Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 360 A Turning Point in History

He Yuxin hosted a banquet with more than a dozen tables in Hong Kong.

Because everyone there was a friend or relative, the atmosphere was very lively.

Gong Xue, dressed in a traditional Chinese dress, followed He Yuxin to offer toasts with grace and poise, earning her much praise.

During their stay, He Yuxin took Gong Xue on a tour of Hong Kong. Gong Xue was almost speechless with amazement. Everywhere she looked, there were buildings, shops, and docks related to the Yellow River. This brother-in-law was really something else.

However, she also got to know He Yuxin anew. The ports of Kowloon Wharf, Kwai Chung, and Tseung Kwan O were all incredibly large, and He Yuxin had been in charge of them all before.

However, Gong Xue did not ask He Yuxin to give up such great power here to go to the mainland, which He Yuxin was very satisfied with, proving that he did not marry the wrong person.

He Yuyao then dialed the phone number for Sijiucheng.

"Mother, Chu Hong and I have discussed it and we want to hold a banquet in Hong Kong on New Year's Day."

"Yuyao, the old lady probably won't be able to come back for your wedding. Her body is too weak to carry a broken bone," Chen Lanxiang said.

“I know, Mother, but I can’t go back because of my identity. Otherwise, I would have done it on the mainland.”

“We know, we’ll have Yuxin take us back then. By the way, when is Yuxin coming back? His banquet hasn’t been held yet.”

"I'll be going back in a few days. I've been showing my sister-in-law around Hong Kong these past few days."

"We should take a look; it's inconvenient to go back and forth like this," Chen Lanxiang said.

"Now that you're all back, what will happen to Madam and my grandfather?"

"What else can we do? Your second uncle isn't going back. We'll find someone here to help look after things. We won't stay long either; we'll come back as soon as we're done."

"I know, Mother. You should also take good care of yourselves."

"Don't worry, your father and I are both in good health. Just be careful while you're handling the case, okay?"

"I know."

"Since you've chosen the Zhong family girl, you should treat her well."

"I will."

After making the call, He Yuyao told He Yuzhu and He Yuxin about it.

"What kind of wedding room do you want?" He Yuzhu asked.

"I want a 1,000-square-foot apartment. Too big is too much trouble, and I'll have to apply for it myself."

"Then go and choose for yourself, and let me know when you've made your choice."

"Okay, I'll take Chu Hong to choose one when I have time."

"Um, Yuxin, when are you planning to leave?"

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow; Gong Xue has to go back to work."

“Okay, the CBD of the Special Economic Zone is just finished. You and Da Mao can go to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. You might have to stay in the Special Economic Zone for a while. I hope Gong Xue won’t have any objections.”

"No, she's also out and about."

"Well, as long as you can handle it yourself, just don't let your sister-in-law complain that I, as the older brother, am always assigning you tasks."

"Will not."

Before He Yuxin and Gong Xue left, Xiaoman and Zhong Chuhong took Gong Xue on a big shopping trip, buying a lot of clothes and jewelry. When Gong Xue came back carrying big bags, she asked He Yuxin what to do with them. He Yuxin said, "Just take what your sister-in-law and brother's wife gave you."

The two left Hong Kong and crossed the border into the Special Administrative Region, where Xu Damao personally came to pick them up.

"Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Xu Damao. I'm Yuxin's neighbor from childhood, and I also help my older brother with chores now."

"Hello, Brother Da Mao!"

"Your sister-in-law is even prettier than she appears on TV! Yuxin is so lucky!"

"Thank you!" Gong Xue blushed.

"Haha, let's go, let's check out the CBD first, it's on the way anyway, then I'll take you back to your place, is that alright?"

“No problem,” He Yuxin said.

Upon arriving at the buildings in the CBD, Gong Xue exclaimed, "Isn't this just like those in Hong Kong?"

“Yes, the design drawings are based on those from over there. This one is even bigger because there’s no land in Hong Kong,” He Yuxin said.

"Can so many be rented out?"

