Chapter 1703: Wetting his pants

"Secretary-General, you've returned."

Peng Xiaoli had just emerged from the headquarters building when he saw him getting out of the car, so he stopped his pace and took the initiative to greet him.

Li Xuewu sized him up, nodded, and asked with a smile, "What are you here for? A meeting?"

"Yes, the second-quarter work safety meeting."

Peng Xiaoli smiled and explained, "It was chaired by General Manager Dong. It just ended, and I'm just about to rush back to the factory."

"Go ahead, work hard."

Li Xuewu patted his arm as he walked toward the lobby, giving a gentle instruction in a mild tone.

Peng Xiaoli stood straight, listening earnestly, responding with his mouth, and watching him enter the lobby before turning to leave.

As a former secretary, the relationship between the two naturally had an extra layer compared to other colleagues, but that was about it.

Others might say you have connections, have a background, were once so-and-so's secretary, or are a die-hard confidant, but you cannot say these things yourself.

Not only can you not say it yourself, you shouldn't even believe it.

Being a secretary has its pros and cons.

The good part is that being by a leader's side allows for a broader vision and perspective, contact with higher-level people, and the ability to know most of the cadres in the unit.

The bad part is that when training and learning by a leader's side, it is inevitable to leave the leader's mark, including behavior, speech, and style.

The "brand" described by everyone is mostly like this.

This brand is sometimes useful, but sometimes it is a shackle, and a secretary can only achieve themselves when they break through the shackles.

But for the secretary themselves, the more convenience they enjoyed in training and learning, the heavier these shackles are.

However, Peng Xiaoli is a good one; at least compared to Gu Cheng, he truly learned a lot while by Li Xuewu's side.

And during the time he was secretary for Wang Xiaoqin, he gained practice and training in management work.

Why did Li Xuewu not suggest Gu Cheng take on the position of head of the production section when he went down, but instead sent him to the Organization Department?

The reason is simple: Gu Cheng hadn't had much contact with operational work. Once he really started, let alone the time to learn and adapt, even just getting started would be enough to choke him.

Peng Xiaoli started as the deputy section chief of the Food Factory's Production Management Section. It has been exactly three years this year, and he is facing another hurdle in his life.

If the section chief moves, he has a chance to go further; if the section chief doesn't move, he is qualified to move, but he can only move in another direction.

But no matter how he moves, or in which direction he moves, he must complete this series of layouts himself.

At least before reaching the deputy director level, he shouldn't think about borrowing Li Xuewu's strength, because without reaching that standard, he doesn't count as having entered the sight of the group's leadership.

Ma Baosen, who got out of the car behind, met him. The two weren't very familiar, but having a common person to serve made them naturally close.

Ma Baosen was young and took the initiative to greet him; Peng Xiaoli was senior and humble. The two shook hands, and in the eyes of others, it was truly harmonious.

"Secretary Ma, the leader's luggage."

Xiao Sun, the clerk responsible for office services, took the initiative to greet Ma Baosen and pointed to the direction of the trunk.

Ma Baosen waved his hand, walked to the passenger seat of the car, and said to Qi Yan in the driver's seat, "The leader said to send the luggage home first. Do you need me to go with you?"

"It's fine, I'll go to the small motorcade first."

Qi Yan said to him through the car window, "If the phone call gets through, I'll go over; if it doesn't, I'll wait a while longer."

"Good, the leader shouldn't need the car this morning," Ma Baosen patted the window frame where the glass had been lowered and said, "Tell me when you get back."

"No problem, that's it." Qi Yan made a gesture, and then steadily drove the car off the platform.

Seeing the car leave, Ma Baosen explained to Xiao Sun, "The Secretary-General's luggage can just be handed over to Comrade Qi Yan. Thank you."

"It's fine, I was just asking." Xiao Sun smiled and said, "I'm relieved now that you have arrangements."

"Don't be so polite, we are all colleagues." Ma Baosen very tactfully distributed cigarettes to Xiao Sun and pointed upstairs, saying, "I still have things to do. Let's chat when we have time."

"You go ahead and get busy." Xiao Sun squeezed the cigarette in his hand, and after seeing him enter the door, he took a look—it was Da Qianmen.

