CH 74.1

Oct 16 2022

“Tomorrow is New Year’s Day. You can think about your wedding with peace of mind. I will look over this matter. Since you chose to live together, you must live well, but don’t act like a child.” Li Changfeng felt that Xu Qing’s words made sense. Although Ma Fugui was also a businessman, he was not good at doing things, his mind was slow, and he was not as flexible as Wang Lei according to the words from Li Xiao’er’s mouth, but no matter how good this person is, he (Li Changfeng) will only know after seeing him in person.

Li Xiao’er nodded obediently and sat for a while before going home without staying for the meals.

“There is a lot of work at home, and I also ran out of my busy schedule.” Li Xiao’er gave Li Changfeng a look as soon as he finished saying this.

“I know, it’s New Year’s Day tomorrow, so I’m also busy here. You just had to run out at a time like this. Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”

Li Xiao’er stuck out his tongue, and after kissing Tuantuan again, he followed Li Changfeng away.

When Li Xiao’er and Li Changfeng were on the road, Li Changfeng thought about it and then asked, “Nothing happened at home during this time, right?”

Li Xiao’er tugged at the clothes draped over his body, and after a while, he said, “The school opened by the third brother is going out of business.”

Hearing this, Li Changfeng didn’t ask too many questions.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com. After heaving a long sigh, he accelerated the speed of the donkey cart to hurry on the road. Although the snow was not big today, it was better not to delay for too long. It would be bad if you caught a cold.

After arriving at the Li family, Li Changfeng didn’t want to leave immediately, so he tied the donkey cart and followed Li Xiao’er inside. When he arrived the front yard, before he could even enter the main room, he heard some voices.

“That person is deliberately going against me! Taking advantage of the time I was preparing for the exam, what a white-eyed wolf!” It was the roar of Li Laosan.

Li Xiao’er tugged his own clothes as if he was used to it, nodded to Li Changfeng, then entered his own room, and closed the door.

Li Changfeng looked at the smokeless kitchen and listened to the sound from the main room. He paused for a while, then made a decision and entered the main room where the sound came from.

“People are sending their children to Zhou Wen instead these days,” Li Ama had an unhappy look on his face. Seeing Li Changfeng entered the door, he said, “second child is here.” Everyone in the room greeted Li Changfeng who calmly sat down next to eldest Li and listened quietly without saying a word.

After Li Laosan saw Li Changfeng come in, he didn’t speak anymore, even though his face was still full of anger.

Suddenly the scene in the house was a little embarrassing, old man Li looked at Li Ama and said, “why don’t you take your sons’ wives and the children to the kitchen to prepare tomorrow’s New Year’s meal?” Li Ama nodded and took the people with him. The children and the others all left the main room, and only the old man Li and his three sons were left inside.

Old Man Li looked at Li Changfeng. There was no smile on his face which showed years of hardship. “You just came, and I don’t know you if you already knew that your younger brother has already agreed a marriage with the Wang family in the town. The date is chosen. On the second day of the second month, you have to remember. You can’t miss it.”

After saying that, he looked at Li Laosan who was sitting next to him, “just now, we were talking about the school that your third brother opened a few days ago, which was intercepted by the Zhou family’s son Zhou Wen, and the school can’t continue to open anymore.”

Li Laosan’s face darkened, but he didn’t speak in the end. Eldest Li’s face was that of pity. All the while, Li Changfeng listened quietly, and didn’t say anything, causing the old Li not knowing how to continue the one-sided conversation.

“Cough, Changfeng, what do think of this situation? It’s for your own brother, give us an idea.” Old man Li couldn’t compete with Li Changfeng’s calmness, and he was the first to speak.

Li Changfeng patted the dust on his body and said nonchalantly, “Why don’t the villagers want to send their children to the third brother?”

As soon as these words came out, eldest Li, who was sitting beside Li Changfeng, looked a little embarrassed, and Li Laosan still didn’t speak, so Old Man Li had to continue: “This is no longer the time of drought when parents can just give whatever they have to send their children to school. Now that everyone’s life is getting better, your third brother decided to increase the tuition fee, but this group of people took their children away and send them to Zhou Wen who also opened his own school.”

