Xiao Tao's brother
As instructed by Xu Tangmian, Yu Chunsheng bought two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of wine early the next morning and handed them over to the only supervisor in the printing factory.
The young man is from this village. His name is Wang Youli. He didn't even finish elementary school before becoming an apprentice in this factory. With his quick wit, he rose all the way to his current position as supervisor.
He had an emotional attachment to this factory, so when it was about to close down, many people left but he didn't. He always felt that the factory wouldn't just go away like that.
Fortunately, he finally met Boss Yu.
Boss Yu is an upright person who never talks to them in a bureaucratic manner. He not only offers good salaries and benefits but also rarely arranges overtime. He often tells them to read more books when they are not busy and to ensure the quality and quantity of their work.
Recently, the factory ran into trouble again. Boss Yu was so busy that he didn't even have time to eat. He and the sales team were so busy that they didn't even have time to eat. They finally received an order, but then they ran out of raw materials.
This was the factory's first order, and failure to deliver on time would not only cause financial losses but also damage its reputation. Although Wang Youli was anxious, there was nothing he could do to help.
Early in the morning, Boss Yu came to the workshop, called him out, and handed him cigarettes and alcohol.
Wang Youli waved his hands repeatedly: "Factory manager, what do you mean? I'm willing to work here, I don't need your stuff."
Yu Chunsheng smiled slightly: "What are you thinking?"
"So what are you doing here?"
“You’re a long-time employee of this factory, and you’re from this village. I trust you.” Yu Chunsheng lit a cigarette for him, and after much refusal, Wang Youli finally accepted it, feeling flattered.
He exhaled a smoke ring and said with a grin, "Factory manager, just say what you need. I'll go through fire and water for you!"
"It's not that serious." Yu Chunsheng chuckled and glanced at the busy workshop. "You've all heard about what happened yesterday, right? Once we finish printing this last batch, we won't have enough paper."
Wang Youli nodded. "I know. The purchasing manager went to the city last night to buy it, and he hasn't come back yet."
“Yes.” Yu Chunsheng said with a serious expression, “The cost of getting the goods from the city will be higher, and we can’t guarantee the profit. So this can only solve the immediate problem.”
“I’m giving this to you today because you’re usually quick-witted.” Yu Chunsheng smiled again. “You were there when we signed the contract with that paper mill in town, right? I noticed you were quite familiar with their salesperson.”
Wang Youli scratched the back of his head and smiled shyly, "I was talking business at the time and didn't greet him. Actually, we were elementary school classmates. Once he fell into the water and I was the one who pulled him out. That's how our two families have stayed in touch for many years."
"That's even better." Yu Chunsheng glanced back again, and seeing that no one was looking, he put his arm around Wang Youli's shoulder and walked to the courtyard wall, whispering:
“Invite him to dinner privately and ask him why our supplies were suddenly cut off. I’ll reimburse you for the meal, and you can also give him the cigarettes and alcohol.”
"Didn't they say they wouldn't give us any because they sold out?" Wang Youli asked first, then realized something when Yu Chunsheng gave him a look: "The factory manager means, someone is targeting us?!"
He said indignantly, "Don't worry, given our friendship, I don't need these cigarettes and alcohol, and he won't accept them."
“What if he accepts it? You can take it.” Yu Chunsheng insisted on giving it to him. “If he really doesn’t accept it, you can take it back for yourself. I don’t usually smoke or drink, and besides, your sister-in-law is pregnant now and can’t stand the smell.”
Wang Youli chuckled twice, "Don't worry, factory manager, I'll definitely handle this."
Yu Chunsheng nodded. "Don't waste any time. Go now. I'll give you a day off."
"Okay." Wang Youli said, heading towards the bike shed to push his cart, his voice fading into the distance: "Factory Manager~ I'm entrusting the workshop to you—keep an eye on it~~"
Yu Chunsheng waved his hand helplessly.
——
When Xu Tangmian returned to her office after finishing her class, she saw that Li Yutao across from her seemed restless, so she called out to her a couple of times.
"What are you thinking about? I've called you several times."
Li Yutao sighed and slumped onto the table with a thud: "Ugh, so annoying!"
What's bothering you?
Li Yutao got up, rested her head on her arm, and winked at Xu Tangmian: "Sister Tangtang, when you married Brother Yu, didn't your family say anything?"
Xu Tangmian's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She shook her head and slowly said, "We'll just get a marriage certificate and that'll be it. He doesn't have parents, and neither do I..."
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault for speaking without thinking and forgetting about that."
"It's nothing." Xu Tangmian said with a light smile, "Why are you asking this? Is it because your parents and Song Weidong's parents have objections? I think Sister Youlan and Brother Xingyao like you quite a bit."
"Of course they like me, who wouldn't like me?" Li Yutao raised her head again and said smugly.
“It’s my parents. They think Song Weidong is too old and that I’m ‘a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.’ How can they be like that?!”
Xu Tangmian remained silent.
She didn't have a thing for older men, and she genuinely felt the two were somewhat mismatched, even though she was now practically family to Song Weidong...
"You think so too, right?" Li Yutao saw right through her and wailed twice, "How can you all be so shallow! Yes, I initially liked him because he's good-looking, but who likes someone ugly?"
“I originally just wanted to kill some time, but he ignored me, so I got really into it and was determined to win him over.” Li Yutao’s eyes lit up instantly when she mentioned Song Weidong.
"The more I get to know him, the more adorable I find him. Don't you think so?"
"..." Xu Tangmian dared not utter a sound.
