Chapter 827: Who could withstand such a test!

What is the soul of a business trip?

The answer is...

Not a foot bath!!

Nor is it going to the second floor!

In this era, there's nowhere to get a foot bath, and the second floor certainly doesn't have the things you're thinking of.

In the Red Era, business trips were a bitter chore. Everyone knew you were going on a long journey, so colleagues and neighbors would entrust you to bring things back for them.

If you didn't bring them, well, people could hold a grudge against you for over a decade.

That's why units would calculate the dates when arranging business trip durations.

If a task could be finished in one day, they would count it as two; if it could be finished in two, they would mark it as three.

These were the old rules in government offices; everyone knew how it worked. Anyway, once people asked you, you couldn't bring yourself to refuse.

Although Jinmen isn't far from the capital, not everyone could just come here.

Leaders like Li Huai and Li Xuewu certainly had no one daring enough to entrust them with bringing things back, but it was different for the accompanying cadres.

Once the business was settled, Li Huai was very generous and gave them the evening off, letting them go out to purchase goods.

It was agreed: tonight in Jingu, tomorrow morning back to Jinmen, and then the same arrangement—as long as everyone gathered on time for the return to the capital in the afternoon, it would be fine.

The final day's big shopping spree is the soul of a business trip—painful yet happy.

The pain is that eight hands aren't enough; the happiness is that you will definitely be praised to the skies when you return.

Do you think that because Li Huai and Li Xuewu are high-ranking and have no one asking favors of them, it's easy?

That they can just rest?

Keep dreaming!

Leaders are people too; they have relatives and friends, families and children.

Business trips weren't easy in this era, and one always thought about bringing something back for the family.

Li Xuewu was the same. He didn't know how many homes Li Huai had, but he could count his own homes and his few good "friends" clearly.

The two rested for a while at the guesthouse and then went downstairs together.

There were three cars; Li Huai and Li Xuewu kept only one, leaving the other two for everyone else to use.

Although Jingu isn't as prosperous as Jinmen, the commerce here is also well-developed. Thanks to the convenience of the port, a large number of out-of-town workers arrive every year.

This kind of worker entering Jin isn't the same as the migrant workers entering cities in later generations; those transferred to work in Jinmen were originally workers, or the children of workers recruited.

In fact, anyone who has been to Jingu knows that many of the elderly living in the worker villages moved here during this era—they were obeying assignments.

Li Xuewu had originally wanted to drive himself, letting the driver go off to have fun.

But the driver, Xiao Zhou, was quite shy; he blushed and insisted on staying with the leaders, fearing they might need him.

Li Huai smiled and nodded, patted Xiao Zhou on the shoulder, and signaled for Li Xuewu to get in the car.

He knew Li Xuewu could drive and understood why he wanted to give the driver the day off, but the bond between the two no longer required such precautions.

Even the dogs at the Rolling Mill knew how close their relationship was!

Seeing that he didn't mind, Li Xuewu smiled and got into the car.

Xiao Zhou wasn't very old, but he drove very steadily. After leaving the guesthouse courtyard, he turned back and asked, "Leaders, where are we going?"

"Eat first."

Li Xuewu patted the passenger seat, turned his head to look at Li Huai, and asked, "Director Li, what would you like to eat?"

"You're here for the second time, but I'm truly here for the first."

Li Huai smiled as he looked out the window and said, "Xiao Zhou, do you know of any restaurants here with local specialties?"

"Leader... I..."

Xiao Zhou turned back, looking a bit embarrassed, and said, "I've been eating at the guesthouse the whole time I've been here."

"Wait a moment."

Li Xuewu got out of the car again and trotted toward the guard room at the guesthouse entrance.

In just two or three minutes, Li Xuewu returned to the car, first patting Xiao Zhou on the shoulder to signal him to drive into the county town.

"Leader, I specifically asked about Jinmen specialties."

Li Xuewu introduced to Li Huai, "For flour-based foods, there are Stone Threshold Vegetarian Buns, Goubuli Meat Buns, and Bai's Dumplings."

"For Halal restaurants, there's Hongqishun; for roast duck, there's Zhengyangchun."

"However, the ones here aren't the original old shops."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "After all, after the public-private partnership reforms, these are all branches opened later, so I can't guarantee the taste."

