Chapter 29: Management

May 15th was a weekend. When Li Xiuyuan woke up, it was already past ten in the morning. His parents were not at home. With nothing to do after getting up, he decided to help out at the family’s noodle shop.

He also waited for news from his uncle, Song Limin. It wasn’t until noon that his uncle finally called.

“Xiuyuan, are you at home or at the noodle shop?”

“Uncle, I’m at the noodle shop,” Li Xiuyuan replied, guessing this was about the matter he had asked his uncle to handle yesterday.

“Alright, I’m coming over now. Let’s meet and talk,” Song Limin said over the phone.

Li Xiuyuan hesitated for a moment. “There are too many people at the shop right now. I’ll head home, and you can come there to talk.”

After hanging up, Li Xiuyuan informed his parents and went home. A few minutes after he arrived, his uncle knocked on the door.

“Xiuyuan.”

“Uncle, have some water. In this heat, you’ve been running around for my sake.” Li Xiuyuan politely offered a cup of tea after inviting his uncle to sit. No matter how the matter turned out, one must always be grateful to those who help.

If one can’t even manage this, no matter what family background they come from, they won’t get far. When one reaches a certain level, family ties matter less.

“You’re such a polite kid. I told you not to be so formal, yet you still are,” Song Limin smiled, growing more pleased with his nephew. This trip in the scorching heat was not in vain.

“Here’s what happened: I visited Luo Tao’s house earlier. I thought since it was almost noon, I’d pop over and invite him out for lunch to discuss your matter and feel out his stance. But when I got there, I found out he was on a business trip. Only his wife and child were home.

I dropped off what I had brought, didn’t linger, and left. Afterward, I called Luo Tao. He said he was handling some affairs in the provincial capital. He wasn’t sure when he’d return, but it would be three to five days, at most a week.

Since I didn’t mention your matter over the phone, I just said we’d talk once he’s back...”

Song Limin detailed the situation to Li Xiuyuan. Although he could have relayed this over the phone, since Li Xiuyuan now worked at the county government office, making a personal visit showed sincerity.

Having navigated society for many years, Song Limin knew very well that every relationship needed nurturing, especially when the other party’s circumstances changed. One must adjust accordingly.

When someone was poor, you called him “Second Dog Chen.” When he became successful, you had to call him “General Manager Chen.” No matter how good the relationship, you can’t treat it the same way as before.

Before, Li Xiuyuan was just a nephew, a junior. It was fine to be casual because he was the elder. But now was different. Li Xiuyuan worked at the government office and might soon soar to a leadership position.

With his rich experience and having a friend like Luo Tao—the director’s younger brother and a classmate—Song Limin understood how prestigious the county government office was. Coupled with Li Xiuyuan’s savvy in social affairs, it was clear he was no ordinary young man.

He had the makings of a leader.

Since Li Xiuyuan had such potential, Song Limin could no longer treat him as just an ordinary nephew. Moreover, as his uncle, their bond was even closer.

If he didn’t learn to cultivate this relationship, it would gradually grow distant.

Listening to his uncle, Li Xiuyuan’s heart sank. The business trip meant a delay of three to five days. He had no choice but to wait patiently.

Though anxious inside, he didn’t show it in front of Song Limin. After a short pause, he smiled and nodded. “Alright, uncle, I understand. We’ll wait until he returns. But please take this matter seriously and arrange a meeting as soon as he’s back.”

“Don’t worry, Xiuyuan. Your matter is my matter. We’re family, and I’ll treat it as a top priority,” Song Limin said, patting his chest confidently.

Li Xiuyuan smiled. “Thank you, uncle. You haven’t eaten yet, right? Let’s go to the noodle shop for a bite.”

“Maybe next time. At this hour, your shop must be busy,” Song Limin shook his head.

“Uncle, no matter how busy you are, you shouldn’t run around for me and go home hungry...”

After a few rounds of back-and-forth, Li Xiuyuan couldn’t persuade his uncle to stay and finally saw him off.

The next day was Monday. Li Xiuyuan still arrived at the office about fifteen minutes early. But upon entering, he saw Wang Zhitao already there, busy organizing some data.

After greeting Wang Zhitao, Li Xiuyuan sat at his desk but didn’t offer to help.

In the bureaucratic system, it was wise not to take on tasks that weren’t yours. If done well, no credit would come; if things went wrong, you’d be blamed.

Besides, Li Xiuyuan was new and still familiarizing himself with the work. It would be more trouble than help.

Still, he didn’t idle away the time. He tidied up the office a bit, avoiding personal desks to prevent misunderstandings over missing documents.

He focused on visible areas—watering plants, mopping the floor, wiping windowsills. In truth, the effort was partly for show, but in the system, everyone wanted to make a good impression.

As time passed, most colleagues arrived. Except for Wu Yiyi, everyone was present. Li Xiuyuan noticed that compared to usual, people came in earlier, likely because it was Monday morning. He made a mental note.

Sure enough, before eight o’clock, Qu Hui arrived.

“Is everyone here? Since today is Monday, let’s have a brief meeting.” Qu Hui clapped his hands to draw attention and then glanced briefly at Li Xiuyuan.

“Section Chief Qu, Wu Yiyi hasn’t come yet...” Wang Zhitao began.

“Don’t worry about Wu Yiyi. She has other duties,” Qu Hui waved him off before he finished.

Li Xiuyuan immediately understood—Wu Yiyi wasn’t late; she had gone early to attend to leadership matters.