The Famished Belt

"Li Ye, don't be so hot-blooded and impulsive. Maybe they really did just mean to offer you some guidance?"

"Li Ye, think it over again! Dahe Publishing House is the best publishing house in our province. If you're this stubborn, you'll offend people."

"Li Ye, why don't you let us look over your manuscript first? The teachers can help you come up with ideas together and see where it might be lacking."

Inside the principal's office at County Second High School, several teachers took turns persuading Li Ye, hoping he would change his mind and accept Dahe Publishing House's offer to publish his work.

In their eyes, this kid Li Ye was just putting on airs. He had never taken a beating from society and was one of those childish youngsters who refused to swallow even a single breath of grievance.

But Li Ye's attitude remained unusually firm. I write novels to make money, not to beg for guidance.

Thus, Li Ye said neither warmly nor coldly, "Principal Chang, Teacher Luo, thank you for your concern, but I've already decided to go with another publishing house.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back first. I can handle this myself."

"..."

Principal Chang looked at Li Ye and nodded slightly. "All right. Go back and think it over first. Opportunities like this are hard to come by. Don't give it up rashly."

Only after Li Ye left did Principal Chang say to the teachers, who were frustrated at his failure to appreciate their efforts, "This child has a firm will. Stop meddling in it. I'll notify his family and let them decide for themselves."

"What a pity."

"Ah, he really doesn't know happiness when he's standing in the middle of it!"

The teachers sighed and dispersed, so none of them saw the fleeting sneer in Principal Chang's eyes.

He picked up the phone and dialed the Grain Bureau.

"I'm looking for Director Li."

When Li Zhongfa received the call from County Second High School, he wondered whether they had not just been given a batch of grain at a fixed low price. Why were they calling again?

Yet after only a couple of sentences, he shot to his feet, even knocking over the chair beneath him.

"What did you say? Say that again!"

The sound of the chair hitting the floor, along with Li Zhongfa's booming voice, startled many of the Grain Bureau's staff.

Everyone quietly gathered nearby and cautiously peered into Li Zhongfa's office.

The office door happened to be open. They saw that Director Li, normally stern and composed, had a face like a dye workshop thrown open—red one moment, white the next, shifting through every possible expression of shock and uncertainty.

"Don't worry, Principal Chang. You teachers are educated people; it isn't easy for you to discipline a naughty child with your hands. I'll personally straighten him out today. Has he turned the heavens upside down?"

"Understood, understood. No matter how capable he is, he's still my grandson. I have to make him understand what humility is."

The Grain Bureau employees heard Li Zhongfa's words from afar and exchanged glances, as though they had all guessed some secret.

Less than half a year ago, Li Zhongfa's grandson had been dumped by a college student who broke off their engagement, and everyone had gossiped about it for quite some time.

Now it seemed that handsome young man, all gilt on the outside and cotton wool within, might have gotten himself into trouble again.

But just as they thought that, they heard Li Zhongfa's wild, unrestrained laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha~ Ha ha ha ha~"

Everyone looked at one another, unable to figure out what spell their director had fallen under.

Li Zhongfa laughed heartily for a long while before dialing the Fertilizer Factory.

"I'm looking for Li Kaijian. Who am I? I'm his father."

"Kai Jian! Go to County Second High School immediately and haul that kid back home for me. Why? His wings have grown hard, so I need to smooth down his feathers."

After putting down the phone, Li Kaijian was as baffled as a monk six feet tall trying to scratch his head. He had no idea what kind of hawk his old man was flying.

But when it came to Li Ye's "wings growing hard," he, as Li Ye's father, felt that deeply.

A few days ago, Li Ye had bought five pairs of new-style leather boots from the provincial capital. Every woman in the family got a pair, but neither Li Kaijian nor Li Zhongfa got one.

Li Zhongfa had cursed, "All that love for that little bastard was wasted," only to suffer a fierce verbal assault from his wife. At his age, he had nearly been unable to get off the stage.

Since there was an opportunity to "smooth down his feathers" today, they absolutely had to make that little bastard remember the lesson.

Li Kaijian felt that the leather military belt around his waist was already famished beyond endurance.

Two hours later, Li Ye and Li Dayong were hauled into the Li family courtyard by Li Kaijian.

Then Li Zhongfa explained the entire chain of events. After that, Li Ye and Li Dayong were put on display before the wide-eyed old and young members of the Li family, like monkeys at the provincial capital zoo.

Li Kaijian's leather military belt ended up, as expected, in the hands of his old mother—Li Ye's grandmother.

Then Li Kaijian's backside was whipped hard twice by his old mother.

"You big fool, you think you've got what it takes to beat my grandson?"

