Chapter 437: Don’t Be Afraid, Fight Head-On!
This was the first time Dong Yu had heard of this. Her eyes flashed and her heart burned with gossip.
She grabbed Mrs. Li’s hand and asked with concern, “Sister-in-law, what does Ah Li mean? Could it be that you were the reason why Beibei fell and gave birth?”
Hearing this, Mother Li couldn’t help feeling her face heat up. She couldn’t look up. She hurriedly said, “Hey, am I that kind of person?”
Dong Yu asked, “Then what does Ah Li mean?”
Mother Li reversed the truth and said, “During the pregnancy period, didn’t that vixen fall and bleed heavily one night? She nearly couldn’t protect the child. That time, it was indeed my fault. I mopped the floor the first night and thought that everyone was asleep, so I slacked and didn’t dry the wet ground. Who knew that that vixen got up in the middle of the night to drink water and fell! Just because of this, this unfilial thing thought that I was purposely harming her!”
After understanding what had happened, Dong Yu also felt that Li Li had wronged her sister-in-law. She said to Li Li, “Ah Li, you have wronged your mother. Your mother must be tired taking care of a pregnant woman. She tired herself out and wanted to slack off. She didn’t wipe the ground dry and Beibei slipped on the water. This might really be an accident.”
“Ha...” Li Li had already given up hope on his mother and saw through her. He said,” When Beibei is pregnant, she gets hungry easily at night and often gets up to look for food. Mother, you live with Beibei everyday. How can you not know? ”
The flesh on Mother Li’s face twitched. She gritted her teeth and said, “Just because you think I’m guilty, you can use all your strength to accuse me!”
Li Li sneered and said, “If you say that I wronged you then, then later on, when Beibei was about to give birth, she was pregnant and couldn’t cook. But you went to the mahjong house to play mahjong and let her, a pregnant woman in her pregnancy, cook on her own. When she was cooking, she fell and suffered a major hemorrhage. She cried at home every day and no one answered her. In order to seek help, she crawled from the kitchen to the living room with blood dripping down her face before finding her cell phone to call!”
“If you cared about her and your grandson, you shouldn’t have done that!” When Li Li spoke of the past, his heart ached for Beibei and he felt that he had let her down.
When Dong Yu heard this, she looked at her sister-in-law in surprise. She couldn’t tell that this honest sister-in-law of hers was so ruthless to her daughter-in-law.
Did her heart turn cold after killing so many fish?
Mother Li sat on the bed and cried. As she cried, she said, “You just hate me, despise me, and forget your mother when you have a wife. If you don’t want to care about me, then don’t. I’ll go back to my own house to stay with you guys!”
Hearing this, Li Li felt even more tired. He had never been so tired after working overtime for half a month.
Li Li picked up his luggage and said, “Let’s go. The car is parked downstairs.”
Dong Yu reached out to help Mother Li. “Sister-in-law, let’s go. Why are you angry at your own son! Even if Beibei is at fault, your son is still your own. How can he not care about you?”
Mother Li waved Dong Yu’s hand away, pointed at Li Li, and scolded. “His Auntie, you heard it. He wants to arrange for me to stay in the house next to theirs! He and his wife despise me. Why do they care about me if they despise me so much! It’s not like I don’t have a place to stay. I’ll be cheap if I go!”
Mother Li slowly stood up and picked up the walking stick beside her. Her fractured left calf had not fully recovered and still needed a walking stick.
Mrs. Li stomped her walking stick, making loud thuds. She limped towards the door of the ward and said fiercely, “I won’t go back with you today! I’m not a beggar. I don’t need your pity!”
Mother Li walked with her walking stick like a tiger and didn’t look like a patient at all. Li Li was so angry that his eyes turned red. He rushed up and roared, “Fine, don’t go if you don’t want. Stop acting!”
Li Li quickly went downstairs and stuffed his luggage into the boot. He stood behind the car for a few minutes and saw Dong Yu helping Mother Li out.
