"Xiuyuan, come on, eat more. This morning, your brother-in-law brought over some chicken soup made from an old hen. You should eat more to nourish yourself; you've lost weight," Zhang Qiuhe said with concern.
Although Li Xiuyuan's father, Li Jianguo, also cared about him, he didn't express it so directly.
Li Xiuyuan sat down, and his older sister Li Qingqing had already served him chicken soup. Li Xiuyuan took a spoonful, and his eyes immediately lit up: "Delicious!"
"If you like it, drink more. Is the food in the cafeteria not very good?" Zhang Qiuhe asked incessantly, all about Li Xiuyuan's life.
When they had almost finished eating, Li Jianguo finally had a chance to speak. Unlike his wife Zhang Qiuhe, who was concerned about everyday matters, he was concerned about whether Li Xiuyuan's work was going well.
Although Li Jianguo may not fully understand Li Xiuyuan's work, he still cares about whether Li Xiuyuan's work is going smoothly.
After dinner, I brewed a pot of tea and went to the living room to sit and chat casually while watching TV.
At that time, smartphones were not yet mature, and people were not used to everyone holding their phones, so there was no communication at all.
The TV was showing "Qiao Family Courtyard," a classic TV series. Of course, there have been many classic TV series in the past two years, such as "Soldiers Sortie" at the end of the year, which made Wang Baoqiang a star.
The family watched TV, drank tea, and chatted, creating a warm atmosphere. Such moments are common for others; it's perfectly normal for ordinary families to sit together and watch TV after dinner. But for Li Xiuyuan, they were precious. Most evenings like these were spent at banquets, drinking and socializing.
However, Li Xiuyuan's brother-in-law, Zhang Zhihao, who was sitting next to him, hesitated several times before speaking. Li Xiuyuan noticed his brother-in-law's expression but ignored it, chatting with his parents and sister about everyday matters.
After an episode of the TV series ended, Li Xiuyuan patted his brother-in-law Zhang Zhihao's arm and said, "Brother-in-law, have a smoke on the balcony."
After taking his brother-in-law Zhang Zhihao to the balcony, Li Xiuyuan closed the glass door, completely separating the balcony from the living room into two different worlds. Zhang Zhihao had already taken out a cigarette and offered one to Li Xiuyuan.
He lit it for Li Xiuyuan, who took a deep drag, exhaled a long plume of smoke, and then looked at Zhang Zhihao and said directly, "Brother-in-law, you want to ask about Zhou Junliang, right?"
Zhang Zhihao hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and nodded. He had called Zhou Junliang before, and Zhou Junliang was quite calm on the phone, not angry, but he could still sense some emotion in his voice.
They said they understood Li Xiuyuan's decision, as the overall situation was important.
He asked carefully and learned that Li Xiuyuan had given an ambiguous answer before, but then changed his mind and did not recommend him.
Even if the recommendation failed, Zhou Junliang would accept it. But Li Xiuyuan didn't even make a recommendation. Of course, Li Xiuyuan had his reasons, but Zhou Junliang felt that if Li Xiuyuan was unwilling, he should have just said so. He could have stated his reasons beforehand instead of leaving no explanation afterward.
On the phone, Zhang Zhihao apologized on behalf of Li Xiuyuan, saying that Li Xiuyuan must have had some difficulties and he hoped Zhou Junliang could understand. However, he still kept this matter in mind. He could let it go when Li Xiuyuan was not home before, but now that Li Xiuyuan was back, he naturally wanted to ask why.
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