Chapter 234 - 231: A Beautiful Night

Chapter 234: Chapter 231: A Beautiful Night

Glaring at Li Bo, Li Guo looked at his beautiful sister-in-law and said shyly, "Sister-in-law, I want to apply to a university in the Capital City. I want to be closer to my big brother in the future."

Looking kindly at this honest but clever brother-in-law, Zhou Lian smiled and said, "Okay. In that case, I’ll be waiting for you in the Capital City next year. If you can get into Beijing University, maybe I’ll even be able to teach you someday!"

Li Guo’s eyes lit up. ’That’s right! Sister-in-law is a lecturer at Beijing University. If I can get into Beijing University, I can have her as my teacher!’

"Have you decided what you want to major in?" Zhou Lian asked, looking at the excited Li Guo.

Scratching his head, Li Guo said, "I’m better at the sciences, and I like them more, too!"

Zhou Lian smiled and said, "Good. Then work hard. I’ll be waiting for you at Beijing University next year!"

Li Guo nodded excitedly. ’Then I’ll get to see Big Brother, Sister-in-law, and my nieces and nephews often! Yes, I have to work even harder. I can’t let Sister-in-law down!’

"Li Bo, what about you?" Zhou Lian asked gently, turning to him. ’This brother-in-law of mine is as sly as a fox—smart and a little shrewd, but he’s good-natured at heart.’

Li Bo grinned and said softly, "Sister-in-law, I want to get into the same high school my brother went to. But I like the humanities, so I’ll be taking the liberal arts track for the college entrance exams. And when the time comes, I’m going to get into your Beijing University, too!"

"Okay, then you work hard too. I’ll be waiting for you at Beijing University as well!"

"Okay! Oh, right, Sister-in-law," Li Bo said in a low voice, "my fourth sister, Li Cui, is taking the college entrance exams with my brother next year, but her grades aren’t as good as his. Getting into Beijing University is a bit of a long shot for her. She wants to be close to you and Big Brother too. I’ve even seen her crying in secret!"

Zhou Lian thought for a moment and said, "If she wants to go to the Capital City, she doesn’t necessarily have to get into Beijing University. If her score isn’t high enough, she can choose another school. For a girl like your sister, a teacher’s college would be a good option. It’s too late to discuss it now, but have her write me a letter. I’ll take a look at her grades and see what I can suggest."

"Okay, she’ll definitely be very happy! Sister-in-law, can we write letters to you and Big Brother?" Li Bo asked, a little cautiously.

Zhou Lian smiled and glanced at him. ’This kid must have heard some gossip to be acting so cautiously.’ She said gently, "Of course you can. This goes for all of you. When you two go back, tell your sisters as well. If you have any questions, especially about your studies, just write to me directly. Li Guo and Li Cui have their exams next year, Li He has hers the year after, and then Li Bo and Li Miao are in the same grade, right?"

"Yes, my sister Li Miao and I are in the same grade. She likes the humanities, just like me, and our grades are about the same. We’ll definitely work hard to get into Beijing University!" Li Bo said, beaming at Zhou Lian.

"Good. Go back and tell everyone. If you want to get into a university in the Capital City, then you have to work hard!" Zhou Lian encouraged them with a smile. ’These brothers- and sisters-in-law of mine are all good kids at heart. If they come to the Capital City, I’ll be able to look out for them a bit.’

After settling their grandmother down for the night, Li Xiu and Li Bao came out to see the three in the courtyard chatting happily. Perhaps influenced by the gentle aura around Zhou Lian, Li Xiu seemed relaxed and content. Seeing this, Li Bao, who stood to the side, couldn’t help but snicker to himself. ’Big Brother’s heart really does belong completely to Sister-in-law!’

The five of them talked for a long time. By the time Li Bao and his two brothers left, the moon was high in the sky. Lying in bed, Li Xiu held Zhou Lian and played cheerfully with a lock of her long hair. He said gently, "Bao’er, will those younger ones be too much trouble for you?"

"It’s fine. You know as well as I do that they’re all sensible and know their boundaries," Zhou Lian said quietly. "Besides, a single flower doesn’t make a spring; it takes a hundred flowers to fill the garden. We should help them if we can. Our footing in the Capital City is still a bit shaky, and Nuonuo and Yanyan will need support in the future. Blood relatives are a natural alliance."

"I know all that. I’m just worried you’ll get tired." He understood the logic, but his heart ached at the thought of his wife working so hard. He could teach them how to conduct themselves and make their way in the world, but he couldn’t teach them how to pass exams, Li Xiu said, a little dejected.

As if she had read his mind, Zhou Lian looked at him with a smile and said, "Everyone has things they’re good at and things they’re not. This is what I’m good at. It won’t be a hardship, don’t worry. It’s getting late. Let’s sleep."

Gently patting Zhou Lian’s back, Li Xiu whispered, "Okay, let’s sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow to go back to the Capital City."

’Watching Zhou Lian’s beautiful sleeping face, Li Xiu quietly reflected. These past few days had been a whirlwind. He was tired, and Zhou Lian was exhausted, too. He hadn’t had a moment to sort through his jumbled thoughts. The cause of his father’s death, his father’s last words... all of it had completely severed the last, faint connection he had to the old family home. Forget it. It was fate. Why should he care about all that? He just hoped that if there was a next life, he would never have to see his father and mother again, in life or in death.’

’The villagers had been gossiping for days, but he didn’t care. Let them talk. He had done right by his father, fulfilled his final duty. He gave him a grand funeral and a solemn burial, settling the score of their father-son relationship in this life. In truth, during the three-day wake, he hadn’t thought about any of this. His wife had arranged it all. She understood him best.’

’He had long anticipated what his mother, Li Hua, and the others would do, but he never expected them to be so ruthless. Still, it was for the best. It made for a clean break. Thinking of how Zhou Lian had protected him in front of their grandmother that afternoon, Li Xiu smiled with satisfaction. He had lived for two lifetimes; of course his wife knew how much their grandmother doted on him. But she still stood before their grandmother and declared, "Some things can’t be resolved just by having Jin Chen put up with it."’

’He knew from his past life that his wife was fiercely protective. He was protective too, but only of his own people. His wife, on the other hand, was only protective of her family. In his past life, he had been so envious of those she protected, especially their daughter and son. As for him, he never got that treatment in his last life. He never imagined that in this life, his wife would protect him so fiercely!’

’Right now, Li Xiu truly felt like the happiest man on earth. In the future, there would be no more unpleasant people hanging around him. His daughter and son were smart and sensible, and he and his wife were deeply in love, inseparable for life. Nothing could be more wonderful or blissful than this!’

’A torrent of chaotic thoughts rushed through his mind, and Li Xiu found he wasn’t sleepy at all. He knew he was just overexcited. It felt a little wrong to be thinking this way right after his father’s death, but he couldn’t suppress the feeling, nor did he want to. The day after his thirtieth birthday, he had received the telegram saying his father wasn’t doing well. Regardless of their relationship, he had been in no mood at the time to savor the joy and excitement his wife had brought him on his birthday. It was only now, with the dust finally settled, that he could gaze at his wife’s sleeping face in the quiet of the night and reminisce. On his birthday, his wife had given him the one dream he had longed for across two lifetimes. Thinking of the surprise she had given him on his birthday, accompanied by the gentle breeze and the bright moon, Li Xiu finally drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with the beautiful wish his wife had granted him that day.’