Chapter 175: Want to Take a Master?

"Li Ye, you answer this question."

"Who can answer this? Li Ye, you."

"Li Ye."

Li Ye felt he had used up all the times he'd be called on next semester in this one class.

The two slaps Professor Zhang had given him on the shoulder before class had warmed his heart immensely.

From now on, I'm officially someone a big shot pays attention to.

But I never expected it to be this kind of attention.

Since enrolling, Li Ye had always been low-key in class, blending into the crowd without drawing notice.

Yet in just this one lesson, he had drawn stunned glances from all his classmates.

But when Li Ye noticed Professor Zhang's eyes flickering with interest, it finally dawned on him that something was off.

How could a man of Professor Zhang's stature, a true "Master," possibly be so bored in class as to keep calling on you?

I've seen plenty of radicals—would one actually take a liking to you?

Using his biological hard drive to rapidly recall and analyze, Li Ye finally realized he had gone too far.

No matter how carefully a 22-year-old soul concealed itself, to an 82-year-old's eyes, it stood out.

When Zhen Rongrong and others answered, their responses were probably just as correct, even more brilliant due to their unique insights.

But when Li Ye answered, his replies carried a strong bias—toward the great success of the reform and opening-up policies.

Li Ye knew what history would become, so facing the foggy unknown future of 1982, he naturally thought toward the correct direction.

Professor Zhang had taught for decades, with hundreds, even thousands of disciples—among a group of dull geese, suddenly one sneaky little fellow appeared, peering around with shifty eyes—could he not notice?

A single phrase, even a single word, might have alerted him to traces out of step with this era.

Of course, Professor Zhang wouldn't consider the possibility of a "time traveler"—he'd simply assume Li Ye was a "genius."

Once he understood this, Li Ye relaxed.

A genius? Not unusual.

"Class dismissed. Li Ye, come with me."

After class, Professor Zhang said not a single extra word—he simply led Li Ye away.

The classmates were stunned and worried; Mu Yunning's face had already been grim, and now Li Ye was being taken away—what might happen?

After all, the current atmosphere was still tense, with countless people in the farms still waiting to resume work.

Li Ye's actions yesterday, seen through the eyes of students who had just transitioned from high school, went far beyond mere audacity.

At worst, it could be called an international incident.

Writing a self-criticism and getting off scot-free would be the cheapest possible outcome.

But then Professor Zhang remembered something and turned to Zhen Rongrong: "Class monitor, run to the Student Affairs Office and tell them Li Ye is having dinner at my place today—any matters can wait."

"."

A dull goose is someone who, faced with an event, must stare blankly for a moment before reacting.

Zhen Rongrong and the others became dull geese for several seconds.

Only when a thick northern accent rang out did everyone suddenly burst into laughter.

"What the hell is this?"

"Hahahaha~"

Li Ye mounted his bicycle and obediently followed behind Professor Zhang's, slowly making their way to the faculty housing area.

Upon entering, a kind-looking woman spotted Li Ye and immediately laughed: "This is the passionate youth you mentioned yesterday? He doesn't look anything like you described!"

Li Ye quickly smiled awkwardly at the woman: "Master, hello."

"I'm not worthy of 'Master'—I'm just an ordinary teacher. Call me Teacher Lü. Apple or orange?"

"I'll take an orange. Thank you, Teacher Lü."

Teacher Lü invited Li Ye to sit and asked if he wanted fruit; Li Ye cheerfully took an orange.

This pleased Teacher Lü greatly—she thought Li Ye straightforward, generous, and unpretentious.

But Professor Zhang, watching, sneered: "Don't be fooled by his appearance. For all he looks respectable, this kid's slippery as an eel."

"."

Li Ye smiled helplessly, diffusing the awkwardness.

I just happen to be good-looking—how does that make me slippery?

But Professor Zhang wasn't done: "This kid isn't just slippery—he's ruthless. This morning, Old Liao from the Chinese Department told me that last night, the foreign student was crying and screaming in his dorm, and no one could calm him down."

"Hah! So Old Liao wants you to go soothe the foreign student?"

"Soothe him? Pfft. He's got a few extra bucks and thinks he's above everyone. I'm just old now—if I were young, I'd have gone to him myself even if Old Liao hadn't asked! How dare he wreck my reputation?"

Li Ye couldn't help but twist his mouth.

Who was it just now saying, "Don't be fooled by appearances"?

Professor Zhang, on the podium, was so refined, witty, gentle, and kind—how could you be so rough and streetwise behind closed doors?

Teacher Lü waved her hand dismissively: "Enough boasting. Go help me cook these few dishes—when Xiao Yu and the others arrive, are you going to make them cook for themselves again?"

