly lit military reclamation city a thousand miles away.

The people there are perhaps striving for the next miracle. Compared to them, the Ouyang family is really nothing.
The Ouyang family only cared about the gains and losses of their own clan, while the Ye family never cared about such things. Their vision was much broader.

The capital city was already chilly in late autumn. Old Master Ouyang sat at his rosewood desk, his fingertips tracing the Xuan paper inscribed with the words, "A marriage alliance with the Ye family is a blessing for our family for a hundred years."

The ginkgo leaves outside the window were swept by the wind across the window frame, much like the rose petals that fluttered at the wedding in Junken City three months ago.

He suddenly remembered that when Ouyang Xue was a child, she always loved to chase after him, stepping on the golden ginkgo leaves covering the ground and calling out "Grandpa." Her laughter was so clear that it could penetrate the heavy doors of the old house.

"Xiao Xu, prepare the car."

When he stood up, the sound of his sandalwood cane tapping the ground was much more steady than usual.

As the car drove out of the alley, the secretary couldn't help but ask, "Boss, where are we going..."

"Go see Xiaoxue."

The old man gazed at the street scene flashing past the window, his tone calm, yet it made the driver in the front seat glance at him a couple more times through the rearview mirror…

This was the first time the old man had taken the initiative to ask to see his granddaughter since Ouyang Xue insisted on following Ye Mao.

Ye Mao and Ouyang Xue lived in an apartment that wasn't large, but it was tastefully decorated. It was an apartment allocated by their work unit.

The moment she opened the door, she saw her grandfather standing there, still clutching freshly washed strawberries in his hand, water droplets dripping from his fingertips onto the beige carpet, leaving small damp marks.

"Grandpa?" Her voice trembled, as if she couldn't believe her ears.

On the coffee table in the living room was a framed photo of Ye Mao bowing to her with her hand at their wedding.

The old man stared at the photo for a long time, then suddenly sighed: "That kid... he really protected you well."

Ouyang Xue's eyes reddened, and she stepped aside to let him in.

Her grandfather, who usually loved to criticize her makeup and clothes, was now just looking at the few succulents she had planted on the balcony, and said slowly:

"The sun shines brightly in Junken City, which is better for raising these animals than in Beijing. I wonder if moving them here will have any impact?"

"Ye Mao said that this thing is tough and can live well anywhere. He also said that he would take me to see you after he finished his work in a while."

Ouyang Xue brought over hot tea, her fingers nervously twisting her apron.

In fact, Ouyang Xue had a deep bond with her grandfather since childhood, but she was also afraid of him. Since falling out with her family, this was the first time the two of them had been alone together, so she was naturally a little nervous.

The old man paused as he took the teacup. He remembered Ye Mao deliberately walking up to him and saying...

“Xiaoxue is straightforward. I had some disagreements with my family, but it’s all in the past. She’s young, and you are the elder. If she does anything wrong in the future, please be more tolerant.”

There was not a trace of perfunctoriness in his tone, only respect for a junior. He only hummed at the time, but looking back now, he felt that that "you" was more genuine than any amount of empty formalities.

What has he been busy with lately?

The old man took a sip of tea, his gaze falling on an open agricultural magazine on the coffee table. The cover featured Ye Mao, his eyes and brows tanned from working in the fields.

"During an inspection of cotton fields in southern Xinjiang, they said they wanted to promote new planting techniques that combine with solar energy, such as intercropping between photovoltaic panels, which could increase cotton farmers' yields by 30%."

When Ouyang Xue talked about her husband, the light in her eyes was as dazzling as the lanterns in the military reclamation city at night.

“He was telling me the other day that you are knowledgeable in water conservancy and he wanted to ask you about your experience in managing saline-alkali land in the Yellow River Basin.”

The old man tightened his grip on his teacup. Those manuscripts, long buried in the filing cabinet, even his sons had never seen them; yet Ye Mao had somehow learned of them from others.

He suddenly realized that his grandson-in-law was not the "work-minded but insensitive" person he had imagined.

What they see is a world far larger than the banquet at Diaoyutai.

"Have him come to our house when he returns."

The old man put down his teacup and, as he stood up, glanced at a faded cloth doll in the corner of the balcony. It was a doll he had made himself for Ouyang Xue's tenth birthday.

Back then, because he opposed her marrying Ye Yuze, he personally threw this doll on the ground and watched her run out of the old house crying.

“Grandpa…” Ouyang Xue’s voice was choked with sobs.

The old man didn't turn around, but just waved his hand: "It's getting cold, bring the flowers from the balcony inside."

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped. "I'll bring Ye Mao over for dinner next week. I'll have the kitchen prepare his favorite lamb."

The moment the car drove away from the residential area, the secretary's phone rang. It was the project manager from the Southern Development Zone.

"Secretary Xu, Ye Mao just called specifically to say that the agricultural project in Southwest Province, where the eldest son is located, needs additional matching funds, and he also said that he would send an agricultural team over to help him with ecological farming!"

The old man leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. He recalled what the old leader had said at the wedding:

"True vision means paving your own path wide, and also making it accessible to others."

I used to think this was just empty talk, but now I'm starting to understand its meaning.

He has experienced everything in his life. Now that he is old, his selfishness has increased. Everyone has the instinct to protect their children, but if he were to violate his principles for the sake of his children, he would be going against his original intention.

Thinking of his comrades who fell under the gun, Old Master Ouyang suddenly felt ashamed. He had forgotten his roots!
He'd been through life and death in his life, what else could he not let go of? A light gradually returned to the old man's eyes.

A week later, at the family dinner, Ye Mao carried two bags of new rice from Junken City into the house and bumped into the old man tending to the flowers and plants in the yard.

Those few potted orchids that had been kept wilting and had been given fresh soil at some point hadn't changed much.

"grandfather."

Ye Yuze placed the rice on the stone table and naturally took the watering can from the old man's hand. "This orchid likes shade. Why don't you try putting it under the grape trellis?"

The old man watched as he skillfully adjusted the position of the flowerpots, his movements exactly the same as when he was instructing cotton farmers on the ridges of the military reclamation area back then.

He suddenly remembered that when he was young, he was sent to work in the countryside in Northwest China, and he had squatted on the edge of the field like this, thinking about how to make the wheat seedlings grow stronger.

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