Chapter 251: Just Joking with Him

Having just left Dong Wenxue's office with Li Li Xuewu, they ran into Fu Bin approaching, with a young man in his twenties wearing a crisp Zhongshan suit trailing behind him.

He bore a resemblance to Fu Bin, both with broad eyebrows and square faces, the most sought-after look these days, shaped exactly to the standard of the 7 PM news anchor.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu, the young man recognized him instantly, as everyone knew the face of the Security Department's Tiger bore a scar.

Seeing the two emerge from Dong Wenxue's office, Fu Bin greeted them with a smile: "Xu Suozhang doesn't often visit our Security Department."

Xu Si was quite a character too, brushing it off with a laugh: "I'd love to come, but I have to find the time. Your administrative budget for next year was rejected again; isn't this just me coming to discuss it with Deputy Director Dong and Li Ke of the Security Section, who exceeded the budget?"

As Xu Si spoke, he nodded with a smile at the young man behind Fu Bin.

Fu Bin watched the interaction between Xu Si and the person behind him, then said to Li Li Xuewu: "Report as you must. Other sections' budgets can be discounted, but the Security Section's budget is under my say-so; no discounts allowed. If the budget is discounted, how can the work be done?"

These words were for Xu Si to hear, and also for Li Li Xuewu.

They were for Xu Si because he knew the matter; no department leader wants their managed department's budget cut. Although he might play tricks with Li Li Xuewu, he must maintain the reputation of protecting his own.

Saying it to Li Li Xuewu was to warn him: I support you so much on the budget; if your work is discounted, then I deal with you, and you'll have nothing to say, right?

Hence the saying that a man cannot go a day without power. On Sunday, Fu Bin was still a toothless tiger, smiling at everyone, looking like he had retired to the mountains; now that he's got his false teeth in, he's roaring through the forest again.

"Yes, Director, I insist on the same. If the work is done properly but the comrades' case funds and welfare aren't in place, and they make a scene later, wouldn't that slap your face?"

Li Li Xuewu was now at full firepower. If you, Fu Bin, press my head to put a tight spell on me, then I'll slap you hard and shove a riot gun right down your throat.

Xu Si stood in the middle, listening to the two most powerful men in the Security Department arm-wrestle, and cold sweat was about to pour down.

Damn it, if you fight and hurt or kill someone, don't drag me in; I'm just a passerby.

Although both Li Li Xuewu and the other spoke words defending the Security Department, words directed at Xu Si, anyone who understood knew this had nothing to do with Xu Si at all; it was just Fu Bin and Li Li Xuewu battling it out.

Xu Si's mood was now very complex; he secretly vowed never to come to the Security Department again in his second half of life. It was damn dangerous.

"I say, Director Fu, Li Ke, are you bullying us? Seeing only an old veteran like me in our office, are you two ganging up on one of us? Fine, wait for me to go back and get people."

This round of banter dispersed the swordlight and spear shadows between Fu Bin and Li Li Xuewu. No wonder Xu Si is an old fox; using this joke as an excuse, he was about to leave.

Fu Bin, still steady, smiled and said: "I heard Fu Haibo treated you to dinner last night?"

These words pinned Xu Si to the spot like a immobilization spell.

How should this be understood?

Dissatisfied? Then why call him Fu Haibo instead of Fu Fu Haibo?

Isn't this plainly saying Fu Fu Haibo has a good relationship with him?

Satisfied? Then why the look of accusing and questioning?

Isn't this acting like a prostitute while setting up a chaste arch?

Proving he doesn't protect his own, doesn't favor his nephew?

Xu Si looked at Fu Fu Haibo, saw no change in his expression, then looked at Fu Bin, wanting to see what tricks this old turtle was playing.

Fu Bin used to handle things like a decent person; why is he making such foolish moves now that retirement is near?

If he does this, Xu Si won't take Fu Bin seriously anymore.

Xu Si feared no tricks, because after mixing in the workplace for so many years, he had never been led into a pit!

Except by Li Li Xuewu!

That little bastard is too despicable; it's not that I wasn't alert, but that kid is too cunning.

Fu Bin glared at his nephew behind him and said: "Just messing around with these crooked ways. I despise people like you the most. Go do what you're supposed to do."

Fu Fu Haibo looked at Li Li Xuewu, as if trying to memorize his face, then turned and left without saying a word.

Li Li Xuewu and Xu Si watched Fu Bin lose his temper, exchanging glances, not knowing what Fu Bin really meant.

