dognovel Chapter 1628 Winter Snow
Chapter 1628 Winter Snow
Chapter 1628 Winter Snow
"You can reserve your opinion and report it directly to your superiors."
Before leaving the meeting room, Li Huaide told Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan, "As the squad leader, I absolutely do not support you doing this kind of thing!"
These words were a complete abrupt break, shattering the unity he had been trying to maintain within the group's leadership.
The people in the conference room had different expressions, but none of them spoke.
Li Xuewu calmly packed up his materials and notebooks, while Dong Wenxue looked rather dejected, sitting there without moving.
Jing Yunong glanced at the group, slightly raised her chin, picked up the prepared materials, and walked out as the second person to leave. Her secretary immediately followed.
Looking at the others, Cheng Kaiyuan, Zhang Jingsong, and Xue Zhifu exchanged glances, their brows furrowed as they looked at Dong Wenxue and Li Xuewu.
What about Li Xuewu?
After packing his things, he stood up and turned to walk outside as if nothing had happened. Zhang Enyuan took his notebook and materials at the door and followed him.
"cough--"
Gao Yaqin coughed lightly and glanced at Gu Weijie diagonally across from her.
Her secretary proactively came over and helped her tidy up her documents and notebooks, allowing her to leave with her water glass in hand.
Gu Weijie didn't look at her, but stared at Zhou Wanquan and Su Weide, who both had serious expressions.
She was somewhat puzzled, and just as Cheng Kaiyuan and the other two shook their heads helplessly and stood up, she narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "Comrade Weide."
Suweid raised his head and looked at her without much surprise, his eyes filled with determination, as if he didn't want to listen to any of her advice.
Zhou Wanquan, on the other hand, was much more composed. He simply looked across at the other person, waiting to hear what the first deputy director had to say.
Cheng Kaiyuan and the other two paused in unison as they stood up, then left quickly without any hesitation.
What the three people who remained in the conference room said was unknown to anyone except their secretaries who were waiting at the door.
And how the group leaders reacted when they returned to their offices is perhaps only known to their secretaries.
"Boss, should we change today's schedule?" Zhang Enyuan asked cautiously as he escorted Li Xuewu back to his office. "If you have other plans, I will inform the research institute immediately."
"No need, just go about your business."
Li Xuewu pulled out a study document from his drawer and started reading. He calmly said, "Don't worry, the sky won't fall."
"Understood." Zhang Enyuan was actually very confident, confident in his leader, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with the secretary-general's work.
At this point, others might have doubts or speculations, but he, who was always by the leader's side, would not.
Li Xuewu's work arrangements may bypass or deceive many people, but they will never bypass or deceive him.
If this is a section chief, then his work arrangements may still have a certain degree of autonomy and secrecy.
But when it comes to Li Xuewu, the only one in the entire group, so many people are watching him closely, and so many people are discussing his decisions over tea and after meals, how could such a despicable thing happen as Su and Zhou said in the meeting room?
Zhang Enyuan felt that he was not of the rank or the authority to discuss or comment on what happened in the meeting room.
However, as Li Xuewu's secretary, he knew what he should and shouldn't do.
At this moment, what he should do, and what he can do, is to act as confidently and calmly as the secretary-general, after all, he is being watched by many people.
***
"Secretary-General."
Li Xuewu returns to Beijing every month, and whenever he has enough time, he visits the research institute for research, which has almost become a routine.
The local officials and researchers are very familiar with him and have long been accustomed to his unpretentious visits to the laboratory.
But whenever he arrived, Xia Zhongquan, the head of the research institute, would always accompany him. Everyone knew that the two were very good comrades.
The turmoil within the management committee has not yet affected the ivory tower focused on scientific research; the place remains tranquil yet vibrant with passion.
As winter approaches, researchers are dedicating their youth to contributing to the group's success.
Li Xuewu got out of the car, shook hands with Xia Zhongquan, then raised his hand to indicate the direction of the experimental workshop, saying, "Let's talk as we walk."
The cadres and employees of the research institute may not yet be aware of the impending upheaval in the group's management, but Xia Zhongquan already knows.
