Chapter 390

Facts proved that family affection is an excellent weapon for dissolving awkwardness.

Just a single form of address between them allowed Fu Guiru, who had always been a bit afraid of Li Zhongfa, to set aside her anxiety, and it also allowed Li Zhongfa, who had always felt a bit guilty, to stop dwelling on those unspeakable past events.

And after Fu Yiruo sweetly called out "Grandfather," the atmosphere among them became even more harmonious.

Looking at the daughter-in-law he hadn't seen in over a decade, Li Zhongfa couldn't help but ask, "Should I call you Guiru from now on? Or should I call you Hongying?"

Fu Guiru said magnanimously, "Dad, you'd better call me Guiru! If you called me Hongying, I really wouldn't be used to it!"

Li Zhongfa nodded silently and said, "That's true. These past ten-plus years, you've been wronged. Back then, it was Dad who let you down."

Li Zhongfa felt that since Fu Guiru didn't want to mention her old name, she must still harbor unresolved resentment in her heart, so he still wanted to find a way to dissolve that resentment.

But Fu Guiru quickly said, "Dad, I haven't been wronged these years, really, I haven't. I haven't lacked food or clothing. Instead, I heard from Xiao Ye and Xiao Yue that... you all suffered because of me."

"What kind of suffering is that!"

Li Zhongfa waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about those old, rotten matters. My visit to the Pengcheng Hongniu factory in Pengcheng this time has really broadened my horizons.

Guiru, you have great ability. You must help Xiao Ye more in the future. He achieved success at a young age and has had smooth sailing all the way, so he's inevitably a bit reckless in his actions. He needs someone on his own side who is both steady and capable of considering the big picture to back him up.

I can at most exert myself for him in the mainland; if it really involves overseas matters, I have to rely on you!"

Fu Guiru nodded and said, "Dad, you can rest assured about that. Xiao Ye is my own son. If I can give ten parts of effort, I will never use nine. No matter what I do, I will strive to be steady and think thrice before acting."

Fu Yiruo also chimed in from the side, "Grandfather, don't worry. Once I graduate, I can help my brother too."

"Hahaha, good, good, good."

Li Zhongfa laughed and said, "People always say that brothers go into battle together, but your brother only has one brother, so there's no help for it—you three mother and children will just have to work hard together!"

Fu Yiruo smiled sweetly, "It's not hard work, it's not hard work. My brother is very good to me. But Grandfather, you're wrong! It's the four of us, there's also Sister Xiao Yue!"

With the little girl Fu Yiruo helping out, the three generations of the family gradually opened up. Li Zhongfa really did humbly ask Fu Guiru many questions, and Fu Guiru answered them one by one; for some she didn't understand, she indicated she would find someone to ask later.

Just as they finished eating and Li Zhongfa was about to leave, he couldn't help but ask Fu Yiruo, "I heard from Xiao Ye and Xiao Yue that you didn't even show up when Xiao Yue got married. Do you feel okay about that?"

Fu Guiru said calmly, "Dad, you underestimate me too much. Does my absence when Xiao Yue got married affect her happiness in life? Back then, a single letter affected me and Kaijian; how could I not be cautious?"

Li Zhongfa looked at Fu Guiru, then nodded and walked out the door.

This wasn't really a question of caution, but a matter of a person's level of magnanimity. To say that a daughter is getting married and her own mother doesn't show up—most people would say it's unjustifiable; this is simply contrary to human nature.

To put it bluntly, if this kind of thing wasn't arranged in advance, and Fu Guiru suddenly appeared on the scene, that would be the real joke!

Li Ye drove Li Zhongfa back to the hotel. On the way, he deliberately joked, "Grandfather, look at you two, worrying about this and that. Isn't it fine now that you've talked and laughed? A family, yet you're afraid of me, I'm indebted to you—it's so funny."

"Funny?"

Li Zhongfa suddenly said coldly, "Do you think your grandfather only chatted with your mother about these trivial family matters today?"

Li Ye was stunned and said, "Wasn't it?"

Li Zhongfa said, "No. Your mother's life and death were unknown for over a decade; I didn't come to see her because I couldn't rest easy. Besides, I came to Pengcheng this time to see... if your mother had come back to take revenge."

