Chapter 1484: Jealousy

"My little aunt has high standards; she's so picky."

Li Shu was breaking apart a tangerine in her hands. Not even noticing who had come up behind her, her little mouth kept on chattering away.

The few people in the room all found it amusing, but they didn't dare laugh out loud, holding it in with all their might.

"Do you think your little aunt should find a partner?"

Zhao Yafang, while coaxing Li Yue, teased Li Shu, "What kind of partner should she find?"

"She—she—she's already 19!"

Li Shu said with great emotion and excitement, "What family's grown daughter is 19 and still hasn't found a partner—"

She was truly raised by the old lady; her mouth was full of that Northeast accent. Anyone who heard her would say this was a little girl from the Northeast.

Li Xue couldn't hold back anymore. She reached out and pinched Li Shu's neck, asking gloomily, "Li Shu, have I not disciplined you for a long time?"

"My little aunt is gentle, kind, and talented; she just doesn't have to worry about finding a partner—"

Li Shu's little body stiffened for a second, then she immediately tried to save herself, "The people pursuing her are lined up all the way to outside Dongzhimen; you couldn't even count them all—"

"Hahahaha—"

Zhao Yafang and the others couldn't hold it in anymore. At this moment, they all burst out laughing, and even Gu Ning couldn't help but laugh.

After eating, the women cleared the table, and the diligent Zhang Xiaoyan and Di Liya washed the bowls.

The men naturally had some privileges, especially since they had drunk a little alcohol today; they were all still sitting around the table drinking tea and chatting.

Fearing that Zhao Yafang would get tired, Liu Yin urged her to go to the east room to look after the children. Gu Ning and the others, after finishing cleaning up, also came to the east room to avoid hearing the noise from the west room.

It was the old lady's birthday. Perhaps it was too lively today, and she lacked some energy. She leaned against the pillows on the kang, watching her children and grandchildren play, a smile always on her face.

Just like that, the women and children were all in the east room, and the men were all in the west room. No one emphasized etiquette, but everyone knew where they should rest; the lines were clearly drawn.

Liu Yin and Fei Shanying were of the same generation, so they sat on the inner side of the kang, chatting with the old lady while also watching the children play.

Zhao Yafang sat near the kang cabinet with her child, leaning against it while nursing.

Gu Ning, Ji Yuxiu, Zhang Xiaoyan, and Di Liya sat by the edge of the kang, listening to the old lady and the others talk. Their eyes mostly fell on the children, especially Li Shu, who was always showing off.

It wasn't that Li Shu hadn't noticed; it was just that her little aunt hadn't been there just now—she had gone to brew tea for those people in the west room.

Now that she had been caught red-handed, she was scared out of her wits and hurriedly begged for mercy.

Her mischievous spirit made everyone in the room laugh until their mouths couldn't close. Li Xue, in a fit of anger, slapped her bottom twice.

Li Shu didn't care about that at all. She ran to the inner side of the kang with a grin and shouted, "Hurry up and find a partner; Grandma and Grandma are both worried."

"Mind your own business, just take care of yourself."

Li Xue glared at her with feigned ferocity and said, "Wait until I catch you again; I'll see if I don't beat your bottom until it blooms."

"It would be great if my bottom could bloom—"

Li Shu had such a sharp tongue. Relying on the old lady's support, she tilted her head and chirped, "I've never heard of anyone sticking their bottom into a vase."

"Hahaha—"

"How can she be so talkative!"

Zhang Xiaoyan covered her mouth and laughed until her face turned red; she was almost out of breath, and her voice sounded a bit hoarse.

The old lady also pulled Li Shu into her arms, not letting her speak anymore, and softly scared her, "If you keep talking, if your little aunt pinches you secretly, I won't care."

"Let her be arrogant for two more years—"

Li Shu waved her hand with feigned magnanimity. Before her little aunt could climb onto the kang to pinch her, she shrank into the old lady's arms and rolled behind her.

She was giggling with fright, but she still insisted, "I don't believe you'll never find a partner in your life."

"Li Shu, your skin is really getting tight."

Li Xue glared and beckoned, "Come, I'll take you to the courtyard to loosen your skin."

"Not going—"

When she said that, Li Shu hid even further away. Her mouth was tough, but in her heart, she knew who was in charge.

Why did she think of talking about her little aunt? She had heard it at the dinner table.

