Chapter 263: Every Family Has Its Own Difficulties

Li Xuewu wore an innocent expression, his mouth even crying out in injustice: "What am I pretending? What's wrong with you?"

Qin Huairu sat on the kang, turned around, and pinched the base of Li Xuewu's thigh.

"Hiss—"

Li Xuewu gasped in pain.

Seeing Li Xuewu glare, Qin Huairu chided: "Who told you to lie to me? You deserve it."

Li Xuewu rubbed the inside of his thigh, between laughter and tears, and said: "Have you lost your mind? What could I possibly be hiding from you?"

Qin Huairu was now sitting at Li Xuewu's feet, twisting her body to sit with her legs tucked toward the inside of the kang, her right hand propped on the kang, facing Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu had sat straight up the moment he was pinched, so the distance between the two of them now could be positive or negative.

Qin Huairu squinted her eyes and looked at Li Xuewu with a smile, yet her mouth spoke the most serious of words.

"It's one thing that you treat me like a fool—who told me to be foolish enough to trust you—but you treat everyone in the courtyard like fools too?"

Li Xuewu pecked her, but was pushed away by Qin Huairu. However, since her body was already propped up by her right hand on the kang, she lost her support when she pushed Li Xuewu, and as he was pushed back onto the kang, she lay down on it as well.

Seeing that Qin Huairu's head was about to hit the kang, Li Xuewu reached out to catch her.

"Qin Jie, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Go away, you're just bad."

Qin Huairu pushed herself up from Li Xuewu's embrace, propped her elbows on the kang, looked into Li Xuewu's eyes, and said: "Even my mother-in-law has figured it out. Do you think others don't know?"

"Your mother-in-law knows too much."

Li Xuewu lay on the rolled-up quilt, squinting his eyes as he looked at Qin Huairu, not knowing what this woman meant by saying that.

"Anyway, I don't know what you mean. Let others say whatever they want."

"Aren't you afraid Yan Jiecheng will hack you to pieces?"

After saying this, Qin Huairu realized it herself.

She patted Li Xuewu's chest with her left hand and said: "That's right, he's still counting on you for promotions and wealth, for houses and land. How would he dare to bare his fangs at you?"

Li Xuewu felt ticklish from Qin Huairu's touch; after she finished hitting him, she began drawing circles on his chest.

Qin Huairu stared at the playing-dead Li Xuewu and continued to ask: "Yu Li latched onto you the last time she came to ask you about a job, right?"

"Don't talk nonsense. We have a pure neighborly relationship."

Qin Huairu ignored Li Xuewu's nonsense and continued: "That's it, I knew it. There are so many women in this courtyard without jobs, why did it have to be her who came to the back room to help?"

Speaking of this, Qin Huairu pinched Li Xuewu and said: "I knew it. Is cooking and washing clothes worth ten yuan? If so, wouldn't all the women in this courtyard be rich?"

Li Xuewu felt numb all over from the pinch. Qin Jie's skill was indeed higher than Yu Li's; it was painful but not aching, numbing but not itchy.

A bit more strength and it would be painful; a bit less and it would be like scratching an itch.

"She doesn't just wash clothes and cook. She also helps in the west courtyard and helps me tidy up the back courtyard. Why wouldn't it be worth a ten-yuan wage? You think of me too badly."

Qin Huairu snorted and said: "You are just wicked and smoky. Widows are one thing, but you even dare to ruin a young wife."

Li Xuewu said helplessly: "My heart is so tired. There is no basic trust left between people."

"It was Yu Li's initiative, right?"

Qin Huairu's current cleverness was like Li Xuewu's when interrogating a criminal; she could always grasp the key information from Li Xuewu's ramblings.

"I knew it!"

Before Li Xuewu could answer, Qin Huairu had already given the answer herself.

"What about Yan Jiecheng?"

Li Xuewu was numb. He wondered if it was a waste of talent to have sent Qin Huairu to the guesthouse back then. With this thinking and logical ability, she would be more than enough in the Security Division.

"I guess he's playing dumb while knowing the truth. Tell me, what benefits did you give them again?"

This woman couldn't be kept; he had to go dig a hole outside the city overnight to bury her, otherwise, she would "interrogate" every position he had with Yu Li.

Li Xuewu looked at Qin Huairu, thinking that this woman was incredibly sharp whenever she encountered issues of interest.

