MMB Chapter 1695 Seven Years Younger
Chapter 1695 Seven Years Younger
Chapter 1695 Seven Years Old
"Brother Li, are you going out?"
Er Ya was watering the vegetable garden when she saw him about to leave, so she asked, "I'm about to make dinner."
"I won't be having dinner at home; there's an event at work."
Li Xuewu pointed to the door and said, "Qi Yan has come to pick me up. You guys can eat tonight; I'll make meat dishes."
“Okay—” Er Ya smiled and asked, “Should I tell Sister Xiao Ning?”
"No need, I've already told Li Shu."
Li Xuewu waved his hand and was about to leave when he heard Er Ya call out. He turned around and saw her chasing after him.
"what happened?"
"I almost forgot, I was just thinking of that." Er Ya came up to her and explained, "Sister Qin came to our house a few days ago and said she'd let you look at the house when you got back."
"A house? Oh—" Li Xuewu was momentarily dazed before remembering that his work unit had allocated him a house.
Qin Jingru couldn't wait to find work after giving birth, but there was nowhere suitable for her.
Last year, she begged him again because she was embarrassed to compete with Er Ya, but she also didn't want to rely on Han Jiankun to support the family alone.
Girls from rural areas always have a strong sense of resilience; when they don't earn money, even spending money is a form of torture.
Out of consideration for her care for Gu Ning and her relationship with Han Jiankun, Li Xuewu assigned her to take charge of the new house in Riverside Garden.
Actually, you don't need to renovate the new house yourself. Whether it's the engineering department or the engineering company, the leaders won't lose out.
However, Qin Jingru and Shen Guodong felt that if the interior decoration was better, Li Xuewu would be more comfortable living there for a longer period of time.
Other leaders didn't seem to care much. Why?
The reason is quite simple: the other six-story buildings in Riverside Garden, with their larger units, are sold to officials at the deputy director level or above, but the thirteen villas by the lake are not for sale.
The military camp remains, but the soldiers come and go. Gu Weijie still hasn't been able to live in the house that was allocated to her.
These thirteen villas were planned from the very beginning and were intended for the residences of the group's leaders who worked within the group.
In other words, leaving office or retiring means making room for others, which can be seen as a manifestation of public-spiritedness.
To improve the welfare of all employees of the group, a residential area was built, but the group's leaders were not granted the right to reside there permanently.
Of course, the single apartments and dormitories for skilled workers in the workers' new village are rented out, but the villas for leaders are not.
This is another form of compensation, or rather, benefit, for leaders. It sounds complicated, but it's very practical.
Li Huaide and other members of the leadership team were prepared for the resolution to pass at the meeting.
They can't work at Honggang Group for their entire lives. Apart from Xiong Bencheng, who wants to retire at this stage of the group?
It's inconvenient to live together after leaving office, so nobody wants the house here.
They don't lack housing. In this day and age, their work units had already allocated them housing long ago, so they never thought they would lack housing.
Before the concept of commercial housing existed, the commercial housing developed by Honggang Group was definitely an outlier.
If it weren't for the fact that it was a market-oriented experimental unit, this kind of thing would have been exposed long ago.
The reason it didn't cause a big stir is probably because the higher-ups also recognized the advantages of Honggang Group's commercial housing policy, especially its advantages in employee housing resettlement.
Therefore, despite differing opinions and feedback, the higher authorities did not halt the policy.
However, the people on the group's management committee all felt that the apartment that Li Xuewu was allocated should be properly cleaned up.
They might not work for the group for more than a few years, maybe seven or eight, maybe three or five, but Li Xuewu is different.
Starting from now, Li Xuewu can work in the group for at least another ten or eight years, or even longer.
However, he himself didn't feel that way. He had a car to pick him up and drop him off at get off work, so it was more convenient for Gu Ning to commute to and from get off work while living here.
If we're talking about a good environment, then Riverside Garden is definitely the place. After all, it's a new building, with convenient transportation and easy access to school for the kids.
If Er Ya hadn't brought it up, he really wouldn't have remembered it. After all, he hadn't been transferred back from Steel City yet, so he couldn't recall it.
On the way to the International Hotel, Qi Yan, who was driving, remained silent, and Li Xuewu had no interest in chatting.
