[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-986":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2315036,4526,"Chapter 986: The Dog, Cornered, Jumps the Wall","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-986",986,"\u003Cp>“Being a leader really is different, huh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui walked into Li Xuewu’s office, glancing around curiously at everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t ask Peng Xiao for help; the security building had a habit of taking a nap at noon, and it was currently rest time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brewed tea for Yushui from the tea cabinet and placed it on the coffee table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sit anywhere, have some tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard leaders always have good tea leaves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui walked back to the sofa, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked: “Is that true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not entirely—certainly not here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu understood what she meant: leaders don’t have to buy their own tea~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’d never accepted tea from any subordinate, nor had he ever gifted tea to anyone; instead, it was the leaders who got stripped bare by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he answered Yushui’s question, he put away his lunch box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a leader now—do people bring you tea leaves?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What leader am I~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui smirked and said: “You do plenty of work, take plenty of abuse, and your salary barely went up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced around the room and said: “No one’s as comfortable as you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you came here to complain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu chuckled at her, sat down on the armchair, and picked up his teacup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui avoided his gaze, feigning casualness as she looked at the room’s furnishings, yet stubbornly said: “No~ Just saying it out loud.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The workshop director’s position is important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu spread his right hand and said: “I’m not lecturing you—it really is important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui replied softly, then quickly added to prevent misunderstanding: “I’m not complaining~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand—work is always like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pointed to the towering stack of documents on his desk and said: “Sometimes even I get frustrated seeing all this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui turned her head, puckered her lips, and said: “Complaining to me won’t help~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu gave a light laugh, sensing her mood, took a sip of tea, and asked: “Is it work that’s bothering you, or life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Neither~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui looked up at him and said: “I just never came to see you here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And came empty-handed~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu teased her, then nodded slowly and said: “If you ever have trouble, come to me anytime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Yushui fall silent, he smiled and added: “But don’t break the workflow—no bypassing your superiors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui rolled her eyes, knowing he was teasing her, and said: “What trouble could I possibly have~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying that, she glanced at Li Xuewu and added: “I heard you’ve had plenty of trouble lately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve always had plenty of trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu waved his hand casually and said: “Don’t listen to their gossip—offices are like this; you know it well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought so too~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui smiled faintly and said: “They made it sound so dramatic, I actually thought you were facing some huge crisis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for the concern—nothing’s wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu set down his teacup, looked at her, and said: “But you—really nothing’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui bit her lip, hesitated, then asked: “It’s just… I’m a bit lost~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s perfectly normal~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled at her and said: “Which young person isn’t lost? Isn’t being lost what makes you young?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about you?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui stared at him, dumbfounded, and asked: “You’re young too—youthful even—so are you lost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lost! I’m totally lost! Seriously!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu gestured around his head and said: “So lost I sometimes feel dizzy, confused, spinning out of control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui didn’t believe his nonsense; she smirked and said: “You’re just overthinking everything, your mind spins too fast—gets itself dizzy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu sighed, looking helpless: “You all treat me like a life coach—you come to me when you’re lost, but who do I talk to when I’m lost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eeeeee~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui looked at him with disdain, grinning: “Look at you, so shameless—life coach?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her and said: “I said young people get lost—you didn’t believe me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said I’m lost too—and you still don’t believe me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So does that mean I’m young and wise, and not your life coach, then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand with a smile, cutting off her reply: “Honestly, it’s normal for young people to hit roadblocks and feel stuck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t overcomplicate things—who’s born knowing everything, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu gestured to Yushui: “I said I’ve been lost before—you didn’t believe me. Not just you—no one believes me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just before lunch, right here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pointed toward his desk and said: “The factory newspaper and radio station staff wanted to interview me—to ask how young people should work, how they should live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui looked at Li Xuewu curiously: “Did you agree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I refused~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu said seriously: “I’m still young myself—I don’t even know how to work or how to live, so what would I tell them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m just an ordinary worker, a plain, unremarkable laborer—nothing else!