The atmosphere in the car was a little awkward for a moment.
The main thing was that Tao Mu was still a little confused. Why did Li Xiaoheng suddenly change the topic to kneeling on the keyboard and kneeling on the washboard when they were talking peacefully? Could it be that this kind of thing is also a tradition passed down in the Li family?
Li Xiaoheng said in a gentle voice: "We have a large family. If you count my second uncle, third uncle, eldest aunt, and youngest aunt, there are more than 20 people in our family alone. If you count my second grandfather, third uncle, great grandfather, and cousins, there are even more people in our family. Every year during the New Year, there are 70 to 80 people at the family gathering."
"These relatives don't have much contact with each other in normal times. They only meet during the New Year gathering and share the profits. They are not close to their own family. Some of them even rely on their status as elders to make things difficult for the younger generation and say some unpleasant words." And most of these words are directed at the daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law.
The younger daughter-in-law felt wronged in front of her elders, but was too embarrassed to show her anger due to etiquette. I can only sulk behind closed doors. Therefore, the men in the Li family have all mastered the skill of coaxing their wives. Kneeling on the keyboard and the washboard are basic operations. Li Xiaoheng was influenced by his surroundings and had learned it by himself. But what Li Xiaoheng didn't say was that if Tao Mu was willing to attend the family gathering with him, he would never indulge those collateral relatives to make things difficult for the person he liked under the banner of elders. Not even a word.
This is also an important reason why Li Xiaoheng left his family and started his own business after college. The painful experience of graduating from junior high school made Li Xiaoheng deeply understand what "economic base determines superstructure" means. Li Xiaoheng didn't want to be bound by the family rules, and didn't want to listen to some elders who took advantage of their seniority and told him what to do, so he had no choice but to set up his own business.
Today, Li Xiaoheng’s Xiaoheng Capital has long become the biggest pillar of Fengxing Group, and is also an important source of profit and dividends for Li’s many collateral relatives. Li Xiaoheng's voice within the family is also increasing. He has strong capital to stick to his principles and protect those he wants to protect. He will definitely not be like his father, who worked hard all his life to consider the overall situation and had to endure the small tricks of collateral shareholders from time to time.
"But don't worry, even if those elders see you, they won't dare to really make things difficult for you." Noticing Tao Mu's hesitation, Li Xiaoheng smiled and comforted him. This is not a lie. After all, before he met Tao Mu, Li Xiaoheng had always been arbitrary and would not allow anyone within the family to get involved in his Xiaoheng capital. However, after meeting Tao Mu, Li Xiaoheng was able to take the initiative to cooperate with Fengxing Group to develop some projects with huge potential and lucrative profits. Not to mention how much profit Xiaoheng Capital made in the international financial market after Tao Mu became a senior partner of Xiaoheng Capital and the analysis reports he provided.
The Li family, whether they are from the main house or the side branches, are all smart people. They can all see how much benefit Tao Mu's existence has brought them. So just like his mother did not face much trouble after marrying into the Li family because of her family's strong capital and Chairman Li's status and influence within the family, Li Xiaoheng believed that he also had enough ability to protect the person he loved from being wronged.
Hearing this, Tao Mu frowned subconsciously. He did not doubt Li Xiaoheng's assurance. I just can't help but recall the fear of being dominated by my aunt's urging to get married at the dinner table - I have to say it. The Li family's aunt's method of urging Tao Mu to get married regardless of the occasion or the person really left a psychological shadow on him.
Although Tao Mu didn't like the family atmosphere of the Shen family, he obviously couldn't accept the overly trivial and even aggressive way of getting along in the Li family. Moreover, Tao Mu was a little dissatisfied with the fact that everyone in the Li family had been hinting at wanting to make their relationship public.
Out of a responsible attitude, Tao Mu did not want to hide his relationship with Li Xiaoheng. Even when facing relatives and friends, Tao Mu took the initiative to reveal it. However, considering his career plan and screen image, Tao Mu obviously had no intention of announcing this relationship to the world. So when Tao Mu heard Li Xiaoheng talking to him about family gatherings, he didn't know what attitude to use to face the Li family, so he subconsciously chose to escape - after all, Tao Mu was not a person who could handle family relationships and family conflicts with ease. If he could do this, he would not have been deserted by everyone and committed suicide in despair in his previous life.