Only after Fu Fu Haibo went downstairs did Fu Bin sigh and say: "Wanting to advance has driven you mad. Li Xuewu, you are good; don't learn from him."

Then, as if remembering something, he said: "If things could be settled at the dinner table, we'd just drink heavily every day. If he dares to organize a drinking gathering in our factory again, you take people and arrest them. Charge them under the public order disturbance regulations. I said it!"

Saying this, Fu Bin turned and entered his own office, leaving Xu Si winking and making faces at Li Li Xuewu.

After the two went down the stairs to the building entrance, Xu Si spoke quietly: "Director Fu performed an opera called 'Executing the Son at the Outer Gate' for you. What do you think of the performance?"

Li Li Xuewu grinned wickedly: "Heh heh heh. What else is there to say? Powerful delivery, emphatic words, righteous and bold."

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, gesturing toward the floor above, and added: "Especially that final high-pitched note that shot straight up to the sky, piercing and sharp, unstoppable, demonstrating his firm will to enforce the law like a mountain and show no favoritism."

Xu Si squinted at Li Li Xuewu and said: "I've figured it out. You writers are really damn good at spinning tales."

"Just a cover-up, being both a whore and building a chaste arch, yet you can spin so many flowers out of it!"

Li Li Xuewu poked Xu Si's belly and said: "Your performance of 'The Empty Fort Strategy' wasn't bad either. Clear diction and grand delivery, harmonious and elegant tones; high notes bright and clear, low notes steady; rhythm varied and full of ups and downs."

Xu Si waved his hand and said: "Brother, I'm convinced. Rest assured, brother will always stand on your side."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said: "I never doubt the bond between us brothers; I'd dare say this to anyone."

Xu Si smiled, patted Li Li Xuewu's shoulder like a good brother, then asked as if by accident: "Did you find that proof we talked about last time?"

Li Li Xuewu played dumb and asked: "What proof?"

Xu Si let out a dry "Hahaha" twice, then said: "Nothing. If you forgot, forget it. Let's leave it at that for now. I'm heading back; I have other matters."

Li Li Xuewu took two steps and said: "Let me walk you out?"

Xu Si dared not let Li Li Xuewu escort him; if he did, he'd either be dragged in or shot. He waved his hand and said: "We're damn brothers; no need for that formal stuff." Saying this, he walked out of the Security Department door.

Li Li Xuewu stood in the lobby, watching Xu Si enter the main office building, before returning to the Security Section on the first floor.

Passing the Public Security Subsection and the Security Subsection, he called Han Han Yating and Han Zhan over.

As soon as he entered the room, Li Li Xuewu asked: "Have there been many reports filed at the Public Security Subsection recently?"

Han Han Yating didn't know why Li Li Xuewu asked, but answered anyway: "It's still normal. About the same number of cases every week; I don't feel there are more."

Li Li Xuewu frowned and asked again: "Are there many requests from police stations for coordination and inquiries?"

Han Han Yating nodded: "Actually, quite a few. Some workers' kids are mischievous and cause trouble on the streets; the police stations call us to get the parents."

"Any thefts, robberies, or the like?"

Han Han Yating didn't know what was wrong with Li Li Xuewu, why he was asking only such serious questions.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu's serious attitude, he replied very formally: "No, our Public Security Section has not received any such cases."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and asked Han Zhan: "What about the patrol team? Have you encountered any situations?"

Han Zhan looked at Li Li Xuewu and said: "I have plenty of issues. These little rascals are restless at night now. With so many of them, they aren't afraid of us. If we weren't carrying guns, I reckon we'd suffer losses."

Li Li Xuewu frowned, looked at Han Zhan, and said: "Here's a task for you. Have the security team investigate which people in our workers' residential area are causing trouble. Those with special circumstances are even better. Remember, don't tip off the snake; find reliable people to handle it."

Han Zhan nodded and left to carry out the task. Li Li Xuewu turned to Han Han Yating and said: "Factory Director Yang went to the workshop to inspect work. Workers reported thefts in the urban residential area, someone returning home was robbed, and female comrades said the streets are unsafe."

Han Han Yating frowned and asked: "But we haven't received any such cases."

Li Li Xuewu tapped the table and said: "I encountered one when I went home yesterday. Fortunately, it was me; otherwise, our factory workers would have suffered."

"Ah?"

