Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

With the old lady accompanying them, it became much easier to invite Uncle San and Uncle Wu's families. Uncle San's family was fine; they usually treated Li Xiaogang's family quite well. It was Uncle Wu's family that was the problem. When Li Xiaogang handed over five taels of silver, Aunt Wu complained that it wasn't enough and gave him a long lecture.

Fortunately, the old lady kept things in check, so Fifth Aunt didn't bring up the incident from that year again. But she did say, "We can go if you want, but we won't give any gifts. Anyway, I see you're inviting others anyway, so I'll bring my family along to give you face. Also, you'll have to pay for the carriage my family hires to go back and forth, and you also need to prepare their return gifts, make them quite generous."

At that moment, Li Xiaogang fully displayed his childish nature, angrily shouting at his fifth aunt, Chen: "Fifth aunt, the reason I invited you is because you are family. Since you think your maternal relatives have so much face, then I can't afford to invite you. My father is still lying in the clinic, and so is my second uncle. Why didn't you think of going to visit them?"

These words left everyone present extremely embarrassed. In truth, they genuinely didn't want to visit the patient, fearing they'd be pressured into helping with medical expenses. But these were things they could only think about. If it were said out loud, wouldn't they be the subject of gossip and criticism?

The reason my third uncle's family hadn't visited Uncle Li and his family before was because my third uncle had gone hunting in the mountains with his comrades. However, the situation was different for my fourth and fifth uncles. My fourth uncle had been back from his trading trip for over half a month and had been in the city almost every day. My fifth uncle had also stayed home the whole time and hadn't gone anywhere else.

Therefore, it was truly inappropriate for these two families not to visit Father Li and his family. It was impossible for them to be unaware of this matter, as the news of the renowned surgeon treating two patients in the prefectural city had already spread far and wide.

Adding to the fact that Li Xiaonuan and her family sold Ganoderma lucidum to get Li's father admitted to the clinic, someone who knew the inside story must have told these two families. But they chose to ignore it, which is what chilled Li Xiaonuan and her family to the bone.

Having finally vented his anger, Li Xiaogang's eyes reddened. He climbed into his car, ignoring the crowd. Because his fifth uncle's house had a courtyard wall only about half a person's height, several onlookers had gathered in just a short time.

Aunt Wu felt a little embarrassed by the strange looks from those people, so she chuckled awkwardly and said, "Look at this child. I was just worried that he would lose face because he invited too few people, so I thought I'd ask my family to help make up the numbers. Since they don't care, I won't go out of my way to fawn over them."

The old lady was startled by Li Xiaogang's words. She hadn't really thought about visiting her two sons before. In her mind, she was already the eldest in the family, and everyone should come to see her.

But her other children were different. Those two were their brothers, and it was wrong of them not to visit them. She was also annoyed that she hadn't realized this problem and had let others find fault with her sons.

Especially the fourth prince, who is currently trying to make connections with government officials. He's heard that the royal ships have made some moves this month and might be setting sail soon. If he can get on board the official ships, the fourth prince will surely become a very wealthy merchant.

It seems one of my friends said that the government values ​​people of good character the most. Those so-called moral codes and etiquette refer to things like filial piety, brotherly love, and respect for one another. Looks like I'll have to have a serious talk with the fourth brother and his wife this time, lest we end up spending money and getting nothing in return.

She was just thinking about how to make amends for her previous mistake when she heard what the fifth son's wife said, and her face fell. She was already dissatisfied with the fifth son's wife for favoring her own family too much, and coupled with her previous words, she was furious.

However, she still considered her daughter-in-law's feelings and didn't speak ill of Chen in front of others. After all, money had been spent and she had been carried back in a sedan chair. But she never expected Li Xiaogang to be so blunt. Sure enough, a child is just a child; he can't handle anything important.

Seeing that the topic of conversation among those people was becoming increasingly unfavorable to the fifth brother's family, the old lady had no choice but to step in and say, "Why are you two so obedient? The doctor said that your elder brother cannot visit yet, so why don't you go and see your two sisters-in-law, and your nephew and niece?"

“You two are like wooden blocks, so honest, you deserve to be bullied. Look, now people are complaining about you. Alright, don't feel wronged. I'll go check on your older brother first, you can come back later.”

After saying this, the old lady, supported by her fifth brother, got into the carriage. Although her words explained why her fifth brother hadn't visited his elder brother, no one was a fool; everyone knew the truth. She had only said those things to save face.

After getting on the bus, the old lady slapped Li Xiaogang on the forehead and muttered, "You brat, if you can't speak properly, then don't make a sound. In the future, don't talk to me."

She was truly angry. Firstly, angry at herself for not thinking things through, and secondly, angry at Li Xiaogang for being too blunt. Li Xiaogang, after being slapped, didn't say another word. His eyes were filled with tears as he leaned his head against the car window.

Uncle Liang, standing outside the car, sighed again, inwardly blaming the old woman for being so mean. He had heard that slap clearly. How could he put it? When the old woman first arrived in Xinzhou Village, she was such an easygoing person. Now, how had she become so cold-hearted?

Everyone who needed to be invited had been invited, and it was getting late. They arrived back in Xinzhou Village just in time for dinner. Originally, when they reached the city, Li Xiaogang had planned to visit a doctor. However, the old lady wouldn't allow it, saying she wasn't there for treatment and that going to a doctor would bring bad luck.

Helpless, Li Xiaogang had no choice but to go to the clinic himself to inquire about the condition of his father and his two brothers before returning to the village. Because of this short delay, the old lady kept nagging him the whole way back.

So, after returning home, Li Xiaogang hugged Li Xiaonuan's arm and said aggrievedly, "Sister, I feel like I've grown up today. Look, I didn't cry or talk back. Aren't I amazing?"

Li Xiaonuan gently rubbed Li Xiaogang's head, looking at his red nose and comforting him, "Yes, our Xiaogang has grown up and can help with chores at home now. That's great, our Xiaogang is really amazing."

Xiao Gang then revealed an innocent smile, and said with lingering fear, "Sister, I think what you said is really too difficult to do. Why can our relatives and elders do whatever they want, but we can't resist? It's clearly their fault, it's so unfair to us."

Li Xiaonuan sighed. In this era, filial piety is paramount. A single word from an elder can sometimes determine your life or death. Rebellion might achieve your desired goals, but it won't necessarily help you survive better in this world.

Li Xiaonuan also didn't know how to deal with it, so she comforted him, "We should respect our elders, but if he's wrong, we can just gently remind him. If he still doesn't correct himself, we can only try to prevent him from making a mistake in the first place. Of course, it would be best to find a way to make him realize his mistake. But I can't think of such a way. Our Xiaogang is so smart, why don't you think of something to do?"

Xiao Gang nodded solemnly, as if he had been assigned a very important task, and said with a serious expression, "Hey, let me think of a way. I don't believe there's any way we can't come up with."