Siheyuan diet for men and women

Chapter 1574 Brother-in-law?

"Brother Wu?"

"Comrade, who are you looking for?"

Zhang Enyuan was standing by the tea cabinet by the door when he suddenly heard someone call out from the doorway. Surprised, he quickly turned around to respond.

Wang Yamei glanced at him, then realized there was a guest in Brother Wu's office. She stuck out her tongue sheepishly and explained, "I'm looking for..."

"Ya Mei, what brings you here?"

Li Xuewu was even more surprised than Zhang Enyuan. He stood up from the sofa, looked her over, and asked with a smile, "Here to pick up your sister?"

"Yes, did I disturb your work?" Wang Yamei grinned, then hesitated before saying, "I just came to see you..."

She was indeed a little scared; the secretary who had been standing at the door just now had a very serious expression.

Furthermore, she had never visited Li Xuewu at the Hongxing Factory, nor had she ever seen his office. But when she glanced at it, a solemn atmosphere immediately struck her.

"It's nothing, just a girl in my family."

Li Xuewu nodded to Zhang Enyuan, who was looking at him warily, and explained. Then he looked at Wang Yamei and said, "I have something to do. Go wait for me next door for a while."

"No, no, you go ahead with your work."

Seeing that he really had something to do, Wang Yamei waved her hands repeatedly and said, "My sister asked me to come and help her pack her things. I knew you were here, so I came to see you."

She glanced into the office; the woman still had tears in her eyes. Things seemed quite complicated, and it wouldn't be good for her to stay and cause him more trouble.

"Just seeing you is enough; I've missed you terribly."

"It's not like we can't see each other." Li Xuewu walked to the door and patted her arm, saying, "Go sit next door with Secretary Zhang for a while, I'll come find you when I'm done here."

"Your sister isn't leaving today, is she? I'll treat you to dinner tonight."

"Then... I'll wait for you?" Wang Yamei glanced inside again through him, and agreed when she saw that Brother Wu had made this arrangement.

"Take her there first," Li Xuewu said, turning to Zhang Enyuan. "Come back later."

"Yes, sir." Zhang Enyuan put down his teacup, gestured to the girl standing at the door, and said, "Please come this way."

Wang Yamei was curious about who Wu Ge was meeting and why he was crying. She glanced at him as she left.

"I'm so sorry, have I caused you any trouble?" she said apologetically. "I didn't know you were busy."

“It’s alright, I didn’t know you were the Secretary-General’s guest.” Zhang Enyuan turned around and smiled, opening the door to the reception room and gesturing, “Please come in.”

"Thank you." Wang Yamei nodded and walked curiously into the spacious reception room. Being an office space, even the sofa arrangement exuded a serious atmosphere.

The walls were white, the sofa was black, and white scarves were draped over the backrest and armrests of the sofa. The teacup that Secretary Zhang brought her had the words "Honggang Group" printed on it.

She had just come from the radio station and had never experienced this kind of atmosphere in her sister's office. She couldn't help but think that Brother Wu was much more capable than her sister.

"Please make yourself at home and have some tea." Zhang Enyuan placed the teacup on the coffee table and greeted them with a smile, "If you need anything, just let me know."

"No, thank you." Wang Yamei sat down on the sofa in front of him where he had placed his teacup, smiled and nodded, and said, "I'll wait a little while. If Brother Wu... if he's too busy, I'll go back first. You don't need to worry about me."

"Are you Section Chief Wang's sister?"

Zhang Enyuan had just carefully examined her appearance, and based on what the leader had mentioned and what she had said, he had guessed some of the details.

"Ah, my sister is—" Wang Yamei didn't realize for a moment who the section chief Wang he was asking about was, then smiled and said, "Yes, I'm Wang Yajuan's sister."

"You look just like me," Zhang Enyuan said with a smile. "I felt like I recognized you when you were standing there just now."

He took out a small box containing candy, peanuts, and melon seeds from the tea cabinet drawer and placed it in front of her, saying, "Please wait a little longer. The leader said he would come to see you, and he will definitely be able to make time."

"Please don't be so polite. I have to go back there, so I won't keep you company any longer."