What happened to the uneducated, simple-minded widow?

What happened to the one who was satisfied with just a bite to eat?

What about the leftover lunch boxes and cornmeal?

Now she was just short of shouting "I want it too."

"What benefits? What benefits could I possibly give them? I'm just an ordinary steel mill worker."

Qin Huairu had also figured out Li Xuewu's routine. As long as Li Xuewu started talking nonsense, then the matter was nine times out of ten true.

"Are you going to tell me or not? If you don't tell me, I'll go when she goes."

"Go ahead, you say it as if I'm afraid."

"You admit it, right?"

Damn, it seems outside the city won't work; he has to go dig a hole in the Miyun mountains. Once someone becomes a spirit, they are too close to control.

"Admit what? She comes to clean for me every day. If you're not afraid of being tired, you can go too."

Li Xuewu scooted his body toward the inside of the kang, his back against the quilt.

It wasn't that the kang was hot, but the topic Qin Jie was talking about was a bit stimulating; he wasn't sleepy at all now.

"Hmph, you have no conscience. She cleans, but didn't I wash your clothes?"

Qin Huairu sat up and looked at Li Xuewu, saying: "It's the house, right?"

She asked a question she already had the answer to, then patted Li Xuewu's thigh and said: "I was wondering how Yu Li dared to stand up to her father-in-law and mother-in-law to split the family. So you were the one backing her up. Yan Jiecheng knew about it then, right?"

Li Xuewu didn't want to bother with Qin Huairu at all; she was too lacking in martial virtue. He hadn't said a single word.

It wasn't that his struggle experience wasn't rich; it was just that the enemy was too sharp when talking about certain issues.

"I saw it wasn't right at the time. When the First Uncle asked Yan Jiecheng, I saw it. He didn't look at his parents, he looked at Yu Li."

As if she had figured it out, Qin Huairu said with the air of having solved a case: "Yu Li was winking at Yan Jiecheng at the time, looking in the direction of the back room. That's it, that's it."

"Hey," Qin Huairu pushed Li Xuewu, who was playing dead on the kang, and asked: "Which house did you promise them? Why are they so loyal to you?"

Seeing Li Xuewu not speaking, Qin Huairu used her "One-Finger Zen" divine skill again.

"I'm asking you a question. Stop pretending. Do you think I don't know if you're asleep or not?"

Why else would they say Qin Jie's skill was high? Li Xuewu couldn't play dead anymore.

"You want a house? What for? Do you want to split from your mother-in-law too?"

Li Xuewu's words always hit the mark, asking exactly what Qin Huairu wanted to say.

"Go away. How can our family split? Two widows with different surnames splitting the Jia family? Wouldn't that make people laugh their teeth off?"

She pushed Li Xuewu, and seeing him looking at her waiting for an answer, she stopped joking.

"I'm not being greedy, wanting whatever others have. I know I'm different from them."

Li Xuewu sat up and took a cigarette box from the edge of the kang, pulling out a cigarette. Qin Huairu picked up the lighter and lit it for him.

Li Xuewu lowered his head to blow out the flame and said: "If you don't tell me, then I won't ask."

"You!"

Qin Huairu glared at Li Xuewu and said chidingly: "You are a living bandit, you cause trouble but don't clean up."

Li Xuewu lay back down with an air of taking it for granted, leaning against the quilt again.

Seeing Li Xuewu's weary and lazy look, Qin Huairu pressed her hand on his lower leg and rubbed it. She didn't dare look at him, and asked: "What are your plans? This can't go on like this."

Seeing Li Xuewu didn't pull his leg away, Qin Huairu knew this bad guy was enjoying it, so she began to rub it seriously.

"She's different from me. A woman with a man and a woman without a man don't have the same thoughts."

"You're overthinking it. She thinks more directly than you."

Li Xuewu replied with an ambiguous sentence, then closed his eyes and said: "She's sharper than you see. She knows that if I can give it, I will give it even if she doesn't ask, but if she asks, she might not get it."

"You're saying this for me to hear, right?" Qin Huairu punched Li Xuewu's lower leg chidingly.

Li Xuewu pointed to his lower leg with the hand holding the cigarette and said: "It's quite comfortable. Stop pinching, my hand is sore. Punch it."

"Hmph," Qin Huairu snorted, punched him twice, but then started pinching again.

