The Buick Regal drove quietly through the streets of Rongcheng. Guan Weiping and Chen Yang sat side-by-side in the back seat. They were going to visit Fang Hongda's house, which had strict security, and Chen Yang didn't feel comfortable driving himself. So, they parked the car in a parking lot near Hongguang Road and got into Guan Weiping's car.
Anyway, Yue Lei's affair must have spread throughout the alleys by now. Chen Yang planned to go to Aunt Zhou tomorrow to sign the formal contract, and then take the car away. He figured Aunt Zhou wouldn't have any concerns now. It was better to do this sooner rather than later; the transfer of ownership would take several more days! It had to be done before the demolition and land acquisition notice came out, otherwise, if Aunt Zhou's family changed their minds, things would be quite troublesome.
The visit was rushed, and they hadn't prepared any gifts, which was a bit impolite. However, since Guan Weiping had contacted Chen Yang at the last minute, it was still acceptable.
"Chen Yang, once we get to the Party Secretary's house, don't be too reserved. He's a very kind person," Guan Weiping said. After what happened that afternoon, Guan Weiping felt much closer to Chen Yang. Guan Weiping knew Chen Yang's background; although he was now a disciple of Master Baiyan, he was still a boy from the countryside. Guan Weiping was worried that Chen Yang might be nervous on his first visit to the Provincial Party Secretary's home, so he reassured him.
After thinking for a moment, Guan Weiping added:
"By the way, Secretary Fang's wife's surname is Qu. You can just call her Aunt Qu."
Chen Yang smiled and nodded, saying:
"Okay, thank you, Director Guan!"
The car drove north along Hubin Road, winding its way into a secluded villa area. The meticulous Guan Weiping had placed the Standing Committee member's villa area access pass on the windshield of the Buick Regal before setting off, so the armed police officer on guard only glanced at it before opening the barrier, and the car drove into the villa area almost without stopping.
Villa No. 1 was situated in the center of the villa district. The car drove straight in along a quiet road. After getting out of the car, Guan Weiping took the lead and rang the doorbell.
Following behind Guan Weiping, Chen Yang felt a faint sense of anticipation. In his previous life, he was also a frequent visitor to this villa. Three years ago, Fang Hongda left Beijing to take up his post in Southeast Province, accompanied by his wife Qu Jing and their two children, Fang Qiao and Fang Xu. Since then, the Fang family had lived in Villa No. 1. In his previous life, Chen Yang had an inexplicable feeling for his cousin, Fang Qiao, but since they were cousins, he could only bury this feeling deep in his heart until he met his fiancée, Xu Qingya, and this budding affection gradually faded away.
Now, Chen Yang had been reborn. In this world, Fang Qiao and he had no blood relation whatsoever. Although Chen Yang wouldn't harbor any improper thoughts about Fang Qiao, the thought of possibly seeing Sister Qiao, whom he had longed for in his past life, still filled him with an uncontrollable excitement.
The person who opened the door was Sister Wu, the housekeeper for Fang Hongda's family. For a leader of Fang Hongda's rank, housekeepers, drivers, cooks, and bodyguards were standard responsibilities. This was to allow the leader to focus his energy on his work, as governing a province involved countless tasks, and it was unwise to be distracted by other matters.
Sister Wu, seeing that it was Guan Weiping, didn't ask any questions. She brought slippers for the two of them and said with a smile, "Secretary Fang is in the living room!"
Fang Hongda was usually very busy with work and rarely ate at home. Today, he had specially changed his schedule for Chen Yang, thus gaining some free time for himself. At this moment, Fang Hongda was wearing reading glasses and sitting on the living room sofa reading a newspaper.
Guan Weiping led Chen Yang into the living room and respectfully said,
"Secretary, Chen Yang is here!"
Chen Yang also greeted him,
"Hello, Uncle Fang!"
Fang Hongda looked up at the sound of his voice. Seeing that it was Chen Yang, he smiled and put down his newspaper, carefully placing his reading glasses back in their case before saying,
"It's Chen Yang? Please sit down! Weiping, you sit down too. Let's have dinner together tonight! Xiao Qiao and Xiao Xu are never home, it's just me and your Aunt Qu here, it's usually quite quiet!"
Fang Hongda's attitude was amiable, no different from that of a neighborly uncle. However, Guan Weiping and Chen Yang both knew that this seemingly kind old man was known in official circles for his ruthless decisiveness, especially when he first arrived in Southeast Province, where a single word from him could often cause countless officials to fall.
Guan Weiping nodded in agreement and sat down with Chen Yang on the sofa next to Fang Hongda. When Chen Yang heard that Fang Qiao wasn't home, he felt a pang of disappointment, but he showed no sign of it on his face, sitting down properly on the sofa.
After the three were seated, Wu Jie served hot tea to Guan Weiping and Chen Yang.
Fang Hongda glanced at Chen Yang. His posture was upright, displaying both good manners and a relaxed demeanor; he exuded an air of refinement and sophistication. Fang Hongda inwardly admired him. Even in his posture alone, Chen Yang was no less capable than his good-for-nothing son, Fang Xu, and didn't seem like a child raised in the countryside.
Fang Hongda asked kindly,
"Chen Yang, tell me about your family situation!"
