Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 389 He Yaozu's Spring (Last day, barely enough monthly votes to make up a round number)
In early December of 1989, the festive atmosphere in Beijing was growing stronger, but the He family's house at No. 95 Courtyard seemed rather deserted.

He Daqing, Chen Lanxiang, and others prepared to set off for Hong Kong ahead of schedule.

He Yuyan and Zhou Baige came to see them off, carrying their son He Yaoyang.

Old Zhao, Wang Hongxia, and Old Fang also came to see them off.

"Old buddy, don't worry, we'll keep an eye on things at home. Not a single broom hair will be missing," Old Zhao said to He Daqing, patting his chest.

Old Fang nodded in agreement: "That's right. When you get there, please give our regards to Zhu Zi. Tell him to rest assured that we've got your back in Beijing."

He Yuxin's family, along with He Ningxue, also set off together.

The huge courtyard was suddenly left with only He Yuyan and her family of three.

Meanwhile, news that He Yuzhu had decided to stay in Hong Kong for the Lunar New Year spread quickly within the Yellow River Group.

All the senior executives hoped that He Yuzhu would hold a big annual meeting. Seeing the high spirits, He Yuzhu thought that everyone had worked very hard in the past few years and made a lot of money. So, he simply waved his hand and summoned all the core executives of the Singapore Laboratory, the Peninsula Taishan, Chen Sheng and Junyue in North America, Dongda University and other core executives back to Hong Kong.

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Yellow River Group held an unprecedented annual gala at its headquarters in Hong Kong.

The banquet hall was brightly decorated and the atmosphere was lively.

When He Yuzhu entered the venue accompanied by Xiaoman and the children, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall.

The highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony and lucky draw.

When the staff carried a table piled high with cash, a model of a luxury car covered in red cloth, and a huge key plaque symbolizing the right to use a villa onto the stage, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

"This year, thank you all for your outstanding contributions to the company!" He Yuzhu stood on the stage, his voice booming. "Bonuses, cars, houses—the company will not be stingy! I hope that next year, we can work together to create even greater achievements!"

Cheers and whistles erupted from the audience, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.

Xu Damao, He Yuxin, A Lang, Gu Yuanheng, Chen Sheng, Xian Xingyao, Yang Tao and others sat at the main table, looking at this grand occasion, and were also shocked.

They were impressed by He Yuzhu's inhumane way of awarding prizes; if they were like this, one can only imagine how others below them would behave.

The effect is absolutely amazing.

After the annual meeting, the He family's mansion on the hillside finally welcomed a true reunion. The arrival of He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang filled the house with the chatter of the elders and the laughter of the children, creating a strong festive atmosphere.

On New Year's Eve, He Yuzhu personally cooked a New Year's Eve dinner that blended flavors from both the north and south of China.

The He brothers sat around a table, toasting and drinking, creating a lively atmosphere.

Looking at their children and grandchildren, He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang had satisfied smiles on their faces. Chen Lanxiang said that she couldn't let go of her grandson He Yaoyang. After returning, she also doted on He Yaochen and kept her grandson with her.

This relieved Cherie Chung; the boy could walk now, and taking care of him was incredibly tiring.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, several Hong Kong television stations jointly organized a charity football match featuring celebrities, inviting major film and television companies and well-known artists to participate.

The Yellow River culture naturally also received an invitation.

"You want us to send people? The only people in our company who can be considered stars are you two lone commanders?" He Ningxue waved the invitation at He Yaozu and He Yaozong with a sly smile. "Big brother, second brother, which of you will go and bring glory to the company?"

He Yaozong immediately waved his hand: "Don't look at me, I know nothing about playing football, I would only embarrass myself if I went up there."

Chung Chuh-hung and Kung Suk-ying also jokingly encouraged Ho Yiu-tsuen, "Yau-tsuen, you should go! Ning-suk-ying said you're really good at soccer! A lot of beautiful women from film and television companies will be going this time, maybe you'll meet someone you click with?"

He Yaozu was a little embarrassed by what he was told, but he couldn't resist the repeated encouragement from his sister and aunt, and finally agreed.

On the day of the match, the stadium was indeed filled with stars, with artists from various film and television companies forming a joint team, which drew cheers from the fans in the stands.

He Yaozu represented Yellow River Culture in the competition. His team consisted of several companies that couldn't gather enough players, forming a joint team.

He Yaozu hasn't played much football since graduating from school, but he has never stopped practicing martial arts, so he still has a solid foundation. After getting used to the half-field, he started to exert his strength, running actively on the field, and his passes and interceptions were quite skillful.

