Chapter 326: You Are Truly Cunning!

Gu Ning's timing was simply perfect; it was the last day of the holiday, and everyone in the Sihe Academy was at home.

Whenever something novel happened in the courtyard, people wanted to come out and watch the excitement, especially when it concerned the Li family.

The Li family had always been very low-key, so everyone wanted to see what spectacle they could offer.

They all wanted to see what kind of partner Li Li Xuewu would actually find.

But the moment Gu Ning entered the courtyard, she stunned the onlooking crowd.

She wore a winter cotton hat, her hair coiled at the back of her head, highlighting her slender and symmetrical neck.

Clad in a navy blue double-breasted military greatcoat, the already tall Gu Ning appeared particularly elegant.

Added to her black regulation leather shoes with half-heels, the crowd could tell from her cap badge and footwear that this young lady was not from an ordinary family.

Looking further at Gu Ning's appearance, she had fair skin, large eyes, a straight nose, and a tightly pressed small mouth that made her look somewhat nervous.

Her facial contours were soft; Gu Ning possessed a round and full face shape that appeared dignified and imposing.

Combined with Gu Ning's gentle and elegant demeanor, which carried an air of innate wisdom and purity, Liu Yin took a fancy to her at first glance.

The partner found by their second son this time was most appropriate; at a glance, she looked like a person of good fortune, and compared to the sharp-featured face of their eldest daughter-in-law, this girl looked much more gentle.

The people in the courtyard also felt that this girl bore a face symbolizing national prosperity and peace.

Li Li Xuewu tugged at Gu Ning, intending to pull her by the arm to introduce his family elders.

But whether due to nervousness or a slip, when Li Li Xuewu pulled, Gu Ning placed her hand directly into his.

Before the two could even react, the Li family had already come out to greet them.

Li Li Xuewu tightened his grip on Gu Ning's hand and said to his family, "Dad, Mom, this is Gu Ning."

Then, still holding Gu Ning's hand, he introduced her one by one to the members of the Li family.

"This is my mother."

"Auntie, Happy New Year; my name is Gu Ning."

"Happy New Year, hahaha!"

Liu Yin, watching her prospective daughter-in-law greet her, smiled so broadly that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes appeared.

"This is my father."

"Uncle, Happy New Year; thank you for the gift you sent to my father."

"Good, good."

Li Shun was rather reserved; although his mouth corners twitched with excitement, he restrained his urge to laugh aloud and responded with dignity.

After introducing his parents, Li Li Xuewu introduced his eldest brother and sister-in-law, his third brother Xuecai, and his younger sister Li Xue.

Following Li Li Xuewu's introductions, Gu Ning greeted the Li family members, appearing both generous and proper, as well as graceful and leisurely.

Zhao Zhao Yafang looked at the partner brought back by her second brother-in-law; her height was about the same as her own, and her work was no inferior to hers either.

But thinking of family background and appearance, Zhao Zhao Yafang looked at Li Li Xuewen without confidence.

Although Li Li Xuewen was usually a man of few words, his eyes absolutely held great wisdom, and his body housed a great heart.

Just as Zhao Zhao Yafang turned her head, she felt warmth in her hand; looking down, she saw that Li Li Xuewen had taken hold of her hand.

It turned out that Li Li Xuewen had noticed Zhao Zhao Yafang's unease, and seeing his younger brother holding his partner's hand, Li Li Xuewen had also taken hold of his own wife's hand.

Blushing, Zhao Zhao Yafang glanced at Li Li Xuewen; this was the first time Li Li Xuewen had shown such intimacy with her in front of so many people, a true first for him.

Feeling the warmth Li Li Xuewen brought her, Zhao Zhao Yafang regained her confidence at that moment.

Whether marrying a chicken or a dog, one follows along; no matter how formidable a girl marries into the Li family, won't she still have to call me Eldest Sister-in-law?

If I cannot compare in appearance and family background, then I will compare husbands; my husband is... older than my second brother-in-law.

Since Gu Ning was a guest visiting the home today, everyone let her enter the house first.

As soon as they entered the house, Li Li Xuewu led Gu Ning to the north room.

The Old Lady was dressed in new clothes for the New Year, holding Li Shu in her arms, while Hearing Da Lao sat at the far end of the kang.

"This is my grandmother."

"Grandmother, Happy New Year."

"Ai, good child, quickly get on the kang, nao yao nao yao."

Smiling, Gu Ning paid her New Year respects to Grandmother Li, and then she saw the little girl sitting in the Old Lady's lap.

With a fair little face, large eyes, a slightly upturned small nose, and a pouting little mouth, one could tell from her features that she was not Han Chinese.

Li Shu wore a colorful set of cotton-padded jacket and trousers, fluffy knitted socks on her feet, and a little tiger hat on her head, looking just like a doll, extremely cute.

"This is my great-grandfather."

"Great-grandfather, Happy New Year."

"Ai, quickly get on the kang."

The highest courtesy Grandmother and Hearing Da Lao could offer to guests in their home was "Quickly get on the kang, nao yao nao yao."

