That year the flowers bloomed 1981

Chapter 1679 The Li Family is Full of Talented People

Remember to come often! It's getting harder and harder to see you these days.

"Okay, bro, we'll definitely come when we have time."

After Li Ye and Jin Peng finished discussing the imported raw materials, Pei Wenhui, Yang Suwen, and others from Wen Leyu's side also took their leave with the children.

Li Ye saw them off at the door, waved goodbye, and then looked in the direction they left with a sigh of regret.

Wen Leyu tilted her head and looked at Li Ye, asking in confusion, "Why are you sighing? Isn't what Jin Peng encountered quite normal? If there's a problem, just solve it."

Li Ye pulled Wen Leyu into the house, then said with a sullen face, "I'm sighing not because what happened to Brother Peng is infuriating, but because it happened so long ago, and I didn't even know."
Look, Li Dayong, Wang Jianqiang, and even Yang Suwen all know, but they've singled me out. What do you think that means? Are they trying to distance themselves from me?

"Ha~, can't you understand this? They cherish the relationship between you."

Wen Leyu couldn't help but laugh, "When I was chatting with Yang Suwen and Liu Qiaorong just now, their reverence for you, their elder brother, was practically divine. You're such a big shot now, our threshold has been raised so high that we're embarrassed to even come over for such a small matter."

"I'm sorry to have come?"

Li Ye was taken aback, and then suddenly realized what was going on.

In his past life, he knew that the bond between friends was not infinite; even the best of brothers and the deepest of feelings would eventually run out.

This situation becomes increasingly apparent as your friend's status rises. If you have a friend in a high position of power, they might be able to solve your problems with a single word, but you should never ask them for help with every little thing.

Because the "favor" between you and him may only last for one time, and once it's used up, it's gone.

At that time, Li Ye deeply agreed with this seemingly "inhuman" theory, but he never expected that he would eventually become the one who "cautiously consumed" resources.

Over the years, Li Ye has promoted people like Jin Peng, Hao Jian, Li Dayong, and Wang Jianqiang to very high positions, and the "favors" he has given them during this time are countless.

Do people like Jin Peng usually get harassed by a group of poor relatives?

You will definitely encounter it.

Putting themselves in each other's shoes, they now try their best to solve their own problems when they encounter difficulties, and they will not bother Li Ye unless absolutely necessary.

This is not estrangement, but rather a doubled appreciation.

"Tsk~"

Li Ye pursed his lips, somewhat displeased, and said, "What do you think they're thinking? What kind of relationship do we have? Why are they being so formal?"

"Are you being too formal? Don't you see it as formality?"

Wen Leyu curled her lips and said with disdain, "Let me ask you, you've been with me for more than ten years, how many times have you asked my parents and my older brother for help?"
As my son-in-law, you always try your best not to trouble my parents with anything, so how can Jin Peng and his family feel comfortable asking you for favors?

Li Ye blinked and argued, "That's not right! A few months ago, I even asked Mom for help because of Zhang Chaoxian's matter, and I got my revenge!"

A few months ago, Li Ye's "senior brother" Zhang Chaoxian returned from Lighthouse and sparked a trending topic about Li Ye on the Light Vehicle Company's BBS, which infuriated Li Ye.
So Li Ye used a sledgehammer to crack a nut, reporting the matter to Teacher Ke, a bigwig in the education system, which led to the incident of demanding Zhang Chaoxian return the cost of his trip abroad.

It's fair to say that if we hadn't consulted Teacher Ke, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

However, Wen Leyu shook her head and said, "You were just doing business as usual. My mother follows procedures and doesn't involve personal connections. Besides, the things you asked my parents about before were all mutually beneficial."
Li Ye, actually you're more reserved than anyone else, and you're more unwilling to owe anyone favors than anyone else, not even your mother-in-law and father-in-law. But you're so loyal to them. Nowadays, everyone else is afraid of poor relatives coming to their door, but you're the complete opposite."

Wen Leyu rattled off a whole bunch of things to Li Ye, making Li Ye feel embarrassed. He subconsciously scratched his head and said, "Am I being formal? With our relationship, why would I stand on ceremony?"

Wen Leyu had no choice but to sigh and say, "Relatives shouldn't be too casual with each other, but they also don't need to be so distant."
My brother was complaining to my mom the other day, saying that she treats him like her own son, while he's like an adopted child. Guess what my mom said?
My mom says that you, Li Ye, are the strong, hardworking person who helps build the family, while my brother is just a freeloader who does all the work.

