Siheyuan: A warm home with wife and children

Seeing him like this, Sha Zhu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't stopped, he was determined to get rid of this old bastard today.

But for some reason, he just sat there without making a sound, and Sha Zhu couldn't utter a single word of what he had been holding back.

It was as if an invisible hand was gripping his neck.

Caught between two choices, Sha Zhu glared fiercely at He Daqing one moment and then at Yang Jianguo the next, his expression shifting between light and dark. After repeating this several times, he suddenly waved his hand, let out a heavy sigh, and sat down at the table.

"What, all vented?"

Seeing his helpless look, Yang Jianguo got up and moved to sit next to him.

"It's not over."

Sha Zhu stuck out his neck, looking defiant.

"If you're not done yet, then continue. I'm listening."

Yang Jianguo's shrug left Sha Zhu speechless again. "What can I say if you just stand here?"

Then, thinking about who had invited him, his bull-like eyes turned away in annoyance.

It would have been better if I hadn't looked at it; once I did, I discovered something was wrong.

Ran Qiuye is gentle, but gentle doesn't mean soft; she's often given Sha Zhu a hard time.

She was only angry because he was in a bad mood, and besides, her husband hadn't done anything wrong. Who wouldn't be angry with such a scoundrel of a father?

Unfortunately, as a daughter-in-law, she couldn't easily intervene, and only sent Yang Jianguo to ask for help when the situation was getting out of control.

He's so ungrateful, daring to give me the cold shoulder! Ran Qiuye immediately glared back, 'Try glaring at me again.'

After being reprimanded by Ran Qiuye, Sha Zhu immediately realized that he had gotten carried away.

"Autumn leaves~"

Sha Zhu wanted to back down on the spot, but with so many people around, he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he could only look pitifully at his wife.

'Watch out when no one's around.'

After decades of marriage, who doesn't know who the other is? Just give him a look and he'll understand. Even in front of outsiders, she still takes care of her husband's image.

"Alright, stop being angry."

I went over to help him catch his breath, and slapped his back with quite a bit of force.

Sha Zhu could only grit his teeth and bear it, forcing a smile on his face. "I'm not angry with you, I'm angry that he still has the nerve to come back and talk to me about retirement."

Mentioning this makes the slap on my back not hurt anymore; the discomfort in my heart is much greater.

Damn it, I've never seen such a shameless old man.

Why didn't he die out there? Why didn't he let the widow's son dump him in a mass grave and end it all?

After hurling insults for so long, Sha Zhu's anger had indeed subsided considerably, but there was no way he would accept He Daqing coming back to be his father and continue to take care of him in his old age.

"Old man, get out of here right now, or I'll lose my temper."

Sha Zhu stood up cursing, his tall and burly figure resembling an angry bull.

"Let me tell you, I don't hold back when I start hitting people. If you don't want to get a black eye and a swollen face, you'd better get lost."

He Daqing was scared, but he refused to admit defeat. With his hands in his sleeves, he obediently shifted his position to face the wall and muttered, "If you want to hit me, then hit me. As long as you're not afraid of being laughed at, a son hitting his father, let's see what you say to people."

“I’ll tell people? I’ll tell people about your mother…”

Sha Zhu started cursing, but then remembered that "his mother" was his grandmother, and swallowed the rest of his words with a frustrated expression. "Pah, pah, pah, get the hell out of here."

He Daqing remained defiant, shrinking his neck and shouting, "I'm not leaving. I'm your father, I have nowhere to go."

"What do I care if you have nowhere to go? Get out of here."

"Pillar."

Ran Qiuye tightened her grip on his shoulder, worried that he might lose his composure if he continued talking nonsense.

He Daqing is his father, and that's a reality that no one can change.

He is He Daqing's son, and that cannot be changed.

It's normal to have grievances, but never speak too definitively or too vehemently, as doing so will only cause trouble.

When things get out, they're all spread through misinformation, and who knows what they'll become in other people's mouths.