Gu Ning was still somewhat reserved, standing by the edge of the kang at a loss for what to do.

Smiling, Li Li Xuewu took Gu Ning's bag and placed it on the chest cabinet in the room, then helped Gu Ning remove her outer coat.

"Take off your shoes and get on the kang; have a chat with my grandmother."

Obediently, Gu Ning took off her leather shoes, swung her leg over, and climbed onto the kang.

Seeing Gu Ning remove her shoes and climb onto the kang, everyone in the Li family breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Li Xuewu's partner had an easygoing personality, so she would be easy to get along with in the future.

Everyone knew about Gu Ning's family background and feared she would dislike this or despise that, which would cause endless trouble later.

Now, seeing Gu Ning comply with Li Li Xuewu's words without any sign of disdain, everyone's impression of Gu Ning improved greatly.

The Old Lady pointed out the head of the kang for Gu Ning to sit, but Gu Ning did not take that spot; instead, she sat next to the Old Lady in a position slightly toward the middle.

Because Li Li Xuewu had told her to accompany the Old Lady in conversation, Gu Ning obediently sat beside the Old Lady.

Li Shu looked at this newcomer, staring with wide eyes in curious scrutiny.

Normally, Li Shu would already be propping herself up against the wall to walk, but right now she was in a frenzy, needing to tap every toy to make it sound.

Yet now, seeing the person sitting right beside her, she had instead fallen quiet.

Liu Yin, amidst Zhao Zhao Yafang's jokes, also climbed onto the kang, sitting at the head next to Gu Ning, while Zhao Zhao Yafang sat by the edge beside her mother-in-law.

Li Xue stood at the doorway, secretly sizing up the "second sister-in-law" on the kang; wearing a grey sweater that showed off her figure well, she sat with legs folded to the side, smiling as she answered every question, truly beautiful to behold.

In truth, she had seen Gu Ning during their last visit to the Gu family, but back then she had been too busy admiring the scenery, and since it was her first time visiting someone's home, Li Xue hadn't dared to look closely at Gu Ning.

Just as she was about to take a closer look, her second brother tugged at her; seeing his signal, she took the opportunity to climb onto the far end of the kang and sat on the other side of the old lady.

By Northeastern custom, unmarried girls in the family are honored, so there was no place on the kang for the three brothers—Li Li Xuewen, Li Li Xuewu, and Li Xuecai—but there was a spot for Li Xue.

Li Shu climbed onto the kang and sat between Hearing Da Lao and Li Xue.

The remaining three brothers—Li Li Xuewen, Li Li Xuewu, and Li Xuecai—sat on the opposite kang.

At this moment, Li Xuecai could not sit; being the youngest in the family, he first poured tea for Gu Ning, then served everyone else, placing the teacups before them all before finally returning to sit by the edge of the kang.

The Li family did have sofas—Li Li Xuewu's house in the rear courtyard had them—but the old lady insisted on meeting Li Li Xuewu's prospective partner here.

Everyone in the family understood the old lady's intention; this was also the Li family's tradition and rule.

The whole family sat in a circle around the kang; the old lady had experienced it this way, so had Liu Yin, and so had Zhao Zhao Yafang.

The old lady glanced at Gu Ning, and Gu Ning returned a smile as warm as spring blossoms; just like Liu Yin, the old lady had taken a liking to this granddaughter-in-law.

"This is New Year's money from Grandma; you're not allowed to refuse it."

After the old lady asked Gu Ning whether the journey had been cold and inquired after her family's well-being, she pulled a red envelope from her pocket and placed it in Gu Ning's hand.

Gu Ning didn't know what to do at that moment; she was unfamiliar with Northeastern customs.

Glancing at Li Li Xuewu, she saw him offer a smile, so she accepted it with a laugh and said, "Thank you, Grandma."

After the old lady finished, Hearing Da Lao also took out a red envelope, which the old lady then handed to Gu Ning.

"This is from Grandpa."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Gu Ning was indeed very proper; she accepted the red envelopes with both hands, and the old lady watched with a beaming smile, growing ever more satisfied.

Li Shu saw that this newcomer had barely spoken a few words before accepting red envelopes and began scrutinizing Gu Ning with curiosity.

"Ya!"

Li Shu pointed at the red envelope in Gu Ning's hand, babbling away, then stood up and reached out to grab it.

The old lady laughed heartily, slapped Li Shu on the bottom, and pulled her back into her lap.

Li Shu wouldn't accept this; she struggled hard against the old lady's grip, waving her little hands as she scrambled toward Gu Ning.

Gu Ning smiled and handed both red envelopes to Li Shu, which left Li Shu momentarily stunned; then she flashed her clean white teeth, grinned, and hugged the red envelopes tight with both hands.

Li Shu feared no one; after taking the red envelopes, she plopped down right in front of Gu Ning, fiddling with them while babbling words nobody could understand.

Once the old lady had finished asking after everyone's warmth and comfort, it was time for the future mother-in-law, Liu Yin, to ask her questions.

At such a time, if the mother-in-law disliked the prospective daughter-in-law, she would create difficulties through her words.

