Chapter 1377: Suspected of Indecent Behavior

January 11, 1969, Saturday, 19:30.

The "Red Star Evening News," which aired at 19:00 every day, had just ended. The signal operator at the Red Star Broadcasting Station skillfully switched the broadcast line to the studio of "Red Star Talk," a program that only aired on Saturdays.

Following a version of "The East is Red" played on an electronic organ that faded out, the sound effect of steel forging in the steel mill was mixed in.

The Red Star Steel Group broadcasted the core program of the main station in real-time at branch stations in Beijing, Jinmen, Steel City, Yingcheng, Fengcheng, and other places.

Regions with more than 100 employees could enjoy the coverage of the main station's broadcast programs. The Red Star Steel Group hoped that group employees would care about the group's growth and share in the opportunities for development.

As long as group employees had a radio at home, they would basically listen to the United Industrial Broadcasting Station's programs on time. It was to care about the group's development and also to actively participate in development and construction.

"Red Star Talk," which aired at 19:30 every Saturday, was a core program that many factory employees couldn't miss. Every week, the talk show would create hot topics among the factory employees.

From top to bottom, from the collective to the individual, this program had become an indispensable part of the Red Star Steel Group and its employees. It was also a witness and participant in the rapid development of the Red Star Steel Group.

There was no need to deliberately look up at the time on the wall, and even less need to put down the bowls and chopsticks in one's hands. Today was the last day of the work week, and after the evening news music ended, it was bound to be the familiar and anticipated sound effect of the "Red Star Talk" program.

The recorded opening remarks were what everyone was used to hearing, and it was exactly dinner time for thousands of households. Compared to usual, they had more expectations today.

The group's United Industrial News had already published the news that the talk show had invited Group Secretary-General Li Xuewu to visit the studio today. It couldn't be called universally anticipated, but it could be said to be widely expected.

The male and female announcers spoke passionately in unison: "Gears biting gears! Furnace fires reflecting the red flag! This is Red Star Broadcasting Station, using sound waves to transmit sparks, using steel to forge the era!"

The male announcer's deep voice: "Listeners, comrades, when the steel flowers of the group's metallurgical plant splash and light up the morning light, when the mining dragon of the United Energy Corporation awakens the frozen earth, reports of success keep coming on the revolutionary road—"

The female announcer's voice was clear and bright: "Rolling workers use abacuses to calculate world-class rolling parameters! Electronic female workers rely on a caliper to overcome imported machine tool failures! We are afraid of nothing!"

Following this in the broadcast was the crisp sound of abacus beads mixed with the roar of machine tools.

The male announcer's speed increased: "'Red Star Talk' today walks into Li Xuewu, the creator of the 'Three-Year Plan and Five-Year Plan'! Red flag holder of young cadres, founder of production and technical revolution!"

After the passion, the male and female announcers said in unison with determination: "Grasp revolution and promote production! The more dangerous it is, the more we move forward! Let us witness in the sound waves—how the working class throws the imperialists, revisionists, and reactionaries into the garbage heap of history!"

In the studio, the music in the headphones grew stronger: The prelude to "Workers Have Strength" burst forth with brass music, as if injecting energy into the spirit.

After the sound effects, Yu Haitang flipped the switch and started today's talk show.

"Good evening, listeners of the 'Red Star Talk' program. I am the host, Yu Haitang."

Her voice was crisp and pleasant enough, and because of the high-pitched broadcasting she had done for many years, her voice also carried a bit of raspiness, which was very powerful and magnetic.

"Today, we are fortunate to have invited Comrade Li Xuewu, Secretary-General of the Red Star Steel Group, to visit our live studio. Hello, Secretary-General."

"Hello, host. Good evening, listeners and comrades. I am Li Xuewu from the Group Management Committee."

Wang Lu, standing outside the broadcast room looking through the thick soundproof glass at the broadcasting scene inside, raised her eyebrows slightly and turned to look at Zhao Yajun behind her.

