Restarting life by going to the countryside to support medical work

Chapter 626 Simple

“Yancheng, I heard from the neighbors in the alley that you bought a big house in Ya’er Hutong and are currently renovating it. The house is quite large.”

At No. 20 Meishan East Alley, in the living room of the main house in the backyard, three adults and two children were sitting around the table eating dinner.

Luo Min didn't come back from school; only Grandpa Cheng, Fu Shuyi, Li Yancheng, and the two children were at home.

The two security guards who came with the Cheng family and Guan Weidong were having dinner in the front yard.

At the dining table in the living room of the main house in the backyard, the old master of the Cheng family, who was eating, suddenly looked up at Li Yancheng sitting opposite him and asked a question.

The Cheng family has been here for a month, but because both the old master of the Cheng family and Fu Shuyi were not in good health when they first arrived, they have not gone out.

These past few days, Old Master Cheng's health has improved somewhat. At noon, he either basks in the sun in the yard or takes a stroll around the alley.

Although he hadn't gone out, everyone in the alley knew that Li Yancheng's biological family had come looking for him. So these past two days, when Old Master Cheng went out for a stroll, the old neighbors would greet him very kindly and chat with him.

This afternoon, after he went out again, he was chatting with someone when he heard that his eldest grandson had bought a courtyard house. He didn't know exactly how big it was, but he had heard that it was very big. Just then, he remembered it and asked about it out of curiosity.

“Hmm,” Li Yancheng nodded: “That courtyard was the office of my former workplace. After we moved, the courtyard was returned to the original owner.”

The original owner of that courtyard house had long since moved out to work and had no plans to return, so I contacted his relatives and helped them reach out to the original owner to buy the courtyard house.

"Yan Cheng, why are you buying so many courtyards? This courtyard is quite nice. Besides, isn't housing allocated uniformly in China now? Your company should have apartments, right? Why don't you want one? With your rank, you should be able to get one."

Upon hearing her father-in-law mention that their eldest son had bought another courtyard house elsewhere, Fu Shuyi finally voiced the question that had been on her mind.

She didn't have any particular preference regarding whether or not to live in an apartment building. Whether it was before liberation in China or later in the United States, they always lived in detached houses, so she felt very comfortable living in a traditional courtyard house.

Moreover, the house is very well decorated, with its own boiler for heating and hot water supply, a separate bathroom, and the ability to take a shower at any time, so there are no inconveniences in daily life.

She was simply curious as to why her eldest son didn't like living in an apartment building.

“I prefer a down-to-earth life. Living in an apartment building would feel oppressive, and I’m used to growing up in a hutong. Neither of them likes living in an apartment building.”

As he said the last sentence, Li Yancheng gestured towards his son and daughter.

"Yes, Grandma, we don't like living in an apartment building. There's nowhere to play."

When the two little ones saw their father looking over, they said in unison.

The two of them often went to Jin Zhihai's place, so they knew exactly what it was like to live in an apartment building, and they really didn't like it.

Fu Shuyi looked at her grandson and granddaughter with doting eyes: "Okay, okay, if you don't like it, you don't want to live in an apartment building."

As she spoke, she glanced at Li Yancheng again. They had been living together for a month, and she was growing to like her eldest son, daughter-in-law, and her two grandsons and granddaughters more and more.

The only regret is that her eldest son has never changed his way of addressing her, and neither has his daughter-in-law. However, they have agreed to let their grandchildren call her "Grandma," which makes her feel extremely gratified.

"Yancheng, I heard from them that it will cost you a lot of money to renovate that yard. Do you have enough money? If not..."

At this moment, the old patriarch of the Cheng family spoke up again, wanting to do something for his eldest grandson who had been lost for decades.

Meeting his hopeful gaze, Li Yancheng smiled and shook his head.

"No need, Mr. Cheng, I have enough money."

Upon hearing his words, the old master of the Cheng family's eyes, which had been shining brightly, quickly dimmed. After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "If I don't have enough money later, sir, I will definitely ask you for help. I'll need your assistance then."

"Haha, good, good. If you need more money later, just let me know."

