Chapter 359: Propriety, Righteousness, Integrity, and Shame

Ding Fengxia said this while stroking her daughter's head, who was looking up at her with curious eyes.

Then she explained, "Your dad said he was in a meeting when Uncle Li called, inexplicably praising Li Xuewu a lot, and also said Li Xuewu begged Aunt Zhang to be a matchmaker for our Xiao Ning."

Mu Hongyan was curious when she heard Uncle Li at first, but now hearing Aunt Zhang, she knew which family it was.

"How did Li Xuewu beg over there?"

Mu Hongyan asked with wide eyes, "This is completely unrelated!"

Ding Fengxia said with a smile, "Listen to me. Before the phone call was even finished, Yu Huaiyou from the Ministry of Public Security called your dad, saying he wanted to be a matchmaker for Li Xuewu."

"Ah?!"

Mu Hongyan was even more surprised now. How did Li Xuewu find people here and there? This didn't make sense.

"Isn't their family an ordinary family?"

"Hahahaha."

Seeing her daughter-in-law as surprised as she was when she first heard the news, Ding Fengxia couldn't help but laugh, "Li Xuewu didn't rely on family connections to beg for a matchmaker; he relied entirely on his own ability."

Although Yu Huaiyou told Li Xuewu to wait until the time was set before finding him, how could he wait until then to tell Gu Haitao about this?

It was a coincidence that Director Li was thinking the same thing.

"Tell us quickly."

Mu Hongyan's fire of gossip was already burning fiercely, and even Gu Ning was looking at her mother curiously.

She didn't know what that person had done again to make her mother so happy.

Ding Fengxia explained Li Xuewu's case with a smile, because Yu Huaiyou didn't tell Gu Haitao much, focusing on praising Li Xuewu.

So listening to it now, it didn't sound that earth-shattering.

But being affirmed by that gentleman, especially for breaking such an important case, still made Mu Hongyan and Gu Ning open their mouths in surprise.

"He can really toss and turn!"

Mu Hongyan sighed and said to her mother-in-law, "This person is really material for this line of work. He made such a great contribution, yet he acted like nothing happened on the road, not saying a word. Did he lock his mouth?"

Saying this, she looked at Gu Ning and said, "Your brother makes a contribution and can't wait to tell me the whole process second by second, and asks if I'm happy. But look at yours, tsk tsk tsk~"

Ding Fengxia nodded with satisfaction and said, "No wonder your dad took a fancy to him; he said he's steady and atmospheric, a person who can get things done."

Mu Hongyan covered her mouth and laughed, "I don't think he's honest."

Seeing her daughter-in-law say this, Ding Fengxia asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Mu Hongyan glanced at her sister-in-law and said, "He went to find Gu Ning in a dirty uniform and was laughed at by colleagues in the office, saying he was just a small security guard and was a waste for Xiao Ning."

Knowing her mother-in-law cared about her daughter, Mu Hongyan didn't say too many harsh words, just expressed the meaning.

"But he was fine, not taking it to heart at all, looking calm and composed."

"Don't bother with them."

Ding Fengxia touched her daughter's hair and said, "Just live happily yourself; don't care what others say. We don't live for them."

"Mm."

Gu Ning nodded and agreed softly.

Without her mother saying it, Gu Ning knew how to get along with those people.

Since she was a child, she was a special child in the eyes of teachers and a special existence among classmates.

That was why she had her current somewhat reclusive and cold personality.

She was used to those who talked about her behind her back or to her face since she was a child, and she had taken it lightly.

That was why she stopped her sister-in-law from arguing with those people in the office today.

It wasn't that she was afraid of them; Gu Ning just felt that interpersonal relationships were tiring, and she was too lazy to fight.

Mu Hongyan was also afraid that her sister-in-law would think of those words in the office, so she changed the subject.

"Dad must be very happy, right?"

"Hahahaha."

Ding Fengxia remembered the complaints Gu Haitao made to her just now and couldn't help but laugh, "Your dad is busy, and he was dizzy from these two phone calls, not knowing what was going on."

"Hahahaha, it was Yu Huaiyou who explained it to him, and then he knew."

"Hehehe."

Mu Hongyan could imagine her father-in-law's stunned expression when he heard these two phone calls.

"You know what your dad is like?"

