“Have you heard? Jiang Jianguo ran away with that girl from the Wu family and even stole all the Jiang family’s money!”
“You heard wrong. It wasn’t running away. I heard that before leaving, the two of them went to Wu Changeng to get a certificate, then went to the town to register their marriage before leaving.”
“The Jiang family didn’t give a bride price and didn’t even agree to the marriage. If that’s not eloping, what is it?”
“Old Jiang has been honest his whole life, and in the end his daughter won’t listen and his son turns out to be such a scoundrel.”
“If you ask me, he brought it on himself. Who told him to marry such a shrew?”
“…”
“What do you people know?” Li Qiuju suddenly jumped out from nowhere, holding a letter in her hand.
“My son said it himself. He’s going to the city first to get settled, then he’ll go meet several professors. He’ll follow them to work on projects—one project can earn tens or even hundreds of thousands.”
“When he has money, he’ll bring our whole family to live in the city. Listen carefully—we, the Jiang family, are moving into the city. We’re going to become city people.”
“There’s no such thing as eloping. Stop chewing on gossip, or your tongues will rot. Hmph!”
“That’s true. Jianguo is a college student—how could he possibly do something like eloping?” Some villagers, afraid of offending the sharp-tongued Li Qiuju, quickly echoed her words.
“I don’t know which foul-mouthed person spread such rumors, smearing our college student for no reason.”
“I bet it’s those dogs from the Zhang family. They just can’t stand the fact that our village produced a college student.”
“Old Jiang, don’t forge tools for the neighboring village anymore. They’re really not decent people.”
When Jiang Tiezhu came out of the house, some villagers hurried over to greet him.
Saying a few things behind someone’s back was one thing, but in front of Jiang Tiezhu and his wife, they didn’t dare speak recklessly, afraid of offending the domineering couple.
“Exactly, exactly. Your son is someone with great ability. You’re about to move into the city—who knows if you’ll even need the tools you forge anymore. I’ll have you make a couple more for me first, just in case.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll go home and see what tools I’m still missing and hurry over to have you make a few, so I won’t be stuck without you later.”
“Then I’ll make a couple too.”
“…”
Throughout the surrounding villages, the iron tools forged by Jiang Tiezhu were the most durable and cheaper than those from the supply and marketing cooperative, so everyone was naturally happy to have him make them.
Just as the villagers were about to disperse, Li Qiuju turned her head and spotted Jiang Li with the Ding brothers.
“Oh my, isn’t this our family’s money-losing thing? You heard it, right? Your eldest brother has gone to the city to study at university, and soon he’ll bring our whole family over.”
“If you regret it now and come back to the Jiang family, we can still take you with us into the city. But if you keep being unrepentant and insist on staying with the Ding family, then just wait to rot to death in the mountains!”
“Shut your mouth!” Jiang Tiezhu pulled Li Qiuju back, then turned and looked at Jiang Li with an affectionate expression.
“Your mother doesn’t know how to speak. Don’t blame her. She’s just worried about you and wants you to come back and go to the city with us to enjoy a good life.”
The sun must be rising in the west. In two lifetimes, Jiang Tiezhu had never once given her a pleasant look, yet now he was actually showing her kindness?
What kind of shock had he suffered?
It seemed the matter of Jiang Jianguo stealing the Jiang family’s money was true. Otherwise, Jiang Tiezhu wouldn’t have taken the initiative to soften his stance and try to get her back.
After all, with her around, all the big and small chores in the Jiang household would be taken care of, and the two younger sons would have someone to look after them. Only then could they free up their hands to deal with Jiang Jianguo’s situation.
Jiang Li’s guess was spot on—this was exactly what Jiang Tiezhu was thinking.
With chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep, and two half-grown boys left unattended at home, even if they wanted to go to the city to find Jiang Jianguo, they simply couldn’t get away.
He didn’t trust handing things over to anyone else. Only Jiang Li could manage all of it properly.
When Jiang Li was at the Jiang house, they had never once had to worry about these matters.
This child was soft-hearted and had always longed for his attention. He believed that as long as he showed her a little kindness and concern, she would obediently return.
After all, the Ding family was truly poor—how could there be any good days to live there?
Jiang Tiezhu looked at Jiang Li with an expression of complete confidence.
“Uncle Jiang, have you forgotten? I’ve already severed ties with the Jiang family and gotten married. Going back to your home would be improper in name and status—and more importantly, I’m not willing,” Jiang Li said.
A trace of mockery flashed across her face.
“As for enjoying life in the city, you should go yourselves. I can’t afford the ‘good fortune’ of the Jiang family. Please move aside.”
She pushed Ding Shichen forward, about to leave.
Jiang Tiezhu never expected Jiang Li to be so impervious. He had personally come to persuade her and even treated her with such friendliness, yet she dared to reject him in public.
She even called him “Uncle Jiang”?
Fine, very fine. Did this girl really think that once she left the Jiang family, he couldn’t do anything to her?
Had she forgotten that he had raised her for twenty years—and controlled her for twenty years? If she wanted to escape his control, her wings still weren’t hard enough.
Jiang Tiezhu stepped forward and reached out to grab Jiang Li.
“What Uncle Jiang? I’m your father. Just because you got married, you think you can stop acknowledging your own father? There’s no such thing.”
“Come here. Today, in front of everyone, I’m going to properly teach you what filial piety is.”
Before his hand could touch Jiang Li, Ding Shichen, standing up on one leg, grabbed him firmly.
“Do you think our Ding family is full of dead people?”
Though Ding Shichen was standing on one leg, he was tall and broad-shouldered, with a solid build. Having been a soldier, his stance was steady and his strength formidable. On top of that, while recovering at the Jiang house, he had been eating nutritious meals.
With just a bit of force, he shoved Jiang Tiezhu back, sending him stumbling several steps away.
“Xiao Li is my wife. I wouldn’t even bear to force her to lift a single finger. What right do you have to tell her to return to the Jiang family?”
“That’s right. My sister-in-law has already cut ties with your Jiang family. How do you have the nerve to shamelessly claim to be her parents?” Ding Shijun stepped in front of Jiang Li.
“What kind of real father casually lashes his own daughter with an iron whip? What kind of real mother, for the sake of her sons, sells her daughter off to a man old enough to be her grandfather?”
“Luckily, my sister-in-law is blessed and didn’t get tormented to death by you. If you want to bully her again, forget it—over my dead body. Unless you beat me to death and step over my corpse.”
Ding Shichen tilted his head and glanced at his younger brother—this kid really knew how to steal the spotlight and had already said all the lines he himself was planning to say. As if he couldn’t protect his own wife.
Still, the fact that this kid could protect his sister-in-law like this showed he had a conscience. Very good.
Jiang Tiezhu was stunned by the shouts of the two Ding brothers. He truly hadn’t expected that in less than half a month, Jiang Li had already won over the hearts of the Ding brothers.
It seemed he had underestimated this daughter of his. In the past, he had only thought of her as weak, easy to bully, obedient to every command—a soft bun that was easy to knead.
The Ding family had even given up their house to marry her. Even if Ding Shichen protected her, the younger brothers would surely resent her, and she wouldn’t have good days in the Ding household.
But now, it was clearly not the case. Even Ding Shijun treated her like the apple of his eye, willing to risk his life for her. That showed just how much they valued her.
If he had known Jiang Li was so good at winning men over, why had he been in such a hurry to marry her off?
Jiang Tiezhu suddenly felt a trace of regret. That feeling only intensified his desire to persuade Jiang Li to return.
Almost in the next instant, he lowered his posture, tears streaming down his face, and began to pour out his grievances…