Chapter 129: Owed an Apology

After Liu Xing left, Li Dawei immediately asked the weeping Liu Ye, "Is it true what your brother just said about that cattle-thief, Zhu Dachang, appearing at the market?"

"Yes, it's true. You... you didn't know?" Liu Ye asked, looking bewildered.

"If I had known, would I have let you wander around this pine forest with the black calf at a time like this?" Li Dawei threw up his hands in frustration, his face reflecting a mixture of exasperation and helplessness.

In HY City, everyone knew of the vicious methods used by the cattle-thief Zhu Dachang. No matter how foolish he was, he wouldn't have dared to provoke such trouble at a moment like this. His original intention had been to use Li Weiwei’s presence on the black calf to bridge the gap with Liu Xing, and then gradually bring up the matter of repairing the bottling equipment at Hengshui Winery. He never expected this to be such a disastrous move; not only did it fail to achieve his goals, but it also offended Liu Xing once again. It was truly an unforeseen turn of events.

"Hmph! You old fox, you're not a good person!" Upon hearing this, Liu Ye realized he had been used by Li Dawei. After stomping his foot and blurting out a blunt insult, he turned and ran away, leaving Li Dawei and Li Weiwei standing there, feeling completely adrift in the wind.

After all, what they had done to use Liu Ye was truly unprincipled. It was fortunate that Liu Ye was just a child; if he were an adult, he might well have resorted to blows.

A long moment later, Li Dawei regained his composure. "Weiwei, it’s noon already. Shall I take you back to eat? You don't need to come see Liu Xing anymore; I will find a way to handle this."

"How will you handle it?" Li Weiwei adjusted the direction of her wheelchair and looked at Li Dawei coldly.

"I..." Li Dawei’s gaze shifted away, and for a moment, he didn't know how to answer.

"Dad, will you please just listen to my advice?" Li Weiwei’s eyes turned red. "Brother Liu Xing is not a chess piece you can control. After the explosion at the workshop, don't you even know where you went wrong?"

"I know that to manage Hengshui Winery well, you have poured out your heart and soul, sacrificing everything—even when you neglected me years ago for the sake of a single order."

"Under your leadership, the winery did indeed enjoy a few glorious years. But haven't you realized that when you transformed from a cowherd into the factory director, it wasn't due to schemes, and certainly not due to so-called 'ability,' but rather because of a brave and forward-looking heart?"

By this point, Li Weiwei was sobbing uncontrollably. The reason she loved riding cattle was that before her father became the director, he would take her out whenever he had free time, herding cattle and telling her wonderful stories. Those were her happiest days. But ever since he became the director, everything changed. He went from visiting her once a month to once every six months, and eventually, she couldn't even see him during the Lunar New Year. If the winery hadn't been on the decline in recent years, losing its former luster, she might not have even been able to speak to him at all. She knew his character well; to achieve his goals, he would stop at nothing.

He wasn't exactly a bad man, but he wasn't quite a good one either. Anyone who could rise to the position of director at Hengshui Winery had climbed over others to get there, and her father was no exception.

"Weiwei, please, stop crying," Li Dawei said, reaching out to wipe the tears from her face, his heart aching. "Let’s go back to eat for now. As for the bottling equipment, we will plan for the long term."

"I actually think you should try speaking with Liu Xing’s parents," Li Weiwei said, suddenly looking up with a serious expression. Seeing Li Dawei standing there blankly, she added, "But don't use those despicable tactics of yours. Be open and honest with them about your difficulties. I believe his parents would definitely help persuade him to fix the equipment."

"After all, you and Brother Liu Xing are not enemies yet. You just owe him a sincere apology," she added earnestly, fearing her father wouldn't grasp the gravity of her words.

"Yes, you're right. I owe Liu Xing a sincere apology," Li Dawei had to admit. From the start, if he hadn't resorted to schemes or been blinded by the advice of Director Zhang, this embarrassing situation would never have occurred. Attempting to use pressure to force Liu Xing’s hand was impossible and impractical. Today’s trip to the market had made him realize that Liu Xing had powerful backing; Zhang Xiangjun had even called Liu Xing her nephew, which meant the Bureau Chief must also have a significant connection to him. He finally understood why Director Tian had looked so furious at the hospital when Director Zhang tried to use Liu Xing as a scapegoat—he knew Liu Xing was untouchable. Or, at the very least, untouchable by them.

