Chapter 1581: Brother-in-law?

"Brother Wu?"

"Comrade, who are you looking for?"

Zhang Enyuan was standing by the tea cabinet at the door when he suddenly heard someone standing at the entrance call out. Surprised, he hurriedly turned back to respond.

Wang Yamei glanced at him and only then realized there was a guest in Brother Wu's office. She stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and explained, "I'm looking for..."

"Yamei, why are you here?"

Li Xuewu was even more surprised than Zhang Enyuan. He stood up from the sofa, looked her up and down, and asked with a smile, "Here to pick up your sister?"

"Yes, am I disturbing your work?" Wang Yamei pursed her lips and said hesitantly, "I just came to see you..."

She was indeed a bit scared; the secretary standing at the door just now had a very serious expression.

Furthermore, she had never been to the Red Star Factory to find Li Xuewu, let alone seen his office. She glanced around, and the solemn atmosphere hit her.

"It's fine, she's a younger sister from the family."

Li Xuewu nodded to the wary Zhang Enyuan in explanation, then looked at Wang Yamei and said, "I have some things to attend to here. You go wait for me in the room next door for a while."

"No, no, you carry on." Wang Yamei saw that he really was busy, so she waved her hands repeatedly and said, "My sister asked me to come help her pack, and knowing you were here, I just came to see you."

She glanced into the office; the woman inside was still teary-eyed, and things seemed quite troublesome, so she didn't want to stay and add to his chaos.

"Seeing you is enough. I missed you."

"It's not like we can't see each other." Li Xuewu walked to the door and patted her arm, saying, "Go sit next door with Secretary Zhang first. I'll come find you once I'm done here."

"Your sister isn't leaving today, right? I'll treat you all to dinner tonight."

"Then... I'll wait for you?" Wang Yamei looked past him into the room again, and seeing that Brother Wu had arranged it this way, she agreed.

"You take her over first." Li Xuewu turned to Zhang Enyuan and instructed, "Come back in a while."

"Understood, Leader." Zhang Enyuan put down the teacup in his hand, raised his hand to gesture to the girl standing at the door, and said, "Please come this way."

Wang Yamei was curious about who Brother Wu was seeing, and why they were crying so much. She glanced back as she left.

"Sorry, did I cause you trouble?" she asked embarrassedly, "I didn't know you were busy."

"It's fine. I didn't know you were a guest of the Secretary-General." Zhang Enyuan smiled back, opened the door to the reception room, and gestured, "Please come in."

"Thank you." Wang Yamei nodded and walked curiously into the spacious reception room. It was an office space, after all, and even the sofa arrangement revealed a sense of seriousness.

White walls, black sofas, white gauze cloths draped over the sofa backs and armrests, and the teacup Zhang Secretary brought her even had the words "Red Steel Group" printed on it.

She had just come from the broadcast station side and hadn't even experienced this kind of atmosphere in her sister's office. She couldn't help but feel that Brother Wu was much more impressive than her sister.

"Please sit anywhere, have some tea." Zhang Enyuan placed the teacup on the coffee table, greeted her with a smile, and said, "If you need anything, just let me know."

"No, thank you." Wang Yamei sat down on the sofa in front of where he had placed the teacup, nodded with a smile, and said, "I'll just wait a while. If Brother Wu... if he can't finish, I'll head back first. You don't need to worry about me."

"You're Li Kezhang Wang's younger sister, right?"

Zhang Enyuan had already carefully observed her appearance and heard the leader's mention. Combining that with what she said, he guessed the situation.

"Ah, my sister is—" Wang Yamei didn't react for a moment to who the Li Kezhang Wang he was asking about was, then smiled and said, "Yes, I'm Wang Yajuan's younger sister."

"You look just like her." Zhang Enyuan smiled and said, "Just now when you stood there, I felt you looked familiar."

He found a small box containing sugar, peanuts, and melon seeds from the tea cabinet drawer and placed it in front of her, saying, "Please wait a while. Since the leader said he would come to see you, he will definitely be able to spare the time."

"Please don't be formal. I have to go back to the other side, so I won't keep you company."

"Thank you, I'm really sorry."

Wang Yamei stood up to thank him, then watched him leave.