Zhao Yajun had already understood the meaning in her gaze and couldn't help but smile slightly. He believed that the listeners waiting by their radios to listen to the program on time had the same thought as them at this moment: it was truly Group Secretary-General Li Xuewu accepting an interview.

It wasn't that Li Xuewu was hard to invite or that his work was too busy. It was just that many people knew the Secretary-General was very low-key.

Especially a while ago, there were rumors in the group's agency that Director Li was somewhat dissatisfied with the Secretary-General's work and was about to adjust his position.

At this time, Li Xuewu appeared high-profile on the talk show. Many listeners who weren't prepared were stunned and stopped what they were doing, unwilling to miss any content in the broadcast.

Wang Lu only understood this personality of his after becoming Li Xuewu's secretary. Coupled with her familiarity with Yu Haitang's "unyielding heart," it was very normal for her to have such a playful expression.

Even the staff outside the broadcast room couldn't help but smile; he had finally been invited!

Yuan Hua had come down to welcome him together with Yu Haitang after work when he saw the Secretary-General's car arrive in front of the broadcasting station building.

He had been accompanying him here since around 6:45.

Likewise, many people who had clearly finished work but knew early on that the Secretary-General was coming to the talk show couldn't bear to leave and had come to the broadcast room one after another to watch the excitement through the large glass.

Today's opening remarks could be called novel; it was content recorded the night before, and it still made people's blood boil when heard today.

Especially the annotations regarding the Secretary-General's work achievements, looking at the Secretary-General's young face, it gave people a feeling of being in a dream.

Listening to the Secretary-General's deep and full greeting, "walking bass cannon," "floating hormones"—who could resist this sexy and charming mature charm?

Yu Haitang, sitting diagonally across from Li Xuewu, had a slightly flushed face, looking excited. But her voice couldn't help but flutter, and she couldn't hide the trembling sensation of being struck in the soul that she was trying hard to suppress.

Although she always felt his voice was good on weekdays, he often played the role of an organizer in meetings or daily office work and life, so everyone hadn't paid special attention to this point.

But today, sitting in the broadcast room, his voice was collected by professional-grade microphones, broadcast, and then fed back to everyone's hearing. This kind of magnetism and temptation was infinitely magnified.

Some people were born with good voices and were holy bodies for singing and broadcasting.

But some people had loud voices with magnetism, and after their character became steady, they would also have this characteristic.

Of course, even if you had this kind of voice, it depended on personal charm.

Do you remember that sentence Lu Xun said? Women only like bad men, not men who have gone bad. How many women who say they aren't visual animals aren't "face dogs"?

Even if you had a heavenly voice, if you looked like Captain Jia, you would carry a natural wretchedness.

This voice fed back to the listeners' ears became another kind of enjoyment for today's program.

"Secretary-General, just before the program started, I heard you mention yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

Yu Haitang put her hand down without a trace and squeezed her thigh hard. That greeting just now had completely made her flow endlessly.

Under the gaze of everyone, she didn't dare to move her body to adjust her sitting posture, so she could only suppress it with effort.

She used a seductive tone with a trembling sound to ask Li Xuewu: "Can you share your yesterday, today, and tomorrow with us?"

"The interview notice received yesterday, coming to the studio today, and resting for a day tomorrow."

Li Xuewu started today's interview with a joke and also set a relaxed tone for this interview with this kind of shallow, twisted interest.

Although no one in the live studio laughed out loud, everyone's faces still had smiles.

Broadcasting is cold electricity, but sound is literature with temperature, and interviews are the fusion and collision of language art and personal culture.

Yu Haitang and Li Xuewu couldn't let the listeners see the expressions on their faces, but they could let everyone feel their emotions through the broadcast signal.

"If we compare the past to yesterday, the present to today, and the future to tomorrow?" Yu Haitang asked with a relaxed tone and a smile: "How do you understand it?"

"Actually, I don't have enough experience and qualifications to look back on my past." Li Xuewu's expression became a bit more serious: "Counting from joining the army at sixteen, I've only had seven years of work experience."

