MMB Chapter 1393 A Young Heart
Chapter 1393 A Young Heart
Chapter 1393 A Young Heart
Before things in Gangcheng are resolved, Li Xuewu certainly has no intention of reinstating Wen San'er.
Healing always takes time, and Big Brother is not one to procrastinate. Since he didn't send out a distress signal and Ji Weidong and Lou Xiao'e didn't report any information, it means that the situation in Gangcheng is still under control.
If such a big thing happened in Gangcheng, it must be related to Wen San'er, but did Li Xuewu investigate him?
No, Li Xuewu never intended to deal with Wen San'er when he first heard the news.
why?
It's very simple, Wen San'er didn't intend to rebel.
Sometimes money is more important than people, but most of the time people are more important than money. As long as Wen San'er doesn't intend to betray him, he won't lay a hand on Wen San'er.
Even if his mistake led to the deaths of Zhang Wanhe and others, it shouldn't have made Li Xuewu so angry.
Problems need to be dealt with. Li Xuewu didn't tolerate Wen San'er's behavior. Now that he's all alone and has no power, isn't that a form of punishment?
After all, he's been called Third Uncle for several years. To put it bluntly, he's my brother's third uncle. Calling him a childhood friend is a stretch. If we mess with him, we'll hurt everyone's feelings and destroy the initial intention and passion we had for working together.
As for why he was given another chance, allowing him to take over Dongfeng Shipping after his injuries healed.
There were also some unavoidable reasons behind this. Zhou Yamei is, after all, a woman, and her abilities are limited, so there are some things that are inconvenient for her.
For example, regarding the direct management of Dongfeng Shipping, she couldn't possibly personally board the ship and handle those matters.
It's not the right time for Li Xuewu to completely relinquish control and hand over supervision and management to his subordinates.
Wen San'er already had experience managing things in the steel city and had also been trained in the port city, so it was very convenient for him to do this kind of thing.
Furthermore, Yingcheng Port Area is under construction, and three years is enough time to form a shipping scale. The presence of such a behemoth as Dongfeng Shipping on the inland river is simply too conspicuous.
According to Li Xuewu, since Dongfeng Shipping was going to participate in the shipping business of Yingcheng Port Area, they should move out of Gangcheng as soon as possible and go to Yingcheng or Tianjin, which would not be conspicuous.
At present, Dongfeng Shipping's main business scope is still coastal and inland river shipping. Passenger transport is almost non-existent, while freight transport is the mainstream, and the fleet consists entirely of cargo ships of 1,000 tons.
If it weren't for the influence of the investigation department, the fleet would probably have been investigated several times over. Its size is among the largest in the domestic shipping industry.
Li Xuewu dared not let the recycling station develop too quickly, but the main reason he was not afraid of Dongfeng Shipping's rapid expansion was the Investigation Department. This brand was quite useful in the coastal areas and shipping sector.
In particular, some of Dongfeng Shipping's shipping routes are along the coast and outwards, which has unknowingly added a touch of mystery to them.
Yingcheng Port Area will be developed sooner or later. Starting from this year, it is expected to be completed and put into operation in 72. It is just the right time to take advantage of America's arrival in China and set sail to create the most important shipping port area in Northeast Asia.
At that time, Dongfeng Shipping will be qualified to contact international shipping companies based on its business in Yingcheng Port Area.
Currently, Dongfeng Shipping only has a few dozen thousand-ton cargo ships, which seems insignificant. However, the fleet has a cooperative relationship with SF Express Ocean Shipping in Gangcheng and has lease agreements for three ten-thousand-ton container ships.
Developing foreign trade has become a key focus this year. What about three years from now?
You need to use people, and you need to know how to use them.
Li Xuewu trusted Zhou Yamei and Wen San'er; the two were a perfect match, one working inside and the other outside.
Zhou Yamei led the recycling station team to expand inland, until they completely occupied the distribution network in major cities in Northeast China.
The key significance of developing Northeast China lies in future connections with the Russians; this is the real, incredibly lucrative business opportunity.
Conversely, the economy of Northeast China as a whole can be said to be stronger than that of the inland areas for a long time to come.
