Chapter 360 Mid-Autumn Festival (Part 1)
Ouyang Jun was unwilling to return to Yuquan Mountain so early. After retrieving the car, Zhuang Rui parted ways with Ouyang Jun and his wife. He first went back to the courtyard house and put the briefcase containing hundreds of thousands of RMB in the basement of the courtyard house. He dared not leave this thing in the car.
Back in Zhonghai, Zhuang Rui had heard a story about two scavengers who, upon seeing five yuan inside a Mercedes-Benz, smashed the car window with a brick and stole the money. The car owner was left speechless, wondering what could he do even if he caught the two men. In the end, he had to claim compensation from the insurance company himself.
After putting the money away, Zhuang Rui drove back to Yuquan Mountain. Everyone from his mother's clan would be there today. Zhuang Rui was usually busy running around, but today he was determined to stay by his mother's side, which was something Ouyang Wan had repeatedly told him to do.
"Why are there so many cars?"
There's an open space at the corner in front of Zhuang Rui's maternal grandfather's courtyard. People usually park their cars there, but very few people actually go in. Usually, it's just a few cars belonging to the family, but today there were at least ten cars parked there, forcing Zhuang Rui to park his car at the intersection.
"Hey, big brother, what are you doing standing here?"
Zhuang Rui parked the car and had just walked around the corner when he looked up and saw Ouyang Lei standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Beside him was a middle-aged man in his late thirties, dressed in a sharp suit, talking to Ouyang Lei.
"Little brother, you're back? This is your second cousin, Ouyang Long. Come, let's get acquainted."
When Ouyang Lei saw Zhuang Rui, he waved for him to come over.
"Hello, Second Brother. I thought you wouldn't arrive until tonight."
Zhuang Rui stepped forward and greeted him. Looking at his second cousin's appearance, he did resemble Ouyang Lei somewhat, perhaps due to the strong genes inherited from his grandfather. Zhuang Rui's appearance also resembled his mother's. Standing with these brothers, strangers would think they were all brothers.
"This must be Zhuang Rui from my aunt's family, right? I was just talking about you with my older brother. Not bad, you built such a large business from scratch. You're much better than the rest of us."
Ouyang Long was very warm towards Zhuang Rui, which was partly due to the gift his aunt had given him earlier. Before coming, Ouyang Long knew that his aunt hadn't contacted her family for years and that they were living in poverty. However, he hadn't expected her to give his wife a piece of jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of yuan upon their first meeting, which made Ouyang Long put away his contempt for his aunt's family.
"Second brother, please stop joking with me. All of you brothers are now capable of handling things on your own. When will you take care of your little brother?"
Zhuang Rui knew that Ouyang Long was the mayor of a city in the south. A 38-year-old mayor in a high-ranking position was rare in the country. Of course, this was largely due to his second uncle, Ouyang Long's father, who served as the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee in a neighboring province.
The Ouyang family is quite large and prosperous. Among the three brothers of the older generation, Ouyang Zhenwu, the eldest brother, Ouyang Zhenhua, is basically confirmed to enter the central government after this year's plenary session.
The second son, Ouyang Zhenshan, was slightly less capable than his elder and third brothers, but he had been operating in a southern province for over ten years. It was a private territory for the Ouyang family. Although he was a deputy and had never been promoted, he had sacrificed for the family, since all the benefits couldn't be taken by one family.
Needless to say, Ouyang Zhenwu is only fifty-seven years old this year. Given his rank, he could work until he's sixty-five, and he's eager to advance further.
Ouyang Zhenhua has only one son, Ouyang Lei, while Ouyang Zhenshan has two sons. Besides Ouyang Long, who is standing in front of us, the second son is named Ouyang Lu, who also pursues a political career and is currently serving as a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Deputy Secretary in a certain place in Northwest China. Apart from Ouyang Jun, this family can be described as a true political dynasty.
“I just heard from my eldest brother that you went to the Pingzhou Jade Auction a few months ago. Next time you go there, you must visit your second brother.”
The city where Ouyang Long works is not far from Pingzhou and is a major economic city. It would be easy for him to take care of Zhuang Rui. After all, there are so many tasks in city construction, it doesn't matter who gets them. He's his own brother, so of course he should take priority.
Some readers might be upset to read this, but it's true. These days, it's really hard to find people who are honest and selfless. The money that Ouyang Jun ran for his club came from reselling licenses in the past.
"Thank you in advance, Second Brother. By the way, why are there so many cars today? Aren't you worried about disturbing Grandpa's rest?"
Zhuang Rui didn't take Ouyang Long's words to heart. He earned money through his own "ability" and didn't need to rely on his maternal grandfather's influence.
"Hey, it's the same every year. So many people come to see Grandpa during holidays. Before, when Grandpa wasn't in good health, they'd just glance at him and leave, but now everyone wants to chat with him for a bit. Look, they're all waiting in the yard..."
As Ouyang Lei spoke, he gestured towards the courtyard with his chin. Zhuang Rui peeked over and saw that, sure enough, more than a dozen people were standing quietly in the courtyard.
