A Loving Family

Li Ye's home was a detached courtyard house with a bungalow, featuring three main rooms and three side rooms. The living conditions were considered quite good.

As soon as he rode his bike to the entrance, Li Ye smelled the aroma of shredded potatoes in hot and sour sauce.

It was already late autumn and early winter. Most fine vegetables had gone out of season, and the staple foods on everyone's tables were basically radishes, potatoes, and cabbage.

Li Ye pushed his bike into the yard and saw three figures, one large and two small, busy in the kitchen shed.

The large one was naturally Li Ye's stepmother, Han Chunmei. The two small ones were her daughters, who had taken Li Kaijian's surname and were named Li Juan and Li Ying.

Han Chunmei was also an unfortunate soul.

In her youth, Han Chunmei was known as the most beautiful woman for miles around. After marrying a carpenter, she had two daughters but couldn't have any more children.

In later generations, men with two daughters would be overjoyed.

They wouldn't need to save money for houses and land, nor worry about car dowries. During festivals, they could just recline on the sofa while their daughters dutifully brought them cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and snacks, with their sons-in-law smiling and fawning, "Dad, shall we have a drink together?"

In old age, if they fell ill, their daughters would contribute money and effort without fail. They would live a life of carefree spending.

But in this era, it was different. Every family had an heir to the throne! If you couldn't produce a son, the gossip alone could crush a person.

Han Chunmei's in-laws were very overbearing. They directly forced their son to divorce Han Chunmei and remarry, driving her out of the house.

Han Chunmei returned to her maiden home with her two daughters. After enduring several difficult years, she finally married Li Kaijian, who was eight years her senior.

Then, she felt as if she had ascended to heaven.

Her in-laws no longer made sarcastic remarks about her daughters eating more than half a steamed bun, and her husband wouldn't take out his belt just because a bowl was broken.

Moreover, after she married into the Li family, they helped Han Chunmei find a temporary job. With a monthly salary of twenty-two yuan and fifty cents, it didn't seem like much, but it made the unfortunate woman weep with joy.

No one understood better than she did the bitterness of her own children watching others eat candy while she had no money in her pocket.

No one knew better than she did the sorrow of her children crying from hunger in the middle of the night, while she could only give them a bowl of cold water.

Therefore, after entering the Li family's home, Han Chunmei treated the Li family with gratitude. She took on all the chores, including laundry, cooking, and housework, to the point where Li Ye's grandmother often complained, "I'm not old yet, but I'm already useless."

"Sigh, Xiao Ye is back?"

Seeing Li Ye enter, Han Chunmei was startled for a moment, then quickly took out two dimes and handed them to her daughters.

"Xiao Juan, hurry and buy a block of tofu from the east street. Xiao Ying, quickly wash a head of cabbage."

Food was precious at this time. The amount of food cooked in the household was carefully calculated, and there was absolutely no waste of leftovers. So, with Li Ye's unexpected return, Han Chunmei feared that there wouldn't be enough food.

"No need to bother. I already ate something outside. Just mix some shredded cabbage heart."

Li Ye waved his hand, stopping Li Juan, who was about to go out. He took out the unopened bag of malt candy from his schoolbag and offered it.

"I bought this malt candy on the way. You and Xiao Ying can have some."

"."

Li Juan looked at the malt candy offered to her, feeling a little lost.

She had been with Han Chunmei at the Li family's for a year and had never seen her brother Li Ye give her a good look. What was happening today? Did he get kicked by a donkey? Or did a sow climb a tree?

"I... I won't eat it. You eat it!"

Li Juan suppressed her saliva and refused the malt candy that was being offered, lowering her head and slinking behind Han Chunmei.

"Eat it! I still have half a bag!"

Li Ye showed her the half-opened bag of malt candy he had already started and stuffed the entire bag into Li Juan's hands.

"Oh."

Li Juan finally took it, lowered her head, and walked behind Han Chunmei. She exchanged a glance with her younger sister, Li Ying, revealing a hint of joy.

Han Chunmei frowned, displeased, and reprimanded her daughters, "Oh, oh, oh, you can't even call out to your brother? You're so old and still don't know any better?"

"."

"Brother."

"Brother."

The two girls quickly called out to Li Ye, timidly, like a mosquito's hum.

