Chapter 920: Under Surveillance

Beijing. The Jiang Residence!

In the study, Jiang Shiying looked at the old man sitting at the desk across from him, his face filled with shock.

According to his original itinerary, he was supposed to return to Guangzhou today, but as soon as his men arrived at the airport, they were stopped and told that the old man had ordered him to return immediately.

Taken aback, Jiang Shiying immediately returned home.

But as soon as he arrived, the old man assigned him an urgent task: to personally travel to Qingshan County and bring his son-in-law, Li Yi, back home.

Upon further inquiry, he learned that just half an hour earlier, a high-ranking official from the Elders’ Council had called the old man.

They reported that the Foreign Ministry had just received a diplomatic note from the British Empire, in which the other side expressed a desire to meet with his son-in-law, Li Yi, during the scheduled summit between the two heads of state.

The Foreign Ministry had never encountered such a request before and had no idea what the British Empire was thinking, so they reported the matter to the Council of Elders.

After deliberation, the Elders’ Council ultimately decided to grant the request and notified the Jiang family of the situation.

“Father, what’s going on with the British Empire? Their prime minister is visiting—fine—but why does he need to meet with Xiao Yi?” Jiang Shiying asked, looking puzzled.

Old Master Jiang paused briefly before replying, “According to the old commander, that Iron Lady likely has two objectives: one is to probe Xiao Yi’s background, and the other is to target that steel mill!”

“So, is the British Empire setting its sights on Xiao Yi?” Jiang Shiying frowned.

“Hmm, very likely. It’s said that the steel mill Xiao Yi acquired accounts for 70% of the British Empire’s total steel production capacity, and it’s also currently the company with the highest market value in the entire British Empire. With such a vital industry, they’re not going to let a foreigner control it!”

The old man continued, “Previously, they were tied up with the aftermath of the Falklands War and had no time for anything else. Now that they’ve finally freed up their hands, the Iron Lady’s visit aims to resolve the issue of Hong Kong’s sovereignty while also reclaiming control of that steel company!”

Jiang Shiying was exceptionally sharp-witted; with just a hint from the old man, he immediately grasped the crux of the matter.

For any nation, steel is an extremely important strategic resource, and the British Empire is clearly no exception.

However, since Li Yi’s reputation had spread far and wide, and rumors were circulating that the entire Republic of China stood behind him, the British Empire dared not resort to its usual underhanded tactics to seize the company by force.

The purpose of this meeting was to test whether Li Yi was indeed backed by China, and then decide what method to use to reclaim the steel company.

“Father, does that mean the higher-ups have agreed to let Little Yi meet with those people?” Jiang Shiying asked again.

“Yes,” the old man replied. “The Chief said that since the other side has specifically requested it, there’s no need for us to hide anything—there’s no harm in meeting them.”

“Will the higher-ups make Little Yi hand over control of that steel company?” Jiang Shiying asked with some concern.

“No. Times have changed. When it comes to Xiao Yi’s businesses, the higher-ups will do everything in their power to protect them—there’s no way they’ll make him hand them over!” Old Master Jiang said with certainty.

“Why?”

The old man replied immediately, “For one thing, Xiao Yi has made enormous contributions to foreign exchange earnings. Right now, he single-handedly accounts for nearly a third of the Foreign Exchange Bureau’s revenue. If you factor in the capital brought in by the Hong Kong businessmen who came to invest on the mainland because of him, that share rises to over half!”

“You could say Xiao Yi is the Foreign Exchange Bureau’s cash cow right now. His contributions are plain for all to see. If they were to go after his businesses, that would be ungrateful—it would be like burning the bridge after crossing it. The old leaders wouldn’t do something like that…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Shiying interjected, “Father, while what you say makes sense, nothing is absolute. After all, that steel company wields immense influence. It’s entirely possible that those in power have plans to use it to exert leverage over the British Empire!”

The old man chuckled and said, “You underestimate the Old Commander. Back when he led us in the revolution and fought the Japanese, that Iron Lady over in the British Isles was still playing in the mud. How could the Old Commander possibly use a single company to hold them over a barrel? That would be beneath him!”

“Besides, after the domestic private sector has gone through several ups and downs, many people’s confidence has been shaken. The higher-ups need role models like Xiao Yi. As long as there’s no fundamental shift in economic policy, they won’t touch him!”

“That puts my mind at ease!”

Then, changing the subject, Jiang Shiying said, “By the way, Dad, since this isn’t dangerous and it’s the higher-ups’ idea, couldn’t they just have them call that kid directly? Why do I have to go to Qing Shan County myself?”

“Heh, that’s all Old Chen’s idea!”

“Uncle Chen?”

“Right. Old Chen says that kid is as slippery as an eel. If we just notify him by phone, he might not come back. It’s best if you go in person and bring him back,” Old Master Jiang said.

“That shouldn’t be necessary. Xiao Yi is a kid with a good sense of the bigger picture…”

Before he could finish, Old Master Jiang laughed and said, “On this matter, I side with your Uncle Chen!”

“Father, don’t you trust Xiao Yi?” Jiang Shiying said with a hint of resentment.

“It’s not that I don’t trust him, but that kid clearly doesn’t want to get too involved with the political world. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken Xiao Xue and the kids to hide out in the countryside!”

Then the old man added, “Believe me, if that kid had gotten wind of this in advance, he’d have fled overseas without a second thought.”

“It wouldn’t come to that, would it?”

“It is. So just follow our plan on this one and make a personal trip to Qingshan County,” Old Master Jiang said.

“Alright, I’ll set out tomorrow!” Jiang Shiying replied.

“Hmm, take Lingyun with you when you go. She’s never been to Xiao Yi’s house—it’s unheard of for a mother to have never visited her in-laws’ home even after her children are married!” the old man instructed.

“Yes!”

Just then, Old Master Jiang changed the subject and added, “By the way, Long Ze came by last night. He said the organization had a talk with him and is planning to transfer him to a local post. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a good idea. Longze is already a full-level section chief. While staying in Beijing might make it easier for him to ‘break through’ (be promoted to deputy department level), he lacks experience working at the grassroots level—especially the experience of actually governing a region. That won’t be good for his future development. It’s not a bad idea for him to go out and gain some experience while he’s still young, but we need to think carefully about where he goes!” Jiang Shiying said.

“Hmm, that’s exactly what I was thinking. So this trip to Qingshan County isn’t just about bringing that good-for-nothing back—you’re also going there to get a feel for the place and assess the situation in Qingshan County!” Old Master Jiang said.

“Father, are you suggesting that Longze take up a post in Qingshan County?” Jiang Shiying asked, somewhat surprised.

“That’s the idea!”

“Father, I’ve looked into Qing Shan County before. It’s vast and sparsely populated, with barren mountains and treacherous waters—it’s notorious for its poverty. If Long Ze takes a post there, it’ll be hard for him to achieve anything. He’d be better off going to Pengcheng to assist Long Yin!” Jiang Shiying said.

“What difference would it make if he went to help Long Yin compared to staying in the capital? Only by going to a poor place can he truly be put to the test!”

The old man then added, “Besides, if Long Ze really goes to Qing Shan County, he might just have a chance. Don’t forget that Qing Shan County is Xiao Yi’s hometown!”

“Father, are you suggesting that Xiao Yi help Long Ze…”

Before Jiang Shiying could finish, the old man cut him off: “That’s all for later. Go take a look at the place first. Whether he goes or not depends on Long Ze.”

“Besides, even if Long Ze does decide to go, whether he asks Xiao Yi for help—and whether Xiao Yi agrees to help him—is entirely up to them. As elders, none of us should interfere in this matter!”

“Yes!”

“Hmm, go make the arrangements. Bring that kid back as soon as possible—many of our old comrades are waiting for news!”

“Got it!”

At that moment, Li Yi, who was still far away in Nianzishan Village, had no idea that not only had a whole bunch of bigwigs back home set their sights on him, but even the famed Iron Lady of the British Isles had taken an interest in him…

………

PS: My cousin got married these past few days, and Old Cang has been running around like crazy—helping with the wedding, shuttling people back and forth, and keeping track of the gift registry!

Thankfully, it’s finally over today, and updates will resume tomorrow!

No sooner had he stepped out than Feng Kai and the others walked in!

“Uncle Feng, Uncle Zhang, what brings you here? Who are these gentlemen?”

Feng Kai replied immediately, “Yi, this is Director Yang and Deputy Director Guo from our Red Flag Commune. The leaders heard you were planning to fund the repair of that main county road, so they came over to meet you!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Director Yang extended his hand and said, “Hello, Comrade Li Yi. My name is Yang Wenqi, and I’m the director of our Red Flag Commune. I heard you’re willing to fund the reconstruction of the main road leading to the county seat. Is that true?”

Li Yi glanced at the blazing sun overhead, then at his precious daughter, who couldn’t keep her eyes open because of the glare. He replied immediately, “Director Yang, Deputy Director Guo, this isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go inside and discuss this!”

“Alright!”

Led by Li Yi, the group entered the house.

While Jiang Xue was pouring water for them, Li Yi immediately said, “Comrades, the matter of funding the road repairs is true. I’ve already given the money to the village—a total of 100,000 yuan!”

Director Yang immediately replied with a look of gratitude, “Comrade Li Yi, I really can’t thank you enough. You have no idea how hard we’ve tried to fix this terrible road. I even got down on my knees before the county official in charge last year, but the problem still wasn’t resolved.”

“I never imagined you’d be the one to resolve this. You’re a benefactor to all the members and officials of our commune. I thank you on behalf of everyone!”

Li Yi could sense Director Yang’s genuine emotion. He quickly replied, “Director Yang, you’re too kind. I just wanted to make my commute home a little smoother—it’s nothing as grand as you’re making it out to be. Please don’t praise me like that!”

Director Yang replied immediately, “Comrade Li Yi, Old Feng, Old Zhang, and I have discussed it. The commune will take the lead on this road repair project, and we’ll start preparing right away.”

“Once the autumn harvest is over, we’ll mobilize all the commune members and cadres to work together. We’ll aim to use a month to completely repave the main roads connecting the county seat to every brigade in our Hongqi Commune. What do you think?”

Li Yi frowned and said, “That’s quite a big project. Will 100,000 yuan be enough?”

His original understanding was that 100,000 yuan would be sufficient for just the main road from the county seat to Nianzishan Village.

But from what Director Yang implied, he intended to use that 100,000 yuan to repair all the main and secondary roads throughout the entire commune—there was no way that amount of money would be enough.

After all, the entire Hongqi Commune comprised a full 16 production brigades. The closest ones were only one or two kilometers from the main road, while the farthest were over ten kilometers away. All told, the total distance was at least seventy or eighty kilometers, perhaps even a hundred.

Director Yang hurriedly explained, “Comrade Li Yi, our plan is to pave the main road leading to the county seat with cement, but to use gravel for the branch roads connecting the county road to the various production brigades.”

“Also, I’ll go to the county tomorrow to apply for some funding subsidies. If the commune chips in a bit, it should be enough.”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Director Yang, go back and draw up a budget first. See how much it would cost if both the main road and the branch roads were paved with concrete. If the shortfall isn’t too large, I can cover that cost as well!”

Director Yang was taken aback at first, then exclaimed excitedly, “Comrade Li Yi, are you serious? You’re not pulling my leg?”

“It’s true. The roads in our commune are in such terrible shape. I’d be more than happy to do something good for the villagers!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Well… to be honest, our commune has already prepared a budget for road construction. If we were to pave everything with concrete, the main road leading to the county seat is 35 kilometers long, and the secondary roads connecting the various production brigades total 112 kilometers!”

Director Yang continued, “If we paved them with asphalt, it would cost about 520,000 yuan; if we used concrete, it would be around 280,000 yuan!”

“So, if we pave the main road with asphalt and the secondary roads with concrete, how much would that cost?” Li Yi asked.

