Chapter 8 You can't take him away!
Summer is in full swing, and even at midnight, there's only a slight breeze, which is warm and hot, not only not cooling but also adding to the heat.
The drama unfolding at Li Shiyue's house tonight made the already sweltering night even hotter.
Originally, the edge of the place where Li Family Village set up camp, which was the spot where Li's father and Qin Tao were lying on the boulder, was only visited by a small group of people, no more than a dozen, who came to watch the scandalous affairs of Li Shiyue's family.
As the matter unfolded, first Li Shiyue and her mother went to look for them, then Li's grandmother and Li Wangming also came over, followed by Zheng Meiniang and her two sisters, who rushed over, supporting each other, and finally, more and more people from Lijia Village came to watch the spectacle.
If Li Youfu and the three clan elders hadn't been called over by the villagers long ago, they probably wouldn't have been able to get a good look at the front of the line.
The drama unfolding at Li Shiyue's house was one after another, providing a thoroughly entertaining spectacle for the anxious and fearful villagers of Lijia Village who had been on the road to escape famine for more than half a month. It greatly eased everyone's mood.
"Judging from Chun's expression, she's determined to get a divorce."
"Why can't Chunniang understand? If there's no man in the family on this road, let alone encountering refugees, the mountain road is not easy to travel."
"It's better to swallow this anger for now and talk about it when we get there."
The women from each household gathered in small groups at the back, watching the spectacle while enthusiastically discussing whether or not the couple should get a divorce.
"Hmph, Erdan's mother, you're dreaming too much."
You didn't come over just now, so you didn't hear what was going on up ahead.
Li Wangguang even sent his own donkey cart to Qin Tao's family to use, neglecting his own dear mother. He only knew how to please his lover and cared only for other people's children, abandoning his own.
On this journey of fleeing famine, if you really encounter refugees, do you think someone as fragile as a stone could survive?
I'm afraid I'll have to become a stepping stone for Qin Tao's family.
Would you still dare to date a man like that?
If Chunniang doesn't divorce, it's uncertain whether she and her two children will even be able to leave Henan Province in the future.
Zhou Lanhua said it was in a low voice, but it was actually quite loud. She leaned down and whispered in Erdan's mother's ear, while looking towards the boulder as she spoke.
"Hey, stop talking, look, the scholar has passed by."
Li Youfu's eldest grandson, Li Shiyang, is the only scholar in Lijia Village to date who has obtained the title of Xiucai (a degree in the imperial examination system).
The decision by the entire Li family to abandon their ancestral land and houses and flee the famine was made possible by Li Shiyang, who was studying at the prefectural school in the city at the time, having received advance notice and noticed something amiss.
Upon receiving the news, Li Shiyang hurried back to Lijia Village several days later. He discussed the matter carefully with Li Youfu and the clan elders for three days and three nights. Finally, the entire clan and village embarked on a journey to escape famine.
Thanks to Li Shiyang's decisiveness, on the fifth day after the entire Li family set off, they took a less traveled mountain path. At that time, they saw the horrific scene of a village being slaughtered by refugees from halfway up the mountain.
The scene was horrific. Many villagers were so terrified that their hands and feet trembled. Some of the more timid women and men were so frightened that they vomited bile and yellow fluid, and some even wet their pants.
That night, the villagers of Lijia Village didn't dare to sleep. They traveled through the night to cross the mountain and get far away from it before they felt less afraid.
Therefore, everyone in Lijia Village recognized Li Shiyang as a man of great ability. He was a learned man with a sharp mind, and this time he returned to the village to report the news and led the entire village to flee the famine. Wherever Li Shiyang went, everyone in Lijia Village would greet him with respect.
Even the three elders of Li Family Village, who were of high enough seniority, were very kind to Li Shiyang.
"Shiyang is here?"
Fifth Uncle greeted Li Shiyang, who was walking over with a solemn expression, very warmly. Li Shiyang bowed to Li Youfu and the three elders.
“Grandpa, we still have to travel tomorrow. If everyone doesn’t get enough sleep, they won’t have any energy tomorrow, which is probably not a good thing.”
Li Youfu naturally knew that Li Shiyang was right. In order to avoid large groups of refugees and government soldiers, they traveled along mountain roads and small paths all the way.
