Ouyang Lei nodded. He had taken some time to come and have a meal. The third brother had also arrived and was currently greeting guests outside with Ouyang Long. He would eat something and then bring the two brothers in.
Ouyang Laosan's real name is Ouyang Lu. He works for the State Security Department. Although his official position is under Beijing, he is very elusive. You can't see him for eleven months of the year. This time, he came back from out of town specifically because he was supposedly able to stay in Beijing for a while.
The noise in the courtyard continued until evening before gradually quieting down. The old man sat in the courtyard, looking at his grandson, who was laughing heartily. The old lady was not in the courtyard; she was next to the kitchen, watching a group of people busy at work. If the special nurse hadn't held her back, the old lady would have wanted to go up and show off her skills.
Although the old man met with people all day, he only exchanged a few words with them. Most of the time, the visitors would leave their gifts and take their leave. Not everyone gets to meet the old man. The old man was in a good mood after meeting so many of his old subordinates. Of course, he didn't know that during his afternoon nap, Zhuang Rui had used his spiritual energy to cleanse his body.
A sudden commotion came from outside the courtyard. Zhuang Rui looked towards the entrance and saw a person he often saw on television walking in front, followed by several people carrying video cameras, entering the courtyard.
"Dad, Comrade Zhengguo has come to visit you..."
Behind the man who was a household name across the country, a man who looked somewhat like Ouyang Zhenwu strode forward and called out to the old man. Zhuang Rui knew that this must be his maternal uncle, who was about to enter the center of national power.
Even though the old man was presumptuous, he stood up and accepted the greetings on behalf of the General Secretary, the State Council, and the people of the whole country. After exchanging a few polite words, Comrade Zheng Guo took his leave. After all, there were quite a few elderly comrades living in Yuquan Mountain, and it would take quite a while to visit them all.
"Zhenhua, come inside in a bit."
When the old man saw his eldest son arrive, he didn't say anything. He stood up and, with the help of the nurse, walked back to his room. He knew that his eldest son and Wan'er had a good relationship, but he deliberately left them space to talk. Of course, he was also afraid that his eldest son would bring up the things from back then and he would lose face.
"Little sister, you're getting old..."
After the group left, Ouyang Zhenhua walked to Ouyang Wan's side and gently stroked the white hair on his younger sister's head with his large hand. The image of that mischievous and willful girl from childhood immediately came to mind.
Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. The once innocent girl now has graying temples, which makes Ouyang Zhenhua feel heartbroken and sigh.
"Big brother, I'm...I'm sorry..."
Looking at her older brother who had doted on her since childhood, Ouyang Wan's voice choked up, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face.
Ouyang Zhenwu was more than ten years older than Ouyang Wan. He had always granted her every wish since she was a child and doted on her. He was like a father to her. When they met again after more than twenty years, Ouyang Wan was also very emotional and could not control herself. Tears had already blurred her eyes.
"Silly girl, don't apologize. It's your older brother who didn't take good care of you. Alright, remember you never cry. You're a grandmother now, don't let the younger generation laugh at you..."
Ouyang Zhenhua patted his younger sister on the shoulder, gesturing for her to sit down and talk. Someone quickly brought a chair and placed it next to Ouyang Wan.
"Grandma cried because she was happy, right, Grandma?"
The little girl, who had been nestled in Ouyang Wan's arms, suddenly whispered that ever since her grandmother had shed tears and said those words to her, she had kept them in mind.
"Yes, what a clever little girl..."
Ouyang Zhenhua sat down in a chair, picked up Nannan in his arms, and looked at the younger generation in the courtyard. He said, "I don't need to introduce your aunt. I believe you all know her. But remember this: if I find out that anyone disrespects Wan'er, don't blame me for being ruthless as her uncle and father!"
Ouyang Zhenhua's words made the younger generation in the courtyard feel awe. After the old man, Ouyang Zhenhua had become the new generation leader of the Ouyang family. No one dared to disobey him, and Ouyang Wan's status in their hearts had also risen sharply.
Chapter 362 Going to Hong Kong
The wives of people like Ouyang Long, although they accepted Ouyang Wan's gifts and outwardly showed great respect to this younger sister-in-law, couldn't help but feel a bit contempt in their hearts. After all, their families were prominent, while Ouyang Wan was a widow living in her parents' home, which inevitably gave people the feeling of her being a dependent.
