Chapter 1254: A Difficult Choice

The wine is imported red wine, the food is a French meal, but the people eating have nothing to do with France.

Jing Yunong represents Hongxing Mill as the host, entertaining the three major shareholders of the Sanhe Stock Company who are visiting again.

Li Xuewu called Zhou Gancheng to accompany them; the other party has a task, so he can be counted as making up the numbers.

"Do you like eating Western food?"

Er Gong He Ye raised his hand, and San Shang You Ya, who was accompanying them, took the initiative to hold the wine bottle to help Li Xuewu pour wine.

"If it's French food, there is a very authentic restaurant in Tokyo. I would really like to invite you to visit."

Jing Yunong raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes glanced at the opposite side, and then swept towards Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu still had that lukewarm expression, smiling and responding, "Thank you very much for Mr. Er Gong's kindness."

"However, you might have misunderstood," he pointed to the dinner plate in front of him, "Actually, I don't like eating Western food."

"And, even if I go to Tokyo, I won't ask you to invite me to a French restaurant for dinner."

His gaze swept towards the three people opposite, picked up his wine glass, and said, "If I want to eat French food, I'll just go to Paris."

"If I go to Tokyo, of course I have to eat authentic Japanese cuisine," Li Xuewu's gaze fixed on Xi Tian Xitian Jianyi, and he asked faintly, "What do you think, Mr. Xi Tian?"

"You are not only an excellent enterprise manager, but also a philosopher and a gourmet."

Xi Tian Xitian Jianyi picked up his wine glass and clinked it with him, saying very complimentarily, "I really admire you—"

"You rate me too highly—"

Li Xuewu turned his wine glass slightly, signaled to Zhong Cun Xiu Er, and then said, "I can't quite take that."

"Hahaha—Cheers!"

After a "ding," everyone slightly retracted their wine glasses, sipped slowly with them near their mouths, tasted carefully, and savored slowly.

"For the whole of last year, Xi Tian and I were busy with domestic and foreign business," Er Gong He Ye asked while using his knife and fork, "and didn't have time to visit everyone at Hongxing Mill."

"Zhong Cun was also busy with North American business. I don't know if the office in Beijing has done a good job of communication and service."

He smiled and glanced at the office staff sitting on one side of the private room, saying, "If there is anything inadequate, please forgive us—"

After saying this, Gu Cang Ping Er and San Shang You Ya and others from the office bowed to the dining table one after another.

Zhou Gancheng's eyelids jumped, but he calmly didn't speak.

Jing Yunong nodded and said politely, "In the past year, the cooperation between Hongxing Mill and Sanhe Stock Company has been very good."

"Under the joint efforts of both sides, various businesses have been promoted and developed in an orderly manner. This is inseparable from the credit of our communication and exchange. I want to represent Hongxing Mill here."

She picked up her wine glass, toasted to the opposite side, and said, "Thank you for your visit again, and I wish our cooperation smooth sailing and greater achievements."

She is a leader, after all; saying formal words is really "an old sow wearing a bra—one set after another."

She didn't step into the trap of the other party's apology, and didn't directly talk about the Beijing office of Sanhe Stock Company, but had already answered the other party's question.

This is typical diplomatic rhetoric and communication skills. To put it simply, it's "you say yours, I say mine, treating each other like farts."

When they came, Li Xuewu reminded Jing Yunong in the car that she must not care about the apologies and bows of the Japanese representatives.

A Japanese person's apology is not equal to admitting a mistake or admitting defeat; it is just a kind of etiquette they have received education about since childhood.

The reason they keep apologizing is to apologize for bringing bad feelings to the other party, not admitting they were wrong.

Bowing is the same; it has no special meaning.

Just treat it as the other party nodding, and don't over-understand or over-interpret it.

Jing Yunong naturally recognized Li Xuewu's opinion, because the entire Hongxing Mill knew that he was the one who didn't treat foreigners as people at all.

Of course, all the existing foreign business resources of Hongxing Mill only recognize Li Xuewu alone.

This time, the foreign business representatives formed a group to visit Beijing again, and in private inquiries, they expressed that the person they most wanted to see was still Li Xuewu.