With this thought, Li Dawei sighed toward the sky. "So be it. Weiwei, I will listen to you today. I'll go see Liu Xing’s parents. No more self-righteous schemes. If I am open and honest, perhaps... perhaps there might be a turning point."

"Yes!" Li Weiwei nodded happily.

"Let's go! At this hour, they might be eating. It wouldn't be bad to go and share a meal," Li Dawei said, pushing the wheelchair and walking toward the entrance of the shoe store with a faint smile.

...

At the entrance of the shoe store, everyone had already started eating without waiting for Liu Xing. Since three tables weren't enough, Ding Lan, Zhang Xiangjun, Liu Dongju, and others had set up a table by the kitchen door. The Bureau Chief, Niu Lianfang, and the plainclothes officers had also joined in, sitting around a wooden table.

Liu Xing, who had finished securing the black calf and had walked back with Guazi and Xiao Budian, was stunned by the scene. "Uncle, weren't you out catching Zhu Dachang? How do you have the mood to eat at my sister's place?" The implication was that if they hadn't caught him, they wouldn't be so relaxed.

"What? Not allowed?" the Bureau Chief said with a smile.

Zhang Xiangjun laughed too. "You silly boy, don't ask so many questions. Quickly, bring your sister and Xiao Budian over to eat."

"Exactly, eating is the priority. After that scene with Xiao Yang yesterday, Zhu Dachang long ago fled the village," Niu Lianfang said, picking up Guazi and sitting down beside her. "Sitting around waiting for him to walk into a trap is useless."

"I see!" Liu Xing realized. Seeing empty bowls and chopsticks on the table, he grabbed them and went into the kitchen to serve some rice. Xiao Budian followed, and without needing a word from Liu Xing, she took her own small bowl and spoon from the cupboard, served herself, picked up a piece of braised pork, and sat on a small stool, eating with great relish.

Liu Xing smiled at this, but as he was about to head to the wooden table to pick up some food, he suddenly paused. Once he regained his composure, he walked over to Zhang Xiangjun. "Aunt, since when did my dad get so close to Liu Siwen?" Under the pomelo tree, Liu Siwen and Liu Dazhao were chatting and drinking, looking like old friends of decades.

"You're asking me that? Naturally, it's all to get you to go to the Zhongyi Winery and repair their equipment," Zhang Xiangjun teased.

"Heh... that old fox," Liu Xing chuckled, then stopped talking and focused on his meal.

A moment later, Liu Ye returned. After cautiously calling out "Brother" to Liu Xing, he ran into the kitchen to grab a bowl and chopsticks. Seeing this, Liu Dongju asked in surprise, "What’s wrong with Liu Ye today? Who bullied him? Why are his eyes so red?"

"Uncle hit him," Xiao Budian replied timidly.

"Don't talk nonsense, Brother just gave him a little swat," Guazi corrected.

"Why?" Liu Dongju looked at Liu Xing. The Bureau Chief, Zhang Xiangjun, and Niu Lianfang were also curious, as Liu Xing’s temperament was usually gentle and he wouldn't hit someone without reason.

"The brat wouldn't listen to reason. He rode on the back of the black calf earlier and wandered around the pine forest, taking Guazi, Xiao Budian, and Li Weiwei with him," Liu Xing replied after finishing his meal in a few bites. "If I hadn't given him a swat, he would have thought he could fly to the moon."

"What? He was still acting like that at a time like this?" Liu Dongju was furious. She put down her bowl and chopsticks, grabbed a broom, and marched into the kitchen. But she was stopped by Zhang Xiangjun the next second. "Liu Ye is still young and doesn't know any better. Liu Xing has already taught him a lesson; don't make a scene. After all, what child isn't a bit mischievous?"

"But what if he had run into Zhu Dachang while riding the calf in the pine forest?" Liu Dongju asked, putting down the broom.

"Well, he didn't, did he?" Zhang Xiangjun smiled.

"True. You got lucky, kid," Liu Dongju muttered, pointing at Liu Ye, who was hiding in the corner, before walking out of the kitchen with Zhang Xiangjun.