Ding Fengxia said with a smile, "He's like that when he's happy, and he even asked me if I knew. Hearing that I didn't know, he was obviously happy."

Mu Hongyan nodded with a smile and said, "He should be happy; finding such a capable son-in-law is so face-saving!"

"Hahahaha."

Li Xuewu drove the car into the west courtyard garage, drained the water from the tank, and walked toward the house with Wen San'er, who came to open the door.

Once they entered the inverted room, they saw a pile of heads in the room.

It turned out the west courtyard was busy with things, and these kids were called into the room by Ye Ye Erye Ye and not allowed to go out.

These kids stopped talking when they saw Wen San'er accompanying Li Xuewu in.

Especially seeing the uniform Li Xuewu was wearing and the gun handle exposed from the holster on his chest after he took off his coat.

"Yo, it's really lively here!"

Li Xuewu smiled and looked at these kids, then looked at the Old Master and Ye Ye Erye sitting on the bed.

"Heard from Xiaoyan that you went to the countryside again?"

Ye Ye Erye Ye saw that Li Xuewu still had his previous attitude and couldn't help but put his heart down a little.

He was really worried that Li Xuewu would get angry as soon as he entered the room and drive these kids and him out.

"Yes."

Ye Ye Erye Ye saw Li Xuewu's grandfather just nod and not speak, so he knew what the Old Master meant.

So at this moment, it could only be him to speak, because Li Xuewu was asking him.

"There are people in the countryside who want these tables and chairs; we went out with a horse cart and came back with only a few tabletops."

"Not bad at all."

Li Xuewu washed his hands under Yu Li's service, wiped them on a towel, and walked into the inner room, saying, "But don't get tired. It's not even the first month of the lunar year yet, and it's cold, so be careful not to freeze."

The warmer Li Xuewu's words of concern were, the more uncomfortable Ye Ye Erye Ye felt.

This discomfort reached its peak when Yu Li and Xiaoyan kept serving good dishes to the table.

These kids had already stared straight at the table full of good food; not to mention before, they hadn't seen so many good things to eat since they came here for so many days.

But Old Biaozi and the others standing on the side saw Ye Ye Erye Ye's complexion turn pale.

Li Xuewu got on the bed table, didn't look at the kids standing on the ground, smiled, reached out, took the wine pot, and poured wine into the wine cups in front of the Old Master and Ye Ye Erye.

This bed table now only had the Old Master and Ye Ye Erye sitting inside, and Li Xuewu sitting in the middle.

And Old Biaozi and the others were standing on the ground, not daring to get on the table at this moment.

Even Wen San'er, who was a generation older than Li Xuewu, stood on the side with his hands folded, watching the bed with bated breath.

The atmosphere in the room gradually became heavy, and these kids also felt something was wrong.

Looking at Ye Ye Erye Ye's complexion, everyone huddled together like chicks avoiding the wind and rain, as if afraid of taking up space and affecting the people on the bed eating.

"Ye Ye Erye has been here for quite a few days, right?"

Li Xuewu poured the wine, placed the wine pot at one end of the table, and asked in a gentle tone.

At first, seeing Li Xuewu speak with a smile, the tone was very relaxed and gentle.

But as Li Xuewu's words came out one by one, the coldness and sharpness in his tone were felt even by He Yuzhu, who was looking over from the door.

He Yu Shui, who came over to eat after work, was stunned by this scene. She had never seen Li Xuewu get angry, nor had she seen someone with such a great aura.

Everyone was waiting for Ye Ye Erye Ye, who was sitting diagonally opposite Li Xuewu, to answer this question.

Ye Ye Erye Ye's face turned from blue to white, and from white to blue, his eyes looking at Li Xuewu, thinking about the things he had experienced in the days he lived here.

He bit his teeth again and again, his hands clenching and unclenching on his knees, but he didn't dare to answer Li Xuewu's question.

"Thump!"

Just as everyone was quietly watching the bed, a teenager standing in front of the kids knelt on the ground.

"Brother... Brother Dong, don't make things difficult for my grandfather."

This teenager knelt down and begged Li Xuewu, "Thank you, Brother Dong, for taking us in for these days. We'll leave now; we don't dare to disturb Brother Dong anymore."