“How much did the third brother ask for the tuition fee?”

Old Man Li’s face froze, and he turned his head to Li Laosan, who had been silent for a while, “Stupid! Tell him!”

Li Laosan waved his hand impatiently, “Five taels of silver a year, I didn’t set the price randomly. If you want to find a master like me, even if you have money, you might not be able to find one!”

Li Changfeng sneered, “But as far as I know, the tuition fee in Anle Village is only one or two taels a year, and yours is more than double.”

Li Laosan felt extremely uncomfortable when he heard Li Changfeng’s words, “Who is your brother! Which side are you on!”

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. Father, how much does Zhou Wen ask for?” Li Changfeng turned his head and asked Old Man Li without even glancing at Li Laosan.

Old man Li’s face was not very good, obviously like what Li Laosan said, he felt that Li Changfeng’s elbows were turned out, so he didn’t speak. Eldest Li’s face darkened, and he whispered, “one or two taels a year, if you don’t have money, you can also pay with food.”

(T/N: elbows were turned out = being on the side of outsiders).

“How can he compare with me!” Li Laosan stood up and slapped the table with dissatisfaction. Li Changfeng was too lazy to listen, so he also stood up and walked in front of Li Laosan, looking directly at him, “Why can’t he compare with you?!”

Li Laosan looked at the expressionless Li Changfeng in front of him and felt a little scared. Last time because of Li Xiao’er, he was beaten by Li Changfeng and couldn’t get out of bed for two days. Thinking of his sufferings during that time, Li Laosan answered obediently but unhappily, “he also participated in the imperial exam I took!”

Li Changfeng was stunned by Li Laosan’s words, “you think you’re very good, don’t you?! Let me tell you. Zhou Wen’s attitude towards education is much stronger than yours! I don’t even have the face to say that I am from the Li family. This is all because of you!”

Li Laosan was hurt by what Li Changfeng said. When eldest Li saw that Li Laosan was in a bad mood, he immediately ran over to hold him down. “Don’t block me,” Li Laosan pushed Eldest Li away and stared at Li Changfeng angrily, “Oh, do you still think you are from the Li family? Let me tell you, since you entered the Xu family’s door, you are no longer a part of our Li family!”

“The third son!”

“Third brother!”

Old man Li and Eldest Li’s reprimands sounded at the same time. Li Laosan’s face froze slightly. He then realized what he said was too much, but he was too prideful, and refused to take back what he said. He just stood there staring at Li Changfeng stubbornly.

“Second son, the third only said out of anger, don’t mind him,” Old Man Li came over to smooth things out, and eldest Li also echoed, “That’s right, don’t be on the same level as him.”

Unexpectedly, Li Changfeng still had no expression. He just looked at the sky outside and said goodbye to Old Man Li, “It’s getting late, so I won’t stay any longer.”

Old man Li didn’t know what to say, so he nodded, “Go back, there is a child at home, so you have to return early and take care of him. You live in the back mountain, and the wild animals are very active during this time of the year.” He didn’t think that what he said was nothing wrong, but isn’t this cursing Li Changfeng’s family to have an accident!?

Eldest Li listened awkwardly and hurriedly corrected, “father didn’t mean that.” Li Changfeng waved his hand, “I know.”

After speaking, he stepped out of the main room, took a few steps, stopped again, and turned to look at the three people in the room.

“I think what the third brother said is very true. Since I have entered the Xu family’s door, I can no longer intervene in the Li family’s affairs so casually. So, let me take the liberty to say that my Xu family will be celebrating the new year by ourselves tomorrow. I’ll be very busy, so I won’t be here to greet you all. Anyway, since I’m part of the Xu family, this obligation is no longer valid, right? I’ll have to go and greet Li Zheng, so, goodbye.”

Translator: Hi my lovely readers, many things (nothing bad though) happened in the last few months. I was too busy to focus on translating. I’m still busy and won’t be able to update often in the next few months. I’ll do what I can though :’)