dognovel Chapter 1620 One Slash, Two Cuts
Chapter 1620 One Slash, Two Cuts
Chapter 1620 A Single Cut in Two
"This mission was assigned by Director Li?"
Li Xuewu stood on the eleventh floor of the Trade Management Center, his hands resting on the railing, gazing out at Tianjin.
This city was far less prosperous than it is today, but having experienced the era of opening up to foreign trade, it had already accumulated a rich cultural heritage.
Dong Wenxue stood to one side, holding a teacup in his hand, gazing into the distance, but with a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
"Shouldn't I have been the one to go?"
Hearing Li Xuewu's words, he turned his gaze to his most prized student and most trusted partner.
Li Xuewu glanced back at him, then looked into the distance, and after a long silence, said, "You shouldn't have gone to Hong Kong."
"Especially at this time."
He straightened up, patted the railing with his right hand, turned around and emphasized, "It's completely unnecessary, isn't it?"
"Hmm—" Dong Wenxue walked to the railing with a sense of loss, looked in the direction Li Xuewu had just been looking, and slowly nodded, saying, "A true man has things he will do and things he will not do."
"I can't keep hiding forever."
“But there’s no need to do that.” Li Xuewu frowned slightly and reminded him, “You’re handing them a knife.”
“Hehe—” Dong Wenxue turned around, looked him up and down and said, “Even without the knife I handed them, they would have plenty of ways to attack me.”
"Sometimes I wonder, if that's the case, would they dare to fight me head-on with bayonets?"
Li Xuewu couldn't understand his thinking. What was he thinking? How could he have such a childish idea?
“No, they’re not worth it.” Just as Dong Wenxue’s gaze was filled with confusion, Li Xuewu said firmly, “Are petty thieves worth bombarding? Just dig a hole and bury them.”
"Hehehe—" Dong Wenxue reached out and patted his arm, chuckling as he said, "I told you, you're more suited to this game than I am; you're always full of passion for your work."
After laughing, he turned to look into the distance and said softly, "I'm far from it. It's like I'm middle-aged. Suddenly I feel tired."
At this point, he turned to Li Xuewu and explained with a smile, "It's that feeling of not wanting to do anything or worry about anything."
“If you’re healthy…” Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, “I’m not sure if you need to see a psychologist.”
He spread his hands and said, "Although such medical services are rare in China, I happen to know someone who does."
"Heh, you're saying I'm mentally ill?"
Dong Wenxue looked at him with amusement and said, "Or do you say I have a mental illness, or a neurotic disorder?"
"Neither of the two things you mentioned can be considered mental illnesses."
Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "If you don't mind my nonsense, I do know a little about it."
He gave Dong Wenxue a serious look and raised an eyebrow, saying, "You have a typical case of seasonal affective disorder."
"Ha—" Dong Wenxue almost burst out laughing, then waved his hand and explained, "I almost forgot that you also study psychology and even wrote a book on the subject, right?"
"The languid autumn evening has arrived, and the chilling wind and dew mingle."
"High-flying birds soar amidst yellow clouds at dusk, cicadas chirp in the green trees of autumn."
"A traveler often grieving for autumn, I've lived a long and ailing life, and now I climb the stage alone."
"The boundless forest sheds its leaves with a rustling sound; the endless Yangtze River rolls on and on."
Li Xuewu recited several melancholic lines of poetry, then looked at him with a smile, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Don't disbelieve me, people in ancient times also suffered from this kind of illness; there are poems to prove it."
"Heh—hahaha—"
This time, Dong Wenxue laughed genuinely, a hearty laugh. He rested his elbow, holding his teacup, on the railing, leaned to one side, and pointed at Li Xuewu with his other hand, saying with a smile, "You're really something—"
"Life is full of disappointments." Seeing that he understood what he meant, Li Xuewu smiled and advised, "Li Bai also had his awesome days of 'Enjoying life to the fullest when things are going well,' but even in his disappointing works, there is the heroic spirit of 'There will be times when the wind and waves will be broken.'"
As he spoke, his expression became more serious, and he said, "The situation hasn't reached the point of reckoning yet, so why do you sentence yourself to 'exile to Lingnan'?"