In June, the flowers in Beijing have all withered, and the leaves are lush and green. Unless it is a flower with a long blooming period, all that is left is a deep green.
The bicycle bells rang as I walked home from get off work, and unlike what I remembered, the streets of Beijing were much noisier.
The three-wheeled motorcycles that were used for hauling goods drove very fast, and when they overtook the three-wheeled motorcycles that were used for hauling passengers, they would deliberately twist the throttle a few times.
One was showing off, the other was unconvinced.
What Beijing has no shortage of now is passenger and freight transportation capacity, and many units have organized and established transportation teams.
Those without personnel placement pressure do so to fulfill their own unit's transportation tasks, while those with personnel placement pressure do so to provide workers with a job.
The Red Bull tricycles are now clearly categorized by purpose: the light model is used for passenger transport, while the heavy model is used for cargo transport.
Previously, some organized transport teams had purchased their own vehicles and affiliated with the company; these vehicles were used for both passenger and cargo transport.
But that's how the market works. When more people are doing it, the market naturally becomes segmented. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
If you use it for both passenger and cargo transport, people will complain that you're transporting passengers when you're transporting cargo because the carriage is inconvenient, and passengers will complain that you're transporting cargo because the carriage is unclean when you're transporting passengers.
The market has the ability to self-regulate. Now, there are fewer cases of vehicles being used for both passenger and cargo transport. Everyone is doing their own thing, and no one is willing to submit to anyone else.
Many of Li Xuewu's parents' neighbors, both now and in the past, have bought tricycles and are now doing this kind of work.
It was also under his guidance that Yan Jiefang, who lived across the street, became the first, Liu Guangfu the second, and Shazhu the third.
Yan Jiefang not only bought his own tricycle, but also upgraded from a light one to a heavy one, so that his younger brother and sister could each have one.
Like Sha Zhu, Liu Guangfu also bought a car after seeing Yan Jiefang make money from it.
However, they don't use their tricycles themselves; they rent them out through the street transport team.
When Li Xuewu came back last time, he heard them complaining that the market wasn't good anymore. Those willing to rent couldn't offer much, and those with some money were thinking of buying instead of renting.
However, their vehicles were not idle either. Liu Guangfu worked at the street sewing cooperative, so his vehicles were always busy.
Sha Zhu was the same; he and his apprentices booked a banquet. These days, it's rare to go to a restaurant for weddings and funerals, and business is booming, especially during these times.
However, with more cars on the road, there are also more problems.
The company's transport tricycles don't count; those are paid vehicles, and they'd rather run at idle speed to avoid the hardship.
But the owners of those affiliated tricycles are different. Ever since Honggang Group and the Beijing Railway freight station started calculating freight rates based on piecework, they have changed their previous mentality of just going through the motions.
The freight station doesn't care when you work or when you come, even if you work non-stop for 24 hours.
Therefore, these car owners wish they could drive their wheels off the road, delivering goods to one place and then going back to make another trip.
The company's tricycles finish work at 5 pm and leave at 6 pm, but these guys are different; they can work until midnight making money.
The men in Beijing are all foul-mouthed; they call these rickshaw owners the "new era's Xiangzi," or "Camel Xiangzi."
However, this title carries a hint of envy and jealousy. Those who can afford to buy cars and put in the effort to drive them have all made money, especially the earliest batch.
Don't be fooled by Sha Zhu's constant chatter about how cars aren't profitable anymore; he's already earned back his car ownership.
The BJ130 from Beijing Second Automobile Works still sells for 22,000 yuan a unit, and you need connections to get one.
When Gu Li was in Japan, he chatted with him and mentioned that their car wasn't selling well, but even with connections, they could still get around 24,000 to 25,000 yuan.
It's hard to buy and hard to sell; that's what's troubling Gu Litong.
Their BJ130 was first prototyped in 66, just in time for the rise of Hongxing Automobile, so they benefited from the trend.
They started small-batch production in 68, and only achieved mass production last year. Their engineers said it was fortunate.
According to their original plan, it would take 73 years to achieve mass production.
It costs over 20,000 yuan a unit. Don't complain about the price, because you can't buy one anyway. You don't even have the chance to spend that money.
