Chapter 439: Poor Kid Li Gang!

Qingshan County!

On the cobblestone road leading from the sugar factory to the city center, two Jeeps were speeding along.

Inside one of the Jeeps, Li Yi’s brother-in-law, Yang Wenguang, looked at Li Yi in the driver’s seat, his brow furrowed and his expression suggesting he wanted to say something but held back.

Li Yi noticed his brother-in-law’s unease and asked immediately, “Brother-in-law, if there’s something on your mind, just say it. Seeing you like this is really upsetting for me!”

“Xiao Yi, I don’t think you should have said those things to Director Liang just now. The situation at the sugar factory is far more complicated than you imagine!” Yang Wenguang said.

Just moments ago, Liang Yukuai had successfully resolved the issue of the farmers’ sugar beet payments using the method Li Yi had taught him.

Just as Li Yi had predicted, the villagers were delighted to hear that the sugar factory was willing to settle their debts with sugar at a price of six mao per jin.

After all, sugar is a hot commodity in the countryside, and if no sugar coupons are required, it’s easy to sell.

A profit of 30 cents per pound on the resale—who wouldn’t be tempted by that!

After entrusting the matter to Deputy Plant Manager Xu Huasheng and Finance Section Chief Liu Daming, Liang Yukui took Li Yi’s brother-in-law, Yang Wenguang, back to his office and discussed the sugar factory’s restructuring with Li Yi.

In response to Liang Yukui’s inquiries, Li Yi didn’t hold back, explaining his ideas in detail.

Li Yi spoke at length, but his core message was that the sugar factory must abandon its previous “planning-first” mindset, proactively adjust its product range and styles, and take the initiative to compete with other sugar companies for market share.

At the same time, Li Yi elaborated on how the sugar factory should adjust its products and capture market share, even touching on how to manage the enterprise using modern management concepts.

Perhaps these ideas were too forward-thinking, causing a hint of concern to arise in his brother-in-law’s mind.

“Brother-in-law, are you worried that I might get in trouble for what I said?”

“Well, although the situation has stabilized in recent years, don’t forget what happened a few years ago…”

“Brother-in-law, your intentions are good, but times have changed. Whether for a company or an individual, if we keep clinging to that old cautious mindset, it’ll be hard to achieve anything significant!” Li Yi said.

“I agree with that, but the sugar factory situation is complicated. Even if we resolve all the current issues, it’ll be hard for the factory to return to its former glory. What you’re suggesting is bound to be futile!”

“Why is that?” Li Yi asked, furrowing his brow.

“Actually, the sugar factory wasn’t short on money before the New Year. Even though the capital owed the factory over 1.2 million, there was still a surplus of over 800,000 on the books—enough for us to live comfortably for a year or two!”

“What happened to that money?” Li Yi asked.

“It was siphoned off by the county!”

“The county?”

“Yes. The situation at other factories in the county is much worse—especially the textile and glass factories. Thousands of workers haven’t been paid for over half a year and desperately need a cash infusion from the county.”

Yang Wenguang continued, “The county has no money, so they had no choice but to set their sights on our factory. That’s how the money on our books was siphoned off!”

“Did the workers and management at your factory agree to that?” Li Yi asked again.

Yang Wenguang shook his head and said, “Of course not—they’re not made of iron. Director Liang has argued with the county leaders about this several times, but it hasn’t made a bit of difference!”

“What’s more, to force the factory to hand over the funds, the higher-ups specifically transferred two deputy factory directors here to keep Director Liang in check.”

Li Yi fell silent. It was a common ailment of state-owned enterprises—internal strife was everywhere!

Even a small state-owned sugar factory in such a remote county town couldn’t escape it.

No wonder his sister’s husband was worried about him. Once internal strife was involved, what he’d said would indeed harm the interests of some people, so it made sense that he’d ruffled a few feathers.

“Brother-in-law, you don’t need to worry too much. I’m just exchanging ideas with Director Liang. As for the rest, it’s up to him!” Li Yi said.

“Hmm, let’s try not to get mixed up in their internal power struggles!”

“I understand!”

To be honest, the reason Li Yi was helping Liang Yuke was, on the one hand, because Liang Yuke was a decent guy—someone he could get along with!

On the other hand, the sugar factory couldn’t afford any setbacks right now, as its success was crucial to Li Yi’s next phase of development.

After testing the waters over the past few months, the village was indeed well-suited for developing the livestock industry, and this was the only way to quickly lift the villagers out of poverty.

But the problem was that large-scale livestock farming required a sufficient supply of feed.

Relying solely on crop straw and natural grazing would result in a growth cycle that’s simply too long.

So Li Yi plans to have the villagers grow more sugar beets this year. The beets will be sold to the sugar factory, and the beet leaves will be used as fodder for cattle and sheep.

At the same time, they would purchase large quantities of beet pulp from the sugar factory to use as feed.

This way, the village could engage in large-scale cattle and sheep farming.

If the sugar factory were to go under, his plan would be jeopardized—something Li Yi was determined to avoid.

Before they knew it, the car had arrived at the state-run restaurant and came to a smooth stop right in front of the entrance!

……….

Inside the restaurant, Li Gang had already arrived!

Hearing the sound of the car engine outside, he knew Li Yi and his group had arrived.

He immediately stood up and walked toward the entrance to greet Li Yi and the others.

“Oh my, why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for almost an hour!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “We got caught up chatting with Brother Liang for a while. Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“It’s okay. Come on in and take a seat—I’m starving!”

Saying this, he took Li Yi and the others by the hand and led them to a table in the corner by the wall.

As they passed the serving window, Li Gang specifically told the staff that they could start serving the food.

However, once they reached their table, Liang Yukuai glanced at Li Gang and asked, “Why are you here alone? Didn’t your girlfriend come?”

“She didn’t make it. She has a performance today and couldn’t come!” Li Gang said with a smile.

Hearing this, Li Yi asked in surprise, “Huh, you’re dating someone?”

“I guess so!”

“What do you mean, ‘sort of’?”

“It’s just that my parents saw I was getting on in years and still didn’t have a girlfriend, so they got a little anxious. They found someone to set me up!” Li Gang explained.

“Did it work out?”

“We met once. She seemed okay, so we’re just seeing each other for now. If we get along, we’ll get married!”

“What does she do? How did she manage to catch the eye of a good-for-nothing like you?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Heh, she’s from around here too. Her dad is the deputy director of the county Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau, her mom is the director of the county Song and Dance Troupe, and she’s a dancer in the troupe herself. The whole family has steady jobs!”

Clearly, Li Gang was very satisfied with the girl’s family background.

However, after hearing this, Li Yi asked cautiously, “What’s the girl’s name?”

“Zhang Yanru!”

Li Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes as he looked at Li Gang. What kind of misfortune had befallen this poor kid?

If there wasn’t another Zhang Yanru in the county dance troupe, this poor kid would be in deep trouble. That woman was no pushover—you could say anyone who crossed her was asking for trouble.

Seeing the look in Li Yi’s eyes, Li Gang was immediately overcome by a sense of foreboding.

He was all too familiar with that look in Li Yi’s eyes; he’d seen it before. And every time Li Yi gave him that look, Li Gang knew he was in for trouble.

“Um… Brother Li Yi, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hmm, it’s been a while since I’ve read anyone’s fortune. When I heard you’d found a partner, I thought I’d take a look at your love life—but I never expected… I never expected this!”

“What didn’t you expect? Come on, Brother Li Yi, just spit it out!” Li Gang said, sounding a bit nervous.

“You haven’t really looked into that girl, have you?”

“We’ve only met once. She’s pretty and seems to have a good personality—I haven’t had a chance to look into her yet!” Li Gang replied.

“If you trust me, you’d better look into that girl’s background thoroughly—make sure you check everything carefully!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll look into her thoroughly. After all, you can’t be careless when looking for a partner!”

“Right…”

Seeing that Li Gang had really taken his advice to heart, Li Yi felt reassured.

Just then, a staff member walked over carrying a large copper pot.

Immediately afterward, sliced beef, lamb, and various vegetables were served.

The group sat down around the pot and began to eat…

……..

County Sugar Factory. Administration Building!

In the conference room, Liang Yukuai glared grimly at the large group of factory officials below him; his heaving chest betrayed just how terrible his mood was at that moment.

“Xie Baojun, how have you been running the Sales Department? We’ve sold over a thousand tons of brown and white sugar, yet not even a third of the payments have been settled?”

A middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table grimaced and said, “Director, I’ve already followed up with them, but the folks in Beijing keep telling us to wait, and wait some more…”

“Wait my ass! The people have already gathered outside our factory. How am I supposed to explain this to them?” Liang Yukui roared again.

Hearing this, the factory leaders in the conference room fell silent once more!

Just then, Director Ge, Liang Yukui’s right-hand man, suddenly spoke up: “Director, why don’t we take out a loan from the credit union to tide us over for now?”

“Hmph, that’s over 300,000 yuan! There’s no way the credit union would lend us that much all at once!”

Liang Yukui added, “Don’t forget, we already owe the credit union 250,000 yuan!”

In an instant, the entire conference room fell into dead silence once more!

Liang Yukui truly never imagined that the factory, which had been doing just fine last year, would suddenly be on the brink of collapse this year.

On one hand, they couldn’t sell their products; on the other, they couldn’t collect payment for the goods they had sold.

Since the start of spring this year, the factory hadn’t paid wages for over two months, and many workers were on the verge of collapse.

More importantly, the payments for the sugar beets purchased from local farmers last fall had not been made.

Normally, this money is distributed to the various production teams around the Lunar New Year.

However, due to the delayed settlement of this year’s payments, the farmers have been waiting for three or four months.

Compounding the problem, life is truly hard for people in many areas, and they were counting on this money to survive.

Left with no other choice, these villagers swarmed the sugar factory to demand answers!

Just as the heavy tension in the conference room was becoming almost unbearable, a frantic knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Liang Yukui frowned and said, “Come in!”

When he saw that it was his secretary pushing the door open, he snapped, “What is it? Don’t you know we’re in a meeting?”

The young secretary sensed Liang Yukui’s irritation; his expression changed instantly, but he hurriedly explained, “Director, someone’s here to see you!”

Liang Yukui slammed his fist down on the conference table and shouted angrily, “I won’t see anyone. No matter who it is, get out of here…”

“Director… Comrade Li Yi is here!”

Liang Yukui’s furious outburst stopped abruptly. After a moment, he asked, “You say Brother Li Yi is here? Where is he?”

“Right over by your office…”

Upon hearing this, Liang Yuke immediately jumped to his feet in excitement.

He recalled that Li Yi had mentioned to him last year that the sugar factory had been struggling in recent years. However, at the time, Li Yi had only hinted that the factory might face operational difficulties without specifying a timeframe, so Liang Yuke hadn’t taken it seriously.

After all, he was in the process of transferring from the corporate sector to the government. Once that was settled, the sugar factory would no longer be his concern—whatever happened to it in a few years was none of his business!

But what he hadn’t anticipated was that the situation would deteriorate so quickly.

