Chapter Fifty-Two: The Gathering (Part One)

Li Mu’s eldest aunt, Xiao Yunzhi, and second aunt, Xiao Yunlan, arrived together with their families. The eldest aunt entered and first offered congratulations to Li Mu’s family of three, then apologized, explaining that her husband and eldest cousin had returned to their hometown last week, so she was here alone today.

The second aunt’s family of three was complete: her husband, Zeng Jiwei, and their eight-year-old daughter, Zeng Jing.

Upon entering, the second aunt greeted only Li Mu’s mother, bypassed his father, and went straight to Li Mu’s maternal grandparents. Li Mu watched his second aunt from afar, noticing a look of disdain in her expression.

Li Mu’s father felt awkward, and the second uncle quickly took out a cigarette, offering one to Li Mu’s father. “Brother-in-law, have a smoke.”

At that moment, the eldest uncle and his wife pushed the door open and entered.

As soon as they stepped in, both were struck by the scale of the private room. They exchanged a glance, suppressing their surprise.

“Brother, sister-in-law, you’re here.” Li Mu’s mother greeted them warmly.

Li Daoping nodded slightly in greeting. “Brother, sister-in-law, welcome.”

The eldest uncle, Xiao Yunjian, nodded with indifference, then glanced at the two bottles of Maotai on the table and turned to Li Daoping with a hint of severity. “Daoping, Xiao Mu did well on his exams, which is indeed worth celebrating. But since when did you start indulging in such formalities? This meal must have cost you at least half a year’s tuition for Xiao Mu.”

Li Daoping felt embarrassed and blurted out that the money was earned by Li Mu, but Li Mu interjected first. “Uncle, my dad said today isn’t just about celebrating my exam results, but mainly about gathering the family. It’s been years since we’ve all sat down together—the last time was when Cousin Yuan Yuan started university.”

Li Daoping glanced at Li Mu and, realizing his intent, nodded, smiling. “Yes, big brother, it’s just a family dinner to get together. Xiao Mu doesn’t even know if he’ll be admitted yet; there’s not much to celebrate at this point.”

“Hmm, what school did Xiao Mu apply to?” The eldest uncle walked to the table, picked up an opened bottle of Maotai, and sniffed it.

The aroma of national liquor was unique—several hundred yuan a bottle, and even he rarely drank it two or three times a year.

Li Mu’s mother spoke, “Xiao Mu applied to People’s University.”

“People’s University?” The eldest uncle frowned, set the bottle down. “636 is a good score, but isn’t People’s University a bit of a stretch?”

Li Mu’s father chuckled. “The child made his own decision.”

The eldest aunt’s wife asked, “What’s your second choice?”

Li Mu replied, “I didn’t apply for a second choice.”

“No second choice?” The eldest aunt’s wife was startled, and after a moment, her expression grew animated. “Ah, if People’s University doesn’t admit you, will you have to repeat another year?”

At this, everyone in the room turned their gaze.

To apply only for such a high-barrier university and skip a second option—Li Mu’s approach was truly shocking.

But Li Mu wasn’t bothered; he knew his chances, and was confident People’s University would accept him, so he changed the subject, turning to his father. “Dad, everyone’s here now, let’s invite everyone to take their seats.”

Li Mu’s father finally realized and hurried to invite his grandparents and the others to sit.

The eldest uncle, full of suspicion, had just sat down with his wife when the younger sister, Xiao Yunlan, took the initiative to sit beside him.

At the large table, they were seated directly opposite Li Mu’s family of three. The second aunt leaned in, covering her mouth, and whispered in the eldest uncle’s ear, “Big brother, this meal must have cost quite a bit, right?”

The eldest uncle smacked his lips and replied softly, “Two bottles of Maotai, eight cold dishes—Li Daoping is really going all out. Though the hot dishes haven’t arrived yet, judging by this setup, it’ll be at least three to five thousand yuan.”

“Goodness!” The second aunt was astonished. “He’s always so stingy—what happened today? Why is he spending so freely?”

The eldest uncle said, “I don’t know either. Could he have struck it rich?”

“He? You know what Xiling Coal Mine is like. I bet he and my second sister barely make seventeen or eighteen hundred a month now.”

The eldest uncle nodded, then asked, “How’s the business at your children’s clothing shop lately?”

“It’s all right,” the second aunt replied with some melancholy. “This year isn’t great—there are more people selling kids’ clothes now, all sourcing from the south, competing for customers and lowering prices. Half the year’s already gone, and I’ve only made about ten thousand yuan.”

Just then, several servers brought in six hot dishes. The eldest uncle glanced at them and remarked to the second aunt, “Li Daoping’s dinner here is nearly a quarter of your annual income.”

The second aunt gave a sheepish laugh. “I guess Li Daoping feels he can’t hold his head up in front of the family, so now that his son scored high, he’s pulling out all the stops to earn some face.”