The street transport team and recycling station needed new vehicles, so Shen Guodong contacted Gu Litong and got four vehicles at the factory price.
Good heavens, this news has spread throughout the streets, he's gained a lot of prestige, everyone who sees him will praise his abilities.
This is the price for a flatbed truck. There are two other types on the market: the Jiefang CA10 from Factory No. 17 and the Yuejin NJ130 from Nanjing Automobile.
Shen Guodong asked, and the lowest price for the NJ130 was 26,000 yuan, and the lowest price for the CA10 was 32,000 yuan. They weren't much better than the BJ130 in terms of speed.
That's why Gu Litong said that Li Xuewu's grasp of the market is so thorough that it's ingrained in his very being.
The Red Bull tricycles, costing around two thousand yuan, somehow managed to cause these flat-head trucks to crash into a brick wall.
The poor sales are due to the high price and market competition. The tricycle may not look good, but it is useful.
Looking out the car window, Li Xuewu observed that while the vehicles along the way might not be considered particularly representative, Hongxing Motors was undoubtedly a dominant force.
The same applies to tricycles and taxis.
Since the redesign of the Aries, Shouqi has received a lot of positive feedback, and has been receiving new purchase orders every quarter since last year.
SteelCar redesigned and produced a batch of rental Aries cars specifically for them, with some functions adjusted.
There have also been some changes in appearance, mainly the addition of imported sign lights on the roof and the painting of the body according to Shouqi's requirements.
Looking at it this way, Beijing's taxis are now in line with international standards. They are much better looking than the previously imported Warsaw and Fiat models, and they have more space and are more comfortable to ride in.
Of course, even though Shouqi is increasing the number of taxis every quarter, it is still too few in Beijing.
The main reason is that not many people are willing to take a taxi these days; you need to wear a white shirt and black leather shoes.
Think about it, the starting price is 1.8 yuan, the price per kilometer is 0.3 yuan, and there's an additional 0.2 yuan waiting fee every 15 minutes.
Those who dare to use taxis are invariably foreign guests, government officials, and high-ranking cadres. Ordinary workers only earn thirty or forty yuan a month; only a madman would call a taxi.
In those days, taxis weren't hailed on the street; you had to book them by phone or call a dispatch station.
It is precisely because of the pride of taxis that Red Bull light tricycles have a market for passenger transport.
It costs one cent per kilometer, which is much cheaper than a taxi.
It was precisely because of Hongxing Automobile's unconventional approach and market share that the Dongfeng BM021J passenger tricycle manufactured by Beijing Motorcycle Factory sold very well.
However, the production capacity of Beijing's motorcycle manufacturing plants is not as strong as that of steel and automobile manufacturers, so their products can only cover the North China region.
Moreover, with the competition from Red Bull motorcycles, the pressure is considerable. He doesn't even need to look at market research reports; Gu Litong will come to chat with him about it every three to five months.
There were three or four Shouqi Aries taxis in front of the International Hotel, probably called by hotel customers.
Honggang Group also has units similar to taxi companies, but they do not provide services to the public.
The Transportation Service Department of the Comprehensive Service Center of the Labor Service Corporation has a car rental service center.
Like Shouqi, the service center also has two types of cars: high-end and ordinary. Shouqi's high-end taxis are Hongqi, while the service center's high-end taxis are Volga M24s.
The regular models are pretty much the same, but in addition to the Aries, the service center also offers the Hongtu No. 1 and other models.
The reason why the service center's business is not open to the public is because it only serves the group's clients, such as the three reception units under the property service management company's reception service management company: Hongxing International Hotel, Hongxing Unity Hotel, and Hongxing Business Club (Jinmen Seaside Business Club).
As Li Xuewu's car entered the courtyard of the International Hotel, he saw the service center's cars parked in the parking spaces.
The management structure of Honggang Group is becoming increasingly complex, which needs to be fully considered during the design phase.
For example, the International Hotel and the Car Rental Service Center do not belong to the same parent company, and the reason is self-evident.
Starting this year, the autonomy of each head office has been increased, and they cooperate with each other in business, resulting in fewer disputes.
The shift from passively waiting to take action to actively engaging in it is not just about money; it also involves the issue of job titles.
