Chapter 33: A Man of Exceptional Talent

It was past ten o'clock at night when Li Ye and Jin Peng returned to Qingshui County.

Li Ye pondered for a moment and decided not to return to school that night, choosing instead to go home. For people in the eighties, the night was dull and lonely; even in the county seat, there were few bright lights. Everyone went to bed early to stay warm, and they would never turn on a light if they could manage in the dark. It saved electricity.

When Li Ye arrived home, his family had already turned in. He had to knock for quite a while before his father, Li Kaijian, draped a padded jacket over his shoulders and came to open the door, looking thoroughly displeased.

"Why are you back at this hour? Trying to keep the whole neighborhood awake?"

Li Ye was momentarily speechless, but one look at his father’s attire told him everything. Li Kaijian had been a bachelor for over a decade before marrying Han Chunmei last year. With nearly ten years between them, Li Kaijian was quite smitten with his young wife. Now that Li Ye had interrupted his father’s private time—well, men understand these things—if they weren't father and son, they would have been enemies.

Li Ye lowered his head, feigning a submissive posture as he wheeled his bicycle inside. He noticed the light on in his grandfather’s room as well.

"Both of you, come inside."

The old man called Li Ye and Li Kaijian into the main room. He sat them down with a grave expression, then fixed his gaze sharply on Li Ye. His eyes were as piercing and cold as a polished bayonet.

Li Ye, the dignified transmigrator, the child of destiny, the holder of the protagonist's halo... felt a wave of nervous tension under the old man’s intense stare.

*Whew.*

*As expected of a man who could take on three and kill them, even at his age, that gaze is still bone-chilling.*

Li Ye drew a breath, gaining a deeper appreciation for his "cheap" grandfather, who had crawled his way out of a pile of corpses.

However, Li Ye didn't know that Li Zhongfa was equally surprised by his grandson's reaction. His precious grandson had grown much bolder! In the past, a single glare from his father would have scared him to death; now, he dared to meet his grandfather’s eyes. *Good, he takes after me!*

Li Zhongfa’s gaze softened instantly. He asked with a smile, "I heard you partnered up to start a malt candy business?"

"Malt candy business? What malt candy business?" Li Kaijian looked from his son to his father, utterly bewildered. It took him a long while to realize the truth: *The two of you are treating me like I don't exist? Keeping secrets from me? Hmph, I might not be able to take the old man, but the young one? Just you wait, you little rascal.*

Thus, because of this double frustration, Li Kaijian's gaze toward Li Ye turned truly hostile.

"Grandpa is asking you a question! Out with it, then come back to the room with me to sleep."

*Are you sure you'll let me sleep once you get me in that room?* Li Ye knew exactly what his father intended. But since he had decided to come home, he was prepared.

Li Ye looked at the smiling Li Zhongfa and replied, "Grandpa, if anyone else asked me this, I certainly wouldn't admit it. I'm just a student; what business would I be running?"

Li Ye's answer was so unexpected that it left both Li Zhongfa and Li Kaijian in stunned silence for a few seconds.

Then, Li Kaijian’s heavy palm swung toward Li Ye—fast and sharp, true to his background as a veteran. "I'll teach you to be a smart-aleck!"

The moment Li Kaijian moved, Li Ye’s body reacted instinctively. He twisted his waist and sidestepped, gracefully dodging the slap.

"You dare dodge?" Li Kaijian was truly furious. This was a sign that his paternal authority was slipping! His eldest daughter was already rebellious, constantly talking back, and he was too soft on Han Chunmei to discipline her. Was this last one, the only one he could actually lay a hand on, going to rebel too? He had to suppress this—strictly suppress it.

*Bang!*

Li Zhongfa slammed a hand onto the table, and the flailing Li Kaijian instantly deflated, sitting back down like a punctured ball.

*Fine! You’ve got a backer, so I can’t hit you, but don't expect me to pay your living expenses this month, just you wait.* Li Kaijian provided the bulk of Li Ye’s allowance, so he felt that no matter how much Li Ye jumped around, he couldn't escape his control.

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Ye and laughed. "Not bad, quite clever. I suppose you planned who would take the fall before you even started this trade?"

Li Ye shook his head. "Grandpa, I don't consider this 'taking the fall.' I provided the capital and the ideas, and they took the risks. It’s a fair division of labor; no one owes anyone anything."

"You really did it..." Li Kaijian was about to blow his top again, but was forced back by Li Zhongfa’s sharp glare.

Li Zhongfa said to Li Ye, "Small-time tinkering is fine, but I heard from Jin Peng that your operation isn't small. Wealth moves hearts; have you thought about the consequences?"

