MMB Chapter 1562 Don't be too happy yet
Chapter 1562 Don't be too happy yet
Chapter 1562 Don't be too happy yet
dong dong——
There was a knock on the office door. Li Xuewu looked up and saw Bu Qingfang standing there. He smiled and waved, saying, "Come in, a rare guest."
“I’m a rare guest, aren’t I?” Bu Qingfang said with a smile as she walked into the office. “Guests from Sanhe Co., Ltd. and Santayar Group are the rare guests.”
"It seems you, Mr. Bu, are very familiar with our work."
Li Xuewu pointed to Zhang Enyuan, who had followed him in, and made tea. He then got up and invited Bu Qingfang to sit on the sofa.
"Please don't misunderstand, if I didn't know this news, that would be a real problem."
Bu Qingfang, always quick with words, sat down with a smile and teased Li Xuewu, "I heard you turned down a luxury car? How silly."
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu laughed out loud, then pointed at her and said, "You're not a good person either."
"I'm a good person. If I weren't, would I have come to remind you?" Bu Qingfang nodded, thanked Zhang Enyuan for the tea, and continued to tease Li Xuewu, "Do you regret it now?"
"To be honest," Li Xuewu said, leaning on the sofa armrest and nodding slightly, "I haven't even seen what that car looks like, so what's there to regret!"
"Besides, do I need a car?"
He spread his hands and said with a laugh, "Even if I got it, where would I drive it?"
"You're so stubborn—"
Bu Qingfang raised an eyebrow, glanced at the door and said, "Why do other people only know how to change cars? Why don't you just get a new car?"
"They're giving it to you so eagerly, you don't have to do them any favors, aren't you being too naive?"
"Okay, okay, okay, you say I'm stupid, then I'll be stupid." Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and said nonchalantly, "I'm the kind of person who hates being beholden to others because I've eaten their food or taken their money."
"Hey! You're afraid, but why aren't others?" Bu Qingfang had been speaking with hidden meaning since she came in, and now she pointed it out directly: "Are you more upright and honest than Deputy Director Su?"
"Ah—" Li Xuewu looked at her with feigned surprise, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "So it was given to Deputy Director Su?"
"See? I told you you'd regret it." Bu Qingfang picked up her teacup and said with a smile, "Now the whole group knows that Deputy Director Su has a new car."
"What was that car called again? Let me think about it."
As she spoke, she took a sip of hot tea, then suddenly slapped her thigh as if remembering something, put down her teacup, and nodded seriously to Li Xuewu, saying, "Century, let's call it Toyota Century, a particularly bright and auspicious name."
"It's being said throughout the group that the driver who delivered this car said that the Japanese royal family uses this car for transportation."
She looked at Li Xuewu mysteriously and asked, "How much do you think that car is worth?"
"How much? It must be quite a lot," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "It's a royal vehicle, so it must be very valuable."
“I only heard about it, it costs over 100,000.” Bu Qingfang widened her eyes and looked at him, emphasizing, “One car is worth more than a factory now.”
"Hmm, it really is quite valuable."
Li Xuewu nodded and said with emotion, "Back then, when we pooled our money to build the staff resettlement housing, it took a lot of effort, and we only managed to raise about 120,000 yuan."
"The past is the past, and the present is the present."
Bu Qingfang pointed at the sofa armrest and said with a tilted face, "Deputy Director Su said that he doesn't handle business, and he has a clear conscience about using this car. He has nothing to fear if he is upright."
"Oh—" Li Xuewu nodded knowingly and said with a smile, "That's true. If I had known, I wouldn't have refused. I would have just asked Director Li to give this car to Deputy Director Su."
"You?" Bu Qingfang looked at him amusedly and said, "I think you're just looking for trouble and don't want things to get out of hand!"
She leaned closer and whispered, "Director Li is annoyed. He's been in a bad mood lately. President Lang is having a run of bad luck; he got a real dressing down a few days ago."
“Tsk, tsk, tsk—” Li Xuewu, with the mindset of listening to the Three Kingdoms without worrying about the ancients, merely clicked his tongue when she mentioned Lang Zhennan’s bad luck.
Bu Qingfang smiled, glanced at him, and said, "I dare say, there won't be any peace and quiet in the group from now on."
