Chapter 233

Old Lu was gripping Li Li Zhongfa's hand, overcome with excitement, when he suddenly heard Li Li Zhongfa ask about the "sanitary worker."

He froze for a long moment, his flushed, excited complexion instantly turning into one of extreme indignation.

"Well, you old thing, is that the first thing you ask about when we meet?"

"Back then, I already saw you were a two-faced hypocrite. On the surface, you ordered us not to let our minds wander and to focus solely on resisting the enemy, while behind our backs, you used your authority as a company commander to curry favor with the sanitary worker—"

"."

Old Lu's torrent of abuse sprayed Director Li from head to toe, leaving him looking like the bottom of a pot and unable to step down from the awkward situation.

"What are you blathering about? You're at your age and still talking without any filter—"

Li Li Zhongfa scolded him sternly while vigorously twisting his mouth toward Old Lu, giving him fierce eye signals.

Old Lu looked in the direction of Li Li Zhongfa's twisted mouth and discovered two little ones with their ears pricked and eyes shining.

Especially that little girl from the Wen family; she usually looked cool, detached, and calm, but right now, her two big eyes were spinning around so fast!

"Ahem—"

Old Lu coughed, wiped his tears, and asked with a straight face, "Old Company Commander, what is your relationship with this little fellow named Li Ye?"

Li Li Zhongfa immediately became smug, pulled Li Ye in front of him, lifted his chin, and said, "Look, this is my grandson, a student at Jing University, the top scorer in the Dongshan Province college entrance exam last year—the top in the whole province!"

Old Lu was clearly taken aback, then said sincerely, "The top in the province? That's really not bad, remarkable."

Li Li Zhongfa became even smugger: "What about you? Where is your grandson going to school?"

Old Lu rolled his eyes and said, "My grandson has already started working, a glorious member of the working class."

"Oh my, how could you let him become a worker? We suffered back then because we were uneducated; you have to cultivate him to study more culture—"

Neither of these two old veterans was a pushover. Just a moment ago, Old Lu had mocked Li Li Zhongfa for being two-faced, and now Li Li Zhongfa was using his own grandson to strike back at his old brother-in-arms.

Old Lu's mouth twisted away for miles, and he said with disdain, "What does your grandson scoring top in the province have to do with you, an old illiterate? You weren't even as good as me in the literacy class back then..."

"Cough, cough, cough, cough—"

Li Ye couldn't stop coughing and gave Li Li Zhongfa a subtle poke in the back.

Grandpa, this isn't the place for bickering. If your future granddaughter-in-law hears this gossip and it gets to Grandma Wu Wu Juying's ears... hehehe.

Although Li Li Zhongfa was still very excited, he realized it was inappropriate, so he said to Old Lu, "I'm going in to pay a visit first. When I come out, we'll have a good long chat. You wait for me, okay! You must wait for me."

"I'll definitely wait for you," Old Lu said hurriedly. "You go in and handle your business first; we old brothers have plenty of time to chat..."

Old Lu took Li Li Zhongfa's hand and went to the guard station of the Zhongliang compound.

Familiar as they were, registration was still required, and Old Lu was not sloppy about this point.

However, looking at Li Li Zhongfa's work ID, Old Lu couldn't help but frown and say, "Old Company Commander, how did you only manage to become a section chief?"

Li Li Zhongfa said, "It's a deputy division-level position. I only returned to work in the last two years, and there were no openings anywhere. It's not bad that they could arrange something for me to muddle through."

That's how it was in the early eighties; many old comrades returned to work, but there weren't that many positions, so they could only hold nominal deputy posts while waiting for retirement.

Not to mention deputy division-level posts like Li Li Zhongfa's; deputy ministerial-level officials holding nominal positions were everywhere. Although the rank was high, the position was empty. For someone like Li Li Zhongfa, this was actually quite good.

Old Lu shook his head and said, "That's too much of a loss. You were a company commander in '41..."