During the meal, Third Uncle mentioned the marriage of his son Li Xuehan again. As he talked, perhaps because he had drunk too much, he began to talk about the romantic affairs of the children in the family.

The three Li brothers went without saying. Li Tong's envy and relief were undisguised; he was talking about Li Juan from the second brother's family, and Li Xue, who had been working for more than two years.

After all, she was a girl in the family, and the Li family followed the customs brought by the old lady, placing great importance on girls.

In fact, the locals in the capital also placed great importance on the girls in their families; the title of "Aunt" wasn't called for nothing.

Everyone has heard of the term "Beijing Big Girl," right? It's not a derogatory term, nor is it a complimentary one; it's just an adjective describing the straightforward and generous nature of Beijing girls.

If there were no family influence, where would the "Big Girls" come from? Wouldn't they all be timid and petty?

In the three generations of the Li family, there were only two girls, Li Juan and Li Xue. Basically, everyone in the family knew about what happened to Li Juan last year; even Li Tong in Yangcheng knew.

Why didn't the second brother Li Gan's family come for the old lady's birthday this time? It was because they felt ashamed.

If Li Juan had divorced last time, it would have been fine; if you made a mistake, you admitted it. After all, they were family.

But Li Juan, for some reason, seemed to have set her sights on Shen Jianbing as if she were possessed.

At that time, when it was discovered she was pregnant, what was the point of divorcing? Li Gan and his wife could only hold their noses and accept it.

Li Juan's work relationship was rearranged back to the railway. Shen Jianbing couldn't go back to his original unit. Li Gan was afraid that he wouldn't work properly in the future and cause more trouble, so he simply arranged for him to be by his side, not caring what others said.

Why didn't he care?

Because judging by Shen Jianbing's character, he didn't expect this son-in-law to have any great prospects; as long as he didn't court death, it would be fine.

Since he didn't care about the son-in-law's prospects, he didn't think about taking extra care of him at work. What was there to worry about?

Li Juan didn't divorce, so naturally, there was no explanation for Li Xuewu's side. Li Gan was a second uncle who had been proud his whole life; how could he swallow his pride?

Of course, he couldn't apologize to his nephew, but he also didn't have the face to apologize to his eldest brother. It wasn't until Li Xuewu waited for the storm to pass and arranged for his parents to go to Jicheng that the matter was considered resolved.

After all, he was his own uncle. Li Xuewu couldn't make things difficult for his own father, and he was even more grateful for the care of his second uncle and second aunt.

There was nothing to say; his second uncle and second aunt were sincere to him and had taken great care of the family in previous years.

What else could he say? His eldest sister was his eldest sister after all. Knowing her taste, it was fine to just talk about family affection in the future and not talk about or handle matters.

However, his second uncle and his wife couldn't get over this hurdle in their hearts, feeling that they owed their eldest brother's family.

This time, they had to be informed of the old lady's birthday. Because of the nature of his work and the long distance, Third Uncle Li Tong would come if he could, and if he couldn't, it didn't matter.

Second Uncle Li Gan wasn't far from the capital; if he really wanted to come, he could.

Even if Second Uncle was busy with work and couldn't get away, Second Aunt or his younger brother Li Xueli could have come.

This time, the whole family didn't come. Li Xuewu and the others understood in their hearts that Second Uncle was probably feeling very guilty at home and didn't have the face to see his mother.

Back then, of the three Li brothers, Li Gan carried his baggage to the Northeast, while Li Tong followed the troops to the South.

The three brothers were in the South and North, leaving only the eldest, Li Shun, in the capital to take care of their mother.

For so many years, the three brothers had supported each other, never having economic disputes, let alone quarreling.

Li Shun had the demeanor of an eldest brother, and Liu Yin had the demeanor of an eldest sister-in-law. The eldest brother is like a father, and the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.

Li Gan and Li Tong respected their eldest brother and sister-in-law, and they never hesitated when it came to helping out.

Weren't the medicinal herbs for Li Shun's independent practice in the capital collected by Li Gan?

Didn't Li Xuewu go to the South by taking advantage of Third Uncle's connections? How could one say they had no feelings for each other?

If one said there were no feelings, Li Xuewu heard a sense of desolation in Third Uncle's words this time.

He was talking about Second Uncle's family, but he also projected his own distress and depression.

According to him, Third Aunt Hong Min should have come.

It was only when mentioning Second Uncle Li Gan that he heard the lead-in that Second Aunt Han Xiumei should have come.

