Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 185 My wife is going on a business trip to Guangdong?

After the New Year, He Yuzhu's work remained leisurely, with virtually no purchasing to do. The canteen served cornbread and boiled vegetables; what good could the cook possibly make?

The company cars are rarely used; they're running out of fuel.

They basically saved the fuel coupons for the trucks, because the trucks could bring back goods every time they went out.

The grain import and export department did manage to bring the cassava back, but they first sent it to the Tianjin Grain Bureau for testing before starting to sell it to the public.

This stuff doesn't taste very good, but because it's cheap and doesn't require ration coupons, it sells fairly well. However, its yield can't compare to rice or anything like that, so it only lasted for a few batches before it was gone.

He Yuzhu inquired and learned that the grain import and export department was contacting southern provinces to grow this crop. At least it's edible, and in this day and age, anything edible that won't kill you is considered a lifesaver.

Several batches of rice from He Yuzhu's space have been sold. The quality of his rice is even better than that of Cambodian rice, because it was exported from Thailand to the United States.

However, he couldn't get a good price from selling to these units. On the other hand, the people He Daqing contacted years ago didn't even ask about the price, as long as the goods were good. This allowed He Yuzhu to make another fortune.

For the past few months, He Yuzhu has been planting corn in the space, and has stopped everything else. Fortunately, the cornmeal is ground whole, and it sells for the same price as cornmeal, so it is in short supply.

He had already emptied the space of stored grain, and now when various units came to collect it, they didn't ask where it came from, as long as there was grain, which saved He Yuzhu a lot of trouble.

He Yuzhu gave a portion of his earnings to his family, which was used to pay He Daqing's labor fees, agency fees, and the household expenses he himself handed over to his family.

Also, he sent grain to Wu Qianli and his family once. He only dared to send corn, about 100 jin per family, because he was afraid that the rest would not be safe after he sent it.

When spring plowing time came, many places didn't even have seeds, and even more people fled to the city to escape famine. There were several disturbances in the front yard, but in the end, no one knew how they were calmed down.

Anyway, Old He has no relatives outside the family, and his family doesn't care about these things. Since the main gate can't be closed, they can only close their own small gate and live their own little lives.

At the end of April, Xiaoman went home and told He Yuzhu that she might have to go on a business trip for a while.

"Business trip? Given the current situation abroad, where can you go?"

"I heard it's from Guangdong!"

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know the specifics, but it seems like we're going to be in contact with some outside businessmen."

"You just started working here, and you're already letting me go?"

"This isn't economics I studied. But I heard you say my English is pretty good, so my company chose me."

Are you sure it's Guangdong, and not some other place?

"What's wrong, Brother Zhu? Is something the problem?"

"It's nothing, I just find it strange. You are the Business Development Division of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, and Guangdong is a domestic province."

"Then I'll go tomorrow and ask again?"

"Hmm, I should ask, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

"it is good."

The next day, Xiaoman returned and told He Yuzhu that it was Guangdong, so He Yuzhu could only suppress his doubts.

In mid-May, Xiaoman left on a business trip without mentioning a specific return date. He Yuzhu called to ask, and the answer was that she had gone to Guangdong. As for her return time, they only said that she would come back after finishing her business.

He Yuzhu made this call because he was worried about Xiaoman, and also because his family was worried about her, since Xiaoman had never traveled far from home.

He Yuzhu then called Lao Fang to ask, and it turned out that they had indeed sent someone to go with him, which put his mind at ease.

As for what the mission was, it was kept secret, and He Yuzhu didn't find out.

Xiaoman was gone for over a month. During that time, He Yuzhu called her workplace several times. At first, she answered quickly, but later she said she didn't know.

He Yuzhu became furious, and on June 15th, he went there and blocked Lin Changjiang's door.

"Hey Lao Lin, what's going on? When is my wife coming back?"

"Xiao He, it's not convenient for me to tell you the specifics right now, since you're not working here anymore."

"I didn't ask for specifics, I just asked when they could come back?"

"do not know."

"Where did they go? It certainly wasn't Guangdong. If they were in Guangdong, wouldn't we know?"

"Xiangjiang!"

"It was Hong Kong from the beginning, right?"

Lin Changjiang remained silent, tacitly agreeing.

"What exactly happened over there?"

"Comrade He Yuzhu, you know the rules. This is not something you can ask."

“Okay, I’ll ask someone else.” He Yuzhu turned and left.

"you"

Of course, He Yuzhu didn't go to see Assistant Liang; instead, he called Lao Fang after returning to his office.

After the call connected, He Yuzhu said in an unfriendly tone, "Old Fang, this is He Yuzhu. What business trip did my Lingyi go on?"

