Chapter 319: You’re Getting a Promotion

The Wang Family Living Room!

The conversation continued!

Seeing Wang Anmin’s furrowed brow and worried expression, Li Yi knew exactly what was troubling him.

Thinking about his upcoming duties, he immediately said, “Secretary Wang, are you worried about those companies?”

“Yes. With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, several companies can’t even pay their employees’ wages. The situation is quite serious!” Wang Anmin said.

“Actually, there’s no need to worry. Everything will work out in the end!” Li Yi said calmly.

Wang Anmin smiled and said, “It’s not that simple. Besides, I’m in this position to do my duty. If the county’s enterprises are in trouble, how could I just turn a blind eye?”

However, Li Yi just smiled and said, “Actually, there’s really no need for you to worry!”

“?”

“I see that Secretary Wang’s brow is slightly flushed and radiant, and his aura is as majestic as a rainbow. This is a sure sign of a promotion,” Li Yi said.

“A promotion?”

“Yes. Judging by your facial features, you do indeed have the face of someone who will be aided by a benefactor and is about to be promoted. So don’t worry too much about the county’s affairs—they’ll soon have nothing to do with you!”

The reason Li Yi brought this up with Wang Anmin was precisely to stop him from worrying about the county’s enterprises.

As for whether Wang Anmin would actually be promoted, that was hardly the issue.

Barring any surprises, he would be promoted to a position in the city government in the near future.

And luck played a significant role in Wang Anmin’s promotion.

Wang Anmin was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, “In that case, I’ll take you at your word. I hope your good wishes will help me advance even further!”

That said, Wang Anmin didn’t take it seriously; he just assumed Li Yi was buttering him up.

Although he’d heard from his younger brother about Li Yi’s uncanny ability to make accurate predictions, he knew his own situation all too well.

For one thing, he was relatively inexperienced, having served as the top official in Qingshan County for less than four years. Even if there were a chance for promotion, he would have to serve at least one full term before it could happen.

More importantly, he lacked connections and resources—and in the political arena, those mattered far more than personal ability.

In Wang Anmin’s view, given his limited resources, his career was essentially at a dead end.

A promotion in the short term? That was simply impossible.

However, being a man of high emotional intelligence, he did not reveal his true thoughts.

But Li Yi knew his man well; with just a single glance, he could tell that Secretary Wang didn’t quite believe it.

Therefore, he didn’t pursue the topic further, instead turning to chat with Liang Yuke and Li Gang.

However, unlike Wang Anmin’s reaction, Wang Anguo, Li Gang, Duan Yinzhong, and the others took Li Yi’s words at face value.

Although they didn’t know who exactly would be helping Wang An Guo or what position he was set to rise to,

But they trusted Li Yi; they knew he wouldn’t make such a claim lightly, and once he did, it was bound to come true!

For a moment, the looks they cast at Wang Anmin were filled with envy!

After all, Wang Anmin was already the top official in Qing Shan County; another promotion would mean moving up to the municipal level!

Moreover, he was only 40 years old; if he could take another step up, his future prospects would be even brighter.

But they were all smart people, so they didn’t dwell on the topic and instead turned to other matters.

Soon, the meal prepared by An Hong was ready.

Then, everyone moved to the heated bed in the inner room to eat!

It was clear that Wang Anguo and An Hong had gone to great lengths to host Li Yi and Tang Xue—the spread was truly lavish.

In addition to braised pork and chicken stewed with potatoes, there was even a large pot of clear-simmered lamb, and the main dish was freshly made dumplings.

A meal this lavish would normally require at least a day’s preparation in advance—especially the dumplings—so it was impossible for them to have prepared it so quickly.

Touched by the couple’s warmth, Li Yi and Tang Xue were delighted, and the meal was, of course, a great success for everyone!

The only slight disappointment was that, halfway through the meal, Wang Anmin was suddenly called away by his secretary.

But since he wasn’t the main guest of honor today, it wasn’t a big deal!

…….

After the meal, Li Yi returned the car keys to Wang Anguo and asked Li Gang to give him a ride.

Li Gang then drove Li Yi and his wife to the county hospital.

Upon learning that Yang Wenguang and his wife were at the hospital and needed to return to the sugar factory, Liang Yukui also drove over—after all, it was on his way.

At the county hospital, Li Yi’s brother-in-law had already completed the discharge procedures.

As soon as the car arrived, everyone pitched in to help get my eldest sister’s family into the car, and then they returned to the sugar factory.

Back at the sugar factory, Li Yi dropped off his sister’s husband, picked up his mother, Zhang Yuehong, and then set off for Nianzishan Village.

With the jeep as their ride, the journey was both fast and smooth.

In less than fifteen minutes, the car came to a smooth stop right in front of the gate of the Li family’s old residence!

Inside the house, Li Na was washing pots!

Hearing the sound of the car engine, she knew Li Yi and her older sister had returned, so she immediately dropped the pot brush and ran out.

Sure enough, as soon as she ran out, she saw her younger brother Li Yi getting out of the car and moving the wooden gate aside.

Immediately afterward, the jeep drove straight into the courtyard.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, Captain Li from the county office immediately got out and opened the back door.

Her older sister and Tang Xue got out one after another, and last to step out was her mother, holding a small bundle in her arms—clearly her little nephew!

Li Na immediately stepped forward to support her older sister, and the group hurried inside—the wind was strong outside, and the older sister and the baby were struggling to breathe.

Li Yi, meanwhile, first helped Tang Xue into the house, then, with Li Gang’s assistance, carried his older sister’s belongings from the car into the house.

Once everything was settled, Li Yi wanted to invite Li Gang inside to sit for a while.

But Li Gang, considering that his older sister had just given birth and it wouldn’t be appropriate, declined.

But just as he started the car to leave, he couldn’t help but ask Li Yi, “Um… is Brother Anmin really going to get promoted?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “He doesn’t seem to care much himself, but you’re the one getting all worked up!”

“That’s because he doesn’t believe it!”

“So you believe it?”

“I do. I believe whatever you say. Don’t forget, you saved my life!” Li Gang said.

“Alright, hurry back home!”

“But what about Brother Anmin…”

“It’ll only be a matter of a few days. Drive carefully on your way back!”

With that, Li Yi said no more and went straight back inside.

Li Gang stood there for a moment, then started the car and sped away from the Li family’s old mansion.

Inside the house, listening to the sound of the Jeep fading into the distance, Li Yi couldn’t help but shake his head.

“That kid’s really in deep now. Once the news of Wang Anmin’s promotion comes through in a couple of days, he’ll trust me even more.”

At this thought, a pang of guilt welled up in Li Yi’s heart.

What a fine young man—and yet I’ve brainwashed him into this state. What a terrible thing to do!

Fortunately, he had no malicious intent; otherwise, that kid’s kidneys would have been sliced out sooner or later.

What Li Yi didn’t know, however, was that Wang Anmin’s response was far quicker than he’d imagined—Li Gang had received the news before he’d even returned.

County Town. The Wang Residence!

As soon as Li Yi walked in, he saw several people sitting in the living room. Leading the group was, of course, Old Master Wang, and sitting right next to him was none other than Wang Anguo’s older brother, Wang Anmin.

Perhaps because of their special status, these two hadn’t gone out to greet Li Yi and his wife.

“Hehe, you two have finally arrived. Come on over and sit down!”

Upon seeing Li Yi and Tang Xue, Old Master Wang immediately greeted them with a smile.

Li Yi first placed the gifts against the wall by the door, then walked over to the sofa and said with a smile, “Old Wang, you and Secretary Wang are here too!”

“Hehe, An Guo told me you two were having lunch today, so I came over!”

Wang Anmin, standing nearby, chimed in, “I just took a quick trip over to the sugar factory. Da Kui told me there’s a good meal at the second son’s place, so I tagged along to pig out too!”

Li Yi glanced at An Hong beside him and said, “Sis-in-law, you’ll have to cook a bit more today—there won’t be enough if you don’t!”

“No problem. You guys sit tight for a bit; I’ll go to the kitchen and start stewing the meat!”

With that, An Hong turned and walked into the kitchen.

After everyone had taken their seats, Old Man Wang asked, “I heard from An Guo that you opened a shop in Beijing. How’s it going?”

“It’s going great. The shop is already up and running!” Li Yi replied.

“What kind of shop is it? How’s business?” Wang Anmin asked immediately.

“A restaurant. We specialize in grilled meat and hot pot. Business is going pretty well!” Li Yi replied.

“That’s good…”

Perhaps realizing his question was a bit sensitive, Wang Anmin quickly explained, “I didn’t mean anything by it; I was just curious about the economic situation in the capital!”

Li Yi trusted the Wang family, so he replied without hesitation, “The new shop hasn’t been open long, but so far, daily revenue has been around one or two thousand yuan, with profits making up about half of that!”

Hearing this, everyone in the room was stunned!

“So that means your daily net profit is enough to cover our annual salary?” Li Gang asked, looking utterly shocked.

As the captain of the county criminal investigation team, he was on a Grade 22 salary. Combined with his status as a military-to-civilian transfer cadre and various subsidies and allowances, he took home about 63 yuan a month.

That came to less than 800 yuan a year!

As for Li Yi, he made at least 500 yuan a day, sometimes even a thousand—the gap was truly staggering.

Just then, An Hong, who had just come out of the kitchen, asked, “But can this business be stable and sustainable in the long run?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “As things stand, as long as the scale isn’t too large, there shouldn’t be any major issues!”

“But will it be feasible from a policy standpoint?” Liang Yukui also asked.

“It depends on the region!”

Then Li Yi added, “The capital has now allowed ordinary people to engage in business activities such as food service and small-scale trade. Furthermore, many counties and cities in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions are encouraging the development of industry and commerce and have begun issuing individual business licenses to ordinary people. There shouldn’t be any major policy issues!”

“So, does that mean ordinary people can actually do business now?” Old Master Wang said with a touch of emotion.

Having lived through the 1950s and 1960s, he was well aware of how harshly such activities had been cracked down on in the past.

He hadn’t expected the policies to shift so drastically in recent years, allowing ordinary people to conduct business openly and above board.

“Yes, and that’s exactly why, when Team Leader Wang asked me yesterday if my sister-in-law could quit her job to start a business, I told him straight away that it was possible!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, An Hong felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and her smile grew even brighter.

Back when she first mentioned this to her family, nearly everyone had opposed the idea.

Especially her parents—they reacted like cats whose tails had been stepped on, instantly flying into a rage.

After all, she’d only been able to get a job at the textile factory by taking over her mother’s position, and that factory quota had been secured at the cost of her grandfather’s life.

Now she was talking about quitting on a whim—there was no way her mother would agree to that.

Fortunately, her husband doted on her. Seeing her so downcast, he went to ask Li Yi about it.

To her surprise, Li Yi gave an answer that was completely different from her parents’, which made her genuinely happy.

With that in mind, she asked again, “Brother Li Yi, so what do you think I should do?”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “I do have some ideas, but I’d rather you go out and see the world first. We’ll talk about what to do when you get back!”

In her previous life, An Hong had started out in the textile industry. She first took over a bankrupt cotton mill in the county, quickly turned it around, and after making her first fortune, gradually expanded into fields like petrochemicals.

Combined with her exceptional business acumen, it took her less than 20 years to become one of the leading enterprises in North Sai Province.