What surprised Zhuang Rui the most was that seven or eight of them were wearing military uniforms, and the lowest rank on their shoulders was lieutenant general, with two generals also holding the rank of general. They stood there with their bodies ramrod straight, just like soldiers waiting to be received by their superiors.
Zhuang Rui now understood why the Ouyang brothers were standing at the door. Putting aside the fact that they were the old man's grandsons, given their status, it was indeed impolite for them to stand here to greet guests. Otherwise, they couldn't expect the old man to stand at the door himself.
"Old Xie, how is the commander's health?"
Just then, the door to the old man's room opened. A lieutenant general walked out, and several other generals surrounded him.
"The commander is in good health, Commander Fang, please go in. He was just talking about you..."
The lieutenant general surnamed Xie spoke to a general.
"What did the commander say about me?"
Commander Fang asked nervously, but no one laughed at him. In front of Old Master Ouyang, no matter how high their position was, they dared not breathe loudly.
"The commander said you didn't send him any wine last year, and he's going to give you a lecture..."
Lieutenant General Xie lowered his voice and said with a smile on his face.
"You old Xie. Just because you were the chief's confidential secretary for a few years, you dare to joke with me? I'll settle the score with you later."
After jokingly scolding him, Commander Fang straightened the buttons on his uniform and his hat, then strode into the room.
"The man who just came out, we all have to call him Uncle Xie. When Grandpa first returned to military service, he was Grandpa's confidential secretary. Now he's a deputy commander of a major military region..."
When Ouyang Lei saw Zhuang Rui staring at the group of generals in shock, he explained the situation to him. However, as he spoke, Ouyang Lei was completely unaware that his own status was no lower than that of Lieutenant General Xie.
"Xiao Lei, it's only been a few years since I last saw you, why are you acting so distant with Uncle Xie?"
As Ouyang Lei was talking to Zhuang Rui, Lieutenant General Xie walked over, slapped Ouyang Lei on the shoulder, and said, "Not bad, good lad. I've always seen you as a soldier since you were little. In a few years, Uncle Xie will be calling you 'Commander'."
"Uncle Xie, what are you saying? No matter what, I'm still just a little kid who's been running around for you since I was a child."
General Xie was very pleased with Ouyang Lei's words, and he pulled him into the courtyard, where they mingled with the group of generals.
"Little brother, you just got back, why don't you go inside and rest? Your aunt and the others are all inside..."
Just then, four or five more people walked over from the side path. Ouyang Long knew that Zhuang Rui had little experience in receiving people, so he whispered something to Zhuang Rui and then went to greet them.
After returning to his room, Zhuang Rui was still somewhat shocked. He had only ever seen his grandfather as an old man, at most when they first met. He might have associated him with the real-life figures from movies and TV shows, but over time, he had come to see him simply as an ordinary old man.
But seeing this scene today, Zhuang Rui realized that even an old tiger still possesses its own majestic power, and its roar can still shake the mountains and forests. Zhuang Rui often saw on TV that a leader would visit and comfort veteran comrades, and each time he would say that these veteran comrades were the wealth of the country. Now, Zhuang Rui's understanding is a little deeper. We can't just look at things superficially.
"Hey, White Lion, stop fooling around. We'll go back to the courtyard house tomorrow..."
There were many people in the courtyard today, and Ouyang Wan was afraid that the white lion would scare people, so she locked it in Zhuang Rui's room. Now that it saw Zhuang Rui come in, it immediately pounced on him excitedly and almost washed Zhuang Rui's face with its big tongue.
After calming the white lion down, Zhuang Rui went to his mother's room, which was also quite lively. Several of his sisters-in-law, along with his married cousin, were chattering away, ready to introduce potential partners to their younger brother. This made Zhuang Rui blush and flee in embarrassment.
"Hey, Xuanbing, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Back in his room, Zhuang Rui was thinking of calling Qin Xuanbing when his phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was Qin Xuanbing calling.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhuang Rui. Did you miss me?
Perhaps it was the romantic atmosphere abroad that influenced Qin Xuanbing, but for the past six months, every time they talked on the phone, Qin Xuanbing asked the same question, and her previous indifference had long since vanished.
"If you don't come back soon, my sisters-in-law and cousins will probably pack me up and sell me off..."
Thinking of those women who had the potential to be matchmakers, Zhuang Rui still felt a chill run down his spine.
"Can't you come to England to see me? I...I miss you too..."
After Qin Xuanbing finished speaking on the phone, a blush rose on her face.
"Okay, I'll go to England after the Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Zhuang Rui was also burning with desire. Although the two often flirted on the phone, it was too late to quench his thirst. After hearing Qin Xuanbing's slightly suggestive words, he wished he could grow wings and fly over right now.
Chapter 361 Mid-Autumn Festival (Part 2)
"Zhuang Rui, I'm no longer in England."
Qin Xuanbing's voice came from the other end of the phone. Zhuang Rui was taken aback, then overjoyed, exclaimed, "You're back? Are you in the mainland?"
However, thinking that Qin Xuanbing would be going back to her home in Hong Kong, how could she possibly come to the mainland for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.
