RIRW – Chapter 170

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“I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. All these years have been so hard, yet you never turned your back on me,” Li Hui smiled with her lips pressed together. “Dacheng, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Life is so good now, I can’t bear for anything to happen to me.”

Hearing her say this, Zuo Dacheng felt a wave of sorrow wash over him. He hadn’t given Hui a good life all these years. “Hui, if it’s too hard, then let’s just stop working. I earn a salary now—I’ll support you.”

“You’re being silly. My job is easy and not tiring,” Li Hui sighed. “It’s just that I’m not feeling too well mentally. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest. I can go home today.”

“What are you going home for? Just stay in the hospital a couple more days. Rest well before going back. I’ve already taken time off—I’ll take care of you here,” Zuo Dacheng insisted firmly.

Li Hui replied, “Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll go home after a couple more days of rest.”

Seeing that the two were having a good talk, Zuo Dan pulled Zuo Cong and Shen Yiming out for a walk.

Zuo Cong had just seen his parents like that and felt something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. His mom’s sudden hospitalization felt strange. “Sis, what’s wrong with mom? She always seems so weak and listless. Even after all this rest, she still hasn’t recovered.”

He had caught a cold that day when they visited their grandmother’s house, and to avoid infecting the elders and Youyou, he didn’t go. That night, his brother-in-law brought Youyou back, and only then did he find out his mom was sick. When he came to the hospital, he saw that she had completely lost her energy—like she had suffered a huge blow.

But everything was fine at home, so what kind of blow could there be?

“Xiao Cong, I’ll tell you in a few days,” she said. She still needed to see when her mom would talk to her dad about it. She couldn’t have one side not recovered yet while the other side started having problems. She preferred to handle this matter carefully.

Li Hui stayed in the hospital for another two days before returning home. Since there were too many people, there wasn’t enough room at the Li house, so everyone went to the Shen house instead. Zuo Cong set up a bed in the study, while Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui stayed in the guest room.

With the house so lively, the happiest ones were Grandma and Shen Youyou. Shen Youyou didn’t understand the troubles of adults—he ran around all day with his little legs, filling the house with laughter. Of course, how much bitterness hid behind that laughter was unknown.

Zuo Dan didn’t press Li Hui about her plans—after all, it was a huge matter and would take time to process.

Zuo Chengcai, upon learning that Zuo Dan and the others were back, made a special trip with Li Suli to visit them.

Li Suli was already five months pregnant and had difficulty moving. So Zuo Chengcai didn’t want to travel back for New Year’s. He planned to go back just once to bring their mother to the provincial capital for the New Year and stay home for a few days. If their mother could stay with them, even better. He was usually busy and not home, so having his mother help look after pregnant Suli would be great.

After dinner, while Li Suli and Li Hui chatted, Zuo Dan pulled Zuo Chengcai aside for a talk.

“Uncle, the economy is doing so well now. We need to get our business going.”

“What kind of business?” Zuo Chengcai perked up at the mention of business, his eyes lighting up like light bulbs.

Zuo Dan said, “The reform and opening-up policy was just announced. There’s no more class struggle, and nobody will be labeled capitalist roaders anymore. No one’s going to arrest us for doing business. As long as we keep it low-key, we’ll be fine. Just don’t hire workers yet.”

“I know, but what kind of business can we do?”

“Still reselling things, but we can’t rely on factory defects anymore. Uncle, do you know what foreign trade means? It means our stuff can be exported, and foreign goods can be imported.”

“What does that have to do with us?” Zuo Chengcai asked, puzzled.

Zuo Dan sighed. “It has everything to do with us. You drive freight trucks all over the place—we can still get some factory seconds like shoes, clothes, and leather goods, and sell them here. This time, we won’t sell secretly. We’ll set up a street stall with a sign that says ‘Export Surplus’ or ‘Imported Goods.’ I guarantee people will flock to buy. Anything tied to imports or exports is seen as higher-end.”

“…” Zuo Chengcai was speechless. What in the world was in his niece’s head? How could she come up with all this? Even defective products could be turned into exports? “Dandan, your uncle is definitely going into business with you!”

“Uncle, I’ve got some money. We’ll be business partners. I’ll provide the ideas, and you do the legwork. We’ll split it 40-60. Since I’m not doing the heavy lifting, I get 40 and you get 60.”

Zuo Chengcai said, “No way, it should be 50-50. Without your ideas, we wouldn’t even be making money. I’ve saved up too. Don’t worry. As long as you’ve got the plan, I’ll make the money.”