Anyway, Lao Li mentioned at the latest cadre training meeting that the next focus of the assessment will definitely be on business skills and work performance.
The days when one could make progress simply by boasting are over; such people are now in danger of being marginalized.
In fact, this era was far from the situation of redundant staff in later generations. The real crisis was having one section chief and more than forty deputy section chiefs.
The organizational structure of Honggang Group is fixed, meaning that a department can have a maximum of one director and three deputy directors, and that's the largest department.
Most departments only have one director and two deputy directors, or one director and one deputy director.
Before the group was established, cadres could only be promoted and never demoted. After the group was established, the situation changed a lot.
According to Li Xuewu's statement at the beginning of the year's employee representative meeting, all cadres in the group, from top to bottom, are treated the same; they can be promoted or demoted.
This year, with Gu Weijie leaving and Li Huaide stirring up trouble, the two sides have been using this as a pretext to antagonize each other quite a bit.
Zhou Wanquan also played a role in this, which led the group to organize several assessments and investigations into the performance of its cadres.
The first assessment resulted in the removal of seventeen cadres at the deputy section chief level or above, and more than seventy others were left on probation pending further evaluation. The impact was considerable.
The 9-to-5 work schedule is correct, but the days of spending the whole day with a cup of tea, a cigarette, and a newspaper are truly gone.
With the workload reduced, departments have begun to proactively coordinate with each other, and some have even voluntarily worked overtime.
Of course, Li Xuewu neither recommends nor approves of the overtime culture; he himself detests this kind of work atmosphere.
He told the cadres at the meeting that overtime work could only be a management problem, a failure of the person in charge to coordinate with the subordinates, and the person in charge should bear the responsibility for the mistake.
They slack off at work and try to perform well after get off work, but the company doesn't recognize that.
Li Xuewu did not approve of the ulterior motives between Li Huaide and his group, but he strongly supported the cadre evaluation process.
By June, a total of three assessments had been organized from the group headquarters to the city-level branch offices, and he had signed off on more than sixty assessments.
The capable rise and the mediocre fall. But those who fall do not mean that everything is settled and they have retired successfully. They should go back to doing whatever they are capable of, and their job titles and salaries should also be adjusted.
If you're a worker, there's nothing you can do; the wages for technical positions are capped there. A level four worker can't get the same pay as a level three worker, but it's different for managers.
Although cadres also have ranks, Honggang Group places more emphasis on the actual responsibilities and effectiveness of their positions, with management bonuses being the main source of income.
Today, the group's management committee held a farewell ceremony for Gu Weijie at the International Hotel. I don't know how many people applauded and cheered, celebrating her passing.
In less than six months, Gu Weijie has gone all out, disregarding her previously accumulated good image, and has acted swiftly and decisively.
She was transferred to Hongxing Factory in 67, and has been working at Honggang for more than four years now. She is most authoritative and speaks with the most authority in the last six months.
As everyone at the dinner table chatted and laughed, raising their glasses to wish her a bright future, she was also thinking, what if I had become ruthless sooner?
Of course she should think that way. The reason she couldn't take over from Li Huaide within four years was because she lacked prestige and couldn't hold her own.
Old Li usually seems all smiles and cheerful to everyone, but those who know him well know that when it comes to principles, he can be ruthless than anyone else.
Leaving aside distant issues, everyone has witnessed how his secretary, Liu Bin, was handled recently.
Those were young people he personally selected and was meant to groom as his trusted confidants, and he just sent them away like that.
If Lao Li had been a little selfish and given Liu Bin a chance, no one would have said anything to him. Even if he wanted to settle scores later, who would hold a grudge?
Who doesn't have a secretary? Who can guarantee they won't encounter a similar situation in the future?
But Old Li is just that ruthless. He didn't give Liu Bin a chance, nor did he give anyone else a chance. Now, look at him; he's still the most amiable one at the dinner table.
"Deputy Director Gu, we should have a drink together."
Taking advantage of a break from the others, Li Xuewu took his wine glass and approached her, smiling as he said, "Speaking of which, our relationship is the deepest."
That's utter nonsense. If it weren't for Gu Weijie, Li Xuewu wouldn't have had such a hard time getting to Gangcheng. And if it weren't for Li Xuewu, Gu Weijie wouldn't have left so early.