Even if economic policies are adjusted and the Northeast becomes a place of regret in the future, it is still enough to cultivate a large enterprise team.
Besides, with Hongxing Steel Group expanding into the Northeast against the tide, who knows what the future holds?
Since Wen San'er yearns for the sea, let's arrange for him to expand outwards, leveraging the advantages of Dongfeng Shipping to connect with the port city and become an asset to Lao Biaozi.
Li Xuewu doesn't trust anyone else to assist Lao Biaozi, except for his uncle, whom Big Brother would definitely be willing to help.
In the future, if Lou Jie's Oriental Group is to return, the landing point should not be Beijing or Tianjin, but rather Yingcheng, taking advantage of the influence of China Resources and Ng Fung Group.
At present, Hongxing Steel Group, together with Savings Bank and Oriental Times Bank, has started business cooperation and has a cross-shareholding cooperation project in capital operation.
Examples include Oriental Times Bank's investments in projects such as Yingcheng Port Area and United Energy, and United Savings Bank's investments in Australian iron ore projects.
The collaboration has already begun with the tacit approval and watchful eyes of some people, but perhaps it will only be brought to the forefront when it bears fruit, or at a more suitable time.
Li Xuewu instructed the recycling station system and Dongfeng Shipping system to develop discreetly, waiting for the arrival of spring.
******
"I have a rather eccentric temperament, as you can probably tell. More than one person has said that about me."
Zhang Jingsong drank quite a bit of alcohol and became more talkative, especially as his tone loosened up, and he was even pouring more drinks.
“My dad is a little worried about me. He doesn’t want me to repeat his mistakes and ruin my career.”
"It's clear that the old man has lofty ambitions."
Seeing him complaining, Li Xuewu chuckled and clinked his wine glass with him, saying, "I felt from the first meeting that he wasn't quite the type to just go fishing for fun."
“He was also very depressed, I can understand him.” Zhang Jingsong shook his head slightly, downed his glass of wine, put it down, and stared at Li Xuewu with his red eyes as he explained, “My mother passed away the year he came down here.”
As if touched by something, he wiped his face from his forehead and said in a somewhat desolate voice, "I know my own limitations. No matter how hard I try, I can't meet his requirements, and I've even made mistakes."
"Sigh—it's all in the past." Li Xuewu picked up the wine pot and refilled the wine cup in front of him, gently comforting him: "Life is full of disappointments, how can everything be perfect and smooth sailing?"
"Sigh—it's easier said than done." Zhang Jingsong was probably really tired, and took the initiative to raise his glass and clink it with his.
"You have to look at this case more broadly."
Li Xuewu put down his wine glass, looked at him, and said, "Judging from how you were treated, the higher-ups understand you and know your true intentions; otherwise, they wouldn't have..."
"Should I continue to deceive myself?"
Before Li Xuewu could finish speaking, Zhang Jingsong smiled nonchalantly, put down his wine glass, and said, "I already confessed to the leaders a long time ago, and told them everything clearly."
Looking at the food and wine on the round table, he said, "I know very well how people in my workplace talk about me behind my back."
"Seeking fame and fortune, and being ambitious and eager for success."
He found this rather boring, then chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Perhaps that's really the case."
"I won't try to persuade you on that," Li Xuewu laughed, raising the wine jug in his hand and asking, "Shall we have another jug?"
"I'm at ease, I'd gladly risk my life to accompany you."
Zhang Jingsong said with a smile, "I've never had a chance to thank you, and I've never been able to get over this feeling. I have to thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Then let's have one last pot. You're starting to be polite now, looks like you're about to get drunk." Li Xuewu took another pot of wine from the side table and filled it for him, saying with a smile, "Actually, I've wanted to invite you to dinner for a while, but I didn't know how to bring it up, afraid that you would feel awkward."
“I know that you are more magnanimous, tolerant, and ambitious than anyone can imagine.”
Zhang Jingsong raised his glass, looked at him, and said, "Just for this magnanimity, I have to toast you."
"See, I'm being polite again, aren't I?"
Li Xuewu chuckled, raised his glass to drink with him, then picked up his chopsticks, tasted a bite of food, and said, "The Red Star Factory isn't as complicated as you think, but of course, it's not as simple as I'm making it up."
