Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 830 - 820 Has Fallen

With a clatter, the small stool in his hand fell to the ground, "Hongjun, you’ve come back." Li Lao Tou stood up with some discomfort.

Having his son learn about this matter made the old man feel somewhat ashamed.

Upon hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Xue Da Nainai, who had been sewing shoe soles inside, quickly set aside what she was holding, smoothed her temples, and walked out the door with a smile on her face.

"So it’s Hongjun who’s come, when did you get back? Come on, don’t just stand at the door. Everyone, come inside and have a seat." She greeted him warmly as she came out.

She had been clinging so tenaciously to Li Lao Tou for the sake of this stepson, and now that she saw him, how could she not be enthusiastic?

Li Hongjun surveyed them with a cold gaze, then turned his head to look at Li Lao Tou, "What are you doing here? Could it be that you really plan to leave your wife and start a new life with another woman, just as they’re saying?"

Li Lao Tou, unable to save face when questioned by his son, subconsciously glanced at Xue Da Nainai.

Xue Da Nainai just pursed her lips without speaking, but her displeasure was evident to anyone who looked into her eyes. Of course, she was ’the other woman,’ and Li Hongjun’s question essentially painted her as a homewrecker.

Although what she had done was exactly that, she wasn’t pleased to have it pointed out to her face. And, to make matters worse, she couldn’t even retort to the person who was accusing her, making her feel even more aggrieved.

"What are you talking about? Is this how you speak to your own father? You’ve grown all these years for nothing, lived no better than a dog." Li Lao Tou began to scold his son with a mix of anger and defensiveness.

"Brother Li, look, Hongjun just got back and isn’t aware of the situation. Say less, will you? We’re all family, no need for quarrels. We should talk things out calmly," Xue Da Nainai tried to keep a magnanimous front though she felt otherwise and quickly stepped in to mediate.

Li Hongjun didn’t even look at the others, simply staring at Li Lao Tou and asking pointedly, "Are you staying here, or will you come home with me?"

"What are you doing? I’ll stay wherever I please. When did it become your turn to control me, you little brat?" Li Lao Tou, although somewhat fond of his second son, still cared about his face in front of others.

"If you come home now, then you are still my father," Li Hongjun countered without indulging him, leaving these words behind before turning to leave.

Li Hongxing, seeing his brother leave, glanced at the old man and Xue Da Nainai, snorted through his nose in disdain, and followed his brother out.

Li Lao Tou, watching his two sons leave without a trace, began to look anxious. He understood perfectly well what his son had implied: if he came home now, he would still acknowledge him as a father, but if he continued to stay with Suqin, then his children would disown him.

Although Li Lao Tou found Suqin quite good, no woman was dearer than his own sons. Moreover, he was well aware, like seeing in a clear mirror, that even if he and Suqin truly came together, they would only ever be a couple formed midway through life. Now, while he could walk and be independent, it was fine, but the day he couldn’t, he would still have to rely on his own sons.

"Suqin, oh, look at this mess. Hongjun has finally come home; I should go back and see. I’m heading home now, and when I have time, I’ll come back and help you clean up," Li Lao Tou said, not daring to look at Xue Da Nainai, and with his head down, he left the courtyard.

After the man had left, Xue Suqin’s face clouded over, and she cursed the Li Family from head to toe in her heart, concluding that there wasn’t a single good one amongst them.

Shortly after Li Hongjun and his brother arrived home, Li Lao Tou also made it back.

Li Hongjun glanced at him, said nothing, and went straight into the house, ignoring Zheng’s mother, who had come out to see the commotion. As soon as he sat down on the kang bed, he fell silent.

Li’s father followed him inside and felt somewhat angry to see his son acting this way since he had come back to make amends with his son. He wondered why his son seemed never to be appeased.

So, Li’s father too, out of irritation, sat down at the head of the kang and stayed quiet.

After a moment of silence, Li Hongxing and his wife arrived.

Right after Li Hongxing returned home, he had told his wife briefly about the old lady’s sentencing, which left Wang Dan both shocked and agitated. That’s why the two of them hurried over to see how to handle the situation.

Upon entering and seeing the silent father and son, Wang Dan grew anxious.

"Dad, how can you still have the leisure to smoke? The old lady has been sentenced to death. What are we going to do? Dad, you have to come up with a plan," she said, obviously agitated. Although she didn’t get along with the old lady, she had never envisaged such an ending for her, so her words were rushed.

Li’s father, not hearing clearly, paused before asking uncertainly, "What did you say, eldest daughter-in-law? Who has been sentenced to death?"

Wang Dan was taken aback, "What? You haven’t told Dad about this yet?"

Li Hongjun remained silent.

Li’s father, trembling slightly, turned his head, "Hongxing, what’s your sister-in-law talking about? What exactly happened? Tell me quickly."

Li Hongjun ignored him, feeling truly disappointed in his father.

"Hongxing, you went with your brother today, didn’t you? Come on, tell me what is going on," Li’s father asked, turning away from his unresponsive second son to address his eldest.

Li Hongxing was not as silent as Li Hongjun; he stumbled over his words as he recounted their visit to the police station and Officer Zhang’s explanation, followed by the visit to the detention center to see their mother.

After listening, Li’s father was dumbstruck, sitting motionless on the kang, muttering to himself, "How could this be, how could this be."

Hearing this, Wang Dan exploded, "I knew it, not a single good one in the Xue family. How trivial the matter was! It was just a stack of straw being burned. If a child had done it, at most they would be taken home and spanked, with no compensation needed. So why did they have to call the police over the old lady’s case? See, they planned it! They got her arrested and refused to settle, holding her without release, intent on driving the old lady to her grave, just so they could enter higher society, huh? Pah, what a vicious heart!" She stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips, and started cursing.

Although Wang Dan usually looked down on Qiu Shuping, people are protective by nature; family squabbles are among their own kin. But now that their grandmother was being driven to her death by others, she couldn’t hold back from lambasting the Xue family thoroughly.

Li Hongjun and his brother just listened to her tirade, with no one trying to stop her because they both felt their sister-in-law/wife was right to be angry and right to curse.

"Dad, do you see? They act close to you for what reason? They want to see our Li family ruined and dead. And still, you think they’re good people. No wonder the old lady was angry. Can’t you see what they’re after, or are you pretending to be confused just to have a moment’s peace? At your age, what are you trying to do? Give birth to a few more children for others to raise in their old age..." Wang Dan couldn’t just vent at the Xue family; in her eyes, the least humane person was Li’s father sitting beside her. If he hadn’t been so weak-willed, they would have never gotten entangled with the Xue family.

Before Wang Dan could go on, Li’s father, his face turning purple-red, shouted, "Shut up..."

Just as he finished speaking, Li’s father toppled backward.