Chapter 33

It was already past ten o'clock at night when Li Ye and Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng returned to Qingshui County.

He pondered for a moment and decided not to return to school today, but to go home.

For people in the eighties, the night was boring and cold. Even in the county seat, there weren't many bright lights. Everyone went to bed early to stay warm, and they would never turn on the lights for things they could do in the dark.

Saving electricity.

When Li Ye arrived home, his family was already lying down to rest. After knocking on the door for a long time, his father finally came out in a cotton-padded jacket to open the door, and he was full of displeasure.

"Why did you come back at this time today? Disturbing the neighbors so they can't have peace?"

【I...】

Li Ye was speechless for a while, but looking at Li Kaijian's attire, he immediately understood.

Li Kaijian had been single for more than ten years and only married Han Chunmei last year. The two had an age difference of nearly ten years, and Li Kaijian cherished this young wife very much.

Now that Li Ye had disturbed Li Kaijian's good deeds—men, you know—if they weren't father and son, they would have become enemies.

Li Ye lowered his head and put on a posture of admitting his mistake, pushed the bicycle into the door, and then saw the light in his grandfather's room also turn on.

"Both of you come in."

The old man called Li Ye and Li Kaijian into the main room, greeted them to sit down very seriously, and then suddenly stared at Li Ye's eyes, his sharp gaze revealing its edge like a bright bayonet.

"........."

The dignified traveler, son of luck, owner of the protagonist halo... Master Li Ye, actually produced a nervous emotional reaction under the sharp gaze of an old man.

"Hiss~~"

【Sure enough, he's the one who could kill three Japanese soldiers one-on-three. Even at this age, his gaze is still so piercing.】

Li Ye took a deep breath, having a deeper understanding of this cheap grandfather who had crawled out of a pile of dead people.

But Li Ye didn't know that Li Zhongfa was also very strange to see Li Ye's reaction.

His precious grandson had become much bolder! In the past, his father's glare would scare him to death, but now he actually dared to look him in the eye.

Not bad, just like me!

Li Zhongfa's gaze instantly softened, and he asked Li Ye with a smile: "I heard you partnered with someone to start a malt sugar business?"

"Malt sugar business? What malt sugar business?"

Li Ye's father, Li Kaijian, looked at Li Ye with a confused face, then looked at his own father, and only after a long time did he understand one thing.

Are you two grandfather and grandson not taking me seriously? You actually have things you're hiding from me?

Pfft, I can't beat the old one, but I can't beat the small one? You just wait, little thief.

Thus, Li Kaijian's gaze toward Li Ye became completely unkind due to the double buff.

"Grandfather is asking you a question! Hurry up and explain honestly, and then come back to the room with me to sleep."

Are you sure that after taking me back to the room, you'll let me sleep?

As soon as Li Ye heard Li Kaijian's tone, he knew what he was going to do.

However, since he had decided to come home today, he was of course prepared.

Li Ye looked at the smiling Li Zhongfa and also said with a smile: "Grandfather, if someone else asked me this, I definitely wouldn't admit it. I'm just a student; what business would I be doing?"

".........."

Li Ye's answer exceeded the expectations of Li Zhongfa and Li Kaijian, causing the scene to be silent for a second or two.

Then, Li Kaijian's big ear-slap swung toward Li Ye, fast and urgent, worthy of his skills as a retired soldier.

"I'll call you glib!"

The moment he felt Li Kaijian move, Li Ye's body made a stress response, twisting his waist and turning his body, easily dodging Li Kaijian's ear-slap.

"You still dare to dodge?"

Li Kaijian was truly angry. This was a sign that he was about to lose his family authority!

His eldest daughter was already not listening to him much, arguing with him all day, and he couldn't bear to touch Han Chunmei, so was he going to rebel against the only one he could "hammer and beat"?

He had to suppress it, severely suppress it.

"Bang~"

Li Zhongfa slapped the table, and the clawing Li Kaijian instantly sat down softly like a deflated ball.

【Fine! You kid have a backer, I can't hit you, but your living expenses for this month are gone. Don't come begging me, humph humph humph humph.】

Li Ye's living expenses were mostly paid by Li Kaijian, so he felt that no matter how much Li Ye jumped, he couldn't escape his control.

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Ye and smiled: "Not bad, smart enough. It seems you thought about who would take the blame before you did this business, right?"

Li Ye shook his head and said: "Grandfather, I don't think this is taking the blame. I invested the capital and came up with the idea to make money. They took the risks. This is a sharing of responsibility; no one owes anyone anything."

"You really did it..."

Li Kaijian wanted to get angry again, but was forced back by Li Zhongfa's sharp gaze.

Li Zhongfa said to Li Ye: "Small-scale trouble is definitely fine, but I heard from Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng that your business isn't small. Wealth moves people's hearts. Have you thought about the consequences?"

Li Ye blinked and said: "Is a business of a few thousand yuan a month considered not small? If there really is any danger, Grandfather, you can get me a quota for a food processing cooperative household!"