“It would be around 350,000 yuan,”

“350,000, is that right? I’ll cover the cost, but I expect the commune to strictly control the quality. I don’t want the roads to be barely passable by next year after they’ve just been repaired this year!” Li Yi said.

“Comrade Li Yi, please rest assured. I pledge on my honor and integrity that we will ensure the highest quality standards and build this ‘Road of Love’ into a ‘Road of Conscience’ that will last a century!” Director Yang said with a serious expression.

Li Yi could tell that Director Yang was an official who genuinely wanted to do practical things for the people. Since an official like him was willing to stake his reputation on it, Li Yi was still willing to trust that he could get the job done.

“All right, then get started on the preparations. I’ll have all the funds delivered to the commune within a day or two!” Li Yi said.

“Excellent, excellent! When the time comes, I’ll hold a grand ceremony for this at the commune. I’ll also report the situation to the county and request that Comrade Li Yi be commended and honored!” Director Yang said.

Li Yi hurriedly interjected, “Please don’t do that. I’m not one for making a big show of things, so I’d appreciate it if Director Yang wouldn’t go through with these formalities.”

Before Director Yang could respond, Feng Kai chimed in from the side: “You’re a great guy in every way, but you’re just too modest. We’re doing good deeds—we’re not hurting anyone. What’s there to hide?”

Director Yang immediately chimed in, “Exactly! This is a good deed—it deserves to be publicized, and it’s something others should learn from, isn’t it?”

“Director Yang, Uncle Feng, Uncle Zhang, although the situation hasn’t been as tense as it was a few years ago, no one can be sure if there won’t be a relapse. By keeping a low profile, I’m protecting both myself and all of you.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, our goal is to get the road fixed. As for all that empty fame, it really doesn’t matter. Don’t you agree?”

Feng Kai paused briefly, took a few deep puffs from his pipe, and said, “Yi’s right. The first bird to stick its head out gets shot—we really shouldn’t be too high-profile.”

Zhang Tongfu added, “That’s right. If people find out Yi-kid is footing the bill for the road, who knows how many will get jealous of him? We can’t put Yi-kid in danger!”

Director Yang nodded and said, “I didn’t think that through. After we report the situation to the county authorities, let’s just prepare for this quietly.”

“Alright!”

At that moment, Deputy Director Guo, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke up: “Comrade Li Yi, I heard from Secretary Feng and Captain Zhang that you’re quite skilled in business. I have something I’d like to ask your advice on—would that be okay?”

“Something business-related?”

Deputy Director Guo scratched his head and said, “It’s not exactly a business matter. I just want to ask: how can we get the people in our commune to earn as much as the villagers in your Nianzishan Village?”

“That’s a bit of a challenge,” Li Yi replied.

Deputy Director Guo’s eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately said, “It’s difficult, but not impossible—is that what you mean?”

“Yes. The reason Nianzi Mountain Village has the income it does now is mainly because I invested my own money in the villagers from the very beginning. Other villages don’t have those conditions, so if they want to develop, the first thing they lack is money!”

Li Yi continued, “Another key reason Nianzishan Village has such high incomes is that the villagers are united. But in other villages, the collective has already been dissolved; once the land was divided, the people’s unity fell apart!”

Hearing this, everyone in the room fell silent. Director Yang and Deputy Director Guo couldn’t help but let out a sigh!

But just then, Li Yi changed the subject and said, “However, there is an opportunity right now—it all depends on whether the villagers in the other villages can seize it!”

“What opportunity?” Deputy Director Guo asked urgently.

“The opportunity lies with the county sugar mill!”

Li Yi then explained the crisis the sugar factory was currently facing to everyone.

He continued, “The profit from growing sugar beets is between 90 and 120 yuan per mu—about three times that of wheat or barley. Plus, the sugar factory doesn’t take the beet leaves, so they can be used to feed pigs, chickens, cattle, and sheep.”

“As long as the commune can mobilize the villagers to sign cultivation and purchase contracts with the sugar factory, and then encourage them to vigorously develop animal husbandry alongside crop farming, I can’t promise much, but it shouldn’t be a problem for the villagers’ income to double or triple…”

The more Director Yang and Deputy Director Guo listened, the more convinced they became that this plan would work. The two immediately asked Li Yi to help contact the sugar factory. After receiving Li Yi’s affirmative response, they left the Li household with complete satisfaction.

However, just as Li Yi was busy in the village with these trivial matters, the capital was in an uproar over a diplomatic note involving him…

……….

Nianzi Mountain Village. The Li Family!

After seeing Li Gang and Liang Yukuai off, Li Yi fell deep into thought.

Once he confirmed that this “Qin Xiaorou” was the woman he knew, his heart skipped a beat.

His first instinct was to quickly recall whether he’d said anything offensive during his negotiations with her that morning—whether he might have inadvertently offended her.

When they met that morning, Li Yi had felt that the woman looked somewhat familiar, but he just couldn’t place where he’d seen her before.

But after hearing what Li Gang had just said—especially the nickname “Poisonous Widow”—the image of that fearsome “Poisonous Widow” from his memories began to merge with the appearance of Director Qin!

That’s right—Qin Xiaorou was none other than the “Poisonous Widow” he knew from his past life: Qin Yanrou.

In his previous life, Qing Shan County was home to three wealthy tycoons notorious for their ruthlessness: “Lone Wolf” Li Yi, “Queen Bee” An Hong, and “Poisonous Widow” Qin Yanrou.

In his previous life, Li Yi had no children and had never married; he was completely alone. Coupled with his decisive and ruthless nature, once he set his sights on someone, even globally renowned business tycoons would have to suffer a severe blow at his hands. For this reason, the business world bestowed upon him the nickname “Lone Wolf.”

An Hong is similar to Li Yi, but she is more skilled at employing strategies; she frequently uses various business tactics that often drive her competitors into bankruptcy.

Consequently, a saying has spread throughout the northern business community: “The mouth of a green bamboo snake, the stinger at the tail of a yellow wasp—neither is truly venomous, but Lady Wang is the most venomous of all.” Lady Wang, An Hong, is also known as the “Queen Bee.”

But whether it’s Li Yi or An Hong, neither comes close to the infamous reputation of “Poisonous Widow” Qin Yanrou.

On one hand, Qin Yanrou’s business empire was vast enough; she was involved in real estate, hotels, energy, mining, transportation, civil aviation, finance, and education, with assets exceeding 150 billion at her peak—a figure that even Li Yi and An Hong combined could not match.

On the other hand, the ruthlessness of Qin Yanrou’s methods is something neither Li Yi nor An Hong can match.

Li Yi and An Hong were ruthless only toward their opponents, whereas Qin Yanrou was ruthless not only toward her enemies but also toward her own family—and even toward herself.

She single-handedly sent her scumbag father—a provincial standing committee member—to prison and destroyed the lives of all six of her half-siblings, leaving their families in ruins. Her ruthless methods struck fear into the hearts of everyone.

While others end up isolated after being ambushed or retaliated against by their rivals, this woman was different. Her sole motivation for climbing the social ladder was to avenge her mother’s death at the hands of her scumbag father—and she did so by willingly isolating herself from everyone. Now, tell me, isn’t that ruthless?

Most astonishingly, at the age of 60, she donated her entire fortune to the state and charitable organizations, then took monastic vows, spending the rest of her life in the company of ancient Buddhas and the dim light of a oil lamp.

She knew how to both seize opportunities and let go—her defining trait was sheer ruthlessness!

In a past life, Li Yi and Qin Yanrou had met twice, but both encounters occurred after she was in her fifties.

By then, she had undergone disfigurement and plastic surgery, and her appearance bore no resemblance to what it was now, which is why Li Yi didn’t recognize her at first glance.

Now that he knew his business partner was this “tough woman,” Li Yi had to be cautious; he certainly didn’t want to bring disaster upon himself or the entire village of Nianzishan.

Li Yi had heard stories about Qin Yanrou and knew she wasn’t a bad person. Rumors circulating—such as that she’d killed her simple-minded husband or was sleeping with a city official—were all false.

But there was no denying that this woman was indeed ruthless and reckless.

When it came to her enemies or rivals, she wasn’t afraid to use any means necessary to take them down, and she was in the habit of eliminating them completely. Her ruthlessness was so extreme that even Li Yi felt he couldn’t hold a candle to her—it even sent a chill down his spine.

So, whether in his past life or this one, Li Yi was reluctant to have much to do with her—she was simply too brutal!

In his previous life, Li Yi left Qing Shan County early on and didn’t return until more than a decade later. Moreover, his business empire in that life was centered in the capital and the northwest, so he had virtually no overlap with Qin Yanrou, who was developing her career in the Central Plains.

They had only met twice at business gatherings and had no personal relationship whatsoever.

But he never expected to encounter her so early in this life—and to end up collaborating with her, of all things.

Judging by their conversation this morning, however, she hadn’t yet broken out of the small pond that was Qing Shan County and was still striving to climb the ranks.

Although her reputation was a bit tarnished, she wasn’t yet the ruthless, reckless “Poison Widow” she would later become.

So, after some deliberation, Li Yi decided to continue the partnership with the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, but he was determined to keep his distance from this woman.

In his mind, Qin Yanrou was a complete nutcase—someone he couldn’t afford to cross…

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, Jiang Xue walked in, holding Yun Jin in her arms.

The moment she entered, the little girl spotted Li Yi and immediately reached out, babbling, “Daddy… hold… hold me…”

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately took the little girl from Jiang Xue’s arms and gave her a gentle kiss on her little face, which made her giggle.

“Where’s our son? Why didn’t you bring him over too?”

Jiang Xue replied immediately, “Yunrui and Ruirui are having so much fun playing together; my older sister won’t let us take him away!”

“Big Sister is pregnant right now. Can she really watch both kids by herself?” Li Yi asked.

“Mom’s here too!”

Then Jiang Xue asked again, “Why did Captain Li and Factory Director Liang leave? Why didn’t you ask them to stay for dinner?” banbanhaobang

Li Yi wiped the drool from the little girl’s mouth as he said, “I did ask them to stay, but they all had things to do, so they couldn’t make it!”

“Oh, right, what are we having for lunch?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “I see we have some cured pork at home. How about we have stewed cured pork with pickled cabbage for lunch?”

“Then you’ll have to cook it. I can’t handle a big dish like that—I only know how to make simple stir-fries!” Jiang Xue said with a laugh.

“Alright, I’ll cook!”

Then Li Yi added, “Oh, and could you go get Mom for me? I need to talk to her about something.”

“Sure thing!”

Soon, Jiang Xue walked in with her mother, Zhang Yuehong.

“Xiao Yi, did you need your mom?”

As she spoke, the mother reached out to take Yunjin from Li Yi’s arms.

However, the little girl, completely ignoring her, turned her head away, clutching Li Yi’s clothes tightly with both little hands, looking thoroughly reluctant.

“If Yunjin wants me to hold her, then I’ll hold her!”

Then Li Yi added, “Mom, I’d like you to go see Matchmaker Zhang this afternoon!”

“What for?”

“Little Doggie is getting ready to marry a wife, and there aren’t any adults in his family, so I plan to help him out. The betrothal gifts and wedding items are all ready; now we’re just waiting to go to the bride’s family to ask for her hand!” Li Yi said.

“That’s wonderful news. I’ll go see Matchmaker Zhang later, and then I’ll have your Seventh Grandfather draw up a marriage contract!”

Then his mother asked again, “By the way, what do the parents on the bride’s side think? Have you asked them yet?”

“I’ve asked. Uncle Cui has no objections. This visit is just a formality—we’re just going through the motions to make the relationship official!” Li Yi said.

“That’s good…”

At that moment, Jiang Xue asked curiously, “You’ve met the girl—what’s she like?”

“She’s quite nice. Though she isn’t exactly stunning, she has a gentle disposition and is very kind to Little Doggie. I think she’d make a good match!” Li Yi said.

