Call Me the Mother of Quick Transmigration

by Usui Takumii

not mine, from bubble tea translations.wordpress.

17. 161 to 170

Chapter 161 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (part 16)

Xue Gang and Lu Wei no longer held any hopes for this trip up the mountain. They would visit the mountains and rivers. Although Qiaojia Village was small and the economy was dated, the scenery was really good.

They walked up the mountain. Li Su took them along the road where she discovered the ginseng, but she knew that the time she found it was probably a coincidence. After that, she had walked countless times and did not see a single ginseng.

However, Li Su saw that the two men didn't look like they came here to find ginseng, but more like they came here to play in the mountains and rivers. They stopped from time to time to learn about the plants on the ground with the two boys.

Seeing their relaxed and happy attitude, Li Su calmed down and began to slowly appreciate the scenery. Only then did she realise that the scenery here was good. In the past, she had always come to the mountains for a purpose and was seldom able to just slow down and enjoy the scenery.

Li Su looked around and her eyes widened suddenly. "Stop walking!" Then, she quickly picked up a rock from the ground and threw it at Lu Wei.

Lu Wei trusted Li Su's character and did not move.

In an instant, Xue Gang saw a green snake aiming for the back of Lu Wei's head on a tree just a handspan away from Lu Wei.

Xue Gang subconsciously took a step back. He hugged the 2 children.

At that moment, the rock Li Su threw hit the snake. The snake fell from the tree and quickly slithered away into the grass.

Xue Gang broke out in a cold sweat. The snake was poisonous. If Old Lu had been bitten by a snake, then the consequences would be disastrous. There was no hospital in this village. It would take more than an hour to go to the county and even then, he didn't know if the county hospital had an antidote.

"Let's hurry down the mountain!" Xue Gang was still in shock. "Old Lu, you don't know how dangerous it was just now. The snake was only a handspan away from you. It would have bitten you!"

Lu Wei looked over at Li Su. "Thank you!"

Li Su waved her hands. "Let's hurry down the mountain!" She didn't know what to say. She had gone up the mountain many times and she had never encountered a poisonous snake.

The group hurried down the mountain. Xue Gang broke out in cold sweat. He was naturally obsessed with cleanliness and felt a little uncomfortable. He wanted to go back to the hotel to take a shower, so he dragged Xue Chao'an. Xue Chao'an was reluctant to leave and wanted to play with younger sister. They went back to the county first.

In the car, Xue Gang saw that Lu Wei, who was driving, was silent. "Didn't you want to find a good reason before? Isn't this a good reason now? It was a life-saving grace!" Xue Gang joked.

Lu Wei glanced at him and Xue Gang shut up. However, Lu Wei felt that what Xue Gang said was right. He was still worried about how to convince Li Su to accept his kindness. Now he had a reason.

When Li Su returned, third auntie was chatting to Madam Qiao in the yard. Third auntie was a little surprised when she saw Li Su come back. "Didn't you go to the mountain? Why did you come back?"

Before Li Su could speak, Qiao Zhi shouted first. "We came across a snake in the mountains! Green!"

Third auntie's expression changed. "Oh my god, don't tell me you encountered a green bamboo snake? Did you get hurt?"

Li Su shook her head. "Nobody was hurt, just shocked."

Third auntie was relieved. "Since you are back, then I will return. I have to wake up Dashan and the others. I will let them know to be careful when they go up the mountain during this time." Third auntie took a few steps before pausing, as if remembering something. When she couldn't think of anything, she finally left.

"Okay, third auntie should walk slowly." Li Su was also a little frightened. She sat on the stool to rest.

Madam Qiao saw that she didn't speak. "Were you scared? You were lucky that you hadn't encountered these before. Although the mountains have good things, it is dangerous. You won't be so lucky every time."

Li Su laughed. Before today, she really didn't think there were any dangers in the mountains. Now, it seemed that she really had the heroine halo!

Li Su soon discovered that her heroine halo was more than that.

"What did you say? Li Su couldn't help but stand up.

"It's like this. In order to repay you for the life-saving grace, we arranged for you to be a teacher in the county elementary school. Of course, you will be an official teacher. We also rented a house for you near the county elementary school and have paid the rent for the first half of the year. You will need to pay the rest," said Xue Gang.

This is what he and Lu Wei had decided on after discussion. He was afraid that if it was too much, Li Su wouldn't accept it.

The corners of Li Su's mouth twitched slightly. Helping him drive away a snake could barely be regarded as a life-saving grace. But, this incident happened yesterday. They came here today to tell her that they had arranged work for her in order to repay her? Wasn't this too fast?

Lu Wei looked at Li Su. "I know you don't want to accept my help, but you have to think about your two children. The educational resources are better in the county, so it will be more beneficial for them. When Xuechen gets older, can you still take her to school when she's running all over the place? If you move to the county, you can send her to a nursery. This is safer and leaves you with less worries."

Li Su had thought about what Lu Wei said, but there were no requirements. "Let me think about it!"

Lu Wei nodded. "I know that you are an independent person and you don't want to accept too much help from others. Before, your second older sister sent you something and you tried everything to pay her back. We are relatives, so I really want to help you. I hope you won't easily reject our kindness."

Li Su laughed. If it was just help between family, then she had nothing to fear. But, things weren't that simple. Whether it was the Li family or the Lu family, she didn't want to provoke them. She didn't want to have anything to do with these people.

After Lu Wei and Xue Gang left, Li Su told Madam Qiao about it. She didn't want to go. She thought that Madam Qiao would approve of her decision as Madam Qiao was against moving to the county when she had proposed it before.

But, Li Su did not expect Madam Qiao to agree.

Madam Qiao seemed to have expected Li Su's reaction. "Is it that strange that I would agree?"

Li Su laughed. "Yes, mother. I said that I wanted to move to the county before, but you refused."

"Before, you planned on quitting your job and going into business. It was a precarious situation, so I refused. Now that they have arranged work for you, and your salary will increase a lot, why wouldn't you want to go?!"

"Mother, aren't you worried?" Li Su couldn't help but ask.

"Are you saying that you will owe them something? It shouldn't be a big deal. After all, you saved his life." Madam Qiao was not the kind of person who was used to taking advantage of people, so her words came out a bit awkward. "These are small things. As long as you are good to Big Zhi and Xuechen, then it's fine."

As long as she cared for her grandson and granddaughter, Madam Qiao could temporarily abandon her morals.

Li Su was also silent. What Madam Qiao understood, she could also understand. "Okay, then let's go!" Wasn't it just a favour? She could pay it back in the future. Besides, what Madam Qiao said was right. She did save his life.

Finally, Li Su agreed.

Lu Wei and Xue Gang were very happy. Qiao Zhi was also happy to learn that his family was going to move to the county. Only Xue Chao'an was unhappy because after helping Aunt Li move, they were going to go home.

Li Su had been transferred. The principal was a little unhappy. Li Su had this relationship but didn't mention it. Their family took care of her so much. Now that she had benefited, she had forgotten about everyone.

