dognovel Chapter 1373 Zhao Yaping Enters the City
Chapter 1373 Zhao Yaping Enters the City
Chapter 1373 Zhao Yaping Enters the City
"what are you thinking?"
Wang Lu glanced at the departing car, took Zhao Yajun's arm, and walked towards the residential area, reminding him, "Don't do anything reckless."
"It's nothing, it's not a big problem."
Zhao Yajun sniffed, exhaled a puff of white breath, stopped, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and said, "Second Brother has spoken."
"You're not in charge of public order," Wang Lu said, frowning slightly. "It's not convenient to say this out loud; what if they don't give us face?"
"Besides, it's not exactly something to be proud of."
The thought of her second brother's driver explaining the case in the car made her somewhat reluctant.
If it really was a fight, it's understandable that young people are hot-blooded and impulsive, but what kind of thing is it to bully a young girl?
"Yeah, it's nothing, just telling me is enough."
Zhao Yajun is a calm and reserved person by nature, and he is never in a hurry when he is with Wang Lu.
It's inevitable that there will be male chauvinism in this era, and Zhao Yajun is no exception, after all, he comes from a rural background.
But the two are truly a match made in heaven, their personalities are perfectly compatible, and they can't find any reason to argue.
Although Wang Lu is outgoing and carefree, and seems to have a lot of ideas, she rarely offers opinions in front of Zhao Yajun.
When she got married, her mother told her that men are extremely concerned about their image, and that no matter what, she should never speak in a way that would be considered unwise.
Wang Lu understood this principle, but she didn't deliberately try to please Zhao Yajun; it was just her nature.
When you truly like someone, everything around you seems beautiful.
She always went along with Zhao Yajun, and Zhao Yajun was a gentle person, so she really didn't know what she should be anxious about.
Take today's situation, for example. Wang Lu was clearly worried that Zhao Yajun might offend someone if he didn't handle it well. But she didn't say a word to offer him any advice in the car just now.
After getting off the bus, he only expressed his opinions and dissatisfaction, without targeting Zhao Yajun or his second brother Li Xuewu.
To be fair, it's possible she grumbled a bit. But she didn't mention in a single sentence that her second brother had caused trouble for Zhao Yajun.
She and Zhao Yajun received a lot of care from her second brother. Although she was extremely cautious in her relationship with her sister-in-law, she was very natural with Li Xuewu.
This is partly due to the two working together as partners, and partly due to the second brother's frank and easy-going personality.
This is the driver I found, isn't he? He's really unreliable. When Han Jiankun was promoted to the position of team leader, he had that young upstart Nie Xiaoguang drive for him, which surprised Wang Lu.
However, the crux of the matter lies with Director Li; while others may not know, she does possess some knowledge of the details.
Han Jiankun had been driving for her second brother for over two years, and she was already familiar with and used to the requirement that a driver be mature and steady.
But look at Nie Xiaoguang. If it weren't for her second brother asking her for help, she would never have gotten involved in his messy affair with Han Lu.
She's not a union "matchmaker," and even if she likes to act as a go-between, it's to help good friends.
She wouldn't even bother to glance at someone like Han Lu. Calling her a young woman when she's practically a used woman is pointless.
To be fair, Zhou Miaomiao wasn't exactly a pushover, but what could she do? She had a clear goal, didn't try to take advantage of others, and acted decisively when the time was right.
Even someone as picky as her couldn't say anything. You might say Zhou Miaomiao is shameless, but she's a cadre now.
Within certain small circles within the organization, everyone speaks of Zhou Miaomiao with a knowing smirk, praising her abilities.
A pursed lip indicates disdain, while genuine admiration is also true.
A person only has a few decades to live. If you're really willing to risk everything and there's someone else willing to take over, who cares about reputation?
It doesn't matter who you kick, the key is to know what you want. It's pathetic to talk about a confused person like Han Lu.
What's even more pathetic is that she chose that idiot Nie Xiaoguang; the two of them are truly a moron, a veritable five hundred.
Just when we thought Nie Xiaoguang was gone, Yu Zhe showed up. He doesn't seem stupid, but he's no pushover either, and he'll cause a lot of trouble.
I don't know what my second brother is thinking, always bringing such reckless people around him.
Walking on the snow, the ground crunched underfoot. Taking a drag of his cigarette, Zhao Yajun was somewhat dazed.
He didn't know if his thoughts were excessive, but some ideas just kept popping into his head.
