Chapter 504: I Have a Gift for You

"Fine, that was my oversight. Five yuan each, right? Hey, hey."

Li Ye took five yuan from his pocket and placed it on the counter of Zhao's Uncle Uncle Guan Er, mixing it in with a pile of loose change.

It was already the end of June, and the junior year exams had finally concluded.

For Zhen Rongrong and Sun Xianjin in the class, the time had come to part ways with everyone.

The classmates had pooled their money together to host four tables of food at Old Zhao's Uncle Uncle Guan Er by the school gate, a collective farewell for the two students going abroad.

Originally, Li Ye, Sun Xianjin, and Zhen Rongrong had all scrambled to pay for the meal, but many classmates disagreed. Li Ye simply let it be, obediently paying only his own share.

Having lived two lifetimes, Li Ye knew that many people didn't actually want to take advantage of others; for them, splitting the bill was a matter of respect and dignity. If he insisted on "this young master paying for the whole table," it would only make people dislike him.

Not long after the banquet began, everyone's emotions started to run high. Since they didn't know when they would meet again after today, some people were already sobbing after a few drinks.

As a native of Heilongjiang, Sun Xianjin could hold his liquor, but he couldn't withstand the relentless bombardment from his classmates. At this moment, Bian Jingjing stood up and generously blocked the drinks for her future husband, winning the good-natured teasing of the crowd.

Many classmates came over to toast Zhen Rongrong and Sun Xianjin, offering blessings like "Have a safe journey" and "Return safely." It sounded a bit cliché, but it was very sincere.

"Ah? Mmm, mmm, mmm."

"After I leave, you have the most prestige among the class committee. You must take up the burden of looking after everyone. I've already recommended you to the counselor; you will be the class monitor next semester."

Because the banquet had just broken up, Zhen Rongrong had grabbed Li Ye to walk with her, and they had even left the main road for a side path. In the middle of the night, a lone man and woman—he couldn't afford to offend Li Ye again!

So He Dazhuang secretly made up his mind to find an opportunity to have a "sincere chat" with Li Ye on the way back later.

And Bian Jingjing, that girlfriend of his, plus the opportunity to study abroad—weren't they all closely related to these things?

Li Ye was the one who had changed other people's fates!

Sigh, why did he offend Li Ye in the first place? Forget it, it's not too late to mend the fold after the sheep is lost.

Humans aren't sages; while everyone offered sincere blessings, there was also a sour envy in their hearts. They felt they weren't much worse than Sun Xianjin!

"See that? With a wife like that, what Natasha or Katya—it's all hopeless, hahahaha!"

He Dazhuang had had some friction with Li Ye when he first enrolled. Although he tried to repair it later, their relationship remained average.

Although he had published two papers while trying to mend his relationship with Li Ye, compared to Sun Xianjin's double-digit number of papers, there was simply no comparison.

"Sigh, look at them these past three years—love, studying abroad... look at our lives. Comparing people to people is enough to make you die of anger, hahahaha!"

But He Dazhuang quietly looked at Li Ye.

Yet they didn't confess at the final moment either; they just drank silently, cup after cup of wine entering their sorrowful hearts, not knowing what the taste was.

But unexpectedly, after the banquet ended, He Dazhuang followed Li Ye the whole way without finding an opportunity.

"But it also trained your organizational skills, equivalent to contacting society in advance and learning some knowledge you can't learn in the classroom. Did you hear what I said?"

Ever since enrolling, Sun Xianjin had been inseparable from Li Ye. First, he joined the Literature Society, had the sketch *A Wanderer Returns Home*, and became a well-known figure among the '82 freshmen. Then, over the past two years, he had repeatedly published papers in domestic economic journals, all with Li Ye's support behind the scenes.

Li Ye observed secretly and discovered that the two boys who had always secretly liked Zhen Rongrong had red-rimmed eyes.

"Ah? Oh, oh, oh."

"Ah what ah? I know you're afraid of trouble. Although being class monitor will take up some of your spare time,

Facing Zhen Rongrong's exhortations, Li Ye could only mumble in response.

Because at this moment, Zhen Rongrong was clearly talking more than usual, her beautiful face was as pink as peach blossoms, and she was even gesturing wildly—she was clearly drunk.

Talking to a drunk girl definitely didn't count, so what did it matter if Li Ye agreed first?

So Zhen Rongrong continued to mumble a whole lot more, and Li Ye just used "Mmm, good, good" to brush her off.

It wasn't until Zhen Rongrong's mumbling suddenly stopped that Li Ye looked up in surprise at her.

Zhen Rongrong stared intently at Li Ye for a full minute without speaking.

Li Ye felt his heart skip a beat for no reason, then asked with a smile: "What's wrong, Class Monitor? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Oh, ah, oh, yes."

Zhen Rongrong was clearly flustered; she lifted her feet and left Li Ye behind to walk forward.

After walking for a while, she turned back and said seriously to Li Ye: "After I arrive at the Lighthouse, it will be very inconvenient to contact you all.

So when you graduate next year, you must write down the assigned units and contact information of all the classmates and mail it to me."