Li Su saw this, but didn't take it seriously. She remembered who had been good to her. Besides, with her current situation, she should take care of herself first.

Before moving out, Li Su spent a lot of money for a banquet at home. The village chief, Dashan's family, and a few good neighbours who usually took care of her were invited to her house. Li Su toasted everyone one-by-one and thanked everyone for their care over the past few years. Her words and attitude were sincere. The dishes on the table were very rich. It was obvious Li Su had put a lot of thought into it and everyone felt comfortable.

In fact, people were very strange. When unfortunate things happened to Li Su's family before and they had difficult days, everyone sympathised with her and were willing to help her.

But when they found out that Li Su's family weren't as miserable as they imagined and were actually more prosperous, they felt a little uncomfortable. This feeling only grew when they learned that Li Su's family were about to move to the county town.

This feeling was one of when you discovered that a person, who wasn't as good as you in the past, suddenly surpasses you in a way that you couldn't match.

They would feel cheated. They would also feel like their goodwill had been betrayed.

Li Su understood their hearts. She would not have cared about them originally. It was just that the Qiao family's ancestral grave was still here and it needed to be taken care of by the villagers. So, LI Su still wanted to maintain a good relationship with everyone.

After the meal, everyone resumed their previous affectionate relationship. Third auntie patted her chest and said that she would help them take care of the old house and take care of Aiguo and his father's graves.

Li Su smiled and sent people away one-by-one. After she closed the door, she felt a little tired. No matter what world she was in, human relationships were difficult.

"Tired today?"

While Li Su was squatting on the ground and washing dishes, Madam Qiao came out and asked her this.

"Ah? I'm not. Mother, it's getting late. You should go to bed," said Li Su.

Madam Qiao sighed. "Actually, you can ignore them." She didn't have to worry so much about maintaining good relationships between neighbours. She had done a good job already.

Madam Qiao felt a little uncomfortable.

Li Su smiled. "It's okay. It's not as if we won't come back in the future. We will come back during school holidays. It is good to have a good relationship with the villagers." She could leave here with her children without regrets, but Madam Qiao couldn't.

If it was before, then Li Su wouldn't care much about Madam Qiao's opinion. But, since she had transmigrated, then she should integrate into the world.

This might also be a kind of growth. She was no longer obsessed with completing her tasks. She would try to integrate into the world and live seriously

Chapter 162 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (part 17)

After Li Su's family moved to the county town, life gradually entered a normal state. Qiao Zhi was not yet old enough to go to elementary school, so Li Su sent him to a pre-school. Xuechen was sent to a nursery. In the end, only Madam Qiao was left, but Li Su was still worried.

Madam Qiao was used to the old house in the countryside, so even if she couldn't see, it didn't affect her actions. But, this was a new environment. Madam Qiao wasn't familiar with everything, so she didn't dare to move. Although she could listen to the radio to relieve her boredom, she couldn't just sit there the whole day without moving!

When Li Su saw this, she wanted to invite someone to take care of Madam Qiao. The county primary school had more students and she had more work. It paid great attention to teaching quality and performance, so Li Su didn't have as much time as before. It was better to ask someone to come in.

It was just that Li Su couldn't find a suitable candidate for a while.

After thinking about it, Li Su remembered the auntie whose son worked in the grain and oil store she visited before. She was a local, so she may know some suitable candidates.

Li Su told Madam Qiao that she was going to the grain and oil store. She then found the auntie.

"You want someone to take care of your mother-in-law?" The auntie's surname was Fang, and she was warm-hearted.

"Yes, I have transferred to the county elementary school to teach. My children are easy to handle. I can send them to the pre-school and nursery, and pick them up when the time comes. My mother-in-law can't see, so if I leave her at home alone, I will worry. Therefore, I thought of finding someone to take care of my mother-in-law. I don't need them to do anything else. I will prepare three meals. They just need to take care of my mother-in-law and talk to her. If they have time to go out with her, then it would be even better. If I am too busy, it would be good if they could help me pick up the child. I will pay them ten yuan a month. I don't know anyone else in the county, just you, auntie. You are a warm-hearted person, so I can rest assured if you introduce a person!" Li Su said with a smile.

Auntie Fang was a little moved when she heard Li Su's words. Ten yuan a month wasn't a bad amount. Besides, it didn't sound like a tiring job. "Big sister, what do you think about me?"

"You? Of course you're fine! But, auntie, don't you have to look after your grandchildren?" Li Su was a little puzzled. Auntie Fang didn't look like she lacked money.

Auntie Fang sighed and pulled Li Su out of the oil and grain store. "You don't know this, but I used to help my second daughter-in-law with her grandson. My eldest daughter-in-law and third daughter-in-law weren't happy and felt like I was playing favourites. They came here and made trouble. In a fit of rage, I ended up not doing it for any of them. But, without my grandson, I am quite bored at home. I just want to find something to do. Besides, I can see it clearly. No matter how filial my son is, once he gets married, his filial piety will be less. I still need to save more money for retirement. Girl, just tell me, is it okay?"

"Okay!" said Li Su with a smile. "As long as you don't mind it, auntie. I'll be happy."

"We might as well do this now. Take me to your place so I can get acquainted with the environment," Auntie Fang said with a smile.

Li Su smiled and took Auntie Fang back home. Auntie Fang and Madam Qiao hit it off and were very compatible. Madam Qiao didn't express any objections to Li Su's behaviour of paying people. Maybe she was actually afraid. After all, it was a strange place and a strange environment.

Li Su took Auntie Fang to the pre-school and the nursery to show her the way. Auntie Fang fell in love with Qiao Zhi and Xuechen as soon as she saw them, especially Xuechen. She didn't let go of Xuechen. "Oh, is this your daughter? She's really likeable!"

Li Su smiled. Compared to her, Xuechen was obviously more lovable. Among the people she had met, there was nobody who disliked Xuechen. In the nursery, Xuechen was the one who was liked the most by the aunties. She was held by the aunties every day, so she was the cleanest and most beautiful one in the nursery.

Over there, Lu Wei and Xue Gang saw that Li Su had almost settled in, so they set off to return.

On the way, Lu Wei and Xue Gang discussed the matter of helping Li Su's work transfer. They wouldn't talk about it publicly.

Li Shu waited at the door with her daughter in her arms since she knew that Lu Wei would be returning today.

Lu Wei got out of the car. When he saw this, he frowned, dissatisfied. "Why are you standing here holding Mingzhu? What if you catch a cold?"

Li Shu disagreed. "Weren't you coming back today? Mingzhu missed her father." She then walked over to Lu Wei and handed Mingzhu to Lu Wei.

Lu Wei touched his daughter's hand, which was not covered. It was a little cold, so he hugged his daughter in dissatisfaction. "Hurry in."

However, Li Shu saw Xue Gang and his son alight the car. "Big brother Xue, Chao'an, you have returned as well. Chao'an, do you want to see your younger sister? She is very pretty!"