"I know her goal, and she made it very clear to me. She just doesn't want to wait anymore. She wants a small family quickly and to live more easily."

Seeing Li Xuewu start to explain, Qin Huairu stopped bothering him and instead used both hands to pinch.

"Do you think I'm doing this voluntarily? I was just forced into it."

Seeing Li Xuewu being so shameless, Qin Huairu used force, but this bad guy was all tight muscle and wasn't afraid of strength at all.

"So you're the one who's wronged, right?"

Li Xuewu nodded, saying with an air of taking it for granted: "Yeah, otherwise what? Am I short of women? If she didn't get what she wanted, who knows what she might do."

Qin Huairu pursed her lips in disbelief and said: "Oh, is she that scary to you? If you didn't agree, would she hold a knife to you?"

"Sometimes the knife is invisible."

Li Xuewu sighed, then said: "Compared to living in a small room where you have to get on the kang as soon as you enter, compared to a couple not having ten yuan at the end of the year, compared to not daring to bring anything when returning to the mother's home, which one do you think is simpler than forcing me?"

Hearing Li Xuewu's explanation, Qin Huairu understood Yu Li's meaning.

This young wife who had just married into the courtyard was really not a pushover. Her insight into people was not worse than her own.

Seeing Li Xuewu about to get up, she took advantage of Yan Jiecheng's mistake and leaned against Li Xuewu in reverse.

Not only did she help Yan Jiecheng stabilize his job, but she also found a way out for herself.

The most impressive thing was that she always appeared caring and loving toward Li Xuewu, never asking or begging.

The key was that she had also made her husband understand. Qin Huairu didn't know how Yu Li had said it, whether it was subtle or just passable on the surface.

But looking at it now, Yan Jiecheng didn't even come back twice a month, which was tacit approval of Yu Li's actions.

Now she was driving for Li Xuewu, and when she came back, she still lived in the back room, quite prepared to just lie back and win.

His job was stable, his wife was better to him than before, and he didn't have to worry about the house. Wasn't this easier than struggling for years?

Qin Huairu now doubted if she was the stupidest one in the courtyard. Even Yu Li, whom she had always ignored, saw further and acted more ruthlessly than she did.

"You've become a magnet. You want one every time one comes?"

Qin Huairu looked at the old man lying on the kang smoking, and flicked Li Xuewu in dissatisfaction.

"Hahaha," Li Xuewu opened his eyes with a smile, looked at Qin Huairu, and said: "Do you have the answer to the question asked in the back courtyard?"

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment, then realized Li Xuewu was talking about the time in the back courtyard when she asked why he was splashing dirty water on himself and if he was afraid of a bad reputation.

"You are really confident. We are all foolish women, but do you think everyone in the factory is a fool too? I was just saying that, do you really think all the young women in the steel mill must come running to you?"

As she spoke, she felt unconvinced, so she pointed at Li Xuewu with her finger.

"Even this wasn't prevented; they've been driven right into your home."

Seeing Li Xuewu's self-satisfied look, Qin Huairu asked in disbelief: "Who is it? It wouldn't be Zhang Songying, would it?"

Li Xuewu glanced at Qin Huairu, feeling that this woman had a very strong awareness of guarding against fire, theft, and best friends.

"Tell me!"

Seeing Li Xuewu not speaking, Qin Huairu pinched him urgingly.

"Yu Li's sister."

"The one who is a broadcaster at the steel mill's broadcasting station?"

Qin Huairu didn't expect Li Xuewu to be talking about Yu Haitang.

"You know her?"

Li Xuewu was quite surprised; he had never seen Yu Haitang in the courtyard even once.

Seeing Li Xuewu ask, Qin Huairu explained: "In the past, Yushui often brought her back to play, and later when Yu Li married in, she also came to see her off."

Li Xuewu nodded and didn't ask about this anymore.

"Why? Do you have your eye on her?"

Qin Huairu asked this, then said: "She looks very good, is tall, and is the right age, but her personality is a bit jumpy; she's not very suitable for you."

"Hahaha."

Li Xuewu chuckled, then asked: "Then what kind do you think I should look for?"

Before Qin Huairu could speak, she heard Banggeng's voice at the door.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Then Banggeng rushed in and said: "Mom, Grandma said that the silver carp has been cleaned and frozen, ready to be eaten for the New Year."