"Haha, sister-in-law, you don't know this, it's so hard to find a room in our area, they're basically all rented out now," Xu Damao said.

"This, this was just built."

"We started attracting businesses when the building was topped out. It was quite difficult at first, but it only became popular after the Olympics."

"I see. Brother, you have a truly far-sighted vision. No wonder your business has grown so large."

“That’s right!” Xu Damao replied.

After showing them around the CBD, Xu Damao took the two to their accommodation and checked Gong Xue's departure time again. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to make it to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Xu Damao was a little disappointed, as she was a real celebrity.

Xu Damao booked a flight for Gong Xue from Guangzhou to Shanghai. Gong Xue originally wanted to take the train back, but Xu Damao said, "Why go through that trouble? We're not short of money. Do you want to get reimbursed by your company? Trains aren't as safe as planes."

"I can't reimburse you, this is a private trip for me, thank you, Brother Mao!" Gong Xue said.

"You're welcome, you're welcome. Alright, Yuxin, you take Gong Xue around the special zone. I'm going to get busy."

"it is good."

Gong Xue stayed in the special economic zone for two days. He Yuxin took her to the airport in Guangzhou. They were reluctant to part, as she was going back to film a movie. They didn't know when they would see each other again.

"It's okay, just tell me where you went later, and I'll come see you when I have time."

"it is good!"

After seeing Gong Xue off, He Yuxin threw herself into her work.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the CBD was almost finished, and he and Xu Damao were checking the procedures one last time.

On the day of the ceremony, colorful flags fluttered in the breeze.

Many leaders of the Special Administrative Region and people from all walks of life came. He Yuxin and Xu Damao, dressed in suits, stood in the crowd.

After a brief speech, the ribbons were cut, applause erupted, and the crowd began to tour the brand-new skyscrapers.

"Mr. He, Mr. Xu, your CBD is a new landmark in our special economic zone!" a leader said to the two with a smile.

"It wouldn't have been possible without the support of our leaders," He Yuxin responded modestly.

After visiting the CBD, the leaders suggested visiting several key projects of the Yellow River Group in the special economic zone, and the convoy drove to the Yellow River's electronics factory.

The electronics factory is very large, with brand-new factory buildings arranged in neat rows.

The factory manager had already received the news and was waiting at the entrance with his management team.

After touring the production line, the factory manager cautiously asked, "Sir, General Manager He, General Manager Xu, our newly established laboratory has made some progress recently. Would you like to take a look?"

The leader was quite interested: "Oh? There's a laboratory too? Let's go take a look!"

The laboratory is located in a separate two-story building at the very back of the factory area, where security is significantly stricter.

You need to change into anti-static clothing and go through an air shower before entering.

Inside the laboratory, dozens of technicians in white coats were busy at work.

On the workbench were oscilloscopes and signal generators. Next to some disassembled imported electronic products were drawing sheets with hand-drawn circuit diagrams and structural breakdowns.

"What are the main research projects in this laboratory?" asked a leader from the industrial sector.

The factory manager looked at Xu Damao, and Xu Damao and He Yuxin exchanged a glance before nodding to the factory manager.

"Distinguished leaders, our laboratory primarily researches very large-scale integration (VLSI), 1-meter process technology, 1-megabyte DRAM, and so on."

The more he spoke, the brighter the cadre's eyes became, and he asked urgently, "Can you really accomplish all of this? Are there any difficulties?"

The factory manager hesitated and didn't answer. Xu Damao chimed in, "Research and development shouldn't be a problem. Besides, we're short-staffed, especially research personnel!" Xu Damao glared at the factory manager, who had been recruited domestically and seemed a bit timid in front of his superiors.

“Great! Give me a list of what kind of people you need, and I’ll help you find them. I’ll also transfer some people to your team.”

"Well, boss, I can't make that decision myself. I need to consult our boss," Xu Damao said.

"Isn't Mr. He here?"

"My opinion doesn't count." He Yuxin definitely had to agree with Xu Damao.

