"Jiadong, what do you mean by that? Youâre just complaining that Iâm getting in your way at my parentsâ house. Well, let me tell you, Iâm staying here no matter what you think. This is my home too, so stop being so sarcastic here."
"Do you really think youâre tough now? Donât think I donât know what youâre up to with Chuxia. Just wait till tomorrow when Chuxia comes back. I want to ask her what kind of spell she cast on you to make you resent me all the time."
Jiadong didnât come inside, he shouted through the window, "Why are you dragging our sister into this? Is it me who canât stand you? Itâs you who canât stand me! You get upset at your in-laws and run back home to act crazy, and you donât let anyone complain about it?"
"Why am I upset at my in-laws? Isnât it because of you all being useless? Other families stand up for their daughters, but you just tell me to endure. If you were really my brother, youâd go to the Li Family and teach Li Guangyuan a lesson right now. Get back at him for hitting your sister. If you donât, then youâre not my real brother."
Jiadong seemed provoked too, "Fine, you wait here, Iâll go to the Li Family and get revenge for you right now."
As he said that, he headed into the kitchen and came out with a kitchen knife in hand.
Mother Linâs face changed instantly upon seeing this, and she quickly rushed to stop him, "Jiadong, what are you doing? Put the knife down!"
"Mom, donât stop me. How dare those Li Family bastards bully my sister? Iâm going to slice them today. Again and again, theyâve gone too far, thinking our Lin Family is helpless."
"This is against the law," Mother Lin desperately held onto Jiadongâs arm, "Do you know youâll end up in jail for killing? Youâre my only son! What would I do if you went to jail? Youâre doing so well in school. The teacher said you could definitely get into college. If you go to jail, youâll lose everything. Listen to mom, put the knife down..."
"I wonât study anymore, even if I go to jail, I donât care. I canât let my eldest sister suffer. Mom, havenât you always taught me? To be close to my eldest sister, sheâs married nearby, we should support each other. I canât count on my other sister whoâs far away. My eldest sister married so close, yet she suffers and I canât stand up for her? What kind of a brother am I? If I kill Li Guangyuan, the Li Family will belong to my nephew, and my eldest sister wonât be bullied by them. I donât mind going to jail. You love my eldest sister so much, sheâll definitely be good to you in the future..."
"What nonsense are you talking?" Mother Lin panicked, turned to the house and shouted, "You troublemaker, are you trying to ruin your brother? Get out here quickly and talk some sense into your brother. Iâm telling you, if your brother gets into trouble, Iâll hold you responsible too."
Jiayi didnât expect Jiadong to be so impulsive today. She was just saying some random things, but seeing Jiadongâs flushed face and bulging neck, he really seemed like he was going to confront Li Guangyuan.
She felt a bit guilty too.
She wasnât satisfied with Li Guangyuan lending money to Li Dongmei, but she hadnât been completely honest with her family.
This winter, there were off-season vegetables from the Qin Family Villageâs greenhouse. Li Guangyuan made over 100 yuan selling vegetables, and the 50 yuan given to Li Dongmei was not all they had.
But she was unhappy with Li Guangyuanâs behavior, and she had even initiated violence first.
Li Guangyuan, knowing he was wrong and given her previous threats of divorce, didnât retaliate when she hit him, making her seem to have the upper hand.
She accidentally hit Li Guangyuan on the head, and feeling guilty, fled back home.
Just earlier, she said those words to provoke her brother, already feeling uneasy about her closeness with Chuxia.
She didnât expect her foolish brother to actually seek revenge on Li Guangyuan.
Jiayi knew if anything happened, her mother would never forgive her. Her brother was far more important, so she quickly came out of the house.
With a lot of persuasion, Mother Lin and Jiayi finally calmed Jiadong down.
Mother Lin dared not let Jiayi stay at home any longer; what if one day she wasnât around, and Jiayi incited her son to kill someoneâthereâd be no turning back.
"Jiayi, listen to mom, go back and live well with Guangyuan. Now that both your sisters-in-law are gone, only Old Mrs. Li is left. What are you worrying about? That old lady wonât live much longer. Mom thinks your judgment was pretty good initially; Guangyuan knows how to live a good life. These past two years have been messed up by your two sisters-in-law..."
"Mom, you used to say my judgment was poor. I thought I had made a mistake too..."
"No, not at all," Mother Lin interrupted Jiayi before she could finish, "I think Guangyuan is a good person. He listens to his mother, which shows heâs filial. Heâs good to his two sisters, which means heâll be good to you too. He knows how to work hard for money. Iâve calculated, if you didnât have those two sisters-in-law draining you, your lives would have improved already through Guangyuanâs vegetable selling. Anyway, your eldest sister-in-law wonât be found anymore. Itâs just your youngest sister-in-law whoâs married off, what are you afraid of? Just be cautious, this time you were careless."
Jiayi let out a bitter smile.
Her mom didnât understand what she meant at all.
She saw wrong, thinking that Li Guangyuanâs accomplishments in her past life were earned entirely through his efforts.
But in reality?
Theyâve been married for so many years now. According to the past trajectory, Li Guangyuan should have achieved something by now; at least he shouldnât still just be a vegetable seller.
However, even without Li Guangyuan, Lin Chuxia still achieved a great deal on her own.
He didnât want to admit it but had to acknowledge that everything Li Guangyuan achieved in their previous life depended entirely on Lin Chuxia.
Without Lin Chuxia, Li Guangyuan was just Li Guangyuan.
But with Lin Chuxia, Qin Yang was no longer the Qin Yang of their past life.
Under Mother Linâs persuasion, Jiayi finally left with her child.
After the eldest daughter left, Mother Lin still worried about her son and went to his room to knock on the door.
"Jiadong, you have to stop being so impulsive in the future. If you donât think for yourself, at least think of your parents. Itâs not easy raising you. Your sister, after marrying, is ultimately an outsider. Mom only has one son; if anything happens to you, how would mom and dad live?"
She was truly frightened earlier.
She had indeed encouraged her son to be close to his eldest sister, and said he, as the familyâs boy, should support her.
But those were just for show, to make the daughter remember the familyâs goodness and not forget them after marrying.
She never thought it would actually cost her son.
This time, Jiadong still hadnât calmed down, concernedly asking his mom, "Eldest sister just went back like that; what if brother-in-law and his mother trouble her again? No, I have to go over and look."
After saying this, he started to get up.
Mother Lin hugged his waist tightly, unwilling to let go.