Chapter 17: Losing One's Temper

After staying in the garrison for over an hour, Jin Yue'e left with the four children.

Li Changsen took leave to personally escort them to the city gate.

On the way out of the city, Li Wuya and Li Sanlang remained highly alert, fearing that the two Northern Yan men might reappear.

Fortunately, the journey was safe.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Li Changsen's family saw Mother Li and Li Dalang, who had been waiting on the ox cart for some time.

Li Changsen stepped forward to greet Mother Li.

Mother Li was still angry about the incident at the Queen Mother Temple; her expression was sour, and she didn't offer a single word of concern for Li Changsen, instead immediately asking about his salary.

"You haven't been home for half a year, why didn't you have someone send your salary back? Don't you know the family has been on the verge of starvation these past few months?"

Although Li Changsen had long since given up hope on his parents, facing Mother Li's immediate demand for money without a shred of concern for his safety still left him feeling chilled to the bone.

Ever since he began serving as a soldier in the garrison at thirteen to take his father's place, a recurring illusion had haunted him: that to his parents, he was merely a tool used to secure benefits for the Li family.

They didn't care whether he lived or died; the only thing they cared about was whether he could bring his salary home on time every month.

Was he truly their biological son?

When he was a child, people in the military settlement used to say he wasn't a child of the Li family, which had led to many fights.

As he grew older, such rumors faded, but he himself became increasingly doubtful.

Seeing that Li Changsen remained silent, Mother Li's temper flared. She snapped angrily, "I'm asking you a question! Have you gone mute? With your foolishness, once you hit the battlefield, you'll be killed in a heartbeat by—"

"Mother, what are you saying?!"

Jin Yue'e's voice rang out, sharp and teeth-gritting with fury, cutting Mother Li off mid-sentence.

Mother Li was startled. Once she recovered, she immediately shouted, "Eldest Daughter-in-law, are you trying to summon a ghost?!"

Jin Yue'e's gaze was murderous. "I want to ask Mother: do you even realize what you just said? Is that something a mother should say?"

"At the Queen Mother Temple, you called Wuya and Qilang lowly, and I endured it. But now you are here cursing my husband. What kind of heart do you have? Do you truly wish such ill upon your own son and grandson?"

Their dispute drew the attention of the surrounding crowd.

Those who knew the cause began to cast subtle, knowing glances at Mother Li; many of them were residents of Tianling Settlement.

Mother Li was a bully only within her own home. Seeing everyone watching her, her posture immediately slumped, and she pursed her lips in silence.

Li Changsen looked at Mother Li with irony. He pulled at Jin Yue'e to signal her not to be angry, then spoke: "Mother, the war situation is tight lately, and everyone's salary has been reduced. I truly cannot save enough to assist the family."

Upon hearing this, Mother Li ignored the stares of the onlookers and immediately protested.

However, Li Changsen gave her no chance to speak. "Mother, our family has twenty-five acres of military land, which is ten acres more than an ordinary family. If we are frugal, it is enough to sustain the household. From now on, I will not be bringing my salary home."

"How can that be!" Mother Li cried out in desperation, immediately refuting him.

"With the little grain we have, after paying the military grain tax and setting aside a portion to help your sister's family, how is there enough left for our entire large family to eat?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the onlookers showed expressions of surprise.

The people of Tianling Settlement, however, seemed unfazed; they were well-acquainted with the elders of the Li family's favoritism.

Li Changsen gave a cold smile. "Mother, I am the eldest son. It is one thing to support my second and third brothers' families, but there is no reason for me to support a sister who has already married out."

Without further arguing with Mother Li, Li Changsen and Jin Yue'e gave a few instructions, checked on the four children, and then hurried back to the garrison.

On the way back to the military settlement, Mother Li's face was so dark it could have dripped water.

She never expected that this trip to Xining City would not only fail to yield Li Changsen's salary but would also result in her never receiving any in the future.

Mother Li glared angrily at Jin Yue'e, then at Li Sanlang and the other three.

As expected, she shouldn't have let the eldest son marry and have children in the first place.

No, he still needed to leave an heir so that if he died on the battlefield, his son could continue to sell his life for the Li family.

She shouldn't have intentionally withheld marriage arrangements just to have better control over him, leading him to find the Jin woman and marry her out of loneliness.

If the eldest daughter-in-law had been someone she had chosen, she would have picked someone easy to manipulate, and then the eldest son's entire family would have been in her grasp.

The Jin family were savages from the mountains; they had raised a shrew like Jin to be so fierce and disobedient.

Ever since he married that shrew, the eldest son had become increasingly disobedient, focusing only on his own small family. He truly was an ungrateful wolf.