Wang Lu has a narrow perspective and has not experienced many things, so she probably failed to understand her second brother's style and significance in doing things.
Whether it's Yu Zhe or Nie Xiaoguang, they're really nothing special when they're next to Second Brother.
Second Brother could handle Nie Xiaoguang's little problem, so what's Yu Zhe stealing a girl's bicycle wheel?
This kid isn't just evil, he's wicked, he's utterly despicable.
Yu Zhe liked a young girl, but couldn't win her over, so he went to a dangerous place and stole her bicycle wheel.
His purpose was simple: to give someone a ride home "on the way." He didn't seem to realize that these days, who doesn't cherish their bicycle? How could they let a stolen wheel go unpunished?
Besides, the group's security department isn't just sitting idly by; this compound is extremely well-protected. With 20,000 to 30,000 people working in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone, how could a bicycle wheel just disappear?
Even if you're short of money, you can't steal a bicycle wheel. The security guards are all veterans; they could tell something was off about Yu Zhe the moment they saw him. Unsolicited kindness—he's either up to no good or a thief.
Alright, let's take him back to the security office and ask him.
This kid was quite honest; instead of using the security department to make things serious, he took the initiative to explain everything in detail.
The bicycle wheels weren't stolen; they were just placed on top of the bicycle shed, and he even thoughtfully covered them with a tarpaulin.
It turns out the little girl searched around the bicycle for ages, only to find the wheel was hidden right above her head.
The young girl isn't stupid. It would be one thing if the bike were stolen outside or parked in some random corner, but to have it stolen from a large carport is truly bizarre.
There are probably two or three thousand bicycles in this bike shed, if not ten thousand. Why was it her bike that got stolen?
She didn't initially suspect that it was the kind-hearted Yu Zhe who did it, until the security guard found her, and she was furious.
If we're dating, fine. If I don't like you, that's fine too. But don't take my wheels off my car!
Alright, Yu Zhe was waiting at the security office, not taking the matter seriously at all, only saying he wanted to date as a joke.
But the young woman objected, saying he was deliberately seeking revenge and insisted on not withdrawing the case.
If she refuses and insists on labeling Yu Zhe as a pervert, then Yu Zhe's life is over.
The security guards didn't scrutinize the case too harshly. This particular incident didn't pose much of a threat to society, so they mainly focused on criticism and education, and at most, they'd give Yu Zhe a beating.
Yu Zhe was, after all, a driver for a small fleet, not a driver for leaders, but he still had a lot of contact with cadres in the government.
It's not that he has a lot of influence, it's just that giving him this kind of label is ultimately not a good look.
If we really did that, what would the government's motorcade become? A den of thugs!
The security department was also tactful; they kept Yu Zhe for one night, but decided to put the young girl on hold for now, waiting until she calmed down and had calmed down before talking to her.
Yu Zhe was found out by his sister just two days after leaving the security department. He was punished and then became Li Xuewu's driver.
Now the security department is in a difficult position; they can't exactly target Li Xuewu's driver. Anyone with eyes can see that Yu Zhe has connections, otherwise he wouldn't have taken over Nie Xiaoguang's job.
Nie Xiaoguang has long been a complete fool and a laughingstock in the government. He doesn't use his regular car service and insists on causing trouble.
Not only did he marry a slut, but he also ruined his future.
Everyone knows that Li Xuewu is going to work in the steel city, so if they're changing drivers now, Yu Zhe must be going with him.
Thinking about it more carefully, who would believe that Yu Zhe didn't have Li Xuewu's trust to be able to bring something from Beijing to Steel City?
The security guards were worried that the young girl might find out and misunderstand. If they took it too seriously, they would be the ones in trouble. After all, young people are often impulsive.
These days, we lack everything except all sorts of people. The young girl herself did nothing wrong; if she had spoken up and reasoned with everyone, the security department would have had to handle the matter strictly according to the rules.
Even if it's just official business, what else can we do?
There was absolutely no harassment involved; he was interested in her, but he didn't make any advances. As for whether it was intentional revenge, it's hard to judge, especially since he offered to take her home.
Zhou Yao was also angry and almost accused him of theft, but he confessed on his own initiative and did not damage the wheel.
So everyone was in a difficult position. The security department secretly told Zhou Yao about the case, and Zhou Yao told Li Xuewu directly.
Li Xuewu was also surprised to find that this kid was really capable; he hadn't stopped causing trouble in the past few years.
There's only one goal: to find a partner.
