Exciting 1979!

Chapter 406 A Grand Banquet, A Huge Inheritance

Although there were only four people eating, the old lady prepared a large table of food, since she didn't have to cook herself.

“My cook is from Shunde, I don’t know if she will suit your tastes,” said Old Mrs. Wei.

Wei Ming: "I'm a foodie. I've eaten so many different cuisines, and Cantonese cuisine, especially Shunde cuisine, is really impressive."

The old lady nodded: "Hebei cuisine is not up to standard, only slightly better than Shanxi cuisine. I left early and have long forgotten the taste of my hometown. The only thing I can't give up is the liquor of Hengzhou. I always try to find some Laobaigan to drink. But my body is not good enough. The doctors and nurses don't let me drink too much. I only have this small cup. You can share the rest."

"If I had known you liked this, I would have brought some aged liquor from my hometown. My dad and the factory manager of Hengzhou Laobaigan Factory are like brothers."

Of course, the reason behind their brotherly relationship was the famous Wei Ming.

“It’s settled then. Bring more next time. I drink a small cup every day, and that adds up to quite a bit over a year,” the old lady said happily.

Wei Lingling couldn't help but speak up and advise, "How can it be one cup a day? I remember it was okay to drink one cup occasionally, how can you drink it every day?"

“Never mind that, I’m over seventy, can’t I enjoy myself?” the old lady insisted.

Seeing his aunt glare at him, Wei Ming quickly picked up some food and pretended to be dead, saying, "I didn't know anything."

After eating a few bites of food, he started chatting with the old lady again: "Grandma, you went to the Whampoa Military Academy with your great-grandfather, so you developed the habit of eating Cantonese food, right?"

“Yes, I was only a teenager when I went south to Guangzhou with my older brother to stay with relatives, and then I accompanied him to take the entrance exam for Whampoa Military Academy,” Wei Lindi said, putting down her chopsticks. “If I hadn’t chosen to go to Whampoa, perhaps everything would have been different.”

"My grandfather was still young at that time."

"At that time, my father had already passed away. My younger brother was too young, so my mother stayed in our hometown to take care of him and the family business. However, my older brother was promoted very quickly. After the July 7 Incident, he brought them to Shanghai. At that time, I had also started a family in Shanghai, so I took my younger brother with me. Who would have thought that he was already secretly involved in 'red' activities behind our backs when he was so young?"

At this point, the old lady's expression turned colder, and she seemed to harbor great hostility towards our Party.

Wei Ming knew a little about it. According to Wei Lingling, there was a knot in the heart between his great-aunt and Lao Gui, which caused the two to almost never see each other again. To be precise, his great-aunt could not forgive Lao Gui.

Besides recognizing relatives, Wei Ming also wanted to help the two elderly people reconcile, but the old lady stopped there.

Just then, the calico cat wandered into the dining room by itself, and a servant immediately brought it a plate of raw meat, which it ate with great relish.

The old lady put down her chopsticks for a moment and asked the cat where it had gone to play. The calico cat, with meat stuffed in its mouth, would look up and respond twice, as if it could really communicate.

Wei Ming could understand, after all, this cat was like her only family here. Although the old lady had wealth far exceeding that of ordinary people, she was all alone.

My aunt once said that she had a daughter, whom she loved very much, but she passed away.

Wei Ming then started by talking about the calico cat: "I also have a cat at home, a black and white tuxedo cat, which is very mischievous."

"Isn't that the prototype for 'Black Cat Detective'?"

Wei Ming looked at Melinda in surprise: "It's already been translated and published?"

Melinda: "The first story has been translated and made into a picture book. It sold quite well, although not as well as 'The Lion King' or 'Jumanji.' But your personal share has reached a new high. I recently transferred money to your account in China."

"You've been sending money too frequently, I haven't been paying much attention to what kind of money it is."

Since the foreign exchange deposited into the domestic account belongs to the state anyway, Wei Ming doesn't pay much attention to it, as long as he can exchange it when he needs foreign exchange certificates.

Wei Lingling said, "I can have Gong Biyang find a book for you to look at later."

"I'm really curious about what Detective Black Cat is like," Wei Ming said with a smile.

The old lady greeted the family staff, and after dinner, she saw Wei Ming's new English picture book in the living room.

Although the original version is not very suitable for readers in Europe and America, the publisher still made great efforts to adapt it for local audiences because Mr. Why is already a well-known and popular contemporary children's book author.

In the picture book, the Black Cat Detective is pure black. He wears a suit, a top hat, and a walking stick. He is mysterious and dangerous. His style is completely different from that of the Black Cat Sheriff. He also has a tail.