Sounds a bit cheap, right?

No way, the only person who can accurately communicate with them and fully understand the meaning and attitude they want to express is Li Xuewu.

A very young cadre who has never stepped out of the inland is the person who understands their trade demands best.

This sounds weird, but reality is just like this.

It's not that foreign businessmen haven't tried to communicate with other leaders of Hongxing Mill, trying to muddle through, but most ended in failure.

Andrew of Italy's Jilixing Shipping found Cheng Kaiyuan, who was relatively open-minded and active. The result?

The two talked twice and almost disgusted each other to death, mutually loathing each other.

"I didn't expect the meeting to come so soon."

Li Xuewu wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin and looked at the three people opposite, "It's rare to come to Beijing; you should walk around properly."

"It's really itching in my heart—"

Xi Tian Xitian Jianyi smiled and looked at the two people beside him, explaining, "Xi Tian and Er Gong were busy with domestic and foreign business last year,"

"and didn't have time to visit everyone at Hongxing Mill."

"So we declined the travel activities prepared by Hongxing Mill for the tour group. We still have to say thanks and sorry here."

The three bowed and apologized together, and Gu Cang and others sitting by the wall also bowed at the same time, making Jing Yunong very uncomfortable.

Once or twice is fine, but continuous bowing has a bit of coercion and pressure.

Actually, the politeness of the "ghosts" has this kind of attempt; it's the thinking of a rascal.

Li Xuewu didn't care; he didn't treat the other party as a serious person, so where would the discomfort come from?

"Hearing you say this, I am also very grateful and excited," he looked at Jing Yunong and said with a smile, "This proves that all the efforts we prepared for so long were not in vain."

Jing Yunong smiled and nodded, praising Li Xuewu's speech.

"For the second visit of the trade tour group, we are full of expectations," Li Xuewu looked at the opposite side and said, "It is because enterprises like Sanhe Stock Company trust us and are willing to continue to maintain cooperation that there is a second tour group."

"For this, I still have to say one sentence."

He picked up his wine glass very seriously and said, "Thank you for your trust. I believe this time will be rewarding for you."

Xi Tian Xitian Jianyi and others looked at each other, although they all saw disappointment and regret in each other's eyes.

But the wine glass was already raised, so they had to echo.

In the subsequent banquet, both sides played several games, but none of them brought the topic to the right track.

Of course, this can't blame Jing Yunong and Li Xuewu; it's the other party who didn't play by the rules and didn't take this meeting seriously.

"Let's walk around and talk."

Not long after coming out of the International Hotel, Jing Yunong took the initiative to stop the car.

She said this to Li Xuewu, then opened the car door and got out.

Li Xuewu glanced at Li Xue, who was looking back at him from the passenger seat, curled his lips, and said, "What are you looking at? The leader wants to talk."

"Hmph—"

Li Xue pouted, hummed softly, turned around, and followed her out of the car.

Li Xuewu sighed helplessly. After more than ten years of brother-sister relationship, did they not even have this bit of trust?

Li Xue was very sensible of the rules, falling ten steps behind the two, not far or near, to facilitate service.

Beijing in February is still a bit cold, especially at this time in the afternoon, the sun is slanting west, and the sunlight is weakening.

Coming out of the warm hotel, the car was warm, but getting out of the car reminded the three that it was still early spring.

"You've been drinking, so you can't see the wind."

Li Xuewu caught up with Jing Yunong's pace and reminded her, "Especially red wine, it has a strong after-effect. Be careful of headaches."

"Hoo—" Jing Yunong let out a long breath, tidied the broken hair by her ear, shook her head slightly, and said, "It's fine, not cold."

Li Xuewu felt a numb feeling from the wind blowing on his body, let alone her.

Loving beauty is a woman's nature. If it were in the office area or a hotel, wearing a sweater and a coat would be fine.

Walking on the street, it can't stand the test of the cold wind.

"Then let's make a long story short," Li Xuewu put his hands in his coat pockets and said, "What do you want to say?"

"A bit impatient?"

Jing Yunong glanced at him sideways, paused, and continued to walk forward, "Forget it—no mood—"

"Heh—" Li Xuewu chuckled, followed, and comforted, "Say it, let me listen to your drunken truth."

