Reborn in 1987: The Story of an Abandoned Girl

Chapter 27 don't destroy me again

When she went over, she saw a bicycle parked in the sun valley terrace in front of her. When she took a closer look, it was not Li Jianguo's. She guessed that the li family should be a guest.

Carrying a large bag, she walked to the door of the hall. When she saw the people sitting inside, she did not want to move any further. Her good mood was gone.

Li Jianguo, who was sitting in the upper seat, looked up at her and said, "Haitang, why are you here at this time?" She usually wrote at home during the day and occasionally came over to play at night, which was why he asked.

Li Tao got up and moved a stool for her. He invited her as the host, "Come and sit down. I'll get you a cup of tea."

Li Haitang shook his head, "I won't sit down. If you have something to talk about, I won't bother you. I bought something for you to take down."

Li Tao walked to the door, took the heavy bag from her hand, and asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

Li Haitang replied in a voice that the two of them could hear, "It's meat. I'm going to tan city tomorrow. I'm going to cook with you tonight. Since your aunt is here, I'll wait for her to leave before coming. You can put the food in the cellar first."

"Okay." Li Tao knew that she and her aunt did not like each other and did not force her to stay now.

Li jianhong, who was sitting at the table, saw that Li Haitang had left without even looking at her. Her already gloomy face darkened a little. She could not find a vent bucket, so she could only yell at Li Jianguo in an unfriendly tone, "Brother, didn't you break up with each other? What is she doing here again? Could it be that I gave you a small favor and you agreed to take her back?"

The wrinkles on Li Jianguo's brows were squeezed into chuan characters. For the first time, he expressed his dissatisfaction with his sister and said, "Jianhong, look at what you look like now. She was mean and unreasonable, completely different from when you were a daughter at home. Have you ever reflected on yourself? It's a lot of your fault that your marriage is not going well and your life is hard."

"I... I'm talking about Li Haitang. What does it have to do with me?" The fat on Li Jianhong's face was trembling and his saliva was flying.

Li Jianguo, who was sitting opposite her, was sprayed with saliva and wiped his face with disgust. He said coldly, "She just came to walk around like an ordinary neighbor. You talk nonsense before you know what's going on. Is that what you usually do at your mother-in-law's house?"

"Now that we have broken off our relationship, why are we still here? We must not be able to go on. We want to come back shamelessly. Brother, this little bastard has a lot of ideas. Don't be fooled by him." Li Jianhong looked worried about him, and the words coming out of his mouth were vulgar and unpleasant.

"Can't you say something nice in your mouth? You do business in town anyway. Don't talk about" little bastard "Like a shrew. Did you forget what Yuanhua said last time? You scolded haitang, yourself, and the ancestor of our li family. Why didn't you learn your lesson?" Li Jianguo reprimanded him with hatred.

He really didn't know how this sister had become like this. He used to know that her mouth was too harsh, but over the past few years, it had gotten worse and worse, and even he, as a brother, sometimes couldn't listen to it.

Li Jianhong felt that he had been kind enough to feed the dog, so angry that he smashed the porcelain cup on the table on the ground and said angrily, "Okay, count me as nosy. Your family will never say a word more about it."

Li Tao, who had put the things back in the cellar, returned to the hall. Seeing her like this, he thought of his mother inexplicably. He frowned, picked up the enamel cup on the floor, and said in a light voice, "Auntie, Sister hoi tong is actually very good. Why do you always target her? I don't know what's going on between you and her biological mother, but after all these years, you should let it go. Besides, she was abandoned by her mother, and she was already pitiful. Why did you blame her for all that?"

Li Jianhong did not know what was going on, so that both father and son's attitude towards Li Haitang had changed. Now, more than a decade ago, the matter was brought up again, and a ball of fire was gushing out of her stomach, bombarding this nephew. "Li Tao, didn't you despise her before? Now that your mother and sister are gone, did Li Haitang give you a favor and you speak for her like a wallflower? So spineless, are you really the son of our li family?"

Hearing her last words, Li Tao, who had been very sensitive during this period of time, blushed with a brush and glared at Li Jianhong with hatred.

"Snap!"

Li Jianguo, on the other hand, flew into a rage. He slapped the table and said with a livid face, "Li Jianhong, if you continue to talk nonsense, get out of here and never come to our house again."

Li Jianhong had never seen his brother lose his temper before, and his heart trembled with fear. Now he found himself saying whatever he shouldn't. However, she admitted that she was an elder, and even if she made a mistake, she did not need to apologize. She glanced at Li Tao with reddened eyes and turned her head away.

Li Tao's eyes were filled with tears and her voice was choked up, "Auntie, I hate you. You are not welcome in our family in the future." After that, he ran back to his room and locked the door with a bang.

Li Jianhong's heart trembled again with the sound of the door closing, and his face was gloomy and a little pale.

