"Your uncle is really good at climbing trees. He always finds bird eggs and picks wild fruits for me. They're so delicious."
The two children listened with great interest; their mother's childhood was truly fascinating.
Xiao Li looked at the Chang family's old house with its courtyard gate slightly open. This was a place the original owner had longed to enter her whole life, but never had the courage to step into again.
Feeling excited, Xiaoli sighed softly.
"I'll take you home."
Who is it?
A young woman opened the door and looked at the three people standing in the doorway.
"Sister-in-law."
Xiao Li quickly called for help. When the original owner left home, Yu Xiang had already moved in.
"You are... Xiaoli, you must be Xiaoli? We haven't seen each other for so many years, come in quickly."
Yu Xiang ushered the three people into the house, shouting into the house as she did so.
"Mom and Dad, come quick! Who's here?"
Who is it?
Chang's mother came out of the house, and she cried as soon as she came out.
"You silly child, why did it take you so long to come back?"
Xiao Li hugged Chang's mother's arm, letting her hold her in her arms.
"Mom, I'm home."
"Waaaaah..."
Hurried footsteps came from inside the house. "Who is it?"
Chang's father had long since retired. Now that the village chief had changed, he had some free time and spent his time at home growing vegetables and raising chickens.
The moment he saw Xiaoli, his eyes reddened, but he remained silent with a stern face.
His tightly pressed thin lips trembled incessantly, revealing the turmoil in his heart.
"Why is that old man still wearing that stern face? Don't scare the child."
Only then did Father Chang notice his two granddaughters. His mouth twitched, and he gave a smile.
"My dear granddaughter, come to your grandfather quickly."
He strode into the house and came out with a handful of candy. He gave the candy to his two granddaughters and then gave the remaining candy to Xiaoli.
Xiao Li's eyes welled up with tears, her throat tightened, and tears streamed down her face.
"dad……"
Father Chang turned around. "Why aren't you coming in? What are you doing standing at the door?"
Everyone went inside and sat down. Mother Chang kept asking questions, and Xiao Li answered them patiently.
Father Chang listened attentively, occasionally chiming in with a few words, and the family enjoyed a harmonious time together.
Yu Xiang served tea to the group, saying, "I'll go call your brother back; he'll be off work soon too."
Xiao Li pulled Yu Xiang to sit down. "Sister-in-law, don't go. He'll be back when he gets off work. Let's cook and eat when he gets back."
Chang Xiaozhou works as a primary school teacher in the town, which is a good job in the countryside.
"Then let's not go. Xiangxiang, go buy some good groceries. Xiaoli, rest. Your sister-in-law and I will cook later."
Chang's mother felt sorry for her daughter. Over the years, she had come to know how her daughter had fared. The family was poor, and she had never known how well she had managed to survive.
"Okay, I'll go right away."
Xiao Li pulled her sister-in-law and Chang's mother to look at the basket in the kitchen, which she had brought that morning and was filled with many good things.
"I brought everything, so don't go shopping. Just use what you have, and it will last a long time."
Mother Chang was startled. Had they brought all their family's wealth?
"You silly child, how can your mother-in-law not scold you for bringing all this? Take all of this back with you, and don't touch it."
"Mom, it'll go bad if we don't eat it. Besides, I bought it myself, it wasn't paid for by the Wang family."
Chang's mother sensed something was wrong and pressed for details.
"Come out and tell me, what's wrong with you?"
Xiao Li was both amused and exasperated; Chang's father was truly adorable.
“Mom and Dad, sister-in-law, I won’t hide it from you. Wang Qingwei wants a divorce, and I’ve already agreed. Both children will stay with me, and I’ve already asked them…”
"What? Divorce?"
These days, divorce is considered shameful, and it's also big news.
"That Wang Qingwei! He promised to treat you well back then, and now he's changed his mind?"
Mr. Chang was so angry that he cursed, "I'm going to find him right now and ask him if he has any conscience at all."
Xiao Li stopped her father, saying, "Dad, what's the point of keeping a heartless person around? Let him go. I only want my child."
Mother Chang was about to cry again, "My poor Xiaoli."
Xiao Li gave a helpless bitter smile, "Dad, Mom, I'm not sad. Everyone has met a few scumbags. Just get a divorce. I have hands and feet, and I can live a good life."
It took the Chang family a long time to accept this fact.
"Xiaoli, you stay at home. We'll raise the child. Don't worry, your parents are still here."
Father Chang felt sorry for his daughter and immediately spoke up. Mother Chang glanced at her daughter-in-law, and Yu Xiang immediately expressed her opinion.
"Xiaoli, your brother has missed you a lot over the years. Just stay at home. We'll feed you, so you won't go hungry."
Xiaoli shared her thoughts, and her family was relieved to see that she was indeed decisive and not upset.
Chang Xiaozhou returned at noon, and the family cooked a delicious meal and ate happily. Yu Xiang diligently tidied up the room for the mother and her two daughters to stay.
When Xiaoli came out, she had already taken the important things with her; the rest were just old and worn-out things, which she didn't need.
After so many years, the Chang family finally welcomed laughter again. The two children were also very well-behaved. Xiao Li did not hide anything from them and let them choose who to live with.
Unsurprisingly, the two daughters chose their mother. Although they were young, they could sense that their father and grandparents disliked them a little, while only their mother loved them wholeheartedly.
Wang Qingwei finally realized that Chang Xiaoli was serious. If he wanted freedom, he would have to give up custody and pay child support.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Wang disagreed; they held traditional views and believed that the descendants of the Wang family must live in the Wang family.
Wang Qingwei brought up the argument that Jiang Lan might be carrying a boy, and only then did the two elders agree.
He consulted a lawyer, who said the child was more likely to stay with the mother, and that a lawsuit would damage his reputation. Wang Qingwei eventually agreed to Xiao Li's conditions.
Standing at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Wang Qingwei held his divorce certificate and sighed inwardly. He was now single again, but his wife and children were gone, and he felt empty inside.
Xiao Li stuck the bad luck charm on Wang Qingwei. She had drawn it specially for him, an extra-long version, hoping he could withstand it.
"Xiaoli, I hope we can still be friends in the future. No matter what, I am still the father of my child."
Xiao Li responded earnestly, "The child won't lack a father. You just need to take care of your illegitimate child. We'll get better and better without you. Just send the money on time from now on."
Xiao Li took the children out for a big meal. The money she had just received was gone before she even had a chance to enjoy it, but Xiao Li didn't feel bad about it.
"Mom, are we really going to live in Youcheng?"
Xiao Li nodded, "I will take good care of you."
The eldest daughter, Wang Yanzhen, was a little worried, "What about our school?"
"Mom will handle it. You just focus on your studies and leave the rest to Mom."
The youngest daughter, Wang Yanxi, is at an innocent age; she only cares about eating delicious food.
?
Wang Qingwei returned to Youcheng with his parents and held a grand wedding with Jiang Lanxin. He settled his parents in an apartment under Jiang Lanxin's name, while he and Jiang Lanxin lived in a three-bedroom apartment in the city.
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