Chapter 1208: Hard-won

Li Xuecai was like a little wild horse trapped in a cage; as soon as he heard the news that his second brother had nodded, he immediately ran back.

He was excited, eager, and wanted to resume his studies as soon as possible; the sooner he graduated, the sooner he could work.

It wasn't that he hated the length and twists of his student life, but that his longing for the future was becoming more and more urgent.

Just Ji Yuxiu alone brought him pressure in two aspects.

First, Ji Yuxiu had already started working and even became a cadre in the branch bureau.

And him? He was still a college student waiting to resume classes.

His partner had already started earning and saving money, and even had to subsidize their pocket money for being together, while he was still eating at home.

Although his father had already explained that Traditional Chinese Medicine must be a process of tempering and accumulation.

However, he was a young man, after all; there should always be a little bit of the impulsiveness and impatience unique to young people.

Who else could be like his second brother, who had used up all the impatience and impulsiveness of his life before he was sixteen?

Now? Look at his second brother!

Those who knew him knew he was his second brother; those who didn't, just looking at that calm demeanor and state of mind, would think he was his second uncle.

Besides his partner's career already being on the right track and starting to earn money, and having to subsidize their pocket money, the second pressure Li Xuecai felt was marriage.

Ji Yuxiu had been at home for over a year, which meant they had been in a relationship and confirmed their status for over a year.

In this era, very few people were in a relationship for this long; dating for three months and then getting married was the normal phenomenon.

Although there was the reason for Ji Yuxiu's age, and the reason for him still being in school.

However, they couldn't just drag it on like this; as a student, he always felt pressure compared to Ji Yuxiu.

Being narrow-minded, he was a little worried that Ji Yuxiu would meet someone better at work and not want him anymore.

Of course, this was what he thought in his own heart; what he said was that he wanted to be responsible for Ji Yuxiu.

He still had two more years before he could count as finishing his studies, and only after he graduated and was assigned work could they talk about marriage.

So, if they dragged it on, they might not be able to get married for three or five years.

For him, this was somewhat unbearable; which hot-blooded young man could endure it?

Ji Yuxiu didn't refuse his intentions, but his father and mother had talked to him seriously about this problem.

Before marriage, the greatest respect for Ji Yuxiu was to protect her and not bring her any gossip.

The eyes of the women in this era were like X-rays; let alone whether they were virgins, they could even guess how many times they had done it last night; they were incredibly sharp.

It might be the experience of those who had been through it, or it might be that televisions weren't popular at this time, and they went to bed early at night with nothing to do, so they accumulated such practical experience.

Therefore, whether it was Li Xuecai or Ji Yuxiu, they were still a young man and a young woman.

Li Xuecai was somewhat honest and thick-headed, unlike his second brother Li Xuewu.

If this matter were on Li Xuewu, he wouldn't wait for his parents to remind him; he would have handled it long ago, and would he leave it overnight?

He didn't dare to be so presumptuous; his father was not only his biological father, but also the teacher who taught him medicine.

With the dual identity blessing, the obedient child Li Xuecai wished he could graduate right now so he could hold a grand wedding.

It was just that his anxiety was useless; the notice to rectify the educational environment had been fanning the flames since the end of last year.

It started to become serious in September, and it wasn't until the end of October that this wind finally blew up.

And under the corresponding management constraints and the actual environment, the work of restoring teaching order for middle and primary school students was much more convenient and faster than for universities.

It couldn't be counted as having no foreseeable date, but it wasn't something that could be achieved overnight either.

"What are you anxious about?" Li Xuewu looked at his younger brother and said with a smile, "You've waited for two years; is it still a few days short?"

"Didn't the notice already come down—" Li Xuecai sat in the chair and muttered, "I really can't understand who is causing trouble from the middle?"

"Is that how you talk?"

The smile on Li Xuewu's face disappeared, and he looked at his younger brother seriously, saying, "Go back to the mountain as soon as possible; don't act like a sheep let loose as soon as you come down, bringing trouble to the family."

"Listen to Second Brother; what are you muttering about!"

Ji Yuxiu stood behind Li Xuecai and poked him, reminding him, "Could Second Brother harm you?"