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Ye: "For the food processing cooperative household matter, let that Hao Jian go find your eldest sister to apply tomorrow.

Also, your heart is a bit too big. You need to be pragmatic in the future. Is a business of a few thousand yuan not small?"

Li Kaijian also echoed and scolded Li Ye: "Do you know how much the output value of a street factory is a month? And you say 'only a few thousand yuan'. You've spent all your time reading books into a dog's belly."

Li Ye didn't know how much money those street factories that glued matchboxes could make in a month.

But it was estimated that with their business attitude of "waiting for buyers to come to the door to be pua-ed," there probably wasn't much business to do.

And Li Ye could become a ten-thousand-yuan household in just a few months, so it was really possible to attract the jealousy of some people.

He didn't know there were cooperative households before, but now that he did, he still had to rely on his grandfather, this great Buddha...

Thus, under Li Kaijian's disdainful gaze, Li Ye put his satchel on the table and took out the money, stack by stack.

".........."

After putting all the money on the table, Li Ye said: "This is the profit for this month. I didn't steal, didn't rob, didn't cheat, didn't lie. It's all the hard-earned blood and sweat of the working people..."

".........."

It was quiet. Everything around Li Ye became completely quiet. After a long time, he heard the sound of Li Kaijian swallowing his saliva.

"This is... your... profit for one month?"

"No, it's my profit for one month. The money for the others has already been taken by them. Wang Jianqiang's share wasn't much, so I kept it for him for now."

Li Kaijian stopped talking and looked at his own father.

The experienced Li Zhongfa didn't expect that a business that seemed like a joke by his grandson would actually earn so much money.

He just looked at the denominations of the banknotes on the table and knew that this was the work of a small peddler, exchanging a piece of malt sugar for a one-yuan note, and it could really be related to the "working people."

But you want to talk about "hard-earned blood and sweat"?

Can we talk properly?

Haven't I shed blood for xx? Or is my work not hard enough? Why is the difference so big?

The old man thought for a moment and asked Li Ye: "How do you plan to deal with so much money?"

Li Ye said: "Put it at home first. But don't worry. I heard that the south has long allowed individual businesses. In a few days, ten-thousand-yuan households might not be rare."

Li Zhongfa nodded: "That's fine. Just put it at home and let your father keep it for you. Don't worry, not a single cent will be missing."

Li Ye shook his head and said: "I can't use that much money. You guys see what's missing at home and buy it! But I might take a large part of it when I go to college next year."

Li Zhongfa: "That's for sure. A poor family has a rich road. Our family's child must never be wronged when it comes to money."

Li Kaijian really couldn't listen to the grandfather and grandson's way of chatting anymore and angrily said: "Damn, if you can really get into college, I'll add double for you."

Li Ye silently turned his head to look at Li Kaijian and said clearly: "This thousand-plus is actually the profit for half a month. If next month goes smoothly, it should reach three thousand, the month after next..."

"........."

Li Kaijian's face became extremely colorful.

【Damn, your father, I, am a workshop director, and my salary is only sixty or seventy yuan. You kid are here with me... talking in thousands?】

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Ye, and the more he looked, the more he liked him. Looking at his own son, he felt a burst of annoyance.

"Alright, Li Ye go to sleep first. You have to get up early for school tomorrow."

"Oh, then I'll go to sleep first, Grandfather."

Li Ye got up and left, but just as he was about to go out, Li Kaijian suddenly said like he was looking at a thief: "Do you have any money hidden yourself?"

Li Ye was stunned for a moment, then turned and walked back, reaching out to take a stack of money from the table and putting it into his schoolbag openly, looking like at least one or two hundred yuan.

"Now I have."

".........."

By the time Li Ye walked out of the room quickly, Li Kaijian had reacted, looking like he was about to go on a rampage in anger.

"Alright," Li Zhongfa said: "Don't treat Brother Xiao Ye like a child in the future. Look at your lack of composure."

"No," Li Kaijian defended: "Look at the things Brother Xiao Ye is doing... how dangerous it is!"

"Whether it's dangerous depends on the time," Li Zhongfa said: "A few days ago, when the county held a meeting, they discussed the matter of individual businesses. In the south, there were individual businesses two years ago, and they even issued business licenses. It's estimated that it will be soon here too."

Li Kaijian was stunned and said: "Then why did you handle the processing household for that Hao Jian? When the time comes, handle an individual business for him. Isn't that avoiding getting involved with our family?"

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Kaijian with disdain and said: "If there's a capable person in your workshop, are you willing to give him to another workshop?"

Li Kaijian realized what was going on. It turned out his father wanted to tie down that Hao Jian.

He was somewhat unconvinced and said: "What kind of capable person is he? An educated youth who settled down..."

Li Zhongfa let out a light hum and pointed to the pile of banknotes on the table: "Then you run to the provincial capital tomorrow and try to see if you can bring back so much money."

".........."

"In the future! You have to study more, otherwise, you won't even be as good as Brother Xiao Ye." Chapter 34: I Have It