Nominal: Starting with an entrance exam for a PhD in Economics at Peking University

He Shihong's face remained dark, his gaze seemingly fixed on the gray scarf around Qi Tongwei's neck, ignoring the shrimp his daughter offered to his mouth.

Undeterred, He Xuan moved even closer, almost pleading, "Daddy, please eat, it smells delicious!"

He Shihong's expression finally softened a little, with a hint of reluctance and helplessness towards his daughter, as he opened his mouth and took the shrimp.

Qi Tongwei quickly seized the opportunity and respectfully greeted, "Hello, Uncle, I am Qi Tongwei. I'm here to bother you today."

He Shihong slowly chewed the shrimp, finally shifting his gaze from Qi Tongwei's neck to his face, looking him up and down before giving a barely perceptible nod in response.

He Xian wiped his hands with a tissue, frowning slightly as if he was enduring something. He glanced at the scarf around Qi Tongwei's neck and immediately understood.

She hopped back to her bedroom like a little rabbit and quickly took out another scarf.

This is a black wool scarf, with stitches that are noticeably more even and denser than the one around Qi Tongwei's neck, and the style is also simpler and more elegant.

She walked up to He Shihong, slipped the scarf around his neck without a word, then stepped back two paces, looked him up and down like a little tailor, and nodded with satisfaction: "Look, this is a new scarf I knitted for you! It's much nicer than your senior brother's, isn't it? And it suits your style much better!"

Qi Tongwei finally understood—his future father-in-law's "death stare" was because he was jealous of the "first version" scarf his daughter had knitted by hand!

This jealousy is... kind of cute, but it made him break out in a slight sweat.

He Shihong felt the soft touch on his neck, and then looked at his daughter's slightly smug and cautious expression. Finally, he sighed, pointed to the single sofa next to him, and said to Qi Tongwei, "Sit down."

Qi Tongwei sat down as instructed, maintaining an upright posture, only touching the very edge of the sofa.

After sitting down, Qi Tongwei took out the prepared gift and handed the bottle of Moutai liquor in a brocade box to He Shihong with both hands: "Uncle He, I heard that you like to taste wine, so I brought you a bottle of Moutai that has been aged for ten years. I hope you will like it."

He Xuan exclaimed softly from the side, "Wow, this wine must be very expensive!"

He Shihong's gaze was also drawn to the wine bottle. He took it and carefully examined the label and its condition. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and shook his head, saying, "You've only been working for a short time, you don't have any savings. Don't spend money like this. This wine... take it back and return it. If you can't return it, Uncle will help you find someone to resell it. I promise you won't suffer any losses."

Moutai from this vintage is indeed sure to find a market in the eyes of connoisseurs.

Qi Tongwei smiled sincerely: "Uncle, don't worry, it really didn't cost any money. I 'borrowed' this wine from Director Han's study, hehe!"

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Although Han Shen is not here today, his value has been demonstrated.

Upon hearing this, He Shihong's face immediately lit up with barely suppressed joy, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Good, good! This wine... I must try it!" His tone was filled with undisguised delight.

Lin Wanyi, who was standing nearby, brought tea to Qi Tongwei. Hearing this, she couldn't help but smile: "It's been so many years since that happened, you still remember it?"

He Shihong seemed to have been set off by a firecracker, and said in a low voice, "How could I forget? Back then, when I was pursuing you, he relied on marrying my older sister first, and he gave my father-in-law a lot of bad advice behind my back! He set up obstacles at every turn, and the questions were so tricky! I've never had such a hard time writing papers for my professional title evaluation!"

Lin Wanyi glared at him: "What? Is it so hard to marry me? You're not happy about it, are you?"

He Shihong's imposing manner immediately diminished, and he said awkwardly, "That's not true, how could I not be happy... I couldn't ask for more, I couldn't ask for more."

The speed at which he changed his expression amused Qi Tongwei, but he dared not show it.

Just then, Lin Jingyi, who was busy in the kitchen, finished cooking a dish, wiped his hands and came out. When he saw Qi Tongwei, he greeted him warmly: "Little Qi is here! Please sit down, please sit down, don't be shy."

Lin Jingyi and Lin Wanyi look somewhat alike, but Lin Jingyi has a more capable and efficient demeanor. Qi Tongwei quickly stood up and greeted her, "Hello, Auntie, sorry to bother you."

He considered the appropriate term of address, but neither "sister-in-law" nor "aunt" would be suitable, so he ultimately chose the safer "auntie".

Next, he took out two beautifully packaged long boxes from his handbag. Inside were two silk scarves of identical texture and style, but different colors: one was an elegant royal blue, and the other was a soft mauve.

He handed them to Lin Wanyi and Lin Jingyi respectively: "This is a small gift I prepared for you two. I hope you won't find it offensive."

He knew in advance that Lin Jingyi would be there today, so he had to prepare two gifts.

Although you can find out Lin Jingyi's preferences from Han Shen, giving different gifts, even if they are of the same value, may lead to comparisons based on personal tastes and cause unnecessary subtle emotions.

