stjorthotic Chapter 1697 Fine Wine
Chapter 1697 Fine Wine
Chapter 1697 Fine Wine
dong dong——
A knock sounded on the door, and before Li Xuewu could even look up, he heard Shangguan Qi's voice.
"Secretary-General, you wanted to see me."
“Yes, come here,” Li Xuewu nodded to the youngest female cadre in the group’s research department and said, “Sit down.”
"I just came from the lab and didn't have time to change my clothes."
She walked to the desk, tidied her hair somewhat embarrassedly, said "Excuse me, boss," and then sat down.
"I'm the one who disturbed your work."
Li Xuewu smiled, looked her over, and said, "I didn't expect you to be so busy."
"No—" Shangguan Qi felt even more embarrassed when she heard her boss say that. She was about to explain when she looked up and saw that her boss was joking.
"I was supposed to go to your research institute this morning, but something came up and I got held up."
Li Xuewu had limited time and couldn't chat with her casually, so he got straight to the point: "Director Li talked to me about your research institute."
Shangguan Qi didn't speak, but instead opened her notebook and listened attentively to what he had to say.
Even if you don't necessarily need to take notes on what your boss says, what if you do need to?
Bringing a notebook when you are summoned by your boss may not be useful, but it will certainly show that you are serious.
Li Xuewu didn't actually value this, but since the cadres below him had this attitude, he didn't think there was anything hypocritical about it.
Sometimes, if you don't even have the intention to put on a show, it means that the loopholes in management are bigger than the sky.
"With President Xia joining the group this time, he will inevitably be distracted by other work. Director Li's idea is that the research institute should take the initiative."
"Be more proactive?" Shangguan Qi looked at him, puzzled, and asked, "How do I be more proactive?"
"A phrase that leaders often say is, 'You have to fulfill your own dreams.'"
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at her, saying, "President Xia can't hold the position of Dean of the Research Institute forever. You all need to take initiative."
"Huh?" Shangguan Qi was stunned for a moment, then widened her eyes and asked, "Can we still take the initiative in this?"
"Why not?" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows, sat up straight, and said, "Benefits, research funding, and so on—weren't all of these things secured for you by President Xia?"
He asked with amusement, "You don't actually think these are all things the company gave to you on its own initiative, do you?"
"No, it's not that. I was just a little surprised..." She looked at Li Xuewu, lowered her head shyly, and said, "I hadn't thought about these things at all."
"Now you can think about it."
Li Xuewu pushed a notice that had just been printed by the general manager's office in front of her and said, "This is something I fought for for you."
Shangguan Qi looked at him with suspicion before picking up the notice. After reading a few lines, she stared in surprise.
“This—” She looked up at Li Xuewu and asked, “The position of vice dean is to be filled through open selection and competitive recruitment?”
“What’s so surprising?” Li Xuewu said calmly. “Your research institute also relies on ability.”
“Well, how can our institute compare to the academy?” Clearly tempted, Shangguan Qi looked at the documents in her hand and said, “The institute has more to do.”
"Management is a discipline that should be categorized as a science," Li Xuewu said earnestly. "That's why the group can export its management experience to other organizations."
"It's good that you realize that the Academy of Sciences is more important than the research institute. I hope you seize the opportunity and do your best."
"Me—me?" Shangguan Qi's mind was in turmoil. She looked at him hesitantly and said, "I'm so young, and I haven't achieved anything yet..."
“The standards and conditions for open selection are all written there,” Li Xuewu said, ignoring her ambiguity. He tapped his desk and emphasized, “If you have the chance, you should give it a try. Even if you can’t compete with others, you can still see your own shortcomings.”
He didn't rule out the possibility of anything, nor did he offer any advice. After discussing the matter, he changed the subject and asked about the situation at the Institute of Optoelectronics.
Because of the relationship with Peter, the group arranged for Shangguan Qi to focus on investigating Peter's mental state.
It can't be described as surveillance. Starting next year, whether foreign students go to Tsinghua University or Yenching University, there will be Chinese students in their dormitories.
To put it bluntly, those selected as dormitories for international students have the responsibility to monitor the students' thoughts and feelings.
Shangguan Qi knew the leaders would ask about the Institute of Optoelectronics when she arrived, so she was prepared.
