Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 203 You call this car a Mercedes?

In November, the car was basically finished. He Yuzhu went to take a look and, apart from the paint and headlights, he was not very satisfied with everything else. He felt that everything else was very good for the current situation.

The factory even built a special testing ground for the new sedan, a ground that the sedan couldn't even run on, which was the same one used for jeeps.

The main components are acceleration, bumpy roads, hill climbs, curves, and other similar tasks.

More than one is being assembled now, because the engineers want to know how the Jeep engine will perform when installed, so there are three models: a 4L six-cylinder, a 2L four-cylinder, and a 1.8L four-cylinder specifically designed for sedans.

The other difference is the transmission. The first two engines are equipped with a three-speed transmission, just like the Jeep, while the 1.8L engine is equipped with a five-speed transmission.

The name has not yet been decided, but it is tentatively set as:
Model B-1 sedan, black, 4.8 meters long, 1.85 meters wide, weighing 1.8 tons, equipped with a 4L six-cylinder engine, a shortwave radio, four-wheel drive, three-speed manual transmission, and a maximum speed of 160 km/h.

Model B-2 sedan, black, 4.8 meters long, 1.85 meters wide, weighing 1.5 tons, equipped with a 2L four-cylinder engine, a shortwave radio, four-wheel drive, three-speed manual transmission, and a maximum speed of 145 km/h.

Model B-3 sedan, black, 4.8 meters long, 1.85 meters wide, weighing 1.3 tons, equipped with a 1.8L four-cylinder engine, a shortwave radio, rear-wheel drive, five-speed manual transmission, and a top speed of 180 km/h.

The weight difference is due to two reasons: the engine weight is different, the power is different, and some of the components are different.

During the test, He Yuzhu personally drove the car around a few times. In terms of handling and range, the Type 3 was the best to drive, the Type 1 was definitely the best in terms of explosive power, and the Type 2 was more mediocre.

Also, the vibration of Type 1 and Type 2 is more severe. It's not noticeable in a Jeep, but it's quite noticeable in a sedan. Of course, it's negligible compared to the older sedans on the road today.

After the test was completed, a group of engineers came over to ask He Yuzhu how he felt.

He Yuzhu explained.

"Factory manager, does that mean it's done?"

"It's done."

"Great! Factory manager, aren't you going to give the new car a name?"

“I know you guys love to name your cars. What did you name your new sedan? Tell me.”

"Factory manager, we came up with several names at first, but in the end, we voted and decided that 'Mercedes-Benz' was the best name."

"Cough cough cough, Mercedes?" He Yuzhu coughed, choked by the stench.

"Factory manager, are you alright?"

"it's okay no problem."

"Is our name bad? Why does the factory manager start coughing as soon as he hears it?"

"No, very good, very good. From now on, we'll call it Mercedes."

He Yuzhu thought to himself, "When that foreign car company comes in later, I'll think of another name myself. Then I wonder if I should do the same for BMW? Anyway, it's just a transliteration. As for Audi and Volkswagen, those are a bit ordinary. I can't use names like Crown, Corolla, Dragon, or Phoenix. Dongfeng has even removed the Golden Dragon logo and replaced it with the Hongqi logo."

After some discussion, the three models were decided: Mercedes-Benz Z100 (the supreme version, for government use), Mercedes-Benz Q100 (the flagship version, for corporate use), and Mercedes-Benz M100 (the civilian version, which needs no explanation).
Then He Yuzhu assigned another task: to design a car logo.

Back in his office, He Yuzhu had his assistant write an invitation letter, inviting city leaders to come and inspect the new achievements.

As expected, it exploded. They even wanted to trade their Jeep for a sedan, because driving that car would be so prestigious.

He Yuzhu didn't dare to agree immediately; the car was still a while away from mass production.

However, apart from the Z100, the other two were replaced, ostensibly to "help you test the test vehicles."

He Yuzhu was just about to have the car he had taken off serviced and put back into good condition at the factory, when several police chiefs returned and drove it away. They didn't mind; given the nature of their work, their needs were the greatest.

The car's departure had a ripple effect; everyone rushed to inquire where it was purchased. They had seen FAW cars before, but none were as impressive as this one.

As a result, He Yuzhu and his team's only remaining test vehicle, the Z100, was taken by people inside the Red Wall, supposedly for use in receiving foreign guests.

A few days later, an order came in for five more Z100s, along with a question: "Can you manufacture motorcycles?"

"Boss, we're a car factory!"

"Your car looks great. Why don't you design some models for motorcycle manufacturers?"

He Yuzhu was speechless. He knew what it was for and thought to himself, "I might as well make it myself. It's just a twin-cylinder engine!"

"Shall we look into it first?"

"Okay, you guys take a look. Ideally, it should match the number 100."