Xue Chao'an thought about it for a while, and followed. After he entered the room, he leaned on Uncle Lu and looked at Mingzhu. He was a little disappointed. She was pretty?

Xue Gang was afraid that his son would say something unpleasant, so he quickly hugged his son. "Old Lu, our family is also waiting. We will head back first. We can talk later."

He took Xue Chao'an and left.

After leaving the gate of the Lu house, Xue Chao'an said, "Dad, why didn't you let me speak just now? Younger sister Mingzhu is not as pretty as younger sister Xuechen."

Xue Gang rolled his eyes. In fact, he also thought that Mingzhu wasn't as pretty as Xuechen, but… "Son, you must learn that some things aren't appropriate to say in some situations."

Xue Chao'an understood this point. "I understand. Women would get jealous, right?"

Xue Gang smiled and said, "My son is awesome!"

In the Lu family, Li Shu was still wondering. "Didn't Chao'an like Mingzhu a lot before?" Ever since Lu Mingzhu was born, Li Shu had been looking for a good match. She finally chose Xue Chao'an to be her son-in-law. Li Shu thought it would be good to let Xue Chao'an come to the Lu family to play more so they could be childhood sweethearts.

Lu Wei was expressionless. It wasn't that he didn't know of Li Shu's plan, but he just didn't take it seriously. How old was Mingzhu? The future would take its course. Mingzhu was his daughter, why should he worry if nobody wanted her? If nobody wanted her, then he would be happy to support her for the rest of his life.

"By the way, where did you go to play this time? You were gone for a while. I hoped you and Mingzhu could spend more time together, but you weren't willing," Li Shu complained.

Lu Wei frowned. "Mingzhu's health isn't good. She is so small. How could I take her out of the house?"

Seeing that nobody was around, Li Shu leaned close to Lu Wei and said, "Old Lu, I don't believe you don't know what I am thinking. In the whole compound, I took a fancy to Chao'an. What do you think of Chao'an? This child has been brought up well and our two families are considered a good match. I thought of letting the two children have more contact with each other and slowly develop their feelings."

Lu Wei frowned. "Mingzhu is still young. We can talk about this later."

Li Shu didn't care either. Since her daughter was born, she had backing and was no longer as cautious as before. "By the way, mother asked you to come over for dinner in the evening and said that she had something to tell you."

Lu Wei got a little impatient. "I have something else to do at night. Go back by yourself!" Just as his daughter was about to go to sleep, Lu Wei got up and carried his daughter upstairs.

"My parents kindly invited you to dinner. What is the meaning of this?" Li Shu said loudly.

Lu Mingzhu, who was about to fall asleep, was startled by the sudden sound. She cried out like a small kitten.

Lu Wei couldn't help but get angry, but he was afraid of scaring his daughter. When the nanny came over, he quickly handed his daughter to her. "Mingzhu is sleepy. Take her upstairs to sleep!"

When the nanny took his daughter away, he turned around and looked at Li Shu coldly. "Is it really just for a meal? Is it about your eldest brother causing trouble again and wants me to clean up after him? Can you guys stop?!"

Li Shu's expression was a little unnatural, but she quickly became assertive. "Didn't you say it yourself? Relatives should help each other."

"Hmph." Lu Wei snorted coldly. He didn't want to argue with Li Shu any longer.

Li Shu thought that Lu Wei was showing weakness, so she continued. "As the saying goes, a son-in-law is half their child. What is wrong with my parents asking you for help? They're not outsiders!"

Lu Wei gave Li Shu a cold look. "I don't want to argue with you any more about this issue. You tell mother-in-law and father-in-law that eldest brother-in-law caused this mess himself so he should clean it up himself. I have already done enough. In the future, the Li family's affairs have nothing to do with me."

Li Shu suddenly panicked. "No, you can't ignore eldest brother's matters." Perhaps she knew that her previous attitude was too tough. Li Shu said softly, "No matter what, he is my eldest brother and Mingzhu's uncle. You can't let Mingzhu have an uncle who is in prison! Eldest brother is still at the police station, so he has to be released first! He really knows he was in the wrong this time."

"Mingzhu's uncle? Maybe I should cut off this relative for Mingzhu's sake so they won't drag Mingzhu down!"

Li Shu was stunned when she saw that Lu Wei didn't seem to be joking. She never thought that Lu Wei would treat her like this, especially after giving birth to Mingzhu. Mingzhu, as the name suggested, was the jewel in the entire Lu family. Since she had Mingzhu, she had nothing to be afraid of anymore. Her position in the Lu family was very stable.

But now Lu Wei said such words! Li Shu couldn't react for a while.

Lu Wei turned around and went upstairs. At the entrance of the stairs on the second floor, he saw Mother Lu. Mother Lu gestured to him, and they went into the study to speak.

"What is going on?" Mother Lu knew her son very well. In fact, she had known that Li Shu had always been like this, but knew how to hide it before. Since Li Shu gave birth to Mingzhu, she had become more daring because she felt supported. It was just that Lu Wei could tolerate it before, but now he couldn't.

Lu Wei respected and trusted Mother Lu a lot. His father left early on, and his mother raised 5 children safely and cultivated them to be adults. There was no doubt about Mother Lu's ability and wisdom in life.

Chapter 163 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (part 18)

Lu Wei told Mother Lu about Li Su, emphasising Li Su saving his life. He also mentioned a bit about helping her transfer jobs.

Mother Lu took a deep breath. "You have done a good job in showing your gratitude."

Lu Wei said sullenly, "I don't understand. They are siblings. Why is there such a big difference?" His mother- and father-in-law couldn't wait to give everything to Lǐ Wēi and Li Wei1. If Li Shu hadn't gotten married, then her fate would be similar to Li Su's. Why were there such parents in the world?

Mother Lu frowned. She didn't understand what her in-laws were thinking. They were university lecturers, so they had received higher education. There should be no feudal ideology of favouring sons over daughters. But, their words and actions proved that they still clung to those beliefs. "This is also human nature. Do you really not plan on taking care of Mingzhu's uncle's issue?"

"I married their daughter. Is the whole Li family my problem? Li Wei is fine. He is with the reasonable Yue family and is managed by his wife. But, Lǐ Wēi2! He is too daring. Not only did he embezzle public funds, but he also dared to beat people!" Lu We got angry when he remembered it. He paced back and forth in the room.

Mother Lu was also very impatient when she remembered the Li family's mess. "I can't let it go any longer. They must be punished, otherwise, there may be more problems in the future! Although family needs to help each other, they also need to make clear distinctions! If you want to help the third sister of the Li family, then that's fine. But, Lǐ Wēi should not be helped!" If her daughter-in-law had not given birth to a granddaughter for the Lu family, then she would want her son to divorce Li Shu to save them from future troubles.