Professor Zhang reluctantly stood: "What's wrong with them cooking for themselves? They're freeloaders—they can't just sit there with their mouths open!"

"I can cook."

Li Ye immediately jumped up and rushed into the kitchen, grabbing a knife and getting to work.

"Hey, I didn't mean you—don't touch anything!"

Professor Zhang protested, but seeing Li Ye enter the kitchen, he hurried to stop him.

Teacher Lü followed in: "Hey, kid, don't move—let your Teacher Zhang do it. No one comes to someone's home for the first time and starts cooking!"

"No problem, Teacher Lü—I really can cook."

Li Ye really could cook; any man who had lived alone knew how to make a simple home dish.

"Then help me wash the vegetables... Wait, you really can cook?"

Teacher Lü had only meant for Li Ye to assist, but Li Ye chopped away with his knife—"chop-chop-chop"—and in moments had produced a mountain of finely shredded potatoes, his knife skills surprisingly sharp.

Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Professor Zhang chuckled: "See? I told you—he fooled you too."

"You fooled me! You used to be so diligent—now you won't move unless you're yelled at. Go wash and pick the vegetables!"

Teacher Lü scolded her husband, then turned to Li Ye: "Your Teacher Zhang is like this—outwardly a rigid old stick, at home a childish old man."

"I think it's great," Li Ye smiled. "If he were always rigid, I'd be under too much pressure."

It was true—Professor Zhang's wit and charm truly bridged the gap between their status, making it easier for Li Ye, as a student, to relate to him.

Home cooking is seven parts cutting, three parts stirring—Li Ye's nimble knife skills made Teacher Lü's job much easier, and soon half the table was filled with dishes.

In the end, Li Ye took over the wok entirely, making a sour-spicy potato shreds dish and a braised fish block.

These two dishes were ones Li Ye had often ordered while living alone in his past life—he'd learned them from eating them so often.

When eating out, never order complicated or strange dishes—you never know what kind of cook you're dealing with, and too much complexity risks disaster.

These two dishes are simple; no matter how they're made, they're hard to ruin.

Professor Zhang sniffed the pungent aroma and nodded: "Good. For a male student to cook this well—impressive."

"Hmm, Li Ye, this fish—is this Ebei style? When your Senior Sister Yu arrives, you'll be in for her praise!"

"I know a sent-down youth from Ebei—he taught me this dish."

Li Ye used Hao Jian as his scapegoat, then pondered the meaning of Teacher Lü's "Senior Sister Yu."

Among Peking University students, terms like "senior sister" and "junior brother" were common, but they sometimes carried the old-fashioned weight of "Master"—I wonder if this Senior Sister Yu had formally taken a master.

【Should I also take a master?】

Li Ye multitasked, carrying a large plate of braised fish to the table, then stared at Professor Zhang, who sat on the sofa with one leg crossed, as if searching for a golden aura radiating from him.

Moments later, a girl in her early twenties, with a neat bob, entered.

She looked at the table full of dishes and exclaimed: "Master, Teacher Lü, I'm only a little late—and you've already cooked everything?"

"Of course! I'm usually too lazy to lift a hand, but when I do, cooking a table or two is no trouble."

Professor Zhang grinned smugly, glancing sideways at Li Ye.

Li Ye kept his head down, silent and willing to play the supporting leaf—if he wasn't humble now, he'd regret it in class later.

But Teacher Lü wasn't letting her husband get away with it: "Don't believe your teacher's lies—there, that's the junior brother your teacher just brought home—he's an excellent cook. Try the braised fish—see if it's right."

"Teacher finally took on a junior brother!"

The bob-haired girl perked up, turning to Li Ye: "Look up, let me see you."

Why does that sound so weird? "Look up so I can see you"—like I'm some kind of service girl?

Li Ye mentally grumbled, but raised his head with a bright smile.

"Senior Sister, hello!"

"."

The girl stared for several seconds, then turned to Professor Zhang: "Teacher, have you gone too far?"

"I just teased you the other day about how you only take on ugly junior brothers and sisters—and now you bring home this handsome kid to mock me?"

"What nonsense are you talking? Who's ugly? Dare you say Wang Zhiyuan is ugly?"

"Why not? I say it to his face—he dares not say a word."

"Enough. You haven't learned your teacher's scholarship, but you've mastered his bragging—better than he ever did."

Teacher Lü playfully slapped the girl's arm and introduced Li Ye: "This is your Senior Sister Yu Xiufen, class of '77. She's always playful and never knows when to hold her tongue."

Then Professor Lü introduced Li Ye to Yu Xiufen: "This is Li Ye, this year's freshman. Don't be so loud around him—he'll make the kids laugh."

"Where am I out of line? I'm complimenting my little brother!"

