NOVPUB
Chapter 266: Chapter 256 There’s No Brother Like This
Li Hongjun didn’t get angry but instead laughed, "Li Hongqi, you really think highly of yourself, don’t you? Dismissing a beggar, giving just fifty yuan? Heh!"
"I didn’t expect our family to be so rich, sending off a beggar with fifty yuan. Li Hongqi, aren’t you supposed to be so enlightened, so willing to forgo family for justice? Then why don’t you report our family? If you can dismiss a beggar with fifty yuan, how much money must our family have? Where did all this money come from? Are we truly of the poor peasant class? Could it be there are some overseas connections?" This was pure babble, as Li Hongjun obviously knew the situation of his family. His enlistment, the appreciations over the years, the organization had investigated multiple times, ensuring his family was definitely clean.
Slap!
The old man Li slapped the kang table hard, "Hongjun, is that something you can say without thinking?"
Li Hongjun looked at his father seriously and said, "Dad, I just want Li Hongqi to understand that if our family can dismiss fifty yuan as if it’s nothing, then Li Hongqi has no right to go to any university." The first criterion of family background would not be passed.
"You, your brother didn’t mean that, Hongjun, don’t make up nonsense. Old man, you better handle this." Qiu Shuping was also getting anxious. Her youngest son going to university was the hope of the whole family. If he really couldn’t go because of what her second son was saying, then, then she would hang herself, she would no longer want to live.
Old man Li sighed deeply and spoke with heartfelt earnestness, "Hongjun, I know you’re upset, but he is your brother. Even if he really made a mistake, as his older brother, you should be more forgiving. I also know that this has wronged Yunfang, but Hongqi is young and his considerations may not be thorough. He did make a mistake, but as the elder, you should give your brother a chance to correct himself. Now that you have hit and scolded him, and your brother has admitted his wrongdoing and realized his fault, and mainly because Yunfang is also fine now, I think we should let bygones be bygones. I guarantee he will definitely not do such a thing in the future, okay?" Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh; being a parent is difficult indeed.
"Dad, you heard what Li Hongqi just said, do you really think he’s admitted his mistake? Is that the attitude of someone who’s sorry?" Li Hongjun asked, grinding his teeth. "Dad, if Yunfang really were to suffer from his callousness, could just admitting his wrong in front of you settle everything? Yunfang was pregnant at the time, with my son, your grandson."
"Mom!" Li Hongqi, seeing his dad had spoken up and his older brother was still unforgiving, hid behind Qiu Shuping and cried out pitifully.
"Never mind all that, isn’t Shen Yunfang fine now? If she really had come to harm, I’d go and pay with my life, would that be sufficient? Besides, you pressured your brother to say those things, didn’t you? If it wasn’t for you insisting on questioning, would he have said that?" Qiu Shuping started to become unreasonable again. She was at a loss; she knew like the back of her hand that this was indeed her youngest son’s fault, but on one hand was a daughter-in-law who wasn’t favored, and on the other, her most promising youngest son. Was there even a need to weigh which was more important? So, she preferred to smooth things over and let it drop.
Old man Li turned a blind eye to his wife’s tirade. He and his wife’s feelings were the same; both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh. Although Yunfang was also a good child, and the child of a comrade-in-arms, no matter how good she was, she wasn’t as good as their own son. Besides, Hongqi was about to go to university, and he knew that if this thing was not handled carefully and got out, Hongqi’s chances for university could be in jeopardy. Who would recommend someone who framed his own sister-in-law for university? This was a matter of character. Therefore, this must not be publicized, which meant Li Hongjun not only could not get justice but also had to swallow this grievance.
"Hongjun, Dad knows the injustice in your heart. I’m not indifferent to your feelings, it’s just that no matter what, Hongqi is also your brother, and he’s about to go to university. If this gets out, your brother’s life could be over. It wasn’t easy for the Li family to have a college student..." He didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone present already understood what he meant.
Old man Li was looking out for his youngest son’s future, and for the Li family’s future, asking his second son and daughter-in-law to endure.
Li Hongjun looked at the three people in the room and took a deep breath, his emotions returning to calm. In truth, when he came today, he’d anticipated this outcome, but he still held onto a sliver of hope. Reality had slapped him hard in the face.
"Fine, since Dad has decided this, I, as a son, won’t say a thing. But..." Li Hongjun’s fierce gaze swept over to Li Hongqi, just like how he would look at an enemy, "I will never forgive a relative who stabs me in the back. I want to make things clear right here, from now on, I, Li Hongjun, no longer have a brother like Li Hongqi. If he makes good in the future, I won’t cling to him, and if he can’t make ends meet, don’t expect me to lend a hand. I have nothing to do with him anymore." He made this statement to the old Li couple.
Then he turned his head to look at Li Hongqi and said, "This is the first and the last time. If I ever find out you’re harming my wife behind my back again, it won’t matter who tries to save you then."
After dropping those words, Li Hongjun turned and walked out.
No sooner had he stepped out the door than Qiu Shuping’s scolding filled the room, "You little wretched boy, you’re becoming too bold, go on, leave, and if you’ve got the guts, never come back, I’ll just pretend I never gave birth to such a worthless thing like you."
"Shut your mouth and hurry up and chase Hongjun back..."
Li Hongjun strode out of Taoshu Village.
At the Li family home, Old Man Li saw his second son really walking away without looking back and knew he was angry. He hurriedly climbed down from the kang bed, dragging his shoes as he thought to chase after him.
"What are you doing, he said what he said, why are you chasing after him?" Qiu Shuping was also angered, for all these years, none of the children had ever talked to her like that.
Old Man Li, seeing his own legs weren’t quick, hastily instructed his youngest son, "Hurry up and chase your second brother back."
At this point, Li Hongqi dared not disobey, but he also didn’t want to chase his second brother back, so after leaving the house, he dawdled and finally squatted down by the wall, eavesdropping on the old couple’s conversation inside the room.
"Why did you let Hongqi go, what if Hongjun hits him again?" Qiu Shuping was worried.
"Ah, if Hongjun really beats up Hongqi again, that might actually be better," Old Man Li sat back on the kang, "We shouldn’t have stopped them just now. If Hongjun is willing to hit him, it means he still considers Hongqi family. I’m afraid of what would happen if he refuses to hit him."
Qiu Shuping didn’t take it seriously; in her mind as long as they, the parents, weren’t dead, Hongjun couldn’t cause too much trouble.
"You, with your long hair and short sight, Hongjun is now the most promising one in our family. Even if Hongqi gets into university, Hongjun won’t be any worse." Old Man Li said.
What followed didn’t even need to be said, Qiu Shuping remembered—if their second son really became stubborn, and they didn’t get their yearly pension, that would really be terrible, what would she use to support her youngest son through college? Moreover, the second son had a job anyway, as his mother she could always ask him for money and he couldn’t refuse. If things really got stiff between them, it would indeed be hard to resolve.
"Ah, after the New Year, you go to Gaijiatun to see the child, and it’s just the right time since Yunfang hasn’t even finished her confinement. You as mother-in-law go and serve her for a few days, this can also help to smooth things over with Hongjun and his wife." Old Man Li quickly came up with an idea.
"Hmph, so his unfilial actions turned into merit, now I have to go and serve them," Qiu Shuping was reluctant but also knew this was the best solution.