"That's not what I meant—"

Li Xuecai timidly raised his head and secretly glanced at his second brother, explaining, "I just didn't understand..."

"If you don't understand, then think about it carefully," Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "I told you to read the newspaper and read books; where did you read them to?"

"You can't rely on the family to take care of you for your whole life, can you?"

He looked at his younger brother and said, "You're almost twenty; you should know a little about human relationships and the political situation."

"These things can only be learned and realized by yourself; even if I break them down and explain them to you, you won't understand."

"Listen to your second brother; you won't be wrong."

Zhao Yafang had coaxed the child to sleep and came out from the south room to persuade her brother-in-law.

Li Xuewu had returned by himself today; if Li Xuecai hadn't come down from the mountain, he wouldn't have come to the house on a Wednesday.

"My eldest brother and sister-in-law also received the notice to resume classes and work, and they haven't reported for duty either."

She came to the side of the eight-immortal table and sat down, looking at her brother-in-law and asking with a smile, "Are you anxious?"

"No—"

Li Xuecai picked up the teacup embarrassedly and took a sip of hot water, explaining, "It's like I haven't been to school for many years; my heart is a little itchy."

"That's very normal, but don't hold too much hope."

Zhao Yafang introduced seriously, "I asked my colleagues; resuming classes doesn't mean full resumption; there will also be major study activities, which will be carried out while studying and working within the school."

Hearing this, Li Xuecai remembered his second brother's words just now and couldn't help but frown, "Still going to do that?"

"Didn't you see that your eldest brother hasn't come home yet?"

Zhao Yafang glanced at him and said, "If it were still the same old set, your eldest brother wouldn't be willing to go back either."

Just after getting off work, there were only the brothers and sisters of the Li family in the Li family's main room: eldest sister-in-law Zhao Yafang, second brother Li Xuewu, third brother Li Xuecai and Ji Yuxiu, and Li Xue who had just entered the room.

Li Xue listened to them talking about these things, but what she was thinking about was herself.

It took a good while before she reacted; resuming classes didn't mean resuming exams; the college entrance exam hadn't been mentioned.

So, the path her second brother chose for her at the beginning was still correct, at least temporarily correct.

But what if exams were resumed?

With her current knowledge preparation and her state at work... she couldn't go back, she couldn't take the exam.

Because she was already considered assigned work, according to the current educational rules, she had already lost her eligibility to take the exam.

However, did she have regrets?

For her generation, it was inevitably a regret.

But for her personally, she didn't know how many classmates envied and were jealous of her.

Having a good brother, so what if she didn't go to college?

Now, let alone her classmates, even the college students in the factory, how much more advanced could they be than her?

A generation eventually has its own mission and destiny; embodied in a family, their destinies are also different.

"Oh my, Second Brother, why did you have to come and pick us up?"

Mai Qinglan walked out of the station exit holding her child and saw Li Xuewu waiting at the entrance.

Her mother, Hu Huilan, followed behind, carrying large and small bags, looking very strenuous.

A kind young man even helped carry a suitcase out, and seeing someone there to pick them up, he greeted them with a smile and left.

Li Xuewu was about to give him a cigarette, but the other party refused.

"Come, give me the girl."

He took the child from Mai Qinglan's arms with a smile and gestured to the car below the platform, saying, "Let's go, we'll talk on the road; it's too cold."

"I already told Wenbiao not to trouble you."

Han Jiankun took all the luggage from Hu Huilan's hands and walked quickly to the car.

Li Xuewu, on the other hand, said to Mai Qinglan while walking, "Are you being polite with me? Aren't we being distant?"

"Guodong went up the mountain and won't be back for a while; he doesn't trust the boys to drive."

Seeing Han Jiankun loading the car, he gestured for Mai Qinglan to get in first, then handed the child to her.

"It just so happens I had something to do at the train station, so I picked you up on the way."

"It's too much trouble for you, Director Li."

Hu Huilan was politely embarrassed; she had never addressed Li Xuewu according to the relationship of her son-in-law's side.

Li Xuewu, however, politely opened the car door for her and sent her into the car.

"Don't be polite, Old Aunt; we're all our own people; if you're polite again, I'll be embarrassed."

