Chapter 247: The Food Crisis

As October began, temperatures in North Sai Province dropped rapidly!

Before mid-October had even arrived, frost had already settled across the fields, and every morning, ice shards would even appear along the small river outside the village!

As temperatures dropped, the Li family’s business was hit the hardest.

On October 5, Li Yi personally used the village’s public address system to announce that, effective immediately, the Li family would cease purchasing mushrooms.

In fact, as the weather grew colder, mushrooms in the mountains had largely stopped growing; even if people ventured into the mountains, it was difficult to find mushrooms of acceptable quality.

Moreover, the villagers didn’t have much time to go mushroom picking these days, so when they heard the Li family had stopped buying mushrooms, although they were reluctant to see it end, they didn’t say a word!

Besides, now that the harvest was nearly complete, everyone had to haul firewood and sort hay, hand in their grain quotas, and distribute rations to the commune members—they were swamped!

Li Yi hasn’t been idle these past few days either. Since he no longer has to make daily trips to the county seat, he’s been busy every day with a few of his younger brothers working on the new house!

They had to pack the previously sun-dried mushrooms into bags and stack them neatly in the storage shed.

On top of that, they had to go to Second Sister’s house to bring back the dried mushrooms stored there.

On the one hand, Second Sister’s family didn’t have a storage room—they only had three small rooms in their entire house, so there was nowhere to store all those mushrooms.

On the other hand, storing dried mushrooms requires specific conditions—they must not get damp or be exposed to water, and his second sister’s home doesn’t meet those requirements.

Since there were simply too many mushrooms, Li Yi and six or seven of his younger brothers worked tirelessly for over ten days before they finally finished processing all the dried mushrooms.

At the same time, Li Yi weighed the dried mushrooms that had been sun-dried.

Wow, in just three months from July to now, they’d managed to dry over 100,000 pounds of mushrooms.

If you calculate that five pounds of fresh mushrooms yield one pound of dried mushrooms, that means in just three months, they had harvested over 500,000 pounds of fresh mushrooms.

Seeing these figures, Li Yi was somewhat stunned.

But upon reflection, he understood—this was the result of over three months of hard work by the villagers from both villages. He had intentionally limited the quantity; otherwise, the yield would likely have been even greater.

For now, all the dried mushrooms have been stored in the warehouse. Next, they just need to wait for the price of dried mushrooms to rise before shipping them out!

One hundred thousand jin of dried mushrooms could normally fetch over 200,000 yuan!

Yet Li Yi’s total costs didn’t even reach 100,000 yuan—a 100% profit margin!

It’s just a pity that the price of dried mushrooms isn’t high enough yet; he’ll have to wait at least one or two months before he can sell them.

Once these matters are settled, the trip to the capital must be put on the agenda.

Although the relevant decree was issued by the capital on November 4th, it would be too late to go there at that time.

Since the newly issued administrative order only permits ordinary citizens to engage in food service and small commodity trade—a rather narrow scope—the market is relatively concentrated.

It’s easy to imagine that once the decree is officially announced, prices for shops and storefronts in the capital will inevitably skyrocket, and arriving too late might mean he won’t be able to secure a lease.

Therefore, Li Yi needs to go ahead of time to secure a storefront!

After some deliberation, Li Yi decided to set out before October 25th, giving himself 10 days to secure a storefront!

However, just as Li Yi was about to discuss this matter with his family, he noticed that the atmosphere at home felt off!

The Li Family’s Old Mansion!

Night had fallen, and the streetlights were just coming on!

When Li Yi returned from the new house, he saw his third older sister cooking at the stove, with his mother helping her nearby!

His father was crouched on a small stool by the door, his brow furrowed!

He didn’t see Tang Xue, but the light was on in the western room—she must be inside reading.

Ever since she’d made up her mind to get into a prestigious university in the capital, the girl had devoted all her energy to her studies. Aside from mealtimes, she spent almost all her time reading and studying—she was incredibly diligent.

As soon as he walked in, Li Yi sensed that the atmosphere at home was a bit off. Everyone was silent, unlike the usual chatter and laughter.

“Dad, Mom, what’s going on? Why aren’t you saying anything? Did you guys have a fight?”

His father glared at him and said irritably, “If we’re not talking, does that mean we’re fighting? Can’t you give us a break?”

“Then what’s really going on? Why are you reacting like this?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

His father sighed and said, “The commune posted the ration plan today. It’s a 50-50 split between per-capita rations and work-point rations, and each person’s food allowance is only 180 jin!”

“180 jin? That’s so little?”

No wonder Li Yi was so surprised. After all, even though last year’s harvest wasn’t great, each commune member still received 225 jin of per capita rations.

Add in the work-point rations, and any able-bodied worker could get about 420 jin.

But who would have thought that this year’s ration would be only 180 jin!

Don’t underestimate a mere 45 jin—in the village, that’s equivalent to an adult’s food consumption for a month and a half.

And that’s just for one person. Some families in the village have ten or twenty members—that means a shortfall of several hundred pounds of grain.

Father sighed and said, “We had little rain this summer, so the crops missed their growing window. Then the first frost came early in the fall. Both the wheat and the buckwheat yielded only sixty percent of last year’s harvest.”

“And after deducting the grain quota for the state, the village’s surplus is already minimal, so we have no choice but to cut back on the per-capita rations!”

Li Yi paused for a moment, then said to his father, “Dad, if we have to get by with less, so be it. We won’t go hungry anyway, so please don’t be upset!”

However, Li Shankui shook his head and said, “I’m not worried about our family going hungry. It’s just that when I think about the other families in the village, with such meager rations, many of them are going to have a hard time.”

“It’s not that bad,” Li Yi replied. “Everyone’s made a decent profit working with the Li family these past two months. They shouldn’t go hungry.”

“That’s true, but right now most people have money but no ration tickets. It’s not very cost-effective to buy grain with cash!”

Then Old Man Li continued, “Besides, there are some families in the village with lots of kids. With so few rations and so many children, they’ll have a really hard time getting by!”

“It’s come to this—there’s nothing we can do about it,” Li Yi sighed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be pretty resourceful? Can’t you think of a way?”

Before Li Yi could speak, Zhang Yuehong, standing nearby, snapped, “You old fool! How dare you drag your son into this thankless task?”

“If he does a good job, others reap the benefits; if he messes up, our son gets the blame. Have you lost your mind?”

Meanwhile, Third Sister Li Na, who was cooking nearby, chimed in, “Dad, this is food for hundreds of people in the whole village. In the middle of winter, where do you expect Xiao Yi to go and conjure it up?”

Faced with his wife and daughter’s words, the old man fell silent as usual, sitting on his little stool with his head bowed, saying nothing!

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Dad, do you really want me to help the villagers?”

“Is there a way?”

“There is a way, but it requires everyone’s agreement!” Li Yi said.

“Tell me your idea!” his father said, his face full of hope.

“Hmm!”

Immediately, Li Yi briefly explained his idea to his father.

After hearing Li Yi’s plan, Li Shankui immediately stood up from his small stool and, grabbing Li Yi’s arm, headed straight for the front gate!

After driving along the main street of the county town for a short while, the car turned onto a side road!

It then drove north for two or three kilometers before finally coming to a stop in front of a small courtyard.

“Where is this?”

“Li Yeqiao’s house!” Li Gang replied.

“You mean he’s planning to treat me to a meal at his home?”

“Yeah, he actually wanted to take you to a state-run restaurant, but the case isn’t closed yet, and he’s been ordered to stay home—he can’t go anywhere!” Li Gang said.

“Huh, if he can’t leave the house, how did he know I was back?”

Li Gang immediately laughed it off and said, “Well, after I came back from your place yesterday, I had to go back to Old Li’s house because of the case. I happened to mention you, so he insisted on treating you to a meal and even specifically asked me to come pick you up!”

“You might as well just admit you sold me out. Why all the excuses?” Li Yi said, speechless.

Liang Yukui, standing nearby, chuckled and said, “Brother Li Yi, you saved Old Li’s life, so it’s only natural he’d treat you to a meal!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Alright, I was just joking. Since we’re here, let’s go inside!”

“Alright!”

Meanwhile, Li Yeqiao, who was inside the house, spotted the Jeep at the entrance and realized it was Li Yi. He immediately ran out in his slippers to greet him.

Spotting Li Yi from a distance, Li Yeqiao said with a look of deep gratitude, “Brother Li Yi, you’ve finally arrived. Words can’t express my gratitude. If it weren’t for your guidance, I, Li Yeqiao, would have been truly finished!”

“You’re overdoing it. It was you who pulled back from the brink and held your ground—I didn’t deserve all the credit!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Li Yi wasn’t being modest; he was simply telling the truth.

The main reason Li Yeqiao had been sentenced to death in his previous life was ultimately his own fault.

Upon discovering irregularities in the Hongqi Station’s accounts, Li Yeqiao did not immediately report the matter to the relevant authorities, nor did he report Du Caie.

Instead, he used his position to help her cover up her crimes and went to great lengths to falsify the accounts, attempting to plug the tens of thousands of yuan hole.

But in the end, he had underestimated Du Caie’s greed. With him cleaning up her mess behind the scenes, she became even more brazen.

Moreover, once she had money, she became even more extravagant, and was eventually reported!

Most surprisingly, the person who reported Du Caie was none other than Liu, one of her other lovers.

Suspecting financial irregularities due to Du Caie’s habitual extravagance, Liu, fearing he might be implicated, filed an anonymous report with the county authorities.

Subsequently, county authorities conducted a surprise audit of the Hongqi Credit Union and discovered that over ten thousand yuan had mysteriously vanished from the cash balance. That very night, Du Caie was taken to the Public Security Bureau for questioning. This investigation uncovered a major scandal that shocked the entire nation.

Several months later, the Qingshan County Court sentenced Du Caie to death, to be carried out immediately.

Li Yeqiao, as an accomplice, was also sentenced to death.

In this life, he clearly wasn’t as foolish as he had been in his previous one; instead, he chose to pull back from the brink and cut his losses.

Although retaining his position as director of the credit union was out of the question, at least he wouldn’t have to live on peanuts.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group entered Li Yeqiao’s home.

Li Yeqiao’s home was quite nice—three large tiled-roof rooms, well-decorated, befitting his status as a high-ranking director.

The dining table on the heated brick bed was already laden with dishes—all cold appetizers, to be sure—along with two bottles of Maotai!

As soon as they entered, Li Yeqiao immediately called out toward the kitchen: “Wife, the guests are here—serve the food!”

“Oh, right away!” a woman’s voice called from the kitchen.

Soon, a woman in her forties, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen, carrying a metal tray with a steaming, large carp on it.

The woman first placed the fish on the table, then looked at Li Yi and said, “So you’re our cousin, aren’t you? Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you…”

Li Yi quickly interjected, “Sis, please don’t say that. I just mentioned it offhand—it was Brother Li who actually took my words to heart!”

