Chapter 570: The King of Hell

Li Xuewu knew what his mother meant; with only two days left, he absolutely could not make any mistakes.

He found his mother's conservatism somewhat amusing, yet he felt comforted by this kind of concern.

In the "collapse of ritual and music" of later generations, how many tragedies and young people going astray were due to the lack of such warnings and care.

After saying a few words to his mother, Li Xuewu headed out of the courtyard.

His father was still sleeping at home, having drunk a bit too much at noon, and Li Xuewu didn't dare disturb him.

Passing by the inverted-seat room, Yu Li saw him and followed him out, asking, "Not eating at home tonight?"

"I have something to do tonight."

Li Xuewu tapped his watch and explained, "Relatives from afar are coming back to both families over these next few days. I'm going to take a look and coordinate the arrangements."

Just as he was speaking, Qin Jingru walked over, carrying a bundle and looking like a little punching bag.

Yu Li looked on in surprise as she walked up to Li Xuewu and stood there. What was going on?

She knew that Li Xuewu had never really cared for Qin Huairu's younger sister, so why did it look like she was about to leave with him today?

They were in the West Courtyard, and Li Xuewu was in a hurry to get to Haiyuncang, so he didn't explain much to Yu Li.

He pointed at Qin Jingru and said, "Taking her to Haiyuncang to see if she can handle the work of a nanny."

After saying this, he went to the garage to get the car. Yu Li sized Qin Jingru up a few times, her gaze filled with suspicion.

This girl was clumsy and scatterbrained; could she handle the work of a nanny?

However, she had guessed Li Xuewu's intentions. Originally, it was said that she might be the one to go.

But that wasn't very realistic now; the shop here needed her, and secondly, Li Xuewu was newly married—finding a young girl was better than sending her over.

Whoever he found, it was better than finding someone unfamiliar; it was better to find Qin Huairu's sister.

Not only did he know her background, but her personality was also well-understood, and Qin Huairu would constantly keep pressure on her sister.

Actually, it wasn't that she hadn't thought about going to Haiyuncang with Li Xuewu, but after Yu Haitang caused that scene a while ago, she knew it was impossible.

The house here had just been built, and she was reluctant to leave.

It wasn't that she hadn't thought about Xilin, but Li Xuewu didn't have that intention at all.

Furthermore, she knew that Xilin was not a maiden.

This couldn't be faked; those with a keen eye could tell whether a woman was a maiden just by the way she walked.

Qin Jingru was a maiden now; if she went to the villa, the maternal family would be able to tell, and no one would suspect anything.

Li Xuewu's meticulous mind might have already started setting the trap the moment Qin Jingru said she wanted to stay in the city.

It was just that she didn't even know she had become the prey, but Yu Li was very clear about it.

Qin Huairu had asked her several times to persuade Li Xuewu, and she had helped, but each time Li Xuewu had brushed it off.

Either saying it wasn't suitable or using other excuses, he insisted on keeping her in Qin Huairu's house to be tormented.

At first, she thought Li Xuewu had a grudge against Jia Zhangshi and was deliberately keeping Qin Jingru there to annoy her.

But looking at it now, Qin Jingru was simply the little nanny candidate Li Xuewu had chosen.

This wasn't just a little nanny; she was a shield, a monument to his innocence, and a written confession!

Who said Li Xuewu was a lecher?

Who said Li Xuewu was a successor to Prime Minister Cao?

Who said Li Xuewu had five or six of those things?

Slander!

Rumors!

Defamation!

Look at this little nanny, a young girl, fresh and delicate, and he didn't even glance at her.

Who could resist that?

Li Xuewu could resist it, and he even occasionally sent a few looks of dislike!

Anyone with a keen eye could see she was a maiden; who could possibly suspect him!

Most importantly, Yu Li knew that Li Xuewu, this bad guy, was afraid his eyes would betray him, so he deliberately chose such an eye-catching person!

Flawless!

He wasn't afraid of Qin Jingru, who didn't understand anything, making a mistake; he was only afraid that when Li Xuewu taught her a lesson later, or even when she was scolded for acting foolishly, it would be a performance.

A performance for others to see...

After so many days in the city, many of Qin Jingru's habits had changed, and she was no longer afraid to meet people on the street.