However, Liu Yin explained that Third Brother Li Xuecai got married a while ago, and Second Aunt Han Xiumei came.

So this time, for the old lady's birthday, Li Shun and Liu Yin didn't mind that no one came back from Jicheng.

The more she explained, the more Third Uncle Li Tong frowned. He was an overthinker, and he didn't talk about family matters.

Even if he didn't say it, Li Xuewu could guess it. It must have been that he was busy with work and couldn't get away, so he asked Third Aunt Hong Min to come, but Third Aunt declined and didn't want to come, so Third Uncle found an opportunity to come to the capital.

In these years, Third Aunt had only come back once when he got married, and he hadn't seen her come back since.

Third Aunt Hong Min's parents were both in the arts, and she carried the romance and petty-bourgeois sentiment of the Hong Kong style in her bones.

How could the living habits of a Southern girl catch the old lady's eye? When she first came back after getting married, she showed everywhere that she wasn't used to it.

The old lady liked her eldest daughter-in-law Liu Yin the most, feeling that this was the standard for a traditional woman. She didn't like the stylish Hong Min, feeling that her son only valued the other's appearance.

However, her third son didn't need her to support him in his old age, and since he joined the army, she didn't expect him to live off the family, so she didn't say much.

After so many years, Hong Min also knew that the old lady hadn't liked her back then. It was impossible to say she wasn't awkward in her heart, but she didn't dare to express it.

She wasn't the eldest in this family, so she didn't have the right to act wild.

Since she was awkward and didn't want to come, what could Li Tong say? He could only come by himself.

But hearing his sister-in-law care about Hong Min, he felt blocked in his heart again, and he had drunk a bit too much today.

Talking about Li Juan, talking about Li Xue, and mentioning Li Xuewen and the others, counting them one by one.

He was the third uncle. Not to mention Li Xuewu's status or Li Xuewen's status, he had to listen when he should.

Don't think about whether Third Uncle was right or wrong. Of course, he had to listen to what was right, and just understand what was wrong in his heart.

However, Third Uncle Li Tong had no other intentions. Seeing the three brothers developing well, he was happy from the bottom of his heart, without a hint of hypocrisy.

Li Tong was a bit chauvinistic. He knew in his heart to value girls, but he still had prejudices.

Li Xue works at the Red Star Steel Group. She first served as a secretary for the leadership, then went to Hong Kong for training, and upon returning, she was appointed as the deputy section chief of the Finance Section. She is only nineteen years old.

One couldn't say it was unprecedented, but looking at it now, she was following in her second brother's footsteps.

When Li Xuewu returned home, he was also nineteen, and his starting point wasn't as high as Li Xue's.

Li Tong felt that a grown girl should find a partner when she reached her prime and find a decent family to think about life's major events.

Nineteen was the prime time; every year after that was a pressure.

Li Xue didn't refute Third Uncle at the dinner table, but she didn't respond either. That was just her personality.

Li Xuewu understood this sister. She had her own ideas; it wasn't that her standards were high, but that her ideas were firm.

She was still young and wanted to find someone suitable; there was nothing wrong with that. Li Xuewu also agreed with her attitude of putting her energy and mind into her work first.

It was more appropriate to think about life's major events when one was more mature. Those who got engaged and married at sixteen or seventeen were still children themselves; what independent thinking could they have?

Was Li Xue unable to find a partner?

Not to mention how Peng Xiaoli pursued her back then, even now there were quite a few young men taking the initiative to approach her.

It was just that Li Xue looked gentle, but she had a sense of pride in her bones. She preferred boys who were cultured, had personality, and preferably were emotionally dedicated.

This point was also influenced by Li Xuewu. She had watched her second brother grow up step by step.

He had to be cultured, have ideas, have quality, and have personality, but he couldn't be as unfaithful as her second brother.

Her second brother was a good second brother. He hadn't told her about the things around him, but he hadn't hidden them from her either.

Let's put it this way: Li Xue knew almost all of her second brother's women.

It was true. She didn't need to look or investigate. As long as she came into contact with them, whoever treated her well for no reason was basically her second sister-in-law.

When she first entered the group, she was taken care of by Deputy Director Jing. When she went to Hong Kong, she was taken care of by President Lou. On weekends, Yu Li often asked her out for shopping and bought her things from time to time.

Recently, her good friend Zhou Xiaoling, that dog, had also started to show concern for her. She must have done something bad and felt guilty.

