dognovel Chapter 1553 My Associate Professor Brother
Chapter 1553 My Associate Professor Brother
Chapter 1553 My Associate Professor Brother
"Oh! You're here to learn martial arts? Come in quickly."
Wang Shuhua was genuinely surprised. Seeing Li Xuewu standing at the gate, she quickly invited him into the courtyard.
"Godmother, I missed it before the New Year."
Li Xuewu, carrying gifts in both hands, walked into the courtyard with a smile and said, "I've come to see you two."
"Are you being too polite with us?"
Wang Shuhua didn't care whether he brought gifts to her home, or even what he brought. She just smiled and looked him over, her eyes full of relief and joy.
"I know you're busy with work right now. Your third son and his wife came once before the New Year, and you're here again."
"It's only right that he comes," Li Xuewu said with a smile as he entered the courtyard. "It's only right that I come too."
Hearing the commotion, Zheng Shusen came out of the house. When he saw that it was really him, a smile instantly appeared on his face.
"It sounds like martial arts."
"I was also a little surprised." Wang Shuhua smiled and gently patted Li Xuewu's arm, saying, "I was wondering who would come to visit at this time."
"Dad, you're in good health!"
Li Xuewu first offered his greetings, but refused to go inside first. He only followed the two elders in after they had given way.
"Your dad is just glad to see you."
As soon as Wang Shuhua entered the room, she busied herself making tea, jokingly saying, "You were just saying you weren't feeling well."
"This winter is going to be very cold, you two need to take care of yourselves." Li Xuewu's expression became more serious as he reminded them, "Don't be careless about your health."
"Your godmother is just teasing you—"
Zheng Shusen put down the book he was reading and explained with a smile, "I'm fine."
Whether they're truly sincere or not, the couple is both over fifty; at that age, they can't see things clearly.
My daughter, who works in Tianjin, mentioned Li Xuewu when she returned to her parents' home before the Lunar New Year, saying that she hadn't seen him for the past two years.
Zheng Xiaoyan said some unpleasant things, but Wang Shuhua responded with a barrage of words and jabs.
What else could she say?
It's still lingering in my mind because of the grudge I held against the electronics factory a few years ago.
This woman is more petty than a man, but she's over thirty and her child is about to start middle school, so the old couple are too lazy to say anything more to her.
In recent years, Li Xuewu's home has become less frequent and less lively than before; even Shen Guodong hasn't come to visit.
But the filial piety during festivals never diminished. After Shen Guodong started working in the neighborhood, it was Li's third son who came to visit her.
Li Xuecai would come to their home for both her and Zheng Shusen's birthdays. After they got married, he would bring Ji Yuxiu along. The couple knew who had arranged it.
As Zheng Shusen's work in the city became increasingly prominent, countless people eagerly came to his home to curry favor, but the couple had long been tired of this kind of life, and keeping the door closed to visitors was a rule they had set from the beginning.
She didn't want to advance any further from the neighborhood level; Zheng Shusen wished he could retire and go home to enjoy his old age right now.
Only Li Xuewu, and only Li Xuewu.
It was after Zheng Shusen started working in the city, and from the time the situation suddenly changed, that Li Xuewu began to distance himself from this area and rarely visited in person.
This self-awareness did not anger the couple; instead, they silently praised his character.
Zheng Xiaoyan said that he did it deliberately, simply to curry favor and make them remember Li Xuewu's good deeds.
But the couple knew that Li Xuewu had never tried to curry favor with them or ask them for any help.
Zheng Shusen only received one phone call from Li Xuewu, who asked him to introduce him to the railway and transfer the cultural troupe that the railway was planning to disband to the Hongxing Factory.
This doesn't involve any transfer of benefits or personal favors.
As for Wang Shuhua, she had none of that. Shen Guodong used to come often, but now it's clear whether Shen Guodong took advantage of her connections or the neighborhood took advantage of Shen Guodong's resources.
It wasn't him who initially suggested recruiting Shen Guodong to work in the street office; it was Lao Liu, who was in charge of economic work and was the one who arranged the job for Li Xuewu.
Wang Shuhua was not in a position to speak on this matter, but Lao Liu was most concerned about the economic work of the neighborhood.
When Shen Guodong was managing the recycling station, he did good deeds for the neighborhood and took care of elderly people living alone. Now he has created several small industries, which have absorbed idle labor and supported the economic foundation of Jiaodaokou Street.