If someone in his position can't even get a message in this kind of situation, then he really should go home and take care of his kids.
Is the situation serious?
Xia Zhongquan walked beside him, frowning, and said, "I've seen the results from the School of Architectural Engineering. How can you blame it all on one person?"
He said somewhat irritably, "I think some people are getting restless and want to move over, aren't they?"
"How old are you?" Li Xuewu turned around and looked him up and down with amusement, saying, "Why do you still have such a short temper like a young man?"
There are some things I just can't stand—
Xia Zhongquan still frowned and said, "The group had just gotten on the right track and everything was developing in a good direction when this suddenly happened."
He paused here, then hesitated before saying, "Especially at this time, with the situation so complicated, what exactly are they trying to do?"
“Hmm—” Li Xuewu glanced at the experimental workshop of the Vehicle Engineering Research Institute, sighed and said, “Everyone has their own ambitions, and we can’t force them.”
He led the way into the workshop, completely disregarding Xia Zhongquan's concerns, and instead showing great interest in the new car project.
Is this a complete replica?
Li Xuewu looked at the two identical Mercedes-Benz cars parked in the open space of the experimental workshop, his eyes filled with consideration.
"Guess which one is the original."
Xia Zhongquan suppressed his anxiety, walked to his side and examined his masterpiece, a hint of pride creeping onto his lips.
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, although he acknowledged that the Vehicle Engineering Research Institute had gathered almost all of the group's top technical talents in the automotive industry.
No, strictly speaking, apart from a few special factories, or senior designers or senior technicians whose leaders are unwilling to let go, there is no better talent pool in the whole country than Honggang Group.
Unless the automotive manufacturing industry started in research institutes and possesses irreplaceable technology, almost all engineers and technical researchers have a university degree.
In this day and age, this percentage of people with this level of education is almost outrageous.
It's said that there are monsters hiding in the research institute of Honggang Group, and projects are being conquered one after another, which is beyond normal understanding.
But Li Xuewu, who single-handedly created this legend, doesn't find it hard to understand: entrusting professional matters to professionals and actively creating a research environment and improving the welfare and benefits of researchers.
In particular, providing reasonable bonuses for tackling key projects is the foundation for the research institute to create miracles.
Replicating a car is not just a test of industrial skills.
Li Xuewu simply circled the two cars once before standing in front of what he believed to be the original Mercedes and looking at Xia Zhongquan, who had stopped smiling.
"I admit that there is still a certain gap in our technology."
Xia Zhongquan raised his hand, and although he said he was surrendering, his tone sounded like he was not convinced.
"After all, these are products from their assembly line. We just copied them and made them bit by bit."
"I didn't say anything to you, why are you in such a hurry?"
Li Xuewu's single sentence broke Xia Zhongquan's defenses once again. Xia opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word, his face turning red.
Li Xuewu found his performance somewhat amusing, especially his seriousness about the project, which was a craftsman's spirit, but also a bit too naive.
"Do not imitate others in form, but learn from their spirit."
He reached out and patted the hood of the Mercedes, saying with a hint of envy, "Our big cars will eventually have a day like this too."
Hearing him say that, Xia Zhongquan's expression became much more normal. He walked over and stared at the car, saying, "This day will come."
"Do you have the design drafts yet?" Li Xuewu walked to the driver's seat, opened the car door, and sat down. To be honest, Mercedes-Benz cars of this era were truly impressive.
While domestic cars were still habitually using the Soviet-style large sofa seats, Mercedes-Benz had already adopted split seats.
"It was just reassembled, and the project team is studying and analyzing the data. I haven't even seen the first draft of the design yet."
Xia Zhongquan stood outside the car door, watching him fiddle with the mechanical buttons in the cockpit and even start the car.
"Something in the tens of thousands?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him and asked, "It's not very expensive."
"That depends on the channel."
Xia Zhongquan said with a smile, "We only bought it for 15,000, but if we bought it through normal channels, it would cost at least 800,000 or 900,000."
Don't believe his nonsense. The car that Honggang Group bought is a new car, but it's definitely not from a legitimate channel, so the price can't be compared.
