Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 354 Meeting the Parents

When He Yuyan arrived at the back room, the old lady and Grandpa Chen were sitting inside listening to the radio. When they saw their grandson (grandson) return, they were first surprised, and then they were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling.

"Madam, Grandpa, I'm back." He Yuyan quickly stepped forward.

The old lady, being quite old, squinted to get a better look. When she recognized her grandson, she beamed with joy and waved her over repeatedly, saying, "Come here quickly, let your mother take a look! Oh my, you've gotten thinner and darker. Being in the army must have been tough!"

"It's alright, I'm used to it!" He Yuyan said with a smile.

Grandpa Chen nodded with a smile: "Yu Yan, how long will you stay this time?"

"About twenty days!" He Yuyan said.

"So short?"

“It was supposed to be a month, but the journey will take time,” He Yuyan said.

"Yes, now that you're back, take good care of yourself. Look how thin you've become!" the old lady said.

"Yeah, I really miss home-cooked meals," He Yuyan said. He was thin because of his injury, but the food in his unit was still pretty good.

"Have your father make it for you," the old lady said.

The grandfather and grandson chatted for a while longer, mostly asking about the situation in the army, and He Yuyan only talked about what she could.

After a while, Chen Lanxiang led Zhou Baige to the backyard, while He Daqing pulled He Yuxin to the kitchen.

"Lanxiang, whose girl is this? She's so pretty!" the old lady asked, puzzled, when she saw Zhou Baige.

"Big sister, didn't you see that this girl is also wearing a military uniform? She must have come back with Yu Yan."

"Great-grandmother, maternal grandfather, this is Zhou Baige, my girlfriend."

"So this is Zhou's girl. Come here and let Madam take a good look at her." The old lady beckoned to Zhou Baige.

Zhou Baige was a little embarrassed. He Yuyan nodded to her almost imperceptibly. Zhou Baige blushed and walked up to the old lady, saying, "Hello, Madam!"

"Oh, good, good!" The old lady grasped Zhou Baige's hand and examined her carefully.

"Let's go, let them chat." Old Master Chen patted He Yuyan on the shoulder.

Then, with Zhou Baige looking at him for help, He Yuyan was pulled out by Old Master Chen, who also gave her a helpless look.

"Zhou girl, how many people are in your family? What do your parents do?" The old lady asked as soon as He Yuyan left.

"Both my parents work, and I have two older brothers."

When are you and Xiaoyan planning to get married?

“Madam, Yu Yan hasn’t met his family yet. Our family should meet with his family before the wedding.”

"Yes, yes, Yu Yan, let's get this done while we're back. We're not getting any younger."

"Madam, I..." Zhou Baige panicked even more. She was a well-known feisty woman in the hospital, and after working as a sanitation worker in the front line for a while, her personality was no longer the same as before. However, she was still a little intimidated by the He family, afraid that they would not like her.

"This girl is shy!" the old lady said with a smile.

"Mrs."

"Hahaha, so you're like Yu Yan this time, able to stay for twenty days?"

"Yes, let's go back together."

"If there's room at home, then stay there."

"Grandma, Zhou's family is also from Beijing. She wants to go home."

"Look at my memory, Zhu Zi seems to have mentioned it," the old lady said.

"By the way, Zhu Zi is Yu Yan's older brother."

"Madam, I know, Yu Yan often mentions it!"

"What did you say?"

“They’re all praising Big Brother, saying he’s their role model. They’ve made me want to meet him,” Zhou Baige said.

"That's true, those brothers really do take his brother as their role model!" The old lady nodded.

"Isn't my older brother here?"

"No, he's quite busy. He'll definitely be there for your wedding," the old lady said.

"Oh!" Zhou Baige was a little disappointed. Ever since she met He Yuyan, he had often talked about his older brother, almost praising him to the skies. She was really curious about what kind of person he was.

Once they started chatting, the old lady praised her eldest grandson without reservation, and Zhou Baige heard another version of He Yuzhu, a more three-dimensional one.

After He Yuyan went out, He Yuxin pulled her aside for a chat, mainly asking about the situation earlier. He Yuyan only talked about what she could.

"Is it that tough?"

"Yes, Third Brother, you have no idea."

Lunchtime arrived quickly, and the meal was quite sumptuous. He Daqing personally cooked his signature Shandong dishes.

Zhou Baige was noticeably reserved at the dinner table, but gradually relaxed as Chen Lanxiang kept serving her food and chatting.