"As expected of a leader's secretary."

He shook his head and said with emotion, "The cigarettes he distributes are of this standard, tsk tsk—"

"What am I looking at?" Xiao Wang, who was directing the motorcade to leave in order, came over, took a look, and said with a smile, "Da Qianmen, that's right."

He raised his chin and said, "The Secretary-General used to smoke this cigarette. This is what you call a consistent lineage."

"But you don't need to think wildly. Secretary Ma probably smokes this himself." Xiao Wang pointed to the cigarette in his hand and said, "The Secretary-General never acts one way to your face and another behind your back, and neither do his secretaries."

"Are you that sure?" Xiao Sun didn't disbelieve him, but was just teasing, smiling and raising his eyebrows, "Has he smoked with you?"

"That, he hasn't," just as Xiao Sun laughed upon hearing this, Xiao Wang said lightly, "I had the opportunity to smoke with the Secretary-General before."

"Mm, it was the Da Qianmen in your hand."

He reached out and pointed to the cigarette in Xiao Sun's hand, saying, "It's a pity, ever since the Secretary-General quit smoking, we've never had the chance to smoke his again."

Hearing this, Xiao Sun caught a different meaning. He twitched the corner of his mouth, knowing he was showing off on purpose.

This old Wang, really, isn't it just smoking a few of the Secretary-General's cigarettes? Is it worth acting like that? Are the leader's cigarettes really that good to smoke?

"What is this? Cigarettes?" Zhang Jingsong looked at the packaging in his hand, stunned, raised his head and asked, "Brought back from Japan?"

"Otherwise?" Li Xuewu said amusedly, "Don't recognize Japanese characters?"

He came to the sofa and sat down, pointed to the cigarette box in Zhang Jingsong's hand and said, "Don't smoke it blindly, this thing is 100 yen a pack,"

"That's..." Li Xuewu thought seriously as if on purpose, then nodded and said, "About 1.4 yuan a pack."

"So expensive?!" Zhang Jingsong asked with some surprise, "More expensive than Huazi?"

"The filter is special." Li Xuewu sniffed and explained, "They say the filter has activated carbon added, good adsorption."

"Heh—" Zhang Jingsong was moved in his heart, but also looked at him amusedly and asked, "Coming from thousands of miles away, just to bring me back a carton of cigarettes?"

"Then what else do you want?" Li Xuewu glared, "This was picking the best for you. If I bought Xili, it would only be 0.7 yuan a pack."

"Then I really thank you." Zhang Jingsong put the cigarettes on the small table and joked, "What if I get used to smoking them?"

He teased, "I'll come looking for you when I get addicted."

"Never heard of it—" Li Xuewu said amusedly, "Can gift-giving have follow-up content?"

"Hahahaha—" Zhang Jingsong laughed very happily; this sentiment was received.

"These seven days kept me busy. I didn't have time to pick gifts for friends and family, let alone the opportunity to go out."

Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and explained with a smile, "Thinking it over, this is the most practical. In any case, it won't be the wrong gift."

"I heard, I heard at home that you were busy." Zhang Jingsong said with a smile, "After General Manager Gao came back, she was still bragging about you, saying you were incredibly awesome."

"She should be the one responsible for propaganda work." Li Xuewu smiled, sat up straight, and looked at him, asking, "When is Deputy Director Gu leaving?"

"You don't know yet?" Zhang Jingsong looked at him quite unexpectedly. Seeing that he really didn't know, he explained, "The day after tomorrow."

"They notified you to come back, but didn't mention this?"

"No, I didn't ask about the specifics either."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "I heard another person was added to the leadership team. It seems there's hope to have it complete before the end of the year."

"I don't know about that."

Zhang Jingsong picked up the small teapot and refilled Li Xuewu's teacup with hot tea, "Personnel work, I have never had a say in it."

"How can you say that," Li Xuewu asked with a smile, "Is Director Li that overbearing?"

"Hehehe—" Zhang Jingsong raised his head and explained, "It's my own reason, being cautious in speech and action."

"You are still too concerned." Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, "So much time has passed, why haven't you learned to look forward?"

"Mm, I have to learn from you in this regard."