Of course, Liu Yin was extremely satisfied with Gu Ning, so naturally there were no obstacles; she only asked about family and work matters.

"Li Xuewu said you're a surgeon?"

"Yes."

Gu Ning answered with a smile, then explained, "I graduated last year and now work at the military hospital."

Liu Yin smiled with satisfaction and said, "Your Uncle Li is also a doctor, working at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital."

"Yes, I've heard."

Gu Ning smiled as she looked at Li Shu and said, "Li Xuewu mentioned you're a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a sage of the Apricot Grove."

"Just an ordinary TCM doctor."

Although Li Shu shot Li Li Xuewu a glare and explained to Gu Ning that he was merely an ordinary TCM doctor, the smile spreading across his face made it obvious to everyone how delighted Li Shu was.

Li Li Xuewu had only said his father was a TCM doctor, never mentioning anything about being a sage of the Apricot Grove; clearly, this Gu Ning knew how to handle social situations.

But now that his father was glaring at him, Li Li Xuewu dared not clarify; aside from causing loss of face, even if he did speak up, his father wouldn't believe him anyway.

Liu Yin continued introducing with a laugh, "Our third son, your younger brother Xuecai, is also at the Medical University; from now on, our family will have three doctors, hahaha!"

Speaking thus, Liu Yin could no longer contain herself and laughed out proudly.

Everyone else followed Liu Yin's lead with smiles; indeed, Gu Ning's profession truly satisfied both Li Shu and Liu Yin.

Especially Li Shu, who naturally felt affinity for those studying medicine; seeing Gu Ning's steady temperament made him even more satisfied.

Although Liu Yin and Li Shu had privately discussed the issue of Gu Ning's age, Li Shu felt being a few years older was no bad thing; at the very least, she could keep the impulsive Li Li Xuewu in check.

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuecai sitting on the other kang and said to Zhao Zhao Yafang, "I heard from Li Xuewu that you and Eldest Brother are both university lecturers?"

Zhao Zhao Yafang, who had been somewhat concerned while watching her mother-in-law smile, now also broke into a grin, nodding as she said, "We graduated in the same year; your eldest brother and I graduated last year and immediately chose to stay on campus to teach at the Liuxiaoren Sect."

Gu Ning praised with a smile, "You and Eldest Brother must be very learned; I was just no good at mathematics, so I studied medicine instead."

Liu Yin also noticed her elder daughter-in-law's concern and said with a laugh, "Your sister-in-law is excellent at mathematics; she's a math teacher. Our daughter Li Xue was all tutored by her, and she scored very well this year."

Gu Ning chose the right moment to display an expression of admiration, saying, "Then you're truly amazing, Sister-in-law."

Hearing her mother-in-law and Gu Ning praise her made Zhao Zhao Yafang somewhat shy; she waved her hand with a smile and said, "What's so amazing about that? Just like our father, saving lives and healing the wounded is what's truly amazing."

Seeing the three women chatting happily, the old lady said with a laugh, "Good, good, all amazing, hahaha! Our family is full of capable people."

The room buzzed with lively conversation, but outside, those peeking in were itching with envy, all wanting to hear what was being discussed inside.

The onlookers outside the window were already crowding it shut; hearing the commotion behind her, Gu Ning turned to look and was startled.

Seeing this, Li Li Xuewu smiled, stood up, and walked out of the room.

"Hehehe, come, come over and have a smoke."

Those peeping through the window were boys and girls of fourteen or fifteen; children of this era were somewhat shameless and fearless, or rather, foolishly bold.

But this is also the age when pride is strongest; speak too harshly, and they will hold a grudge.

These children had originally been somewhat afraid of Li Li Xuewu; seeing him come out, they thought he was about to scold them, got frightened, and wanted to leave, planning to return only after Li Li Xuewu had gone back inside.

Such was their fearlessness.

Yet, contrary to all expectations, Li Li Xuewu emerged still smiling broadly, even pulling out a pack of cigarettes and beckoning these half-grown boys over to smoke.

In fact, all these mischievous children knew how to smoke, and their parents didn't care, since at that time there was no talk of smoking being harmful to health.

It was just that they had no money to buy cigarettes; if they wanted to smoke, they could only roll their own leaf tobacco.

But smoking that stuff didn't look good, and at this age, wasn't smoking all about imitating adults?

If it didn't look good, why bother smoking at all? So, regarding the cigarettes Li Li Xuewu was handing out, every single one of them was especially enthusiastic.

"Thanks, Wu Ge."

"Thanks, Wu Ge."

No wonder they were called fearless, rash lads; while others were afraid to approach Li Li Xuewu, these boys marched straight up to call him Wu Ge, giving Li Li Xuewu quite the air of a Jianghu big brother.

As this group of lads crowded around, Li Li Xuewu handed out cigarettes one by one; when Bang Geng reached out to take one, he received a death stare.

Bang Geng immediately withdrew his hand in fright, but upon looking up at Li Li Xuewu again, he discovered Li Li Xuewu holding a small mesh bag filled with White Rabbit creamy candies in white wrappers.

