Siheyuan: The Era of Struggle

Chapter 419 Sha Zhu's Chance

"Your sister-in-law's household registration is in Kyoto."

Li Hongtao's voice on the phone was clearly excited. After answering He Yuanchao's question, he immediately followed up, "Yuanchao, is there any progress on your resettlement?"

He Yuanchao didn't rule out any possibility, saying, "Instructor, things won't happen so quickly. I'm just asking around through acquaintances first. We'll have to discuss the specifics when you come over."

Although he did not receive a definite answer, Li Hongtao was still very grateful to He Yuanchao and repeatedly expressed his gratitude on the phone.

He Yuanchao really didn't want to be polite with Li Hongtao, so after a few words he quickly changed the subject.

"Instructor, if you have some free time recently, you should come over as soon as possible and get things settled here before you leave the military."

When the conversation turned to business, the other end of the phone fell silent instantly, as if afraid they wouldn't hear what was being said. No sooner had He Yuanchao finished speaking than Li Hongtao said:

“Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I was thinking of going there to scout things out these past couple of days. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll talk to our commander in a bit and see if I can get a few days off. I’ll let you know when I get the result.”

He Yuanchao's holiday wasn't over yet, and he didn't plan to go back to work early tomorrow. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Okay, if you have any news, call my office the day after tomorrow morning!"

“Since there’s no rush, I won’t tell the regimental commander today. I’ll talk to your sister-in-law tonight and see if she can take leave to go back with us.”

……

After discussing their business, the two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.

These days, although the call quality of telephones isn't great, the volume isn't low either. Guo Boquan and Zhijun, who were sitting next to them, could basically hear what the two were saying.

After all, you're asking someone for a favor, so you have to be the right person. Even if it's a friend, you have to be mindful of boundaries and not act like an outsider.

Seeing He Yuanchao hang up the phone, Guo Boquan chuckled and spoke first:

"Zhijun, you heard what I said on the phone. I'm counting on you for everything from now on."

Upon hearing that Guo Boquan's comrade-in-arms' wife was registered in Beijing, Zhijun said with a relaxed expression, "Don't worry, Brother Guo, I'll go to my uncle's place tonight. No matter what the outcome, I'll give you the news first thing tomorrow morning."

Seeing Zhijun's confident demeanor, Guo Boquan knew that the matter was very likely to succeed.

"Okay, then I'll thank you in advance, buddy. Let's have a good drink together another time."

"It's too much of a formality for us to say thank you, buddy."

Upon hearing this, Zhijun first gave Guo Boquan a disgruntled look, then said with a smile, "But we absolutely have to drink this wine. I just happened to get two bottles of aged Luzhou Laojiao from my uncle a while ago. I'll bring them over for us brothers to try."

……

He Yuanchao sat down to listen to the two talking. Although he was a little curious about what unit Zhijun's uncle worked in, he did not ask. In any era, being separated by the stove and kang (heated brick bed) would be a source of envy.

The three of them smoked and chatted for a while in the office. When Zhijun saw that He Yuanchao and Guo Boquan seemed to have something to say, he finished his cigarette and made an excuse to get up and leave the office.

Just as the two of them sat down after seeing Zhijun off, a restaurant employee hurriedly knocked on the door and came in.

"Manager Guo... Manager Guo, that old man from the city who deals in meat came again the other day."

Upon hearing this, Guo Boquan's smiling face immediately fell.

Didn't you tell him I wasn't there?

The waiter said with a troubled expression, "I told him, I told him, but he just won't leave, saying he'll wait for you in the lobby."

"Damn it, this is never going to end. We just ordered meat here a couple of days ago, and now we've got our eyes on something else." Guo Boquan muttered with a gloomy face, then stood up and said to the waiter, "Go to the kitchen right now and tell Lao Xu to hide all the side dishes."

Seeing that his manager looked unhappy, the waiter didn't dare to say anything more, just responded and quickly left the office to head to the kitchen.

After the waiter left the room, He Yuanchao spoke up, "Is it troublesome for the old squad leader to have people here? Do you need any help?"

Guo Boquan waved his hand and smiled helplessly, "The people who came are quite troublesome, but others really can't help."

"So brazen? Doesn't he have a superior?" He Yuanchao asked, somewhat incredulous.

Guo Boquan understood He Yuanchao's meaning and wanted to report the situation to his superiors, so he quickly explained:

"The man who came was an old man who was about to retire. He was thin and frail, and a gust of wind could blow him away. He was also very stubborn and opinionated. You couldn't talk to him or touch him. His superiors couldn't do anything about him."

The main reason they came wasn't for their own personal matters, but for the orphaned and disabled children being cared for by the city.

In the 1950s, Kyoto did not have an independent children's welfare institution. Orphans and disabled children were mainly supported by centralized care models. Modern adoption methods such as family foster care began in the 1980s.

He Yuanchao was stunned for a moment after hearing Guo Boquan's words, then awkwardly raised his hand and scratched his head.

Guo Boquan smiled upon seeing He Yuanchao's actions and said in an admiring tone:

"I really admire that old man now. He goes to all the government offices and restaurants in our district, big and small, and he managed to get a lot of grain and non-staple food by just nagging and pestering."

“A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home. I heard from my wife that there are nearly two hundred children there. No matter how capable this old man is, it’s just a drop in the ocean. Why doesn’t he think of other ways, such as sending the children to families who need them?”

No sooner had He Yuanchao finished speaking than Guo Boquan looked at him as if he were an idiot and said:

"Your idea is a bit naive. Think about it, these days abandoned children are either girls or boys who are born sick or disabled. Which family would want such a burden?"

After Guo Boquan finished speaking, he paused and then said, "Alright, I'll talk to you now. I have to go out and see what this old man wants to do today."

As he spoke, Guo Boquan got up and walked out.

He Yuanchao glanced at the time and realized that he had been there for almost two hours. He quickly got up and followed Guo Boquan out of the office.

Guo Boquan looked at He Yuanchao, who had followed him out, and stopped in surprise, saying, "Why are you coming out instead of sitting properly inside? I'll go and send the old man away. We'll have a good drink tonight."

As He Yuanchao closed the office door, he said, "Let's skip it today. I just got back and I still need to go see my nephew. I'll treat you to the drinks another day."

Guo Boquan, thinking that the old man was difficult to deal with, did not object and said with a smile, "Alright, I'll remember this drinking session. You can't go back on your word later."

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and turned back, saying, "By the way, I heard your nephew is quite skilled. I'll have him show off his skills sometime so I can try some too."

"What, you're still thinking about stealing my things?"

He Yuanchao was speaking in jest, but Guo Boquan said with a serious expression:
"Which restaurant wouldn't want a good chef? Besides, I've heard that your nephew is not only good at Sichuan cuisine, but also knows your family's ancestral Tan family cuisine. If he's really good at it, I'd really like to transfer him to Fengzeyuan."

He Yuanchao was somewhat tempted after hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "I can't make the decision on this matter; it depends on what my nephew thinks."

Guo Boquan glared at He Yuanchao with annoyance and said, "You talk as if your nephew's skills are so great that you have to think about it. Let me tell you, just based on our Fengzeyuan brand, your nephew would come running over here like a puppy."

After humiliating He Yuanchao, Guo Boquan didn't linger and strode towards the hotel lobby.

(End of this chapter)