As soon as Banggeng entered the room, he saw his mother sitting by the kang table, talking to Wu Shu across the table. It wasn't at all like what Grandma had muttered, which made him feel annoyed with Grandma.

"Are you cold? Is your sister asleep?"

"Yeah, she's just about to sleep."

At this moment, Yu Li also followed in carrying clothes, smiling at the two: "I just came in and heard you talking about looking for what kind. Looking for what?"

Qin Huairu glanced at Li Xuewu, then covered Banggeng's hands on the kang and said: "He said that your sister Haitang came today, and I was just telling him that Haitang's personality is jumpy, and he asked me what kind he should look for."

"Exactly, Qin Jie thinks the same as I do. Haitang still thinks she has a child's personality and treats emotions like candy. She's not suitable for Xuewu."

Qin Huairu stood up and said to the two: "Alright, you guys chat. I have to go back; the child needs to sleep, and she has school tomorrow."

Banggeng wanted to stay a while longer, but was dragged away by Qin Huairu.

After passing the second gate, Qin Huairu held Banggeng's hand and said: "In the future, when you see your Aunt Yu and Wu Shu in the room, don't mess around there. Go home quickly."

"It's Auntie Yu."

Banggeng naturally didn't want his mother to say he couldn't play in the back room, so he emphasized the title Li Xuewu had taught him.

This bad guy, he had even arranged the two of them from here.

Watching Qin Huairu and her child leave, Yu Li soaked her clothes in the washbasin, then walked into the room and looked at Li Xuewu, who was preparing to get off the kang, saying: "You were talking about me, right?"

"Huh? What?"

Li Xuewu's brain was about to explode. What was wrong with these two women today? Why were they both coming at him like this?

"I said, Qin Jie asked you about me, right?"

Li Xuewu stood up, walked to the table, and put his hat on his head, saying: "No, we just talked about Yu Haitang. You heard it, didn't you?"

"Did she ask about me doing work for you? Did she ask what you gave me?"

Huh? Yu Li wouldn't have been eavesdropping under the window, would she?

Li Xuewu put on his coat and said with a bitter smile: "What would she know? How could she ask these things? Don't think blindly."

"Yeah, knowing is knowing. We're not outsiders."

Li Xuewu's hand froze on the zipper. Yu Li walked over, snatched the zipper pull to help Li Xuewu zip it up, and helped him button it.

"You just got out of the hospital and are still drinking Chinese medicine. Even an iron-willed young man couldn't stand her cleaning."

Li Xuewu said innocently: "What are you thinking? We have a pure comradely relationship. We are colleagues and neighbors, we just interact a bit more."

Yu Li nodded and said: "I didn't say anything else, I just feel sorry for your body. Tomorrow I'll go to the market and buy a chicken for you, stew it in your back courtyard kitchen, and you can eat it in the back. If you eat it here, they'll all eat it."

"Hahaha."

Seeing Yu Li's matter-of-fact look, Li Xuewu said quite helplessly: "Everything I said is the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I believe you. The pajamas in the wardrobe are prepared for me, right? The size is a bit big, I'll alter them tomorrow."

Li Xuewu was so angry he slapped the young woman and said: "Are you monitoring me?"

Yu Li touched her butt and chided: "Do I need to monitor? Whoever gets the benefit is the one."

Li Xuewu took ten yuan from his pocket and handed it to Yu Li, saying: "Overtime pay."

Yu Li punched Li Xuewu chidingly and said: "What nonsense are you talking? Put it away quickly."

"Then it's nutrition money."

Yu Li knew this was money Li Xuewu was giving her to buy chicken, so she said: "You don't need to give it. I'll buy it for you. I have money."

Li Xuewu didn't take his hand back and continued: "Then it's hush money."

Yu Li looked into Li Xuewu's eyes and asked: "Is it the cost of you keeping me?"

Li Xuewu laughed: "Dream on. I can't even afford to keep myself, let alone keep you."

Li Xuewu didn't dare to let go of this topic.

Yu Li took the money from Li Xuewu's hand, stuffed it into her pocket, and then looked at Li Xuewu, saying: "If I take your money, the meaning will be different. If you take it out of my pocket now, I'll pretend I never received it."

"Hehe," Li Xuewu chuckled twice, then said: "Really?"

As he spoke, he reached out to dig into Yu Li's pocket, but Yu Li, who had just said he could dig, twisted her body to dodge, grabbed Li Xuewu's shoulder, and punched him, saying: "You're really digging it back?"

