Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 154 A Happy Family, But Tragedies Follow - Xu Damao
At lunchtime, Chen Lanxiang didn't let her son do anything. The mother and children ate a simple bowl of noodles. He Yuzhu played with the little trains for a while, mainly with Wang Siyu playing, while the two younger ones could only watch.

They couldn't play, and the two of them even yelled a couple of times at first, but He Yuzhu realized it was all talk and no action.

When their wailing didn't work, the two started squirming and twisting in He Yuzhu's arms, trying to break free, calling out, "Sister, sister."

Wang Siyu had no time to play with them right now, so she just responded without looking up.

As a result, the two boys started crying.

Wang Siyu looked at the toy train, then at her two younger brothers, and finally gave up playing with it and went over to coax the two little ones.

When Chen Lanxiang saw that he was really crying, she said to He Yuzhu, "Put the things away and take them to your place. The third and fourth brothers can't play with them."

"Okay." This was also He Yuzhu's idea. As for the regulatory rights over toys, we'll talk about that later.

After a while, all three little ones got sleepy, and He Yuzhu was also sent back to rest by Chen Lanxiang, who said he would sleep in the car. But how could anyone sleep well in the car?

Then Chen Lanxiang began to sort through the things He Yuzhu had brought back, figuring out which family to send these things to and what to send them to.

When Xiaoman and He Yushui came home from school in the afternoon, He Yushui immediately noticed the doll in Wang Siyu's hand as soon as she entered the house.

"Siyu, where did you get this doll? Let me see it." He said, reaching for the doll in the little girl's hand.

"This was given to me by my older brother." The little girl quickly hid the doll behind her back, choosing the doll over her sister.

"Oh, my brother's back? I'm going to find him." These words diverted He Yushui's attention. She stopped looking at the doll and ran straight to the east wing without stopping.

The two boys who had been reaching out their little arms to call her "sister" withdrew their arms and pouted when they saw her run away.

He Yushui ran out, and only then did Wang Siyu pick up the doll again and play with it.

Before Chen Lanxiang could even utter the words, "You have one too, why are you fighting with your sister?", she vanished.

"Auntie, is Brother Zhuzi doing well on the journey?"

"He's doing great. He even brought you something. He'll give it to you personally when he gets here."

"Ah, you even brought me something. Why did you spend that money, Brother Zhu?" Xiaoman is no longer a child. In her mind, she will repay the money and kindness that the He and Wang families have given her in the future, for the rest of her life.

"You don't know him yet, he's a big spender. Don't be shy, he bought everything."

"Oh." Hearing that everyone had one, Xiaoman felt a little disappointed, but also relieved of a bit of burden.

"Mom, where's my baby? Give it to me quickly! My brother said it's with you!" He Yushui's voice came from outside. She had run to He Yuzhu's place to ask for something, but found nothing, so she came back.

After He Yushui entered the house, Chen Lanxiang said irritably, "You ran off for nothing, didn't you? You little brat, what do you mean by 'seeing your brother'? You just went to ask for something. You ran off before I could even say anything. I don't know who you take after for your impatience."

"Hehe, Mom, where's my baby?"

"Where's your brother?"

"She was getting dressed, she had just fallen asleep, and I woke her up."

"You child, your brother just got back and you're already making a fuss about him."

"Mother, baby."

"Wait."

Chen Lanxiang took two dolls out of the box, and He Yushui pounced on them.

"There's still one left."

“That belongs to your sister Xiaoman.”

"Oh, Sister Xiaoman, you're so old, you still have one?"

"How can you talk like that? You only have one, Xiaoman, so you can have one too." Chen Lanxiang said, swatting away He Yushui's hand that was reaching for another doll, and beckoning to Xiaoman.

Xiaoman's eyes lit up too; what girl could resist a cute doll?

Fortunately, the dolls He Yuzhu bought all had the same clothes and hair. He was just worried about the hassle of getting them back, so if they were all the same, there would be no choice.