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui stared at Li Xuewu, speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t sure anymore how to judge the standards of “ordinary” and “unremarkable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone thinks I’m lucky, talented, that every step I take is smooth, my life effortless, my career rising steadily—is that possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his teacup, sipped the hot tea, then tilted his head and said to Yushui: “Of course not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You see me here today, seemingly glorious, unmatched—but you don’t see the hardship behind me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hardship behind…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui studied Li Xuewu—rarely had he spoken such words!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hide the hardship behind? Why not show it to the front?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, whose youth isn’t lost~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu spread his hands: “The path I walked, the hardships I endured—all came from my own effort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying that, seeing Yushui looked slightly nauseated by his pep talk, he added a dose of plain truth: “And a bit of strategic planning~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strategic planning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yushui raised an eyebrow, amused, and said: “That word choice… no wonder they say you’re brilliant with words, the best writer around!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that a compliment or an insult?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu teased with a smile, sipped his tea, and gestured for her to help herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui picked up her cup, sipped, and teased: “They all say you’re calculating, full of schemes, always ten steps ahead, always holding the advantage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was that your brother who said that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s lips twitched slightly; he shook his head slightly, put down his teacup, and said sincerely: “Maybe—I’m just cautious, and I hate causing others trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d really like to hear you explain that part~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sipping tea, He Yushui looked at Li Xuewu and said: “I can’t do any of that—I only realize my mistakes long after I’ve made them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Explain what? Calculating?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled and asked; seeing her nod seriously, he thought a moment and said: “Calculating is just computing—it sounds complicated, but it’s actually not hard at all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui felt he’d said not a single honest word; she shifted closer and asked: “Do you even distrust your own people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh~ Who’s your own person?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her, teasing: “You?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yushui set down her cup, glared at him, nodded, and stood up to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back down onto the sofa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just teasing you, why’d you get so worked up~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then tell me! What are you saying?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili glared at Li Xuewu and said: “Can you say something serious for once? You think it’s funny to mess with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say! Say what?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her and said seriously: “I’m telling you, I’ve never schemed against anyone. I’m a very simple person. Do you believe me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t believe me, right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at Yu Shuili and added earnestly: “But I really have never schemed against anyone. My principle is ‘just do it’—I don’t overthink.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili stared into Li Xuewu’s eyes. She felt he was pulling another fast one on her, but couldn’t find proof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About confusion, there’s one explanation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu brought over another bowl of chicken soup and said: “That’s thinking too much and doing too little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re saying I’m indecisive, lacking conviction?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili glanced at Li Xuewu in surprise—he’d actually said something profound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu shrugged and said: “It depends on the context—like your job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili raised an eyebrow and asked: “What about your job?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just emphasized to you that the workshop director position is crucial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu said seriously: “At the steel rolling mill, and at your Textile Factory No. 3, or any other factory, the leadership team always includes people who rose from that position.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili nodded. She knew this well—deputy directors in charge of technology, daily operations, and business all needed solid management experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With someone like that in place, there’s always a channel for advancement between middle and grassroots management.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu said sincerely: “Especially in technical and production management, you don’t need to scheme or fight. Just do your job well in your position.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, you could say it’s not absolute—I admit that—but the workshop director role definitely trains you to handle these relationships well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili nodded slowly, thinking: “Actually, I’d prefer to stay on the front line—it’s more fulfilling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s tied to your personality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu agreed: “I can’t say working in an office or on the shop floor is better—but what suits you is best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, that makes sense~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili nodded again, then asked: “How should a workshop director pass down pressure? I mean…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu interrupted her question, nodding understandingly: “You’re the link—acting as a pivot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he smiled and asked: “You’re stuck on this, aren’t you? Confused, doubting your original choice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you just say it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili, caught off guard, scolded him playfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, embarrassed, she covered her face and whispered: “You know as well as I do—I’ve got two mothers-in-law to deal with, plus all the workers in the workshop—there’s trouble everywhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, it’s annoying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu nodded understandingly: “Too many masters. The steel mill is one mother-in-law, the textile factory is another. The workers’ origins are complicated too. This is my fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Yu Shuili’s surprised gaze, he nodded slightly and explained: “I was the one who proposed the joint tertiary industry project. The plans and rules were all my ideas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili finally found the source—this jerk was the one who created the system that had worn her out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked, puzzled: “Why couldn’t it have been...