Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 174 'Hou Yi' Reappears

Time flies, and it was already late July 1958. During this time, He Yuzhu went up the mountain again, this time alone, as Wang Cuiping was on a mission that day.

The harvest was not as good as last time; we caught two goats, a few pheasants, and rabbits.

Upon returning, he sent the steelworkers a sow and four wolves.

They also sent a female wild boar to the neighborhood office.

As for the goats, pheasants, and rabbits, they were all left at home, though some were sent away as needed.

In addition, he brought home a lot of food, both coarse and fine grains, as well as some dried goods from his spatial storage. He also filled Xu Damao's secret room, where Xu Damao also had some canned goods and such.

"Brother Zhu, why does your grain bag look so old? Is this grain old for many years?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Do you expect me to go out of my way to buy some bags? Just open them and you'll know."

Xu Damao opened a bag and looked inside: "New grain, but this grain is coarser than what we bought, it's a bit like what we ate when we were kids."

"It's good enough that you have something to eat, and you're still being picky. If you don't want it, I'll just put it all at my house."

"No, no, I was just saying, just saying!"

"Alright, let's get to work."

"well!"

He Yuzhu also told him that if he wasn't home, Xu Damao could bring out some canned food or similar items every week to improve everyone's meals, including the Xu family's.

Xu Damao was very touched. He had wanted to ask if they could send grain to his family, but before he could even ask, He Yuzhu had already said so.

These things can be heated on the stove without opening the lid; the smell won't be too strong once opened.

This kid is a reckless person and hard to be morally blackmailed. He Yuzhu thought that even if things got too difficult later and Chen Lanxiang softened, Xu Damao still had backup options, so they should be able to get through the crisis.

He Yuzhu spoke to the old lady privately, saying that this portion of food was a lifeline and would only be used as a last resort.

He Yuzhu delivered the grain himself, choosing a time when Xu Damao wasn't home, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

"Zhu Zi, you really aren't going to tell your mother and the others?"

"I won't say anything more, Madam. You can keep it to yourself. There are too many people in the Central Court, and the children can't keep secrets."

"Alright, Madam, you'll keep this grain. By the way, Zhu Zi, is a disaster really on the horizon?"

"It's pretty much true. All the river levels are low, even the mountain springs are the same. I've also checked the old well in our courtyard; it's sunk a lot."

"We've only had a few years of peace and quiet, why is God so determined to make things difficult for us?"

"The wife will pass."

"With this grain you have, Madam feels more secure and can rest assured that the children won't go hungry. But since you're in such a hurry to bring the grain home, are you going on another long trip?"

"No, it's better to be prepared. My job is unpredictable. Even though I've been staying at home for a few months, who knows when I'll be assigned a task?"

"You can't be gone for years like before, you know? Xiaoman can't wait for you. Gossip is more dangerous than a knife."

"I know."

"Don't just talk the talk, or you'll end up saying you have no choice in the matter. How many three-year periods does one have in a lifetime? Three years on the peninsula, three years in Russia, and then another three years after that, who can stand it?"

"I understand, madam."

"Alright, you can go home now that you're done. It's getting late, and I'm tired too."

"it is good."

He's making all this in advance, because he might have to go on another long trip at any time, and the timing is uncertain, so this is all he can do.

Furthermore, He Yuzhu would occasionally bring home a piece of beef, mutton, and a fish. He had plenty of these in his space, especially the fish, which he had almost every week.

On this day, new documents were delivered to He Yuzhu, and one of them caught his eye: China and Cambodia had established diplomatic relations.

He had some recollection of Cambodia from his previous life; it was a grain-producing country.

So he went to find Director Lin Changjiang.

"Director, can we go to this place now?" He Yuzhu handed the document to Lin Changjiang.

"It probably won't work. I need to ask my superiors about it. Do you have any ideas?"

“I’ve been looking at information lately. As far as I know, Southeast Asia is a major grain-producing region, and Cambodia is one of the largest grain-producing countries in that area.”

"Oh, so you've got your eye on grain? Our grain import and export company is involved in this too."