Zhang Jingsong took a sip of hot tea and said, "There are many things in the group, I'm a bit overwhelmed."

He seemed serious, telling Li Xuewu, "That's it for this year. Next year, I have to give up the position of Director of the Industrial Zone Management Committee."

"Is this sincere?" Li Xuewu teased him, "Sounds like you have some emotions?"

"Heh—" Zhang Jingsong smiled and said, "What emotions could I have? I'm just simply tired."

"Without the diamond drill, don't take on the porcelain work."

He raised his chin and said, "Now I finally know what this sentence means."

"This doesn't look like the you I know."

Li Xuewu put down the teacup in his hand and looked at him, asking, "Something at home? Or do you have some thoughts?"

He nodded slowly and said, "Is it your old man? Haven't seen him in the last half year. How is his health?"

"His health is better than mine," Zhang Jingsong smiled and explained, "You haven't seen him because he went to Sichuan Province."

"My sister's place, said he wanted to relax."

He thought for a moment and asked, "You should know the old monk at Ciyun Temple, right?"

"Mm, I know, haven't met him." Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why? Is he gone?"

"Mm, he passed away." Zhang Jingsong used a more appropriate descriptive term and explained, "My father handled the funeral arrangements."

"Wasn't he bedridden for many years?"

Li Xuewu recalled and said, "When I first met your old man a few years ago, he said that the big monk had been bedridden."

"Yeah, if it weren't for my father taking care of him these years, maybe he would have long ago—" Zhang Jingsong stopped here, pursed his lips, and said, "Isn't that it? The big monk said he wanted his soul to return to his hometown, entrusting my father to send the Buddha to the west."

"A person who has left home, where would he have a hometown?" Li Xuewu said amusedly, "It seems that just as your father said, the big monk's six senses were not yet pure."

"If you ask me, monks are also people, and if they are people, they have desires."

Zhang Jingsong said with emotion, "Falling leaves return to their roots, a fixation of thousands of years. It just so happened my sister is in Sichuan, so he just took it as relaxing."

"Actually, it's good. Sichuan nurtures people."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "Beijing is still too dry and too cold, not very suitable for retirement."

He said with a smile, "Yunnan and Sichuan are very nurturing. Centenarians are everywhere; they are much longer-lived than us in the north."

"Why? Have you already thought about retirement?"

Zhang Jingsong teased him back, "Then you are thinking too far ahead. In thirty-plus years, who knows what the world will become."

He picked up the teacup and took a sip, saying, "Who could have imagined that we would achieve normalization of diplomatic relations with Japan, and trade cooperation could be opened up."

"There were signs of this early on, it's not abrupt." Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at him, asking, "Heard any news in Beijing?"

"What news?" Zhang Jingsong opened his eyes wide and said, "From above?"

"Mm, from the diplomatic side." Li Xuewu took a sip of tea and said obscurely, "Many big things will happen this year and next year."

"Where did you hear that from?" Zhang Jingsong frowned and thought for a moment, saying softly, "Seems like someone came from the west?"

He said cautiously, "I also just heard a whisper, but where it came from, or why they came, I'm not very clear."

"Very normal, it counts as the highest level of secret."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I estimate it won't be too long, there will be results very soon."

"Do you know how I felt it?"

Zhang Jingsong raised his eyebrows and explained softly, "A platoon from the Security Battalion was borrowed, and they still haven't been returned."

"Mm, don't let this leak out."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly and reminded him, "Don't mention it to anyone. Be careful of walls having ears, ruining the big event."

"I know, I wouldn't say it even if you didn't ask."

Zhang Jingsong let out a long breath and said, "Didn't expect that since last year, the situation has truly changed day by day."

"So look at it openly, don't be stubborn."

Li Xuewu reminded him meaningfully, "Many things don't need you to calculate; slowly, there will be results."

"Mm, listening to advice means eating a full meal."

Zhang Jingsong had already understood, smiled and asked him, "Tonight won't work, what about tomorrow or the day after? Which day do you have time? I've always wanted to have a talk with you."

"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu said with a light laugh, "That's hard to say, it depends on the leader's arrangements."

