Chapter 396 The Seventh-Generation Descendant Li Xiaofan, Who Sparked Controversy at the Beginning

After leaving Hongqiao International Airport, he drove from Shanghai to Mingzhou. After arriving in Mingzhou, he immediately held a meeting with his colleagues in industry and trade in Mingzhou.

Li Xiaofan didn't have a good rest during the dusty and bumpy journey.

As soon as he jumped onto the big Simmons bed of Donggang Hotel, Li Xiaofan fell asleep.

And he slept soundly.

Finally, he was woken up by the ringing of his cell phone, "Hello Moto, Hello Moto..."

Li Xiaofan turned on his cell phone and saw that it was already 6:10 in the evening. The time for his grandfather's birthday dinner was scheduled at 6 o'clock in the evening.

The call was from an unfamiliar local landline number. The beginning of the number seemed to be an internal phone number of Donggang Hotel.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, is this Xiaofan? I'm your aunt! Where are you? We've all arrived..." The anxious voice of aunt Li Weiyun came from the phone.

"Oh, aunt, sorry, I just overslept, I'll be here soon!"

"Then hurry up!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiaofan simply washed his face, and without bothering to wash up, he went straight down the elevator to the Chinese restaurant on the second floor.

Tonight, because there were eight tables of banquets, the hotel did not have such a large private room, so the 80th birthday dinner of Li Xiaofan's grandfather Li Mingxian was held in the lobby of the Chinese restaurant on the second floor, and half of the lobby of the restaurant was booked.

Strictly speaking, Li Xiaofan's grandfather Li Mingxian belongs to the fifth generation of the "Xiaogang Li Family". By the time of Li Xiaofan, he was already the seventh generation of decline.

The representative of the first generation of the "Xiaogang Li Family" where Li Xiaofan's family belongs is Li Yeting, a shipping tycoon in the late Qing Dynasty, who once monopolized the sand ship industry in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. The founder of the famous family business group "Xiaogang Li" in the old Shanghai and Ningbo business group.

The second generation of the Li family was represented by Li Yeting's son Li Meitang and nephew Li Tingtao, who jointly managed the Li family business and developed it. At the end of the 18th century, many Li family members moved to Shanghai and made great achievements.

By the end of the 19th century, the Li family had nearly 10 "Yu" money houses in Shanghai, four real estate companies "Tian, ​​Di, Yuan, Huang", and many other industrial and commercial enterprises, with business scope covering shipping, finance, real estate, warehousing, docks and department stores. At that time, the Li family also acquired a large number of real estate in Shanghai, and opened roads named "Difeng Road" (today's Urumqi North Road) and "Li Songqingtang Road" (today's Shaanxi North Road to Changshou Road), becoming a real estate giant in Shanghai at that time.

By the third generation of the Li family, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Xiaogang Li family's business in Shanghai was in full swing. The third generation of the Li family was full of talents and strong players, such as Li Yunshu, who was once the president of the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce, Li Zhengwu, the president of the Ningbo Association in Shanghai, and the three brothers of Li Weizhuang. In addition to running the ancestral family business, they also invested extensively in emerging businesses, such as reclamation, shipping, banking, insurance, silk weaving, etc., making the Li family a well-known industrial and commercial family in Shanghai.

By the fourth generation of the Li family, it was after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, especially after the establishment of the Republic of China, the profound national crisis gave rise to a wave of industrial salvation, and studying abroad in the West was popular for a time. At that time, the descendants of the Li family went abroad to study in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Among them, the fourth generation of the Li family, including Li Zuxian, Li Zuhao, Li Zufa, Li Zufan, Li Zuyong, Li Zuyan, etc., who studied in famous universities such as Yale and MIT in the United States, are well-known figures of the Li family...

When Li Xiaofan's grandfather Li Mingxian and the fifth generation of the Li family, the "Ming" generation, grew up, Chinese society was undergoing earth-shaking changes. Many business families were at a loss or even unable to recover in the face of this huge social change. At that time, the Li family inherited the traditions of their fathers, and with strong economic strength, many people traveled across the ocean to study in famous European, American and Japanese universities such as Yale and MIT in the United States. Relying on their own advantages and the entrepreneurial spirit of their ancestors, they created quite remarkable achievements.

And more descendants of the Li family like Li Mingxian stayed in the mainland and actively participated in the construction boom of New China. However, those huge family assets were naturally gone...

By the time of the sixth generation of the Li family, such as Li Xiaofan's father Li Weichao, the influence of the Li family in the mainland had declined.

But despite this, as the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and the descendants of the Li family who stayed in Mingzhou still have a large population.

This time, Li Xiaofan's grandfather Li Mingxian celebrated his 80th birthday. In addition to the nine children who are still alive, several of his brothers and sisters in Mingzhou and Shanghai and other relatives also came to celebrate his birthday. A total of eight tables were set up tonight.

When Li Xiaofan rushed to the door of the restaurant, his aunt Weiyun was already waiting there.

After seeing Li Xiaofan, she grabbed his hand, looked him up and down and said happily:

"Xiaofan, aunt hasn't seen you for a long time! Now, you look much more mature, tall and handsome!"

"Thank you, aunt, are you doing well now? Why, you have white hair, is your life very difficult?"

"Aunt is fine, don't worry! Now I have a child, and I have to manage a small clothing store, which is a bit more laborious..."

Li Xiaofan looked at the dress of his aunt Weiyun. Although she changed into a new set of clothes today, it can be seen from the material of the clothes that they are all cheap goods.

She is less than 40 years old, but she already has some white hair on her temples. Although she is smiling, she can't hide her vicissitudes of life. Li Xiaofan feels that her little aunt Weiyun may not be living a good life.

"Xiaofan, grandpa's birthday party has already started inside, let's go in quickly!"

"Okay!"

After entering the restaurant, Li Weiyun first brought Li Xiaofan to the main table to celebrate the birthday of his grandfather Li Mingxian.

Li Xiaofan's arrival first caused a lot of discussion among the Li family relatives in the restaurant.

Many people whispered to each other:

"Hey, who is this young man that Weiyun brought in?"

An insider broke the news: "It's the country son left by the eldest brother Weichao, named Li Xiaofan. He is quite pitiful. He lost his parents when he was young and grew up with his uncle and aunt in the countryside of Ningdong..."

"It's strange, so rude! His grandfather's 80th birthday is so important, but he was late for it casually. He is a country boy with no education!"

"Yes, people raised in the countryside are not the same as those in big cities after all. Look at him, his hair is messy, and he doesn't know how to dress up properly!"

"It's not nice for you to say that about Li Xiaofan, right? I heard from Weiyun that Li Xiaofan seems to have gone to Singapore to work as a laborer, and he seems to be doing well..."

"Oh, working in Singapore is considered doing well? The generations of the Li family who went abroad to study were all admitted to famous foreign universities such as Yale or MIT. He is considered doing well as a laborer abroad?"