Seeing the teenager in front say this, several kids behind also knelt down.

But some were still standing at the back, among whom a younger one frowned, looked at the one kneeling in front, stared at Li Xuewu's side profile, and shouted, "We're not beggars!"

"Xiao Jie, shut up!"

Ye Ye Erye Ye stared at the kid who spoke and said, "Did you eat the food from the past few days into a dog's belly? How are you talking?"

The kid named Xiao Jie stared and said, "We didn't eat his food for nothing; we worked for him, we'll pay him back, we don't owe him!"

As soon as this kid's words came out, not only did the expressions of those kids who came together change, but even Old Biaozi, who had taken them in, frowned.

Ye Ye Erye Ye was even trembling with anger, unable to speak.

"Hehehe."

Li Xuewu didn't even look at the kid who was shouting on the ground, his eyes fixed on Ye Ye Erye Ye.

"It seems our hospitality was inadequate. How about this, please invite these little masters to have a few drinks with us to vent their anger?"

"Hehe, I misjudged."

Old Biaozi's face was full of anger, and he said coldly, "I didn't expect my good intentions to be treated as a donkey's liver and lungs. Fine..."

Seeing Old Biaozi speak, Wen San'er nudged him, signaling him to shut up.

Old Biaozi bit his teeth, remembered what Li Xuewu said at noon, and suppressed his anger, turning his head away from the kids huddled in the corner.

Ye Ye Erye Ye's pale face smiled miserably, then trembling, he supported the table and knelt on the bed.

The Old Master sitting on the side frowned but didn't say anything.

"Brother Dong, it's my fault; it's my fault for breaking the rules. I accept the punishment!"

As soon as Ye Ye Erye Ye knelt down and spoke, the expressions of everyone changed.

Old Biaozi was startled, biting his teeth to keep himself from speaking.

Wen San'er frowned and looked at the Old Master sitting inside the bed.

He Yuzhu, standing at the door, opened his mouth in surprise; if Yushui hadn't pulled his arm, he would have made a sound.

He Yu Shui didn't know what was going on in the room, but Li Xuewu's appearance was a bit scary.

Although he was smiling, it wasn't a good smile.

Especially when Ye Ye Erye Ye, at such an age, knelt in front of Li Xuewu and lowered his head to admit his mistake, and especially when only these three were on the bed, this scene really showed who was the master of the inverted room.

Li Xuewu's face was still the same, asking with a smile, "What is Ye Ye Erye doing? If you do this, my brother won't be able to talk about righteousness."

Ye Ye Erye Ye trembled at the corners of his mouth and nodded, "It's my fault; it's my fault for setting a trap for Biaozi, it's my greed, it's my fault."

"Sigh~"

Li Xuewu sighed and said, "Ye Ye Erye, you still don't treat us as your own people."

"I know, I know."

Ye Ye Erye Ye nodded and said, "It's my mind that wasn't set right."

Seeing Ye Ye Erye Ye admit his mistake, Old Biaozi's face no longer had the ferocity from just now, looking at the old man on the bed with sadness.

Others who heard this were also full of heaviness.

The only kid who was still standing, seeing Ye Ye Erye Ye kneel and admit his mistake, hesitated and knelt down.

Only Xiao Jie, who had spoken just now, was still stunned.

Li Xuewu supported himself on the bed and turned around, facing the kids on the ground.

"You're all old enough; why bother kneeling here when you can find a bite to eat anywhere?"

Hearing Li Xuewu's words, some kids looked up at the bed.

They looked at Li Xuewu and also at Ye Ye Erye Ye.

But Li Xuewu only had full mockery on his face, and Ye Ye Erye Ye just knelt there, not daring to say a word.

If Li Xuewu were playing for real today, let alone him, even these kids would suffer.

Seeing Li Xuewu say this, Ye Ye Erye Ye's heart finally settled a bit.

The master leads the apprentice to the door, but the practice depends on the individual.

All he could do was point out a bright path for these kids; as for how to walk it, or whether to walk it, it depended on these kids' own fortune.

These kids all understood the meaning behind Li Xuewu's words; some were blushing, some were pale.

Even Xiao Jie, who had been stunned just now, stared at Li Xuewu.