Li Xuewu knew, but couldn't say who it was. That person preferred this Mercedes-Benz sedan, preferring it over the Hongqi.
He's quite unique in that circle, but his identity is also special; whenever this car appears, you know who's here.
Honggang Group doesn't buy cars for road use; they're for dismantling and research. In fact, many of the cars they buy, including this one, are not even allowed on the road.
why?
The reason is simple: there are no procedures involved.
You said that the vehicle management system was quite primitive back then, and that it would be very easy for Honggang Group to apply for a license plate. It was indeed very easy, but it just didn't work.
Honggang Group has its own automobile industry, so it cannot exploit loopholes in this matter. Buying a car to disassemble and learn from is one thing, but disassembling it, assembling it, and driving it yourself is another matter entirely.
If Honggang Group hadn't lacked its own large passenger vehicles, and if Li Huaide hadn't insisted on giving them to him as a sign of appreciation, he wouldn't have even used the Volga.
Even if Aries is terrible, he is still willing to take advantage of Aries.
How can the head of a conglomerate that owns an automotive industry not even use his own car?
Currently, almost all official vehicles used by middle and lower-level employees of Honggang Group are either Aries or second-generation Antelope models.
Special vehicles are all models like the Hongyun and Hongtu, and some special departments have even started using cruisers and Tundras, which are quite impressive.
For example, the group's security department has three independent brigades, and the internal procurement has been completed, with all equipment being quite complete.
This is a mobile advertising vehicle; the company logo painted on the door represents the group's strength.
Now, Steel Auto is finally addressing a shortcoming in the automotive industry: large passenger cars, which Li Xuewu calls official cars.
Aries is too thin and lacks a certain presence. Although it has been included in the procurement list of many units and departments, it is still not Li Xuewu's first choice.
Of course, if you say that Xia Zhongquan and his team can design a car with the same domineering presence as this Mercedes, then he'll be the first to switch cars.
There is another reason why the car Li Xuewu is test driving cannot be driven on the road: policy restrictions.
Think about it, if a car sells for $15000-$18000 overseas, that's only 45000-$54000 in mainland China. If the car market were truly liberalized, mainland car companies would be completely finished. Who would still care about their cars?
However, there aren't many years left before the market is opened up. At most, we can give Honggang Group another ten years or so. If they still can't produce a competitive car, the market will still belong to others.
Is the Red Flag a good brand? Yes, but there are differences in how good it is.
If Hongqi's production capacity and quality can't compare to others, how can other sedans compete?
If it weren't for the protectionist policies of that time, which forced joint ventures and collaborations, there would have been no opportunity for the rise of electric vehicles.
"Hurry up, but don't take too big a step."
Li Xuewu drove around for a bit, then came back, turned off the car, got out, and said to Xia Zhongquan, "Let's work on a mid-range model first, and then work on a high-end model after we've gained some experience."
"We were mentally prepared for this."
Despite Xia Zhongquan's defiant stance just now, he knew in his heart that Li Xuewu not putting pressure on him was the best outcome.
That's why he's willing to hang out with Li Xuewu, even though talking about the age gap doesn't sound good, as if he's not very profound.
However! Li Xuewu is a person of absolute trustworthiness, and he never arbitrarily interferes with technological research.
He will raise questions, ask inquiries, and seek advice, but he will never distort facts or make irresponsible remarks.
Furthermore, while other fields may not have the same level of admiration for Li Xuewu, in the group's automotive industry, Li Xuewu is a god-like top design genius.
No one dared to stand up and criticize his designs, and those "abstract" design sketches are still preserved in the memorial hall.
The designers at the vehicle research institute also continued this abstract design tradition, with each project having a parody-style initial draft.
Xia Zhongquan was already used to it; he could even translate Li Xuewu's masterpieces, let alone those copycat works.
Before leaving, Li Xuewu decided on the project name for the mid-range sedan, which had not yet been drafted: following the naming convention of the twelve constellations—Taurus.
-
The opinions expressed by Su Weide and Zhou Wanquan at the meeting affected the process of organizing the congress, which was supposed to be held this month.