Li Li opened the car door and watched as Mother Li sat down firmly before closing it forcefully.
Li Li opened the driver’s seat door and sat in. Holding back his anger, he turned to ask Mrs. Li, “Are you coming back with me today or not?”
Mrs. Li said, “No!”
“Alright!”
Li Li unlocked his cell phone and called Su Beibei.
Su Beibei was making chicken soup. She opened the lid of the pot and poked at the chicken with a chopstick to see how cooked it was.
Hearing the phone ring, Su Beibei wiped her hands and answered the call. “Ah Li, there’s no ginger at home. When you come back later, bring some ginger back from the supermarket outside the community. I want old ginger.”
Li Li asked her, “What are you doing?”
“Making chicken soup. Doesn’t Mother like chicken soup? I added some wolfberries. I remember she likes this.” Before knowing the truth of Su Beibei’s parents’ death, Mother Li had treated Su Beibei quite well. At that time, the mother and daughter-in-law had gotten along very well.
Li Li stared at the rearview mirror in the car and saw his mother’s pretentious face in the backseat. His heart ached even more for Su Beibei. “Beibei, don’t do it anymore. Mother doesn’t want to come over.”
Su Beibei was silent for a moment before asking him, “Why?”
Li Li lied. “She said she’s used to living in her own house and doesn’t want to move. I’ll send her back first. You and Neil drink the chicken soup. You don’t have to leave it for me.”
Su Beibei said, “Mmm.”
Li Li had just hung up the phone when he heard Mother Li sneer. She said to Dong Yu in a sarcastic manner, “Don’t be fooled by her facade. She usually sows discord between us. She even made chicken soup for me? Perhaps she poisoned it!”
Dong Yu hurriedly said, “Sister-in-law, don’t say too much.”
There was a fake mountain at the main entrance of the hospital. When Li Li heard his mother’s words, he instantly had the urge to knock his head against it.
He might as well die in an accident.
Li Li used a lot of self-control to suppress the urge to commit suicide. Afraid that he would hear something even more infuriating, he found an earplug and stuffed it into his ear.
Seeing his actions, Mother Li felt even more aggrieved and started wiping her tears non-stop.
The house that Mother Li lived in was a suite that Li Li had bought after he developed. It was three bedrooms, two living rooms, and 125 square meters. It was considered spacious.
Li Li had hired a designer to design the house. It was very stylish. After Su Beibei gave birth to Li Ao, Li Li brought the mother and son to Su Beibei’s house and left it to Mother Li.
Having lived alone for a few years, Mother Li’s house had long lost its former elegance. It was filled with tattered things that Mother Li couldn’t bear to throw away.
Li Li looked at the messy house and felt even angrier.
He took out the items and placed them back. He said to Mrs. Li, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll get going first. The nanny will come over to cook for you later.”
Regardless of whether Mother Li agreed or not, Li Li took the initiative and said, “From tonight onwards, the nanny will be staying with you in the smallest guest room. You have to agree even if you don’t agree. I’ve already given her the keys to the house.”
Mother Li felt even more aggrieved by Li Li’s despotic actions. She wiped her tears and said to Dong Yu, “Listen, this is really an unfilial thing! Nowadays, news of a nanny bullying an old man alone is everywhere. But he even purposely led the nanny in, hoping that I would be abused by the nanny!”
Dong Yu was even more awkward. She smiled sheepishly and said, “Sister-in-law, you’ve really wronged Ah Li. I think this child is very filial.”
“I maligned him?” Mother Li glanced at the livid Li Li and said unhappily, “I said what he was thinking. He flew into a rage out of humiliation!”
Li Li took a deep breath and forced himself to maintain his rationality. He asked Dong Yu, “Auntie, when are you going back? Let’s go to my house for a meal before you leave.”
Dong Yu answered, “I will leave the day after tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow night then. I’ll pick you up after work tomorrow night.” Li Li nodded at them and said, “I’ll get going first.”
With that, Li Li strode away without hesitation.
