68: Chapter 68 Grandparents and Grandchildren's Reunion

"Dakang!"

Department Director Zhou Lan looked her son up and down, murmuring with heartache: "Look at you, how did you get so dark? It's like you just came back from Africa!"

More than half a year of exposure to the wind and sun had turned Li Dakang's originally fair complexion into a healthy, wheat-colored tan.

Department Director Zhou Lan reached out to stroke her son's cheek, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"Mom, I missed you."

Li Dakang said softly, his voice revealing a tenderness rarely seen in the past.

Upon hearing this, Department Director Zhou Lan was stunned, a surge of warmth suddenly flooding her heart.

She examined her son's upright figure closely and discovered that the sharpness in his brow had faded a bit, replaced by a sense of composure.

It seemed that this child had truly grown up.

Department Director Zhou Lan quietly wiped the corner of her eye, while the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile of relief.

As they were speaking, a steady sound of footsteps approached from afar.

Li Dakang's third uncle, General Li Hongkai, strode over, his military green jacket particularly striking in the sunlight.

"Third Uncle!" Li Dakang turned and saluted, his voice resonant yet respectful.

General Li Hongkai laughed heartily and reached out to pat his nephew's shoulder heavily: "Good lad!"

He looked Li Dakang up and down, his eyes full of approval: "You have much more spirit than before."

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward the small courtyard to the east: "Go quickly and see the old man; he's been talking about you every day."

Upon hearing this, Li Dakang's eyes flickered with emotion.

He straightened his collar and nodded to his mother and third uncle: "Then I will head over first."

A moment later, Li Dakang stood outside the vermilion gate of Elder Li's courtyard.

Even as Elder Li's own grandson, one needed to report in advance to see the old man in this household.

As a figure who once stood at the pinnacle of national power, Elder Li's security detail was always executed according to the highest standards.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and a middle-aged man with an upright figure and a resolute face walked out.

He wore a crisp military uniform, and the star insignia on his epaulets shone brightly in the sunlight.

"Dakang, the Chief requests your presence inside."

Ou Mingfeng's voice was deep and powerful, yet his eyes held a rare hint of gentleness.

Li Dakang felt a warmth in his heart and quickly stepped forward: "Uncle Ou, long time no see, thank you for the trouble."

Ou Mingfeng nodded slightly and stepped aside to clear a path.

Li Dakang was secretly pleased. As Elder Li's chief bodyguard, Ou Mingfeng held a special position and rarely greeted guests personally.

For Elder Li to send him to receive him personally was a unique honor among the younger generation of the Li family.

Passing through the quiet courtyard, Li Dakang's footsteps unconsciously lightened.

In the courtyard, the old plum tree was blooming against the snow, with a subtle fragrance drifting in the air.

Under the tree, a white-haired old man sat on a rattan chair, a thin blanket covering his knees, holding a thread-bound book in his hands.

"Grandfather." Li Dakang stood respectfully, his voice filled with the excitement of a long-awaited reunion.

The old man slowly looked up, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes that had seen all the vicissitudes of life: "Mm, you're back? Sit."

Li Dakang carefully sat down on the mahogany chair nearby, his back straight.

Having not seen him for over half a year, his grandfather's eyebrows had added a few more strands of silver, but he was still full of vigor, his gaze like a torch, which allowed Li Dakang's anxious heart to settle slightly.

In this family, Elder Li was the "pillar of white jade supporting the sky, the golden beam spanning the sea"; as long as this towering tree remained, the Li family would stand firm.

Elder Li put down the book in his hand and examined his grandson before him closely.

The playboy youth in his memory now had dark skin, a resolute gaze, and a composed demeanor in his every movement.

"You have done well down there and have not disappointed me."

Elder Li's voice was unhurried, yet it made Li Dakang's heart warm.

One had to know that Elder Li was known for his strictness; even when facing current high-level leaders, he rarely offered praise in person.

To receive a word of affirmation from him was something many dreamed of.

Li Dakang knew that his hard work over the past half year had finally gained his grandfather's approval.

"Grandfather, I will continue to work hard and will not live up to your expectations." His voice trembled slightly.

Next, Li Dakang recounted his work over the past half year: how he led Guantian Township out of poverty, how he developed the soy product industry, and how he promoted the scaling of the aquaculture industry... He knew every detail like the back of his hand.

Elder Li nodded from time to time, occasionally lost in thought, the look of approval in his eyes growing stronger.

Although he had already learned about his grandson's performance through other channels, hearing Li Dakang tell it himself felt different.

Behind those numbers and achievements was the down-to-earth dedication of a young man.

After the report was finished, the courtyard fell into a brief silence.

"Do you know why I specifically designated you to take a post in a township with difficult conditions back then?"

Elder Li suddenly spoke, his gaze like a torch.

Without waiting for Li Dakang to answer, the old man answered his own question: "Only by going to the grassroots, to the places where the masses need it most, and to the posts with the most difficult conditions, can one be tempered, grow in talent, and shoulder great responsibilities."

Elder Li's voice gradually rose, and his eyes, which had seen all the vicissitudes of life, shone with the light of wisdom: " 'The prime minister must rise from the local government, the fierce general must emerge from the ranks'; throughout history, this has always been the case."