Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

Carrying the prepared medicine kit and other items, Li Xiaonuan and her group left the clinic. Outside, her third uncle and second aunt were waiting anxiously.

Upon seeing Li Xiaonuan, her second aunt, Tang, stepped forward to help her up with concern, saying, "Xiaonuan, what are we going to do? Your grandmother has completely shirked responsibility, and your fourth aunt is simply hiding at her parents' home, not even showing her face."

Li Xiaonuan smiled at Tang Shi and said in a hoarse voice, "Second Aunt, don't worry. The matter has already reached the yamen, so we'll find out who started it."

Hearing that Li Xiaonuan's voice sounded off, Tang asked anxiously, "Sister-in-law, is Xiaonuan alright? Why is she sick again?"

Madam Su forced a smile, but could not manage to force one. She could only say with a bitter face, "This child is exhausted, and then all these unpleasant things happen. How could he not get sick?"

At this moment, Uncle Li Dajian, who had been silent until now, said, "Brother, I checked out that family and found something was off. I was planning to come and talk to you about it today, but who knew they would actually sue you."

Xiao Yang, being the most impatient, asked immediately, "Third Uncle, is that family a bad one?"

Uncle San nodded, his face dark, and said, "That family is absolutely awful. I don't know how Fourth Sister-in-law found such a family. I heard that the mother-in-law there is the worst at tormenting her daughters-in-law, especially Fourth Brother's wife. She's already worn two of them to death."

Su exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Nuan was betrothed to that fourth son. So her fourth aunt is so vicious that she actually wanted my Xiao Nuan to go and die."

Because they were on the street, only a short distance from the clinic, Su's shout immediately attracted a crowd. Seeing this, Li Xiaonuan advised, "Let's go back first; it's not convenient to talk here."

The group agreed, and Xiao Yang flagged down a passing empty carriage, helping Li Xiaonuan and her father into it. In less than fifteen minutes, the group returned to the Li family home.

The gate to the Li family's courtyard wasn't locked, so everyone went straight in. Inside the main room, Granny Yu was sitting selecting wheat seeds. Seeing Li Xiaonuan and her group enter, she put down her basket and asked, "Why are you back? Is Xiaonuan alright?"

Madam Su stepped forward and helped Granny Yu sit down again, replying, "Xiao Nuan is fine, it's just typhoid fever. Auntie, what are you doing here?"

Grandma Yu picked up the basket again, selecting wheat seeds as she spoke, "When you left yesterday, you asked me to help watch over the house. When Aunt Zhou came back from the clinic, she saw someone loitering outside, so I just moved in."

Li's father picked up the cool boiled water that Xiao Yang had poured, took a couple of sips, and asked, "Did his aunt see clearly who it was? Did someone from that family stay?"

Grandma Yu shook her head, still selecting wheat seeds, and said, "He's someone I don't recognize. He doesn't look like he's from that family. When his aunt came back, she startled him, so he went to the west side of the village. She said he looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before."

"Could he be a relative of someone in the village? Is he young?" Su asked.

Grandma Yu replied, "Aunt Huang said she couldn't see clearly, but Aunt Zhou said the young man was quite handsome. I guess he must be a good-looking young man."

Madam Su nodded and stopped asking questions, then told Madam Tang to help her prepare lunch. Third Uncle Li Dajian found a stool and sat down, beginning to slowly recount what he had learned. Father Li and Xiao Yang listened and asked questions. Grandma Yu listened quietly, but her hands remained still as she worked.

Li Xiaonuan lay in her room, closing her eyes and thinking of a plan. This incident was different from the previous one involving the Wang family. The Wang family's marriage certificate was not registered, and both parties simply signed a letter of annulment and that was the end of it.

But the Li family's matter has already reached the authorities, so it won't be easily resolved. Even if the person who stole the marriage certificate is found out, as long as the old lady is the one who arranged the marriage, the one who will ultimately bear the responsibility will be Li Xiaonuan's family.

In the main room, Granny Yu sighed and said to Father Li, "I really don't know how your family has come to this state. That fourth son's wife, she used to be so gentle and kind, like a virtuous wife and loving mother, how could she do such a thing?"

Father Li remained silent, breathless and helpless.

Uncle Li Dajian, however, was an upright man. He gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't it because the fourth brother has a bit of wealth now that he looks down on us poor relatives? Because of what happened to Xiaonuan before, the fourth brother was laughed at for a long time, and several businesses cut off ties with him. How could his aunt not hate him?"

“That wasn’t Xiao Nuan’s fault, how can you take revenge on Xiao Nuan’s life-long happiness? We’re all family, how did we become enemies?” Grandma Yu still didn’t understand.

The third uncle replied, "Greed blinds the fourth brother. He took a few dirty coins and then tried to get close to the officials. His wife thought she would be superior to everyone else from then on, which is why she misunderstood Xiao Nuan's matter."

"Now everyone says they don't care about family ties, letting their brothers and nieces suffer and even adding fuel to the fire. Many businesses that had dealings with the fourth brother have broken off their partnerships with him. That's why the fourth brother's wife hates Xiaonuan even more."

"Is that Xiaonuan's fault? She doesn't even look for the reasons within herself. These people, once they have a little money, they forget their relatives. They won't be able to go far in the future," said Granny Yu.

Dejected, Father Li asked, "What should we do now? The officials will definitely come to our house to summon us this afternoon. We need to think of a plan."

Li Dajian pouted, somewhat dissatisfied, and said, "Big brother, you're only getting anxious now? I thought you'd be like before, letting them run wild. Why did you grit your teeth and endure it back then?"

Father Li was somewhat dejected, and the memory of the past made him feel guilty again. That incident from back then was still a thorn in his side, grinding against him day after day. But now, he felt that he had been wrong in his thinking and in his actions.

"I didn't do the right thing either. Letting them make a fuss would make everyone feel better. But I never expected they would hurt Xiaonuan."

Li Dajian couldn't stand his father's self-blaming look and said impatiently, "What happened to Dad back then was an accident, no one is to blame. Only you guys insist on taking the blame. Mom thinks that way just because she's upset and being unreasonable."

Grandma Yu nodded and said, "I told you from the beginning that your mother was being unreasonable and that we had to persuade her to calm down. Who knew you would just tolerate it and let her and the two little ones make a scene? Now look what's happened, and it's too late for you to regret it."

Upon hearing this, Father Li became somewhat agitated. The more he recalled the past, the more he felt he had indulged his mother and two younger brothers' willfulness. Now, he truly couldn't say he bore no responsibility.

Back then, his blind forbearance was already a mistake. Now, he can't make another mistake. For Xiaonuan's sake, for this family, he has to do something. Recalling the suffering that Su Shi and the three children have endured over the past few years, Li's father felt both regret and pain.

"No, I won't let them mess around like this anymore. I'll use this opportunity to make things clear. Speaking of responsibility, actually the fourth and fifth brothers should feel more guilty than I do. All these years of forbearance have just been me fulfilling my duty as the eldest brother."