Chapter 755: Cursing at the Grave

"Want to change jobs?"

"Don't want to be a salesperson anymore?"

"Want to buy something?"

Li Xuewu asked several questions in a row. Seeing Wang Yamei shake her head, he smiled and said, "You wouldn't have taken a fancy to that magical bicycle of mine, would you~"

"No~"

Seeing Wu Ge teasing her, Wang Yamei also chuckled.

Wu Ge's bike had become a treasure; not only did Lao Biaozi often ride it, but He Yuzhu also frequently rode it to run errands. It seemed to have real magic, and the more people talked about it, the more mysterious it became.

"It's about my sister."

After laughing, Wang Yamei looked at Li Xuewu and said, "The art troupe my sister is in has been disbanded."

"Is that so~!"

Li Xuewu frowned slightly, not expecting Wang Yamei to be talking about this.

During this period, a large number of art troupes were being suspended or disbanded. It wasn't surprising that the art troupe Wang Yajuan was in had run into trouble; he just hadn't thought about this issue.

"When did this happen?"

"Half a month ago."

Wang Yamei lowered her head again, picking up a stick from the ground and drawing circles in the brick floor. She explained in a low voice, "She only managed to get home with great difficulty. She was almost... now she doesn't even dare to go back to the unit."

"What about your parents?"

Li Xuewu knew that Wang Yamei's parents both had some capability. If Wang Yajuan had run into trouble, then her mother must have had problems too.

"My dad was sent to the workshop floor, and my mom is in the cleaning squad."

Wang Yamei seemed to sink into a low mood all of a sudden. After hesitating for a moment, she looked up at Li Xuewu and said, "Wu Ge, could you let my sister come here to be a salesperson too? If it really doesn't work, I'll quit and let her take my place."

Li Xuewu sized Wang Yamei up for a moment and said with a laugh, "What do you think the work here is? You think you can just come if you want, and anyone can do it?"

"No~~~"

Wang Yamei said with some reluctance, "My sister cries at home every day. It hurts me just to watch."

Li Xuewu nodded without speaking, instead pondering in his heart.

Wang Yamei also knew Li Xuewu was thinking about something, so she didn't speak either, watching Li Shu playing in the outer courtyard and shielding her whenever she was about to fall.

Coaxing the child, coaxing Li Shu—which of the people in the inverted-roof rooms hadn't taken care of Li Shu?

Not to mention Yu Li, even Di Liya and the departed Lou Xiaoe liked Li Shu. It was just that since Li Xuewu had moved out, they saw her less often.

Now that Xiao Yan'er came over, she would tease her too, and since Wang Yamei had come here, she had become even closer to her.

Li Shu had become familiar with all of them; it didn't matter who held her or kissed her, as long as it didn't delay her playing.

A little ant or a small pebble could become something for Li Shu to play with.

Today, Li Shu was a bit overwhelmed because she had been holding a pastry given to her by Jia Zhangshi in one hand, so she could only play with one hand.

The sun was slowly rising, and Banggeng had already returned carrying a broken water bucket. The courtyard was becoming lively, but Wang Yamei still hadn't waited for Li Xuewu's reply.

Gu Ning and Zhao Yaping had finished tidying up, and they didn't ask the old lady to cook breakfast; the group still came to the inverted-roof rooms to eat.

It was the same at noon today; the mothers wouldn't be back until the afternoon, but Li Xuewu and Gu Ning had to go home early because Gu Yan was on the afternoon train.

After Lao Biaozi sat at the table, he glanced at Wang Yamei. Seeing she was alright, he didn't say much else and chatted about trivial matters with Li Xuewu and the others.

He hadn't said much when he returned last night, only chatting about business matters; he hadn't said where he had gone.

He didn't have his luggage here, so he could only go back to live in the courtyard opposite the Central Academy of Drama.

Seeing him yawn, Li Xuewu asked, "Is your partner not on holiday?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh~ on... on holiday, I suppose."

Lao Biaozi's answer was also vague; he didn't give a definite answer.

Li Xuewu glanced at him and didn't chat about this anymore, instead teasing Banggeng, who had come to sponge a meal, about what he had been doing during his days at home.

Banggeng was simple-minded, and the child-talk he spoke was quite interesting, bringing smiles to the faces of everyone at the table.

After breakfast was finished, the boys packed up their things and pushed their bikes out the door.

Shen Guodong's bike was left idle; he had to deliver a load of goods first before he could go out to collect scrap.