"Could this be considered self-exile?"
Dong Wenxue wasn't asking Li Xuewu, but rather himself. Looking at the distant city of Tianjin, he slowly nodded and said, "Yes, I've sentenced myself to exile in Lingnan."
"You've been quite kind to yourself," Li Xuewu teased him deliberately, "You didn't sentence yourself to exile in Ningguta."
"Hahahaha—" Today, Dong Wenxue felt that this student was so witty and humorous, and his mood was instantly lifted, dispelling the depression that had accumulated over a long period of time.
Frustrated and unsuccessful, should I really write a cheesy, sentimental poem? Forget it, it'll just make people laugh their heads off.
"Since we've decided to go to the port city, let's do something about it."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "You can go and meet Ms. Fu from Wufeng Group. If she can introduce you, it would be good to get to know more business friends with industrial backgrounds."
"It's your friend's mother, isn't it?"
Dong Wenxue had some understanding of his social relationships, and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your concern."
“Teacher Han wouldn’t be so polite.” Li Xuewu looked at him, shrugged, and said, “You’re just too Confucian, that’s why they dare to bare their teeth at you.”
"Yes, I know my shortcomings."
Dong Wenxue lowered his head slightly and nodded, saying, "It might be related to my upbringing; I lack self-confidence."
“I’ll send a message to Ji Weidong.” Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, “Let him take you to see the corruption and decadence of capitalism, and also to see the dark side of capitalism.”
"It seems you two are quite close?"
Dong Wenxue did not reject his "psychological therapy," but looked at him and asked, "Between you two..."
“He’s the third brother’s brother-in-law,” Li Xuewu explained with a smile. “He’s Ji Yuxiu’s brother.”
"Tsk—" Dong Wenxue suddenly realized, slapped his forehead, and said, "I forgot about that."
"Go and see what it's like, relax a bit." Li Xuewu let out a long sigh and said, "I'll show them what I've got when I get back."
"I'll listen to you." Dong Wenxue smiled, looking at the teacup in his hand, and said, "I never thought there would be a day when I would need your help to get out of this predicament."
“This is what I should do,” Li Xuewu said earnestly. “It is also the kind of help you should accept.”
He raised his eyebrows and said, "From any perspective, at any time, we will never stand on the opposite side of each other."
"You're so thoughtful—" Dong Wenxue patted his arm again, smiled and nodded, "Are you going back to the capital today?"
"It's already afternoon." Li Xuewu tapped the clock on his hand and said with a smile, "I've booked train tickets for tomorrow morning."
"Let's have dinner together tonight. Teacher Wu specifically told me that she bought seafood at home and would like to get to know you."
"Hehehe—" Dong Wenxue laughed and looked at him, saying, "Aren't you afraid I'll leak the information?"
“Hehe—” Li Xuewu chuckled and raised his eyebrows, emphasizing, “We are innocent, believe it or not.”
-
"Dad—Dad?"
Li Xin, who is over three and a half years old, can already call people, but when he suddenly saw Li Xuewu and Dong Wenxue enter the house, he suddenly became a little shy and called out "Dad" with a doubtful tone.
Li Xuewu picked him up and bounced him around, then asked with amusement, "Don't you recognize your father? What are you doubting?"
“Dad…” Li Xin was indeed a little shy, clutching his clothes, but his eyes were on Dong Wenxue.
Dong Wenxue has a very refined appearance, not fierce at all, but strangely, he is not popular with children.
Despite Li Xuewu's fierce appearance, children are not afraid of him, especially after spending time with him.
He has visited Tianjin less and less in the past two years, and the few times he has passed through, it was always in a hurry. Moreover, Wu Shuping rarely takes Li Xin to the capital, so the number of times the father and son meet can be counted on one hand.
But Li Xin was very clever and always remembered who he was.
"This is Grandpa Dong, call him Grandpa."
"Grandpa..." Li Xin called out hesitantly, then shrank back into his arms, only peeking at him through his shoulder.
Dong Wenxue found it amusing, reached out and touched his little hand, and asked gently, "What's your name?"
