Chapter 1446: A Match Made in Heaven

"During my time back in the capital, the work at the Metallurgical Plant will be temporarily handled by Comrade Zongfang."

At the last factory office meeting in August, Li Xuewu added two sentences before the meeting ended.

"If there is important work, you can contact me by phone or by confidential telegram."

He packed up the notebook in front of him, nodded, and said, "In the coming days, please unite as one and cooperate sincerely. I'll leave it to you."

"I also wish the Secretary-General a smooth journey and frequent good news, hehehe."

Chief Engineer Wang Zhijun made a joke and looked at Executive Deputy Factory Director Yang Zongfang, saying, "Next, it depends on Comrade Zongfang."

Yang Zongfang glanced at him and turned to ask Li Xuewu, "Haven't determined how many days you'll be back?"

The team members who were packing up documents and preparing to end the meeting slowed down their movements and listened attentively.

"Family matters might take two days, and there are three meetings on the group side; it's hard to say about the time."

Li Xuewu didn't play mystery either, explaining very frankly, "Three meetings: one is the preparation work for the second round of negotiations with Shenfei, and one is the construction work of the International Hotel."

"There is also an economic work meeting for the second half of this year, which just happened to coincide."

He picked up the notebook and thermos, stood up, and walked outside with Yang Zongfang, who had also stood up, saying as they walked, "At least a week."

"So long?"

Yang Zongfang frowned slightly and said, "What about the Industrial Leading Group?"

Since Li Xuewu said at least a week, it was very likely to be ten days or half a month.

He wasn't someone who didn't understand the procedures and nature of such meetings; how could it be possible to finish talking in one go.

Li Xuewu only mentioned the theme of the meeting, not the topics involved in the meeting.

If discussions and research were expanded, and the opinions of the expert group were listened to, then a week was absolutely not enough.

"Just do what needs to be done."

Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Without me at home, you won't work anymore?"

"That's not it, just worried about encountering an emergency and not being able to contact you."

Yang Zongfang explained, and then added, "Is Zhang Enyuan going back with you?"

"Hmm, I'm taking him back this time."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "If there is any situation or opinion, I will have him contact you."

"It's best if it's like that. Organizational personnel reform, organizational construction work, as well as technical innovation and the installation of new equipment—I'm also overwhelmed here; you must come back as soon as possible."

This wasn't necessarily Yang Zongfang complaining, but there was definitely an element of showing loyalty.

If Li Xuewu changed his identity, if he were the head of the Metallurgical Plant without any other positions, guess whether Yang Zongfang would take the initiative to express his stance like this.

Under the pressure of absolute power, any tricks are paper tigers, which can be easily poked through.

Why did Li Xuewu dare to rectify the organizational structure in Liaodong with a gentle and decisive means? It was because of his identity as Secretary-General.

Just now in the conference room, Li Xuewu only temporarily handed over the comprehensive work of the Metallurgical Plant to Yang Zongfang in accordance with organizational procedures. Look at everyone's reaction; that sentence of Wang Zhijun was so insidious.

If the head cannot perform duties at the post for a long time, according to normal procedures, the executive deputy should be responsible for the comprehensive work.

Of course, Li Xuewu wasn't going to the ends of the earth for three or five years; he would be back in the capital for at most half a month, and everyone had scruples in their hearts.

And Yang Zongfang's taking over the comprehensive work was only temporary; although there would be a short training opportunity, it still had to be handed over.

So Yang Zongfang didn't think about being rampant, nor did he want to see other people's ugly faces.

Isn't that right? He asked Li Xuewu a question and followed him out of the conference room.

Along the way, he had to tell Li Xuewu his worries, as well as his attitude toward work.

During Li Xuewu's absence, while performing management duties, he also had to bear corresponding obligations and risks; he couldn't not make it clear.

Reminding Li Xuewu to come back early—one sentence with multiple meanings—vividly displayed the maturity and wisdom of a workplace elite.

Someone asked, since Yang Zongfang possessed mature and wise qualities and could bend down to obey Li Xuewu's leadership, what was his situation before?

Mr. Lu Xun said it well: if the shoe is crooked, even if the foot is normal, it will walk the wrong path; if the shoe is straight, if the foot is crooked, it will still walk the wrong path.

