Calculating
An old man who understood the situation sighed. “Of course Li Mei is good, but she has an evil mother-in-law. The two children won’t have it easy with her either. Li Shan was afraid that the children would drag his sister down. He thought that he and Zhang Defa were in-laws and friends who had grown up together. He didn’t expect this to happen!”
“Yes! People are unpredictable! Now that the Zhang family’s son has obtained scholarly honors at such a young age, no one will interfere in this matter anymore. If his son becomes successful…”
Chen Yaohui looked at Zhang Defa and shouted angrily, “Zhang Defa, you vicious person. How do you explain the injuries on the child?”
“Children are disobedient. When the adults are anxious, they can’t help but get angry. Sometimes, when they’re angry, they can’t help but miss. Which child doesn’t get beaten up a few times?!” Zhang Defa smiled awkwardly and turned around. He pretended to bow to Li Yu and her brother. “Xiaoyu, Uncle has let you and your brother down. Uncle will compensate you.”
Li Yu raised her head and said, “We don’t care about the compensation. I just want you to break off the engagement and return our things to us.”
Zhang Defa glanced at the onlookers and walked up to Li Yu. He said in a low voice, “Xiaoyu, for the sake of your Brother Guisheng, let’s talk in private, okay?”
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and thought to herself, He wants to use Zhang Guisheng to seduce Li Yu again. Unfortunately, the Li Yu, who cares about his son, was no longer around.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa with a mocking expression. “There’s nothing to talk about. If you don’t return it, I’ll go to the government office to plead for justice. I’ll see if your son will still take the scholarly examination then.”
Li Qing clenched his fists and shouted at Zhang Defa, “Zhang Defa, hurry up and return my family’s money. My sister and I haven’t eaten since yesterday. After returning it, we still have to buy rice to cook.”
“Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, the two of you haven’t eaten since last night? Why haven’t you eaten?” Madam Chen Li asked Xiaoyu.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and said loudly, “Yesterday afternoon, Chen Zhaodi wanted me to return the marriage contract to her. When I didn’t agree, she beat and scolded me and refused to let us eat. Zhang Guixiang even said that if I didn’t take out the marriage contract, she would sell me to a brothel. I wouldn’t ever want to marry into such a family.”
“Oooh,” gasped the watching villagers.
“Ah! Big Brother Li saved an enemy! Zhang Defa, your conscience has been eaten by a dog!” Madam Chen Li shouted.
“Brother Zhang, your family doesn’t lack that bit of money now. Return it to Xiaoyu and her brother! Let them go!” Someone from the surrounding villagers said.
“Yes! Yes! After all, those things were left behind by Li Shan for the two children!”
Zhang Defa was furious as he listened to these discussions. He thought to himself that tey were all just a bunch of people who aren’t afraid of being exposed. They were just jealous that his family was living a good life now. When his son makes a name for himself… Zhang Defa looked at the person who spoke up and remembered it.
The few villagers who were speaking up were so frightened by Zhang Defa’s gaze that they stopped talking.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa’s vicious gaze and said indifferently, “You’d better think carefully before returning it. If you don’t return it, I’ll immediately go to the government office to complain about being wronged. I heard that people who seize other people’s assets and don’t return it will never be hired by the Imperial Court.”
Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu and shouted, “How dare you!”
Li Yu looked at him coldly. “Why don’t we try?”
“Big Brother, you’re really back. What happened?” Zhang Defa’s younger brother, Zhang Decai, squeezed to Zhang Defa’s side.
Zhang Defa pulled him aside and told him what had happened. Zhang Decai rolled his eyes and whispered in his ear, “Brother, you don’t have to break off the engagement. You can just carry a small sedan chair home. As long as she enters our Zhang family, we’ll be able to handle an orphan.”
Zhang Defa thought for a moment. That’s right! Let’s see how arrogant you can be after entering the Zhang family. He patted Zhang Decai happily and said, “Yes, let’s do that.”
Li Yu saw that after the Zhang brothers muttered for a while, Zhang Defa’s expression became relaxed and happy. He knew that Zhang Decai had already given him an idea to scheme against her.
Zhang Defa walked up to Li Yu with a relaxed expression and smiled proudly. “Ha! Ha! Xiaoyu! You’ve been filial. We don’t want to break off the engagement either. Your marriage with our noble son was your father’s last wish. Our noble son also passed the county-level examination this year. I think it’s best to get married. What do you think?”
“That’s right! Xiaoyu, you and Guisheng grew up together. Now that Guisheng has grown up, your parents will be relieved that you two are married,” Zhang Depei persuaded hypocritically.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa coldly and said, “Marriage was my father’s last wish. Then, he asked you to treat his two children well and help him raise Li Qing. Why didn’t you abide by his last wish? Instead, you took what he left for his children and didn’t return it. You ate his food and used his things, and even abused his children. Zhang Defa, you shameless person, be careful that my father won’t come looking for you in the middle of the night.”
Zhang De said angrily, “You, don’t be ungrateful…”
Chen Yaohui stepped forward and stopped him. “Xiaoyu is right. Zhang Defa, are you really not afraid that Brother Li will come looking for you in the middle of the night? Back then, Zhang Defa swore in front of me and the elders in the village that he would raise the siblings well. God is watching.”
The Zhang brothers’ faces were ashen as they looked at each other speechlessly.
At this moment, someone was saying that Li Mei and her man had returned. Li Yu looked up and saw a beautiful woman in her forties wearing an old dress that had been washed out. She and an honest man with a backpack walked out from behind the crowd that had parted on both sides.