"Director Dong, you've arrived! Please come in."
Wu Shuping, wearing an apron, came from the direction of the kitchen and greeted them with a smile, "We've been waiting for you."
She naturally took Li Xuewu's handbag and placed it on the cabinet by the door. She then tried to take Li Xin's handbag, but couldn't manage to take it from him.
"Sweetie, let Daddy and Grandpa wash their hands." She whispered to Li Xin, avoiding Dong Wenxue's gaze, "We're going to eat now."
"I'll wash my hands with Dad." Li Xin insisted on holding on tightly to Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu smiled and patted her arm, indicating, "Go about your business, don't worry about us."
He then gestured to the bathroom for Dong Wenxue, saying, "You go first, I'll try to calm him down."
"I'm sorry to have troubled you." Dong Wenxue didn't mind the way the two addressed each other and nodded naturally as he went to the bathroom.
He had just carefully examined the child's face, and to be honest, there was nothing about him that resembled Li Xuewu; he had the typical features of a southerner.
People who travel all over the country for work should have this feeling: the faces of the indigenous people in each region are different.
He wasn't 100% sure the child wasn't Li Xuewu's, but judging from his appearance alone, there was a high probability he wasn't.
He often saw Li Ning, and that kid's appearance was basically the same as Li Xuewu's. If this guy was also Li Xuewu's son, the difference couldn't be so big.
Whether or not he is Li Xuewu's child is not something that needs to be investigated. He doesn't even want to find out whether the relationship between Li Xuewu and this Teacher Wu is real or fake.
Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble, distinguishing between truth and falsehood?
"I didn't know your taste, so I told Sister Lu you're from Beijing and asked her to make the arrangements." At the dinner table, Teacher Wu smiled and said, "Please don't be shy, eat more."
"You don't need to be so polite."
Dong Wenxue smiled and glanced at Li Xuewu before saying to her, "When Xuewu invited me to be his guest, he mentioned your hospitality and kindness. I even said that we've known each other for a long time."
He had indeed known Wu Shuping for a long time. Just when Dongfeng Construction was changing its leadership, United Construction Corporation suddenly replaced its vice president, which he couldn't possibly have missed.
Furthermore, Wu Shuping had attended several meetings of the group company, so he naturally had an impression of this female cadre.
However, I've never had the experience of sitting at a table to eat like today, nor have I ever talked face-to-face with anyone.
"I heard from Xuewu that you were passing through Tianjin. He's not in a hurry to return to Beijing tonight, so he wanted to take this opportunity to get to know you."
Wu Shuping's words carried the gentle warmth of a southern beauty. She smiled as she poured wine for the two of them, saying politely, "He introduced you to me a long time ago, but we never had the chance."
"It's okay, we've gotten to know each other now."
Dong Wenxue smiled and looked at her calmly, saying, "If you need anything in the future, feel free to communicate with me. It's okay."
"Thank you, Director Dong." Wu Shuping said with a smile, raising her hand to indicate, "I don't drink alcohol, please don't mind."
"Dad, I want to eat fish—" Li Xin tugged at his father's clothes as he heard them talking and pointed to the braised fish on the table.
"Okay, fish is good." Li Xuewu smiled at him, picked up a large piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it in a small dish. He mashed it with his chopsticks while picking out the fish bones.
He doesn't eat fish, but every time his family cooks fish, he picks out the bones for Li Shu and Li Ning like this, and his skills are very proficient.
Wu Shuping glanced at her son with a hint of helplessness. He was usually so well-behaved, but today he was being particularly difficult.
Li Xuewu, however, was very patient. They didn't talk about work at the dinner table, or even about anything related to the company.
Sister Lu is very good at making Beijing cuisine, and her seafood is also quite good. The liquor she drinks is five-star Moutai, and the taste is very authentic.
The group ate and chatted, discussing the local customs, traditions, and social customs of Beijing, Tianjin, Northeast China, and the South.
They then talked about their impressions of the port city. Li Xuewu had only been there once and stayed for one night, so he didn't have any direct impressions.
Wu Shuping had lived in Hong Kong before, and Dong Wenxue had also been there a few times. The two chatted quite a bit.
