“Doctor Qin, you’ve got a letter. It’s from the city.”
The postman delivered it to the clinic.
Li Yingtang leaned over curiously. There was no sender’s name on the envelope, only an address.
West District, Yong Alley No. 1.
“Who sent this? They didn’t even write a name, and it still got delivered?”
“It’s from that family.”
Qin Xian’s expression darkened slightly. Without another glance, he tossed the envelope into the trash.
He walked over to the bed to organize the clothes and daily necessities she had recently bought.
When his hand accidentally brushed against one of her undergarments, his movements froze.
His face instantly reddened.
He discreetly glanced to the side.
Li Yingtang had already picked the letter out of the trash.
With lowered eyes, she read it carefully.
A moment later, she slapped the paper onto the table.
“This is outrageous!
“What kind of family notifies someone of a funeral by letter instead of sending someone in person? What are they so proud of?
“And they even threaten that if you don’t attend, they’ll report you for being an unfilial son.
“Do they think they wrote the law?
“Report you? Are they treating you like a criminal? They can’t even write properly. Combined, their entire family probably doesn’t have an elementary school education.”
Qin Xian lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions in them.
“They’re all university graduates.”
“Did they earn their places the way you did?”
“I don’t know.”
He smiled faintly.
“My surname is Qin. Theirs is He. We’re practically strangers. Don’t believe their threats or worry about me.”
“But they threatened you.”
Li Yingtang frowned.
“That makes me very unhappy.”
Her simple words swept away much of Qin Xian’s gloom.
A smile surfaced naturally.
“So… what would make you happy?”
Li Yingtang’s dark eyes rolled mischievously.
She crooked a finger at him and softened her voice.
“Come here. I’ll tell you.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Xian walked over.
The instant he got close, Li Yingtang threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Just then—
Aunt Liu walked in.
“Little Qin… Oh my! You young people really have energy. Broad daylight and you don’t even close the door…”
She covered her eyes but couldn’t resist peeking through her fingers.
Li Yingtang nearly ground her teeth together.
“Aunt Liu, did you come here just to question me about Lirong?”
Aunt Liu hurriedly waved both hands.
“Of course not! That girl’s useless. It isn’t your fault.
“It’s just a pity about such a good young man.
“Little Qin, do you have any medicine that can make someone fairer? I don’t expect Lirong to become as fair as your wife. If she could just be as fair as you, that’d be enough.”
Qin Xian answered bluntly,
“No.”
Li Yingtang couldn’t help cutting in.
“Aunt Liu, let me say something you may not like.
“Your niece’s problem isn’t her appearance.
“It’s her personality.
“In front of strangers, she bites her lip, lowers her head, and acts shy.
“When people talk to her, she only says ‘Mm’ or ‘Uh.’
“If she’s really that shy and poor with words, then how come when she accused me, she had endless things to say?
“You only came to confront me because you listened to her, didn’t you?
“I helped her, got nothing in return, and ended up having mud thrown all over me.
“That really hurt.”
Aunt Liu’s face alternated between red and pale.
Angrily, she said,
“I’ll deal with her right away!”
Then she stormed off.
Soon afterward, patients arrived at the clinic.
Qin Xian became busy once more.
Li Yingtang suppressed the restless thoughts in her heart.
She packed away the newly bought clothes, washed her undergarments, wrung them dry, hung them outside, put the basin back where it belonged, then picked up the letter again.
After thinking for a while, she came up with a plan.
The next day, Li Yingtang returned to the city.
Following the address on the envelope, she arrived at the He residence.
Didn’t they want Qin Xian to attend the funeral?
She would go instead.
That way, no one in the He family could criticize Qin Xian, and she could also knock them down a peg.
Before her stood a large traditional courtyard residence.
White funeral lanterns hung on both sides of the entrance.
Several cars were parked along the wall.
Among them, a military-green jeep stood out the most.
She locked her bicycle and walked over to admire it.
So cool.
Though the side mirror was a little small.
It worked perfectly as a mirror.
The wind during the ride had messed up her hair.
There were so many people today.
She needed to look presentable.
She had barely reached up to smooth her hair when a sharp voice interrupted.