"Mercedes-Benz Q100!"

"Yes, that's the name."

After seeing the people off, He Yuzhu said to Cui Hongjun, "Old Cui, go to the motorcycle factory and get me a few engines replaced."

"Are you really going to build it?"

"We'll see, we'll look into it first."

"Ok."

He Yuzhu thought to himself, "I was thinking of getting a three-wheeled motorcycle. That thing is much more practical than a car, but unfortunately, the people below can't afford it."

Not long after, He Yuzhu received news from Lao Fang that the bulletproof glass project had been approved.

He Yuzhu responded calmly: "Oh!"

"Why aren't you excited at all?"

"What's so exciting? Which big shot spoke up?"

"It's a gift for you."

"I guess so."

"You're a troublemaker wherever you go, and you're famous again."

"Life is a continuous struggle!"

"Fine, I can't argue with you. Can you get me a couple of sedans too? Something low-key, the ones you have now are too conspicuous."

"A Jeep isn't discreet enough? Riding a bicycle is more discreet. Do you want me to collect a few for you?"

"Alright, stop stealing business from the bicycle factory. At this rate, are you going to build trains and ships next?"

"I do have that idea, but unfortunately there's nowhere for me to build it."

"No way, just stick to building cars and stop messing around."

"understood."

"Bye."

Time flies, and it was 1965 in the blink of an eye. Several models of the car factory would not be upgraded in the short term, and the car logos were also set. Jeeps were all decorated with a running leopard, and sedans were decorated with a galloping horse. He Yuzhu had no interest in copying other people's car logos. If he really used them, there would be a lot of lawsuits later.

Xiaoman is pregnant again, and her pregnancy is already showing. She has been transferred from the project department to be in charge of the archives.

After several months of training, He Yushui has adapted to her current job, but she still lacks creativity, much like her brother. The siblings both blamed their father, He Daqing, for this.

It's just that He Daqing didn't know, otherwise, he would have let the brother and sister know what stir-fried broomcorn meat tasted like.

After visiting his father-in-law's house, Xu Damao returned and asked He Yuzhu if he wanted gold, not in kind, but in US dollars.

He Yuzhu asked, "Ready to leave?"

"My father-in-law is still hesitating."

"And what about you? What are your thoughts?"

"Brother, this is what I wanted to ask you too. You have to give me some advice!"

"Tell me your thoughts first."

"I...I don't know. I don't know anything, I don't know anyone, what can I do? Rely on the Lou family to support me? Wouldn't that make me a live-in son-in-law?"

"Oh my, this is the first time I've heard someone talk about marrying a woman from a wealthy family in such a aggrieved way."

"You're still making fun of me, but I really have no idea what to do."

"I just have one question to ask: what about your dad, your mom, and your sister?"

"If they want to leave, we should be able to persuade them, since they used to work for the Lou family."

"That makes things easier. If you ask me, we should leave as soon as possible without hesitation."

"I don't want to leave this place."

"We'll meet again eventually. Going out here will be a good opportunity to see you about your illness. Maybe your Xu family will have an heir."

"Well, I've already given up hope on this one!"

"Don't give up on treatment! Do you want people to keep saying you're childless?"

"I've dealt with everyone I know about," Xu Damao said through gritted teeth.

"Okay, you're the one." He Yuzhu gave a thumbs up.

"Brother, can we exchange gold for gold? My father-in-law also has a lot of antiques, which we definitely can't take with us. Why don't you try to find a way to move them?"

"You don't feel bad about it, but doesn't your father-in-law feel bad about it?"

"What's the use of feeling sorry for him? What's more important than life? If I hadn't married his daughter, I wouldn't care whether he lives or dies."

"It's one thing if you say something like that to me."

"I know."

"If it were me, I could exchange a little, but definitely not at the list price, maybe one to one."

"No problem, I understand that."

Do you want Hong Kong dollars?

"You still have this? Bro, you're so resourceful! I'll take it. I was planning to go to Hong Kong anyway, and Hong Kong dollars are more convenient."

"5 Hong Kong dollars per gram".

"You paid a high price, bro, you don't need to do this."

"You've got some knowledge of the market, haven't you?"

"I tried exchanging them recently, but it's so difficult. By the way, bro, how many US dollars and Hong Kong dollars do you have?"

"One million each, can you afford it?"

"Ah!" Xu Damao's mouth dropped open. He had no idea what a million meant. In his mind, a few tens of thousands would be good enough.

"Go ask your father-in-law what to say, you know?"

"I definitely won't say it was exchanged from you, and I won't tell anyone else."

"Alright, let me know once you've discussed it. And if you're still considering leaving, what about the boat?"

"The Lou family has a way."

"That's fine."