"I think so too. This time, I won't intervene. In the future, what happens to the Li family has nothing to do with me." Lu Wei used to tolerate the Li family. He felt that relatives should help each other, and he also thought Li Shu was 'that person'. But, he now knew that he was wrong. Although he was wrong, he never thought about divorcing Li Shu, but he couldn't deny that his tolerance for Li Shu and the Li family was much lower.

Mother Lu nodded. "It is good that you think like that."

Li Shu was afraid when she saw that Lu Wei was really angry. She went back to her parent's place alone.

At the Li family, Mother Li and the eldest daughter-in-law, Du Qiao, had cooked a table full of food and were anxiously waiting for Li Shu and Lu Wei to arrive.

Li Wei and his wife, Qian Li, were sitting next to each other with their children in their arms. They weren't sad like the rest of the Li family, but were talking and laughing.

Du Qiao was about to go crazy. She saw that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law still had the heart to tease their children, she said, "Some people are just heartless. When such a big thing happened at home, they can still have the heart to joke."

Qian Li sneered. "Eldest brother got himself into that mess. Eldest sister-in-law should be worried. My younger sister-in-law should not cause trouble. I am afraid of being gossiped about."

"You!" Du Qiao said angrily.

"Okay, stop talking!" Father Li was displeased.

"Grandpa, second uncle's car is coming!" Li Wei's eldest son shouted.

Mother Li quickly came out of the kitchen. She took off her apron and wiped her hands. "What are you doing? Hurry up and make the tea!"

Du Qiao was taking the opportunity to educate her two children. "When second uncle comes, you should kowtow to him and ask him to save your father!"

The two children nodded. They had practiced this at home many times.

Next to them, Qian Li had disgust all over her face. She quietly pinched Li Wei's waist. "Let me warn you, you are not allowed to learn from your eldest brother. If you dare make our son go through such embarrassment, then I will chop you up!"

Li Wei quickly begged for mercy. "I wouldn't dare! With Lili here, I wouldn't dare to, not if I had all the courage in the world." If anyone asked him, he would say that his eldest brother was too outrageous. Not only did he embezzle public funds but he also dared to beat people. The one he beat up was still in hospital.

Qian Li then let go of him and looked at everyone in the room with disgust. This family was full of self-righteous fools. Fortunately, Li Wei was not like them.

Mother Li opened the door diligently only to see Li Shu alone. She leaned out a little to check outside. She confirmed that it was just her daughter who came back.

"What happened? Why didn't son-in-law come back with you for dinner? Why did you come back alone? Where is son-in-law?" Mother Li asked.

Li Shu threw her bag on the table impatiently. "Don't talk about it! Old Lu already knows about eldest brother. I don't know which wicked person told him! Old Lu was angry. Not only did he refuse to come, he also said that he will no longer take care of eldest brother's affairs and no longer take care of it in the future."

Mother and Father Li's faces turned ashen. Du Qiao suddenly fell off the stool. "He won't? How can this be! Second younger sister, you can't ignore your eldest brother. Your eldest brother is still at the police station. Now the company wants to prosecute him and ask him to get the money back. If he fails to pay, then he will go to jail."

"Then you just have to pay back the money!" Li Shu said impatiently. "Is eldest brother so short on money? He embezzled public funds and dared to beat people. Do you know that, because of this incident, I have no face? If it weren't for Mingzhu, I would have been implicated by him."

Mother Li suddenly remembered. "Yes, Mingzhu! Second girl, your eldest brother is Mingzhu's uncle. The Lu family can't let Mingzhu have an uncle who has been in prison! Go back and beg son-in-law and your in-laws! Get them to save your eldest brother!"

Li Shu snorted coldly. "Let me ask you this first. What happened to the money eldest brother embezzled?"

Mother Li was speechless. Du Qiao's eyes were red. "One hundred thousand yuan is all lost!"

"He lost one hundred thousand?! Is he crazy?! Who does he think he is? Who gave him such courage?!" Li Shu's fiery mind calmed down. She only knew that eldest brother had embezzled public funds, but didn't know exactly how much. One hundred thousand yuan was not a small sum! She stood up abruptly, turned around, and walked out.

Li Shu wasn't stupid. She just enjoyed the feeling that her parents and siblings, who had ignored her in the past, were now surrounding her. It made her feel like she was the person with the highest status in the family. She was now addicted to that feeling. Now, she found out that she was wrong, so very wrong.

Her indulgence towards them made them increasingly courageous. Such a stupid and ignorant family will drag her down sooner or later. No, they were already dragging her down. She had to cut her losses!

Li Shu thought of Lu Wei's icy gaze and she felt cold all over. What the hell was she doing?! She finally got what she wanted today. Should she really sacrifice for these idiots? For what? The Li family has benefitted from her enough already!

"Second girl, what are you doing?" Mother Li quickly stopped her.

"What else can I do but go home?!" Li Shu pushed Mother Li's hand away and continued to walk towards the door.

"Second younger sister, you can't go. You have to save your eldest brother. He is your eldest brother!" Du Qiao quickly stopped Li Shu and winked at her sons. "Li Qi, Li Lin, hurry and ask your second aunt to save your father! Hurry!"

The two children reacted, and knelt in front of Li Shu. They each hugged a leg and started to cry.

Li Shu was caught off guard. She tripped and fell to the ground. All of a sudden, she felt a pain in her lower abdomen. She remembered something. Her face was pale. She gritted her teeth and roared, "Get lost!"

"Child, how can you talk like that to your nephews? They are still children!" Mother Li was a little unhappy when she heard Li Shu speak like this.

It was Qian Li who saw that something was wrong. She stood up and went over. "Second older sister is afraid of a miscarriage."

At this time, Mother Li saw blood stains on Li Shu's skirt, and her expression changed greatly.

After some trouble, Lu Wei went to see Li Shu, who was still unconscious after the operation. The rest of the Li family was in the hospital ward.

When Mother and Father Li saw Lu Wei, they were a little embarrassed. "It was our fault. We didn't pay attention to the water on the ground. Li Shu accidentally stepped on it and slipped."

Lu Wei was expressionless. "It's enough to have me here. Mother- and father-in-law should return!"

Du Qiao didn't care about this. "Brother-in-law, I'm begging you. Think of a way to let Lǐ Wēi out! I'm begging you!"

Lu Wei gave her a cold look. He then looked at Mother and Father Li, who were silent. "Mother-in-law, father-in-law, should I help with this?"

Upon hearing this, Mother Li ignored Father Li's attempt at stopping her and said, "We are all family. Those who can help should naturally. A-Wēi really knows he was wrong and won't dare to do it next time."

"Don't even think about it! Old Lu, don't help!" Li Shu said weakly, but fiercely from behind him.

Lu Wei turned around. "You're awake!"

"I'm sorry, Old Lu!" Li Shu burst into tears before he could say a word. "I didn't know that eldest brother had so much courage. I had no idea! I know that I'm wrong and was punished. Can you forgive me? Can you forgive me for Mingzhu's sake?"

