It wasn't until he was back home, lying on the kang bed, that Li Xiu's head finally cleared. 'That must be my wife from my past life. She has to have come back too. Xiang Lin and Xiang Rui... those are the names of our precious son and daughter.' His wife had grown suspicious because she noticed he was different from his past life. But, knowing her straightforward and kind nature, he figured that once he denied it, she wouldn't press the issue. He longed to tell her that he had also returned and would treat her well for the rest of this life. But based on his understanding of her, if she found out he was the same bastard from their previous life, she would resist the marriage, even if it meant never seeing their children again.
That was just like her in their last life—so decisive. Without a fight or a fuss, she had left with their daughter when she went off to university. After that, they barely saw each other again, except when with their children. But that was one thing about his wife: once she set her mind on someone or something, she would stick with it to the very end. 'I have to think of a good way to keep this from her. I'm different from my past self, so I need a plausible reason for her to believe I've changed.'
'That's it. I'll just say I met her beforehand and fell for her, and that made Mother anxious. The signs she let slip made me realize the favoritism at home, and with my eldest uncle and grandmother's intervention, I saw my family's selfishness for what it was. I have to plan for my own little family now, which is why things are different from my last life. I'm no longer that foolishly filial, hot-tempered, and careless man. While it's not exactly honorable to make my mother the scapegoat, I'm not wronging her, either. In two lifetimes, she's been nothing but selfish and biased. The only thing I owe her now is basic courtesy.'
In his last life, after his wife and children left, he had confronted his mother. She told him she had never cared for him. She said that since he was raised by his grandmother, she didn't know how to say nice things to him. Besides, she had given birth to him, so it was his duty to help his younger brother and sister. She claimed it was his own incompetence that had led to his family falling apart. Her words had completely severed the last of the bond between mother and son.
This time around, she hadn't gone too far yet. For the sake of his reputation, he would maintain a courteous, superficial relationship with her. After all, if he acted too ruthlessly, he would be the one blamed for everything. With the experience of two lifetimes and the things he had learned from Uncle Ge, he was more than equipped to handle these matters.
'In my last life, I was too stupid,' he thought. 'I believed that my family were my kin, that as the eldest son and brother, it was natural to help them more. Who knew I was only feeding their greed? The more I did, the less appreciation I received. Forget it. There's no point thinking about such useless things. I should focus on how to care for my wife and dote on my children.'
Tomorrow, the members of the Yue Family would be coming, along with his own parents. 'We'll see,' he thought. He'd wait and see how his parents acted tomorrow. As long as they didn't go too far, things would be fine. If they were too outrageous, well, he had already given the Yue Family a heads-up, so they wouldn't mind. And as for his parents, he still had Grandmother and Eldest Uncle on his side!
He needed to set things straight with them, to make them understand what they could and couldn't do. His wife wasn't someone they could bully. These issues had to be resolved before she married into the family, lest they trouble her later. This time, his wife probably wouldn't pay them any attention, but she was gentle and kind-hearted. He couldn't let them hurt her when he wasn't paying attention.
Zhou Lian lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She missed her daughter and son terribly. 'Li Xiu is different in this life, not like he was before. But given how much he cared for the children, if he had also been reborn, he wouldn't have had that reaction to hearing their names. As long as he isn't the same man from our last life, it doesn't matter how he's changed. Just as long as I don't lose my children.'
Her parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, and sisters were all very pleased with him—not because of the number of gifts he brought, but because of his attitude.
It had been the same in her last life. Her father had agreed to the marriage because he thought Li Xiu was dutiful, honest, and sincere.
After he left that afternoon, her father remarked that he was clever, magnanimous, and had a good sense of propriety. Her brothers and eldest brother-in-law said he was capable and clear on his principles. Her mother, eldest sister-in-law, and eldest sister said he seemed like the type to dote on his wife and children. Her third younger sister told her, "He really fancies you. His eyes never left you for a second."
Her fourth and youngest sisters, as well as her nieces and nephews, all had good things to say about him. He had given them candy and even secretly slipped them some money. Her mother, eldest sister-in-law, and eldest sister had them empty their pockets. Her fourth sister, youngest sister, and the older nephews and niece each had two yuan and about ten pieces of candy. The younger nieces and nephews had each received two yuan as well.
Looking at the small pile of money and candy on the table, her father gave an order. "Have them put it all away. Consider it a first-meeting gift from their future brother-in-law and uncle. It's just... a little too generous."
What they didn't know was that this was Li Xiu's way of thanking them. His third sister-in-law was only two years younger than his wife, so he had to be careful to avoid any impropriety. But his fourth and youngest sisters-in-law, the nieces and nephews from his brothers-in-law's side, and the two nephews from his eldest sister-in-law's side had all fiercely protected his wife in their previous life.
Indeed, Zhou Lian had three older brothers, one older sister, and three younger sisters. Among the eight siblings, she was the most mild-mannered. It wasn't just her brothers and sisters who were protective of her; her three sisters-in-law, her brother-in-law, her future brothers-in-law, and all her nieces and nephews doted on her.
In their last life, Li Xiu had slapped her. Her entire family had demanded she divorce him, but Zhou Lian, unable to bear parting with their daughter, refused. Still, Li Xiu did not get away unscathed.
