Chapter 015
Uncle Wang Bohui attached great importance to He Yun’s arrival.
The next day, he did not go to work.
As Lu Mingzhu and Lu Ping’an came downstairs to have breakfast, they saw him adjusting his tie. He asked Liao Wanru, “Will I look presentable meeting Mr. He in this attire? Do I appear dignified enough?”
Liao Wanru replied with unfailing patience, “You look perfectly presentable—very dignified indeed.”
This was already the third time.
Wang Bohui, not quite convinced, turned to ask Lu Mingzhu and Lu Ping’an instead.
Lu Ping’an simply smiled without saying a word, while Lu Mingzhu gave a thumbs-up: “Excellent! Very much like a big boss! In my opinion, he’s no worse than that Mr. He.”
Liao Wanru secretly rolled her eyes, then turned around to call the maid to serve the meal.
“In that case, all is well.” Wang Bohui, seated to Mrs. Wang’s left, stopped fidgeting with his tie. “This is my first meeting with Mr. He; I must admit I felt rather uneasy. I hope you’ll forgive my nervousness!”
Lu Mingzhu, sitting in her usual spot, asked curiously, “Eldest Brother, what is there to be uneasy about? That Mr. He is hardly a monster or a raging flood. To me, he appears refined and gentle in speech; there seems nothing to fear.”
“Refined? Gentle?” Wang Bohui sounded unconvinced.
Liao Wanru shared his skepticism. “And Mrs. Ming looks rather ordinary!”
“Really! He
“The young lady bears no resemblance to her father at all; perhaps she takes after her mother.” Lu Mingzhu nodded repeatedly to show she was not lying. “Mr. He looks about the same age as my elder brother, very handsome and distinguished. In contrast, his daughter, Miss He, must be fifty years old and is rather unattractive.”
Wang Bohui burst out laughing, “You’re joking! Mr. He is a whole generation older than your godfather—older even than my own father!”
Lu Mingzhu exclaimed in surprise, “That old?”
“When Mr. He was making waves across Nanyang, neither your elder brother nor I had even been born.” Having spent many years in business, Wang Bohui knew far more about He Yun’s life than Lu Mingzhu did; his voice gradually lowered. “Unlike us, wealthy young men who rely on our ancestors’ legacy, Mr. He began as a ‘piglet,’ truly rising from nothing. His methods are exceedingly forceful and ruthless; no one can play tricks in his presence.”
Lu Ping’an asked, puzzled, “What is a ‘piglet’?”
“It refers to laborers who were abducted and sold abroad,” Lu Mingzhu explained, having researched the topic while writing her scripts. “A more euphemistic term is ‘contract Chinese laborer,’ representing how Western colonizers plundered our nation’s workforce. I never imagined Mr. He came from such humble origins, which makes his achievements all the more remarkable.”
Wang Bohui nodded. “Ping’an, your aunt is right. Now do you understand why I feel so uneasy?”
Lu Ping’an didn’t quite understand.
Lu Mingzhu, however, clearly understood what Wang Bohui meant.
He Yeqi rose from humble beginnings to stand atop the clouds; having endured darkness, he was certainly no naive innocent, and his hands were far from clean.
“Understood, Big Brother.” Lu Mingzhu tactfully changed the subject. “Let’s not discuss outsiders’ affairs. Today, hearing you mention my biological elder brother suddenly reminded me that he was already gone when I was born. Ping’an and I have never met him. What kind of person was my biological elder brother? Tell us about him.”
“A heartless man,” Wang Bohui summarized in one sentence.
Lu Mingzhu burst out laughing. “What heartless thing did he do?”
Wang Bohui looked at her and Lu Ping’an. “He just up and left without a second thought, clean and swift, abandoning his own mother without care or filial duty, and even leaving behind his sworn brother like me. If that isn’t heartless, what is? It forced you and Ping’an to flee to Hong Kong. Had your elder brother been here, even if you hadn’t enjoyed wealth and honor, you certainly wouldn’t have suffered such hardship and displacement.”