Sure enough, Qin Xuanbing said on the phone, "I'm in Hong Kong, Zhuang Rui. I'm always the one who visits you. Can't you come to Hong Kong just once?"
Zhuang Rui's face flushed slightly. Qin Xuanbing was right; he seemed to have been a bit too passive. Even if it were in the UK, it wouldn't be that far. He could just sleep on the plane and get there.
"Okay, Xuanbing, I'm going to Hong Kong right after the Mid-Autumn Festival. You won't be leaving for a while, right?"
Zhuang Rui made up his mind: he would take charge of his own life and pursue his own happiness, even though he had met many women in the past six months. Of course, they were just acquaintances, but in Zhuang Rui's heart, Qin Xuanbing always held the most important place.
From their initial encounter at the Pengcheng Teahouse to their journey together in Tibet, Qin Xuanbing transformed from aloof and indifferent to tender and gentle. This process filled Zhuang Rui with a sense of pride. Conquest, yes, conquest! My buddy conquered a woman's heart, and now he's about to conquer her body.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Damn it, after I lose my virginity, I'm going to announce it to the whole world. No, that's a bit of an exaggeration. I'll just call that kid Liu Chuan. But then again, there's not much else to say. Speaking of which, that guy wasn't pure for many years.
“I’ll be staying in Hong Kong for another two weeks before heading back to England. Zhuang Rui, are you sure you can come?”
Qin Xuanbing's voice was full of anticipation, a feeling she had ever experienced since her trip to Tibet. Being by Zhuang Rui's side gave her an indescribable sense of security and fulfillment, much like the feeling she had when her parents held her when they weren't too busy as children.
Qin Xuanbing didn't know if this was love, but apart from her family, there was only one man in her heart: Zhuang Rui.
"Yes, I will definitely be in Hong Kong tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow!"
Zhuang Rui said without hesitation, but it seemed that some procedures needed to be completed before going to Hong Kong. So Zhuang Rui postponed the trip by one day and left the matter to Ouyang Jun. One day should be enough, right?
"Okay, then I'll be waiting for you."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Qin Xuanbing felt her heart race. She quickly hung up the phone and sat in her room in a daze, not even hearing her mother calling her for dinner.
"Little brother, what are you grinning about?"
In the dining room of the courtyard, a large group of people were eating together. However, Zhuang Rui seemed a little absent-minded. He held a steamed bun and stared at it for a long time without putting it in his mouth. Zhuang Min couldn't help but feel annoyed when she saw her younger brother's silly look.
"Huh? No, I'm eating."
Zhuang Rui was taken aback, and quickly took a big bite of the steamed bun, but the action seemed to be trying to cover up the truth.
"Isn't your little brother overjoyed to hear that we're going to introduce him to a girlfriend?"
The speaker was my cousin from my maternal uncle's family. Her husband was the grandson of one of my grandfather's old comrades-in-arms. Although it was a political marriage, the couple got married first and then fell in love. Surprisingly, their relationship was very harmonious. His family was also a large and prosperous one, with quite a few girls. That's why she was one of the people who was most enthusiastic about introducing girlfriends to Zhuang Rui.
"Sister Hong, stop joking with me. Everyone says I have a girlfriend. I'm going to Hong Kong the day after tomorrow, and I'll bring her to you all to see."
Zhuang Rui couldn't stand the harassment from these matchmakers any longer, so he simply made it clear: "Once I bring Qin Xuanbing back, you'll all know that those so-called ladies from prestigious families are simply not presentable."
However, Zhuang Rui had always spent Mid-Autumn Festival with his mother and sister since he was a child, which was quite lonely. Now, he had so many relatives, although they were of different backgrounds. But the care and concern from his family warmed Zhuang Rui's heart.
"Xiao Rui, are you going to Hong Kong?"
Ouyang Wan frowned slightly upon hearing this, but then relaxed and said, "Alright, please give my regards to Xuanbing's family elders. If she has time, please come to Beijing and stay for a few days."
Ouyang Wan knew that her son was a very opinionated person, and once he made up his mind, basically no one could change it. Besides, Ouyang Wan herself had experienced interference from her family in her marriage, and she did not want to get too involved in her son's romantic relationships.
It is said that most conflicts between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law arise because the mother-in-law treats her son as her personal property and is unwilling to hand him over to her daughter-in-law, thus causing conflicts. Ouyang Wan would not make such a mistake.
"Okay, by the way, Mom, Sister Hong, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, why don't you all come and stay at my courtyard house for a while? This house needs people to live in it to have any life. It's not good to leave it unattended for too long."
Zhuang Rui suddenly thought of this question and, taking advantage of the large number of people present, brought it up.
"Okay, brother, go back and talk to the guards and see if Grandpa can go."
Ouyang Hong had heard Jiang Ying mention Zhuang Rui's courtyard house before and wanted to see it, but getting the old man to go might be difficult, because if the old man made a move, all the doctors, guards, and the like would have to go with him.
"Well, I'll have someone from the security bureau go to Xiao Rui's place tomorrow. If it's feasible, we'll let Grandpa and Grandma stay there for a while. A change of environment will be good for their health."