Soon He Yuzhu arrived, and Xiaoman greeted him first: "Brother Zhu, you're back. Thank you for buying me the doll."

"Brother, brother, what else did you buy?"

"You, you don't even know how to say thank you!" He Yuzhu poked her head.

"Thank you, brother, thank you, brother. Is there anything else you want to buy?"

"Mother, didn't you tell them?"

"We'll talk about it when you get here. After all, you're the one who bought it."

"Okay, then I'll tell them."

"what is it?"

"Clothes, beautiful clothes."

"Quick, quick, I want to wear it, I want to wear it."

There was a hint of anticipation in Xiaoman's eyes; what girl doesn't like pretty clothes?

After Chen Lanxiang took out the clothes.

"Hey, Blake, I saw someone else wearing this at the Cultural Palace. Did you buy it for me, bro?"

"You and Xiaoman each have two outfits, a dress and a Lenin suit."

"Ah, and a Lenin suit too, brother, you're so kind." He Yushui snuggled into He Yuzhu's arms, rubbing her head against him repeatedly.

"Now you know your brother's better?"

"Hehe, my brother has always been good."

Xiao Man's eyes lit up as well. She knew better than He Yushui how precious the two outfits were. They were sold in department stores, but they were very expensive.

She was too ashamed to ask Wang Cuiping to buy her anything, and she refused to go out with Wang Cuiping.

The clothes she's wearing now are all made by He Yuzhu's mother; the fabric is good, but the styles are a bit outdated.

She had seen other girls wearing them when she went out with her classmates, and her classmates joked that she would look better than those girls if she wore them. Now, He Yuzhu had given her two sets, and she felt like she had been hit with a surprise.

"Alright, alright, I can't take my eyes off you, you two go try on the clothes."

Chen Lanxiang handed the clothes to Xiaoman and He Yushui.

"Thank you, Brother Zhu!" Xiaoman took the clothes and bowed slightly to He Yuzhu.

"Thank you, brother. Let's go, Xiaoman! I can't wait any longer. If we wear this out, everyone will be so envious!" He Yushui said casually, pulling Xiaoman along as they ran towards the west wing.

He Daqing returned shortly after. As soon as he entered the house, he heard a noise from the kitchen. He looked over and was stunned to see He Yuzhu.

"What, you don't even recognize your own son?" Chen Lanxiang teased.

"When did this kid get back?"

“I came back this morning. Why wouldn’t I want my son to come back?”

"That rascal has been gone for months. I thought he wasn't coming back," He Daqing said stubbornly.

"You're so stubborn! Go and say hello to your son!" Chen Lanxiang shoved him.

"Zhu Zi, you're back?"

"Father, I'm back. Didn't you have any special treats today?"

"The situation is unclear right now, there are fewer private kitchens, but it's alright outside, the roads are safe."

"It's fine, it's safe. You can go and rest now, I'll cook dinner."

"Okay, it's been a long time since I've had your cooking, and I'm starting to miss that taste." The conversation between father and son was that simple and bland, but he had asked everything he wanted to know.

Once inside, He Daqing first greeted his two younger sons warmly, then asked Chen Lanxiang, "Where's Yushui? Hasn't he come home from school yet?"

"I went to try on new clothes with Xiaoman."

"new clothes?"

“Your eldest son bought these. The old lady bought a vest and knee pads. I also got a scarf and a silk scarf. I also bought a doll for each of the girls. Look at what Siyu is holding.”

"Oh!" He Daqing glanced at the doll and found it quite interesting, but his answer was not very enthusiastic.

"You're still jealous of the younger generation. Your son bought you one too."

"And mine too?" He Daqing asked, intrigued.

"Let me get it for you. It's a wool coat, and yours should be the most expensive one!"

“Then I’ll take a good look,” He Daqing said.

When the coat was taken out, He Daqing touched it and said, "It's good material."

"Of course, why don't you give it a try?"