“I think he’s different from other men. Take dating, for example. All the men who pursued me before would rush to give me flowers and movie tickets, but he doesn’t! He always waits until there are no patients on his hands and until someone is on duty before he will go out with me.”
Xu Tangmian: "Do you have some kind of masochistic fetish?"
“I can’t explain it to you.” Li Yutao rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I think he’s the kind of man who is very serious and responsible. I don’t see this kind of quality often around me. I absolutely love him.”
She sounded like a rich girl who had been kidnapped by a blond-haired man. Xu Tangmian smiled helplessly and asked her, "Then tell your parents. As long as they approve of Dr. Song, then everything will be fine."
“I already told you,” Li Yutao said, lying back down. “They didn’t believe me, so they wanted to see for themselves.”
"They came here?" Xu Tangmian frowned slightly. She remembered that Li Yutao's parents were also high-ranking officials, coming to Huaifeng Village...
"No, they want me to take him home, but I haven't figured out how to tell him yet."
"..."
——
Li Youlan's arrival stirred up another bloody storm in the village.
I don't know who started it, but people are saying that Li Youlan is actually Yu Chunsheng's mother. She had a one-night stand with someone when she was eighteen and gave birth to him. Now that the two have recognized each other as relatives, she's brought her daughter-in-law along.
Coupled with the earlier celebrations in the courtyard, and the mysterious origins of Li Youlan and his wife, this inexplicable rumor seemed increasingly believable.
It's just unclear how the news spread. Perhaps those people were too focused on the erotic details, and after it had been circulating for a while, they forgot the original purpose of Li Youlan and his wife's first visit and brought it up in front of Song Weidong.
Song Weidong naturally wouldn't tolerate them. He immediately scolded all the people who spread the rumors and then went to the neighboring brigade headquarters to borrow a loudspeaker to broadcast the news to the whole village.
Song Weidong has been here since he was 21 years old. He has grown up under the noses of these middle-aged people. He is usually gentle and responsible. When has he ever lost his temper like this?
Therefore, after he hurled his rant over the loudspeaker, no one in the village dared to point fingers at Li Youlan's background anymore.
Only when the clinic was empty did he calm down and begin to reflect on his eleven years there.
For the past eleven years, villagers have sought his help for both major and minor illnesses. He believed he had done his best, but he never expected his family to be slandered like this behind his back. He was so angry that he resorted to such an irrational act as using the village's loudspeaker to hurl insults.
After processing his emotions for a while, Song Weidong finally breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down. When he looked up, he saw Li Yutao peering at him cautiously through the door.
He put on a smiling face and went to greet her: "Why don't you come in?"
Like a local, Li Yutao put her hands in her sleeves, stamped her feet, and sat down opposite him. She asked him obediently, "I just heard you cursing on the loudspeaker. You were really good at it. After hearing what Sister Tangtang said, I wanted to curse them too."
"You don't seem happy," Song Weidong said, seeing through her immediately. He looked at her with affection and said, "I haven't scolded you, so why are you afraid of me?"
"I'm not afraid of you," Li Yutao said, pretending not to care. She chattered on and on, "I came here to tell you something, but I'm afraid you'll be unhappy if you hear it. Anyway, there's nothing you can do if you're unhappy. You have to promise me, or we'll break up."
"A breakup?" Song Weidong frowned. "Is it that serious? What happened?"
“My parents want me to go back to Beiping. You should come with them. They want to see you.”
"See me?" Song Weidong chuckled. "What's there to see with just two eyes and one mouth? My leg is better now, I won't embarrass you."
"I know, I don't look down on you, it's just that they think you're a bit old... anyway, they just want to see you in person!"
Song Weidong didn't say anything, but he was a little worried: "What if the clinic gets too busy if I leave? Should I go back for the New Year?"
"But aren't you going to spend the New Year with your uncle and aunt at Brother Yu's place?"
Song Weidong smiled and tapped her nose: "Brother Yu and your uncle and aunt are spending the New Year with their wives, so what does it matter whether I go or not? If I don't go to your place, and you run away, where am I supposed to find another wife?"
"You're so cheesy." Li Yutao's ears turned slightly red. "I never said I would definitely marry you."
The atmosphere was somewhat ambiguous, but the occasion wasn't quite right.
Li Yutao stood up awkwardly, muttering, "I'm going to sit at Sister Tangtang's house, it's too cold here," and then fled the clinic.
Soon, snowflakes began to fall again. Through a few pine trees, a black sedan could be vaguely seen parked on the road, unlike a typical taxi.
Looking at the snow scene outside the window, Song Weidong couldn't help but imagine the warm scene of closing the door, going back inside, holding Li Yutao, and warming himself by the stove. He smiled slightly and then lowered his head to write medical records.
But as she wrote, things like "penicillin" and "analgin" all turned into the three characters "Li Yutao".
The clattering of leather shoes startled him from his reverie. Song Weidong looked at the unfamiliar man in front of him, who was wearing a green military overcoat and had a strong build, and a question arose in his mind.
Who are you looking for?
The man didn't reply. He wandered around the clinic on his own, then walked up to him, saw the words on his medical record, smiled mysteriously, and looked down at him, asking, "Are you Song Weidong?"
Song Weidong frowned slightly: "Who are you?"
The man took off his black leather gloves and extended his right hand to him: "I am Li Yutao's brother, my name is Li Qingmang."
Song Weidong suppressed a laugh and shook hands with him expressionlessly: "Nice to meet you."
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