He patted the sofa armrest, stood up, and said, "Alright, the gift is delivered. Don't say I don't think of my comrades when I go out once."

"Am I the kind of person you say?"

Zhang Jingsong stood up to see him off and joked, "But seriously, it doesn't matter if you don't think of others, but if you really didn't bring anything, I would truly be heartbroken."

"Hahahaha—" Li Xuewu patted his arm and went out.

Zhang Jingsong stood at the door, watching him walk away, before returning to his office. He was proud, and Li Xuewu's expression of "gentleman's friendship as light as water" was what made him most comfortable and what he could feel the most goodwill from.

It wasn't because Li Xuewu was Secretary-General that he was so slick; it was because he was slick that he became today's Secretary-General.

Zhang Jingsong knew why he came. Returning from Japan, Li Xuewu was busy in Liaodong for quite a while; it was impossible for him not to know his situation.

Hearing him mention being tired today, he didn't say comforting words, but stopped at the right point. He truly deserves the word "gentleman."

Li Xuewu only made a round upstairs, gave Zhang Jingsong, Xue Zhifu, and the others a carton of cigarettes each, and after delivering them, took advantage of lunch to go downstairs and go home.

"This Secretary-General just came back to distribute cigarettes."

At noon, several leaders of the group gathered for lunch. Cheng Kaiyuan joked, "Said he wouldn't come in the afternoon, threw a carton of cigarettes at me and left."

"He's just used to being free," Gao Yaqin said with a smile, "Who knows how carefree he was in Liaodong."

Jing Yunong hadn't intended to eat with everyone, but Gu Weijie was leaving, and Li Huai De urged that for the last few days, everyone should eat together if they could.

He said that there is no banquet in the world that doesn't end. After the last farewell meal, it would be difficult to sit together again.

As the protagonist, Gu Weijie had already felt Old Li's goodwill, eating with him twice every day, morning and evening.

As long as the leadership team members were at home, they would all come over, which was considered harmonious. Even Zhou Wanquan restrained his edge, knowing it wasn't the time.

"He just wants to save trouble." Li Huai De explained while eating sorghum rice, "I even said I would leave time for them to go shopping."

"But everyone had time, only he was busy spinning around."

This was explaining for Li Xuewu why he only brought cigarettes for the male comrades and why he ignored the female comrades.

There were three female comrades in the leadership team: Gu Weijie, Gao Yaqin, and Jing Yunong.

Gao Yaqin had gone to Japan and brought gifts for everyone, but Li Xuewu happened to forget the other two female colleagues.

Li Huai De used being busy to explain, which made sense. If it didn't make sense, who at the dinner table would dare to pick on Li Xuewu?

Just based on this trip to Japan, Li Xuewu cooperated with Gao Yaqin to win so many contracts; even if they had words in their hearts, they had to hold them back.

"It's just that he let Liu Bin buy these cigarettes."

Gao Yaqin joked, but if she wanted to explain for Li Xuewu, she still had to mention it. She also briefly mentioned two interesting shopping stories in Japan.

Gu Weijie was leaving and was in a good mood, not caring about Li Xuewu's gift at all, whereas Jing Yunong's expression was indifferent.

Everyone knew they had a conflict, so when mentioning this, they deliberately didn't mention who was with whom.

But even if not mentioned, Li Xuewu's "treating everyone equally" was a bit too obvious.

To not give Jing Yunong a gift, he didn't even give one to Gu Weijie. This grudge was truly deep.

Of course, this was what others saw and what others thought. Jing Yunong's expression was actually faked.

Her gift had long been delivered to her home, not brought by a person, but mailed. It was a very large box, and he had definitely put his heart into it.

Listening to Li Huai De and Gao Yaqin's introduction, Li Xuewu was very busy in Japan, yet he still had time to help her choose gifts.

Listening to everyone chatting, although she became increasingly indifferent on the surface, her heart was warm.

"Is Tokyo, Japan, more prosperous than Beijing?"

Xue Zhifu asked curiously, "Are there more people or more shopping malls, or is there anywhere better than ours?"

"That, there are indeed more." Gao Yaqin looked at Li Huai De and asked, "General Manager Li, is it more than double?"