"I didn't drink too much—" Jing Yunong glanced at him again and asked, "Do you see any feeling of loss of control in my walking?"

"I just reminded you."

Li Xuewu sighed helplessly and said, "Red wine has a strong after-effect. Although you didn't drink much, you have a certain amount."

"With you following, I'm not afraid."

Jing Yunong suddenly smiled and said, "Director Li said that if he takes you out to socialize, he's not afraid of anyone coming."

"Even if I'm drunk, you won't throw me on the street, right?"

"Hmm, hearing this, you're almost drunk."

Li Xuewu looked back at Li Xue, who was following, and the car further behind, reminding, "Say what you want to say early."

"You are really boring—"

Jing Yunong glared at him with disgust, turned around, stood by the bridge, looked at the decadent scene under the bridge, and shook her head, "Boring."

"How to say interesting?"

Li Xuewu stood behind her on one side, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "I won't throw you on the street, but throw you on the bed?"

"You—" The first to be unable to bear it was Jing Yunong. Her complexion didn't know if it was the wine strength coming up, or anger from embarrassment; it was as gorgeous and tempting as red wine.

She couldn't stand Li Xuewu saying such rogue words in public, especially on the street.

Even if he had done more rogue things, she still felt ashamed and angry.

However, looking back, she saw his subtle expression, and the throbbing in her heart subsided.

"I've decided—"

Not wanting to look at his eyes anymore, Jing Yunong turned her head away, hugged her arms, looked into the distance, and said, "Still listen to your suggestion."

"Fish and bear's paw cannot be had both, you said."

"I also said that my fate is up to me, not heaven."

Li Xuewu curled his lips and said, "You made your choice long ago, why do you have to knock on my bamboo pole?"

"Besides, last time you forced me to say it, otherwise I wouldn't have done something superfluous, right?"

"Do you think I wronged you?"

Jing Yunong turned around, looked at him, and said, "You were the one who persuaded me to give up joint industry, right?"

"And persuaded me to give up tertiary industry."

Her face was rosy, but her words were still clear.

"I gave up all these, now what?"

Jing Yunong asked unwillingly, "I still have to give up sales work, give up the trade management center, right?"

"Don't always think about what you've lost," Li Xuewu faced the mother tiger and felt a bit embarrassed, saying in a "tea-like" way, "You have to think about what's left."

"Is this how you answer me?" Jing Yunong raised her eyebrows, stared at him, and said, "It's all my fault, right?"

"Sigh, why say it's your fault?"

Li Xuewu glanced at Li Xue, who was standing not far away, signaling her to come over quickly.

But Li Xue had no intention of coming to save the scene, and even turned her head away when he looked over.

"I know you're uncomfortable, but this isn't my problem either," Li Xuewu spread his hands helplessly and said, "This is forced by the situation. Didn't I also leave my hometown?"

With the document of Hongxing Mill's promotion coming down, the appointment document for Li Huai would not be too long.

During this period, the last two shortcomings of the management committee team would be filled in a short time.

This meant that today's trade meeting was the last activity Jing Yunong was responsible for in this work.

Thinking that her influence was gradually shrinking, losing armor and throwing away armor, and losing ground one after another, she felt depressed and wanted to vent.

Although she controlled herself at the wine table, she still drank wine, and on the way back, she had an excuse to vent to Li Xuewu.

Who else could she say these things to?

"What about your big picture, your calculations?"

Jing Yunong looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "You used tertiary industry to exchange for Cheng Kaiyuan stopping his progress? Just this?"

"And Old Li squatting for another three years."

Li Xuewu knew what she wanted to hear. To stabilize her, he could only frankly tell some actual situations.

"The superior has a big opinion of him. Although this progress was not affected, the next step..."

"And then? What's the use?"

Jing Yunong frowned slightly, hugged her arms, and asked, "What exactly are you calculating? Dragging their hind legs? Do you have a grudge?"

"If there was a grudge, it wouldn't be so troublesome."

Li Xuewu sighed slightly, "Now you can't make a single mistake. Old Li can't float, and you can't bear the superior's knife."

