Chapter 108: Jiang Xiao Yan: This Is the Life I Want!

After returning home, Li Ye immediately checked the letter Wen Leyu had sent him.

This habit made his grandmother, who had stayed up waiting for her grandson until midnight, scold him sharply.

Opening Wen Leyu’s letter, the first thing he saw was a photo enclosed with it.

The background was Tiananmen Square—known to everyone on Earth—and the girl in the photo gave Li Ye a dreamlike sensation.

【She’s become beautiful.】

Although Li Ye had long known Wen Leyu was beautiful, that was based on his years of experience as a seasoned observer, seeing through all superficial disguises to recognize the raw jade within.

To people like Li Dayong and Hu Man, accustomed to viewing Zhang Yu as the ultimate beauty, Wen Leyu might still seem less attractive than Lu Jingyao.

But the Wen Leyu in this photo could make anyone gasp and exclaim, “What a beauty!”

Wen Leyu had changed her clothes, changed her shoes—the items from the Beijing Friendship Store were far more fashionable than those on Zhongyingjie.

Even her hairstyle had changed; her faint smile, paired with a subtle air of grace, made her look like a phoenix, stunningly radiant.

【What virtue do I, Li Ye, possess? I, Li Ye, am the one and only of this age—truly a worthy match for such a lady.】

In her letter to Li Ye, Wen Leyu wrote nothing extravagant or overly sentimental—only ordinary daily matters.

【Are you well? I’m fine. My mother is fine, my father is fine, my brother is fine. I got a bicycle—I can take you to see Houhai.】

“Sis, you’re taking me to see Houhai, right!”

Li Ye shook his head and smiled, then bent down to write a telegram.

The girl’s letter had arrived days ago—she must’ve wiped that bicycle clean a dozen times already. Writing letters is too slow; better to send a telegram and pour out his heart.

Li Ye’s words were plain, but if one read between the lines, the clear meaning emerged—he was fine, but he missed her deeply.

At the end of the telegram, Li Ye deliberated several times, then finally added one slightly bold sentence.

【I bought two pairs of shoes—one size 42, one size 37.】

Li Ye didn’t remember what time he fell asleep, but in his dream, he truly sat on the back of a bicycle.

Breathing in the scent drifting from the girl ahead, listening to her soft breaths, he drifted happily through the streets and alleys of Beijing.

Li Zhongfa truly doted on his grandson—while Li Ye was still in bed catching up on sleep the next day, he heard the sound of a car horn outside.

His grandmother, Wu Juying, came to call him: “Xiao Ye, your grandpa found you a driving instructor—come out and say hello.”

Back then, there were no driving schools; to get a license, you trained on your unit’s vehicle and then took the test.

Li Ye rubbed his eyes and stepped out—there, parked at his gate, was a Dongfeng truck.

The driver was scrubbing and polishing it like it was his own father.

Seeing Li Ye, the driver beamed: “Xiao Ye, what do you think of this truck? Don’t even joke—I wouldn’t trade it for a Shanghai sedan.”

Li Ye recognized this driver from his grandfather’s unit—he’d used his truck when the family moved.

But back then, it was an old Jiefang made by First Auto Works, not this new Dongfeng 140 from Second Auto Works.

Li Ye grinned: “Master Huo, you’re letting me practice on this new truck—don’t be too stingy.”

Master Huo laughed heartily: “Go ahead and wreck it—I’ll teach you how to fix it. I’ll give you every trick I know—no secrets.”

“Perfect. I need to go to the post office—let me hop in and get a feel for it.”

Li Ye went inside, grabbed the letter he’d written the night before, opened the truck door, and climbed in.

“Hey hey hey, Xiao Ye, don’t rush—we’ll go step by step!”

The startled Master Huo scrambled into the passenger seat and explained: “Listen, the left pedal is the clutch, the middle is the brake, the right is—”

“The right is the accelerator. I know.”

Li Ye started the engine and drove off, showing Master Huo his driving skills right away.

Hmm? A bit rough.

The 1982 Dongfeng 140 was vastly superior to the old Jiefangs still on the roads, but compared to later-generation sedans, it was utterly “unfriendly.”

Neither the steering wheel nor the clutch had power assistance; the gearshift lever was a full meter long, with gaps between gears stretching two li apart, and shifting required double-clutching—if done poorly, it clattered like thunder.

Luckily, Li Ye had driven manual transmissions for years in his past life; any female driver used only to automatics would have been utterly helpless against this beast.

Of course, Li Ye was judging it by post-era standards.

