Chapter Eight: The Loving Family

Li Ye’s home was a standalone single-story house with a courtyard, consisting of three main rooms and three side rooms—living conditions that were considered quite decent.

As he pulled his bicycle up to the gate, Li Ye caught the savory scent of stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar. It was late autumn, bordering on early winter, and most fresh vegetables had long since vanished from the market; every family’s table was essentially limited to the "holy trinity" of radishes, potatoes, and cabbage.

Pushing his bike through the gate, Li Ye saw three figures—one adult and two children—busy in the kitchen shed. The adult was, naturally, his stepmother, Han Chunmei, and the two children were her daughters from a previous marriage, who had taken his father Li Kaijian’s surname and were known as Li Juan and Li Ying.

Han Chunmei had lived a hard life. In her youth, she was the acknowledged beauty of the entire region. After marrying a carpenter, she gave birth to two girls in quick succession, but then found herself unable to conceive again. In later generations, a man with two daughters might have considered himself lucky—no need to save for property, no stress over cars or bride prices; he could just lounge on the sofa during the holidays while his daughters brought him cigarettes, alcohol, and snacks, with a son-in-law smiling and fawning, "Dad, shall we have a drink?" In old age, when sickness struck, the daughters would provide both money and care, allowing for a life of ease.

But in this era, things were different. Every family felt they had a throne that needed an heir. If you couldn't produce a "sword-bearing guard," the gossip alone could crush you. Han Chunmei’s parents-in-law had been overbearing, forcing their son to divorce her and driving her out of the house. After dragging her two daughters back to her maiden home and enduring several bitter years, she finally married Li Kaijian, who was eight years her senior.

Ever since, she felt as though she had ascended to heaven. Her parents-in-law no longer cast veiled insults at her daughters for eating an extra piece of steamed bun, and her husband didn't reach for his belt if a bowl accidentally shattered. Moreover, after the marriage, the Li family helped her secure a temporary job paying twenty-two yuan and fifty cents a month. It didn't sound like much, but it made her weep with joy. No one understood better than she did the bitterness of watching other children eat candy while she didn't have a single cent in her pocket, or the agony of hearing her own children cry from hunger in the middle of the night, with nothing to offer them but a bowl of cold water.

Upon entering the Li household, she treated them with profound gratitude, taking on all the laundry, cooking, and chores, to the point where Li Ye’s grandmother would often complain, "I’m not that old yet; you’re making me feel useless."

"Oh, Little Ye is back?"

Seeing him enter, Han Chunmei paused for a moment before hurriedly pulling two mao from her pocket and handing it to her daughter. "Juan, hurry to the east street and buy a block of tofu. Ying, go wash a head of cabbage."

Grain was precious in these times; every meal was calculated to the exact portion, with no room for the waste of leftovers. Seeing Li Ye return unexpectedly, she feared there wouldn't be enough food.

"No need for the trouble. I grabbed a bite outside; just mix up some cabbage hearts and that will do," Li Ye said, waving off Li Juan as she prepared to leave. He pulled a package of sesame candy from his school bag and handed it over. "I bought some candy on the way back. You and Ying should try some."

Li Juan stared at the candy, stunned and at a loss for what to do. She had been in the Li household for a year, and she had never seen this stepbrother of hers offer a friendly look. What was wrong with him today? Had he lost his mind, or had a sow finally climbed a tree?

"I... I don't want it... you have it!" Li Juan swallowed hard, resisting the urge, and retreated behind Han Chunmei, head bowed.

"Go ahead, eat! I still have half a pack left," Li Ye said, showing her the opened half-pack and pressing the full one into her hand.

"Oh." Only then did she take it. She walked behind her mother, and after exchanging a glance with her sister Li Ying, a faint glimmer of joy appeared on their faces.

Han Chunmei frowned, displeased, and scolded her daughters, "Oh, oh, oh—can't you even say hello to your brother? You're big enough now to know better."

"Brother."
"Brother."

The two girls hurriedly greeted him, their voices timid and faint as mosquitoes.