"Thank you, I'm so sorry."

Wang Yamei stood up, thanked them, and then watched them leave.

Thinking about the other person's words and actions just now, and looking at the half-open door and the snack box on the coffee table, she suddenly felt that this place really had a lot of rules.

Serving tea and melon seeds to guests is nothing unusual; most families with a bit of means treat their guests this way. But I've never seen anyone so hospitable.

The same simple tea and melon seeds would feel warm and cozy at home, but here they feel a bit confined and restrictive.

This tea isn't just tea, and this snack box isn't just melon seeds and peanuts.

***
When Zhang Enyuan returned to the office, Liu Yaqin was still crying, and the two children sitting next to her also had sorrowful faces.

He finished brewing the tea, which was only half-filled, before bringing the teacup to the other person and softly saying, "Please have some tea."

Liu Yaqin nodded slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Zhang Enyuan then placed two cups of tea in front of Yu Yang and Yu Jia, who were now a young man and a young woman.

Whether out of a lack of politeness or oversight, the two simply stared blankly as he set out the tea, without uttering a single word.

Zhang Enyuan wouldn't argue with them; the pillar of this family had fallen, and they knew how terrible that was.

He didn't know Wang Yamei. When she barged in, Liu Yaqin and her family had just sat down on the sofa. Otherwise, why would he be standing at the door making tea?

Li Xuewu's work schedule and arrangements were all set in advance; he arranged when he would meet with whom. Suddenly, someone rushed in and startled him.

This woman and her children are already a problem. If they cause any more trouble, he can't withstand his boss's wrath, so he's being very cautious right now.

Of course, while we sympathize, the matter still needs to be addressed.

"Don't cry, you can tell me what you need."

Li Xuewu glanced at her, let out a long sigh, and said, "The investigation team has already spoken with you, so just wait for news."

"When will we have to go?"

Liu Yaqin raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Old Yu is in such a state, yet he still can't be buried. Now the children are also being affected. How can I wait?"

She said through tears, "It's been several months since Lao Yu's accident. Even with a magnifying glass, the truth should be clear by now."

"They turned our house upside down, but they still haven't given us an explanation."

She leaned forward, clapping her hands excitedly, and asked, "Boss, what should I do?"

dong dong——

There was another knock at the door, and Zhou Peilan walked in carrying documents. She nodded and reported, "Sir, here are the case files you requested."

"Hmm, leave it there." Li Xuewu pointed to the coffee table in front of him, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Any news from the group's investigation team?"

"Not yet, I asked." Zhou Peilan glanced at Liu Yaqin, who was sobbing, and reported, "The supervisory department said they are still waiting for the leader's opinion."

"Okay, I understand." Li Xuewu gestured to the mother and children sitting on the sofa and said, "You're in charge of taking care of Comrade Tiecheng's family, right?"

"Yes, I was in charge of taking care of your sister-in-law the day Yu Gong had the accident."

Seeing the leader's meaningful glance, Zhou Peilan pulled up a chair and sat down next to Liu Yaqin, comforting her, "Sister-in-law, don't get agitated. The Secretary-General has agreed to see you. Just talk things out."

“I have no other requests, Xiao Zhou.”

With tears streaming down her face, Liu Yaqin grabbed her hand and sobbed, "Is my husband Lao Yu alright? The organization needs to give us an explanation. He can't just leave like this without any clear cause—"

"He just left like that, how are we supposed to live?!"

Her sobs suddenly intensified, and she cried out in a heart-wrenching voice, "Xiao Yang lost his job, and Xiao Jia can't go to school anymore. How are we, a widow and her children, supposed to survive?!"

Ah—my heart—

"Sister-in-law, please don't do this—" Zhou Peilan glanced at the leader and saw that he was looking through the case files. She whispered, "You should make your demands clear, but you also need to let the leader finish speaking, shouldn't you?"

"Waaah—" Liu Yaqin covered her eyes with her hands, tears streaming down her face, and sobbed, "We really have no way out—"

"How can they terminate your employment? This matter isn't resolved yet." Li Xuewu looked up, frowned, and asked Yu Yang, "What did your company say?"

