Chapter 1499

"Brother—I've missed you so much!"

As soon as she saw Li Xuewu enter the room, Wang Yamei began to act spoiled; her voice was so cloyingly sweet it could kill someone.

Those who knew she was the former sister-in-law would understand, but those who didn't might think there was some story between them in the past.

"You're here." Wang Yamei's parents were also there; their expressions were surprised when they saw him enter with Wang Yajuan, but their tone was very polite.

They wouldn't speak of the business between Li Xuewu and their eldest daughter back then, but later, when the eldest daughter was bullied at her workplace, it was Li Xuewu who stepped in to resolve it.

Truth be told, it was impossible to calculate who owed whom, especially since the younger daughter was right there.

As for what kind of person Wang Yamei used to be, even if others didn't say it, how could they, as parents, not know in their hearts?

If Li Xuewu hadn't arranged a job for her, who knows who she would have run off with long ago.

Now that she could find a good partner like Pa Zile, even if they didn't say it out loud, they still remembered Li Xuewu's kindness in their hearts.

It was just that every time they thought about it, there was a bit of regret in their hearts; who could have imagined it...

That's right, who could have seen it back then? Such a bastard of a kid could actually have such great prospects, becoming a group leader.

Wang's father (Wang Yajuan's father, referred to as Wang Father) worked at a textile factory in the Dongcheng District; which enterprise wouldn't know about the Red Star Factory?

If you asked now, who wouldn't know about the Red Star Steel Group? Which unit wouldn't want to cooperate with the Red Star Steel Group and obtain the status of an affiliated unit?

With the status of an affiliated unit, one could open an account at the United Savings Bank and enter the Jinmen Trade Management Center under the Group's sales headquarters, thus gaining the ability to participate in supply chain sales and export trade procurement projects.

There were many textile factories in Beijing, and now, which unit wasn't fully staffed with workers, with production capacity in a state of surplus?

Wang Father knew that the state's regulatory efforts had been decreasing over the past few years; as far as the textile industry was concerned, solving the national supply and sales problem was just around the corner.

In other words, it was very likely that one wouldn't need to use cloth coupons to buy fabric at the supply and marketing cooperatives anymore.

How should the overflow phenomenon caused by such overcapacity be solved?

Opening the floodgates would inevitably cause product backlog and price drops; exporting was naturally the most appropriate solution, and textiles had always been a major export item.

Since textiles were a major export item, why were textile factories still trying every possible way to board the big ship of the Trade Management Center?

It was very simple: textile factory products exported through conventional channels could only be handled by the Textile Export Corporation, with no bargaining power or signing authority.

What styles to produce and how much to produce were all the responsibility of the Export Corporation.

How much money was earned had nothing to do with the textile factory, because what they received wasn't a procurement contract, but a production plan and task.

The superior unit allocated the funds needed for production and operation, and wouldn't issue an extra cent in benefits.

Now, stimulated by the Red Star Steel Group, many units in Beijing were looking for ways to solve and improve welfare benefits for their workers.

How high was the status of workers in this era? If they weren't served well, they could go to the factory leader's office and curse.

Of course, textile factories also wanted welfare benefits; who didn't want to live a more prosperous life?

Going through the Export Corporation's channels, they couldn't get much money; at most, it was a bonus, but that amount of money was no different from a drop in the bucket for the massive need for welfare benefits.

But it was different in the Trade Management Center's centralized procurement system; although they still couldn't contact foreign merchants directly, they were receiving procurement contracts.

In other words, as long as they were within the affiliated unit system, they had the opportunity to bid for centralized procurement projects.

Almost every year, every quarter, every month, and even every week, there were such bidding activities.

As long as your factory's products were qualified and met production standards, you had the qualifications to participate in bargaining and obtain the most suitable reserve price.

Centralized procurement projects were all large projects, basically all export projects; getting one meant making a profit.

The Trade Management Center's bidding had standards: the number of winning enterprises must exceed three, and the total number of orders must definitely exceed the number of bids.

If these orders were really handed to one enterprise, it might truly be impossible to complete them while ensuring its own production plan, and it might even delay both sides.

Using overflow capacity to bid and solve the enterprise's flexible capital problem was just right.

Naturally, the textile factory where Wang Father worked had also joined the Red Star Steel Group's affiliated units.

