Chapter 712: Who fell into the pit?

"Say, fish."

"Yo~"

"Goldfish."

"Ah~~~"

Li Li Xuewu had only taught her two sentences before his daughter grew impatient. She twisted her body, wiggling out of his arms, wanting to get down and play.

The old lady came out from the dining room, signaled Li Li Xuewu to put Li Shu down, and said, "Let her walk around and play. All little kids are like this; once they learn to walk, they lose patience with being held."

As she spoke, the old lady took a towel and walked over to wipe Li Shu's hands and face. After Li Li Xuewu put Li Shu down, she added, "Once she passes this stage, she'll start getting lazy again, walking a bit and then asking to be held."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and squatted down, watching his daughter toddling around the room, her big eyes darting about to see if there was anything fun to play with. He teased her, "Go look at Mama's flowers."

"Hmm?"

Li Shu turned her head blankly, looked at her dad, and thought, *I just didn't want you to hold me, is it necessary to hold such a big grudge? *

Seeing Li Shu's expression, the old lady also laughed and said, "Don't you dare ruin the flowers, Mama will spank you."

"Spank~"

Li Shu was quite fluent in repeating the old lady's words. With one word and one expression, she pointed out the consequence if she were to go play with the flowers.

Gu Ning came out from the bathroom, glanced at Li Shu, and asked the old lady, "Did Li Shu not sleep at noon? Why does she keep yawning?"

"Didn't sleep, no matter how we coaxed her~"

The old lady smiled helplessly and explained, "When it was time, we tried to coax her, but she just wanted to go out and play. In this heat, how could we dare take her out? We could only let her play in the room."

As she spoke, she gestured toward Qin Qin Jingru in the kitchen and said, "The two of us took turns coaxing her, and we each managed to sleep for a while, but this little one is just too restless."

Li Li Xuewu had been following his daughter the whole time, protecting her, afraid that she might fall while walking unsteadily.

Hearing the old lady, he smiled and patted his daughter's bottom, asking, "You're going too far, daughter. You're not just wearing out the eagle, you're wearing out the old lady."

Gu Ning pursed her lips and smiled. Just now, when she was upstairs, she had seen Li Shu pouting, but when she tried to coax her to sleep, the child had twisted her body, insisting on playing.

Li Shu had her own ideas; if she said she wouldn't sleep, then she definitely wouldn't sleep.

If she said she wanted to go out and play, she would definitely express it clearly.

Pointing her little hand outside and adding a two-syllable word, she could certainly tell you what she wanted to play with.

"This playful heart of hers follows her dad."

Hearing Qin Qin Jingru call for dinner from the dining room, Li Li Xuewu picked his daughter up again. Seeing Li Shu about to throw a tantrum, he quickly coaxed, "Time to eat, Little Aunt is calling for dinner. We'll play after we eat."

You might say she's a child, you might say she doesn't understand, but as soon as Li Li Xuewu finished saying it was time to eat, she stopped fussing. Her eyes fixed on the dining room; she knew exactly where the food was.

Seeing Li Li Xuewu and the others at the table, Qin Qin Jingru pursed her lips and glanced at Li Li Xuewu. She wanted to go out but didn't dare, feeling very conflicted.

Li Li Xuewu caught her expression out of the corner of his eye. He smiled, looked up, and said, "What are you waiting for? If you don't go get it, we'll have finished eating."

"Oh~"

The silly girl heard Li Li Xuewu's words and trotted out with a smile. Clearly, she had been thinking about the soda soaking outside the whole time.

Seeing her like this, the old lady couldn't help but laugh and say, "Why is it so delicious~"

"It's a novelty~"

Li Li Xuewu sat at the head of the table, with Li Shu beside him. Li Shu's chair was small, just right for squeezing into the same spot as her dad.

Gu Ning sat on Li Li Xuewu's right, at the lower seat, and the two of them coordinated to feed Li Shu.

The little devil didn't know what her aunt had run out to do. Her big eyes were still watching, not even noticing the spoon Mama was handing her.

"Ding ding."

Gu Ning tapped the edge of the bowl with the small spoon used for the milk. Li Shu immediately withdrew her gaze, glanced at Mama, and very cooperatively drank the milk.

Li Li Xuewu pinched a tiny bit of steamed bun for his daughter, and after she drank the milk, he fed it to her.

This child could eat a lot now; not only could she drink a full day's portion of milk, but she could also mix in some solid food at every meal.

