"That's right. Damao, let me tell you, Mr. Lou's daughter, Lou Xiao'e, will be 18 years old soon."
I was thinking of introducing her to you. Now it seems that's not necessary.
Xu's mother spoke of her previous plans.
"Mom, Xiao'e is a young lady from a wealthy family. She knows a lot of things. How could she possibly be interested in my brother?"
Xu Fengling was young and had previously visited the Lou family with her mother, where she met Lou Xiao'e and admired her greatly.
"Hey, you little brat, you got to eat all that White Rabbit candy your brother just now for free? What's wrong with your brother? He's a team leader now, and he'll be a section chief in the future. How is he not good enough for her?"
Besides, our status as hired laborers is now the most honorable thing in the world. Last time I heard Madam Lou say that she'd find Xiao'e a family with good social standing.
Xu's mother was talking about her daughter from the side.
"Da Mao's mom, don't worry about that. Given the current situation, their family is in a bit of trouble. I've heard that quite a few former big capitalists have gone to Hong Kong."
Their family is known as the "Lou Half-City," and they're being watched by countless people; something bad is bound to happen to them sooner or later.
Mr. Xu was always out and about, dealing with all sorts of people, so he knew a lot.
"Yes, Mom. The current environment is a bit complicated, so we can only make the safest plans, and the same goes for finding a partner."
If you have the chance, just give them a gentle reminder; after all, they've treated you well. But don't make it too obvious. These people have all fought their way up in the business world; they've weathered countless storms. They understand the current situation, but they're just too attached to what they have.
When Xu Damao left his parents' house, there were 10 small yellow croakers and 1,000 yuan in cash in his storage space. This was all that Xu Fugui had saved up over the years, and now he was giving it all to Xu Damao.
However, given Xu Fugui's abilities, his family must still have a considerable fortune.
And as the most lowly time traveler in history, new evidence has been added: relying on his parents for financial support. But without relying on his parents, Xu Damao wouldn't be able to quickly become a cadre and thus wouldn't be able to become a leader.
Without relying on his parents, he wouldn't be able to replenish his personal storage space. After a moment's hesitation, he readily accepted Old Xu's gift. And then, well, it was delicious!
Sunday arrived in the blink of an eye, and Xu Damao, as usual, pushed his bicycle out of the compound gate in the morning.
"Da Mao, where are you going today? You're dressed like that, are you going on a blind date? Wait, wait a minute, didn't I hear you found someone?"
The doorman, Yan Fugui, had already returned from fishing and was tending to his flowers and plants. Previously, there hadn't been any talk of Xu Damao having a girlfriend in the compound, but Yan Fugui knew about it and had instructed Yan Jiecheng not to spread it.
He had just received help from Xu Damao and got a job, so he couldn't just abandon him now. Besides, Yan Jiecheng had told him that Xu Damao was quite well-connected in the factory, so he thought he should get to know Xu Damao better in the future, because he might need his help someday.
"Haha, Uncle, I'm just going out for a stroll. You can continue with your work." Xu Damao said dismissively, then rode off on his bicycle.
"This kid is probably getting married soon. Looks like I'll have to help him with his marriage." Yan Fugui muttered to himself.
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She was already waiting at the entrance of the alley outside Wang Minzhi's courtyard.
"Oh dear, why are you only arriving now? I've been waiting for ages!" Seeing Xu Damao riding his bike over from afar, Wang Minzhi hurried over.
"Hehe, this isn't my first time visiting, I was a little nervous, so I'm a bit late," Xu Damao explained.
Actually, Xu Damao deliberately arrived a little late. Arriving too early for his first visit would leave him awkwardly staring at his future father-in-law. It was better to arrive later, chat for a while, and then have dinner, hoping to win over his future father-in-law over the meal.
The two pushed the cart, which was loaded with gifts, and walked into the courtyard together.
"Minzhi, is this your boyfriend? He's really handsome!"
"Minzhi, you're so young and already dating? I was thinking of introducing you to my nephew."
The neighbors in the compound all knew what was going on when they saw Xu Damao and Wang Minzhi come in together. Some said it nicely, while others subtly hinted at something unpleasant. In fact, all tenement courtyards, like the Hongxing Courtyard, are the same; all sorts of people live there, just to varying degrees.
Wang Minzhi greeted him, but did not introduce Xu Damao; Xu Damao could only respond with a perfunctory smile.
Wang Minzhi's house was also in the backyard, but it was the main house. Upon arriving in the backyard, they saw an 8 or 9-year-old child standing outside the main house door, watching the two of them.
"Sister, isn't this my brother-in-law?" the child asked Wang Minzhi.
"Go away, you're everywhere. Just call him Brother Da Mao. Da Mao, this is my younger brother Wang Jianguo. Don't pay any attention to him, he's the naughtiest one." Wang Minzhi scolded the child.
This child's name alone strongly reflects the characteristics of that era.
"How can you talk about your brother like that? Brother-in-law, did you bring me anything?" Wang Jianguo, acting like a little adult, had a sharp tongue.
"Jianguo, come here, this is your candy." Xu Damao always used sugar-coated bullets to deal with children.
"Oh right, there are cigarettes and alcohol here too. Want me to get you some? You're all grown up now, you haven't had any yet, have you?" Xu Damao suddenly wanted to joke with Wang Jianguo.
"Who says I haven't had any? I've secretly drunk alcohol and smoked his cigarettes when my dad wasn't home, but the taste wasn't very good. But if you give them to me, I can have some with you."
The boy was so young and starting to understand things. He liked being treated like an adult, so he didn't notice that Xu Damao was setting a trap for him.
“Oh, Jianguo, you’ve actually started smoking and drinking. If I tell Dad, I’ll see how he beats you,” Wang Minzhi said.
"Ah! Sister, brother-in-law, you absolutely can't tell. Otherwise, I'll get a real beating today." Wang Jianguo finally realized he needed to speak in a low voice.
"Jianguo, what are you yelling about outside? Bring the guests in!" At this moment, a middle-aged man spoke up from inside the room.
"Brother-in-law, please go in quickly, my dad is inside," Wang Jianguo said shamelessly.
Seeing her father urging her from inside, Wang Minzhi quickly led Xu Damao into the house.
There were four people sitting around the table in the room, all staring at Xu Damao. Although he knew about Wang Minzhi's family structure beforehand and had simulated the feeling of visiting her home for the first time many times, Xu Damao was still very nervous at this moment. He didn't know which foot to step with first.
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