Hear this life

That night, as soon as Wen Tingli finished work, she went to Zou Mansion to find Principal Zou.

Ah Xi greeted Wen Tingli warmly: "What a coincidence, the principal is out visiting a friend, but she should be back soon. Miss Wen, please take a seat first, I'll make you some tea."

Wen Tingli responded with a smile and handed the fruit basket she brought to Ah Xi. As soon as she sat down, she saw an invitation on the coffee table, which seemed to have been newly delivered.

Dear Ms. Zou Zheping:

Our subsidiary 'Dasheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.' plans to hold an opening party this Friday night at Lu Mansion, No. 70 Fenglin Road. We will prepare delicious food and wine and look forward to Ms. Zou's arrival.

Respectfully submitted by Lu Shicheng (Shouqian).

Wen Tingli was a little surprised. She had heard from Principal Zou that Lu Shicheng's mother, Ms. Xi, studied pharmacy in the UK in her early years. She chose this major because her father died of tuberculosis. At that time, China's medical conditions were extremely backward, and even patients from wealthy families could not receive effective treatment.

Ms. Xi witnessed the painful circumstances surrounding her father's death and was determined to start a pharmaceutical industry to revitalize her country.

Unfortunately, before she could realize this ambition, Ms. Xi and her husband were both murdered in Southeast Asia.

Dasheng Pharmaceutical - Wen Tingli chewed on the name secretly. This was obviously a name full of profound meaning.

The word "Da Sheng" is taken from the sentence "The great virtue of heaven and earth is life" in the Book of Changes.

Was it Ms. Xi who chose it, or was it Lu Shicheng who chose it? She was inexplicably shocked. Lu Shicheng was only four years old when his mother was murdered, but he seemed to have never forgotten his mother's last wish over the years.

She couldn't help but pick up the invitation and take a closer look. It was obviously so light, but it felt inexplicably heavy.

When it was twelve o'clock, Principal Zou still hadn't returned home. Ah Xi said, "Maybe he was held up by something. Why don't you come back tomorrow, Miss Wen? Principal Zou will attend Mr. Lu's opening party tomorrow night, so she will definitely come home. I will tell her that you were here then."

As they were unable to rent an outdoor location and there were other arrangements in the studio, the production of "The Lady Detective" had to be suspended for a day the next day.

This gave Wen Tingli an opportunity to take advantage of. She had no classes in the morning, and her drama teacher in the department took a sudden leave in the afternoon. In addition, because of the rehearsal, the company did not arrange any other activities for her, which meant that she had a whole day to rest, so she simply slept comfortably at home.

When she was sleeping soundly, she felt a faint itch on her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xiao Taozi's soft and tender face. She smiled and dragged her sister into the quilt: "Awoo, awoo! The big tiger is here to catch the child!"

Xiao Taozi twisted and turned in her quilt with joy, giggling. After playing for a while, she came out and looked at the clock. It was almost eleven o'clock. While she was washing up, Principal Zou called.

"Tingli, I just learned that you were here last night. An old friend of mine had a stomachache last night and had to be sent to the hospital overnight. I am still in the hospital with her. Is there anything urgent for you?"

Wen Tingli said hurriedly: "Sorry to bother you..."

After hearing the whole story, Principal Zou agreed readily, "No problem. Why don't we shoot this weekend? The students are on vacation and there will be less interference from all sides. It's best to tell Shicheng in advance. As long as he nods, the school board won't say anything. I'll ask Shicheng where he is now, and you can go directly to him to sign later."

After a while, Principal Zou called again.

"Shicheng should have gone to the new pharmaceutical factory in Zhabei. Kuang Zhilin is not in the office now. Why don't I give you his phone number first? When Kuang Zhilin comes back, you can ask him where Shicheng is."

Wen Tingli thanked him again and again. In fact, she knew Kuang Zhilin's office phone number, but she didn't want to let Principal Zou down, so while answering the phone, she pretended to take out a pen and write down the number on a piece of paper.

As soon as she hung up, Xiao Taozi snatched the paper from Wen Tingli's hand and read out the number in a childish voice.

"3-5-9-0!"