"If you let me look back on the past at this time, with my current experience and ability, perhaps it would be biased, not mature and practical enough."

"Will there be a little bit of complacency?"

Yu Haitang asked with a soft voice and a smiling expression: "You are the most excellent young cadre in my heart. I believe that in the hearts of many listeners, they have the same evaluation of you as I do."

"Thank you for your praise and recognition. I am very grateful, but I still have many shortcomings."

Li Xuewu also said with a smile: "Just like what you just said, if you let me look back on the past now, it would inevitably be a bit complacent."

With two "complacencies," Yu Haitang said it in a half-joking tone without containing derogatory meaning; it just set off and led to Li Xuewu's inner thoughts.

And in Li Xuewu's reply, this "complacency" had some self-deprecating meaning.

It couldn't be completely understood as derogatory; it was just that Li Xuewu didn't completely deny his achievements either.

Yu Haitang naturally wouldn't be like that either. She looked at him with great admiration and said: "If you have some pride in your past, I think it's very easy to get everyone's understanding. After all, this is the road you came from."

"The achievements and experience you created in the past have been verified today. This is the pride of our group."

"Thank you. In fact, I must also frankly say that all the glory I achieved in the past belongs to the collective." He nodded and continued: "And my so-called achievements should all be attributed to the understanding and support of all comrades in the group."

"This is not a humble word, but a fact." Li Xuewu emphasized again: "This is the power of the collective."

"It is also the power of unity." Yu Haitang raised her eyebrows slightly and nodded with great understanding: "You are always able to reflect and think in time. Was your choice to join the army after graduating from high school back then also a result of such reflection and thinking?"

"Hmm, it should be understood this way."

Li Xuewu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and nodded in reply: "The me back then was just like the revolutionary youth who are responding to the call of the era today and rushing to the battlefield of youth, having the same confusion about the definition of youth and the understanding of the future."

"At that time, I didn't quite understand my father's opinion of advising me to join the army. Later, when I was reading in the army, I learned a sentence, which said this," he narrated: "The reason why people fall into confusion is nothing more than thinking too much and doing too little."

"Of course, this sentence is very shallow." Li Xuewu emphasized again: "If interpreted from the perspective of psychology, the core reason why people are confused lies in the vicious cycle of overthinking and lack of action."

"We know you wrote a book about psychology, titled 'Criminal Psychology'." Yu Haitang looked at him and asked: "Is the theory you just mentioned summarized by yourself? Will you also reflect on yourself, summarize yourself, or explore ideological spirit from more angles?"

"Hmm, actually, it can't be called reflection yet."

Li Xuewu nodded slightly and said: "The conclusion that 'everyone's youth is confused' is not summarized by me either."

He said very frankly: "This is a psychological phenomenon. Multiple psychologists and multiple authoritative figures have verified it in their discussions. It reveals the suppression of action by cognitive friction, as well as the obstruction of cognitive deepening by the lack of action."

Li Xuewu made a slight interpretation of this psychological state from the perspective of psychological theory and stopped at the right point.

After signaling to Yu Haitang that this topic could end, he continued: "If you let me look back on the past, that period of time in the army should be my most fulfilling experience."

"I heard you say that you read a lot of books, is that right?"

Yu Haitang nodded slightly, wanting to explore his past and walk into the depths of his heart through conversation.

In her words, she had already lost the initiative, and her tone carried a bit more urgency and longing. Of course, this psychological state quietly matched the mentality of the listeners this time, so her emotional changes didn't seem out of place to outsiders.

Li Xuewu noticed it but didn't care. He understood Yu Haitang's performance as improvisation. The talk show itself only had an outline, and the depth depended on the performance.

Seeing him change the topic, Yu Haitang also went with the flow and continued to guide him: "I believe many comrades know your writing style. Was your writing ability also forged at that time?"

"Hmm, the great melting pot of revolution." Li Xuewu nodded in agreement and said: "In the army, I not only received training in combat skills but also had the opportunity to learn various knowledge."