From their first meeting, neither of them made a good impression on the other. It was at Dong Wenxue's house that they finally had a proper conversation.
However, Han Shu's influence was still insufficient. While Dong Wenxue suffered repeated setbacks, Gu Weijie gained a foothold but still deviated from the right path.
The two sides went from close cooperation to drifting apart, and even had occasional frictions and clashes, all within just four years.
The friction and clashes between Tong Gu Weijie and Jing Yunong were different. Gu Weijie was serious and determined, while the friction and clashes between Jing Yunong and Li Xuewu were a different kind of "friction" and "clash".
However, times have changed, and after today, all past grievances must be wiped clean, and no one should hold a grudge.
Even Lao Li praised Gu Weijie repeatedly at the dinner table, recounting her contributions to the group and the factory over the years with heartfelt sincerity.
Li Xuewu, of course, understood the ways of the world, so he took the initiative to lower his stance, and let bygones be bygones in this cup of wine.
Gu Weijie naturally didn't want to offend him. Looking back from outside Honggang Group, how far could such a young vice president-level cadre go in the future?
What others don't know is that she is in charge of the group's organization and publicity work, and coordinates with the discipline inspection department to handle numerous violations of rules and regulations.
But no matter who is involved in this matter, it will never implicate Li Xuewu, making him virtually immune to disciplinary violations.
Li Xuewu even refused to allow people from his workplace to visit his home, and even requested that they not call his home unless absolutely necessary.
Work needs to be done during working hours; except for emergencies, nothing else will be taken care of.
Only members of the management committee or the group's duty room can call Li Xuewu's home phone; no one else dares to.
Think about it, if they won't even answer the phone, let alone offer any benefits.
After leaving the security department, Li Xuewu rarely showed special care to any subordinate, and almost no one accused him of forming cliques and cultivating cronies.
She doesn't believe that a young person with strong work ability and a strong sense of organizational principles can't go far or last long.
Maybe one day she'll have to call Li Xuewu her leader. If they're not on good terms now, they really won't be able to be on good terms later.
So when Li Xuewu came to offer a toast, she took his hand and said with a smile, "That's absolutely true, no one can be as close as the two of us."
"Are you two related?"
Even though he knew it wasn't true, Zhang Jingsong still joked with them.
"Hahahaha—" Gu Weijie said with a laugh, "That depends on how you look at it. If we follow Han Shu's example, I don't know what to call him."
“I’ll still call you Deputy Director Gu,” Li Xuewu raised his glass and said, “I don’t even know what to call you anymore.”
"Before today, I could only call you 'comrade,' but from today onwards, I'll accept calling you 'Sister Gu.'" Gu Weijie downed her drink with great gusto, her words warm and comforting.
“You two are acting like siblings,” Cheng Kaiyuan, sitting on the other side, joked with a smile, “we’re all related to you now.”
Even eating meat can't shut you up!
Gu Weijie rolled her eyes at him and said with amusement, "Why are you everywhere?"
“It’s okay, I can’t call him brother-in-law.”
Li Xuewu teased her, which prompted Gu Weijie to slap him.
Since it's a farewell banquet, it shouldn't be too somber or serious. After all, Gu Weijie is going to work in the ministry, not underground.
It's a farewell party, not a send-off party.
The banquet lasted until after 9 p.m., and everyone had drunk a bit too much. Gu Weijie had drunk a lot much earlier, but she had a high alcohol tolerance and kept going.
They saw her off to the car first, while Li Xuewu and Li Huaide stayed behind.
"It's kind of boring, isn't it?"
Li Huaide watched as everyone's cars drove away before turning back to Li Xuewu with a smile and saying this.
Li Xuewu smiled but didn't say anything.
"They were fighting tooth and nail before the New Year, but now they're crying and remembering how good they were to each other."
Old Li wasn't talking about himself or Li Xuewu, but about Gu Weijie.
Towards the end of the drinking session, Gu Weijie became a bit out of control, especially when talking about her past work and how the pressure had been immense for everyone during the years of group restructuring.
Now that the group has finally been formed, they have to go their separate ways. Thinking back to the team she was in when she first arrived, how many people are left?
Feeling this way, she wiped away a few tears, which made everyone at the table feel heavy-hearted as well.
