Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 196 Son, come here and call me Dad! ~Grandma, I'm scared!
When the ship arrived at Tianjin Port, He Yuzhu was surprised to find that Lao Fang had come to pick him up in person.

When Lao Fang saw He Yuzhu's pile of luggage, he was stunned for a moment, but then he realized what was inside. A look of surprise appeared on his face, and he laughed and went forward to hug He Yuzhu tightly, patting He Yuzhu's broad back repeatedly.

"Zhu Zi, you're finally back, back safe and sound, that's wonderful!" The old man's voice choked up as he spoke.

"Hey Lao Fang, are you trying to kill me?" He Yuzhu didn't struggle to break free, letting Lao Fang vent his emotions, and instead said with a smile.

"How could I? I can't bear to part with you. You're a great contributor." Old Fang released He Yuzhu, took two steps back, looked him up and down carefully, and then smiled.

It turned out that on He Yuzhu's way back, Lao Fang also received some news that things had escalated on the Japanese side.

Add to that those who were killed; if they still didn't realize it was retaliation, they'd be fools.

The police initially failed to discover this because some of the people had changed their identities, so they didn't find anything during the investigation.

After the Japanese police department connected several cases, they discovered a clue and then contacted police stations in various places to find out the identities of these people.

"Everything is fine at home."

"All is well, all is well, it's a pity the leader can't see it." A trace of sadness flashed across Lao Fang's face.

"The leader I met before I left?"

"Correct."

"How could that be? I was perfectly fine when I left."

"Alas, cerebral hemorrhage, he could not be saved!"

"When did this happen?"

"This March."

After a moment of silence, He Yuzhu patted Lao Fang on the shoulder, his silence speaking volumes.

"Let's go back."

"it is good."

Old Fang waved his hand, and about ten people came over and started helping He Yuzhu with his luggage.

After disembarking, a car, two jeeps, and two military trucks were quietly parked in the open space.

The military truck was covered by a tarpaulin at the back, and the luggage cart couldn't fit it all. Through a corner of the tarpaulin lifted, He Yuzhu could see that the inside was full of soldiers armed with guns.

Old Fang pulled He Yuzhu into the car, and after getting in, he gave He Yuzhu a pistol.

"Isn't it necessary?"

"It's better to be prepared," Old Fang said.

"Ok."

Upon arriving in Beijing, He Yuzhu was placed in a guesthouse. He was initially told to rest for a day, but at his insistence, about twenty or thirty people came to receive his documents that very evening.

As each document was registered, the people who came to receive it all had one question in their minds: Where did the documents come from? How were they obtained? Who obtained them?

In less than a year, core data from three industries and not just one company was obtained. How much time did it take to collect this data, and what price did they pay?
Their view of those people in special departments changed; they made those people feel embarrassed, knowing that this wasn't something they did.

So much so that Lao Fang's men looked at He Yuzhu with admiration. If it were someone else, it would be hard to say whether they could even sneak in, let alone bring back so many things safely.

I had only heard about it from others before, but now that I've seen it with my own eyes, can it be the same?

Even though Lao Fang was mentally prepared, he was still speechless the whole time. He didn't know what He Yuzhu had gone through, but it must have been extremely dangerous. He secretly made up his mind that he must help He Yuzhu get the most credit.

It took seven days to roughly organize and classify the data; more detailed data will need to be sorted out by various specialized departments.

In fact, He Yuzhu didn't know what many of the documents were. He didn't look at them all when he got them; he only made a rough list when he made copies in Hong Kong.

Another reason was that the materials were in both English and Japanese. Starting from the second day, the team receiving the materials grew to more than fifty people, all of whom were seconded, including professors, engineers, and professional translators.

After the documents were handed over, He Yuzhu found Lao Fang and asked, "Lao Fang, can I go home now?"

"That's fine. If it weren't for routine procedures, you could have left already. You just need to sign a few papers later."

"alright."

Then He Yuzhu signed several documents, one of which was a list of materials, with He Yuzhu listed as the deliverer.

After signing the document, He Yuzhu took his small suitcase and left the guesthouse. He shielded his eyes from the glaring sunlight and stretched after his eyes adjusted. These past few days had been almost like being under house arrest.

Old Fang sent a car to take him back. There were also a lot of things Old Fang had given him in the car, such as pastries, candy, fruit, rice, flour, oil, and meat. It was probably Old Fang who specially prepared these things because he noticed that He Yuzhu's own suitcase was only a small one.

He Yuzhu wouldn't be polite to him. It was 1962 now, and the disaster had subsided somewhat.

When the car arrived at the gate of No. 95 Courtyard, He Yuzhu took a few deep breaths before getting out. Being close to home made him nervous, but after such a long time, he knew he would be met with a storm of anger when he got home.

"Let's go." He Yuzhu called to the driver, and the two of them, carrying bags and packages, walked inside.

