Chapter 883: The Gap

After sensing Ruan's father's disappointment, Li Ye couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.

Cai Cai Minying was in the same system as Ruan's father, and she had been promoted quickly after returning from studying abroad. Last time in Japan, she was already a deputy section chief.

But even if she was a young and promising deputy section chief, was she worth Ruan's father going out of his way to befriend?

Li Ye felt it wasn't worth it. Ruan's father was, after all, a veteran section chief with real power; he cared about his face.

However, a person like Ruan's father had deep sophistication. This kind of probing was just a light touch, and he immediately changed the subject to chat with Li Ye.

"You are Zhao Zhao Meiwen's cousin, right? What is your surname?"

"My surname is Li, Li Ye."

"Oh, Li Ye. I heard from Ruan Jiawei that you were assigned to the car factory in Haidian after graduation, right? How is work now?"

Li Ye nodded and replied, "It's okay! It's going quite smoothly."

Ruan's father smiled: "Is that so? You are from the class of '82, so you graduated the year before last, right? Have you been promoted to deputy section chief?"

"I have!"

Li Ye nodded with a light smile, knowing in his heart that his cousin had indeed not revealed too much about him to Ruan Ruan Jiawei.

The Ruan family only knew that he had stayed in the capital to work after graduating from Jingda, but they didn't know that he had long been a "big name" in the Light Auto Company. They still thought he was a nobody without roots, struggling to get by.

"That is indeed quite smooth,"

Ruan's father sighed and said, "To be honest, two years ago, someone in your situation would definitely have been assigned to our unit. But the assignment treatment for university graduates in the last few years is not as good as in previous years. Being able to stay in the capital is already very lucky..."

"I have an old classmate who is talented and worked hard to transfer back to the capital, but it took him ten years to reach the rank of section chief, and he only advanced further when he was nearly fifty, living apart from his wife and children for many years..."

"..."

Li Ye pursed his lips, watching Ruan's father, who seemed lost in memory, and said nothing.

By now, he understood that Ruan's father's words just now weren't praising him for being smooth, but were talking about the value of a capital household registration.

Ruan Ruan Jiawei had a capital household registration. Even if he didn't go abroad to study, he would likely be assigned to the capital after graduation, and it would be even more incredible after returning from studying abroad.

Look at Cai Cai Minying. Why did Ruan's father mention her just now?

The gap.

This old guy was secretly reminding Li Ye of the gap between his precious son and Zhao Zhao Meiwen.

Li Ye thought of the "Beijing drifters" of later generations and the oppression they felt when facing the local natives.

Zhao Zhao Meiwen was very beautiful and had a good educational background, but this was only the basic condition for marrying into a first-tier city, because in the eyes of a native like Ruan's father, the help Zhao Zhao Meiwen could bring to his son was too small, almost negligible.

As for so-called love, in the eyes of Ruan's father, who had been floating in the officialdom for decades, it could at most be considered a seasoning for life, dispensable, and at worst, the taste would just be a bit off.

But if the main ingredient was lacking, it was a fundamental difference.

No matter how good the seasoning is, can you turn sweet potato flour into the nutrition of meat?

However, Ruan's father was a person with high emotional intelligence. Although he let Li Ye feel his intention of "showing the gap," his face was still passable.

But Ruan Ruan Jiawei's mother was different.

"Old Ruan, you really don't know how to talk. Li is a top student from Jingda after all. It's already a waste of talent that he wasn't assigned to a ministry or a head office, and you still say he's lucky..."

Ruan's mother scolded her husband with a smile, then asked Li Ye: "Li Kezhang, as someone who studied economics, logically you should have been assigned to a unit that manages money, but now you've been assigned to a car factory. Can you be comfortable in your heart?"

"..."

Li Ye felt that his face was a bit unbearable. He could distinguish that Ruan's mother's words weren't "showing concern," but a kind of petty mockery.

You think ten years of cold-window study is amazing? You think graduating from Jingda means a good job assignment?

Since his face was unbearable, there was no need to give her face!

Li Ye said indifferently, "What's there to be uncomfortable about? Money, also known as currency, has goods, and then there is currency,"

"If there are no goods, then the so-called 'currency' is waste paper. Therefore, manufacturing is the support of currency and the foundation of the economy. I am quite satisfied with my work."

"..."

Ruan's mother was stunned. She was used to lecturing people all day long; where had she ever received such a subtle pushback?

【Are you popularizing economic knowledge for me?】

Ruan's mother squinted and said, "That's not right! I remember that currency should be equivalent to gold!"