He had just closed the door when he heard heartbroken cries from inside. Li Li was once again attacked by fatigue and just wanted to find a place to lie down and sleep.
When Li Li returned home, Su Beibei and Li Ao were eating. Su Beibei was also shocked to see him return so quickly. “You didn’t stay for dinner?”
“No.”
Li Li reached out his hand to Su Beibei and said, “Come, give me a breath of air.”
Su Beibei leaned into his arms.
Li Li buried his head in Su Beibei’s neck and took a deep breath. Smelling the unique ocean fragrance on Su Beibei’s head, he felt much more relaxed.
“Let’s eat.”
Su Beibei went to the kitchen to pour the remaining chicken soup into a bowl. She brought it out and placed it in front of Li Li. “Drink it. This is all yours.”
Li Li stared at the slightly yellow chicken soup and smelled the fragrant chicken soup. He was filled with guilt towards Su Beibei. He held Su Beibei’s hand and said, “I made you work for nothing.”
Su Beibei said, “Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after that.”
Li Ao sat there. Su Beibei didn’t want to talk to Li Li about Mother Li. No matter how ridiculous and unreasonable Mother Li was, she was still Li Ao’s grandmother. Su Beibei didn’t want to smear his grandmother in front of the child.
Li Li also understood Su Beibei’s thoughts and didn’t say anything.
After dinner, Li Li played with toys in the living room for a while before falling asleep.
After he fell asleep, Li Li said to Su Beibei, “Accompany me to relax.”
Su Beibei agreed.
Su Beibei’s house was near her cafe. There was an artificial lake in front of the cafe and a park around the lake.
There were not many people in the afternoon.
Su Beibei held an umbrella and was wearing a dark blue cross-necked dress. She was wearing 7cm high-heeled shoes with straps. She looked elegant and fairy-like.
Li Li instinctively hugged her waist. Only then did he feel at ease and satisfied.
After walking for a while, Su Beibei pulled Li Li to sit under a big tree. “You guys were at the hospital today. Did you fight again?”
Li Li nodded. “Mmm, my mother seems to be possessed. She has been exceptionally muddle-headed these two years. I can’t explain it to her clearly.” Li Li was not foolish enough to tell Su Beibei what his mother had said. That meant that he really had no EQ.
Su Beibei suddenly said, “Your mother is just 55 years old this year. This kind of life will continue for many years. It might be more than 10 years, or it might be more than 20 years. Ah Li, it’s only been two to three years and you’re already so tired. If this goes on, you...”
The more Li Li listened, the more serious his expression became. He covered Su Beibei’s mouth and said, “Don’t say anymore.” The feud between Su Beibei and Mother Li was a dead knot. Li Li was sandwiched between the two women and he could only endure this torture.
He knew what Su Beibei meant. If it was really torture, why not let go?
If he let go, he would be free.
Free?
He would rather suffer like this than let go.
As long as he thought of how Su Beibei would one day leave him and perhaps marry someone else in the future, his heart felt like it had been stabbed by a knife. It was painful and sharp.
That was a possibility that he would never tolerate!
Su Beibei saw that Li Li understood what she meant and remained silent.
She leaned against Li Li’s shoulder and sighed. “How long has it been since we sat together like this, quietly looking at the scenery and talking nicely?”
Su Beibei patted Li Li’s arm and told him, “Don’t speak. Let me lean against you to sleep for a while.”
“Okay.”
–
The next day, Li Li went to work.
It was Saturday and the children’s party was held in the early childhood class. Li Ao was brought to the party by the nanny.
Han Miao and Han Jun would also attend that party. Song Ci sent her daughters to the party and asked Yan Qingxiu to accompany them.
She missed Su Beibei and wanted to visit her.
Song Ci entered a dessert shop and bought Su Beibei’s favorite Empress of China. She also bought a kiwi drink before driving to her house.
Su Beibei sat in front of her computer, unable to write anything. She turned off her computer, opened her yoga mat, and started doing yoga at home.
