"No! I'm not going back! There is no place for me in that house. If I go back, I'll just be sold off, so I’d rather not go back at all."
Li Youfeng nodded to show she understood. After all, in the current social climate, a woman returning to her maiden home after a divorce or being widowed was rarely treated well.
"Hmm. You just said you only wanted half of the compensation. Why? You don't want the job? Having a job would be enough to support you for the rest of your life. And even if you remarry later, I believe your in-laws would hold you in higher regard."
Ke Xiaohong felt deeply grateful for her sister-in-law’s words. She wasn't ungrateful, but she had her own considerations. Even if she were given the job, she wouldn't be able to hold onto it. She had had enough of this city; she wanted to go somewhere else and start over.
"Sister-in-law, you also know that Jianshe is gone. That house will definitely have no room for me, and I can't rely on my maiden family either. The job is good, but I don't have the ability to keep it. Instead of letting someone else benefit, I'd rather give it to you. I trust that you won't let me be at a disadvantage."
"Don't go buttering me up," Li Youfeng replied. "I'm not that much of a saint. Alright, I accept your terms. When your uncle comes over, I’ll convince him."
"Thank you for your help, Sister-in-law."
Once they finished discussing their secret, the atmosphere between them grew noticeably warmer. Just as they finished the porridge, Lin Dequan walked in with a joyful expression, but his face froze when he saw someone else in the ward.
Ke Xiaohong, being observant, stepped forward and said, "Uncle, Father-in-law asked me to bring some porridge to Aunt. There’s still quite a bit left, so I’ll go downstairs and heat it up."
With that, she carried the thermos out and pulled the door shut behind her.
"Why is she here?" Lin Dequan pulled up a chair and sat by the bed, asking with a puzzled look.
His wife rolled her eyes. "You just heard her. She came to deliver food."
"Hmph!" Lin Dequan scoffed. "When a weasel pays a New Year's call to a chicken, it’s never for a good reason. Your 'big brother' probably sent her here to stir up trouble, using a small pawn to lead the charge."
Indeed, the relatives were right; they saw through him perfectly. That was exactly the scheme Li Youqing had in mind.
"Whatever scheme he’s plotting, I’m going to smash it to pieces," Li Youfeng said. "Lean in; I have something important to tell you."
She then spilled everything she had just learned to Lin Dequan, detail by detail. The more he heard, the more excited he became, eventually standing up and pacing back and forth. "Is it true? Is the information accurate?"
If the Li family really had that much money, they were going to strike it rich. Trading an unborn "son" for all that—they were going to be set! They were set!
"Do you know where I got this information?" Li Youfeng asked. "It was provided by that daughter-in-law of the second branch you just looked down on. She didn't seem to be lying, and besides, she has something she needs from me, so she has no reason to deceive me."
"I suppose that’s true," Lin Dequan mused. "To think she could keep such a secret hidden! She’s truly patient. But it’s to our benefit. Dad told me earlier that it was her who told him to come over, otherwise, I might have actually agreed to let your brother settle things quietly."
"What? My brother actually wanted to keep you under house arrest?" Li Youfeng exclaimed. "I can't believe it. For his wife’s sake, he’s thrown away the last shred of family loyalty. Since he acted unrighteously first, don't blame us for being heartless."
"Exactly!" Lin Dequan agreed. "When Dad and I went to complain to your brother's supervisor earlier, we unexpectedly ran into the factory director. It was like heaven was helping us! The director clearly stated that if your brother couldn't handle this fairly and insisted on favoring his wife, he would deal with him severely. Before I came, Dad went to the street office and the Women's Federation. Just wait! There will be a good show tomorrow. We might not even have to lift a finger to solve this easily."
Li Youfeng rolled her eyes, disagreeing. "You underestimate my brother. The fact that he could keep an illegitimate child hidden for so long without his wife noticing, and still manage to keep his home life harmonious, proves he’s a ruthless man. If we didn't have this information, we might have been at a disadvantage during negotiations, but now it’s different. We know his trump card, and that gives us the upper hand."
"True, true," Lin Dequan said. "But having said that, that's a lot of money—it's all blood money from Jianshe. The daughter-in-law has worked like a horse for them for years; didn't they ever think of giving her something to support herself?"
"Heh," Li Youfeng scoffed. "Knowing my brother, he probably intends to keep a portion of that money for himself, leave the rest for his eldest son on the surface to ensure he's looked after in his old age, and secretly funnel the rest to that illegitimate child on the side. That way, he keeps the home stable while ensuring his mistress doesn't cause a scene."
It was no wonder they were siblings who had known each other for decades; she hadn't missed a single detail. In the previous life, that was exactly how Li Youqing had arranged it. Even the hundred yuan given to Ke Xiaohong’s family was merely for the sake of his reputation and to keep them quiet.
"You're right! Sigh, I have to hand it to him; he really has everything planned out," Lin Dequan admitted.
Li Youfeng raised an eyebrow and put on a stern face. "What? Thinking of learning from him?"
Lin Dequan waved his hands frantically. "Heaven forbid! I wouldn't dare!"
He had the heart of a thief but lacked the courage. He still had feelings for Youfeng from their younger days, and after so many years of being through thick and thin together, he was already used to her. He wouldn't know what to do with anyone else, nor did he want to. Even if he occasionally had wandering thoughts or spoke loosely, he would never dare to actually step out of line.
"Mom! Mom! Wuu-wuu-wuu~"
"Mom! Mom!"
"Mom! Mom!"
"Mom!"
"Wuu-wuu-wuu!"
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Old Mrs. Lin walked in, followed by her daughters. Leading the group was her sixteen-year-old eldest daughter, Dani. Behind her was fifteen-year-old Erni, who was crying loudly with snot bubbles hanging from her nose. They were followed by thirteen-year-old Sani, ten-year-old Sini, seven-year-old Wuni, and three-year-old Liuni.
Although Lin Dequan was a skilled worker with a decent wage, it was still not enough for such a large family, barely enough to keep them fed. Sometimes they had to glue matchboxes for the neighborhood committee, and the old lady had to forage for wild vegetables on the mountains just so the family wouldn't starve. Over the years, they had accumulated quite a bit of debt; if the creditors hadn't been pressuring them, she wouldn't have wanted Dani to marry off so young. If Dani stayed home to help, life would be much easier. Unfortunately, Dani had already been promised to someone during the New Year and was set to be married next month.
Sigh! It was all due to poverty.
The previously quiet ward suddenly sounded like it had been invaded by hundreds of ducks.
"Quack, quack, quack, quack!"
The noise was driving Li Youfeng crazy. "Alright! Everyone stop howling! I’m not dead, am I? Shut your mouths! Mom, have you all eaten yet?"
She looked around at them. They all shook their heads.
She sighed. "Dequan, you take Mom, Dani, and the other kids back to get something to eat. Get some rest early. Xiaohong is here with me, and I'm fine now. Get a good night's sleep; I suspect there will be a tough battle tomorrow. You can talk to Mom later—there are too many people here, and it's not the place for that."
Someone had already moved into the neighboring bed, and with the ward so crowded, it was better for them to go home.
Seeing that Old Mrs. Lin still wanted to ask questions, Lin Dequan pulled her out of the room, beckoning for the children to follow. Old Mrs. Lin was dragged out, looking displeased with a sour expression on her face. "Why are you pulling me? I haven't even asked about the daughter-in-law and the grandson!"