After finishing their meal and chatting for a while, Chen Lanxiang glanced at the wall clock and said to He Yuyan, "Why don't you take Baige home? The girl will go home with you as soon as she gets back, so her elders won't be waiting."

"Yuxin, go see your brother and Zhou Yatou off."

"Yes, Mother," He Yuxin said.

After instructing her two sons, she turned to Zhou Baige, "Zhou girl, come over and play whenever you're free. If Yuyan bullies you, tell me, and I'll deal with him."

"Auntie, he won't bully me," Zhou Baige said softly, glancing at He Yuyan.

Chen Lanxiang was even more pleased to see this; this girl's heart was entirely with her youngest son.

"It's settled then, come over whenever you're free, and I'll have your uncle cook you something delicious," Chen Lanxiang said.

"it is good."

After chatting for a few more minutes, a car horn sounded outside. Chen Lanxiang said to He Yuyan, "What are you standing there for? Help Zhou girl with her things. Don't you have any sense of propriety?"

"Oh, oh!" He Yuyan was also very happy to see Zhou Baige and Chen Lanxiang chatting so well.

As Zhou Baige stepped out of the gate and saw the car, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

She had seen this jeep before; it was right ahead. They said it was provided by someone, but she had never seen it anywhere else. They said you couldn't buy one even if you had the money.

Unexpectedly, He's third brother was driving a car. But He's third brother wasn't in the military. She looked at He Yuyan, as if to say, what exactly did her third brother do? He Yuyan just smiled and said, "I'll tell you later."

Once inside the car, Zhou Baige was even more surprised. The interior was far superior to that of the military vehicle, even better than her father's official car, complete with a sofa, a tape recorder, and a heater.

He Yuxin smiled slightly at his expression and said, "Sister-in-law, can you give me directions?"

"Ah, oh, Third Brother, my home is..."

"Hey, take your seats, courtyard."

The car drove all the way to the gate of a large compound in Xicheng with sentries on guard.

Before getting out of the car, Zhou Baige said to He Yuyan, "I'll drop you off here. I can go in by myself." She pointed to the gate where sentries were stationed.

Before He Yuyan could speak, He Yuxin interjected, "That won't do. There are still things we brought for your family in this car. Fifth Brother has to help you carry them in." He patted the trunk. "There's quite a lot. How are you going to carry it all by yourself?"

Zhou Baige turned her head and saw that the trunk was indeed packed full, with several mesh bags containing fruit and snack boxes, as well as two rather heavy-looking suitcases. She paused for a moment, then said, "Third Brother, this is too much trouble, no need."

He Yuxin laughed and said, "Of course, this kid is so clueless, he doesn't even know to prepare a gift for his father-in-law in advance. As his older brother, I have to think of things for him, otherwise how can his father-in-law find him pleasing to the eye?"

Zhou Baige was amused and glanced at He Yuyan.

He Yuyan scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

Zhou Baige walked to the guard post, said a few words to the sentry, and then pointed to the car and people behind her.

The sentry nodded and went back to his post to make a phone call.

A moment later, the sentry put down the phone and came out, saluting Zhou Baige: "Comrade Zhou, the commander said to invite the guests in for a seat."

Zhou Baige was a little surprised and turned to the He brothers, saying, "Third brother, my dad said he would like you to come in and have a seat."

He Yuxin was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Oh, so you're meeting the parents already? Fifth brother, let's go, your third brother will go with you!"

Then he whispered to He Yuyan, "Once inside, stay calm. Our family isn't lacking anything."

He Yuyan took a deep breath and nodded.

He Yuxin drove the two into the compound and, following Zhou Baige's directions, stopped in front of a three-story building.

As soon as the group got out of the car, a tall, middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit walked out of the building. He had sharp eyes and an imposing presence.

He was slightly surprised when he saw the car, but then returned to normal.

Zhou Baige quickly got out of the car, went forward, grabbed the middle-aged man's arm, and called out, "Dad."

Mr. Zhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two brothers, He Yuxin and He Yuyan, who had gotten off the car together.

"Hello, Uncle!" He Yuxin said with a smile.

"Greetings, Commander!" He Yuyan stood at attention and gave a standard military salute.

"Who are you?" Zhou's father asked, looking at He Yuxin.

“I am Yu Yan’s third brother, and my name is He Yu Xin,” He Yu Xin said.

