Chapter 63: Rescuing the Siqiang

"My Fourth Child is from Chenjiagou, and our ancestors were once wealthy too," He Yuzhu hurriedly explained.

Liu Rusi nodded: "Let's go, come home with me, and tell me about this matter in detail."

"Got it! I'll go grab some things." He Yuzhu went to the Houyuan and arrived at the warehouse; in reality, he was pulling a large cloth bag out of his space.

Seeing this somewhat incongruous large backpack, Liu Rusi curled her lip and said: "It isn't, is it some kind of local specialty? No one in my house eats that!"

"How could it be? It's all good stuff!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

Upon arriving at Liu Rusi's small Western-style villa, He Yuzhu couldn't help but exclaim: "Big Sister's place is truly grand, with twenty-four-hour hot water and even central heating!"

As soon as he entered the door, he took the initiative to take off his shoes.

He Yuzhu opened the cloth bag; inside were nothing but Scotch whisky, French red wine, Italian leather goods, Cuban cigars... even Liu Rusi, who had seen the world, was somewhat surprised.

"Zhuzi, you're something else!" Liu Rusi picked this up and put that down, looking it over, "These are all good things, where did you get them?"

"The black market, of course! That place has everything. They even sell Box Cannons. I don't have any other hobbies, I just like collecting these fresh novelties; my Siqiang often scolds me for being a spendthrift," He Yuzhu said with a simple, honest smile.

"Zhuzi, not bad! I accept your kind intentions!" Liu Rusi revealed a smile.

Seeing that the timing was right, He Yuzhu recounted the ins and outs of the matter in detail.

After listening to He Yuzhu's narrative, Liu Rusi thought for a moment, stood up, and said: "Follow me upstairs."

He Yuzhu carefully followed her upstairs, deliberately avoiding stepping on the snow-white wool rug. He was terrified of getting it dirty.

"You look quite rustic, but you're actually quite fastidious in how you do things," Liu Rusi chuckled.

This smile was quite captivating.

"The socks of people like us are all dirty! I can't get the carpet dirty!" He Yuzhu grinned.

Liu Rusi sat in front of a row of telephones and casually picked up the receiver of a yellow phone: "Uncle Huang, it's me, Liu Rusi. That case involving Chen Qingshan... it's a wrongful conviction... this person is a relative of mine..."

Hanging up the phone, she turned around and said: "Go to Jingshi Prison to pick up the person; it's all settled."

"Thank you, Big Sister Liu!"

"By the way, I have a party the day after tomorrow; come and make Boiled Fish for me. There will also be a few foreign friends; do you know how to pan-fry steak?"

"That's a must. Steak, baked cakes, macarons—I can do them all! As long as there's butter, it'll work." In his past life, He Yuzhu studied abroad in the United Kingdom and worked at a cake shop the whole time, so he had learned all those tasks like baking cakes.

"What is a macaron?"

"It's just a small dessert," He Yuzhu explained, "but to make those things, you need an oven. Does your house have one?"

"Pingping, go buy an oven," Liu Rusi called out.

"Right away, Miss!" Pingping responded and left.

After He Yuzhu took his leave, he headed straight for Jingshi Prison.

Jin Hai had accepted the money, and seeing He Yuzhu come over, he gave him plenty of face; not only did he personally help process the paperwork, but he also personally escorted Chen Qingshan out of the main gate.

"The younger generation is to be feared! You found Officer Huang in just one day; impressive!" Jin Hai patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder and praised him.

"Just average, just average. Brother Jin, the He Ji Restaurant at Qianmen belongs to my Siqiang; if you come to eat, the bill is on the house!" He Yuzhu laughed.

"I'll definitely go when I have time!" Jin Hai said politely.

"I'm not being polite with you. When you go, bring Big Sister Yingzi along; she's quite bored at home!" He Yuzhu said.

"Hey! You brat, don't you go having designs on my sister!"

"How could I, Brother? I'm only 11 years old."

Jin Hai burst into loud laughter.

Just as He Yuzhu and Chen Qingshan had walked a short distance away, a sedan suddenly pulled over.

The car window rolled down, revealing Zheng De's gloomy face: "Chen Qingshan, our business isn't over yet!"

He Yuzhu sneered: "Zheng De, don't think that just because you took an emperor's reign title, you can do whatever you want!"

"You just wait!" Zheng De dropped this line and sped away.

He Yuzhu extended his middle finger.

In the late autumn of Beiping, the red lanterns of He Ji Restaurant swayed in the wind.

Just as He Yuzhu followed his Siqiang, Chen Qingshan, into the shop, He Daya hurried up to meet them.

When she saw the bruise on the corner of Chen Qingshan's eye, her tears immediately fell like beads from a broken string. "Dad, you've suffered!"

"I'm fine. You're such a big girl now, still crying," Chen Qingshan reached out to wipe the tears from her face, his tone filled with fatherly love.

He Daya broke into a smile through her tears and turned to ask He Yuzhu: "It must have cost a lot of money, right?" She twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingers, looking very anxious.

