Chapter 163

"Mom, Mom, I'm back! What delicious food did you make for me?"

"Sweet and sour fish? This dish has too many bones! Isn't there any braised pork?"

Wen Leyu walked into the house, tossed her backpack down, slipped on her slippers, and hurried into the kitchen, chattering beside Teacher Ke's back.

"There is~ but your dad said he's going to make it for you himself!"

"Can my dad's cooking even be eaten?"

Teacher Ke turned around and saw her daughter sniffing the air like a kitten, yet still criticizing her husband's cooking—her heart swelled with joy.

Her daughter had become increasingly lively, with not a trace left of her former depression.

When they first arrived in Beijing, Teacher Ke had consulted several senior doctors about depression, and every one of them had solemnly warned her that depression was dangerous and troublesome.

Now, it seemed that trouble had been completely resolved.

That boy Li Ye had done an immense amount.

"Hey, Xiao Yu, you came home so early today—did you skip class?"

Wen Leyu shook her head. "No, Li Ye drove me home."

Teacher Ke was puzzled. "What car? Didn't he stop driving the school truck?"

"That little delivery truck from Pengcheng Factory Seven," Wen Leyu said. "He knew I was coming home today, so he didn't let me squeeze onto the bus—he borrowed the truck to bring me."

Teacher Ke asked, "Then why didn't he come over for dinner?"

Wen Leyu made a face. "You didn't invite him, so how could he just show up? Mom, you're a big official now! One shake of your official aura, and he wouldn't dare even step through the door!"

Teacher Ke feigned anger. "How dare you talk to your mother like that? When have I ever used my official power on Li Ye?"

Wen Leyu blinked, grinning. "So you admit you do have official aura?"

Teacher Ke shot her a look—part reproach, part exasperation.

Beijing was full of officials; any CEO of a central state enterprise could be a vice-ministerial rank. Who didn't have official aura?

"Next time Li Ye drives you home, invite him to dinner. Tell him I don't treat him as an outsider."

"Mm-hmm, he doesn't treat you as an outsider either—he's already started ordering you around."

"Ordering me around? What does he want me to do?"

Teacher Ke found it amusing. She knew exactly what kind of kid Li Ye was—he'd never overstep.

"Eat first, then I'll tell you. Hurry up, I'm starving."

Teacher Ke smiled and didn't press it.

But when Wen Leyu handed her the manuscript after dinner, she was taken aback.

"Li Ye says he wants to publish this in Hong Kong?"

"Yes, this is Li Ye's new work. He said he'll hire a foreigner to translate it again because of copyright. He said this time we'll earn U. . dollars."

Wen Leyu rattled off an explanation to her mother, emphasizing repeatedly: "We can't let anyone take our share of the money."

Teacher Ke was slightly surprised, then laughed. "You two are earning U. . dollars now? Oh my, that's incredible—I've never earned a single dollar! I must learn from you."

Wen Leyu immediately saw her mother didn't believe her, and she puffed up her cheeks. "Comrade Ke Zhiyu, I'm speaking to you seriously."

"Li Ye's 'North Wind Soaring' has already been serialized in a Hong Kong magazine, earning the state five thousand U. . dollars a month."

"Li Ye said foreigners aren't that special—they use TVs and refrigerators to take our money, so we can use our words to take theirs. We're no worse than them."

When she said the last sentence, her tone had grown solemn, and her small face carried a stern resolve.

Teacher Ke didn't react with shock or stunned silence; what had begun as amusement now turned serious.

"Did Li Ye really say, 'We're no worse than foreigners'?"

Wen Leyu nodded. "He's told me twice already. The last time was when we discussed studying abroad—he said, go if you must, but never forget who you are."

Teacher Ke was finally startled. In these years of reform and opening, advanced Western technology and ideas had flooded in, forming a powerful "western wind" that seemed ready to overwhelm the eastern.

Advanced cars, color TVs, refrigerators—conquering consumers across the land with undeniable performance—while certain imported ideas subtly reshaped many people's spirits.

Working in education, Teacher Ke closely observed the values of Li Ye's generation, and had already sensed troubling signs.

More and more people wanted to study abroad, and their desire grew stronger—but their motives had quietly shifted from before, and some had even chosen not to return.

After two seconds of thought, Teacher Ke asked calmly, "So, are you and Li Ye planning to apply for study abroad?"

Students could apply for study abroad as early as their second year; Wen Leyu and Li Ye could start planning now—it wasn't unrealistic.

But Wen Leyu shook her head. "No. Li Ye says he'll be more useful staying on this land."

"More useful?"

A smile tugged at Teacher Ke's lips. "Tell me, what use could he possibly be?"

"I'm serious."

Wen Leyu pouted. "Li Ye isn't just writing to promote our country's history and culture—he's also an economic consultant for Pengcheng Apparel Factory Seven, planning promotions for Xiushuijie's storefront and the Second People's Mall."