In 1982, a brand-new Dongfeng 140 was truly impressive—Master Huo’s boast wasn’t exaggerated.

Li Ye had once heard his elders say that a driver who owned a Dongfeng 140 showed off so much that when a Shanghai sedan tried to overtake him, he played “yield the lane but not the speed.”

That Shanghai sedan, whether due to an old engine or a cautious driver, couldn’t pass no matter how hard it tried.

As a result, that cocky driver was reassigned to the repair team—and even lost his Jiefang.

So this Dongfeng 140 was truly Master Huo’s prized possession.

But Li Ye didn’t care—he drove like a madman, weaving and lurching, and somehow got the five-ton behemoth to the county post office.

Only then did Master Huo snap back to reality.

“Xiao Ye, when did you learn to drive?”

“I’ve never driven before—I only drove tractors.”

“...”

Li Ye entered the post office and handed his telegram draft to the clerk.

The clerks laughed: “Our top scholar, who’s your new pen pal? This is four or five hundred characters—telegram fees are expensive.”

“Yeah, no problem—I just got my royalty payment. I’ve got cash.”

Li Ye smiled coolly, thinking to himself: “Seven fen per character? You think I’m cheap? A love letter costing dozens of yuan is still cheaper than a bouquet in the future.”

The telegraph operator shook his head, amused, and sent the telegram.

He was a writer who earned money through words—what did a literary soul care about a few yuan in telegram fees?

The telegram was sent quickly. Li Ye paid and took his receipt, preparing to leave, when he noticed the county mail truck had just arrived.

“Master, any letters from Beijing?” Li Ye asked casually.

“Yes—the leaders specifically warned me: these letters are more valuable than gold.”

The mail truck driver carefully pulled out a small parcel—all from Beijing.

Li Ye didn’t leave. He passed out a pack of Da Qianmen cigarettes. The post office staff opened the parcel.

A stack of letters, all bearing the heading “Beijing XX University,” neatly laid out before them.

“This one’s mine.”

Even Li Ye, with his supreme emotional control, felt a flicker of excitement.

“Master, could you check if any of my classmates’ admission notices are here? I’ll deliver them for them.”

Li Ye named his classmates.

The post office official personally counted each letter, then looked up, stunned: “All of them are here—but you can’t touch them. Only school staff or the recipients themselves may collect them.”

“Then I’ll make a phone call.”

Li Ye paid the phone deposit and dialed the county No. 2 High School.

“Hello, who’s this?”

“Hello, Principal Chang! It’s Li Ye.”

“...”

After two seconds of silence, the other end erupted like a volcano.

“You—you actually remember to call back? Have you had enough of running wild? Should I send you two round-trip tickets so you can wander till the ends of the earth and the seas dry up?”

Li Ye held the receiver two feet away, waited until Principal Chang finished his tirade for a full minute, then smiled: “I’m at the county post office now. All the admission notices have arrived—want to come see them?”

“Why the hell are you calling from the post office? It’s less than two li away—do you have so much money to burn? What did you say? Admission notices arrived?”

“Letters from universities came—they won’t let me open them. I can’t break the seal.”

“Wait right there. I’m coming now.”

Five minutes later, several bicycles sped up—not only teachers from County No. 2 High, but two officials from the County Education Committee arrived.

Principal Chang and the teachers didn’t even bother wiping their sweat—they rushed to examine the Beijing letters.

“Passed—all of them passed.”

Principal Chang’s hands trembled. He checked the letters again and again, then carefully set them down and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

In 1982, teaching was grueling work—and often, after years of careful nurturing, you ended up with only two stunted, misshapen fruits.

This year, County No. 2 High had a real harvest.

Li Ye said: “Principal Chang, I’ve got a truck right here. Why not organize a trip to deliver the admission notices to the students’ homes? Show them some warmth—after a few days, there won’t be any chance left.”

“Stop wasting words—let’s go! I’m hungry!”

“...”

A furious bull was not to be trifled with—Li Ye quickly scrambled into the cab and claimed a seat.

Otherwise, how would he arrange the school teachers, the education committee officials, and the post office mailmen?

There were only three seats—he wasn’t going to ride in the cargo bed and get covered in dust.

After some polite pushing and shoving, Li Ye, Master Huo, and Principal Chang got into the cab; everyone else climbed into the Dongfeng’s cargo bed.

“Li Ye, do you know where your classmates live?”

“Yes. I visited them last month.”

“Then let’s go to the school first.”

“Why go to the school?”

“We can’t show up empty-handed. We’ve rehearsed for days—we’ve got to put on a proper show.”

