Chapter 24: Chapter Twenty-Four: The Child of Fate

“Brother, just buy one pair, really, just one pair is enough.”

Inside the military service store in Qingshui County, Li Juan gripped Li Ye’s arm tightly, stopping him from pulling out his money.

She had already told Li Ye to buy only one pair of shearling cotton shoes for her sister Li Ying, to ease the pain of frozen feet.

But after arriving, Li Ye told the clerk, “Two pairs of shearling cotton shoes—one size 35, one size 32.”

Though moved inside, timid Li Juan couldn’t accept it—what if she brought the shoes home? Wouldn’t their mother scold her to death?

【Are you that clueless for your age? Your brother spent his money buying you cotton shoes—are you going to live on wind and dust? No more cigarettes? No more meat?】

Just as the two began tugging, the store clerk said, “We don’t have size 32 or 35. The smallest is 36. Do you want it?”

“........”

Now the siblings had no argument left—Li Juan’s size 35 feet could barely fit into size 36, but Li Ying was still in elementary school! Size 36 was definitely too big.

“Then fine! Sister, give me one pair of size 36 first—can you reserve a pair of size 32 for me? If not, size 33 will do.”

As Li Ye pulled out his money, he asked the female clerk.

“Reserve? You’re a young fellow with strange ideas.”

Perhaps because he was handsome and sweet-talking, the high-and-mighty clerk didn’t find it annoying and explained: “We don’t stock small sizes. If you want them, go to the Department Store—but I doubt they’ll have any either.”

Li Ye thought it made sense—children these days were truly miserable; most wore cloth cotton shoes made by their mothers, and clothes were handed down from older sisters or mothers.

No market meant no sales. Qingshui County wasn’t a big city, and there was little awareness of nurturing the nation’s budding flowers—those fancy children’s leather shoes only existed in big cities.

“Here, try them on.”

“Brother, don’t bother—I already have shoes.”

“Shut up.”

The clerk handed out a pair of size 36 shoes; Li Ye told Li Juan to put them on.

Li Juan hesitated for a long time before pulling her feet out of her wet cotton shoes—the socks were soaked through and had three holes, revealing three stubby toes like radishes.

Li Ye immediately bought two more pairs of socks and told Li Juan to change into the new shoes and socks together.

“How’s it feel? Need two more insoles?”

“No, brother... it’s perfect—so warm.”

The little girl no longer resisted. Though from a future perspective, shearling shoes looked crude and low-class, right now, wearing them on her feet, she felt delighted.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Li Ye packed Li Juan’s old cotton shoes into the box and turned to leave the military store, but Li Juan didn’t follow—she lingered behind, stammering: “Brother, brother, wait... change back.”

Li Ye turned and understood—the little girl didn’t want to ruin her new shoes in the snow; she planned to swap back into her wet old ones before walking out.

Li Ye frowned: “I bought these shoes specifically for walking through snow—why else would I buy them?”

Seeing Li Ye’s stern face, Li Juan instinctively hunched her shoulders, lowered her head, and trailed behind cautiously.

Back when she and their mother first came into the family, this brother had always worn that same grim expression—his eyes like a big yellow dog whose food bowl had been stolen—terrifying.

Li Ye walked a few steps and noticed the little girl falling farther behind.

She was carefully avoiding deep snow patches, tiptoeing and twisting like she was walking a maze, afraid of soiling her new shoes.

Li Ye couldn’t help smiling, remembering his own first car in his past life.

That new car was more precious than his wife—any scratch from a fingernail had to be repainted with the original factory paint.

But later... as long as it ran, he’d never fix it—utterly fickle and fond of the new.

“Hurry up—we still need to go buy White Rabbit candies at the grocery store!”

“Brother, why buy candy... we just had sesame candy a few days ago... slurp... let’s not buy it!”

The little girl, still circling to avoid snow, immediately protested—but her saliva dripped involuntarily, leaving her embarrassed and blushing.

For children of this era, sweets were an irresistible temptation—lollipops could lure any kid away—no exaggeration.

“You get new shoes and feel great—what about Xiao Ying? Don’t you know ‘it’s not poverty we fear, but inequality’? When she cries over it, won’t you have to stuff candy in her mouth to shut her up?”

Li Juan was fourteen; little Li Ying was only eleven. Li Ye could imagine with his toes what kind of resentful, tearful expression Xiao Ying would wear once Li Juan came home in new shoes—if there was no sweet reward, the sisters would fight.

“No need... slurp... sister will just cry a little... slurp... it’s fine...”