Now, everyone in Dongcheng envies their street, and even Beixinqiao wants to bask in their glory.
Therefore, the couple always treated Li Xuewu with the same heart and put themselves in his shoes.
Now that this godson has acknowledged them as family, they can't let him down.
Of course, as Zheng Xiaoyan said, if Li Xuewu really begged them, what should they do?
Zheng Shusen said that Li Xuewu didn't need to ask; he would naturally lend a hand if anything happened.
Zheng Xiaoyan was furious and didn't speak to her father all morning. She couldn't even get her biological father to do her a favor, but her godson didn't even need to speak to her. Was that reasonable?
Zheng Shusen wasn't saying this out of anger, and of course he wasn't intentionally trying to upset his daughter; it was the truth.
If Li Xuewu really needs his help at Honggang Group, or if he needs it for work, he will lend a hand as long as it doesn't violate basic principles.
What are the basic principles?
He wouldn't watch Li Xuewu go astray, and he wouldn't allow himself to go astray either; that was his basic principle.
As for his work performance, he has worked for the organization for so many years, always diligent and conscientious, yet he lacks even this much ability.
To put it simply, if someone were to plot against or frame Li Xuewu, he would be the first to object.
Similarly, he believed that with Li Xuewu's ability, talent, mature thinking, and character, he would not do anything that violated basic principles, which was the source of his confidence to take action.
Although the two rarely contact each other or have little interaction at work, they are very capable when it comes to business.
When Li Xuewu comes to my house, do we talk about work?
Of course we'll chat, and we'll do it openly and without any reservations, being honest and sincere.
“Your mom is very worried about you, since you live so far away.”
Zheng Shusen listened to Li Xuewu's report on his work in Liaodong and the group over the past year and recently. He nodded with satisfaction and gestured to his wife, saying with a smile, "I always say I want to call you, but I'm afraid it will affect your work."
"I call at night, I'm usually at home."
Li Xuewu smiled and took the phone book that he and his wife usually used from the small table next to the sofa, where there was a telephone, and wrote down his current address with a pen.
"Don't be surprised if it's a boy's voice; that's the child from Sister Qin's family in our old courtyard."
He was afraid the elderly couple might have some concerns, so he made a joke while writing.
Wang Shuhua knew the joke, and asked with a smile, "How did he end up at your place?"
“It’s been over a year since I left.” After finishing writing, Li Xuewu put the notebook back and explained while twisting his pen, “I couldn’t continue my studies. His mother came to me for help, saying she wanted me to arrange something for him. I didn’t have any other options.”
"It just so happened that Wen San'er had set up a stall over there, so I let him go and learn the trade."
"Is he Wen Yongsheng's third son?"
Wang Shuhua, of course, knew who Wen San'er was, as Li Xuewu had mentioned. She nodded knowingly and said, "I heard he learned how to repair radios. Why did he go to the steel city to do that?"
All she knew was that Shen Guodong had done a great job running the recycling station and had even made contact with the prison.
However, they had no idea that the recycling station was so big, or even what Wen San was doing in the steel city.
She vaguely remembered that when Wen San'er was working at the recycling station, he often rode his bicycle to repair radios for people. When she heard Li Xuewu say that he had set up a stall in the steel city, Bang Geng followed him to learn, so she assumed that he was doing that.
Li Xuewu knew she had misunderstood, but he didn't explain. He just smiled and said, "He said that people from Northeast China are rich, have more radios at home, and have easier jobs."
“That’s true—” Wang Shuhua had no doubt that he was talking nonsense, and she also deeply felt that Northeasterners were rich.
“Before the Lunar New Year, the city organized a study session. There was a cadre from Northeast China who was wearing a leather jacket and he was quite violent.”
She showed Li Xuewu the style of the man's leather jacket and the color of the leather.
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu understood, waved his hand with a smile, and said, "It's definitely not produced by us. That cadre has some connections."
Of course he has connections. Don't ask him why he's never seen it before; he just heard his godmother mention it and knew that the leather jacket wasn't made in China because he also has one.
Why would he have one?
Because Wen San'er had one and found it warm, so he gave him one.
Just think about it, where did Wen San'er get that leather jacket? The sea coachman is getting more and more capable.
Don't think that Beimao is far from Yingcheng; it's only a few days' journey by large ship.
Speedboats were no longer enough to satisfy the greed of those bastards, so some people got their hands on modified fishing boats.