They didn't dare give her oily dishes; she couldn't handle the taste of seasonings yet, so they had to wait until she was a bit older.

By now, Qin Qin Jingru had already walked back holding four bottles of soda. After putting them down, she went to look for the bottle opener.

"No need."

Li Li Xuewu called out, took a bottle of soda, and pried the cap off with his hand.

He placed it in front of the old lady first and said with a smile, "Old lady, have a taste of something fresh."

He usually called the old lady this when speaking to family, though in front of her, he called her 'Granny'.

However, he was calling her this intentionally now, as a response to the second half of her earlier grumbling—it was also a response to the old lady being angry earlier, complaining about him wasting money.

Old versus fresh—wasn't that just the collision between old and new thinking? It was just a bottle of soda, but it carried a rather obvious significance.

Actually, this stuff had existed before; what didn't exist in the Four Nine City? It was just that ordinary people couldn't drink it or afford it.

In fact, there were novel things now, too; it was just that ordinary people didn't see them.

For example, Coca-Cola. A certain someone—let's not say who—found this stuff quite novel. Through the unit of Ji Wang Weidong's mother, they would purchase some for the mainland every month.

Domestically, there were actually their own colas, but as for the taste... well, it was truly localized.

When Coca-Cola withdrew after '49, it was still called "Tadpole Chewing Wax." Three years later, Laoshan produced its own cola, which could be said to be very impressive.

And what was even more impressive was the market share. Like many local brands, it could reach 80%.

But! Later, Coca-Cola came in, bought them out, and like other local brands, they vanished without a trace.

This was commercial warfare, this was commercial operation, and this was commercial rule.

The old lady hadn't wanted to drink it, but after being teased by her grandson, she wanted to taste what this thing that young people were chasing after actually tasted like.

The most fashionable posture for young people on the streets now was to have one foot on a stone, an arm resting on the knee, and a bottle of soda dangling casually in their hand.

They wouldn't drink it!

Just dangling it like that, they could do it for three days!

Don't look at how casually they dangle it; if you were to knock it out of their hand, they would fight you to the death.

Because this stuff was truly too expensive—expensive enough to be used for showing off, to raise one's own status.

Unless the family had connections at the Second Factory, buying this for two mao would make one's heart ache to death.

The Rolling Mill's cold drink factory was just a service industry belonging to the Rolling Mill itself. Making these things was also done to distribute them to workers as benefits, and the surplus was sold to the workers.

No coupons were needed, but it was limited to people in the factory, and it was rationed.

The reason was that buying this stuff in the factory was very cheap, maybe just a bit more expensive than the glass bottle. If you didn't use the glass bottle and brought your own big jar to buy it, it was even cheaper.

But once it reached the outside, it was different; it became a circulating commodity, and the price directly doubled several times over.

If too much was sold at once, it would lead to the phenomenon of factory welfare goods flowing into the market, which would cause problems.

However, cadres like Li Li Xuewu could still buy a bit more. The reason wasn't just their high rank, but also because their status made it impossible for them to engage in reselling.

It was only because the Rolling Mill had so many people and such a large factory that it could have this kind of welfare unit. Other small factories couldn't even dream of it; they could only go to the Beijing Soda Second Factory to buy it—which was the Beibingyang Soda Factory of later generations.

Of course, this soda didn't taste the same as that soda. Li Li Xuewu took a sip and felt it was a bit too sweet.

The old lady said the same. Seeing Li Shu stretching out her little hand to ask for some, she let Gu Ning use a spoon to give her a tiny bit.

Li Shu drank the beverage handed to her by Mama, only to feel the taste wasn't quite right. Her little brows furrowed, and she waved her little hands, not wanting any more.

Qin Qin Jingru liked drinking it. Not only did she drink one bottle herself, but she also drank the one the old lady had only taken a sip of and didn't want.

As for Li Li Xuewu, he knew he couldn't drink this stuff. The sip he tasted was from a glass wine cup, so the remaining half-bottle was also given to her.

Seeing the four bottles placed in front of her, Qin Qin Jingru felt a bit embarrassed. She looked at Gu Ning and Li Li Xuewu and said, "I can't drink this much."

"If you like it, drink it. Our family isn't short of this."

Li Li Xuewu conceded, gesturing to the box placed at the door, and said, "When you have time, pack those drinks back into the room. If the sun hits them, they won't taste good."

