Chapter 262 What kind of family is it?
Grandma Fang glanced at her and frowned.
He said, “It’s a favor if they help, but we can’t lose face if they don’t. We’re all in-laws, and we’ll have a long time to get to know each other. Besides… there’s still a layer of kinship between us. If we want help, we can’t rush it. As long as Erniu gets along well with her sister-in-law, her sister-in-law will see my grandson’s abilities and there will always be opportunities. Old man, don’t you think so?”
Grandma Fang is right, and Grandpa Fang nodded in agreement.
“That makes sense. You all need to calm down. Let’s leave this at that. Don’t mention it to Erniu. That girl is simple-minded. If we bring it up, people will think that our family is deliberately trying to cause trouble. It might affect Erniu’s relationship with her sister-in-law in her husband’s family. As her mother, you need to weigh this carefully.”
The last sentence was addressed to Erniu's mother.
Erniu's mother nodded repeatedly and said, "Dad, I know. Both my son and daughter are my flesh and blood. I'm not the kind of person who would trample on my daughter for the sake of my son. I definitely won't let Erniu do anything."
Grandpa Fang breathed a slight sigh of relief, took a puff of his cigarette, and the matter was settled.
The next day, Su Laosan took Fang Erniu to look at a shop. Erniu's mother didn't even have time to tell Erniu not to ask her mother-in-law about her older brother's affairs, thinking that the girl wouldn't be so honest, and that she should just ask directly.
As it turned out, Fang Erniu actually went to ask.
"...Auntie, although my brother is a minor official, didn't all those high-ranking officials start as minor officials? My brother is very capable and well-liked in the village. Whenever something is stolen from the east neighbor or the ridge of the west neighbor's field is blocked, my brother handles it so well that no one can complain. Auntie, do you think my brother is capable?"
Li Banxia smiled.
He said, "Your older brother is one of us, what's wrong with that? I'll talk to your sister-in-law Yao later and see how to help your older brother get out of the village first."
Fang Erniu was so happy that she kept shouting "Great!"
Li Banxia instructed her, "The matter is being kept secret. It's still far from certain, so don't talk about it outside, and don't tell your family either, understand?"
Fang Erniu nodded repeatedly.
Say, "I know."
Sister-in-law Yao suggested that one must have political achievements.
"To put it bluntly, he's a grassroots service worker. If he wants a promotion, he must work with farmers and the people, and his achievements must benefit the farmers and the people. While serving the people, if he can summarize a set of practical experiences that can benefit even more people, then such achievements will definitely be noticed by those above. What we need to do is..."
Sister-in-law Yao's eyes turned serious as she looked at Li Banxia and said, "...Keep his name safe, so that no one else can claim it. It's incredibly difficult for someone from a small place to get it. This is all the power I have right now."
After saying that, he sighed softly.
"It's easy to say but difficult to do... just the achievement aspect alone is very difficult."
Li Banxia nodded and said, "The third brother and the second sister are Fang's achievements."
"Um?"
Sister-in-law Yao was taken aback, then looked up at Li Banxia, "What do you mean by that, Auntie?"
Li Banxia explained, "The third brother is planning to open a general store, specializing in selling farm produce harvested from the countryside. If the village secretary encourages everyone to raise chickens, ducks, and geese, and then sell them in the store, wouldn't they have some spare money? Erniu mentioned that their village has a double-cropping rice system. I remember reading in a document that raising fish and shrimp in rice paddies is feasible; it won't interfere with each other, but rather can actually increase rice production. If these two things can be done, wouldn't Secretary Fang want to expand beyond the village...?"
"That's definitely no problem."
Sister-in-law Yao felt goosebumps rising on her skin. She stared at Li Banxia in amazement and exclaimed, "Auntie, it has to be you! How could you come up with such a solution?"
Li Banxia smiled and said, "I can only offer a suggestion; the real key operations are up to you."
Sister-in-law Yao also laughed.
He said, "Although I work in the investment promotion office, I have a bunch of college classmates, and my teachers are influential in several industries. Otherwise, how could things have gone so smoothly with Zheng Huaixin last time? Don't worry, Auntie, as long as he can produce results, I have the resources to pull him out. We're all related by marriage, so it's best if everyone is doing well. However..."
Her smile faded slightly, and she sighed softly, "After that, I'll be willing but unable to help, and he'll have to rely on himself."
Li Banxia nodded.
“No one can rely on anyone else for a lifetime. If he didn’t have the ability, he wouldn’t be able to become the village party secretary.”
"Auntie is right," Sister-in-law Yao said with a smile.
The two chatted for a while longer, then Sister-in-law Yao went to see her sister-in-law and two nephews before leaving.
After dinner, Li Banxia called Su Laosan over and told him what she and Yao Dasao had said.
Su Laosan gasped.
"Wow, Mom, what kind of family are we? How come we're raising someone who'll become an official?"
He reached up and touched his neck, flinched, and muttered, "Why does the back of my neck feel so cold? Am I going to get beheaded?"
Li Banxia, "..."
How did he twist the meaning of a perfectly good thing?
Li Banxia glared at Su Laosan and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense. Write down what I just said. When you go to see Erniu tomorrow, tell it to her older brother. He can understand. If he's willing, he can give it a try. If he's not willing, don't force him. We're still related by marriage. He's still your brother-in-law, understand?"
"……oh."
Su Laosan pouted, "So you want me to be a messenger? Mom, is that really going to work? There are so many officials, how can Erniu's older brother possibly get out of the crowd?"
"That depends on how capable he is."
Li Banxia said, "No path in life is easy."
Su Laosan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow. What if he's content with the status quo?"
"Being content with the status quo is fine, there's nothing wrong with that."
Li Banxia glanced at Su Laosan and asked, "What, you also want to be content with the status quo?"
Su Laosan touched his nose and gave an embarrassed smile.
"No, how could I dare? I still have a wife and kids to support. Erniu said she wants to give me three sons, and it'll cost a fortune for each son to get married. I need to earn money, earn money..."
He chuckled a few times, and seeing that Li Banxia was ignoring him, he crouched down and scurried back to his room.
After breakfast, he said goodbye and rushed off.
When we found the Fang family, they had just finished breakfast. Brother Fang was rushing to deal with a matter concerning a family's homestead in the village. One family said they had built beyond the permitted area, while another family said that the land belonged to them.
Su Laosan went along, and casually asked Brother Fang about it on the way.
Brother Fang stumbled and almost fell as he was handed over.
It was Su Laosan who reacted quickly and pulled her back, "Big Brother!"
Brother Fang's pupils shrank sharply, and he stared straight at Su Laosan, unable to focus for a few seconds.
Su Laosan thought he was unwilling, so he let go of him and said, "If you're not willing, then forget it..."
Brother Fang grabbed him!
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