She was a bit sensitive in the group. Whoever treated her well for no reason, she would think about it and carefully size up the other person to see if they were her second brother's type.

She couldn't control her second brother's unfaithfulness, and she couldn't control it, but she couldn't find a man who was as unfaithful as her second brother.

Because she had never thought about finding a man who was as capable and accomplished as her second brother.

Was it hard to find a man who was cultured, had ideas, had quality, and wasn't unfaithful?

Li Xue firmly believed that it wasn't that there weren't any, but that she hadn't met one yet.

So she wasn't worried. Even though Grandma and her mother had been concerned about her more recently, and Third Uncle had nagged her a couple of times, she didn't care.

Just like her second brother back then, she wouldn't be annoyed by her family's concern, and she wouldn't listen to what she didn't want to hear.

But Li Shu saying it wouldn't do. This little girl was becoming more and more presumptuous. It was time to establish the prestige of the little aunt; otherwise, how would she stand in this family in the future?

"You come here; I'm counting to three."

Li Xue pointed at Li Shu and threatened, "If you don't come over after I finish counting, I'll climb onto the kang and grab you."

"I'm not afraid of you—"

"1—"

"Grandma—Aunt is bullying me!"

"2—"

"Little Aunt, you're the best—"

Li Shu begged everyone she could. Seeing that Grandma and Grandma were just watching her and laughing without helping, she sighed in her heart that begging others was not as good as begging herself, and hurriedly spoke softly, fearing that her bottom would hurt in a moment.

Could a bottom that bloomed really be stuck in a vase?

"If you ask me, it's unnecessary."

Sha Zhu lay on the kang in the west room, his face red. He hadn't drunk little today.

However, this old boy's drinking capacity had increased. Even if he was drunk, he spoke very clearly; it was just that he had to lie down to speak.

"The situation is considered good now—"

He grinned and said, "The wind of the 'Great Learning' has blown past. Although a small wind blows from time to time, it's not a big deal."

"Although we are still shouting slogans in our cafeteria now, everyone lost their passion long ago; we're just going through the motions."

Li Tong listened to them talk as if he were dreaming. Before long, the sound of snoring rang out.

He had drunk a lot too. It wasn't easy for him to persist until now. How many others were still energetic?

Li Shun's drinking capacity was average, and he hadn't drunk much at the table. At this moment, he was drinking tea and hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Grandpa spoke little and just listened to them talk. He would only say a few words when they talked about topics he was interested in.

Sha Zhu was talkative and liked this atmosphere, so he grabbed the chance to speak.

Shen Guodong was afraid that the current situation wasn't good and wanted to reduce the influence of the recycling station.

His idea was very simple. Now that the recycling station's business was growing, there were too many freelance personnel riding bicycles all over the capital collecting scrap.

What was called "setting fire to oneself"? If someone really wanted to harm them, they didn't need to act directly; they just needed to light a fire on these freelance personnel, and it would surely burn to the recycling station.

Back then, the insurance Li Xuewu took out at the recycling station was only useful in the nearby streets. Shen Guodong worked in the street office and supported the street office with real money, manpower, and material resources, so the street office naturally had to provide a guarantee for the recycling station.

But if they were really too far away, the street office would be beyond their reach and unable to help.

Shen Guodong had finally grown up, and after taking a position in the street office, he had gained some insight.

How did that saying go?

The older the rivers and lakes, the smaller the courage.

It wasn't that his courage had shrunk, but that there were more things to worry about, and he needed to consider the overall situation.

Li Xuewu had already tried to hand over all the affairs in the capital to him to be responsible for. Whether the work was done well or poorly, it was his own industry, so there was no need to worry; it was just a matter of earning more or less.

But if they really made a mistake and caused a big disaster, that would be finding trouble for Li Xuewu.

Shen Guodong knew very well that as long as Li Xuewu was there, the recycling station would be there, and they would still be people of status.

If Li Xuewu wasn't there, the recycling station would just be a scrap collection site, and they would be nothing.

Don't look at the fact that they were developing trade by taking advantage of Li Xuewu's relationship and care; they would absolutely not cause trouble for Li Xuewu.

Sha Zhu considered things simply, or rather, he hadn't considered them at all, and just said it out loud.

Shen Guodong glanced at him and didn't speak, his gaze falling on Li Xuewu again. He still had to wait for Wu Ge to make the decision.