Li Ye nodded and said with a smile: "Don't worry about that, I guarantee not a single one will be missing. When you, the great class monitor, return, we'll organize another gathering for everyone—that will be lively!"

"Good, a gathering. You organize it, and I'll handle the rest."

Zhen Rongrong said heroically: "When the time comes, I'll treat everyone to the best restaurant, eat the best food, and drink the best wine."

Li Ye looked at Zhen Rongrong quietly, not mocking her for promising to treat everyone to drinks before she had even earned any money.

Because Zhen Rongrong was just that kind of person.

In the three years of time, she had given too much for the class. Although Li Ye felt many of her efforts were unnecessary, there was no denying that she had been a very dutiful class monitor; no one could find a fault in her.

He didn't know if she would still be the same years later, or if she would even come back.

Li Ye's observation skills were very keen; how could he not see through Zhen Rongrong's flustered behavior just now?

But he had Wen Leyu, so he was destined not to have room for other girls.

Li Ye suppressed the faint sadness in his heart and said with a smile: "You're wrong, Class Monitor. When we reunite years later, Zhao's Uncle Uncle Guan Er will be the most appropriate place."

Zhen Rongrong was stunned, then nodded in realization: "That's right! By that time, everyone will have a salary, and no one will have to eat salted vegetables for half a month just to have a meal together."

When everyone pooled their money just now, no one had dragged their feet, but the four or five yuan per person for the split bill still affected the lives of some classmates.

Prices had risen over the past two years, but everyone still received a subsidy of 22.5 yuan per month. If they wanted to go out for a good meal, they had to calculate carefully.

So today, everyone had seen Zhen Rongrong off, and she felt that when she returned in the future, she should definitely treat them back.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. Difficulties are always temporary. At most, we'll endure for another year, and everyone will be wealthy."

Zhen Rongrong waved her hand, changing the subject: "Do you know, Li Ye? When Xu Wenli from the '79 class returned from the Lighthouse, she brought back three thousand dollars, bought a color TV for her family, and even bought her father a motorcycle. When I return..."

"When you return, it's best if you bring back a belly full of learning and knowledge, not those colorful banknotes."

Li Ye interrupted Zhen Rongrong's daydream without hesitation.

Zhen Rongrong was stunned, because Li Ye had never been so "impolite" to her.

Ever since they had known each other, whenever Li Ye communicated with Zhen Rongrong, he had always been gentle. Even if there was a disagreement in opinion, he would explain it to her slowly or reserve his opinion indifferently.

He had never interrupted Zhen Rongrong's speech directly like this before.

Li Ye let out a breath and said very bluntly: "What I'm about to say might not sound good, but you must keep it in your heart."

"Our domestic education system, actually, it's not just education; it's a form of selection and screening."

"You were able to get into Jingda and were selected by Jingda to study abroad, which proves that you are the cream of the crop among hundreds of thousands of candidates. Not only is your IQ high enough, but your mental toughness, self-discipline, and execution are far beyond ordinary people."

"So, did the country select you from hundreds of thousands of people just to have you go to the Lighthouse to wash dishes?"

"I'm also not..."

"Don't 'not' anymore," Li Ye interrupted Zhen Rongrong again: "You've just arrived at the Lighthouse; there are only a few types of jobs you can do. Do you think it's easy?"

"How many times have you washed dishes at home? Have you thought about the feeling of washing dishes for ten consecutive hours? And for this kind of work, you still have to compete with the Mexicans..."

Seeing the beautiful class monitor's face look bad, Li Ye softened his tone.

"First of all, I don't think washing dishes is wrong. Earning a reward through labor is never shameful anywhere. But if washing dishes affects your studies, do you think it's worth it?"

"If there were two opportunities placed in front of you—one is washing dishes and saving a few hundred dollars a month, and the other is doing research projects with other classmates without making money—which one would you choose?"

"You can go ask Xu Wenli how hard it was to earn those three thousand dollars, and for those three thousand dollars, did she waste a lot of study time and opportunities?"

Zhen Rongrong was speechless. This kind of binary choice was inherently cruel.

If it weren't for the absolute need for money, why would a dignified international student be willing to compete with those illegal workers for dishwashing jobs?

Who doesn't want to study comfortably? Among those international students washing dishes, which one isn't swallowing all the bitterness in the kitchen and smiling to welcome a beautiful tomorrow after walking out the door?

But to say giving up the opportunity to learn to choose dishwashing—no one could say that.

"Li Ye, if I had a choice, of course I would choose to study hard and not waste this precious learning opportunity given to me by the country."

Li Ye smiled contentedly.

"Class Monitor, that's right. However, to ensure that our powerful Class Monitor Zhen doesn't waste a single bit of learning opportunity and returns home wholeheartedly to serve the country, please be sure to accept a small gift from me."

Hearing that Li Ye wanted to give her a gift, Zhen Rongrong felt a bit nervous subconsciously, and her two hands twisted the corners of her clothes unconsciously.

But when she saw Li Ye take a thick envelope out of his pocket, she immediately became anxious.

Fine! You babbled on for such a long time just to give me money as a cover? ===== CHAPTER 505 =====