Turning past the screen wall, they saw a boy leading a little girl to play. The boy's eyes lit up when he saw the large and small bags in He Yuzhu's hands.

But he didn't dare to go forward. He knew this person; his grandmother and father didn't dare to mess with him, so he certainly didn't. Besides, his father was gone, so there was no one left to stand up for him.

That's why he can only play here with his younger sister; the kids in the front yard don't play with them at all.

He Yuzhu keenly noticed the black armbands around the two children's arms and thought to himself, "Is Jia Dongxu gone?"

After passing through the hanging flower gate, a group of children were playing in the front yard. It was too hot for the adults to be outside.

The children rushed forward when they saw what He Yuzhu was holding, but none of them dared to speak.

He Yuzhu ignored it, but one person was quite conspicuous. There was a pregnant woman in the front yard washing clothes by the tap. Her belly was so big that she couldn't even get close to the tap.

He Yuzhu's entry naturally caught her attention. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes as she looked at He Yuzhu, and then she glanced at the things in He Yuzhu and the driver's hands, her eyes filled with deep envy.

Just then, an unpleasant voice rang out: "Qin Huairu, what are you looking at? Be careful, or you'll get stuck looking at me!"

Qin Huairu immediately lowered her head and vigorously rubbed the clothes in her hands.

"Hmph." The voice gave a cold snort.

He Yuzhu didn't even turn around, yet he knew who was shouting. He ignored them completely and strode towards the central court.

Just past the moon gate, I saw two teenagers, a teenage girl, and a three- or four-year-old toddler spraying each other with homemade water guns (their fingers were made of rubber gloves, and they had IV tubes; anyone who's played with water guns knows what I mean!).

One of them shouted when he saw He Yuzhu, "Big brother, you're back!"

Then, in his excitement, he squeezed the ball-shaped water gun in his hand until it deflated, and a jet of water shot towards He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu took a step to dodge, but the driver behind him was unlucky and was sprayed all over his head and face, standing there stunned.

The child who caused the trouble darted into the house in a flash. He Yuzhu turned to the driver and said, "I'm sorry, my little brother is too naughty."

"It's alright, it's alright. It's just too hot, this is a good way to cool off." The driver didn't dare to give He Yuzhu a hard time; he couldn't afford to offend him.

"He Yuyao, come out and apologize right now!" He Yuzhu shouted.

"No, no, he didn't do it on purpose," the driver quickly replied.

The people came out, but there was more than one: the old lady, Chen Lanxiang, He Yushui, and the baby being held in Chen Lanxiang's arms.

"Brother, it really is you back!" He Yushui cheered and rushed down.

Then the kids who had been too scared to approach He Yuyao because of her trouble suddenly rushed over, some taking the things and others clinging to her legs.

"Big brother."

"Big brother."

They called out to each other in such an affectionate way.

"Zhu Zi, you still know to come back?" "Mother!" He Yuzhu smiled apologetically.
"You still remember you have a home?"

"Alright, Lanxiang, Zhuzi just got back, and you won't let anyone in the house. It's so hot outside."

"Hmph, come inside."

"Okay." He Yuzhu's hands were already empty; the things had all been taken away. He took the things from the driver and handed them to the children, then took out two packs of cigarettes and alcohol from his pocket and stuffed them into the driver's hands.

"Could you please make this trip? I just got back and I don't have much, just two packs of cigarettes. Please don't mind."

The driver initially didn't want to accept it, but upon seeing that it was a special offer, he rubbed his hands together and reluctantly took it.

"No problem, no problem, I'll be going now."

"Okay, I won't see you off."

"Need not."

Before He Yuzhu could finish speaking, a group of children had already gone inside with their things.

When He Yuzhu entered the house, they were discussing what to eat.

He Yuzhu went straight to the inner room. As soon as he entered, he heard the humming of the electric fan. The baby was walking around on the kang (a heated brick bed), taking a couple of steps before sitting down again with a thud, then struggling to stand up and continue.

He Yuzhu quickly stepped forward to hug him, but the boy didn't move this time. He immediately lay down and quickly crawled to Chen Lanxiang's side.

"Grandma, hug me."

He Yuzhu awkwardly withdrew his hands, chuckling to himself.

"You still have the nerve to laugh? You've been gone for so long, your son doesn't even recognize you."

"It's been a while, but we'll get to know each other in a few days," He Yuzhu said with a forced smile.

“Yaozu, this is your father, quickly call him father.” Chen Lanxiang pulled Chen Yaozu in front of her.

The little guy shook his head like a rattle drum.

"No, no, Grandfather, I'm afraid."

“Son, I’m your father. Come on, call me Dad!” He Yuzhu put on what he thought was the most appropriate smile.

"Wow!" Now the child was terrified and cried.

"Alright, alright, stay away from my grandson."

