172 Lantern Festivals
Li Wei had almost finished tidying up the room, and the four people at the dining table had also finished eating, slumped in their chairs, seemingly having eaten quite a bit.
There are so many varieties, eating a little of each is enough to fill you up.
Li Wei packed the empty boxes and other items into a bag, cleaned up the rest, tidied the table, and poured a glass of hot water for everyone.
He brewed himself a cup of chrysanthemum tea, sat down, and said with a smile, "Since everyone's free, let's chat. Today's topic is: character."
Li Lin didn't even bother to lift her head, but she was very quick to speak: "Sis, I don't want to write an essay, it's vacation time now."
Li Wei ignored her: "Let's talk about our character. Li Lin, you start. Tell me what good qualities you have. Now is the time for us to establish a correct outlook on life and the world. We need to know what is good and what is bad, what we should do and what we shouldn't do. Li Lin, you go first. This is your chance to praise yourself, don't waste it."
Li Lin wasn't interested at first, but Ding Anni provoked her: "If you won't tell me, I will! I have so many good points, you don't even need to think about it, hehe..."
Li Lin didn't think she was inferior to Princess Ding, so she straightened her back and said, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony. As for me, I have a whole bunch of advantages, and it's hard to find any obvious disadvantages. I've thought about it, and having many advantages is probably my biggest characteristic, so my personal qualities are definitely guaranteed. That's all I have to say."
Everyone--
Li Wei, busy presiding over the meeting, said: "From what Li Lin just said, we can see a big problem, which is a lack of self-awareness. So... next up, Ding Anni, you'll be next."
Everyone except Li Lin burst into laughter. Li Lin muttered indignantly, "I just like to tell the truth. Truth is always in the hands of a minority like me..."
Ding Anni couldn't wait any longer and raised her hand in a pretentious manner: "Me! Me! According to the people's years of experience, my character is like this: I have both beauty and wisdom, and my character is linked to my talent. Who else in the world is this? It has to be Princess Anni!"
After finishing speaking, Ding Anni suddenly realized that she seemed to have composed a seven-character quatrain. Wasn't this something only a talented woman could do? She was immediately overjoyed and proudly added, "See? This is the quatrain I composed."
Everyone was stunned. Li Lin rolled her eyes and complained, "I thought I was thick-skinned, but I didn't expect that the younger generation would surpass the older one. Old Ding, you're ruthless!"
Li Wei was so amused by the two clowns that water splashed out of her teacup. She quickly put down the cup and wiped it with a cloth. Li Lianhui, on the other hand, couldn't contain himself any longer. He thought he had never seen such shameless girls. He slammed his hand on the table: "You two aren't ashamed, but I am. I can see it now. Your greatest strength is your thick skin; you can talk to yourself to your heart's content. Even an honest and hardworking person like me can't stand it anymore. It's reached an extreme."
Li Lin and Ding Anni both faced a difficult situation: "Do you dare to say you're a hardworking person? Does the word 'hardworking' even apply to you?"
Li Wei quickly kept the conversation on track: "Ahem. Okay, next one. It's Luo Jianhua's turn."
That worked. The other three looked at Luo Da at the same time, wanting to see how he would praise them.
Luo Da gulped down the slightly cooled water in his cup before saying, "Well, it's usually more convincing for someone else to say this, so let Li Lianhui speak for me."
Li Wei thought to herself, "This guy is too cunning. Li Lianhui is his die-hard fan. For him to speak ill of Brother Hua, he probably thinks even Brother Hua's stinky socks smell good."
Sure enough, Li Lianhui replied without hesitation: "Brother Hua is good at kung fu, loyal, smart, and a good student too..."
Li Lin quickly added, "Let me tell you, Hua Ge is handsome too, and tall..."
Ding Anni: "You look good in these clothes..."