Xiao Taozi is about to turn four years old. At the beginning of this spring, Wen Tingli sent her sister to the kindergarten affiliated to the Commercial Press. Due to limited enrollment places, she asked for help from Mrs. Pan of Yuanmeng Company. It seems that the effort was not in vain. After one month of enrollment, Xiao Taozi has learned a lot of new skills.

"Dial the phone and find someone." As she said that, Xiao Taozi excitedly climbed onto the sofa, tiptoed to pick up the receiver, and just like her sister just now, she half twisted her body to make a call, occasionally pursing her lips and smiling. Her expression was exactly the same as Wen Tingli's.

Wen Tingli and Zhou Sao were so amused that they bent forward and backward. As they laughed, Wen Tingli's expression froze. Xiao Taozi was actually dialing a number seriously. She was so scared that she snatched the phone away.

Xiao Taozi raised her hand blankly: "Xiao Taozi will help sister fight."

"I won't hit you anymore." Wen Tingli kissed her sister on the face. Why bother looking for Kuang Zhilin again? Principal Zou had already spoken anyway. She decided to go directly to the opening party of Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory tonight to ask for Principal Zou's signature.

It was a rare day that she had some free time, so she decided to spend some time with her sister. After lunch, she took Xiao Taozi out to buy things. Along the way, Xiao Tao was chattering with great joy, and the new driver, Lao Li, in the front seat was often amused and smiled.

They went to a children's bookstore on Xinmin Road to pick out books. Wen Tingli put on western sunglasses and a headscarf as usual before going out, and she was holding a child in her hands, so she was not recognized when she walked into the store.

She first bought a few newspapers to read. As expected, the front pages of both major and tabloid newspapers were filled with news about the opening of Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory, a subsidiary of the Lu family. It seemed that this news had caused quite a stir in the Shanghai industrial community.

A few students were talking in front of the newspaper stand: "Great! Foreign businessmen are so rampant in our city, there should be more powerful patriotic companies like this to compete with those foreigners. The Lu family is really tight-lipped. There was no news of such a big event beforehand."

"I heard that this Mr. Lu is different from the previous Mr. Lu San. He is very low-key and cautious. By the way, do you know which guests the Lu family has invited this time?"

"I don't know, but it's not you and me." Several students laughed and left with the newspapers.

Xiao Taozi was in a period of craze for learning to read. She wanted to read every book she saw in the store. No matter which book her sister liked, Wen Tingli would buy it. Soon, she had a pile of books in her hands.

After coming out, Wen Tingli took Xiao Taozi to the tailor shop to make new clothes. She made five new sets of clothes in one go and bought two pieces of high-quality fabric for Mrs. Zhou.

After buying these things, Wen Tingli felt indescribably satisfied. Ever since the incident at home, she had to be frugal no matter what she bought. Unlike now, she is the master of her own world.

Whatever Xiao Taozi likes, she can buy it on the spot.

She had just calculated a few days ago that the income from the past two months alone was more than the income from her family's tailor shop in the past two years.

She no longer had to worry about having no food to eat at home, and she could buy Xiao Taozi the new clothes and toys she liked.

She knew that her current behavior was a bit like what people called a "nouveau riche", but after all, she earned every penny herself, so she could arrange her life however she pleased.

After leaving the tailor shop, Wen Tingli took Xiao Taozi to a foreign company to buy toys. As soon as they entered the store, she asked the clerk to bring out several sets of high-end toys that were most popular among children recently.

"Are these all Little Peach's?" Little Peach jumped up and down with excitement.

Wen Tingli tapped Xiao Taozi's nose: "Yes."

When I was checking out, I was told that a gentleman had already paid the bill. When I turned around, I saw an acquaintance behind me.

"Mr. Meng?!"

Meng Qiguang looked at Xiao Taozi: "I guess this must be Miss Xiao Wen?"

When Xiao Taozi saw this smiling young uncle for the first time, she couldn't help being a little dazed.

Wen Tingli taught Xiao Taozi: "Call Mr. Meng quickly." She looked behind Meng Qiguang curiously and asked in a low voice, "How did Mr. Meng recognize that it was me?"

Meng Qiguang pointed at Lao Li standing by the road outside the window and said, "I saw you two sisters outside the tailor shop. I didn't recognize you, but I recognized Lao Li, the driver of your company. He used to be Huang Yuanshan's driver."

