Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Li Xiangqian quickly spoke up to remind him.

"Dad, believe me, Uncle Fujun will eventually outmaneuver Feng Shikuan."

Li Dengyun was clearly displeased after hearing this, and he slammed his wine glass down on the table with a thud.

"What do you know?"

Oh no, this dad is headed down a dangerous path.

Li Xiangqian had never been so nervous before.

"Dad, it won't be long..."

As soon as Li Xiangqian spoke, the entire dinner table fell silent. Runye and Liu Zhiying both looked at Li Xiangqian.

Li Dengyun's chopsticks hovered in mid-air, his mouth opened and closed, somewhat annoyed: "What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat?"

"Dad, think about it."

Li Xiangqian spoke calmly and slowly. He knew that simply revealing the plot through cheats wouldn't work; he had to leak information.

"The college entrance examination was reinstated last year. Why? Because the country knew it needed to develop. Development is the only way forward."

Think about the recent personnel changes in the province. These changes are top-down, not bottom-up. The changes have now reached the province level and will soon reach the prefecture and county levels.

Whoever wants to ensure the people have enough to eat, and whoever can ensure the people have enough to eat, will have a political future. Uncle Fujun's promotion is only a matter of time.

After listening, Li Dengyun stared at Li Xiangqian for several seconds.

When did this kid start caring about politics? The old Li Xiangqian knew nothing about anything except driving and chasing after the Tian family girl. Now he's sitting here talking to me about top-down policies, personnel changes, and how development is the only hard truth.

There have indeed been some rumors circulating in the province recently. Some of the original personnel arrangements may be changing. But these are just rumors, and even he, the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee, has only heard bits and pieces of them.

Where did this kid find out?

As Li Dengyun was thinking, he noticed that Runye and Liu Zhiying had turned their gazes to him.

That means, tell us quickly, we also want to know if what he said is right.

"You're just a driver from the transportation department, where did you hear all this?"

Li Dengyun neither confirmed nor denied it, and instead used his usual tactics to torment people, first asking about their motives and origins.

"Sports cars travel a lot, you forgot? I recently took a trip to Beijing?"

Li Xiangqian had no choice but to use his trip to the capital as a shield. The capital was the political center, and ducks were the first to know when the river warmed in spring. In this era, the supply and marketing cooperatives in the capital were probably more informed than the county leaders below.

"Is that what they're saying in the capital too?"

Li Dengyun blurted it out.

Li Xiangqian nodded decisively, "The pace of opening up will be further expanded and accelerated. Now everyone who sells big bowls of tea in Beijing knows that for development, the new cadre team needs to be more knowledgeable, younger, and more professional."

Think about Uncle Fujun. He's young, in his early forties, knowledgeable, a college graduate, and has a professional background in agriculture. These are the kinds of cadres the organization should prioritize promoting.

Li Xiangqian spouted nonsense, half true and half false, which completely baffled Li Dengyun.

Li Dengyun's drunkenness had mostly subsided; he touched his chin, his brows furrowed so tightly they could trap a mosquito.

"Dad, listen to me. We don't have to be reckless, but we absolutely cannot side with Feng Shih-kuan."

Li Xiangqian continued.

Li Dengyun fell silent.

He's been shrewd his whole life, and the core of his shrewdness is avoiding risks. Feng Shih-kuan's side is stable; following them won't lead to mistakes. Although Tian Fu-jun's words make sense, under Miao Kai, even the most correct advice is useless.

According to the information brought by his son, if the information is reliable, Tian Fujun could really rise to great heights. It seems that this marriage was a good match.

"......

After listening, Li Dengyun rolled his eyes at Li Xiangqian and said, "You call that wisdom, putting it so harshly."

"Yes, yes, that's your political wisdom."

Li Xiangqian quickly tried to appease Li Dengyun by labeling him a political expert.

"But times have changed. Think about it, we're related to Uncle Fujun, so we share the same fate. Feng Shikuan needs you now and wants to recruit you, but what about when he doesn't? You won't be able to shake off the label of being Tian Fujun's in-law."

Li Dengyun held his wine glass, his mind in turmoil, but his face still maintained a serious expression as immovable as a mountain.

He was making plans in his mind.

His son's words were a bit harsh, but one point he made hit the nail on the head. His familial relationship with Tian Fujun was a fact, and Feng Shikuan would always remember it. Feng Shikuan hadn't brought it up before because he needed him. But what if he didn't need him anymore?

"Eat your food."

Li Dengyun, with a sullen face, picked up a piece of pork stew with vermicelli and stuffed it into his mouth.

"What do you mean by your father? No matter how stubborn Fu Jun is, he's still Run Ye's second father. Do you think you can teach me how to behave?"

Li Dengyun became defiant.

But Li Xiangqian noticed that his father didn't directly refute him this time. Instead, he said, "Do I need you to teach me?" This was an affirmation tinged with emotion.

"Runye is still a daughter-in-law of the Li family, blood is thicker than water. You think you're so good at spoiling your wife and siding with your mother-in-law? What kind of person do you take your father for?"

Runye...

Is Li Xiangqian on my side? Is he trying to curry favor with me?

She used to believe it.

Now?

Even when he eats a bowl of chicken noodle soup, he speaks in a strange and sarcastic tone.

Runye buried her head in her food.

Listening to Xiang Qian's father, her second uncle's situation in Yuanxi County was indeed not good. She didn't believe Li Xiang Qian's nonsense about the news from the capital; who knows where he learned it from.

The problem is coming.

If she were really transferred to Huangyuan, given Li Xiangqian's current temper and his tendency to spout nonsense, he might just incite his father to fight against his second father.

Runye looked up at Li Xiangqian. There was a black soot on Li Xiangqian's face. The black soot was stuck together with the oily stains, and it was black and yellow. As Li Xiangqian continued to chew, it kept changing shape.

Runye couldn't help but want to laugh.

Seeing Runye's cold and aloof expression, and then looking at Li Xiangqian, Liu Zhiying felt a sudden warmth in her heart. It had been a long time since the family had enjoyed a hearty meal like this.

"Xiangqian, your egg pancake tastes pretty good. How did you make it? Teach your mom."

"It's simple. Once the pork fat has melted, spread the batter on it, crack an egg on top, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and fry until golden brown on both sides."

"Yeah, Mom, this is much better than that porridge he made last time." Runye suddenly spoke up, glanced at Li Xiangqian, and then reached for the egg pancake with her chopsticks.

When Li Xiangqian heard Runye publicly belittle his cooking skills, how could he, as a Cantonese, tolerate it? This was blatant regional discrimination.

"Hey, I wonder who it is that got up in the middle of the night..."

Upon hearing this, Runye immediately panicked, her face flushing red. She slammed her chopsticks against the rim of Li Xiangqian's bowl, "You..."

Liu Zhiying laughed and stuffed a piece of egg pancake into Li Xiangqian's mouth.

"I'm praising you. You've improved; you did better than last time."

Li Dengyun was puzzled. Seeing Liu Zhiying laugh, he laughed twice as well, and then ate another bite of pork stew with vermicelli.

"Old woman, not bad, your skills have improved."