"While reading, I was also verifying my own understanding and thinking about youth. Sometimes I would also put my insights into writing." His tone was slightly lighter, and he said with a smile: "Several of my articles were luckily adopted by the 'Army News'. It was also from that time that I liked thinking and writing."

"Without taking small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles." Yu Haitang's eyes lit up and she said: "The sharpness and writing style we admire and sigh at today all come from your accumulation in the past."

She raised her hand to signal and asked: "Do you think your learning and accumulation in the army, as well as your success on the battlefield, have any help for you coming to work at Red Star Factory?"

"I think these precious experiences are very helpful for my work at Red Star Factory, and even for today and the future."

Li Xuewu saw her reminder that the past topic was over, and successfully transitioned to the current theme.

He nodded slightly to show understanding and continued along her question: "I have always believed that enterprises and collectives represent the fundamental interests of our vast number of employees. We are the masters of Red Star Factory and also a part of Red Star Factory's construction and development."

"In the process of Red Star Factory's development and growth, we, as part of the enterprise, are also learning and progressing."

Li Xuewu cleverly swapped concepts, entrusting personal achievements to the success of the enterprise. That is to say, the Red Star Steel Group is successful now, and these achievements also have his share.

Of course, he didn't say it so explicitly, but divided the group's achievements and success into several parts.

Including the listeners sitting by the radio, all group employees were proud at this moment. Just like Li Xuewu, they were also part of Red Star Factory and had this credit.

Therefore, no one would question his words; questioning Li Xuewu's words was equivalent to questioning themselves.

Li Xuewu started from when he joined the Security Section, taking the listeners to recall some of his experiences after participating in work.

As long as they were old-timers at Red Star Factory, hearing him mention some work situations and changes in policies, they would all have feelings; after all, these were also their own personal experiences.

The reason why the "Red Star Talk" program was so successful was that it firmly grasped the core meaning of walking into the listeners' hearts.

Li Xuewu's speech now was the same. While introducing and promoting himself, he also regarded himself as an ordinary member among the 100,000 employees of Red Star Factory, also learning and growing.

With empathy, the Li Xuewu perceived by the listeners was no longer the high-and-mighty Secretary-General, but a comrade with flesh, blood, and experiences, fighting and growing together with them.

Looking back at the past to see today, the content Li Xuewu spoke about was all positive and words that could arouse the listeners' sense of pride.

These contents were also a portrayal of Red Star Factory moving from a city-managed steel plant to a group-type enterprise with multi-directional development.

It just verified the sentence he said just now: the enterprise is growing, and the employees are also progressing. Everyone has contributed to the growth of the enterprise, and in the contribution, everyone has also learned experience.

When his narration reached today, reaching the overall development of the Red Star Steel Group, everyone, including Yu Haitang, pricked up their ears to listen. This might be the best opportunity for a group leader to explain the current overall development situation of the group most clearly.

Li Xuewu's explanation was very grounded, without any roundabout ways, and even less exaggerating his own role while belittling others.

It was very frank and straightforward, summarizing the current group's engineering construction, industrial development, economic construction, and other aspects in words that everyone could understand, which was quite not easy.

He also counted on his fingers the achievements produced by several projects constructed by the group in the past. These achievements were precisely the pillar industries that allowed the group to reach today.

This also sideways proved the correctness of the "Three-Year Plan, Five-Year Plan" back then. It cleverly responded to the praise for him in the introduction recorded at the beginning of the program.

"Nowadays, we have our own relatively comprehensive education and training system, and we also have a technically advanced medical and recuperation system."

Li Xuewu said in a steady voice: "We have established an industrial production economic corridor in Liaodong, established a commercial district benchmarking international trade in Jinmen, and established an all-around integrated technical production incubation center in Beijing."

"If there is anything to be proud of in the past, then I would rather share this pride with all the employees who have worked hard and made outstanding contributions to the brilliance of the group today."

At this very moment, the inside and outside of the broadcast room were quiet, and even Yu Haitang couldn't bear to break this atmosphere.

