Chapter 263: Girls Should Be Raised Well

Li Ye drove back to Qingshui County as dusk just began to fall.

At the gate of his home, he found two more cars parked there—one familiar Beijing 130, and another Volga with Beijing plates.

Li Yue, seeing the Volga, smiled and asked Li Ye: "Did your Wen sister's family come to visit?"

Li Ye shook his head: "No, it's Jin Peng's. The day I left, he was busy getting the plates; today he brought it back for ErGou's wedding."

"Jin Peng's driving a Volga now?"

Big Sister got out of the car, circled the brand-new Volga twice, growing more envious, more envious, more resentful with every glance.

Only when she stepped through the door did Li Yue mutter reluctantly: "Little Ye, if I'd quit my job last year and gone to Beijing with you… sigh~"

Li Yue's sigh left Li Ye at a loss.

This older sister had always been kind to him since childhood—washing clothes, scrubbing shoes, carrying him across the river in winter, catching shrimp with him in summer; they'd clung together through those hardest years.

After starting work, Li Yue earned barely enough to live on, yet still sent him five yuan every month. Though her temper was terrible and she'd throw basins at the slightest disagreement, blood ties could never be severed.

When Li Ye first gave Li Juan that old 26 Phoenix bike, Li Yue was furious; now that all the good fortune had landed on Jin Peng, no wonder she felt resentful.

But she only resented—she never blamed. Jin Peng got the Volga because he'd helped Li Ye; wasn't she the one who hadn't acted fast enough to catch the first wave?

So Li Ye quickly assured Li Yue: "It's not too late for you to go to Beijing—I'll get you a Volga by next year at the latest."

"Deal. If you break it, you're a puppy!"

The resentful Li Yue seemed to have been waiting for this exact phrase—she answered instantly.

In Li Yue's mind, Jin Peng, a middle schooler at best, had only followed his younger brother for barely two years—how could she, a high school graduate, possibly fall behind him?

But the moment Li Yue finished speaking, she saw Li Kaibian step out of the main room, standing on the threshold glaring at them.

Li Kaibian shouted at Li Ye: "Why don't you buy her a plane? Wouldn't it be better if she just flew straight up?"

Clearly, the siblings' conversation at the gate had been overheard by Li Kaibian inside the main room.

Li Yue narrowed her eyes, unafraid, locking stares with her father. Though Li Ye had been beaten bloody since childhood, this eldest daughter wasn't scared of her old man.

But Li Yue's bravado lasted only a few seconds—then she wilted, because Grandma Wu Juying also stepped out of the main room.

Wu Juying stared coldly at Li Yue: "So? You haven't even left home yet, and you dare glare at your father? If we gave you four wheels, would you really fly off and forget your own dad?"

Li Yue quickly bowed her head: "No, Grandma… I didn't glare!"

Wu Juying sneered: "Didn't glare? Were those two lanterns I just saw an illusion? I say you'd better stay home—you'd only cause trouble for Little Ye if you went out."

Li Yue lowered her head, completely defeated.

Even when their grandmother was usually gentle, when she got angry, even Grandpa Li Zhongfa had to yield.

Li Yue glaring at her father? Li Kaibian didn't care. But Li Yue glaring at her grandmother's son? That was another matter.

Li Ye quickly intervened: "No way, Grandma—you know how your daughter's always been. She's never without sense."

"I haven't even scolded you yet!" Wu Juying cut him off, turning sharply on Li Ye: "Why are you giving a girl a car? Look around Qingshui County—is there anyone more showy than your sister?"

She changes clothes every three days, her shoes nearly fill a whole bed's bottom—this one's not good enough, that one doesn't suit her. Our family's been poor for three generations—now you're turning her into a bourgeois miss?"

"."

Li Ye was covered in black lines.

Since the Pengcheng Seventh Factory gained design support from Hong Kong, new clothing styles arrived monthly; Li Ye simply picked what suited him and arranged outfits for everyone at home.

But it wasn't much—each person got five or six pieces total; his sister Li Yue got a bit more, but no more than eight or ten.

Even so, Grandma, stepmother, and younger sister mostly left their new clothes gathering dust in the cabinets—true to the saying: "Whether you wear them or not doesn't matter—I've got them."

Only Li Yue regularly switched styles, living her youth without regrets.

But now, under Wu Juying's tongue, it was enough to be labeled class enemy material.

Li Ye felt he should correct this backward mindset.

"Grandma, if the family has the means, girls should be raised well—exposure isn't just for boys."

"When girls see more of the world, they stop being easily impressed, won't chase empty vanity, won't be tricked away by some boy with a few melons and two jujubes."

"Like you and Grandpa—your lifetime of experience reading people, telling good from bad, isn't that something you can spot at a glance? You should teach us those skills too."

"Your sister's as sharp as a monkey—who could trick her with a few melons and two jujubes?"

Wu Juying softened slightly under Li Ye's flattery, but still pressed: "Girls should be raised well? When you used to snatch meat and your sister just stared, why didn't you say that then?"

"You've only had full meals for a few days, and already you want to lord it over others? Today a car, tomorrow a maid?"