Thinking of Li Yi’s unpredictable tactics, Liang Yukui didn’t hesitate; he immediately strode out of the conference room.

Just as everyone in the conference room was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Liang Yukui, who had reached the door, suddenly stopped and addressed the group once more: “We’re adjourning this meeting for now. You all need to figure out how to raise the money immediately—this can’t be put off any longer!”

Only after saying this did he walk out of the conference room.

………

When Liang Yukui returned to his office, he spotted Li Yi standing at the door from a distance.

He exclaimed excitedly, “Brother Li Yi, what a rare visit! When did you get back?”

“Hehe, I got back yesterday!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Liang Yukui opened the door as he said, “Come on in, let’s sit down!”

Once they were inside the office, Liang Yukui immediately took out some fine tea leaves and began to brew a cup for Li Yi.

“Brother Liang, don’t bother with that. Tell me about the people outside your sugar factory!”

Earlier, while downstairs, Li Yi had already briefly spoken with the villagers and understood why they were there.

Although he didn’t know why the sugar factory was in arrears on payments for the villagers’ sugar beets, he knew the factory must be in trouble—and it was likely a business issue.

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Liang Yuke’s hands stopped moving immediately. He let out a long sigh and said, “The factory’s cash flow has dried up. We owe the villagers a lot of money, and I’ve been worrying about this very thing!”

“How did the cash flow suddenly dry up? Haven’t your products always sold well?” Li Yi asked, frowning.

“Sales used to be quite good, but since the start of spring this year, many of our previous clients suddenly stopped buying our sugar!”

Liang Yukui continued, “On top of that, we haven’t been able to collect payments for over a million yuan worth of goods we sold earlier. As time went on, our factory’s cash flow collapsed!”

“On top of that, the reconstruction of our factory’s two production workshops last year consumed a massive amount of funds. All these factors combined led to this cash flow shortage.”

“Have you investigated why other organizations suddenly stopped buying your products?”

Liang Yukui replied immediately, “We have. Some organizations can’t afford it anymore because their profits have dropped, while others have found cheaper suppliers, so they’re no longer buying from us!”

“Right now, the organizations that have money don’t want our sugar, and the ones willing to buy don’t have the funds—that’s the situation!”

After hearing Liang Yukui’s explanation, Li Yi fell deep in thought.

The state-owned sugar factory in Qingshan County was established during the “Third Five-Year” Industrial Plan. Although it wasn’t particularly large, its products had consistently supplied the Beijing-Tianjin region, and its profits had always been solid.

Currently, the factory employs nearly a thousand workers. At its peak, it operated around the clock, 24 hours a day, and its annual revenue accounted for more than half of Qingshan County’s fiscal income.

He never expected that so soon after the launch of reform and opening-up, the factory’s operations would run into such serious problems.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately asked, “Brother Liang, how much do you currently owe the people?”

“Over 300,000, plus two months’ wages for the staff—that comes to over 60,000!”

“360,000—that’s not too much. I’ve got an idea to help you get through this crisis at Nanguan for now,” Li Yi said.

Liang Yukui’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly asked, “What’s the idea?”

“If your factory is short on cash, you could settle the debts with the locals using sugar!”

“Settling debts with sugar? Will that really work? How could the people possibly use that much sugar?” Liang Yukui frowned.

“They certainly can’t use it all, but they can sell the sugar they receive!”

Li Yi continued, “Of course, when you settle the debts, the price of the sugar has to be low enough so the people can make a profit!”

“Well… what price would be appropriate?” asked Liang Yukui.

“Brother Liang, how much do you sell your sugar to the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and those units in the capital per pound?”

“About 60 cents!”

“Then let’s set it at 60 cents a jin!”

As far as Li Yi knew, sugar was still a relatively scarce commodity in the vast rural areas at the moment. Many families—whether someone was in the postpartum recovery period or needed to replenish their strength—had to beg high and low just to get their hands on some sugar.

Moreover, at the county supply and marketing cooperative, sugar cost at least 90 cents per catty, and you needed sugar ration tickets to buy it.

If the sugar factory settled debts with the public by providing sugar at 60 cents a pound, the 30-cent difference per pound would certainly make the public willing to accept the deal.

In comparison, the sugar factory wouldn’t be losing anything; it would simply be shifting its profits from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to the general public.

Liang Yukui thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll have someone talk to the people outside about this!”

“Alright, but this is just a stopgap measure. To truly change this situation, you’ll have to adjust your business model—otherwise, the consequences will be severe!” Li Yi said.

“Then how should we adjust this business model?” Liang Yukuai asked urgently.

“We’ll discuss that later. First, you need to handle the situation with those people outside,” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll do exactly as you say!”

With that, Liang Yukui hurried out.

Once Liang Yukui had left, Li Yi fell deep in thought.

Back in Li Gang’s office, Li Yi saw the guy still slumped in his chair, sipping tea and reading the newspaper!

A large teapot was still boiling on the stove. As the water neared a boil, steam forced the lid of the heavy iron pot to rattle loudly, but the man seemed oblivious.

That carefree demeanor was truly enviable!

Seeing Li Yi push the door open, Li Gang immediately tossed the newspaper aside and asked with a smile, “Finished your call?”

“All done!”

Then, looking at the guy who looked like a retired government official, Li Yi said with a smile, “Your job is so laid-back—it’s really enviable!”

Li Gang grinned and said, “It’s not that we don’t want to work—we just don’t know what to do!”

“If you really wanted to work, you’d have plenty to do. I’d say you’re just being lazy!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“It really isn’t that. It’s mainly because right before the New Year, the city organized a major crackdown on local public security, and we arrested quite a few people.”

Li Gang continued, “Public order in the county is excellent now. Aside from the occasional street patrol, the entire county bureau is basically sitting pretty!”

Seeing how earnestly the man spoke, Li Yi took him at his word. After all, Qing Shan County was a small place with a modest population.

In a place like this, public order is naturally quite good, so it’s only natural that the county police don’t have much to do.

“To be honest, I’m actually a bit envious of your job!” Li Yi said with a sigh.

Thinking back on his past and present lives, Li Yi had always been as busy as a spinning top; he’d never had a single day as easy and carefree as Li Gang’s.

However, Li Gang smiled wryly and said, “What’s there to envy? It’s laid-back, sure, but I only make thirty or forty yuan a month—not enough to live on, but enough to keep me from starving!”

“Are you short on money?”

“Heh, nobody ever has too much money!”

Then Li Gang added, “By the way, I heard from Brother Wang over the New Year that your wife went to Beijing for a month and sent you five or six hundred yuan. Is that true?”

“It’s true. Sister-in-law An Hong manages sales where I work, so she gets bonuses!” Li Yi replied.

“Good heavens! Five or six hundred yuan a month? We work our butts off all year and barely make five hundred yuan total. We’re the ones who should be envious!”

“That’s different—running a business involves taking risks!”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, your jobs aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘working your fingers to the bone’!”

Li Gang chuckled. “You’re right about that! By the way, do you have anything else to do after this?”

“Nothing in particular. What do you have in mind?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“If you’re free, how about grabbing lunch together?”

“Sure. Are Team Leader Wang and Plant Manager Liang in the county? If they are, should we invite dxmbang too?” Li Yi asked.

“No, his work is focused in the city right now. He might not even come back to the county once a month. But Director Liang should be here!” Li Gang said.

“Then let’s invite Director Liang!”

“Sure!”

“By the way, how’s Captain Wang doing these days? Is he still the head of the Criminal Investigation Division?”

Li Yi recalled that Wang Anguo had cracked a major murder-and-robbery case not long ago and was said to have distinguished himself—he wondered if he’d been promoted.

“Yes, he’s still the head of the Criminal Investigation Division. But he was awarded a first-class merit just before the New Year—it’s only a matter of time before he gets promoted!” Li Gang said with a touch of envy.

“Haha, don’t envy him too much. A Criminal Investigation Division Captain at the county bureau at twenty-six or twenty-seven—your future is just as bright!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“I’m nowhere near Captain Wang’s level!” Li Gang said.

“Take it slow—no need to rush. You’re still young!”

“Hahaha, you’re right!”

Li Gang continued, “I’ll give Old Liang a call right now and tell him to head straight to the State-Owned Restaurant for lunch. Their hot pot is really excellent!”

“No need to call. I’m heading to the sugar factory in a bit, and I’ll mention the lunch thing to him while I’m there!”

“That works too!”

Li Yi glanced at his watch and saw that it was already 9:30. He said, “I’ll head over to the sugar factory first, then let’s meet at the State-run Restaurant at noon!”

“Sure!”

……….

After leaving the county bureau, Li Yi didn’t head straight to the sugar factory; instead, he drove to the nearby credit union.

He planned to withdraw some money!

Now that the cold storage issue had been settled, the batch of Kesh sheep from the village could be shipped to Beijing.

Plus, with so many families in the village running out of food, Li Yi certainly wasn’t going to hold onto the villagers’ hard-earned money. He might as well withdraw it all while he was in town and distribute it to them right away.

The county credit union wasn’t far from the county bureau; he arrived in less than a few minutes.

When Li Yi walked into the credit union with his passbook, he found there weren’t many people inside; several teller windows were empty.

Come to think of it, that made sense. In those days, people rarely dealt with banks; often, if they had money at home, they’d rather hide it away in some nook or cranny than deposit it in a bank.

Banks in this era didn’t handle transactions at service windows like they did in later times; instead, they operated through individual teller counters.

For security reasons, an iron grille separated the staff behind the counters from the customers outside.

After a quick look around, Li Yi approached an unoccupied counter, handed over his passbook, and said, “Comrade, could you help me withdraw some money?”

The woman behind the counter looked up at Li Yi, took the passbook, and asked, “How much would you like to withdraw?”

“About 40,000 yuan.”

Uncle Feng and the others had already mentioned yesterday that there were over 500 sheep being sold this time, with each one fetching roughly 120 yuan, bringing the total value to over 60,000 yuan.

According to the agreement Li Yi had signed with the village, regardless of the selling price, he was entitled to half of the proceeds.

So, out of the 60,000 yuan, he only needed to pay the village 30,000 yuan.

But just to be on the safe side, Li Yi decided to withdraw 40,000 yuan—that should be more than enough.

However, his bold move startled the woman serving him behind the counter.

She first opened Li Yi’s passbook and examined it carefully. When she saw the balance—over 500,000 yuan—she was genuinely taken aback.

That’s over 500,000 yuan!

For ordinary workers like them, an annual salary of just over 400 yuan meant that even working for a hundred years would only amount to 40,000 yuan—so 500,000 yuan was practically an astronomical figure in their eyes.

“Com…rade, are you really going to withdraw that much money?”

“Yes, I have an urgent matter that requires the money. Surely you have that much here, don’t you?” Li Yi asked.

“If you’d come to withdraw it a while back, we wouldn’t have had that much cash on hand. But the credit union has been issuing loans to various communes and production teams lately, so we do have the funds!” the woman replied.

“That’s good. Then please help me withdraw it!”

“Sure thing!”

The clerk then began processing the transaction at the counter.