As he spoke, he gestured toward the county town ahead and said, "You said I'm here for the second time; last time during training, I just went out and bought a fish tank."

"Then let's go eat dumplings."

Li Huai smiled and decided on the evening meal. After Li Xuewu told Xiao Zhou the address, he waved his hand and said, "These specialty restaurants aren't very special anymore~."

Rolling down the car window on his side, Li Huai looked at the street scene outside and said, "If you want real craftsmanship, the master chefs in our factory are the ones with the true skills."

"You're just used to eating their food."

Li Xuewu smiled and said, "The point of specialties is just to change your palate. When seafood can be brought into our factory later, we'll have Master Qian make a seafood feast to compare."

"Hmm~ that's a good idea!"

Li Huai smiled, pointed at Li Xuewu, and said, "Later, we must arrange a few capable apprentices for Master Qian. This skill is an asset of our Rolling Mill and must not be lost."

"You'll have to be the one to tell Master Qian that."

Li Xuewu laughed, "He follows old traditions; he treats his apprentices like his own sons."

"Alright, alright, I'll go tell him."

Li Huai was absolutely unwilling to shortchange himself when it came to food. Hearing Li Xuewu elevate Master Qian's status, he didn't mind at all.

The two chatted and laughed as they headed to the Bai's Dumpling Restaurant on Modu Road to have a meal of specialty dumplings.

By the way, many of the street names in Jinmen and Jingu are divided based on names of places from all over the country, which is quite interesting.

Modu Road is still quite prosperous. The two came out of the dumpling restaurant and, taking a leisurely stroll, began to wander the streets of Jingu.

There weren't many shops still open for business; most were for basic livelihood needs, and even the supply and marketing cooperatives closed early.

There was a Longshunrong Pharmacy along the street. Li Huai looked up, then led Li Xuewu inside.

The salesperson inside was very polite; there was no impatience, nor the arrogance typical of salespeople in this era.

Li Huai asked about several heart medications. Li Xuewu didn't interrupt, instead looking at the names of the medicines on the counter.

The development of traditional Chinese patent medicines was already very fast in this era; Li Xuewu knew that the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine had been researching them.

And old pharmacies like this one possessed unique pharmaceutical skills and techniques.

The young salesperson led Li Huai to the resident physician, while he himself returned to the medicine cabinet.

He glanced at Li Xuewu and asked with a smile, "Comrade, what would you like?"

"Nothing~ just looking."

Li Xuewu looked up and replied with a smile, gesturing toward Li Huai in the shop, "I'm just accompanying our leader."

The salesperson nodded and said, "I could tell at a glance you two aren't ordinary people."

As he spoke, his eyes swept over the matching black-and-white attire of Li Xuewu and Li Huai.

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, gestured to the antique medicine cabinet inside the counter, and asked, "How many years has this pharmacy been open?"

"Oh~ I'm not sure about that."

The salesperson was also a good talker. He tilted his head and gestured to the plaque above, saying, "The old masters say this pharmacy's roots go back to the last century. It's a genuine century-old Wei medicine shop."

"They say our original shop is on Beidaguan Zhenshi Street in Jinmen, but I don't know the specifics."

He saw that there weren't many people around this evening, so he leaned on the counter and started chatting with them—young people, after all, can't stay idle.

Li Xuewu nodded as if he understood and asked again, "What other old shops are there in Jinmen city?"

"Are you testing me?"

The salesperson smiled and raised his eyebrows, looking as if he were about to pick a fight.

Li Xuewu just laughed and said, "I don't mean that at all, just chatting."

"Testing me is fine~"

People from Jinmen actually have this demeanor when they talk—serious yet not serious. If you didn't know better, you'd really think they were getting angry.

The salesperson held a duster in his hand and said with a smile, "If you want to ask about our pharmacy, there are plenty of interesting stories."

"Take Tongrentang, for example. You have one in the capital too, right?"

He didn't know how he figured out Li Xuewu was from the capital, but he said definitively, "We have a Tongrentang here too!"

He chuckled and said, "The old masters say ours married the daughter of the one in your capital, and they changed the name through marriage~"

"Hehe~"

Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "Is the daughter from the capital still there?"

