Chapter 511

At five-thirty in the afternoon, Li Kaijian returned from helping Jin Peng's family, carrying a large food box—likely given to him by Jin Peng's household.

Li Ying, the younger sister who had been helping Li Ye prepare dinner in the kitchen, rushed out immediately, swiftly approaching Li Kaijian and taking the heavy food box with both hands.

"Dad, you brought back dishes? My brother and I were just about to cook!"

Li Kaijian blinked in surprise: "Huh? Your brother's back? When did he get back?"

"My brother came back this afternoon," Li Ying nodded toward the kitchen: "Just now, Sister said she wanted sour cabbage fish, and Brother's already in the kitchen prepping it for her!"

Li Kaijian smiled warmly: "Why eat sour cabbage fish? It's got hardly any oil. There's a whole braised pork hock in this box—take it straight to your sister. She's been worn out these past few days; she needs proper nourishment."

"Oh oh oh~"

Li Ying opened the food box and found both the top and bottom layers neatly filled with prepared dishes: braised carp, green beans stewed with pork, and cucumber with fried dough sticks.

The most exquisite item, however, was two large, glistening pork hocks—obviously mouthwatering.

If this were forty years later, one pork hock versus a bowl of crayfish? The crayfish would win any girl's heart.

But in 1985, ninety-nine percent of people wouldn't even glance at crayfish.

Li Ying swallowed hard, then carried the pork hock into her sisters' room.

Though Li Ye had insisted that Li Juan shouldn't study or read tonight, how could Li Juan listen? Even if she borrowed "divine power" from her brother's head, she still had to push herself!

Li Ying placed the hock on Li Juan's desk, drooling slightly: "Here, Dad brought back two big hocks—can you even finish them?"

"What do you mean 'brought back for us'? I heard everything—Dad got this for me,"

Li Juan tilted her head back, squinting with disdain: "Besides, it was you who wanted sour cabbage fish earlier—why are you blaming me? And you dare say you helped Brother cook? What can you even cook?"

Li Juan had heard every word of the earlier exchange between Li Ying and Li Kaijian.

But Li Ying showed no shame, matter-of-factly replying: "I can kill fish with a rolling pin! I can light the stove! Are you eating this hock or not? If not, I'm taking it away!"

"Put it down!"

Li Juan snapped, grabbing the dish and shoving the hock into her mouth, grease dripping down her chin as she deliberately smacked her lips.

Li Ying watched her sister, sighing softly: "So you plan to eat both hocks all by yourself, huh?"

Li Juan mumbled through her mouthful: "Mmm, I can eat three."

Li Ying nodded, turning slowly toward the door: "Fine then. Don't even leave one for Brother."

Li Juan nearly choked, glaring furiously at her sister, itching to fight her again right then.

These past few days of the college entrance exam, Li Juan was certainly the family's favored one—but compared to the eldest brother Li Ye, she was still several levels below.

If the family found out she'd eaten alone without saving half for Li Ye, what would they think of her?

A greedy girl. A sneaky eater. Wouldn't that be utterly shameful?

Seeing her smug little sister, Li Juan swallowed her anger helplessly.

She was wrong—she'd been so busy arguing with her sister she'd forgotten Brother hadn't eaten yet!

Li Juan swallowed the fatty meat hard, picked up the dish, and walked toward the kitchen.

"Hmph, don't think I don't know your little scheme—if I let you take this to Brother, you'll just steal it back later."

"Hmph, I'm not as greedy as you!"

In the kitchen, Li Ying told Li Ye: "Brother, Dad brought back two hocks—I can't finish them. Here, you take one."

Li Ye was busy heating oil in the wok, and replied offhandedly: "I don't want it. You eat first."

Li Juan said: "I'm full already. Let me cook instead, Brother—you eat while it's hot. It smells so good!"

Li Ye waved his hand: "What did you cook today? If you can't finish it, give it to Xiao Ying."

"Got it~"

Li Ying snatched the pork hock from the dish with lightning speed.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm~ So delicious~"

Li Ying had already planned this out.

Sister won't give me any, but Brother will—so who's going to end up eating this hock?

Need I ask?

I'm the second smartest person in this family! Hehehe~

Han Han Chunmei came home late today, because her in-laws and husband had all gone to help Jin Peng's family, so only the two little girls ate at home.

So she took a detour to buy half a pound of pig's head meat, planning to make a special dish for her eldest daughter Li Juan: pig's head meat with cucumber.

Her child had finally reached the college entrance exam—she couldn't afford to lack nutrition at the last moment.

Sometimes Han Han Chunmei thought back on these past years and felt a bittersweet relief: when she'd struggled to feed her two children just a few years ago, how could she have imagined sending little Li Juan to university?

She never even dared to dream of it, right?

Back then, just getting a daughter through high school and giving her a shot at university was enough to earn parents respect from neighbors.

Now, her eldest daughter was about to enter university, and thanks to family connections, her younger daughter would likely stumble through high school too—she should be satisfied.

As for other family wealth, Han Han Chunmei never gave it a thought.

