Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 311 He Yuyan

Meanwhile, He Yuyan rode her bicycle aimlessly through the hutongs of Beijing, as if trying to recapture more of her childhood memories.

As he rode, he turned into a relatively quiet street.

Suddenly, a commotion arose ahead.

Three slovenly-looking young men in old work clothes were surrounding a girl in a white dress, uttering vulgarities.

The girl, clutching several books and looking angry, tried to push them away to leave, but they blocked her way.

"Hey, little sister, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Let's be friends!" The short young man in the lead grinned and grabbed the girl's arm.

"What are you doing? I don't know you!"

"Let's be friends. Which school do you go to? Come hang out with me!"

"I want to go home! If you don't leave, I'm going to scream!"

"Go ahead and shout, let's see who you can call. And even if you do, let's see who dares to interfere!" the short young man said nonchalantly, his hand already grabbing the girl.

He Yuyan didn't want to get involved in other people's business, but his brother warned him not to cause trouble before he left.

He couldn't stand this situation, so he quickly pedaled over and shouted, "Hey, what's going on? A bunch of grown men bullying a girl?"

The three youths turned around at the sound and saw that He Yuyan was alone and his clothes didn't look like those of a local. They immediately perked up: "Where did this wild kid come from? He can't even speak properly. Mind your own business and get lost!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the girl broke free from his grasp and hid behind He Yuyan, whispering, "Comrade, they're hooligans."

Seeing the girl run away, the short young man took two steps up to He Yuyan and shoved him, saying, "Get out of the way, don't delay my business, you hear me?"

"Keep your hands clean." He Yuyan slapped the boy's hand away.

"What's up, you want to practice?" The shorter man waved his hand behind him, and the other two came over as well.

"Help me hold the bike," He Yuyan said to the girl behind her.

"There are too many of them, let's go."

"Still trying to leave? Guys, let's cripple this bastard and take this girl back for some fun." The short youth swung his fist at He Yuyan.

He Yuyan kicked the guy over, and the other two pounced on him. They were just street fighters, so how could they be a match for He Yuyan, a trained fighter? They were all knocked down in a few punches and kicks.

"Watch out, he has a knife!" the girl cried out in alarm.

Then the short man stabbed at He Yuyan with a three-edged dagger. He Yuyan recognized this thing; being stabbed with it would basically take away half of his life, and if it hit a vital spot, there would be no way to save him.

Enraged, He Yuyan no longer held back. With a single, bare-handed move, she snatched the triangular dagger from the blade, then delivered a powerful whip kick that sent the short man sprawling to the ground. The short man's head made intimate contact with the ground, and he was unable to get up.

Seeing how fierce He Yuyan was, and since they didn't have any suitable weapons, the other two dragged the guy on the ground and tried to run away, not forgetting to threaten him: "You dare to leave your number, or this isn't over!"

"You damn bastard, you want to wipe your whole family out!" He Yuyan replied in a way that none of them could understand.

"I'll remember you. You little brat, you just wait."

He Yuyan was about to chase after them when the girl behind her stopped her, "No, don't chase them anymore, there should be more of them, you can't beat them."

"how do you know?"

“I’ve seen plenty of fights in the streets,” the girl said.

"Are there short mules here too?"

"What gangsters? They're just kids from high-ranking compounds, kids from factories, and street thugs who fight when they're bored!" The girl clearly didn't know what gangsters were.

"Oh, that's how it is!"

"Comrade, are you alright? Thank you!" The young woman parked her car, walked over, and said gratefully.

She looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, with delicate features, bright eyes, and a poised and confident demeanor, completely unlike her earlier self.

"It's okay, I can take on ten of them by myself."

"Nonsense!" The girl wrinkled her nose, indicating her disbelief.

"I'm not bragging. By the way, why did you take such a secluded alley?"

"I just came from my classmate's house and got blocked here," the girl said.

"Oh, I see. Then I'll take you to the main road. There are more people there, and they won't dare to bother you anymore."

"Thank you. My name is Zhou Baige. It's nice to meet you. What's your name?" The girl extended her hand.

"My name is He Yuyan." He Yuyan reached out and gently half-clenched her hand before letting go.

