Film and Television World Life Record

Faced with this familiar stranger, Li Mu was momentarily at a loss for words.

Despite having not seen each other for 10 years and having made several phone calls in between, Mingyu still felt like a stranger to him.

However, having come from a sales background, he was able to rise to the position of general manager of Zhongcheng Group's Jiangnan Sales Company. His interpersonal skills and ability to handle various situations were clearly more sophisticated than Li Mu's.

Before Li Mu could even call out, Mingyu had already come over gracefully.

"Big brother!"

"Mingyu!"

The two hugged each other gently.

Mingyu said, "Brother, it's been 10 years since we last met, hasn't it?"

Li Mu nodded, somewhat emotionally saying, "Yes! It's been 10 years. You've changed a lot over the years; I almost didn't recognize you."

Mingyu smiled faintly: "Big brother is the same. He used to have a scholarly air about him, but now he's even more handsome and mature."

"You must be tired after such a long flight! How about we book a hotel and rest for a bit?"

Li Mu shook his head: "No need. Let's go to Mingcheng's house first and discuss how to handle the aftermath."

"Alright, big brother, I'll do as you say!"

Just as Mingyu was about to take the suitcase, the phone rang. Watching her walk towards the front of the car, she issued orders with an air of authority: "Hmm, hmm... the promotional campaign in the Southwest region hasn't been very effective. Tell Lao Ni not to rush to summarize and go home... tell him to adjust the promotional plan immediately..."

As Mingyu spoke, she opened the trunk and watched Li Mu put the luggage inside.

Once they were in the car, Mingyu began to adjust the passenger seat for him.

"Brother, there's still a long way to go. Let me adjust your seat so you can rest."

Hearing such considerate words, Li Mu felt much less unfamiliar with Mingyu.

Thinking about it, Mingyu is also a person with a hard life. She was originally a promising student for Tsinghua University, but Su's mother, whether to save money or for some other reason, did not let her take the college entrance examination and directly sent her to a free teacher training college through independent enrollment.

As a result, Mingyu severed ties with her family at the age of eighteen and never spent a penny of their money again.

Meanwhile, Su's mother spared no expense, selling house after house to fund his studies abroad and help Mingcheng find a job and get married. His older brother, on the other hand, was always only interested in studying and didn't care about his affairs.

If Mingyu hadn't been strong-willed and ambitious, and hadn't gained Lao Meng's appreciation, her current situation would probably be much worse.

……

The journey from Shanghai to Suzhou is quite long, and Mingyu kept making phone calls and handling company affairs along the way.

It took more than half an hour before I could take off the Bluetooth!

"Brother, I'm quite busy with work, please don't mind!"

Li Mu smiled and said, "Seeing that you, Mingyu, are so successful in your career and living such a good life, I am relieved."

“When you were little, your older brother was also quite immature. He was a bookworm who only knew how to study and rarely cared about family matters, or about you and Mingcheng.”

"Having been abroad for so many years, I've experienced a lot. Thinking back to my childhood home, I feel sorry for you."

Mingyu was taken aback, not expecting her older brother to say that. Despite being a strong woman who had been tempered by time and was cold and ruthless in the business world, she felt a rare warmth in her heart at this moment.

"Brother, that's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore..."

Although she said that, her mind couldn't help but recall her impression of her older brother from back then. Her older brother, who first went to Tsinghua University and then got into Stanford University, had always been her role model and goal.

They had even made a pact to follow in their older brother's footsteps, get into Tsinghua University, and then study abroad so that the siblings could reunite overseas.

Even though he eventually ended up attending a free teacher training college, he still longed to study abroad and worked odd jobs every day to save up for tuition. It wasn't until he met Lao Meng that he was awakened and gave up his obsession with studying abroad.

After that, I followed Lao Meng and worked hard to get to where I am today.

Compared to her mother, Su Mingcheng, and her father who was rarely spoken to, and her eldest brother who was focused on his studies and oblivious to everything else, she was indeed the one who treated her the kindest.

Unfortunately, my eldest brother was very bookish at that time and didn't care about family matters at all; he was focused on studying and taking exams.

……

Li Mu said, "I still have to say it. When I went abroad to study, my family spent a lot of money on Mingcheng's job search, marriage, and house purchase."

“When it comes to you, and you’re such a good student, you can only go to a free teacher training college… I know you must feel very wronged. I’ll ask Dad about it when I have the chance.”

"To be honest, I was so focused on studying abroad back then that I wasn't a very good older brother."

Mingyu's feelings were somewhat complicated.

"It's not your brother's fault. Those things are all in the past. Besides, I've been doing quite well these past few years."

She says she doesn't care about the past, but what happened in her early years has always been a knot in her heart and a scar that she is unwilling to mention or touch.

Su Mingcheng, her second brother, was in particular, and he was her nightmare.

Li Mu wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't. He took out a beautifully wrapped gift box from his bag, opened it, and handed it over.

"Mingyu, it's been so many years. Your brother came back in such a hurry that he didn't prepare anything, so he just picked out a gift randomly. I don't know if you'll like it."

Mingyu hadn't paid much attention at first. Although she hadn't visited her elder brother's family in recent years, based on the limited information she had, she knew that her elder brother and his wife were probably just middle class, not extremely wealthy.