“That’s good. Little Gouwa’s family needs a gentle woman like that—someone too domineering just won’t do!” Jiang Xue said.

Mother smiled and picked up the thread of the conversation: “Little Gouwa’s future wife is the daughter of Veterinarian Cui. She’s known throughout the surrounding villages as a fine young woman, and it’s not just this fourth daughter—her three older sisters are also renowned for their virtue!”

Jiang Xue smiled and said, “If that’s the case, we’d better hurry up and propose, and bring her into the family as soon as possible!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I was just thinking the same thing…”

Just then, a commotion came from outside the front gate. Immediately afterward, Feng Kai and Zhang Tongfu walked in, accompanied by several middle-aged men dressed like officials.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately scooped up his daughter and went out to greet them…

………..

In the main room, Jiang Xue saw Li Yi walk in with Li Gang, Liang Yukuai, and the others, and immediately poured them some water.

To avoid interrupting their conversation, she took the two little ones to the next room after pouring the water.

Once only Li Yi, Li Gang, and Liang Yukui remained in the room, Li Gang spoke up: “Brother Li Yi, I’ve received my transfer orders from the capital. Once I’ve handed over my duties, I’ll be heading to the capital to work with Old Wang!”

“Alright, keep in touch once you’re in the capital. Once I’m done with the village affairs, let’s get together for a proper gathering. I’ll also introduce you and Brother Wang to a few of my friends there!” Li Yi replied.

As he spoke, Li Yi was secretly amazed by just how much influence his father-in-law had.

He’d made the call yesterday morning, and the transfer order arrived that very afternoon—that kind of speed was truly unmatched.

After all, this was a transfer to Beijing—and specifically to the public security system. That wasn’t something just anyone could pull off.

“Alright, I’ll get in touch with you once Old Wang and I have settled in!” Li Gang said.

“Alright!”

Li Yi then turned his attention to Liang Yukuai and asked, “Brother Liang, you mentioned earlier that you had something to discuss with me. What exactly is it?”

Liang Yukuai sighed and said, “Our factory is facing an unprecedented crisis. Our leadership has been discussing it for months without coming up with a solution, so I’ve thickened my skin and come to ask for your advice, brother!”

“What kind of crisis is it that even stumped you, Brother Liang?” Li Yi asked curiously.

Liang Yukui replied immediately, “It’s like this: didn’t our county implement the household contract responsibility system this year? With the dissolution of the collective, the members have gone their separate ways.”

“Most of them have switched to growing grain crops, with only a few still growing sugar beets. This has directly led to a severe shortage of raw materials for our factory this year. We’re projecting that production will be less than a third of last year’s output—it’s driving me absolutely crazy!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “It’s already this late in the year—it’s too late to do anything about it now. I think you should focus on next year!”

“Yeah, we know this year is a lost cause, but we need to come up with a plan for next year. Otherwise, if things stay this way, my days as factory director might be numbered!” Liang Yukui said with a hint of resignation.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Actually, it’s simple. It’s just a shortage of raw materials, isn’t it? Your sugar factory could go straight to the farmers and ask them to grow more sugar beets. That would solve the problem!”

“It’s not that simple. We’ve considered that approach, but the villagers won’t even listen to us!”

Liang Yukui continued, “Those cooperative members have been terrified of starvation for years. Now that they’ve finally gained autonomy, they’d rather plant grain in the riverbeds and drainage ditches than listen to us!”

Li Yi said calmly, “There’s only one reason the villagers won’t listen to you: you aren’t sincere enough!”

“Sincerity?”

“Right. What’s the current purchase price for sugar beets?”

“Thirty yuan per ton—that works out to one fen and five li per jin!”

“And what’s the yield per mu?”

“Over 3,000 jin—and on better land, it can reach 4,000 jin!”

“So, Brother Liang, do the math: is it more profitable for farmers to grow grain or sugar beets?” Li Yi asked again.

“If we calculate it in terms of monetary output, growing sugar beets is more profitable. At current grain purchase prices, an acre of land would bring in less than 30 yuan at most,” said Liang Yukuai.

“If growing sugar beets is more profitable, then why won’t the farmers listen to your instructions and grow them?”

Before Li Yuke could answer, Li Yi continued, “That’s because you’ve been all talk and no action. Go back now and get ready. After the autumn harvest, send people from village to village to have the farmers sign contracts for growing sugar beets!”

“As long as they’re willing to grow sugar beets for you, your sugar factory will purchase the beets from the farmers at the agreed-upon price after next year’s harvest. Just see if the farmers are willing to grow them!”

“Well… will a simple contract really be enough?”

“It will. If your sugar factory is willing to sign this contract, I can have the village dedicate half of its land to growing sugar beets!”

Li Yi knew full well that sugar beets were not only the primary raw material for sugar production in the north but also a vital source of livestock feed. The sugar factory only purchased the root tubers—commonly known as “sugar beets.”

The green leaves on top, however, were discarded—and they made excellent feed for pigs, cattle, and sheep alike. So for Nianzi Mountain Village right now, growing sugar beets was definitely the best option.

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true!” Li Yi said firmly.

“Hahaha, all right, I’ll go back and discuss this with the other comrades at the factory!” Liang Yukui said with a smile.

“What’s there to discuss? Actually, this approach was implemented in Northeast China decades ago. Back then, to revitalize the sugar industry, they adopted a strategy of focusing on both technology and raw materials!”

Li Yi continued, “Regarding raw materials, they signed direct contracts with farmers on behalf of the sugar mills. The mills provided technical guidance and management, while implementing various support and incentive measures to boost farmers’ enthusiasm for growing sugar beets.”

“At the same time, they established field offices in sugar beet-growing regions to oversee planting areas, sowing, field management, as well as procurement, transportation, and storage, ensuring the smooth growth of the sugar beets. In just a few short years, they achieved remarkable results.”

“How come I never heard about this?” Liang Yukui asked in surprise.

“Because this model was abolished after the emergence of the large collectives. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t know about it after all these decades!” Li Yi replied.

“So that’s how it is. Then we’d better take a good look at this model!” Liang Yukui said.

“Yes, and now that we’re in the era of reform and opening up, you can take bolder steps. Show some initiative—don’t let yourselves be outdone even by a woman!” Li Yi said.

“A woman? Are you talking about Sister-in-law An Hong?” Liang Yukui asked.

“No!”

Hearing this, Li Gang and Liang Yukui both turned to look at Li Yi at the same time.

Li Yi immediately explained, “I’m talking about Director Qin from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative!”

Liang Yukui’s expression visibly froze for a moment, then he looked at Li Yi and said, “Who are you talking about?”

“Director Qin from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative—Qin Xiaorou. What’s the matter?” Li Yi asked.

“You… Brother Li Yi, how did you get involved with that woman? What’s the nature of your relationship with her…”

“A business partnership!”

Li Yi then went on to explain in detail their partnership in selling liangpi.

Hearing this, Liang Yukui immediately said, “Brother Li Yi, that woman doesn’t have the best reputation. You’d better be careful about partnering with her!”

Now it was Li Yi’s turn to be baffled. He looked at Liang Yukuai in confusion and asked, “Brother Liang, what’s wrong with Director Qin? Why are you saying that?”

Liang Yukui glanced at Li Gang, then said, “Gangzi, you probably know more about that woman than I do. Why don’t you tell Brother Li Yi about it?”

“Alright!”

Li Gang immediately explained, “That woman is a notorious ‘venomous widow’ in our county. Rumor has it her mother got pregnant out of wedlock, so she never knew who her father was and was raised entirely by her mother.”

“When she was 17, she married the mentally disabled son of the commune director. At her father-in-law’s arrangement, she got a job as the commune’s bookkeeper. Two years ago, her father-in-law, the commune director, retired. Less than six months later, her mentally disabled husband died under mysterious circumstances. Her in-laws accused her of killing her husband. Although the police investigation found no concrete evidence, people still call her the ‘venomous widow’ behind her back!”

“What’s even more shocking is that less than six months after her husband’s death, she hooked up with a city-level official. She was immediately transferred from the commune to the county, where she took on the role of section chief at the county supply and marketing cooperative. That’s when her reputation really hit rock bottom!”

After hearing Li Gang’s account, Li Yi’s mind was instantly swept by a storm of emotions. This woman’s story bore an uncanny resemblance to someone he knew from his past life.

With that thought, Li Yi looked at Li Gang and asked, “Is Director Qin’s hometown at Meirenpo, at the foot of Daqing Mountain? And does her in-law’s family bear the surname Fu?”

Li Gang asked in surprise, “How do you know that?”

Hearing this, Li Yi froze in place. It really was that woman—but shouldn’t her name be Qin Yanrou?

It wasn’t even ten o’clock when Li Yi and the others stepped out of the Animal Husbandry Station.

Since the leaders at the Agriculture Bureau had given them a heads-up, the station’s management was extremely welcoming toward Li Yi and Little Dog, and the registration process went incredibly smoothly.

It was just a simple matter of registering their basic information, and the station even took care of their lodging and meals—which left Xiaogouwa rather speechless.

After all, his master, Cui Da, had previously come here to register him, only to be turned away outright.

Moreover, according to his master, even if he had somehow managed to get accepted, he would have had to arrange his own lodging and meals during the training period.

Although they openly claimed not to charge fees, if you stayed in the station’s dorms and ate at their cafeteria, you’d have to pay—apparently, the prices were comparable to those at state-run restaurants.

But now that Brother Yi had stepped in, all the excuses had vanished, and even the lodging and meals had been taken care of—the contrast couldn’t have been more stark.

After leaving the livestock station, Li Yi took the little boy to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy the things they needed for the wedding.

As soon as they entered the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Yi was recognized by the saleswoman from the day before, who greeted him cheerfully: “Comrade, you’re back again?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m back. Has your Director Qin returned yet?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“She’s back, she’s back! Just wait a moment—I’ll go tell her right away!”

With that, the saleswoman hurried off into the depths of the Banbanhaobang Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Just a few minutes later, Li Yi saw the saleswoman emerge with a woman in her twenties—presumably the Director Qin she had mentioned.

Sure enough, as soon as the young woman approached Li Yi, she spoke up: “You must be Comrade Li Yi. I’m Qin Xiaorou, the newly appointed director of our county supply and marketing cooperative. I was actually planning to head over to Nianzishan Village in a little while, but I didn’t expect you to show up!”

“Hehe, I just happened to have some business in the county seat, so I dropped by on my way!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“This isn’t a good place to talk. Please come to my office,” Qin Xiaorou said.

“Sure!”

“Please follow me!”

“Alright…”

Led by Qin Xiaorou, Li Yi and the others followed her to the office located in the front courtyard of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Once inside, Qin Xiaorou personally poured hot water for Li Yi and the others before saying, “Comrade Li Yi, Sister Hongxia told me you want to restart your liangpi business. I was wondering if you’d be interested in partnering with our Supply and Marketing Cooperative?”

“Of course I’m interested, but it’s not me partnering with your Supply and Marketing Cooperative—it’s Nianzishan Village partnering with you!” Li Yi replied.

“What do you mean?”

“I plan to set up a liangpi factory in Nianzishan Village to supply liangpi exclusively to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and major organizations in the county!” Li Yi said.

Director Qin furrowed his brow and asked, “What about the pricing? What’s your wholesale price to us, and what’s our retail price?”

“When I used to run a street stall, a serving with soup and toppings cost 20 cents. I’ve also supplied liangpi to state-run restaurants before—the wholesale price was 15 cents, and their retail price was 30 cents per serving!” Li Yi explained.

“What about production? How many servings can your liangpi factory produce in a day?” Director Qin asked again.

“Under normal circumstances, producing a few thousand servings a day isn’t difficult!”

“Exactly how many?”

“Over five thousand!” Li Yi gave a conservative estimate.