"Alright then, you guys go and talk to your boss, not just about personnel, but also about technology sharing."

"Okay," the two said in unison.

After visiting the electronics factory, they made a trip to Yantian Port before heading back.

After returning, Xu Damao gave that factory a good scolding. He said, "Why did you have to visit the laboratory? There's a time and place for you to show off your treasures!" Then the factory stopped working and went to the workshop.

The factory manager was inwardly protesting his innocence. He genuinely wanted to curry favor with the higher-ups and get them to pay more attention to the electronics factory, but he had somehow managed to botch it.

Afterwards, Xu Damao called He Yuzhu, who said, "Damao, technology sharing requires a signed agreement; it can't be given away for free. Also, they can only use it themselves, and they can't share it with other factories. If other factories want to use it, they have to sign a new agreement with us."

"I know, bro, there's no such thing as a patent in China."

"It'll be ready soon."

"What about that person? What should we do?"

"You should try to retain them. Whether it's the salary or the technological innovation, these are very attractive to researchers. You also need to talk to the person in charge about this. If the staff are willing to stay in our factory, they can't stop them. Of course, we can forget about academicians and the like, after all, they are their treasures."

"What if you really want to stay?"

"Then let's stay. What's there to be afraid of? We need to develop too."

"Understood!"

Soon after, a group led by the Ministry of Electronics Industry arrived in the Special Economic Zone.

It took more than a week of negotiations between the two sides to reach an agreement. The Ministry of Electronics Industry felt that Huang He's conditions were too harsh and that they wanted to use their power to intimidate others. Xu Damao was not afraid of this, and He Yuxin was even less afraid. He directly told them that if they were not sincere, they could go to the Ministry of Machinery.

The person in charge of the special economic zone quickly mediated and eventually reached an agreement, just as He Yuzhu had said. However, the special economic zone needed to allocate another piece of land to Huanghe because the laboratory's results would eventually need to be implemented in a factory.

The special economic zone agreed, and investing in the Yellow River is much safer than other investments.

As for personnel, they really brought in a lot of elites and key personnel from various factories. You don't even need to think about what they're here for; they'll learn the skills and then leave.

Unfortunately, they overlooked one fact: only a small portion of the equipment for the laboratory had arrived; the rest hadn't been delivered yet, so they hadn't seen it and assumed that they could manage with just what they had.

At the end of August, He Yaozu, He Yaozong, and He Ningxue, siblings, passed through the Special Economic Zone on their way home. Xu Damao took the three siblings on a tour of the Special Economic Zone and let them eat all the local delicacies.

As for business matters, they were simply handed over to He Yuxin, since he wasn't good at leading people around.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, He Yuzhu knew that there would be a small upheaval at the end of the year, and he had Xiaoman prepared in order to prevent being affected. As for making a quick buck, he decided against it.

After seeing off his nephews and nieces who had gone home, He Yuxin was busy in the special economic zone for a while. After dealing with the backlog of affairs, he set off back to Beijing.

When I arrived in Beijing, it was already late autumn or early winter.

Gong Xue took leave from the film crew and rushed from the location to Beijing. The wedding date for the two was set for October 15th.

The National Day parade not only featured new cars from the Beijing Automobile Factory, but also a helicopter formation, a first for the time. Foreigners watching the parade thought the helicopters resembled a certain model, but couldn't identify them.

After the National Day holiday, the Gong family members also arrived in Beijing and were accommodated in a hotel.

Xu Damao and Xu Xiaohui also rushed back to Beijing. He Yuxin called He Yuzhu, who said he couldn't come back. He Yuxin was a little disappointed.

He Yuyan didn't come back either; they couldn't get in touch with her at all.

The wedding banquet was held at He Daqing's restaurant. On the wedding day, the restaurant was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the place was packed with guests.

Besides He's relatives, friends, and old neighbors, there were also some friends He Yuxin had dealings with in the Special Economic Zone and Beijing, as well as several people Gong Xue knew in Beijing.

