Seeing Zhao Sufeng's flustered state, Li Xiangdong found it amusing, but deliberately mumbled, "My parents are working..."
Seeing that her second uncle, Zhao Hairen, was about to leave the chair, Zhao Sufeng hurriedly went up and pressed him down again.
“I’m going to find Sufang and bring her back. It’s been so long since we’ve seen her. She must miss you and Second Aunt.”
Turning back, he instructed Li Ping, "Xiao Wu, go pour water for your second maternal grandfather and grandmother, and put extra maltose in your Uncle Zhu's bowl!"
Zhao Dezhu's eyes lit up at the mention of maltose. "Bring me the candy jar, I'll put it in myself!"
Li Ping glanced at Li Xiangdong, and seeing that the other party nodded, she reluctantly went out to pour water, pouting.
Li Xiangdong plopped down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and asked with a smile, "Why did Second Grandpa remember our village?"
Zhao Hairen didn't even lift an eyelid. "Come and take a look."
"You're too kind, sir. It should be my mother visiting you!"
Zhao Hairen felt that the kid's smile was a bit forced and his words were loaded with hidden meanings, but seeing that he was only a teenager, he didn't bother to engage in banter with him.
"Everyone sees everyone the same. Isn't your mother busy? She doesn't come back to her parents' home for a year or two."
Zhao Hairen remained silent, but Qin Lingdi slowly spoke up.
“My maternal grandmother lives far away in western Sichuan, and I can’t go back to my maternal home even if I want to!” Li Xiangdong sighed.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hairen's eyebrows shot up. "Bullshit! Your mother's family is from Zhao Erjie Village, what kind of bullshit Western Sichuan is this!"
Qin Lingdi quickly went to comfort the old man, rubbing his back to help him catch his breath.
"Why are you so angry? Xiangdong is still a child! What does he know? He probably just heard it from his little niece."
With a sad sigh, she said to Li Xiangdong, "You're too young to know. Your maternal grandmother ran away with someone before the soil on your maternal grandfather's grave had even dried. Sigh, these things shouldn't have been told to you children, for fear of offending your ears."
Li Xiangdong thought to himself, "This second maternal grandmother is quite eloquent. In just a few words, she not only smeared his mother and maternal grandmother but also sowed discord between him and his maternal grandmother."
"Oh dear, Second Grandma, it's alright, tell me. I know everything. So-and-so's father-in-law and daughter-in-law were caught cheating by their mother-in-law. And so-and-so's brother-in-law and brother's wife had a baby."
"Oh my goodness, this is terrible! How did Sufang raise this child?!"
Qin Lingdi hurriedly covered his youngest son's ears.
Seeing Zhao Hairen so angry he was practically fuming, Li Xiangdong was overjoyed and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Just then, Li Ping came in with a glass of water, placed one glass for each person, and put a half-empty jar of maltose in front of Zhao Dezhu.
Zhao Hairen felt deeply offended and got up to leave, but Zhao Dezhu's eyes lit up when he saw the malt candy and he refused to leave. Zhao Hairen couldn't persuade his son, so he sat down angrily and ignored Li Xiangdong completely.
Li Ping and Li Xiangdong came out of the house. Li Ping whispered, "Second Grandpa has a really bad temper. It's Uncle Zhuzi. Why does he seem to be missing a screw in his head?"
Li Xiangdong smiled and nodded, "A little."
He was too lazy to go in and deal with the three people, so he pulled up a deck chair and lay down in the yard to enjoy the sun.
This family is just here to freeload. If his mother is willing to give them something, he won't be stingy. If his mother isn't willing to give them anything, he will never let them take advantage of him.
He didn't know how long he had been lying there, he was almost asleep when he suddenly heard his mother's voice.
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, what brings you here?"
"Little girl! You've really grown up now, haven't you? Your second uncle has come all the way from dozens of miles away to rely on you, and you're just going to leave him hanging?"
Zhao Hairen pointed at Zhao Sufang with his right index finger.
"The factory is busy right now, and I can't leave for the time being," Zhao Sufang explained calmly, without any panic or anxiety.
"And what about my niece's husband? Hmm? I haven't seen him all day!" Zhao Hairen persisted.
“Sufang, it’s not that your second aunt is stirring things up, but your nephew-in-law isn’t looking down on us, he’s looking down on your family and on you!” Qin Lingdi said slowly.
Seeing her second aunt's expression, Zhao Sufang couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. She had been living with her since she was five years old, and this woman, though seemingly kind, was actually quite malicious and had often stirred up trouble for her.
Every time she says something, it's not because I stirred things up, my second uncle will give himself a good beating.
"Aaaaaaaahh ...
A sharp scream suddenly came from inside the house, startling Li Xiangdong!
"Mom! My liqueur chocolates! My orange juice! My canned lychees! My malted milk powder!"
"ah--"
It was Li Jiabao's voice.
Li Xiangdong frowned, went inside and saw... well!
In front of Zhao Dezhu was a pile of colorful chocolate wrappers, an opened can of orange juice and lychee cans, and a bottle of malted milk powder with foam scattered on the kang (heated brick bed).
"Who brought it to him? I clearly put it in the closet!"
Li Ping and Li Jiabao followed Zhao Sufang into the house. Zhao Sufang didn't pay attention, but when the two of them saw that the good food they were reluctant to eat was being eaten by wolves and dogs, they immediately became furious.
"What? You didn't take it out?" Zhao Sufang asked.
Li Xiangdong and Li Ping both shook their heads.
My second aunt's habit of rummaging through boxes has struck again!
Back then, I was living under someone else's roof, and even if I knew she had turned over a new leaf, there was nothing I could do. But now I'm at home, in Lijiapo!
"Second Aunt, no one was home, so you just started rummaging through my closet yourself?" Zhao Sufang asked sternly.
"Your brother was hungry just now, find him something to eat." Qin Lingdi said without any concern.
"You're a thief!" Li Ping shouted angrily.
“Yes! A thief!” Li Jiabao chimed in.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat! What thief! Your mother's things belong to your uncle!" Qin Lingdi waved his hand impatiently at Li Jiabao and Li Ping.
Without saying a word, Zhao Sufang walked forward a few steps, screwed the lids on the lychee cans and the orange juice cans on top, put them into the cloth bag that Qin Lingdi was carrying, and then threw in the malted milk powder.
"Consider this my gift to you two. I have other things to attend to, so you should go back now!"
This means they're being kicked out.
"You, you, you...you are unfilial! I raised you from age five to fifteen, do you know how hard it was for me?" Zhao Hairen's goatee trembled with anger.
Qin Lingdi's eyes darted around. His little niece's family had so many good things. It seemed that his second niece was right. His little niece's family had become rich!
I've come all this way through so much trouble, and my eldest son's family, second son's family, and third son's family are all waiting for my financial support!
Qin Lingdi, having changed her sarcastic tone, now showed genuine affection on her face. "Little girl, your second aunt was wrong just now, and I apologize. Look at our old bones, we've walked over forty miles without even having lunch, and you really have the heart to let us go?"
"If we really leave, people will talk behind our backs and say that we don't care about our family!"
"Don't you think that makes sense?"
Li Xiangdong: My second maternal grandmother is truly flexible and adaptable!
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