"Don't you believe what I say?"

He looked at the silent Jing Yunong and said, "Promotion requires three heavenly tribulations. These two years of groupization, I'm afraid there are eighteen heavenly tribulations waiting for Hongxing Mill. Without him, who can hold it?"

"If an empty-dropped soldier comes down, he will be afraid of being struck by lightning, and will definitely change Hongxing Mill's current development model and choose a soft landing."

Li Xuewu walked to the bridge, looked into the distance, and said, "Choose one to go up, who do you think can take on this important task?"

"Deputy Director Gu? Deputy Director Xue? Or you?"

He let out a long breath and said, "You've only been down for two years. The superior won't use you. Everyone in the team is the same."

"So?" Jing Yunong looked at him speechlessly and asked, "You chose not to let Director Li advance between Hongxing Mill's progress and personal progress?"

Li Xuewu sighed again, looked up at the sky at forty-five degrees, and said, "He will understand my hidden bitterness sooner or later."

After work on Saturday, Li Xuewu specially bought some fresh vegetables and mutton from the factory service department, preparing to eat mutton hot pot while winter hadn't left yet.

Passing by the brick and tile house of the service department, he paid special attention to the business situation here.

Usually, he didn't feel it, but after work, it was crowded with people; saying "shoulders rubbing and heels touching" was not an exaggeration.

Think about it, tens of thousands of people eating and drinking, and with the factory service department, they didn't want to go to the supply and marketing cooperative at the door to queue up anymore.

Even if the vegetable prices here fluctuate with the market economy, it guarantees freshness and supply.

The vegetable prices at the supply and marketing cooperative and vegetable market are stable, but you have to be willing to spend time queuing and suffer that anger.

"Oh! Who am I seeing!"

Qin Huairu looked like she hadn't seen him for a long time, smiled and teased, "Director Li is buying vegetables himself?"

"Look at what you're saying, can't I come to buy vegetables?"

Li Xuewu amusedly looked at her and Comrade Ge Shuqin beside her, and asked, "You two sisters are together?"

"Leader, hello," Comrade Ge Shuqin greeted with a smile and explained, "I happened to be with Sister Qin after work."

"But I didn't expect to see you here. It's a bit rare."

"Nothing rare about it."

Li Xuewu pointed to the vegetables in his hand and said, "People eat for food, so I have to eat and eat vegetables too."

"Let me see what you bought."

Qin Huairu didn't stand on ceremony with him, rummaged through the cloth bag in his hand, and said in surprise, "Why did you buy so much?"

"The vegetables are fresh, I want to eat hot pot."

Li Xuewu smiled and pointed to the storefront in front for the two, saying, "Hurry up, there are bean sprouts and leeks, stir-frying them together is so fragrant."

"Deliberately tempting us, right!"

Qin Huairu amusedly packed them into the bag, handed it back to him, and said, "We're eating noodles today, so we'll save it."

"Then I'll buy some bean sprouts, I've been wanting to eat them."

Comrade Ge Shuqin became more agile, let go of Qin Huairu's arm, pointed to the front, and said, "Wait for me."

Saying this, she nodded to Li Xuewu and went to the front, deliberately leaving space for the two to talk.

Of course, she didn't know whether Qin Huairu and Li Xuewu really intended to talk here.

It's just that she couldn't wait for people to hint and imply before knowing to hide; that would be too faceless.

"I'm really surprised," Li Xuewu looked at her leaving and asked Qin Huairu, "Why, was it your initiative?"

"Heh, there's no such thing as initiative."

Qin Huairu laughed, "Are you men? If you have a conflict, you have to find an excuse and talk about who is first and who is last?"

"We women have small minds," she glanced at Comrade Ge Shuqin's back and said, "But she also knows I didn't provoke their family. Who is to blame for the Third Master's matter? Their family knows."

"But then again."

She pursed her lips and said to Li Xuewu, "Even if there's anything, there's no conflict or contradiction with her."

"On the contrary, because of this matter, she even had... that opportunity, so how could she be at odds with me?"

"Pretty smart person, right."

Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "The housekeepers in our courtyard are not white."

"You're pointing at something with these words, right?"