"Hey? President Bu." Li Xuewu shook his head, gently patted her arm, and asked softly, "Aren't you the one who's enjoying the show and not afraid of things getting out of hand?"
"Mind your own business! I just love watching the excitement!"
Bu Qingfang tilted her head and snorted with a laugh: "I finally managed to stay out of this, and now I'm not even allowed to watch the show?"
"You must be really addicted."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Now that I've finished my own business, I'm just waiting to watch the show."
"Work is never-ending, but if you miss out on the excitement, it's all over."
Bu Qingfang smiled and waved her hand, saying, "You want to ask about the power plant project, right? Shenfei is still very powerful."
She explained to Li Xuewu, "The group's receiving team is at Tadong Airport. Shenfei said it won't be delayed; the project has already started."
“They have money now.” Li Xuewu smiled and put down his teacup, explaining, “The group gave them 230 million yuan; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so assertive.”
“I heard about it from the bank.” Bu Qingfang also joked with a smile: “The project funds’ dedicated account is in the United Savings Bank, so it’s like they’ve deposited the money back.”
“They took quite a bit,” Li Xuewu explained. “They must have some money now, so they’re trying to improve their lives.”
“These times are not easy for anyone.” Bu Qingfang seemed to have thought of something, and sighed, saying, “I went to the mine to investigate, and some of the situations were shocking.”
"Especially safe production operations."
She looked at Li Xuewu earnestly and said, "I came here today to ask for your opinion."
"Hmm? So formal?" Li Xuewu glanced at her, nodded, and said, "Tell me, what's troubling you so much?"
"Safety, and improving the living conditions of employees." Bu Qingfang raised her hands, somewhat helplessly, and said, "I know that doing this is a thankless task, and may even delay the current development process."
"Oh, you already know that, why are you asking me?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her, leaned back on the sofa, and said casually, "Have you already made up your mind?"
"That's not entirely true." Bu Qingfang brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said frankly, "If you don't agree, then let's put this matter aside for now."
"Heh, you want me to be the bad guy, huh?"
Li Xuewu chuckled and raised his hand to brush the dust off his pants, saying, "And then turn around and call me callous?"
"You have nothing to do with me being insulted."
Bu Qingfang pursed her lips and looked at him solemnly, saying, "You're the only one I can ask."
"Hmm, this is putting me in a difficult position."
Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa, his eyes slightly closed, and said, "This is not a choice between fish and bear's paw."
"How about I go with you to the mine?"
Bu Qingfang seemed determined to succeed, looking expectantly at Li Xuewu and asking, "Let's choose the closest one; it won't take up much of your time."
"Now you know how to use your name?" Li Xuewu straightened his neck, glanced at her with amusement, and said, "It's not good to be too polite."
“I really have no other choice, otherwise I wouldn’t have come to you.” Bu Qingfang sighed and said, “To be honest, the whole group is on the same page. If we’re talking about improving the living conditions of the employees, I do have some ideas.”
She patted the back of her hand and said, "Regarding safety management, I..."
"You mean..." Li Xuewu frowned slightly, glanced at her, and asked, "Have you reported this issue to Deputy Director Su?"
Su Weide was in charge of safety and environmental protection. If there were any safety issues at the mine, people would naturally report to him, not to themselves.
"Why do you think I'm in such a hurry?"
Bu Qingfang looked at him helplessly and said, "Deputy Director Su said that United Mining is not a wholly-owned subsidiary of the group, but falls under the category of tertiary industry. Any safety production rectification should be discussed at the meeting."
"Hmm, let's discuss it." Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and asked, "And then?"
"And then? That's it."
Bu Qingfang spread her hands and said, "Deputy Director Su said that this matter has to wait. He has too many similar cases on his hands, and he has to deal with the more urgent ones first."
"What do you mean by 'more urgent'?"
Li Xuewu's brow remained furrowed as he looked at her and asked, "Have you reported this situation to Director Li?"
“How could I dare?” Bu Qingfang sighed. “Now, who in the entire group would dare to cause trouble for Director Li?”