“Alright, Uncle, let’s settle on that,” Zuo Dan agreed readily. Then she reminded him, “Uncle, this street stall is temporary. If we want to expand later, once we’ve made some money, rent a shop to sell properly. Oh, and once Auntie gives birth and you have more time, you have to take a trip south. That’s where the real imported and exported goods are—cheaper and more variety. That’s where the real profits are.”

Zuo Chengcai drooled just hearing about it—he couldn’t wait to rush down there. “No, I have to leave your Grandma here to help watch your Aunt. I need to go make money. Otherwise, what will we feed the baby after it’s born?”

Zuo Dan said, “You can even pay her a bit of wages—she’ll be even more committed.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it all figured out,” Zuo Chengcai said confidently.

Zuo Chengcai and Li Suli didn’t stay long. That afternoon, after chatting for a while and listening to Li Hui’s advice on pregnancy, they headed home. They were currently living in the Shen family’s old house. This time, they also paid the rent. Zuo Chengcai planned that once he made money next year, if the Shen family was willing to sell, he’d buy it. If not, he’d look for another house to settle down in.

The next day, Grandfather Li and Grandmother Li came by. They were mainly here to check on Li Hui. Both elders looked haggard—it was clear the past days hadn’t been easy.

Zuo Dacheng greeted them and, seeing their state, asked worriedly, “Dad, Mom, are you worried about Hui? Don’t worry, I’m taking care of her. She’s doing much better now.”

Grandfather Li and Grandmother Li nodded at him, sighing inwardly.

Zuo Dacheng was a careful man. He had already felt something was off after Li Hui’s hospitalization, but he didn’t think too much of it. He trusted his wife—if she said she was fine, he believed her. But now that his in-laws looked like this, he started to worry. Something must be going on.

After the meal, Li Hui and her mother were busy in the kitchen when Grandmother Li asked, “Aren’t you planning to tell Dacheng about that? Dandan will eventually acknowledge that side of her family. Dacheng must know. We can’t hide this from him. Whatever we do, we must be open and honest. We can’t betray Dacheng. This needs his approval. After all, he’s the one who raised Dandan.”

Li Hui forced a smile and said, “Mom, I know. I just wanted us to spend a happy New Year together first. After the holiday, I’ll talk to Dacheng about it.”

“What are you talking about?” Zuo Dacheng came in with his sleeves rolled up, ready to help, just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation.

“It’s nothing, we were just talking about family matters. Why did you come over? Go chat with Dad and the others,” Li Hui said with a smile.

Zuo Dacheng replied, “Dad, Xiaocong, and Yiming are talking about scholarly things. I don’t understand any of that, so I came over to help. You and Mom go rest. I haven’t really been around to take care of you two all year. Now that I’m here, I should help out a bit.”

Grandmother Li smiled and said, “Dacheng always knows how to care for people.”

Zuo Dacheng smiled awkwardly.

Seeing him like this, Grandmother Li felt that her daughter’s life, continuing like this, was actually quite good. It wasn’t a life of wealth or nobility, but she had both a son and a daughter, a harmonious marriage, and a peaceful old age to look forward to.

As for Zhisen’s side, it had been twenty years, and there was no going back. Just as Dandan had said, letting him know he had a blood connection was the only comfort left.

On New Year’s Eve, Zuo Dacheng, Li Hui, and Zuo Cong went to Zuo Chengcai’s house to celebrate. Grandma Zuo had been brought to the provincial capital to spend the New Year. They gathered around the elderly family members there, just like at home—it carried the same meaning.

The Shen household was even livelier this year because Shen Youyou could now run around and talk, making it more cheerful than the previous year.

Under Grandma’s guidance, Shen Youyou kowtowed to Grandpa Shen and to Shen Yiming’s mother. The child imitated the gestures quite seriously and even called them “Great-Grandpa” and “Grandma.” Grandma’s eyes immediately reddened. Her unfortunate daughter was now a grandmother herself.

After dinner that night, Grandma went to rest first. Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan stayed up with Shen Youyou to welcome the New Year. Shen Youyou was overjoyed to be able to play with both parents and not be forced to sleep early. From time to time, he tugged his father’s hand, asking to be lifted high, and then turned to his mother for a kiss.

Zuo Dan kissed her little darling, then looked at Shen Yiming and said, “Shen Yiming, after the New Year, how do you think my mom will talk to my dad? Who knows how it’ll turn out.”