However, it wasn't through him; at the time, the factory leaders really asked who had connections with Red Star.

Someone mentioned him, saying his eldest daughter was at Red Star, and perhaps she could find a connection.

But Wang Father knew clearly who the eldest daughter had relied on for connections when she first went to the Red Star Factory.

Some things were really hard to say; back then, the Beijing Railway Art Troupe was facing the crisis of dissolution, and the eldest daughter was about to be unemployed; the two of them had been so worried they hadn't slept for two nights.

And the result?

The eldest daughter, along with the entire art troupe, was transferred to the Red Star Factory and even switched to a cadre position.

Wang Yajuan didn't explain, but as her father, how could he not know? Without absolute connections, without the existence of the eldest daughter, why would the Red Star Factory want their entire art troupe?

Therefore, the name Li Xuewu was complex and tangled in his heart.

When the factory leader asked him if he had connections, what could he say? He could only say his daughter didn't have any connections.

He still remembered the disappointed look in the leader's eyes at that time, which had also caused him to lose the opportunity for advancement until now.

Of course, at his age, he no longer thought about career advancement; a harmonious family was his pursuit.

Wang Yamei had settled down, her partner had prospects in the Garrison District, and now she even had a child.

The only thing that worried him was his eldest daughter, especially the scene that happened mid-year.

He had also lost his temper at his eldest daughter; breaking off an engagement without even being engaged—wasn't this just ruining herself?

But the eldest daughter was no longer under his control; she said she wouldn't marry, so she wouldn't; she said she wanted to transfer from the Group to Steel City, so she transferred immediately.

Now, it was even worse; he couldn't control her even if he wanted to.

You tell me, in any unit, can you transfer wherever you want? Is the unit run by your family?

Don't even mention it; his daughter had this ability, which really left him speechless.

But, because his daughter really had this ability and had truly advanced in her career, he was worried again.

What exactly did this count as?

Learning from the younger daughter's mouth that Li Xuewu was already married with children, what did it count as for the two of them to be together now?

You say the two are innocent, but why could Li Xuewu take such good care of the eldest daughter?

Were cadre positions that easy to switch to?

Two advancements in three years, and then a transfer from the Group to a local branch—he wouldn't even dare to say he had that ability.

If it weren't for Li Xuewu, this matter couldn't be explained at all.

But if there really was some special relationship, what were the two of them thinking?

He couldn't accept this abnormal relationship; it wasn't that he was old-fashioned or concerned about family reputation, he just simply felt sorry for his daughter being a mistress.

He had also come from the old society; how could he not know the status and life of a concubine in a wealthy household?

Calling her a concubine, she was just a mistress, without even the most basic security.

He had ten thousand things he wanted to say to his daughter, but the relationship between father and daughter was very stiff.

Now that the eldest daughter appeared at home with Li Xuewu, he couldn't say anything at all.

Wang Yamei was like a child, jumping up and down when she saw the other person, not at all like someone in postpartum confinement.

Before Li Xuewu could speak, he greeted him nervously, and regretted it as soon as he finished.

"Uncle Wang, you're doing quite well."

Li Xuewu noticed Wang Father's awkwardness, asked with a smile, and handed him a cigarette at the same time.

Wang Father reached out to take it, nodded, and said, "Good, good, sit down quickly."

"Auntie, you're doing quite well too."

Li Xuewu endured Wang Yamei's chatter in his ear and greeted Wang Mother with a smile.

"Brother! What about me—"

Wang Yamei called out to him, "Do you want to see the baby?"

The way she said that—the baby wasn't his, why would he be in such a hurry to see it?

"Be quiet, you never have a moment of peace."

Wang Mother really couldn't take it anymore, glared at her daughter, turned her head to look at Li Xuewu, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Doing quite well, sit down and talk."

"Dad, Mom."

The room was very lively for a moment, but Wang Yajuan spoke very little, only greeting them simply.

The look in Wang Father's eyes as he looked at his daughter was somewhat sentimental, but Wang Mother reached out and took her daughter's hand directly.

"You leave as soon as you say you will, and you've been gone for a year." Wang Mother complained resentfully, "Do you really not miss home, or miss your father and me?"

"Mom—" Mother and daughter were about to shed tears as they spoke, while Wang Father kept smoking.