Li Xin didn't have a big belly, and he quickly finished eating, but he still didn't want to get off the table. He just sat next to Li Xuewu and listened to the adults talking.
After Lu finished eating, he refused to be carried to play, so in the end, she could only let him be until dinner was over.
"Thank you for your hospitality, I apologize for disturbing you."
Dong Wenxue smiled and thanked Wu Shuping, then turned around and stuffed some money into the small pocket on Li Xin's clothes, which Li Xuewu was holding.
After dinner, they drank tea for a while, chatted briefly about work arrangements, and then ended their evening's activities with a yawn from Li Xin.
Li Xuewu called the management center and a driver was coming to pick up Dong Wenxue, who had to get up early the next morning to fly to Hong Kong with the team.
Li Xuewu, carrying Li Xin who was unwilling to leave him, and Wu Shuping saw him to the door. Wu Shuping saw that he was being polite even when he was given money, but Dong Wenxue waved his hand and said with a smile, "This is for my nephew, don't be shy."
Li Xuewu raised Li Xin's hand and reminded him, "Say goodbye to the old man, and welcome to visit again."
"Goodbye, sir. Welcome to visit my home again."
Over the course of the night, Li Xin became less shy and obediently waved goodbye to the old man as his father had taught him.
Dong Wenxue smiled and patted his little face before getting into the car.
Watching the car drive away, Wu Shuping looked at the money in Li Xin's hand and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"It's alright, he's an open and honest person."
Li Xuewu comforted her, saying, "He's already calling you 'Grandpa,' so it wouldn't be his style not to give you a gift."
"Mom, money, buy something delicious."
Li Xin, however, became lively at this moment, waving the money in his hand and saying, "I want to buy dried goods—"
"It's dark now, and the supply and marketing cooperatives are all closed."
Wu Shuping chuckled and pointed to her son's stomach, saying, "Didn't you eat enough tonight? Why are you thinking about eating dry food again?"
"I'm not full—" Li Xin emphasized earnestly, then fiddled with the money in his hand.
"Hehe, he always says he's not full."
Wu Shuping followed the father and son back to the courtyard, explaining with a smile, "His little belly is like a bottomless pit, he keeps eating."
"If you can eat well, you'll grow taller."
Li Xuewu chuckled, patted his godson's bottom, and entered the foyer, saying...
"But if I eat too much, I won't be able to sleep at night, and my stomach will hurt."
"Growing taller, stomach aches."
Li Xin mimicked his tone and nodded, saying, "Then I'll eat more during the day and less at night."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu and Wu Shuping both laughed.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Sister Lu came over to pick up Li Xin and coaxed him to take a shower before finally letting go of him.
"It's not usually like this, it's just today."
Wu Shuping rubbed her forehead helplessly, leaned back on the sofa and sat down, explaining, "I told him you would come, and he's been waiting for you ever since."
"It just shows that my son and I have a good relationship."
Li Xuewu sat down on the other side, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "How's kindergarten? Are you adjusting well?"
"I've gotten used to it; I used to cry at first."
Wu Shuping said with a wry smile, "She made a fuss about wanting to go to the capital with me, and it took several days of coaxing before she finally gave up."
"Did you receive the news that Huaqing is resuming classes?" Li Xuewu put down his teacup and looked at her, asking, "Have they contacted you to go back?"
“No,” Wu Shuping explained calmly, “Yafang asked me, but I didn’t tell her to tell the school that I was still in mainland China.”
She let out a long sigh, covered her eyes with her hands, and said, "Besides, I don't want to go back, and I can't go back anyway."
"At least we don't have to do it like before."
Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "If it's inconvenient, take the child and live in the capital. Nothing will happen there."
"Fine, let him stay in Tianjin."
Wu Shuping shook her head slightly and said, "He's too young. I don't want him to adapt to a new environment. He grew up here and will live here."
She looked towards the bathroom on the first floor, and Li Xin's cheerful voice came through the crack in the door, making her smile and her eyes filled with happiness.
Knowing that she had her own plans and concerns, Li Xuewu stopped trying to persuade her and changed the subject, asking, "How are things going with Xilin? She's a nice person."