"What daughter! She's long gone!"

The salesperson waved his hand with a smile and said, "Just a few days ago, there was a big fuss involving the Zhang family."

"And that's not all!"

He smiled, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "Ever heard of Hongrentang?"

Seeing Li Xuewu shake his head, he continued with a smile, "That was founded by the 13th-generation descendant of the Le family from Tongrentang in your capital."

After finishing, he counted on his fingers, "Darentang, founded by the 12th-generation descendant of the Le family! Lerentang, founded by the Le family's old shop!"

"Whoa~ fell into a Le family nest!"

Li Xuewu laughed, "So all the big pharmacies in Jinmen belong to the old Le family!"

"You bet!"

The salesperson pointed to the old plaque above his head and said, "Of the famous old shops remaining in Jinmen now, only our Longshunrong has no connection to the Le family."

"The original owner here was from Jiangnan, and many of our rules were passed down from before, so there's a touch of the southerner in them."

Li Xuewu tapped the counter and asked with a smile, "Hasn't there been any reform here?"

"Hehe~ it's inevitable~"

The salesperson smiled and said, "Jinmen is in the middle of it now. Who knows when it will reach us? I just hear it's quite interesting."

"Hehe~"

Li Xuewu looked him over; this salesperson also had an active mind.

In fact, he wasn't unfamiliar with Longshunrong; Yinqiao Jiedu tablets and Huoxiang Zhengqi water were developed by this pharmacy.

He just didn't know who was in charge of such century-old brands now.

He had the intention of securing an industry for his father and his third brother, but he didn't know if it was appropriate.

While they were talking, Li Huai had already finished getting his medicine. As they walked out, he explained, "My wife, her heart isn't good, and she's sought medical advice and medicine many times over the years."

"Then you must pay close attention to her diet and the temperature."

Li Xuewu took the initiative to help him carry the medicine bag and waved for Xiao Zhou to come take it.

The two continued to stroll, chatting idly as if they were truly out to relax.

In reality, Li Xuewu wasn't very willing to go out strolling with Li Huai; he was young, and strolling the streets with a young lady would be one thing.

Li Huai, however, was in high spirits, looking at the shops in Jingu city with a very curious expression.

Li Xuewu actually wanted to remind him to stop strolling; there was no way there would be dance halls or foot massage parlors in this place at this time!

"Let's go, let's go look at some tea."

Li Huai gestured toward a tea shop ahead and took the lead in walking forward.

Li Xuewu looked to the side; there were fewer cars on the road now, but more pedestrians.

Jingu was also an old city, and one could still see traces of history on the road, especially the shops standing side by side, with their distinct architectural styles.

Li Xuewu followed Li Huai into a tea shop called Chengxing.

The salesperson in the shop was very observant; after glancing at the two, he hurried inside to call the old master.

A man in his forties pushed aside the curtain from the inner room and walked out.

He scrutinized Li Xuewu and his companion before walking over and greeting them with a smile, "Good evening, comrades."

As he spoke, he gestured toward the tea table and said politely, "Have you eaten? If you've already had dinner, how about a bowl of tea?"

Li Huai smiled and nodded, leading Li Xuewu to sit down at the tea table.

The young salesperson was very sharp; he brought a kettle of boiling water out from the inner room and took over from the old master to refill the teapot with hot water.

The man smiled at Li Huai and his companion and asked politely, "My surname is Liu, and I have the honor of being the manager of this tea shop. Are you two comrades just arriving in Jingu?"

"Oh?"

Li Huai smiled, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked Manager Liu, "How can you tell?"

"Our line of work relies on a sharp eye."

Manager Liu waved off the young salesperson's help and skillfully poured two cups of tea, handing them over.

After serving the tea, he continued, "My eyes are still quite good; I can remember clearly most of the people who pass by our shop every day."

After finishing, he smiled and gestured to Li Xuewu and his companion, "People with your bearing are rarely seen in this area."

"Manager Liu, you certainly know how to talk."

Li Xuewu replied with a polite pleasantry and said to Li Huai, "How come I didn't notice we had any bearing? We're dusty and travel-worn, that's for sure, right? Hahaha~"

"Hahaha~"

Manager Liu and Li Huai laughed together, gesturing to the teacups on the table, "Please, have some tea."

