Chapter 145 An Elderly Love Story Mingxi shook her head, turned around and went home...
Mingxi shook her head, then went home and whispered to Zhao Sulan that Old Sun was acting strangely, wondering if he was up to something again. Zhao Sulan didn't take it seriously. What mischief could Old Sun possibly be up to? Everyone knew what kind of person he was; even if he wanted to do something bad, he definitely wouldn't succeed.
Mingxi whispered to Zhao Sulan for a while, then put the matter out of her mind.
The next morning, when Teacher Hou brought a bag of fried dough sticks to deliver breakfast to Aunt Li, she saw Old Sun staring at her with a gloomy look.
His expression was gloomy, his eyes were dark, and he stared intently at Teacher Hou's figure as he walked into Aunt Li's house and then came out of Aunt Li's house.
He didn't look away until Teacher Hou walked out of the courtyard again.
Mingxi felt increasingly uneasy. Could Old Sun have really gone mad from holding back his desires?
As soon as Old Sun turned back into the house, Mingxi wiped her face and immediately went into Aunt Li's house. Aunt Li was having breakfast at home. In the morning, Teacher Hou had delivered breakfast to Aunt Li's house and left first, so Aunt Li was alone at home at this moment.
When Aunt Li saw Mingxi arrive, she greeted him warmly: "Little Ming, you're here? Have you had breakfast yet? If not, come and have some. Old Hou bought some fried dough sticks today. They're freshly fried at the new breakfast shop at the end of the alley, and they're still crispy."
Mingxi shook her head: "Thank you, Aunt Li, but it's alright."
She said, "I didn't come here for breakfast, Aunt Li. I wanted to remind you that I saw Grandpa Sun in the yard just now..."
Mingxi rattled off a story about how she'd seen Old Sun staring at Teacher Hou strangely these past two days, and warned Aunt Li to be careful.
Aunt Li didn't take it lightly after hearing it; instead, she nodded seriously and said, "Then when Lao Hou comes to bring me lunch later, I'll remind him."
"Okay." After finishing her business, Mingxi was about to turn around and leave, but just as she was about to go, she suddenly realized that Aunt Li was calling out "Old Hou" instead of "Teacher Hou".
She immediately stopped in her tracks and couldn't help but ask gossipily, "Aunt Li, you and Teacher Hou seem to be making pretty good progress lately?"
Aunt Li: "What's the progress?"
Mingxi glanced at Aunt Li ambiguously, thinking to herself, "They've even changed the way they address me from Teacher Hou to Old Hou. Isn't that quite a bit of progress?"
She chuckled and said, "Aunt Li, are you and Teacher Hou getting married soon?"
Aunt Li shook her head directly: "No, Lao Hou and I are just getting to know each other better."
Haha!
Mingxi's eyes widened instantly; she hadn't expected to actually get such a big story out of her.
Mingxi immediately pressed, "Are you dating Teacher Hou?"
Aunt Li remained calm and composed, her expression indifferent. She even picked up a fried dough stick, took a bite, and then nodded: "Yes, you could say that."
My God!
This is really big news!
Mingxi jumped around, scratching his head and cheeks, wishing he could grab Aunt Li and interrogate her thoroughly, but he didn't know how to bring it up properly.
After all, Aunt Li is an elder.
Seeing Mingxi's anxious and curious look, Aunt Li couldn't help but smile, put down her chopsticks, and said, "Just tell me what you want to know."
Mingxi: "Hehe, then I'll really ask, okay? Aunt Li, when did you and Teacher Hou officially become a couple?"
Aunt Li: "Not long, just these past two days. Old Hou told me a long time ago that he liked me and was interested in me, but I didn't have the same feelings. I felt that we were too old for romance, so I rejected him. I thought that after hearing my rejection, he wouldn't come looking for me anymore, but I didn't expect him to still show up at my stall at the same time every day, just like before. I felt really awkward, but Old Hou comforted me. He told me that even if we couldn't be lovers, we could still be friends. He knew I had concerns, but he hoped that I wouldn't refuse to associate with him because of them. Later, you know, I injured my leg, and he came to bring me food and take care of me every day. I was afraid of troubling him, so I told him not to come. But he turned around and said, 'Let him come. He feels bad when he sees me injured. Taking care of me and seeing me makes him feel at peace. If he doesn't do anything, he can only worry about me every day, which makes him feel even worse.'"
At this point, Aunt Li blushed a little embarrassed; she wasn't someone who liked to show her emotions.
Her face was slightly flushed. After the divorce, she was eating and drinking well, and without so much housework and worries, her complexion had improved a lot. With the rosy blush on her face, she looked much younger.
Aunt Li said, "From childhood to adulthood, no one has ever said such things to me. Even when I was a child, when I was sick or injured, my mother never said anything to me, such as that she felt sorry for me when she saw me in pain."
