Hearing the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, Li Jia picked up her phone from the side, entered a number, and pressed the dial button. "You little rascal, not bad at all! You know how to wish this old man a Happy New Year! How have you been doing lately? Living a good life, haven't you?"
The moment the call connected, Ouyang Baishi's distinctive loud voice rang out, "Happy New Year, Uncle! You've always been in such a good mood, it's really good for your health! By the way, is your wife there? I need to say a few words to her, and then I'll talk to you about something." Li Jia held the phone far away, waiting for Ouyang Baishi to finish his loud outburst before bringing it to her ear and answering slowly.
"You little rascal! You've got a conscience after all. My wife talks about you all the time. If you're so kind, come to Beijing sometime and visit us old folks! My dear wife! That little rascal's been talking to you, always on his mind. This is his chance!" Ouyang Baishi always sounded so spirited on the phone, but he only showed his tenderness when talking to his wife. That "My dear wife!" was so gentle and loving that Li Jia was stunned. It was unbelievable that Ouyang Baishi could speak so tenderly!
A moment later, Ouyang Baishi's wife answered the phone, and said to Li Jia with a mixture of relief and satisfaction, "Xiao Jia, don't pay attention to that crazy man. Let's have a good talk, mother and daughter. I want to tell you..."
Elderly people always speak with earnestness and concern, and even Li Jiu'ai was somewhat overwhelmed by the old man's lecture. Finally, she quickly found a pretext to call Ouyang Baishi over. "Hahahaha! You brat, you'd better remember what my wife said to you. Did you hear that? She has never said so much to anyone in all these decades. Alright! Now tell me, what do you want from me?"
"Hai Ziqiang, sir, have you heard this name before?" Li Jia held the phone, her voice not loud, but after she said the name, Ouyang Baishi remained silent for a long time. "Sir, what's wrong? Do you know this person?"
Li Jia's questioning made Ouyang Baishi sigh softly. "Ah! Hai Ziqiang was one of my most prized old buddies. It's a pity that something happened, and he disappeared without a trace. Over the years, I've spent a lot of effort trying to find him, but I still haven't been able to. Kid, you're asking about this person, do you perhaps know where he is?" Ouyang Baishi seemed to understand why Li Jia was asking him about Hai Ziqiang, and scenes of helplessness flashed through his mind.
“Yes, I know where he is, and his daughter is now my woman.” As soon as Li Jia finished speaking, Ouyang Baishi’s voice immediately rose several octaves, “What? You’ve slept with Lao Hai’s daughter?” The loud voice was clearly audible to Hai Mingyue, who had just stepped out of the bathroom. “Jia, who are you talking to?”
"Uh, a friend, why don't you go see a movie? I bought a lot of big-budget movies yesterday... Hey old man, do you have to be so dramatic? It's just dating, why are you reacting like it's the end of the world?" Li Jia settled Hai Mingyue down, then stood up and went to the balcony, asking in confusion.
"Hahaha, no! No! No! I'm just proud of you, kid. Since that's the case, I think I know why you called. I figured out his situation three years ago, but I couldn't find him, so I couldn't clear his name. Now tell me, where has that old bastard been hiding all these years?!" Ouyang Baishi said "no" three times in a row, then changed the subject and asked where Hai Ziqiang was now.
“He’s in the United States.” Li Jia answered without hesitation.
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