"The affairs in the capital are handed over to you to handle, so naturally, it's up to you to decide."

Li Xuewu first affirmed him, then thought for a while and said, "As for the situation, one can never relax one's vigilance until the day it becomes clear."

"My suggestion to you is that you don't have to stare at the capital; you can set up sub-stations all over the country."

He tilted his body and looked at Shen Guodong, saying, "It's too risky to stack all resources in the capital."

"That's what I thought too."

Shen Guodong nodded, looked at him, and said, "I'm also thinking about whether to promote the scale of the recycling station to Jinmen and several cities in the Northeast."

"You decide this matter."

Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "I really don't have the time and energy to consider this now. You also know that there are many things in Liaodong."

He looked at Shen Guodong and emphasized, "I can still spare some energy to help you keep an eye on things in Steel City and Fengcheng, but you have to take the lead in the future."

"I think it's the end of the year, and there's nothing major."

Sha Zhu sat up, swayed, and then picked up his teacup and took a gulp, saying indifferently, "If there's something, it will definitely blow wind first."

"I'm just afraid that by the time it blows to you, it will already be a tornado."

Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "I heard last time that Guo Pangzi was transferred away. Why didn't you go to Director Li to talk about it?"

"Talk about what? Talk about progress?"

Sha Zhu looked at him and curled his lips, saying, "I'm a worker now; who can do anything to me? It would be uncomfortable if I really became a cadre."

"I can't speak freely, and I have to pay attention to dedication and being unable to help myself. Am I idle? Why would I suffer that crime?"

He lay back down on the kang, drooping his eyelids, and said, "I know why Guo Pangzi left. If he could have stayed, would he have left?"

"This big cafeteria is a furnace. Whoever stays for a long time will be roasted. He can still have a good beginning and a good end by leaving now."

Seeming to see through everything, Sha Zhu muttered carelessly, "But don't think he'll have it good. Everything in this world has a fixed number."

"I've tasted it long ago after working for so many years. Nothing is as fragrant as being a cook. Who can treat me poorly when it comes to food?"

"You've lived transparently—"

Shen Guodong joked, "When you have time, enlighten me too, so I can learn."

"Hehe—bullshit—"

Sha Zhu looked at him sideways and said, "If I asked you to unload your work in the street office and put down these tasks at home, would you be willing?"

"I'm not a monk becoming a monk." Shen Guodong said amusingly, "Is it necessary to be so clean?"

"This is called being impure—"

Sha Zhu talked nonsense, turned his head to look at the second grandfather sitting on the kang, and asked, "Second Grandfather, you are a sensible person; tell him."

"Am I still a sensible person?"

Ye Erye smiled bitterly and said, "I am trapped in a predicament and have given up on pulling myself out."

Returning this time, Li Xuewu saw that his spirit wasn't too good, thinking that he already knew the news that the third one was gone.

They weren't grandfather and grandson by blood, but the Thirteen Guardians had a relationship with him very early on. Coming to the recycling station was also him leading these children to find a bite to eat.

Suddenly hearing the news that Xi Yongzhong was gone, he didn't eat for a whole day, just staring blankly.

If he hadn't brought them to the recycling station back then, would there have been no such disaster?

Ye Erye didn't doubt that Xi Yongzhong's death had anything to do with Li Xuewu, and he didn't dare to doubt these things; he only knew that Xi Yongzhong was gone.

It was true that he couldn't accept it for a while, but it was also true that he had to consider the other twelve children.

So this time, for the Li family old lady's sixtieth birthday, Li Xuewu gave him the message, and he came, wanting to find an opportunity to talk and chat.

Talk about what? Chat about what?

Xi Yongzhong's situation really wasn't passed back by Li Xuewu or Wen Saner, but by Lao Liu and Lao Shi.

Lao Liu and Lao Shi had been following Ge Lin, first going to Yingcheng, then to Bingcheng, and heard with their own ears the process and purpose of these people committing crimes.

With the letters from the two, Ye Erye really believed that the third one's death had nothing to do with Li Xuewu.

But even if the third one was wrong, it couldn't be separated from Li Xuewu's arrangement back then.

"The children are growing up day by day and have all gone out to work. I can be considered to have no worries."

He looked at Li Xuewu with eager eyes, his voice trembling as he said, "More importantly, the recycling station is on the right track. I can be considered to have lived up to the proprietor's trust. This old bone of mine has done its best."

