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

Chapter 777 Returning Home and Meeting the Neighbors!!!
Old Zhang turned and walked deeper into the bookshelf, his fingers lightly tracing the yellowed spines of the books.

The young man adjusted his glasses, his gaze following Old Zhang's retreating figure, his face filled with anticipation. He was writing a novel about the struggles of the 1980s and desperately needed specific materials about that era.

The sound of electric scooter horns drifted in from outside the library window, indicating that people were leaving get off work on time.

The "Wang Xiao Er Braised Pork" sign on the street corner gleamed in the setting sun. Several young workers in overalls were sitting around an octagonal table, loudly discussing the factory's newly introduced German CNC equipment while sipping "Erguotou" (a type of Chinese liquor).

It was lunchtime again, and Mr. Zhou, the old man from the silk shop, suddenly raised his voice. His radio was playing an excerpt from "Si Lang Visits His Mother".

The sound startled the sparrows under the eaves of the silk shop, which fluttered past the carved window frames of the bookstore.

When Old Zhang returned with a thick stack of bound volumes, he found the young man staring intently at the newly opened "Yanshan Electric Vehicle" specialty store across the street.

The latest electric tricycles in the shop window are gleaming, with big red flowers tied to the handlebars.

“This electric scooter is a real gem,” Old Zhang said, placing the book on the patina-covered elmwood counter. “My daughter works in the HB district, and she rides this to and from get off work every day.”

He opened the bound volume, still smelling of ink; the cover of the 1983 issue still bore the slogan, "Strive to achieve the Four Modernizations."

The young man carefully stroked the yellowed pages of the book, when suddenly his eyes lit up. Pointing to one of the illustrations, he excitedly asked, "Uncle Zhang, look! Isn't the scene on the cover exactly the first production line of our Liujiazhuang Motorcycle Factory back then?"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang quickly took out his reading glasses from his pocket, squinted and examined them carefully for a moment, a nostalgic look gradually appearing on his face: "Yes, that's it!"
Back in 1979, the first Great Wall CC50 motorcycle rolled off the assembly line here. As he spoke, the old man's voice unconsciously rose an octave. "Back then, the motorcycle factory was truly a thriving place!"
A CC50 has a factory price of 2500 yuan, and it's so popular that you can't even buy one in the market.

Scalpers drove the price up to 3000 yuan, and people still lined up to buy.

The factory's sales phone lines are ringing off the hook; all the old guys are coming to me asking for favors through my connections in Liujiazhuang.

The young man's eyes lit up as he listened; wasn't this exactly the creative material he had been dreaming of?
He quickly pulled Old Zhang to sit down in the rattan chair and poured the old man a cup of tea: "Uncle Zhang, you must tell me this history!"

"You really want to hear it?" Old Zhang took a sip of tea, a smile appearing at the corner of his eyes.

What he is most proud of in his life is being able to share these precious memories with young people.

"Of course I want to hear!" The young man eagerly pulled out his notebook, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge. "The more detailed your explanation, the better!"

"Alright, let's have a good chat, you and I!" Old Zhang squinted his eyes. "Oh dear! Where should I begin?" He had so much to say but didn't know where to start.

“Uncle Zhang, why don’t you start by telling me how the motorcycle factory was established?” the young man suggested.

"Oh, right, let's start with the first factory manager of the motorcycle factory..."

A yellow leaf drifted down from the sycamore tree in front of the bookstore and landed in the basket of an electric scooter driven by someone who had just gotten off work.

The young woman on the bicycle was humming this year's hottest song, "Cold to the End," singing, "I'd rather you be cold to the end, so I can forget you wholeheartedly..." As she sang, she slowly parked her pink electric bike in front of her bookstore.

"Hey! Wenwen's back from get off work?" Aunt Xie, the female owner of the audio equipment store next door, came out to greet her when she heard the singing.

"Hey! Wenwen's back from get off work?" Aunt Xie from the audio shop next door heard the familiar singing and immediately leaned out to greet her warmly.

Hearing the sound, Zhang Wenwen stopped and replied with a smile, "Auntie Xie, have you eaten yet? This smells like braised ribbonfish, right? I can smell it from far away!" As she spoke, she deliberately sniffed the tempting aroma wafting in the air like a little glutton.

"Oh my, you have such a keen nose!" Aunt Xie laughed, her eyes crinkling, and covered her mouth with her hand as she said, "I specially saved a bowl for you two, knowing that you, my little glutton, would be able to smell it."

"Then I won't be polite!" Zhang Wenwen playfully stuck out her tongue, her face full of anticipation.

Their two families have been neighbors for decades and are as close as family. Such warm interactions have become the most natural part of their daily lives.

"By the way, Aunt Xie, I haven't seen Brother Guozhong lately. I haven't run into him in ages." Zhang Wenwen asked her childhood friend and best buddy Liu Guozhong with concern as she tidied up her shopping bags.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xie frowned deeply, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen.

She put down the rag in her hand, sighed, and said, "Alas, this child has been sent abroad by their state-owned agricultural group."

They said they were going to support the development of cash crops in a place called 'Kim Sam Region'.