Sending the exact same gift is the safest choice as it shows fairness and thoughtfulness while avoiding comparison.

The Lin sisters took the silk scarves. They were smooth to the touch and elegant in color. They liked them very much. They said, "It's too expensive" and "Don't do this again next time." But they had already started to gesticulate with their hands and happily assigned the colors in a few words.

Lin Wanyi chose mauve, while Lin Jingyi opted for royal blue. They then laughed and went back to the kitchen to continue their work.

He Xuan leaned closer to Qi Tongwei, lowered his voice, and said with a sly smile, "Senior brother, when you 'borrowed' wine from your uncle, didn't you 'borrow' anything else? Like what my mom likes?"

Looking at his daughter, who was "leaky," He Shihong's protectiveness towards his wife momentarily overshadowed his love for his daughter and his "old grudge" against Han Shen. He couldn't help but say, "You little brat, why are you always siding with outsiders? Your mother has spoiled you for nothing!"

He Xuan turned around and said to his father with a straight face, "Where are you going? Brother Qi's money will all be under my control in the future, won't it? I'm just trying to increase our family's income and reduce expenses in advance!"

She paused, then added with a grin, "Besides, Dad, you're actually quite happy to be able to 'beg' from Uncle, aren't you?"

He Shihong remained silent.

He turned his head, changed the subject, and gestured to Qi Tongwei again: "Xiao Qi, sit down, don't stand."

Qi Tongwei sat down again, maintaining his respectful posture.

He Shihong said to He Xuan, "Xiao Xuan, go to the kitchen and help your aunt and mother. Xiao Qi and I will talk about work."

He Xian knew that his father wanted to send him away for a "men's talk." Although he was a little worried, he also understood that they needed to have space to communicate alone.

She obediently agreed, and before leaving, she didn't forget to remind He Shihong, "Dad, you have to have a good chat, and don't you dare bully Senior Brother Qi!"

He Shihong glared at her, and He Xian stuck out her tongue and skipped off to the kitchen.

Only the two of them remained in the living room. He Shihong briefly inquired about Qi Tongwei's work situation, asking very basic questions: whether he was adapting well to the job, whether his superiors were taking care of him, and how his relationships with his colleagues were.

Qi Tongwei answered each question in a calm and straightforward manner, neither exaggerating the difficulties nor boasting about the successes.

After asking these questions, He Shihong remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, his eyes becoming complicated: "Xiao Xuan... she likes you very much, her heart is entirely devoted to you, you... don't let her down."

Qi Tongwei's expression turned serious, and he was about to speak and make a promise.

He Shihong raised his hand to stop him, his tone carrying a fatherly softness mixed with pride and helplessness: "We only have Xiaoxian as our child. When her mother gave birth to her, she suffered a lot. I was heartbroken and under pressure, I never had a second child."

"So she was inevitably spoiled a bit from a young age, which made her sometimes lack perseverance and prone to laziness and procrastination."

His gaze fell again on the gray scarf around Qi Tongwei's neck, and his voice lowered: "The scarf you're wearing now... was originally something she said she would knit for me last year."

Qi Tongwei suddenly realized that He Xian had given him the first scarf that was originally intended for his father.

He suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but didn't know what to say.

He Shihong continued, "Later she said she would knit me a better one, but this girl had a lot of things to do at the elementary school at the end of the year, and she came back complaining of being tired; during the New Year period, she was too busy playing and dragged her feet, and she left it aside after knitting less than half of it."

He changed the subject, but there was no blame in his tone. Instead, there was concern in his voice. "Until a few days ago, when we told her that we wanted to invite you to our house for dinner, she suddenly became like a wind-up toy. She stayed up all night for several days in a row to finish the knitting. Today she finally finished it. You can see that her fingers are red from being pricked by the knitting needles in several places... She was afraid that I would be upset because of this small thing and have a bad impression of you."

Upon hearing this, Qi Tongwei's heart skipped a beat. He had been so focused on dealing with He's father that he hadn't really paid attention to He Xian's hands. Now, recalling the slender fingers she had used to hand him the shrimp, something did seem a little off.

A warm current, a mixture of emotion, pity, and responsibility, instantly flowed through my body.

Just then, Lin Wanyi's voice came from the kitchen: "Old He, dinner's ready! Come help me serve the dishes!"

He Shihong stopped talking, stood up and gently patted Qi Tongwei's shoulder, said nothing more, and turned to go to the kitchen.

The atmosphere at the dinner table that followed was completely different from the initial one.

He Shihong seemed like a different person. He not only frequently served food and drinks to Qi Tongwei, but also took the initiative to start various topics, from current affairs and economics to history and culture. He and Qi Tongwei got along quite well and seemed to have a friendship that transcended age.

The Moutai liquor was also opened, its rich aroma filling the air. He Shihong squinted his eyes as he savored it, repeatedly saying, "Good liquor."