When Lu Wei saw Li Shu's pitiful appearance, he saw that she really repented. He heard her mention their daughter and sighed. He took her hand and patted her. "There is no need to talk about forgiveness between husband and wife."

A stone in Li Shu's heart disappeared. She leaned against Lu Wei and stopped talking.

Mother Li's eyes widened. "Second girl, are you confused? How can you say such a thing? That's your eldest brother!"

"Yes, he is my eldest brother. But, before he did all of this, did he even think about me at all? How did he get his job? Old Lu found it for him, he then embezzled public funds and beat people. Had he ever thought how these things would affect Old Lu and I? Had he thought about it? No!" Li Shu roared. "He only knows how to use Old Lu's power to cause trouble. How do you want Old Lu to help him? How can I have a family like this?! If you continue to force me, I will publish an article in the newspaper tomorrow to break away from you!"

Mother Li's chest heaved violently. "I think your…" Before she could continue, she saw Lu Wei's expressionless face. She suddenly realised that her second daughter was now Madam Lu and not the daughter she used to trample all over.

"Li Shu needs to rest. Mother- and father-in-law should leave first." Lu Wei decided to change Li Shu's hospital when the Li family left.

1.(李威 and 李偉) Different characters for the name 'Wei'. The Wei is also pronounced differently. The first one is Wēi and the second one is Wěi. ↩

2.(李威) Lǐ Wēi. From here on, I will denote the guy who embezzled money and beat people as Lǐ Wēi, while the one who is not in prison will just be Li Wei to make things a little easier. ↩

Chapter 164 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (part 19)

Li Shu and Lu Wei didn't really intervene in Lǐ Wēi's matters.

Mother and Father Li did their best for their son's sake. They sold their property and put the money together. They managed to get 100,000 yuan and returned the money. In the end, Lǐ Wēi was sentenced to 6 years in prison for embezzlement.

After Mother Li and Du Qiao heard the verdict, they fainted in the court. Lǐ Wēi was grief-stricken. He thought that it wasn't a big deal. It was just 100,000 yuan, and his brother-in-law could deal with it. He didn't expect that things would end up like this.

He was going to prison! He was really going to prison!

"Mum, dad, I don't want to go to prison! I really don't want to go to prison! Mum, help me!" Lǐ Wēi shouted in agitation. He was finally taken away by the police in the court.

Mother Li woke up slowly and happened to hear her son's words. She felt like she was about to die from heartache. "Second girl is so cruel. If I had known this would happen earlier, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to marry her in the first place. If I had persisted, then third girl would have changed her mind. Third girl is more obedient than second girl."

Father Li supported Mother Li. He felt the same heartache and helplessness. "What's the use of talking about this now? It is our fault that we gave birth to such a black-hearted daughter."

Qian Li sat next to them in disgust. Her mother-and father-in-law were so shameless! Wait, there seemed to be someone missing. "Where is eldest sister-in-law?"

Qian Li's words made Mother and Father Li realise that Du Qiao, who had been sitting next to them, was now gone.

Qian Li frowned. "It shouldn't be that eldest sister-in-law went to second older sister's place to make trouble? Li Wei, what are you doing? Hurry up and chase her. Don't let my eldest sister-in-law be confused! She can't have gone far. Hurry and bring her back!" Qian Li slapped Li Wei on the back and Li Wei exited quickly.

Mother Li was furious when she saw Qian Li's demeanour. "You! What are you doing?!"

"Mum, dad, don't be confused like eldest sister-in-law! Do you think that second older sister is the same as before? She is now Madam Lu! You can't control her now. You have to coax her! Don't forget, second older sister had a miscarriage. Even though second older sister doesn't say it now, she still thinks of us as family. If eldest sister-in-law makes a fuss, then do you think she will still think of us as family in the future?" Her husband was now gone, so Qian Li didn't bother beating around the bush and directly said these words.

She didn't understand what kind of wiring her mother- and father-in-law's brains had. Obviously, the entire family counted on second older sister and second brother-in-law. Even if they were confused, they couldn't drag her and Li Wei down.

Mother Li was trembling with anger. She was about to scold Qian Li, but Father Li grabbed her and motioned that there were still people around.

Mother Li finally realised her identity and current situation, so she suppressed her anger. Over there, Li Wei chased after Du Qiao and pulled her out of a taxi.

The Li family went back to the rental house. Two of their houses had been sold in order to pay back the money. Now, Mother Li, Father Li, and Du Qiao and her two children were renting this 60 sqm house.

Qian Li gave her a cold look. "Mum, dad, eldest brother's matter is set in stone, so don't bother with it anymore. The most urgent thing is to figure out how to repair the relationship with second older sister. After all, in order to pay back the money for eldest brother, the family is now…" Qian Li looked around. "Before you do anything, think about A-Wei and your grandchildren!"

After she finished speaking, she dragged Li Wei away.

Mother Li pointed at Qian Li's back angrily. "She was ashamed to say that the family had to sell their houses and electrical appliances. It was better for her. She only asked A-Wei to send a thousand yuan. What wicked thing did I do in my last life for A-Wei to marry such a stingy person!"

Du Qiao cried even more when she heard this.

Father Li also frowned.

Qian Li stood outside the door, her face flushed with anger. She kicked the door open. "If you think that a thousand yuan was too little, then give it back to me! A-Wei's salary is only a hundred and eighty yuan a month. We also have children. My parents gave me five hundred yuan out of that thousand yuan!"

Li Wei stood behind Qian Li, sad. His parents were actually good to him. Although they didn't treat him as well as his eldest brother, it was much better treatment than second younger sister and the others. When eldest brother had this incident, Li Wei had also wanted to do his best, but Qian Li said that they didn't have much money at home. So, she went to her parents and borrowed 500 yuan to make up 1000 yuan. He didn't expect that his parents would think that the money was too little. He refused to sell his house to get more money for his eldest brother!

"Forget it, Lili, let's go!" Li Wei gave his parents a look, then tugged on Qian Li.

Qian Li held her husband's hand in distress. "Okay, let's go home. Little Lei is still waiting for us!"

Li Wei's expression improved upon hearing about his son. The two walked out hand-in-hand.

Qian Li couldn't help but look back. She had a smug look. Her husband will truly belong to her in the future. God knows how much she paid for it today. All of this was thanks to third older sister's guidance. Tomorrow, she would have to send something to third older sister.

It just so happened that Qian Li's second sister-in-law was Zhang Yan, who bought the return pass from Li Su. With Zhang Yan's help, they got to know each other. Because of Zhang Yan's relationship, Qian Li had a good impression of Li Su and thought she was a lot better than the rest of the Li family. The two kept in touch.

Qian Li was troubled by her husband's unconditional filial piety to his parents. Li Su wrote a letter and gave Qian Li some advice. Fortunately, all her hard work paid off.

Mother and Father Li naturally saw the heartbroken expression their younger son had. Before they could think about it, they heard the cries of their grandchildren. "A-Qi and A-Li are hungry. Grandma will go cook now!"

