Chapter 1158: Helpless, forced by circumstances

"If it gets any later, this watermelon really won't taste good; after August, it has a bit of a fermented taste."

Liu Yin scooped a tiny bit with a spoon and fed it to Li Ning, laughing: "Look at this little look."

A child who has just come into contact with the flavors of the world is curious about everything.

Li Ning's little hands have strength now; he grabs whatever he catches and wants to send it to his mouth to taste.

The stroller Li Shu used to sit in has become his vehicle, but it can't be pushed near the flower pots.

He can pluck the flower leaves off as he passes by, even more destructive than his sister.

However, for a child sensitive to taste, the first bite of watermelon in his life was not that pleasant.

Li Ning's little expression was like he was taking medicine; without teeth, he could only savor the taste in his mouth.

"Little brother doesn't like eating watermelon—"

Li Shu squeezed to her grandmother's side, looked at her little brother in the stroller, and said: "He likes eating steamed buns."

"Hahaha, only you know—"

Liu Yin tapped her forehead and explained with a smile: "It's not to let little brother eat his fill, but to let him taste the flavor."

"Didn't you go through this when you were little? Have you forgotten?"

"I—I don't remember—"

Hearing Liu Yin say this, Li Shu stood there and tried hard to think.

After thinking for a few seconds, she raised her head and said: "Grandma, feed me one more bite, let me think carefully about what it tastes like."

"Do you think this is a medicine primer?"

Qin Jingru wiped her face with a towel, smiling; the little mouth that had just eaten watermelon had become a little cat's face.

She tapped Li Shu's little belly and reminded: "You've already eaten enough; if you eat any more, you'll explode."

"Little Aunt! I'm eating watermelon!"

Li Shu was still unconvinced, looked at Qin Jingru, and emphasized: "I—I—I'm not eating firecrackers!"

"Hahaha—"

Liu Yin laughed so hard she could barely hold the watermelon, pointed at her eldest granddaughter, and said: "You little clever ghost!"

"Hehe—"

Li Shu didn't actually know what her grandmother and little aunt were laughing at, but seeing them laugh, she also accompanied them with a fake laugh.

Li Ning held onto the stroller's handle, blankly looking at them.

This cute and naive little expression made Liu Yin feel even more amused.

A granddaughter and a grandson became the source of happiness in this family.

Taking care of these two children every day, even if it's a bit tiring, feels happy.

Just as Li Shu was figuring out how to trick one more bite of watermelon, the sound of a car came from outside the window.

"Hurry and look, is your father back—"

Qin Jingru was about to be unable to fool this little girl, so she used the sound of the car to scare her.

Li Shu pricked up her ears to listen, then her expression changed, and she ran out of the dining room on her short legs.

How could one say that a child's ears are sharp? By the time Qin Jingru chased after her, Li Xuewu had just opened the courtyard gate.

"Father—"

Li Shu called out excitedly, then carefully went down the steps and ran toward Li Xuewu, who had just finished work, along the path.

"Be careful, don't scrape your knees—"

Li Xuewu was about to turn around to help, but seeing his daughter run out, he could only look after her.

As soon as Li Shu ran up to him, he caught his daughter with both hands and picked her up.

"Giggle—"

The crisp laughter unique to a child rang in Li Xuewu's ears, pleasant and moving.

This is the taste of childhood, the meaning of raising children.

People cannot re-possess the happiness of childhood, so they pass this happiness to the next generation.

"Are you missing Father, or are you missing good food?"

Li Xuewu held his daughter and walked out. Seeing her staring at the box Han Jiankun moved down, he patted her little belly and asked with a smile: "Are you a little pig?"

"I'm a little cat—"

Li Shu grabbed her hands together and looked at the things Uncle Han was moving down from the car with anticipation.

When Father came back a few days ago, he brought her lots of good food and fun things.

Just like this time, it was brought back in a small car, and it was delicious.

"How clever is she?" Qin Jingru, who chased out to help Han Jiankun move the boxes, glanced at Li Shu and pouted, teasing her: "She heard it just once this morning and kept nagging about it all day."

"When it got to the evening, her eyes were fixed on the gate, and her ears were pricked up waiting for you to bring back good food."

