Nan Yu smiled upon receiving this answer. He smiled happily, and the pent-up frustration that had burdened him in his previous life seemed to dissipate significantly.
Because in this life, those events that had caused Nan Yu so much pain and regret had not yet happened; everything was brand new. He could finally treat his sister, younger brother, and younger sisters properly.
Nan Zhi looked at the laughing Nan Yu with confusion, becoming even more certain that her younger brother might have been possessed by something. Concerned, she grabbed Nan Yu’s arm. "Little Brother! Are you... are you alright?"
In this sensitive era, the "Four Olds" were strictly monitored. One couldn't even talk about things like home shrines, let alone possess them. If you spoke of such things, it was all too easy for someone to label you and drag you away, so Nan Zhi didn't dare voice her suspicions.
"I’m fine, I’m fine! I’m great—I couldn’t be better!"
Nan Yu would never tell anyone about his rebirth or the System, not even his sister. He wouldn't reveal even the slightest hint. Aside from whether anyone would believe such things, he didn't want to frighten her; he knew how timid she was. Even putting aside such supernatural matters, he wouldn't tell her about anything he planned to do in the future that might be considered dangerous by her standards.
But looking at Nan Yu now, Nan Zhi couldn't believe for a second that he was perfectly fine. He had just finished beating someone up, yet he was laughing so happily—this did not look like someone who was okay at all!
Before Nan Zhi could say another word, the barefoot doctor finally came jogging over.
The person who had gone to fetch the doctor had only told him to hurry to Nan Dashu’s house, without specifying who was in bad shape. Seeing a crowd gathered around Li Guihua, who was lying on the ground, the doctor assumed he was there to treat her. Just as he was about to rush toward the circle of people, he heard Nan Yu calling him.
"Uncle Liu, over here! My father has a leg injury. Please, take a look at him."
Hearing Nan Yu’s words, the barefoot doctor paused. He looked at Li Guihua lying on the ground and Li Hai, who was sitting nearby wailing, then back at Nan Yu. He pointed and asked, "This..."
Nan Yu glanced at Li Guihua with disgust and said coldly, "That woman has nothing to do with our family. Whether she lives or dies doesn’t matter to me. See to my father first."
They say healers have the hearts of parents, and as a doctor, he felt conflicted looking at the unconscious Li Guihua. "Since she is already on the ground, I should probably tend to this patient first."
Nan Yu wasn't angered by the doctor’s words; he simply said, "I told you, Li Guihua has nothing to do with our family. If you treat her, collect the fee from her. If she doesn’t pay, don’t come to us—I won’t pay it. I suggest you see to my father first."
Since Nan Yu had put it that way, and the doctor knew exactly what Li Guihua was like, he hesitated for a moment before walking toward Nan Yu.
Nan Zhi wanted to advise Nan Yu otherwise, but the words died in her throat. People in this era loved to gossip, and she feared that Nan Yu’s heartlessness would lead the villagers to spread rumors that would ruin his reputation and hinder his chances of finding a wife later.
Nan Yu didn't care what others thought of him. If you have money, wives will come knocking on your door; there’s no need to go looking for one yourself. Besides, Nan Yu knew he would never be looking for a wife—unless it was a male partner. But he couldn't tell his sister that either, at least not yet; he was afraid she wouldn't be able to accept it.
People in this era weren't like those of the future; they couldn't accept same-sex relationships. It was considered the most shameful thing imaginable, so... that was a conversation for another time.
It wasn't until his previous life, when he was nearly forty, that Nan Yu had fully confirmed his own orientation. At first, he’d thought he was just too busy making money to think about starting a family. It was only later, when he was wealthy and traveling abroad for business, that he saw the openness of the outside world and the relationships between men. Only then did he slowly understand who he was. But now—let alone now, even twenty years from now, same-sex relationships in Long Country would still be hidden away in the shadows.
He led the barefoot doctor toward their father’s room. Before they could even enter, a tea mug came flying out, nearly hitting the doctor. Nan Yu looked at the mug rolling to his feet, and his face darkened.
Fearing that Nan Yu would clash with Nan Dashu, Nan Zhi hurriedly called into the room, "Father, the barefoot doctor is here to look at your leg."
When his leg had been pulled earlier, Nan Dashu had indeed been in too much pain to move. But after resting for so long, the pain had subsided enough that he now had the strength to throw a tea mug.
Nan Zhi hoped to prevent a confrontation, but since Nan Yu had been reborn, he had no intention of suffering in silence ever again. Furthermore, having been the boss of a multi-million dollar company in his past life, his temperament had changed; he was no longer willing to tolerate anyone’s nonsense.
Nan Yu stepped into the room ahead of the doctor, his voice ice-cold. "Nan Dashu, if you don’t want to live properly and you don't want the doctor to treat you, then you can just stay paralyzed in this bed. But let me make one thing clear: if you continue to beat or berate the four of us like you used to, then we’ll see what happens. You are my father, so I can’t do anything to you, but you saw what Li Guihua looks like today, didn’t you? And you saw what her son is like. From this day forward, if you dare say a single word against my siblings or me, I will make sure you see Li Guihua and her son looking exactly like they do today—every single day. I may not be able to hit you, but can’t I hit Li Guihua and her son? I’m not joking, and I’m definitely not exaggerating!
"Either you and Li Guihua behave yourselves starting today, or we sever all ties, and you can let her son take care of you in your old age. If you want to live with the four of us, then behave properly, get your attitude in check, and know your place in this house. If you just want to carry on with that woman as you did before, then let’s cut ties right now. You go your way, and we’ll go ours. From now on, we will have nothing to do with each other."
Nan Yu was forcing his father to choose between his children and Li Guihua. Everyone knew what kind of woman Li Guihua was; could she live in this house without causing trouble? That was clearly impossible. But looking at the ruthlessness Nan Yu had shown toward that mother and son today, it was equally impossible for Li Guihua to continue throwing her weight around as she had before.