Chapter 150: Midnight Visitor! Chen Zhiguo Celebrates Three Joys Arriving

Lu Qingshan opened the courtyard gate and saw Chen Zhiguo standing outside, holding a bottle of wine in his hand.

"Zhiguo, why are you here so late?" Lu Qingshan asked, a bit surprised.

"I heard your father was exonerated; that's a great cause for celebration!" Chen Zhiguo said excitedly, "I specially bought a fine bottle of wine to congratulate you!"

"Come in, come in quickly!" Lu Qingshan hurriedly cleared the way, "We happen to be making dumplings to celebrate!"

As soon as Chen Zhiguo entered the courtyard, he smelled the aroma of dumplings and said, "Ah, you caught me just in time!"

"Uncle Zhiguo!" Xiao Xue called in a babyish voice, running to Chen Zhiguo's side.

"Xiao Xue is really well‑behaved!" Chen Zhiguo patted Xiao Xue's head, then looked at Lin Yue'e, "Younger sister‑in‑law, congratulations!"

Lin Yue'e blushed, "Brother Zhiguo, sit down quickly and eat the dumplings!"

"Wait!" Chen Zhiguo suddenly widened his eyes, staring at the red booklet in Lin Yue'e's hand, "What is this? A marriage certificate?"

"Just received it today!" Lu Qingshan waved the red certificate in his hand.

"Wow!" Chen Zhiguo slapped his thigh, "That's three joys at the door! Father exonerated, a new marriage celebration, and a thriving career! Qing Shan, your luck is truly unmatched!"

"Then we must have two drinks!" Lu Qingshan took out wine glasses, "Come, come, Brother Chen, today we won't leave until we're drunk!"

Lin Yue'e gave her husband a glance from the side, "You two, don't just drink, the dumplings are getting cold."

Xiao Xue clapped her little hands at the table, "Right, right, the dumplings are the best! Uncle Zhiguo, try the ones I made!"

Chen Zhiguo picked up an oddly shaped dumpling, took a bite and laughed, "Xiao Xue's dumplings are the most fragrant!"

The two men raised cup after cup, getting more excited as they drank. Chen Zhiguo listened to Lu Qingshan recount the details of his father's exoneration, feeling deeply moved.

"Qing Shan, do you know? Your father's generation truly suffered a lot for our country." Chen Zhiguo raised his glass, "To our ancestors!"

"To our ancestors!" Lu Qingshan drank it down in one gulp.

"By the way, when are you going to the Capital City?" Chen Zhiguo asked.

"The day after tomorrow, I need to sort out the factory matters first," Lu Qingshan replied.

"If you need any proof or an Introduction Letter, come straight to me," Chen Zhiguo patted his chest in assurance, "I can stamp the county public security bureau's seal for you anytime!"

"That's great!" Lu Qingshan laughed.

Xiao Xue, listening dazedly beside them, asked in a babyish voice, "Dad, are you going to a faraway place?"

"Dad is going to see grandpa and grandma, he'll be back soon," Lu Qingshan held his daughter in his arms.

"Then you should bring gifts for grandpa and grandma!" Xiao Xue said seriously, "Mom says bringing gifts is polite."

Chen Zhiguo laughed heartily, "Xiao Xue is right! Qing Shan, your daughter is much more sensible than you!"

The two talked until late night, and Chen Zhiguo finally staggered back. Before leaving he reminded, "Remember, call me if anything happens on the road; I'll keep an eye on you back in the county!"

In the following days, Lu Qingshan devoted all his energy to factory management. The new management system ran smoothly, each department performed its duties, and efficiency improved considerably over before.

Li Jianqiang's wage standards were quickly issued; with base salary plus performance bonuses, diligent workers could earn over forty yuan a month. Once the news spread, people from nearby villages came to inquire about jobs at the factory.

"Factory Director Lu, we've received another big order for orange soda!" Wang Ming ran in excitedly to report, "The provincial capital's department store needs twenty thousand bottles each month! Their purchasing manager says this soda is selling out like crazy in the provincial capital; even the rich can't get it!"

"Good!" Lu Qingshan nodded, "Can the production capacity keep up?"

"No problem! With the new process, we can produce a thousand bottles a day!" Wang Ming said confidently, "And I've tweaked the formula; the taste is better and the cost dropped by five cents!"

Qian Jin also came to report, "Qing Shan, the jerky orders are overflowing! Distributors in Harbin want long‑term cooperation and asked if we can develop new flavors!"

"Excellent!" Lu Qingshan nodded appreciatively, "Remember, quality comes first; we must not lower standards to chase output. Better to earn less than to ruin our reputation!"

Yao Bai'nian also arrived, "Qing Shan, people from the Capital City's Tong Ren Tang and Jinan's Hong Ji Tang came again, saying they want to see our Chinese medicine processing plant! This time they've brought their purchasing manager, who arrived with cash!"

