Chapter 178 of "New Urban Farmers": The Test of the Forbidden Land?! (Second Update)
The old man suddenly changed his mind, saying, "Is this a chance for Zhang Guodong?" This surprised Zhang Guodong as well.
test?
What kind of test?
Entering officialdom? He would absolutely not choose that. An official. He couldn't be one.
Making money? Impossible, right?
The old man's face hardened, and he said, "It's settled then. Chengmin, Chengguo, and Chengyi, you come in with me. Everyone else, disperse! And you come in too!"
The last one was referring to Zhang Guodong.
The old man got up, and someone tried to help him, but he brushed them aside. This old man has a very strong temper.
Li Chengmin is Li Yun's uncle, an alternate member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. His promotion from eldest son to this position after his father's resignation was a political transaction; he is now the pillar of the Li family. Li Chengyi is Li Yun's third uncle, a member of the Standing Committee and Vice Governor of Qinghai Province. Li Yun's father, however, was recently transferred to the Central Propaganda Department as a member of the department's committee and director of the Second Propaganda Bureau, a lateral move to vice-ministerial level. Keen observers can see that Li Chengguo's transitional position is aimed at securing the vice-ministerial post.
However, the third generation of the Li family is showing signs of a generational gap. The eldest son, Mi Chengmin, has two sons. The elder son is in politics and didn't attend this time. The second son, Li Lifeng, is the one who questioned Zhang Guodong earlier. He's doing well in both business and politics. Li Yun's father, Li Chengguo, is the second son, with two daughters and one son. Li Yun is the eldest in the family. Her younger sister, Li Xin, and younger brother, Li Liwang, are twins, both currently seniors in college, several years younger than Li Yun.
And that's still considered good.
The worst part is that the third son, Li Chengyi, has no children and his third aunt is infertile, so they didn't even adopt a child. It seems that he has no offspring!
Of the third generation, only the eldest son of the eldest son is currently the county magistrate; none of the others have entered politics. Everyone can see the potential crisis this poses. The decline of the Li family in a few years is inevitable.
Before Zhang Guodong arrived, Li Yun had revealed some of the awkward situation within the Li family. At this moment, Zhang Guodong could perhaps understand the good intentions behind the arrangements made for Li Yun by Old Master Li and his father, Li Chengguo.
Fortunately, Li Yun's uncle, third uncle, and aunt did not participate in the conversation with Zhang Guodong from beginning to end. They did not think highly of Zhang Guodong at all.
I don't think it's necessary to talk about it.
However, when the old man invited Zhang Guodong into the study, the three Li brothers exchanged helpless glances, seemingly guessing what kind of test the old man wanted to set. Their gazes towards Zhang Guodong held a hint of pity.
Zhang Guodong found these people rather strange. However, he was summoned to the study to hear what kind of test Old Master Li would present.
Outside, Li Yun was pulled back to her room by her mother, Xu Xinya, who intended to ask her daughter some questions. Generally speaking, Xu Xinya wasn't particularly hostile towards Zhang Guodong. However, when it came to her daughter's marriage, she was very concerned.
Initially, her Xu family was merely a small to medium-sized political family. Although they shared the same surname, they weren't from the Chinese Xu family, yet they managed to climb the social ladder by marrying into the Li family. The marriage was a success. Her brother is now also a member of the Li family's influence, serving as a vice-governor of a province on a non-committal committee.
Now, Xu Xinya has two daughters and a son and lives a very happy life. However, she doesn't want her daughters to be sacrificed by the family, so although she can't control her daughters' marriages, she is reluctant to do so.
Of course, this resistance was not because Xu Xinya agreed with Zhang Guodong, but because she also disliked him.
Li Xin and Li Liwang also wanted to come in. They were very curious about Zhang Guodong, who dared to be so arrogant in front of his grandfather and father. However, the door was slammed shut by their mother, Xu Xinya, leaving the two helpless.
"Ask my sister later!" Li Xin muttered in annoyance.
"Second sister, haven't you heard my older sister mention Zhang Guodong? He's amazing. He actually dared to talk back to Dad! Hehe, I also saw Lin Yue leave with a dark expression on his face!" Li Li said.