"What loss? What loss?" Li Li Zhongfa glared and said seriously, "Compared to those brothers who sacrificed themselves, what loss do I have?"

Old Lu froze, lowered his head, and muttered, "That's true, no loss. A huge gain."

"Alright, don't think too much. It's all fate. Being alive is a sign of great luck; dying makes one a martyr."

Li Li Zhongfa lectured Old Lu, turned around, left the guard station, and followed Wen Wen Leyu toward Wen Wen Qingsheng's house.

But after walking a few steps, he heard Old Lu behind him shout, "Comrade Gao Gao Shuyi is still alive! She's living well in Shanghai!"

Li Li Zhongfa was like someone struck by a paralyzing technique; he froze in place, then stiffly turned his neck and slowly turned his head around.

The tears that had just stopped flowed down again in torrents.

Seeing Li Li Zhongfa's tearful appearance, Old Lu grinned and laughed silently, then added one more sentence.

"She married the political instructor."

"."

"Damn his mother... I knew he was suspicious from the start, ordering us not to let our minds wander and to focus solely on resisting the enemy, guarding against everything—"

When they arrived at Wen Wen Leyu's house, the furious Li Li Zhongfa had already recovered his steady, director-like demeanor, exchanging pleasantries with the two big shots, Wen Wen Qingsheng and Teacher Ke, as if nothing had happened, his speech and behavior not losing any ground.

At the dinner table, Wen Wen Qingsheng raised his glass first and said to Li Li Zhongfa, "Last time I went to Dongshan, I was in a hurry to go and in a hurry to leave, and didn't manage to pay a visit. I am truly ashamed.

This time, Comrade Old Li has come to the capital, so you must stay for a few more days to let me fulfill my duties as a host and express my gratitude, otherwise, I really won't be able to forgive myself."

Li Li Zhongfa hurriedly laughed and said, "What are you talking about? My Li Ye has been in the capital for over a year, and it's all thanks to the care of you two. Otherwise, with his honest nature, who knows how much trouble he would have caused?"

How could Li Li Zhongfa, who managed to become a director, not understand social niceties?

Back then, Wen Wen Qingsheng had passed through Qingshui County without stopping, but he had let Teacher Ke take Wen Wen Leyu to pay a formal visit, so it couldn't be said that he lacked courtesy.

Even so, Li Li Zhongfa was the only one in all of Qingshui County to receive such treatment; Teacher Ke didn't sell anyone's face back then.

As for this trip to the capital, the reason they invited Li Li Zhongfa to their home for a meal was actually because of Li Ye.

Back in Qingshui County, Li Ye and Wen Wen Leyu were still in the "more than friends, less than lovers" stage. Only at the very end, when they parted, did Wen Wen Leyu give Li Ye a crooked, handmade yarn wallet that was equivalent to a "token of love."

By the time they reached the capital, the two young people developed rapidly, and the couple, Teacher Ke and her husband, couldn't find a single thing to be dissatisfied with. Seeing that Li Ye had reached the point of "coming home to cook," could the relationship still be the same?

Therefore, Li Li Zhongfa didn't care about Wen Wen Qingsheng's talk of gratitude; as long as the couple treated Li Ye well, that was better than eight hundred words of thanks.

But after Li Li Zhongfa's "humble" words fell, Wen Wen Qingsheng said, "Comrade Old Li, you're wrong. I just like Li Ye's honesty.

In recent years, haven't we seen enough smart people? Only children like Li Ye, who are both honest and kind-hearted, are reliable."

"Exactly—"

Teacher Ke also corrected Li Li Zhongfa's wrong viewpoint with a smile: "Besides, Li Ye can't be called just honest; that's called kindness. If he were to use his wits, he could be very smart!"

"Is that so? You see, I've watched him grow up since he was little, and I really don't dare to praise him—"

Li Li Zhongfa glanced at Li Ye, who was sitting next to him, somewhat surprised at what methods his grandson had used to make these two big shots like him so much.

