Chapter 281: Mistaking the Father

Liu Rusi sighed and said bitterly, "That old thing is truly a worry; I really want to fly to the United States and blast him myself!"

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Sister, say what you will, but I know you are cold on the outside and warm on the inside; even if you really went to the United States, you wouldn't be able to pull the trigger."

"Then tell me, what should be done?"

"Why don't you have Zhao Ying send a few 'Military Statistics Bureau veterans' over to keep a close watch on your father. If he really goes too far, just hand him over to Jiang Guangtou."

Liu Rusi was silent for a moment, then nodded: "That is indeed a way. Doesn't he keep saying he wants to be loyal to the Party and State? Just let him go there and be loyal to his heart's content."

After He Yuzhu left Liu Rusi's house and just returned to the Siheyuan, he heard a burst of crisp laughter and noise coming from the courtyard.

The autumn sun was warm, shining on the persimmon tree in the yard; the fruit was turning from green to yellow, not yet fully red, but already very tempting.

Under the tree, a group of little girls were jumping rope happily.

He Yushui, Wang Xiaomi, Li Dahua, and Xiaoqi were all jumping until their faces were flushed red, with fine beads of sweat oozing from their foreheads.

"Brother!" As soon as He Yuzhu entered the gate, He Yushui rushed over and tightly clutched his arm, "Take us to Sister Xueru's store to buy autumn clothes!"

He Yuzhu looked at her sparkling eyes and caught a glimpse of the expectation on the faces of the little girls nearby; his heart softened, and he smiled: "Alright, Brother will take you all there."

Shen Guizhi heard the commotion, walked out, and urged: "Qianmen is packed with people, you must keep an eye on them, don't let them get snatched away!"

"I know, Mother. Why don't you come along too? We'll eat out at noon."

Shen Guizhi waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, I get upset whenever I go to Qianmen."

He Yuzhu knew his mother's emotional knot. Her family had once helped their employer manage a Silk Store, which was eventually burned down by the Japanese devils. Now, every time she went there, it would stir up painful memories.

Qianmen Street after the liberation was much livelier than before.

The sweet fragrance of candied haws floated in the autumn breeze, and the peddlers' cries rose one after another: "Candied haws—sweet and crunchy!"

"Sugar figurines—little monkeys and big tigers, we have everything!"

The old man selling pinwheels, the girl selling hair ribbons—everyone's face was brimming with smiles.

The sound of drums came from the teahouse, and the shouts of street performers echoed throughout the entire street.

As soon as He Yushui saw the candied haws and sugar figurines, she couldn't move her feet.

He Yuzhu smiled and took out money, satisfying them one by one. Before long, the four little girls' hands were full of snacks.

After they finished eating, He Yuzhu led them into the "Xueru Clothing Store."

As soon as Chen Xueru saw him, her eyes lit up, and she walked over quickly: "Zhuzi, it's been a while since you came!"

"Isn't it because I've been busy drawing blueprints for you? I've been staying up until dawn every day." He Yuzhu teased, taking a stack of design drawings from his bag.

"You, you're never serious!" Chen Xueru laughed and scolded as she took the drawings, looking at them one by one carefully. The more she looked, the brighter her eyes became: "These ideas of yours are really good! Printing words on clothes—'Serve the People', 'Labor is Most Glorious', 'Study Hard, Make Progress Every Day'—this idea is so fresh, it's bound to be a hit!"

He Yuzhu chuckled to himself: these things would be cliché in ten years; it's just that the merchants now haven't caught on yet.

The four little girls wandered around the store, but in the end, each only picked one item.

He Yuzhu said loudly: "Each of you can pick three items; if you don't take enough, you'll be missing out."

Chen Xueru also laughed readily: "Four little sisters, pick whatever you like, today this big sister is treating!"

In the end, everyone hugged three new pieces of clothing.

"I'll treat for lunch, what do you all want to eat?" He Yuzhu said.

"Roast duck!" He Yushui raised her hand.

He Yuzhu smiled and looked at Chen Xueru: "Do you want to eat roast duck too? Today we'll let the minority follow the majority."

Chen Xueru pursed her lips and smiled, saying: "Then let's go to Quanjude."

Just as they walked out of the store, they saw three thugs beating up a man of unclear age in front of the door.

He Yushui had sharp eyes and immediately shouted: "Brother! They are beating our father! Go beat them up!"

He Yuzhu was stunned and looked closely—the man, beaten until his face was covered in blood, looked ninety percent like He Daqing. But he could tell at a glance that this person was not He Daqing.

This man had an honest look in his eyes, not at all as slick and shrewd as He Daqing.

Since his sister had spoken, he couldn't just ignore this.