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her and said: “You know there are two mother-in-laws—interests and conflicts are irreconcilable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then added: “At the time, the steel mill’s working conditions weren’t good. I wasn’t sure how long the joint tertiary project could last.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you admit you schemed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili protested: “You deliberately stirred up trouble, dug pits, and mixed mud!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slapped the sofa arm and snapped: “You—you—you tricked me, you know that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehehe~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t mind her accusation—he just smiled: “I never meant to make things hard for you. At least I wouldn’t scheme over a workshop director position... right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine! So I’m just imagining things!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili said, exasperated: “A tiny workshop director isn’t even worth your scheming—or your ‘planning,’ is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In other words, I’m not even worth your scheming, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehehe~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu just chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying. He spread his hands: “Once the Tertiary Industry Management Office takes charge, none of these problems will exist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Yu Shuili suddenly understood. She narrowed her eyes and nodded: “So you left the loophole at the Management Office!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She truly understood now. As Li Xuewu said, once the Management Office took over, the pressure would be absorbed there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Management Office would directly coordinate conflicts and interests between the linked enterprises—instead of dumping it all onto the workshop director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu had also mentioned the steel mill’s poor conditions back then—he might have planted a trap, waiting for someone to jump in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever controlled the Management Office director’s position could tighten or loosen the reins at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tighten it, and work runs smoothly—problems stay hidden. Loosen it, and chaos erupts—tertiary industry collapses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So cunning!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili thought back—who had been the first Tertiary Industry Management Office director?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh! Right!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Yu De, now deputy head of the Security Team. He’d previously served as head of the Security Department’s General Office and deputy director of the Service Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder! His scheming wasn’t aimed at workshop directors—it was aimed higher!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili glared at Li Xuewu: “What’s going on with the Management Office now? It’s a mess—and your factory’s working conditions are bad again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yu Shuili said, the current heads of the Joint Tertiary Industry Management Office were Lu Peizhong and Jin Yaohui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was Xiang Yujing’s man, the other Li Huai’s. Their backgrounds and work histories were completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their superiors got along fine, but when their subordinates were forced into the same department, could Lu Peizhong, who came from production, and Jin Yaohui, a secretary who’d caused trouble in the frontier office, possibly get along?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Peizhong wanted to make achievements in the Tertiary Industry role—he saw it as a stepping stone, aiming for deputy director rank, then returning to production leadership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yaohui, however, had been crushed in the frontier office. His spirit was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The romance and glamour of the frontier had long worn away what little ambition he’d ever had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambition was gone. Now he only had fights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Peizhong says one, Jin Yaohui says: “No, one’s bad—two’s better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why’s two better?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t say why. If you pressed him, he’d just say: “Director Li said two’s better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that infuriating? How can you work like this? Who the hell can go ask Director Li if two really is better?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Yaohui used to be Director Li’s secretary—he waved the boss’s flag like a banner. Who dared challenge him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True as it was, how could Li Xuewu explain? He couldn’t air family dirty laundry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili was trustworthy, but if he said this often, outsiders would think he had a grudge against Lu Peizhong and Jin Yaohui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t matter if he disliked them—but his position was extremely delicate. He was favored by Li Huai and trusted by other factory leaders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked powerful, but walked on thin ice. One misstep could ruin everything. He couldn’t afford to take sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he spoke up, it might make the higher-ups think he had a grudge against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Xuewu say nothing but laugh awkwardly, Yu Shuili overinterpreted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you planning to trap someone again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her, exasperated: “We’re all colleagues. Who would I trap?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili thought again, then suddenly opened her eyes wide: “Someone said one of the two Management Office director spots was yours—now it’s not, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe, what are you talking about? That’s nonsense~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu sipped tea: “All positions belong to the organization—to the public. None are marked with my name. Don’t believe rumors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you did it on purpose, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili now looked clever, as if solving a case: “Since you couldn’t win, you threw them out to fight each other—then you step in to clean up, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s lip twitched. He asked Yu Shuili: “Do you really see me as such a scheming villain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shuili pursed her lips, didn’t answer, but returned to the question Li Xuewu hadn’t answered earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still haven’t told me what I should do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simple. A pivot—what matters is being smooth. I mean in your work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu feared she’d misunderstand again and emphasized: “To upper management, the workshop director is a production role. To the workers, it’s a management role. So you must be flexible—and smooth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how do you be flexible? How do you be smooth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui frowned slightly and said, “You said it’s about work, not teaching me how to be a person, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s just work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu nodded and said, “To sum it up: you are you, and yet you are not you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid Yu Shui’s confused gaze, he explained, “Whether in the workshop or facing your superiors, you are a part of the factory—you belong to the factory, so you are not you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui stared at him and asked, “Then what am I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A screw, a small component in a vast machine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her seriously and said, “You must carry out your duties without compromise—round when needed, square when needed, and always hold to principle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what does ‘you are you’ mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui understood the previous point: it told her to be strong in her own right, to excel at her core work—something she firmly believed she could do well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are you—you are a person, a living individual, incapable of performing every task with mechanical precision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu tapped her lightly and asked, “People make mistakes, have personalities, have tempers—do you get angry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head slightly and teased her, “Show me a fierce one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go to hell~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui pouted and scolded him half-heartedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Xuewu shook his head seriously and said, “Too much restraint won’t do—your superiors will think you’re easygoing, your subordinates will think you’re easy to bully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your personality, your temper—you must boldly express your opinions and attitudes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After trying to explain to her, he tapped his own chest and asked, “Has anyone ever said I have a bad temper? Has anyone ever said I’m dishonest or incompetent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Oh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui suddenly understood something, her mouth slightly open, as if struck by revelation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So all these things you show at the factory...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved her hand, paused, then asked, “Are they all deliberate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Natural. Just do the job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled, took a sip of tea, and asked, “Now do you understand what I meant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui nodded slowly, lips pressed together, looking at him seriously: “You’re terrifying~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu laughed aloud, set down his teacup, and teased her, “So your brother told you to stay away from me, so you don’t go bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, you’re not bad~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui shook her head slightly, and under Li Xuewu’s questioning look, confirmed: “You’re ruthless, cunning, and deceitful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d rather you called me bad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu waved his hand irritably and said, “If you keep talking like that, you’ll have no friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never had many friends anyway~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui glanced at him and sneered, “Yu Haitang used to be one, but because of you, she won’t even go to the courtyard anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that got to do with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu protested, “From start to finish, I’ve been pure, upright, and clean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui gave him a look that said, “Don’t pretend—I see right through you,” and said, “But talking to you really helps—I’ve figured out so many things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I’m your life mentor, then!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled and said, “Now you know where my office is—if you’re not afraid of going bad, come often.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like I just said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spread his hands and said, “If you have trouble, you can always talk to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, thank you~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui scolded him half-heartedly, then unconsciously smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s openness and confidence truly reached into a person’s heart—she couldn’t help but be drawn to his charm, and following his guidance, she truly gained something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before, I cared most about what others thought of me—you know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed her lips, lowered her head, and said, “I lost my mother young, my father left, my brother’s always clueless—I’ve felt inferior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu nodded understandingly and said, “I can see—you live stubbornly, fiercely, afraid of being hurt, afraid of offending others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui nodded quietly, silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu sat with her in silence, waiting for her to calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, heh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui lifted her head, smiled at him, as if a long-held knot had untied—her smile brighter than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re welcome~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled too, teasing her, “We’re family, right~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui pressed her lips and glared at him, then her smile grew even warmer, like the sun melting ice and snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, thank you for the tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood up and said to Li Xuewu, “I won’t disturb your work anymore. One talk with you is worth ten years of reading—I’ve gained much today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s because you’re naturally intelligent—I didn’t help you much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood up but made no move to see her off; though he teased her about not being “family,” his actions showed he treated her as anything but a stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to learn your art of speaking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui smiled, waved goodbye, walked toward the door, nodded to Peng Xiao as he entered, and added, “You speak so well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Xiao stared at Yu Shui in bewilderment—he’d never seen anyone speak to a superior like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Xuewu merely smiled, ignoring him, and walked to his desk—he had plenty of work to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet before he could sit down, Yu Shui—who had already left—stood again at the door, ignoring Peng Xiao’s presence, and smiled at him: “I’ve figured it out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu nearly jumped, helplessly asking, “Figured what out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui smiled brightly at his expression and said seriously, “Actually, I really like you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Xiao looked around in confusion: Is this something I’m supposed to hear?