"."

Li Ye twisted his face into a forced smile: "Grandma, when I say 'raised well,' I don't mean coddled—I don't mean thinking you're better than others just because you've got more. Everyone's equal."

"And with broader horizons, moral education must be strengthened—you and Grandpa are experts in this. You'll have to help us with that."

Li Yue: "."

She wanted to kick Li Ye—why did he say all that good stuff, then backtrack?

With Grandpa and Grandma's lofty ideals, moral education would sink so deep into your bones you'd never escape it.

Meanwhile, Li Juan and Li Ying, who'd been hiding in the corner like marmots, dared not raise their heads—mixed feelings inside.

Happy: their closets full of beautiful new clothes might finally get worn.

Worried: Grandma's moral education? That was no joke—even Grandpa, with his noble mind, got headaches. How could two step-granddaughters possibly endure it?

"Cough—"

Grandpa stepped out of the main room, coughing, followed by Jin Peng and Hao Jian.

Li Zhongfa frowned: "Jin Peng came here looking for you—you leave your guests alone and go out gallivanting? What kind of behavior is that?"

Li Ye grinned: "I didn't gallivant—I just got car fever and took the new one for a spin."

Li Zhongfa glared at Li Ye: "Fine. They've been waiting long enough—go talk."

"Alright, we'll go check on ErGou's place—see if we can help."

Li Ye agreed, waving Jin Peng and Hao Jian out the door.

Outside, Jin Peng got behind the Crown's wheel, driving Li Ye and Hao Jian toward ErGou's house, the Beijing 130 following behind.

Once in the car, Hao Jian smiled at Li Ye: "Your words about raising girls well were perfect—CuiCui really needs it."

"She used to hate nursery school, always looked down on, called rustic. But slowly, she realized others weren't so great either—now she's not shy anymore, even has a few friends."

If anyone in this era truly believed in "raising daughters well," Hao Jian was one—he doted on Hao Cuicui, gave her everything she wanted.

But Li Ye shook his head: "It's not just about material wealth—you must teach them principles from childhood."

"In Beijing, I've seen many girls swept away by so-called 'romance,' but girls with broad horizons remain unmoved."

"That's why I think girls should learn more, see more—but never forget their roots, never lose their kindness."

Hao Jian nodded eagerly: "Yes, yes—girls need vision, and they need kindness. That kindness is vital."

Hao Jian and Li Ye discussed "little cotton-padded jackets" for a long time; Jin Peng stayed silent.

Li Ye found it odd, asked if he was troubled.

Jin Peng muttered: "Little Ye… when you just said 'tricked away by a few melons and two jujubes'—were you talking about me?"

"."

"Hahahaha~"

Li Ye and Hao Jian burst out laughing.

Jin Peng got his wife only after using connections at the garment factory, securing her a job with gifts of tobacco and alcohol.

The speaker meant nothing; the listener took it personally. Jin Peng felt labeled a "bad boy" in Li Ye's words.

After laughing for a while, Li Ye managed to say: "You've got to hear this two ways, understand? Context matters—figure it out yourself."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Hao Jian choked on smoke, quickly rolled down the window and tossed his cigarette out.

Jin Peng chuckled too, sheepishly scratched his head, then slapped the steering wheel to change the subject: "This car's great—Hao Jian, you really giving the Beijing office this one?"

Hao Jian snorted: "If you don't want it, I'll take it back—you drive your Volga."

"You wish," Jin Peng laughed. "Plans change faster than you think—I begged and pleaded in Beijing just to get one Volga, thought I'd hit the jackpot. Then you show up with two Crowns."

Hao Jian smiled: "I never planned on two. When Guo Donglun gave me one in March, I was already satisfied. But this time, foreign trade gave us an allocation—I figured you'd need a face in Beijing, so I bought it myself."

After saying this, Hao Jian cautiously glanced at Li Ye.

Guo Donglun kept his word—after meeting Li Ye in Beijing, he truly gave Hao Jian a Crown.

So Hao Jian already had a car—but still couldn't resist spending money on this second Crown.

All paid in foreign exchange; the cost hurt, but worse—he feared Li Ye would call him wasteful.

Li Ye waved his hand: "Don't look at me—I don't have time for petty things. If you've got extra cash, having a little face is fine."

Hao Jian immediately said: "Exactly! Our export volume this past few months has exceeded targets again—just the U. . dollars allocated to us are nearly 1. million."

"I was afraid foreign trade would renege, but they were strict—didn't short us a single cent."

Li Ye nodded slowly: "The business environment in Pengcheng is excellent—but once you get used to it, don't assume everywhere's the same. Adapt to local customs, tailor your approach."

"Understood. We've got over thirty external processing factories—I know the differences. Special zones are the first to get rich; someday, other places will too."

Hao Jian deeply felt Li Ye's words—the business environment in Pengcheng truly felt comfortable.

But he didn't know that even decades later, this gap would never fully vanish.

Many who got rich elsewhere wanted to return and benefit their hometowns, but found themselves ill-suited, eventually going back to Pengcheng.

(End of Chapter)