Mother Li cheered up. She saw Du Qiao sitting next to her and sighed. "Qian Li is right. A-Wēi is already like this. In the future, you need to think about A-Qi and A-Lin more."

Then, she looked at Father Li. "I'll go back and see second girl. She doesn't care about her eldest brother. Now we have nowhere to stay. She can't ignore this."

Father Li nodded. "Mm, speak carefully." Qian Li had reminded them that second girl wasn't the same as before. If they continued to treat her like they used to, it would only push her even further away.

That wouldn't do. Without them, where would second girl be today? She shouldn't even think of getting rid of them!

The next day, Mother and Father Li went to the prison to visit Lǐ Wēi. Of course, they were first greeted by their son's veiled accusation before he felt regretful. He then begged for Mother and Father Li to quickly find a way to save him since he didn't want to be in prison.

Mother and Father Li were heartbroken when they saw their precious son like this. They helped each other out and Mother Li wiped away her tears. "Second girl and son-in-law are too cruel. A- Wēi is suffering so much!" He was the most precious son of the Li family. Even during their most difficult times, he was well-fed and clothed.

Father Li also looked distressed. He actually came from the countryside, so the preference for sons was deeply ingrained in him. He and his wife didn't have children for the first 4-5 years of their marriage. During that time, the couple experienced a lot of gossip and personal attacks. It wasn't until the birth of Lǐ Wēi were they able to raise their heads. Therefore, Lǐ Wēi was their favourite son!

"Go to second girl and have a good talk with her. Build a good relationship with son-in-law for A-Wēi. It would be best to let him out when the rumours pass," said Father Li.

Mother Li nodded. Today she had to convince second girl, even if she had to kneel!

After Li Shu had a miscarriage, it was like she was a different person. Her former social self was gone. She rarely went out to play with her friends. She stayed home all day and focussed her attention on taking care of Mingzhu. Li Shi soon replaced the nanny and became Mingzhu's favourite person and Mingzhu could almost always be found with Li Shu.

Lu Wei saw that Li Shu took care of Mingzhu wholeheartedly. Mingzhu was much better now, and Li Shu never mentioned the Li family again. Lu Wei sighed. He was a man and Mingzhu's father. He had to be responsible. He deeply buried some matters in his heart. It was for the best for himself, this family, and her.

"Old Wei, do you want to go out?" Li Shu was on the sofa telling Mingzhu a story. When she saw Lu Wei, she stood up quickly with Mingzhu in her arms.

"Mm, I have something to do. I probably won't be back for dinner tonight. You and Mingzhu should rest first. Don't wait for me," Lu Wei said softly as he squeezed Mingzhu's small hand.

With just a few short words, Li Shu was extremely excited. It had been a long time since Old Lu told her what he was up to. Great, her hard work had finally paid off.

"Mm, I know. Come back early," Li Shu said softly as she held back her tears.

After Lu Wei left, Li Shu sat on the sofa with Mingzhu in her arms, excited. It wasn't until Mingzhu made a few impatient noises did Li Shu react and then continue to read her stories gently. In the past, it was all her fault. Her daughter was her life saver. As long as her daughter was fine, she would be fine.

"Madam, your mother is here and she wants to see you," the auntie said softly.

Li Shu immediately restrained her smile and thought for a while. "Let her in!" Then, she said to her daughter gently, "Mingzhu, can you go and play with auntie for a while? Mum has something to do for half an hour, no, for ten minutes, okay?"

As soon as Mother Li entered the door, she saw Li Shu hand Mingzhu to the auntie. She quickly said, "Why are you sending Mingzhu away? I haven't seen Mingzhu for a long time. Come, let Mingzhu hug grandma."

The nanny was a little embarrassed. She glanced at Li Shu, but Li Shu didn't even look at Mother Li. "Take Mingzhu upstairs to play with the building blocks!"

The nanny hurried upstairs with Mingzhu in her arms.

Mother Li was a little unhappy when she saw that Li Shu didn't give her much face. But, she remembered the reason she was here today. She still blurted out the accusation. "Second girl, no matter what, I'm still your mother. How can you treat me like this in front of the servants?! Not giving me face is also not giving you face!"

Li Shu sneered slightly. "Mother, you came to see me today. What's the matter? Just tell me if you have something to say. I still want to play with Mingzhu."

Mother Li looked around and a glimmer of envy flashed in her eyes. "Second girl, you can't forget your roots. You are now married to a high-ranking official and live in a single-family building. There is a car that can pick you up and drop you off when you go out. However, your parents are still renting. If this gets out, you will also lose face."

Chapter 165 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (part 20)

Li Shu had heard this before. At that time, she thought it was very reasonable. She had pestered Lu Wei for benefits for her family. Her parents got a house and he had arranged a house for her eldest brother. But when Li Shu heard these words now, she found it funny. "Did I make you sell the house? Did I ask eldest brother to embezzle public funds so he could gamble? Does this have anything to do with me?"

Mother Li reddened. "You can't say that, second girl. No matter what, we are your parents. You can't ignore us!"

"If I take care of you, do I have to take care of sister-in-law's family after? Do I have to look after my two nephews when they go to school, get married, and buy a house?" Li Shu asked with a sneer.

"You are the most promising one in our family. You don't care. Do you want your dad and I to take care of it? We are about to retire and we are just ordinary teachers, so we are powerless. They are your nephews. What about them? You don't have a son, so you might have to count on your nephews in the future!" Mother Li continued.

Li Shu suddenly laughed. The smiling Mother Li had an inexplicable look on her face. "You, what are you laughing at?"

"What am I laughing at? I'm laughing at the words you said before. I regarded myself as the pillar, the saviour of the Li family. I thought of you and eldest brother as my responsibility. But now I have woken up. Stop daydreaming!" Li Shu said.

"You… You… You…" Mother Li didn't expect Li Shu to say that. She was speechless.

"It is true that you are my parents. As a daughter, I can't ignore you. But, I am not your only daughter. You have two sons and three daughters. From now on, I will give you fifty yuan a month for living expenses. This is already too kind. There won't be more!" Li Shu said coldly.

Mother Li was trembling with anger. She stood up and pointed at Li Shu and was about to get angry. Li Shu wasn't afraid and crossed her arms, then leaned against the sofa. "Let me remind you that this is the Lu family! I am Lu Wei's wife and a member of the Lu family. Mum, I still remember the words you said before. When a daughter is married, it is like pouring water out. Do you still expect her to come back and do the laundry?"

Mother Li didn't expect that Li Shu would use her words back on her. She was so angry that she didn't know what to do. She knew that at this time, it would be impossible to take a hard stance. She had to be soft. "Second girl, mum knows that mum broke your heart before, but it wasn't mum's fault. No matter what, we are still family. The broken bones are still attached by the tendons. Besides, if it wasn't for dad and I bringing you back from the countryside, how would you even have the chance to marry into the Lu family? You can't be ungrateful!"