Putting down his chopsticks, Li Xuewu carefully considered his words and looked at him as he said, "It's not important how others evaluate you; what's important is where you place yourself so they can evaluate you."
"Oh?" Zhang Jingsong put down his wine glass, looked at him seriously, and said, "I've always wanted to hear about this."
"Hehe, how come you can't figure it out?" Li Xuewu chuckled and lowered his head, saying, "Perhaps you don't want to think about it, or you've held your head too high and can't bring yourself to lower it?"
Just as he asked that question, Zhang Jingsong looked at him, and he also looked up at Zhang Jingsong.
The two exchanged a glance and immediately understood.
Zhang Jingsong ultimately didn't say what Li Xuewu wanted to hear, but at this point, whether he said it or not didn't matter.
Even the most enthusiastic atmosphere will eventually come to an end when the wine is gone and the food is cold.
The moon was full in the sky, and the spring breeze was icy cold, causing Li Xuewu, who was seeing Zhang Jingsong off, to shiver involuntarily.
He didn't drink much, and Zhang Jingsong wasn't completely drunk either; it's just that the atmosphere was there, but then it faded.
The two silently left the restaurant and walked to the parking lot, where the car was already waiting.
The driver opened the car door for him, and Zhao Laoliu stood by, waiting for him to get in.
Zhang Jingsong turned to look at Li Xuewu, his gaze becoming more cautious under the glow of the red lanterns.
Under the moonlight, Li Xuewu, standing in the red lantern, remained upright, dignified, and composed.
Just like when I first met him.
Zhang Jingsong ultimately said nothing. He had already said everything he needed to say at the dinner table. He simply nodded and got into the car with the help of the driver and Zhao Laoliu.
Li Xuewu stood still, watching the car drive out of the gate and into the distance, before slightly raising his head, his gaze deep.
Zhao Laoliu only inherited half of his brother's skills. He didn't show any outstanding performance in his work, and he was too cautious and conservative in his actions. He respected Li Xuewu more than he respected him.
Li Xuewu ignored him and instead said to Yu Li, who had quietly walked over, "Thank you for your hard work tonight."
Why bring this up?
Yu Li didn't want to hear his thanks, and felt inexplicably distant, as if it were a punishment and warning to her.
Li Xuewu turned to look at her, smiled slightly, and said, "It was indeed very hard work, you should thank me."
"If you say that again, I'll get angry." Yu Li glared at him, walked over to his side, straightened his coat, and asked softly, "Are you staying here tonight?"
"I still have some things to take care of..." Li Xuewu raised his watch to check the time; it was around ten o'clock.
This action caused Yu Li's expression to freeze, and then she let out a barely perceptible sigh.
Li Xuewu was standing right in front of her, so he couldn't help but feel her presence, and his tone softened as well.
"Please arrange a room for me at the guesthouse. I won't have to go home and go through all that trouble." He waved to Han Jiankun, signaling him to drive the car over, before saying to Yu Li, "It'll take at most three hours, but I'll be back in half an hour if things go smoothly."
"Be careful, it's the middle of winter."
Yu Li was smart enough not to ask any more questions. She helped him straighten his coat, then stepped back and waited for the car to arrive before opening the door for him and helping him get in and leave.
***
Han Jiankun's driving skills were still as steady as ever. He was the most reliable driver among all of Li Xuewu's drivers. If it weren't for the fear of delaying his future, Li Xuewu would not have been willing to let him go.
When Li Xuewu returned from Liaodong, he didn't bring a car, and naturally, he didn't bring a driver either, as that would be too conspicuous.
When Han Jiankun received instructions from the General Management Department to temporarily provide a car for the leaders, he took the initiative to take on the task.
During the day, Li Xuewu's schedule is mostly within the group, with only afternoons and evenings when he goes out.
Han Jiankun would try his best to arrange his work in the morning and then drive to serve Li Xuewu in the afternoon.
Li Xuewu wanted to say a few words to him to help him focus on his work, but in the end, he couldn't bear to hurt their friendship.
"You've had a tough time these past few days, Jingru, have you complained yet?"
"No way, she's very sensible."