Thinking about the other party's words and actions just now, and looking at the half-open door and the small snack box on the coffee table, she suddenly felt that there were really a lot of rules in this place.

Using tea and melon seeds to entertain guests wasn't anything rare; who didn't entertain guests like that if they had the conditions? It was just that she had never seen anyone be so formal.

The tea wasn't just tea, and the snack box wasn't just melon seeds and peanuts. If it were at home, it would feel harmonious and heartwarming, but placed here, it felt like there was a sense of restraint.

Zhang Enyuan returned to the office while Liu Yaqin was still crying, with her son and daughter, Yu Yang and Yu Jia, sitting beside her, their faces full of sorrow.

He finished brewing the tea he had only half-brewed, carried the teacup to the other party, and greeted softly, "Please have some tea."

Liu Yaqin nodded slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Zhang Enyuan placed two more cups of tea in front of Yu Yang and Yu Jia, who were already a big boy and a big girl.

They didn't know if they were being polite or just negligent; they just stared blankly as he placed the tea and didn't say a word.

Zhang Enyuan wouldn't hold it against them. The pillar of this family had collapsed; he knew how miserable they were.

He didn't know Wang Yamei. When she burst in, Liu Yaqin and her children had only just sat down on the sofa. Otherwise, how could he have been standing at the door brewing tea?

Li Xuewu's work schedule and arrangements were fixed; who he saw at what time was all arranged by him. Bursting in suddenly had given him a fright.

This mother and her children were troublesome enough. If they caused any more trouble, he wouldn't be able to withstand the leader's anger, so he was very cautious.

Of course, sympathy was sympathy, but work still had to be done.

"Stop crying first. You can state your requests."

Li Xuewu glanced at her, let out a long breath, and said, "The investigation team has already talked to you, right? Just wait for the news."

"How long do we have to wait?"

Liu Yaqin looked up, her eyes teary, and said, "Old Yu is already like that, yet he still can't be laid to rest. Now the children are also implicated. How do you expect me to wait?"

She cried and said, "It's been several months since Old Yu's incident. Even if they were using a magnifying glass, they should have investigated it clearly by now, right?"

"Our house has almost been turned upside down, yet they still won't give us an explanation."

She leaned forward excitedly, clapping her hands and questioning, "Leader, tell me, what should I do?"

*Knock knock—*

There was another knock at the door. It was Zhou Peilan who walked in holding documents, nodded, and reported, "Leader, the case file you wanted."

"Hmm, put it down." Li Xuewu pointed to the coffee table in front of him, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Any news from the group's investigation team?"

"Not yet, I asked." Zhou Peilan glanced at the sobbing Liu Yaqin and reported, "The inspection side said they are still waiting for the leader's opinion."

"Hmm, alright, I know." Li Xuewu gestured to the mother and children sitting on the sofa and said, "You were responsible for taking care of Comrade Tiecheng's family, right?"

"Yes, I was responsible for taking care of sister-in-law on the day Yu Gong had the incident."

Zhou Peilan saw the leader's gesture, understood, moved a chair, sat down beside Liu Yaqin, and comforted her, "Sister-in-law, don't be excited first. The Secretary-General has agreed to see you. Just speak properly if you have anything to say."

"I don't have any other requests, Little Zhou."

Liu Yaqin cried, her face covered in tears and snot, holding her hand and crying, "Our Old Yu, is he guilty or not? The organization must give us an explanation. He can't just leave like this, unclearly—"

"You say he just left like this, how are we orphans and widows supposed to live!"

Her crying suddenly grew louder, filled with misery as she recounted, "Yang's job is gone, and Jia can't go to school anymore. How are we orphans and widows supposed to live—"

"Ah—my heart—"

"Sister-in-law, don't be like this—" Zhou Peilan glanced at the leader. Seeing him flipping through the case file, she whispered, "If you have any requests, state them clearly. You also need to listen to what the leader has to say, right?"

"*Sob sob sob*—" Liu Yaqin covered her eyes with her hands, tears flowing uncontrollably, sobbing, "We really have no way to live—"

"How can they terminate your employment relationship? There's no result yet." Li Xuewu looked up, frowned, and looked at Yu Yang, asking, "What did your unit say?"

