Chapter 81: Home

Li Shun was furious, his lips trembling as he began to curse.

“You bastard, I guarded against everything, feared this exact thing—begged everyone I knew to get you enlisted, and still couldn’t stop it! Even in the army you dare...! And you got some foreigner pregnant... I’ll kill you!”

As he spoke, he swung the shoe in his hand toward Li Xuewu.

The alcohol in Li Xuewu’s stomach surged upward—he’d been talkative at the door only because his head was slow from the drink, but now that he was inside, warmed by the house, the liquor rose even stronger.

When the alcohol hit, his reactions slowed; Li Shun never truly meant to hit him—he assumed his son, with his military training, could easily dodge an old, limping man like himself.

But the shoe sole actually struck his son’s face.

*Slap!*

The sound not only terrified the others watching the child, but stunned Li Shun himself—he froze, shoe in hand, staring at his son’s swollen cheek, utterly at a loss.

Liu Yin scrambled up, heart aching, and stood by the kang, gripping Li Xuewu’s head to examine it, her voice breaking in tears: “You fool, why didn’t you dodge?”

Li Xuewu didn’t feel much pain—just a dull, numb swelling.

Li Shun glared at Li Xuewu, tossed the shoe onto his foot, and limped out to knock on his elder brother’s door.

Liu Yin touched Li Xuewu’s face, tears streaming down her eyes.

Since Li Xuewu enlisted, Li Shun had never laid a hand on him at home—this time, Liu Yin was truly frightened.

“That old bastard—when the son’s away, he’s all quiet; when the son comes back, he starts causing trouble again.”

Li Xuewu patted his mother’s hand on his arm and said: “It’s fine, Mom, it’s just a little injury—sit down, the baby might cry if you keep this up.”

Liu Yin then remembered the child, turned to look at the infant cradled in the old woman’s arms, and asked: “Tell me, where did this child come from? Whose is it?”

“It’s not anyone’s...”

“Then it’s yours? Those yellow hair and features... Did you have a child with a foreigner?”

Liu Yin knew her son served in the south, where foreigners were rumored to be—she feared he’d done something wrong, which would be a lifelong stain, and she asked urgently.

“It’s not mine.”

“If it’s not yours, why did you bring it home? Are you trying to scare me to death? Speak quickly!”

Liu Yin’s eyes were red with panic—this kind of thing couldn’t be taken lightly.

The old woman said to Liu Yin: “Sit down first—you have to let Xuewu speak.”

“Mom, I really...”

Liu Yin, hearing the old woman’s words, collapsed onto the kang, truly terrified by her son—her sobs hadn’t stopped, and now they turned into loud, wailing cries.

Li Xuewu quickly pulled from his bag a packet of documents sealed in an envelope and handed it to Liu Yin, who snatched it, trembling hands opening it to read.

At that moment, the elder brother and his wife also came in, dressed, having heard only fragments earlier—now they watched as the old woman read, and joined in.

Elder brother Xuewen went to the old woman’s side to look at the child—plump, deep-set eyes, yellow hair—he found it strangely fascinating.

Li Xuewu sat on the western kang, took the cigarette offered by his aunt, lit it, drew a slow drag to clear his head, and began recounting the child’s story in a hoarse voice.

The others, having seen the official documents from both countries’ foreign affairs departments and the local case files, now believed Li Xuewu.

When they heard the child’s tragic backstory, their gazes toward the child grew even more filled with pity.

Liu Yin, now calmer, frowned at her son: “You’re only nineteen—what are you going to do with this child? Don’t you want to find a wife? Don’t you want to marry?”

Li Xuewu smoked, forcing his mind clear, and explained: “You might not believe me if I say this child and I are fated—I only say that if I hadn’t taken him, he’d have died on one of three paths. And the situation back then was extremely complicated...”

He tapped ash off his cigarette against the kang’s edge, voice low: “I thought about the future—but when I found her under the train, it was she who grabbed my hand first. Since she chose me, I can’t abandon her.”

Seeing his family’s gloomy faces, Li Xuewu straightened his posture and said: “Do good deeds, don’t ask about the future. If I hadn’t done this then, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”

The old woman rocked the child, clicking her tongue to soothe it—the child’s soft “giggles” made everyone feel even more sorrowful.

Liu Yin and Zhao Yafang, like most women, couldn’t bear such sorrow—upon hearing Li Xuewu’s words, tears streamed down their faces.

Zhao Yafang choked out to her mother-in-law: “Xuewu isn’t married yet—having a child will be hard. Let me and Xuewen take him—we’ll raise him as our daughter.”

Xuewen, always obedient to his wife and fond of daughters, nodded eagerly: “Yes yes yes.”

Li Xuewu smiled and shook his head at his sister-in-law: “Sister-in-law, I know you mean well, but the adoption papers were filed under my name, and the household registration must also be under mine. Also, the child’s status is sensitive—your and my brother’s positions aren’t suitable. I’m a demobilized cadre—I can avoid a lot of trouble.”

Xuewen didn’t understand, but Zhao Yafang did—she nodded at Li Xuewu. Two smart people needed no more words—a glance was enough.

Liu Yin feared her second son would be burdened, and feared trouble for her first son—now that the child was home, she couldn’t bring herself to scold him further.

When Li’s old man was alive, he was famous for his kindness—otherwise, he wouldn’t have practiced medicine for years without accumulating any wealth.

The old man left behind only a house full of books, one craft, and, through years of turmoil, preserved the Li family’s reputation.

Liu Yin gathered her thoughts and said: “Your father and I aren’t old yet—we raised you all, raising one more won’t be hard. Keep him under Xuewu’s name—we’ll raise him.”

“Exactly—I’m not old yet! I’m his grandmother—I can help care for him. You young ones don’t need to worry.”

The elder brother said nothing, went to the eastern kang to look at the child, and told Li Xuewu: “Your cradle got broken when you were a kid, stomping on it—I’ll find wood tomorrow and make another... two. One to hang from the ceiling, one to put on the floor.”

At that moment, Li Shun limped in from the south room, carrying a small dish of dark, greasy ointment.

Seeing Li Shun approach, Li Xuewu crushed his cigarette between his fingers and stared blankly as Li Shun gripped his chin, examining the swelling on his face.

“Are you going to work tomorrow?” Li Shun’s voice was hoarse.

Li Xuewu, chin held tight, winced and said: “I have to—I need to go out again later.”

Li Shun’s brow furrowed again, wanting to scold, but he held it back, sighed, and whispered: “Take it easy—let me live a few more years.”

As he spoke, he bent over and smeared the dark ointment onto Li Xuewu’s face.