Compared to his two sons, Li Wang's focus was evidently different. He clenched his fists, trembling with anger, "How dare they! Li Mancang and Wu Guihua, those wicked people, actually want to marry Yong Ge to a fool!"
When he left, he made it clear that he would sever ties, so how could that family dare? Did they consider him dead?
"Uncle Li, please don't be angry. After all, Yong Ge didn't end up getting married," Zhao Shugen was startled and quickly tried to persuade him.
As he wasn't in the village, he didn't know how dangerous Yong Ge's situation was at that time. If Cheng Duo had been a step slower, and Yong Ge followed those people to the Hong family, after the ceremony, even if he didn't want to acknowledge it, he would have to grit his teeth and accept it.
"That's right, Uncle Li, your family's Yong Ge is experiencing a turn of fortune. If not for this incident, this marriage might not have happened. You don't know, Mister Cheng treats your son really well, like he's the apple of his eye!" Ding Tou was a shrewd person. From Li Wang's previous reaction, he guessed what Cheng Duo had said to others. Li Wang's verbal agreement to the betrothal was probably fake.
It was likely that Cheng Duo and Yong Ge were having private communications, or perhaps Cheng Duo couldn't bear to see Yong Ge being gossiped about and decided spontaneously… But judging from their daily interactions, the truth was probably the former.
He wouldn't say it directly, but he hinted to Li Wang, suggesting that it was his family's Yong Ge who might have been talking privately with Cheng Duo.
Perhaps it was due to Ding Tou's reminder, or maybe it was because the outcome was favorable. Li Wang took a deep breath and finally calmed down. He asked them about the aftermath of the situation.
When he heard that Cheng Duo had taken a firm stance and forced Li Mancang to compensate three mu of land to Yong Ge, Li Wang felt relieved. That family had always looked down on them for being poor, and now they would get a taste of going from feast to famine!
Hearing that Yong Ge received three mu of land, Li Changgui's eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with his eldest brother, Li Changrong. In an instant, they understood each other.
They thought that since the land belonged to the Li family surname, and Yong Ge was already married, he couldn't take the three mu of land along with him, right? So, no matter how they looked at it, the land would eventually belong to them!
At first, they were indeed frightened by Cheng Duo's fierceness. However, after some thought, since Cheng Duo was now their brother-in-law, he couldn't possibly still treat them as if he were just their elder brother.
Uh… Well, it was true that there were some cases in the village where people treated their elder brothers this way, but there were very few instances of treating one's father-in-law like this. After all, it didn't sound good! Besides, since Yong Ge was married, Cheng Duo certainly had to give them a dowry, right?
So, asking for money and land was only natural!
Li Changgui stood up in high spirits and went to the back of the donkey cart to take a look. He found that it was filled with grain, oil, rice, dried meat, and other goods. Although they were not considered precious items, the sheer quantity was impressive!
There were several carts like this, and it must have been worth around fifty or sixty taels of silver. It seemed that Cheng Duo was really wealthy!
What delighted Li Changgui even more was that he saw more than a dozen wine barrels on the last cart. Although he couldn't read the words on the red labels of the wine barrels, he could tell from their appearance alone that this wine was certainly not the cheap stuff found in the streets and alleys!
With wine and meat, Li Changgui felt so elated that he almost jumped up. Unfortunately, just as he was about to speak, his father's next sentence poured cold water over him:
"These things, I can't accept them. Take them all back. Tell Cheng Duo that there's no need to send anything. We're doing fine here; we don't need anything!" Li Wang heard that Cheng Duo sent these gifts through someone's favor and guessed it was a situation similar to the one with that Wei Gongzi. Although Cheng Duo was capable, he didn't want to waste his favor on them. They could still live without it.
Li Changgui and Li Changrong were immediately anxious and were about to speak, but Ding Tou interjected, "Oh, Uncle Li, we can't make decisions about this. We're only responsible for delivering these things, not taking them back!"
They continued speaking kindly, "Please be understanding. It's not easy for us to make this trip. If we can't deliver the goods back, we won't get paid. Look at Zhao Shugen; he has five children, and they rely on his meager monthly income to survive. Can you bear to let them go hungry?"
At this point, the soldiers who initially came to drink the cool tea also understood the situation. Upon hearing that Li Wang had a son-in-law who sent gifts from afar, they changed their attitudes and joined in persuading him:
"Old Li, it turns out you have a son-in-law. It's a filial gesture for him to send food and drinks. Just accept it."
"That's right. If you can't finish the wine, just treat us, and we'll pay for it."
One of the soldiers picked up a wine barrel and said, "Wow, this is good wine!"
"It certainly is. This is Xie Ji's Pickled Flower Wine, worth two taels of silver per barrel. Ordinary people can hardly afford it," said the leading escort with pride.
He also didn't want to return the four donkey carts as they were. That way, they wouldn't be able to complete the task assigned by the young master, and it would waste a lot of time on the return trip. So, he also joined in persuading, "Old man, your son-in-law has good intentions. You should accept it."
"These carts are all filled with good stuff!"
"That's right. In this remote place of Yu Fang Mountain, even if you have money, there's nowhere to buy these things…"
Everyone around him spoke kindly to Li Wang, and he had never been so valued before. Although he tried to restrain himself, he couldn't hide his excitement, and his face turned red.
Everyone has vanity, and Li Wang was no exception. Moreover, he was a kind person who didn't like to trouble others. Ding Tou's words had already made him hesitate, and now, as everyone asked him to accept, his attitude gradually softened.