"Lungs under fifteen aren't fully developed; no smoking allowed, have some candy instead."

Bang Geng, having received a whole bag of candy, smiled broadly and was about to run off, but Li Li Xuewu grabbed him, pointing toward the girls watching from the window and saying, "Share them with those girls."

"Oh, oh."

Bang Geng smiled and ran over to the window to distribute candy to those little misses.

This was something Bang Geng had wanted to do all morning; as he handed out the candy, he sized up these little girls.

This one doesn't look good...

This one is still a yellow-haired little girl, no good, no good...

Why is this one drooling...

As Bang Geng kept looking, his heart sank to the bottom; each one had a long stream of snot hanging down, not a single one worth fighting for.

Li Li Xuewu, unaware of what his chicken-raising partner was currently thinking, smiled and said to everyone, "Thank you all for helping make this lively; my family and I will chat inside for a while, so you all can disperse."

"Hahahaha!"

"Understood, Wu Ge!"

Once Li Li Xuewu spoke these words tinged with Jianghu flavor, these half-grown boys and little misses burst into laughter, giggling as they ran away.

Especially these half-grown boys, who were at the age most concerned with saving face.

Li Li Xuewu treated them like adults, gave them cigarettes, and spoke politely; thus, they felt Li Li Xuewu was refined and indeed the upright figure rumored on the streets.

Therefore, they agreed among themselves not to approach the Li residence, lest they disturb Li Li Xuewu's blind date.

Bang Geng watched in a daze as the little misses giggled and slipped past his eyes, running far away, and began thinking of turning back to ask Li Li Xuewu how to pursue a romantic relationship.

But just as he was about to step forward, a palm slapped across his face.

"Didn't you see Wu Ge just say those people wanted to talk? Where do you think you're going?"

Stunned by the blow, Bang Geng glanced at the Li house, then covered his face with tears welling in his eyes—Wang Wang—and ran home.

Bang Geng's first experiment in exploring love was nipped in the bud by a big slap.

Li Li Xuewu had just entered the room when he heard Zhao Zhao Yafang acting spoiled toward Liu Yin, saying, "No way, why are the questions you asked Xiao Ning different from the ones you asked me last year?"

"The difficulty of these test questions has plummeted; you're too biased! Favoring the second daughter-in-law shouldn't be this obvious; no, you must continue questioning!"

"Hahahaha!"

Because Zhao Zhao Yafang deliberately acted spoiled, everyone in the room was amused into laughter, and the atmosphere was heated up by Zhao Zhao Yafang's words.

Liu Yin smiled, took Zhao Zhao Yafang's hand, then took Gu Ning's hand, and said, "Not biased, not biased, I love you both the same, hahaha."

"No, no, I won't accept it; you must ask Xiao Ning too: can she cut cloth, can she cook, can she look after children, can she manage the household finances?"

"Hahaha!"

Hearing Zhao Zhao Yafang's words, Liu Yin covered her mouth and laughed heartily, saying, "It's fine; if she can't cut cloth, she can learn slowly; if she can't cook, Mom will teach her; if she can't look after children, Mom will help; if she can't manage finances, well, we can't manage what isn't ours."

Speaking thus, Liu Yin held Zhao Zhao Yafang's hand and laughed, saying, "She isn't the eldest daughter-in-law, nor does she need to live with us; even if she's poor, it has nothing to do with us, so I won't ask her. You are Mom's eldest daughter-in-law, so Mom asks you, alright?"

"Hahahaha!"

"What is this! Mom, you are too biased!"

"Hahahaha!"

Listening to Zhao Zhao Yafang's petulant coquetry, the wrinkles at the corners of Liu Yin's eyes spread wide with laughter.

Gu Ning, visiting the Li Li Xuewu home for the first time, also covered her mouth and laughed; this family was truly too talkative, and she finally understood why that person could chat with anyone.

The laughter from Li Li Xuewu's home drifted across to the opposite side, reaching the middle courtyard; everyone now knew the Li family's attitude toward this prospective daughter-in-law visiting for the first time.

Indeed, who wouldn't love such a standard daughter-in-law?

While they were chatting, several more people entered the courtyard; Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi led the way into the room and said softly to Li Li Xuewu, who had stood up, "Wu Ge, Chief Duan Suo is here."

"Mm-hmm."

Li Li Xuewu nodded and asked, "Did you get what I asked you to prepare ready?"

"It's ready; I prepared five extra boxes."

Patting Watching Lao Biao on the shoulder, Li Li Xuewu turned to his family, who were looking over from inside the room, and said, "Chief Duan Suo from Beixinqiao has arrived; I'll go receive him."

After giving this instruction, Li Li Xuewu left the room.

Over here, Chief Duan Youting entered the front courtyard; seeing Li Li Xuewu walk out smiling, he hurried forward a few steps and greeted him with a smile, "Director Li, Happy New Year."

Chief Duan Youting, this old slicker, adapted very quickly to the change in status, having changed his form of address on the very same day.

Consequently, his attitude toward Li Li Xuewu also changed; one must treat Li Li Xuewu exactly as one treats a leader.

