Chapter 161: A Slap

"This is a good thing. Since there's a path out, and our family can still support him, Grandpa is too grateful to you to even say it."

Li Xuewu hurriedly said politely, "I'm just giving him a hand. How he walks the path depends on him. We are one family; there's no need to speak as if we were two. It's what I should do."

Old Master Zhao patted Li Xuewu on the back; this was perhaps the only way an old man in his twilight years could express his gratitude.

Leading Li Xuewu into the house, he saw that the eldest brother, Li Huai, had already woken up and was sitting on the edge of the kang drinking hot water. His air as a son-in-law was quite prominent, and the redness on his face had already faded.

Old Master Zhao got onto the kang and explained the matter of Li Xuewu wanting to take Zhao Yajun away. Zhao Gen and his wife were very excited upon hearing this, and they thanked Li Xuewu very politely in their speech.

Li Xuewu could not accept such politeness, so he hurriedly interrupted, "Uncle, please don't be so formal with me. It's just that there happened to be this opportunity, and Yajun has the ability, which is why I'm able to take him."

leaking.

Zhao Gen's wife was already wiping away tears on the side.

Entering the city and entering a factory was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a rural child to ascend to the heavens in a single step.

There were only a few ways to become a city dweller: marriage, schooling, recruitment, or joining the army.

The excitement of the entire Zhao family was understandable.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Xuewu told the eldest brother to get off the kang to cool down, otherwise he would catch a cold later. He then said to Zhao Gen, "Uncle, go to the village to get the introduction letter. I will bring Yajun back in two days to handle the other procedures."

Zhao Gen agreed, hurriedly put on his clothes, and ran out. In the courtyard, he even told Zhao Yajun, who was teasing the dog, about this matter.

Upon hearing this news, Zhao Yajun was stunned.

He had originally thought that by giving up that opportunity, he would have to spend his whole life in this mountain gully, facing the yellow earth and backing the sky. He never expected that there would be a day when he could enter the city.

He was truly basking in the reflected glory of his own biological sister...

Dazed, he entered the house and stared blankly at Li Xuewu.

Old Master Zhao smiled and gave his eldest grandson a slap, saying, "Why aren't you hurrying to pack your things? You're leaving with your Second Brother in a while."

Only then did Zhao Yajun react. He wanted to say something to Li Xuewu, but when he opened his mouth, he only felt his throat dry and parched, as if it had been scorched by charcoal fire, and he couldn't speak.

Li Xuewu patted Zhao Yajun on the shoulder without saying anything, but Zhao Yajun burst into tears.

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man wouldn't cry even if hit with a stick as thick as a wrist, but at this moment, he was crying like a child.

Seeing her son cry, Zhao Gen's wife couldn't hold back either. She wiped her tears and helped her son pack his clothes. In a rural family, in such circumstances, what clothes were there to pack? Everything wearable was already on his body. Touching the patched clothes one by one, Zhao Gen's wife felt a mix of sorrow and joy.

Old Master Zhao had killed countless lives and couldn't stand the sentimentality of children. He scolded, "Hold back your tears! How old are you, still wiping away tears? Aren't you afraid your Second Brother will laugh at you and not take you? Hurry up and go wash your face!"

Only then did Zhao Yajun run out to wash his face.

Zhao Yamin and Zhao Yating didn't know where this Second Brother, whom they were seeing for the first time today, was taking their eldest brother, but it must be a good place; otherwise, they wouldn't be so happy. Envious in their hearts, they could only watch silently.

Li Xuewu saw this but didn't say anything.

Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. Even if he had the ability, he wouldn't take care of the Zhao family without limit. It's better for relatives to keep a little distance.

If you are too far, you become strangers; if you are too close, you become a nuisance. He could help them for a while, but not for a lifetime. The one he was taking out was only because Zhao Yajun had the ability; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken him.

Seeing his younger brother actively helping his brother-in-law, Li Huai knew he wanted to take care of this kinship and didn't know how to repay his younger brother.

Li Xuewu gave his eldest brother a wink, but Li Huai was lost in thought and didn't react even after seeing it.

Li Xuewu was so angry he wanted to hit someone.

He quietly stretched out his foot and kicked his eldest brother's lower leg. Seeing his eldest brother look over in confusion, Li Xuewu gave a wink toward the two old people on the kang, and only then did Li Huai react.

"Grandpa, Grandma, the roads are bad during the New Year. Yajun and I won't be coming back next month. This is a little token from Yajun and me; please keep it for spending."

As Li Huai spoke, he took out a ten-yuan note from his pocket and stuffed it into Old Master Zhao's pocket.

How could Old Master Zhao accept his granddaughter-in-law's husband's money? He hurriedly took out the money and stuffed it back, saying, "This won't do. You two just got married, and there are many places where you need money. Save it well for your own use. What money would your grandma and I need?"

Watching his eldest brother Li Huai tussle with Old Master Zhao, Li Xuewu asked Zhao Yaping, who was kneeling on the edge of the kang, "What do you call me?"

Zhao Yaping had eaten the meat and egg custard this person gave her at noon, so naturally, she knew that although this person looked scary, he wasn't a bad person. Her expression wasn't as fearful anymore, and she called out crisply, "Second Brother!"

Li Xuewu nodded and asked with a smile, "Will you remember to call me that next time?"

"I'll remember." The girl opened up a bit and even knew how to show Li Xuewu a smile.

Looking at her pitch-black eyes and oval face, not as thin and sharp-tongued as the eldest sister-in-law, he thought to himself that girls in this era were probably all like this.

Li Xuewu took two yuan out of his pocket, folded it into a square, and stuffed it into the little girl's pocket.

Seeing Li Xuewu stuffing money for her, the little girl was stunned for a moment. Clenching the corners of her clothes with both hands, she didn't know what to do and looked at her mother with big eyes.

Zhao Gen's wife had already wiped her tears and had wrapped Zhao Yajun's underwear in a patched outer garment. Seeing Li Xuewu giving her daughter money, she hurriedly came over and said, "Xuewu, this won't do. Giving candy is fine, but giving money won't work."

Over there, after Li Huai forcibly stuffed the money to Old Master Zhao, he also came over, took out 2 yuan, and stuffed it into his sister-in-law's pocket, and also gave 2 yuan to each of the three younger brothers-in-law.

Watching Li Huai give them out one by one, Li Xuewu didn't explain. He wasn't married yet, and this was his first time visiting the house; giving money to the youngest child was enough. It was a different matter from his eldest brother.

At this moment, Zhao Gen returned. Seeing Li Huai giving money to his three sons, he hurriedly asked what was going on.

Zhao Gen's wife hurriedly explained, "Xuewu gave the girl 2 yuan, and Li Huai is giving it too. Go persuade them quickly."

Zhao Gen got angry upon hearing this and said to his son-in-law, "Li Huai, what are you doing? Did Yajun put you up to this?"

Hearing this, Li Huai hurriedly shook his head and said, "No, it's just that Yajun and I won't be coming back next month, so I'm giving the younger brothers and sisters their New Year's money in advance."

Only then did Zhao Gen change his tone and say, "Your younger brothers are all grown up; what New Year's money are you giving? Take it back quickly." As he spoke, he went to snatch the money from his sons' hands.

Li Huai hurriedly stopped his father-in-law, "This year I am the new son-in-law, and this is also the last time I'm coming to our house this year. I won't be coming again until after the New Year. Please don't be so formal."

Zhao Gen couldn't win the tussle against his son-in-law and could only say, "Giving a dime is enough. How can you give 2 yuan?"