“Where should I go?”

“Beijing and the coastal regions—places like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangzhou!” Li Yi replied.

Hearing this, An Hong couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Ever since she learned that Li Yi had made a fortune simply by selling cold noodles and mushrooms, her mind had been racing with ideas.

Wang Anguo sighed and said, “Brother Li Yi’s suggestion is sound, but can we really feel at ease letting a woman like you go out on her own?”

Old Man Wang chimed in, “My second son’s wife, I don’t oppose you quitting your job to start a business. Our family isn’t short on your salary, and if you want to give it a try, I won’t stop you!”

“But it’s not quite right for a woman to go out on her own. Why not start with a small business to test the waters first?”

Hearing that her father-in-law wasn’t opposed, An Hong immediately nodded and said, “I’ll listen to you, Father!”

Old Master Wang turned to Li Yi again and said, “Li, none of us here know this business as well as you do. Could you point Second Sister in the right direction?”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “I wouldn’t dare call it a sure path, but there are definitely a few industries worth trying right now!”

“Which ones?” An Hong asked eagerly.

“If you have the time and the capital, Sister-in-law, you could open a hotel in the capital!”

“An inn?”

“That’s right. The capital currently faces three major challenges: finding a place to stay, getting food, and shopping—especially finding a place to stay. As long as you have the money to open a hotel, you won’t have to worry about losing money at all!”

An Hong frowned and said, “But I don’t want to leave our county right now!”

“There are plenty of business opportunities here in our county, but the policies here haven’t been liberalized yet, and given your family background, it wouldn’t look good.”

Li Yi continued earnestly, “So if you want to go into business, I suggest you don’t do it locally—at least not right now!”

“Hmm, I’ll think it over then!”

After saying that, An Hong remembered she still had chores to do in the kitchen, so she turned and walked back inside.

At that moment, Wang Anmin suddenly asked, “Comrade Li Yi, it’s clear you have considerable expertise in business. Is there anything I could ask your advice on?”

“I wouldn’t dare to call myself an expert—just tell me what’s on your mind!” Li Yi replied.

“Here’s the thing,” Wang Anmin said. “Starting last year, quite a few enterprises in our county suddenly saw their profits drop, and some are even struggling to stay afloat. Do you have any good ideas?”

Li Yi shook his head and said, “I’m afraid I don’t really have any good solutions for this!”

The decline in performance across enterprises large and small in the county is not fundamentally an economic issue, but a systemic one.

As everyone knows, our country has long operated under a planned economy. During periods of weak productivity and material shortages, this system was indeed effective at maximizing the coordination of production resources to meet the people’s basic material needs.

However, “misfortune lurks within fortune, and fortune within misfortune”—everything has two sides.

Because the artificially set production plans that were implemented did not align well with people’s real-life needs or the direction of social progress.

At present, this economic system has become severely out of step with social life; its rigid and outdated management model is unable to adapt to the new pace of domestic development.

Therefore, even as the planned economy lingered on, barely surviving, the market economy had already quietly taken root among the people, giving birth to a burst of vitality and presenting a scene of prosperity.

To change this situation, what is inevitably needed is a radical, all-or-nothing reform: the overthrow of the planned economy and the establishment of a market economy as the dominant force.

But this was not something Li Yi could decide!

Upon hearing this, Wang Anmin couldn’t help but sigh.

The situation in the county had already become extremely dire. Even the sugar factory, which had always been highly profitable, was struggling. Facilities like the textile mill, meat processing plant, parts factory, foundry, and brick and tile factory had all reached the point where they had no funds to operate.

If things continued this way, the workers wouldn’t be paid, and if they started causing trouble, he, as the Party Secretary, would be in big trouble.

However, just as Wang Anmin was deep in thought, Li Yi’s next words left him completely dumbfounded!

The next morning!

After the rooster crowed three times, Li Yi slowly opened his eyes.

Reluctantly, he removed his hand from his wife’s body, then got dressed and got out of bed.

Tang Xue was fast asleep, so Li Yi didn’t disturb her.

Last night, the two little ones in her belly had been a bit restless, keeping her up until past 1:00 a.m. before finally settling down. As a result, Tang Xue kept dozing off and waking up, and she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep at all.

Since there was still some time before dawn, he let her sleep a little longer.

After getting dressed, Li Yi immediately stoked the nearly extinguished stove and added some more charcoal.

Then he poured a few ladles of water into the large iron teapot, set it on the stove to boil, and planned to wash his face once it was hot.

After all, washing with cold water in the dead of winter was a real test of willpower and not good for one’s health.

After finishing these tasks, Li Yi put on his cotton hat and gloves, intending to go to the well to fetch some water and fill the family’s water jar.

However, when he opened the door and stepped outside, just as he was about to look for a bucket and a carrying pole,

he saw his father already walking in from outside, swaying slightly under the weight of two buckets of water.

Li Yi immediately went to meet him and said, “Father, let me do that!”

“No need. If you’re free, just lead the red mule and the black horse out and tie them up. I’ll take them out for a walk in a bit!” Li Shankui said, exhaling a puff of white breath.

“Alright!”

Li Yi went straight to the stable, untied the reins of the big red mule and the black horse from the post next to the trough.

Then, leading one in each hand, he walked out of the pen.

Once Li Yi had led the mule and horse outside and tied them up, he saw his father come out again carrying a shoulder pole—it looked like he was heading out to fetch water.

Li Yi immediately stepped forward, took the pole from him, and headed toward the well.

Watching his son’s receding figure, Li Shankui couldn’t help but let a faint smile cross his usually stern face.

His son had finally grown up—not only had he become capable, but he had also learned to be dutiful. Nothing could make him, as a father, happier.

Li Yi carried two loads of water before stopping. Not only had he filled the water jar, but he had also set aside a bucket in the main hall for later use.

Once Li Yi had finished fetching water, Li Na began preparing breakfast: she cooked millet porridge and warmed up the steamed buns left over from the night before.

Only then did Li Yi go back to the room to wake Tang Xue. He himself used hot water from the iron teapot to begin his morning ablutions.

After all that hustle and bustle, it was nearly nine o’clock by the time they were ready to leave!

Fortunately, they had a jeep to get them around, so they weren’t worried about being late!

By the time the two arrived at the county hospital, it was nearly 9:30.

After parking the car, Li Yi helped Tang Xue into the hospital and made their way to the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Since this was Tang Xue’s third prenatal checkup, she was quite familiar with the process and wasn’t as nervous as she had been the first two times.

Most importantly, prenatal checkups these days are incredibly simple—it was all over in less than 15 minutes.

After confirming that the fetus was developing well, the two, in high spirits, headed straight to the nearby ward to visit his older sister and her child, before heading to Wang An’s home.

As soon as they arrived at the ward, Li Yi saw his sister’s husband, Yang Wenguang, walking out of the room, holding a washbasin in his hand.

As they drew closer, they saw several dirty, tattered rags in the basin—presumably the so-called baby diapers.

Upon seeing Li Yi and Tang Xue, Yang Wenguang looked a bit surprised and asked immediately, “Hey, why did you two come over so early?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I brought Xue here for her prenatal checkup, and I’m planning to take my sister back to the village while I’m at it!”

“Then I’ll go check out of the hospital in a minute!”

“No rush. We’ve got a few things to take care of first, so we’ll probably be back around lunchtime!”

“Alright! You and Xue go ahead inside. I’ll wash these diapers and be right back!”

“Alright!”

Then, Li Yi took Tang Xue by the hand and pushed open the door to the ward.

where Li Mei had just finished breastfeeding the baby and was patting her son’s back to help him burp!

When she looked up and saw her younger brother and sister-in-law walk in, she immediately asked with a look of surprise, “Hey, what are you two doing here?”

“Hehe, we came to see my little nephew!”

Li Yi then looked around the room but didn’t see his mother, so he asked right away, “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s at the sugar factory. Your brother-in-law saw that Mom hadn’t been getting much rest these past few days, so he took her shift last night!”

“I see.”

With that, Li Yi stepped forward and took the little one from his eldest sister’s arms.

He’d been in a bit of a rush that day, and since he was worried about his older sister, Li Yi had only given the little one a quick glance.

At the time, he’d thought the little one was a bit ugly, but he hadn’t expected that in just four or five days, the baby had actually become quite cute—and he could even clearly see traces of his eldest sister’s features in the child’s face.

“Sis, my nephew looks more like you!”

“Really? I feel like he looks more like your husband!” his older sister said with a laugh.

“I still think he looks more like you!” Li Yi said.

Tang Xue couldn’t help but chime in, “It’s true. Look at the baby’s eyes and chin—but his nose and ears are a bit like my husband’s!”

“Hehe, I told you so. In some ways, this kid really does look a lot like your brother-in-law!” my older sister said with a laugh.

After chatting for a while, Li Yi immediately told his older sister about their plans to return to the village.

At this, the eldest sister glanced at Tang Xue with some concern. After all, Tang Xue was a married woman, and if she were to return to her parents’ home for the postpartum confinement period, she would first have to get her sister-in-law’s approval.

Their mother had already discussed this with her after her brother left that day.

Tang Xue had also heard Li Yi explain the ins and outs of the situation that day, so she understood her older sister’s concerns. She immediately said, “Big Sister, we already moved back to the new house yesterday. Just follow his plan and go back to the old house to recover after childbirth!”

Li Mei knew that the sugar factory dorms really weren’t suitable for postpartum recovery, so she nodded gratefully and said, “Alright, I’ll do as you say!”

“That’s the spirit, ha ha ha!”

After that, Li Yi and Tang Xue stayed in the hospital room for over an hour, and it wasn’t until nearly 10:30 that they left the county hospital.

However, Li Yi didn’t head straight to Wang An’s house; instead, he stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative first to buy some formula, sponge cakes, canned goods, and other essentials.

After all, he was going to someone’s home as a guest—he couldn’t possibly show up empty-handed, especially since there were children in the house!

But when Li Yi drove up to Wang An’s house, even before he could enter, he noticed that several cars were already parked outside the gate.

He recognized all of them: one was the Jeep Li Gang had driven yesterday, and the other belonged to Liang Yukui.

Clearly, these two had come today as well!

Li Yi had barely parked his car and hadn’t even had a chance to help Tang Xue out when the Wang family’s gate suddenly swung open.

Next, he saw Wang Anguo and his wife, along with Li Gang and Liang Yukui, all coming out—clearly they had come out specifically to greet the couple.

Li Yi immediately helped Tang Xue, whose belly was as big as a basket, out of the passenger seat, then walked over to the group.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group immediately entered Wang Guo’an’s home!

Once inside, Li Yi realized just how many people were in the Wang household!

Huang Lixing had mailed them a total of three packages, each one quite large and clearly containing a substantial amount of items.

Li Yi first carried the package that looked somewhat light and rather bulky onto the kang.

Then, in front of Tang Xue and Third Sister, he used a pair of scissors to cut open the burlap sack wrapped around it.

Watching him do this, Third Sister felt a pang of regret.

These days, plastic bags were a real treasure—sturdy, durable, and lightweight, far more practical than burlap sacks.

Such a large, high-quality plastic bag—it would have been so useful to keep for household use.

And yet here was her own wasteful younger brother squandering it like this—what a shame.

Li Yi didn’t care about any of that; his attention was completely absorbed by what was inside the burlap sack.