Qin Xiaorou paused briefly, then said, “Comrade Li Yi, how about this: our supply and marketing cooperative will take your entire liangpi production, but you’ll have to lower the price to 10 cents a serving!”

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then glanced at her and said, “You want the exclusive rights to the liangpi business?”

“Exactly. From now on, you can only sell your liangpi to our Supply and Marketing Cooperative—you can’t supply any other organizations!” Qin Xiaorou said quickly.

Li Yi didn’t rush to refuse. Instead, he looked at her and said, “Director Qin, I’m sure you’re aware that the technique for making liangpi isn’t complicated. Exclusive rights are simply impossible to enforce. If you partner with us on these terms, you’ll likely end up losing money…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Qin Xiaorou cut him off: “What you say makes sense, but as far as I know, aside from you, no one else in all of Qingshan County has ever sold liangpi. There shouldn’t be any competitors in the short term.”

“Most importantly, from your previous street vending and supplying liangpi to state-run restaurants, you’ve earned the welcome and recognition of the entire county’s residents. With that market foundation in place, the risk of partnering with us isn’t significant!”

Hearing this, Li Yi was slightly taken aback. This woman before him truly had guts.

Even if each serving of liangpi were priced at just 10 cents, 5,000 servings a day would amount to 500 yuan, and 15,000 yuan a month.

Li Yi had only ever seen women willing to gamble such a large sum of money in An Hong and his second older sister—this made him take a second look at her.

After a brief pause, Li Yi replied, “Exclusive rights are fine, but 10 cents is too low. How about 13 cents per serving? If you agree, we can sign the contract right away!”

“Thirteen cents is too expensive. One cent and ten cents is the absolute limit!”

“Let’s meet halfway—12 cents per portion. What do you think?” Li Yi suggested.

“Fine, let’s make it 12 cents per portion. But your factory must purchase all its oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and vegetables from our supply and marketing cooperative!” Qin Xiaorou said in a stern voice.

“Agreed. Here’s to a successful partnership!”

“A successful partnership…”

………..

When he left the supply and marketing cooperative, in addition to the large and small packages of wedding supplies, Li Yi was also holding a copy of the cooperation agreement.

Eager to return and discuss the plans for the liangpi factory with Secretary Feng, Zhang Tongfu, and the others, Li Yi had Xiaogouwa ride the bicycle he’d bought himself, following the cart delivering sewing machines, televisions, and radios as they made their way back slowly.

Meanwhile, he and Zhang Ziqiang drove off in a car, having loaded only a few lightweight items, and hurried ahead.

As soon as they reached the village entrance, they saw hundreds of villagers and cooperative members holding tools, repairing the rural road between the village and the county road.

Li Yi looked around but couldn’t find Feng Kai or Zhang Tongfu.

After asking around, he learned that after the tasks had been assigned that morning, Secretary Feng and Team Leader Zhang had gone to the commune, saying they needed to discuss the construction of a concrete road with the commune leaders.

At the same time, the villagers told him that a car had just driven into the village, presumably looking for him.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yi didn’t linger at the village entrance; he immediately got in his car and drove straight home.

Sure enough, before he even reached home, he spotted a Jeep parked in front of the new house from a distance.

As the vehicle drew closer, Li Yi could clearly make out the license plate—it was, to his surprise, Li Gang’s car.

He got out of the car and quickly walked toward the courtyard.

As soon as he pushed open the courtyard gate, Li Yi saw Li Gang and Director Liang from the sugar factory coming out of the house, apparently preparing to leave.

Upon seeing Li Yi, the two immediately came over to greet him.

As soon as they met, Li Gang smiled and said, “I heard you’d arrived in the county seat, and we were just about to head back to look for you.”

“No need—I’m back now!”

Li Yi continued, “Brother Liang, how come you have time to visit me today?”

Liang Yukuai smiled and said, “Little Li told me you were back, so I came by to check on you. I also have a few things I’d like to ask your advice on!”

“I wouldn’t dare to call it ‘consulting.’ Come on, let’s go inside and talk about it!”

“Alright…”

With that, the group headed inside together…

………..

The Veterinary Station. The Cui Family Home!

Seeing the girl coming toward him, Li Yi felt a sense of familiarity and couldn’t help but take a second look.

Seeing this, Xiaogouwa hurriedly said, “Sister Cuiping, come over here first!”

Upon hearing this, Cui Cuiping immediately walked over and asked, “What’s the matter?”

She then looked at Li Yi and the others and asked, “Who are these comrades?”

“Sister Cuiping, let me introduce you. This is Brother Yi, Li Yi—the one I’ve often told you about!”

Then Xiaogouwa turned to Li Yi and said, “Brother Yi, this is my senior classmate, Cui Cuiping—she’s also my fiancée!”

Li Yi immediately greeted her, “Hello, sister-in-law. I’m Li Yi. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“You… you’re Brother Yi? Zizhong talks about you all the time!”

Big Cui chimed in, “Cuiping, don’t worry about the laundry just yet. Go pour Comrade Li Yi a glass of water!”

“Sure thing, Dad!”

With that, the young woman named Cuiping turned and walked toward the inner room.

And just as she turned, Li Yi finally realized why she looked so familiar—they had met before!

That’s right—Li Yi had met Xiaogouwa’s senior classmate and fiancée before.

It was in his previous life, at a national model worker commendation ceremony.

In his previous life, Li Yi had been deeply committed to charity and public welfare, frequently traveling to the Northwest to lead local residents in their efforts to lift themselves out of poverty and achieve prosperity. As a result, at the age of forty-eight, he was selected as a National Model Worker and attended the commendation ceremony that year.

At the ceremony, this young woman, Cui Ping, had taken the stage alongside him to receive the award.

Since they were fellow villagers from the same commune, Li Yi had inquired about her background. From what he learned, Ms. Cui Cuiping came from a poor family and was widowed at a young age.

Yet through sheer determination, she raised her three children and sent them all to college. Most importantly, starting in the 1990s, she began reclaiming saline-alkali land, building greenhouses, and experimenting with vegetable cultivation.

Through her tireless efforts and the successful cultivation of greenhouse vegetables, she not only lifted herself out of poverty but also rewrote the history of the region, which had previously been unable to grow delicate vegetables.

Later, she registered an agricultural cooperative and adopted a development model of “company + association + base + farmers,” organizing farmers across the entire township to establish a branded agricultural product operation. By pursuing industrialization for greater efficiency, she achieved the goal of common prosperity.

In fact, the potatoes she grew were even sold to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and exported overseas, lifting tens of thousands of people out of poverty and into prosperity under her leadership.

From what Li Yi had gathered, this young woman from his hometown might not be exceptionally beautiful, but she was undoubtedly kind-hearted, capable, and determined.

Although he had no idea what kind of luck had befallen Xiaogouwa to end up with this girl, Li Yi was thoroughly satisfied with the match from the bottom of his heart.

No, it wasn’t just satisfaction—the bond between these two had to be welded shut, with no escape for either of them.

Just to be on the safe side, Li Yi decided to take action!

“Sis-in-law, wait a moment—I have a few words to say to both of you!”

Cui Cuiping was taken aback at first, then asked immediately, “Yi… Brother Yi, what do you want to say?”

Li Yi first set the gift he was holding in the corner of the main hall, then said, “Uncle Cui, Sister Cuiping, I came over today for two reasons: first, to take Zizhong to the county livestock station to register, and second, to ask how the preparations for his marriage to Sister Cuiping are coming along.”

Cui immediately said, “I think that’s about it. There’s nothing much to prepare anyway—the two kids said they don’t plan on throwing a big party!”

“That’s fine by me!”

Then Li Yi spoke again: “Uncle Cui, you know Zizhong’s family situation. His third uncle and aunt are both gone. Matters like marriage and finding a bride should naturally be handled by me, his older brother. Just tell me how much dowry is needed—we absolutely must not shortchange Sister Cuiping!”

Before he could finish, Cui Cuiping spoke up firmly: “I don’t want a single penny in dowry. As long as Zizhong treats me well, that’s all I need!”

Hearing this, Li Yi nodded in satisfaction. It seemed the girl had truly taken a liking to Xiaogouwa—she was an honest girl, after all.

However, he knew that in matters like this, she didn’t have the final say; ultimately, it would require Uncle Cui’s approval.

Immediately, Li Yi turned to Old Cui and asked, “Uncle Cui, what do you think?”

Big Cui smiled and said, “If Cuiping says she doesn’t want a dowry, then let’s not have one. To be honest with you, Comrade Li Yi, I only have four daughters and no sons. Money wouldn’t do me any good anyway. As long as Zizhong takes care of me in my old age and sees me off when I die, that’s all I ask.”

Xiaogouwa immediately chimed in, “Master, you’ve been so kind to me. Even if I don’t marry my senior sister, I’ll still take care of you in your old age and see you off when you pass away!”

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

If you don’t know how to speak, then just keep your mouth shut.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Cui Cuiping couldn’t help but glare at Xiaogouwa, her face full of exasperation.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Uncle Cui, sister-in-law, it’s your choice not to ask for a dowry, but we can’t break with tradition. What family marries off a daughter without giving a dowry? People would laugh at us if word got out.”

“I don’t know what Zizhong told you, but today, as her older brother, I’ll make a clear statement: We’re willing to pay a dowry of 888 yuan, three bicycles and a motorbike, plus five large tiled-roof houses, four sets of bedding, and four new outfits… And I, as her older brother, will cover all the wedding expenses!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiaogouwa hurriedly interjected, “Brother Yi, I’ve got money—you don’t need to pay…”

“Alright, stop refusing. It’s not just for you—Dongzi, Qiangzi, and Shitou will all get the same. No matter which one of you gets married, I’ll prepare a gift for you!” Li Yi said.

“But…”

Before Xiaogouwa could finish, Li Yi cut him off and said, “Your fiancée is willing to forgo the dowry and even keep the wedding simple—that’s because she’s kind-hearted. As a man, you can’t let her suffer any injustice.”

“Not only are we going to give a dowry, but we’ve also got to follow all the proper rituals. Once we’ve finished registering, we’ll go out and get everything we need for the wedding. When we get back, we’ll have Grandma Zhang come over to formally ask for her hand!”

Xiaogouwa glanced at his fiancée beside him, then nodded and said, “Brother Yi, I’ll do as you say!”

It was only then that Big Cui realized what was happening. He immediately said, “Big Brother, there’s really no need to make such a scene. My Cui Ping truly doesn’t want such a large dowry. People who don’t know us might think we’re selling our daughter!”

“Uncle, if people find out, they’ll only envy you. Who’d dare to gossip about it?”

There were still three or four months until the twelfth lunar month, so they needed to formalize the engagement. With such a fine young woman, Li Yi didn’t want anything to go wrong and ruin this match.

Seeing that the Cui family father and daughter were about to say more, Li Yi quickly changed the subject: “Uncle Cui, I’ve already put in a good word for Zizhong at the county livestock station. I’m about to take him there to register. Do you have any final instructions for him?”

Old Cui hurriedly said, “Zizhong, there’s an old hand at the livestock station named Old Liang. He’s particularly skilled at treating sick pigs. Once you get there, be sure to ask him for advice.”

“Also, the station’s deputy director, Zhou Wenbing, graduated from the Provincial Agricultural and Animal Husbandry School. He’s not only skilled at treating large livestock but also has a deep understanding of farming. If you get the chance, learn as much as you can from him—he’s always eager to teach young people.”

“Got it, Master!” Xiaogouwa replied.

Li Yi glanced at his watch and said, “All right, if there’s nothing else, let’s get going. We’ve got to be back by noon!”

“Alright…”

Just then, Cui Cuiping suddenly said, “Wait!”

“What’s wrong, Senior Sister?” Xiaogouwa asked instinctively.

“Go inside and change into some clean clothes. You can’t go out looking so filthy—people might look down on you!”

