Years: Salted fish life since going to the countryside.

Chapter 1699 Troubles from Home
After hanging up the phone with his mother, Han Li glanced at the calendar on the table.

The year of Renxu, the month of Renzi, and the day of Bingxu, December 29th in the Gregorian calendar, November 15th in the lunar calendar, is Wednesday.

Time flies! Before I knew it, the year was almost over, and I'll be able to go home for the Chinese New Year in about a month.

However, based on the information he had just received from his mother, Han Li knew that he probably wouldn't be as carefree and relaxed as he had been in previous years when he returned home this year, because a whole host of annoying chores awaited him at home.

The reason for this was that the confidentiality level of Han Li's teaching position at Hong Kong University was lowered by one level, which led to more and more people knowing about it.

However, everyone receives information through different channels, resulting in a slight delay in information delivery.

Those who learned of this news in the first half of the year were filled with envy and jealousy towards Han Li, but did not have any other significant reaction.

After all, during this period, almost all those who are able to go abroad have obtained this qualification through personal effort and academic performance, as well as strict review and approval from superiors.

Han Li's outstanding performance at Yanda University, and the rewards he won, successfully silenced many people who wanted to complain.

Moreover, without other channels to study abroad, there's no use in being envious. They'd be better off saving more money and showcasing themselves, and then applying to their superiors for overseas study once they've built up a certain network and accumulated wealth.

However, since July 6th of this year, a notice was issued by the higher authorities.

Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, foreign citizens of Chinese descent, and returned overseas Chinese, whose immediate family members, siblings, and their children (including spouses) in China meet the requirements for self-funded study abroad, are exempt from the restrictions that prohibit enrolled students from self-funded study abroad and the requirement of working for two years after graduating from higher education institutions.

Han Li, who has connections overseas, has become a highly sought-after figure, and as a result, more and more people are trying to reach out to the Han family through various connections.

Not only did some teachers and students from Yenching University and Tsinghua University approach He Mi, Han Ma, and the Yun sisters, but even Han Erjie was deliberately courted by some people when she was at work.

Some people even came to the Han family's home in Mianhua Hutong and Houhaizi after finding out that the family lived there. They brought gifts and came to the house. Some of them even came every Sunday to help with housework, take care of the children, and try to get closer to the family.

These people are all pursuing a cultural path. Most of them want to leverage Han Li's connections from his time studying in England and his current teaching position at Hong Kong University to get him to help them or their children study in Hong Kong or abroad.

At the very least, they could ask Han Li to help them exchange more foreign currency, and use his connections in England and his teaching position in Hong Kong to introduce them to more people and provide them with more care.

However, some people have very bizarre ideas.

Their attempts to build relationships were very deliberate; some wanted to become godparents or godmothers to the Han family, just like He Mi and Qi Xiaomei.

To put it bluntly, some of these people probably want to replace Yun Yingying and become the mother of the three brothers, Da Ming, Xiao Ming, and San Ming.

Regardless of their motives, as long as they succeed, they can use Han Li's family connections to greatly reduce the difficulty for themselves or their family members to apply for overseas studies.

To put it bluntly, if they really become godparents to the Han family and their applications to study abroad are successful, then Han Li, as an associate professor at Hong Kong University who earns foreign exchange, shouldn't you provide a guarantee or support for their high tuition fees?

In this situation, can't Han's mother say that it doesn't matter that her son is overseas?

You're saying your son has no connections overseas?

How did he end up as an associate professor at Hong Kong University? He's a professor there now, and he hasn't made any connections. What a failure as a person! Even Qin Hui had three friends.

So it's not that you can't say these things, but you have to be mindful of the manner, time, and place.

Otherwise, no one would believe what she said; instead, they would think that Han Ma was looking down on people, deliberately making excuses, and being heartless, etc.

The most crucial factor in this time and place is Han Li himself. If he weren't there, the effect of what Han's mother said would be reduced by at least half.

Han Li held his teacup, watching the rising steam, and thought about the upsetting things his mother had told him on the phone earlier, which made him feel powerless.

However, Han Li quickly regained his composure, took a sip of tea, picked up the phone, and dialed again.

This time, Han Li called Luo Yuze and Xu Caihan, his two students.

Next, Han Li called the Landmark Company and chatted with Lan Jieying and Ye Zimei for a while, learning about the company's recent business progress.

When the call was made to the Hao family, Jing Shujuan answered and learned about Hao Hongmin's recent prenatal check-up and the orders Hao Jianghe had recently secured for the electronics factory.

Of course, Han Li also promised them that he would go over after he finished what he was doing.

After making all those phone calls, Han Li finally managed to finish dealing with the trivial matters that required him to return to Hong Kong.

That day, Han Li stayed at home and did not go out. He sat in his familiar and comfortable study, drinking tea, reading, and studying.

Han Li also needs to look for Professor Giovanni Morric's preferences and interests in the comments on his previous paper in order to prepare for future papers and credits.

Because Han Li is back, the Zhong sisters not only returned from the garment company early today, but also bought a lot of common ingredients on their way home, as well as the main ingredient for tonight's hot pot, which is Han Li's favorite beef.

From evening onwards, the top floor of a building in Jia Hui Garden was enveloped in a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

After dinner, the Chung sisters put on the simplified Christmas outfits that Han Li had bought from America, and danced and sang to their hearts' content under Han Li's baton.

The next day, Han Li went out and downstairs with the Chung sisters, and then went about their own business in the parking lot as usual.

Han Li drove to Hong Kong University first, and made a brief appearance in front of the school office, the dean's office, and some colleagues to prove that he had returned.

After taking a stroll around, Han Li went to his office and gave Luo Yuze and Xu Caihan, who were already waiting there, some guidance on their studies. He also checked the authentic data on Hong Kong's people's livelihood that they had collected over the years.

During this time, Han Li learned that Zhou Huimin and her mother had contacted him several times. After finishing tutoring two students, he picked up the phone and called Zhou's mother.

Next, Han Li first went to Zhou's mother's place to collect a new batch of "raw materials." After politely declining her invitation to dinner, he drove to the villa across the sea from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which was to be given to Hao Hongmin.

Han Li's timing was excellent, as the villa was completely finished, and the foreman was supervising the cleaning company's final cleaning and finishing touches.
(End of this chapter)