"Pfft~, hahahaha~"

Li Ye didn't know how much truth Wen Leyu's words were, but he still burst into laughter.

However, Wen Leyu also said that relatives should not be too casual with each other. Isn't that what we call "sense of boundaries" decades later?

Therefore, balancing family ties, friendships, and boundaries is indeed a very common and perplexing issue.

. . . . . . . . . .

Two days later, it was the day for Li Juan, the married daughter, to return to her parents' home. According to the customs of Dongshan, if there is a younger brother in the family, the younger brother should go to the older sister's house to call her home, which means that the bride's family cares for their married daughter.

Xiao Youan is Li Juan's younger brother. Although the matter has been kept ambiguous due to policy reasons, Li Juan is now married to Cao Jianqing, so it can no longer be hidden. Therefore, early in the morning, Li Ye took Xiao Youan to pick up Li Juan and take her home.

On the way there, Li Ye noticed that his younger brother was very excited and was muttering to himself.

Li Ye asked with a smile, "You'an, are you acting in a movie? Do you still need to recite lines?"

Li Youan chuckled and said sheepishly, "My mother told me a lot of things yesterday, and I was afraid I'd forget them, so I'm just trying to recall them."

"Hey, Youan, you've got it all wrong. We're here to support your sister today, not to wish her a prosperous year. You don't need to follow any rules, just act tough."

Li Youan is only eight and a half years old this year, and he was a little confused after hearing Li Ye's words.

"Fierce? How fierce?"

"Being fierce means... it means losing your temper at the slightest provocation!"

"what?"

Li Youan blinked and said awkwardly, "But my mother always taught me to be kind to others and to be tolerant in all things."

Li Ye felt both amused and exasperated.

Han Chunmei suffered too much in the first half of her life, which led to problems with her parenting philosophy.

So Li said rudely, "Don't listen to your mother. She's wrong. You should listen to your sister Xiaoying instead!"

"Yes, yes, I'm willing to listen to Sister Xiaoying."

Li Youan nodded repeatedly, then added, "I'm also willing to listen to my eldest brother, my sister-in-law, and my eldest sister."

[Little brother, are you just repeating prayers like a broken record? Are you afraid you won't be able to get your prayers answered?]

The two arrived at Li Juan's house, and Li Ye told Li Youan to knock on the door. Little Youan timidly knocked, but when Cao Jianqing opened the door, all the lines he had been reciting on the way there vanished, and he could only weakly say, "Brother-in-law, Mom asked me to call you and my sister home for dinner."

"Pfft~"

Li Ye couldn't help but laugh.

All along the way, Xiao Youan was told to be fierce, fierce, and fierce again, but now Li Youan looked as if he was afraid that Cao Jianqing would not recognize him as his brother-in-law.

He's clearly the legitimate younger brother, yet he's treated like an illegitimate child; it's truly a tragedy of our times.

However, Cao Jianqing was very close to Li Youan. He quickly took Li Youan's hand, led the two of them into the house, and gave Li Youan a bulging red envelope.

Having spent more time in Hong Kong than on the mainland, Li Youan naturally knew that "lai see" was given by elders to younger generations or by older siblings to younger brothers. After receiving it, the tension on his face immediately dissipated.

As the eldest brother, Li Ye naturally couldn't accept the red envelope; he simply sat on the sofa and enjoyed the tea Cao Jianqing had brewed.

"Big brother, Xiaojuan is packing up and can leave soon."

"Okay, we're not in a hurry,"

Li Ye looked around and asked casually, "Where are your parents staying these days? In a hotel? Since you have time off, I'll have Xiao Juan take them to have a good time in Beijing for a few days."

Cao Jianqing chuckled and said, "My parents went back yesterday. They all have jobs at home. Let's talk about it another time!"

"You went back yesterday? Were you in such a hurry?"

Li Ye felt something was off.

Because in this day and age, Beijing is still a sacred place in the hearts of people from the mainland. How can you rush to leave after coming all this way?

After picking up Li Juan and returning to her grandfather's place, Li Ye learned the truth.

Li Juan found an opportunity to talk to Li Ye and whispered about what happened yesterday.

It turns out that Cao Jianqing's older brother, older sister, parents, and other family members went to Li Juan's home yesterday. They were having a nice family meal together.