However, the story still uses the detective's investigation of animal cases to popularize little-known facts about the natural world, making it both educational and entertaining, and also stimulating children's curiosity about the natural world.

While Wei Ming was flipping through the book, Grandma Wei asked the staff to prepare two rooms for them to stay overnight.

“I take a nap every day. When it’s time, Lingling, you can serve them for me.”

After his great-aunt left, Wei Ming laughed and said, "The old lady is really open-minded. She's letting me sleep in the same room as Melinda!"

Wei Lingling: "The two rooms are for you, but I have a designated room."

Wei Ming suddenly realized that her aunt had lived in San Francisco for so many years, and her great-aunt probably already regarded her as her own daughter.

Looking at the vast manor, Wei Ming said, "I guess she really wants you to come back and keep her company."

Wei Lingling: "I'm not comfortable leaving her alone. Once the toy factory in Hong Kong is on track and I can find a reliable manager, I'll go back to the United States to develop my business. The toy market in the United States is much larger than that in Hong Kong and Taiwan."

Melinda laughed and said, "At that time, I will be in England and you will be in America. We will join forces."

Wei Lingling chuckled: "So you'll work for this Chinese man and make money for him, right?"

Clearly, she didn't value the 5% stake in DreamWorks very much; the toy factory she inherited from her uncle was the business she truly cared about.

"Auntie, show us around and tell me about your great-aunt."

Wei Lingling: "Your grandfather should have told you everything, right?"

"No, he only gave a very general account of my great-aunt. I only learned more about her husband's family when I took over Jueyuan. The character Jiang Lihua in 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes' is basically all my own imagination and fabrication."

Wei Lingling: "Then your fabrication is quite accurate."

"Huh?" How accurate is that?

"It's nothing. Come here, I'll take you to the study."

Besides books, there was also a photo wall in the study. Through those photos, Wei Lingling quickly helped Wei Ming learn about his great-aunt's family.

First up is a huge group photo, in black and white.

"Can we find Grandma inside?" Wei Lingling asked, testing her.

This should be the Shi family family photo. Wei Ming and Melinda searched for it together. He first looked at the year in the lower right corner of the photo, which was taken in 1950. At that time, his great-aunt should have been a woman in her early forties.

"this?"

Wei Ming quickly spotted her. She was arm in arm with a middle-aged man, standing in the center of the second row, with a girl of about ten years old beside her. Wei Lingling nodded: "The man next to her is my uncle, who was also the eldest grandson of the Shi family at the time. However, his father had already passed away in Shanghai. This branch of the family moved to San Francisco with his younger brothers and sisters."

“The elderly people in front are his second uncle, third uncle, and aunt. There is also a fourth uncle who stayed in China, and a fifth uncle who went to Taiwan in 49.”

Well, it's a classic case of not putting all your eggs in one basket, but they clearly have more faith in the American basket.

Wei Ming said worriedly, "What about Jueyuan No. 2..."

"Don't worry, the fourth brother didn't survive the Wengweng family and has died out. Besides, even if there are any descendants, the No. 2 Jueyuan residence was purchased by my aunt's father-in-law himself, not ancestral property, and has nothing to do with the other brothers."

Wei Ming nodded, and Wei Lingling continued, "Among the Shi family branches, the one from my uncle's side is the most prosperous. You should know about the Shi family of Zhenze if you have checked the information."

"Yes, water plants, power plants, banks, and industrial companies. My great-aunt's father-in-law is indeed a very enterprising man. He is also enthusiastic about charity and has funded a lot of education and medical care. He has a high reputation."

Wei Lingling: "It's a pity that none of the sons are good. Although my uncle is a good person, he has no business sense. The Shi family branches developed independently and had limited resources. After coming to America, the once wealthiest eldest branch quickly lost its former glory. Then my uncle and his brothers took the opportunity to separate and live independently. Not long after, my uncle also passed away, leaving only my aunt and her children as orphans and widows."

Melinda interjected, "Then it became a classic underdog story, right?"

Wei Lingling nodded: "My aunt didn't have the opportunity to manage the household before. After she took over, she used her capital to start a business in the catering industry in Chinatown. She even got a bachelor's degree. Later, she expanded into multiple fields, and her business grew bigger and bigger. In the end, she mainly kept the financial insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry. Catering and publishing can only be considered small businesses. The pharmaceutical sector is mainly a collaboration with my uncle's cousin, who is the eldest son of the second wife. He is very capable in the medical field."

"Yes, I know him. I heard that he was the one who suggested the name World Health Organization."

