Chapter 656

Li Xuewen thought that even with his father, his second brother hadn't paid so much, all using resources to go with the flow.

Speaking of his father, Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "The hospital is too slow. It's been so long; hasn't the meeting finished yet?"

"Second brother~ Don't you know?"

Li Xuecai, who was squatting in front of the stove door, turned his head to look at Li Xuewu and said, "The Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine has already decided to set up the project and is preparing to mobilize personnel and materials to support medical work in the mountain areas."

"Is that so?"

Li Xuewu looked at his father, who was drooping his eyelids, and asked, "How come I don't know?"

Li Shun raised his head to look at his son and gave Li Xuewu a look that said, "Figure it out yourself."

Li Xuewu was stunned and instantly understood his father's meaning. It turned out he was angry with him.

Hmph~ Father is very angry and doesn't want to talk to you!

Li Xuewu had no way to deal with his father. He also hadn't expected that the old lady was still thinking about Yu Li.

It was also true that Li Xuewu wasn't sure what the old lady was thinking. This wasn't the old days anymore; you couldn't have two or three.

Being deliberately ignored by his father, Li Xuewu could only turn to his big brother.

And Li Xuewen was a coward. Seeing his father not talking to his second brother, he quickly lowered his head and deliberately teased his big niece.

Li Shu was fine; seeing her big uncle teasing her, she swung the big carp in her hand and hit her big uncle's head with it.

"Clang"

"Hit!"

The big carp was hollow, and Li Shu couldn't have had much strength, so it just sounded loud when it hit.

The big carp hitting Li Xuewen's head so loudly was something Li Shu hadn't expected.

Everyone in the room was startled, but looking at Li Xuewen's expression, it didn't look like it hurt, so no one paid any more attention.

Li Shu seemed to have found fun, giggling, swinging the big carp in her hand, and wanting to hit him again.

To make it sound louder, this time she swung with considerable force.

But before she could exert her strength, she was held by her father and taken out of her big uncle's arms.

This wouldn't do; the little demon king had just found something fun!

"Ya~ ya~ ya! Hit! Hit! ~"

Li Shu was really anxious, shaking her body in Li Xuewu's arms, wanting to go back to her big uncle.

She also knew that hitting people with this thing was wrong, but her big uncle was the only one in the room she dared to hit; the others were hard to bully.

Li Xuewu was brave, holding his daughter and coaxing, "Your big uncle's brain is the most precious brain in our family; don't knock it around."

After saying this, seeing his daughter look at him, she didn't stop for three seconds, and when she wanted to make trouble again, he sent her directly into his father's arms.

Li Xuewu thought that his father was angry with him, with a drooping face, but he wouldn't be like that with Li Shu.

But he didn't think that after just saying big brother Xuewen's brain was precious, and now that she couldn't be coaxed, he sent the child to his father's arms...

Li Shun: So my brain is the most useless in our family!

Li Shun held his granddaughter, and the look in his eyes that wanted to stab his second son could be understood by everyone in the room.

Everyone only cared about Li Shun's face and didn't laugh out loud, but they were holding it in.

Li Xuewu didn't notice and was still teasing his daughter: "If you're naughty again, be careful about getting a spanking when you get home."

This sentence reminded Li Shu, and she swung the big carp in her hand toward her grandfather's head.

She was also confused and didn't see clearly that her father had sent her to her grandfather; she thought she had returned to her big uncle's arms.

But when she saw clearly that it was her grandfather, the big carp in her hand couldn't stop its momentum, and "Clang," it hit her grandfather's forehead.

At this moment, the room went silent instantly. Li Xuewu hadn't expected his daughter to be so brave, actually daring to knock her father.

And the others were also surprised that Li Shu dared to hit the head of the family when she was making trouble.

Especially Li Xuewen, who was closest; his eyes were wide like copper bells, and he couldn't believe his eyes.

What had his big niece done?

The head of the family, knocked on the forehead—where was he supposed to put his face!

Li Shu was also stunned, staring blankly at her grandfather, especially when she saw her grandfather staring blankly at her too.

At this moment, because of the sudden silence in the room, especially the looks everyone was giving her, Li Shu knew she had caused trouble.

The first person she looked at was her grandfather, and then she looked toward the inner room.

Sure enough, her mother's look was so scary; she really had done something wrong...

"Wa~!!!"