Since the 100-yuan bills hadn’t officially entered circulation yet, the largest denomination was still the “Big Black Ten.” Plus, the amount Li Yi wanted to withdraw was quite substantial, and since there was no bill counter, every withdrawal had to be counted by hand.

As a result, the woman behind the counter spent nearly half an hour counting before she had finally finished counting the 40,000 yuan.

By the time Li Yi walked out of the credit union carrying a large bag of cash, it was already 10:30.

He then got in his car and drove straight to the sugar factory!

Although it had been a while since Li Yi had been there, the elderly security guard at the gate still recognized him.

After Li Yi explained his purpose and handed over a pack of cigarettes, his car was allowed to drive straight into the sugar factory without even being registered.

However, when Li Yi arrived at the administrative building of the sugar factory—a route he knew like the back of his hand—he found the area below the building swarming with ordinary people dressed in homespun cloth.

A massive crowd of several hundred people had completely surrounded the office building, leaving no room to move—he had no idea what was going on!

The night passed without incident!

Early the next morning, after finishing his breakfast, Li Yi hopped in his car and drove straight to the county seat!

The villagers’ food supplies were running dangerously low, and with time of the essence, Li Yi had no choice but to step in and help resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

To resolve this, the first step was to contact the authorities in Beijing.

Soon, the car pulled into the compound housing the county bureau.

Li Yi then made his way, as if he knew the place by heart, to the door of Li Gang’s office and knocked directly.

“Come in!”

When Li Yi pushed the door open, he saw Li Gang sitting at his desk reading the newspaper, with a steaming cup of tea beside him.

Drinking tea and reading the paper during work hours—this guy perfectly embodied the laid-back attitude of grassroots officials!

In contrast, his father-in-law, Jiang Shiying, and his second older brother, Jiang Longyin, looked like they were going through hell, each of them busy as a bee.

Seeing that it was Li Yi who had entered, Li Gang immediately stood up from his seat and said cheerfully, “Brother Li Yi, when did you get back?”

“Yesterday afternoon!”

Li Yi sat down in the chair opposite him and replied with a smile.

“Hahaha, I knew it when the magpies were chirping nonstop outside early this morning—it turns out we really do have a distinguished guest!” Li Gang said.

“Alright, take me to the communications room at your bureau first. I need to make a call, and we’ll chat after that!” Li Yi said.

“Sure!”

Soon, Li Yi followed Li Gang to the county bureau’s communications room, where the staff dialed the number Li Yi had provided.

After a few rings, the call was answered, and Jiang Longcheng’s slightly rough voice came through: “Hello, who’s this?”

Li Yi took the receiver and said, “Third Brother, it’s me, Li Yi!”

“Brother-in-law, didn’t you go back to your hometown? What made you think to call me?” Jiang Longcheng asked with a laugh.

“I did go back home. By the way, what’s the status of that thing I asked you to look into last time?”

“You mean the cold storage thing?”

“Yeah, the cold storage. I might need it soon,” Li Yi said.

“I checked with them—the cold storage is available for rent, but only as a single, large warehouse. They don’t rent out sections of it!” said Jiang Longcheng.

“What about the rent?”

“A 500-cubic-meter warehouse costs 300 yuan a month—and that’s already a special rate!”

500 cubic meters for 300 yuan a month!

Based on market rates, it’s certainly not expensive, but it’s not exactly cheap either—just average.

“Third Brother, could you get in touch with them for me? Then have Dalong and Old Li go over to sign the contract. As for the term, let’s sign it for a year to start with!” Li Yi said.

“Sure!”

“Third Brother, this is pretty urgent. Can you handle it for me right now?”

“Got it!”

After hanging up, Li Yi dialed another number.

After a few rings, a young woman’s voice came over the line: “Hello, may I ask who’s calling?”

“Hello, this is Li Yi. Could you please put me through to Secretary Jiang?”

“Please hold on!”

“Okay!”

Less than a minute later, Li Yi heard Jiang Longyin’s voice on the line: “Brother-in-law?”

“Second Brother, it’s me!”

“What brings you to call me? Is something up?”

Jiang Longyin wasn’t as free as Jiang Longcheng; he was extremely busy, so he skipped the small talk and got straight to the point.

“Second Brother, here’s the thing—I’m thinking of acquiring a plot of land in Beiguan Village. Would that be difficult?”

“Land? What are you planning to do with it?”

“I’m planning to build a large cold storage facility there to store beef and mutton!” Li Yi said.

“A cold storage facility shouldn’t take up too much space. If it’s less than ten mu, I can approve it on my own. If it’s any larger, we’ll need to bring it up for a board meeting!” Jiang Longyin said.

“Second Brother, I need no less than 300 mu!” Li Yi said, making a startling statement.

“That much? You don’t need that much space just for a cold storage facility, do you?”

“Second Brother, I need more than just a cold storage facility. I also need a temporary holding pen for cattle and sheep, as well as a slaughterhouse. A smaller space simply wouldn’t be enough!” Li Yi explained.

That said, Li Yi certainly wouldn’t use all 300 mu just for the cold storage facility.

After all, he currently only had a small shop in Beijing; his business wasn’t large enough to require such a massive cold storage facility.

The reason he needed such a large area was to secure the land.

He was well aware that although Beiguan Village was currently located in the suburbs and didn’t have a particularly obvious locational advantage,

However, within a few years, the area would be designated by the government as a key high-tech development zone. In just over a decade, it would transform into a prime commercial district where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

Taking advantage of the fact that he had the funds and land prices were still low, Li Yi decided to secure a plot of land.

It wasn’t that he intended to develop and sell real estate himself, but rather to establish a proper headquarters for his future company!

They say that saving is earning; buying at a low price now was all about saving big money for major projects down the road.

Of course, these plans were currently known only to Li Yi himself; he wouldn’t tell a soul.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Longcheng paused briefly before saying, “Getting the land approved shouldn’t be a problem—it’s permitted under current policies. But even if the district government agrees to grant you the land, you’ll still have to cover the compensation for the residents. That’s a huge expense!”

Li Yi didn’t hesitate. “Don’t worry about the compensation. We’ll just pay the residents the highest possible rate!”

“The highest rate? You’d better think that through! Not long ago, the district approved a plot for educational use, and the compensation paid to the residents was 2,000 yuan per mu—and that wasn’t even the highest standard!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Let me put it this way, Second Brother. If I want to use these 300 mu of land for commercial purposes, how much will it cost?” Li Yi asked.

“A conservative estimate of 2.5 million!”

Hearing that figure, Li Yi was stunned!

It wasn’t too expensive—it was too cheap. This was practically a bargain!

In the Beiguan Village area, 300 mu for 2.5 million yuan—that averages out to less than 10,000 yuan per mu. Li Yi didn’t even know what to say.

He recalled that around the turn of the millennium, the plot at “East Factory No. 5” outside Guangqumen—a location that couldn’t hold a candle to Beiguan Village—had sold for 3.15 billion yuan at auction on March 15th, causing a sensation throughout Beijing, with an average price of 1.8 million yuan per mu.

Or take the Qinghe Woolen Mill site in 2004—just over 1,000 mu—which eventually sold for 2.56 billion yuan, averaging 2.43 million yuan per mu.

In other words, if he buys this plot now and does absolutely nothing with it, it could multiply in value hundreds of times over in a decade or so.

Sure enough, real estate is a goldmine these days!

On the other end of the line, Jiang Longyin, seeing that Li Yi hadn’t said a word, assumed he’d been shocked by the price and immediately said, “Brother-in-law, if you really need the land to build cold storage facilities, you can always just get a smaller plot…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi hurriedly interrupted, “No, don’t reduce it. Second Brother, just approve it at this price—as long as it doesn’t exceed 400 mu!”

“Brother-in-law, are you sure?”

“I’m sure!”

“Alright then. I’ll have my people look into it first and get back to you later!” Jiang Longyin said.

“Alright!”

“I have a meeting in a bit, so I’ll have to hang up now!”

With that, Jiang Longyin hung up the phone!

Li Yi returned the phone to the staff in the communications room and went back to Li Gang’s office!

Nianzi Mountain Village. The Li Family Ancestral Home!

After driving for over six hours straight, combined with plowing the fields most of the night, even Li Yi—who usually considered himself as strong as an ox—was feeling a bit tired.

So, after a quick bite to eat, he went to the west room and fell fast asleep!

He didn’t know how long he’d slept, but in his daze, Li Yi faintly heard the sound of men talking.

A little while later, Li Yi slowly opened his eyes and climbed out of bed.

Glancing out the window, Li Yi saw that it had grown completely dark outside.

He checked his watch—it was already around eight o’clock. He had slept for over three hours.

Just then, Li Yi heard a burst of hearty laughter suddenly coming from the main room next door; by the sound of it, it seemed to be Uncle Feng’s.

Immediately, Li Yi got off the kang, put on his shoes, and pushed open the door to head toward the main room.

Sure enough, when he arrived in the main room, he saw Feng Kai, Zhang Tongfu, and the village accountant Chen Wanzong all gathered there.

Some were sitting on stools by the stove, others were squatting on the floor leaning against the large red cabinet, and still others were perched on the edge of the kang, all listening intently as his father recounted his experiences in the capital.

Whenever he reached a particularly amusing part, they would burst into hearty laughter.

Seeing Li Yi push the door open, Feng Kai immediately asked with a smile, “Yi, are you awake?”

“Uncle Feng, Uncle Zhang, Uncle Chen, what brings you here?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“We heard there was a car parked in your courtyard, so we figured your dad and mom must be back. We just came over to check!” Feng Kai replied.

Li Shankui, standing nearby, chuckled at this, then turned to Li Yi and said, “Don’t listen to Old Feng’s nonsense. He didn’t come to see me or your mother—he came to find you!”

“Looking for me?”

Feng Kai smiled and said, “Yeah, we’re here to discuss the matter of selling the village’s sheep with you!”

“Are the village sheep ready for market?”

“They are. We had someone inspect them, and most of the rams can yield fifty to sixty pounds of meat—they’re ready for slaughter!” Feng Kai said.

Hearing this, Li Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, “How many sheep are ready for market right now?”

“Over five hundred!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Here’s what we’ll do, Uncle Feng. Tomorrow I’ll get in touch with the folks in Beijing. If everything goes smoothly, I’ll send the sheep there! As for payment, I’ll settle up with the village at market price.”

“Alright! You’ll only need to pay the village half of the total; the other half is yours!”

“Hmm, by the way, Uncle Feng, how’s that batch of cattle coming along? When will they be ready for market?” Li Yi asked again.

“The cattle aren’t ready yet. Those things grow too slowly—I reckon we’ll have to wait at least another year!” Feng Kai said.

“Does our village have that much fodder?” Li Yi frowned.

“The back mountain is so vast, with steep slopes and dense forests full of leaves. We don’t really need to worry about fodder, but it takes over a dozen strong laborers just to tend the cattle and sheep every day!”

Feng Kai continued, “Plus, most of the educated youth have left. The village has suddenly lost a lot of strong laborers. I don’t know if we’ll be able to handle all the crops this spring!”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Uncle, actually, I think if we can’t manage it, we should just plant some low-maintenance crops—like corn, yams, or sugar beets. We shouldn’t bother with things like wheat, millet, flax, or beans, which are both troublesome and don’t yield much!”