Li Li Xuewu found Chief Duan Youting's response quite interesting.

"Hahaha, auspicious greetings to you, my lord!"

"Hahaha."

Having joked and played around so much in the past, when Chief Duan Youting saw Li Li Xuewu maintaining his usual affectionate demeanor, he knew he had come to the right place this time, and he laughed heartily as he shook Li Li Xuewu's hand.

Chief Duan Youting drew Li Li Xuewu closer and said with a smiling gaze, "We two have had a good New Year; someone out there is probably cursing us to hell!"

"Hahaha."

Li Li Xuewu smiled awkwardly, held Chief Duan Youting's hand, and whispered, "It was too dangerous; even though I knew where Director Shen's home was, I didn't dare go. I wanted to express my apologies and send some gifts, but I didn't even dare do that."

"Hehehe."

Chief Duan Youting raised his eyebrows and grinned mischievously at Li Li Xuewu, saying, "I didn't dare go either; the moment I didn't receive news from you lot that day, I slipped away."

"You're truly sinister!"

"Pot calling the kettle black!"

"Hehehe."

"Hahaha."

After exchanging a few low-voiced words, Li Li Xuewu led Chief Duan Youting into the house.

Inside, everyone had already finished their conversation; only the Old Lady and Hearing Da Lao were sitting on the kang, while the others were already standing on the floor waiting.

Seeing Gu Ning standing beside his eldest sister-in-law and smiling slightly, Li Li Xuewu introduced them to Chief Duan Youting, saying, "This is my grandmother and my great-grandfather."

He then introduced Chief Duan Youting, saying, "This is my good friend and also my colleague; he works at the Beixinqiao Station."

"Happy New Year to you, Elder Sir and Old Lady!"

"Good, good."

Li Xucai smiled, addressed him as Brother Chief Duan, and accepted the pastries and candies Chief Duan Youting had brought.

Next, Li Shun exchanged polite remarks with Chief Duan Youting; Chief Duan Youting sat on the kang, asked after the Old Lady's and Hearing Da Lao's health, chuckled while mentioning his relationship with Li Li Xuewu a few times, and was then invited by the Old Lady to go to the backyard to talk.

Smiling, Li Li Xuewu led Chief Duan Youting out of the room and walked toward the backyard.

On the way, Chief Duan Youting asked cheerfully, "Just now I heard Lao Lao Biaozi say you brought your partner to meet the family today? The one inside is your partner, right? The same one who went to the station last time?"

"Mm-hmm."

Li Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and said, "We've been together for a while now; she's here visiting the family."

It was no surprise that Chief Duan Youting knew Lao Lao Biaozi, because before the New Year, besides arranging for his eldest brother and Xiao Xiao Laosan to deliver gifts to relatives and friends, Li Li Xuewu had also arranged for Lao Lao Biaozi to deliver gifts on his behalf to colleagues and friends like Shen Fang and Chief Duan Youting.

"Hahaha, you are truly blessed; just look at how protective your mother-in-law is, and you can tell you're highly favored in your wife's family."

"Hehehe, if someone looks good, of course they're favored!"

"Damn it, are you implying that I look ugly?"

After Li Li Xuewu ushered Chief Duan Youting into the backyard, the latter smiled as he looked around Li Li Xuewu's room and remarked, "It's really neat and tidy; are you preparing to get married?"

Having said that, he added, "Then again, you're turning twenty this year; hehe, double happiness indeed."

Li Li Xuewu brewed tea for Chief Duan Youting and smiled, saying, "Nothing's decided yet; but when the time comes, you must come for the wine."

"That's a certainty!"

Sitting on the sofa, Chief Duan Youting said with a smile, "Tell me about it; how is this case progressing?"

"Are you worried?"

Placing the teacup in front of Chief Duan Youting, Li Li Xuewu asked with a smile, "Afraid the duck in hand will fly away?"

"Nonsense; what do I have to worry about? The duck in your hand is even fatter than the one in mine; since you're sitting calmly at the fishing platform, seeing you puts my mind at ease."

"Just wait and see."

Sitting in his usual spot, Li Li Xuewu explained with a smile, "There will be some twists, but they shouldn't be major; they aren't targeting most of what we hold, so it should be investigated as a separate case, and we will likely be asked to cooperate and shift our focus."

"So you're saying this really involves some big shots?"

"I don't know."

Even though Li Li Xuewu knew, he said he didn't; lighting a cigarette for Chief Duan Youting, he said, "But I saw a vehicle from the Discipline Inspection Commission enter the courtyard; I reckon it's nothing small."

Holding his cigarette, Chief Duan Youting thought for a moment and asked, "So we're cooperating with them?"

Li Li Xuewu smiled and said, "At most, we'll just be providing them with materials; no need to ask further—just wait for news tomorrow; one way or another, things should be settled by then."

After accompanying Chief Duan Youting in the backyard for a while, Li Li Xuewu tried to keep him for dinner, but Chief Duan Youting refused no matter how much he was urged, saying he had to rush to his father-in-law's house, so Li Li Xuewu saw him out the door.

