Siheyuan: Big City, Small Love

"Come on, the food here is delicious! But the portions are too small, so it's a bit expensive to eat your fill!"

Zhang Zhiwen said.

"Oh, our Young Master Zhang is still short of money?" He Lai said with a smile.

"You're asking for a fight!"

Soon the two of them were playing together.

"Okay, okay, stop talking nonsense, come on, take me to the state-owned store here. I need to buy some things. Zhiwen and I have to visit the elders here in the afternoon."

Song Xue interrupted.

"Uh... okay." Seeing this, He Lai had no choice but to agree.

……

The morning's shopping was soon over. Song Xue was shopping partly, and He Lai also bought a little from time to time. After all, he also had to visit Director Jiang and Mayor Wei.

After buying things, He Lai Ze and Zhang Zhiwen and his wife went to visit their elders. After all, the people they were going to visit lived very close to each other, in the military compound, so they could just visit them one by one when the time comes.

After arriving at the military compound, He Lai separated from Zhang Zhiwen and the others. After all, they didn't know what the relationship was like with the people they were going to visit, so it was better for them to mind their own business.

Director Jiang was quite surprised to see He Lai coming. After all, He Lai had only been to the Canton Fair once before, and he had gone there in person to bring him here. But this time he actually came to the fair on his own initiative.

"He Lai, you have grown up and even took the initiative to come visit Auntie."

Director Jiang said with a smile.

"Aunt Jiang, what are you talking about? I was afraid of disrupting your work. Besides, I didn't encounter any trouble at the Canton Fair, so I didn't come to bother you."

He Lai replied.

"Alright, alright, I know you're capable. Now your Red Star Steel Rolling Mill is the most powerful in the entire Canton Fair!"

Director Jiang smiled and said, after all, at last year's Canton Fair, the sales of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill alone accounted for one-fifth of the total.

“Hey, that’s because our product is good!”

……

After an afternoon of greetings, He Lai was sent back to the guesthouse.

He Lai did not go into the guesthouse, but went to the Aiqun Building instead to see if Zhuang Shijiu was staying there.

The entrance and exit of the Aiqun Building are still very strict now, and basically everyone entering and leaving must be checked. After all, the Canton Fair is about to begin.

Before entering the door, the security personnel verified He Lai's identity and only let him in after confirming that there was no problem.

He Lai came to the reception desk.

"Sir, how can I help you?" the receptionist asked politely in Cantonese. After all, foreign businessmen are generally Hong Kong businessmen.

He Lai was a little uncomfortable being called Mr. in China. He was stunned for a moment and said, "Uh... I want to ask, are there any foreign businessmen staying in our hotel now?"

"Yes, some of them have already checked in," the receptionist replied.

"Can I ask if my friend lives here? His name is Zhuang Shijiu, Zhuang as in crops, Shi as in the world, and the number nine."

He Lai asked.

"I can help you check that." When the receptionist heard that you were looking for someone, he looked at the registration book.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhuang Shijiu hasn't checked in yet, but he has booked a room for the day after tomorrow."

The receptionist replied.

"Um, is that convenient? Can you do me a favor?" He Lai asked politely.

"You say."

"When Mr. Zhuang comes, please tell him that I have looked for him and ask him to call me when it is convenient for him."

He Lai said.

"Sure. If Mr. Zhuang comes to stay, I will pass it on for you. Please leave your name and phone number."

The receptionist said, and handed over a piece of paper and a pen.

He Lai quickly took it and wrote down his name and the hotel's phone number.

"Thank you!" He Lai handed over the note and said.

"You're welcome." The receptionist said with a smile, putting away the paper and pen.

He Lai felt that this was the right service attitude. Oh, he really wanted to pull those salespeople from the state-owned stores over to learn how to serve customers!

When He Lai walked out of the Aiqun Building and was about to find a tricycle to go back to the guesthouse, a small hand grabbed the corner of He Lai's clothes.

It was a small hand covered with dust. He Lai followed the hand and saw a child with messy hair. He was stunned!

"Big brother, please have pity on me and give me something to eat."

When the child saw He Lai stop and look at him, he immediately withdrew his hands and made a pleading sound.

He Lai suddenly felt distressed, squatted down, took out a piece of White Rabbit milk candy and gave it to him.

"Thank you, big brother. Thank you, big brother." The child's voice rang out immediately.

"You're welcome." He Lai pulled the child to his side and helped him comb his messy hair.

It turned out to be a skinny little girl! Her clothes were torn and dirty, and they were adult clothes that covered most of her body. She didn't even have pants, only a small pair of shorts, and no shoes.

"Big brother, can I leave now?" The little girl was a little scared when she saw He Lai squatting down and looking at her, and said in a low voice.

Her voice was very soft, not as loud as when she called He Lai before. It was so soft that He Lai almost didn't hear her.

"No hurry, why don't you eat it?" He said, then took out another piece of candy, peeled it and handed it to her mouth.

The little girl licked the candy and said timidly, "I want to take it back to my brother, can I?"

"Where is your brother?" He Lai asked.

"My brother is sick and lying at home." said the little girl sadly.

"Then why don't you take big brother with you? Big brother is a doctor and he can definitely cure your brother." He Lai said.

"Really? Okay, okay, big brother, let's go."

When the little girl heard that He Lai could cure her brother, her eyes lit up instantly and she clapped her hands happily.

"Then I'll carry you home. Do you remember the way home?"

"Yes, I remember, my home is 1178 Nanhua West Street." The little girl gave her home address. Apparently she remembered the place name very clearly.

When He Lai saw that the little girl agreed, he picked her up and called a tricycle.

Soon He Lai and the little girl came to a mud brick house.

As soon as the little girl got off the car, she ran into a mud brick house.

"Brother, brother."

After He Lai paid the tricycle fare, he gave the driver an extra dime and asked him to wait for a while.

Seeing that He Lai still wanted to ride, the coachman naturally had no objection.

After He Lai finished talking, he also walked into the house.

The things in the house were very simple, with a table, a chair, a stove, some dishes and chopsticks, and a bed in the corner. It was indeed very poor!

There was a little boy lying on the bed, and it was obvious that he had been sick for a long time.

The little girl was stuffing candy into the little boy's mouth.

"Ke'er, I'm not hungry, you eat." The little boy propped himself up and said.

"Brother, eat it. I've eaten it before. It was given to me by big brother." The little girl still held the candy and put it to the little boy's mouth.

But the little boy still didn't want to eat the little girl's candy.

"Eat, I will cure you." He Lai spoke at this time.

"Thank you, but I don't have any money." The little boy said with his head down.

"No charge." He Lai squatted beside the little boy and took his pulse.

The little boy had a bad cold and hadn't eaten for a day, so he was very weak.

"Why don't you want to eat? Don't you want to get better and want your sister to go out and beg for food for you?"

He Lai said deliberately.

"I'm not." The little boy immediately defended himself.

"Then eat quickly! Do you know that you might die if you continue like this?" He Lai said when he saw that the little boy still didn't eat.

When the little girl heard He say that her brother would die, she immediately threw herself into the little boy's arms and burst into tears.

"Brother, don't die!

Don't leave Ke'er!

Brother, please don't die!"