When Li Xuewu was pursuing Su Qing, he was once annoyed because he had his eyes on Su Qing, even though she was one of the girls at the club.
Although he didn't like Su Qing and didn't approve of Lao Biaozi's way of handling relationships, it was still a complicated relationship.
As a result, Yu Li was neglected by him and took the initiative to chase away her younger brother Yu Zhe, forbidding him from harassing Su Qing anymore.
Two years have passed, and Yu Zhe is still the same Yu Zhe.
Zhao Yajun didn't feel embarrassed. He had taken the lead in this matter, but in essence, he represented Li Xuewu. Who would dare to make things difficult for him?
The fact that the second brother placed Nie Xiaoguang and Yu Zhe, those two idiots, in front of him might not be entirely without the intention of planting landmines.
This is something he doesn't want to think about.
Someone as wise as my second brother would never allow those around him to cause him trouble; he must have his own agenda.
My second brother was in such a difficult situation recently, and even though that idiot Nie Xiaoguang caused so much trouble, no one bothered him.
Why is that?
Because nobody dares, it's that simple.
His second brother arranged for him to handle Yu Zhe's problem in the car, which was a response to Zhou Yao's attempt to shift the blame.
He wasn't from the security division, nor was he an official in charge of security; he was in charge of training, so he naturally spoke without restraint.
Don't worry about Wang Lu's pettiness; he's just wondering if his second brother has any ulterior motives in assigning him tasks.
Is it a test of the security department's attitude, or is it to force him to move forward and actively develop in the direction of the public security section?
He still felt that this was too simplistic, but he was also certain that his second brother's arrangement was not so simple.
As if trapped in a vicious cycle, Zhao Yajun scratched his head, really wanting to punch that bastard Zhe to death.
Who told him to set such a difficult question!
"My dear in-law, have some tea, don't stand on ceremony."
Liu Yin warmly gestured for Li Xue to go and get some peanuts and melon seeds to serve the guests.
Hearing her being so polite, Zhao Gen and Yin Mancang waved their hands repeatedly, "Sister, don't bother, just drink some hot water."
"No trouble at all. I heard you were coming to visit, so Xuewu specially arranged for someone to deliver it."
Liu Yin sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and greeted him with a smile, "You never come here, all I hear from your dad is how nice things are up in the mountains?"
"Everything's fine. I just came to drop by."
Yin Mancang said with a smile, "I met with Xuewu and me on the mountain last month, but we didn't have a chance to chat."
He rolled a pipe in the tobacco basket the old lady handed him, unscrewed the handle, and lit it with a match.
This dry tobacco is much stronger than rolled cigarettes, and people in rural areas like to smoke it, especially the kind they grow in their own fields.
Instead of using a tobacco roaster, just dry them in the hottest sun until they are completely dry, then rub them evenly with your hands.
The old lady used to like smoking this kind of dry tobacco, but Li Xuewu changed the tobacco because he was worried that she would cough badly in winter.
Tobacco has been sold in Beijing for a long time. For example, Juxingzhai, a time-honored brand with more than 100 years of history, still sells it now.
Later generations said that mixing red wine into tobacco made it look very sophisticated, but a few decades ago there was also a sophisticated practice: mixing gourd seeds.
I won't explain what "gourd seeds" are here, but they smell really good when you smoke them, and some people call them "one-sip fragrance".
Excessive smoking ruins a person; that's how the Qing Dynasty came to an end.
The old lady, of course, wouldn't smoke that stuff. Her family had a tradition of medicine, and she knew all too well the dangers of it.
The tobacco in the tobacco basket was specially bought by Li Xuecai from the Dong'an Market to entertain the guests who came today.
"I've been wanting to visit for a long time."
Zhao Gen was not as eloquent as Yin Mancang. Now that he had arrived at his in-laws' house, he simply wore a simple smile, appearing honest.
His expression wasn't reserved; in this day and age, in-laws are considered real relatives, and the title of "son-in-law" isn't just for show.
It wasn't that I didn't want to come; I was just too embarrassed to.
He would even get angry if his daughter brought things home, let alone let her lose face by coming to her in-laws to beg for money.
Rural people have their own backbone. Everyone envies him for having such a good in-law, but he didn't treat his in-laws like a bank.
This visit to my in-laws' house marks the fourth anniversary of my daughter's marriage, and it's only because my family has something to rely on that I dare to come.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Yin said with a hint of reproach, "We're proper relatives, but you're just being a charlatan."
"Hahaha—" Zhao Gen laughed and said, "The family was really too busy a few years ago, really busy."