Li Xuewu returned to attend this meeting, which was originally scheduled to be the meeting where the group would elect a new organizing committee.
Li Huaide was furious and immediately called off the meeting. He even publicly criticized the two men for their willfulness.
His anger is useless; the key is to see what others think and do.
When the meeting was canceled, Li Xuewu immediately booked a train ticket back to Liaodong without even applying for the use of a private jet.
But Li Huaide insisted that he stay for two days and return to Liaodong on Monday.
This can be seen as a form of reassurance and support, because the official plane can fly to Fengcheng on Monday, making it convenient for Li Xuewu to meet with the leaders of Liaodong Industry.
After the Jingcheng Chemical Group project was finalized, the publicity quickly spread. The attention within the system was not only focused on Jingcheng Chemical and Liaodong Industry, but even Honggang Group, which acted as an intermediary, was frequently mentioned by major newspapers.
When Li Huaide was suddenly interviewed by reporters at a relevant meeting, he said that Honggang Group did not directly participate in the project, but that the United Savings Bank completed the relevant work in the form of technical consulting.
His explanation was vague; the concept of technical consulting is not yet fully popularized, so his statement sounded somewhat advanced.
Of course, the main focus of this news is still Beijing Chemical Industry and Liaodong Industry, while the United Savings Bank easily managed to remain hidden.
However, in the eyes of the leaders above, this kind of capital operation still exceeds a certain policy scope.
But since Honggang Group was touted as a market-oriented experiment, the joint operation of the savings bank, after being scrutinized under a magnifying glass, did not contain any substantial violations, thus silencing many critics.
Even if there are controversies, they mostly revolve around whether this kind of capital intervention and operation is in line with the current system.
As long as we focus on the issue and not the person, many things are easy to discuss and do.
The related controversies did not affect Li Xuewu. Even though he received an invitation and a phone call at the signing ceremony held in Beijing by Beijing Chemical and Liaodong Industry, he still did not attend.
Since you've decided to keep a low profile for a while, you have to put on a good show and see it through to the end, lest you get implicated or suspected by accident.
Doubt is not direct denial, but labeling is more damaging than direct denial; his future path cannot have any connection with that incident.
The reason he rushed back to Beijing a few days ago was not entirely as Li Haiyang and Yang Zongfang, who were sitting in the steel city, guessed, but because he received a call from Xu Sinian.
This is really bad; ten helicopters aren't enough, they need a big ship too.
Xu Sinian didn't dare to take the bait, so he called Li Xuewu as if Li Xuewu would dare to answer.
His answer to Xu Sinian was conservative: do what he should do.
Whether Xu Sinian cursed after hanging up the phone or not, he didn't know, but if this happened to him and his boss responded like that, he would definitely curse.
What does it mean to do what you should do?
That means you have to bear all responsibility and consequences yourself.
The key issue is that Xu Sinian didn't want to take responsibility, nor could he afford to, so when Li Xuewu ran away, he ran away too.
He chose a very good reason: his father-in-law had died, and he had to hold a funeral.
He used this as a reason to write a leave application and submitted it to Li Xuewu. After reading it, Li Xuewu really wanted to curse.
Don't say he's unreasonable. He and Xu Sinian weren't exactly best friends, but they definitely had a good relationship.
Others might not know about Xu Sinian's family affairs, but did he not?
He gave this gift two years ago!
Do you understand what I mean? Xu Sinian's father-in-law died once two years ago, so why did he die again this year?
In order to escape, Xu Sinian did not hesitate to drag his father-in-law back to life, and then had him executed again. He did have some conscience, though, and did not intend to accept the gift.
Some people said that his mother-in-law's second husband died. Don't be ridiculous, Li Xuewu wanted to laugh when he heard that.
But despite the laughter, he had to approve the leave application. Regardless of whether Xu Sinian had actually dug his father-in-law out of the grave and rescued him, he had to acknowledge the matter both morally and logically, and therefore had to grant him leave.
We can't just run away and leave Lao Xu behind. If he can't keep up, that's not his fault. But since he's caught up, we have to help him out.