"Mm, all of Tokyo has over 17 million people." Li Huai De picked up the hot soup and took a sip, saying, "Our Beijing has less than 8 million people."

"If counting only the city proper, Tokyo should have 9 million people, and Beijing city proper should be just over 4 million?"

He looked at the few people and said, "The general situation should be like this. I also heard Director Han and the others chatting and mentioning this."

"The style of urban construction is also different."

Gao Yaqin explained, "They have more high-rise buildings, the colors of the architecture are more vibrant, and traditional culture is better continued."

"Heard there is also a flower-laden world?"

Cheng Kaiyuan joked, "Is that side not managed? Or is it just allowed?"

"You only care about this?" Gao Yaqin looked at him amusedly and teased, "If I had known, I should have let you go, to broaden your horizons."

She raised her eyebrows and looked at Old Li, saying meaningfully, "I didn't see it. Heard it exists, and is quite fun."

Don't know if Cheng Kaiyuan was doing it on purpose, but he just had to poke at Old Li's lungs.

Old Li was quite upright. Hearing their jokes and seeing these people's gazes glancing over, he also spoke up.

"The flower-laden world confuses the eyes, but it's just a skeleton under pink powder."

He first pulled out a phrase that didn't know how to be put together, then continued, "What does it matter if you saw it or didn't? It doesn't stop us from determining that it is low-level entertainment, the negative side of society."

Gao Yaqin couldn't say anything more at this point. Old Li had already started to elevate the issue; how could she continue?

Gu Weijie watched the few people fighting with a smile, feeling it was quite interesting, and even had a bit of unwillingness and nostalgia.

Unwilling to leave just like that, clearly only one step away from the peak, yet this step was ten thousand miles away for her.

She didn't have the courage to persist, so she chose another path, which couldn't be called a shortcut, but was much easier to walk.

"Old but firm," that's what Li Huai De is. He should be very clear about what these people are thinking.

Gu Weijie only watches the fun now and never gets involved. She also has to leave some dignity for herself, at least not letting everyone wish she would leave sooner.

"Liu Bin didn't see through the karmic obstacles, so he went to study."

Gao Yaqin really dared to speak. Even though Old Li had concluded it, seeing that others didn't dare to say anything, she just pointed it out straightforwardly.

However, these words didn't sound harsh; instead, singing along with Old Li and laying the problem out made it less sharp.

"At that time, the Secretary-General was also there. That executive from Matsushita didn't have good intentions. He gave the warnings that should have been given. Who told him to be obsessed and not realize it?"

"Theoretical study and disciplinary study can never be broken at any time."

Li Huai De also said with emotion, "This time going out, everyone was terrified, very afraid that something would happen to their team."

"I and—it was considered worry-free. After all, we have many people, and we can take care of each other. Overall, it was considered complete."

Whether it was complete or not wasn't up to him. Now that the conclusion is drawn, the purpose is to remind everyone that he had done what he should have done, so don't pester him anymore.

It was true. Liu Bin had been exiled to the training ground by him. Even if they blamed him again, what else could they say about lax supervision?

On the contrary, Old Li's performance this time amazed everyone; he neither meddled in other people's business nor caused trouble himself.

You know, hearing about Liu Bin's accident, everyone's first impression was: if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked.

With Old Li as a pearl before them, what good things could Liu Bin learn as a secretary?

Just when everyone suspected that Old Li had an accident and let Liu Bin take the blame, another piece of news came.

Everyone had a physical examination on the first day of this exchange meeting. It was too late to cover up the physical examination report.

The good ones naturally didn't need to be mentioned. Who would pay attention to someone as strong as Li Xuewu? On the contrary, the few old guys who were dribbling urine when going to the toilet received quite a lot of attention.

Li Xuewu didn't meet them, but Li Huai De and the others of similar age had already clashed once in the reception room, each holding their physical examination report.

This one compared sleep quality, that one said he was old but still vigorous, and there were even comparisons of who got up less at night.

Only Old Li had no face, because it was written clearly on the physical examination report that he was impotent.

There were physical reasons and psychological reasons. The hospital didn't give a definitive treatment method, just suggesting he take medicine.