"Our leader said..." Yu Yang glanced at him secretly, then lowered his head and explained hesitantly, "He said my background is problematic, and I can't be a mailman anymore..."

"Nonsense—" Li Xuewu threw the case file on the coffee table, his tone serious, "The group hasn't given an explanation yet, but your unit already has one."

Yu Yang didn't have much courage; he didn't even dare to look at him, just lowered his head and didn't dare to speak again.

Yu Jia, who was sitting beside him, was also secretly wiping away tears, her arms tightly hugging her mother's arm, as if she would lose her mother if she let go.

The tragedy of the era never has a reasonable script; it is always filled with a bit of comedy, and the comedy contains nothing but tragedy.

"Comrade Yaqin." Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "I understand your situation, but I have to tell you one thing."

"The case of Comrade Yu Tiecheng, whether it's the right to investigate or the right to deliberate, is no longer in the Metallurgical Plant, nor is it at my level."

He explained very frankly, "The group's industrial leadership group office in Liaodong can only cooperate with the work of the group's discipline inspection and relevant working groups."

"Whether you want a fact or a deadline, I have to tell you the truth: I don't know."

"*Sob sob sob*—" Liu Yaqin heard him say this, and sorrow came from her heart. She covered her mouth tightly with her hand, but the sobbing still couldn't suppress the pain in her heart.

"What I can tell you is that from the day Yu Tiecheng had the incident, the Metallurgical Plant conducted an investigation, and the group-appointed Quality and Safety Department formed a working group to conduct an investigation."

Li Xuewu tapped the sofa armrest and said with a serious expression, "Up to now, the group has again appointed the Discipline Inspection and Quality and Safety Department to jointly form a working group to conduct further investigations."

"The reason it has been investigated for so long and continuously upgraded, you should be able to understand the group's importance to this case. We all hope to clear Comrade Yu Tiecheng's name."

He half-clenched his fingers and tapped the armrest, saying, "During this period, it's inevitable that you and the children will have to endure pain, but I hope you can understand the group's good intentions."

"Secretary-General, Old Yu is innocent."

Liu Yaqin raised her voice, letting the tears flow into her mouth, and cried hoarsely, "If he had taken or occupied anything, he couldn't have hidden it from me, right?"

"Now he died unclearly. How do you expect us orphans and widows to live?"

At the point of extreme sorrow, she stomped her feet, as if she were possessed.

Li Xuewu frowned slightly and looked at Yu Yang and Yu Jia, who were crying together, remaining silent, with only Zhou Peilan comforting and persuading them.

Zhang Enyuan stood by the file cabinet, looked back, walked to the door, opened it fully, and took a thermos to refill their hot water.

"Are there any difficulties in your daily life?" Li Xuewu waited until they had cried for a while and their emotions had been vented before asking.

Zhou Peilan straightened up and reported, "Yu Gong's salary has been stopped, and the funeral expenses and consolation money, etc., have been stuck at the union because of the case."

"Solve the living problems first; you can't let people starve to death."

Li Xuewu put down the teacup in his hand and said faintly, "Please ask the union to make arrangements to ensure basic living."

Zhang Enyuan knew the leader was speaking to him, so he made a record without a word.

"Yu Jia still needs to go to school; her studies cannot be delayed." Li Xuewu looked at Yu Tiecheng's daughter and asked, "Are there any difficulties at school?"

"I want to stay with my mother..." Yu Jia said with a crying voice, "I'm afraid she won't be able to think straight."

"Do you have to wait until the investigation of the case is over?"

Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "Go back to school first. There will always be a day when things are resolved. No one can afford to delay."

Yu Jia lowered her head and didn't speak, nor did she respond to his arrangement, which counted as silent resistance.

Li Xuewu didn't care about her, but looked at Yu Yang and said, "I can't answer your question right now. It's still the same sentence: wait for the investigation results."

"Then once there's an investigation result, can my job be restored?"

Yu Yang looked up at him and asked, "Will the Metallurgical Plant come forward to help me handle this?"

"I cannot answer that question for you."

Li Xuewu moved his chin and explained, "First of all, your work unit does not belong to the group, and the Red Steel Group does not belong to Steel City. You understand what I mean, right?"

