Chapter 875: He Yaozu Has Changed

Ever since Yan Bugui saw that gathering of the He Family at the Nanluoguxiang Nursing Home, he had been like an eggplant hit by frost—wilted, and carrying a sense of pent-up malice.

He holed up in the activity room every day, buttonholing any old man or woman he could find to whisper in their ears, repeating the same few things over and over: He Yuzhu is no good, morally corrupt, and uncharitable; yet only after he sold his house did he pay to renovate the Siheyuan, and now that the Siheyuan is renovated like a prince's mansion, only his close friends live there... I am going to report him...

This talk spread quickly.

Within two days, it reached Wang Xia's ears.

Wang Xia was the Dean, and she had single-handedly managed every aspect of this nursing home. When she heard about this, she didn't get angry; she went straight to find Yan Bugui.

"Lao Yan," Wang Xia said, standing before him, "how exactly did He Yuzhu offend you? You badmouth him behind his back every day and even say you're going to report him—do you know who paid for this nursing home to have its current scale and current conditions?"

Yan Bugui opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.

"It was all sponsored by He Yuzhu," Wang Xia said, enunciating every word. "If you continue like this, I think we should just terminate our contract."

As soon as these words came out, Yan Bugui nearly slid off his chair.

He had only been able to enter this nursing home because Wang Xia had looked after him. His meager pension wasn't enough for him and his wife to live in this nursing home.

Now that he had sold his house, if the nursing home really terminated his contract, where would he go?

Yan Bugui managed to squeeze an awkward smile onto his face and coughed twice: "I... I'm an old man nearly eighty years old, and I don't have any other hobbies, just chatting about things I've heard here and there; is that not allowed? I didn't really want to report anyone."

Wang Xia looked at him without replying.

Yan Bugui hurriedly added: "Besides, the things I said about He Yuzhu are all true; the fact that he has twenty or thirty children and grandchildren combined is true, right! I didn't wrong him..."

Wang Xia sneered: "You have plenty of children and grandchildren too. I heard from Yang Ruihua that you have over a dozen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren combined; they just don't come to see you. What is there to compare? Furthermore, He Yuzhu's affairs are historical issues; what is there to talk about? If you want to stay in this nursing home peacefully, you need to keep a lid on your mouth."

She pointed toward the end of the corridor: "Look at Liu Haizhong; he also went to the He Family, and he hasn't said a single extra word since he came back."

Yan Bugui's face flushed red and then turned pale; he nodded vigorously, his voice as small as a mosquito's hum: "I know... I know."

Wang Xia turned and left.

Yan Bugui stood there stunned for a few seconds, then slowly shuffled back to his room. He closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, and didn't move for a long time.

No. 95 Siheyuan.

After He Yaozu and his mother Lin Wanning returned, they didn't stay outside but lived directly with He Daqing and Shen Guizhi. Lin Wanning brought her son to give He Daqing and Shen Guizhi a thorough physical examination.

When it came to building relationships, Lin Wanning was the most capable. She not only examined He Daqing and Shen Guizhi but also welcomed any of the He Family's friends and relatives who came by.

Both mother and son were famous doctors with high levels of skill. In just a few days, they won countless goodwill from the neighbors, especially the Yi, Wang, Qin, and Ma families living in the courtyard.

He Yaozu was able to live in the courtyard because he was truly moved by the He Family.

Especially his grandparents—they were wholeheartedly good to him without a single word of complaint.

He had made such big mistakes and caused so much trouble for so many years, yet the two elders acted as if nothing had happened.

Lying in bed at night, He Yaozu tossed and turned, thinking about his years past, his heart always harboring a grudge—hating He Yuzhu, hating the He Family, and hating that the whole world owed him.

But the more he thought about it, the more meaningless it felt.

Even his mother had said that even her life had been saved by He Yuzhu.

What else did he have to hate?

Slowly, the knot in his heart loosened. He began to understand that one shouldn't take others' kindness for granted, and family affection wasn't a reason for others to blindly tolerate him.

He Yuzhu looked at He Yaozu's current state, his surprise impossible to hide.

He leaned over, raised his hand to pat He Yaozu on the shoulder, and grinned: "Kid, quite a transformation. How about it, are you turning over a new leaf?"

He Yaozu felt a bit embarrassed by his words and smiled: "Dad, I know I was wrong. But can you speak a little more nicely?"

He Yuzhu glared: "Whether the words sound nice isn't important; what's important is actual action. I've seen what you and your mother have done, and it's very good. A healer's heart is not just a slogan; it must be expressed through action. There is one more thing I didn't want to tell you, and I didn't want to tell you for my whole life. Now that I see you've changed, I'm willing to tell you. The reason you have a life over there isn't because you are better than others, but because someone is backing you up. Twenty years from now, the place with real development will be the Mainland..."

He Yuzhu explained the potential future direction of Hong Kong concisely. Upon hearing this, He Yaozu didn't understand why his mother, such a smart person, admired his father the most. Now he knew that his father was the only helmsman for the He Family's success today.

He nodded vigorously and said: "Dad, I will listen to you from now on."

As they were talking, Shen Guizhi walked out of the inner room holding her great-granddaughter, He Duoduo.

"Zhuzi," Shen Guizhi called out.

He Yuzhu hurried to meet her: "Mom, what is it?"

Shen Guizhi touched Duoduo's little head and spoke slowly: "I was thinking... could we go visit my hometown in the south during the New Year? It's been sixty years, and I haven't been back once."

After hearing this, He Yuzhu froze for a second, then immediately raised his hand and slapped himself twice.

"Smack!" "Smack!"—a crisp sound.

Shen Guizhi was startled: "What are you doing?"

He Yaozu was also stunned.

He Yuzhu's face was red on one side, and his eyes were slightly reddened: "Mom, it's all my fault! The last time I said I'd take you back was decades ago. You haven't mentioned it for so many years, and I didn't take it to heart—it's all my fault, blame me!"

Shen Guizhi hurriedly grabbed his hand: "Alright, alright, who is blaming you?"

He Yuzhu took a deep breath and looked at her earnestly: "Mom, you tell me, should we go before the New Year or after?"

"Let's go after the New Year," Shen Guizhi smiled. "The highways are well-built now; why don't we just drive there?"

He Yuzhu nodded vigorously, patting his chest as he said: "Fine! No problem! I have an RV over there anyway; you can just lie inside and sleep, and we'll drive you all the way there, guaranteed to be comfortable."

Duoduo, who had been scared to the point of crying when He Yuzhu slapped himself, saw that everyone wasn't actually unhappy and started giggling along.