Gu Xingdong was rather busy recently due to undertaking two more family housing projects for the army. He went to the company early after breakfast.
It was the weekend, and the weather was nice. Chen Lishu decided to take Ruirui and the two children to a nearby park to enjoy the sunshine.
Before she could start packing, she heard a knock at the door. Chen Lishu hurried to open it, and was stunned to see He Ziyu standing there.
"Dr. He? Please, come in."
He Ziyu stepped into the house and scanned the living room discreetly. He didn't see Ruirui and asked curiously, "Ruirui isn't here? When I left last time, I promised to bring him a toy, and I brought it today." He had chosen the weekend specifically to see the child.
Chen Lishu didn't think much of it. After inviting him to sit down, she smiled and said, "He's upstairs. Dr. He, please have a seat, I'll go call him."
Chen Lishu then went upstairs to fetch him.
Having promised to take the three children out to play, Li Xiulan and Zhao Qiuyue were in the process of changing the children's clothes. Upon hearing that a guest had arrived, they had to stop.
Ruirui was slightly disappointed but still followed his mother downstairs.
He Ziyu looked at Ruirui as he walked over, his expression momentarily dazed.
Children grow quickly. He hadn't seen the boy for more than half a year, and he had grown taller, but his features hadn't changed much. He was delicate, like a little girl, and the mole at the corner of his left eye inadvertently caught He Ziyu's gaze.
"Hello, Uncle He," Ruirui said obediently.
He Ziyu came back to himself and pulled at the corner of his mouth, saying, "Don't call me Uncle. Call me Maternal Uncle from now on."
Ruirui turned his head to look at Chen Lishu.
He had called him Uncle before, so why was he suddenly being asked to call him Maternal Uncle?
He Ziyu explained, "I have an elder sister, and she has a child about Ruirui's age. So, I feel that calling me Maternal Uncle would be more intimate."
Whether it was Uncle or Maternal Uncle was just a title. Chen Lishu patted her son's head and smiled, "Then call him Maternal Uncle."
"I said I'd bring you a Rubik's Cube last time. This time, besides the Rubik's Cube, I brought you many other toys. You're sure to like them." He Ziyu said, handing Ruirui a large bag of toys.
Ruirui again turned his head to look at Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu nodded to her son, "Thank you, Maternal Uncle He."
Ruirui pursed his lips and stepped forward to take the bag, "Thank you, Maternal Uncle He."
He Ziyu picked up another bag, "This is some tonic for Auntie."
"You didn't have to bring so many things. You're too kind, Dr. He." Li Xiulan came downstairs. The little Bai Da clasped in her arms saw her mother and opened her little hands wanting to be held.
Chen Lishu stepped forward and held her. The little one immediately smiled with her eyes narrowed in happiness.
He Ziyu then looked at Xiao Chengzi, who was being held by Zhao Qiuyue, and his eyes flickered. "I didn't expect both children to have grown so much. They both seem to take after their mother."
Chen Lishu replied, "Yes, they both take after me."
His gaze fell on Ruirui beside them, and He Ziyu said casually, "Ruirui doesn't seem to resemble anyone."
Ruirui's delicate brows furrowed. Before Chen Lishu could speak, he replied, "My mother says I inherited the best traits from both my parents."
Chen Lishu smiled and stroked his little head.
In the past, when she took Ruirui out, some people would say he didn't look like her. Fearing that the child might have some thoughts, Chen Lishu would say he inherited the best traits from both parents, and the other party would say no more. She didn't expect Ruirui to remember it.
Since he would be staying in the provincial capital for a while longer, He Ziyu didn't press the issue.
He stayed at the Gu residence for a while longer, even playing a game of Rubik's Cube with Ruirui, before getting up to leave.
"I think that Dr. He seems to quite like our Ruirui," Li Xiulan said casually as she watched him leave.
Zhao Qiuyue commented, "Our Ruirui is smart and sensible. Which neighbor doesn't praise him when they see him?"
Her husband had died in a mining accident less than two years after they married, and she had no children of her own. She had been raising Ruirui for several years, and while she didn't consider him her own son, it was close. In her eyes, Ruirui could do no wrong.
"I don't know why, but I feel that Ruirui and Dr. He look a bit alike," Li Xiulan muttered. The two little ones were already eagerly pointing towards the door and babbling.
Soon, everyone's attention shifted to the children.
After putting on the children's outerwear, the family went out together, heading towards the nearby park.
...
In a low-rise, old residential area in the western part of the city, "Coal Ball" looked at the residents gathered in front of him. He shook the demolition compensation agreement in his hand and said loudly, "Everyone line up shortly and honestly sign these two papers in my hand. You have three days to move out."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd不满ly retorted, "You want us to move just like that? You want to dismiss us with such a small amount of money? No way."
"You're only giving us three days to move. Where are we supposed to go? Our houses are gone, and the money you're giving is so little. Isn't this clearly bullying us?"
"Stop with the nonsense," Coal Ball said with a cold face, pointing to the loader behind him. "You have three days. Anyone who hasn't moved by then and delays the construction progress shouldn't blame me for personally helping them clear out."
Suddenly, a middle-aged man said indignantly, "You're pushing us too far! We've already inquired, and the compensation amount from above is not this low at all. You've pocketed at least half. This is our own property, and we won't sign to vacate. I don't believe you can act recklessly. Is there no justice anymore?"
"Justice? I am justice," Coal Ball said, too lazy to bother with him. People who disobeyed management like this appeared in every demolition. What was the outcome? They still took the money and moved out obediently.
"Lao Tian, calm down." Seeing the middle-aged man about to charge forward, a neighbor pulled him back.
"We can't afford to offend these people. Can't you see the dozen or so people standing behind him? Alas, when you encounter something like this, we can only accept our misfortune."
The man called Lao Tian said with a red face and hatred, "Are we just going to let them do as they please? I don't believe no one can manage them. I'll stake my life to stop them!"
Another person whispered, "An arm can't twist a thigh. You don't know the methods these people use. Alas, when you run into them, you can only accept your misfortune, or you won't be able to live peacefully."
Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, Coal Ball smiled triumphantly, handed the agreement in his hand to his subordinate, and turned back to his company.
"How's the demolition office?" Gao Mingyuan asked as he saw him enter.