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does the boss hate me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or is he testing me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will he soon find some excuse to exile me to the frontier—or kill me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which foot did I even step in with?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu ignored his reaction, pointed irritably at the door, and shouted, “Enough already!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hasn’t she left yet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s she doing in there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long has she been in there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yuzhu had been pacing the ground floor lobby of the main office building for over half an hour, his eyes fixed on the guard tower across the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself, ignoring everyone, utterly unnerved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards on duty in the main building stared at him, grimacing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a visitor arrived and Deputy Director Ao came out to greet them, the visitor paused, startled by He’s state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for Ao’s explanation, they might have thought the steel mill had turned into an asylum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards knew who he was—they knew he wouldn’t harm the bosses—but He the cook just seemed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, people had whispered He was mentally unwell, but everyone assumed it was malicious slander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was straightforward, sharp-tongued—he’d offended too many people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this era, mental illness was an incurable curse, and slanderers always used it as an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when you saw He yelling while cooking, which of those behaviors was truly insane? Everyone just laughed it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today was different—He’s behavior looked exactly like madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yuzhu didn’t notice the guards’ wary glances—he kept staring at the guard tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d seen Yu Shui walk into the office building with Li Xuewu, laughing and chatting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the canteen, he’d trusted Li Xuewu and trusted his sister—but now, seeing them vanish together for half an hour, he couldn’t trust it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because of anything else—he’d been to Li Xuewu’s office, and he knew there was a rest room inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking of Li Xuewu’s rest room made him restless, like an ant on a hot pan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the guard was about to approach and probe him, just as he was about to storm into Li Xuewu’s office to find Yu Shui—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the guard tower’s entrance, Yu Shui appeared—cheeks flushed, spirit bright, eyes gleaming, lips curved in a satisfied smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh no! Oh... damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat poured down He Yuzhu’s forehead—he froze, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the guard placed a hand on his arm, he snapped back to awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the guard’s questions, he shook off the hand and bolted forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard jumped in surprise, watched him run, and followed after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had only run two steps before he stopped chasing, for the guard had seen who He Master was chasing—it was his younger sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These two siblings… playing hide-and-seek?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard muttered in exasperation, then shook his head with a chuckle and returned to his post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this side, Sha Zhu hadn’t noticed what was happening behind him; he caught up to Yu Shui from behind, grabbed her arm, and asked, “Where’d you go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui jumped in surprise, about to scream—then saw it was her brother, so she frowned and replied, “What are you doing? You scared me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You scared me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Zhu glared, then gestured toward the upper floor with his eyes and asked, “What were you just doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui kept her hands in her pockets, walking forward as she asked, “Are you spying on me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be ungrateful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Zhu glanced back at the guard’s building, then followed his sister as she walked, asking again, “What were you just doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui looked up at her brother, saw his stubborn, probing expression, and laughed. “I just sat in his office. What’s wrong with that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Zhu snorted and pressed on: “What did you do in his office?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui glared at him, her impatience rising, her tone turning cold—but she said, “We chatted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chatted?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Zhu still didn’t notice her change in attitude and kept pressing: “What about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui took two more steps, about to get angry—then suddenly realized something was off with her brother’s demeanor. She stopped and studied him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you staring at me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her stop and look at him like a sick patient, Sha Zhu’s mouth twitched as he pressed: “You haven’t told me what you talked about yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just small talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui now understood her brother’s state. She sighed. “We talked about work, about life, about the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Sha Zhu’s turn to be speechless—his eyes screamed: I don’t believe you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was impossible to believe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man and a woman alone in a room, especially since he knew his sister liked Li Xuewu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She says they talked about work, life, and the future—what do you think they actually did?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Zhu thought: any normal person, thinking rationally, would know this was a lie!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What annoyed him more was her attitude—if you’re going to lie to me, can’t you put in some effort and pick a better excuse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Shui saw her brother’s skeptical expression and felt equally helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upstairs, she’d drunk so much chicken soup—she’d genuinely talked to Li Xuewu about work, about life’s attitude, about the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if her brother didn’t believe her, what could she do? Who was to blame? He’d already assumed she was hitting on Li Xuewu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking about it exhausted her—because of her own feelings, her brother had nearly gone mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. You think whatever you want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew something was off!