Calculating
An old man who understood the situation sighed. “Of course Li Mei is good, but she has an evil mother-in-law. The two children won’t have it easy with her either. Li Shan was afraid that the children would drag his sister down. He thought that he and Zhang Defa were in-laws and friends who had grown up together. He didn’t expect this to happen!”
“Yes! People are unpredictable! Now that the Zhang family’s son has obtained scholarly honors at such a young age, no one will interfere in this matter anymore. If his son becomes successful…”
Chen Yaohui looked at Zhang Defa and shouted angrily, “Zhang Defa, you vicious person. How do you explain the injuries on the child?”
“Children are disobedient. When the adults are anxious, they can’t help but get angry. Sometimes, when they’re angry, they can’t help but miss. Which child doesn’t get beaten up a few times?!” Zhang Defa smiled awkwardly and turned around. He pretended to bow to Li Yu and her brother. “Xiaoyu, Uncle has let you and your brother down. Uncle will compensate you.”
Li Yu raised her head and said, “We don’t care about the compensation. I just want you to break off the engagement and return our things to us.”
Zhang Defa glanced at the onlookers and walked up to Li Yu. He said in a low voice, “Xiaoyu, for the sake of your Brother Guisheng, let’s talk in private, okay?”
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and thought to herself, He wants to use Zhang Guisheng to seduce Li Yu again. Unfortunately, the Li Yu, who cares about his son, was no longer around.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa with a mocking expression. “There’s nothing to talk about. If you don’t return it, I’ll go to the government office to plead for justice. I’ll see if your son will still take the scholarly examination then.”
Li Qing clenched his fists and shouted at Zhang Defa, “Zhang Defa, hurry up and return my family’s money. My sister and I haven’t eaten since yesterday. After returning it, we still have to buy rice to cook.”
“Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, the two of you haven’t eaten since last night? Why haven’t you eaten?” Madam Chen Li asked Xiaoyu.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and said loudly, “Yesterday afternoon, Chen Zhaodi wanted me to return the marriage contract to her. When I didn’t agree, she beat and scolded me and refused to let us eat. Zhang Guixiang even said that if I didn’t take out the marriage contract, she would sell me to a brothel. I wouldn’t ever want to marry into such a family.”
“Oooh,” gasped the watching villagers.
“Ah! Big Brother Li saved an enemy! Zhang Defa, your conscience has been eaten by a dog!” Madam Chen Li shouted.
“Brother Zhang, your family doesn’t lack that bit of money now. Return it to Xiaoyu and her brother! Let them go!” Someone from the surrounding villagers said.
“Yes! Yes! After all, those things were left behind by Li Shan for the two children!”
Zhang Defa was furious as he listened to these discussions. He thought to himself that tey were all just a bunch of people who aren’t afraid of being exposed. They were just jealous that his family was living a good life now. When his son makes a name for himself… Zhang Defa looked at the person who spoke up and remembered it.
The few villagers who were speaking up were so frightened by Zhang Defa’s gaze that they stopped talking.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa’s vicious gaze and said indifferently, “You’d better think carefully before returning it. If you don’t return it, I’ll immediately go to the government office to complain about being wronged. I heard that people who seize other people’s assets and don’t return it will never be hired by the Imperial Court.”
Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu and shouted, “How dare you!”
Li Yu looked at him coldly. “Why don’t we try?”
“Big Brother, you’re really back. What happened?” Zhang Defa’s younger brother, Zhang Decai, squeezed to Zhang Defa’s side.
Zhang Defa pulled him aside and told him what had happened. Zhang Decai rolled his eyes and whispered in his ear, “Brother, you don’t have to break off the engagement. You can just carry a small sedan chair home. As long as she enters our Zhang family, we’ll be able to handle an orphan.”
Zhang Defa thought for a moment. That’s right! Let’s see how arrogant you can be after entering the Zhang family. He patted Zhang Decai happily and said, “Yes, let’s do that.”
Li Yu saw that after the Zhang brothers muttered for a while, Zhang Defa’s expression became relaxed and happy. He knew that Zhang Decai had already given him an idea to scheme against her.
Zhang Defa walked up to Li Yu with a relaxed expression and smiled proudly. “Ha! Ha! Xiaoyu! You’ve been filial. We don’t want to break off the engagement either. Your marriage with our noble son was your father’s last wish. Our noble son also passed the county-level examination this year. I think it’s best to get married. What do you think?”
“That’s right! Xiaoyu, you and Guisheng grew up together. Now that Guisheng has grown up, your parents will be relieved that you two are married,” Zhang Depei persuaded hypocritically.
Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa coldly and said, “Marriage was my father’s last wish. Then, he asked you to treat his two children well and help him raise Li Qing. Why didn’t you abide by his last wish? Instead, you took what he left for his children and didn’t return it. You ate his food and used his things, and even abused his children. Zhang Defa, you shameless person, be careful that my father won’t come looking for you in the middle of the night.”
Zhang De said angrily, “You, don’t be ungrateful…”
Chen Yaohui stepped forward and stopped him. “Xiaoyu is right. Zhang Defa, are you really not afraid that Brother Li will come looking for you in the middle of the night? Back then, Zhang Defa swore in front of me and the elders in the village that he would raise the siblings well. God is watching.”
The Zhang brothers’ faces were ashen as they looked at each other speechlessly.
At this moment, someone was saying that Li Mei and her man had returned. Li Yu looked up and saw a beautiful woman in her forties wearing an old dress that had been washed out. She and an honest man with a backpack walked out from behind the crowd that had parted on both sides.