After cutting open the outer plastic bag, he found there was another layer inside.

Upon tearing it open, he found it was filled entirely with clothes.

As he took the clothes out one by one, he saw some for adults, but mostly for children.

There were three or four of each item, totaling some thirty or forty pieces.

“What beautiful little clothes!”

Looking at these adorable baby outfits, Tang Xue couldn’t help but exclaim.

Thinking of her own child wearing these beautiful clothes in the future, a mysterious gleam appeared in Tang Xue’s eyes.

Li Yi picked up a random piece to examine it. It was made of pure cotton, very thick, and the craftsmanship was exceptionally fine.

Although he didn’t recognize the brand, he could tell they wouldn’t come cheap.

To be honest, seeing these baby clothes made Li Yi feel quite happy as well.

It had to be said that these clothes had truly struck a chord with him; for Li Yi, this brought him more joy than receiving any nice gift for himself.

Li Yi also glanced at the few adult garments—all loose-fitting maternity wear.

There were denim overalls, knitted sweaters, cashmere leggings to wear underneath, and even extra-large maternity underwear.

Seeing these women’s undergarments, Tang Xue and Third Sister couldn’t help but blush.

Li Yi didn’t notice this; his attention was completely drawn to the two down jackets inside—one black and one white.

Although down jackets were already available in the country these days, they weren’t cheap.

The high price was one thing, but the main issue was that down jackets were primarily exported, making them hard for ordinary people to get their hands on.

But down jackets were truly practical—lightweight, warm, and highly resistant to the cold, far superior to the thick cotton coats the villagers were currently wearing.

They were especially comfortable for pregnant women.

A while back, Li Yi had planned to ask Jiang Longcheng to get his wife a down jacket for the winter, but since he wasn’t sure about her body measurements after she became pregnant, he intended to wait until he returned to take her measurements and then call him.

But now it seems that won’t be necessary.

Of course, that’s assuming these two down jackets fit Tang Xue.

Right then, he tore open the packaging and had Tang Xue try them on immediately.

Tang Xue didn’t make a fuss; she tried it on right there on the kang!

But when Li Yi saw his wife trying on the down jacket while still wearing her floral cotton-padded jacket, he couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing.

He immediately had her take off the cotton jacket underneath and put on the knit sweater instead.

You have to admit that Huang Lixing’s wife, with her delicate features, had a keen eye for style—whether it was the knit sweater or the down jacket, they both fit her perfectly.

Especially the down jacket—it was a bit loose on her now, but Tang Xue was only about six months along, so her belly wasn’t particularly big yet.

In a little while, once her belly grows bigger, it’ll fit perfectly.

If it fit perfectly now, she might not be able to wear it in a few months.

When Tang Xue changed into the knit sweater and down jacket, Li Yi and Li Na were both mesmerized—she looked absolutely stunning.

“Xiao Xue, this outfit is so stylish and gorgeous—you look just like a fairy who’s descended to earth!” Li Na exclaimed in awe.

“Sis Na, I’m not nearly as pretty as you say!”

Tang Xue said, blushing and looking a bit shy.

“Why would I lie to you? This outfit really is gorgeous. If you don’t believe me, ask Yi!”

Tang Xue instinctively glanced at Li Yi, only to find him staring intently at her, causing her face to flush even deeper.

“Xiao Yi, I’m talking to you—what are you just standing there for?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “The dress is pretty, but you’re even prettier!”

“You’re such a smooth talker!”

Tang Xue muttered under her breath, though her heart was filled with a sweet warmth.

At that moment, Li Na couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think a dress this beautiful must be really expensive?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Of course they’re expensive. An average worker might not even be able to afford this one with two or three months’ salary!”

“That… that expensive?”

Tang Xue and Li Na were both stunned. They didn’t usually buy clothes very often, and even when they did, they thought three or five yuan per item was already quite expensive.

They simply couldn’t imagine that this light, airy garment before them would cost a worker two or three months’ wages—it was completely beyond their wildest dreams.

Li Yi smiled but said nothing. Instead, he packed up all the clothes and then moved another, slightly heavier package onto the kang.

The package was somewhat heavy, and they could hear the sound of plastic bags rustling inside.

With a touch of curiosity, Li Yi quickly unwrapped this package as well.

When he removed the outer plastic bag and saw what was inside, Li Yi immediately smiled.

Inside, to his surprise, were all kinds of snacks from Hong Kong—black sesame-flavored mooncakes, egg rolls, red bean mille-feuille, water-fried pastries, as well as assorted candies and dried fish—filling the bag to the brim.

Wow, this really opened Li Yi’s eyes.

He had no idea that Hong Kong in the 1980s already had so many snacks.

With the thrill of opening a mystery box, Li Yi went for it and opened the last package in one go.

But when he opened it, he discovered it was actually a bag of spare parts.

Seeing this, Tang Xue and Li Na’s attention was immediately drawn to it!

“Yi, what are these wooden sticks for? And why are there wheels?”

Li Yi picked up the instruction manual inside and glanced at it, then said with a smile, “It’s a collapsible crib for little kids!”

“You mean these parts can be assembled into a little bed?” Li Na asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yep!”

With that, Li Yi went to the wooden chest in the main room, fetched a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, and immediately began assembling it according to the instructions.

Before long, a crib measuring one meter long, fifty centimeters wide, and seventy centimeters high was assembled.

Seeing the finished product, Tang Xue and Li Na were amazed once again.

Not only did the crib look beautiful, but it also had four small wheels underneath, allowing it to be pushed around.

Plus, it had a foam mattress on the bottom and a mosquito net on top, giving it a truly high-end, sophisticated look.

However, in Li Yi’s eyes, the thing was somewhat of a mixed blessing. While a crib might be somewhat useful for city dwellers, the village children would likely never get to use it.

Besides, they had twins—one crib would be completely useless.

Tang Xue had obviously thought of this as well. With a hint of regret, she said, “There’s only one of these cribs. We should give it to my older sister’s baby instead!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Alright, when our kids are born, I’ll personally get them two even nicer cribs!”

“Mm-hmm!”

After unwrapping the gifts, the three of them sat on the kang and chatted for a while.

It wasn’t until their father, Li Shankui, came back from outside with his hands behind his back that the three of them remembered lunch hadn’t been made yet.

Immediately, Li Yi asked his third sister and Tang Xue to tidy up the things on the kang, while he went to the kitchen to get to work.

After lunch, Li Yi told Tang Xue to go to the west room for a nap, while he discussed the move with his father.

Li Yi planned to meet with Wang Anguo and his wife tomorrow, and on his way back, he would pick up his eldest sister and mother as well.

So, they had to move his and Tang Xue’s belongings to the new house today to avoid a last-minute scramble.

Li Shan Kui naturally had no objections, and the two of them immediately got to work!

Seeing Li Yi’s furrowed brow, Wang Anguo immediately had a bad feeling and asked, “Brother Li Yi, is something wrong…?”

Before Wang Anguo could finish, Li Yi shook his head and said, “No, I’m just a bit confused!”

“My sister-in-law is, after all, a manager at the textile factory. Why would she suddenly want to quit her job to go into business? Doesn’t she know that business involves risks?”

Wang Anguo gave Li Yi a complicated look and said, “It’s all your fault, you rascal!”

“What does that have to do with me? You’re just stirring up trouble in my family!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Wang Anguo replied with a mix of amusement and exasperation, “What are you thinking? It’s my wife who’s jealous—she sees you raking in a fortune just by selling cold noodles and mushrooms!”

Hearing this, Li Na, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but interject, “Doesn’t your wife want to set up a street stall too?”

“No, she mentioned before that she wanted to open a general store, but I’m not exactly sure of the details!” Wang Anguo said.

Tang Xue remarked sincerely, “My sister-in-law is quite bold. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to give up my secure job at the factory!”

“I wouldn’t want to give it up either!” Li Na chimed in.

Wang Anguo sighed and said, “I’m actually not very supportive of her. Setting aside the risks, given the nature of my current job, our whole family relies entirely on her.”

“If she quits her job too and starts a business, what about the kids? Who’s going to take care of them?”

Li Yi looked at Wang Anguo, his feelings somewhat mixed.

The Wang Anguo standing before him had no idea just how capable his wife was. What impressed Li Yi most about An Hong wasn’t merely her exceptional business acumen—Li Yi himself wasn’t lacking in that department, so there was nothing to envy there.

What he admired and envied most was that, in addition to building her own business empire, she had quietly and seamlessly groomed an exceptionally capable successor.

In stark contrast to the dire situation of Li Yi’s vast empire, which lacked a successor, An Hong’s An Group had a truly outstanding heir: the son of An Hong and Wang Anguo.

That young man had remained out of the public eye until he was 30, but when An Hong was left comatose after a car accident and the entire An Group was leaderless and teetering on the brink of collapse, he stepped in to take the helm.

Not only did he stabilize the situation in a very short time, but he also took the opportunity to crush the frenzied attacks of his competitor—Li Yi—and even dealt him a crushing defeat.

So, even across a different time and space, Li Yi still had a vivid impression of An Hong and her ambitious son.

After a brief pause, Li Yi said in a solemn tone, “Actually, your sister-in-law’s desire to go into business is a good idea. I think you should support her!”

It had been over half a year since his rebirth, and during that time, Li Yi had been observing this world.

Through his observations, he realized that although he knew many of the events that were about to unfold in the future, not everything could be changed.

To be honest, although he was a “glitch” in this world, he could only change minor details; the overall course of events was fundamentally unshakable!

As for An Hong, Li Yi had actually harbored hostility toward her from the very beginning.

After all, their struggle in his previous life had been so intense that it had almost come down to a fight to the death.

When he first learned that An Hong was actually Wang Anguo’s wife, Li Yi’s initial thought was one of relief—he might be able to indirectly eliminate this potential rival by altering Wang Anguo’s fate.

But now it seems that wasn’t the case.

Since some things are bound to happen, it’s better to just let nature take its course.

After all, with Wang Anguo as a buffer, he and An Hong probably wouldn’t end up fighting to the death like they did in his previous life.

Wang Anguo hadn’t expected Li Yi to take this attitude; his furrowed brow relaxed slightly, but he asked with some concern, “Is that really possible?”

“Hmm, I can’t go into specifics, but in my opinion, your sister-in-law is the one who’ll have the brightest future in your family!” Li Yi said.

Wang Anguo was somewhat taken aback, then nodded and said, “Brother Li Yi, with you saying that, I’m put at ease!”

“With matters like this, don’t force things—just let nature take its course!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Wang Anguo then added, “By the way, my sister-in-law has some questions she’d like to ask you. If you have time, why not come over to our place?”

Li Yi glanced at Tang Xue’s prominent baby bump and asked, “Will you and my sister-in-law be home tomorrow?”

“Yes, I don’t have to go to work for the next few days!” Wang Anguo replied.

“Here’s what we’ll do: when you head back later, save a car for us. I’ll take my wife to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow morning, and then we’ll come find you and your sister-in-law!” Li Yi said.

“You can drive?” Wang Anguo asked in surprise.

“It’s just driving—no big deal. I just don’t know if they’ll let me borrow this police car!” Li Yi said.

“According to the rules, we’re not supposed to lend it out, but if it’s you, Brother Li Yi, then it’s no problem. You’re one of us anyway!”