"He told me he might even drop prices to seventy percent—that's called benefiting the people."

Teacher Ke smiled. "Benefiting the people isn't that simple. Most folks don't have dozens of yuan to spend each month. And if he cuts prices, what about all the other shops and vendors who won't make money?"

"I didn't ask him that," Wen Leyu paused, then pouted. "But isn't he still doing something good for customers? When I volunteered at the Second People's Mall, I saw how happy the people were."

"Alright, alright, Li Ye's right, Li Ye's wonderful."

Teacher Ke soothed her daughter, then said, "Sit quietly for a bit—let me read through these manuscripts, okay?"

Wen Leyu fell silent, sitting obediently beside her mother as she carefully turned each page.

"This book reminds me of a foreign novel I read many years ago—I've forgotten its name, but it felt distinctly different."

After finishing, Teacher Ke found it interesting enough, but not earth-shattering—she merely admired Li Ye's approach.

It wasn't her fault for not recognizing its value; in this era, many Western literary works that were wildly popular abroad often failed to take root here, let alone Western fantasy.

Wen Leyu asked hopefully, "So, Mom, do you have time to be our proofreader?"

Teacher Ke smiled. "Then tell me—what exactly do you need me to do?"

Wen Leyu had already planned it out. "Li Ye writes the Chinese draft, I translate it into English, then you review it, fix the awkward parts, and we split the royalties three ways—three-one-thirty-one."

Teacher Ke chuckled, "Then you'll have to tell me what kind of work you need me to do for you."

Wen Leyu had already planned it out: "Li Ye writes the Chinese draft, I translate it into English preliminarily, then Mom, you review it and fix any inappropriate parts—we split the royalty three ways, one-third each."

Teacher Ke finally burst out laughing. "Three-one-thirty-one? Me, a senior official—"

"Never mind. I'll take your three-one-thirty-one. Hahahahaha~"

Teacher Ke finally couldn't hold back her laughter, laughing as she said, "One-third each? I, a respected—"

"Mom, be serious!"

"You're still laughing!"

"Hahahahaha~"

………

That night, as she lay in bed, Teacher Ke nudged Wen Qingsheng beside her.

"Do you know Li Ye is helping Pengcheng Apparel Factory Seven plan product promotions?"

"Helping? All the managers and deputy managers are from Qingshui County—Li Ye's got a stake in it. Do you think I'd miss that with my fiery eyes?"

"But he's making quite a stir lately. Shouldn't you call him over and give him some advice?"

"Why worry?" Wen Qingsheng shrugged. "His grandfather was a veteran, his father's a Party member—do you think he can't handle sugar-coated bullets?"

"Besides, if he's got sugar-coated bullets of his own, isn't that even better?"

"I'm not afraid he'll be blinded by money," Teacher Ke kicked him angrily. "I'm afraid he'll draw too much attention and provoke resentment."

"Don't worry, it's fine," Wen Qingsheng assured her. "Let the kid tinker around for now. If things go wrong, I'll cover for him—old Ding won't dare disrespect me."

"Fine, fine, your face is enormous, truly enormous."

"I'm not afraid he'll be blinded by money," Teacher Ke kicked Wen Qingsheng angrily, "I'm afraid he'll draw too much attention and invite resentment and targeting."

Teacher Ke's instincts were sharp—the spotlight on Pengcheng Apparel Factory Seven had indeed drawn reactions.

On Saturday, Jin Peng suddenly came to the school and brought two "expected" pieces of news.

"Xiao Ye, you guessed right again—Xicheng Department Store and Dongcheng Supply Building both halted negotiations with us the other day."

"I had Huang Gang investigate—they're launching their own discount promotions this week."

"Let them do it," Li Ye said indifferently. "Have they started advertising yet?"

Jin Peng replied, "No, they're keeping it secret. But Huang Gang found out—they've made giant banners promising seventy percent off, ready to hang up Sunday morning."

"That's good!" Li Ye smiled. "Didn't we say from the start that we wanted to give the people real benefits? They're doing it for us."

Jin Peng asked, "Then what do we do? Should we drop to sixty percent?"

Li Ye shook his head. "No. Go lower and it becomes excessive. We stick to the plan."

Frustrated, Jin Peng could only leave, watching Li Ye act as if nothing mattered.

Their power was still too small, and they had no real countermeasures.

Li Ye shook his head: "No cut. If we cut further, it'll be excessive—we stick to the original plan."

On Sunday, Jiang Xiaoyan finished her morning chores and invited Hu Man to the Second People's Mall to earn some extra cash.

But Hu Man said, "I'm not going today. I'm weak in two courses—I need to review thoroughly to win the first-class scholarship."

Jiang Xiaoyan said, "Didn't Brother Peng tell us we can bring our textbooks? When we're not busy, we can take turns studying there."

But Hu Man just shook her head, refusing to go.

Jiang Xiaoyan suddenly asked, "Hu Man, do you think earning extra cash through short-term work is undignified?"