"Okay, okay." He Daqing said, and started to take off his coat.

Chen Lanxiang knew that He Daqing was afraid of getting his coat dirty.

After He Daqing changed into his overcoat, he started wandering around the room, which made Chen Lanxiang laugh.

"Look at your grandpa, he can't even walk properly in his new clothes," Chen Lanxiang said to Wang Siyu.

"Who can't walk?" He Daqing retorted stubbornly. In fact, he was a little bad at walking; those two steps he took just now were... well, let's just say they were a bit unsteady.

Fortunately, the coat wasn't military green; otherwise, with a hat and a military knife, He Daqing would have felt like a general.

"Hehe, yes, yes, the food is almost ready. Go to the backyard and bring the old lady over."

"Okay," He Daqing said and left.

Aren't you going to change your clothes?

"I'm not changing it, I'll wear this."

"Giggle giggle," Chen Lanxiang and Wang Siyu's mother and the others laughed. They were going to go out and show off. Of course, the two youngest ones didn't understand and were just joining in the fun.

He Daqing blushed, but still got dressed and went out. When he got to the backyard, the old lady couldn't tell what he was thinking.

He exclaimed loudly, "Great Qing, your new clothes look really smart!"

"Right, Grandma? Zhu bought it for you."

"Yes, my eldest grandson has good taste." The old lady then started praising her eldest grandson.

"Well, your grandson is amazing, we've all benefited from his help."

"That's right, where's the pillar?"

"I'm cooking. You're in for a treat today."

"Come on, come on, my grandson's cooking skills are indeed a little better than yours, his father's."

Passing by Xu Damao's house, Xu Fugui wasn't home, but Xu Damao did. Xu Damao's eyes lit up when he saw He Daqing's clothes. What kind of woolen coat was that? Even though it wasn't military green, it still looked stylish.

"Master, Master, where did you buy these clothes?"

"Forget about it, it's Russian stuff. How about it? Does your master think it's okay to wear?"

"That's amazing! Russian stuff? My brother Zhu is back?"

"Well, I'm back."

"Great, I'll go see him tonight."

"Okay, I'll go back and tell him. I'm off."

"Grandma, Master, take care," Xu Damao said.

Xu Damao's appearance gave He Daqing face. He came out because he wanted to be seen, and besides, Xu Damao is a professional straight man. How could he not see what his master was up to?

When they arrived home, they ran into He Yuzhu bringing out the dishes. He Daqing was walking very straight, and He Yuzhu smiled and praised him, "Dad, you look good in these clothes."

"Right?" He Daqing's face was all wrinkled from smiling.

Before long, Xiaoman and He Yushui returned, both dressed in Lenin suits. They simply couldn't wear their dresses because they were too cold. The two young ladies, however, had a great time in the west wing.

"Oh, where have these young ladies come from? They look so stylish!" the old lady said.

"Not bad, very good." He Daqing, now that he had his own clothes, didn't hesitate to offer a compliment. "Are you all happy now?"

Chen Lanxiang was happy to see her family happy. "If I actually gave her this to wear, she'd be too embarrassed to go out in public."

"What's so exciting? I heard such a lively noise in the house as soon as I got back. What are you doing today? It smells so good!"

Wang Cuiping returned home early, a rare occurrence for her. Before even entering the house, she heard the lively sounds from Old He's house and started talking outside.

"Cuiping, come in quickly, Zhuzi is back. Come and see our little girl, isn't she pretty?"

"Zhu Zi is back. When did he get back?"

"Aunt Ping, I arrived home this morning. Come in quickly, the food will be ready soon."

"Eh!"

Wang Cuiping didn't even go back to her own home. She went straight into the main room of Lao He's house, glanced at the dishes on the table, nodded, and then went into the inner room.

Upon entering, she saw two little girls in Lenin suits, an uncle in a woolen overcoat, and a little girl holding a doll, all staring at her expectantly. Wang Cuiping smiled knowingly; they were waiting to praise her.

