Twenty-two years ago—
Li Qianfan's father, Li Xiao, was once reduced to an idiot while on a mission to save someone. He was brought home by Lu Ziqi's grandfather and lived as a fool for three years in the Lu family.
However, before he met Lu Ziqi, he was already the village chief of Lijia Village and had a marriage contract with Li Wujiang.
Li Wujiang was also universally recognized as the village chief's wife.
While Li Xiao was a fool in the Lu family, Li Wujiang remained in Lijia Village, handling all village affairs on his behalf.
Later, when Li Xiao recovered and returned to Lijia Village.
Li Xiao definitely couldn't divorce Lu Ziqi at that point.
But Li Wujiang had waited for him for so many years!
What to do?
After negotiating with the elders of Lijia Village and Li Nanfang, Yang Xiao, and others, the village elders' council came up with a reasonably fair solution.
This small territory of Siji Lijia Village would belong only to Li Wujiang!
And the villagers of Lijia Village would only recognize Li Wujiang as the village chief's wife.
Everyone, including Lu Ziqi, had no say in Lijia Village.
So, on a propitious day—
Lijia Village opened its ancestral hall and held a wedding for Li Xiao and Li Wujiang.
"For Li Wujiang, Lijia Village would open its ancestral hall to hold a wedding for her and Li Xiao, making Li Wujiang the village chief's wife. Yet, they would disregard everyone, including Lu Ziqi. What kind of attitude would that be? That's how you, a brat, came into being, and that's how the God of War Li Wujiang, who protects Siji forever, came to be."
Su Nanyin, holding a cleaver and standing on Li Qianfan,
spoke in a nonchalant tone, "My Yaoyao has remained chaste for you for 21 years, only wanting this small territory of Lijia Village. She would never pay attention to anyone, including Su Ziyu. What more are you dissatisfied with?"
Looking at the cleaver she wielded back and forth—
And recalling what Du Yaoyao had said to him when she knocked him out and intended to commit suicide in the forest in Dongyang.
And then thinking of Shen Chongchong, who was still crying in the bedroom.
Li Qianfan truly didn't know what to say.
"Actually, I won't pressure you too much. I've always been someone who persuades with virtue and reason."
With the cleaver in her hand, how thick-skinned could Su Nanyin be to say this?
Li Qianfan was, after all, too young.
He had no idea that he was being played to death by the combined efforts of the four beauties from the old house.
Some played the good cop, some the bad cop, and some the truly wicked.
And there was one who remained unseen.
In fact,
let alone Li Qianfan, who had little experience.
Even an old hand in the martial world, facing Su Nanyin, who was known for her cunning from a young age, might be sold and still help count the money for her.
The caterpillar bites—
Among the three, Shen Zui had a sharp intellect, but his arrogance and assertiveness made him only average.
Du Junlin, due to his cold disposition and the constant torment of "I want to marry a hooligan" since childhood, and having been rigorously trained by several masters, was disinclined to use such cunning tactics.
On the other hand, Xue Fu was the most cunning, inheriting Su Nanyin's temperament completely.
She had truly mastered Su Nanyin's "dark arts."
"Get up, the ground is cold. If you catch a cold, Guanyin will be heartbroken."
Su Nanyin put down the cleaver, her face filled with a heart-palpitating charm. She referred to herself as Guanyin and pulled Li Qianfan up from the ground.
This instilled in Li Qianfan a desperate urge to jump up and flee to Qingyun as quickly as possible.
"That… can you please talk to me properly?"
After sitting on the brocade stool, Li Qianfan asked in a small voice, his eyes focused and his mind calm, "The eyes observe the nose, and the nose observes the heart."
"Of course."
Su Nanyin's expression straightened, her charm quickly replaced by dignity, and she said lightly, "I will go to Lijia Village with Li Wujiang to discuss this matter with the elders' council. You don't need to worry about the details. You just need to be prepared for Lijia Village to open its ancestral hall and invite Du Junlin's name into the genealogy."
Alas.
Li Qianfan sighed.
At this point, his dream of having Su Ziyu's name inscribed in Lijia Village's ancestral hall was probably unattainable forever.
Su Nanyin had unleashed so many killing moves today!
If necessary, she would even call herself Guanyin and call him "brother"!!
Her only goal—
was to have Du Junlin's name written in Lijia Village's genealogy.