After a breakthrough down the wing, he delivered a well-placed cross, accurately assisting his teammate to head the ball into the net.

The goal drew cheers from the stands, and even the commentator praised it.

In the following matches, He Yaozu's performance improved more and more, and in the end, he led a group of ragtag players to a second-place finish.

After the competition, many celebrities came over to say hello, including some beautiful female stars who showed great interest in the young owner of Yellow River Culture.

Ho Yiu-cho responded politely, saying that there might be opportunities to collaborate in the future, but did not discuss it in detail.

Just as he was about to leave, a figure came up to him.

When Ho Yiu-cho saw that it was Rosamund Kwan, he frowned.

Rosamund Kwan smiled brightly and said warmly, "Mr. Ho, you play football really well! I didn't expect that Mr. Ho is not only good at business, but also so good at sports."

He Yaozu didn't want to talk to her, but there were too many people around, so he could only exchange a few polite words with her.

Rosamund Kwan seemed to want to say more, but Ho Yiu-cho's gaze was drawn to the other side.

A smartly dressed young female reporter with a ponytail is chasing after a celebrity for an interview. She speaks quickly, asks sharp questions, and has a focused and determined expression on her face, radiating energy.

"Brother, brother, you're amazing!" He Ningxue walked over at this moment.

Upon seeing Rosamund Kwan, He Ningxue politely greeted her, "Hello, Miss Kwan!"

Rosamund Kwan was very bothered by He Ningxue's coldness. Her face darkened, and she turned and left with a "humph".

He Ningxue did this because she heard that this Miss Guan had been living a very dissolute life since breaking up with her third uncle, and now she had come to see her brother again. She couldn't stand it.

After Rosamund Kwan left, He Ningxue noticed that her older brother hadn't replied yet and was actually lost in thought. Following He Yaozu's gaze, He Ningxue smiled.

She recognized the woman as Lok Wai-chun, an entertainment reporter for the Hong Kong Island Daily, who was well-known in the industry for her bold and outspoken interviewing style. Coincidentally, she was also her primary school classmate and university classmate.

(A certain celebrity surnamed Qiu has a happy marriage and a fulfilling family life, so let's just use a body double; everyone understands.)
He Ningxue shouted, "Huizhen, look this way!"

Just as Le Huizhen was asking the question and the person opposite her didn't know how to answer, the person heard someone calling her and quickly said, "Reporter Le, someone is calling you, so I'll be going now!"

Le Huizhen glanced in annoyance at the direction of the voice calling her, then a bright smile bloomed on her face: "Ningxue, you're back!"

As she spoke, she grabbed the microphone and ran over, but the fat man behind her, carrying a camera, was dragged along by her.

"Hey bro, I've called the guy for you!" He Ningxue patted He Yaozu on the shoulder and said softly.

"Ah, oh, what?"

“I’ve called the person for you!” He Ningxue said, pointing at Le Huizhen.

"I didn't tell you to call for help?" He Yaozu's face turned slightly red.

"Hehe, just you wait and see what I do."

"What are you looking at?"

"You'll find out soon enough!" He Ningxue smiled mysteriously.

He Ningxue smiled and waved to Le Huizhen: "Huizhen! Over here!"

Le Huizhen jogged over, her ponytail swaying behind her head.

She hugged He Ningxue first, then noticed He Yaozu next to her, her eyes lighting up: "Mr. He? Your performance on the field just now was truly wonderful!"

He Yaozu nodded slightly awkwardly: "You flatter me."

"Ningxue, how come you're with Mr. He? Wait, you also have the surname He, so who are you two?"

"Hehe, this is my older brother. You've met him before, right? Isn't he handsome? You might have forgotten, but we went to watch him compete when we were in elementary school."

"Don't tell anyone, or we won't be friends anymore," Le Huizhen said, embarrassed and annoyed.

"Then you two can have a chat?"

"Oh!" Le Huizhen blushed.

"Hey, you fat guy, this is private time, you can leave now," He Ningxue said to the fat man carrying a camera behind Le Huizhen.

“No, we’re together,” the fat man said, pointing at Le Huizhen.

“It’s not like that now.” He Ningxue snatched the microphone from Le Huizhen’s hand, shoved it into the fat man’s arms, and pushed him aside.

"Hey, what's going on? Why are you being so unreasonable!"

"I'm not going to be reasonable today."

"Fatty, wait for me a moment," Le Huizhen said at this moment.

"Oh, then I'll go to the side first."

"I won't keep you waiting in vain. I'll treat you to sweet soup when we get back," said Le Huizhen.

