Chapter 24: Old Li Prepares to Divide the Household!

"Auntie, open the door! I’ve brought Brother Li San back for you!"

The man was blunt and straightforward, shouting as soon as he arrived at the gate.

Cheng Xiuyun, who was in the courtyard shelling melon seeds, curled her lip in annoyance. Brother Li San? What Brother Li San? Who was this man, and why was he bringing someone to her house?

"Auntie?" The man continued to call out from outside.

Old Man Li, trailing behind with his slow, aching legs, had not managed to keep up and thus missed this initial scene.

"What are you shouting about?" Cheng Xiuyun said, visibly annoyed as she pushed the door open. She launched into a tirade immediately, "There’s no Brother Li San here! Are you sure you haven’t come to the wrong house?"

The man looked at Cheng Xiuyun, stammering and unable to get a word out. His face turned bright red with anxiety. Finally, he simply dumped the person on his shoulder onto the ground.

"Thud!"

Li Qingyun was dropped flat onto the floor, letting out a groan of pain.

Recognizing the familiar fabric of the man's clothes and the headband on his head, Cheng Xiuyun let out a sharp shriek, "Ah! Husband, what has happened to you!"

Hearing Cheng Xiuyun’s voice, the man’s face turned even redder. He wasn’t married yet, and he hadn't realized that a young lady’s voice could sound so sweet! *Husband?* That sounded nice!

The man scratched his head and said to Cheng Xiuyun, "Brother Li San fell into the field by accident. It looks like he hit a rock; there might be some bruising. If you rub it for him, the swelling should go down, and he’ll be fine!"

"How could he just fall into the field like that?" Cheng Xiuyun tried to move Li Qingyun into the house, but after struggling for a while, she realized he was as heavy as if he had been welded to the ground. She couldn't budge him! In her panic, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Don't cry!" The man beside her felt distressed the moment he saw her weeping. He began to gesture frantically in his nervousness. "I’ll help you carry him inside!"

Looking at Li Qingyun on the ground, the man seemed to understand something. He decisively stepped forward, scooped Li Qingyun up into his arms, and strode toward the house. However, upon reaching the threshold of the main room, he hesitated and turned to Cheng Xiuyun, "Which room is Brother Li San in?"

The question left Cheng Xiuyun stunned. *Right, their room!* It had been so long, and the second son's family still hadn't moved out. Did they really expect her to sleep in the south room?

"Sister-in-law?" The man looked at a loss.

Cheng Xiuyun, full of impatience, glanced at the locked door and pointed reluctantly at the recliner under the jujube tree. "Just put your brother on the recliner!"

"Alright!" The man carried Li Qingyun over and quickly laid him down.

After settling him, the man licked his parched lips and looked at Cheng Xiuyun expectantly. He had run all the way here and was terribly thirsty. But Cheng Xiuyun acted as if he didn't exist, her eyes fixed solely on Li Qingyun. Seeing this, the man scratched his head, muttered, "Sister-in-law, I’ll be going now," and turned to leave when he received no response.

Just as he reached the gate, he ran into Old Man Li, who was finally catching up.

"Li Tiedan, leaving already? Why not sit for a while?" Old Man Li still understood social graces; someone had just brought his son home, so he couldn't let them leave empty-handed.

"Uncle Li, I’ve still got work to do in the fields, so I’ll be heading back!" With that, Li Tiedan hurried out of the house, looking as if he were fleeing in a panic.

Old Man Li looked puzzled. He shook his head, stepped into the courtyard, and spoke to Cheng Xiuyun, who was by the jujube tree, "What’s wrong with Tiedan? He brought Qingyun back; why didn't you even offer the man a drink of water?"

As if this were the final spark to a powder keg, Cheng Xiuyun suddenly stood up. She glared at Old Man Li and cried out regardless of propriety, "What is going on here? My husband went out perfectly fine, so why has he come back horizontal? What on earth did you do to him?"

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, and she burst into loud, wailing sobs.

Baozhen and Baoshu heard the commotion and rushed over from the backyard. "Mother, what’s wrong?"

Baozhen was terrified. She looked at Cheng Xiuyun with nervous eyes. *Mother cannot have anything happen to her!* Her father had exhausted the family’s entire fortune for the imperial examinations. The only reason they had been able to live in town all these years was because of her maternal grandfather’s support. If something happened to her mother, her grandfather would certainly stop funding them. She might then be forced to return to the countryside with her father and become a village girl, just like Daya and Er’ya. No, she couldn't allow that.

"Grandfather, what happened to Mother?"

From start to finish, Baozhen’s eyes were fixed on Cheng Xiuyun, her concern purely for her own situation. As for Li Qingyun lying on the recliner, he was completely ignored.

Old Man Li looked at the son he had doted on for decades, then at his daughter-in-law’s family, and felt a chill settle deep in his heart. *What sin have I committed to end up with such a chaotic household?*

He had walked all the way back, his leg injury throbbing painfully, yet no one had shown him any concern. Heartbroken, Old Man Li dragged his injured leg straight into the house, turning a deaf ear to the noise outside.

Cheng Xiuyun watched her father-in-law leave, completely bewildered. *Wait, the housing issue hasn't been resolved yet! Where are we supposed to sleep?* She shot a glance at Baozhen, who immediately understood. Nodding, Baozhen ran to the door of her grandparents' room and asked in a low voice, "Grandfather, where are Father and us supposed to sleep?"

Old Man Li, who hadn't even had a moment to rest his backside, was already being pestered. From the moment he entered, no one had cared about his wellbeing or offered to help him; they only thought of themselves. He thought to himself that the Li family should have married a farm girl—someone hardworking, filial, and family-oriented who wouldn't be so fickle. Wasn't that exactly how the second son’s late wife had been? A farm girl who kept the home harmonious and orderly. If she hadn't died, would things be different?

"Sigh!" Old Man Li let out a heavy, weary breath and collapsed onto the bed. Only now did he realize how wet and cold he was from the journey.

Outside, the nagging continued. "Grandfather?"

"Sleep wherever you like! Isn't there still the south room? If the second son's family can sleep there, why can't you? Get lost!"

Old Man Li’s roar startled Li Wangshi, who opened her eyes to see her husband fuming. "What is it? Did the second son’s family offend you again?"

"That cursed second son, is he really trying to be unfilial?"

"If only I weren't bedridden, I’d show them how to behave!"

Li Wangshi rambled on, but Old Man Li remained silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke, "Old woman, shall we divide the family?"