Principal Chang leaned back in the driver’s seat, his face beaming with pure delight.

。。。。。。。

“Crack—crack—”

The long blade rose and fell, instantly reducing small bundles of green grass into fine fragments.

Jiang Xiao Yan mechanically raised and lowered the blade, turning the tangled grass on the left into neat piles of fodder on the right.

Her younger brother, Jiang Xiao Ning, returned from outside carrying a bundle of grass, and dropped it with a thud beside Jiang Xiao Yan.

Then the boy, whose face wore a permanent look of misfortune, collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily—like a dog resting in the shade.

He had never done this kind of work before—pulling weeds in the scorching heat, tying them tightly, then hauling them back. Is this really the kind of work my family’s only son should be doing?

Jiang Xiao Yan lifted her eyelids slightly but ignored her unlucky brother.

Ever since her college entrance exam scores were announced, Jiang Xiao Ning’s easy life had come to an abrupt end.

In the past, when Jiang Xiao Ning performed poorly in school, his mother would only rage and occasionally chase him to give him a few swats.

But Jiang Xiao Ning had his excuse: “Even if my sister studies harder, she still can’t get in—what’s the point of going to school?”

Whenever he said that, his grandparents would shield their precious grandson and turn to resent the daughter who spent money on retaking the exam.

But when Jiang Xiao Yan’s score of 479 was revealed, Jiang Xiao Ning was stunned.

Especially after the middle school teachers suddenly changed their tune, confidently assuring everyone Jiang Xiao Yan would get in—Jiang Xiao Ning felt that overnight, his mother Chen Jinhua had turned from a loving parent into a stepmother.

Chopping grass, fetching water, feeding pigs and sheep—all the chores Jiang Xiao Yan used to do now fell squarely on Jiang Xiao Ning’s shoulders.

You want to study? Go fool some ghost! From now on, you’ll work hard—studying is your sister’s job.

Whenever his grandparents said a word, Chen Jinhua would fire back twenty retorts.

As a result, even his grandparents could only sigh helplessly: “The acceptance letter hasn’t even arrived yet—are you already rebelling?”

“Fine, we’ll rebel! If need be, I’ll take Xiao Yan and live separately.”

“.”

Ever since Chen Jinhua threw out that threat, the family’s power structure had irrevocably shifted.

Now, Jiang Xiao Yan could work if she wanted to, or go for a walk if she didn’t—no one dared to scold her. Even if they muttered complaints, she simply pretended not to hear.

Her mindset had changed—and so had her behavior.

For example, today, Chen Jinhua had left early for the market and still hadn’t returned by noon—yet no one had cooked lunch.

Jiang Xiao Yan wasn’t in the least worried; she slowly chopped the grass, having learned to drag out the work.

“Xiao Yan, why isn’t lunch ready?”

Jiang You Gui returned, lifted the pot lid, saw nothing inside, and immediately scowled.

Jiang Xiao Yan replied calmly: “I didn’t know. I’m chopping grass.”

Jiang You Gui clutched his growling stomach, frantic: “It’s already noon—aren’t we eating?”

Jiang Xiao Yan said: “I didn’t pay attention. Why don’t you ask Grandma if she’s hungry?”

“.”

A soft rebuff left Jiang You Gui speechless.

There were four able-bodied adults in the house, and none of them cooked—so who should he ask?

Jiang’s grandmother and grandfather were both home—why not ask them?

“Fine, fine, I’ll cook, I’ll cook, alright?”

Jiang You Gui sulked and began cooking.

It was unjust—he couldn’t control anyone in this house anymore.

His only obedient daughter had now picked up her mother’s bad habits.

Quietly, without fuss or argument, she simply refused to cooperate—what could he do?

“Sigh, I’ll cook myself. Old age, old age—I’m not even allowed to enjoy peace anymore!”

Jiang’s grandmother pulled back the curtain and stepped out of the room.

She was old but sharp—she knew that if she lifted a finger today, she’d never escape the cooking duties again.

Chen Jinhua was now earning money at the market, and this beloved granddaughter was about to fly off to university—Jiang family’s future would be hard.

Jiang Xiao Yan rolled her eyes, completely unfazed by her grandmother’s complaints.

【Mother works nonstop day and night, yet no one cares for her. Grandma’s only fifty, stronger than Mother, yet all she wants is to be waited on.】

【When I leave, what will happen to Mother alone? I must establish rules in this house while I still can.】

“Mother, rest—you don’t need to cook, I’ll do it.”

Jiang You Gui, concerned for his old mother, quickly offered to cook—but then turned and roared at his son, Jiang Xiao Ning.