Li Xuewu looked at the expressive Wang Yamei and asked with amusement, "Where's the baby?"

"In the inner room, do you want to see?"

Wang Yamei finally got the opportunity to show off and beckoned to him, saying, "Come—"

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu also wanted to give the mother and daughter time to talk, so after nodding to Wang Father, he went to the inner room.

It was very obvious that the temperature in the inner room was higher; a chubby little baby was lying on the bed fast asleep, looking well-developed, without the wrinkled appearance of a newborn.

A baby not even a month old, yet growing so big—it was clear the foundation was truly solid.

"His name is Xiriahong, meaning lion; Pa Zile gave him the name."

Wang Yamei was still an optimist, showing off her baby to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu reached out and touched the baby's little hand, took a red envelope out of his pocket, and tucked it under the baby's little pillow.

"Brother—" Wang Yamei said coquettishly.

"Don't be polite, it's for the baby." Li Xuewu smiled and said, "May he live a long life."

"Who's being polite with you—"

Wang Yamei reached out and squeezed the thick red envelope, smiling with satisfaction, and said, "You're my brother; I'm just reminding you that giving too little won't do."

This was only because they were at home and her parents were there; otherwise, she would have really dared to call him brother-in-law.

In her heart, Li Xuewu was her eldest brother-in-law; when her eldest sister went on blind dates and got engaged, she hadn't even called the other men brother-in-law, knowing it wouldn't work out.

It had to be the eldest brother-in-law; one move and he could make people satisfied, with a bulging red envelope.

"You child—"

Wang Mother, who had just come in, patted her reprovingly and said, "Why are you talking like that?"

"But it's true—"

Wang Yamei put the red envelope away, smiled at Li Xuewu, and said, "Thank you, brother; I won't be polite with you anymore. In the future, I'll have my son call you godfather."

"Hehe—"

Li Xuewu was also amused by her; he hadn't even done anything yet, and he was already giving red envelopes and becoming a godfather.

Wang Yajuan walked behind with red eyes, listening to them talk, and sat on the bed.

Looking at the baby sleeping soundly, her eyes were full of tenderness and love.

Seeing her like this, Wang Mother couldn't stop the tears she had just wiped away.

"Alright, I just came to see you."

Li Xuewu said to Wang Yamei with a smile, "Take good care of your health, don't act up, be careful of suffering when you're old."

He gestured toward the door and said, "I just got back and didn't buy you anything, but there are dried fruits I brought from Steel City; eat them when you finish your confinement."

"Brother, are you leaving already?"

Wang Yamei said with some reluctance, "Stay for lunch before you go."

"I haven't even gotten home yet, and there's a meeting in the afternoon; we'll gather again when you finish your confinement."

Li Xuewu patted her arm lightly and said to Wang Mother, "Auntie, I'm heading back; Pa Zile is busy with work, so you've been working hard."

This was spoken from the identity of an older brother; he was indeed the older brother to Pa Zile.

It was hard to say whether the two families were distant or close; just as Wang Father and Wang Mother's feelings toward him were complex, he also felt somewhat awkward and uncomfortable here.

Coming out of the inner room, Wang Father stood up when he heard his words.

"Leaving already?"

"Uncle Wang, I have work in the afternoon."

Li Xuewu took the initiative to reach out his hand for the first time and shook hands with his former rival.

Wang Father was both surprised and moved; he couldn't describe his feelings while shaking hands with him.

Wang Yajuan was doting on the baby in the inner room, and when Wang Yamei wanted to see him out, she was scolded back by her mother.

It was Wang Father and Wang Mother who saw him out.

Meeting a neighbor from the unit at the door, the two families seemed very familiar and even exchanged greetings.

Li Xuewu didn't mind the other person's inquisitive gaze and went downstairs after saying goodbye once more.

The neighbor looked at the young man wearing a clearly high-end wool coat, with a white shirt collar showing and black leather shoes, carrying the full characteristics of a cadre, and asked Wang Father with a smile, "Is this a relative?"

"No, a friend of Xiaojuan's."

Wang Mother was better at handling the situation than Wang Father; fearing her husband would be put on the spot, she took the initiative to explain.

They had been old neighbors for many years and were colleagues of her husband, so how could she not answer?