“Thank goodness you reminded him. Otherwise, with him being such a fool, completely bewitched by that slutty vixen dxmbang, he might’ve ended up in jail any day now!”

Clearly, the woman was still bitter about the affair between Li Yeqiao and Du Caie. She didn’t spare him a shred of respect as she spoke, her words dripping with resentment.

Li Yeqiao, looking embarrassed, said, “All right, just serve the food already. Don’t keep the guests waiting!”

This time, the woman didn’t argue. Instead, she motioned for Li Yi and the others to take their seats on the kang, while she went back to the kitchen to bring out the dishes.

It was clear that Li Yeqiao and his wife had really gone all out to host Li Yi.

Even though there were only five of them dining, she had prepared a full eight dishes.

Apart from two cold dishes, the rest were all substantial main courses—not only braised chicken, fish, and spare ribs, but even grilled lamb chops. It was hard to believe a housewife could pull this off these days.

To say nothing of the rest, just these ingredients alone would cost at least a few dozen yuan!

Not to mention the two bottles of Maotai on the table—at 12 yuan a bottle these days, those two bottles alone were worth more than half a month’s wages for an average worker.

Once the food and drinks were all set, Li Yeqiao’s wife didn’t join them at the table. Instead, she gave a quick nod and went into the next room, leaving the space to them.

After several rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes!

Li Yeqiao said with some emotion, “To be honest, I never imagined I’d take such a huge fall. Thankfully, Brother Li Yi, my benefactor, was there to guide me; otherwise, I really wouldn’t have had a chance to turn things around!”

With that, Li Yeqiao poured himself a glass of wine and said to Li Yi, “Brother, no need to thank me for such a great favor. I’ll drink this glass first to show my respect!”

Li Yi also raised the teacup in front of him and took a small sip. His tolerance for alcohol was limited, so he’d made it clear to them before sitting down: he’d eat, but he wouldn’t drink!

Since everyone present was on his side, no one said anything about it!

“Old Li, have you thought about what you’re going to do next?” Liang Yukuai suddenly asked.

Given the magnitude of this incident, it was highly unlikely he’d be able to keep his position as director of the credit union, so Liang Yukui wanted to ask Li Yeqiao if he had any ideas or plans.

Li Yeqiao sighed and said, “I haven’t decided yet. Let’s wait until the case is over.”

“If you really have nowhere else to go later, why not come to the sugar factory? We’re short-handed in the finance department!” Liang Yukui suggested.

Li Yeqiao shook his head. “I’d rather not. To be honest, if I really do get fired after this, I’ll probably head south to make a new start!”

“The South?”

“Yeah. A close buddy of mine is running a business in Guangzhou right now. He’s desperate for help and invited me over before, but I turned him down.”

“Is he in legitimate business, or is he just speculating and peddling goods?” asked Liang Yukui.

At that moment, Li Gang chimed in, “Actually, your situation isn’t that serious. At worst, it’s just a matter of conduct and inadequate supervision. While you’ll likely lose your position, you should be able to keep your civil service status. There’s no need to be so pessimistic!”

However, Li Yeqiao just smiled and said, “Even though I’ve taken quite a hard fall, I’m certainly not feeling pessimistic!”

Seeing the skeptical looks on Li Gang and Liang Yuke’s faces, Li Yeqiao continued, “Do you know how much money my buddy makes just by selling sunflower seeds and peanuts?”

“No idea. How much money can you make selling that stuff?” Li Gang said dismissively.

“A few bucks? Haha, in less than a year last year alone, he made 300,000 yuan!” Li Yeqiao said, dropping a bombshell.

“Th… that much?”

This time even Liang Yukui was stunned. Earning 300,000 yuan a year just by selling sunflower seeds and peanuts? He must be joking!

“300,000!”

Li Yeqiao continued, “When I first heard the news, I was just as shocked as you are, but I know my buddy well—he wouldn’t lie to me.”

“He said he’s too busy to handle it all and asked me to go help him. I want to go see what’s really going on!”

At that moment, Li Yi, who had remained silent until then, spoke up: “Old Li, if you don’t want to work within the system, and you don’t want to go south, I suggest you go to Beijing!”

“Beijing?”

“Yeah. Barring any surprises, I’ll be heading to Beijing next month. If you’ve sorted things out, we can go together!” Li Yi said.

“Brother Li Yi, you’re going to Beijing too?” Li Yeqiao asked in surprise.

“Yeah!”

“Alright, then it’s settled!” Li Yeqiao said.

“Alright!”

…….

After leaving the state-run restaurant, Li Yi had his third sister set up a stall at the entrance of the textile factory, while he headed toward Li Gang and Liang Yukuai!

No sooner had he arrived than Liang Yukuai asked, “Finished up?”

“Yeah. You guys just said someone invited me to dinner. Who exactly is this person who could get both of you to step in?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“You know him too—it’s your distant relative!” Liang Yukui said.

“Li Yeqiao?”

“Yep!”

“Huh, is he free right now? That doesn’t make sense!”

When Li Gang came back yesterday afternoon, he told Li Yi that Du Cai’e’s case had been solved—and that he was the one who cracked it. Thanks to that, he’d solidified his position as captain of the Qingshan County Criminal Investigation Team.

Although Li Yi hadn’t asked about Li Yeqiao’s situation, he suspected the man’s fate wouldn’t be a happy one.

As far as Li Yi knew, Li Yeqiao was deeply involved with Du Caie—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been sentenced to death in his previous life.

But now, judging by what these two were saying, Li Yeqiao didn’t seem to be in much trouble—which actually piqued Li Yi’s interest.

Li Gang said with a smile, “Can’t you figure out for yourself if he’s in trouble or not?”

“Heh, I’ve already figured it out. Barring any surprises, he’ll likely be sentenced to death—that’s why I warned him. As for how things have turned out now, I can’t predict that!” Li Yi replied.

Li Gang immediately said, “Let’s get in the car first. We’ll talk about the details on the way!”

“Alright!”

Once in the car, Li Gang began telling Li Yi about the Du Cai’e case while driving!

After hearing Li Gang’s account of how the case was solved, Li Yi could only say it was a coincidence.

Before this, Du Caie was practically a nobody—an ordinary person who’d gone completely unnoticed. But lately, she’d become the talk of the town in Qing Shan County, though her name was now tainted with a stench that could be smelled from miles away!

Du Caie was a native of Qing Shan County, born into an ordinary peasant family. Since she was the third child in her family, people called her “Third Sister Du.” dxmbang

Perhaps blessed by fate, Du Caie was born with the makings of a beauty. She had a sweet tongue and was well-liked, winning the hearts of men from a young age.

She was also a very smart girl, and quite precocious—she knew exactly where her strengths lay and what she wanted.

When she started working at age 16, she was assigned to be the accountant for her village brigade. For such a young girl, she should have been working diligently to earn labor points, but instead, she took a leap and soon began an illicit relationship with the brigade’s Party secretary.

After all, as his mistress, she lived a far more comfortable life than other girls.

Not only could she come and go as she pleased during work hours, but she was also pampered in her daily life—her food and clothing were far beyond what ordinary members could hope for.

Moreover, taking advantage of her position, Du Cai’e began embezzling funds from the production team.

An investigation revealed that she had embezzled a significant amount of money while serving as the brigade’s accountant; after being exposed, she was forced to repay the funds.

Even so, she did not stop. She once embezzled hundreds of yuan of collective assets by failing to record sales in the books.

However, people chose to “turn a blind eye” to her misconduct, and her superiors, excusing her youth, neither disciplined her nor provided any corrective guidance.

Thus, at the age of 25, she was referred to the credit union, where she continued to work in finance—a move that unwittingly planted a time bomb for her later rampant embezzlement.

Once at the credit union, Du Cai’e completely let loose.

Due to the credit union’s inadequate management, the Hongqi branch where Du Caie worked was a rural outpost of the credit union. Because its scope of operations was limited, Du Caie was the only staff member on duty for long periods.

There was no branch manager or external support at this station; Du Caie served as both accountant and cashier, managing both the funds and the accounts.

In this way, over the course of 10 years, Du Caie completely emptied the Hongqi Credit Union of its funds, embezzling a total of 90,000 yuan.

Don’t underestimate this sum of over 90,000 yuan. At the time, an ordinary worker earned only 20 to 30 yuan a month, so the 90,000 yuan Du Caie embezzled was equivalent to more than 200 years’ worth of an ordinary worker’s wages.

In addition to embezzlement, Du Caie also had a penchant for promiscuity.

Although she had a family, she still maintained intimate relationships with more than a dozen men, a clear indication of her promiscuity.

Yet no one could have imagined that such a cunning and manipulative woman would suddenly be investigated—and that the person investigating her would be none other than Li Gang.

To be clear, Li Gang’s decision to investigate Du Caie was not a whim; it was prompted by a tip-off backed by irrefutable evidence.

The person who reported Du Caie was none other than Li Yeqiao, the director of the county credit union.

Li Yeqiao was not only Du Caie’s immediate superior, but also her lover, with whom she maintained an improper relationship.

The fact that Du Caie has been able to get away with her schemes time and again over the years is directly linked to his lax supervision.

It was only after receiving advice from Li Yi not long ago that Li Yeqiao became alert to the situation.

Although he didn’t entirely trust what Li Yi had said, Li Yi was naturally cautious. Adopting the mindset that it was better to be safe than sorry, Li Yeqiao immediately began secretly investigating the finances of the Hongqi site under the pretext of conducting an internal audit.

Relying on the fact that she had already brought Li Yeqiao to bed, Du Caie had not the slightest suspicion and allowed Li Yeqiao’s people to inspect the accounts.

After all, if she went down, Li Yeqiao would go down with her; in this day and age, a scandalous personal life is no small matter.

And so, the Red Flag Station’s accounts were soon thoroughly investigated.

When he learned that Du Caie had actually drained the Red Flag Station’s funds, Li Yeqiao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave; he was so terrified that he collapsed into his chair on the spot.

He never could have imagined that, in just ten short years, that madwoman had embezzled a full 90,000 yuan—essentially 10,000 yuan a year.

Keep in mind, her monthly salary was a mere 36 yuan!

It was insane!

After the initial shock wore off, Li Yeqiao’s first thought was how to resolve the situation!

As the head of the credit union, he knew exactly what this kind of behavior amounted to, and given the enormous sum involved—a case virtually unheard of since the founding of the nation—he was well aware of the gravity of the situation.

If this were to come to light, not only would that crazy woman be finished, but he would certainly be dragged down with her—he might even end up being held accountable.

After much deliberation, he thought of Li Yi!

He immediately headed to Nianzishan Village to seek Li Yi’s advice, only to be told that Li Yi had gone to Qin Province and might not return anytime soon.