Seeing an opportunity, Ding Tou quickly said, "Thanks, Escort Xie. Everyone is tired from this trip, so let's not stand under the scorching sun. Zhao Shugen, drive the carts under the shade of the trees!"
Zhao Shugen and the other laborers immediately agreed.
Ding Tou then winked at Li Wang and said, "Uncle Li, do you have iced tea in your stall? How about you serve some for everyone?"
Li Wang quickly responded, "Yes, yes, it's iced tea. Come and take a rest; I'll treat you all to some iced tea!"
This time, Li Changgui didn't need Li Wang to call him. He took the initiative to join the group of people serving tea and water. Li Changrong was also excited, thinking that their good days were secured!
Li Wang probably sensed something, so he didn't say anything during the day. But as night fell and Ding Tou and others had drunk and fallen asleep, he called his two sons out.
"Changgui, bring your brother out. I have something to tell you both."
Li Changgui would kneel down in front of his father if he could. Without hesitation, he agreed. He had drunk some wine at night, and even the injured Li Changrong couldn't resist having some.
But they were not drunk. After all, there were so many people from the escort team, and not only did their father hesitate to open two more barrels of wine, they also hesitated to let others drink it all.
"Dad, what's the matter?" The three of them went to a small grove not far away. As soon as Li Changgui put down his brother, he couldn't wait and asked.
Li Wang pondered for a moment, "It's about Yong Ge's background."
Li Changrong immediately had a bad feeling and quickly said, "Dad, what background? He is our blood brother!"
Li Changgui also nodded, "Yes, Dad, are you confused? Don't say random things!"
These two brothers used to resent Yong Ge, thinking that their father had betrayed their mother and favored Yong Ge. At this moment, they heard what Li Wang implied and wished he wouldn't say it.
"Dad, there's no need. I'll carry my brother back now. It's late at night, and it could be troublesome if we encounter a snake…" Li Changgui turned around and wanted to carry his brother away.
Li Wang's face turned cold, "Whether you want to hear it or not, I have to say it. Before I left, I already told Yong Ge that he is not my biological child!"
"What? You told him?" Both brothers exclaimed in unison, disappointment evident on their faces. Li Changgui even blamed their father repeatedly, "Hey, Dad, how could you say that?"
"Not only did I tell him, but I also said he doesn't owe me anything for raising him because my life was saved by his mother!" Li Wang clenched his fists, "I am not afraid to tell you the truth. Your grandmother stole the money left by Yong Ge's mother for him. Your uncle and aunt forced Yong Ge to marry the fool. And both of you bullied him from a young age, never letting him eat a decent meal… He has never owed our family anything!"
Li Changrong and Li Changgui were both bewildered by their father's words. It didn't make sense to them. But when they thought about how they treated Yong Ge, they exchanged guilty glances, feeling somewhat uneasy.
In all honesty, no matter how fierce Cheng Duo was, as long as their father and Yong Ge stood by their side, they could benefit from it through theft or deceit even if they didn't dare to confront him directly.
Unfortunately, both these people had disappointed them, especially their father. He urgently told them about Yong Ge's background. Why else would he do that?
Thinking about the small benefits they had just gained and that they wouldn't have them in the future, Li Changrong and Li Changgui couldn't help feeling dissatisfied with Li Wang. After all, no matter if Yong Ge was his child or not, he only cared for him.
Why wouldn't he care for them too? They were both in their twenties, and neither had settled down or found wives.
Li Wang noticed their dissatisfaction, "What I said is true. When you two were just born, I was captured by barbarians, and it was Yong Ge's mother who saved me…"
He sighed and recounted the events of the past. Then he looked at them, "You've seen what life is like for children without their real fathers in the village. You always complain about me favoring Yong Ge, but you don't know that even if you had your mother… If I died on the battlefield, with Li Mancang and Wu Guihua's characters, they would find an excuse to take over the house and land. You would have starved to death long ago. Can you still blame this and that now?"
Li Changrong and Li Changgui both turned pale. They knew what Li Wang said was likely to happen.
Li Mancang and Wu Guihua were capable of doing anything, even fooling Yong Ge and forcing him to marry a fool. If they weren't desperate, what were they? They were just kids. How could they stand against adults?
As Li Wang mentioned that Yong Ge's mother entrusted him with Yong Ge, but he was robbed of the money by his grandmother. Li Changrong and Li Changgui felt sorry for the money but also found their father's way of repaying Yong Ge… not so righteous.
If Yong Ge's mother was still in the world and found out about how they treated her son, they would deserve punishment, and it wouldn't be any different from retaliation for kindness.
They didn't know what Yong Ge would think after hearing all this. But if they were treated like that, they wouldn't let it go without revenge when they left, let alone sending gifts to their father…
By the way, since Yong Ge was willing to send gifts to their father, it should mean that he didn't hold grudges, right?
Just as Li Changgui raised some hope, Li Wang said, "Yong Ge is magnanimous, but it doesn't mean his master won't seek revenge for him. Cheng Duo is sending gifts now because he still doesn't know about these things. What do you think will happen once he finds out?"
Li Changrong and Li Changgui shivered at the thought. What else could happen? They would definitely be beaten again!
Cheng Duo was strong, and he picked on the painful spots when he hit. They were severely beaten with just a couple of sentences. If they truly offended him, they wouldn't get away with it.
"Dad, please, don't say anything!" Both brothers pleaded in fear.
Their father was too ruthless; he might just go to Cheng Duo to settle the score with them.
And Yong Ge, they must make it up to him when they got back!