Seeing Gu Li Aisha stood in the crowd outside the broadcast room, looking deeply at the man behind the glass window from the corner.

He was so profound, so intoxicating. Just like the sea, he had a vast heart and courage, and even more, he possessed vast ambitions and talents like the stars in the sky, just like the sea.

When hearing Li Xuewu describe the group's layout in several cities, as well as the development opportunities of various branch companies from the perspective of the group, this seemed very complicated.

But when he talked about Liaodong's industrial development and the construction of the industrial economic corridor, the kind of hope and confident light that bloomed thoroughly made her fall into an endless abyss, with no way out.

Seeing Gu Li Aisha was a key announcer cultivated by the Red Star Broadcasting Station. Growing step by step from other programs to today, she was already the host of the prime-time news broadcast.

The female voice in the recorded opening remarks was hers, and when she learned that a special recording was being made for Li Xuewu to participate in the talk show, she really couldn't help but have some improper thoughts.

But she had been to the Secretary-General's home and could feel the warmth and coziness of that home. Little Li Shu's cleverness, little Li Ning's intelligence, and the dignified and atmospheric woman she could call Sister Xiao Ning.

She knew she wasn't suitable; she could only stand in the corner like this and gaze at him, admiring him.

However, thinking of the purpose of his visit today, as well as the confidence he had when looking forward to the group's future and Liaodong's future, she couldn't help but feel some surprise and disappointment.

She had heard that the Secretary-General was going to work in Steel City and go to Liaodong to preside over industrial development work.

Seeing Gu Li Aisha didn't hope he would stay in Beijing forever and lose better development opportunities; she was just surprised that he was leaving so soon after hearing some guesses from people around her.

Working in the same area, she rarely saw him. If he went to Liaodong, when would they see each other again?

She also knew that thinking this way was wrong. Greed and guilt had been tormenting her heart, and she hadn't even heard the Secretary-General's speech about the group's future and personal future that followed.

Unknowingly, time flew by. When she woke up and found the crowd starting to applaud, she realized that the Secretary-General and Station Chief Yu in the broadcast room had each taken off their headphones and stood up, shaking hands with a smile.

Yes, the interview was over. Looking at the applause on the scene, one knew that this program was very, very successful.

She was happy, happy for him. It was just that at this time, she should turn around silently and hide in the crowd.

If, if she could take one more look at him...

"Thank you, Secretary-General. I am very firm that today must be the most successful one since the 'Red Star Talk' program started airing."

Yu Haitang let go of Li Xuewu's hand with some reluctance, her mouth full of words of praise.

Li Xuewu smiled and said: "I dare not be proud of the past, please don't be proud of today's past either."

He said meaningfully: "The most successful time for the 'Red Star Talk' program should always be the next time."

"Secretary-General—" Yu Haitang was deeply moved by his words, and said with excitement: "Thank you."

"Everyone has worked hard today, it's very late."

Li Xuewu nodded with a smile, raised his hand to look at the time, and said to Yu Haitang, Yuan Hua, and other people in charge of the Red Star Broadcasting Station: "I'll add a meal for everyone."

"Secretary-General—" Yuan Hua, who had just pushed the door open, wanted to express his congratulations but heard this sentence.

Li Xuewu didn't mind his surprise, pointed his finger outside the glass window, and waved.

Everyone turned their heads and saw the Secretary-General's driver and the cadre from the Security Section pushing two large steel buckets standing in the corridor.

"Everyone has worked hard tonight, thank you all."

Li Xuewu walked out of the broadcast room and looked at the crowd with a smile: "I don't know how many people are still on duty tonight, so I asked the guesthouse to prepare two dishes. Everyone, make do with it."

"Thank you, Secretary-General. I'm hungry."

Yu Haitang, who walked out with Li Xuewu, glanced at the crowd and took the lead with a joke. Everyone then reacted and felt relieved; the Secretary-General was treating them sincerely.

"Go find your lunch boxes, don't go hungry."