A dignified veteran and workshop director, he gazed gloomily at Li Ye, looking him over from left to right. No matter how he looked, Li Ye was still his precious son—so how had he suddenly become so full of himself?

A few days ago, Li Ye had brought home a huge pile of money, which was already unbelievable enough. But what had they heard today?

Writing novels?

And he had even turned down a publishing house's offer?

Had he become a spirit or something?

"Ahem."

Li Zhongfa cleared his throat with great authority, then said, "Li Ye, Grandpa knows you're capable now. But out in society, being capable alone isn't enough to get by. You also need brains."

"What do you mean, our Xiao Ye doesn't have brains? I think you two father and son are the ones without brains!"

The Li family grandmother interrupted the solemn speech, leaving Li Zhongfa utterly speechless.

Li Zhongfa could only make a long story short. "Xiao Ye, bowing your head for the moment doesn't make you a coward. They're the gatekeepers, and you're the one submitting a manuscript.

"If they say a couple of things to you, it won't cost you a layer of skin. Let it go in one ear and out the other. Besides, didn't they call back afterward and agree to publish it?"

Li Ye sighed. "Grandpa, I also want to get published smoothly and earn some manuscript fees, but their airs were too high. I think it would be better to change to another publishing house."

"What do you mean, change to another one?" Li Zhongfa said, growing irritated. "Do you think publishing houses are radishes growing in a field, that you can pull up whichever one catches your eye?

"Look through all of Qingshui County and count them. Over the years, who has managed to publish even one novel? People show off for days if they get a palm-sized block of text printed in a newspaper!"

Li Ye smiled sheepishly and took a slip of paper from his schoolbag.

"Of course I'm not going to pull up radishes from a field. But that radish can run into my arms on its own!"

"..."

Li Zhongfa did not understand what Li Ye meant, but he recognized the slip of paper in Li Ye's hand.

It was a telegram form, one of the fastest carriers for transmitting written information in the 1980s.

Li Ye handed the telegram to Li Zhongfa, who hurriedly had his wife bring him his reading glasses.

Our publishing house has accepted your submission. We have hereby dispatched editor Dong Yuejin to your location to discuss publication matters.

There were only two short lines on the telegram, but Li Zhongfa read them over and over several times, pondering their meaning.

"Hiss." Li Zhongfa drew in a breath and asked, "Xiao Ye, when did you receive this telegram?"

Li Ye said, "Right before school let out. I had just received the telegram when my dad came swinging his belt and dragged me home."

Smack!

Li Zhongfa slapped the table and cursed at Li Kaijian, "Who told you to use the belt? You're over forty, so why are you still as unreliable as some street punk?"

Li Kaijian stood there tongue-tied, with a bellyful of grievances that he could not voice.

Didn't you say you wanted to smooth down Li Ye's feathers? Why are you smoothing mine now? Haven't I admitted defeat long ago? You forget your son once you have a grandson—don't be this heartless, all right?

Li Kaijian did not dare provoke Li Zhongfa, so he could only turn to Li Ye with a dark expression and ask, "Explain to me what this telegram is about."

Li Ye explained, "This telegram came from Island City Blue Sea Publishing House. They accepted my submission and have already sent someone to Qingshui County to discuss publication with me. Can you understand the difference between this and the provincial capital's publishing house?"

How could Li Kaijian fail to understand?

One side put on airs and demanded that Li Ye bring his manuscript to their door and watch their expressions.

The other directly sent someone to the Li family's territory to negotiate terms with Li Ye.

The difference between them was enormous.

Looking at Li Ye's slightly smug expression, Li Kaijian finally could not help asking, "What exactly clicked in your head? How did you suddenly become so smart?"

"..."

Li Ye knew he ultimately could not avoid this question. After several seconds of silence, he said, "Li Dayong knows about this. That time when I suddenly got sick, I had a fever for two straight days. After I got back up, I was different."

Li Kaijian hurriedly asked, "How were you different?"

Li Ye gave a wicked smile. "My waist no longer ached, my legs no longer hurt, everything I ate tasted delicious, and my mind became sharp. Texts and test questions I couldn't remember even after reading eight times before—I can now remember roughly after reading them once."

The old and young members of the Li family listened as if they were hearing a story. As Li Ye spoke, their imaginations ran wild, and they felt they were witnessing a monster shed its mortal frame and be reborn.

Li Dayong hurriedly chimed in, "Advisor, Uncle Kai Jian, it's really true. Ever since Li Ye recovered that day, he became incredible.

"A few days ago, we were all doing the questions Advisor had gotten for Li Ye. Those questions were even better than the ones our teachers gave us. None of us could solve them, but Li Ye could, and then he explained them to us."

Li Dayong rattled on and on. Li Zhongfa was confused at first, then his expression grew serious.

"Questions? What questions?"