When Li Xuewu stood up, he was bitten by Yu Li, but fortunately, he dodged in time.

"You're not right about this. Didn't you tell me to dig?"

"You dig just because I tell you to?"

Yu Li glared at Li Xuewu, then sat on the kang and looked at him, saying: "Are you really afraid I'll latch onto you? Qin Jie said the same thing, right?"

Li Xuewu leaned against the door frame and looked at Yu Li, who was glaring at him, saying: "No, she doesn't know you, how could she say that?"

Yu Li said in disbelief: "Then why did she look at me with that kind of gaze?"

Li Xuewu chuckled and said: "You're overthinking it."

Then he turned and said: "Alright, you should rest early too."

He had to run away quickly, otherwise, he might be exposed in a while. These two women were not normal today.

Seeing Li Xuewu about to run, Yu Li got off the kang to see him out of the room, saying as she walked: "If you don't want to say it, then I won't care. If you bump into each other, it's you who will be embarrassed."

Li Xuewu stood at the door and looked back: "You're overthinking it. Those pajamas were left there last time when she took the child to bathe and forgot to take them back. I'll call her to take them back tomorrow."

Yu Li glared at Li Xuewu and said: "Then I'll forget one there tomorrow too."

As she spoke, she laughed herself, and said to Li Xuewu, who was about to open the door and leave: "You don't even think about it. If you wore pajamas in Qin Jie's room, you'd freeze to death."

Li Xuewu reached back and closed the door, hands in his pockets, walking toward the back courtyard.

The more you say, the more you err; the less you say, the less you err. He shouldn't have used this rotten excuse just now.

As he walked, he thought about how today had really not been easy.

Yu Li stood in the corridor window and watched Li Xuewu enter the second gate, and also saw a black shadow flash by the window of her father-in-law's hall.

She knew this was her father-in-law watching this side.

From the time she entered the back room, plus Qin Huairu going out, and then Li Xuewu going out, the whole time hadn't even been five minutes.

If it had been any longer, Yu Li would have had to stand by the back room window.

When Li Xuewu just entered the second gate, he also saw the movement at the Third Uncle's house. He smiled and didn't intend to pay attention, but who knew the Third Uncle would come out of the room and walk toward Li Xuewu.

"Yo, Third Uncle, haven't rested yet?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Third Uncle replied, then looked at Li Xuewu and asked: "You haven't rested yet either?"

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Hi, it's Sister-in-law."

Hearing Li Xuewu say Sister-in-law, Third Uncle also knew Li Xuewu was talking about his eldest daughter-in-law, Yu Li.

Just now he had seen his eldest daughter-in-law go to the back courtyard. Third Uncle had stood at the courtyard gate and watched, and seeing she didn't return to Yushui's room but went to the back courtyard, he knew she had gone to Li Xuewu's house.

He had thought about whether she was going to find Li Xuewu, but who would have thought Qin Huairu went to the back room.

This made Third Uncle's gaze follow to the back room. He stood at the second gate and watched for a while, vaguely hearing Li Xuewu's voice, and only then did he know Li Xuewu wasn't in the back courtyard.

Only then did his lifted heart settle down.

After waiting for almost an hour, the eldest daughter-in-law came back from the back courtyard, and Qin Huairu came out from the back room.

Third Uncle couldn't figure out what they were doing, so he and Third Aunt stood by the window taking turns watching.

From time to time, they went to the second gate to look toward the back room.

Seeing Li Xuewu come out after a while, he couldn't help but come out, thinking about subtly asking around.

But he didn't expect Li Xuewu to be so straightforward, saying it before he could even ask.

Li Xuewu smiled and explained: "It's almost New Year, so I'm preparing some benefits for the recycling station employees, got some silver carp, bighead carp, and such."

"Oh, oh, oh, I was wondering, I just saw a room full of people go out."

Third Uncle had long seen it. Seeing Sha Zhu had carried two home, the Jia family's child Banggeng had also carried a big one back, and the back room had sent two to the Li family.

"Hi, went to the west courtyard to clean the fish. Isn't it, got all fishy, so my grandfather and those men went to the bathhouse at the entrance to wash. Sister-in-law Yu Li wasn't convenient, so I let her wash in my back courtyard."