Hearing the voice from the back seat, Han Jiankun laughed and said, "Actually, I'd like to come out too. The kids keep waking up in the middle of the night, making it hard for me to sleep."
"Hehe, you'll get used to it."
Li Xuewu chuckled and glanced ahead, saying, "This year's Spring Festival must have been lively, with new family members being added to the family—that's a joyous occasion."
“Jingru loves lively gatherings, so she added two more dishes than in previous years, and even asked me to send a portion to your home.”
Han Jiankun is much more talkative than before, and it seems that he has relaxed a lot since leaving his job as a driver.
“I told her that there was nothing missing at home, but she insisted that it was just a token of her appreciation.”
After saying that, he added, "The day before the Lunar New Year, I took her and her child to your house for a bit of fun. Sister Xiaoning likes children and even gave her 10 yuan."
"She told me that she likes daughters."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "The girl is much more demure than the boy, of course, Li Shu is an exception."
"Hehehe—" Han Jiankun chuckled and said, "She was bragging to me the other day that the teacher praised her."
“Yes, she only reports good news and never bad news.” Li Xuewu laughed when he heard him say that. “She always talks about how much the teacher likes her, but never mentions that she was criticized at kindergarten.”
"I really like Li Shu's personality," Han Jiankun said with great admiration. "I wish Li Dong could be as lively as Li Shu."
"A daughter is always the best—"
Li Xuewu looked ahead with amusement and said, "This is the first time I've seen someone who isn't afraid of trouble. If everyone were like Li Shu, you and Jing Ru would be in for a lot of trouble."
"Being lively is good; that's how a girl should be."
Han Jiankun, who was not intimidated by having a daughter with a personality like Li Shu, said with great anticipation, "When Li Dong grows up, I will take her to shoot targets and teach her to drive."
"She's clearly my darling, and I love her in every way." Li Xuewu couldn't help but smile as he thought of his daughter.
Li Shu has been very well-behaved lately, trying her best to behave in front of him. Knowing that he is leaving, she is very clingy to him.
Whenever he's home, I have to tell him about things that happened in kindergarten, which I've already told him countless times, and how his teachers like him.
She had long since adapted to kindergarten life and made many more friends on campus.
She no longer felt disgusted by the children's runny noses, and she also remembered what Bang Geng had said: children are the most boring.
Children should live like children; there's no need to praise a little adult. She'll grow up eventually.
Han Jiankun parked the car steadily in front of a villa courtyard, turned to look at Li Xuewu, and awaited instructions.
"Wait here for me, don't turn off the engine."
Before getting out of the car, Li Xuewu instructed, "If you get sleepy, open the window a crack and rest for a while. Be careful not to get cold."
"Don't worry, I won't get cold." Han Jiankun nodded and said, "I'll wait for you here."
Li Xuewu patted him on the shoulder before getting out of the car and walking toward the villa with one light on.
Perhaps hearing the car, the porch light on the villa turned on, and a figure appeared behind the window.
Han Jiankun knew exactly where this was; he was the supervisor of the motor pool and knew the location of the leaders' homes by heart.
He knew without guessing who the figure flashed behind the window was, but he had no idea what it meant.
When the leader uses him, he listens to the leader's orders. Although he is no longer the driver, he is the leader's driver forever.
***
"You... just finished watching the show?"
Jing Yunong, dressed in dark red pajamas with a wool shawl draped over his shoulders, looked him up and down.
"You two had a good time drinking? What did you talk about?"
She said in a rather resentful tone, "I thought you weren't coming. I was about to turn off the lights and go to sleep."
Women are always like this; they don't always say what they really mean. If she wanted to sleep, she would have gone to sleep long ago. Why would she wait until now?
Li Xuewu hung up his coat, changed into the slippers he had prepared beforehand, and casually walked into the living room, saying, "Make me a cup of tea, I'm a little thirsty."
"You've come to me for rescue, haven't you?"
Although Jing Yunong said that, he didn't stop walking and went to the tea cabinet to find good tea for him.
Unlike Li Xuewu, who was so mean, the good tea in her tea cabinet was just good tea, not some "top-quality tea".
"I've been talking too much, I'm thirsty." Li Xuewu plopped down on the sofa, let out a long sigh, and said, "Just make me a cup of anything, I'm not picky."