Li Huai picked up the teacup and took a sip; the taste was average.

He figured this was tea for guests, used to maintain old customers or develop new ones.

If they really brought out the good tea, there wouldn't be enough to go around.

Li Xuewu brought the tea to his lips, but like drinking alcohol, he didn't pour any into his mouth.

Away from home, and in the dead of night, the water outside shouldn't be drunk.

It wasn't that Li Xuewu was overly cautious or didn't trust people, but in this era, anything could happen.

Were there few cases of murder for money?

Never mind the capital region or the land of benevolence; none of the cases he had handled were simple.

Li Huai looked at the shop's decor and the tea-scented counter and asked, "Just the two of you tonight?"

"Night shift; we get off after nine."

Manager Liu smiled and asked, "What tea do you usually drink? This is a century-old brand. Tell me, and I'll see if there's anything suitable for you."

"I don't really have a regular tea; I drink whatever is available."

Li Huai didn't take Manager Liu's bait, just scanned the shop's displays.

Li Xuewu smiled slightly, put down his teacup, and asked Manager Liu, "May I ask what the best tea in your shop is?"

"Oh~ you've stumped me there."

Manager Liu narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at Li Huai, who was still observing the shop, and said to Li Xuewu with a smile, "There's no such thing as good or bad tea; there's only preference."

"Like you said, I like Pu'er and don't like Longjing. Then Pu'er is good tea for you; no matter how expensive Longjing is, it's not your favorite, right?"

"You certainly know how to do business; that's the truth."

Li Xuewu nodded and said, "You're knowledgeable. Help me out: for people like us, especially those who spend a long time in the office, is it better to drink green tea or black tea?"

"Then I'll say a few more words~"

Manager Liu said politely, "According to us, black tea is mainly suitable after meals, while green tea is better for daily drinking."

"Then please recommend a few green teas for us."

Li Xuewu smiled and gestured to the tea cabinet behind him, "I'm young, so I really don't know much about this."

Since things had reached this point, Manager Liu was a sensible man. He nodded with a smile and said, "We have authentic West Lake Longjing, Huangshan Maofeng, Dongting Biluochun, Lu'an Guapian, Lushan Yunwu, and Mengding Ganlu."

"Which flavor would you like?"

"I really don't know."

Li Xuewu smiled, then said with a sense of longing, "I wonder if you've heard of that famous Peking Opera star, Mr. Ma?"

"This..."

Manager Liu was taken aback and tried to ask, "What do you mean?"

"This Mr. Ma has a great hobby: drinking tea."

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "When he was experiencing life in Changping, he specifically sent someone back to the capital to get Biluochun because he couldn't buy it there."

"I just want to ask, is the charm of this Biluochun really that great?"

"You've really stumped me now."

Manager Liu smiled and said, "I naturally know the Mr. Ma you're talking about, but didn't the newspapers say he was... you know?"

"But this Biluochun..."

He glanced at Li Xuewu and said thoughtfully, "The one Mr. Ma drank might have been the very best kind."

"Slap!"

Li Xuewu slapped the table, smiled, pointed at Manager Liu, and said, "I want the very best Biluochun you just mentioned!"

Manager Liu was startled. Hearing Li Xuewu's words, he realized it wasn't a robbery, and only then did he calm down.

Although he complained that Li Xuewu had scared him, the other party didn't look like someone to be trifled with, so he hurriedly got up and signaled the young salesperson to get the goods.

"I have no connection to the Mr. Ma I mentioned to you."

After Manager Liu sat back down, he emphasized to Li Xuewu, "I was just guessing; I can't guarantee that what he drank was the same as what I'm bringing out."

"But I can guarantee this is the best Biluochun in our shop."

He promised earnestly, "The goods were distributed by the Jinmen office of the Tea Corporation. The price is the same as the tea used by the Mr. Ma you mentioned; that's for sure."

The salesperson had already walked out holding a canister of tea, looked at Li Xuewu hesitantly, and handed the tea to Manager Liu.

Manager Liu placed the tea canister on the coffee table and gestured for Li Xuewu to look.

Li Xuewu just pointed at it casually and said, "Brew a pot and let's taste it."

"This..."