“Come here and help me cook! You can’t study, you can’t work—what are you waiting for? Get over here!”

“I don’t know how to cook! Why should I be the one?” Jiang Xiao Ning, suffering unjust misfortune, wore a face full of bitterness.

“If you don’t know how, learn! You’re eighteen—just eating for free?”

“Baa-baa-baa~”

Jiang Xiao Ning was groaning inwardly when suddenly he heard a car horn blare from outside the village.

Then came the crackling of firecrackers, the rhythmic clang of gongs and drums.

“I’m going out to see.”

Jiang Xiao Ning bolted outside.

Learn to cook?

Are you joking? If I learn, won’t I be stuck cooking every day?

Do you think I’m stupid?

。。。。。。。

Jiang Xiao Ning ran out fast—and came back even faster.

“Dad, Dad! A big car’s outside, and township officials are coming toward our house!”

“What? Coming to our house?”

Jiang You Gui froze, then saw his daughter, who had just been pretending not to hear, dash out in a flash.

When Jiang Xiao Yan stepped outside, she saw a crowd approaching her home.

At the front was Principal Chang, smiling broadly, along with several township officials.

In the middle were the school’s PE teacher and music teacher, skillfully beating gongs and drums.

At the back of the crowd, Hu Man and Han Xia were jumping up and down, waving enthusiastically at Jiang Xiao Yan.

Jiang Xiao Yan couldn’t move—her whole body turned to stone.

Though she had prepared herself mentally after seeing her score, when this moment truly arrived, she was still that fragile, tender girl.

Principal Chang walked up to Jiang Xiao Yan, beaming: “Congratulations, Jiang Xiao Yan! You’ve been accepted into Beijing Aviation College.”

“Thank you… thank you, Principal… thank you…”

After thanking the principal, Jiang Xiao Yan tilted her body, wanting to thank the boy who deserved it most.

But a figure stepped between her and him, extending a hand: “Congratulations, Jiang Xiao Yan! You’re the pride of Hebin Township—go on and bring honor to our hometown…”

The township official was reaching out to shake Jiang Xiao Yan’s hand.

To the onlookers gathered around, this scene was the height of envy.

“Oh my! The Jiang family’s about to ascend to heaven! Even township officials have come to their door!”

“Never thought a ‘money-losing daughter’ could be so capable…”

“Quiet down! If Chen Jinhua hears you calling her daughter a ‘money-losing’ girl, she’ll smash your door down!”

“.”

The postman handed Jiang Xiao Yan the precious envelope.

“Daughter, open it and see!”

Jiang Xiao Yan wiped her eyes, opened the envelope, and read the handwriting and official seal.

Only now did her heart finally settle.

“Teacher Hu, could you copy it out for us?”

“Sure thing!”

A large red sheet was immediately pasted on the Jiang family’s front gate—Hu, the school’s best calligrapher, copied the acceptance letter in bold, swirling strokes.

“What does it say?”

“I can’t read it all, but I saw ‘Beijing’—Jiang’s girl got into a university in Beijing!”

“Heaven above! Xiao Yan’s going to Beijing! Does that mean she’ll see xxx?”

“Truly impressive! So ambitious! Look around our four villages—how many girls have ever set foot in Beijing?”

Villagers and neighbors kept gathering, crowding the Jiang family gate so tightly that Chen Jinhua, returning from the market, had to push her way through with great effort.

“Daughter, why are you crying?”

“Mom, I got in! I got in!”

“I know you got in—why are you crying?”

Though Chen Jinhua sharply questioned her daughter, she didn’t realize she herself was crying harder than anyone else.

Why were mother and daughter crying? They both knew better than anyone—they simply didn’t want their years of hardened exterior to be shattered by tears.

“I…”

After holding back for a long time, Jiang Xiao Yan whispered: “I haven’t cooked yet.”

"Hahahahaha~"

"Cooking is easy—we all know how. We’ll help you cook."

"That’s right, Little Yan’s mother, hurry up and cook for the teachers! If it weren’t for these teachers and leaders, could your Little Yan have gotten into university?"

A group of old women surged into Jiang’s house, shoving aside the dazed Jiang Yougui, swiftly boiling water and kneading dough—but there was no vegetable, so noodles seemed the only option.

"None of you are any use," Chen Jinhua scolded her husband, then ordered, "Auntie San, lend me two chickens for now—I’ll buy them back and return them at the next market."

"Uncle Si, you still have some leeks, right? Cut me two bunches."

"Little Yan, hurry to the township supply store and buy liquor—white and beer both."