"I didn't—"

Although Li Shu's eyes were fixed on the trunk, her mouth was the stiffest.

She shouted crisply: "I just missed Father—"

"Hmm, my daughter said it, so I believe it, I must believe it."

Li Xuewu nodded seriously and said: "My daughter said she missed me, so that means she missed me."

"It's definitely not that she missed the good food I brought back." Just as Li Shu hugged his neck and nodded in agreement, he said again: "So give these all to Li Ning to eat; we won't eat them!"

"Father—"

Li Shu pouted her little mouth and looked at her playful father. She really wanted to ask him if the relationship between father and daughter was made of plastic.

"Little brother doesn't like eating it; little brother only likes eating steamed buns!"

"You've remembered it well—"

Qin Jingru helped Han Jiankun and glanced at Li Shu, who was acting like a little adult, and pouted, teasing her: "You'll eat steamed buns tonight too!"

Li Ning grew teeth; the two little white tips of his lower incisors popped out, and he liked gnawing on things.

There were no snacks for children at home, let alone teething sticks, so he caught onto these steamed buns.

Seeing her little brother gnawing on a steamed bun, Li Shu thought her little brother liked eating steamed buns.

So whenever anyone said they would give Li Ning something to eat, she would remind the other party that her little brother didn't like eating this or that.

"It's Hami melon! Big grapes!"

Before she could think of how to answer Little Aunt's words, she saw clearly what good food was in the box Father brought back.

Thanks to the opening of the frozen train support frontier special line, Red Star Factory employees' families have had fresh things for the past two years.

Melons, fruits, beef, mutton, seafood, etc., local specialties from other places were placed on the dining tables in the capital.

Of course, it's not to say that with this special line, these things became cheap.

Rather, compared to before, when you couldn't buy things even with tickets and money, now you can choose to buy them at the factory's supply department.

A large factory with tens of thousands of people; the supply department opened from the factory cafeteria to the gate.

Originally it was open space, but now two rows of brick houses have been built. Every time work ends, it's like a vegetable market here.

Fortunately, the factory has regulations and manages strictly. After bicycles enter the gate, they can only be stored in the vehicle storage area.

The factory's main road is wide, there are many retail departments, and the types of supply goods are also numerous, so there was no congestion.

In the early stage of personnel reform, many female comrades who were not adapted to labor production came down from the workshops. Some considered physical conditions and were adjusted to the service department.

The service department originally had many people. After receiving these people, they could still do a good job of placement. Besides the factory adding many branch factories that urgently needed labor, this service supply department was the key project for manpower consumption and placement.

Melons, fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, pots, bowls, basins, dried fruits, dried goods, etc.

Some were produced by the factory itself, some were supplied by the supply chain, and some were imported through special channels.

Although it is not as good as general supply and marketing cooperatives in terms of full categories, in terms of supply volume, it absolutely crushes all supply and marketing cooperatives.

Before, there was only one supply chain special line, one trip per month. Later, there were two, and then two frozen special lines were on the road every day, bringing back specialties from the locations of the national offices continuously.

With more resources and more people, but the growth in resource categories and quantities covered the increase in the number of employees, the happiness index of Red Star Factory employees rose in a straight line.

Saying that young people are making trouble fiercely now, and fighting and brawling occur from time to time.

But look at Old Li; is he really afraid of factory employees fighting?

No, he is not afraid; he just doesn't want to affect Red Star Factory's hard-won development situation because of such filthy things.

After confirming that the impulses of these young people did not bring any negative impact to Red Star Factory, and the Security Team controlled it properly, and this fire did not burn Red Star Factory, he didn't care, and even stopped managing it.

Why?

Because the general trend is like this, the situation outside is very complex, and the situation in the factory is very stable.

Other enterprises are facing the combination and running-in problems of the Management Committee structure, but there is no sign of chaos in Red Star Factory.

The large-scale study activities being carried out with great fervor outside had basically become standardized, organized, and procedural within the factory.

Study when you should study, produce when you should produce, as long as it doesn't affect life.

In Red Star Factory, precisely because welfare and treatment are guaranteed and employees' living standards are high, no one makes trouble.

