The young couple was cooking when Li Shuan and Xiao Li Yuan entered the house one after another.
While cutting vegetables, Li Jinzhong greeted: "Brother is here, sit down on the kang, there are still two dishes left."
Li Shuan looked unhappy and didn't say anything. He took off his shoes and got on the Kang when he entered the house. He saw that the table was filled with sumptuous dishes, including braised old hen, duck with soy sauce, pork head, beef with soy sauce, sweet and sour fish and so on.
Even during the Chinese New Year, Li Jinzhong’s family never had such good food.
Li Shuan thought to himself: "It seems that Yuanzi is not talking nonsense, all this is true!"
Li Ermei brought over another plate of sweet and sour pork. Seeing her brother leaning on the kang with a dark face, she asked, "Brother, why do you look a little unhappy?"
Li Shuan snorted and said nothing.
Li Ermei felt strange and asked Xiao Li Yuan: "Yuanzi, have you made daddy angry?"
Little Li Yuan happily looked at the delicious dishes on the table, salivating. He wanted to eat but didn't dare. Even though Li Shuan's family was poor, there were still rules. If the elders didn't use the chopsticks, the children couldn't move.
When his aunt asked, Xiao Liyuan said: "No."
Li Ermei returned to the kitchen and whispered to Li Jinzhong: "Brother seems a little unhappy. He ignored me when I spoke just now."
Li Jinzhong didn't care and said, "Maybe you are too worried. I'll ask later."
The dishes were all done and everyone was sitting around. Li Jinzhong took a small wine pot and poured wine for Li Shuan. While pouring the wine, he said, "Brother, try it. This is the famous Shaoxing wine Nuerhong."
Li Shuan glared at Li Jinzhong and said, "Brother-in-law, you had a good meal today. It seems that you have really made a fortune."
Li Jinzhong poured himself a drink and said with a smile: "Haha, God bless me, Li Jinzhong is alive again. Not only did I make a lot of money, I also found a way to make an even bigger fortune."
Li Shuan said coldly: "Brother-in-law, can you tell me what kind of path this is?"
Li Jinzhong smiled and said: "What? Yuanzi didn't learn from you when he came home, haha, this kid is quite strict."
Xiao Liyuan interjected: "Dad, didn't I tell you everything?"
Li Jinzhong felt a little strange and asked: "Brother, you already know this, why do you still ask after you know it?"
Li Shuan said: "Yuanzi told me some things, but sometimes children's words inevitably add fuel to the fire. I can't believe it. I want to hear it from your own mouth."
Li Jinzhong smiled and said: "That's it. Well, I'll talk to my eldest brother. Don't just sit down. Let's talk while eating without delay." He picked up his chopsticks.
Li Shuan said coldly: "Wait a minute, eat after you finish talking."
Li Jinzhong thought to himself: "Brother, what are you doing? Who provoked you? Why is your nose not a nose and your face not your face?"
Although Li Jinzhong felt a little unhappy, he thought of Li Shuan's kindness and it was not easy to get angry. So he smiled awkwardly and said, "Okay, they say you can't talk when you eat or sleep, so I'll talk first and finish."
Let’s eat again.”
Li Jinzhong recounted the past, but before he could finish speaking, Li Shuan slammed the table and said, "Stop talking!"
Li Jinzhong was startled, looked at Li Shuan in fear, and said, "Brother, what's wrong with you?"
Li Shuan said bitterly: "I know that this kid Yuanzi never lies, but I can't believe it. I hope all this is false. Now that you say it yourself, I can't help but believe it. Brother-in-law, how could you?
What about gambling? It will destroy your family."
Li Jinzhong frowned and smiled awkwardly: "Brother, it's not as serious as you said. You don't understand betting. It's different from other bets."
Li Shuan said angrily: "What's the difference? They're all gambling, there's no difference. Brother-in-law, if you can listen to my elder brother's advice, just return all the money you win to others, and never set foot in a casino again from now on, otherwise
You are finished. Not only are you finished, my sister and my niece will also suffer. Brother-in-law, can you promise me?"