Well, the quiet air became noisy with Li Shu's sudden loud crying.

Li Shun's stunned expression also became flustered with his eldest granddaughter's crying.

"Don't cry, don't cry, Grandpa is fine."

"Wa~ ah~~~"

Li Shu was really scared. First, she was scared by hitting her grandfather, then she was scared by the silence in the room and everyone's expressions, and finally, it was her mother's look.

Tears flowed down, and the sound of her crying was one after another.

Li Xuewu saw his daughter crying and wanted to go hold her, but Li Shu didn't want her father; she hugged her grandfather's neck directly.

There, this one action by his eldest granddaughter made Li Shun feel even worse.

What a big deal; it was just a toy hitting his forehead.

"Don't cry, don't cry, Grandpa was just playing."

Li Shun showed excellent patience, holding Li Shu, glaring at his second son, standing up, bouncing his body around the room, and coaxing the frightened Li Shu in a soft voice.

Li Xuewu exchanged a look with his big brother. The surprise of Li Shu hitting his father wasn't as great as the surprise of his father's patience when coaxing Li Shu.

This eldest niece is really something!

Li Xuewen looked at Li Shu with an admiring look, then pursed his lips at his second brother, meaning: You hit our dad, and you still make our dad coax you; your daughter is really something.

Li Xuewu had a bitter smile on his face. No need to think about it; his father would definitely count his daughter's debt on his head.

He wasn't acting out now because he had to coax Li Shu first. Once Li Shu was coaxed, and when Gu Ning wasn't around, he was definitely going to get it.

Li Shu cried so aggrievedly, her little hands hugging her grandfather's neck tightly, and it took a long time for her grandfather to coax her.

There were still teardrops hanging on her long eyelashes, and her little hand touched her grandfather's forehead, asking if it hurt.

Li Shun was so moved by his eldest granddaughter that he shook his head repeatedly to show it didn't hurt, and that it was actually quite comfortable.

Li Shu also pouted her little mouth, and her little hand patted her grandfather's forehead gently to show comfort.

When they returned to the main room, Li Shun signaled Li Xuewu to pick up the big carp and hand it to his granddaughter, but Li Shu turned her head and didn't want it.

"Look at you, you can't even coax a child, what else can you do!"

Li Shun put the big carp back on the cabinet, and at the same time, he threw a sentence at his son, with an expression of "you're good for nothing."

Li Xuewu looked at his father speechlessly. Saying this now, was he trying to compare who was better at coaxing children?

He was the son; didn't he know whether his father could coax children?

Was this really his own father!

Until the dumplings were served on the table, Li Xuewu didn't dare to say a single word.

Because he knew that forget about talking; now, even stepping into the room with his left foot or right foot first could be a mistake, so caution was the best policy—silence is golden.

When serving the dumplings on the table, Liu Yin used a lid board to load the last pot of steamed dumplings, and then walked out the door.

On the side of the inverted room, everyone knew the Li family was having a family gathering today, and no one noticed that Yu Li was missing.

The relationship between the inverted room and the Li family was varied.

Grandfather was needless to say; Old Biaozi and Wen Saner were childhood friends with Li Xuewu; Yu Li was married into the courtyard; Wang Yamei was her sister's connection; Ye Ye Erye and the boys were picked up.

Liu Yin usually talked to these people in the inverted room, but she didn't manage their affairs. She drew a clear line in this regard.

These were all her second son's, and now that she was living with her eldest son, if she managed too much or said too much, it would make the eldest son's family misunderstand and make the second son's family feel awkward.

So Liu Yin was rarely seen sitting in the inverted room unless there was something to do or she was coming to deliver food.

Because the inverted room also thought of the Li family when they had something good to eat. They weren't one family, but they had a bond even thicker than relatives.

During the New Year and festivals, Old Biaozi and Shen Guodong and the others called Liu Yin "Godmother," or even dropped the "God" and called her "Mom" directly.

Old Biaozi had a mother but wasn't close; Shen Guodong only had a grandmother, who had passed away; Er Hai was all alone.

Following Li Xuewu's kowtowing relationship, calling her Godmother or Mom meant the same thing.

Some people knew Yu Li went to the Li family to help wrap dumplings because they heard it when Li Xue came to call people, and others didn't know and heard it from others.

Dumplings were something they only heard about during the New Year, and some had even eaten them.

