Chapter 191: Wealth Without Returning Home?

Wu Ju and Han Chunmei cooked a large pot of scallion-egg noodles for Jin Peng, Wang Qiangqiang, and others; the three brothers ate noisily inside the house, thoroughly satisfied.

Jin Peng sipped some noodle broth and said to Li Ye: "Hao Jian called me the day before yesterday—he won't be returning to Qingshui County for the New Year this year. He can't reach you easily, so he asked me to pass along the message."

"Tell me what? Do I care where he spends the New Year?" Li Ye said indifferently. "Besides, with his daughter's health, it's definitely more comfortable in Yangcheng than on Dongshan. Settling in the south was the right choice."

Jin Peng shook his head. "No, Hao Jian went back to Ebei this year to spend the New Year. He called me just to show off."

"Show off? Show off what?"

"His car," Wang Qiangqiang said, placing his empty bowl on the table with a hint of resentment. "Hao Jian got lucky—he finally bought a car before the New Year. But instead of giving it to you, Brother Ye, he drove it back home to show off."

In Wang Qiangqiang's view, if the Qicheng Seventh Factory got a car, it had to go first to Li Ye, the "Number One Brother," and everyone else had to wait their turn.

Li Ye smiled. "Wealth without returning to one's hometown is like walking in silk robes at night—you all know the vow Hao Jian made back then. As friends, we should help and support him, right?"

"Wealth without returning to one's hometown is like walking in silk robes at night?" Jin Peng and Wang Qiangqiang both pondered it, then asked Li Ye: "What exactly does that mean?"

"It's a line from the 'Biography of Xiang Yu' in the Records of the Grand Historian. The original reads: 'When one attains wealth and honor but does not return to his hometown, it's like wearing embroidered robes and walking at night—who would know of your glory?'"

"It means that a once-poor, lowly person who rises through hard work and effort, if he doesn't return home to show off, is like walking in fine clothes under cover of darkness—no one will know of his success."

Li Ye, playing the role of a history scholar, explained the origin of the phrase to them. But their reactions afterward were completely different.

Jin Peng nodded repeatedly, convinced Li Ye was right.

Wang Qiangqiang, however, lowered his head and fell silent for a long while.

In fact, their attire today already revealed the difference in their inner thoughts.

Jin Peng wore a tailored British-style suit and overcoat, custom-made by the Qicheng Seventh Factory—impeccably fitted and ridiculously flashy.

Over the past year, Jin Peng had returned to Qingshui County several times to visit family. His title of "Boss Jin" had grown louder with each trip, and even his fiancée, once dismissed as a fool for choosing Jin Peng, was now hailed as a shrewd "Boss Lady."

Wang Qiangqiang, by contrast, was the opposite extreme—dressed in the most unassuming, earthy clothes imaginable. He hadn't gone home all year; his family didn't even care how he was doing—or whether he was still alive.

Both approaches had their own logic, and decades later, the second would even gain widespread approval.

But this was 1982, and styles like Hao Jian's and Jin Peng's were far more common.

Wang Qiangqiang didn't look up. He asked Li Ye softly: "Brother, do you think I should change into something nicer?"

"That's up to you," Li Ye said with a smile. "Qiangzi, we strive not just to survive, but to live freely—to stop caring what others think, to do exactly as we please."

"If someone laughs at you for dressing like this, would you care?"

"I wouldn't care at all!" Wang Qiangqiang grinned foolishly. "If they laugh at me, I just think they're blind as a leaf blocking Mount Tai—they can't see my worth."

"."

"Hahahahahaha~"

"Qiangzi, you're quoting classical phrases now? That's hilarious!"

Li Ye and Jin Peng burst into laughter, especially Jin Peng, which made Wang Qiangqiang feel embarrassed.

But Li Ye quickly encouraged him: "Don't mind it, Qiangzi. Keep reading and learning—you'll be just as good as anyone, maybe even better than your Jin brother."