Those young workers are completely hot-headed; in the eyes of others, they are brainless, not living a good life, and going to participate in fighting activities.

From the first batch to now, not one is left out. As long as they participated, regardless of whether they moved their hands or not, they were all dismissed according to organization procedures.

Anyone involved had no room for negotiation. Whoever came to plead for mercy was useless; they were definitely swept out the door.

The Security Team already had sufficient handling experience. While perfecting the factory area security and the security work of the main employee residential areas, they also strengthened cooperation with the branch bureau and monitored key personnel.

Agency personnel reform: a large number of old clerks were adjusted from their positions to grassroots management positions, focusing on ideological education work and specifically targeting young workers' ideological cultivation and construction.

Before, ideological education belonged to the workshop secretary or political group leader, who were old colleagues, or even old neighbors.

Those young workers treated what they said like farts, laughing and not taking it seriously.

But these people who came down from the agency didn't spoil them. Ideological education work was grasped as soon as they arrived at their posts. Even workshop directors had to participate in study, otherwise, they would wait for punishment.

Ideological study notes, ideological dynamic reports, organization article study, etc., had study tasks issued every day.

This work was specifically aimed at young workers. Old employees with families didn't need to participate basically, only needing to complete basic study. Only young workers who had just started work for a few years had to participate in study.

Workshop directors, section chiefs, and squad leaders played a model role. If study grades were excellent, ideological work was solid, and management work was in place, administrative punishment could be reduced when security problems occurred.

This was also an adjustment made by the Security Team to the punishment of management responsibility after handling three batches of workshop management cadres.

Leaders responsible for organization and production work talked to Li Xuewu; security management couldn't replace all workshop directors in one go.

Responsibility that should be there could be strictly investigated, but probability problems still had to be taken care of.

Li Xuewu had a tough temper, but he also had to consider the leaders' opinions.

So he took a detour: as long as it passed the investigation of the supervision department and there was no deficiency in ideological and management work, then they were exempt from responsibility.

It wasn't that they weren't given a chance. Those who shouted they couldn't do it had already had old clerks with rich ideological education experience arranged to go down and pass on their knowledge. If they shouted injustice again, it wouldn't work.

Workshop directors knew this was the Security Team, Li Xuewu's final bottom line.

So they also became ruthless and scolded their mothers in the workshop.

Regardless of old relationships or old colleagues, let alone old friends or old neighbors.

Whoever's child couldn't be managed, dared to make trouble in his workshop or team, and dared to cause him trouble, then don't talk about anything else. I'll be unlucky myself, but you all won't live either; I'll catch your whole family and fix you to death in this lifetime.

Workshop cadres accompanied these young workers to study after work, studying ideology together, and didn't even have the heart to play cards.

Play what? If these little brats didn't settle down, they would be tossed to death sooner or later.

It wasn't that there weren't smart ones. Some workshop directors proposed that managing one workshop at a time wouldn't work. These little brats didn't just make friends in one workshop; neighbors and neighbors were all connected in a long string.

Don't be afraid of trouble. All workshop directors gathered together for a meeting. After returning, squad leaders reported the thorns under their hands, checked them one by one, talked to them one by one, and talked to their parents.

How could one say that the power of the masses is great? The Security Team tossed around for so long and couldn't suppress it, but it still had to be these workshop directors who scolded their mothers who knew how to play routines.

Those who didn't understand and didn't care, letting their kids make trouble, received a notice the next day: the whole family "immigrated" to Yingcheng, and the labor team was just missing such "talents."

Seeing them dig swamps every day, after one shift, they were covered in mosquito bites and mud on their faces.

So tired that you had the strength to walk but not the strength to lift your hands, lying on the ground without the strength to climb onto the bed, let's see if you still have the mood to fight.

It's been a week. Since the agency personnel adjustment, with the active participation of workshop directors, the Security Section hasn't received news of factory employees fighting for a week.

Gratifying and congratulatory. This afternoon, Li Xuewu was discussing with Ao Yuhua of the Management Committee Office whether to coordinate with the factory union to organize some friendship activities.

It's a very simple truth: among the young workers dismissed these few times, not one had a partner; they were all single dogs.