If she didn't say anything, who knows what might be spread around.

Even with that explanation, the other person asked gossiping, "Is this Xiaojuan's partner?"

Before the couple could explain, the person pursed their lips and nodded, saying, "He looks quite intimidating, but he has a decent, upright temperament."

When they saw the young man who had just gone downstairs get into a high-end sedan through the window in the hallway, the person's eyes widened even more.

What a chatterbox.

He recognized the rather special license plate.

When he wanted to verify it with the Wang couple again, he saw that they had already closed the door and returned to the room.

Inside the Wang house, the couple breathed a sigh of relief after entering, but also felt very sad.

Looking at each other, they both saw a bit of sighing in each other's eyes.

Listening to the conversation between the two sisters in the inner room, they felt even more blocked in their hearts.

"Why did you come back so fast?"

Wang Yamei asked curiously, "Did you come back with him? Did you come back by plane?"

"Mm."

Wang Yajuan spoke little; answering her sister's questions was just "mm," or "no."

"Did you come over right after getting off the plane?"

Wang Yamei was talkative and seemed curious about everything, "Did he come specifically to send you?"

"No." Wang Yajuan knew what her sister wanted to ask and said indifferently, "He came specifically to see you."

"Hehe—"

Wang Yamei took the red envelope out of her pocket, opened it, and counted the money, saying, "It would have been enough for him to just come; you say he even gave such a big red envelope."

"You should be more careful—"

Wang Yajuan glared at her sister and reminded her, "You dare to make any joke; you even dared to call his office."

"Is that what he gave you the number for? What if someone else heard it?"

"He didn't stop me, which means there was no one else—" Wang Yamei shook the red envelope in her hand indifferently and said happily, "Fifty yuan; brother-in-law... he's too generous—"

Knowing she had said the wrong thing, but the word "in-law" had already been spoken and couldn't be taken back; she could only speak as softly as possible, as she was also afraid her parents would hear.

But these words had already caused her sister to glare at her.

"You just won't grow up—"

Wang Yajuan scolded her unhappily, "You're already a mother, and you're still like this; see how your child laughs at you in the future."

"He won't—"

Wang Yamei casually put the red envelope on the head of the bed; she wasn't someone who only cared about money. What she was happy about wasn't the red envelope, nor how much money Li Xuewu gave her, but this sentiment.

She knew Li Xuewu wasn't short of money; giving so much could only mean he valued this relationship.

Pa Zile's salary wasn't low, and there was her parents' too.

Besides, she had saved quite a bit in the years she had been working; truth be told, she had never really lacked money to spend since she grew up.

But this was the first time she had seen a fifty-yuan red envelope, and she couldn't hide her joy inside.

"Are you feeling sorry for him?"

Wang Yamei teased her sister on purpose, leaned closer, and said softly, "Does he give you pocket money too?"

"Are you looking for trouble?"

Wang Yajuan glared at her sister and said, "I'm in confinement, so I don't dare to deal with you, right?"

"I didn't ask anything else—"

Wang Yamei looked at her sister aggrievedly and said, "You followed him to Steel City, and he sent you home; are you two still innocent?"

"None of your business—"

Wang Yajuan snapped at her unhappily, stood up, and said, "Take better care of the baby."

"Where are you going?"

Seeing her sister stand up to leave, Wang Yamei chased her out of the room and said, "Not staying at home?"

At this time, her parents also looked over, and their eyes were full of surprise when they saw her carrying the luggage from the floor.

"Xiaojuan, you—"

"This time it's an official trip; I have to report to the guesthouse, which provides free accommodation."

Wang Yajuan explained to her mother, "I'll come back after I put my luggage away."

"Just stay at home—"

Wang Mother chased after her and said concernedly, "Your room has been cleaned up for you."

"The Group has regulations; official trips must be handled according to policy regarding accommodation."

Wang Yajuan comforted her mother and looked at her father, fearing he would overthink it.

"Let's go, I'll send you over."

Wang Father seemed to have thought it through; he took the initiative to take the cotton coat and hat off the hanger and said to his wife, "Prepare lunch, we'll eat when we get back."

Wang Yajuan tacitly agreed with her father's opinion, stood at the door with her luggage, watched her father change his shoes, and listened to her mother's nagging and instructions; at this moment, she felt that what Li Xuewu said was right.