The person being praised :-)
Li Wei —
Unable to listen any longer, Li Wei slammed her hand on the table: "Stop, stop, stop! Look at you all! I've found another flaw in you all. It's all about looks, clothes, and fists. You're so superficial! Talk about something from the depths of your soul, like taking care of public property, returning lost items, caring for and helping classmates, being responsible at work..." The other three, who were talking enthusiastically, all scoffed. Ding Anni was even more blunt: "Hey, hey, don't use this opportunity to praise yourself. You say we're shameless? Aren't you shameless too?"
Li Wei didn't know whether to be happy or frustrated. Was she really that good? Was this really her? Looking at Luo Da, who hadn't said a word, she realized he had misunderstood and was nodding vigorously at her—
Li Wei suddenly collapsed onto the table: "Oh my god, I'm so perfect! I'm the kind of person who does good deeds quietly without seeking recognition!"
Everyone fell to the ground.
After all that work, we didn't hear any comments about Luo Da's character, but she herself became a positive example. Really, she didn't mean to praise herself at all!
These past few days, Li Wei has been quite content, spending half a day visiting Ding Ding with Li Lin and attending martial arts classes in the evenings. Luo Da hasn't bothered her either, acting as if nothing happened, which makes Li Wei think she might be overreacting. In reality, given Luo Da's age, it's probably just a passing fancy, and he might forget about it after his trip to Shandong. So, Li Wei has gradually let it go.
Soon, Uncle Luo and his three senior brothers set off. The day before, they went to Grandpa Cheng's place to pick up the things to send to their comrades. Li Wei and Li Lin took the opportunity to ride in Uncle Luo's car home and stayed for a day, only to find out that Uncle Luo and the others left the next day.
Li Wei could finally relax and focus on her work. She made a holiday schedule, spending most of her time reading and studying, followed by visiting her aunt at the company to familiarize herself with its operations—something she hadn't done much about for over six months. The remaining time was spent visiting Dingding, her parents, and her grandparents.
Li Lin and Li Lianhui were only required by Li Wei to make study plans; everything else was beyond Li Wei's control, and there was no need for her to do so. Even so, the two younger ones were still complaining.
Everything else was alright, but the company's business was now far more complex and larger in scale than before, and Li Wei suddenly felt that she was struggling to cope. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that she wasn't exactly a management talent, and these tasks should be handled by professionals like her aunt.
Ultimately, I'm just an advisor. I can offer suggestions on risks that can be avoided and money-making opportunities that can be found in the gaps in the business. I'm already doing my best to ensure the company has sufficient funds and operates healthily.
So Li Wei had Xiao Sun take away most of the reports that were giving her a headache, leaving only a small portion of the financial statements to look at. At the very least, she needed to have a general understanding of the company's financial situation, and Rosa would explain any questions she had.
After getting to know Li Wei, I found that her aunt is indeed a very stable business owner. Her financial situation has always been very good, with very few bad debts or non-performing loans. Her upstream and downstream relationships with customers are also quite stable, and her turnover and profits have increased every quarter, just to varying degrees.
Their plan to use spare funds to purchase real estate and land is also progressing slowly. After all, some prime plots of land don't always have properties available for sale. Even when they do, many issues often arise, and a significant portion ends up being absorbed internally. However, there's plenty of time, and Li Wei isn't in a hurry. She's only discussed it with her aunt, and they've decided that continuing this project is necessary. So, she doesn't need to worry about it.
Busy days are always peaceful and fulfilling, and before you know it, it's Chinese New Year. As usual, Li Wei and her aunt prepared New Year's clothes for everyone, and together they bought a lot of New Year's goods with her uncle Ding Anping. On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Ding Anping drove the company car and delivered them back to Old Li's house in Yangliu Town.
As in previous years, all the relatives from each branch of the family spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day together at Li Wei's house. This had become a tradition in recent years because of Grandpa Cheng. Cheng Fei and her husband, on the other hand, returned home for a day or two on the second day of the New Year, which was considered a visit to Li Wei's parents' home.
