Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

I sobered up all of a sudden. Should I go or not?

Xu Damao was indeed a little conflicted. He wanted to find an excuse to turn it down, but He Lihua hung up the phone so quickly that he didn't have time to react. She just made up her mind and said that dinner was ready.

After much consideration, Xu Damao decided to go for it.

He went to the next door and said, "Wu Lingjuan, my family just called me. There is something going on. I have to leave first. If the factory leader has something to do, please help him or ask for leave."

Without giving Wu Lingjuan a chance to react, he closed the office door, picked up his briefcase, went downstairs and rode away on his bike.

Anyway, it will be time to get off work in more than an hour, and Li Huaide drank a lot at noon, so it probably won’t be a big deal.

When he got home, he said hello to Gu Meifang, picked up a piece of meat, about two pounds, put five or six apples in a net bag, stuffed two bottles of wine and a dried chicken, then got on his bike and went out.

After rushing all the way to the place, I finally realized that I was early: dinner was already in progress.

"Lihua, do you want to make another fried chicken dish? I brought a chicken."

"No, today I have beef stewed with potatoes, steamed dried fish, Chinese cabbage, and pork head. If you want to drink, there are dishes too. The beef and steamed dried fish will take a while, and the staple food is steamed buns, is that okay?"

"Hey, you're really a foodie, your cooking skills are pretty good."

"Well, luckily I know you better, otherwise I would think you are mocking me. I used to be a bitch, so I made myself good at cooking and housework."

Xu Damao was a little embarrassed. "You can't say that. This is also a survival skill. Otherwise, if you always wait for ready-made food, you won't be able to enjoy your appetite. Now it's so good. You can make whatever you want to eat yourself. Right!"

"Xu, thank you for your sincere compliment. Indeed, my cooking skills are pretty good. Almost there, can you help me set the table? If you want to drink, there is Maotai in the wine cabinet, as well as wine, which I brought from home. It would be a waste if I didn't take some, so I brought it here."

Drink if you want to.

He Lihua served the dishes, while Xu Damao set the bowls. I have to say, the cooking skills are quite good, and it is quite interesting just to watch and smell them.

"Xu, if you don't leave today, you can drink more. If you do leave, you can drink less. It's up to you. I won't force you. Eat more food, just as if you were spending the Spring Festival holiday with me."

This statement hit Xu Damao's nerves. It seems that you have the initiative, but you can't take the initiative to choose.

Xu Damao could only eat and watch.

He poured the wine and raised the cup, "Lihua, I'd like to borrow your wine to wish you a happy New Year, a good mood, all your wishes come true, and eternal youth. Come, have one." Xu Damao raised his cup and clinked it with hers, then drank it all in one gulp, "Ah... good wine, it smells really good. This sauce-flavored wine is quite different from the light-flavored Fenjiu. No wonder leaders love to drink Moutai."

"Xu, you are quite knowledgeable about wine, is there anything you don't know?"

Xu Damao filled his glasses with wine, "There is no end to learning, and there is no limit to thinking. In this vast world, there are so many things to learn, and who can say that he is a master of all trades? You said that I have only dabbled in some aspects, such as the identification of porcelain and miscellaneous items mentioned before. I have studied them seriously. For example, I can cook, but I just can. There are too many things I can't do, for example, there are some that I will never learn in my lifetime?"

"And there are things you can't learn. I don't think you'll be humble, do you?"

"I can't have children. I don't have that ability."

"Hahaha, just be funny."

The atmosphere was relaxed, and Xu Damao could finally relax a little. He drank some wine, and after getting permission, he lit a Peony cigarette.

"Lihua, how was your Spring Festival? Is the main factory open today as well?"

"We went to work yesterday, but there wasn't much to do in the office. The Spring Festival was pretty ordinary. I went back to my parents' house on New Year's Eve, and came back here on the first night of the New Year. I stayed at home the whole time and didn't go anywhere. I just ate and slept at home, and it seems like I gained weight."

He Lihua finished eating very quickly, "Xu, have a cigarette, drink slowly, I'll stay here with you."

Xu Damao handed the cigarette box and kerosene lighter to He Lihua and drank his wine. "Are you worried about something? If you want to talk about it, you can. I'm a good listener."

He Lihua smoked a cigarette, "Actually, my little thing is not a big deal. I just feel a little uncomfortable. I have been spoiled by my grandparents, parents and brothers since I was a child. Although I was a little busy before liberation, I didn't suffer. After liberation, I joined the art troupe to learn dancing and became a star. Everyone envied me. Someone liked me and loved me, but fate played tricks on me. The person I liked suddenly married someone else one day. I couldn't get over this emotional hurdle, so I became what I am now. During the Spring Festival, my parents introduced me to I met a widower in a unit, a 40-year-old regiment commander, who said I had a future. We had dinner together at home on the first day of the new year. Hey, my family seemed to want to solve my long-standing problem, and they said it was for my own good. Think about it, how could the regiment commander not know about my past? Now my father is still in office, and he doesn't feel wronged. What about the future? Maybe I will live in his eyes in a humble manner. I have to lie on the ground and let him trample on me, and I can't talk back, because I am just a pair of sluts. He wants me because he feels sorry for me, is that right, you say? "

As Xu Damao listened, he realized that He Lihua had suffered a lot this year. She had no one to care for her and no one to love her.

In his heart, he applauded He Lihua, but he also knew that her parents' actions were really for her own good in the eyes of others. However, He Lihua was really clear-headed. She was indeed someone who grew up in a big environment.

"He Lihua, first of all, I agree with your decision and idea. But you are wrong about one thing. You should not live a humble life, but cherish yourself, love yourself, and live a good life with your head held high. You are not the first nor the last person to be trapped and hurt by love in this world. It's no big deal. The vertical heart radical of the Chinese character for love represents emotional independence and uprightness, and the green represents passion and vitality. We cannot belittle ourselves or humiliate ourselves because of a broken heart, and we must not let others influence our thoughts. I support you unconditionally on this matter."

"Xu, after pouring out my troubles to you and getting your support, I feel much better. Come, pour me another glass of wine. For your support, I have to drink another glass to celebrate that I made a good choice."

Xu Damao poured the wine and said, "Lihua, you must always look forward.

No one can stop you, run towards your dream bravely, even if your wings are broken, fly bravely. Only in this way can your life be beautiful.

No one is a saint, and we will always lose our way. As long as we still remember the original yearning, we will not be afraid of gossip. Treat scars as medals. For your dream, even if you are covered with bruises, it doesn’t matter. Chase the light with your stubbornness. "