I've heard that place is very chaotic. I'm worried about you, Guozhong, every day. I'm afraid something might happen to you." As she spoke, Aunt Xie's voice gradually choked up, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Seeing this, Zhang Wenwen quickly stepped forward, took Aunt Xie's hand, and gently comforted her, "Auntie, don't worry, Brother Guozhong is so clever, he will definitely be able to take good care of himself."

Besides, with communication so advanced these days, he'll definitely call you often to let you know he's safe.

Aunt Xie wiped her eyes and forced a smile: "Yes, she called me a while ago and said she was teaching the locals how to grow coffee beans."

The signal is bad, it's intermittent, and calls are always choppy.

Just then, a hearty laugh suddenly came from inside the bookstore.

Through the glass window, you could see Old Zhang gesturing wildly, while a young man was engrossed in writing, occasionally letting out a knowing laugh.

"Your dad is probably telling stories to someone again." Aunt Xie gestured towards the bookstore with her chin, a genuine smile finally appearing on her face. "That old man gets really excited when he talks about the old days."

Zhang Wenwen nodded knowingly: "That's right, my dad loves this the most..." She stood on tiptoe and peered into the store, "Judging from this, he probably won't finish talking about it anytime soon."

Just then, a screeching sound of brakes came from across the street.

"squeak!"

A brand-new electric scooter was parked crookedly in the middle of the road. The young man riding it was frantically trying to straighten the handlebars, which attracted the attention of passersby.

"Tsk tsk... these young people nowadays," Aunt Xie shook her head, "they can't even ride an electric bike steadily."

"Back when your brother Guozhong was learning to ride a bicycle..." He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, his eyes dimming again.

Zhang Wenwen keenly sensed Aunt Xie's change in mood and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, Aunt Xie, I've been thinking about learning to cook lately. You'll have to teach me the secrets later!" As she spoke, she affectionately took Aunt Xie's arm, and the two walked towards the audio equipment store, chatting and laughing.

In the bookstore, Old Zhang was talking animatedly when his voice drifted out through the open window: "Back then, our workshop director was Old Li. He was a model worker. Once, to catch up on production schedules, he didn't sleep for two days and two nights..." The young man listened intently, forgetting to move his pen.

……

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the bluestone pavement, gilding the old street with a warm golden hue.

Zhang Wenwen and Aunt Xie had just stepped out of the audio store when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the distance.

"Wenwen!" The familiar voice made Zhang Wenwen turn around sharply, only to see a tall young man with tanned skin standing on the street corner waving at her.

He was wearing a wrinkled plaid shirt, and there was a bulging travel bag at his feet.

"Brother Guozhong?!" Zhang Wenwen exclaimed in surprise, rushing over in a few strides. "Why did you suddenly come back?"

Liu Guozhong grinned, revealing a row of white teeth: "The company suddenly started giving us time off, so I came back without telling my mom beforehand. I wanted to surprise her." As he spoke, he took a package out of his bag. "Here, this is a specialty from the 'Jin San District.' I specially prepared it for you and Uncle Zhang to try."

Aunt Xie was already in tears, her hands trembling as she touched her son's face: "He's gotten thinner and darker, life outside must be so hard." She choked up before she could finish speaking.

"Mom, I'm perfectly fine." Liu Guozhong gently hugged his mother, then turned to Zhang Wenwen and winked. "Let's invite Uncle Zhang over tonight, we'll have a seafood feast..."

Just then, the bookstore door opened, and Old Zhang poked his head out: "No wonder it was so lively." Upon seeing who it was, he slapped his thigh in delight, "Hey kid! You're back too! Come, come... I'm just introducing you to a new friend..."

The young man, holding his notebook, curiously observed the weary traveler returning home.

Liu Guozhong laughed heartily, put down his luggage, and strode towards the bookstore: "Uncle Zhang, how have you been lately..."

"I'm doing great, I'm eating well, don't worry about me..." Old Zhang especially liked Liu Guozhong. He had watched the boy grow up and wanted to take him as his son-in-law. Unfortunately, the two boys were not destined to be together and ended up becoming buddies.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the old street seemed to be infused with new vitality.

Liu Guozhong strode into the bookstore, bringing with him a foreign, exotic atmosphere.

When his rough hands clasped tightly with the young man's, the young man could clearly feel the calluses on his palms.

"These were taken in the Kim Jong-un area." Liu Guozhong took out a stack of photos from his backpack; the edges of the photos were already curled up.

In the photo, he stands in a lush green coffee plantation, with local villagers in traditional clothing behind him. "These are the Kawa people; they are incredibly kind and simple."

Old Zhang took the photo, and his eyes behind his reading glasses suddenly lit up: "Hey! Isn't this exactly how we looked back when we were helping build in Tanzania!" He slapped his thigh excitedly, "Back then we..."

"Dad!" Zhang Wenwen walked in carrying a tea tray, interrupting him playfully, "Let Guozhong have a sip of water first." As she handed the teacup to Liu Guozhong, she noticed a new scar on his arm.

