Chapter 88: Idle Talk
Seeing that Grandma Li and Aunt Li’s faces were pale, likely from a combination of cold, hunger, and anger, Li Xiu quickly poured them two glasses of brown sugar water. He then poured two cups of chrysanthemum tea for Uncle Li and his third uncle. The chrysanthemums were wild ones he had picked in the mountains last autumn and dried himself; they were excellent for clearing internal heat.
Looking at Grandma Li, Zhou Lian’s heart ached for her. The woman was over seventy years old. She had been honest and kind her whole life and had never fought with anyone. Widowed in her thirties, she had single-handedly raised four children. Now, surrounded by children and grandchildren, she should have been enjoying her golden years. Instead, she was met with such a wretched affair. ’This didn’t happen in my past life, but she still worried constantly. She worried about her eldest grandson until the very end. As she was dying, she held Li Xiu’s hand and told him he had to live a good life.’
"Mom, Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law, please calm down. What’s done is done. Getting angry won’t help. You have to take care of yourselves, or you’ll make the children worry!" Aunt Li was furious too, but she knew anger was useless in this situation. If they ruined their health over it, it would only make the younger generation anxious and heartbroken.
Hearing her words, Grandma Li, Uncle Li, and Aunt Li looked up at the young ones before them. Seeing the pained expressions on all their faces, Grandma Li heaved a long sigh. Her eldest grandson, his wife, and the children from the first and third families were all good kids. There was no point in getting worked up over those troublemakers. ’The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh,’ she thought, ’but it’s not as if doting on them will change them. So be it. It’s better without those wretched things around. We can’t let one rat smash all the other jade vases.’
A few moments later, Li Gui and the others brought over the boiled dumplings. Li Xiu got up and went to the kitchen to ladle out four large bowls of the chicken soup that had been simmering on the stove. He had added ginseng to it. It was originally meant to help Zhou Lian recover her strength, but now it was perfect for helping his grandmother and the others recuperate.
When the soup was brought to the table, Grandma Li knew at a glance that it was for her granddaughter-in-law’s recovery. She said to Li Xiu with a hint of anger, "What are you doing, bringing this out! We’re all fine. Keep it for Nuo Nuo’s mother."
Aunt Li chimed in. It was one thing for her nephew to be generous, but given their current circumstances, getting something so nourishing was incredibly difficult. His wife had just given birth and needed the nutrition most. They were all healthy; how could they take food from their niece-in-law’s mouth?
"Grandma, Uncle Li, Aunt Li, Third Uncle, I have plenty to eat. You’ve all been cold, hungry, and angry all day, which is terrible for your health. I’ve had plenty of that soup, it’s really nothing special. Please, drink it while it’s hot. Think of it as a small token of filial piety from Li Xiu and me." Zhou Lian looked at the five disapproving faces of the elders around the table, and a tightness gripped her chest. ’How can people be so different?’ In her past life, Grandma Li, Aunt Li, and the third aunt had helped her out countless times. Especially when dealing with her mother-in-law, if it hadn’t been for these three elders protecting her, her life would have been much, much harder.
Seeing the genuine concern on Zhou Lian’s face, Grandma Li finally relaxed a little. ’This granddaughter-in-law is a good one.’ She smiled lightly and said, "Alright, let’s all drink it. It’s a kind gesture from the children. We shouldn’t make them worry."
Looking at his smiling wife beside him, and then at the elders drinking their soup, Li Xiu breathed a sigh of relief. ’Grandma is over seventy, Uncle Li and Aunt Li are almost fifty, and even Third Uncle, the youngest, is nearly forty. If they got sick from all this anger, it would be terrible!’