However, while Li Li Zhongfa was full of joy, he also gave Li Ye a few eye signals.

【You brat, don't get carried away, hurry up and act shy for me.】

Li Ye hurriedly lowered his head slightly, smiling awkwardly to look embarrassed.

Actually, Li Ye could understand the thoughts of Teacher Ke and Wen Wen Qingsheng to some extent.

Kindness, as one's status and position rise, will gradually be suppressed by "rationality."

In a fierce competitive environment, walking on thin ice, who dares to act out of "kindness"?

In his previous life, Li Ye was kind-hearted, which is why he was suppressed at the bottom for many years. By the time his heart slowly became cold and hard, he had come to this world.

In this life, he is a cheater, his heart full of the philosophy that "wealth scattered will return," so his mentality is completely different, and thus this precious kindness has never changed.

Teacher Ke and Wen Wen Qingsheng observed Li Ye from many angles and also discovered this special quality in him.

The Pengcheng Seventh Factory is expanding rapidly, the Seven-Inch Blade is becoming increasingly popular, and the young man is proud and showing his sharp edge—this is the time when one's character is most revealed. But Li Ye is still that same Li Ye.

Such a child who has vision, ability, and a kind heart—if you don't hurry up and grab him to be your son-in-law, are you waiting for someone else to snatch him away?

With the couple having said so much, Li Li Zhongfa was naturally very happy in his heart and unknowingly drank a few extra cups. By the time they left the Wen family's door, it was already three or four in the afternoon.

As the grandfather and grandson walked toward the compound gate, Li Li Zhongfa said to Li Ye, "I've drunk quite a bit. Tonight you have to help Grandpa hold his own. That Lu Lu Huai Shui has a high tolerance for alcohol; make sure you don't let him get Grandpa drunk."

Li Ye advised, "Grandpa, don't call him 'Lu Bad Water.' You're both at such an age, it's not good."

Li Li Zhongfa said, "His surname is Lu, and his name is Lu Huai Shui—Huai from the Huai River, and Shui from river water."

"Oh, oh, oh," Li Ye suddenly understood, then asked, "Grandpa, was that Old Lu your soldier back then?"

"Yes!" Li Li Zhongfa suddenly felt a bit dejected. "Do you remember when I told you last year that once, when the troops were breaking out, our company was responsible for covering the rear?"

Li Ye nodded to show he remembered. Back then, Li Li Zhongfa had trusted Old Old Huaiye and chose the fork in the road on the right, while everyone else went left. At the time, Li Li Zhongfa said none of them had returned.

Li Li Zhongfa sighed, "Back then they took the road on the left. Later I thought they had all died. I didn't expect there to be survivors..."

"Oh—"

Li Ye saw that Li Li Zhongfa's mood was a bit low, so he didn't ask any more questions. Anyway, there would be plenty of opportunities to ask later.

However, when the grandfather and grandson reached the guard station, they found that Lu Lu Huai Shui was gone. The person watching the gate for him was a young man.

"Little comrade, may I ask where Lu Lu Huai Shui has gone?"

The young man stood up and said with a smile, "You must be Comrade Li, right? Master Lu went out to handle some urgent business. He asked me to leave a message for you, asking you to leave your address, and he will definitely contact you tonight."

"Oh, oh, then I'll write down the contact address."

Li Li Zhongfa wrote down the hotel where he was staying and the hotel's phone number on a piece of paper.

The Li grandfather and grandson returned to the hotel, waiting for Old Lu to contact them so they could team up and get him drunk tonight.

But they waited and waited, and by seven or eight in the evening, they still hadn't seen anyone.

"Grandpa, didn't you hear the person say that Old Lu had urgent business? Why don't you go over tomorrow and ask where he lives?"