Li Jinzhong did not expect that Li Shuan would be so angry and say such things, and said in embarrassment: "Brother, you must know that it is more than thirteen thousand taels of silver. I can't ask my brother-in-law to send it back for nothing."
"
Li Shuan shook his head regretfully and said: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have betrothed my second sister to you. Ever since my second sister followed you, I haven't had a good day. You've been crazy these past few months.
My sister sheds tears every day. Now that you are well, you are still involved in gambling. It was me, it was I who harmed my second sister." When he got to the emotional point, he burst into tears.
When Xiao Li Yuan saw his father crying, he felt uncomfortable. He came up to him and said, "Dad, what's wrong with you?" Then he said to Li Jinzhong, "Uncle, just listen to my father and pay back the money."
Li Ermei felt uncomfortable in her heart. She felt that her brother was right. Most gamblers would not end well. But she thought of her husband's words and was afraid that her husband would be punished by God for going against nature. She didn't know what to do for a while. She hugged her daughter and cried.
.
Li Jinzhong said unhappily: "Brother, what are you doing? Although I have made my second sister suffer a lot since she came here, we are rich now and good times are coming, so why should you do this?"
Li Shuan wiped his tears and said: "It seems that you are obsessed. No matter what I say, you can't listen. Forget it, if you pity my second sister, just give her a divorce note and don't hold me back.
She jumped into the fire pit."
Li Jinzhong said excitedly: "Brother, there is no fire pit. You are too worried. My second sister and I have a deep love for each other. You can't break us up."
Li Ermei choked up and said: "Brother, my sister will not leave Jinzhong. Don't force him to divorce me. If he divorces me, what will happen to Yu'er? She will become a child without a father." She cried bitterly as she spoke.
stand up.
Li Shuan saw that it was impossible for Li Jinzhong to return the more than thirteen thousand taels of silver that he had eaten, so he had to do the next best thing and said: "Brother-in-law, you can continue to live with your second sister, but
You have to promise brother that you will never set foot in a casino again. If you refuse, I will take my second sister back to my parents’ home and never let you see her again."
Li Jinzhong immediately agreed: "As long as the eldest brother is not angry, the brother-in-law agrees."
Li Shuan said: "Then you make a poisonous oath."
Li Jinzhong said: "I, Li Jinzhong, swear that I will never step foot in a casino again in this life, otherwise I will die a good death." But he said in his heart: "It doesn't count, it doesn't count, it doesn't count at all." Then he said to Li Shuan: "Is that okay?"
Li Shuan said: "The sky has eyes, and the old man is watching from above. If you violate the oath, you will not only harm yourself, but also the second sister and Yu'er. The elder brother said this." He got off the kang, put on his shoes and said to little Li Shuan.
: "Yuanzi, let's go."
Li Jinzhong said: "Brother, what's the rush? It's not too late to leave after dinner."
Li Shuan said bitterly: "It's not something I bought with real money. I feel nauseated after eating it."
When Li Jinzhong saw little Li Yuan reluctantly following Li Shuan out while looking at the table full of sumptuous food and wine, he quickly tore off a chicken drumstick and caught up with him, saying, "Yuanzi." He handed the drumstick over to him.
Xiao Liyuan shook his head and said: "My father is going to be angry. Uncle, I know I am a child and should not interfere with your adults' affairs, but I have never seen my father cry before. This is the first time. Just agree."
Dad, please stop gambling."
At this time, Li Shuan shouted from a distance: "Yuanzi, what are you dawdling about? Let's go quickly!"
Xiao Liyuan said: "Uncle, I'm leaving."
Looking at the retreating figures of Li Shuan and his son, Li Jinzhong thought to himself: "My uncle, why don't you understand? Can betting be the same as other kinds of gambling? You are an uneducated person. I, a scholar, can't meet you."
You can't explain it rationally, but you are uneducated, it's really terrible."
[Author's digression]: Readers and friends, if your recommendation votes have not been cast out today and are still in your pocket, please vote for "Iron-blooded and Imperial Guards". Zhainan would like to thank everyone here.