Similarly, neither Going to Tuoben nor Nanhan could satisfy their desire for "legitimate smuggling" business. No one knows how they got in touch, but Wen San'er's goods list included some strange items.
Among the New Year's gifts that Li Shu and Li Ning received was a huge "matryoshka doll," very large indeed.
Er Ya didn't notice it the day she received it. That night, when she went to the bathroom, she saw two strange human-faced figures, each more than half a meter tall, standing in the living room in the dark. She was almost scared to death.
Gu Ning had to explain to her why this thing was painted with smiley faces, and why there was another one after you lifted it, like it could never be finished...
Do you like this style?
Li Xuewu turned to his godfather and said, "I'll mail you one when I get back; it's quite warm."
"Don't bother, it's too much trouble for you."
Zheng Shusen waved his hand and said, "It's almost spring, why wear that stuff? It's so heavy."
"You didn't see it, but it's already done."
Wang Shuhua praised him in Northeastern dialect, and said to Li Xuewu with a smile, "Get one for your dad. I've asked a lot of people and they all say they've never seen one before."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it when I get back." Li Xuewu smiled and asked her, "Is there anything you like? I'll buy you one too."
"I'll pass, there's nowhere to wear it."
Wang Shuhua said embarrassedly, "It's only such a long walk from my doorstep to the street. If I really wore that kind of thing, people would laugh at me to death."
"Hehe, I'll go back and take a look."
Li Xuewu chuckled and introduced, "I think I saw someone in the workplace wear it. It was a women's style, short-haired, and it looked very neat."
"Then godmother won't stand on ceremony."
Wang Shuhua smiled and patted his arm, then stood up and said, "You're not allowed to leave tonight. Keep your dad company for a drink; he's been talking about you for ages."
"How about we go out and find a place to drink?"
Li Xuewu smiled and asked his godfather, "Our group has opened a few restaurants in the city, and the food is pretty good. It saves my mom from having to work so hard, doesn't it?"
When Wang Shuhua heard him say that, she stopped in her tracks. Of course, it would be good if she didn't have to work so hard.
She didn't mean to take advantage of her godson by asking Li Xuewu for a leather jacket. With their combined salary and benefits, they could afford not only a leather jacket, but even a car, let alone a meal.
Li Xuewu often sent things to her home. Although she also frequently visited the Li family and would generously contribute to the Li family's affairs when their children needed help, it was ultimately a matter of personal connections with Li Xuewu.
She was thinking that if she really accepted the clothes Li Xuewu gave her, she would have a reason to visit Haiyuncang in the future.
She knew Gu Ning's personality well, and she was really embarrassed to go if Li Xuewu wasn't home, afraid that Gu Ning would feel uncomfortable.
Gu Ning couldn't say anything, and Li Xuewu couldn't ask her for anything, so she didn't even have a chance to express her feelings.
We can only look at the smaller ones.
Li Xuewu has two children, so there will always be opportunities to express her gratitude. She won't refuse this meal today.
Having dedicated half their lives to revolutionary work, the couple could count on one hand the number of times they were invited to meals. Whenever Li Xuewu invited them, they would actually go and eat, even if it was a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, without worrying about any problems.
Seeing her looking at him, Zheng Shusen thought for a moment and then nodded and said, "Then it's settled, I'll treat you to dinner today, let's go out to eat."
"Hey!" Before Li Xuewu could speak, he pointed with his finger, raised his eyebrows and emphasized, "Don't you dare try to take it from me."
After saying that, he saw Li Xuewu smile, and he smiled too, saying, "Go pick up your parents and see who's home today. Let's go together. It's never been this lively, not even during the New Year."
"Oh! You're going to have to spend some money today!"
Li Xuewu emphasized earnestly, "We have a dozen or so people with families, so this meal will cost you ten or twenty yuan."
"Hahahaha—" Zheng Shusen laughed and waved his hand, saying heartily, "Go and make the arrangements."
"Alright then, I'll arrange a car to pick you up in a bit. We'll have a big meal of local cuisine today."
Li Xuewu stood up and said to his godmother with a smile, "Make sure you brought enough money. Otherwise, my dad might feel bad about it and refuse to pay, which would put me in a difficult position."
"I remember, go quickly—"
Seeing that he was deliberately trying to make people laugh, Wang Shuhua smiled and patted him, signaling him to hurry up and make the arrangements.
A meal costing ten or twenty yuan is considered a big deal at this time of year.
