How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 136: Rogue_1

Li Shengcai was just waiting for Li Jiaojiao to say those words. After sitting for a while, he proposed to leave, but Li Jiaojiao asked him to stay for dinner. He had planned to decline, but when he heard his son-in-law was preparing to buy meat and wine, he decided to stay put, craving for a drink and a hearty meal. It was only after he was sated with food and drink that he went home.

Passing by the village store, he overheard the neighbors mentioning Li Jinhua’s name.

He approached them and inquired, and that was how he found out Li Jinhua had jumped into the river and been saved by Li Jun, who had even pressed down on Li Jinhua’s stomach.

He was immediately inflamed with rage.

Wasn’t she supposed to be gone to Feng Family Village?

Why did she jump into the river?

He stormed back home, "You damn girl! What’s the deal with you and Li Jun?"

Li Jinhua panicked, surprised how quickly the news had reached Li Shengcai’s ears. She stammered, trying to explain: "I, he...."

She couldn’t come up with an explanation.

Li Jun’s parents got wind of the situation and came over with a chicken to propose marriage.

Li Shengcai didn’t waste words: "A dowry of sixty-six."

That stumped Li Jun’s parents.

Who had sixty-six to spare?

And if they did have it, would they even consider Li Jinhua with her ruined reputation?

Mrs. Li reluctantly said, "We’re known in the village for being poor. Where could we get sixty-six? Could you lower the amount?"

Li Shengcai: "How much can you offer? My girl is a high school student; surely she can’t be raised for nothing?"

"We have a total of twenty yuan at home, saved up for the eldest son’s future wife. But now the younger one has saved your daughter, and with what happened between them, we want to do the right thing too. If that’s acceptable to you, then fine; if not, we really have no other options," Li Jun’s father implied that if not for his son, who else would marry her?

Li Shengcai understood and heaved a sigh, agreeing.

Hearing this, Li Jun’s parents continued: "Such matters are better settled sooner rather than later. The day after tomorrow is an auspicious double date, and we plan to take the bride home." The sooner she joins the family, the sooner they could have grandchildren.

"Agreed," Li Shengcai made the decision firmly.

Li Jinhua cried. How could it be like this?

She remembered Li Jun from her previous life and, having never paid him much attention, did not know what his future held.

But considering the current state of poverty in Li Jun’s household, with seven or eight people living in a shabby straw hut, she could not accept it.

Not wanting to marry, she hurried to the fields to find Dong Lamei.

Dong Lamei spoke earnestly, "My girl, with your reputation, it’s already good that someone wants you, and they’re even offering twenty yuan as a dowry. That’s enough. Go ahead and marry!"

Li Jinhua roared with indignation, "I won’t agree! Wuu wuu...."

Dong Lamei was even more furious, "Crying now is useless, isn’t it? Isn’t this all your own doing? We had hopes you’d go to college, but you were expelled. How good was the young man from the supply and marketing cooperative introduced to you at the beginning of the year? If you’d formed that connection, perhaps we could have gotten some kind of quota to make money. You flatly refused, and just recently I heard that he got married and his wife is already pregnant."

Li Jinhua felt no regret.

Whoever married her previous husband would regret it; he was selfish and harsh. She had given him three children in her previous life and had worked hard all her life.

What had she gotten in return?

She planned to run away from home.

....

Whatever Li Jinhua could think of, Li Shengcai could imagine too. So as soon as she got home and started packing, Li Shengcai locked her in the house and then headed to Feng Family Village to arrange to inquire about Li Qiao’s whereabouts.

Li Jinhua was getting married; how could Top Scholar not come?

As dusk gave way to evening, and night quietly descended.

Li Shengcai arrived at Feng Family Village and caught hold of a passerby to ask, "Hasn’t the Qin family come back yet?"

"They returned last evening, and by now, they’re probably all resting."

Li Shengcai knocked on the Qin family’s door, "Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao...."

The family dog barked, "Woof, woof!"

"Coming!" The door was opened by Old Mrs. Qin.

Li Shengcai said with a smile, "Grandma, where’s Qiaoqiao? Has she gone to bed?"

Old Mrs. Qin called toward the room, but no one responded; she then shined a flashlight inside.