"Are you worried about him getting into trouble, or are you worried about yourself getting into trouble?" Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes, glared at her with displeasure, and then asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"I..." Bu Qingfang had been looking down in embarrassment, but when he asked her, she raised her head as if to say something. However, seeing his sharp gaze, she quickly changed her words.
"Secretary-General, I have only one idea."
She gritted her teeth and said, "Safety in production can be addressed from two aspects: equipment and management."
"Now United Energy is able to acquire new equipment and is gradually arranging for various mining companies to carry out renovations, but management is still a challenge."
She seemed unable to continue, looking at Li Xuewu with difficulty as she opened her mouth, finally letting out a sigh.
"Honggang Group has its own industrial production management standards, as well as its own safety production management standards."
Li Xuewu frowned even deeper, staring at her as he asked, "What's so difficult about this management?"
“People are hard to manage,” Bu Qingfang said, pouring out her grievances. “Now, some of the cadres in United Energy are transferred from the group’s organizational restructuring, while others are cadres from the original mining areas.”
"The composition of the workforce is also very complex."
She pursed her lips and said, "It's not that I haven't tried, but from top to bottom, we're a disorganized mess, and no one can concentrate on anything."
"Then that's your problem."
Li Xuewu pointed to the sofa armrest and said, "You should look for solutions in your own management skills."
“If it is truly my incompetence, then I am willing to resign.” Bu Qingfang looked at him and explained, “All production units under Honggang Group have a complete safety production supervision structure.”
"Not in the mining area?" Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "That's impossible."
"Yes, but most of them are beyond our control."
Bu Qingfang explained earnestly, "When we took over the mine, we uprooted it completely. We only got rid of some of the old, weak, sick, and disabled people, but the main production positions were still held by the same people."
“Now everyone in the mining industry is saying that capitalists are investing in these mines, and they don’t want to work for capital.”
Her voice was tinged with exhaustion. "I don't have enough professional staff to replace these grassroots managers, and some of the cadres transferred from our group are emotional, while others simply don't understand mining production."
"Now it's all messed up. I'm the only one putting in all the effort, and everyone behind me is dragging me down. What am I supposed to do?"
“Well, you should have noticed Ji Jiuzheng’s problem by now.” After she finished explaining the basic situation, Li Xuewu nodded and said, “It seems that if he can’t handle it, you can’t either.”
“I’ve tried my best, but even a skilled cook can’t cook without rice.” Bu Qingfang explained, counting on her fingers, “The reason I want to get into the power industry and other tertiary industries is to solve the financial problem.”
"It turns out that it couldn't be solved, right?"
Li Xuewu smiled faintly and said, "Some problems cannot be solved by fiscal means."
“Yes, I understand now.” Bu Qingfang breathed a sigh of relief and looked at him, saying, “But the problem cannot be left unresolved, otherwise even if the scale expands, the problem will also expand.”
She emphasized very seriously: "Work safety accidents are the result of accumulated problems."
“Yes, I completely agree with that,” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “but you need to have a solution.”
He pointed to the telephone on the desk behind him and said, "I can't exactly go and complain to Director Li on your behalf, can I?"
"Rectify, thoroughly rectify." Bu Qingfang said through gritted teeth, "Please have the group organize a working group to be stationed at United Energy Corporation, firstly to rectify the atmosphere, and secondly to formulate standards that meet the needs of mining production."
"Are you serious?" Li Xuewu didn't expect her to make such a ruthless decision. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her, reminding her, "If you do this, you can forget about going back to the company."
He pointed at the other person and said, "You know what the leader wants. Now that we're going to tear it all down and start over, you have to be prepared to be tempered and refined in this position."
“I’m going all in,” Bu Qingfang said earnestly. “I won’t move an inch until United Energy is officially recognized as a leading company.”
"We need to investigate not only at the head office level, but also at the branch offices and mining areas, and get to the bottom of it." She said sharply, "Take down the tigers and swat the flies. United Energy does not support idlers."
"Well, you just wait and see." Li Xuewu raised his hand and pinched his brow, saying, "You're the biggest joke this year."
"Let whoever wants to watch, watch." Bu Qingfang raised her chin and said decisively, "If someone were to climb up to this position against their conscience, I would feel uneasy, and sooner or later something bad would happen."