Han Han Yating was also shocked that this was true and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Li Li Xuewu frowned and said: "This is a failure on our part. Although such matters should be reported to the local police station first, if our workers face danger and we don't know about it, that is our dereliction of duty."

"Here's what you do: go to the factory broadcast station and draft a message stating that the Security Department is cracking down severely on public security crimes. Ask all worker comrades to provide clues. Broadcast such a message daily, updating in real time on how many case reports you've received, how many clues, how many investigated, how many confirmed, and how many arrested."

"Li Kezhang, this is a troublesome matter."

"Troublesome matters must still be done."

The greater the crisis, the more one must occupy the high ground of public opinion. Li Li Xuewu never fought battles without preparation.

Now that he was in the open, how could he not command the wind and rain?

"Understood, Li Kezhang. I'll get right on it."

That afternoon, as soon as Li Li Xuewu got up from the bed in his office, he heard the clear, pleasant voice of a female broadcaster from the factory broadcast station, and it was broadcast three times in a row.

Important things are said three times; does that apply now?

After busying himself for a while, Li Li Xuewu called Wei Tong and went to the auto repair shop in the factory's logistics department. The two vehicles of the Security Section had been fully modified.

"Li Kezhang, I plan to start synchronized personnel and vehicle training this afternoon."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said: "Good. We need to train hard. Mount the light machine guns. Practice duty, arrest, search, jumping out of moving vehicles, and boarding moving vehicles."

Wei Tong nodded and said: "Once we get the vehicles, we'll start training."

Li Li Xuewu pointed to the 212 Jeep and said: "Drive this one too. Both vehicles have radios; combine them with walkie-talkies. You must be able to command the guard team as easily as moving your own arms."

Wei Tong said somewhat embarrassedly: "If we drive this car away, what will you drive?"

Li Li Xuewu patted Wei Tong's shoulder and said: "This is the command vehicle. Why would I drive it? Public vehicles must be used for public purposes. That is the principle of the Security Section, and it is my bottom line."

Wei Tong saluted and said: "Yes."

Li Li Xuewu opened the door of the 212 and said: "It's not just the trucks that need training for boarding and alighting while moving; the Jeep needs it too. The command vehicle must be ready to become an action vehicle at any time."

Slamming the door shut, Li Li Xuewu pointed at Wei Tong and said: "Now our Security Section has three motor vehicles. You've all seen how powerful our duty conditions are. If you slack off, I'll be embarrassed."

Wei Tong assured him again: "The team members' quality is high; they just lack experience. Starting to learn now, we guarantee to learn quickly."

Li Li Xuewu looked at his own repaired Willys and asked Wei Tong: "Is all the equipment ready?"

Wei Tong nodded and said: "We picked it up at noon. The team members are very happy wearing the new uniforms."

Li Li Xuewu said seriously to Wei Tong: "New clothes mean a new look. You absolutely must not follow the old path."

"Yes."

"Go ahead and drive the vehicles away."

After Wei Tong left, Li Li Xuewu finally took a close look at his own Willys.

Actually, the current ownership and usage rate of this vehicle is still quite high. The reason is that Transport Chief Zhang left many behind, since later Commander Chiang received a large amount of American-style equipment from the United States.

Furthermore, the United States contributed quite a lot during the Korean War, so many units are using this vehicle.

The Jingcheng factory also attempted to replicate this model, but unfortunately, the replication was incomplete. They only replicated the forward gear; the reverse gear was not replicated, so that model unfortunately can only move forward.

Although this sounds like a joke, it truly reflects our current industrial level.

Master Zhang, seeing that Li Li Xuewu liked this Jeep, stood aside smiling and introduced it: "Nothing major. The radiator had a crack, so I patched it up. I also replaced the tires and everything else with new ones."

"As for the soft top, we really couldn't find the material. We found the thickest cotton cloth from the Labor Protection Factory and made one for you. I won't bore you with the other parts; you wouldn't recognize them anyway."

Li Li Xuewu smiled, got into the car, and tried it out. Hey, it's not actually that narrow. Li Li Xuewu, who is over 1.8 meters tall, sat inside with plenty of room.

Of course, one cannot have too many demands regarding comfort.

The most interesting thing about this car is that the front windshield can fold forward. The entire car has no doors, only a curved opening, which makes boarding and alighting convenient and reduces the vehicle's weight.