“If we don’t grow these grains, what will the villagers eat?” asked Zhang Tongfu, the production team leader, with a puzzled look.

“Heh, if we grow sugar beets, we can raise sheep and cattle. Once we have cattle and sheep, we can sell them for money. With money in hand, why would we worry about not being able to buy these grains?”

“Yiwa is right. Our village has a small population, and with a shortage of manpower, we can’t keep planting everything like we used to.”

Feng Kai then added, “We’ll discuss exactly what to plant and what not to plant when we get back. The immediate priority is to sell off the rams that are ready for slaughter and replenish everyone’s dwindling food supplies!”

“Oh, how many households in the village are running out of food?” Li Yi asked in a grave tone.

“More than half the households. Some are even surviving on bran—otherwise, we wouldn’t be in such a rush to sell those rams!” Feng Kai replied.

“Is it that bad?”

“Yes. Last year, our village’s per capita grain ration was less than 300 jin. On top of that, the grains were shriveled and shriveled, so when ground into flour, there was more bran than flour—it’s simply not filling at all,” Feng Kai said with a sigh.

Zhang Tongfu added, “Right now, not only are the members struggling to put food on the table from one meal to the next, but with spring plowing just around the corner, the village still doesn’t have enough seeds. It’s truly distressing!”

“You’re absolutely right. The entire production team has less than three hundred yuan in the bank—we can’t get anything done!” Chen Wanzong said with a sigh.

Li Yi also realized the gravity of the situation and nodded. “Uncle Feng, don’t worry. I’ll handle this as soon as possible so everyone can get their share of the money to buy food!”

“Alright!”

After that, Feng Kai, Zhang Tongfu, Chen Wanzong, and the others stayed for another half hour before leaving the Li household.

After Feng Kai and the others had left, Li Shan Kui, Li Yi’s father, couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Yi, that’s over five hundred Khet sheep. What do you plan to do with them?”

“Of course, I’ll send them to the capital!” Li Yi replied.

“With so many sheep, where are you going to put them in the capital?”

“I had Third Brother look into this earlier. There’s a large state-owned cold storage facility on the outskirts of the capital. I plan to transport these sheep to the capital, have them slaughtered, and store them all in the cold storage, then supply them to the shop gradually!” Li Yi explained.

“With the transportation costs and the cold storage rental fees, aren’t you going to lose money on this?” Li Shankui asked with some concern.

Li Shankui had no objection to his son helping the villagers, but only on the condition that his son didn’t end up losing money.

“No, Father, you don’t know the situation. The beef and lamb we currently use in our shop have to be purchased at a premium. Market price for lamb is 1.9 yuan per jin, but we have to pay 2.5 yuan—that’s an extra 60 cents per jin!”

“An extra 60 cents per pound?” Li Shankui was slightly taken aback.

The rest of the family was also taken aback by Li Yi’s words. After all, in their area, a pound of top-quality pork cost only about one yuan, and less desirable cuts like heads, hooves, and bones went for just 60 to 70 cents a pound.

They never imagined that at Li Yi’s shop in Beijing, lamb would cost so much more per pound—it was practically as if buying a pound of lamb cost as much as a pound of pork.

“That’s right, it’s that expensive—and I don’t even have a choice!”

Li Yi continued, “When business is slow, the shop goes through over 200 pounds of lamb a day, and when it’s booming, it can reach 500 or 600 pounds. That adds up to a lot of money wasted every day!”

“If we use the sheep we raise in our village, not only is the quality guaranteed, but the price is much lower—it’s a surefire win!”

Hearing this, his father immediately sighed with relief and said, “As long as we don’t lose money, that’s fine. We’re happy to help others, but we shouldn’t let ourselves get taken advantage of!”

At that moment, his mother, Zhang Yuehong, chimed in, “Your father’s right. It’s fine to help others, but don’t try to be a hero!”

Li Yi nodded and said, “I understand!”

Just then, his second older sister, Li Lan, suddenly spoke up: “Xiao Yi, do you think we could set up our own cold storage facility in Beijing?”

“Second Sister, what made you think of that?” Li Yi asked with interest.

“I’ve been thinking about all the cattle and sheep left in the village, and your shop in Beijing goes through so much meat every day. We’ll definitely need a steady supply from the village in the long run. If we had our own cold storage, it would make things so much easier!” Li Lan explained.

Li Yi really hadn’t expected his second older sister to think so far ahead. He smiled and said, “Hehe, I’ve actually already been planning this. But the process—from securing the land to construction—takes quite a while. For the initial phase, we’ll still need to rent a state-owned cold storage facility for a while!”

“Oh, so we’re on the same page then?” Li Lan said happily.

“Yeah, that’s what you call great minds thinking alike!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, everyone in the room couldn’t help but laugh.

For a moment, the entire Li family’s old mansion was filled with hearty, joyful laughter!

The night’s encounter was intense!

Whether it was because he’d been holding back for too long or not, Li Yi kept at it with Jiang Xue for nearly two hours before the two finally fell into a deep sleep, still in each other’s arms!

Early the next morning, a drowsy Li Yi was roused by the clinking sounds coming from the kitchen.

Opening his eyes, he instinctively glanced out the window.

He saw that it was already light outside. Remembering that he had to take his parents back to the village today, Li Yi immediately got ready to get out of bed.

But as he moved, he felt a soft, warm, and silky sensation against his skin—a sensation that sent a shiver down his spine.

Turning his head to look, Li Yi realized his wife was actually sleeping right beside him.

And judging by the sensation of skin against skin under the covers, neither of them was wearing any clothes—in fact, a leg was draped across his body.

Soon, Li Yi recalled what had happened the night before.

A broad smile spread across his face.

After holding back for nearly a year, he had finally “gotten his fill”—the feeling was simply too comfortable, too satisfying.

Hugging his wife, Li Yi really didn’t want to get out of bed, but the noise from the kitchen hadn’t stopped.

At the same time, he noticed the room was getting a bit chilly—the charcoal in the stove must be burning out!

To let Jiang Xue sleep a little longer, Li Yi reluctantly pulled his hand away from his wife and climbed out of bed.

After getting dressed, Li Yi first added some charcoal to the stove and poked at the ashes at the bottom before heading to the kitchen in the back.

In the kitchen, Zhang Yuehong was busy at the stove.

On the small table nearby sat a large bowl of steaming millet porridge. But there was something odd about this bowl of porridge—it was nothing but watery broth, with hardly any grains of millet in sight.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

Zhang Yuehong glanced back and said, “I’m making some rice water for Yunrui and Yunjin to tide them over!”

“They’re hungry… but they’re so young—can they really eat this?”

“Of course they can. When you were little, I didn’t have enough breast milk, so you grew up on rice water!”

Then Zhang Yuehong added meaningfully, “Besides, I have no choice but to give Yunrui and Yunjin rice water. The kids wake up hungry in the middle of the night, and I haven’t seen either of you get up!”

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Li Yi’s face, and he hurriedly said, “Mother, it’s just that…”

“All right, I know you’ve been holding back for a long time, but you two need to be careful. Xiao Xue hasn’t fully recovered yet—she can’t get pregnant again so soon!” Zhang Yuehong admonished.

Li Yi was taken aback for a moment, then recalled that he hadn’t used protection during their encounter last night.

And given that Jiang Xue had conceived on her very first try with her first child, she was likely highly fertile.

At this thought, Li Yi felt a vague sense of worry.

If Jiang Xue got pregnant again, it wouldn’t be good for her.

Physical health was one thing, but the psychological strain was even more significant.

Taking care of two kids is exhausting enough; if she were to get pregnant again, on top of preparing for her exams… Li Yi couldn’t even imagine how overwhelmed Jiang Xue would be.

Not to mention, his wife still had her dream of going to college!

At that moment, Li Yi didn’t have time to think about anything else; he hurried back into the room.

By then, Jiang Xue had already woken up and was getting dressed on the kang.

When she saw Li Yi push the door open, her face flushed instantly. That coy, half-reluctant, half-inviting expression made Li Yi’s heart race all over again.

“Why didn’t you sleep in a little longer?”

“My breasts are engorged, and it’s a bit uncomfortable!”

“Um, should I bring the baby over to you?” Li Yi asked.

“Never mind. It’s early in the morning and the room isn’t very warm. I’ll just go over there myself!”

Then Jiang Xue added, “Hurry up and boil some hot water for me. I need to wipe myself down in a minute—I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable!”

“Sure! By the way, Xue, we didn’t use protection last night. Do you think you might be pregnant?”

Jiang Xue paused for a moment, then said, her face flushing, “No way!”

“Are you sure? You really won’t get pregnant?”

“No… I mean… Never mind, don’t ask about that!” Jiang Xue said, her face flushing.

“Oh…”

Seeing that Jiang Xue didn’t want to talk about it, Li Yi didn’t press the issue.

He knew his wife well; if she said she couldn’t get pregnant, then it was highly unlikely she would.

Li Yi then headed straight to the kitchen to boil some hot water for her.

By the time the water was boiled, they’d finished eating, and Jiang Xue had dried herself off, it was nearly nine o’clock.

Li Yi first dropped Jiang Xue and the child off at the Jiang family’s old house, left some money for Juanzi’s meals, and only then took his mother to Beiguan Village.

After picking up his father at the shop, Li Yi got behind the wheel and set off for his hometown, Nianzishan Village!

………

Qingshan County, Nianzishan Village!

At the Li family’s old home, Li Lan was inside helping her older sister play with her little nephew.

The little one was already three and a half months old and was learning to roll over.

Li Mei placed a small orange-yellow toy on the other side of the baby, first letting the baby see the toy, then guiding him to learn how to roll over.

The two sisters had been practicing this for several days, but had not succeeded in the days prior.

Today was no different. The little one could clearly see the toy and was eager to grab it, but just couldn’t manage to roll over.

Just then, Li Lan had a sudden idea and said to Li Mei, “Big Sis, why don’t you roll over yourself and show the baby? Who knows, he might just pick it up!”

Although Li Mei thought her second sister’s idea was a bit far-fetched—after all, for such a small child, rolling over and sitting up rely entirely on instinct; how could they possibly understand adult movements?

But after thinking it over, she decided there was no harm in giving it a try.

So she lay down beside the child, and after catching his attention, slowly rolled over.

However, to Li Mei’s surprise, upon seeing her move, her son actually imitated her, propping himself up with his arms on the bedspread and slowly rolling over as well.

Once he was on his back, the little guy reached for his favorite toy. His neck, stretched back, trembled slightly, and drool trickled down the corner of his mouth…dxmbang

Seeing this, Li Mei and Li Lan were both stunned. It took them a while to react, but then the two sisters let out excited cheers.

Just as the sisters were rejoicing over the little one’s new skill, the roar of a car engine suddenly echoed from outside the courtyard.

The two immediately rushed to the window and looked out through the glass.

To their surprise, they discovered that the gate outside the courtyard had been pushed open at some point, and an olive-green jeep had driven straight into the yard.