Gu Ning hadn't touched her bottle at all. When she was at home, Gu Yan always drank it, so she knew what it tasted like and didn't really like it.

When Li Li Xuewu opened the bottles just now, she had wanted to say no, but seeing the old lady and Qin Qin Jingru both drinking, she was afraid they would mind, so she let Li Li Xuewu open them.

Having just taken a sip of the beverage from Li Li Xuewu's glass, she pushed her own bottle directly to Qin Qin Jingru.

Seeing Qin Qin Jingru speak up, she nodded and said, "I don't really like carbonated drinks; you just drink it."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu and Gu Ning say this, Qin Qin Jingru exchanged a glance with the old lady, nodded with a smile, and looked very satisfied.

The old lady glanced at Qin Qin Jingru. This silly girl just loved to eat and drink; she looked like someone who could be tricked away by someone giving her a piece of candy.

She wasn't stingy with Qin Qin Jingru. Don't look at how she felt sorry for her grandson buying soda; since it was already bought, she didn't feel sorry for whoever drank it.

When Li Li Xuewu went downstairs, he had mentioned to her unintentionally that Gu Ning's younger brother was coming in a few days, and the drinks were prepared for that.

Knowing that young people had their own living habits and ways, her anger was only momentary; after thinking about it, she understood.

Dinner ended with Qin Qin Jingru hiccuping several times. She herself felt embarrassed, and her movements while clearing the table were a bit flustered.

Li Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement, picked up Li Shu, and headed to the living room.

Gu Ning had an exam, so after dinner, she went upstairs to study. Before going up, she warned Li Li Xuewu and his daughter not to go upstairs and cause trouble.

Li Li Xuewu took his daughter's hand and gestured a salute with her, which made the corners of Gu Ning's mouth curl up.

When Li Shu wanted to play, she didn't need anyone to coax her. She could sit on the sofa and fiddle with her toys by herself, ignoring everyone.

Li Li Xuewu watched his daughter play as if she were a treasure, until she was tired from playing, yawning, and fell headfirst onto the sofa.

Li Shu wanted to struggle to sit up and continue playing, but her "battery" was truly insufficient, and after struggling with her eyelids twice, she fell asleep.

Li Li Xuewu didn't dare move her; he just took a small cushion to use as a pillow for her and went to the room to get a small quilt to cover her.

By the time the old lady and Qin Qin Jingru came out of the dining room, Li Li Xuewu had already turned off the brightest light on the living room ceiling.

"Asleep?"

"Hmm, tired from playing, she fell asleep by herself."

Seeing the old lady ask, Li Li Xuewu replied with a smile.

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Oh my, she's finally asleep. This child is just too restless."

Li Li Xuewu smiled and wanted to pour tea for the old lady, but was refused by her.

"Don't drink it anymore; if I drink too much, I won't be able to sleep at night."

Old people were all like this; they didn't sleep much to begin with, and if they drank tea, they would be even less able to sleep at night.

Watching Qin Qin Jingru go to tidy up those drinks, Li Li Xuewu wanted to help, but was waved off by Qin Qin Jingru.

"No need for you, I'll just move them in and tidy them up."

Qin Qin Jingru seemed to have plenty of energy; she held the drink box and sent it into the dining room.

Seeing she didn't need help, Li Li Xuewu turned on the radio, sat on the sofa, listening to the news while drinking the pot of tea he had brewed himself.

Every night at this time, there would be news broadcasts, mostly policy-related articles or major events.

At this time, the control over news was still quite strict; all news manuscripts broadcast had to be reviewed and reviewed again, and even special ones required approval from high-level leaders.

Actually, at this time, television would also have news shorts in the form of movies, but the little monster was still at the Sihe Academy, and Li Li Xuewu was too lazy to get it.

Not to mention it was too small, whether it was the radio or the television, that stuff was too old.

Watching it for novelty was fine, but if you really watched it as a pastime, your eyes would be tired blind.

When returning to the Sihe Academy, Li Li Xuewu didn't watch it either. Sometimes his mother and sister-in-law would go over to watch, and Li Xue would also watch for novelty when she was in school.

By now, it was just a pastime. Last time he went home, Li Li Xuewu took the initiative to move it to his sister-in-law's room; having a sound also saved her from being lonely.

His eldest brother Li Xuewen wasn't there, so at home, his mother usually kept her company. Li Xue and Ji Ji Yuxiu were out early and back late, so there wasn't even any liveliness.

The old lady was now in a dilemma, thinking about going back to live, but unable to let go of Li Shu.