"What?"

Li Ye was so surprised he stopped the car.

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Ye and said flatly, "That letter back then almost cost your mother her life. There's a lot to it; at the very least, your mother hates that informant so much she wants to kill her."

Li Ye said in shock, "No way! It's been so many years, my mother... still holds a grudge?"

"What a joke," Li Zhongfa sneered, "If you had been wronged for over a decade, wouldn't you hold a grudge? Your grandfather here even found excuses to deal with two bastards in the last two years!"

"Your mother had a famously tough temper back then. Given her old temper, she might not have been able to stop herself from doing something major in a moment of impulse... Our mainland public security isn't to be trifled with."

"Then my mother now..."

"Your mother's cultivation is much higher than before; she won't do anything stupid again."

Li Zhongfa chuckled, "I don't know what your mother has experienced over these years, but she's become much sharper than before.

Besides, I just laid it all out—she needs to be steady and have a sense of the big picture to back you up. The weight of you, her own son, is definitely heavier than any revenge."

Li Ye pursed his lips and couldn't help but say, "Grandfather, if you hadn't told me, I really wouldn't have known my mother was so formidable. I only heard from Xiao Ruo that she was the top militia competitor..."

"Then she only told you half the story."

Li Zhongfa smiled lightly and looked at Li Ye, "Do you know what armed struggle is?"

Oh my!

Li Ye muttered to himself, "My dear mother," thinking he had found a warm and caring mother, but it turned out... she was a formidable matriarch!

The next day, Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu only arranged for a half-day tour, but even in that half-day, another unpleasant incident occurred.

Because the Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu formula workshop was off-limits to visitors, this annoyed Factory Manager Wang, who was already pulling a long face.

Seeing the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Li Zhongfa tried to persuade Factory Manager Wang, "We are guests following the host's lead; let's understand their regulations! Besides, they've arranged some sightseeing items for the afternoon. Since everyone has come out, shouldn't we avoid being so unhappy?"

But Factory Manager Wang said, "You all go sightseeing in the afternoon! We here in Changbei have serious business to attend to."

Hearing this, Li Zhongfa's temper flared. We all came as a group; what do you mean by dropping out halfway? Giving us attitude? Did I feed you that Yellow River carp for nothing?

"Factory Manager Wang, you have other serious business? So, visiting Pengcheng Hongniu was just a side trip for you?"

Wang Qinshan looked at Li Zhongfa and shook his head, "No, we contacted a machinery factory in advance. We wanted to see if they could process some parts for us. They only notified us this morning that we could go over and take a look this afternoon."

Li Zhongfa asked curiously, "You contacted a machinery factory in Pengcheng for external processing? How did you contact them from so far away?"

"Hehe, it was just a coincidence, wasn't it?"

Factory Manager Wang laughed it off and didn't elaborate.

But Tang Mingtai on the side said, "The other party contacted us. A while ago, our factory ran an advertisement on TV, and they took the initiative to call us."

"Oh."

Li Zhongfa looked at Factory Manager Wang, always feeling something wasn't quite right.

Chen Yanhong, who was responsible for receiving the tour group, heard Factory Manager Wang's words and kindly said, "Then where does Factory Manager Wang need to go this afternoon? We can send a car to take you there."

Factory Manager Wang said, "We are going to Zhongai Machinery Company, the address is 889 Fuxing Road."

Chen Yanhong was stunned, then said, "Isn't 889 Fuxing Road the construction site right next to us? We are at 888!"

Now Factory Manager Wang was stunned too, because next to Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu was just a construction site; where would there be any Zhongai Machinery Company?

Li Zhongfa was amused. In this day and age, there's everything, and even more scammers.

But he couldn't expose it, so he smiled and said, "It's just a few steps away, why don't we go over and take a look?"

Everyone was confused, so they left Pengcheng Pengcheng Hongniu and walked to the construction site next door.

As a result, when they arrived, Li Zhongfa's face dropped.

Because on this construction site, there were two flagpoles standing, one with a red flag and one with a plaster flag.

(End of this chapter)