Li Jianguo's heart was as heavy as lead. The impact of the divorce on his son a few days ago had not been easy to ease a few points, but now his sister's words made it worse. His tone was colder than ever before, "Jianhong, no one knows the truth better than the two of us. You know why she didn't agree to your relationship with Li Xiaolin."

"Brother..." Li Jianhong looked at the bulging veins on her brother's arm and his eyes sparkled.

Li Jianguo didn't even give her a look and said in a very calm tone, "You've been good to your family all these years. I've seen it all. I know you have a redeeming attitude towards your brother. I appreciate it."

She paused for a moment, her face filled with bitterness, and continued, "You were the one who ruined my own satisfactory marriage. I also accepted your deliberate apology for marrying Deng Wenfang. But, do you really not know about Deng Wenfang? Her mother's family and your mother-in-law's are still related, and they often come and go. You can't possibly be unaware of it, but you never mentioned it in front of my brother."

The more li jianhong listened, the more embarrassed she became. She did not expect that everything was clear to her dull and inarticulate eldest brother. She lowered her head and said in a weak voice, "Brother, I, I just didn't know. Later, when I found out, I scolded my sister-in-law and warned her. After all, this is a disgraceful thing. Tao er and ting er are still young. I think it would be better if you didn't know."

Li Jianguo felt that there was no point in pursuing these matters at this time, and said wearily, "Enough. You know how your brother and I have been living these years. My life is basically ruined by you. You are my only sister. I won't blame you. I admit it. But you should not destroy tao' er again. Your words may be unintentional, but they are fatal to sensitive children. You can go back. Taoer doesn't welcome you. Don't come again."

"Brother!" Li jian looked at him with red eyes and a face full of disbelief. Was her brother trying to cut off his relationship with her?

"Brother, I know I was wrong. I won't talk nonsense anymore." Li Jianhong wiped away her tears and snot. For her only brother, she did have a guilty conscience. She really wanted to make up for it, but it was self-defeating.

"No need. We, father and son, are living a peaceful and contented life. This has been the easiest time for me in more than a decade. I've let go of the past. I hope you won't ruin me again." When Li Jianguo said these words, there was a hint of begging in his tone.

Naturally, Li Jianhong understood what he was saying, and he couldn't help but shed tears, covering his mouth to stop himself from crying.

Li Jianguo didn't want to say anything more to her, so he stood up and picked up the hoe in the corner of the hall and went straight to the field to work.

Li Tao, who was hiding in the house and feeling sad, naturally listened to their words and only felt a buzzing in his head. Even if they didn't tell him what happened that year, he had guessed something, and his dislike for his aunt had reached a peak in an instant.

Li Haitang went back to her house and packed her bags. She had nothing to take with her, nothing more than some books, some summer clothes and shoes. After packing up, she went to the well with a bucket of water and went home. When she saw Li Jianhong leaving on his bicycle from afar, she closed the door and went to the li family again.

As soon as she went over, she saw Li Tao sitting on a small bench, looking down at the dishes in the hall. She went over to help and casually asked, "Where's dad?"

Li Tao still lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, "We're going to the fields."

Li Haitang heard something wrong with his voice and looked at him carefully. His eyes were red. He had clearly just cried. He frowned and said, "What's wrong with you?"

Li Tao's eyelashes trembled and he said in a low voice, "Nothing."

Li Haitang didn't have to think about it and knew it had something to do with Li Jianhong, but in the memory of the original owner, she was still good to Li Tao, this nephew. Seeing that he refused to say anything, she couldn't get to the bottom of the matter, so she took the initiative to change the subject. "Go and take out the dishes I sent you before. There are three melons in them. Go wash one and eat it."

Li Tao gave a "Yes," stood up and ran awkwardly towards the backyard.

"Ah..." Li Haitang sighed lightly and quickly picked out the long and thin chilies in the basket.

She planned to go to tan city tomorrow. Tonight, the dishes were well prepared, and the two of them worked in the kitchen for more than an hour. When Li Jianguo came back with a hoe on his back, they had already made braised sugar meat, pickled fish slices, homely tiger skin green pepper, ribs and winter melon soup, and a cold cucumber.

When Li Jianguo came out of the shower, the two of them had already set the dishes and sat quietly at the table waiting for him to eat. He couldn't help but feel warm and said, "Eat."

Li Tao, who had already swallowed so much saliva, quickly picked up his chopsticks and went straight to the braised sugar bowl. He had already tasted a piece of it when he came out of the pot, and it was really delicious. With delicious food, the unhappiness in my heart was instantly thrown out of the sky.

Li Haitang couldn't help but smile when he saw how anxious he was. He picked up his chopsticks and added another piece to Li Jianguo. He smiled and said, "Dad, you should try this braised sweet meat too. I learned it from sister-in-law mei fang. She made it with the master in the county restaurant. It tastes great."

