The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 584 Old friends get together!!!

"Mr. Duo must be eighty years old this year, right?" Liu Zhiye asked with a little confusion.

Zheng Chaoyang glanced at him and replied with a smile: "Your memory is really not as good as mine. Lao Duo is already over 80 years old. He is already in his 80s."

"Is he still in good health?" Liu Zhiye asked again with concern.

Zheng Chaoyang laughed out loud and said, "This old guy is in very good health. He has a strong appetite and a good drinking capacity. He will definitely have no problem living for another ten or eight years!"

"That's good. I was thinking about having a few more drinks with this old guy!" Liu Zhiye said sincerely, his admiration for Duomen was beyond words.

Zheng Chaoyang smiled and said jokingly, "From now on, we have plenty of time, but what about you? I'm afraid you can't help yourself, right?"

Liu Zhiye smiled bitterly. With his current position and heavy responsibilities, he could no longer withdraw as he wished.

"But then again, this old guy, Duo Ye, is really well-informed." Liu Zhiye said thoughtfully, with a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Every time I hear his old stories, I feel fresh, as if I can never get enough of them."

Zheng Chaoyang nodded, a trace of memory flashing in his eyes: "Yes, their family is a local household in Yanjing, and their family has been police officers for three generations. What storms and waves have they not seen?

He even knew everything about the remnants of the Qing Dynasty.

I remember one time, he told us about his experience of encountering Zhang Xun's restoration when he was young, and we were stunned. "

"Speaking of which, he is really a legendary figure." Liu Zhiye sighed, "Not only is he very clear about life, but he can also move between the underworld and the government with ease, which is really rare."

Zheng Chaoyang smiled and patted Liu Zhiye on the shoulder: "So, you have to take more time to visit him, have a few drinks with him, and listen to him talk about those years.

Otherwise, when he really passes away one day, there will be no one to tell these stories. "

Liu Zhiye nodded. Compared with Zheng Chaoyang and others, they shared the same ideals and interests. Duomen was the one he truly admired from the bottom of his heart.

When he was young, Duomen was known as a "gossip-monger" and a "know-it-all", and everyone respectfully called him "Duo Ye".

Three generations of their ancestors have been managing public security in the capital, so Duomen is not only familiar with the territory and the ways of the people here, but also has his own unique insights into investigating cases. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the "sweeping monk" in the police force.

It can be said that apart from Zheng Chaoyang, Duo Ye was the best at investigating and solving cases in the police station back then. His emotional intelligence was perfect, and his character became increasingly distinct and eye-catching, from investigating cases to interacting with people.

Liu Zhiye also knew how powerful Duomen was in investigating cases, otherwise he would have re-hired this old guy as the "head coach".

When Zheng Chaoyang and his team were investigating the case, whether it was the third person at the scene of Wan Linsheng's murder, or the subsequent search for witnesses had to start from the black clinic, Duomen showed extraordinary investigative ability and social experience. He was always able to discover small details that were easily overlooked during the investigation. When many people disliked him, only Zheng Chaoyang continued to support and believe in him. When Zheng Chaoyang was wrongly accused of being a spy, Duomen was the most crucial person to help him clear his grievances.

This old guy is not only good at investigating cases, but also has a very high emotional intelligence and is loyal and willing to go through thick and thin for his friends.

Once during an investigation, in order to find the murderer, Duomen and Qilala's questioning methods were in sharp contrast. Duomen's communication skills were completely textbook-like.

Qi Lala revealed his identity as a police officer and interrogated him like a criminal, but Duomen was unhurried and began talking to the old man about jasmine tea, trying to get closer and have a conversation. After a few words, the neighbor told him everything he knew. As the saying goes, old people get the most experience, and Duomen immediately got the problem solved. His communication skills are really admirable.

There are also many people who saw their neighbors being chased by loan sharks and took the initiative to mediate. They not only knew how to use their identities but also understood the rules of the underworld. They helped their neighbors buy time without offending the loan sharks.

Liu Zhiye also knows a lot of other things.

In order to get some information out of Duomenkou, Zheng Chaoshan deliberately took an antique and asked him to identify it. He said it was from Qin Gege's mansion in Yuer Hutong and was something used in Emperor Qianlong's Banquet for Thousand Old Men.

Duomen quickly determined that the vase was from the official kiln of Jingdezhen. He could tell whether the antique was real or fake with just a few glances, which shows that Duomen has extraordinary skills in appraising antiques.