The main reason is that the Optoelectronics Research Institute is too important. It not only shoulders the important task of the group's future electronic industry layout, but also meets the needs of other research institutes' technologies.
The Aircraft Research Institute's drone project requires multiple electronic technologies. Overcoming the challenges will not only require their efforts but also breakthroughs in the field of optoelectronics.
Therefore, it was both a relationship between classmates and a form of supervision between colleagues, so Shangguan Qi had a good understanding of the Institute of Optoelectronics.
"We should see results soon."
After thinking for a moment, she reported: "The lithography system of Red Star Optics No. 1 has entered the final testing stage. After obtaining the photoresist, they have included chip development in a new round of research and development goals."
"What is the progress of the research and development of chips for home appliances?"
Li Xuewu had a plan in mind, and according to the progress, he should ask about it.
Shangguan Qi nodded and reported, "The chip, which has been named the Pioneer series, is also in its final stages of testing."
"It's quite convenient for us to conduct experiments because we have our own factory, and the steel company is very supportive of us."
It's not just steel city electronics factories that need chips; the automotive, shipbuilding, and aircraft manufacturing industries, among others, also require them.
We can't keep being held back forever. It's still very necessary to push forward while chip technology barriers aren't completely closed off.
“I heard it from Peter and the others,” Shangguan Qi explained, “The Pioneer series should be able to replace the imported circuits that Sanhe is currently supplying.”
It is important to emphasize here that Li Xuewu was well aware that the chips they were discussing were not the MCUs and CPUs of later generations, but ICs, or integrated circuits.
To put it more simply, it refers to the components on the circuit board inside a television, such as the audio channel, which is the audio IC, and is present in both black and white televisions.
Higher-end color televisions require color decoding ICs, image intermediate frequency amplifier ICs, synchronization small signal ICs, and so on.
Color televisions of this era typically had 2 to 4 ICs, namely audio, chroma, and intermediate frequency amplifiers, while black and white televisions had only one IC, namely audio.
Previously, Honggang Group's Gangcheng Electronics Factory could only produce black and white televisions, and the audio ICs were purchased and shipped from Japan by Sanhe.
If it weren't for the incident last year, coupled with the introduction of new technology from East Germany, Sanhe wouldn't even have been able to supply circuit board technology to Steel Electric.
Televisions need ICs, and so do radios. For example, there are AM IF amplifier + detector ICs, audio power amplifier ICs, and stereo decoder ICs. Both home and car radios manufactured by SteelEdge need these.
There is no immediate demand for washing machines and refrigerators, but air conditioners, microwave ovens, and other appliances are still needed, some of which require diodes and transistors.
Not to mention this era, even ten or twenty years from now, those who sell circuit boards, diodes, and transistors in Beijing will be able to make a fortune.
Where did their goods come from?
It's quite sad that electronic waste salvaged from old appliances abroad has become a treasure for domestic consumer electronics in China.
Factories don't need it, but hobbyists who find a good microcontroller will be overjoyed, as if they've found a treasure.
If you start slowly and develop slowly, you'll inevitably fall behind in the end.
Moreover, the domestic scientific research environment was very complex during this period, with everyone working independently and little information sharing.
Sometimes two research institutes are working on the same thing without knowing it from each other, and only realize they've overlapped when they report their findings.
That's not the most infuriating part. The worst part is that we didn't even know about the technology that our family had already developed, and we had to spend a lot of money to import it from abroad.
Even in later generations, when industrial exploration uncovered many valuable discoveries, the Chinese people had a mentality of quietly making a fortune and rarely boasted about their achievements.
Can this be simply blamed on insufficient information communication and almost no industry exchange?
No, at least Li Xuewu, who has always been concerned about the group's technology and scientific research development, has taken a defensive stance.
In an era without patent law, where anyone could use a patent if they wanted, silence was a habit of self-protection.
Even now, Lao Li doesn't know the progress of drone development. If pressed, he'll only reveal a little bit.
However, what Lao Li knew was only the research and development content from last year; the latest research and development results were only known to Li Xuewu and a few others.
The Honggang Research Institute is located on the site of the former steel rolling mill. During the planning stage, all the surrounding walls were demolished at Li Xuewu's insistence.
How should the security and confidentiality issues of research institutes be handled?