Most importantly, having experienced the injury and the incident with Sha Zhu, the girl's temper and personality had been smoothed out, making her easier to manage.

Yu Li watched Qin Jingru, who was sitting in Li Xuewu's car with longing in her eyes, and wondered if she herself was also in Li Xuewu's trap.

Sigh~~ Who isn't a pawn in the game?

Bah!

Li Xuewu just didn't know Yu Li's thoughts; if he did, he would definitely have retorted: I'm the one in your trap!

Qin Jingru sat in the passenger seat, nervously gripping the handle on the front frame with her right hand, while her left hand tightly clutched her bundle.

It was her first time sitting in a car without doors, and she felt both excited and terrified.

She was terrified because she wondered if she would fall out, and excited because she finally had the chance to step out of that large courtyard.

Her eyes darted around, taking in the street scenes that flashed by; the people and objects that had seemed dull and boring before now became vivid in her eyes.

Sometimes she would use her peripheral vision to sneak a peek at Li Xuewu, but Li Xuewu was focused on driving and ignored her.

By the time they reached Haiyuncang, Qin Jingru's eyes couldn't keep up.

Li Xuewu's car speed was slow, but it still didn't give her enough time to observe these villas one by one.

It hadn't been a day or two since she came to the city; sometimes she went out shopping with her sister, and sometimes she went out by herself.

But she had never seen such a beautiful neighborhood; there were very few pedestrians on the street, and some courtyards even had cars parked at the entrance.

This novel experience gave her a feeling of being overwhelmed.

When she was at home, she wondered what kind of house Li Xuewu lived in after moving out on his own.

Was it as big as the house Li Xuewu had in the backyard? If there was only one bedroom, how should she sleep?

She never expected that when Li Xuewu parked the car in front of a courtyard at the corner, Qin Jingru knew she wouldn't have to squeeze onto a kang with Li Xuewu and the others.

Maybe... hmm... there was no kang in Li Xuewu's house.

"You're here~"

Zhou Wang Yamei was in the courtyard playing with her son when she heard the car stop at the gate and knew Li Xuewu had arrived.

When she opened the gate, she saw that Li Xuewu hadn't come alone; there was a reserved-looking girl in the car.

"Uncle!"

Fu Zhidong saw Li Xuewu get out of the car and ran over, greeting him with a smile on his little face.

"Get out, let's go inside."

He gestured for Qin Jingru to get out and then picked up Fu Zhidong.

"Oh! Have you gotten fat again~"

"Giggle~ No~"

Fu Zhidong giggled in Li Xuewu's arms, hearing his teasing.

Qin Jingru didn't know who this woman opening the door was, nor did she know who the child was.

Could it be that the child-minding Li Xuewu mentioned was looking after this child?

Looking at the woman's attitude, could it be that she was someone Li Xuewu was keeping outside...

She kept thinking this way until they reached the foyer and saw Li Xuewu's partner standing in the living room.

She had seen Gu Ning before, more than once; she had seen her the first time Li Xuewu brought her home.

Later, when Gu Ning went to Li Xuewu's house by herself a few times, she had also seen her with the others in the courtyard.

She was still as gentle, quiet, solemn, and warm as before. The courtyard and villa she observed as she walked in didn't feel out of place when she saw Gu Ning; it was as if Gu Ning was meant to live there.

Gu Ning also saw Qin Jingru, who was reserved and timid, constantly stealing glances at her and then at Li Xuewu behind her.

Li Xuewu stood on the steps at the entrance and spoke a few words to Zhou Wang Yamei.

He briefly introduced Qin Jingru's identity and situation, asking Zhou Wang Yamei to help out for a few days and explain the household situation to Qin Jingru so that she wouldn't be lost once she left.

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded with a smile, agreeing. Since Li Xuewu had found someone to help, she could leave with peace of mind.

She had been taken care of by Li Xuewu and his wife for so many days; she would have felt embarrassed if she had just left things here abruptly.

Seeing that the girl in the house seemed clever, it wouldn't be hard to teach her.

"Don't just stand there, sit."

Li Xuewu entered the house, put Fu Zhidong down, and gestured for Qin Jingru, who was standing at the door, to sit on the sofa.