“Our boss said…” Yu Yang glanced at him furtively, then lowered her head and stammered an explanation, “He said there’s something wrong with my background, and I can’t continue working as a mail carrier…”

“Nonsense!” Li Xuewu threw the case file on the coffee table and said in a serious tone, “The group hasn’t given us an answer yet, but your unit has.”

Yu Yang was not very brave and didn't dare to look at him. He just lowered his head and dared not speak again.

Sitting next to him, Yu Jia was also secretly wiping away tears, her arms tightly wrapped around her mother's arm, as if she would lose her mother if she let go.

The tragedies of our time never have a logical or reasonable script; they always carry a touch of comedy, for comedy encompasses all tragedies.

"Comrade Yaqin," Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "I understand your situation, but I have something to tell you."

"The power to investigate and deliberate on Comrade Yu Tiecheng's case no longer belongs to the metallurgical plant, nor to my level."

He explained frankly, "The group's industrial leadership office in Liaodong can only cooperate with the group's discipline inspection and supervision departments and related working groups."

"Whether you want a fact or a deadline, I have to tell you the truth: I don't know."

"Waaah—" When Liu Yaqin heard him say that, she was overcome with grief. She covered her mouth with her hand, but she could not suppress her sorrow with her sobs.

"What I can tell you is that since the day Yu Tiecheng had the accident, the metallurgical plant has conducted an investigation, and the group has assigned the Quality and Safety Department to form a working group to conduct an investigation."

Li Xuewu tapped the armrest of the sofa and said seriously, "Now the group has assigned a joint working group from the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department and the Quality and Safety Department to conduct further investigations."

"The reason why the investigation has lasted for so long and has been repeatedly upgraded is because you should be able to understand the importance the group attaches to this case. We all hope to clear Comrade Yu Tiecheng's name."

He tapped the armrest with his half-clenched fist and said, "It will inevitably cause you and the children grief during this time, but I hope you can understand the group's good intentions."

"Secretary-General, Lao Yu is innocent."

Liu Yaqin opened her mouth, letting tears flow into her mouth, and cried out in a hoarse voice, "If he embezzled and took it, he couldn't possibly keep it from me too, could he?"

"He died under mysterious circumstances, how are we, his mother and children, supposed to live?"

When she got to the point of grief, she stomped her feet as if she had gone mad.

Li Xuewu frowned slightly as he looked at Yu Yang and Yu Jia, who were crying together, and remained silent. Only Zhou Peilan offered comfort and advice.

Zhang Enyuan stood by the filing cabinet, glanced back, walked to the door, opened it fully, and then came over with a thermos to refill their hot water.

"Are you having any difficulties in life?" Li Xuewu asked after they had cried for a while and released some of their emotions.

Zhou Peilan straightened up and reported, "Yu Gong's salary has been suspended, and the funeral expenses and condolence payments are stuck with the union because of the case."

"Let's solve their basic living problems first; we can't let them starve to death."

Li Xuewu put down his teacup and said calmly, "Please ask the union to make arrangements to ensure basic living standards are met."

Zhang Enyuan knew the leader was speaking to him, so he silently took notes.

“Yu Jia still needs to go to school; her studies can’t be neglected.” Li Xuewu looked at Yu Tiecheng’s daughter and asked, “Are you having any difficulties at school?”

"I want to stay with my mom..." Yu Jia said, her voice trembling with tears, "I'm afraid she might do something rash."

"Are you going to wait until the investigation is over?"

Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to school first. Things will be resolved eventually, and no one can afford to delay."

Yu Jia kept her head down and didn't speak, nor did she comply with his arrangements, which could be considered as silent resistance.

Li Xuewu ignored her and turned to Yu Yang, saying, "I can't answer your question right now. Like I said, we have to wait for the investigation results."

"Will the investigation results allow me to get my job back?"

Yu Yang looked up at him and asked, "Did the metallurgical plant help me with this?"

I cannot answer that question.

Li Xuewu twitched his chin and explained, "First of all, your workplace is not affiliated with the group, and Honggang Group is not affiliated with Gangcheng either. You understand what I mean, right?"

Yu Yang's face darkened, and he lowered his head again.