She wasn't forcing Li Qianfan to divorce Su Ziyu and marry Du Junlin.
If he remained ungrateful—
Su Nanyin would truly turn hostile!!!
Did they really think that just because they were dressed so casually, they considered Li Qianfan their closest family?
To be honest—
Su Nanyin, for all her scheming against Li Qianfan, had tears she couldn't shed.
She couldn't tell Old Shen, "The few cabbages we've raised might all be eaten by a certain pig," could she?
Even in front of her husband, she wouldn't lose face like that.
This matter.
Su Nanyin, as cunning as she was, could only suffer in silence.
If she didn't handle it herself, relying on those few cabbages?
It would only make things worse.
Creeaak.
The bedroom door opened.
Shen Zui walked out, pulling Shen Yun, whose eyes were red.
Shen Zui's angry gaze scanned between Li Qianfan and the cleaver.
"Everyone sit down, let's continue making dumplings,"
Su Nanyin said calmly, "I've already had a friendly negotiation with Qianfan. He has also agreed to let Junlin preside over Lijia Village. From this moment on, we are truly a loving family."
Li Qianfan—
"Whether it's losing face or being absurd,"
Su Nanyin couldn't help but sigh again, "In short, only a few of us know. This is what you call, 'the meat spoils in the pot.'"
Hearing this,
Li Qianfan felt increasingly uneasy.
Su Nanyin, however, narrowed her eyes and said softly, "Brother, don't you think Guanyin is right?"
Suddenly!
Li Qianfan and Maomao got goosebumps all over.
"Speak, brother."
Su Nanyin's eyes turned cold, and she gently kicked Li Qianfan.
"Yes, yes!"
Li Qianfan quickly nodded and stood up, "I'll go outside and have a cigarette."
Without waiting for Su Nanyin to say anything, he turned and "scurried away."
Upon reaching the small pavilion, Li Qianfan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He sat down, took out a cigarette, and stared blankly at the sky.
His mind was in a mess.
Su Nanyin's methods were truly unbearable.
He was also terrified.
He was certain—
If he dared to say "no," Su Nanyin would definitely cast aside all pretense and personally get involved!
She was truly giving her all to help Du Junlin secure that small territory of Lijia Village.
She absolutely couldn't let Du Junlin, this log that had finally sprouted, wither away again.
Inside the house.
Shen Zui and Shen Yun knelt silently before Su Nanyin, their heads bowed in tears.
They saw all the sacrifices Su Nanyin had made for them and felt extremely ashamed.
"Alas."
Su Nanyin looked at them indifferently. After a full minute, she smiled helplessly.
Stroking Maomao's hair, she said, "As long as all three of you can live happily, I will never pay attention to anyone, including your father, saying anything. Life is quite short. If you have a rich material foundation but live miserably like Maomao and Lin Yifeng, then what's the point of living?"
She smiled again.
Su Nanyin continued, "Face is indeed important. But as long as it doesn't infringe on the interests of others or cause trouble for society, especially when the country needs it and you dare to step forward (Shen Yun and Du Junlin have both done so), then having or not having face is a minor matter."
"Mom—"
Maomao softly called out "Mom" and nestled into Su Nanyin's arms like she did when she was a child, "Thank you."
"Get up, don't be so sentimental."
Su Nanyin pouted, "Speaking of which, it's your past lives' debt to that brat that you're repaying in this life. Anyway, since it's come to this, I just hope the three of you can unite and not make me worry my heart out like before. Then I'll be satisfied."
"Mom!"
Maomao's eyes were filled with tears, and she didn't know what to say.
"Remember,"
Su Nanyin wiped their tears, "I am willing to do anything for my Maomao, Chongchong, and Yaoyao. We four are the closest. Nothing can separate us except death. After all, your father has more than just a few children. With such a large family and great wealth, no matter how capable he is, he can't attend to everything."
Maomao subconsciously nodded.
"Losing face!"
Su Nanyin said in a low voice, "It can only be lost among the four of us. Do you understand what I mean?"
Maomao nodded vigorously together.
Outside the house.
Li Qianfan, feeling like he was sleepwalking, picked up his cigarette again and saw someone walking from the front yard.
A white tank top, red three-quarter shorts, and black slippers.
Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders.
A delicate face with an intentionally feigned calm.
It was none other than Junlin Du Yaoyao.
——————————
For the happiness of her "cabbages," Su Nanyin was truly going all out!