These guys became unstable factors with nothing to do after work.

Organizing them for ideological education and study is one aspect, but squeezing out the remaining time in their lives is also a necessary means.

Just think about it, before DouM (TikTok) came out, how many bizarre things happened? With the brainwashing and consumption of short videos, aren't billiard rooms, internet cafes, and KTVs much quieter?

These places most prone to breeding trouble never dreamed that young people would all go online to have fun, and offline they would all become obedient babies.

There are no such conditions now, but it doesn't hinder Red Star Factory from creating conditions.

Young workers, in essence, are young people with jobs, stable income, young and unmarried, not knowing what to do after work.

Just think, if they had partners hooking them, they wouldn't go out to mess around with colleagues or friends after work.

This is the situation of married men, but married men wouldn't be so brainless.

True friendship generally won't be destroyed by borrowing money, but it often gradually drifts apart because of the sentence "I have a partner."

Friendship activities, must organize friendship activities. The textile factory is a big household of female workers, and a high-welfare factory like Red Star Factory is exactly their perfect match.

Li Xuewu told Ao Yuhua that he wanted to improve young workers' cognition in ideology and also show concern and love for them in life.

Both hands together, treating both symptoms and root causes.

"Is your factory going to build airplanes?"

Gu Ning put a scarf on her son and took the rice bowl from her mother-in-law, feeding Li Ning egg custard.

The little guy's eyes were rolling around, eating a bite and playing for a while, looking at everyone eating at the dining table.

At the same time, he was also looking at his little sister, sitting at the children's dining table eating just like him. This was his great-grandfather's craftsmanship.

This children's chair with a small table was something Li Xuewu mentioned to Great-Grandfather. He didn't dare to take out his soul design manuscript to show off, but fortunately, Great-Grandfather understood what he meant, and the children had convenience.

Not only Li Shu had one, but all the children in the courtyard had one. The West Courtyard didn't sell this, but they couldn't stand that this thing was easy to use, so they were willing to come to the door to beg, as they all lived in one courtyard.

It was also really easy to use. Just not having to hold the child to eat saves so much strength.

Especially for older children like Li Shu, who are at the age of curiosity, they run away while eating.

Ordinary grandparents have to hold the rice bowl and follow them to feed them, and if the house is spacious, they can chase them for two miles.

Once this little chair is closed, don't think about getting off the table until you finish eating.

The Li family's family education is stricter. Li Shu could eat by herself, so she didn't let anyone feed her.

Although a meal was eaten like a chicken kicking and a dog scratching, everywhere was messy, but she was already learning.

Li Ning sat beside his father, and Li Xuewu also took time to help Gu Ning while eating himself.

Hearing her ask, he responded: "It was a project from last month. You heard about it there?"

"Sister Han's husband is in the Third Machine Department. I don't know how he heard about it and asked me."

Gu Ning's spoon tapped the bottom of the bowl lightly, warning Li Ning to eat properly and not be distracted.

Li Ning was just like his sister, not knowing why, but he was afraid of his mother.

When his grandmother fed him, he still had to hold something to play with, but when his mother fed him, he was very obedient.

"It's an export project in cooperation with Japanese merchants, mainly producing the Japanese-modified KH-4 light helicopter."

This doesn't count as a secret, not even a secret. Li Xuewu didn't care and explained casually.

"The production line hasn't been dismantled back yet; we have to wait for the Japanese side to make arrangements and also have to modify and upgrade it."

He took a bite of steamed bun, smiled at his son's cute appearance, and continued: "The factory organized an inspection team, preparing to participate in this action, which is also an opportunity to learn."

"Is it the one Zhao Yajun is participating in?"

Gu Ning still remembered the joke that happened at the eldest sister-in-law's house last week and knew Zhao Yajun was going abroad to participate in the action.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look at Li Xuewu and ask: "Do you need to lead the team abroad?"

Hearing her ask this, not only Liu Yin looked over nervously, but even Qin Jingru and her husband stopped eating.

"I'm not going; it's not very appropriate."

Li Xuewu smiled and comforted Gu Ning: "Don't worry, at my age, how could I possibly lead a team abroad."