"Oh, I'm ungrateful?" Li Shu seemed to have heard a joke. "What about everything the Li family has now? You and dad's titles, the house, eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law's jobs, and youngest brother's jobs. Are these not things I got for you? Why did third younger sister and I go to the countryside in the first place? You may have forgotten, but I haven't. The person who should have gone to the countryside at that time was eldest brother. It was you who pushed third younger sister and I out to the countryside instead of eldest brother. You are saying that I'm ungrateful? Hehehe, that's really funny!"

Perhaps Li Shu spoke too loudly. The auntie that was busy in the kitchen quietly stuck her head out and looked over.

Mother Li's face was blue and white for a while. "Having said that, we are family after all. You can't leave us!"

"Family? Leave you? Hehe, third younger sister is also family, but I haven't seen you or dad mention her. You want to tell me about family? You and dad haven't retired yet. Even if you do retire, you will still have a salary, and eldest sister-in-law still has a job. All your monthly wages will add up to two to three hundred yuan. Do you know how third younger sister is living in the countryside? Her man is dead. Her mother-in-law is blind. She also has two kids. How about you think about how she has lived?! And what about eldest sister? Have you ever thought about her? No! In your hearts, your daughters are losers. Only your sons are treasures!" The more Li Shu said, the clearer her mind became.

She began to regret how she had listened to their nonsense.

Li Shu took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She opened her wallet and took out 50 yuan. She stuffed the money into Mother Li's hands.

"Here is this month's money. Take it. I'll have someone send you next month's money. Don't come here again in the future!"

Mother Li didn't like the 50 yuan. She wanted more than that. She grabbed Li Shu's hand. "Second girl, you can't do this. Fine, let's not talk about your eldest brother and your nephews for the time being. How about the house? Can you do something about it? There is no place for your father and I to stay. You can't ignore this. Also, I owe a lot of money for your eldest brother. Can't you care about that? Think about how long it will take for your father and I to pay it off!"

Li Shu broke free from her mother's grip. "Find someone else to pay your debt. It has nothing to do with me! I'm tired, so Auntie Zhao will see you off."

After speaking, she went upstairs.

Mother Li was furious and wanted to get angry. But, she saw the auntie and didn't want to lose face in front of others. She remembered her identity. She had to swallow her anger and did not forget to take the 50 yuan.

Father Li was waiting anxiously at home. When he saw Mother Li come back, he greeted her with anticipation. Mother Li shook her head in frustration. "This time second girl is determined. No matter what I say, she won't help. She only said that she would give us fifty yuan a month and no more. I couldn't cry or make trouble, so I could only come back."

Father Li frowned. Fifty yuan a month was not enough!

"It really didn't work. Call A-Wei and tell him to sell his house. Then, write to eldest girl and third girl and ask them to send some money. First, we will pay off the money we owe," Father Li said after he thought about it.

Mother Li hesitated. "Sell A-Wei's house? Isn't that bad? If they sell the house, then where will the family of three live? Qian Li won't agree!"

"Aren't they with the Yue family? When the time comes, they can live with the Yue family. As for Qian Li's opinion, she can't speak for this family," said Father Li.

Mother Li had to call Li Wei. When Li Wei saw that it was his parents calling on him, he thought that they wanted to apologise for what happened the day before.

Li Wei didn't listen to what Mother and Father Li said again. He remembered the facts that Qian Li and him analysed the previous night. He had to admit that she was right. His parents really only had his eldest brother in their hearts. They even offered to sell their house to repay eldest brother's debt.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Hurry up and sell the house! When I borrowed money from someone, I promised to pay it back within a month!" Father Li urged Li Wei.

Li Wei suddenly stood up and said with a blank face, "Impossible! I can't sell the house."

Father Li became angry. "What did you say? Say it again!"

Li Wei didn't show any weakness. "I said that I can't sell the house! My second brother-in-law helped me get the house. What does it have to do with you? Why are you asking me to sell the house?! Don't even think about it!" Since it has come to this point, Li Wei planned to tear their face.

His parents had always been the most partial towards his eldest brother. Eldest brother had received the most benefits. They should be supported by eldest brother. He wouldn't join in.

Although eldest brother is in prison now, it was not Li Wei's fault. Why should he be responsible for all of this? He wasn't that stupid.

"If there's nothing else, then I'll go first. By the way, now that the family is facing difficulties, we won't come back for dinner in the future. Every little bit you can save counts." Li Wei got up and left.

Father Li didn't think that his son would disobey him, so he stood up in anger and wanted to get angry. His eyes suddenly darkened and his body swayed. Mother Li rushed over. "Old Li, don't get angry! You can't afford to! What a disaster. This family will be finished!"

Li Wei heard the movement, then paused as if he was hesitating. He then strode forward mercilessly.

When Mother and Father Li saw this, they were both angry and said, "Get back here!"

Mother Li wiped her tears away. "A-Wei has always been selfish since he was young, so it isn't like this is a surprise. Forget it. I'll write a letter to eldest girl and third girl tomorrow."

As a result, eldest girl sent back 5 yuan with a letter saying, "That's all. There isn't any more."

As for third girl, the letter was returned and it was said that there was no such person.

It was only then did Mother and Father Li panic. Out of the 5 children, the eldest had an accident and none of the other 4 helped. What the hell did they do!

However, the house leaked, and it rained overnight. Du Qiao found out that Li Shu had really separated from the family. In order to repay the debt, her in-laws had to live a frugal life. Even her own salary was taken by her mother-in-law to pay off the debt. Du Qiao couldn't take it anymore.

One day, Du Qiao left home with her salary and her clothes. Since then, she never came back.

Mother and Father Li were left with 2 grandchildren. Every month they received an inflexible wage. They still had to repay their debt and lived a miserable life.

Lu Wei wanted to help them when he saw how pitiful they were, but Li Shu stopped him. "Old Lu, you can't help them with this! They are my parents so wouldn't I want them to live well? But, if you help them this time, then what about the next? Do we have to support them for the rest of our lives? If it were just my parents, then it wouldn't matter. I should repay them. But, in addition to my parents, there are my two nephews and maybe my eldest brother right now. Can we take care of all of them? Besides, it isn't impossible for them to live right now. My parents still have a wage, so they are much better off than others. Think about my eldest sister and third younger sister. If I had to help someone, I would rather help them!"

Li Shu was no longer the person she used to be. She was smart. Now that her mind was clear, it was even more impossible for her to do stupid things. She knew what her parents were like. Their life was not that difficult. They were just pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy.

It was a pity that she would no longer be fooled and neither would A-Wei.

Yes, Qian Li had called her and told her that she had broken it off with Li Shu's parents. Li Shu thought that her stupid younger brother was lucky to marry such a smart wife.

Lu Wei thought about it too. Mother and Father Li were both university lecturers. Their combined monthly salary was almost 200 yuan. Even with 2 children, they earned a lot more than Li Su, who had to raise her family by herself. Li Su didn't cry out with bitterness or complain that she was tired. Who were they putting a show on for?

