After Sun Yuanyue left, Li Youcai felt a great weight lifted from his heart. He began to openly help Liu Yu, calling it repayment of a debt of gratitude.
Li's mother took some time to visit the Wang family with her son. Seeing the messy courtyard and her son having to help clean it after arriving, her resolve strengthened.
The villagers were quite surprised by Sun Yuanyue and Li Youcai's divorce. However, considering they hadn't had a son for so many years, they understood. After all, continuing the family line was paramount.
Wang Yougen's parents heard the rumors about Li Youcai and their daughter-in-law. Their son had passed away not long ago, and their daughter-in-law was already behaving inappropriately. They were heartbroken and couldn't help but go to their house.
They didn't bother knocking. They happened to see Liu Yu wiping sweat from Li Youcai, and the two exchanged smiles. This instantly brought tears to Wang's mother's eyes.
The sound of the opening door startled them both. Seeing Wang's parents arrive, Li Youcai quickly greeted them.
They didn't even want to look at him. It was because of him that they had lost their son. Seeing their daughter-in-law, Liu Yu, remain silent from the moment they entered, their hearts instantly grew cold.
Little Rui, hiding at home, peeked out curiously when he saw his grandparents arrive. Seeing his grandparents look at him, he quickly retracted his head.
The old couple was extremely disappointed. Their son was gone, their daughter-in-law harbored resentment towards them, and their grandson ignored them. The many instructions they had wanted to give were suddenly gone.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. If not, don't come. You were the ones who said you wanted to break ties, so why are you coming to my house now?" Liu Yu said impatiently, seeing the couple remain silent for a long time, as if she had done something heinous.
"Regardless, this is still my son's home. Although we strongly opposed your marriage, and he almost got beaten to death by his father and still insisted on separating the household, we raised him. Xiaorui is also part of our Wang family. What's wrong with us coming to see him?" Wang's mother was furious. She had told her son back then that their statuses didn't match and that he should marry a girl from their village and live a good life. But her son wouldn't listen and moved out, leaving with nothing. Angered, Wang's father threatened to disown him. Sudan Novel Network.
"As you can see, Xiaorui doesn't want to see you. Hurry up and say what you have to say," Liu Yu urged.
"There's a lot of gossip around a widow. There are quite a few rumors about you in the village lately. Regardless, you are still my Wang family's daughter-in-law. I hope you'll be mindful and not bring shame to our Wang family," Wang's mother said unceremoniously.
"I grew up in comfort. I can't do chores like chopping wood or carrying water. Does your Wang family have someone who comes to do the work for me every day? Brother Li here knows how hard it is for us, a widowed mother and child, to live, and he comes to take care of us, yet you spread such nasty rumors. Isn't your thinking dirty?" Liu Yu was just like Li Youcai; no matter what she thought in her heart, she would never admit it verbally.
"When we came in just now, your behavior with him didn't seem like mere caregiving. We're not unreasonable people. You're still young and can remarry, but Xiaorui cannot be taken away. He is our Wang family's child, and this courtyard was built by Yougen bit by bit. It should be left to Xiaorui." Wang's mother had originally intended for her daughter-in-law to mourn her son for a year. However, seeing that her daughter-in-law clearly intended to remarry, and fearing she might do something to damage the Wang family's reputation if left alone for a year, she changed her mind.
The Wang family was a prominent family in this village, and the conditions they proposed weren't unreasonable. Although Liu Yu wanted to take the house and her son with her to her husband's family, she had to consider the Wang parents' opinions.
Li Youcai's thoughts were much simpler. He liked Liu Yu, yes, but he didn't like Xiaorui. After all, Xiaorui wasn't his biological son. He hoped Liu Yu would have a son for him after they got married. Therefore, he had no objections to the Wang couple's proposal, warmly welcomed them, and then sent them off.
During this process, the Wang couple treated him with indifference, but Li Youcai didn't take it to heart, as he felt guilty facing them.
That evening, Li Youcai had dinner at Liu Yu's place before returning home. As soon as he arrived, he saw his parents, who usually went to bed by this time, waiting for him in the courtyard.
"Why aren't you sleeping yet? I'm going to bed." Sometimes, a person's intuition is very accurate. Li Youcai knew what his mother wanted to say, but he was determined to marry Liu Yu.
"Stop, come here." His father rarely spoke in the family, but when he did, everyone listened. Hearing his stern voice, Li Youcai unconsciously stopped and walked towards them.
"Your mother has something to say to you. What she says is what I want to say," Li's father said expressionlessly.
The last time he divorced Sun Yuanyue, Li's father hadn't expressed any opinion. He had long been resentful of Sun Yuanyue. Other men his age had grandchildren, but Sun Yuanyue had only given birth to a girl, a "money-losing" daughter, and no other children. He felt he would be letting down the ancestors of the Li family even in the afterlife. Therefore, he tacitly agreed to the divorce, planning to find his son another wife to have grandsons.
"Mom knows you like Sun Yu, but she's not someone who can manage a household. When I wanted to find you a wife, I wanted someone who would take good care of you and give you sons, not someone to be treated like an ancestor," Li's mother said earnestly, analyzing the situation. Li's father nodded in agreement.
"Yu'er's upbringing was different from ours. She already knows how to cook and wash clothes and won't cause trouble for our family," Li Youcai quickly defended her, determined to marry her.
Seeing his firm attitude, Li's mother refused to back down. "No matter how well you describe her, I just don't agree. If Liu Yu wants to enter our family, your father and I won't allow it."
"Mom, I'm begging you. I will marry her. If you really can't accept it, I'll do what Wang Yougen did," Li Youcai pleaded and threatened simultaneously.
Li's father and mother couldn't believe these words coming from him. They had gossiped about Wang Yougen cutting ties with his family for Liu Yu as if it were a joke. Now that it was happening to them, they understood the pain.
"Son, what is it about her that you fancy? I admit she's quite beautiful. If you want a beautiful wife, I'll find a matchmaker tomorrow, and we'll spend a lot of money to find a beautiful one," Li's mother asked tentatively. She only had Li Youcai as her son and didn't want him to be ensnared by that vixen, Liu Yu.
"We've finally come together. We won't separate easily." Although Li Youcai was somewhat heartless, in the dead of night, he would recall the scene of Wang Yougen's death. Wang Yougen had truly considered him a brother. They had indeed encountered bandits while on their trading journey, but the bandits' combat skills were relatively weak.
Wang Yougen shielded him and helped him escape. At their speed, the pursuers would never have caught up. It was just that at that moment, he remembered Liu Yu's tearful pleas. He thought that if he no longer existed, he could openly take care of her.