He understood; otherwise, he wouldn't have come with his mother.

"If the investigation team yields positive results, I can arrange for my office to send a letter to your workplace explaining the situation. However, I cannot guarantee the outcome."

“That’s just empty talk—” Yu Yang was young, only eighteen years old, and he felt a deep sense of grief and indignation at his ruined life and bleak future.

Li Xuewu glanced at him, then turned to Liu Yaqin, who was covering her face, and said, "Secretary Zhang will help you coordinate with the factory union to ensure your family's basic living needs are met first."

"As I said before, everything depends on the results of the joint investigation team, and the group will make the final arrangements for related handling and resettlement."

He said firmly and without room for doubt, "If you have any difficulties in your life that the union cannot resolve, you can come to me again."

"Boss, Lao Yu..." Liu Yaqin didn't get the result she wanted, and looked up with disappointment in her eyes, saying, "He wouldn't do such a stupid thing."

"I suggest that you report any leads or reasons to the joint working group; they should be able to arrive soon."

Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said in a slightly calmer tone, "I believe they will contact you as soon as possible to assist in the investigation."

"Waaah—" Liu Yaqin said with red eyes, somewhat unwilling, "Our house is still sealed off, and we're staying in a guesthouse..."

"The house is still sealed off?" Li Xuewu frowned slightly, glanced at her, nodded, and said, "The house shouldn't be sealed off. At least until the case is resolved, you should be allowed to go home."

He turned to Zhang Enyuan and instructed him, "Contact the group's supervisory department and report this situation. If they accept the previous investigation results, then the house will be unsealed."

"If they don't acknowledge it, quickly arrange for someone to conduct another investigation of the house, and then return the house to them as soon as possible."

After giving his instructions, Li Xuewu turned to Liu Yaqin and said, "Comrade Yu Tiecheng's body must be preserved. This is a requirement of the working group. Please cooperate."

"Privately speaking, he himself wanted to leave with a clean record, right?"

After offering Liu Yaqin one last word of comfort, he slowly nodded and said, "That's enough for today, I still have work to do."

"It's the same thing we just said: wait for the joint investigation team to arrive, and wait for their results."

He stood up and continued, "Those who should go to school should go to school, and those who should go home should go home. If you have any problems in life, you can talk to Xiao Zhou, or you can come to me again."

"Leader..." Liu Yaqin, who had been helped up by Zhou Peilan, wanted to say something more, but when she saw that Li Xuewu was no longer looking at her, she knew that she was not going to get the message.

Yu Jia, holding onto her mother's other arm, cried as she left the house with her brother.

Zhang Enyuan saw them downstairs before returning upstairs. Seeing Li Xuewu still in his office, he reported, "They said they didn't meet, but they did make a phone call."

"They hit the room?" Li Xuewu asked, frowning slightly as he sat behind his desk. "Who did it?"

"No, it was a call made from the guesthouse duty room to the working group office."

Zhang Enyuan reported quietly, "The operator who took the notes was a man, and the person who answered the phone was also a man. I didn't take notes of what they said."

"Okay, I understand." Li Xuewu nodded with his eyes slightly closed and said, "Don't worry about them."

It's normal that there are no call records. The working group office phone is at the same level as his office phone, and recording is not allowed.

What if everyone's phone in the company was being tapped?

"I think it should be Yu Yang."

Zhang Enyuan said one more thing, but seeing that the leader didn't react, he didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
-
"Brother Wu! Over here!" Wang Yamei was as lively as ever. When she saw Li Xuewu's car coming, she stood on tiptoe and waved to greet him.

Yu Zhe, who was driving, chuckled. He did know Wang Yamei, but they had never spoken before.

Aren't you cold?

Li Xuewu rolled down the car window, looked at the two sisters dressed in thin clothes, and said with a smile, "It's still cold at night."

"Prioritizing style over warmth."

Wang Yamei opened the passenger door and jumped into the car first; her anxious appearance didn't seem like she could withstand the cold.

The temperature at the end of March was acceptable; it wasn't so cold that the wind was biting, but it wasn't yet time to wear light clothing.