Now that the Li family was wrapping dumplings, everyone in the inverted room was eating cornmeal buns, but no one muttered anything.

There was no other reason; the Li family hadn't done anything wrong, and Li Xuewu didn't raise white-eyed wolves under his command.

It was very clear whose things were whose, including the recycling station they had now and other things.

Li Xuewu had made things very clear to his brothers from the beginning, and the accounts were not off by a single cent. Public expenses were fine, but no one dared to take anything privately.

Old Biaozi was in charge of the accounts now. If he used a box of matches today, he had to record it; if he smoked a box of cigarettes himself tomorrow, he would also record it.

Eat what you should eat, use what you should use. Even if they used public money to buy clothes, it had to be recorded.

Everyone knew clearly that they were all children without fathers or mothers, sworn brothers; if they weren't united, could they accomplish anything?

But look at what Wu Ge had done—look at what they wore, used, ate, lived in, and even their future houses had been prepared.

Look at their wives—except for Shen Guodong, Old Biaozi, who was of age, still had to ask for Li Xuewu's opinion. Why didn't he ask his own parents?

No one envied the dumplings, because the dumplings weren't bought by Li Xuewu with public money.

They knew whose light they were borrowing to be able to walk upright on the street and look people in the eye.

Li Xuewu could have been carefree himself, being a big cadre, but now he was carrying a big burden for his brothers.

Whether it was Shen Guodong and the others, the Seeing Sha Zhu family of three, or Ye Ye Erye and the boys who came later.

Everyone had a scale in their hearts, especially these boys who had experienced all kinds of life—the warmth and coldness of human relationships, the sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy—they understood human nature the best.

When Liu Yin carried a lid board of dumplings into the room, there was no surprise in everyone's eyes, only the warmth and gratitude of being accustomed to it.

"Try the meat-filled dumplings."

Liu Yin also knew how to speak, smiling as she divided the dumplings into two portions for the heated brick bed table and the floor table, and urged, "Everyone use your chopsticks and try a fresh one."

It was indeed just to try a fresh one. A big pot of dumplings divided among so many people meant two or three for each person.

But at a time like this, being able to eat dumplings in the summer, not during a festival, and meat-filled ones at that, was enough.

Ye Ye Erye was the first to thank Liu Yin with a smile, and Liu Yin politely replied, followed by Yushui and Diliya, who were also politely urged by Liu Yin.

Finally, it was the boys, who thanked her under the leadership of the fourth, Quan Yongcheng, and Liu Yin smiled and responded.

She watched them eat happily with a smile, told the people in the room not to save any for Old Biaozi, and then returned home.

The Li family was also just starting to eat. Liu Yin returned and picked up a bowl from the curtain, gestured toward the backyard to Qin Jingru, and said, "Go and take a bowl to your sister's family."

"Aunt~"

Qin Jingru was surprised. She hadn't expected that while they were wrapping dumplings here, Aunt Liu would still think of her sister's family.

Liu Yin knew what she was doing regarding Qin Huairu. Regardless of anything else, whenever the Li family had something, Qin Huairu never needed to be asked and would take the initiative to help.

Li Xuewu didn't return here often, and whenever he brought something for the family, or Liu Yin had a message for Li Xuewu, Qin Huairu helped.

Not to mention the times she helped buy things; she never said no.

Whether from Qin Jingru's side or Qin Huairu's side, the Li family didn't lack this bowl of dumplings today.

The meat filling Li Xuewu brought today was sufficient, also to ensure there would be enough to eat.

The Li family never did anything to feel guilty about, and they never shortchanged their stomachs.

Knowing Qin Huairu's family had three children, and knowing they were eating dumplings here, Liu Yin wouldn't be short of this bowl of dumplings, especially since Banggeng sent eggs here every day.

"Go quickly, there isn't much, just try a fresh one."

Liu Yin said to Qin Jingru, then urged, "Come back after you deliver it, and wait for you to eat."

"Okay."

Qin Jingru agreed, carried the dumplings out the door, her eyes felt sour in the room, but once she was out the door, she shed tears in the evening breeze.

Although she had only been with the Li family for a month, and it was all with the old lady and Li Shu.

But the way the Li family did things really made her feel like she had learned something and felt something.

Li Xuewu knew she wanted to stay at the villa on weekends to rest and live her own life, so he took the initiative to give her pocket money.