Among the brothers, he was the only one still insisting on collecting scrap.

Er Hai also collected it, but it was just for show; he was mostly delivering goods. There were only a few types of scrap on the bike—if he happened upon it, he'd collect it; if not, he'd let it be.

Sometimes when the family was in a hurry to deliver furniture, or to pick up and deliver goods at the detention center, he would also help drive.

Wang Yamei was getting anxious because she hadn't waited for Li Xuewu's reply. Seeing Wu Ge's wife and sister-in-law leave, she wanted to go to the inner room to find Wu Ge and talk more.

But just as she entered the door, she saw Wu Ge waving at her. When she reached the doorway, Wu Ge only said, "Tell your sister to find me at the Steel Rolling Mill on Monday."

After saying just that, Li Xuewu headed to the backyard.

Because there were things to do in the afternoon, the morning time felt very tight. Li Xuewu returned to the backyard, changed into outdoor clothes, and drove his sister-in-law to the First Detention Center.

Today was the day for his sister-in-law to meet his eldest brother, but it was also the day his sister-in-law would officially handle the accounts.

The office at the First Detention Center had been tidied up, and the dormitories had been prepared as well. The three accountants, along with Wu Laoshi, all had living quarters at the First Detention Center.

Wu Laoshi was a permanent resident, while the three accountants worked in shifts to ensure two people were there daily.

His sister-in-law didn't come here to work every day either; rather, there would be a sub-ledger at the First Detention Center, and his sister-in-law would have a general ledger. She was essentially the Chief Financial Officer, responsible for supervision and auditing.

As for looking at the ledgers, no one knew what each project represented because the ledgers didn't concretely list any project names, only codes.

Only Li Xuewu and Lou Xiaoe knew what the codes represented; the comparison table was with Lou Xiaoe.

Those managing the accounts didn't understand the business, and those managing the business weren't clear on the ledgers. The expenditure ledgers were listed separately, and what was totaled for his sister-in-law were daily, weekly, and monthly reports.

Li Xuewu only looked at these. He could skip the daily reports, but the weekly and monthly reports had to be read; if he didn't understand the project operations, wouldn't he be blind?

In the future, the various persons in charge wouldn't need to report specific data when reporting on business; they would just need to say what they were doing, and the rest could be seen from the three reports.

Things had quieted down at the First Detention Center. Those people had been picked up before the sun came out, and Xing Yichun had also returned with his men long ago.

Shen Fang hadn't even shown his face here; he had taken the special task force back to the mountains overnight. This counted as a drill and a field exercise.

In fact, Huang Ganjian hadn't been there last night either. It was better that he wasn't there; it was better for the people working under him to do these things.

The highest-ranking person was Li Xuewu, and he had only taken a turn around the place before leaving. The remaining Xing Yichun and Lai Shanchuan were almost at the point of drawing knives, but they didn't care about those things.

Duan Youting was responsible for the interrogations and hadn't crossed paths with Lai Shanchuan. According to the plan, the arrangements were excellent.

What was excellent was that Huang Ganjian had been waiting for him there first thing in the morning, saying that Li Xuewu couldn't use his place for free and had to pay rent.

"What kind of relationship do we have? If I were to pay you rent, wouldn't that be like cursing you~"

How could Li Xuewu possibly give him money? He was dreaming; once money entered his pocket, there was no possibility of it easily coming back out.

There were already so many people working for him for free, not to mention those temporary workers.

Huang Gan also called Li Xuewu's sister-in-law "sister-in-law" when he saw her. After Zhao Yafang met with Li Xuewen and went into the room to talk with Wu Laoshi, he pulled Li Xuewu upstairs to chat idly.

He didn't have any serious business. Huang Gan was very full of himself now; the detention center was being renovated, building large communal sleeping platforms and improving the environment, so the floor area ratio was larger, and the vacated detention cells had all been converted into workshops.

If it weren't for the fact that the prisoners here couldn't go home, what difference would there be from a factory?

Factories have political study, and the prisoners have it too.

Factories have labor and life, and the prisoners have that too.

Factories have labor compensation, and the prisoners have that too.

Labor compensation was already factored into the improved living conditions; for example, what used to be clear soup and watery meals had now been replaced with dishes containing oil and fat, and where there used to be one steamed bun, now there were two or three, all depending on how much labor was performed.

Information was blocked now, but who in later generations didn't know that prices in special environments were high?