She had grown up, but she also needed her family.

"Hey hey hey—"

He Yuzhu thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he saw it was really him, he waved his hand quickly.

Li Xuewu turned back from the hanging flower gate and smiled when he saw him coming out of the inverted room to greet him.

"Dressed like a groom, getting married? So grand."

He saw Seeing Sha Zhu wearing a clean and neat Zhongshan suit, looking more like a cadre than a cadre.

"Hey! You guessed right!"

Seeing Sha Zhu laughed and walked over to explain, "But it's not me being the groom; it's my apprentice Ma Hua; today is his big day."

"Oh—" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you just come back from there?"

"A master has to be a bit reserved."

Seeing Sha Zhu grinned and laughed, saying, "I'm his witness; I can't get drunk and sloppy, and then just stay there without leaving; how embarrassing would that be?"

"Hehe, alright, you've become sensible."

Li Xuewu deliberately sized him up and joked, "Better than before."

"Hehehe—" Seeing Sha Zhu didn't mind and looked at him, asking, "Did you just get back?"

"Got back this morning, went to the Group for a meeting, just finished."

Li Xuewu raised his hand to gesture toward his home and said, "Going to see the old lady, you go ahead with your business."

"Alright, come over in a while."

Seeing Li Xuewu's mother greeting him from the room, Seeing Sha Zhu didn't want to continue disturbing him, greeted Liu Yin, and gave Li Xuewu a reminder.

He gestured toward the inverted room behind him, winked, and turned back.

This house was clearly in Li Xuewu's name, but now it was starting to look like his home.

"Why did you come back so suddenly?"

Liu Yin welcomed her son, sized him up, and asked with some surprise.

Li Xuewu looked at his mother and smiled, explaining, "Came back for a meeting, going abroad in a few days."

"Going abroad already?"

Liu Yin was still very worried, feeling that nowhere was as good as home; there was no glory on her face that her son could go abroad for official business.

Mother and son talked as they entered the room; the courtyard in winter was like this—warm when the sun hit it, and cold and gloomy when it didn't.

Even though the house had earth heating, it still carried a bit of chill.

This chill wasn't the temperature in the room, but the mood, the feeling of the sun setting.

A greeting came from the south room, and as they spoke, they saw her walking out of the inner room.

"Why didn't you give a heads-up before coming back?" Zhao Yafang asked with a smile, "When did you get home?"

"Got here this morning, went home first."

Li Xuewu smiled, entered the north room with them, and explained to the old lady who was also concerned about him, "Had a meeting in the afternoon."

"You're busy enough."

Zhao Yafang was wearing thick pajamas, and even though the temperature in the room was sufficient, she was still clenching her hands.

This was the price of giving birth; cold limbs in winter were a sign of a depleted body.

"Busy is good, busy is good."

The old lady put down the tobacco pouch in her hand and gestured for him to sit closer to talk.

Li Xuewu sat by the edge of the kang and asked his mother and sister-in-law, "Is Li Yue asleep?"

"Oh, don't mention it—"

Liu Yin turned back in distress and explained, "The big one is asleep, the small one is grinding; by the time the small one is coaxed to sleep, the big one wakes up; it's so noisy."

"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu smiled and looked at his sister-in-law, asking, "You look like you've lost weight?"

"Can I not lose weight if I can't sleep well?"

Zhao Yafang rubbed her face and said, "I feel like I've aged ten years."

"One is different from two."

Liu Yin let out a long sigh and said, "The more it's like this, the more I miss my eldest granddaughter."

"When I had Li Ning, I was worried you wouldn't be able to take care of them, but it turns out Li Shu is the well-behaved one; she really didn't cause you any trouble."

"The boy is truly naughty—"

She rubbed her head and said, "He doesn't even greet you; he just turns his head and starts rummaging through boxes and cabinets, or he just goes out for a walk."

"Now even your father is begging for mercy; if this continues, we'll have to sleep in separate rooms; he wants to go to the front courtyard."

"Hehehe—"

Li Xuewu listened to the lively scene and looked at his mother, asking, "Li Xue isn't coming back to sleep?"

"She's also afraid of not sleeping well—"

Liu Yin sighed and explained, "That's why, at the beginning of autumn, she lit the stove in the backyard and moved to the backyard to live."