Qin Huairu glanced at him, looked at Comrade Ge Shuqin's direction, and said, "To put it nicely, enemies should be resolved rather than knotted. To put it badly, if you don't see each other when you bow your head, you'll see each other when you raise your head, right?"

"She doesn't want to provoke me, afraid that I'll keep her and her family in mind, so she took the initiative to find me to make up. Can I still be a bad person?"

"Alright, things are in the past."

Li Xuewu nodded, expressing understanding, and changed the topic, "How is Banggeng? Is he affected?"

"He was uncomfortable for several days."

Qin Huairu sighed and said, "Especially the cold eyes of the neighbors in the courtyard, but it's his own fault, he deserves it."

"He's a big kid, but he doesn't have any cleverness. He dares to cause any trouble. This time he's learned a lesson."

"You have to warn him properly. The more unscrupulous the age, the less he knows the depth."

Li Xuewu reminded, "Sometimes he doesn't even know what a big disaster he's caused. He doesn't even know what regret tastes like."

"That's what I'm saying. He's so big, beating is useless, so I can only nag him earnestly."

Qin Huairu sighed and said, "Let's see first. If his studies still don't work, I'll have to find him something to do."

"Too young, persist for a few years."

Li Xuewu looked at her state and asked, "Compensated one hundred yuan, your mother-in-law must be heartbroken, didn't you quarrel?"

"No, it's not her money."

Qin Huairu curled her lips and said, "She was still nagging about this yesterday, saying that whenever she mentions it, she feels uncomfortable in her heart."

"Nagging about why Teacher Yan didn't leave early or late, but let their family lose money to avoid disaster... anyway, she just nagged."

"Hiss, these words don't sound like Mother Jia said them," Li Xuewu saw that she really didn't care, and teased, "It sounds like you polished and processed them. The original words must have been very unpleasant."

"You knew and you still asked—"

Qin Huairu glared at him, also very heartbroken, and said, "It took four or five months to save, and it was tossed away in one night. I'm the one who is most heartbroken, but there's nowhere to talk about it."

"Alright, First Master also says you're smart."

Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "Cut the mess quickly. The longer the matter drags on, the more unfavorable it is for you and Banggeng."

"Since the relationship has eased."

He pointed to Comrade Ge Shuqin over there and said, "Continue to get along. When she is in charge later, it will be convenient for you to talk."

"Both are in a factory, and in a courtyard, you lose one hundred and you won't be poor, and the Yan family won't be rich with that one hundred."

"I understand these words," Qin Huairu curled her lips and said, "Comrade Ge Shuqin told me that her mother-in-law didn't get the money either, it was still prepared for the brothers to buy a car."

"Hmm, speaking of buying a car, I remembered."

Li Xuewu thought of a point, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are Banggeng's chickens all packed up? Did the street notify you?"

"Sold most of them, kept ten."

Qin Huairu sighed and said, "Because of this matter, Banggeng got angry and hasn't eaten properly for several days."

Since the beginning of this year, the constraints on the private economy have been more serious than the previous two years. Li Xuewu also knows that the strictness is in these two years.

Before 1968 and 1969, they didn't grasp it hard. In 1970 and 1971, the economy transformed, and no one stared at this hard anymore.

That's why he stopped the negotiation work for Hongxing Mill's big projects. Under the fluctuation of economic work, be careful of unwarranted disasters.

"I told you, I've already talked to Aunt Liu."

Qin Huairu sighed, then organized her emotions and said to Li Xuewu, "Your family, your mother's family, Sha Zhu's family, our family, First Master's family, each of our five families will take two chickens."

"You don't need to take care of them, and I won't give you the eggs either."

She smiled and said, "Wait until Banggeng grows up to return this favor to you."

"Good heavens, this is how many years of expenditure."

Li Xuewu amusedly looked at her and said, "I was just thinking about the Yan family buying a car. Did Zhu Ge say anything?"

"What did he say?" Qin Huairu asked in surprise, "He also wants to buy a car? What car, a three-wheeled motorcycle?"

"There is such an idea. He told me and First Master. Maybe it is," Li Xuewu explained, "It was about that night. I also told him to take his apprentice to handle the banquet."

