What's even more infuriating is that while the Ke family has fallen into such a state, the Liu family has risen step by step, until they have reached a point that the Ke family can only look up to with envy.
Ke Chongshan felt a dull ache in his heart when he thought about it.
That eldest son of the Liu family should have been his son-in-law.
Ke Han is almost fifty years old this year. Although her hair is not as white as Ke Chongshan's, her face shows signs of decline. She continued, "Li Chengyan has ruined our family like this. What are two houses compared to that? Dad, don't be confused about this. You know best what our family's situation is now."
"Sigh." Ke Chongshan sighed, his eyelids drooping heavily. "Let me think about it."
After leaving Ke Chongshan's study, Ke Han went upstairs, looking unwell.
She pushed open Komei's door, and Komei, who was writing a letter, turned around in surprise.
"Big sister."
"Do you even care about me, your older sister? You're always siding with outsiders."
Ke Han walked over and his gaze fell on the half-written letter on the table.
The letter didn't say much, which reassured Ke Han a little. She sat down by Ke Mei's bedside and spoke gently and persuasively: "Xiao Mei, I know you and Xiao Wei are close. Xiao Wei is my sister, and I feel sorry for her just like you do. But that Li Chengyan is different. If it weren't for him, would Xiao Wei be like this? Would our family be like this?"
Ke Mei didn't speak. Her eldest sister and father always attributed the Ke family's current decline to her second sister and brother-in-law, but she saw it very clearly. The decline of the Ke family was an inevitable trend. Even without her second sister's affair, the Ke family would never have ended up like the Liu family.
Ke Han also thought of the Liu family's situation, and her tone was quite resentful and envious: "If your second sister had listened to Father and married Comrade Liu Zhao, Father would have been promoted long ago. How could he still be suppressed like this? Our Ke family has been harmed like this by that Li family. How can we still help his son?"
Ke Mei is forty-one years old this year, but she looks like she is in her thirties. Her face is the gentlest among the three sisters. Thinking of her second sister who died young, she sighed and her eyes were a little red: "Eldest sister, second sister and brother-in-law were wronged. They suffered their whole lives and even lost their lives. Now they only have this one son, all alone. If we don't take care of them, who will?"
Ke Han's expression turned cold. Her third sister was indeed stubborn and sympathetic to everyone. She felt there was no need to say anything more and stood up: "I've discussed it with Dad. It's okay if the child comes back, but he can't know about the house. He can stay with Dad as compensation."
Ke Han left as soon as she finished speaking. She always had a lot to say in this family. Ke Mei sighed, feeling a little guilty towards the child she had never met.
…
On June 4th, a thunderstorm struck, and Xu Nuo happened to step into her home as the first raindrop fell.
Li Xian waited until she closed the door and went inside before turning around and walking downstairs.
A middle-aged man dressed in sloppy clothes happened to come upstairs. He glanced at Li Xian and, perhaps intimidated by the sharpness and coldness in Li Xian's eyes, paused in his movement and his blatant gaze became much less intense.
He went up obediently.
Li Xian slowed his pace, frowning as he heard the man knocking on the door.
Xu Guihua opened the door: "Hong, you're back."
Xu Jinhong nodded: "Mom, I saw it was raining outside, so I came back first."
Xu Guihua raised her voice: "Yes, yes, it's going to rain. Have you found your house yet?"
Xu Jinhong also raised his voice: "No, Mother."
Bang.
The door closed.
Xu Jinhong took off his shoes and was about to complain to Xu Jinan about how hard it was to find a house when he met a pair of clear, black and white eyes.
Xu Jinhong was taken aback.
Xu Nuo is back.
Since the last time, he had felt inexplicably awkward around this seemingly frail little niece. Knowing that his second brother doted on this daughter the most, he grinned and said ingratiatingly, "Little Nuo is back?"
Xu Nuo gave a curt "hmm" and deliberately asked, "Why is your uncle's family at my house? Are they here for dinner?"
Xu Jinhong's thin, bony face stiffened, and his smile vanished. Xu Guihua explained from the side, "Nuonuo, your uncle's family has nowhere to stay right now, so they'll stay here for a few days."
Xu Nuo got goosebumps from Xu Guihua's question, and with a forced smile, she asked in a clear voice, "Oh, is that so? How's the house search going?"
Xu Jinhong said, "I...I couldn't find it."
Xue Ping gave a cold laugh.
Seeing that Xu Jinhong hadn't actually looked for anyone and just wanted to stay at their house, she said indifferently, "Didn't Jin'an find you someone yesterday? It's four yuan a month, and you're complaining about this and that."
Guo Ailian stood to the side with a forced smile and whispered, "Second sister-in-law, that house is too expensive. How could we possibly afford it if we had to pay for it?"