But now that the eldest daughter-in-law's belly was showing day by day, and there was only the daughter-in-law at home, there were always things she couldn't take care of, and she was afraid of any mishaps.

She had also been thinking about it for many days. Today, since her grandson was here, it was convenient, so she mentioned staying for another month before having to go home to live.

Li Li Xuewu naturally knew what the old lady was thinking. This was his biological grandmother, and the other side was his biological eldest brother and sister-in-law; both sides were equally heavy, so he didn't insist on keeping her.

"If you want to go back and live, then go back. If you want to come here and live, then come here. Isn't both sides home?"

Li Li Xuewu looked at the old lady's troubled expression and persuaded her with a smile, "We aren't living that far apart. If I were really working in another place, I wouldn't even be able to live with you if I wanted to~"

"That's true~"

Seeing that her grandson didn't say anything else, the old lady set down the stone hanging in her heart and responded with a smile.

She hadn't wanted to come here to live before because she was afraid of causing trouble for the newlyweds, afraid that Gu Ning's personality wouldn't like old people.

But after the wedding, because Li Li Xuewu and Gu Ning both worked, they invited her again, which was why she came here.

Now, her grandson's words were both heartwarming and thoughtful, which naturally made the old lady happy.

There was an old saying: you have sons to support you, but you don't have grandsons to support you. Old people were always closer to the next generation, but when it came to actual retirement, it wasn't good to implicate the grandchildren.

The Li family had long since decided: Li Shun was the eldest son, and in Li Li Xuewu's generation, eldest brother Li Xuewen was the eldest son; the eldest son supported the parents.

But for the old lady, Li Shun, Li Gan, and Li Tong were all her sons, and Li Li Xuewen and Li Li Xuewu were both her grandsons; the closeness and distance were the same.

It was just that, hindered by old customs, she was afraid of causing trouble for the children, so she didn't dare say too much.

Now, with her grandson's words, all the hardship of looking after her great-granddaughter was worth it.

Qin Qin Jingru finished tidying up the soda and came out of the dining room, gesturing to the cabinet inside and telling Li Li Xuewu where she had put them, reminding him to tell her in advance if he wanted to drink them so she could chill them with cold water.

Li Li Xuewu didn't want to drink that stuff at all. He felt that eating fruit from the borderlands was cloying enough, let alone drinking sugar water.

He waved his hand, signaling her not to worry about it; even if chilled with cold water, the beverage wouldn't be cold.

"You didn't go back during the Dragon Boat Festival. Don't you miss home?"

Li Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said to Qin Qin Jingru, "If you want to go home, remember to tell me in advance so I can prepare. The old lady at home can't handle everything by herself."

"No... I didn't think about going home."

Qin Qin Jingru, who had been quite happy, became silent after being asked by Li Li Xuewu. She pursed her lips and lowered her head.

Li Li Xuewu gestured to the sofa opposite him, signaling her to sit. After putting down his teacup, seeing her sit down, he began, "I'm not making things difficult for you, nor am I trying to drive you away; I'm just talking about family matters."

Qin Qin Jingru knew what Li Li Xuewu was going to say. It was just that she had fallen out with her family and run away, and even when her father and brother came to find her, she had run away again.

Although her father had said that night that he wouldn't force her to marry, she didn't know why, but she just felt she didn't have the face to go home and see her parents, to see her brothers.

Even though she was now staying in the city and had a job to make a living, she still didn't know how to go home and see her relatives.

The 20 yuan Li Li Xuewu gave her last month had all been given to her sister to pay off old debts. She calculated that in another month, it would be paid off, and she would feel much lighter.

Being able to save money was mainly because she didn't spend money on food or housing here, and daily necessities were bought for her by Li Li Xuewu with his money; sometimes he would even give her pocket money.

It wasn't that she hadn't thought about giving some money to her family after earning it, but what she was troubled by now wasn't money, but not knowing in what state she should go home.

Li Li Xuewu's voice was very light, and accompanied by the news on the radio, one had to listen carefully to hear it clearly.

"One doesn't know the grace of parents until one raises children. I didn't understand before either, not until I had Li Shu."

Li Li Xuewu gestured to his daughter sleeping soundly beside him and said to Qin Qin Jingru, "I just thought parents could shelter me from the wind and rain, I just thought parents could handle any problem for me, but I forgot that I was growing up day by day, and my parents were getting older day by day."

