webnovelfull Chapter 1029 He Yanzu
Chapter 1029 He Yanzu
Old He successfully left the Feng family manor, disguised himself, and arrived at a bus stop, where he boarded a red bus with the flow of people.
The brim of his hat was pulled low, covering most of his face, with only a pair of eyes peeking through the gaps, quietly watching the street scenes rushing past the car window.
The floodgates of memory suddenly opened, and a torrent of the past surged forth.
A few years ago, he accompanied the former chairman to a star-rated hotel in Lingjiang to attend the birthday banquet of a leader's mother.
He was waiting in his car when he happened to see Feng Tao and Gu Ze seeing a director off from the hotel.
At that time, Gu Ze's fame was gradually spreading, and his eyes and brows revealed the sharpness of a young man.
After saying goodbye to the director, the two were walking towards the parking lot when Lao He quickly got out of the car. "Third Young Master."
Feng Tao paused, turned around, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Old He? What are you doing here?"
"Third Young Master, it really is you!" Old He rubbed his hands excitedly. "It's been so many years, you've grown so much."
He further explained, "It's the leader's mother's birthday banquet. The chairman came to offer his congratulations and is still inside."
Third Young Master, where are you staying now? Is everything alright?
"Old He, we're all fine, thank you for your concern." Feng Tao handed over a note.
"This is our current address. Gu Ze's mother has been found and is now living with us. His depression has improved a lot, so I don't have to worry about him too much."
"Great, great!" Old He took the note and said excitedly, "I've seen Gu Ze on TV, that kid is getting more and more promising!"
"Uncle He, you flatter me." Gu Ze nodded with a smile, his tone humble. "We have other commitments to attend to, so we'll take our leave now. Let's have dinner together another time."
"Okay, see you later, let's look after each other."
……
The bus arrival announcement brought Lao He back to reality. He got off at a bus stop and walked several miles to a remote sanatorium.
The five gilded characters "Boshan Sanatorium" came into view at the main entrance. He took a breath and walked straight in without hesitation.
He arrived at the dean's office with practiced ease and gently knocked on the door. "Come in."
As he pushed open the door, the middle-aged female dean saw him and stood up to greet him: "Old He, it's been a while since you've come. Are you here to see Madam?"
Old He nodded: "Dean Shi, how is Madam? Is she still sometimes awake and sometimes asleep?"
Dean Shi shook his head: "Go and see for yourself."
Old He turned and walked towards the door, but stopped just as his hand touched the doorknob and turned back to ask, "Young Master Feng... has he been here?"
The dean shook his head again: "No, but the remittance arrived on time."
Old He sighed, turned and left the office, heading straight for the lady's room.
Pushing open the door, I saw the woman sitting blankly on the bed, staring unfocusedly ahead.
Apart from the slight rise and fall of her chest, she resembled a delicate but lifeless porcelain doll—
She had a fair and beautiful face, but her blue eyes were empty and lifeless at that moment.
Without a word, Old He closed and locked the door. He took out the oil paper package that Chairman Feng had given him from his pocket, squatted down, and crawled under the bed.
He carefully stuffed the items into the compartment under the bed, meticulously concealed any traces, and then slowly crawled out.
Looking at the unresponsive woman on the bed, he murmured, "Madam, please take care. The chairman is..."
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back, leaving only a heavy sigh.
Any words seemed inadequate. He turned and walked to the door, opened it, and hurriedly left the Boshan Sanatorium. His figure quickly disappeared into the distant tree-lined path.
Following the address he remembered, Lao He waited for the next bus at the bus stop.
After boarding the bus, he continued to cautiously survey his surroundings, occasionally pulling up his scarf and adjusting the brim of his hat.
After confirming that there were no suspicious persons, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and squinted.
Perhaps it's because of my age, and after walking several miles, I was really tired from all the back and forth.
He intended to close his eyes and rest for a moment, but unknowingly fell into a deep sleep in the car, the brim of his hat gently bobbing with the swaying of the vehicle.
After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a passenger shouting, "Hey, we've arrived! We've arrived! Time to get off!"
Old He woke up with a start, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and got off the bus with the crowd.
Standing by the roadside, he turned and waved at an empty taxi.
The car stopped smoothly in front of him. Old He opened the car door, got in, and gave the address: "Go to Xiaoshan Villa in the old district of Dakeng in the alley."
"Okay, sir, please fasten your seatbelt," the driver said kindly, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.
Old He fastened his seatbelt as instructed and looked out the window. The street scene outside the car window gradually looked old and worn.
The low-rise buildings are scattered about, and the vendors on the roadside are calling out their wares, exuding a lively and down-to-earth atmosphere.
Being away from the extravagance and oppression of the Feng family home allowed him to relax his tense nerves a little.
But the heavy burden of worry in his heart still reminded him that the purpose of his trip was not yet complete.
The taxi slowly came to a stop at the entrance of an alley. The driver turned around and said apologetically:
"Sir, the alley ahead is too narrow for the car to pass through. Please get off here. Xiaoshan Villa is not far at the end of this alley."
"Okay, thank you, driver." Old He said, taking out a hundred-yuan bill and handing it over before getting out of the car.
The alleyway was bustling with activity, filled with ordinary people coming and going. A middle-aged woman carrying a full basket of fresh vegetables walked briskly into the alley.
An older man riding an old-fashioned bicycle, its bell jingling, steadily rode out from inside.
Upon seeing an acquaintance, he greeted him with a smile: "Uncle Wu, are you out on the street?"
