Chapter Thirty: A Big Deal

As noon approached, Li Ye was fully engrossed in writing his novel when Old Liu, the school gatekeeper, stomped into the first repeat class with a dark expression, curtly informing Li Ye that someone was looking for him outside.

Li Ye was quite surprised. He and Old Liu had a history of bad blood, so why would the man bother to come inside to deliver a message?

Li Dayong immediately grew wary. "Brother, could that old codger be holding a grudge and have set an ambush outside the school to get back at you?"

Li Ye scoffed, "What are you daydreaming about? Do you think this is the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*? If it were, that would actually be a good thing."

Li Ye gathered his manuscript and handed it to Wen Leyu. "Keep this safe for me, and don't let anyone else read it."

"Understood. You can count on me."

Wen Leyu accepted the papers with a solemn expression, as if she were taking on a heroic mission.

Seeing the stack of letter paper in Li Ye's hands, Li Dayong’s heart skipped a beat, and he stared at the stack with a look of dismay. He certainly didn’t think Li Ye was writing a novel; he was convinced Li Ye was writing a letter.

To whom?

Other than that woman Li Ye hated to the bone, he hadn't written to anyone else.

*Brother, didn't you vow just a few days ago that you were done with that disaster? How are you... getting tangled up with her again? This is just my rotten luck. A good horse doesn’t turn back to graze on old grass...*

When Wen Leyu noticed Li Dayong staring intently at the papers in her hands, she glared at him. "What are you looking at?"

"..."

Facing the fierce little mute, Li Dayong had no retort. He had clearly seen the way she and Li Ye had been getting cozy lately. Even if there were only the slightest chance of a relationship between them, Li Dayong wouldn't dare trade barbs with her. He knew all too well how protective Li Ye could be.

So, Li Dayong turned to Fu Yingjie and shifted the "damage," barking, "What are you looking at? I'm talking to you! Why are you still looking? No one is allowed to look!"

"..."

The bewildered Fu Yingjie opened his mouth to speak but ultimately resigned himself to this unprovoked disaster.

Li Ye rose and headed outside. He had a strong suspicion that Hao Jian and his group had returned from the provincial capital, though they were earlier than expected. Li Dayong followed, still uneasy, worried that Old Liu might be plotting some petty revenge.

When they reached the school gate, they didn't see any thugs, but rather their fellow martial arts brothers: Jin Peng, Hao Jian, and Wang Jianqiang.

"Brother Peng, what brings you here?"

"I came to find you and Li Ye!"

Jin Peng was smoking a cigarette. He spat on the ground and cursed, "What is up with that old guy at the gate? I said I wanted to come in to find you two, and he acted like his nose was pointing to the sky. He wouldn't let me in. Fine, I didn't go in, but I made sure he dutifully called you out for me."

Li Ye and Li Dayong exchanged a glance and then looked toward the guardhouse. Old Liu had his back turned to them, but the large footprint on the back of his cotton-padded jacket told the brothers everything they needed to know.

They knew what kind of person Jin Peng was. Even the local street thugs gave him a wide berth. If it weren't for his mother keeping a tight leash on him, he would have been lording over the county and getting himself locked up long ago. Old Liu must have been blind to the situation, gotten himself hammered by Jin Peng, and then retreated to the classroom to fetch Li Ye, simmering with pent-up rage.

What is a "paper tiger"? This was it. He was fierce toward the students, but when faced with a real bully from outside, he didn't dare make a peep.

Li Ye didn't mention the previous incident to Jin Peng; it would only lead to more trouble. The five of them headed to a mutton soup shop a few hundred meters away. In the middle of winter, slurping down a bowl of hot mutton soup was pure comfort.

Li Ye asked Hao Jian, "Why are you back by noon today? So soon?"

Hao Jian glanced at Li Dayong and stayed silent.

Li Ye said, "He's my own brother, he’s tight-lipped. You can speak freely."

Hao Jian then said, "We didn't expect it to be this fast either. We only visited two families before all our malt candy was sold out. Since we were out of stock, we figured we should come back quickly to boil more—the other families we promised are still waiting!"

Li Ye was surprised. "That smooth? Did they like the quality, or was it the low price?"

Whenever an unexpected situation arose, Li Ye had a habit from his past life of analyzing the cause.

Hao Jian shook his head. "Neither. It’s because some of their relatives and friends got involved, each wanting five or ten pounds to test the waters."

Li Ye understood. People in this era were cautious; when they wanted to do something, they liked to gather in groups, emboldened by the belief that "the law cannot punish the masses." This was a good thing for Li Ye; after all, every extra person was another distribution point and another potential client. Eventually, some would find a path forward, gradually forming a terminal market.

However, Hao Jian added, "But... it wasn't entirely smooth. When we were dealing with the second family, they tried to pressure us on price and buy on credit, relying on the fact that they had more people. But two of our brothers handled it."

Li Ye was startled. This wasn't a minor issue. A strong dragon shouldn't challenge a local snake. If the other party had bad intentions, they needed to cut ties early, or it would do more harm than good.

"Tell me, what kind of trouble did you run into?"

"No real trouble," Jin Peng said, seeing Li Ye’s serious expression. "The situation was just starting to turn, and before I could even speak, Qiangzi smashed two bricks against his own forehead. It scared those people silly right on the spot..."

"..."

Li Ye was stunned. He thought he’d just let Wang Jianqiang tag along for a free meal, never expecting the simpleton to have such a use.

Seeing Li Ye’s bewilderment, Jin Peng reached out and lifted Wang Jianqiang’s cotton hat, revealing a large bruise on his forehead.

Wang Jianqiang, currently slurping his mutton soup, looked up and gave Li Ye a silly, innocent grin. But Li Ye, with his sharp eyes, clearly caught the flicker of nervousness in his gaze.

The kid was afraid Li Ye would scold him and stop letting him tag along.

Li Ye pursed his lips and whispered, "Qiangzi, in the future, when you run into something like that, watch for Jin Peng’s signal. Even if you have to smash, one brick is enough. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, Brother! Hehehe, it doesn't hurt, hehehe."

Wang Jianqiang honestly didn't think it hurt. Back home, when his mother and brothers complained about him wasting food, that was real pain.

"How could it not hurt? But Brother Qiangzi’s two bricks were worth it. Jin Peng and I watched closely; those people weren't tough characters. They couldn't stir up any real waves..."

Hao Jian was a clever one. Seeing Li Ye’s concern for Wang Jianqiang, he immediately began to flatter him subtly. Of course, today’s events also taught him that trying to break into the provincial capital alone was impossible, and having these two backing him up provided a sense of security.

With someone like Hao Jian to liven up the atmosphere, the table soon became animated. The group ate and drank, enjoying the lively chatter.

But gradually, Li Ye noticed that Li Dayong’s mood was off. His childhood friend was looking at him with eyes full of... resentment.

Li Ye asked, "Dayong, what’s with that look?"

Li Dayong lowered his head. "Brother, when you guys went to the provincial capital to make your way, why didn't you take me? Do you think I'm useless?"

It turned out that after listening to Jin Peng and Hao Jian talk so excitedly, Li Dayong finally realized what was going on. He had originally thought they had just made some money in the capital and were treating him and Li Ye to a meal. But now he realized they were partners in a business—a "big business" involving significant sums—and he was the only one left out.

He wondered how, given his relationship with Li Ye, he could have been excluded.