Manager Liu's face changed. He looked at Li Xuewu and said hesitantly, "The tea at our Chengxing Tea Shop is all pre-packaged; this kind isn't sold in bulk."

"I didn't say I was buying it in bulk!"

Li Xuewu's cold gaze swept over the tea canister on the coffee table, and he said to Manager Liu, "Open it and let us taste. If it's truly good, then this canister is on me."

"This... is not appropriate..."

Manager Liu was just about to speak when he saw the young man opposite him pull three ten-yuan notes from his pocket and place them next to the tea canister.

"Open it, let's taste."

Li Xuewu maintained the same expression and the same action, but his tone became sinister as he pointed his finger, signaling Manager Liu to brew the tea.

Seeing the thirty yuan on the table, Manager Liu knew he had encountered a tough customer today.

He smiled slightly, nodded, and said, "As you wish."

As he spoke, he didn't mind the pistol handle exposed at Li Xuewu's waist. He changed to a purple clay teapot, broke the seal on the tea canister, and carefully took less than a qian of tea leaves and placed them in the teapot.

He didn't touch the thermos on the floor, but waved for the young salesperson, who was looking on in a daze, to take the hot water that was just boiling on the stove.

He worked busily, also very carefully, treating this pot of tea and these two particularly picky guests who had come to the shop tonight with great care.

It was truly his first time encountering such people—picky yet generous, overbearing yet reasonable.

He naturally didn't touch the thirty yuan; that wasn't according to the rules.

Manager Liu could tell that the other party wasn't here to expose fakes, and even less here to cause trouble; they just wanted to save face.

And how much that face was worth depended on his performance next.

"Please, you two."

Manager Liu very solemnly changed the teacups for new tea and placed them in front of the two.

His expression was serious and solemn, as if treating an incredibly respected guest, yet it also carried a sense of grievance and subtlety.

Li Huai had been sitting on the side watching the whole time; only now did he pick up the teacup and start to savor it.

Under Manager Liu's surprised gaze, Li Xuewu changed the tea in front of him and picked up the teapot to pour him a cup as well.

"What? You don't have confidence in yourself?"

"Thank you for your kindness!"

Manager Liu said earnestly, "To be honest, I haven't drunk such good tea in years."

As he spoke, he properly raised his teacup to Li Xuewu and savored it carefully.

Those who knew him knew he was savoring tea; those who didn't might think he was drinking the nectar of the Queen Mother of the West and becoming an immortal.

Li Xuewu didn't touch the good tea in front of him at all, just watched Li Huai's expression, and only after he finished drinking did he ask with a smile, "What do you think?"

Manager Liu also held his teacup, looking nervously at the older guest; he knew who the protagonist of the day was.

Li Huai carefully deliberated for a moment and asked Li Xuewu, "Hiss~ is it because I heard you say this tea is ten yuan per liang that I think it tastes good?"

"Hahahahaha!"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became lively. The young salesperson, who had been sweating on his forehead from nervousness, let out a breath and finally relaxed.

Only now did he realize that his back was soaked with sweat—he had been terrified.

Late at night, such a burly man with a gun at his waist and a scar on his face had come to the shop; he had been so scared he almost ran out to call the police.

Li Xuewu still hadn't touched that cup of tea, pointed at the tea leaves in front of him, and said, "Since our leader said it's good, then it's truly good."

"Thank you!"

Manager Liu smiled and thanked him, then signaled the salesperson, "Xiao Hu, help the guest open the receipt."

"Wait!"

Li Xuewu held down the tea canister Manager Liu was about to take and said with a smile, "I said this canister is on me."

After saying this, he let go and added, "Besides, one canister of tea isn't enough for anyone to drink. Let's make it a round number; help me get three more canisters."

As he spoke, he counted out the money; seven ten-yuan notes were stacked together with the previous three.

The tea was two and a half liang per canister, ten yuan per liang, so one canister was twenty-five.

Li Xuewu wanted the opened canister, and adding the three more he wanted, it came to exactly one hundred yuan.

The reason he didn't mention tea coupons was that this kind of tea was negotiated-price tea and didn't require coupons.

Even if you wanted to use coupons, you couldn't buy it, because this grade wasn't included in the coupon quota.