Mother Li was filled with regret. Had she known that Jin's children would be so detestable, she would have ignored her reputation and never let her into the family.

By nightfall, the Li family group finally arrived home.

"I'm so hungry."

As soon as they entered the house, Li Qilang couldn't help but clutch his stomach and cry out in hunger.

Jin Yue'e quickly said, "Endure it for a little while; Mother will go make something for you right now."

Hearing this, Mother Li immediately interjected, "Eat what? The eldest isn't bringing his salary back anymore. From now on, there will be no food for you all in this house."

Jin Yue'e was enraged. She snapped sharply, "Mother, the family's military land—aside from the five acres belonging to the household, the other twenty acres belong to my husband. During the busy farming season, Sanlang, Erya, and I all work the fields. On what grounds should we be denied our share of the family's food?"

Back in her own home, Mother Li felt emboldened. She stood with her hands on her hips, opening her mouth to berate Jin Yue'e.

Just then, Li Wuya stepped forward with a smile and took Mother Li's hand. With a sudden tug, she pulled Mother Li down until she was bent over, then whispered into her ear

"Grandma, when people live and act, they should leave some room for others. If you leave people no way to live, be careful that they don't block your way first."

"Do you know? Actually, that group of Northern Yan men who hijacked the relay station was poisoned to death by me. Do you know why I stepped forward?"

"Because that group threatened the safety of myself and Third Brother. To live well, I had to kill them first."

"Grandma, if you dare withhold our food, then no one in this family will eat in the future."

Mother Li was fuming and was about to burst into a tirade, but when she met Li Wuya's smiling black eyes, she found herself unable to say a word.

Li Wuya smiled and patted Mother Li's hand. "Grandma, you won't let us go hungry, right?"

Mother Li felt her hair stand on end from the touch. She jerked her hand away with a *whoosh*, looking at Li Wuya with eyes flashing with both shock and fear.

Li Wuya ignored her and called out loudly to Jin Yue'e, "Mother, hurry and cook! Grandma said she won't let us go hungry!"

Jin Yue'e looked at Mother Li, then at Li Wuya.

Her youngest daughter had said something that seemed to have intimidated her mother-in-law!

*Gurgle, gurgle~*

At that moment, Li Qilang's stomach growled.

Hearing this, Jin Yue'e said nothing and went straight into the kitchen.

"So tired. Let's go to our room to rest."

Watching Li Wuya skipping along while pulling Li Qilang back to the east wing, Mother Li's chest heaved unevenly. Her lips moved, but she only managed to mutter, "Eat, eat, eat... all you know is how to eat! You're like a starving ghost reincarnated!"

With that, she returned to the main house with a dark expression.

Father Li, who had come out of the hall after hearing the commotion, glanced at Mother Li and said with some dissatisfaction, "Just settle down and stop constantly picking on the eldest branch. If you truly drive the eldest son's family away from us, what good does it do you?"

Mother Li glared fiercely at Father Li and entered her room without a word.

That brat Wuya was truly something strange!

Clutching the hand that had just been patted, Mother Li felt a chill running down her spine.

In the east wing, Li Wuya and Li Qilang had already taken off their outer clothes and nimbly crawled into their quilts.

Li Sanlang was heating the *kang* bed, while Li Erya was helping her younger siblings fold their clothes.

"Brother, Sister, I don't think Father is Grandfather and Grandmother's biological son." Li Wuya said, huddled in her quilt with only her head peeking out.

Li Sanlang and Li Erya both paused simultaneously. Neither spoke, which served as a silent admission.

Li Wuya continued, "Since he's not their biological son, they naturally won't be good to us. In the future, when we encounter injustice, we shouldn't just endure it."

"Remember, if we can't have a good life, no one else will either!"

Looking at his little sister's puffed-up, fierce expression, Li Sanlang found it somewhat amusing. He couldn't help but pinch her round little face. "No one dares to bully us. If they do, your brother will be the first to refuse."

Li Wuya's eyes curved into crescents as she nodded with a smile.

Perhaps intimidated by Li Wuya, although Mother Li continued to grumble and curse everything daily, she did not withhold food from the eldest branch.

Time flew by, and soon it was New Year's Eve.

On this day, the Li family rarely enjoyed three meals.

Breakfast was no different from usual, but for lunch, a large bowl of braised pig's head meat was added to the table.

As soon as the meat was served, everyone eagerly picked up their chopsticks.

Just then, there was a knock at the courtyard gate.

Immediately after, everyone saw Li Changsen walking in.

In any other family, seeing a son (the eldest brother) return for the New Year would surely bring joy, but the Li family was unusual; not only were they not happy, but their faces actually fell.