As if on purpose, Li Xuewu asked again: "Why? Are you? Oh, oh, worried about Sister-in-law, right? Hi, I thought you were watching at the window to see if any car thieves were coming in."

Third Uncle clenched his hands, trying hard to appear very magnanimous, and said: "Hi, it's already lost, why watch it? I'm waiting for you."

"Oh?" Li Xuewu was surprised, then said: "Hi, I'm right in the courtyard, it would be better if you came directly to find me if you have something, why freeze at the window?"

Third Uncle was embarrassed, but didn't feel his face turn red, instead smiling and saying: "Isn't it because I thought you were busy? It's like this, you work at the police station, right? I wanted to ask if the police station is hiring. Our second son is still unemployed at home."

"Oh, oh, oh, Yan Jiefang, right?" Li Xuewu nodded, pretending to think, then frowned and asked: "Why do you have this idea? Didn't you say good men don't become soldiers?"

This was what Third Uncle had been nagging Li Shun about ever since Li Xuewu became a soldier. Now it was returned to Third Uncle by Li Xuewu.

Third Uncle said somewhat awkwardly: "Hi, it's only after encountering things that I regret it. If there was a policeman in the family, how could it be that the car was lost and couldn't be found?"

He was still feeling sorry for the car. A few days ago, seeing He Yu Shui's partner made him think of this.

Yan Jiefang had also mentioned this to Third Uncle. Seeing Li Xuewu with fish and meat, he thought of the second son's words.

Li Xuewu smiled at Third Uncle and said: "You're criticizing me, right? It's not that I won't help. I've asked the street station for you, they are indeed looking. You have to wait."

Third Uncle didn't believe Li Xuewu was helping speak, but still nodded, then continued to ask: "What about the job? Something like the eldest's would also work."

Li Xuewu didn't expect Third Uncle to be so deep. He had offered a 500-yuan temporary worker, and not to mention the principal, even the interest hadn't been collected, and now he wanted to invest another one.

"Third Uncle, do you think that's the steel mill? Don't try to squeeze flour out of a toad. Don't count on me to arrange jobs for all your children. You think too highly of me."

Third Uncle smiled and said: "Isn't it because you're the only capable person in the courtyard? The second is also grown up, he can't always be without a job, right? There's not enough to eat at home, and besides, the eldest who earns money doesn't bring money back anymore."

Speaking to the end, Third Uncle was even a bit sentimental.

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said: "Why not go to the recycling station in the west courtyard? Riding a tricycle to collect scrap is also a job, right? I'll talk to Biaozi and arrange it for Yan Jiefang."

"I'm not going! Only down-and-outs collect scrap."

Li Xuewu was startled by the sudden voice. Looking carefully, he realized Yan Jiefang was standing at the door of the north room looking this way.

Yan Jiefang walked to Li Xuewu's side angrily and said: "I'd rather stay at home and starve to death than go out and lose face."

After saying this, he walked out of the second gate. Third Uncle called out asking where he was going, and Yan Jiefang replied angrily: "To the toilet."

Third Uncle turned back to look at Li Xuewu and said: "That, he's also a junior high graduate, wouldn't it be a waste of talent to go to the recycling station?"

Li Xuewu looked at the rising moon and felt the cool night breeze. It was meaningless to be here in the middle of the night.

He had long known Third Uncle wouldn't let Yan Jiefang go to the recycling station, which was why Li Xuewu said that to block Third Uncle's mouth.

If Third Uncle were the pragmatic type, Li Xuewu wouldn't dare say it. The recycling station wasn't short of ancestors.

Seeing Yan Jiefang acting up now, he had even more of an excuse to say it.

"Alright, then I'll keep an eye out for you. See if the steel mill is short of a factory director. You don't know, our Factory Director Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li are both junior high graduates, same education as Yan Jiefang. Why can they be factory directors and Jiefang can't? Right?"

Li Xuewu tightened the hat on his head, moved his steps toward the back courtyard, and said: "Alright, you stay cool, I have to go back. I have a cold, don't want to pass it to you."

Seeing Li Xuewu walk toward the back courtyard, Third Uncle knew Li Xuewu was just teasing him.

"Still factory director, hehe."

Third Uncle sneered twice, then turned back to the room and said to Third Aunt: "Spent half a day going in circles with this kid, airtight, hehe."

