Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 119 - 119 119 Hope

?Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Hope Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Hope Li Haishun got better that afternoon, becoming conscious and immediately claiming that he was hungry. After lying in bed sick for a few days, the strapping young man hadn’t had a proper meal, so of course he was hungry.

After Bai Yue asked Bai Xiao whether it was okay to eat, she made Li Haishun a bowl of noodle soup with bright red tomatoes, threw in a few spinach leaves, and topped it off with a poached egg. Li Haishun devoured two large bowls in one breath; if Bai Xiao hadn’t been worried he might overeat and stopped him, he could have eaten even more.

Li Haishun, wiping the soup from the corner of his mouth, still seemed to crave more as he said to Bai Yue, “Mom, the noodle soup is really delicious. How come we are at Auntie’s place now? Dad won’t be happy if he knows, right?” Ever since he was little, Li Dashan never looked at him with favor, never giving him a kind face, always either hitting or scolding him. His first worry was that Li Dashan would be upset.

Because when Li Dashan was not happy, the one who suffered was his own mother. To protect him, his mother often endured beatings from Li Dashan, so Li Haishun was concerned about his father’s potential anger. Even though being at his aunt’s place meant eating wheat noodles and eggs, he was more afraid of his mother getting beaten. He still remembered how fiercely Li Dashan had hit his mother right before he passed out; he couldn’t let his mother be beaten for his sake.

Bai Xiao laughed, “From now on, you will live at your aunt’s place. Are you happy about that?”

As soon as Li Haishun heard this, he was so joyful he almost jumped up, but then he looked anxiously at Bai Yue and asked, “What about my mom and my older and second brothers? Can they stay too?” After asking this, Li Haishun probably realized it was unlikely everyone could stay at his aunt’s place. Shaking his head firmly, he said, “Auntie, I won’t stay; I want to live together with my mom and my older and second brothers.” Although in reality he truly wanted to stay—his aunt was so kind to him, always greeting him with a warm smile, never hitting or scolding him, and he could eat noodle soup—noodle soup was really delicious, and he had never tasted anything as good.

But he thought it over, and to neglect his mom and brothers out of greed for good food was absolutely not an option.

Bai Xiao laughed, “Big sister, your third son really has a conscience. He will surely be filial when he grows up; you’re going to be very blessed in the future.” She patted Li Haishun on the head.

Bai Yue’s lips curved into a pleased smile, a smile she had not had for many years. She vaguely remembered having forgotten how to smile, the bitterness of life having made her forget that days could pass so easily and comfortably.

“All I wish is for them to succeed one by one, and to live safely and smoothly as the years go by. I am fine with anything!”

It was just a simple wish from a mother.

Bai Xiao sighed, “Big sister, it seems your heart is entirely set on your sons. Little third, in the future you, your mom, and your older and second brothers will all live at your aunt’s place, and you will never see your dad again. Are you willing to do that?”

Upon hearing this, Li Haishun’s eyes sparkled, “Really, we will all live at Auntie’s place and don’t have to go back? And we won’t have to see Dad?”

Bai Xiao nodded.

“Mom, is it true?” The child couldn’t believe it and turned to Bai Yue for confirmation.

Bai Yue also nodded with a smile.

Li Haishun immediately jumped high with excitement, cheering, “I’m willing, I’m willing! Mom, I’m so happy!” He hopped and jumped on the kang bed until Bai Yue hastily stopped him.

“Stop jumping around. If you break the kang, where are your aunt and I going to sleep tonight?”

As soon as Li Haishun heard this, he quickly sat down obediently, his actions careful, as if he was afraid the kang bed would collapse because of him.

This amused Bai Xiao to no end.

“Then my dad must be angry, right? Will he beat us even harder?” Although Li Haishun really wanted to stay at his aunt’s house, he didn’t want Bai Yue to be beaten because of it. Every time his mom protected him, she ended up being beaten black and blue by his dad, who on several occasions left her lying in bed, unable to get up.

“Your mom and dad are divorced! She took you three brothers back to live with grandma. From now on, even if our lives are tough, we won’t have to worry about your dad beating people,” Bai Yue tried to explain to the twelve-year-old Li Haishun.

Li Haishun nodded understandingly, but inside, he felt like countless bubbles of joy were emerging.

Deep down, Li Dashan didn’t like him, and he didn’t like Li Dashan either; sometimes, he even hated Li Dashan, because all he got from being with this dad was suffering and beatings, especially when Li Dashan beat Bai Yue within an inch of her life. There were times Li Haishun wished that dad would just die, or else their whole family would continue to suffer.

Now that he could leave Li Dashan, Li Haishun suddenly felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Without that scumbag dad, he had no regrets, and wouldn’t mind if he didn’t have a father for the rest of his life.

“Mom, don’t worry, if we don’t have money, I’ll help you carry stones. When I grow up, I’ll definitely be good to you,” said Li Haishun, thinking Liupan Village was just like Liu Family Fort.

Bai Xiao laughed so hard she clutched her stomach in pain. After her laughter subsided, she tousled Li Haishun’s hair and said, “You don’t need to carry stones. You’ve got your aunt and your mom. You just need to focus on your studies. In the future, become an educated person with real skills, go to university, and then take good care of your mom.”

Li Haishun nodded earnestly, repeatedly. He liked going to school.

But when Bai Yue heard about going to school, she got worried. She only had two hundred yuan in her hand, and soon they would have to pay the retention fees. It was eighteen yuan and twenty cents per person. For five people, that was ninety-one yuan, which would take away half her money right away. They definitely wouldn’t have enough grain to last until autumn. Furthermore, the land was still under the control of her younger brother Bai Jianguo, and the harvested grain wouldn’t be shared with them. Even if they reclaimed their land and sowed in the spring, they wouldn’t reap any grain until the next year. How would they survive this year? One hundred yuan wouldn’t last until next year.

Bai Xiao could tell what was on her mind just by looking at her.

“Sis, I’ve already been admitted to university. I’m going to the provincial capital for college in September, so you don’t have to pay my retention fee. Also, here’s three hundred yuan for you because the grain definitely won’t be enough. For now, buy some from the villagers to make do. Next year, when we harvest our own grain, things will get better. And even though we can’t grow grain this year, it doesn’t mean we won’t have any income. You can use the money you have to raise pigs and chickens, then sell them at the end of the year for some income. Liupan Village is different from Liu Family Fort. We can do small business and go to the big markets to make some money. Han Daniu and others from our village are doing business in the markets, and it seems very profitable—their big tile-roofed houses were built long ago. We can definitely make it!” She comforted Bai Yue, implying that living people can’t be choked to death by urine—it really isn’t much of a problem.

As long as one is willing, there are still many things to do now.

“Xiao, can doing business really work? Won’t we be caught as an example of something?” Bai Yue, who had been living in Liu Family Fort for years, where news was scarce compared to Liupan Village, still had the mindset of the seventies.

“Don’t worry. With the national reform and opening up, leaders are encouraging everyone to develop the economy. Go and see—every household is trying to make money. Pigsties and chicken coops are full. In my uncle’s house, I am taking care of two pigs and more than a dozen chickens. Just from selling pigs and eggs, we earn a decent sum each year. So don’t worry, life will get better and better.”

Bai Yue immediately nodded. She had not anticipated how easy it would be to survive here as opposed to the struggles she envisioned. Indeed, even if nothing else works out, she could always raise pigs and chickens. After all, isn’t livestock raising something every peasant family knows how to do?

She suddenly felt that there was something to look forward to, and the future seemed bright.