Could the boxed lunch on a train be the same as one at home?

Could the meal ordered on a plane be the same as one in a restaurant?

Could the instant noodles in a detention center be three yuan and five jiao a cup?

Huang Gan wasn't Huang Shiren yet; he didn't stuff money into his own pocket. Once there was money on the books, he naturally prioritized improving the lives of the staff first, and secondly, those who worked hard and were conscientious were also within the scope of improvement.

Having money in his pocket made him feel bold. The tea he was treating Li Xuewu to now was in a tin box, which he said his father had given him.

Li Xuewu looked at his proud appearance; someone who didn't know better might have thought it was given by that person above.

This was also the pressure and distress of people like Huang Gan, carrying the hopes of their elders on their backs, and also bearing pressure because the achievements of their elders were insurmountable.

The young always want to surpass the old, and they would be overjoyed to receive even the slightest affirmation from the old.

Li Xuewu was different; his father only hoped he wouldn't go to prison. Everything now was earned, a pleasant surprise, and he was particularly easy to satisfy.

Huang Gan wasn't actually working today either; he knew Li Xuewu was coming, which was why he came to intercept him.

It wasn't very convenient to discuss things with the club side; it was still more convenient to sit in his own lair to discuss the specific business of the detention center.

When Li Xuewu and he went back downstairs, the eldest brother was taking the sister-in-law to see the classroom where he taught.

Li Xuewu had just told him upstairs about the requirements of the Jinmen Electronics Factory, and Huang Gan would naturally handle the subsequent matters. He had also told Lao Biaozi this morning, and both of them had said that Li Xuewu didn't need to worry about this matter anymore.

Wu Laoshi also introduced Zhao Yafang's identity to the three accountants working here. Li Xuewu didn't show his face; it had been agreed upon, and the accountants didn't know about Li Xuewu.

What they understood was that Zhao Yafang should also have been sent by the proprietor to manage the accounts.

These three accountants had all worked for the Lou family before, and they understood the old rules very well: don't listen, don't ask, don't tell.

The three accountants managed the consolidated accounts and prepared the statements, Wu Laoshi managed the funds and expenditures, and Zhao Yafang managed the auditing, summarizing, and supervision. Three people, three directions, no points of doubt.

These accounts would also be handed over to Father Lou and the others for auditing and review periodically, and there would absolutely be no problems.

Li Xuewu was mainly laying the foundation for the future; financial issues were of vital importance.

Eldest brother Xuewen saw his beloved go to the finance office, pulled his younger brother aside, and said softly: "Isn't it not very good to do this?"

"What?"

Li Xuewu looked at his eldest brother and raised his eyebrows, not quite understanding what his eldest brother meant by this.

Li Xuewen glanced at the finance office, which was separated from the detention cell by a wall, and asked: "Do you think they don't know what you mean by putting these three people here?"

"So what if they know?"

Li Xuewu smiled indifferently; he knew his eldest brother was soft-hearted and didn't want to push human favors to this extent.

Li Xuewen looked at his second younger brother and asked: "If, I mean if these people make a mistake, what will happen?"

"That depends on what mistake they make."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said: "If it's a mistake, then it's fine, but if they play private tricks, then they'll be moved to the room next door to continue working. They'll still be doing this, but they'll never be able to get out, which saves me even more on wages."

Li Xuewen looked at his younger brother speechlessly; he knew that his younger brother putting the finance office here was what it was about. Which factory puts the finance office in a detention center, and which factory guards accountants like thieves?

Hey!

This is how Li Xuewu does things here. He doesn't short their wages, and he doesn't short their food and drink. As long as their minds are upright, they can work here just the same.

He really isn't afraid of these people pulling a Shawshank on him. He isn't Norton, and Huang Gan is even less so.

Without exploitation and bullying, how could these people have oppositional emotions? As long as they don't have crooked thoughts, this place is safer than anywhere else.

The sister-in-law didn't leave with Li Xuewu; it was agreed that Erhai would drive to pick her up before dinner.

Li Xuewu went to the Haizi Villa first, then went to his godmother's house to sit for a while, and rushed back to the Sihe Academy to pick up Gu Ning when it was just past one in the afternoon and the weather was hot.

The old lady said she wanted to wait for Liu Yin and stay one more night. She took Li Shu and let the couple Li Xuewu go back first.

Because Li Shu was sleeping, Gu Ning didn't insist. After resting at home with Li Xuewu for a while, they went directly to the train station.