A plate of braised liver tips costs 1.4 yuan. If all the dishes are meat dishes like this, the Li family has 15 people. If you include the couple and even if there are a few children, there would still be 12 dishes. It would really cost more than 10 yuan.
This doesn't even include the cost of the liquor. A bottle of Five Star Moutai costs more than four yuan. You can calculate how much that would be.
Fortunately, Li Xuewu booked a restaurant owned by Honggang Group, where meals didn't require food coupons; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to gather enough food coupons in such a short time.
In any state-run restaurant, you have to pay for the food, and you also have to pay with food coupons; that's the rule.
However, in the canteen of Honggang Group, employees do not need food coupons to eat when they present their work ID.
If you say you're bringing someone to eat with you, then sorry, you'll still have to ask for your food coupons.
The policy of not requiring food coupons was a welfare benefit for employees, so that they could eat in the canteen and save the food coupons for their families.
The purpose of requiring food coupons was to prevent this welfare from being exploited by people with ulterior motives, who could bring in just anyone to eat.
There's no doubt that such people exist.
Why can you eat at restaurants under the Honggang Group without using food coupons?
Because the prices of these three brands of restaurants are not something that ordinary people can afford. You can't just eat two bowls of rice dry, can you?
The restaurants under the Honggang Group do not offer affordable food. They do not accept grain coupons because the raw materials do not come from the grain and non-staple food supply and marketing system, so there is no need to exchange grain coupons for corresponding supplies.
The Honggang Group's internal supply and marketing system can support the material needs of these three restaurants, which is a typical tertiary industry operation model.
Experimental industrial enterprises often enjoy certain policy benefits, such as pricing power.
Li Xuewu never imagined that a single meal would bankrupt his godfather. With his entire family of over ten people, they couldn't possibly eat their godfather and godmother out of house and home in one meal.
He could eat ten meals and not be broke, let alone one. His godfather's salary was higher than his, and his godmother's salary wasn't much lower than his, so he was very rich.
***
“I told you I wasn’t coming, but my third brother insisted on dragging me along. My legs aren’t what they used to be.”
The old lady saw Zheng Shusen and his wife in the private room and said something with a smile.
Wang Shuhua often visited the Li family and naturally became close to the old lady. At this moment, the couple stood up and greeted her with smiles.
"If you hadn't come, I would have scolded them."
She took the old lady's hand and looked at Liu Yin, asking, "Did you come by car? Aren't you cold?"
"Xuewu arranged a car, so it's not cold."
Liu Yin smiled and looked at her, saying, "It's getting dark. Xuewu came to my house and said we should have dinner together tonight. I even asked him what was going on."
"Nothing much, it's just that we didn't have time to get together during the Chinese New Year. Now that Xuewu is back, it's an opportunity."
Zheng Shusen greeted his grandmother and Li Shun, and started talking about today's gathering with a smile.
Actually, Li Xuewu was going to organize a get-together when he came back, since he didn't come back for the Spring Festival. If they didn't get together for a meal, they would all be leaving for the first month of the lunar calendar.
Anyway, the fifteenth day of the lunar month has passed, and according to the usual calculation, the year is over.
It's not like what those idle people say, that the New Year is already over before the first month of the lunar calendar. If that were the case, the New Year would be far too long.
Knowing that he had this idea, Zheng Shusen joined in the fun, making it a rare lively occasion.
Aside from the one day when their son brought their grandson back for the New Year, the elderly couple's life was uneventful; their home was almost devoid of warmth and life.
The private room prepared by Qinyuanchun is quite large. Not counting the children, it can easily accommodate more than a dozen people. If the children are included, it will be very lively.
"I want to sit next to Mommy—"
"I want to sit by myself!"
"No! No! No, I don't want my little brother—"
……
Li Shu is the eldest, and she already knows how to be polite in front of outsiders, so she won't shout anymore.
Li Tang and Li Ning are about three years old, an age when they don't understand anything and can't be reasoned with by beatings or scoldings.
With his mother keeping Li Tang in check, and Li Ning with his mother keeping him in check, the two boys finally calmed down a bit.
However, Zhao Yafang couldn't do two things at once; she also had to take care of Li Yue, the little girl who had just learned to crawl.
Of course, this age is also a fun time. Li Xuewu took her and placed her on the rotating table, gently turning the wooden turntable, which was quite amusing.
