Siheyuan: a better life

Chapter 780 Good steel should be used on the blade!

When Liu Guangqi and his wife returned to the courtyard, it was exactly nine o'clock in the evening. The residents who had gathered in the front yard to watch TV moved their chairs and prepared to go home to sleep because the TV program was suspended.

"Guangqi! Meijuan! You are back. Have you settled all the in-law affairs?" Although Liu Haizhong no longer beats the brothers Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, because of the influence of the patriarchal thinking, he still values ​​his eldest son Liu Guangqi the most. When Liu Haizhong saw Liu Guangqi and his wife, he couldn't wait to ask them.

When Liu Guangqi heard Liu Haizhong's question, he immediately nodded and replied, "Dad! Meijuan's dad's matter is now waiting for Brother Aiguo to finalize it. It will be almost done."

Liu Haizhong nodded happily after hearing what Liu Guangqi said, and reminded Liu Guangqi: "Guangqi! You and Aiguo grew up together. Although you are not blood brothers, you are no different from blood brothers. In addition, I have a relationship with Director Wu. If you have any problems, you can go to Aiguo for help."

Liu Guangqi was originally in a very happy mood, but when he heard Liu Haizhong's self-evident remarks, his mood suddenly became a little bad.

Because Liu Guangqi knew very well in his mind that the Liu family and the Wu family were just neighbors living in the same compound. Wu Aiguo was willing to help because they had been neighbors for many years. To sum it up in one sentence, helping you is a favor, and not helping you is my duty, and there is nothing that should be taken for granted!

Facing Liu Haizhong's self-righteousness, Liu Guangqi immediately retorted to Liu Haizhong: "Dad! If you think so, then you are totally wrong."

When Liu Haizhong heard Liu Guangqi's rebuttal, he showed a puzzled expression on his face and asked Liu Guangqi, "Guangqi! What I just said was wrong. We lived in the backyard with the Wu family before, and there was only a wall between the two families. It is a tradition in our courtyard for neighbors to help each other. Isn't it right for us to ask the Wu family for help?"

"Dad! If you think like this, the relationship between our family and the Wu family will become more and more distant, and Guangqi's future will be affected by your thoughts. He can only be an ordinary clerk all his life." Deng Meijuan could never have imagined that her father-in-law would be so stupid. Considering her husband's future, Deng Meijuan immediately refuted Liu Haizhong without waiting for Liu Guangqi to speak.

Liu Haizhong is a fan of officials, so he attaches great importance to Liu Guangqi's future. Facing Deng Meijuan's rebuttal, Liu Haizhong felt puzzled and asked Deng Meijuan: "Meijuan! Isn't it normal for neighbors to help each other? Am I wrong to say this?"

Liu Guangqi was speechless when he saw his father taking things for granted. He asked Liu Haizhong, "Dad! It's normal for neighbors to help each other, but you can't take it for granted. After all, we are just neighbors with the Wu family."

"Let me give you an example. If you are the workshop director of a steel mill, and a resident in our yard needs your help, would you help or not?"

Liu Haizhong still didn't understand what Liu Guangqi said. When he faced the question raised by Liu Guangqi, he answered without thinking: "Help! Of course I will help. I am the boss of the courtyard. If the residents of the courtyard come to me when they have difficulties, of course I will help."

"Dad! If this resident asks you for help again and again, and also raises some very difficult issues and asks you for help, will you still help?" After hearing Liu Haizhong's answer, Liu Guangqi immediately took advantage of the situation and directly threw a difficult question to Liu Haizhong.

When Liu Haizhong heard the question raised by Liu Guangqi, he was visibly stunned, and then he answered: "How can we help all the time? If neighbors encounter difficulties, we can help occasionally if we have the ability, but we can never help all the time. That is something only fools would do."

After hearing Liu Haizhong's answer, Liu Guangqi smiled and asked Liu Haizhong, "Dad! You just said it yourself, only those who are taken advantage of will help without any bottom line. Since you think so, how can you take the Wu family's help to our family for granted?"

Liu Guangqi paused for a moment and continued, "Dad! Good steel should be used where it is needed most! If I hadn't invited Meijuan's dad's boss to dinner today, I would never have imagined how powerful Brother Aiguo is."

Liu Haizhong is a genuine official-fanatic, and even regards becoming an official, and a high-ranking official, as his lifelong goal!

When Liu Haizhong heard Liu Guangqi mention the power held by Wu Aiguo, he immediately became interested and asked Liu Guangqi, "Guangqi! Isn't Aiguo the director of the Trade Department? Could it be that his power is greater than that of the leaders of those ministries and commissions?"

"Dad! If you think so, you are totally wrong." Deng Meijuan heard Liu Haizhong's answer and then she really understood how superficial Liu Haizhong's knowledge was. Without waiting for Liu Guangqi to answer, she immediately spoke up to correct Liu Haizhong's concept. When Liu Haizhong just heard Liu Guangqi's words, he didn't believe Liu Guangqi's words at all. Now that he heard his daughter-in-law said so, he had to take it seriously. He asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Guangqi! Meijuan! The director is a cadre in the ministry and is under the jurisdiction of the senior leaders of the ministry. Is Aiguo, the director, really more powerful than the senior leaders of the ministry?"

