Siheyuan: A Very Happy Era

Chapter 624 Only Wanting to Return to One's Roots
“He Yuzhu, how about we do what I said before? I’ll pay for you to open a restaurant and set up a room in the restaurant for you to live in, so you won’t have to squeeze in with your dad.”

Lou Xiao'e, holding Sha Zhu's hand, stood aside and offered an idea.

This way, she can solve the problem of not having enough housing for Sha Zhu's family, make up for the debt she owes to Sha Zhu, and avoid accidentally offending Li Guoqiang when she is with Sha Zhu.

This can truly be described as killing three birds with one stone.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu felt both tempted and conflicted.

If he did as Lou Xiao'e suggested, it would be equivalent to him moving out of the courtyard house.

This is the place he has lived in for most of his life. How could he possibly bear to leave it in a short time?

"What? Do you really want to live here with your dad?" Lou Xiao'e couldn't help but ask Sha Zhu, her voice slightly annoyed, after seeing his reaction.

"No, you should at least give me some time to think about it, shouldn't you?" Sha Zhu hurriedly said, trying to stall for time.

"Is it because I didn't give you time? It's because your dad didn't give you time." Lou Xiao'e rolled her eyes and said angrily.

"Uh..." Sha Zhu turned his head and glanced at He Daqing, who was sitting calmly at the dining table, and was speechless for a moment.

At the same time, he also felt some regret, regretting that he had sold the house to Li Guoqiang for that little bit of money.

As a result, he can't even free up a single room now.

"He Yuzhu, don't you want to set a good example for your son?" Lou Xiao'e asked, her words a soul-searching question.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, I'll listen to you!" As soon as Sha Zhu heard this, he immediately raised his hands in surrender.

In fact, if his son hadn't been there, given his temper, he probably would have walked away long ago.

"Okay, then you can introduce He Xiao and me to your dad first, and then I'll invite you two out for a meal to celebrate your father-son reunion." Lou Xiao'e couldn't help but smile with satisfaction when she saw that Sha Zhu had agreed.

However, she soon thought of Li Guoqiang, and her mood, which had just brightened up, became somewhat complicated again.

"Yes, yes, yes, we must introduce them!" Sha Zhu nodded in agreement as soon as he heard this.

Then, he walked over, took He Xiao's hand, and said to He Daqing with a proud expression, "Open your eyes and take a look, old man. This is my son, the eldest grandson of the He family."

"I'm not blind, you don't need to tell me!" He Daqing glanced at Sha Zhu and then said with some disdain.

In fact, he was almost stunned the moment he saw He Xiao.

Because He Xiao looks so much like Sha Zhu when he was a child, it's as if they were made from the same mold.

That's why he was so fearless in front of Sha Zhu.

Because he knew that Sha Zhu would never do anything unfilial in front of the child.

As expected, things unfolded exactly as he predicted, and Sha Zhu really did bow down to him.

"Hey! What are you saying!" Sha Zhu rolled his eyes in annoyance upon hearing this.

Then, he lowered his head and instructed He Xiao, "Come here, son, this is your grandfather, quickly greet him!"

"grandfather!"

He Xiao turned to look at Lou Xiao'e, and only after seeing Lou Xiao'e nod in agreement did he call out to He Daqing:

"grandfather!"

"Oh!" Upon hearing this, He Daqing couldn't hold back his tears any longer, and they quickly blurred his vision.

Some things, he will only understand after he has experienced them: only his own children can be truly relied upon.

Since he got old and retired, he has been living a miserable life in Baoding.

If Yi Zhonghai hadn't wanted to use him and sent someone to bring him back, he probably wouldn't know how long he would have been suffering!

At this moment, when Sha Zhu saw He Daqing's face streaked with tears, he also felt a pang of sadness.

Although He Daqing abandoned him and ran off with the widow Bai back then, he was already a teenager at that time, a young man, and had even taken on a master, so he was capable of supporting himself.

Therefore, from this point of view, he has no right to blame He Daqing for abandoning him for his own happiness.

The only thing that bothered him was that when he took his sister to Baoding to find He Daqing, He Daqing actually disowned them.