Qin Jingru pursed her lips and sat on the sofa as Li Xuewu directed.

However, she didn't dare sit properly, just perching on the edge.

The environment here put too much pressure on her; she had never seen such a well-decorated house with such exquisite furniture and furnishings before.

Li Xuewu pointed at Qin Jingru and introduced her to Gu Ning: "This is Qin Huairu's sister from the courtyard, Qin Jingru. I've asked her over to help with the housework."

After the introduction, he pointed at Gu Ning and introduced her to Qin Jingru: "This is my partner, Gu Ning. You can call her Sister Gu."

"Sister... Sister Gu."

Qin Jingru was still a bit unfamiliar with Gu Ning, but she was the type to be impulsive, so since Li Xuewu had introduced them, she stood up and greeted her with a smile.

Gu Ning also smiled at her, gesturing for her to sit.

She felt strange that Li Xuewu had used the word "partner" to introduce her, but she didn't show it.

Before, she had always been introduced as his girlfriend...

She wasn't surprised by Qin Jingru's arrival.

Li Xuewu had mentioned to her a while ago that he wanted to find someone to help around the house.

Mainly because Li Shu was coming to live with them, the old lady didn't want to come, and the eldest sister-in-law was about to give birth.

Furthermore, neither she nor Li Xuewu knew how to cook, and they didn't have the time.

But they couldn't both eat in the cafeteria and come back; that wouldn't make a home feel like a home.

After Qin Jingru greeted Gu Ning, Li Xuewu pointed at Zhou Wang Yamei and introduced her: "This is Sister Zhou. You can learn about the household situation from her over the next few days."

After saying this, he looked at Zhou Wang Yamei and instructed: "Tell her where to buy groceries and where to buy daily necessities."

"Understood."

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled at Qin Jingru and agreed.

Only then did Qin Jingru learn Zhou Wang Yamei's identity from Li Xuewu's introduction.

Seeing Zhou Wang Yamei nod and smile at her, she mimicked her, nodding and smiling back, and called her "Sister Zhou."

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded and headed to the kitchen. Seeing this, Qin Jingru quickly let go of her bundle and followed her into the kitchen.

Li Xuewu glanced at her, thinking she had some common sense, but when he turned back, he saw Gu Ning looking at him.

"Hehe, what's wrong?"

Li Xuewu sat down on the sofa next to Gu Ning and asked with a smile: "A day apart feels like three autumns?"

Gu Ning twitched the corner of her mouth, stared at Li Xuewu again, and then asked: "Did you call my dad?"

"No."

Li Xuewu shook his head and said: "I called Mom, and then Dad called me back."

"..."

Gu Ning was now very impressed by Li Xuewu's social and administrative abilities; he didn't even look for her when he had things to do, going straight to her mother.

"It's Third Uncle."

Li Xuewu explained: "Third Uncle and Dad are both in Yangcheng, so it's on the way, and it counts as getting to know each other in advance."

Gu Ning nodded, glanced toward the kitchen, and asked: "How are things arranged with Sister Zhou?"

She only asked because she saw Li Xuewu bring Qin Jingru over.

Li Xuewu hadn't gone into detail about the situation in Steel City; their recent meetings had mostly been about the wedding or visiting relatives in Beijing.

These included Li Xuewu's family and the Gu family, all arranged by Ding Fengxia.

Gu Ning probably didn't even know she had so many relatives in Beijing.

Fortunately, Li Xuewu had a good memory; he remembered everything after his mother told him once.

When visiting relatives, Li Xuewu took the initiative to chat with them, and sometimes he even had to remind her who the relative was.

They had grown much closer during the process of visiting relatives, and at least Li Xuewu didn't have to launch surprise attacks anymore.

The moment in the study before his last business trip had almost made Gu Ning lose her breath.

Gu Ning's communication with Li Xuewu now showed that she had accepted him in her heart.

Li Xuewu was very pleased with Gu Ning's change, perhaps due to Zhou Wang Yamei's help during her time in Beijing, or perhaps due to Gu Ning's own growth.

Regardless, he had to remember Zhou Wang Yamei's favor. Since Gu Ning asked, Li Xuewu answered.

"Didn't we say she would leave after we get married?"

Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa, listening to Zhou Wang Yamei in the kitchen explaining the kitchen equipment and items to Qin Jingru.

He considered it and said: "The Steel City case will take a few more days. I'll call Ji Wang Weidong tonight and ask; he should be back in a few days."

He gestured to Gu Ning, and Gu Ning nodded, indicating she knew who Ji Wang Weidong was.

Li Xuewu nodded and continued: "If the case progresses smoothly and the timing is right, I'll make a trip to Steel City and send the mother and son back."

After explaining, he pursed his lips and added to Gu Ning: "Mainly, it's about the issue with Sister Zhou's house; I want to see if I can handle it."

Gu Ning naturally hoped that Zhou Wang Yamei and her son would have a good outcome in this case, or even in future involvements.

Although she had only seen Zhou Wang Yamei cry once when Li Xuewu told her that Fu Haibo had been executed, Gu Ning felt that Zhou Wang Yamei had some bitterness that she didn't show.

This could be seen from Zhou Wang Yamei's attitude when Li Xuewu tried to persuade them to stay in Beijing.

Li Xuewu hadn't explained it, but the difficulty and danger of Zhou Wang Yamei and her son's life in Steel City were real, and she wasn't a child; she could naturally see it.

But now that Zhou Wang Yamei insisted on returning to Steel City, Gu Ning couldn't quite describe her feelings.

She had no resentment toward Zhou Wang Yamei, even after the incident a while ago, Zhou Wang Yamei had frankly admitted her feelings for Li Xuewu.

But it was precisely this frankness that made Gu Ning feel she hadn't caused any trouble for her marriage with Li Xuewu.

What made her even more certain was Li Xuewu's attitude; having lived together for so many days, Li Xuewu had never shown any romantic feelings toward Zhou Wang Yamei.

Sometimes, he even took the initiative to tell her about Zhou Wang Yamei's affairs and arrangements.

Just like now, Li Xuewu didn't hide anything from her; he was frank about going on business trips and arranging for Zhou Wang Yamei and her son in Steel City.

This made Gu Ning's heart much more at peace, and her trust in Li Xuewu had become much firmer.

Last night, her father called her again, asking about Li Xuewu and asking for her decision one last time.

Her father's love for her was unquestionable, but she had to learn to live and think independently.

Li Xuewu wasn't a particularly perfect husband, nor was he an exceptionally outstanding and pure man; he was just an ordinary person with both strengths and weaknesses.

Smoking, drinking, loving to play, loving the excitement, loving to toss and turn—but isn't this what a young man should be like?

After all, he was only twenty years old.

"Try these mulberries and cherries."

Just as Li Xuewu was talking to Gu Ning, Qin Jingru brought out a plate of mulberries, and Zhou Wang Yamei brought out a plate of cherries.

Zhou Wang Yamei gestured for her son to wash his hands, set down the fruit plate, and explained: "Went for a walk in the park and saw the mulberries were ripe. Sister Ning and I picked some last night; try them."

She gestured to Li Xuewu and explained: "The cherries are from our backyard; take some back for your family to try later."

"They were still green when I came to see the fruit last time; they ripened so quickly?"

Li Xuewu picked up a cherry and looked at it; it was bright red, small, but very sweet.

"Go wash your hands~"

Gu Ning pushed Li Xuewu, gesturing for him to go with Fu Zhidong.

Li Xuewu stood up with a smile and raced Fu Zhidong to the washroom, making him laugh as he ran.

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled as she watched, then gestured for Qin Jingru to sit and eat.

Actually, Li Xuewu had seen Qin Jingru standing there, but he didn't tell her to sit, intending to let Gu Ning say it.

But Zhou Wang Yamei had to say it now, because if she didn't, she figured Gu Ning wouldn't say it at all.

Zhou Wang Yamei had felt a bit uncomfortable when she first came to this house.

Because Gu Ning rarely used polite phrases, nor would she be hypocritical in showing concern or following along with gossip.

She said what she had to say; if something didn't taste good or wasn't easy to use, she said it directly.

At first, she had a headache over Gu Ning's personality, but after getting along for a while, she realized that Gu Ning's personality was actually quite easy to get along with.

