Chapter 3: Reunion

After bidding farewell to Wei Yuan and Qin Yuhan, Li Dong stood at the door of his long-abandoned old house, feeling a bit nostalgic.

Since his parents' passing in his previous life, he hadn't been back here.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of the old two-bedroom house, with its outdated furniture and decor, evoking a sense of familiarity that touched his soul. The comforting smell drew him in.

Taking a deep breath, Li Dong noticed that his busy parents had hardly had time to clean the house. With the recent rain, there was a faint musty smell lingering.

He removed his coat, went to the bathroom to fill a basin with water, and started cleaning with a rag. At that moment, he felt a deep sense of happiness and didn't feel tired at all.

...

When the house was finally refreshed inside and out, Li Dong collapsed on the sofa, breathing heavily.

After resting his eyes for a moment, he heard the sound of keys jingling outside.

Looking at the clock, he saw it was already 8:30 PM. His parents were home.

As the door opened, Li Dong's father, Li Chengyuan, entered. At forty-five years old, Li Chengyuan looked older than his age, with a face pale from years of lacking sunlight.

Seeing the newly cleaned house, Li Chengyuan looked surprised and then turned to his wife, Cao Fang, who was changing her shoes. "Honey, did we come to the wrong place?"

Hearing this, Li Dong's mother, Cao Fang, looked up and saw her son, who was half-leaning against the sofa with tears on his face. She couldn't help but tease, "We didn't go the wrong way. It's just that our son is so tired he's crying."

"Hahaha…"

Li Chengyuan stared in surprise and then laughed heartily upon seeing Li Dong.

Embarrassed, Li Dong wiped away his tears. Even though he had expected this moment, seeing his deceased parents alive again was still a huge shock.

Seeing familiar people brought a real sense of happiness about living a second life, something he hadn't felt even after seeing old classmates or teachers.

"Dad, Mom…" Li Dong's voice was slightly choked, but he quickly masked it, "I'm hungry. Did you bring anything to eat?"

"Of course, I knew you hadn't eaten!"

Cao Fang grumbled a bit as she took out the food she had brought, walking while saying, "I cooked two dishes for you. There are also eggs and tomatoes at home. I'll make you a soup too. Remember to eat early next time. Don't waste money on internet cafes. With the college entrance exam coming up, we don't want to waste our energy…"

The nagging that Li Dong used to find annoying now felt incredibly warm. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the long-missed affection, playfully saying, "Mom, I love your soup. Make more, it's been so long since I had it."

"Hehe, you little brat just knows how to flatter me! I made you a big pot the other day, and you only had one spoonful before dumping it…"

Cao Fang started busying herself in the kitchen, while Li Chengyuan, exhausted from the day, leaned back on the sofa with a tired expression. "Dongzi, the college entrance exam is coming up soon. You need to study hard and get into a good university. Don't end up like me, just selling fish and shrimp."

Li Dong used to be impatient with his father's lectures, but now he was obedient, saying, "I understand, Dad. Don't worry. Even if I don't get into a top university, getting into any undergraduate program should be fine."

"Haha, that's good! Your dad suffered from not studying hard enough. Otherwise, I'd be a billionaire by now…"

Li Dong listened quietly, not interrupting his father's self-praise, one of his few hobbies. He lightly tapped his father's stooped back, soon hearing the faint sound of snoring.

His father was exhausted, having to leave for work in the early hours of the morning.

The seafood business was different from others. If they bought too much at once and couldn't sell it, it would be a loss. They had to sell what they bought on the same day, with no room for error. Opening the stall at 5 or 6 AM and working all day was tough, and few businesses were as demanding.

...

Cao Fang finished preparing the soup and woke up her husband, who had fallen asleep, and they went to bed early to prepare for the next day.

Li Dong didn't disturb them. He quietly finished his meal and the soup, then sighed contentedly, rubbing his stomach.

Instead of leaving the dishes as he used to, Li Dong cleaned them before heading to his room.

He picked up a book he hadn't read in years and started reviewing diligently. Although he hadn't touched books for a long time, his foundational knowledge remained. With a more mature mindset, he found it easier to grasp the material.

Feeling relieved, Li Dong realized that despite his strong words, he was still worried. But now, he saw a glimmer of hope.

As the night deepened, and seeing it was almost 2 AM, Li Dong finally put down his book and went to bed.

...

After many years, sleeping so peacefully felt reassuring and satisfying. The next morning, Li Dong woke up feeling secure and content.

His parents had already left for work. Breakfast was kept warm in the rice cooker, and there was a hundred yuan left on the table.