This sentence seemed to be said by Li Xuewu to Yu Haitang, but it was also said to those employees of the broadcasting station who were on the scene and were too embarrassed to speak up.

He waved his hand and said with a smile: "Everyone has a share, please let Comrade Yu Zhe and Comrade Zhao Yajun work hard."

The two people standing in the corridor guarding the two large meal buckets were Yu Zhe and Zhao Yajun, who had been pulled by Li Xuewu to do the heavy lifting.

Also pulled to do the heavy lifting was Wang Lu, who was responsible for distributing steamed buns or rice to these people.

"It's pork stewed with potatoes! And cabbage stewed with tofu!"

Someone was the first to get back their lunch box. After the meal bucket was opened and Yu Zhe and Zhao Yajun served them rice and dishes, someone smiled and reported the names of the two dishes.

Pork stewed with potatoes—let alone how much pork there was, just putting pork in it made it a meat dish, which was very rare in these years.

The other cabbage stewed with tofu wasn't a small dish either. Soy products were also rare; if a family were entertaining guests, they might buy tofu, but they rarely ate it on weekdays.

Today, the Secretary-General was treating them, with two hard dishes, one meat and one vegetable, which "cried" the crowd on the scene with hunger.

Although they couldn't eat their fill, it was already 8:30 in the evening, and it was about to be 9:00. Who could stuff food into their stomachs? What they were eating was the excitement.

"Secretary-General, this is for you."

When Wang Lu handed the lunch box to Li Xuewu, she deliberately brought a little bit of emotion.

How could she not have emotion? It was clearly agreed to go to a restaurant in the city to eat, but he insisted on arranging it at the guesthouse.

If they had really eaten grilled fish at the guesthouse, that would be fine, but in the end, she was still calculated, and could only eat a lunch box here.

Although pork stewed with potatoes was also delicious and cabbage stewed with tofu was even more fragrant, what did this have to do with the promised treat?

Now it seemed not only was she calculated, but even her lover Zhao Yajun was calculated by the second brother, who was serving the dishes.

It was said before that the Secretary-General had many tricks and ordinary people were no match for him; today she finally tasted how powerful he was.

Li Xuewu took the lunch box with a smile, his gaze swept over the crowd, and he saw a familiar figure walking toward the stairs, not looking like someone who was going to eat.

He didn't make a sound, but gave Wang Lu a wink, then turned around and sat at the office desk with Yu Haitang, Yuan Hua, and several other people in charge of the broadcasting station to eat together.

Since it was everyone's joy, one had to be willing to lower one's status. He came to promote himself, and since he had already done ninety-nine bows, could he be short of the last one?

Don't underestimate the effect of eating from the same pot. Today he came to the broadcasting station to participate in the talk show, which might cause discussion in various aspects. The influence on the broadcasting station side was more direct; after all, the near water tower gets the moon first.

And his act of treating everyone to a meal could be considered buying people's hearts, establishing his personal image more realistically.

But if the meal was treated, but he left downstairs, troubling these people who were waiting to eat on empty stomachs to follow him to see him off, and then watching him leave in a small car, one didn't need to think to know what the mood would be. The effect of this treat would be greatly reduced.

So he didn't intend to leave. Even if he was health-conscious and wouldn't eat after dinner time, he still had to put on a show and eat a meal with everyone.

This meal might cost him more than half a month's salary, but in the eyes of these employees, the meaning was different.

When had they ever seen such a grounded leader? Combined with the Secretary-General's talk today, as well as his deeds in the past, everyone's understanding of him was even deeper.

They were all old hands at propaganda work. As long as there was realization in their hearts, what fell on the pen would be sincere.

Writing about the Secretary-General again would definitely be full of flesh and blood, not appearing empty. Because the Secretary-General's frankness was right before their eyes; could they see it and not be able to write it out?

Of course, they couldn't write that the Secretary-General treated them to a meal today, but they could write this realization into other deeds.

Those with flexible minds had already seen it. Since the Secretary-General had already come today, it showed that he didn't avoid this kind of propaganda work.