“My brother knows; I’ve seen him on the mountain these past few years,” Yin Mancang said with a smile. “He’s busy all year round; he’s just hoping that little bit of land can support him.”
"What can a peasant expect if not land?"
Zhao Gen chuckled and looked at the old lady, saying, "Relying on our children? We're so young, wouldn't that just make us a laughingstock?"
"You're very capable, with elderly parents and young children to care for." The old lady nodded and asked with a smile, "Was the harvest good this year?"
"It's alright, God just doesn't treat people well."
Zhao Gen took a puff of his cigarette and explained, "The brigade and teams don't just rely on the harvest from the fields to generate income from agriculture."
The old lady nodded as if she understood, though she didn't quite get it, she knew that as long as they were doing well, that was enough.
Seeing that the old lady and Liu Yin didn't quite understand, Yin Mancang took the initiative to explain: "In the past two years, every household has made money by raising chickens and ducks, and they have also earned a lot from dogs and rabbits."
"Yes, that's alright." The old lady understood, looked out the window towards the backyard, and said, "We used to raise chickens and rabbits in this yard, but they've all been cleared out now."
“Our area isn’t as strictly controlled.”
Yin Mancang glanced at his brother-in-law Zhao Gen, unwilling to discuss the topic further. The reason was simple: every household in the Red Star Commune was raising far more poultry and rabbits than permitted.
How was that red line marked?
If there are more than three, it's considered a capitalist tail, and people would have to cut it off.
Hongxing Village is located in a remote mountainous area, and the village leader is daring and has stable sales channels, so how could life not be good?
It wasn't that I was afraid my in-laws would be jealous, but I was afraid that the old lady and Liu Yin would spread the news and cause more trouble.
They dare to say these things here because of their in-laws; if they were really elsewhere, who would dare to spout such nonsense?
"I heard it's not so scary anymore. Has the road up the mountain been repaired?"
Liu Yin sensed the caution in his words and took the initiative to change the subject, asking, "Going up and down the mountain is not easy."
"It's under repair, it's been under repair all along."
Yin Mancang nodded and explained, "It was built from the top of the mountain down for convenience and to save labor and materials."
"We only dared to bring up the road construction issue these past two years because conditions have improved." He said with considerable emotion, "In the past, we wouldn't dare to go down the mountain if it rained even a little. We've been like this for many years."
"That's right, I heard they're going to build a brick house?" Liu Yin asked Zhao Gen, "Will construction start next spring, or before the autumn harvest?"
"I was thinking it would be after May Day, but we'll have to wait until we're done with the work in the fields," Zhao Gen said with a smile. "My second son and third son are both out of school, and they're about to get engaged."
"Yeah, the third child isn't going to school either?"
Liu Yin had heard that her in-laws' second son had dropped out of school, but she didn't expect that the third son would also drop out.
Zhao Gen thought of his eldest daughter and shook his head helplessly, saying, "She's just not cut out for it."
"Sure, it would be good to help out at home."
Yin Mancang knew that his brother-in-law was hoping that another scholar would emerge from the family, but how could he force such a thing?
With Zhao Yafang setting an example, and Zhao Yajun and the rest of the family following her, none of the Zhao family's children escaped the pressure.
If even the eldest sister can pass the exam and get out, what are they lacking?
It's understandable that my family was too poor to afford schooling in the past, but now it's not difficult to support my studies.
The problem is that things aren't difficult at home now. When we were poor, the children competed to learn from each other, but now that we have money, they've become more active, especially with all these organizations coming to the mountain.
Although transportation down the mountain is inconvenient, the unit still provides supplies and staff transportation.
Each time people come down from the mountain, they bring something new, and the villagers' mindset is also changing.
The elderly are alright, but the young people are getting restless and all want to move to the city, even if it means marrying into the family.
These young people don't even realize that young people in the city are being driven to the countryside these days, so where are they going to find cheap deals?
Young people are restless and can't be persuaded otherwise. Influenced by the current situation, many of them stop studying after graduating from school.
Young people in the city can still mess around and live off their parents after graduating from school, but young people in the countryside don't have that kind of freedom.
If you don't want to go hungry, you have to earn work points. If you cheat or slack off, you'll even have to pay the brigade money by the end of the year; you won't starve.
If we rely solely on the few work points our parents earn, by the end of the year we won't even be able to afford pork, let alone offal.
Therefore, in rural areas at this time, children as young as thirteen or fourteen often had to work in the fields, combining studying with farming.