Yang Yuansong had the grace of knowing him and the righteousness of promoting him; he couldn't have no expression.

Even if it seemed to outsiders that he was overestimating his capabilities and hitting a stone with an egg, he had to crash and break his head.

You say he is naive, say he is not mature enough?

Wrong; he was Yang Yuansong's man, yet he could still work in such an important position as Deputy Factory Director of the Metallurgical Plant for so many years without being taken down. Doesn't that explain how Li Huai De viewed him?

A loyal and righteous person, even if he guards foolish loyalty, is still loyalty; Li Huai De just likes this kind of loyalty.

It's a pity; Yang Zongfang's loyalty was given to the wrong object, otherwise Old Li would definitely not have treated him badly.

This also explains a truth: one must walk straight and act correctly, and also buy a good pair of shoes.

"Don't have any burdens; work boldly and confidently. Can anything go wrong?"

Li Xuewu waved his hand with amusement and greeted him to follow him into the office.

Yang Zongfang was already used to it; basically, after the factory office meeting ended, Li Xuewu would call him to the office to sit for a while.

Even if there was nothing serious, he would still do so.

What was this for?

Very simple; it was to help him establish prestige, and also to deliberately show trust and respect.

Yang Zongfang could feel the speed of prestige improvement brought by this trust and respect too well.

Before, he followed the wrong person and did the wrong thing, almost being marginalized.

He was the Deputy Director of the Factory Management Committee, but with Dong Wenxue and other leaders there, who would give a damn about him?

But the situation is different now; Dong Wenxue hadn't proposed to increase the executive deputy in three years at the Metallurgical Plant, and Li Xuewu solved it in less than half a year after coming to Steel City.

After he unexpectedly got this opportunity, he suddenly found that there were so many good people around him.

An executive deputy supported by the Secretary-General—what kind of prestige and right to speak must that be?

He was appointed executive deputy, and naturally, some people were unconvinced; regardless of whether they came first or later, during this period, the Metallurgical Plant was calm on the surface, and under Li Xuewu's absolute suppression, everyone performed their duties and cooperated happily.

But in reality?

Even on a calm lake, there will be undercurrents, and there will be ripples from time to time.

If there was no support from Li Xuewu, he wouldn't dare to believe whether he could break out of the siege.

So after a long time, he was truly grateful for Li Xuewu's help and support.

The earlier complaints had long since vanished.

Although he knew that Li Xuewu nominating him as executive deputy was to make him do more work and work more, so as to free up time for himself to plan and strategize.

The most discussed topic in the office recently was when the Secretary-General would kill his way back to the capital, bringing the surging momentum of Liaodong industry to dominate the group management committee.

At the current stage, with rules and regulations, the pressure on the office staff was still quite high.

When the pressure is high, they love to gossip; this is also a way of self-adjustment to relieve worries and solve problems.

People in middle age can still think it through themselves and shift more attention to family and life, but young people are eager for passionate youth, and even the topics are discussions revolving around this atmosphere.

It's just that this discussion has enough passion but lacks thinking; it's not something an average middle-school youth can't think of.

Think about it, carrying the momentum of Liaodong industry and killing his way back to the capital... too naive.

However, it is true that Li Xuewu will return to the capital with this influence.

"How old is your younger brother?"

Yang Zongfang sat opposite Li Xuewu's desk and waved his hand to refuse his cigarette case.

Li Xuewu put down the cigarette case and said casually, "Twenty-two, a year younger than me."

"A university graduate who just graduated, very normal." Yang Zongfang nodded and said, "It's a good age, and also a good starting point."

"His personality is a bit jumpy."

Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and introduced with a smile, "Afraid he would cause trouble, he followed my dad to work in the mountains for nearly two years a few years ago."

"Just to temper his personality?"

Yang Zongfang didn't expect Li family's education to be so daring; he was truly surprised on his face.

"Coincidentally, there was such an opportunity; aren't we having a Chinese herbal medicine cooperation project with the Dongcheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital? I sent him to my dad's side."

Li Xuewu picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying, "Now looking at it, he's a bit stronger than before; he has been interning at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for nearly a year."