When the bride was being brought to the groom's house, Gong Xue's sister put He Yuxin in a very difficult position before finally getting the new bride out the door.

After the wedding, He Yuxin and Gong Xue went to Shanghai, where they held a few more tables. Then He Yuxin went to the Special Economic Zone.

Xu Damao called him back because he was too busy. Too many people were consulting about business, mostly purchasing, but some wanted to introduce technology.

Xu Xiaohui can handle simple procurement, but when it comes to joint ventures or joint factory operations, only Xu Damao and He Yuxin can handle it together. This is something the two brothers agreed upon, to fill in each other's gaps and check for omissions.

In December, the joint statement was signed, and Hong Kong experienced a brief period of turmoil before returning to normalcy, marking the beginning of 1985.

In January 1985, the weather in Hong Kong was slightly cool, but the Kong Ho family home was filled with joy.

He Yuyao and Cherie Chung's wedding was scheduled for January 10th, and He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang arrived in Hong Kong a week in advance.

When the plane landed in Huacheng, He Yuxin went to pick it up.

Looking at the street scenes rushing past the car window, Chen Lanxiang couldn't help but sigh, "This place has changed quite a bit."

"Mother, the special economic zone has changed even more."

"Then I'll have to take a good look."

In the days leading up to the wedding, the He family villa was exceptionally lively.

He Yuzhu and Xiaoman were busy making overall arrangements, He Yuxin and Gong Xue also rushed back from the mainland, and Xu Damao and his wife came early to help.

Servants bustled about the house, preparing everything needed for the wedding.

He Yuyao brought Cherie Chung to the old house to try on wedding dresses. The traditional Chinese wedding dresses were handmade by a master craftsman, and the dragon and phoenix patterns embroidered with gold thread were lifelike.

"So handsome!" Chen Lanxiang held Zhong Chuhong's hand, her eyes slightly red. "Our fourth son is married now."

As soon as she finished speaking, she wiped her eyes and said, "Look at me, I should be happy, Zhong girl, isn't Yuyao good to you?"

“It’s great!” Zhong Chuhong said, blushing.

On the wedding day, the Grand Hyatt Hotel's banquet hall was brightly lit and filled with guests.

Hong Kong celebrities, police colleagues, and business partners gathered together.

The audience erupted in applause as the newlyweds entered.

He Yuyao, dressed in a custom-made auspicious outfit, looked like the silly son of a landlord, grinning from ear to ear.

Zhong Chu was radiant in her phoenix coronet and wedding gown; the two of them standing together looked like a perfect couple.

After the ceremony, the toasting began. He Yuyao's colleagues in the police force were the most boisterous, making him drink quite a lot of alcohol.

Midway through the banquet, He Yuzhu stood up to give a speech, which was met with thunderous applause once again.

Xiaoman sat at the main table, looking at everything before her, and gently nudged Chen Lanxiang beside her: "Mother, look how happy Yuyao is."

Chen Lanxiang wiped her eyes: "Yes, I'm relieved that they've all started their own families."

The wedding banquet lasted until late at night.

After seeing off the guests, the He family returned to their old house. Although tired, they were still immersed in joy.

He Yuyao and Cherie Chung were to embark on their honeymoon the following day, with Europe as their destination.

Chen Lanxiang was worried about the old lady, so after the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, she and He Daqing returned to Beijing. Before leaving, she reminded He Yuzhu to take the children back with her, and He Yuzhu agreed.

He Yuxin and Gong Xue also returned to the mainland together. On the way, Gong Xue said to He Yuxin, "Yuxin, I don't want to film anymore after this movie. I want to be with you. I want to have a child."

"Then you should give up your job. I'm always traveling around."

"I'll try to get you transferred to Beijing, so you won't have to travel to so many different places."

"Can it be adjusted? Do you want me to ask for you?"

"It should be fine. The Beijing People's Art Theatre contacted me."

"Okay, let's try to have a big, healthy baby boy this year."

"It can't be that fast!" Gong Xue punched He Yuxin.

(End of this chapter)