The exterior is relaxed, but the interior is tight. The security department is in the open, while the secrecy department is in the shadows. One is in the open, and the other is in the shadows. They have spread a large net and are waiting for those who have problems.
Although Li Xuewu left the security system in the past few years, he often heard news of similar cases.
Some were just idle gossips, while others had ulterior motives. Zhou Yao dealt with them without hesitation.
Through multiple joint investigations with the Beijing branch, the security department's team has become extremely reliable and capable, and the branch even sometimes borrows investigators from them.
In order to improve its reconnaissance capabilities, the Security Department of Honggang Group commissioned experts from the research institute to order reconnaissance equipment and vehicles.
That's the advantage of having your own research and production capabilities; it makes it very convenient to develop anything special.
These equipment will certainly not go to waste; if they prove effective in use, they will be applied to the next generation of police equipment and devices.
Although the special vehicle manufacturing plant of Steel & Automotive has only average annual profits, its development speed is by no means slow.
There is a lack of such professional equipment and facilities manufacturers in China, but with the guarantee of Honggang Group, we have great confidence in purchasing them.
A research institute can support the future of an entire industrial group, and Li Xuewu cannot overemphasize its importance.
***
No sooner had Shangguan Qi left than Cheng Kaiyuan arrived at his office.
"Oh, what a rare guest!"
Li Xuewu chuckled and teased him, then stood up and gestured for him to sit on the sofa. "What brings you here?"
"A tornado," Cheng Kaiyuan joked with a smile.
Ma Baosen made him a cup of tea and then left. Li Xuewu raised his chin and asked, "It must be a real whirlwind for you to take the time to come here."
"Major personnel changes within the group, does that include Tornado?"
Cheng Kaiyuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at him, saying, "Director Li has already spoken with you, hasn't he?"
"Actually, it didn't do any good for him to talk to me."
Li Xuewu smiled and explained, "When it comes to personnel matters, my word carries weight."
“Hey—” Cheng Kaiyuan put down his teacup and said with a smile, “At least your words carry more weight than mine.”
"Are you saying that you have a problem with me?" Li Xuewu smiled, but raised his eyebrows, looking at him with a probing gaze.
Cheng Kaiyuan waved his hand and explained with a smile, "What could I possibly have to say about you? I'd like to hear your opinion."
Li Xuewu didn't speak, but picked up his teacup. If he wanted to talk, he could; if he didn't, there was no need for him to play games with him.
After a long pause, Cheng Kaiyuan finally spoke and asked, "What's your opinion on the personnel reshuffle in the industrial sector?"
"Am I telling the truth?" Li Xuewu looked at him, put down his teacup, and said, "No one asked for my opinion before this list was released."
"After Director Li gave me this list, I didn't offer any comments."
He looked at Cheng Kaiyuan calmly and said, "I only made one suggestion, which is to add a vice president to the research institute and to select candidates through open competition."
"Yes, I've heard about it," Cheng Kaiyuan nodded and said, "I've read the contents of the notice. Do you intend to promote this policy?"
"It's impossible in the short term; we need to wait and see." Li Xuewu thought for a moment and explained, "That's what Director Li and I said too; let's experiment."
"I think it's a good thing. The capable rise and the mediocre fall," Cheng Kaiyuan commented. "Sometimes, the cadres chosen by our own people are more considerate."
He smiled and said, "Of course, there's also a sense of responsibility. I think this policy should be promoted as soon as possible."
Li Xuewu glanced at him and then fell silent. He knew Cheng Kaiyuan was up to no good when he saw him arrive today.
Cheng Kaiyuan was mentally prepared; how many people could possibly get away with something good from Li Xuewu?
He himself was by no means special, so he dared not go too far. Going too far would make it easy to lose his way and get trapped by the other party, which was not worth it.
"I have some thoughts on Comrade Haiyang's appointment." Only then did he reveal his purpose, "It's a bit of a pity that he went to the labor service company."
"Have you spoken with Director Li?"
That's how Li Xuewu talks; he's especially direct when discussing work, and his words can be so harsh they make your lungs hurt.
Cheng Kaiyuan shook his head slightly and said, "I saw this list around the same time as you, and it's almost finalized. What's the point of bringing this up again?"