"Banquet? Going out to pack banquets for others?"

Qin Huairu raised her eyebrows and teased, "Is he trying to trick First Master into buying him a car?"

"I don't know about that. What I said was about Banggeng."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "If you don't have confidence in his studies, it's better to find him a master to learn a craft now."

"Learning to cook from Sha Zhu? This..."

Qin Huairu just wanted to refute, but stopped halfway. At this moment, she reacted.

"This... can this work?"

"You consider it yourself first, then go home and ask Zhu Ge if he is willing to teach an apprentice, and then go ask Banggeng if he is willing to learn this craft. You have to reach a consensus on this matter."

Li Xuewu said to her, "If you want to mark his future with Banggeng achieving success in his studies, then pretend I didn't say anything."

"I just told you, it's on the premise that I have no confidence in his studies..."

"His studies..." Qin Huairu sighed and said, "How could I deceive myself?"

"Then be decisive, this is also a way out."

Li Xuewu said seriously, "If you want to learn to cook, you really have to start learning at this age. It will be too late if you are older."

"Also, learning to cook doesn't delay his schooling. His academic performance doesn't have much space to be delayed."

"That's what I said, I'll go back and ask."

Qin Huairu looked at him and asked softly, "Is your meaning that he can't get into the factory, but he has to be a chef..."

"I didn't say anything!"

Li Xuewu smiled and reminded her, "Anyway, the joint school doesn't have a chef major yet. I don't know if it will in the future."

"But you also know how the cafeteria cooks got in. Can you do without one or two workers? Can you do without a chef?"

"Hiss—I really have to ponder this carefully."

Qin Huairu's eyes suddenly brightened, "Sha Zhu is still thinking about going out to do banquets, right?"

"Hey! Don't play crooked tricks!"

Li Xuewu pointed at her and reminded, "If you want to be an apprentice, you have to worship the master properly, otherwise you won't learn the real craft."

"What are you thinking—"

Qin Huairu glared, "Could I still want those hard-earned money from Sha Zhu? I'm thinking about borrowing money from him if he's not handy."

Saying this, she raised her eyebrows, "This way it's easier to speak, and he can teach with heart."

"Oh my, you're smart—"

Li Xuewu said amusedly, "The heart in the courtyard is a stone, you occupy one and a half stones, we all owe you half a stone!"

"Go away—" Qin Huairu smiled and glared, "No matter how many hearts I have, can I have more than you!"

"Da-da-da—da-da-da—"

"Giggle—hahaha—"

Li Xuewu was carrying the vegetable bag in both hands, and as soon as he entered the room, he was ambushed by his daughter. The little guy even knew how to stack bunkers.

"Ah—I'm shot—"

He was truly cooperative, performing his exaggerated acting of being shot for his daughter, the kind more exaggerated than a movie.

Fortunately, his daughter bought it; no matter how he performed, Li Shu could laugh until she leaned forward and backward.

"Da-da-da—"

She hugged her younger brother who crawled over, hid behind the bunker piled up with sofa cushions, and learned from her aunt to continue shooting.

Li Xuewu handed the vegetable bag in his hand to Qin Jingru, who came out to meet him, and asked amusedly, "What tactics did you teach her?"

"Tactics that can ambush you—"

Qin Jingru amusedly looked at Li Shu and said, "Play for a while, Mom is coming back."

"I—I haven't played enough yet—"

Li Shu climbed up from the pile of cushions, looked at the bunker destroyed by her younger brother, and messed up the hair in front of her eyes.

She looked at her father and asked, "Daddy, will you play with me?"

"No problem, but you have to wait for me for a while."

Li Xuewu bent down and tapped his daughter's forehead, smiling and saying, "Daddy has to go upstairs to take a bath and change clothes."

"Then how long will that take—"

Li Shu looked outside the door and said, "Mom will be back in a while, I—I won't be able to play."

"It doesn't matter, Daddy will tell Mom and accommodate it."

Li Xuewu blinked and said, "Daddy speaks, can Mom not give face? We'll definitely play today."

"Eh—better forget it!"

Li Shu had long ago learned about her father's standing with her mother; it couldn't be said that there was none, but there wasn't much.

