Chapter 23: Roots and Future

The little girl snorted coldly through her nose: "I haven't even acknowledged you as my brother yet! Why are you in such a hurry? If you want to be my brother, you'll have to prove you're worthy! Do you think it's that easy to enter our Li family?"

These words ignited Li Yi's anger. His face turned ashen as he said with a hint of pride, "Ha, is that so? Do you think I want to join your Li family? You came here the way you did, and you can leave the same way. No one invited you here, and no one welcomes you."

"Yi'er!" Fang Fang scolded.

"Li Juan!" The middle-aged man said at the same time.

"Yi'er, I am your Uncle Li Zhengyu. Perhaps, you don't recognize us in your heart, but by blood, you are the root of our Li family, and this is undeniable."

Li Yi fell silent. This was indeed something he couldn't deny. Moreover, he couldn't speak for the deceased Li Yi and say he wouldn't recognize the family.

He didn't speak, only quietly looked at Li Zhengyu. He knew that Li Zhengyu's visit was not just a simple family reunion. He wanted to know the Li family's true intentions.

"Yi'er, I won't hide it from you, I do have a personal motive, and I also carry the hopes of the old man. Personally, I really wanted to see you. For so many years, I have neglected you, and that is my fault," Li Zhengyu looked at Li Yi's reaction before continuing, "As the second generation of the Li family, we have five siblings, but both your Uncle and I married late. I only have Li Juan, and your Uncle has one son and one daughter. Your Aunt has two sons, but they are from another family. Your Uncle, well, he moved abroad and hasn't found a partner, let alone had children."

"Did you come all this way just to talk about our family tree?"

"I said all this just to make you understand one thing: our Li family is now very thin in numbers."

"Oh? What does that have to do with me?"

"I know you must be resentful, hating us for not taking you away back then..."

"I've never resented anyone! The ones who have the right to say that are my deceased father and my poor mother!"

Li Zhengyu looked a bit awkward and shifted uncomfortably.

Fang Fang refilled their cups with water and said, "Yi'er, I have never blamed fate. I only feel grateful, grateful that heaven sent your father to me, and grateful that heaven sent you to me."

Li Yi naturally understood his mother's meaning. To be a person, one should always be gentle and grateful. That's why his mother could make it this far.

Li Yi said, "You said you came to see us with a personal motive. For the sake of that motive, I will call you Uncle!"

"Ah!" Li Zhengyu stood up excitedly, his eyes twitching. After a long while, he suppressed his emotions, sat down again, and said, "The old man was a bit too harsh back then, otherwise, your father wouldn't have died so young. Sister-in-law, as your elder brother, I truly feel guilty. Yi'er, did you attend the Steel Annual Summit? And do you have some good technology?"

Li Yi thought: Finally, it's here! He said calmly, "Yes."

Li Zhengyu's face turned serious, "The old man has always valued the country's heavy industry. He watched the live broadcast of the Steel Summit. When he saw you on TV, he was very surprised and said, 'Who is this person? Didn't you say the third son is dead?' I told him that the third brother is indeed dead, but this person who looks like him might be his son, your grandson. The old man was silent for a long time, touching your face on the TV screen, tears streaming down his face, saying, 'The child has grown so big! I have wronged the third son, go and bring the child home.' The old man has never shed a tear in his life, not even during the war when dozens of family members were buried alive by the Japanese. Even the Great Ancestor called him a man of iron. But this time, he was truly heartbroken."

At this moment, the dam in Li Yi's heart crumbled. Perhaps, that grandfather he had never met, though stubborn, was also a man of deep feelings and righteousness. Men do not shed tears lightly, only when they are truly heartbroken.

"Yi'er, come home with me!" Li Zhengyu pressed his advantage.

Li Yi saw that he didn't mention Fang Fang at all and said coldly, "It doesn't matter to me whether I go home or not. My mother has been your Li family's wife for over twenty years. Don't you want to take her back?"

Li Zhengyu's face changed, then softened, and his eyes showed a hint of admiration, "The old man hasn't spoken, and I can't make the decision. Yi'er, if you really want your mother to return to the Li family, you should go back first. Perhaps only you can persuade the old man."