"So he stayed at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital?"

Yang Zongfang looked at him and asked, "Didn't arrange him at the United Hospital for fear of influence?"

"What influence am I afraid of—"

Li Xuewu laughed confidently and looked at him, saying, "Li Xue could get in; what can't he get into."

"Didn't let him go to the United Hospital because the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital is more relevant, and my dad brings him along daily."

"Inheriting the father's profession." Yang Zongfang suddenly remembered something, nodded, and said, "I forgot, your family is a medical family."

"Not a family; it can only be said that some skills were passed down from ancestors to make a living."

Li Xuewu said modestly, "My dad is okay in internal medicine, but he can only do simple surgeries; he can't do complex ones."

"Your wife is also a doctor; your family counts as a medical family."

Yang Zongfang joked with a smile, "Three doctors in one family, you can organize a consultation."

"My wife is a surgeon, currently focusing on the heart and brain direction, just the opposite of my dad."

Li Xuewu was also chatting idly, and what he said about family matters was all situations everyone knew.

"Some time ago, she was also planning to learn some internal medicine of traditional Chinese medicine from my father, saying it was very useful for surgery."

"Is your wife a graduate student?"

Yang Zongfang knew quite a bit about Li Xuewu, and joked, "Counting your eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, plus you and your younger brother, I really didn't expect there would be so many high-level knowledge talents."

"What kind of high-level knowledge talent am I." Li Xuewu smiled modestly and said, "Thanks to the teacher's seriousness and responsibility, not abandoning me, otherwise it would really be shameful."

"Regardless, you are a university student."

Yang Zongfang said quite enviously, "This level of academic qualification is more useful the further you go."

The envy on his face couldn't be hidden, and the loneliness and worry couldn't be hidden either.

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at him, saying, "Do you also want to go for further studies?"

"Me? Hehe, forget it."

Yang Zongfang waved his hand and said with a bitter smile, "Looking at work materials and documents is okay, but looking at professional books is not; I don't have that patience."

"Speaking of these university students, I must admit they are stronger than high school students."

He pointed his finger seriously and said, "Look at the few university students who just came down to the office, including Zhou Peilan and others in the Leading Group Office; they learn fast, and their understanding ability is good; as long as they focus on cultivation, they will definitely become talents."

"Before, we felt that high school graduation was a high academic qualification, and it was enough for our office, but what was the result?"

He patted his palm lightly, shook his head, and said, "Comparing people will die, comparing goods will throw them away; only by comparing can we know the gap."

"It's a pity, our group has really made no small effort in these years, pulling in quite a few university students; look at other factories."

Yang Zongfang tilted his mouth and said, "Under the situation where the university enrollment status is unclear, this kind of technology and talent will at least produce a fault of 5 to 8 years."

He said with regret, "Thinking that there will be no more university students coming to report next year, my heart..."

"I understand; this is also the original intention of the group's active promotion and construction of joint higher education." Li Xuewu nodded slightly and said, "Which enterprise has the courage of our group, allocating hundreds of thousands every year for medical and educational investment? They don't even dare to think about it."

"Yes, just for this point, we have to say that you group leaders are far-sighted."

Yang Zongfang nodded and said very convincingly, "I believe that like me, many enterprise cadres will feel regret that there will be no more university students coming to report next year."

"But at least we still have hope." He smiled and said, "Although I don't know how the students cultivated by the vocational and technical college compare to these university students, having them is better than not having them, right?"

"It's normal for you to have this kind of anxiety; there's no need to compare."

Li Xuewu explained with a smile, "What the university cultivates are talents who take into account both comprehensive management and technology; what the vocational and technical college cultivates are young people who have to start from the front line."

"I also have to remind you that the organizational structure adjustment of the Metallurgical Plant and the cultivation of excellent young cadres must keep up with the rhythm."

He pointed at Yang Zongfang and emphasized, "We can sigh at the fault of university education, but we cannot ignore the talent cultivation and organizational construction right in front of our eyes."

Yang Zongfang recorded his opinions very seriously, nodded, and said, "I'll meet with Haiyang later to study and research, and I'll report to you when you come back."

"Okay, then that's it."

