Chapter 545: September 23rd

September 23rd, Monday, afternoon.

Li Ye rode his bicycle to find Wen Wen Leyu. According to their usual practice, today was the day the two of them would go to Zaojunmiao to improve their diet, but Li Ye suddenly had something to attend to today, so he had to go over and tell Wen Wen Leyu.

Arriving outside the English Department classroom, Li Ye discovered that Wen Wen Leyu and Li Juan were already waiting for him.

Li Ye said apologetically, "My teacher called me over today, saying a few fellow disciples are coming. How do you two want to arrange things for this evening?"

The "teacher" Li Ye spoke of was the economics bigwig Zhang Zhang Qiyan. Over these years, he would irregularly call his few prized disciples over for a meal, and ever since Li Ye joined them, he had been the cook who couldn't escape.

However, as fellow disciples like Yu Yu Xiufen, Peng Rui, and Zou Zou Mengcheng got married and started families, these gatherings became fewer and fewer; sometimes there wouldn't even be one in a month.

It was just that Wen Wen Leyu never went with Li Ye, and Zhang Zhang Qiyan, who likely knew Wen Wen Leyu's background, never asked either.

"We won't go; you go yourself! I'm taking Yang Xiaojuan out to a restaurant today."

Wen Wen Leyu indeed didn't go, then turned her head to ask Li Juan, "Yang Xiaojuan, what do you like to eat? It's suitable to eat mutton in autumn; how about we go eat hot pot?"

Li Juan licked her lips and said, "Actually, I can cook. There's mutton in the refrigerator at Zaojunmiao, we don't need to go to a restaurant."

"That settles it, let's go."

"Okay."

Li Juan got on her new bicycle, carrying Wen Wen Leyu, and left like the wind.

In the refrigerator at Zaojunmiao, there was not only beef but also fruit, as well as Red Bull, cola, and ice cream—all things the little girl liked.

Moreover, they could watch TV while eating; Li Juan felt extremely happy right now.

Li Ye watched the two girls go far away before turning his bicycle around to ride toward Professor Zhang's home.

Actually, Li Ye could guess a little bit of the reason why Zhang Zhang Qiyan suddenly invited a few fellow disciples over today.

Today was September 23rd in Beijing time, but it was still September 22nd in Lighthouse time.

Starting a few days ago, the finance ministers of five developed industrial countries—Lighthouse, Japan, West Germany, France, and Britain—as well as the governors of the five countries' central banks, had been holding a meeting at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Such a big commotion couldn't be hidden from people, especially sensitive economic figures Li Kezhang Zhang Qiyan.

Zhang Zhang Qiyan also had friends in Lighthouse, so today, he was likely going to reveal some "latest news" to Li Ye, Yu Yu Xiufen, and the others.

Li Ye rode his bicycle, heading toward the few new buildings in the school dormitory area. Professor Zhang had been allocated a "Professor's Building" last year, and the living conditions were much better than before.

"Vroom, vroom, vroom."

Just as Li Ye was about to arrive, there was suddenly the sound of a motorcycle behind him, and that sound was very fast.

Li Ye had just turned his head when he saw a scooter "vroom" past him, speeding forward.

Li Ye was somewhat surprised; "speeding gangs" weren't rare these days, but the person who just passed by was a female rider.

Moreover, she wasn't wearing a helmet, had very short hair, was wearing sunglasses, and looked just like a tomboy; she looked fierce at a glance.

Are girls in the eighties this fierce?

Li Ye chuckled and rode slowly to the building where Professor Zhang lived, only to find that motorcycle again.

Going upstairs to knock on the door, the person who opened it for Li Ye was exactly that short-haired girl.

The girl looked Li Ye up and down twice, then asked straightforwardly, "Are you Li Ye?"

Li Ye didn't answer, but instead asked in return, "May I ask who you are?"

The short-haired girl frowned, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with Li Ye's attitude.

"Li Ye is here, come in quickly!"

Teacher Lu, wearing an apron, heard the commotion and walked to the doorway, smiling as she greeted Li Ye to come inside, then introduced, "This is Cai Cai Minying, whom we often mention to you; you must call her Senior Sister."

"Oh, hello, Senior Sister."

Only then did Li Ye suddenly realize that the overseas student whom Yu Yu Xiufen and the others called a "tomboy" had returned.

Cai Cai Minying was from the 1980 Economics Department and had already gone to Lighthouse to study abroad when Li Ye enrolled. According to previous descriptions by Yu Yu Xiufen, Zou Zou Mengcheng, and others, she was a figure at least at the "study god" level.

Before Li Ye became a disciple, this Cai Cai Minying was publicly recognized as Zhang Zhang Qiyan's most outstanding student.