Li Xuewu really wanted to say, "You knew all along, so why are you still here spouting nonsense?"
“I was thinking of transferring him to the production management department next year,” Cheng Kaiyuan sighed, looking at him and saying, “Talent development is really difficult these days.”
"I feel like things are much better than before."
Li Xuewu looked at him and said, "In the past, when the unit was short of people, we would either select from the workshop or from the office. The organization department would take a long time to select someone."
"Now that graduates from technical colleges are coming up, another batch will be coming this year. The average education level of workshop workers is rising, and the same is true for government offices."
He emphasized, "What we lack is not ordinary workers, but professional and technical personnel, as well as professional management and research capabilities."
"Since the year before last, college graduates have played an important role in the group's development and progress. Do you agree with that?"
“Of course, I’m not against academic education.” Cheng Kaiyuan waved his hand and said, “I’m saying that the current organizational and personnel work environment is too complicated.”
“That’s not something I can handle. You should talk to Deputy Director Jing or Director Li directly.”
At this point, Li Xuewu raised his chin and said, "Oh, by the way, you can still communicate with Deputy Director Zhou now."
"Are you kidding me?" Cheng Kaiyuan glanced at him, picked up his teacup, and said, "Do you think I'm up to something?"
“I didn’t say that.” Li Xuewu smiled and looked at him, saying, “Besides, even if you were to cause trouble, it has nothing to do with me.”
He raised his eyebrows and said, "Director Li has promised me that my term in Steel City can last until the beginning of next year at the latest."
"Dream on—" Cheng Kaiyuan said with a smile, "Right now, how many trips a month do you need to make?"
"You didn't bring Xu Sinian and Kuang Yusheng up here so you could have time for something else, did you?"
He hit the nail on the head, saying, "Although Director Li has already agreed to your request, you now have to consider both the pros and cons."
"And even if you can come back late, you don't need to prepare in advance?"
At this point, Cheng Kaiyuan sat up straight, put down his teacup, and said, "The organizational ecosystem has changed, and everyone needs to readjust to the environment."
He gestured towards the door and said, "The new CEO needs to adapt to the group, and don't we also need to adapt to him?"
"You can't miss out on this process. Just like in human resources work, you can't avoid expressing your opinions, right?"
As if he had planned it all along, he stood up, walked behind Li Xuewu, patted the back of his sofa, left a question, and then left.
Li Xuewu did not get up to see him off, but sat there watching him leave. Ma Baosen came in to clear the teacups and was slightly taken aback when he saw him like this.
"Secretary-General, you..."
"Yeah, it's nothing, go ahead and do your thing."
Li Xuewu stood up, supporting himself on the sofa armrest, and asked, "Is there anything planned for this afternoon?"
"It's nothing, it's just that we're wondering if we should move the morning's schedule to the afternoon?"
Ma Baosen asked, "Since you're going to the research institute, should I let them know beforehand?"
"Never mind, I won't go there for now."
Li Xuewu has already spoken with Shangguan Qi. If he goes there again, people will think he's going to raise poisonous insects at the research institute.
"Let's go to the United Savings Bank this afternoon."
He thought about it and realized that it wouldn't be appropriate to go to any unit at this time. Old Li had gone to great lengths just to see Gu Weijie leave.
The scope of the adjustment is so large, if he were to go down there, wouldn't it cause some trouble? So he should go somewhere that won't cause trouble.
The management team of the United Savings Bank remained unchanged in this reshuffle, with Xie Lanzhi continuing to serve as president.
However, the statement that Xie Lanzhi's position remains unchanged is incorrect. The United Savings Bank had already made minor adjustments due to personnel changes at the credit union.
The two parties are in a joint venture relationship, so the cadres are also jointly assigned, and the organizational affiliation of cadres and employees below the level of the main person in charge is with the savings bank.
The organizational affiliation of the main person in charge is still with their original unit, and they can be transferred.
Of course, the transfer is done by transferring their own people; the credit union can't transfer Xie Lanzhi away.
Based on shareholding ratios and execution capabilities, the positions of president and executive vice president have been filled by cadres from Honggang Group.
This doesn't mean that Honggang Group intentionally forced the credit union out of the joint savings, but rather that it was an adjustment agreed upon by both parties in terms of business.