Jiang Xiaoyan said, "Didn't Peng Ge tell us we can bring our textbooks? When we're not busy, we can take turns in groups and review there."

But Hu Man just shook her head, refusing to go.

Jiang Xiaoyan suddenly asked, "Hu Man, do you think it's undignified to take short-term jobs for money?"

Hu Man quickly shook her head: "No, I just don't want to run into Li Dayong."

"."

Jiang Xiao Yan didn't try to persuade Hu Man further; instead, she left school half an hour early and walked all the way to the Second People's Mall.

It was only a few kilometers away—taking the bus cost just ten cents!

Inside the mall, Jiang Xiao Yan spotted Li Dayong, looking sharp.

Today, Li Dayong had new clothes, new shoes, even a new hairstyle; compared to last week, he wasn't exactly a different person—but Jiang Xiao Yan couldn't help but be amazed.

"Tsk tsk, I've known you, Li Dayong, for two or three years, and I never thought you could actually look so put together?"

"What kind of thing is that to say? 'Look so put together'? That's not how you use it! Who are you calling 'look so put together'?"

"Hmph, you know in your heart."

Jiang Xiao Yan teased him for a few more jokes, then went off to get her vest and change clothes.

Li Dayong stared out the door for a long time before letting out a quiet sigh.

The fallen petals wish to follow the stream, but the stream, indifferent, clings to the petals—this is the most helpless thing in the world: you want to show her your best self, yet no matter how you twist and turn, you never reach her eyes.

After the nine o'clock opening, the promotional sales at Pengcheng Factory Seven remained lively, but by ten o'clock, the crowd outside suddenly began to dwindle.

By two or three in the afternoon, Jiang Xiao Yan and the others were completely idle; many of the short-term workers whispered among themselves, and older women like Sister Fang grew visibly uneasy.

Because they earned this extra income only because the promotional site was too busy to handle everything—if today's turnout was any indication, next week they'd need only one-third as many people.

So what about the other two-thirds? Wouldn't they have to go back to taking care of their children, their mothers-in-law, their husbands?

Taking care of them was fine—but they wouldn't earn a cent!

Three yuan and fifty fen a week—that's over ten yuan a month, and saved over a year, it added up to a substantial sum.

These days, even before you've earned the money, its uses are already lined up: your neighbor's kid got a TV for his wedding—can your son afford even a radio?

"Sister Fang, why don't you ask if we can get a discount when we're not busy?"

"Are you selling vegetables? Do you just lower your own price?"

Sister Fang scolded her companion with a laugh, then stood up to find Ma Qianshan.

She was now the unofficial leader of this group of older short-term workers; she had to ask Ma Qianshan's opinion and get some direction for everyone.

"Little Ma, there aren't many customers today—should we let a few sisters go home early and rotate? One person comes two weeks a month?"

Ma Qianshan frowned: "Why rotate? Do you have too much to do at home?"

"No no," Sister Fang said, "we just thought your business should also account for costs."

Ma Qianshan laughed: "Sister Fang, don't worry. With the number of people we have now, I still think it's too few! Don't worry—the promotional subsidy won't be cut, it'll even go up!"

"Then that's great—I'll be waiting for you to raise my pay."

When Sister Fang returned and told everyone, the short-term workers all praised "Little Ma's kindness."

Even those like Jiang Xiao Yan, who worked to support their studies, felt reassured—some read, others dozed off.

Only Jiang Xiao Yan felt uneasy.

Because she felt it was already improper to take money for working here for Peng Ge—and now, with so few customers, she couldn't help at all. How could she still take pay?

【I'll tell Ma Qianshan later—I'll say next month my studies are too tight, so I won't come anymore.】

"Sigh~~"

Jiang Xiao Yan sighed, lowering her head to stare at her book, unable to focus for a long time.

At five-thirty in the afternoon, Ma Qianshan had dinner delivered on time: one meat dish, one vegetable, plenty of white rice—quite a high standard.

But Jiang Xiao Yan found it hard to swallow.

【Today, I absolutely won't take my pay. Next week, and the week after, I'll come back to help for free for two days.】

Jiang Xiao Yan made up her mind: she'd use her meager strength to offset Pengcheng Factory Seven's losses.

But just as she made this decision, Huang Gang and one of his underlings hurried over.

"Good news, good news—the salesgirl in Dongcheng got into a fight with a customer."

"."

What kind of good news is that?

Before anyone could understand, Sister Fang explained: "You think our discount promotion is easy? But if you put the same job on someone else, it's not easy at all!"

Today I went out with my wife all day and only got back in the evening—managed only four thousand characters. I'm taking a day off.

Old debts unpaid, new ones piled on—I feel ashamed and anxious, but I'll do my best to make up the chapters.

Thank you to reader "Xu Ruwangxiangshuijiao" for the 500-point reward—thanks, brother.

(End of Chapter)