With no other choice, he went to the sugar factory to find Liang Yukuai, hoping he could help him out.

Upon hearing the news, Liang Yukui was initially taken aback!

After some analysis, he suggested that Li Yeqiao immediately report Du Caie personally.

At the same time, Liang Yukui also agreed to contact Wang Anguo, who was far away in Ning City, and ask him to send people to investigate Du Caie.

As a result, Li Yeqiao’s role in this case took a different turn!

In the end, Li Yeqiao would inevitably face some punishment, but since he was the one who uncovered the matter and reported the suspect, the severity of his punishment would likely be mitigated.

Given the magnitude of the case, this was the best possible outcome.

After some deliberation, Li Yeqiao finally agreed to this suggestion.

Subsequently, Liang Yukui contacted Wang Anguo, who then called Li Gang and instructed him to immediately launch an investigation into the matter.

Thus, Li Gang personally took charge and launched an investigation into the Du Caie case!

After more than half a month of investigation, a substantial amount of evidence was gathered, and Du Caie was subsequently arrested.

As the investigation delved deeper, the number of people implicated in the case grew, and the impact was far greater than anyone could have imagined.

Although the case has not yet been adjudicated, Du Caie’s fate is already sealed—she is certain to face the full weight of justice.

The only silver lining is that Li Yeqiao miraculously escaped this storm—his luck is truly unmatched!

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Li Yi got up and helped his third sister make liangpi and pancakes!

Although the cold noodle business wouldn’t last much longer, they couldn’t just stop doing it overnight.

Besides, they’d been delivering cold noodles to the state-run restaurant all this time; they couldn’t just suddenly stop—that wouldn’t make sense.

So, Li Yi decided to make a trip to the county seat today—partly to deliver the goods, and partly to have a chat with Liu Jingshan!

Besides the cold noodles, the mushroom business was likely coming to an end as well. He needed to let Liu Jingshan know in advance so they wouldn’t be caught off guard!

After a quick meal, Li Yi and Third Sister loaded all the mushrooms they were going to deliver, along with their market stall supplies, onto the big red mule cart, and then the two of them set off.

The reason they were using only one cart was mainly because the cart pulled by the big black horse had been requisitioned by the production brigade!

After all, it was harvest season, and mules and horses were essential laborers!

In fact, a single capable mule or horse was worth far more than five strong laborers during the busy farming season.

Under these circumstances, Uncle Feng simply discussed it with Dad and decided to lend the big black horse to the production team for the time being.

Of course, the team wasn’t using it for free; once the harvest was over, they’d bring a few cartloads of buckwheat straw to the Li family to serve as winter hay for the big black horse and the big red mule!

Naturally, Old Man Li had no objections to this!

What Li Yi hadn’t expected, however, was that they ran into an acquaintance halfway there!

When he saw Li Gang and Liang Yukui getting out of the little 212 jeep, Li Yi was somewhat surprised.

“What are you two up to this early in the morning?”

Li Gang immediately replied with a smile, “What else could we be doing, heading this way?”

“What, you guys aren’t heading to Nianzishan Village to find me, are you?” Li Yi asked curiously.

“Yeah, we’ve been asked to come invite you out for a meal!” Liang Yukui said.

“Who?”

“Shall we talk about it in the car?”

Li Yi glanced at the bright red mule cart and said, “Forget it. You two drive ahead and wait for me at the entrance to the State-Run Restaurant. I’ll be right over!”

“Alright!”

Li Gang then turned the cart around and drove back into town with Liang Yukui!

Meanwhile, Li Yi drove the bright red mule cart, with his third older sister, Li Na, riding along, right behind them!

By the time the bright red mule cart arrived at the State-Run Restaurant, Li Gang and Liang Yukuai had already been waiting at the entrance for quite some time—and there was even an extra person standing nearby: Liu Jingshan!

As soon as he saw Li Yi, Liu Jingshan walked over with a smile and said, “You’re finally back, kid!”

“I’m back. How have you been, Brother Liu?”

“Not bad, but it’s getting cold, and the liangpi business isn’t doing so well!” Liu Jingshan said with a smile.

“Hmm, that’s exactly why I came to talk to you today, Brother Liu!”

“Alright!”

Li Yi then had his third sister handle the handover of goods with the staff at the state-run restaurant. After exchanging greetings with Li Gang and Liang Yukuai, he followed Liu Jingshan to his office.

Once inside, Li Yi got straight to the point: “Brother Liu, as the weather gets colder, fewer and fewer people are eating liangpi, so I plan to shut down the liangpi business in a couple of days!”

“Shutting it down completely?”

“Yep!”

“It’s fine if you stop, but what about us here? Even though fewer people order liangpi every day than before, we still sell several dozen portions. If you stop, we won’t be able to explain it to our customers!” Liu Jingshan said.

“I’ve already thought that through. I’ll teach the chefs here how to make liangpi, so you’ll be able to make it yourselves in the future!” Li Yi replied.

“This… this is amazing. Actually, Brother Li Yi, you really didn’t have to go this far…”

Liu Jingshan was so overwhelmed with emotion that he was stuttering and didn’t even know what he was saying.

It was no wonder Liu Jingshan was so excited; he knew just how booming the liangpi business was during the summer.

At its peak, Li’s siblings could sell five or six hundred servings of liangpi a day—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this business a cash cow.

Now that Li Yi was going to teach them how to make liangpi, Liu Jingshan felt both flattered and overwhelmed.

“Brother Liu, I, Li Yi, always mean what I say. I’d rather not say anything at all than make a promise I can’t keep!” Li Yi said.

“Hahaha, good brother, I certainly won’t let you lose out!” Liu Jingshan said happily.

“By the way, Brother Liu, the weather’s turning cooler these days, and mushrooms won’t be able to grow in the wild much longer. So in a few days, the mushroom business will be over—just letting you know in advance!” Li Yi added.

“Yeah, we’ve had a feeling this was coming!” Liu Jingshan replied.

“Brother Liu, if possible, try to stock up on some dried mushrooms while you still can. Prices for these things might go up this year!” Li Yi advised.

“They’re usually around 80 cents a pound every year—how much higher could they possibly go?” Liu Jingshan said with a laugh.

“Heh, you never know. Anyway, if you trust your brother, you should stock up!”

“Alright, I’ll have the warehouse stock up on them. We’ll need them anyway!” Liu Jingshan said.

“Mm-hmm!”

Just as he finished speaking, a staff member from the store walked in with a receipt and handed it to Liu Jingshan.

Liu Jingshan immediately turned to Li Yi and said, “Today we have 120 sheets of liangpi, 872 jin of mushrooms, plus 37 jin of wood ear mushrooms… That comes to 609 yuan and 4 jiao. Let’s round it up to 610!”

“Let’s round it up to 600!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, as you say!”

Liu Jingshan then had the cashier settle the bill with Li Yi right away.

Li Yi, remembering that Li Gang and Liang Yukuai were still waiting for him outside, didn’t linger at the state-run restaurant. He took the money and left.

Watching Li Yi’s retreating figure, Liu Jingshan couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration. This was a man capable of great things—a kind of boldness he could never hope to emulate in his lifetime!

In truth, he had no idea that Li Yi had his own reasons for acting this way.

For one thing, Li Yi was well aware that the liangpi business was seasonal. While the entry barrier was low, the ceiling was also limited. Relying on this to make ends meet was no problem, but achieving great wealth and prestige would be difficult.

Besides, he didn’t want to make the daily trip to the county seat just for a few dozen servings of liangpi a day—it simply wasn’t worth it.

However, if he didn’t do it, it would inevitably affect the state-run restaurant’s business—and that wouldn’t be right.

After all, since they got along so well, it would be better to simply teach them the method so they could make it themselves.

Secondly, the method for making liangpi isn’t exactly rocket science!

The reason no one in Qing Shan County knew how to make it was mainly due to a lack of information.

In fact, decades later, most people would be able to make liangpi at home—especially the locals in Qin Province and the Hetao region. It would be embarrassing to call yourself a local if your family didn’t know how to make it.

So, this isn’t some closely guarded secret—there’s no need to act so stingy about it!

Of course, there’s an even more important reason: Li Yi was simply returning the favor.

He was well aware that in the mushroom business, he had benefited from the state-run restaurant.

Under normal circumstances, a pound of fresh mushrooms would fetch at most 40 to 50 cents; 20 to 30 cents was quite common.

Even with his ingenious secondary cleaning process and careful selection, they still weren’t worth 60 cents.

Not to mention that Liu Jingshan later raised the price to 70 cents—this was clearly a deliberate gesture to do him a favor.

Although he knew all this, Li Yi was short on cash at the time and had no choice but to accept his kindness.

As the saying goes, “He who takes a hand is bound by it, and he who eats from a mouth is softened by it.” Once you’ve received a favor, you have to repay it!

So whether he was teaching the chefs at the state-run restaurant how to make chilled lamb, modern-style grilled meat, or liangpi, Li Yi was simply repaying Liu Jingshan’s favor.

As for whether he was getting the short end of the stick, that wasn’t even a consideration for Li Yi!

After all, one should repay even the smallest kindness with great gratitude, and the timely help in a time of crisis was priceless—not to mention that he would never be selling liangpi from a street stall again.

It was late at night, and all was quiet!

On the large heated bed in the west wing of the Li family’s old mansion, Li Yi and Tang Xue lay side by side under a thin blanket!

Li Yi’s hand kept wandering over his wife’s belly. He was genuinely curious how such a small belly could possibly hold two little babies!

“Stop it!”

Tang Xue’s belly was tickling from his touch, so she immediately slapped Li Yi’s hand away.

“Let me feel our little girl!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“How do you know it’s definitely a girl? What if it’s a boy?”

“I prefer girls. If it’s a boy, I’ll make sure he feels a father’s love as strong as a mountain!”

As he spoke, Li Yi waved his large hand, mimicking the motion of spanking a bottom.

“You’d better keep that to yourself. If Mom and Dad hear you, Dad will probably make you experience what ‘a father’s love is as steady as a mountain’ really means first!” Tang Xue said with a laugh.

Hearing this, the expression on Li Yi’s face froze instantly.

Just moments ago, when his parents returned and learned that Tang Xue was carrying twins, they were so moved they were nearly in tears.

Not only did they ask after her well-being, but they also kept urging Li Yi to take good care of his precious wife and their future grandsons.

Wow, they were already calling him “Grandpa” before the baby was even born—just how much they must adore this grandson!

What’s more, his parents had made it crystal clear: if anything—even the slightest mishap—happened to Tang Xue or their first grandchild, they would disown him as their son.

“I mean, I just got married, but how did my status in the family suddenly plummet to this level? From now on, I might even have to rely on you to look out for me at home!” Li Yi said.

Hearing this, Tang Xue couldn’t help but laugh.