He closed the car door and helped Han Jiankun load the last two bags of luggage before getting into the passenger seat.

Han Jiankun drove and followed Li Xuewu's instructions to return; the house Old Biaozi mentioned was one Li Xuewu had collected from a few opera singers long ago.

By a twist of fate, he also picked up two "life-or-death" little bosses.

Having made a name for themselves in opera, they were all addressed as bosses.

Now Tong Huimei and Jin Jiaojiao were also about to become bosses.

The house they lived in back then was the home Old Biaozi chose for his wife and father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Of the five houses back then, Li Xuewu occupied one himself and gave it to Tong Huimei and the other to live in.

The rest were all left for the brothers to choose for themselves; they thought they were too big and they weren't married, so they didn't move in.

As of now, only Shen Guodong had brought his mother-in-law, that is, the mother of his partner Xiaoyan, to live together.

Xiaoyan was the younger sister of his brother Dazhuang; Dazhuang's mother was considered the godmother of the brothers.

He had now turned his godmother into his mother-in-law, which could be considered an explanation to his brother Dazhuang.

Back when the brothers were down and out, they had promised to give ten yuan a month for family support.

No one mentioned this matter anymore; everything was borne by Shen Guodong, who wasn't short of this money.

Dazhuang's mother had also figured it out; with a daughter and son-in-law to support her in her old age, she hadn't let the family fall apart after all.

The house Shen Guodong chose was also in Nanluoguxiang, relatively close to the street, not far from the current warehouse area and small factory area, but far from the courtyard side.

"The night before last, Guodong and his wife went over to light the stove," Li Xuewu introduced while turning his head, "Someone has been going over to clean and add fire for the past two days; it's guaranteed to be warm."

"It's too much trouble for everyone, I..." Mai Qinglan, wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket, said very embarrassedly, "If I say thank you again, I'll really seem pretentious."

"So I said, don't be polite."

Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Biaozi dared to let you three return, which shows he has a bottom line in his heart."

"Choosing this side is also because it's close to school and convenient for taking care of the children; otherwise, I would have vacated the house in the backyard for you to live in, which would be even more convenient for taking care of you."

"I'm also aiming for the convenience of taking care of the children," Mai Qinglan said with a bit of guilt in her tone, "Otherwise I wouldn't have come back, leaving him alone on that side..."

"It's okay, Biaozi told me."

Li Xuewu nodded and said understandingly, "He has made something of himself and has grown up."

"He told me that the greatest ability of his life is not to leave you with any regrets."

"He just knows how to talk—"

Mai Qinglan listened to her lover's earthy love words and thought about the things he had done for her; she was truly moved.

When she first saw the notice in the newspaper, the first thing she thought of was coming back to school.

But then she was interrupted by the girl in the swaddling clothes, and then she thought of Li Wenbiao.

He must care, the child was still so small.

If she didn't go back, the school would definitely expel her, and she would never have the qualification to go to college again in her life.

But if she went back and left the girl and him behind, she couldn't bear to part with either of them.

Not finishing college was said to be a regret in life, but Li Wenbiao had truly done it.

In the year or so they had been together, he had never let her down, nor had he ever left her with any regrets.

If she had to say whether her feelings for Li Wenbiao were love, she wasn't sure, but if she had to say it was responsibility, she was definitely sure.

On one side was family, on the other was her studies; how to choose?

Li Wenbiao didn't let her choose, and even more so, he didn't let her, who was in a tangle, open her mouth; he had already made the decision for her.

She admitted that her silence and depression were already a choice, but this made her even more self-blaming and guilty.

Therefore, Li Wenbiao said he would arrange for her and her mother to bring the child back to Beijing, taking care of the child while attending school.

She was surprised, she was stunned, and then came tears of being moved, and deep guilt for him.

The couple didn't say any sea-oath-mountain-vow, let alone any future or prospects.

The child was already born; how could Mai Qinglan not know Li Wenbiao's life now?

Calling him a capitalist wouldn't be an exaggeration; with Li Xuewu's care, Li Wenbiao was never short of promises to her.

Therefore, she came back, back to the home Li Wenbiao said was hers, their home.

In fact, from Mai Qinglan's address to Old Biaozi, Li Xuewu could also feel the relationship between the two.