Li Xuewu stood up, shook hands with him, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Why use Yang Zongfang and push him to serve as the executive deputy factory director of the Metallurgical Plant?

One truth: Li Xuewu cannot hand over the Metallurgical Plant to anyone he doesn't trust.

So, does he trust Yang Zongfang?

How is that possible? He would rather believe Dou Changfang than easily believe Yang Zongfang.

Dou Changfang's stupidity is on the surface, and it is the kind of stupidity he tries hard to hide; as long as he uses a little scheming, he can be easily manipulated.

Yang Zongfang is not stupid; on the contrary, he is very smart, has his own ideals and thinking; this kind of person will not easily submit to others.

Then why use Yang Zongfang instead of Dou Changfang or others?

The executive deputy of the Metallurgical Plant is a pursuit and goal for others, but for Li Xuewu, it is nothing.

He can push Yang Zongfang to this position, and he can pull him down.

The reason for not using someone like Dou Changfang is very simple: he cannot tolerate the stupidity of his teammates; he would rather fight with wolves than take sheep to die.

Compared to others, Yang Zongfang will at least weigh it in his heart and won't do stupid things.

And it is precisely because of the existence of stupid people that it makes Yang Zongfang, this executive deputy factory director, walk on thin ice.

No one wants to bring Li Xuewu down and serve as the group Secretary-General, because this is an impossible goal to achieve.

But many people are eager to bring Yang Zongfang down; the executive deputy is not a too arduous progress for them.

Yang Zongfang looks glorious now, but in reality, there are wolves in front and tigers behind, all holding back bad intentions to kill him; he can only follow Li Xuewu.

This is a conspiracy; Yang Zongfang himself knows Li Xuewu's purpose in doing this.

However, does he have a choice?

Does Li Xuewu give people a choice when he schemes against them?

He is not a game planner who designs games; how could he play life cultivation with you? He wants you to walk how you have to walk, and if you are off by one step, he will kick you into the ditch.

"I really want to kick you into the ditch—"

Li Xuewu glared at Bang Geng and asked, looking at his bruised eye, "Did I bring you to Steel City to teach you how to mingle in society?"

"How did you talk to your mother a few days ago when she left, and how did you promise her?"

"This matter isn't my fault."

Bang Geng stood in front of the sofa and argued quite aggrievedly, "They recognized me as their big brother; I couldn't just stand by and watch them die, right?"

"Oh, you're a big brother now, huh? Fine, young master, you're even stronger than me!"

Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and anger and asked, "Then may I ask, young master, which road are you on, and how many brothers do you have under your command?"

"I'm on the cement road."

Bang Geng pursed his lips, stole a glance at Wu Shu, and muttered, "They insisted on recognizing me; I didn't admit it."

"Then why did you want to stand up for others?" Li Xuewu looked at him curiously and asked, "With your three-legged cat kung fu, you dare to walk the road and act chivalrously?"

"Just a group fight; what kung fu is needed, and besides, it's not useful."

Bang Geng's rebellious side was showing; he even dared to argue with Li Xuewu's words.

"Whether it's your fault or not, put this matter aside for now." Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Tell me first what you are thinking; do you want to continue your current life or do you want to mingle in society? I'll fulfill you."

"You aren't envious of those big brothers who call the wind and rain at the pier? Tomorrow I'll send you to the boat and let you be the big brother."

He raised his chin and signaled to Bang Geng, "If you still want to continue studying here, then obediently go apologize to others."

"He hit me too—"

Bang Geng pointed to his eye and said, "If I apologize, it has to be a mutual apology."

"Fine, here's the gun."

Li Xuewu took the pistol from his waist and handed it to Bang Geng, saying, "In a while, you go find him to apologize; if he doesn't apologize to you, you shoot him dead."

"Go ahead, the bullet is in the chamber."

Seeing Bang Geng hesitate and not dare to take it, he shook the pistol in his hand and urged, "If anything happens to you, I'll arrange for someone to collect your corpse, don't worry."

"Actually, I didn't want to do anything to him..." Bang Geng hesitated.

Just now, when Wu Shu talked about him, he really felt wronged, and he felt that a mutual apology would be comfortable.

He wished he could kill the other party.

