Chapter 64 [VIP]
Li never expected that after so many years, her family would contact her again because her father was ill. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down her face.
After a moment, he said, "Let Uncle Chen prepare the carriage; we'll go back together tomorrow."
Chen Qingyan hurriedly prepared things for the trip, while the others helped Li Shi back to her bedroom.
Leaning against the bed, Li kept recalling memories of her father.
From a young age, her father doted on her, always giving her the best things in the house and spoiling her as she grew up.
When he learned that she was going to elope with Chen Xian, he was so angry that he whipped his daughter with a rattan whip thirty times, leaving her back covered in welts. At that time, Li almost hated her father to death.
Her father said that if she insisted on marrying Chen Xian, she would never be allowed to go back to the family again, nor would she acknowledge him as her father. The two families would never have any contact again, whether in life or death.
At the time, Li did not think her father would be so heartless, and she married into the Chen family as she wished.
Unexpectedly, when the couple returned home in their first year of marriage, they didn't even manage to enter the gate.
The following year, after Chen Qingyan was born, the couple and their child were still kicked out of the house, and even the New Year's gifts they sent were thrown out.
The same thing happened in the third year...
Most importantly, she was heartbroken that her mother had passed away without her noticing. She never went back after that and more than ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Unexpectedly, her father's health deteriorated.
Wang Ying sat beside her, holding her hand. "Mother, don't worry, we'll talk about it when we get there."
"well……"
Chen Qingyan and Uncle Chen prepared a mule cart, but one cart wasn't enough, so they rented another one from outside.
It takes four or five days to travel from the town to Tianyang County, and the weather is cold, so you have to keep warm on the bus.
Originally, Chen Qingyan did not intend to let Wang Ying go, after all, she was pregnant and he was afraid that her body could not withstand the long journey.
However, Wang Ying insisted on going along. The reason was simple: Li Shi was soft-hearted, Chen Qingyan was not good at arguing, and Qingyun and Qingsong were still young. If something happened, they would not have anyone to support them, and he was worried about that.
The next morning, the family got into the car early and headed towards Tianyang County, while Chen Rong stayed home with the two children to look after the house.
Throughout the journey, the worry on Li's face never faded; it was probably a case of trepidation as she approached her hometown, growing more and more uneasy the closer she got.
She was afraid that her father had already passed away, and she was also afraid of being humiliated by him when she went back. Her heart was burning with pain, and she couldn't describe the discomfort.
Finally, on the morning of the fifth day, we arrived in Tianyang County.
The Li family was very prestigious in Tianyang because three of its members had passed the imperial examinations. Although they had declined somewhat in this generation, they were still a family of scholars, and most of their descendants pursued education.
"Whoa~" The carriage stopped on Changwen Street, and the driver opened the door from the outside.
"Madam has arrived."
Li glanced anxiously at the gate, and only felt relieved when she saw that there was no white banner hanging at the door.
The group got out of the car and stood at the door waiting for the gatekeeper to go in and announce their arrival.
The children curiously looked at the entrance. It was their first time visiting their maternal grandparents' house. A plaque hung on the rust-red gate, and two small stone lions stood at the entrance, making it look particularly grand.
Soon after, footsteps were heard in the courtyard, and a young man followed behind the gatekeeper. This man was none other than Li Bingchen, the uncle's son.
He first bowed respectfully to Madam Li, and then led them into the courtyard in a manner that was neither cold nor warm.
“Grandfather has been seriously ill these past few days, and Father and Mother are both taking care of him and cannot come to greet you. Please do not blame me, Aunt.”
"It's alright... How is your grandfather's health?"
Li Bingchen said with a sorrowful expression, "I can't eat anything anymore."
Upon hearing this, Li felt a lump in her throat and quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
When she was young, she hated her father for treating her so cruelly. But now that she is a mother herself, she understands the profound love that parents have for their children.
Back then, Chen Jing was indeed a better match for her than Chen Xian. She was the youngest daughter in the family and had been spoiled since childhood; she was simply not cut out to be the matriarch. In addition, Chen Jing had already passed the imperial examination and was destined for a bright future, making him a better fit for her than Chen Xian.
Unfortunately, Li Shigen did not understand her parents' good intentions and insisted on marrying Chen Xian, even at the cost of severing ties with her family. Fortunately, her husband treated her well after marriage and always put her first. It was just a pity that he died young, leaving her to manage the large household alone.
Upon entering the hall, a servant brought hot tea.
"Aunt and cousins, please rest for a while. I will go and inform Father and Mother."
"good……"
After everyone left, Li looked around. The familiar house made her throat tighten. She had lived here for sixteen years and knew every brick, tile, tree, and piece of wood. It was a pity that things had changed and she could never go back to those days.
Chen Qingyan whispered, "Mother, was that man my uncle's cousin?"
"Hmm, I don't know if it's Bingchen or Bingwen. They're only two years apart, and after so many years I can't remember what they look like anymore."
After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li's brother arrived. He was a middle-aged man in his early forties, tall and wearing a dark scholar's robe with a short beard. Chen Qingyan bore a striking resemblance to him in his features!
As soon as he entered the room, everyone stood up. Wang Ying glanced at him discreetly, then looked at her husband beside her, marveling at the wonder of genes. No wonder they say that nephews resemble their uncles; the ancients were right.
Seeing that the group's expressions didn't change much, Li Cheng simply said, "They've arrived."
"Greetings, elder brother."
"Greetings, Uncle."
Li Cheng didn't respond, but waved for them to sit down. There was a reason why he was so cold.
