Chapter 326: Uncomfortable Generations

Wu Changyong walked into the Zuo family’s small building with his son, where sounds of joyous laughter could already be heard inside.

“Old Zuo, I told you to wait for me. Why did you run so fast? Old rascal, did you take some miraculous elixir? Your legs are so nimble.”

Even before Wu Changyong entered the house, his voice rang out, reaching the ears of Wang Qian and the others, who quickly went out to greet the jovial old man.

“Grandpa Wu, hello.”

The siblings appeared together before Wu Changyong. Seeing the two youngsters from the Wang family again, the old man excitedly took their hands. “Great, great, Grandpa is doing well. Let me see how much Mingyuan and Qianqian have changed.”

Grandpa Wu scrutinized Mingyuan and Qianqian, holding their hands. “Hmm, Mingyuan and Qianqian have grown into beautiful young ladies and handsome young men.”

Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe also approached. “Uncle Wu, come on in. We’ve prepared the meal and are waiting for you. By the way, where are Uncle Zhou and Uncle Cui? Why haven’t we seen them around?”

Wang Zhenhe hadn’t seen these two individuals during his last visit, finding it rather odd that they seemed to appear and disappear mysteriously.

Wu Changyong chuckled, “Zhenhe, your Uncle Zhou is quite busy these days. He recently went abroad for an inspection, so you probably won’t see him now. Uncle Cui is even busier, he might want to come out but can’t. He’s currently at a critical stage of his research. We’ll meet them next time, and Uncle Cui has told me to take care of you all.”

Wang Qian suspected that Uncle Cui was involved in confidential work, so she didn’t inquire further about his research. When the time was right, Uncle Cui would naturally share with them.

Taking Wu Changyong’s hand, she led him inside. “Grandpa Wu, I brought some tea for you all this time. Give it a try, and if you like it, I’ll bring more in the future.”

In Wang Qian’s space, the tea trees had started producing tea. Initially, Wang Zhenhe and the other two had learned how to roast tea leaves from the locals. While their skills weren’t very professional, the tea they made was definitely good enough for family consumption. Wang Qian didn’t have extensive knowledge about tea, but she found it quite delicious. At least, it tasted better than any she had tried before. After all, it was a product from her space, ensuring quality.

Having something good delighted Wu Changyong, especially when it came as a gift from the Wang family. In his eyes, anything from the Wang family was bound to be of good quality.

Zuo Zhanshan’s ears perked up at the mention of tea. Upon hearing about the tea, he immediately rushed over, smiling broadly as he took Wang Qian’s hand. “My dear, does Grandpa Zuo get a share too? Let us taste it after the meal, okay?”

Seeing the endearing expression on the old man’s face, even Mingyuan chuckled. “Grandpa Zuo, of course you get to enjoy it too. We know you all love tea. This time, each of us brought three boxes. However, Uncle Cui and Uncle Zhou aren’t here. We’ll give it to them when they have time.”

Wang Zhenhe noticed the young man in military attire behind Grandpa Wu, finding him somewhat familiar, resembling the old man. “Uncle, who is the person behind you?”

Before Grandpa Wu could introduce him, Zuo Zhanshan jumped in, “Zhenhe, you probably haven’t met him yet. This is your Uncle Wu’s eldest son, the young man who went to work in the south. You might have seen his photos before.”

The mention of the son who had worked in the south immediately caught the attention of the children in the Wang family. They were aware of the near escape they had from crossing the border back then.

Grandpa Wu proceeded to introduce his son to everyone. While Zuo Zhanshan and the others had met Wu Lei before, the Wang family had only heard about him but never met him. When he saw Mingcheng in the same military attire, an instant camaraderie was felt.

“Great, we can fight side by side in the future.”

Mingcheng returned his warm smile, “Uncle Wu Lei, I’ve heard a lot about you before. Now that I’ve met you in person, we can spar with each other in the future.”

Seeing Wang Xuan and the others, the dynamic shifted. These three individuals appeared notably younger, and the fact that the little girl was already a university student at her age left him feeling a mix of emotions. He couldn’t help but marvel at how beautiful and intelligent they were. While he had encountered many people who were both beautiful and smart, encountering someone as dazzling and intelligent as her was a first.

“Nephews and nieces, I’ve long heard of your reputations.”

Upon Wu Lei’s remark, Wang Qian smirked, “Uncle Wu Lei, we’ve also heard of your name for quite some time. We knew about you since your time working in the south. But I must say, Uncle Wu Lei, you look so much more handsome in military attire than you did back then in the south.”

Reflecting on the awkwardness of his time working in the south, Wu Lei chuckled along with them.

“Qianqian, speaking of that, I must thank you all for sending me things back then. It was a huge help at that time.”

At that moment, Wu Lei couldn’t help but feel awkward about being referred to as “uncle” by them. Was he really that old? He wasn’t much older than them. He glanced somewhat annoyed at his own father.