Wang Yamei is more fashion-conscious than her sister. She wore only a plaid coat over her white sweater and had a stern face. Wang Yajuan, who was sitting in the back row, was wearing an extra short coat.

However, you can still tell from her shapely and powerful thighs that she wasn't wearing thermal underwear.

"Where should we eat, brother-in-law?" Wang Yamei was used to it, and no matter who was in the car, she turned around and asked with a smile, "Are there any restaurants in Steel City that are better than those in Beijing?"

Yu Zhe glanced in the rearview mirror, but he didn't dare look at Li Xuewu; instead, he looked at Wang Yajuan.

Brother-in-law? Coincidentally, his brother-in-law was also sitting in the back. So, by that logic, the person in the passenger seat was also a relative?
"What did I say to you?" Wang Yajuan glared at her younger sister, her face looking rather unpleasant.

Wang Yamei ignored everything and only looked at Li Xuewu.

"Is it delicious... I don't know."

Li Xuewu didn't mind her address and thought for a moment before saying, "I don't eat out often, but I have a friend who runs a restaurant, so let's eat there."

"That must be pretty good. I want to eat authentic Northeastern Chinese cuisine."

Wang Yamei sat up straight with a bang and said, "I've always heard Brother Biao and Third Uncle say how delicious Northeastern cuisine is. Now that I'm back, I have to try it properly."

"What's serious and what's not serious?" Li Xuewu glanced ahead with amusement and gave Yu Zhe an address.

"In Northeast China, you eat proper food; in Beijing, you eat informal food."

Wang Yamei leaned back in the passenger seat, swaying her head as she emphasized, "The place you're taking me to eat is absolutely legitimate."

"You leave the child at home just to eat a proper Northeastern Chinese meal?" Li Xuewu teased her, "I've never seen a mother act like you."

"He's so funny now—"

Hearing Li Xuewu mention the child, she had something to say. She turned around, leaned against the backrest, and introduced the child to Li Xuewu, saying, "He's like a ball of flesh, but he can't walk yet."

"You gave birth to Nezha? He was walking at ten months old?" Li Xuewu looked at her and asked, "Is Pazile busy right now?"

"Him? He's practically welded to his post." Wang Yamei turned around and sat up straight, pouting as she said, "Going home is like celebrating the New Year."

"You don't usually go home?" Li Xuewu smiled and said, "You have to go to his workplace and pull his ear, then he'll come home with you."

"I'll bring him back with a grand sedan chair carried by eight men!"

Wang Yamei said nonchalantly, "Whether he comes back or not is none of my business. I'm not going to look for him."

Li Xuewu turned his head and glanced at Wang Yajuan, raising an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

Wang Yajuan squinted at her younger sister diagonally in front of her, and twitched the corners of her mouth, looking like she was about to take action.

The two sisters were always in a state of being the older one who controlled the younger one, and the younger one who was disobedient. Wang Yamei always had an innocent and carefree personality, while her older sister was mature and reserved.

Li Xuewu couldn't say anything about Wang Yamei in front of Yu Zhe, and even if Yu Zhe wasn't there, what could he say?

With both the young couple present, he could exert some pressure from both sides. But now that it's just Wang Yamei alone, he feels he has no right to say too much, and saying too little won't make a difference, so he keeps quiet.

***
"Is this the place?" Wang Yamei looked at the signboard with its banner, then turned to Wu Ge and asked, "It doesn't look very big."

"How much bigger would you like?" Li Xuewu called to Yu Zhe and led them into the restaurant.

Niu Xianglan heard the car moving at the door, but was still somewhat surprised to see him come in.

"Boss, what brings you here?"

"Hehe, the wind wants to eat Northeastern Chinese food."

Li Xuewu turned around and gestured to Wang Yamei, introducing her: "This is a young lady from Beijing. She said she just wanted to have a proper Northeastern meal, so I brought her here. You can decide how to arrange it."

"Alright, then let's go upstairs to a private room."

Niu Xianglan smiled and invited them upstairs, but when she saw that the driver had stayed in the lobby, she knew that there were only three people upstairs today.

Even if it's just Li Xuewu and his two companions eating, she still has to arrange for them to go to a private room. This restaurant is clean and more popular than the others.

