Do you really think I'm short of money?

These words struck Lou Dong like a thunderclap.

Chairman Lou smiled wryly; he was genuinely flustered. How could someone like Li Chu possibly be short of money?

The things in his house are not something that money can buy.

He was quite decisive; without saying a word, he closed the box and placed it at his feet.

"Mr. Li, I have come here sincerely to seek your advice." This time, Chairman Lou's tone was genuinely more sincere.

"Chairman Lou, I've heard others mention that you funded an organization before the liberation?" Li Chu asked casually.

"It's not really about providing financial assistance; we just did what we could."

"Chairman Lou, I have a question for you. After the joint venture, will your private sector lose its management rights?"

Chairman Lou was bewildered by Li Chu's seemingly random and unrelated questions, but he still nodded: "Yes, our private sector only receives dividends now."

"Chairman Lou, why can't you understand why you can't continue doing the things you did before?"

Li Chu said with a hint of disappointment.

It took Chairman Lou a while to realize what those words meant.

Yes, I really got myself into a rut. It's so simple—spending money to avoid trouble—how could I not have thought of that?

But the thought of all the hard work I've put in my life to accumulate this little bit of wealth makes my heart ache.

He needs to think carefully about whether to stay or leave.

"Thank you, Mr. Li."

Li Chu smiled and waved his hand: "Chairman Lou, please just call me Doctor Li. I really can't accept the title of 'sir'. Besides, I didn't say anything, did I?"

Chairman Lou stood up and bowed to Li Chu.

Li Chu hurriedly stood up from his chair and moved aside.

"Chairman Lou, what are you doing? If you keep this up, I'll have to see the guests out."

"Dr. Li, you don't need to see me off. I'll leave now. Let Xiao'e chat with your wife for a while longer. She'll go back to the compound later."

After saying that, Chairman Lou turned around and prepared to leave.

"Chairman Lou, remember to take the things you brought." Li Chu called out to him, pointed to the box on the floor next to the table, opened the desk drawer, took out a small paper package and handed it to Chairman Lou.

"I have a few of these pills left. I'm giving them to you, Chairman Lou. The precautions are the same as before."

Chairman Lou took the medicine, gave Li Chu a deep look, bent down, picked up the box, and walked out of the study.

"Xiao'e, play here a little longer. Your mother and I have some things to take care of."

After seeing Lou's parents off, the two children who were sleeping in the bedroom woke up, and Ding Qiunan and Lou Xiao'e went into the bedroom to chat.

Li Chu sat on the sofa in the living room, thinking about what had just happened.

In Lou's father's car, he had already introduced the driver who used to drive him to work at the steel mill, and now he drives the car himself.

Looking at the box at her feet, Lou's mother asked, "Old Lou, doesn't this Doctor Li accept gifts?"

Chairman Lou shook his head with a solemn expression: "I misjudged him. How could someone like him accept things from others so easily?"

However, he did give me an idea, but I'm a little hesitant.

Then Chairman Lou told his mother the whole story.

After hearing this, Lou's mother was also undecided: "What are you thinking, Lao Lou?"

Chairman Lou shook his head: "Go back and think about it carefully. By the way, don't mention this to anyone. Remember, don't mention it to anyone."

Lou Xiao'e had lunch here in the afternoon before Li Chu and Ding Qiunan walked her back home.

The young couple didn't go into the courtyard; they watched Lou Xiao'e go in before turning back.

"What did Xiao'e's dad want with you this afternoon? I saw him bring a box and then take it away."

After thinking it over, Li Chu gave his wife a full report of the matter.

"Is it really that serious?" Ding Qiunan asked in surprise.

"It will only be more serious than I described. Honey, remember, don't mention what I told you to anyone else." Li Chu solemnly reminded Ding Qiunan.

"Don't worry, I won't mention what we discussed to anyone else."

After a pause, Ding Qiunan asked again, "Li Chu, what do you think Xiao'e's father will choose?"

Li Chu shrugged: "How would I know? But what I do know is that whichever choice he makes will be extremely difficult."

Ding Qiunan didn't pursue the topic any further. After all, it was someone else's business and had nothing to do with her. Even if Lou Xiao'e was on good terms with her, she had no interest in getting involved in such a big matter.

As she walked back, she teased the babies in her arms. Although the two children could talk, they couldn't pronounce many words clearly. This was a fun time for them, and she loved to tease them and make them talk whenever she had free time.

——————

As June arrives and the weather gets hotter, the internal medicine department—oh wait, I mean, now there's an independent nephrology department—is mentioned.

The first phase of the study on the classification of renal failure, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Nephrology, has been completed, and the research report has been compiled and published in a medical journal affiliated with the Medical Association.

Small Bookstore

Taking this opportunity, and with the recommendation of Vice President Zhang, Li Chu has become a member of the Sijiu City Medical Association, and also its youngest member.

As it was almost time to leave work, Li Chuxian came to the daycare to pick up his children. When the two children saw him, they happily called out "Dad" and rushed into his arms.

"Dad, let me tell you, my little brother cried today." Wenhui hugged her father and started chattering.

Li Chu stood up, holding her two children. After listening to her daughter's words, she looked at her son and asked, "Xuanxuan, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Before her younger brother could say anything, Wenhui interrupted, "I know, I know. My brother lost his balance and fell while playing on the slide, and then he sat on the ground and started crying."

Wenxuan couldn't speak as quickly as his older sister, who spoke first, making him blush with embarrassment.

"Is that right, Xuanxuan?"

This time, Wenhui didn't rush to speak. Wenxuan nodded and whispered, "Yes, Dad."

"Tell Dad, did you hurt yourself when you fell?"

At this point, Wenxuan started to cry again, stretching out his little hand for his father to see: "Daddy, it hurts."

When Li Chu looked, he saw that although his son's hands were not cut, both palms were red.

He blew on his son's palm twice and said, "It's okay, Xuanxuan. We are little men, we have to be brave."

"Huihui, your little brother fell down, what did you do?"

"I helped my brother up and even brushed the dirt off him."

"Mmm, our Huihui is so great, she knows how to take care of her little brother." He said, and kissed Wenhui's little cheek. The stubble on his lip pricked Wenhui, who laughed and dodged.

Li Chu turned her head and kissed her son again: "Xuanxuan is a little man, you have to protect your sister in the future, okay?"

"Okay, Dad." Wenxuan's face was still wet with tears, and he looked so pitiful.

Wenxuan is almost two years old, but he is still more shy and delicate than Wenhui. Several times when Wenhui accidentally falls down, he claps his hands, gets up, and continues playing.

Chapter 192 Shy