"Before, my world was only that big, and my parents' love could naturally shelter me from everything, naturally could handle problems for me."

"But after growing up, it was different."

Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "I wanted to see a broader world outside, a world my parents hadn't even seen."

"They were afraid I would get hurt, afraid I would suffer, so they tried their best to spread their wings to shelter me."

"But I despised this shelter, thinking it was blocking my view of the world, and even more, blocking my heart from rushing toward an ideal world."

Li Li Xuewu watched Qin Qin Jingru lift her head, pursed his lips, nodded, and continued, "But when I fell at the door, they could still help me up and comfort me."

"But when I ran far away, to a place they couldn't reach, a place they couldn't see, when I fell and wanted my parents' help and comfort, and turned back to look, there was only myself left on the road."

Li Li Xuewu's words seemed to be about her, and seemed to be about himself. Qin Qin Jingru listened carefully, and she understood.

He didn't say anything directly to her, didn't persuade her of anything, and didn't force her to do anything, but she just wanted to cry a little, just wanted to go home a little.

"From the moment I saw Li Shu, to the first step she learned to walk, to the first word she shouted, to the future when she will walk and run, speak and laugh."

Li Li Xuewu looked at his daughter sleeping beside him and said with a smile, "I can watch her grow up, go to school, grow up more, until I send her off to be married. She can only accompany me for twenty years, these twenty years of watching her grow up."

Wiping the drool from his sleeping daughter, Li Li Xuewu turned to look at Qin Qin Jingru and said, "I'm afraid in the future, she will be like me, tired of her parents' preaching, tired of this home, and want to go out and walk around."

"I'm afraid I can only stand behind like my parents do now, looking, hoping, hoping she will turn back to look sooner, hoping she will turn back to look while we can still see her."

Seeing Qin Qin Jingru opposite him covering her face and crying, Li Li Xuewu didn't say anything else. He poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of her, then stood up, kissed Li Shu's little cheek lightly, and carefully carried her to the old lady's room.

The old lady hadn't spoken the whole time. Seeing Li Li Xuewu carry the child into the room, she stood up, took a tissue for Qin Qin Jingru, patted her shoulder lightly, and also went back to her room.

When he got up in the morning to get milk for Li Shu, Qin Qin Jingru found Li Li Xuewu and said she wanted to go home this Saturday and come back on Monday.

Li Li Xuewu nodded and agreed, also saying that staying a few more days was fine, and they could stay at the Sihe Academy.

Qin Qin Jingru shook her head; clearly, she had thought about it for a long time. Li Li Xuewu saw that her eyes were red.

After breakfast, Li Li Xuewu gave Qin Qin Jingru ten yuan, saying it was an advance for this month, for her to bring some things for her family.

Hearing that she was going home to take a look, Gu Ning also looked at her for a while with bright eyes.

She had only heard Li Li Xuewu mention Qin Qin Jingru and her family once, and hadn't paid much attention.

Now, seeing Qin Qin Jingru going home, she couldn't help but nod, feeling that what Li Li Xuewu had persuaded her of last night was right.

Having been with Li Li Xuewu for a long time, Gu Ning also felt his concept and attitude toward family and relatives from him, and was also learning this concept and attitude.

Family might be the only relationship in the world that didn't need to be chosen; it was innate, a natural relationship.

Gu Ning hadn't failed to feel the love of her parents and family before, but she didn't know how to respond to this love, feel this love, and enjoy this love.

Li Li Xuewu was using small things in life to teach her how to get along with her parents, how to get along with children.

Just as she was her parents' child, Li Shu was now her child. She was learning to be a parent, and also relearning to be a child.

When seeing Li Li Xuewu off at the gate, Qin Qin Jingru thanked him very formally.

Li Li Xuewu looked at her with a smile, didn't speak, got in the car, and left.

On the way, after Li Li Xuewu finished docking today's work with Sha Sha Qizhi, he couldn't help but glance at Han Han Jiankun and asked with a smile, "Han Jiankun, I asked you last time, how is the matter of your aunt finding you a partner going?"

"It didn't work out."

Hearing Li Li Xuewu suddenly ask this, Han Han Jiankun couldn't help but feel awkward, but his answer was straightforward; he had nothing to hide from Li Li Xuewu.

"Why?"

Sha Sha Qizhi sat sideways, looked at Han Han Jiankun, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "You don't even like the 'Eight Great Officials'?"