Shen Yiming was bouncing the child in the air, making him giggle. He smiled as well and said, “We can’t really interfere in the matters of the older generation. But I think, after everything they’ve been through, even if it hurts for a while, they’ll eventually come around. They’ve survived such hard times—they’re stronger than we are.”

Zuo Dan herself hadn’t really endured much hardship, so she couldn’t fully understand what Li Hui and the others were feeling. All she could do now was wait and see how the older generation would handle it. She hoped that when the truth came out, it would bring them relief, not more pain.

Meanwhile, at Zuo Chengcai’s house, it was lively as well. Grandma Zuo had pulled her two daughters-in-law into the kitchen to make dumplings for the New Year vigil. Zuo Chengcai was chatting with his second brother and eldest nephew, talking about grand plans to get rich.

“Brother, I think I’m about to strike it rich!” Zuo Chengcai had had a little to drink and was very excited.

Still worried about Li Hui and the odd behavior of the two elders in the Li family, Zuo Dacheng wasn’t in the mood, so he replied casually, “Oh? And how exactly will you get rich?”

“Through the reform and opening-up policy—Dandan told me about it. From now on, we’ll be able to do business openly and legally. I’m planning to go to the southern coastal cities to source goods. Do you know what kind of goods? Foreign goods! With the opening-up, foreign products can come in, and our stuff can go out. Do you think I’ll meet foreigners then? I’ve never seen one before! Hahaha!”

Zuo Chengcai was overjoyed, but Zuo Dacheng stared blankly. “People from abroad… can come back?”

Zuo Chengcai hadn’t noticed his brother’s change in expression. Still blabbering on, pretending to know more than he did, he boasted, “Of course! It’s reform and opening-up, so why couldn’t they come back? If they don’t come back, how would foreign goods get here to sell?”

Zuo Dacheng went completely stiff.

After staying up late, everyone else went to rest, but Zuo Dacheng couldn’t sleep. He sat by the stove, lost in thought. Li Hui came out of the room and saw him still sitting there.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” she asked.

Zuo Dacheng looked up at her and opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He wanted to ask if she knew people from abroad could come back—was that why she had been thinking about that person? Was her illness because of that person? But in the end, he didn’t dare ask.

He didn’t dare, because he was afraid that asking would tear their family apart. His wife, his daughter—after that, they might no longer belong to him.

He lowered his head and stayed silent for a long time before finally saying, “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about the commune. I heard they’re changing some policies, and I’m wondering what the future of our commune will look like.”

Li Hui sat down beside him and said, “Why are you thinking about work during the New Year? Just enjoy the holiday.”

Zuo Dacheng nodded and got up to go back to the room. He didn’t dare look at Li Hui, afraid she would see the moisture in his eyes.

Watching him like that, Li Hui paused for a moment. Thinking of the burden in her own heart, she sighed and followed him back to the room.

On the second day of the New Year, Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui took Zuo Cong to visit the Li family, as it was customary to visit the wife’s family then. Naturally, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming went with them.

The Li household became lively all at once.

Grandfather and Grandmother Li, seeing the whole family together and cheerful, felt somewhat comforted and, for the moment, pushed aside their previous frustrations.

The happiest of all was little Shen Youyou. As the youngest in the family, his pockets were stuffed with red envelopes—so full he couldn’t even carry them. When Zuo Dan tried to take them and keep them for him, he held on tightly and wouldn’t let go. “Mama’s bad, it’s mine!”

He already understood that calling someone “bad” wasn’t a good thing.

Zuo Dan puffed up her cheeks in mock anger. “Ungrateful little brat, I’ve given up on you.”

Seeing her angry, Shen Youyou handed her a note from his pile. “For Mama.”

This made all the adults burst into laughter.

Zuo Dan didn’t hesitate to put the money into her own pocket. She never spoiled Shen Youyou like a typical child. If you give something away, you don’t get to take it back. This was to teach the boy what it meant to stand by your decisions.

Sure enough, Shen Youyou pouted, but he was used to it. He showed a little unhappiness but didn’t cry.

After some lively moments, the dishes were brought out, and the family was just about to start eating when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was another visitor, Grandmother Li went to open it—but as soon as she saw who it was, she immediately tried to shut the door.