As they left, Lao Lao Biaozi gave Chief Duan Youting a box of apples; it wasn't large, containing eight apples per small box.

Chief Duan Youting glanced at it, smiled, and carried it away.

Earlier, Li Li Xuewu had instructed Lao Lao Biaozi to prepare exactly this; today, whoever came to pay New Year's greetings had to leave with a box.

Even though Li Li Xuewu had visited them before the New Year, he couldn't let anyone leave empty-handed.

Generally, return gifts involve keeping part of what the visitor brought and giving back a portion for them to take home.

To avoid giving others any room for gossip, Li Li Xuewu directly used uniform return gifts and packaging.

Chief Duan Youting also recognized Li Li Xuewu's caution and prudence, so he accepted it.

After seeing Chief Duan Youting off, Li Li Xuewu returned home and, seeing Gu Ning sitting with his eldest sister-in-law in the south room, smiled and said, "Go to the backyard with my grandmother; it's quieter there."

He knew more guests would arrive shortly; the front courtyard rooms weren't large, and it was noisy and bustling.

"It's fine; I'm quite comfortable here."

Gu Ning's voice was soft and glutinous; perhaps she was a little unaccustomed to it.

The Gu family household was always quiet because there were few family members.

Suddenly encountering so many people left Gu Ning somewhat exhausted from having to deal with them all.

Hearing Li Li Xuewu's words, the Old Lady had already gotten off the kang; while wrapping a quilt around Li Shu, she said, "Let's go; us womenfolk will go to the backyard to stay and have a peaceful chat."

Li Li Xuewu's grandmother had a heavy Northeastern accent, but Gu Ning found it very endearing; allowing Zhao Zhao Yafang to pull her up, she stood and put on her clothes.

Seeing the Old Lady bend down to pick up Li Shu, Gu Ning hesitated for a moment and softly said, "Let me hold her."

Speaking thus, before the astonished gazes of the entire Li family, he walked to the kang, bent down, and lifted Li Shu, who was wrapped in a small quilt.

When Gu Ning spoke, not only did the Old Lady pause, but Liu Yin and the rest of the Li family were also momentarily stunned.

Seeing Gu Ning pick up Li Shu, everyone inside breathed a sigh of relief.

Earlier, Li Shu had seemed somewhat afraid of Gu Ning, sitting quietly the whole time, so the Old Lady, pitying her granddaughter, had held her in her arms to coax her.

Last night, Li Shun and his wife, along with the Old Lady, had already discussed that if Li Li Xuewu's partner did not wish to raise Li Shu, they would keep the child before them and raise her until she grew up.

Yet a child ultimately needs parental love, so when the Li family saw Gu Ning speak of holding the child, they felt both surprised and gratified.

Especially the Old Lady, who neither wanted Li Shu to leave her side nor wanted Li Shu to lack parental affection.

At this moment, she followed Gu Ning out with a beaming smile, walking while teasing the backward-facing Li Shu: "Aiyo, who is holding our family's Li Shu, hahaha."

Liu Yin took Li Xue to follow the Old Lady to the rear courtyard, leaving Zhao Zhao Yafang in the front courtyard to wait for guests, ready to brew tea, pour water, and attend to visitors.

This was precisely the duty of the eldest daughter-in-law that Liu Yin had jokingly mentioned earlier.

Before Zhao Zhao Yafang could even clear the teacups from the kang, Ji Wang Weidong entered the courtyard carrying gifts, smiling broadly.

"Haha, brother, Happy New Year!"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, shook Ji Wang Weidong's hand, and said, "Didn't I call you 'little brother' last time? How come you're calling me 'brother' now?"

Ji Wang Weidong waved his hand, laughing, "That was all last year's business; I've long forgotten it. Let's just rank by age, haha."

Just after exchanging a few pleasantries with Ji Wang Weidong, Li Li Congyun entered the courtyard carrying gifts.

Li Li Xuewu asked Li Xucai to host his elder brother-in-law, while he himself bid farewell to Ji Wang Weidong and went out to welcome Li Li Congyun.

"Old Uncle, Happy New Year!"

Li Li Xuewu truly did not spare his dignity; stepping out the door, he paid New Year's respects to Li Li Congyun and immediately prepared to bow deeply.

Li Li Congyun laughed and pulled Li Li Xuewu back, saying, "Enough, us two generations don't need such formalities."

After several interactions with Li Li Xuewu, Li Li Congyun already knew Li Li Xuewu's temperament; he dared not make things difficult for him.

"Is your father at home?"

"He is; knowing you were likely to come, he's been waiting for you at home."

"Hahaha."

These flattering words made Li Li Congyun feel comfortable; in truth, Li Li Congyun had originally been hesitating over whether to come or not.

If he hadn't come this year, it would have meant treating the previous incident as mere jest; if Li Li Congyun refused to acknowledge the matter, Li Li Xuewu would have had no recourse.

However, before the New Year, Li Li Xuewen and his wife had specifically brought gifts to pay respects, though Li Li Congyun's wife had initially wanted to refuse them.

