Chapter 68: I Offered You Wealth and Honor, But You

Teacher Ke had just fallen asleep when a staff member from Guangming Hostel woke her, saying there was a phone call for her at the front desk.

She hurriedly slipped on her slippers and ran downstairs, sprinting toward the first-floor reception.

Her heart was frantic.

It was New Year’s Eve, and the call came at this hour—the meaning was obvious.

“Will it be success or failure?”

Teacher Ke felt two tiny figures inside her mind slashing at each other with swords, determined to fight to the death.

She reached the bottom of the three flights of stairs in less than half a minute, having tripped on the second floor and lost one slipper—she didn’t even bother to pick it up.

She snatched up the phone, with no time to catch her breath.

“Hello? This is Ke Zhiyu.”

“Little Yu! It’s Uncle Peng.”

“I... recognized your voice...”

Teacher Ke’s heart rose to her throat, waiting for fate’s verdict.

“Come over tomorrow to pay your New Year’s respects!”

“Boom~”

Teacher Ke felt as if her head had been struck hard—intense joy, like warm sunlight, flooded her entire body, dispelling the damp chill.

Many people would visit Uncle Peng on New Year’s Day; for him to invite her meant everything.

“I... understand. Thank you, Uncle Peng.”

“Mm, don’t forget to come early!”

“Beep-beep-beep-beep~”

The call ended. The tension that had gripped Teacher Ke’s nerves slowly unraveled as she sank to the ground, a soft, lingering sob echoing in the air.

“Woof woof~ Woof woof!”

Li Ye, half-asleep, thought he heard dog barking.

He rolled over groggily... damn, it’s Dahuang.

He leapt off the small heated brick bed, slipped on his shoes, and ran out.

For days, he’d slept fully clothed, afraid of hearing the dog bark outside.

With Gu Shu back home for the holiday, Li Ye didn’t care about appearances—he simply climbed over the wall.

Eighty-nine meters away, separated by a school wall, Li Ye sprinted full speed, pulling off a stunt of rooftop running in his haste.

After clearing the wall, he saw two flashlight beams shining from the dormitory where Wen Leyu stayed.

“He’s here! Li Ye really came!”

“Hey, it actually worked!”

Li Ye slowed his pace, speechless.

He recognized his older sister Li Yue’s voice—her teasing tone told him exactly what was going on.

Sure enough, when Li Ye arrived, Li Yue was doubled over laughing: “Hahaha! Pavlov’s dog! Xiao Ye, you ran faster than a dog just now! Hahaha~~~”

Li Ye, gritting his teeth, said: “Sister, haven’t you heard the story of the beacon fires mocking the feudal lords?”

Li Yue puckered her lips dramatically: “Oh right! The beacon fires! You’re our little emperor, and Xiao Yu has the beauty of Bao Si!”

Wen Leyu blushed and tugged at Li Yue’s sleeve: “Sister, stop saying that, or it won’t work next time.”

“That depends on Xiao Ye’s wishes—if he’s willing, it always works.”

Wen Leyu’s face turned bright red. Li Ye growled: “You woke me up in the middle of the night just to laugh at me?”

“Who wants to laugh at you?”

Li Yue dropped her teasing act and assumed her elder-sister demeanor: “It’s already three. You’re making excuses to get up? Go pay respects to Old Huai right now!”

Li Ye groaned: “Isn’t it four?”

Li Yue scolded: “Aren’t you going to pick up Grandma? What, are you challenging me on New Year’s Day?”

“Fine, fine, I’m going.”

Bloodline suppression? It’s not a good thing.

Before he turned fourteen, Li Ye had never once beaten Li Yue—boys mature late, and it’s a real disadvantage.

By the time he passed fourteen, the shadow of suppression was already deeply rooted in his heart; besides, he’d grown wiser—this “life-long grudge” could never be avenged.

Li Ye first returned to the Second Grain Store, put on his padded coat and hat, then endured the throbbing ache from lack of sleep as he went home to pick up Grandma and headed north toward the ancient locust tree.