"Aren't they waiting for us to expand the market before they take action?"

"That's true. By the way, you haven't mentioned why you've set your sights on grain, especially imported grain. As far as I know, your expertise is in machinery and hardware, right?"

“I looked at the grain import and export situation in recent years and found that grain exports have been decreasing year by year, so I wondered if our country was short of grain.”

Lin Changjiang looked up at the office door and, seeing it was closed, said, "This is something you really figured out from the documents, not some rumor you heard somewhere."

"Not entirely. I recently went to Miyun twice and found that the water level in the reservoir has dropped a lot, and the mountain streams are almost dry."

"Really? Who else have you told about this?"

"No, what's wrong, Director? Is there a problem?"

"You'd better not say that to anyone again. I'll pretend I didn't hear it today. I'll go ask about Cambodia from above."

"it is good."

"You should go back now, remember what I just said."

"Yes."

He Yuzhu's actions could be seen as a test, to gauge Lin Changjiang's attitude. If it didn't work, he would have no choice but to go directly to Assistant Liang or Team Leader Fang. Of course, he would only go to Team Leader Fang if he had absolutely no other option.

The communes below have all started the system of eating from the same pot, but it hasn't started in the city yet. I guess it won't be too long. This is just the beginning, and there are still many years to come.

Lin Changjiang didn't keep him waiting too long. He told him that a tour group would be visiting the area next month and that he could help him secure a spot.

Tell him to make arrangements at home, and that once he gets there, he must follow all instructions. He also needs to report any trips he takes, or he will be punished.

He Yuzhu agreed to everything and then began preparing his identity documents.

Chen Lanxiang was the first to notice something was wrong. She noticed that her son had started to get busy, which meant he had a mission. He Yuzhu had been like this before his two previous trips abroad.

One evening, Chen Lanxiang kept He Yuzhu behind.

"Zhu Zi, are you going out again?"

"Yes."

"Where to go?"

"Southside."

Upon hearing that it wasn't the north, Chen Lanxiang breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you going abroad?"

"Yes, but this time it's a group trip, I'm just an accompanying member."

"I heard the south is quite chaotic, unlike Russia. You should be careful."

“I know your son came from the battlefield.”

"I'm only saying this because you came from the battlefield. Everyone else is in civilian positions. If something really happens, wouldn't you be the one to step in?"

"Uh," He Yuzhu really couldn't refute this. Now that he thought about it, Lin Changjiang was able to apply for a spot for him so quickly, which must be related to this. Suddenly, he was in a bad mood.

Fortunately, the delegation wasn't particularly high-level; they were just there to scout things out. Otherwise, he would have really become a bodyguard.

"I don't know where all your usual cleverness went. Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

“I know,” He Yuzhu nodded.

"Alright, go and talk to Xiaoman yourself, don't just leave without saying a word."

"it is good."

Over the weekend, He Yuzhu took Xiaoman to the park, had roast duck, and watched a movie.

Xiaoman was very happy all day. On her way home from the movie theater, when they reached a secluded spot, He Yuzhu stopped the car and said to the somewhat bewildered Xiaoman, "Xiaoman, I have to go on a business trip again in a few days."

Xiaoman's mood plummeted from the clouds to the bottom of the sea. During the day, she had been thinking, "How did Brother Zhu change his ways and take her out to play alone? Now I realize this was premeditated."

"Why did it take you so long to tell me?"

"If I told you, would you still be in the mood to play? Maybe for a month or two."

"Brother Zhu, you need to take care of yourself and come back soon." Caught off guard, Xiaoman threw herself into his arms. He Yuzhu felt that his clothes were wet; it was Xiaoman's tears.

He Yuzhu patted Xiaoman's head: "I will. This time it shouldn't take long."

"I'll wait for you to come back."

As the two were saying their goodbyes, they heard a loud shout from behind:
"What are those two doing over there?"

He Yuzhu turned his head to look at the joint defense team. If he got caught, it would be a real mess. They would just charge him with hooliganism.

"Get in the car, let's go." He Yuzhu quickly got into the car, and Xiaoman was not far behind.