But when Wu Shu gave him the pistol, he became vague again.

Just because the little youngsters on this street called him big brother, and just because the other party bullied his little brother, he had to kill someone?

Not to mention that he had read so many books since coming to Steel City, even if he hadn't read those books, he knew that doing so was wrong.

Besides, he wasn't stupid; getting beaten up for someone else was already wronged enough, and now he had to take a bullet for someone else?

He didn't even remember the names of those little kids; if he died, they might not even cry, but his own mother would cry to death.

His life had just begun; thinking about it, it really wasn't worth it to hold a gun against the other party.

"I'll go apologize to him right now."

Bang Geng looked timidly at the serious-looking Wu Shu, then at Aunt Zhou standing on the stairs, and made a smart choice between the two extreme options, turning around and running out.

"What if he really took your gun?"

Zhou Wang Yamei walked down with a coffee cup, looked at Bang Geng who was riding away on his bicycle, and turned to ask Li Xuewu.

"What do you mean what if?" Li Xuewu put away the pistol and said indifferently, "If he dared to reach out, I could beat him to death."

Not daring to take his pistol could be said that the child had some brains; if he really didn't understand human words and came to take his gun, then Li Xuewu wouldn't mind executing family law for Qin Huairu.

Such a child couldn't be kept; better to kick him far away and be done with it, saving himself the trouble and letting him fend for himself.

"Zhidong told me he has a small knife at his waist; it's very sharp."

Zhou Wang Yamei walked to the side of the sofa and sat down, complaining to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu didn't care and said, "Which boy didn't have the ideal of walking the world with a sword when he was young."

"I know that dagger; it was given to him by He Yuzhu for self-defense."

"Aren't you afraid he'll use the knife?"

Zhou Wang Yamei reminded him, "Children like this have the least scruples when doing things; once their brains get hot, they don't care about anything."

"Don't worry, he doesn't have the guts." Li Xuewu shook his head and said, "Do you know what this is called? This is called carrying a dead rat at the waist and pretending to be hunting."

"If he really had the heart to break into the world, he wouldn't have taken the initiative to ask to come with me."

He shook his chin and said, "Many ruffians on our street like to recruit half-grown kids like this, but he didn't go."

"Having a small knife is quite good; at least he acts when he should, he has confidence."

"The philosophy of you men in educating children is indeed different from us women."

Zhou Wang Yamei sighed and shook her head slightly, took a sip of coffee, looked out the window, and said, "Can't distinguish which is good and which is bad; it seems they all make sense."

"Still depends on the parents." Li Xuewu folded his right leg and said, "I believe the saying 'Dragon begets dragon, phoenix begets phoenix, and a mouse's child will dig a hole' has universal adaptability."

"You're studying philosophy?"

Zhou Wang Yamei turned her gaze back and glanced at him with amusement, "You're not capable enough."

"Did you forget?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and reminded her, "Isn't the major I studied in university philosophy?"

"You call that learning?"

Zhou Wang Yamei laughed, put down her long legs that were coiled on the sofa, stood up, and asked, "What time is the train tomorrow morning? Do you need me to call someone to send you to the train station?"

"Zhang Enyuan arranged a driver."

Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa and looked at the woman who was full of imperial sister style, asking, "How many days are you staying in Steel City?"

"I'll stay in Steel City for as many days as you stay in the capital."

Zhou Wang Yamei walked to the tea cabinet, poured herself another cup of coffee, turned around, leaned against the cabinet, and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "Work in Steel City has been delayed quite a bit; I'll just take this time to handle it properly."

"Are you playing hide-and-seek with me?" Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement as he leaned on the sofa and said, "Then why didn't you come back tomorrow? That way you could have perfectly missed the time I was at home."

"I didn't deliberately avoid you."

Zhou Wang Yamei stood straight, held the coffee cup, walked over, and emphasized, "I'll come back whenever I want."

"Hehe, your mouth is really hard."

Li Xuewu laughed softly, looked up at her pretty figure, and teased, "If you say this too much, will you even believe it yourself?"

"What do I dare not believe about what I've said myself."

Zhou Wang Yamei sat beside him, patted him lightly, and teased, "Is it my mouth that's hard, or your..."