He Yuzhu was deeply affected.

"You don't need to go to work these few days, right? Spend some time with your son." Seeing her son like this, Chen Lanxiang couldn't stay angry anymore and instead comforted him.

"it is good."

The group chatted for a while longer, mainly asking He Yuzhu where he had been. He Yuzhu could only make up stories, saying he had gone to sea, taken a boat, and dined with foreigners to fool them. The mother and her children listened, completely bewildered.

Towards the end, even the children in the main room ran in to listen to the story.

For lunch, He Yuzhu cooked several of his signature dishes. Of course, Chen Lanxiang didn't let the children touch anything of the things Lao Fang gave them, except for some fruit, pastries, and candies.

A family reunion dinner should be eaten when everyone is present, right? If we eat too much at noon, what will we eat for dinner?

He Daqing was the first to return home that evening. When he came in and saw his son, he simply patted He Yuzhu and said, "It's good that you're back."

Then came Xiaoman. Xiaoman immediately gave him a "swallow flying into the forest" kick, and with such force, He Yuzhu spun her around several times while holding her.

Strangely, while the younger children were egging him on, Xiao Man didn't even blush, and said matter-of-factly, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with me hugging your older brother?"

He Yuzhu exclaimed, "It seems that the experience of taking care of the child for the past six months has helped her grow a lot!"

Then He Yuzhu watched his son snuggling in his wife's arms, calling her "Mom" over and over again, and his heart ached terribly. All afternoon, He Yuzhu had tried everything he could, but the little guy still wouldn't let him hold him.

So he had no choice but to go and cook, but his father kicked him out of the kitchen, saying that he hadn't cooked in so long and shouldn't waste the ingredients.

Before dinner, He Yushui went to the backyard. Xu Damao, now that he was back, was so focused on getting home that he didn't notice anything happening at the He family's house.

He Yushui brought back two people. That's right, Xu Damao got married, and his wife is Lou Xiao'e.

Lou Xiao'e was obviously familiar with everyone, except He Yuzhu. She greeted him somewhat timidly, "Hello, Brother Zhu."

"When did you marry into the family?"

May Day.

"I missed the wedding banquet, but I'll make it up to you with a gift later."

"No need, no need, sister-in-law has already given a gift."

"It's hers, but I have a copy too."

"Brother, what kind of gift?" Xu Damao came over directly.

"Go away, it's not for you."

"Oh." Xu Damao was very disappointed.

Xiaoman and Lou Xiao'e laughed so hard they almost fell over, watching the two brothers clown around.

After dinner, Xiaoman went home early to put the children to bed, while He Daqing, He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, and a few others enjoyed the cool air and drank in the courtyard.

As they chatted, the topic turned to the front yard. Jia Dongxu died after the New Year. Whether it was due to operational error or machine malfunction, the real reason was unknown. The factory announced that it was caused by machine aging and failure. They were compensated, but Jia Zhangshi thought it was too little and even brought her daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and granddaughters to make a scene. In the end, no one knew how much they were given. Anyway, Qin Huairu is now receiving a monthly salary and will take over the job after she has a child.

Xu Damao added, "Brother, you don't know, Jia Dongxu drinks a lot. I guess he got into trouble because he drank too much."

"Didn't he used to not drink?"

"Who knows? Maybe his wife is pregnant with their third child and he feels he can't support them anymore."

"Don't listen to Da Mao's nonsense. It has nothing to do with his wife. That kid has just given up on himself. He can't get promoted, and after his technical father died, his master retired and there's no one to teach him anymore. None of the people he hangs out with are any good either."

"Dad, you're really well-informed."

"There are several loudspeakers in the cafeteria, so you can't avoid hearing them even if you want to."

"Father, are you really not planning to take on an apprentice?"

"Why would I collect it? Your father finds it too troublesome. If I wanted to collect it, I would have done so long ago. Besides, if I learn my family's skills, there's nowhere to use them. Who would I teach them to?"

"There's nowhere to work now, but what about in the future?"

"But you're still here. Besides, I'm teaching your two younger brothers, but those two rascals just don't study hard enough."

"Ha, that's because you haven't pushed them to that point. If you tell them they can't go to school and they have no jobs, and suggest they go farm, do you see if they'll learn?"

"That sounds a bit strange. Have you heard something?"

"I was just saying it casually, it's just that I'm being too good to them."

"That's true. Our children are indeed more fortunate than other families. We thought it was great when things were tough, but now it's a problem."

"No rush, they're still young, there's plenty of time."

"Yes, as the eldest brother, you can't just ignore them from now on."

"With you and my mother taking care of things, it's not my turn yet."

"How much longer can I keep up this responsibility? Ten or twenty years? What if I get old?"

"You're old, and they've all grown up. Everyone has their own destiny. Why think so much now?"

(End of this chapter)