Liu shi snorted, “Everyone’s food is the same, no one else is complaining, so why are you so troublesome?”
Li Lingyun nodded, “It’s my fault then, Big Aunt, don’t be angry.”
He said, standing up, taking the bowls from in front of Li Dashan and Li Xiaoshan, and turning to walk out, “Since everyone’s bowls are the same, then I’ll just take two bowls and go eat with my wife in my own room. You all continue.”
Li Dashan saw Li Lingyun about to leave, slammed the table, and angrily said, “You stand right there! Put the bowls back obediently, or don’t blame me for beating you!”
Li Lingyun turned to look at him, “Try hitting me. If you dare to lay a hand on me, I’ll dare to flip the table. At most, no one gets to eat.”
Li Dashan was stunned on the spot, seeing Li Lingyun, who usually looked at him as if he were a cat, dare to say such words.
When he came to his senses, he rose in a fit of rage, preparing to beat Li Lingyun as usual.
Li Chengcai frowned and said coldly, “Sit down.”
“Father, look at him…”
“I told you to sit down!” Li Chengcai slammed his chopsticks on the table.
Li Dashan gritted his teeth and sat down, glaring angrily at Li Lingyun.
A smile played on Li Lingyun’s lips as he turned and left the kitchen.
The original owner was timid and self-abasing when facing this family.
In fact, as long as you are firm, the other party will not dare to provoke you.
Li Dashan said discontentedly, “Father, that kid deserves a beating, why did you stop me?”
Li Chengcai glared at him, “Can’t you tell he was really going to flip the table? Are we still eating or not?”
“Does he have the guts?”
Li Chengcai narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly, “He didn’t before, but now he probably does.”
His nephew has changed a lot since he fell last night. He probably doesn’t want to be exploited by his family anymore.
Li Lingyun pushed open the door and entered, seeing Anning had already gotten out of bed and was now sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him with wide eyes.
Li Lingyun walked forward and handed her the bowls in his hand, “I brought you a bowl of rice. Eat quickly.”
Anning looked at the thick brown rice porridge in the bowl and swallowed.
Seeing that she was just looking but not taking the bowl, Li Lingyun teased, “What, do you need me to feed you?”
Anning then looked up and said softly, “This… Is this really for me?”
She was a little disbelieving.
Did this person mean that this bowl of thick porridge was for her?
She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had eaten such thick porridge. In her memory, it seemed like her mother had served her such porridge when she was still alive.
Li Lingyun put the bowl into her hand, “It’s for you. Eat it while it’s hot.”
Warmth emanated from the bowl, and only then did Anning believe that everything in front of her was real.
Her eyes welled up with tears, but she forcibly held them back, raising the bowl and carefully taking a sip.
It was delicious.
Seeing her eat, Li Lingyun sat down beside her and also began to eat.
When Li Lingyun sat down, Anning tensed up.
But seeing that he just sat quietly eating, she slowly relaxed.
How could Li Lingyun not feel her nervousness? But there wasn’t a single stool in the small broken house, so he had nowhere to sit if he didn’t sit on the bed.
Besides, sitting down and then getting up didn’t seem quite right either.
So he could only pretend not to notice her strangeness and eat on his own.
Li Lingyun was very hungry. He finished a bowl of porridge in a few bites.
Seeing that Anning hadn’t finished, he sat quietly and waited.
Anning noticed he was waiting for her and sped up her eating.
When Anning finished, Li Lingyun reached for the bowl in her hand, “Give me the bowl, I’ll take it back to the kitchen.”
“I… I’ll go, and wash the bowls too.” She said, standing up and preparing to leave.
Li Lingyun pulled the bowl from her hand and walked towards the door, “You sit still, I’ll go myself.”
He still had something to discuss with Li Chengcai and the others.
As a new wife, Anning was not suitable to be involved.
In the kitchen, the Li family was eating. Seeing Li Lingyun enter, they all glared at him with displeased expressions.
Li Lingyun sat down by the side and picked up a steamed bun from the table to gnaw on.
There were no steamed buns on the table before he left; they must have been brought out later.
Liu shi gave him a sidelong glance and said sarcastically, “He’s useless at work, but he sure can eat a lot when no one’s looking.”
In the past, how would Li Lingyun dare to take food himself? He would only eat what she gave him.
Today, he didn’t know what was wrong with this person, but he had certainly gotten a lot bolder.
Li Lingyun retorted, “Some families are strange. Four or five strong laborers, yet they insist on making the one who’s useless at work go to Town every day to earn money to support the family.”
There were four strong laborers in the Li family, but only Li Lingyun needed to find work in Town after the busy farming season, while the other three didn’t.
According to Liu shi, Li Chengcai was old and needed rest.
Li Dashan needed to be busy with family matters.
Li Xiaoshan was still young and not suitable for heavy labor.
But.
Li Chengcai was forty years old this year, Li Xiaoshan was sixteen, and there wasn’t much work in the Li family that required Li Dashan to do.
Liu shi saw Li Lingyun’s sharp tongue, gritted her back teeth, and tried hard to suppress the urge to curse.
In the past, she would have already started lecturing Li Lingyun by now, but today’s Li Lingyun was too abnormal, which made Liu shi a little afraid to speak.
Li Lingyun had only eaten one steamed bun, and the half-basket of steamed buns on the table was already nearly empty.
He wiped his mouth and looked at Li Chengcai, “Big Uncle, my parents passed away when I was ten years old. Now I am eighteen, and for these eight years, Big Uncle has been helping me manage the harvest from the fields.”
“Now that I am married, it’s not good to continue troubling Big Uncle. Big Uncle, please give me the money you’ve been managing for me, and I’ll manage it myself.”
Everyone’s expressions froze.
Liu shi frowned and said, “Although you are married, you are only eighteen. Such a large sum of money given to you might cause problems. It’s better for your Big Uncle to keep it for you.”
“Exactly. Can you keep the money? It’s better to let my father keep it for you. It’s not too late to give it to you when you have children.”
Li Lingyun asked Li Chengcai, “Does Big Uncle think so too?”
Li Chengcai sighed, “Lingyun, what your Big Aunt said is not without reason. You are still young, and I’m genuinely afraid you won’t be able to hold onto that money.”
Li Lingyun nodded, “Alright then, you can continue to keep it.”
Joy appeared on everyone’s faces.
Who knew Li Lingyun would continue, “I’ll go ask Lizheng if the witness he made back then still counts. If it doesn’t, I’ll go to the county yamen to ask what to do in such a situation.”
With that, he stood up and walked out.
Li Dashan grabbed Li Lingyun’s arm and said in a deep voice, “What are you doing? Who allowed you to go find Lizheng on your own? Do you believe I’ll break your legs?!”
Li Lingyun pulled his hand free and smiled, “I don’t believe it. You can try.”
With that, he continued to walk out.
Before he reached the door, Li Chengcai spoke, “Since you want to manage the money yourself, then so be it.”