"Don't mess around, Bang Geng is coming back; I'm a serious person now."

Li Xuewu reached out and pressed his belt, reminding her, "Once Pandora's box is opened, you won't be able to stop even if you cry and shout."

"Hmph—"

Zhou Wang Yamei gave a proud huff and stood up, no longer teasing him; she was also afraid that Bang Geng would suddenly run back; who knew what was wrong with this child, always appearing when you didn't expect it.

"Has someone worn the pajamas in the wardrobe?"

She put the coffee cup on the coffee table and asked as if casually.

Li Xuewu was slightly stunned and asked back, "What pajamas, which wardrobe?"

"The one you like."

Zhou Wang Yamei glared back and reminded him, "The more you pretend to be confused, the more it will prove that you have a ghost in your heart."

"What am I pretending to be confused about? Are you suspecting that I secretly wore your pajamas?"

Li Xuewu curled his lips and said, "Do you think I'm a pervert?"

"Hehe, you're sinking deeper and deeper; if you keep making it up, it'll be hard to round it off."

Zhou Wang Yamei had a look of "I'm sure you have a problem" and just hung him up.

Li Xuewu insisted that he didn't know, hadn't seen it, and wasn't responsible.

"The shower gel produced by Yazi Cosmetics has a very unique herbal floral fragrance, which is liked by many girls."

She walked to the front of the sofa, supported herself with her hands on the backrest, looked down at Li Xuewu, and reminded him, "The girl who can buy this export product and has the money to afford it must be one of the little girls in your group, right?"

"I dare to bet with you that Bang Geng won't eat for ten days; during the time I wasn't home, except for Bang Geng's mother coming to see him, and Xiao Ning and the children coming to see me, not even a female mouse came to the house."

Li Xuewu said very sincerely and seriously, "If you believed me, you wouldn't have this illusion."

"Oh—illusion—"

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded, looked into his eyes, and said, "Indeed, some people will confuse the smell in their memory with reality."

"But—"

She stretched out her finger, pointed at Li Xuewu's nose, and said, "If you close your eyes, will you mistake me for the person who secretly wore my pajamas?"

"You're tricking me into closing my eyes, right?" Li Xuewu stared and asked back, "That way you can make me admit this under your psychological suggestion."

"Zhou Wang Yamei, you've learned to be bad; you're using psychological knowledge on me, right?"

"Hehe, you're still being stubborn."

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled confidently, looked into his eyes, and shouted, "Jia Geng, come in, tell your Wu Shu, can you persist for ten days without eating?"

"... Aunt Zhou, ten days..."

Bang Geng's voice suddenly appeared outside the window behind the sofa.

He said with difficulty, "I can persist for ten hours at most..."

"Then I'll tell you a fact now." Zhou Wang Yamei stared tightly at Li Xuewu's eyes and said, "Your Wu Shu is going back to the capital for half a month, and during this period I will stay at home..."

She raised her eyebrows, swearing to force Li Xuewu to surrender voluntarily.

But Li Xuewu chose to persist to the end, believing that Bang Geng could hold on.

A real man has to carry some things; otherwise, how can he be called a man?

"Jia Geng, Aunt Zhou is asking you now, during the time I wasn't home, who did you see come?"

She couldn't suppress the bad smile on the corner of her mouth, looked at Li Xuewu who was forced into a corner by her, and asked toward the window, "Let's save some face for your Wu Shu; you just need to tell me who wore my pajamas."

"However, I have to remind you, a bet is a bet; if you dare to lie, don't even think about eating for ten days."

"Son, see that? This is a woman; we are on the same side."

Li Xuewu didn't hear Bang Geng's voice and quickly strengthened his confidence, saying, "Think about the heroic deeds of ancient times; what's ten days of hunger? Just endure it and it'll pass."

"Wu Shu... I'm most afraid of hunger..."

Bang Geng's voice came weakly, and without waiting for Li Xuewu to persuade him again, he said hesitantly, "Aunt Zhou, I only need to say one person and I don't have to be hungry, right?"

"Good job, Bang Geng; in the past, you would have been enough to be shot!"

Li Xuewu looked at Zhou Wang Yamei's proud and annoyed expression and could only grumble.