However, while prioritizing mobility, warmth was sacrificed. In the dead of winter, personnel on the car are too exposed, which means Li Li Xuewu might have to wear a thick cotton-padded jacket to drive this car, or wait until the weather warms up to drive it.

The Willys Jeep is equipped with a 2211-milliliter engine with a maximum power of 44 kilowatts (60 horsepower). The most intuitive impression of this power is that if you remove the tires, it could be used as a locomotive.

Of course, that's just a figure of speech. If you really insisted on making it pull dozens of carriages, that would be pure nonsense.

As for whether Li Li Xuewu dares to drive this car on the street, there is absolutely no concern. Setting aside Li Li Xuewu's identity, just the license plate brought by Gu Can is enough; even by this time next year, Li Li Xuewu would still dare to drive it.

"Alright, thank you, Master Zhang. Where is the cost list?"

Li Li Xuewu was very satisfied with the car, so he looked up and asked Master Zhang for the cost list.

Master Zhang turned around, took a piece of paper from the iron cabinet, handed it to Li Li Xuewu, and said: "You really have principles. Take a look; all the costs are on there."

Li Li Xuewu looked at the list; the total was only a little over 30 yuan. He looked up and asked: "You didn't try to save money for me, did you? Hahaha."

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu's words were half serious and half joking, Master Zhang also joked: "What? Think it's too little? If you think it's too little, I'll add a bit more for you. Hehehe. Nothing major anyway. I even added 3 yuan for paint costs, but I didn't waste it; I sprayed it all on the car."

Li Li Xuewu looked at the car body painted with new paint, nodded, and said: "Then thank you for your hard work. I'll take the car now."

After exchanging a few jokes, Li Li Xuewu started the engine and drove this ten-plus-year-old Jeep out of the auto repair shop.

He parked the car in the Security Section's garage. Since this garage is connected to the heating system, just like the small vehicle fleet, there is no need to warm up the engine in winter.

He then went to the Finance Section to pay the fees according to the list.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu come to pay, Feng Juan looked at the slip in Li Li Xuewu's hand and said: "You certainly know how to stir up trouble. First you paid for heating installation, now you're paying for car repairs. You're getting bigger and bigger with your projects."

Li Li Xuewu took out money and handed it to Feng Juan, saying: "This is a car belonging to an old leader of mine. I said our auto repair shop does good work, so I towed it over here. Here, take the money."

Feng Juan smiled, pressed her lips together, accepted Li Li Xuewu's money, and issued a receipt for Li Li Xuewu.

Li Li Xuewu left the finance department and, instead of returning to the office building, went directly to check on the guesthouse.

This Master Dou was truly capable; having taken on such a project, he had actually managed to find workers.

Li Li Xuewu saw forty or fifty people busy at the guesthouse construction site; upon seeing Li Li Xuewu arrive, both Master Dou and Xu Ning walked over.

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said to Xu Ning, "Xu Suozhang, a new official sets three fires upon taking office; it seems this first fire is already burning fiercely."

Xu Ning smiled, lit cigarettes for Li Li Xuewu and Master Dou, then said, "Hey, isn't it all thanks to your support? How about it? Shall we go inside and take a look?"

Li Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Just tell me about it; I still have matters to attend to."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu was unwilling to enter, and thinking about how dusty it was inside, Xu Ning did not press him, but instead gave Li Li Xuewu a general overview of the situation.

"The electrical and piping networks on all floors have been completely replaced; right now we are cleaning the walls, expected to finish today, and starting to paint tomorrow."

"Progress is this fast?" Li Li Xuewu was somewhat surprised; working at this rate, wouldn't everything be finished within a week?

Master Dou smiled and said, "These are all broad, sweeping tasks; as long as there are enough people, it goes quickly. The later stages will be slower; things like furniture and window frames require experienced carpenters; novices cannot do them."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "That is still fast enough; truly remarkable."

Master Dou squinted with a smile and said, "You trusted me and introduced me to such a large job; of course I must put my heart into it."

While they were talking, someone on the other side called out for Xu Ning; Li Li Xuewu did not let Xu Ning stay to keep him company, but waved his hand and said, "Hurry off to your work; I am just here to take a look."

Xu Ning still had matters to attend to, so he said to Li Li Xuewu, "The service staff are undergoing training over at the small auditorium; I need to go check on them, so you stay here and look around."

