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Yu Tian looked at the group in front of him, estimating they were Li Yan's relatives. At that moment, his own image wasn't great either, as he was holding a dog that was barking aggressively. "Um, could you please wait a moment?" This was truly embarrassing.
At this time, Li Ming had also gotten up and was happily eating his breakfast. "Brother, no dumplings, they're terrible." As expected, the child didn't like overcooked dumplings.
"Li Yan, your relatives are here." Yu Tian walked in and instructed Wonton and the dumplings to stay in the yard, fearing they might scare the people outside.
Relatives? Li Yan raised an eyebrow, still unsure who it could be when voices from outside began to emerge. "Mom, what kind of rundown place is this? Damn, what year is it? There's not even a concrete floor in the yard. Mom, I can't stay here."
" Xiao Zhi, be good. Just endure for a few days. You need to be sensible; look at all those people who froze to death on the way here. Be good and don't say anything later," the woman comforted.
With a thud, the chopsticks in Li Ming's hand fell onto the table. His small body instinctively stiffened as he clutched Li Yan's clothes tightly, biting his lip until his face turned pale. He would never forget that voice; after countless days and nights, it felt like the pain still lingered on him.
Li Yan's expression darkened to the point where it seemed ink could drip from it as he gently patted Li Ming's hand. The coldness in his eyes transformed into sharp blades; even Yu Tian, standing nearby, was too scared to speak. Having traveled all the way from A Province, he had long noticed that Li Yan was not as easygoing as he appeared on the surface, but he had never seen this side of Li Yan. The deep blackness in his eyes seemed to harbor an unshakeable hatred that could turn into a beast at any moment, ready to devour everything.
Zhou Miao's smug smile faded as well; how shameless must one be to come here? "I was wondering who it was; isn't this Lady Li and the Young Masters? What brings you here from your comfortable lives in the city to our remote little place? Tsk tsk, seems you've lost your status."
"What the hell are you?" Although the young man was wrapped up in layers of clothing with a scarf and hat, his face still turned red from the cold. He had been feeling frustrated during the journey and immediately shouted at Zhou Miao. "Your Zhou family has fallen; what’s there to be proud of with a political prisoner for a father? No wonder you're hiding out in a place like this."
"Shut up." Li Jingfeng shot a fierce glare at Li Zhi. This kid just didn't understand social etiquette. Even at such a time, he still acted on impulse; it was all due to how spoiled he was by his mother and grandparents.
Li Zhi pouted in dissatisfaction but fell silent, though his eyes were filled with defiance. It was all because of this terrible weather; for eighteen years in A Province, he had lived comfortably without worry. Not to mention his father's position and how doted on he was by his grandfather—what couldn't he have? Damn it, once the weather cleared up, he would definitely find someone to deal with Zhou Miao.
"Alright, alright, don’t always scold the child; it's tough for them in this cold weather." Jiang Yuejiao protectively shielded Li Zhi. Meanwhile, Li Yuanyuan, who had been following them closely, glanced up at Li Zhi, then quickly lowered her head so no one noticed the flash of disdain in her eyes.
Jiang Jinfeng sighed. If it weren't absolutely necessary, he wouldn't want to trouble his eldest son. After all, the things he did back then truly let down his two sons and ex-wife, but he had no regrets. If he had to go through it all again, he would still choose his career. Otherwise, he wouldn't have secured such a valuable opportunity, and the Li Family wouldn't have any hope. "Miaozi, Xiao Zhi is just a kid who speaks without thinking. Don't take it to heart. As for your family's matters, don't worry too much. We heard that the old man is in pretty good health when we came."
Zhou Miao felt a mess inside but maintained a nonchalant demeanor. "Li Deputy Secretary, just get to the point of why you're here today. Don't beat around the bush. I'm a simple person and don't understand such things; it would be bad if there were any misunderstandings." Saying this, he whistled at Wonton and Dumpling.
Wonton and Dumpling immediately stood up, crouching low and growling. After all, they were trained Tibetan Mastiffs, and their fierce demeanor made Li Zhi and the others step back several paces.
"Is Xiao Yan and Xiaoming here? Your father..."
Jiang Yuejiao's words were interrupted by Li Yan, whose warm hand enveloped the cold hand of Li Ming as she stepped out of the kitchen and coldly looked at the entire family. "Stop with the nonsense; just say what you need to say quickly. We have things to do." With that, she turned to leave!
"Xiao Yan, how are you speaking to your aunt?" Li Jingfeng reprimanded sternly. "How did your grandfather teach you? Is this how you show respect to your elders?"
"Elders?" Li Yan replied coolly, laced with sarcasm and disdain. "Mr. Li, you might be mistaken. Besides me and Mingming, there are no outsiders in my family anymore. As for the so-called elders you mentioned, my grandfather had already severed ties with those people while he was alive; didn't you know?" When their grandfather accepted his two grandsons, he made it very clear that from then on, he would cut off all relations with that scoundrel Li Jingfeng. If Li Jingfeng disagreed, he would expose Jiang Yuejiao's child abuse case to the public; they even signed an agreement at that time.
