Jiang Jianguo took a step forward, his gaze coldly fixed on Jiang Li:
“Tell me—how do you know Professor Jiang? And why did you bring the Dings here?”
“Jiang Li, don’t tell me you think this crippled guy and this high-school dropout have the qualifications to study under a university professor?”
He looked down on Ding Shichen and Ding Shijun with obvious disdain. Ding Shijun’s face darkened, and he was about to step forward.
Jiang Li, however, was faster. She slapped Jiang Jianguo’s hand away:
“Don’t you dare touch them with your filthy fingers. You’re not even worthy to be mentioned in the same breath.”
“Who I recommend and why I brought them here is none of your business. Move aside.”
“I think you’re looking for a beating.” Jiang Li had never spoken to him like this before, and Jiang Jianguo’s anger flared as he raised his hand.
Ding Shijun rushed over and pushed him away: “If you dare bully my wife, you better check with me first!”
“Big brother!” Jiang Jianguo was thrown backward and landed in the mud. Wu Huani screamed and rushed to help him up.
She turned to look at Jiang Li, finding it hard to believe that the woman glaring at Jiang Jianguo—so fierce and unyielding—was the same Jiang Li from her past life who had devoted herself tirelessly to the Jiang family:
“Xiao Li, you’re family—how can you treat Big Brother like this? He’s your own younger brother!”
“Your own younger brother?” Liu Xu, who had been walking into the yard, froze and turned sharply, her face full of displeasure as she glared at Jiang Li.
“You knelt outside Old Jiang’s door for seven days straight, really just to get a teacher for this trash? Are you out of your mind?”
Jiang Li sensed danger, and shot Wu Huani a sharp glare:
“Huani, don’t talk nonsense. I’ve severed ties with the Jiang family. He’s no longer my brother.”
“Rest assured, Dr. Liu. Even if my mind was clouded before, now I’m clear. I would never recommend this waste to Professor Jiang—he’s not worth Old Jiang’s trouble.”
Hearing this, Liu Xu’s expression softened a bit: “Smart. Bring your people inside. Don’t stay with fools—they’re bad luck.”
“Ah!” Jiang Li smiled and quickly gestured to Ding Shijun: “Thank you, Dr. Liu. We’ll come in right now.”
Ding Shijun skillfully pushed Ding Shichen into the yard.
Wu Huani and Jiang Jianguo, now standing, were dumbfounded.
“What do they mean? Who are they calling fools?” Jiang Jianguo rubbed his lower back angrily and pointed at Jiang Li:
“You worthless brat, come over and explain! Who did you recommend to Jiang Ting? What do you mean you knelt for seven days?”
Jiang Li had only broken ties with the Jiang family for one day. Kneeling for seven days meant it had happened earlier—had she been planning for the Dings all along?
Had she deliberately decided to cut ties with the Jiang family?
This traitorous little brat really was useless. The Jiang family raised her all these years for nothing!
Jiang Li thought it necessary to make Jiang Jianguo understand, so he’d know what he had missed. She signaled Ding Shijun to push Ding Shichen inside first.
Ding Shijun worried Jiang Li hadn’t moved yet, but the gesture warmed her heart. She stopped trying to persuade them and turned to Jiang Jianguo:
“On the very day you forced me to marry, I had just returned from here. Before that, I had been kneeling at Professor Jiang’s door, asking him to accept you as a student.”
“For seven whole days, the old man finally agreed. But before I could tell you the good news, you forced me to marry someone else.”
Jiang Li pointed at Wu Huani, her smile full of sarcasm:
“I was willing to marry Old Wang in the village and dedicate myself to your future. And you?”
“You probably never regarded me as your sister. No matter how much I cared for you, no matter what I did for you, in your heart, it was all my duty, all expected.”
“Jiang Jianguo, I regret it. I will not recommend you to Old Jiang again. Even if those seven days of kneeling were in vain, you will not become his student.”
“Because… you’re not worthy.”
Jiang Jianguo was momentarily stunned, then a vicious expression replaced the shock:
“So your idea of helping me was recommending me to a bad element as a student? Were you helping me or harming me?”
“Jiang Li, stop pretending! Don’t think I don’t know that your ‘kindness’ toward me was really for yourself. After all, you’re just a worthless brat.”
“You only thrive if the Jiang family thrives, so you could live well yourself. In the end, it was always about you.”
“Whatever, I don’t need your kind of help. Whoever wants to be a student of a bad element can, I won’t. Huani, let’s go.”
If the Dings got involved with bad elements, they were asking for trouble. Jiang Li wouldn’t even need to act—the Dings themselves would end up causing her problems.
No, that’s not right. Wu Huani pulled her hand from Jiang Jianguo and looked at Jiang Li.
She had thought Jiang Li recommending Jiang Jianguo to Jiang Ting was coincidence. Jiang Ting only agreed because Jiang Jianguo was about to enter university and because of his own ability.
But now it was clear: Jiang Ting accepted him because Jiang Li had knelt for seven days to plead.
Wu Huani didn’t know if Jiang Ting was a bad element; she only knew that in the previous life, according to the old trajectory, Jiang Jianguo would have become his student.
“Xiao Li, Jianguo was just angry when he said those things. Don’t take it to heart. You knelt for seven days to get him a teacher—clearly, you truly cared for him as a brother.”
“I believe you wouldn’t really abandon him. We were wrong just now. I apologize for him. Don’t say angry words. Please plead with Professor Jiang for him again, okay?”
Wu Huani stepped forward, holding Jiang Li’s hand, pleading softly.
In her previous life, Wu Huani had never spoken so gently to her. What was different this time?
Could it be that because Jiang Li hadn’t married into the Jiang family yet, and the family hadn’t prospered, Wu Huani was lowering her stance?
Jiang Li didn’t want to think too much. She only knew that even though Wu Huani spoke softly, she was no kind-hearted person.
In the past life, apart from Li Qiujv, Wu Huani had tormented her the most.
If Jiang Li whispered in Jiang Jianguo’s ear, she would face a beating, often even being denied meals.
In the end, she developed stomach cancer, and Wu Huani was partly to blame.
How could Jiang Li show mercy to such a venomous woman?
“Forget it,” Jiang Li shook off Wu Huani’s hand:
“I will absolutely not plead for Jiang Jianguo again. Since you don’t value Professor Jiang, then stop bothering him—leave!”
Jiang Li used some force, and Wu Huani staggered, almost falling, but Jiang Jianguo caught her.
“You worthless brat! How dare you treat Huani like this? Apologize immediately or I’ll beat you to death!”
Jiang Jianguo gestured with his fist.
“Try it,” Ding Shijun stepped behind Jiang Li protectively: “She’s my wife now. Do you think you can bully my family? My wife told you to leave—don’t you understand?”
“Shijun, let’s go inside. Don’t waste words on fools—it’ll just lower our IQ.” Jiang Li, feeling good, pushed Ding Shichen into the yard.