Song Ci stood outside the door and pressed the doorbell. She shouted, “Beibei, are you home?”
Su Beibei hurried to open the door.
The door opened and Song Ci hurriedly raised the Empress of China. “Knock, knock, knock! Are you surprised?”
Su Beibei didn’t know that Song Ci was coming over. She was really surprised to see Song Ci. Su Beibei hurriedly said, “Quickly enter the house.”
Song Ci entered the house, changed into slippers, and handed the Empress of China to Su Beibei. “I brought it for you. I know you like it.”
Su Beibei looked at the Empress of China in her palm and her mood finally improved. “I was just thinking of having some desserts.” Su Beibei sat cross-legged on the coffee table eating the Empress of China. Song Ci took off her shoes and did pregnant yoga on Su Beibei’s yoga mat.
After Su Beibei finished eating the Empress of China, she suddenly said, “Tonight, Li Li’s aunt and mother are coming over for dinner.” With that, Su Beibei frowned and said thoughtfully, “To be honest, my mother hates me so much. I find it rather strange that she’s willing to come to my house for dinner today.”
Song Ci knew Auntie Li’s character very well. Auntie Li hated Su Beibei so much now that she was no longer the kind-hearted mother who had always hoped for her son to recover. So when she heard Su Beibei’s question, Song Ci couldn’t help being on guard.
She crossed her legs and sat on the yoga mat. She supported herself with both hands on the soft yoga mat and said thoughtfully, “To put it bluntly, that old woman is a mischievous person. She is very upset to see you and is willing to come and eat your cooking. There is a high chance that there is a trick.”
Su Beibei heaved a sigh of relief. She said, “Hearing you say this makes me feel more at ease.” Su Beibei threw the Empress China packaging into the dustbin. She walked up to Song Ci and sat cross-legged like her. She said to Song Ci, “I think so too. I thought I wrote too many mystery novels and was a little paranoid.”
“Song Song, even you think so?” Su Beibei looked at Song Ci nervously.
Song Ci nodded. “Mmm, Auntie Li’s personality has changed drastically these few years. She has a vicious tongue and a bad heart. Anyway, you have to be careful.” Song Ci told Su Beibei, “She even dared to plot against the child in your womb. How much better can you expect her to be?”
“Beibei, listen to me. Don’t go overboard.”
Su Beibei thought for a moment and said, “Look, should I install a surveillance camera at home?”
Song Ci’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. We should install a surveillance camera. If something really happens, you won’t be able to explain yourself. It will be much easier to install a surveillance camera.”
Su Beibei thought of how Song Ci had many friends and asked her, “Do you have any surveillance cameras to recommend?”
“You’ve found the right person to look for me.”
Song Ci called Long Yu. Shortly after, Long Yu arrived with his girlfriend, Zhou Siwei.
Zhou Siwei had already recovered from her injuries and was recognized by Lin Jing. She was promoted to his first reconnaissance team for work. She was on leave today and happened to be free, so she came with Long Yu.
As Long Yu installed surveillance cameras, Song Ci pulled Zhou Siwei to care about her injuries.
Zhou Siwei told Song Ci, “My injuries are all healed. Madam, look.” Zhou Siwei pulled up her arm, revealing an ugly scar.
Song Ci touched the scar and told Zhou Siwei, “I have a scar cream there. It’s used by a beauty hospital in America. I’ll get Brother Long to bring some for you later. Although you can’t get all your scars there, they can fade by 60-70%.”
Every girl loved beauty. Hearing this, Zhou Siwei was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked Song Ci. “Thank you, Madam!”
“Oh yes.” Song Ci remembered something important and asked Zhou Siwei, “Has the court date for Jiang Bi’s case been confirmed?”
“The day after tomorrow.” Zhou Siwei asked Song Ci, “Will you testify in court?”
Song Ci nodded. “Yes.”
“With you as the witness, this matter will be much easier.”
