Chapter 15

Li Wang was a stubborn person. If he said not to let Yong-ge look for them, then Yong-ge wouldn't be allowed to go. He even threatened that if Yong-ge didn't listen, he shouldn't call him "father" anymore.

But Yong-ge couldn't bear to see his father limping from one village to another, asking for information. How could he not feel distressed? He didn't dare to make a big fuss, so he secretly went to find Zhao Widow.

Zhao Widow remembered the situation that night and closed the door in front of Yong-ge, saying, "I don't know!"

Zhao Widow had always suspected that her dead husband had come back and caught her cheating, so she warned Li Da and Li Er to disappear. Now that Yong-ge said they couldn't be found, Zhao Widow became even more afraid. No matter how Yong-ge knocked on the door outside, she refused to open it.

Yong-ge was helpless, and Zhao Widow refused to speak. He couldn't force her to say anything, as it wouldn't be beneficial for both families if things escalated…

Gradually, the villagers also noticed that Li Da and Li Er were missing, but they were happy about it. They hoped they wouldn't come back. 

There was gloom and despair in Li Wang's family, while on the other hand, Li Mancang's family was preparing for a marriage proposal. It was said that a merchant's son had taken a liking to Li Changfeng-ge, so the butcher had arranged for a matchmaker to come and finalize the marriage in the coming days.

Wu Guihua was full of joy when she mentioned this marriage. She no longer cared about proper seniority and said that if Feng-ge's marriage was settled, she would quickly find a wealthy bride for Changsheng, surpassing Feng-ge in getting the marriage done first.

In fact, if Feng-ge's marriage went through, it would benefit Changsheng's family as well. Marrying into a well-off family was desirable for everyone. Wu Guihua would carefully select a girl with a generous dowry for Changsheng, so as not to let those poor and humble people take advantage.

Wu Guihua, with her thick-skinned face, finished speaking with a smug expression and asked Li Wang to help: "You are Feng-ge's second uncle. Don't say that I, as your sister-in-law, didn't give you an opportunity. When the time comes, show yourself in front of Master Yan. Maybe, because of Feng-ge's face, he will invite you to their house as a gatekeeper or something. That would be a great stroke of luck."

With Li Wang's old and crippled appearance, it would indeed be a stroke of luck to be hired as a gatekeeper by a wealthy family. However, Wu Guihua's words were somewhat insulting. After all, Li Wang was Feng-ge's second uncle. How could a second uncle go to his nephew's in-laws' house to be a gatekeeper?

Wu Guihua may have said it intentionally or unintentionally, but Li Wang couldn't refute her words and could only remain silent.

Yong-ge couldn't bear to listen anymore and interrupted, "Aunt, my father still needs to look for my older brothers. He doesn't have the time…"

"Those two grown men need to be looked for? Most likely, they've gone off fooling around again!" Wu Guihua waved her hand dismissively. "In my opinion, it's best if they don't come back. They might scare Master Yan. As for you, young ger, Feng-ge used to speak up for you frequently. Just because you're jealous that he found a good family, you're hiding and refusing to come!"

Wu Guihua was feeling triumphant at the moment. She thought that Li Wang and Yong-ge wouldn't dare to offend her now, so she spoke without restraint, revealing her true nature as a petty person.

Yong-ge didn't even bother to get angry. Hasn't his aunt been saying nasty things and doing disgusting things for over ten years? If he got angry every time, he would have died of anger long ago!

Actually, if it were just his aunt, he would refuse a hundred times over and even stop his father. However, when he thought about his cousin Feng-ge, who had been relatively kind to him, his thoughts were similar to Li Wang's. After all, they were close relatives, and Feng-ge had always spoken up for them. Out of obligation and reason, he should make a trip.

Coincidentally, Yong-ge had already finished his work at Cheng Duo's place, and he was looking for an excuse to leave. Now he had a reason…

In the past, Yong-ge would have been delighted to keep working for other families, hoping it would never end so that he could have a steady income. But now, he really couldn't stand it at Cheng Duo's place. Many people in the village had already seen him helping Cheng Duo grow vegetables, and to avoid gossip, it was better for him to leave early.

Cheng Duo had just received the final batch of tables, chairs, and beds delivered by the carpenter a couple of days ago, and he was feeling satisfied when he heard that the "cook" he hired cheaply was about to leave.

Cheng Duo didn't look for any other excuses and directly paid Yong-ge his wages, a full three taels of silver.

Yong-ge refused to take it. He remembered how many meals he had cooked himself, and besides, Cheng Duo provided him with meals. He couldn't bring himself to accept such a high wage.

At this moment, Yong-ge had forgotten that he used to be different. Perhaps it was due to his stubbornness that he always felt that Cheng Duo was giving him so much money because of that incident. He didn't want it. If he took it, he would completely lose face.

"Take it. Consider it as payment for helping me with the needlework," Cheng Duo didn't know the hidden thoughts in Yong-ge's heart. The reason he gave Yong-ge so much money was partly because Yong Ge helped him with the needlework, and partly as compensation for their search for Li Da and Li Er.

Although Cheng Duo felt that he wasn't at fault and those two guys deserved it, his actions did cause unnecessary worry for innocent Li Wang and Yong-ge.

