In a time when everyone was struggling to get enough food, Li Xiuli didn't give Gu Xingdong any meals, and Li Xiulan didn't blame her for that. What she did blame Li Xiuli for was deceiving her. As sisters, why did they have to be so calculating? Now, she was even using this matter as leverage, disregarding Gu Xingdong's future, to pave the way for her daughter and son-in-law!
Chen Li Shu didn't care about kinship at this moment. All she wanted was to protect her man's interests. She immediately put down her chopsticks, looked into Li Xiuli's eyes, and said word for word, "Aunt-grandmother, look at your son-in-law. He's not even 170 centimeters tall. With such qualifications, how can he be a captain? Aren't you making things difficult for my man?"
Li Xiuli could feel that Chen Li Shu had quite a bit of an opinion about her. She wanted to throw her weight around as an elder, but after careful consideration, Li Chen was still working at Shu Se Group. Who knew if Chen Li Shu would transfer her displeasure to Li Chen, deliberately find fault with him, and fire him from the company?
She had heard about the benefits at Shu Se Group. The employees' salaries there were said to be more than double that of other companies! Li Chen was her son, while Shen Wen was only her son-in-law. No matter how well he did, he was still someone else's son. She couldn't possibly disregard her own son's future, could she?
With this thought in mind, Li Xiuli shut her mouth and stopped pleading for Shen Wen. She even proactively changed the subject, saying, "I didn't read much, so I didn't know there were so many requirements to join the army. I was ignorant. Since it's not possible to get in, then let's not. Xingdong is a child I watched grow up. How could I let him take such a risk? Alright, let's end this topic and focus on eating. Let's not say such meaningless things."
After speaking, Li Xiuli stared intently at the pork in front of her and couldn't help but swallow.
Chen Li Shu still had to consider Li Xiulan's feelings, so she didn't choose to escalate the matter. Instead, she went along with the flow, saying, "Let's eat. If we keep talking, the food will get cold."
As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the living room instantly became quiet, with only the sounds of Li Xiuli's family eating and smacking their lips.
Soon, the entire table of dishes was wiped clean. Li Xiuli's family members leaned back in their chairs, patting their full stomachs and belching with satisfaction.
Having regained her strength, Li Xiuli put on her pitiful act again. With a mournful expression, she said, "Sister, your family's meals are truly top-notch. How long has it been since I last tasted pork? Let alone pork, it's considered good if I can eat my fill for a meal."
Hearing how pitiful she sounded, Li Xiulan couldn't bear it and asked Su Nian to get some pork and rice from the kitchen and hand it to Li Xiuli. Thus, after eating her fill and having her hands full, Li Xiuli left the Gu family.
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Outside the Gu family's door, Li Xiuli's hypocritical smile instantly vanished, replaced by a sharp and mean expression. Li Na, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up, "Mom, didn't you say you would find me a suitable job? Now we've come here and achieved nothing. If I don't find a suitable job soon, our whole family will have to drink the northwest wind, and your grandson will starve to death right in front of you. Even if you don't care about me, you have to care about your grandson!"
Li Xiuli stopped in her tracks and said to Li Na with a ferocious expression, "You and your family are useless, and now you're dragging me, an old woman halfway to the grave, down with you. I also want to find a stable job for you, but didn't you see the Gu Xingdong family giving us such sour faces? Xiao Chen is currently working in Chen Li Shu's company. If we act rashly and ruin his good fortune, then we'll truly be drinking the northwest wind. Don't rush about finding a job for now. Don't even think about going behind my back to find Chen Li Shu, or we'll break off mother-daughter relations."
Li Na, whose intentions were exposed, pursed her lips guiltily. She had indeed planned to find Chen Li Shu again to discuss work. After all, they were similar in age and had many topics to talk about. Perhaps as they chatted, they could become friends, and then her plan could be realized. However, when she heard Li Xiuli's threat, her restless thoughts were instantly suppressed. "Mom! Xiao Chen is your son, but am I not your daughter?"
Li Xiuli rolled her eyes and said, "I never said that. I already have a new plan. I want you to go into business."
Go into business?! Hearing this plan, Li Na was a little surprised. Then, she gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Mom, what business can we do? Just because you see others succeeding doesn't mean I can too. If I really had this ability, I would have led my family to prosperity long ago."
"You came out of my womb. How could I not know your capabilities? Li Xiulan doesn't tell me what business they are doing now, does she? But it doesn't matter. Our legs aren't broken, and our eyes aren't blind. At worst, we can go and take a look outside the Shuang Yu Kindergarten."
Hearing Li Xiuli's plan, Li Na's eyes lit up. She said excitedly, "Yes, how did I not think of this move? With Chen Li Shu's successful example, even if we can't replicate it one-to-one, we should at least be able to earn twenty yuan a day, right? Ten yuan at least!"
Li Xiuli waved her hand. "Alright, this matter is happily decided. Tomorrow, you two get up early and follow Chen Li Shu to the kindergarten to see what kind of profitable ventures she's up to!"
"Okay, Mom." After saying this, Li Na didn't rush to leave. Instead, she stared greedily at the meat and rice in Li Xiuli's hands. Rubbing her hands together, she said expectantly, "Mom, our family is so poor we can't even lift the lid off the pot. Why don't you share some of this rice and meat with us? We can go without eating, but we can't let the child starve. Nannan is your grandson, whom you've watched grow up. Can you bear to see him hungry and cold with us?"
Li Na's words left Li Xiuli speechless. She could only exclaim about being a fool while dividing some of the rice and meat. Li Na looked at the rice and meat, which were only about a third of the original amount, and pouted with dissatisfaction. But in the end, she said nothing. Having some was better than having none. If she completely fell out with her, and their family encountered any difficulties in the future, there would be no one to help them.
Meanwhile, at the Gu family's residence, Chen Li Shu tidied up the bowls and chopsticks and took the two children back to their room to sleep. The next morning, Chen Li Shu sent the two children to kindergarten. On her way back to the company, she felt something was a bit strange. She felt like someone was following her, but every time she turned around, she didn't find anything amiss. The first thing she did upon returning to the company was call Su Nian, asking her to come to the company after work. She was afraid of encountering people with ulterior motives, as she had before. That time, she had escaped by chance, but this time, Chen Li Shu dared not gamble with her own life...