"Fine, Mr. Li." Zhou Wang Yamei reached out and pressed Li Xuewu, who was about to get up and run, and said angrily, "The surprises you give me are getting more and more—"

"You misunderstood; things aren't like that; let me up first."

Li Xuewu explained with a smile, "It was that kid playing bad, deliberately teasing you."

"And then? A female mouse came to the house? Wore my pajamas?"

Zhou Wang Yamei reminded him, "You should know what kind of intention a girl has when wearing those pajamas, right?"

"Like you, plotting against me?" Li Xuewu pulled the corner of his mouth and pretended to be nervous, saying, "I'm so scared—"

"You're afraid of a ghost; you'd be too late to enjoy it—"

Zhou Wang Yamei couldn't play anymore, patted him dissatisfiedly, straightened her waist, and was about to leave.

Li Xuewu helplessly held her hand, "Nothing really happened."

"Of course I'll believe you."

Zhou Wang Yamei turned her head and looked at him, saying, "Someone as meticulous as you wouldn't leave any clues for me if you wanted to cover something up, unless you didn't care."

"Can you stop treating me as an experimental subject?"

Li Xuewu said with amusement, "First you want me to fall into a self-proving trap, then you dig a hole for me to jump into; are you writing a thesis and lacking experimental data?"

"I think that kid Bang Geng is quite good; you can use all these tricks on him; I strongly approve."

"You knew he couldn't keep a secret, yet you still brought a girl home."

Zhou Wang Yamei looked at him and asked, "Are you planning to open a hotel here?"

"Then do I collect the fee or do they collect the fee?"

Li Xuewu sat up with amusement, shook his head slightly, and shouted, "Bang Geng, come over and explain to your Aunt Zhou."

"Aunt Zhou, Wu Shu is going back to the capital tomorrow; how about you ask me tomorrow?"

"Good kid, you have guts!"

Li Xuewu was amused by him and shouted, "You have to think clearly; I'm leaving for half a month, not not coming back."

"When I'm in Steel City, your Aunt Zhou won't be here; I can starve you for half a month!"

"Aunt Zhou!" Bang Geng shouted in a voice that was about to cry, "I wore the clothes! I wore them, okay!"

Li Xuewu was so angry he shouted, "You might as well have told the truth!"

"Why choose this day? Did you ask someone to calculate it?"

Sha Zhu smoked a cigarette and stood at the gate with Li Xuewu, looked at the big red "happiness" character on the door, and asked softly, "Who did you ask to calculate it?"

"Why ask about this?"

Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "Do you want to get married again?"

"Hi—I don't have that guts."

Sha Zhu laughed and, seeing no one was there, whispered to him, "It's Yushui; I see you two... also don't have that, so I thought about looking at the feng shui."

"..." Li Xuewu looked at him speechlessly and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Which one are you talking about?" Sha Zhu asked unreliably, "Is it you and..."

"I'm talking about looking at feng shui!" Li Xuewu glared and reminded him, "Don't talk nonsense; I'm fine, but does Yushui still want her innocence?"

"Feng shui..." Sha Zhu took a puff of the cigarette, looked at the big tree at the corner of the alley, and pondered, "Do you think that tree is hindering Yushui's marriage?"

"You really can make trouble!"

Li Xuewu was truly convinced; Yushui not getting married has nothing to do with the tree.

Sha Zhu was serious and looked at him, saying, "I heard it from the second aunt next door; her niece hadn't found a partner for several years, and later the old man in their family cut down the big tree at the door, and she got married the next year."

"Have you thought about this possibility." Li Xuewu looked at him and reminded, "The second aunt's niece saw the old man chopping down the tree, so she was afraid he would chop her if she didn't find a partner, so she was in a hurry to get married?"

"You're really funny—"

Sha Zhu laughed, his face full of heartlessness.

Li Xuewu was also amused and angry, saying, "I advise you not to draw a snake and add feet to Yushui's matter; I don't believe she can stay single forever."

"Sigh, I know my own sister; she's no different from a stubborn donkey."

Sha Zhu bumped him with his arm and said, "Principal Ran is also single, right? How many people introduced partners to her, and she didn't see one."