After finishing, he glanced at Li Li Xuewu in the back of the car. He didn't ask; what kind of background did this girl have that even the driver for the section chief didn't like her? How impressive must she be?

Han Han Jiankun had been discharged for two years, had been driving for the truck squad for a year and a half, and had been driving for Li Li Xuewu for half a year. His starting salary was 33 yuan.

Don't ask why it was so much; this was just the salary for an intern driver's assistant. If he passed the assessment this year, he would be a driver's assistant, which was 38 yuan, and if he passed the assessment next year, he would be a formal driver, which was 50 yuan.

The "Eight Great Officials" wasn't called that for nothing. In the ranking, drivers were second; the ones in front were ticket sellers—all golden positions.

Han Han Jiankun's family was relatively simple; his older brothers and sisters were all married, and now he and his mother lived together.

His father had passed away because of the case in the winter, and the factory had given a lot of pension money. The mother and son had a house and money; could they be short of a daughter-in-law?

After Sha Sha Qizhi finished asking, Han Han Jiankun didn't rush to answer. He knew the leader was concerned about him, so he explained, "The girl complained that I don't know how to talk."

"Hehe~"

Li Li Xuewu and Sha Sha Qizhi looked at each other and smiled, both seeing the "as expected" expression in each other's eyes.

Sha Sha Qizhi couldn't say anything because Li Li Xuewu was there, and this was Li Li Xuewu's topic. After asking that one question, he didn't say anything more.

As for Li Li Xuewu, he leaned back in his seat, looked at Han Han Jiankun in front, and asked, "Tell me, what are you thinking? Do you want to find a partner and get married?"

With Li Li Xuewu asking, this was casual chatting, but also organizational concern. As Li Li Xuewu's driver, Han Han Jiankun had to answer positively.

Han Han Jiankun gripped the steering wheel and paused before saying, "I do."

"Isn't that it!"

Li Li Xuewu smiled, nodded, and said, "Since you want to get married, the fundamental problem is solved; there are no subjectively negative conditions."

"Let me ask you again, what kind are you looking for?"

Li Li Xuewu tilted his head slightly and asked, "Do you want to find a tall one, or a good-looking one, or one with a better family background? Or do you want to find one with a cultural level?"

Hearing Li Li Xuewu say so much, Han Han Jiankun seemed to have no idea himself. He hesitated and said, "Conditions don't matter; my salary is enough to support a family. Cultural level is also fine; I haven't paid attention to that, and appearance doesn't matter either."

Following Li Li Xuewu's words, Han Han Jiankun thought for a moment and said, "After my father passed away, my mother's health hasn't been great. Her self-care ability is okay, but I'm afraid of the future, so I want to find someone diligent who can manage the household."

After finishing, he glanced at Sha Sha Qizhi, looking as if he had something to say but didn't.

Sha Sha Qizhi understood his meaning, smiled bitterly, waved his hand, and said, "Don't even think about it; I don't have a sister-in-law."

After finishing, he said quite proudly, "It's not easy to find someone as filial and diligent as your sister-in-law. You have to ask the section chief to worry more."

"Hehe~"

Li Li Xuewu chuckled. He hadn't expected Han Han Jiankun to have his eye on the type of woman Sha Sha Qizhi's wife was.

This had to be said to be Han Han Jiankun's filial piety, but it also had to be said that the girl who married him would be at a disadvantage.

Han Han Jiankun had just said it himself: his old mother was alone. Now everything was fine, but her health wasn't great, and in the future, she might need care.

Han Han Jiankun's older brothers and sisters weren't in Beijing, so the responsibility of supporting the elderly fell on him; if his family didn't support her, who would?

It would be fine if the old lady didn't cause trouble, but if she became bedridden, it would be worrying.

But who could tell about life? Some old people were bedridden for ten years and lived harder than anyone else.

Therefore, marriage was a transaction, and also a gamble.

Li Li Xuewu pursed his lips. Seeing the car was about to enter the Rolling Mill gate, he asked, "One last question: do you want to find a city girl, or is a rural one okay?"

"You have to think clearly before you answer."

After Li Li Xuewu finished asking, he pointed out, "This problem must be discussed with your mother and your family. Don't let there be discrimination or settling of scores later because of status."

Han Han Jiankun drove the car steadily into the Rolling Mill gate. His hands didn't delay driving because of Li Li Xuewu's question.