If someone is truly talented and has a good aptitude for studying, then their family might consider it.
If things really don't work out, you should go back to work in the fields as soon as possible. Why bother going to school? School doesn't cost money.
Zhao Gen's family has five children: the eldest, Zhao Yafang, and the second, Zhao Yajun. These two have settled down in the city.
The third brother, Zhao Yamin, didn't envy his eldest sister, but rather his second brother. He knew he didn't have his eldest sister's abilities and wouldn't be able to get into university, but he hoped he would have his second brother's luck.
Zhao Yamin knew all too well how her second brother had managed to leave the mountains and get a job at the Hongxing Factory; it was all thanks to the care and support of Li's second brother.
If they've taken care of even his second brother, how could they possibly neglect him?
After leaving school, he hoped that Li's second brother could come to the mountain so that he could curry favor with him.
In the two years that followed, Li's second brother didn't come even once. How could he wait? His father couldn't wait either.
If you say you're coming down the mountain to find Li's second brother, he might want to, but he'd need to get a letter of introduction from his uncle first.
Back then, rural children could go wherever they wanted; without a letter of introduction, they couldn't even buy tickets.
I waited and waited, but they didn't come. I really hoped that my older sister or brother-in-law would come, but they rarely came home because of their children and work.
The few times he came, it was his brother-in-law who came. He wanted to mention it, but he never got the chance.
Last year during Chinese New Year, my brother-in-law came to our house to deliver New Year's gifts, and he seized the opportunity to speak his mind.
I don't know how it happened, but before my brother-in-law could even respond, his father called him away.
He didn't know that his brother-in-law was also in a difficult position at the time.
At that time, Li Xuewen himself didn't know what to do. He had no job and was hiding in a prison for peace and quiet.
They say they're seeking peace and quiet, but aren't they just afraid of being purged?
His brother-in-law came to ask him for help, and he felt both embarrassed and embarrassed.
If you say he's incompetent, he has many officials in his family, so he has no worries about food or drink and lives a carefree life.
You could say he's capable, but how can the eldest brother be in such a predicament, and how can he possibly ask his younger siblings for help?
He may be comfortable with himself, but if he really wants to help his brother-in-law, it has to be his younger brother and sister.
Li Xuewu could handle this, but my second brother is already taking care of Zhao Yajun, and now he has to take care of his father-in-law's whole family too?
He is the son-in-law of his father-in-law, so it is understandable that he takes care of his father-in-law's family, but there is no reason for his younger brother to take care of his father-in-law's family.
So, even if his father-in-law didn't call him, he wouldn't be able to respond to the matter his brother-in-law brought up.
Being a dutiful father-in-law, he only said a few words to Zhao Yamin when he called him away, without mentioning anything else; in fact, he was just stopping Zhao Yamin from speaking.
Afterwards, Zhao Gen gave Zhao Yamin a severe beating, beating him for being shameless, for having hands and feet but relying on others. He also berated him for being unrealistic, for not being satisfied with what he had, and for being jealous of his second brother.
If he really had the ability to study on his own, he would sell everything he owned to support him, but he wouldn't allow it if it involved relying on relatives.
Zhao Yamin was beaten up and lost his enthusiasm for going to the factory, but a knot remained in his heart. He not only became distant from his eldest sister, but also ignored his second brother.
This is anger, and also jealousy.
He was angry that his eldest sister didn't care about him and jealous of his second brother's good fortune.
If he were the second son, he should also receive this kind of care, go to work in the city, and marry a rich and powerful wife.
So over the course of the year, Zhao Yamin seemed to have matured a lot, but he kept his head down and didn't say a word, which was very stubborn.
What could Zhao Gen do? He's a grown man now; you can't beat him or scold him to wake him up. He was too lazy to bother with him.
However, he also made it clear to his son that whether he was angry with his older sister or jealous of his second brother, he could do whatever he wanted.
Anyway, his older sister and his second brother wouldn't rely on him for a living, and they don't need him as a younger brother.
He'll have to decide for himself whether his older sister and brother can take care of him or whether they can't do without him.
This couldn't be more blunt; Zhao Yamin, young and impetuous, simply couldn't understand it. The fourth brother, Zhao Yating, was much more perceptive in this regard.
With his third brother's example right before his eyes, his father was already furious and wanted to use the family's savings from the past two years to build a house.
They had already saved up money, and after that fire they had clearly built a new house, so why did they need to build another house?
Because they were going to separate.