“She’s really good.” Wu Shuping raised an eyebrow at him and tentatively asked, “She and you are…”
"Heh, didn't she tell you?"
Li Xuewu chuckled, crossed his right leg, and leaned back on the sofa, explaining, "She's already married, and her husband is also at the recycling center, but now he's in Hong Kong."
“Oh—” Wu Shuping nodded knowingly and said, “I think I heard Zhou Yamei mention it, but I didn’t pay attention to it.”
"They all came from the frontier."
Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "At that time, I went on a business trip to the border with Li Huaide and happened to meet my comrade-in-arms, Pazil."
Seeing that Wu Shuping looked a little confused, he added, "He is Wang Yajuan's husband. We were in the same company in the south, and I was his platoon leader."
"Oh, I see, there's that connection."
Wu Shuping finally understood and nodded, saying, "I knew it. She's very skilled and capable in her work, and I hardly have to worry about her."
“She arrived quite early, but she’s been staying in Jicheng.” Li Xuewu tapped the sofa armrest with his finger and said, “She’s a capable and persevering comrade.”
He nodded slightly and explained, "She had an unfortunate upbringing, so she tends to be more...sensitive in certain aspects."
"What kind of unfortunate experience are you referring to..." Wu Shuping looked at him with a puzzled expression, raising her eyebrows as she asked.
“She doesn’t remember who her parents are.” Li Xuewu nodded with some regret and continued to explain, “She was sold to…that kind of place when she was young.”
"I understand." Wu Shuping nodded seriously and said, "I will pay attention to this when we get along in the future."
"Yes, that's why I'm telling you."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I've thought about arranging for her to come to Tianjin. This will save you some trouble and prevent you from having to work so hard."
This was the plan all along. As long as Xilin could take over, Wu Shuping would focus her energy on United Construction, and there were other backup plans.
"Yes, it's definitely much easier now."
Wu Shuping smiled. Hearing the noise from the bathroom, she glanced over and said to Li Xuewu, "Go upstairs and wash up first. If he sees you come out, he'll cling to you again. I'll coax him upstairs to sleep later."
***
Li Xuewu found one of his pajamas in the closet, smelled it and found it to be clean, with the perfume that Wu Shuping often used.
This is normal, because he doesn't have many clothes here; they're all kept in the same closet as Wu Shuping's clothes.
Entering the master bedroom, Wu Shuping saw him leaning against the headboard reading a book. She smiled slightly, went to the closet to find her pajamas, and asked, "You're so busy, yet you still maintain the habit of reading. It's really not easy."
"I watch a little bit when I have nothing to do, otherwise what else would I do?" Li Xuewu knew she had come in, and only then did he look up and smile, saying, "Have you put the child to sleep?"
"Yes, I said you'll be taking him to kindergarten tomorrow," Wu Shuping said somewhat apologetically. "I'm afraid it will take up some of your time."
"It's alright, I don't even know where he goes to school yet." Li Xuewu put down his book and asked, "Are you going back to Beijing tomorrow?"
“No, I’ll be a few days later.” Wu Shuping explained as she walked to the door, “The seafood company has introduced us to several projects, and we are currently negotiating.”
"That's a good thing." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "Zhang Changming still has some conscience."
"Hehe—" Wu Shuping knew what was going on, smiled but didn't say anything, and went to take a shower.
Li Xuewu hadn't been reading his book for long when the door opened again, and a figure that was sure to catch his eye walked in.
There was no awkwardness, no formality, only a tacit understanding.
-
The train journey from Tianjin to Beijing takes less than three hours. Li Xuewu set off in the morning and arrived at the group's headquarters for lunch at noon.
Actually, at this time, the representative of Sanwa Co., Ltd. was already waiting for him; he had changed his plans at the last minute.
"I'm sorry, I was delayed in Tianjin."
Li Xuewu shook hands with Gu Cangpinger, the representative of Sanhe, and said with a smile, "Sit down, don't be shy."
In his office, Li Xuewu met with the other party. Given Gu Cangping's status, was it really appropriate for him to sit on equal footing with him in the conference room?
