Chapter 837: Chapter 710: Reunion in a Foreign Land

The closer he got to the commercial bureau’s guesthouse, the faster Yi Zhe’s heart raced. He fiercely pinched his own thigh, silently reciting his wife’s name in his mind.

"Bro, why are there more foreigners around here than in Beijing?"

"It’s nothing strange. With the export trade fair, definitely, more than just Chinese people are here. Have you confirmed how long you’ll be staying this time?"

"At least a month. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be working at the grassroots. By the time I return, this semester will nearly be over. If it wasn’t for exams, I wouldn’t have to make this trip back and forth."

Yi Zhe shook his head with a smile, this kid still loves to play!

"By the way, when is my sister-in-law due? Grandma wanted her to go back to Beijing, you know?"

"Everything is arranged. Once my mom comes to take care of her after giving birth, tell her she doesn’t need to worry. The medical facilities here aren’t bad."

Yi Jiefang nodded upon hearing this. He didn’t persuade him to return to work in Beijing. As the eldest grandson, his cousin carries a lot of responsibility.

"Remember to find someone from the military if you encounter problems at the grassroots, rather than foolishly waiting for a teacher to solve them. Especially since you promised the Zhou Family, make sure to look after Zhou Jiao."

Yi Jiefang shook his head sideways, "I feel like I’ve been roped into a troublesome situation."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Yi Zhe hesitated for a moment, then added, "When you’re out, remind her to keep her attire low-key. A girl dressing attractively outside can easily attract attention."

Yi Jiefang laughed heartily, "Bro, that cunning girl is very smart. My only worry is she’ll disappear without a word. But it’s okay, starting tomorrow, she won’t escape the palm of my hand."

Yi Zhe glanced at him, his eyes filled with amusement, and shifted the topic away from Zhou Jiao, "Don’t wander around in border cities, many illegal immigrants have been caught this year."

Yi Jiefang knowingly nodded, indicating he was aware of this. He’d already heard the details about the railway station incident earlier this year from his dad, so he didn’t go home during the summer break.

Upon arriving at the guesthouse managed by the commercial bureau, Yi Zhe personally inquired with the service staff. Upon learning that Cheng Ruzhu had not returned yet, he guessed the aunt and niece were probably dining wherever they had been shopping.

Suppressing his anxiety, he began to analyze where they might be. Given Zhou Jiao’s nature, she likely prefers peace and quiet. Without local vouchers on her first visit, she wouldn’t have gone to a mall.

As a worker at the commercial bureau, Cheng Ruzhu might have foreign exchange coupons. For others, places they couldn’t enter might be visited by the aunt and niece duo, possibly the Friendship Store.

Thinking of this, he looked up at the sky and called his anxious cousin, planning to drive over and see if they might run into them.

"Bro, shouldn’t we wait?"

"They’ll eat and come back. I’ll take you somewhere to look first. If they aren’t there, we’ll eat first and come back later."

As they left, Yi Jiefang curiously asked, "What restaurant? Do you know?"

"The Friendship Store. Let’s check there first."

Yi Jiefang clapped his hands and ran with him, "It must be there! It can’t be wrong. I even heard Zhou Jiao mention it once. A few years back, you could still enter the Friendship Store, but now not only do you need tickets, you need proof. She said regretfully that if she’d known, she would’ve gone more often."

Yi Zhe smiled upon hearing this. That’s truly her, always content with what she has! If she were someone with no boundaries, she could have caused chaos in Beijing using connections.

Driving to a spot not far from a high-rise building, Yi Zhe parked without driving in. The entrance had a red notice: "This store serves foreign guests, unauthorized personnel please do not enter."

He was quite aware that besides serving foreigners and diplomats, some local cadres, like Cheng Ruzhu, who worked at the commercial bureau, could enter with the right credentials. As long as she had foreign exchange coupons, she’d be able to buy things.

However, he himself wasn’t eligible for such permissions, and he scorned the idea of using connections to shop. If he truly desired something, given the prestige of the Yi Family, many would eagerly present it to him. But who would compromise a soldier’s dignity for such material goods?

Just as he suspected, Zhou Jiao and Cheng Ruzhu were indeed inside the Friendship Store.

At that moment, Zhou Jiao was shaking her head in boredom.