Zhou Baige's eyes lit up; she did know some manners.

Then He Yuyan rode his bicycle with Zhou Baige towards the bus stop. Along the way, the girl asked all sorts of questions, and He Yuyan answered the ones he could.

However, he didn't ask about Zhou Baige's identity, which left the girl a little disappointed.

Then, while waiting for the girl to board the bus, she asked before getting on, "Hey, He Yuyan, where can I find you if I want to hang out?"

He Yuyan really didn't dare to tell anyone the address of Lao Fang's courtyard, so she said, "Give me your phone number, I can call you when I have time, and then we can arrange a place to meet."

"Okay, okay!" Zhou Baige left her phone number, then skipped and hopped into the car, waving goodbye to He Yuyan as she got in.

After the car drove away, He Yuyan shook her head and muttered to herself, "He Yuyan, are you possessed?"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and rode his bike to the market. After what had happened, he had no appetite for shopping. His brother had been doing all the shopping these past few days, and he had already figured out the prices.

That evening, while He Yuyan was helping He Yuzhu clear the dishes, she suddenly blurted out, "Brother, I... I've made up my mind. I want to stay."

He Yuzhu was wiping the stove when he heard this, he paused, turned to look at him: "Stay? Stay where? In Beijing?"

"Mm." He Yuyan lowered her head, her voice soft but firm.

He Yuzhu put down the rag, turned around, and carefully examined his younger brother.

When I came back in the afternoon, I noticed that the kid seemed a bit restless, but when I asked him, he just said nothing was wrong.

He frowned: "What happened? What happened during the day? Why did you suddenly change your mind? Weren't you hesitant before?"

He Yuyan was a little flustered by the question and stammered, "No, nothing happened. It's just that I felt maybe I should try living in China."

“No, that’s not right.” He Yuzhu’s tone turned serious. “You’re definitely up to something. Tell me the truth. If you don’t, I definitely won’t let you stay here.”

He Yuyan felt his face burning under his brother's gaze, and after a long pause, he finally stammered, "Well, I helped a girl this afternoon."

"A girl?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow, already guessing seven or eight parts of the story. "A hero rescuing a damsel in distress?"

"You could say that," He Yuyan scratched her head and briefly recounted what had happened that afternoon.

"Is this even considered 'classified'? What's the girl's name?"

"Zhou Baige".

What does his family do?

"I...I didn't ask."

Did you tell her what our family does?

"No, I just mentioned the number of people in my household."

"They're not completely stupid. You might not even meet them again after just one meeting."

“Um, brother, I have her phone number,” He Yuyan stammered.

"I didn't realize you were so good at charming girls, better than the third and fourth brothers."

“She asked me for the address first. I didn’t dare tell her about Uncle Fang’s house or phone number, so I just asked for the phone number,” He Yuyan said.

"That's right. What's the phone number? I'll go ask whose daughter she is."

"No, isn't that unnecessary? Do we really need to investigate this?"

"What do you see in that girl?" He Yuzhu asked.

After He Yuyan stammered for a long time, He Yuzhu finally understood that this was probably the first time his younger brother had met a mainland girl with a completely different temperament from girls in Hong Kong and abroad. Her pure and frank nature, untouched by the glitz and glamour, touched his heart.

"Alright, give me the phone number. I'll ask around and see if you can get close to her. These days, not many people have a phone at home," He Yuzhu said.

"Is there anyone in our family we can't reach?" He Yuyan said.

“This isn’t Hong Kong. Your brother is unemployed now too,” He Yuzhu said irritably.

"Okay, the phone number is ***," He Yuyan finally agreed.

"Clean up the kitchen, I'm going to find Uncle Fang," He Yuzhu instructed before heading to the main house.

"You little rascal, are you slacking off again and making your brother do the work?" Old Fang said with a smile as He Yuzhu came in by himself.

“I didn’t have to do that kind of work anyway,” He Yuzhu said.

When do you plan to go back south?

"It'll be soon. I talked to Zhenhua about the car factory today. If they can make a quick decision, they can come south with me. If not, I'll leave first."

"Time flies so fast!"