Guo Caiping quickly blocked it with her hand. “Mom, don’t be like this. Wenchang and I came to pay respects for the New Year. We know we were wrong. Please don’t hold it against us. I’ve already been punished. Just give me a chance to make things right. Mom, I’m begging you.”

She spoke tearfully, and Li Wenchang beside her also looked pleading.

Grandmother Li’s face darkened. “I said I wouldn’t let you in, and I meant it.” With that, she continued to push the door shut.

Grandfather Li heard the commotion and knew it was them. He walked straight over and forcefully pushed the door shut without caring if it hit anyone. In any case, he would never allow people like that into his home. His son hadn’t visited for two years, but now that Guo Caiping had returned, suddenly he showed up? Did they really take him for an old fool?

He turned around and continued eating at the table. “Ignore them. Let’s keep eating.”

Outside, Guo Caiping and Li Wenchang kept knocking, but no one responded. Instead, they got scolded by a neighbor and had no choice but to go back downstairs. Li Wenchang said, “Forget it. If they won’t let us in, we just won’t go.”

Guo Caiping nearly cursed at that. If Li Wenchang had any ambition and could provide her a good life, she wouldn’t have to suffer like this. But other than some old savings from back in the day, he had no other source of income. The household only had two or three hundred yuan left, and they still had to pay rent and buy food. Her life now was worse than it had been in the Su family.

If not for those two old folks, she would’ve divorced Li Wenchang long ago.

“No, your parents are getting older. We can’t just stay outside forever. What if they need someone to care for them later? It’s normal for the elderly to throw a tantrum. After all, I did make mistakes back then. Let’s just endure it a bit longer. Look, you go back first. I’ll wait here and talk to Xiaohui. She has a soft heart—she’ll speak up for us.”

Li Wenchang thought it over and really didn’t want to deal with any of this. He felt ashamed to face his family. “Then I’ll go back first. Come home early.”

“I know. You go ahead,” Guo Caiping said with a smile. But as she watched him walk away, her expression turned cold. How did she end up with such a useless man?

After dinner, Li Hui went downstairs to throw out the trash as usual. Just as she finished and was about to go back upstairs, Guo Caiping stopped her in the hallway.

Seeing Guo Caiping, Li Hui frowned and moved to the side, but was blocked again. She said angrily, “Guo Caiping, what do you want?”

“Xiaohui, don’t say that. I, your sister-in-law, just want to ask for a favor. Your brother and I have no home to return to. Please speak up for us. We’re family—we’re supposed to support each other,” Guo Caiping said with a warm smile, as if there had never been any conflict between them.

Li Hui knew what kind of person she was and wasn’t fooled by her fake kindness. “This is up to Mom and Dad. I’m not getting involved. If you two really mean well, you should try slowly moving them. I won’t speak for you.”

Guo Caiping forced down her anger and smiled, “Of course we’re sincere, but you need to help too. You don’t want your brother and me suffering out here, do you?”

“I already said I can’t help you. I’m going upstairs.” Li Hui tried to walk past her.

Guo Caiping finally snapped and grabbed her, yelling, “Li Hui, don’t be so heartless! When you were abandoned by Chen Zhisen and got pregnant before marriage, I helped you a lot, didn’t I? If I’d been cruel and reported what happened back then, your daughter might not even have been born. You’re so heartless—no wonder you ended up with a scumbag like Chen Zhisen who abandoned his wife and child. He’s probably in America now, living the high life with women on both sides. You deserved to be abandoned by him!”

“Shut up! He didn’t abandon me! He’s a good man!” Li Hui shouted, emotional. “He didn’t abandon me and my child. I won’t let you talk like that!”

Guo Caiping’s expression changed and she sneered, “He’s been gone for over twenty years and hasn’t contacted you. And you still think about him?”

“I said, don’t say that!” Li Hui pushed her hard. Guo Caiping stumbled back and hit the wall. She hadn’t expected Li Hui to actually lay hands on her and flew into a rage. She rushed at Li Hui, but before she could reach her, someone stood in front of Li Hui, blocking her.

She ran straight into the person’s back and got dizzy from the impact. Once she steadied herself, she saw it was Zuo Dacheng standing there. She sneered, “What, you’re going to hit a woman now? Zuo Dacheng, you’re pathetic. You married a woman who was already pregnant, and now she’s still hung up on her ex. I can’t even say a word about it?”

“Get out!” Zuo Dacheng pointed furiously outside. “Get out! If you don’t, I’ll hit you even if you are a woman!”