In the area of ​​antique appreciation, Duomen has helped Liu Zhiye a lot.

"Xiao Li, change the route to Lishi Hutong!"

"Understood!" Xiao Li turned the steering wheel skillfully, and the car drove smoothly into the new route.

Liu Zhiye turned his head and said to Zheng Chaoyang: "Let's go pick up this old guy. I haven't visited his home for a long time."

Zheng Chaoyang smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

…………

Walking into Lishi Hutong, there are many houses next to the Zheng family.

Liu Zhiye and his party unexpectedly found the door open, saving them the trouble of knocking.

The two of them stepped into the courtyard without hesitation. As they walked, Zheng Chaoyang shouted loudly, "Duo Ye, Duo Ye, hey, guess who's here?"

Before he finished speaking, a man in his thirties walked out of the main house and greeted them warmly from a distance, "Hey, Uncle Zheng, Uncle Liu, it's really a relief to see you, the two of you."

Liu Zhiye also knew this man. He was the posthumous son of the sacrificed Qi Lala, named Qi Bin.

Duomen was a righteous man who never married. He treated Qi Bin as his own son and raised him carefully.

When Qi Bin became an adult, Duomen was worried that something might happen to him, so he did not let him join the police force or the army, but instead arranged for him to be an ordinary worker.

Back then, workers had stable jobs and lived a worry-free life.

However, after the reform and opening up, the wave of market economy swept in, and Qi Bin's factory was not spared and gradually declined.

Seeing that the factory was about to close down, Qi Bin knew that he could not just sit there and wait for death.

He assessed the situation and decided to find another way out.

Fortunately, Qi Bin has been studying cultural relics identification at a young age and has a natural talent.

With this skill, he opened an antique shop in Liulichang, and his business flourished and his reputation grew.

Qi Bin had a gentle smile on his face and said, "My old man has gone out to play chess. Uncles, please take a seat. I'll go get him back right away!"

Liu Zhiye nodded slightly, and said calmly: "Okay, go ahead, don't worry, we don't have anything urgent to do."

Not far out of Lishi Hutong, a large willow tree with lush branches and leaves comes into view.

Under the shade of the trees, a group of elderly men over sixty years old were sitting in a circle, concentrating on fighting between the Chu River and the Han River.

Among them, an old man with silver hair, square face and broad eyebrows was particularly eye-catching.

He raised his chin slightly, with a playful look in his eyes, and glanced at the old friends sitting opposite him, with a bit of impatience in his tone: "Hey, old friends, are you guys going to play this game or not?

If we keep dawdling like this, it will be dark soon.

I was delayed from going home to cook, so I have to go to your house for dinner today!"

The old man who was facing him raised his hand to wipe the beads of sweat on his forehead, a trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, and he shouted in a trembling voice: "Hey, don't be too proud, old man. When we figure out a way to crack it, we will definitely break your chain horse!"

"That's right, let's think about this carefully and not let him get too arrogant!"

"It's really too much of a bully. He actually beat us 18 times in a row..."

"..."

Under the shade of the trees, several old men were chatting with each other in a lively atmosphere, as if even the air around them was ignited by their fighting spirit.

The corners of Duo Ye's mouth rose slightly, revealing a smug smile, and he gently stroked a chess piece in his hand, as if he was enjoying the afterglow of this victory.

"Take your time to think about it. Since you delayed my meal, I'll go home with you." He said leisurely, with a hint of ridicule in his tone, "Hehe, not everyone can break my chain of horses."

"I was watching the mountain scenery from the tower when I heard a commotion outside the city, with flags waving in the air. It turned out to be the troops sent by Sima. I sent people to inquire and learned that Sima was leading his troops westward.
First, Ma Su is incompetent and lacks talent..."

"Hey!" Duomen sang proudly. Coming here to bully the weak ones every day was his greatest pleasure.

This made the old guys on the opposite side angry.

Just then, a crisp bicycle bell sounded from the distance, and Qi Bin, wearing a white shirt, rode slowly towards them.

He stopped the car, walked over to the group of old people with a smile, his eyes fell on the chessboard, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

"Hey, old friends, are you sparring with each other again?" Qi Bin greeted them with a smile, his tone sounding familiar.

"Xiao Qi, you're here just in time!" The old man sitting opposite seemed to have seen a savior and waved his hand quickly, "Come over and help us see if this chess game can be saved!"