"Second Grandfather, you are being too modest."

Li Xuewu knew he should say something, so he took the initiative to say, "I am very sorry about the third one's matter. It was me who didn't take good care of him."

"Don't blame you; he asked for it himself."

Ye Erye waved his hand and said, "Among these children, his character was the most honest and simple. He didn't even have a share when grabbing food."

"He was a person without luck. He didn't even know who his parents were, let alone his funeral arrangements. He called me grandfather, so I can be considered to have fulfilled this friendship."

He looked at Li Xuewu and said sincerely, "Please have pity on my heart as a grandfather, and please take care of the children for the sake of my loyalty."

"It was my fault for not taking good care of the third one."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Next, we will also seriously learn the lesson and give the boys more opportunities to exercise."

"It's like this this year. If the boys are willing to come out and do things next year, let's arrange it."

He looked at Shen Guodong and instructed, "Also ask for their opinions on what they want to do."

"Whether it's trade, the recycling station, or Dongfeng Shipping, arrange it as much as possible. Let everyone make the best use of their talents and everything make the best use of its value."

"Understood, Wu Ge." Shen Guodong nodded, glanced at Ye Erye, and asked Li Xuewu, "Do you want to reorganize the existing personnel structure?"

He understood Li Xuewu's meaning; it seemed he wanted to adjust the organizational structure of several systems.

The current recycling station system was a bit messy. With the development of business, several directions had been formed, and there wasn't much connection between them.

Li Xuewu had already realized this problem, but hindered by the current social situation and business development environment, he didn't dare to make drastic changes to these businesses.

Dongfeng Construction, Dongfeng Shipping, the recycling station, the supply chain, Jinmen Shunfeng Trade, the club, etc. —moving any of them would involve personnel relationships.

The talents he could use now were just these few. This was still saying that Wu Shuping had the idea of settling in the mainland; otherwise, she wouldn't count.

"I will consider this and see later."

He thought for a while, looked at Shen Guodong, and instructed, "Ask the heads of all units about the performance of the boys. Those whose age is enough and whose ability is enough should be given more responsibilities, and those who should be reused should be reused."

Hearing Li Xuewu's words, Ye Erye's eyes were already red. It was the first time in so many years that he had pleaded for someone.

Even if he was being pretentious with Li Xuewu, Xi Yongzhong couldn't come back. What he could do was for the remaining twelve children.

Because of Xi Yongzhong's death, Li Xuewu could think of reusing and cultivating these children. Ye Erye could be considered to have accepted it.

If he didn't accept it, what else could he do? He was a wanderer, and the decency he had now was all given by the proprietor.

It was also a new society, so he dared to mention this to Li Xuewu. If it were the old society, he wouldn't have had the guts.

Shen Guodong was good at observing words and expressions. Hearing Li Xuewu's instructions, he was already thinking about it in his heart.

Li Xuewu had never intended to give these boys the positions of heads of units, let alone let them take the lead.

Distance knows the strength of a horse; time reveals a person's heart.

Li Xuewu and the others all knew how to use these boys. Without ten or eight years of tempering, who would dare to use them?

These children had all gone wild in society. It really wasn't something that could be conquered with a bowl of rice or a piece of clothing; it had to be tempered by time.

Li Xuewu saying he would give them opportunities should be true, but really giving them positions as heads was pure nonsense; it was for Ye Erye to hear.

Shen Guodong naturally heard it. He agreed, but whether he could do it next and how much he could do depended on him.

He also had an explanation; just watch the situation develop.

Ye Erye finished his business, got up, and said he was going back.

Li Xuewu looked at his increasingly thin body and felt emotional in his heart. These thirteen children could be considered to have found a grandfather.

In this day and age, there were all kinds of vicious hearts. There were plenty of people who took these thirteen children as stepping stones.

Sending Ye Erye away, at the gate, Shen Guodong explained softly, "He had been coughing severely a while ago. I took him to the hospital, but he wouldn't go. In the end, I took the boys to carry him there."

"What's the problem?" Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Is there a problem with his body?"

"The doctor said there's nothing wrong with his body; it's just internal heat in autumn."

Shen Guodong shook his head slightly and said, "I don't believe this. I took him to find my godfather and asked. Godfather said it was internal heat attacking the heart, and the depression wasn't dispersed."

