Restarting life by going to the countryside to support medical work

Chapter 696 Accepting Old Age

The news of Jiang Feiyang's arrest and the subsequent fabricated accusations by the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Department could not be concealed and spread rapidly; everyone who needed to know knew.

Compared to yesterday, many more people called Li Yancheng today, and those who called his home directly were all important figures.

However, everyone's story was pretty much the same: first they inquired about the situation, then they went on to the same old story, saying that they must investigate thoroughly, that they must have evidence, and that they couldn't use special means to frame people, and so on.

Almost everyone said that, and Li Yancheng was so tired of hearing it that he was practically sick of it.

"Jingle Bell"

I had barely hung up the phone for two minutes when it rang again.

"Answer it quickly."

Luo Min reached out and pushed her husband, who was resting his head on her lap and not moving, saying, "Li Hua, Xiu Rong, and I made plans to go shopping. It's almost time. You can stay home by yourself and take care of dinner yourself."

"Hey, you guys don't bring your families when you go out to eat?"

"No, answer the phone now."

Luo Min used both hands to lift her man's head, supporting his back to help him sit up, and then she quickly stood up from the sofa.

Li Yancheng didn't intend to lie down again. After being helped up, he answered the phone, but while answering the phone, he didn't forget to glare at his wife to express his dissatisfaction that she went out to eat without taking him.

"Hey"

That single word was laced with impatience.

"What's wrong? Are you tired of answering the phone?"

His father-in-law's voice came through the receiver.

"Uh... Dad, I'm so sorry, I wasn't targeting you."

"It's okay, I know you're not targeting me. I tried calling several times but the line was busy. So, what kind of people were they?"

Hearing her husband call her "Dad," Luo Min, who had already reached the stairwell and was about to go upstairs to change her clothes, stopped and turned around.

Seeing his wife looking over, Li Yancheng waved his hand, signaling her to go about her business, and then spoke into the phone.

"They are all people involved in the case."

He wasn't surprised that his father-in-law knew about the case.

"Two of them are among the people the kid we arrested confessed to helping him. Whether they are as he said or not still needs to be investigated."

When asked by his father-in-law, Li Yancheng gave a brief explanation, without mentioning the names of the two men, and Old Luo did not press him further.

"Is there any pressure?"

"There is definitely pressure, but it's nothing. The kid we caught already has three confirmed deaths on his hands. Anyone who dares to speak up for him now is asking for death."

"Well, as long as you can hold on, that's fine. If you really can't hold on, just tell me, and I'll want to see who it is." Old Master Luo never hesitated to offer help to this son-in-law he liked very much.

However, over the years, this request for help has never occurred, which the old man finds quite regrettable.

"Don't worry, Dad, you're my biggest support. If anything happens, I'll definitely run over to you and cling to your leg the moment I need to."

"Hahaha, you rascal!" The old man laughed heartily on the phone.

After the laughter stopped, the old man's tone became serious.

"Dacheng, Director Duan from your city called me last night."

As expected, it was about this matter. Li Yancheng on the other end of the phone unconsciously sat up straight. He didn't say anything, quietly waiting for his father-in-law to continue.

"Your Director Duan told me that he has spoken with you and wants you to take over Director Che's position next year?"

“The day before yesterday afternoon, when I went to the city organization to report the case to Director Duan, he mentioned it to me and asked for my opinion, but I didn’t say anything.”

"Alright, now tell me, what are your thoughts?"

Although the father-in-law and son-in-law had previously discussed Li Yancheng's next work plans, they still needed to be cautious when the time came.

"Dad, if it's really possible, I'm willing to go and give it a try."

In front of his father-in-law, Li Yancheng did not hide his true thoughts and expressed his opinions very clearly.

"Okay, I understand," Grandpa Luo said softly on the other end of the phone.

"Dacheng, you don't need to think so much. Just do your job well. Only when you do your job well can you talk about other things."

"I understand, Dad."

"Yes, you're still very reliable. By the way, if you're not too busy with work these days, try to visit those old guys, check on their health, and give them my regards."