After drinking the brown sugar water and a large bowl of ginseng chicken soup, Aunt Li felt a bit better. She turned to Li Yun and asked anxiously, "Did you go tell your older sister?" Today was the third day of the New Year, the day for married daughters to visit their parents. Her eldest daughter was a new bride and was supposed to bring her husband home. Early this morning, when Li Xin had come crying for help, she had a bad feeling. She’d told Li Yun to hurry and inform his older sister that something had come up at home, that they wouldn’t have time to host their new son-in-law today, and that they would send for her once things were settled.
"Mom, don’t worry," Li Yun said quickly, seeing his mother’s anxious expression. "When I got to Big Sis’s house, she hadn’t left yet. I told her everything. She mostly understands. I told her not to worry and explained it to my brother-in-law, too. I said her brothers from home would come and get them when it’s time."
Li Xiu froze. He had completely forgotten about Li Hua’s homecoming visit. He quickly reassured Aunt Li, "Aunt Li, don’t worry. Our brother-in-law is an understanding person; he won’t be upset. Tomorrow, the four of us brothers will go invite them. It’ll be fine." ’What a fucking mess,’ he thought. ’It’s the middle of the New Year, and this is Li Hua’s first homecoming after getting married. Those good-for-nothing bastards!’
"Aunt Li, it’s alright. We brothers will all go tomorrow," Li Bao, finally grasping the implications, chimed in. ’What a mess!’
"Aunt Li, I’m sorry our younger sister was wronged today," Zhou Lian said apologetically. In the entire room, only she and Li Xiu could say such a thing. No matter what, the first family branch had been wronged today, and it was because of the second branch. Even though everyone present knew the two of them had nothing to do with it, the troublemakers were, after all, Li Xiu’s biological parents.
"You silly child, what does this have to do with you two? Besides, it’s not a huge deal. Tomorrow, having the four brothers go to extend the invitation will give your younger sister’s in-laws more than enough face," Aunt Li said dismissively. She had married into the Li family many years ago and had grown accustomed to the antics of the second branch. Then again, who asked her to be the wife of the eldest son and the senior sister-in-law?
With a full stomach, Uncle Li’s mood had improved. He played with his grandniece, who had just woken up, and said to Li Xiu and his wife, "Let’s leave this matter at that. Everyone knows you’ve been wronged. Niece-in-law, don’t take it to heart. As for your father-in-law and mother-in-law, just stay far away from them from now on. Don’t get involved in their affairs. Their other children are a lost cause. From now on, you two just live your own lives well. Everything will follow the terms of the family division agreement. They won’t dare come and cause trouble again."
Zhou Lian smiled. ’It seems Uncle Li’s heart has gone completely cold toward them.’ In her past life, Uncle Li had said the same thing, but that had been more than ten years later. Li Xiu’s changes had moved the timeline of so many things forward.
"I won’t take it to heart. Li Xiu already told my parents about the family division. Besides, there’s a saying: ’A good man doesn’t live off his inheritance, and a good woman doesn’t rely on her dowry.’ That’s not just an empty phrase. We have our own hands and feet; we don’t need to covet their little bit of money and possessions. But no matter what, they are still Li Xiu’s biological parents. We will do what must be done. Even if it’s just to repay the debt for giving birth to him and raising him, we can’t let them have no one to rely on in their old age."
Seeing Zhou Lian’s smiling expression and hearing her calm tone, the Li family elders breathed a collective sigh of relief. She was the senior daughter-in-law of the Li family’s third generation. Her magnanimity and perspective were crucial to whether the younger generation would remain united. As elders, what they wanted wasn’t for their descendants to be rich and powerful, but simply for their blood-bound relatives to be able to rely on and support one another.
Li Xiu watched them, a wry smile on his face. ’They’re overthinking things,’ he thought. ’Never mind that my wife has already lived an entire extra life—so have I. Parents, siblings... I, Li Xiu, have always been one to clearly distinguish kindness from malice. In my past life, none of my younger brothers did very well. In fact, not a single one of the six siblings from the second branch of the Li family had a good life. To outsiders, I probably seemed the most successful, with a virtuous wife and capable children. But who could have known my regret!’