So on Sunday, he called Xu Sinian’s home in Beijing to inquire about his father-in-law’s death and expressed his deep regret and condolences.
You could still hear his wife's dissatisfaction and blame on the phone, as well as Xu Sinian's helplessness and explanations.
As compensation, Xu Sinian extorted lunch from Li Xuewu, which they ate at the club's restaurant.
"You know what, the chef here is really skilled!"
Xu Sinian was also a gourmand, just like Li Huaide, who loved good food and wine. It was one of his few hobbies in middle age.
Li Xuewu only took a small sip and didn't drink much. He also didn't talk much, and it was mostly Xu Sinian who did all the talking, rambling on and on.
"Gentlemen, please bring another dish."
Zhou Xiaobai suddenly knocked on the door and came in, carrying a plate with two hot dishes on it, and a smug smile on his face.
"Wow! It's been so long!"
Xu Sinian certainly recognized Zhou Xiaobai. He glanced at Li Xuewu and, seeing his surprised expression, chuckled, "Where have you come from?"
"From the Great Tang Dynasty in the East—"
Zhou Xiaobai smiled as he placed the hot dishes on the table, served himself a bowl of rice, and sat down at the table naturally.
Li Xuewu and Xu Sinian had almost finished drinking, but after she stirred things up, they completely lost their appetite for more.
"You've become so beautiful!"
Xu Sinian was a smooth talker and put no pressure on Zhou Xiaobai. He treated her as naturally as if she were his own daughter, which was understandable given his age.
Moreover, he knew that Zhou Xiaobai admired Li Xuewu, so he joked around without any restraint.
Zhou Xiaobai treated him the same way, showing no respect to Li Huaide, and was even more casual with him.
"That's right—" she said while eating, "Have you ever heard of how girls become more and more beautiful as they grow up?"
"I'd never heard of it before, but I've seen it for myself today."
Xu Sinian was never honest in Yingcheng. He had long since mastered the art of flattery, and with a little wine in hand, his words became even more enticing.
However, Zhou Xiaobai was a man of experience, and after rolling her eyes at him, she pouted and asked, "Uncle, are you alright?"
"Hahaha—" Xu Sinian burst out laughing, looked at Li Xuewu, and saw that he also looked impatient, which made him even happier.
He pointed at Li Xuewu and asked Zhou Xiaobai, "You call me uncle, but what do you call him?"
“Call me Grandpa.” Zhou Xiaobai was really going all out, but Xu Sinian was annoyed, and the smile on his face was a little stiff.
"You're really bored—" Li Xuewu couldn't bear to look at this pair of clowns anymore, so he turned to Zhou Xiaobai and said, "Hurry up and eat, we've been waiting for you."
"Eating too fast will cause choking and stomach pain."
Zhou Xiaobai offered a reasoned explanation, but dared not argue with Li Xuewu, though his movements remained slow and deliberate.
Her upbringing was excellent; it's just that during adolescence, she lost the constraints of school and encountered bad people like those in the club.
The club is a world of adults, and these young girls find everything new and exciting when they barge in, even the way adults talk to each other.
If Li Xuewu hadn't provided her with a comfortable material life and instilled in her a very correct outlook on life and values, her parents would definitely have been furious.
Even if Zhou Zhennan and his wife don't care about her now, it's because she has indeed grown up and speaks and acts like a young lady.
"Eat slowly, no rush."
Xu Sinian, having been tricked once, still hadn't learned his lesson. He teased Zhou Xiaobai before turning to Li Xuewu and asking, "Are you really going back like this?"
"Hmm, what else?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "You can go back later, but you have to wait until your father-in-law's seventh day memorial."
"Your father-in-law is dead again?!"
Zhou Xiaobai, who was eating, was very well-behaved. He knew that he couldn't interrupt when Brother Wu was talking, and he couldn't say anything.
But! She really couldn't resist!
Two years ago, she was still working at Shunfeng in Tianjin. She often went to Yingcheng with Brother Wu and got to know Xu Sinian.
She also attended Xu Sinian's father-in-law's funeral, since they were friends and she was following Wu Ge's example.