"It's okay, it's okay. I didn't know any better before either. You'll get used to it slowly. I'm going inside now."

Li Ye quickly said a few comforting words and turned to go to the north room. As long as he was there, the two sisters felt uneasy.

After Li Ye left, Han Chunmei rubbed the corners of her eyes and said sternly to her daughters, "Is calling out to your brother so difficult for you? And you still have the nerve to eat candy? Get a plate, put it on a dish, and bring it to the table."

The two girls' lips immediately pouted. Li Juan even mumbled softly, "He doesn't even call you Mom!"

"I..."

Han Chunmei reached out as if to hit her, but halfway through, she sighed and lowered her hand.

Being a stepmother was truly difficult!

Despite their displeasure, the two daughters obediently got a plate and arranged the malt candy on it, bringing it to the dinner table as a snack.

The remaining bit of malt candy was divided into three portions by Li Juan, one for her sister Li Ying and one for their mother, Han Chunmei.

Tears finally welled up in Han Chunmei's eyes.

The whole family was delighted by Li Ye's sudden return home.

His grandparents hugged their eldest grandson, asking about his well-being and lamenting how thin he had become.

His eldest sister tugged at her younger brother's jacket, measuring him after a fashion, and decided it was too small. She promised to buy Li Ye a new one once she got paid.

Even Li Kaijian, whose relationship with his son was a bit strained after a recent whipping with a belt, put on a stern face. While pulling out money, he said, "You're back at this time of year, out of money again? Here's ten yuan, spend it wisely."

Li Ye had been a little worried about how to interact with his family in this world. However, the intense family warmth and genuine affection completely dissolved any sense of emotional distance, allowing him to blend in naturally.

"No, I still have money. I just had something to do, and I came back to tell you all about it."

"What is it?"

"I got that 26 Phoenix back today."

"."

Everyone froze for a moment. After a long pause, Li Kaijian asked in a deep voice, "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't really thinking about it," Li Ye replied. "Lu Jingyao sent me 45 yuan the day before yesterday. Since she doesn't think much of us anymore, we shouldn't be bothering her. Let's part on good terms and avoid any lingering awkwardness."

"Slap!"

Li Kaijian slapped his thigh. "You should have thought this way earlier! If I hadn't been considering you, I would have..."

"What are you babbling about?"

Grandma spat at Li Kaijian and then asked Li Ye worriedly, "Xiao Ye, have you really thought this through?"

Li Ye nodded. "I've thought it through. However, there might be some unpleasant rumors going around lately. Don't pay any attention to them; they'll fade away in a few days."

"Rumors? What rumors?"

Just as Li Kaijian was about to ask for details, Li Ye's grandfather, Li Zhongfa, interrupted, "Alright, let's eat first. The child is hungry, why are you nagging endlessly?"

"I'm not nagging..."

Li Kaijian mumbled, then lowered his head to eat.

If the former Li Ye had been disciplined by Li Kaijian with a belt, then Li Kaijian had been disciplined by Li Zhongfa with a stick. "Filial piety comes from under the stick" was a family tradition for the Li family.

As they were finishing their meal, Li Zhongfa suddenly asked Li Ye, "Did you guys have a class placement test recently?"

Li Ye replied, "There was a test, but I don't know if it was for class placement. Grandpa, how did you know?"

Li Zhongfa said, "This morning, your school called me. They said your test scores weren't too good, nor too bad, and getting into the special express class would be a bit of a stretch..."

Li Ye understood what was going on as soon as he heard it.

The repeat class at County No. 2 Middle School already had fast and slow classes. Now, introducing a special express class was clearly an aggressive measure to boost their college admission rates.

Based on Li Ye's test scores and ranking, it was impossible for him to get into the special express class. The school must have had an agenda when they called Li Zhongfa.

"Grandpa, you don't need to worry about my studies. I can still get into college even without being in the special express class. So, please don't agree to anything that's against the rules."

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

Well, they still don't believe in me.

Li Ye glanced at everyone at the dinner table, sensing their feelings.

Whether it was his grandparents, father, or sisters, none of them dared to put pressure on Li Ye. They were all carefully protecting the pride of their "family's eldest son."

"Okay, I got it. It would be great if I could get in, but if not, I'll just be a freeloader!"

Li Ye didn't make any grand pronouncements to convince them. He figured he'd just give them a big surprise later.