Chapter 19 : Legacy

“My family has made progress and works hard every day to earn work points to support you two who eat idle meals. I let you lie at home and enjoy your life, and you are not afraid of feeling guilty!”

Li Chunlan almost laughed out of anger. “Are the six work points that Big Brother earns a day enough to feed your family of three? It is our parents, and our unmarried second and third brothers who support us!”

“How can I go out while I’m pregnant? If something happens to the eldest grandson of the Li family, how will you compensate him?”

“Sister-in-law, aren’t you afraid of making a mistake by saying this? You have only been pregnant for two months, and you stopped going to bed half a year ago. I don’t have to do any housework, I do it all. I even wash your clothes for you. When Mai Miao was only five years old, he followed the older children in the village to pick pig grass and wild vegetables. Daniu is already seven years old, and it’s fine if he doesn’t work, but he still skips school every day when he’s sent to primary school.”

Zhu Xia was very unconvinced, her thick lips moving up and down, “So what! Mom secretly gives you money all day long, and you eat all the snacks hidden in the house and the good things in the house. Our Daniu is the eldest grandson, why can’t he eat it?”

“Sister-in-law, believe it or not, mother has never given any of us any money in private. This candy is not from our family.”

“This candy is for Maimiao!” Jiang Li said loudly. She took two steps forward, lowered her head, and gave a sinister smile to the big bull with snot bubbles hanging from his nose.

“Steal my things, and I’ll go to school and tell your teacher to let the militia take you away.”

Daniu was startled, and the tears that had stopped falling began to fall again. He hid behind Zhu Xia and cried loudly, “Mom, I don’t want to be arrested!”

“Jiang Li, what do you mean by scaring our Daniu? You are a jinx who brings bad luck to your parents. You are so poor that you come to our Li family to get money all day long. The candy you got must be not legitimate!”

Jiang Li frowned her delicate eyebrows. “Zhu Xia, do you dare to say this in front of the captain? My parents are martyrs recognized by the commune, and I am a martyr’s family member. You slander my reputation and engage in feudal superstition. As long as I report to the leader, you have to go to the farm!”

Zhu Xia was so scared that she took several steps back and accidentally stepped on Daniu. She said in a panic, “I didn’t say that, don’t talk nonsense!”

“Humph, next time I hear words like ‘Death Star’ in the village, I’ll blame it all on you.”

“I know.” Zhu Xia was so anxious that she nodded randomly. She dragged the crying Daniu into the house but was stopped by Jiang Li. “Daniu ate my candy, compensate me ten cents!”

Zhu Xia was afraid that she would really go and complain, so she stomped her feet, went into the house, and took out ten cents.

Jiang Li laughed angrily when she saw the torn banknotes in her hand. This was too childish. She even picked the oldest one on purpose.

Li Chunlan wiped Mai Miao’s face and changed her clothes, and Jiang Li gave her two more candies.

Mai Miao grinned heartily with her missing front tooth mouth and soon ran out with her friends in the village to go crazy.

“Lizi, you have changed,” Li Chunlan held Jiang Li’s hand, her face full of relief.

Jiang Li was not timid from the beginning. When her father was still alive, she dared to do anything, from climbing trees to swimming in the river.

But after Jiang Changsheng passed away, she, was laughed at more often and gradually became depressed.

Li Chunlan has a hot-tempered personality and has always stood up for Jiang Li since she was a child. Every time she saw Jiang Li crying because of being bullied, she would first rush over and curse at her, and then hug Jiang Li and cry together.

Jiang Li’s heart was beating fast. Li Chunlan was indeed the best friend of her original self. She could see the change in her personality right away.

“Hey, I just couldn’t do anything about the bullying from Wang Juhua and the others. Originally, I treated them as my family members and thought that I could just bear with it and it would pass. But I had a high fever some time ago, and no one at home cared about me. They even forced me to work, and I was completely disappointed.”

Li Chunlan’s eyes were red. “It was during those days when I went to my grandmother’s house, right? How could your uncle’s family be so cruel? Are they still human? They occupied your house, took away the money and things your mother left for you, and they still bully you like this.”

After being reminded by Li Chunlan, Jiang Li suddenly remembered some details of the original work.

Xu Shuzhen was crushed by rocks while delivering food, and was only breathing her last when she was dug out. In front of the whole team, she took off the bracelet on her hand and gave it to Jiang Li, leaving more than 50 yuan for Jiang Li. For fear that Jiang Li, a little girl, would take too much money and be targeted by people with bad intentions, the remaining three hundred yuan were placed in the secret compartment of Xu Shuzhen’s dowry wardrobe in the east wing.

Unfortunately, Jiang Li didn’t understand what she meant, and hasn’t taken out the three hundred yuan yet.

Now the bracelet has been stolen by Wang Juhua.

“I will definitely not let them bully me again, don’t worry.”

“Sister, there’s a big commotion going on at Widow Liu’s house at the entrance of the village, why don’t you go and see it?”

Li Shitou, with steam rising from his head, panted and leaned on the door frame to demonstrate. His big toe broke through the upper of his shoe and was exposed outside. “That big white patch, two breasts…”

Before he could finish his words, he was slapped on the back of his head by a palm-leaf fan. Li Youtian glared at him and said, “You little bastard, what nonsense are you talking about in front of your sisters! I’ll pinch your mouth!”

“Dad! You hit me again, and I’m not the only one saying this, everyone says so!”

Li Shitou kicked his feet in anger, but his hand was held by a small hand. Mai Miao called out softly and tenderly, “Fourth brother! Milk!”

Li Shitou was immediately discouraged. He squatted down and stroked the sparse braids on Mai Miao’s head. “What are you talking about, little girl? Be careful or your fourth brother will beat you up!”

“You still say you don’t deserve a beating! You’ve corrupted Mai Miao!”

After Li Youtian finished speaking, he hit Shitou again. Li Shitou covered his butt and screamed.

Li Youtian looked at Jiang Li with pity, “Lizi, go home quickly, something happened at your house.”

After that, he sent the children away and whispered to Jiang Li, “Jiang Hongmei and the young man who came to see her yesterday are together. You should be mentally prepared.”

What? Jiang Hongmei and Zhuang Guoliang are having an affair?

Jiang Li stood up, and after being shocked, she couldn’t stop feeling happy. Good, Jiang Hongmei is determined to marry Zhuang Guoliang. Wang Juhua disagreed, so she came up with this desperate method, which even ruined her own reputation. Doesn’t she think about this: being a stepmother, or paying for it, will life be easy?

“Uncle Li, I’ll go home and take a look.”

Li Chunlan held Jiang Li’s hand with heartache. Even if Jiang Li didn’t like Zhuang Guoliang, Jiang Hongmei had snatched the person from Jiang Li. Why was she so domineering?

“Xiaolan, take this dollar. It’s the wages for making clothes. You must accept it, otherwise I won’t be able to ask for it next time.”

Li Chunlan was helpless, but she noticed the sister-in-law in the west wing peeking at her, so she had no choice but to accept the money.

She was afraid that Zhu Xia would see her taking time out to help Lizi make clothes and gossip about her behind her back, which would make her mother angry.