Chen Jinhua swiftly organized everything, then borrowed tables and stools to settle Chief Chang and the others.

Jiang Xiaoyan took the money her mother gave her, smiled apologetically at Li Ye, Hu Man, and the others, then ran off toward the township supply store.

She really wanted to thank Li Ye, but with so many guests at home, she had to attend to them.

But as Jiang Xiaoyan reached the village entrance, she saw a group of children circling Li Ye’s Dongfeng 140 truck.

Among them was Jiang Xiaoning.

Jiang Xiaoyan’s heart stirred; she dashed over and kicked her younger brother Jiang Xiaoning right in the waist.

"Wocao, who the hell—how dare you hit me? You wanna go to heaven?"

Jiang Xiaoning, knocked flat on his back, scrambled up and roared at his sister.

Jiang Xiaoyan glared at him, snarling: "The whole house is in chaos, and you’re just playing around? Go—to the township supply store and buy liquor—white and beer, both."

Jiang Xiaoning’s neck stiffened—he’d never been treated like this since he was a child.

But before he could shout back, Jiang Xiaoyan cut him off even more fiercely: "Are you going or not? Dare you refuse?"

"."

In a standoff, the brave prevail. After half a minute, Jiang Xiaoning, who had ruled the Jiang household for over a decade, finally bowed to his sister Jiang Xiaoyan’s authority.

"Fine, I’ll go. If I buy it and have change left, that’s extra cash. Not going would be stupid."

Jiang Xiaoyan watched her brother trudge away, head bowed, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

【This is the life I want. What kind of life did I live before?】

Chief Chang and the others didn’t come just to eat—they brought grain from the school on the Dongfeng truck.

In this era, no matter how high the official, if they came to eat, they had to pay grain coupons or grain.

But in such haste, the meal couldn’t be lavish—only sincere.

Chen Jinhua apologized: "I’m truly sorry, teachers and leaders—our home is poor, and we’ve embarrassed you."

"Ah, poverty doesn’t mean low spirit—who’d dare laugh at you?"

A few township cadres conferred briefly, then said: "Jiang Xiaoyan is the first child from Binhe Township to get into university in Beijing—we can’t let this child suffer. The township will award one hundred yuan to honor her."

"Hehe, our village is small, of course we can’t match the township—but fifty yuan we can still manage. Sister Jiang, don’t worry—we’ll never let this child suffer for lack of money."

In minutes, the township and village had raised one hundred fifty yuan—leaving Jiang’s old man utterly stunned.

"She hasn’t even started school yet—and there’s already money?"

A half-drunk old man beside him chuckled: "Brother Jiang, ever heard of Fan Jin passing the imperial exam?"

"What?"

"Hehe, I bet you haven’t—but your granddaughter just passed the imperial exam!"

Jiang the old man understood.

His granddaughter had gone to the capital to take the exam—and passed!

His mind instantly sparked; he began scheming, eyeing the township leaders at the table.

When a township leader asked again if the Jiang family had any difficulties, Jiang the old man seized his chance.

"Ahem, there is one problem—my grandson is eighteen, graduated from middle school with good grades, and originally planned to work as an electrician at the township flour mill."

The township cadres were awkward, but with so many people present, they had to be magnanimous: "Old Jiang, don’t worry. I can’t decide on electrician posts, but I’ll personally arrange for him to work as a laborer at the flour mill."

"Oh my, thank you, leader! Let this old man kowtow to you..."

The banquet was filled with polite refusals and laughter—the atmosphere was excellent.

But a sudden, jarring voice broke through.

"I don’t want to be a worker—I want to go to school."

"."

Everyone turned to Jiang Xiaoning, his face stubborn.

Jiang Yougui slapped him with his shoe.

"What nonsense are you spouting in broad daylight? Did you hit your head?"

"I want to go to school—I want to take the university exam too!"

"I c—"

Chen Jinhua grabbed Jiang Xiaoning’s ear and dragged him out.

But his cries, louder than Dou E’s injustice, rang out endlessly.

"I want to go to school—I want to take the university exam! Ummmm—waaaaa—I want to take the university exam! You have to believe me!"

Today’s chapter barely hit ten thousand characters. No matter the quality, I hope you’ll support Old Feng’s hard work—drop a vote if you have one, and if not, thank you for your subscription. Thank you so much!!!!

Thank you to reader "Passionate Utopia" for the 1000-coin reward, to reader "Bank Mortgage Credit T" for the reward, to reader "Racing Toward Happiness" for the 500-coin reward, and to all other readers who rewarded—thank you!

(End of Chapter)