"I don't mind, Brother," Wang Qiangqiang said seriously. "I can tell real laughter from fake. Jin Peng's been studying too—he's not bad."

"Hmph~"

Li Ye smiled and said nothing more.

Jin Peng was indeed studying, but only because Li Ye and Wang Qiangqiang pushed him. Meanwhile, the seemingly slow-witted Wang Qiangqiang was steadily practicing "the slow bird flies first," working harder than ever since school days.

Back then, this big-eating, hard-luck kid was so disliked even at meals that he had no mind for books.

But now that his material hardships were solved, Wang Qiangqiang had unleashed a stubborn, unyielding resilience.

In Li Ye's eyes, Wang Qiangqiang was a mute, intensified version of Guo Jing—stubborn to a fault.

After eating, Jin Peng and Wang Qiangqiang stayed at Li Ye's house for a while, then each went home to their own mothers.

Both had been busy away for a year: Jin Peng occasionally returned to see his fiancée, but Wang Qiangqiang hadn't gone home once.

Jin Peng hurried home eagerly, while Wang Qiangqiang shuffled along, hesitant and almost afraid to face home.

Everyone walks their own path; outsiders can only watch.

After Jin Peng, Wang Qiangqiang, and the others left, before noon, more visitors arrived at Li Ye's house.

Han Xia and her parents, with two younger sisters, arrived in a tractor, unloading years' worth of New Year goods.

Especially the dozen or so huge carp and grass carp made Li Ye stare in disbelief.

The water quality back then was truly excellent! Draining a single pond yielded so many wild carp and grass carp, half a meter long or more.

Decades later, only southern river regions could easily produce such large wild fish; in Dongshan, you'd never dream of it—you'd only get farmed, feed-fed fish.

But Han Xia's family hadn't come just to deliver New Year gifts—they'd come to pay respects to Old Huai.

Ever since Li Ye received a dream from Old Huai and topped the provincial exam, the incense offerings to Old Huai had multiplied many times over.

Now everyone secretly believed Li Ye's grandmother, Wu Ju, possessed the strongest blessings—otherwise, why would Old Huai have chosen Li Ye alone?

Han Xia's two younger sisters were in middle school; they wanted to catch even a sliver of that fortune.

By New Year's Day, at the first hour of dawn, Li Mingxiang with her cousin Zhao Meiwen, and Hu Man with her younger brother and mother, all arrived at Li Ye's house.

Reluctant as ever, Li Ye was dragged along by Wu Ju—but he only stayed a few minutes by the Old Huai tree before returning.

Because the moment he bent his knees, about to kneel and kowtow, thunder rumbled faintly from the pitch-black sky above.

Was it a furious rebuke—"You demon, again showing your face?"

Or a quiet plea—"Wicked demon, go away, go away."

Having experienced this twice already, Li Ye decided he'd never bow to Old Huai again.

On New Year's Day, after breakfast, neighbors and friends began visiting each other to offer greetings.

All members of the eight-person group, except Wen Leyu, came to Li Ye's house—even Chen Jinhua, still hospitalized, came with Jiang Xiaoyan supporting her.

Li Zhongfa hurriedly told Wu Ju to bring Chen Jinhua inside, where the heating stove roared loudly, afraid she'd catch a chill and worsen her condition.

This made Chen Jinhua uneasy. She quickly said: "Auntie, no need to go to so much trouble—I'm not that delicate. I'm already much better; if my daughter hadn't stopped me, I'd have been discharged already."

"Nonsense," Wu Ju pretended to scold. "If you don't care for yourself now, you'll suffer when you're old."

"I heard from my grandson what your illness is—it's entirely due to neglect. If you don't watch yourself, you'll never be able to do heavy work again. One step and you'll gasp for air."

"Hehe, not that serious, not that serious."

Chen Jinhua smiled awkwardly, but inside, she felt warm and comforted.

When she arrived, she'd been terrified. She'd heard Li Zhongfa was a bureau director—higher rank than township cadres, impossibly distant from someone like her. She expected him to be terrifyingly stern!