The Beijing Train Station was a landmark building in the capital in this era; it looked truly magnificent and spectacular, but there really weren't many passengers coming in and out.

This was still the Beijing Train Station; if it were other stations, it would be even more so.

Traveling was inconvenient in this era, and it didn't just refer to the inconvenience of taking a train or a plane, but that people couldn't afford the expense.

There was no need to mention the high-end way of traveling by plane, but having asked, why couldn't people afford to take the train?

Is the train ticket expensive?

The train ticket from Fengcheng to Beijing only cost two yuan and six jiao, which was about two days' wages for a worker, basically the same as in later generations.

But there is a good old saying: "Poor at home, rich on the road." You can be as frugal as you want at home, but you can't be frugal when going on a long journey.

The expenses on the road, the cost of transportation, the money for staying at an inn, the money for eating—you haven't added it up yet, but once you do, you're sure to be startled.

Old relatives in the capital certainly wouldn't dare to easily go to see relatives in the Northeast, unless it was approaching the New Year, and one person went as a representative.

When Li Xuewu drove the car onto the square at the entrance of the train station, he truly realized the benefits of this era: it wasn't crowded!

This square was truly spacious. Near the flower bed at the entrance, no fewer than sixty or seventy small cars were parked side by side. He didn't know which units they belonged to, but he parked along with them; anyway, no one cared.

He took Gu Ning and walked quickly for a few steps, reaching the shade, and felt it was quite cool.

The wind on the square was more refreshing; as long as you weren't exposed to the sun, you didn't feel hot.

Gu Ning couldn't eat cold things, and he didn't like to eat them either, so even though there were people selling ice cream, the two of them didn't stop.

The train schedule at this time was very magical; it wasn't necessarily on time, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

When long-distance trains passed through sections of other bureaus, they had to yield speed to local trains. By the time they reached their own sections, they couldn't make up for the time even if they chased it, so long-distance trains were often late.

Li Xuewu had originally thought about coming by himself to save Gu Ning from suffering while waiting here with him.

But he couldn't resist Gu Ning's request, so Li Xuewu had to bring a folding stool from home and set it up by the wall for her to sit and rest.

Gu Ning looked up at Li Xuewu and asked: "Aren't you tired?"

"Not tired. I sit too much, so standing is just right."

Li Xuewu reached out to touch the cigarette in his pocket, but felt it wasn't appropriate here, so he pulled his hand back.

Smoking was prohibited near the Beijing Train Station, and littering cigarette butts was prohibited. This control was much stricter than in later generations. If you dared to smoke, those with red armbands would surely catch you and give you a hard time.

Li Xuewu didn't want to cause this trouble, and besides, Gu Ning didn't like him smoking; he had to quit smoking.

The number of people at the station exit wasn't small, because this side was in the shade, and everyone was hiding from the sun here.

Gu Ning hadn't rested at noon either, and she was a bit listless now. Seeing her like this, Li Xuewu stood by her side and signaled for her to lean on him and rest for a while.

Gu Ning leaned gently against Li Xuewu's leg, yawned, and fell asleep unknowingly.

When she felt someone talking beside her and opened her eyes, she discovered Gu Yan squatting in front of her, looking at her with a grin.

"When did..."

She just wanted to stand up, but her shoulders were pressed down by Li Xuewu again. She looked up and heard Li Xuewu looking down at her and saying: "Just woke up, sit for a while before leaving, we're not in a hurry."

"Okay."

Gu Ning responded, turned her head to look at Gu Yan, and asked: "Are you tired?"

"Not tired, we're not even halfway there yet."

Gu Yan smiled and replied to his sister, but his eyes swept over his sister's belly.

"You two talk, I'm going to buy water."

Seeing that Gu Ning was sitting comfortably, Li Xuewu stretched his somewhat numb legs, signaled toward the service department, and said a word to the two of them.

Watching Li Xuewu leave, Gu Yan asked with a smile: "Did brother-in-law bully you? If you've been wronged, I'll avenge you!"

"Silly!"

Gu Ning scolded her younger brother, then asked about her parents in Yangcheng, especially her father's health.

"They're doing great!"

Gu Yan twitched the corners of his mouth and said: "He was very energetic when talking to me, saying that I'd only be grown up when I had half of brother-in-law's ability."

Gu Ning pursed her lips and smiled. Seeing her younger brother's appearance of feigned jealousy but unable to help laughing, she reached out and patted his head.