Third Aunt looked at her old man and said: "Are you bored? You've offended him like that, and you're still counting on him to find a job for the second?"

Third Uncle had an "you don't understand" expression and said: "Do you really think I'm finding a job for the second? I wouldn't find him even if I were. I'm testing him about the eldest."

Third Aunt asked in confusion: "Didn't talk about the eldest, what's wrong with the eldest?"

Third Uncle sat in the chair and said: "Last time you said the eldest couple was taught by him to bring up the split, that's basically impossible. It was the eldest daughter-in-law's own idea."

Third Aunt stood to the side and looked at her old man: "How did you figure that out?"

Third Uncle squinted and said: "We weren't talking about the gatekeeper thing, right? I thought if he wanted to harm me, when I brought up the second's matter, he would have instigated the second to go out and make trouble with us. But looking at it now, there's no such intention."

"Jiefang isn't that kind of person either," Third Aunt always felt her children were good children.

Third Uncle could see what kind of goods his sons were. Although he didn't say it, he had always felt in his heart that these sons couldn't support him in his old age.

"Then there's the eldest daughter-in-law. She just went to bathe, and Li Xuewu has been in the back room. When explaining, I saw nothing unusual. Keep an eye on it with the logistics."

Third Aunt pursed her lips, not wanting to bother with the heartless eldest and eldest daughter-in-law.

Third Uncle also knew Third Aunt's thoughts and advised: "Our family depends on my meager salary, how is that enough? The second always feels that a junior high graduate shouldn't do odd jobs, and now the eldest couple are both earning money."

"Can't we live without depending on them?" Third Aunt didn't want to curry favor with her daughter-in-law.

Third Uncle frowned and said: "Li Xuewu just said, benefits issued by the recycling station, silver carp and bighead carp. It's almost New Year, and our family has nothing to chew on for the New Year."

"Hey, I was wondering why they were all carrying fish home one by one. So it was issued by the recycling station."

Third Aunt said this and then asked: "Are you asking me to go ask the eldest daughter-in-law if our family has fish?"

Third Uncle nodded and said: "Seeing Sha Zhu carried two home, and the eldest daughter-in-law doesn't cook, so how does she eat? You just tell her, isn't it better to come home for the reunion dinner for the New Year?"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh~"

Li Xuewu was awakened from his dream by the crowing of the rooster. He opened his eyes and looked at the wall clock; it was only past six.

"I'll definitely kill you for meat for the New Year."

Li Xuewu hated this rooster to death. As soon as the sky was just bright, it would stand on the chicken coop and crow.

Li Xuewu secretly locked it in the chicken coop, but it ran out every time.

This might be an animal habit; it must come out at that time in the morning to crow.

This might have something to do with light sources. In later generations, because of light pollution, roosters in cities and villages crow at all hours.

Now it's still quite punctual.

Actually, Li Xuewu should get up too. Just like Li Xuewu said to Lou Xiaoe, the more it's a rest day, the busier he is; he's actually not busy on workdays.

Today isn't considered busy, but he suddenly couldn't sleep.

He changed his clothes, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. Looking from the kitchen window, he saw Third Aunt going to pour the chamber pot for the old lady, thinking this Third Aunt was really conscientious.

He put on his clothes, buttoned his hat, and walked toward the front courtyard. The time each family got up was different now; those on duty got up early.

Those not working today got up late.

When Li Xuewu walked to the front courtyard, he saw his own house still had the curtains drawn, but Li Shun had returned from his walk.

"What did you say to the opposite door last night?"

Seeing Li Xuewu come out, Li Shun frowned and called him to a stop.

Seeing his father's voice was soft, Li Xuewu explained in a low voice: "Just teasing me, the whole family thinks they have a mind of their own, but they've all grown crooked."

Li Shun knew his son wasn't the type to tolerate such things, so he said, "Don't pay them any mind. You all live in the same courtyard; if things get ugly, you won't be comfortable living there either."

"I know."

Li Xuewu replied, then said: "Seems like they were asking about Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li, using Yan Jiefang to tease me. He tried to fool me, so I fooled him back."

Li Shun nodded noncommittally and said: "Are you busy today?"

Li Xuewu nodded and said: "Have to go to our leader's house in the morning, and there's a dinner party at the steel mill in the evening with the investigators from the last case."

Li Shun frowned and said: "Drinking again? Then your medicine will have been drunk in vain."