Now that he owns such a large estate, he's a target for trouble. If someone finds an excuse to keep an eye on him, it'll be a real problem.

The more famous you are, the more careful you should be with your words and actions, and the more you should cherish your reputation.

I've never seen a minister as high-ranking as Yang Jianguo be so strict with himself, and he always thinks things through before he speaks.

"Fine, fine, I won't say anything more. I'll throw him out."

Sha Zhu didn't want to waste any more time arguing with him. He figured it would be better to use that time to do his own calculations and come up with some new dishes than to waste his breath arguing with him.

"Pillar~"

"Pillar."

This time, not only was Ran Qiuye anxious to stop him, but Yang Jianguo also called out to him.

He Daqing is a nuisance, and we shouldn't bother with him for any reason, but things can't be handled so rashly.

"Sit down first, and tell me what's on your mind."

Yang Jianguo first helped him back into his seat, then asked in a low voice, "You want him to leave? Is there really no room for negotiation?"

Sha Zhu's mind went blank for a moment, and he frowned, saying, "What do you think?"

It was Yang Jianguo who did it. If it were anyone else, he would have to shout to calm things down. How could he calm things down?

Anyone who can repay the suffering, ridicule, and gossip they endured in the past will immediately become a devoted father to He Daqing without hesitation.

So what if he has to feed someone? Does He Yuzhu lack a single bite to eat or drink?!

Chapter 788 Compromise, the Solution

"Zhu Zi, let's have a private chat. You guys sit down first."

Yang Jianguo hooked his arm around his shoulder and walked side by side to the door before letting go and leisurely lying down on the recliner.

"Ah, that feels so good!"

Look at how much he's enjoying himself. Sha Zhu, with his hands in his sleeves, casually walked up to him and said, "Jianguo, you're not trying to persuade me, are you?"

"Why should I advise you?"

"That's good. I definitely can't agree to this. If I had known this would happen, what was he doing back then? He supported this family for decades, and now he's being kicked out in his old age. If you ask me, he deserves it."

He probably has countless health problems right now, expecting me to give him money and support him for the rest of his life? He's dreaming!

Sha Zhu tilted his head and shouted into the house, as loud as he could, as if he wanted the whole world to hear him.

He was saying it on purpose so that the people inside the room could hear.

Seeing his stubborn and defiant look, Yang Jianguo smiled indifferently, "You, you're still so single-minded when it comes to doing things."

"Let's forget about other things, but there's no room for discussion about this."

Yang Jianguo didn't mind his attitude and said to himself, "But the guy is already staying here with you. Are you going to drag him out and throw him outside?"

"If you push me too far, I really will."

Sha Zhu was seething with anger, but he refused to admit defeat.

Yang Jianguo chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, stop talking nonsense. Do you want to hear my suggestion?"

Sha Zhu kept his head down, thought for a long time, and then said in a strained voice, "I will definitely listen to your idea."

"You just don't want to see him, you want him to disappear from your sight. So what does he want to do here? He wants to find a place to retire, where someone will take care of him, and he'll have food and drink, right?"

"Pah! He's dreaming."

Seeing that he wouldn't stop, Yang Jianguo frowned: "Do you want to hear more or not?"

“Listen, I’ll definitely listen…” Sha Zhu nodded repeatedly. Knowing that he was getting impatient, he forced a smile and explained, “Jianguo, I’m not here for you. Don’t be angry. Just keep talking, I’m listening.”

Seeing that he realized he had gone too far and restrained his emotions, Yang Jianguo continued, "Since he wants to have something to eat and be taken care of, why don't you just arrange it for him?"

"Don't rush to speak, let me finish. Find a nursing home, somewhere far away, it's okay to spend more money, take good care of him with good food and drink. This way, you can satisfy his demands and also get rid of his harassment."

Sha Zhu's first reaction upon hearing this was strong resistance: 'I'd rather throw it away, burn it, or even waste it than spend money on him!'