Lu Ping’an suddenly said, “Grandmother said he was a good man, and Great-Grandfather was proud of him too.”
Wang Bohui paused slightly, then asked, “They told you that? Did they say nothing else?”
Lu Ping’an shook his head. “No, Grandmother only left me a small locked box, saying it contains things Father left behind for me. I’m only allowed to open it when I grow up and become sensible, or when I encounter difficulties too hard to solve.”
A sudden thought struck Lu Mingzhu: “Could it be gold and silver treasures?”
That was the only thing she could think of.
After all, the large gold bars Lu Ping’an’s birth mother gave him far surpassed what the original owner ever had.
Favoring sons over daughters!
Even an adopted son held greater importance in her heart than her own daughter.
Lu Ping’an couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes curving into crescents as dimples appeared. “What gold and silver treasures? It was just a light box; when I shook it near my ear, it sounded like it might contain papers or something similar.”
Lu Mingzhu was deeply disappointed. “Your grandmother was so wealthy; what use are a few scraps of paper? They can’t be eaten or drunk.”
“If you want gold and silver treasures, that’s easy enough. You saved Mr. He; he will surely send you a gift of gratitude,” Wang Bohui reasoned based on common sense. “Mr. He may lack many things, but mountains of gold and silver are certainly not among them.”
Lu Mingzhu made a face at him. “I didn’t save someone expecting gratitude in return!”
To bestow kindness without expecting reward—how noble.
After finishing breakfast with laughter and chatter, Lu Mingzhu went upstairs to change her clothes.
Mrs. Wang reminded her, “Wear at least two pieces of jewelry; don’t always go bare from head to toe—it looks too plain.”
“Got it!” Lu Mingzhu replied briskly.
She usually avoided wearing jewelry when going out, fearing that displaying wealth would invite trouble. Now, living in the Wang household, she could dress as elegantly as she pleased; after all, she was one of those girls who genuinely loved fine jewels and luxurious garments.
Who doesn’t appreciate beautiful things?
Before her transmigration, she had collected many exquisite pieces of jewelry, but unfortunately, none of them made it into her spatial storage.
She had left them behind primarily to give to her mother.
If a wisp of the original soul had possessed her, everything she owned would naturally belong to that spirit.
Thus, Lu Mingzhu selected an emerald bracelet from the old master’s treasure trove to replace her diamond watch, layered it with a lustrous white pearl bracelet, and adorned her neck with a short white pearl necklace.
Paired with the square-necked red satin dress Xie Junyao had seen before, the ensemble appeared both gentle and radiant.
Stepping downstairs in matching leather shoes, Lu Mingzhu noticed that Mrs. Wang and Liao Wanru were equally elaborately dressed, while Lu Ping’an remained in his student uniform, looking particularly youthful.
“Why aren’t you wearing a diamond ring?” Liao Wanru, like Mrs. Wang, was an avid lover of fiery diamonds.
She adored the brilliant sparkle of diamonds.
Lu Mingzhu smiled at her words. “Our traditional culture values warmth and restraint; the brilliance of diamonds is simply too outwardly flamboyant!”
In truth, she had sold everything that could be sold. All that remained were two colored-diamond ladies’ rings and one solitaire diamond ring from a matching set. Their center stones were quite large, making them rather unsuitable for today’s occasion.
Just then, a servant arrived to announce, “They’re here, they’re here.”
Everyone immediately dropped the subject and went forward to greet them.
The reception was grand indeed.
Arriving were not only He Yun and his daughter, Miss He, but also numerous subordinates bearing countless gifts, forming a procession so long that those at the front had already entered the main building while those at the rear had not yet passed through the main gate.
Lu Mingzhu appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly she was screaming.
So many gifts—we’ve struck it rich!