He was born a few hours later than Li Xin, so he could only be the youngest.
"Hmph, that Lin Yue is so self-righteous and arrogant, what a hypocrite!" Li Xin said. "I've heard that he's supposed to be chaste and self-respecting, but he has a woman behind his back and still has the nerve to say he's single!" Li Liwang said hesitantly.
"What are you afraid of? Didn't Grandpa say he wanted to test you? Once you pass the test, it'll be fine, right? Little brother, you have to have faith in your sister. Look how much more she smiles than before. I used to be so annoyed by all the blind dates the family arranged for me!" Li Xin flicked her brother's forehead and taught him a lesson.
Li Liwang nodded in agreement.
They didn't want to marry someone they had no feelings for, so they firmly supported their sister, Li Yun. However, they had no say and couldn't make any difference.
"Yunyun, tell Mom about Zhang Guodong. Is he really a vegetable seller?" Xu Xinya asked impatiently as soon as she pulled her daughter through the door.
Li Yun was currently very troubled, but Zhang Guodong's unwavering stance made her happy. Now, her grandfather had actually given Zhang Guodong a chance. She was a little worried about whether Zhang Guodong could pass the test.
What if I can't pass?
"What kind of test did Grandpa and Mom set up? Do you know?" Li Yun asked instead of answering.
What kind of test? Xu Xinya didn't know. Perhaps only her husband knew. But Li Chengguo never said a word about politics. The Li family, too, had its own secrets.
"What should we do?" Li Yun sat on the bed, troubled.
Xu Xinya smiled slightly, knowing that her daughter had truly found someone she liked.
"Yunyun, don't worry, you should have faith in Zhang Guodong! Now tell Mom about Zhang Guodong's family situation and his background."
Li Yun immediately explained in detail that she and Zhang Guodong had gotten to know each other before coming. Generally speaking, they knew something about each other's families.
Xu Xinya frowned and said, "An ordinary family? They are certainly innocent."
Although she owns a vegetable shop and has bought a car, and has assets worth several million, it's nothing compared to her husband and father-in-law.
“Ma Guodong and Fatty Wang are buddies!” Li Yun said, biting her lip.
"Fatty Wang?" Xu Xinya clearly...
"That's Wang Kang, the grandson of Old Master Wang! They're college classmates and best friends, Guo Dong even ate at Fatty's house, and he's met his parents!" said Li Yun, the deputy director of the district government office and now the full-time secretary to the district head of the High-tech Zone.
"Oh?" Xu Xinya's eyes lit up.
Although the Wang family cannot compare to the Li family, Old Master Wang is still a remarkable figure. He retired from his position as an alternate member of the Politburo and is still alive. This cannot be underestimated. Old Master Wang has extensive connections and a large number of comrades-in-arms from the older generation; this force should not be underestimated.
Furthermore, Wang Qishan, the Party Secretary of the provincial capital, is the son of Old Master Wang and a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, which is not a low position.
However, politics has its own peculiarities. Although Zhang Guodong and Fatty are classmates and best friends, it will be very difficult for Zhang Guodong to gain the support of Wang's father in politics. Xu Xinya knew this in her heart. Personal relationships and political interests cannot be equated.
But this is not bad.
This shows that Zhang Guodong is a decent young man, which earned Xu Xinya some points in her heart.
"Yunyun, this is a good thing, but you know that. It won't add much points for Zhang Guodong. Now we'll see if he can pass the old man's test," Xu Xinya said softly, stroking the girl's head.
"Mom, why don't you go and talk to Guodong and Fatty and tell them that their relationship isn't what you think it is, but that they're really good, like brothers! Really!" Li Yun said anxiously.
The bond between brothers is indeed much stronger than that of best friends. While surprised, Xu Xinya thought for a moment and said, "Right now, your grandfather, your father, your eldest uncle, and your third uncle are in the study. No one dares to go in, but your stepmother will say something later."
Right here, Li Yun and her mother Xu Xinya were chatting with Lin Yue and Li Lifeng outside the online community.