With that, before Xiaogouwawa could say a word, Cui Cuiping grabbed his hand and led him into the inner room.

Seeing this, Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward, and he thought to himself that this silly kid, Xiaogouwa, was truly in luck—his days of good fortune had finally arrived…

………..

In his sleep, Li Yi felt his whole body was soaked, which was extremely uncomfortable.

He instinctively opened his eyes.

What met his eyes was the dim light bulb on the ceiling and the yellowed old newspapers—clearly, he was back at his own home.

As for how he’d gotten back, Li Yi had no recollection—he’d clearly blacked out again today.

He hadn’t actually planned on drinking today; he knew his own limits—he got drunk easily, and once he did, it would take him most of the day to sober up.

But the villagers had been willing to go hungry just to wait for him to return, which deeply moved him. So when Feng Kai thanked him on behalf of the villagers, Li Yi raised his glass.

As everyone knows, at the dinner table, you either firmly refuse to pick up a glass, or once you do, it’s all about how much you can drink.

The end result was that Li Yi hadn’t even waited for the lamb he’d been longing for to be served before he’d crawled under the table, and he had no idea what happened after that.

After lying on the kang to catch his breath and realizing his clothes were soaked through with sweat, he decided to change into a clean set.

As soon as he turned around, he witnessed a breathtaking scene.

There, Jiang Xue was reading a book at the bedside table, flipping through the pages with one hand while holding a palm leaf fan in the other, occasionally fanning herself.

Beneath the fan, the two little ones were sleeping soundly.

Gazing at his wife’s delicate profile, illuminated by the lamplight, she looked so resolute and warm, radiating the glow of maternal love from head to toe.

The scene was like a frozen masterpiece—warm and touching—and Li Yi couldn’t help but stare, completely captivated!

After a moment, Jiang Xue seemed to sense something and lifted her head. She turned to look and met Li Yi’s gaze, filled with tenderness.

“You’re awake. Are you hungry?”

“Yes!”

“Then wait a moment—I’ll go get you some food!”

With that, before Li Yi could say a word, he watched as she quickly got out of bed and headed toward the kitchen.

Soon, Li Yi saw Jiang Xue walk in carrying two large bowls—one filled with braised pork and vegetables, the other with braised lamb.

Immediately afterward, she brought in two large bowls: one filled with pork stew and the other with clear-simmered lamb. On top of the pork stew sat a large, dark-colored steamed bun.

“Go ahead and eat. I know you didn’t eat much at lunch, so Uncle Feng saved this just for you!” Jiang Xue said.

“Haha, Uncle Feng is so thoughtful!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Yeah, but mostly because everyone here really appreciates what you’ve done for them!” Jiang Xue said.

Li Yi didn’t respond to that. Although he had indeed done a lot for the village over the past two years—first leading everyone in selling mushrooms, then investing his own money to help the villagers start a livestock business—

In everyone’s eyes, it was Li Yi’s kindness that had led them out of poverty and toward prosperity, but Li Yi knew deep down that he was merely repaying a debt of gratitude.

In his previous life, he and his third sister had run away from home; his eldest sister had been tormented to death by the Yang family; and his second sister was far away in Juziwa Village—how could she possibly look after the family at all times?

It was his younger brothers and friends—including Feng Kai and Zhang Tongfu—who supported his parents through those hardest times, and they even helped arrange his father’s funeral.

Although none of these events had actually occurred in this timeline, Li Yi held this debt of gratitude deep in his heart.

“Why’d you go quiet?”

Li Yi said, munching on a sheep bone, “Nothing. I was just thinking about my eldest sister. The doctor said she’s been overworking herself lately and has low blood pressure. You should keep an eye on her!”

“Alright. Once school starts, I’ll take all three kids to school. That’ll save my eldest sister a lot of trouble!” Jiang Xue said.

“Great. Once the fall harvest is over, I plan to bring Mom and Dad to Beijing so they can keep an eye on Big Sister and Third Sister!” Li Yi said.

“Sounds good to me!”

Then Jiang Xue smiled and said, “With Sister Na and my eldest sister both going through their postpartum recovery one after another, Mom’s been pretty worn out!”

“But it’s a happy kind of tired!”

“That’s true…”

Perhaps because he was hungry, Li Yi ate a particularly large and satisfying meal.

After he’d eaten his fill, Li Yi felt the urge to urinate, so he went outside to use the restroom.

When he returned to the room, Jiang Xue had already cleared the table.

Seeing Li Yi come in, Jiang Xue blushed slightly and said, “I’ve already drawn some water for you in the back room. Go wash up and get some sleep!”

They were an old married couple—how could Li Yi not know what she meant?

When she said “wash up,” she didn’t mean washing his face or feet—she meant washing that area. In the words of a country folk, she meant washing his butt!

Seeing the fiery look in her eyes, Li Yi knew right away that his sister-in-law’s sudden pregnancy had stirred up his own wife again.

Another exhausting night ahead!

At this thought, Li Yi’s eyes involuntarily shifted away.

“Hey, why are you so flustered?” Jiang Xue asked, puzzled.

“Um, maybe I didn’t pee all the way out!”

Jiang Xue: @#￥%……

……….

A night of frog croaking!

Early the next morning, Li Yi was fast asleep when he heard the village loudspeaker blaring again: “Attention all villagers and commune members! Everyone must assemble at the village committee office immediately to prepare for road repairs leading to the county seat!”

“Attention, all villagers and commune members…”

Perhaps worried that someone hadn’t heard clearly, Uncle Feng repeated the announcement three times before finishing.

Although Li Yi really didn’t want to get up, he knew he had work to do today, so he dragged himself out of bed.

After getting up, he carried a few loads of water, and only then did Li Yi begin his morning routine.

By then, his parents had already finished breakfast and set off for the village committee office in their mule-drawn cart.

By nine o’clock, after Jiang Xue, his older sister, and the children had all woken up, Li Yi had mostly tidied up the house.

After saying goodbye to Jiang Xue, Li Yi took Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen with him and drove away from home.

He first stopped by Xiaogouwa’s house, where Ergouzi told him that Xiaogouwa had gone to the commune’s veterinary clinic.

According to Ergouzi, his brother went to the veterinary station whenever he had free time—not only to help out, but also to learn some skills from his future father-in-law.

Upon learning this, Li Yi drove straight to the Red Flag Commune!

The commune wasn’t far from Nianzishan Village—only seven or eight kilometers away—and it took just over ten minutes by car.

Li Yi knew exactly where the veterinary clinic was located—right next to the post office—so he drove there with ease.

As soon as he arrived, Li Yi saw Xiaogouwa busy by an iron pen, inside which a large yellow cow was confined.

After getting out of the car, Li Yi immediately called out, “Xiaogouwa!”

Hearing Li Yi’s voice, Xiaogouwa immediately set down the metal, horn-shaped device he was holding and ran over.

“Brother Yi, what brings you here?”

“Hehe, I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I’ve already secured that spot for you. If you have time, I’ll take you over to the livestock station to register!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Really? I’ll go tell my master!” Xiaogouwa said excitedly.

“Is your master here too?”

“Yeah, this veterinary clinic is actually my master’s house!” Xiao Gouwa replied.

“In that case, I’ll go in and pay your master a visit!”

With that, Li Yi got out of the car, took two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor from the trunk, and followed Xiaogouwawa into the house.

At that moment, the people inside heard the commotion, and a middle-aged man came out of the house.

Li Yi recognized the man; he was the commune’s only veterinarian. Li Yi didn’t know his real name, but everyone in the commune called him “Big Cui.”

“Zizhong (Xiaogouwa), who are these comrades?”

Before Xiaogouwa could speak, Li Yi stepped forward and said, “Hello, Uncle Cui. My name is Li Yi. I’m Xiaogouwa’s sworn brother. I came by today to see Xiaogouwa about something, and I thought I’d drop in to say hello to you as well!”

Big Cui was taken aback for a moment, then said with a hint of surprise, “So you’re Comrade Li Yi. Zizhong talks about you all the time. Come on in…”

“Please, come in!”

Led by Big Cui, the group walked into the house together.

As soon as they stepped inside, Li Yi spotted a young woman with two thick braids walking toward them, carrying a basin of dirty laundry…

……….

Seeing this, Li Yi and Jiang Xue’s hearts sank!

They had never seen Zhang Feng act so out of character in all this time, and immediately realized something was wrong.

With that thought, the two immediately rushed toward Zhang Feng.

The moment they met, before Li Yi could even speak, Zhang Feng exclaimed urgently, “Sister Meizi has fainted!”

Big Sister fainted?

Li Yi and Jiang Xue were startled once more, and they immediately ran toward the cafeteria.

On the way, Li Yi asked about Sister Mei’s condition. According to Zhang Feng, Sister Mei had been sitting on a stool feeding Little Ruirui some orange-flavored powdered drink when Little Ruirui saw Yunrui and Yunjin being held by their dad and started crying, demanding a hug from Grandpa.

The older sister stood up, ready to hand little Ruirui to his father, but just as she lifted the child, she suddenly collapsed to the ground!

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

Although he wasn’t a doctor, he knew that sudden fainting like this, aside from high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or low blood sugar, was usually caused by serious, difficult-to-treat illnesses.

Most importantly, his older sister wasn’t overweight or underweight, and she usually paid close attention to her diet. She definitely didn’t have any cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases—so how could she have fainted so suddenly?

With that thought, his pace quickened involuntarily…

When Li Yi returned to the cafeteria, he saw a crowd gathered around, and he could hear his little nephew Rui Rui’s cries coming from the center of the group!

As soon as the crowd saw Li Yi and Jiang Xue approaching, they immediately parted to make way.

When Li Yi and Jiang Xue reached the center of the crowd, they saw that his older sister had already regained consciousness, though her complexion looked rather pale.

At that moment, the village’s only unlicensed doctor—and the eldest member of the Li family, Old Man Li—was taking his older sister’s pulse.

Old Master Li was one of the few educated elders in the village; in his youth, he had studied medicine in the county seat for several years, and villagers would turn to him whenever they had a headache or a fever.

After a short while, Old Li finally let go of their eldest sister’s arm.

Li Yi immediately asked, “Seventh Uncle, is my older sister going to be all right…?”

Before Li Yi could finish his question, Old Li looked at his older sister and said, “Meizi, how long has it been since your period last came?”

My eldest sister thought for a moment and replied, “It’s been over a month, I think. But I’ve never been in the best of health—sometimes it skips for several months at a time…”

“Meizi, if I’m not mistaken, you must be pregnant!”

“P-pregnant?”

Both Li Mei and Li Yi froze upon hearing this.

“Seventh Master, how could my sister faint just because she’s pregnant?” Li Yi frowned.

To be honest, he didn’t quite… no, he didn’t believe Seventh Master’s diagnosis at all. banbanhaobang

It wasn’t that Li Yi lacked respect for his elders; it was simply that Seventh Master had only studied medicine for three or four years before the war broke out, at which point he enlisted in the army.

Unfortunately, he had joined the Song Dynasty’s Northwest Army, part of the Nationalist forces. Although he narrowly escaped death on the battlefield, he didn’t secure a single official post after the war ended. Instead, at the age of 40, he was repatriated to the village as a prisoner of war.

After that, Seventh Uncle stayed in the village, spending his days farming and treating patients.

Since his medical skills were limited, Seventh Uncle could only treat minor ailments like headaches and fevers. When treating patients, he relied on a few herbal formulas he was skilled at—ones that clear heat and eliminate toxins—as well as Anain (painkillers).

He couldn’t handle anything more serious, and even when he did manage to cure a patient, it was mostly by trial and error.

If Big Sister were to fall seriously ill, Li Yi really wouldn’t dare count on the old man.

Seventh Uncle paused to think for a moment, then said, “Meizi does indeed have a pregnancy pulse, but the fetus is still quite small, so the pulse is a bit weak.”