It's obvious whoever gets to live out their retirement.
Zhao Yating also envied life in the city, but he knew that this envy couldn't be forced and that he had to look at the present situation.
With improved family conditions, a few years of hard work will ensure you can find a wife and live a good life.
They can now afford bicycles that city dwellers couldn't, so what's there to be stubborn about?
***
"Are you really going to separate the child and raise them on their own?"
At lunchtime, not only did Li Xuewu bring his family back, but Li Shun, who had been visiting relatives, also returned.
After Li Shun returned to Beijing, he had a conversation with his second son. The father and son talked for more than two hours in the backyard.
The family didn't know what the father and son said, but Li Shun never went up the mountain again after that.
He tells his family and colleagues that he's handling household chores, but what important matters in the family can he possibly handle?
Li Xuecai blurted out that his father was keeping a low profile and didn't want others to be jealous of his achievements on the mountain.
The results of it?
Li Shun began to discipline his third son.
Not only did they test their son's basic skills every day, but they also required him to write down and analyze the cases he encountered during his internship.
Li Xuecai was finally tied down; his carefree year-long life came to an end, and he became his father's driver and secretary.
Li Shun changed his previous dullness and conservatism, and would sometimes go to his workplace to visit old colleagues and friends.
Then I went to various pharmacies and drugstores in Beijing to organize and collect folk remedies.
Zhao Yufeng, who was serving as the general manager of Baicaotang United Pharmaceutical Corporation under Hongxing Steel Group, invited him to dinner twice, and it seemed they discussed some matters.
Li Shun has been busy with these matters lately; the research institute on the mountain has been entrusted to his deputy for management and operation.
These days, everything is valuable except for skills.
With the convenience of the place, Li Shun took his son to visit several veteran traditional Chinese medicine doctors today, the kind who are considered masters.
Whether you call it asking or discussing, the key is to get these people together and put their valuable experience into writing.
Li Xuewu didn't want his father to be trapped on the mountain, and he didn't want those intrigues to hurt his father's feelings.
That day in the backyard, he bluntly asked his father whether he preferred doing research in the mountains or loved the cause of traditional Chinese medicine.
Li Shun could say something, but he understood what his son meant. He couldn't very well let his son ask him directly whether he was attached to his position at the research institute on the mountain or genuinely wanted to study traditional Chinese medicine.
This question hit the nail on the head. His son's words were somewhat disrespectful, but they also served as a wake-up call for him.
Zhao Yufeng served as the general manager of the pharmaceutical company, and the research institute on the mountain came into his view.
It's hard to say how he fared in the traditional Chinese medicine hospital before, but now Li Shun's management and research abilities are somewhat lacking.
We shouldn't put them in a difficult position; it's better to accept the situation and call it a day.
Li Shun had a ton of prescriptions and folk remedies in his hands. If he were to summarize the skills of a master doctor, he would be a figure of extraordinary talent.
In the field of traditional Chinese medicine, no one dares to claim to be number one.
If you say you come from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, no one will mess with you. But if you claim to be the best in the world, someone will bring a dead body to you tomorrow and ask you to treat it.
Li Shun also figured it out, and even started to dislike his youngest son, who hadn't made any progress in the past six months.
It just means your driving skills have improved.
Perfect timing! Having my younger son drive him around to visit different places and exchange experiences is also a learning opportunity for my son.
I went out to handle this matter today, and when I learned that my in-laws were coming, I rushed back at noon.
Zhao Gen and Yin Mancang only knew that Li Shun hadn't been up the mountain for two months, so they came down to check on him.
Seeing Li Xuewu and his family return to keep them company, they were especially proud, and they drank much louder.
The Li family spared no expense in entertaining their in-laws; since there wasn't enough room for the whole family, they ate at the recycling station.
Sha Zhu didn't go out today and volunteered to help prepare the feast, which made Zhao Gen and Yin Mancang even more excited.
"What can we do if we don't separate them? The kids are all grown up."
After drinking, Zhao Gen became more talkative. He addressed Li Shun as "elder brother," and the two in-laws sat down and chatted.
"If the third son is easy to manage, then I won't have any worries."
He said helplessly, "My parents are getting old, and I can't bear to make them suffer."
“But a son is no longer under his mother’s control once he grows up. If he keeps making a fuss, then I, as his father, will be in the wrong.”
"Sigh, it'll be better when they're older."
Seeing that his brother-in-law had drunk too much and was speaking too bluntly, Yin Mancang raised his glass and tried to persuade him to stop.