Wang Bohui politely remarked, “Mr. He’s gracious presence alone has already honored our humble home; why go to such extravagant expense?”
He Yun smiled faintly. “This is a token of gratitude for Miss Lu.”
Miss He added, “Mr. Wang, my father’s life is priceless. Miss Lu bravely stepped forward and saved him in our moment of peril. We are deeply grateful; this modest gift can hardly fully express our thanks.”
She was truly grateful to Lu Mingzhu.
How perilous that scene had been!
She had personally placed that meatball onto her father’s plate, intending to curry his favor, but an accident occurred; if her father had choked to death on it, her siblings would have torn her apart, and there would be no place left in the world for her.
She dared not think of it; the mere thought left her trembling with lingering fear.
Miss He once again took Lu Mingzhu’s hand, gently shaking it with a finger adorned by a massive diamond ring. Her tone was soft and her gaze gentle, yet her smile still carried a hint of malice. “Miss Lu, some of these gifts I selected personally at the trading company; I hope you like them.”
“Thank you, Mr. He and Miss He; please have some tea.” Just then, a maid arrived serving tea.
Lu Mingzhu courteously entertained He Yun, her smile sweet. “This is Shifeng Longjing tea I brought from the mainland—pre-Qingming harvest, very tender and fresh. Mr. He, why not have a taste?”
Have some tea, have some tea; conversation only truly comes alive over a cup.
Sitting in silence always feels so awkward.
Wang Bohui immediately agreed, “If Mr. He finds the flavor to his liking, let Mingzhu pack some for you to take home.”
On one occasion, while tasting the Biluochun tea brought by Lu Mingzhu, he happened to hear her mention that she had brought along quite a supply of fine teas—all precious reserves stored by her father in the warehouse, which she had claimed entirely for herself.
What did he say at the time?
He said it was well done.
He Yun revealed a faint smile. “Since this tea was brought by Miss Lu, I shall certainly savor it with great care.”
With that, he raised his hand and lifted the teabowl.
Liao Wanru stole a few glances at him; indeed, just as Lu Mingzhu had said, he looked remarkably young, refined and elegant, with graceful demeanor and striking features. In his youth, he must have captivated countless young women.
Sitting beside Mrs. Ming now, how could they possibly be father and daughter? They clearly resembled a brother and sister instead.
Although both were figures in the business world, Wang Bohui and He Yun had never met before. Finding suitable topics for conversation proved difficult at first, lest he appear overly eager to curry favor. Ultimately, he made Lu Mingzhu the focus of their discussion: “When my brother and I were children, we often heard of Mr. He’s renowned reputation. Our two families once collaborated with Mr. He, though many years have passed since then. I fear Mr. He may no longer remember.”
Unexpectedly, He Yun replied, “I do remember. You are the eldest son of Mr. Wang Xingcai. Miss Lu’s parents must be Mr. Lu Yanzhi, the wealthy Shanghai merchant, and his wife. In Shanghai, I conducted business only with these two families. Especially Mrs. Lu—she left an extremely deep impression on me. She was truly a heroic woman.”
Uncle Wang Bohui said with delight, “That’s right! Mr. He has an excellent memory!”
Lu Mingzhu heard this for the first time and was astonished. “Such a long-standing connection? I had no idea.”
“Of course you wouldn’t know; the partnership was established over twenty years ago, before you were even born. Later, when Mr. He discontinued that line of business, all three parties terminated the cooperation.” After speaking, Wang Bohui turned to He Yun and added, “Mr. He, Mingzhu happened to save your life purely by chance; it simply means you share a karmic connection. There’s no need for you to dwell on it excessively—just be more careful in the future.”
Lu Mingzhu nodded in agreement. “My elder brother is absolutely right.”
He Yun smiled again. “As I said before, I can never repay you for saving my life. If you ever encounter any difficulties, Miss Lu, please do not hesitate to let me know. I, He Yun, will do everything in my power to help you resolve them.”