And Li Xuewu continued to mock from the bed: "Ye Ye Erye Ye is an old man, yet he knows how to do work within his ability to support himself, wanting not to eat or drink for free. What about you?"

Saying this, he looked at the dishes on the table and counted: "Living in my place, eating my food, drinking my drink, yet you have the nerve to say you worked for me? What did you do? Can you match the food thirteen half-grown boys eat? The warm bed you sleep in?"

Seeing Li Xuewu humiliate them like this, the first kid who knelt down kowtowed three times on the ground and said, "Thank you, Brother Dong, thank you, Brother Dong. Xiao Jie is young and doesn't understand etiquette; you have a large heart..."

"Young, is he?"

Li Xuewu grinned and said, "Does he eat less?"

Xiao Jie saw Li Xuewu humiliating them like this and said through gritted teeth, "You say it, what do you want, I'll pay you back."

"Xiao Jie!"

The kid beside him pulled the only kid who was still standing.

But this kid was stubborn, shook off his companion's hand, and stared at Li Xuewu with his neck stiff.

"Yo, not bad."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Thinking of borrowing and paying back, right? Fine, look at the one kneeling, an old man, because you owed me a favor, you pay it back."

"You!"

Xiao Jie saw Li Xuewu say this and stared, wanting to argue with Li Xuewu.

But Li Xuewu ignored him and continued, "This Biaozi who took you in, because Ye Ye Erye deceived his feelings to take you in, you pay it back."

"I..."

"And Sister-in-law Yu Li, who boils water and cooks for you every day, don't you owe her? Pay it back."

Li Xuewu looked at the kid whose face was flushed and smiled, "Finally, pay back my grain and accommodation fees. It's not much, just 10 yuan each. I didn't ask for too much, right?"

The kids who were looking up just now lowered their heads when they heard Li Xuewu's words.

The only kid who was still standing, Xiao Jie, also turned pale when he heard the amount Li Xuewu said.

Let alone ten yuan, he couldn't even take out one yuan; his pockets were really cleaner than his face.

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I'm the head of public security in the Dongcheng. As long as anyone is on the streets, they have to call me Grandpa. You want to play your street games with me in the Dongcheng?"

Although this was said with a smile, it sounded scary to the ears of the few.

No one dared to doubt Li Xuewu's words, because what Li Xuewu said was the truth.

"Did you think I wanted your arms, legs, or fingers? These few pieces of stinking meat, how much are they worth?"

"I... I'll work and pay you back when I grow up!"

"Forget it."

Li Xuewu mocked, "With your ungrateful and shameless appearance, you can't give it to me now, and I have to wait for you to grow up?"

Saying this, he lowered his eyelids and said, "Whether you can grow up or not is not certain!"

"I will pay it back!"

"With what? Picking horse manure? Hehehehe!"

Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the bed and said, "Fine, don't talk to me about righteousness. If I feed a dog with so much grain, it would at least wag its tail at me. You? Hehe."

Seeing Li Xuewu speak so harshly, these kids all looked up.

Although they were all young, there was a fierce spirit on their faces that had weathered the storms.

If this fierce spirit was used correctly, it would be a rise to prominence; if used incorrectly, it would be doing big and strong things.

Li Xuewu's face was cold and smiling, and that scar jumped and jumped, which was very scary.

Not only was his appearance scary, but the words he said were also scary.

"If I feed a dog, and if it's full and slept well, yet still barks at me, I'll definitely slaughter it, peel its skin, and eat its meat."

Li Xuewu's voice was very slow, and every word was heard by these kids, and what they thought of in their heads was the image of Li Xuewu eating human flesh and peeling human skin.

It wasn't that these kids had seen people eating people, but Li Xuewu's appearance looked like someone who ate people.

Xiao Jie, who had spoken just now, also started to tremble in his legs, really afraid that Li Xuewu would come down with a knife and slaughter them all.

In the concepts of these kids, there was no law, because they couldn't even eat their fill, so what was the use of law?

What they knew and believed in was the law of the jungle—the survival of the fittest.

Now Li Xuewu used the law of the jungle to let them learn the law and reverse their outlook on life and values.

"You're already here today. Regardless of whether my brother is right or wrong, I won't talk about him anymore."

Li Xuewu squinted and said, "But you, pack up and go back to pick horse manure with your Ye Ye Erye Ye. Leave now, and don't come near here in the future. Whoever dares to come, I'll deal with them."