But after hearing Ouyang Zhenhua's words, everyone's attitude towards Ouyang Wan immediately changed. What a joke! If you upset Ouyang Wan, would Ouyang Zhenhua give you a good time? Although the old man is still alive, Ouyang Zhenhua is actually the one in charge of the household.
"Big brother, you arrived even earlier than me?"
Just as Ouyang Zhenhua finished speaking, and the atmosphere in the courtyard became a little tense, another person walked in through the door. This was Zhuang Rui's second uncle, Ouyang Zhenshan. He and Ouyang Wan had not seen each other for decades, and the siblings sat together and chatted for a while.
"Let's go see Father..."
After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Ouyang Zhenhua stood up, called to his two younger brothers, and walked towards the old man's room. Just before entering, Ouyang Zhenhua turned back and said, "Xiao Lei, come here too..."
Watching Ouyang Lei walk away, Ouyang Long couldn't help but show envy. Although he was now a department-level cadre, he was not qualified to attend the core family meetings. Ouyang Lu didn't care. His job was special, so he was relatively indifferent to power. Ouyang Jun, who had just come in with Ouyang Zhenhua, had no interest in it at all. In his opinion, being an official was nothing like his carefree life.
After the elders left, the courtyard became lively again. Ouyang Long and the others' children ran around with Nannan, while Ouyang Hong and the other women naturally chatted about gossip, with their aunt at the center. Zhuang Rui watched this and felt a warm feeling in his heart. It seemed no different from an ordinary family.
More than half an hour later, Ouyang Zhenhua and the others came out. The nannies set up a table in the courtyard, and the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner officially began.
Before the banquet began, Ouyang Zhenhua stood up, took a wine bottle, and filled the three wine glasses in front of the old man with wine. The old man poured the wine from the glasses onto the ground one by one. This was to commemorate his old comrades who had sacrificed their lives more than half a century ago. This is also a tradition of the Ouyang family, and it is done every year.
Aside from that, it was just an ordinary family dinner. The old man was in a good mood and, ignoring the doctor's advice, drank several cups of wine before finally being unable to hold his liquor and going back to his room to rest.
After eating, the Ouyang brothers went to the living room to drink tea and chat. Zhuang Rui, however, was drunk by the Ouyang brothers and didn't even know how he got back to his room. He fell asleep in a daze.
The next morning, Ouyang Hong started clamoring to go to Zhuang Rui's courtyard house. They were all children who grew up in a compound and had a special fondness for courtyard houses. So, the six or seven people drove four or five cars and headed to Zhuang Rui's house in a grand procession.
However, Ouyang Lei did not go; he stayed with his grandfather. Today was the day for them to discuss matters, and the future development of the Ouyang family would be decided today. The Mid-Autumn Festival gathering was actually for this purpose.
"Wow, that's huge! Little brother, you're quite the capitalist..."
"Yes, I didn't expect my little brother to be so capable. No, we can't let him benefit from outsiders. We need to find him a wife from the mainland."
"Yes, yes, I'll take the photos tomorrow..."
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui's house, the group of women immediately launched into a verbal attack on him. Zhuang Rui repeatedly begged for mercy, finally letting them each choose their own rooms, which appeased their desire to act as matchmakers.
The house has running water and electricity, and all the appliances in the backyard are in place, but no one lives there yet. The kitchen is still empty of pots, pans, and other utensils. Zhuang Rui's cousins and their wives discussed it and decided to take Zhuang Min and her aunt to the supermarket, saying they would cook lunch there.
Ouyang Lu seemed to have something to do and didn't come. Now only Zhuang Rui, Ouyang Jun, and the three Ouyang Long brothers are left in the yard; everyone else, including the children, went to the supermarket.
"Sigh, why did I give you this yard in the first place? I should have just bought it myself. What a miscalculation! You owe me compensation, kid..."
Ouyang Jun sat in the pavilion on the pond in the middle courtyard, looking at the lotus flowers covering the pond. He was filled with regret. He had looked for several courtyards in the past few days, but apart from the one that was more than 5,000 square meters, there was no other courtyard as suitable as Zhuang Rui's.