Zhao Gen sighed, drank some wine, and looked at the three sons of the Li family at the table with envy, saying, "The eldest brother is truly blessed."
"Hey, it looks alright now, but it was infuriating before." Li Shun glanced at his youngest son, and only after seeing him get up to pour wine did he turn his gaze to his in-laws and say modestly, "Even if we separate from the family, it will have to wait until after the marriage."
"That's what I'm thinking," Zhao Gen nodded and explained, "I'm thinking of finding suitable matches for the third and fourth sons this year. If they find someone suitable, they can get married next year when the house is finished."
"The fourth one is a bit too young, let's have someone older."
Li Shun would never have said this before, but in the past two years, he has received a lot of care from his in-laws while he was in the mountains, and they are very close to him.
Zhao Gen shook his head helplessly and said, "The reason we're asking them to get married isn't anything else, it's just that we want the fourth son to go out and live a different life."
"The fourth brother was separated?"
Yin Mancang seemed to be hearing this decision from his brother-in-law for the first time, and asked in surprise, "Not the third brother?"
“How can I be at ease with the way the third brother is?” Zhao Gen put down his wine glass and sighed. “The fourth brother is more capable of managing a household. If he moves out and lives a good life, he won’t be any worse off.”
When Li Shun heard him say that, he couldn't help but think of his own family. It's true that parents' hearts are always full of love and worry.
He decided to "send" his second son to live separately before the second son was even married.
At this point, he naturally wouldn't say anything like, "Without my decisiveness back then, my second son wouldn't be so independent."
Actually, Li Shun was reluctant at first and wanted to go along with his eldest daughter-in-law's wishes to let them live separately.
I couldn't sleep for those two days because I was so conflicted, but in the end I decided to let the second child go out.
Now everyone is doing well, and a harmonious family brings prosperity. If things had really gone wrong back then, it would have been inconvenient for him to take care of his second child.
If the second son couldn't secure a job or was lazy at work, someone had to cover for him.
Should the eldest son stay with his mother and take care of the younger one, or should the eldest son stay with his mother and make it difficult for him to take care of the younger one?
That's just how things are in every family.
Their table not only had the three sons of the Li family, but also the eldest son of their in-laws, Zhao Yajun, who was also visiting today.
Li Xuewu told him to come back yesterday, so how could Zhao Yajun not come back? He was too embarrassed to talk to his older sister here, but he chatted intimately with his brother-in-law.
Li Xuewen could easily see his brother-in-law's embarrassment, but he disliked pointless conversations and was extremely annoyed.
In the end, Zhao Yafang couldn't stand it anymore, so she came over and gave her younger brother a light slap on the back.
Zhao Yajun was grimacing from the beating, but in the end she managed to laugh—a laugh of relief and relief.
Zhao Yafang naturally wouldn't scold him in front of her uncle and father, but she did give him a few sarcastic remarks.
Wang Lu stood aside, just watching the show with a smile, knowing that her sister-in-law wouldn't say anything to her anyway.
At the dinner table, Zhao Yajun's expression turned somewhat troubled when her father brought up the matter of dividing the family property.
He had heard that his younger brother had distanced himself from him and complained about his older sister's husband. During that time, he went home twice and secretly gave his third brother money, but his third brother refused to accept it.
The two brothers were also embarrassed; this was probably just the trouble of growing up. Before, the two brothers never had such a rift; even if they argued and even threw a punch, they would make up right away.
Now? The older I get, the more troubles I have.
What is Avon's current position?
Seeing the somber atmosphere at the dinner table, Yin Mancang took the initiative to ask his eldest niece, who was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), about the amount of power and influence she held at work.
He is a village official and is the one who cares most about this.
Zhao Yafang smiled and introduced, "This isn't really a position; I'm just the deputy director of the teaching and research department."
“That’s the deputy director level.” Yin Mancang was very sensitive to this, and said with a smile, “It’s no worse than the commune director.”
"How can you compare like that? This is a school."
Zhao Yafang said with a smile, "The work of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people in the commune is just a nominal position for me."
"Well, it's not bad at all—"
Yin Mancang happily drank a glass of wine and said to the others at the table, "If Ya Fang really comes to work at the commune, she'll be more than qualified to be the director."
“With you in the commune, how could I possibly have the chance to go back?”
Zhao Yafang was also good at joking; her words flattered her uncle-in-law for his promotion to a position in the commune, while also being modest about herself.