It was completely insufficient to support her current way of playing.

"What kind of attitude is this?"

Li Xuewu promised amusedly, "You wait, I'm going upstairs now. Don't go, wait for me!"

"What's this?"

It was a coincidence. Li Xuewu had just stepped on the stairs when Gu Ning entered the foyer.

As soon as she entered, she saw the sofa cushions piled up at the door, and Li Ning was climbing up and down playing.

And Li Shu was holding a gun, looking at her with surprise and panic.

"You took all the cushions down, how dirty the floor is."

"It was Li Shu who took them, she still doesn't want to put them away."

When Li Shu looked at her father on the stairs for help, Li Xuewu decisively betrayed his daughter.

"Daddy—you liar!"

Li Shu was really anxious, holding the gun in her hand and shooting at him. At this moment, father-daughter affection was materialized.

At dinner, Li Shu still remembered this grudge. Whenever her father looked at her, she would hum and turn her head away.

But when her father didn't look at her, she would stare at her father angrily, not knowing how wronged and sad she was in her heart.

"Oh, frozen tofu is really delicious."

Li Xuewu did it on purpose, passing a piece of frozen tofu in front of Li Shu, especially pausing for a moment by her mouth.

Li Shu pouted like a little stubborn donkey, wanting to eat but unwilling, not eating but afraid that she wouldn't get the next bite and regret it.

"If you make her cry again, you'll have to coax her yourself."

Qin Jingru amusedly put vegetables into the hot pot, and at the same time stared at the charcoal fire in the small stove.

"Is this thing really that delicious?"

"On a cold day, it's just for the liveliness."

Li Xuewu smiled and put the cooled frozen tofu on his daughter's small plate, letting her use a fork to eat it herself.

"Our family can't eat spicy food, so the clear soup pot is just for freshness, for the fashion of winter about to pass."

"This fashion is a bit expensive," Qin Jingru smiled and picked up mutton, "Enough to make a table of dishes."

"It all goes into the stomach anyway. What we care about isn't the desire of the tongue?" Li Xuewu smiled and looked at Gu Ning, asking, "How about it, do you think it's better to eat like this, or stir-fry?"

"I think everything is good."

Gu Ning also liked eating it very much. She raised her head and looked at him, rarely joking, "As long as I don't have to cook, it's all good, all good."

"Hahaha—"

"Yo, this is out to sunbathe."

Li Xuewu parked the car at the courtyard gate. As soon as he entered the hanging flower gate, he saw several old ladies, each with a small baby.

Calling them old ladies is a bit inappropriate, because among these people, only his grandmother is old, but the old lady is only 59 years old.

The old lady was coaxing Li Tang in her arms, First Master's wife was coaxing He Zhuang in her arms, Third Master's wife was coaxing Yan Fang...

Mother Jia didn't attend today's sunbathing meeting, firstly because Huaihua is big and is already in the first grade.

Secondly, because seeing Third Master's wife here, she inevitably thinks of "that night" and that one hundred yuan.

Qin Huairu, who paid the money, and Comrade Ge Shuqin, who received the money, have forgiven each other. The two who didn't pay a dime and didn't get a dime are still deadlocked, quite like "dividing the river and governing," having you means not having me.

Seeing Li Xuewu enter the courtyard, the few people coaxing the children nodded and said hello, and also greeted him.

Li Xuewu squatted in front of Wen Yuan, opened his hands to tease him, wanting to hug him, but got a back of the head.

"It's Big Brother, forgot?"

Fei Shanying smiled and taught her son, "Mom didn't teach you to call people? What did Brother say?"

Wen Yuan hid in his mother's arms, secretly looking at Li Xuewu, not daring to recognize people.

"Let me hug you, I'll take you for a stroll—"

Li Xuewu had a special preference for Wen Yuan; every time he saw him, he had to tease him, but Wen Yuan was also the most afraid of him.

Wen Saner is not at home, and he handed his wife and children to him, so he must be worthy of Wen Saner.

If you call him Third Uncle, you have to recognize this relative.

So he tried his best to satisfy Fei Shanying and her two children in life. All expenses for food and clothing were the responsibility of Shen Guodong and Xiao Yan.