These days, resources are scarce, and most families have many children. Parents are busy working to earn money to support their families, and they also have to be distracted by their other children. Even if a child gets sick, they can't take care of them in every way.
This is true for Mingxi and her generation, not to mention Li Dama and her generation.
Aunt Li was born in the 1920s. Her childhood was chaotic, and her family was poor. Her parents were busy earning money to support the family. When she was sick, it was a blessing if her mother could even think of making her a cup of brown sugar water, let alone have her parents take care of her.
So when Aunt Li heard what Teacher Hou said, she was truly moved, deeply moved. Even at her age, hearing such words brought tears to her eyes, and she almost shed a tear.
Aunt Li: "Later I thought, Lao Hou is right. I am fifty-eight years old this year, and he is sixty-two years old. Together we are one hundred and twenty years old. To put it bluntly, at our age, we don't even know how many days we have left to live. So let's not waste any more time and regret it when we are lying in bed on our deathbed. So the next day, when Lao Hou came over, I asked him if he would like to date me."
"Teacher Hou agreed?" Mingxi asked excitedly, unable to wait any longer.
Aunt Li nodded, blushing.
Tsk tsk.
Mingxi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Teacher Hou is indeed a cultured person; he's so shrewd."
First, confess your feelings to Aunt Li to let her know your thoughts. Then, position yourself as a friend and stay by her side, like a frog slowly being boiled in water, letting her gradually get used to your kindness. Finally, make a strong confession to move her and make her completely accept you.
However, Mingxi didn't expect this either.
It turned out that it was Aunt Li who took the initiative to confess her feelings to Teacher Hou.
As expected of the first woman in their neighborhood to take the initiative to file for divorce, Aunt Li is straightforward and has a certain boldness.
"What?! Old Li, you're dating Teacher Hou?!"
As Mingxi was reflecting on her feelings, she suddenly heard a familiar voice interrupt.
She turned her head and saw Aunt He staring wide-eyed at her and Aunt Li from the doorway.
Oh, wait, when did Aunt He arrive?
Mingxi was still confused when Aunt He strode forward, pushed Mingxi aside, and leaned close to Aunt Li, excitedly asking, "When did this happen? Old Li, you're not a good person! Why didn't you tell me you were dating Teacher Hou? Am I not your good friend anymore? If I hadn't come over to bring you some noodle soup and overheard you talking to Mingxi, I wouldn't have known about this. You're so cold-hearted!"
Aunt He crossed her arms, pouted, and her face seemed to say, "I'm angry, come and coax me."
Before Aunt Li could react and speak, she saw Aunt He with a stern face, but her eyes secretly glanced over, clearly saying, "I'm angry, why don't you say something to coax me?"
Aunt Li: ……
Mingxi also: ...
Aunt He, if you hadn't acted a little less anxious, what would you have done?
Although Aunt Li was helpless, she still tried to coax him, "Old He, don't be angry. I just didn't know how to tell you."
"What else can I say? Just tell me you're dating Teacher Hou, that's all."
Aunt He pursed her lips, but curiosity still prevailed. She stared at Aunt Li expectantly, plopped down on the edge of the bed, and eagerly asked, "Tell me, what exactly happened? How did you and Teacher Hou get together? Who made the first move?"
Having no other choice, Aunt Li could only repeat what she had told Mingxi before.
He couldn't help but smile, her face beaming with a loving auntie smile.
It was so sweet! Just listening to Aunt Li talk about her relationship with Teacher Hou made her feel like she'd eaten two pounds of honey; the air itself seemed to be filled with a sweet aroma.
She sounded like she was in love.
At this moment, Grandma He's husband at home said: "No, why do I feel a chill down my back?"
Aunt He: "Great, that's wonderful! Teacher Hou is a good person, he likes you, and he's good to you. I support you two dating."
Although she was still a little angry that Aunt Li hadn't told her about her new boyfriend right away, after so many years of friendship, she was happy for Aunt Li that she could leave that scoundrel Lao Sun and find new happiness.
When do you and Teacher Hou plan to get married?
Aunt He's questions were much more direct than Mingxi's, getting straight to the point: "If you get married, I will definitely give you a big red envelope."
marry.
Mingxi could tell just by thinking about it that if Aunt Li married Teacher Hou, Old Sun would be furious.
Aunt He was naturally aware of this, but what did Old Sun matter? Who cared if he was angry to death? It would be best if he were, since he had never done anything good before.
Under the watchful eyes of Mingxi and Aunt He, Aunt Li slowly spoke: "I have no intention of marrying Lao Hou."
"ah?!"
Mingxi and Aunt He were both dumbfounded, not expecting Aunt Li to say that.
Aunt He asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Aunt Li: "It's not appropriate."
