As Grandpa Su and Grandma Su were guessing why Director Dong, such a high-ranking official, had to live in a courtyard with others, the soldier returned.
This time, the soldier's eyes, unlike their previous arrogance, held a touch of respect for the Su family.
Su Xiaotian, with her sharp eyes, noticed this change.
"Hello, I just called Director Dong's residence, and Director Dong said he would immediately arrange for someone to pick you up."
Indeed, when the soldier spoke, his tone was tinged with flattery.
It was no joke; those who could stand guard at the entrance of the compound were not ordinary people, and they possessed a certain level of perceptiveness.
People whom Director Dong would personally arrange to pick up, rather than asking the guards at the gate to escort them in, were definitely not ordinary.
Such people were surely the most valued relatives of the Dong family.
Perhaps, they were Director Dong's own brothers.
"Thank you, Comrade!" Su Xiaotian said with a cheerful thank you.
Inwardly, she was also curious about who Dong Yuanzhong would send to pick them up.
Would it be the young guard who had visited their home last time?
What was that young man's name again?
Ah, it was Tong Xing'an.
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Su and Grandma Su exchanged glances.
Arrange for someone to pick them up?
They were already at the entrance; why not just go in directly?
It was just one courtyard; could they possibly get lost?
However, being wise, neither of them voiced these thoughts.
Su Xiaotian stood to the side with an unhurried demeanor, and the Su boys also stood casually. Although their conduct seemed a bit informal, there was nothing to point out specifically.
Seeing their grandchildren's calm and unhurried behavior, Grandpa Su and Grandma Su also stopped feeling anxious.
"Old man, why are the rules in prominent families so many?"
Even though they were no longer anxious, after waiting for a while, Grandma Su couldn't help but ask.
Grandpa Su gave Grandma Su a meaningful look before saying, "You already know that prominent families have many rules, so why ask!"
Grandma Su glared at Grandpa Su.
Well, asking was pointless!
It would have been better not to ask at all.
As the elderly couple exchanged glances, someone in the distance happened to see this scene.
This person was none other than Director Hu from the electronics factory.
Director Hu was passing by this place by chance and saw a few people who looked familiar, so he took a second look.
He initially thought he was mistaken, but to his surprise, it was indeed the Su family.
He had previously thought that the Su family ran a restaurant and, hearing that they came from the Northwest, didn't think much of it even when he knew they had dealings with Elder Chi.
But now, he saw them at the entrance of this compound.
Even the director of their electronics factory couldn't afford to associate with the people living in this compound.
Moreover, judging by the soldier's attitude, he seemed very respectful towards the Su family!
Even from a distance, the soldier's respectful attitude was clear.
Even the doorkeepers of a prime minister's residence were more arrogant than others and wouldn't show respect to everyone.
Did the Su family have other identities besides running a restaurant?
Thinking of this possibility, Director Hu couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
Good heavens, how fortunate it was that he hadn't offended the Su family before.
If he had offended them badly like Old Ma, it would have been truly disastrous!
Just as he was secretly congratulating himself, someone unexpectedly patted him on the shoulder.
Director Hu was startled and, upon looking closely, realized it was an acquaintance.
This person was none other than another deputy director of the Qili Silk Factory, Deputy Director Lu Ruyai.
"Old Hu, what are you looking at? Daring to peek around at the entrance of the compound!"
Perhaps sensing that he had startled Director Hu, Deputy Director Lu said teasingly.
Director Hu smiled awkwardly and said, "I just saw a few people I recognized."
Following Director Hu's gaze, Deputy Director Lu looked and saw two elderly people with a few children, but he didn't recognize them.
Director Hu didn't explicitly mention who they were, and Deputy Director Lu didn't pry.
"Are you going, Old Hu? Shall we go together?"
Deputy Director Lu called out, and Director Hu agreed.
The two factories were in the same direction, so it was convenient to go together.
As they walked pushing their bicycles, Lu Ruyai couldn't help but sigh.
"Deputy Director Lu, why are you sighing in broad daylight? This isn't like you!" Director Hu asked casually.
"Speaking of which, it's quite troubling. There's only a week left before the German businessmen arrive, but we haven't found suitable translators yet. The director is almost tearing his hair out over this!"