It's lunchtime now. Individuals are reluctant to eat at restaurants, but there are always banquets and dinners in the city. She's doing alright.

With Nie Liansheng's old connections taking care of her, and her ability to handle things, she was in charge here, and no one ever bothered her.

"Sir, shall I make the arrangements?"

After she escorted Li Xuewu and the other two upstairs and settled them in, she held the menu in her hand but didn't put it down. Instead, she asked Li Xuewu a question.

Li Xuewu smiled and instructed, "Just five yuan's worth is fine; they can't eat more than that."

"It's okay, I'll take care of it if you can't handle it."

Wang Yamei exclaimed with a cheerful laugh, "I'm going to have a really good time today!"

"Alright, alright—" Wang Yajuan glared at her sister, then turned to the manager and said, "Don't listen to her, five yuan is fine."

“It’s not like you’re treating us—” Wang Yamei pouted and looked at her sister with dissatisfaction, then turned to Li Xuewu and said, “Brother Wu, are you particularly surprised to see me?”

"Hehe, I was wondering if you'd gotten into some trouble." Li Xuewu chuckled as he handed the chopsticks to the two of them, saying, "Looks like you've had a falling out."

"No, I'm just here to pick up my sister."

Wang Yamei offered a stubborn explanation, but her reluctance to look him in the eye betrayed her true feelings.

Li Xuewu nodded knowingly and gestured to Wang Yajuan, asking, "Have you packed everything? When are you leaving?"

"That's about it, let's leave on Saturday."

Wang Yajuan lowered her head and rubbed her neck, saying, "It's perfect timing to report for duty on Monday."

"Okay, people strive for higher positions, and water flows downhill. It's a good thing that you're making progress."

When the waiter brought over the tea, Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Just don't go to Steel City if you're in a bad mood."

“Brother Wu—” Wang Yamei scolded him reproachfully, glanced at her sister, and said with a pursed mouth, “I’m not throwing a tantrum, I’m just feeling wronged.”

"Ah ha, who would dare to make you suffer?"

Wang Yajuan squinted at her younger sister across from her and said, "You're treated like royalty at home, what more do you want?"

"Me? And you call yourself an empress?" Wang Yamei curled her lip and said unconvinced, "I've never seen an empress as aggrieved as me."

"It's alright, take your time. The food will take a while to arrive." Li Xuewu smiled and pushed the tea towards her, saying, "Your sister is just worried about you."

“Then you should understand me—” Wang Yamei pouted, glanced at her sister, and then quickly turned to look at him, saying, “Brother, you’re my only family left.”

Don't be fooled by her calling him "brother-in-law" in the car; she wouldn't dare do that in the private room, because she knows her sister can really get angry when no one's around.

"Don't talk nonsense, don't you want your son anymore?"

Li Xuewu pointed to the teacup and advised, "Drink some hot water first, so you don't get a stomach full of cold air."

"I'm feeling incredibly wronged right now."

Wang Yamei picked up her teacup and said, "If I had known marriage would be this boring, I would never have looked for a partner."

"Hey, I think I recognize that."

Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and looked at her, saying, "So you came all the way to Steel City just to humiliate me, the matchmaker?"

“No—” Wang Yamei laughed and pulled his arm, saying coquettishly, “I just forgot about you.”

“I meant Pazil.” She then complained, feigning grievance, “He always has a long face, like a stone. Who wants to look at him?”

Why don't you talk about yourself?

Wang Yajuan glared at her and said, "All you do is play all day long and don't care about the children. When Pazile comes home, you don't even bother to ask how they are. You just keep complaining that you don't have time for them. What are you trying to do?"

“Well, he just doesn’t have time for me—” Wang Yamei didn’t dare to argue with her sister, but she muttered softly, “Is it wrong for me to tell him to come home after get off work?”

"Don't you know what he does, or are you just brainless?"

Wang Yajuan's scolding of her younger sister was much more direct than Li Xuewu's, without any subtlety: "If you were more sensible, would you let people avoid you and not come home?"

"Then you can blame me, huh?!"

Wang Yamei said defiantly, "I didn't stop him from coming home, it's just that he didn't want to come back."