However, Li Ye was an unreasonable "monster" and naturally had no intention of comparing himself with such a person, so he just softly called out "Hello, Senior Sister," and then went to the kitchen to help Teacher Lu start getting busy.

Cai Cai Minying frowned again, then leaned against the kitchen doorframe, sizing Li Ye up and down.

"Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack."

The kitchen knife in Li Ye's hand was like a skilled dancer, cutting radishes and potatoes into fine strips; the plain act of cooking actually had an artistic charm.

The frown on Cai Cai Minying's face smoothed out unconsciously, and then she took the opportunity to give Teacher Lu a wink.

Teacher Lu left the kitchen and went to another room with Cai Cai Minying.

Then Cai Cai Minying asked in a low voice, "Teacher's wife, why did you and Teacher call me here today, what is it really for?"

Teacher Lu shook her head and said, "I really don't know this; your Teacher is about to come back, you can just ask him directly in a while."

Cai Cai Minying looked at Teacher Lu and said straightforwardly, "Teacher's wife, you don't need to hide it from me anymore; are you and Teacher trying to play matchmaker for the two of us?"

"Play matchmaker for the two of you? Play matchmaker for you and whom?"

Teacher Lu looked at Cai Cai Minying in surprise, then followed Cai Cai Minying's gaze toward the kitchen, and then couldn't help but laugh.

"Teacher's wife, don't laugh! I've only been back in the country for a few days, and I've already been annoyed to death by all sorts of matchmakers; everyone thinks I can't get married, I didn't expect you and Teacher to think so too..."

Cai Cai Minying grumbled and complained, then changed the subject, looking at Li Ye's back and saying, "But this little junior brother does look pleasing to the eye."

Teacher Lu almost couldn't help but laugh out loud, so she had to wave her hands repeatedly and say, "Little Cai, you really misunderstood. Li Ye has a partner, and your Teacher and I wouldn't do that kind of thing."

Cai Cai Minying's face turned red instantly, and she said very awkwardly, "Teacher's wife, then why did you only invite me and him over? Senior Sister Yu used to be the one to come and cook, I thought..."

Teacher Lu took a breath and said, "Your Senior Sister Yu has a family now, and her work is busy, so she'll probably come later.

However, you've been busy with your studies all these years, it really is time to start a family. If there are people in your unit introducing partners to you, that's all out of kindness; don't be picky, the more you pick, the worse it gets..."

Teacher Lu shared her experience with Cai Cai Minying as someone who had been through it, but Cai Cai Minying let it go in one ear and out the other, her face flushed red, clearly distracted.

It wasn't until Professor Zhang, Yu Yu Xiufen, Zou Zou Mengcheng, and the others had all gathered that Cai Cai Minying's complexion returned to normal.

At the dining table, Professor Zhang took out a piece of paper on which a series of information had been hand-copied.

"This is the news I just received from a friend; the Lighthouse people have such a big hand!"

Yu Yu Xiufen took the paper first and huddled together with her husband, Wang Wang Zhiyuan, to read it first.

After reading it, Wang Wang Zhiyuan said with disgust, "This is robbery; the Lighthouse people are truly shameless."

Actually, the original intention of the "Plaza Accord" was for the governments of the five countries to jointly intervene in the foreign exchange market to orderly devalue the US dollar against major currencies, in order to solve Lighthouse's huge trade deficit.

So no matter how it's beautified on the surface, it can't cover up the essence of the Lighthouse people's robbery.

After Wang Wang Zhiyuan finished speaking, Zhang Zhang Qiyan suddenly asked Cai Cai Minying, "Little Ying, what do you think?"

Cai Cai Minying had just returned from Lighthouse, so everyone looked at her, wanting to hear her thoughts.

And Professor Zhang was also smiling, as if waiting for something.

Cai Cai Minying thought for a moment and said, "The Lighthouse people are at the forefront of the world in economics, so... there is reason to it; we need to research, we need to learn..."

"To be honest, after I returned to the mainland, I felt very unaccustomed, because many of us still hold great prejudices against Western free economics, and there is resistance everywhere. Teacher, Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I always feel that at this moment of change, which hasn't been seen in a hundred years, we should do something..."

Yu Yu Xiufen, Zou Zou Mengcheng, and the others all looked at Cai Cai Minying in surprise.

Because what she said was a bit bold.

And the teacher, Zhang Zhang Qiyan, smiled and looked at Li Ye.

Li Ye scanned the surroundings and then said indifferently, "Is Western free economics beneficial to the poor?"

"Our purpose has always been to benefit the poor and protect the poor. If this direction is wrong, then whether it's Western or Eastern theory, it will eventually be incompatible with our conditions here."

(End of chapter)

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