Yu Yang's face dimmed, and he lowered his head again.

He understood. If he hadn't understood, he wouldn't have followed his mother here.

"If the investigation team gives a good result, I can arrange for the office to send a letter to your unit to explain the situation. As for the result, I cannot guarantee it."

"That's the same as saying nothing—" Yu Yang was young; he was eighteen. He had an inner indignation at his life being ruined and his future being dim.

Li Xuewu glanced at him, turned to look at Liu Yaqin, who was covering her face, and said, "Secretary Zhang will help you coordinate with the factory union to ensure your family's basic living first."

"Still the same sentence: everything must wait for the joint investigation team to give a result. Relevant handling and placement will also be arranged by the group in the end."

His tone was firm, and he said indisputably, "If you have difficulties in life that the union cannot handle, you can come find me again."

"Leader, Old Yu he..." Liu Yaqin didn't get the result she wanted, looked up with disappointment in her eyes, and said, "He wouldn't do that kind of stupid thing."

"I suggest that if you have any clues or reasons, feel free to provide feedback to the joint working group. They should arrive very soon."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly, his tone slightly calmer, and said, "I believe they will also contact you as soon as possible to assist in the investigation."

"*Sob sob*—" Liu Yaqin was somewhat unwilling, her eyes red, and she said, "Our house still has a seal on it, and we are living in the guesthouse..."

"The house is still sealed?" Li Xuewu frowned slightly, looked at her, nodded, and said, "The house shouldn't be sealed. At least let you go home to live before the case gives a result."

He turned to Zhang Enyuan and instructed, "Contact the group's Inspection Division, report this situation first. If they recognize the previous investigation results, then unseal the house."

"If they don't recognize it, then hurry up and arrange for people to come and conduct another investigation of the house, and then hurry up and return the house to them."

After giving instructions, Li Xuewu turned to Liu Yaqin and said, "Comrade Yu Tiecheng's remains must be preserved. This is a requirement of the working group. Please cooperate."

"Speaking privately, he himself wants to leave cleanly and clearly, right?"

After comforting Liu Yaqin with the last sentence, he nodded slowly and said, "That's all for today. I still have work."

"Still the same words as just now: wait for the joint investigation team to come, wait for the joint investigation team to give a result."

He stood up and continued, "Those who should go to school go to school, those who should go home go home. If you have difficulties in life, you can tell Little Zhou, or you can come find me again."

"Leader..." Liu Yaqin, who was being supported by Zhou Peilan, wanted to say more, but seeing that Li Xuewu was no longer looking at her, she knew it was pointless.

Yu Jia supported her mother's other arm and walked out the door with her brother, crying.

Zhang Enyuan sent them downstairs before returning upstairs. Seeing Li Xuewu still in the office, he reported, "They said they didn't meet, but a phone call was made."

"Called to the room?" Li Xuewu sat behind the desk and frowned slightly, asking, "Who called?"

"No, it was a phone call from the guesthouse duty room to the working group office."

Zhang Enyuan reported softly, "The operator made a record. It was a man, and the person who answered was also a man. No record was made of what they said."

"Hmm, I know." Li Xuewu closed his eyes slightly, nodded, and said, "Don't worry about them anymore."

It was normal not to have a record of the call content. The phone in the working group office was at the same level as the phone in his office and was not allowed to be recorded.

If the phones of everyone in the group were being monitored, wouldn't that be a disaster?

"I think it should be Yu Yang."

Zhang Enyuan added another sentence. Seeing that the leader didn't react, he didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

"Brother Wu! Over here!" Wang Yamei was still as lively as ever. Seeing Li Xuewu's car coming, she stood on tiptoe and waved to greet him.

Yu Zhe, who was driving, was amused. He knew Wang Yamei, but they hadn't spoken.

"Aren't you cold?"

Li Xuewu rolled down the car window, looked at the thinly dressed sisters, and asked with a smile, "It's still cold at night."

"I want style, not temperature."

Wang Yamei opened the front passenger door first and jumped into the car. Her hurried appearance didn't look like someone who couldn't handle the cold.