In other words, all her extravagant purchases along the way were seen by Meng Qiguang. Wen Tingli coughed and tried to return the money to him. "How much did these toys cost Mr. Meng?"

Meng Qiguang looked at her with a strange look: "It's just a small amount of money, why bother to calculate it. If you don't want me to shout out that you are the big star Miss Wen on the spot, then take your money back."

Although he said this in a smiling tone, he didn't look like he was joking. Wen Tingli had to take the money back for the time being. The three of them left the store. Meng Qiguang squatted down and looked at Xiao Taozi: "So your name is Xiao Taozi? Do you want to eat something?"

Wen Tingli said no, but Xiao Taozi had been walking for such a long time and was already thirsty. She looked at the coffee shop over there with shining eyes, and then raised her head to look at her sister inquiringly. Meng Qiguang smiled and said, "How can a little kid go out to play without eating something delicious? Let's go."

After entering the cafe, Meng Qiguang ordered two ice creams for the two sisters, but only ordered a cup of black coffee for himself. Seeing Xiao Taozi curiously identifying the sign in the store, he patiently taught Xiao Taozi to read: "This is called rainbow snow."

Xiao Taozi was learning well. Meng Qiguang touched Xiao Taozi's head and looked at Wen Tingli calmly: "I haven't congratulated Miss Wen for such an impressive achievement yet."

Wen Tingli poked the cream in the cup with a silver spoon: "Mr. Meng, why are you walking on the empty street today?"

"A friend from another city has just got his first baby girl. Since there is no department store in his area, he wrote to me and asked me to buy some toys for the baby and send them to him."

He looked at the newspaper in Wen Tingli's hand and asked casually, "Why, are you going to the Lu family's dinner party tonight?"

Wen Tingli was worrying about this, and the conversation between those students in the bookstore reminded her that in order to attend the banquet, she first had to have an admission ticket.

I wanted to contact Principal Zou, but she didn't even know which hospital her old lady was in with her friend.

Suddenly, Meng Qiguang hit the nail on the head. She pretended to be confused: "Lu family party? Was it mentioned in the newspaper? I haven't had time to read it yet."

"Do you want to go?" Meng Qiguang took out a post from his arms and threw it to her. "I just happened to have an extra invitation, I'll give it to you."

Wen Tingli did not answer, but asked with a smile: "Why is Mr. Meng so enthusiastic today?"

"It's just a favor." Meng Qiguang looked out the window lazily, "I was counting on you to help me keep an eye on Baoxin's movements, so this can be considered a gift to you. There are many distinguished people in the Lu family tonight, and you are developing so well now, you should make more connections. If you don't go, I'll feel sorry for you."

Wen Tingli thought to herself that tomorrow was the weekend, and if she couldn't get Principal Zou's signature tonight, the location shooting would have to be postponed. With this thought, she decisively took the post and thanked him generously: "Okay, then I'll go join in the fun."

After coming out of the cafe, Wen Tingli said to Xiao Taozi on the street: "See you again, Mr. Meng." Meng Qiguang did not mean to leave: "I have something to remind you, Qiu Dapeng is not dead, Gang Leader Cao secretly sent him to Beiping to recuperate."

He still spoke in that nonchalant tone, but Wen Tingli felt as if she had heard a thunderclap.

Recently, she bought newspapers every day to read, just to see the White Dragon Gang officially release the news of Qiu Dapeng's death.

I didn't expect to hear any related news after that.

No! How could Qiu Dapeng not be dead?! That night, she and Lu Shicheng hit him in at least seven or eight vital points.

"I heard that the Qiu family has a strange bone structure and the position of their heart is different from that of ordinary people. When the accident happened, Gang Leader Cao hired the best surgeon, so - Lu Shicheng learned the news and had people search the city for the whereabouts of the Qiu father and son. In order to protect the two, Gang Leader Cao used all the strength of the gang to secretly send the Qiu father and son to Peking. After this incident, the White Dragon Gang and the Lu family officially broke off relations. Now Gang Leader Cao is very unhappy, but he can't bring himself to make peace with Lu Shicheng. After all, Qiu Dapeng was trusted by Gang Leader Cao before. Giving up protecting his confidant in order to please the Lu family will only make the brothers in the gang look down on him."

