Chapter 153 - 150: Recruiting
"Brother, can you talk us through this again?" Wei Guo said softly. "Ever since coming back to the city, the few of us have just been drifting aimlessly, living one day at a time. Now we finally have something to strive for, but we don’t know what we want or what we should do." They had met a true benefactor, someone who gave them hope for the future, yet they had never really thought carefully about how to live their lives.
Sighing, Li Xiu said, "If you need to separate from your families, then do it. You still need to be filial sons. The two things aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s not about being heartless or unfilial; it’s just that you can never be sure what people are thinking. There’s nothing wrong with looking out for your own interests. Tell me your thoughts. We’ll figure it out together. We can’t be unfilial, but we can’t let ourselves be miserable either, right?"
"Brother, I want to separate from the family," Liu Qiang said firmly. "Since coming back to the city, I’ve seen things for what they are. It’s the same with siblings and even parents. They always have favorites—that’s just how it is. I’m planning to leave with nothing. I won’t take anything, and I won’t ask my parents for anything. When they’re old and need care, all the brothers can pitch in together. I’m not their only son, after all!" Life was unpredictable; it was better to make a clean break. He used to think he could just muddle through, but now, following Li Xiu, he knew that even if he didn’t strike it rich, he’d never have to worry about basic necessities. Why get bogged down in family drama?
"Brother, I feel the same way as Qiangzi," Wei Guo added, his expression just as determined. "My parents and siblings are all cut from the same cloth. It’s just like the old saying: ’As a tree grows, it branches out; as a family grows, it splits up.’ It’s been that way for generations. When we do it, we’ll get everything in writing, black on white, to avoid trouble down the road." ’Every man for himself,’ he thought. ’Besides, no matter how you look at it, what we’re doing is generous, righteous, and still filial!’
"Good, as long as you’ve thought it through," Li Xiu said crisply. "Settle your family affairs as quickly as you can, then we’ll head south again. You need to understand that opportunities to make money like this are few and far between. Once you miss it, it’s gone for good. So, hurry it up. Dongfang, over the next few days, use your free time to look into houses and street-front shops. I’ll ask around as well." They were all grown men; there was no need for dramatics. You had to forge your own path in life. A man, in particular, couldn’t rely on anyone but himself. Only by standing on his own two feet could he keep his wife and children from suffering.
These were men who got things done. Within three days, Wei Guo and Liu Qiang arrived at Wang Dongfang’s small courtyard, carrying only a few changes of clothes. It was all taken care of. The family separation documents, written in black and white and sealed with red thumbprints, laid everything out with perfect clarity. Both men had officially left their family homes with nothing to their names.
Wang Dongfang had also come through in a big way. In just three days, he had not only found two small courtyard houses in the neighborhood but had also scouted out two street-front commercial properties. He had planned to let Li Xiu take a look and choose one. But Li Xiu, of course, went to see the two properties and, without a word, asked the price and decided to buy both on the spot. Now, the money was paid and the deeds were transferred, leaving Wang Dongfang still feeling a little dumbfounded. ’This is buying property, not groceries!’
Li Xiu had been looking forward to spending a few lovey-dovey days with his wife. But who would have thought that Zhang Hongying would show up at their door? "Zhou Lian, the three of you should come over to my place on Saturday," she said. "My whole family wants to meet your husband. My dad, my older brother, and my sister-in-law will all be home. They absolutely insisted I invite you!"
Zhou Lian glanced at Li Xiu, then smiled and accepted the invitation.
That evening, Li Xiu asked Zhou Lian, "Bao’er, tell me a little about your friend’s family. We can’t show up to their house empty-handed. We need to decide what to bring."
"The last time I went alone, it was just a casual visit between friends. I just picked a bit of everything from our garden and brought the vegetables, along with some apples and bananas," Zhou Lian said quietly. "At this time of year, fresh vegetables can be considered a valuable gift, but it depends on how you look at it. Since you’re coming this time, should we bring something like cigarettes and alcohol?"
"Bao’er, didn’t you tell me her family members all work for the government? We can’t bring anything too valuable. It would make a bad impression and reflect poorly on them," Li Xiu said thoughtfully. "Let’s just treat it like a normal visit to a friend’s house. We’ll pick a few more kinds of vegetables and buy some candy from the store—don’t they have children? Forget the cigarettes; two bottles of alcohol will be fine. A gift like that isn’t too extravagant, but it isn’t insignificant either." They weren’t going to suck up to anyone, so there was no need to be overly formal. Observing basic courtesy was enough.
Zhou Lian considered it and smiled. "You’re much more thoughtful. We aren’t going there to ask for favors. Like you said, as long as we show proper courtesy, it’s enough."
"Bao’er, I think this is the perfect chance. In a couple of days, I’ll head south with Qiangzi and the others one last time. I’ll show them the ropes once more, and after that, I’ll do my best not to go again. I’ll stay home with you, alright?" Li Xiu murmured gently. ’I really can’t stand being away from my wife!’
"Oh, you," Zhou Lian said. "Go and do what you need to do. I don’t need you here to keep me company. I have class every day, anyway. You’re a grown man; you can’t be tied to a woman’s apron strings all the time. I know you’re working this hard for me and our child, and I know it’s tough. You don’t need to worry about me. We have Sister Fang here, and you know what she’s like. I won’t be mistreated, and I won’t be overworked. Besides attending my classes, the most I do at home is play with Nuonuo. Sister Fang does all the chores. I barely have a chance to lift a finger."
Tugging on Li Xiu’s sleeve, Zhou Lian said with a hint of frustration, "Sister Fang is running the entire household now, so I don’t have to worry about a thing. You need to go build your career. We can’t have people gossiping later, can we? You should go out and fight for what you want, build what you want to build. If you succeed in creating a business for yourself, I’ll be so happy. Then people will surely say we’re a perfect match—a successful man and a talented woman!"
"Alright, I’ll work hard, too. I’ll make everyone envy you for finding such a good man!" Li Xiu said excitedly. ’Yes! My favorite thing in the world is making my wife look good!’
Zhou Lian smiled and shot him a playful look. ’So shameless,’ she thought. ’Who praises themselves as a good man like that?’ The thought made her laugh out loud. ’But shameless or not, it’s no exaggeration to call him a good man. For me, he really is. Finding another man like him would be nearly impossible.’
"Bao’er, what are you thinking about? Why are you smiling like that?" Li Xiu asked gently, watching his wife, who had a wonderfully sweet smile on her face as she was lost in thought.
"A good man," she said, openly praising him for once. "Thinking about it now, since the day I married you, you’ve never let me feel the slightest bit wronged. You indulge my every wish and always think of me first. You really are a good man!"
"Bao’er, you really think so? That I’m a good man to you?" Li Xiu asked, looking pleasantly stunned. ’My wife complimented me! She called me a good man!’
"Why the lack of confidence? I’m not an idiot. I know how much you’ve done and sacrificed for me. Of course I understand!" Zhou Lian said without a second thought. "Li Xiu, you’re a wonderful person, and you’re wonderful to me. I’m so happy I married you in this lifetime!" Thinking of Yingzi, and the Yingzi from her past life, Zhou Lian felt that living in the present was truly for the best, and so she lavished praise on Li Xiu, holding nothing back.