Mr. Zhou was somewhat surprised by He Yuxin's performance. Many people are nervous when they enter this courtyard, let alone meet the people who live here. But this young man was neither humble nor arrogant, and it was clear that he had seen a lot of the world.

"Old Zhou, let the guests in first. How can you leave them waiting outside?" At this moment, a woman came out of the house, who looked about five parts like Zhou Baige.

"Mom, I missed you so much!" Zhou Baige let go of her father and rushed into the woman's arms.

"You little rascal, how old are you now!" Zhou's mother said, but she held her daughter tightly in her arms.

"Let's go inside and talk," Zhou's father said again. He was about to walk inside when he saw the He brothers go straight to the back of the car, open the trunk, and unload a bunch of things.

He was very sensitive to these things, and turned back to ask in a deep voice, "What are you doing?"

“Uncle Zhou, this is Yu Yan’s first time visiting, so we can’t come empty-handed. We’ve brought some food and local specialties,” He Yu Xin said.

Mr. Zhou frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the items before finally settling on He Yuyan: "Come inside first."

He Yuxin nudged her younger brother, and the two of them carried their things inside.

The living room was spacious and simply furnished. A map hung on the wall, the sofa was old, and there was a 12-inch television, which He Yuxin could tell was black and white.

Zhou's mother pulled her daughter down to sit and asked her something in a low voice.

Mr. Zhou gestured for the He brothers to sit down, and then sat on the single sofa opposite them, keeping his back straight.

"Which unit are you from?" Zhou's father asked He Yuyan.

When are you going back to your unit?

"I'll be going back before the Spring Festival," He Yuyan said.

"Have your injuries fully healed?"

"No problem."

"Spend quality time with your family when you get back."

"Yes, Chief!"

Mr. Zhou nodded, then turned to He Yuxin.

"He Yuxin, right? What do you do now?"

"I now do some trading and also run an antique shop."

"No job?" Mr. Zhou frowned.

"Yes, isn't the current policy encouraging independent job seeking?"

"I didn't violate any rules, did I?"

“Old Zhou, how can you ask such a question!” Zhou’s mother said.

“It’s none of your business how you talk to your daughter,” said Mr. Zhou.

"It's alright, Auntie. Everything I did was legal and compliant," He Yuxin said with a smile.

Zhou's father thought about it and realized he had asked unnecessary questions. If there were really a problem, He Yuyan would have been sent back long ago and would still be able to stay in the army.

What kind of trade do you do?

"Home appliances, computers, small devices, and some other miscellaneous items."

Mr. Zhou was taken aback, then seemed to remember something and asked, "Where is your company located?"

"Special Economic Zone".

What is your relationship with the Yellow River Group?

"I am the deputy general manager of Huanghe," He Yuxin said with a smile.

"I see, I see!" Zhou's father suddenly realized. The reason he suddenly asked this question was because He Yuxin mentioned computers. Not just anyone can make those things. As far as he knew, no one could. Even the Ministry of Foreign Trade could only buy a very small number of them before.

Then, suddenly one day, that thing became commonplace, and many departments started getting it pieced together, and the price wasn't so outrageous. That's when he learned about Yellow River Trade. Once he knew about the company, he started paying attention to it and discovered that it was no ordinary company. It was involved in ports, real estate, various factories, and trade.

He works in the mechanical field and had people inquire about it, but it turned out they didn't do that kind of work, which left him feeling helpless.

He knew that the person in charge of that company was surnamed Xu, and as for the boss behind him, he was from Hong Kong and seemed to be surnamed He as well.

After a long pause, Zhou's father suddenly asked, "Who is He Fei to you?"

He Yuxin was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "He's my older brother."

"Big brother? What's his relationship with this kid?" Zhou's father asked, pointing at He Yuyan.

“My dear brother, Yu Yan is the same.”

"He Yuyan, didn't you grow up in China?" Zhou's father suddenly asked.

"No."

"Ah!" Zhou's mother and Zhou Baige both exclaimed in surprise.

"Why did you decide to join the army?" Zhou's father asked, puzzled.

"I originally came back with my older brother to visit, but we met Bai Ge and learned about your request, so..."

"What did you say to this kid?" Mr. Zhou turned to look at his daughter.

“I didn’t say that,” Zhou Baige said, shaking her head.

"So where did you find out, kid?"

"That's what my Uncle Fang told me."

After thinking for a long time, Zhou's father suddenly thought of someone and asked in surprise, "Old Fang, how do you know him?"

