The higher-ups were furious. The restoration of the college entrance examination was originally intended to select talent for the country and provide a fair competitive opportunity for everyone. Now, someone had actually used their position for personal gain. Mother Sun became the first target to be "dealt with" from the top.
Losing her position was a minor offense. Expulsion from the Party directly meant no chance of ever recovering. Mother Sun's situation scared away those who had wanted to use their connections to facilitate things for Father Sun, making them too afraid to act. The provincial normal college's leadership also held an emergency meeting and decided to expel Sun Ling.
As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes. Whether it was anonymous letters or formal reports, the Sun Zhiqiang couple suddenly became like rats scurrying across the street, hated by all.
Seeing that Sun Zhiqiang had no hope of a comeback, Chen Li Shu could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
During this time, Lin Qi secured a renovation contract for a staff dormitory building. At this time, house renovation required no particular skill; simply plastering floors, painting walls white, and building a couple of tables and benches was considered high-end. Furthermore, since it was staff dormitories, each room was only ten to twenty square meters, making the work relatively easy.
The contract for labor and materials was five thousand yuan. A higher price naturally came with more demands. This work would take six people at least a month, but the factory was in a hurry to have it ready, demanding completion within twenty days.
"After all, I can't be watching over everyone all the time. Fourth Brother, I'll trouble you to take more care. Everyone can talk to him if they have any issues. I might be at the shop during this time, and Sister Chen is also busy. If something truly cannot be resolved, I'll discuss it with her. The client is pressing, and the work will certainly be tiring. Sister Chen said that if it can be completed smoothly, everyone will receive an extra reward of twenty yuan."
Gu Xing Ye nodded upon hearing Lin Qi's words. "Xiao Lin, don't worry. Everyone will work diligently and try not to cause you any trouble."
Gu Xing Ye's words were directed at Lin Qi, but also at the others, especially Liu Da Shan. He noticed that after working in the city for a while, Liu Da Shan had become rather arrogant. He started getting picky about everything once he earned some money – first, he disliked the accommodation, then the food, and now he took at least three breaks during a workday.
It was a rare good opportunity. In less than a month, everyone had earned sixty to seventy yuan. With this job, by the time they returned home, they would likely have at least one hundred and forty to fifty yuan, which was equivalent to a year's earnings from the production team in less than two months. The key point was that it didn't affect their work in the team. Where else could they find such a good thing?
Gu Xing Ye thought that he needed to have a good talk with his second brother, Gu Xing Min, in the evening. Liu Da Shan was his elder brother-in-law, so he would have him speak to him privately. After all, they all owed Chen Li Shu for this job, and especially the three brothers, they couldn't let her down.
...
As the bell-bottom trousers and floral shirts' sales gradually improved, the shop also started selling swimsuits. Chen Li Shu couldn't manage it all by herself, so Wang Ai Xiang was also helping out at the shop most of the time.
One day, as she and Wang Ai Xiang were unloading goods from a truck, just as Chen Li Shu grabbed a bag of clothes to pull it down, a lean, long arm suddenly reached out from the side. Simultaneously, Chen Li Shu's hand felt lighter as the nearly person-high bag was taken into the other's grip and lifted.
Chen Li Shu turned her head and met Gu Xing Dong's chiseled profile. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled happily. "Is your mission over?"
"It just ended. The higher-ups granted two days of leave for adjustment," Gu Xing Dong said, reaching out and taking the bag from Wang Ai Xiang's hand as well, while also nodding at her as a greeting.
This was the first time Wang Ai Xiang had seen Gu Xing Dong. She had always been curious about what kind of person Chen Li Shu, with her good looks, education, and capability, would marry. Now, seeing them standing together, with the man tall and handsome in his military uniform, and the woman fair and beautiful, she felt that heaven had indeed made a perfect match.
"Then you came over without any rest? Are you tired?" Chen Li Shu walked into the shop with him, pointing to the location of the shelves. "Just put them there. Sister Ai Xiang and I will organize them later."
Gu Xing Dong placed them as instructed, glancing at Wang Ai Xiang by the door. He quickly leaned closer to Chen Li Shu and whispered, "Mainly because I missed you and our son."
He added at the end, "Of course, I miss you the most."
Chen Li Shu couldn't help but purse her lips and smile. "You can say that again in front of our son when we get home."
Seeing Chen Li Shu opening the bag of clothes to organize them, Wang Ai Xiang quickly stepped forward. "There's no one else here right now. You can leave it with me, and I'll slowly sort it out. Brother-in-law has rare free time; you should go back with him."
Chen Li Shu looked a little worried. "But these two big bags of clothes, how long will it take you to finish them alone?"
Wang Ai Xiang smiled. "Do you really think I'm so stubborn that I'll keep working until the end? Besides, if I don't finish today, there's always tomorrow. Since brother-in-law has two days off, you don't have to come tomorrow either. Don't worry, I can handle it alone."
Seeing that she had said so, Chen Li Shu agreed. She went to the counter, picked up her shoulder bag, and left the shop with Gu Xing Dong.
"How are Eldest Brother and the others doing?" Gu Xing Dong asked as they walked back.
He had only managed to visit them once shortly after Gu Xing Guo and the others arrived. Later, when the team was on a mission, he didn't have time until now.
"They've taken on another job now, renovating a dormitory building for a factory. The construction period is about twenty days. By the time this job is finished, it will be almost autumn harvest."
As Gu Xing Dong had rare time off, Chen Li Shu suggested, "Why don't we invite Eldest Brother and the others over for dinner tonight? It would be a good chance for you four brothers to get together."
Gu Xing Dong couldn't help but reach up and stroke her head, sighing with emotion. "How did I marry such an understanding and good wife as you?"
Chen Li Shu tilted her head, her clear eyes filled with a playful smile. "Who would say otherwise?"
Soon, the two arrived at the renovation site and told Gu Xing Guo and the others to come to their home for dinner. Because they were in a hurry to work, the brothers didn't say much before rushing back to join everyone in keeping pace.
Gu Xing Dong and Chen Li Shu then went together to pick up Rui Rui from school.
"Gu Rui, there's a police uncle standing with your mom outside." As school was about to end, his deskmate, Little Fatty, couldn't sit still. He kept looking outside from time to time. When he saw Gu Rui's mother, he quickly nudged Gu Rui, who was listening attentively.
Being disturbed, Rui Rui's delicate brows involuntarily furrowed. But when he heard Little Fatty say that his mom was standing with a police uncle, he couldn't help but be curious. He also turned his head to look out the window. Upon seeing Gu Xing Dong's figure, his dark eyes suddenly widened, and his small mouth parted, as if he had seen something extremely rare.