Li Mei and Li Lan quickly realized their parents had returned. They hurriedly placed the little one on a small mattress, then climbed down from the kang and walked toward the door.

Meanwhile, Li Shankui and his wife, sitting in the jeep, were also overcome with emotion as they saw the vehicle drive straight into the courtyard.

They were finally back!

Their trip to the capital had taken nearly a month in total. Not only had they attended their granddaughter’s full-moon banquet, but with their son as their guide, they’d also visited almost every interesting spot in the capital and sampled all its local delicacies!

There was no denying that the capital, as the nation’s capital, truly lived up to its reputation—every aspect of life there was indeed excellent.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Li Shan Kui felt out of place in that big city. Even though their son, grandson, and granddaughter were there, they still felt much more at home in Nianzishan Village.

Perhaps that’s just the way it is—it’s hard to leave one’s homeland!

When they saw Li Mei and Li Lan come out of the house, the elderly couple got out of the car as well, and the group greeted each other with another round of joy.

After chatting animatedly for quite a while, it was only at Li Yi’s reminder that they remembered to unload the large and small bags from the car….

…….

Downtown. The Li Family Courtyard!

When Li Yi woke up, it was already late at night and completely quiet. It was pitch black outside, and he had no idea what time it was!

That’s right, he’d gotten drunk again that night.

Originally, he hadn’t planned on drinking at his third sister and Long Zhanjun’s engagement party.

After all, although the engagement ceremony was simple, someone still had to run around taking care of everything, and that person was none other than him, the younger brother.

If he got drunk, wouldn’t that just hold things up? Li Yi knew exactly what was important!

More importantly, he’d already made arrangements with his parents: once Third Sister and Long Zhanjun were engaged, he’d drive them back to the village.

So, at the beginning, no matter who offered him a toast, he flatly refused to drink.

Li Yi was a man of principle!

But as the engagement ceremony was drawing to a close, his new brother-in-law, Long Zhanjun, raised his glass to toast him. Li Yi couldn’t very well refuse to give him face.

With no other choice, he picked up the glass.

As everyone knows, at the dinner table, there are only two options: zero drinks or countless drinks.

As a result, egged on by Jiang Longcheng, Ye Jianhua, and that bunch of rascals, Li Yi—whose drinking tolerance was practically nonexistent—once again spectacularly blacked out, to the point where he couldn’t even remember how he’d made it home.

He sat on the edge of the bed to catch his breath. After quite a while, Li Yi finally recovered a little, but his head was still spinning, and everything looked a bit hazy.

He looked up at the window—it was pitch black, and he couldn’t make out a thing, only the howling of the cold wind outside.

Just as Li Yi was about to get up to find a drink of water, he suddenly noticed a light on in the living room.

He quickly put on his shoes and pushed open the door, his steps a bit unsteady.

As soon as he entered the living room, Li Yi saw Jiang Xue sitting there reading a book.

She was sitting sideways on the sofa, the overhead light casting a glow on her cheeks, making them look even more rosy.

She was reading intently, occasionally jotting notes in the book with a pen in her hand.

Whether it was because of the alcohol or something else, seeing this scene made Li Yi’s heart flutter uncontrollably, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Jiang Xue grew intensely passionate.

Just then, Jiang Xue heard the sound and immediately looked up, her gaze meeting Li Yi’s exactly as he turned to look at her.

That intensely aggressive gaze made Jiang Xue’s heart race, reminding her of that night last June.

Back then, having had a little to drink, she had already gone to bed. In her daze, she heard a noise in the room and opened her eyes immediately.

The moment her eyes opened, she met a pair of eyes just like these—dazed yet intensely aggressive.

Jiang Xue immediately recognized him as Li Yi, the younger brother of her best friend Li Na. Knowing he was a good-for-nothing street thug, her instinctive reaction was to call for help.

But Li Yi pounced on her and pinned her down on the bed, which terrified her so much that she opened her mouth and bit down on his shoulder.

But soon, she realized she might have overreacted.

After pinning her down on the bed, he didn’t make a move—instead, he simply fell asleep on top of her.

Seeing this, Jiang Xue was a bit dumbfounded. Was that it?

And after being startled by Li Yi like that, she couldn’t sleep either. After pushing him off her, she sat beside him, lost in thought.

In fact, the real incident of that night occurred in the wee hours of the morning.

Li Yi, who had been sound asleep, suddenly woke up. He got up, went to the water jar, took a few gulps of cold water, and prepared to get back on the kang to continue sleeping.

By then, he had sobered up considerably. As he climbed back onto the bed, he suddenly noticed Jiang Xue beside him.

Jiang Xue still remembers the look in Li Yi’s eyes at that moment; his first reaction seemed to be one of shock, as if he wanted to scream.

Fearing she might disturb Li Na in the next room, as well as Uncle Li and Aunt Li, Jiang Xue—quick on her feet—rushed forward and covered his mouth.

In the struggle, Jiang Xue suddenly thought of her tragic background, of her impending return to the city, and of being treated as a commodity with a price tag—to be married to… no… sold to Liu Ermaozi.

All of this made her feel as though her life was shrouded in darkness. In her despair, a “wicked” thought suddenly crossed her mind.

She then released her hand and kissed Li Yi directly on the lips.

Li Yi seemed taken aback by her move, but his inner desires were quickly aroused, and he turned the tables…

Jiang Xue didn’t resist either; she cooperated fully as Li Yi stripped her of all her clothes.

In fact, when Li Yi stood there like a clueless goose, unable to figure out what to do, she found herself, as if possessed, actually helping him out.

In truth, Jiang Xue’s plan at the time was to leave the Li household early the next morning, acting as if nothing had happened—this was her revenge against the Tang family and Liu Ermaozi.

But what she never could have imagined was that, because this guy had pounded her like a wild bull twice, he’d nearly broken her in two.

The next morning, she woke up to find herself pinned down on the kang, and that’s how the events that followed unfolded…

Li Yi had no idea that, in that very moment, so many memories had flashed through his wife’s mind.

At that moment, he simply found his wife beautiful, and he walked straight toward Jiang Xue.

Seeing Li Yi’s movements, Jiang Xue grew even more anxious.

She had seen that look in Li Yi’s eyes and those movements before, and she knew he was already aroused.

However, back then, because she was pregnant, Li Yi had been able to control himself; at most, he’d just take a few small liberties and hold back.

But now it was different. Not only had she given birth, but the baby had already been a month old for some time…

At this thought, Jiang Xue’s face flushed even redder!

This sight only aroused Li Yi even more, and his pace quickened!

“Slow down, be careful you don’t fall!”

Instead of stepping aside, Jiang Xue stood up and stepped right in front of Li Yi, afraid he might bump into something.

The living room was currently cluttered with items Li Yi intended to take back to the village for his parents, and Jiang Xue was worried he might trip over all the pots and jars.

Seeing Jiang Xue step right in front of him, Li Yi’s dazed mind cleared considerably, though the heat in his eyes didn’t waver in the slightest.

He grabbed Jiang Xue’s shoulders and studied her closely for a long moment. Just as she was about to lose her composure, he suddenly said, “Honey, you’re so beautiful!”

Jiang Xue blushed instantly at his words, then grabbed his arm and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? Let’s go back to bed!”

Li Yi wasn’t actually that drunk. Seeing this, he kissed Jiang Xue on the cheek and said, “Stay with me!”

Jiang Xue’s heart rate instantly shot up several times over. She hurriedly glanced at the room next door and said, “Mom and the kids are still in the next room!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s head cleared slightly.

But he soon noticed the wall clock next to them; it showed that it was already past 1:00 a.m.

At this hour, his mother and the children would have been asleep long ago. He immediately whispered in Jiang Xue’s ear, “It’s fine, they’re already asleep!”

Seeing that Jiang Xue was about to say something, Li Yi suddenly pulled her into his arms, bent his knees slightly, and with a sudden surge of strength from his waist, lifted her up.

Then, as Jiang Xue blushed shyly, he carried her into the inner room and laid her on the kang.

After setting Jiang Xue down on the kang, Li Yi immediately whispered in her ear, “Honey, I want you!”

By now, Jiang Xue had long since closed her eyes, too shy to look at Li Yi, but a soft “Mm-hmm” escaped her lips!

This seemed to be a command. Upon receiving the signal, Li Yi immediately climbed onto the kang and quickly stripped off his “armor.”

Then, he clumsily stripped Jiang Xue of her clothes.

However, whether due to nervousness or the alcohol, Li Yi’s movements were uncharacteristically slow.

Just then, Jiang Xue, lying beneath him, suddenly made her move.

……..

Beiguan Village. Hot Pot and Grill Restaurant!

When Li Yi pulled up in his car, Long Zhanjun and the others were hard at work.

Since Li Yeqiao had been busy with matters at the cotton mill alongside An Hong and the others lately, Long Zhanjun had been juggling the roles of manager and bookkeeper, running around like a top.

As soon as Li Yi walked in, he called over Long Zhanjun and Third Sister Li Na!

“Xiao Yi, just spit it out—I’ve got to head over to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in a bit!” Third Sister said.

“What are you going to the supply and marketing cooperative for?”

“We’re running low on soy sauce at the store, so I need to go buy some!”

“The soy sauce isn’t urgent. Let’s talk about the two of you first!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Long Zhanjun and Third Sister exchanged a glance, both blushing slightly.

“Don’t worry about us—we can handle it ourselves!” Third Sister said.

“I actually wanted to discuss the engagement with you two. If you don’t think it’s necessary, then I won’t get involved!”

Hearing this, Third Sister quickly replied, “It’s necessary—who said it isn’t?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Mom and Dad are coming back in a day or two. Shouldn’t you two discuss it? Why not just get engaged first? It’s making us nervous seeing you like this!”

“We’re just dating—why does that make you so nervous?” Third Sister asked, glaring at him.

“I’m just afraid you two won’t be able to control yourselves. I certainly don’t want to see you get pregnant before marriage!” Li Yi said.

“You have no right to lecture me on this matter. I don’t have that kind of ability, but certain people certainly do…”

Before Li Na could finish, Li Yi hurriedly cut her off: “Just tell me if you want to get engaged. If you do, I’ll have my parents stay a couple more days. If not, I’ll send them back to the village tomorrow!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Long Zhanjun hurriedly said, “Let’s do it. We absolutely must!”

“But doesn’t an engagement require both sets of parents to be present? Can your mother even make it here in such a short time?” Li Na asked, looking at Long Zhanjun.

Although Li Na had never been engaged before, she knew exactly what was involved in an engagement.

Normally, before the engagement banquet, the parents from both sides should meet to discuss and decide on details such as the date, the dowry and bride price, and the banquet proceedings, to avoid last-minute disagreements and conflicts.

But she was also aware of the situation in Long Zhanjun’s family. Although his mother and sister had both undergone surgery, they were still recovering.

Furthermore, the journey from Yong County to Beijing would take at least three to five days, even under the best circumstances.

Given the frail health of Long Zhanjun’s mother and sister, traveling two thousand kilometers to the capital would be quite a challenge.

