Chapter 296: Close the Door, Let the Old Master In!

That night, the three of them gathered together.

Ever since Li Xian distributed the money at the entrance of the compound, the three of them had been having a tough time. On the other hand, Accountant Liu, who had kept his distance from them, only added to their resentment.

Previously, the schemes had all been Liu's ideas. Liu Yuan's trickery had led them into trouble, leaving them to suffer while Liu himself remained unaffected.

Who could tolerate that?

However, it wasn't as if they were truly leaning towards Li You either.

"Old Cong, what do you think about today's situation?" 

Around a small table with a few snacks, the three men were discussing the current situation at Cong Gui's home.

"What else can we think?" At this point, Cong Gui had lost the low profile he had earlier in the day at the compound. Setting down his small drinking cup, he chuckled, "Li You must be thinking that there are only five people in the forest farm who can handle things—the factory director, deputy factory director, women's director, accountant, and cashier. If he wants to control the Eight-Nine Forest Farm, he inevitably needs our support."

Hearing this, the other two agreed, "That's right! Accountant Liu isn't aligned with him. If we actively support Li You, he'll definitely be pleased."

"Pleased? Of course he will!" Cong Gui glared. "Don't think that just because his second son was saying this and that today, Li You himself has said anything at all? His old man is in his seventies, his brain is muddled. He's busy fiddling with a coffin every day—what kind of leader is he? Clearly, Li You must have already arranged things at home, letting his second son play the bad cop while the old man plays the good cop."

"So, Old Cong, you're saying that Li You always intended to bring us three into the pickled cabbage factory?"

"Exactly!" Cong Gui nodded. "Think about it—Li You has managed to fool the public. But the public can only make noise. If he wants to get the forest farm sorted out, it still needs people like us who can get things done and have a say in the bureau. That's why I said, you two were overthinking it before. Begging Li You in front of so many people was unnecessary!"

Cong Gui rubbed his red nose and waved his hand grandly. "But it's not without use. Look, we've given Li You such a big advantage. The pickled cabbage factory will definitely give us some official positions. Didn't Li You mention in the morning that there are collective shares in the factory, and he is the legal representative? That means the shares belong to the farm, and since we manage the farm, we'll manage the factory too!"

Seeing Cong Gui's confident expression, Sun Fulai and Zhang Dayou exchanged glances, their faces brightening with joy.

"Then we can rest assured! Come on, Old Cong, let me fill your glass. Cheers!"

For a moment, the room was filled with the clinking of glasses.

...

Early the next morning, the three of them arrived early at the director's office at the forest farm.

After a day of mobilization yesterday, the registration was settled, and today they needed to start preparations immediately. The abandoned middle school at the forest farm now housed both a broken wood factory and an initial processing factory, leaving no space for the new pickled cabbage factory. Yesterday, the explanation was that they wanted to clear out the small square behind the old club for the factory's site.

When they arrived, they saw that the Li family's three generations were already in the director's office. Li You and Li Xian were scribbling on paper, seemingly planning how to set up the new factory.

"Director Li, you're here so early!" 

Entering the room, Cong Gui greeted with a bow.

Li You looked up and nodded, then returned his attention to the draft in front of him. "Son, the old club is quite large and can be used as a workshop, but there's no heating. Should we add a stove?"

Li Xian nodded. "Pickled cabbage can't freeze. If it freezes, it becomes sweet and inedible."

"Don't add too much heat; it's not good if it's too hot. Just ensure the room stays around ten degrees. An iron stove should be fine, but pay attention to fire safety. It's best to place the stove in the middle of the club."

The three watched the father and son discuss the factory setup, feeling somewhat awkward as they seemed to be disregarded.

Noticing the old man Li Daoyun, who was leaning on a cane and yawning with his eyes closed, Cong Gui decided to be polite. "Old Master, why are you here so early? On such a cold day, wouldn't it be better to relax at home, smoke a pipe, and watch TV?"

Cong Gui deliberately raised his voice while greeting Li Daoyun, interrupting Li Xian and Li You's discussion.

Seeing Cong Gui glance over with a sly look, Li Xian smiled slightly.

"Deputy Director Cong, is there something you three need?"

"Ah!" Cong Gui immediately put on a smile and walked to the desk. "Well, since the three of us signed up yesterday, we thought we'd come by to see if we could help with the preparations!"

His words were polite, but the underlying meaning was clear.

Helping with the preparations meant they were angling for official positions!

Li Xian smiled slightly, looking at the scheming trio. After a brief pause, he said, "Hmm… speaking of preparations, there is indeed something you three can do."

Upon hearing this, Cong Gui raised his eyebrows, looking smugly at Sun Fulai and Zhang Dayou. 

"How's that? I told you so!"

We're definitely going to be useful!

Sun Fulai and Zhang Dayou were even more pleased, looking at Cong Gui with admiration.

"Absolutely! This pickled cabbage factory is meant to bring wealth to the forest farm. As farm officials, we should be on the front lines! Second Li, what do you need us to do?"

Li Xian put down his pencil and assigned them a task.

"Huh?"

Upon hearing the glorious yet arduous task, the three of them were stunned.

...

"Damn it, Li Er, that bastard clearly doesn't see us as important!"

By the afternoon, exhausted to the point of collapse, the three of them couldn't hold back any longer. They slumped under the basketball hoop in the small square, with the hot autumn sun bearing down on them. They unbuttoned their cotton-padded coats and used their hats to fan themselves.

Though the weather was no longer hot, hauling large barrels from house to house in the morning, loading and unloading them, had made the three of them sweat profusely.

Sweat ran down their temples, creating deep furrows on their faces covered in dust and tractor soot. On their greasy faces, it seemed like streams were flowing continuously.

Li Xian's task for them was to move large barrels from every household to the club!

Each barrel weighed dozens of kilograms. Even with tractors to transport them, lifting and lowering them was no light work!

And that's not to mention the state of the barrels from each household!

It was both disgusting and tiring.

People who had been mobilized by Li You were clearing the area around the club for the pickled cabbage factory. Seeing the trio's predicament, they laughed and pointed, making the three of them even more furious.

"Damn it! I think Li Er is deliberately making things difficult for us! Not only did he not give us any official positions, but he's also making us work like slaves. Look at these barrels, how disgusting! I told you Li You wouldn't be so kind-hearted! Old Cong, Old Zhang, I think we should stop working this afternoon and give him a hard time!"

"Right! Li You is a bastard! From today on, I'll make sure he doesn't have it easy as long as I'm at the forest farm!"

Sun Fulai and Zhang Dayou were enraged, feeling their dignity was insulted.

With the stench of sweat that could turn even themselves off, Cong Gui's face was twisted in frustration.

"Damn it, I didn't expect Li You to be so cunning! Enough is enough!"

Just as the three were boiling with indignation, preparing to rebel, a kind voice came from behind them.

"Oh dear, you must be exhausted after the whole morning."

Turning around, they saw Li Daoyun, the elderly Li family patriarch, standing behind them with a friendly smile, though they didn't know when he had arrived.