The business of the United Savings Bank has exceeded the scope of operation and management of the credit union, and some of its business falls outside the scope of its jurisdiction.
This is a chemical reaction that occurred during the development of United Savings Bank after it established a comprehensive cooperative relationship with Oriental Times Bank.
The credit union, which represents the cooperative, only has loan and deposit business; even the insurance business developed by Honggang Group cannot keep up with its pace.
The number of people in charge of the United Savings Bank is fixed, and the management responsibilities of each vice president are also fixed.
Cadres from credit unions can't just expand horizontally and take charge of businesses that the credit union doesn't handle; the credit union wouldn't allow it anyway.
By leveraging its expertise in savings and loan operations, coupled with its involvement in organizational, personnel, and publicity functions, the credit union gradually reduced the scope of its cadre assignments during several personnel adjustments at the joint savings bank.
However, the experience gained from the United Savings Bank has been put back into practice at the credit union, at least in terms of improved work skills and thinking.
***
"Let me treat you to dinner, just the two of us."
When he came out of the headquarters of the United Savings Bank, Xie Lanzhi took the initiative to see him off.
Li Xuewu stepped down the steps and explained with a smile, "It's not just polite talk, it was arranged a long time ago. I'll have lunch with Sister-in-law Xiao Ning and Gu Yan, and then go to the compound in the evening."
"You're really busy," Xie Lanzhi asked, looking at him. "How many days will you be able to stay this time?"
"If nothing changes, the flight is on Monday."
Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said with a smile, "There are still a lot of things waiting for me in Gangcheng and Fengcheng."
"I understand, this is your busiest time right now."
Xie Lanzhi nodded, and seeing the car arrive, she said, "I don't mind this meal, but your teacher Han said he hasn't seen you in a long time."
"Tomorrow, Xiao Ning and I will go over tomorrow night," Li Xuewu said helplessly. "You know Xiao Ning's personality; she doesn't visit other people's homes easily."
"She only goes to Teacher Han's house; she doesn't go to any of her relatives' houses."
Although it was during working hours, the two were out in public and talking privately, so it wasn't very serious.
Actually, it's not really serious. The two of them met on Li Xuewu's first day at work, and later Gu Ning also became involved in their relationship.
In fact, Ren Xiaoyu and Gu Ning have the same relationship as Dong Wenxue and Gu Ning; both of them grew up in the Gu family.
That's why Ren Xiaoyu and Dong Wenxue, despite not sharing the same surname, have such a close relationship—even closer than childhood friends, practically like brothers.
Both of them treated Gu Ning like a younger sister, and they treated Li Xuewu even more so, and the same went for Xie Lanzhi.
At work, Li Xuewu is now her boss, but in private, she is Li Xuewu's older sister. Many of the older employees at the Hongxing Factory know about this relationship.
However, some of the younger staff members from the bank and Li Xuewu's research team were puzzled as to why the secretary-general and President Xie had such a good private relationship.
After saying goodbye, Li Xuewu got into the car, glanced at the time on his hand, and told Qi Yan to go straight home.
There's less than half an hour left before I get off work, so there's no need to go to the company office again.
He had planned to pick up Li Ning, but Zhao Yaping got out of school early today and had already taken Li Ning home.
After having lunch with Mu Hongyan, Gu Ning didn't return home; instead, she went to her parents' house and took Gu Yan with her.
Li Xuewu came home to take a shower and change clothes, and also to pick up the two younger children to go pick up Gu Ning and then go to the compound.
As for Gu Yan, he naturally had to pick Zhou Yao up from get off work, fulfilling his responsibilities as a husband.
"Grandma's house doesn't have a vegetable garden."
Li Ning had already changed his clothes and was squatting on the steps of the entrance hall, looking at the lush green vegetables in the garden, saying, "Grandpa likes to eat vegetables with dipping sauce."
"Then go ahead and pluck them. After you're done, wash them clean and take them to your grandfather."
Li Xuewu walked up the steps and couldn't help but laugh when he saw how cunning his son was.
Li Ning looked up at her father, the sunlight making it hard to open her eyes, but she still said, "Actually, Grandpa doesn't have to eat this meal."
"You're just too lazy, there's nothing I can do about it."