At that moment, Li Gang, who was standing nearby, picked up the thread of the conversation and said with a smile, “Come to think of it, I’d almost forgotten—Brother Li Yi is actually an informant for our county bureau!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I’ve done plenty of work for you guys as an informant, but I haven’t seen a paycheck yet!”

“No salary, but we’ve given you certificates of merit and bonuses!” Li Gang said.

“Really?” Li Yi asked, sounding a bit surprised.

“Yep. You’ve really helped the bureau out a lot this year. So while we’ve been preparing for the commendation ceremony these past few days, the bureau put your name forward, and the county has already approved it!”

“Come on, I was just joking!” Li Yi said with a wry smile.

“Too late. You’ll probably have to show up at the awards ceremony in a couple of days!” Li Gang said with a smile.

“Can’t I just not go?”

No sooner had he spoken than Li Na chimed in from the side, “It’s a good thing—why wouldn’t you go?”

Tang Xue chimed in, “Sis Na, let’s go with what Li Yi says on this one!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “As you all know, I’m not one for drawing attention to myself. Let’s keep a low profile!”

“In that case, I’ll just let the bureau know that he won’t be attending,” Li Gang said.

“Then I’ll leave it to you!”

“No problem!”

Li Yi then checked the time and said, “You two haven’t eaten yet, have you? Why don’t you stay for lunch? We happen to have some dumplings ready!”

Wang Anguo smiled and said, “I won’t be staying for lunch. I promised your sister-in-law I’d visit her parents’ house today, so I need to hurry back!”

With that, he left his car keys with Li Yi and, accompanied by Li Gang, departed from the Li residence.

After Li Yi saw Wang Anguo and Li Gang off and returned to the house, he saw Tang Xue and Li Na curiously examining the three large packages on the floor, whispering to each other.

When Li Na saw Li Yi come in, she couldn’t help but ask, “Those two police captains were really kind to you. It’s one thing to just drop by, but bringing so many things? That’s a bit too much!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “These things weren’t given by them!”

“Huh? If they didn’t send them, then who did?”

“It’s Old Huang!”

“Old Huang?”

“That’s Mr. Huang, the guy who wants to build a school in our village!” Li Yi explained.

“Oh, it was them? No wonder!”

The Li family had a particularly vivid memory of Huang Lixing and his wife—after all, the couple had once given Li Yi over 50,000 yuan as a token of gratitude.

In those days, even 500 yuan was an unimaginably huge sum, let alone 50,000 yuan.

Tang Xue asked in surprise, “If I do the math, Sister Hong should have given birth by now. I wonder how she’s doing?”

“She’s given birth—it’s a girl. Both mother and daughter are doing well!”

Li Yi continued, “These items are the thank-you gifts Old Huang and his wife gave us!”

“That’s truly wonderful!” Tang Xue said happily.

She had met Huang Lixing and his wife twice. Each time, Chen Chuhong had been especially kind to Tang Xue. Thanks to Mrs. Huang’s deliberate efforts to befriend her, the two had quickly developed a very good friendship.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Even though it’s a girl, Old Huang has finally gotten his wish!”

Third Sister, standing nearby, wasn’t interested in that at all. She cut straight to the point: “All I want to know right now is what’s inside such a big bag?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Since you’re curious, why don’t we just open it up and see?”

Hearing this, all three of them perked up, their eyes immediately fixating on the large packages!

Nianzi Mountain Village. The Li Family Ancestral Home!

When the two olive-green Jeeps pulled up in front of his house, Li Yi knew exactly who had arrived.

These days, only a handful of people could afford to drive a car.

Sure enough, when the doors opened, Li Gang was the first to step out.

What Li Yi hadn’t expected, however, was that the person getting out of the car behind him was Wang Anguo, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Upon seeing the two of them, Li Yi immediately walked over.

“What a rare visit! How did you two find the time to come see me?”

Wang Anguo said with a smile, “I heard you’d returned from Beijing, Brother Li Yi, so I came to check on you—and to drop off a few things for someone!”

“Deliver something? To whom?”

“Since we’re here, it’s obviously for you!”

With that, Wang Anguo opened the back door of the car and motioned for Li Gang and Li Yi to come help unload the items.

When they reached the back of the Jeep, they saw several tightly wrapped boxes on the rear seat—no one knew what was inside!

Li Yi lifted one of the boxes out—it was quite heavy—and asked right away, “What’s in there?”

“No idea!” Wang Anguo shook his head.

“Huh?”

“I really don’t know—I didn’t give them to you!”

“Then who gave them to you?”

“Old Huang and his wife!”

“Huang Lixing?”

“Yeah, a while back I got a call from Old Huang back in his hometown in Guangdong. He said his wife had given birth—it’s a girl…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi exclaimed happily, “Hahaha, well, congratulations to Old Huang!”

To be honest, hearing this news made Li Yi genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.

Back then, when he stepped in to save Huang Lixing and his wife, he’d been incredibly conflicted and had hesitated for a long time before finally making up his mind.

After all, one misstep could have meant the deaths of not just two people, but seven or eight—or even dozens.

But looking at it now, Huang Lixing had ultimately kept his word, and the child in Chen Chuhong’s womb had been born safely—it was a happy ending for everyone.

Wang Anguo smiled and said, “It really is good news. Old Huang and his wife are incredibly grateful to you. They actually wanted to come by in person to thank you when the baby was born, but you weren’t here.”

“He called me again a couple of days ago. He said the baby had just been born and was catching colds often. Plus, with the freezing cold here in the northern frontier, construction isn’t possible, so they won’t be coming this year. They plan to come next spring when the weather warms up.”

“That’s only fair!” Li Yi said.

“Don’t interrupt!”

Wang Anguo continued, “Old Huang said that even though he can’t come in person, he still wants to show his gratitude, so he sent you a few packages. He was worried you wouldn’t be home to receive them, so he had them sent to our office and asked me to bring them over when I went home!”

Li Yi said with a smile, “So these big packages were sent by Old Huang?”

“That’s right! So when you ask me what’s inside, I honestly have no idea!”

“Haha, come on, let’s go inside and talk!”

The three of them then each grabbed a large package and walked straight into the Li family’s old house.

Inside, Tang Xue and Li Na were making dumplings. With the bitter cold and snow outside these past few days, they couldn’t go anywhere.

Plus, their eldest sister was about to return for her postpartum confinement, so Li Na had dragged Tang Xue into making dumplings.

Just as they were making them, they suddenly heard the sound of a car engine outside.

Glancing toward the front gate, they immediately spotted the group standing outside.

Seeing that it was Li Yi, accompanied by Li Gang and Wang Anguo, Li Na immediately cleared the items off the kang to make room for them to sit.

Once the three men entered and saw the scene on the kang, they immediately understood what was going on.

Wang Anguo immediately said, “Don’t bother cleaning up—we’ll just stand here for a bit!”

“That won’t do. You’re all guests—it wouldn’t be proper to have you standing on the floor!”

Saying this, Li Na moved the cutting board onto the large red cabinet and busied herself pouring water for Wang Anguo and Li Gang.

Wang Anguo hadn’t seen Tang Xue in a while, and when he saw her belly, which was as big as a basket, he was momentarily taken aback: “Sis-in-law, you’re only a few months along, aren’t you? How come your belly is so big?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Twins!”

“Tw… twins? You’re quite the stud, aren’t you!” Wang Anguo said with a laugh.

Li Yi knew his wife was a bit shy, so he didn’t dwell on the matter. Instead, he asked, “How are things on your end? Is work going smoothly?”

“It’s going okay…”

Before he could finish, Li Gang chimed in from the side: “What do you mean ‘so-so’? Brother Li Yi, you have no idea—since he took office, he’s cracked two major cases in a row. The higher-ups really hold him in high regard.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that he was just promoted and still lacks seniority, he might already be the deputy director of the Municipal Bureau by now.”

Wang Anguo chuckled and said, “That’s all thanks to you, Brother Li Yi. Otherwise, relying on my own merits alone, I probably would’ve been sent back to our county bureau long ago!”

“You’re being too modest. It’s all your doing—what does it have to do with me?” Li Yi said with a laugh.

Wang Anguo knew Li Yi’s personality and didn’t press the matter. Instead, he smiled and said, “I heard you opened a restaurant in Beijing. What made you suddenly decide to open a shop there?”

“I’d been thinking about checking out the capital whenever I had the chance. I didn’t expect such favorable policies to be in place right after I arrived, so I opened a small shop!” Li Yi replied.

“So are you planning to settle down in Beijing permanently?”

“Probably not for the time being!”

Li Yi had already thought this through. Before Tang Xue got into college, it was unlikely that their family would leave Nianzi Mountain Village.

For one thing, Tang Xue needed to take care of her pregnancy, and even after the baby was born, it wouldn’t be easy to take such a young child on the road.

After all, medical conditions these days aren’t great—there aren’t enough vaccines available for children, and even a simple fever could lead to serious consequences.

On the other hand, Tang Xue needed time to study properly. Back home, with her mother and third older sister helping to look after the baby, she could devote more time to her studies.

If they went to the capital, she would have to rely on herself, and she might not have time to study.

Besides, Li Yi was also concerned about the villagers of Nianzishan. Until the village’s livestock industry was fully established, he truly had no intention of leaving.

Hearing this, Wang Anguo and Li Gang visibly relaxed.

“That’s good. If you went to the capital, it would be hard for us to see you again!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “What’s so hard about that? I’ve already had a phone installed at the shop. Once I’m in the capital, if anything comes up, we can just give each other a call!”

Hearing this, Wang Anguo was secretly taken aback.

These days, getting a phone line installed isn’t that easy, especially in a place like Beijing—even with money, it’s not guaranteed you can pull it off.

Looks like Li Yi has some connections in Beijing too. This kid’s got some serious clout!

With that thought in mind, Wang Anguo suddenly spoke up: “Brother Li Yi, to be honest, besides helping Old Huang deliver this package, I’ve actually come to ask your advice on something else!”

“What is it?”

“It’s about my wife!”

“My wife—what’s wrong with her?”

Hearing that it had to do with that woman, An Hong, Li Yi immediately perked up.

Wang Anguo frowned and said, “I don’t know what got into her, but my wife has been thinking about quitting her job these past few days!”

“Why does she want to quit?”

Although Li Yi already had a hunch, he still asked instinctively.

“She thinks working at the textile factory is pointless and wants to quit to start her own business. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

Hearing this predictable answer, Li Yi was still taken aback.

Li Yi knew An Hong’s business acumen—it was every bit as sharp as his own.

In her previous life, as a single mother raising an orphan, she had started from Qing Shan County and, step by step, built a vast business empire, creating a miracle in the annals of commerce.

Li Yi had originally thought that since Wang Anguo hadn’t met with an accident in this life, An Hong’s life path would likely change, and she probably wouldn’t enter the business world as she had in his previous life.

But now it seemed that while An Hong’s path had indeed changed—it wasn’t that she wouldn’t enter the business world, but that she had done so earlier than expected.

For a moment, Li Yi was completely stunned!

When they arrived at Xiaogouwa’s house, Father told Li Yi to take Daya inside first.

He then went over to Liu Darei, asked for a cigarette, and lit it.

Just as Li Yi was about to say something to him, he saw his father turn and walk outside.

Immediately afterward, the sound of firecrackers going off could be heard outside.

