To please others? It's better to please yourself.

After Xu Jingping was transferred to a different position, she became more well-informed.

Over the past five years, her notebooks have been updated and supplemented in real time, and there are now five notebooks. They contain not only information about her superiors, but also about their family members.

She wrote down everything, from hobbies and clothing to habits and taboos, and would flip through it from time to time!

Everyone in the factory's women's federation had connections. From the moment Xu Jingping took on this job, her personal relationships with the director of the women's federation were exhausted.

If she wanted to move up, she would have to wait another thirty years before it was her turn, so she set her sights on the Municipal Women's Federation.

Although Xu Jingping gave birth to another daughter, her mother-in-law couldn't say anything about it. This was because Yang's mother had given birth to three daughters before finally having Yang Hongbing. This was one of the reasons they chose Yang Hongbing in the first place.

Moreover, as long as Xu Jingping stands tall enough and is capable enough, who would dare to look down on her daughter?

In 73, when Xu Jingping was giving birth to her son at the hospital, she encountered Zhang Fengxia (the daughter-in-law of the prefectural party secretary), who was having a prenatal checkup alone.

He kept an eye on her for another six months, and on a rainy day, he helped take Zhang Fengxia, who had fallen to the ground, to the hospital.

After that, she finally managed to hook up with the daughter-in-law of the prefectural party secretary. It took her another three years to cater to his preferences.

By 76, their relationship had grown increasingly closer.

Xu Jingping heard yesterday that three women from the Municipal Women's Federation had retired this year. After thinking about it, she felt it was about time. So she went to their door with a bottle of wine and a can of food.

After Xu Jianshe returned, he clearly matured. He even remembered to send Xu Jingping any good things he had.

When Xu Jingping sent Xu Jianguo and his wife to the Northwest, wasn't she using this incident to give Xu's parents and Xu Jianshe a warning?

From then on, the elderly couple never came to their daughter's house to beg for money again. Instead, they would buy meat or cook some nice meals and deliver them to her. The two families started exchanging visits, and their relationship became even closer.

In Xu Jingping's words, "No matter where you are, if you want to live well, besides your own abilities, you also need to show your strength! Otherwise, many people will never find the right balance and boundaries in their interactions with you!"

If Xu Jing'an transmigrated here and was still like the original owner, working like an old ox, only knowing how to work hard with her head down, then in the Xu family, she would only be killed and eaten after all her hard work.

But after she revealed her claws, the Xu family realized that they were not facing a sheep to be slaughtered, but a wolf that ate meat.

Everyone learned to live in peace and to follow the rules honestly.

Xu Jianshe knew one thing clearly: it was okay to suffer losses in front of his sister, but he could only take advantage of her if he was alive but not alive to enjoy it.

Seeing that Xu Jingping was only carrying so few things, he thoughtfully asked, "Sister, is this too little? I still have coupons here!"

Xu Jingping smiled after hearing this. Her younger brother was sensible, so she didn't mind saying a few words: "Fourth brother, you have to consider the circumstances when asking someone for a favor."

"When you have a good relationship with someone, you can't use lavish gifts to ask for favors. Otherwise, it seems inappropriate, and both parties will feel awkward whether the favor is accepted or not."

"If things go well, the relationship will fade. The friendship will only diminish over time, and it will make your feelings for each other seem impure, as if you have ulterior motives. Although that is indeed the case, you cannot show it."

"If it doesn't work out, then the relationship between the two sides will be on the opposite side, and there's no point in even discussing the relationship between them anymore."

Xu Jianshe listened attentively, determined to remember every word his second sister said.

Xu Jingping paused, then continued, "So when you first ask someone for a favor, don't be so formal. Just test the waters with a few words, and they'll eventually give you a definite answer on whether it's possible or not."

"If she's interested, she'll tell you without you having to. If not, don't bring it up again. Just pretend it never happened, or the relationship will be ruined."

Sending lavish gifts implies a power grab.

"If this can be done, then it's something I should worry about on my second visit. Or we can give you more money afterward."

"Actually, they wouldn't even consider these things. It's mainly a matter of attitude!"

Why can people make friends? Because they get along! To put it simply, it's about feeling comfortable and at ease. When you're with someone, and you find your conversations and actions agreeable, you naturally become friends.

"When you ask someone for a favor, you give them a generous gift because it's a transaction between the two of you. But when you're close to someone, it's based on friendship."

Xu Jianshe nodded vigorously.

In 77, Xu Jingping was indeed transferred to the Municipal Women's Federation as a clerk.

……

"Xu Jing'an is a diligent girl. When she's at home, everything is impeccably tidy, inside and out. The neighbors all know it; she's got it all figured out!"

"The girl is a very honest and polite person. She always greets everyone she meets when she comes in or out."

"He's very filial! Even though he works far away, he sends a letter home every month. After he got married, he still sends two or three letters a year."

"Send things? Never heard of that. Life's easy these days, especially with a child living so far away. We ordinary parents don't ask for anything else; a filial child is more important than anything!"

"But when she got married, her mother went to visit her. Would a mother go empty-handed? I heard she came back carrying a huge bundle!"

"When their youngest son went to the countryside, it was Jing'an, his older sister, who ran around helping him a lot!"

"How's the relationship? We're family, how could it be bad? Absolutely not!"

"He's a good student; if the college entrance exam hadn't been discontinued, he probably would have gone to university."

……

After learning about the Xu family's situation from the local police station on Saturday, I still visited the Xu family's neighbors and the surrounding streets.

Finally, they arrived at the Xu family's residence.

After explaining his purpose, the Xu family's reaction was beyond Zhou Liu'er's expectations.

He assumed that after hearing the story of Xu Jing'an encountering a murderer, the family members would be anxious and worried about their daughter's safety. In fact, they were, but more than that, they were curious, as if they were listening to someone else's story!

When he mentioned that Xu Jing'an had actually killed the criminal, Xu's mother was first surprised, then proud, and finally had an expression that said, "That's how it should be."

Xu's mother smiled and said, "Just like me!"

Moreover, the family's youngest son, Xu Jianshe, was left with nothing but surprise and numbness after hearing the news.

Xu Jianshe still can't understand how he and his eldest brother had the courage to look down on their two older sisters, who were both so amazing.

Finally, it was an older police officer from the local police station who told Zhou Liu'er the reason. The older officer had lived near Xu's mother's house when he was younger.

The old policeman said, "Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, a kidnapper took Xu's mother away. Who knew she would run into the Japanese on the way? Xu's mother seized the opportunity to send the kidnapper to work for the Japanese, building pillboxes and mining. She begged her way back."

On Saturday, after leading a group on a tour, the conclusion was that Comrade Xu Jing'an's meticulous thinking, cautious yet decisive actions were inherited, determined by genes ingrained in her bones.

A woman resembles her mother; she follows her roots!