He looked in the direction Ye Erye left, sighed slightly, and said, "Godfather said his body had long been riddled with holes. If he continues to toss like this, his already short lifespan will be even worse."

"Have you talked to him?"

Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Does he have any thoughts or demands? Satisfy them as much as possible."

"You know what kind of person he is. He has few words in his heart and rarely talks to us."

Shen Guodong let out a long breath and said, "But I can guess it. It's nothing more than these few children."

"They aren't children anymore." Li Xuewu raised his head slightly and said, "They are seventeen or eighteen-year-old young men."

"This time, he was deeply hit."

Shen Guodong nodded and said, "I'll try my best to enlighten him, or arrange for him to go to several units to take a look, just to relax."

"He won't leave the capital."

Li Xuewu beckoned him to enter the courtyard and said indifferently, "What he cares about most now is falling leaves returning to their roots. He doesn't want to leave his wife and children too far at this age."

Ye Erye had no wife or children; his wife and children had perished in a fire decades ago.

But precisely because of this, he wouldn't leave the capital. Even if he died, he had to die in the capital, wanting to reunite with his wife and children below.

These children were his thoughts, but not his hope. His hope was Li Xuewu's credit.

When he took him in back then, it was agreed that Li Xuewu would be fully responsible for his funeral arrangements, completely according to his wishes.

He wasn't a person who would push his luck and want a glorious funeral. He only asked Li Xuewu to bury him beside his wife and children.

Li Xuewu certainly wouldn't refuse such a small request.

So after getting along for these years, Li Xuewu respected and trusted him enough, and today he could listen to his request.

"You are in the capital and can see him almost every day. Put in more effort."

Li Xuewu instructed him before entering the house, "Second Grandfather has merit to us. If you don't do it for him to see, you have to do it for others to see."

"Wu Ge, don't worry. I understand this principle." Shen Guodong said very seriously, "Third Uncle had already instructed me before leaving the capital. I will pay attention to Second Grandfather's health."

"Hmm, thank you for your hard work—"

Li Xuewu patted his brother's arm, and then entered the house.

At this time, a piece was already lying on the kang in the east room. The children were tired from playing and had all fallen asleep. The women straightened their waists and rested for a while.

Li Xuewu reached out to close the door and returned to the west room.

The west room was also full of snoring. Grandpa and father Li Shun were already lying down, about to fall asleep.

Eldest brother Xuewen and Xuecai were lying on the edge of the kang. The stove was burning vigorously, and it wasn't cold in the house at all.

Only Sha Zhu, who had been drunk long ago, was still squinting his eyes waiting for them to return.

"Are you eating another meal tonight?"

He asked confusedly, "I'm afraid you'll be hungry when you get home."

"We won't eat here even if we're hungry." Li Xuewu looked at him amusingly and said, "Sleep your sleep. We'll go home when the children wake up."

Li Xuewu only dealt with him for two sentences, found a pillow, lay down on the kang, and slept covered with his own jacket.

He had been busy all day, busy in the morning and busy in the afternoon. At this moment, the sun was about to set. If he didn't take a nap while these people were snoring, he would have to wait to sleep together at night.

Shen Guodong didn't feel sleepy, so he lay down on the kang with his head towards the inside, preparing to sleep for a while and then get up to take a look at the big warehouse.

Since the neighbors of the Red Star Factory moved away, there had been less and less liveliness in this courtyard, especially after entering winter. The group's engineering company had sent people to draw measurements and calculate, but they hadn't found time to repair the houses.

However, the engineering company was only targeting those houses that had been replaced, such as the Yan family opposite and the Jia family and the First Grandfather's family in the back courtyard.

According to Sha Zhu, whether this courtyard was lively or not was up to the Li family. If the Li family all came back, the courtyard would be lively. If the Li family all went their separate ways, the courtyard would return to tranquility.

Sha Zhu liked liveliness, but he couldn't bear to part with the house he had just built, so he didn't choose a house in the Workers' New Village.

He went to see the First Grandfather's house; the environment was indeed good, and life was much cleaner. The only bad thing was that the relationship between upstairs and downstairs neighbors was thin.

When they first moved away, the neighbors in the courtyard were still very close, often visiting each other's homes and talking about the people and things after moving away.

After a long time, everyone stopped contacting each other. Unless they met in the factory area or living area, they wouldn't talk.

It wasn't that the relationship was bad, but that everyone had a new circle of friends, that is, everyone had new neighbors, and the old neighbors only existed at the banquet.