Only then did Li Yi remember that the locals had a custom of setting off firecrackers—known as “soul-chasing firecrackers”—after someone passed away.

The purpose was not only to mark the time of death but also to drive away the little ghosts blocking the way and clear a path for the deceased’s soul.

It also served as a call for villagers to come to the aid of the family, so any firecrackers going off in the early hours of the morning—except on New Year’s Eve—meant someone had passed away.

Sure enough, after hearing the firecrackers, many villagers got up and hurried over to Xiaogouwa’s house.

The reason the villagers were able to pinpoint Xiaogouwa’s house so accurately was, on the one hand, that the direction the firecrackers were launched came from near his home, and on the other hand, because they all lived in the same village and were generally aware of what was going on in each household.

Aunt San had been worn down to the bone over the years, and the villagers had long suspected the worst.

Before long, a crowd had gathered at Xiaogouwa’s house.

They hadn’t come to gawk; as soon as they arrived, they sprang into action—some stoked the fire, while others helped set up the funeral pavilion and place the coffin, preparing for the upcoming burial.

Inside the house, Xiaogouwa, along with his second younger brother and third younger sister, stood weeping loudly beside their mother’s body.

This was their final farewell to their mother!

Once their mother was laid to rest, they would never see the person dearest to them in this world again.

By five o’clock in the morning, all the preparations were nearly complete!

At this point, Xiaogouwa asked everyone else to step outside, while the three siblings dressed their mother in the funeral garments they had prepared earlier and gently washed her face with warm water.

Once everything was in order, they laid their mother in the coffin!

Although the family was destitute, Xiaogouwa still laid a mattress that their mother had used during her lifetime at the bottom of the coffin before placing her inside.

The moment the coffin lid closed, the three siblings burst into tears once more…

After Aunt San’s burial, Li Yi didn’t go home; he just went inside to rest for a while.

At half past six, he set off for the county seat with Uncle Lei, Uncle Genliang, and the others, driving two vehicles.

After a person dies, a funeral is the last mark of dignity!

Originally, Xiaogouwa had planned to keep it simple: find a few people to help dig a hole next to his father’s grave and bury his mother there.

But Li Yi refused. He knew that deep down, Xiaogouwa didn’t want to be so hasty; it was just that the family simply had no money.

That was why he had to put his mother through such hardship.

Li Yi certainly wouldn’t let his own brother have any regrets over this matter. After all, this was Third Aunt’s final journey in life, and it was something that could never be made up for later.

While he didn’t insist on a grand, lavish ceremony, it couldn’t be too meager either.

So he told Xiaogouwa to handle the arrangements at home, leaving the rest to him.

A funeral doesn’t have as many requirements as a wedding, where you have to consider the bride’s wishes; for this, money is all that matters.

With enough money, things are easier to handle—and can be done well!

And although Li Yi wasn’t exactly wealthy at the moment, he had more than enough to arrange a decent funeral for Auntie San.

After arriving in the county seat, Li Yi sent Uncle Lei and the others to hire a drum troupe, while he went back to Liu San’er’s second uncle’s house to ask him to help with the funeral feast.

Master Liu had a very favorable and vivid impression of Li Yi. After hearing the details of the situation, he immediately agreed.

He then drew up a list for Li Yi to go buy the ingredients, while he immediately contacted the kitchen helpers and set off for Nianzishan Village…

…….

Aunt San’s funeral lasted three days. During that time, the drum troupe performed for three days straight, and a “ritual master” was also invited to conduct a memorial service.

Though it wasn’t particularly lavish, it was a standard arrangement—they didn’t rush the burial just because of a lack of funds.

Throughout the funeral, not only did Li Yi stay and help the entire time, but the vast majority of the villagers pitched in as well.

The women helped at home by washing vegetables, serving dishes, and burning joss paper and incense, while the men took turns over at Dongpo to dig the grave.

In the middle of winter, the ground in the open fields had frozen solid, so before digging the grave, they had to first burn firewood on the surface to thaw the ground before they could break ground!

Moreover, local graves are typically seven feet deep—just over two meters.

A pit that deep certainly couldn’t be thawed with a single fire; they had to thaw one layer at a time as they dug, which was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Fortunately, the villagers all knew this was Auntie San’s final journey in life; though the work was hard, no one complained.

After all, this is something everyone will face one day—today it’s Aunt San, and tomorrow it might be a member of one’s own family.

So, taking turns, everyone finally finished digging the grave pit after two days.

Then, on the morning of the third day, the crowd carried the coffin and laid Aunt San to rest on the eastern slope!

After the funeral, Li Yi didn’t return to the old house; instead, he went to the new house first.

Since there was a bathroom there, he planned to take a good shower before going back to see his wife.

For one thing, he’d been running around nonstop at Little Dog’s house these past few days—climbing up and down, tending the fire, hauling coal—basically doing everything under the sun, and he was filthy from head to toe.

On the other hand, the “white business” itself was still considered rather inauspicious.

Although Li Yi didn’t care about such things, he had to consider Tang Xue’s feelings—it was better to go back feeling fresh and clean after a shower!

After his shower, he changed into the clean clothes Third Sister had sent over and set about doing laundry at the new house.

The clothes were so filthy that it took Li Yi a full three hours to get them clean.

After hanging the clothes out to dry, Li Yi locked the door and headed back to the old house.

But just as he reached the entrance, he saw someone standing outside the front gate.

It wasn’t until he got closer that he recognized the figure—it was Xiaogouwa.

“Hey, what are you doing standing here? Why aren’t you coming in?” Li Yi frowned.

Xiaogouwa shook his head and said, “After all, my sister-in-law is still pregnant. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go in like this!”

“It’s fine!”

“Forget it, Yi, let’s talk outside. Besides, I have to go back and cook dinner for my younger brother and sister!” Xiaogouwa insisted.

“Alright then, just tell me what’s on your mind!” Li Yi didn’t press him and said straight away.

Xiaogouwa pulled a small package wrapped in a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Li Yi.

“Brother Yi, there’s 220 yuan in here. Take this money. I’ll pay you back the remaining 160 once I earn some money!”

Li Yi didn’t take the money from his hand but asked, “If you give it all to me, are the four of you planning to starve?”

“No, I kept 50 yuan. That’s enough to get us through until next year!” Xiaogouwa said.

“Fifty yuan won’t be enough. Just take the money for now; we can pay it all back together once I’ve earned some money!” Li Yi said.

“Brother Yi, that’s not right…”

Before Xiaogouwa could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “With Auntie San gone, you’re the pillar of the family now. Your first priority isn’t whether to pay me back, but figuring out how to raise your three younger siblings. Got it?”

Xiaogouwa nodded and said, “I understand, Brother Yi!”

“Dongzi and Qiangzi are doing well in Beijing. I’ve also made arrangements for you and Dayong. I’ll go over the details with you in a few days. You should head home now!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

With that, Xiaogouwa turned to leave, but after taking just two steps, he stopped.

Then he turned around, knelt directly before Li Yi, and bowed his head deeply.

Li Yi was taken aback at first, then immediately walked toward him—he couldn’t possibly accept such a grand gesture.

But before Li Yi could reach him, Xiaogouwa had already stood up and dashed off in a flash.

Watching the puppy boy’s receding figure, Li Yi felt a lump in his throat.

In truth, he really wanted to tell Xiao Gouwa that he owed Li Yi nothing.

In his previous life, after leaving home out of shame, he was gone for eight years. By the time he returned, his father had already passed away.

According to his second older sister, when his father passed away, it was these younger brothers who helped arrange the funeral.

Little Dog, in particular, had done the most.

So, in a way, he was repaying Xiaogouwa for his kindness—though he didn’t deserve such a grand gesture.

But he couldn’t voice these thoughts to dxmbang—after all, there was no way to explain them. He could only resolve to help the siblings more in the future.

With that thought, Li Yi let out a long sigh and turned to walk toward the courtyard.

However, just as Li Yi turned, a muffled engine roar suddenly echoed from behind him.

Li Yi turned to look and saw two olive-green jeeps appear in his line of sight, driving straight toward him!

The town was seven or eight kilometers from Nianzishan Village; under normal circumstances, the mule-drawn cart would take about an hour and a half.

But the weather today was poor; it was dark and the roads were slippery, so the big black horse and the big red mule were clearly moving much slower than usual.

Although they encountered no wolves, tigers, or other dangers along the way,

By the time Li Yi and Liu Darei arrived in town, it was nearly 11:00 p.m.

The health clinic was located at the westernmost end of town, a row of relatively tall, single-story buildings. It was the only place in Hongqi Commune where one could receive medical treatment or IV drips; the rest were all “barefoot doctors.”

Even at night, it was easy to find; after all, the health clinic was the only place in the entire town still lit up at this late hour.

Pulling the cart into the courtyard, Li Yi immediately recognized the black donkey tied to a large tree as the team’s animal.

Clearly, Xiaogouwa and the others must be inside.

Li Yi handed the mule cart over to Liu Darei and, wading through snow half a foot deep, ran into the clinic.

The clinic door was open, and there was no one on duty, so Li Yi walked right in.

Since the clinic wasn’t very large, as soon as he entered, Li Yi spotted several teenagers at the end of the hallway—and to his surprise, they were indeed Xiaogouwa and the others!

Without hesitation, Li Yi walked straight over to them!

Late at night, the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway startled Xiaogouwa, Dayong, and the others.

But since Li Yi was wearing Li Shankui’s sheepskin coat, a dogskin hat on his head, and a scarf wrapped around his face and neck, it was impossible to tell who was who.

So Xiaogouwa and the others didn’t recognize him as Li Yi until he called out “Xiaogouwa” by name.

Seeing that it was Li Yi, Xiao Gouwa and the others froze in shock!

After a long moment, Xiaogouwa choked out, “Brother Yi, my mother is gone!”

Although he had already had a premonition, when he actually heard the news, Li Yi still found it hard to believe.

It took him a while to snap out of it before he asked, “When did this happen?”

“Around ten o’clock!”

“Did the doctor confirm it?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

“Yes!” Xiaogouwa said, wiping away his tears.

Meanwhile, Er Gouzi, standing nearby, burst into loud sobs; being so young, he simply couldn’t accept the reality of his mother’s passing.

Li Yi took a deep breath, patted Xiaogouwa on the shoulder, then turned to Ergouzi and said, “Stop crying. Let’s take Aunt San home!”

Xiaogouwa wiped his tears and asked, “Brother Yi, how did you get here?”

Just as Li Yi was about to answer, he saw Liu Darei walk in from outside, carrying a rifle on his back!

“It’s Uncle Lei. We came together!”

When Liu Darei arrived and saw the children crying, he knew something was wrong.

Just as he was about to ask what had happened, Li Yi cut in, “Uncle Lei, Aunt San is gone. I remember there’s a coffin shop in town—hurry over there with the horse-drawn cart and get a coffin!”

As he spoke, Li Yi pulled a few 100-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them to Liu Darei.

Liu Darei wanted to comfort the little boy, but in the end he said nothing; he took the money and turned to leave.

Then Li Yi asked again, “Where’s your mom?”

Xiaogouwa pointed to a room nearby and said, “She’s right in there.”

“Carry your mother on your back, and let’s go home!”