But upon meeting, Li Li Xuewen and his wife immediately called her "Auntie," which startled Li Li Congyun's wife, making her think they were relatives from Li Li Congyun's hometown.

She had called Li Li Congyun out from his study, and upon seeing Li Li Xuewen and his wife, he too was stunned.

Then, watching Zhao Zhao Yafang affectionately call out "Old Uncle" and "Old Auntie" repeatedly, Li Li Congyun accepted the gifts.

When seeing Zhao Zhao Yafang and the other off, Li Li Congyun even remarked that it was fortunate Zhao Zhao Yafang was Li Li Xuewen's wife.

Having accepted Li Li Xuewen's gift, Li Li Congyun had no choice but to come; this familial connection was now confirmed, and the relationship was becoming increasingly solid.

"Big Brother, Happy New Year!"

"Ai, Li Congyun has arrived; quick, come inside."

Seeing Li Shun emerge from the room, Li Li Congyun hurriedly greeted him and paid New Year's respects, while Li Shun also smilingly welcomed Li Li Congyun into the house.

One after another, Xu Ning, Han Han Yating, and others came to pay New Year's respects.

Ding Ding Wanqiu, bringing his martial nephew Zhou Zhou Changli, also came to pay respects, specifically to thank Li Li Xuewu for his prior care of his martial nephew.

The two did not stay long; after sitting for a while, they departed, as the number of guests seated in the Li family's room was truly intimidating.

Yu Li and Qin Qin Huairu, taking He Yu Shui with them, took advantage of a lull in visitors to bring two bottles of liquor and some gifts for Li Shun; the three entered the room, stayed briefly, and then left.

Since they were all neighbors from the same courtyard, Li Shun had originally not intended to accept, but Yu Li and the others insisted, saying it was to thank Li Li Xuewu for his help, so Li Shun accepted.

Lao Lao Biaozi smilingly delivered apples to the three households; Seeing Sha Zhu said not to take them, since it was Seeing Sha Zhu who had sent Yu Shui to visit Li Shun, also as thanks for Li Li Xuewu's consistent help.

But Lao Lao Biaozi forcibly left the apples, saying he had prepared plenty.

Ji Wang Weidong was first taken by Li Xucai to the rear courtyard to see the Old Lady; upon returning, he seized the opportunity to wink and nudge Li Li Xuewu, angering Li Li Xuewu enough to glare at him.

In the rear courtyard, Ji Wang Weidong saw the Miss he had previously encountered at the hospital, the one with the formidable mother.

Ji Wang Weidong had figured out Li Li Xuewu's little secrets completely, so seeing that the one Li Li Xuewu brought home was Gu Ning, he thoroughly enjoyed watching Li Li Xuewu's predicament.

Li Li Congyun was taken by Li Li Xuewen to the rear courtyard to chat with the Old Lady for a while; since she was recognized as "Old Auntie," the Old Lady was already familiar with Li Li Congyun.

Around ten o'clock, Zheng Zheng Xicai and his wife, along with Zheng Chen Xiaoyan and her husband, brought two children into the large courtyard; upon arriving at the Li home, they saw many people already seated inside.

Li Li Xuewu smilingly offered cigarettes to Zheng Zheng Xicai and Zheng Xiaoya's partner, introduced the people in the room to them, and then introduced the two newcomers to everyone.

Zheng Zheng Xicai's wife and Zheng Chen Xiaoyan, taking the children, were led to the rear courtyard by Zhao Zhao Yafang.

At noon, the number of people staying for dinner was neither few nor many; the male guests were seated at tables arranged on the large kang in the side-facing rooms, while the female guests had a table set up directly in the rear courtyard.

With Li Li Xuewu and Lao Lao Biaozi present, both Ji Wang Weidong and Li Li Congyun were knocked out; Xu Ning and Li Xucai drove Li Li Xuewu's car to send Ji Wang Weidong home, which also served as revenge for Li Xucai.

Li Li Congyun was picked up by a driver; the driver was also prepared, just as during the last visit, carrying him home on his shoulders.

Zheng Zheng Xicai, Zheng Chen Xiaoyan, and their families walked out of the courtyard, as Li Li Xuewu had not intended to force them to drink heavily, fearing his godmother would scold him later.

As Zheng Zheng Xicai was nearly out of the Jinyu Hutong, he turned back and took one look at Li Li Xuewu's Bai Bai Xiyuan.

Seeing her big brother looking at Li Li Xuewu's home, Zheng Chen Xiaoyan smiled and asked, "Didn't drink too much, did you?"

Zheng Zheng Xicai shook his head, saying, "Less than a jin; still okay."

After answering his sister, he continued to ask, "What did they say to you when you were leaving?"

"Oh, just introduced someone, saying it would be convenient for me to find them later in Tianjin, as they wanted to buy some parts."

Zheng Zheng Xicai nodded, saying, "Not to mention his wide circle of acquaintances, he certainly has a way with words and handling affairs."

Zheng Xiaoya smiled and asked, "Did you meet someone?"

"Mm."

Zheng Zheng Xicai nodded and said, "The one wearing glasses, the one being helped out, is the vice-principal of Huaqing; he calls me Uncle."