"That sounds nice, but if I brew it and you don't drink it, then you'll have something to say." Jing Yunong seemed genuinely impatient, his complaints never stopping, but his hands never stopped brewing tea.
Li Xuewu couldn't help but smile as he watched her bending over to find tea leaves, leaning back on the sofa and admiring her with a smile.
When Jing Yunong turned around and walked over with a teacup, he noticed the mischievous look in his eyes, and his heart skipped a beat, almost spilling the tea in his hand.
"Here you go—" She was secretly pleased, but her words were harsh, and her movements as she placed the teacup down were steady.
What a contradictory woman.
“Deputy Director Zhang complained to me and even said he wanted to thank me. Isn’t that strange?”
Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa and looked at the elegant woman in front of him, saying, "I admire him."
"What do you admire about him? His ingratitude?"
Jing Yunong glanced at him sideways, sat down on the single sofa next to him, and said indifferently, "Why did you take a liking to him? Did you want to offer help in your time of need? That won't work, will it?"
“Who says this trick doesn’t work?” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, “Didn’t you see he thanked me?”
"Teasing me with coughs in the middle of the night?" Jing Yunong smirked and said, "If you ask me, you deserve it. It's time for you to taste what it's like to be rejected."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled lightly, without refuting Deputy Director Jing's words, because she was right.
"I don't understand why you stepped in to help him." Jing Yunong frowned slightly and asked, "Wasn't dragging him down a long-planned scheme?"
"Is it because I'm being soft-hearted, or because I'm afraid Director Li will fight to the death, or perhaps..."
"It's a shame you're not a screenwriter and movie director—"
Li Xuewu chuckled and reached out to touch her face, but Deputy Director Jing slapped his hand away.
"You can come up with all this nonsense, but I never even thought of it myself."
"They're just unwilling to accept it, aren't they? They've run away—"
Jing Yunong raised her eyebrows. She now particularly enjoyed mocking Li Xuewu, especially his scheming.
Who told this bastard to scheme against me too!
He even schemes against his own people; what kind of good person is he?
“They ran away—” Li Xuewu looked up at the ceiling and said with a smile, “They definitely ran away.”
"Do you have something on him?"
Jing Yunong picked up the teacup, pounded it, tested the temperature with his lips, and then handed it to him.
Li Xuewu sat up straight, took the teacup, and said, "It was his father who came to beg me."
"What?!" Jing Yunong's shout almost woke up everyone in the entire residential area.
She had considered countless reasons, but she never imagined that Li Xuewu would lend Zhang Jingsong a hand for this reason.
When did workplace power struggles start requiring dads to step in?
"You didn't lie to me?"
Jing Yunong had suffered countless losses at the hands of this bastard, but this reason, though absurd enough, seemed incredibly real.
Li Xuewu thought about it and smiled, then looked up at her and said, "If something happens to you one day, I promise you, I will save you without your father having to beg me."
"Get lost—" Jing Yunong frowned and cursed him for being so unserious, but he was still thinking about Zhang Jingsong, so he asked, "Who is his father? Is he worth your attention?"
"I don't know, I haven't asked." Li Xuewu took a small sip of hot tea and answered casually, "He should be a high-ranking official, but he's been demoted now. He's fishing by the big lake near my house, and that's how we met."
"Oh, so that's all the relationship we have."
Jing Yunong glanced at him and said, "How do you know that they didn't intentionally try to get close to you?"
As she said this, she felt absurd and forced a smile, saying, "This is too much of a coincidence."
“Who says otherwise—” Li Xuewu put down his teacup, sighed, and sat up straight, saying, “This old man gave our family quite a few crucian carp a long time ago.”
This also answered Deputy Director Jing's surprise; things just happened to be so coincidental.
"He's really cold-blooded," Jing Yunong said calmly. "Isn't he afraid of making another mistake? Will his father's intervention still be effective then?"
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu laughed out loud and said, "Next time? Even his grandfather won't be able to help."
"Heh—" Seeing his confident look, Jing Yunong knew he had other plans, so he stopped worrying about him and started to tease him: "The cooked duck flew away, it doesn't feel good, does it?"
"A duck that can fly isn't considered cooked."