She thought about how her in-laws had indeed treated her well, even making her feel a touch of the parental love she’d been missing.

At that moment, Tang Xue said with some emotion, “My in-laws are so kind!”

“It’s mainly because my wife is so wonderful!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Actually, his parents’ reaction was exactly what Li Yi had expected!

On the one hand, his parents were simply kind-hearted people; on the other, it was just the local custom.

It wasn’t just his own parents; in fact, the vast majority of in-laws in the area were much the same!

After all, a daughter-in-law’s pregnancy means a new addition to the family—a cause for great celebration—and no one would be harsh with her at a time like this.

On the contrary, it’s rare to find people as malicious as those two old fools at my older sister’s house.

But just then, Tang Xue suddenly spoke with a hint of worry: “Do you think… do you think my parents would be unhappy if I gave birth to a girl?”

“No, they might be disappointed, but they definitely won’t be unhappy!” Li Yi replied immediately.

“Really?”

“Yeah, think about it—I have three older sisters, and even though Mom and Dad are a bit biased toward me…”

Before he could finish, Tang Xue cut in, “It’s not just a little favoritism—it’s favoritism to the nth degree.”

“All right, all right. Mom and Dad do favor me a bit, but they’ve always been good to my three older sisters too. They’ve never hit or scolded them, so naturally they wouldn’t have any prejudice against a granddaughter!” Li Yi said.

“But I can tell they really love their grandsons!”

“If they like them, why not have more? If we have a girl, we’ll just have a second child—we’re still young anyway!” Li Yi said.

“But what if the second child is a girl too?”

“A girl is a girl. We’ll have two at most—if we don’t have a son, we’re done!” Li Yi said.

“Why?”

Tang Xue had expected him to say they’d go for a third child, but she was somewhat taken aback by Li Yi’s blunt response.

“For a woman, giving birth takes a huge toll on the body, and raising kids is exhausting. So we’ll have two at most,” Li Yi said.

This answer truly caught Tang Xue off guard. She hadn’t expected Li Yi to be considering her health, and she was instantly touched.

Living in this era, Tang Xue had seen plenty of women willing to give birth to eight or ten children just to have a son. Some women were even still desperately trying to conceive at forty-seven or forty-eight, simply because their in-laws or husbands wanted a son.

But Li Yi was so considerate of her—no more than two children!

Instantly, Tang Xue’s heart felt warm, and she silently told herself that she had truly married the right man.

“You’re so capable—it would be such a waste if we didn’t have a son. No matter what, I’ll give you a son!” Tang Xue declared resolutely.

“Haha, that’s not the right way to think!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Why?”

“I’m a son myself—I know better than anyone what sons are like!”

“What?”

“A son’s purpose is to test your strength, challenge your patience, and give you boundless courage; to raise your voice, choke you off, hold your life in his hands, toughen your skin, speed up your aging, shorten your lifespan, and keep you stocked with blood pressure pills. In a nutshell, he’ll drive you to the brink of madness!”

Li Yi then added, “So if a son is meant to be in your life, he’ll be there; if not, don’t force it—it’ll just give you a headache!”

“Haha, you’re such a guy—always spouting nonsense!” Tang Xue said with a laugh.

Li Yi smiled but said nothing; he knew full well whether it was nonsense or not.

To be honest, if his parents in his previous life hadn’t had this good-for-nothing son, they probably would’ve lived another ten or twenty years without a problem.

It was precisely because of this troublesome youngest son that they suffered one blow after another, ultimately passing away far too soon.

“Are you really going to take that bunch of kids to the capital?” Tang Xue asked again.

“What’s the matter? Are you worried?”

“Well, it is the capital after all. They don’t know anyone there, so I’m a bit worried!” Tang Xue said.

“Haha, don’t worry. You know your husband’s capabilities better than anyone—he’ll definitely make a name for himself!” Li Yi said confidently.

“Actually, I don’t want you to become a marquis or a minister either. As long as our family stays safe and sound, that’s enough! Besides, we already have so much money now. Even if we don’t go looking for trouble, it’s enough to last us a lifetime. Why bother?”

As she spoke, Tang Xue leaned closer to Li Yi, her whole body almost nestling into his embrace.

Li Yi wrapped his arms around his wife and said gently, “You’re a woman—it’s natural for you to think that way. There’s nothing wrong with it!”

“But as a man, it’s my responsibility to create a better life for you and the kids. Now that we have the people and the funds, as soon as the policies ease up a bit, we can make a real difference. I don’t want to waste this opportunity.”

“Then why does it have to be Beijing? Wouldn’t other places work? Like the county, or Ning City? If all else fails, the provincial capital would do too!” Tang Xue said.

“Because I want you to get into a prestigious university in Beijing someday!” Li Yi replied.

“Why a prestigious university in Beijing?”

“First, I want everyone to know that Li Yi’s wife is the best. Second, it’s to create better opportunities for our child!”

Li Yi knew full well how valuable a Beijing household registration would be in the future, especially for a boy. Even if you were completely useless, as long as you were a native of Beijing with a Beijing household registration, plenty of outstanding girls from other regions would be vying to marry you.

“Okay, I’ll do my best to get into a good school in the capital next year!” Tang Xue said earnestly.

“Just do your best. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you don’t get in this year, try again next year. No need to rush, dxmbang!” Li Yi said.

“No, I have to get in next year!”

“Why?”

“I… I want to get married to you as soon as possible!” Tang Xue said, her face flushing.

Hearing this answer, Li Yi was instantly overjoyed. He planted two big kisses on his wife’s cheek, and his hands started getting a little frisky…

At seven o’clock in the evening, just as Li Yi had finished preparing the meal, he saw Tang Xue return with Second Sister and Third Sister.

And following right behind them were Dongzi, Qiangzi, Shitou, Xiaogouwa, and the others!

Clearly, these young men had just finished helping out at the new house.

As soon as they walked in, Third Sister sniffed the air and asked, “Xiao Yi, what delicious food did you make? It smells so good!”

“Braised cabbage with cured pork, and steamed buns for the main dish!” Li Yi replied.

“Sounds delicious!” Third Sister said with a smile.

“Alright, go wash your hands. We’ll eat once you’re done!” Li Yi said.

Tang Xue saw that her in-laws hadn’t returned yet and immediately asked, “Shouldn’t we wait for Mom and Dad to come back and eat together?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “You know how it is during harvest season—Mom and Dad won’t be back before ten o’clock!”

Tang Xue had been living in the village for the past few years, so she naturally understood the situation. She nodded immediately and said, “Well then, let’s eat first. After we finish, can we take some food out to the fields for Mom and Dad?”

“Sure!”

While everyone was washing their hands, Li Yi scooped the stewed vegetables from the pot into an enamel basin, arranged the steamed buns from the steamer onto a plate, and carried both to the kang!

Then, some climbed onto the kang, while others sat on stools; everyone took their bowls and chopsticks and got ready to eat!

Before they began eating, Li Yi said with a smile, “Actually, I’ve been wanting to treat you all to a meal for a long time, but I just haven’t had the time lately. Since everyone’s here today, I figured it’s better to seize the moment!”

“But I came back in a hurry today and didn’t have time to go shopping for ingredients, so I just threw something together. Please make do with what we have!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Dongzi chimed in with a laugh, “Brother Yi, this meal has meat, vegetables, and even Bai Shenshen’s steamed buns—how can you call this just ‘making do’?”

“Exactly! We only get to eat this well at home on the Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year!” added Xiaogouwa.

“Brother Yi, I think this meal is just fine!”

Li Yi smiled and said again, “I called you all here not just to get together, but more importantly, because there are a few things I need to discuss with you!”

Hearing this, not only did the younger brothers stop eating, but even Tang Xue, Second Sister, and Third Sister put down their chopsticks and bowls, eager to hear what Li Yi had to say.

“The first thing I want to say is that our mushroom business is about to come to an end!”

As soon as he said this, Dongzi and the others’ expressions changed instantly, and their moods grew somber.

They’d made a decent amount of money working with Li Yi over the past few months. From the very beginning, Li Yi had looked out for them in particular—while the other kids got two yuan a day, they received five.

That came to 150 yuan a month!

They’d been working since June—almost four months now—and each had earned at least five or six hundred yuan.

If the business shut down, that huge income would be gone!

“Brother Yi, is it because it’s getting colder?” Dongzi asked.

“Yeah, the temperature drops fast around here. By early October, there’ll be frost on the ground, and the mushrooms won’t be able to grow anymore. So our mushrooms only have three to five days left!” Li Yi said.

“If it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be. There’s nothing we can do about it!” Dongzi said.

Qiangzi glanced at the others, then smiled and said, “Why are you all looking so glum? Think about how much money we’ve made lately. My mom and dad don’t make as much in a whole year as I’ve brought home in just a few months!”

“Hahaha, exactly! I’ve got real clout at home now—my mom doesn’t even beat me anymore!” Shitou chimed in.

“You bet. My dad’s actually worried I’ll sleep in now…”

Seeing that the guys’ spirits had lifted, Li Yi continued, “Even though the mushroom business has stopped, we can’t just sit around and live off our savings. So the second thing I want to talk about is what we’re going to do next!”

“Right, Brother Yi, what are we going to do next?” Dongzi asked immediately.

“We’ve got two things to do next. First, help me pack up all those dried mushrooms at home and get them ready for buyers!”

Li Yi continued, “The second thing is to go out and talk to your parents. If they’re willing to follow me, then we’ll set off together!”

“Where are we going, Brother Yi?” Qiangzi asked.

“Beijing!”

At those words, not only the young lads, but even Tang Xue and Li Yi’s two older sisters were stunned!

They truly never expected that Li Yi would actually go to the capital—and take these greenhorns along with him!

“Little Yi, what made you decide to go to the capital?” Li Lan asked in a grave tone.

“Exactly. What are you going to do in the capital? Don’t tell me you want to start a business—don’t you dare get into any trouble!” Li Na said with a frown.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Sis, I heard there are plenty of people running small businesses in the capital these days. Plus, the city government is drafting policies to liberalize individual businesses. I want to take the guys there to try our luck!”

“Individual businesses? I’ve never heard of that. You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” Li Lan said, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

“Why would I lie to you? Besides, I’m not entirely sure myself. If it’s true, we’ll make our mark in the capital; if it’s not, we’ll just treat it as a chance to broaden our horizons!” Li Yi said with a smile.

In fact, Li Yi had already thought this through long ago—he’d even had a plan in mind back when they were in Chang’an.

As far as he knew, the capital’s municipal government had decided to allow individual business owners to engage in catering, small commodity trade, and other business activities starting next month.

To be precise, the date was November 4th!

This was definitely a rare opportunity for Li Yi!

In fact, the capital already permitted the existence of individual businesses, but with certain restrictions—not everyone could operate one.