Er Ya was both amused and annoyed. She took her shopping basket to the vegetable garden, picked out a lot of the larger ones, and washed them clean at the tap.
Li Xuewu went upstairs to shower and change clothes, which took only about ten minutes. When he came down, Li Shu had already arrived home.
The little girl had reached the age where she loved to look pretty, and the hair clip that Gu Ning had brought back from Japan was now pinned to her head, making her look absolutely radiant.
It wasn't that I brought my wife a hair clip after just one trip to Japan; rather, I had so many gifts that the hair clip turned out to be the most practical one.
"I want to change my clothes too—"
When Li Shu saw her father come downstairs, she didn't argue with her younger brother about who should carry the vegetable basket, and ran upstairs to her own room.
Li Ning didn't care about any of that; he wore a vest, shorts, and sandals, prioritizing comfort. He even refused when Er Ya offered to change his clothes.
"Ya Ping isn't going?" Before leaving, the three of them asked Zhao Ya Ping again. Zhao Ya Ping shook her head again and said she wasn't going.
Her sister comes to visit her every month, and she can go home during her holidays. She's gotten used to living here and doesn't miss home.
With the high school entrance exam approaching this year, she is feeling increasingly stressed about her studies. The higher her ranking, the greater the pressure, while those ranked second and third are relatively more relaxed.
Li Xuewu is a good student who doesn't want to disturb Zhao Yaping's studies. Zhao Yaping's learning rhythm and environment are healthy now, so there's no need for him to interfere.
So after asking the questions, the three of them got into the car. After driving around for a while and picking up Gu Ning, they arrived at the compound just as the city lights were coming on and all the houses were lit up.
"I knew you'd come back."
Sha Zhu was standing at the door talking to Old Sun from the neighboring courtyard when he saw the car approaching and recognized Li Xuewu.
When they got out of the car at the door, I greeted them with a smile.
Li Xuewu, holding his son, greeted Old Sun before responding to Sha Zhu and asking, "Are you some kind of fortune teller?"
There were still quite a few people at the entrance, mostly people who were heading home after get off work and waiting for dinner. They stopped when they saw him come back.
Li Xuewu didn't exchange many pleasantries, joked with Sha Zhu for a bit, and then went through the gate.
It's not that it's lonely at the top, but that everyone feels uncomfortable and restrained when he's around. Just looking at him makes everyone feel tired.
"Dad—" He Zhuang ran out of the courtyard, flew through the hanging flower gate like lightning, slammed on the brakes, and turned around to see his father glaring at him.
"Wow—" Li Xuewu was not about to let this opportunity pass, and he teased, "This skill of flying over grass is much better than that of Liu Guangfu and his brother back then."
"How many times have I told you?"
Sha Zhu, of course, remembered this incident. He glared at his son and scolded, "Don't run around in the yard, do you hear me?"
"I heard you." He Zhuang replied, then turned to run away, but his father grabbed him by the collar and kicked him.
He Zhuang is really mischievous, even more so than Bang Geng. He got kicked by his dad but was completely unharmed and continued flying outside.
Sha Zhu was also helpless, and turned to Li Xuewu to explain, "It's all because his mother spoils him."
"Yes, I know that," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "You never seem to care about your eldest son's well-being."
"Hehe—" Sha Zhu was a little embarrassed by what he said, and raised his hand to indicate the back room, saying, "Let's eat here tonight."
"Are you preparing the meals?" Li Xuewu said with a smile, "How come I always make you spend money when I come back? I feel so bad about it."
"Hey! What are you saying—"
Sha Zhu patted his arm and said, "Everyone's here tonight, and I still have a bottle of good wine. Let's finish it off."
"How much? Two ounces." Li Xuewu teased, "You can't drink more than that."
“I can’t outdrink you, but Guodong is still fine,” Shazhu said with a smile. “His alcohol tolerance has declined recently, I guess it’s all thanks to Xiaoyan.”
"I think you'll be quick too," Li Xuewu said, gesturing to Diliya who had come out from the inner courtyard. "Wait for your appearance on the show."
"Brother Li, you're back."
Diliya still calls him "brother," but Li Xuewu sometimes has to call her "sister-in-law," it's the kind of relationship where they address each other differently.
Gu Ning greeted her with a smile, then led Li Shu and Li Ning into the house.