Li Xuewu didn't bother to pay attention to him; he used to be a bit serious, but now that life was prosperous, he was just chatting idly all day.

Sha Zhu didn't give up and asked softly, "You still haven't said who calculated the date; I'll go find them later."

"Go find them; the shift leader calculated it." Li Xuewu glanced back at him and said, "Xuecai is on shift leave today, and Yuxiu is also on shift leave today, so we chose today."

"Damn—really or fake?"

Sha Zhu was surprised, "Is it so casual? Does your family really not believe it at all?"

"If we believed in this stuff, the tree at the door would have been chopped down by my dad long ago."

Li Xuewu looked back at the alley entrance; more relatives were arriving, and he replied to Sha Zhu, "Think about it, is your family's Yushui's problem bigger or my problem bigger."

Sha Zhu stood at the gate and pondered, wanting to reply to Li Xuewu "Your problem is bigger," but he had already gone up to greet them.

"Old Aunt's husband, Uncle Zhao."

Li Xuewu walked up a few steps with a smile, greeted them, and said, "My dad has been talking about you; why haven't you arrived yet."

The people who came were the in-laws of eldest brother Xuewen, Yin Mancang, the director of Red Star Commune, who was the husband of eldest brother's aunt, eldest brother's father-in-law Zhao Gen, and the young couple Zhao Yajun and Wang Lu.

Yin Mancang took his cigarette and politely let him light it.

"I said I'd stay at Yajun's for a while to see the two children." He smiled and signaled to his brother-in-law Zhao Gen beside him, "He was afraid that coming early would cause you trouble."

"You're being too polite; Uncle Zhao, go into the courtyard; if you don't come again, my dad will have to go find you."

Li Xuewu wasn't a leader of the Red Star Steel Group today, but the second son of the Li family.

Third brother Xuecai was getting married; no outsiders were invited, only relatives and neighbors, and then the people from the recycling station.

Li Xuecai had gone to pick up the bride, so Li Xuewu, as the second brother, had to help greet them at the gate.

Greeting, lighting cigarettes, chatting for a few words, and then inviting them into the courtyard for tea.

He was naturally good at social etiquette, not to mention his status was here; whoever came felt honored.

This was his own brother; Li Xuewu wouldn't have supported anyone else like this.

He wasn't standing here to support the family, nor to raise his brother's face, but to give Ji Yuxiu decency.

Waiting for Li Xuecai for a full four years—this was truly rare in this era for such a couple.

Think about it, when Li Xuewu first saw Ji Yuxiu, she was still a little runner in the household registration section; now she was already a deputy section chief of public security in the branch bureau.

Don't talk about a match made in heaven; just looking at their working environment, Ji Yuxiu could persist until now, and it had to be said that she truly liked Old Third.

Ji Yuxiu's parents and brother didn't live in the mainland, and only a sister-in-law brought the children here; who could she rely on?

These years, she had been eating and living in the big courtyard, long treating the Li family as her own home.

And the house Li Xuecai was going to pick her up from, she had long stopped living in.

Before, she was afraid of bad influence, so the Li family only privately joked about calling her daughter-in-law, but treated Ji Yuxiu as a daughter to the outside world.

Precisely because sincerity was exchanged for sincerity, the Ji family dared to put their daughter in the Li family to be raised.

There was the friendship between Ji Weidong and Li Xuewu, and the couple relationship between Li Xuecai and Ji Yuxiu, so although the two families met very little, they got along very well.

Who helped take care of Han Yating when she was alone with the child in the capital?

Who helped take care of Li Xuewu's arrangements in Hong Kong?

Ji Yuxiu wanted to wait for Li Xuecai to graduate from university, and the Ji family had no objections.

Lovers finally get married.

The honest and simple Li Xuecai finally graduated, and the wedding date prepared for three months officially arrived.

The gift prepared by the Li family for the newlyweds was as generous as the dowry of the Ji family.

Recognition of the concept of marriage is the true match made in heaven.

From today on, Li Xuecai didn't have to hide anymore, and he didn't have to be afraid of his dad's fire poker.

This stick had also hit his second brother before, for the same reason. ===== CHAPTER 1447 =====

This stick had also beaten his second brother before, for the exact same reason.