The old man, referred to as Uncle Wu, carrying a cloth bag, replied, "Yes, A'gen, why are you running around so late?"
"Going to pick up my wife and kids. They've been at her parents' house for two days, it's time to bring them back." A'gen pedaled his bike cheerfully, his figure quickly disappearing around the corner of the alley.
As Lao He walked, he looked around, and seeing the lively scene, his tense nerves relaxed a little.
He straightened his scarf, pulled down the brim of his hat, and followed the flow of people into the alley.
The flagstone path underfoot was somewhat uneven, and on both sides were low brick houses with potted plants on the windowsills.
The clothesline was filled with colorful clothes, and the air was filled with the aroma of food.
He slowed his pace, discerning his direction as he walked, his eyes under the brim of his hat scanning his surroundings warily.
This place is so ordinary, so ordinary that it makes you feel at ease, yet you dare not completely relax.
After all, the person he was looking for was a secret that the Feng family had kept hidden for so many years, and any slight oversight could ruin the old chairman's entrustment.
After passing through two intersecting alleys, the space gradually opens up, and you can vaguely see a cluster of houses with small courtyards.
Old He knew he was almost at Xiaoshan Villa. He took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and his figure soon disappeared into the light and shadow deep within the alley.
As Lao He walked out of the alley, a wide-open space opened up before him, connected to a cement path, with a few lights shining in the night in the distance.
After a long day of running around, he was exhausted and hungry. The dim streetlights cast long shadows of him as he followed the light and walked step by step toward the house number he remembered.
After straightening his slightly wrinkled clothes, Lao He walked to the black, ornate iron gate and pressed the doorbell in the corner.
Not long after, a woman wearing an apron rushed out from inside, looked him up and down, and asked suspiciously, "Sir, who are you looking for?"
"Excuse me, is this Mr. Feng Tao's home?" Old He asked.
The woman's suspicion deepened: "He's not home. What do you need him for?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Old He's stomach rumbled inappropriately, and he smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"I am the old butler of the Feng family. I have something urgent to discuss with the Third Young Master. May I come in and talk?"
As the two were talking, another woman came out from inside; it was Gu Ze's mother, Qin Wanyu.
"Ningxiang, who's at the door?"
She asked as she walked, and when she got closer and saw what Old He looked like, she was slightly taken aback.
Old He recognized her at a glance and hurriedly called out, "Ms. Qin, I am He Yanzu, the butler by Chairman Feng's side."
Qin Wanyu's thoughts were instantly pulled back to many years ago—when she went to the port to find Gu Qingpei, wanting to persuade him to go home and stop gambling, but he shouted with red eyes:
"You damned woman, get out of here! I provide for you, what right do you have to tell me what to do?" With that, he flung her hand and shoved her to the ground.
When she looked up, she was met with a pair of leather shoes. It was Old He who bent down and helped her up, then winked at someone behind him.
Two men in black immediately stepped forward, grabbed Gu Qingpei by the collar, and dragged him out of the crowd preparing to board the ship.
Feng Yuanzheng was standing not far away, his eyes cold, when his subordinate shouted sternly, "Get home! If the chairman sees you gambling again, he'll cripple you!"
The memory surged up, and Qin Wanyu was stunned for a moment before recovering and saying to Ningxiang, "Let Butler He come in; it's cold outside."
Ningxiang hesitated for a moment, then looked at Qin Wanyu. Seeing Qin Wanyu nod in agreement, she stepped forward and opened the carved iron gate.
Qin Wanyu stepped aside and gestured for him to follow. Old He quickly followed her into the living room.
The living room was lit by warm yellow lights, which made the whole house feel cozy and dispelled the chill of the night.
Looking at Old He's travel-worn appearance, Qin Wanyu smiled kindly and said, "Butler He, you must not have had dinner yet after your long journey?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Old He's stomach rumbled loudly again, much to his dismay.
It was a bit louder than when he was at the door. He took off his hat somewhat embarrassedly and nodded slightly.
Qin Wanyu couldn't help but laugh: "Butler He, please don't be so formal. We're just about to have dinner. If you don't mind, please have some in the dining room. We can chat while we eat."
Old He quickly took off his scarf, revealing his face which had been hidden for a long time, and said with gratitude, "That was really too much trouble."
Ningxiang took his hat and scarf, carefully hung them on the coat rack by the door, turned around and quickly walked into the dining room, where she deftly added a set of bowls and chopsticks and a chair.
Qin Wanyu led Lao He to the dining table, where several home-style dishes were already laid out.
There were stir-fried seasonal vegetables, braised fish, and a bowl of steaming pork rib soup, all with an enticing aroma.
"It's just simple food, please don't mind it, Steward He."
"Not at all, this is already very good." When Old He sat down, his legs were still a little stiff, clearly exhausted.
He picked up his chopsticks, but didn't touch them immediately. He just stared at the dishes on the table, his eyes somewhat dazed.
Such a lively atmosphere has not been seen in the Feng family mansion for a long time.
Qin Wanyu served him a bowl of soup: "Drink some hot soup first to warm yourself up."
Old He took the soup bowl, and as his fingertips touched the warm porcelain, the tension in his heart seemed to ease a little.
He blew on the soup noodles, took small sips, and the warmth slowly spread from his stomach, dispelling the fatigue and chill of the journey.
The restaurant was quiet, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the sound of Ningxiang's footsteps moving between the kitchen and the dining room.
Old He asked with a puzzled look, "It's so late, when will the Third Young Master and the others be back?"