On weekdays, they didn't hide anything from her regarding what they ate or drank, and this time was the same—they gave her face in front of her sister's family.

In Qin Jingru's view, this bowl of dumplings sent by Aunt Liu had at least half to do with her.

The Jia family was also just starting to eat. Qin Huairu glared at Huaihua, signaling her to eat quickly.

Huaihua held her chopsticks, shrank her neck, looked at the rice porridge in front of her, but couldn't resist the temptation and asked, "What do dumplings taste like?"

"Didn't you eat them during the New Year?"

Qin Huairu didn't answer her daughter's question, knowing she was doing it on purpose.

Jia Zhangshi tilted her neck and curled her lip, saying, "You don't have your little aunt's good fortune, heh~"

"Say less, the children are here."

Qin Huairu had long wanted to talk to her mother-in-law, but she was worried about the children. Banggeng was older and knew right from wrong.

"I was just saying..."

Jia Zhangshi was just starting, but when she glanced out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qin Jingru walking in with a bowl.

Her heart skipped a beat; she didn't know if Qin Jingru had heard what she just said.

If she had heard, what if she took the dumplings back?

Were these dumplings?

"Sister, I brought a bowl of dumplings."

Qin Jingru walked into the room with a smile, placed the dumplings on the table, greeted her sister, but blinked at the three children.

Banggeng and the two younger sisters had been staring at the bowl in her hand since their little aunt entered the room, and now they couldn't take their eyes off the dumplings.

Who doesn't love dumplings?

"Why did you bring dumplings here!"

Qin Huairu stood up in surprise and asked, "Are they yours?"

"No, Aunt Liu asked me to bring them."

Qin Jingru knew her sister had misunderstood, thinking this was the portion for her, so she explained with a smile, "She said to try a fresh one and told me to go back and eat quickly."

After saying this, she gave Banggeng a look and said, "Let your sisters have some~"

"Got it~"

Banggeng raised his big fat face and smiled, "Thank you, little aunt!"

"I'm leaving."

Qin Jingru smiled at her sister, then walked toward the door.

Qin Huairu saw her to the door, and when she returned, Banggeng and the three children had already started grabbing dumplings with their chopsticks.

"Just thinking about eating yourself!"

Qin Huairu glared at her three children and said, "Don't you know to let your grandmother eat first!"

Jia Zhangshi was so embarrassed she couldn't do anything; everything she said today had been slapped back in her face, loud and clear.

Now that Qin Huairu was telling the children to let her eat first, how could she have the face to eat?

"You guys eat, Grandma doesn't like dumplings."

Jia Zhangshi smiled and gestured for Banggeng and the others to eat, then lowered her head, looked at her own bowl, and said, "Sigh, this life, it's all in the blink of an eye, seeing dumplings in the summer."

After saying this, she shook her head and said, "If it were in the past, we would have had to hide it, afraid that other families would know we had this."

"What kind of valuable thing is it."

Qin Huairu didn't touch the bowl of dumplings and said while holding her porridge bowl, "If you want to eat them, we'll wrap them ourselves tomorrow, and we'll make meat-filled ones too."

"Spare me!"

Jia Zhangshi was emotional, but she didn't dare to really eat them, and muttered, "Do you think I'm a greedy child, wanting to eat whatever I want? Can we still live? We've only had enough to eat for a few days~"

Qin Huairu also said indifferently, "Living a life requires diligence and thrift, but we haven't reached the point of starving just by eating one meal of dumplings."

"Hey! You really are~"

She was the one who said she was greedy just now, but now she was talking about Qin Huairu again, saying, "Have you forgotten the days when we borrowed money for half a month after eating for half a month? And that was just this year~"

Qin Huairu curled her lip and said, "Isn't that what you said?"

"What I said doesn't count!"

Jia Zhangshi tapped the dumpling bowl with the tip of her chopsticks and said, "Can you compare with their family? Counting the children and the ones not yet married, there are eleven people! Six people earning wages!"

After saying this, she muttered, "Look at their family, is there anyone with a low rank? All high wages; they are the proper big family in our courtyard."

"So what~"

Qin Huairu glanced at her mother-in-law and said, "Did I shortchange you a bowl of dumplings?"

After saying this, she added, "No matter how big their family is, it has nothing to do with us, but the dumplings have been brought over."

