Li Wanshi thought for a long time, but it seemed that she had no other good ideas besides asking her daughter-in-law for money directly.
Li Wanshi and Li Qingshan discussed it, and Li Qingshan earnestly advised his daughter-in-law, "Give the letter to your eldest daughter-in-law, and stop making a fuss. They will naturally be filial to you."
Li Wanshi glared at them coldly, "Bullshit! If I don't find a way to control them, will they even care about you or me?"
Since the men were at a loss, Li Wanshi went to find her beloved youngest son, Li Song.
However, Li Song was quite cunning. Instead of saying it directly, he first flattered his mother and then encouraged her, "Mother, you're so smart, you can definitely do it!"
Li Wanshi was so flattered that she was dizzy. It took her a while to realize what was happening when she got back to her room. Her youngest son hadn't offered any advice either!
After thinking it over and over, Li Wanshi finally decided to go directly to Zhao Sufang.
Li Jinjia.
Zhao Sufang and Li Jin, a married couple, are worried about their eldest son's marriage.
Li Weijun absolutely refused to go on a blind date, declaring, "If you force me to go on a blind date, don't blame me for not giving you any face later!"
Li Weijun was also a stubborn man, and Li Jin was afraid that he might do something reckless during the blind date, which would offend his relatives.
He quickly asked Li Xiangdong to take him to his third daughter's house on his bicycle, putting the blind date on hold.
I need to explain this to my in-laws properly; it's really embarrassing for them to go back on their word like this!
Li Jin and Li Xiangdong went out, leaving Zhao Sufang and Li Zhen and their children at home.
Zhao Sufang first went to the cannery to ask for leave, and then tidied up the house. Li Zhen wanted to help, but she stopped her fourth daughter, saying, "Hurry up and go study. If the college entrance examination is really reinstated next year, you should get into university so that you can have a job for life."
Li Xiangdong, using Secretary Liu's name, had already told his family that the college entrance examination would be reinstated in October next year.
Now, getting into university grants you cadre status; not only do you not have to pay tuition, but the government also provides subsidies, and you're assigned a job after graduation.
If I can really get into university, I'll be set for life.
So now, aside from occasionally cooking, Li Zhen spends the rest of her time reviewing her lessons.
Sometimes Li Zhen thinks to herself that just a few months ago she almost arranged a marriage for her uncle, and now, a few months later she is preparing for the college entrance exam. It feels like a dream.
Zhao Sufang swept the ground clean with a broom, then splashed water on the ground to prevent dust from spreading.
After the room was cleaned up, she lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and closed her eyes to rest.
After an unknown amount of time, the door creaked open.
Zhao Sufang thought it was Li Jin returning, so she didn't open her eyes and asked, "Did you have a proper talk with your in-laws?"
"In broad daylight, lying on the kang (heated brick bed) doing nothing, you..."
Seeing Zhao Sufang's carefree demeanor, Li Wanshi's anger flared up, and she opened her mouth to curse, but then she remembered her purpose and swallowed the curse.
Zhao Sufang was startled when she heard her mother-in-law's voice. She sat up in surprise and saw her mother-in-law standing opposite her with a look of disgust on her face.
"What brings you here?" Zhao Sufang greeted her casually.
Li Wanshi got straight to the point, "Give me back the three hundred yuan I lent you, and I have a letter from your mother in western Sichuan."
As he spoke, he took a letter out of his pocket and waved it in front of Zhao Sufang.
Zhao Sufang was startled. How could her mother's letter be in her mother-in-law's hands?
Zhao Sufang held out her hand, "Give me the letter."
Li Wanshi carefully put away the letter, saying, "The money is exchanged for the letter."
While the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were at an impasse, Li Jin and Li Xiangdong went home.
When Zhao Sufang explained the situation, Li Xiangdong was puzzled. How did the letter end up in his grandmother's hands? Wasn't it sent to his second aunt in his previous life? Besides, this letter arrived more than a month later than in his previous life!
Li Jin stepped forward. "Mother, give me the letter."
Li Wanshi, her face grim, stood up and banged her head against Li Jin's stomach, wailing as she did so, "You ungrateful wretch! I raised you with my own hands, feeding you every drop of poop and piss! And now you look down on me like this? Heavens! Quickly send down a bolt of lightning to strike this unfilial son dead!"
Li Jin grabbed Li Wanshi's shoulders with both hands, pressed his mother down into a chair, and said irritably, "Mom, stop making a fuss! Did you pay me three hundred yuan? Didn't you and Su Fang's second aunt conspire to cheat me out of my money?"
"Are you even my own mother? How could you treat me like this?"
Li Wanshi calmed Li Jin down and stopped struggling. How could her son know that she and Qin Lingdi had set up a scheme to swindle money?
But even if her son found out, she couldn't admit it!
"You're talking nonsense! Who said I cheated you out of your money? I only paid out of my own pocket for the sake of your reputations! Now you're refusing to admit it, aren't you?"
"Let me tell you, if you don't give me the money, I'll sue you and see how you still have the nerve to be the brigade leader!"
Li Jin lost his patience. "Mom, go ahead and sue me. I don't care about being the brigade leader!"
The Li family's gate was not closed, and the noise could be heard far and wide. The villagers who were finishing their work nearby could all hear it, and now the whole courtyard was full of onlookers.
"The brigade leader's mother is causing trouble again!"
"That old woman is really never quiet."
"She's just biased, she favors her youngest son."
"Hey, she's not letting the brigade leader be the brigade leader anymore. Will Xiangdong still give us ideas to make money in the future?"
Suddenly, someone realized a serious problem.
After he said that, everyone stopped watching the spectacle. They had just seen a glimmer of hope for making money, and you, an old woman, were going to extinguish it?
We don't care if you throw a tantrum or show favoritism, but it's wrong for you to cut off everyone's source of income!
Several elderly people came in and surrounded Li Wanshi, who was jumping up and down, trying to persuade her and even criticizing her.
Li Wanshi was so angry that her face turned as red as an eggplant, but she was a little hesitant to turn against everyone in the village.
The room was small and crowded, so everyone was juggling things. Li Xiangdong took a moment to reach out and pull the letter out of Li Wanshi's coat pocket.
He pulled Zhao Sufang, and the mother and daughter squeezed out of the crowd, leaving the mess to Li Jin.
Finding a quiet place, Li Xiangdong opened the letter, which contained a page of green-lined paper.
"Mother, look—"
The letter was very brief.
"Second sister, third sister, hello!"
I am your younger brother, Luo Yonggang. You may not have met me yet. Our mother is Liu Jiangsu.
Mother fell ill a few days ago; she was very ill. When she was unconscious, she often called your names.
I told Dad I would send you a telegram so you could come see Mom, but Mom disagreed.
She said she was sorry to both of you, and didn't want you to spend money to travel so far.
Mother is awake now, but she still can't get out of bed. She misses you all very much.
This letter is something I wrote to you secretly, eldest sister, second sister. If you have time, could you please come and visit Mother?
Yours sincerely,
Luo Yonggang
Liangbo Brigade, Hongxing Commune, Manjiang County, Erlangshan City, Western Sichuan Province.
After reading the letter, Li Xiangdong understood that it was a letter his uncle had sent secretly. He didn't have an address in Lijiapo, so he could only send it to his grandmother's former husband's house.
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