Nevertheless, Long Zhanjun looked at Li Na and said, “I’m the head of my household. If my mother can’t make it, she won’t come!”

Long Zhanjun understood exactly what Li Yi meant; he was seeking a commitment.

Of course, this might also reflect Uncle Li and Aunt Li’s wishes.

Therefore, if he wanted to continue seeing Li Na, this engagement had to be formalized.

Li Yi nodded and said, “The engagement is mainly to give each other a promise and a guarantee, and also to silence the gossip of others, so people won’t say you’re being promiscuous or immoral. As long as you two agree, that’s all that matters!”

“Should we treat everyone to a meal then?” Li Na asked.

“That depends on your personal circumstances,” Li Yi replied. “If you want to keep things simple and save the big celebration for the wedding, then a simple meal at home will suffice. But if you want to hold a larger engagement ceremony, you’ll need to put more effort into the preparations.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Third Sister said, “Let’s keep it simple. Everyone’s been pretty busy lately!”

Long Zhanjun shook his head and said, “No, that wouldn’t be fair to you!”

“What’s so unfair about that? We can just have a big celebration when we get married!”

Then Li Na spoke up again: “Xiao Yi, this afternoon, bring Mom and Dad and Xiao Xue to the shop. We’ll prepare a meal, and we’ll just go through the motions.”

Before Li Yi and Long Zhanjun could object, she added, “All right, it’s settled then. I’m heading to the supply and marketing cooperative now!”

Then, under the stunned gazes of Li Yi and Long Zhanjun, she strided away with a flourish!

After Li Na left, Long Zhanjun asked, somewhat at a loss, “What do we do now?”

Li Yi gave a wry smile. “What else can we do? We’ll just have to go along with it!”

“Alright then. I’ll head into town this afternoon to get some engagement supplies and buy some meat and vegetables. Even though we’re keeping it simple, it can’t be too plain!” Long Zhanjun said.

“I’ll handle the banquet arrangements—that’s the bride’s family’s responsibility. I’ll also take care of bringing Mom and Dad over!”

Li Yi continued, “Your job is to prepare the betrothal gifts and the monetary gift, including the ‘Four Treasures’: cigarettes, liquor, tea, and candy. You’ll need two sets of each.”

“And don’t forget the wedding pastries, wedding fruits, fish, meat, and so on. All gifts must be wrapped with red string or red paper—it’s festive and brings good luck.”

Long Zhanjun nodded and said, “Alright! But how much should I prepare for the betrothal gift?”

“Just a normal amount. Anyway, whatever you give will eventually be handed over to my third older sister—our family won’t keep a single penny!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

“Hmm…”

………

After discussing the engagement, Li Yi didn’t linger at the shop and immediately returned to the courtyard house in the city.

When Li Yi explained the situation to his parents and Jiang Xue, everyone was stunned.

None of them had expected Li Na to be so hasty, settling the matter so easily without even taking the time to choose an auspicious date.

But since it had come to this, Li Shankui and Zhang Yuehong had no choice but to start making preparations.

Whether it was an engagement or a wedding, this was a matter for both sides; preparations weren’t limited to the groom’s family—the bride’s family also had to prepare return gifts, an engagement banquet, and so on.

After lunch, Li Yi took his parents to a large department store in town to buy a return gift for Long Zhanjun.

According to local custom, when the groom’s family presents the betrothal gifts, the bride’s family must immediately prepare a return gift.

The bride’s family’s return gift typically consists mainly of clothing—one or two outfits, a pair of shoes, or jewelry such as a watch.

In short, the specific items and their value depend on the bride’s family’s financial situation.

The Li family’s circumstances were now far better than they had been a year ago, and since Li Na was the only unmarried member of the family, Li Shankui and his wife naturally didn’t want to shortchange their daughter.

With Li Yi “stirring the pot” on the sidelines, the family went on quite a shopping spree once they arrived at the mall.

By the time the three of them emerged from the Wangfujing Department Store, Jiang Longcheng’s small SUV was already packed to the brim.

After purchasing the return gifts, Li Yi didn’t go home but took his parents straight to the store.

Upon arriving at the shop, Li Yi immediately wrote a notice of temporary closure himself and posted it outside the door.

After that, he directed Dongzi and the others to get busy preparing for the evening’s engagement ceremony.

Just as Long Zhanjun had said, Third Sister intended to keep everything simple so as not to disrupt the shop’s business.

But as her younger brother, he couldn’t let everything be kept simple. After all, whether it was the engagement or the wedding, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event for Third Sister—it simply couldn’t be too slapdash.

Therefore, Li Yi decided outright to close the shop for the evening and invite the whole family over to witness Third Sister and Long Zhanjun’s engagement ceremony together!

The Li Family Courtyard!

After the car pulled up to the gate, Li Yi was just about to get out when Jiang Xue suddenly called out to him.

“Wait a minute before you go in—I need to talk to you!”

Li Yi’s hand, which had been reaching for the door handle, froze in mid-motion. He asked, “What’s up?”

“Mom and Dad are about to head back. Isn’t there something you’ve forgotten?” Jiang Xue said.

Li Yi thought about it for a moment, then asked, “You mean the thing with Third Sister and Dalong?”

“Exactly. They’re already a couple. We need to get them engaged right away, or else what if they can’t control themselves that day…”

Jiang Xue didn’t finish her sentence, but Li Yi understood exactly what she meant.

“You’re right to remind me. We need to take care of this before Mom and Dad head back!”

Li Yi then smiled at Jiang Xue and said, “I didn’t expect you to be so thoughtful. I completely overlooked that!”

“Actually, I wasn’t really thinking that much about it. Sister Na called me today and specifically mentioned this!” Jiang Xue said.

Hearing this, Li Yi was momentarily speechless. Just how desperate was his third older sister to get married?

But then again, it made sense—his third sister was the type who dared to dream and take action.

Once she’d made up her mind, not even eight oxen could pull her back.

“In that case, I’ll go back and discuss it with Mom and Dad. Let’s settle this as soon as possible. After all, they’re both very pleased with Long Zhanjun!” Li Yi said.

“Hmm!”

After discussing the matter, Li Yi got out of the car right away.

Then, with Jiang Xue each holding a baby, and Juanzi carrying the baby’s diapers, clothes, and other essentials, they all walked into the courtyard together.

Inside the house, Zhang Yuehong was busy in the kitchen, while Li Shankui was helping out nearby.

Hearing the commotion outside, Li Shankui knew his son and daughter-in-law had returned. He wiped his hands and headed out.

Zhang Yuehong knew her husband was eager to hold his grandchildren again, and said with a touch of envy, “You’d better be careful when you hold them—don’t hurt the little ones!”

“Got it!”

With that, he hurried out of the kitchen.

As soon as he entered the living room, Li Shankui saw his son and daughter-in-law walking in, holding the baby and accompanied by Juanzi.

He immediately quickened his pace to Li Yi’s side, held out his arms, and said, “Give me the baby!”

“Sure!”

Li Yi then handed his son in his arms to his father, while he took the cloth bag from Juanzi’s hands.

After placing the child on the kang, Li Yi told Juanzi to hurry and do her homework.

Her main role as this “little nanny” was actually to keep Jiang Xue company when Li Yi wasn’t home; she wasn’t needed for cooking or other chores.

After all, the girl was far too young; her tiny, spindly frame simply couldn’t handle heavy work.

Just as Li Yi was wondering how to broach the subject of Third Sister with his father, Li Shankui, while playing with little Yunrui, said, “Xiao Yi, your mother and I have discussed it—we’d like to head back tomorrow!”

“Why the rush?”

“There’s nothing for us to do here, so we might as well head back sooner rather than later!”

His father continued, “We don’t need you to see us off. Just take us to the train station, and we’ll take the train back on our own!”

“Dad, let’s talk about this later. Before you and Mom leave, aren’t you going to set the date for my sister and Dalong’s wedding?”

Hearing this, Li Shankui’s expression froze for a moment, then he said, “Oh my, how could I have forgotten about that!”

“So does that mean you agree to betroth my third sister to Long Zhanjun?”

“You know Nana’s temperament as well as I do. Does it really matter whether your mother and I agree? Besides, Comrade Xiaolong is a fine young man—we’re very pleased with him!”

Comrade Xiaolong is a fine young man!

Hearing his father’s praise of Long Zhanjun, Li Yi couldn’t help but laugh!

“Alright, I’ll discuss it with them tomorrow and set a date!” Li Yi said.

“Hmm…”

……..

East of the City. A residential building for employees of a certain government department!

When Jiang Longcheng got home from work and saw Zhang Xinyao sitting alone at home, he immediately asked, “Where are Mom and Dad?”

“Uncle hasn’t gotten off work yet, and Auntie went over to my older sister’s place!”

“What’s she doing at my older sister-in-law’s place?”

“My older sister-in-law called home and said she has something come up tonight, so she asked Auntie to go over and help watch the kids!” Zhang Xinyao explained.

“Oh, so what are we having for dinner tonight?” Jiang Longcheng thought of a very practical question.

After all, his mother usually cooked all the meals at home, and he had never once cooked a meal in his entire life.

“I’ve already made dinner—I was just waiting for you to get home!” Zhang Xinyao said with a smile.

“Hahaha, that’s great! Let me try your cooking right away!” Jiang Longcheng said happily.

“Go wash your hands first, and I’ll bring the food right out!”

With that, Zhang Xinyao turned and headed toward the kitchen.

Soon, when Jiang Longcheng came out of the bathroom, two dishes and two bowls of rice were already set on the table.

One was a meat dish and the other a vegetable dish: the meat dish was stir-fried pork belly with Chinese cabbage, and the vegetable dish was scrambled eggs with scallions.

The two simple home-style stir-fries looked delicious and smelled wonderful, making Jiang Longcheng’s mouth water.

“Honey, I had no idea you were such a good cook,” Jiang Longcheng said in surprise.

Zhang Xinyao blushed slightly and replied, “Don’t say that. We’re not even married yet—people might start gossiping if they hear you!”

“Hahaha, we’re living our own lives—why should we care what others say?” Jiang Longcheng said with his usual carefree attitude.

Hearing this, Zhang Xinyao couldn’t help but shake her head. This guy really was as carefree as Li Yi had described.

With that thought, a sudden impulse struck her, and she said, “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Is that okay?”

“Why are you being so formal all of a sudden? Just say what’s on your mind—I’m all ears!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Xinyao finally asked, “When do you plan to marry me?”

“Um…”

Jiang Longcheng was completely taken aback; he hadn’t expected Zhang Xinyao to ask him that question.

Zhang Xinyao continued, “Earlier today at the old house, Li Yi and I were talking about this. After all, I’m already living in your home—it’s not right for us to be together without any official status.”

“He was originally going to ask you on my behalf, but I just gave it some thought, and I figured it’s better if I ask you myself. What are your plans for me? Are we going to keep things as they are, or do you intend to marry me?”

This time, Jiang Longcheng didn’t hesitate. He replied immediately, “Marriage—of course we’re getting married!”

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true. Actually, I’d planned to take care of this sooner, but I’ve been so busy lately that it got put off!”