"President Nakamura is still in Guangzhou. He asked me to convey his apologies to you and also asked you to give us your valuable feedback on our terms."
Heiji Taniguchi's expression was sincere, revealing nothing. He handed over a document with both hands, speaking even more politely.
Li Xuewu was not an impolite person. He accepted the gift with both hands, smiled and nodded, saying, "We will study it carefully, and we also ask that you give full consideration to our opinions and conditions."
He gestured to Zhang Enyuan, who was standing to the side, and Zhang Enyuan handed a document to him with both hands.
"Thank you, Mr. Li. I will pass the proposal on to President Nakamura as soon as possible. I look forward to cooperating with your group in the future."
Just as he was speaking, the phone on his desk rang. Zhang Enyuan quickly answered it and responded to the caller.
Li Xuewu listened patiently to him finish speaking before shaking hands with him and saying, "We also look forward to cooperating with Sanhe in the future. Please convey my congratulations to Mr. Nakamura and wish him all the best at the Guangzhou Trade Fair and that he achieves his goals."
"Thank you, I will definitely pass on your blessings."
Heiji Taniguchi understood that his "blessing" was not for President Nakamura, but for him, and he couldn't hide his excitement.
However, his excited expression at this moment did not seem out of place. It was certainly cause for celebration that Honggang Group was able to officially begin the negotiation process with Sanhe.
The two representatives who came with him also bowed politely to say goodbye and left. It was clear that the phone call they had just received was very important, and they dared not waste any more time with polite small talk.
"Boss, it's your wife calling."
After the guest left, Zhang Enyuan handed over the phone and explained softly, "They said the old lady has been hospitalized and they need you to come over."
"Hospitalized?" Li Xuewu's expression changed. He took the phone; it was Gu Ning calling. "What happened to the old lady?"
"My third aunt came to the capital. I don't know what happened. I only came here after receiving a call from Xuecai."
Gu Ning sounded a bit anxious on the phone. He gave a brief explanation, telling him that the old lady was at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and urging him to go there immediately.
"Please tell Director Li that something came up at home and I'll report to him later." Li Xuewu hung up the phone, walked quickly outside, giving instructions as he took his clothes from the hanger and put them on.
"I'll arrange a car for you." Zhang Enyuan knew he was in a hurry, so he didn't care about anything else and didn't follow him. Instead, he picked up the phone and asked for a car fleet.
As soon as Li Xuewu went downstairs, he saw Han Jiankun waiting at the door.
"Take me to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital." Without time for pleasantries, he got into the car, and Han Jiankun helped him close the door and quickly got into the driver's seat.
The afternoon sun was blazing, the lingering heat of late summer not missing a single sunlit spot, while the shady areas felt chilly.
Wearing a thin jacket, Li Xuewu walked quickly into the hospital building and felt cold and tense, afraid of hearing bad news.
Han Jiankun parked his car, but instead of returning to his unit as Li Xuewu had asked, he followed him into the hospital.
In the car, Li Xuewu had already explained why he came to the hospital. Knowing that he might need the car at this time, he was unwilling to leave.
Even if the small team has work to do at this time, he will not leave. He can hand over the work to others, but Li Xuewu may not be able to trust others.
What's the point of cheering and applause if you're not there to help when it matters most?
"Second Brother—"
Upon seeing him, Li Xuecai called out and quickly approached, his face pale, seemingly quite frightened.
"How is the old lady?" Li Xuewu saw his younger brother, ran a few steps, and looked in the direction he came from. His father and the others were there.
"He was just rescued and is still under observation."
Li Xuecai's outstretched hand was trembling, and upon seeing him, he couldn't hold back his tears.
Li Xuewu didn't have time to say more to him and hurried towards the ward, ignoring even Hong Min, who was getting up with a pale face.
"Learn martial arts." Gu Ning, wearing a white coat, came out of the ward, followed by Li Shun and several other doctors.
“Grandma…” Li Xuewu frowned deeply, trying to see the old lady through them.
"He's alright for now," Gu Ning said softly, trying to comfort him. "He was just agitated, but thankfully he was treated in time."