Li Xuewu smiled and replied: "Don't worry, I'll just have a little, definitely won't drink too much, and won't be too late in the evening. I'll tell Xuecai to keep my medicine warm, I'll drink it when I get back."

After finishing his own business, Li Xuewu asked again: "Are Second Uncle and Third Uncle coming back this year? It's only half a month until New Year."

Li Shun shook his head and said: "Your Second Uncle can't get away, your Second Aunt's mother is also in poor health, and your Third Uncle can't come back even more."

Li Xuewu knew Li Shun had made a special trip to the Northeast for Second Aunt's mother. It seemed her health was indeed problematic; Second Uncle and Second Aunt had rarely come back these years.

Not to mention Third Uncle; not only was he busy for the New Year, but now the south wasn't peaceful, so he definitely had no vacation.

"I'll find time to go to the Northeast after the New Year. Last time, because the mission was tense, I didn't have time to go see them."

Li Shun thought for a while and said: "We'll see. You're not relaxed either, and it's far away, so some gifts can't be that complete. I'll write a letter to your Second Uncle."

Because Li Xuewu's grandmother was there, logically, gifts should be given to Second Aunt's mother's family before the New Year.

Usually, the younger generation who manages the family goes to give gifts, but these two families were far apart, and the last time they went was when Li Shun went to the Northeast to treat her.

"Alright, go eat. I'm going in. Li Shu should be awake by now, need to feed the child."

Li Shun walked toward the house, and only then did Li Xuewu see the milk basket Li Shun was carrying behind his back.

So going out for a walk so early was to get milk for Li Shu at the milk station.

Only when he reached the back room did Li Xuewu know the reason his father had called him to stop; it turned out it had been quite lively here after he left last night.

Looking at Yu Li, who had a broken glass hole blocked with old clothes and a slap mark on her face, Li Xuewu frowned and didn't speak.

After finishing breakfast, Li Xuewu took the opportunity to help remove the door panel in the west courtyard and asked Wen Saner, only then did he know that when Wen Saner and the others returned last night, they saw Third Aunt asking Yu Li for fish in the back room.

Perhaps she couldn't save face in front of so many people, or perhaps Yu Li really didn't give it, which made Third Aunt anxious.

The mother and daughter-in-law started fighting.

Third Aunt slapped Yu Li.

Yu Li pushed Yan Jiefang, who had followed to mediate.

Yan Jiefang didn't know how he fought back, but he broke the corridor window glass.

Seeing Li Xuewu frown, Wen Saner said: "Third Uncle already had Yan Jiefang send the glass money over last night."

"Hehe," Li Xuewu was also angered into laughter. What kind of human nature is this?

Fighting over here for two fish.

"Tell Yu Li, we can still afford the glass money."

After saying this, he returned to the front courtyard house.

Today is Sunday, so the whole family is together, and they had just started breakfast.

As soon as Li Xuewu entered the room, he warmed his hands on the kang, then took Li Shu from the old lady's hands, letting the old lady go eat breakfast.

Li Shu had finished her milk, but seeing everyone eating happily at the table in Li Xuewu's arms, she pointed with her little finger to go over.

Li Xuewu bounced the doll in his arms; she was really solid.

"Can't eat anymore, if you eat more, your dad won't be able to hold you."

Li Xuewu rarely had time to stay at home, so he held his daughter and walked around the room, looking here and touching there. Li Shu pointed wherever she wanted to go.

"Finally a moment of relaxation today."

After everyone finished eating, Liu Yin, while tidying up the bowls and chopsticks by the stove, said to Li Xuewu: "Every day after eating, she insists on being held and walked around, cries if not walked."

The old lady also smiled and said: "Now she knows the back courtyard, pointing her finger at the back courtyard wanting to play."

Li Xuewu poked his daughter's tender little face with his beard, and seeing his daughter wanting to grab it, he quickly dodged.

These little fingernails were sharp; if grabbed, it would definitely leave a cut.

Most of Li Xuewen's books had been moved to the new house, and there were no books to read at home, so he sat at the desk practicing hard-pen calligraphy.

Li Xuewu held Li Shu and placed her on his eldest brother's desk. Seeing his eldest brother writing with a fountain pen, Li Shu pointed at the pen and said "Ah, ah."

"You want this? It's a bit too early for you to learn to write, hahaha." ===== CHAPTER 264 =====