Chapter 14

Before Li Tongya's voice fell, Li Changhu only felt a chill climb up his spine, his pupils expanded suddenly, and his hair stood on end. He stared at his brother's smiling face, feeling terrified in his heart.

"Hahahahahahaha..."

Pushing Li Changhu's shoulder, Li Tongya threw the wooden slip in his hand lightly, looking at Li Changhu with a light smile.

"You brat."

Li Changhu let out a long breath, only thinking Li Tongya was joking, waved his hand lightly, and said:

"I'm going to prepare for Xiangping's wedding."

Li Changhu finished speaking, straightened his clothes, stepped out the door, and went to the Tian family.

Li Tongya, however, restrained his smile, sat quietly by the wooden table, and said:

"Father."

But Li Mutian was already standing on the stone steps without a sound, his face stiff, not knowing what he was thinking. Hearing this, he turned his head to look at Li Tongya.

Li Mutian had been sitting in front of the door looking at the moon last night, when he saw Li Xiangping rushing to the back mountain. Worried, he followed the child to the back mountain.

Who knew Li Tongya was also worried about his brother and followed secretly. The two met, felt embarrassed, watched Li Xiangping kill someone, and watched the beasts divide and eat the corpse cleanly. Only then did Li Mutian go down the mountain.

"Xiangping was also for the safety of the family, Father doesn't need to be angry..." Li Tongya comforted.

"I'm not angry at all!"

Li Mutian felt oppressed in his heart, so he didn't care about his speech. He narrowed his eyes and said again:

"The brat killed that piece of trash well. If he had only intimidated him, I would have jumped down and chopped that piece of trash! Killed well, killed well! What am I angry about? Don't cover for Li Changhu!"

Li Tongya sighed and said gloomily:

"Eldest brother is generous and kind-hearted. The villagers and tenants respect him. He is someone who can protect the family business."

"Fart!" Li Mutian slapped the table, his face showing a bit of anger:

"They respect me, Li Mutian! They surround your brother only because Li Changhu's rent is low! These people have always feared power and not cherished virtue. Look at him like this. If I, Li Mutian, die today, Li Yesheng would dare to come to the door and roll tomorrow. Does Li Changhu dare to kill him?"

Watching Li Tongya lower his head and not speak, Li Mutian's tone softened a lot, and he said in a low voice:

"I wasn't afraid before. With you two brothers, Li Changhu's generosity is the best. With both kindness and power, the future is promising. But now it's different. My Li family is holding a treasure and is in danger, walking on thin ice. If the person in charge is not ruthless enough, it will easily perish!"

"Moreover." Li Mutian gasped, his eyes full of worry and unease:

————

Li Changhu went to the Tian family to settle many matters of the marriage, sitting blankly in the field with a complex expression. He walked around the village and didn't see Li Yesheng.

Recalling his brother's low shout last night and Li Tongya's hint, Li Changhu knew that Yesheng had likely been killed by Xiangping.

Li Changhu felt a pain in his heart. When they were children, Yesheng and Tongya were always small and followed him to fish in the river.

He vaguely remembered Yesheng holding a big green fish, shouting happily: "Brother, brother, look at me!" Tongya was clearly envious but always turned his head and pouted, refusing to look at him. The three of them would pee by the river when they were tired of playing, comparing who could pee higher and who could pee further.

It was just that later, his aunt died, and his second uncle was bedridden. Yesheng's temperament changed drastically in a few months, and he was no longer the same as before.

"The crime doesn't deserve this!"

Li Changhu had some crystal in the corner of his eyes. He always felt that he could persuade him again, let him learn to be good, carefully protect his younger brother Yesheng, and live well.

"Changhu!"

A call woke Li Changhu. He hurriedly lowered his head to wipe the corner of his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound.

It was an old farmer with white hair, looking honest and simple, with dark skin, wearing earth-colored cloth clothes, and wide trouser legs.

"Uncle Xu." Li Changhu stood up, patted his trouser legs, and asked with concern:

"How is it? Is there enough food at home?"

"Enough, enough!"

Old Man Xu burst into tears when he saw Li Changhu. He was old but still healthy, but his only eldest son was bedridden, and he couldn't even plant the fields.

Li Changhu reduced his rent and sent him grain, which barely allowed him to survive. Old Man Xu was an elder who watched Li Changhu grow up and had always treated him as a child. After going through such a thing, he was already extremely grateful.

"Don't be polite!"

Li Changhu had quickly walked out of the sadness and said solemnly:

Old Man Xu had become a spirit in his old age. How could he not know that Li Changhu was doing a favor for Li Mutian? He smiled, bowed to Li Changhu, and laughed:

"Thank the family head for me! My family accepts this favor."

"Eh, how can you say it's accepting a favor? It's what should be done!" Li Changhu waved his hand.

The two chatted in the field, but Li Xiangping arrived at the edge of the reed marsh with a cloth bag, looking silently at Li Yesheng sitting on the shore.

Li Yesheng was counting with his fingers, talking to himself:

He looked at the reed marsh rising and falling with the wind, the place that gave birth to him and raised him. If it weren't for this generous reed marsh, he, Li Yesheng, would have died in some corner long ago.

"And Uncle's family." He thought silently, but saw a figure emerge from the reed marsh.

"Brother Xiangping!"

"Come, come."

Li Xiangping smiled and took out a white steamed bun from the cloth bag, handing it to him. Li Yesheng hurriedly took it, biting it greedily, and said vaguely:

"Brother is the best to me!"

"Hahahahaha."

Li Xiangping was closest to Li Yesheng. When he was a child, he would secretly take things from home to feed Li Yesheng. With Li Mutian turning a blind eye, Li Xiangping really brought him a lot of things.

"Come." Li Xiangping's expression was a bit complex, and he shoved the cloth bag into Li Yesheng's hand, saying:

"These are the reading materials from when I started school. You can read more when you are herding ducks."

"Thank you, Brother!"

Li Yesheng was moved, bowed and washed his hands with river water, and then carefully put away the cloth bag.

"How can I be so embarrassed!"

Li Yesheng was surprised and happy, repeatedly declining, feeling uneasy and expectant in his heart, waving his hands repeatedly.

"I heard that you have to pay tuition to study. My brother won't give me money."

Li Xiangping looked at him for a while and said calmly: "There is no need for this between us. I will ask Father to pay for you."

"This..."

Li Yesheng still wanted to say something, but looking at Li Xiangping's indifferent expression, a sense of awe rose up for no reason, and he thought secretly:

"Brother Xiangping is like Uncle!"

Li Xiangping didn't know what Li Yesheng was thinking, patted him on the shoulder, instructed him on how to study, and went home.

ps: Really not watering, feeling the progress is a bit fast, enriching the image of the protagonists through Li Yesheng QAQ

【Crying】 Seeking tickets, seeking follow-up reading.