Though embarrassed, Li Juan quickened her pace and caught up to her brother.

White Rabbit candies! The queen of candies!

Their mother had eaten one once when she came in—she’d remember that taste for life.

As for Li Ye’s warning—that Li Juan’s new shoes would make Xiao Ying weep with envy—she didn’t care.

In this era, an older sister’s bloodline dominance was that brutal: if you want good shoes or clothes, wait until I’ve worn mine out!

Don't like it? If you complain, I'll beat you up—even if you go crying to Mom, you'll still be in the wrong, because you're a sister, not a brother.

Li Ye spent three yuan to buy two catties of White Rabbit candies, packed into two bags, and handed them to Li Juan, who immediately unbuttoned her cotton coat and tucked them inside, hugging them like a baby.

“When we get home, one bag is for you two to eat, the other goes to Grandma to distribute—got it?”

“Mmm... yeah.”

Li Juan held the candy in her mouth, unwilling to chew or swallow, nodding vigorously—her brother had already given her a handful to eat on the way; no matter how it was split, she’d come out ahead.

Li Ye walked Li Juan partway, watching until her small figure turned the corner, then returned to County No. 2 High School.

As he walked, he pondered how to earn money safely and quickly.

Since he’d come into this world, forget grand ambitions for now—at least make sure the people around him never had to worry about eating a roasted chicken every day.

In this era, windfalls were everywhere—every chicken feather could ride the breeze and soar.

But how many pigs had fallen to their deaths? How many chickens had drowned?

For example, heading south to Guangdong to sell clothes and goods might let you taste the crab—but you might also get your bag stolen on the train, cheated out of goods in Guangdong, or even robbed or confiscated—any accident could happen.

And Li Ye’s current age and status imposed severe limits.

An eighteen- or nineteen-year-old high school student—teachers took attendance every day. Could he abandon his studies to go into private business?

His father would break his legs—believe it. And neither his grandparents would intervene.

Even if you convinced them to let him skip college, they’d still want him to join a state unit as an employee—would they let him speculate and trade?

Even if Li family were absurdly open-minded and let Li Ye do whatever he wanted—still, no.

Born in this era, you ignore the golden highway of the college entrance exam—the path to class mobility—and take the detour into business...

Only a total idiot would do that.

Private enterprises wouldn’t emerge for many years; individual traders now had lower social status than a state-owned unit’s gatekeeper with a permanent post.

So if you wanted to do business now, you had to follow the path: petty vendor → big vendor → big merchant—a classic rags-to-riches hero’s journey from the bottom up.

But in this Great Heavenly Dynasty, after decades of ruthless success in business and accumulating vast wealth, you’d inevitably hit an upper barrier.

Then you’d bring a pig’s head to the temple gate—and when it opened,

Holy shit—the person you had to grovel before, begging for a glance, was a college graduate from the 1980s.

Tell me—are you impressed? Tell me—are you furious?

College graduates from the late 70s and early 80s rose with rocket speed.

Especially those from the Four Elite Universities—Qinghua, Peking, Renmin, and Science—many soared straight into the center of power.

If Li Ye got into Qinghua, Peking, Renmin, or Science this year, in just four years he’d already have one foot inside the temple gate, leaping several social strata from the very bottom.

For someone from an ordinary background, this opportunity was incredibly precious—once missed, never again.

Even if Li Ye later grew tired of bureaucracy and chose business instead, his vast alumni network would be a powerful wing—far surpassing those petty traders by several levels,

because he’d either be in the same circle as all the bosses, or could easily find a way to speak with them.

What was the name of that college graduate Chen Jianghe met on the train? What was his status compared to Chen Jianghe’s when he graduated?

Are you better than Chen Jianghe?

So right now, to earn money, he must balance both without harming his studies—but that meant countless restrictions.

So right now, if he wanted to make money, he had to balance both without affecting his studies—but that imposed too many restrictions.

【Money must be earned. A man can’t bend for a single cent—both fish and bear’s paw must be had.】

Li Ye walked back to County No. 2 High School, head down, lost in thought, not noticing the man squatting by the school gate.

Li Ye walked back to County No. 2 High School with his head down, lost in thought, and didn’t notice the person crouching by the school gate.

"Little brother, little brother... hehe... have you had dinner yet... here, have some candy..."

Li Ye stared at the man—his nose dripping snot, yet grinning broadly—and wondered inwardly:

【Could I really be the protagonist, the child of fate? Did I just doze off and someone handed me a pillow?】

Could it be that I’m truly the protagonist archetype, the child of fate—just nodding off and someone conveniently brings me a pillow?