Thinking about it, it was very normal. Which leader's job change didn't require the propaganda department to keep up and praise his past achievements and actions to the skies?

They were truly willing to praise this Secretary-General, because he had too many excellent deeds.

Instead, there were very few large-scale reports, because the Secretary-General had given instructions on propaganda about him, saying that the focus should be more on the grassroots, and he had always been doing so.

Having finally had this opportunity, everyone looked at the Secretary-General in the office while holding their lunch boxes. Those who had the chance went over to greet him, and those who didn't went back to their offices.

Propaganda positions were always fought alone, and articles were rarely borrowed from others, advocating writing in one stroke.

So while eating stewed meat, some people had already started to ponder brilliant articles, wondering from which aspect to establish the theme.

Believing that after tonight, the propaganda machine would start, and many people would definitely write about the Secretary-General's superficial achievements.

One or two articles would be fine, but if everyone swarmed, it definitely wouldn't pass, so they had to find another way.

These people racked their brains to thank the Secretary-General for this meal, wishing they wouldn't sleep in the second half of the night.

It was quite an intention to repay the monarch on the golden platform, and to carry the jade dragon to die for the monarch. Li Xuewu didn't know; if he knew, he wouldn't know whether to be annoyed or laugh.

"Leader, I sent one to her."

After getting in the car, Wang Lu was afraid he would be concerned, so she proactively reported it. However, this sentence was headless and tailless, and the others in the car didn't guess what she meant.

Li Xuewu waited until everyone had finished eating, especially Wang Lu and the others, and cleaned up before coming out.

Yu Haitang and Yuan Hua and others sent him to the entrance of the broadcasting station and didn't go back even after watching him get in the car.

The car drove far away, and they could still vaguely see the empty figure in front of the broadcasting station building from the rear window.

There were four people in the car: Yu Zhe was driving, Wang Lu was in the passenger seat, and Li Xuewu was sitting in the back seat with Zhao Yajun.

Li Xuewu knew Wang Lu's answer. He nodded without saying anything, but urged Yu Zhe to send them both home first.

Wang Lu and Zhao Yajun had applied for property in the city arranged by their parents, so it was a bit far to go back and forth.

He had used the couple today, so he couldn't not show it.

Zhao Yajun wanted to be polite, but Wang Lu spoke first and started a joke. She could accept it calmly.

In the eyes of a foodie, this meal being downgraded again and again was already wrong, and it had tired her out to work together. Now, what was wrong with enjoying it?

"Leader, I know you are generous."

She turned her head back with a smile and said: "This meal today doesn't count as treating me to a meal. You must arrange another one, right?"

"What treating you to a meal?" Li Xuewu pretended to be confused: "Why don't I remember wanting to treat you to a meal?"

"Hmph—" Privately, Wang Lu didn't hold back.

Especially since Zhao Yajun was present, she was Li Xuewu's secretary, but also his sister-in-law.

This coquettish hum made Zhao Yajun laugh out loud, and Li Xuewu laughed out loud too.

He turned his head to look at Zhao Yajun and said: "When we came back that day, Sister-in-law at the courtyard mentioned you two."

The car was quiet for a while, and Wang Lu also turned her head back to look at him, waiting for his follow-up.

Li Xuewu's face became a bit more serious. Although it was dark in the car and couldn't be seen, the tone could be expressed.

He looked at the two and said: "Sister-in-law said you two are white-eyed wolves; you can't be seen after getting married."

Seeing him say this, Wang Lu didn't immediately open her mouth to defend, but glanced at Zhao Yajun and turned back silently.

Zhao Yajun's face also changed, and he said with difficulty: "Second Brother, it's not..."

"It's not what?"

Li Xuewu reached out and patted his knee without severely criticizing him. After all, this wasn't work, and Zhao Yajun wasn't a child anymore; they had been married for almost half a year.

"That's your own older sister. If you alienate her, how sad she must be."

Zhao Yajun lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before nodding and saying: "I'm afraid she's too tired."