At this moment, urged by Li Mu, his father nervously stood up, holding a glass of wine, stammered a few opening words, and then invited everyone to raise their glasses and begin eating.

The eldest uncle ate a few bites, then, with calculated intent, said to Li Mu’s father, “Daoping, I heard Xiling Coal Mine is laying off two groups this year. The first list has already been announced, right?”

Li Mu thought to himself that here it comes—the eldest uncle and second aunt always brought up Xiling Coal Mine every time they met, and whenever this topic started, trouble followed.

Li Daoping nodded. “Yes, it’s been announced. The first batch will be laid off at the end of this month; the second list won’t be out until November.”

“You and Yunfang aren’t on the first list, are you?”

Li Daoping took a sip of wine. “We’re not.”

“That’s good.” The eldest uncle chuckled. “Our whole family worries about you two. Xiling Coal Mine’s performance keeps dropping—layoffs and closures as they please. Xiao Mu’s starting university this year, and tuition plus living expenses are a hefty sum. What will you do then? Even borrowing money can only be done once or twice; after that, who’s going to lend you anything?”

Li Mu’s father looked embarrassed but nodded repeatedly, as if taking the eldest uncle’s advice to heart. As the oldest of the Xiao family’s generation, the eldest uncle always spoke with a lofty, lecturing tone.

Li Mu couldn’t stand it. In his eyes, the eldest uncle’s words were hypocritical and unpleasant, as if afraid his parents might someday ask him for money.

So Li Mu spoke lightly, “Uncle is right. My parents have been thinking lately, since Xiling Coal Mine won’t last much longer, they’re considering taking the initiative to leave and start a business.”

Both parents looked at Li Mu in surprise. Under the table, Li Mu gently tapped their legs, and before they could speak, he continued, “I also think doing business now is a good idea—much better than working for someone else.”

Everyone at the table was astonished. In their view, though everyone nationwide was venturing into business, Li Daoping wasn’t the type. He was cautious, the kind who prized stability, and would lose sleep if he gave up his iron rice bowl.

The second aunt laughed, “Oh, so even brother-in-law wants to venture out now? That’s rare! What business are you and my second sister thinking about?”

Li Mu answered quickly, “My parents are considering something in clothing.”

The second aunt’s face instantly cooled, her tone less friendly. “Clothing isn’t something just anyone can do. I’ve made some money with my children’s clothing store these years, but you can’t just look at the profits and ignore the risks and hard work. My shop’s rent alone is eight hundred a month, add utilities and fees, and it’s close to a thousand monthly. Plus, I always have twenty or thirty thousand yuan’s worth of inventory tied up. Making money is hard.”

Her strong reaction left everyone a bit stunned, but Li Mu quickly understood. The second aunt had made some money from her children’s clothing shop these years, and now, hearing his parents might start a clothing business, she probably thought they’d follow her path and become competitors, hence her overreaction.

Li Mu smiled wryly to himself. He remembered her shop—it was in a rather remote spot on the old street, probably only had two or three thousand invested, and if memory served, she couldn’t keep it running after a few years. He’d never let his parents follow that route.

So Li Mu smiled, “Don’t worry, auntie. My parents aren’t planning to sell children’s clothing, so there won’t be any competition.”

The second aunt breathed a sigh of relief, then realized she’d been too sharp, and quickly tried to cover it up. “I’m not afraid of competition, mainly it’s just that children’s clothing is hard to do. You shouldn’t take it lightly. If you really want to sell children’s clothes, I can share my supply channels with you.”

Li Mu smiled gently, “No need, auntie. My parents are still considering opening a shop—it’ll be at least another month before they decide.”

His parents exchanged puzzled looks. They’d never thought of starting a business, let alone clothing, and Li Mu was making things up in front of all the relatives. They wanted to explain, but recalling Li Mu’s earlier instructions, they held their doubts in silence.

Grandfather spoke up, addressing Li Mu’s mother, “Yunfang, Xiao Mu is starting university this year and you’re planning a clothing shop. That’ll cost quite a bit. If you need your mother and me to help, just let us know—we can help out somewhat.”

The eldest aunt added, “Yes, Yunfang, if you need money, just tell me. I’ll help figure something out.”

The eldest aunt’s wife quickly chimed in, “This year hasn’t been great for us, but if you really open a clothing store, we’ll find a way to put together a few thousand yuan. It’s mainly Yuan Yuan—she’s studying in Jinling and always needs money for things, and she spends recklessly, never thinking to save.”

Li Mu found it amusing. Her words seemed to offer help, but really closed off the possibility. Normally, after such a statement, no one would ask again; even if they did, it’d only be for a few thousand at most.

The eldest aunt’s wife’s sudden maneuver struck Li Mu as interesting.

Just then, the private room’s door swung open and a round-faced girl in her early twenties entered. “Who says I spend recklessly all the time?”