But as Yang Jianguo continued speaking, he realized that this was indeed a solution.

No matter how angry you are, that old bastard is still your own father. If you really throw him out and let him shout at the door every day, not only will people laugh at you, but it might also cause other trouble.

If he were to lose face and cause trouble at Tianxia Village, wouldn't he ruin all the foundation I've built up over the course of my life?

Even if it's not destroyed, it would be bad enough if word got out that 'the owner of Tianxiazhuang is an unfilial son who made so much money but doesn't even want to support his father.'

It's quite a spectacle, but they don't care what's true or false, or which version sounds more exciting or interesting. They're willing to believe whichever one they think is right, even if it means they end up being more wronged than Dou E.

Spend some money to send him a gift from afar, so that he will never bother you again in this lifetime, and more importantly, never bother the children.

Well, it's not like this money can't be spent.

How much would the best nursing home cost per year? Tens of thousands, maybe a hundred thousand at most!

Spending tens of thousands to buy peace and preserve one's reputation—what a deal…

Sha Zhu made up his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was a solution. "Of course, if you don't want to, you have another option: go to court and file a lawsuit to dissolve the relationship."

As long as he agrees to the lawsuit and publishes a statement in the newspaper, no one will believe him no matter what he says next. This way, it costs less money and preserves his reputation, although it's uncertain how long it will take and whether he can win.

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes; if the matter were to go to court, the outcome in court would be uncertain.

Even Yang Jianguo couldn't be sure of the answer.

So, it's better to spend some money to get rid of him and let him go far away so he won't bother us anymore.

Whether it's worth paying money for peace of mind depends on your own perspective.

If you're happy to cause trouble, to confront him all the time, to let him ruin your reputation, and you're just going to fight for your pride, then just pretend he never mentioned it.

Don't assume everyone has the ability to distinguish right from wrong. If mud falls into your crotch, how many people would believe you if you said it wasn't poop?

If you want to continue living a peaceful life, all you have to do is spend a little money.

If Sha Zhu were still an ordinary citizen earning a fixed salary, he definitely wouldn't offer such advice; he wouldn't be able to buy himself a life of leisure even if he wanted to.

But now he is a well-known big boss throughout the country, with his Tianxiazhuang business extending to Hong Kong Island, and he is qualified to be listed on the stock exchange.

Tens of thousands, is that even considered money?

It's psychologically difficult for him; he'll be upset about this for days.

"I'll go talk to him right now..."

Sha Zhu also wanted to get rid of this mess as soon as possible and get him far away so he wouldn't disturb his peaceful life.

Let's put other things aside for now and talk about them when we have time.

"I'll give you two choices: either I throw you out, or I find you a nursing home..."

Sha Zhu walked in and gave He Daqing two choices: a stick or a carrot.

But for him, it was the best choice.

"I want to go to Shanghai, or the South Island."

Despite He Daqing's clean finances and lack of travel experience, his demands are anything but low.

Shanghai, the South Island...

Both places are top choices for retirement in China. The former is sophisticated and refined, while the latter boasts charming scenery, faces the sea, and offers a relaxed pace of life. The old man really knows how to choose.

Fortunately, he didn't choose Hong Kong Island, otherwise, Silly Chu would have definitely given him a back throw and thrown him out.

“Okay, let’s go to the South Island. There are a lot of elderly people there, so you can keep each other company.”

Sha Zhu made up his mind and instructed Ran Qiuye to pack his luggage. "I'll take it to him and come back once he's settled. Tell Xiao Dang that the restaurant will be in her care for the time being."

"Zhu Zi, can she manage all this by herself?"

“My new apprentices in the kitchen have all graduated, so I can easily lend her a hand. If someone orders a menu, I'll apologize and say... I've gone out to cultivate myself.”

Chefs also need to constantly hone their skills, visiting renowned restaurants and local chefs to learn about local customs, special seasonings, and cooking methods in order to maintain a competitive edge.