He Yuzhu also sighed. He was already thirty years old, and the future was really uncertain because there were too many unknowns in the next ten years. He didn't know whether good or bad awaited him and his family. Going with Xu Damao and the others was called running away. He would not take that path unless he had no other choice.

He has already done a lot for the country, and he also wants the country to prosper. However, he is not willing to risk his whole family for what happened in the last ten years. It's not a matter of awareness; he's just a complete idiot, the most idiotic idiot imaginable.

Xiaoman, who was with him day and night, naturally noticed that something was wrong with him. One night, Xiaoman couldn't help but ask him.

"Brother Zhu, what's wrong with you lately? You're always spacing out."

"It's nothing, I'm probably just a little tired."

"That's not right. Our company isn't as busy this year. Before, we could see you running around to each workshop, but after New Year's Day, you've basically been staying in the office."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, my colleague even asked if something happened at home. You can ask Yushui if you don't believe me; I think someone else asked her too." "It's nothing."

"Is it because of Da Mao?"

"What do you know?"

“Some of my classmates come from families that are not well-off,” Xiaoman said.

"They were all merchants before?"

"It's not just businessmen."

"Oh."

“There shouldn’t be anything wrong with our family. Our dad is just a cook, our mom has always been at home, and the old lady has already explained things to the neighborhood committee.”

"You do not understand!"

"Then tell me, we sleep on the same kang (heated brick bed), I'm your wife, I can share the burden if there's anything."

"It's okay, don't ask. Go to sleep. You're pregnant now, so get some rest."

"Okay, you have to tell me if there's anything."

"understood."

After a while, Xu Damao came to see He Yuzhu again. His father-in-law had agreed because there had been people loitering outside the villa recently, and his father-in-law was a little scared.

The difficulty now lies in how to conduct the transaction. There are always people watching from the outside, and it's not so easy to get more than a hundred pounds of gold.

Another concern was that his father-in-law was worried; with so much gold, what if Xu Damao encountered a swindler?

“Brother Zhu, my father-in-law wants his men to participate in the transaction.”

"I will not show my face."

"I know."

"I can give you the money first. Just find a place to put the gold and let me know."

"Brother Zhu, aren't you afraid?"

"What am I afraid of? If you dare not pay, you'll spend your whole life paying off the debt."

“I’m not worth that much money,” Xu Damao shook his head vigorously.

"Then let your son pay it back."

"I'd like to have one," Xu Damao said dejectedly.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Your father-in-law wouldn't dare. Who can get so much foreign currency these days? He'd have to consider whether he can afford to offend the powerful backer."

"That's true. How will you give it to me?"

"Wait for my message. It will take a few days to prepare."

"it is good."

Xu Damao didn't doubt He Yuzhu. His brother Zhu had spent more time abroad than at home in recent years. He didn't know the specifics, but he had heard rumors that he was talking about big business deals.

Two days later, He Yuzhu gave him an address he had found himself; it was in a remote area with no one around.

When Xu Damao returned, he said that the gold would also be brought over, and asked He Yuzhu to arrange for its receipt, to which He Yuzhu agreed.

After the Lou family finished counting the money and took it away, He Yuzhu also received the full weight of gold. He followed them for a while and found that they were not going back to the Lou family at all. It seems that Boss Lou is quite good at using his multiple burrows.

Xu Damao came to say goodbye before the Lunar New Year, as they were all going to leave during the holiday.

He Yuzhu gave him two instructions. First, he told Xu Damao to contact A Lang after he arrived. He also assigned A Lang some tasks. In case Xu Damao forgot, He Yuzhu gave him a roll of film, which contained written notes that had been taken beforehand.

He also gave Xu Damao two rolls of money, ten thousand US dollars and ten thousand Hong Kong dollars. Xu Damao immediately felt at ease, knowing that he would be able to settle his parents and sister in the future. He admired and was even more grateful to He Yuzhu.

He's a chatterbox when it comes to small things, but when it comes to big things, he's determined not to tell anyone, not even Lou Xiao'e. He'll only speak up when He Yuzhu says it's okay to make it public.

Another thing was that He Yuzhu asked Xu Damao to place an ad in the newspaper, just a small space would be enough, to let 'Shenhai' go home, signed by Chen Taohua.

Xu Damao was puzzled but dared not ask. This sounded like a code. He didn't suspect He Yuzhu of being a spy. They had grown up together and he knew He Yuzhu's life trajectory very well. What kind of spy would go to the battlefield to die?

He Yuzhu didn't explain, but instead gave Xu Damao a separate negative with a photo of Wang Cuiping and Wang Siyu.

"Once you find him, ask Ah Lang to help settle him in. If he has his own job or something, you don't need to worry about him. Just make sure you know his address."

"What if he asks me? I wouldn't know anything about it."

"Just tell him our hospital's address."

"Huh? No. 95 Nanluoguxiang?"