“What are you doing?”
He Fanzhi approached with an unfriendly expression.
“I’m sorry.
“I shouldn’t have hit you yesterday.
“You can hit me back.”
Li Yingtang smiled politely, though her eyes remained cold, and even leaned her face toward him.
He Fanzhi froze.
He clearly hadn’t expected an apology.
“You… came alone?”
“Yes.
“Xian didn’t want to come.
“If you don’t hit me back, let’s consider our grudge settled.
“Where do I offer incense?”
“In the main hall.”
After entering the He residence, Li Yingtang followed the mourners into the funeral hall and lined up to offer incense.
The old man lay in an unsealed coffin, dressed in burial clothes.
His face was dry and gaunt.
Two young men knelt in front of the coffin, burning paper offerings.
When it was Li Yingtang’s turn to offer incense, both of them looked up and exchanged glances.
One asked,
“That person didn’t come?”
“Which person?”
Li Yingtang secretly rolled her eyes.
They wouldn’t even say Qin Xian’s name.
Yet they had demanded that he attend the funeral.
They were obviously trying to gang up on him.
If they disliked him so much, why insist on dragging him back?
Did he have some hidden treasure on him?
“You two little brats!”
The eldest son of the He family stepped forward.
He wanted to greet Li Yingtang but realized he didn’t know her name.
“Old Seven’s wife, don’t mind them. Come inside.”
“All right.”
Li Yingtang answered generously and followed him into the house.
The living room was almost full.
The old matriarch sat leaning against a chair, wiping away tears while her children and grandchildren comforted her.
“Mom, Old Seven’s wife is here.”
Li Yingtang walked over and greeted her cheerfully.
“Good morning, Auntie.”
The old woman’s eyes widened in fury.
“You… who are you calling Auntie?”
“Of course I’m talking to you.”
“Who allowed you to call me that?”
“I didn’t mean anything disrespectful. If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that. Why get so angry?”
Li Yingtang quietly sat down nearby, wearing an innocent expression as she observed everyone present.
The eldest daughter-in-law spoke first.
“Old Seven’s wife, what’s your name?”
“Li Yingtang.”
“Where do you live?
“How old are you?
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?
“What do your parents do?
“We knew nothing about Old Seven getting married, and we know even less about you.”
“I live in Yanjing.
“I’m twenty years old.
“I have an older brother who’s ten years older than me.
“My parents work in classified government positions.”
Half of what she said was true.
Half wasn’t.
The eldest son of the He family and He Fanzhi exchanged subtle looks.
No wonder they hadn’t found any information about her despite searching all night.
Her parents worked in confidential positions.
The old matriarch narrowed her eyes.
“If your parents hold classified positions, they must be intelligent people.
“You’re only twenty.
“You got married instead of continuing your education?
“Would your parents really agree to that?
“You’re making this up.”
“Who says I didn’t study?
“I already graduated from university.
“I’m simply too lazy to work.”
“Graduated at twenty?
“What are you, some kind of genius?
“Who are you trying to fool?”
One of the He family’s young women, who was the same age as Li Yingtang, clearly didn’t believe her.
“Believe it or don’t.
“Is there somewhere I can stay?
“The trip here was tiring.”
She acted completely at home.
The eldest daughter-in-law led her to a courtyard near the back gate.
“You’ll stay here.
“Make yourself at home.
“You can stay as long as you’d like.”
Li Yingtang looked around before shaking her head.
“I won’t stay here.
“In ancient times, this part of the house was where the servant girls lived.”
The eldest daughter-in-law was speechless.
“Don’t talk nonsense.
“This is such a nice room.
“How could servant girls possibly live here?”
“My family has a courtyard just like this—actually, ours is even larger.
“I know exactly which parts of a residence belonged to whom.
“I want to stay in the master’s quarters at the front.”
The eldest daughter-in-law forced a smile.
“This is the new society.
“Everyone is equal now.
“Why bother with those old feudal traditions?”
“If everyone is equal, why don’t you let your own son and daughter stay here?
“I should have listened to Xian.
“I shouldn’t have come.”
With that, Li Yingtang turned as if preparing to leave.