Just raising two daughters was already enough—what, did they expect to split the inheritance? Everything in this house belonged to Li Ye.

Han Han Chunmei returned home with this mindset, only to walk in and see her husband sitting under the electric fan drinking soda, one daughter glaring in the kitchen, the other devouring a pork hock in the kitchen.

And the family's sole heir, the little emperor Li Ye, was sweating under July's heat, cooking in the kitchen.

"Xiao Ye, why are you cooking? Put it down, put it down—I'll do it!"

Han Han Chunmei hurriedly dropped her things and shoved Li Ye away from the stove, then turned to scold her daughter: "Eat, eat, eat! It's barely five o'clock and you're already eating? Don't you see your brother's cooking? Are you blind?"

She dared not scold her husband—this was exam season, and she couldn't scold Li Juan either—so the younger daughter had to suffer.

Little sister Li Ying looked at her furious mother, blinked her big eyes, and instantly understood the situation.

She wolfed down the last bite of hock, then obediently went to help her mother.

Getting scolded didn't matter—as long as I got to eat the hock.

Twenty minutes later, a large bowl of sour cabbage fish sat on the table, alongside cucumber with pig's head meat and braised carp—a truly lavish dinner.

Li Kaijian was delighted and opened a bottle of liquor, planning to drink a few cups with Li Ye.

But Li Ye said: "I won't drink, Dad. I'm going to check on Jin Peng later. You drink less too—you snore too loud at night and disturb Xiao Juan's rest."

"Oh, right, right! Then I won't drink! Oh my, I already had seven or eight taels at lunch! I'll sleep in the factory's night shift room tonight!"

Li Kaijian hastily put the bottle down, not even a drop.

The college entrance exam was a major event; in Li Kaijian's eyes, Li Ye's achievements were all because he passed the exam, so no amount of attention was too much.

Then Li Ye added: "By the way, before Spring Festival, I promised Xiao Ying something—if her grades improved, I'd buy her a bicycle so she could go with Aunt Han Chunlan to experience life.

Should I let her borrow Xiao Juan's bike for now, or buy her a new one?"

The family had originally planned to give Xiao Juan's 26-inch Phoenix bike to the younger sister, but after seeing how fiercely the two girls fought today, buying a second one seemed better.

But before Li Kaijian could speak, Han Han Chunmei vetoed: "Buy her a new bike? I haven't even beaten her yet!

I used to think her poor grades were because she was stupid—but turns out she's obsessed with money. The moment you said grades would earn her money, she suddenly became smart. She deserves a beating."

Little sister Li Ying, mid-bite of fish, lifted her head in grievance, glancing between her mother and Li Ye, barely holding back a scream: "You're lying! How can you break your promise?!"

Li Ye chuckled: "Xiao Ying isn't afraid of beatings—otherwise her grades would've improved years ago. Now that she's improved, the family should support her. Going with Aunt Han Chunlan to the market isn't dangerous."

Han Han Chunmei fell silent, turning to her husband.

She strongly opposed her younger daughter selling clothes—why not study like her sister and get a desk job later? Wouldn't that be eight times better than sweating under sun and wind with Han Han Chunlan?

"Hmph~"

Li Kaijian thought for a moment, then said: "Let's follow Xiao Ye's advice. Neither of us is as educated as he is—whether this family produces another college student depends on Xiao Ye."

Han Han Chunmei had no choice. Honestly, Li Juan's current success was inseparable from Li Ye—just the study materials sent back by Li Ye, Li Xia Yue, and Wen Wen Leyu filled several large boxes.

【Sigh. Let her go. At least both daughters have someone to be proud of.】

Han Han Chunmei sighed and asked about Li Juan's exam day.

"Mom, today went perfectly—I touched Brother's head, and it was amazing."

The whole family froze. Li Ye rubbed his nose, wondering how many lies he'd need to cover up this one.

Han Han Chunmei recovered first and hurriedly told Li Kaijian: "You must ask Li Mingxiang to bring Zhao Meiwen over—otherwise, if people find out, they'll hate us!"

"Zhao Meiwen... I'll call Mom back instead!"

Jin Peng, the wealthy boss, was also a filial son—he'd used connections last year to install a phone at home, just to stay in touch with relatives in Beijing.

Li Kaijian called immediately and soon brought back Wu Wu Juying, who'd been staying for dinner.

After Wu Wu Juying returned, she called her younger daughter, Li Li Mingxiang.

"Clang~"

A chair was placed in the courtyard, and Li Ye, expressionless, was forced onto it.

Wu Wu Juying, stern-faced, began directing:

"Zhao Meiwen, you go first. Xiao Juan, next. Xiao Ying, last. Each of you rub for one hour. Don't tell anyone else—dividing the scholarly aura too thin leaves none for family."

Li Ye: "..."

Three hours of scalp massage—even with the soft fingers of teenage girls—wouldn't that raise someone's blood pressure?

Watching from the side, Han Han Chunmei couldn't hold back her tears.

Though these two daughters weren't her biological children, they carry the Li surname.