After the meal, seeing that He Shihong was already somewhat drunk and his face was slightly flushed, Qi Tongwei took the opportunity to get up and say goodbye.

He Xuan walked him downstairs, and as they strolled along the quiet campus path, the girl linked her arm with his and asked excitedly and curiously, "Senior, what did you say to Dad? His attitude completely changed afterwards! You're amazing!"

Qi Tongwei stopped and, in the soft light of the streetlamp, looked into her bright eyes. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, saying softly, "Your senior brother isn't that great, it's your father... He loves you enough."

Therefore, he is willing to put aside his initial criticism and "hostility" for your happiness and choices, and try to accept and acknowledge the person you love.

---

On the other side, Lin Jingyi also said goodbye and went home.

Lin Wanyi helped her slightly tipsy husband back to the bedroom to rest. While helping him change his clothes, she asked softly, "I still think of you as a young man? You should drink less. This Xiao Qi is not bad, is he?"

He Shihong closed his eyes and mumbled indistinctly, "So-so...it's alright, I guess."

Lin Wanyi chuckled: "So-so? Then why were you chatting so enthusiastically with them, and you even finished your drinks?"

He Shihong remained silent for a long while. When he spoke again, his voice was soft with a sense of resignation, and even slightly choked with emotion:

"What can I do... My daughter has already set her sights on him, can I really be the bad guy and put her in the middle, torn between the two?"

He sighed, "Tomorrow... I'll call Dad and talk to him. The old man dotes on his granddaughter Xiaoxian the most..."

Lin Wanyi felt both amused and tender as she looked at her husband's reluctant yet forced-to-compromise expression.

She curled her lip, thinking: They're all the same. You think all those "difficulties" my dad caused you back then were all my brother-in-law's ideas? Fool, my brother-in-law was just taking the blame for our dad.

These doting fathers are incredibly protective of their daughters, employing countless methods to win their hearts. But when their daughters are truly determined, they all crumble completely, desperately trying to pave the way for them and afraid that their children might suffer any injustice.

They've all come together.

Chapter 58 Temporary Post

After successfully meeting the parents, Qi Tongwei spent an unprecedented, ordinary yet heartwarming period.

He Xian was like a ray of sunshine without any gloom, completely illuminating his life. She was warm and bright, simple yet opinionated, with the greatest goodwill towards the world, and knew how to appreciate just the right amount of fun.

Qi Tongwei was almost completely immersed in this pure and beautiful feeling of love. He never thought that such a wonderful girl really existed in the world.

Every day spent with her seemed to be filled with sweetness, and even his spare time seemed to be filled with a subtle "pink bubble" of joy.

However, peace is always fleeting.

One morning in early April, Qi Tongwei was processing documents when Han Shen's secretary, Xu Li, came over and invited him to the deputy director's office.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Han Shen got straight to the point: "The ministry recently launched a 'Young Cadre Grassroots Practice and Training Program,' which mainly selects a group of promising young cadres to take up temporary posts in local areas to connect with the local community and develop their skills. The spots are very limited, but I managed to secure one for you. It's a rare opportunity, so get ready."

Qi Tongwei was slightly surprised to hear this: "Director, I've only been with the Economic Commission for ten months, and I'm still quite inexperienced. You must have put in a lot of effort to secure this position, right?"

Han Shen nodded, his tone frank: "Since we said we would train you well, we will naturally fight for the opportunity for you. As long as you don't make mistakes, you will usually be regarded as a key person to be trained when you return from this kind of secondment, and promotion will be a natural thing."

"Thank you for your guidance, Director." Qi Tongwei thanked him first, then asked, "Where is the location for my temporary assignment?"

Han Shen said, "The specific destinations of the others are still being coordinated, but yours has been basically confirmed—Handong Province, Daokou County, as a deputy county head on temporary assignment."

"Handong?" Qi Tongwei's brows furrowed instantly.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Han Shen noticed that his expression was strange.

Now that things had come to this point, and their relationship had become even closer, Qi Tongwei no longer concealed anything and briefly recounted his conflict with the Liang family when he was in the Handong Public Security System, as well as the causes and consequences of his forced departure from Handong.

Previously, when the relationship wasn't close enough, he wouldn't proactively complain to his superiors, as that would only make him seem like a "troublemaker"; now that his personal interests and potential risks are involved, he must be honest.

Han Shen frowned slightly after hearing this, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice: "You kid... are you a 'troublemaker'?"

Qi Tongwei smiled bitterly: "Director, this disaster came out of nowhere. I was forced into this situation."

Han Shen pondered for a moment and said, "This is a bit troublesome. Originally, with your qualifications, you wouldn't have been chosen for this temporary post. I looked at the quota allocated to our Economic Commission, and there were some from Handong Province. Considering that your doctoral dissertation focused on the local economy of Handong, I used that as a reason, emphasizing your in-depth research on Handong, and that you fit the policy inclination of 'exchange of highly educated talents,' to push you up. Now, the local area... I'm afraid it's difficult to change."