“Dad, why didn’t you let me be born a few years later? Look at me, at such a young age being called someone’s uncle already. It’s unfair…”

Wu Changyong swiftly slapped his son’s hand away. “You being born a few years later wouldn’t change a thing. Your status is set, and you shouldn’t mind being an uncle. Even I, still have plenty of youth left in me.”

Seeing the antics of this humorous father-son duo, everyone couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and the initial sense of unfamiliarity gradually dissipated amidst the laughter.

Dinner was sumptuous, courtesy of Zhang Lan and Hao Lianchun. Wu Changyong and the others could tell immediately; the familiar taste was something they had often longed for while at home.

Even with the same dishes, the touch of Zhang Lan’s hands made them exceptionally delicious. Zuo Zhanshan savored the flavors, “Niece, we’ve been looking forward to eating your cooking. We’ve missed it for so long. Both old Wu and I agree that your food is delicious. This time, we get to taste it again.”

Zuo He nodded vigorously beside him, his handsome face expressing no doubt.

“Yes, Auntie’s cooking is my favorite. It’s a pity we haven’t been able to enjoy it since we returned. Auntie, why don’t you all move in with us? Then we can all enjoy your amazing cooking.”

Zhang Lan smiled and said, “When there’s a chance, I’ll come and stay over. You all should come to our newly bought house. I saw plenty of rooms today, enough for all of us to live comfortably. Once our businesses are stable, I’ll come and spend time with the kids. After all, there’s a place to stay, and you all are welcome for meals.”

The Wang family had acquired several properties in the past couple of years, a fact known to Zuo Zhanshan. Especially the house purchased by Mingcheng and them, which was personally handled by Old Chen. Zuo Zhanshan and his wife had visited it and truth be told, he felt a bit envious. It was such a spacious place; their own house couldn’t compare. However, they didn’t own the house they lived in; it was allocated to them by the government.

“Niece, we’ve agreed. Once we all retire, we’ll move in with you. I really like the environment there, such a peaceful place amidst the hustle and bustle. We’ll come over to enjoy the food and drinks.”

Upon hearing about the additional property owned by the Wang family, Wu Lei quickly put in a request to Zhang Lan, “Sister-in-law, please save a room for me there. When I have time off, I’ll come and stay over. It’ll be a nice break from the strict monitoring by my dad. I can relax a bit at your place.”

Observing his beloved son’s antics, Wu Changyong could only shake his head in resignation, realizing that even donning military attire couldn’t change his mischievous ways.

Zuo Zhanshan, on the other hand, had a positive outlook on his nephew. “Old Wu, Wu Lei is already doing well. He got into the military academy without relying on you as his father for help. It’s all based on his own abilities. Just be content. You see, many young people in our estate are only concerned with indulgence and lack ambition. Wu Lei, on the other hand, seems promising to me. With some more guidance from you in the future, he should blossom into something great.”

Understanding Zuo Zhanshan’s implication, Wu Changyong asked, “Old Zuo, do you really think this kid has potential?”

“Why are you lacking confidence in your own son? Let’s not look further than the fact that Wu Lei studied on his own down south. Who guided him there? Despite his carefree appearance, this kid has depth. Don’t be deceived by his exterior. He’s got substance,” Zuo Zhanshan replied.

Meanwhile, as Wu Lei conversed with Wang Zhenhe and the others, he turned to see his father studying him intently with a scrutinizing gaze. A shiver ran down his spine. Why was his old man looking at him like that? Could he have some ulterior motive? However, considering he hadn’t done anything to warrant his father’s scrutiny, he eventually eased his mind.

When Wang Zhenhe mentioned his plans to do business in the south, Wu Lei became interested. He had heard from his father that the Wang family knew how to make money, but he hadn’t expected them to expand to the south in just a few years. He was intrigued by the idea of business but wearing military attire left him with little time to pursue it.

“Zhenhe, if you have any good business opportunities in the future, count me in. I’d like to join and make some extra money. Plus, we could also contribute to funding my dad’s military projects,” Wu Lei expressed.

Wang Zhenhe was more than willing to do business with Wu Lei and the others. Having a chance to help the uncle’s  make money was a win-win situation for him. Having them involved would make things smoother than handling everything on his own.

“Alright, once I’m down there, if there’s a good deal, I’ll get in touch with you. Leave me your address so I can find you when the time comes,” Wang Zhenhe agreed.

When Wu Lei shared the address of his military school, Wang Zhenhe chuckled. It was quite a coincidence; they were actually quite close to each other.

“Bro, it seems like fate that we’ll be working together in the future. I’m in Bao’an County. Check how close you are to me. When you have breaks from school, come over. Once my current venture stabilizes, I plan to invest in other things. We can discuss it with Zuo Yu when the time comes.”

Zuo Yu was someone Wu Lei was familiar with, given the longstanding relationship between the Zuo and Wu families. The children from both families knew each other, making the prospect of doing business with Zuo Yu, the shrewd fellow, quite exciting for Wu Lei. Working with him meant not being at a disadvantage, which heightened his anticipation for the collaboration.