After passing the guard station, he replied, "My mom said long ago that it's up to me who I marry. I've also thought about it: a city girl is of course good, but a rural one is also fine if she's suitable. I earn enough money to spend alone, and it's best if she can stay at home."

Today might have been the most Han Han Jiankun had ever said since becoming Li Li Xuewu's driver, and it was about his personal issues.

People at this time were still relatively conservative and felt a bit bewildered and overly shy about personal issues.

Being able to talk so frankly to Li Li Xuewu about his conditions, Han Han Jiankun was also thinking about his mother, his family, and even more about how establishing a family earlier was a good thing for him and his mother.

If he were to go find a partner himself, he wouldn't have the ability; he couldn't even make eye contact with girls on the street.

The mother and sister-in-law introduced to him at home all complained that he was dull and didn't know how to talk.

Actually, girls always liked those kinds of people. In later generations, there were also such young men, it was just that they changed the bicycle to a "Ghost Fire" motorcycle, changed the Warrior shoes to slippers, and changed the sailor shirt to yellow hair.

The gears of fate turned *clack-clack*, turning and turning, but it was still the same old stuff.

If you want to solve personal problems, you still have to find the organization; that's more reliable and has more binding force.

The command car stopped in front of the Security Building. Li Li Xuewu pushed open the car door, patted Han Han Jiankun on the shoulder, and said, "On Saturday, help me send someone to the countryside, also at the Red Star Commune, and pick her up on Monday."

Watching Han Han Jiankun turn around to look at him, Li Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "You know the person; it's the girl who helps our family look after the child, named Qin Qin Jingru."

After finishing, he didn't wait for Han Han Jiankun to say anything, jumped out of the car, and walked toward the office building.

Sha Sha Qizhi also jumped out following Li Li Xuewu. Before closing the car door, he raised his eyebrows at Han Han Jiankun and said with a smile, "Cherish the opportunity."

After finishing, he also didn't wait for Han Han Jiankun to answer, closed the car door, and followed Li Li Xuewu's footsteps into the Security Building.

Sha Sha Qizhi knew the girl who helped Li Li Xuewu's family look after the child; he knew when he went to the Sihe Academy to pick up Li Li Xuewu that she was the younger sister of Qin Qin Huairu from the reception center.

And also, this girl didn't look bad at all, not bad anywhere, except for being a bit simple-minded.

However, looking at her figure, according to old sayings, she would definitely be liked by her mother-in-law; she was material who could give birth to a son.

He didn't say "cherish the opportunity" to Han Han Jiankun for nothing. Being able to look after the child and take care of the life of the section chief's family, and also being related to Qin Qin Huairu, meant that in the future, she would basically follow Li Li Xuewu in the Rolling Mill.

If they really got married, with connections on the wife's side and connections on his own side, wouldn't the section chief arrange his future clearly?

There was a difference between a driver and a secretary. The most obvious one was that a driver could come into contact with more of the leader's private life, while a secretary took more care of the leader's work.

It was hard to say who was closer, but it wasn't uncommon for drivers to be arranged.

This was also why the first thing Deng Deng Zhiwang thought of when he got into trouble was to get rid of the driver, not the secretary.

A secretary didn't know much; it was all public business. A driver knew the private business.

However, Li Li Xuewu didn't have any private business for them to participate in. The only time might have been when he asked him to handle a recruitment quota for the security team for a young man.

That person was still just an ordinary member of the security team, and didn't have any interaction with the section chief; he had been nervous for a long time at the time.

Thinking about it now, being Li Li Xuewu's secretary and driver was truly easy and well-done, at least there wouldn't be any messy private business for you to busy yourself with.

Don't say this didn't happen at this time; it wasn't uncommon for secretaries to be used as servants.

Leaders who could be considerate of their secretaries and drivers getting off work on time, who could pay out of their own pockets to buy gifts for those around them, and who treated them to meals—such leaders wouldn't be too bad.

Anyway, Sha Sha Qizhi didn't think Li Li Xuewu could have any problems.

But some people didn't think so.

"Section Chief, the work group has sealed the accounts of the finance office, saying they want to check the 'small treasury'."

Just as Li Li Xuewu entered the office and sat down, Yu Yu Decai walked in from outside the door and reported this relatively sudden matter.

"When did this happen?"

Li Li Xuewu was still sitting steadily in his chair, signaling Sha Sha Qizhi to brew tea for him, while he picked up documents without panic to prepare for work.

Yu Yu Decai frowned slightly and reported, "As soon as work started this morning, the accountants in the finance office were all taken to the conference room for investigation. They should be in the finance office when you came up."

