Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 199 Family
"No, I'm from Hunan. I used to live in Hunan, but my dad brought me here last year."

The timing was precisely when he defected.

"Then you must be able to handle spicy food very well?" Gu Yansheng asked with a smile.

"Of course," Zhou Shuhai said smugly. "Can you eat it?"

"Yes, I can eat it. I haven't eaten anything lately either. How about we go get some Hunan food?"

"Okay, do you know where to find Hunan cuisine around here? The food on the ship is awful. The Japanese are eating sashimi, which has no flavor at all."

"I know, come with me."

Gu Yansheng actually knew where to find spicy food in Hongkou; he had eaten there twice with Minister Zhou.

To understand a person, start by understanding their stomach.

At the Kaifu Hotel, Gu Yansheng had the chef prepare a table of his signature Hunan dishes to entertain her.

They asked questions while eating, and the information came out right there on the dinner table.

Minister Zhou's early life was arranged by his parents in Hunan. He married a local woman who was quite beautiful. The woman was three years older than him, and he conceived a child, Zhou Shuhai, at the age of sixteen.

The following year, the sowing was successful again, and a son was born, named Zhou Shaohai.

After spending two years at home idly, Minister Zhou went to Japan to study and then joined the revolution. Along the way, he forgot what his wife looked like.

Even if they have time to visit each other, they can't talk to each other because they don't have common topics, so they remain distant.

One was a top student at Tokyo Imperial University, and the other was a country woman. They didn't get together for a long time, so it was inevitable that he would have other women outside the marriage.

However, their family members were unaware of this. What they received in the end was a letter of divorce, after which they would never see each other again.

Minister Zhou was getting married in Shanghai to Yang Shuhui, the daughter of the chief secretary of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce.

Gu Yansheng knew much more about what happened afterward than she did.

It wasn't simply because of love. At the time, Minister Zhou was still a high-achieving student who had returned from his studies, and he was still a long way from becoming a pillar of the Party and the country.

This father-in-law could provide a lot of help in Minister Zhou's rise to power.

And so it soared into the sky.

Now, Yang Shuhui's son is already seventeen or eighteen years old.

However, according to Zhou Shuhai, this matter was not incomprehensible, because it was normal for wealthy families in the countryside to have several wives.

She insisted on writing a letter of divorce because, in her view, she was nothing more than a city girl with too much temper and too many rules.

“I really don’t like this woman. My father’s taste is terrible.” Zhou Shuhai said bluntly. “She’s clearly a concubine, but since I came here, she’s been bossing me around. She seems dissatisfied with everything I do. Her personality is awful.”

No wonder she had that expression. Gu Yansheng recalled Yang Shuhui's expression when they left the venue. At the time, he almost thought she was afraid that he would kidnap her daughter.

Gu Yansheng asked curiously, "For example?"

“For example,” Zhou Shuhai put down his chopsticks and recalled, “she would always scold me for being a country bumpkin. If I touched something in the house that I had never seen before, she would make sarcastic remarks like, ‘Do you know how to use it? Don’t break my things.’”

Listen to that, isn't there a lot of disdain in his words?
It doesn't stop there.

I was taken to Hanoi this time and stayed there for quite a while. Of course, I had to spend money on food. She wouldn't even give me basic living expenses. It's not like we don't have money at home. I didn't spend much, but she just wouldn't give me any.

Sometimes when my dad and I go to ask her, she'll barely give us a little, and while she does so, she'll berate me as a burden.

Yang Shuhui manages the money in Minister Zhou's household. Yang Shuhui has a fiery personality and is not afraid of Minister Zhou. Minister Zhou will occasionally stand up for his daughter, but only occasionally.

Gu Yansheng did manage to obtain a few pieces of information.

It's certainly tragic, but not surprising. It's not a new phenomenon for Shanghainese to look down on people from the countryside.

If ordinary people feel this way, how much more so Yang Shuhui, who is practically an enemy of hers, and who is reminded of her mother whenever she sees her.