After seeing Xu Ning off, Master Dou handed the keys to Li Li Xuewu and said, "We truly didn't finish cleaning on Sunday, so we worked half a day on Monday as well; the chimney has been rebuilt, the stove newly brick-laid, and I tested the heating, repairing the leaks; unsure if anyone will be staying, I drained the water to prevent freezing."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "You have truly gone to trouble; please calculate it for me—the cost for my Bai Bai Xiyuan project plus that courtyard, how much in total?"

Master Dou said somewhat embarrassedly, "No rush; you can use the money first."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I have it here; you are leading people in work, so we must not owe wages; just give me a figure."

Master Dou already had a number in mind; seeing Li Li Xuewu insist, he smiled and said, "Then thank you; in that case, just give me another 500 yuan."

While speaking, he waved his hand to emphasize, "I am not overcharging you."

Li Li Xuewu knew he had not overcharged; he took money from his pocket, counted it out, and handed it to Master Dou.

"I even suspect you charged too little, hahaha."

Seeing he had received the money, Master Dou also smiled and said, "You introduced me to such a large project; how could I bear to charge you more? That would make me ungrateful and heartless."

Li Li Xuewu flicked off some ash and said, "Alright, my previous bill is settled; now let me tell you about another job."

Master Dou let out an "Aiyo!" and reached to take out the money Li Li Xuewu had just given him, saying as he did so, "You have another job? Why didn't you say so earlier? I certainly cannot take your money for this first."

Li Li Xuewu pushed Master Dou's hand back and said, "One matter is one matter; we cannot let you suffer a loss, can we? It is for the east side-courtyard of our Sihe Academy."

Master Dou looked at Li Li Xuewu in confusion, not understanding what Li Li Xuewu meant; having worked at Li Li Xuewu's home for nearly a month, he knew the layout of that Sihe Academy, and the east courtyard was not a place for people to live.

Li Li Xuewu explained Yu Li's ideas to Master Dou in detail, also mentioning the plan to replace the soil and bricks.

Master Dou nodded and said, "That is no problem; when do you want to start work? I cannot spare anyone at the moment; all the people I can find are being used here."

As if making a decision, he added, "If I pull people away from here, we won't be able to meet the schedule."

Li Li Xuewu nodded, understanding Master Dou's meaning, and said, "No rush; wait until this side is finished; starting in early spring will be fine."

Only then did Master Dou smile and say, "According to your Xu Suozhang's intentions, this job will indeed have to continue until after early spring, hehehe."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and pointed around Tuanjie Lake, saying, "Are you talking about having you do the landscaping?"

"Yes, Xu Suozhang's requirements are quite high, so my work here could last until next summer."

"That is good news," Li Li Xuewu said with a smile, then continued explaining, "The houses in the east courtyard can be built once the weather warms up; unlike my Bai Bai Xiyuan, which is needed urgently for business operations."

"Rest assured; as soon as the ground thaws, I will start work."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "You have already been there, so there is no need to survey the terrain again; just calculate the cost for me."

Master Dou did some mental arithmetic and said, "Based on the standards of your courtyard, a little over 600 should be enough for everything."

"Mm-hmm, okay, let's leave it at that; we will contact each other regarding the specific start date."

Master Dou had truly given a discount; nowadays, few could build a house at such a price.

After settling the house construction matters with Master Dou, Li Li Xuewu returned to the office building.

By past four in the afternoon, Li Li Xuewu called Dong Wenxue to report he was going out on field duty, then went to the bicycle storage area, pushed his bike to the garage, and hitched it behind the jeep.

Although Li Li Xuewu had prepared well, wearing a cotton hat and cotton mittens, with a heavy coat draped over his legs, even so, by the time he drove the jeep to No. 1 Haiyun Road Courtyard, his legs were frozen through.

He jumped out of the car to stretch, used the key in his hand to open the large iron gate, reversed the vehicle into the courtyard, closed the main gate again, and only then began to inspect the yard.

No wonder Master Dou said he had spent a day and a half cleaning; it turned out he had helped tidy up the courtyard as well.

The brick path from the main gate to the villa entrance, which had become uneven from years of neglect, had now been leveled.

The creeping vines attached to the two-story villa, which had withered and died from years of lack of pruning and care, had all been cleared by Master Dou; now, looking at this two-story small villa, it appeared much cleaner.

Li Li Xuewu walked up the steps to look; the villa's doors and windows had been freshly painted, and the glass reflected the light, appearing bright.

Opening the villa's main door, the reddish sunlight streaming through the western windows revealed the true form of the dust in the living room.