"Tong Ren Tang? Hong Ji Tang?" Lu Qingshan's eyes lit up, "Those are both century‑old brands!"

"Indeed, if we can cooperate with them, our Chinese medicine will truly enter the national market!" Yao Bai'nian said excitedly, rubbing his hands, "I heard they want to order two thousand jin of ginseng slices and five thousand jin of deer antler slices this time!"

Hearing this good news, Lu Qingshan felt much reassured. All three factories were thriving, and he finally could go to the Capital City with peace of mind.

The night before his departure, Lin Yue'e carefully packed his belongings.

"Qing Shan, these are gifts for your parents," Lin Yue'e took out several items, "The ginseng is wild stock we dug from our mountain, the wood ear mushrooms are sun‑dried by us, and there's also jerky produced in our factory."

"Yue E, you thought of everything," Lu Qingshan said, looking at the simple gifts, feeling warm inside.

"These are all our sincerity," Lin Yue'e whispered, "They may not be worth much, but they're handmade by us, more sincere than store‑bought ones."

"And this," Lin Yue'e took out a small parcel, "It's a picture Xiao Xue drew, for you to give to grandpa and grandma."

Lu Qingshan opened it and saw a crayon drawing by Xiao Xue of a family of three; though the artwork was childish, it clearly showed the family holding hands, with the wobbly characters "I love grandpa and grandma" written on it.

"Xiao Xue is truly a little artist! Who taught her those characters?" Lu Qingshan felt warmth in his heart.

"I taught her; she's clever and learns quickly," Lin Yue'e said proudly, "She wants grandpa and grandma to know she's well‑behaved."

"Qing Shan, stay in the Capital City for several days and spend quality time with your parents," Lin Yue'e advised, "You don't need to worry about home affairs; Li Jianqiang and the others are watching the factory, and I can take care of things at home."

"I understand," Lu Qingshan held his wife's hand, "Yue E, when I return we'll hold a formal banquet so the whole village knows you're my properly arranged wife! We'll set off firecrackers for three days!"

Lin Yue'e blushed, "We're already old husband and wife, why say all this?"

"Old husband and wife? We just got married! Do you understand the newlywed bliss?" Lu Qingshan laughed, "And I want the whole world to know that I, Lu Qingshan, married the best wife in the world!"

Early the next morning, Lu Qingshan went to the county public security bureau to see Chen Zhiguo for an Introduction Letter.

"Qing Shan, this is the Introduction Letter for the Capital City," Chen Zhiguo stamped it heavily, "Be careful on the road; call me if anything comes up."

"Thanks, Brother Chen!" Lu Qingshan solemnly put away the Introduction Letter.

"No need to be polite, we're brothers!" Chen Zhiguo patted his shoulder, "Give my regards to your uncle and aunt! By the way, what did your father do before? This exoneration came so suddenly."

Lu Qingshan thought for a moment, "I'm not quite sure; I was clueless as a child, then something happened. Only now do I know he once worked in a central department."

"That's remarkable!" Chen Zhiguo's eyes lit up, "No wonder Ma Defu's group has been much more honest lately; the news must have reached their ears!"

Traveling from the county town to the Capital City required a day and two nights by train. Lu Qingshan bought a hard seat ticket; the journey was bumpy, the carriage crowded and smelly, but his spirits were high.

In the carriage, a middle‑aged man kept bragging about his connections in the Capital City, speaking loudly, "I'm telling you, without connections in the Capital City you can't move a inch! My cousin works in a certain ministry, that's a real power department!"

Lu Qingshan listened beside him, thinking of his past life; if he had stayed in the Capital City, he would probably have this kind of temperament. Thinking of it now, it's truly laughable.

The train finally arrived at Beijing Station early the next morning.

Walking out of the train station and looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar Capital City, Lu Qingshan felt conflicted. In his previous life he never had the chance to come here; in this life he finally could set foot on this land.

People streamed through Tiananmen Square, traffic never ceased on Chang'an Avenue, and this ancient yet modern city made Lu Qingshan both excited and nervous.

Following the address, Lu Qingshan found the Chongwen Guesthouse. It was an unassuming inn, but very clean and tidy.

"Excuse me, does Comrade Lu Hua live here?" Lu Qingshan asked the front desk.

"Yes, yes, room 307," the staff enthusiastically pointed out. "You are his son, right? The old man keeps babbling every day that his son is coming!"

Lu Qingshan carried his luggage to the third floor, stood before the door of room 307, his hands trembling a bit, then gently knocked.

"Who is it?" a hoarse voice came from inside the room.

"Dad, it's me, Qing Shan," Lu Qingshan's voice trembled slightly.

A rapid series of footsteps sounded in the room, and someone shouted "Quick, open the door, quick!" The door was flung open.

An elderly man with hair streaked with gray, a gaunt face but a vigorous spirit appeared at the doorway.

Though the years had left deep marks on his face, those eyes still shone brightly.