"I've also thought it through; this isn't a solution either."

She said to Zhao Yafang, "If it doesn't work, I'll take the eldest to sleep in this room, and let your father go to the front courtyard."

"Forget it, Grandma can't take it either."

Zhao Yafang said bitterly, "Li Tang gets up to play in the middle of the night, and we can't coax him back."

"Let the old lady go to the backyard."

Liu Yin let out a long sigh and said, "Go keep Li Xue company; I'm always worried about her living in the backyard alone."

The old lady didn't mind where she slept; she tapped her tobacco pouch and asked her second grandson, "Are you going abroad this time? When are you leaving?"

She must have heard what the mother and daughter were saying in the courtyard, which is why she asked.

Looking at her, she was over sixty, her tobacco pouch had never left her hand in her life, she wasn't deaf or blind, and her voice was full of energy when she spoke.

"Leaving on the 23rd, going to Hong Kong first."

Li Xuewu didn't find the old lady's questioning annoying and carefully introduced the relevant itinerary.

He didn't know if the old lady understood or not, but she nodded anyway.

"Oh, going for so many days."

Liu Yin asked reluctantly, "Do you have to take a detour on the way back? It must take up a lot of time, right?"

"That depends on the arrangements; we're with the group when we go, and it's the same when we come back."

Li Xuewu tried his best to comfort his mother and also tried his best to lead the topic to the family members.

Father Li Shun had returned from the research institute on the mountain, but he still held the position of deputy director.

This was a position given after he returned; before that, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital hadn't officially recognized the research institution sent to the mountain.

Starting this year, the planting of Chinese herbal medicine on the mountain had revenue and had become a treasure of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Before, doing this was mostly to preserve strength, sending medical personnel with special circumstances up the mountain to avoid any accidents.

It was the leaders of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital who had foresight; among all the hospitals in Beijing, the one that truly preserved its strength was the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Li Shun went up the mountain several times a month, and the rest of the time he saw patients as usual.

The old saying goes, father and son soldiers on the battlefield; now Li Shun and Li Xuecai, father and son, had truly become colleagues.

This had become an interesting topic in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital; even if this era emphasized inheriting the father's career, it was still rare to see father and son as colleagues in a hospital.

It wasn't that no one had thought about cultivating their children to take over their jobs, but the wind had been too strong these past few years, and who knows how many people's hopes had been blown out.

Especially with the job assignment situation this year, they didn't care where you were from; they all assigned you far away.

Families like Li Xuecai's, who interned at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and got employed there, didn't know how many families they would make envious.

Everyone knew the Li family was powerful now; three sons, two in-laws with ability—who let their sons be promising and have connections to stay in Beijing.

"Your eldest brother is still the same."

Seeing Li Xuewu ask, Zhao Yafang introduced with a smile, "Now he doesn't even go to school; he's either in the lab or in the library."

"Your bicycle was a great help to him; he goes wherever he wants."

"Don't forget to pay the rent."

Li Xuewu joked, "My bike even has a light; it cost five yuan more."

"Hahaha, go ask your eldest brother for it."

Zhao Yafang said with a smile, "When you find him, tell him by the way that he still has a wife and children."

"What's wrong? Did he run away from home too?"

Li Xuewu asked with amusement, "A father not at home coaxing his children? Hiding away?"

"Ask him when you see him."

Zhao Yafang twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "He said he cleaned up a room at school, eats in the cafeteria, and his life is as carefree as it gets; he's just missing a girlfriend."

"That's your fault then."

Li Xuewu joked, "With my eldest brother's personality, if you don't take the initiative to help introduce someone, he's too lazy to look for a partner."

"Hahaha—"

"You don't know, right? Xu Damao is back; it happened a while ago."

Seeing Sha Zhu raised his eyebrows and said, "He even came to the courtyard, saying his father died."

"Bringing the remains back to Beijing for burial?"

Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea and asked, "Is their family ancestral grave in Beijing?"

"Local residents, you don't know."

Seeing Sha Zhu nodded and explained, "I didn't see it; I just heard him say it himself."

"He looks quite smug, bringing his mother, wife, and children back together."

"Wife and children?" Li Xuewu raised his head and asked, "He has children?"

