Chapter 789

At 6:12 in the morning, Min Lei checked her exquisite wristwatch, carefully compared the wedding process one more time, and then found Li Dayong's father, Li Hesheng.

"Mr. Li, 6:15 AM is the time for the groom to leave to pick up the bride. There are three minutes left; everyone can get ready..."

Li Hesheng had actually been waiting impatiently for a long time, and immediately directed his brother-in-law Qian Qingfeng and his senior fellow apprentice Li Kaijian to go out and pick up the bride.

"Qingfeng, Kaijian, the time has come. You hurry and take the wedding procession team and leave. That... Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, you drive that Audi 100 as the lead car.

Remember, after arriving at Dengshikou, turn west. After picking up the bride, circle around and come back. You are absolutely not allowed to make a U-turn, and even less allowed to take the same road back."

"Don't worry, Uncle! I've already driven the route several times in advance yesterday. Even the scouts in the storytelling books aren't as diligent as I am."

"Get lost! Scouts? Are you a mountain king coming down to snatch a bride? Kaijian, help keep an eye on these little brats. When you get there, don't let them talk nonsense."

"Hahahaha~"

"."

Amidst the scolding of a group of young people, the cars at the gate roared to life, and they drove off in a line to Dengshikou to pick up Pei Wenhui at her residence.

After Min Lei followed them out, she pondered for a moment and didn't get into the most conspicuous Audi 100 in front, but instead got into Li Ye's Santana.

After the car started, Min Lei asked as if casually: "Vice Factory Director Li, you and the groom both have the surname Li. Are you cousins from the same family?"

Li Ye smiled and said: "Our ancestors might have been related, but by our generation, we don't even know how distant the relationship is. We just grew up playing together since we were kids."

"Oh~"

Min Lei nodded in realization. Based on her observations just now, Li Ye called Li Hesheng "Uncle," so he was very likely a cousin to Li Dayong, but now it seemed they were just "childhood friends."

Then Min Lei asked several more questions, such as "Which unit does that Audi 100 in front belong to?" and "What does the groom's family do?" and similar things.

Li Ye knew that this secretary was probing the "background" of Li Ye and Li Dayong.

From 1986, the Audi 100 began to be assembled and produced in the mainland's Shanghai and Jilin province using the SKD method. In two years, a total of nearly 2,000 vehicles were imported and assembled before it was decided to land and start production at the Jilin Automobile Factory.

And because these 2,000 Audi 100s fit the aesthetic of the mainland authorities, the vast majority were purchased by government agencies. Therefore, the status of people who could ride in an Audi 100 in this day and age was self-evident.

Min Lei asking these two questions was definitely to see if Li Dayong's family had any connections to powerful officials.

It seemed Pei Wencong was still keeping his identity very tight. Min Lei had her mind completely fixed on Li Dayong, not knowing that the real big boss was sitting right beside her.

Of course, let alone Min Lei, even her superior Chen Fusheng didn't know the full details of Li Ye's background. The instructions he received were to protect the interests of the Hong Kong side within the Light Auto Company while fully supporting Ma Zhaoxian.

"That Audi 100 was imported from abroad by Fenghua Clothing. My brother, like me, is from Dongshan. His family doesn't have any backing; he was just lucky enough to get into university and come to the capital."

"No backing? Really?"

"Really no backing. His maternal grandfather is a section-level cadre. Do you think that counts as backing?"

"If it's section-level... that's not bad in the countryside."

"."

After Li Ye said that Li Dayong was just a small-town test-taker and his family could only be considered small civil servants in the county, he faintly felt Min Lei's "sense of superiority" and a bit of unwillingness to accept it.

【What are you unwilling to accept? Unwilling to accept that Li Dayong, this country bumpkin, could become the brother-in-law of a Hong Kong business tycoon?】

【But what the hell does this have to do with you, a secretary?】 Li Ye could guess Min Lei's thoughts with 80-90% accuracy just by pondering a little.

Min Lei considered herself one of the few people in this era who "opened their eyes to see the world," believing that after the reform and opening up, the mainland would eventually become a world of the powerful and wealthy, just like the Lighthouse.

Country bumpkins like Li Ye and Li Dayong were already behind the times; capital, money, and power would eventually override the "three generations of poor peasants."

If you don't believe it, look at Li Ye. Even if he is talented and a graduate of Jingda, isn't he still basking in the light of being Pei Wencong's brother-in-law, which allows him to shine and stand firm in the factional struggles of the Light Auto Company?

Li Dayong's Changbei Machinery Company had been providing gearboxes and axles at cost to Li Ye's First Branch Factory, so Min Lei followed her own line of thinking and felt she had dug up Li Ye's roots.

However, just as she wanted to dig deeper, Li Ye asked her in return: "Secretary Min, which school did you graduate from? Did you become Manager Chen's secretary right after graduation?"

"Hehe, it was just a coincidence."

Min Lei smiled and asked Li Ye again: "Vice Factory Director Li, how did your brother get to know the Pei family's young lady?"

Li Ye glanced at Min Lei and smiled faintly: "Just a coincidence, not worth mentioning."

"."

Min Lei gave a dry laugh and said: "Vice Factory Director Li, you really are stingy."

【I'm stingy your mother's...】

In his previous life, Li Ye hated this kind of situation the most.

Female colleagues would ask him everything, almost asking what color his underwear was, but when it came to their own affairs, they would keep it as tight as a military secret.

"Oh my, how can you ask a woman's age so casually? Can't you have a sense of boundaries?"

"Oh, I was just asking casually. Look at how stingy you are. Forget it if you won't say."

"."

What is the driving force behind the awakening of certain groups?

They would literally die if they didn't take advantage of others!

Pei Wenhui's house was just west of Dengshikou, not far from Beixinqiao. Li Ye and the others drove slowly, arriving exactly on time at 6:30 AM.

After a burst of firecrackers, the groom excitedly got out of the car with a group of brothers.

Li Kaijian stood in front and said sternly: "Everyone behave yourselves today. Keep your hands in your pockets and don't take them out. If anyone makes a fool of themselves, don't blame me for slapping them."

A group of Li Dayong's relatives and cousins backed off sheepishly, but Ma Qianshan and the others spoke up with grievances.

In an era where strange men and women were not allowed to interact freely, teasing the bridesmaid was one of the few precious opportunities for young men. It was considered normal for the timid to just make lewd jokes, and for the bold to directly use "salty pig hands."

But Ma Qianshan, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, and these people were already people of status. In 1987, when money was already showing its power, they didn't lack the favor of ladies, so they looked down on the vulgar custom of wedding teasing.

"Uncle Kaijian, what are you saying? We are all civilized people. Where would we do that kind of stuff like teasing the bride?"

"Exactly! We were just afraid of missing the auspicious time, so we were in a hurry to call for the door to be opened!"

"Fine, fine, hurry up! Get the door open within fifteen minutes and don't miss the auspicious time."

"Alright, if the door isn't open in fifteen minutes, I'll just climb over!"

(End of chapter)