“No rush. If you’re busy, we can discuss this later…”

Before she could finish, Jiang Longcheng spoke again: “Things have cleared up a lot lately, so let’s set this in stone. My father’s eightieth birthday is just a few days away—I’ll talk to them directly then!”

“I’ll leave it up to you!” Zhang Xinyao said, blushing.

“Then I’ll start making preparations over the next few days!”

“Okay!”

……..

PS: I’ve had some family matters to attend to these past few days, so updates may be irregular. Please bear with me!

Over the next few days, Li Yi didn’t go to the store or attend to matters at the cotton mill.

Every day, aside from staying home with Jiang Xue and the child, he drove Jiang Longcheng’s car, taking his parents on tours of the capital.

Since his parents had made the rare trip to Beijing, Li Yi naturally wasn’t going to let them stay for just a short while before heading back.

So, he arranged visits to the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Old Summer Palace, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and the Wangfujing Shopping Center.

The elderly couple left their footprints at every bustling and lively spot in the capital.

In just a short two-week period, Li Yi took his parents to visit nearly every famous landmark in the capital.

Although they were exhausted, the elderly couple was overjoyed!

This was the first time in their lives they had gone on a trip, and to have their son lead the way made their pride evident.

Before they knew it, it was already late March. As the temperature gradually rose, the elderly couple began to feel restless.

Li Yi knew his parents were thinking about the spring plowing preparations for the production team.

Normally, the village began spring planting in mid-April, but by the end of March, they had to start clearing out the manure from the cattle and sheep pens, spreading it on the fields, and plowing the land to prepare for the spring farming season.

To be honest, Li Yi really didn’t want them to continue enduring such hardships in the village. Having spent most of their lives toiling in the fields to make a living, Li Yi truly hoped they could have an easier life in their twilight years.

So Li Yi decided to have a serious talk with his parents.

Today, Li Yi took his parents to the Badaling Great Wall on the outskirts of the city, and they didn’t return until five o’clock in the afternoon.

Back at the courtyard house, Li Yi was just about to head to the Jiang family’s old residence to bring Jiang Xue and the children back.

But then his father suddenly spoke up: “Xiao Yi, there’s something we’d like to talk to you about!”

“Dad, are you thinking of going back to the village?”

“Hmm, we’ve been away for over half a month now. It’s about time we went back!” his father said.

“Dad, what do you two think of Beijing? Do you have any plans to stay here long-term?” Li Yi asked again.

Li Shankui glanced at his wife beside him, shook his head, and said, “The capital is a fine place, but it’s not suitable for your mother and me. We still think the village is better!”

Li Yi frowned. “I know you’re not used to city life, but life in the village is just too hard—working the fields from dawn till dusk, braving the wind and rain day in and day out…”

Before he could finish, his mother, Zhang Yuehong, interrupted him: “Look at you, child. Isn’t that just how life is for everyone in the countryside?”

“Dad, Mom, you’ve seen for yourselves lately—I’ve built a decent little business here in the capital. That small restaurant alone is enough to support our whole family. You could totally live comfortably at home!”

“I know you’re capable of that, but we’re still young. When we really can’t work anymore, we’ll come live with you!” his mother said.

“Mom, why are you being so stubborn?”

Father suddenly spoke up: “Let’s put the idea of settling in the capital on hold for now. I heard the village is planning to distribute land to the members this year. If we don’t go back, we’ll lose our share!”

Hearing his father bring this up, Li Yi knew it was no use arguing.

He understood farmers’ attachment to the land—and his father’s was no exception.

With that in mind, Li Yi could only sigh and say, “I can’t change your minds, but there’s one thing you have to promise me!”

“What is it?”

“If the production team really does distribute the fields to the members to farm themselves, try to plant as little as possible—just enough to feed us!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, we’ll plant less!” his father said.

“Also, the old house is really too run-down and dilapidated. Once you get back, move over to the new house. Anyway, Xiao Xue and I won’t be living in the village again anytime soon, so it’ll just be sitting empty!”

Father hesitated for a moment, then agreed!

“Alright then, it’s settled. I’ll go pick up Xiaoxue, Juanzi, and the others!”

With that, Li Yi turned and walked out the door.

………

The Jiang Family’s Old House!

Jiang Xue was studying in the study, while Zhang Xinyao was playing with the two little ones nearby.

Seeing Li Yi push the door open, Zhang Xinyao immediately smiled and said, “You’re finally here. These two little rascals are such a handful—they won’t let you out of their sight for a second. Looking after them is more exhausting than a full day’s work at the shop!”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “Good to know you’re tired. You should learn how to take care of kids first and gain some experience, so you won’t be at a loss when the time comes!”

Zhang Xinyao’s face flushed instantly, and she immediately called out to the inner room, “Xiao Xue, your husband is just too mean!”

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Xue emerged from the study.

“What’s going on?”

Zhang Xinyao glared at Li Yi and said, “Ask him!”

“Hehe, Xinyao said taking care of a baby is tiring, so I told her this is a great chance to gain some experience, so she won’t be clueless when she has her own kid later!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Jiang Xue chuckled and said, “That makes perfect sense. By the way, Xinyao, how far have you and my third brother actually gone?”

Zhang Xinyao hurriedly replied, “Same as always!”

“That won’t do! You’re already living at my uncle’s house—why aren’t you rushing to plan the wedding? Even if you don’t get married, you should at least get engaged soon!” Jiang Xue said.

“Well… as a girl, how can I possibly bring that up?”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “Haha, you know what he’s like—he’s so carefree and oblivious. If you don’t bring it up, he’ll never even think about it!”

“Th—then what should I do?” Zhang Xinyao frowned.

“Alright, leave it to me. I’ll talk to him about it later,” Li Yi said.

“But… wouldn’t that be a bit awkward? Might he think I’m pressuring him to marry me?” Zhang Xinyao asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just make sure not to say it outright!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, then!”

Li Yi then looked at Jiang Xue and asked, “Where’s Mom? I don’t see her.”

“Mom went to the school this afternoon to process my enrollment. She also said she’d bring back a few teachers to tutor me. She hasn’t come back yet!” Jiang Xue replied.

“Alright, then. Let’s pack up and head home. Your parents are waiting for you and the baby at home!”

“Alright!”

The group packed up their things and left the Jiang family’s old residence.

Li Yi then drove Zhang Xinyao back to her uncle’s house, where she had been staying for the past few days.

After that, Li Yi drove to the entrance of Beijing No. 4 Middle School. He picked up Juanzi after school at six o’clock, and only then did the group head home.

Juanzi’s school had been arranged by Jiang Longcheng. It didn’t cost a single penny; he simply got her admitted and even arranged for her school records to be transferred to that school.

On the way home, Li Yi told Jiang Xue that his parents were planning to return to the village.

Jiang Xue wasn’t particularly surprised by this. For one thing, she knew her in-laws well—they were used to the carefree life in the village and certainly wouldn’t want to come to the capital to be so constrained.

Besides, all the people they knew were in the village; if they came here, they’d likely have no one to talk to. Therefore, she had long anticipated that her in-laws wouldn’t stay in the city.

However, Jiang Xue soon remembered something that absolutely had to be taken care of before her in-laws left!

Right then, she brought up the matter with Li Yi!

Beiguan Village. Hot Pot and Grill Restaurant!

At 6:30 p.m., Li Yi was busy working in the shop when he suddenly heard the roar of a car engine outside.

Looking up, Li Yi saw a Jeep pull right up in front of his shop.

He didn’t even need to check the license plate to know it had to be Jiang Longcheng.

There was no doubt about it—the only person bold enough to park right in front of his shop was Jiang Longcheng.

Sure enough, the door opened, and Li Yi saw Jiang Longcheng step out of the car.

But he wasn’t alone; Ye Jianhua got out with him.

Soon, the two of them walked into the shop together.

As soon as they walked in, Jiang Longcheng couldn’t wait to say, “Brother-in-law, hurry up and find a private room, and slice a few pounds of beef!”

Hearing this, a scene from *Water Margin*—specifically Li Kui dining at an inn—suddenly popped into Li Yi’s mind for no apparent reason.

Shaking off this comical thought, Li Yi smiled and said, “You two go ahead and find any private room to wait in. I’ll make the arrangements and be right over!”

“Alright!”

Soon, Li Yi had arranged for the beef and lamb Jiang Longcheng had requested, then carried a charcoal brazier to the private room Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua had chosen.

As soon as Li Yi arrived, he heard Jiang Longcheng say, puffing on a cigarette, “Brother-in-law, the place is a bit quiet today!”

“It is a bit quiet. It’s probably because we were closed for a few days recently. Things should pick up again in a few days!” Li Yi replied.

“Oh, I see. Well, that puts my mind at ease!”

Li Yi then looked at Ye Jianhua and asked, “Why did you come alone? Where’s your wife?”

“She’s got something to do today. Besides, it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring her along when it’s just us guys hanging out!” Ye Jianhua said with a laugh.

“What’s so inappropriate about it? We’re not planning to do anything out of line!” Li Yi said.

“It’s still not appropriate. With a woman around, she’ll be nagging about this and that—it’s too much trouble!”

“What, are you already fed up after just a few days of marriage?” Li Yi asked with a laugh.

“No, I usually bring Ying’er along to social events, but when we just go out to relax occasionally, I don’t bring her,” Ye Jianhua said.

Li Yi didn’t press the issue further, though he was a bit worried that Ye Jianhua might end up hurting Lin Ying just as he had in his past life, ultimately bringing ruin upon himself as well.

But he’d already given him a heads-up about this before. Whether they lived a life as sweet as honey or as miserable as dog shit was entirely up to them.

“Third Brother mentioned this morning that you’d be stopping by tonight. Is it just to chat, or do you have something specific to discuss?”

Ye Jianhua smiled and said, “Nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you about Zhang Ergou!”

“What’s up?”

“Zhang Ergou’s dad is under investigation!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly asked, “Was it the Ye family or the Du family who pulled the strings?”

“The Du family!”

Then Ye Jianhua said with a look of amazement, “Brother-in-law, that move of yours—using the wolf to devour the tiger and killing with someone else’s knife—was truly brilliant. I’d only just had someone quietly leak the news that Du Haicheng was being used as a pawn, and before long, someone had already started investigating the matter.”

“Soon after, Zhu Qiwen, Gou Daocheng, Yang Xueli, and those other turncoats were all sentenced, and Zhu Qiwen’s father was demoted too!”

“And just yesterday, Zhang Ergou was summoned from his workplace by the authorities to assist with an investigation—it’s causing quite a stir at our office! Once they looked into it, they found out that Zhang Ergou’s father, who holds a position in another city, was under investigation, and he got dragged into it too!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiang Longcheng slapped Li Yi on the shoulder and exclaimed excitedly, “Brother-in-law, you’re truly amazing—you really do think of everything!”

Ye Jianhua chimed in, “That’s what they call ‘planning in the tent, winning a thousand miles away’!”

“Enough with the flattery, you two… I’m not nearly as brilliant as you think I am!” Li Yi said.