“Then let’s investigate.” Li Xuewu put down his hand, looked at her and said, “First, we’ll set up an inspection team, then an investigation team, and finally, we’ll arrange for a working group to be stationed there to help with the rectification.”
He looked at Bu Qingfang seriously and said, "Once Director Li approves this, it means that Deputy Director Su will be in a passive position. He is in charge of production safety."
“That’s good,” Bu Qingfang said nonchalantly. “If he really makes things difficult for me and investigates too hard, I’ll be grateful to his ancestors for eight generations.”
"You should say that to his face."
Li Xuewu stood up, waved his hand, and said, "Go on, go do what you need to do, don't disturb my work."
"Thank you, Secretary-General!" Bu Qingfang stood up and said gratefully, "With your help, I can finally rest easy."
"I'll go back and make preparations right away, and I'll continue to work hard on the tertiary industry side as well."
Li Xuewu did not respond to her assurances and statements, but instead sat back down behind his desk and began reading the study documents issued by his superiors.
After lunch, he hesitated for a long time before finally picking up the phone and calling Li Huaide.
"Yes, I am Li Huaide."
Old Li's voice was somewhat muffled, sounding much more subdued than usual.
"Director Li, it's me." Li Xuewu greeted him first, then introduced himself: "I'd like to report to you on the results of my meeting with Mr. Shantal, the president of the Santayana Group."
"Okay, go ahead." Seeing it was Li Xuewu calling, Li Huaide perked up and asked, "How did it go?"
"They promised to seriously consider our opinions," Li Xuewu explained. "They still need to conduct further investigations before making a decision regarding the establishment and operation of the shipping company."
"Oh, so you mean, about the same?"
Li Huaide knew his temperament; he wouldn't say anything definitively until things were settled.
Based on their years of working together, he could guess the answer pretty accurately.
"Shantal said he would give a reply as soon as possible," Li Xuewu explained. "I also emphasized the timeframe; it won't be long."
"That's good, that's good." Li Huaide raised his hand and scratched his head, stroking the few remaining hairs, and said, "Finally, some good news."
"Hehe, don't be too happy yet, I have some bad news." Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Comrade Bu Qingfang is going to cause a big problem."
"Oh? United Energy?" Li Huaide heard that there was bad news, but he didn't get angry. No matter how annoyed he was, he wouldn't lose his temper with Li Xuewu on the phone.
Who is Li Xuewu?
Putting aside his background and connections, everyone in the group knows how hard Li Xuewu has worked and achieved over the years.
Behind the scenes, some people say that Li Xuewu deserves half the credit for Hongxing Factory's ability to establish Honggang Group.
Of course, the people who spread these words may not have the right mindset, but the fact that these words were discussed in an environment shows that the group's employees recognize Li Xuewu's work achievements.
He got angry because Su Weide was "disrespectful," and he wanted to put pressure on the group, not because he was attacking anyone indiscriminately.
Li Xuewu was still the one he relied on the most, and the most perfect successor in his mind.
So while others were hesitant to report to him, Li Xuewu patiently listened to their calls until they understood everything.
"She just left from here this morning." Li Xuewu introduced Bu Qingfang's visit time and purpose without any concealment, and then reorganized her words and told them to Old Li.
The more Old Li listened on the other end of the phone, the quieter it became. By the time he finished speaking, the other end remained silent.
After a long while, just when Li Xuewu thought the connection had been lost, he suddenly asked, "What's your opinion?"
"United Energy is not under the jurisdiction of the Liaodong Industrial Management Group, but its main mining areas are all in Liaodong."
Li Xuewu considered his words carefully before speaking: "She came to me out of desperation, especially after hearing her introduction about work safety, I was also very anxious."
"Yes, it really shouldn't be like that." Li Huaide was calm at this moment, especially after hearing from Li Xuewu's words that Bu Qingfang was dissatisfied with Su Weide's excuses, he became more patient.
Actually, it shouldn't have been reported directly to Li Huaide. This incident essentially ended Bu Qingfang's future.
Even if she makes a bold move at United Energy and achieves brilliant results, what about time?
By the time she cleaned up the mess, her competitors had already surpassed her.
Furthermore, Bu Qingfang's reporting of these matters to Lao Li, especially the implied statements, was tantamount to seeking help from a tiger.