Old Li didn't dare to take medicine randomly. He didn't lack medical resources; if something really happened, he could use a helicopter to send him to the hospital.

Regarding treatment methods, he still preferred to trust traditional Chinese medicine. That set of little devils also had the shadow of traditional Chinese medicine.

Everyone didn't pay attention to the diagnosis, but only paid attention to Old Li losing his "crime-committing tool," which instead became a joke that had to be told in private.

Of course, this also proved Old Li's innocence; Liu Bin was indeed asking for it.

However, Old Li's talk of benevolence and morality was definitely a joke in everyone's eyes. If he could still commit crimes, Old Li would definitely be one of those who had an accident.

"Gu Yan, your stinky socks—"

As soon as Li Xuewu entered the courtyard, he heard his daughter's loud voice coming from the living room with the door open. It looked like she was lecturing her uncle.

Then he heard Gu Yan's voice: "How are you talking to your uncle? Wait until your mother comes back, I'll tell your mother!"

"Then I'll tell your mother too—"

Li Shu hummed, "See if Grandma doesn't talk about you. Such a big person, throwing stinky socks everywhere!"

Li Xuewu entered the courtyard and saw his daughter with one hand on her waist, pointing to the living room direction and saying, "Li Ning knows how to wash his own socks, but you don't!"

"Aren't you ashamed? Shame, shame, shame—"

"Dad—"

Li Ning was the first to discover him. Seeing him enter the courtyard from the bay window of the kitchen, his little legs ran out as if they had been installed with wind-fire wheels.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

Li Xuewu smiled and caught his son who "flew" over from the steps, patted his butt and asked, "Is the ground cold?"

"I wet my pants again, don't have any to wear."

Li Ning explained righteously, without a trace of shame on his face, as if he were complaining about the fact that he had few shoes.

Li Xuewu said amusedly, "Then why wet your pants? If you have to pee, go to the bathroom, or tell your aunt."

"Hi, by the time I want to say it, I can't hold it anymore—"

After all, he was a child born and raised in Beijing. Li Xuewu didn't feel he had an accent, but hearing his son's Beijing dialect was quite amusing.

The generation that moved into the city later in the Four Nine Cities still had their own hometown dialects, but by the next generation, especially Li Xuewu's generation, the dialects were fewer.

Mainly because the teachers at school taught Mandarin, and when the students played together, if there was a native from the hutong, everyone would have an accent.

The core of the Beijing dialect is not that it's tongue-twisting or unpleasant, but that there are too many fragments. Half of a ten-word sentence is useless.

You don't see people in the Four Nine Cities greeting each other; they can chat for a long time without necessarily getting to what they ate today. It's all damn nonsense.

Li Ning has a bit of that meaning now. Before he even said anything, he started with a "Hi."

"Little brother played with water, so he wet his pants."

Seeing it was Dad, Li Shu also ran out and complained, "I didn't let him play, but he wouldn't listen."

"That's your fault then." Li Xuewu squatted down and said with a smile, "If little brother doesn't listen, why didn't you spank him? Is he rebelling against you?"

"It was my uncle who stopped me—"

Saying this, thinking of the thing that made her angry, Li Shu turned her head and glared at the foyer, humming, "I'll call Auntie in a while!"

"Your little chili pepper is too nosy." Gu Yan, wearing a tank top, hugged his chest with both hands and complained with a smile, "Even I have to be managed."

"Then you should be secretly happy." Li Xuewu said amusedly, "When you get old, if there's still a niece managing you, wouldn't you laugh your teeth off?"

"Ha—" Gu Yan pursed his lips and said, "Need to wait until I'm old? Now she already dislikes me and wants to throw me onto the main road."

"Who told you not to wash your socks and throw them everywhere—" Li Shu raised her head, hands on her waist, looking milk-fierce, truly looking like a little chili pepper.

Li Xuewu patted her arm and taught her, "Next time you see Uncle not washing his socks, wait until he's asleep and throw them by his pillow."

"Hahahaha—" Li Shu learned to be bad. Thinking about it made her feel relieved, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"That would be better than throwing them in his mouth." Li Ning threw out a sentence casually and ran into the house.

Gu Yan was both angry and amused, looking at the two and saying, "Can you still teach the children something good? Is this going to serve me with big punishment?"