Li Dong didn't act pretentiously. He wasn't in a position to refuse what his parents offered. Until he earned his own money, he couldn't ask his parents to give up their hard work sustaining the family.

After a quick breakfast, Li Dong headed to school, contemplating how to earn some money quickly, at least enough to persuade his parents to quit the seafood business.

After thinking for a while, he couldn't come up with a solid plan. If he had some capital, he had plenty of ideas to make money.

But after checking his pockets and the hundred yuan his parents had given him, he found that his total assets amounted to only 134.5 yuan. This amount was insufficient for any meaningful use.

Even a reborn person has worries, and Li Dong was clearly troubled.

On one hand, he needed to study hard to get into a good university, and on the other, he was eager to improve his family's financial situation so his parents could stop working so hard. Life was more complicated than he had imagined.

At school, Li Dong was still pondering his next move when Wang Jie's casual remark sparked an idea.

"Dongzi, how about we go to Oriental Plaza tonight? It's rare to have a day off tomorrow. Let's go out and have some fun to clear our minds."

"Oriental Plaza…"

Li Dong's eyes brightened slightly. Dongping County was inland and underdeveloped, with a small urban area.

However, Oriental Plaza was as bustling as some second- and third-tier cities. It had become a popular leisure spot for the locals, thanks to some misguided government project.

At night, it was brightly lit and lively, especially in the summer, when it was crowded and noisy, rivaling some major cities.

Nearby, several small commodity markets and pedestrian streets made Oriental Plaza even more prosperous, hinting at its potential to become the county's center.

Although Li Dong had some ideas, he hadn't yet figured out his next steps.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "Alright, let's go see it tonight."

"Li Dong, Wang Jie, I'm going too. Don't forget to take me along!"

Chen Yue, who was sitting in front of Li Dong, couldn't resist joining the conversation. Eager to join in, she wanted to be part of the outing.

Li Dong, with little interest, nodded in agreement. While he would be excited if Qin Yuhan were coming, Chen Yue was merely a modest beauty and didn't capture his attention.

Men are generally visual, preferring attractive partners. Anyone would be happy to marry a beautiful woman if circumstances allowed, and those who claim otherwise are likely just pretending.

Wang Jie was thrilled and started discussing with Chen Yue about what to do that evening.

As they talked, Chen Yue nudged her deskmate, Yuan Xue, who was known as the class beauty in their senior year, "Xue, are you coming tonight? Aren't you tired of studying all day? You're already the top student in the class, and you're still working so hard."

Yuan Xue smiled faintly, not meeting Wang Jie's hopeful gaze. She calmly replied, "I'm not going. You all go have fun."

Li Dong curled his lips, remaining silent.

It's worth mentioning that Li Dong's senior class was dominated by girls. Whether in arts or sciences, the girls were at the top. Apart from Qin Yuhan in the arts, their science class was also led by girls, which was pitiful.

Yuan Xue was not only good-looking but also had excellent grades. Although there were no official rankings for class beauties at the time, she was recognized as the class beauty and the dream girl for almost all the boys in the class.

The word "almost" meant Li Dong wasn't among them. Normally, everyone loved beautiful girls, and Li Dong was no exception.

Yet, for some reason, neither the young Li Dong nor the current Li Dong was particularly fond of Yuan Xue. There was no real conflict, but he found her aloof and pretentious, which he didn't like.

Seeing Yuan Xue reminded Li Dong of Qin Yuhan. Both were excellent students and beautiful, though Li Dong felt Qin Yuhan

 was somewhat more attractive.

Even after many years, he could still recall Qin Yuhan's mischievous smile, while he struggled to remember Yuan Xue's face despite being classmates for three years.

"Pah!"

Li Dong suddenly spat to himself, wondering why he was thinking about Qin Yuhan.

He guessed it was probably because he had been single for too long and was now excited to meet an old friend.

"It wouldn't be so bad to marry that mischievous girl. At least we'd have common interests. It'd be nice to come home every day and see her mischievous smile." Li Dong thought dreamily, a smile playing at his lips.

As Li Dong was lost in his thoughts, others perceived it differently.

Just as Yuan Xue had said she wasn't going, Li Dong suddenly spat and displayed a disdainful smile, which irritated Yuan Xue.

Still young and lacking worldly experience, Yuan Xue's delicate face turned slightly red with anger. She coldly asked, "Li Dong, what's your meaning?"

Li Dong, interrupted from his thoughts, looked up in confusion.

Wang Jie, feeling awkward, tugged at Li Dong's sleeve, signaling him to keep quiet.