But Xiaogouwa looked at Li Yi and said, “Brother Yi, lend me some money. I want to pay off the medical bills at the clinic. The director has been so kind to us…”

Li Yi didn’t say much; he simply pulled out a stack of cash, didn’t even count it, and shoved it all into Xiaogouwa’s hands.

“Brother Yi, that’s too much—I don’t need this much!”

“Take it. You’ll need it later for your mom’s funeral.”

“Okay, I’ll pay you back once I earn some money!”

With that, Little Dog walked briskly toward a room on the right side of the hallway and knocked on the door.

Soon, an elderly doctor in his fifties or sixties emerged, still in his robe.

When he heard that Xiaogouwa wanted to settle his mother’s medical bills—and that the money was borrowed—the old man fell silent.

Li Yi understood the old man’s dilemma; he clearly knew the boy’s family situation and simply couldn’t bring himself to accept the money.

But if he didn’t accept it, he would have to cover the cost himself, so the old man hesitated.

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately stepped forward and said to the old doctor, “Director, please take it. Let my third aunt pass away with a clear conscience and in peace!”

The old man sighed, then took the twenty yuan from Xiaogouwa before turning and going back inside.

After settling the medical bill, Li Yi went out to the courtyard to harness the donkey cart, while Xiaogouwa returned to the ward.

Just as Li Yi had finished harnessing the donkey cart, he saw Xiaogouwa emerge, carrying his third aunt, who was no longer breathing, with Erdouzi and Yongzi close behind.

Li Yi brushed the snow off the cart, spread some dry straw on top, and only then had Xiaogouwa place Auntie San onto it.

Shortly after, the group drove the donkey cart out of the clinic!

However, Li Yi didn’t head straight back to the village. Instead, he drove the donkey cart to a coffin shop near the commune, planning to meet up with Uncle Lei Zi and return together.

When they arrived at the coffin shop, they saw that Uncle Lei had already purchased the coffin and loaded it onto the cart.

After the two carts joined up, they set off together toward Nianzishan Village!

……..

The wind picked up along the way, and snowflakes, whipped by the gale, kept lashing against everyone’s faces, stinging like crazy!

But no one paid any attention to it; everyone’s mood at that moment was just as gloomy as the weather.

By the time they returned to the village, it was already 1:30 a.m.

The two cars pulled into Xiaogouwa’s courtyard one after the other. As soon as they stopped, Xiaogouwa rushed into the house and called out his two younger sisters’ names.

But the house was empty, and no one answered him. This terrified Xiaogouwa.

Only then did Li Yi remember that he hadn’t yet told Xiaogouwawa about sending Danya and Erya to the old family home. He immediately went inside to inform him.

Upon hearing the news, Little Gouwa finally felt at ease!

Since his two younger sisters were safe, Xiaogouwa prepared to lay his mother to rest.

Although Li Yi didn’t know much about the process, he knew he should let Daya and Erya see their mother one last time.

So he asked Xiaogouwa to carry Third Aunt back into the house first, while he rushed straight back to the old house to fetch Daya and Erya.

As soon as he arrived at the old house, before Li Yi had even stepped inside, he startled the family’s big yellow dog.

The dog’s barking alerted everyone inside, and lights quickly came on in both the east and west rooms.

Li Yi walked into the courtyard and called out to the big yellow dog.

Recognizing his voice, the big yellow dog stopped barking immediately.

Then, Li Yi knocked on the front door.

“Who’s there?”

Hearing his father’s voice, Li Yi immediately replied, “Dad, it’s me!”

Upon hearing his son’s voice, Li Shankui immediately removed the bar from the door and let Li Yi in.

As soon as he stepped inside, Li Shankui asked, “Why did you come back in the middle of the night?”

“Aunt San has passed away. I plan to take Daya and Erya back to see her one last time!” Li Yi said.

His father sighed and said, “Just take Daya with you. Erya is still too young; don’t scare her.”

“Alright!”

Just then, Third Sister came out of the west room and asked, “Xiao Yi, has Third Aunt passed away?”

“Yeah. Sis, hurry up and get Daya dressed—I need to take her back there in a minute!”

“Alright!”

While Third Sister was dressing Daya, Father quickly got dressed as well.

First, he found a few leftover firecrackers from the New Year in the main room and tucked them into his pocket.

Once Li Na had dressed Daya, Li Yi picked her up, and the two of them hurried over to Xiaogouwa’s house.

The Li Family Home. West Room!

Tang Xue was listlessly holding a book, but her mind was nowhere near the pages; her eyes kept darting toward the front door.

Li Yi and Sister Na had been gone for nearly an hour—why weren’t they back yet?

She didn’t think much of it, after all, she could feel how kind Li Yi was to her.

It was just that, as newlyweds parted for the first time, Tang Xue naturally wanted to spend a little more time with him, which was why she was so distracted.

Just as Tang Xue’s thoughts were racing, the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly came from outside the front door. Through the dim light outside the window, Tang Xue saw two slightly stocky figures appear in her line of sight.

Immediately, Tang Xue tossed her book onto the bedside table, jumped out of bed to put on her shoes, and went out to greet them.

But when she pushed the door open, she saw that Li Yi had already stepped inside, and to her surprise, he was holding a girl of about sixteen or seventeen in his arms.

Similarly, Sister Na was holding a young girl in her arms as well, though this one appeared even younger.

“You… weren’t you supposed to be at the educated youth commune? Where did these girls come from?” Tang Xue asked in surprise.

“These are Third Aunt’s two daughters—Little Dog’s sisters!” Li Yi explained.

“Then why did you bring them home? Where’s Little Gouwa?”

“Auntie San is sick. Xiaogouwa and the others took her to town for treatment. Only these two were left at home. I only realized something was wrong when I heard the children crying!” Li Yi explained.

Tang Xue was kind-hearted by nature, and upon hearing this, she immediately said, “Oh my, haven’t they eaten yet?”

“Daya, have you had lunch yet?”

Li Yi knew that most villagers didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast, and the two little girls certainly hadn’t had dinner, so he only needed to ask if they’d had lunch.

“No!” said Daya.

Er Ya, however, whispered, “My sister gave us some yams (potatoes)!”

“How did you eat them?”

“Raw. They were so sweet, but a little cold!” Er Ya said.

Hearing this, the three people in the main room fell silent, and Li Na and Tang Xue couldn’t help but feel a lump in their throats.

Eating raw potatoes in the dead of winter and calling them sweet—it was clear that Little Gouwa’s family situation was indeed dire.

Li Yi immediately said, “Come on, let’s go into the main room and talk!”

Carrying the two little girls into the main room, Li Yi saw that his father was already lying down, though he hadn’t taken off his clothes to sleep.

He’d been waiting specifically for Li Yi, hoping to have a word with his son.

But when he saw Li Yi carrying Daya and Erya, he was taken aback!

After briefly explaining the situation to his father, Li Yi quickly asked Li Na to cook some noodles for the two little girls.

Then, turning to his father and Tang Xue, he said, “Dad, Xue, I plan to head into town to check on things!”

Xiaogouwa and the others knew full well there were two little ones at home, yet they hadn’t returned even at this late hour—clearly, Third Aunt’s condition wasn’t good.

Considering that Xiaogouwa was only 16 this year and Erdouzi was just 11, Li Yi was genuinely worried they wouldn’t be able to handle it. dxmbang

“How are you going to go out this late? Besides, it just snowed, and the roads are treacherous!” Tang Xue said with concern.

“It’s fine. I plan to take the horse-drawn cart. As long as I bring a flashlight, it shouldn’t be a problem!” Li Yi said.

“Can’t you go tomorrow?”

Tang Xue was still worried; she really didn’t feel comfortable with Li Yi traveling at night so late.

Setting aside the condition of the road for now, you have to realize that Nanzishan Village is right next to Daqing Mountain, and at the foot of the mountain lies a vast forest teeming with all kinds of wild animals.

On days of heavy snow, these wild animals come down the mountain when they can’t find food, so traveling late at night is simply too dangerous.

Just then, Li Shankui suddenly said, “Let him go!”

He knew his son’s temperament well—once he’d made up his mind, not even eight oxen could pull him back.

Besides, while Tang Xue hadn’t realized that tonight’s events were out of the ordinary, Li Shankui, having lived this long, certainly could.

Xiaogouwa usually followed his son around; in a situation like this, he ought to go see if he can be of any help!

Li Yi thought for a moment, then said to Tang Xue, “Don’t worry. I’ll go find Uncle Lei in a bit and ask him to come with me!”

“Hmm, your Uncle Lei is the best hunter in the village. Make sure he brings his gun!” Li Shankui said.

“Alright!”

“Be careful on your way there!” Tang Xue said, still a little worried.

“Got it!”

With that, Li Yi went outside to harness the horse to the cart, while Li Shankui put on his coat and went out into the yard, first using a broom to sweep the snow off the cart.

Then he gathered a bundle of hemp twigs from the yard and loaded it onto the cart, before taking down the cotton curtains that shielded the windows from the wind and spreading them over the cart.

Seeing that Li Yi had led out only a black horse, Li Shankui said again, “Take the big red mule too—two strong animals will pull the cart better!”

“Alright!”

After harnessing the animals, Li Yi put on his father’s sheepskin coat and was just about to head out when Li Na called him back.

She pressed a steaming hot water bottle into his arms, gave him a few parting words of advice, and only then let him go.

After driving the cart out the gate, Li Yi headed straight for Dongzi’s house nearby.

Going into town late at night wasn’t exactly safe, but having Uncle Lei along would make it much safer.

When he arrived at Dongzi’s house, he saw that the lights inside were already out; clearly, the couple had already gone to bed.

That’s just how people in the countryside are—especially in winter, they turn in early, around eight or nine o’clock at night.

“Uncle Lei!”

Li Yi called out to Liu Darei while shining his flashlight back and forth at the window.

After a short while, the light inside came on, and Liu Darei’s voice came from within: “Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Xiao Yi!”

“Oh, why are you coming over so late, kid? Is something wrong?”

“Uncle Lei, I need to make a quick trip to town. Could you come with me?” Li Yi called out loudly.

“Alright, just give me a minute to get dressed!”

“Alright, Uncle Lei, make sure to bundle up—it’s a bit chilly. And grab your gun on the way out!”

“Alright!”

About ten minutes later, Liu Darei came out wearing a military overcoat, with a long gun slung over his shoulder.

Although Li Yi didn’t recognize the type of gun, he could tell it wasn’t an ordinary hunting rifle, but a real military rifle.

After getting into the car, Liu Darei said, breathing out a puff of warm air, “I heard you were back this afternoon and was just planning to swing by your place tomorrow to have a chat. I never expected you’d call me out in the middle of the night!”

“What, you want to ask about Dongzi?”

“Yeah! He’s been gone for almost a month and hasn’t even written a single letter. I’m a bit worried!”

“Everyone’s doing fine. I’ll find time in a couple of days to let you guys call them!” Li Yi said.

“That’d be great!”

Then Liu Darei asked again, “By the way, what were you doing out in town this late at night? It’s dangerous out there—you could’ve been snatched up by a wolf!”

Li Yi sighed and explained the situation at Xiaogouwa’s house to Liu Darei.

After hearing the story, Liu Darei sighed and said, “We heard things were getting serious at Old Three’s place over twenty days ago. Xiaogouwa took her to the clinic a couple of times, but it didn’t seem to help much. Looks like she really can’t hold on this time!”