He had come to strike at his rival's heart, but the outcome was unexpected and hard for him to accept. Therefore, he no longer wanted to stay. He also thought to himself, although the second generation of the Li family was full of talent, the third generation of the Lin family had many children, and the second generation was no less capable. If they didn't form a marriage alliance, the Li family would inevitably decline in the future.
Hmph, you think you can compete with me for a woman? You're just a country bumpkin selling vegetables.
Therefore, the best outcome for the Li family is a marriage alliance with the Lin family!
Li Lifeng said from the side, "Brother Lin, don't be angry. Zhang Guodong's status and position are nothing to the old man. It's my second uncle who also dislikes that kid. Humph, how dare he talk back to my second uncle! He'll die without even knowing how he died. My second uncle can't stand people who talk back to him. He even wants my cousin to marry him. He really doesn't know his own limitations!"
Lin Yue's mood improved slightly upon hearing this, and he immediately put on a smile, saying, "There's always a toad lusting after a swan, Brother Li. Please keep an eye out for any developments. I'm short on time this time, but I'll treat you to a drink in a couple of days. Speaking of which, you're practically a host here. Once we get to the capital, I'll formally treat you to a drink, and we brothers can have one too! By the way, we have several major projects planned in Southeast China and Haidong City, including the expansion of the highway network. If you're interested, Brother Li, why not come to Haidong to take a look? One of them passes through Haidong City, and my brother happens to be in charge of urban construction, so he can say a few words about it."
Li Lifeng's eyes lit up and he hurriedly asked, "Brother Lin, how much investment is involved in these projects?"
"According to inside sources, the budget is at least 40 billion!" Lin Yue said solemnly.
A project worth 40 billion is no small undertaking, and Li Lifeng was immediately tempted.
"Alright, I'll have to nag Brother Lin then!" Li Lifeng laughed heartily. "I'll keep an eye on my cousin's matter."
"You're too kind, I'll take my leave now. My father has a friend in Xiqin Province whom I'm here to visit!" Lin Yue and Li Lifeng shook hands. This temporary alliance was thus formed.
Amidst the varied reactions of everyone, Zhang Guodong, Old Master Li, and the second generation of the Li family fell silent in the study. Zhang Guodong had no idea what Old Master Li was testing him for.
However, he was not in a hurry.
The three brothers, Li Chengmin, Li Chengguo, and Li Chengyi, exchanged glances but remained silent, staring at Old Master Li.
Old Master Li narrowed his eyes slightly in his study chair and slowly said, "Originally, this had nothing to do with you, but if you want to marry a daughter of the Li family, you'll have to put in a hundred times more effort and pay a price than others. You should be prepared for that. The Li family doesn't need good-for-nothings, but it welcomes the addition of elite blood!"
Zhang Guodong was taken aback by his words.
Everyone knows that Old Master Li is actually quite hard-hearted. He values the family's interests above everything else—except for national interests, of course. Once he makes up his mind, it's unlikely anyone will change it.
Zhang Guodong frowned slightly and said, "I know, but I want to know what kind of exam it is."
Old Master Li glanced at his three sons. He said in a deep voice, "It's an expedition!"
"You've thought it through. It's extremely dangerous; your life is in your own hands!" Li Chengguo said coldly, almost mockingly.
Is it that serious? Zhang Guodong was very skeptical. What exactly are they trying to do? However, having encountered many dangers, he was even more confident in his abilities.
Zhang Guodong frowned and asked, "Where to?"
Zhang Guodong's composure at this moment greatly surprised Old Master Li and his three sons. They couldn't help but look at this remarkably calm young man with newfound respect.
A hint of admiration flashed in Old Master Li's eyes as he said, "The Dinosaur Mountains. Deep in the mountains!"
Zhang Guodong's expression changed. He had been wondering what this political family was up to on an adventure, but upon hearing the name, his heart was filled with unease.
"No way!" Zhang Guodong stood up abruptly, his face grim, and said decisively. "I'm not going there!"
Comparison: The second update has been updated to over 7,000 words today.
This month is over, and I'm ashamed to say I only updated 10,000 words on two separate days, but that's just how it is now. However, the word count is actually about the same as last month. I've updated 200,000 words this month.
Regardless, the path of Heaven will be written slowly.
I hope everyone will continue to support us, thank you!
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