Chapter 1021

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

As the class reunion was about to end, Wang Erhai took the initiative to pay the bill.

Leaving the Huangsheng Hotel, Wang Erhai drove back toward Shangou Village.

He couldn't help feeling some self-reproach; during the gathering just now he hadn't kept a proper measure, and his words and actions had been a bit arrogant.

He felt he shouldn't be like this; he should keep a low profile, keep a low profile, keep a low profile.

But the moment he saw Yang Xiaoxiong, who had once tricked him into a pyramid scheme, and Zhao Xingfang, who had once looked down on him terribly, he couldn't help wanting to retaliate against them.

Tonight Wang Erhai had humiliated Zhao Xingfang thoroughly, which counted as venting a mouthful of bad breath, but after the retaliation his kind heart felt uneasy again.

Perhaps he still needed some time to adapt to this kind of behavior — looking down from above and crushing others' dignity.

Only when he can truly do such things and still remain at peace with himself will he become a true Big Boss.

And right now, although he appears glorious on the surface, he is merely tagging along with Huo Guoqiang to get a meal.

Before, when he himself ran the Shanhai Real Estate in the county town, it went bankrupt directly.

Strictly speaking, he still hasn't proven his ability.

In a blink it arrived at Lunar New Year Second Day.

The custom here is that on Lunar New Year Second Day people generally return to their maternal home to visit relatives.

So Li Xiulan got up early and packed up their things.

Then she had Wang Dashan and Wang Erhai each drive their cars, and the whole family went together to the neighboring town to visit relatives.

Li Xiulan's parents had passed away many years ago; her two older brothers Li Yaozu and Li Jiahao were still alive, but ever since the family separation the relationship between these two brothers had grown worse and worse.

Li Xiulan used to visit frequently, but every time she went she would be caught between the two brothers — even deciding which house to eat at would cause a quarrel — so afterward she went less and less.

On the road, Wang Zhanggen wore a stern face.

He actually didn't want to go.

"Our new building had its housewarming; we invited them and they didn't come. Why should we still go visit them?"

Wang Zhanggen sat in the back seat of Wang Erhai's car and couldn't help muttering a sentence to Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan said:

"Isn't it because of a zodiac clash? They have to avoid it; if they came you'd probably blame them for ruining the feng shui."

Wang Zhanggen had no reply.

Li Xiulan sighed at this moment and said:

"My two brothers are old now; each meeting is one less."

Wang Zhanggen thought of his own older brother Wang Zhangtian.

In the past Wang Zhangtian would come home for the New Year, but in recent years he hasn't come back at all.

And the two brothers haven't kept in touch much either.

He also doesn't know how his older brother is doing.

The Wang family's kinship ties are truly thin.

But this is normal too.

Before, everyone was poor, and for a tiny profit they could tear their faces apart.

The knots planted back then probably cannot be untied in a lifetime; the gaps created probably cannot be smoothed over in a lifetime.

So even biological brothers rarely have contact anymore.

"Erhai, let's go to the market first, buy some things, then go to your eldest uncle and second uncle's homes."

"Okay, Mom!"

Wang Erhai used his mobile phone to send a voice message to Wang Dashan:

"Big Brother, Mom says to go to the market first to buy some things, then go to eldest uncle and second uncle's homes later!"

Wang Dashan, who was driving, replied:

"Okay!"

Du Xiaojuan, sitting in the passenger seat of Wang Dashan's car, said at this moment:

"Come to think of it, I seem to have never been to your eldest uncle and second uncle's homes."

Wang Dashan said:

"Indeed you haven't come before, but when we got married before they came over, you've met them. As for Jianjia, this is still her first time meeting them."

Li Jianjia asked at this moment:

"Big Brother, speaking of seeing the children, should we give red envelopes?"

Wang Dashan said:

"By rights, since you're married you should give them, but for you two it's actually optional — you only got the certificate, didn't hold a banquet. In the elders' generation's notion, only after a banquet is held does it count as truly married; getting the certificate doesn't count. My giving with your eldest sister-in-law is enough."

Li Jianjia nodded:

"So that's how it is." Then she looked at Wang Xiaohua:

"Xiao Hua, what do you think?"

Wang Xiaohua originally wanted to give, but now he thought of a question:

"Don't know if Second Brother will give or not. Second Brother got married but divorced, and now he's with a new girlfriend but not married yet — what does his situation count as? If he doesn't give but we do, it seems a bit inappropriate."

Wang Xiaohua indeed found this point a bit unclear.

Du Xiaojuan said:

"Don't make it so complicated. Just Big Brother and I will give it. Give a slightly larger red envelope, and when giving it say a sentence: this red envelope represents the three brothers' sentiments. You three brothers are of one rope, no distinction between you and me. That way they won't have anything to say!"

Wang Xiaohua laughed and said:

"Eldest Sister-in-law, still you think things through thoroughly!"

Two small sedans drove to the Market. Li Xiulan bought some fresh pork and some fresh fruit in the Old Street, then went to visit her eldest brother and second brother.

Arriving at her eldest brother and second brother's side, both brothers had built multi-story houses, and moreover they were not far apart.

Their children had also all grown up, and were already married with children.

Li Xiulan brought her three sons and first arrived at her eldest brother's home.

"Big Brother! Happy New Year!"

Her eldest brother Li Yaozu was first stunned, then hurriedly stood up to welcome them:

"Little Sister, didn't expect you all to come. Quick, come Inside and sit! Zhaohua, hurry and Brew Tea!"

Li Zhaohua is Li Yaozu's son.

Li Zhaohua had a son and a daughter. The two siblings were playing paper cards on the Floor. Seeing someone come, they were timid and shy, hurried to a corner, and also didn't know how to address people.

Wang Dashan and the three brothers called out "Maternal Uncle," then also simply greeted this Cousin Brother Li Zhaohua, passed a Cigarette, and sat down to chat.

And Du Xiaojuan went to give the children Red Envelopes.

When giving them she also specially said to Li Yaozu and Li Zhaohua: this red envelope is on behalf of Wang Dashan and the three brothers together.

Li Xiulan then handed the pork and fruit she brought to Li Yaozu.

Although not worth money, it was still a piece of sincerity.

Li Yaozu on one side greeted the Wang Family people to Drink Tea and chat, on the other side had his own daughter-in-law go to the Kitchen to cook, planning to host the Wang Family people at noon.

This visit to relatives, everyone was Harmonious and Joyful. At least on the Surface it looked like this.

"Is Second Brother and them At Home?"

Chatting to the halfway point, Li Xiulan suddenly asked Li Yaozu this one sentence.

The Smile on Li Yaozu's face immediately disappeared, replaced by a black face:

"I don't know. This you have to go to his home yourself to see."

Li Xiulan seeing this, couldn't help but Sigh, then hurriedly persuaded:

"Big Brother, you and Second Brother no matter what are blood relations. No need to make things so stiff."

Li Yaozu however said:

"It's not that I want to make trouble. It's that Li Jiahao that brat is too lacking in how to conduct oneself and handle affairs. Back when Separating the Family, even a single iron pot had to be smashed open and split in half. From that time on I knew our brotherly bond was exhausted."

That was who knows how many years ago.

Li Xiulan still vaguely remembers, back when her two brothers Separated the Family, it was she who presided over the fairness.

That Separation was fair and just. No one took advantage.

But in the end, it made both Li Yaozu and Li Jiahao feel they had suffered a loss.

The estrangement between the two brothers arose from this.

Never expected after so many years passed, their relationship not only didn't improve, but instead grew worse and worse.

To the point that this year, they practically have no contact whatsoever.