Hearing this, Director Hu couldn't help but think to himself.
What did he mean by the director tearing his hair out?
The director of the Qili Silk Factory had already lost most of his hair!
However, Director Hu also knew that this was not the time to say such things.
He was thinking, didn't you reject the translator who came to your doorstep?
It would be difficult to find a more suitable person in the entire capital.
"It's been a week already. I thought your Director Ma had found a suitable translator."
Director Hu said with a hint of schadenfreude.
Deputy Director Lu was stunned and asked, "What do you mean, it's been a week?"
Director Hu quickly waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, nothing!"
Deputy Director Lu was not a fool; how could he not see that Director Hu definitely knew something?
"Old Hu, this is not right. We've known each other for so many years, what's the point of you hiding things from me?"
Since Deputy Director Lu had put it that way, what else could Director Hu say? He simply recounted the events.
When he heard that Director Ma had met Elder Chi Ge and offended him, Deputy Director Lu was truly furious.
Director Ma often asserted his seniority in the factory, relying on his position as the first deputy director. With the director nearing retirement in a few years, he often put on airs.
He wasn't just unpleasant to others; he even treated him, the second deputy director, with disdain.
But he never expected him to be so foolish as to put on airs in public.
Elder Chi Ge was no ordinary person; putting on airs for Elder Chi was simply a joke!
"How could such an opportunity be missed? Truly..."
Deputy Director Lu was also a shrewd person and didn't say anything superfluous.
Although Director Hu hadn't explicitly stated it, he understood that Director Hu was present when Director Ma met Elder Chi.
Perhaps, meeting Elder Chi was due to Director Hu's connections.
Therefore, instead of complaining, it was better to seek help.
"Old Hu, do you have any way to help contact Elder Chi?"
Director Hu shook his head helplessly. He wished he could build a good relationship with Elder Chi.
Unfortunately, Elder Chi had no such intention.
Elder Chi was someone of a status that people like him couldn't reach.
Seeing Director Hu shake his head, Deputy Director Lu was disappointed.
"Old Hu, can you give me a hint, where can I find Elder Chi?"
"Among the people I saw just now, there was a little girl in a red dress. She is Elder Chi's apprentice, and it's said that Elder Chi said she is his last disciple!"
Deputy Director Lu had also heard that Elder Chi had taken a last disciple, but no one knew what kind of person this last disciple was.
But what was Old Hu saying? The little girl he saw from afar was Elder Chi's last disciple?
"Old Hu, really?" Deputy Director Lu asked incredulously.
Wasn't Elder Chi's last disciple said to have been taken in the Northwest? If taken in the Northwest, could she be in the compound?
Director Hu said casually, "We've been friends for so many years, would I lie to you about something like this?"
Even if Deputy Director Lu didn't believe it, he had to believe it now.
He suddenly realized something and quickly turned his bicycle around and headed towards the entrance of the compound.
But by the time he returned, the entrance of the compound was empty, with only two soldiers on guard.
"Missed it again..." Deputy Director Lu angrily slapped the handlebars of his bicycle.
The bicycle bell rang unintentionally, startling the two soldiers at the entrance.
The soldiers gave him a warning look, and Deputy Director Lu dared not linger there any longer. He quickly pushed his bicycle to a corner.
At this moment, Director Hu also followed.
"The people are gone. Old Hu, where do you think I can find her?"
Deputy Director Lu was holding back his frustration; this was his last chance.
"Yiming Pavilion, have you heard of it?"
After all, they were old friends, and Director Hu couldn't bear to see Deputy Director Lu disappointed, so he gave him a hint.
"You're talking about that very famous restaurant in the capital recently?"
He had certainly heard of it, but he hadn't been there.
But why would he go to Yiming Pavilion to find Elder Chi's disciple?
"Yiming Pavilion is where this little girl's family's restaurant is." Seeing Deputy Director Lu's confusion, Director Hu reminded him, "I heard that this little girl's foreign language skills are also very high. To be honest, the documents for our factory were translated by this little girl."
Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Deputy Director Lu, from memory, felt that the little girl was not very old.
Just a child, how much skill could she have?
But this time, they had looked for many people, and no one was willing to take on their work. They had even consulted several university professors, but they all said they didn't understand the technical terms.