What made Wen Tingli even more uneasy was Meng Qiguang's next words: "You were also involved in what happened that night, right?"

"what?"

The surprised expression on her face was flawless. Meng Qiguang looked at her with interest and said, "I think you may not know that the night the two young ladies of the Yan family in Ningbo lured you to shoot the commercial, I also happened to go to Fulin Company."
This time, Wen Tingli's expression really changed, but she immediately smiled bitterly and said, "I really don't understand what Mr. Meng is talking about."

Meng Qiguang was silent for a while, then nodded and said, "Miss Wen always has a way, so I have nothing to say."

When she got home, the first thing Wen Tingli did was to call Li Chengying.

Li Chengying was greatly surprised: "Where did you hear this news?"

"Meng Qiguang."

Li Chengying was silent for a moment: "This man has connections in both the black and white worlds. This news is probably true. I will notify Beiping immediately. As long as we can find the place where Qiu Dapeng is recuperating, we will get rid of him immediately."

Wen Tingli was slightly relieved, and Li Chengying said, "By the way, there is one more thing I need to confirm with you. Are you going to the Lu family tonight for the dinner?"

Wen Tingli hummed.

"You should be more alert and bring your gun with you. There has been something wrong with Mr. Lu Sanye in Peking recently. I guess he probably heard about the Lu family opening a new pharmaceutical factory and wanted to go back to Shanghai to join in the fun. Given his usual style, he might do something at tonight's banquet."

Wen Tingli was startled: "I understand."

***
Zhabei, Dasheng Pharmaceutical Factory, a brand new office.

The room was quiet and bright. In the corner against the wall stood a wooden staircase and two large photo frames.

Lu Shicheng threw his coat onto the back of the chair, rolled up the cuffs of his white shirt, climbed up the tall wooden stairs, and said to the deputy manager at the bottom, "Hand me the photo frame."

The deputy manager advised: "Mr. Lu, this matter should be left to——"

"Give it to me." Lu Shicheng said in a firm tone.

At this time, Kuang Zhilin came in. Seeing this, he waved his hand to let the deputy manager go down. He walked forward, raised one of the photo frames and handed it to Lu Shicheng.

Lu Shicheng carefully aligned the photo with the mark on the wall.

Soon, both photos were hung.

Kuang Zhilin looked up from below, feeling a little dazed for a moment.

The Mr. and Mrs. Lu in the photo were so young and lively. In an instant, he seemed to be back in Nanyang. His eyes were filled with lush green trees, and there was a strange tropical scent floating in the air. The Lu Mansion was shrouded in the scorching sun, and the magnificent white building. He came to express his gratitude with his sister who had just recovered from a serious illness.

That was their first official meeting. The young couple in the photo came over to greet him enthusiastically: "Hello, Mr. Kuang!"

These two people are in their prime and treat others so sincerely.

Just like the morning sunshine in the south, it is unforgettable.

In a blink of an eye, both of them have been gone for more than ten years.

Now it seems that the father and son are indeed not very similar. Master Cheng is just like his mother. He is a kind of handsomeness that is unforgettable and can be called stunning.

People often say that all the men in the Lu family are handsome. To be precise, this statement really refers to the uncle and nephew Mr. Lu and Mr. Cheng.

However, Mr. Lu's eyebrows and eyes are very similar to his mother's, and his nose and mouth are exactly the same as the old grandfather's, while Mr. Cheng has inherited his mother's appearance in its entirety.

Kuang Zhilin still can't forget the appearance of Mr. Lu Sanye's biological mother.

The local woman named Abaya was the most beautiful Nanyang woman he had ever seen. Her dark complexion, slim figure, and lively facial features combined together created a beauty that was bewitching.

That year, Old Master Lu was forty years old, and Abaya was only twenty years old. She was the daughter of a local translator, extremely smart and humorous, and could speak fluent Chinese.

As soon as Old Master Lu saw her, he was like a possessed person. In order to please her, he built a manor for her, bought her a lot of treasures, took her to Europe for fun, and even hired a tutor to teach her French and ballroom dancing.

In a fit of anger, Mrs. Lu moved to another house, and the couple broke up. In the following ten years, the only one who accompanied Mrs. Lu was her eldest son Lu Keding.

