Chapter 79: Come Here, Sit Down, Let’s Talk

For the entire afternoon, the sales department's phone didn't ring once. By mid-afternoon, Li Xian, who was feeling increasingly restless at the factory, couldn't stay there any longer.

It was only November, but the weather was already chillingly cold. Yesterday's light snow had melted away, turning into a muddy mess. The roads within the forestry bureau were dirt paths, which had now become a mix of water, mud, and a thin layer of ice.

The weather was extremely cold, dropping below freezing without sunlight.

Riding his motorcycle back and forth to work, Li Xian had to buy a new set of gear. He wore a wool-lined military coat, a fur hat, and, after a few words with Chen Shulin, left the factory.

Li You had been more concerned about the paper factory's situation than Li Xian himself. The rest house was seven kilometers away from the factory, and he made four trips a day to "inspect" the factory.

Although the factory was bought by Li Xian, Li You saw it as his own responsibility since it was his son's business. He knew well enough that Li Jie's evasive responses were the truth, as he could gauge whether his daughter was speaking honestly or not. As a technician at the forest farm, Li You might not be skilled in other areas, but he could clearly understand production targets and inventory.

Indeed, the factory was working tirelessly, but the stockpile of rolled paper seemed to only increase, with sales of three to four hundred jin a day? Who were they fooling?

Just when Li Xian arrived, looking like a bear in his heavy winter gear, Li You sighed and waved him over.

"Second son, come here. Sit down, let's talk."

Seeing the serious expression on Li You's face, Li Xian felt a wave of anxiety—he used to dread this phrase as a child.

Whenever he came home after an exam, this phrase often led to a belt and a big kick.

Now, seeing the same stern expression on Li You's face as he remembered his father's, Li Xian shivered.

So this is where the family tradition of strictness comes from!

With heightened caution, he took a step back. "What's up, Dad?"

"I told you to come over!" Li You pointed to a stool by the bed.

Li Xian braced himself and walked over.

Seeing him seated, Li You said sternly, "Tell me the truth. How much has the factory lost these days?"

"How could it be a loss? Although the sales of rolled paper haven't fully opened up yet, we still ship three to four hundred jin a day! That's enough to sustain…"

Li Xian's words trailed off as he saw Li You's face darken, his eyes showing a "keep lying, let's see how long you can keep this up" expression. He knew he couldn't continue deceiving him today.

"Ahem," he closed his mouth, pondered for a moment, and said, "Dad, you have to promise not to get angry."

Hearing this, Li You braced himself. He swayed a bit, took several deep breaths to steady his emotions. "Speak."

"And don't get physical!" Li Xian added quickly.

"Just tell me!" Li You jumped up from the bed.

"Excluding the workers' wages, the loss is fourteen thousand…"

"…" Upon hearing this number, Li You nearly lost his footing. Grabbing the bed frame, he clutched his chest, "You reckless child! In the blink of an eye, you've squandered the money for three houses!"

Fourteen thousand! In just a few days?

"Hey, hey, hey!" Li Xian quickly raised his hand, "We agreed earlier, you can't get angry!"

"I… I!" Li You took a few deep breaths, grabbed a nearby broom, and brandished it, "I'll beat you to death!"

Seeing the broom coming at him, Li Xian deftly dodged while his heart bled.

Ancestors, why is it that the older generation in the Li family is always like this?

Feeling aggrieved after a beating, Li Xian sat at the dormitory door, gazing at the darkening sky, feeling that his rebirth was turning out to be extremely bleak.

He hadn't earned back the money, and his family status hadn't improved. Life was… going nowhere!

As he pondered, a series of pattering footsteps broke his thoughts.

Looking up, he saw a kid with big teeth and wrapped up like a ball running towards him.

"Second Brother! I'm on vacation!"

Seeing the newcomer, Li Xian's frustration surged. He slowly stood up and waved to the visitor. "Li Pi, come here. Sit down, let's talk…"

---

The next morning, Li Xian, in high spirits after breakfast, looked at the still-sulking Li Pi and chuckled, "Fourth Brother, still angry?"

"Second Brother, why are you taking your anger out on me when Dad beat you!?"

Li Pi threw his chopsticks down, his face scrunched up like a bun.

"Ugh," Li Xian gave him a smack on the head, "You little rascal, if your dad hits me, I can't hit him back, so who else should I hit if not you?"

Li Pi thought the logic was flawed, but after thinking for a while, he couldn't come up with a rebuttal. Frustrated, he threw down his chopsticks and sat silently aside.

Seeing this, Li Xian smiled, "Alright, get dressed. I'll take you to the county to have a look."

Hearing they were going to the county, Li Pi's anger dissipated significantly. "Second Brother, aren't you going to work today?"

Li Xian smiled wryly, "Not going. There's nothing much to do these days."

The factory wasn't just lacking in work; it was completely idle. For several days, Li Xian's main job had been waiting for phone calls from the sales department, and life was incredibly hard to bear. With Li Pi on vacation, he wanted to take the opportunity to relax.

Although Bangye County was similar to the forestry bureau, it was a county seat and had developed earlier. The county already had many places like video halls, pool rooms, and karaoke bars, which were still missing in the forestry bureau.

For the young people in the forestry bureau, the county was a great place for leisure. Li Pi had long wanted to experience the rumored video hall.

Seeing the eagerness in the kid's eyes, Li Xian smiled and shook his head. After all, he was still a young boy.

The two quickly got ready and set off on their motorcycle, heading towards the county.

Just as Li Xian was leaving the forestry bureau gate, he saw a four-wheeled vehicle ahead, loaded to the brim with… toilet paper!

"Damn it?!"

Seeing this, he quickly twisted the throttle and chased after it.

Catching up to the vehicle, Li Xian saw that it was being driven by Zhou Jun, whom he had assigned to work at the factory!

"Hey? Big Brother, where are you going?" Zhou Jun slowed down the vehicle upon seeing Li Xian. "Big Brother, you should go back quickly! Team Leader Chen is looking for you everywhere!"