Not far along, he realized he wasn’t the only one suffering.

Many children his age—or even younger—were being dragged by their elders, half-asleep, converging toward the north.

By the time they reached the vicinity of the ancient locust tree, the crowd was truly “a sea of people.”

Li Ye spotted several students from County No. 2 High School, and even Zhou Chenggong.

His family didn’t live in town—he must’ve left the countryside before midnight to get here.

Li Ye’s grandmother squeezed Li Ye, Hu Man, and others into a decent spot, about thirty to forty meters from the century-old locust tree.

Then Wu Juying, like the other old women around her, set out offerings and began mumbling prayers.

“Bless my grandson to pass the college entrance exam... protect our family’s safety... ensure our lineage continues...”

Countless murmured prayers buzzed like demonic chants, merging into a sonic array that reverberated across hundreds of meters.

Li Ye sensed something odd beside him and turned—he saw Hu Man, Han Xia, Jiang Xiaoyan, and others praying too, even bringing small offerings.

“You too...”

Hearing Li Ye’s surprise, Hu Man and Han Xia smiled faintly.

Jiang Xiaoyan whispered apologetically: “When I left, my mother told me I absolutely had to come and pay respects.”

Well then.

Li Ye finally understood why so many “masters” in the 1980s thrived, fooling so many intelligent people.

“What are you doing? Be sincere!”

Li Ye’s grandmother spotted his lack of devotion and kicked his shin—he had no choice but to mechanically bow as if in prayer.

But the next moment, the pitch-black night suddenly flashed bright.

Li Ye looked up in surprise—the sky was utterly starless.

Thunder rumbled moments later—it was the first day of the New Year, and it was thundering.

The crowd gathered around the locust tree stirred; many elderly women muttered superstitious remarks.

Li’s grandmother told Li Ye: “Don’t be afraid, Xiao Ye. Thunder in spring? The heavens are striking demons! It has nothing to do with us.”

Li Ye almost laughed—demons? If it’s not about us, why strike demons? Isn’t that just...

“Crack~”

A second lightning bolt flashed directly above Li Ye—its serpentine, blazing path burned clearly into his vision.

Li Ye was stunned.

【Could this demon... be undergoing a tribulation?】

The second day of the New Year was when married daughters returned to their parents’ home.

Early in the morning, Li Kaijian took Han Chunmei, Li Juan, and Li Ying out; since Li Ye and Li Yue weren’t Han Chunmei’s biological children, they didn’t go—and Han Chunmei saw nothing odd about it.

At ten a.m., Li Ye’s two aunts arrived with their husbands, bringing wine to pay respects to Li Zhong, their father-in-law.

The eldest aunt, Li Mingyue, married Cui Zhixian, a township official from Hebin Township west of town;

the second aunt, Li Mingxiang, married Zhao Yuanchao, chief of the Beicheng Police Station—both marriages seemed far smoother and happier than Li Kaijian’s.

Their children either graduated high school and got jobs, or were model students, annually held up as examples for Li Ye.

In past years, New Year’s Day two was the hardest day for Li Ye and his father.

Last year, when Li Kaijian married Han Chunmei, they escaped this ordeal; this year, after Li Ye wrote “Infiltration,” he finally regained his dignity.

Zhao Meiwen, the younger cousin from his second aunt’s house, had always been fond of clinging to Li Ye—and she was no different this visit.

“Xiao Ye, I read your ‘Infiltration’ the other day—it’s amazing! But why did you kill Zuo Lan? How could you be so cruel?”

A little fan deserves careful treatment.

Li Ye patiently explained: “How a character is written depends first on real-life prototypes, and second on plot necessity...”

“In wartime, many like Zuo Lan sacrificed themselves. A tragic ending makes people remember and mourn those heroes more deeply.”

“Pfft~~”

Li Ye was mid-explanation, eyes sparkling as Zhao Meiwen gazed at him in awe—when a scoff interrupted him.