Manager Liu stared at the cash on the table for a moment, then got up, took the money, and went to the counter himself to open the receipt.

Li Huai didn't say anything, just savored the tea Li Xuewu had poured for him.

He was doing this on purpose; taking Li Xuewu out to stroll was on purpose, taking Li Xuewu to eat was on purpose, and taking Li Xuewu shopping was also on purpose.

Drinking tea was an impromptu idea, but it was also part of his plan.

Li Xuewu had seen through it long ago, which was why he had staged the scene of changing drivers at the entrance.

He hadn't contested anything at the Bai's Dumpling Restaurant; the cost was only a few yuan, and Li Huai had paid the bill voluntarily.

But it was different now. Since Li Huai left the capital, he had been testing him, intentionally or unintentionally.

They had business these past two days, so he had acted quite normally, but today, with some free time, it was time to resolve the issue.

Li Xuewu was prepared, which was why he had been so picky after entering the tea shop and seeing Li Huai not speaking.

Li Huai wanted to see his attitude, so he naturally had to show the appropriate attitude.

Tea is precious, ten yuan per liang—more expensive than gold—but was Li Huai asking for tea?

Is the tea expensive, or is the attitude expensive?

Li Xuewu's performance today would determine how much of the situation he could grasp and how much power over interest distribution he could control under Li Huai.

The Zhang Guoqi case still affected the relationship between the two; saying anything more was useless.

Li Xuewu didn't explain, and even less did he argue. In the face of interests, words are pale; one must produce something practical.

Dongfeng Shipping, the Beijing Recycling Station, the Steel City Recycling Station, and so on, all survived by relying on the Rolling Mill. Li Huai's attitude directly determined the survival of these units.

Li Xuewu didn't feel bad about giving things to Li Huai, but the other party was also a cunning old fox—could he accept his gifts?

From beginning to end, Li Huai had never asked Li Xuewu for anything, even though he clearly knew Li Xuewu had other means to profit in the trade project—he just acted as if he didn't know.

This was his wisdom.

No one loves you for no reason, and no one hates you, supports you, or helps you without a reason.

If Li Huai wanted Li Xuewu to help him and support him, he had to create and allow for this reason.

He wasn't afraid of Li Xuewu taking things from the Rolling Mill, but the key was that Li Xuewu didn't take them.

The relationship between the two was very subtle—interdependent, yet guarded.

Li Huai said he liked drinking tea; never mind twenty-five yuan a canister, he could afford even one hundred yuan a canister.

Conversely, why did Li Xuewu only buy four canisters today?

Because his salary level could only support this much consumption, and he was also showing an attitude by doing so.

That is: within my capabilities, I will do my utmost to support you!

Only a fool would buy three hundred or five hundred yuan worth at this time; that's not showing loyalty, that's insulting someone.

No matter how good Biluochun is, it can't be eaten as a meal. Getting so much isn't savoring tea, it's savoring money, and the taste changes.

Do you really think the leader can't afford your tea, and brought you here late at night to bribe you?

Just a joke!

Li Xuewu was so picky and collaborated with Manager Liu to stage a play, clearly expressing his attitude. The rest depended on what Li Huai meant.

Manager Liu divided the four canisters of tea into two portions and even marked the opened one.

Li Xuewu accompanied Li Huai to finish that pot of tea, then got up, carried the tea, and walked out the door amidst Manager Liu's polite farewells.

Xiao Zhou came forward proactively, wanting to take the bag from Li Xuewu's hand.

Li Xuewu smiled, looked at Li Huai, and said, "These two canisters are for you. Let Xiao Zhou keep them safe, and later you can put them in your office for entertaining guests."

After finishing, he gestured to the opened bag in his hand and said, "I'll enjoy this opened canister myself, and the remaining one can be given to Secretary Xue; he's also a tea lover."

"Hehe~ you certainly know how to calculate~"

Li Huai didn't stand on ceremony, nodded at him with a smile, looked at the night sky, and wanted to say it was time to go back.

Li Xuewu pointed across the street and said, "I accompanied you to stroll through the tea shop; you accompany me to look at the wine shop."

"Hehehe~"

Li Huai looked at him with a smile and said, "I like tea, but I don't remember you being a wine lover!"