Hearing the tragic news of Xu Sinian's father-in-law again today, how could she not be surprised? Is there really such a thing as a way to be reborn in this world?
Seeing the look of surprise on her face as she held up dinner, Xu Sinian twitched his lips, not wanting to explain.
"Eat your food." Li Xuewu glanced at her before saying to Xu Sinian, "If anyone in Beijing tries to talk to you, blame it on Director Li and say you applied but weren't allowed to."
"This—" Xu Sinian was stunned. He hadn't expected Li Xuewu to ask him to push himself onto Old Li. He hesitated and asked, "Will this work?"
"So what if it's not allowed? Are we really going to build them boats?" Li Xuewu glared at him and said, "Director Li is the head of the group. You should have reported this matter to him."
"Then I... will report it tomorrow."
Xu Sinian knew that Li Xuewu wanted him to make amends, because his body was too frail and he really couldn't withstand this kind of torment.
Li Huaide didn't care. His position was already under the spotlight, and he had received attention and favor from above.
Now, we really need to think twice before trying to persuade Lao Li. Without something substantial to offer, it's generally impossible to sway an ordinary person.
Li Huaide represents Honggang Group and also represents the exploration of marketization. To deny Li Huaide is to deny this decision.
Unless the decision was wrong, Li Huaide's golden status won't be broken anytime soon, and it's not a problem even if he takes the blame.
What about you? What will you do?
Xu Sinian frowned and asked, "Old Su won't let this go so easily, will he?"
"I heard they also want to investigate Yu Zhe and then implicate you?"
Zhou Xiaobai, who was eating, listened intently, but because of Wu Ge's request, she dared not speak.
"Yu Zhe is fine now," Li Xuewu said calmly. "It won't affect me for the time being."
"As for Deputy Director Dong—"
He sighed softly and said, "I'm not available to see him right now. If you have time, you can go and talk to him."
"I understand." Xu Sinian nodded very seriously and said, "Deputy Director Dong is too kind and too rule-abiding."
“What’s the point of saying all this?” Li Xuewu twirled the wine glass in his hand and said, “If it weren’t for this temper, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
"That's true." Xu Sinian nodded and said, "But in that case, Director Li probably won't agree, right?"
He raised an eyebrow and said, "I heard the meeting was quite unpleasant. Old Su, you're not really going to cause a huge uproar, are you?"
"I don't know, maybe he really has guts."
Li Xuewu smirked and said with a hint of sarcasm, "He knows he can't make any waves in the group; it's just a death throes."
"He brought it on himself; he was so stupid."
Xu Sinian frowned and said, "When these leaders came to the group, they all integrated smoothly and steadily. He was the only one who went his own way."
"He's just stupid—"
At this point, Xu Sinian said somewhat irritably, "What else could it be but stupidity? Now they've been reduced to being used as pawns by Lao Zhou."
"It would be better if he understood."
Li Xuewu curled his lip and said, "I'm afraid he can't even handle a gun properly, and he'll just shoot randomly. Then he'll pack his bags and leave, and who will clean up the mess?"
"This is the kind of situation I fear most." Xu Sinian glanced at Zhou Xiaobai, who had just put down his chopsticks, and said angrily, "If all else fails, give him a push."
"Don't cause trouble for yourself—" Li Xuewu glared at him and warned, "Mind your own business."
"Also, have you groomed a successor for yourself?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Xu Sinian and said, "If no one can take your place, you have to be prepared to work in Yingcheng for the rest of your life."
"Sigh—" Xu Sinian sighed and said, "What's the use of me training them? Can the group really use them?"
He gulped down the last bit of wine, which had already gone cold, but then it transformed into a burning sensation that surged to the top of his head.
***
"What Lao Xu just said..."
After seeing Xu Sinian off, Zhou Xiaobai did not leave. Instead, he followed him to the backyard, a secluded courtyard that was where Lou Jue used to live.
The club is always kept warm; when it gets cold, all the heated brick beds and radiators in all the rooms must be turned on.
Although the weather in Beijing doesn't change as quickly as in Northeast China, winter came early this year, and the weather has been somewhat abnormal.