Li Ye frowned and turned—Cui Aiguo, the eldest aunt’s son.

This kid attended high school in Hebin Township, ranked top three in his grade; he stayed local because he missed home and always looked down on Li Ye as a poor student.

Now, looking at his eyes, Li Ye knew—he resented that the former underdog had stolen his spotlight.

Li Ye coldly eyed Cui Aiguo: “What’s your ‘pfft’ for?”

Cui Aiguo tilted his head, sneering: “You’re blowing yourself up like you wrote the book.”

Li Ye narrowed his eyes: “If not you, then who wrote it?”

“Pfft,” Cui Aiguo sneered. “I don’t have that talent, but I’d never do something shameless. Our Chinese teacher said a kid with no life experience can’t write a novel.”

【All the wealth and glory laid before you—and you’re just not good enough!】

Li Ye scowled and pointed outside with his finger.

“Because you’re family, I won’t beat you today—go sit outside and don’t show your face again.”

“You... you’ll regret this.”

Cui Aiguo hadn’t expected Li Ye to be so bold, not even showing respect in front of his own parents.

After he stormed out, his cousin Zhao Meiwen whispered mysteriously to Li Ye: “Little Ye, today Auntie’s arranging a match for you—I think it’s going to fall through.”

“A match? What kind of match?”

“The daughter of Sun Ke from the Bureaucracy Bureau—she’s twenty-four, her face as dark as Bao Zheng’s... Sun Ke used to work in Hebin Township with Uncle.”

Zhao Meiwen, like a little spy, fed Li Ye free intel—and it made him sick to his stomach.

People often say: if you don’t know your standing in someone’s eyes, just look at who they try to set you up with.

I, Li Ye, am handsome and refined—so you pair me with Bao Zheng? Who are you insulting?

And in 1981, a twenty-four-year-old woman still unmarried—what kind of situation is that?

Think of the old maidens of the future, and you’ll understand why.

Don’t pretend you’re some pure maiden or fairy—every one of them’s an old spinster.

“Little Ye, Little Ye, come here quick.”

Two minutes later, Auntie Li Mingyue called him over and smiled: “I’ve arranged a match for you—perfectly matched in status. Go meet her tomorrow!”

Li Ye didn’t even lift his eyelids: “Auntie, is she pretty?”

Li Mingyue’s smile froze. She forced a reply: “Child, haven’t you learned your lesson yet? Beauty isn’t an advantage—her father’s only forty-five, about to be promoted...”

“Beauty matters,” Li Ye cut in. “My grandparents were beautiful, so my father and two aunts are beautiful.

My father and mother were beautiful, so my sister and I are beautiful. If I marry an ugly woman, my descendants... will all suffer for it.”

“........”

Li Zhongfa, Wu Juying, Zhao Yuanchao, and Li Mingxiang all froze, then turned as one to look at Cui Zhi and Cui Aiguo.

Cui Zhi had the face of a hard-bitten peasant; Cui Aiguo inherited 88 percent of his genes—his face was grotesque...

“Little Ye, what nonsense are you spouting? Life’s meaning lies in contributing to the motherland—personal appearance is trivial before the greater good...”

Cui Zhi, face flushed, launched into a lecture befitting an elder.

Li Ye turned and walked away. Thunder didn’t strike me dead—now you’re trying to nauseate me to death?

But when mealtime came, Li Ye’s mood improved slightly.

Probably Auntie Er had told Grandma something—Grandma’s face had turned black.

She didn’t serve a single meat dish or delicacy she’d prepared—just potatoes and radishes, cabbage and tofu, nothing but vegetarian fare, and the planned fine wine wasn’t even in sight.

When Auntie Li Mingyue muttered two complaints, Wu Juying slammed the table.

“Eat if you want, or get out!”

“You’re trying to pawn off your nephew as a gift? You’re lucky I’m not slapping your face!”