Li Yue couldn't understand what this was. All she saw were figures spinning around her like a carousel, and everyone was laughing at her as if it were a lot of fun.
Yes, she's the fun one.
"How could you be so mean—"
Zhao Yafang, both amused and annoyed, slapped Li Xuewu hard, trying to help her daughter down, but because the two boys were causing trouble, the table suddenly spun faster.
Li Yue wasn't afraid at all. She propped herself up on her little hands and lay on the turntable, curiously looking at the new world.
Of course, the turntable wouldn't be allowed to spin too fast. Even if Li Tang and Li Ning tried their best to pull it, as long as the adults kept their hands on the turntable, it wouldn't go fast.
A dozen or so people were having a blast watching the kids act silly, and the private room was filled with laughter.
Gu Ning was picked up by him as soon as she got off work. The two siblings were already at their grandmother's house, so they were in the same car.
She was still a little unaccustomed to such a large crowd, especially with Zheng Shusen and his wife present.
Today's meal isn't really a family dinner; it's more of a gathering between two close-knit families.
Wang Shuhua loves children. After playing with Li Shu and the other two, her attention turned to Li Yue.
"Finally, we have a daughter. All your long-standing cravings have been worth it."
She smiled as she looked at Zhao Yafang, who was holding her daughter in her arms, and said, "Now you have both a son and a daughter."
“I was talking to her dad that day, saying, what will happen to her when she grows up? I can’t bear to think about her getting married.”
Zhao Yafang is also very eloquent and never hesitates in this kind of situation; she can join in on anyone's conversation.
Gu Ning's situation was different. Wang Shuhua asked Zhao Yafang when she was going to have another one.
"It's not that we're afraid of anything else."
Li Xuewu laughed and took over the conversation, jokingly saying, "If we have a little girl, my sister-in-law will be envious; if we have a naughty boy, I can't even handle him myself."
"Hahaha--"
Who wants to envy you?
Zhao Yafang smiled and glared at him, then teased her little girl in her arms, saying, "We have our own."
Gu Ning just laughed at his joke, unsure how to respond to what he was saying at the table.
After communicating with the waiter, Li Xuecai and Ji Yuxiu poured tea for everyone from the teapot. Today's meal was not about status, but about rank.
Aside from the children, Li Xue was the youngest, and she was instructed by Li Xuewu to select the wine.
"Let's have some baijiu (Chinese liquor), and the ladies can have some red wine," Li Xuewu said with a smile, looking at the elders for their instructions. "Those who can't hold their liquor can have soda."
"Don't make it too complicated, there are no outsiders here."
Li Shun, worried that Li Xuewu was making too many arrangements, reminded him, "Just eat and drink well."
"It's alright, let him arrange it."
Zheng Shusen smiled and pointed at Li Xuewu, saying, "I told him that he arranged for us to have a good time today, and I'll treat everyone."
To be honest, the two families had a good relationship, with Wang Shuhua visiting the Li family more often. Zheng Shusen and Li Shun could also talk to each other, but they didn't see each other frequently.
And let's not even talk about how the Li family is doing now; Li Shun's status has risen so much that he can now sit at the same table as Zheng Shusen for a meal.
It's pointless to talk about human relationships too clearly. Zheng Shusen never said he looked down on the Li family before, and he doesn't say he thinks highly of the Li family now either.
It was only after the two families started visiting each other and establishing a godparent relationship that they became close.
For Li Shun, there was absolutely no connection between him and Zheng Shusen. He was just an ordinary traditional Chinese medicine doctor who had never thought about such things.
"He called home before the New Year and told his third brother to think about visiting you guys."
Li Shun nodded and explained to Zheng Shusen, "Liu Yin and I originally wanted to go that day, but our in-laws happened to be there, so we were delayed."
"We live close to each other."
Zheng Shusen raised the back of his hand and gently touched Li Shun's arm, saying, "Try to visit me more often. If you don't come looking for me, I won't be able to find you."
"To be honest, it's only because I'm back from learning martial arts that I don't know how to ask you out for a drink." He smiled and pointed at Li Xuewu, saying, "Otherwise, I wouldn't even know how to ask you out for a drink."
"He's been thinking about it a lot."
Wang Shuhua said with a smile, "The day the third son came, he asked, 'Why didn't your dad come?'"
“We didn’t really want to go that day,” Liu Yin explained. “We agreed on it the night before, but Ya Fang’s dad and his uncle showed up early the next morning.”