"What, you're reluctant to leave? It's not like I'm not coming back."

“Who knows when you’ll be gone, coming and going like this?” Old Fang said.

"You'll have plenty of time to come back in the future. If you're tired, you might as well retire now."

"Easier said than done," Old Fang said.

"By the way, could you please do me a small favor?"

"Go on, I don't think I've ever heard you mention anything trivial," Old Fang said irritably.

"***This phone number, can you help me find out whose it is?"

"What, did I offend you?" Old Fang's aura suddenly changed.

"No, no, I'm just asking whose it is. They didn't do anything to me."

"Then why are you investigating them? This isn't like you. I won't investigate unless you tell me," Old Fang said.

"Okay, here's what happened." He Yuzhu briefly explained the situation.

"Hehe, this is a good thing. I was just thinking about how to keep your fifth son here. It's like a pillow being delivered to someone who's been sleeping. I need to investigate and see who did me such a big favor." Old Fang laughed.

"So you're still thinking about this? Don't tell me you arranged it," He Yuzhu joked.

"Bullshit! If I could do something like that, wouldn't those girls be begging for my life?" Old Fang retorted angrily.

"That's hard to say," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"You little brat, you want a beating, don't you?" Old Fang made a move to get up.

"No, no, I was just joking," He Yuzhu quickly said.

"Hmph, it's easy to find out. I'll just make a call and I'll know." With that, Old Fang stood up and went to make a call.

"toot toot"

"Hello!" came the voice of a middle-aged man from the other end of the line.

"Whose house is this?" Old Fang asked, his childlike curiosity piqued.

"You don't know whose house you're calling from?" The person on the other end was clearly taken aback.

"I called because I didn't know whose house it was," Old Fang said.

A woman's voice came through the phone: "Dad, is that someone looking for me?"

"What does the old man want with you?" the man on the other end said irritably.

"Oh!" The girl's voice clearly showed disappointment.

"Did you leave your phone number with someone? Are you making friends outside?"

"No, no!" The girl was clearly flustered.

"Whose call are you waiting for?" "I'm going back to my room." The girl ran off.

Old Fang and He Yuzhu were chatting about something juicy when they heard the man on the other end of the phone say, "This is Zhou Minsheng's house. Who are you?"

Old Fang was clearly taken aback, and his gaze towards He Yuzhu became somewhat strange.

He Yuzhu gestured for him to reply quickly, but Lao Fang hung up immediately.

"How come your fifth son ended up with his daughter!" Old Fang exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" He Yuzhu asked, puzzled.

"This won't be easy!" Old Fang said.

"What's so difficult to handle?"

"I said marriage is difficult to arrange."

"This is still far from settled, and I'm already asking you to find out who it is, and you're already telling me it's difficult?" He Yuzhu said.

"Hehe, Zhou Minsheng is a real old-fashioned guy. He even went to university before. Being his son-in-law isn't so easy."

“Everyone in my family is a college graduate. Why is their family so picky?” He Yuzhu said nonchalantly.

"Old Zhou made it clear that his son-in-law must be a soldier," Old Fang said.

"He Yuyan, come in here! What are you eavesdropping on at the door?" He Yuzhu shouted at the door.

"Brother," He Yuyan walked in with an awkward smile.

"Did you all hear that?" He Yuzhu asked.

"I heard you, brother."

What are your own thoughts?

“I can join the army,” He Yuyan said stubbornly.

He Yuzhu patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "We've got this agreed, you chose this path yourself, just don't regret it. As for matters of the heart, I won't stop you, but I can't help you much either, it's up to you."

"Brother, what about home?"

"Don't worry, I'm at home."

Where is our mother?

“It’s okay, she’ll understand. If you do well, our family will still need you in the future,” He Yuzhu said.

“Zhu Zi is right. If you really join the army, do your best and make a name for yourself. Your brother might need your help in the future,” Lao Fang said.

"But I heard there are age restrictions for joining the army, and now doesn't seem to be the right time."

"So you've been secretly asking around, huh?" He Yuzhu laughed.

"That's no problem. What kind of soldier do you want to be? I still have an old face to help you get a spot," Old Fang said.