The mountain roads were difficult to travel, and they were traveling with their families, including many elderly people, women, and children. There were only five or six families in the village that owned donkeys or mules; the rest of the villagers carried their belongings on their shoulders and in their hands.
Therefore, they traveled slowly, and after more than half a month, they still hadn't left Henan Road.
Li Youfu nodded, stood up, and waved to his father: "Wangguang, come over here. Let's have a good talk about your family's situation."
Some observant villagers directed everyone to gather the torches that each family had lit earlier, making sure to light up the area where Li Shiyue and his family lived.
Li Youfu stood in the middle, with three clan elders and Li Shiyang behind him. To his left stood Li Shiyue and her two children, as well as Zheng Mei and her two children. To his right stood Li's father, with Qin Tao beside him. Two steps away from Qin Tao were Li's grandmother, still leaning on her wooden cane with an angry expression, and Li Wangming, who was supporting her.
"Shiyang is right. We still have to travel tomorrow. Let's resolve this matter at your house as soon as possible so that everyone can rest."
"Come on, Wangguang, tell me, what do you mean?"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Li looked up at Mrs. Li, who had already wiped away her tears and stood up straight.
Li's mother received Li's father's gaze, but she felt utterly disgusted and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
"Uncle Fu, I don't want to divorce Chunniang."
"This matter," Li's father said, then looked down at Qin Tao, who was clinging to his arm. Qin Tao immediately looked up, her eyes filled with tears, and called out to Li's father with an innocent and remorseful expression, "Brother Guangzi..."
“It was my fault, I’m sorry to Chunniang.”
But Chunniang and I have been husband and wife for twenty years, and we have two children, Shitou and Shiyue. We have a bond of affection between us.
"As long as Chunniang agrees to let Taoniang be my concubine and let her give birth to the child, I promise to treat her and the children well in the future."
"Haha, what a huge joke!"
My Chunniang won't tolerate this kind of injustice from you!
Before Li Youfu could say anything, Zheng Meiniang started cursing.
"Li Wangguang, you heartless bastard! What did you say when you came to my house to ask for my hand in marriage? Have you forgotten?"
Li's mother had already made up her mind to divorce him, and now, listening to Li Wangguang's disgusting words, she was so angry that she almost laughed.
"Haha, Li Wangguang, I am determined to divorce you, bringing Shitou and Shiyue with me!"
Stop wasting time, just tell me what you plan to give to us three.
Let's resolve this quickly so everyone can get some sleep; we have to travel tomorrow.
Everyone present could feel the determination in Li's mother's words. Li's father had been married to Li's mother for twenty years, so how could he not know what kind of person Li's mother was?
Previously, he thought that even if his affair with Qin Tao was accidentally exposed on the road of fleeing famine, Li's mother would be more considerate because they were on the road of fleeing famine, and would be able to tolerate his and Qin Tao's dirty deeds.
But by this point, Li's father understood that the marriage was definitely going to end tonight.
"...The donkey cart belongs to the Li family, and there's no way I'd give it to you...Considering the twenty years we've been husband and wife, you can take your dowry and personal clothes with you..."
October is a girl, it's good that she's with you;
"Shi Tou is my son. Even if he's mentally challenged, he's still a male member of the Li family. You can't take him away!"
When Shi Tou heard his name called, he looked up blankly at Li's father, who was speaking coldly across from him, not understanding what Li's father meant.
Li's mother's heart tightened, and her hand holding Li Shiyue's began to tremble again.
Through the original owner's memories, Li Shiyue knew, of course, how much energy, emotion, and time her mother had spent on the stone.
Moreover, given Li's father's cold-hearted nature, if the dim-witted Shi Tou follows him, he might really be pushed out by Li's father to take the fall for himself or Qin Tao's family in the future.
As for why Li's father insisted on having the stone, Li Shiyue guessed that he was afraid that the child in Qin Tao's belly was not a son, but a girl.
He kept the stone only in case he didn't have a son. If Qin Tao gave birth to a son, the stone would be abandoned immediately!
Therefore, how could Li's mother and Li Shiyue agree with what Li's father said?
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