Chapter 147 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (part 2)

Dashan’s wife was a little surprised when she saw Li Su boldly eat the wild herb congee. In the past, Aiguo’s wife never ate wild herb congee because she thought it was tasteless. What happened this time? Then, she thought about the current situation. Yes, now that Aiguo was gone, nobody went hunting in the mountains to get prey for Aiguo’s wife. Did she have anything to eat?

Dashan’s wife was thinking and suddenly remembered the purpose of her visit. She tapped Madam Qiao and motioned for her to speak. Madam Qiao opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

The atmosphere was frozen for a while.

Dashan’s wife saw this and sighed. “Aiguo’s wife, can I talk to you bluntly? Now that Aiguo is gone, what do you plan on doing in the future?” She looked at Li Su and continued, tentatively. “I heard your mother’s family has a place for you to return to in the city. Do you want to go back?”

As soon as Dashan’s wife finished speaking, Madam Qiao opened her mouth and started crying. She then kneeled for Li Su. “Aiguo’s wife, mother used to feel sorry for you before. Mother knelt down for you! Mother is begging you not to go. What can you do if you leave? Here is Aiguo’s only blood. I am a blind old lady. It is already a problem supporting myself, but how can I support Big Zhi?!”

Dashan’s wife quickly helped Madam Qiao up. Li Su also knelt to help her. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She quickly sat on the short table.

Dashan’s wife helped Madam Qiao. When she saw Li Su like this, she immediately understood. “Aiguo’s wife, do you have it again?”

Li Su nodded. “Mm, it’s been two months!” Qiao Aiguo knew that the original owner was pregnant and wanted to improve what she ate. So, he went hunting in the mountains on a rainy day. But, an accident happened.

There were still tears on Madam Qiao’s face. When she heard that her daughter-in-law was pregnant again, she wanted to smile. Halfway through her smile, she remembered the situation at home and couldn’t complete the smile. A face that was crying and smiling was very ugly.

Dashan’s wife was in the same mood, no matter what happened. It was a good thing to give birth to a boy, but the situation in Aiguo’s family… This kid…

“Then, what are you planning to do now?” Dashan’s wife asked. In fact, they were all mentally prepared. Aiguo’s wife was an educated city girl. How could she not go back to the city if she had the chance to return? She heard that Aiguo’s wife’s parents were university lecturers! How could she be willing to stay in this ravine? If Aiguo was still alive, then she might have stayed. But, Aiguo was no longer here.

She was a widow and her son had no father. Aiguo’s wife wouldn’t stay.

Everyone had already guessed the outcome. Only Madam Qiao still had hope.

Li Su touched her stomach. “I don’t know. I…”

They didn’t expect that Madam Qiao would kneel down again. “Aiguo’s wife, you can go back to the city as long as you take the two children with you. Mother is begging you to take the children with you. Leave me here. I won’t die!”

Dashan’s wife didn’t expect that Madam Qiao would say such a thing. She couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Madam, you are really thinking too much. How many educated youths who returned to the city were willing to take their children with them? How could they start a family if they took the kids back with them?!

Li Su also thought of this. She knew that if she returned, she would still end up marrying someone through her parent’s arrangements. Even if she wasn’t married to Lu Wei, it would be someone else.

But, she didn’t want to marry!

The original owner’s life was pretty good, but that was after Lu Mingzhu was born. Before Lu Mingzhu was born, the original owner was treated coldly by the Lu family. Even after Lu Mingzhu was born, the Lu family always blamed the original owner, even if her situation had improved. The Lu family said that Mingzhu was affected because of her poor health.

Li Su would be crazy if she got married.

But, if she didn’t marry and took her two children back to the city, her parents would not agree to it. Why shouldn’t she just stay in the village? After all, the people in the village were more honest than neighbours and relatives in the city. Here, there were fewer relatives from the Li family and they had less power out here!

“Mother, to tell you the truth, my parents want to take me back to the city to remarry. If I take my two children, then what will it be like?”

As soon as Li Su said this, Madam Qiao’s heart turned cold.

“So, I thought that I wouldn’t go back. I’ll write to my mother tomorrow.” Li Su’s next sentence made Madam Qiao’s heart ascend from hell to heaven in an instant!

“You aren’t going back?” Madam Qiao slumped and asked in a trembling voice.

Li Su nodded. “Mm, I won’t return. Mother, get up quickly. From now on, we will have a good time with the children!”

Madam Qiao burst into tears with excitement. “Okay! Aiguo’s wife, mother thanks you on behalf of Aiguo!”

Dashan’s wife smiled bitterly. How could they have a good life when she was a widow and the children had no father? The help of the neighbours and the relatives was indispensable!

“By the way, sister-in-law, I have a pass1 for returning to the city. Can you ask around the village for me if anyone would like it? If they do, it will be thirty yuan!” Li Su turned her head and said.

Dashan’s wife’s eyes widened. Could she do this? “Is that possible?”

“Sure, why not?! Someone will certainly want it. Please, help me ask, sister-in-law! My parents must have spent a lot of effort getting this for me. When I get the money, I will send half of it back to my parents. Although I won’t return, that will show my heart!” Li Su said. She just said this. She had no plans on sending money back at all.

