Li Xiuyuan left a while earlier and went back to the county to get some things. Since he was going to Lu Zhenhai's house, he certainly couldn't go empty-handed. He lived in a dormitory in the central town, and there was nothing in there.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, Li Xiuyuan parked his car in front of Lu Zhenhai's house, where Wang Zhitao was already waiting to pick him up.

"Li Zhen, you've come all this way, why did you bring gifts? This is too kind of you," Wang Zhitao greeted him with a smile.

Li Xiuyuan looked Wang Zhitao up and down and joked, "Well, Zhitao, you're not even married yet, and you're already taking care of your father-in-law. This isn't for you, it's for your father-in-law."

"I didn't, I..." Wang Zhitao blushed and led the way.

Lu Zhenhai's home is in a staff housing building for the health center behind the post office in the central town. His wife used to work at the health center. The building is quite old. Wang Zhitao led the way with ease, clearly indicating that this wasn't his first time here.

After knocking on the door, Lu Ting opened it.

"Li Zhen, please come in, please come in." Lu Ting was still very enthusiastic. Now that she and Wang Zhitao were engaged, she had heard Li Xiuyuan's name from Wang Zhitao quite often. Wang Zhitao felt that he was able to get where he was today because of Li Xiuyuan.

Otherwise, he would still be working in the county government office, not as Director Wang he is today.

He held Li Xiuyuan in the highest esteem.

"Mayor Li is here." Lu Zhenhai, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and greeted Li Xiuyuan politely as he saw him carrying things.

After putting his things down, Li Xiuyuan looked around at the furnishings in the room. They were very old, with not a single piece of new furniture. However, the room looked very clean.

“Secretary Lu, your living conditions are too simple.”

"Haha, I'm just being frugal. Mayor Li's living conditions in Meilin Village are tough. We should learn from Mayor Li." Lu Zhenhai is different at home and at work. He smiles more than usual. Of course, it's also possible that he's different in front of his daughter.

"I wouldn't dare call myself a student, Secretary Lu. There are no outsiders here, and Zhitao and I are good friends. You can just call me Xiuyuan," Li Xiuyuan said with a smile.

Lu Zhenhai has no ambition and won't compete with me for the right to speak. What I need is Lu Zhenhai's support, and I don't mind lowering my stance a little.

"What should we do then?"

“Why not? You’re a senior colleague at work, and you’re an elder in private too. It’s perfectly fine for you to call me Xiuyuan,” Li Xiuyuan said with a smile.

Lu Zhenhai hesitated for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Okay, Xiu Yuan, please sit down, have some tea, and chat. The dishes will be ready soon."

Lu Zhenhai called Li Xiuyuan "Xiuyuan", but did not ask Li Xiuyuan to change how he addressed him. Li Xiuyuan should respectfully address him as an elder, but Lu Zhenhai could not follow suit, so he asked Li Xiuyuan to call him "Uncle".