Chapter 91 Ancient World: Stepmother (8)
Li Qingyue seized on this weakness and knelt down with a thud.
"Clan leader, elders, you've all seen it. This fool is completely ungrateful. Please, let him go, or our family will never have peace."
"No!" Zhao Lianhua said again.
Changqing let out another cold laugh.
"Li Qingyue, stop talking, it's no use. I'm the most important person in my mother's heart. She'll definitely only agree to marry me off after she spends money to help me get married!"
ah?
Zhao Lianhua was stunned again and shook her head repeatedly.
No, that's not it.
She was genuinely afraid that Li Qingyue would misunderstand, but she couldn't explain herself. She was just so anxious that her chest ached, and she couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.
"Heh, still denying it? You can fool my dad, but you can't fool me and my brother!"
Li Xiangling scoffed. She didn't believe Zhao Lianhua at all. She wasn't her biological mother. How could she be on the same page as her siblings? She was kidding. She guessed that Li Changqing wanted to drive them away because his mother had taught him to.
Zhao Lianhua nearly coughed up blood. She felt as if the whole world was against her. She opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but couldn't utter a single word.
Li Qingyue glared fiercely at Zhao Lianhua, then stood up, pulled the clan leader aside, and whispered a few words to him.
When they came back, the clan chief changed his attitude. He beckoned and called Changqing to him.
"Changqing, you're a capable person, you can support yourself without any problem, right?"
Zhao Lianhua wanted to say something, but was glared at fiercely by Li Qingyue and shut up reluctantly.
Changqing tilted his head back, looking completely oblivious to the world, and said, "Of course, supporting me and my sister won't be a problem!"
"Hehe, would you like to move back to the old house alone, to be in charge of your own life?" the old clan chief coaxed gently.
Changqing hesitated.
Zhao Lianhua looked expectant. Not to mention that the land was going to be inherited, the family was falling apart, and her reputation wouldn't be good either.
"Son..." she began hesitantly.
"I'm going to bring my sister to cook for me," Changqing finally said.
The clan chief's expression relaxed.
He looked at the crowd behind him.
"Everyone, you've all heard it. Changqing is a man of his own mind. He's very capable, as everyone can see. Now that he's of age, inheriting his father's estate is no problem at all."
"Besides, neither he nor Huanxi were adopted by Fusheng, so strictly speaking, it can't be considered a separation of the family..."
Everyone fell silent. Everyone understood what the words meant: the clan leader agreed to let Changqing and his sister live independently. They just didn't know what Li Qingyue had said that could influence the clan leader's decision.
Aunt Dongzhi looked reluctant to speak. What kind of life would the two children lead if they lived alone?
However, the clan chief clearly knew what everyone was thinking, and he paused for a moment.
"Of course, Changqing is not married yet, so we should help him out as much as possible. If any family has a suitable girl, please introduce him. He is capable, so it's not like no one will be interested in him."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Li Huanxi.
"Huanxi, it's your choice: go with your brother or stay with your mother."
"My brother and I." Li Huanxi said without the slightest hesitation.
Zhao Lianhua's expression turned even uglier.
“Alright, let’s do it that way. Everyone will be a witness today.” The clan chief made the final decision.
That evening.
Changqing packed a small bundle, grabbed his quilt, and moved back to the old house with his younger sister.
Let them go first, then we'll talk.
As for the rest, we'll figure it out later.
He didn't ask for a share of the grain or family property, and he didn't even take any pots, pans, or ladles. That night, the brother and sister simply lit a fire and roasted wild eggs to eat.
"Tomorrow, let's go to town to buy some more things."
Changqing said calmly.
“But we don’t have any money?” Li Huanxi frowned. Although she knew it was unlikely that she could get money from her mother, she was still a little panicked because they didn’t even have any food.
"I have my own plans."
Changqing wasn't flustered at all. Since it was just the two of them now, he didn't mind saying a few more words. "Tomorrow, I'll go to Uncle Liu's house. He rented the land our father left behind. In previous years, he would pay the rent after the harvest. At worst, I'll reduce the rent by 20% and let him pay it in advance. He should agree."
"ah?"
Li Huanxi was taken aback. "He... will he hand him over to us? Before...?"
“It used to be handed over to Mom, but now that the clan chief has said that I have established my own household, it should be handed over to me. Moreover, I can even promise him that the tax will be reduced by 20% for the next few years, and he will make a choice.”
Changqing smiled. He wasn't worried about that at all. It was only natural for a son to inherit his father's business. In the story, it was only because the original owner died and the daughter had no right to inherit that the business fell into someone else's hands.
This is a natural advantage of being a son.
Now, he is alive and well, and has moved out of Li Fusheng's house. Even his mother, Zhao Lianhua, can't stop him, since she has indeed remarried.
Seeing her brother so confident, Li Huanxi felt a little relieved. Although things had been a bit unexpected, it seemed that her brother really could hold his own, which was something to be happy about.
"Aunt Dongzhi said we can ask her if we have any difficulties. Tomorrow morning, we'll split up and I'll go to her to borrow some food."
After thinking for a moment, Li Huanxi said that although it was difficult at the beginning, she still felt hopeful. After all, she was finally earning a living for herself.
"Alright."
Changqing nodded; he was happy to see his sister's thoughtful plan.
Li Huanxi counted the wild eggs she had hidden on her fingers again. She originally had nine left, but she roasted four that night, leaving five. She planned to keep them and stir-fry them with some wild onions the next day.
The two sat by the earthen stove, chatting about tomorrow, and gradually their worries subsided.
The atmosphere at Li Fusheng's house that evening was rather strange.
Li Qingyue and her brother both had the air of victors, especially when they saw Changqing and his sister leave with just blankets and clothes, they felt secretly pleased.
What an idiot!
If there's no food left, you won't be able to come back. The clan chief has already made that clear, and he did it in front of so many people.
"Hehe, when that fool comes begging to come to me, I'm going to give him a good laugh."
During dinner, Li Xiangling deliberately spoke loudly.
Li Qingyue was also somewhat smug. He glanced at his silent stepmother Zhao Lianhua, his gaze carrying a hidden meaning.
"They're very capable; they can make a living by working and don't need anyone to worry about them. Some people should just give up and not end up with nothing."
Zhao Lianhua forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace.
What else could she say? She was truly caught in the middle.
Originally, they had such a good reputation in the village. They took good care of all four children, and the family was harmonious. Now, as soon as Li Fusheng left, the family was in chaos, and two of their children even moved away.
I just hope they're just making a fuss for a while, and that they'll come back once they've suffered enough. When Fusheng comes back, he'll definitely support them, since those lands bring in a lot of income.
"Qingyue, Xiangling, you're going to town tomorrow, so eat more."
She stood up and served food to the two children.
“We’re not going to town. We’re not going anywhere until Dad comes back.”
The two spoke in unison.
Did they plan to secretly help Changqing and the other two after they left?
impossible!
They would keep a close watch on them, and ideally, after a few days, the two would be starving and begging for mercy on their knees at their doorsteps, and they would show no mercy whatsoever!
Zhao Lianhua fell silent, feeling utterly powerless.
For the first time, she felt that Fusheng's two children were not sensible either.
"I just hope that Changqing can understand his mother's difficulties and stop being so stubborn."
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