However, Ouyang Jun was powerless to afford that courtyard house, which was over 5,000 square meters in size. You see, the sale of courtyard houses was only allowed this year, and the regulations stipulated that it must be paid in full and that bank mortgage loans could not be used. Although Ouyang Jun was quite wealthy, he could not come up with more than 100 million yuan in cash at once.
When Zhuang Rui bought this courtyard house, the policy on the sale of siheyuan (traditional courtyard houses) had just been introduced. However, nearly two months have passed since then, and those Beijing property speculators have already bought up all the courtyard houses with clear property rights. Those people have no reason to ask Young Master Ouyang for anything. Want to buy? Okay, pay up.
"Hey, Fourth Brother, you're being too polite. I have so many houses, you can just pick a good one to live in. It'll save you the trouble of buying a house."
Zhuang Rui's words puzzled Ouyang Jun. This kid was no longer using the formal "you" when speaking to him. "What do you need my help with? Just say it directly, don't try to sweet-talk me."
Judging from Zhuang Rui's expression, Ouyang Jun had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
"Hehe, Fourth Brother, I'm going to Hong Kong tomorrow, but I heard you need a Hong Kong and Macau travel permit, and I don't have any connections..."
Zhuang Rui got drunk yesterday and completely forgot about this matter. He had promised Qin Xuanbing that he would be in Hong Kong tomorrow, so he had to get the formalities done today no matter what.
"This is a bit tricky. It needs to be done at the police station where your ID card is registered. Wait a minute, let me ask..."
Ouyang Jun really didn't understand the intricacies of the matter, and took out his phone to make a call.
Ouyang Long, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "Come on, fourth brother, look at your pathetic self. Xiao Rui, I'll take care of this for you..."
"Hey, second brother, you've got this kind of ability?"
"Are you looking for a beating?"
Ouyang Long glared at Ouyang Jun, then casually took out his phone, seemingly calling someone to the courtyard. He spoke a few words and then hung up.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang outside the gate. Gu Yun had designed two doorbells. One was like a bell and hung below the gatehouse. As long as this doorbell was pressed, almost everyone in the middle and back yards could hear it. The other doorbell, however, could only be heard by the gatehouse. Zhuang Rui had not yet hired anyone, so he was using the main doorbell.
"Mayor Ouyang..."
When Zhuang Rui went to open the door, the Ouyang brothers followed. As soon as the door opened, a plump middle-aged man in his forties hurriedly and respectfully greeted Ouyang Long behind Zhuang Rui.
"Um, Director Bai, can you get the matter I mentioned to you on the phone earlier settled this afternoon?"
Ouyang Long nodded, took a step towards the door, but showed no intention of inviting the person in. He simply stood at the door and began to speak.
"Yes, we definitely can. If our Beijing office can't even handle something this small, we'll have let down the leaders' trust..."
Director Bai nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice, practically begging for a guarantee.
"Okay, that's good. Xiao Rui, do you have any photos? Give them to Director Bai."
Ouyang Long turned to look at Zhuang Rui.
"No……"
"It's alright, sir. Come with me to take this picture, and you don't need to ask about the rest."
Director Bai is very perceptive. He can tell that Zhuang Rui and Mayor Ouyang have a close relationship. Putting aside everything else, after Ouyang Long arrived in Beijing, he didn't even go to the Beijing Liaison Office, but came to this place. Moreover, he immediately mentioned that he was doing private business, without any attempt to hide it.
"Okay, let's go take pictures now. Second brother, fourth brother, wait a moment, my mom and the others will be back soon."
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement.
"Mayor Ouyang, we'll head over now. If you have time, please come to the Beijing office and give us some pointers on our work."
Director Bai rarely has the opportunity to talk to this mayor who is said to have a powerful background, so he should seize the opportunity to flatter the leader.
"Um,"
Ouyang Long gave a noncommittal reply, and Director Bai immediately took his leave to take Zhuang Rui for a photo shoot.
Taking photos wasn't troublesome at all; there was a photo studio right in the reserve. Director Bai didn't even make Zhuang Rui wait for the photos to be developed. After taking the photos, he took Zhuang Rui's ID card and let Zhuang Rui go back first. The whole process took less than half an hour.