“My older brother has known them for a long time.” “They’ve known each other for a long time, a long time!” Zhou’s father murmured, then asked, “When did your family go to Hong Kong?”

This time, He Yuxin answered: "1965."

"I understand. What did your older brother do before he went to Hong Kong?"

“We don’t know either, we were too young back then,” He Yuxin said first.

"Yuxin, come with me to the study. Yuyan, you can talk to your aunt," Zhou's father suddenly said.

"Yes, sir!" He Yuyan replied.

"Dad!" Zhou Baige called out.

“It’s nothing, I was just talking to his brother about work,” said Mr. Zhou.

Zhou Baige looked at her mother, who whispered to her, "It's alright, your boyfriend's family is quite extraordinary!"

"Huh?" Zhou Baige was confused.

"You should ask Yu Yan yourself. I'll go make some tea for your father and the others," Zhou's mother said with a smile as she stood up.

Upon entering the study, Mr. Zhou asked He Yuxin to sit down, and then said, "Should I address you as Mr. He? Is it alright to call you Yuxin?"

“No problem, today I am the junior.”

“Alright, it’s only right for a junior to help his elders, isn’t it?” Mr. Zhou said with a smile.

He Yuxin blinked, realizing that this was what he was waiting for, but he still smiled and said, "Within my ability, I will never refuse!"

Do you know what I do?

"I don't know!" He Yuxin answered truthfully.

"Didn't Bai Ge tell Yu Yan about this?"

"I haven't seen Yu Yan for several years, and we haven't even been in touch."

"Don't blame this brat, his unit is a bit special." Zhou's father actually tried to cover for He Yuyan, which alerted He Yuxin. He knew that the matter he wanted He Yuyan to help with this time was definitely not simple.

"Uncle Zhou, please just tell me what's wrong. I'm getting nervous because of what you've said!" He Yuxin said.

"Hahaha, you're a vice president of such a big company, why are you panicking!"

"This has nothing to do with what you do. The unknown always makes people feel uncertain!" He Yuxin said.

"Alright, I won't beat around the bush. I've been following Yellow River for a long time and have even sent people to contact you. I have a thorny issue now, and I wonder if you can help me solve it?"

"Please tell me, otherwise I won't dare to agree!"

"You sly fox, there's construction going on everywhere in China right now—mines, ports, construction sites—and there's a shortage of good equipment. But foreign equipment is very expensive, and they don't always teach the full technology. I wonder if you guys have any ideas?"

He Yuzhu was taken aback, thinking to himself, "What a coincidence!"

Seeing He Yuxin's expression, Zhou's father said, "What, you can't do it either?"

He Yuxin snapped out of her reverie and thought about how to bring this up. She couldn't make the other party feel that it was too easy, nor could she make them feel that they were incompetent. The most important thing was the issue of secondhand goods.

He Yuxin pondered for a moment before speaking, "Uncle Zhou, to be honest, we have indeed been considering this business recently."

Mr. Zhou's eyes lit up: "Oh? What exactly?"

"It's mainly second-hand equipment," He Yuxin said frankly. "Equipment that has been phased out by some mines and ports in North America and Europe is old, but its foundation is good. We buy it back and refurbish it. The price is only one-third or even less of the price of new equipment."

Mr. Zhou leaned forward slightly: "Renovate? Where will you renovate it? Can you guarantee the technical expertise?"

“We have cooperative repair shops in Hong Kong and the Special Administrative Region. Our engineers are mainly recruited from there, and some parts can be produced in our own factories,” He Yuxin explained. “We can guarantee the quality, after all, we are also afraid of damaging our reputation.”

Mr. Zhou tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, as if weighing his options.

At this moment, Zhou's mother came in with a tea tray and served each of them a cup of tea.

He Yuxin took the teacup: "Thank you, Auntie."

Zhou's mother smiled, then left and gently closed the door behind her.

Mr. Zhou picked up his teacup and blew on it: "Second-hand equipment is not out of the question. But is it possible to introduce some new technology? Even if it's not the most advanced."

He Yuxin put down his teacup: "Uncle Zhou, to be honest, the latest technologies are closely watched and very difficult to obtain. But it's still possible to have technology that is ten or eight years ahead of the current level in China. However, that takes time and opportunity."

Mr. Zhou nodded, indicating his understanding: "Do you have channels for this?"

(End of this chapter)