The banquet ended under these circumstances. As they parted, in front of the International Hotel, Gu Weijie even gave Li Huaide a hug.
This was unprecedented, or rather, since he met Gu Weijie, and it was due to his personal feelings.
Among the group's leadership, there are some who get drunk and act out. Cheng Kaiyuan once got drunk and grabbed the microphone to sing, and it sounded awful.
The singers from the performing arts troupe who came to perform thought about all the terrible things in their lives, but they still couldn't suppress the upturned corners of their mouths.
Some made a fool of themselves, some shed tears; Gu Weijie is not the first, nor will she be the last.
However, Gu Weijie was the only one in the leadership team who got a farewell banquet when he moved from Hongxing Factory to Honggang Group.
Think about it, how many of Yang Yuansong, Yang Fengshan, Deng Zhiwang, Nie Chenglin... had an easy time leaving this world?
Even within the Ministry of Machine Building, Honggang Group's organizational structure was among the most complex and dangerous in the entire industrial system.
When Li Xuewu suggested that Gao Yaqin come here for training, her superiors advised her not to get involved in this mess.
The waters around Honggang Group are not only murky, but damn deep.
Gao Yaqin believed Li Xuewu's lies, and her superiors were really worried for her.
Having known Li Xuewu for a long time and having suffered losses at his hands, she knew his character and had long ago decided to make a quick buck and leave, which is how she gained a foothold in Honggang Group.
She works in the foreign trade system, so jumping out again and then back is the best option, as she wouldn't have to compete with Lao Li and his group for influence and resources.
Jing Yunong was less fortunate than her; he was tricked several times by Li Xuewu before he finally realized what was happening.
Gu Weijie was a bit too stiff, so although she left this time crying and laughing, she couldn't say she had no regrets.
She left with regrets, but Old Li still has them.
Li Xuewu originally wanted to go home, but he pointed to the front gate, indicating that they should walk together.
The capital city of this era was nothing like that of later times; by 9 a.m., there was hardly anyone to be seen on the main streets.
Even though it's June now, and the nights are cool but not cold, why not just stay home and get some sleep instead of wandering around on the street?
Moreover, there are joint patrols on the streets, and if you get caught, you'll inevitably be questioned and scolded for causing trouble for others.
Li Huaide and Li Xuewu were different; they walked in front, with three cars following behind at idle speed. Any fool in the joint defense team would come looking for trouble.
"Time flies! More than four years have passed in the blink of an eye."
Li Huaide walked along the sidewalk with his hands behind his back, looking at the city under the streetlights, and said with emotion, "She's been here for over four years now, what about you?"
He turned to look at Li Xuewu and said, "Five years?"
"Yes, it will be six years in November."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Who says otherwise? In the blink of an eye, when I returned from military service, I didn't even have a place to live. Now I have two children."
"Heh—" Li Huaide chuckled and said, "Now that you've said that, it's no wonder I looked so old this morning."
“You’re just worrying too much,” Li Xuewu looked at his bald head reflecting the streetlights, couldn’t help but twitch his lips, and told him a lie to comfort him, “It has nothing to do with being old or not.”
"Hey, just say the nice things."
Li Huaide smiled and continued walking forward, saying as he went, "My whole family has children now, am I not old?"
He shook his head and said, "My eldest son's children are all in elementary school now. If I, as his grandfather, don't get old soon, I'll really become a monster."
"It all comes down to mindset. If your heart isn't old, you're not old," Li Xuewu said jokingly. "Isn't there a saying about old people being playful? You still have to play along."
"Me?! Hahaha—"
Li Huaide found it quite amusing, waved his hand, and said, "I'm not interested in playing anything anymore, except for mahjong."
"There's nothing I can do to help with that."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and reminded him, "I told Gu Ning today that I'm going home to stay, so please don't make things difficult for me."
"Hahahaha—" Li Huaide was very happy that he could make such a joke. He stopped and looked Li Xuewu up and down, saying, "You're good."
Why are you suddenly being so polite?
Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "Don't tell me you can't play mahjong and you need me to find someone for you?"
"I'm not playing tonight, I'm tired."
Li Huaide smiled, nodded, and said, "Honestly, seeing that she's about to leave, I have to say you did a great job."