Houses left unoccupied for long periods are just like this; no matter how high-class the house, if left empty for too long, it will accumulate flying dust.

Li Li Xuewu stepped onto the wooden floor and walked inward; seeing that the furnishings in the room were just as they had been during his last visit, even the piano in the corner of the living room still wore its layer of dust.

He stomped his foot on the floorboards beneath him; he did not know what kind of wood it was, yet after so many years it had not cracked, and stepping on it produced no creaking sounds.

Entering the octagonal dining room on the left, the furniture there was also covered in dust; looking into the kitchen, however, there were signs of construction work.

Near the north side, a new stove and furnace platform had been built, and the heating boiler had been moved to this area.

Li Li Xuewu did not pay much attention to this; the houses here would not be occupied for some time, as they were too far from his home.

Although the small courtyard at the back was not as luxurious as this side, it was cozy and convenient, having everything one could need.

Every day, Grandfather tended the stove, Grandmother and his daughter watched the house, and Yu Li had now said she would come to handle the cleaning.

Not to mention fighting to wash clothes; if Yu Li saw them, Yu Li washed them, if Qin Yan Jie saw them, Qin Yan Jie washed them; in any case, the clothes Li Li Xuewu took off were inexplicably washed and hung on the clothesline by Mo Ming.

He closed the kitchen doors and windows tightly, then looked upstairs; apart from the settled dust, everything else remained exactly as before.

Li Li Xuewu was inherently lazy by nature; he would not do the cleaning himself, so he would wait until some day when he could conscript some labor.

He drove the car out, locked the main gate, and then drove straight home.

Upon entering Bai Bai Xiyuan, he saw Hearing Da Lao and Second Uncle moving things into the storefront room; there were tables, chairs, and benches made by Hearing Da Lao, a large scale, and a pile of wooden planks.

"Hearing Da Lao, what are you doing?"

Seeing Li Li Xuewu return by car, Grandfather Lao showed no surprise; he had seen plenty of those American Jeep vehicles before.

"Xiao Xiao Laosan said we're opening tomorrow, so we're moving everything from the recycling store over there."

As they spoke, Yu Li approached carrying a basin of hot water; seeing Li Li Xuewu standing at the back door of the storefront room, she greeted him with a slightly flushed face.

Li Li Xuewu smiled without speaking and entered the storefront room through the back door.

The rooms here were quite spacious; the two rooms totaled roughly forty-plus square meters, with the back door in the southeast corner and the main entrance right in the center, both being double doors.

Along the north wall, Hearing Da Lao and Second Uncle were busy nailing together shelves; in front of the shelves stood a counter built from cement bricks, with a row of tables underneath it.

Since this side handled small recycled items or valuable objects, while bulky scrap metal and such were weighed in the main hall and then transported directly to the rear courtyard through the aisle on the left.

Starting tomorrow, once this recycling store opened, the main gate of Bai Bai Xiyuan would be closed, used only for vehicle entry and exit.

With this storefront room, Second Uncle and Hearing Da Lao no longer needed to lean against the window of the inverted house to watch over Bai Bai Xiyuan while on duty; they could now collect scrap while sitting inside.

According to Wen San'er's idea, this place would also engage in second-hand goods exchange operations, similar to a consignment store, but not on a consignment basis; instead, they would buy old goods themselves and sell old goods themselves.

In the future, when people brought items over, they wouldn't have to wait for a consignment store to sell them before getting paid; here, they could sell immediately and leave with cash in hand.

Since Wen San'er and his group all had tricycles, they also offered pickup and delivery services for goods.

When Wen San'er mentioned this matter to Li Li Xuewu, Li Li Xuewu's opinion was to charge no transportation fees; as long as items were sold or purchased at the recycling store, pickup and delivery would be included.

Li Li Xuewu's idea found strong support from Wen San'er; he had already reaped the benefits from that first batch of returning customers, and although goods were scarcer now, the connections remained.

This approach, which seemed like a loss-making strategy, was precisely what would capture returning customers.

Sellers would ask Wen San'er to deliver their goods to the store for free, or Wen San'er would go directly to their homes to collect them.

If the sale resulted in a loss, the store would bear it, having nothing to do with the seller; this was exactly how they intended to exploit the loopholes of consignment stores.

Li Li Xuewu walked further inside and noticed that the recycling store here still had a connecting door to the two rooms on the west side, realizing that Wen San'er planned to conduct business on both sides.