"Look at what you're saying!"

Li Xuewu raised his hand to invite him to go first. While crossing the street, he said, "I'm not doing this for myself to have a drink. Aren't we also going to start a winery? Let's look at the market in advance."

After finishing, he smiled and reminded him in a low voice, "The wine stored for you at the guesthouse is too monotonous in flavor; let's enrich the stock this time."

"Hahaha~"

Li Huai laughed heartily, patted Li Xuewu on the arm, and took the lead in entering the brightly lit wine shop.

Why give gifts of cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and sugar in four boxes?

Because these four items can all be negotiated in price—meaning when you can't buy them with coupons, you can buy them at negotiated-price shops.

If you're going out to give gifts and are in a hurry but can't buy suitable ones, you have to pay extra to make up the set, which completes the meaning of gift-giving.

Giving tea is about culture; giving alcohol is more direct.

Li Xuewu went on a big shopping spree in the wine shop. They didn't let him taste, and he didn't want to put on an act here, so he ordered two cases of several types.

This wine shop was a unit under the Jinmen Supply and Marketing Cooperative's wine branch; they sold all kinds of wine, not distinguishing between new and old brands.

But new-brand wine isn't interesting to drink, and he wanted something with local character.

So he ordered Yijuyongji's Rose Dew Wine, Wujiapi Wine, and Kaoliang Wine, Jingu's Red Sorghum, the Jin Wine they drank yesterday, and Xingtade Distilled Spirits.

I have to mention Xingtade Distilled Spirits; this was the wedding wine drunk during the Tongzhi Emperor's wedding, and later it became an imperial wine.

That spendthrift old lady liked drinking this.

Perhaps seeing Li Xuewu's generous spending and large purchase, or perhaps because he and Li Huai had an extraordinary bearing, the salesperson in the shop even helped Xiao Zhou move the wine.

When Li Xuewu and Li Huai returned to the car and smelled the wine fragrance wafting from it, they couldn't help but laugh.

One laugh was calculating and two-faced.

One laugh was treacherous and hiding a knife in a smile.

Everyone returned very late on Friday night, and the guesthouse corridor was noisy for a long time before it finally quieted down.

They didn't have to worry about not being able to take back the things they bought, because they were returning by train, with cars picking them up and dropping them off; the only fatigue was in the moving of it all.

Early Saturday morning, because Li Xuewu and Li Huai had returned early and rested well, they also got up early.

After breakfast, they met up with the comrades from the factory and took a car to the pier together.

On the return journey, the others caught up on two hours of sleep on the boat.

So when they returned to Jinmen after eight in the morning, they were full of energy and went shopping in a group.

Li Huai and Li Xuewu first listened to Zhuang Cangshu's introduction and report at the guesthouse, and then Li Xuewu went to express his gratitude to Zhang Changming before they finally went out.

Li Xuewu had originally thought he would have to accompany Li Huai to continue touring the market, fearing he wouldn't be able to handle it, so he had given money and coupons to people he knew well in advance, entrusting them to buy the things he wanted.

Li Huai waited for him in the car for a while; seeing him return, he didn't ask, just gestured to Li Haiyang in the passenger seat.

Li Haiyang pointed out the way for the driver, and the car drove back into the city along the main street.

Li Xuewu didn't care where they were going; it was either the Central Department Store or the Quanyechang.

The Central Department Store opened in 1928 and, as of now, could be considered Jinmen's largest department store and Jinmen's new entertainment center.

It is said that in the first few years after opening, it dominated Jinmen's department store market, and during its peak, it was the sales champion of Jinmen's department store industry.

The Quanyechang was founded in the same year as the Central Department Store, but Quanyechang had more of that historical flavor.

It was located at the intersection of Heping Road and Binjiang Road in Heping District, a large building in an eclectic style.

This was once the largest department store in Jinmen and also a symbol of Jinmen's commerce.

Of course, it was now under the management of the Jinmen supply and marketing system. When everyone met in the morning, they had discussed going to Quanyechang to have fun.

In the car, Li Xuewu reported to Li Huai the content of his meeting with Zhang Changming, as well as the temporary plan for the Jinmen office.

After all, it was the office with the largest capital investment, so Li Huai also attached great importance to it.