Then she said, "Brother He, you look really energetic today."

"Hehe, not bad!"

"Whose daughters are these two pretty girls? Let me take a good look at them."

"Aunt Ping," the two women said in unison.

"Mother, Mother, there's still me, there's still me!"

"Girl, that doll you're holding is so pretty, where did you get it?"

"My brother gave it to me, and Siyu likes it very much." The little girl smiled brightly.

"Zhu Zi's trip was worthwhile! How much stuff did you buy?"

"I bought you something else too."

"And mine?"

"Wait for me to show you." Chen Lanxiang took out a scarf and a silk handkerchief.

"This color is so beautiful."

"That's right, you probably can't buy them in Beijing."

"Zhu Zi is so thoughtful, what about yours, sister-in-law?"

"Don't worry, Zhu Zi wouldn't forget her mother, she would, she would, hehe."

"That's good. Our whole family has benefited from Zhu Zi's success."

"That's right, my grandson has really made something of himself now," the old woman said.

"Time to eat!" He Yuzhu called out from the main room.

"Quickly, go change your clothes, don't get them dirty again." Chen Lanxiang immediately urged He Daqing, Xiaoman and He Yushui to change their clothes.

He Daqing was simple; he took off his overcoat and put on his old clothes.

The two girls walked into the main room, but didn't go straight out the front door. He Yushui pulled Xiaoman aside and said to He Yuzhu, "Brother, do Xiaoman and I look good?"

"Beautiful, beautiful, almost as beautiful as a fairy from heaven."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, you're just trying to coax us. Let's go, Sister Xiaoman."

Only Xiaoman noticed the glint in He Yuzhu's eyes. She didn't understand what it was, but she was happy.

He Yuzhu was taken aback. He was used to seeing him like this, and now that he had suddenly changed into such a smart outfit, he really couldn't recognize him.

Of course it's Xiaoman. He Yushui is still so young, she's still chubby and hasn't grown any skin yet, she's just adorable.

During the meal, Wang Cuiping asked the questions first, followed by He Daqing.

He Yuzhu talked about the time it took to travel by train, the vastness of the Russian territory, the size of the Azov steel plant, and the twists and turns of the mission, but he didn't mention that he had fought a small battle on the way back.

"Brother, did you really sit in the car for that long? Your butt must be so sore," He Yushui said.

"I'm perfectly fine."

"Son, is that steel mill you're talking about really that big? Isn't it almost as big as our Dongcheng District?"

"Yes, hundreds of thousands of people."

"I've really broadened my horizons. I thought steel rolling mills were all big enough, but look at this factory, it's incomparable."

"We will have a factory that big in the future too."

"Hopefully!"

"They weren't really that friendly to us?" Wang Cuiping was still politically astute.

"On the surface, things seem alright, and the people below seem alright too, but they certainly won't treat each other like our own people treat each other."

"Okay, I see."

What better way to enjoy good food than with wine? He Daqing contributed his stock, and the meal was a delight for both host and guests.

After the meal, Wang Cuiping took Xiaoman and Wang Siyu back home.

He Yuzhu took the old lady back to the backyard, and on his way back, he was blocked by Xu Damao.

"Brother Zhu, you're back. Why didn't you tell me?"

"What did you say? Are you home?"

"hey-hey."

"Speak your mind. I know you well enough to know what's going on."

"Do you still have that coat that my master wore?"

"No, and even if you did, would you dare wear it out?"

"What's there to be afraid of? I don't have clothes, but I do have a hat. Come with me."

"Alright, I knew my brother Zhu wouldn't forget me."

When he arrived at He Yuzhu's place, Xu Damao took a liking to the leather hat as soon as it was taken out, and immediately put it on his head.

"Brother Zhu, how about I wear this? I'm practically the only one of its kind in school. I can already imagine the looks my classmates are giving me, hehehe."