"I also don't hope you go, and even if you go, don't go to the little devil's country," Liu Yin nodded in agreement and said: "Those people have no good intentions."

"Yes, you're right—"

Li Xuewu didn't explain to his mother but comforted her with a smile: "It's half a year abroad; I can't leave home."

"Even less can I leave my daughter and son."

He looked at Li Shu and Li Ning, and then looked at Gu Ning, only feeling that nowhere is as good as home.

"I also can't leave Father—"

Li Shu held her little spoon and took the initiative to respond: "Father is the best."

"Hmm, Father is good, Mother is not?"

Qin Jingru heard that Li Xuewu wouldn't go abroad, and her expression relaxed. She deliberately teased Li Shu and asked: "Is that what you mean?"

"Little Aunt—"

Li Shu felt that this little aunt was good everywhere, except that she had an extra mouth.

She glared at Qin Jingru with her little face raised, and seeing that she was still laughing at her, she turned to Father and complained: "Little Aunt drank lots of soda today! Lots and lots!"

"Ya! You dare to complain!"

Qin Jingru didn't expect this little girl to know how to complain, and her face turned red all of a sudden.

She explained embarrassedly: "Didn't I just drink three bottles? Where did I drink 'lots'—"

Although this was said to Li Shu, like arguing, it was actually explaining to Li Xuewu.

She worked as a nanny in the Li family. Although the work was very hard, life here was not bitter at all.

It was precisely because she worked here that she found a partner like Han Jiankun, who was top-notch in the city.

Plus, the salary Li Xuewu gave was not low, and the daily food and drink were far beyond her previous life.

The dining table in Li Xuewu's house was not extravagant, but it was willing to provide nutrition and paid attention to a balanced combination.

Fruits and snacks were even more so. Not counting what Li Xuewu brought back from business trips, the gifts from relatives and friends were more than they could eat.

This was still saying that Li Xuewu didn't accept any gifts when he wasn't at home to see unit relationships.

Last year, there was no refrigerator at home. Li Xuewu knew she liked drinking soda, so he moved boxes and boxes home.

This year, the weather was hot, and he told Han Jiankun early to buy a few boxes of soda and ice cream from the third industry.

The third industry is no longer exclusively owned by Red Star Factory; it is a branch company nature with independent management and finance.

The rolling mill has to issue labor protection welfare products to workers, which also has to go through financial budget, not the allocation like before.

Other factories are the same. The chemical plant customized the most labor protection products this year, and it also paid money.

This has a benefit, which is to fully guarantee the vitality and transparency of the third industry.

At least Li Xuewu could be sure that the factory leaders' families definitely paid money to drink soda and eat ice cream.

Just from this point, one could see that this year's third industry would definitely hand in an excellent report card that made people satisfied.

Of course, independent management and finance also mean that product prices are independent.

Wholesale prices have risen, and the prices supplied to the factory area and other factories' supply departments have also risen.

Although it is not as high as the prices outside, it is not as cheap as before.

But Li Xuewu doesn't care about these small amounts of money. If Qin Jingru wants to drink, let her drink as much as she wants. How much money can she drink before she gets diabetes?

This is not a joke. He managed engineering and marketing in his previous life.

During the few years he managed marketing, he encountered such a thing.

The product department had a giveaway activity, and the giveaway was orange-flavored beverage.

I won't say specifically what beverage it was, the best-selling one on the market, the kind with fruit pulp, should be 3.5 yuan a bottle.

A young employee below, twenty-something, kept plucking the wool hard.

He didn't drink water for three whole months, only drank the giveaway, and as a result, he got diabetes at a young age.

Ridiculous and sad. Li Xuewu's reason for not touching beverages and not touching high-sugar fruits was influenced by this matter.

Of course, he didn't have any bad intentions toward Qin Jingru and didn't think about letting her get diabetes.

"It is a bit too much—"

Li Xuewu looked at Qin Jingru and said to her in a gentle tone: "You also know that our family doesn't lack this. Those sodas were bought for you."

Looking at Qin Jingru, whose face turned pale because of his first sentence, he didn't dare to go too deep into scolding her.

"It's hot, you like drinking cold things, this is all understandable, but you still have to pay attention to your health."