Jia Zhangshi was blocked by her daughter-in-law's words and felt uncomfortable. She wanted to argue, but couldn't open her mouth.

How could it have nothing to do with them!

Isn't your relationship with Li Xuewu a relationship?!

If this isn't called a relationship!

Then what is!

The Jia family was lively, the Li family was even livelier, but the dinner of the people in the courtyard tonight didn't taste like much.

But this was different from the pork in the beginning; that pig was hunted by Li Xuewu, and these dumplings were earned by him.

Sharing pork was because he had just returned home and needed a good reputation and to build good relationships. Now, sharing dumplings was still about relationships.

If he gave to every family, that wouldn't be building relationships; that would be creating enemies.

Li Xuewu wouldn't do such a stupid thing, and Liu Yin wouldn't either. No one could say anything about giving to the inverted room, and no one could say anything about giving to the Jia family.

If you want to eat dumplings, go help the Li family too.

Li Xuewu asked Qin Jingru to help take care of the children at home without mentioning money. Some people in the courtyard thought of this, but no one had heard whether money was given or not.

At this time, there was such a relationship. For example, in the situation of Li Xuewu and Gu Ning, both were working and had children, so it wasn't convenient to take care of them, and there were no elders to help.

If a relative happened to have a girl who wasn't married yet, it was possible to invite this girl to take care of the children at home.

There was no salary, no money; it was just providing food and housing. Some would buy clothes, and some would give money when she left, or add more dowry when she got married, depending on the situation of each family.

There was mutual help between relatives, and there were also unmarried girls practicing with children so they wouldn't panic when they had their own children in the future.

Qin Jingru came to the Li family because she wanted to; outsiders all thought she went to Li Xuewu's house for an internship.

Qin Jingru didn't care about others' thoughts and views; she only felt that coming to the Li family now was the right choice, at least she could stand firm in the city.

Looking at the family atmosphere of the Li family, Qin Jingru also felt that big families were different from big families.

Qin Jingru's family was also a big family, with many brothers and sisters, but there was no such atmosphere as the Li family during meals.

Actually, she didn't know that the atmosphere today was especially good because of Li Shu.

Ever since she hit her grandfather with a carp just now, Li Shu hadn't left her grandfather's side, and she was sitting in her grandfather's arms during the meal, looking very well-behaved.

Holding her own little wine glass, seeing her grandfather clinking glasses with her great-grandfather, she also joined in the fun.

It was just that Li Shu didn't have the recklessness she had before the meal, and from time to time, she looked up at her grandfather.

Because there were two more people at the floor table, Li Xue went to the heated brick bed table.

This was also the rule. During a family banquet, Li Xuewen didn't have a seat at the heated brick bed table; he had to rank second.

Although Li Xue was the youngest in the family, she was the only girl in the family. It wasn't that the youngest came first, but the girl came first.

Especially a big girl like Li Xue, who was very precious in the family.

At the floor table, Li Xuewu ate a dumpling, nodded, and felt that the filling was really good.

When he looked up to see his daughter at the heated brick bed table, he caught a glimpse of the red mark on his father's forehead and couldn't help but lower his head and laugh secretly.

Li Xuewu's action was seen by everyone, and everyone at the floor table either lowered their heads or pursed their lips and laughed.

The head of the family, Li Shun's status in this courtyard was also transcendent. Which family didn't have headaches or fevers? The status of a doctor was not ordinary.

Li Shun was also a deep person, rarely chatting with people or joking with them.

Saying he had a straight face wasn't quite right; traditional Chinese medicine requires thinking and settling down to study.

So Li Shun usually looked serious, but such a serious person was tamed by Li Shu, laughing when she wanted him to laugh, and being happy when she wanted him to be happy.

You don't want to be happy? Then I'll cry for you to see!

Seeing his eldest granddaughter looking up at him again, Li Shun also quickly gave his gentlest smile.

Li Shu saw her grandfather laughing and laughed herself, her big eyes squinting, revealing her little teeth, looking very cute.

After her eldest granddaughter turned her head to continue eating, the gentleness on Li Shun's face quickly faded, and he looked at his second son who was laughing at him, his eyes full of swords and shadows.

Li Xuewu caught his father's look and turned his head away instantly, the dumpling in his mouth almost biting his tongue.