“Okay!” the fat man said.

He Ningxue stared at the fat man until he retreated six or seven meters before stopping. Then she stood next to the fat man and looked at the two people opposite him.

After pushing the fat man aside, He Ningxue crossed her arms and looked with a smile at He Yaozu, who was standing there somewhat at a loss, and Le Huizhen, whose cheeks were slightly flushed.

Neither of them knew what to say for a moment.

He Yaozu coughed lightly and shifted his gaze to the billboard next to him. Le Huizhen subconsciously twirled the end of her ponytail with her fingers.

"Hey! How long are you two going to stand here?" He Ningxue called out, her voice clearly teasing. "It's so hot after playing football, why don't we find a place to sit down and chat? I know a pretty good ice cream parlor nearby!"

Upon hearing this, He Yaozu glanced at Le Huizhen somewhat awkwardly.

Le Huizhen was also looking up at him, but their eyes met briefly before quickly looking away.

"I," He Yaozu began.

"I," Le Huizhen said at the same time.

The two stopped at the same time.

He Ningxue couldn't help but laugh. She walked back a few steps and said decisively, "Alright, alright, enough with the 'I-I-I'. Let's go now. Brother, do you have time? Huizhen, what about you?"

Le Huizhen nodded gently.

Under his sister's intense gaze, He Yaozu could only hum in agreement.

"Then it's settled, let's go!" He Ningxue took Le Huizhen's arm with one hand and pushed He Yaozu with the other. "Okay, brother, you go get the car first!"

Ho Yiu-cho felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly turned around and walked towards the parking lot, his steps even faster than when he was on the court.

After He Yaozu had walked away, Le Huizhen gently punched He Ningxue and whispered, "What are you doing, Ningxue! This is too sudden."

"Oh, I'm just creating an opportunity for you!" He Ningxue said with a smile. "My older brother seems quite steady, but he's actually very oblivious when it comes to relationships. If you don't take the initiative, he can stay in his own world forever."

"But this is so embarrassing."

"What's there to be embarrassed about? Let's get to know each other first. My older brother is a really nice guy; you'll see once you get to know him better." He Ningxue winked at her.

Le Huizhen looked in the direction He Yaozu had left, a hint of shyness flashing across her face.

He Ningxue pulled her away, and the fat man behind them shouted, "Hey, hey, what about me?"

“It’s fine as is!” He Ningxue replied.

"Fatty, you should go back to the company first."

"I knew it would be like this," the fat man muttered to himself.

On the other side, He Yaozu got into the car and took a few deep breaths to calm his somewhat chaotic mind. He was attracted to this girl (clearly lust at first sight).

He Ningxue pulled Le Huizhen along and followed He Yaozu to the parking lot.

He Yaozu drove his car and followed the directions given by He Ningxue to a well-known ice cream parlor nearby.

The three of them found a booth and sat down. He Ningxue deliberately let He Yaozu and Le Huizhen sit on one side, while she sat opposite them, resting her chin on her hand and scanning their faces with her eyes.

"Brother, that pass you made was really good, it's just that you were a bit slow in your start, otherwise you would have scored already." He Ningxue broke the silence first, but she brought up the very thing she didn't want to talk about.

He Yaozu glanced at his sister helplessly: "It's been a long time since I've played, I'm rusty."

"Huizhen, let me tell you, my brother used to be a key player on the school soccer team, but he was busy with business and that's when he fell behind." He Ningxue turned to Le Huizhen and began to reveal, "Back when he was in school, there were even girls who would come specifically to watch his games!"

This was a double entendre, and Le Huizhen was embarrassed, glaring at her.

He Ningxue pretended not to see it and glanced at her. He Yaozu felt a little embarrassed by what she said, picked up his cup and took a sip of water: "Don't listen to her nonsense, it's not true."

"Why not? I remember a senior student asked me to deliver a letter to you, but I lost it." He Ningxue pretended to be annoyed, but her eyes were glancing at Le Huizhen's reaction.

Le Huizhen found it amusing and asked, "Really? Mr. He must have been very popular back then."

"He's such a quiet guy, all he cares about is studying and playing football," He Ningxue continued to tease him.

He Yaozu gently kicked his sister under the table, signaling her to stop.

He Ningxue pretended to be in pain and cried out, attracting the attention of the guests at the next table.

He Yaozu was even more embarrassed.

Watching the interaction between the brother and sister, Le Huizhen couldn't help but laugh out loud, which lightened the atmosphere considerably.

At that moment, He Yaozu's cell phone rang.

He took it out and saw that it was a call from his mother.