Buying old goods on this side and selling old goods on that side, profiting twice from a single in-and-out transaction.

Glancing around and seeing nothing that required his concern, he turned to leave, asking Yu Li, who was wiping the counter with a rag, "Have you finished moving the household?"

Yu Li nodded with a smile and said, "Third Uncle and Lao Lao Biaozi helped out at noon; I bought ingredients at the vegetable market, will you be eating at home tonight?"

Seeing the hopeful look in Yu Li's eyes, Li Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Yes, save a meal for me, but right now I need to go visit a friend."

Speaking thus, Li Li Xuewu left the room and walked toward the inverted house; after rummaging for a while, he found the fishing rod he had used some time ago to create a diversion, which he had borrowed from Master Ding of Dongsi Dongsi Liutiao Jinyu Hutong and now needed to return promptly since it was no longer needed.

This was called "borrow and return, making future borrowing easy."

Carrying the fishing rod wasn't enough; he also carried two large fat rabbits, adhering to the principle that "courtesy demands reciprocity."

The cabin of the Willis was very small; the back seat was already quite cramped, let alone the trunk—to say it wasn't very small would be inaccurate, as there simply wasn't one.

However, the back seat could be folded down; Li Li Xuewu tossed the fishing rod and the two rabbits into the rear compartment, got in the car, started the engine, and headed straight for Dongsi Dongsi Liutiao Jinyu Hutong.

It wasn't yet rush hour, so the streets weren't crowded and driving was easy; Li Li Xuewu hadn't even considered whether Master Ding would be home.

This was precisely because Li Li Xuewu hadn't wandered around this area since his return; otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have shown up so rashly.

Upon reaching the spot where he had previously parked the horse-drawn carriage, he stopped the car, carried his things around to the main entrance, and pressed the doorbell.

Master Ding's home had three gates, and Li Li Xuewu was looking for the main one.

Come to think of it, most ordinary households really didn't have such a thing as a doorbell.

It wasn't that they couldn't afford to install one, but rather that there was no need; after all, how many households currently lived in such large courtyard compounds?

Although not exactly rare, they were certainly not common either.

After waiting for about half a minute, a response finally came from within the courtyard.

There was a custom here: when you heard knocking or the doorbell ring, you shouldn't answer from inside the room, as the person outside wouldn't hear you, and besides, it was impolite.

You had to walk out into the courtyard to answer, typically with the phrase Li Li Xuewu was now hearing: "Ah, coming!"

The host welcoming a guest had to open the door, step across the threshold, and stand outside to greet the visitor with a formal salute.

Of course, people no longer observed as many rituals from the previous dynasties, but when visiting someone's home, the host still needed to come outside to welcome the guest.

Furthermore, regardless of whether the door was truly closed or merely latched, a visiting guest should never push the door open and enter directly.

If there was a doorbell, press it; if not, knock on the door knocker held in the monster's mouth; never push open a door just because it was slightly ajar, as that was extremely rude.

Did one not see those private courtyards in Nanluoguxiang in later generations hanging signs saying "Private Residence, No Unauthorized Entry"? How tacky that was.

Another thing to remember: the monster on the door had a name and came in different styles; by looking at the style of the monster, one could discern the identity and status of the household's master.

The monster on the door mainly consisted of two parts: first, the base holding the ring, known as the "Fu Shou," and second, the circular ring itself, which everyone was familiar with as the device knocked against the door to alert the master of a visitor's arrival; the idiom "Fu Shou Hu Xian Yang Huan" (door knocker holding a ring) originated from this.

The image of the Fu Shou was almost always modeled after legendary divine beasts, including tigers, chi dragons, tortoises, snakes, and the most common ones: the Taotie, the Jiaotu, and lion heads with glaring eyes and open mouths.

Besides symbolizing divine beasts protecting the residence, these Fu Shou often highlighted the owner's identity and status.

Just like in later times, when government officials drove Audi A6s, businesspeople drove BMWs, the petty bourgeoisie drove Mercedes-Benzes, and those who loved bathhouses drove Cadillacs—the meaning was roughly the same.

Ah, the Fu Shou on Master Ding's gate right now was the Jiaotu, which rose during the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

This Jiaotu was the ninth son in the legend of the Dragon's Nine Offspring, or as the old saying went, the youngest son.

Due to its solitary nature, its lair was usually tightly closed, and it strongly disliked others entering.