Old Li just dug a pit for him, but he didn't jump in. Now he's furious. Someone is offering him firewood. What do you think he'll do then?
There are gains and losses. If Bu Qingfang wants to get to the root of the problem, overcome all obstacles with one force, save time and focus on development, she always has to sacrifice something.
Now Lao Li is going to make demands, and it's a decision that Bu Qingfang can neither refuse nor retract.
“My suggestion is to conduct inspections first, then investigate, and finally send a working group.” Li Xuewu thought for a moment and then said, “If needed, Liaodong Industrial can provide support for safety production management cadres nearby.”
"Hmm, your method is quite reliable." Li Huaide thought for a moment and said, "Let's leave the mine area patrols to the Supervision Brigade."
In the end, he did not handle the matter with the relatively mild approach suggested by Li Xuewu, but instead followed Bu Qingfang's wishes and prepared to confront it head-on.
Who to carry?
Who is in charge of the Supervision Brigade? Now that they're going down to investigate cases, they're bound to get into some trouble, whether there's anything to report or not.
Then it depends on whether this matter is big or small.
As Li Xuewu hung up the phone, he sighed helplessly. He couldn't refuse to help Bu Qingfang, but he didn't want Bu Qingfang to be the one to light the powder keg at this moment.
Everything is predestined; nothing is up to us.
-
"Brother, you don't need to carry her, just let her play by herself," Mai Qinglan said apologetically. "She's quite heavy."
"You know what, it weighs thirty pounds?"
Li Xuewu bounced the tiger girl in his arms and asked with a smile, "I think it's more than that."
“It’s long over thirty jin, still thirty jin?” Mai Qinglan brought the dishes out of the kitchen and said with a smile, “My mom weighed it the other day, it was thirty-two jin.”
"Wow—" Li Xuewu looked at the chubby little girl in his arms in surprise and said, "She's about as heavy as your brother."
He tapped Tiger Girl's little belly and asked, "What good things have you been eating?"
"I want—" Li Qi giggled and reached out for the dishes on the table, such a little glutton.
"Big, Niu Niu wants to eat an egg!"
When the old man refused to give her any food, she struggled to stand up, pointing her little finger at the scrambled eggs on the table and shouting, "Eggs!"
"Okay, eat some eggs." Li Xuewu followed the instructions, picked up a small piece of egg with his chopsticks and put it in her mouth. Seeing that she was eating with relish, he asked, "Is it because you eat eggs that you've gotten so fat?"
"Giggle, giggle—" Li Qi couldn't resist his teasing. She laughed and struggled off him, her little legs tumbling as she jumped into her grandfather's arms.
Mai Xiaotian treats his granddaughter like royalty; when she comes over, he quickly picks her up and comforts her in his arms.
"Grandpa!" Li Qi is two and a half years old. She can speak without any problems, but she is impatient with speaking in long sentences.
Right now, her big eyes are fixed on the food on the table; she's practically drooling.
"It takes more food in one meal than I eat."
After serving the last dish, Mai Qinglan pointed to her daughter's little hand and introduced her to Li Xuewu, saying, "She can eat a bowl and a half of rice in the morning, and her little mouth doesn't stop all morning."
"That's how kids are, they're growing." Mai Xiaotian didn't want her daughter to talk about children, so she protected Li Qi and changed direction, using chopsticks to pick up an egg for her to eat.
Li Xuewu raised his chin, gesturing towards Mai Xiaotian, and asked Mai Qinglan, "Did the master see all of these? They seem so familiar."
"My dad is spoiling me rotten—"
Mai Qinglan glared at her daughter with displeasure, then turned to Li Xuewu and said, "Brother, don't be shy, start eating."
"No rush, let's wait until Auntie is done."
Li Xuewu gestured towards the kitchen, where Mai Qinglan's mother, Hu Huilan, was tidying up.
"Mom, time to eat!" Mai Qinglan didn't want Li Xuewu to wait any longer, so she turned around and called her mother.
"You're here, that's good." Hu Huilan wiped her hands as she entered the house, smiling as she greeted Li Xuewu, "Eat quickly, eat quickly, don't wait for me."
"Auntie, please don't stand on ceremony with me."