The temperature at the end of March was alright. Although it wasn't cold enough for the wind to cut like a knife, it hadn't reached the season for wearing thin clothes.

Wang Yamei loved beauty more than her sister. She only wore a plaid jacket over a white sweater. Wang Yajuan, who was sitting in the back seat with a straight face, was wearing an extra short overcoat.

However, from her round and powerful thighs, it could still be seen that she wasn't wearing wool pants.

"Where are we eating, Brother-in-law?" Wang Yamei was used to it and didn't care who was in the car. She turned her head and asked with a smile, "Is there any restaurant in Steel City better than in the capital?"

Yu Zhe looked in the rearview mirror. He didn't dare look at Li Xuewu, but looked at Wang Yajuan.

Brother-in-law? Not coincidentally, there was also his brother-in-law sitting in the back. By that calculation, the one in the passenger seat was also his relative?

"What did I tell you?" Wang Yajuan glared at her younger sister, her face looking quite ugly.

Wang Yamei didn't care, only looking at Li Xuewu.

"Good food... I don't know."

Li Xuewu didn't care about her form of address. He thought for a moment and said, "I don't eat out often, but I have a friend who runs a restaurant, so let's go eat there."

"Then it must be great. I want to eat authentic Northeast cuisine."

Wang Yamei sat up straight and shouted, "I keep hearing Brother Biao and Third Uncle talk about how delicious Northeast cuisine is. Now that I'm here, I have to have a good taste."

"What's authentic, what's not authentic." Li Xuewu looked at the front with amusement and told Yu Zhe an address.

"Eating it in the Northeast is authentic; eating it in the capital is inauthentic."

Wang Yamei leaned on the back of the passenger seat, shaking her head, and emphasized, "What you take me to eat will definitely be authentic."

"You left your child at home just to eat a bite of authentic Northeast cuisine?" Li Xuewu teased her, "I've never seen a mother like you."

"He's so fun now—"

Hearing Li Xuewu mention the child, she had a topic again. She turned around, leaned on the backrest, and introduced to Li Xuewu, "Like a meatball, it's just that he can't walk yet."

"Did you give birth to Nezha? He can walk at ten months?" Li Xuewu looked at her and asked, "Is Pazile busy?"

"Him? He might as well be welded to his post." Wang Yamei turned around and sat properly, pouting, "Going home once is like the New Year."

"Doesn't he go home usually?" Li Xuewu smiled and said, "You have to go to his unit and pull his ears; then he'll go home with you."

"I'll invite him back with an eight-man sedan chair!"

Wang Yamei said indifferently, "I don't care if he comes back or not; I'm not going to look for him."

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at Wang Yajuan, raised his eyebrows, bringing a questioning meaning.

Wang Yajuan was squinting at her younger sister sitting diagonally in front, tugging at the corner of her mouth. It looked like she couldn't wait to take action.

The two sisters had always been in a state where the older one managed the younger one, and the younger one wouldn't submit to management. Wang Yamei was always the innocent and lively personality, while her sister was mature and introverted.

With Yu Zhe present, Li Xuewu couldn't say anything about Wang Yamei. Even if Yu Zhe weren't there, what could he say?

The young couple was both there; he could press both sides. Now that only Wang Yamei was there, he felt he didn't have the qualifications to say too much, and saying too little wouldn't work, so he didn't say anything.

"Is this the place?" Wang Yamei looked at the sign with the banner and turned to ask Brother Wu, "It doesn't look big."

"How big do you want it to be?" Li Xuewu signaled to Yu Zhe, and they entered the restaurant door.

Niu Xianglan heard the car movement at the door, but was surprised to see him enter.

"Leader, what wind blew you here?"

"Haha, the wind of wanting to eat Northeast cuisine."

Li Xuewu turned back to gesture to Wang Yamei and introduced, "A little sister from the capital who says she just wants to eat a meal of authentic Northeast cuisine. I brought her to you. You arrange it."

"Alright, then let's go to the private room upstairs."

Niu Xianglan greeted them upstairs with a smile, but saw the driver stay in the lobby, so she knew there were only three people upstairs today.

Even if only Li Xuewu and the two were eating, she had to arrange for them to go to the private room. This restaurant was kept clean and was more prosperous than others.

