Chapter 36: Refusal

Li Qi’s family of three stood to the side, listening in complete bewilderment.

"Could it be that a single steamed bun triggered a bloody incident?" Li Qi silently mused, finding the world of the high-ranking elite truly unfathomable.

Qiu Shuyun and her son exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison. This was a matter to be resolved slowly once they returned home. Qiu Shuyun picked up a bun and took another bite. The taste, exactly as she remembered it, stirred her taste buds, and tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing his mother’s expression, Zhou Guodong felt a pang of heartache and quickly said to Li Qi, "We’ll be imposing on you for lunch today. Don’t go to any trouble; just having these buns will be more than enough."

Li Li chimed in quickly, "I also made radish soup and have some pickles. I’ll stir-fry two more dishes; they’ll be ready in a moment. Little brother, go get the floor table."

Xu Tiesheng was stunned. The way things had developed was completely beyond his expectations; he had even specially instructed the small canteen to prepare lunch before leaving. It seemed those preparations were in vain. However, being a sharp-witted man, he saw the look on the elderly Mrs. Qiu’s face and knew it wasn't the time for anything else, so he quickly helped set the table.

Eventually, four plates of buns were placed on the table, along with a bowl of corn grits porridge for each person, the radish soup, two dishes of pickles, and two hot vegetable dishes.

Li Mantang rubbed his hands nervously. "We didn't know you were coming today, so we're quite unprepared..."

"This is already wonderful. Back in Yanmei's home, I couldn't even dream of eating food like this." Mrs. Qiu picked up another bun and took a hearty bite. Her emotions had stabilized, and she looked at Li Qi and the others with kindness. "Since you are the husband of Yanmei’s sister, I should address you as brother-in-law. As for you two, Li Li and Li Qi, you can both call Guodong 'big brother' from now on."

Li Li didn't dare to overstep; this was a high-ranking official from the city, someone far beyond her station. Li Qi, however, didn't think much of it—even a prime minister has poor relatives, and in this case, they weren't even related. He asked with a smile, "Mrs. Qiu, could you tell us what this is all about? Did you know my mother back then?"

Qiu Shuyun nodded. "It’s a story from decades ago. The situation in Northeast China back then was incredibly complex. There were Japanese soldiers hiding in mountain bases who didn't even know their country had surrendered and were still putting up a desperate resistance. Some mountain strongholds were still infested with bandits that hadn't been wiped out. And the remnants of the Nationalist army, disregarding the national interest and refusing to negotiate, made the struggle in the Northeast extremely arduous.

"I was injured, and my unit had been scattered, so I was hiding just outside a small village. Late that night, I developed a fever. It was your mother who found me while she was out setting traps for game. She carried me home on her back, and that’s the only reason I survived. I was wearing my military uniform at the time; your mother knew the area was swarming with enemies, yet she still chose to save me.

"I didn't learn until later that to divert the enemy's attention, your mother had actually put on my uniform, run out of the mountains specifically, and then changed back into her own clothes to return to the village via a side path. You have no idea how dangerous that was, or how incredibly brave your mother was. It was precisely because of her actions that the enemy assumed I had fled and didn't conduct a thorough search of the village.

"I lived at your mother’s house for over three months. To help me recover, she would prepare delicious food for me in all sorts of ways. I remember clearly that I ate these large buns three times. Each time, there were only two. In those days, it was so difficult to get white flour and meat, yet she lied to me, saying she had traded mountain goods for them and that the family had plenty to eat and wouldn't miss my share. I was foolish enough to believe her at the time.

"Even now, I can vaguely recall the look in your mother’s eyes when I ate those buns. It was heart-wrenching. She must have been just as hungry and craving food as I was, yet she held back and gave all the buns to me.

"Later, after I recovered, I followed my unit into several more years of war. After the war ended, the dilemmas we faced were even more complex and difficult. It wasn't until seventeen years ago, when everything finally stabilized and my husband and I decided to stay and work in Ning Province, that I immediately sent my closest people to find out what had happened to your mother. But I was lied to; the person told me your mother had long since passed away, leaving no descendants."

Qiu Shuyun took another sip of the radish soup and shook her head with a sigh. "The taste of this soup is also just like what your mother used to make. For so many years, I’ve missed this taste. Yanmei, why did you leave so soon? Why didn't you wait for me? It’s my fault. I should have come to find you myself; I let you down. You saved my life back then, and now your son has saved my life, and even saved my grandson's life. When will I ever have the chance to repay what I owe you? Is the only way left for me to wait until I die and meet you on the other side?"

As Qiu Shuyun spoke, tears streamed down her face. Li Qi quickly rolled up his sleeve to wipe them away. She grabbed his hand and refused to let go. Now she finally understood why she had felt such a sense of familiarity the moment she saw Li Qi; his features bore such a striking resemblance to Yanmei’s.

The others ate their buns in silence, slurping their porridge.

Li Mantang shook his head and said, "The old woman never mentioned this. I suppose after living through that era, she was terrified of the political struggles and feared that speaking out would only bring trouble upon herself."

Zhou Guodong nodded; that was likely the reason. He polished off five buns in one go before setting down his chopsticks. It was no wonder his mother loved them; they were truly delicious. He cleared his throat habitually and, after checking with his mother with a look, she gave a slight nod. Only then did he speak to Li Qi.

"Li Qi, since our two families share such a bond, I won't stand on ceremony with you. From now on, you call me 'big brother,' and I’ll call you 'brother.' My mother and I came today primarily to thank you for stepping in to save her and my younger brother’s child. As you know, my brother sacrificed his life a few years ago, leaving behind this one precious child. If anything had happened to him and he hadn't been found, I would never have had peace of mind for the rest of my life. To put it bluntly, I wouldn't have been able to close my eyes on my deathbed because I would have been too ashamed to face my brother.

"Now that we have this connection, I won't waste time with unnecessary pleasantries. I’ve looked into your situation, and I believe the best path for you right now is to join the military. You can pursue your education while you're there, and in the future, you can be sent to a military academy. As long as you don't make any mistakes, you’ll definitely be in a completely different world ten years from now."

Zhou Guodong’s voice was steady, presenting it all as a matter of course. Their Zhou family had the influence to do this because the garrison in Ning Province was located in Qiaobei Town, right next to Taihe City, and that very unit was once under the direct command of his father, General Zhou. For reasons unknown, however, the old man hadn't let him join the military, sending him into the police force instead.

Once he finished speaking, while Li Mantang and Li Li were still struggling to grasp the gravity of the situation, a storm was raging in Xu Tiesheng’s heart. *This Li the Third has truly turned his life around.* Joining the military, attending an academy, and emerging as a commissioned officer—with the backing of the Zhou family, it was highly probable that Li Qi would reach the rank of Major by the time he was thirty. If he were to transfer to a civilian position after reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he could at least land a deputy division-level post. One had to remember that Li Mantang and Wang Yue, who had been acting so high and mighty at the Li house just moments ago, were merely at the deputy division level themselves. The Li family was about to take flight. Could Niuxin Town benefit from this? He would have to start currying favor with Li Mantang properly from now on!

Just as Xu Tiesheng began to dream about how to build a good relationship with the Li family, he saw Li Qi shake his head gently. "Brother Guodong, I appreciate your kindness, but I prefer to handle my own affairs. There’s no need for you to make arrangements for me."

Xu Tiesheng couldn't believe his ears. Li Qi had actually refused? Had the boy lost his mind?