It's so hot in Beijing. I heard the health bureau suggested they go north to escape the heat, but they're unwilling to move. Since they're unwilling, you should put in more effort to help them.

Li Yancheng understood what his father-in-law meant and readily agreed, as taking care of those elderly comrades in Beijing was simply his job.

He has an expert title with the Health Bureau, but he wasn't assigned many tasks. His main duties were the daily health care of a few retired seniors in Beijing, as well as those still in office at the same level as his father-in-law.

These people usually have dedicated healthcare personnel around them, so he only needs to visit them once a month.

"Okay, Dad, I was planning to go for a walk in the next couple of days too."

"That's good. Da Cheng, has Yangzi contacted you during this time?"

When his father-in-law asked about Luo Yang, Li Yancheng smiled silently.

Like any father, his love for his children was silent and unassuming. He cared about his second son, but never took the initiative to call and ask about his situation.

Every time Luo Yang called home, everything was normal when he was talking to his mother, but as soon as she answered the phone, it would instantly turn into a work report.

After a long day at work, who wants to come home and talk about work, especially with their boss? It's just too stressful.

So, gradually, Luo Yang started calling home whenever his father wasn't home.

The old man was very frustrated. He wanted to talk to his children properly, ask about their lives, and chat about everyday things, but every time he tried to express his concern, it would turn into work-related matters. His eldest son was alright because he was in the military, and work-related matters were highly confidential, so the old man wouldn't ask him anything. But his other children were in a much worse situation.

The first to be affected is Luo Yang, but he is now far from the emperor and can hide. Next are Luo Ting and her husband Guo Songshan.

The eldest son-in-law of the Luo family now works at the Municipal Light Industry Bureau. His position is not high; he is just a deputy director. Every time he comes to the Luo family with Luo Ting, if the old man is home, he will ask him about his work in great detail, which makes Guo Songshan very uncomfortable. He is even afraid to go to his wife's family home.

Luo Ting didn't like going back either. She was annoyed by her father's constant questioning about her work, but her parents were getting old, and she wanted to go back and spend more time with them when she had free time.

After having her own children, especially now that both of them are grown up, she realized how immature she had been back then, causing her parents a lot of worry.

Fortunately, the man she found was quite good.

Faced with the old man's unusual concern, the two people who didn't care the most were Luo Min and Li Yancheng.

Every time Luo Min goes back to her parents' home, you ask her about it, and she casually says it needs to be kept secret, which shuts her up.

The old man was so angry he was at his wits' end. Fortunately, his youngest son-in-law understood him best. Whenever he went back, he would take the initiative to talk to him about work, policies, his views on some recent events, and his thoughts on the future.

Once he reaches his position, he must have his own insights into his work and the policies set by his superiors, and he can no longer simply follow the crowd or parrot others' opinions.

The key point is to have a broad perspective; you can't just focus on your immediate surroundings, you need to consider the overall picture.

After all, he is now a member of the leadership team of the Public Security Headquarters and has become a policy maker for a certain professional policy, not just a simple executor.

This puts his overall perspective to the test even more.

Li Yancheng was aware of his weakness, which was that his grasp of the overall situation was far from sufficient. Therefore, he liked to chat with his father-in-law and other veteran comrades, listen to their opinions on various matters, and draw on their knowledge to broaden his horizons.

Old Luo was extremely satisfied with his young son-in-law, but he also had some regrets, namely that such a promising young man did not bear the surname Luo.

Although a son-in-law is said to be half a son, he is still only half a son, especially since the Luo family already has a son.

This is a traditional mindset of the older generation, and even someone as strong as Mr. Luo cannot escape it.

It was precisely because of the influence of this traditional concept that the Cheng family tried every means to make him, the eldest son of the current head of the family, acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan.

However, Grandpa Luo took care of him impartially, without hiding anything from him just because he was his son-in-law. He also devoted himself to teaching him and put a lot of thought into his future.