"Ah?"

Just as Zheng Xiaoya was expressing her surprise, Zheng Zheng Xicai continued, "Not to mention his colleagues, there were even people from the Investigation Department; it seems they've even become in-laws."

"Mm-hmm."

Zheng Chen Xiaoyan's husband nodded and said, "It seems to be his third younger brother."

"Truly remarkable."

Zheng Chen Xiaoyan thought for a moment and said, "When we went to chat in the rear courtyard, I saw Li Li Xuewu's partner; she must be the Miss from the family Mother mentioned; one can tell just from her temperament and attire."

Zheng Zheng Xicai took another look in the direction of the Li family's home before walking back to his own house, lost in thought.

Today, Li Li Xuewu's circle of friends truly taught Zheng Zheng Xicai a lesson, especially regarding how Li Li Xuewu handled people and affairs; it was simply flawless.

Even the younger sister who had said yesterday she wanted to eat rabbit was given six rabbits by Li Li Xuewu as she left; he said they were brought by today's guests and that his own family did not eat them.

Now Zheng Zheng Xicai finally understood why his father had spent so much effort analyzing Li Li Xuewu for him.

Li Li Xuewu was truly busy enough today for his feet to hit the back of his head; thanks to Seeing Sha Zhu, Seeing Lao Lao Biaozi, and a few others helping out, he managed to entertain everyone properly.

When they returned to the rear courtyard and entered the room, they saw the Old Lady sitting on the kang talking with Gu Ning, while Liu Yin and Zhao Zhao Yafang had both gone home to tidy up their houses.

They also had to take care of Li Li Xuewen, Li Xuecai, and Li Shun, the three of them.

Today Li Li Congyun and Ji Wang Weidong had collapsed; on the Li family side, three had collapsed.

Especially the lightweight Li Xuecai, who was dragged by Ji Wang Weidong to drink half a jin of liquor before he was done for.

"Drank too much, right? Rest for a while."

The Old Lady waved her hand, signaling Li Li Xuewu to get on the kang and rest.

Li Li Xuewu smiled and replied, "Didn't drink much; it was all them drinking."

After getting on the kang and sitting next to Gu Ning, he saw his eldest daughter sitting quietly in Gu Ning's lap; he smiled and asked, "Tired?"

"No."

Gu Ning squeezed Li Shu's small hand, which was clutching her own, and smiled as she replied.

Li Li Xuewu brought his face close to Li Shu's and said with a smile, "Come, let Daddy hold you."

Li Shu very obediently pushed Li Li Xuewu away with a slap of her hand, then wrinkled her little nose and hid deeper into Gu Ning's embrace.

"Hehehe."

The Old Lady watched this scene with a smile and said, "She dislikes the smell of alcohol on you."

Li Li Xuewu pretended to be dissatisfied and said, "Why didn't she mind before!"

He reached out to tease Li Shu, but she dodged every time by waving her small hands; when provoked to anger, she would just stare with her big eyes and let out a "Ya!"

Gu Ning, holding the doll in her arms, smiled and pinched Li Shu's little cheek.

Li Shu, giving face, smiled back at Gu Ning.

"Hey! You little traitor!"

Seeing this made Li Li Xuewu even more jealous; he reached out to pick up Li Shu, prompting her to reach out and scratch at Li Li Xuewu.

"Hahaha."

After teasing his daughter for a bit, Li Li Xuewu took the opportunity to lie down by the edge of the kang and began telling the Old Lady about entertaining guests in the front courtyard.

The Old Lady did not like having many people for the sake of excitement, nor did she hope Li Li Xuewu would receive many gifts; rather, she liked seeing that Li Li Xuewu had many friends and won people's hearts.

As Li Li Xuewu talked, he fell asleep; the Old Lady fetched a small quilt, and Gu Ning, blushing slightly, took it and covered Li Li Xuewu with it.

Seeing that her father was going to sleep, Li Shu also stood up unsteadily, held her own small pillow, placed it next to Li Li Xuewu, then clumsily lay down, shifting her body left and right until she burrowed into Li Li Xuewu's quilt.

Li Shu was this easy to manage, and thus was the most doted on by the Old Lady.

Apart from being a little lively, she was usually very easy to look after; when sleepy, she would find her own pillow and small quilt to sleep.

Watching the big one and the small one lying on the kang, the big one snoring and the small one breathing with her little mouth open, exhaling and inhaling, Gu Ning felt that Li Li Xuewu also had a cute side.

The Old Lady noticed the look in Gu Ning's eyes and said with a smile, "Don't let his Han Han Shimo personality fool you; he has the softest heart; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought Li Shu back."

Gu Ning looked at Li Li Xuewu, who was snoring and sleeping soundly, and nodded with a smile.

"Li Shu is also a good child; very easy to coax, very obedient, never making noise or causing a fuss."

Gu Ning knew what the Old Lady meant; she smiled but said nothing, merely reaching out to stroke Li Shu's small hand.

Extra update seeking monthly votes; may monthly votes soar; another chapter tonight!!!