Siheyuan: Big City, Small Love

When Xu Damao arrived, the courtyard was already filled with food and a dinner party was in progress.

"Brother Damao, you are late. You have to drink three cups as punishment."

He Lai smiled.

"Okay, okay, I accept the punishment. I accept the punishment." Xu Damao smiled, picked up the wine glass and started pouring wine.

He Lai looked at Xu Damao, who was dressed in a suit, with a big gold necklace around his neck and a big gold watch on his hand. It seemed that he had really made a fortune.

After drinking three cups, Xu Damao sat down.

"Brother Damao, what kind of business are you doing? Tell me about it, maybe we can cooperate!"

He Lai said casually.

"Hey, it's just a small fight, Xiao Laizi, please don't make fun of me, how can I compare with you!"

Xu Damao smiled.

"Just tell me, it's nothing, are you afraid that I will steal your business?"

He Lai continued to ask, in fact, he was afraid that Xu Damao would engage in some smuggling business and then lose all his money.

"That's right, Xu Damao, how can a young boy like me snatch your little business? Who cares?" Sha Zhu said disdainfully.

"Actually, I don't have much business. I just tinker with electrical appliances and sell them to make a profit from the difference."

Xu Damao smiled awkwardly and said.

As soon as He Lai heard it, he knew it was smuggling business, which was the most popular business in that era.

"Let's do the smuggling business, Brother Damao. You are really brave. Aren't you afraid of being caught?" He Lai lowered his head and said softly.

"Hey, isn't this what everyone around me is doing? I just happen to have some connections, so nothing will go wrong."

Xu Damao said indifferently.

"With Li Huaide?" He Lai asked again quietly.

"How do you know?" When Xu Damao heard Li Huaide's name, he sat up straight. He even suspected that He Lai was investigating him.

"Okay, Brother Damao, break up with him. The smuggling business is not acceptable and the risks are too great."

He Lai advised.

"That's right, Xu Damao, you're almost a profiteer, be careful or your master Zhu will go to the Industry and Commerce Bureau and pick you up."

Sha Zhu drank a glass of wine and blurted out something.

"Hey, He Yuzhu, you're not done yet!" Xu Damao was a little angry. After all, in the business of profiteering, the most feared thing is the Industrial and Commercial Bureau.

Just as Sha Zhu was about to retort, He Lai stopped him.

"Okay, what's going on with you two? I just got back and you two are arguing in front of me again!"

"Xiao Laizi, I don't even want to bother with him. I asked him to follow me, but he refused to do it. He insisted on staying in the steel mill as a canteen director with that low salary. What's the point? It's not even enough for a pack of cigarettes."

Xu Damao waved at Sha Zhu and said indignantly.

"Bullshit, this is a stable job for me. I'd rather not have this kind of money if I follow you around hiding here and there, stealing things and cheating on you every day.

Besides, my wife said that the money you earn is not safe, and sooner or later you will lose it all."

Sha Zhu said with disdain.

"Xiao Laizi, look at him, look at him, he is so rude, I don't even want to bother with him now."

Xu Damao pointed at Sha Zhu and said to He Lai.

"Haha, alright, alright, you guys, I'm convinced. Brother Damao, please stop your business for a while, and we can talk in private later."

He Lai said. He Lai had to admit that Xu Damao still had some ability, but he had to be guided, otherwise it would be bad if he was bankrupted by Li Huaide.

Xu Damao nodded and said nothing more.

"Guangtian, Huzi, how about you guys? Are you still in the factory?"

He Lai asked Liu Guangtian and Hu Zi.

"Well, Hu Zi and I are both in the lighter factory. Zhi Wen is now the factory director, I am now the chief of the technical department, and Hu Zi is the deputy chief."

Liu Guangtian replied.

"Well, that's good. Work hard. The lighter factory still has a future. If you are interested in working there, you can come find me. I don't have much else, but I have a lot of companies. I will definitely be able to arrange a job for you."