"I just gave a hint, it's the children's free play."

Li Xuewu touched his daughter's little head and said, "Did you remember? Next time, remind Uncle like that, but you are not allowed to call Uncle by his name again. It's impolite."

"Got it—" Li Shu really got it. She could be a child who does bad things, but not a bad child who doesn't understand politeness.

This little girl, after starting school, is becoming smarter and smarter. She understands everything as soon as it's said, clearly having more heart than Li Ning, who loves to play.

"Good thing I didn't stay at your house for long. If I stayed for ten days or half a month, wouldn't I be tortured to death—"

Gu Yan followed his brother-in-law into the foyer, stretched, and said, "Alright, do it yourself, ample food and clothing."

He picked up the socks Li Shu threw at the door, went into the room to rummage, and found a lot of dirty clothes.

Li Xuewu saw it in the living room and asked amusedly, "Had a conflict with Zhou Yao again? Why did you run here to sleep?"

"Haven't seen each other for several months, who would bear to have a conflict."

Gu Yan didn't care what was in the pile of clothes, walked to the bathroom, and stuffed them all into the washing machine.

He explained to his brother-in-law across the corridor, "She's used to eating in the cafeteria, and I'm too lazy to cook, so we both moved here to live."

"So you two treat this as a hotel?"

Li Xuewu pointed to Er Ya, who came out of the kitchen, and said, "Remember to calculate the food expenses, ask him for money."

"I wouldn't dare—" Er Ya also knew Brother Li was joking, so she said with a smile, "In the old days, this was the uncle."

"Isn't that so!" Gu Yan put water in the washing machine, turned around, walked out of the bathroom, stood in the corridor, and said to Li Shu and Li Ning, who were unpacking toys, "Remember, Uncle is always Uncle!"

"In the old days, even if he was the uncle, he was also the closest person who could help you usurp the throne!"

"Mm, thanks to our family not having a throne." Li Xuewu said amusedly, "Otherwise, whose throne would you usurp?"

"Hahahaha—" Gu Yan only then reacted, laughed, and returned to the bathroom.

Li Shu and Li Ning hadn't noticed what happened here. The sister and brother had agreed that the gifts would wait until Dad came back to be unpacked.

Li Xuewu didn't leave the things he brought back from Japan in Fengcheng, but let Liu Bin arrange to send them home.

It had been more than half a month. The two little ones were truly able to endure, especially Li Ning. How many beatings did he have to endure to hold back from unpacking these packages?

Li Xuewu knew they were anxious, so he didn't even go upstairs to change his clothes, just sat in the living room watching them unpack.

He also wanted to have this happiness when he was a child, but unfortunately, family conditions didn't allow it, and there was no such environment, so he envied Li Shu and Li Ning very much.

How did that saying go?

Wishing to buy sweet-scented osmanthus and carry wine together, it is never like the youth's travels.

The older one gets, the less one wants to hear the parents' words, "When you grow up, you will be like this or that." Life is too short to wait.

So he tried his best to satisfy the childhood happiness of his daughter and son, leaving fewer regrets.

"Time to eat, play after eating."

Er Ya went to the courtyard to pick some vegetables and reminded Gu Yan, who was washing clothes, as well as the father and children in the living room.

"Good, coming." Li Xuewu touched Li Shu and Li Ning's little hands and said, "Go find Uncle to wash your hands, we'll play after eating."

"Then I want to wash with Dad."

Li Ning drilled into his arms and reached out to hug his neck. He hadn't seen him for a long time and really missed him.

Seeing Li Shu also looking expectant, Li Xuewu said amusedly, "Then go wash your hands with Dad, inseparable."

"Heehee—" Li Shu smiled, stood up, ran to the bathroom first, and then Gu Yan's laughter came.

"Say Uncle is good and I'll help you!"

"Uncle is bad! Old Uncle is bad!"

"Hahahaha—"

After lunch, Li Xuewu went upstairs to take a shower, changed his clothes, and came down to coax Li Shu and Li Ning to play for a while.

Gu Yan was on vacation and didn't have any intention of going out to meet friends. After hanging up the clothes, he returned to the room and lay on the bed to sleep.