Li Ye smiled lightly and said, "This... is a bit complicated, and I can't explain it clearly in a short while!"

Ruan's mother's expression immediately turned ugly.

So she asked, "By the way, Xiao Li, the other day I heard your sister say that your family has connections overseas?"

【Well, my mother is overseas! And she's the chairwoman of a financial conglomerate, but why would I tell you?】

Li Ye laughed dryly and said, "It's not really any overseas connection. I have a classmate studying abroad in the Lighthouse, so I'm thinking of writing a letter to see if she can find a guarantor."

"Your classmate?"

Ruan's mother's eyes changed continuously, and she asked carefully, "Has your classmate graduated and obtained citizenship?"

Li Ye shook his head and said, "No, she hasn't even received her master's degree yet!"

Ruan's mother laughed again. This time, she didn't hide her mocking smile.

"That's not easy to handle. Visas are very difficult to apply for now. Even with a solid guarantor, you might not get the visa..."

Li Ye didn't say much, just said truthfully, "Actually, you don't have to go abroad to study. Developing in the mainland is also quite good. Now the country is developing and changing, and talent is in short supply everywhere..."

"No, Xiao Li, you're wrong,"

Ruan's mother raised her chin and said in the tone of an elder, "Xiao Li, actually, for a top student like you, you can't have such low expectations for yourself. Your vision should look upward, open your eyes and look at the world!"

"For example, Cai Cai Minying from your school. She went abroad to study and was assigned to Old Ruan's unit after returning. In less than two years, she's already a section-level official. Look, you've graduated for two years, and she's also graduated for two years..."

"And then there's our Ruan Jiawei, and your cousin. If they can't go abroad to study, after graduation, they'll just be young doctors who have to work emergency shifts first, then be resident doctors, and it's very hard to grind step by step..."

"..."

Li Ye looked at Ruan's mother, who kept complaining, and couldn't help but say, "Even if you return from studying abroad, you still have to grind step by step, right?"

Even if doctors who returned from studying abroad in the eighties were scarce, they couldn't just not work night shifts after returning, right?

But Ruan's mother said amusingly, "That's why I say your vision should look upward. After going abroad, there are more choices. The child of our colleague studied machinery in China, but after going overseas, he switched to business, and now he's already living in a small western-style house overseas."

"..."

"Sigh~"

Li Ye sighed, torn between laughter and tears.

They didn't plan to return after going out, and they might not necessarily be curing diseases and saving people in the future.

Hearing this from someone like Ruan's mother was especially ironic.

Li Ye only heard the idea of "staying abroad" from his classmates after entering university. During elementary and middle school, which student wasn't a good child who "strove for strength and served the motherland"?

However, Li Ye's complex expression, torn between laughter and tears, stung Ruan's mother.

"Xiao Li, don't laugh! You've already left school and started working, so you must have realized the reality of society. Just like how you are clearly a top student from Jingda, but in the end, you went to a car factory. No matter how good it sounds, it's not a match..."

"..."

Li Ye was surprised.

When he was talking to Ruan's father, he felt that this family's level wasn't low, but now that Ruan's mother was even saying words like "match," it really was... not a match.

Ruan's father was undoubtedly a person of high level, killing without seeing blood, insulting without hitting the face, leaving you three points of face in everything, and even afterwards, you couldn't say anything.

But a person like Ruan's mother was like that kind of neighbor aunt who coaxed children.

For example, in Li Ye's previous life, a family bought the only large color TV in the neighborhood, so Li Ye went to their house with a few little friends to watch cartoons,

But just as they were watching with great interest, the host said, "Li Ye, your dad is calling you outside."

Li Ye stared at the TV and said, "No, my dad didn't call me."

"He definitely called you, I heard it."

Li Ye was stunned for a long time, then went out to find his father, only to find that his father had been at home the whole time.

When Li Ye asked his father if he had called him, he saw the loneliness on his father's face.

In fact, this kind of little trick is a trick that can be exposed in a minute.

But she just played it like that. Even if you realized it afterwards and were ashamed and angry, she still felt that her methods were brilliant.

It's not that your dad didn't call you, it's that your dad is useless!

If your dad was awesome, we'd even provide meals!

So now Ruan's mother meant—your family has no ability.

Just at this moment, Li Ye suddenly felt his sleeve being pulled.

Li Ye turned his head and found that his cousin Zhao Zhao Meiwen's face was pale, and she was pulling his sleeve, shaking her head slightly at him.

Clearly, Zhao Zhao Meiwen wanted to leave, to leave in a hurry. ===== CHAPTER 884 =====