Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 400 Zhang Lide's Plan
Of course, considering his father-in-law's good intentions, He Yuanchao did not directly reveal the solution, but instead planned to guide him step by step.

"Even a big brother has weaknesses. If you just take Dongdong away, the Lü family will probably not agree. Think about whether there are any people or things they care about."

Seeing that He Yuanchao was willing to help him, Zhang Zhao forgot about expressing his gratitude and his mind was filled with He Yuanchao's words.

"Something you're particularly concerned about?"

After muttering this, Zhang Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up.

"They care about money, and they also care about Lü Wenliang."

Having lived together for so many years, Zhang Zhao knew the nature of the Lü family all too well: three misers and one spendthrift.

He Yuanchao smiled and said, "That settles it. You can talk to them, start with money, and if that doesn't work, then work on Lü Wenliang."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao first showed a look of sudden realization, then his face fell with worry.

“I know how to handle the money, but Dongdong is, after all, Lu Wenli’s flesh and blood, and I’m afraid she won’t agree.”

After saying this, Zhang Zhao paused, a look of embarrassment on his face, and hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"Um...brother-in-law, could you tell me how to make a fuss about Lü Wenliang?"

At first, Zhang Zhao was a little reserved, but he was willing to go all out for his son. Face was nothing compared to his son.

Seeing Zhang Zhao's puzzled expression, He Yuanchao was both amused and exasperated. It was such a simple matter! Why couldn't his brother-in-law think more clearly?
Forget it, I'll see this through to the end. Since I'm involved, I should be open and honest, and not make things half-hearted. Otherwise, I might end up like Pigsy looking in the mirror, pleasing neither side.

Thinking it over, He Yuanchao lost interest in guiding the conversation and directly stated his point:
“Brother, think about it. Why did you change careers? If the Lü family won’t budge even if you offer them money, then talk to them about that.”

Although He Yuanchao didn't explain things clearly, Zhang Zhao wasn't stupid and naturally understood what was going on.

Zhang Zhao has an extreme personality. He used to be extremely kind to the Lü family, but now that he wants to divorce Lü Wenli, he doesn't want to give them any benefits at all.

With Lü Wenliang as leverage, giving the Lü family money? Dream on! We wouldn't give them a single penny, even if we threw it into the water.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Zhao was still a little unsure, afraid of messing things up. So he quickly shared his thoughts with He Yuanchao for advice.

Hearing Zhang Zhao's words, He Yuanchao never expected that his weak-willed brother-in-law could be so ruthless.

But then, thinking about how the Lü family treated Zhang Zhao, He Yuanchao understood his brother-in-law's thoughts and even agreed with them. Such a family shouldn't be allowed to have an easy time.

So He Yuanchao didn't shirk his responsibility. After carefully going through the matter in his mind, he began to explain the details of the task to Zhang Zhao and how to deal with unexpected situations.

As Zhang Zhao listened, an excited expression appeared on his face. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that the man his sister had found was far too cunning. At the same time, he made up his mind to avoid provoking this brother-in-law in the future, or he might end up helping him count the money after being sold out!
Zhang Lide observed He Yuanchao and Zhang Zhao's actions. Instead of saying anything, he smiled and sat calmly by the bedside, listening to their conversation.

This son-in-law is indeed excellent. He is mature, steady, and adaptable. He is also quite adept at understanding people's hearts. With his daughter Zhang Min by his side, He Yuanchao will definitely become the pillar of the Zhang family in the future.

As for his son Zhang Zhao, as long as he doesn't cause trouble and stays quiet by following his brother-in-law, he'll have no worries about food and clothing and will be better off than the average person.

The Zhang family's future rests on Dongdong. With proper upbringing and a little help from his uncle in the future, his future is sure to be bright. Thinking of this, Zhang Lide couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

The son-in-law, He Yuanchao, thought he was disciplining his son. Humph! He was wrong. He had only done that to create an opportunity for the two of them to strengthen their relationship.

No matter how cunning you are, you still fell for my tricks.

The more he thought about it, the happier he became. If his son and son-in-law hadn't been there, Zhang Lide would have burst into laughter.

"dad."

Zhang Lide was lost in his daydreams when he suddenly heard Zhang Zhao call him. He instinctively replied, "What is it?"

"What are you thinking about? I called you several times before you responded."

Zhang Zhao frowned, looking displeased, and said, "I'm planning to use Lü Wenliang's matter as leverage to talk to the Lü family about Dongdong's custody. What do you think?"

In fact, Zhang Zhao felt that asking Zhang Lide about this matter was completely unnecessary. If He Yuanchao hadn't asked him to seek his opinion, he wouldn't have bothered to ask at all!
Zhang Lide had been lost in thought and was completely unaware of this matter. He was very pleased to see Zhang Zhao asking for his opinion.

“You’re not a child anymore, and you have your own ideas. Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say much more. But you have to remember that in order to get custody of Dongdong, some compromise is necessary. Don’t try to force things, or it might backfire.”

Zhang Zhao was very unwilling to listen to Zhang Lide's words and was about to refute them when he saw He Yuanchao nodding in agreement. He had no choice but to reluctantly agree, "Okay, I understand."

After discussing Dongdong's custody, He Yuanchao glanced at the time, stood up, said goodbye, and was about to head back to his room when Zhang Lide called out to him.

After He Yuanchao sat down again, Zhang Lide spoke:

“Yuanchao, the custody of Dongdong will probably take some time. It’s just your mother and Xiaomin at home, and Xiaomin is pregnant. I’m really worried about you. Why don’t you consider buying a ticket back to Kyoto tomorrow? That way I can feel at ease here.”

Watching Zhang Lide and He Yuanchao talk and discuss things so calmly, Zhang Zhao felt very uncomfortable. He even doubted whether he was their biological son, but he didn't have the courage to ask. He could only sit aside and sulk.

He Yuanchao was delighted when he heard Zhang Lide ask him to return to Kyoto. He was about to agree when he suddenly remembered the agreement he had made with Li Hongtao.

"Dad, I do want to go back, but I really can't tomorrow. I made plans to get together with my comrades tomorrow."

After pausing for a moment, he immediately continued, "How about this, I'll see if there's a train back to Kyoto tomorrow night. If there is, I'll take the night train back."

Zhang Lide didn't intend to urge He Yuanchao, but he was afraid that He Yuanchao would be too embarrassed to bring it up because he was worried about Zhang Min's pregnancy, so he mentioned it briefly. Seeing He Yuanchao's anxious look, he quickly advised him:
"Forget it, one more day won't make a difference. If you want to go back, just wait until the morning after tomorrow!"

After returning from Zhang Lide's room, He Yuanchao washed up and lay on the bed, his mind filled with longing, wishing he could fly back to Kyoto immediately.

I'll go to the train station tomorrow afternoon and see if there are any trains to Kyoto. If so, I'll go back tomorrow.

Having made up his mind, He Yuanchao didn't think about anything else. He turned off the light, and soon the sound of snoring filled the room.

(End of this chapter)