Li Xuewu looked at him without saying anything, waiting for him to speak.
“If it were anyone else, things would have fallen apart long ago.” Li Huaide narrowed his eyes slightly and grinned as he said, “It’s only you.”
"You can't say that, after all, they're all my superiors." Li Xuewu understood what he meant, smiled, and said, "It's all only right."
"That's why I say you're great."
Li Huaide nodded and said, "You have a good saying: 'If you can endure loneliness, you can also enjoy prosperity.'"
"Some things can't be rushed. What's meant to be yours will be yours sooner or later."
As he said this, he gestured behind him with a smirk, pointing towards the direction of the International Hotel; they had already walked quite a distance.
He wasn't referring to the International Hotel, but rather to today's dinner party, or more specifically, he was referring to Gu Weijie.
Li Xuewu simply nodded without saying anything.
Perhaps Gu Weijie drank too much, and Lao Li drank too much, but he didn't drink too much.
When you're sober, don't talk nonsense or ramble in your sleep. Tonight, everyone has the right to comment on Gu Weijie, except him.
Having confronted Gu Weijie directly, and also because of his past collaboration with Han Shu, Li Xuewu had said everything he needed to say at the dinner table.
Li Huaide traveled such a long way to tell him what was on his mind, not so that he would keep it a secret, but so that he would think it over carefully.
After saying that, he waved for the car to come over, patted Li Xuewu on the shoulder, and got into the car.
"Alright, go back early," he said to Li Xuewu in the car, "so that Dr. Gu won't worry."
The driver, following his signal, slowly started the car and gradually disappeared into the night.
Qi Yan signaled the security department's car to follow, while he parked his car on the side of the road and stood with Li Xuewu for a while.
Actually, he wanted to offer his boss a cigarette; in this atmosphere, it just felt wrong not to smoke.
However, he also knew Li Xuewu's personality; he had persisted for so many years, and if he said he wouldn't smoke, he absolutely wouldn't.
"You've only been home for a few days after I gave you a break?" Li Xuewu turned to look at him and said with a smile, "Don't you miss home?"
Qi Yan's hometown is not far from the capital, a small county in Hebei Province, but his family does not have urban household registration.
When he was discharged from the army, if it weren't for Gu Ning's arrangement, he would have had to go home and become a militia company commander.
However, no one can say for sure which path is right. Following Li Xuewu around, they have now even gone to Japan.
After returning from Japan, Li Xuewu gave him a special leave to go home and visit his family. After all, he had been away for more than a year and needed to go home and see his family.
When Qi Yan returned home and told his relatives about his experience of going abroad, they were very envious. Back then, even the older generation could make a phone call to go abroad, but he managed to fly there.
"It's not very interesting, I just want it to last a little while."
Qi Yan smiled and said, "I wanted to come back after only three days, but my mom insisted that I stay an extra day."
"You've been set up on blind dates?" Li Xuewu asked with a smile. "What do you think? Do you want to marry someone from the same village, someone you know well, or do you want to find someone in the city so you can settle down?"
"I haven't thought about that yet."
Qi Yan thought for a moment and said, "Let's leave it to fate. Of course, it would be best if we could settle in the city. My parents are looking forward to that day."
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “You’re only missing a house and a wife now, and it’ll be soon.”
Qi Yan wasn't his personal driver; he was assigned to Honggang Group. He wasn't a worker, but a driver—one of the eight key personnel.
Although he said he settled in the city, he actually got a job and his household registration was already under the group's collective household registration.
He's just not married, doesn't own a house, and is still a rural person at heart.
“I didn’t agree to the one introduced by someone from my hometown; she was too young.”
Qi Yan explained somewhat embarrassedly, "Our brigade accountant's daughter is seven years younger than me."
"Isn't that perfect?"
Li Xuewu chuckled and said, "What man wouldn't want to marry a mistress?"
Qi Yan smiled, taking it as a joke. Could what one thinks be the same as reality?
"Have you taken a liking to Er Ya?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and teased him, "She's excellent at housework and serving people. She's from the Northeast, so I know her well. If you like her, I'll be your matchmaker."
He smiled and emphasized, "They're not that far apart in age, and they both live in the city. Look at Qin Jingru and Han Jiankun, they're a perfect match."