He Yuzhu tossed his cotton hat onto the table, revealing his neat, short hair: "Big Sister, it didn't cost any money; it was just a matter of one meal. That big sister has six telephones just sitting in her house; there isn't anything in Si Jiu Cheng she can't settle. From now on, we can walk sideways in Si Jiu Cheng!"

"Don't try to fool me," He Daya curled her lip, "Xiangxiu already told me; you gave away a huge money bag!"

"This little brat," He Yuzhu looked around, "she doesn't dare make a peep when she sees customers, but she sure can talk behind my back!"

"I forced her to tell me, don't blame her," He Daya hurriedly explained.

He Yuzhu's eyes darted around, and to divert the topic of money, he said with a smile: "Big Sister Daya, your name is too rustic; how about you go by Chen Wenjun from now on?"

"That's a good name!" Chen Qingshan was the first to give his approval.

He Daya lowered her head and pondered for a while; when she looked up, her eyes were shining: "Alright, from now on I'll be called Chen Wenjun."

At this moment, Badahutong was a different scene.

Inside Yunjiban in Shaanxi Lane, Zhao Datou and Zheng De were sitting opposite each other at a kang table.

The room was filled with smoke, and two girls wearing silk qipaos were pouring wine on the side.

Zhao Datou was wearing a black satin-faced cotton-padded jacket, and the jade ring on his finger glistened under the lamplight.

"Old Brother, I'm sorry about this time," Zheng De sipped some wine, "those fifteen properties you entrusted me to handle, I'm afraid they're going to be snatched away by someone else."

Zhao Datou patted his shoulder, his jade ring bumping against Zheng De's cotton robe: "It's nothing. Those real estate holdings were originally my eldest brother's, and Lao Er stole them. It was just a coincidence that I ran into you this time, so I thought about getting them back. If they're gone, they're gone; we still have the casino and brothel businesses."

Zheng De sighed and fiercely stubbed out his cigarette, "I just can't swallow this anger! Especially that apprentice of Chen Qingshan's; he's arrogant beyond measure."

"Should I have Xiao Erduo take a few brothers to go and teach him a lesson?" Zhao Datou asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I've troubled you, brother. His Siqiang opened a place called He Ji Restaurant next to Quanjude; that kid is named He Yuzhu, and he's just a waiter!"

"Tomorrow, I'll have Xiao Erduo go smash the shop!" Zhao Datou sneered.

During these days, he had been recruiting men, and he had already gathered over two hundred people under his command; gambling dens, brothels, and opium dens—he was involved in every kind of business, and he had become the number one figure in the underworld of Si Jiu Cheng.

The next morning, as soon as He Ji Restaurant opened its doors, a gang of thugs and hooligans swarmed in.

They occupied the seats without ordering any food and even drove all the other customers out.

He Yuzhu arrived a step too late; as soon as he reached the entrance, he was pulled aside by Li Xiangxiu.

The young girl was so anxious she stamped her feet: "Brother Zhuzi, a group of people came into the shop, occupying the seats and refusing to leave, and they won't let anyone else sit down."

He Yuzhu immediately understood that this was a trick played by Zheng De.

He straightened his collar and strode into the shop. He saw seven or eight men sitting crookedly at the tables, each one looking like a loafer. Some were still cracking melon seeds, spitting the shells everywhere.

"Who is the leader?" He Yuzhu's voice was cold and stern.

The shop fell silent.

He Yuzhu suddenly struck, landing a few slaps that instantly knocked several of the hoodlums to the ground.

"If the leader doesn't stand up today," He Yuzhu said, enunciating every word, "the next thing will be me breaking your legs!"

A young man with a lean, sturdy build slowly stood up.

He was short but solid, and the most striking thing about him was that one of his ears was abnormally shaped, looking just like a little tuft.

"You must be Xiao Erduo, right? From over in Nancheng?" He Yuzhu sized him up. "I've long heard you're a tough guy. Tomorrow afternoon at four, we'll meet at Tiantan. We'll bring two people; you can bring whoever you want."

Xiao Erduo narrowed his eyes: "Kid, you've got a big mouth. Why the afternoon?"

"In the morning, I have to go cook for Shen Shichang's daughter; I only have time in the afternoon!"

"Don't try to scare me. Who doesn't have someone backing them? You're just a lousy cook; they only like your cooking skills. Do you really think the Shen Family can help you?" Although Xiao Erduo was tough with his words, he couldn't help but weigh the truth of the matter in his heart; who didn't know Shen Shichang? He was the Commissioner of Reception.

"I don't like to brag, Xiao Erduo. I can guess who is behind you! I'll make it clear today: if my shop is ever burned or smashed, your head, Xiao Erduo, will definitely be hung on a telephone pole at Qianmen."

After a "tsk-tsk" sound, Xiao Erduo said disdainfully: "Keep blowing your hot air!"

"I'm talking about 'if'; if my shop stays in one piece, I won't come looking for trouble with you!" He Yuzhu deliberately eased the tense situation.

"Deal! Then tomorrow afternoon at four!" Xiao Erduo waved his hand. "Brothers, let's go!"

The gang swarmed out, leaving the restaurant in a mess.

He Yuzhu stood at the entrance, watching their retreating figures, his eyes gradually growing deep and somber.