Xu Nuo looked at Guo Ailian with an innocent and romantic expression: "You think four yuan is too expensive? Auntie, you're not joking with me, are you?"
Guo Ailian ignored her: "Xiao Nuo, you don't know, your uncle is not as capable as your father. Your father has a job and a salary, but your uncle has nothing. You don't know, our family can't even come up with a single yuan."
Guo Ailian put on a pitiful, impoverished appearance, hoping to gain some sympathy. But Xu Nuo said, "If you don't have money, go earn it. Otherwise, what will you eat? Are you going to live in our house and eat our food?"
Forehead.
Xu Jinhong and the others blushed, while Guo Ailian was so embarrassed she didn't know where to put her hands: "Second brother, look what your daughter is saying. We're just staying for a few days. We'll move out once we find a place to live."
Xu Nuo didn't give them any face at all: "What if you can't find a place to live?"
"This..." Guo Ailian was forced to speak. In the adult world, everyone cares about their reputation. Did she not know that Xue Ping was unwilling? But when she complained about being poor and said that she would move out as soon as she found a place, Xue Ping couldn't say anything.
Xu Nuo showed absolutely no mercy, being so aggressive that even Guo Ailian, with her thick skin, was at a loss for words.
"We'll find it. Your uncle goes out to look for it every day."
"That's right, that's right. Your uncle goes out every day and is exhausted." Xu Guihua was absolutely disgusted with this good-for-nothing. For the past two days, she had been smiling and pleading with Xu Jin'an, and even had Xu Yunyun do all the housework. Only then did Xu Jin'an agree to let Xu Jinhong's family squeeze into her small room. They've been living there for the past two or three days, and as long as she says she hasn't found a new place, Xu Jin'an can't kick them out.
Who knew that Xu Nuo would start causing trouble as soon as she came back?
That damned thing, she won't be satisfied until she drives her uncle to his death, will she?
Xu Nuo's eyebrows were gentle, and her big, watery eyes stared at Xu Guihua: "But we went out every day and still couldn't find it. Besides, Uncle doesn't even have four yuan. Even if he found it, he couldn't afford to rent it."
These words are such a slap in the face; they're practically tearing Xu Jinhong's face off and trampling it on the ground.
But Xu Nuo's tone was gentle and her voice sweet. If you looked closely, her face, with its red lips and white teeth, was full of worry. It seemed that she wasn't mocking anyone, but was genuinely worried about Xu Jinhong's family.
Xu Guihua glared at Xu Nuo: "How dare you talk like that? You're happy that your uncle's family isn't doing well, aren't you?"
Xu Nuo wasn't upset that Xu Jinhong's family was so annoying and they were having a hard time. She coldly looked back at Xu Guihua and said, "Grandma, why are you in such a hurry? I'm just trying to find a solution so that Uncle won't have to go out and work hard every day only to end up with nothing."
Xu Guihua was furious. She glared at Xu Jin'an several times, but he acted as if he hadn't heard her, sitting there knitting. He clearly wasn't going to get involved. Xu Guihua said, "What's your plan?"
"Of course I have a way, a way that satisfies both sides."
As soon as she said that, everyone looked at her.
Xu Yunyun asked, "Cousin, do you... do you have any ideas?"
Xu Nuo smiled knowingly and said, "Finding a house is not something that can be done in a day or two. Until we find one, your family can stay here for now."
Everyone thought they had misheard.
Xu Jinan and Xue Ping exchanged bewildered glances. What did their daughter just say? That she wanted them to stay at their home?
Xu Jinhong and his family picked at their ears. What did Xu Nuo just say? That he told them to stay?
Guo Ailian was the first to react, her face beaming with joy. She was overjoyed. Xu Nuo had finally become sensible today. Their family was staying here, and not only was the environment and food excellent, it was like a windfall.
Guo Ailian flattered, "Oh, Nuonuo, you are so sensible. Don't worry, I will take care of all the housework and cooking. You and your mother can just enjoy yourselves."
Xu Nuo's smile remained unchanged as she nodded: "Yes, we didn't charge you rent, and we even gave you food, so it's only right that you do the work."
Seeing that neither Xue Ping nor Xu Jin'an objected, Guo Ailian understood Xu Nuo's importance in the family. She wished she could treat Xu Nuo like a goddess, regardless of whether her words were harsh or not. She nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes, that's right."
Xu Guihua's worries were resolved, and she said with satisfaction, "That's right. Your uncle's family has had it so hard. Back then, if it weren't for your uncle, your father wouldn't have been able to study..."