"Mom, yes, she's still outside. She's with Ningxue. I know, I'll be back in a bit."

While he was on the phone, He Ningxue leaned closer to Le Huizhen and whispered, "Look, my older brother is actually quite well-behaved. He comes home as soon as my mom calls him."

Le Huizhen smiled and nodded.

Just as He Yaozu was about to hang up, He Ningxue snatched the phone away, saying, "I'll talk to Mom for a bit more." She then stood up and walked to the side.

She whispered into the phone, "Mom, let me tell you, my brother is chatting with a female reporter right now. Yes, she's my classmate, Le Huizhen. She's a really nice person; you've met her before, she's very pretty. Oh, it's just an introduction, don't overthink it. Okay, okay, we'll be back in a bit."

As He Ningxue spoke, she kept glancing back at the booths with a sly smile on her face.

He Yaozu and Le Huizhen were left alone in the booth, and there was a moment of silence.

“Your sister is just as lively at school; she’s in the same class as me,” Le Huizhen said, trying to start a conversation.

"Huh? University?" He Yaozu was taken aback.

“We actually met in elementary school too, but you have a bad memory,” Le Huizhen teased.

"I've seen her before? When? I don't remember." He Yaozu scratched his head, he really couldn't recall when he had seen the girl in front of him.

"Hmm, let me think, it was probably about ten years ago."

"Ten years, you'll be in elementary school while I'm in high school?"

"right!"

"I don't remember that."

“It seems you really have forgotten. Ningxue took me to watch a football match, and if I remember correctly, you scored two goals,” Le Huizhen recalled.

He Yaozu suddenly realized why his sister had said those things earlier.

He was a little embarrassed: "It's been so long, it's kind of you to still remember."

"Because that match was very exciting," Le Huizhen said with a smile.

Then came another question, "Wasn't it wonderful to be surrounded by so many young girls back then?"

"Huh, you remember this too!" He Yaozu was dumbfounded. How could a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl know so much?
“Of course, that was the first time I watched an older students' soccer game. I never watched soccer before,” Le Huizhen said with a smile.

"So what do you usually do?"

"Back then, I took all sorts of training courses, including dance and musical instruments," Le Huizhen said casually, clearly not wanting to say too much.

"That must be very hard work."

“That’s all in the past, so I’m a reporter now,” Le Huizhen said with a smile.

"Reporters must have a tough job, right?"

“I’m used to it, and I really like this job,” Le Huizhen said with a smile.

On the other end of the phone, Xiaoman teased her daughter, "Are you planning to switch careers and become a matchmaker in the future?"

He Ningxue said that she would retire honorably once her two older brothers had sold their products.

Xiaoman told her to get lost, and He Ningxue replied, "Received, Mommy!" and hung up the phone.

Then she wasn't in a hurry to go over. She found a table where she could see the two of them and just watched them chat. Then she made a harassing phone call to He Yaozong and said a lot of things, the gist of which was that her older brother might be in love, and what about him?

He Yaozong was speechless. Later, no matter what He Ningxue said, he would only reply with one sentence: "We are the same age, just a few minutes apart."

He Ningxue was so angry that she hung up the phone immediately.

She checked her watch and figured it was about time, so she walked over to He Yaozu's table.

When He Ningxue walked back to the booth, neither of them noticed her.

"Cough, cough!" He Ningxue coughed twice, and seeing the embarrassment on the two faces, a triumphant smile appeared on her face.

She picked up her bag and said to the two of them, "Mom is urging us to go back. Brother, why don't you see Huizhen off? I can take a taxi by myself."

Before He Yaozu could speak, Le Huizhen quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need, it's not far from my home, I can go back by myself."

“That won’t do, your home is far away,” He Ningxue insisted, while secretly kicking He Yaozu.

He Yaozu understood and stood up: "I'll give you a ride, it's on my way anyway."

He didn't actually know where Le Huizhen lived, but he was willing to take the job.

Le Huizhen glanced at He Yaozu and nodded gently: "Then, thank you, Mr. He."

He Ningxue winked at her brother, then quickly walked out of the ice room, turning back to say, "I'm leaving now! Huizhen, I'll ask you to come out and play another day!"

"it is good!"

Watching his sister leave, He Yaozu and Le Huizhen exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

After paying the bill, the two walked side by side to the parking lot.

The evening breeze caressed my face, carrying the unique dampness of a Hong Kong night.

"Ningxue, has it always been like this with you?" Le Huizhen asked with a smile.

“She’s always been like this since she was little, so clever and mischievous.” He Yaozu shook his head, but his tone was full of affection.

