In 1985, Beijing was free of smog, and the sky was a clear blue.
But sandstorms are also one of the troublesome things in spring.
Gu Wei saw some fashionable ladies and children on the street, all wearing scarves of various colors for protection.
The roadside posters also feature various vintage-style content.
For example: "Population must be controlled, and the nation must be revitalized."
"A couple should only have one child."
"Strive to keep the population below 1.2 billion by 2000"
"..."
When Gu Wei wandered around the city, in addition to walking and taking the bus, he also spent a dime to take the subway.
There weren't many passengers in the carriage; some were even carrying birdcages.
This is a scene that will be hard to see decades from now.
He couldn't help but sigh, no wonder so many people envy and yearn for the residency and lifestyle here.
Just considering the subway system alone, it's a development that many cities can't even match, even if they were to ride a rocket...
Two days later.
Gu Wei estimated that it was about time, so he pretended to carry the black briefcase and headed to the address Hou Yongxian had given him.
When they arrived in that area, they asked several people for directions and wandered through the alleys for a long time before finally finding the courtyard house where Hou Yongxian and his group lived.
At this time, the courtyards of all sizes usually housed anywhere from a dozen to several dozen families.
In addition to the main house, various temporary huts, shacks, kitchens, coal pits, and so on were also built.
Gu Wei walked in through the open, peeling paint door.
Every window and door was covered with curtains and drapes.
Some doors were locked, so there should be someone inside.
The women who were washing vegetables and clothes at the public tap and chatting fell silent when Gu Wei appeared, and began to look him up and down.
A middle-aged woman with short hair, wearing a navy blue blouse and sleeves, rubbed her temples with her wet hands and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Gu Wei smiled and asked, "May I ask which room Hou Yongxian lives in?"
The women looked at each other in bewilderment.
"He must be referring to Old Hou."
"Right?"
"Yes, we still have to go further back, to the west wing."
"Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome."
Gu Wei continued walking in the direction the other person pointed.
The women immediately started gossiping.
"This young man is quite handsome."
"Could it be a relative of the Hou family?"
"I don't think so."
Gu Wei walked to the very back, and before he could tell which was the west wing, someone yawned and opened the door to come out.
Upon seeing that it was Hou Yongxian, with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes, he immediately smiled and greeted him, "Grandpa Hou!"
Hou Yongxian was clearly not expected that Gu Wei would appear here. He was so surprised and delighted that he was instantly wide awake.
"Gu Wei! When did you get off the car? You didn't even say anything beforehand."
Gu Wei didn't answer the question, but instead smiled and changed the subject, "Your place is a bit hard to find, I had to ask several people for directions."
Hou Yongxian chuckled and said, "Don't even mention you, many people who have been here a few times still get lost easily. Come on in."
Gu Wei readily followed Hou Yongxian into the room.
Upon entering, there is a main room with an eight-immortal table, chairs, and other furniture.
The rooms are on both sides, and you can see the general layout of the rooms through the glass.
Hou Yongxian was genuinely happy to see Gu Wei arrive.
First, he was seated in a rosewood chair, and then the tea leaves that he usually couldn't bear to drink were brought out.
Gu Wei took the opportunity to observe the furnishings in the room and the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls more closely.
It must be said that it has great taste and artistic conception.
It stands in stark contrast to the crowded, messy, and dilapidated courtyard.
After Hou Yongxian finished brewing the tea, he sat down on another chair.
"If I had known you were coming so soon, it would have been so much better if we had traveled together. We could have looked out for each other on the way."
Gu Wei couldn't go with them; otherwise, he would waste time and suffer a lot for nothing.
So he laughed it off, saying, "This was just a spur-of-the-moment decision; I wasn't planning on coming when you left."
"You're really something."
Although Hou Yongxian had only been back for a short time, he was still very concerned about Lin Yu and her brother, and couldn't help but ask a few questions about their situation.
Gu Wei understood the feelings of an old man, so he told Hou Yongxian some stories that Hou Yongxian liked to hear, which immediately made Hou Yongxian very happy.
"Since you've come all this way, I definitely have to show you the utmost hospitality. What would you like to eat? Peking duck or hot pot?"
"I'm fine with either."
Gu Wei is not picky about what he eats, and he has already tried both of the famous roast duck restaurants.
"Let's go eat hot pot first."
"Okay. Grandpa Hou, where are Ke Yi and the others?"
"They went to work on some old things with my old friend, they probably won't be back until tomorrow. Let's eat first, just the two of us."
Upon hearing that it would be tomorrow, Gu Wei didn't hesitate and said, "Okay. Let's eat first then."
"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes." Hou Yongxian said and went to the bedroom next door.
Gu Wei didn't have to wait long.
Hou Yongxian came out.
Indeed, clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse.
After changing into clean and neat clothes and combing my hair, I felt much more energetic.
The two walked outside, one after the other.
As they passed the water tap, the woman who had given Gu Wei directions earlier was still there, smiling and saying, "Old Hou, is this handsome young man a relative of yours?"
Hou Yongxian glanced at Gu Wei and said, "They're not relatives, but they're practically like relatives."
Women are perceptive and can tell from the implication that this means the relationship is good.
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