Generally speaking, it shouldn't be this cold before December, but it snowed heavily on the 10th of this month.
While it might be possible for the Northeast to experience such an early drop in temperature, it's quite rare for Beijing to see such an early temperature drop this year.
In the old days, even emperors would only heat their kang (heated brick bed) around the winter solstice. But things are different now; they can just heat it up whenever it gets cold.
Not heated? The cast iron heating pipes would all freeze and crack, so the dining room and the room he came into were both warm and cozy.
Li Xuewu and Xu Sinian weren't faking it; they really had drunk some alcohol. Li Xuewu had a headache from thinking about things and wanted to drink some alcohol and sleep.
He slumped onto the heated kang bed, and before he could even kick off his shoes, Zhou Xiaobai helped him by climbing onto the bed himself and making the bed for him.
"Don't fuss, I'm just lying down for a bit."
Li Xuewu's voice was a little deep. He lay down with his head facing the kang (a heated brick bed), but the stubborn Zhou Xiaobai dragged him to change his position.
"You can't drink with your head down, or you'll definitely get a headache."
She glanced out the window; it had seemed cloudy when she came back, and it looked like it was going to snow again.
Human emotions are strange, especially during cloudy or snowy weather, they can easily affect us and make us lose all interest.
Seeing that Li Xuewu had started snoring, she reached out and touched his beard. When she saw him frown, she took a pillow and snuggled into his arms to lie down.
Li Xuewu didn't answer her questions about the discussion at the dinner table, nor did he show any interest in talking about work, so she simply stopped asking.
Even if she asked, Li Xuewu wouldn't let her do anything, and even if she could do something, it would be limited.
Should I really ask my parents? And for what reason?
She has a day off today, but because of her past work experience, she doesn't really get along with her classmates.
Luo Yun also returned to Beijing and stayed at the medical school, but she didn't come to see Zuo Jie. The two had truly broken up.
Zuo Jie seems to have a new relationship with a girl in the compound who works in the postal and telecommunications system.
That makes sense. With Zuo Jie's current wealth and work situation, how could he possibly remain single if he were seriously looking for a partner?
Li Yuanchao sold him the car. Although it was registered at the club, it was actually his own. How many players in Beijing are as carefree as him?
Even Zhou Xiaobai rides a small motorcycle; his family wouldn't approve of him driving a car, especially since he's still at school—it's too conspicuous.
Luo Yun has changed, and Zhou Xiaobai knows that she has changed too, but Luo Yun has become someone she doesn't recognize.
No matter how much she changed, she never left the club's small circle, but Luo Yun changed and really left.
Logically speaking, once she returned to Beijing, she should naturally come to the club, but Luo Yun never did, and their relationship was even distant.
It seems like that past has always been a dream, from childhood to adulthood.
She wasn't one to rush into things; when Luo Yun distanced himself, she pretended not to know him and acted like a stranger.
However, she doesn't have many friends. During holidays, she either goes home or comes here. Coming here is also to search for past memories, which takes away some of the fun.
In recent years, the situation has become more complicated, and fewer members come to the club. They either come purely to discuss business or purely to exercise.
Fewer people frequent this place anymore, and the courtyard looks much quieter, even though there are still gatherings and internal movies on weekends.
Of all the friends I made a few years ago, only Ou Xin remains. Even the club manager has been replaced by Sister Zhou from Gangcheng.
Pei Pei frequently went to Tianjin, and they had met, but only very rarely, and they didn't have a deep relationship to begin with.
Now, her only reason for coming to the club is probably because of the person in front of her.
Li Xuewu slept for more than three hours, and when he woke up it was almost dark outside.
It was already afternoon, and the sky was overcast. The bed was warm, and there was a girl smiling at him in his arms.
What are you grinning about?
"I wasn't grinning like an idiot!"
Zhou Xiaobai was just grinning foolishly, snuggling closer to him and saying reproachfully, "Where am I being foolish?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu rubbed her head, lay down, and said, "You're never home, doesn't your mom scold you?"
"She's busy right now, she doesn't have time to talk to me."