Although he knew that Li Yancheng's subsequent statement was just an excuse, the old master of the Cheng family was still very happy. In any case, it was much better than being refused.

A month has passed. Although they live in the same courtyard and eat at the same table, and usually chat and laugh, the ninety-year-old patriarch of the Cheng family is a shrewd old man. He can clearly sense the deep-seated politeness and estrangement that this eldest grandson of the Cheng family, who has been missing for decades, has towards his grandfather and his biological mother.

It's not a feigned reluctance or pretense, but a genuine sense of detachment, like facing a stranger.

There was absolutely no excitement or joy whatsoever from finding a long-lost relative.

If it weren't for the fact that this face clearly identified him as a member of the Cheng family, the old man would have suspected that his son and daughter-in-law had made a mistake and that this wasn't a child from the Cheng family.

However, he could also feel the care his eldest grandson showed for his health, not the kind of care a doctor shows to a patient, but the kind of care between family members.

This greatly troubled the old man. He believed that after experiencing so much, he was very good at judging people and could easily see through most people's little schemes. However, he couldn't see through his eldest grandson, who had been separated from him for decades.

It's not just that he can't see through him, but whenever he faces this eldest grandson, the old man of the Cheng family always feels like he's facing someone his own age.

In fact, the old man's intuition was quite accurate. If you include the more than fifty years he lived in his previous life, Li Yancheng was actually a few years older than him, so they were practically the same age.

This feeling wasn't just felt by Old Master Cheng; Old Master Luo, Old Master Su, and other senior leaders also felt the same way when facing Li Yancheng, as if they weren't facing a junior.

These are the reasons why these old men often like to chat with him or talk about work.

"By the way, Yancheng, how big is the courtyard you bought? I only heard them say it's very big, but they don't have a specific number."

Seeing that his eldest grandson hadn't completely shut up about spending the Cheng family's money, the old patriarch of the Cheng family was very pleased and began to inquire about the specific details of that courtyard.

"It covers an area of ​​about forty acres."

This number surprised both Old Master Cheng and Fu Shuyi, and a look of astonishment appeared on their faces simultaneously.

"It's so big, it's basically half the size of Prince Gong's Mansion."

"Yes, that was originally the villa of a prince from the previous dynasty."

After frowning and thinking for a while, Old Master Cheng suddenly realized and said, "Oh, now that you mention it, I remember which courtyard it is. So that's the courtyard you bought. Yan Cheng, what do you plan to do with it? Restoring it to its original state will cost a lot of money. I heard from the neighbors when I was chatting with them at noon today that you also asked someone to buy a lot of expensive wood."

"It'll be pretty much back to normal. As for the money... sir, if we really don't have enough money, I certainly won't be polite."

Li Yancheng didn't say how much the budget was, nor did he say that his current money was indeed insufficient to repair the courtyard; in fact, it was far from enough.

However, he wasn't in a hurry. The money for repairing the courtyard didn't need to be paid all at once. He could still afford the initial costs. It would take at least five years to repair the courtyard. As for the later expenses, he planned to use a prescription to pay for them later.

It's absolutely impossible for him to use the Cheng family's money. He can acknowledge the Cheng family as relatives, but that's all.

If it weren't for the organization's requirement, he wouldn't even acknowledge this relative. The Cheng family was the original owner's biological family, not his. It would be good enough if he could get the two children to call them great-grandfather and grandmother.

As for treating Fu Shuyi's illness, it was purely a political task for him; he simply wanted to bring the Cheng family's investment to China.

Looking at it now, it seems there's a chance. The second young master of the Cheng family, who is also the younger brother of this body, has already started investigating in the south. How much he can invest depends on the subsequent negotiations and the Cheng family's boldness.

In any case, Li Yancheng knew that all the businessmen who invested in China in the early stages, as long as they did business honestly and diligently, made money.

The 1980s and 90s were truly an era of abundant opportunities and unbridled growth. With enough courage and a bit of luck, it was hard not to get rich.

Li Yancheng had even considered whether he should leave the system to go into business and develop real industries.