The bed was neatly made and empty.

Where were the two children?

"I fell asleep and didn’t notice where they went. Is there something urgent this late?" Old Mrs. Qin moved a stool for Li Shengcai to sit down.

Li Shengcai explained his purpose: "Jinhua is getting engaged, she’ll marry the day after tomorrow...."

Old Mrs. Qin was surprised. It hadn’t been long since Feng Bing’s incident. Someone wanted to marry Li Jinhua? In the past, she would have readily agreed to attend the ceremony upon Li Shengcai’s request, but now with deep conflicts between her daughter-in-law and her natal family, she couldn’t make the decision herself.

She waited for Li Shengcai to finish: "You should tell Qiaoqiao about this in person."

"Your whole family should go," Li Shengcai said.

Old Mrs. Qin replied, "We haven’t been home for days and have a lot to deal with; I’m afraid we won’t be able to attend. You should discuss it with Jin later."

Li Shengcai’s eyes darted about before he smoothly asked, "I heard from my second daughter that your family bought a house in the city? Where is it?"

Old Mrs. Qin felt a surge of anxiety. How did Li Jiaojiao know?

Had Qiaoqiao told her?

But then she thought it was unlikely; Qiaoqiao and Li Jiaoyang were close. If there were news to share, it would likely have been with Li Jiaoyang. "We don’t have a house in the city. If your second daughter said so, you should ask her."

Li Shengcai laughed, "I was just asking casually. Jin earned quite a bit recently, hasn’t he? Aren’t you going to renovate the house?"

Old Mrs. Qin replied, "This house hasn’t even been up for five years; there’s no need for major repairs. Although, we are planning to fix up the kitchen." The shed would leak all over during rainy days, making cooking inconvenient.

At that moment, bursts of giggling came from outside.

Old Mrs. Qin stepped out with the flashlight and saw her daughter-in-law riding on her grandson’s neck, the three of them locking eyes.

Li Qiao hurriedly jumped down from Qin Jin’s neck, her balance unsteady, rushing forward.

Qin Jin timely caught her from behind to prevent her from falling.

Old Mrs. Qin said with a laugh, "What’s the hurry, you almost fell."

Li Qiao: "...." I was riding on your grandson. I was afraid you’d be upset.

Qin Jin cleared his throat, "Were you waiting especially for us?"

Old Mrs. Qin said, "Your father-in-law is here."

Li Shengcai smiled, "Where did you go for fun?"

After Li Qiao finished her exams, Qin Jin told her that she had contracted chickenpox because Dong Lamei had stealthily snatched a peace charm from a child in the village who had the disease, and it was after wearing this charm that she was infected. She had thought that Li Shengcai would drive Dong Lamei away and then come to comfort her.

But instead, the couple continued on with their life as usual, and Li Jinhua, despite having caused injury, allowed Qin Jin to be wrongfully accused, with her father doing little to punish her.

Just how biased could he be?

And now he’s come to seek her out again for something.

The more she thought about it, the more angry she became, and without a word, she went back inside.

Li Shengcai followed her to the window: "Qiaoqiao, Jinhua is getting married the day after tomorrow; there will be a lot of relatives coming to our house. If you don’t go and they ask about you, what should I say?"

Li Qiao sneered, the threats had started again, huh.

Qin Jin’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly: "What does Li Jinhua’s marriage have to do with Qiaoqiao? She’s not going!"

Li Shengcai stuttered, "But it’s such an important event, how can Qiaoqiao not attend?"

"Qiaoqiao has found a job, and she has to start working soon. Jin, you can go in her place when the time comes."

Old Mrs. Qin spoke up, and seeing the opportunity, Li Shengcai agreed, "That works too. Jin, you’ll go then. What kind of job is Qiaoqiao doing? Is the salary good?"

"A daughter who has married off is like water that has been poured away; how much she earns is none of your business. That’s all for the Qin family," Qin Jin asserted his rights.

Li Shengcai felt choked, as if he could barely breathe. Rogue! His daughter’s earnings, how could they have nothing to do with him?

Why wouldn’t the Heavens strike dead that Qin family loser? He silently cursed Qin Jin as he walked away.