Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

More importantly, he specifically had it tested by hospital experts, who concluded that long-term, moderate consumption can indeed have remarkable effects in regulating qi and blood, protecting the liver and kidneys, and has no side effects.

This thing is practically a gold standard in the Chinese community.

In addition, the prescription prepared by He Yuzhu, with his superb medical skills, had an immediate effect, making it hard not to become popular.

Lou's father's eyes were calm, but his tone left no room for doubt: "This is just the beginning."

"I could make hundreds of millions, even close to a billion, from traditional Chinese medicine alone in Hong Kong."

He also unveiled his blueprint for real estate development and the Tan Family Cuisine chain – a three-pronged approach encompassing catering, real estate, and traditional Chinese medicine, executed with the precision of a chess game, each move both deadly and brilliant.

"Within a few years, I might be able to achieve a position similar to that of the Huo family."

These words sound arrogant, but when paired with that plan, they seem perfectly reasonable.

It's worth noting that more than a decade ago, when the Lou family was known as "Lou Half-City," their influence was not necessarily inferior to that of the Huo family.

After reviewing the materials, Leader Zhang remained silent for a long time before finally nodding and submitting his opinions overnight.

After a meeting at the higher-ups, and after sending people to secretly assess the situation on Hong Kong Island to confirm that the wind direction was favorable, the approval was finally granted.

It's possible, but there are two ironclad rules—

First, the relationship between the state and Lou's father must never be exposed.

Once the Hong Kong government discovers that there is mainland support behind them, they will be immediately suppressed and blacklisted.

The Huo family serves as a cautionary tale. They made a few appearances, only to be restricted in every way, and now they are being chased relentlessly by other families.

Second, a six-year limit.

Within six years, Lou's father must establish himself and give back to the country by assisting in the procurement of scarce materials and core technologies.

This timeframe was suggested by Lou's father himself—six years was more than enough.

Hong Kong Island is now on the eve of a take-off, with capital flowing like crazy and opportunities everywhere.

He has jewelry alone valued at over ten million; if he really puts it into operation, overnight success is not a dream.

His plan was to first secure the prestigious title of "patriotic businessman," and then use that as an opportunity to promote He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e's engagement. Once the wedding was finalized and the ceremony was held at the end of next year, he would go to Hong Kong Island alone to pave the way.

Once things have settled down, Madam Lou will take over the logistics. Lou Tanshi is not just a descendant of the Tan family cuisine; she has shrewd business acumen and a keen eye for business. With her in charge, both the traditional Chinese medicine shop and the restaurant can be stabilized, allowing Lou's father to focus on foreign trade and real estate development.

Actually, the person he most wanted to bring along was He Yuzhu—that guy was incredibly skilled and practically a walking money tree.

Can the whole family go? No way.

We must retain people in Beijing; this is both a statement of commitment and a way to safeguard our foundation.

Although the Lou family's business is not large, they cannot afford to lose their network of informants.

This year during the Spring Festival, He Yuzhu planned to arrange for He Daqing to meet with Lou's father and finalize the engagement.

*

"Daqing, I just ran into an old neighbor on my way back from grocery shopping."

The white widow went straight to the kitchen as soon as she entered the door, put the vegetable basket on the stove, kept her voice low, but her eyes looked a little flustered.

"So what if we bumped into each other?" He Daqing didn't even look up, his hand moving swiftly as he chopped the radish. "You used to live near Zhengyangmen, where people came and went during holidays. What's so strange about running into acquaintances? Did you two even have a holiday together?"

"No..." the white widow said anxiously, "It's Aunt Fatty! The one I used to get along with quite well."

She suddenly grabbed me and asked if I had run away, why I had moved away so quietly... I said no, and then she told me—"Recently, someone has been asking about us, especially you... You've come two or three times already!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the kitchen fell silent.

He Daqing paused, the knife hovering in mid-air. He slowly raised his head, wiped his hand, and his face instantly turned cold: "Explain yourself clearly, what exactly happened?"

"Well... I went to the delicatessen to get some braised pork hock, and Aunt Pang saw me and tugged at my sleeve, saying mysteriously that a man asked me three times, inquiring about when I left, where I went, and what our relationship was..." The white widow trembled more and more as she spoke, "Da Qing, I'm getting scared. Is it safe for us here? Maybe... we should go back to Baoding?"

He Daqing stared at her, his eyes sharp: "You're not lying to me? Don't tell me you're just making this up to get back to Baoding."

"Why would I lie to you!" The white widow flew into a rage, turning around abruptly. "If you don't believe me, go ask at the alley entrance! You know where I live!"

He Daqing frowned, ripped off his apron, and threw it on the cutting board: "Fine, I'll go take a look."

After saying that, he strode out the door, leaving only the words, "Chop the vegetables, I'll cook them when I get back."

As dusk settled, the twilight pressed heavily against the eaves of the city.

Holding He Yushui's hand, He Yuzhu and He Yushui walked along the still-warm bluestone path until they finally arrived at the old courtyard house at Zhengyangmen.

I'm not going back tonight; I'll just stay here for the night.

But as soon as I stepped inside, the kitchen lights were still on, and the sound of spatulas flying and crackling filled the air—He Daqing was still busy at the stove.

He Yuzhu stood at the door and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Dad, you can cook two dishes all afternoon? Your skills have deteriorated so much? Was your reputation as 'the chef who shook the capital' just a boast?"