"Mm, a little boy, looks very handsome."

Seeing Sha Zhu said with a smile, "His wife is good-looking, Yang Hua; she's quite famous."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu certainly remembered Yang Hua, and he also remembered Xu Damao's father coming to beg him.

At that time, if it hadn't been for his intervention, Xu Damao would have been guilty of a crime punishable by death.

Up to now, there was no one in the Red Star Factory who played as wildly as them; he didn't even count.

The few who were executed didn't die unjustly at all; at least Xu Damao had a bit more conscience than them, knowing to pay money.

The women who were called in for investigation said other things about him, but none said he didn't pay.

Not paying is called rape, paying is called whoring; the nature is different, and the way of handling it is different, so he escaped a disaster.

It's just that he didn't expect his father wouldn't escape the disaster of fleeing thousands of miles away and died in a foreign land.

"Hey, he was even sighing."

Seeing Sha Zhu introduced while drinking hot tea, "As soon as he entered the courtyard and saw me, he said 'things have changed and people are different' to me, and asked about almost all the neighbors."

"Only you—"

He stared, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "He didn't ask about your situation."

"Hehe, we have no friendship."

Li Xuewu said with a light smile, "He was right not to ask about me."

"Hehehe—" Seeing Sha Zhu laughed maliciously and said, "Don't worry, I'm such a warm-hearted person; even if he didn't ask, I told him, hahaha!"

"You don't say, he's doing quite well now; I heard he's become a cadre."

After the malicious laugh, Seeing Sha Zhu raised his eyebrows and said, "Grandma Sun, the neighbor next door, really knows how to talk; she kept praising how good-looking their child was."

"After he left, she said, 'Looking at him, he doesn't look like a Xu family member.'"

"Oh? How do you say that?"

Li Xuewu also knew from Lou Xiaoe that this Xu Damao perhaps shouldn't have a son.

But he had never told anyone about this; how embarrassing.

Seeing Sha Zhu didn't mind the embarrassment and explained maliciously, "I don't think he looks like one either; the key is that I know Yang Hua; she's not an honest person."

"Hehe, are you a customer too?"

Li Xuewu understood what he meant and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Didn't expect that."

"Go—how could I be."

Seeing Sha Zhu waved his hand and said to prove his innocence, "I heard it from others too."

Li Xuewu certainly knew what Yang Hua used to do; Xu Damao's father had introduced her to him.

In such an urgent situation, where could their family find a good girl to marry home? They could only pick a prostitute to save the situation.

It's just that Yang Hua wasn't someone easy to fool; once you get involved, it's for a lifetime.

"I know my own business."

Seeing Sha Zhu winked and asked, "Do you want to know how I know that child isn't his?"

"You know medicine too?"

Li Xuewu asked with amusement, "Looking, listening, asking, and feeling the pulse—knowing who isn't whose son."

"Hey, I really have this ability."

Seeing Sha Zhu tilted his head and explained with a smile, "When Grandma Sun was praising their child, Xu Damao's mother's expression was clearly wrong, very awkward, and she wasn't very close to the child."

"Even if I misjudged that, I have a basic understanding of Yang Hua, right?"

He said confidently, "You didn't see it; when Guodong came back, Yang Hua's eyes were almost growing on Guodong."

"Did he come back driving?"

Li Xuewu thought of it in an instant and asked with a smile, "Guodong looks very average."

"Guodong went to the district for a meeting."

Seeing Sha Zhu raised his eyebrows and explained, "Wearing that white shirt, it was so energetic."

"Plus driving a small car, Yang Hua couldn't wait to jump over and get to know him."

He tilted his head and gestured toward the courtyard entrance, saying, "Right here, I introduced Xu Damao to them, and Yang Hua was almost sticking to Guodong; her two eyes were glowing green!"

"Really didn't expect it; this woman is really scary when she's proactive, right in front of her husband."

"Did Guodong come back alone?"

Li Xuewu put down his teacup and asked, "Isn't Xiaoyan here?"

"Xiaoyan came over after hearing the conversation."

Seeing Sha Zhu said with a smile, "It was after they all left that Xiaoyan said it, saying Yang Hua's slutty smell could be smelled from two miles away."

"She was saying that for Shen Guodong to hear."