“Hahaha, brother-in-law, you’re being too modest!” Jiang Longcheng said.

However, Li Yi replied calmly, “I’m not being modest. Do you really think the Du family doesn’t know we’re using them to take down the Zhang family?”

“Uh… they know?” Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua exchanged glances, both looking completely baffled.

“Of course they know. The Du family is able to strut around the capital—there’s no way they wouldn’t see through such a simple scheme!” Li Yi said.

“If they saw through it, then why did they… why didn’t they do anything? Isn’t that just playing right into our hands?” Jiang Longcheng asked, puzzled.

“Heh, the reason is simple: we’re not playing a covert scheme—we’re playing an open one!”

“An open strategy?”

“It means using the current situation to our advantage—without affecting others or relying on them—to achieve our goals openly and above board.”

Li Yi continued, “Take this situation, for example. Not only did the Du family suffer casualties in their clash with the Jiang, Ye, and Lin families, but they also took a massive hit—they’ve been utterly humiliated.”

“They’re desperate for a way out and a target to assert their authority, to demonstrate the Du family’s strength. That’s why, even though the Du family knows full well we’ll be the ones reaping the benefits, they have no choice but to take action against the Zhang family.”

Although Li Yi had explained it quite simply, Jiang Longcheng still shook his head and said, “I don’t quite get it, but I know you’re truly formidable, brother-in-law!”

Ye Jianhua, however, stood there dumbfounded, a pensive look on his face!

After a long moment, he finally spoke up: “So what should we do next?”

“Let nature take its course. We’ll wait and see how things play out!”

Then Li Yi added, “Anyway, we’re not at a disadvantage here. Du Haicheng is dead, and Zhang Ergou and Zhu Qiwen have all suffered as a result. Now, aside from watching out for the Du family’s retaliation, we don’t need to worry about anything else!”

“Alright! I understand!”

Just then, Jiang Longcheng chimed in, “Brother-in-law, Director Tan and Sister-in-law An Hong came to see me this morning!”

“What happened?”

“They said the weather is about to get warmer, and wool coats, Zhongshan suits, and blazers aren’t really suitable for summer. So they asked me to check with you if you could come up with a few more styles of summer clothing!” Jiang Longcheng explained.

“Alright, I’ll go back and give it some serious thought. Once I’ve got the designs ready, I’ll get in touch with the factory!”

Li Yi agreed to this without hesitation; after all, it was no trouble at all for him.

With decades of life experience from his past life stored in his mind, he had a clear understanding of the clothing styles popular among ordinary people in this era. All he had to do was dig up those market-tested designs—it wouldn’t take much time at all.

“Hahaha, I really can’t thank you enough, brother-in-law! If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know!” Jiang Longcheng said happily.

Li Yi suddenly thought of something and immediately said, “Come to think of it, I actually do have something I need your help with!”

“What is it?”

“Help me find a middle school!”

“Why do you need to contact a school? Who wants to go to school? Is it our little sister?” Jiang Longcheng asked.

“I don’t need to worry about Xiao Xue. I’m looking for a school for Juanzi—preferably one that’s not too far from our place!” Li Yi said.

“That’s easy. I’ll look into it as soon as I get back. Since the school year just started, it won’t interfere with her classes!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Okay, got it. Juanzi is in eighth grade!”

“Got it…”

Just as they were talking, the door to the private room swung open, and immediately they saw Third Sister Li Na walk in carrying a platter piled high with all kinds of meats and vegetables…

…………..

After hanging up the phone, Li Yi immediately fell deep in thought!

Actually, he hadn’t planned on getting involved in Huang Lixing’s situation—after all, it didn’t really concern him.

Out of a sense of friendship, Li Yi thought a simple reminder would suffice; stepping in personally to help him would be going too far.

But as he thought about it, a question occurred to Li Yi: what was he going to do next?

The cotton mill business was essentially wrapped up; he could just leave the rest to Jiang Longcheng and his team to run, with himself offering only occasional guidance at most.

So, what should he do next? Li Yi felt a bit lost!

It wasn’t that there were no profitable ventures!

In fact, in Li Yi’s view, there were plenty of profitable ventures these days.

Put simply, anything related to people’s daily needs—food, clothing, housing, and transportation—could generally turn a profit.

But the problem was that the current business environment was indeed rather poor.

Foreign and Hong Kong investors were in a slightly better position; after all, the mainland genuinely needed them to invest here. Although there were certain restrictions, they were still reasonable.

However, for ordinary Chinese people looking to start a business, the restrictions are simply too severe. The labor regulations alone are enough to make any business implode.

According to relevant regulations, no matter what kind of business you run, if you employ more than eight people, you’ll basically be accused of exploiting workers!

Good grief, having such a huge accusation thrown at you has extremely serious consequences!

How can you run a business if you can’t hire workers?

And under these conditions, things won’t fully open up until at least 1985.

In other words, for the next four to five years, Li Yi will have no choice but to keep things small-scale, just as he is now.

This is clearly not what Li Yi wants!

This isn’t a matter of a month or two—he can’t just wait that long.

Four or five years—just think of how many opportunities he’ll miss. He really doesn’t want to spend that long just running this little shop.

Of course, there are other options.

To break through this limitation, there are currently three options.

The first is to seek the protection of the Jiang family and lie low while building up his strength.

But that would mean he’d be relying on the Jiang family’s influence to make money, and Li Yi wasn’t willing to do that.

While there was certainly a touch of self-righteousness in that, more importantly, it could very well drag the Jiang family down with him.

The second option is to expand abroad—to places like Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, or the United States, where there are no such restrictions.

The third option is to partner with Hong Kong or foreign businesses. By leveraging their status, he could not only overcome certain restrictions but also gain government support.

Of these three options, Li Yi felt that partnering with others was the best fit for him!

And Huang Lixing happened to be a Hong Kong businessman!

As a result, in Li Yi’s eyes, Huang Lixing was no longer just a friend—he was also a potential business partner.

Plus, Old Huang was a pretty decent guy, which is why Li Yi decided to step in personally to help him.

Besides, he had promised Old Huang that if he successfully built 100 Li Xing Hope Primary Schools, he would grant him a stroke of good fortune.

Lao Huang was serious about building schools; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent his brother-in-law to Beibei Province.

Since Old Huang kept his word, Li Yi couldn’t go back on his own either—so he planned to make a trip to Guangdong Province!

But not right now!

The kids were still young, and Jiang Xue had to focus on her studies, so Li Yi simply couldn’t get away.

He’d wait until the child was a little older to discuss it further; after all, Old Huang’s matter wasn’t urgent…

Just as Li Yi was deep in thought, Long Zhanjun suddenly walked over.

“Brother Yi, are you busy right now? I’ve got something I’d like to talk to you about!”

“Not really,” Li Yi replied.

“Shall we find a private room?”

“Sure!”

The two then headed toward a private room inside the restaurant. As they passed the kitchen, Long Zhanjun picked up a teapot and two cups.

Once inside the private room, Long Zhanjun first poured a glass of water for each of them, then said, “Brother Yi, there’s something I want to talk to you about!”

Li Yi could tell from his expression that the guy was about to come clean, so he nodded immediately and said, “What’s up?”

“Well, about me and Nana…”

“Who’s Nana?” Li Yi asked, feigning ignorance.

“Your third older sister, Li Na!”

Long Zhanjun had made up his mind and blurted out, “Brother Yi, I’m seeing your third older sister. I want to ask your opinion!”

Li Yi: …%￥##￥%…

Hearing this, Li Yi felt like a herd of alpacas was galloping right over him.

Wasn’t this just telling him outright: “It’s out in the open—I’m going to be your third sister’s husband. Do you approve or not?”

“You two are already together—what could I possibly have to say about it?”

“Uh… you don’t object?”

Li Yi shot him a glare and said, “Why would I object?”

“You know my family’s situation. Yi, don’t you think I’m not good enough for Nana?” Long Zhanjun asked.

Li Yi shook his head and said, “A temporary financial struggle doesn’t determine a person’s entire life. Just because your family’s circumstances aren’t great now doesn’t mean they won’t improve in the future. What matters is whether you and my third sister are serious about this relationship.”

“Of course we’re serious. I’ve already spoken to Uncle Li and gotten his blessing!” Long Zhanjun said.

“What? You’ve already talked to my dad?” Li Yi asked, looking surprised.

“Yeah. After the banquet ended yesterday and you guys had all gone home, I stayed behind with Uncle Li to drink at the shop. As we were drinking, somehow the conversation just turned to Nana’s marriage!”

Then Long Zhanjun added, “I could tell your dad was really anxious when he brought it up, so on a whim, I just blurted out about Nana and me to him!”

“What was my dad’s reaction?” Li Yi asked eagerly.

“Your father was overjoyed when he heard the news. He kept saying it was a great idea and kept clinking glasses with me…”

“That’s not what I’m asking. I mean, did my dad agree to let my third older sister marry you?” Li Yi said.

“He agreed, but… but…”

“But what? Just spit it out—why are you beating around the bush now?”

Long Zhanjun said with a hint of embarrassment, “But your father was already pretty drunk at the time, so I don’t know if he was serious or not!”

“That’s fine. My dad may not be much of a drinker, but no matter how much he has, he knows exactly what he’s saying,” Li Yi said.

“So Uncle Li, does that mean you approve of Nana and me?” Long Zhanjun asked happily.

“I think so, but don’t get too excited just yet!”

Then Li Yi added, “There are some things I need to make clear to you in advance!”

“What is it? Go ahead!”

“I won’t get involved in your relationship with my third older sister. I’m neither for nor against it. Whether you two are truly planning to grow old together or if this is just a passing fancy, I don’t care.”

Then Li Yi changed the subject and said again, “But you have to promise me: you must control yourself. You’re not allowed to touch my third older sister until you’re married!”

Long Zhanjun replied, looking somewhat flustered, “Well… I’ve already touched her. What am I supposed to do now?”

“You’ve already touched her?”

Li Yi shot up from his chair and frowned. “My third sister promised me yesterday that you hadn’t crossed the final line. When did you two end up in bed together?”

“Gone to bed? We didn’t go to bed!”

“Then what did you mean by ‘touched’ just now?”

“We held hands!” Long Zhanjun said, looking down.

“That’s it?”

“Um…”

Now it was Long Zhanjun’s turn to be baffled. What did “is that all?” mean? Why did that tone sound so dismissive?

Li Yi immediately said, “Forget it. Let’s just set some ground rules: no sleeping together before marriage. Can you stick to that?”

“I can!”

“My third older sister has always had a feisty temper and hates being wronged. No matter what happens, you’re not allowed to lay a hand on her. Can you do that?”

“I can!”

“You two need to be honest with each other. If you don’t like something, just say so. Don’t hurt each other. Can you do that?”

“I can!”

“Alright then. You two can handle the rest on your own. Just let me know when you decide to get married!” Li Yi said.

“Uncle Li, are you suggesting we get engaged first and then pick a suitable date for the wedding later?” Long Zhanjun asked.

“I have no objections. Discuss it with my third sister, and let me know once you’ve decided!”

“Alright!”

………