He Yuzhu rushed forward in one stride and kicked out; two of the thugs flew away upon impact.

The third thug swung his fist at the back of his head; He Yuzhu suddenly crouched down and followed with a "Rabbit Kicks the Eagle," kicking the man directly over ten meters away, knocking over a wonton stall.

Boiling soup splashed all over the ground; the man screamed and jumped up, blisters instantly rising on his leg.

At this moment, several patrolling soldiers arrived upon hearing the commotion.

The thugs, being the villains, complained first: "Comrade! It's this kid who hit people! Look, my brother's leg is scalded; hurry up and arrest him!"

The man who looked like He Daqing hurriedly defended himself: "Comrade, they are lying! I'm a pedicab driver waiting for work here; they beat me up because I didn't pay protection money. This little brother saved me! If you don't believe me, ask everyone around!"

He Yuzhu nodded: "This brother is right."

He Yushui, however, ran over and grabbed the hem of the pedicab driver's clothes, crying out: "Father! Why are you pulling a pedicab?"

The man looked bewildered: "Little girl, you can't just call people names; I'm not even married yet!"

He Yushui cried even harder: "You're lying! You are my father!"

The soldiers looked at each other, confused for a moment.

The leader coughed twice: "Alright, alright, stop arguing! Come to the Military Control Commission with us first!"

In front of the patrolling soldiers, the thugs still threatened He Yuzhu: "Kid, just wait to eat prison food! Do you know who our boss is?"

He Yuzhu sneered: "Don't brag to me, let's wait and see."

He quickly wrote a note and handed it to Chen Xueru: "Call this number and say I've been taken away by the people from the Qianmen Military Control Commission, and ask her to come pick me up. By the way, please help me take these sisters home."

He Yushui watched her brother being taken away and wailed again.

He Yuzhu turned his head to comfort her: "Yushui, you really recognized the wrong person; he is not our father."

"You're lying! You're just ashamed that Father is pulling a cart!" He Yushui cried out.

He Yuzhu shook his head helplessly; it was truly impossible to reason with a child.

Chen Xueru hurriedly coaxed: "Yushui, you really recognized the wrong person. His name is Cai Quanwu, he's a 'Wobo' (porter) who often hauls goods for my family."

He Yushui only then slowly stopped her crying, and asked with a sob, "Then with my brother taken away, what should we do?"

Chen Xueru glanced at the slip of paper in her hand and said, "You two come back to the store with me to make a phone call and find someone; your brother will be fine."

On the way to the Military Control Commission, He Yuzhu asked as they walked, "Old brother, you really look like my father, even your puffy eyes are the same. Could you two really be related?"

"What is your father's name?"

"He Daqing."

"My name is Cai Quanwu. As for a relationship... there really is one. Your father and I are half-brothers. After my father died, my mother remarried, and she passed away a few years later. I never went to look for your father."

"Then are you my second uncle?" He Yuzhu asked.

"I suppose so." Cai Quanwu nodded, "I heard news of your father a few years ago, but I haven't heard anything in the last few years."

"What kind of work do you do now?"

"During the day I carry heavy sacks for the grain store, and when I have time, I pedal a tricycle with Qiangzi."

"Second Uncle, I can find you a job at the Bicycle Factory, learning to drive a car, how about that?"

"Forget it, I earn quite a bit now. I make 200,000 during the day, and another 200,000-plus pedaling the cart at night; it's enough to spend, and I don't have any big expenses."

He Yuzhu did not force the issue further and said, "If you have any difficulties in the future, go to He Ji Restaurant and find Chen Qingshan, or go to Xueru Clothing Store; they can both help you."

Cai Quanwu gave a grunt of acknowledgement and asked again, "What is your father doing now?"

"He Daqing is quite something now; he is the Director of the Logistics Department at the Military Factory."

"That is truly a high official; it's comparable to the county magistrate of the past."

The group arrived at the Military Control Commission, where a young soldier received them.

As soon as the few hoodlums entered, they clamored, "The government must uphold justice for us! This guy started hitting people without rhyme or reason!"

The young soldier saw the blisters on the hoodlums' legs and felt a bit of sympathy; then, seeing He Yuzhu talking to Cai Quanwu the whole time and not even looking at him properly, his temper flared up instantly. He stiffened his face and said, "Do you know what kind of place this is? Still grinning and laughing! Stand at attention for me!"

Seeing that this person could not distinguish right from wrong, He Yuzhu immediately became angry and sneered, "Comrade, these few people are hoodlums from the Qianmen area; they are the ones you should be interrogating properly. You shouldn't be picking a fight with me; if you pick a fight with me, you won't have any good fruit to eat."

"Hey! You kid are really arrogant!" The young soldier was completely enraged.