After that, Old Master Lu never let Abaya leave his side until she died of illness.

After Abaya left, Old Master Lu transferred his thoughts about her to his two illegitimate sons. It was precisely because of this undisguised preference that the ambitions of Second Master Lu and Third Master Lu grew day by day, leading to the tragedy in the future.

To this day, Mr. Lu San is still fearless. He probably knows better than anyone that no matter how angry his father is, he will never truly abandon him because of his deceased mother.

To kill Mr. Lu San, we have to get rid of Mr. Lu as well.

But if Young Master Cheng does not even let his own grandfather go, the Lu family will inevitably regard him as a cruel and ruthless person, and their trust and reliance on him will be shaken.

Thinking of this, Kuang Zhilin couldn't help but sigh at Lu Shicheng's back. Being the head of a family is not an easy job.

Suddenly, Lu Shicheng asked from above: "Is it hung up?"

Kuang Zhilin quickly stepped back, looked at the two photos for a moment, nodded solemnly and said, "Very good, exactly the same."

Lu Shicheng also went downstairs and looked at the photo frame from left to right. He looked back and forth several times and dusted off his hands. "Uncle Kuang hasn't eaten yet, I'll ask them to bring lunch over."

However, Kuang Zhilin turned around with a sullen face and closed the door.

Lu Shicheng's eyes moved slightly: "Did you find out who it is?"

Kuang Zhilin shook his head: "I only know that she is a woman. She has been dormant in Shanghai for quite a long time. I don't know anything else. In my opinion, she is probably like Miss Zhu Zihe last time, a young lady with both talent and beauty. It's hard for our Mr. Lu San. I don't know where he found these people."

Lu Shicheng picked up the guest invitation on the table, leaned back on the sofa, checked the names one by one, and looked thoughtful: "If I were him, I would definitely arrange the most unexpected person."

"Master, do you suspect this guy is among the guests tonight? But most of the people on the list are celebrities in the political and business circles. There is really no need to offend Master Cheng for Lu Kejian, a stray dog. How about focusing the investigation on those uninvited guests? I'll ask Manager Xu to keep an eye on them. If any friends not on the list show up tonight, let them notify us immediately."

Lu Shicheng groaned: "I'll think about it carefully."

At this time, someone came in to report: "Mr. Gao is here."

Before the newcomer from Gaoting arrived, a laugh floated in: "Shouqian, don't blame me for being presumptuous. I am impatient and can't wait to visit your new factory."

Lu Shicheng ordered the deputy manager: "Make tea for Mr. Gao."

After a while of touring, Gao Tingxin sat down with great enthusiasm and talked about business: "I came here today, firstly to congratulate you, and secondly, to ask about the construction of a new amusement park. You have also read the planning documents. Are you interested in joining us?"

Lu Shicheng smiled apologetically: "I have been busy with too many things recently, and I haven't had time to read it."

Gao Tingxin said hurriedly, "Don't worry, don't worry. You have always been more thoughtful than others. We will be very patient this time. After all, you are the shareholder we want to win over the most."

"us?"

"Qi Guang and I." Gao Tingxin laughed, "I wanted to ask Qi Guang to come see you, but he wasn't at home. But things in the world are so coincidental. I just drove past Guba Road and happened to see him and Miss Wen walking on the street. With such a beautiful woman by his side, no wonder he even put his business aside."

Lu Shicheng paused while holding the tea.

"Could I have seen it wrong?" Kuang Zhilin hurriedly laughed, "Miss Wen is now a big star that everyone knows. It's impossible for her to walk on the street openly with a man."

Gao Tingxin waved his hands. "No doubt about it. Wen Tingli was afraid that people would recognize her, so she wrapped a lot of things on her head, but she was holding her sister's hand. When we had dinner at Dahuchun, Wen Tingli brought her sister with her, so I recognized this little girl at first sight. The two of them probably just came out of the cafe after eating ice cream, and were talking affectionately on the street corner. Her sister was holding a lot of toys in her arms."

As he was talking, he suddenly noticed that Lu Shicheng had not responded. After thinking for a while, he was startled and quickly changed the subject: "Hey, have you heard about the big news about Maoxing Shipyard?"

(End of this chapter)