Li Xuewu walked to the service department and asked for two bottles of drinks. There was no need to choose; there was only one kind, orange soda. Anything more would be considered over the top for them.

"One cold, one room temperature, thank you."

The attendant glanced at Li Xuewu, reached out and pulled one bottle from the case, went to the refrigerator to get another, and asked impatiently: "Do you want them opened?"

"No need, thank you."

Li Xuewu's voice remained gentle, and it didn't change because of the attendant's tone.

And seeing Li Xuewu like this, the attendant didn't use that expression or tone to speak again.

Do you need a ticket to buy soda?

Yes, but there are few scattered tickets; most are the kind of tickets in cases that Li Xuewu pulled back from the factory.

What about the scattered ones?

Universal tickets, grain tickets—this thing can be exchanged for any ticket, because you can choose not to drink soda, but you always have to eat rice.

Looking at the grain tickets and money handed over by Li Xuewu, the salesperson nodded and said: "That's fine."

Li Xuewu carried the two bottles of soda and walked back slowly, trying to give the two siblings more time to talk.

He hadn't met this brother-in-law many times in total, but they were both men, so there was no need to reach the point of holding hands to go to the bathroom.

First, he used his hand to pry open the room-temperature bottle and handed it to Gu Ning, then pried open the ice-cold bottle and handed it to Gu Yan.

Gu Yan thanked him, stood up, looked at Li Xuewu, and said: "Brother-in-law, you drink it, I'm not thirsty."

"Hehe, you drink yours, I don't eat sweets, and I don't drink cold things."

Li Xuewu knew Gu Yan had misunderstood; three people buying two bottles of soda—wouldn't that be embarrassing for others?

Gu Yan looked at Li Xuewu, then looked at his sister, and seeing his sister nod, he took the soda and took a sip.

"I just like this taste, especially in summer, it's very cool."

"Drink less."

Seeing him say this, Li Xuewu pointed to the position of his kidneys and said: "Drinking too much puts a burden on this."

"Really?"

Gu Yan was stunned holding the drink, then looked at his sister in disbelief. There were two doctors in his family; why had they never said such a thing?

Gu Ning also only took a small sip; this thing was sweet, and the more you drank, the thirstier you got.

Seeing her younger brother look over, Gu Ning said amusedly: "Eating too much sugar is bad; haven't I told you?"

"But you didn't say I couldn't drink soda~"

Gu Yan looked at the soda in his hand in a dilemma. Should he drink it now or not?

This brother-in-law is doing this on purpose!

Gu Ning stood up with Li Xuewu's support, scolded him, and said: "Who said you couldn't drink soda? It's telling you to control it."

After speaking, she signaled toward the direction of the car to Li Xuewu, who had packed up the folding stool, and said: "Let's go, let's go home."

Li Xuewu smiled, carried the luggage on the ground, and said to his brother-in-law: "It's okay, young people are fine."

After speaking, he followed Gu Ning's footsteps toward the parking lot.

Gu Yan looked at the soda in his hand, the corners of his mouth moved. This sister and brother-in-law seemed to be playing with him. He picked up the remaining large bags of luggage on the ground and followed.

The Willis's not-very-large rear compartment was completely filled with Gu Yan's luggage. He didn't know what he had brought; it was like moving house.

When they came out of the station just now, it was the staff who sent them out. If they hadn't driven here, he really wouldn't have known how to get it back.

Gu Ning sat among the luggage, still holding a small bag in her hand. Gu Yan, in the front passenger seat, also had two under his feet. This car was just like a parcel car for luggage at the station.

"I didn't expect this little car to be quite good to drive after being repaired."

Gu Yan watched his brother-in-law drive the car smoothly out of the square. Because there were no doors, the wind blowing in still carried a bit of heat.

Li Xuewu waited until he drove the car onto the main road before turning his head to look at Gu Yan and asking with a smile: "When does school start?"

"I don't know~"

Gu Yan sighed helplessly, then looked at the street scene by the roadside, and replied again: "Maybe we have to go to the company for training. School isn't starting, and we don't have classes."

"Wait and see."

Li Xuewu knew that Gu Yan's school was also in a great uproar now. Perhaps it would be the end of the year before their kind of school calmed down, and local ones would take another two or three years.

As soon as Gu Yan mentioned this topic, he felt weak all over. He lay back on the seat and nodded: "That's all it can be."

