Chapter 85

At this moment, Li Yuechan felt much better; the frustration in her heart had finally eased.

“Mom, I’m back!”

“Ah, you’re finally back! The food’s almost cold!”

“I told you to eat first.”

“You ran off, how could I eat with peace of mind? Oh no, what happened? Your clothes are soaking wet. Hurry and go wash up in the bathroom, I’ve boiled hot water for you.”

“Oh.”

Li Yuechan poured the hot water her mom had boiled into the bathroom. She saw her mother had already prepared a bucket of water, and without another word, she closed the door behind her, entered her space, and took a quick, refreshing shower.

She then poured two buckets of water into the five-square-meter garden at their house, watering the vegetables, before her mother called her to come for dinner.

On the third day, Li Yuechan sat on the back of her dad’s bicycle, and the three of them rode towards Da Huaishu Village.

Since the last time when Li Yuechan had caused a scene at the Li family’s house, she hadn’t returned. She never expected that when she came back this time, everything at home had changed dramatically!

It turned out that the 120-square-meter yard had been divided into three parts by a wall, and the other side was now the home of her uncle’s family.

However, the wedding banquet was still being held at her grandmother’s house since her uncle’s yard was too small for it.

Li Yuechan looked around at the four large tables set up in the yard, nodding in satisfaction.

Today, her aunt greeted her warmly, acting a little different than before. She seemed less calculating and more sincere, perhaps due to the letter Li Yuechan had sent her.

Seeing that everyone was busy, Li Yuechan went over to the neighboring yard to find Li Meili. As soon as she entered, she saw the girl wearing a red blouse on top and black pants on the bottom.

Hey, those black pants looked familiar—weren’t they hers?

Li Meili and Li Meixia were both inside. Li Yuechan greeted them, then pulled a hairpin out of her pocket and handed it to Li Meili, smiling as she said, “I bought this in the provincial capital for you. Wishing you a happy marriage!”

Li Meili pressed her lips together as she took the hairpin. She felt conflicted about her cousin.

In her previous life, she had envied and even been jealous of Li Yuechan. But then, her cousin suddenly passed away, and it was hard to pretend she wasn’t devastated.

However, her own life had been quite tragic, so there was no point in pitying others.

She took the hairpin and marveled at its beauty. There were even a few sparkling gems on it, though she didn’t know what they were; she just thought it looked pretty.

Her cousin had said such harsh things before, yet still sent her a gift. Looking up, she genuinely said, “Thank you, and I’m sorry for the things I said last time.”

This time, Yuechan hadn’t died. Did that mean her third uncle and third aunt wouldn’t divorce anymore? She wasn’t sure.

Li Yuechan waved it off, not taking her previous words to heart. After all, they were just distant relatives, and she left after exchanging a few pleasantries.

Soon after, other relatives from the Li family showed up, and Li Yuechan even saw Li Meili’s fiancé. She heard he worked as a regular employee at a food factory.

But the guy was so strange—he didn’t stay for the meal, just dropped off a gift and left, barely speaking to Li Meili.

He acted all high and mighty, like he was something special.

Li Yuechan couldn’t help but wonder why Li Meili would choose such a person.

But seeing that Li Meili seemed preoccupied with something, Li Yuechan decided not to meddle. After all, it was her own choice, and she had no right to interfere.

Before long, her cousin-in-law arrived on a bicycle to pick up Li Meili. The front of the bike was adorned with a big red flower, making it look quite festive.

But as for this Xu Guoqing, Li Yuechan didn’t have a good impression of him. He was as thin as a chicken, but, well, to each their own.

After the firecrackers were set off, they took Li Meili away. Li Yuechan had no intention of causing a scene at the bridal chamber, so she stayed at her own home for the banquet.

She sat down carelessly, waiting for them to serve her. There was no way she was going to work—absolutely not!

The food that day was pretty good. She heard her aunt had spent a lot of money, organizing everything according to the standard of four yuan per table.

Even with just four tables, it cost quite a bit. It was likely because her eldest cousin had recently started earning money, which gave her aunt the confidence to spend a little more.

The food was quite decent, and there were even meat dishes on every table. Li Yuechan ate to her heart’s content.

Just then, Li Jianguo pulled out two bottles of alcohol. In these times, alcohol was a rare commodity, and everyone immediately got excited.

Li Yuechan had never tasted alcohol from this era before, and when Su Lizhen saw her expression, she quickly said, “Yuechan, you’ve never drunk before, don’t drink.”

Li Yuechan pouted and said, “Mom, I just want to taste a little, just one glass. It’s a happy occasion since Meili is getting married, and everyone’s celebrating!”

Su Lizhen, helpless, said, “Well, if you must, you can have just one glass.”

Li Jianguo, grinning, poured a glass for his daughter. Although he said it was one glass, there were no such small glasses around, so the amount he poured was about two liang (100 ml).

Li Yuechan lifted the glass and gulped it down in one go. “Mmm, not bad.”

She smacked her lips, the taste of alcohol filling her mouth. It was quite strong. Indeed, alcohol from this era was something special!

But when she lowered her head, everything went dark.

Su Lizhen was alarmed and pale, “What’s happening to Yuechan?”

Some relatives nearby laughed and teased, “Yuechan couldn’t have gotten drunk already, could she? She’s a one-glass wonder!”

Several people laughed so hard they nearly fell over, and Su Lizhen was both exasperated and amused. This girl—one glass and she’s out!

Li Jianguo, however, was taken aback. He hadn’t realized that his daughter was a lightweight. This was truly a stroke of luck for him!

He quickly exchanged a look with his mother, and Huang Hehua immediately beamed as she came over.

“Lizhen, you continue eating, I’ll take Yuechan to your room to rest for a while.”

“It’s fine, Mom, we can all go together.”

Huang Hehua made a face, and the two of them supported Li Yuechan back to their own room.

Huang Hehua immediately helped Li Yuechan to bed, saying, “Let her rest here for a bit. If the curtain is drawn, no one will be able to see.”

Su Lizhen thought it made sense. It was broad daylight, and it would be inconvenient if someone barged in.

She helped Yuechan settle on the bed, then took a thin quilt from the big bed and covered her daughter. After drawing the curtain and half-closing the door, she returned to the banquet.

Li Yuechan had vacated her spot, and Huang Hehua sat down with enthusiasm, greeting the relatives to eat.

Though Su Lizhen felt a little reluctant, she didn’t say anything. The meal continued in a lively atmosphere, and soon they were discussing going to Meili’s new house.

According to tradition, the maternal relatives should visit the bride’s new house to help with her makeup after the meal.

Su Lizhen had planned to bring a pair of pillowcases but then thought about it and said to Li Jianguo, “Why don’t you take them to Meili? I’ll stay here. Yuechan’s still resting in the room.”

“Ah, no, you should go. After all, you’re the third aunt. I can’t go to the bride’s room myself. Don’t worry, my mom’s at home. You’ll go and return quickly.”

Su Lizhen thought it made sense. The distance wasn’t far, and the round trip would only take a little over half an hour.

Huang Hehua chimed in from the side, “It’s fine, you’ll be back quickly.”