It was because Gu Ning's previous life had been too pure—at home, in the courtyard, and even from school to her unit, most of the people she contacted were in the military, and she was used to it.

Zhou Wang Yamei had also probed Qin Jingru in the kitchen earlier and learned some things.

She had also introduced Gu Ning's personality, but she didn't say too much; everyone is different.

She could get along with Gu Ning, but maybe others wouldn't be used to Gu Ning's habits.

By the time Li Xuewu and Fu Zhidong returned from the washroom, the women on the sofa were already eating.

Eating too many mulberries would stain your teeth and lips purple, but they were indeed sweet and delicious.

Qin Jingru was afraid of being laughed at, so she waited for Gu Ning and Zhou Wang Yamei to eat first before she followed their example.

Eating like this was fine, with no gritty feeling, but it felt a bit awkward.

Back in the village, she used to climb trees and eat them by the handful.

It was never this refined—washing them one by one, placing them on a plate, and picking them up one by one.

If she ate like this in the village, she would be laughed at from one end of the village to the other, and she'd laugh the teeth out of Old Man Ding at the west end!

She stopped after eating two; she wasn't curious about this stuff, just felt it was too tiring.

Cleaning it was tiring, and eating it was tiring.

She didn't know until she saw it—she really didn't know city people lived so tiredly!

Li Xuewu disliked that this stuff stained his hands and was hard to wash, so he didn't eat many, but he ate a few more cherries.

However, his diet was still restrained; he didn't eat too many for fear of souring his teeth.

Seeing his son eating quite a bit, Zhou Wang Yamei stopped him and took him to wash his hands.

Li Xuewu looked at Qin Jingru, who was reserved but had lively eyes, and then at the habitually silent Gu Ning, feeling that life might have some fun in the future.

Qin Jingru saw that Li Xuewu and Gu Ning weren't eating anymore, so she stopped too, but felt a bit bored sitting there.

Zhou Wang Yamei returned, saw her thoughts, beckoned to her, and said: "I'll show you around and take you upstairs to see."

"Okay."

Qin Jingru stood up to leave, but Li Xuewu pointed at her bundle.

He didn't tell her, but told Zhou Wang Yamei.

"Sister Zhou, just arrange for her to stay in the room inside on the first floor."

"Understood."

Zhou Wang Yamei saw that Qin Jingru had already grabbed the bundle from the sofa and walked toward the room Li Xuewu had designated.

There were two rooms on the first floor of this villa, one on each side of the stairs leading to the second floor.

One near the front door, and one near the back.

The one inside was closer to the bathroom, making it more convenient to live in.

Qin Jingru followed Sister Zhou into the room and was surprised by the furniture and furnishings inside.

A set of golden silk nanmu furniture—a large wardrobe, a double bed, bedside tables, and a desk and chair that could be used for writing or as a vanity.

Looking out from the open window, one could see the garden in the backyard, with fruit trees and vegetable plots.

Zhou Wang Yamei opened the large wardrobe, took out a set of bedding, and explained to Qin Jingru: "This was brought by Sister Ning; it's all washed, so you can use it."

"You can put your clothes in the wardrobe, and your toiletries can be placed on the table. You'll be living in this room by yourself for now, so keep it tidy."

Qin Jingru listened to Zhou Wang Yamei's words, her heart still not calm from the shock.

Such a large room for her to live in by herself?

Looking at the furniture, the space, the curtains, and the bedding, she felt she wasn't here to be a nanny, but to be a young mistress.

Zhou Wang Yamei just thought she wasn't used to it yet, skillfully helped her make the bed, and gestured for her to put down her bundle before leading her out of the room.

Starting from the first floor, she introduced everything—what needed to be wiped every day, what couldn't be touched, and what she needed to prepare every day.

She wasn't afraid she wouldn't remember; Zhou Wang Yamei introduced one place, and Qin Jingru wrote it down in the notebook she gave her.

No matter who it was, they couldn't remember so much housework, but a good memory isn't as good as a bad pen.

Li Xuewu sat on the sofa with Gu Ning, chatting about relatives on both sides, and finally went over the wedding process with Gu Ning one more time.

"When will Brother-in-law and Brother-in-law return?"

On Sunday evening, Li Xuewu returned from Haiyuncang, and the banquet in the inverted-seat room hadn't dispersed yet.

