Liu Baoyong was in a hurry to leave. Before he left, he looked around the house carefully. The tables and chairs were made of rosewood or mahogany. The calligraphy and paintings on the walls were left by famous artists. The lid of the tea bowl was made of fine porcelain from the Jun kiln.
.
Li He personally sent them to the door and shook hands with them one by one.
Li He didn't think too much about going to Czechoslovakia. He had to go there sooner or later anyway. It wasn't a big deal to go there first. It was all part of his plan. He was just a little surprised that Liu Baoyong wanted him to go with them, but it was just a surprise.
What he was thinking about now was how Old Man Qin and his son were going to repay him for doing him such a big favor without saying a word. If they didn't say anything, he couldn't pretend that he didn't know.
Five or six foreigners were taking pictures in the alley with their cameras. One of them was curious about Li He, who was standing at the door. He wanted to take a picture of him, as if he wanted to show off the customs of the country. Li He waved at them and said in English, "No photos."
"You speak English?" The foreigners were curious about him speaking English. After all, it was rare to meet someone who spoke English fluently.
Li He wasn't in the mood to talk to them. He just said to the tour guide, who was wearing a sunhat and holding a small red flag, "Hurry up and take them away."
The tour guide said unhappily, "Comrade, please pay attention to the rules of foreign affairs. These are all foreign guests. They are very interested in the Hutong culture and specially came here to experience it."
She was a young girl in her twenties, and she spoke arrogantly with her head held high.
"Go play somewhere else. I'm just a commoner. Why are you talking about foreign affairs with me? Hurry up and leave, or I'll beat you up. If something happens to your foreign guests, let's see who's more responsible, you or me." Li He's face darkened. Everyone wanted to pinch him now, which made him very uncomfortable and unhappy.
These foreigners weren't considered foreign guests. They were poor people in their own country who took advantage of foreign exchange. Now that they came to China, they suddenly became superior.
Foreigners who came to China were usually polarized. They were either people of high status, like Kissinger. Or they were poor people in their own country who basically didn't have much savings. They might even overdraft their credit cards when they came here.
There are very few so-called well-to-do middle classes.
"Why are you like this?" The tour guide glanced at Little Wei, Da Kui, and the others, who were clenching their fists eagerly, and could only swallow their anger.
The foreigners couldn't understand what the two were talking about, so they could only follow the tour guide.
After Lil 'Wei saw that they had left, she said to Li He, "Bro, I'm annoyed too. There are so many people every day. Everything I see is strange. I want to take pictures of the hairdresser, the old man playing chess, and they look at us strangely. They treat us like monkeys in the zoo.
"Help me see if Old Man Qin is at home." Li He wanted to express his gratitude. He went back to the house and took out two bottles of Maotai and two cartons of cigarettes. They were light, but he still felt that it was not enough. He made up his mind and carried a purple clay teapot on the shelf with a newspaper. If he was going to give her a gift, he would give her a big one.
Xiaowei reported that Old Qin was at home. Li He locked the door and personally carried the gifts to the Qin family. The Qin family's house wasn't big. It was pitifully small compared to Li He's house. There was a gate, a courtyard, and behind it were two rooms and a parlor. Old Qin and his granddaughter, Qin Youmi, lived here. It was indeed big enough.
Old Qin was playing with the birds in the cage in the courtyard. He smiled at Li He and said, "You're finally willing to give me a gift?"
Li He put the gifts on the table, moved a chair, and sat in front of the old man. "Your magnetic food can can't take it anymore. I'll give you one another day."
For people who loved birds, cages, magnetic food cans, magnetic ponds, and even a small shovel to remove bird droppings were all very particular. It just so happened that he didn't lack these little things.
"Second Brother Li, you seem to be quite free today. You usually don't come when I invite you." Qin Youmi popped out from behind Li He. She was wearing a blue dress. She was slender, elegant, and witty.
Li He smiled and said, "Since you know that I don't come often, you're reluctant to make a pot of tea for me?"
Qin Youmi ignored his words. She opened the things that Li He brought over and looked at the purple clay pot. Then, she handed it to Old Qin and said, "Master, take a look. Second Brother Li doesn't look right today."
Old Qin took the maroon purple clay pot and weighed it in his hand. Then, he played with it in his hand and said, "Good stuff. Good stuff. The pot is exquisite and smooth. You're willing to give me such a good Huaying pot?"
"It's just for drinking tea. If you like it, I'll give it to you. It's no big deal."
Old Qin smiled at Li He and said, "I'll take this. We're even now."
"I still have to thank you." Li He didn't expect the old man to be so straightforward. He smiled and said, "If someone didn't tell me, I really wouldn't have known that you helped me so much."
Old Qin said, "Don't say it. I'm the one who took advantage of you."
He excitedly handed it over to Qin Youmi and asked her to make a pot of tea. When the tea was brewed, it was indeed fragrant.
"It's good that you like it."
"You brat, you spend so much money every day. You've raised the prices in this area. This old man can't even buy a pancake even if he wanted to."
"Alright, I'll be more careful in the future." Li He smiled bitterly. The stall owners in this area were probably familiar with his temperament. Those who sold pancakes, tofu, and roast ducks all knew that he was generous. In the beginning, he gave money, but when he asked for change, he complained that it was too long, so he didn't ask for the three or five cents.
After a long time, the stall owners got used to not asking for change. After being spoiled, the prices in this area were higher than elsewhere.
Li He chatted casually for a while and then left the Qin family.
Qin Youmi chased after him and said, "Second Brother Li, stand here."
"What's the matter?" This time, Li He's attitude was surprisingly good. His father had helped him, so he naturally had to be nicer to him.
Qin Youmi said, "Let me ask you something."
"Go ahead. Don't stand on ceremony."
"Those two Hong Kongers are your friends, right?"
"You're talking about Yu Dehua and Shen Daoru, right? You should know Old Man Yu's son, right? "
Qin Youmi smiled and said, "I know them, but I'm still not familiar with them. Can I trouble you with something? I have a friend who's a TV reporter and wants to interview the two of them, but they don't seem very willing. Do you want to help me tell them? "
These two people went in and out of Li He's house every day. Qin Youmi could see them every now and then, so she wanted to ask Li He about this matter.
Li He thought for a moment and said, "No problem. I'll just let them know."
"You can make the decision for them?" Qin Youmi did not expect Li He to agree so readily. Based on her understanding of Li He, he was stubborn and had never been so easy to talk to. In other words, he had never made her feel so happy before.
Li He's reply was very straightforward. "I won't give face to anyone, but I'll give face to you. You can ask your reporter friend when he has time. Just let him know."
Qin Youmi blushed and said, "Thank you. I'll call her back now. "
She realized that since when did this person become so eloquent? She was not used to it.
Although the economic development was currently in a serious decline, the construction of the stadiums did not stop because the Asian Games were approaching. The greening of the city had already extended to Sanmiao Street.
Even the public toilets that had not been visited for many years had been cleaned. There was no pungent smell, and there was no unknown liquid on the ground. This was the most comfortable squatting that Li He had ever squatted in.
Little Wei wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to do some demolition work. He said excitedly, "The western suburbs are being demolished one by one. Brother, I know people. We can do the demolition work."
"You can't do it," Li He replied with certainty. "Do you think you'll get the chance to do such a good thing?"
What he lacked now was connections. Doing a demolition work required connections the most. Otherwise, it would be difficult to do anything.
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