Li Xuewu looked at her seriously and said, "Since this duck can fly away, it means the timing isn't right yet."
"Yeah, you're the one who's being stubborn."
Jing Yunong's lips curled up slightly. She enjoyed watching Li Xuewu's exaggerated and evasive explanations and arguments.
Li Xuewu could also see that this woman had gone astray.
"You even know where I get hard?"
He raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "It really comes down to Deputy Director Jing's keen insight and sharp eyes."
"Is this all the skill you've gained after going to Liaodong?" Jing Yunong looked him up and down and said, "When are you going to get rid of this habit of being a smooth talker?"
"I can't change in front of you."
Li Xuewu lay sprawled on the sofa like a rogue, turned to look at her and said, "Why don't you change it?"
What should be changed?
Deputy Director Jing likes to feign modesty, while he likes to use double entendres to tease.
Jing Yunong was furious. He stood up and glared at him from above, saying, "You are a hopeless bastard."
*****
"Leader." Han Jiankun glanced around warily and saw that it was Li Xuewu coming out of the courtyard. He didn't get out of the car, but waited until Han Jiankun got in before greeting him.
"Okay." Li Xuewu responded after getting into the car, and said, "Let's drive back to the club. It's too late, let's stay there tonight."
"Okay." Han Jiankun replied readily, turning the steering wheel to head back, still full of energy.
Two hours had passed, the moon was high in the sky, and we would arrive at the club around 1:30 PM, which would be enough for a good night's sleep.
Li Xuewu glanced back at the darkened villa, then turned to Han Jiankun and said, "Try to go to the recycling station tomorrow and get a sofa set to send to Deputy Director Jing. Her sofa is old and broken; it almost tripped me."
"Okay, I understand." Han Jiankun didn't dare to guess, he just agreed and did whatever his leader told him to do without saying a word of nonsense.
Work is work, and life is life. He can talk to his boss about his personal life, that's just a friendly chat, but he must take his work seriously, otherwise his boss won't take him seriously.
As for how the sofa in Deputy Director Jing's home broke, it could only be due to years of neglect and natural damage.
What else could it be? Could it be something bad?
-
February 24th, Monday, was the day Li Xuewu ended his Spring Festival holiday and set off back to Liaodong.
I've met all the leaders I needed to meet, discussed all the matters that needed to be discussed, and comforted all the family members who needed to be comforted.
All that’s left is…
Li Shu and Li Ning stayed by his side all morning, their little faces tense, looking very reluctant to let him go.
Helpless, Li Xuewu could only make many promises to his daughter and son, assuring them that he would return home as soon as possible.
Er Ya started preparing last night: dumplings for getting off the train, noodles for getting on. Today's breakfast is noodles.
Last night, Pazile and Wang Yamei came to visit, and Li Xuewu invited them to stay for dinner.
Whether it's Wang Yamei or Pazile, their relationship with him is impeccable. Their marriage was facilitated by Li Xuewu, and judging from their current interactions, there seems to be no problem.
What problems could there be? Given that Pazile has no connections in the capital, while the Wang couple have a house and jobs, as long as they don't look down on each other, there's nothing to argue about.
Pazile was easygoing and had good manners towards a spoiled girl like Wang Yamei, so he was naturally liked by his parents-in-law.
In addition, his job is very good and it's right near their home, so the elderly couple only have things they like and nothing they're picky about.
Wang Yamei and her husband came on the advice of her parents. After all, Li Xuewu was their matchmaker, and it was customary for the newlyweds to visit each other during the first three years of their marriage, as they had a real relationship.
Wang Yamei wanted to come, but Pazile felt it was inconvenient. He knew that Li Xuewu didn't want to get his work and relationships too closely involved with his family.
Li Xuewu did indeed do that, but Pazile was his soldier and Wang Yamei was his sister-in-law, so they weren't outsiders; they just treated each other as good friends and relatives.
Wang Yamei remained as lively as ever, capable of handling her work at the recycling station independently. She was quite relaxed in front of Li Xuewu and Gu Ning, showing no signs of nervousness.
Gu Ning had known her for a long time and treated her normally, without being deliberately gentle or serious.