The original owner’s parents knew that the original owner had a child in the countryside. But, the letter stated that she must return without the child. They also sent 20 yuan in the letter, indicating that it was for the child.

Li Su had already put the 20 yuan into the space. She had no plans to return it.

In fact, the original owner’s parents weren’t good people. The reason they were willing to spend so much effort getting the original owner back was because the original owner was the most beautiful among the sisters and had the most credentials. She was also the easiest to manipulate. After experiencing many things, they were scared. The little integrity the original owner had as a scholar had long been worn down by the triviality and cruelty of life. The candidate, Lu Wei, had been checked. As soon as the original owner returned, they quickly arranged a blind date. As a result, Lu Wei really fell in love with the original owner at first sight.

The original owner’s parents also made a profit. Since their in-laws were the Lu family, they made many profits, being able to get job titles and marry off their other daughters. Everyone was happy.

Most importantly, when Lu Mingzhu was in a crisis, it was the original owner’s parents who reminded the original owner that she had a son in the countryside.

In this life, Li Su didn’t plan on sacrificing herself for others.

Madam Qiao patted her thigh. “Send it all back. I have failed my in-laws. I can’t let my in-laws lose money! Don’t be afraid, mother still has some money. It was all Aiguo’s and mother kept it for Big Zhi. Mother will take it out for you!”

Dashan’s wife smiled. The relationship between Madam Qiao and Aiguo’s wife had always been bad. Madam Qiao thought that Aiguo’s wife was lazy and didn’t work. Aiguo’s wife thought that Madam Qiao was unhygienic and talked too much. Aiguo was the mediator. Now that he was gone, it was good that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along.

The next day, Li Su wrote a letter stating that her husband had just died and that she was pregnant again and was reluctant to leave her two children. Her man had been very kind to her when he was alive and she couldn’t abandon her husband and son, so she wouldn’t go back. She kept the money her parents sent, along with the letter. For the widow and the fatherless children, it was always good to keep more money. After she had money, she would return it to her parents. If her parents were upset, then they could forget about their daughter.

Then, the letter was sent out.

Dashan’s wife circulated Li Su’s intention to resell the pass for returning to the city. Sure enough, many educated youths came to ask about it.

The educated youths looked at Li Su like she was a fool when they saw that Li Su really did not intend to return to the city and would remain in Qiaojia Village.

Among them was a female educated youth named Zhang Yan. She pulled Li Su over and said, “Is there something wrong with your brain? Qiao Aiguo was very good to you, but he’s dead now. Don’t tell me you intend to observe piety to him? What age is it now? Such a feudal ideology is not worth it! Don’t you want to go home and take a look? Don’t you want to see your parents?”

Li Su looked at her son, who was playing in the yard. “I have thought about it, but I can’t leave my child. Besides, what can I do if I go back? I have five brothers and sisters. Our house is only so big. When my brothers get married, there will be no place for us to stay. Even if I can forget everything here and remarry and start a family, will life be better than it is now?”

Zhang Yan snorted. “I think your brain is broken. That’s the city! Even if I sleep on a one metre bed in the city, it’s better than being here!”

Then, she looked at Li Su seriously. “Have you really thought about it? You won’t regret it?”

Li Su nodded. “Mm, I won’t regret it. What about you? Do you want to go back?”

Zhang Yan thought that of course she wanted to go back. She wasn’t afraid of how difficult life would be. She was not married, but she was afraid that when she left, she would worry. She quickly thought about it. “I want the pass. Keep it for me. I will write back to raise money!” She was different from Li Su. Her family only had her and her older brother. Her older brother was the one who should have been sent to the countryside, but because her older brother was in poor health, she took the initiative to step forward and go to the countryside on behalf of her older brother.

In the past few years, her family had been trying to get her back. Unfortunately, there was no way. Now that there was a way, her parents and her older brother would definitely help.

In Li Su’s memory, Zhang Yan had a good relationship with the original owner. Zhang Yan was a good person, but her mouth was a little sharp. Here, Zhang Yan was the first person who discovered the original owner when she started bleeding. Zhang Yan was also the one who took her to the hospital. After the original owner woke up, the person who scolded her the most was Zhang Yan.

Since Zhang Yan wanted this pass, Li Su kept it for her.

After half a month, Zhang Yan came with 40 yuan. “Here!”

Li Su glanced at it. “Too much!”

“I’ll still give it to you,” said Zhang Yan irritably. “Did you really think about it? After today, it’ll be too late to regret it.”

“Don’t worry. I thought about it clearly. I won’t regret it!” Li Su wasn’t polite now and took the money.

Zhang Yan suddenly hugged her. “A-Su, although I don’t know if you made the right decision, but I sincerely hope that you will have a better life in the future!”

Li Su wondered how much money she had back at home. She was hugged by Zhang Yan and laughed. “Fine, if you are taking advantage of it, you’ll develop in the future. Don’t forget about me!”

Li Su was just joking, but Zhang Yan nodded seriously. “Don’t worry. I will definitely remember!”

1.(指標) I think this some sort of documentation? Not too sure.