"Sorry—sorry, Li Ge."

Qin Jingru was so scared that tears were about to fall. She cherished this job very much.

From the expressions of the couple when they heard Gu Ning ask if Li Xuewu would go abroad, one could know this point.

If Li Xuewu went abroad, Han Jiankun's position would have to be adjusted; it was impossible to stay idle waiting for Li Xuewu to return.

And she was also preparing to have children. At this time, the Li family couldn't wait for her.

Half a year's time, by the time Li Xuewu returned, anything could change.

And now, she hadn't felt it before, but Li Xuewu said it was for her. Although it wasn't stinginess, it was concern for her, but it also made her wake up.

These sodas were bought back, and weren't they just for her to drink alone? Even Han Jiankun hadn't drunk two bottles.

Before, she could numb herself, saying these were nothing, but one bottle was one or two dimes, and three bottles were half a catty of meat.

This kind of life was unimaginable before, but now she didn't know how to cherish it.

Red Star Factory's soda prices rose; Han Jiankun knew, and she knew, but Li Xuewu hadn't said it at home.

Aunt Liu always thought it was still one dime a bottle. She felt guilty in her heart and pretended not to know.

Today's matter seemed like a basin of cold water poured on her head. If she didn't know how to reflect on herself, something would happen sooner or later.

The Li family is generous, treating her and Han Jiankun as casually and trustingly as relatives.

But precisely because of this trust, it is not a reason or excuse for her to dare to betray it.

Under Han Jiankun's eye signal, she took the initiative to apologize to Li Xuewu and said sorry.

"What is this for? Isn't it just a few bottles of soda—"

Aunt Liu usually talked to Qin Jingru at home, and the two got along very harmoniously.

Qin Jingru had few schemes, spoke straight, and never needed to be reminded to do work; she was quite solid.

Seeing her like this, Liu Yin also felt it wasn't very good and signaled her son not to care too much about these things.

"Yes, Mom, I wasn't talking about the soda; I was concerned about Jingru's health."

Li Xuewu was still in a gentle tone and signaled to Gu Ning: "Your sister-in-law is a doctor, and our family can be considered a family of traditional Chinese medicine."

"We know how cold and high-sugar drinks are for the body. Do you see your Uncle Li Shun drinking cold things?"

He smiled and said: "Not to mention my dad, just look at me. I'm young and strong, but I don't dare to drink cold things."

"Of course, it's not that I don't let you drink; it's completely fine to drink a little to relieve the heat, but you have to have children."

"I know, Li Ge—"

Qin Jingru's tears were real, but her knot was untied.

She didn't resent Li Xuewu for being stingy, and even less blamed Li Xuewu for scolding her. Only this last sentence cut right into her heart.

"I wanted to remind you before, but I'm clumsy with words and was afraid you'd misunderstand if you heard it."

Gu Ning also opened her mouth at this time, smiled, and said to Qin Jingru: "Your Li Ge wanted to prepare soda for you since early spring, knowing you like to drink this."

"But in the end, it's a cold thing, especially for us women; we must pay attention to maintaining our health."

"Sorry, Sister, and let you worry about me—"

Qin Jingru laughed through her tears and said: "I hadn't drunk it before, so I just felt this was the best thing to drink."

"Normal. When I first joined the army, I felt meat was the best thing to eat," Li Xuewu said with a smile: "Later, when I was on the front line, I couldn't eat the braised pork canned food full of fat anymore."

"We are all the same. When we are young, we feel everything is good and want to hold everything in our arms."

He signaled Qin Jingru and her husband to continue eating and continued: "On this point, I have to thank my dad."

"He taught me to stop when it's enough and taught me to act according to my ability, which really saved me from taking many detours."

"Of course, we are all young people; it's good to say whatever we have to say directly, no need to hide it."

Li Xuewu nodded and said: "I treat you and Jiankun as younger brother and sister."

"If you have any difficulties or thoughts in the future, don't block them in your heart. You can tell your Sister Aunt Xiao Ning, or you can tell me."

"Hmm, I know—"

Qin Jingru nodded with a smile, looked at Han Jiankun, and said to Li Xuewu and Gu Ning: "If we do anything wrong in the future, you can criticize us directly; I am willing to listen to your opinions more."