Li Xuewu knew she had a strong heart and wouldn't want his money, so he instructed Shen Guodong to pay more attention.

As soon as he entered the door, Li Tang discovered his Second Uncle and opened his hands to hug. He only cared about Wen Yuan, so he could see his care.

Li Tang waited anxiously, walking with small steps, swaying, and came by himself. His small hands were still open, wanting him to help quickly.

"Who said I wanted to hug you—"

Li Xuewu picked up his eldest nephew, laughed and kissed him. He was wearing a lot of clothes, like a small meatball.

Li Tang didn't dislike his Second Uncle for being ugly, laughed, leaned his head over, and bumped with him.

"Why didn't Xiao Ning and the others come?"

Fei Shanying straightened her son's clothes and asked, "Didn't they come last week?"

"They wanted to come last night, but the time was too late."

Li Xuewu patted his nephew's butt, helped him walk a few steps, and said, "Li Shu's homework isn't finished, she's studying at home."

"Oh my, such a small one!"

First Master's wife smiled and said, "Teaching to recognize characters so early, last time she came, she was reciting ancient poems in the courtyard."

"Didn't teach seriously, learn while playing."

Li Xuewu explained, "She always has endless energy, is curious about everything, and learns quite fast."

"Okay, that's okay."

The old lady said with some heartache, "She hasn't reached the age of school yet, don't worry about learning that."

"Hehe, you made new shoes?"

Li Xuewu didn't care about his grandmother's words. Regarding education, the concepts of each generation are different from the previous generation and the generation before that.

It can't be said whose is more advanced or whose is better; it can only be said to be personal understanding. Even the nine sons of a dragon are different.

He led the topic to the old lady's new cloth shoes, looked at First Master's wife's feet, and asked with a smile, "Made together?"

"Where, Diliya made them."

First Master's wife smiled and explained with relief, "She brought them before the New Year, but it was too cold and I didn't wear them."

"I said don't trouble her, but she insisted on making them."

The old lady also smiled and said, "It's hard enough to go to work, and still have to be polite about this."

"Okay, the granddaughter-in-law hasn't made shoes yet, but you're wearing the shoes of the nephew's granddaughter-in-law."

Li Xuewu teased, "I'll tell Gu Ning when I go back, hurry up and prepare, make you a pair of shoes."

Saying this, he deliberately emphasized, "Don't tell my eldest sister-in-law and Yuxiu first, my wife learns slowly, don't worry."

"Go—hahaha!"

Although the old lady hit her grandson, she was also smiling from ear to ear. Where did she need her granddaughter-in-law to make shoes?

The other old ladies gathered here were all smiling and looking at the old lady.

People are more easily satisfied when they get old.

What shoes or not, if you really have three good granddaughters-in-law, even if you don't wear shoes and are barefoot, you'll be happy.

Especially with Li Xuewu's cadre status, he is still willing to lower his face to please his elders and tease the old lady to be happy, which is better than anything.

As they were laughing in the courtyard, Li Xuecai hummed a little tune, turning the car key in his hand, and entered from outside the courtyard gate.

At first, he didn't see it, because Li Xuewu was squatting on the ground with his back to him, and he was dazed for a moment.

Until Li Xuewu looked back along the eyes of the crowd, Li Xuecai was scared stiff there.

"Second... Second Brother..."

Li Xuecai awkwardly put away the key in his hand and greeted nervously.

Li Xuewu didn't pay attention to him, turned his head to continue coaxing Li Tang to walk; the little guy could walk four or five steps.

Li Xuecai saw the meaning of "bless yourself" from his grandmother's eyes, and carefully leaned to his Second Brother's side and whispered, "My driver's license is down, and Guodong Brother just happened to need a car, so I helped send someone, didn't drive far."

"Hmm, I know, go do your work."

Li Xuewu left enough face for his younger brother, and of course, he wouldn't criticize him for showing off in front of the people in the courtyard, after all, he was twenty years old.

"Heard Liu Guangfu is on a blind date?"

He looked at the old lady, First Master's wife, and others, and asked with a smile, "Where is the girl from, did it succeed?"