Chapter 746: In My Life, Only Xiao Yu

Having Mother at home was a happy thing; the next day, Li Ye woke up as usual and found his mother had nearly finished preparing breakfast.

Fu Fu Guiru served Li Ye his breakfast and asked softly, "Is Xiao Yu still asleep?"

Li Ye nodded, sipping his porridge: "She's been heavy these past two months, sleeps poorly at night, so she can't get up easily in the morning—used to be she'd get up and cook for me."

Fu Fu Guiru nodded, smiling with satisfaction: "Xiao Yu's a good girl—you've got good taste."

"Of course," Li Ye said proudly, "when she transferred to our class, we locked eyes instantly—she picked me as her desk partner, I picked her as my wife."

Fu Fu Guiru gave Li Ye a knowing look and asked, "But I heard you once had a crush on a girl surnamed Lu?"

"Cough~ cough~ gulp!"

Li Ye forcibly swallowed the nutrient porridge—only his exceptional muscle control kept him from spitting it out.

"Mom, who's been gossiping to you now?"

"Your sister told me."

【Indeed, the ones who expose your flaws are always those close to you.】

Fu Fu Guiru narrowed her eyes, coldly warning: "I'm warning you—Xiao Yu loves you sincerely. If you dare play around, you don't need your mother-in-law to act—I'll deal with you myself."

Li Ye finished the nutrient porridge in one gulp and declared firmly: "Don't worry, Mom—I'll only ever have Xiao Yu in my life."

Fu Fu Guiru handed Li Ye two pan-fried dumplings: "Good, you're sensible. Eat up and head to work! When you come back this afternoon, buy a few fresh pork trotters—hind ones, I'm stewing soup."

Li Ye was about to agree when he added, "Mom, I might not be back for dinner—I'm going to visit my teacher."

"Then wait a bit—I'll pick out some gifts for you to take."

Fu Fu Guiru knew Li Ye had studied under a formidable "economic master," and believed his sharp investment instincts came from this master's guidance—he must be respected and thanked.

After work, Li Ye drove to the faculty housing at Beijing University and parked his Santana beneath Professor Zhang Zhang Qiyan's building.

Since graduating, Li Ye had visited less often—especially after marrying—and had only come twice, one of which was for Spring Festival greetings.

So when Li Ye knocked on the door with gifts in hand, Professor Zhang's wife smiled: "Oh? What wind blew you here today, Comrade Li?"

Li Ye stepped in, grinning: "Auntie, you're wrong—I'm Deputy Factory Director now!"

"Go on, show off!"

Professor Zhang, seated on the sofa, scolded him playfully, then asked: "So—what's the real reason you're here today?"

Li Ye frowned: "Teacher, isn't today the day your senior students gather? What's wrong? Am I being expelled from the lineage?"

Li Ye's senior classmates periodically came to Professor Zhang's for meals, exchanging economic insights—but lately he'd been absent, so his sudden visit felt odd.

Zhang Zhang Qiyan glanced at Li Ye: "Hmph—then today, don't mention anything. Whatever it is, keep it to yourself."

"Fine, I can hold it in."

Li Ye smiled and went to help Teacher Lü cook.

But inside, he muttered: "Even if I say it, you'll still think I didn't."

Li Ye had come today because of Fu Fu Guiru's mention of the "national team" and their long-term bullish bets on the stock market.

Though his junior classmate Cai Cai Minying disrespected him as a senior, she now served the state, and with a market crash looming, he didn't want her to lose everything—so he'd subtly drop a hint of divine foresight.

After entering the kitchen, Li Ye heard Professor Zhang making a phone call.

"Hello, why aren't you here yet? Li Ye's already arrived."

"Hello, Li Ye's here—what are you still dawdling for?"

Soon after, several senior classmates and the haughty junior classmate all arrived.

Yu Yu Xiufen burst in, shouting: "Where's my landlord? It's been half a year—I'm still paying rent or what?"

Li Ye, carrying a dish out, replied seriously: "If your landlord doesn't chase you for rent, shouldn't you be glad? Who goes around voluntarily handing over money?"