His father Li Shun, First Uncle, Third Uncle, and others were all there. Seeing Li Xuewu pass by the window, Sha Zhu greeted him from inside.

"Have you eaten?"

"I've eaten."

Li Xuewu didn't go inside, but stood by the window, leaning on the sill and looking into the room.

"What round is this? Take it easy; everyone has to work tomorrow."

"Don't worry~"

Sha Zhu waved his hand with a smile and clinked glasses with Grandpa and Second Uncle.

Li Xuewu knew these people had a sense of proportion, especially Grandpa and Second Uncle, who only drank a small cup of medicinal wine each night, just a few qian.

Li Shun had the skills, so there was no reason not to give the medicinal wine he brewed to Grandpa.

Second Uncle also benefited from Grandpa's light, drinking the medicinal wine brewed by Li Shun every day.

Old people are the same, but those with children are treated differently from those without.

But Second Uncle was brought over by Old Biaozi, and judging by his performance these days, he was worthy of the treatment Li Xuewu gave him.

Not only did he do no less work than Grandpa, but Li Xuewu had also asked Wen San'er and Old Biaozi to observe him secretly, and they hadn't found Second Uncle hiding anything.

Every month when Old Biaozi distributed wages to everyone, Second Uncle would accept it openly, but then secretly give it back to Old Biaozi.

Old Biaozi refused a few times, but in the end, Second Uncle said he was saving it for his coffin, so that was that.

Even now, Old Biaozi was managing Second Uncle's money, and Old Biaozi would step up to buy whatever he needed.

Actually, it wasn't obvious now, and not many people understood it; Second Uncle's approach was an old tradition.

Shopkeepers or managers usually lived in the shop, and wages were settled once a year.

Unlike the clerks, these managers couldn't have too much money on them.

It wasn't that the early employers exploited them, but they requested it themselves, which was also a rule of the trade.

It was to prevent the master from doubting their character; if they had too much money, even if it wasn't the master's, the master would feel uneasy seeing it.

Second Uncle's habit was a form of security.

He was an old man who had brought this group of boys with him, and he was afraid Li Xuewu might have other intentions.

So this was also a way of putting himself here as a hostage for these boys.

Wen San'er and Old Biaozi hadn't found any problems with Second Uncle, but they had found quite a few problems with these boys.

One or two fen, three or two mao—Wen San'er had reported it, but Li Xuewu didn't tell them to manage it.

They hadn't decided to let them into the fold yet; what was agreed upon was cooperation and shelter, and there were bills for their room and board every month.

Li Xuewu had told Wen San'er that time reveals a person's heart; the test had begun from the moment these boys entered the door.

Everyone walks their own path; Li Xuewu didn't recognize any of these boys as successful, but he couldn't use them without testing their character.

Actually, people always have selfish motives; it just depends on how you use them. When ability outweighs selfishness, they can be used to expand territory.

Of course, if you reach out your hand, you can't complain when the birds are gone and the bow is hidden.

All the gifts of fate have already been marked with a price in the dark.

It was called a banquet, but it was actually the same as the usual meals in the inverted-seat room, just with a few more people and richer dishes.

Li Xuewu saw Diliya at the table on the kang; Sha Zhu had told him that even after getting married, they would still eat here and not light their own fire at home.

Eating with many people is lively, but on the other hand, Sha Zhu was embarrassed to set up his own fire.

There were three people in their family now, and all three worked; if they set up their own fire, there would definitely be a surplus of grain, and they could save quite a bit.

But none of the three were stingy people; Sha Zhu was lazy, and Yushui was careless.

Only Diliya was diligent and thrifty, but she worked at the recycling station, so cooking wasn't very convenient.

No matter how much she cared about Li Xuewu's feelings, without Diliya and him, it wouldn't be easy to cook dinner in the inverted-seat room.

So, Sha Zhu still felt comfortable eating here.

Li Xuewu didn't stand there for long, chatted with them for a few words, and then returned to the backyard.

Yu Li told Xilin and then went to the backyard.

Seeing Yu Li's movements, Diliya whispered to Xilin: "I'll help you clean up later."

"It's fine~"

Xilin smiled and said: "She's going to the backyard to tidy up; she might be back before they finish eating."