When Liu Guangqi heard Liu Haizhong's question and saw the puzzled expression on Liu Haizhong's face, he nodded very affirmatively and replied, "Dad! Brother Aiguo's rank is indeed not as high as that of the big leaders of the ministry, but the power he holds is far greater than that of the big leaders of the ministry."

"Take Meijuan's father's trip to Beijing for example. They wanted to purchase some light industrial equipment. After submitting the purchase application to the Ministry of Light Industry, the Ministry of Light Industry transferred the purchase application to the Trade Department, but it was rejected by the Trade Department. For this matter, they went to the Trade Department several times, but in the end they couldn't even get in the door."

"Dad! I heard from my dad that they are just local cadres and it is normal that they cannot enter the door of the Trade Bureau. Because some provincial leaders want to go to the Trade Bureau to do business, they may not be able to set foot in the door of the Trade Bureau." When Deng Meijuan saw Liu Haizhong's shocked expression, she quickly broke a bombshell to Liu Haizhong.

When Liu Haizhong heard what Liu Guangqi and Deng Meijuan said, he opened his mouth in shock and muttered to himself in disbelief: "Oh my goodness! So, the power of patriotism is greater than the power of those big leaders from other provinces!"

Seeing Liu Haizhong's reaction, Liu Guangqi knew that his goal had been achieved. Considering his own future, in order to prevent Liu Haizhong from holding him back in the future, Liu Guangqi struck while the iron was hot and said to Liu Haizhong: "Dad! I am now a clerk at the 23rd level. If I rely on my own efforts, it will be no problem for me to be promoted to a section-level cadre in the future. If I want to be promoted to a higher position, I cannot do without the support of the leaders."

When Liu Haizhong heard Liu Guangqi's words, he immediately understood that his son's leader was referring to Wu Aiguo. Thinking of Liu Guangqi's work unit, Liu Haizhong asked Liu Guangqi with a puzzled look on his face: "Guangqi! You work in the Street Office, and Aiguo works in the Trade Department. You two belong to different units. Can Aiguo really help you?"

When Liu Guangqi heard Liu Haizhong's question and thought about the purpose of Liu Haizhong inviting the Wu family father and son to dinner tonight, he felt very speechless and said to Liu Haizhong: "Dad! Since you said that my unit and Aiguo's unit are not related, why did you invite Uncle Wu and Aiguo to dinner today? Aren't your steel rolling mill and Aiguo's trade department also different systems?"

When Liu Haizhong heard Liu Guangqi's question, he answered without thinking: "Guangqi! I invited Director Wu and Aiguo to dinner because Aiguo knows the director of our steel mill, especially Deputy Director Li, who has a very good relationship with Aiguo. It's like wearing the same pants as each other."

"Dad! Since Brother Aiguo can know the director of your factory, can't he know the leaders of the street office or district? You should know that the people who now ask Brother Aiguo to do things for them, in addition to the department-level leaders from other provinces, many leaders in Kyoto City will also ask Brother Aiguo to do things for them." Liu Haizhong's answer made Deng Meijuan feel even more speechless, and she quickly opened her mouth to ask him.

After hearing what his wife said, Liu Guangqi replied, "Dad! I think you are confused because you are in a difficult situation! You don't understand the power of Brother Aiguo in our Kyoto City at all!"

"Let me tell you this! If Brother Aiguo is willing to help me put in a word in front of our district party committee leaders, I can easily be promoted to the next level this year, and it will be easy to be promoted to deputy section chief tomorrow."

"Guangqi! Are you telling the truth? Can patriotism really help you?" The second aunt on the side finally couldn't sit still after hearing what Liu Guangqi said, and hurried to confirm the news with Liu Guangqi.

When Deng Meijuan heard her mother-in-law's question and saw her half-believing and half-doubting expression, she quickly replied, "Mom! This is absolutely true. If Brother Aiguo is willing to support our Guangqi, Guangqi may become a leader in the district in the future."

When the second aunt heard Deng Meijuan's answer, she believed what she said and said to Liu Haizhong, "Guangqi's father! How about we go buy some things and give some gifts to the Wu family, so that Aiguo can help promote our Guangqi?"

"Dad! Mom! You can't do that! If you really do this, our family and the Wu family will just be ordinary neighbors. Even if we ask Brother Aiguo for help in the future, he may not help us." When Liu Guangqi heard his mother's suggestion, he immediately refuted his second aunt's idea without waiting for Liu Haizhong to answer.

Seeing that Liu Haizhong was already somewhat tempted, Deng Meijuan immediately reminded him to prevent him from doing something bad with good intentions, "Dad! Guangqi is right. Think about it, a big leader like Aiguo will not lack people to give gifts. So you must not do this kind of gift-giving."

(End of this chapter)