Ultimately, he decided to continue down this path because he knew that within the system, he could do more and have a wider impact.

"Speaking sincerely"

At this moment, Fu Shuyi spoke. She put down her chopsticks and looked intently at her eldest son, who had been missing for over thirty years.

"Ok?"

Li Yancheng put down his chopsticks and looked at the biological mother of this body.

"Yan Cheng, putting aside the fact that you are a member of the Cheng family, it's perfectly normal for you to spend the Cheng family's money. Let's just say that I'm receiving treatment here, so it's okay for me to pay your consultation fees, right?"

Fu Shuyi's words startled Li Yancheng slightly, but he quickly smiled again.

"Madam Cheng, the reason I'm treating your illness is twofold. First, because you are indeed my biological mother, and I can't bear to see you suffer from pain. The reason I haven't changed how I address you is my own problem. After all, I was lost when I was so young and haven't been by your side. Now I'm almost forty, and suddenly asking me to change how I address you is something I just can't overcome in my heart."

Secondly, treating your illness is also a political task. I hold a public office and the state pays my salary. Whether I treat patients in the hospital or at home, it's the same to me. It's just my job. I can't possibly collect any fees from patients privately; doing so would be a mistake.

And the third one..."

At this point, he first glanced at the old master of the Cheng family, and then turned his gaze back to Fu Shuyi.

"I'll say something you and the old man might not like to hear: the bigger the family business, the more troubles there are. The Cheng family is indeed rich, I admit that, and money can solve most of the problems in this world."

But I already have a lot of troubles at work, and I don't want to get involved in those messy things in my life. I just want to live a simpler life.

I lost my identity when I was young and have never made any contribution to the Cheng family. So, the Cheng family's money belongs to the Cheng family and has nothing to do with me. I hope that our relationship can be simpler in the future. You don't need to feel sorry for me or have any thoughts of compensating me.

I will not use a single penny of the Cheng family's money, and please don't mention anything about giving me shares in the Cheng family in the future. I'll say it again: let's keep our relationship simple and avoid being filled with conflicts of interest.

And by the way, don't leave any room for laughter and cheers; they don't need it. I'm sure none of you want me to make a mistake.

Upon hearing their father mention their names, the two children, who were engrossed in their meal, simultaneously looked up.

They're not young anymore; they know what's going on in this somewhat messy family dynamic, and they also know that the person they call Grandma is Dad's biological mother.

My father was lost when I was very young due to the war, so we never lived together.

Li Yancheng only told the two children about these things after Old Master Cheng and Fu Shuyi came over this time.

Seeing the two of them look up, Li Yancheng smiled and gestured with his chin at them: "You two should eat quickly."

"Oh"

The two children responded and then simultaneously lowered their heads to begin eating.

Li Yancheng then turned his gaze back to the old master of the Cheng family and his biological mother, who were staring at him intently.

"Grandpa, Madam Cheng, let's just get along simply from now on, okay? Don't think about how to make it up to me anymore. I was lost back then because of the war, not because my family deliberately abandoned me."

My childhood was very happy. My adoptive grandfather treated me very well, taught me a lot of medical skills, and raised me to adulthood. He never let me suffer or go hungry.

"To be able to see my family again in middle age, and to still live together, is something to be very happy about. I personally feel that this family bond is hard-won, so let's not mix anything else into it. What do you two think?"

Li Yancheng's words plunged both Old Master Cheng and Fu Shuyi into silence.

They did indeed have the idea of ​​making amends to Li Yancheng. Not only them, but when the old master of the Cheng family's wife passed away, she left a will, leaving part of her Cheng family's shares to her lost eldest grandson.

But looking at the serious expression on Li Yancheng's face, they knew that he was not just saying it casually, but was informing them.

"Ugh……"

After a long while, the old master of the Cheng family slowly spoke: "Yancheng, your grandmother left a will when she passed away."

"Sir, you don't need to tell me the contents of the old lady's will."

Before Old Master Cheng could finish speaking, Li Yancheng interrupted, "I'll say it again: let's keep our family relationship simple."

(End of this chapter)