Li Ye blinked. "Is a business making a few thousand a month really that big? If there's any real danger, why don't you help me secure a spot as a cooperative food processing unit, Grandpa?"

Li Zhongfa scrutinized him. "As for the cooperative food processing spot, just have that Hao Jian go see your eldest sister tomorrow to apply. Besides, you're getting a bit ahead of yourself. You need to be pragmatic. You think a business making a few thousand isn't big?"

Li Kaijian chimed in, scolding him. "Do you have any idea what the monthly output value of a street factory is? And you’re calling it ‘just a few thousand’? Have you been studying just to fill your head with nonsense?"

Li Ye didn't know how much those little factories making matchboxes earned, but given their "wait for customers to come and be pushed around" management style, he figured they couldn't be doing much. But he himself would likely become a 'ten-thousand-yuan household' within months. It would definitely attract envy. Since he now knew about the cooperative status, he’d have to rely on his grandfather—that great Buddha.

Under Li Kaijian’s scornful gaze, Li Ye placed his satchel on the table and began pulling out stacks of money, one after another.

Silence. The room fell completely quiet. It took a long time before he heard the sound of Li Kaijian swallowing hard.

"This is... your... profit for one month?"

"No, this is my share of the monthly profit. The others have already taken theirs. Wang Jianqiang's share wasn't much, so I'm keeping it for him for now."

Li Kaijian stopped talking and looked at his father. Even the seasoned Li Zhongfa hadn't expected his grandson’s "hobby" of a business to make so much money. He only had to look at the denominations on the table to know it was the work of small-scale peddling, but he couldn't deny it fell under the category of "hard-earned labor."

But to call it "sweat and blood"?

*Can we talk seriously? Haven't I bled for the country? Is my work not hard enough? Why is the difference so stark?*

The old man pondered and asked, "What do you plan to do with all this money?"

Li Ye said, "Keep it at home for now. Don't worry, I've heard the south has long since allowed individual businesses, and in a few days, ten-thousand-yuan households might not be that rare anymore."

Li Zhongfa nodded. "Alright, keep it at home. Let your father hold onto it for you. Don't worry, not a cent will go missing."

Li Ye shook his head. "I don't need that much. Use it for whatever the family needs. But I might need a large portion when I go to university next year."

Li Zhongfa smiled. "Of course. A poor man travels light, but a rich man travels well. Our family’s child will never be short of money when he goes out."

Li Kaijian couldn't stand the way they were talking anymore. He snapped in frustration, "Damn it, if you can actually get into university, I’ll match every cent you put in."

Li Ye turned to look at his father and said clearly, "This thousand-plus is actually only half a month's profit. If next month goes smoothly, it should be three thousand, and the month after that..."

Li Kaijian’s expression turned remarkably colorful. *Damn it, as a workshop manager, my salary is only sixty or seventy yuan, and you're here talking to me about... thousands?*

Li Zhongfa looked at Li Ye with increasing fondness, then glanced at his son with growing irritation. "Alright, Li Ye, go to bed. You have to get up early for school tomorrow."

"Oh, goodnight then, Grandpa."

Li Ye stood up to leave. Just as he reached the door, Li Kaijian asked, looking at him like he was a thief, "Did you hide any money for yourself?"

Li Ye paused, turned back, reached onto the table, grabbed a stack of money, and shoved it into his satchel as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It looked like at least one or two hundred yuan.

"I'm hiding some now."

By the time Li Ye hurried out of the room, Li Kaijian finally reacted, looking as if he were about to explode with indignation.

"Enough," Li Zhongfa said. "Stop treating Xiao Ye like a child. Look at your own lack of composure."

"But," Li Kaijian argued, "look at all the things he’s doing... it’s so dangerous!"

"Whether it's dangerous depends on the timing," Li Zhongfa replied. "A few days ago, the county held a meeting to discuss individual businesses. They’ve had them in the south for two years, and they even issued business licenses. It’ll be here soon."

Li Kaijian was stunned. "Then why grant that Hao Jian a processing unit permit? If we just get him an individual business license, wouldn't that avoid any connection to our family?"

Li Zhongfa looked at his son with disdain. "If you had a capable person in your workshop, would you be willing to hand him over to another workshop?"

Li Kaijian finally caught on—his father wanted to keep Hao Jian tied to them. He said, somewhat unconvinced, "What kind of capable person is he? Just a relocated educated youth..."

Li Zhongfa gave a light huff and pointed to the pile of money on the table. "Then why don't you run to the provincial capital tomorrow and see if you can bring back that much money?"

"From now on, you need to study more, or you won't even be as good as Xiao Ye."