Gu Ning poked Li Xuewu under the table, signaling him not to make trouble anymore; Father-in-law needed face!

This meal was quite interesting, and after the meal, Li Shun called several sons to the backyard for a symposium, which was also "interesting."

Starting from the eldest, Li Shun pointed out one by one what shortcomings they had recently and where they needed to correct and be cautious.

Especially when it was Li Xuewu's turn, the talk lasted the longest, and the words were the harshest.

Li Xuewu suspected his father was taking revenge on him, but he had no evidence.

Because when it came to the third, it wasn't light either, especially since Li Xuecai had been slack in his studies recently, and he was given a lecture by his father on the principles of a doctor's benevolence and duty.

Of course, the symposium wasn't all about family rules; it also talked about content related to his father and the third.

It was about the medical support for the mountain areas mentioned before the meal.

Li Shun introduced the action this time, which was mainly led by Li Shun, forming a support group to carry some medical equipment to Red Star Village.

According to the plan Li Xuewu had previously discussed with the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it should be jointly built by the training ground, Red Star Village, and the 816th Regiment, building a medical office opposite the training ground.

It wasn't just a medical office; it had the duty of seeing patients for several surrounding villages, as well as the task of researching the cultivation of Chinese herbal medicine.

Including the later research and development of Chinese patent medicine, these were all the responsibilities of this support group.

It wasn't strange that the president of the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Liu Zhixin, came up with such a brilliant move. Compared to building factories or laboratories together, arranging for doctors to go up the mountain in the name of a support group was more appropriate.

This wouldn't leave any excuse for certain people to investigate the support group. If they wanted to investigate, go up the mountain and investigate.

At that time, those who had done shameful things wouldn't dare to come up the mountain; if they had the life to come up, they wouldn't have the life to go down.

Building a clinic or medical workstation in the name of support could not only preserve the profession of these doctors but also relieve the worries of those who wanted to come.

It was hard to get an iron rice bowl, and Liu Yuanzhang understood these people's thoughts very well.

At least coming to the mountain for support solved the salary problem down the mountain, and Li Shun also favored this handling method.

Because of this, he also gave Li Xuewu a lecture on the principles of keeping a low profile, meaning why couldn't Li Xuewu think of such a comprehensive plan.

Li Xuewu was helpless after listening. He didn't dare to think about it; they were already at Red Star Village, at the 816th Regiment, and Liu Yuanzhang's courage was still so small.

He really couldn't understand what kind of person would be crazy enough to go into the big mountains to find trouble with doctors; weren't there enough people in the city!

As scheduled, Li Shun would go up the mountain starting next month, together with the support group, although the medical workstation hadn't been built yet, it didn't delay them from practicing medicine and doing research.

The season this year was already very late, and they had to go up the mountain to carefully survey the environment, which was stricter than the last time they just looked at flowers while riding a horse, identifying the suitable growth environment for Chinese herbal medicine.

Li Xuewu didn't say much here, not because he rejected his father's teaching, but because Old Biaozi was waiting for him.

Old Biaozi was also bad to the bone. Last time he took Quan Yongcheng, and almost scared Quan Yongcheng to death.

Now he was preparing to ruin them one by one, and this time he took the fifth, Guan Yongqiang.

When Li Xuewu drove the jeep there, Guan Yongqiang was like Quan Yongcheng last time, holding a sand gun and shivering in the driver's cab.

No need to ask, Old Biaozi must have told ghost stories again.

"Just keep making trouble; if you walk the night road too much, you'll meet a ghost sooner or later."

Li Xuewu glanced at Old Biaozi and said, "People avoid them, but you actually take the initiative to tell them."

"I'm not afraid!"

Old Biaozi curled his lip and said, "If I meet a female ghost, I'll definitely get her pregnant; if it's a male ghost, he can help me load the car."

Hearing this bastard's words, and then looking at the sweating fifth in the driver's cab, Li Xuewu had no way to deal with him.

This bastard was just such a character, with a face full of fat, fierce and vicious.

Plus this unruly temper, and the habit of hanging out by the graveyard since he was a child, ordinary ghosts didn't dare to face him.

It wasn't because they were afraid of anything else, but because they were afraid this unruly person would really do it to the ghost.

Do you think ghosts aren't afraid of evil people?

Those who look fierce, ugly, have scars on their faces, have bad tempers, dare to play dirty, are stupid, stubborn, or one-track-minded—people like this, even the living don't dare to provoke, and ghosts are afraid too.

