Chapter Twenty-Four: The Child of Fortune

"Brother, just one pair is enough. Really, just one pair is enough."

At the Qingshui County Military Service Cooperative, Li Juan gripped Li Ye’s arm tightly, trying to stop him from taking out his money. She had originally told him she only wanted to buy a pair of brushed-suede cotton-lined shoes for her younger sister, Li Ying, to ease the suffering of her frostbitten feet. But the moment they arrived, Li Ye told the clerk, "I’ll take two pairs of the brushed-suede cotton shoes—one size 35 and one size 32."

Though touched, the timid Li Juan couldn't accept it. If she brought those shoes home, their mother would surely scold her to death. *Are you a grown girl and still so thoughtless? Spending your brother’s money on shoes for both of you—are we going to live on thin air? No more cigarettes? No more meat?*

Before they could argue further, the clerk interjected, "We don't have size 32 or 35. The smallest we have is 36. Do you want them?"

"..."

That ended the debate. Li Juan could manage a size 36 for her size 35 feet, but Li Ying was still in elementary school; a size 36 would be impossible for her to wear.

"Alright then. Miss, give me one pair of size 36 for now. Also, could you reserve a size 32 for me? If not, 33 would work too." Li Ye asked the saleswoman while pulling out his money.

"Reserve them? You young people have the strangest ideas." Perhaps because he was handsome and had a silver tongue, the aloof clerk didn't seem annoyed. She explained, "We don't sell the smaller sizes here. You’d better try the department store, though I doubt they’ll have them either."

Li Ye thought about it and realized she was right. Children these days had it quite rough; they mostly wore cloth shoes made by their mothers, and their clothes were hand-me-downs from their older sisters or mothers. Without a market, there were no sales. Qingshui County wasn't a big city, and there wasn't much of a culture for catering to the needs of the "flowers of the motherland." Fancy children's leather shoes were only found in major cities.

"Here, put these on and try them."

"Brother, let’s not. I have shoes to wear."

"Stop talking nonsense."

The clerk brought out the size 36 shoes, and Li Ye insisted Li Juan try them on. After much hesitation, she finally pulled her feet out of her wet cotton shoes. Her soaked socks had three holes in them, exposing three of her toes. Li Ye quickly bought two pairs of socks, telling her to change into the new shoes and socks right away.

"How is it? Do you need two more insoles?"

"No, Brother... they fit just right. They’re so warm." The little girl stopped resisting. Even though, by future standards, brushed-suede shoes might look clunky and unfashionable, she felt quite beautiful wearing them now.

"Good, let’s go."

Li Ye packed Li Juan’s old shoes into the box and turned to leave the cooperative. But Li Juan didn't follow; she stood behind him, whispering, "Brother, Brother, wait... I need to switch back."

Li Ye looked back and understood: the little girl didn't want to ruin her new shoes by walking through the snow, and wanted to change back into her wet, worn-out ones.

Li Ye said with a frown, "I bought these shoes specifically for walking in the snow. Why else would I have bought them?"

Seeing Li Ye’s stern expression, Li Juan reflexively hunched her shoulders and followed behind him, head bowed and moving cautiously. Back when she and her mother had first joined the family, this brother used to wear that same stern look all the time—his gaze was as terrifying as a Dahuang dog that had just had its food bowl stolen.

***

After walking a few steps, Li Ye noticed the little girl falling further and further behind. She was carefully avoiding the deep snow, twisting and turning in a strange, zigzagging path to keep her new shoes clean.

Li Ye couldn't help but chuckle, recalling himself when he got his first car in his past life. That car had been dearer than his own wife; if a fingernail even scratched it, he’d rush to the shop for a factory-standard paint job. Later on, though... as long as it ran, he wouldn't spend a dime on repairs. That was true fickleness for you.

"Hurry up, we still need to go to the grocery store to buy some White Rabbit candy!"

"Brother, why buy candy? We just had malt sugar a few days ago... *slurp*... let's not, okay?" The little girl, still busy navigating the snow, tried to resist, but her involuntary salivation made her incredibly embarrassed, and she blushed deeply.

For a child in this era, the temptation of sweets was overwhelming. A lollipop really could lure a child away—that was no legend.

"You’re happy with your new shoes, but what about Ying? You know the saying: 'Don't worry about scarcity, worry about inequality.' When she starts crying her eyes out, won't you have to use candy to bribe her into silence?"

Li Juan was fourteen, and the younger Li Ying was eleven. Li Ye could imagine exactly how resentful the little one would be when Li Juan came home with new shoes. Without a little treat, there was bound to be friction between the sisters.

"We don't have to... *slurp*... she'll only cry for a little while... *slurp*... it doesn't matter..."