Xiaoman hadn't even settled in her seat when He Yuzhu started moving, so Xiaoman quickly grabbed He Yuzhu's waist.

"Stop! Did you hear me? Stop!"

"Stop! You man and woman!"

The sound of hurried footsteps came from behind, but they couldn't catch up with He Yuzhu's bicycle.

After shaking off those people, the two of them burst into laughter at the same time, all the sadness of parting gone.

Once back outside the compound, Xiaoman jumped out of the car, looked around to make sure no one was there, tiptoed and kissed He Yuzhu on the cheek before running back into the compound.

He Yuzhu touched the spot where Xiaoman had kissed him, a smile appearing on his lips.

He thought to himself, "This girl has gotten quite bold. I wonder where she learned it from. But I like it."

The next day, Xiaoman went to school early, but there was a note on He Yuzhu's table in the main room.

"Brother Zhu, I know your work is important, but I hope you're safe and sound. I'm waiting for you to come home. Xiaoman."

After reading it, He Yuzhu put the note into his spatial storage and placed it together with the photo; he wanted to keep it as a memento.

He was also thinking that he should take another family photo when he came back this time.

On August 8th, He Yuzhu and his group set off. When they arrived at the airport, He Yuzhu was surprised to find that he actually knew some of the people traveling with them.

Li Hongwen, who practices Xingyi Quan, and Zhao Xinghuai, who practices Bagua Zhang, are on Team Leader Fang's side; they should be on a protection mission.

The two brothers were taken aback when they saw He Yuzhu, but then they became excited. They hadn't expected him to be here, and now they had another chance to learn his boxing techniques.

He Yuzhu had never been back since he left them, and they had been ordered by Team Leader Fang not to disturb He Yuzhu's normal life. They never expected to run into him on a mission. Isn't this fate?

The two sides did not greet each other, but nodded to each other.

The first stop on the plane was Nanning, then we transferred in Nanning to Saigon, and then we started taking a car. He Yuzhu asked around and found out that the airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was still under construction.

It took five or six hours by car from Saigon to reach the Bavet border crossing (border inspection).

Then the tour leader showed them the 'French Indochina Pass' for the group visa, and they were allowed to cross the border.

Along the way in Vietnam, amidst the impoverished mountains, treacherous roads, and emaciated people, He Yuzhu had only one thought in his mind: "Poor mountains and treacherous waters breed unruly people!"

However, he did get to see Vietnam's terrain and landforms, and when he thought about how these monkeys' fighting style was all copied from China, He Yuzhu felt a little disgusted.

I also think that the Bald Eagle's defeat in the war between the Bald Eagle and Vietnam ten years later was not unjust. The master gave them a good beating, and ten years later the apprentice gave them another beating. Of course, it was also inseparable from the weapons assistance from the Bear.

There was another thing that He Yuzhu only learned after the plane landed and he entered the airport.

He could understand Vietnamese. When he brought up the panel and took a look, he was amazed to find that he not only understood Vietnamese, Khmer, and Thai, but also advanced levels of them.

He Yuzhu exclaimed, "This system changes every time it goes abroad; it's completely unexpected."

I've been home for so long, and all I've done is check in and collect supplies and such.

After crossing the border, it took nearly four more hours to reach Phnom Penh.

Everyone on the bus was dizzy and lightheaded. The journey had been incredibly difficult; the road was so bumpy that many people who didn't usually get carsick vomited halfway through.

Since they arrived at night, everyone ate something quickly and then rested; some people didn't even eat anything and just washed up and went to sleep.

The next morning, the tour leader first gave the group a brief overview of Cambodia, explaining that it was originally a French colony and only gained independence in 1953, as well as its current development.

Overall, it's still an agricultural country, and it's a constitutional monarchy. The tour leader mentioned the king's surname, 'Sihanouk,' and He Yuzhu suddenly understood.

Information was relatively scarce in China, so He Yuzhu and his colleagues had no way of knowing these things. He wasn't a history major, so he knew even less about them.