After explaining, she looked at Diliya carefully and said: "Today is your big day, so you don't need to do this work; just go home with him in a while."

Diliya blushed at Xilin's words and lowered her head to eat a bite of rice.

They were both brought back from the border by Li Xuewu, but their fates were different.

Xilin envied Diliya's good luck; even with the storms and hardships of the first twenty years, lonely and helpless, looking at it now, Diliya's future days would truly be as Old Biaozi's toast at noon said—flourishing.

Looking at Diliya made her think of herself—drifting for the first half of her life, and the second half all depending on that one person.

But how much energy could that person put into her?

Now he only arranged for her to sell goods at the store, without saying anything about the future, just saying there would be arrangements and to live well.

Maybe in Li Xuewu's eyes, she was just like Yu Li, or even worse.

Yu Li didn't know what kind of person she was to Li Xuewu in Xilin's eyes; looking at Li Xuewu, who was lazily leaning on the sofa, she only had obedience.

After running the bathwater, Li Xuewu just washed simply and didn't soak for long.

At this moment, Yu Li had brewed tea for him, and he was just sitting there watching TV in his undershirt and boxers.

Li Xuewu didn't intend to move the little monster to Haiyuncang; the TV programs and image quality at this time were truly touching.

If he watched it for a long time, he was afraid his eyes would go blind.

Li Xuewu used this thing as a radio, only using that palm-sized screen as a livelihood.

"Why did you think of letting Qin Jingru go?"

Although Yu Li understood in her heart, she still asked this question while washing Li Xuewu's clothes.

Li Xuewu blinked, his gaze not focused on the TV at all.

Hearing Yu Li's question, he replied casually: "It just happened; she begged me at the door when I came back for a nap at noon."

"You arranged it just because she begged you~"

Yu Li teased, shaking out the clothes and hanging them on the clothesline in the room.

The radio at the store reported this morning that there would be rain tonight, so she didn't dare hang them outside, and used basins to catch the water on the ground.

Li Xuewu's clothes were easy to wash, all white and black every day.

"What else could I do?"

Li Xuewu leaned his chin on his hand, leaning lazily on the sofa and saying: "She was looking at me with those eyes; if I didn't respond, wouldn't she have flooded the place with tears?"

"Pfft~"

Yu Li flicked the water droplets from her hands at Li Xuewu and said: "I never realized you had the ability to be so compassionate before!"

"Hehe, there's a lot you haven't discovered."

Li Xuewu chuckled; he was too lazy to dodge Yu Li's joke and just stayed lazy.

Just like the cool breeze this evening, crossing the open window and blowing the curtains, the curtains were as lazy as Li Xuewu.

"If you ask me, Qin Jie still has the most tricks. How about that? She used a trick on you, and you fell into the ditch."

Yu Li said sarcastic things with the cool breeze, knowing Li Xuewu was playing tricks but wanting to tease him.

Li Xuewu didn't mind and laughed: "She cooked the meal at Haiyuncang tonight, and she also helped Sister Zhou tidy up the house and clean in the afternoon. Hehe, she looked quite capable, not like someone who is clumsy."

After saying a few words, he looked at Yu Li and asked: "Why is it that when she stops working, she looks like a fluffy rabbit when she stands there?"

"Go~ If Qin Jie hears you, she'll scratch you!"

Yu Li hung the last piece of clothing on the clothesline and poured the water from the large basin into the bathroom.

After everything was tidy, she sat down beside Li Xuewu and said: "Which girl in the village is raised like a young lady? Who isn't taught by their mother to learn housework from a young age? If you don't learn this, you want to find a husband?"

"What about you?"

Li Xuewu turned his face and looked at Yu Li, asking: "Did you learn like that when you were little?"

"What's so special about me? My dad isn't a deputy division chief~"

Yu Li slapped Li Xuewu's large hand away and retorted.

Li Xuewu looked at Yu Li's jealous appearance and chuckled: "I'm just talking; why are you attacking me? I didn't provoke you."

Yu Li rolled her eyes and asked: "What did Qin Huairu come to find you for this afternoon?"

"Do..."

Li Xuewu rubbed his face and said: "What could she do? Just chatting, talking about their family matters; I don't even like listening to it."