These individual entrepreneurs played a role in “filling the gaps” by compensating for the shortage of state-owned commercial outlets and making life more convenient for the people. Yet even so, ordinary people still found it “difficult to get food,” “difficult to have clothes made,” and “difficult to buy things.”

At the same time, the return of many educated youth from the “Old Three Batches” to Beijing had created a large pool of idle and unemployed people in the capital.

Against this backdrop, the municipal government decided to allow individual entrepreneurs to operate small food and sundry businesses to address these two issues.

“Even if they let you run a business, what exactly do you plan to do?” Li Na asked.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll go check it out first!” Li Yi said with a smile.

That said, Li Yi knew that the first wave of individual entrepreneurs in Beijing had all struck it rich; very few had actually lost money.

Come to think of it, doing business right under the shadow of the Imperial City walls meant the profits were absolutely guaranteed!

As the nation’s capital, the city had a thriving market and a developed economy—it was a natural hotbed for commerce.

Never mind other ventures—even selling tea eggs or scallion pancakes could make a fortune.

Moreover, Li Yi was quite familiar with the capital. In his previous life, after leaving home, he had spent over eight years there and made his first fortune.

However, due to a lack of capital, he could only work for others at first, missing out on the first wave of the capital’s economic boom.

Now that he’s been reborn, he doesn’t want to miss out again.

More importantly, barring any surprises, Tang Xue would be taking the college entrance exam next year, and Li Yi hoped she could get into a prestigious university in the capital.

Li Yi was confident that, given his wife’s academic abilities, she would certainly succeed.

So, now is the time to plan ahead and prepare for his wife and child’s move to the capital!

The Li Family’s New Home!

Hearing her younger brother ask about business matters, Li Lan immediately pulled out an account book and handed it to Li Yi!

“All the income and expenses are recorded here. Take a look yourself—I’m going to grab a bite to eat first!”

Li Yi didn’t hesitate; he immediately picked up the ledger and began reading.

It had been a month and a half since they left, and Li Yi could see from the ledger that the family’s income had been steadily declining during that time.

Especially since mid-September, it had nearly halved!

Looking at the expenses, it was much the same!

In August, the family spent at least 600 yuan daily on purchasing mushrooms and mountain produce, sometimes even reaching 700 yuan.

But by October, that figure had dropped to just 200 yuan—and often, not even 200 yuan was enough!

This meant that the Li family was now receiving less than 500 pounds of mushrooms per day.

“Do you see the problem?” Second Sister asked as she ate thin porridge with flatbread.

“Yeah, things aren’t looking good,” Li Yi replied.

“Lately, both the mushroom business and the cold noodle business have been significantly affected, and our income has dropped considerably!”

She then gave a brief overview of the situation.

Upon learning that they were now collecting less than 1,000 jin of mushrooms daily and selling fewer than 200 servings of liangpi a day, Tang Xue immediately felt a pang of guilt and said, “I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, our family’s business wouldn’t be in this state!”

Li Yi pinched her cheek playfully and smiled. “Don’t take the blame for everything—this has nothing to do with you!”

“How can it not be my fault? If you hadn’t come with me to visit my parents, none of this would have happened!” Tang Xue said stubbornly.

“I told you it has nothing to do with you. Why won’t you listen?”

Li Yi continued, “Whether it’s the liangpi business or the mountain produce business, it’s directly related to the weather. Since it’s gotten colder, naturally fewer people are eating liangpi. It’s the same with mushrooms—once it gets cold, their growth is affected.”

“Is that really true?”

“Yeah, and that’s just now. In another two weeks, once the first frost hits the fields, the mushrooms will be gone!” Li Yi said.

“Does that mean our business is finished?” Tang Xue asked, sounding worried.

“Haha, how could that be?”

Li Yi then said with a smile, “We’ve been investing money over the past few months. Once the weather turns cold and fresh mushrooms are no longer available, it’ll be time for us to ship out our dried mushrooms.”

“So the colder it gets, the better it is for us. Harvest season is almost here!”

Hearing this, Tang Xue and Li Lan both breathed a sigh of relief.

Lately, with business slowing down, both Li Lan and the rest of the family had been getting anxious.

But since they couldn’t get in touch with Li Yi, all they could do was worry!

“Yi, have you found a buyer for these dried mushrooms yet?” Li Lan asked.

“Not yet, but there’s no need to worry. Besides, it’s not a good time to ship them out right now!” Li Yi replied.

“Then when would be the right time to sell them?”

“After the Lunar New Year—preferably around the end of the year!”

“That’s so long—doesn’t that mean we have to wait another two or three months?”

“Yeah!”

Li Yi had a pretty good grasp of this year’s dried goods prices. Prices for dried mushrooms would start to rise in November, but the increase wouldn’t be significant until just before New Year’s Day.

However, after New Year’s Day, prices would suddenly surge, reaching their peak by the end of the year.

So there was absolutely no need for him to rush into action now—he’d let things play out for a while!

Just as they were talking, the sound of a bicycle bell rang out from outside the door, and immediately afterward, a bicycle rode straight into the courtyard!

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Third Sister Li Na!

After entering the courtyard, Li Na glanced around, then immediately parked her bicycle!

She then ran straight over to Tang Xue and exclaimed happily, “Xiao Xue, you guys are really back?”

“When I got home and saw your suitcases, I guessed you must have come back—I never expected it to actually be true!”

Tang Xue was also delighted to see Li Na, her older sister-in-law and best friend.

“Sis Na, you’re back from your stall. How’s business?”

Li Na sighed and said, “Fewer and fewer people are eating liangpi these days. I only sold a little over 200 portions today—about half as many as before. But the white flatbreads are selling better than ever; I actually sold over 400 today!”

“That many?”

“Yep!”

At that moment, Li Yi, standing nearby, said with a smile, “That’s to be expected. The weather’s getting cooler, so fewer and fewer people will be eating liangpi!”

“What are we going to do then?”

“Let’s just shut down the liangpi business in a few days!” Li Yi said, making a startling announcement.

“It’s… it’s over?”

Hearing this, the three women in the courtyard froze, and everyone’s gaze fixed on Li Yi.

“Don’t look at me like that—I’m serious!” Li Yi said.

“Are you really going to stop? If we stop, we won’t have any income!” Li Na frowned.

“Selling liangpi is a seasonal business. Once this season is over, it won’t be easy to keep going.”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, I only started this little business as a temporary solution to marry Xiaoxue. It wasn’t really meant to be a long-term plan!”

“If we don’t sell liangpi, what else can we do?”

“Heh, I’ve already figured out what to do. I’ll let you guys know later!” Li Yi said with a smile.

Li Na had every confidence in her younger brother’s abilities, so she immediately replied, “Alright, I’ll leave it up to you!”

Li Yi glanced at his watch—it was almost two o’clock!

“Tonight, I plan to invite Dongzi, Qiangzi, and Shitou over for dinner at my place to discuss our next steps. You guys stay here for now—I’m heading home to cook!”

“Do you need my help?” Third Sister asked immediately.

“No, thanks!”

Then Li Yi asked, “By the way, do we have any meat at home?”

“We’re out of fresh meat, but there’s still plenty of cured pork in the jar!” his third older sister said.

“Got it!”

After saying that, Li Yi hopped on his bicycle and rode away from the new house!

Back at the old house, Li Yi first carried his luggage from the room into the west wing!

He also sorted through the gifts he’d brought back from Chang’an before starting to prepare dinner!

He took a quick look at the ingredients at home: half a jar of cured pork with pork fat scraps, a small amount of potatoes, twenty or thirty heads of Chinese cabbage, two large baskets of daikon radishes, and a dozen or so gourds!

At the sight of these items, Li Yi knew the village had distributed the vegetables.

Every year, the village planted turnips, Chinese cabbage, gourds, and the like near Xihegou. By late September or early October, they would distribute the produce to the villagers, who relied on these vegetables to get them through the winter.

Li Yi did the math: with six people in his household, plus Dongzi, Shitou, and six or seven others, there would be at least twelve or thirteen people coming over for dinner that night.

With so many people, stir-fried dishes just wouldn’t be practical.

Besides, there wasn’t enough produce to stir-fry anyway!

After much deliberation, Li Yi finally decided to make a big pot of stewed vegetables and steam a batch of flatbreads!

No sooner said than done, Li Yi immediately got to work!

With a jeep to get around in, the speed was unbeatable!

The 15-kilometer journey took less than half an hour.

They arrived back in the village right at noon.

The car pulled up at the entrance to the Li family’s old homestead. Li Yi opened the door and helped Tang Xue, who was feeling a bit car sick, out of the vehicle.

Inside the house, Zhang Guiying was cooking. She had just returned from the fields and was preparing to cook some congee and warm up the white flatbreads that Old Three had specially set aside for them that morning—a simple meal to get by on.

The autumn harvest was still in full swing, and there was no time to prepare anything else to eat.

Just then, the sound of a car engine outside the gate startled her.

Hearing the commotion outside, she immediately went out to investigate.

When she saw Li Yi and Tang Xue returning, she immediately came out to greet them with a smile.

While her son and daughter-in-law were away, she had been both missing them and worrying about them.

Although she didn’t know much about the Tang family, they were, after all, city folk, and reportedly most of the extended family were workers with formal jobs.

In contrast, although her son could earn some money, he didn’t have a formal job, and the Tang family might not approve of him.

What if her son was mistreated at his in-laws’ house?

What if the Tang family didn’t approve of Tang Xue being with her son?

So Zhang Guiying had been feeling uneasy all this time. If it weren’t for the great distance, she would have asked her husband to take her to find them.

Who knows which deity heard her prayers, but her son and daughter-in-law had finally returned!

As soon as they stepped outside the courtyard, Zhang Guiying grabbed Tang Xue’s hand and exclaimed, “Oh my, you’re finally back! I missed you so much!”

Seeing her mother-in-law’s concerned expression, and recalling the smug faces of the Tang family members, Tang Xue was suddenly overcome with sorrow, and a flood of grievances welled up inside her.

In that moment, she threw herself into Zhang Guiying’s arms and burst into loud sobs!

Zhang Guiying was taken aback by her daughter-in-law’s reaction. Patting her gently on the back, she asked, “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Did that good-for-nothing bully you? Tell your mother, and I’ll see that justice is done!”

Li Yi, standing nearby, was at a loss for words. He could see that ever since he and Tang Xue got married, his mother’s heart had clearly shifted in her favor!

Perhaps, in his mother’s eyes, Tang Xue marrying into the Li family was nothing short of a blessing from the Li family’s ancestral graves!

Or perhaps she felt he had wronged Tang Xue, so whether it was his mother or his old father, they were both incredibly kind to Tang Xue, while his own standing in the family had plummeted.

Of course, it could also be that Tang Xue was now carrying the Li family’s child—in the eyes of the elders, nothing mattered more than that!

