Chapter 447: The Kite with a Broken String Is Truly Free (Third Chapter: Repaying the Debt)

Lu Jingyao's last visit to Li Ye's home was in the spring of 1981, nearly five years ago.

He walked through the Li family's front gate and found that in the past five years, the Li household had changed almost nothing.

The courtyard was large, but the house remained the same half-new, half-old bungalow, unlike his own home, which changed every year, becoming newer each time.

Yet facing this half-new, half-old Li household, Lu Jingyao felt not a trace of superiority—only heavy oppression in her heart.

When Lu Jingyao became engaged to Li Ye in 1980, she had come to this large courtyard as a future granddaughter-in-law.

Back then, the Li family was unquestionably the "upper class" to the Lu family—their annual income exceeded the Lu family's three years combined.

Although Li Ye's grandparents and future in-laws treated Lu Jingyao well, she always felt uncomfortable, suffocated.

To burn this mixed coal in a stove, you had to mix it with clay into lumps, then dry them before use.

So had her past self ever truly known "love"?

Gao Xiaoyan's mother thanked Li Ye again, then glanced at his sweater and said: "You're a good kid. One day, Auntie will knit you two sweaters—look at this one."

Know when to stop! Your daughter can't take it anymore.

The clumsy sweater and the thousand-yuan sneakers somehow created a strange harmony.

Lu Jingyao stepped out the Li family gate, pushed her motorcycle a few dozen meters, then suddenly turned back to look.

On the steps, Wu Juying suddenly shouted at Li Ye in the courtyard: "What are you standing there staring at? Don't you see we're out of coal? Hurry up and make more! Always worrying about others, can't even be bothered with your own chores?"

Lu Jingyao nodded at Li Ye, ready to enter and discuss matters with the Gao family, but Wu Juying suddenly emerged from the main house.

Lu Jingyao felt deeply unsettled—she didn't think Li Ye was mocking her, yet her heart ached anyway.

She broke off the engagement without keeping her word; her brother broke his word by abandoning Gao Xiaoyan—what had gone wrong?

Had she corrupted her brother?

When the Gao family saw Lu Jingyao appear, they were first startled with joy, then anxious: "Why is she alone? Where are the Lu men?"

Hearing Wu Juying call her, Lu Jingyao's heart tightened, and she obediently walked over.

Before Lu Jingyao could explain further, Li Ye said: "Her coming here to negotiate is the best solution. One word from her carries more weight than both Lu men combined. If things turn into a bloody mess, it's your daughter who'll suffer."

"Heh~"

"Ah? Oh oh oh, I'll make coal lumps right away, Grandma, don't worry—I'll get to it now."

And the lifeless Gao Xiaoyan's eyes regained a spark.

Gao Xiaoyan's father frowned: "Why send a junior to negotiate such a big matter? Why does your family always bully people?"

Li Ye smiled: "People must keep their word."

"."

Five years ago, the Li family far surpassed the Lu family; now, the Li family still far surpasses the Lu family.

She ignored the death glares from the two girls, but Wu Juying's words just now filled her with shame.

Lu Jingyao turned and said: "I'm truly sorry, Uncle. Today is my grandmother's eightieth birthday. My father didn't dare invite a crowd of relatives—after all, we'll be one family soon. If word got out, life would be harder for everyone, so he sent me to negotiate."

Although the Li family now had money and could easily afford coal bricks, Li Zhongfa and Li Kaichuan's workplaces supplied mixed coal, so they couldn't afford to be too unusual.

Wu Juying made it clear: this mess is your Lu family's doing, and Li Ye, being kind-hearted, took it upon himself to mediate. You should know your place—I, Wu Juying, am not Li Ye. If you dare resent us, your family can't bear the consequences.

Lu Jingyao walked toward the eastern wing.

Lu Jingyao felt helpless.

But looking back years later, she had been like a kite soaring to the clouds, forever tethered by an invisible thread.

"."

When the Gao family emerged from the eastern wing, they immediately went to the main house to thank Li Zhongfa and Wu Juying. Gao Xiaoyan's mother even knelt again before Wu Juying, weeping and sniffling, saying that without the Li family, her child would not have survived.

Gao Xiaoyan's parents could no longer find fault.

Wu Juying glanced at Lu Jingyao coldly: "Don't think we Li family are bullying you. We didn't want to get involved at all—we wouldn't have lifted a finger even if the Gao mother and daughter had knelt at our gate."

Li Juan and Li Ying were ordered to stay indoors, so they could only curse Lu Jingyao, their enemy, from inside. Now that they had a chance to unleash their death glares, how could they miss it?

When she was a granddaughter-in-law, Lu Jingyao feared Wu Juying most—though Wu Juying always smiled, her words left no room for refusal.

Lu Jingyao nodded: "If Xiaoyan isn't confident, she can come along too. I remember her high school grades were decent, right?"

"But I've seen that Gao girl—she's acting strange. Watch out. If anything happens, your Lu family can't handle it!"

Even now, with Lu Jingyao's good income, buying similar shoes wasn't something she could do on a whim—she had to think carefully.

"Hey, you don't know this, do you?"

Heh, perfect.

But Li Ye wore those shoes worth dozens of tons of coal, busily shoveling black coal, utterly unconcerned about getting them dirty or torn.