"The eldest brother returns at just the right time. Knowing there was meat for lunch, he certainly arrived promptly."

"One more person to fight us for the meat."

Only the members of the eldest branch were overjoyed; they had thought Li Changsen wouldn't be coming home for the New Year this year.

"Father!"

Li Qilang quickly slid off the table and ran toward Li Changsen.

Li Changsen smiled and hugged his son, placing a bag of pastries he was carrying into the east wing before leading the child to sit at the dining table.

Seeing this, Mother Li immediately became displeased. "Eldest, you are increasingly disregarding your father and me. You bought these pastries but didn't offer them to us as a sign of respect. What, do you only have eyes for your wife and children?"

Li Changsen said indifferently, "I am going to the Settlement Chief's house later. Those pastries are intended as gifts."

Hearing this, Father Li finally broke his silence and asked, "What are you going to the Settlement Chief's house for?"

Li Changsen: "Sanlang is ten years old. I have found him a job at the horse ranch. It just so happens that Changsheng, the Settlement Chief's son, is also at the ranch, so I am taking Sanlang there to meet him."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Li family was shocked.

Mother Li had the strongest reaction: "Eldest, a job at the horse ranch is a good position. You should let Dalang go; how old is Sanlang?"

Father Li nodded in agreement. "Yes, Sanlang is still too young. It would be better to let Dalang go."

Li Changsen let out a scoff. "Father, Mother, I used personal favors and connections to finally secure this position. If I don't prioritize my own son and instead give it to my nephew, what kind of logic is that?"

Mother Li's face darkened instantly, and she was about to say something when Father Li stopped her.

Father Li looked at Li Changsen with disapproval. "Eldest, what kind of talk is that? As an uncle, isn't it only natural to find a job for your nephew?"

Li Changsen looked at Father Li with a hollow gaze, feeling a profound sense of desolation in his heart.

In the past, every time his mother favored his second and third brothers, how much he had hoped his father would stand up and speak for him. Unfortunately, he had always remained silent.

Now that he was no longer silent, it was because someone else's grandson was trying to snatch away Sanlang's future.

"Father, Mother, Sanlang's job at the horse ranch is already decided. I am telling you so that you know, not to ask for your opinion."

"If Dalang wants to go to the horse ranch, I won't stop him; it just depends on whether my second brother has the ability."

"It is better to raise one's own son. As an uncle, I cannot steal my second brother's livelihood, can I?"

Mother Li glared at Li Changsen in anger. "Eldest, you are becoming more and more out of line. You only care about your own son and now you won't even listen to your father. Since you are so unfilial, I shall go and have a serious talk with the Settlement Chief."

Li Changsen felt nothing but annoyance, especially when he remembered the Thousand-Household Commander saying that after the New Year, he would be sent to the front lines at Diling Pass. The suppressed resentment in his heart could no longer be contained.

"Mother, regarding this family, I have already done more than enough. I have served nearly twenty years of military duty in Father's place. The dowries and wedding gifts for my second brother, third brother, and little sister—which one of them did I not pay for? Who in this entire military settlement dares say I am unfilial?"

His indifferent tone and resentful expression stunned everyone in the Li family.

"Mother, calling me unfilial... do you even have a heart?"

After saying this, Li Changsen stopped eating and rose directly from the table.

Seeing this, Jin Yue'e hurried after him.

Li Sanlang and Li Erya also followed anxiously.

Li Wuya hesitated for a moment and did not move, but she released her mental strength.

"Qilang, eat the meat."

Li Wuya placed a large piece of marbled pig's head meat into Li Qilang's bowl.

Li Qilang looked at the east wing, then at Li Wuya, and finally decided to eat the meat first.

Big Sister said that when in doubt, one should make the decision most beneficial to oneself.

Father is an adult; children cannot manage adult matters. He should just eat more meat and eat both his and Mother's portions as well.

Li Wuya ate somewhat distractedly. Inside the room, her father did not say much to her mother; he simply mentioned the pastries and took Li Sanlang out of the house.

Father was acting very strangely this time!

Did something happen?

Everything was fine, so why did he suddenly arrange for Brother to go to the horse ranch?

Li Changsen rarely lost his temper, but once he did, no one in the Li family was unafraid of him. Just like this time, when Li Changsen lost his temper, no one even touched the meat on the table.

Li Wuya decisively picked up her bowl and filled it four times, then handed two bowls to Li Qilang before returning to the east wing.

In the room, Jin Yue'e and Li Erya's faces were full of worry. After Li Wuya set her bowls down, she took Li Qilang's hand and went out the door.

"Sister, where are we going?"

"To find Uncle Ye, to see if he has returned."

Ye Mo was in the same garrison as her father; he should know what had happened to him.