“As for why she suddenly fainted, it’s likely due to exhaustion from recent overwork. She shouldn’t do any work for a few days; with some proper rest, she should recover!”

“Exhaustion?”

Li Yi glanced at his older sister and asked, puzzled, “Sis, have you been very tired lately?”

“Well… I guess so!”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “Actually, I am a bit tired!”

“Is it because of the kids?”

“No… it’s almost fall, and I want to make a few pairs of embroidered insoles for your brother-in-law and you guys…”

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but furrow his brow. When his older sister mentioned making shoe pads, she was referring to the kind where you first sketch a design onto a pre-made pattern, then stitch it out thread by thread with colored thread—much like the embroidery found in southern China.

The insoles made this way were exceptionally beautiful and sturdy, but they were incredibly labor-intensive—no wonder she felt so exhausted.

“Sis, how are you feeling now? Why don’t I take you to the county hospital?” Li Yi asked.

“No need. I feel much better now. Let’s not go to all that trouble…”

“You should still go get checked out. If there’s something wrong, we can treat it; if not, we’ll just consider it a physical exam—it’ll put our minds at ease, won’t it?” Jiang Xue urged.

“How about tomorrow, then? I already ate breakfast this morning—it might interfere with the exam!”

Then the eldest sister continued, “Besides, dinner’s about to be served. Let’s not spoil everyone’s mood…”

Before she could finish, Li Yi said, “It’s fine. We have a car; we’ll be back in no time!”

With that, before the older sister could say another word, Li Yi helped her to her feet and headed toward the exit of the cafeteria.

Seeing this, Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen immediately followed them out.

Jiang Xue wanted to go too, but Li Yi stopped her, telling her to stay home and look after the little ones…

……..

Worried that the older sister might actually be pregnant, and with the road conditions being quite poor, they didn’t drive very fast on the way there.

As a result, by the time they arrived at the county hospital, it was already noon.

If they had arrived just a few minutes later, the doctor would have already clocked out.

Just in the nick of time, they managed to catch Dr. Chen from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department before she left for the day.

“Dr. Chen, my older sister suddenly fainted just now. The village doctor said she has a ‘pregnancy pulse.’ Could you please take a look?”

Dr. Chen had a very clear impression of Li Yi; she had previously examined Jiang Xue.

She immediately opened the examination room door, motioned for Li Yi to bring his sister inside, and then asked him to wait outside.

After quite a while, Dr. Chen finally called Li Yi into the examination room.

“Dr. Chen, my older sister…”

Before he could finish, Dr. Chen said with a smile, “She is indeed pregnant—probably about two months along!”

“Then why did my older sister faint?” Li Yi asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“It was likely due to overexertion!”

Dr. Chen continued, “After becoming pregnant, a woman’s progesterone levels change, making her prone to excessive fatigue or insomnia. If the physical strain is too great, it can even lead to fainting.”

“What should we do?”

“Generally, she needs to get plenty of rest, avoid overexertion, and maintain a positive mindset!”

“Do we need to prescribe any medication or something?” Li Yi asked.

“No, just get plenty of rest!”

“Alright, thank you!” Li Yi said, his voice tinged with a hint of excitement.

“You’re welcome—it’s our job!”

Then Dr. Chen added, “By the way, during my examination just now, I also noticed that your older sister’s blood pressure is a bit low, but it’s not serious. She should eat more foods that boost energy and nourish the blood to replenish her strength—things like red dates and pork liver. In any case, it’s nothing to worry about!”

“Alright!”

After expressing his gratitude repeatedly, Li Yi finally left the county hospital with his older sister.

Afterward, Li Yi didn’t head straight home. Instead, he took his older sister to the supply and marketing cooperative, where they bought a good supply of tonics before returning to the village.

However, to Li Yi’s surprise, when they returned to the school, they discovered that everyone had been waiting for them and hadn’t eaten yet!

Deeply moved, Li Yi immediately told Feng Kai and the others to get everyone ready to eat.

And so, the gathering in Nianzishan Village officially began…

………..

Li Yi’s cooking skills weren’t exactly top-notch, but he was quite good at preparing specific dishes, including beef and mutton.

The two sheep weighed a total of 188 jin. After some thought, Li Yi decided to prepare them in two different styles.

One sheep would be prepared as clear-simmered mutton, the other as braised mutton, and he would use the heads, hooves, and offal to make a pot of offal soup.

Once he’d decided what to make, the rest was straightforward.

The clear-simmered lamb was relatively simple, though it required careful selection of seasonings and precise control of quantities. The braised lamb, on the other hand, was a bit more challenging, so Li Yi had to handle both pots himself.

As for the offal soup, the heart, liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach had to be boiled first, then sliced and shredded, while the head and hooves needed to be singed, boiled, and stripped of meat and bones. Li Yi delegated all these tedious tasks to others, leaving himself only to oversee the final simmering of the soup.

No sooner had he settled the two large pots of meat than Zhang Tongfu came in to find him, saying the hired cart had arrived!

Li Yi immediately asked the few women helping in the kitchen to keep an eye on the fire in the stove, while he strode out the door.

As soon as he reached the entrance to the dining hall, he saw Zhou Wen and the coachman standing there, surrounded by a crowd of villagers.

Li Yi walked over, first thanking the coachman, then instructing the villagers to unload the cigarettes and liquor from the cart.

Of course, he only had them unload the sorghum liquor; the remaining ten or so cases of Moutai were reserved for his father and the rest of the family.

After most of the goods had been unloaded, Li Yi handed a set of keys to Zhou Wen, instructing him to take the driver back to the new house to store the items in the west wing.

After giving these instructions, Li Yi returned to the dining hall.

As soon as he walked in, he heard Feng Kai explaining to everyone where the cigarettes and liquor had come from. The villagers had originally thought the village had purchased them, but they never expected that Li Yi had bought them for everyone.

In an instant, the entire dining hall was filled with praise for Li Yi, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

“Uncle Feng, go ahead and hand out the cigarettes to everyone first—one pack per man. Don’t serve the liquor just yet; save that for when we sit down to eat!”

Li Yi continued, “Have the ladies pour the malted milk and orange powder into the thermos. Anyone who wants some can help themselves!”

“Okay…”

Thinking of how his own wife also liked to drink orange powder, Li Yi looked around but didn’t see Jiang Xue or the children, nor did he see his eldest sister.

Instead, he saw his mother at the nearby workbench, kneading dumplings with a few other women.

He strode over and asked, “Mom, where are my eldest sister and Xue? I don’t see them anywhere.”

Zhang Yuehong smiled and said, “They took the kids to the playground in the back to play. If you need anything, you can go find them over there!”

“Alright!”

After saying that, Li Yi headed toward the playground in the back.

As soon as he reached the back of the school building, Li Yi spotted a crowd of women and children on the playground from a distance—his eldest sister and Jiang Xue were among them.

Li Yi instinctively quickened his pace and walked over.

The moment he appeared, he caught the attention of the women on the playground. They began teasing Jiang Xue, making her blush with embarrassment.

She immediately set her child down and hurried over to greet Li Yi.

“You’re back!”

“Yeah, I’m back!”

Li Yi then pointed at the group of little kids in front of him and asked, “Where did all these kids come from? Are they all from our village?”

“Yes. After we arrived, we saw a few teachers taking these little ones out to play, so we brought Yunrui and Yunjin along too!” Jiang Xue explained.

“Hmm, it’s good for them to interact with the little ones more. That way, they won’t be timid when they grow up!” Li Yi said.

“You’re right—that’s exactly what I was thinking!”

“By the way, there’s some prepared tangerine powder up ahead. Do you guys want to go back and have some?”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, the sun is so strong right now. It’s best for the kids to play for just a little while to avoid heatstroke!”

“Alright, I’ll go gather them up and head back to the cafeteria!”

“Great!”

Soon, at Jiang Xue’s call, the teachers from the school’s daycare center (kindergarten) led the little ones back to the cafeteria with Li Yi.

All the children at the school’s daycare center were from the village itself; families from other villages generally didn’t send their children here, since the children were too young to board at the school.

Unlike typical kindergartens, which have age requirements, the village nursery has no such restrictions; even newborns just a month old are cared for here.

After all, the very purpose of the daycare center was to care for children who couldn’t live independently, allowing the adults to free up more manpower for labor—so they accepted children no matter how young.

When this large group of little ones arrived and saw their parents and grandparents, some cried, some laughed, and others demanded food and drink or tattled on their peers. The dining hall instantly became a bustling hub of activity.

Li Yi had just poured Jiang Xue a teacup of orange-flavored powdered drink and was about to take Little Yunjin from her arms when he heard a familiar voice from behind him: “Give me the child!”

Turning around, he saw his own father standing right behind him.

Knowing his father loved children, Li Yi smiled and handed Little Yunjin over to him.

Carefully taking his precious granddaughter into his arms, a faint smile appeared on Li Shankui’s usually stern face.

Meanwhile, Yunrui, who was in Jiang Xue’s arms, saw his little sister being held by Grandpa. The little guy stretched out his hands and babbled at Li Shankui, “Grandpa… hold…”

Seeing this, Li Shankui immediately said to Jiang Xue, “Hand Yunrui over to me too!”

Jiang Xue nodded and handed the little one over as well.

With Zhang Feng and Yang Miao around, she wasn’t worried the two little ones would wear out her father-in-law.

Li Yi, seeing the chaos in the large dining hall, immediately said to Jiang Xue, “Shall we go outside for a walk?”

“Sure!”

After saying that, Jiang Xue took a few sips of water, then followed Li Yi out.

The two didn’t leave the school grounds; they simply wandered around the campus.

Built at a cost of 138,000 yuan, the school covered over 120 mu of land. In addition to two three-story classroom buildings, it also featured an administrative building and three dormitory buildings.

Additionally, the school had a library, a cafeteria, a bathhouse, and a playground—all facilities were fully equipped. Even the county’s First and Second High Schools couldn’t hold a candle to it.

After walking around the school grounds, Jiang Xue suddenly said, “By the way, when you were in Hong Kong, didn’t you say we were going to do charity work and build a school? Are we still doing that?”

“We are. Why are you suddenly asking about this?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Can I take charge of that then?”

“Sure, I’m sure you can. But why did you suddenly decide to take this on yourself? You know charity work is very hard, especially when you do it yourself!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Xue nodded and said, “I know, but seeing how this school has made our village so special, I feel this work is truly meaningful.”

“And have you noticed—every time Sister Chu Hong talks about the hundred or so primary and secondary schools they’ve donated to, she has a special aura about her!”

“A special aura?”

“Yes, it’s not just pride and joy—there’s also a sense of sacredness to it. It’s just… indescribable!” Jiang Xue said.

Li Yi immediately understood what his wife was talking about. The aura she described was actually the dignified and elegant demeanor often seen in people who regularly engage in charity—a reflection of inner kindness and approachable character.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to manage my finances after graduation? Why do you want to switch to charity work now?”

Jiang Xue gave Li Yi a loving look and said, “It’s because my husband is just too amazing. I couldn’t possibly manage all that money. Rather than wasting my energy on that, I think it’d be better to help you spend it—just like Sister Chu Hong does!”

“Alright, let’s discuss this further when we get back. If you’re really serious about this, I’ll set up a team for you later…”

Just as he was speaking, Li Yi heard someone calling his name.

He turned to see Zhang Feng rushing toward them, her face full of anxiety…

……..

When Li Yi and the others returned home, they found that the front gate and the house doors were all locked, and not a single person was there.

Realizing everyone must have gone to the school for today’s communal lunch, Li Yi and his group hopped back in the car and headed for the Central School.

As soon as they arrived and saw the school before them, Li Yi couldn’t help but be impressed.

He knew that this village school had been built with donations from Huang Lixing, and that Chen Chuying had personally overseen the construction from the village, taking over a year to complete.