"It’s alright, it’s alright. I didn't know any better before either. We'll get used to it over time. I'm going to my room," Li Ye said, sensing their discomfort and retreating to the north room.

Once he was gone, Han Chunmei wiped the corners of her eyes and spoke strictly to her daughters, "Was it so hard to call him brother? You have the nerve to eat his candy—get a plate and set the table."

The girls pouted, and Li Juan muttered under her breath, "He doesn't even call you Mother!"

"I..." Han Chunmei raised her hand to strike, but stopped halfway, sighing as she lowered it. Being a stepmother was truly difficult.

Despite their lingering unhappiness, the girls obediently fetched a plate and arranged the candy, bringing it to the table as a treat. The remaining bit of candy was divided by Li Juan into three portions: one for her sister, one for her mother, and one for herself. At the sight of this, tears finally fell from Han Chunmei’s eyes.

...

Li Ye’s sudden return brought joy to the entire household. His grandparents doted on their eldest grandson, fretting over how thin he looked. His elder sister tugged at his jacket, measuring it and deciding it was too small, promising to buy him a new one as soon as she got her next paycheck. Even Li Kaijian, whose relationship with his son had been strained ever since he’d once disciplined him with his belt, sat with a stern face, pulling out money as he said, "Coming back at this time of the month—are you out of cash again? Take this ten yuan, and be frugal with it."

Li Ye had initially been worried about how to get along with this family, but the intense warmth and genuine affection he felt left no room for emotional distance. He slipped into the family dynamic naturally.

"No, I still have money. I mainly came back because I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I took back that 26-inch Phoenix bicycle today."

Everyone froze. After a long silence, Li Kaijian asked in a deep voice, "What are you thinking?"

"I’m not really thinking much of anything," Li Ye replied. "Lu Jingyao sent me 45 yuan the day before yesterday. Since they’ve clearly looked down on us, there’s no point in us being desperate for their approval. It’s better to make a clean break and save ourselves the lingering trouble."

*Thwack!* Li Kaijian slapped his thigh. "You should have thought that way a long time ago! If it weren't for worrying about you, I would have..."

"What are you rambling about?" his grandmother snapped, looking at Li Ye with concern. "Little Ye, are you sure about this?"

Li Ye nodded. "I’m sure. There might be some unpleasant rumors going around soon, but don't pay them any mind. They’ll fade away after a few days."

"Rumors? What rumors?" Li Kaijian was about to press for details, but Li Ye’s grandfather, Li Zhongfa, interrupted: "Enough, let’s eat first. The boy is hungry—why won't you stop your endless nagging?"

"I wasn't nagging..." Li Kaijian grumbled, bowing his head to eat. If the current Li Ye had been disciplined by Li Kaijian’s belt, then Li Kaijian had been disciplined by Li Zhongfa’s cane. "Spare the rod, spoil the child" was the Li family tradition.

Toward the end of the meal, Li Zhongfa suddenly asked, "Did you have your placement exams recently?"

"We had the exams, but I’m not sure if they’re for streaming. Grandfather, how did you know?"

"Your school called me this morning. They said your scores were neither too good nor too bad, and that you’d struggle to make it into the 'Express Class'..."

Li Ye immediately understood. The county high school’s repeat-year program had always been divided into fast and slow classes, and this "Express Class" was clearly an aggressive measure to boost their university entrance rate. With Li Ye’s scores, he wouldn't normally qualify, and the school reaching out to Li Zhongfa meant they wanted a favor.

"Grandfather, don't worry about my studies. I can get into university even without the Express Class, so please don't agree to anything that goes against the rules."

"What 'against the rules'? It’s just a small favor. You just focus on your revision and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whether you get in or not, the family has no expectations of you."

Well, they still didn't believe in him. Looking at the expressions around the table, Li Ye could feel their hearts. Grandparents, father, and sister alike—they were all terrified of adding to his stress, carefully shielding the dignity of the "eldest son."

"Alright, I understand. If I get in, that’s great, and if I don't, I’ll just have to live off you all!"

Li Ye didn't bother swearing oaths to convince them; he would just give them a massive surprise when the time came.