Qi Bin smiled and nodded, then squatted down and looked at the chessboard carefully. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his fingers tapped the chessboard a few times, as if he was calculating something.

After a moment, he raised his head, a sly look in his eyes.

"Dad, your chain horse is really powerful, but..." He paused and deliberately prolonged his tone, "It is not impossible to break it."

When Duomen heard this, his eyebrows raised, and a trace of vigilance flashed in his eyes: "Oh? Tell me about it."

Qi Bin smiled slightly, and lightly stroked his finger on the chessboard, pointing to an inconspicuous corner: "Here, if you can place a piece in this position, you may be able to disrupt his formation."

When several old men heard this, their eyes suddenly lit up, and they all came over to study it carefully. "I knew you were going to be a traitor." Duomen said frankly, "But your chess skills have improved a lot."

Qi Bin smiled and stood up: "No, I just happened to think of it. Dad, don't be careless."

Duomen laughed and patted Qi Bin on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I won't lose to you."

Qi Bin was concentrating on instructing the old men to turn the tide of the battle. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and shouted in frustration: "Oh, look at my memory! I almost forgot the important matter!"

Duomen was startled by his sudden action and asked in confusion: "What's the matter? Why are you so startled? What happened?"

Qi Bin responded eagerly: "Dad, please don't get off the bed. There are guests at home! We have to go back and entertain them."

Duomen remained calm and said leisurely, "Oh, there are guests? Then you can entertain them. Who is here?"

Qi Bin quickly explained: "It's my Uncle Zheng and Uncle Liu who are here!"

"Who did you say is here? Uncle Liu? Could it be Liu Zhiye?" Duomen was startled when he heard this. Seeing Zheng Bin nod in confirmation, he immediately looked displeased and said with a reproachful tone: "Hey, you kid, why didn't you say so earlier!" Before he finished speaking, he hurriedly stood up and said to the elders sitting opposite him: "Ladies and gentlemen, let's end this chess game today. There are distinguished guests at home, and I have to go back to greet them!"

After saying this, the father and son left their "opponents" in a hurry.

Even though this old man is over 80 years old, his legs and feet are quite fast and he returned home in no time.

"Hey, Dad, please feed slowly!" Qi Bin who was standing behind was afraid that something might happen to the old man.

Although Duomen and Liu Zhiye have an age difference, they admire each other and have become close friends regardless of age difference. When Duomen heard that Liu Zhiye was coming, how could he not be excited?

……

"Uncle Duo, I haven't seen you for a long time. Are you still in good health?" Liu Zhiye smiled. He had not seen Duomen for several years.

Upon hearing this, Duomen laughed out loud, and the big pipe in his hand swayed gently with his laughter, "I'm in good health! I have a good appetite, and I can't drink less. And I can't put down this cigarette. Hahaha..." He laughed loudly and vigorously, and was obviously in good spirits.

"Don't leave today, I'll cook some side dishes and we can have a drink!"

"Don't bother yourself, old man. I came here on purpose to invite you!"

"Yes, Zhiye has made arrangements. Let's go to Zhuzi's restaurant to get together today."

"Well, don't delay any longer, let's go now!"

After nearly ten years of unremitting efforts, He Yuzhu finally ushered in the golden period of his career, and the scale of his restaurant continued to grow.

In addition to the old store in Jiaodaokou which is still doing booming business, he has also successfully opened three branches in other areas of Yanjing, further expanding his business territory.

As the saying goes, "If one person succeeds, the whole family will prosper." After achieving great success, He Yuzhu always remembers those entrepreneurial partners who had fought alongside him.

His proud students Ma Hua and Liu Lan, as well as Qin Huairu who has always supported him, have now been promoted to managers of various branches, and together they are witnessing this hard-earned success.

Compared with the unlucky guy in the original drama who was exploited by the "gang" and squeezed by the Jia family all his life, Sha Zhu in this life ushered in a completely different fate.

He has a virtuous and considerate wife, Wang Qiuju, and his son, He Qiu, has outstanding performance in the army and is highly praised.

And Sha Zhu himself has become a well-known boss in Beijing, and his career is booming.

Sha Zhu's life is like a perfect picture of a winner in life, which makes people envy him.

