Chapter 488

A few minutes later, the two walked to the entrance of the Post and Telecommunications Bureau. Sure enough, Hou Dali was setting up his stall there, but there was no business, and he was reading a book. Su Xinghui called out, "Uncle Hou."

Hou Dali looked up and saw it was Su Xinghui. He said happily, "Xinghui is here. Why, are you here to support my business again today?"

Su Xinghui said, "I'm not here to support your business today; there's something else. Come on, pack up the stall, let's go to your house to talk."

Hou Dali nodded and said, "Okay, anyway, I haven't had a single sale all morning, and setting up the stall has been quite cold. Let's go, let's go to my house for a cup of hot tea."

Hou Dali packed up his stall. Su Xinghui helped him pack, and while packing, he introduced, "Uncle Hou, this is Comrade Liu Xiancai, the head of the County Party Committee's United Front Work Department. I'm here with him because we have something to discuss with you."

Head of the United Front Work Department? Hou Dali looked at Liu Xiancai suspiciously. What does the United Front Work Department want with me? But of course, he wouldn't say this out loud. He nodded and greeted Liu Xiancai.

Seeing that Su Xinghui and Hou Dali had such a good relationship, Liu Xiancai felt reassured. Today's task should be completed successfully.

Before long, they had packed up the stall and walked together toward Zhuangyuan Lane.

Arriving at the Hou house, Hou Dali invited Su Xinghui and Liu Xiancai to sit in the main room, poured them tea, and asked, "Little Su, what do you want with me?"

Su Xinghui said, "Uncle Hou, do you have an uncle named Hou Guangbi?"

Upon hearing the name Hou Guangbi, Hou Dali's expression became tense. Hou Guangbi was indeed his uncle, but on the eve of the Liberation, he had fled the country with the defeated GMD army, and before the Liberation, he had also been a GMD official.

Why are they asking about the name Hou Guangbi now? Are they going to dig up old scores again?

Although the political situation in the country had been very stable in recent years, Hou Dali had experienced the period of turmoil after all. The experience of those young radicals rushing into the Hou family courtyard, smashing and looting their home, and driving them out of the courtyard was a nightmare of Hou Dali's life. Many times he couldn't sleep at night and would be startled awake in the middle of the night, fearing that scene would play out again.

Hou Dali was speechless. Seeing this, Su Xinghui knew what he was thinking, so he quickly smiled and said, "Uncle Hou, don't be nervous. This time it's a good thing, not a bad thing. Is Mr. Hou Guangbi your uncle?"

Hou Dali still trusted Su Xinghui quite a bit. After hearing Su Xinghui say this, he hesitated for a moment and then nodded, "Yes, I do have an uncle named Hou Guangbi, but he left the country before the Liberation."

Su Xinghui said, "That's right. Uncle Hou, last night, old Mr. Hou Guangbi called me from France."

Hou Dali said with surprise and joy, "He called? He is in France?"

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Yes, he is in Paris, France. Do you remember the French businessman Joao who bought my painting that I told you about? It was he who sold my painting of Zhuangyuan Lane to old Mr. Hou Guangbi, and that's how old Mr. Hou asked him for my contact information and got in touch."

Hou Dali asked, "Is my uncle doing well abroad?"

Su Xinghui said, "He is doing very well. In Paris, France, the Hou family is now a large family. They are famous wealthy Chinese merchants in Paris and have their industries in many sectors. He misses his hometown very much and has the idea of returning to his roots."

Hou Dali's eyes also moistened, and he muttered, "That's great, that's great!"

Su Xinghui said, "However, old Mr. Hou might still have some concerns about returning to the country, so Director Liu and I came to visit you today, hoping that you could work on old Mr. Hou, let him dispel his concerns, and be able to return to the country smoothly and return to his roots."

Hou Dali asked, "Then how do you want me to work on him?"

Su Xinghui said, "Old Mr. Hou's concerns should mainly be about the current political situation in the country. You can tell old Mr. Hou the real situation in the country now to dispel his concerns in this regard."

Hou Dali also knew that Hou Guangbi was probably mainly worried about his identity before the Liberation and whether he would be liquidated after returning. However, Hou Dali could also see the political situation in the country in recent years; there were fewer ideological disputes in the newspapers and more praise for the achievements of economic construction. The whole country regarded economic development as the top priority.

In particular, many overseas Chinese who returned to the country to invest were treated as honored guests, and there was no lack of situations like the Hou family's, and the country had accepted them with a broad mind.

To tell the truth, Hou Dali had also thought about looking for the Hou family members who fled the country back then and letting them return to their hometown, but as a common citizen, where could he start looking? Therefore, this was just a dream in his heart.

Now that he had suddenly received news of Hou Guangbi, how could Hou Dali not be agitated? He nodded and said, "Don't worry, as long as I get in touch with my uncle, I will work on them."

Su Xinghui said, "The county government will also correct some historical legacy issues, mainly the old Hou family home in Zhuangyuan Lane. The county government will gradually relocate those families currently living in the old Hou family home, and after renovating the old Hou family home, return it to the Hou family so that when the overseas Hou family members return, they will also have a place to stay."

Su Xinghui's words made Hou Dali even more excited. The old Hou family home was the ancestral foundation of the Hou family. Speaking of which, it was lost in his hands. He thought about recovering the old Hou family home every moment. He had thought that if he ever made a fortune, he would buy the old home back, but the money he had now was still far from that step. He didn't expect that the county government would actually return the old home to their family now.

Hou Dali said, "Then thank you to the government, thank you to the government!"

Su Xinghui said, "Old Mr. Hou Guangbi has already left his contact information with me. I will give you the contact information, and you can call them."

Su Xinghui then handed a note with Hou Guangbi's contact information to Hou Dali. Hou Dali held this note, extremely excited.

Liu Xiancai smiled and said, "Mr. Hou, then please go to our United Front Work Department to make the call. The phone in our United Front Work Department has international long-distance enabled."

In this day and age, there are not many phones with international long-distance enabled. Of course, the phone in the United Front Work Department must have international long-distance enabled because the United Front Work Department often has to make international calls. Although the Shangjun County United Front Work Department does not have many opportunities to make international calls, international long-distance still needs to be enabled.

Hou Dali then stood up and said, "Then let's go make the call now."

Su Xinghui raised his wrist to check his watch and said, "It's only past eleven o'clock now. There is a six-hour time difference between France and here. It's only past five o'clock in the morning there, and they are probably still resting. Otherwise, let's have lunch, and Uncle Hou, you can calm down your mood, and then call old Mr. Hou."

Hou Dali felt that Su Xinghui's words made a lot of sense, so he barely suppressed his excitement and said, "Then please have a meal at my house at noon today, and thank you for bringing me such good news."

Su Xinghui said, "Forget it, let's go eat outside, so as not to trouble Aunt Hou."

Hou Dali said, "Then okay, I'll treat!"

Su Xinghui nodded noncommittally and said, "Bring Aunt Hou along too."

Several people walked to the People's Restaurant, asked for a private room, and ordered dishes. Hou Dali told his wife the news that Hou Guangbi had contacted them from France, and his wife was also overjoyed.

After the meal, it was already past one o'clock. Liu Xiancai took them to the United Front Work Department and helped Hou Dali dial Hou Guangbi's phone number. Hou Dali took the initiative to use the speakerphone and asked Liu Xiancai and Su Xinghui to stay.

After the phone rang three times, it was answered. An old voice came from the other side of the phone, but it was speaking French. Hou Dali couldn't understand it. Hou Dali's voice was already choked with sobs: "Is that Third Uncle? It's Dali!"