Li Yi waved his hand, "No need to say more. Where my mother is, I will be."

Li Zhengyu stared at Li Yi for several seconds, seeing his determined expression, and said, "I will talk to the old man about this. What are your plans for your future?"

Li Yi frowned, "My future doesn't need others to worry about."

Li Juan jumped up again, "Hey! What are you acting so cool for? Just because you can draw a few machine diagrams, you think you're so great? Do you know who we are? One word from Grandfather, and you'll be set for life!"

Li Yi didn't even look at her, "Little girl, what do you know?"

"You! You actually call me a little girl! Tell me, what makes me little?" She puffed out her chest demonstratively.

Li Yi's lips twitched, and he smiled. This little sister had a personality similar to his.

Li Zhengyu looked at his watch, "It's getting late. Let's leave it at that for today. Just keep it in mind, I will come again." He took out a business card and gave it to Li Yi, "Call me if you need anything!"

Fang Fang invited them to stay, "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

Li Zhengyu waved his hand, "I have some business at the provincial military district. Next time."

Fang Fang didn't insist and saw them out.

Li Juan turned at the door and said to Li Yi, "Hmph! We will meet again someday!"

Li Yi ignored her.

Fang Fang saw them out of the alley. The driver of the Audi opened the door and invited Li Zhengyu and Li Juan into the car.

Li Yi, in a huff, didn't go to see them off.

He threw the money bag onto the bed, feeling inexplicably irritable.

Fang Fang turned back and said, "Are you hungry? I'll make some food."

"Mom, no need to rush. We can go out to eat later. We're not short of money now."

"Naive child, just because we have money doesn't mean we should spend it recklessly. Besides, food from outside is never as clean as homemade. Speaking of money, Tong Jun sent a few hundred yuan yesterday, saying he couldn't find you, so he left it with me. He said it was for emergencies. Did you borrow money from him?"

A warm current flowed through Li Yi's heart. He grunted, "He doesn't know I sold my technology. I'll pay him back later." He looked around the dilapidated house and said, "Mom, I don't want to stay here another moment. Let's go look for a new place to live now."

Fang Fang nodded. Now that her son had grown up and earned so much money, she was naturally happy. She sat down next to Li Yi and smiled, "Yi'er, I have an idea. Now that you're grown up and can take care of yourself, I want to go back to my hometown. After I married your father, I was driven out by my grandparents. It's been over twenty years, and I haven't been back. I wonder how they are. I want to go back and see them."

As a reborn person, Li Yi understood the value of family even more. He smiled, "Going back is fine, but there's no rush. We will go back in style. You must follow my arrangements."

Fang Fang understood her son's thoughts. He didn't want the family to look down on them. She didn't say anything, which was a tacit agreement.

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He threw the money bag onto the bed, feeling inexplicably irritable.

Fang Fang turned back and said, "Are you hungry? I'll make some food."

"Mom, no need to rush. We can go out to eat later. We're not short of money now."

"Naive child, just because we have money doesn't mean we should spend it recklessly. Besides, food from outside is never as clean as homemade. Speaking of money, Tong Jun sent a few hundred yuan yesterday, saying he couldn't find you, so he left it with me. He said it was for emergencies. Did you borrow money from him?"

A warm current flowed through Li Yi's heart. He grunted, "He doesn't know I sold my technology. I'll pay him back later." He looked around the dilapidated house and said, "Mom, I don't want to stay here another moment. Let's go look for a new place to live now."

Fang Fang nodded. Now that her son had grown up and earned so much money, she was naturally happy. She sat down next to Li Yi and smiled, "Yi'er, I have an idea. Now that you're grown up and can take care of yourself, I want to go back to my hometown. After I married your father, I was driven out by my grandparents. It's been over twenty years, and I haven't been back. I wonder how they are. I want to go back and see them."

As a reborn person, Li Yi understood the value of family even more. He smiled, "Going back is fine, but there's no rush. We will go back in style. You must follow my arrangements."

Fang Fang understood her son's thoughts. He didn't want the family to look down on them. She didn't say anything, which was a tacit agreement.