But now, watching Li Zhongfa fussing over the stove and Wu Ju serving tea, Chen Jinhua silently sighed: "This is what a true public servant looks like!"

At that moment, Hu Man, Han Xia, Li Dayong's mothers, and others joined in, quickly forming a lively, warm circle that put Chen Jinhua at ease.

As they chatted, someone pointed out the window: "Our children—they've all benefited from Li Ye. Look at them now—can you even compare them to last year?"

"Of course not! Last year, when my son was retaking the exam, he never spoke a word. I felt so sorry for him. Now he tells jokes—he made me laugh yesterday!"

"Exactly! In just half a year, my son's changed completely."

Several women gathered by the window, watching the university students laughing and playing in the courtyard, their eyes brimming with satisfaction.

Before, when Jiang Xiaoyan, Yan Jinbu, and others were retaking the exam, they were wrapped in oppressive gloom—everyone thought, "How can this child be so downcast?"

Now, Jiang Xiaoyan and the others were confident, radiant like the sun breaking through dark clouds—not only transforming themselves, but quietly warming others too.

Wu Ju also watched Li Ye through the window, seeing her grandson at the center of everyone's attention, and silently praised her husband Li Zhongfa's wisdom.

A fence needs three stakes; a hero needs three helpers. These kids may be saplings now, useless for now—but who knows? Years from now, one might help another.

But just as Wu Ju beamed proudly at Li Ye, several "relatives" entered the courtyard.

Wang Qiangqiang's mother, Fan Chunhua, arrived with Wang Qiangqiang and his older brother Wang Yonggan to pay New Year visits.

Wang Qiangqiang's mother was short but loud. As soon as she stepped in, she called out: "Uncle, Auntie, we've come to pay our New Year respects!"

Li Ye, who had been laughing with his classmates, turned and saw Wang Qiangqiang's awkward, forced smile.

"Oh, Xiao Ye, you've gathered all your classmates here? Perfect! Later, Auntie Liu needs to talk to you."

"Auntie Liu, we're just about to visit our school teachers. If it's about something, just tell Grandpa and Grandma."

"No, no—this matter can only be settled with you. Don't go anywhere! Auntie Liu won't let you leave."

"."

As Fan Chunhua led her two sons into the main room, Li Ye quickly told his classmates: "Remember this! When Qiangzi's mom asks you about him, say you don't know anything—don't know, don't know, don't know, got it?"

Hu Man and the others didn't understand, but all nodded silently.

Li Dayong knew the truth and pulled Li Ye aside, whispering: "Has Qiangzi been exposed?"

Li Ye slowly shook his head. "I don't know. But expecting Qiangzi to lie convincingly to his mother? That's too much."

"True!"

Li Dayong fully agreed. They'd grown up together; Wang Qiangqiang's naivety was legendary, and his mother Fan Chunhua's shrewdness was well-known. A mother knows her child best—trying to hide savings in front of Chen Jinhua would be nearly impossible.

But Li Ye and Li Dayong had underestimated Wang Qiangqiang.

Five minutes later, faint sobs drifted from the main room. Then Li Ye was called inside.

Li Ye entered and saw Fan Chunhua's eyes were dry—her tears were all show.

But Grandpa Li Zhongfa's face was as dark as a soot-covered pot. Grandma Wu Ju kept giving him urgent glances.

"Grandpa, you elders are talking—why call me in?"

"It's about you younger ones."

Li Zhongfa muttered: "Auntie Liu wants your second brother to take Qiangzi's job. Jin Peng turned her down. You know Hao Jian, right? Auntie Liu wants you to talk to him."

I'll be damned.

Li Ye glanced at Auntie Liu, who was dabbing her eyes, then at Wang Qiangqiang, sitting slumped on a small stool.

The stool was too small; Wang Qiangqiang, solidly built, looked comically cramped on it.

Li Ye met his gaze, and the two brothers both felt the same helplessness.

【Brother, how come you're this broke and still got noticed?】

(End of Chapter)