Upon reaching the car, He Yaozu opened the car door for Le Huizhen.

The car was cramped, and the faint scent of Le Huizhen's perfume wafted through the air, causing He Yaozu to involuntarily sniff.

Le Huizhen almost punched him.

"Which direction is your home in?" He Yaozu asked as he started the car.

"Kowloon Tong." Lok Wai-chun fastened her seatbelt. "Isn't that too far?"

"No, I'm going that way anyway," He Yaozu told a little lie.

The car merged into the traffic, and the two chatted casually, but this time they were talking about work.

He Yaozu discovered that Le Huizhen had unique insights into many things, unlike the entertainment reporters he had in mind who only focused on fashion gossip.

"How long have you been a journalist?" he asked.

"I joined the newspaper right after graduation, and it's been almost a year now," said Le Huizhen. "Although I cover entertainment news, I prefer social news. It's just that I'm relatively inexperienced, so I have to take it slow."

“Very idealistic,” He Yaozu said sincerely.

Le Huizhen smiled and said, "I can't compare to Mr. He, who manages such a large company at such a young age."

“Just call me Yaozu,” he said. “Actually, I was forced into this role because the family business needed people, and I’m a complete novice.”

"Ah, hahaha, that's a really interesting way to put it. Did you come up with that yourself?"

"No, my father said it."

"That uncle must be a very humorous person."

"On the contrary, my father was stern and rarely smiled, but his tolerance and love for us were unparalleled, just like..."

"You look up to the mountains with awe, but when you step into them, you realize how insignificant you are."

"Yes, that's what it means."

"."

The radio inside the car was playing Alan Tam's "Love in Late Autumn," the gentle melody flowing through the small space.

Le Huizhen hummed along softly for a few moments, then noticed He Yaozu looking at her and stopped apologetically: "Did I disturb you?"

"No, it sounds great." He Yaozu smiled. "You sing well."

"It's just a hobby." Le Huizhen blushed slightly and turned to look at the street rushing past the window.

Upon arriving at the apartment building where Lok Wai-Ching lived, Ho Yiu-Tsu parked the car and went around to the other side to open the door for her.

"Thank you for bringing me back." Le Huizhen stood by the car, the night wind blowing through her hair.

"You're welcome." He Yaozu hesitated for a moment, then took out a business card from his pocket. "This is my phone number. If you ever need any help in the future, feel free to contact me."

Le Huizhen took the business card, her fingertips inadvertently touching his palm, and both of them were slightly startled.

“Then I’ll go up,” she said softly.

"OK, bye."

He Yaozu watched her walk into the apartment building before getting back into his car.

He didn't start the car immediately, but sat quietly for a while, reflecting on what had just happened.

Just then, the cell phone rang again.

He answered the phone, and it was He Ningxue's teasing voice: "Brother, did you deliver the person safely? Did you make plans to meet again?"

He Yaozu shook his head helplessly: "Don't worry about it."

“I’m concerned about your marriage!” He Ningxue said matter-of-factly. “Huizhen is a really good person, you should seize the opportunity.”

"Okay, I'll drive first and we'll talk when I get home."

After hanging up the phone, He Yaozu took a deep breath and started the engine.

Back at the hillside mansion, He Yaozu was pulled aside by He Ningxue as soon as he entered.

"How was it? Did the chat go well?" she asked eagerly.

He Yaozu pretended to be serious: "If you care so much, why don't you go and date yourself?"

"I'm just trying to settle my brothers' marriages first!" He Ningxue pouted. "My second brother just said the same thing about me. You brothers are truly of one mind."

Xiaoman poked her head out from the living room: "Yaozu's back? There's soup in the kitchen, go have some." She carefully looked at her eldest son's expression, smiled thoughtfully, but didn't ask any more questions.

He Yaozu responded and walked towards the kitchen.

He Ningxue followed closely behind him, relentlessly pressing for an answer: "Tell me, what is your impression of Huizhen?"

He Yaozu ladled out a bowl of soup, sat down at the table, and finally relented: "She's quite special."

He Ningxue's eyes lit up, and just as she was about to ask more questions, He Yaozu's phone rang again.

This time it was a call from the company. He gave his sister a helpless look, got up and walked towards the study.

He Ningxue watched his retreating figure, smiled smugly, took out her phone, and quickly dialed Le Huizhen's number.

The topic of conversation between the two girls goes without saying, but He Ningxue would always add at crucial moments: "My older brother said that Huizhen is quite special."

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Just wait until we meet, I'll teach you a lesson!" Le Huizhen said angrily.

(End of this chapter)