Chapter 111: He Daqing Has Returned

Yan Jiecheng brought several neighbors, borrowed a few pieces of wood from Li Qiang's home, and quickly erected the anti‑quake shed. The heavy rain continued for two days before stopping; as soon as the rain stopped, Li Qiang led the neighbors of the siheyuan to begin repairing the houses damaged in the earthquake.

The houses in No. 95 siheyuan were not seriously damaged. Originally Li Qiang wanted to have the street office's repair team fix them, but the repair team had no time at all—after all, this earthquake had seriously damaged many houses—so Li Qiang could only buy materials with the neighbors and repair them himself.

Actually Li Qiang's home suffered basically no loss, and others' losses were not big either; just a simple repair would do.

"Comrade, who are you looking for?" Just as everyone was working with great enthusiasm, a ragged old man came to the gate of the siheyuan.

"I'm looking for Zhuzi," the old man said, stuttering.

"Looking for Zhuzi?" a neighbor curiously stared at the white‑haired old man; in the siheyuan no one had dared call him Zhuzi for many years, yet this old man actually came looking for Zhuzi.

"Wait a moment, I'll go call him for you," the neighbor said warily; he didn't know who this old man was, and he certainly wouldn't tell He Yuzhu where he lived.

"No need, I know the way," the old man said and walked straight into the siheyuan.

"Brother Zhuzi, there's an old man at the gate saying he's looking for you," the neighbor said upon hearing that; he hurried to the back courtyard and found He Yuzhu, who was working.

"Looking for me? Who is it?" He Yuzhu asked.

"He didn't say; he just said he was looking for Zhuzi," the neighbor said, a little embarrassed.

"Hey, it's been ages since anyone called me Zhuzi—today I'll see who's bold enough," He Yuzhu said, putting down his tools and heading out.

"Zhuzi, don't be impulsive," Li Qiang said, seeing He Yuzhu like that, and hurriedly followed him out; seeing there was some excitement, the others also trailed behind to watch.

"Old man, who are you? What do you want with me?" He Yuzhu came to the central courtyard and saw an old man staring fixedly at his own door, peeking inside nonstop.

"You silly brat, you don't even recognize your own father?" The old man turned to face He Yuzhu, stared at him expressionlessly, and asked.

"He Daqing? How did you come here?" He Yuzhu looked at the old man before him and couldn't help asking.

"Not bad, kid—you don't even call Dad anymore." He Daqing, whose face was already paralyzed, now looked even more frightening.

"You must be Uncle He, I'm Li Bin's younger brother Li Qiang—this isn't the place to talk; let's go to my place first," Li Qiang hurried over to smooth things over.

"I've heard Da Binzi talk about you—how is Da Binzi doing now?" He Daqing asked Li Qiang.

"He's on duty at the factory today; let's go home and talk," Li Qiang said.

"Fine, better than an outsider," He Daqing said after glancing at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu felt deeply conflicted about He Daqing's arrival; since He Daqing left, He Yuzhu had stopped thinking he might return, and had even considered himself fatherless—but now He Daqing had suddenly come back, giving him an indescribable feeling, complicated and tangled, not knowing how to face him.

"Uncle He, have a sip of water and rest," Li Qiang brought He Daqing home and poured him a cup of water.

"Got anything to eat? Fix me something," He Daqing said, not at all polite.

"Zhuzi, go to the kitchen and cook Uncle He a bowl of noodles; tonight we'll give him a proper welcome," Li Qiang also saw He Yuzhu's turmoil and quickly spoke up to send him away.

"You're Da Binzi's younger brother—you weren't in the army? When did you come back?" He Daqing asked Li Qiang.

"He returned after switching jobs in '52."

"Oh, you switched jobs and came back—what unit are you assigned to?"

"Red Star Yagangchang, which used to be the Lou Family Yagangchang," Li Qiang introduced.

"Yagangchang is great," He Daqing said, his eyes revealing endless memories as he spoke.

"Old He, heard you're back?" Yan Butgui's voice came from outside.

"Is that you, Old Yan? Just now I didn't see you, you old rascal—I remember you always liked to guard the gate," He Daqing said.

"Wasn't he out buying stuff to fix the house?" As he said that, Yan Butgui had already entered Li Qiang's house.

"Old He, what's with this look?" Yan Butgui was startled by He Daqing's appearance; if he weren't familiar with He Daqing's voice, he'd have thought he was some beggar.

"Ah, hard to put into words," He Daqing sighed.

"What on earth happened?" Yan Butgui's nature has always been to break the sandpot and ask to the bottom.

"Wasn't it the earthquake? The white widow died, her two sons kicked me out, and I still made it back on a truck hauling relief supplies to the disaster zone," He Daqing sighed.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back—not that I'm saying this, Old He, but back then you abandoned your own daughter and son to raise someone else's kids; how are you now? You still have to rely on your own son," Yan Butgui said resentfully.

"Ah, when I was young I was too impulsive—if I hadn't had nowhere else to go, I wouldn't have come back; I feel sorry for the Zhuzi siblings," He Daqing said ruefully.

"Let's eat first," at that moment He Yuzhu walked in holding a bowl of noodles. He might have heard He Daqing's words—at least his complexion was much better than when he first saw He Daqing.

"Zhuzi, how's Yushui doing?" He Daqing took the bowl from He Yuzhu's hand and asked; he had always doted on He Yushui.

"She's doing fine, already married and now has two children," He Yuzhu said flatly.

"Could you take me to see her?" He Daqing looked at He Yuzhu with hopeful eyes.

"Uncle He, eat something first; after the meal wash up and change clothes, this afternoon I'll have someone fetch Yushui, and tonight we'll all have a meal together," Li Qiang said with a smile.

"Then that's trouble for you," He Daqing said.

"No trouble, we're one family," Li Qiang said with a smile.

Hearing Li Qiang say that, He Daqing looked at him, somewhat puzzled.

"Old He, you don't know—after you left, the Zhuzi siblings lived hand‑to‑mouth; just then Zi Bin switched jobs and returned, got Zhuzi into the steel mill, and afterward the Zhuzi siblings became sworn siblings with Zi Bin. Zhuzi's job, marriage, Yushui's schooling and marriage were all arranged by the Zi Bin brothers," Yan Butgui explained on the side.

"Thanks, thanks," He Daqing didn't know what else to say, so he just kept saying thank you.

"Uncle He, you're too polite—my brother said you used to give him plenty of cooking tips; who let our two families be fated?" Li Qiang said with a smile.

"I never imagined that my casual act back then could bring them such rewards; you and Da Binzi are both good people," He Daqing said, his cloudy eyes gradually misting over with tears.