The door to the outer room of the Li family's house was open, and steam was rising from it, indicating that they were boiling water.
Li Xuewu couldn't see who was in the middle room, but his grandmother's figure appeared on the kang (heated brick bed) in the north room.
"Where's He Zhuang? Have you seen him?"
Diliya greeted them briefly before asking where He Yuzhu's son was.
"He just went out and complained that I delayed his takeoff." Silly Zhu loved to joke around, he did this to everyone, and he didn't realize that Delia was angry.
"It's so late, why didn't you stop him? He's gone far away, are you going to go find him?"
It's not Delia's fault; there's another child at home, and the older one is like a wild dog that's let loose, completely unruly.
They disappear as soon as you say something; it's a good thing they have two legs now.
He Zhuangren lived up to his name, inheriting the good health of his father and mother. His family was never short of resources, and Li Xuewu said that even if he could fly, it would be considered a blessing.
Tall and strong, he's clearly a good candidate for martial arts. He Yuzhu hasn't had time to prepare him yet; he should be sent to learn skills when he's a little older.
He's quite strong, but he doesn't like to study. Kindergarten can't keep him in check at all. Sometimes he sneaks off when the teacher is distracted.
The teacher hasn't left work yet, but he's already gone home.
They came to our house several times, and we've tried hitting and scolding them, but it hasn't been very effective.
Sha Zhu was not an educated person to begin with, and his approach to his children's education was always simply to ensure they wouldn't be bullied; he didn't have any other requirements.
If we're comparing, which of the Li family's children, the couple, has the time for that?
Diliya works right at her doorstep, but she's busy from morning till night. Shazhu, on the other hand, doesn't even rest on weekends to earn money.
The couple is making money faster now than before, but their child's education has suffered.
The Li family has two children in the eldest son's family and two children in the second son's family. Let's not talk about Li Xuewu hiring tutors for the children, but only about the eldest son and his wife.
Li Xuewen and Zhao Yafang are both university teachers, so how could their child be short?
Li Ning is not as good as his older brother Li Tang. Li Tang can now recite more than a hundred Tang poems, and it seems that he has really inherited his mother's talent and intelligence.
Li Ning can also recite it, but not as much as his brother. However, he is much more playful than his brother.
Li Xuewu never personally taught his son even basic knowledge like the sum of one and one; either Xiaoxiao taught him or he learned it at school.
At this time, the school teachers will not send messages to the parents to urge the children to do their homework. If they do not do their homework, the teacher will definitely punish them.
Er Ya's education level was average; she hadn't even graduated from elementary school. Zhao Yaping spent less time teaching Li Ning and more time helping Li Shu with her homework.
With the two little ones together, the room became quite lively.
“My second brother can drink, but I’ve never seen him drink too much.”
Li Xue stood by the cabinet in the inner room and said to her grandfather on the kang (a heated brick bed), "Anyway, I've never seen him drink too much."
"What are you talking about me for?" Li Xuewu entered the room, called out to everyone in turn, and then looked at Li Xue and asked, "Are you getting too sensitive?"
"What can I say about you? What do I dare to say about you?"
Li Xue looked at him with amusement and said, "Grandpa is talking about Grandpa, saying that Grandpa can't drink alcohol."
"You know about this?" Li Xuewu looked at her amusedly and said, "You weren't even born when I passed away."
“Not you either—” Li Xue glanced at her second brother defiantly, but when she saw him glare at her, she couldn’t help but laugh.
"Your grandpa was afraid of drinking back then."
The old lady sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), reminiscing about the past, and sighed, "Back then, there were no streetlights. If someone invited you to stay for dinner, you would walk back at night, drink too much, and not even know where you collapsed."
"Back then, things were different from now. If something collapsed, it was gone forever. Few could get back up."
That's a vague statement, but it's absolutely true. If you're drunk and sleep outside, it's practically like getting a free ride.
They'll take all your money and then take your life.
Why rob someone of their money and then take their life?
Because I'm afraid you'll pretend to be asleep and remember things.
Leaving aside thieves on the road, even an honest and kind farmer would be tempted to do evil if he encountered one.
"That was the way things were back then."
The old lady sighed and said, "Unlike now, when we can go out at night without fear, back in our day..."