In fact, after paying the carpenter, Cheng Duo didn't have much money left. Otherwise, he would have compensated them a bit more. The silver he snatched from Meng Ji and the three foreigners was around seventeen or eighteen taels in total, and he had already spent most of it. He needed to have at least five taels left in his hands to feel at ease.

"You've already given me mutton fat," Yong-ge shook his head, his attitude resolute.

Cheng Duo paused for a moment. Well, they were in the same village anyway, and he could secretly look after them. Moreover, he owed them a debt of gratitude for saving his life. It wouldn't hurt to owe a bit more.

Yong-ge carefully counted his wages, returned the change for the meal, and then pocketed the money bag before leaving.

That night, Cheng Duo, who had filled his stomach with leftover steamed buns and vegetables, lay on his bed and couldn't help but think of the scene where Yong-ge counted the money. Stubborn and calculating, Yong-ge seemed to be hiding something. Every time Cheng Duo recalled it, he felt uneasy.

Cheng Duo didn't know that after Yong-ge left, he secretly shed tears, wiped them away, and returned home as if nothing had happened.

The next day, Yong-ge went to his uncle's house and helped with various chores. He cleaned and washed, washed dishes, and cut vegetables, running around at their beck and call.

His father had it even worse. He had to tidy up the yard, chop firewood, fetch water, and occasionally run errands to help others.

That night, Yong-ge boiled hot water to soak his and his father's feet. Li Wang suddenly said, "You don't have to go tomorrow. I'll go by myself."

Yong-ge looked up in confusion, "Father?"

"You're my only ger. It's not good for outsiders to see you," Li Wang said with a serious face, and after a while, he added, "Stay away from Feng-ge in the future."

He had seen it. Feng-ge was inside the house, chatting and dressing up with a group of gers, while Yong-ge was always the one serving tea and pouring water. Li Wang used to think that Feng-ge was a good kid and hoped that Yong-ge could make some close friends through him, so he could socialize and chat with them after getting married.

He still had some thoughts. He thought that there would surely be many people paying attention to Yong-ge during the proposal ceremony. But now it seemed unnecessary. If Yong-ge went, he would only be treated as a servant, a ger serving tea and pouring water. Who would give him a second glance?

Because of Feng-ge's actions, Li Wang was extremely disappointed in him and his whole family, and he even lost his fondness for his honest nephew, Li Changsheng. He would still go tomorrow, just to avoid gossip in the village.

When Yong-ge got married in the future, if that family dared not to come, he would make the whole village know about it! He could cut off all ties, as having an older brother like Li Da was as good as having none. He would listen to everything Wu Guihua said!

The next day, Wu Guihua did ask about Yong-ge. Li Wang didn't even glance at her and directly said, "There are many people today, and it's inconvenient for an unmarried ger like Yong-ge to come."

Wu Guihua pursed her lips. With Yong-ge's appearance, who hadn't seen it before? He didn't look that good and acted like a precious treasure!

But indeed, several gers who were close to Feng-ge didn't come. Wu Guihua couldn't make any idle talk, so she reluctantly said, "If he doesn't come to help, then I won't bring food for him."

Li Wang threw down the water bucket on the shoulder pole. "Fine, I'm going back too!"

After saying that, he turned around to leave.

Wu Guihua panicked and quickly grabbed his sleeve. "You're his uncle. How can you leave at this time?"

Male relatives from the paternal and maternal side should be present to support the scene. If Li Da and Li Er were absent, it was understandable, but Li Wang, as their immediate uncle, couldn't leave!

When Wu Guihua saw that Li Wang ignored her, she could only compromise and said, "Okay, okay, can I prepare it for him?"

Li Wang snorted coldly, "If my sister-in-law doesn't want to cause trouble on her good day, it's better not to give me leftovers as if it's enough for me."

That was exactly Wu Guihua's plan. When she heard Li Wang's words, her body stiffened, and she gritted her teeth and thought to herself: Did this second son take the wrong medicine today? Why did he suddenly become so difficult to deal with!

Wu Guihua thought about that wealthy Young Master Yan and reluctantly put on a smiling face for Li Wang. "No, how could I? Yong-ge is also my nephew after all…"

Li Wang's heart turned cold. He thought his sister-in-law couldn't talk, but it turned out she knew how to say nice things, she was just a coward who feared evil!

When the appointed time came, the wealthy Young Master Yan and the matchmaker arrived as promised, bringing many gifts. When the villagers saw him wearing a jade crown and dressed in luxurious clothes, accompanied by a group of servants, they were all shocked.

After they passed by, the villagers started whispering to each other—

"Oh my, did you see those gifts? The boxes they were in are all lacquered wood!"

"This Feng-ge is really lucky. He even caught the eye of a wealthy merchant's son."

"I heard that when they went to deliver the meat to the twenty li slope, the young master was immediately smitten."

At a time like this, Feng-ge couldn't show himself, but he secretly hid by the window of the women's chamber, quietly opened the window lattice, and happened to see the well-mannered and tall young master leading the way in his splendid attire.

The young master also noticed him and lifted the corner of his eye, revealing a slight smile. Seeing the startled and shy little ger inside the house, he lowered his face giving him a meaningful smile.