The last class in the afternoon was self-study. With ten minutes left before school let out, Li Ye packed his bag and made a break for it.
Class monitor Hu Man hurriedly called out, "Li Ye, where are you going? School isn't over yet!"
Without looking back, Li Ye said, "Class Monitor, I've got something to do. Help me ask for leave."
Hu Man shouted angrily, "There's barely any time left. What are you asking for leave for? I—"
But Li Ye had already left the classroom, met up with the Li Dayong he had arranged to meet beforehand, and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Hu Man was furious, her chest rising and falling, making the two rather well-endowed rabbits there all too conspicuous.
Still, in the end, she took out a sheet of paper and wrote Li Ye a leave slip, so she would have an explanation if the teacher asked.
Li Dayong and Li Ye left the school, sharing a 28-inch bicycle as they headed for County First High School in the northern part of the county seat.
County First High School and County Second High School were not far apart. They arrived in less than ten minutes.
Li Dayong stopped the bicycle, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, then asked Li Ye gravely, "Brother, have you really made up your mind?"
Li Ye nodded faintly. "Yes. I have."
Li Ye had come to the entrance of County First High School today to collect a debt.
When he and Lu Jingyao had gotten engaged, he had given her a 26-inch Phoenix bicycle.
In the 1980s, a Phoenix bicycle cost more than 180 yuan with a coupon. Without one, not even 300 yuan could buy it. The 26-inch model was even rarer than the 28-inch one, so a 26-inch Phoenix was more eye-catching than a sedan in later generations.
Back when Li Ye's grandfather and father had only been back at work for a little over a year, they had saved up enough industrial coupons to buy two bicycles and had planned to get Li Ye a 28-inch Flying Pigeon as well.
But Li Ye had insisted on giving Lu Jingyao a bicycle, so his grandfather had asked around until he got this 26-inch Phoenix suitable for women to ride, giving it to Lu Jingyao as an engagement gift.
When the two families became engaged, the sensation it caused had been no less than giving one's future granddaughter-in-law a BMW in later years.
So no matter how reluctant the Lu family had been, they should have returned the bicycle when they broke off the engagement.
Yet when Lu Jingyao's father came to the Li family to cancel the engagement, Li Ye's father had thrown the fish and meat out the door, cursing, "Consider the betrothal gifts fed to the dogs."
And although Lu Jingyao's father had not picked up the fish and meat, neither had he left the Phoenix bicycle behind.
Li Ye's steady grandfather and thrifty grandmother had not stopped Lu Jingyao's father from riding away on it either.
Perhaps Li Ye had not understood at the time, but Li Ye now understood perfectly well. His grandfather and grandmother had swallowed their anger and left a path of retreat for their grandson.
If Li Ye got into university this year, the Li family would play both the red face and the white face, mixing kindness with intimidation, and find some way to win back the love of their grandson's heart.
The Lu family might well have harbored the same thoughts.
That unreturned Phoenix bicycle was the thread that remained even after the lotus roots had snapped, the bond still linking the two families.
After Lu Jingyao went to Beijing for school, the Phoenix had been given to her younger brother Lu Zixue, who was in his first year at County First High School.
The old Li Ye had fantasized that Lu Jingyao would change her mind. He would rather get around on Bus Number 11—his own two legs—than think of taking the bicycle back.
But did the current Li Ye have such a broad heart?
If it had merely been a clean break from old affairs, then fine. But Lu Jingyao had made a great show of sending money to the school, saddling Li Ye with the name Huang Shiren. Did she really take Li Ye for a sucker?
You couldn't occupy my benefits on one hand while loudly flaunting "freedom" on the other, could you?
Most importantly... Li Ye himself did not even have a bicycle to ride! It was inconvenient to go anywhere. How could he let her have it easy?
Li Dayong took a deep drag of his cigarette and said hesitantly, "Brother, if you take back that Phoenix, then the two of you will really..."
Li Ye shot Li Dayong a glance. "Is Lu Jingyao really that great? Do I have to hang myself from her one tree? Your brother here is a man capable of owning an entire forest."
"..."
Li Dayong stood stunned for a long while, blinking, still unable to fully grasp Li Ye's meaning.
Wasn't it you, Brother, who used to live or die over Lu Jingyao?
Seeing Li Dayong's expression, Li Ye did not explain much. He merely patted his shoulder to put him at ease.
Though this childhood friend and sworn brother of his was big and burly, built like a bear, he actually had a delicate side too.
For example, when he had cursed in the street outside Lu Jingyao's home, and when he had suggested at noon that they "go to Beijing and curse Chen Shimei," both had carried a clear purpose.
That was to force Lu Jingyao to make up with Li Ye.
If you won't come out and make things clear with my brother, I'll shout until the whole street knows your rotten business. If you dare become a Chen Shimei, I'll holler until the entire school knows.
It could be said that Li Ye being wrongfully branded "Huang Shiren" owed much to the assist from Li Dayong, this "Mu Renzhi."
"Brother, school's about to let out. Let's move farther from the gate!"
Seeing that school was nearly over, Li Dayong suddenly grew nervous.
"Hm? What are you afraid of?"
"Some of the teachers at First High are pretty fierce. I'm afraid they'll act like dogs catching mice and meddle in things that aren't their business."
"..."
County First High School differed from County Second High School. Not only was its attitude toward education extremely strict, it was also exceptionally tough on idle outsiders hanging around campus.