She never called him Old Biaozi, or Biaozi.

Wenbiao or Li Wenbiao, she always called him that.

Li Xuewu's impression and attitude toward her were also gradually changing, with less distance and suspicion than before.

As a brother, this bit of care was completely as it should be.

The car stopped at the courtyard entrance, looking at the three-entry mansion that was even broader than their own family's previous house; Hu Huilan only felt shocked to the point of numbness.

Previously, they said their son-in-law was a scrap collector, and she and her old man both believed it and accepted their fate.

But when did scrap collectors become so wealthy?

She was confused when she was taken care of by Li Xuewu and lived in the club, and when she arrived in the Steel City and felt her son-in-law's life, she was even more confused.

Returning to Beijing, Hu Huilan looked at the mansion before her, clean and tidy, clearly cleaned up, and just held the words back in her heart, not daring to ask a single one.

Afraid of what?

Afraid that if she asked, this wealthy life before her eyes would disappear.

This was somewhat metaphysical; there was a default rule in both Eastern and Western metaphysical cultures: if you say it, it won't be effective.

"Don't worry about firewood, rice, oil, and salt; Guodong will send them over every month, and the winter vegetables are all prepared."

Li Xuewu helped carry the child into the upper room; the room was burning warmly, and the window cracks were all sealed tightly with paper.

Letting Han Jiankun and Hu Huilan move the luggage to the main room, he explained to Mai Qinglan: "You know the recycling station; if you have anything, go over there and find someone to help."

"Don't worry, Brother; we can take care of ourselves and won't let Wenbiao worry."

Mai Qinglan felt the warmth in the room and also felt warm in her heart; she unwrapped the child's swaddling clothes and saw the girl was still sleeping, and couldn't help but smile.

"The household appliances were prepared for you by Biaozi early on," Li Xuewu pointed to the few appliances in the room and explained, "Guodong and his wife are coming over tonight; if you have anything you don't know, just ask him."

"Or if you have any needs, just tell him."

He smiled and gestured outside the door, saying, "I'm still at work, so I have to go back quickly; we'll gather again on the weekend."

"Thanks, Second Brother; it's all messy, so I won't keep you; I'm sorry."

Mai Qinglan gestured for her mother to take care of the child, while she sent him out, addressing him very affectionately.

If it were according to Old Biaozi and the others, they called him Brother Wu more often, mainly because they had mixed together on the street back then.

Now Mai Qinglan called him Second Brother, but it was based on the family relationship; her thoughts were always very delicate.

Li Xuewu didn't mind this; he let her go back in the courtyard, "Clean up slowly; I'll have Guodong pick you up on the weekend to have a meal at the courtyard."

"Oh, by the way," walking two steps, he turned back and reminded her, "Regarding reporting for duty, keep an eye out; if there's anything wrong, don't be impulsive; call me."

"I understand; this matter isn't urgent."

Mai Qinglan had also managed business for a period of time with Old Biaozi in the Steel City and had matured much more than before.

Watching Li Xuewu leave with his driver after closing the main gate, she then returned to the upper room.

Along the way, looking at this mansion, she often saw Li Wenbiao squatting at the gate brushing his teeth when she was in school.

How to say it? It had a kind of black humor.

Not every woman likes a mansion, but as long as she is a woman, there is no one who doesn't like a bigger home.

It was just that for the three of them, this home was a bit too big.

Originally, she had called her father today, but he said the rehearsal business was busy and he wouldn't be back until night.

Mai Qinglan entered the room and glanced at the furnishings in the room that she hadn't had time to look at when she just came in.

It was just as Li Xuewu said on the road; it was spotless and had been specially cleaned by someone.

The east room had a heated brick bed, and under the windowsill was a radiator; the glass was cleaned very cleanly.

The morning sun was intense, shining on people's faces, very dazzling, and also very warm.

In the cold winter, in this cold season, it seemed so unreal.

When she first came back, she endured not looking at the opposite side; that was her school, the school she dreamed of.

When she left, she was so desperate; looking back now, things were different.

Standing in this mansion looking at the opposite side, she had a somewhat unreal feeling.

Her mother mixed warm water and asked her to wash her face; she buried her face in the water, wanting to wake up a little bit.

