Chapter Nine: Worthless Things
A warm and joyful dinner filled Li Ye with a deep sense of comfort.
After dinner, Li Ye went to bed early. Since his midnight arrival from another time, his mind had been chaotic and unsettled. Coupled with the exhaustion from a continuous high fever, he felt utterly drained and sleepy.
Once he was asleep, Grandpa Li Zhong’s expression darkened. He called over Li Kaijian.
“Go find out what these school rumors are about, but keep it low-key.”
Li Kaijian had been pondering the matter himself. He hopped on his bike and went to Li Dayong’s house. Less than half an hour later, he stormed back, fuming.
“This is outrageous! They’ve dared to brand Xiao Ye as a villain. Damn it... Tomorrow I’ll settle things with that poor scholar from the Lu family—no, I’m going tonight.”
Though Li Kaijian had long since left the military, he still retained a fiery temper. Hearing that his son had been wronged, he cursed and was ready to confront the Lu family immediately.
But Li Zhong scolded him sharply, “What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want to make the boy’s heart even more troubled? Don’t you understand that idle gossip only grows bigger if you stir it up?”
Li Kaijian stubbornly argued, “Dad, you know Xiao Ye’s been burning with fever in the dorm for two days, almost collapsed... We can’t just swallow this humiliation.”
“Hmph, he needs to suffer a little. We can shield him for a while, but not forever,” Li Zhong said. “Didn’t you see how different Xiao Ye is today? Tempered steel comes from relentless forging. Let him handle this himself from now on; don’t interfere.”
Li Kaijian spun around angrily a few times before bitterly saying, “I was blind back then. How could I not see that little girl’s ruthlessness?”
“Heh, she has the capital to be ruthless,” Li Zhong chuckled softly. “You know that college graduate Liu who was assigned here last year? Do you know how fast he was promoted? So, don’t underestimate the Lu family in the future. Don’t make needless enemies.”
Li Kaijian paused, slowly digesting the meaning.
Straightforward by nature, unlike Li Zhong who had weathered many storms, he still hadn’t grasped the value of a college education in this era.
Frustrated, he grumbled, “It’s all because Xiao Ye isn’t ambitious. If he had gotten into college, none of this crap would’ve happened.”
Li Zhong rolled his eyes and scorned, “You, a big roughneck, can’t even recognize all 24 letters of the alphabet, and you dare criticize Xiao Ye?”
Li Kaijian’s eyes rolled back in exasperation, about to point out there are 26 letters, but wisely swallowed the retort.
If it came to fists, the two of them might compete fiercely, but when it came to education... neither could claim superiority.
...
“Splash!”
A sneaker stepped into a puddle left by the rain. The murky water splashed up, turning the once-white shoe pitch black.
Lu Zixue pulled his foot out numbly and continued forward, stumbling along in the dark.
His home was in Qianjin Village, Liuqiao Township, thirty miles from the county’s No. 1 High School. When he had a bike, it took just over an hour to get home.
Lu Zixue loved the feeling of speeding along on his bike—not just the wind rushing past his ears but also the envious glances from pedestrians.
Just having a bike, and a Phoenix brand at that, was a symbol of coolness for a newly admitted high school student.
But today, after Li Ye “took” his bike back, Lu Zixue realized how long that dirt road was on foot and how exhausting walking truly was.
The early autumn evenings grew dark early. After three hours of walking and countless falls, he finally saw the lights of Liuqiao Township.
Liuqiao was named for the stone bridge spanning the Clearwater River. Beyond the township, heading west across the river and walking another four miles was Qianjin Village.
From afar, Lu Zixue spotted a small figure sitting beneath the bridge’s lamp, curled up and staring eagerly toward the county seat.
As he stumbled closer, the small figure suddenly stood up and hurried toward him.
It was his sister, Lu Jingqi.
“Brother, why are you just back now... where’s your bike?”
“I…” Lu Zixue couldn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Mom was worried you hadn’t come back by dark and thought your bike broke down, so she sent me to meet you. Brother, where’s your bike?”
Her repeated cycling stories ignited Lu Zixue’s anger. He snapped, “If Mom sent you to meet me, then why are you just sitting here? What if I had died along the way and no one knew?”
Lu Jingqi froze, then tearfully said, “It’s dark; I’m scared to walk at night… I got here but was too afraid to go on…”
“Hmph, useless,” Lu Zixue muttered, turning his back and leaving her behind.
Right now, he felt everyone owed him—his poor parents, his timid sister, and even his selfish sister who only cared for herself.
...
At home, his father was grading papers, his mother was darning shoes. Dinner was waiting on the table.
When Lu Zixue came in, his mother asked again about the bike.
Unable to hold it in any longer, he broke down crying.
After hearing the whole story, his father remained silent, while his mother comforted him, “Alright, stop crying. We’ll have your sister buy you a new one. We’ll get a new bike.”
“A new bike? Yes, I’ll write to my sister and ask her to buy me a new one.”
Suddenly inspired, Lu Zixue abandoned his meal, hurriedly taking out paper and pen, pouring all his grievances into the letter.
The family still had stamps previously sent by Lu Jingyao. Lu Zixue sealed the envelope and, under cover of darkness, went to Liuqiao Township to mail the letter.
The next morning, the thin envelope was loaded onto a truck and traveled far north to arrive at the mailbox of the Capital Foreign Languages Institute.
...
Late autumn in the capital was already cold. When the final autumn rain fell, a biting chill ushered in the first whispers of winter.
The annoying wind sliced through the dense rain, carrying a cool dampness that silently pushed open the window, brushing against Lu Jingyao’s face, wetting her lashes and tousling her hair.
She was holding a thick dictionary, reading and writing. She paused slightly, finished writing a word, then took a deep breath, letting the coolness seep into her lungs.
She liked this faint chill—it sharpened her weary mind and boosted her study efficiency.
Just as Lu Jingyao was invigorated, a soft, gentle voice came from the upper bunk, “Lu Jingyao, could you please close the window? Just halfway is fine, thanks.”
She quickly shut the window, keeping the damp cold outside.
Her roommate Liu Muhan was from the south and still unaccustomed to the northern climate. Lu Jingyao couldn’t just think of herself.
“Sorry, Muhan, are you feeling better?”
“No problem,” Liu Muhan poked her head out from the top bunk and asked, “Jingyao, what book are you reading... Oh, so hardworking!”
Lu Jingyao smiled silently and lowered her head, continuing to recite vocabulary words quietly.
No slacking allowed!
Having narrowly passed the entrance exam to the Capital Foreign Languages Institute, Lu Jingyao felt a bit proud, but upon arriving in the capital, she realized she was among talents far superior to her peers.
Every student admitted here possessed extraordinary gifts and confidence.
Like Liu Muhan, curled up in bed, able to read original foreign novels without a dictionary.
Lu Jingyao had secretly glanced at those dense characters before, feeling dizzy.
A girl who had struggled so hard to leap through the gate of opportunity wasn’t willing to fall behind.
She knew well that her pretty face was just a blessing on top of her true treasures: determination and diligence.
These were her most valuable assets, the only things that could free her from confinement and allow her to breathe freely.
“Lu Jingyao, there’s a letter for you.”
Two girls cheerfully entered the dorm, one holding a letter, which she handed to Lu Jingyao by the window.
Lu Jingyao accepted the envelope, thanked her roommates, and began to read. The two girls leaned in curiously like inquisitive cats.
Soon Lu Jingyao’s expression changed—anger, confusion, worry flickering across her delicate face.
The two curious cats immediately sensed something interesting and stretched out their sharp claws.