Hunting 81: Gathering Goods in the Mountains, I Spoil My Ex-Wife to the Extreme

The main room fell silent for a moment after Huang Zhifang spoke.

"I'd be pointless to bother coming here."

After a long while, Wang Dayong stood up with an uncertain expression, snorted coldly, and then stepped out of the main room.

"Hey bro, have lunch before you go."

Seeing this, Wang Xiaolian quickly stepped forward to persuade them to stay.

"I can't afford it. So what if you have a few stinking coins? Just because you have a few coins in your pocket doesn't mean you can look down on us poor relatives. Humph, when I become rich, nobody will dare to lick my door."

Wang Dayong irritably shook off Wang Xiaolian's hand, and his chubby figure quickly disappeared at the courtyard gate.

Watching Wang Dayong storm off, Wang Xiaolian glared at Li Yunshi as she entered the house: "Alright, my brother's run away in anger, are you satisfied now?"

"It's just borrowing some money, why look down on me like that?"

Li Yunshi's gaze darkened: "Xiaolian, is this just about borrowing a little money? Your brother just casually asks for a thousand yuan, is that a little bit? What relationship does the third brother have with your eldest brother? He just asks, and the third brother wants to lend your eldest brother a thousand yuan?"

"Let me tell you, Wang Xiaolian, our family doesn't owe the Wang family anything. Think about the kind of life you had at your parents' house. You worked from dawn till dusk every day, and your parents never said a good word to you. After you married into our family, did my mother and I ever ask you to work from dawn till dusk? Besides, when I first took a liking to you, your parents made outrageous demands, asking for a dowry of two hundred yuan right off the bat. Did I say anything?"

"Don't think I don't know you've been secretly sending money to your family all these years. I'm just too lazy to make a fuss because we've been husband and wife."

"Go ask around in the village, and you'll find out which woman doesn't have her heart set on her husband's family after marriage."

"Besides, you know your older brother is lazy and good-for-nothing. Do you really think he'd use the money to start a transportation business?"

The main room was eerily quiet. Wang Xiaolian stared blankly at Li Yunshi, as if she didn't recognize him.

In all the years of their marriage, this was the first time she had ever seen Li Yunshi so angry and speak in such a harsh tone.

"I……"

"Think about it carefully. Did I say anything wrong? Do you even want to continue this marriage?"

Wang Xiaolian's heart clenched: "What...what do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything by it, I just want to live a good life with you, but if you keep pushing my limits, I won't want to continue this relationship."

Li Yunshi said in a strong and resounding voice.

Because he discovered that ever since Lao San started doing well and earned some money, his wife Wang Xiaolian had become somewhat restless. She would either whisper in his ear at night, urging him to ask Lao San for a job at the forest farm, or she would ask Lao San to spare a few hundred yuan.

Li Yunshi even knew that Wang Xiaolian had personally gone to talk to Lao San about this matter.

However, for the sake of family harmony, he kept quiet and didn't expose it.

Although he was envious of the money that the third brother, Li Yunshan, had made and the job he had obtained at the Hongxing Forestry Farm, he knew how the third brother had gotten his money and job. He wasn't shameless enough to ask the third brother to give up his job or share some money with him.

But now, the wife's older brother is eyeing the little money and job that the third son earned with his life on the line, and he's asking for a thousand.

What does this mean?

Do they really think the money his brother earns belongs to the Wang family?

In addition, Wang Xiaolian had been secretly sending money to her family quite often. He had originally planned to turn a blind eye and tolerate it, but Wang Xiaolian sided with her older brother, which made Li Yunshi's pent-up resentment finally erupt.

Once an honest person's resentment erupts, it can be terrifying. After hearing this, Wang Xiaolian quickly backed down.

"Alright, stop arguing, or people will laugh at us."

Huang Zhifang spoke up, glancing at Wang Xiaolian with displeasure: "Since you've married into our Li family, you must abide by our family rules and your heart must be with our Li family. Xiaolian, think about what kind of life you had at your parents' home and what kind of life you had at our Li family. Your eldest son has been with you all these years, has he ever mistreated you? Think it over carefully and make sure you understand before you speak."

After saying that, Huang Zhifang sighed inwardly. She originally thought that her eldest daughter-in-law was a good person, hardworking and capable, and had given birth to two big, fat grandsons for the Li family. Although she was a bit greedy, she was only thinking about taking advantage of her own family.

But who knew that she was also so clueless? The third brother had just finished his studies, earned some money, and gotten a job at a forest farm, and she immediately set her sights on him.

Moreover, it wasn't just her who had her eye on it; even her older brother from her maternal family had his eye on it.

Huang Zhifang didn't believe that her older brother would dare to do such a thing without her parents' encouragement and support behind the scenes.

Wang Xiaolian stood there, stunned. She looked at Huang Zhifang, then at Li Yunshi, and finally wiped her eyes before locking herself in the room.

