Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

He Yunqin returned to the He family mansion and went straight to the second floor.

Mrs He was just about to head back to her room for a nap when she spotted her son coming back. Stunned, she paused at the door and asked, “You finally came. Have you eaten?” 

He Yunqin hesitated for a moment, then walked over to open the door for her, grinning, “Come on, I’m an adult now. I can’t starve myself!” 

Mrs He replied casually, “I just don’t know what keeps you so busy all the time. You’re hardly ever home. So it’s no surprise that as a mother I want to take care of my son.”

After taking a few steps, she glanced back at her son’s outfit and asked, “You’re still in the same clothes as yesterday. You didn’t come home last night. Where were you?” 

“I was very busy yesterday and stayed at a friend’s place last night. I didn’t have a chance to change. Is Dad home?” He Yunqin replied to his mother as he followed her to the room.

“He’s in the study. I’m not sure what’s been bothering him lately; he always seems so stressed.” Mrs. He turned to the servants and asked them to bring some food. “What do you need to see your dad about?”

He Yunqin smiled casually and said, “Discuss mother’s birthday.”

Mrs. He was friendly and easygoing, not one to overthink things. When she heard her son mentioning her upcoming birthday, she thought that He Yunqin’s words were true. “We celebrate birthdays every year, but your dad always makes a huge deal out of it,” she poured a bit after saying that.

Even as she said this, her eyes sparkled with warmth, showing her deep trust in her husband. 

He Yunqin gave a slight smile and even felt a little sad about her. ‘It’s no wonder my sister was easy to please; she was just like our mom.’

As Mrs. He settled in front of the mirror; she glanced around before lifting her arm to fix her hair. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and her face lit up as she turned to her son. “I heard from your older sister this morning that you sent Uncle Yu home the other day to borrow some clothes. What’s up with that? Do you have a girlfriend?” 

“Nope, I just borrowed some clothes for a friend in case they needed them,” he replied. 

“You keep hesitating and never seem interested in dating. You know what people are saying. Since you and Mingyi were classmates back in middle school, those rumours are still floating around. If you got married sooner, wouldn’t that be a great way to silence them?” Mrs. He said with a sigh.

He Yunqin was a bit surprised by his mother’s words and replied, “Your son doesn’t have a crush on anyone right now. I can’t just settle with someone to clear up a rumour. Anyway, why bother with something that isn’t real?”

Mrs. He shot him a look, “Aren’t you teaching at a university now? Don’t you have any girls you’re into? My birthday is next week, and I’ve asked Zhujun to invite her classmates. They’re all female students with a Western education. I think you’d hit it off with them. If you like someone, age shouldn’t matter. Once you’re married, whether she wants to keep studying or go abroad, I won’t hold her back as her mother-in-law.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Mom.” He Yunqin picked up the comb from the dresser and handed it to his mother.

Mrs. He laughed in frustration and scolded the man. “You just keep trying to play games with me and never take things seriously.”

He Yunqin: “…”

“It might be better to find someone who outshines Mingyi in every way. Mom would be thrilled to meet her, and you’d be happy too,” Mrs. He said again.

But He Yunqin didn’t catch that at all, because, at that time, his mind was stuck on the word “young” that his mother mentioned. For some reason, a certain person popped into his head. That person was vibrant and confident, always going on and on about principles. She seemed composed, yet had a playful side. Like when she went out to eat, she could spend ages studying the menu with genuine interest. It puzzled He Yunqin.

Snapping back to reality, he told his mother, “Mom, since you’re going to take a nap, I’ll head back to my room to change. I need to discuss something important with Dad later.” 

Mrs. He asked, “Are you coming back for dinner tonight?” 

He Yunqin replied, “I’m busy, so I probably won’t make it.” 

Once he reached the study, He Yunqin knocked on the door.

After a moment, the steward opened it and greeted him, “Second Young Master!” 

He Yunqin nodded and said, “Uncle Zhuang, I need to speak with my father alone.” 

The steward looked surprised, quickly closed the door, and stepped out.

The head of the He family, He Mengmei, stood at the window. When he heard a noise, he turned around, and his frown eased a bit. “What brings you home today? Aren’t you supposed to be at school teaching?” 

He Yunqin walked closer, touched his chin, and smiled. “Dad, I need to ask you something.”

***

After He Yunqin left, Yu Hongdou and Wang Peter exchanged glances in the study. There was still some tension between the two from a few days ago, making the conversation a bit awkward.

Yu Hongdou noticed Wang Peter had finished his tea, so she quickly set the cup on the tray and said, “I’ll grab you some more tea.”

When she entered the living room, she saw her brother talking with their uncle and aunt. 

The aunt was still crying, and her mother was trying to comfort her.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. 

Since the living room was a bit chaotic, Yu Hongdou went to open the door. When she opened the door, she found He Yunqin standing there. 

“Mr. He.” 

Hearing that, Yu Chongyi quickly got to his feet and followed He Yunqin into the study room. 

“On the 20th, Chen Baidie had visited a Taoist temple in the suburbs to burn incense. She went there alone with a secret friend, so no one from her circle or the film company knew about it. Then, on the 21st, she got an invitation from the Lu family at Nanbao Foreign Company for a dinner party. It was held on the 23rd.” He Yunqin directly stated the information he found out after entering the study.

Wang Peter chimed in, “But Chen Baidie went missing on the 22nd, so she obviously couldn’t attend the dinner.”

“Miss Yu, how long has your uncle been with Nanbao Foreign Company?” He Yunqin asked Yu Hongdou.

“It’s been nearly ten years. He became a comprador three years ago,” she replied after thinking for a few seconds.

After a brief hesitation, He Yunqin looked at Wang Peter. After the two of them exchanged glances, He Yunqin suggested to Yu Chongyi. “Officer Yu, why not call your uncle and aunt to come in?”

End of chapter 22

Have a nice day!