When Li Xuewu entered the room, he had already emphasized that they were all family members, and that it was fine for them to call him Xuewu or Xiao Li. But Hu Huilan couldn't possibly call him that.
So when the group spoke, both Mai Xiaotian and Hu Huilan omitted how they addressed him.
"Give me the child, you all eat first."
Hu Huilan took the child from Mai Xiaotian and sat down next to him, holding him in her arms.
Li Qi doesn't discriminate; she'll eat whoever feeds her.
"Let her eat by herself, you should eat too." Mai Qinglan wanted her daughter to eat by herself, but the two elders were unwilling, "She can't eat properly by herself, she'll make a mess everywhere."
Hu Huilan did not respond and continued feeding the child, while Mai Xiaotian urged Li Xuewu to drink.
"You drink some sometimes?"
Li Xuewu first took a sip, the same amount as him, and then put down his glass before asking a question with a smile.
Mai Xiaotian nodded and said with a smile, "Now that you're here, I can drink more."
"Your health is the most important thing; drink less alcohol."
Knowing that he was in poor health, Li Xuewu offered a word of comfort and then turned to Mai Qinglan to ask, "Have the items from the capital been moved over?"
"No, they're all still over there."
Mai Qinglan, holding her rice bowl, explained, "These are all newly purchased items; how could we possibly move them from such a long distance?"
"There's nothing we can do. We're both old, we can't carry heavy loads," Hu Huilan said helplessly. "We can't save this money."
"Hey, I'll have to go back sooner or later."
Li Xuewu smiled at the little tiger girl and teased her, "You're from the capital, so you'll have to go back to the capital to study in the future, right?"
"Yes—" Li Qi is at the age where she is learning to speak. She will respond to whatever you tell her, but she may not understand what she is actually responding to.
“I’ve been thinking about it too. If I can send my child to kindergarten next year, I’ll have my parents go back to Beijing.” Mai Qinglan looked at him and asked, “Brother, is it convenient now?”
“What’s inconvenient about it? What does it have to do with the child?” Li Xuewu ate his rice and said, “If you and your wife want to go back, just call Guodong to make arrangements.”
"Let's forget about it, this place is fine." Hu Huilan waved her hand and said, "Can this child manage without seeing his mother for a long time?"
She glared at her daughter and said, "We don't have anything to do, so it doesn't matter where we stay. We can even cook you a hot meal here."
“Eating in the cafeteria is fine too.” Mai Qinglan smiled and said, “It’s not like I can’t cook, I’m just worried about missing my child.”
"I can't stand it for long."
Li Xuewu took a sip of wine with Mai Xiaotian and said, "Men are better off when they're busy with work, but they start thinking about it at night."
"What do you want to do?" Mai Qinglan asked with a smile. "You're lucky, you can go back twice a month. I can only see you once every six months."
"You want to go back to work in Beijing?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her and said, "If you really want to go back, I'll make arrangements for you."
“He won’t go back; he’ll stay in Steel City.” Mai Qinglan took a bite of her food and said, “He won’t be coming back sooner or later.”
Hearing their daughter say this, the two elders remained silent, which put pressure on Li Xuewu.
"Have you heard anything this month?" Li Xuewu glanced at her and asked. "The news I've received is quite good."
“I asked him if he wanted to come back, and he said he’d have to see how things go.” Knowing that Mai Qinglan was determined to prove him right, he explained, “You two can discuss it when the time comes.”
"Okay, thank you, brother." Mai Qinglan didn't dare to throw a tantrum in front of him and simply replied.
Li Xuewu came to visit today because he missed the Lunar New Year holiday; otherwise, the first month of the lunar calendar would have passed.
He brought gifts for the children and the elderly, and Mai Qinglan, knowing in advance that he was coming, specially prepared lunch for him.
On weekends, Li Xuewu basically works in the steel city, especially after the start of the year. He not only has to keep an eye on the work of Liaodong Industry, but also take care of the group's work.
Li Huaide only gave him three years, but only agreed to let him focus entirely on Liaodong for the first year. Now it's the second year, and he has to take care of other things as well.
“It’s good that you’re back in Beijing, then you won’t have so much free time,” Li Xuewu teased Mai Xiaotian with a smile. “The club’s cultural troupe misses you.”