When she saw the gift, she was taken aback. It was a Cartier rose-colored ladies' watch. She had seen this model before; a female CEO she worked with owned one and wore it often.

Even if sold abroad, where it's cheaper and there are no high tariffs or luxury taxes, it would still cost thirty to forty thousand US dollars.

Unexpectedly, her older brother was so generous with such an expensive watch. Even she rarely spends so much on such things.

Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Li Mu's determined look in his eyes, and it was clear that he had to accept it today.

Moreover, judging from the older brother's attitude, this watch doesn't seem to mean much to him.

"Thank you, brother, I like it very much."

Mingyu hesitated for a moment, but still accepted it.

Perhaps I misjudged him; my older brother has been doing much better abroad than I imagined.

Chapter 7 Ledger

Along the way, the two chatted from time to time, and the feeling of unfamiliarity gradually disappeared.

They arrived at Mingcheng's house quickly. As soon as they entered, Su Daqiang saw Li Mu and, as if seeing his pillar of support, rushed forward with red eyes.

"Mingzhe, Mingzhe... you're finally back!"

Li Mu quickly helped him up. Looking at him, who looked like a child with red and swollen eyes and messy hair, Li Mu felt as if he saw Su Daqiang, whom he relied on. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly.

After comforting him for a while, Su Daqiang felt relieved, and the clouds parted and the sun shone through. He then accompanied Li Mu into Mingcheng's house.

The house was nicely decorated, cozy and chic, with snow-white walls, simple and exquisite furniture in a few colors, and the table was clean and tidy, without any gaudy silk flowers or flower arrangements, except for a crystal vase of white lilies on the coffee table near the balcony.

The room looked comfortable, warm, bright, and spacious, which must have been Julie's doing; Mingcheng certainly didn't have such high taste.

As soon as they sat down, Su Daqiang grabbed Li Mu's hand and wouldn't let go, as if he had found a new support after his mother's death. He kept crying and babbling, "Mingzhe, what should I do? Your mother is gone, I don't know what to do. You can't abandon me!"

As he spoke, he started sobbing again, just like a child.

If you ignore their ages and only listen to their tone of voice, Li Mu is the father, and Su Daqiang is the child.

He finally understood what it meant to be an old child. But that wasn't the worst part. Without his mother's control, Su Daqiang, who was completely unrestrained, was the real tormentor.

He patted him on the back and comforted him like a child, saying, "It's alright, Dad. You still have us. How could we abandon you?"

"Don't worry, we'll definitely make arrangements for you so you can enjoy your retirement in peace."

Upon hearing Li Mu's assurance, Su Daqiang immediately stopped sobbing and glanced at him furtively.

She whispered, "Then... I'm afraid to go home alone. If I stay home alone, all I see is your mother. I can't stay here for a moment longer. I want to live with you."

Upon hearing this, Mingyu, Mingcheng, and Zhuli were taken aback, somewhat surprised that Su Daqiang would say such a thing, and so directly.

Li Mu was already mentally prepared; he didn't need to have any expectations of a wild boy who was about to let loose.

Let him run wild for a few days first, then discipline him properly like Su's mother did, and curb his unbridled arrogance. That's the right way.

Li Mu smiled and said, "Sure! There are a few of us here, so you won't be homeless. Where would you like to stay?"

Su Daqiang glanced cautiously at Li Mu, then at Su Mingcheng.

Then he muttered to himself, "When your mother was alive, we often came to Mingcheng's house to tidy up. Look, that rattan rocking chair, your mother liked to sit there when she was tired, I could always see her when I looked up."

"I'm so scared! I didn't sleep a wink last night. It felt like your mom was lying in the next bed. I don't dare stay at Mingcheng's house."

Li Mu knew that Su Daqiang's ultimate goal was to go abroad with him.

Having lived a cowardly life, with no one to hold him back anymore, he just wanted to live a life of glory, to live in a villa, spend US dollars, and gain face in front of his neighbors, relatives, and colleagues.

Furthermore, Su Daqiang, with his bullying and cowardly nature, was wary of Su Mingcheng, a former freeloader, and felt that living with him was not very secure. He was also afraid that Mingcheng would try to take his retirement savings.

He was equally uneasy in the face of the strong-willed Mingyu. He and Su's mother had long ago severed ties with Mingyu and promised that Mingyu would not have to worry about their old age.

After all the calculations, Mingzhe turned out to be the most reliable.

Sure enough, Mingyu then spoke up, "Dad, since you don't want to live at home or Mingcheng's house, come live at my house. Mom has never been to my place!"

Su Daqiang hurriedly shook his head, "No, no... You fly all over the country every day, you can't even see a shadow of a person. Going to your place is not as good as going to a nursing home."

Then she turned to Li Mu and cried, "Mingzhe, do you think I should go to a nursing home? Please help me decide."

As she spoke, she squinted and squeezed out a few tears, which made people burst into laughter.

Li Mu knew Su Daqiang's thoughts, and taking him abroad to broaden his horizons was not a bad idea. Firstly, it would allow him to reform Su Daqiang locally and curb his bad habits of mistreating children and being unruly; secondly, Su Daqiang later developed Alzheimer's disease, and there was more in-depth research on this topic abroad.