"Really?"

Yu Li raised her eyebrows and looked at Li Xuewu, seeing his serious expression, she reached out and gently slapped Li Xuewu's thigh, teasing: "You have less and less truth in your mouth now."

She didn't believe Qin Huairu only came to chat; she knew that since Li Xuewu took in her sister, she must be thinking about how to thank Li Xuewu.

This bad guy was also rotten to the core, using people's sisters and making them feel grateful.

Maybe both sisters in the Qin family felt they were taking advantage of this big wolf!

It was only her, having been with Li Xuewu for a long time and serving him for so many days, that she could peek into the harmless little thoughts Li Xuewu revealed inadvertently through his words and actions.

Li Xuewu smiled helplessly, picked up his teacup and took a sip, saying: "How do I have no truth? Oh~~ I remember!"

Saying this, Li Xuewu patted his forehead and asked with a smile: "Was it that I said I would take you with me when I marry over?"

"Go away~"

Yu Li was also amused by Li Xuewu's words; she asked this on purpose and said it on purpose.

Unlike Xilin, she didn't want to wait for Li Xuewu to think of her before taking care of her feelings; the crying child gets milk—even a child knows this truth.

Even if she knew the reason Li Xuewu let Qin Jingru go, she still had to complain to Li Xuewu.

It was just that she knew a woman's best weapon is gentleness, so even complaints had to be gentle.

Li Xuewu eats soft but not hard, and she eats hard but not soft—it's a perfect match.

Monday, clear skies.

The sky after the rain was exceptionally clean; even in the steel mill, with many large chimneys outside the window, the sky was as blue as if washed.

Li Xuewu had called Ji Wang Weidong last night, and Ji Wang Weidong returned his call to the office this morning.

He briefly reported the progress of the case, following the plan Li Xuewu had set—grasping the big and letting go of the small, valuing quality over quantity.

This could also be considered a compromise, and the local authorities didn't put any more pressure on Xiang Yunian and Ji Wang Weidong.

As long as there was room for negotiation, the progress naturally sped up a lot.

Everything that needed to be confessed was confessed, and everything that needed to be characterized was characterized according to procedure. Xiang Yunian was fine, but there was a problem on Ji Wang Weidong's side.

It wasn't that a person was lost, but money was lost.

"He didn't confess?"

"He confessed, but it was just a few small fry. It looked like a lot, but it was actually very little, like squeezing toothpaste."

Ji Wang Weidong's voice was a bit hoarse. The case was about to end, his father was coming back, and he naturally wanted to come back to attend Li Xuewu's wedding.

But once the case ended, the people would have to be transferred, and it wouldn't be convenient to dig any further.

If Guandong was executed, then that would be it; the things he had hidden would become an unsolved mystery.

"Nonsense!"

Li Xuewu's tone was very serious, asking: "Didn't you use technical means? Are your people all eating for nothing? Do I have to teach you this too?"

"How could I not?"

Li Xuewu was anxious, and Ji Wang Weidong was even more anxious. The anger on the phone was also very high, shouting: "But you can't just kill people, right? I'm not any less ruthless than you. Think of a way quickly!"

"Across a thousand miles, what way can I think of!"

Li Xuewu stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said: "If it doesn't work, just kill him. Damn it, if we can't get it, no one else should think about getting it."

"Of course you dare say that!"

Ji Wang Weidong scratched his head and said: "I've been chasing for so long; if it's really just this little bit of gain, I won't have the face to return to Beijing."

"Alright, stop bragging."

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes and said: "It sounds like you had so much ability before."

"I..."

Ji Wang Weidong wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu didn't waste any more words with him on the phone, instructing: "Don't bother with him anymore. Give him face, and he'll take it. Just follow the normal procedure to close the case; don't delay Xiang Chu's side."

"You really want to give up?"

Ji Wang Weidong couldn't accept Li Xuewu's decision. According to the confessions of others and the calculated amount, Guandong's accumulation over so many years didn't match the seizure.

"Give up? Hehe~"

Li Xuewu chuckled: "Even if this grandson takes the money to the King of Hell as a toll, I'll still have to demand it back. How many guns does the King of Hell have!" ===== CHAPTER 571 =====