When she raised her head again, she was teased by her mother for being willful even though she was so big.

She smiled, and this was life.

"Motorcycle sales have dropped?"

Li Xuewu flipped through the report in his hand and raised his head to look at Gou Zirong.

Gou Zirong replied very honestly, "We investigated, and it has to do with the current season."

"So we don't sell bicycles in winter, right?"

Li Xuewu continued to look at the sales report in his hand, but retorted, "Did you investigate seriously?"

"Don't try to fool me; think about it yourself before answering me."

His eyes didn't leave the report, but his finger tapped the desktop to remind him, "It's only been four months since it was launched on the market, and the sales channels are still expanding; you're telling me it's affected by the season?"

"Do you know that the more it's this time, the more urgent the need for motor vehicles is?"

"Leader, what you mean is..."

Gou Zirong answered hesitantly, "We arranged six groups to go down and do research work, including agency units and staff families in the city..."

"The sampling area was too narrow, right?"

"Isn't the sampling area for the samples a bit too narrow?"

"As long as there is a surplus budget on the books, it won't be left to the next year."

He paused here and asked Gou Zirong, "Now that there are more people in the factory agency, and more people in the sales office, it's hard to manage, right?"

"No, I'll investigate this matter later."

Gou Zirong's face changed, and he promised very seriously, "Give me three days; I will definitely find the reason."

"I don't want the reason; I want the sales volume."

Li Xuewu tapped the report beside his hand and said, "I can't take out this kind of sales data."

He pushed the document back and said, "Or why don't you send it to Deputy Director Jing yourself to take a look?"

"I understand, sales volume," Gou Zirong said with a serious face, "I'll hold a meeting when I go back; I want sales volume."

"Who do you want sales volume from?"

Li Xuewu glanced at him and emphasized, "Doing work isn't building a house; are you playing around?"

"Specialization in technical work, do you understand?"

He sat back in his chair and looked at the opposite side, saying, "To put it bluntly, it means leaving professional matters to professional people; it's useless for you to lead a group of agency cadres to hold meetings."

"On the side of the automobile sales branch," Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "Tell the comrades that it's the end of the year; work harder, and for every motorcycle sold, there will be a reward of one yuan."

He sat up straight, pointed his finger at the stunned Gou Zirong, and said, "When the time comes, you submit an application in the name of brand construction, and I'll sign it for you."

"This... Leader," Gou Zirong asked hesitantly, "Will this work?"

"Otherwise? Where do you think the problem is?"

Li Xuewu frowned and instructed, "As soon as possible, arrange to select staff who are suitable and willing to do sales work for training, and supplement them to the sales positions."

"In your situation, I know without checking; there must be a problem at the sales end."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, saying, "If you don't believe it, let's wait and see; throw this one yuan out, and see if the sales volume rises or not."

"It doesn't make sense," Gou Zirong frowned, "Working anywhere is the same; how could such a problem appear in front-line sales positions?"

"If I put you on the front line for a few days, you'll understand!"

Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Arrange it as soon as possible; we need to create role models; don't be afraid of rewards."

"The more of this one yuan I give out, the happier I am; I'm not afraid of staff earning this reward."

"What you mean is..."

Gou Zirong frowned, "Front-line sales... psychologically unbalanced?"

Damn it! So the problem was here!

"I heard you cursed?"

At lunch time, Gu Weijie called him to eat together.

Li Xuewu called Bu Qingfang along; eating with leaders always felt uncomfortable.

It was fine with Old Cheng or Old Li, but eating alone with a female leader, he also had to avoid suspicion.

Male comrades must protect themselves well when they are outside.

"Who did you hear that from?"

Li Xuewu curled his lips and said, "What's wrong recently? I always feel the atmosphere in the agency is wrong?"

"Don't point at the mulberry and scold the locust—"

Gu Weijie glanced at him and whispered, "Correcting your mistakes; you need to have a clear understanding."

"Yes, I have received your criticism."

Li Xuewu nodded, stirred the potato chunks in his lunch box, frowned, and asked, "But I'm wronged; when did I curse?"

"Hehehe—"

Bu Qingfang chuckled on the side, "Someone said you cursed on the street in the office."