"What is it? Still don’t like it?"

Zhou Jiao hooked her arm through hers, signaling her to go outside. She worried that if she spoke, the nearby overseas Chinese customers might leave as well. To generate foreign currency, she’d be foolish not to let these ’banana people’ leave.

Unable to do much, Cheng Ruzhu carried a bag of chocolates as they left. Once they were far from others, she gently advised, "I saved these coupons for you. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to buy?"

Zhou Jiao lazily shook her head, "Really, there’s nothing! We don’t lack these at home, and bringing them back is troublesome."

Cheng Ruzhu chuckled, "You child... Fine, I’ll keep some coupons for you. If anything’s needed later, we can buy it then. Do you want to help out? Our section chief even wants you to help with the accounts."

"Aunt, don’t mention this to anyone. It’s not my field, so I shouldn’t get involved. They’re just being respectful to our family; there’s no need for an amateur like me to show off."

Cheng Ruzhu looked at her amusedly. She wasn’t oblivious to her background. When she mentioned looking for her niece, even the section chief suggested treating the young lady to a meal.

"Aunt, where should we eat?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Where else? You’re worried about the impression again." Cheng Ruzhu sighed. This child always kept things close to the chest, wearing that same ’combat outfit’ when she picked her up. She wanted to take a picture to show her eldest cousin. Does her child really need to live so humbly?

Zhou Jiao wrinkled her nose, waited for her chuckle, then said, "I can’t get used to Western food. Let’s find a century-old restaurant, I want to try Cantonese food."

"Alright, whatever you want. We’ll go..."

"Zhou Jiao... over here... Zhou Jiao, I’m here."

Before Cheng Ruzhu could finish, Yi Jiefang spotted them coming out and called out loudly.

Seeing him, Zhou Jiao quickened her pace, "Aunt, it’s Da Yi. The soldier next to him, is that Yi Grandpa’s eldest grandson, Yi Zhe?"

"I don’t know, I used to see him as a kid."

As she got closer and scrutinized, Zhou Jiao confidently said, "It’s the Yi Zhe who’s been stationed here for years. I’ve seen him several times, I won’t mistake it."

Cheng Ruzhu didn’t pay much attention; meeting the Yi Family in the South was quite normal.

Yi Jiefang greeted them as they approached, "Aunt Ruzhu, you really are here. This is my brother Yi Zhe, we originally came over to invite Xiao Wu and his wife for a meal. Now it’s perfect, shall we go together?"

Meeting for the first time, Yi Zhe wasn’t sure how to address Cheng Ruzhu. Calling her ’aunt’ didn’t quite fit, so he smiled at them and greeted, "Hello."

"Is this the little Hu Niu from Uncle Yi’s family? Back then, you were so little calling me Little Aunt. How come you don’t recognize me now?"

Yi Zhe truly had no recollection, but since she said so, he glanced at Zhou Jiao, who was covering her mouth laughing, and said, "Little Aunt, are you on a business trip?"

"Yes, I’ll be back in a week." Cheng Ruzhu found him more interesting the more she looked at him, teasing, "And why haven’t you gone home? Is your mom still practicing with the wooden gun?"

At the mention of his mom practicing with a gun, Yi Zhe instantly remembered who she was and laughed, "Does Little Aunt still have her red-tasseled wooden gun?"

Cheng Ruzhu patted his shoulder laughing, "Now you remember me? Is your mom still in the Northeast?"

Both Zhou Jiao and Yi Jiefang, the onlookers, exchanged glances and winked at each other, it seemed there was a story here.

"Let’s get in the car first." Yi Zhe watched Zhou Jiao, who looked cute and mischievous, smile as he opened the car door for them, "My dad is there, she can’t leave."

"Bro, where are we going to eat?"

Yi Zhe started the car and turned his head to look at the two of them when asked.

Seeing this, Cheng Ruzhu smiled, "Find an old place that serves Cantonese cuisine. Wherever you think is good, we’ll go with you."

Seeing him look at her, Zhou Jiao smiled and nodded.

Yi Zhe smiled happily, "I’ll take you to see it. If you don’t like it, we can change it."

Driving towards a high-end private restaurant, Yi Zhe responded while pondering about asking Master Fan to prepare some exquisite small pastries that girls usually like.