In the army, there is discipline and inertia to support, and even more responsibility. When he got home, there was nothing left, and he just wanted to sleep soundly and do nothing.

Listening to the snoring in the guest room, the two who were fiddling with toys laughed secretly, whispering to Dad what Uncle had done in the few days he had been here.

Actually, he didn't do anything, just ate when he woke up and slept when he was full every day.

Li Xuewu coaxed his daughter and son, not disturbing Uncle's sleep, and took them upstairs for a nap.

Sleeping at noon is most comfortable at home. Although it had entered June and it was scorching outside, it was very cool in the room.

When he woke up, Li Shu and Li Ning were still asleep. Children are growing their bodies, just like Gu Yan downstairs, always lacking sleep.

So it's a bit unreasonable for elementary school students to get up at six in the morning to prepare for school. It should be at least seven-thirty or eight o'clock.

Only after sleeping well can they have the spirit to learn. Li Xuewu is not a principal. If he were a principal, he would definitely set the class time from nine to five.

The children were still asleep, so he went downstairs to walk around, didn't disturb Er Ya's rest, found a book, and sat in the living room reading.

At about three o'clock, Li Shu brought her younger brother down, sleepy-eyed. Seeing that Dad was in the living room, both of them smiled, slid down, and threw themselves into his arms together.

Li Ning seemed not to have slept enough, climbed onto the sofa, pillowing his thighs, and closed his eyes again. Li Shu also imitated her brother's appearance, snuggling on the other side of Dad.

She didn't want to sleep anymore, but the nap time was a bit long, and her expression was dazed, not knowing what she was thinking.

Until Li Xuewu read for a while longer, Li Shu asked, "Dad, can I eat an ice cream?"

As soon as her words were finished, Li Ning on the other side sat up as if sleepwalking, rubbing his eyes and looking at Dad and sister.

"But don't leave you behind—"

Li Shu glanced at her brother and said to him in Grandma's tone.

Li Xuewu smiled and touched her little nose, asking, "Is there ice cream at home?"

"Yes, Auntie brought it back, it's frozen in the refrigerator."

Li Shu jumped off the sofa and just wanted to go find it, but then remembered Dad hadn't agreed yet, so she turned back and asked, "Can I? I'll just eat one."

"Help me get one too," Li Xuewu smiled and hugged his son, saying, "Little brother and I will eat one."

"Good!" Li Shu smiled and ran to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door very skillfully, and took out two ice creams from inside.

"Mung bean, very sweet."

Li Shu handed one to Dad, peeled off the paper herself, and said with a smile, "Mom only allows me to eat one a week, saying it's too cold."

"Mom is right."

Li Xuewu peeled off the paper from the one in his hand and handed it to Li Ning, who took a small bite, making him shrink his neck from the cold.

"Is it cold?"

He asked his son with a smile, "If it's cold, don't eat it."

"Not cold, not cold—" Li Ning was very afraid Dad wouldn't let him eat ice cream, so he hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I'll eat it in small bites, it's not cold."

"Don't need me to tell you that eating too much will give you a stomachache, right?"

Li Xuewu only felt that his two children were very easy to coax, understanding everything said, and wouldn't pester him endlessly.

Li Shu looked at the ice cream in her hand and said to Dad, "Then I'll eat half, and eat the rest tomorrow."

"Sister is so well-behaved, then how much will Li Ning eat?"

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at his son and asked, "Is it less than sister?"

"But—" Li Ning was a bit anxious, "Dad also ate."

"Then Dad will also eat half," Li Xuewu said with a smile, "You just eat three bites, okay?"

Li Ning didn't know how to answer, just kept licking the ice cream, reluctant to bite it, because biting it would count as eating one bite of ice cream.

"Go get one for your uncle."

Li Xuewu raised his chin, pointed to the direction of the guest room, and said to Li Shu.

Li Shu first looked at her uncle who was snoring, then looked at Dad and said, "Uncle is still sleeping, how can he eat?"

"If you put the ice cream in his hand, he will eat it." Li Xuewu said with a smile, "If he keeps sleeping, he'll really become a pig." ===== CHAPTER 1704 =====