"This means it was spread by people from the Security Group, right?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "It seems there really are more people, and more bullshit."

"Don't make any big moves—"

Gu Weijie reminded him, "The higher-ups just issued a notice to resume organizational life."

The situation she mentioned was actually the key content of the notice Old Li gave when he held a meeting a few days ago.

No wonder they said the situation had new changes.

On the 17th of the middle of the month, the higher-ups summarized the development situation of the current major study activities.

In the conversation, the leader called on the masses to organize and realize the form of joint research and discussion...

A key point in the conversation was that the vast majority of cadres were good.

Looking at this, it didn't say anything, but in reality, it had already defined the direction of the current situation; it had reached a node and was about to start the next stage of study.

For the current situation, this summary had positive significance, eliminated factors that caused more troublesome situations, and the situation of the era had reached a turning point.

What was its profound meaning?

On that very day, the higher-ups issued the "Notice on Implementing Joint Work According to the System."

In reality, it was to cancel some cross-industry organizations and restore the management order of all walks of life.

In particular, the fighting and brawling incidents that had been very troublesome some time ago were resolutely to be cleared away.

Then, what did these changes in the situation have to do with the higher-ups requiring units that had already completed the Management Committee system architecture construction to resume organizational life?

Because they were going to discuss convening a new representative meeting, which meant the situation had undergone fundamental changes.

Organizational life was about to resume; was the restoration of the organization far away?

In fact, by now, it wasn't hard to understand why the higher-ups had delayed adjusting the Red Star Factory's team.

On one hand, it was the Red Star Factory's own reasons; on the other hand, the higher-ups were looking for the right timing.

At this time, with the transformation of the situation and the intermittent adjustment of business, it was the time to maintain the Red Star Factory's team.

Therefore, there was news about the higher-ups conducting inspections of the work of the factory's Management Committee team members.

Gu Weijie was previously the deputy secretary in charge of organizational work; now that organizational life was resuming, her influence was further expanding.

Similarly, this was also preparing for the restoration of the organization in the future.

The management structure of the Red Star Factory was bound to undergo fundamental changes.

However, these were only guesses, Gu Weijie's guesses; she was still a bit unsure.

Therefore, seeing Li Xuewu, she called him up to eat together.

Li Xuewu understood her mood very well and also understood the current changes in the situation, stirring the water muddy.

Many people were preparing to fish in troubled waters, let alone Gu Weijie, who had been looking forward to it for a long time.

"What do you think of the current situation of the Red Star Factory?"

Li Xuewu ate a bite of cabbage, raised his head, and scanned the two of them, mainly looking at Gu Weijie.

Gu Weijie was eating indifferently and gestured, "I'm asking you; you're asking me back?"

"If I have to say it, four words can summarize it."

He looked at Gu Weijie seriously and said, "Hard-won."

"You might not like to hear what I say, but speaking of facts, I cherish the current stable situation very much."

"That's well said; who doesn't cherish it."

Bu Qingfang saw that he was serious, interrupted with a laugh, which was considered easing the atmosphere.

It was just that she didn't know that there was no need to ease the atmosphere between Li Xuewu and Gu Weijie.

The two could be considered natural allies, and the kind without any contradictions or conflicts.

Gu Weijie knew very well how Li Xuewu's path went, and it didn't conflict with hers at all.

And with the relationship on Han Shu's side, and the Dong Wenxue system, the interaction between the two sides was very tacit.

It could be said that the Red Star Factory could have today's stable situation all because of her and Dong Wenxue.

Would Old Li dare to mess around?

If he dared to touch Li Xuewu today, he would have to go in tomorrow.

And with Li Xuewu supporting from the middle, the Management Committee completed the transition stage very smoothly.

It could be said that since the establishment of the Management Committee until now, Li Xuewu had made more contributions than anyone else.

Therefore, Gu Weijie didn't mind him telling the truth; she was afraid he would tell lies.

Both of them understood what the other party wanted to say in their hearts.

Li Xuewu didn't approve of her making a move now; the reason was very simple: stability overrides everything.

With the resumption of organizational life clearly defined, Li Xuewu still didn't look favorably on the future changes in the situation, which was enough to make her pause the plan she had long since determined in her heart.