Initially estimated to cost 100,000 yuan, the final actual cost reached 138,000 yuan, making it by far the most heavily funded and largest school in all of Qingshan County.

Although Li Yi had known about this beforehand, this was his first visit since the school’s completion.

It must be said that the more than 100,000 yuan spent was well worth it.

The first impression of the school was one of grandeur, especially the three-story buildings, which truly stood out like a swan among chickens in the village.

Moreover, Li Yi had heard from his father that due to the substantial investment, large scale, and comprehensive facilities, the county’s Education Bureau had closed all village-run primary schools and central schools in the surrounding townships and communes after the school’s completion. All teachers and students were consolidated at Lixing Middle School in Nianzishan Village.

Although the school hadn’t started yet, aside from the children from the village itself, there weren’t many students to be seen.

But once the school year began, the student body swelled to three thousand—more than any school in the county seat.

By the time Li Yi arrived, a crowd had already gathered on campus—men, women, and children of all ages.

He first drove the car over to the cafeteria, then got out.

As soon as he arrived, he saw everyone bustling about: the men were cutting up pork and lamb at the cafeteria entrance, while the women were cleaning the offal.

Meanwhile, inside the cafeteria kitchen, dozens of women were hard at work, and the aroma of stewing meat filled the air both inside and out.

Seeing Li Yi arrive, Feng Kai, Zhang Tongfu, and the others immediately came over.

“Xiao Yi, I heard you went to the county seat early this morning?”

“Yeah, just got back!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“If I’d known you were going to the county seat today, I should’ve asked you to bring back some things!” Feng Kai said.

“What do you need? If it’s a problem, I can go back again—I’ve got a car anyway!”

“Nothing much—just a few bottles of liquor, and some candy or snacks for the kids…”

“Uncle Feng, haven’t you always been against drinking and eating together like this? Why did you suddenly decide to buy everyone some liquor today?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Well, I’m in a good mood today. It’s a rare chance to have some fun. Having meat without alcohol just feels a bit lacking. Two or three ounces per person shouldn’t be a problem…”

Before Feng Kai could finish speaking, Li Yi chimed in with a laugh, “If it’s about the liquor, I’ve already bought it!”

“You bought some?”

Feng Kai and Zhang Tongfu instinctively looked at the Jeep behind Zhou Yang. In their view, if Li Yi had really bought it, it should be in the car.

“Uncle Feng, Uncle Zhang, the liquor isn’t in the car—it’s on its way. Besides the liquor, I also bought cigarettes, malted milk powder, and orange powder. I should be back in a little while!” Li Yi said.

“Hahaha, you’re always so thoughtful, kid. How much did it cost in total? I’ll have Old Chen reimburse you!” Feng Kai said.

“No need, it wasn’t much at all!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“That won’t do…”

Before Feng Kai could finish, Li Yi cut him off and said, “Please don’t mention it. I definitely won’t take the money. If I’m treating you uncles to a drink, there’s no need for the village to foot the bill!”

Then Li Yi changed the subject and said, “By the way, Uncle Feng and Uncle Zhang, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you!”

“What is it? Go ahead!” Feng Kai said.

“When I went to the supply and marketing cooperative today, someone recognized me. They said Director Qin from the cooperative is interested in partnering with me to sell liangpi…”

Li Yi then recounted the saleswoman’s words in detail to Feng Kai and Zhang Tongfu, before sharing his own thoughts.

“Yi, are you suggesting the village set up a dedicated liangpi workshop to supply the Supply and Marketing Cooperative?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “It’s not just about supplying the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. After I left, the supply to the state-run restaurant was cut off, but we can resume that. Plus, places like the sugar factory, textile mill, parts factory, distillery, soy sauce factory, vinegar factory, and schools all have canteens—we can partner with them too!”

“I reckon if we run this business right, it could bring in at least 50,000 yuan in revenue for the village every year!”

Li Yi knew the appeal of liangpi. Anyone who’d been to Qin Province or the Hetao region knew that this dish was sold everywhere—from big cities to ordinary towns and rural villages—and generated untold revenue every year.

Not to mention, what they’re doing now is an exclusive business. As long as they can improve their skills and are willing to put in the hard work, making money is a sure thing.

“F… fifty thousand yuan… Good heavens…”

After the initial excitement subsided, Feng Kai looked at Li Yi and said, “Yi, with a business this profitable, why don’t you stay and run it yourself? Our village only needs these few farms!”

Zhang Tongfu chimed in, “That’s right, Yi. Life in our village is so much better now than it used to be—there’s no reason for us to keep taking advantage of you!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “No need. I’m heading back to Beijing in a few days; I won’t have time for this. If you guys don’t want to do it, then the deal’s off!”

“Come on, we’ll do it. Tomorrow I’ll find a few sharp guys to learn from you. How does that sound?” Feng Kai said.

“Alright, clear out the old house at my place tomorrow. I’ll go over there to teach them!” Li Yi said.

“Alright…”

Just then, Li Yi saw Liu Darei and the others driving a cart loaded with soil back, and they immediately started mixing mud by the wall on one side!

Curious, Li Yi asked, “Uncle Feng, what are Lei Zi and the others doing over there mixing mortar?”

Feng Kai smiled and said, “Well, on our way over just now, we saw that quite a bit of the whitewash had fallen off the west wall of the school, and some of the floor tiles in the courtyard were cracked. So Lei and the others figured they’d take advantage of the good weather today to help fix things up!”

“This school was built for us with money from Mr. Huang, a good-hearted man. We can’t just wait for him to handle even these little repairs. If we can fix it ourselves, we should do it ourselves!”

“Uncle Feng’s right. We shouldn’t wait for others to handle these little things. I’ll go help out!”

With that, Li Yi started to head over.

“No need. You shouldn’t get your hands dirty with this muddy, wet work. You’re a whiz at stewing meat, kid. If you really want to help, why don’t you stew these few sheep for the village?” Feng Kai said with a laugh.

“Alright!”

Li Yi then walked over to the group of veteran butchers preparing the mutton and asked, “Old Chen, how many sheep did you slaughter today? How much did they weigh?”

“Ah, it’s Yi-kid. We slaughtered two in total. Not counting the heads, hooves, and offal, the meat and bones together came to 188 jin!” Chen Wugye said as he deboned the meat.

“Wow, those sheep are quite big!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Two sheep weighing 188 jin with bones means each live sheep weighed at least 110 jin—these were definitely some hefty sheep.

“You’re right. But they’re all old ewes—they haven’t had any lambs and have just put on fat. These sheep aren’t much use; the longer you keep them, the more money you lose!” Old Chen said.

Hearing this, Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Why not sell the old ewes to the shop along with the lambs?”

“Old mutton has a strong gamey taste and isn’t very good. Kai (Feng Kai) said that your restaurant is frequented by wealthy customers and people from government agencies, so serving old mutton could damage your reputation. That’s why all the older sheep are kept in the village—the ones we send you are all one-year-olds!”

As he spoke, Old Chen’s hands never stopped moving; his boning knife flew up and down, and one by one, the bones were stripped clean.

Upon hearing Old Man Chen’s words, Li Yi was instantly moved by the villagers’ sincerity.

He had only been kind to them to make up for the debts of his past life, yet they treated him like a god, obeying his every word and following his every suggestion—he couldn’t bear to profane their trust.

“Actually, there’s absolutely no problem with taking sheep like these back to make hot pot. After all, our village hasn’t been raising sheep for very long, so there aren’t any particularly old ones. Three- to five-year-old sheep actually have a better texture when you eat them,” Li Yi said.

“You’re right. But there aren’t many old ewes that don’t produce lambs anyway, so don’t worry about it, kid!”

Before they knew it, Old Chen had finished butchering the two sheep.

Then, everyone pitched in to carry several large basins of lamb meat into the kitchen inside the canteen, after which Li Yi transformed into a chef and got busy in the kitchen…

………

PS: Chapter 2 will be a little later!

Qingshan County. Supply and Marketing Cooperative!

After leaving the county bureau, Li Yi didn’t go straight home. Instead, he drove to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative with Zhang Ziqiang and Zhou Wen.

The village was planning a celebration today, but judging by what Uncle Feng and Old Zhang had said, they didn’t intend to buy cigarettes or alcohol.

On one hand, tobacco and alcohol were simply too expensive. If the whole village went all out, the cost for those alone would run into several hundred yuan. For Feng Kai and the others, who were used to living frugally, it made more sense to save that money and slaughter an extra pig instead.

On the other hand, some villagers weren’t exactly the best when it came to drinking. They might seem perfectly respectable when sober, but once they had a few drinks, all hell broke loose—it was as if the whole of Qing Shan County belonged to them.

So, when the village held its annual banquet, they generally didn’t provide tobacco or alcohol.

But this time was different. Having finally returned home and encountered such an occasion, Li Yi felt he should show his support, so he planned to buy some cigarettes, alcohol, and drinks to bring back—it wouldn’t cost much.

The supply and marketing cooperative was just as bustling as he remembered. Right at the massive entrance, the area was packed with all kinds of animal-drawn carts—cows, horses, mules, donkeys, and every kind of large beast imaginable.

Once their vehicles arrived, there wasn’t even a single spot left to park.

Even if there had been space, they wouldn’t have dared park next to those large animals—they didn’t want their car getting bumped by the animal-drawn carts.

After parking the car on the side of the road, the group got out and strode into the supply and marketing cooperative.

Sure enough, the supply and marketing cooperative was packed with people!

Most were elderly farmers dressed in coarse cloth; some were buying daily necessities or farm tools, while others were selling eggs at the nearby counters.

This year, with the exception of Nianzishan Village, the entire county had begun implementing the household contract responsibility system, with each household operating independently.

With this shift, the village’s supply of farming tools was no longer sufficient; after all, the quantity was limited, and there simply weren’t enough to go around.

On top of that, with the autumn harvest just around the corner, many families were scrambling to buy sickles, whetstones, and other tools—in short, everyone was preparing for the upcoming harvest.

After waiting in line for a while, it was soon Li Yi and his group’s turn.

As soon as he approached, he caught the female sales clerk’s attention; after all, their attire—polyester shirts paired with slacks and leather shoes—was a rare sight in this remote county town.

The saleswoman glanced at Li Yi, then furrowed her brow and asked, “Comrade, what would you like to buy?”

“I’d like to buy cigarettes and liquor, and if you have any malted milk powder or orange powder, I’ll take some of that too!” Li Yi said.

“Comrade, we have locally produced sorghum liquor here, as well as Ningcheng Laojiao from Hongshan and Zuanlongye from Lucheng, plus Maotai. Which one would you like?”

The saleswoman continued, “As for cigarettes, we have Guanting, Yingbin, Ganghua, and Shanhaiguan. Which one would you like?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “How much Moutai do you have here?”

“About ten cases, I think—I haven’t counted them exactly!”

“That’s so little?” Li Yi frowned.

“Comrade, you know this liquor is too expensive, so few people buy it. A county-level supply and marketing cooperative like ours doesn’t get much of an annual quota!”

The sales clerk then added, “If you need a lot for family events—weddings or funerals—I’d suggest using our local sorghum liquor. Not only is it affordable, but we have as much as you want!”

Li Yi did a quick mental calculation. There were about 150 men in the village, so if they needed one bottle per person, they’d need at least 150 bottles.

The local sorghum liquor came in unboxed bottles, with 12 bottles per case, meaning he’d need at least fourteen or fifteen cases.

With that in mind, he immediately said, “Then let’s go with the sorghum liquor. I’ll take 20 cases—do you have that much?”

“We do. The distillery is right here in our county. Don’t worry—we can handle 200 cases, no problem,” the clerk said with a smile.

“Bring out all the Moutai you have here too—I’ll take it all!”

