“Aunt Chen…”
Yuan Miao made as if to stand up.
How could he just sit there and watch his mother be bullied!
But Chen Ruohua pressed him back down.
“Miaomiao, sit here and be good. Auntie will go get you some fruit.”
“What about Li… Li Qing?”
“It’s fine. Qingqing will handle it. Your Uncle Li really does need to be taught a lesson.”
Chen Ruohua’s numb tone was filled with a cold, detached rationality.
Li Jianhui hadn’t always been like this. Though they had met through a matchmaker, they had once respected and cared for each other.
But at some point, he had changed.
He became arrogant and conceited, squandering the family’s savings until there was nothing left, and even learned to be violent at home.
After all these years, Chen Ruohua had come to accept it.
Now, Li Qing was her only anchor. As long as Li Qing was well, she cared about nothing else.
Yuan Miao was stunned: “…”
He was worried about his mother, not that guy surnamed Li!
Yuan Miao stared at the closed door, itching to act… The house looked old and shabby, but the soundproofing was surprisingly good!
Outside the door.
Li Qing dragged Li Jianhui down to the stairwell.
“Li Qing!”
Li Jianhui stumbled down the steps, unsteady on his feet, and couldn’t help but roar in fury.
“Did you bring that pretty boy home?! He looks delicate and tender, but he doesn’t seem rich…”
“Shut up.”
Li Qing shot him a sharp glare, her face full of disgust and annoyance.
“You’d better behave yourself during this time and not disturb my mother’s rest. Otherwise…”
She paused, narrowing her eyes expressionlessly. “I’ve joined Uncle Jiu’s business.”
“W-what?”
Li Jianhui trembled, shakily raising his eyes to look at Li Qing. Panic and guilt flashed through his expression.
Li Qing sneered coldly, releasing him and taking a step back.
“You wouldn’t want me to see you somewhere and have to uphold justice by cutting ties with my own family, would you?”
“I’m your own father!”
Li Jianhui’s neck stiffened, his face flushing red.
Li Qing impatiently clapped her hands. “Don’t you understand what ‘upholding justice by cutting ties with family’ means? Those important people won’t care.”
Li Jianhui stammered and hesitated for a long while.
“Qingqing…”
“I’m doing this for your own good. Our family is so poor; when you get married in the future, your husband’s family will definitely look down on you…”
“?”
Li Qing laughed in anger.
She spoke with sarcasm and coldness: “Weren’t you planning to sell me off? As long as the price is right, you’d probably kneel and kowtow without hesitation.”
Li Jianhui choked.
But fortunately, his skin was thick enough.
“How can you say that!”
“I just need an opportunity. When the time comes, I’m sure to rise to greatness, and then you’ll be a young lady of a wealthy family!”
Li Qing watched as Li Jianhui lost himself in his own delusions, with no possibility of awakening. Her gaze was as sharp as a cold blade.
“I’ve said all I need to say. If you still want to stay in this family, don’t think about bossing my mother around like you used to.”
Li Jianhui snapped back to reality.
Hearing Li Qing’s ruthless words, he gritted his teeth in anger.
“This house was left to me by your grandmother! Your name and your mother’s aren’t on it! If anyone should leave, it’s you two!”
Li Qing couldn’t be bothered to engage with him.
She turned and walked back upstairs.
Li Jianhui originally had siblings.
But before their grandmother passed away from illness, he used every means of coercion and persuasion to put this apartment under his own name.
He showed no regard for family ties, and the situation became so ugly that all his relatives cut off contact with him.
Li Qing opened the door abruptly, catching Yuan Miao off guard and nearly sending him stumbling out.
“?”
Speechless, she grabbed his arm to steady him.
Yuan Miao gave an awkward laugh.
“Hehe.”
“Mom, you’re so cool.”
He glanced at Li Jianhui, who looked like a dejected dog behind them, and muttered under his breath.
Li Qing smiled faintly.
“You should go back to Brother Zhao’s place first.”
“How can I do that…”
Yuan Miao immediately shook his head.
He cautiously watched Li Jianhui’s movements, making Li Jianhui feel uneasy. After silently cursing him as “crazy,” Li Jianhui retreated into the room.
Chen Ruohua was planning to go to the market to see if she could still buy some groceries.
Li Qing immediately offered to go with her.
“Don’tt go. Just take good care of Miao Miao.”
Chen Ruohua pressed her down onto the sofa.
Li Qing frowned.
Yuan Miao tilted his head. “The market? Why don’t we all go together? I want to see it too!”
As he spoke, his tone grew increasingly excited.
In the end, Chen Ruohua had no choice but to take both of them along.
As she appeared in the neighborhood, many neighbors spotted her and eagerly came over to chat.
They also took the opportunity to curse Li Jianhui a few times.
The people in this neighborhood had been neighbors for decades, all familiar faces. As soon as they entered the market, many greeted them.
At first, Yuan Miao found it all novel, pointing at things and asking his mom what they were.
Li Qing patiently explained each one to him.
Gradually, Yuan Miao’s eyes began to redden.
Li Qing turned around and noticed Yuan Miao hadn’t kept up. Then she saw he seemed on the verge of tears.
She excused herself from Chen Ruohua, who was chatting, and walked back to him.
“Why are you crying?”
“Mom, I’m sorry.”
Yuan Miao blurted out unexpectedly.
Li Qing was taken aback.
She thought of many things but couldn’t recall anything Yuan Miao had done to wrong her.
The next moment, Yuan Miao explained tearfully, “I forgot to deposit the money you gave me into Dad’s card.”
Li Qing: “…”
So that was it.
She gently patted Yuan Miao’s head. “Just deposit it when you have time.”
Yuan Miao froze.
Why had his mom suddenly become so gentle?
For a moment, he almost thought his mother from twenty years later had also traveled back in time.
But soon, he understood the truth.
Li Qing smiled.
“Today, you’ll get to experience your grandma’s cooking.”
“…Okay.”
So it was out of respect for Grandma.
Yuan Miao grumbled inwardly.
But he couldn’t help feeling a growing sense of anticipation.
He quickened his pace and circled around Chen Ruohua, chattering, “Auntie Chen, I want to eat sweet and sour spare ribs and glutinous rice balls!”
Chen Ruohua looked at him in surprise.
Then she chuckled and agreed.
“How did Miao Miao know these are Auntie Chen’s two best dishes? Don’t worry, I’ll make both for you!”
“Li… Sister Li told me!”
Yuan Miao proudly raised his head.
His mom would make these two dishes for him when she was happy, but she always said hers couldn’t compare to his late grandma’s.
But since he’d never tasted his grandma’s cooking, he didn’t know the difference.
Now, he finally had the chance to find out.
Li Qing walked behind the two of them, listening to Yuan Miao’s lively chatter and Chen Ruohua’s gentle responses.
A faint smile spread across her face.
But that smile gradually faded as she remembered the doctor’s instructions before being discharged from the hospital.
Perhaps Yuan Miao’s appearance at this time was also meant to make up for her mother’s regrets.