"The army, I guess, since that's what I studied," He Yuyan said.

"There's another issue I need to make clear to you. You can only go in as a high school student, and no one can be told about your Virginia Military Institute experience," Old Fang said.

“No problem, it’s just starting from scratch!” He Yuyan said.

"Hehe, you've got some ambition, kid," Old Fang laughed.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. Of course, you and that girl need to solidify your relationship further, and it would be best if you could settle down. Otherwise, if you go off to join the army and she gets married later, you'll end up with nothing," He Yuzhu teased.

"Brother, no way?" He Yuyan asked nervously.

"So, little brother, keep up the good work." He Yuzhu slapped He Yuyan on the shoulder, making the kid wince.

In the days that followed, He Yuyan made several phone calls to the Zhou family and finally figured out when Zhou Baige could answer the phone.

He Yuzhu couldn't even hear the long phone conversations.

Then He Yuyan started running around every day, and He Yuzhu didn't care, even though he was already in his twenties.

He Yuzhu wasn't idle either. Zhao Zhenhua talked to He Yuzhu several times, but they only discussed his own ideas.

The plan was reported and studied at every level, from the factory to the bureau, the city, and the ministry. Meetings were held one after another, and the plan was revised again and again. Details such as technology transfer fees, foreign exchange quotas, and localization rate indicators were repeatedly negotiated. The efficiency was far superior to that of the special economic zone.

Finally, He Yuzhu got annoyed and told Zhao Zhenhua to contact Hong Kong or Yang Tao in Hong Kong once he had a definite answer. He himself had other things to do and couldn't waste time here.

Zhao Zhenhua was also helpless, but after talking with He Yuzhu for so long, his horizons had broadened considerably.

After He Yuyan and Zhou Baige met at Beihai Park, He Yuyan told her about her plans: "Baige, I'm going to sign up for the army."

Zhou Baige's eyes widened in surprise, then her face flushed, and she whispered, "You, why do you suddenly want to join the army?"

“A real man should protect his country, it’s his duty,” He Yuyan said, puffing out his chest and holding his head high, but his eyes unconsciously drifted towards her. “Besides, some people say that’s what makes someone worthy of another.”

Zhou Baige was incredibly clever and immediately understood the implied meaning. Her cheeks flushed even more, but her heart was filled with joy. She said softly, "Who needs you to be good enough for me? However, joining the army is a good thing. I support you. After I graduate, I'll try to find a job in a military hospital."

Sunlight filtered through the willow leaves and fell upon the two of them, and their youthful feelings quietly blossomed amidst the shimmering lake.

They walked side by side, chatting about their lives and their hopes for the future, their conversation both youthful and sincere.

When they parted, He Yuyan mustered up her courage and handed Zhou Baige a small box containing an exquisite hair clip and a silk scarf: "This is for you."

Zhou Baige opened it and exclaimed "Wow!" Then she said, "Where did you buy this? I've never seen this style in Beijing before!"

"I asked someone to bring it from the south." In fact, it was He Yuzhu who gave it to him. He had too many messy things in his space, so who knew which time he had brought this as a gift and forgot to give it to him.

“I really like it, but I don’t have anything to give you,” Zhou Baige said.

"No need, as long as you like it, I don't need anything," He Yuyan said.

Have you registered?

"Not yet, it's going through the proper procedures. I can't go this year, but an elder in my family is asking on my behalf."

"Oh, do you need my help?"

"no need."

“Actually, my dad is very easygoing,” Zhou Baige said.

“I feel like he’s a lot like my brother; I could tell just by listening to his voice on the phone.”

"Your brother?"

“Yes, he’s my older brother, my role model since I was little,” He Yuyan said proudly.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"My brother," He Yuyan said, picking out whatever came to mind.

"So, Big Brother participated in the battle on the peninsula and was a war hero. What is Big Brother doing now?" Zhou Baige exclaimed.

"Now that things have opened up, my brother is starting a small business."

"Huh? You don't want your job anymore?"

"correct."

"What a pity, your brother's rank is quite high."

"I guess so," He Yuyan replied vaguely.

Is your brother in Beijing?

"What, you want to see him?"