The team leader didn't say anything on the way, probably because he was afraid these people might have some ideas. After all, this isn't a socialist country, and their purpose in coming was simply to see what the two sides could exchange ideas on.

Now that we've entered Cambodia, if we don't inform them first, we might break some taboos and cause unpleasantness for both sides.

After breakfast, a car came to pick them up. Along the way, He Yuzhu discovered that Phnom Penh was really quite different. It was full of European-style buildings, much better than Saigon. It was somewhat like the concession area of ​​Tianjin.

The prime minister of the other side made a symbolic appearance at the formal meeting, after all, their status was not high enough to warrant a formal reception. This appearance was mainly due to the fact that China is not what it used to be, and it should be attributed to the war on the Korean Peninsula.

Then they take you on a tour, showing you farmland, irrigation facilities, factories left by the French, temples, and so on.

Then they started talking. During the conversation, He Yuzhu discovered that they were also very interested in industrial equipment. Of course, the delegation did not agree, as there was a shortage of such equipment in China at the time.

The key issue might be that they don't value what they're offering: food. Nowadays, buying things from abroad requires foreign exchange and gold, which they clearly don't want to use.

They stayed for a few days, but nothing was actually discussed, and He Yuzhu didn't have time to go out and explore on his own.

He Yuzhu then approached the team leader and suggested that they could exchange some textiles or water power equipment for grain, which would not be a loss for them.

The team leader asked directly which department He Yuzhu was from. After He Yuzhu told him, the person added, "Didn't your leader tell you to listen more, observe more, and talk less when you're out and about?"

He Yu was taken aback. The team leader said, "These countries all have plans. Besides, we don't lack food now. You don't need to say anything more. I hope I won't hear you say this again. This is not something a small-time division-level cadre like you should be thinking about."

He Yuzhu really wanted to say, "Oh my god!"

He was furious, but he held back.

That night, He Yuzhu sneaked out and found an empty house that resembled a slum where they lived, and unearthed a thing that had been gathering dust for over ten years.

After a series of tests, He Yuzhu discovered that it actually worked, which was a bit strange. He just wanted to try it out because he couldn't let go of the anger he was holding in.

"The other party sent me a message right away: Are you 'Hou Yi'?"

He Yuzhu didn't waste any words and answered directly: "I am 'Hou Yi'. I don't have time to explain anything now. There will be a severe drought in the country, which is unprecedented in history. Please stop exporting grain immediately and stockpile grain at all costs."

After a long silence, the other end finally replied: "We are shocked!!! Is this information reliable? What's the basis for it???"

"Time will tell!" He Yuzhu replied, then immediately turned off the radio and went back to his place.

He wanted to do something here, but he was too poor.

He turned off his phone, and the other side was dumbfounded. The radio was right in front of Team Leader Fang, and they never would have imagined that they would communicate in this way.

Based on Hou Yi's previous intelligence report, they conducted a detailed investigation and determined that the telegram was sent because the Hou Yi organization was unable to handle the situation at the time.

Moreover, the Bald Party also received it, which was later confirmed. I initially thought it was a coincidence, but it turned out to be a source of information.

That's right, they don't believe it's one person; how could one person investigate so thoroughly?

Now that the matter has been exposed, how could he dare to keep it a secret? He took the telegram and went to his superiors.

They only told him to keep it a secret and not to take any action, and then they sent him back.

No action is allowed, but that doesn't mean we can't check previous records. When the team leader checked, he was shocked. All the records could be summed up in one sentence.

"Severe drought, reduced grain production!"

He sat in the chair, his face deathly pale, his eyes lifeless.

His department knows far more than the average person, and under these circumstances, they're still messing around with trivial matters; the final outcome is predictable.

The reason he was afraid was because he knew perfectly well that he couldn't change anything.

He Yuzhu sent a telegram, acting as if nothing had happened, eating and drinking as usual, and even sparring with those two guys when he had time.

The only change was that he stopped speaking, wouldn't answer questions, and of course, no one asked this young upstart.

Too inexperienced and too young, what experience can they possibly have to offer?

About ten days later, the inspection team returned to China.

(End of this chapter)