NOVPUB
Chapter 779: Chapter 769 Notice to Pick Up Someone
"Yunfang, your mother-in-law has been released from prison. She came here at noon today. After finding out you had moved away, she came to my house to ask where you and Hongjun had moved to. I saw the old lady looked unwell, so I didn’t dare tell her. But it’s not good for the old lady to have nowhere to stay here either. Why don’t you discuss it with Hongjun and see what you should do? Maybe you should buy her a train ticket and send her back to her hometown," Ma Liguo’s voice came through the phone.
Shen Yunfang frowned and calculated the time. Indeed, that old lady was due for release around this time. They had been so busy at home that they had completely forgotten about it.
"Li Hongjun is away on a task; he’s not home," Shen Yunfang said.
"Aiyah, that’s difficult then. I’ve seen the old lady, and after two years inside, she seems to have more of a temper now." This was a veiled reminder to Shen Yunfang that this old lady was trouble and should not be kept close by.
Shen Yunfang could easily imagine what the old lady looked like now and really didn’t want to see her again, "Mm, with Hongjun not around, I, as his wife, can’t really make the decision. But it’s not right to leave the old lady alone there either. She’d be nothing but trouble for others, so here’s what we’ll do, Brother Ma, I’ll trouble you to buy her a train ticket back to her hometown. Get her some food as well, then send her on the train. I’ll call home in a bit and ask them to pick her up." That was the best solution she could think of.
"Alright, that can be arranged. I’ll go buy the ticket right away. There’s a train tonight, and I’ll make sure to personally see her onto the train. You just rest easy," Ma Liguo said, relieved after hearing Shen Yunfang’s words.
At noon, he had been in close contact with the old lady, and in just a short amount of time, he got to know the basics of what she was like now.
She was definitely someone who would do anything to get what she wanted, regardless of how low she had to stoop. Someone with a weaker disposition could be driven insane by her.
Alas, Li Hongjun was such a decent person to have ended up with such a mother. It was truly a waste.
After chatting a bit more, they hung up the phone.
Ma Liguo immediately went to the train station to buy the ticket, determined to send the old lady off at the earliest opportunity.
After hanging up, Shen Yunfang sat on the sofa and thought for a moment. She decided not to call her eldest sister-in-law, so she picked up the phone and dialed straight to the production team of Taoshu Village.
"Hello, hello, cough cough, is Old Li from the west end of the village there? Old Li from the west end of the village, if you’re there, your second son is calling for you. If you hear this, come quickly to the phone. Your daughter-in-law said she would call back in five minutes." The loudspeaker inside the Taoshu Village production team broadcasted this message abruptly, making it very clear for the entire Taoshu Village to hear.
Old Li was eating at Xue Dame’s dining table when he heard the announcement from the loudspeaker. Just as he heard that his second son was looking for him, he immediately put down his chopsticks and stood up. But when they mentioned it was his second son’s wife, he didn’t move.
Xue Dame put some vegetables on the chopsticks for her younger son and then asked, "What’s wrong, didn’t you hear your son is looking for you? Why are you still sitting here?" Xue Dame was aware that Old Li had such a promising son, and in fact, the reason she could take care of Old Li now was because of this Li Hongjun.
Old Li picked up his bowl and chopsticks again, "I heard it’s not my second son looking for me. It should be my second son’s wife."
It made a difference whether his son or daughter-in-law was looking for him. Right now, his second son was the most successful among all his sons. In the future, his old age might very well depend on this son, so he had to heed his son’s words. But this daughter-in-law of his second son had been somewhat different since her last visit. How should he put it? She dared to confront him, her father-in-law. How could that be a good sign? Thus, if it was his daughter-in-law looking for him, he would have to give her a good snub and let her learn who was in charge at the Li family.
Aunt Xue smiled, understanding his meaning, but said nothing. She wasn’t actually involved with Old Man Li yet, and it wasn’t her place to meddle in his family affairs, so speaking of anything was premature. She’d wait and see what happened later.
Old Man Li himself then added, "No worries. If something important comes up, she’ll definitely call me." Satisfied with that, he continued eating.
From the other end of the phone, Shen Yunfang checked the time and called again, only to be told that Old Man Li hadn’t shown up.
"Hongjun’s wife, I’ve already announced it using the loudspeaker, twice even, but your father-in-law hasn’t shown up yet. I reckon he went out of the village and wasn’t home. Maybe try calling again tonight. If you’re really in a hurry, just tell me what it is and I’ll pass the message to Old Li as soon as I see him," said the village communicator, speaking rapidly without hesitation.
Shen Yunfang thought it over. It wasn’t a secret; once Qiu Shuping returned, everyone would know anyway. What mattered most was that she didn’t want to call her father-in-law again. It was even better that someone could relay the message for her.
"That would be a great help, thank you. Here’s the situation: my mother-in-law gets out of prison today. I’ve already asked Li Hongjun’s comrade in the Capital to help buy her a train ticket home. It’s for tonight’s train, and she’ll probably arrive in the city tomorrow evening. Please, could you tell my father-in-law for me?"
"Ah, your mother-in-law is coming back? That’s big news. Okay, I’ve got it. I’ll make sure he gets the message today," promised the communicator, patting his chest.
Shen Yunfang thanked him profusely before hanging up.
After hanging up the phone, the communicator pondered a moment and realized the news was too important. It needed to be passed to Old Man Li at the first opportunity, or at least to his oldest son if the father wasn’t available.
Having made up his mind, he sat down at the broadcasting station, flipped on the switch, and started his second announcement of the day.
"Hello, hello, cough cough, can you hear me? Good, you can hear me, so I’ll start. Old Man Li, are you there? Old Man Li, are you there? Your daughter-in-law just called, and since you weren’t here, I took the call. She said Aunt Qiu, which is your daughter-in-law, has been released from prison today. It was today. Hongjun’s comrade in the Capital bought her a train ticket home. It’s tonight’s train; she’s expected to reach the city tomorrow evening. You better organize and go pick her up."
"I’ll say it again, one more time. Old Man Li, are you there? Old Man Li, are you there..."
Clatter—Old Man Li’s chopsticks dropped onto the table.
Aunt Xue found his cowardly act irritating and turned her head away in disgust. With that little courage, he still dared to flirt with her; he must be blind.
"Son, hurry up with your meal, you still have school," Aunt Xue urged her younger son. After the child left the table, she then looked at Old Man Li who was still in a daze and said, "Brother Li, your wife is coming back. Let’s end our involvement here. From now on, you’ll have someone to wash your clothes and cook your meals, no need to waste money here. When you leave in a while, I’ll weigh out the grain you brought. Take it home, and have your wife cook for you."
Aunt Xue was actually playing a strategic retreat. She knew men all too well—just because she and Old Li appeared to be flirting, in reality, there was no relationship between them. Men always yearn for what they can’t have.