By 1981, little hooligans demanding money from children had already appeared on the streets, but none dared cause trouble at the entrance of County First High School. With a build and face like Li Dayong's that screamed delinquent at first glance, he naturally drew the teachers' attention.
"What's there to fear? A teacher's authority only exists within the school. Could they manage things outside the school too?" Li Ye said unconcernedly.
"That's right. No matter how long a teacher's arms are, they can't reach beyond the school," someone beside them chimed in.
Li Ye and Li Dayong turned their heads and found a man around thirty grinning at them.
The man had come over earlier. Li Ye and Li Dayong had assumed he was there to pick up a child, but now it seemed otherwise.
Li Dayong's face darkened as he asked sternly, "What do you do? What are you doing at the school gate?"
Boys in those days watched patriotic films from childhood. Whenever they saw someone who looked suspiciously like an agent, spy, hooligan, or evil spirit, they wanted to intervene. This man had an out-of-town accent; perhaps he was a bad guy.
The man did not get angry, instead continuing with a grin, "I sell sesame candy. Would you two young masters like some?"
"What young masters? Do you think this is the old society? Aren't you afraid the Anti-speculation and profiteering office will arrest you for selling sesame candy?"
Li Dayong looked full of righteous indignation, but his mouth betrayed him as he swallowed hard.
The Anti-speculation and profiteering office was the Office for Combating Speculation and Profiteering. It had been quite formidable for over a decade, playing a tremendous role in strangling the budding shoots of imperial capitalism.
"Little brother, don't go pinning labels on people at random. The higher-ups have already said that the individual economy is a necessary supplement to the state-owned and collective economies..."
As the man spoke, he actually pulled out a newspaper. An article had been marked in red pen, its title clearly reading, "Several Policy Provisions Regarding the Urban Non-Agricultural Individual Economy."
Li Ye was somewhat surprised. There were countless clever people in this world indeed; one could not underestimate the heroes under heaven.
The policy had only been issued a few months earlier. At this point, many departments likely had not even grasped its spirit, yet someone had already seized the opportunity to seek wealth and honor amid danger.
In this stagnant pool that had yet to come alive, such commercial instinct and adventurous spirit could easily stir up broad ripples.
Of course, plenty would surely drown as well. After all, the crime of speculation and profiteering would not be abolished until 1997, and wrongful convictions and misjudgments were unavoidable.
"How much is your sesame candy?"
Li Ye walked up to the man and motioned for him to take out his goods for inspection.
The man untied the bundle he carried and revealed a small earthenware basin inside. It held half a basin of yellowish-brown sesame candy.
Sesame candy was a traditional snack with a long history. Tangshan in the North and Hubei Province in the South were the most famous for it. Made from natural ingredients such as glutinous rice, sesame, and malt sugar, it was fragrant, sweet, thin, crisp, and had a flavor all its own.
Li Dayong drooled even more, making a slurping sound.
In this era when coupons were still needed to buy everything, the temptation of such sweets was simply too great.
This fellow had probably been waiting at the school gate specifically to tempt the students.
The man smiled and quoted his price. "One yuan per jin. How much would you like, little brothers?"
Li Dayong nearly jumped up. "One yuan per jin? White Rabbit candy is only one yuan fifty. I think you're—"
"Hey, hey, hey, you've misunderstood."
The man hurriedly explained, "I meant one kilogram. White Rabbit is one yuan fifty per jin, and you need candy coupons for it too..."
Damn it, he was a crooked merchant too.
Li Ye smiled but did not expose him. He simply took out two yuan and tossed it over.
The man swiftly tucked the two one-yuan bills into his pocket, then picked up a steelyard to weigh out Li Ye's candy.
He had already seen that this young master had money, but he had not expected such a big customer.
He could stand at the school gate selling all day and only make a dime, two dimes, or even five or six cents at a time. It might take several days before he could scrape together two yuan!
Li Ye did not care about a few yuan. He was the only male in the family, and his grandfather, grandmother, father, and Older Sister all gave him spending money. He was not exactly a tycoon, but he was at least a minor landlord.
But when he saw the sesame-candy seller press his right pinky down on the scale beam, anger inevitably rose in his heart.
Trying to rig the scales without even looking at who you're dealing with? You think I'm young and easy to fool?
"Ahem."
That soft cough startled the sesame-candy seller into immediately stopping. He grabbed another large chunk of sesame candy from the earthenware basin and added it to the scale pan, weighing it down until the beam sprang upward.
"Two yuan received. Two kilograms and over four liang. Shall I wrap it into two portions for you?"
"Make it three portions."
The man took pre-cut white paper from his bundle, deftly wrapped the sesame candy into three packets, and handed them to Li Ye.
Li Ye and Li Dayong each took a portion and began eating, while the remaining portion went into Li Ye's schoolbag.
The sesame-candy seller crouched there, watching the school gate and waiting for the next customers.
He had already sold nearly half the sesame candy in his basin. Today would probably bring in a good haul.
While eating sesame candy, Li Ye chatted idly with the man.
"Did you come here after being sent down to the countryside? Didn't return to the city?"
"I married a woman here. Can't go back."
"Leave me a contact address. I may need you later."
"I wander around the county seat. Either I'm at County First High School's gate, or at Yuhong Middle School's gate..."
Well then, he was quite vigilant. A lackey worth recruiting.
Before you continue