Did Li Xuewu's opinion have such a great effect?

It did, it must have; she recognized it.

Why?

Because the decisions Li Xuewu made had never gone wrong; this was a very metaphysical situation.

Never, never; since Li Xuewu started working, his grasp of the situation could be called genius.

Go ask Li Huai De if he dared to gamble on work that Li Xuewu didn't approve of.

Do you believe Old Li would verbally curse, "Gamblers don't end well"?

Li Xuewu had proven himself countless times, yet he still wouldn't believe him?

He wasn't a young man, nor was he A Dou.

Even Old Li didn't dare to mess around; you tell me if Gu Weijie dared.

"If you want to hear my opinion," Li Xuewu finished his meal, put down his chopsticks, and said seriously, "Put aside disputes, unite, and tomorrow will be better."

On Sunday, Mai Qinglan held the child and was picked up by Shen Guodong driving to the courtyard.

Little Tiger Girl was still small and looked fleshy; the few children were rolling and crawling on the heated brick bed, which was very lively.

It was in the west room of the inverted house; the heated brick bed was big, and after breakfast, everyone sat in the room without feeling crowded.

This wasn't Mai Qinglan's first time here, but it was her first time since having a child.

Her mother had gone to the club to clean up the luggage that had been stored there before.

On this side, Xiaoyan and the others were lively for a while, and they all went to work.

It was Third Aunt-in-law Fei Shanying who was accompanying her, and they were also looking after the children together.

Also present were the old lady of the Li family in the front courtyard and the First Aunt in the middle courtyard.

The Deaf Old Lady was gone, and the First Aunt could be considered liberated.

But turning around, she was begged by Seeing Sha Zhu to look after the child.

Saying it was begging, the First Aunt was also willing in her heart, including the First Uncle.

They were still lacking with Seeing Sha Zhu, but for the child He Zhuang, the old couple cherished him from the bottom of their hearts.

Seeing Sha Zhu had also discussed it privately with Diliya; what the First Uncle and First Aunt were worried about was nothing more than the problem of old-age support.

Living upstairs and downstairs, and with so many years of affection, the two families found a time to gather together and speak openly.

Seeing Sha Zhu spoke straightforwardly; the First Uncle was somewhat moved, the First Aunt cried, and the two families became one, which could be considered tearing open this layer of window paper.

The First Uncle's care for Seeing Sha Zhu was also more than before; it wasn't obvious in terms of money, but he was most attentive to the child.

With the First Aunt helping to look after the child, Seeing Sha Zhu and Diliya's couple completely let go of their hands and feet.

Seeing Sha Zhu was a squad leader in the unit; seeing that even Yang Laoer could be promoted to deputy director of the reception center, he also had a desire to improve.

Taking advantage of the fact that he still had strength, he restrained his early dog temper and strived to perform well and achieve results.

He wasn't worried about Guo Fatty giving him a hard time and delaying his progress.

With Li Xuewu in the factory, as long as he performed well, what should be there would eventually be there.

Diliya also wanted to strive; seeing that there were fewer people at the recycling station on the west courtyard side, and the business was less.

The boys had all gone to the big warehouse side, and Second Uncle was worried that they would be too busy over there, so he followed.

Only four people were left at the recycling station to work: Hearing Da Lao, Xiaoyan, Wang Yamei, and her.

Wang Yamei was already married and was about to have a child, so she would definitely be too busy.

So during the day, the spacious west room of the inverted house became a veritable nursery.

Especially after Zhao Yafang and Li Xuewen returned to school to report for duty, the relevant procedures became busy, and the responsibility of looking after the children was shouldered by the old lady.

Fei Shanying had two children herself; the big one was five years old, and the small one was less than a year old.

Plus Li Tang, Li Ning, and He Zhuang, it was noisy.

The Li Xuewu family returned on Sunday morning; it was very cold on Saturday night, so they didn't go out.

Later on, the number of times they came here would be less; no matter how warm the house in the backyard was in winter, it wasn't as comfortable as a building.

Seeing the old lady looking after the child for the eldest sister-in-law, Gu Ning discussed privately with Li Xuewu whether to invite her mother-in-law back.