Gu Ning, sitting in the back, looked at her younger brother worriedly. No one could say for sure about the current situation. When she chatted with Li Xuewu, she also said it wouldn't pass for a few years.

There was no need to worry about her younger brother, because he himself had been promoted from the army to go to school, and his status hadn't changed yet.

This also had to do with the policy at the time; local high school students couldn't directly take exams for military schools and could only take them from the army.

Gu Yan's school couldn't be attended; the greatest possibility was to return to his original unit and wait, waiting for classes to resume.

He could also join those people in making trouble, making trouble until classes resumed in the end.

Who dared to manage students at this time? They did whatever they wanted and could distribute themselves.

When the jeep arrived home, Qin Jingru had already returned. She wanted to reach out to help unload the car, but was declined by Gu Yan, who had already recovered his energy.

With two grown men in the house, how could they let a girl help him unload the car? He wasn't a rich young master.

In the Gu family, the term "rich young master" was the most taboo. The driver could be a dedicated person, and the cooking could be done by a dedicated person, but washing one's own clothes and doing one's own things were basic requirements.

Looking at the large pile of luggage bags in the living room, Qin Jingru was also a bit surprised at how Gu Yan had brought them back.

And when Li Xuewu entered the house, he heard Gu Yan say with a smile: "Finally completed the mission."

As he spoke, he grabbed a bag, opened it, took out various nutritional supplements from inside, and placed them one by one on the coffee table.

"Imported milk powder, lotus root starch, chocolate candy, egg milk bread..."

Amidst Qin Jingru's dumbfoundedness and Gu Ning's narrowed eyes, Gu Yan took them out bag by bag, and after finishing one bag, he took out the next.

"This is fish maw, abalone, sea cucumber, bird's nest, dried scallops, dried squid, dried oysters..."

"Gu Yan."

Gu Ning glanced at Li Xuewu's back as he walked to the bathroom, stopped her younger brother who was like a delivery man, and asked: "Why did you bring so many nutritional supplements?"

Especially when Gu Yan opened a bag, it was full of children's clothes, rings, as well as small socks, small shoes, and other items. How could she not know that her secret had been leaked?

Gu Yan looked at his sister with a smile and said: "Mom said, prepare it for you first, and take it when you need it, to save being in a hurry."

He really said what his mother had taught him, but his eyes kept looking at his sister's belly. Wasn't this revealing the secret?

Looking again at Gu Yan taking out various small quilts and small cushions from the bag, and finally even taking out baby bottles and such—were these things also prepared in advance?

"How did you know?"

Gu Ning looked at Gu Yan with narrowed eyes, then asked again: "Did Mom tell you? Were these things specially prepared by Mom?"

How to explain this?

Waiting online, very urgent!

Mother hadn't taught him how to answer when it reached this step!

Gu Yan stammered and didn't know what to say, just burying his head in taking things out.

Coincidentally, at this time, Li Xuewu came out of the bathroom. Seeing the look in Gu Ning's eyes, he asked with a dry laugh: "What's wrong?"

Gu Ning raised her eyebrows and asked: "How did Mom know I was pregnant?"

"Really? Who said so?"

Li Xuewu walked to Gu Ning's side and sat down, reached out and picked up the imported baby milk powder on the coffee table to look at it, and said with a smile: "It's even produced in Australia."

Then he turned to look at Gu Ning. Seeing her staring at him without picking up the conversation, Li Xuewu quickly signaled to Qin Jingru: "Jingru, that, give Gu Yan some soda."

"Okay!"

Qin Jingru also discovered that Gu Ning was about to get angry. She didn't know what reason to find to slip away now. Seeing Li Xuewu speak, she quickly agreed.

It was just that Gu Yan said to Li Xuewu in a low voice at this time: "Brother-in-law, didn't you say it? Soda can't be drunk too much."

"Heh~ hehe~"

Li Xuewu said with a dry laugh: "Yes~ it can't be drunk too much."

Qin Jingru didn't care whether he drank it or not; she went to the dining room first, hiding away.

After Gu Yan said this, he buried his head like a mouse and continued to take out the packages. Inside were all things packed by his mother with the family's servants before leaving.

The driver followed to send them to the car when they left. He really wasn't afraid that the many things would tire his son out.

Li Xuewu shrugged his shoulders, looked at Gu Yan, and asked with a smile: "How did you know about your sister's matter? Did Mom say so?"