"Here comes the food." Seeing that the two sisters were about to start arguing, Li Xuewu pointed to the waiter who brought in the food and interrupted them.

But seeing the two sisters staring at each other like bullfrogs, he knew that today's proper Northeastern cuisine was a waste.

"Actually, no one has the right to say anything about how to live a normal life."

Li Xuewu picked up the liquor brought by the waiter, poured a glass for Wang Yajuan, and then poured another glass for Wang Yamei.

"Who dares to say that their life is always smooth sailing, harmonious and beautiful, without a single conflict?"

He looked at Wang Yamei and asked, "Your upper teeth sometimes fight with your lower teeth, don't you think?"

Wang Yamei glanced at her sister, picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of meat, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Wang Yamei, however, was panting heavily, staring at her without saying a word; the two sisters had already started to sulk.

One disapproved of it, and the other couldn't be managed.

"But then again, life is always your own."

Li Xuewu raised his glass to Wang Yamei and said, "Your lover will always be your lover. No one else can replace him or empathize with him. Am I right?"

"Second Brother, I'm so sorry," Wang Yamei said, raising her wine glass. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"See, we've gone off on a tangent." Li Xuewu clinked glasses with her and said with a smile, "In my heart, you're no different from Li Xue. I treat you like my own sister."

Wang Yamei was deeply moved by his words. Seeing him drink his glass of wine in one gulp, she followed suit and downed her own glass in one go. The smell of the alcohol made her nose sting and brought tears to her eyes.

"Brother, I will always consider you my brother."

With tears streaming down her face, she said in a hoarse voice, "You're the best to me."

"Hehe—" Li Xuewu put down his wine glass, smiled and tapped her, saying, "It's true that I'm good to you, but your sister is even more genuinely good to you than I am. Are you still pretending to be confused?"

"I know—" Wang Yamei glanced at her sister across the table before lowering her head, her chopsticks rummaging through the pickled cabbage in her bowl as she said, "I know you're good to me."

"Eat your food, don't just focus on getting angry."

Before Wang Yajuan could speak, Li Xuewu placed a piece of chicken in her bowl and said, "If she were a child, you wouldn't be so upset, let alone how old she is."

"No matter how old you are, you're still so heartless—" Wang Yajuan cursed angrily, then picked up her wine glass and downed it in one gulp.

"Is this her first day doing this?"

Li Xuewu picked up the bottle and dipped it into each of their glasses before filling his own.

"If you ask me, she's in this situation because you spoiled her. Who told you to treat her like a sister who's closer to her than a mother?"

Seeing him say that, Wang Yamei raised her head, looked at her angry sister, and then lowered her head again, saying, "I didn't mean to make you angry."

"You'll never grow up." Wang Yajuan saw her still reaching for the chicken hearts in her bowl with her chopsticks and didn't know whether to scold or laugh. "All you've grown is a heart that eats."

"Since we're already here..." Wang Yamei stuffed a chicken heart into her mouth and said, still warm, "Eat your fill before you go back."

“It’s good that you’re going back. She still listens to you.” Li Xuewu put another piece of meat on her plate and nodded, saying, “Newlyweds need someone to keep them in check.”

"If there are sensible ones, that's fine, but if they're all stubborn mules, the relationship will gradually fade."

“It’s not Pazile’s fault.” Wang Yajuan glared at her sister and said, “She’s the one who’s causing trouble. Why doesn’t she have a good life and has to go looking for trouble?”

"Well, if you ask me, it takes two to tango." Li Xuewu placed his hand on the table in front of Wang Yamei, speaking before she could retort, "Both of them are at fault."

"Even if there are conflicts, can't you just not go home?" he said, feigning dissatisfaction. "I've never heard of a couple who only see each other once a year, like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl."

"If only they were really the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl," Wang Yajuan said, picking up a piece of pickled cabbage. "Then we wouldn't have to watch her cause trouble."

“Alright, I’ll call Pazile out next month when I get back, and I’ll talk to him.” Li Xuewu pointed at Wang Yamei and said, “I have to talk to you first before I talk to him.”

“I know—” Wang Yamei pursed her lips, but there was no resentment on her face. She would never resent him, no matter who she resented.

