The little dumpling is five and a half years old, which made his father so angry that his head split

Friendships can't be built by flattery.

Xiao Hong knew very well what was going on.

At an age when he can make true friends, he doesn't need to grovel.

A simple gesture of goodwill is enough.

In the future, when only interests are considered, even if enough benefits are offered, one will still have to bow down in the face of power.

So, it's good to be a kid, and it's even better to be a kid who doesn't do anything productive.

Carefree and without desires.

However, if you want to live a good life, you still need to rely on something.

This was a closely guarded secret skill passed down by his grandmother.

He only offered to teach him because he was one of his own.

But choosing a reliance is not easy.

Some people have low social status but look down on everyone.

Xiao Hong simply avoids offending or getting close to such people, having absolutely no intention of befriending them.

Because if you can't warm it up, there's no need to force yourself to do so.

Some people have a high enough status, but they are also arrogant and domineering.

Xiao Hong knew this kind of person; he couldn't possibly be on their level. He didn't even look at him now, and he certainly wouldn't in the future.

Even if you manage to climb up the social ladder, the relationship will never be equal.

Without any personal connection, would someone help him when he truly needs a benefactor's help?

Absolutely not.

But he wanted to give Li Tian's divination a try.

Because, although the Li siblings were aloof, they looked at people with a peaceful gaze, and even when they looked at him, a poor student, they showed no contempt whatsoever.

This is already extremely rare for him.

Another point is that Shen Yi is also arrogant.

I won't be polite to everyone.

This at least proves from another perspective that Li Tian's status was high enough and that he was a decent person.

All things considered, Li Tian is someone he should befriend wholeheartedly.

It was a genuine feeling.

As for Li Muchen, we can just date him casually.

She looks more unapproachable than Li Tian.

But how can a poor student like him befriend a high achiever who skipped grades?

In his view, all of these were somewhat impossible.

After all, there is still a natural divide between people.

Xiao Hong made up his mind in just a few minutes, but he didn't listen to a single word the teacher said during the entire Chinese class, spending the rest of the time figuring out a solution.

Li Tian had no idea how Xiao Hong was trying to win her over; her mind was entirely focused on her studies.

To protect their eyes, students are encouraged to go for a walk during breaks.

During their afternoon self-study time, the siblings also attend math competition training classes.

I was busy all day long, only able to rest briefly during lunch.

Xiao Hong wasn't a diligent person, but once he made up his mind, he was quite the action-taker.

Grandma said that sincerity can move mountains.

He always has to give it a try.

If you can make a few friends in this life who would risk their lives for you, that's a kind of achievement.

He didn't tell his two younger brothers.

They're somewhat obedient because of the money, but they're not that reliable.

After observing that Li Tian and the other two brought their own lunches, Xiao Hong joined the lunch-bringing team the next day.

And then, shamelessly, he approached the three of them.

Since they were all classmates, Li Tian and the others naturally couldn't kick them out.

Having escaped being kicked out, Xiao Hong felt that the first step was secure.

At least, he has a good eye for people.

"My mom was worried I'd go hungry, so she brought me a lot of food. Please try some!"

Before Xiao Hong picked up his chopsticks, he gave the three of them a lot of food.

Looking at the shrimp and beef in the lunchbox, Li Tian felt a little embarrassed.

After all, they didn't have much contact.

"Xiao Hong, we brought quite a lot of food, but we've already eaten it, so it's not appropriate to share it with you. Consider this orange a return gift."

After Li Tian finished speaking, she placed an orange in front of Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong didn't push it back, otherwise there wouldn't be a next time.

"Thank you, I love oranges the most."

After saying this, Xiao Hong buried himself in his rice. Being able to sit at the same table with them was already a victory in the first battle.

One should not be too eager for quick success and instant benefits.

He needs to be given time to understand and accept others.

Not to mention them, he himself is very careful in choosing friends.

After finishing his meal, Xiao Hong said goodbye and left alone.

Because they weren't familiar with each other, they didn't talk much during the meal.

He does have that much insight.

After Xiao Hong left, Li Tian and the others didn't discuss him. They just had a meal together and no one thought much of it.

In the following days, Xiao Hong did not come over to sit with them every day.

But whenever he comes over, he adds food to their plates.

It's still a very substantial dish.

Even the Li and Shen families weren't usually that arrogant.

Li Tian and the others were all shrewd people, so they naturally figured out some clues.

Since Xiao Hong didn't mention his purpose, they pretended not to know.

I'm not trying to take advantage of anyone on purpose, nor am I afraid of doing so. At worst, I'll treat him to a nice meal to make up for it.

On Saturday night, Li Tian and Du Juan agreed on a time to meet the next day.

Du Juan readily agreed, saying she would wait for Li Tian to go out together tomorrow.

Li Tian didn't hesitate and readily agreed.

After having breakfast on Sunday, Li Tian rode her bicycle to the Yuan family's house and went to the factory with Du Juan.

Li Tian couldn't just sit idly on the road; she needed to find out what was going on first.

"Aunt Du, is the property right of our factory clearly defined?"

"Property rights? You mean, who decides?"

"Pretty much. Who makes the decisions is very important. Otherwise, wouldn't all our efforts be for nothing?"

In recent years, besides being busy with factory work, Du Juan has also made time to study.

At least I read every single word of the newspaper every day, and I can understand it.

"As a collective enterprise of the neighborhood, the factory naturally belongs to everyone."

Li Tian shook her head.

If it really is a collective enterprise with unclear property rights, then whatever ideas she comes up with will probably be in vain.

Because Dujuan can't make decisions on her own.

"Aunt Du, is our factory paid by piecework?"

"Piece-rate? No, the wages are all based on the job type."

Li Tian shook her head again.

It seems they're still living off the "communal pot" system.

The employees receive the same pay regardless of how much they work, leading to a lack of motivation and a tendency to go through the motions without putting in any real effort.

"Aunt Du, do you know why the land was divided among each household?"

Du Juan, who came from a rural background, naturally knew about this policy.

After the household responsibility system was implemented, families no longer went hungry and even started eating white flour buns.

She knew the drawbacks of being part of a group.

When you can put in less effort, who would be foolish enough to work themselves to the bone?

"Tian Tian, ​​do you mean the salary can't be fixed?"

Li Tian was somewhat surprised by Du Juan's progress.

This already demonstrates the ability to apply knowledge to new situations.

"Aunt Du, the principle of 'more work, more pay' is the only way to motivate everyone. Managing a factory requires a system, not personal relationships."

"If you can't offer people enough benefits, who will keep giving you face?"

Du Juan nodded and fell into thought.

They arrived after cycling for more than twenty minutes.

The factory is located in a small courtyard house.

Upon seeing Du Juan, the workers greeted her warmly.

The cuckoo responded warmly.

Li Tian followed Du Juan around, looking around since entering the room, and no longer asked any questions.

If anyone inquires...

Du Juan said that Li Tian was the neighbor's child who came to play.

"Aunt Du, you go ahead and do your work. I'll take a look around and we can talk again at noon."

Du Juan patted Li Tian and then left.

Inviting Li Tian over was initially a last resort, but now she has more confidence.