"Go away, go home and admire yourself. Oh, by the way, bring your sister to my house tomorrow, I bought her a toy."

"She's just a little girl, why are you paying attention to her?"

"Isn't that your sister?" He Yuzhu immediately gave him a hard slap on the neck.

"I'll bring it, I'll bring it, okay? What toy?"

"What's it to you? It's just something girls do."

"Oh, speaking of which, Brother Zhu, didn't you bring back anything else good?"

"Yes, wait a minute."

"okay!"

When He Yuzhu came out of the inner room, Xu Damao was dumbfounded. A stack of books, half a person's height, was piled up on the table in front of Xu Damao.

"I'm a good brother, aren't I? Do you like this gift?"

"Brother Zhu, I'm leaving now." Xu Damao turned around and tried to slip away.

"No, let's have a good talk, brother."

"Talk, talk about what?" Xu Damao stammered.

"Let's talk about what you want to do in the future, but don't say you want to show movies."

“Showing a movie would be great,” Xu Damao said without hesitation.

"Hehe, really?" He Yuzhu started to flex his wrists.

"No, no, Brother Zhu, let's talk this out, let's talk this out." Xu Damao immediately backed down.

"sit down."

"Okay, okay, I'll sit, I'll sit." Xu Damao had just sat down when he saw that He Yuzhu was still standing.

He hurriedly got up and pressed He Yuzhu into a chair, saying, "Brother Zhu, you sit down too, you sit down too."

Only after He Yuzhu was settled did he sit down, taking off his hat and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Are you learning the Russian language now? How are you doing?"

"Russian language?" Xu Damao glanced at the books on the table and immediately understood; all the books were from Russia.

"Brother, my dear brother, please spare me, I can't do the translation."

"Stop giving me that nonsense, just tell me what I'm asking."

"It's just average."

"You must use that to flatter your wife quite a bit, right?" He Yuzhu suddenly switched to Russian language at this moment.

"No, am I that kind of person?" Xu Damao subconsciously used the Russian language, and he spoke it fluently without hesitation.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Ah! Brother Zhu, you, you can speak it." Xu Damao realized he had been tricked. He really didn't know He Yuzhu could speak Maoxiong language because that wasn't what He Yuzhu learned in school.

"If I can't, why would I go to Russia?" He Yuzhu said irritably.

"But I really can't handle this book. You know I get sleepy when I read."

"This is the gift you requested yourself, why are you going back on your word?"

"I... I don't want it, okay?" Xu Damao swallowed hard.

"That won't do. I've already taken them out, and I have more if it's not enough."

"That's enough, that's enough," Xu Damao said with a wry smile.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Take these books back and take a look, see if there's anything that interests you."

"Can I look at it here?"

"Ok?"

"Take it, I'll take it, okay?"

"Get lost. I'll give you a week. You know the consequences of fooling me."

"Oh!" Xu Damao listlessly picked up the books and prepared to leave.

"and many more!"

Xu Damao was startled.

"You forgot your hat." He Yuzhu put the hat on his head.

Xu Damao grabbed the book and ran off. Once outside, he muttered to himself, "I should have known better than to take this hat. Why was I so foul-mouthed? I even believed the other gifts."

He Yuzhu chuckled as he watched Xu Damao's retreating figure from inside the house, then called out, "Damao!"

This shout had a significant impact; Xu Damao ran like the wind, passing the main house in just a few steps and reaching the moon gate without daring to look back.

He Yuzhu had his reasons for doing this. What was the point of Xu Damao going to that lousy steel mill? Even if he did get in, what was so great about being a projectionist? He could easily reach the ceiling of his career.

As for what to do with the kid, he hadn't decided yet; he needed to see what the kid could learn.

The books he gave him covered a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, and some basic mechanical and materials science books, depending on what the kid was interested in.

Of course, to understand the original text, Xu Damao's knowledge was not enough; he had to consult dictionaries and ask people. This could be considered a test.

(End of this chapter)