Chapter 1358: Family Affairs
"Mom, my aunt won’t let me stay at her place."
"Why?"
"Come inside."
Lu the Third’s wife was startled by the old lady’s words; it had been many years since she had seen her so angry.
Right now, she didn’t dare to ask further questions. She hurried inside; normally, Lu the Third wouldn’t interfere in her affairs, except when it came to his mom. If she dared to disobey, dared show any other emotion, she would surely be beaten.
With the whole family, there wasn’t enough room inside, so Aunt Wang had the younger ones climb onto the kang. Even then, the room was full of people.
No one dared speak, they just stood there stiffly.
Li Yunqiao felt out of place, so he mentioned to Aunt Wang that he was leaving. He was almost at the door when Lu Chunhong grabbed his sleeve, "Uncle."
That made the old lady explode. "Third, beat her hard for me. Our family doesn’t tolerate such shameless people."
Lu the Third took off his shoe and immediately started hitting Lu Chunhong with it.
Lu the Third’s wife didn’t dare to stop him and could only run to the old lady, "Mom, don’t be angry. What’s wrong with Chunhong?"
Li Yunqiao was already outside, heading straight for the car. He couldn’t bear hearing what was happening inside.
Aunt Wang completely ignored the Third’s wife.
Without his mom’s command, Lu the Third wouldn’t stop.
Lu Chunhong didn’t dare dodge; she knew that if she did, the beating would be worse.
Lu the Third also realized why the young girl returned so late.
Thus, he was even more relentless with his strikes.
"Mom, you have to stop the Third, Chunhong is a grown girl now. If she really gets hurt, what will we do? If she’s wrong, she should be taught gradually."
"Your daughter is just like you. If you hadn’t shamelessly trapped the Third into marrying you, would our family have taken you?" Aunt Wang wasn’t holding back in front of the younger generations.
That left the Third’s wife speechless. This old woman was airing her dirty laundry in front of everyone.
Lu the Third hit hard, despite not being very sharp. After years of marriage, he understood his wife had connived him, but by then his elder daughter was already several years old, and the younger son was a year old, so fighting was pointless. Besides, she treated him well, so they just lived their lives.
Hearing his mom’s words, he realized that the girl had been indiscreet outside.
Lu saw that this wasn’t right and stopped the Third.
"Mom, let’s leave it at that."
Aunt Wang suddenly began to wail. That terrified all the younger ones.
"Mom, don’t cry, I’ll beat her to death."
"Third, in my old age, I’ve never been so humiliated. Not to mention the worthless girl does nothing at your sister’s place. But when your sister’s husband’s eldest comes back for dinner, this shameless girl kept staring at him. Her behavior got called out right there by the wife.
Third, I feel like there’s no face left to live.
You all saw her behavior towards your sister’s husband just now. How does such a shameless creature exist in our home?
If I had known, I shouldn’t have let you marry this woman. Indeed, she passed this on."
The whole family understood, and the sisters-in-law were enraged; there are daughters in the house, and if rumors spread, what future will their girls have?
Lu Fengzhen sat by her mom, tears of grievance streaming down. Ever since marrying Li Yunqiao, there had been bad talk. Before the New Year, Little Ju had warned her of the rumors outside.
How would Li family’s children view her now? Do they think she seduced their father?
Lu the Third’s wife was furious too. This shameless girl! She had emphasized many things to her, yet she was so stupid?
Lu’s wife spoke up, "Mom, we have four girls in the family, what should we do in the future?"
Though these four girls were young, if bad reputations spread, they wouldn’t be able to live well for the rest of their lives.
"Yes, Mom, my Xiao Li is already eleven, what will happen to her future?" Old Fourth’s wife was genuinely anxious.
"Fengzhen, you should go back, don’t wear yourself out."
"Mom."
"Go back, eldest’s wife, help Fengzhen out, let Yunqiao drive slowly."
Once only the Lu family remained, the old lady suddenly leaned against a pillow, "I don’t have many days left. I planned to wait until I’m gone to divide the family, but now I see it’s not feasible.
We will divide the family tomorrow, manage on your own.
Whether you’re losing or gaining, you know in your hearts. Don’t think your young children have it tough. Have you forgotten how the adults worked hard with me from a young age, raising this family? And those with marriageable children also earned their share early."
This silenced the three daughters-in-law.
"No one should say anything more to me. The girls understand. Remember today’s lesson: If a woman doesn’t love herself, what is left? It affects her entire life. As mothers, teach your daughters well.
Alright, go back to sleep. Third, sleep with mom. I want to talk with you."
"Yes, Mom."
The Third’s wife wanted to discuss matters with her husband but had no chance. She was deeply resentful towards the old woman.
Everyone left, and the Third’s wife dragged Lu Chunhong away too.
There was really no need to inquire further, this fool certainly did those things.
On the way, Li Yunqiao comforted his wife, "It’s alright, don’t be upset, for our daughter’s sake."
"Yunqiao, I feel terrible."
"What can you do? Whether this is your niece or even your daughter, what can you do about it?
Come on, you must let it go, nothing anyone says can help."
"Last time I went back, Little Ju told me, outsiders speak very harshly, saying I seduced you, serving you straight into bed.
If it weren’t for me seducing you, would you have wanted me?"
"Are people really saying that? They must be brainless. My wife was avoiding me then, although I had noticed her. But if it weren’t for that night when I got really drunk, I suppose my wife wouldn’t have been with me?"
"Wife, I’m sorry, you ended up taking the fall for me."
Lu Fengzhen remembered the past. Honestly, if Li Yunqiao hadn’t taken the initiative, she wouldn’t have had the thought. Even if she had grown to like him later, she wouldn’t have acted on it.
"Wife, I’ve always wanted to ask, but lacked the courage. Since we’re on the topic, tell me, were you a widow or an unmarried woman?"
"Because that man never touched me. Until his accident, our most intimate moment was holding hands."
Li Yunqiao felt satisfied. Heaven had indeed saved her for him; she belonged to him.