Chapter 232 - 229: Village Gossip

Chapter 232: Chapter 229: Village Gossip

The Li family members waiting at the village entrance stared, stunned, as Li Xiu and his group approached. They saw Yanyan being held by the woman who was supposedly the nanny, while Li Xiu’s wife, Zhou Lian, walked empty-handed, her hand held by a shoulder-pole-carrying Li Xiu. The sight left them all in shock. Li Bao and his wife, Wang Xiaojuan, exchanged a look and smiled. ’This is nothing,’ he thought. ’It’s even more over-the-top in the Capital City. When it comes to doting on Sister-in-law, Big Brother shatters my expectations daily!’

After about another half an hour, the main branch of the Li family had also arrived. The large group then set off in a procession toward the Li family’s ancestral tombs. Li Xiu led the way with Zhou Lian, and Sister Fang followed close behind, holding Yanyan. This post-burial grave visit had its own set of traditions: the eldest son of the main line had to lead the procession, and once at the gravesite, he would also lead the ritual kneeling and bowing.

The whole ordeal took nearly an hour. Afterward, they would have to host another banquet that evening for the members of the main family branch to bring the funeral rites to a proper close.

Li Xiu truly didn’t want to see Ge Er Ya again. Upon returning, he discussed it with Grandma Li, telling her he wouldn’t be attending the evening banquet. Grandma Li knew Li Xiu’s stubborn nature and didn’t want to press him on the matter. "If you don’t want to go, then don’t," she said. "I’ll go tonight. I’ll speak with the family."

Li Xiu nodded without another word. ’I’m done forcing myself to do things I don’t want to do. I won’t see people I don’t want to see, and I won’t do things I don’t want to do. I’ve been given a second chance at life, and what I want most is to live freely with my wife. After struggling for so many years in the cutthroat Capital City, as long as I don’t do anything too outrageous, I’ve already earned the right to live a comfortable life with her. Even back here in my hometown, while I have to consider the elders’ feelings to some extent, I’m not going to bend over backward for them anymore.’

Seeing Li Xiu’s emotionless expression, Zhou Lian gently took Grandma Li’s hand. "Grandma, some things can’t be resolved just by making Jin Chen swallow his pride. He’s already thirty, and as the old saying goes, a man should be established by thirty. He’s a grown man; we can’t expect him to compromise on everything. He has done what he could, what he should, and even what he shouldn’t have had to. These past few days, he hasn’t just been physically exhausted—I’m afraid he’s even more mentally drained. I know you dote on him, Grandma, so please don’t blame him."

Grandma Li looked at her granddaughter-in-law, smiling as she nodded. "Grandma knows. How could I possibly blame him? It hasn’t been easy for either of you. With Second Brother Li’s passing, you two gave him a grand send-off, and everyone in the village saw it. People know right from wrong; they can judge for themselves. Don’t you worry, dear. Grandma understands what you’re thinking. My grandson has done more than enough. If anyone dares to gossip, I’ll give them a good slap!"

A short while later, Li Bao arrived with Li Guo and Li Bo. They had witnessed the events of last night firsthand and, worried about their big brother’s mood, had come early to accompany him to the second branch’s old house. When they heard Li Xiu wasn’t going, the three of them paused in surprise for a moment, then smiled. ’That’s right,’ they thought. ’This is Big Brother we’re talking about. When he gets that stubborn mule-headed streak, no one can handle him except Sister-in-law. It’s perfectly normal for him to refuse.’ After a bit of small talk, the three brothers escorted Grandma Li out.

Only Sister Fang, Yanyan, and the couple, Li Xiu and Zhou Lian, remained at home. Stretching lazily, Li Xiu stood up and said gently to Zhou Lian, "Bao’er, it’s getting late. Are you hungry? I’ll make you something delicious."

Sensing that Li Xiu’s mood had returned to normal, Zhou Lian’s spirits lifted as well. "The food in the Capital City always feels like it’s missing something," she said. "Let’s go see what Grandma has planted in the vegetable garden. You can make me something with fresh ingredients."

"Alright. Go take a look, Bao’er. Whatever you want, I’ll make it for you." Li Xiu was delighted that Zhou Lian was actually asking for something specific for a change. He glanced back at Sister Fang and Yanyan, chuckled, and said, "Sister Fang, Yanyan, you two come along as well. See if there’s anything you’d like to eat. There are some vegetables here in our hometown that you can’t find in the Capital City. Let’s all go have a look."

Seeing the couple looking happy for the first time in days, Sister Fang didn’t refuse. She took Yanyan’s hand and followed Li Xiu and Zhou Lian to the vegetable garden. It was a rare chance for Yanyan to see such natural, rural scenery, and he chattered excitedly the whole way, curious about everything. He asked one question after another, and when Sister Fang couldn’t answer, Li Xiu would patiently explain things to him.

As they walked along the country path, the group stood out conspicuously. The weather was still quite warm, and with most of the farm work done, villagers were gathered in small groups, chatting idly. They watched Li Xiu’s party pass by with sighs of admiration. They all remembered when Li Xiu had been forced out of the family with practically nothing to his name. Though no one said it aloud, they all thought it was a shame for such an honest, capable young man. But who could have known how quickly they’d all be proven wrong?

In less than two years, he had built a new house, married a beautiful wife, and even had a daughter. But that wasn’t all. Who would have guessed that the wife he brought home was a true "golden phoenix"? She had quietly tested into a university—the best one in the Capital City, no less. Back then, the whole village thought Li Xiu was doomed to lose both his wife and his home. But instead, he’d followed her right to the Capital City and, in just a few years, had firmly established himself there. His wife was a university professor, and she had since given him a son. On top of all that, the fancy car he drove on his last visit was better than any car the county officials drove!

The more you thought about him, the more incredible it seemed. This wasn’t something an ordinary, honest man could achieve. It just went to show you shouldn’t be so quick to judge people, or you’d end up eating your words. Look at him now: a son and a daughter, a beautiful wife by his side, living in a big house and driving a fancy car in the Capital City. He’d even set up his cousin in the Capital City, who was now also driving a nice car. There was just no comparing some people to others!

At this point, the conversation shifted to murmurs about Li Xiu’s four younger brothers. The villagers spoke of them with utter disdain. They’d never seen anyone so foolish as to alienate their own older brother to the point of cutting off all contact. They’d seen stupidity, but this was a whole new level. Li Xiu was willing to help out his cousins; if he and his brothers were on good terms, would he possibly ignore them? Especially since Li Xiu had started earning work-points in the production brigade at a young age to support the family. They must have done something terrible to make him wash his hands of them completely.

"Offended him? It was far worse than that," said someone in the know. "We all saw how hard Li Xiu worked to raise his younger siblings back in the day. It turns out he was raising a pack of ungrateful wolves. When Second Brother Li passed away, Li Xiu paid for every last expense himself. His younger brothers didn’t contribute a single penny. For the three days of the wake, while Li Xiu kept vigil in the mourning hall, his wife had to manage everything else on her own. Those younger ones did nothing but sit there. The way they behaved, you’d think the man who died wasn’t their own father!"

"That’s not even the half of it!" another person added. "I heard Second Brother Li was literally angered to death by them. In the past, whenever Li Xiu came back, he’d at least try to keep up appearances. But this time, with his own father’s death, I heard he completely cut them off. If something truly unforgivable hadn’t happened, would a man as diplomatic as Li Xiu ever take such an extreme step?"

"I also heard that..."