355: Call Mom

"I haven't eaten the dumplings my Mom made in ages." Liu Xiaolin thought about how long it had been since he went home and contacted his Mom.

"When can we go back to Jiangnan City?" Hong Tongtong asked.

"Originally, I planned to go back after I finished being busy these past few days, but now I can't. Environmental Protection Agency Director Wang is coming tomorrow to sign the contract." Liu Xiaolin shook his head and said, "Once this contract is signed, it'll be like a donkey with a bit in its mouth, unable to stop."

"Tsk tsk tsk, look at you, describing yourself as a donkey, truly pathetic." Hong Tongtong said mockingly, "No matter how busy you are, it shouldn't be impossible to spare a few days."

"There are so many things inside and outside that I need to handle. Those experts just focus on research and don't care about anything else." Liu Xiaolin said with a frown.

"You can let General Manager Lai take charge. He's a pro at this kind of thing and even better than you," Hong Tongtong suggested with a smile.

"When we go back to Jiangnan City, we have to bring him along, don't we! Are you stupid!" Liu Xiaolin said impatiently.

"Oh right, I completely forgot about Zhen Yexin." Hong Tongtong said, wide-eyed, "Tell me, he's been in the ancient parallel world for so long, how can he contact this side?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have to bring him to Headquarters; I could handle everything myself," Liu Xiaolin said with a smile.

"Alright, I'm full. Are you still eating?" Hong Tongtong said after finishing the last dumpling on her plate.

"I'm full too. Let's go back to the dorm. After we get back, I'll call my Mom and ask about Zhen Yexin's situation," Liu Xiaolin said.

"Oh, right, my Mom called me today." Hong Tongtong suddenly remembered something: "She said they're all doing well and not to worry about them. She also told me to study hard and make sure to get into Dragon Country University Professor Wei's graduate program. Finally, she said the fine carving processing copper nuts from Langfang Fine Carving are really good, and all the shareholders unanimously decided that all of Deli Air Conditioning's fine carving processing work will go to Langfang Fine Carving from now on. Then she said, 'Anyway, it's keeping the benefits within the family,' haha."

"Auntie is quite interesting. Thank Auntie for me," Liu Xiaolin was also amused.

He knew that Tongtong's parents liked him very much and didn't treat him as an outsider, but he didn't expect them to say something like 'keeping the benefits within the family' right in front of Hong Tongtong.

"Hmph, I even think my Dad and Mom like you more. Every time they call me, they keep talking about you, as if they've forgotten that I'm their biological daughter," Hong Tongtong said, pretending to be angry.

"They like me because they love you, silly," Liu Xiaolin said, putting his arm around Hong Tongtong and walking into the elevator, pressing the upstairs button.

"Never mind, let's not talk about my Dad and Mom," Hong Tongtong said after reaching the expert dorm floor and following Liu Xiaolin out of the elevator. "Let's call Auntie!"

After the two walked into the dorm, Liu Xiaolin took out his phone and dialed his Mom's number: "Mom, have you eaten dinner?"

"Yes, yes, I've eaten. Your sister has already reported to Dragon Country University. I'm the only one left at home, so I just grab a bite to eat for lunch and dinner at Jiangnan Machinery Factory," Hao Xiuhua said.

"How can you just make do? Your health isn't good; you must eat well," Liu Xiaolin said worriedly.

"It's fine. The food at the Jiangnan Machinery Factory cafeteria is even better than restaurants. I eat very well," Hao Xiuhua said with a smile. "It also saves me the trouble of cooking."

"That's good too. As long as the food at the Jiangnan Machinery Factory cafeteria is good, then eating at the cafeteria is fine for you." Liu Xiaolin thought that he and Hong Tongtong also ate at the cafeteria, so he didn't say anything more about his Mom eating there.

"Oh, right, I went to the hospital to visit Zhen Yexin and his Mom a few days ago," Hao Xiuhua said.

"Are they both alright?" Liu Xiaolin asked nervously.

"Zhen Yexin is still the same, but his Mom looks much better. She can rest well at night now and isn't as tired as before. Her spirits are also much improved," Hao Xiuhua said happily. "His Mom also asked me to thank you on her behalf."

"What's there to thank us for? Zhen Yexin was injured on duty; helping him is what we should do. Besides, if anyone should be thanked, it's you, who has been busy with all the matters, big and small, of the Medical Aid Foundation," Liu Xiaolin said.

"Mom is very happy and feels a great sense of accomplishment being busy with these things every day," Hao Xiuhua said proudly. "Especially when I hear the news that patients we helped have been cured and discharged from the hospital, I'm overjoyed."

"It would be great if Zhen Yexin could wake up one day, wouldn't it?" Liu Xiaolin said with a smile.

"I don't think Zhen Yexin will wake up. He lies in the hospital bed motionless every day," Hao Xiuhua said.

"How can you be so sure? Maybe I can wake him up after I go back one day, haha," Liu Xiaolin said, laughing it off.

"That would be great! How about you come back tomorrow and wake Zhen Yexin up?" Hao Xiuhua knew her son was joking and played along.

"I'm very busy recently. I'll go back after this busy period," Liu Xiaolin said with a smile.

"Alright, suit yourself. Oh, right, is Tongtong there? I want to say a few words to her," Hao Xiuhua was thinking of Hong Tongtong.

"Auntie, I missed you so much," Hong Tongtong said coyly as she took the phone.

"Auntie missed you too. Tell Xiaolin to come home and see me soon. Let me have a good look at you too," Hao Xiuhua said with a smile. "Also, how have you been feeling recently? How's your studying going? Tell me about yourself quickly."

Hong Tongtong really opened up then. She talked about her trip to Huaao City, about getting a fever, and about eating lots of specialty dishes in the cafeteria every day. Anyway, she just said whatever came to mind, talking for half an hour straight.

Hao Xiuhua didn't get tired of listening at all, always exclaiming along: "Oh, really? Oh, so that's how it is? What, you had a fever the whole time? My poor little dear. That's great, eat more if it's delicious."

The two were like the comedian and the straight man in a crosstalk performance. Liu Xiaolin, who was on the side, was amused.

It wasn't until Hong Tongtong felt she had nothing more to say that she reluctantly hung up the phone.

"You can really talk!" Liu Xiaolin said, shaking his head as he took the hot phone.

"When I was in Jiangnan City, I could talk about anything with Auntie," Hong Tongtong said proudly.

At this moment, Liu Xiaolin's phone rang again.

"Could it be that my Mom hasn't finished talking?" Liu Xiaolin said as he picked up his phone and glanced at it. "It's not my Mom, it's General Manager Lai."

He pressed the answer button: "General Manager Lai, are you still busy?"

"Just finished being busy. They've dug up all the flowers and trees in the new workshop area and moved them to the small garden area. Just now, I discussed the park design ideas with the General Manager of the landscaping company. He said he'll go back and design the plan and draw the blueprints, and we'll start construction once we approve it," Lai Junying said from the other end of the phone.

. You provided God Wu Ji's Rise of Heavy Industry: Building the Light of Domestic Products