Mingxi couldn't understand what marriage had to do with age.
Aunt Li is already dating Teacher Hou, so why is she hesitant about marriage?
Seeing the surprised and puzzled expressions on their faces, Aunt Li added, "Actually, at our age, not getting married is a good thing. Lao Hou and I both have children, and they're all grown up, married, and have families. If we were to get married, it wouldn't just be a problem for Lao Hou and me, but also for our children on both sides, and even for their families."
This is a very practical problem.
Although both Aunt Li and Teacher Hou's children are adults and they don't need to support their children, there are still four families involved. Aunt Li has three children, two of whom are married, while Teacher Hou has one child who is already married. In addition, there is Sun Xuewu, who is about to get married. If you really think about it, it's a matter for four families.
Four families are not exactly small, but they are not exactly large either. If they really start fighting, it will be a real problem.
Even without considering whether the children agree to remarrying, the issue of old age must be taken into account.
Aunt Li didn't actually expect her children to take care of her in her old age. She also knew that neither of her two sons, Sun Xuewen and Sun Xuewu, were reliable people. She guessed that the only one who could take care of her in her old age was Sun Lili, and she didn't want to trouble Sun Lili.
But the problem is, nobody knows what will happen when we get old.
Moreover, Teacher Hou's son is serving in the military in another city and probably won't be transferred back anytime soon. His partner has already settled down there, and if he doesn't return, he might take Teacher Hou there to retire. If Aunt Li marries him, she might have to go with him.
She had never left Beicheng her entire life, and now that she was so old, it was hard for her to accept suddenly moving to another city.
Therefore, after considering all aspects, Aunt Li decided not to marry Teacher Hou.
She and Teacher Hou had agreed that they would date for life and never get married.
Aunt Li shared some of her concerns with Mingxi and Aunt He, and Mingxi and Aunt He were understanding.
Mingxi felt that whether or not to get married was a matter between Aunt Li and Teacher Hou. Since Aunt Li had spoken to Teacher Hou and Teacher Hou had agreed, and the two of them had discussed it, then if they didn't want to get married, they didn't have to. What was the big deal?
Because of her age, Aunt He could empathize with Aunt Li even more. People of that age have to think about their retirement, and marriages after marriage are inherently difficult.
It might be better not to get married and just date; maybe that way the relationship will last longer.
After eating a mouthful of melon early in the morning, Mingxi noticed it was getting late and said goodbye to Aunt Li before heading home. Aunt He, however, stayed behind, still asking Aunt Li about her gossip with Teacher Hou.
As expected of Aunt He, she was the number one gossip machine in the neighborhood. When Mingxi came home from work that day, he had just entered the courtyard when he heard Aunt He talking to Aunt Ma about Aunt Li and Teacher Hou dating.
Aunt He had asked Aunt Li what she thought, and since she didn't want to keep it a secret, Aunt He didn't hide it anymore and directly publicized the matter, which also made Aunt Li and Teacher Hou's relationship public.
To be honest, everyone knows what happened between Teacher Hou and Aunt Li.
If there really wasn't something going on, would Teacher Hou have to deliver meals to Aunt Li's door three times a day, eat with her, and help her out for walks every day?
Aunt Li has sons and daughters. Even if her children are unable to make it, she still has neighbors like them. There's no need for a "friend" like Teacher Hou.
It's obvious to everyone that Teacher Hou has feelings for Aunt Li, and since Aunt Li hasn't rejected him, it's clear that Aunt Li also has feelings for Teacher Hou.
The people in the courtyard were surprised, intrigued, and also disapproved.
Some young people think it's rather trendy that Aunt Li and Teacher Hou, both so old, are having a twilight romance, but they don't really see anything wrong with it. However, some middle-aged people around Aunt Li's age think it's inappropriate and have grumbled behind her back, saying that people who are practically half-buried in the ground are shameless for dating like young people, and that they're not behaving themselves properly for their age!
However, Aunt Li couldn't hear the gossip behind everyone's backs. After a while, the people who were whispering about it got bored and stopped talking about it.
So when the news of Aunt Li and Teacher Hou dating spread, everyone in the neighborhood was only slightly surprised. Had Aunt Li and Teacher Hou just started dating?
I have no other thoughts besides that.
Only Old Sun, who followed Mingxi into the courtyard, had a dark expression.
Old Sun, wearing work clothes stained with engine oil so dark their original color was unrecognizable, walked into the yard with his hands behind his back. As soon as he entered, he saw Aunt He and Aunt Ma huddled together, whispering to each other.
He glanced at it, initially not paying much attention. He knew Aunt He well; she spent all day gossiping about other people's affairs in the alley, as if she couldn't stand it if she didn't talk about it for a day.