Huang Zhifang ignored her, and so did Li Yunshi.

There are some things that you can't change no matter how much you say. It's better to let her calm down and think about it. Maybe then she can understand things more clearly.

"Mom, I'm going to visit the third son."

Li Yunshi said.

"Go."

Huang Zhifang waved his hand.

……

At noon, Li Yunshan was having lunch at home when the sound of the courtyard gate being pushed open came from outside the main room, and Li Yunshi entered with his hands behind his back.

His face was filled with a sense of frustration.

"Third brother, lunchtime!"

As soon as he entered the main room, he saw Li Yunshan and his family of three having lunch.

Steamed buns made of white flour, stewed wild boar with mushrooms, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and a bowl of egg drop soup.

It was quite unexpected for Li Yunshi to be eating such a lavish meal at midday.

Farmers usually eat three meals a day when they are working in the fields. But in the dead of winter, when they don't have to work in the fields, they can just eat two meals a day, or even one meal a day if they are really willing to cut back.

But Li Yunshan not only had lunch, but he also ate such a good meal. This was the first time Li Yunshi had ever seen such a meal.

"Big brother's here, sit down and eat with us."

Seeing this, Li Yunshan brought a chair for Li Yunshi, and Lin Xiulan brought a clean set of bowls and chopsticks.

"Brother, eat up, don't be shy with me."

Seeing the worried look on Li Yunshi's face, Li Yunshan knew why he had come without even blinking. However, he didn't say anything, but instead smiled and invited Li Yunshi to have lunch first.

"Okay, sure."

A smile appeared on Li Yunshi's face. He picked up a white steamed bun, added a piece of meat, and began to eat.

However, because he had something on his mind, Li Yunshi didn't have much of an appetite.

After lunch, Li Yunshi hesitated for a moment before saying, "Third brother, your sister-in-law came to see you a while ago, right?"

"Yes, it was about the job at the forest farm, but I didn't agree."

"It's good that you didn't agree. You know your sister-in-law, she loves to take advantage of others and always tries to squeeze any benefits into her own home."

"Her older brother from her maternal family came to borrow money from you this morning, and you were right not to lend it to him."

"I...sigh..."

The more Li Yunshi talked, the more embarrassed he felt.

Because not only was his wife eyeing the money and job Li Yunshan earned, but even his wife's older brother was eyeing it.

"Brother, let me be honest with you. I don't want the job at the forest farm myself. I was originally planning to give it to you, but I couldn't stand my wife ordering me around, so I didn't agree."

"What? Give it to me? How can I do that? That's a job you risked your life for, I can't take it."

Li Yunshi was stunned for a moment.

That's a job at the forest farm, a real secure job, not some temporary position. To get a job like that, you'd need at least two or three thousand yuan. And the third brother actually said he'd give it to me.

Lin Xiulan was also surprised to hear this. She did not expect that Li Yunshan would give up the job that he had risked his life to get to Li Yunshi.

However, remembering that Li Yunshan had said that next spring, after the ground thawed, they would not only rebuild their old house but also buy a house in the county town, Lin Xiulan didn't say anything.

"Brother, I'm used to being free and I'm not suited for this kind of monotonous work. If you don't want the job at the forest farm, then I'll have to sell it."

Li Yunshan explained.

That's true. He's used to being free and unrestrained, and he never actually had a proper job in his past life.

To make a living, he started several businesses by setting up stalls and later opened a shop.

After China joined the WTO, he seized the opportunity, started a successful business, and became quite wealthy at his peak.

Unfortunately, he made some bad investments and ended up penniless again.

"Sell it? No way! It would be such a waste to sell your job at the forest farm. It's a secure job!" Li Yunshi said quickly.

In the eyes of people today, a job in a forest farm is a secure job, representing stability and guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood. Everyone is proud to have such a job.

Although the country has now reformed and opened up, and cities in the south are now full of factories and have many job opportunities, and as long as you are willing to work hard, you can earn more money than working in the forest farm, people like Li Yunshi who have suffered for decades still prefer stability.

"Brother, you should go work at the forest farm, otherwise I really will sell this job."

"Well... alright, but you risked your life to get this job, so I can't take advantage of you. I..." Li Yunshi hesitated for a moment. He was still unwilling to take advantage of Li Yunshan for nothing, so he thought of making it up to Li Yunshan.

"Brother, just go to work at the forest farm with peace of mind. Although I said that even close brothers should keep clear accounts, I sincerely want to give this job to you."

"Over the years, you have worried a lot about me and taken care of Mother, but I have not fulfilled my responsibilities as a son. I owe you all of this."

The more Li Yunshan spoke, the more a sense of shame welled up in his heart.

In his past life, he certainly didn't fulfill his responsibilities as a son. Even when their mother was hospitalized, it was his older brother who stayed by her side the whole time.

To pay for their mother's medical treatment, the eldest brother incurred a huge debt.

Even his elder brother arranged his mother's funeral.