He Lai nodded and said, "The lighter factory is different from the steel rolling mill. It has good benefits. I have learned a little about it over the years."

"Okay, I've thought about it and will talk to Brother Lai." Liu Guangtian said with a smile.

"Me too." Hu Zi agreed.

"Huzi, why are you still following Guangtian's ass!"

"Ha ha…"

……

"Brother Zhuzi, how is it? Is it comfortable to be the canteen director?"

He Lai smiled.

"It's okay, I can pass." Sha Zhu replied awkwardly.

The lives of the other members of Sha Zhu's family were still relatively tight. After He Lai's family left, He Daqing retired. It was still a bit difficult to support more than a dozen people with just the wages of Sha Zhu, Qin Huairu and Xiao Yangzi.

Fortunately, Sha Zhu had many houses and had enough space to live in, but the food was much worse.

Especially after He Lai left, the supply of fish in Shichahai and Beihai was basically cut off, and there were no fish left all of a sudden.

After that, we had to rely on rations to survive, so if we exceeded the rations, we had to spend money to buy food from time to time.

"Brother Zhuzi, I want to open a few restaurants in Sijiu City. Can you bring your apprentice over to help me cook?"

He Lai suggested.

"Ah? Restaurant? I would like to go to that one, it's your sister-in-law's..." Sha Zhu stammered, not knowing how to answer.

"Sister-in-law, I'll go and talk to her. There shouldn't be any problem." He Lai said with a smile.

"That's fine, that's fine. As long as I do it with Xiao Laizi, anything is fine!"

Sha Zhu said happily.

"Is it okay not to have a salary?"

"Row!"

"Ha ha……"

Everyone laughed and after the meal, everyone was very happy. Now that He Lai was back, there was hope for the future.

In the days that followed, He Lai and his family went to Hejia Village again. The countryside had not changed much. After all, the land contract system had not yet been implemented, and it was still an era where work points were counted.

But Mr. He's family is basically fine. Mr. He is in his eighties, but he is still in good health. He can eat and drink every day and lives a comfortable life.

He Lai's family also stayed in Hejia Village for several days, which made the elderly people so happy that they took He Lai's children to show off in the village every day.

He Xiaohu and Wu Sheng are still working at the steel rolling mill, but they have not been to work for a long time and are in a state of suspension with pay.

He Lai pulled them over and wanted them to collect antiques in the name of collecting junk.

This business was definitely profitable in the early days of reform and opening up. After all, Han Chunming made his fortune from this.

He Xiaohu and Wu Sheng naturally had no objection and agreed on the spot.

In the days that followed, He Lai asked Xu Damao to set up his own company so that he could cooperate with his company and bring things from the port city to sell in Sijiu City, and he would no longer have to rely on smuggling to do business.

As for Sha Zhu, He Lai directly arranged him to be the head chef in a newly opened restaurant. Qin Huairu was still there to help, but they didn't have to worry about the business matters. He Lai found professionals to take charge of it. Sha Zhu and the others only had to make sure the food tasted good.

He Lai also contacted Master Hu, Master Zheng, Master Liao and others, and through them recruited their apprentices and opened a few more restaurants.

There are also Da Hu and his friends. They are all ordinary workers. It would be difficult for them to become leaders, so he simply opened a few stores for them in Beijing, such as clothing stores and electrical appliance stores. As long as they are a little enthusiastic, they can make money. After all, the things they sell are all Hong Kong products, which people in Beijing like.

As for their children, those who are willing to make progress can go to Hong Kong for further studies, and those who want to stay and help their parents can stay.

In the era of reform and opening up, Beijing has developed rapidly, even at a speed not inferior to the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets.

As for Wu Juan, she moved back in the courtyard house directly. The same went for He Zhan. He himself was not willing to do any big business. If it weren't for the fact that He Lai needed to run such a large company, he would not have been willing to learn English.

After that, it became a common sight for a group of elderly people to sit together in the courtyard to eat, chat, and discuss family matters.