However, several of her sisters-in-law and older sisters secretly complained to Li Juan, saying that life back home was not easy, and that some of her colleagues and friends had made a fortune by going into business.

Then Li Juan noticed that her mother-in-law looked unwell and left with her family that afternoon. Li Juan had to ask someone to buy the tickets for her.

Li Juan said hesitantly, "Brother, I think my mother-in-law is angry because of what my sisters-in-law and older sisters said, but I don't think it's worth getting angry about when family members say such things."

Li Ye calmly asked, "What else did they say? Did they ask for your help or anything like that?"

Li Juan shook her head and said, "No, they only said a few words before my mother-in-law scolded them. She said they're all people with salaries, how hard can their lives be? Don't be so envious of others."

"Your mother-in-law is a sensible person."

Li Ye gave a thumbs-up, then asked Li Juan with a smile, "So what do you plan to do? Should you introduce them to ways to make money? Or should you lend them capital?"

Li Juan said somewhat awkwardly, "I was just unsure, that's why I came to ask my older brother."

Li Ye nodded slightly and then said, "There are some people you can help, but there are others you should keep your distance from. You'll have to analyze the specific situation yourself; I can only offer some advice at most."

"You should discuss it with Cao Jianqing first, and then you can say that you're giving some of your savings to his older brother to test the waters. You understand what 'testing the waters' means, right? The amount can't be too much; it should be your combined salaries over the years. If they think it's too little and say you're stingy, then you shouldn't treat him like family anymore."

"Our combined salaries over the years? That probably isn't much."

Li Juan was even more embarrassed.

Although this girl has been frugal since childhood, it is difficult for one person to save enough of their salary to start a business.

Li Ye pointed to his nose: "Back when I had tens of millions, Xiao Ying wanted to start a business, and all she asked me for was a bicycle. People should be content and grateful, you know?"

Back when Li Ying was still in high school, she would go to the market with Han Chunlan on Sundays to practice her business. After she became proficient, she pitifully approached Li Ye to discuss how she could get all the capital from him, requiring only a bicycle and a "self-employment" permit.

So how do Cao Jianqing's sister and sister-in-law compare to Li Ying?
So Li Juan understood immediately.

"I understand, brother. I'll find an opportunity to discuss it with Cao Jianqing, but I feel like he doesn't have his own opinions. He's just a tech guy; he's not as good as me when it comes to family matters!"

"Of course I know he's not as good as you, so you'll be in charge from now on! Xiaojuan, you're a leader now, so if you're really unsure, just treat your relatives like colleagues. You'll find out who's cunning and who's honest with you once you try!"

Li Ye had thoroughly investigated Cao Jianqing, so he trusted the young man rather than his older brother, sister-in-law, and sister.

When Li Juan got married, the Li family had a six-figure dowry on the surface. Li Ye was afraid that Cao Jianqing's sister-in-law and sister would covet this money, so he asked Li Juan to give a small amount of money to test the waters.

If they are content, grateful, and able to start their businesses from small beginnings, then it wouldn't be unreasonable for Li Juan to help them out, based on the principle of "harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things."

But if they are greedy and unrealistically ambitious, then don't blame Li Juan for being ruthless.

Li Ye is very loyal, but also very decisive. Just like Hao Jian, Jin Peng, Wang Jianqiang and others back then, if they had been as dissatisfied as Sanshui during the cooperation, they would never have gotten to where they are today.

The dowry that the Li family gave to Li Juan was meant to give her confidence, not to give outsiders money to squander.

However, after the homecoming banquet ended and Li Ye took the drunken Cao Jianqing home, his younger sister Li Ying came over and "volunteered" to help.

Li Ying chuckled and said, "Big brother, my sister told me about the Cao family's affairs. I figured it wouldn't be good for her, as a new bride, to handle relationships with my brother, sister-in-law, and husband's sister. If she's not careful, she could easily become the bad guy, so I took on this task."

Li Ye chuckled and said, "You took on this job? In what capacity are you dealing with them? Cao Jianqing's sister-in-law?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Li Ying straightened her back, puffed out her small chest, and said arrogantly, "I am, after all, a director and vice president of a multinational corporation. Do I need to deliberately put on airs when dealing with those people who have never done business before?"

Li Ye: "."

Alright! The Li family is full of talented people now; any one of them could hold the fort.

(End of this chapter)