It was already mealtime. Ordinary families were reluctant to come to eat at restaurants, but there were always banquets in the city. Her days were still considered decent.

With Nie Liansheng's old relationship taking care of things, plus her ability to handle things, she was in charge here, and no one ever came to find trouble for her.

"Leader, then I'll arrange it as I see fit?"

She took Li Xuewu and the three upstairs and settled them in, but didn't put down the menu in her hand, instead asking Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu smiled and instructed, "Five yuan is enough. They can't eat more than that anyway."

"It's fine, I'll take whatever I can't eat."

Wang Yamei shouted happily, "I must have a happy meal today."

"Alright, you—" Wang Yajuan glared at her younger sister, turned to look at the manager, and said, "Don't listen to her, five yuan is enough."

"It's not like you're the one treating—" Wang Yamei pouted and looked at her sister with dissatisfaction, then turned to Li Xuewu and said, "Brother Wu, are you very surprised to see me?"

"Haha, I was wondering if you had caused some trouble." Li Xuewu smiled and distributed the chopsticks to the two, saying, "Now it looks like you've had a falling out."

"No, I just came to pick up my sister."

Wang Yamei explained stiffly, but her inability to look him in the eye betrayed her heart.

Li Xuewu nodded knowingly, gestured to Wang Yajuan, and said, "Is everything packed? When are you leaving?"

"Almost. Leaving on Saturday."

Wang Yajuan lowered her head and rubbed her neck, saying, "Just in time to report on Monday."

"Alright. People go to higher places, water flows to lower places. Your progress is a good thing."

Li Xuewu saw the waiter bring tea and nodded with a smile, saying, "Just don't run to Steel City if you're throwing a tantrum."

"Brother Wu—" Wang Yamei scolded him unwillingly, looked at her sister, pursed her lips, and said, "I'm not throwing a tantrum, I'm aggrieved."

"Aha, who dares to make you feel aggrieved?"

Wang Yajuan squinted at her younger sister and said, "You're treated like a princess at home, what else do you want?"

"Me? A princess?" Wang Yamei pouted and said unconvinced, "I've never seen a princess as aggrieved as me."

"It's fine, speak slowly, the food still has to wait a while." Li Xuewu smiled and pushed the tea toward her, saying, "Your sister is concerned about you."

"Then she should understand me—" Wang Yamei pouted, looked at her sister, then hurriedly turned to look at him, saying, "Brother, you're the only relative I have left."

Don't look at her daring to call him brother-in-law in the car; she didn't dare to in the private room, because she also knew that her sister really dared to get angry when no one was around.

"Don't talk nonsense. Don't you want your son?"

Li Xuewu pointed to the teacup and advised, "Drink some hot water first, so you don't eat a stomach full of cold air."

"I have a stomach full of grievances right now."

Wang Yamei held the teacup and said, "If I had known marriage was so boring, I wouldn't have looked for a partner."

"Hey, I seem to have heard something."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, looked at her, and said, "So you came all the way to Steel City just to criticize me, the matchmaker, right?"

"No—" Wang Yamei smiled, grabbed his arm, and acted like a spoiled child, "I didn't forget about you."

"I'm talking about Pazile." She then acted aggrieved and complained, "He just keeps a straight face all day, like a stone. Who loves to look at him?"

"Why don't you talk about yourself?"

Wang Yajuan glared at her younger sister and said, "You only know how to play all day, and you don't care about the child. Pazile doesn't even know how to ask about your well-being when he comes home, and you just keep shouting that he doesn't have time to accompany you. What do you want?"

"But he really doesn't have time to accompany me—" Wang Yamei didn't dare to talk back to her sister, but whispered, "Is it wrong for me to let him come home after work?"

"Do you not know what he does, or do you have no brain?"

Wang Yajuan scolded her younger sister much more bluntly than Li Xuewu, not being subtle at all, "If you were sensible, would he avoid coming home to you?"

"So it's my fault then—"

Wang Yamei said angrily, "I didn't stop him from coming home; he's the one who doesn't want to come back."

"Well, the food is here." Li Xuewu saw the sisters were about to quarrel and pointed to the waiter bringing in the food to interrupt them.

