Chapter 270: Returning Home

On the Road

Li Dong drove for a while, following the flow of traffic, and suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, do you know Su Rui?"

Lin Meng nodded.

She then awkwardly added, "I probably shouldn't have greeted her just now. I might end up losing a major client because of it."

Cao Feng, curious, asked, "What's the matter? Is it illegal to say hello?"

Lin Meng shot him a look and then glanced at Li Dong before explaining, "Miss Su has bought quite a bit of insurance from me—both life and pension plans. She's spent almost a hundred thousand yuan over time."

"That's a good thing," Cao Feng quickly said.

Lin Meng replied curtly, "Let me finish before you interrupt."

Cao Feng immediately shut his mouth and didn't dare say another word.

Lin Meng continued, "But Miss Su is only the insured party; the policyholder is someone else."

"What do you mean by policyholder and insured party?" Cao Feng asked, puzzled.

Lin Meng gave him a look of exasperation, saying, "The policyholder is the one who pays."

Cao Feng nodded, understanding, "Got it. So, it's the person who manages the finances in the family, her husband?"

Lin Meng glared at Cao Feng, who quickly fell silent, listening intently.

Lin Meng continued, "The policyholder is the president of a company, in his forties. When she first bought insurance, the company required proof of the relationship between the policyholder and the insured. I asked for their marriage certificate, but they said they didn't bring it. That's when I guessed their relationship."

"They bought more policies from me later, and the policyholder was always that president. Today, that girl is probably his younger sister, so it was a bit awkward when I greeted her..."

Li Dong and Cao Yu understood after Lin Meng's explanation.

Cao Feng, scratching his head, said, "What's so awkward about it? The president is helping his employees..."

Cao Feng wasn't actually slow-witted; he just needed a moment to process. He then realized, looking surprised, "You mean the girl just now is the mistress?"

Lin Meng frowned and ignored him.

Cao Feng, scratching his ears and feeling puzzled, said, "Isn't she pretty? How could she be involved in such things?"

Before Lin Meng could scold him, Cao Yu snapped, "Brother, can you be quiet for a moment!"

Praising another woman's beauty in front of his girlfriend, did he want to ruin his own chances?

Cao Yu felt helpless about her cousin's lack of social skills. She couldn't understand how Lin Meng had ended up with someone like Cao Feng.

Of course, sometimes a sharp woman might be attracted to a simple man, and no one could predict such things. Cao Yu didn't want to think too much about it.

As for Li Dong, he wasn't interested in digging deeper after confirming Su Rui's identity.

He wasn't close to Su Rui and just wanted to confirm his suspicion to avoid future trouble. Seeing that his guess was right, he confirmed his intuition and had no more to say on the matter.

---

They left Pingchuan at 9:30 a.m. and arrived in Dongping at around 2:00 p.m.

The two-and-a-half-hour drive had taken them four and a half hours today.

As they passed a Yuanfang Supermarket, Lin Meng expressed surprise, "I didn't expect there to be a Yuanfang Supermarket in Dongping. Cao Feng, your company must be doing quite well."

Cao Feng glanced at Li Dong's back and chuckled, "Not bad. We have quite a few branches."

"That's true. I heard your company's boss is quite wealthy. Cao Feng, when you get promoted, introduce me to some connections at your company headquarters, will you?"

When Lin Meng said this, she looked at Li Dong deliberately.

It wasn't that she knew Li Dong was the boss of Yuanfang Supermarket, but she hoped Li Dong could introduce her to some valuable connections.

If Li Dong could afford a luxury car, it meant he wasn't short on money.

Wealthy people often know other wealthy people, and insurance agents naturally prefer dealing with such individuals.

Sometimes, a single deal with a wealthy person could be worth years of work for her.

But it was difficult to reach such people. Without an introduction, it was nearly impossible for an outsider like Lin Meng to make contact.

The insurance industry was booming, but there were many insurance agents now. Wealthy people were often annoyed by constant solicitation, and many hung up or turned away insurance agents immediately. It was rare for someone to hear her out.

Li Dong noticed Lin Meng's gaze in the rearview mirror and asked, "Sister-in-law, how's the business going lately?"

Lin Meng brightened up and began to vent, "Don't mention it. It's tough to do anything these days, especially since I'm an outsider. Pingchuan is particularly insular, and I have no connections here..."

Lin Meng went on for quite a while without interruption from Li Dong, who waited until she finished before saying, "Have you considered changing careers? Insurance is still okay for now, but it will be tougher in a few years. The older you get, the harder it becomes. While you're still young, switching to a different field might offer better prospects."

Li Dong wasn't just making polite conversation. While the insurance industry was decent now, it would likely become less favorable in the future.

Aside from auto insurance, other types of insurance were quite tricky. Many people in China didn't fully understand insurance and often regarded insurance agents with suspicion.

Lin Meng sighed, "I only have a middle school education and no special skills. What else can I do?"

Li Dong smiled, "Try something new. You won't know until you try. It's not too late to learn a new skill; you're still young."

Lin Meng gave a wry smile and didn't respond. She was used to a carefree life and wasn't ready to commit to learning a new skill.

Seeing her reaction, Li Dong decided not to press further.

Cao Feng, however, was anxious. Seeing Lin Meng's reluctance, he wished he could shake her awake.

But thinking about the consequences, Cao Feng didn't dare to act.

As the car grew quiet, Cao Feng lamented inwardly. It seemed he had missed an opportunity.

Li Dong's suggestion was clear—if Lin Meng had agreed to change careers, he would have certainly helped.