Yu Yu Xiufen and Zou Zou Mengcheng had once rented Li Ye's courtyard together for their wedding, paying symbolic "market rate" rent each month—but Li Ye never pressed them; they only shoved cash at him when they happened to meet.

Senior Zou Zou Mengcheng chuckled: "Because Vice Director Yu is moving into new housing—he's worried about owing you rent and feeling uneasy."

Li Ye exclaimed in surprise: "Your unit's giving out housing? A housewarming's no small thing—you can't stay silent—I'll cut ties with you if you do!"

"Don't listen to your senior Zou—he's full of nonsense—it's not even decided yet!"

Yu Yu Xiufen, handing out bowls and chopsticks, explained: "Our unit built staff housing—technically, I qualify for a two-bedroom, one-living-room unit,

but too many people are waiting in line—some have seniority, others have big families—while I'm in the most spacious place now, so leadership wants me to swap into someone else's vacated unit—I just lost interest."

Yu Yu Xiufen had just been promoted to Deputy Director—technically young and accomplished—but in Beijing's bureaucracy, there were too many people at her level; not everyone got a two-bedroom unit.

If they gave her just a half-room, how could she bear it after living in a whole courtyard?

Zhang Zhang Qiyan looked at Yu Yu Xiufen and said suddenly: "Yu Xiufen, why not team up with Wang Zhiyuan, pool your money, and buy your own small courtyard? Look at how many houses Li Ye bought—they've all doubled in value within years."

"More than doubled—multiplied several times over."

Yu Yu Xiufen sighed, envious and regretful: "When Peng Rui got married, Li Ye urged us to take out loans and buy property—now I'm kicking myself."

Zhang Zhang Qiyan glanced at Yu Yu Xiufen, meaningfully: "If you don't buy now, you'll regret it even more later."

"."

Yu Yu Xiufen paused, then asked quietly: "Teacher, are you saying inflation will get worse?"

Zhang Zhang Qiyan slowly nodded, confirming her guess.

In the 1980s, most ordinary people couldn't access economic data—Yu Yu Xiufen and Zou Zou Mengcheng knew inflation was rising, but Zhang Zhang Qiyan knew the true extent.

Inflation had already been severe in 1987; in 1988 it surged further—so Zhang Zhang Qiyan was certain property prices would spike again.

But even knowing prices would rise, what could they do? Yu Yu Xiufen's raise brought her salary to just over two hundred yuan—a few ten-thousand-yuan courtyard was still out of reach.

Besides, with a courtyard costing only a few yuan in rent per month, the incentive to buy was weak.

After the meal, the senior and junior students gathered around the stove, continuing their late-night talk—the very reason they kept meeting.

They exchanged information, voiced opinions, and debated freely, like scholars in high discourse.

"The inflation problem in our mainland isn't unsolvable—if we fully lift price controls on goods, we can gradually cure the deep-rooted ills of the planned economy."

"Don't be so hasty—our situation differs from the lamp and Japan—if we change too fast, our fragile market supply system might collapse."

"Copying Japan's economic model is impossible—I heard Japan's financial market has been flooded with speculative capital; these hot money flows will briefly boom Japan's economy, but when they retreat, who knows how many will die."

Li Ye seized the chance and steered the conversation toward Japan's financial market.

Cai Cai Minying, of course, knew the topic well and quickly engaged Li Ye.

At this point, Yu Yu Xiufen and the others were lost—without the internet, their access to overseas economic information was extremely limited; even fragments couldn't reveal the underlying truth.

Twenty minutes later, Cai Cai Minying stared at Li Ye for ten full seconds, then blurted: "Why are you wasting your time in an auto plant? Is it just because promotions come faster?"

"."

Li Ye's senior classmates were speechless; Yu Yu Xiufen kept giving Cai Cai Minying warning glances.

Everyone had attended Li Ye's wedding—they knew his background and didn't believe he'd been demoted to the light vehicle plant; he clearly had his own path.

But how could they say that out loud?

An essay titled "My Mayor Father" wouldn't win first prize—the boy who wrote it would have his legs broken by his father.

But Li Ye didn't get angry—he smiled faintly: "The great man once said, one must go among the people, understand their needs and sufferings, to achieve greater things. Those who've never known hunger can never solve the problem of food and clothing."

"."

"Outdated!"