Li Ning was also big now; he was crawling around, and could even stand by himself for a few seconds.

Li Xuewu also had this intention, but he didn't know how to open this mouth to his mother.

He was just waiting for the eldest sister-in-law's work to be settled before discussing it with his mother.

Returning home on Sunday, who was the happiest?

Of course, it was the Great Demon King Li Shu; at two and a half years old, she could say everything.

Wearing a beautiful little cotton-padded jacket, she looked like a meatball, following Gu Ning wherever she went.

Li Ning was carried by his grandmother to the inverted house to find the other children to play with; when called, she just hugged Gu Ning's thigh.

Even she had a sense of jealousy; even though Qin Jingru and Liu Yin taught her at home what was an older sister and what was a younger brother, children's nature was like this.

"Oh, who is this? So beautiful!"

Yu Li entered the room, saw Li Shu's cute little appearance, and teased her with a smile, "Is this Li Shu?"

"Hee hee—"

Li Shu understood everything; her aunt was praising her; she was very embarrassed and smiled.

Seeing her aunt squat down and open her arms to hug her, she also cooperated and ran over, throwing herself into Yu Li's arms.

"Eww—" Yu Li touched her nose, giggled, and asked, "Did you miss me?"

"Giggle giggle—"

Li Shu couldn't answer in time, just kept laughing, but the hands hugging her neck tightened.

Gu Ning watched with a smile, but didn't mind her being good to Li Shu.

It could be seen that Yu Li's kindness to Li Shu wasn't fake at all, but there was nothing to compete for.

"Didn't go to the club today?"

Li Xuewu lay on the heated brick bed, his head facing the inside, roasting his butt.

In winter, burning the heated brick bed, lying on it and basking in the sun, he didn't want to get up at all.

Yu Li held Li Shu and sat on the edge of the heated brick bed, explaining, "It's just to wait for you to come."

She spoke very straightforwardly: "If you don't go to the club, I'd have to call you."

"Su Qing is going back to school, do you know?"

"Hmm, Su Qing," Li Xuewu nodded; he knew she was Old Biaozi's other partner, who had stayed at the club to help before, and he had also paid her a salary.

At this moment, he nodded and said, "The eldest brother and the others are all going back to class; what's strange about her going back?"

"She said she won't do the work here anymore," Yu Li explained, "She wants to say goodbye to you and thank you."

"Wants to see me? Say goodbye?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows slightly, thinking, what the hell is this; even if she says goodbye, she shouldn't come to find me.

"There's no need for this, right?"

He said with drooping eyelids, "Talk to her well, thank her for her contribution and dedication to the club's work during this period."

"Settle her salary clearly, and give her an extra bonus; you decide how much."

After explaining this, Li Xuewu added, "Tell her that finishing her studies is the priority, and invite her to come to the club to play more often in the future."

After saying this, Yu Li already understood his meaning; he just didn't want to see the other party.

Who Su Qing was, Yu Li wasn't sure if Gu Ning knew, but there was absolutely no problem talking about it here.

It had nothing to do with Li Xuewu, so what was there to be afraid of?

Li Xuewu saying this wasn't because he cared about Gu Ning's feelings, but because he didn't want to get involved in Li Wenbiao's messy business.

Mai Qinglan had returned with the child; Su Qing might have known, and what she wanted to say to Li Xuewu wasn't certain, but it definitely wasn't just a simple thank you.

Li Xuewu's words were also very clever; they had both comfort and practical expression, and the attitude was also very clear.

Pay attention to your studies, don't talk about the work here everywhere, and welcome her to come and play often—this was reminding her to forget about the things here and just pretend she had never come.

Welcome means not welcome; listen to the sound in the words.

"After Su Qing leaves, how to arrange the office work?"

Yu Li asked straightforwardly, "If you don't have an arrangement, I'll ask Seeing Pei Pei to help me."

"Hmm, okay, you decide."

Li Xuewu responded and thought for a moment, asking, "News has come from the Hong Kong side, right?"

The long-planned big knife had started to cut the leeks; at this time, there must be wind blowing.

PS: The pace in the text has accelerated; if there's anything you don't understand, go back and find the chapters with foreshadowing to read again. ===== CHAPTER 1209 =====