Wang Yamei was curious about everything in the house. Coincidentally, Li Shu had a lively personality, and the two of them often laughed and joked back in the compound. It was even more joyful when they came to the house.
Li Shu took her around the building, showing her the drawings she made in kindergarten and the photos her parents took of her, flipping through them one by one.
These days, the pleasure of flipping through photo albums with guests is something only wealthy families enjoy.
Most families only take a family photo during the Lunar New Year, so they need a photo album to store it.
Wang Yamei didn't mention her sister when she came to his house; she just looked at him with reluctance as she left.
Li Xuewu knew what she was thinking, and nodded with a smile, which was a way of comforting her sensitive heart.
The two sisters don't have any conflicts; they've both grown up and have their own lives and needs.
On the day of Wang Yamei's wedding, Wang Yajuan suddenly moved out of the house, which made Wang Yamei and her husband feel very sorry for her. They went to Wang Yajuan's workplace several times.
However, Wang Yajuan had already moved her luggage out of the dormitory, and no one knew where she was staying.
Even after finding Wang Yajuan, she only said that she wanted to move out, and that she felt relieved and at ease having her younger sister and brother-in-law at home.
If these words were spoken to others, they might believe them, since they are all family. But the one who is most heartbroken is Wang Yamei.
She moved out because her sister felt it was inconvenient for her to live at home after she got married.
Another reason was that the older sister felt uncomfortable because she, as the younger sister, got married before her.
Although it wasn't her fault, the two sisters grew up together, and since their parents were busy with work, the older sister always took care of her.
Getting married doesn't mean becoming estranged from family, especially since their parents only have the two sisters.
Wang Yamei patiently followed her sister all the way, only to find out that her sister was staying at the factory's guesthouse.
She didn't rush to find her sister, but instead tried to find an opportunity to see Brother Wu. However, before she could even meet Brother Wu, she heard the news that her sister was going to get married through a blind date.
She was caught off guard and surprised, and temporarily gave up the idea of going to find Brother Wu, feeling that it was inconvenient.
Then, things happened in a flash, catching her off guard, and her older sister became the target of her rebellion.
First, they meet each other's parents through a blind date. Once both sets of parents are satisfied with each other, they then discuss marriage.
The long-standing problem that had been giving their parents a headache was finally about to be solved, but then the older sister turned around and left them speechless.
Suddenly wanting to get married, suddenly wanting to call off the wedding.
Wang Yamei never imagined that her sister would become so unfamiliar to her. From the day her sister decided to call off the wedding, she never saw her sister Wang Yajuan again.
I heard she was transferred to the Steel City Metallurgical Plant. Her parents wanted to go find her, but she stopped them.
Wang Yamei couldn't explain why she stood up to stop her parents for her sister, but that's what she did.
As expected, less than two months later, she heard the news that Brother Wu had been transferred to Liaodong. She knew that her guess was right; her sister could not let go of that relationship after all.
Rather than saying that my sister couldn't get over that relationship, it's more accurate to say that she never even considered getting over it.
She was hoping that by visiting Brother Wu's house for the New Year, she could get news of her sister from him.
But looking at the gentle and graceful Gu Ning, and the lively and lovely Li Shu and Li Ning, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
Seeing Wu Ge's smile finally put her mind at ease. Perhaps this was the happiness her sister had always pursued, a happiness she had dreamed of but never attained.
Then what is happiness?
If you asked Bang Geng to answer this question, he would definitely say: Happiness is escaping your family of origin.
Of course, the concept of "family of origin" doesn't exist in this era, but Bang Geng has this feeling in his heart.
Young people are often willful, while older people tend to be stubborn.
Teenagers in puberty often have many complaints about their parents and dislike many of their behaviors.
Qin Huairu brought her son to the train station, her gaze complex, a mixture of relief, worry, and bewilderment.
Liu Guoyou came out of the duty room at the train station with two roasted sweet potatoes in his hand, which he had specifically asked for from the duty room.
This is where he used to work. How could he not know where there is hot food?
"A good spice, keep it warm in your pocket."
He was helpless with this stepson, caring for him even more than his own daughter, yet he couldn't earn a single word of "father" in return.
Banggeng didn't even glance at him, only looking in the direction of the platform, waiting for the train in the distance to arrive soon.