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his sister “nervously” turn away, Sha Zhu became even more certain she was hitting on Li Xuewu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered under his breath as he chased after her, trying to persuade her to turn back before it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu watched the sibling drama from upstairs, amused—his smile refused to be hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Xiao didn’t dare look down—not because he disliked drama, but because he feared being exiled to the frontier and silenced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader, someone from the Confidentiality Department has arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s expression turned icy instantly; he narrowed his eyes toward the main office building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Shanghai-brand sedan was parked at the entrance—not one belonging to the factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Xiao stood beside Li Xuewu and reported softly: “I saw Deputy Director Ao come down and escort them up. They must be meeting Director Li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu murmured, raised an eyebrow, turned, and walked to his desk to dial the Discipline Inspection office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the call connected to Xiang Yun’s line, he spoke: “Director Xiang, there seems to be trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Yun was startled by Li Xuewu’s words—he hadn’t even spoken yet when Li Xuewu dropped this bomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing about the Confidentiality Department’s recent actions, especially regarding Yingcheng, he frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The case is already under urgent investigation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated slightly, then asked, “Do you have any concerns—or requests? You can tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What concerns could I have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood beside his desk, eyes narrowed toward the main office building: “And no requests. I just want to know when this case will end—I’m sick of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Yun paused, then added: “It must be concluded before the New Year. There’s heavy pressure from above—many leaders have given directives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu had only wanted to hear that—Xiang Yun knew exactly what he wanted to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hung up without another word, as if nothing had been said—yet everything had been said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Xiao quietly gathered the documents on his desk and headed for the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to call Gu Cheng back at his office—the situation upstairs was heating up, and his position made it unsuitable for him to go; Gu Cheng was better suited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood by the window for only a few minutes, then returned to his desk and resumed work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I am myself, yet I am not myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t fooled Yu Shui with that phrase—it was a small insight he’d gained from his work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That morning, Yu Daru had invited him to dinner, clearly intending to apologize over wine—but he refused, choosing to stand his ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Li Xuewu knew this wasn’t simple—it couldn’t be resolved with one meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to meet the man behind Yu Daru—he wanted to meet the one who set the whole scheme in motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were only Yu Daru’s superior, this would be easy—no invitation needed, just a few moves and it’d be over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since this case reached the branch, that person had already mobilized Yu Daru and others to intervene—aiming squarely at the branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the final goal wasn’t the branch. Starting from the branch, the ripples would inevitably rise higher, achieving his hidden agenda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the schemer himself came to invite him to dinner, would Li Xuewu accept it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t dream it. If he knew who the mastermind was, he’d call his father-in-law immediately and launch a sudden strike to bring the man down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In scheming, he wouldn’t allow anyone to outplay him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game wasn’t about brute force—it was about wit. As Yu Shui said, it was about playing mind games, about calculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent truly meant to kill him—just look at what happened in Yingcheng: destroying his foundation was like killing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu had handled things skillfully—but he hadn’t harmed the opponent, nor forced him to reveal himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their power levels were vastly unequal: Li Xuewu was in the open, the opponent in the shadows. Every step felt like walking on a razor’s edge, dancing on a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To this day, he hadn’t suffered because of only a few reasons: the case had already erupted—and grown larger, with worsening repercussions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His background was deep; someone was watching over him, so no one dared touch him lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His influence was great: a model worker at the steel mill, a backbone of the Third Guard Regiment, a criminal investigation expert at the branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moving against him would only expose the schemer’s identity—there’d be no chance of mutual destruction anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally, Li Xuewu’s “divine strategy” had been perfectly timed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Yun had leaked him a piece of news: the higher-ups had already issued directives—this case must be fully exposed, no one could suppress it, it must be investigated to the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Discipline Inspection Office, after careful consideration, was willing to conclude the case before year-end—meaning Li Xuewu had just over a month to plan. If he could dig out the mastermind, the threat would be eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, if the case ended after the New Year, the schemer would have escaped, with no reason left to pursue Li Xuewu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enmity between them was now sealed. After this round was settled, the next one might begin at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu wasn’t the type to let grudges linger overnight—he wouldn’t tolerate some old man lurking behind him. He’d dig up the man’s ancestral grave, grind his bones to dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You think he’s anxious? Don’t you think the other side is anxious too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible. That morning, Yu Daru left in defeat; that afternoon, the man who’d planned to invite him came to visit Li Huai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like they were desperate—jumping off a cliff!\u003C\u002Fp>",5421,"2026-06-20T13:47:03.676Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","94c97a4544838128106e20027f693fe511c1c32c6471f9692007af14f205dd2a","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-987","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-985",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]