Seeing Li Xuewu say this, Old Biaozi twitched his mouth, glanced at Li Xuewu, but didn't dare to speak.

Wen San'er looked at these kids with drooping eyelids.

Others felt more or less that Li Xuewu was a bit heartless, but this was the recycling station's business, Li Xuewu's own business.

These kids looked dejectedly at Ye Ye Erye Ye, who was implicated by them, kowtowed on the bed, and got off the bed.

The kid who knelt down and kowtowed first looked at Ye Ye Erye Ye, then moved his body and knelt right in front of Li Xuewu.

"My name is Huo Yongfang, sixteen years old. I want to work for you; please take us in, please forgive my grandfather."

This kid's words surprised everyone in the room, especially the kids who were with him.

"Big Brother, what are you doing?"

"Exactly, they already drove us out!"

"Big Brother, let's go back; we won't beg him!"

"Big Brother..."

Several kids tried to persuade him in a hubbub, but Huo Yongfang pushed everyone's hands away.

He knelt on the ground, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "You are a good person, and you are also a kind person; it's not wrong for me to kowtow to you."

Saying this, he kowtowed to Li Xuewu, then said, "Thank you for taking us in for so many days to eat and drink for free. They haven't read books and don't understand etiquette; I sincerely ask for your forgiveness."

Saying this, he kowtowed again and said, "Only by knowing shame can one be brave; not knowing propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame really doesn't earn people's respect."

"We are indeed not beggars, but we ate the food our grandfather begged for with peace of mind; it was us who were shameless."

The only kid who was still standing, Xiao Jie, who had thought they weren't beggars, was stunned to realize they had eaten food begged by others.

"Thump."

Huo Yongfang kowtowed for the third time and said, "You mocked us and humiliated us, but you were actually telling us that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and you were also giving us a way out."

"You are a good person; I know my grandfather wanted to find a proper path for us, not wanting us to live in a muddle."

"Please give us a chance; don't drive my grandfather away. If it's really because of us that my grandfather has to sleep in the open again, then we really are dogs, not humans."

"These human favors you mentioned, we can't pay back in a lifetime, but we want to pay them back; really, we want to pay them back!"

Li Xuewu's face was still the same, without even a hint of change because of Huo Yongfang's words.

The other kids heard Huo Yongfang's words and also understood the meaning of Li Xuewu and Ye Ye Erye Ye.

"Thump."

One by one, the kids either moved or walked over and knelt down again, their faces no longer having the previous reluctance and difficulty.

Even Xiao Jie, who had been stubborn just now, was pulled by his companion and knelt down.

Seeing these kids kneeling, Li Xuewu didn't speak. After waiting for a while, the Old Master sitting inside the bed spoke.

"Ye Ye Erye, get on the bed and eat."

"The favors you've shown us are ones we could never repay in a lifetime, but we want to repay them—really, we want to repay them!"

Li Xuewu's face remained the same; it didn't show even the slightest change because of Huo Yongfang's words.

The other children heard Huo Yongfang's words and also understood what Li Xuewu and Master Ye meant.

"Thump."

One by one, the boys either shuffled or walked over to kneel down again, their faces no longer showing the previous reluctance and difficulty.

The stubborn little Jie from before was also pulled by his companion, and he followed suit and knelt down.

Seeing these boys kneeling, Li Xuewu didn't speak. After waiting for a while, the Great Aunt sitting on the kang spoke up.

"Lao Er, get on the kang and eat."

Seeing the Great Aunt speak, everyone inside and outside the room let out a sigh of relief, knowing there was a turning point.

Master Ye heard the Great Aunt speak and looked up at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu, however, was squinting his eyes as he looked at the thirteen boys on the ground.

"Saying 'a lifetime' is too fake, hehe."

Seeing Li Xuewu speak, Huo Yongfang knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Please give us a chance."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "If you want to walk out that door today, you can do so very easily. You don't have to pay me back that ten yuan, and you don't have to carry any burden."

"I'm not leaving!"

"Right, I'm not leaving!"

"For Grandpa's sake, I can't leave either!"

"Hehehe."

Li Xuewu smiled and continued, "But if you don't leave today, it will be difficult if you want to leave later."