Especially He Yushui, who was only five or six years old at the time, still a child.

If it weren't for the people in the courtyard, and his master and mistress, who would occasionally help him out, He Yushui would probably be dead by now.

Thinking of this, his resentment towards He Daqing surged up again, and he said with a look of disgust, "Alright, my son can call you that because I spoke up, it doesn't mean he recognizes you as his grandfather."

Upon hearing this, He Daqing immediately wiped away her tears, then looked up at Sha Zhu with a somewhat expressionless face, making Sha Zhu feel quite uncomfortable.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I wrong?" Sha Zhu glared at him and said somewhat irritably.

"You idiot, this is the only thing you've ever done well in your life!" He Daqing raised an eyebrow and then scolded him with some disdain.

"Hey! I don't believe it! You just wait, someone will take care of you!" Sha Zhu was so angry when he saw He Daqing still putting on airs for him that he turned around and left.

"Hey, where are you going?" Lou Xiao'e called out hurriedly when she saw this.

"I'll go get someone to deal with him!" Sha Zhu hurriedly replied, and then ran out of the yard in no time, leaving Lou Xiao'e, He Xiao, and He Daqing alone in the house, feeling somewhat awkward.

"Come here, let Grandpa take a good look at you!" He Daqing glanced at Lou Xiao'e, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, then slowly turned to look at He Xiao, a kind smile on his face.

Upon hearing this, He Xiao turned around and glanced at Lou Xiao'e before reluctantly walking over.

Because He Daqing's appearance was really too slovenly.

If it weren't for the fact that Lou Xiao'e had instilled in him the concept of filial piety from a young age, and that he also longed for the love of his biological father, Sha Zhu, he probably would have run away right now.

"Tell Grandpa, how old are you this year?" He Daqing asked softly, holding He Xiao's hand.

"I"

And so, in this back-and-forth questioning, more than half an hour quickly passed.

Just as Lou Xiao'e was getting impatient, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Immediately afterwards, she saw Sha Zhu walk in with a slender, sweet-looking woman.

This person was none other than Sha Zhu's younger sister, He Daqing's daughter, and Lou Xiao'e's sister-in-law, He Yushui. The moment He Daqing saw He Yushui, he froze completely.

When He Yushui saw He Daqing, her expression became very complicated.

Immediately afterwards, He Daqing turned around quickly, his hands trembling and twisting together, tears streaming from his large eyes.

"Are you embarrassed? Or ashamed to speak?" Seeing He Daqing's reaction, He Yushui slowly took a few steps forward and then asked softly.

As she spoke, the cold stares and suffering she had endured after He Daqing left her mind involuntarily came to mind, and tears slowly seeped from her eyes.

"I really can't bring myself to call you Dad. I want to ask you, what have you been doing for the past thirty years?"

Faced with this hurtful question, He Daqing felt ashamed and wished he could disappear into a hole in the ground.

After all, this was his own daughter, the very daughter he had abandoned at such a young age.

If he could use the excuse that Sha Zhu was already able to support himself when facing Sha Zhu, then he couldn't find any excuse at all when facing He Yushui.

Just as he was overwhelmed with guilt, He Yushui's questioning voice rang out:

"Are you too ashamed to come back?"

Upon hearing this, He Daqing nodded immediately.

"So you only came back when you were old?" He Yushui cried even harder.

"Dad only wants to return to his roots!" He Daqing couldn't hold back any longer and answered.

"Dad!" Upon hearing the words "returning to one's roots," He Yushui couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. She immediately ran forward and knelt down beside He Daqing, just like when she was a child, clinging to his leg and pestering him to play.

"Waaah~" Looking at his daughter, who was in tears, He Daqing couldn't help but let out a cry of regret.

"Dad!" He Yushui cried out, clinging to He Daqing's lap, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances she had suffered over the past thirty years because of He Daqing.

Seeing this, Sha Zhu's eyes also welled up with tears.

Lou Xiao'e reached out and hugged He Xiao, wiping away tears incessantly.

She had once faced the pain of separation from her child, so she could very well understand He Yushui's feelings.