Long Yu was quick-witted and only took 20 minutes to install the hidden surveillance camera. After the young couple left, Su Beibei said to Song Ci, “Long Yu doesn’t look good, but he’s a quiet person who does big things. He found a beautiful girlfriend.”
Song Ci told Su Beibei, “After being a martyr, she’s a good girl.”
When Su Beibei heard that Zhou Siwei was a martyr, she instantly felt deep veneration. “Father and daughter both became police officers. How admirable.”
Oh yes, are you guys going on a holiday next week on National Day?”
“No, Han Zhan is going on a work trip. I am going to participate in the competition at the end of next month. On National Day, I am going to the national symphony orchestra with my teacher to look for experience.”
Su Beibei knew how much Song Ci valued this competition. She said, “All the best. On the champion’s night, I will definitely bring Li Ao to the venue to cheer for you!”
“Deal.”
The two of them hooked fingers and heard the sound of the door opening. “Neil should be back.” Just as Su Beibei finished speaking, she heard Li Ao and Han Miao talking.
“My mother bought me a Tyrannosaurus Rex puzzle!” Li Ao pulled Han Miao and Han Jun into the house. When he saw Song Ci and Su Beibei, he stopped running. “Mother, Auntie Song, I went to play with puzzles with Miaomiao and the rest!”
“Okay!”
Li Ao brought Han Miao and her sister into his room. The three little guys closed the door. No one knew what they were doing inside.
Yan Qingxiu also came. When he saw Su Beibei, a look of surprise flashed across his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.
After playing for a while, Song Ci got up and bid farewell.
Song Ci held Han Miao’s hand while Yan Qingxiu held Han Jun’s. The four of them walked to the side of the car. Song Ci opened the car door, and Han Miao and Han Jun obediently climbed into the children’s seats themselves.
Song Ci fastened their seatbelts and returned to the passenger seat. Yan Qingxiu said, “Has Ms. Su encountered any trouble recently?”
Song Ci thought of how Yan Qingxiu could read fortunes, so she asked him, “What did you see?”
Yan Qingxiu said something softly, which made Song Ci frown.
–
In the afternoon, Su Beibei and the auntie prepared for dinner that night. The auntie muttered, “I’ve worked in this house for so long. This is the first time I’ve seen Mr. Li’s mother.”
The auntie knew that Su Beibei and Mr. Li’s mother were not on good terms, so she usually didn’t mention the other party.
Knowing that the old lady would be coming over for dinner today, the auntie was really shocked.
Su Beibei said, “Actually, ever since I gave birth to Neil and moved out, this is also the first time I’ve eaten at the same table as her.”
The auntie didn’t know what feud Su Beibei had with Mother Li. She sighed. “It’s said that the relationship between mother and daughter-in-law is the most difficult, but it’s rare to see such a tense relationship between the two of you. You’re both women. Why make things difficult for women?”
Su Beibei remained silent, not knowing how to answer.
At 5pm, the two of them started cooking. At 6.30pm, Li Li fetched Mother Li and Aunt Dong Yu.
Li Li could have entered the password to go home, but to show his respect for Su Beibei, he didn’t open the door and go home. Instead, he stood at the door and knocked.
Su Beibei replied, “Coming!”
She walked to the door and took a deep breath. She smiled gently at the mirror on the wall before opening the door.
“You’re back?”
Su Beibei was afraid that her smile would look stiff. She didn’t even dare to change her smile.
Li Li acknowledged and turned to say to the two women behind him, “Auntie, Mother, come in.” With that, Li Li entered the house to visit Li Ao.
Dong Yu was carrying some gifts. She smiled at Su Beibei and said, “Beibei, are you cooking? I can smell the fragrance of the dishes.”
Su Beibei smiled as she accepted Dong Yu’s present. She hurriedly said, “Auntie, please come in. The food is ready. We were waiting for you guys.”
It was supposed to be a normal sentence, but Mrs. Li sneered. “She’s despising us for dawdling and coming late.”
Su Beibei’s smile immediately collapsed.