"Don't make a fuss, don't cause any more trouble." Li Shun walked to his son's side, looked at him, glanced at the people waiting, and frowned as he reminded him, "Don't let the old lady suffer any more agitation."
"Do we need to transfer to another hospital for observation?" Li Xuewu asked, frowning. "The medical conditions at the United Hospital are better."
Li Shun fully understood his son's feelings; he was just as anxious when his elderly mother was critically ill.
But at this moment, she could only try to suppress her fear and emotions, and patiently explain to her son, "Take it easy and see how things go. Your grandma shouldn't be too active right now; she needs to rest."
"Third Brother—where's Grandma—"
Just as the father and son were talking, a panicked shout came from the corridor, and Li Xuehan stumbled over.
"Xuehan—" Li Xuecai stopped him abruptly, covering his mouth with his hand and whispering, "Grandma's alright, don't shout!"
"Ugh—wooo—"
Li Xuehan had intended to speak, but her third brother covered her mouth. As she was speaking, she slumped to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Li Xuecai could only squat down and try his best to persuade him so that he wouldn't disturb the old lady in the ward.
Li Xuewu frowned and glanced over there, then turned to give Gu Ning a few words of advice before heading towards the waiting area.
"Didn't I tell you?" He stood in front of Hong Min, his face serious, and said, "You have nothing to do with our family anymore, so why did you come here?"
"I'm sorry, I was learning martial arts, I never thought the old lady would..."
Hong Min explained with eyes full of guilt, "I knew Xiao Han had come to the capital and wanted to explain things to him, but I didn't expect..."
"Come over here, I'll tell you something."
Li Xuewu knew that his father was unwilling to face her, and the rest of the family didn't know how to resolve the matter, so only he could handle it.
So he suppressed his anger, pointed to the other side of the corridor, and gestured for the other person to follow him to talk.
Hong Min looked at her son, who was lying on the ground sobbing, and tears also welled up in her eyes. She tried to help him up, but she couldn't budge him no matter what she did.
Li Xuewen frowned, and after being nudged by Zhao Yafang, he stepped forward and, together with Li Xuecai and Han Jiankun who had arrived, picked up Li Xuehan.
Hong Min came over with his son. Li Xuewu stared intently at him, but when the group put Li Xuehan down, he slapped him across the face, completely silencing his crying.
"I'm not in the mood to comfort you right now." He pointed downstairs and said, "If you want to cry, go find a secluded place to wail."
Li Xuehan was completely jolted awake by her second brother's slap. She stood there trying to hold back her sobs, but tears kept streaming down her face.
Hong Min looked at the slap mark on her son's face, which looked even more pitiful with tears in her eyes, but she forced herself not to go forward to argue with him.
She knew Li Xuewu's personality very well. In the past, she could still say a few words as his third aunt, but now, with Li Xuewu and with her, she no longer had the right to distinguish right from wrong.
"I just came to check on my school letter." She sniffed and wiped away her tears as she explained, "I didn't know where the letter was, so I had to go to my house to look for it. I never thought things would come to this."
“I don’t need your explanation.” Li Xuewu clenched his fist and stared at her as he said, “You must have known when Li Xuehan was handling the procedures.”
He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "You're newlyweds, enjoying your blissful marriage, and you don't care about your own son anymore? Now you want to be a mother to your son?"
“Let me tell you, if Li Xuehan doesn’t make that call, I will never meddle in your family’s affairs again in my life. You disgust me.”
Even in the corridor where people were coming and going, Li Xuewu showed her no mercy and bluntly said, "When we rushed to Guangzhou for the funeral and saw you hugging that man, did you ever think that the reason we didn't scold you to your face wasn't to give you face, but to protect my third uncle?"
"Do you think that we've given up and stopped arguing with you because we're afraid of you, which is why you keep provoking our family?"
“Xuewu, I know you hate me, your whole family hates me,” Hong Min said, crying, “but things aren’t what you think…”
“Okay—” Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, “It’s not what I thought. So you came to the capital to explain why you remarried?”
"Are we supposed to send you our blessings?"