Li Yi continued, “As for cigarettes, give me Yingbin—20 cartons. And for the malted milk powder and orange powder, 10 buckets (bags) of each…”

Li Yi’s words left the saleswoman completely speechless. She’d worked at the supply and marketing cooperative for over twenty years, but she’d never seen anyone shop like this before.

Not asking about prices at all, just asking if they had it in stock—it was so extravagant. This couldn’t help but remind her of that young man from two years ago…

That thought struck a chord, and upon closer inspection, wasn’t the man standing before her that very same young man from two years ago?

After locking eyes and confirming it was indeed him, the saleswoman said in astonishment, “You… aren’t you that young man who used to sell liangpi a couple of years ago…?”

“Sis, you still remember me?” Li Yi said with a smile.

“How could I forget? There’s no one else in the whole county who shops like you do. Back then, you’d come in every day to buy hundreds of pounds of flour, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, and you’d tell us it was for your workplace. It wasn’t until later that we found out you were the young man selling liangpi!”

The saleswoman continued, “It’s just that you look a bit different from how you did a couple of years ago, so I didn’t recognize you at first!”

Although he was still the same person from two years ago, Li Yi had undergone a complete transformation—from his clothes and appearance to his demeanor. If you weren’t familiar with him, you really wouldn’t have recognized him.

“Hahaha, but you recognized me, didn’t you?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“By the way, I haven’t seen you around for the past couple of years. Have you stopped selling liangpi?” the saleswoman asked with a hint of curiosity.

“I’m out of that business. I found a job in the city and moved to Beijing with my wife!” Li Yi said, half-jokingly.

“So you just moved, then? I’m glad you weren’t arrested by the police…”

“What do you mean, ‘arrested’?” Li Yi asked, looking puzzled.

“Looks like you haven’t heard. After you stopped coming to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy supplies, people started saying you’d been arrested by the police for profiteering. Others said you’d gotten wind of it and fled early. Seems like it’s all just people spreading rumors!”

Li Yi really hadn’t heard about this. He couldn’t help but shake his head, then said, “If I’d been arrested or had run away, I wouldn’t dare show my face again. It’s pure nonsense!”

At that moment, the female sales clerk said with a hint of regret, “It’s a shame you stopped running your liangpi business. Otherwise, I could have taken you to meet our Director Qin!”

“What would I do meeting your Director Qin?”

“Ever since you stopped running that cold noodle business, lots of people have come to our Supply and Marketing Cooperative asking if we sell cold noodles. With so many inquiries, Director Qin started thinking about partnering with you, but unfortunately, you never showed up…”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s interest was piqued, and he immediately replied, “I wonder if your Director Qin is here. If he is, I’d be happy to discuss this with him—there might actually be a chance for a partnership!”

Although making liangpi doesn’t require much technical skill—many households in Qin Province and western Saibei Province know how to make it—very few people in a place like Qingshan County possess that skill.

Li Yi himself certainly wouldn’t be interested in the profits from selling liangpi, but the village would certainly welcome the extra income. If they could partner with the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to sell liangpi, they could easily set up a small liangpi workshop in the village.

For the village, this would be yet another way to increase income…

“Director Qin went to the city today and won’t be back until tomorrow!” the sales clerk replied.

“Here’s what we’ll do: when your Director Qin returns, tell him my name is Li Yi and I live in Nianzishan Village, Hongqi Commune. If he’s interested in the liangpi business, he can come find me in the village!”

“Alright, I’ll be sure to pass that along when he gets back!”

“Great, let’s settle the bill first. I’m in a hurry to get back!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Alright, that’s 20 cases of sorghum liquor, 12 cases of Moutai, 20 cartons of Yingbin cigarettes, 10 buckets of malted milk powder, and 10 bags of orange powder, right?”

“Right. How much is that?”

“How many receipts do you have…”

“I don’t have any vouchers. Just charge me the price without vouchers!”

“Well… without receipts, the price is about fifty percent higher. With all this stuff, you’d save at least a hundred or two yuan. Why don’t you go outside and trade the receipts with those rascals? I’ll hold the goods for you?” the saleswoman suggested.

“No need, ma’am, I’m in a hurry!” Li Yi said firmly.

Although going outside to trade for some liquor and cigarette coupons would indeed save him quite a bit of money, given Li Yi’s current financial standing, there was absolutely no need to scrimp on such a small amount.

“All right, then…”

With that, the saleswoman picked up her abacus and started clicking away. After a moment, she said, “Comrade, that comes to 522 yuan!”

Li Yi paid immediately, then went to the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative and hired a horse-drawn cart used for hauling goods. After loading his purchases, he set off toward the village…

………

For Li Gang, this stroke of good fortune had come far too suddenly!

It took him a while to come to his senses. He looked at Li Yi and said, “Brother, something this big—won’t it be a hassle for you to pull off?”

“It’ll definitely be a hassle, but it’s no big deal. You just need to think some things through in advance!” Li Yi said.

“What kind of things?”

“You’re considered a leader now, but once you get to Beijing, you’ll most likely have to start from the bottom. You’ll have to start all over again!” Li Yi said.

“There are too many wolves and not enough meat. A small fry like me would just end up as a nobody!”

Li Gang then changed the subject and continued, “But I think it’s worth it. First, being in the capital brings me closer to you, Brother Wang, and Old Jiang (Jiang Longcheng). Second, it raises the ceiling for my future career prospects.”

He was just a bit outspoken, but he wasn’t stupid.

Staying in the county might let him be a leader, and in a few years, he might even scrape together a position as a bureau chief or deputy bureau chief. But the ceiling in a small county is just that high—reaching the rank of division-level official would be a stroke of incredible luck, and most people might never even make it to full section-level in their entire lives.

But the capital is different. Many organizations, despite their modest facades and small staff, hold very high ranks.

Take the Federation of Literary and Art Circles or the Writers’ Association, for example. Even the subordinate units under them are rife with department-level positions.

Although these positions carry little actual power, the rank itself is there, raising the career ceiling by more than one level.

And if there’s a chance to be assigned to a local post, the career path suddenly opens up.

Whether to stay here and lead a predictable, monotonous life, or to take a chance in Beijing and stake a claim to the future—Li Gang naturally chose the latter!

“Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll pull some strings for you. We’ll get transferred over together with Old Wang!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Great! Thanks, brother…”

“Don’t be so formal. Setting aside our friendship, during the past year or two while I was building my career in the capital, you often came to the village to help look after my parents. I’ve never forgotten that!”

Then, Li Yi changed the subject: “By the way, do you know anyone at the county livestock station? Could you help me secure a spot there for training?”

“I don’t really pay much attention to obscure places like the Animal Husbandry Station, but those kinds of units usually fall under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Bureau. As it happens, I’m on good terms with the director of the Agriculture Bureau, so arranging a spot like that shouldn’t be a problem!” Li Gang said.

“Then I’d really appreciate your help with this!”

“Alright, I’ll give Old Huang a call right now!”

With that, Li Gang picked up the receiver right in front of Li Yi and dialed a number.

The call connected shortly after, followed by the customary small talk between seasoned bureaucrats.

Afterward, Li Gang requested a spot for a veterinary training program at the Animal Husbandry Station. The other party simply asked for Xiaogouwa’s name and agreed on the spot.

After hanging up, Li Gang immediately said, “It’s all taken care of. Old Huang said he’d call the head of the livestock station himself, so just have him report directly to the office!”

“Alright!”

Then Li Yi added, “Come on, take me to the communications room—I need to make a few calls!”

“If you’re calling Old Wang, you can just use the phone in my office. But if it’s out of the province, you’ll have to go to the telecommunications room!” Li Gang said.

“Then let’s call Old Wang first!”

Before Li Yi could make a move, Li Gang had already dialed the internal police line.

“Ring… ring… ring…”

After a few rings, the call was answered, and Wang Anguo’s voice came through the receiver: “Hello, Municipal Bureau. Who’s this?”

“It’s me, Li Yi!”

“Hey, Brother Li Yi, are you back in the county?” Wang Anguo asked, sounding surprised and delighted.

“Yeah, I just got back yesterday. How’s it going over there? Are you ready?”

“I’ve already explained the situation to the bureau. The leadership is fully supportive. Now we’re just waiting for the transfer order from Beijing!” Wang Anguo replied.

“That’s good. I’ll give my father-in-law a nudge in a bit…”

Before he could finish, Wang Anguo hurriedly interjected, “No need to push it, no need to push it. We’re in no rush!”

“No problem. I’m going to talk to him about Gangzi anyway, so I’ll just bring it up in passing!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“What’s up with that kid Li Gang?” Wang Anguo asked curiously.

“Heh, now that the two of us are leaving, he’s feeling a bit lonely, so he wants to come along too. I agreed!”

“Hahaha, that’s great. I was just worried about not knowing a soul over there—now I’ll have some company!” Wang Anguo said with a laugh.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. You two should go together—you can look out for each other!” Li Yi said.

“That’s great. By the way, how long do you plan to stay in the village? Maybe we can go to Beijing together then!” Wang Anguo said.

“That depends. I haven’t decided how long I’ll stay yet. Besides, your transfer orders should come through soon—you might not be able to wait for me!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, we’ll discuss that when the time comes!”

“Alright…”

The two chatted for a while longer before ending the call.

Afterward, Li Yi followed Li Gang to the telecommunications room and used the long-distance phone there to call his father-in-law.

Jiang Shiying was preparing to leave Guangzhou. Upon hearing that Li Yi intended to have Li Gang transferred to Beijing as well, he immediately agreed.

He added that their transfer orders would be sent out soon, so they should get ready.

Afterward, Jiang Shiying updated Li Yi on the situation in Beijing over the past couple of days.

Although he himself had returned to his rural hometown to lie low, the impact of that document was still fermenting and had caused a huge stir among the top leadership.

After reviewing the document Li Yi had written and analyzing it in light of the current state of the domestic economy, Old Chen immediately felt that Li Yi’s grasp of the nation’s economy was remarkably accurate.

Furthermore, the economic disasters he had predicted could not be ignored, as some had already begun to show signs, while others had reached a critical stage.

In particular, massive investment, high deficits, and generous welfare programs had already severely disrupted the normal functioning of the national economy. Moreover, the government had begun printing money to address these issues, a move that would inevitably lead to soaring prices and currency devaluation.

In short, this document by banbanhaobang was substantive and served as a wake-up call for the nation’s economic operations.

Stunned, Elder Chen immediately reported the situation to several members of the Council of Elders.

Upon learning that these documents were written by Li Yi and had already received Old Chen’s endorsement, the other members of the Council of Elders could not help but take them seriously.

It must be noted that Old Chen had served as the chief administrator of economic development in the rear during the War of Resistance; his grasp of economic matters was far beyond that of an ordinary leader. Since he had endorsed it, no one else dared to ignore it.

Regarding this document, senior leadership had already convened three consecutive meetings within two days. Initially, they discussed whether the predictions in the document would come true; once that question was answered, they began discussing how to resolve the issues.

After all, this was a matter of livelihood for over a billion people across the nation—it could not be taken lightly.

So, even though Li Yiren wasn’t in the capital, the capital was abuzz with stories about him!

Of course, this matter has also sparked some negative reactions.

The document has indeed threatened the interests of certain individuals, including those in high positions. After all, Li Yi had explicitly mentioned an economic disaster; if such a catastrophe were to occur, it was unclear how many officials would lose their positions as a result.

Even if it didn’t happen, someone would still have to take responsibility if it caused negative repercussions.

Only after the news broke did Jiang Shiying realize just how wise Li Yi’s decision to leave the capital had been.

A storm was already brewing in the capital. Had he remained there, he would inevitably have found himself at its center, thrusting both himself and the entire Jiang family into the eye of the storm.

But for now, he was in the countryside with no phone, and it felt as though none of this had anything to do with him—how wonderful.

So Jiang Shiying advised him that if things were calm, he should stay in his hometown a while longer; it wouldn’t be too late to return once the situation had been resolved…

……….