"Hey—you old codger, what are you still thinking about me for?" Mai Xiaotian smiled and said, "I've let it go, that's it, I'm not thinking about it anymore."
He shook his head, pointed at Li Qi with his finger, and said, "Right now, I'm thinking about her."
"Grandpa—" Li Qi grabbed his arm with her little hand, wanting him to hug her again.
With two elders around, Mai Qinglan also has the time and energy to complete her work.
After the meal, Li Xuewu chatted with the two elders for a while, and Mai Qinglan saw him off as he left.
"Brother, when will he be back?"
“I’ll try to contact him.” Li Xuewu nodded and looked at her, saying, “You should know that I’ve told him more than once that I’ve asked him to come back and visit his family.”
"Is he seeing someone else?"
Mai Qinglan frowned and said, "Now I don't even want to go home, and I don't even want to see my daughter."
"Don't overthink it. Even if he has someone else, how would you know if he didn't tell you?"
Li Xuewu chuckled and teased her, saying, "Don't worry, he can't run away with me here."
"He's a very cunning person."
Mai Qinglan lowered her head, looking somewhat dejected, and said, "I was so annoyed when he was home, but then again..."
"I understand, I understand how you feel." Li Xuewu reached out and gently patted her arm, saying, "Work hard, live well, and relax."
"Brother, I'm sorry to have troubled you." Mai Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at him and said, "I know you're busy with work, but I'm really sorry to have troubled you to make this trip."
"Don't say things like that. We're family." Li Xuewu glared at her, feigning displeasure, and said, "Biaozi is my brother. It's only right that I come to see the old man."
The fraternity members acknowledge each other's parents as godfathers and godmothers, but they don't acknowledge each other's fathers-in-law, so Li Xuewu didn't receive many formalities.
The reason for coming here, besides visiting during the Chinese New Year, was also because, as Yu Li mentioned, Mai Qinglan's parents were starting to have some concerns about Li Wenbiao's long absence from home.
It was the anxiety of the two elders that made Mai Qinglan, who had never cared whether Li Wenbiao came home or not, start to feel anxious as well.
Li Xuewu didn't want his older brother to be separated from his wife and children, or to suffer the loss of his family. However, Lao Biaozi had been busy ever since he took over the real estate business.
With the foundation laid by Wen San'er, plus the support of Lou Xiao'e, he did even better than Wen San over there.
In fact, Li Xuewu's advice to Mai Qinglan to be at ease was not against his conscience. At least when he met her before the New Year, Lou Xiao'e told him that he was still very serious about his work.
Wen San'er may be unreliable, but that's because he has his own way of doing things. Li Wenbiao, on the other hand, wouldn't indulge in debauchery and rely on that to maintain his image.
He was more low-key than Wen San'er, and more ruthless in his actions; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the ability to maintain discipline.
Seven more people went to Jicheng Mountain last year, which means there are more things happening there, and it also means that some people have passed away.
Over the past few years, ashes have been continuously returned, and the small mountain village has become increasingly prosperous, with some families even building brick houses.
In the mountains, brick houses can be built, which shows that the money brought back was quite a lot.
Some people are spendthrifts, earning money in Hong Kong and spending it all in Hong Kong, without bringing a single penny home.
Old Biaozi is raising those ruthless people on the mountain like Gu poison, and Wen San'er is also raising Gu poison in Yingcheng, and it has even reached Fengcheng and Bingcheng.
I don't know how we got in touch recently, but they said they have foreign ships at sea that we can trade directly with, and they even left their contact information.
Li Xuewu told him to be more discreet and not to become an example.
After that incident, Wen San'er became much more composed in his actions. His wife and children followed him to Liaodong, and if anything happened, the whole family would be out.
Li Xuewu had certainly advised him that it was best not to keep his family around. Wen San'er really wanted to listen to him, but Fei Shanying disagreed.
Now Fei Shanying is pregnant again and insists on having another child for Wen San'er.
Every time Wen San'er saw him, she would scratch her head, wondering what would happen after this baby was born, and whether she would be promoted again.
The eldest son is Zhang Xinmin, and the second son is Wen Yuan. Wen Yuan is sixteen days older than Li Ning and is now three years old.