"I had my third brother share some of the mutton and rabbit that were delivered with you, so you can have a taste."
"That's why he keeps thinking about it," Wang Shuhua joked. "He knows your family has good food."
"Hahaha—" After the joke, she looked at Li Shun sincerely and emphasized, "Since we live close by, he can only ask you to drink."
The cold dishes were served, and Li Xue selected white and red wine from the bottom of the table. With the help of the waiters, she poured the wine for everyone under Li Xuewu's guidance.
"Time flies, Li Xue has grown into a young woman." Wang Shuhua looked at Li Xue pouring wine for Zheng Shusen and smiled as she praised her to Liu Yin.
Li Xue truly deserves the title of graceful and poised.
Her second brother taught her to call out to people before pouring the wine, and she learned it in one go. She even knew who to start pouring the wine from.
Just as they were talking about drinking, the wine arrived. Zheng Shusen didn't touch the cold dishes on the table. After Li Xue poured the wine, she praised him as a good boy, picked up her glass, and clinked it with her grandmother and Li Shun to have a taste.
He is not an alcoholic and is a very self-controlled person. Even if he likes it, he doesn't drink often.
Furthermore, Wang Shuhua controlled him and prevented him from drinking too much. In addition, the couple rarely had social engagements, so their bodies were not harmed by alcohol.
Li Shun, needless to say, has an average alcohol tolerance, but he can easily drink half a jin (250ml) of liquor.
He rarely drinks alcohol, except when the weather changes, in which case he might drink some medicinal wine.
The elders in the Li family are all in good health, and Li Shun goes out for a walk every morning without fail.
When Li Shu was little, he had to go to the milk station to pick up milk. After Li Shu grew up and went to Haiyuncang with her parents, Li Tang came again not long after, and he still had to go to the milk station.
Now that Li Yue has taken over, he has no shortage of reasons to go out for a walk in the morning.
The old lady smokes but doesn't drink alcohol, though a cup or two is fine for her. She doesn't do any health exercises or anything like that. She just has a good temper and knows how to take care of herself.
My great-grandmother's health was a bit poor, probably due to overwork when she was young, coupled with malnutrition at the time, her habit of drinking and smoking, and her coughing during the dry autumn and winter.
The three of them clinked glasses and downed their drinks in one gulp. Luckily, the glasses weren't big, otherwise the two bottles of wine that Li Xue brought wouldn't have been enough for them.
Li Xue poured wine for everyone, even the old lady and others received a glass of baijiu, and then poured red wine for her sisters-in-law before sitting down and pouring herself a glass.
Li Xuewu didn't let her serve him; instead, he took the wine bottle and refilled it for the three of them himself.
“I told the front desk to only order the 20 yuan dishes, and not to pay for anything more.”
Li Xuewu made a joke while pouring wine for his godfather.
Li Shun glared at him, scolding him for spending so much money; it would have been fine if it were his own family hosting the dinner.
"This is your company's restaurant."
Zheng Shusen looked at him and said with a smile, "If you spend too much and I don't pay you back, I'll have to leave you here as collateral."
"I might not be able to work with you."
Li Xuewu poured the wine, sat down again, and said in a serious tone, "If I drink too much and run away first, don't blame me for not being able to hold my liquor."
"Hahaha--"
Zheng Shusen enjoyed the lively and joyful atmosphere, especially with the children making a ruckus.
Li Shu's mature demeanor could only last a short while. Seeing that everyone was chatting and laughing and no one was paying attention to her, she led her two younger brothers to grab the desserts that were served.
The Li family children never go hungry, but a love for sweets is in a child's nature, and they chatter away.
"I heard you were transferred to the School of Political Science and Law?"
Zhao Yafang looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Why were you transferred over there? What are you going to be in charge of?"
Upon hearing her ask this, everyone at the table looked at Li Xuewu, filled with curiosity and doubt.
Li Xuewu didn't tell his family about this, and didn't even want to, because there was no need.
Even he didn't know how he got there, so how was he going to explain it to his family?
"I heard it from Political Commissar Wang of the Third Regiment. She said you have been transferred out of the regiment."
Ji Yuxiu explained that she was the source of the information.
"They contacted me before the New Year to talk."
Seeing his godparents looking at him and his family members looking worried, Li Xuewu explained frankly, "I wanted to quit, but they wouldn't let me go and arranged for me to become a teacher."
Regarding his words about withdrawing, those at the table who needed to understand understood what he meant.