Qin Huairu couldn't care less about Liu Guoyou's embarrassment at this moment, nor could she bear to scold her son again.
Who can understand the hardship of raising a child alone, or the pain of being disliked and shunned by the child? She was speechless with grief, and her tears had long since dried up on her own during the night.
She just stared at Bang Geng, wanting to hear him say something, even just call him "Mom."
From that day on, Banggeng never called her "Mom" again. Although she returned home, she became more and more like an outsider.
She watched Banggeng wash clothes and cook alone, feeling no joy at her son growing up, only regret and sorrow.
Her mother-in-law didn't argue with her, but they became distant.
Xiao Dang and Huaihua seemed to have grown up overnight, and their gazes towards her always seemed to carry a message.
She was powerless and had no mind to care about the children's psychological changes; she had also become indifferent without realizing it.
Thinking this way has its advantages. You don't have to pretend to be a good person in front of Liu Guoyou's two daughters, nor do you have to pretend to be a bad person in front of your mother-in-law and children. Everyone feels at ease.
But sometimes I think about my old life in the middle of the night. Although life was tough back then, there was warmth in my home.
Although her mother-in-law was unreasonable and willful, she would also take the initiative to help her with housework and chat with her about everyday matters.
Although Bang Geng is mischievous, he is both afraid of her and close to her, even calling for his mother in his sleep.
Now I have a house, a man, and a good life, but I've lost my home.
She didn't know how or when she lost it; it seemed to have disappeared overnight.
The waiting room is never short of liveliness, but the fact that the station leaders took the initiative to greet him, and a group of people followed a young man in, still attracted a lot of attention.
The people waiting for the train all looked over, not daring to say anything, but wondering who the young man was.
Liu Guoyou followed the crowd and quickly recognized Li Xuewu, who was walking in front, and the station leader beside him, who was also his superior.
He didn't hesitate and pulled Qin Huairu aside. When he was about to remind Banggeng, he saw that the boy had already taken his luggage and went to greet him.
Looking at the excitement and smile on his face, anyone who didn't know better would think he had met his biological father. He was a very loving and devoted stepfather, but he had never received such a smile in return.
To be honest, he was a little jealous.
Qin Huairu stood up blankly, looking at Li Xuewu not far away, but her feet did not move for a long time.
Bang Geng was already greeting Li Xuewu, and Liu Guoyou, not wanting to keep his leader waiting, reached out and pulled Qin Huairu.
"Let's go, they won't be waiting for the train in the waiting room." This was a reminder to Qin Huairu, to stop her from being confused. "Is there anything else you want to say to Banggeng?"
"What did you say?" Qin Huairu was being pulled forward mechanically by him, but her mouth was full of bitterness.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the station leaders, Li Xuewu reached out and patted Big Face Cat's chubby face, saying, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to your parents? You won't be back until next year."
"Oh dear, I've said everything—"
Although Banggeng sounded impatient, his face was full of smiles. He didn't care when he would come back; he only cared about when he would leave.
Li Xuewu glanced at Liu Guoyou and Qin Huairu who were walking over, nodded, and followed the station leader toward the rest room. Liu Guoyou also pulled Qin Huairu along to follow.
The couple brought Banggeng to the train station to wait for Li Xuewu. It was Banggeng that Li Xuewu had promised to take at the Daozuofang last time. When he really didn't want to go to school anymore, he went with him to Liaodong.
However, even if you don't want to go to school, you still have to finish what you started and finish this semester.
Banggeng persevered and studied until the end of the year. As soon as the holidays started, he threw away his books and vowed never to go to school again.
He had been preparing for his trip to Liaodong every day, and today he finally made it. His wish had come true.
Banggeng went to Liaodong with Li Xuewu. Qin Huairu wasn't worried about him, but she was reluctant to let him go.
Is it better to let my son follow Li Xuewu than to let Bang Geng do whatever he wants or listen to her arrangements?
On the contrary, Liu Guoyou felt awkward and embarrassed. He didn't dare to be too proactive or say too much, otherwise it would seem as if he really couldn't tolerate the child and wanted to send his stepson away.
Isn't he happy that the guy just sent the guy away?
(End of this chapter)