Who would still be used to calling old neighbors when doing things? Because the other party still owed their gift money.

It was just that they rarely came back to the courtyard.

At the beginning, there were those who were uncomfortable. For example, the Third Grandmother who lived opposite before would come back from time to time with her granddaughter to see the old house.

When the group hadn't come to collect the house at the beginning, she could still go in and see, picking up some scrap that she forgot to take when moving.

After the group unified the house collection and posted the seal, she couldn't get in, but she would still look for a long time, as if she were recalling things from the past.

At that time, Third Grandfather always wore a pair of large-framed glasses with broken legs wrapped in white tape, and what he cared about most was his seventh-hand bicycle.

Hou Qinghua recalled every bit of the past years, and then thought about herself now, as well as the lives of her children.

The old man was gone, and the eldest was gone. Life always had to go on.

It was just that like other neighbors, she couldn't let go of this place, as if she had left something important behind when moving.

However, after a long time, the number of times she came was less, and even if she passed by, she rarely came into the hutong to take a look.

The group had already unified the house collection. There was news that construction would start next year. After the repair, it would be a house with property rights. They would try their best to put the residents together and vacate the complete courtyard.

Land in the city is worth an inch of gold. Even in this era, it was not enough. Through the development of the Liangma River Industrial Zone, the group also realized that land resources in the capital were scarce resources, especially residential houses in the city.

Li Huai De might not be able to imagine that this city would have tens of millions of permanent residents in the future. Even the few millions now, he felt it was too much.

If it weren't for the young people going to the countryside, the streets of the whole city would still be street loafers.

The Li Xuewu family of four returned home after 7 p. m. He and Gu Ning woke up early, but the children were sleeping soundly, and they couldn't bear to wake them up.

Li Shu went crazy with her younger brother for a day. By the afternoon, the battery was about to run out. After three hours of charging, she was happy again when she returned home.

Li Xuewu cared about the children's learning situation, wanted Li Shu to take her homework to show him, and also asked what the kindergarten had learned.

Li Shu didn't treat it passively. She very much hoped that her father would pay attention to her learning, so she cooperated very well in talking about things in learning.

It could be seen that after that incident, the teachers in the kindergarten were much better to her. She couldn't say three sentences without mentioning the teacher.

Gu Ning took a bath, changed into pajamas, and came down, taking the initiative to ask Li Xuewu about going to East Germany.

"I can't go this month; it will be at least next month."

Li Xuewu looked at his daughter doing homework, shook his head slightly, and explained, "This kind of visit won't take too long. At most, I'll have to come back in three or four days."

He raised his head and looked at Gu Ning, saying, "The work is all in the early stage. I estimate that there will be letters from East German enterprise representatives contacting us starting this month."

"The negotiations will mostly be completed within a day or two after going to East Germany. The early stage is still visiting and probing each other."

Li Xuewu shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile, "It sounds boring, right? In fact, the work all has procedures."

"Will East Germany be very cold?"

Gu Ning frowned and thought, "If I leave next month, do I have to bring wool clothes?"

"Don't worry; it'll be fine to prepare when the time comes."

Li Xuewu smiled, took her hand, and asked, "Are you very worried about me?"

"No—" Gu Ning shook her head slightly and looked at him, saying, "In my mind, you are omnipotent."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu pinched her hand, pulled her to sit behind Li Shu, and watched her do homework.

Li Ning followed Er Ya to take a bath. The three people in the living room chatted around the homework book.

Li Xuewu told Gu Ning about East Germany, but it was only simple and one-sided. At most, it counted as history; he didn't know anything about humanities.

"Will you stay in the capital recently?"

Gu Ning asked casually, but she didn't expect Li Xuewu to be looking at her with a smile.

Perhaps because she was embarrassed by Li Xuewu's look, she pushed Li Xuewu and said, "What are you looking at?"

"You are a little worried about me, right?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "Afraid that I won't come back after going to Germany?"

"You are going to East Germany, not West Germany."

Gu Ning wasn't afraid of this at all, and said indifferently, "Where you go is not important; what's important is where your heart is. If your heart can't be kept, what's the use of having a person?"

Oh—

Li Xuewu widened his eyes in surprise. Was this the first time Gu Ning expressed a jealous attitude?

Only at this moment did he feel that his wife was a woman.

Before? Before, she was just Gu Ning. ===== CHAPTER 1485 =====