"Don't tease me," Qi Yan said embarrassedly. "She's five years younger than me, and usually acts like a young girl."
"Is that what you think?" Li Xuewu said with a smile, "She was already seventeen when she came to my house, and now she's nineteen. She's getting anxious if she doesn't find a boyfriend soon."
"Don't blame me for not warning you, good girls are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and she's not the kind of ugly girl no one would want."
He looked at Qi Yan and introduced her, "Don't let her rural background fool you; her cousin works at a recycling station and is now in charge in Bingcheng."
“Their village is not poor now; it’s one of the wealthiest within a hundred miles. Your father-in-law has many siblings, so you don’t need to support them.”
Seeing Qi Yan avoiding his gaze, Li Xuewu smiled, walked to the car, opened the door, and said, "Tell me as soon as you've thought it through. If I forget and she has someone she likes, I won't care about you."
Qi Yan couldn't argue with him, so when he saw him get into the car, he didn't say anything more and started the car to take him home.
Li Xuewu almost fell asleep in the car, but thankfully the window was open. When they got home, the two little ones were already asleep, and Er Ya was doing laundry.
"Brother Li, you're back."
"Hmm, you have a washing machine but don't want to use it, you're going to hand wash?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her and said, "It's so late, you should get some rest."
"Please hand wash the child's clothes thoroughly." Er Ya smiled and said, "I only have these two pieces. Just change the water once and that'll be it. You should get some rest too."
Li Xuewu nodded. He had seen and remembered everything she did at home, without her needing to show off.
Qin Jingru was the same way when she was here; she was genuinely kind to both children and Gu Ning, so he took care of her as much as he could.
Er Ya was in the same boat. It wasn't easy for rural kids to make a living in the city. Her cousin, Da Qiangzi, wrote to him, asking him to take care of his sister.
Although the letter didn't explicitly mention helping Er Ya find a partner in the city—perhaps because it was too embarrassing to bring it up—it did mention that people back home were concerned about Er Ya's age.
Some things don't need to be said too explicitly. The girl is almost nineteen. Either send her back to her hometown to find a partner through matchmaking, or introduce her to someone in the city.
If you let people stay in the city, you can help them for a few more years. In return, you should also help them with their major life events; otherwise, it would be too unfair.
Since Daqiangzi and Erya's family had already sent their daughter over, they wouldn't dare to come and pick her up without Li Xuewu's permission.
Even in poor families, raising their daughters to adulthood still brings them heartache and longing.
People in Northeast China rarely favor sons over daughters, and my great-aunt is a tough character, not to mention that Er Ya has been sending a lot of money home in recent years.
Her younger siblings go to school, her older siblings get married—who doesn't need her help? If parents don't think about these things, wouldn't they be heartless?
Li Xuewu was thinking about this. It wasn't that he lacked useful people and insisted on keeping Er Ya at home, but rather that he didn't want to dictate other people's lives.
Er Ya doesn't only have Qi Yan as an option. Qi Yan is a good driver, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a good husband.
Every marriage has its cause and effect; who knows who is related to whom?
After going upstairs, Li Xuewu glanced at the study, which was still lit, and then went to check on the two children's rooms before entering the master suite.
"You haven't rested yet? Don't you have surgery tomorrow?"
He didn't even need to smell it to know he still smelled of alcohol. Even though he had showered and changed clothes when he came back in the afternoon, he still went to shower now.
Gu Ning packed up her books, went to the dressing room to find him some pajamas, and handed them to him, saying that she would be off tomorrow to visit her sister-in-law and the children.
"Is your sister-in-law also resting?" Li Xuewu was washing his hair. He turned around and glanced at her, asking, "It would be better to meet at a restaurant for lunch, so we don't have to cook."
"I didn't expect it. Zhou Yao told me today."
Gu Ning explained, "The two of them asked me, and I also wanted to ask you, when are you going back to the compound so I can make some arrangements."
"Either is fine. How about we have lunch with your sister-in-law at noon and go back to the compound in the evening?"
After Li Xuewu finished washing up, he didn't wear the underwear she had prepared. He dried himself off and then reached out to pick her up.
Gu Ning tried to struggle, but his words made her weak.