Seeing that her mother-in-law had misunderstood, Tang Xue hurriedly said, “Mother, he didn’t mistreat me. It was my family…”

Before Tang Xue could finish, Zhang Guiying already understood what had happened. She immediately said, “Don’t cry. If you were wronged over there, we’ll just ignore them from now on!”

With that, she took Tang Xue’s hand and led her into the house!

Li Yi shook his head, then, with Li Gang’s help, unloaded the items from the car and carried them into the house!

After bringing everything inside, Li Yi had intended to invite Li Gang to stay for a while, have a meal, and then head back.

But Li Gang declined; he only stayed inside for a short while before driving off!

After seeing Li Gang off, Li Yi immediately asked his mother about the rest of the family.

He learned that his father was digging potatoes in the fields at the west end of the village, as arranged by the production team.

His mother had actually just returned herself; she was planning to cook a quick meal before heading back to the fields to continue working, and she’d also have to bring lunch to his father.

His second older sister was at the new house, and his third older sister had gone to the county seat to set up a stall!

“Mom, didn’t I tell you all not to go out to the fields and suffer like that?”

Li Yi continued, “We’re not short on food at home anyway, and since neither you nor Dad are in the best of health, there’s no need to work yourselves to the bone for a little money and grain.”

As she stoked the fire to cook the porridge, Mother said, “I know you can earn money, and we’re not short of food, but it’s harvest season right now. The village is short-handed everywhere—how can we just sit at home doing nothing?”

“Besides, there are less than 200 mu of potatoes left. Once we’re done with those, we’ll be all set!”

“Hmm, all right then!”

By then, the porridge in the pot was almost ready!

Mother lifted the lid, scooped two portions into lunchboxes, grabbed a few warm white flatbreads, and placed them in a basket.

“I didn’t know you’d be coming back today, so I didn’t have time to make a proper meal. Just have this for now, and I’ll cook something proper for you when I get back tonight!”

Then Mother added, “Xiao Yi, when you have a moment later, go over to the new house. Your second sister’s been on her own these past few days and is a bit overwhelmed!”

“Sure!”

With that, Mother hurried off, carrying the basket!

Knowing that his father was still waiting in the fields for dinner, Li Yi didn’t try to stop her.

Actually, it was much the same every year during the autumn harvest—everyone was busy, so there was no point in saying anything.

After his mother left, Li Yi served Tang Xue a bowl of porridge, scooped two heaping spoonfuls of brown sugar from the family’s sugar jar, stirred it in thoroughly, and then brought it over to her.

By then, Tang Xue had calmed down a bit and said, “Let’s eat quickly, and then take some over to Second Sister!”

“Sure!”

Perhaps they were truly hungry; the simple millet porridge paired with plain flatbreads had both of them eating with great relish!

After the meal, Li Yi had originally planned to go over alone, but to his surprise, Tang Xue insisted on going with him.

So, carrying their lunch in a lunchbox, the two headed straight for the new house!

At the Li family’s new house, Li Lan was packing up the mushrooms that had been dried in the sun, while Shitou and Qiangzi helped out nearby!

As the weather had turned cooler recently, the mushroom yield had dropped significantly.

More importantly, as per Li Yi’s instructions, once school started in September, all the school-age children had to return to their studies.

So, on the children’s side, only seven or eight older kids who had dropped out of school were still picking, but even they couldn’t gather as much as 200 jin in a whole day!

The situation in the village is much the same. Although picking mushrooms and other wild produce is quite profitable, after the autumn harvest in September, the village issued a notice prohibiting mushroom picking so that everyone could focus on harvesting the grain.

Consequently, their mushroom business has been significantly impacted over the past month.

Even so, the dried mushrooms have nearly filled every room in the Li household.

Just as everyone was busy, Shitou suddenly exclaimed with delight, “Oh, Brother Yi is back!”

Hearing the commotion, Li Lan immediately came out of the drying shed and saw her younger brother, Li Yi, walking toward them with his wife.

She quickly brushed the dust and dirt off her clothes and went to greet them!

“When did you get back? Why didn’t you let us know beforehand!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Just walked in!”

Li Yi then glanced at Shitou, Qiangzi, and the others before adding, “I didn’t expect you guys to be here too—I didn’t bring enough food!”

Qiangzi replied with a smile, “No problem—we’ll just go back and eat with you later!”

“Okay, let the others know to come over to my place tonight. I need to talk to you guys about something!” Li Yi said.

“Got it!”

After that, the guys chatted with Li Yi for a few more minutes before heading back one by one to eat.

Otherwise, with them there, Sister Lan wouldn’t feel comfortable eating alone!

After watching the younger guys leave, Li Yi immediately asked Second Sister about business matters!

At 8:30 a.m. on October 2nd, accompanied by a long, drawn-out whistle, a green-painted train pulled up alongside the platform at Ning City Station!

Inside the soft-sleeper car, Li Yi and Tang Xue were ready to disembark!

The carriage door slowly opened. Li Yi, carrying a large backpack on his back, two large suitcases in his hands, and a military-green canteen slung around his waist, led Tang Xue toward the door.

Tang Xue wanted to help him carry some of the load, but Li Yi wouldn’t dare let her.

In Li Yi’s eyes, Tang Xue was now absolutely as precious as… no, far more precious than a national treasure.

As they stepped out of the train station and looked across at the Ning City Bus Station, Tang Xue felt a surge of emotion; her eyes even began to redden slightly.

To be honest, this trip to Qin Province to visit family had been nothing short of a nightmare for her!

Even before returning, Tang Xue knew that being with Li Yi would never earn her those people’s blessing.

But back then, she still harbored a glimmer of hope in her heart. After all, they were her family—no matter how heartless they might be, could they really turn their backs on their own kin?

However, upon returning, she discovered that she wasn’t a member of the Tang family at all.

What she never could have imagined was that she had actually been stolen by Tang Jizhong and his wife, and her biological mother still believed to this day that she had given birth to a stillborn child.

It was precisely because of this that the Tang family had committed those acts—seemingly cold-blooded, yet ultimately understandable!

So, this trip to Qin Province had been an absolute nightmare for her!

Now that she’s finally back in Ning City and will soon be home, the nightmare is finally over!

In contrast to Tang Xue’s inner turmoil, Li Yi was in high spirits.

Unlike Tang Xue, who had returned to Yong County with the intention of visiting relatives, Li Yi had come with the specific purpose of investigating the case.

Ever since he learned from Tang Xue a great deal of information he hadn’t known in his previous life, he realized that this matter wasn’t as simple as it seemed—and he understood even more clearly that Tang Xue’s death in his previous life wasn’t straightforward either.

So when he arrived, he was determined to uncover the truth and settle every score—repaying every grievance and avenging every wrong!

And things turned out exactly as he had anticipated—there were indeed issues surrounding Tang Xue’s background.

Although it took some effort to investigate Tang Xue’s background, he eventually stripped away the facades of Tang Jizhong and his wife, as well as Tang Meiqin, exposing their ugly true faces to everyone.

Although the case hasn’t been adjudicated yet, the evidence currently in the hands of the public security authorities is more than enough to ensure those scum rot in prison for the rest of their lives!

In addition, during this trip to Qin Province, Li Yi also tracked down Long Zhanjun.

With his support, things would be much easier for him in the future.

However, there were aspects of this trip to Qin Province that left him unsatisfied. First, he hadn’t managed to uncover the identity of Tang Xue’s biological mother—he didn’t know if she was still alive or where she might be!

Second, not all those who deserved punishment had been brought to justice—people like Tan Cheng, Tang Bing, and that lecherous old toad Liu Ermao, who had his eye on his own wife.

In his previous life, these people were all accomplices in driving Tang Xue to her death, yet most of them ultimately went unpunished.

In this life, Li Yi would absolutely not let them get away with it!

However, due to the short timeframe and a lack of manpower, he couldn’t round them all up at once—a slight regret.

Nevertheless, Li Yi had already put Long Zhanjun’s men on their tails. It wouldn’t be long before these scoundrels were dealt with one by one.

All in all, although this trip to Qin Province wasn’t entirely successful, it had resolved the main issues, and overall, Li Yi was quite satisfied!

“What are you spacing out for?”

Tang Xue rubbed her eyes and said, “I want to go home!”

“Which home?” Li Yi asked, feigning ignorance.

Tang Xue paused briefly, then looked at Li Yi and said, “From now on, Nianzi Mountain Village is my only home. If you dare to let me down, I’ll…”

Before Tang Xue could finish, Li Yi cut her off immediately: “Don’t worry. Since you’ve chosen me, I’ll never let you lose!”

“Thank you! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even know how desperate my life would have become!” Tang Xue said.

Li Yi felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart. In his previous life, it was precisely because she had been so desperate that she had taken her own life.

In this life, he was determined to protect her with all his might and would never let her suffer any harm!

“From now on, I don’t want to hear the words ‘thank you’ from your lips. You’re my wife—protecting you is my responsibility!” Li Yi said earnestly.

“Mm-hmm!”

Then, Tang Xue suddenly said, “I don’t know why, but I really want to go home—I miss Mom and Sister Na!”

“Hahaha, then what are we waiting for? Let’s take the first bus back!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Mm-hmm!”

Without another moment’s hesitation, the two grabbed their bags and headed straight for the bus station!

Better late than never—they had barely stepped inside when the station’s loudspeaker began announcing that passengers bound for Qingshan County were being called for boarding.

Li Yi immediately ran to the ticket window to buy two tickets, then led Tang Xue onto the bus bound for Qingshan County!

As always, the bus to Qingshan County was in terrible shape, and the road was just as bad.

After enduring three hours of torture, the bus finally pulled into the bus station outside the West Gate of Qing Shan County!

Finally setting foot on the soil of Qing Shan County, Li Yi and Tang Xue both let out a long sigh of relief!

After exiting the station, Li Yi was about to find a horse-drawn carriage to take him and Tang Xue to the entrance of the textile factory!

Normally, Third Sister should have been setting up her stall there at this time.

Just then, an olive-green jeep suddenly pulled up in front of them.

The door swung open, and a uniformed police officer stood before them.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than that guy Li Gang!

“Brother Li Yi, it really is you! Your wife’s here too. Did you two just get back?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Yeah, we just got off the bus!”

“Hahaha, what a coincidence!”

Then Li Gang asked, “Are you heading back to the village?”

“Yeah!”

“Then what are you waiting for? Get in!” Li Gang said.

Li Yi didn’t hesitate; he immediately opened the left rear door and let Tang Xue get in.

He loaded the luggage and the gifts he’d bought in Qin Province into the trunk, and only then took the passenger seat!

Li Gang then started the car and headed straight for Nianzishan Village!

It wasn’t until they were on the road that Li Yi learned Li Gang had actually been promoted.