Despite her embarrassment, Li Juan quickened her pace to keep up with her brother. *White Rabbit candy! The Queen of Candies, White Rabbit!* Her mother had bought some once when she first arrived, and the taste was something she would remember for a lifetime.

As for Li Ye’s point about her sister crying—she didn't care at all. In this day and age, the hierarchy of older sisters was absolute. If you wanted to wear good shoes or nice clothes, you’d just have to wait until your older sister was done with them! If you weren't happy, she’d just give you a beating, and even if you ran to Mother, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Who told you to be the younger sister instead of a younger brother?

Li Ye spent three yuan to buy two pounds of White Rabbit candy. He split them into two bags and handed them to Li Juan. She immediately tucked them inside the front of her padded jacket, clutching them tightly as if she were cradling a child.

"When you get home, one bag is for you two to eat, and the other is for Grandma to distribute. Got it?"

"Mm-hmm... yes."

With a piece of candy already in her mouth, unwilling to chew it up and swallow, Li Juan nodded vigorously to promise she would follow orders. Her brother had already given her a handful to eat on the way, so no matter how the rest was split, she was already winning.

Li Ye walked Li Juan part of the way, and only after watching her small figure turn the corner did he head back to the County No. 2 High School. As he walked, he pondered how to make money safely and quickly.

Since he had arrived in this world, he wouldn't set his sights on grand ambitions just yet, but at the very least, he should be able to ensure that the people around him lived a life where they didn't have to worry about having a roast chicken every single day.

In this era, there were opportunities everywhere—it was a time when even a pig could fly if it stood in the path of the wind, and a chicken feather could soar into the sky. But there were also countless pigs that crashed and chickens that drowned.

For instance, going south to Guangdong to trade in clothes and general goods was a way to potentially strike it rich, but one could also easily have their pockets picked on the train, be swindled out of their goods in Guangdong, or even be robbed or have their inventory confiscated. All sorts of accidents were possible.

Moreover, Li Ye’s age and status at this moment were major limitations.

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old high school student had to report for roll call every day. Could he just drop his studies to go into business? His father would break his legs, and his grandparents wouldn't even lift a finger to stop him. Even if you took a step back and said his family agreed to let him forgo university, they would expect him to join a state-run unit and get a steady job—they certainly wouldn't let him go out and "speculate."

Even if the Li family were incredibly enlightened and let Li Ye do whatever he wanted... it still wouldn't work. Being born in this era and ignoring the golden path of the college entrance exam—the path to "class mobility"—to go do business... that was something only a complete fool would do.

The rise of private enterprises was still many years away. The social status of a private business owner today was lower than that of a doorman with a steady position in a state-run unit. So, if you wanted to do business now, you were basically stuck on the path of small-time peddler to big-time merchant—a grueling, inspirational climb from the very bottom.

And in this great country, once you spent decades fighting your way through the sea of commerce and amassed a fortune, you would inevitably hit a ceiling of the upper echelons. You’d bring your offerings to the temple door, only to see it open and find that the big boss inside—the one you had to kowtow to—was actually someone who had graduated from university in the eighties.

Tell me, would you be convinced? Would you be frustrated?

University students from the late seventies and early eighties were on a rocket ship to promotion. Especially those from the top four universities like Tsinghua, Peking, Renmin, and USTC; it was common for them to rise to the center of power with ease.

If Li Ye could get into one of those top universities this year, in just four years, he would have one foot inside the "temple gate," jumping several rungs up the ladder from the very bottom of the pyramid. For someone from an ordinary background, this opportunity was truly precious—a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Even if Li Ye couldn't stand the bureaucracy later and chose to go into business instead of politics, his vast network of classmates would be a powerful asset. He would naturally be several tiers above the "chicken-feather" merchants because he would either be in the same circle as the big bosses or be just one connection away from being able to talk to them.

What was the name of that college student Chen Jianghe met on the train? When that person graduated, what was the status comparison between them and Chen Jianghe? Were you really going to be more capable than Chen Jianghe?

Therefore, trying to make money right now meant having to balance it with his studies, which was fraught with too many restrictions.

*What to do?*

*Money must be made. A man cannot bow down for a penny, and one must strive to have both the fish and the bear's paw.*

Li Ye walked back to the County No. 2 High School with his head down, lost in thought, and didn't notice a person squatting at the school gate. But that person had seen him.

"Little brother, little brother... hehe... have you eaten? Want some candy? Have some candy..."

Li Ye looked at the man in front of him, whose nose was running from the cold but who was still beaming with a sycophantic smile. He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Am I truly the protagonist, a child of destiny, that someone would just happen to bring me a pillow the moment I feel sleepy?"