Chapter 353: Trouble at the Small Tavern

Tian Dan stood in front of Liu Rusi's house, knocking hard on the gate.

"Coming!" Pingping trotted over to open the gate. Seeing it was Tian Dan, her expression froze, and she squeezed out a faint smile: "Miss Tian, please come in. The young lady is in the living room reading."

Liu Rusi stood up from the sofa, walked toward Tian Dan, opened her arms, and gave Tian Dan a light hug.

"Dan," Liu Rusi spoke first, "I didn't expect them to send you to work on me."

The corners of Tian Dan's mouth twitched, forming a bitter smile: "Since you know my intent, I won't beat around the bush." She paused, looking straight into Liu Rusi's eyes: "After careful consideration, the organization hopes you can join us and establish an intelligence station in Hong Kong..."

Liu Rusi took a deep breath. She had assumed Tian Dan was representing the organization to talk to her and persuade her not to marry He Yuzhu; she hadn't expected such an excessive request. She reached out to pick up the hot tea on the coffee table, shook her head, and then gently set the teacup back in its place.

"This matter... is too sudden. Let me think about it."

"I understand." Tian Dan nodded and said with a smile, "However, everything we have discussed today cannot be disclosed to He Yuzhu. This is discipline."

"I understand. Give me a few days, alright?" Liu Rusi said.

"No rush, take your time to consider. Then I won't disturb you any longer!" Tian Dan stood up and walked toward the door. Just as she was about to leave, she paused and looked back: "Xiao Si, perhaps you could also think about it from this angle—if you embark on this path, in a certain sense, you and He Yuzhu will never be 'separated.' Actually... this is also the 'good intention' of one of He Yuzhu's friends."

Liu Rusi froze in place, her eyelashes trembling slightly: "I... will consider it carefully."

At the Northern Automobile Factory director's office, He Yuzhu knocked lightly on Lao Yang's office door.

"Come in!"

"Lao Yang, it's been three days, is there any news?" He Yuzhu asked eagerly as soon as he entered.

Lao Yang looked up from a pile of documents and shook his head: "Zhuzi, this matter is no longer under my jurisdiction. I also have to wait for instructions from above. Go back and wait for news."

He Yuzhu's Adam's apple bobbed; he seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, he just nodded silently.

Without definite news, he really didn't have the face to see Liu Rusi.

At this moment, a trace of regret flashed through He Yuzhu's heart. If he had just laid low honestly after transmigrating, he wouldn't have shackled himself with so much.

But then he thought, if that were the case, he probably wouldn't have met Liu Rusi.

Forget it, don't think about it, just take it one step at a time.

Unknowingly, he had walked to the entrance of the "Hutong Yi" antique shop in Qianmen.

He walked straight into the shop, and the Boss, Hu Yunbin, smiled and greeted him as soon as he saw him: "Zhuzi, a rare guest! You busy man, what brings you to Qianmen to shop?"

"School is on break, and the factory is quiet, so I stopped by to see if you have any good jade." He Yuzhu said while looking at the counter.

Hu Yongbin leaned in closer and lowered his voice: "I recently acquired a few Jade Bi unearthed from a Han tomb. Are you interested?"

He Yuzhu nodded.

Hu Yongbin led him to a storage room on the second floor and took a small cloth bundle from the bottom of a cabinet.

Opening it revealed three circular Jade Bi, their surfaces covered in soil deposits of varying depths, with a "collar" around the edges.

"Yo, a Jade Bi with a 'collar' is rare." He Yuzhu praised.

"You kid really knows your stuff!" Hu Yongbin picked one up, flipped it over, and pointed at the pattern on it: "Look at this design—it's even more exquisite."

It depicted a small figure kneeling on the ground, carrying an ivory tusk on their shoulder.

He Yuzhu recited silently in his heart: "System, check if these three pieces of jade are useful?"

The system responded: "Host, these three are all Ancient Energy Stones. It is recommended to collect them."

He Yuzhu pretended to examine them a few more times and said: "The quality of the jade isn't great, but they are rare old items. Boss Hu, name your price. If it's reasonable, I'll take them all."

Hu Yongbin waved his hand: "What money? Just take them as a gift!"

"No, don't be so polite." He Yuzhu smiled, "Anyway, my sister is paying, she doesn't lack this bit."

Hu Yongbin then nodded: "Alright, twenty Small Yellow Fish, how about that?"

He Yuzhu didn't haggle; he took the gold bars directly from his schoolbag and handed them over: "Twenty exactly, here you go."

"Brother Zhuzi is truly straightforward!" Hu Yongbin put away the gold bars, carefully wrapped the Jade Bi, and handed them to He Yuzhu.

Coming out of the antique shop, He Yuzhu happened to see Cai Quanwu pedaling a tricycle past and quickly shouted: "Cai Quanwu, why are you in such a rush?"