When Wang Anguo was transferred to Ning City, he specifically recommended Li Gang to the county bureau to fill the vacant position of Criminal Investigation Team Captain, but the higher-ups hadn’t approved it right away.

After all, compared to Wang Anguo, Li Gang’s experience was still somewhat lacking.

They had been deliberating on the matter, but while Li Yi was away, the young man had cracked a major case and exposed a massive corruption scandal.

This finally earned him the favor of the top brass at the county bureau, allowing him to smoothly take over from Wang Anguo and become the captain of the county criminal investigation team.

What Li Yi hadn’t expected was that the major case Li Gang had just cracked was actually connected to him in some way!

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed!

Over the past few days, Long Zhanjun and Ni Qiu had taken turns visiting the hospital to keep Aunt Jiang and Xiao Feng company, while Zhou Ling had simply moved into the hospital to stay by their bedside.

There was no other way—she was the only woman there, and the hospital truly couldn’t do without her.

Tang Xue had wanted to stay with them as well, but neither Li Yi nor Long Zhanjun felt comfortable with the idea!

After all, she was carrying two little ones—who would dare put her to work!

So, while Long Zhanjun and the others were busy with medical visits and keeping vigil at the hospital, Li Yi took Tang Xue out to explore Chang’an every day.

All the sights they hadn’t had time to visit before were now on the itinerary!

Under Li Yi’s guidance, Tang Xue even paid special visits to several renowned universities in Chang’an, giving her a head start on experiencing the college atmosphere.

In addition to sightseeing, the two sampled every kind of local delicacy in Chang’an.

They also visited numerous shopping malls, markets, and supply cooperatives, buying plenty of local specialties to take home as gifts for their families!

It’s safe to say their footprints were all over the vast city of Chang’an!

Just then, news came from the hospital: Aunt Jiang and Xiaofeng were scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning!

Upon hearing the news, Li Yi and Tang Xue decided they wouldn’t go anywhere the next day—they would stay at the hospital to be with them!

At 9:00 a.m. on September 29, Aunt Jiang and Xiaofeng were wheeled into two separate operating rooms at the same time!

For Long Zhanjun, this moment was filled with panic; his mind went completely blank.

Because at that moment, all he could do was crouch outside the operating room, waiting for news!

Although Li Yi and Ni Qiu kept trying to comfort him, Long Zhanjun’s mind was still in a complete turmoil.

After all, inside those operating rooms were his only remaining close relatives in this world. If anything went wrong with either of them, he might not be able to bear the blow—especially since neither of their conditions was good.

Time dragged on endlessly!

From nine o’clock in the morning until two in the afternoon, the lights in the operating room on the left finally went out.

Then, a middle-aged doctor walked out and asked, “Where is Long Xiaofeng’s family?”

“I’m here… I’m here. How is Xiaofeng?” Long Zhanjun asked, sounding somewhat flustered.

“The surgery was a success, but the patient hasn’t woken up yet. I’d like to go over some precautions with you…”

No one paid close attention to the rest of what the doctor said; as soon as they heard the words “the surgery was a success,” everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

No sooner had they settled down than the operating room door swung open, and everyone watched as Long Xiaofeng was wheeled out.

Immediately, Long Zhanjun and the others rushed forward to check on her, then followed the nurse as she wheeled Long Xiaofeng back to the ward!

Before anyone could catch their breath, the lights in the other operating room went out as well!

The same routine played out. When they heard the doctor say “The surgery was a success” once again, Long Zhanjun could no longer hold back his tears, and they streamed down his face!

It wasn’t until Jiang Yuefang was wheeled out of the operating room that everyone, including Li Yi, finally let out a sigh of relief.

According to the doctor, both surgeries went smoothly; now it was all about recovery.

If the recovery goes well, their post-surgery survival time will be longer; otherwise, the opposite will be true!

But in any case, both patients’ physical condition would be much stronger than before.

This was especially true for Long Xiaofeng; after all, she was young, and as long as she received proper nutrition, the impact on her future life wouldn’t be too significant.

Due to the anesthesia, both remained unconscious until around 4:00 p.m., when they gradually woke up one after the other!

Although both were still weak, they both said they felt great—their heartbeats were much stronger than before, and their breathing was smooth.

At that moment, Long Zhanjun’s heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled!

After confirming that Aunt Jiang and Xiaofeng were in good health, Li Yi and Tang Xue were finally ready to return to Saibei Province!

Soon, the departure time was set for 1:00 a.m. on October 1st.

The reason for this specific time was simply that this was the only train with sleeper cars!

To ensure his wife would be comfortable on the train, this was the only option.

Upon learning that Li Yi was leaving, Long Zhanjun immediately found some time to call Li Yi and Tang Xue over.

First, he wanted to treat the couple to a meal—both to see them off and to express his gratitude!

Second, he wanted to ask Li Yi what his plans were for him next!

……

Chang’an State-Owned Restaurant!

Li Yi looked at the restaurant’s decor and the dishes served at the table and said with a smile, “You’ve really gone all out this time!”

“The food here is indeed expensive, but this is the only way I can express my gratitude!” Long Zhanjun said earnestly.

Tang Xue asked curiously, “Is the food here really that expensive?”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “Yes, it’s expensive. This is the famous Chang’an Restaurant, after all!”

“Is the Chang’an Restaurant just expensive?”

“Well, Chang’an Restaurant is world-renowned for its ‘authentic Shaanxi cuisine and comprehensive selection of Shaanxi-style snacks.’ It was built with funds raised by Mr. Feng Kechang. From the very beginning, a folk rhyme circulated: ‘East bells, west drums; Azure Dragon, White Tiger; Fragrant herbs, hot soup; Chang’an Restaurant.’ You could say this place is the pinnacle of Shaanxi cuisine—do you really think the prices could be cheap?”

Besides the restaurant’s high-end reputation, the dishes Long Zhanjun ordered were all signature specialties, including Gourd-Baked Chicken, Stir-Fried Pork Belly, Lotus-Leaf Steamed Pork, and Stir-Fried Three Delicacies—all renowned, top-tier dishes.

Each of these dishes costs a pretty penny on its own, so a table full of them is obviously even more expensive!

“So how much is this meal going to cost?” Tang Xue asked again.

Li Yi smiled and said, “No matter the cost, this is all a gesture of goodwill from Da Long. You just focus on enjoying your meal!”

“Okay!” Tang Xue nodded obediently.

Knowing that Li Yi and the others had to catch a train that evening, Long Zhanjun didn’t ask for any alcohol. He picked up the glass of water in front of him and said, “Brother Yi, Sister-in-law, I won’t bother with formal thanks—I’ve kept your kindness in my heart. Let’s drink tea instead of wine and wish you a safe journey!”

With that, he downed the lukewarm tea in his cup in one gulp!

Li Yi immediately replied, “Da Long, since you trust me, we’re brothers from now on. So there’s no need for formalities!”

Then, Li Yi and Tang Xue also raised their cups and drank the tea in one gulp!

“Brother Yi, what should I do next?” Long Zhanjun asked right away.

“For now, take good care of your mother and Xiaofeng. Once they’ve mostly recovered, come find me in North Sai Province!”

Li Yi continued, “Also, over the next few days, keep a close watch on Liu Ermaozi and his brother-in-law, and stay on top of the case involving Tang Jizhong and his wife!”

“Also, have Xiao Zhanwu continue helping with the investigation into Xiao Xue’s biological mother’s identity. Notify me immediately if there’s any news!”

“Alright, but how should I contact you, Brother Yi, if there’s an emergency?” Long Zhanjun asked again.

Li Yi immediately pulled out a pen and paper, jotted down a phone number, and handed it to Long Zhanjun.

Then he said directly, “Send me a telegram if there’s anything, but for urgent matters, just call this number. It’s for the Qingshan County Public Security Bureau. When you call, ask for Li Gang, and tell him you’re looking for me!”

Long Zhanjun solemnly tucked the number away and said, “Got it!”

At that moment, Li Yi continued, “Also, once you get back, you need to keep a tighter rein on your men. They can run their small businesses, but don’t let them cause trouble.”

“Got it. You’re not street thugs, and you don’t need to fight others over territory!”

“Got it!”

“As for the rest, we’ll talk about it once you get to the North,” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

…….

Standing in the hospital ward corridor, Long Zhanjun’s hands trembled slightly!

In fact, before coming here, he had still held onto a sliver of hope!

Although all signs pointed to his mother having a serious health issue, he thought that since she wasn’t young anymore, it might just be an age-related condition.

So, when Long Zhanjun arrived in Chang’an, he still secretly hoped that his mother’s condition wasn’t as serious as he’d feared.

But the old doctor’s words just now had shattered his last shred of hope. His mother’s condition was far worse than he had imagined—so severe that her life could be in danger at any moment.

What made him feel most desperate, however, was that even if his mother underwent surgery now, the success rate wasn’t very high!

Even if it were successful, she would only have a few more years to live afterward.

“Brother Yi, my mother…”

Before Long Zhanjun could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “Listen to me—your mother absolutely needs surgery. We have to save her life first, then we’ll see if there’s a chance for further treatment later!”

Although Li Yi wasn’t a professional doctor, he knew that many conditions that currently seemed incurable might one day be treatable as medical technology advanced.

“Yeah, but I’m counting on you for the medical costs, Yi. No matter how much it costs, consider it a loan from your brother!” Long Zhanjun said solemnly.

“Don’t worry about the money. Didn’t we already agree on this back in Yong County? I’d save your mom and sister, and you’d work for me. Are you going back on your word now?” Li Yi said.

“No, I just don’t want you to lose out on this, Brother Yi. It’s ten thousand yuan—I’m not worth that much!”

“Haha, I know exactly whether you’re worth it or not!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, from now on, my life belongs to you!” Long Zhanjun declared with unwavering resolve.

“Your life is still your own. Just do a good job from now on. You’ll be proud of the choice you made today!” Li Yi said.

“Mm-hmm! Thanks, Brother Yi!”

Li Yi didn’t say a word; instead, he pulled a stack of bills straight out of his pocket and handed it to Long Zhanjun.

“Here’s three thousand yuan. Use this to cover your hospital bill first; I’ll bring you the rest later!” Li Yi said.

Long Zhanjun didn’t make a fuss; he took the money and said, “Alright, no need to say more. We’ll see how you perform from now on!”

“Got it!”

…….

At noon, the group had lunch at the hospital cafeteria—a simple, inexpensive meal.

After the meal, Li Yi took Tang Xue back to the guesthouse, while Long Zhanjun stayed at the hospital with Ni Qiu and Zhou Ling—after all, the doctors were scheduled to examine his mother and sister that afternoon.

Once back at the guesthouse, Zhou Yang immediately called Tang Xue over and said, “Xiao Xue, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you!”

“Is it about Aunt Jiang’s medical bills?”