He really didn't mind the trouble, laughed maliciously and said, "Just because Yang Hua said a few words to Shen Guodong, she got jealous."

"Didn't your wife say you were meddling?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "Are you quite free lately?"

"Hi, just watching the fun—"

Seeing Sha Zhu picked up his teacup and explained with a smile, "It just happened that I bought winter vegetables and had nothing to do; anyway, I've known him for half my life."

"You two are quite sympathetic."

Li Xuewu said with amusement, "Didn't you ask him to stay for a while?"

"Even if I asked him, he wouldn't dare."

Seeing Sha Zhu laughed maliciously, "You didn't see the look on Xu Damao and his mother's faces when Yang Hua was acting slutty toward Guodong; I saw he was green with envy."

"After he left, everyone said that child wasn't his, because he didn't look like him at all."

He joked, "Xu Damao even asked Lou Xiaoe indirectly, asking where she went after moving out of here; it's just that no one knows, looks like he went to the Lou family to look for her."

Speaking of Xu Damao and Lou Xiaoe, it seemed like people and things from many years ago; Seeing Sha Zhu was also quite moved, having a feeling of meeting an old friend again.

"He has aged significantly; he must have suffered quite a bit these past few years."

"How is that possible? Sichuan is very nourishing." Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, "The girls from there have watery faces."

"I didn't see a watery Xu Damao, but I did see a skinny and dry Xu Damao."

Seeing Sha Zhu sighed, "I heard there was no harvest, and many people were hungry."

"Don't know how this family survived in Sichuan, but they look pretty good now."

He smiled and explained, "There's a feeling of returning home in glory, it's just that the departure was a bit miserable."

"He must have secretly inquired about your current situation to verify my introduction."

Seeing him look over, Seeing Sha Zhu explained with a smile, "It scared him to death; I saw that his desire for revenge hadn't died, but he was scared half to death by your current status."

"It's a pity, I also want to see him." Li Xuewu said with a smile, "How many times can a person meet an old friend in a lifetime? How hard it is to meet again."

"What's hard about it—"

Seeing Sha Zhu's words were really mean, "Wait until his mother dies, and you'll be able to see him again."

On December 21, the Red Star Steel Group's Northeast High-Quality Development Work Conference was held in the small conference room on the 9th floor of the Group's Gemini office building.

Members of the Group's Management Committee attended, and Li Xuewu delivered a work report to the Management Committee.

In the report, he enumerated the changes before and after working in Liaodong.

First, the difficulty of insufficient production resources was fully resolved, reserve capacity was greatly improved, and industrial industries such as coal, steel, and electricity made rapid progress in this year.

Secondly, the reform of office and management systems—after Li Xuewu went to work in Liaodong, the original appearance had basically changed, and the enthusiasm and ideological state of the staff had been greatly improved.

Third, discipline inspection and supervision work achieved outstanding results, effectively solving the contradictions in organizational work and boosting the work enthusiasm of all staff.

Fourth, personnel issues were fully resolved, the Group's influence on industrial enterprises was greatly deepened, and the Group's integration goal was reflected.

Fifth, environmental sanitation issues—since the introduction of the renewable energy treatment plant, the sanitation environment within the Red Star Steel City Industrial Park had been greatly improved, and it was hard to see mountains of garbage and scrap piles in the factory area anymore.

Sixth, the implementation of medical security policies was effective; the United Industrial Hospital and Sanatorium landed in Steel City, and the Steel City branch of the United Industrial Hospital and the Qianshan Sanatorium were established, providing full protection for the medical and health of the Group's staff.

Seventh...

Li Xuewu's report was detailed and powerful; the true work achievements were placed in front of everyone, and it was also an excellent answer sheet handed to the Management Committee.

In fact, which of the team members didn't know his work ability? They weren't surprised by his work achievements, but surprised that he could create such brilliant performance in such a short time.

The industrial enterprise resources of the Group stationed in Liaodong were integrated this year, that is, during Li Xuewu's tenure, forming combat effectiveness.

They could feel the booming development momentum from Liaodong without even going down for research while sitting in the Group's office.

This truly confirmed the saying: it's easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away.

Li Xuewu did two years' worth of work in one year; they should think about how to deal with the next step.

At the very least, Old Li should think about how to arrange Li Xuewu next—promotion?