All these changes originated from Liu Zhiye. He not only completely changed the fate of Sha Zhu, but also profoundly influenced every family in the courtyard - from Yan Bugui's family, Yi Zhonghai's family, Liu Haizhong's family, to the Jia family and Qin Huairu, all of which have undergone earth-shaking changes because of him.

When talking about the Jia family, we have to mention Jia Zhang.

The old lady died of liver cancer a few years ago, and the root of the disease was the depression she had accumulated throughout her life.

Her life was filled with all kinds of misfortunes: first, she resented Old Jia who passed away early, then she was heartbroken for her son who died young, and she also competed with her daughter-in-law Qin Huairu in everything. Even her grandson Bang Geng became a thorn in her heart.

Looking back on her life, it is indeed a pity - she lived such a depressed and unhappy life.

When a person dies, it is like a light going out. The grudge between the Jia and Liu families also disappeared.

What's more, after being tricked by fate, Qin Huairu has now gained enlightenment.

She had been scheming all her life, but in the end her son was not close to Qin Huairu and ended up marrying into the family.

Her two daughters also got married, leaving her alone.

However, since Qin Huairu became the manager of a branch of "He's Catering Group", the middle-aged woman in her fifties has ushered in a second spring of life.

Qin Huairu finally married an old prisoner who had served his sentence for many years. Both of them had terrible experiences, so no one should look down on the other.

The man's surname is Ma. After he served his sentence, his wife and children ran away with someone else, and he is now a lonely man.

After Lao Ma was released, he changed his ways and although he is old, he still has good cooking skills.

The branch that Qin Huairu was in charge of was recruiting chefs, so Lao Ma went to apply for the job.

Why do we say "bite the bullet"?

When the branch that Qin Huairu was in charge of was recruiting chefs, Lao Ma mustered up the courage to apply for the job. Why was he said to have mustered up the courage? Because he was not only old, but also had just walked out of prison, and these factors made him repeatedly rejected.

Qin Huairu initially decided to recruit Lao Ma out of sympathy.

Although Lao Ma had some unruly years in the past, deep down he knew the importance of repaying kindness.

Anyone who has worked in the catering industry knows that the time to get off work is never fixed.

Sometimes the customers in the store are in high spirits and it is common for them to drink until late at night.

As a hotel manager, Qin Huairu can only stay at her post until the last table of guests leaves and she can only go home after closing.

It is always worrying to see a woman going home alone in the dead of night.

After learning about this situation, Lao Ma silently took on the responsibility of escorting.

Whenever Qin Huairu finished her work for the day, Lao Ma would always follow her quietly and make sure she got home safely before leaving quietly.

Qin Huairu didn't notice all this at first.

until one day.

That day, Qin Huairu waited until the restaurant closed as usual before closing the shop and going home.

Qin Huairu was riding her bicycle halfway when she suddenly remembered that her house keys were on the bar counter, and her heart tightened.

She hurriedly turned the car around and prepared to turn back. At this moment, she was at the corner of an alley, and the surroundings were quiet, with only the dim street lights casting mottled light and shadows.

Just as she turned the corner, the sound of sudden brakes and the clanging of metal colliding broke the tranquility of the night.

Qin Huairu only felt the car body tilt, and then she fell heavily to the ground.

"Ouch! Why don't you have eyes when you ride your bike?"

"Yes, I'm sorry..." She rubbed her aching knee and looked up. It was the restaurant's chef, Lao Ma, who was bending over and reaching out to help her up.

"Lao Ma? Why is it you?" Qin Huairu blurted out in surprise, but then an inexplicable sense of uneasiness surged in her heart.

Qin Huairu quickly looked around. It was dark at night and there was no one else in the alley except the two of them.

She remembered that Lao Ma’s home was not on this road. How could he appear here so late?

What shocked Qin Huairu even more was that she knew that Lao Ma had committed some crimes when he was young. Although she was quite old, she still had charm.

A terrible thought flashed through her mind, "Could it be that he wants to..." Qin Huairu's face turned pale in an instant, and alarm bells rang in her heart.

As soon as Lao Ma glanced at Qin Huairu's expression, he realized that she had misunderstood his intentions.

"Manager Qin, don't be nervous. This is what happened..." Lao Ma explained gently.

"I really have nothing to repay you with. I can only stay by your side silently."

Qin Huairu recalled Lao Ma's daily behavior and realized that he was indeed a loyal and honest person, so her doubts disappeared.

From then on, the two of them tacitly went home together after get off work, day after day, until they became a couple.

(End of this chapter)