Yet not a single person in the Li family said a harsh word to her.

Gao Xiaoyan's father paused, confused—was Li Ye siding with whom?

Today, she came to the Li household with the mindset of having endured unbearable humiliation.

But to say Li Ye had no clothes? That wasn't true.

But if Li Ye had been here, he might have admired Lu Jingyao's "advance-and-retreat" tactic.

After becoming engaged to Li Ye, she once planned to knit him a sweater, but got too busy with studies and never finished it.

In just half an hour, Lu Jingyao reached an agreement with the Gao family—they even set a date for the wedding soon.

Now he was wearing the sweater knitted by Wen Leyu.

Lu Jingyao bowed slightly to Wu Juying on the steps, then turned toward the eastern wing to negotiate with the Gao family.

Lu Jingyao walked to the steps of the main house and asked calmly: "Grandma, what do you need?"

But Lu Jingyao's heart felt as if a mountain had been pressed upon it—she couldn't feel the slightest ease.

But thinking back on that agonizing hour, waiting endlessly for the Lu family to arrive, that tormenting despair, he suddenly understood Li Ye's meaning.

Lu Jingyao walked up to Li Ye and gave a slight nod and smile: "You're punctual too—not a minute off."

"We don't want money. We don't care about money. We just want Xiaoyan to be well."

The sweater was hideous.

"If you have no sincerity, then let it all burn—our Gao family won't endure this humiliation."

"."

"Don't flatter yourself—I'm just an old woman, how could I give orders to a big overseas student? I just have two things to tell you."

"Squeak~"

What are you thinking? Still expecting Lu Zixue to treat Gao Xiaoyan well?

Lu Jingyao: "."

As soon as Lu Jingyao entered the Li family courtyard, the door of the eastern wing opened. Dressed neatly, Li Ye emerged with the Gao family—clearly preparing to leave.

"I understand, Grandma. I'll handle it."

Wu Juying sighed in relief and personally saw the Gao family out.

Stitches uneven, crooked, sleeves different lengths, collar not round.

So after she got into university, she bravely rebelled against her fate, escaping this oppression, escaping this discomfort.

Li Ye, seeing Lu Jingyao covered in dust, was slightly surprised.

After entering the house, Lu Jingyao said bluntly: "My father and I have decided—we accept Xiaoyan as our daughter-in-law, and we accept the child in her womb. But my brother and Xiaoyan are underage by family planning rules, so we'll hold the wedding first, but can't register the marriage."

She had passed university, then studied abroad—seeming to have successfully escaped the place that once shackled her.

Gao Xiaoyan's father pulled his wife and daughter back into the eastern wing—he dared not leave the Li household now. He feared that if they left, Lu Jingyao's promises might vanish.

Would she ever know love again?

British universities are harder to get into than ours, but Xiaoyan can continue studying there. If you don't believe me, I have some foreign currency here—take it."

He nodded coolly: "You're punctual indeed."

"Britain? Can you get Xiaoyan's child overseas?"

Lu Jingyao checked her watch—exactly one hour had passed.

"Lu family girl, come here."

"."

【He's rich, yet doesn't care about money at all.】

Gao Xiaoyan's parents were stunned—they hadn't anticipated this outcome.

At this point, Li Ye had already made a large pile of coal lumps, filling half the courtyard to dry.

But as she passed Li Ye, her gaze was drawn to his sweater.

Lu Jingyao thought of her own family and sighed again.

In the 1980s and 90s, northern bungalows heated with stoves, and the supply wasn't coal bricks, but mixed coal or even coal dust.

But Lu Jingyao replied without hesitation: "I'll handle the child's household registration. If the child wants to study in Qingshui, fine. If they want to study in Britain, I'll arrange it."

"No registration means no household registration? How will the child go to school?"

Gao Xiaoyan's father hesitated: "Now it's come to this, I'm worried about Xiaoyan's future. Can you guarantee your brother will treat our Xiaoyan well, and care for her child?"

"Then let's negotiate!"

Because Lu Jingyao recognized the sneakers on Li Ye's feet—they were the latest brand-name model, extremely expensive.

【Of course he won't wait a single minute!】

Grandma Wu Juying said proudly: "This was knitted by my grandson's classmate. My grandson says the uglier the sweater, the deeper the love inside. He has a whole closet of nice clothes—but this one, he wears the most comfortably."

Li Ye, suddenly scolded, froze, then quickly took off his coat, grabbed a shovel, and started making coal lumps.

As soon as Li Ye picked up the shovel, two girls burst out of the western wing—one dumping dirt, one dumping coal, then pouring water to help Li Ye, all while glaring at Lu Jingyao.

But who could have imagined that five years later, Lu Jingyao was forced back into this courtyard by Li Ye.

It felt like a situation where everyone was happy.

Lu Jingyao looked at Li Ye's sweater and suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.

"Live well, and also talk sense into the child—don't let him dwell on foolish thoughts; there's still a long life ahead!"

Hold the wedding first, but don't register the marriage; resolve the fine for the child's household registration. If Lu Zixue is willing to live with Gao Xiaoyan, that's best; if not, send Gao Xiaoyan and her child overseas, so it doesn't affect Lu Zixue's life in the country.

Pull the thread, and it hurts.

【Is a kite with its string cut truly free?】

(End of Chapter)