It was not like she was smiling apologetically. Mother Li was always targeting her and she could still smile at her. It was just that she was being cheap. Su Beibei stood up straight and stared at Mother Li. Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant as she said, “Mother, Auntie came from afar. I should have prepared the food in advance and not neglect her. I said this to express my passion and welcome to Auntie. I don’t mean to despise you guys.”
“Moreover, you always look at me in the worst way possible. It also proves how unbearable your thoughts are.”
This was the first time Su Beibei had confronted Mother Li head-on!
Mother Li was shocked and looked at her strangely. In the end, she said to Dong Yu, “See? She has published a few books and likes to bite off more than she can chew. She scolded me for being uncultured and despicable.”
Su Beibei said, “You said it yourself.”
Dong Yu regretted it the moment she entered the house.
She shouldn’t have come. She should have slipped back to Guangdong at dawn. Why should she participate in the war between the two of them?
Now that Li Li was successful and had a successful career, he was the most successful child in the Li Family. Dong Yu naturally wanted to curry favor with Li Li.
She was not a fool and could tell which side Li Li was on. It was obvious that Su Beibei was Li Li’s flesh and blood, and her sister-in-law was trying to embarrass herself.
Li Li carried Li Ao out of the room and saw the three women standing at the entrance. He frowned and strode over. He said coldly, “Mother, Aunt, come in and sit down. Why are you standing here?”
With that, he reached out his long arm and grabbed Su Beibei’s waist. He lowered his head and said affectionately, “It’s been hard on you. Go wash your hands. I’ll set the dishes.”
Seeing Li Li like this, Mother Li was even angrier. Dong Yu understood even more clearly how important Su Beibei was to Li Li.
Su Beibei and the auntie made eight dishes together. The meat and vegetables matched evenly and were all common home-cooked dishes. There were no delicacies or extravagance.
But after Mrs. Li sat down, she stared at the two plates of vegetables in front of her and started picking at the eggs again. She pointed at the dishes and said, “You purposely placed two pots of vegetables in front of me. Are you afraid that I will eat meat?”
Mother Li put on an aggrieved expression and gritted her teeth. “Alright, I’m getting despised by others when I’m old. I’m even getting despised for eating a meal.”
Su Beibei’s expression remained unchanged. She got up and handed the fish and meat on the table to Mother Li. “Mother, eat more.”
Mother Li glanced at Su Beibei coldly and smiled meanly. “You want me to eat more? Are you mocking me? Do you think I eat too much and you look down on me? Do you think I’m vulgar? I’m embarrassing you guys?”
Su Beibei shot her a dark look and sat back down without another word.
“Li Li, look at your wife. She’s still glaring at me. Look at her eyes! Heh, she wants to eat me!” Mother Li slammed the table in front of her and said, “This is the first time I’ve come to your house for a meal in the past two years. Is this how you treat me?”
Li Li remained silent. He picked up a potato and placed it in Mother Li’s bowl. “Mother, the doctor said that you can’t be agitated. Eat more and speak less.”
Hurry up and shut up!
Mother Li was speechless.
Even Dong Yu couldn’t stand it anymore. She frowned and advised Mother Li, “Sister-in-law, don’t say too much. A patient can’t eat anything too oily. I see that this table is filled with dishes. There’s meat and meat, soup and meat. Beibei is very considerate.”
Mother Li said, “You were deceived by her facade. When they just got married, I also felt that she was not bad. After spending a long time together, I finally saw her true colors.”
“Don’t think that she looks so gentle and virtuous now. She looks like a human. But you don’t know that back then, she relied on the fact that her parents were killed by Li Yaode and ran overseas to lead a carefree life with the compensation for selling my house!”
“If her parents knew that she went out to squander money from a dead person, they might...”
Pa!
It was the sound of glass shattering. Mother Li was so shocked that she instantly shut her mouth.
She looked at Li Li fearfully and realized that Li Li had crushed a cup with his bare hands!
His right hand was still holding the broken blanket. The sharp glass shards pierced his palm and blood dripped.