Cai Quanwu braked and looked back to see it was him: "Yo, Zhuzi. I just finished shopping for the Small Tavern!"

"Oh! The Small Tavern has reopened?" He Yuzhu asked in surprise.

"It wasn't closed for many days. The current Boss is Xu Huizhen." Cai Quanwu explained.

He Yuzhu understood and teased: "Second Uncle, have you taken a fancy to the proprietress?"

Cai Quanwu giggled foolishly: "You really hit the nail on the head, kid."

"Let's go, take me to see my future Second Aunt!" He Yuzhu hopped onto the tricycle.

Cai Quanwu felt a bit embarrassed and said sheepishly: "When we get there, don't you go spouting nonsense!"

"I know, I have a sense of propriety!"

The two soon arrived at the Small Tavern.

It wasn't even noon yet, but there were already quite a few people sitting inside; it seemed there were really many idlers in the Qianmen area.

Cai Quanwu moved the purchased rice, flour, and oil to the back kitchen, and only after finishing did he lead He Yuzhu to see Xu Huizhen.

The woman was in her early twenties, with bright eyes and white teeth, and deep-set features; she even had a hint of a mixed-race look, clearly a woman of great charm.

Cai Quanwu leaned over to her and introduced in a low voice: "Boss Xu, this is my eldest nephew, He Yuzhu."

As soon as Xu Huizhen heard the name, she thought for a moment, then suddenly grabbed a feather duster: "He Yuzhu, you bastard! I've been looking for you, and today you actually delivered yourself to my door. You're asking for a beating!"

Xu Huizhen took the feather duster and started hitting He Yuzhu on the head.

He Yuzhu wasn't about to take that lying down; he dodged to the side and cursed: "You stinking woman, the Public-Private Partnership hasn't even started yet, and you're already beating and scolding customers?"

Xu Huizhen gritted her teeth: "My father-in-law was angered to death by you, I want to avenge him!"

He Yuzhu sneered: "Your father-in-law sold fake liquor and was sealed off by the industrial and commercial bureau; you can blame that on me?"

Xu Huizhen rushed out from behind the counter, holding the feather duster and continuing to chase He Yuzhu, who wove between the tables where the customers were sitting.

Xu Huizhen couldn't hit him at all.

Just then, Chen Xueru walked in with a foreigner. Seeing this, she quickly stepped forward to stop Xu Huizhen: "Why are you hitting my friend?"

"Before my father-in-law died, he said it was He Yuzhu who angered him to death, and told me to avenge him!" Xu Huizhen said.

Chen Xueru immediately refused to stand for it and said loudly, "Xu Huizhen, I was there at the time! Your father-in-law was selling fake liquor and was exposed by Zhuzi; he was cursing people and refused to admit his mistake, which is why he was shut down."

After hearing this, Xu Huizhen was so angry that she threw her duster onto the ground: "Forget it, for the sake of your face, Xueru, I won't hit you today."

He Yuzhu laughed to himself: This woman really knows how to act; she is clearly just putting on airs in front of Cai Quanwu!

He walked over and whispered, "Xu Huizhen, when are you marrying my second uncle? When that happens, you'll be a generation above me, and then you'll be able to hit me legitimately, but not now!"

Xu Huizhen's face turned red instantly, and she cursed, "You little brat, are you pushing your luck? Why on earth would I marry your second uncle?"

"Then I'll have to go find a match for my second uncle." He Yuzhu calmly pulled a stack of photos from his pocket, "I came here today because my mother sent me to introduce a partner to my second uncle."

These photos of He Yuzhu's were taken a few days ago at the invitation of Qin Huairu for the female employees of He Ji Restaurant, and he hadn't had the chance to give them to them yet.

Xu Huizhen took them and looked; they were indeed all young women. Especially when she saw the one of Qin Huairu, she was stunned for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Are you trying to fool me, kid? Would these young maidens be interested in your second uncle?"

"My second uncle is a Plainclothes Police officer; he should have told you about this, right!"

Xu Huizhen nodded, walked over to Cai Quanwu, and scolded, "Where did you pick up such a bastard nephew? He's really nothing like your personality!"

Cai Quanwu straightened his back: "This is my own nephew, not picked up!"

"Sharp-tongued; I don't know why, but I feel annoyed the moment I see him!" Xu Huizhen cursed.

Chen Xueru, who was to the side, quietly tugged at Xu Huizhen and whispered, "You'd better not provoke him; he has killed quite a few devils."

Xu Huizhen curled her lip: "The ghost believes that!"

Chen Xueru's voice became even softer: "Do you know those people who smashed my clothing store a while ago? This kid took care of all of them!"

"What? Is this kid a hoodlum?" Xu Huizhen asked.