"It should be No. 95, Luogu Lane, South of Beijing".

"okay, I get it."

"Don't you want to ask who's in the photo?" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"If you don't want to, don't tell me. Tell me when I can find out."

"Okay, be careful on the road. If anything happens, you can ask Ah Lang. If he can't handle it, he'll think of another way."

"Okay, thank you, Brother Zhu."

"Get lost, what are you thanking me for? Are you still my brother?"

"Of course."

"Let's go."

"Wait, Brother Zhu, there's one more thing. My father-in-law is leaving, but he couldn't take too many things with him. Some are in a secret room in the villa, and some are in ***'s yard. If you can handle them, then do so. We can't let others benefit from them."

"I understand, alright, stop dawdling and let's go." He Yuzhu patted Xu Damao on the shoulder.

Xu Damao didn't hold back and gave He Yuzhu a big bear hug, saying with a sob in his voice, "Brother Zhu, I'm leaving."

"Let's go. Stop crying and howling. It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"Okay." Xu Damao released He Yuzhu, wiped his eyes as he turned around, and left without looking back.

The next day, He Yuzhu went to the place Xu Damao had mentioned and found it full of antiques, precious medicinal herbs, silver dollars, and some grain. It seemed that he had only packed up his valuables, as he couldn't get rid of the rest.

He Yuzhu didn't stand on ceremony and accepted them all. Who knows who will benefit from them in the end? It certainly won't be the country.

The rest of the He family only found out that Xu Damao had left when they went to work. At first, they thought he had gone back to his parents' and in-laws' house for the New Year. Normally, he would come back the day before going to work, but now he hadn't come back and hadn't gone to work either.

"Zhu Zi, do you know where Da Mao went?" He Daqing asked He Yuzhu privately.

"Ah."

"You know? Where did they go?"

"Southside."

"The Lou family left too?"

"Ah."

"What about our family?"

"Let's wait and see."

Even you?

"Dad, I really don't know, but I promise I won't let a single hair on our family go missing."

"As long as you know what's going on."

"What about my mother and the others?"

"I'll go tell them, just pretend you don't know anything."

Isn't this just burying your head in the sand?

Even you have to put on an act for others to see.

"it is good."

Sure enough, the security department of the steel rolling mill came to ask, then the police station came, and finally Lao Fang's people came too.

He Yuzhu was speechless. Did they really have to make such a fuss?

Of course, the questioning of the He family was conducted in a very peaceful manner, after all, He Yuzhu was still around, and he knew people in several units, all of whom held high positions.

They must have informed me beforehand, since we're just neighbors. Who says you have to tell them where you're going?

Of course, there were also troublemakers. The fact that He Daqing was Xu Damao's master was exposed by some people who claimed that He Daqing and Xu Damao were in cahoots and were hoping for bad luck for the He family.

After asking around, they learned that He Daqing had only taught Xu Damao martial arts for a few days. The troublemaker was naturally reprimanded, made to write a self-criticism, and sent to study.

The police station and the neighborhood committee took turns coming over a month-long trip, and both sides concluded that this was malicious and an attempt to slander the family of a revolutionary cadre.

But even worse things awaited them. For example, Liu Haizhong fell into the toilet and nearly froze to death when he went out in the middle of the night, Yan Bugui had his leg broken when he returned from Pigeon Market, and Jia Zhangshi pierced her hand while sewing shoe soles.

Anyway, the police didn't find any clues. The He family, Wang Hongxia, and Wang Cuiping all knew that this was He Yuzhu's revenge. Since no one was killed, they let it go.

Around the middle of the year, Lao Fang went to see He Yuzhu. He didn't call, he went directly to her. The two met and talked without being at each other's workplaces.

"Old Fang, what's going on? Why are you being so mysterious?"

"bad thing."

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat.

"What is it?" he asked calmly.

"The family of that kid living in your yard has been found out to have fled to Hong Kong."

"Oh, what then?"

"you know?"

"Does it matter whether I know or not?"

"It's not important to me, but it's uncertain to others."

"Are you going to report me?"

"Go away, what nonsense are you talking about? Did I mean that?"

"You didn't come to me just to tell me this, did you?"

"What I'm telling you is that things are not going to go your way. I have secretly destroyed your travel file for the trip to Hong Kong and even made a replacement for it."

"What happened? It's so serious that the investigation has even reached your area?"

"I don't know what happened either, but we should know in a while. It might be more serious than you think."

"Then should I retrieve those documents?"

"Well, let's leave it to fate. I can't get that back. You can handle the matter at your workplace, but of course, it can't be done openly, and we can't give anyone a handle to use against us."

"okay, I get it."

"You'll have to play it by ear from now on. I'm not sure I can keep you informed every time."

"I understand, you need to be careful too."

(End of this chapter)