"No, no, I was just asking."

"Let's talk about it later." He Yuyan didn't really want Zhou Baige to meet his older brother right now; he was a little afraid that his brother wouldn't like the girl.

In the third week after arriving in Beijing, He Yuzhu returned south. Before leaving Beijing, He Yuzhu said goodbye to Wang Hongxia's family, cooked a big meal for Lao Fang, asked him to take care of He Yuyan, and finally left He Yuyan some money and instructions, telling him to contact his family as soon as he was settled.

"Fifth brother, you're on your own back home. Be careful with your relationships and work, and think things through before you act. Don't worry about home, I'll take care of everything."

"Okay, brother, I can take care of myself. The family is in your hands now."

"You brat, I've always been the one in charge of the family. Which of you has ever taken care of things?" He Yuzhu said irritably.

"That's what happens when you're the boss," He Yuyan said.

"Alright, don't embarrass me once you're in the army."

"Yes." He Yuyan was about to give a military salute.

"Let's talk about it when you're wearing your military uniform." He Yuzhu grabbed his hand and then let go.

"it is good."

When He Yuzhu left, only He Yuyan saw him off. Others wanted to see him off, but He Yuzhu refused. When he arrived in Huacheng, He Yuzhu did not go to the dock to find a boat, but instead called Liao Wei.

He wanted to go to Xiangdu to take a look, but he knew it was inconvenient to go there, so he could only ask this old subordinate for help.

"Hey!"

"Liao Wei? I am He Fei!"

"Old Company Commander! Where are you?" Liao Wei knew that his old company commander had changed his name and was using the same name after returning. As for how he knew He Yuzhu had returned, Xu Damao had told him.

"I'm at the train station. Where do you work? I'll come find you."

"Just wait for me at the train station, I'll come pick you up!"

"That's fine."

Half an hour later, Liao Wei drove over. He immediately recognized He Yuzhu, ran over, stood at attention, and saluted: "Greetings, old company commander!"

"I won't return the greeting, I'm no longer a soldier." He Yuzhu extended his hand, and Liao Wei lowered his hand and shook hands firmly with He Yuzhu.

Why didn't you tell me beforehand?

"It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I originally planned to go straight back to Hong Kong, but after arriving here, I wanted to visit Hong Kong and the Special Administrative Region, and that's when I thought of you."

"That's right, you should have thought of me," Liao Wei said happily.

How's it going?

"It wasn't as exciting as it was in the military, but I've gotten used to it," Liao Wei said.

"Let's go. Are you working today? If not, I'll treat you to a meal," He Yuzhu said.

"Let me treat you. I'm pretty free except when it's time for conscription," Liao Wei said hurriedly.

"You only earn a few dollars a month. Let's go. But shouldn't you change your clothes?"

"Oh, where are we going? Do we need to change clothes?"

"Of course we'll go to the best place. Da Mao praised you guys a lot last time about Xiangdu. We'll talk about Xiao Gao when we get there," He Yuzhu said.

"High-end stuff? No need, it's too expensive. Besides, we have our own rules."

"Alright, then find a good, clean place to eat. I'll make sure you have enough for today. I brought back some good wine." He Yuzhu patted his backpack.

"Okay!" Liao Wei said happily.

The two found a restaurant in Shunde. He Yuzhu immediately took out four bottles of Fenjiu liquor. After drinking, Liao Wei became more talkative, talking about everything from when he returned to China until now. In the end, Liao Wei slid under the table. Fortunately, he was still conscious. He Yuzhu asked for his home phone number and called his home. Then they went to a guesthouse and booked two rooms.

The next morning, Liao Wei was woken up by He Yuzhu. He was very hungover, and He Yuzhu took him to drink a bowl of congee before he felt a little better.

"Can you come with me to Xiangdu?"

"Sure, I'll just tell my workplace that I'm going to check on how the resettlement is going."

"Okay, go make the call."

Liao Wei made a phone call, and He Yuzhu told him to sit in the passenger seat and give directions. They went to fill up the gas tank first, and then headed straight for Xiangdu. He was really afraid that the kid would drive the car into a ditch.

(End of this chapter)