"Please rest assured, I will definitely work hard."

Hearing that Li Xuewu had the intention of relenting, and with a smooth path right in front of them, anyone could see that the conditions here were better than before.

Plus, there were people here they could follow, and the one sitting on the kang was a cadre who was a good boss—who would still want to go pick up horse manure?

"Since you don't want to leave, let's set a few rules."

Li Xuewu stopped smiling and said, "You can live here, but you can't live for free. You'll do the work you're supposed to do, and when it's time to go out and collect firewood, you'll follow along to collect it."

"You can eat here, but you can't eat for free. You'll pay what you're supposed to pay; if you have no money, you'll go hungry."

"Thank you, Proprietor!"

Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "Don't be in such a hurry to thank me; I'm not finished yet."

"Remember, here, there is no Proprietor."

"You are not people of this place either."

"This place is just kindly taking you in to live and giving you a nest."

"We have no relationship."

Li Xuewu made the situation clear, then pointed at Master Ye and said, "Your grandfather is vouching for you. If you commit a mistake, I will look for him."

As he spoke, he pointed at Lao Biaozi and said, "He was the first to make a mistake and say he would take you in. If you commit a mistake, I will deal with him."

After clarifying the stakes, Li Xuewu turned to Wen Saner, who was standing, and instructed, "Keep a good account for them. This is a small-scale business of ours, and we can't afford to support idlers."

After finishing his words, Li Xuewu made a gesture of invitation toward Master Ye and said, "When you, Master Ye, treat me, Li Xuewu, and my brothers as your own people, you will understand our hearts."

"Yes."

Master Ye said to the few people kneeling on the ground, "Introduce yourselves."

Huo Yongfang kowtowed once more, then introduced himself again, "My name is Huo Yongfang, sixteen years old."

After introducing himself, he stood up and stepped aside.

The boys behind him also followed Huo Yongfang's example: kowtow, introduce themselves, stand up, and step aside.

"Meng Yongxiang, sixteen years old."

"Xi Yongzhong, sixteen years old."

"..."

After the thirteen boys finished introducing themselves, they stood on both sides.

Master Ye got on the kang and said to Li Xuewu, "They are all children without fathers or mothers. The ones who have stayed with me the least have been here for more than four years. I gave them all their names."

Wen Saner also took off his shoes and got on the kang, saying to Master Ye, "This is a cooperative group, not a gang. I'll say the ugly things first: if anyone has character issues, you don't need Xuewu to say anything—I'll have to ask you to leave first."

"Starting tomorrow, these boys will go out to collect scrap. I'll put up the capital first. No matter who it is, I'll buy it at a fair price. How much they earn depends on them."

Master Ye nodded and said, "I will take responsibility for this guarantee, and I will be the one to teach them."

Lao Biaozi also got on the kang and sat next to Li Xuewu. He glanced at the boys standing on the ground, turned his head, and said to Master Ye, "You weren't very loyal, sir."

Master Ye nodded and said, "It was my lack of loyalty. You can educate these boys more in the future."

Shen Guodong and Erhai got on the kang. They didn't say anything, but Erhai took a steamed bun from the basket by the edge of the kang and gave it to Master Ye.

He was an orphan himself and had survived by picking up horse manure. He knew the suffering of these orphans and understood the kindness of Master Ye, who had not hesitated to ruin his own retirement conditions.

Li Xuewu said to the boys still standing on the ground, "Get on the kang and eat."

Although the people in the room heard what Li Xuewu said, no one dared to move; they were all still watching Li Xuewu's expression.

Seeing Sha Zhu stood at the doorway, wiped his hands with a towel, and pushed a boy standing nearby, saying, "You're being told to get on the kang and eat. Hurry up."

With Seeing Sha Zhu speaking up, the boys saw that Li Xuewu on the kang wasn't looking their way, so they followed Huo Yongfang's lead and got on the kang.

Good heavens, it was as lively as the day Wen Saner got married; the big kang was completely full.

Li Xuewu and the others sat at one table, while the boys, Yu Li, and Xiao Yan sat at three tables.

This family must have a mountain of gold to be able to afford to feed so many children.

Seeing Sha Zhu joined Li Xuewu's table and had Yushui sit over at Yu Li's side.