"Look, our dining table has become a conference table—"

Seeing the talk opened up, Liu Yin joked: "Wait a while and let my grandson also speak a few words."

"Me! Me! I'll speak a few words—"

Li Shu heard her grandmother's joke and held up her little spoon, shouting: "Little Aunt's health is not good, I'll help her drink the soda!"

Saying this, she gave Qin Jingru an expression of "look how good I am to you, how righteous I am."

Qin Jingru pouted and glared at her with a smile: "I thank you, but it's better not to—"

This weekend, eldest sister-in-law Zhao Yafang and eldest brother Li Xuewen took a car back to her parents' home to visit her parents.

It was also a meeting where Wang Lu set fire to the Zhao family's house, and in the face of the Zhao family's tolerance, the Wang family had nothing to repay, so they could only let their daughter marry him.

Actually, it was a meeting between both parents. The house was set on fire, and a bad thing turned into a good thing, giving a reason for both parents to meet in advance.

Zhao Yajun's training had reached the end, and he had to set off abroad with the team this month.

After Xia Zhongquan talked with Li Xuewu, he went back and told Wang Lu's parents about this situation.

Just like what Li Xuewu told sister-in-law Zhao Yafang, Zhao Yajun, who had already been promoted, would definitely be promoted and appointed after returning from abroad for half a year.

If the marriage could be settled before going abroad, it would be good for both of their development.

Wang Lu's parents originally cared about Zhao Yajun's family, but they couldn't stand Xia Zhongquan's realistic words.

Three sons, still afraid the daughter would be wronged?

The young man works in the city, not a farmer; what is there to worry about?

It's nothing more than worry about money. The parents and the whole family help out; what kind of life can't the couple live?

So, after Wang

As the eldest sister, Zhao Yafang was half a parent, and especially since her younger brother Zhao Yajun relied on her in the city, she naturally had to go home.

Fortunately, neither she nor Li Xuewen were busy with work at this time, and the children were a bit older, so they could go home for a visit.

Zhao Yafang explained it clearly to her family, using the exact reasoning Li Xuewu had given her.

Both sets of parents were aiming for the same goal, and with the bride's side feeling a sense of guilt, plus the circumstances of Zhao Yajun and Wang Lu, this meeting could be considered an engagement party.

Once the parents met and finalized the marriage, Zhao Yajun and Wang Lu reported it to their organization.

After Zhao Yajun returned, the two of them getting married would be a logical and happy conclusion.

Only the old lady was at home in the Sihe Academy, and Ji Yuxiu had been busy with cases recently, so Li Xuewu's family hadn't gone back.

They had intended to pick up the old lady to stay here for a few days, but she was afraid the two children would dislike the smell of smoke, so she didn't come.

In truth, saying the children disliked the smoke was just a superficial excuse; the real reason was that she was afraid of being disliked by her grandson's wife.

Li Xuewu had even quit smoking for Gu Ning's sake, a fact that had spread throughout the courtyard.

Those who didn't know the full story would say that a wife from a noble background was just hard to get along with, even controlling whether her husband smoked.

The family naturally knew that Li Xuewu quit smoking not only for his wife but also for the children.

Although the old lady knew her grandson's wife didn't mean to dislike her, she didn't want to be under such constraints.

If she had to hide outside just to smoke a pipe, why bother with all that trouble?

To see her great-grandson, she just had to wait for Li Xuewu's family to return next week.

Since the old lady didn't come, Li Xuewu's family had a rare chance to sleep in, and even Qin Jingru was the same.

Usually, she would arrive a little past six, but today being Sunday, the couple didn't enter the courtyard until seven-thirty.

Normally, Li Xuewu allowed Qin Jingru four days off a month, with no need to come on Sundays.

That was the time Li Xuewu's family returned to the main courtyard, but Qin Jingru had a lot on her mind, so even when they weren't there, she still came to work.

She didn't just come herself; she also dragged Han Jiankun along.

If she wasn't helping her tidy up the house, she was tending to the vegetable garden outside or the orchard.

At the very least, she would clean the chicken manure out of the coop; in any case, she could always find work for Han Jiankun.

