Mr. Wen pondered for a moment and replied, "The Wang family in Willow Lane consists of only four people: a husband and wife with two sons. The man's name is Wang Xinqiu, and he usually helps out with some business at the Wang family's ancestral home. They also own a cloth shop and an antique shop, and they live a comfortable life."
"Wang Xinqiu is skilled in writing and painting, has an excellent personality, and a wide circle of friends. However, the only thing that is criticized is that he married into the Wang family. Few people know why he married into the family. There is a vague legend that he married into the family to repay a debt of gratitude."
The Li family members listened in silence for a long time; based on this alone, none of them dared to be certain that this was indeed the eldest Li.
Finally, Old Lady Li took a deep breath and said, "This is no small matter. Second brother, you should go and wait near the Wang family. You need to see for yourself to confirm if it is your eldest brother."
Li Lao Er nodded, "Okay, Mother, don't worry, I'll ask around more carefully after I get there."
Grandma Li thanked Mr. Wen, who waved his hand and said with a smile, "I didn't help much. It's been too long, and we can't disturb the Wang family, so it's not easy to find out."
He didn't want to talk too much about the Li family's private affairs, so he gave Jiaren a few more instructions before everyone dispersed to go to sleep.
With Madam Cui not present, Mr. Wen, not needing to avoid suspicion, moved to the next room.
The next morning, Li Lao Er left with Mr. Wen.
After arriving in Xindu, Mr. Wen went to attend to his business, while Li Lao Er went to a teahouse near Willow Alley, ordered a pot of tea and a plate of snacks.
The teahouse has probably been around for a long time, and its customers are mostly neighbors from the neighborhood.
People were walking their birds, listening to music, drinking tea and chatting—it was quite a lively scene.
Li Lao Er was dressed plainly, but his demeanor was unlike that of a commoner. The old man at the next table, who loved gossip, pulled him aside and asked, "This gentleman looks unfamiliar. Are you visiting relatives or friends in this area?"
Li Lao Er bowed and said with a smile, "Uncle, you have a keen eye. I am not a local. I came from the north when the capital was moved. The journey was full of hardships, which I cannot go into detail about. In short, now that I am all alone, I am traveling around to see the beautiful scenery and the simple and honest people of Jiangnan."
The old man, flattered by the compliments, became even more talkative, so I brought him some tea and snacks and sat down for a chat.
"The gentleman looks young and is educated. He can find a job in the city, get married, have two children, and settle down."
Li Lao Er smiled as he poured tea for the old man, casually making up a story, "That's what I was thinking too. Recently, there's an old lady in the courtyard where I'm staying, and she insists that I move in and become her son-in-law. I just couldn't stand her nagging anymore, so I came out to have some peace and quiet."
The old man glared at him immediately, "Whose family is it? Tell me, and I'll stand up for you! Marrying into someone's family is such a shameful thing that even a cripple or a blind person wouldn't do it. How can you force a respectable scholar like you to do it!"
"That's right, that old woman is so immoral, she's really bringing shame to our Xindu." A middle-aged man sitting at the next table also came over carrying a birdcage and patted Li Lao Er's arm familiarly.
"Brother, you mustn't be tempted! Marrying into your wife's family is no good. How can a man live at the mercy of his in-laws?"
Li Lao Er feigned hesitation and asked, "That's not necessarily true. There should be some who married into the family and are living quite well?"
Just then, a waiter from the teahouse came to refill the water and said with a smile, "What you said is right, sir. There are some people who live well. There is a family in our alley where a man took in a woman who married into his wife's family. They have two sons, and the couple lives a harmonious life. Most people can't even compare to theirs."
The old man said, "You mean the Wang family? That's different!"
Li Lao Er suppressed his wildly beating heart and casually asked, "What's different? Aren't all men who marry into the family after getting married just after wealth and status?"
“Master Wang is not like that!” Not only the old man, but the middle-aged man also voiced his opposition.
The old man frowned and said, "Master Wang is a rare good man, loyal and righteous. He had no choice but to marry into the Wang family. He is different from other sons-in-law."
“Yes, I’ve known Master Wang for several years now. I heard that he married into the Wang family to repay a debt of gratitude.” The middle-aged man echoed.
The old man had been holding back his gossip for years, and seeing that Li Lao Er was a stranger, he figured it wouldn't reach the Wang family's ears. So he lowered his voice and said, "It's not just because of that. Master Wang is from out of town. He came here more than ten years ago, and he must have encountered some danger outside the city. He hit his head and almost died. Master Wang happened to be coming back from his outing and rescued him. It cost him a lot of money to save his life."
"As a result, Master Wang suffered a severe head injury and forgot where his home was. He originally wanted to find a job and stay to recuperate. However, Master Wang suddenly fell seriously ill and was unable to continue living. He only had an orphaned daughter left at home, and naturally, she was worried about him and refused to die. In the end, it was Master Wang who spoke up, and Miss Wang knelt down and begged Master Wang, so Master Wang agreed to marry into the family to repay his debt of gratitude."
The middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, so that's how it is. I've only heard a few words about it, not in such detail. I only know that it was entrusted to me by Master Wang on his deathbed."
The old man said smugly, "I was very familiar with Master Wang back then, and I was thinking of seeing him off on his final journey, so I acted as a witness. Master Wang was also very lucky; he really got a good son-in-law. Over the years, he has never had any affairs and has even given the Wang family two grandsons to continue the family line."
"Yes, with Master Wang's abilities, if he hadn't married into the family and instead pursued officialdom, he would surely have achieved great things."
"I've heard that even within the Wang family's own clan, Master Wang is highly regarded."
The old man and the middle-aged man were chatting animatedly, but Li Lao Er was almost certain in his heart that this Master Wang was his elder brother, Li Zhensheng!
The old man and the middle-aged man probably felt neglected, so they quickly pulled him aside and tried to persuade him.
“People like Master Wang are indeed rare. Most men who marry into families with wives don’t have a good life. You should be careful.”
“Yes, if there’s any other way out, you shouldn’t marry into another family. Our place has suddenly become a new capital, and a lot of people have flocked here. If you really have no other options, you could at least work as an accountant in some shop.”
Li Lao Er quickly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle and this brother. I will not marry into your family, otherwise I wouldn't have had to hide out. When I get back, I will find a new place to live and a good job."
"Ah, that's right." The old man and the middle-aged man both felt a great sense of accomplishment, as if they had saved a wayward youth!
Li Lao Er couldn't help but laugh and poured them more tea. Just then, one of the tea drinkers sitting by the window called out loudly, "Master Wang is back? Come in and have a cup of tea!"
The teahouse owner walked to the door and greeted him with a smile, "Yes, Master Wang, come in and have a cup of tea. It's some fine tea that arrived yesterday. I was just about to send someone to your house to let you know, but I didn't expect you to run into me here today!"
A clear voice replied with a smile, "Okay, thank you, shopkeeper, I'll be right there."
The old man and the middle-aged man had just finished gossiping and were feeling a little guilty, so they lowered their voices and muttered, "Master Wang is really back early today. Doesn't he usually come back in the afternoon?"
Li Lao Er could no longer hear any of this. His hands trembled as he gripped the edge of the table and slowly turned his head...?
Here comes the third update. The weather's not great with the changing seasons, so please remember to keep warm, my darlings! I'd love a five-star review and a comment to urge you to update, I'll take anything you ask for, muah!
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