Era: Rise from the Wilderness

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the family of three got up.

Because of Ma Youcai's matter, which caused a two-day delay, Li Hongfeng had to go to the fleet again and borrow the Dafa bread truck for another day.

Fortunately, state-owned enterprises value personal relationships, and since Li Hongfeng didn't have much business recently, the group's fleet readily lent him their vehicles.

After a quick breakfast, Li Hongfeng went to his workplace to check in, and then drove back to pick up Li Yunjing and his mother.

First, they took He Ling to school, and then, following Li Yunjing's directions, they drove to the newsstand downstairs from Lü Ruoxi's house.

Not long after, Lü Ruoxi, dressed in a pink dress, appeared at the newsstand.

"Dad, this is my classmate Lü Ruoxi. I'm going downstairs to pick her up!"

Upon seeing Lü Ruoxi appear, Li Yunjing pointed at her, smiled, opened the car door, and jumped out.

"Hey! Good lad!"

Following the direction Li Yunjing pointed, Li Hongfeng saw a graceful and beautiful young woman and couldn't help but give his son a thumbs up in his heart.

Li Hongfeng looked at his son, who was smiling broadly as he approached Lü Ruoxi.

During this period, he clearly felt the changes in his son. He was no longer the half-grown child who needed to be protected in everything, but had become more opinionated, courageous, and even capable of showing composure and decisiveness beyond his years at certain crucial moments.

This made him feel gratified and also made him begin to re-examine the way he interacted with his son.

It should be noted that in his previous life, Li Hongfeng almost always treated Li Yunjing as an innocent child, rarely letting him truly come into contact with the core of family decisions or the complexities of the outside world.

The only time that could be considered "training" was when Li Yunjing was taught how to give gifts to the school's teachers.

At the time, the young and shy Li Yunjing was very opposed to it, feeling that it was shameful, embarrassing and awkward.

Learning is a personal matter; what's the use of relying on others? Why should you give the teacher any benefits?

Can a teacher take an exam for you?

Looking back now, Li Yunjing chuckled self-deprecatingly.

That was merely his father's most basic and awkward introduction to "human relationships" in the face of helpless reality.

Now, his father is taking him to handle things like buying a freezer, which involve large family expenses and may even lead to conflicts with others.

She began to openly demonstrate to him how she interacted with colleagues and people from all walks of life.

I started to listen to his opinions seriously, and even tacitly approved some of his "outrageous" but effective actions.

Today, I saw my son getting quite close to a female classmate, and that made me realize that my son has really grown up.

Li Yunjing opened the car door and waved to Lü Ruoxi by the newsstand.

The girl seemed a little nervous, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt before quickly walking over.

Hello, Uncle.

Lu Ruoxi opened the car door, her voice clear yet slightly shy, and greeted Li Hongfeng in the driver's seat first.

"Hey, hello, hello!"

Li Hongfeng quickly turned around, a friendly smile plastered on his face, "Get in the car quickly, it's hot outside."

He sized up the "classmate" his son had mentioned.

She wore a light pink dress, had a neat ponytail, delicate features, and fair skin. She looked like a girl from a good family. Standing there, she resembled a tender scallion just emerging from the water, fresh and well-behaved.

The subtle emotions he might have felt about his son's early romance were instantly overshadowed by the girl's good first impression, and he instead felt a sense of pride that "this brat has good taste."

Lu Ruoxi got into the car somewhat awkwardly and sat next to Li Yunjing.

The back seats of the van were hard, but it was much better than the cramped conditions of a long-distance bus.

The car started up again and slowly drove out of the town onto the provincial highway leading to Bincheng.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the poplar trees on both sides of the road rushed past.

"Little girl, your name is Lü Ruoxi, right?"

As Li Hongfeng drove, he glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror and casually asked, "Do you live in that building we just passed?"

"Yes, Uncle."

Lü Ruoxi nodded, sitting upright.

"What does your dad do for a living?"

Li Hongfeng asked seemingly casually.

He vaguely remembered that the head of the Agricultural Bank in town was surnamed Lü, but he wasn't sure.

Lu Ruoxi glanced at Li Yunjing, and seeing that Li Yunjing didn't react, she answered softly, "My dad works at the Agricultural Bank in town."

"Agricultural Bank of China?"

Li Hongfeng's heart skipped a beat, his grip on the steering wheel tightened, his smile widened, and his tone became subtly serious, "Oh! Agricultural Bank! A good company! Your dad is...?"

"He is the bank manager."

Lu Ruoxi's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a small pebble thrown into Li Hongfeng's heart, stirring up quite a ripple.

Bank Manager!

President Lü of the Agricultural Bank of China!

Although Li Hongfeng was not in the financial system, he knew the importance of the town's Agricultural Bank branch manager.

That's no ordinary person!

He glanced again through the rearview mirror at the quiet girl in the back seat, then at his own son, who looked completely at ease, as if he were just taking a casual classmate along.

good boy!

You're really something else!

He's gotten so close to President Lü's daughter without making a sound!

Judging from this situation, the relationship between the two is probably more than just ordinary.

If this were to happen... if this were to actually happen in the future, that would be truly... Countless thoughts flashed through Li Hongfeng's mind in an instant, from the worry of "not being a good match" to the open-mindedness of "children and grandchildren have their own blessings," and finally settled on a complex emotion mixed with surprise, pride, and a hint of secret expectation.

Is the ancestral grave of the Li family about to emit auspicious smoke?

"Oh! Bank Manager Lü!"

His mind was in turmoil, but he tried his best to maintain the gentle and calm demeanor of an elder: "I know him, I've met him a few times in meetings, he's a very capable leader!"

"Like father, like daughter; Ruoxi is clearly a good child!"

Li Hongfeng wasn't exaggerating; his position genuinely allowed him to interact with many prominent figures in the town.

In a town of tens of thousands of households, there are only a handful of truly capable people, and he has interacted with these people both publicly and privately.

His sudden enthusiasm and politeness made Lü Ruoxi a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushing slightly: "Uncle, you flatter me."

Li Yunjing, standing to the side, took in his father's reaction, feeling both amused and understanding.

My father was a pragmatic man with an instinctive yearning for power and status.

Lü Ruoxi's identity undoubtedly led her father to reassess the significance of his "classmate" to him.

This may not be a bad thing; at least it will reassure the father that they can "operate" alone in Bincheng.

"Dad, focus on driving."

Li Yunjing spoke up at the right moment, changing the subject, "Ruoxi's cousin's house is near Bincheng Station. Once we get to the city, just find a convenient place to drop us off, and we'll go there ourselves."