After the women returned at noon, they immediately got to work. The children found a place to play and played hide-and-seek around the garden rockery. The once quiet mansion became lively. Zhuang Rui was afraid that the little ones would fall into the pond, so he ordered White Lion to act as a bodyguard. If anyone approached the pond, White Lion would dutifully bare its teeth and scare them back.
At noon, Ouyang Lei also came over for lunch. It was Zhuang Rui's first meal in the mansion, and it tasted especially delicious. The nagging of his sisters and sisters-in-law also became pleasant to listen to. It seemed that only a female hostess was missing.
After the meal, everyone went to choose their rooms, but the backyard remained untouched, as it was reserved for Zhuang Rui. The seven or eight rooms in the middle courtyard were enough for them.
As expected, Director Bai was very efficient. In the afternoon, he arrived at the courtyard house, sweating profusely, and handed Zhuang Rui the Hong Kong and Macau travel permit he had just processed, along with a first-class ticket for a direct flight from Beijing to Hong Kong the next morning.
Otherwise, how could Director Bai have become the director of the Beijing Liaison Office? It's only right that he handles the tasks assigned by his superiors well, but he can also handle the tasks that his superiors didn't assign or forgot to do. That's what really shows Director Bai's competence.
Due to the tight timeframe, this travel permit only allows Zhuang Rui to stay in Hong Kong for seven days, but that should be enough. If there's still no progress in seven days, Zhuang Rui might as well jump into the Pearl River.
That evening, Zhuang Rui handed the keys to the courtyard house to his mother and took her to set up access control for the garage. Then, he took a jewelry box from the basement and put it in his bag. Inside was a blood jade bracelet. When Zhuang Rui left Pengcheng, he had driven the car out of the villa and specifically went back to get it; it was proving useful this time. ...
Sitting on the plane bound for Hong Kong, Zhuang Rui felt inexplicably nervous. He ordered several drinks, which resulted in him running to the restroom several times. This made the pretty flight attendant in first class look at Zhuang Rui with a strange expression. Could this be some nouveau riche's nervousness on his first flight?
After a flight of more than three hours, Zhuang Rui's plane landed at Hong Kong International Airport. As he walked out of the exit with the flow of people, Zhuang Rui immediately saw Qin Xuanbing standing at the arrivals area.
If Zhuang Rui hadn't arrived by then, Qin Xuanbing would have been devastated. She didn't know why she had come to the airport at 9 a.m., when Zhuang Rui's flight was supposed to arrive at 12 p.m. Although there were many celebrities in Hong Kong, to be honest, there were very few beautiful women.
Qin Xuanbing dressed up specially today, boldly wearing a low-cut, tight-fitting t-shirt paired with jeans, which perfectly showcased her curvaceous figure of over 1.7 meters tall.
Qin Xuanbing's original intention was simply to show her best side to Zhuang Rui, but unexpectedly, as soon as she stood at the airport, many self-satisfied, young, and successful people came up to chat with her.
Even more annoying was the pot-bellied, nouveau riche man with seven or eight rings on his hand who also wanted to get close to her, which annoyed Qin Xuanbing to no end. If it weren't for the fact that she was there to pick up Zhuang Rui, she would have turned around and left long ago.
However, when Qin Xuanbing saw Zhuang Rui, who wasn't particularly handsome but exuded composure, appear at the exit, her grievances immediately vanished. The girl's pride and reserve transformed into the excitement of a lover's reunion. When Zhuang Rui reached her, Qin Xuanbing couldn't help but throw herself into his arms.
The delicate fragrance of a virgin filled Zhuang Rui's nostrils. Looking down, Zhuang Rui almost had a nosebleed. The weather in Hong Kong was still very hot at this time, and Qin Xuanbing's low-cut T-shirt already showed off her cleavage. Now, with the pressure, it made Zhuang Rui's blood boil, and his lower body involuntarily pitched a small tent.
"You...you, you're really wicked..."
With their bodies pressed together, Qin Xuanbing immediately sensed the change in Zhuang Rui's body. Her pretty face turned bright red, and she released Zhuang Rui and walked out of the airport.
"I...I'm innocent! It's all because you're dressed too alluringly!"
Poor Zhuang Rui, carrying his bag, chased after Qin Xuanbing with an almost figure-eight gait.