Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

Chapter 108 The Current Situation of the Lou Family

The car slowly rolled along the tree-lined cement driveway and finally stopped in front of a villa. Lin Zhou lowered the car window, and the evening breeze, carrying a hint of damp grass and trees, mixed with the sweet fragrance of gardenias in the villa's courtyard, instantly brought back his long-forgotten memories.

Looking up, the off-white two-story villa stood quietly in the twilight, its large glass windows gleaming with a faint golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun, and its iron fence covered with lush green bougainvillea, blooming in full glory.

In a daze, he seemed to return to the day he first arrived in Hong Kong more than a decade ago, carrying a worn-out wicker trunk, standing outside this iron gate, watching Lou Zhenhua speak with great confidence and charisma.

At that time, he was all alone, without even a Hong Kong ID card. It was Lou Zhenhua who brought him into this villa and gave him a place to stay. He stayed there for seven days.

During the seven days, Lou Zhenhua took great care of him, not only having the kitchen prepare delicious meals for him every day, but also personally taking him to handle the procedures and asking for a lot of connections to help him get his Hong Kong identity card.

Although their attitude towards him worsened day by day during those seven days, Lin Zhou always kept this favor in his heart.

Later, when the Lou family's factory was on the verge of bankruptcy, he helped them plan a transformation without hesitation. They went from a half-dead, shut-down production to manufacturing lawnmowers to meet the needs of the European and American markets, which brought the Lou family's business back to life.

In Lin Zhou's view, the people of the Lou family may have complex personalities and many flaws in their actions, but the kindness they showed in helping others in their time of need was genuine.

In this life, one must distinguish between gratitude and resentment. Lin Zhou will never forget the kindness others have shown him.

"You must be Mr. Lin. Please come in."

The iron gate was pulled open from the inside by a maid, and an auntie in a navy blue maid's uniform greeted him with a smile, her tone respectful. Lin Zhou nodded, handed over the two boxes of tea he had brought, and said gently, "Thank you for your trouble, Auntie. Is Brother Lou home?"

"Yes, yes, the eldest and second young masters are having tea in the living room. Please come with me." The aunt led Lin Zhou inside, her steps light as she crossed the courtyard.

The scenery in the courtyard hasn't changed much compared to when Lin Zhou first came here more than a decade ago.

In the central fountain pool, several koi carp were frolicking and swishing their tails, while a few withered sycamore leaves lay on the stone benches by the pool.

The lawn beside him was neatly trimmed, and the ornamental tree in the corner was now lush and leafy, completely unrecognizable from its former self. But Lin Zhou knew in his heart that the people in this yard were no longer the same as they used to be.

As you enter the living room, a rich aroma of tea wafts out. Two men sit on the leather sofa; one, nearing fifty, with his hair neatly combed and wearing a sharp suit, is none other than Lou Jianjun, the eldest son of the Lou family.

The young man sitting next to him, who was in his early thirties, was wearing a casual plaid shirt. His eyebrows and eyes resembled those of Lou Jianjun, but he had a somewhat arrogant and sharp air about him. He was Lou Zhenhua's youngest son, Lou Jianye, who had returned from the United States a few years ago.

Hearing footsteps, the two of them looked up at the same time.

"Ah Zhou, you've finally arrived!" Lou Jianjun stood up, a polite smile on his face, and quickly walked forward to shake hands with Lin Zhou. "Please sit down, please sit down. I just brewed some Longjing tea, have a taste. When you called to say you were coming to our house, I was already waiting at home, and I even brought out some of my treasured tea for you to enjoy."

Lou Jianye also stood up, a smile playing on his lips, but his tone was somewhat distant: "Mr. Lin, it's an honor to have you here."

Lin Zhou shook hands with the two men one by one, his gaze subtly sweeping across the living room.

The decor was still as luxurious as it had been back then, with dazzling crystal chandeliers, several ink paintings hanging on the walls, and expensive mahogany furniture arranged neatly. But for some reason, it just felt like something was missing from the lively atmosphere of yesteryear.

I remember when I first moved in, the living room was always bustling with people. Lou Zhenhua's hearty laughter, Lou Xiao'e's chattering, and Tan Yali's admonitions all mingled together, creating a warm and lively atmosphere. But now, there's no one I recognize here anymore.

"You're too kind, both of you." Lin Zhou sat down on the sofa, took the teacup handed to him by Lou Jianjun, touched the warm cup with his fingertips, took a small sip, and the rich aroma of tea spread across his tongue.

"Speaking of which, it's been a while since we last met. Ah Zhou, you're a very busy man these days. Your name appears in all the major newspapers in Hong Kong every few days, and your novels are currently the most popular works in Hong Kong." Lou Jianjun said with a smile, his tone tinged with envy.

Over the years, Lin Zhou's career has flourished, expanding rapidly from Zhonghua air fryers to various fields such as newspapers, security, real estate, records, and electronics, making him a well-known figure in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Lou family has long since lost its former glory.

Lin Zhou put down his teacup and smiled faintly: "They're all just empty titles, not worth mentioning." He paused, his gaze falling on Lou Jianjun's face, and got straight to the point, "I came here this time because there's something I want to ask you, and also because some people from the mainland recently invited me to go back for a visit, and I agreed."

Lou Jianjun and Lou Jianye exchanged a glance, their smiles fading slightly. Lou Jianjun raised a hand to rub his temples, his tone somewhat heavy: "You're doing this because of our father, aren't you?"

Lin Zhou nodded, his expression becoming serious: "When Uncle Lou passed away a few years ago, didn't he leave a will saying that he wanted to return to his roots and be buried in Beijing?"

I happen to be going back to Beijing soon, so I thought I'd come and ask if you have any ideas about moving Uncle Lou's ashes back there, to fulfill his wish.

The atmosphere in the living room immediately fell silent after these words were spoken.

Lou Jianjun picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. He just stared at the tea leaves floating in the cup with a complicated expression. Lou Jianye, on the other hand, leaned back on the sofa, tapping his knees lightly with his fingers, a dismissive look on his face.

After a long pause, Lou Jianjun finally spoke, his voice tinged with helplessness: "A-Zhou, to be honest, my brother and I have always remembered our father's last words. But... now is probably not the right time."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Lin Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly.

Lou Jianjun sighed: "As you know, our Lou family ancestors were from Beijing. Back then, my father had no choice but to bring the whole family out."

Over the years, although Hong Kong has gradually established more connections with the other side, we have been away for so long that many things have changed.

Jianye and I have discussed it and are thinking of waiting a few more years to see how things develop. If the situation stabilizes, we would naturally be willing to take Father's ashes back, but right now... we really dare not act rashly.

Upon hearing this, Lou Jianye, who was standing to the side, also spoke up, his tone much more direct than Lou Jianjun's: "Mr. Lin, it's not that we're unwilling, it's just that the risk of going back is too great."

My brother and I have just taken over the family business and barely managed to stabilize the situation. If we go back now and something goes wrong, the family fortune will likely be wiped out. Returning to one's roots is certainly good, but one must also be alive to enjoy it, right?

Lin Zhou listened quietly without saying a word.