"I say, this small canteen of yours really needs to be put on the agenda."

Hearing Seeing Sha Zhu's words, Lao Biaozi looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Is it convenient for us to open a canteen?"

Li Xuewu thought for a moment while holding the steamed bun in his hand and said, "It's fine. Later, you can tell the neighborhood committee that there are more people working here and the prices are fair."

That wasn't what Lao Biaozi was asking, of course. He exchanged a glance with Wen Saner, who was sitting opposite him, and they were already calculating the canteen matter in their hearts.

"Let's set up the canteen in the east room. Put out some tables and chairs. The environment needs to be clean, and the kitchen needs to be clean too."

Li Xuewu said this, then looked at the "Thirteen Guardians" at the three tables on the kang and said to Wen Saner, "When you tidy up the east room, build a heated kang; don't squeeze them together like meat patties."

"Understood."

Wen Saner agreed and also looked at the tables over there, then said, "Tomorrow, let's do it tomorrow. We can tidy it up while we're collecting the cart. The bricks are ready-made; just mix some mud and we can build it."

As he spoke, he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is this small canteen of ours open to the public?"

Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "Not open to the public for now, but we won't stop anyone either. If they want to eat, they can buy it with grain coupons."

"That makes it simple."

Wen Saner nodded and said, "Otherwise, we'd have to open doors and windows to the outside."

"Hmm, wait a while."

Li Xuewu nodded, didn't say much more on this matter, and focused on eating his meal.

He Yu Shui sat opposite Li Xuewu, her eyes constantly sizing him up.

They had lived in the same courtyard before; they weren't exactly super familiar, but she understood his basic situation and temper, as they were, after all, of the same generation.

But today, the way Li Xuewu handled the matter of Master Ye and these children made He Yu Shui look at him with new eyes.

This kind of skill wasn't something a twenty-year-old young man should have; the dominance and aura in his speech and behavior made the men, women, old, and young in the room afraid to breathe loudly.

When they interacted before, she only saw Li Xuewu's smiling side; today, she truly saw his other side.

When everyone finished their meal and Yu Li and Xiao Yan were about to get down to clear the table, the boys on the kang jumped down first.

Clearing the table, washing the bowls, wiping the kang, sweeping the floor—it made Li Xuewu feel dizzy just watching.

When had there ever been so many people in this house? It was too noisy.

Li Xuewu got off the kang and put on his shoes. Looking at the children's clothes, he said to Yu Li and Xiao Yan, "When you have time, mend them, let them wash them themselves, and keep them tidy."

The last sentence was directed at Master Ye.

Master Ye had received this lesson and finally knew Li Xuewu's power. He nodded and said, "Understood. I will take them to bathe across the street regularly."

Glancing at the old man, Li Xuewu turned and walked out the door toward the back courtyard.

Just as he passed the screen door, he saw Erhai chasing after him.

"Brother Wu!"

"Hey!"

Li Xuewu answered and turned around, seeing Erhai handing him an envelope.

"From the Northeast?"

"No, from inside the city."

"Inside the city?"

Li Xuewu frowned and looked at the envelope. It was so close in the city, why the hell would they write a letter?

When Li Xuewu used the light from the window to see the sender and address on the envelope, well, it really was a letter from the "Hairy Ones."

A letter written by the Hairy Ones was indeed a letter from the Hairy Ones; it was sent by the Soviet Foreign Affairs Office, Li Shu's child support.

Li Xuewu opened the envelope and saw a withdrawal voucher inside. With this voucher, he could go to the post office to collect 20 rubles.

As for why the Foreign Affairs Office was doing something so redundant, Li Xuewu had already figured it out.

It was the same as a whistleblower letter; by going through the post office, they were leaving evidence.

It wasn't to guard against Li Xuewu; it was likely to guard against investigations from their own country.

"Hehehe."

Li Xuewu looked at the voucher, smiled, and said, "Your niece's milk powder money, given by the Hairy Ones."

After explaining it to Erhai, he was about to walk toward the back.

But Erhai pulled Li Xuewu again and said, "Brother Wu, those..."

Li Xuewu turned his head and asked with a smile, "Do you think I was too harsh?"

"No... it's just..."