He was in the wrong and knew that Fei Shanying was retaliating against him.
"If I really had ten or eight children, wouldn't that kill me?!"
Wen San'er and the others were at home, and when he returned, they brought up this matter again.
Yu Li glanced at him with amusement and said, "You're still not willing? Your third aunt is working herself to the bone to make sure you have a son to carry on the family line."
“We don’t have a throne to inherit, so why have so many children?” Wen San’er’s thinking was considered unconventional in this era. Who wouldn’t want many sons these days?
If a family truly has ten sons, once they are raised to adulthood, they will be an untouchable force, whether in the city or the countryside.
Imagine, a family with ten strong laborers.
Once you become a father, you'll be worried sick. Just the cost of getting a wife and building a house will be enormous.
Wen San'er finally understood. He had thought back then that Zhang Xinmin was not his biological son, but he was the one he raised. He just needed to have another son, Wen Yuan.
As a result, Fei Shanying was angry with what he did in Gangcheng, and disregarded his recovery at home, and that's how they got pregnant.
"You're about to give birth, right?" Li Xuewu scratched his face and asked, "This month?"
"Well, just these few days."
Wen San'er said with a wry smile, "That's right, I don't even dare to go to Yingcheng, I have to stay and watch over her."
“I told her I was going to Yingcheng, and she went with me. What should I do?”
Wen San'er's main workplace was in Yingcheng, and Fei Shanying had gone there with her while heavily pregnant.
Zhang Xinmin was entrusted to Mai Qinglan's care and lived there, while Wen Yuan also came with her.
After recuperating at home for more than half a year, Li Xuewu reinstated him and prepared a house in Gangcheng.
He felt safe because Li Xuewu was there.
"It's good, isn't it good to have a lot of people?"
Li Xuewu smiled at him and said, "It's a joyous occasion to have a new addition to the family, so we must hold a proper celebration for the baby's one-month birthday."
"I'll treat you to a drink then." Wen San'er nodded and gestured to Yu Li, saying, "Come visit my house more often. Your aunt misses you, but she has no one to talk to."
"I'll let Biaozi's wife go, but I don't want to keep bothering her, since she still has her shift."
“Okay, I’ll go often,” Yu Li replied with a smile, adding, “You’ll have to prepare some delicious food.”
"No problem, all set."
Wen San'er readily agreed and turned to Li Xuewu to report, "The situation this year is much better than last year."
"Has it reached a certain scale?" Li Xuewu took a sip of his tea and asked, "Have the channels between Japan and South Korea been established?"
“Sanhe caused trouble, otherwise it could have been even earlier,” Wen San’er explained. “They shipped too many units, and I heard that the Japanese don’t really want these TVs anymore; they want color ones.”
"The color television will be available later."
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and explained, "The production line is being assembled, and the bidding process for the relevant parts is almost complete, but we still have to wait."
"We outsource the parts to the supply chain."
Wen San'er knew Honggang Group's production model, so he nodded and said, "Then it won't be long, it's almost here."
"It's pointless to play around without core components."
Li Xuewu smirked and said, "The circuit boards and chips that I asked you to import before, the technology for them is still under negotiation."
"How long have you been negotiating?" Wen San'er asked curiously. "Didn't you buy this when you went to East Germany a while ago?"
"We bought it; we bought the chip technology."
Li Xuewu wouldn't tell him how he "bought" it; he just gave a vague explanation: "It's still under development."
"I don't understand this," Wen San'er shook his head and said, "I can tinker with repairs in front of me, but if it's about building, I have no idea how to do it."
"Even if we have color TVs, we won't be able to ship them out anytime soon. Sanhe will be keeping a close eye on them."
Li Xuewu leaned back on the sofa and reminded him, "Don't stare at the TV all the time, try something different."
He raised his chin and said, "Go back and contact Teacher Wu. Honggang Group is preparing to launch a garment production project. See if there's any potential in it."
"Exporting clothing?" Wen San'er looked at him blankly and asked, "Is there any profit in exporting it by speedboat?"
“That depends on the production cost,” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, “The profit margin on clothing is higher than that on bullets.”
"Prepare well, the landscape of Northeast Asia is about to change."