In the half year since he got married, the family was very afraid he wouldn't live a good life and had urged his older sister to take care of him several times.

Actually, his older sister's life wasn't easy either. Although she didn't have to worry about life, the pressure of work and children was great.

That brother-in-law of his, to put it nicely, was broad-minded, but to put it bluntly, he didn't care about anything and relied entirely on his older sister.

His older sister was already very tired. If she had to run around and work hard for his life, he would truly be sad.

Another thing, his parents were too eager. Although Wang Lu's family conditions were better, the two were truly in love, so there was no need to emphasize fairness too deliberately.

Think about it, the comparison of the two people's growth environments was inherently unfair; how could marriage emphasize fairness?

His older sister came to the house several times to help tidy up the room or arrange furniture and decorations. Not to mention how hard it was, the young couple was both guilty and sad.

Actually, life is lived by oneself. Even if the older sister didn't come to tidy up, they would tidy up themselves.

It seemed he was lazy. What if Wang Lu and Wang Lu's family members overthought it?

Was his older sister Zhao Yafang so active because she disliked Wang Lu for not knowing how to live, not having life skills, and being lazy?

Human hearts are complex. It wasn't necessarily his older sister's original intention for Zhao Yafang to be urged and directed by her parents to come to the house to help take care of them.

It was possible to come and visit them often, but to truly move her hands to tidy up the room, she absolutely couldn't persist like this.

So there was one time Zhao Yajun couldn't help but speak up and tactfully refused his older sister's help.

Just that one time, his older sister Zhao Yafang didn't go to the house again, and he was too embarrassed to visit his older sister.

The conflict was just like this, but it seemed as heavy as a mountain between the sister and brother, difficult to cross.

Whose fault do you say this is?

Zhao Yajun could admit he shouldn't have refused his sister's help, but it didn't help his independent life.

He wouldn't lose his conscience and say it was his older sister's fault; he could only say that living life was ultimately complex.

Wang Lu was actually very good and diligent in life, and even proactively enlightened him on this matter, asking him to proactively apologize to his older sister and say some soft words.

But Zhao Yajun didn't move for a long time, and she gave up after persuading him twice. After all, they were a newlywed couple and didn't quarrel because of a sister-in-law.

Especially standing from Wang Lu's perspective, she actually hoped for help and guidance in life, but didn't hope for the sister-in-law to come to the house to work hard to help; it was too uncomfortable.

This matter still had to be solved between the sister and brother. She, as the sister-in-law, could cause misunderstandings by saying one word too many or one word too few. It was simple for the sister and brother to solve misunderstandings; time could dilute everything. But if there was a rift and misunderstanding between the sister-in-law and the older sister, perhaps it would never be explained clearly in a lifetime.

And the person who could untie this knot could be Second Brother Li Xuewu. He was the older sister's brother-in-law, so whatever he said was appropriate.

Another thing, he was also the leader of the two, so Zhao Yajun had to listen to his education and had to bite the bullet and do it.

So after Second Brother opened his mouth, Wang Lu turned around very sensibly, not giving Zhao Yajun pressure and preserving his face.

Zhao Yajun had actually figured it out long ago; it was nothing more than his older sister being sad, and he wasn't wrong, but he had to proactively give a step down.

If they continued to stalemate, even if he wasn't wrong, he was wrong for alienating his sister-brother relationship.

People are just like this, not to mention the biological sister and brother who grew up together.

Li Xuewu didn't hear the older sister-in-law's complaints, but he could see it just by looking.

At this moment, he tapped Zhao Yajun's knee and didn't persuade him again, but used a slightly strong demanding tone: "Weekend, take Wang Lu to the house for a meal, okay?"

"Hmm, I know, Second Brother." Zhao Yajun replied very readily, without any hesitation.

Li Xuewu looked at Yu Zhe in the driver's seat and asked while pinching his brow: "Yu Zhe, how is your case?"

This kid was wild. Before he started driving for him, he still had a case of suspected indecent behavior on his back.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1378 =====