"Let them check~"

Li Li Xuewu unscrewed his fountain pen, nodded at Yu Yu Decai, and said, "If people want to check, can you block them from checking?"

"Checking is also good."

Li Li Xuewu lowered his head to look at the documents in his hand, his fountain pen gripping slightly, occasionally sketching a stroke or two.

"Everyone says our Security Section has a small treasury, has a black account book. Today, just take this opportunity to let the work group prove it for us."

"Yes, understood."

Seeing Li Li Xuewu say this, Yu Yu Decai's eyes narrowed, and his face showed determination. After nodding in response, he went out.

And Sha Sha Qizhi brought the teacup over and said softly, "They moved fast enough. Just finished checking yesterday, and today they killed a 'returning horse'."

"You're allowed to make a move, but not allowed for others to counter?"

Li Li Xuewu said without raising his head, "There's coming and going, right? Playing by yourself is so boring."

After finishing, he picked up the phone and called Xue Xue Zhifu. He didn't say anything, just said the work group came to check the Security Section, sealed the finance office's accounts, and isolated the finance office's accountants.

After Li Li Xuewu put down the phone and continued to look at the documents in his hand, Sha Sha Qizhi couldn't help but purse his lips. The work group would have fun today.

He knew a little about this pit; the section chief had dug it long ago. He didn't know who it was prepared for, but he knew that Deputy Factory Director Jing almost fell into it last time, and Secretary Xue also brushed past it, stubbornly refusing to jump in.

Now it was good; some idiot finally fell in. If the section chief didn't make a big deal out of this, wouldn't the pit have been dug in vain?

Killing the chicken to warn the monkey—you have to let the monkey know for it to work. Kill the chicken in vain?

Actually, some people had long been jealous of the Security Section. Li Li Xuewu was also too damn capable of making money.

And look at how many projects Li Li Xuewu had established since becoming deputy section chief: training grounds, vehicle maintenance, security equipment, fire equipment, fire vehicles, engine R&D center...

How much training fee was collected in one go from the dual-plan training in May this year? It made Deputy Factory Director Jing, who was short of money at the time, want to carry a knife to rob the Security Section.

But look at it now; has anyone gone to check the Security Section's accounts?

To use the words of Factory Office Director Xu: suffer Li Li Xuewu's loss, fall for Li Li Xuewu's trick—he won't let you fall for it the same way.

Even Factory Secretary Yang Yang Yuansong had to think twice before doing things with Li Li Xuewu, for fear of being tricked by this kid.

Now it was good; there were still people who took the initiative to send themselves to be tricked by him. The office building had long been waiting to watch the fun.

Ordinary office workers were watching how the work group would come out of the Security Building, while those who had fought with Li Li Xuewu were waiting to see how damaging this pit actually was.

The work group was determined to win this surprise inspection. Not only did they mobilize professional audit personnel, but they also invited professional accountants and design personnel from other factories, and were well-prepared to seal the finance office's accounts before work started this morning.

Who was Li Li Xuewu?

The youngest deputy section-level cadre in the Rolling Mill, the winner of this year's Labor Medal, and a figure who had just appeared in the newspaper.

If they could pull such a person out of the cadre ranks and find evidence of violations, wouldn't that mean their work group's work direction was correct?

Li Li Huai De's case was hard to check, but was a deputy section chief hard to check?

Especially since someone reported that the Security Section had large capital flows, many projects, high profits, and top-notch personnel and equipment—there must be oil and water.

Checking Li Li Xuewu now wasn't a simple matter. Checking Li Li Xuewu, pulling out the person "behind" Li Li Xuewu, and smashing the interference and blockade of certain forces in the Rolling Mill against their work in one fell swoop.

The choice and implementation of the detour tactic were also considered and considered again by them. When they heard the phone call Li Li Xuewu made in his office yesterday, the work group finally made up its mind to move this Tiger of the Security Section. ===== CHAPTER 713 =====

Investigating Li Li Xuewu is no longer a simple matter; by investigating Li Li Xuewu and dragging out the people "behind" him, they can smash the interference and blockade that certain forces in the Rolling Mill have imposed on their work in one fell swoop.

They deliberated again and again on the choice and implementation of their roundabout tactics; it was only after hearing that Li Li Xuewu had made that phone call in his office yesterday that the working group finally made up its mind to move against this Tiger of the Security Division.