Some even recommended Chi Ge, saying that if Elder Chi came out of seclusion, he might be able to solve the problem.
"Old Lu, I've told you everything I can. What you do next is up to you."
Director Hu patted Deputy Director Lu on the shoulder and said with a sigh.
"It's unlikely that your silk factory will be able to get Elder Chi to come out of seclusion."
After all, your Director Ma had offended him badly!
Director Hu didn't say the last sentence, but Deputy Director Lu understood.
This Old Ma, with his temper, was really too much!
If he had been more polite when meeting Elder Chi, the problem would have been solved.
However, speaking of which, if he could handle this matter properly this time, it might be an opportunity.
Inside the compound.
Su Xiaotian had no idea that she was being thought of again.
She followed behind Dong Yuanzhong, listening to Dong Yuanzhong and Grandpa Su talking.
Meanwhile, Fan Shufang, on the other side, held Grandma Su's hand and whispered affectionately.
Just now, Dong Yuanzhong and his wife personally went out to welcome Grandpa Su's family, which startled the soldiers at the gate.
They never expected that Director Dong and his wife would personally go out to welcome these people.
What was the identity of these people? Could they be Director Dong's elders?
Dong Yuanzhong, being straightforward and unreserved, directly said that these were his elder brother and sister-in-law, and his attitude was one of great affection.
When Grandpa Su and Grandma Su entered the gate, they realized that this compound was like their Hongxin Brigade, with many families living there.
No wonder they had to come out to pick them up; otherwise, they would never have found their way.
In both her past and present lives, this was Su Xiaotian's first time entering such a place, giving her a feeling akin to Liu姥姥 entering the Grand View Garden.
Although her expression appeared calm, she had already taken in her surroundings.
Even though they were all within the same compound, it was evident that differences in status and position led to differences in their living arrangements and houses.
However, Su Xiaotian's current eyesight was not yet sufficient to discern the true identities of each household.
At this moment, other people in the compound also saw Dong Yuanzhong and his wife accompanying guests and asked with smiles.
"This is my elder brother and sister-in-law, bringing their children to visit us. It's their first time here, and they couldn't find their way, so my wife and I came out to meet them!"
To the warm inquiries from the people in the compound, Fan Shufang responded with smiles.
Grandpa Su and Grandma Su felt a bit uneasy but maintained polite smiles.
Su Xiaotian felt that being watched by so many people was very uncomfortable.
But what could they do?
They could only maintain polite expressions to avoid embarrassing Grandpa Dong!
When the people in the compound heard that they were Dong Yuanzhong's brother and sister-in-law, they were actually quite surprised.
They had heard before that Dong Yuanzhong was an orphan. Since he was an orphan, how could he have a brother and sister-in-law?
But since Fan Shufang herself had said it, could it be false?
Naturally, some people also thought that these might be Fan Shufang's family's brother and sister-in-law.
"We're going home now. Elder brother and sister-in-law have brought the children, and they must have been tired from the journey, so they need to rest first!"
Fan Shufang didn't want to continue chatting with these people about trivial matters, so she found an excuse to leave.
Dong Yuanzhong and Fan Shufang lived in a small Western-style villa in the northeast corner of the compound.
It was a two-story Western-style villa with a small garden, but instead of flowers, various vegetables were planted in the garden.
"This is all arranged by my Old Dong. He turned a perfectly good garden into a vegetable patch!" Fan Shufang complained, but her tone held no blame.
Seeing the vegetable garden, Grandpa Su and Grandma Su felt a sense of familiarity.
Their courtyard house also had a small yard, and they had thought about planting some scallions and chives, but they were too busy and eventually gave up.
"These tomatoes are growing perfectly!" Grandpa Su exclaimed, "It's clear that a lot of care has gone into it!"
"Growing vegetables is also a way to exercise and keep fit!"
Dong Yuanzhong walked a few steps into the vegetable garden with a smile, picked several large, red tomatoes and a few cucumbers, and walked out of the garden holding them.
Fan Shufang complained, "Elder brother and sister-in-law are visiting for the first time, and you're not inviting them in to rest, but going straight to the vegetable garden!"
"We'll eat our own homegrown vegetables for lunch and dinner today!" Dong Yuanzhong said with a hearty laugh, handing the cucumbers to Tong Xing'an.