Liu Guozhong winked at her and said casually, "I accidentally scratched myself while teaching them how to use the harvester." He took a sip of tea, then suddenly seemed to remember something and pulled a cloth bag from his bag. "I almost forgot, this is some coffee we improved the local cultivation method. Take it and try it."

Zhang Wenwen took a jar, and as soon as she opened it, a rich aroma of coffee immediately filled the air, each bean glistening with an oily sheen.

"I baked these myself!" Liu Guozhong said proudly. "Locals call them 'tears of the sun' because they have to be dried in the midday sun when it's at its strongest."

Aunt Xie took her son's hand with heartache: "You silly child, you're just saying useless things. Let Mom see, does this injury still hurt?" Her fingers gently traced the scar, and her eyes reddened again.

Liu Guozhong smiled and patted his mother's hand: "Mom, it's really nothing, this little injury is nothing."

"You don't know how good the people over there are to me. They bring me bananas and pineapples they've grown themselves every day." He said, pulling several exquisitely carved wooden animals from his bag. "These are gifts from the children in the village. Mom, you don't know, but I'm their Chinese teacher!"

Old Zhang leaned over and picked up a small wooden elephant carving, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Hmm, the craftsmanship is really good! Guozhong, tell your uncle what the situation is over there right now?"

Liu Guozhong's eyes suddenly lit up: "Uncle Zhang, you would never guess! That area is different now!" His voice was suddenly interrupted by a rapid cell phone ring.

He took out his Huawei Mate 2 phone and looked at it; his expression immediately changed.

"What's wrong, Brother Guozhong?" Zhang Wenwen noticed that Liu Guozhong's expression was not good and keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Liu Guozhong frowned as he returned the call to the company, forcing a smile: "The company gave me a last-minute notice that I need to go back as soon as possible."

"A pest or disease has suddenly broken out at the plantation in the 'Kim Sam region,' and we need to eliminate the damage as soon as possible, otherwise the local farmers will suffer huge losses..."

Aunt Xie became anxious as soon as she heard this: "You just got back, why don't you rest for a few days before leaving again?" She tightly gripped her son's sleeve, tears welling up in her eyes.

Liu Guozhong put his arm around his mother's shoulder reassuringly: "Mom, the situation over there is urgent and can't be delayed. I promise you, once this is over, I will definitely take leave and come back to spend a few more days with you." He then turned to Zhang Wenwen, "Uncle Zhang, Wenwen, I'll have to trouble you to take care of my mother from now on."

"Oh dear, why are you being so formal with your uncle? With our relationship, is there any need for such politeness?" Old Zhang waved his hand repeatedly, his face full of disapproval.

“That’s right! Brother Guozhong, Aunt Xie treats me like her own daughter. Isn’t it only natural to take care of her?” Zhang Wenwen pouted and stomped her foot in feigned anger.

The honest and unassuming Liu Guozhong was a little embarrassed by what he was said. A blush rose on his dark face, and his rough hands unconsciously scratched the back of his head. He stammered for a long time but couldn't come up with a complete sentence.

"By the way, Mom, guess who I met over there? You'll never guess!" Liu Guozhong lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Mother Xie put down her needlework and frowned in confusion: "Who is it? Could it be someone I know?"

“Isn’t that someone you know?” Liu Guozhong leaned closer. “He’s my third uncle, Liu Xiaotao. You know, it turns out that my third uncle was the one who facilitated all of our state-owned farm group’s business in the ‘Golden Three Regions’.”

"What? The third son?" Mother Xie stood up abruptly, dropping the needle and thread in her hand. "Wasn't he always serving in the army? How come he suddenly went to the 'Jin San area'? And started doing business with your agricultural reclamation group?" Her voice was full of disbelief, and her eyes widened.

Liu Guozhong smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice, saying, "This is a long story, and I'm sorry I can't reveal too many details to you."

However, I can tell you that this time I not only met my third uncle, but even more surprisingly, I also met Uncle Liu Wu before I left.

At this point, his eyes suddenly lit up, and an undisguised admiration appeared on his face: "Do you know? I remember Uncle Liu Wu is only thirty-six or thirty-seven years old this year, and he already has a star on his shoulders."

Every time I see him, his imposing presence, even without anger, fills me with admiration.

"That's right, the second son is just like your Uncle Liu Zhiye, a tiger cub from a military family, he's been extraordinary since he was a child..." Aunt Xie nodded with a smile.

Old Zhang, who was standing next to Liu Guozhong, was an outsider and was particularly interested in the topic of Liu Zhiye and his son that Liu Guozhong was talking about.

Although their family settled in Liujiazhuang relatively early, by the time they arrived, the Liujiazhuang area had already begun to develop rapidly.

Not to mention, Liu Zhiye was the commander of the garrison division at that time.

Although the division headquarters was located in Liujiazhuang, ordinary people rarely saw Liu Zhiye, let alone outsiders like Lao Zhang.

They were just ordinary people, unlike the Lei family, known as the "Yangshi Lei," who had a closer relationship with Liu Zhiye's family.

Old Zhang only had connections with distant relatives of the Liu family, such as Liu Guozhong's family.

(End of this chapter)