Li Wei was also very busy during the Spring Festival. She helped her mother prepare dishes, and for two consecutive days, she had to try to avoid repeating any dishes, which took a lot of thought. She also arranged for red envelopes and gifts to be given to various families, received Li Lin and her classmates who came and went, and the three siblings went out to visit teachers, relatives and neighbors to wish them a Happy New Year. It felt like she didn't get a break every day.
Li Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief after everyone had left with their children on the second day of the Lunar New Year. This New Year celebration was really nothing like the fun she had as a child.
After the Lunar New Year, it was almost the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and then school would start in a few days. Cheng Fei and her family of three came on the second day of the Lunar New Year, stayed for one night, and then went back. There were quite a few relatives on her husband's side, especially some who came from other places specifically to celebrate the New Year and wanted to see the children, so her mother-in-law specifically told them to come back early.
According to them and Ding Anni, the city is holding a Lantern Festival exhibition this year, which is said to be quite large. The entire park near the No. 1 High School and the main road from the park's main gate to the municipal government will be lined with exhibits from various organizations, making it a very lively event.
Li Wei and Li Lin were both tempted. They had both felt quite stifled during the New Year, so they decided to get some fresh air.
Along with Li Lianhui, the three of them returned to their home in the city at the age of fourteen. They didn't disturb Aunt Gao, as it was the Lunar New Year, and they wanted to let her have a peaceful holiday.
Ding Anni was bored at home with a bunch of relatives, so when she heard that Li Wei and the others had returned, she rushed over without stopping and spent the whole day with them. The next evening, the four of them dressed up and went to see the lantern festival together.
In the northern winter, the area around the Lantern Festival is covered in ice and snow, and the cold is biting. The three of them chatted and laughed and didn't feel cold at all.
You don't know until you step out of the house, and all the way to the park, you see a massive flow of people. I'd always heard about China's large population in the newspapers and on TV, but I never really felt it until today. This is truly a case of planned and family planning! Look at this sea of people! Wow!
Before reaching the main street of the lantern festival, the four of them could still chat and laugh together, but the closer they got to the brightly lit street in the distance, the greater the population density and the more crowded it became.
First, Li Lin and Ding Anni, who had been holding hands, disappeared. Li Wei looked around and thankfully, Li Lianhui was still beside her. But as they got closer to the main street, Li Wei turned her head and realized that the person beside her wasn't her brother!
Oh well, they're all grown up anyway, they won't get lost. Li Wei followed the crowd to admire the various lanterns while keeping an eye on the three people who had gotten separated. Naturally, her interest and enjoyment were greatly diminished.
But Li Wei didn't see the other three even after reaching the park entrance, so she had no choice but to continue following the crowd into the park.
The park is filled with large lanterns, all made by professional manufacturers, based on themes such as the Legend of the White Snake and the Seven Fairies. For a moment, there was a faint sound of celestial music, with music accompaniment and mechanical movements that brought them to life, making them much more lively and interesting.
After looking around the lanterns in the park, Li Wei didn't see anyone she knew. She was tired and thirsty, and couldn't find a place to rest, so she just wandered around aimlessly, her eyes constantly scanning the crowd. She believed that the three people should also be looking for her.
Looking at the time, Li Wei could clearly see that the number of people in the park was decreasing. She still hadn't found anything. Dragging her tired legs, she moved towards the park entrance, feeling very anxious. Despite the cold weather, she was sweating.
Just as she was about to leave the park, a stone bench would become available. Li Wei would quickly run over and sit down. Whew! Finally, she could rest.
Before she had even sat down for two minutes, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Li Wei instinctively knew it was Li Lin and the others. She was furious. Where had you all been?! You made me run my legs off!
He whirled around, glaring angrily, but then froze, finally managing to say, "You...when did you get back? I didn't hear anything about it."
Who else could it be but Luo Da?
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