"Zhu Zi, I was just looking for you."

"Find me?"

"Yes, do you have time to come over here?"

"You haven't answered my question yet!"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

"Okay, send someone to pick me up."

Not long after, a Jeep pulled up downstairs at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, and then He Yuzhu received a call from the security guard.

He Yuzhu gave some instructions to his men, then went downstairs and got into the jeep.

Upon arriving at Lao Fang's place, He Yuzhu went straight to Lao Fang's office, knocked on the door, and without waiting for an answer, pushed the door open and entered.

"Zhu Zi is here, sit down, sit down."

He Yuzhu pulled out the chair opposite Lao Fang and plopped down in it.

"Would you like some tea? I have some good tea here, let me brew you a cup."

"No, I won't drink it. You got all that tea from me."

"Haha." Old Fang laughed awkwardly.

"Let's get down to business. What's going on with my wife?"

"Alright, my reason for looking for you is actually related to this," Old Fang said seriously.

"guessed!"

"It's good that you're prepared. Here's what happened."

Old Fang then explained the whole story.

It turned out that this business trip was very simple; it was just to discuss a few projects with patriotic businessmen in Hong Kong. Normally, Qiao Lingyi wouldn't be needed for this kind of thing. However, since the projects involved the West and a lot of the documents were in English, and her English was good, that's why she was chosen to go.

As a result, after Qiao Lingyi and her group went to Guangdong, things changed, and people from Hong Kong could no longer come over.

Then the person on the business trip consulted their department, and the department made a last-minute decision to go to Hong Kong because the matter to be discussed was very important and could not be delayed.

However, I still consulted with everyone who was going on the business trip, since going there is still somewhat dangerous.

Everyone agreed without hesitation, including Qiao Lingyi.

Lao Fang's people would naturally consult him, and Lao Fang instructed them to ensure everyone's safety.

Because we went through the proper channels, the journey there went smoothly. However, the things we needed to do there were not smooth at all, extremely difficult.

The day after meeting with those businessmen, the people on the business trip were attacked by Hong Kong triads. Because the attackers used guns, and Lao Fang's men had left their guns at the border when they crossed the border, they suffered a loss.

Fortunately, the patriotic businessman received the news and sent bodyguards to the rescue. Only a few people were slightly injured, and none of them were in life-threatening danger.

They are currently hiding with a patriotic businessman, which is tantamount to them being collectively placed under house arrest. They cannot reach an agreement on what they want to discuss, and they cannot return home.

"Is my Lingyi injured?" He Yuzhu asked menacingly.

"No," Lao Fang answered without the slightest hesitation.

"A gang? What gang would dare to openly attack a public official?"

"Da Tian Er".

"Da Tian Er?" He Yuzhu almost laughed. Has this world incorporated 'Young and Dangerous'? Is the timeline really this messed up?
But Lao Fang's next explanation made He Yuzhu stop laughing. During the Republic of China era, the local people in Guangdong referred to the local bandits and tyrants as "Da Tian Er," emphasizing their monopoly of force and local power, which was fundamentally different from ordinary hooligans.

What Lao Fang called "Da Tian Er" was actually a "Triad," a complex organization composed mostly of remnants of the Bald Army or local powerful figures, backed by the British authorities of that era.

They extorted protection money, ran tobacco and gambling dens, kidnapped the wealthy, robbed goods—they did all sorts of bad things.

"What do you need me to do?" Actually, He Yuzhu already had a general idea of ​​what Lao Fang wanted him to do when Lao Fang said this, but of course he still needed to confirm it.

"Let's reach an agreement on what needs to be negotiated and bring our people back."

"What methods?"

When He Yuzhu said this, Lao Fang's eyelids twitched. This kid in front of him was a battlefield killer. If he really went all out, who knew what kind of commotion he would cause.

Recalling what He Yuzhu had done on his last two trips back from Russia, Lao Fang hurriedly said, "Zhuzi, can you keep things quiet? After all, that line is very important."

"What if those 'Big Two' don't let it go?"

"Except for the ringleaders and those who are most hostile to us."

"Are my wife and the others safe now?"

"Safe, safe."

"Then you should talk to Lao Zhao and ask him to give me a few more days to prepare."

"it is good."

"But how do you plan to get there?"

"I don't want to go through official channels. I need you to help me contact those businessmen. I don't want to swim across."

"I knew it. Well, I'll prepare your new documents these next few days."

"Prepare several copies, and they can't be surnamed Fang."

"What's wrong with having the surname Fang? What's wrong with it?"

"Hmph, seeing me reminds me of how you took advantage of me." "Ah, haha, haha! How could that be!"

"You know it yourself."

"I'm leaving now. Let me know when things are ready."