“Let’s go to the clinic first to see how things are. If that doesn’t work, we’ll take her to the county hospital!”

“It’s no use!”

After that, both fell silent!

For a moment, on the rural path in the snowy night, only the creaking and rumbling of the horse-drawn cart could be heard!

The educated youth commune… the girls’ dormitory!

Seeing the brother and sister arrive so late at night, Zhang Xinyao and Feng Qian were both a bit surprised.

Especially Li Yi—when Zhang Xinyao had gone to the Li family’s house that morning to say goodbye to Tang Xue, he hadn’t even returned yet, and now he’d actually come to their educated youth commune in the evening.

“Come warm your hands by the stove. How did you manage to make it over in such cold weather?” Zhang Xinyao said with a smile.

“After he got back, he heard you were going back to the city and said he wanted to have a word with you!”

Li Na had been staying in the female educated youth dormitory quite often because of Tang Xue, so she got along very well with Zhang Xinyao and the others.

So she didn’t hold back at all; as she spoke, she walked straight over and squatted down by the stove!

Zhang Xinyao glanced at Li Yi. Although she didn’t know what he wanted to talk to her about, she asked, “Should we talk inside or outside?”

“Inside!”

Villagers love to gossip. If a man and a woman were seen alone outside, who knows what rumors would spread!

“Okay, then sit down. I’ll pour you some water!” Zhang Xinyao said.

“No need for water. I heard you’re planning to go back to the city?”

“Right. I got my transfer orders a few days ago. I’m planning to leave first thing tomorrow morning!”

Hearing this, Li Na, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but glance at Li Yi. It really was a good thing he’d come over this late at night.

If she’d listened to her and come tomorrow, he would’ve probably already left.

“Have you made up your mind?”

Zhang Xinyao looked at Li Yi and said, “What’s there to think about? There’s no hope of staying here, and at least back home I’ll have a job!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. See if it works for you!”

“What is it?”

“I’ve opened a shop in Beijing, and I’m short-staffed right now. I’d like you to come to Beijing to help me out. I’ll pay you a salary later!” Li Yi said, making a startling proposal.

“Me, go to Beijing?” Zhang Xinyao asked, looking completely stunned.

“Yeah, Dongzi, Qiangzi, Shitou, and a few others have already gone up there, but we’re still short-handed!”

Zhang Xinyao paused for a moment. Just as Li Yi thought she was going to take some time to consider it, she said directly, “Okay, then I won’t go back!”

Li Yi was taken aback by the girl’s decisiveness and blurted out, “Don’t you want to think it over?”

“No, I know you wouldn’t hurt me. Since you need me to help you, I’ll go!”

To be honest, Zhang Xinyao was truly grateful to Li Yi from the bottom of her heart.

Over the past few months, she and the other female educated youth had made a decent amount of money picking mushrooms with Li Yi.

Although they didn’t earn as much as Dongzi and the others, in less than four months, each of them had made at least 300 yuan.

Combined with the money and grain distributed by the village this year, Zhang Xinyao’s total income for the year exceeded 400 yuan.

It was precisely this money that had greatly eased the financial strain on her family.

Besides, she knew all too well what a mess things were at home. Rather than watching it all unfold and getting upset, she’d rather earn more money with Li Yi and send it back to them.

“Alright then. In a couple of days, once the snow melts, I’ll arrange for you to go to Beijing!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Having managed to keep Zhang Xinyao without much trouble, Li Yi was feeling quite pleased. Just as he was about to head back early to tell Tang Xue the news, Feng Qian suddenly spoke up from the side!

“I… I want to go too. Is that okay?”

Li Yi was taken aback when he heard this!

As for Feng Qian, the female educated youth, Li Yi hadn’t had much interaction with her in his previous life; he’d only occasionally heard Zhang Xinyao mention her.

From what Zhang Xinyao had told him, Feng Qian seemed to be the most successful among their dorm mates—not only had she married a husband who doted on her, but she’d also managed to secure a permanent government position in the county.

“If you want to come along to Beijing, it’s not out of the question. I’m just a little worried I might hold you back—your family circumstances seem better than Xiao Xue’s and Sister Xinyao’s!” Li Yi said.

Feng Qian shook her head. “What’s there to hold me back? My family’s just average. Besides, if Sister Xinyao leaves, I’ll be the only one left here, and I wouldn’t dare stay on my own!”

“Since you want to come along, then let’s go!”

“Thank you!”

“Haha, you’re coming to work for me—I’m the one who should be thanking you!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Zhang Xinyao and the others heard this and laughed along!

…….

By the time they left the educated youth commune, it was already 7:30.

Li Yi had originally planned to go home, but as he passed by Xiaogouwa’s house, he heard a child crying inside, even though the lights were off.

Thinking of Xiao Gouwa’s situation, Li Yi immediately took Li Na by the hand, pushed open the gate, and walked in.

The room was pitch-black; he couldn’t see a thing, only hear the sound of a child crying.

Li Yi immediately called out through the door, “Aunt San, Xiaogouwa, are you home?”

The house fell silent, but no one answered Li Yi.

Realizing something was wrong, Li Yi and Li Na immediately pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Passing through the pitch-black main room, the siblings made their way straight to the inner room.

It was just as dark and cold inside.

It was the dead of winter, yet there was no fire burning in Xiaogouwa’s home—how could that be?

They searched the heated bed but saw no one; Third Aunt, who was usually bedridden, seemed to be missing as well.

Li Yi tried calling out, “Auntie San,” but still received no answer.

Fortunately, Li Yi always carried matches with him. He immediately pulled one out and struck it. By the faint light, he spotted two tiny figures in the corner beneath the edge of the kang.

Because it was so dark, the two little girls didn’t recognize Li Yi. The sisters clung tightly to each other, shivering.

“Daya, Erya, don’t be afraid. It’s Big Brother Yi!”

Perhaps recognizing Li Yi’s voice, the slightly older of the two, Daya, asked timidly, “Are you really Big Brother Yi?”

Li Na spoke up then: “Daya, it’s Sister Na. Come over here quickly—the floor is cold!”

Hearing Li Na’s voice, the two little girls instantly burst into loud sobs.

Hearing the children’s cries, Li Yi felt a pang of sorrow. He immediately stepped forward with his third older sister, and they each picked up one of the little ones.

After comforting them for a while, once the two little girls had calmed down, Li Yi asked, “Where’s your mom and your older brothers? Why are there only the two of you at home?”

“Mom’s sick. Big Brother, Second Brother, and Yongzi are pushing Mom to the doctor… Sniffle, sniffle…”

Although he had already suspected as much, hearing this still made Li Yi’s heart skip a beat.

Auntie San’s illness had been going on for quite some time; in fact, she’d been unwell even when Uncle San was still alive. He hadn’t expected Uncle San to pass away so early, while she’d managed to hold on until now.

And ever since Uncle San’s unexpected passing, the burden of the household had fallen on Xiaogouwa’s shoulders—it really was a heavy burden for him to bear.

“Do you know where your brother took your mom for treatment?” Li Yi asked Daya again.

“To town!”

Li Yi knew there was a small clinic in town, so it was clear that Little Gouwa had taken his mother there.

As for the two little girls, they were too young to bring along, so they had to stay at home.

Worried they might get burned by the stove or suffocate from the smoke, he simply put out the fire.

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately said, “It’s too cold at home. Why don’t we stay at Uncle Li’s house tonight?”

“Big Brother doesn’t let us just go to other people’s houses!” said the older girl.

“Uncle Li isn’t just anyone’s house. Come on, let’s go home and have some good food!”

With that, Li Yi picked up Daya, and Lina picked up Erya as they left Xiaogouwang’s house.

When they first left, Li Yi had intended to lock the door, but after searching everywhere, he couldn’t find the key, so he had to give up.

Besides, apart from that half-barrel of mixed grains, there wasn’t much of value in Xiaogouwa’s house anyway, so it didn’t really matter whether they locked it or not.

And so, Li Yi and Li Na took the two little girls back to the Li household!

After dinner, Li Yi fed his red mule and black horse, gave them plenty of hay for the night, and then set out with Third Sister!

He planned to make a trip to the educated youth commune to have a chat with Zhang Xinyao.

Originally, Li Yi had wanted to take Tang Xue with him, but it had just snowed outside; the roads were dark and slippery, making it easy to fall.

Plus, Tang Xue was currently pregnant with twins, making it quite difficult for her to get around.

In the end, Li Yi had no choice but to come with his third sister!

The freshly snow-covered road was treacherous; his feet slipped easily, and the snow crunched beneath his steps.

As the wind picked up in the evening, it blew snowflakes off the roofs and walls, making a rustling sound as they hit their clothes.

If the wind blew the snow into their faces, it felt icy and cold—it was quite uncomfortable.

Braving the biting cold, Li Na said with a hint of frustration, “I’m telling you, you’re so stubborn—you take everything I say at face value!”

“What’s the matter?”

“Can’t you wait until tomorrow to talk about this? Why come over in the middle of the night? Aren’t you afraid Xiao Xue will get the wrong idea?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I brought you along, didn’t I? Besides, I’m here to talk business with Zhang Zhqing—don’t read too much into it, Xiaoxue!”

Actually, Li Yi didn’t want to come over this late either, but he was worried that Zhang Xinyao would get up early and leave.

After all, she’d already said goodbye to Tang Xue today, so it would be perfectly normal for her to leave tomorrow.

“Don’t drag me into this kind of thing in the future—or I’ll slap you!”

“Got it!”

With that, the siblings huddled close and quickened their pace toward the educated youth camp!

The reason Li Yi wanted to keep Zhang Xinyao around wasn’t simply because she was Tang Xue’s close friend or had spoken well of him.

Rather, he knew that Zhang Xinyao’s return this time wouldn’t bring her anything good; it could be said to mark the beginning of the tragedy of her life.

In his previous life, Zhang Xinyao was supposed to return to the city this August, less than two months after Tang Xue, but for some reason in this life, she was nearly three months late.

But based on what he knew of Zhang Xinyao, as long as she returned to her hometown, she would be unable to escape a tragic fate.

In his previous life, Li Yi didn’t meet Zhang Xinyao until several years later, by which time she was already the mother of two children.

However, her life was far from good.

In just a few short years, she looked like she was in her forties, even though she wasn’t yet thirty.

Since she was the only one who regularly visited Tang Xue’s grave to tend to it, Li Yi had made a point of learning more about Zhang Xinyao.

As far as he knew, after finishing her rural placement in North Sai Province, Zhang Xinyao had returned to her hometown of Li County.

Soon after, she married a local thug.

The reason was simple: she was short on money!

Unlike Tang Xue, who had been forced into marriage by Tang Jizhong and Li Hongmei, Zhang Xinyao’s family did not pressure her; on the contrary, they all tried to dissuade her from marrying that thug.

But there was no other choice: her mother was seriously ill and needed medical treatment, her younger brother needed to get married, and she herself was no longer young.

Looking across the entire county of Li, he was the only one willing to pay a 300-yuan dowry—and that was only because they were “classmates.”

And so, having compromised with reality, Zhang Xinyao sold herself for 300 yuan!

After the wedding, the man didn’t treat her well; he was constantly beating or berating her, and especially after drinking, he treated her as his personal punching bag.

That would have been bad enough—if life had just continued like that, it wouldn’t have been impossible, just a bit difficult.