After Li got married, her mother was always depressed and passed away a few years later. Li Cheng didn't even send a letter to his sister at the funeral. Li learned about her mother's death from others later.
The brother and sister harbored resentment and stopped contacting each other from that time on.
If it weren't for her father's serious illness and his insistence on seeing her, Li Cheng would never have sent someone to deliver the message.
Li asked hesitantly, "Father, is he alright?"
Li Cheng shook his head. "The doctor said it will be in the next few days."
Li covered her mouth and began to sob. Wang Ying and Qingyun quickly supported her shoulders, and it took them a long time to calm down.
"I want to go see Dad..."
The old man was seriously ill and didn't have the energy to see many people, so Li Chengxian had the servants take the others to settle down and rest, while he took Li Shi to the courtyard where the old man was staying.
Walking through the familiar corridor to her parents' courtyard, Li stopped and looked at the bare persimmon tree in the yard. It was planted by her father with her and her older brother when she was young...
Li Cheng also looked at the tree, his eyes slightly red, and said, "A lot of persimmons ripened in the fall. We couldn't eat them all, so we dried them into persimmon cakes. Take some back with you when you leave."
Upon entering the house, a wave of heat enveloped the room, carrying a strong smell of traditional Chinese medicine.
My sister-in-law, Madam Wen, was sitting on a stool wiping the old man's face. He couldn't open his mouth when I was feeding him medicine, so some spilled onto his neck.
She was taken aback when she saw Li Shi, then quickly got up and pulled her over, "Father, look who's here?"
"Father……"
The old man lying on the bed was on his deathbed, his cheeks and eye sockets sunken, looking somewhat frightening. Li couldn't reconcile the person before her with the father she remembered.
He slowly opened his eyes, looked at Li Shi with his cloudy eyes, opened his mouth and said in a muffled voice, "Jin Dou... is back..."
Li could no longer control herself and burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably at the head of the bed.
Jin Dou was her childhood nickname. Because she cried a lot when she was little, her father would tease her for shedding golden beans, not knowing that these were also golden beans in his palm.
Li Cheng, who was standing behind, turned his back and looked up as if trying to force back his tears, but he couldn't control them and they streamed down his face. Even his sister-in-law, Wen Shi, took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes.
Grandpa Li raised his hand and placed it on her head, his spirits suddenly improving. "You haven't come back to see me all these years... do you still... resent your father for beating you back then?"
Mrs. Li shook her head, "It's my daughter's fault. I stopped hating you a long time ago."
"Father was also at fault..."
Li Cheng wiped his nose and said, "Father, let's not talk about that anymore. It's all in the past. Now that Shu'er is back, you should take good care of your medicine and get well soon."
Li nodded, "Yes, it's all in the past."
Old Master Li coughed twice, his cheeks flushing, and said, "Did you come alone? Didn't that peasant come with you?"
The peasant he was referring to was Chen Xian, an illiterate man who had tricked his precious daughter away. The old man had hated him for half his life, unaware that his son-in-law had long since passed away before him.
Li Cheng was also puzzled. Although his father disliked his brother-in-law, he should have come over no matter what.
“Xian Ge... he fell ill a few years ago and has passed away.”
Both Master Li and his elder brother were stunned. After a long while, Li Cheng sighed, all the hatred from the past vanishing with the passing of his old friend.
"Shu'er has brought a child. Would Father like to see him?"
"Yes, I remember the boss's name is Qingyan, right?"
"Yes, she turned nineteen this year, got married, and is about to have a child. The second child is a girl named Qingyun, and the third child is named Qingsong."
Li Cheng sent his servants to call them over, and soon the four of them arrived at the door.
Upon entering the bedroom, I saw my maternal grandfather sitting up against the pillows, drinking millet porridge.
Wang Ying's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was wrong. When she arrived, her cousin had told her that the old man couldn't eat anymore, and now this sudden turn of events seemed like a deathbed resurgence.
Li led Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying forward, saying, "These are Qingyan and Ying'er."
The two kowtowed and greeted each other, but Wang Ying's aunt, who was sitting next to her, quickly stopped her, saying, "You're still pregnant, there's no need for such a grand ceremony."
Master Li scrutinized Chen Qingyan carefully, and after a long while said, "He has a decent appearance and bright eyes, like a child of my Li family. Has he ever been to school?"
"I have read the Four Books and Five Classics, and also read some historical books and works of various schools of thought."
The old man's expression brightened upon hearing this, as he had thought his grandson would be illiterate like his good-for-nothing father. "Did he pass the next exam?"
"I've passed the preliminary examination, but I haven't passed the county-level examination yet..."
"It's alright, you're still young, study for another two years and give it a try." The old man drank half a bowl of thin porridge but couldn't eat anymore. The servant took the bowl away, and he looked at his two young sons standing beside him.
"These are Qingyun and Qingsong."
The two children knelt on the ground and kowtowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Grandfather."
"Good boy, get up quickly."
Old Master Li scrutinized Qingyun. She looked exactly like his daughter when she was little, with an oval face and a pair of bright, sparkling eyes. Through her, he seemed to see the little golden bean from back then.
"Girl, come here."
Qingyun walked gracefully to the bedside.
How old are you?
"I'll be fourteen this year."
"Boss, move my box over here."
Li Cheng immediately went to get the old man's things, and soon brought back a square mahogany box with a copper lock on it.
The old man shakily took out the key, opened the box, and placed a jade pendant in Qingyun's hand. "This jade pendant was originally prepared for your mother, but she was disobedient. Now your maternal grandfather is giving it to you."
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