"it is good."

After He Yuzhu left, Lao Fang rubbed his temples. It was like letting a dragon cross the river to Hong Kong. He hoped the local bully there would have a good time.

Furthermore, Xiaoman and the others' safety is only temporary. Lao Fang can't guarantee what will happen later, since merchants are unarmed.

Back at his workplace, He Yuzhu went to see Lao Zhao and explained the situation. Lao Zhao remained silent.

"Old Zhao, you're not going to stop me, are you?"

"No, I can't stop you even if I try. If you leave without saying goodbye again, I'll be in an even more embarrassing situation."

"That's good. Old Fang will send a letter later."

"Yes, I know. You don't need to worry about things at our unit. You've already sorted out the logistics these past few months. It won't be a problem if you go away for a month or two. I'll keep an eye on things for you."

"You'd better keep a close eye on the grain situation yourself."

"Okay, once you get there, just bring the person back. Take care of everything else if you can, and we'll talk about it later if you can't. Your personal safety is the most important thing."

"I see."

“Don’t take this lightly. Don’t think that gangsters are easy to deal with. I know them better than you do. I dealt with them a lot before the liberation. When it comes to interests and backers, they have no bottom line.”

"Understood." He Yuzhu nodded.

What are you planning to say to your family?

"To be honest, I would only say I'm going to Guangdong."

"That's for the best, otherwise your family will worry again. Your Aunt Xia and I both said the same thing."

"Ah."

"Alright, give your instructions to your subordinates today. Starting tomorrow, you just need to show up for work. After all, things haven't been arranged yet."

"Row."

He Yuzhu returned to his department and began assigning tasks to his subordinates. In fact, there wasn't much to arrange for the work in the coming period; most of it would be done step by step.

After getting off work, He Yuzhu rode his bike home. After dinner, he asked He Daqing to go to Xu Damao's place. This time, he wasn't sure how long it would take, so he needed to prepare some things at home.

The next day, Xu Damao took a day off and started helping He Yuzhu to resell his wares.

When He Daqing got home from get off work, he brought back a big bag of salt and started pickling fish, chicken, and some meat in the backyard.

After several busy days, He Yuzhu exchanged some yellow croakers of various sizes, prepared some meat products for the family, and filled the secret room with grain.

With such a commotion, Chen Lanxiang naturally spoke with He Yuzhu.

"Zhu Zi, you're going to find Xiao Man, right?"

"Yes, after a while, we should go and take a look."

What exactly happened to Xiaoman?

"It's nothing. My unit just happened to have some work to do there, so I'm just stopping by to see my comrades."

"It's okay."

Wang Cuiping also contacted He Yuzhu.

"Zhu Zi, is there a problem with Xiao Man?"

"Hmm, it's a minor issue. I should be able to resolve it after I go there."

"It's probably a minor problem that requires your attention, don't lie to your Aunt Ping."

"It's a minor issue."

"You even kept it from me, huh?"

"Aunt Ping, there are rules."

"Don't be soft on bad guys. Bring my daughter back safely, and you'll come back safe and sound too." As she said this, a murderous aura emanated from Wang Cuiping.

"I know, you don't need to worry."

"Fine, what kind of crappy unit is that? If it doesn't work out, just have Xiaoman transferred out."

"I'll ask when I get back."

"Don't try to be a hero when you go out. No matter how strong you are, you're still just a human being."

"clear."

On June 20, He Yuzhu received a call from Lao Fang. He went to Lao Fang's place and got two certificates. Sure enough, one of them was surnamed Fang, named Fang Pengzhan, a native of Guangdong.

There's also a book that says his real surname is He Fei, and he's not from Beijing, but from Heilongjiang Province.

He Yuzhu was speechless. How come they're in the south and the north?

Old Fang told him that someone would give him the weapons and such when he got to the south, and that arrangements would be made when the ship arrived at the destination. He also told him where to meet, and that the letters of introduction and his own documents were prepared.

To make it easier for him to act according to circumstances, they also thoughtfully bought him a train ticket for June 21st, so he doesn't have to rush.

They also gave him some money and tickets. As for Hong Kong dollars, Lao Fang didn't have any, so they would have to deal with it when he arrived. They would also prepare some for him there.

Old Fang reminded him to be careful again and gave him a contact number in Hong Kong. This wasn't from Xiaoman's side, but from Old Fang's people. He told He Yuzhu not to contact them unless absolutely necessary.

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement. He hadn't planned to make the contact anyway; he had no interest in being a middleman after all the trouble they had gone through to set up the connection.

Once home, He Yuzhu packed a few simple things, just a few clothes.