But they didn't quite understand what it meant to be a teacher.
"Is it for you to give a lecture?" Zhao Yafang was also taken aback and asked, "Is it related to security?"
"Criminal psychology." Li Xuewu pursed his lips, somewhat speechless, and said, "They say it's a new course that started this year, with four classes a month."
“That’s a formal position.” Zhao Yafang nodded and said, “I really didn’t expect that.”
"What you didn't expect was yet."
Li Xuewu chuckled and shook his head, then looked at her and said, "I'm an associate professor now."
"What?" Zhao Yafang was the most surprised at the table this time. Although the others were also surprised, Li Shun and Liu Yin had expressions of utter absurdity.
Leaving aside Zhao Yafang's shock at the mention of "associate professor," it's clear that Li Shun and his wife knew exactly what kind of person their son was.
If the second son can become an associate professor, then this associate professorship is too... wait a minute! Associate professorships are still valuable, otherwise why didn't the eldest son and his wife get promoted!
That is indeed the case. Logically speaking, the only ones in the Li family who should be called professors, besides the eldest son and his wife, are the third son.
No one could have imagined that Li Xuewu would be able to get there first. What exactly happened?
Even if the rules and regulations for appointing an associate professor are no longer necessary, there are still new rules and regulations.
Zheng Shusen understood how Li Xuewu obtained this professional title and was not surprised.
"Do you only teach criminal psychology?"
"Not necessarily." Li Xuewu understood his godfather's question and shook his head slightly, saying, "He wants me to report for duty this month, but I'm thinking of going tomorrow."
"You need to be mentally prepared."
Zheng Shusen glanced at him and nodded, reminding him, "They probably wanted you to teach psychology to see if you have the corresponding teaching and academic abilities."
"Maybe so, I'm confused right now."
Li Xuewu raised his glass to toast him and his father, then downed it in one gulp.
Li Shu and the other younger children didn't quite understand what an associate professor was, but seeing that the atmosphere at the table wasn't as lively as it had been at the beginning, they all learned to be quiet.
"That's a good thing," Wang Shuhua said with a smile, "It proves that you didn't waste your time in college."
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at his godmother, pretending to complain, "If you had told me this when I was in middle school, I would be a college student by now."
He looked at his elder brother and smiled, "Perhaps I am now as gentle and refined as my elder brother, a true gentleman."
Why don't you tell me how naughty you were back then?
Wang Shuhua pointed at him, both amused and annoyed, and said, "I don't even want to bring up the past in front of your daughter. You have no idea how infuriating you were back then!"
“Back then, I told him to study hard and stop being naughty. As soon as I finished speaking, he released the thrush that Old Yang was raising.”
When it comes to Li Xuewu's childhood, she has a lot of stories to tell, the kind that make you laugh more and more as you tell them.
"I still get angry when I think about it now. I've never seen such a naughty child."
"I can't even imagine it now," Zhao Yafang said with a smile, echoing, "What would you look like standing on that platform?"
Just like my older brother.
Li Xuewu shamelessly gestured to Li Xuewen sitting next to him and said, "We two brothers are becoming more and more alike."
"Don't you dare insult your older brother."
Zhao Yafang looked at Gu Ning with amusement and reminded him, "Now that your godmother has brought it up, shouldn't you thoroughly investigate his background?"
Gu Ning just smiled, picked up an egg with chopsticks and fed it to Li Ning and Li Tang. The two little guys happily swung their legs back and forth.
Li Xuewen's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He wasn't jealous of his second brother; he just felt that his brother's temperament was more suited to the title of associate professor.
My second brother always says this era is magical, and today he finally understands what magic really means.
He worked diligently and selflessly in the ivory tower with the lofty ideal of teaching and educating people, but in the end he was not as cultured as his second brother who traveled around and fought in the north and south.
How should I introduce my brother to my family in the future? "This is my lecturer brother, and this is my associate professor brother."
***
"Alright, you guys go first, Xuewu has arranged a car."
Wang Shuhua drank a glass of red wine, her face flushed, and waved her hand to signal Liu Yin, who was holding the child, to get in the car and leave first.
Li Xuewu didn't rush to leave. He said a few words to Shen Guodong and the others before returning to see his father and the others off to their car.
The meal lasted until after nine o'clock. If it weren't for Qinyuanchun Restaurant, all the state-run restaurants in the city would have closed by now. Everyone would be at work, and who would stay up with you until midnight?