Li Jianguo's mouth twitched and he put it in his mouth. It was fat but not greasy. It was soft and fragrant. His eyes were shining. "Mmm, it's delicious. You should eat more too." When you go to school, you won't be able to cook for yourself. The food in the school cafeteria probably tastes mediocre."

"Yes." Li Haitang picked a slightly thinner one, which she also made 90 % of the standard, comparable to the chef in the restaurant.

Li Haitang saw Li Tao eating all the food in the bowl with his eyes still fixed on the braised sweet meat bowl. He laughed and said, "Li Tao, this piece of pickled fish is also delicious. Try it. It will be very greasy just to eat the sweet meat.

Li Tao swallowed the meat in her mouth, put a piece of pickled fish into her mouth, and asked in a lisp, "Are you sure you're going to tan city tomorrow?"

Li Jianguo's chopsticks paused and raised his eyebrows, "Tomorrow? Didn't school start on september 1st?"

Li Haitang told the truth, "There is a five-day military training before school starts. You can't miss it. If I go there tomorrow, it's only two days in advance. I want to go there earlier and familiarize myself with the environment."

"Oh, I see. Then dad will take a day off and send you there tomorrow." Li Jianguo decided.

Li Haitang immediately shook his head and said, "No need. Dad, I can go there alone. I know the route."

"How can you do it alone? You haven't been out a few times, and you're not familiar with the outside. Dad will take you there." Li Jianguo insisted.

Li Haitang smiled and said, "Dad, don't worry. I haven't been out a few times, but I have a strong sense of direction. I won't get lost outside. If you don't believe me, you can ask Li Tao."

Li Tao remembered that the last time she went to the county, she had to guide the way. She was very familiar with new things, not at all like this country bumpkin who just entered the city, "Dad, you don't have to worry about it. She's smart enough to walk around the county twice. She's more familiar than the people who live in the county. She probably knows every street and every shop."

Li Haitang received his unique compliment without hesitation and smiled as he picked up a piece of braised sugar meat for him.

Li Jianguo said worriedly, "The city is much more complicated than the county. You have to bring your luggage and school fees and living expenses. No adult is not safe to follow."

Li Haitang smiled and said, "Dad, I take a bus from town to the county, and then transfer directly to the city at the county bus station. There are buses in the city bus station that go directly to the school. The admission notice has detailed instructions. Besides, I don't have my tuition and living expenses with me. The last time I went to the county, I got a bank card with all the money in it. I'll just take it out of the school."

Li Jianguo and Li Tao had never heard of a bank card. They only knew that money could be sent through the post office. Li Jianguo asked curiously, "Haitang, how do you know about a bank card?"

Li Haitang's heart skipped a beat. Now that there were bank cards in the city, but the people in the town or the countryside were not sure yet, so she had to lie shamelessly, "The last time I went to the post office to collect money, I overheard people inside saying that it was not safe to keep money in the house, to prevent thieves, and to prevent rats and ants from biting. It was safe to keep it in the bank, and there was interest every year."

"Ah, and the interest rate. How high is it?" Li Jianguo was interested.

Li Haitang thought about it carefully and told him, "Each bank has a different price, but the difference is not big. This year's annual interest rate is about seven parts per thousand."

Li Jianguo carefully calculated in his mind and replied as he ate, "The interest rate is very good."

Li Haitang, who was already delicately thoughtful, suddenly looked up at him and said seriously, "Dad, I find you know a lot more than the other villagers in the village, but you don't like to talk about it."

Li Jianguo looked at her with relief and said in a light voice, "Dad used to go to high school too, but during that time, family life was difficult, the fields were green and yellow, and there were famines everywhere. He didn't even have to eat. There were many younger brothers and sisters in the family, and he couldn't help but drop out of school."

Li Haitang's big bright eyes blinked. Nearly 20 years ago, high school students were rare intellectuals. It was a pity for those who dropped out of school because of food and clothing.

Li Tao had never heard his father talk about his youth, and when he recalled what he had heard this afternoon, he suddenly felt sorry for what happened to his father. His father had really suffered in this life.

The atmosphere in the hall became a little lower when the unpleasant things in the past were brought up again. Li Haitang took the initiative to change the subject and said, "Dad, you really don't have to send me off tomorrow. I'm fine alone. Yuanhua Uncle has a phone installed at home. When I get to school, I'll call back tonight to report my safety."

Li Jianguo thought about it but didn't insist. He nodded and said, "Okay, you have to be careful outside. Be careful. It's best to talk less with unfamiliar people."

"Yes, I know." Li Haitang's heart warmed up at his concern.

"When you're free at school, remember to write a few more letters and send them back to the town granary." Li Jianguo thought about it for a moment and then gave another word of advice.

"Okay."

Li Tao pulled the rice out of the bowl, looking for a sense of presence and said, "Remember to write to me, too. Don't forget."

"Okay, I remember." Li Haitang smiled slightly. It felt good to be missed.

After dinner, she stayed at the li family for half an hour and Li Tao sent her back.