Her three sisters-in-law, her eldest sister, and her third and fourth sisters took turns putting him in his place. Her nephews beat him up, and he didn't dare to fight back. As for her three older brothers and three brothers-in-law, they would give him an earful whenever they saw him, nagging that a man who hits his wife is no man at all—only a pathetic coward would do such a thing.
For the rest of that life, whenever Li Xiu saw any of them, he could only brace himself for a lesson. This was especially true for Zhou Lan. She was the eldest sister, with only one mild-mannered older brother above her and two younger brothers and four younger sisters below. She was fiercely protective and domineering. Because of that one slap, Li Xiu was never able to hold his head high in front of his eldest sister-in-law for the rest of his life.
'This time, I've made up my mind,' Li Xiu resolved. 'Whoever is good to my wife and children, I will be good to them. And by the same token, whoever is unkind to my wife, I will pay them back a hundred, even a thousand times over. I'm going to live a happy life with her, and if anyone dares to ruin that, I'll make their life a living hell.'
Li Xiu woke before dawn. He tidied the house until it was spotless, filled the thermoses with hot water, and laid out the cigarettes, liquor, tea, and sweets he had purchased beforehand. He also set out the peanuts and melon seeds he had roasted himself. He needed to prepare for two banquet tables: one for the men, which his eldest uncle, third uncle, and father would host, with Ge Ye and Ge Dayu also attending; the other for the women, hosted by his grandmother, eldest aunt, third aunt, Second Sister-in-law Ge, and his mother.
Just as the sky began to lighten, his grandmother and Aunt Li arrived with his younger sisters. Seeing all the things Li Xiu had prepared, his grandmother said, "Let your third aunt handle the cooking at noon, and your eldest younger sister and the others can help her. You just need to focus on hosting the members of the Yue Family. Don't worry about the rest. Your eldest uncle and third uncle will look after the male guests. And over here with the women, Grandma's here. That mother of yours won't be able to stir up any trouble."
Li Xiu grinned and put an arm around his grandmother, saying nonchalantly, "I'm not worried, I've got you. Eldest Uncle and Aunt Li will keep an eye out, too. I'm not worried at all. Even if my mother isn't scared of you, Grandma, she's still scared of Aunt Li."
Aunt Li couldn't help but chuckle. She explained that there was a reason Ge Er Ya was afraid of her. Back in the day, Aunt Li had given birth to two daughters in a row, and the third brother's wife had a daughter as well. Only Second Brother Li's family had been lucky enough to have two sons consecutively. In the countryside, when a person grew old without sons, it fell to their nephew to carry the coffin and funeral banner.
Li Xiu was the eldest son and the eldest grandson of the Li household. Second Brother Li wasn't in good health, and Ge Er Ya was greedy and lazy, so their mother-in-law (Li Xiu's grandmother) grew worried and wanted to raise Li Xiu herself. Her husband had passed away young, and she had been living with Aunt Li, so she discussed the matter with her. Aunt Li understood Li Xiu's importance as the eldest grandson of the main family line, so she personally went to bring him to her home.
Ge Er Ya wasn't close to Li Xiu, as he had grown up with his grandmother. She was also incredibly arrogant, and she would secretly take the clothes and food Aunt Li made for Li Xiu and give them to her other son, Li Hua. When Aunt Li discovered this, she gave Ge Er Ya a harsh dressing-down.
"From then on, Ge Er Ya finally learned to behave herself in front of me, her eldest sister-in-law." As she recalled this, Aunt Li looked at Li Xiu in confusion and asked, "You were only four back then. And nobody's mentioned this to you all these years, have they?"
Li Xiu pursed his lips. "I've had a good memory since I was little," he said. "I remember when I was three, right after Li Hua was born. You came to our house to talk to my mother about Grandma taking me in. I remember it all. When you carried me to your house, I was still running around naked. You had to find some of your eldest daughter's clothes for me to wear."
Eldest Li had only married after returning from the war in Korea, a full year after Second Brother Li, so none of his children were as old as Li Xiu.
Aunt Li opened her mouth, then closed it without a word. 'No wonder Li Xiu has grown quieter and quieter at our home over the years,' she thought. 'He remembers things from so early on, so he knows everything. He understands exactly how his mother operates. It's no surprise he wants to formally separate from the family before marrying.' After a moment's thought, she added, "From now on, just focus on living a good life with your wife. As for everything else, you still have me and your grandma."
'Her mother-in-law was certainly partial to Li Xiu, but that was because he was the grandson who would carry on the family line, she had raised him herself, and he had a mother like *that*. Forget her mother-in-law; even she and her husband valued Li Xiu more. It wasn't just because of his status as the heir, but because of his good character. He was loyal and valued relationships. For years, whenever he got a tasty snack, he wouldn't eat it himself, saving it for his grandma first. He was good to his uncles, aunts, and cousins, too. The whole village knew how fiercely protective he was of his family.'
'Just the other day, some of the village youths were gossiping about Li Hua behind her back. When he found out, he taught them a lesson, both in the open and in secret, until their elders came to the house to apologize. Only then did he let it go. And when Li Guo was bullied by a boy his own age, Li Xiu went straight to that boy's older brother and gave him a thrashing, which resulted in the older brother going home to beat his own sibling. Now, that boy practically runs the other way when he sees Li Guo. Li Xiu is a reasonable person; there's no one in the village who doesn't praise him. They couldn't possibly let that mother of his break his spirit.'