You want to scare him?

Maybe he'll find your old home and dig up your grave, letting you bask your bones in the sun at noon.

No need to ask, Old Biaozi was such a person. He occupied more than half of the ten items, and this kid was really someone who dared to play with ghosts.

Last time he accompanied Seeing Sha Zhu to visit a grave, and peeing on someone's grave wasn't the first time he had done it. It was estimated that the one inside the grave was also seeing this bunch of dogs for the first time.

Maybe those ghosts were cursing while pushing the cart: We aren't human now, but you guys are really dogs!

Think about it, what kind of people were in Li Xuewu's small group.

Li Xuewu, eight hundred heart-eyes; Old Biaozi, unruly; Dazhuang, fierce face and black hands; Shen Guodong, parents dead; Yang Erhai, whole family dead...

This is a "ghost-fearing" combination!

With this combination, they used to roam the major graveyards in Beijing back then. Any so-called haunted house, as long as there was something valuable inside, the haunted house was a joke.

Li Xuewu didn't believe in those things now, because as long as he didn't believe, those things couldn't do anything to him.

He really didn't believe it. If you dared to provoke him, he would dare to pull a gun.

If he didn't smash you to pieces afterward, and make sure you couldn't come out for eight generations, he could even dig up your ancestral grave.

Lecturing Old Biaozi was because he was afraid these kids would have psychological shadows. If they kept doing this, there were only ten people in the Thirteen Taibao now; after the ten were finished, who would come out with him?

Shen Guodong wasn't willing to come with him; there were a bunch of things at home.

Besides, he had to go home to stay with Xiao Yan at night, and he had already gone home by now.

Li Xuewu walked around the car; it was all fresh vegetables. Since it was almost winter, it was another good fortune.

Old Biaozi followed behind and asked, "Wu Ge, you haven't told me how to do the accounts yet; the last one is still hanging."

Li Xuewu looked at Old Biaozi and said, "Then let it hang. Mark it with my name, and we'll settle it together at the end of the year."

As he spoke, he gestured to the vegetables and said, "The place I'm sending them to also settles accounts once a year. They're a brother unit, so there won't be any issues. If you have the accounts, I can settle with them at the end of the year."

"That's fine, I know."

Old Biaozi didn't ask this because he was stingy about the money for collecting vegetables every time, but although they weren't biological brothers, they had to be clear about accounts.

Settling accounts is a duty, and settling accounts clearly is a friendship.

Regardless of how much this carload of vegetables was worth or how much it cost, there had to be a detailed account following it, so that no one would have any thoughts.

After clarifying with Li Xuewu, Old Biaozi went to the driver's cab to call the fifth to get off the car.

Because Li Xuewu had scolded him last time, this time he took the sand gun from the fifth's hand first, and then called Guan Yongqiang to get off.

Li Xuewu looked at Guan Yongqiang, who was covered in sweat, pointed at Old Biaozi, and said to Guan Yongqiang, "Next time he teases you, just hit him with the butt of that gun and let him remember."

"Forget it, Wu Ge."

Guan Yongqiang stomped his feet hard and whispered, "There won't be a next time. I'm not going on the night road with Brother Biao anymore; he's too damaging."

"What?!"

Old Biaozi, who had already gotten into the jeep, pointed toward the direction of Beijing in the night and reminded Guan Yongqiang, "You better watch out, there's still half a night road left!"

"Brother Biao! Brother Biao! You..."

Hearing this, Guan Yongqiang looked at Li Xuewu for mercy, and his mouth was begging Old Biaozi for mercy.

He was really scared of the ghost stories in Brother Biao's mouth; they were terrifying, and the key was that they were accompanied by the pitch-black night, and Brother Biao was also using his broken gong-like voice to provide sound effects.

"Get in the car!"

Old Biaozi gestured to Guan Yongqiang and said, "Brother Biao will let you experience speed and passion, and let you experience what it means to be 'Biao' (wild/fast) driving."

"Ah~~~"

Li Xuewu watched the jeep dash out, and the sound of Guan Yongqiang's roar echoed in his ears. Was this even more terrifying than the ghost story just now?

He curled his lip and turned back to work behind the truck.

When he returned home, Old Biaozi and Guan Yongqiang had finished eating the dumplings and were feeding the horses with Grandfather.