Gu Yan winked at his brother-in-law, signaling that this kind of thing couldn't be said.

Gu Ning already understood everything. It turned out that she was the only one kept in the dark. She had been wondering why her mother had been calling her so often recently.

"You are a traitor!"

"What?!"

Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning, who got up and pushed these things aside to go to the second floor. He looked at Gu Yan helplessly and amusedly, then looked at Qin Jingru, who was poking her head out from the dining room, and asked: "I'm a traitor?"

Gu Yan silently bent down to continue taking things out, while Qin Jingru also walked out with her head down to help Gu Yan tidy up and organize these things.

There were really too many. From the pregnant woman's nutritional supplements and the seasonal loose clothes made for Gu Ning, to the baby's milk powder and small clothes, small shoes, small quilts to wrap the child, and rings for the child.

Li Xuewu looked at them; these clothes and such were enough for the child to wear for a whole birthday.

Plus what mother was making at home, I'm afraid that before the child was born, the closet would be full of clothes.

Li Xuewu lay back on the sofa powerlessly, and had no intention of helping. He just watched the two people, one taking things out and the other organizing them to move to the cabinet and the storage room.

In the end, all the bags were emptied. On the sofa, except for the seat where Li Xuewu was sitting, all other places were filled.

"Brother-in-law, the letter Mom and Dad asked me to bring back, they said it was for you."

Gu Yan stood in a pile of bag skins and looked around, as if nothing had been left behind. He remembered the letter, so he took it out of his bag and handed it to Li Xuewu.

He didn't know why the letter written by his parents wasn't given to his sister, but had to be given to his brother-in-law. Perhaps it was really as his father said: his brother-in-law was steady and measured, and did things comprehensively.

Li Xuewu wasn't in a hurry to read the letter, but patted him on the shoulder and said: "Take your own bag, I'll take you to see your room. You'll live here for this period of time; tell me if you need anything."

After speaking, he signaled to the bathroom on the first floor and said: "Take a bath in a while and go back upstairs to sleep. Eat whenever you wake up."

He took Gu Yan to the second floor, introducing as they walked: "Heard you were coming back, your sister was happy for several days, and she tidied up the room for you early. The quilt is newly sunned."

Gu Yan looked at his brother-in-law. Tidying up is tidying up; did he need to say it so loudly?

He wasn't deaf.

When he saw his brother-in-law looking into the master bedroom, he finally understood what his father meant by his brother-in-law doing things comprehensively.

"Come, this room, take a look."

Li Xuewu let Gu Yan into the guest bedroom and said with a smile: "Your sister said you love reading, so she specially prepared a desk for you."

"These words weren't said by my sister."

Gu Yan smiled, put his luggage on the bed, and smiled at Li Xuewu: "It sounds more like you said it!"

"Hehehe~"

Li Xuewu chuckled a few times, tapped his finger lightly on the desk, and said pointedly: "It was also said by me, but it wasn't said by me either. Anyway, you have to be able to sit still."

After speaking, he ignored Gu Yan's slightly stunned expression, walked to the door, brushed past him, patted Gu Yan on the shoulder, and said: "You can drive that car downstairs whenever you want, but you have to be back before dinner. This is our family's rule."

"Brother-in-law~"

Seeing Li Xuewu walking out, Gu Yan turned around and asked: "Was it arranged by my dad?"

Li Xuewu also turned around, smiled slightly, and said: "No, I said it."

After speaking, he raised his hand slightly, pointed at Gu Yan, and then pointed at the direction of the master bedroom: "Of course, you can be a little later on weekends, but you can't be later than me."

Gu Yan watched Li Xuewu enter the master bedroom, narrowed his eyes slightly, and shook his chin. He hadn't heard of such rules in Yangcheng.

Even when he was at home, who could manage him? He could return whenever he wanted.

He just didn't know what his brother-in-law's words meant. Did his mother call here?

Or did he want to show off his brother-in-law's airs!

Li Xuewu entered the master bedroom, looked at the study, and saw Gu Ning sitting behind the desk reading a book. Obviously, she had heard the conversation between him and his brother-in-law just now.

"Mom and Dad's letter."

Gu Ning didn't even look at the letter Li Xuewu placed on the table, got up and went to the master bedroom, and even closed the door when she entered.

Great, the sin this time is not small!

Li Xuewu had said that the secret would eventually fall on his head. He dodged left and right but couldn't dodge it.