By her own account, Han Jiankun was lazy at home, and rather than letting her mother-in-law be annoyed by him, it was better to bring him out to work.

This week was just like the others; although she arrived late, it was still the same routine.

Han Jiankun was busy outside the house, while Qin Jingru prepared breakfast.

She had steamed a large pot of buns yesterday, so breakfast was easy to prepare today, which was also the reason she arrived late.

By the time Li Xuewu carried Li Shu downstairs, breakfast was already on the table.

He had to get to the club early today; besides being busy with work, there was a farewell luncheon at noon.

Getting what one wishes for, the opportunity that club secretary-general Zhou Zhengquan had been seeking for half a year had finally arrived: a transfer to another city as deputy director.

There was no need to doubt it; this was a promotion.

And don't say that leaving Beijing wasn't appropriate; whether it was appropriate or not depended on the specific circumstances.

Zhou Zhengquan's situation was different from Li Xuewu's, and even more different from Wang Xiaoqin's.

He relied on his father-in-law's connections, having worked in the public security system all along, following the rules and procedures step by step.

But reaching this point, he could clearly feel that even if the situation changed, his path was becoming narrower and narrower.

On one hand, his father-in-law's influence was waning as he progressed, and on the other, it was a characteristic of this system.

If he wanted to go further and higher, he had to change tracks.

Otherwise, without outstanding achievements, his potential for development had reached its limit.

Jumping out of Beijing, jumping out of the system's constraints—it was truly a case of "the sea is wide for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly."

As long as he spent a few years honing his skills in the provinces and accumulating experience, his background of working in a powerful Beijing department would no longer be a shackle, but a source of strength.

To what position could an official with experience in a powerful department and rich management experience rise?

Look up Gao Yuliang.

Zhou Zhengquan didn't receive much support from his father-in-law for this transfer; instead, his classmates provided a great deal of help.

Especially Li Xuewu's arrangements at the beginning of the year, which gave him this opportunity.

While others had more or less progressed and adjusted, he had remained still, never expecting to plan something so big.

Of course, the person he most wanted to thank was Li Xuewu, and he didn't do anything superficial, just inviting his classmates for a meal at the club.

It was quite moving to think about; reaching this point in their careers, so many people had reached a stalemate.

Without breaking this ceiling, once they reached a certain age, they might advance, but they would lose the opportunity to advance further.

Only by breaking through layer by layer could one go further and last longer.

Zhou Zhengquan's father-in-law didn't give him much support, not only due to the limitations of his work but also because he wasn't very willing in his heart.

If his son-in-law advanced faster than he did, who would be the leader and who would be the subordinate then?

Li Xuewu hadn't met her, but Wang Xiaoqin had met Zhou Zhengquan's wife, and it was said she was quite ugly.

I won't describe how ugly; if Wang Xiaoqin, a woman herself, said she was ugly, one could imagine her appearance.

Zhou Zhengquan had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a square face, making him a proper handsome man at the time.

If you said he married such a wife because of love, even the dogs kept by the club's security department wouldn't believe it.

Now that he was seeking a transfer, in his father-in-law's eyes, it meant his wings had hardened and he wanted to fly solo.

When he could influence him, the couple had a stable guarantee, after all, he was right under his father-in-law's nose.

Now that he was going to work so far away, and his daughter didn't want to follow him, one could imagine his father-in-law's mood.

It was fine while his father-in-law was still in office; Zhou Zhengquan wouldn't go too far, but how many more years could he protect his daughter?

Therefore, the more this was the case, the more strained the relationship between the father-in-law and son-in-law became, and the more Zhou Zhengquan relied on these classmates.

Everything was easy to handle in Beijing, but once he went to the provinces, he would inevitably have to rely on these connections in the capital.

Knowing he came from Beijing, the heavy responsibility of running between departments would inevitably fall to him.

While it was called a farewell luncheon, he was actually paving the way for his future path.

Being in the game, everyone had their own involuntary and unavoidable circumstances.

However, Li Xuewu didn't end up eating that meal; Han Jiankun found him in a hurry and reported with a serious expression that Director Li requested he return to the factory to preside over work.