But what was even more tragic was that a few years later, the man was sentenced to death for sexual assault, and she found herself a widow before she knew it.

With two children to raise and a husband who had been executed, her life became incredibly difficult.

But to give her credit, her character was truly beyond reproach.

Even though her own life was so hard, she still made time every year to travel dozens of kilometers to the neighboring county to visit Tang Xue’s grave—that kind of devotion is truly touching.

Moreover, after Tang Xue took her own life, she was the first to write to the Li family to inform them of the news.

Later, when Li Yi went to Yong County to have Tang Xue’s remains reinterred, she helped out a great deal.

So Li Yi has always felt deeply grateful to this woman.

In his previous life, Li Yi had helped her a great deal later on, lifting her out of poverty.

But unfortunately, by the time Li Yi saw her again, several years had passed, and many things had already been set in stone.

For the rest of her life, just like Li Yi, she remained alone!

In this life, Zhang Xinyao hadn’t returned yet, and the tragedy hadn’t unfolded, so Li Yi hoped she would be well.

Just like Tang Xue, she would find someone who loved her.

In the years to come, she doesn’t seek wealth or prestige, but only happiness and peace of mind.

……

The educated youth camp. Girls’ dormitory!

Under the dim light of a kerosene lamp, Zhang Xinyao was packing her bags.

She had just returned from Secretary Feng’s house, where she had asked Uncle Feng to take her to the county seat tomorrow morning, thus bringing her life as a sent-down youth in North Sai Province to an end.

Beside Zhang Xinyao, Feng Qian tended the stove with a melancholy air.

After tying the opening of her burlap sack, Zhang Xinyao turned around and saw Feng Qian quietly wiping away tears. She sighed immediately.

She walked over to Feng Qian, patted her on the shoulder, and said, “Why are you crying? Don’t you want me to leave?”

“Yeah, Sister Xinyao, once you’re gone, I’ll be the only one left at the sent-down youth camp. I’m scared!” Feng Qian said through her tears.

Hearing this, Zhang Xinyao could only offer comfort: “It’s okay. You should be heading back soon, too!”

Feng Qian shook her head without speaking, but her tears kept streaming down her face, her eyes filled with sorrow and worry.

There weren’t many educated youth in Nianzi Mountain Village to begin with, and over the past few years, many had either gotten married, passed exams to leave, or used connections to return to the city.

In short, most of them had left one after another, and there weren’t many left at all.

As for the female educated youth, by this year there were only four of them left: Feng Qian, Zhang Xinyao, Zhong Na, and Tang Xue.

But after July, Tang Xue married Li Yi and moved out of the dormitory.

In September, Zhong Na also received a transfer order to return to the city and left Nianzi Mountain Village.

On top of that, because of the incident where they tried to poison Li Yi, some of the male educated youth were sentenced to prison, while the others felt too ashamed to stay in the village and left one after another.

As a result, in the vast educated youth settlement, only she and Zhang Xinyao remained.

Now that Zhang Xinyao was also returning to the city, she was the only girl left at the sent-down youth settlement.

Just think about it—a place this big, with just a young girl like her left to look after it. How on earth was she supposed to get by?

“When I went to Secretary Feng’s house the other day, I mentioned your situation. Uncle Feng said if things don’t work out, he’ll find you a companion!” Zhang Xinyao said.

Feng Qian wiped away her tears and said, “Sister Xinyao, you don’t need to worry about me too much. I’m just a little sad to see you go—once you leave, who knows when we’ll see each other again!”

Zhang Xinyao was from Qin Province, while Feng Qian was from Yu Province—the distance between them was far more than a thousand miles.

In this era of poor transportation, this parting might very well be for a lifetime.

“It’s okay. I know your address, and you know mine. We can write to each other…”

Just as she spoke, the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow suddenly echoed outside the door!

Immediately afterward, a series of “thump, thump, thump” came from the door of their dorm room.

“Who is it?” Zhang Xinyao asked warily.

“It’s me, Li Na!”

Hearing Li Na’s voice, Zhang Xinyao and Feng Qian immediately relaxed and opened the door.

But once the door was open, they realized there was someone else besides Li Na.

Upon closer inspection, they saw that Li Yi was standing right there outside the door—though he hadn’t come inside.

“May I come in?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

Zhang Xinyao glanced at Feng Qian and herself—they were both fully clothed, and there were no women’s undergarments in the room—so she nodded immediately and said, “Come on in!”

Li Yi immediately shook the snow off his shoes and strode into the room!

Li Yi slept particularly soundly that night, and when he woke up, it was already getting dark outside.

Li Yi climbed out of bed and noticed that Tang Xue beside him was already up; only a thin quilt lay crumpled to one side.

At the same time, muffled voices could be heard faintly from the main room.

It must be Tang Xue chatting with Third Sister, but to avoid waking him, they were deliberately keeping their voices down.

Li Yi glanced at his watch; it was almost six o’clock. No wonder it was already so dark outside.

He immediately got up, put on his shoes, and walked out of the west room.

Seeing Li Yi push open the door, Tang Xue asked right away, “Why didn’t you sleep in a little longer? Did our talking wake you up?”

“No, I just woke up!”

Li Na, standing nearby, launched into her usual rant: “You slept through your nap until it was pitch black—what more do you want? That’s just Little Yi for you. If it were me or Big Sister or Second Sister doing that, Mom and Dad would’ve been yelling at us ages ago!”

Li Yi didn’t argue. At home, his parents did indeed favor sons over daughters—and they made no secret of it.

Actually, it wasn’t just the Li family; the vast majority of households in the village were the same.

“Where’s Dad?”

“He went out to tend to the mules and horses. He should be back soon!” Tang Xue replied.

Li Yi hummed in acknowledgment and asked, “What were you two talking about just now? I could hear you whispering back and forth from inside the house!”

Tang Xue replied immediately, “We were talking about Xinyao!”

“Xinyao? You mean Zhang Xinyao, the educated youth? What’s up with her?” Li Yi asked offhandedly.

“Xinyao is going back to the city. Sister Na and I were discussing whether to give her a little gift, just as a keepsake!”

“Zhang Xinyao is going back to the city? When is that?” Li Yi frowned.

Although Tang Xue didn’t know why Li Yi had that look on his face, she still said, “She came over this morning and told me that her family has already arranged her transfer back to the city. The brigade and the commune are willing to let her go, so it should happen in the next day or two!”

Li Na, standing nearby, interjected, “I don’t think she’ll be leaving anytime soon!”

“Why?” Tang Xue asked, puzzled.

“You’re so clueless! With all this snow, forget about getting to the county seat—even if you made it there, you still couldn’t get to the city!”

“You’re right. That means we still have a few days to prepare!” Tang Xue said, sounding a bit pleased.

Li Yi immediately chimed in, “You two seem pretty invested in this. Why do you insist on giving her a gift?”

“First, Xinyao is practically a fellow villager of mine. We get along really well, so she’s like a sister to me.”

Tang Xue continued, “Second, she’s such a kind-hearted person. When I first came to the village, I had a hard time adjusting, and she was the one who looked after me.”

“Especially during the time we weren’t married—she was the one who kept cheering me up. Otherwise, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through that period.”

At that moment, Third Sister Li Na chimed in: “To be honest, you should thank Xinyao too—she’s said plenty of good things about you to Xue!”

Hearing this, Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then asked, “Do you know anything about Zhang Zhique’s family situation?”

“I know a little bit. Xinyao’s family has four children; she’s the second oldest, with two younger brothers—one two years younger than her and the other four years younger.”

Tang Xue continued, “Her father works as a boiler operator at the county high school, and her mother is a temporary worker at a textile factory. Since they’ve always been struggling financially, a few years back they even had to rely on Sister Xinyao to save her food rations and send them back home!”

Li Yi immediately felt more confident and said, “I want to keep her here. Do you think that’s possible?”

“Keep… keep her?” Tang Xue asked.

“Keep her for what?” Li Na asked.

Li Yi knew this could easily lead to misunderstandings, so he paused to gather his thoughts before saying, “As you know, we have a store in Beijing. Business is booming, but we’re currently short-staffed!”

“You want Xinyao to go to Beijing to help you?” Tang Xue asked thoughtfully.

“Exactly!”

“Don’t you already have Brother Long and Qiangzi there? I heard you even brought that kid Liu San over. Isn’t that enough staff?” Li Na frowned.

“We run a restaurant, and there are actually a lot of tasks that aren’t suitable for men to do—like washing vegetables and serving dishes, or washing pots, wiping dishes, and cleaning up. Girls have a natural advantage in these areas!”

Li Yi continued, “Actually, I’ve been thinking about where to find a few hardworking and reliable women. Now that you mention it, I think Zhang Zhqing would be a good fit!”

“Why do you have to bring in outsiders? Can’t I, your third older sister, help you out?”

Hearing this, Tang Xue couldn’t help but laugh. She knew full well why Li Na was so eager to go to Beijing!

“Our shop is five or six hundred square meters—that’s bigger than our entire courtyard. One or two people won’t cut it; I reckon we’ll need at least four or five women!” Li Yi said.

Tang Xue thought for a moment and said, “If that’s the case, I could ask Sister Xinyao. How much do you plan to pay them?”

“I heard from Sister Xinyao that the job she got back home is at a cannery, and she makes about 25 yuan a month. We definitely can’t pay them less than that!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “So do you know how much I pay Dongzi, Qiangzi, and Shitou?”

“No idea!”

“100 yuan!”

“A year?”

“A month!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Tang Xue and Li Na were both stunned—this wage level was completely beyond their wildest imagination!

Although they had grown accustomed to Li Yi’s “huge” daily earnings of several hundred yuan during this period, the Li family’s expenses for collecting mushrooms were also substantial. Essentially, they would settle the bill at the state-run restaurant in the morning and distribute the money to the village members as soon as they returned.

In reality, after several months, the Li family hadn’t saved much money.

Precisely because of this, they were actually quite sensitive about money and didn’t consider 100 yuan to be a small sum just because they were earning a lot.

On top of that, they knew that their eldest sister and brother-in-law, working their butts off at the sugar factory, barely made 72 yuan a month combined.

And yet Dongzi and his friends—just teenagers—were actually making a hundred yuan a month. How could they not be surprised?

“Isn’t a hundred yuan a month a bit too much?” Tang Xue whispered.

Li Yi nodded and said, “It is a bit high, but they’re brothers who’ve been working hard alongside me—it’s only fair to give them a little extra!”

“So do you plan to give Sister Xinyao a hundred-yuan salary too?”

“Since she’s your good friend and spoke so highly of me, I’ll give her 100 yuan too. But I can’t do that for anyone else!”

Li Yi had his own thoughts on the matter of wages.

It’s only natural for the founding members to be paid more—not only should their salaries be higher, but they could even be given equity incentives when necessary.

But for everyone else, paying above the industry average is sufficient.

But to Tang Xue, those words carried a different meaning: “It’s because of you that I want to keep her; and it’s because of you that I’m offering her a higher salary.”

So, upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Tang Xue was utterly moved.

“You… you’re so good to me!”

Seeing the look of gratitude on Tang Xue’s face, Li Yi knew she had misunderstood.

But he didn’t correct her—this misunderstanding was rather sweet, and explaining it would take away the charm.

More importantly, some things simply couldn’t be explained—like why he wanted to keep Zhang Xinyao around!