Chapter 97: All the Care Was Worth It

Li Kaijian twisted the motorcycle’s throttle until it roared, scaring all the chickens in the yard into flight, yet the two men beamed with excitement, itching to ride.

“Want to take a spin?”

“Let’s go!”

Zhao Yuanchao and Li Kaijian were just about to ride out when Li Ye stepped out of the house, holding two “willow-weave miner’s caps” exclusive to miners of this era.

“Dad, you’re riding out? Don’t forget to put on your helmet.”

“.”

Zhao Yuanchao stared in surprise at the willow-weave caps in Li Ye’s hands, then turned to Li Kaijian—and saw his brother-in-law’s face twisted like he was constipated.

He asked, baffled: “Helmet? What helmet? Isn’t that a miner’s cap?”

Li Kaijian snapped: “Pfft, helmet? I don’t know where Xiao Ye picked up some stupid rule saying you must wear a helmet to ride a motorcycle—or you can’t ride at all.”

“That’s not nonsense.”

Li Ye stepped closer, serious: “According to expert scientific calculations, wearing a helmet while riding is essential. Foreign countries have laws explicitly requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets—failure to do so is illegal.”

Li Ye didn’t tell his father or uncle that countless early motorcycle riders had suffered injuries from not wearing helmets.

He figured they wouldn’t believe him anyway—no one wore them now, and even if you wanted to buy a motorcycle helmet, you couldn’t find one.

But “the moon is rounder abroad”—in this era, foreign things carried immense weight, so Li Ye used this foreign logic to pressure Li Kaijian, leaving him both irritated and helpless.

After all, the motorcycle belonged to Li Ye—if he firmly refused to let others ride it, his mother Wu Juying would step in to back her grandson.

“This was given to my grandson—look at your own character, are you even worthy?”

Li Kaijian dared not defy his mother and had no desire to argue with his increasingly disrespectful son—he’d just wear the miner’s cap when he rode, then take it off and do as he pleased.

Riding a motorcycle was supposed to be cool—putting on that thing cut its appeal by half.

But today, Li Ye said it right in front of Uncle Zhao Yuanchao, making Li Kaijian deeply annoyed.

You’ve always been disrespectful—that’s fine—but now you’re going to argue right in front of outsiders?

My military belt’s still tight!

Li Ye saw Li Kaijian’s expression and knew he hadn’t listened.

So he said: “Dad, if you follow my advice, I won’t take this motorcycle to Beijing for now.”

“Besides, our bicycles aren’t enough—just give yours to someone else.”

Li Kaijian’s eyes lit up instantly: “Fine, I’ll do as you say—but get me that motorcycle helmet as soon as possible.”

Li Ye had said this Happy 250 was for taking to Beijing for school, but only after he secured private housing there—right now, it couldn’t be taken anyway, so he might as well use it to pressure his father.

As for the motorcycle helmet, Li Ye had already sent an urgent telegram to Yangcheng—it’s close to Hong Kong, and Yangcheng people are more open-minded and practical; they should be able to get imported helmets.

“Xiao Ye, come here.”

Li Yue, the eldest daughter at home, suddenly called out from the side room.

Li Ye walked over to find Li Yue with a stern face: “Dad’s bicycle’s being taken away?”

Li Ye nodded: “Yeah, we don’t have enough bicycles.”

Before Li Ye could finish, Li Yue snapped: “Swap it with Li Juan.”

“What?”

“I want you to trade me that 26 Phoenix—don’t you know who’s family?”

Li Yue exploded.

During the New Year, Li Ye had told Li Juan that once he got into college and went to Beijing, the 26 Phoenix would be hers.

Now, even though he hadn’t gone to Beijing yet, with the motorcycle in hand, the 26 Phoenix naturally went to Li Juan.

After receiving the bike yesterday, Li Juan had wiped it three times, then timidly asked Li Kaijian for bicycle wax, polishing the Phoenix until it gleamed like new.

Now Li Yue clearly wanted that Phoenix and was making Li Ye the bad guy.

Why? My younger brother’s bike is being retired, and my own sister hasn’t even said she doesn’t want it—how dare you, a step-sister, just take it?

Dad’s big 28-inch bike—how am I supposed to ride that as a girl?

Li Yue couldn’t understand it, so she took it out on her brother.

“Fine,” Li Ye nodded. “I’ve got Jin Peng in the provincial capital arranging a bicycle ticket—I’ll get a new Phoenix in three or five days, then give it to Li Juan.”

“You dare?”

Li Yue flew into a rage, lunging to grab Li Ye’s ear—but he dodged nimbly.

Li Yue stomped her foot in fury inside the room, but after her foot went numb, she burst into a chuckle.

My brother’s grown up and wise.

All these years—worth every bit of care.

Li Ye stepped out of his sister’s room to see Li Kaijian and Zhao Yuanchao, wearing miner’s caps, pushing the motorcycle to the Li family’s courtyard gate.

But two people had arrived and blocked them.

It was Aunt Li Mingyue and Cousin Cui Aiguo.

“Oh my, Yuanchao, you’ve got yourself a motorcycle? You really look like a big director now!”

The moment Li Mingyue saw the Happy 250, she assumed it was Zhao Yuanchao’s—she never considered Li Kaijian.

Didn’t she know what her own brother was like?

A simpleton who couldn’t handle people, stuck as a workshop supervisor his whole life, never amounted to anything.

Zhao Yuanchao hurried to explain: “This isn’t mine—it’s Kaijian’s. It’s Li Ye’s.”

“Li Ye’s?”

Li Mingyue froze for several seconds, then scolded bitterly: “I always said young people can’t save anything—how many days has it been? His two or three thousand yuan in royalties are already gone?”

“Second brother, don’t you watch your child? He’s so young and wasteful—will there be enough left in the Li family for him to squander?”

Zhao Yuanchao was an outsider—he quickly stepped aside; he’d heard his wife Li Mingxiang complain about this elder sister often enough, and he had no desire to provoke her now.

Li Kaijian had been raised by Li Mingyue since childhood; he wanted to argue but always lagged half a beat.

But while Li Kaijian lagged, Li Ye moved half a beat faster.

The moment Li Ye saw Li Mingyue enter, he decided he wouldn’t stay home today—for family harmony, it was better to avoid seeing her.

He strode over to Li Kaijian, snatched the miner’s cap off his head, and put it on his own, then kicked the motorcycle to life.

“Vrrrrm~”

The heavy 250 surged forward like a young calf, darting between the group.

Even the brick waterproof step at the courtyard gate bounced under the motorcycle’s weight, nearly sending Cui Aiguo tumbling backward.

“Wait—hey, look at Li Ye—”

Li Mingyue stormed out, watching the motorcycle vanish down the road in a cloud of exhaust, too furious to speak.

Wu Juying walked over, fixing her eldest daughter with a cold stare: “What are you ‘hey’ing at? What are you staring at?”

“I—I’m just looking at Xiao Ye,” Li Mingyue fumed. “How showy! How arrogant!”

Wu Juying replied coldly: “That’s my grandson. Who are you calling showy? Who are you calling arrogant?”

“.”

“Go help cook.”

“Yes, I’m going.”

Li Mingyue swallowed her anger and walked into the kitchen, handing her cloth bag to Han Chunmei.

“Fresh tomatoes, just picked—make egg soup for lunch.”

Han Chunmei quickly took it, while Li Mingxiang sneered and mouthed “stingy” to Han Chunmei.

Han Chunmei shook her head slightly, shouldered most of the chores, hoping to finish cooking quickly and silence everyone’s mouths.

(End of Chapter)