Therefore, people chose it to seek peace and safety; also, because its appearance was fierce and terrifying and it was a child of the Dragon God, it carried the meaning of warding off evil spirits.

Li Li Xuewu looked at the Jiaotu and door knocker on the gate, which were already showing some verdigris, thinking that it was truly fortunate that this residence had survived until now after so many upheavals in the City of Four-Nines.

The main gate opened halfway, revealing a round little head from inside; the face wasn't big, round with large eyes, belonging to a very handsome young man.

Hey, it really was someone Li Li Xuewu knew, and it was quite unexpected to meet him here.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu, the young lad was also very surprised; his instinct was to dodge backward, but slipping back inside the door felt wrong.

This wasn't the street, and this wasn't Jiaodaokou either; what was he afraid of?

After completing his mental preparation, the round-headed young man gripped the door again, opening it halfway, and asked Li Li Xuewu, "Who, who are you looking for?"

Li Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes and stared at the young fellow before him for a full ten-plus seconds, staring until the lad grew visibly flustered, before he curled his lip and said, "Is this how you speak? Go fetch your my lord."

Seeing that Li Li Xuewu clearly deemed him unworthy of conversation, the young fellow felt deeply aggrieved and wanted to retort a few words, but recalling the status of the man before him, he shrank his head back and ran into the courtyard to summon someone.

The phrasing in this city of Four-Nine differs from other places; sometimes characters are swallowed entirely. Later generations say this is because the men of Four-Nine are lazy, so lazy they can't be bothered to even speak their words fully.

When Li Li Xuewu uttered the phrase "Go fetch your my lord," not every character carried equal weight.

The two characters "Go fetch" were spoken normally, but upon reaching "your," the character was swallowed; unless one listened closely, one couldn't tell if it had been said at all.

Then, upon reaching the three characters "my lord," the stress fell heavily, indicating this was a noun referring to the head of the household, the one who manages affairs.

Finally, the last character "go" was spoken lightly, generally pronounced as "qie."

Those who understand can provide a voice-over for this; it counts as a hallmark of speech in the city of Four-Nine, so I shall explain it just this once.

Li Li Xuewu stood on the steps of the broad, bright gate, holding his fishing rod and rabbit, waiting while simultaneously comparing this gate to the one at his own Sihe Academy.

Indeed, the differences were substantial; the stone platform base was higher than that of the main gate at Li Li Xuewu's Sihe Academy, the entrance was wider and more open, the door leaves were set between the central pillars of the gate hall, and beneath the eaves were installed decorative brackets like bird's-wing supports and triple-cloud motifs.

This was normal, for this was the residence of a Grand Scholar; the main gate of the courtyard where Li Li Xuewu lived was a common Manzi Gate, with the doors situated between the outer eave pillars.

Just as he was observing, Master Ding clasped his fists, bowed, repeatedly apologized, and spoke of his rudeness; then, opening both door leaves, he stepped over the threshold, smiled at Li Li Xuewu, and said, "Truly apologies; my junior was rude and neglected my brother."

The items Li Li Xuewu held in both hands were also taken by that young fellow who had previously been so aggressive, now looking down with lowered brows and obedient eyes.

Only then did Li Li Xuewu free his hands to return Master Ding's traditional fist-and-palm salute.

"Brother Ding, I came this time to return your fishing rod; the other matter is that I went up the mountain a few days ago and caught two rabbits, for you, old brother, to taste something fresh."

Ding Ding Wanqiu particularly liked the aura about Li Li Xuewu; from the first meeting, he gave off a fierce, bandit-like spirit, looking every bit a straightforward man worth befriending.

"Ai, what need has Brother Li to be so polite? Come, come, let us chat inside."

"Hahaha!" Li Li Xuewu followed Ding Ding Wanqiu into the courtyard—not the rear courtyard, but upon entering the gate, one arrived directly at the central cross-courtyard, in the middle of which stood an enclosed flower hall.

Upon entering the room, Li Li Xuewu realized it was truly not small; the floor was paved with bricks, two floor mats were tossed in the center, and several chairs were placed around the perimeter, making it look like the film sets Li Li Xuewu had seen in later generations.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu observing the room, Ding Ding Wanqiu introduced it with some embarrassment: "It's not that your old brother lacks manners; this is the only room in the entire courtyard spacious enough to practice martial forms, and furthermore, it's the only room equipped with an underfloor heating stove, which is why I brought you here to receive you."

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