Now there was plenty of green grass, and many of the meadows outside the city were deserted. Grandfather also took the boys and went a few times when it was cool in the morning.

One harvest could feed them for three or four days, and the leftovers were dried and kept as fodder for the winter.

Silage couldn't be harvested now; it had to wait until autumn, but dry grass could be stored.

Although Yin Mancang promised to prepare dry grass this year, preparing more himself would save him from having to pull it from the mountain.

There was also animal husbandry on the mountain, and there was plenty of dry grass harvested there—villagers had it, and the 816th Regiment had it.

Not to mention the training ground; those training warhorses had to eat feed, and they couldn't do without grass.

It was Old Biaozi who had the ability, getting a channel for bean cake blanks every month from Director Ma of the supply and marketing cooperative.

This thing was a must for feeding horses; soaked until soft and mixed with silage, the big green horse ate it with great relish.

Li Xuewu pushed down the dry grass used as a cushion on the truck; it would be dried tonight, and tomorrow it could be collected into a haystack.

This could be considered a supplement to the dry grass, and also prevented the green vegetables from being bumped.

Getting off the car, he stood in front of the big green horse and talked to Grandfather and Old Biaozi, and teased the big green horse, but the big green horse couldn't be bothered with him.

Hmph~ Scumbag!

Li Xuewu hadn't ridden a horse to work for a long time because he took a car now.

The big green horse wasn't idle; Old Biaozi drove the truck to deliver the furniture ordered from afar, and Grandfather drove the horse cart to deliver the ones nearby.

Sometimes when the family wasn't busy, Grandfather would drive the horse cart out to collect scrap or old furniture.

There was also horse grazing; when it wasn't busy in the afternoon, Grandfather would ride the horse to the riverside to stroll and let the horse eat green grass.

The earth turns as usual without anyone. The daily life of the quadrangle continued without Li Xuewu, and the lights of every family remained, only one was left for him.

Entering the backyard, Li Xuewu saw the lights in the inner room were out, so he knew Gu Ning was lying down.

But knowing Gu Ning was a light sleeper, he didn't pay much attention when he entered the room.

Sure enough, when Li Xuewu finished washing and got on the heated brick bed, Gu Ning opened her eyes.

"Why are you always so late?"

Gu Ning looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Do you have to go out every Saturday?"

"Hmm, vegetables from the mountain."

Li Xuewu explained to Gu Ning while arranging the pillows, "It's the time when the vegetables in the village are coming down. Although they aren't worth much, for the city, they are something that needs to be bought."

Lying on the heated brick bed, Li Xuewu straightened his waist. He hadn't been idle all day, and he had been tossing and turning all night, so it was really comfortable to lie on the heated brick bed.

Gu Ning turned her head, rested her face on her hand, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked, "Can't they handle it well?"

"Hmm."

Li Xuewu knew what Gu Ning meant, turned his head to look at Gu Ning, and said, "Buying vegetables requires vegetable coupons. These vegetables don't have quotas and can't enter the market."

"Then..."

Gu Ning frowned slightly and hesitated, "Will there be danger?"

"It's okay."

Li Xuewu pursed his lips, lay flat again, looked at the ceiling, and said, "The vegetables are taken directly from the village and don't come into contact with outsiders."

"They are also sent directly to the unit. The recycling station has a cafeteria stamp, so I'm not afraid of this; it's just a bit troublesome."

"I have to deliver them myself."

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at Gu Ning again and said, "I don't trust anyone else."

Gu Ning knew Li Xuewu could grab money, was bold, and was someone who could take care of his family.

He worked so hard to make money just to give her and the children a good life.

Living in that villa, driving a small car, she didn't have to worry about anything when going to work, all because Li Xuewu had already worried about it.

Even her family matters and safety matters had been thought of by Li Xuewu, just telling her to go to work with peace of mind.

Having been together for half a year and married for a month, she was older than Li Xuewu and knew how to cherish him.

She reached out and punched Li Xuewu, saying, "Lie down."

"Hmm?"

Li Xuewu was stunned looking at Gu Ning; this sounded familiar, but it was usually him saying it.

Seeing Li Xuewu's confusion, Gu Ning sat up and said softly, "I'll massage your back."

Li Xuewu's eyes widened instantly, thinking: There's such a good thing?