Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 866 - 856: Good Son-in-law Ah

"You still don’t know?" Li Xianglian couldn’t believe her sister-in-law was still in the dark, equally astonished.

"What’s there to know, big sister, stop beating around the bush and just say it," Shen Yunfang sighed.

Aside from Li Hongqi being a huge headache at home, Li Xianghe was also a disaster. They hadn’t even settled one problem yet, and this disaster had already disappeared, who knows if she was plotting some big move behind the scenes.

"Actually, it’s nothing much, just that Xianghe hasn’t been getting along well with a few people over there, Dad used to beat her three times a day," Li Xianglian slowly started talking about the recent events.

Speaking seriously, it was all trivial matters, Li Xianghe and Li Hongqi had quite an unpleasant time due to a dispute over the house. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

After her divorce, Li Xianghe returned to her family home, of course, she intended to live in the old house—it was her parents’ place, and as long as one of them was there, she had the right to move in.

But Li Hongqi’s family didn’t see it that way at all. He took care of the elderly, so the house belonged to him. It was already small to begin with, and there was hardly enough space for his own family, much less adding a divorced sister-in-law. That made life even more impossible.

Therefore, because of the house, the old family home was in constant turmoil, with minor quarrels every three days and major ones every five.

Later, the old man was moved into the storage room by Li Hongqi’s people, and Li Xianghe blew her top. Him moving into the storage room meant she would have to move in too, and she wouldn’t stand for that. So, she went to look for Li Xianglian, as well as Li Hongxing, insisting that Li Hongqi had to move old man Li back into his original room.

However, as I mentioned before, if old man Li himself was content, then no one could do anything about it. Li Xianglian was livid, thinking that her older sister and brother didn’t care about her anymore, looked down on her, and so she started raising hell in the old house. In her mind, if she couldn’t have it good, then no one else should either.

The old house was in such a prolonged mess, and just recently, Li Xianghe had finally calmed down a bit. It was said she’d met a man and was hardly home during the day. That’s why the old man was neglected to such a degree and it took so long for his death to be discovered.

After the old man’s accident, Li Xianghe and Li Hongqi blamed each other. Each accused the other of not taking proper care of the old man, arguing that if someone had been more attentive and visited, such an accident could have been avoided.

But after a huge fight, Li Xianghe just packed her things and left.

She was also forced into it. With old man Li lain out in the storage room, Li Xianghe couldn’t possibly move in there, and given that the old house only had two rooms, there was no place left for her.

"Xianghe’s temper, I don’t even know what to say about it," Li Xianglian said, shaking her head. "You could wait to leave until after the funeral proceedings for the old man were done, even if you were angry. But leaving like this, with the old man just gone, makes her seem so unfilial." Her sister really was beyond help, "Mom and dad truly wasted their affection on her."

Truth be told, although old man Li and Qiu Shuping might not have treated their youngest daughter as well as their son, they weren’t bad parents to her.

Shen Yunfang just listened, passing no judgement. She had seen enough of her little sister-in-law’s antics. Back when they lived together in the military compound, she was known for stirring up trouble; one could say she was Qiu Shuping’s best successor. And then there was Niuniu, who they still had no news about. Just the thought of her made Shen Yunfang feel repulsed from the bottom of her heart, so naturally, she had no desire to meddle in her affairs.

"Ah well, everyone has their own fate, she’s grown up now, let her follow her own path," Li Xianglian sighed.

"Mhm, big sister, yesterday I discussed the guest list for tomorrow’s banquet with your sister-in-law. Take a look and help me see if we’ve left anyone out."

And just like that, Shen Yunfang steered the conversation away.

At night, Li Hongqi and the Zheng mother and daughter sat in front of the dining table at the old house, worrying over their meager meal.

"Why is there still no movement over there?" Zheng Huilan, the least settled of them, was the first to ask.

"Don’t worry, they are all filial sons," the mother pointed with her chin to the side. "They’ll definitely come over later." The two sons had been in the granary all afternoon, and their cries had never stopped. They must have been keeping the old man company in the afternoon, and after a while, they should be able to come over and discuss the house.

Li Hongqi did not speak. He picked up the small wine cup in front of him and took a sip. He also had no idea what to do, but he couldn’t show it at this time.

He had not expected his older and second brothers to be so stubborn. It was just about giving him a little more money. He was the youngest son; what harm would there be if they, as older brothers, took care of him? But they still wouldn’t budge, and it was like they were forcing him to bow down.

"Hongqi, you have to come up with something. The one lying in that room isn’t just your father alone; he’s theirs too. If they don’t come and concede today, then we’ll do nothing tomorrow either. Let’s see who gets anxious, let’s see whom those meddlesome elders of your family will blame," the mother-in-law continued her nagging.

"Mom, stop talking," Zheng Huilan implored. Just thinking that there was a dead man lying nearby, she hadn’t slept well for days. All she wanted now was to quickly send the person off.

"Hongqi, dragging this out isn’t going to solve anything. Why don’t we sell the house to someone else?" Huilan wasn’t as greedy as the other two. She just wanted to live comfortably.

"What do you know? Can’t you tell the difference between four hundred and a thousand?" Before Li Hongqi could even speak, his mother-in-law shot her own daughter down. "That person who came over to make an offer wanted the house for just four hundred. With that money, how many months could we rent a place in the city? Tell me, are you being foolish?"

Zheng Huilan couldn’t lift her head after being scolded by her mother. She too wanted more money, but didn’t they fear having a dead man in the house?

"Hongqi, hold your ground. We’re set on one thousand, not a penny less. If you feel too embarrassed to say it later, Mom will speak for you. This is our one shot; if you don’t ask for more now, you won’t get another chance," his mother-in-law turned back to coach Li Hongqi.

"Alright, I’ll listen to Mom." Li Hongqi was a good son-in-law, always heeding his mother-in-law. After all, the idea had been hers from the start; any blame might as well fall on her.

The mother-in-law was unaware of her son-in-law’s thoughts and was pleased with how obedient he was.

That night, they waited in the room until ten without seeing either Li Hongxing or Li Hongjun come over. At this point, the mother-in-law started to waver too.

"Can you believe them, ignoring their own father like this. If they have an issue with the price, they should at least come over so we can talk about it. What are they trying to do?" she muttered to herself.

Li Hongqi also grew increasingly agitated. As time passed, his irritation intensified, and he began to feel an ominous foreboding.

Suddenly, he sat up straight from the edge of the kang (traditional Chinese bed-stove).

"What are you planning to do?" his mother-in-law asked immediately.

"I’m going to my older brother’s house to ask around." Li Hongqi couldn’t sit still any longer; the uncertainty was unbearable.

"Oh dear boy, this is a test of endurance. By not keeping your cool, aren’t you just playing into their hands? Sit tight, I’ll go out into the yard and have a look," the mother-in-law was anxious, but she still advised her son-in-law to stay put.

Upon hearing someone was willing to scout for information, Li Hongqi felt relieved, promptly sitting back down on the kang edge.