"What are you talking about?" Li Xuewu asked with a smile, trying to comfort her. "Why are you bringing up things from the past?"
"When we talked about our family members, we started reminiscing about the past."
Sister-in-law Zhao Yafang, holding the chattering, baby-like Li Yue in her arms, smiled and explained to Li Xuewu, "Before you came back, I said you looked like Grandpa."
"Do I look like it?" Li Xuewu touched his face, glanced at the small photo clipped to the mirror, and said, "I don't think so at all."
Actually, the photo is a bit blurry because it's been stuck in the mirror for so many years, and the old lady would look at it every morning when she woke up.
Even when I'm washing my face and combing my hair, it's something to look forward to.
In those days, only those from the Li family who could afford to take photos were considered to have some wealth, and doctors could always make a living.
However, due to the limitations of the technology of the time, the photo is very small, only one inch. The old man looks very young in the photo and is even wearing a woolen hat.
The clothing was purely from the Qing Dynasty and looks quite out of place now.
Li Xue said that when her grandfather passed away, Li Xuewu didn't exist yet, and in fact, Li Xuewen didn't exist either. Her mother, Liu Yin, hadn't even entered the family yet.
He was just over seventeen years old and was learning the craft from the old man when he suddenly fell ill and died.
It truly proves the saying, "A doctor cannot heal himself."
As they were talking, Sha Zhu knocked on the window from the outside, leaning against the thin curtain and calling out with a smile, "Still chatting? Time to eat."
"Let's eat, we're all hungry."
The old lady composed herself, smiled, and invited her children and grandchildren, who filled the room, to dinner, so as not to have them reminisce about the past or lament the present.
The children were the most excited. Li Tang and Li Ning had already run out first. The two brothers always had endless joy when they got together.
Li Shu considered herself the eldest sister and wouldn't be as mischievous as them. She waited for the old lady to put on her shoes and get off the kang (a heated brick bed) before taking her wife's hand and walking away together.
"Li Xue was like this when she was a child."
The old lady smiled and looked at Li Shu. Although she didn't look like a member of the Li family, her personality and mannerisms were exactly the same as her aunt's when she was a child.
They are family after all. Growing up at home, they learned everything from each other.
Now Li Shu also argues with her aunt, but she's not as unrestrained as she was when she was little; she's starting to act like a grown-up girl.
After listening to what the lady said, she turned around and looked at her sister-in-law. The two looked at each other and smiled.
Sha Zhu called them to eat, and a good meal was prepared in the back room. It was also because Li Xuewu came back, otherwise they really wouldn't have been able to catch him.
Li Xuewu gradually returned to the compound less often, mainly to visit his parents and reunite with his family.
There were fewer neighbors in the courtyard, and there was nothing to say about it. As his position rose, people became more distant and respectful towards him.
If you ask him to lower his attitude and take the initiative to chat with people, they might not even be willing, so just make each other comfortable.
Yu Shui came from the backyard carrying her brother's baby. When she saw him, she was slightly taken aback, then smiled and greeted him.
The two hadn't seen each other for a while, and Li Xuewu was deliberately avoiding her, which she herself understood.
It was still the west room, with three tables on the kang (heated brick bed) and one table on the floor.
Those who wanted to drink gathered together, the children gathered together, and the women gathered together, each sitting separately.
Sha Zhu really had some good wine, in a glass bottle. He took it out like a treasure, opened it, and poured a glass for each of them.
Shen Guodong was joking with him, and his hand was about to shake, but Sha Zhu slapped him instead.
Everyone laughed and joked as they inquired about each other's recent situations.
Li Xuewu offered to take the wine bottle to help him, but Sha Zhu let him go, insisting on pouring wine for everyone himself.
“The old man didn’t come back. I told him, and he said he was tired, so I didn’t force him.”
As Sha Zhu explained, he said, "Actually, I know he's afraid of coming back and being reminded of his loved ones, so it's better if he doesn't come back."
"Has it been so long since you came back?"
Li Xuewu looked at him and asked, "Have you been upstairs the whole time?"
"Well, he said he wanted to finish up the work he was currently working on," Sha Zhu explained. "Actually, he's not tired from work right now."
He put down the bottle, raised his glass, and said, "Alright, it's a rare get-together, eat and drink well."