It was just that looking at the sisters staring at each other like bullfrogs, he knew that this authentic Northeast meal was ruined today.

"Actually, no one has the right to speak about living a life."

Li Xuewu picked up the white liquor sent by the waiter, poured a cup for Wang Yajuan, and poured one for Wang Yamei.

"Who dares to say their life is always smooth, harmonious, and beautiful, without any contradictions?"

He looked at Wang Yamei and asked, "Even the upper teeth have times when they fight with the lower teeth, you say, right?"

Wang Yamei glanced at her sister, picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of meat, and stuffed it fiercely into her mouth.

Wang Yamei was breathing heavily, staring at her without speaking. The sisters had long since started to be angry with each other.

One couldn't stand the other, and the other wouldn't submit to management.

"But then again."

Li Xuewu picked up his wine glass and signaled to Wang Yamei, "Your lover is always your lover; no one else can replace him, and no one else can empathize. Am I right?"

"Second Brother, I'm sorry." Wang Yamei picked up her wine glass and said, "I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

"Look, you're taking it too far." Li Xuewu clinked glasses with her and said with a smile, "In my heart, you're no different from Li Xue. I treat you both as my own younger sisters."

Wang Yamei was so moved by what he said. Seeing him drink the wine in his glass in one gulp, she followed suit and drank it all in one gulp. The alcohol went to her head, making her nose sour, and tears came out.

"Brother, I'll recognize you as my brother for the rest of my life."

Also borrowing the tears on her face, she said hoarsely, "You're the best to me."

"Haha—" Li Xuewu put down his wine glass, pointed at her with a smile, and said, "It's true that I'm good to you, but your sister is even truer to you than I am. Are you still playing dumb?"

"I know—" Wang Yamei secretly glanced at her sister opposite her before lowering her head. The chopsticks in her hand were raking through the sauerkraut in the bowl, saying, "I know you're both good to me."

"Eat your food, don't just focus on being angry."

Li Xuewu grabbed a piece of chicken and put it in her bowl before Wang Yajuan could speak, saying, "If she were a child, you wouldn't be like this, let alone how old she is."

"No matter how old she is, she doesn't have a heart—" Wang Yajuan scolded angrily and drank her wine in one gulp.

"Is today the first day she's like this?"

Li Xuewu picked up the wine bottle, tapped it in both their glasses, and filled his own glass again.

"If you ask me, she's like this because you spoiled her. Who told you to be a sister who's closer than a mother."

Seeing him say this, Wang Yamei looked up, looked at her angry sister, and lowered her head again, saying, "I didn't mean to make you angry."

"You'll never grow up." Wang Yajuan saw that she still had the heart to reach out with her chopsticks to pick up the chicken heart in the bowl, not knowing whether to scold or laugh, "You only grew a heart for eating."

"Since you're here..." Wang Yamei stuffed the chicken heart into her mouth in one gulp, saying warmly, "Eat your fill before going back."

"It's good that you're going back; she still listens to you." Li Xuewu picked up another chopstick of meat for her and nodded, saying, "A young couple just married needs someone to press them down."

"If both are sensible, it's fine. If both are stubborn donkeys, this affection will slowly fade."

"Don't blame Pazile." Wang Yajuan glared at her younger sister and said, "It's her own making, not living a good life, and insisting on finding trouble."

"Hey, if you ask me, it takes two to tango." Li Xuewu reached out and pressed on the table in front of Wang Yamei, saying before she could talk back, "Both of you are wrong."

"Even if there's a contradiction, can you not go home?" He said feignedly dissatisfied, "I've never heard of a couple who only sees each other once a year. Are you Cowherd and Weaver Girl?"

"If it were really Cowherd and Weaver Girl, it would be fine." Wang Yajuan picked up a mouthful of sauerkraut and said, "It would save me from watching her make trouble."

"Alright, I'll go back next month and call Pazile out. I'll talk to him." Li Xuewu pointed to Wang Yamei and said, "Before I talk to him, I have to talk to you first."

"I know—" Wang Yamei pursed her lips, but there was no dissatisfaction on her face. She wouldn't be unconvinced by anyone, but she wouldn't be unconvinced by him.