However, like her, He Yushui was eventually reunited with her family.

"Alright, you're a grown adult now, stop crying!"

After a long while, when He Yushui and He Daqing's crying had subsided, Sha Zhu hurriedly stepped forward and said something to comfort them.

"Yes! Yushui, your dad is back, that's good news, so stop crying!" Lou Xiao'e quickly stepped forward and comforted her.

"Sister-in-law, I'm so sorry you had to see this!" He Yushui wiped away her tears, feeling a little embarrassed.

Lou Xiao'e fell silent upon hearing the word "sister-in-law."

In fact, He Yushui's statement was not wrong.

Whether from He Xiao's perspective or from the fact that Sha Zhu hasn't gotten married all these years, she should be considered a daughter-in-law of the He family.

However, the problem now lies with Li Guoqiang.

To avoid upsetting Li Guoqiang, she didn't dare to reconcile with Sha Zhu at all.

"This must be my nephew!" Seeing that Lou Xiao'e didn't respond, He Yushui had an idea and immediately turned her attention to He Xiao.

However, as she looked at it, tears began to flow again.

Because He Xiao looks so much like Sha Zhu when he was a child.

Whenever she sees He Xiao, she thinks of all the suffering she endured after He Daqing abandoned her.

"What are you standing there for? This is your own aunt, hurry up and greet her!" Lou Xiao'e saw He Xiao standing there motionless and quickly introduced her.

"Auntie!" He Xiao immediately called out with a smile upon hearing this.

Compared to his grandfather He Daqing, he actually quite liked his beautiful aunt He Yushui.

Especially now, He Yushui is only in her thirties, much younger than Lou Xiao'e and Qin Huairu.

Even though He Yushui's clothes and style weren't as fashionable as Lou Xiao'e's, she was still likable just because of her youthful face.

That said, Sha Zhu looks so old while He Yushui looks so young. This shows that He Daqing, that old scoundrel, has a pretty good eye for women.

Soon, after exchanging pleasantries, Lou Xiao'e took the opportunity to leave the courtyard with He Xiao, planning to invite Sha Zhu, He Yushui, and He Daqing to dinner later that evening.

He Yushui didn't stay long before rushing home to bring her two children to the banquet so that her maternal grandfather, He Daqing, could have a good look at them.

As for Sha Zhu, after He Yushui and He Daqing cried like that, his resentment towards He Daqing dissipated considerably. He immediately and readily made room for He Daqing to rest.

As he came out of the house, preparing to go to work at the steel rolling mill, Yi Zhonghai suddenly opened the door and called out to him.
"Zhu Zi, come here, I have something to tell you."

"Hey! Grandpa, what brings you here?" Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu immediately turned around and walked towards Yi Zhonghai's house.

"This is the money your father used to send back to you and your brother. You can keep it for now!" Yi Zhonghai led Sha Zhu into the house and immediately took out a bulging envelope, placing it in front of Sha Zhu.

"No, no, this won't do. If it weren't for your and Auntie's help, my brother and I would have starved to death long ago." Sha Zhu hurriedly waved his hand and refused.

In fact, he already knew that He Daqing had been sending money back to the two siblings.

However, because Yi Zhonghai would occasionally help the two siblings, and the old lady also helped take care of He Yushui, plus the money He Daqing sent back, which was only a small amount, he didn't take it to heart. He considered it as a way of repaying Yi Zhonghai and the old lady.

Otherwise, given his temper, he probably would have fallen out with Yi Zhonghai long ago.

"Alright, take the money back! Otherwise, who knows what people will think of me if word gets out!" Yi Zhonghai felt a sense of relief when he saw that Sha Zhu didn't take the money right away, and then said with a determined look.

Now that He Daqing has already brought this matter up, he should give Shazhu an explanation, both morally and logically, so that He Daqing won't use this to harass him in the future and make him unable to hold his head up in front of the neighbors.

Besides, he also wanted to use this incident to see how Sha Zhu treated him.

Fortunately, Sha Zhu did not disappoint him. Even after He Daqing returned, he still treated him with the same respect as before.

(End of this chapter)