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墨書 Inktalez
Valery slammed his hand on the table, startling Little Natasha and Katyusha so much that they burst into tears. This commotion caught the attention of Xu Li, who was having his meal. He handed his son to his wife and walked over to Valery. "What’s going on? If you need to educate him, do it later. We’re all trying to enjoy a rare meal together."
This kid is deliberately trying to drive me crazy, Old Russian thought, feeling a pang of frustration. Xu Li picked up the sobbing Little Natasha and wiped her tears. "Don’t cry, sweetheart. Grandpa will give you some watermelon later, okay?"
As soon as she heard about the watermelon, Little Natasha stopped crying. Xu Li returned her to Lana and pulled Valery aside to ask what had happened. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Old Russian explained the situation. Xu Li nodded and called for Lafu and other lazy kids to come to his office.
Those who were married sat on one side, while the unmarried sat on the other. For those who couldn’t fit on the sofa, they moved chairs around. Xu Li opened a Tian Xing cigarette for himself and tossed the rest to Valentin across from him, asking him to distribute them.
"When your fathers came to work at the ranch, I told them that their monthly wages would only cover daily expenses; the real profit comes from dividends. Those who work hard and take their jobs seriously will earn more money. Ivan does well; I like that reliable young man, so he earns more."
He brushed off some ash from his cigarette. "You guys are the laziest in the village. Don’t think that just because you work for me, I’ll support you for life. It’s time I made this clear: my leniency is out of respect for your fathers."
They’ve worked hard at the ranch from dawn till dusk; thinking about their sacrifices makes it difficult for me to say certain things, but that doesn’t mean I can’t say them. Starting tomorrow, if any of you try to slack off or cheat, don’t blame me for kicking you out.
When that happens, it won’t just be you who feels embarrassed; your parents and relatives will too—especially you Kozilov family members who are married. Look at yourselves; do you show any responsibility as men? You speak without thinking—either complaining about discomfort here or there—I’m embarrassed for you.
More than ten Xiao Qing looked at each other in silence, heads down and cigarettes in hand, filling the room with a heavy atmosphere. Xu Li thought for a moment; after delivering a harsh message, he should offer something sweet as well. Rubbing his chin, he continued, "If you all work well..."
Suddenly, over ten pairs of eyes were fixed on his face. Xu Li's lips twitched; it seems they were waiting for me here?
"Next spring, I’ll fund building an intelligent greenhouse on the west side of the village where we can grow watermelons and strawberries—fruits that are rare around here. If you perform well, you can take some home; don’t just think about what’s in my house without doing any work."
The young men grinned widely at this prospect. Xu Li waved his hand dismissively. "Go eat! You’re all full of nonsense."
After shooing them out of his office, he sat for a moment before turning off the lights and returning to the dining area. Looking at the villagers gathered inside, he clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. "Next spring, each family needs to send one laborer so we can clear up the wasteland on the west side of the village."
"I’ll fund building an intelligent greenhouse there to grow watermelons, strawberries, and other fruits that are uncommon here. When they ripen, every week those who perform best will get fruits to take home; those who don’t will just have to watch others eat."
He scanned the crowd before him: this offer was limited to each family’s Xiao Qing—to motivate them to work hard instead of acting like foolish children in their twenties running around with firecrackers.
Laughter erupted in the cafeteria as everyone found it amusing, their eyes landing on those young men who had just returned—Andreev and Kolechkin among them—who felt embarrassed enough to bury their heads in shame, planning to go home and give their own kids a good talking-to.
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