Chen Yang straightened up slightly and replied,
"Uncle Fang, my father passed away a long time ago. It's just my mother and me at home."
Fang Hongda's expression shifted slightly, and he said with emotion,
"Your mother must have had a tough time!"
He found it hard to believe. His impression of Han Xuehua was that of a spoiled princess from a wealthy family; he hadn't imagined that the more than twenty years she had spent away from home had been so difficult. Although he had read about her before, hearing it from Chen Yang's own mouth felt different. A woman raising her son alone was truly remarkable.
Although Chen Yang was reborn, the memories left by his predecessor showed Han Xuehua enduring countless hardships and trials to raise her son. Chen Yang felt immense respect for this strong mother. He interjected, "Yes, Uncle Fang, my mother... is a great mother!"
"And how is your mother... now?" Fang Hongda asked casually, but with a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Chen Yang quickly bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Fang. My mother is in good health, but years of hard work have left her with some chronic ailments. I want to bring her to Rongcheng as soon as possible so she can recuperate properly!"
Chen Yang's words came from the bottom of his heart. After all, by blood, Han Xuehua was his only relative in this world, and he sincerely hoped that his strong mother could live a better life. "That's right!" Fang Hongda agreed with Chen Yang. "Your mother has worked hard for you most of her life. If you have the means, she should enjoy her retirement. However..."
Fang Hongda knew Chen Yang was just a student with no income. He didn't understand why Chen Yang was so confident in bringing his mother to Rongcheng, when they didn't even have a basic place to stay.
At this moment, Guan Weiping smiled and said, "Secretary, Chen Yang went to look at a second-hand apartment a few days ago to settle his mother, and he's already signed a preliminary agreement!"
"Oh?" Fang Hongda looked at Chen Yang with great interest. Guan Weiping was also very interested in why Chen Yang had the money to buy a house. After all, he had personally investigated Chen Yang's situation. Normally, Chen Yang couldn't possibly have come up with hundreds of thousands of yuan all at once, especially considering how expensive housing was in Rongcheng. Chen Yang was well-prepared. From the moment he decided to use Guan Weiping's influence to deal with Yue Lei, he had already planned his explanation. Therefore, he spoke naturally:
"It's like this, Uncle Fang. A few days ago, I went to the flower and bird market to look for a piece of Shoushan stone. I'm planning to visit my teacher in Beijing soon, and I should bring a gift for my first visit! But my financial situation is limited, so I bought a cheap piece for a few thousand yuan. Later, when I was carving it, I discovered that this Shoushan stone had a hidden treasure inside..."
Then Chen Yang briefly recounted the situation of the Shoushan stone and how he eventually sold it to Liu Quanshu at Professor Yan's house. Apart from the initial motive, Chen Yang's account of the rest was entirely truthful.
This story was practically legendary. Fang Hongda and Guan Weiping listened intently, marveling at its brilliance. After finishing his story, Chen Yang took a sip of tea and continued:
"Just like that, as if in a dream, I suddenly had a huge sum of 550,000 yuan. So I thought I'd buy a second-hand apartment and bring my mother to live with me in Rongcheng. She's living alone in our hometown; it's too hard for her."
"You did the right thing! Filial piety is the most important virtue!" Fang Hongda wholeheartedly agreed with Chen Yang's actions. He pondered for a moment, then asked, "By the way, you said the apartment you bought is in Hengxiang, Hongguang Road?"
Chen Yang hesitated for a moment, then replied:
"Yes. What's wrong, Uncle Fang? Is there a problem?"
Fang Hongda's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly smiled and said:
"Oh, nothing! It might be a good thing for you! Chen Yang, wait a month or two before picking up your mother! There's no rush!"
"Oh... okay!" Chen Yang replied with a bewildered expression. In truth, he knew Fang Hongda was thinking about the land requisition. This meant history hadn't changed, and the land would soon be demolished! Chen Yang keenly sensed this from Fang Hongda's words and felt a surge of excitement.
At this moment, Fang Hongda's wife, Qu Jing, came out of the kitchen and said,
"Old Fang, the food is ready. Come and eat!"
Qu Jing was always very approachable and never put on airs like a leader's wife. She often helped Sister Wu in the kitchen. Today, Fang Hongda was finally having a meal at home, and hearing that Mr. Bai Yan's disciple was visiting, she personally cooked a table full of dishes.
Chen Yang and Guan Weiping quickly stood up to greet her.
"My dear! This young man is Master Bai's disciple, Chen Yang, from my kinsman's clan!" Fang Hongda introduced with a smile. "Chen Yang, this is my family member, you can just call her Aunt Qu!"
Chen Yang bowed and said:
"Hello, Aunt Qu!"
His aunt from his past life was now his aunt, and Chen Yang felt a little strange.
Qu Jing wiped her hands on her apron, a gentle smile on her face, and said:
"Hello, Fang! Come! Let's sit down and chat!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Let's sit down and chat!" Fang Hongda also said with a smile, "Weiping, go to my liquor cabinet and get that bottle of fifteen-year-old Moutai, you all have a drink with me today!"
"Okay, Secretary!" Guan Weiping nodded and went to get the liquor with practiced ease.
Just then, the sound of a key opening a door was heard, and before anyone was seen, a quiet and elegant voice said:
"It smells so good! Mom, what delicious food have you made again?"