Qin Huairu had come over specifically after hearing the news, and she was standing at the door helping him put his family members into the car.
"Dad, you and Mom get in this car."
Li Xuewu called two cars from the club; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to pick up or send off such a large family.
He let Zheng Shusen and his wife into the club's car, gave the driver a few instructions, and then closed the car door.
Of course, Zheng Shusen paid the bill; he couldn't let his godfather lose face. However, he arranged the car and drinks. Qinyuanchun had imported red wine, but ordinary people couldn't afford it.
Why didn't you tell me beforehand?
After seeing the whole family off to their respective cars, Qin Huairu finally complained to him.
After seeing Gu Ning and the two children off to the car, he turned around and thanked Qin Huairu, then explained, "It was a last-minute decision; I hadn't planned on having dinner tonight."
Oh, by the way, I just wanted to let you know.
Before getting into the car, Li Xuewu nodded at her and said, "The group has decided to reorganize and reorganize the hospitality units. Keep an eye on the notifications."
"How do I change it? Keep it as a single line from top to bottom?"
Qin Huairu came all this way just for this sentence, since she couldn't see Li Xuewu at the company.
"A single line is inevitable, no need to think about it."
Li Xuewu emphasized: "However, catering and accommodation should be managed separately, and international hotels should be divided according to brand."
"I wasn't in charge of the relevant organizational work. You can ask the organization department or the office; they should know."
"Then I'll ask tomorrow." Qin Huairu took a large stack of lunch boxes from the waiter behind her and stuffed them into the car, saying, "Xiaoying said the kids love it, so I asked the kitchen to make a little extra."
"Why worry about it?" Li Xuewu chuckled as he looked at the lunchbox at his feet, then turned to Li Shu and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
"Thank you, Auntie!"
When Li Shu and Li Ning heard that it was food, and the same food they had just eaten at the dinner table, their mouths watered.
Qin Huairu smiled and wiped the two children's faces, saying to Gu Ning, "If the children want to eat, just call me and I'll have someone send it over."
"Thank you, Sister Qin." Gu Ning didn't stand on ceremony and simply smiled as she thanked her.
Li Xuewu wasn't driving; he was the club's driver. Since the nighttime temperature in Beijing wasn't high, and he was worried the child would get cold, he didn't say much.
The drivers were all young, recruited from sports schools, trained by the Lou family's drivers, and licensed from the Hongxing Factory, so they were considered family.
The car took the family to the sea freight warehouse. The driver even thoughtfully helped them with their lunchboxes, while Li Xuewu carried Li Shu and Li Ning on either side of him.
Er Ya took the lunchbox at the door, thanked the driver, but did not invite him inside; she remained highly vigilant.
When Li Xuewu and Gu Ning are not home, the gate is locked, and no one can get in unless Qin Jingru comes.
Li Ning was a bit of a sleepyhead. Li Shu was still talking to her father about kindergarten and how her two younger brothers had fought at their grandmother's house when he had already fallen asleep.
"Have you had dinner yet?" Gu Ning asked Er Ya as she entered the house carrying lunchboxes. "The restaurant packed these dishes for you. If you haven't eaten, heat them up."
"They've already eaten." Er Ya took the lunchbox to the restaurant before coming out to meet Li Shu and said, "Ya Ping went to bed as soon as she finished her homework, and I just finished washing the clothes."
"Then let's save it for breakfast," Gu Ning reminded her before going upstairs. This kind of gathering had left her feeling a bit tired.
"Don't worry." Er Ya carried Li Shu to the bathroom and said, "The hot water was prepared in advance, just waiting to give you a bath. It would have gotten cold if we hadn't come back soon."
"I want to take a bath with my brother!"
Li Shu also started to feel drowsy, but she became alert again after entering the room, while Li Ning slept soundly.
"You don't have a choice today," Er Ya said with a smile. "If you wake your little brother, you can forget about going to bed early and getting up early. Tomorrow, the other kids at kindergarten will laugh at you for being a lazybones."
"Then I'll sleep with you tonight," Li Shu said with a grin, hugging her aunt's head. "Okay, Auntie?"
"Oh no," Er Ya teased her, "Last time you slept with me, you drew a map on the sheets. What are you going to draw this time?"
“Draw…” Li Shu hesitated for a moment, then her eyes lit up, and she answered before going into the bathroom, “I’ll draw you a nesting doll!”