He didn't go into the study, but stood in front of the desk and opened the letter.

Because it was brought back by Gu Yan, the content in the letter was clearer than what was said on the phone, but it also used some obscure methods. These were basically tacit words from their phone conversations.

Li Xuewu frowned slightly. For some reason, the pressure on his father-in-law had suddenly increased, and a man of few words had actually become the focus.

The letter contained some instructions from his father-in-law, some concern from his mother-in-law, and finally entrusted Li Xuewu to visit some relationships and not to miss the etiquette during festivals.

Li Xuewu had visited these families before marrying Gu Ning, so he remembered them clearly. He recited them once, and after reading the letter again, he put it back in the envelope and went to the master bedroom.

Gu Ning was lying on the bed, obviously looking like she didn't want to bother with Li Xuewu. Li Xuewu didn't ask her either, walked directly into the bathroom, and lit the letter in his hand with a lighter.

It was in the sink, a very convenient means of destruction.

Watching the letter in his hand burn, he threw it into the basin casually. After it finally turned to ash, he turned on the faucet to wash away the last bit of residual flame.

"Is it Yangcheng..."

Perhaps it was the smell of paper ash; Gu Ning stood at the door at some point, looking at Li Xuewu worriedly and asking.

Li Xuewu didn't want to hide it from Gu Ning, and even less would he hide it from her. People's psychology is like this: the more secret something is, the more curious they are if you don't say it.

Rather than letting her worry, it was better to say it more lightly and clearly, so that there would be a transition.

"It's Dad's letter."

Li Xuewu nodded and said: "The situation in Yangcheng has suddenly deteriorated. He warned us not to do anything wrong. He might need to stabilize things over there and avoid the current whirlpool."

Listening to Li Xuewu's explanation, Gu Ning also felt panicked in her heart. Yangcheng was so far away, and she couldn't take care of her parents if anything happened to them.

Li Xuewu could feel Gu Ning's worry. He walked up and hugged Gu Ning, patted her back gently, and comforted her: "Don't worry, I'm here. Dad isn't a person who likes to meddle in those things."

"Set your mind at ease. Mom said the most about you in the letter, worrying that you won't know how to take care of yourself and the child as a first-time mother."

Li Xuewu touched Gu Ning's hair and said: "We have to set an example, let Mom and Dad rest assured, and prove to her that you will be a good mother."

After speaking, he held Gu Ning's face again, comforted her with a smile, and said: "Li Shu even said you are a good mother, right?"

Gu Ning pursed her lips and nodded, took the initiative to hug Li Xuewu, and said softly: "I'm a little scared."

She was scared because she knew her father's position, knew that it involved many relationships, and knew even more how severe the current situation was.

She was in the hospital, in the capital, and the things happening on the street were right before her eyes. How could she not worry, how could she not be scared?

Ordinary people aren't afraid of this, because they have nothing—they go to work, earn money, and what could it have to do with them?

But Gu Haitao was different. The things he said, the things he did, even a look, might represent his opinion or have an impact on certain things.

Gu Haitao wasn't someone who liked to meddle, but sometimes trouble finds people.

He didn't want to participate in it himself, but there were always people pulling him, or deliberately trapping him in it. Were there few such things?

So in the letter, Gu Haitao gave Li Xuewu a very subtle signal. Like the choice of the big leader, he also chose to endure, even if it meant going all the way to the end and going home to farm.

Actually, he was just thinking about it. The Gu family had urban household registration; where would they have land at home? Even the house wasn't theirs.

Li Xuewu understood his father-in-law's mind very well. Taking a step back at this time didn't represent anything; instead, it showed his father-in-law's great wisdom.

Reaching his step, it could truly be called rowing against the current—if you don't advance, you retreat.

But just advancing wasn't enough either. Nowadays, if he really didn't have that intention, retreating in the face of danger would show his realm.

And don't say that once you retreat, you lose the opportunity. According to Li Xuewu, as Mr. Guo said, what do artists compete for in the end?

The body!

The body is the capital!

See who lives long, compare who lives long and far.

A bunch of people are waiting here to compete. If you die first, then there's no way. I stand on your grave and curse, and you can't jump out to refute me.

Competing for temporary length and shortness instead confines oneself within the framework. Taking a step back, you can't really feel that the sea and sky are vast, but at least you won't risk yourself and lose your bargaining chips for a counterattack.

This energy—Li Xuewu felt his father-in-law was right; it's better not to compete.