Though Li Dong might not find her an exceptional job, staying with Yuanfang would definitely offer a good future.

Since Lin Meng remained silent, Li Dong wouldn't bring it up again. Cao Feng felt that Lin Meng would regret it later.

Though insurance could be profitable now, it depended heavily on luck. There could be months without any sales, and when that happened, one would be left with nothing.

Moreover, being an insurance agent meant constantly putting oneself out there, smiling at everyone, and begging for business. It wasn't worth it.

Regardless of what the others were thinking, the car finally stopped in front of Li's home.

---

At Li's House

As soon as Cao Fang saw Lin Meng, she ignored Li Dong and Cao Feng, and warmly said, "Xiao Meng, you're finally here. You must be tired from the journey!"

"I just made some pork ribs noodles. Do you like noodles? If not, there's rice. I also made chicken soup in the morning..."

Lin Meng was taken aback by Cao Fang's enthusiasm, while Li Dong was used to it.

His family was well accustomed to these things, so there was no need for too much formality.

Since it was Lin Meng's first visit and Cao Feng's parents were not around, Cao Fang was understandably more welcoming.

Li Dong took off his coat, greeted Li Chengyuan, and heard Cao Fang scold, "Xiao Meng, you didn't need to buy these things. Our family has everything we need. Why spend money on these? You know, these things are cheap at the wholesale price, but they're expensive outside. It's a waste of money."

"You bought this brain platinum; we have it in our supermarket too, and the wholesale price is..."

Cao Fang and Lin Meng continued chatting, engrossed in their conversation, while Li Dong called Cao Yu and Cao Feng to sit down and asked Li Chengyuan, "Dad, have you bought the couplets and other decorations?"

"I bought them all. Do I need you to remind me?" Li Chengyuan chuckled, and then said to Cao Feng and Cao Yu, "Erbao, Xiao Feng, are you hungry? Have some food to fill your stomach first."

He then turned to Cao Fang and said, "Stop bothering the girl. Go to the kitchen and prepare some food. She hasn't eaten all afternoon."

Cao Fang immediately said, "My memory is so bad. Xiao Meng, make yourself at home. I'll get some food for you. After eating, we can chat more."

Lin Meng quickly said, "Auntie, you don't need to trouble yourself. I can manage."

"You're the guest. How can I let you do everything?"

Li Dong wasn't interested in the women's polite conversation. He greeted everyone and went to his room.

He took out his phone and called Qin Yuhan to check in.

Then, he called Wang Jie to let him know he was back.

On the phone, Wang Jie complained, "So you're back, big deal. I told you, you're quite something. You had my wife attend your company's annual meeting to see how you, the big boss, flaunt your power. As a result, my wife came back and scolded me for days

, saying I deceived her. Wasn't I wrong to mention it in the first place?"

"Get lost. How is this my fault? Do you have no conscience?"

Wang Jie didn't mind and continued chatting before asking, "Did you see the messages in the group?"

"What group?"

"The high school QQ group. They were organizing a gathering in Dongping tonight. Are you going?"

"Not going!"

Li Dong wasn't interested in such gatherings.

Yuan Xue was in the U.S. now, and he frequently saw Wang Jie. As for the other high school classmates, he wasn't very close to them.

He used to have a good relationship with Chen Yue, but now, with Wang Jie involved, their relationship had gradually faded.

His high school homeroom teacher was okay, and he planned to visit after the New Year. As for the others, Li Dong couldn't be bothered.

Hearing Li Dong's response, Wang Jie wasn't surprised.

After a few more words, Li Dong ended the call.

When he came out of his room, Li Chengyuan waved him over.

Li Dong followed him to the balcony, where Li Chengyuan lowered his voice and said, "Dongzi, this morning, Chen Jing called and said she wants Xiao Lan to come here for the New Year. What do you think?"

Li Dong frowned slightly and asked, "During the New Year, what about Chen Jing?"

Li Chengyuan sighed, "What else? She'll be spending the New Year with her father. You know, Xiao Lan doesn't have a father, and there's a lot of gossip in the countryside. It's okay when she's working outside, but when she comes back during the New Year, she attracts a lot of talk..."

"Understood. Let Xiao Lan come over."

Li Dong then added, "Never mind. I'll go pick her up tomorrow."

Li Chengyuan sighed in relief and asked, "Dongzi, when Xiao Lan comes, we won't have enough sleeping space."

The Li family hadn't changed their house; they still lived in the old two-bedroom apartment.

With Cao Feng and the others, it was getting a bit crowded with seven people. The living room only had a single sofa bed, which wasn't enough for everyone.

Li Dong thought for a moment and said, "How about staying in a hotel?"

"Stay in a hotel during the New Year? What kind of thing is that?"

"Then how about this: you and cousin sleep in my room. Mom and the others can squeeze in together. Four people should fit in the big bed. I'll sleep in the living room."

Li Dong thought it was quite pathetic to sleep in the living room every time he came back.

Li Chengyuan considered it and nodded, then sighed, "Fine, we'll make do this year. After the Lantern Festival, your mother and I will go to Pingchuan, and next year will be better."

Li Dong's house in Pingchuan was a four-bedroom apartment, so it would be spacious enough for more people.

Li Dong chatted with Li Chengyuan about some family matters. Li Chengyuan had stopped running his stall recently and had cleared out everything that needed to be thrown away or given away. He had also said goodbye to his friends and neighboring stall owners.

This year would be the last New Year the Li family spent in Dongping. Li Chengyuan felt a bit reluctant.

Li Dong offered some comforting words and then went back to the living room when he heard his mother calling for dinner.