Tang Xue was a smart girl; she guessed right away!

“Yeah, I made a promise to Dalong. He’s doing me a favor, so I’ll help pay for his mother and sister’s medical treatment!” Li Yi said.

Tang Xue sighed and said, “You’re doing this for my sake, too. At the end of the day, I’m the one dragging you down!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t say that. You’re my wife—your problems are my problems. What do you mean, a burden?”

“But if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have agreed to Da Long’s terms. That’s over ten thousand yuan!” Tang Xue said.

“Haha, ten thousand yuan is certainly a lot, but I value Dalong as a person even more!”

“What do you value about him?” Tang Xue asked curiously.

“His ability, character, and loyalty!”

Li Yi continued, “Xiao Xue, we can’t stay cooped up in that little village of Nianzishan forever. Someday we’ll have to head to a bigger city. We can’t do it on our own—we have to build our own team!”

“Dalong is a former soldier—his competence goes without saying. Plus, he’s devoted to his parents, loyal to his friends, and his brotherly loyalty is second to none. A man like that is priceless!”

Tang Xue nodded and said, “Hmm, you’re a man; you think more long-term. You can make the decision on this!”

“Alright, then I’ll go to the bank to withdraw some money in a bit. You just take a nap inside!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Then Tang Xue asked again, “By the way, when are we going home?”

“We’ll wait until Aunt Jiang and the others have finished their surgeries. I need to see how the surgeries go before I can arrange Dalong’s next assignment!” Li Yi said.

“Doesn’t that mean we’ll have to stay here for over a week?” Tang Xue frowned.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to stay anymore?”

“Well, when we first arrived in Nianzishan Village, I absolutely didn’t want to stay there and kept thinking about going back to Yong County. But now I find myself thinking about Nianzishan Village all the time—I just feel more at ease there!” Tang Xue said.

“Heh, that means you’ve already come to regard Nianzishan Village as your home!”

“You’re right. Before, the only thing I missed about Yong County was my parents and relatives, but now I’ve lost all of that, so I just want to go back as soon as possible!”

“Alright, we’ll try to get back as soon as possible!”

“Mm-hmm!”

After saying this, Li Yi immediately took a passbook out of his suitcase and headed out the door.

When he came to Qin Province this time, Li Yi knew things wouldn’t be peaceful, so in addition to carrying a few thousand yuan on him, he’d also brought the passbook.

He’d originally intended it as a precaution, but he never expected he’d actually need it!

Li Yi had already inquired about whether he could withdraw money from the passbook at an out-of-town branch.

It was possible, but he couldn’t withdraw from a different bank, and there would be a service fee.

Li Yi’s passbook was from the Agricultural Bank of China, so he could only withdraw from an Agricultural Bank branch.

A staff member at the guesthouse told him there was an Agricultural Bank branch nearby, so Li Yi headed straight there.

When the teller learned that Li Yi was making an out-of-town withdrawal, she was somewhat surprised, and became even more cautious upon hearing that he wanted to withdraw 10,000 yuan.

After checking his passbook, various identification documents, and letter of introduction, and confirming everything was in order, she finally processed the transaction.

After nearly half an hour of back-and-forth, just as Li Yi’s patience was about to run out, the teller finally handed him the money.

Once he had the money, Li Yi didn’t linger at the bank; he rushed straight to the hospital!

After all, this was life-saving money; the sooner it was delivered, the sooner Long Zhanjun and the hospital staff could rest easy!

When Long Zhanjun took the remaining 7,000 yuan from Li Yi’s hands, the burly man’s eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Although he didn’t know how Li Yi had found out about his mother’s condition, nor did he know what Li Yi was up to—the man was too mysterious, so mysterious it was almost frightening.

But Long Zhanjun understood that without Li Yi, his mother’s life might not have been saved.

And, of course, his sister’s as well!

It could be said that Li Yi was a benefactor to his mother and sister, and to him, Long Zhanjun—a benefactor who had saved their lives!

So he secretly resolved that from now on, his life belonged to Li Yi. He would follow Li Yi’s lead without question, with no regrets, and would never betray him!

At that moment, Long Zhanjun’s heart was completely subjugated!

When the two emerged from the obstetrics and gynecology ward, Li Yi and Tang Xue reacted in completely different ways.

Tang Xue was beaming with excitement, as if she’d just won the lottery.

Li Yi, on the other hand, looked deeply worried, forming a stark contrast to the jubilant Tang Xue.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Aren’t you happy that I’m having twins?” Tang Xue asked, staring at Li Yi.

That’s right—it had been confirmed: Tang Xue was indeed carrying twins.

Li Yi shook his head and said, “It’s not that I’m unhappy—I’m just a little worried!”

“What are you worried about? I think it’s great. Having two at once means they’ll grow up together!” Tang Xue said.

“No, didn’t you hear the doctor say just now that twins come with risks?” Li Yi said.

“I heard that, but there are risks with any pregnancy. Does that mean having a single baby comes with no risks at all?”

“But the risks are higher with twins!”

“It’ll be fine. One of my classmates had twins, and her mom didn’t have any problems!” Tang Xue said with a smile.

She could naturally sense Li Yi’s concern for her, and she herself was a little worried—after all, this was her first pregnancy, and it was twins; how could she not be worried?

But to keep Li Yi from worrying, she naturally couldn’t let her anxiety show on her face.

Still, seeing how much her husband cared about her, Tang Xue felt quite touched.

“Once we get back, why don’t we buy a house in the county seat?” Li Yi suggested.

“Why buy a house?”

“Once your belly gets bigger, we’ll move into town. We’ll go to the county hospital for the delivery, and you can spend your postpartum recovery in town too!” Li Yi said.

“No way, I’m not that fussy!”

Tang Xue continued, “Besides, our little business is tied to Nianzishan Village. If we move to the city, we won’t have a single thing to do!”

“About work…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Tang Xue cut him off: “We’ll discuss that when we get back. Let’s go see Aunt Jiang and Little Feng first!”

“Okay!”

The two then headed straight for the cardiology ward on the third floor!

When they arrived on the third floor and found Long Zhanjun and the others, they noticed the atmosphere was very tense.

“Dalong, how’s it looking?” Li Yi asked immediately.

In truth, he didn’t even need to ask to know the test results weren’t good—the expressions on everyone’s faces spoke volumes.

Long Zhanjun sighed and said, “My mom’s tests are done, and it doesn’t look good!”

“What did the doctor say?”

“The doctor said my mom has a congenital heart defect, and it’s already reached a very dangerous stage. She needs surgery as soon as possible, or else she could…”

Before Long Zhanjun could finish, Jiang Yuefang, standing nearby, cut him off and said, “Junzi, don’t listen to that doctor’s nonsense. Mom’s almost fifty and she’s been fine all this time. She’ll be just fine if she takes some medicine when we get home!”

“Mom, please don’t say that just to comfort me. The doctor has already made it very clear!” Long Zhanjun said.

“It’s fine. I know my own body best!”

Li Yi immediately chimed in, “Aunt Jiang, at a time like this, saying things like that doesn’t really help. Let’s just see if the doctor has a treatment plan first!”

Jiang Yuefang sighed and said, “Let’s save Xiaofeng first!”

Li Yi knew Jiang Yuefang was worried about the money, so he immediately said, “If it can be treated, let’s treat both of them. Don’t worry about the money—I’ve already made arrangements!”

“Xiao Yi, I know you’re a good kid and willing to lend us money, but how many years would Dajun have to work to pay back that much? I really don’t want to be a burden to him…”

“Mom, don’t talk like that. You’re my mother—what are you saying about being a burden?” Long Zhanjun said.

“You silly boy, I’m at this age now—a few years more or less won’t make a difference. You haven’t even found a wife yet!”

“Mom, if you keep talking like that, I’m going to get upset…”

Just as they were speaking, a doctor in a white coat suddenly called out, “Who’s Long Xiaofeng’s family member? The ECG is done—we can wheel her out now!”

Long Zhanjun and Zhou Ling immediately went over, placed the exhausted Long Xiaofeng in a wheelchair, and wheeled her out.

Then, holding the ECG results, they walked into the doctor’s office nearby.

Li Yi hesitated briefly, then followed them inside!

The doctor examining Long Xiaofeng was an elderly man in his sixties. He was clearly already familiar with her condition and was now reviewing the test results.

After a long while, the elderly doctor said in a grave tone, “This young girl’s condition isn’t good. Although it isn’t life-threatening at the moment, under normal circumstances, it’s highly unlikely she’ll live past the age of 20!”

At those words, both Long Zhanjun and Long Xiaofeng felt a sharp pang in their hearts, followed by a deep sense of despair and sorrow!

“Doctor, I’d like to ask—is there a way to treat this condition?” Li Yi spoke up.

“There is a way—surgery. But…”

“But what? Just tell us straight, we can handle it!” Li Yi said.

“But there are a few things I need to explain beforehand. First is the issue of surgical risk. This is major surgery, and there are certain risks involved—we must inform you of this in advance!”

The elderly doctor continued, “Second, regarding the prognosis: this young girl is still young, after all. If the surgery is successful, it won’t significantly impact her future life. However, her mother’s condition is extremely critical. Even if the surgery is successful, she’ll likely only have five or six years left—it would be a miracle if she lived beyond ten years!”

“And then there’s the cost of the surgery. If both of them undergo surgery at the same time, the initial treatment costs will be no less than ten thousand yuan!”

Upon hearing the cost of 10,000 yuan, Xiaofeng glanced at Long Zhanjun and said, “Brother, I’m not getting this done. Let’s go home!”

However, before Long Zhanjun could answer, Li Yi asked in a grave tone, “Doctor, can our hospital perform this surgery? What is the success rate?”

The senior doctor replied immediately, “Our city hospital is the best in the Northwest. We certainly perform heart surgery, and our success rate is very high. But there are no guarantees—after all, various risks can arise during the procedure!”

“Just tell me straight—if my aunt and Little Feng have the surgery at your hospital, what are the chances of success?” Li Yi asked in a low voice.

“For her mother, it’s about 70 percent. For this young girl, it should be 90 percent!” the senior doctor replied.

“All right, then. Arrange for their admission!”

The senior doctor glanced at Long Zhanjun standing nearby. Seeing him nod in agreement, he said, “Alright, I’ll arrange for their admission.”

“Mm-hmm,” Long Zhanjun said.

“After they’re admitted, we’ll conduct a series of tests on your mother and sister to reassess their physical condition before scheduling the surgery,” the senior doctor explained.

“How long will that take?” Li Yi asked immediately.

“Three to seven days!”

“Alright!”

The senior doctor then filled out the paperwork to admit Jiang Yuefang and Long Xiaofeng to the hospital.

After settling the two patients in, Long Zhanjun approached Li Yi to discuss the surgery fees.

…….