Yu Xiufen gave a wistful retort, then turned to Li Ye with a smile: "But I can't just praise you for nothing—your job from now on is cooking all the meals at home. I've waited three years for someone who can actually cook."

"Sure, Sister. As long as you're brave enough to eat, I'm brave enough to cook."

Li Ye nodded obediently in agreement.

What could he do? The Class of '77 were untouchable—over half of them dominated Baidu's top rankings, and the rest were surely heavyweights too.

Fine, whatever you say! Your compliments aren't free, and neither are my meals.

Ten minutes later, three more economics students arrived at Professor Zhang's home.

Two of them, like Yu Xiufen, were from Class '77 and already employed.

Zou Mengcheng joined the First Bank; Peng Rui entered the tax system—both energetic young men, warm and friendly toward Li Ye.

The other, a Class '79 student, was shy—the very one Professor Lü and Yu Xiufen had mentioned: Wang Zhiyuan.

Li Ye looked at Wang Zhiyuan and thought: thick eyebrows, big eyes, square face—he looked quite impressive.

Even Zou Mengcheng and Peng Rui, slightly less striking, carried themselves with dignity and had not a trace of clumsiness.

Apparently, Yu Xiufen's standards were just too high.

"Come on, taste and see if my cooking has improved!"

Yu Xiufen gave Li Ye a meaningful glance, then coaxed the others to the table to sample the dishes.

"Wow, little sister, your cooking's really gotten better—I'm having two more steamed buns today."

"Exactly! These potato shreds are simple, but the knife work and seasoning are perfect. Wang Zhiyuan, you're in for a treat."

Peng Rui and Zou Mengcheng praised her endlessly.

But Wang Zhiyuan ate every dish—and frowned into a deep " Chuan " shape.

"This isn't your cooking. Your skills aren't this good."

Yu Xiufen bristled: "I just learned this recipe! A man changes in three days—can't you see that?"

Wang Zhiyuan shook his head: "Recipes can be learned, but knife skills can't be mastered overnight. These potato shreds? Only Li Ye could've cut them like this."

"."

Zou Mengcheng and Peng Rui covered their mouths, stifling laughter, and shot Li Ye a "don't say a word" look.

Yu Xiufen shot Wang Zhiyuan a furious glare, then turned to Professor Lü: "Mother, this jerk says your knife skills are bad—he doesn't even respect you! Why aren't you beating him with the feather duster?"

Professor Lü smiled, then walked over and actually fetched a feather duster.

She handed it to Yu Xiufen: "Here. You hit him for me."

"."

Yu Xiufen was about to laugh and refuse, but Professor Lü sneered: "You adore him so much, yet you spend all day picking at his flaws. You're three years older—don't you know how to care for him? Always finding fault—what's the point?"

Yu Xiufen's face flushed crimson. She lowered her head, fiddling with her toes.

"It's fun! If he never argues or teases me, life's boring."

"."

"Hahaha~"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Li Ye couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He finally understood: a woman three years older is a golden brick.

From her eyes alone, it was clear Yu Xiufen cared deeply for Wang Zhiyuan—she just provoked him on purpose, hoping for some reaction, some connection.

That's the trouble when a lively girl falls for a quiet boy.

You're hopping mad, but he stays calm—so you end up, like a little rabbit, circling a turtle.

"Come on! Let's race!"

The meal was delightful. After eating, they finally turned to today's topic.

Each month, these seniors and juniors came to Professor Zhang's home to pool and verify economic data from their jobs, then analyze it against theory.

Li Ye played the humble junior perfectly—listening more than speaking, showing no desire to stand out.

Because if he remembered right, Zou Mengcheng would become a titan of the banking world, and Peng Rui would rise straight to the center of power—even surpassing Zou Mengcheng by a third.

They were still strangers; better to stay low-key.

But Wang Zhiyuan, who seemed even quieter than Li Ye, suddenly asked: "Little brother, yesterday at the lecture, I heard your remarks."

"Some of that knowledge isn't in the library. Did someone in your family tell you? Or do you have some special information channel?"

Good heavens—anyone Professor Zhang took under his wing was no fool.

Li Ye had been watching Zou Mengcheng and Peng Rui, never suspecting this quiet Wang Zhiyuan was the sharp-eyed assassin who'd spotted his anomaly.

【Bro, you're gonna lose all your friends like this!】

Yu Xiufen snapped: "If you can't speak properly, just stay quiet. You're always buried in the library—how would you know the outside world? Just because you don't understand doesn't mean others don't. Why ask about his family?"

But Wang Zhiyuan stared fixedly at Li Ye, his gaze unwavering.

Li Ye understood: if he had some special background, others would need to tread carefully when discussing sensitive topics.

So Li Ye nodded lightly, expressionless: "Yes. I do have a special channel."

(End of Chapter)