"Being playful and being careless are two different things."

Li Xuewu glared at her and said, "You're only good because of your family's financial situation. If you couldn't even afford to eat, would you still have the heart to have fun?"

"Besides, Pazile didn't restrict you, did he? He let you have whatever you wanted to eat and drink. You can buy whatever you want. You're probably the first one in our neighborhood to do that."

He pointed at Wang Yajuan and said, "Your sister said you're destined to be an empress, and I think she's right. Think about it yourself."

"You and Xiaoyan are both living with your mothers, how do you compare?"

Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the table and said, "You should know that Guodong is not as well-regarded as your Pazile. He has never suffered any mistreatment from Xiaoyan at home."

"Comrade Wang Yamei, you really need to think this through. You're not a child anymore. Pazile is living in your house. Have you considered how he feels?"

He raised an eyebrow and said, "You're angry and dissatisfied, and you're going to throw a tantrum. How do you expect him to coax you in front of your parents?"

“I’m a man too, and I have self-respect. Let me tell you, I could never do what Pazil did. If it were me, I would have slapped you already, believe it or not?”

When Wang Yamei saw him glaring at her, she knew she was scared and didn't dare to move her chopsticks.

“I’ll say it again: I’ve watched you grow up since you were little, and I’ve never treated you like an outsider.” Li Xuewu tapped his finger on the table and said, “Your sister has a lot of influence over me, not you. I’m only saying this to you because I consider you my younger sister.”

"Want to live a good life? That's fine. Want to have fun in life? That's right. But don't build your happiness on the suffering of others."

He looked into Wang Yamei's eyes and said, "Life is what you live. If you define it as happy, then it is happy; if you define it as unhappy, then it is unhappy."

"You've come to the steel city today, let's have a good meal and have a good time."

Li Xuewu picked up his wine glass and gestured, "After you go back with your sister, listen to what I say. Go to his workplace and see him. If he's really busy, help him with the laundry and tell him you're waiting for him at home. If he's not busy, tell him you miss him and want him to come home."

"He's a man, what's there to be ashamed of? If you appease him, won't he be genuinely good to you for the rest of his life?"

He downed a glass of wine, pointed at her with his finger, and said, "You already have a child. If you don't want a divorce, you'd better mature. A real man can withstand a cold knife and a sharp gun, but he can't withstand being pleaded with. Understand?"

Wang Yamei nodded, indicating that she had taken his words to heart.

“I don’t believe that if you do the two things I said, Pazil will still not come home.”

Li Xuewu put away his serious expression and said with a smile, "If he doesn't go home, all the leaders at his workplace will scold him."

“He’ll just resort to force,” Wang Yamei complained, but she didn’t say anything more out of spite.

Wang Yajuan glanced at her younger sister, not knowing what to say about her.

She's been in Gangcheng for two days, and I've tried to persuade her countless times, like coaxing a child, but she won't listen. But when Li Xuewu scolds her a couple of times, she feels better.

"What kind of man is he if he doesn't have backbone?" Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "What kind of man is he if he doesn't have any temper at all?"

He put some meat on Wang Yamei's plate and said, "He crawled out of the battlefield with me. You wouldn't want your man to be a coward, would you?"

"Okay, I understand." Wang Yamei nodded and said, "I'll do as you say when I get back."

"If he acts like a donkey, don't worry about it. I'll kick his ass when I get back."

Li Xuewu smiled, picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp before eating the food that Wang Yajuan had just picked up for him.

"Brother, you always live life with clarity."

Wang Yamei looked up at him and said, "Always live a carefree life, more carefree than anyone else."

"Being carefree is relative, though." Li Xuewu smiled at her and said, "Have you ever seen me scratching my head?"

He pointed at Wang Yajuan and said, "Your sister knows that when I'm worried, it's just that I can't find anyone to talk to."

“Tell my sister—” Wang Yamei pursed her lips, glanced at her sister, and said, “My sister is the best at comforting people.”

"Eat your food—" Wang Yajuan glared at her irritably.

Wang Yamei raised her eyebrows and looked at Li Xuewu, asking, "Brother, can I call you brother-in-law when we're alone?"