Gu Yansheng comforted her, "You've had a tough time. My promise stands. If you need anything in the future, just let me know." Zhou Shuhai smiled, wiped her eyes, and said, "It's a little spicy."

This wasn't because Zhou Shuhai was moved to tears by Gu Yansheng; it was simply because she genuinely felt somewhat wronged.

Gu Yansheng pretended not to see it, took a bite of food, and hissed with a smile: "It is a bit spicy."

"Haha, have some vegetables. Try this, it's delicious."

After having dinner with her, Gu Yansheng took her out for a stroll. Thinking that she didn't have much money, he suggested they go to a clothing store and buy her some clothes.

It took a little time and a little money to make a girl who had been subjected to a lot of disdain happy.

Gu Yansheng actually thought her mentality was good. She didn't become timid after being hit, probably because she hadn't known Yang Shuhui for long and still had the courage to fight back.

It's hard to say how a person's personality would change if they were constantly attacked by Yang Shuhui.

After buying the clothes, Zhou Shuhai was even happier, and the whole process was very pleasant.

“It’s almost time. We should head back. Otherwise, if Minister Zhou can’t find us, he’ll think I’ve kidnapped you.”

"Alright, let's go back then."

Gu Yansheng accompanied her on a walk back to the venue. Once inside, there were many things to discuss today. The banquet was still going on, but there were fewer people.

Zhou Shuhai smiled, said thank you, and left.

Gu Yansheng noticed that from the moment she entered, Yang Shuhui's gaze shifted to her, then to the bag of clothes in her hand, and then to Gu Yansheng's face.

Gu Yansheng bowed and smiled politely, then looked away.

Even throwing a tantrum depends on the person. He was curious to see how Yang Shuhui would handle the situation after he bought clothes for Zhou Shuhai.

Whether to go back and yell at them or swallow your anger, we'll know next time.

"Hey, Minister."

Gu Yansheng saw Minister Zhou wave to him and went over to greet him.

"Did I cause you any trouble? You just came from the countryside, so you might not know the rules."

"No, it's fine." Gu Yansheng said softly, "We went to eat Hunan food, Minister, aren't you craving it?"

Minister Zhou, suppressing his anger, pointed at Gu Yansheng and laughed, "You sneaked some delicious food without telling me, so I'm punishing you by making you eat with me tomorrow."

Gu Yansheng smiled and nodded calmly, "Okay."

Minister Zhou smiled and said, "Let's get down to business. I just met with Mr. Wang, and he talked with a few people from Japan. They decided that in terms of the itinerary, we'll visit various departments in the next few days."

There are some people he still wants to meet and talk with in person, including you, from the municipal government, the Special Agent Headquarters, the China Daily, and other places. Then, based on the information from the negotiators, we can summarize our opinions and finalize the government department structure with the Japanese side.

Will you come with us tomorrow?

“No problem.” Gu Yansheng nodded. “Should the Japanese be in charge of security, or should we call in people from the Special Agent Headquarters?”

"The Japanese will take responsibility."

"Okay, then I'll come at eight o'clock tomorrow morning?"

"There's no need to do it so early. We didn't get a good night's sleep on the ship. Can't you let me sleep through the night?" Minister Zhou joked.

Gu Yansheng chuckled, a thought flashing through his mind as he recalled the hobbies of Minister Zhou that he had learned about. "Minister, what are the Japanese plans for later? Should we go for a drink and watch some dancing to relax? That way we can sleep better. There are quite a few geisha dance halls in Hongkou."

Minister Zhou was clearly tempted. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this? It's not appropriate for me to ask directly. You can ask the Japanese for me. If there are any arrangements, we can go over for a drink to relax. Just the two of us will do. At most, you can also invite Luo Junqiang along. I need to talk to him about something."

Be careful what you say, don't let my wife hear you.

"Don't worry, I'll arrange it."

(End of this chapter)