I heard that Aunt He even dumped the housework on her husband, Uncle Zheng. Old Sun looked away in disgust.
What he couldn't stand the most was women like Aunt He. After all, once married, a woman should be responsible for all the housework. The man goes out to work and earn money to support the family, while the woman does nothing at home, all she does is gossip—what kind of behavior is that!
In his opinion, Aunt He deserves a beating. She developed such an unruly personality because she didn't have a mother-in-law to discipline her when she was young. Old Zheng shouldn't have spoiled her; he should have given her a good beating to make her submit.
That way she'll behave and not dare to boss men around.
Wasn't that what his wife used to be like...?
When his wife was mentioned, Old Sun got angry.
I don't know who led Li Chunzhi astray, but she dared to talk back to him. All he asked was for some money from her, but she refused and even went so far as to threaten to divorce him.
Divorce is one thing, but Li Chunzhi, that lawless woman, actually dared to flirt with other men!
He's still alive! That bitch Li Chunzhi actually dared to cuckold him! It's just too outrageous!
And that guy surnamed Hou, he's no good either!
A teacher, my foot! What kind of teacher would be so disrespectful to his elderly parents, flirting with an old lady at his age?
Old Sun got angry thinking about all this; he was furious. But then he thought about his own scheme and became smug.
He believed that although Li Chunzhi was flirting with other men, it was just a momentary lapse of judgment on her part. He would help Li Chunzhi see clearly who the good man she could rely on and live with was.
Old Sun was feeling quite pleased with himself when he overheard Aunt He telling Aunt Ma, "You don't know, do you? Old Li and Teacher Hou are dating. It just happened recently. I heard it from Old Li today. You wouldn't believe it, but Old Li brought it up with Teacher Hou himself; he took the initiative to tell her..."
Old Sun couldn't hear anything Aunt He said after that; only one sentence remained in his mind.
"Old Li and Teacher Hou are dating."
I'm dating someone...
How dare she?!
Suddenly, a surge of anger rose in Old Sun's heart. His eyes were bloodshot as he shouted furiously, "What?! Li Chunzhi, Li Chunzhi, she's actually dating someone else?!"
Did Li Chunzhi think he was dead?!
Ignoring everything else, Old Sun immediately clenched his fists, ready to rush into Aunt Li's house and demand an explanation from her.
The people in the courtyard were all startled when they saw Old Sun like this.
Mingxi was the first to react. Fearing something might happen, she quickly raised her arm to Old Sun and said, "Grandpa Sun, please calm down."
Aunt He and Aunt Ma realized what was happening and quickly stepped forward, grabbing Old Sun's arms on either side.
Aunt He: "Old Sun, what are you doing? Old Li has already divorced you. The two of you have nothing to do with each other anymore. Whether it's dating or marriage, it has nothing to do with you."
Aunt Ma glanced at Aunt He with a hint of reproach. Although what she said was not wrong, it was too blunt. What if it provoked Old Sun and he went to Aunt Li to make a scene?
Aunt Ma took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words, and said, "Old Sun, don't be fooled by Old He's harsh words, but that's how things are. You should move on from this. Let bygones be bygones. We should all look forward and move on, and stop dwelling on the past."
Although Aunt Ma's words were somewhat euphemistic, they conveyed the same meaning.
Old Sun was furious and wouldn't listen to either Aunt He or Aunt Ma.
He didn't want to look forward at all, let alone step out or look ahead.
All he knew was that Li Chunzhi was his wife, the one he had married with ten "legal tender" coins as a bride price.
They lived together for half their lives and had three children.
Although they are divorced, they were husband and wife before. How can Li Chunzhi just start dating other men? He doesn't agree, he doesn't agree!
Old Sun kept shouting and demanding an explanation from Aunt Li. Even when Mingxi, Aunt He, and Aunt Ma tried to stop him, it was no use. He yelled at the direction of Aunt Li's door.
"Li Chunzhi, Li Chunzhi, I know you can hear me. Come out here! Give me an explanation! You're my wife, my lawfully wedded wife, the one I married with a grand banquet and through the ancestral rites. You're mine for life, and even in death, you'll be a member of the Sun family. How could you betray me? How could you date that guy surnamed Hou? You're not thinking of marrying him, are you? I'm telling you, impossible! I absolutely won't allow it! I order you two to break up! You two must break up! If you don't break up, I'll stand right here at your doorstep and refuse to leave!"
Old Sun had his neck stiff and looked quite tough, but what he said was really not threatening at all.
Mingxi was silent for a moment, thinking to herself that she had really overestimated Old Sun.
Aunt He and Aunt Ma were speechless for a moment.
Both of them wanted to let go and leave Old Sun alone.
-----------------------
Author's note: 1: Legal tender, the legal tender issued by the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China from November 1935 to August 19, 1948.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com