"Elder brother, elder sister-in-law, please ignore Old Dong. Let's go inside."
When the group entered the house, the spacious living room was furnished with a set of wooden furniture, which didn't quite match the Western-style villa.
"Originally, there was a sofa set here, but after Old Dong arrived, he insisted that sofas were too soft and uncomfortable to sit on, so he replaced them with wooden tables and chairs."
Perhaps sensing Su Xiaotian's scrutinizing gaze, Fan Shufang explained with a smile.
Speaking of this, she still felt a bit annoyed; that sofa set had looked so good.
Besides, it was so comfortable to sit on something soft, but this stubborn old man just didn't know how to enjoy life.
After a few casual remarks, Grandpa Su handed the medicine prepared by Su Xiaotian to Dong Yuanzhong.
Dong Yuanzhong looked at the wooden box, which was half a foot square, and smiled, "So much?"
"Take three pills a day. This won't last long. Grandpa, you can start taking it. I'll adjust the prescription after half a month when I check your pulse again," Su Xiaotian said with a smile.
"It's better to have someone check it first. This girl, Xiaotian, is too bold," Grandpa Su said hesitantly.
As he spoke, he glanced around.
Where was the doctor who strictly managed the Dong family's affairs?
"Let's have Dr. Wu check this medicine first. If Dr. Wu says it's okay to take, then you can take it!"
As Grandpa Su spoke, Dong Yuanzhong's expression visibly changed.
After returning that day, he had thoroughly investigated everyone around him, especially Dr. Wu.
He discovered a shocking truth upon investigation.
The Dr. Wu who had been by his side was actually someone who wanted to kill him.
Except for the initial period when Dr. Wu was cautious, after trust was established, Dr. Wu had made many subtle moves.
Every person around him had been instigated by Dr. Wu; the former Xiao Yuan was instigated by Dr. Wu.
Moreover, Dr. Wu persistently prescribed him medication that he shouldn't have been taking, and over time, his health had deteriorated significantly.
If he hadn't gone to the Su family, he wouldn't have discovered this.
During his examination, the doctor at the hospital said that if he had continued for another year or so, half of his life would have been wasted.
He never expected that in such an era, after surviving in the Northwest, he would almost lose his life in the capital.
After the incident broke out, Dr. Wu tried to escape but was too late; he was apprehended by his men and sent for interrogation.
The results were not yet out, but the news he heard indicated that there might be other people behind Dr. Wu, and their objective was likely not just him alone.
The organization had originally planned to assign him another personal doctor, but due to the precedent set by Dr. Wu, he refused.
It was a joke; he had fought in wars for most of his life, and his head was always on his shoulders. The feeling of putting his life in someone else's hands was too insecure.
From now on, he felt more at ease going directly to the hospital when he felt unwell.
However, Dong Yuanzhong couldn't tell Grandpa Su about these matters.
He was genuinely afraid that such things would frighten Grandpa Su.
"Brother, sister-in-law, Dr. Wu is temporarily unavailable due to some matters. I'll have Xiao Tong take these medicines to the hospital for examination," Fan Shufang said with a smile as she took the medicine box.
Grandpa Su felt much more at ease hearing that Fan Shufang was going to have it checked.
"Sister-in-law, you must ask the doctor to examine it carefully. The medicine Yuanzhong takes must not be taken casually!" Grandpa Su said again, mustering his courage.
Fan Shufang smiled, "Even if we don't trust others, can we not trust you?"
Dong Yuanzhong also laughed heartily and said, "I've already thought about it. From now on, I'll have this girl Xiaotian check my pulse every half month. I think my granddaughter's skills are much better than those doctors who rely on machines for everything!"
Fan Shufang glared at Dong Yuanzhong and said, "You, Xiaotian, Xiaojiu, don't just sit there. Come and have some fruit. These were specially delivered this morning."
As the weather gradually cooled, fruits were in abundance. The fruits placed on the Dong family's table were indeed top-quality!
Fan Shufang called the children over to eat apples and pears.
Amidst the laughter and conversation, an afternoon passed.
Fan Shufang went to arrange dinner.
The Dong family had dedicated cooks, so Fan Shufang didn't have to do the cooking herself; she mainly arranged the dishes.