“Yes, she’s retired now and is enjoying her retirement in Florida,” Wei Lingling sighed again. “Everything is fine, it’s just a pity that her only daughter died in the Vietnam War in the 1960s.”

"what!"

The Vietnam War had a huge impact on Americans, but I never expected that my great-aunt's daughter would also die there. What was she, a Chinese American, doing getting involved?

"She applied to go to the Vietnam War as a field medic, but she fell ill due to the harsh local climate and died without receiving timely treatment. The reason she wanted to go to the Vietnam War was actually for love, because her lover was a soldier."

Wei Ming asked, "Where is that American soldier?"

"It was only later that we learned that the two died on the same day; the soldier died on the battlefield, but neither of them knew it."

This is why my great-aunt became completely alone. Her daughter had been gone for almost twenty years. She loved her daughter so much that she even named her company after her daughter.

Over the years, she has devoted herself entirely to her work, and even in her seventies she has not retired, which is why her company, "Zhiyuan," has gained a prominent position in the Chinese community in the United States.

"So how much money does your great-aunt actually have?" Melinda asked the question rather inappropriately.

"Anyway, she's definitely one of the top figures in the Chinese community."

When it comes to wealthy Chinese Americans, Wei Ming's deepest impression is of Wang An, who was in the computer industry. The first few years of the 80s were the years when his wealth grew rapidly.

As she spoke, Wei Lingling led Wei Ming to a photo frame: "This is my cousin, Shi Zhiyuan."

My cousin in front of me was wearing a green dress; she was beautiful and elegant, but unfortunately, she was a hopeless romantic.

"Who is this?" Wei Ming saw a young man next to him wearing a Kuomintang military uniform, whose facial features were somewhat similar to Wei Ming's.

"Oh, this is my uncle's second cousin, Wei Ning."

"What about my eldest cousin, Wei Lang?"

"My eldest cousin passed away early, so my aunt probably doesn't have any photos of him here."

The two sons of the great-grandfather died during the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation, respectively, leaving the old man without an heir. This is why the eldest son, Wei, who has a strong sense of family, values ​​his second brother's lineage so much.

However, Wei Ming is the only male heir in Wei Senhao's lineage. Wei Ming feels the immense pressure of carrying on the family line, so isn't it normal for him to have several girlfriends? He also wants two good older sisters and a good younger sister.

Afterwards, they went for a stroll outside. There was a large garden behind the villa, which was where the great-aunt would cultivate her mind and body.

Wei Lingling said that when she first came to San Francisco, she often helped her weed and fertilize, and she would receive ten dollars each time.

"Ten dollars is not bad. These days, the hourly wage for working in a restaurant is only five dollars."

As they were looking around and chatting, Wei Ming took a few photos of the two women with the garden as a backdrop.

Just then, my great-aunt came over after her afternoon nap. Seeing Wei Ming with his camera, she asked him to take a few pictures of her as well.

The old lady was in a good mood and even pulled Wei Lingling and Melinda along.

Wei Ming hurriedly said, "Melinda, take a picture of us too."

I'll show it to Old Ghost then.

However, just as Melinda took a picture and was about to adjust the angle, the housekeeper came over and whispered a few words in Old Mrs. Wei's ear, and the smile on her face visibly disappeared.

Wei Lingling looked a little awkward and whispered to Wei Ming, "It's my uncle's nephew and niece."

The old lady said, "Since so many relatives from both my parents' and husband's families have come today, let the kitchen prepare something."

Although they separated and went their separate ways, Wei Lindi still valued their relationship. After the business took off, she would give each of them a share of the profits every year so that they wouldn't be too poor and could still maintain a relatively decent life.

But some people are never satisfied. Not content with receiving dividends every year, they also want all of the old lady's assets.

However, they weren't stupid. They knew that the old lady held the power of life and death over the Zhiyuan Group, so their strategy was to provide for her in return for her old age.

They often come here to bring food, drinks, and warmth, showing the respect of the younger generation for their elders.

There is only one situation in which they might reveal their true thoughts: when Wei Lingling is also present.

If we're talking about family, the old lady is definitely closer to her own niece. They're just afraid that the old lady might act impulsively and leave all of the Shi family's assets to Wei Lingling. In that case, they might not even get their annual dividends, let alone a huge inheritance.

This time, they were even more on guard because the old lady introduced Wei Ming.

“This is my grand-nephew Wei Ming, Xiao Ming, greet him.”

Before Wei Ming could even call for help, a woman in her forties shouted, "Mr. Why!?"

……

(I was guaranteed a minimum score yesterday, but sorry, I had writer's block~)

(End of this chapter)