"Hmph, I don't think so," Li Li Zhongfa squinted and said, "You don't know how much bad water that guy has in his belly; who knows what kind of mischief he's plotting!"

Li Ye laughed, "I don't think he's that bad; you must be overthinking it."

Just as Li Ye finished speaking, the hotel front desk came over and shouted, "206, phone call."

Li Li Zhongfa ran toward the stairs, and when he reached the front desk and picked up the phone, he said, "I'm telling you, you Lu Bad Water, where did you go? I've been waiting until now and haven't eaten yet! Are you still going to drink tonight or not?"

"."

"Hello? Hello? Speak!"

"."

Li Li Zhongfa shouted several times, but there was no sound from the other end of the phone.

Just when he thought there was a problem with the phone, a sobbing voice came from the receiver: "Company Commander... it's me!"

"."

Li Li Zhongfa only felt his head "buzz," and his blood rushed straight to his brain.

A moment later, Li Li Zhongfa said tremblingly, "Comrade Gao Gao Shuyi, is that you?"

"It's me!" The woman on the other end of the phone seemed to be crying with joy, and said unclearly, "I received a call from Lu Lu Huai Shui this afternoon, and it took a long time before I got your number.

The phone never got through... Now I can finally rest easy; Lu Lu Huai Shui didn't lie to me."

"How could he dare to lie to you? If he dared to lie to you, I would beat all the yellow water out of his belly..."

"Company Commander, how old are you now, why are you still so reckless?"

"Yes, yes, yes, we are both old now. I was just talking big; I haven't practiced martial arts for many years, my body isn't what it used to be..."

Li Ye: "."

【Grandpa, the person you beat up two years ago wasn't my cheap father, right?】

But when the person on the other end of the phone heard Li Li Zhongfa say "my body isn't what it used to be," she immediately became nervous and said, "Company Commander, where are you feeling unwell? I'll go to the capital tomorrow, and I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up..."

"What? You're coming to the capital... I... I'm going back to Dongshan tomorrow."

"Don't go back to Dongshan yet," the voice on the other end of the phone became firm. "I'll take a plane over tomorrow morning; you must wait for me in the capital."

"Ah? Eh, eh... Okay..."

Li Ye watched Li Li Zhongfa from the side, seeing him nodding submissively, and couldn't help but want to laugh.

However, after Li Li Zhongfa carefully hung up the phone, he turned around and changed into a "superior's" face.

"Go, get me two sets of whatever that Fenghua clothing is, let me try the size."

"."

Li Ye froze for a moment, suppressed a laugh, and said, "No need to try the size; I had it custom-made for you a few days ago, and I haven't mailed it back to you yet! I'll bring it to you first thing tomorrow morning."

Li Li Zhongfa glared, "What tomorrow morning, go get it for me tonight."

"Hahaha~"

Li Ye finally couldn't help laughing and said, "Grandpa, isn't it just an old comrade-in-arms meeting? Is it necessary to be so anxious and grand? Besides, I think she definitely won't care what you're wearing."

"What do you know?"

Li Li Zhongfa's gaze was sharp, like a warrior who had rekindled his fighting spirit.

"Since that Grandma Gao of yours is coming, then that Liu fellow will definitely come too. Forty years ago he couldn't beat me, and now that we're old, I absolutely cannot lose to him."

Li Ye nodded and said deeply, "Understood, completely understood."

Li Li Zhongfa gave a light hmph and said to Li Ye, "You should dress up too, wear that outfit you wore on TV, and boost my momentum."

"Okay, definitely okay, the two of us will be handsome enough to kill them."

The kitchen at home leaked, dripping downstairs. I dismantled the cabinet to find the leak, and it took a long time to fix. Fortunately, the neighbor downstairs has a generous nature, otherwise, who knows what would have happened! They just renovated last year! Even if I fix it for them, I still feel very ashamed in my heart.

So... dear readers, be generous too, and forgive Old Feng!

(End of chapter)