Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 112
“Professor Hou, I came to ask for your advice, but first things first—you owe Zhiqiu an apology.”
Ye Yunlin’s tone was firm, making it clear that if Hou Haiming didn’t apologize to Shen Zhiqiu, he wouldn’t let the matter rest.
Hou Haiming, a straightforward man, poured himself a full glass of liquor, stood up, and raised his cup to Shen Zhiqiu. “Miss Shen, I sincerely apologize for underestimating you before knowing the full truth. I’ll punish myself with three drinks.”
“I don’t drink, so I hope Professor Hou will understand.”
Shen Zhiqiu poured herself a cup of tea and clinked it with Hou Haiming’s glass. “Professor Hou is open-minded and honorable. I believe the main fault lies with the reporter who wrote that article.”
He Weijun chimed in, “Zhiqiu’s right. A reporter’s duty is to report the truth. How could they disregard facts and fabricate stories just because of personal grudges?”
Hou Haiming’s expression darkened. “Miss Shen, I’ll make this up to you.”
Shen Zhiqiu was puzzled, wondering silently: Does Hou Haiming know Cao Yuejin?
“Come on, let’s all toast together.”
He Weijun stood up to smooth things over. “Do me a favor—let bygones be bygones. Consider this matter closed!”
“Authentic Xiangfengshan erguotou—now that’s the real deal!” Ye Yunlin downed his drink in one go and glanced at He Weijun. “Every time I miss home, I crave this stuff.”
“Professor Hou, thanks to you today, I finally got to satisfy that craving.” He patted Hou Haiming on the shoulder.
Hou Haiming brushed off Ye Yunlin’s hand and turned to face him. “Since you and Lao He grew up together, that makes us friends too. No need for formalities—just call me by my name. What year were you born?”
“I’m the same age as Junzi, just six months older.”
“Well, Lao He and I are the same age, but I’m two months younger than him. So I should call you Brother Ye.”
Hou Haiming raised his glass. “Brother Ye, here’s to you.”
Ye Yunlin clinked glasses with him. “Brother Hou, no need to stand on ceremony. When I go back to Beidahuang, I’ll send you some of our local gaoliang liquor. It’s pretty good too.”
“Brother Ye, to be honest, I’m a man who loves his liquor. I don’t care much for other words, but I’ll hold you to that promise. I’ll be waiting.”
Hou Haiming had a high alcohol tolerance—even after half a jar, he was still sharp. He remembered Ye Yunlin’s earlier remark and asked, “Brother Ye, what was it you wanted to ask me about?”
“This.”
Ye Yunlin placed a bag of Lushan milk powder in front of Hou Haihong. “This is from the dairy factory attached to our Fourth Farm. I heard you were the one behind Red Star milk powder’s formula, so I was hoping you could tell me why ours doesn’t taste as good.”
He had bought several brands to compare, and Red Star was undeniably the best—not because it was richer, but because it dissolved completely in water.
Their Lushan powder, on the other hand, clumped up stubbornly, leaving the water and milk separate. The texture was downright unpleasant.
Hou Haihong opened the bag, poured a little into his palm, and examined it. He sniffed, rubbed it between his fingers, then finally tasted it.
“Brother Ye, your milk powder’s flavor is actually better than Red Star’s—which means your milk source is superior.”
“The key to good milk powder lies in two things: the milk source and the production process.”
“You’re probably still using the old box-style pressure spray-drying method, while Red Star uses a vertical multi-nozzle spray-drying system. Their equipment produces finer, more soluble powder without scorching.”
“If you could upgrade your machinery, Lushan could surpass Red Star in quality.”
Ye Yunlin’s face fell. “Brother Hou, I won’t lie—our factory’s barely scraping by. We don’t have the funds for new equipment. Is there any other way to improve the texture?”
Hou Haihong sighed. “Not that I can think of, at least not right now.”
“Brother Ye, you’ve given me a real puzzle. Let me mull it over, and if I come up with something, I’ll reach out.”
“Thank you, Brother Hou.”
…..
The meal lasted well into the night.
After dropping Ye Yunlin off at Fu’an Alley, Shen Zhiqiu was about to head back to the compound when Shen Xiang rushed out after her.
“Big Sis!”
“Xiao Xiang, what is it?”
The boy hung his head, fists clenched at his sides. “Big Sis, I… I want to…”
Seeing his hesitation, Shen Zhiqiu guessed. “You want to see Wang Fengqin, don’t you?”
“I know I shouldn’t. She did wrong, but… she’s still my mom. I can’t stop worrying about her.”
Shen Xiang grabbed her sleeve. “Big Sis, please take me to see her. I just want to know if she’s okay.”
“I heard they beat people in there… that they only give them cornbread and pickles to eat.”
“She’s getting old, and her health’s never been good. Lately, I keep dreaming about her crying, begging me to save her.”
“Xiao Xiang, you’re a good kid.” Shen Zhiqiu ruffled his hair. “I’ll take you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Big Sis!”
“Wait—”
Shen Xiang darted back inside, then returned with a flashlight. “I put in fresh batteries. Use it if the road gets too dark.”
“Thanks.”
…..
Halfway home, Shen Zhiqiu ran into Yue Mingli.
“Second Brother?”
“Mom was worried, so she sent me to meet you.”
Shen Zhiqiu winced. “I’m sorry—you should be home with Second Sister-in-law. I didn’t mean to trouble everyone.”
Yue Mingli waved it off. “It’s fine. Family looks out for each other. Your sister-in-law’s already asleep.”
“How has she been lately? When I saw her at the hospital, the morning sickness seemed pretty bad.”
“The sour plum drink helped a little, but her appetite’s still weak.”
Yue Mingli’s voice softened with worry. “This pregnancy’s been rough on her.”
“I’ll ask Dr. Dong for more of that plum syrup recipe. Maybe he has other remedies for nausea too.”
“That’d be great. Thank you, Zhiqiu.”
As they walked, they passed a pitch-dark alley. Yue Mingli glanced into the shadows and lowered his voice.
“Zhiqiu, our compound’s relatively safe, but try not to come back too late. Stick to well-lit main roads at night—never take shortcuts through alleys. Every summer, something bad happens in these backstreets.”
Shen Zhiqiu nodded. “I’ll remember that, Second Brother.”
“Oh, and I’ve already spoken to the household registration office about your name change. Go there tomorrow—someone will handle it for you.”