Chapter 331 - 328: The Conflicted Zhou Lian
The small courtyard had been bustling with people coming and going for the past two days. Zhou Lian watched the busy Li family members from her window and shook her head with a wry smile. ’Everyone is so happy about Grandma Li’s birthday, they’ve completely ignored this whole mess!’
Glancing up at the few people drinking tea under the grapevine trellis in the courtyard, Zhou Lian pressed her lips together. ’The matter has to be resolved, but Li Xiu can’t be the one to bring it up. No matter what, he’s a junior. There are some things he can’t say, and some things he can’t do himself.’
Zhou Lian walked under the grapevine trellis. Looking at Uncle Li, Aunt Li, the other Uncle Li, and the other Aunt Li, all drinking tea with Grandma Li, she sat down nearby and asked softly, "Grandma, Uncles, Aunts, for your big birthday celebration, what are we going to do about the family at the old residence?"
"What do you mean, ’what should we do’? We should—" the outspoken Aunt Li began, but she cut herself off after just one phrase, realizing what her older niece-in-law meant. She swallowed the rest of her sentence.
The several Li family elders understood the complexities of the situation. But if you asked them what to do at that moment, they honestly didn’t have an answer. They had all been there and heard every word Li Xiu had said, but to openly forbid them from coming to celebrate Grandma Li’s birthday would look bad.
"I know this is very difficult. But for Grandma’s birthday this time, Jin Chen has been excited for a long time. He keeps telling me he wants to give Grandma a proper, respectable birthday celebration. We’re so far away in the Capital City, and we’ve neglected our filial duty to Grandma. Jin Chen has been blaming himself for it. Uncles, Aunts, seeing him so happy, I can’t bear to trouble him with these upsetting matters. You are the elders, what do you think should be done?"
Seeing the troubled expressions on the elders’ faces, Zhou Lian lowered her gaze and continued in a soft, gentle voice. ’After all the terrible things the second branch of the Li family has done, one after another, why on earth should we invite them here just to upset Li Xiu?’ But she also understood that it wasn’t appropriate for her or Li Xiu to intervene. ’Surely,’ she thought, ’these elders who dote on Li Xiu wouldn’t want to see him unhappy.’
"Mother, what do you think?" Aunt Li asked Grandma Li softly, glancing at her demure and respectful niece-in-law beside them. ’This is a thorny issue. No matter what we do, it feels wrong.’
Grandma Li glanced at Zhou Lian, then looked at her eldest daughter-in-law. "In a little while, go over to the second branch’s home. Tell them plainly to let the children come. As for the second son’s wife, she can just stay home. It’s a happy occasion, and I don’t want to see her here causing trouble. Nuonuo’s mother, don’t blame your grandma for being over-cautious. After all, gossip can be a powerful thing."
"Of course, Grandma. It’s a small matter, so you should be the one to decide. Besides, it’s your birthday. Naturally, we should do whatever makes you happiest!" Zhou Lian said with a smile, looking at Grandma Li.
Shaking her head gently, Grandma Li said to Zhou Lian, "I know you’re doing this because you care about Nuonuo’s father, but some things are beyond our control. We’ll arrange a separate table for them. No matter how many of them there are, put them all at one table. And we’ll have someone make sure to keep them at a distance."
"Okay, we’ll do as you say, Grandma!"
Glancing at the other Aunt Li, Zhou Lian asked gently, "Aunt Li, how did Sister He do on her exams?"
"She should have done pretty well. From the looks of it, she’s also planning to test into a university in the Capital City!" Aunt Li said happily when Zhou Lian mentioned Li He.
Smiling at Aunt Li, Zhou Lian said, "Most of the brothers and sisters in the family are in the Capital City, so it’s good for her, a young woman, to attend university there. She’ll have people to look after her, and you and Uncle Li can rest easy at home."
"Our niece-in-law is right! With He taking the college entrance exams this year, there are only three little ones left at home. And those three are always talking about getting into a university in the Capital City too, so they can be with their older brothers, sisters, and sisters-in-law!" Aunt Li said happily after hearing Zhou Lian’s words.
She was very pleased with her eldest nephew and his wife. Every time Li Cui came home, she would say that her big brother and sister-in-law treated her wonderfully, no different from her own flesh and blood. And looking at Li Cui’s elegant air now, wasn’t she just like a golden phoenix rising from a chicken coop? Li Cui had even said that it was all because her eldest sister-in-law had arranged for tutors for her!
The Li family elders had all seen the changes in Li Guo and Li Cui over the past two years and kept it in their hearts. If someone hadn’t been genuinely looking out for them, Li Guo and Li Cui would never have changed so much. And that wasn’t even mentioning Li Bao’s family, who had moved to the Capital City several years ago. Looking at that couple now, they no longer seemed like people who had never seen the world, and it was all thanks to Li Xiu and Zhou Lian!
"Yes, that way all the brothers and sisters will be in the same city, and they can look after and support one another!" Zhou Lian said with a smile, seeing the pleased expressions on the elders’ faces.
Li Xiu was the type of person who remembered both kindness and grudges. Part of the reason he helped the first and third branches of the Li family so much was that in his past life, the younger brothers and sisters from those branches had greatly respected him as their big brother. Another reason was the care the first and third branches had shown him across two lifetimes. Now that he had the power to do so in this life, he was determined to support them.
Moreover, for someone like Li Xiu, who had always had weak family ties, he placed great importance on these younger siblings who had always treated him like their own big brother. After all, Grandma Li and the first and third branches had filled the void of familial affection in his life.
"You are all good children. As long as you are all doing well, this old grandma has no more regrets in life!" Grandma Li exclaimed happily, looking at the gentle and considerate Zhou Lian.
Picking up the teapot to refill the elders’ cups, Zhou Lian smiled and said, "Now, Grandma, don’t say that. We still need you to watch over us young ones and make sure we don’t do anything wrong! The saying ’an elder in the family is a treasure’ isn’t just for show!"
"Isn’t that the truth! Mother, you just wait and see how all these young ones celebrate your 100th birthday!" the outspoken Aunt Li chimed in.
Giving Aunt Li a smiling glare, Grandma Li said dismissively, "A 100th birthday? I’m already perfectly content as it is!"
"That won’t do, Grandma," Zhou Lian said with a laugh. "I heard Jin Chen mention it once during a dinner with the younger siblings. He said that by the time you have your 100th birthday, almost all the brothers and sisters in the family will be married. Having a huge crowd of the younger generation celebrating your birthday then—now *that* will be a spectacular sight!"
And it was true. Just a short while ago, Li Guo and Li Cui had come over on a Saturday, so Zhou Lian had sent word for Li Bao and his wife to join them for dinner at the courtyard house. At the time, while talking about Grandma Li’s upcoming birthday, the conversation had turned to her 100th birthday, ten years from now. By then, the youngest, Li Bo, would be in his twenties. With everyone married, celebrating Grandma Li’s birthday together would be a truly magnificent scene.
"A hundred years old... I’m already ninety this year. I’m one of the longest-living people in the whole village. I’m just happy to have lived this long!" Grandma Li said, beaming so wide she couldn’t close her mouth after hearing what Zhou Lian said. Still, the thought of that future scene was a happy one.
Seeing how happy Grandma Li was, Aunt Li gently chided her, "What are you saying, Mother? Look at how healthy you are now. A 100th birthday will be no problem at all. When the time comes, all the young ones will be here, and they’ll see that our branch of the family is not only large and prosperous, but every single one of them is successful!"