Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 795 - 785

The next morning, Old Li got up early as usual, shouldering his hoe and took a stroll around his fields.

After having breakfast, he was rushed by Qiu Shuping to go to the team leader’s home to inquire about the house property transfer in the village.

At this moment, Old Li was still somewhat hesitant; after all, it was the house he had lived in all his life. He had initially planned to leave it to his younger son after he was gone. Now, while he was still alive and well, to give the house to his son made him uneasy.

However, after being talked to by Qiu Shuping, he felt that as a father he should do it. So, he was conflicted all the way there.

When he arrived at the team leader’s home, the team leader was not there; the team leader’s wife said he had gone to the city for a meeting. Thus, Old Li aimlessly sauntered back home. fгeewebnovёl.com

When Qiu Shuping heard about this, she didn’t make much of it; if he was not home now, they could just ask again in the evening.

Indeed, after dinner that night, Qiu Shuping sent Old Li back over there.

The team leader’s wife, seeing Old Li’s repeated visits, assumed he must have something important and, after telling him that her husband wouldn’t be back today as he had called and would only return tomorrow evening, she asked Old Li if there was something he needed.

Unable to withstand the persistent questioning of a young woman, Old Li ended up spilling the beans.

Afterwards, Old Li went home, but as soon as the team leader’s wife turned to chat with someone else, she spilled the news.

Sure enough, no sooner had Old Li left the team leader’s house than the news spread like wildfire throughout the whole village. Wang Dan and his spouse, although not pleased, had been prepared for this division of property, knowing that ultimately everything of the old couple’s would go to Li Hongqi, so they didn’t take it to heart.

Xue Danni was very displeased to hear this news. She had been with Old Li for so long, losing more than a year of her youth for what? If you talk about affection and such, that’s just the young people’s lip service; at her age, it’s all about Old Li’s house and the money in his hands. Another thing was that she saw the ability of the Li children, especially the second son who lived in the Capital. If she really ended up with Old Li, she would become Hongjun’s stepmother, and her own son would be his nominal brother; when her son grew up, wouldn’t Hongjun, as an elder brother, have to lend a hand and arrange a job or something for him?

As for Qiu Shuping, that old woman, Xue Danni had not considered her at all because she had dealt with her before and knew that, with Shuping’s temper, she could pin her down with the flick of a finger. Also, reputation? After marrying into two different families over the years, she had long been cursed out of that. Now, making sure her children had good lives was what mattered most.

Having figured all this out, Xue Danni couldn’t possibly let Old Li transfer the house to Hongqi now, nor could she allow Old Li to move to the Capital with Qiu Shuping. Dressed neatly and knowing that Old Li had just gone to the team leader’s house, she waited on the road and successfully intercepted him right at the entrance of the Li family’s home.

"I’m really sorry, Brother Li, I’m just a woman and I can’t manage such tasks by myself, so I have to trouble you for help," Xue Danni couldn’t outright mention the matter of the house; she approached him under the pretense of needing help with fetching someone.

"Help or no help, I’ve troubled you enough before. If you’ve got anything you can’t manage in the future, just let me know," Old Li felt somewhat guilty towards Xue Danni, and with some lingering unfulfilled desires, he agreed without hesitation to come help as soon as she mentioned it.

"Hehe, that won’t do anymore, now that the old sister-in-law is back, finding Brother Li for help is going to be inconvenient," Auntie Xie said despondently.

Old Li kept silent. Knowing his wife’s temperament, if she found out he was getting close to another woman, wouldn’t the whole village be disturbed with the commotion?

He now held himself in a righteous manner, although he had been a bit too close to Auntie Xie recently, but wasn’t that out of necessity? With someone to cook and do the laundry now, he had become the upright Old Li once again.

Auntie Xie forced a smile, "Right, Brother Li, I heard you just went to the team leader’s house?"

"Hmm, I went to ask him about the house matter. He went to the city yesterday for a meeting, and only came back at dinner today, so I went to ask," Old Li was quite honest and spilled everything.

"What’s wrong with the house, that you even went to the team leader?" Auntie Xie asked, pretending to know nothing.

"Well, my house is small, and now my third son’s mother-in-law has come to live with us. Our family is a decent one, we can’t just kick our in-law out when they are in trouble, can we? By the time my third son comes back, two rooms in our house will not be enough. My second son has two empty apartments in the Capital, but since he and my third son don’t get along, asking my second son to let the third stay in his apartments would be unacceptable. So, my wife and I thought about letting my third son have the house, while we go live in my second son’s apartments in the Capital. That way, both families are taken care of and there are no conflicts." As for what to do with the apartments in the Capital later, Old Li still wanted to save face and didn’t explicitly discuss that with anyone.

Once Auntie Xie heard his words, her eyes lit up. It turned out the Li’s second son had apartments in the Capital, and not just one, but two. That really was something. Auntie Xie thought to herself that she was in it for those two apartments in the Capital. She has to stick with him and definitely not let him go.

"Ah, is that so?" Auntie Xie drew out her voice. After thinking for a moment, she then said, "Brother Li, normally I wouldn’t meddle in your family’s business, but you know me, I’m straightforward. And considering our... relationship..."

"It’s alright, just speak your mind," Old Li felt a little smug inside.

"I just heard what you said, and I understand that you and your wife are worried about Hongqi’s future, but I think this is not the right way to handle things," Auntie Xie discussed the Li family’s various issues with Old Li, "Old brother, I know your family is divided, and as someone who’s been through it, let me say a bit more. Brother, it’s not just the third son in your family; you have three sons. Although it was agreed when the family split that your house would go to the youngest, that was on the premise that the child would take care of you in your old age. But now, it’s clear to see, and I’m not speaking ill of anyone, your youngest son hasn’t been as considerate as your eldest or your second son over the years."

Old Li was not foolish; her mention of "not being considerate" referred to the youngest son not showing filial piety to him, his father. Reflecting on it, it did seem to be the case.

It had always been he and his wife who planned and worried, while the third son never really did anything for them.

"If I may be bold to ask, before your youngest son got married, when he was working, did he hand over his salary to you, or did he keep it for himself to spend? And after he got married, did he give you living expenses or not?" She had already heard about this from others and knew the answers, which is why she felt confident to ask him.

"Old brother, we’ve struggled all our lives for our children, but all our life savings have gone to the kids. This house is our last root, you really need to think it through thoroughly," Auntie Xie said earnestly.