The next day, carrying the pancakes and boiled eggs his mother had made for him, along with a small jar of stir-fried pickled vegetables, He Yuzhu set off for the train station with his small backpack.

The train was from Beijing to Guangzhou, a journey of over 2300 kilometers. The train ride took about 60 hours. The first thing He Yuzhu did after getting off the train was to find a place to take a shower, as his body was sore.

After taking a shower, He Yuzhu felt refreshed and went to the address Lao Fang had given him. When he arrived, the person who greeted him gave him a suitcase.

The person who received them also told He Yuzhu that they were smuggling themselves into the country. The people on the boat had no idea who He Yuzhu was. He was just like any other smuggler. The person who received them was essentially a smuggler, just a higher-ranking one.

After giving his instructions, the man took He Yuzhu out for a Cantonese meal. The local conditions weren't good, so the dishes were all vegetarian and rather bland. He Yuzhu, being from the north, found the food incredibly tasteless. He barely managed to fill his stomach before the man paid the bill.

Then he took He Yuzhu to Huangpu Port and told He Yuzhu on the way that there was a ship going to Hong Kong today. When they arrived at the port, He Yuzhu saw that the ships were not big, only three to five thousand tons.

I asked around and found out that this is how much water this port has.

He was taken to a medium-sized boat. The captain spoke Cantonese, and the people who came to see him off thought that He Yuzhu couldn't understand it. They were about to give him some instructions when He Yuzhu started talking to the captain in Cantonese.

Upon hearing that He Yuzhu could speak Cantonese, the captain immediately became more enthusiastic and began asking He Yuzhu where he was from. He Yuzhu's ID card, which bore the surname Fang, indicated that he was from Huizhou, so He Yuzhu gave the address listed on it.

After he finished speaking, the captain became even more enthusiastic, saying that he was also from Huizhou, but not from the same town.

He Yuzhu almost broke out in a sweat. What a coincidence! If they were in the same town, how would he answer?

After the people who were seeing He Yuzhu off left, He Yuzhu continued chatting with the captain about things like the structure of the ship. He only had the relevant skills but had no practical experience.

Upon hearing that he knew about ships, the captain began to enthusiastically introduce the vessel, explaining how to get from Guangzhou to Hong Kong and where he might encounter trouble.

For example, gangsters posing as pirates, and sometimes warships of the Bald Gang would obstruct the way. Only then did He Yuzhu realize how complicated the current situation was. There were so many things happening on such a short shipping route. The grain import and export business had to deal with countless troubles when transporting grain back to China.

Then the captain asked He Yuzhu what he wanted to do in Hong Kong, and whether he wanted to come aboard his ship, start from the bottom, work hard, and he would guarantee that he could become a first mate in a few years.

He Yuzhu simply said he would go and take a look first, and try his luck. If it didn't work out, he would come back to find the captain. The captain didn't insist. He Yuzhu was just a passenger; he only asked the question because he saw that He Yuzhu was interested in the ship.

After chatting for a while, the captain went to get busy, and He Yuzhu was assigned to the sailor's cabin, as loading cargo would take some time.

He Yuzhu was a little tired after the long, bumpy train ride, so he lay down on his bunk and fell asleep.

When he groggily woke up and felt the shaking, he knew that the ship had already left the port.

After leaving the cabin, He Yuzhu went straight to the deck. The crew members assumed he was familiar with the captain because they had seen him chatting so enthusiastically with him, so they didn't stop him.

The ship had not yet left the Pearl River. He Yuzhu looked at both banks from the deck and recalled his previous life when he came to Guangzhou to cruise the Pearl River. He felt a little dazed.

Just then, someone came over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Ah Zhan, what are you thinking about?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything, I just thought the scenery on both sides of the river was beautiful."

"What's so interesting about this? Once we get to Hong Kong, I guarantee you won't be able to take it all in."

Is Hong Kong beautiful?

"Of course, especially at night."

"Approximately how long will it take us to get there?"

"If everything goes smoothly, it should take about a day. There are queues when you enter the port."

"Oh, so it didn't go smoothly?"

"You absolutely mustn't say that. We're sure everything will go smoothly."

"Yes, it will definitely go smoothly."

"You've even gone to school?"

"Yes, I went to junior high school."

"You're a scholar, why don't you develop your career in your hometown?"

"Don't you know what your hometown is like? Everyone says Hong Kong is great, I want to go and see it too."

What did you do before?

"Working as a purchasing agent in a small factory."

"Purchasing is a good job, it's very popular. If you can speak English, it's easy to find a job in Hong Kong with connections."

"I know a little."

"I never knew you knew so much, Zhan."

"It's all just to make a living."

"Yes, it's all about making a living."

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(End of this chapter)