Chapter Eight: The Classmate's Older Sister

As soon as Li Dongfeng’s sister opened the door, she saw Li Dongfeng, drunk and leaning heavily against Zhou Ziyang’s shoulder. Without hesitation, she stepped forward to help Zhou Ziyang support Li Dongfeng into the house, all the while scolding, “Why did you drink so much?”

Together, they managed to get Li Dongfeng onto the bed in the bedroom. Li Dongfeng remained in his drunken stupor, his face flushed a deep red like a monkey’s bottom, grinning broadly and occasionally insisting that he wasn’t drunk.

Hearing this, Li Caiyu grew annoyed and couldn’t resist twisting Li Dongfeng’s arm a couple of times. But Li Dongfeng was as oblivious as a dead pig, feeling nothing and still grinning foolishly.

After settling Li Dongfeng on the bed, Zhou Ziyang found himself with some free time and took the opportunity to survey Li Dongfeng’s modest home.

It was a small two-room apartment, roughly eighty square meters. Though the exterior was decent enough for a government-subsidized housing unit, the interior was unrenovated, with bare, dry cement floors and no proper furniture.

Li Caiyu busied herself going back and forth, using an old-fashioned red and green kettle to pour hot water into an enamel cup.

The living room was lit by a basic incandescent bulb, casting a dim, yellowish light under which steam rose from the enamel cup. Li Caiyu held the cup carefully, testing the temperature, then patiently blew on it.

For some reason, this simple scene struck a chord with Zhou Ziyang.

In a past life, he often heard Li Dongfeng speak of his sister’s beauty. If not for having to care for a burdensome younger brother like him, she would have surely married well.

At that time, Zhou Ziyang had little interest in Li Dongfeng’s family affairs and naturally never visited his home. So, honestly, this was Zhou Ziyang’s first time meeting Li Dongfeng’s sister, Li Caiyu.

Li Dongfeng had not lied. His sister was indeed very beautiful, possessing the sincere simplicity of a rural girl.

Li Caiyu was twenty-four years old, with thick, jet-black hair. Usually, she braided it into a plait, but at home, having just taken a shower, her hair was loose and naturally voluminous.

Her scent bore no trace of shampoo or body wash, only the clean fragrance of Safeguard soap.

Her features were striking, with thick eyebrows. Standing about 170 centimeters tall, she was slender without the ostentation typical of many young women.

She dressed simply, wearing a shirt reminiscent of the “Dacron” fabric popular in the previous century, paired with thin khaki cotton-linen trousers. As she walked, the trousers clung to her thighs, revealing the outline of well-shaped legs.

The only jewelry she wore was a thin red string tied around her delicate wrist, adorned with a small silver charm that complemented her wrist beautifully.

She busied herself taking care of the drunken Li Dongfeng, first feeding him warm water, urging, “Drink some warm water; it’ll make you feel better.”

Then she went to the bathroom, filled a basin with hot water, dampened a towel, and gently wiped Li Dongfeng’s face.

Only after finishing all these tasks did Li Caiyu finally notice the young man standing awkwardly in the room.

“Thank you for bringing Dongfeng home. You’re his friend, right?” she asked.

Li Caiyu’s features were indeed beautiful. Her skin was more of a wheat tone than milky white, but lighter than the traditional rural tan. Her eyes were especially striking.

Although only twenty-four, having cared for her younger brother for years, she carried a maturity and steadiness beyond her years. Especially when facing her brother’s classmates, she exuded the dignified grace of an elder.

Zhou Ziyang merely responded with an “Oh,” then explained, “Dongfeng said he’s leaving for the south tomorrow, so he couldn’t help but drink more with his friends tonight.”

Li Caiyu nodded in understanding but sighed deeply. She did not support her brother going south to work, yet as he grew older, he was less obedient than when he was a child. Besides, his intentions were good.

Li Dongfeng was a good boy—at least truly kind to his sister.

They had discussed the matter of going out to work many times. Li Dongfeng insisted he was grown now, strong and capable. Since he wasn't cut out for academics, why not venture out and make some money, thinking of his future?

“And I have to earn a dowry for my sister!” Li Dongfeng’s thoughts were simple. Having delayed his sister’s best years to marry, he naturally hoped he could succeed and find her a good match.

But Li Caiyu had never truly considered marriage. She only wished to raise Li Dongfeng well, as a way of honoring their parents.

She had met many of Li Dongfeng’s friends, but it was rare to see a boy like Zhou Ziyang, who wore his school uniform neatly and looked so clean and tidy.

Having attended high school in the countryside and left for the factory by the second year, Li Caiyu held a favorable impression of such well-groomed boys.

She asked Zhou Ziyang for his name.

“Zhou Ziyang?”

Hearing the name, her fondness grew, and she smiled involuntarily at him.

“I know about you,” she said.

“Dongfeng often talks about you.”

“He says you’re his best friend.”

“He says your grades are excellent.”

“No,” Zhou Ziyang blushed slightly at the elder sister’s praise. Compared to Li Dongfeng, his grades were certainly better, but in the whole school, he was nothing remarkable.

As for being the best friend... that claim made him a bit bashful.

He quickly waved his hand, “No, no, my grades are just so-so.”

Seeing the shy look on the boy’s face, Li Caiyu chuckled softly.

After learning Zhou Ziyang’s name, the two got along noticeably better.

Li Caiyu even offered, “Are you thirsty? Want something to drink? I’ll get you a drink.”

She thought of fetching a can of cola from the small fridge.

Zhou Ziyang naturally declined, saying, “I don’t drink soft drinks at night; they’re bad for health.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, but still placed a can of cola in front of him.

As time passed, Zhou Ziyang knew it was time to leave. Before going, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, are you really okay with Dongfeng going off to work?”

This was a worry weighing on Li Caiyu’s heart, and hearing it voiced, she sighed even more deeply.

“What else can I do?” she said.

Since Zhou Ziyang was practically family, Li Caiyu confided her thoughts.

First, Li Dongfeng really wasn’t cut out for studying.

“Besides, he’s a boy; it’s good for him to venture out. He’ll have to leave sooner or later.” There was a hint of adult resignation in her voice.

Zhou Ziyang nodded in agreement but added that if he was going out, he should at least know where he was going and what he would be doing.

“There are jobs in factories paying eight thousand yuan a month, but as far as I know, these require certain skills or experienced workers. Someone like Dongfeng, a high school graduate with no hard labor experience and no clear direction, definitely can’t get an eight-thousand-yuan job right away.”

Li Caiyu could only sigh. After graduating high school, she went to work in a factory. People in the village knew her situation and took care of her, so although life was frugal, it was not particularly harsh.

But her horizons were limited, and she didn’t know what to make of the job Dongfeng had found online.

In her view, the amount of money was less important than keeping Dongfeng close and healthy.

Yet, as children grow up, they become less obedient.

Zhou Ziyang said, “That’s how adolescence is. Plus, with the internet nowadays, everyone wants to see more of the world.”

Li Caiyu nodded silently, acknowledging this.

Zhou Ziyang continued, “Sister, I don’t mean anything else. I just want you to pass a message to Dongfeng when he wakes up.”

“Tell him that if he finds the situation isn’t as good as he thought, he should come back quickly. Don’t feel like he has to tough it out just because he’s already there; that would just be wasting time.”

“If he comes back, I happen to know some people. While I can’t get him an eight-thousand-yuan-a-month job, as long as he’s willing to work, five or six thousand a month is definitely possible.”