"Get lost!" He Daqing didn't even look up, raising his hand to fry oil in the wok, which sizzled and released its aroma. "Now you dare to talk about your father? I was delayed because I went out to run some errands! When it comes to cooking, even if I can't compare to you, the cafeteria star, I'm still in the top ten in Beijing, no doubt about it."

As he spoke, the last dish, stir-fried chicken with soy sauce, slid onto the plate. He ripped off his apron, tossed it aside, and announced loudly, "All done! Let's eat!"

The table was steaming hot, with six hot dishes piled high, two plates of cold jellyfish salad, braised beef, and sliced ​​smoked sausages—eight plates in total, so fragrant it made one's throat tighten.

Although there were only four people eating, the scene was just like celebrating the Chinese New Year.

As soon as He Yushui saw her grandfather, her eyes lit up, and she started chattering nonstop, talking about everything from being in the top three of her grade in the monthly exam to being praised by the teacher, as if she wanted to stick the certificate on her forehead.

He Daqing was beaming from ear to ear, his chopsticks never stopping as he piled food onto her plate, practically working up a flowery display. He kept saying, "Study hard, make us proud! Whether our He family can produce a college student depends entirely on you!"

Not to mention the rewards—get into high school, and you can ride a bicycle straight home; get into university? A watch will be provided! He Daqing could only pat his chest and promise: "On the day you pass the exam with flying colors, Grandpa will give you a red envelope, enough for you to host ten banquets at school!"

The white widow sat listening, her heart aching.

Her two sons work outside in the wind and sun to earn work points, and it's hard for the family to even have a decent meal.

Now, they can't even taste a single bite of this feast of delicacies.

But she dared not say it.

Especially in front of He Yuzhu.

If I were to actually say something like, "Don't spend so much money," I'd probably be kicked out tomorrow and sent back to Baoding overnight.

After the meal, the dishes and chopsticks were cleared away, and the white widow silently cleaned up the mess.

Suddenly, He Daqing pulled out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes and gestured with his chin towards He Yuzhu: "Zhuzi, come with me to the front yard for a smoke."

His tone was ordinary, but his eyes were anything but.

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately got up and followed.

He knew he had something to say.

He Yushui wrinkled her nose: "It stinks!" and skipped back into the house to read her comic book.

The front yard was unusually quiet; the shadows of the locust trees swayed on the ground, as if they were hiding something.

He Daqing lit a cigarette, and the flash of light illuminated half of his face.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled the smoke, his voice lowering: "Zhu Zi... someone is asking about the time when Huiyun and I left Beijing."

"Who?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow. "Asking about you? What for?"

A chef who has been away from Beijing for many years, with no power or influence, whose file is almost moldy, who would be so bored as to dig up this old story?

"It only started recently." He Daqing squinted, the ash between his fingers trembling slightly. "Today, Huiyun went to buy groceries and ran into a former neighbor. That person casually mentioned that someone was going door to door asking if anyone had seen our family leave, when we left, and why we left."

He paused, his voice deepening, "When I heard that, my scalp tingled."

My first thought was... the ingredients have been exposed, and they need to be accounted for."

"I wanted to run away right then and there, so I packed my bags and left overnight."

But after making some inquiries, it didn't seem to be someone from the government... I spent some money and managed to get information out of a gossipy person—who do you think it is?

He Yuzhu's face darkened: "If you don't tell me, I'm leaving now."

I thought it was something serious, but it turns out you just scared yourself, falsified your background, abandoned your family and children, and ran away like your life depended on it? You're really something."

"You don't know anything!" He Daqing lowered his voice. "If something really happens, you'll be the ones who suffer! I'm just protecting my family!"

"Security?" He Yuzhu sneered. "If I relied on my family background to get by, could I have been promoted to a second-level cook? Could I have become the head of the canteen? Besides—do you even know whose daughter I'm about to get engaged to? If you did, family background wouldn't matter at all!"

The wind hasn't risen yet, the thunder hasn't sounded, and the storm is still more than a decade away.

But He Daqing was so frightened that he turned and fled.

What do ordinary people fear most? It's not poverty, it's not hardship, it's being investigated by superiors—even just a question mark can keep someone up at night.

"Our ancestors lived in Beijing. Although I work as a cook, I also did business in my early years. I had two shops and a few rooms, so I would be considered a small merchant."

"Heh." He Yuzhu smirked. "From small business owner to farmer? You've got some amazing skills! You managed to turn two properties under your name into something like a poor peasant. You must have some powerful connections."

He shook his head, his tone laced with sarcasm: "You're not entirely blind; you know that 'the poorer you are, the more glorious you are.'"

Unfortunately, they were too short-sighted and timid; they ran off like rabbits before the wind even came.

He then frowned and said, "Alright, stop beating around the bush."

Who exactly is asking about you? Tell me!

He Daqing stubbed out his cigarette and whispered three words: "Yi Zhonghai."

"Who?" He Yuzhu's pupils contracted, and he turned his head sharply. "Yi Zhonghai?"

The sound suddenly rose in pitch, startling a string of sparrows under the eaves.

"Are you sure you really didn't know about this? A while ago, Huiyun and her neighbor came to the courtyard to see me and happened to run into Yi Zhonghai."