Li Yancheng understands fathers like Luo Lao very well, because he was the same in his previous life. He wanted to be close to his children, but he was clumsy and didn't know how to express it. He could only show his fatherly love by caring about their work and hoping to pass on his life experience to his children so that they could avoid some detours in the future.

Constantly telling children what they can and cannot do, replacing kindness with strictness, and being overly reserved.

They may seem dismissive of their child's achievements at work, only reminding them not to be arrogant and to keep up the good work. But in reality, they show a gratified smile when no one is watching, especially when they hear outsiders praising their child; their faces light up with joy.

Upon hearing his father-in-law inquire about Luo Yang's situation, Li Yancheng grinned. He knew what the old man wanted to hear, so he spoke.

“We spoke on the phone just two days ago. He’s doing well, but his role is different now. He’s involved with both the organization and the government, so he’s quite busy with work.”

"Dacheng, Yangzi doesn't like my nagging. You two are good friends, so when you have free time, call him often to see if he's encountered any difficulties over there and if he needs any help. Tell him to be down-to-earth at work, avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and not get cocky after achieving a little success."

"I know, Dad. We call each other every few days. Yangzi is very steady and reliable. Don't you know your son?"

"Sigh, it is precisely because I understand that I am worried. That side is the front line of the pilot project, and every move there has great implications. I hope he can do a good job and do his best."

It can help identify potential problems in reforms and find effective solutions, but I'm also worried...sigh!

“Dad, Yangzi and his team are just feeling their way across the river, so it’s normal for problems to arise. You don’t need to worry too much.”

Regarding the economic zone, the higher authorities both hope to discover problems and fear the emergence of them. This added another layer of worry for Old Luo, who was afraid that any problems would affect his youngest son.

“You and Yangzi are close. I usually see that he is willing to listen to what you say, unlike when he talks to me. He is always a bit impatient. Could you keep an eye on him for me? He is still a bit rash in everything he does.”

"Hehe, Dad, Yangzi is already capable of handling things on his own. Don't look at him with old eyes. As for you saying I should keep an eye on him, that's definitely no problem. But to ask me to provide him with any experience, you're giving me too much credit."

For so many years, I've always worked in line-specific jobs, which are highly specialized, and I have no experience in governing local areas. Yangzi is different; he has accumulated far more experience in this area than I have over the years.

If I ever manage to leave the public security system, even to join the supervisory commission, it will be after I learn from his experience.

Old Luo probably didn't have anything to do today, because the phone call lasted a long time, a full hour before he hung up.

After Li Yancheng hung up the phone, he realized that his wife had gone out sometime earlier, and apart from the driver who lived in the front yard, he was all alone at home.

Stepping out of the house and standing under the eaves, he lit a cigarette, and the scene of his father-in-law rambling on the phone earlier resurfaced in his mind.

I'm getting old!

Despite his meticulous care, Mr. Luo's body functions quite well, but he is still an elderly man nearing eighty.

I'm retiring next year.

The old man originally wanted to retire last year, but the organization, for some reason, allowed him to work for another two years. It was agreed at the time that he would retire next year.

From the phone call just now, Li Yancheng could clearly feel that his father-in-law had aged, and even his mentality was completely different from last year. Has this old man, who has been so influential all his life, finally started to accept his age?
Thinking of this, he turned around and pulled the door shut, then stepped into the front yard. As soon as he crossed the hanging flower gate, he called out.

"Qihua..."

"arrive"

Upon hearing the leader's summons, Wang Qihua, who was listening to the radio inside the room, rushed out.

"Prepare the car"

"Yes"

After saying that, Li Yancheng walked towards the front gate. He planned to visit the Luo family and have a chat with his father-in-law in person.

He wasn't sure if something had happened to make the old man's mentality age so quickly. He could accept getting old, but he couldn't let his heart age along with him.

For older people, changes in mindset can affect various parts of their bodies.

Regardless of his motives, Li Yancheng hoped that his father-in-law would live to be a hundred years old.

Wang Qihua returned to the house, turned off the radio, closed the door, and ran after them.

(End of this chapter)