He pointed to the ground and looked at Hong Min, saying, "Remember this: Heaven is watching what people do. I don't want to hold it against you because my third uncle's body is still warm, and because you are still Li Xuehan's biological mother."
“If I use some means to retaliate against you and vent my anger, it will only make you seem more justified, suffering injustice and swallowing your anger.”
Li Xuewu smirked and said coldly, "Don't worry, I won't do anything. I'll just watch how you treat the dead."
He stopped looking at the crying Hong Min and turned to look at Li Xuehan, who was standing at attention with a look of utter disappointment in his eyes. He held back for a moment and said, "Your mother is here. Make things clear, but I'm warning you, stay far away from your family. If this happens again, you can go back to where you came from."
After saying that, he headed towards the ward. He needed to discuss with Gu Ning how to maintain and control the old lady's emotions after she woke up.
The family was all there, and the children had all been picked up from school. Even the youngest, Li Yue, was being held and comforted by her sister-in-law.
Why was Li Xuewu so anxious when he went upstairs? Anyone who saw the scene before him would be afraid.
Only in the most critical moments would the father, Li Shun, make such arrangements, fearing that the old lady would not be able to see her children and grandchildren before she passed away, and also fearing that the family would not be able to see the old lady one last time.
Only then did Li Xuewu wipe his eyes, his hands were ice-cold, and he realized they were tears.
"I've been keeping an eye on it, it's alright now."
Gu Ning handed him the handkerchief with a touch of heartache, gently comforting him, "The old lady just couldn't accept it right away, that's why..."
"Hmm." Li Xuewu nodded and looked into the ward through the glass. The old lady was lying on the bed, and her complexion seemed normal.
He was really afraid. At his age, and having lived through that era, his health wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly excellent either.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if things just ended like that.
"Let Mom and the others go back first." Gu Ning glanced at her family members standing in the corridor and gently reminded him, "This isn't something that will happen in a day or two."
"Hmm." Li Xuewu glanced at the old lady again before turning around and walking to his mother and the others. He said softly, "You all go back first. Gu Ning and I will stay here. Xuecai and Yuxiu will take over for us tonight."
He glanced at the little ones, then said to Han Jiankun, who was standing to the side, "Take them home, then go to work. Don't worry about me."
"Okay." Han Jiankun had his own plans, but he didn't say anything. He just responded and went downstairs to prepare the car.
Liu Yin knew that it wouldn't be right for the whole family to stay here, so she got up and went to the door of the ward to look at the old lady. She took Gu Ning's hand and gave her a few words of advice before letting Ji Yuxiu help her downstairs.
None of the people looked at Hong Min and her son on the other side of the corridor when they left, while the eldest brother, Xue Wen, silently stood guard at the stairwell.
He was the most meticulous. Han Jiankun and Li Xuecai followed Li Xuewu back to the ward, but he stayed behind.
Li Xuewen didn't want to hear what the mother and son had to say, but rather he was afraid that they might change their minds again and affect the old lady.
Li Xuewu glanced over there, pushed open the door, and entered the ward with Gu Ning. He then moved a chair and sat down in front of the old lady's bed.
The noise outside the door quickly subsided. Li Xuehan's slap wasn't for nothing. Although she held back her tears and suppressed her voice, she still firmly rejected any explanation or communication from her mother.
He just stood there, staring at his mother with eyes full of hatred, ignoring all her cries and explanations until she stopped explaining.
"Go back now, and don't come looking for me again."
Li Xuehan was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could barely speak, and she managed to hold back her tears in order to make herself clear.
“Letter of Academic Aid…” Hong Min looked at her son with eyes full of guilt and asked, “Why can’t you understand your mother?”
"Go back, you're not welcome here."
Li Xuehan sniffed and gritted his teeth, saying, "Just pretend you don't have a son like me, and go live your own life."
"Don't come again. I don't want to lose my grandmother after losing my father." He took two steps, turned his head and reminded her, "I don't want to see you again either. I'll grant your wish, and you should grant mine."
“Xuehan—” Hong Min broke down in tears, but dared not waile out loud, only calling her son’s name over and over again.
But the son's back as he turned away was so resolute, showing no lingering affection or tenderness towards his mother.