All three houses were left to Lin Qi to manage. He had to supervise the workers, purchase materials, and all sorts of parts. He was so busy he barely had time to rest. Whenever Gu Xingdong was off, he would come over to help. Lin Qi could jot down the large items that needed to be bought, and the two of them could drive to pick them up all at once, which greatly improved efficiency and convenience.
Today was Sunday, and Gu Xingdong happened to be off. He started early and went to busy himself with Lin Qi. After breakfast, Chen Lishu and Rui Rui sat by the table reading, while Zhao Qiuyue was knitting a sweater on the sofa. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Zhao Qiuyue hurried to open it.
"Sister Xiaoyue." Chen Liyuan and Gu Xingping greeted her with smiles as they saw her, handing over the things they were carrying.
"You two coming is enough; we don't lack anything at home." Zhao Qiuyue took the items and quickly made way for them to enter.
Chen Lishu looked up, "Did you two plan to come together?"
Chen Liyuan replied, "We happened to run into each other downstairs."
"Why didn't you come last weekend?"
"Don't even mention it," Chen Liyuan said, sitting down on the sofa. "Recently, there was some production restriction order issued. The higher-ups are short on funds and require reduced production and increased taxes. Every company has been summoned for meetings, and our factory has also been given tax quotas. The factory is constantly having meetings lately; I'm almost dead from exhaustion."
Finally finding someone to confide in, Chen Liyuan continued, "The General Trade Union is also organizing on-the-job training recently. It's not just for accountants but also for chefs, technical staff, and all sorts of things. Last weekend, I was there."
Chen Lishu couldn't help but be curious, "Training? What kind of format is it?"
"We just go over on Sundays to attend lectures and exchange knowledge."
It had only been a few years since the country reinstated the college entrance examination, and the professional skills of most on-the-job personnel were still in need of improvement. Therefore, the General Trade Union wanted to organize on-the-job personnel together and invite professional teachers to give free classes.
Chen Lishu asked, "Are there any other conditions to attend this training?"
Gu Xingping chimed in, "Third Sister-in-law, you're not thinking of going, are you? You're getting further along in your pregnancy, and your third brother wouldn't agree to you traveling back and forth, would he?"
Chen Lishu smiled, "I'm not going. If I could go, I'd want Wang Aixiang to attend."
Currently, she didn't have anyone in her employ who understood finance. As her business grew, she would definitely need people in this area. Since she couldn't recruit professional talent, she had to train them herself for now.
Moreover, from what Chen Liyuan had said, this training seemed to be somewhat similar to night school later on, and learning some knowledge was always beneficial.
Upon hearing that it wasn't for her, Gu Xingping and Chen Liyuan both breathed a sigh of relief.
"To attend the training, a letter of introduction from the factory is required. That's easy; I can provide one for her. The training duration isn't long; each session only lasts three to four months."
Chen Lishu nodded. Tian Lin had been with her for a while now, only going in once a week, so her schedule was quite flexible.
"Oh, Rui Rui is already learning English? He's better than your aunt and your second aunt."
Gu Xingping leaned closer to the table, surprised to see Rui Rui writing English words.
She and Chen Liyuan had both studied Russian, but they had heard that English had been incorporated into the college entrance examination scores in the past two years, and the textbooks had mostly been changed to English.
"I teach him a little when he has free time. This child is smart and has memorized quite a few words. He can also hold simple conversations."
Rui Rui looked up and said, "Auntie, Mom says we should strengthen the country through science and technology, and learning English is the first step."
Gu Xingping nodded, "That's right. You have more ambition than your aunt. When I graduate next year and start working and earning money, I'll buy you delicious food. Besides studying, we'll also build up our bodies. Your aunt will be your solid backing."
"Auntie, I'm very healthy. My classmates in class are fighting..." Rui Rui stopped abruptly, realizing what he had said, but it was too late. Chen Lishu's gaze had already fallen on him.
Mother and son exchanged a look, and Rui Rui gradually lowered his head.
Chen Lishu's mind raced with thoughts in a short span of time.
Did Rui Rui fight with classmates? When did this happen? She didn't even know. For what reason did they fight? Why didn't he mention it? Was he being bullied by classmates? Was it school bullying?
"Did you fight with your classmates?" Although she knew Rui Rui's character, Chen Lishu couldn't help but feel a little anxious, and her tone naturally became a bit more stern.
Rui Rui lowered his eyes and unconsciously fiddled with the pencil in his hand. "Some older students always bullied us. Then I called everyone together to go talk to them, telling them not to bully us anymore. Seeing that we had more people, they never dared to bully us again."
He actually organized classmates to negotiate with older students?
Chen Lishu was so worried that she didn't notice Rui Rui's somewhat evasive eyes.
She didn't know whether to praise him or scold him now.
Chen Lishu felt she should say something. What if she condoned it, and he felt that fighting was permissible and became even more brazen, leaving a bad influence?
But if she really scolded him, the child was the one who had been bullied. It wouldn't be good for a boy to get used to yielding, which could affect his character development later on.
Chen Lishu agonized for a long time, opened her mouth, and finally decided to leave the problem for Gu Xingdong, the father, to resolve.
In the evening, Gu Xingdong and Lin Qi returned together.
When Chen Liyuan and Gu Xingping saw them enter, they first greeted Gu Xingdong, then both said in unison, "Brother Qi."
The two of them had frequent contact with Lin Qi when they were studying in town, and they had a good relationship.
Gu Xingping had seen him occasionally when she visited town during holidays. Chen Liyuan hadn't seen Lin Qi for almost a year since she started working. Seeing him again now, she suddenly realized that the young girl in her memory seemed to have become much more mature and steady.
Seeing that both of them were covered in dust, Chen Lishu knew they must have done a lot of physical labor. She said, "You must both be tired after a day's work. Hurry up and wash up; we'll be eating soon."
After a simple wash-up, everyone sat down to eat.
Zhao Qiuyue and Gu Xingping prepared dinner together. There were meat and vegetables, a total of six dishes.
Chen Lishu had wanted to help, but they all shooed her out. She was a priority person to be protected now; how could they let her do any work?
After dinner, the sky outside had started to darken. With two young girls among them, it wouldn't be safe for them to go back alone. Gu Xingdong was about to drive them, but Lin Qi said, "We're all going in roughly the same direction. Brother-in-law, you stay and accompany Sister Chen at home. I'll take them back."
"Yes, Third Brother. Don't bother. There's a direct bus to our school from here; it's only a few stops."
Seeing them say this, Gu Xingdong didn't insist. He turned to Lin Qi and said, "Make sure they get inside their courtyard before you leave."
Lin Qi nodded, and the three of them went downstairs together.