Evening.
His parents had only come home after picking up his little sister.
Li Xihai personally took charge and made a table full of a sumptuous dinner.
He knew how to cook, but on the condition that he wouldn't set foot in the kitchen.
"Well, well, the sun must be rising in the west today."
His little sister Li Xiluo teased. Before she'd even put down her schoolbag, she leaned over the table and sniffed. "Smells so good."
"Brother, it's rare for you to cook."
Li's Father was also a bit surprised.
He did know his son's cooking was good. As a youth he'd been very diligent, with strong hands-on skills.
It was only as he grew older that he became fond of comfort, never troubling himself if he could take the easy way out.
"Dawa's skills haven't regressed."
Li's Mother also praised.
That was just how the family atmosphere was—no matter how the food turned out, praise first and talk later.
"Let's eat, let's eat."
Li Xihai called out.
Li's Father sat down and ate a few bites, then suddenly spoke up: "You're very happy today?"
"Mm."
Li Xihai nodded, and casually pulled out his phone and handed it over.
A person had to be sensible.
His parents supported him so much, so he ought to show some frankness.
Only that way could his supporting parents feel at ease.
Li's Father took the phone and looked—his movements instantly stiffened.
What the phone displayed was the investment account information.
"A hundred thousand?"
Li's Father said, not without astonishment, still staring at Li Xihai in shock.
"What hundred thousand?"
Li's Mother asked in surprise. She leaned over to look, but didn't quite understand it.
She didn't know much about stock trading.
"Your son made a hundred thousand profit from stock trading today!"
Li's Father said, word by word, his tone carrying excitement and immense surprise.
He really couldn't quite believe it.
One day of his son's trading, and there was a hundred thousand in profit.
"Wow."
"Brother, how are you this savage?"
Li Xiluo exclaimed: "That's equivalent to a fifth of Dad and Mom's annual income."
Li's Mother confirmed it over and over, and had her daughter tell her exactly what was going on.
Li's Father clicked on the account and checked repeatedly—this wasn't simulation software, his son hadn't deceived him.
He let out a long breath in his heart.
A surge of joy welled up.
"No wonder you suddenly got the urge to cook today—turns out you were waiting here for this."
Li's Father often kept his emotions hidden, and generally wouldn't praise Li Xihai outright—not because he was stingy.
Rather, as long as Li's Mother had praised him, he would stay silent.
"Dawa, you've got a good eye."
"Haha, skill, just basic moves, no need for praise!"
Li Xihai said, not without pride.
The whole family was very happy.
His little sister chattered on nonstop.
After the meal, his little sister was called away to wash the dishes.
Li Xihai and Li's Father sat on the sofa.
"I remember the stock market is T+1. You hit a limit-up today, so you can sell tomorrow. Are you still going to hold it?"
Li's Father said, weighing his words.
He didn't want Li Xihai to feel he was interfering with him.
Li Xihai shook his head and said: "Dad, what are your thoughts?"
Li's Father was silent for a moment, then said: "According to the older generation's saying, money made in the stock market, as long as it's still in the stock market, can't be counted as your own."
"What matters is putting it in your pocket to be safe."
"Only once the money is back in your account is it truly yours."
After he finished, he added: "We agreed—we won't make decisions for you. Anyway, you handle things as you see fit."
"Thank you, Dad."
……
"Dawa made a hundred thousand in a single day. Why do I feel like it's not real?"
Lying in bed, Li's Mother couldn't quite fall asleep.
"What's not real about it? Don't think so much. Just don't interfere and don't nag."
Li's Father said with his eyes closed: "Our son has grown up, he has his own ideas."
"How are things going with the blind dates?"
Li's Mother said: "I mentioned it today, and they all said they'd be willing to make introductions if there's a suitable match."
"That's good."
Li's Father instructed: "Don't let word get out about Dawa's stock trading."
"I know."
Hm?
Suddenly, the sound of a door closing rang out.
Though it was soft, the two still heard it.
Li's Mother glanced at her phone and said: "It's already ten o'clock. Why is Dawa still going out?"
There was no need to guess who had gone out.
Their daughter had school tomorrow, and wouldn't dare go out without a word.
"Probably friends calling him out. Young people have night lives. It's normal for Dawa, having just gotten back."
……
Li Xihai had indeed gone out.
His friends knew he was back and called him out for a late-night snack.
The County Town wasn't big; a ten-minute taxi ride, no more.
"Well, well, if it isn't Comrade Xihai."
"Xihai!"
One friend stood up and raised his right hand toward Li Xihai. The others, whom Li Xihai didn't know, were all smiling.
"Cut it out."
Li Xihai smiled, pulled out cigarettes and made a round, then sat down.
Li Xipeng introduced: "Li Xihai, my brother."
"Brother Liu He, works at the traffic police brigade."
"This is Brother Sun Mingming, at the urban management brigade."
"This is……."
After going around the introductions, he found they all had status.
"Brother, I heard Mom mention tonight that you got back yesterday, and you didn't even say a word."
Li Xipeng said: "If Brother Gang hadn't said to call you out, I'm afraid you'd have stayed quiet."
Li Xihai asked: "Where's Gangzi?"
"Went to get the liquor."
Gangzi was named Yang Gang.
He counted as one of Li Xihai's Childhood Friends, having grown up together.
From kindergarten to elementary school, then middle school and high school, they were always in the same school and the same class.
Later, in university, he entered the police academy, and after graduating he returned to the County Bureau for his internship, and without any surprises, was made a regular employee.
"Haha."
"Xihai!"
Yang Gang came striding over carrying a transparent plastic bucket, and clapped Li Xihai hard on the shoulder. "You're back and you didn't even say a word."
"You even made us invite you personally, before you, our Head of State, would deign to come out."
"I only just got back yesterday."
Li Xihai was already used to his friend's antics.
There was no helping the name. Their Li family's generation happened to be the Xi generation, and his dad, influenced by certain things in his youth, had given him this name.
When they were little, everyone understood little, but as friends and classmates grew up and took in more information,
Li Xihai's nickname gradually drifted toward that of a certain little mustache.
"Enough talk, let's down a couple of cups first."
Yang Gang said: "Brother Ming, Brother Liu, this is the Comrade Leader I'm always telling you about."
"A pleasure!" the two said with a laugh.
"A pleasure!"
Li Xihai responded with a smile as well.
He figured the other party also knew about his family situation.
"President Guan, where's Luozi?"
"They're away on business, but they know you're back too, so they told me to get you drunk first, and deal with you once they're back."
Yang Gang said: "All year round, it's only during the New Year and festivals that we get to meet up."
The barbecue came, and Yang Gang, as the one who'd gathered everyone, raised his cup and invited everyone to take the first round.
A cup of local loose liquor went down—mellow and soft, with a sweet aftertaste, promoting saliva and leaving fragrance.
Local loose liquor was all quite distinctive.
The old locals could even get their hands on top-grade loose liquor.
Excellent mouthfeel, a wonderful experience, and after drinking too much, you'd sober up the next day without headaches or other aftereffects.
According to the rules, everyone at the table had to make a round of toasts.
Li Xihai first went one round each with Liu He and Sun Ming.
He ate a few skewers of barbecue.
Yang Gang came around on his toast round. "This time you're back—when are you leaving again?"
Li Xihai clinked glasses with him and said: "Not leaving."
"Really?" Yang Gang asked.
"Really."
"Haha, then we've got to drink."