Zhou Xiaobai reached her hand under the covers, looked up at him, and asked, "When are you going back to Steel City?"
"Monday, what are you doing?" Li Xuewu tilted his head and glared at her, reminding her not to mess around with her hands.
Zhou Xiaobai, however, wouldn't have it. She leaned closer, looked into his eyes, and asked, "Even when I'm in your arms, you don't want to do anything bad?"
"What are you suspecting?" Li Xuewu smirked as he looked at her and reminded her, "There are no curtains in this room."
"If I'm not afraid, why are you?"
Youth is a force to be reckoned with; she didn't care whether there were curtains or not, as long as there was a blanket, she was willing to do anything.
When Li Xuewu came out of the courtyard, Zhou Xiaobai hadn't gotten up yet. She said she didn't want to move and would sleep here tonight.
Having no other choice, I went to the office to tell Zhou Yamei before driving towards the compound. By then, snowflakes were already falling from the sky.
At the end of October, Yi Zhonghai and his wife moved back to the compound from the workers' new village, seemingly preparing for their funeral.
Li Xuewu went to see the old lady this morning, but unfortunately, his sister-in-law Zhao Yafang took her out to play, saying that the mall was selling old items again.
This time, the old lady smoked less because she was sick. Her family was worried that she would get a sore throat, so they tried all sorts of ways to cheer her up.
It's a shame that Gu Ning doesn't live here. Zhao Yafang, Ji Yuxiu, and Li Xue, who has finished her business trip, take her out whenever they have time.
In the past two months, I've visited almost every park and zoo in Beijing. I even got a wheelchair from the hospital because I was worried about my mother's legs.
Li Xuewu thought he would come back in the afternoon and visit the old lady while he was there.
Although he had asked Yushui to bring things over last time, it was out of necessity. Now that Yi Zhonghai and his wife have moved back and live in the same courtyard, it will be much more convenient for him to go again.
Because of the cold weather and the matter of the older woman, Li Xuewu did not allow Gu Ning and the children to come home.
Gu Ning was fine. The children had sharp eyes, and when an old person is about to pass away, all sorts of things would come rushing after them, and she was afraid of scaring the children.
When Li Xuewu entered the courtyard, it was bustling with activity. He could hear the commotion inside, and even the lights were on in the back room, with people talking on both sides.
Upon seeing him enter the courtyard, Shen Guodong came out of the east room to greet him and explained why the courtyard was so lively today.
"It can't be that serious, can it?"
I heard that the old lady's health had deteriorated further, and many neighbors came to visit her again over the weekend, which is why there seemed to be a lot of people in the courtyard.
"An old man asked us to help him out," Shen Guodong said, tossing away his cigarette butt. "An old woman doesn't want to be cremated; she wants a coffin."
"It's not too difficult, is it?" Li Xuewu frowned slightly and asked, "What did the old man say?"
“We’re discussing it.” Shen Guodong gestured to the west room and said, “Brother Zhu has already said he will take care of the funeral arrangements, and Uncle Yi has also said that he will make all the arrangements.”
At this moment, Sha Zhu waved to him from the west room window, signaling him to come inside and talk.
Li Xuewu nodded and gestured towards the front yard, saying, "I'll go home and check on the old lady in a bit."
When Sha Zhu heard him say that, he went back and saw that there were quite a few people in the room.
"Is she going to pass away in the next few days?"
Li Xuewu glanced at Shen Guodong, then looked through the hanging flower gate into the backyard, and asked, "Didn't you go to the hospital for another checkup?"
"An older woman said she didn't want to lie on the operating table and never get off, and an older man said he couldn't bear to see her with her tattered rags torn to shreds, so they didn't go."
Shen Guodong spoke in a calm tone, saying that sometimes life is like this: some people leave, and some people see them off; this is already a good ending.
"Go see the old lady first, they're back."
Shen Guodong raised his chin and said softly, "You have to come later. If he doesn't see you, that's fine. But if he does see you, and you don't say a few words in your defense, he'll start to have second thoughts."
Li Xuewu knew he was referring to Sha Zhu, so he nodded and entered through the hanging flower gate.