The psychological trauma of two lifetimes is not so easy to reverse. Tao Mu didn't want to disappoint Li Xiaoheng, nor did he want to put himself in a difficult position. I had to try to mediate and reminded him seriously: "Actually, you don't have to worry that much. Just remember to tell me the date of your family gathering in advance. I will avoid that day when I visit during the New Year."
Li Xiaoheng felt a little disappointed when he heard Tao Mu's response. But he could also understand Tao Mu's thoughts. After all, Tao Mu is only nineteen years old this year, and he is still three years away from the minimum age required by law to obtain a marriage certificate. And Tao Mu is also an actor. Whether considering career planning or other aspects, Tao Mu will obviously not enter into marriage too early - since it is just a relationship, it is far from the extent of attending family gatherings together during the New Year.
Tao Mu felt that his attitude was already very clear. But I was worried whether Li Xiaoheng would be angry. For a moment, I felt a little worried and anxious. Until Li Xiaoheng took the initiative to speak——
"That's fine." Li Xiaoheng agreed with a warm smile. Looking at Tao Mu, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat and was becoming more and more at a loss, he changed the subject and said in a gentle voice, "We haven't finished the topic just now. Do you like mechanical keyboards or washboards? I remember that there seems to be no washboard at home. If you need it, we can go to the supermarket later."
Tao Mu's expression was tangled halfway, and then cracked again.
Li Xiaoheng secretly curled the corners of his mouth. Although he felt a little distressed, Li Xiaoheng still felt that he was a little embarrassed by his aunt's forced marriage method, and he still felt scared a few hours later. Tao Mu, who even refused to attend the family gathering with him, looked even more lovely. It was as if the whole person was filled with the mundane atmosphere of family life. I no longer separate myself from the crowd intentionally or unintentionally as I did before. Every word he says and every thing he does he has to weigh the pros and cons and think it over again and again, and he is so polite and rigorous as if he has used a ruler to measure things.
He didn't know that his subconscious action of using interests to maintain relationships and build connections was secretly described by Li Xiaoheng in his heart. Tao Mu looked at Li Xiaoheng with a teasing expression, feeling a little uncomfortable, and explained in a gentle voice: "It's not that I don't like your family, I just... I'm still a little uncomfortable."
"I understand." Li Xiaoheng nodded. Not to mention Tao Mu, even he himself was sometimes annoyed by his family. Otherwise, Li Xiaoheng would not have made up his mind to stay in Country M after graduation and not come back. Since he didn't want it, Li Xiaoheng certainly wouldn't force Tao Mu to accept everyone in the Li family without reservation.
Anyway, Tao Mu is in love with him, not with the Li family.
It's good like this for now.
Li Xiaoheng sent Tao Mu to the gate of the community. After getting off the car, Li Xiaoheng really took Tao Mu to the supermarket to buy a purple plastic washboard. Then he stood at the door of the unit holding a washboard, reluctantly watching Tao Mu go upstairs.
Tao Mu...Tao Mu left without looking back!
Because I need to continue discussing the preparations for the TV series with Xiao Qi’s dad. That night, Tao Mu asked Li Xiaoheng to take him to his two fathers' homes.
Liu Yao and Meng Qi also knew that Tao Mu was going to the Li family to have his measurements taken to make clothes, so they were nervous all day. I'm especially afraid that Tao Mu will be wronged in the Li family. They knew that Mr. Song’s worries must be no less than theirs. The two of them took Mr. Song over before dinner. Ever since Tao Mu entered the room, they seemed to be hesitant to speak, wanting to ask but not daring to. In the end, Tao Mu couldn't bear it anymore and confessed.
The three of them were shocked. Liu Yao was the most straightforward person, and blurted out: "The Li family also urges marriage?" He thought those wealthy families were like those on TV who were out of touch with the world! I didn't expect that they were also the ones urging people to get married, the ones who were gossiping, and the ones who were gossiping just like the aunties in the alley.
Tao Mu couldn't help but smile when he heard his father Yao's description. Liu Yao said smugly, "It seems that our elders are the most open-minded. Don't worry, Xiao Mu. Even if you don't get married by the age of 30, we won't rush you."
Mr. Song, who was really afraid that Tao Mu would not get married when he was thirty, looked at Liu Yaomengqi hesitantly, but in the end he said nothing.
——Forget it, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. As long as the children are happy, it doesn’t matter whether they get married or not.
A few kilometers away, Mr. Li, who was returning to his apartment with a washboard in his arms, sneezed several times in succession.
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