Yin Mancang was naturally pleased and teased his nephew-in-law at the dinner table, saying, "Xuewen, aren't you a cadre now too?"
“I’m no longer a cadre,” Li Xuewen said, raising his glass to him with a smile. “But I’m still considered to have resigned.”
"A mere official of the lowest rank, yet he still holds an official seal."
Zhao Yafang jokingly replied, "Let's talk about this when you've worked your way up to your second brother's level."
“My elder brother is incredibly talented; I can’t compare to him.” Li Xuewu raised his wine glass, smiled, and looked at his sister-in-law, saying, “Our group’s research institute director, Mr. Xia, said that one Li Xuewen is worth twenty college graduates.”
"Hehe—" Wang Lu couldn't help but laugh out loud when she heard this, because it was her uncle who said it.
“My uncle said that my brother-in-law is very progressive. He not only teaches at Tsinghua University, but also works as a researcher at the research institute.”
She took the initiative to introduce her father-in-law and uncle-in-law, speaking with great pride, treating Li Xuewen like an older brother.
"That's a good thing. Xuewen is just too lazy."
Yin Mancang picked up his wine glass, pointed at Li Xuewen, and said, "With Xuewen's brains, he should have become a cadre long ago."
In fact, Li Xuewu had long wanted his older brother to take a temporary position at the research institute, even if it was just to mentor students.
My older brother thought it was too much trouble and didn't want to go, but later, I don't know how, he ended up going anyway.
He didn't know that Li Xuewen was able to get a part-time job at the research institute because of his brother-in-law's provocation. Who told him, as the eldest brother-in-law, to be so incompetent? If he were, wouldn't he be taking care of his in-laws too?
He wouldn't say what was on his mind; he just smiled at the dinner table.
"The fourth child is not going to school anymore, how is the fifth child doing in his studies?"
When the topic of schooling came up again, Yin Mancang praised, "She has just as much drive as her older sister, single-mindedly focused on getting into university."
These days, even people in rural areas know that they can no longer take the college entrance exam; the end of their education is high school, or even junior high school.
However, there was one exception: factory-run educational institutions, which were highly sought after in those days.
Large factories or enterprises with the resources will run their own schools. There are quite a few like Hongxing Steel Group that run vocational training colleges, which are now considered the ultimate goal for students taking the college entrance examination.
Yin Mancang brought this up with a specific purpose in mind; he felt sorry for his little niece. He glanced at his brother-in-law and said, "With Ya Ping's grades, she should be sent to school in the city."
"It's inconvenient, it's the same everywhere."
Zhao Gen did not agree to his brother-in-law's suggestion. Although he also felt sorry for his daughter, he had not made such an arrangement.
Send her to the city? Not to mention how complicated the procedures are, there's the household registration and school transfer, where will the eldest daughter live?
Their family is well-off, but only relatively speaking.
Zhao Yajun and Wang Lu's family could accommodate their younger sister, but this sister-in-law was living with her brother and sister-in-law, and they were still newlyweds.
Furthermore, since the house wasn't even bought by his own family, Zhao Gen felt embarrassed and couldn't bring himself to do it.
Zhao Yajun thought about it when he heard this. His younger sister really wanted to come to the city to study, and he could take care of her.
But what does Wang Lu think?
Wang Lu wasn't afraid of trouble, but rather afraid of not being able to take good care of her sister-in-law, since girls of that age are the most troublesome.
My sister-in-law is well-behaved and sensible, but she's also reached childbearing age. They both work in factories and are both busy. If one of them can't take care of the other, the other might complain, and I'd feel guilty about it.
Zhao Yafang understood her brother and sister-in-law's predicament and offered, "Yaping can come stay with me. I can tutor her."
"No need, no need."
Zhao Gen glared at his daughter and refused outright, "Your uncle only said a word, so you're not going to study in the city."
He was thinking about his daughter living with her mother-in-law and also bringing her sister-in-law to live with them.
They're not without parents, they're just going to school, there's no reason for them to be so precious.
Yin Mancang was genuinely worried about his niece's talent; if she weren't such a good student, he wouldn't have said anything.
"There's no trouble at all. Stay at my place." Seeing the atmosphere getting tense, Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I'm going to work in Gangcheng in a few days, and I'm worried about leaving my family alone."
He looked at Zhao Gen and said, "Uncle, you'll have to handle the transfer procedures yourself. I can help you with the transfer at the United School."
"However, if you stay at my house, you won't get the tutoring benefits of a university professor. You might even have to help take care of the kids."
(End of this chapter)