She originally wanted to take credit for Xu Jinhong's achievement of enabling Xu Jin'an to study, but remembering that this matter had already been exposed, she stopped herself in time.
"It's not easy, so I'll give you a little more time, let's wait until ten days later."
Xu Jinhong was taken aback: "Ten days later?"
"Well, Uncle, you should focus on finding a place to live for the next ten days. If you can't find one..."
Xu Nuo paused for a moment, and Xu Guihua squinted and asked, "What if we can't find it?"
She smiled and said, "Then Uncle should move back to Baici Village. They can't make a living here anyway. They can go back and farm to support themselves, right?"
Xu Guihua shouted, her gaze sharp as she looked at Xu Nuo: "No way."
Xu Nuo was the type who responded to gentle persuasion but not force. Meeting Xu Guihua's gaze, her voice remained soft and gentle, yet Xu Guihua could hear the undeniable argument: "Whether it works or not depends on Uncle. If you still can't find a house in ten days, then it means you won't be able to find one in the future. Are you going to stay here forever if you don't go back?"
Xu Guihua slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "What's wrong with staying here? This is my son's home. Who do you think you are? We're staying here and not going anywhere. If you're so capable, then have your dad kick us out!"
Xu Guihua was speaking to Xu Nuo, but her words were meant for Xu Jinhong's ears.
Xu Nuo looked frightened by Xu Guihua, and Xue Ping pulled her to her side with pity, saying coldly, "This house belongs to my father."
Xu Guihua had been pondering this matter for several nights. She said rather dismissively, "What? Why don't you tell your dad to take the house back and let your husband be homeless too? Or let him go back to Baici Village to live. Anyway, I'll live wherever my son lives."
Xue Ping choked up.
Xu Jin'an clenched his fists, his round eyes, like Xu Nuo's, filled with determination: "I'm going back to Baici Village."
Xue Ping was taken aback and glanced at Xu Jin'an.
Xu Guihua's heart skipped a beat, and Guo Ailian was the first to panic: "Uncle, what are you saying? How can you live in Baici Village? Don't you want your job?"
To everyone's surprise, Xu Jin'an nodded seriously: "No need, Mother, didn't you want me to take care of you? I'll go back to Baici Village to farm, and I can still support you."
Xu Guihua became agitated: "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Xu Jinan earns several tens of yuan a month, and he gives eight yuan to Xu Guihua every month. If he stops working, won't he lose those eight yuan?
Xu Jinhong's family depends entirely on these eight yuan to live on.
Xu Jinan stood up, his attitude resolute: "It's settled then. If you can't find a house in ten days, we'll go back to Baici Village together."
After saying that, Xu Jin'an ignored Xu Guihua and Guo Ailian's crying and fussing, and with a cold face, pulled Xue Ping back to her room.
Xu Nuo found the house noisy, so she carried a large bag of things she had brought back from Luxian Village back to her room and took her usual small bag when she went out.
She planned to eat at a state-run restaurant and bring some food back for Xu Jinan and Xue Ping as well.
As soon as I went downstairs, I saw a man sitting at the top of the stairs.
The man had been sitting for a while. When he saw her come downstairs, he walked over with a worried look on his face. He gently placed his large hand on the top of her head and asked in a soft voice, "Nuonuo, are you alright?"
Xu Nuo was fine at first, but after he asked her that question, she suddenly felt like crying.
This isn't the place to talk. She pulled Li Xian's hand and walked towards the rooftop, her voice like a cat's: "I'm a little unhappy."
Li Xian felt a pang of sympathy when he heard the hurt in her voice.
Xu Nuo looked up: "Why haven't you left yet?"
“I saw someone knock on your door.”
He was worried.
Xu Nu snorted coldly, her voice full of disdain: "He's my dad's older brother, and he's moved into my house and won't leave."
really.
Li Xian's eyes were cold and deep.
It had just rained, and the rooftop was wet.
Li Xian closed the rooftop door, turned around and pulled the delicate woman into his arms, wishing he could bear all her grievances.
His embrace was firm and secure, like a safe haven that could shield Xu Nuo from all the storms. His palms rested on her back, as if to comfort her, and the worries in her heart seemed to be blown away by a gust of wind, disappearing without a trace.
Xu Nuo pressed her forehead against his chest and breathed out softly.
She closed her eyes and leaned against him, slowly recounting what had happened that day.
She grew angrier as she spoke, her eyes red as she looked up at him and asked, "Why are they so annoying? Do they have to make things really ugly? And that Xu Guihua, what kind of mother is she? She just bullies my dad because he's easy to bully, doesn't she?"
Li Xian gently placed his palm on the top of her head, softly comforting her.
Thinking of that sleazy man, his eyes turned cold and sharp.
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