Li Jingfeng thought at the time that the old man was just temporarily angry and would eventually calm down. He never expected that the old man would harbor such deep hatred; for so many years, they had not been in contact even once. Li Jingfeng was busy with work and thought about having a good talk with the old man, but time dragged on until it was too late. By the time he realized it, the old man had already passed away, and a chasm had formed between him and the two children. If he hadn't sent someone to check on Li Yan's phone number, he might have lost contact entirely.
Thinking of this made Li Jingfeng feel ashamed, but he still needed to achieve his purpose for coming here today. "Alright, enough of this nonsense. Xiao Yan, your aunt and siblings are tired; please prepare a room for them to rest properly." This was definitely said in a commanding tone.
Li Yan wanted to scream at the sky in frustration as she pulled Li Ming toward the inner room. The child's condition seemed off; she held him tighter with concern. "Mingming, don’t be afraid; Brother Miao will chase these people away."
Does my face look like it's meant for bad people? Friends like these are what they call toxic friends! "Listen up everyone; our family does not welcome outsiders. If you don't leave soon, I can only..." She glanced at the ready Tibetan Mastiffs; it was clear what she meant—if they didn't leave, she'd close the door and unleash the Tibetan Mastiffs!
"Li Yan! What kind of attitude is this? He is your father!" Jiang Yuejiao exclaimed as she saw Zhou Miao truly intent on letting the dogs loose; fear mixed with anger surged within her.
Recently, things had been chaotic in town, especially after power shortages led to many homes being robbed at night. Fortunately, her father had them prepare early by stocking up on rice and flour along with clothes. Unfortunately, it was hard to guard against thieves from within; several household servants colluded to steal quite a bit. By the time they discovered it, those people had already fled. Moreover, given the current weather conditions, police were busy every day and had no time to deal with such thefts.
News had already come from her father's side that the city could not hold out for much longer. They could only hand over the remaining food to her father for safekeeping and return to Zhangjia Village first. When the people establishing the base arrived, building a house would not be a difficult task.
Moreover, this place originally belonged to Li Jingfeng. Since that woman married Li Jingfeng, he had the right to inherit this house. Once the base was completed, she would have her father transfer this house to her, driving those little brats out so they could experience the taste of freezing and hunger, Jiang Yuejiao thought coldly.
“Dad... Mom is dead.” Although the voice was quite soft, it stood out clearly in the tense atmosphere of confrontation. Everyone instinctively looked at the child who had been silent with his head down.
Li Ming tightly clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly. It felt like a century had passed before the child slowly raised his head. Li Ming's pale face showed almost no color, and suppressing his fear, he struggled to express his thoughts. “Grandpa said that both Dad and Mom are dead. From now on, there is only my brother, forever just my brother. You all... leave, get away from our home!” By the end, he nearly shouted.
“Li Yan, do you see what your brother is saying? What does it mean that there is only one brother? Xiao Zhi and Xiao Yuan are your biological siblings; can you really bear to let them go?” Jiang Yuejiao glared at Li Ming. In her memory, this child always shrank in a corner, bringing bad luck. So now she felt an extreme resentment towards Li Ming. Of course, she did not dare to act against him; as long as they stayed here, she had plenty of ways to deal with this idiot.
“And your dad—his back is not good, but he still thinks about you. Do you know how difficult it was for him to come all the way from A Province? But your dad said he couldn't rest easy about you and insisted on coming to Zhangjia Village regardless of our safety. Boohoo... Li Yan, for your dad's sake, you can't drive us away.”
“Xiao Yan, your aunt has cared about you all these years. A few years ago, she even said she wanted to bring you over to live with us. It was wrong of her back then, but it's been so many years; can’t you let go of that hatred?” Li Jingfeng looked at Li Ming's stubborn face filled with fear and thought of past events; his tone softened considerably.
“I know you resent us, but it's freezing outside. Even if you're angry or unwilling, you can't kick us out right now. Just ten more days; if by then you still don't want us here, we will leave. In this world where tomorrow is uncertain, I ask you as a father: please don’t take out your anger on your younger siblings; they know nothing.” He glanced at his little daughter and son behind him and then at Li Yan's indifferent gaze and Li Ming's look of disdain; Li Jingfeng suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of failure.
“Are you done?” Li Yan was also surprised by Li Ming's performance but felt pleased nonetheless. This was the first time Li Ming could express a complete thought firmly in front of Jiang Yuejiao. Recently, Li Yan sensed that Li Ming was experiencing some intellectual growth; although it wasn't dramatic, there were occasional surprises. Perhaps it was due to their circumstances, but for Li Yan, this was already very satisfying. “If you're done talking, then leave; this is Grandpa's house—he loved cleanliness all his life; don’t dirty the old man's place.”
“Brother.” Suddenly kneeling on the ground was Li Yuanyuan, who had been silent until now. She appeared delicate and gentle. Inheriting Jiang Yuejiao's beauty and Li Jingfeng's eyes, upon closer inspection, she bore some resemblance to Li Ming. The little girl looked pitifully at Zhou Miao and Yu Tian and said softly, “I know Mom wronged you before, but brother, please take us in for Dad’s sake. It’s very unsafe outside right now, and we have nothing since we just arrived here. If we go out now, it will only lead to death—brother Mingming, I beg you.” As she spoke, she even kowtowed publicly to Li Ming.
Li Ming had finally mustered up some courage but immediately shrank back in fright at this display. He looked anxiously at Li Yan beside him. “Brother, what should we do?”
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