Chapter 612 - 318: I’ll Marry Her
Little Shitou and Zhao Qing had already darted inside.
The crowd was stunned by this turn of events, then erupted into a chaotic uproar. Some cursed the Sun Family for being inhuman, some lamented Liu’er’s pitiful state, and others worried about Juhua.
As the crowd mulled over the words of the Yang couple, they all looked with contempt at Sun Tiezhu and his mother, then shot glares at Mrs. Wang.
When Mrs. Wang saw everyone glaring at her, and Sun Tiezhu staring daggers at her as well, the pressure finally became too much. She broke down, wailing, "What are you all staring at me for? I didn’t want to drive her out! I was just speaking the truth. You’re all a bunch of hypocrites, pretending to be saints. Talk is cheap when you’re not the one in trouble! It’s so easy to criticize from the sidelines. If your own daughter was divorced and sent home, who knows how you’d be acting! But here you are, pointing fingers at me. My mother-in-law and I didn’t want her sent back, and it was for her own good! Search your conscience and tell me, is life for a divorced woman easy? She’s not a widow, so what is she? How will people see her? Who would be willing to marry her? And she even asked her husband’s family to send her away! Isn’t that just begging for people to talk behind her back..."
"I’ll marry her!"
A thunderous roar interrupted Mrs. Wang’s rapid, sharp-tongued tirade. Li Changliang’s eyes were wide as he shot a vicious glare at Mrs. Wang. He strode over to stand before Liu’er, his rugged face tense, and asked solemnly, "Liu’er, are you willing to marry me?"
Sun Liu’er listened to her sister-in-law’s wailing, her mind numb. The words floated into her ears, light and airy, then seemed to dissipate without a trace. By the end, she could only see her sister-in-law’s mouth opening and closing, unable to hear a thing she was saying. Instead, her mind had drifted elsewhere. ’Even someone like Juhua managed to marry Huai Zi, and he treats her so well. She and Meizi are both living better lives than me. Everyone is living a better life than me!’
Li Changliang’s roar startled her out of her stupor. She stared blankly as this sturdy, rough-hewn young man, built just like her own brother, walked up to her and asked if she would marry him.
The crowd was stunned once again. They stared at the scene with mouths agape, rendered speechless—they didn’t know what to make of Li Changliang’s actions.
Granny Hua was horrified and shrieked, "No! Changliang, are you insane? She hasn’t even been home a full day, and she looks half-dead! What would you be marrying her for? I won’t allow it! Old man, say something!"
Granny Hua shook Li Laoda’s arm forcefully. She knew her youngest son would never listen to her, so she frantically pushed Li Laoda forward to speak, then ran over to push Li Changming.
Li Changming, holding his son, watched his younger brother with disapproval. It wasn’t that he looked down on Liu’er for being divorced, but his mother had a point. ’Anyone with eyes can see she doesn’t have much time left. Why on earth would Changliang want to marry her? It’s no different from marrying a memorial tablet. Is he planning to host a wedding just to follow it up with a funeral?’
But he knew his brother’s temper; once Changliang made up his mind, no one could talk him out of it. Besides, he felt sorry for Liu’er and couldn’t bear to use her impending death as an argument against the marriage right in front of her. So, he remained silent. ’Let him make his own decision,’ he thought. ’He’s not a child anymore. He should know what he’s doing.’
How could Li Laoda not know his youngest son’s temper? He was the number one rascal in Qingnan Village, afraid of nothing and no one. He wanted to stay out of it, but he couldn’t—this was his son’s marriage, a matter for life. How could it be decided so casually? And to a dying woman, no less.
He coughed and stepped forward to speak to Li Changliang, but before he could open his mouth, Li Changliang spoke coldly. "Since when are you so concerned about me? You’ve never given a damn about my affairs my entire life, but now you decide to stick your nose in? How ridiculous. Don’t piss me off, or I’ll disown you as my parents. I don’t care about your bullshit rules. I’ll just roll up my bedding and go wherever I please. To hell with the Li Family, the Sun Family, or the Tang family."
Having said his piece, he turned back to Liu’er, waiting for her answer.
Li Laoda’s words caught in his throat. After a long moment, he swallowed them down with a GULP. Granny Hua was utterly petrified. ’He’s going to disown us? He’s never said that before, no matter how wild he’s been. Is he really going to pack his things and leave home, all for this half-dead Liu’er?’
Li Gengtian had also wanted to intervene, but seeing that even Li Laoda had been rebuffed, he figured his words, as an uncle from a separate family branch, would be useless. He could only sigh and give up on the idea.
Li Changming sighed, tugged on his mother’s sleeve, and said in a low voice, "Let Changliang make his own decision."
Granny Hua looked at her eldest son with tear-filled eyes, her mouth trembling. "But..." She couldn’t finish, knowing her eldest son was at a loss as well.
’I’ve finally had a few good years, feeling truly happy every day. All I wanted was for my youngest son to marry a good wife and have a life as good as his older brother’s. Who knew he’d want to marry a dying woman? It was already hard enough to find a match for him. If he does something this crazy, who will ever marry their daughter to him? I bet no one would, not even for all the money in the world.’
Liu’er saw the expressions on the faces of the Li Family members before her gaze returned to Li Changliang. ’This reckless fool... I’ve never even given him a proper look before. And yet, this is the man who cursed my family today and stood up for me.’
She felt a flicker of strength return to her body. She offered him a faint smile and said, "Changliang, thank you for not looking down on me. But I don’t have many days left. What would be the point of marrying you? I’d only be a burden. I probably couldn’t even cook a single meal for you. I can’t ruin your life."
Hearing this, the members of the Li Family all breathed a collective sigh of relief, feeling a sudden sense of gratitude toward Liu’er.