Seeing his expression like he wanted to kill someone, Guo Caiping knew he was seriously provoked. She didn’t want to stay and suffer more, so she huffed and left.

Zuo Dacheng turned around with red eyes, tears brimming. “Hui… do you already know he’s coming back? Are you still thinking about him?”

Li Hui shook her head hard. “Dacheng, no, it’s not like that. I…” Her heart was in turmoil as memories from the past flooded back. She wasn’t thinking about Chen Zhisen. She just felt helpless—helpless about the twists of fate and misunderstandings of the past twenty years. No one had lived happily.

Zuo Dacheng cried, “You’re still thinking about him… he gave up on you and Dandan back then!”

“No,” Li Hui sobbed. “I don’t think about him. He didn’t abandon us, Dacheng, he didn’t…” As she spoke, her chest suddenly tightened, and her vision went black.

“Hui! Hui, what’s wrong?”

Zuo Dacheng caught her as she fainted and shouted in panic.

Inside, the family had been wondering why Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui hadn’t come back yet when they heard his shout. They opened the door and saw him carrying Li Hui with a panicked look.

“What happened?” Grandmother Li asked, worried.

Zuo Dacheng carried Li Hui inside and laid her on the bed. “Quick, call the hospital!”

“No need…” Li Hui slowly woke up, opened her eyes, and sat up.

Zuo Dacheng looked at her. “Hui, are you still feeling unwell? Let’s go to the hospital.”

Li Hui shook her head and grabbed his hand. “I’m fine now, Dacheng. I need to talk to you.”

Zuo Dacheng’s expression changed. He didn’t want to hear anything about that man. Their life now was good—why bring him up?

“Dacheng, let’s talk properly. There are things I need to tell you. Don’t worry, no matter what I say, our family will never separate.”

The others, hearing this, knew she was about to tell Zuo Dacheng something important and quietly left the room. Zuo Dan even closed the door for them.

Zuo Cong asked, “Sis, what’s going on with Mom? Why did she faint? What’s she going to talk to Dad about?”

Zuo Dan looked at him for a moment. “It’s about my biological father…”

Time passed slowly. Outside, the family sat silently. After hearing the full story, Zuo Cong looked nervous, waiting for the result of the parents’ conversation.

Inside the room, they heard Zuo Dacheng’s suppressed sobs.

Li Hui, holding back her own tears, said, “Dacheng, I told you, our family will never break apart.”

Zuo Dacheng wiped his tears with his hands. “Hui, I… I don’t know what to do. Suddenly I feel like I’m the extra one. He didn’t do anything wrong… You married me and I didn’t give you a good life. If you’d gone with him back then, things wouldn’t be like this.”

He thought he and Li Hui had endured hardships together as husband and wife, but now it felt like he was just the obstacle in the way of their reunion.

Li Hui grew anxious hearing this. “Dacheng, how could you be the extra one? You saved me and Dandan’s lives. These twenty years, you’ve been our support. Without you, there’d be no us today. You’re not extra at all. You’re incredibly important to both me and Dandan. We’ll never leave you. I told you these things only to clear up the misunderstanding from back then, so no one would hate him anymore. No one did anything wrong—it’s just fate that made things this way.”

Zuo Dacheng looked at Li Hui’s tear-streaked face, heart aching. If he weren’t here, maybe Hui and Mr. Chen would have reunited and been happy. Instead, she suffered all these years.

Hui had endured so much pain—he had failed her, failed to give her a good life. And now he was making her suffer even more, selfishly wanting to keep the family together.

But he couldn’t be that selfish. These twenty years had been borrowed time for him. He should let Hui live the life she truly wanted. That Mr. Chen would surely treat her well.

“Hui, let’s… let’s get divorced…” Zuo Dacheng said, trembling. Then he stood up and ran out.

Li Hui was stunned by the word “divorce” and couldn’t react at first. When she snapped out of it and ran out, Zuo Dacheng was already gone.

“Where’s Dacheng? Mom, where is he?” she asked anxiously.

Grandmother Li sighed, “Yiming and Dandan already ran after him. Don’t worry.”

“What a sin… truly a sin…”

Li Hui clung to her mother. “Mom, I don’t want a divorce. I don’t want to divorce Dacheng. Our life right now is already good enough.”

Grandmother Li comfortingly patted her back. “Alright, no divorce. Our family will stay like this. Dacheng will come around. Dandan and Yiming are smart kids—they’ll talk to him.”