"Playfulness and lack of heart are two different things."

Li Xuewu glared at her and said, "You have this family condition. If you couldn't even eat, would you still have the heart to play?"

"Besides, Pazile didn't restrict you, did he? Good food, good drink, all for you. Whatever you want to buy, you can buy. You're considered the first in our street."

He pointed to Wang Yajuan and said, "Your sister said you're living the life of a princess. I think she's right. Think about it yourself."

"Similarly, living with your parents-in-law, how are Chen Xiaoyan and Guodong's couple compared to you?"

Li Xuewu tapped his finger on the table and said, "You have to know that Guodong doesn't have the status of your family's Pazile. Has he ever suffered Chen Xiaoyan's anger at home?"

"Comrade Wang Yamei, you have to think about it carefully. You're not a child anymore. Pazile lives in your house. Have you ever thought about his feelings?"

He raised his eyebrows and said, "You're angry, dissatisfied, and want to throw a tantrum. Have you thought about how you want him to coax you in front of your parents?"

"I'm also a man, and I also have self-esteem. I tell you, I absolutely couldn't do what Pazile does. If it were me, I would have slapped you long ago, believe it or not?"

Wang Yamei saw him glaring, knowing fear in her heart, and didn't even dare to move her chopsticks.

"I'm still saying the same thing. I watched you grow up. I really didn't treat you as an outsider." Li Xuewu tapped his finger on the table and said, "Your sister has great face in front of me, but that's not your face. I treat you as a younger sister, which is why I'm saying this to you."

"You can live a good life, and it's right to want life to be fun, but don't build your own happiness on the suffering of others."

He looked into Wang Yamei's eyes and said, "Life is lived by yourself. If you define it as happy, it's happy. If you define it as unhappy, it's unhappy."

"You came to Steel City today, so let's have a good meal and be happy."

Li Xuewu picked up his wine glass and signaled, "After you go back with your sister, listen to what I said. Go to their unit and see him. If he's really busy, help him wash and clean, and say you're waiting for him at home. If he's not busy, say you miss him and want him to go home."

"He's your own man. What's there to be embarrassed about? If you coax him well, won't he treat you sincerely for the rest of his life?"

He drank a glass of wine into his stomach, pointed at her, and said, "Understand?"

Wang Yamei nodded, having taken his words to heart.

"I don't believe that if you do the two things I said, he, Pazile, won't go home."

Li Xuewu put away the seriousness on his face and said with a smile, "If he doesn't go home, the leaders in his unit will have to talk to him."

"He only knows how to be tough." Wang Yamei complained, but didn't say anything angry anymore.

Wang Yajuan glanced at her younger sister, really not knowing what to say about her.

She had been in Steel City for two days, and she didn't know how many times she had persuaded her. She wouldn't listen to her like coaxing a child, but she felt comfortable after Li Xuewu scolded her twice.

"Is a man still a man if he isn't tough?" Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "Is a man still a man if he doesn't have a bit of temper?"

He picked up meat for Wang Yamei and said, "He crawled out of the battlefield with me. You wouldn't want your own man to be a softie, would you?"

"Hmm, I know." Wang Yamei nodded and said, "I'll do as you say when I go back."

"If he acts like a donkey, don't worry about it. Wait until I go back and kick his butt."

Li Xuewu smiled, picked up his wine glass, and drank it all again, then ate the vegetables that Wang Yajuan had just picked into his bowl.

"Brother, you always live clearly."

Wang Yamei looked up at him and said, "Always living freely, more freely than anyone else."

"Brother, you always see things clearly."

Wang Yamei looked up at him and said, "You always live so carefree, more carefree than anyone else."

"Carefree? That's also relative," Li Xuewu looked at her and smiled: "Have you ever seen me scratching my head?"

He pointed at Wang Yajuan and said, "Your sister knows; when I'm worried, it's just that I can't find anyone to talk to."

"Tell my sister then—" Wang Yamei pursed her lips, glanced at her sister, and said, "My sister is the best at comforting people."

"Eat your food—" Wang Yajuan glared at her irritably.

Wang Yamei raised her eyebrows, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked, "Brother, can I call you brother-in-law when there's no one else around in the future?"