When Li Xuewu proposed that Zhuang Cangshu serve as the director of the office, he thought for a moment and agreed.

Zhuang Cangshu was the deputy director of the sales department and had been the main cadre responsible for the preparatory work of the Jinmen office. He was familiar with the situation here and should be the first director.

Of course, when to change, and who to change to, would depend on the development and work performance of the Jinmen office.

After Li Xuewu and Li Huai finalized this candidate, he discovered that the car was heading toward the Zizhulin Pier.

Were they going to take another look at that East Asia Bank?

"Haiyang, are you interested in working in Jinmen?"

Li Xuewu hadn't heard Li Huai say where they were going, so this matter was a bit suspicious.

Either there was a problem with the site selection and he wasn't at ease, or there was other content.

Li Huai went to Jingu yesterday, and the changes also happened in Jinmen; the only one left in Jinmen was Li Haiyang.

And Li Huai hadn't given him a clear attitude or answer last night or this morning. Could this surprise be related to Li Huai's testing and suspicion?

Then the key point was Li Haiyang; Li Huai had intentionally left him here to handle things yesterday.

Li Xuewu couldn't ask directly, so he borrowed the previous topic to name Li Haiyang in the passenger seat.

Facing Li Xuewu's question, Li Huai smiled and didn't speak.

Li Haiyang turned his body and replied modestly to Li Xuewu, "Thank you, Deputy Secretary Li, for your cultivation, but I know my own limitations; it's better to learn by the leader's side for a few more years."

"I don't know what else you've learned~"

Li Xuewu smiled and gestured to Li Huai, "But this humble attitude in dealing with people has truly been learned from the leader!"

"Hahaha~"

Li Huai couldn't resist the praise, and he also knew Li Xuewu was joking on purpose, or perhaps he was a bit unable to suppress his inner playfulness and showed it on the surface.

Regardless of what it was, he was very happy.

He wasn't afraid of Li Xuewu having ability; he was afraid of not seeing Li Xuewu's heart and not seeing Li Xuewu's bottom line.

Previously, the positions between the two were vastly different, and he had the confidence to suppress Li Xuewu.

He still had confidence now, but what about the future?

The trade project would eventually be handed over to Li Xuewu. If he didn't test Li Xuewu's bottom line, he would always be hanging on to this worry.

It could be said that Li Xuewu's speed of progress had turned his composure into an urgent task that was imminent.

This time, with the Jinmen office planning, he also discovered his own shortcomings and saw Li Xuewu's ability clearly.

Not only in the factory, but also in external occasions, he could take the stage and achieve results.

Compared to Zhang Changming, he was more optimistic about Li Xuewu's future.

Although Zhang Changming had connections in the city, this was also a limitation—a ceiling.

But Li Xuewu was different; even though he knew he had connections, they were all work-related connections.

His family background was simple, and there would be no conflict with his father-in-law's side; his future was truly limitless.

Unless absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to destroy the relationship with Li Xuewu.

Therefore, for the last test, he had to show his cards to Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu never expected that the test Li Huai gave him would be this!

"Three floors above ground, one floor underground, with an attic and a viewing balcony,"

A middle-aged female cadre was briefly introducing the European-style bungalow in front of them.

"The courtyard comes with a garage, a storage room, and a full set of living facilities."

As she spoke, she opened the wooden courtyard gate and gestured toward the living room, "The interior design is exquisite, the whole house is electrified, and it has an electric vacuum cleaner, electric sewing machine, floor-standing radio, tape recorder, television, etc. —everything you could want."

The female cadre just stood in the courtyard introducing it and didn't walk into the house; she didn't know if it was because the seal on the door was too new and too conspicuous.

"It's very special; you can listen to stereo in this room. When it was renovated, more than a dozen radios were installed."

Hearing her say this, Li Xuewu's eyebrows jumped; just how rich must the owner have been to dare to do this?

The "electrification" things didn't matter. Jinmen is by the sea; you think the southerners have boats to run away, but Jinmen doesn't have bold people running to the Japanese side?

Otherwise, how did Yu Min and the others get those things?!

Li Huai was very calm; he didn't mind the seal on the door, lightly gestured to this garden bungalow, and asked Li Xuewu, "What do you think of this house?"