Li Xuewu patted Erhai on the shoulder and said, "A handful of rice breeds gratitude, a bushel breeds enmity, but that's not the same thing between us brothers."

"Oh."

Erhai nodded, half-understanding, and explained in a low voice, "It reminded me of my time back then."

Li Xuewu placed his hand on Erhai's shoulder and squeezed it, comforting him, "Don't let your mind wander; you still have us."

"Hmm."

Erhai smiled and agreed, then turned and returned to the side room.

This little brother was sensible, didn't invite disaster or trouble, and was sharp-minded too.

It was just that his life was a bit bitter.

After sighing, Li Xuewu crossed the second gate and headed toward his own home.

Going home was mainly to check on Li Shun. Although his father was strict with him in words, Li Xuewu knew that his father was more concerned about him.

Seeing Li Xuewu enter the room, Li Shun was also very happy.

But the words that came out of his mouth were all meant as reproaches.

He started from the moment Li Xuewu left home in a hurry and went on to Li Xuewu spending money recklessly and buying those seafood products for the house.

He listed one by one where Li Xuewu shouldn't have done something and where he was wrong.

Liu Yin, who had been scolding Li Xuewu in the afternoon, was now defending her son and wouldn't let Li Shun speak.

Li Xuewu sat there quietly, holding Li Shu and playing with her, listening to his father and mother nagging.

He used to find it annoying when his parents said this or that, but now Li Xuewu didn't feel annoyed; he had the patience to listen to Li Shun speak.

He wasn't angry, nor was he irritated; you say your piece, and I'll just listen.

Don't wait until your parents are old to say those words about "the child wanting to provide for them, but the parents are no longer there." Why can't you find time to spend more time with your parents in daily life?

Seeing Li Xuewu's gentle and thick-skinned appearance, Li Shun stopped scolding.

This kid wasn't resisting, so it was boring to keep talking; he didn't even have a reason to use his shoe sole.

Besides, in front of his granddaughter, Li Shun didn't want to talk too much about Li Xuewu.

"What's going on at your unit? Why is there talk about you getting a promotion?"

Seeing Li Shu rolling around in Li Xuewu's arms, Li Shun smiled and took Li Shu into his arms to tease her, while asking about his son's affairs.

Li Xuewu used a small dried fish to tease Li Shu and replied, "It is a promotion."

Hearing Li Xuewu's affirmative answer, Li Shun frowned and said, "Didn't you just get promoted? How come you're getting promoted again?"

"Look at what you're saying!"

Liu Yin glared at Li Shun and said, "Is that how you talk about your own child? Ah, isn't it good that he got promoted? Other people's children get happy when they get promoted, but you—do you want your son to run slower?"

"What do you know?"

Although Li Shun was the head of the family, he mostly listened to Liu Yin at home.

On the matter of Li Xuewu, however, the two of them often bickered.

Li Shun looked at Li Xuewu and said, "You should take it easy. How old are you? Why are you getting promoted so fast? The city of Beijing can't even hold you anymore."

"Yes."

Before his mother could get anxious, Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Later, I'll talk to the leadership. I'm still young; I can take on the burden a little later."

If he had said this a month ago, Fu Bin could have sung to Li Shun: "Listen to me say thank you, because of you..."

"Look at that!"

Liu Yin glared at Li Shun and said, "My son is so sensible and so down-to-earth, why can't he get promoted faster?"

Seeing his father frown, Li Xuewu changed the subject: "Have you soaked the seafood I brought back? Will it be ready for lunch tomorrow?"

Hearing Li Xuewu ask this question, the couple stopped arguing.

Liu Yin nodded and said, "It's soaked, and I've thawed the meat too."

Li Shun had his face grabbed by Li Shu and winced in pain.

But seeing Li Shu about to cry because she was startled by him, he hurriedly put on a smiling face again.

He asked Li Xuewu, "Have you told Gu Ning?"

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I went out tonight to pick her up from work. I already told her on the way. Tomorrow, I'll go to my godmother's and my teacher's house for a turn, and then I'll go pick her up."

"Go early."

"Hey, understood."

Watching Li Xuewu agree, Li Shun glanced at his son and said, "Go rest in the back courtyard; you've been tired all day."

"Hey."

Li Xuewu smiled and agreed, waved at his daughter, kissed her, and went out the door toward the back courtyard.