Mother Lu nodded approvingly. "What Mingzhu's mother said makes sense."

Li Shu was secretly happy when her mother-in-law praised her. Sure enough, she was to be blamed before. Nobody wanted to see their daughter-in-law always dealing with things back at her family's house. Now she was wholeheartedly devoted to her husband's family and had gotten a lot closer to Old Lu. Even her mother-in-law had slowly begun to like her.

Chapter 166 – Rescuing the Transparent High-Ranking Official (final part)

In the county town, Li Su smiled when she saw the letters and things that Zhang Yan and Qian Li sent. Now that that couple was not having a good time, they didn't have the energy to worry about other people's matters. This was what she wanted.

Li Su put down the letter and thought about it for a while. She had almost saved enough. She wondered if she should buy a house here since it was a good location. It was close to schools and nurseries. The most important thing was that, over the past 6 months, Madam Qiao had grown accustomed to their surroundings.

Li Su thought about it, then simply thought of buying the house. She just wasn't sure if the landlord was willing to sell it!

Li Su tried to contact the landlord. She didn't expect the landlord to readily agree to sell the house. "You were introduced by Old Zhou. Old Zhou was kind to me. If he hadn't refused to take advantage of me, then I would have given this house to him. Now you want to buy, so you just need to give a little as a symbolic gesture."

Li Su was willing to take advantage of others, but she still paid market price. The landlord then returned the difference and took Li Su to the house.

Although Li Su had some money returned, she was still happy. She didn't tell Madam Qiao that she was buying a house in fear of worrying her. She didn't know why Madam Qiao was always worried to death that they would starve to death as the family could live well.

Time flew by. Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. In the past 10 years, everyone had changed a lot. Through her own efforts, Li Su passed the self-taught higher education exam1 and became a university student. With a diploma, it was much easier to get a job. In a few years, she became a first-class teacher. This was very rare. Of course, her salary had also doubled.

In the past 10 years, Li Su's family had returned to Qiaojia Village often. They would go back and live there for a while during the winter and summer breaks. Li Su also opened a remedial class to help the children in the village study. Of course, she didn't charge a cent. Therefore, Li Su's family had a good reputation in Qiaojia Village.

Li Su refused to charge money for her services and everyone was much better off. What she earned was pretty good. Therefore, some people brought a bag of rice, or a few chickens, or a few vegetables for her so they wouldn't show up empty-handed. Li Su was embarrassed to accept the gifts. After a long time, Li Su's family no longer had to buy rice or vegetables. Half the room in her space was also filled.

Qiao Zhi had also become a smart and sensible young man. His academic performance was among the best in his class. He also took the initiative to help out with the housework. Because Li Su was busy with school, he also took the initiative to take on the task of tutoring his younger sister in her studies.

Qiao Xuechen had always been everyone's darling since she was a baby. Among her teachers, classmates, friends, and neighbours, nobody disliked her. Apart from being a little squeamish, she was a good child who was sensible and obedient.

Madam Qiao was doing well.

Xue Chao'an had been corresponding with Qiao Zhi the entire time. They called each other a lot. During the summer and winter breaks, Xue Chao'an would come to Qiaojia Village to play.

It was all fine until Xue Chao'an saw that someone had sent a love letter to Xuechen. It seemed it had triggered something in Xue Chao'an since he suddenly transferred to the school the following month.

Qiao Zhi would be stupid if he didn't understand Xue Chao'an's thoughts from this event. However, under the constant presence of Xue Chao'an, Qiao Xuechen had already become accustomed to Xue Chao'an's existence. Qiao Zhi had regrets, but there was nothing he could do now!

As for Li Su, she acquiesced to Xue Chao'an's actions after she spoke to him. Li Su had no idea how Xue Chao'an managed to convince his family to allow him to transfer. However, this incident proved his attitude and ability.

As for the future, she would let it be.

What surprised Li Su was that Li Shu didn't react at all to Xue Chao'an's transfer. This surprised her.

It was actually very simple. Li Shu now felt that Mingzhu's feelings were the most important thing. Xue Chao'an had a good family background, but Lu Mingzhu did not find him easy to get along with. Li Shu had also seen Lu Mingzhu and Xue Chao'an interact and they would be at odds with each other.

Lu Mingzhu was the most important person in Li Shu's heart now. How could she let Mingzhu endure this kind of behaviour. Therefore, she quickly shifted her target to other suitable candidates. Old Lu was right. With the Lu's family background, Mingzhu had no shortage of playmates. Mingzhu's happiness was the most important thing.

Everyone had a good life, except for Mother Li, Father Li, and Lǐ Wēi.

Lǐ Wēi was released from prison after 6 years. Not long after he was released, he drove while drunk, hit someone, then ran. As a result, the victim died from their injuries.

Of course, law enforcement was very sloppy, but Lǐ Wēi was finally caught and locked up again. Mother and Father Li went to the Lu family's house and cried. They tried to talk to their daughter for help, but nobody came to see them.

It turned out that Lu Wei was transferred south-west the previous year. Li Shu took their daughter and went with him.

Mother and Father Li didn't know that it had happened the previous year. This showed how estranged they were from Li Shu. The old couple were pale and trembling.

When Mother Lu saw this, she sighed. "Is there something wrong with your family this time?"

Mother and Father Li wanted to be proud, but now they couldn't care about such a thing. Mother Li wiped her tears as she spoke. "In-laws, we really have no choice but to beg you… A-Wēi's life is at stake!"

When Mother Lu heard those words, she immediately had a stern look on her face. "So, my in-laws know that there is a life at stake! He drove without a licence while drunk and killed someone! He should be punished by the law! The victim had a family and was the backbone of their family! It has been so long since the accident. Have you even visited the family of the deceased?"

Mother Lu knew that Mother and Father Li had not when she saw their expressions. She shook her head in disappointment. "You are university lecturers who teach and educate people. How can… Forget it. Return. I will help hire a lawyer. As for the rest…"

Mother and Father Li were ashamed. Their in-laws were suggesting that they could not educate their own children, so how could they teach and educate others? Mother and Father Li had no choice but to leave the Lu family.

They ran to their youngest son's house only to discover that he was travelling with his wife and children.

Later, at their lawyer's suggestion, Mother and Father Li went to the house of the deceased. They brought some things to see if they could reconcile with the family of the deceased in private. They were kicked out. The family did not want to see them.

Mother and Father Li had no choice but to watch their son go back to prison. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a hit-and-run.

When Mother and Father Li heard the verdict, they fainted. Eight years! They retired last year. They had their pension and had almost paid off their debt. Their life was not actually that difficult. They had Li Lin and Li Qi to look after. Because the kids' parents weren't around, Mother and Father Li doted on them a lot. As a result, the 2 kids developed an arrogant and domineering temperament. The 2 of them got involved with gangsters and did not go to school. They got into fights.

Mother and Father Li wanted to discipline them, but they were powerless. They hoped that Lǐ Wēi would come out of prison and discipline their grandsons well. They were planning on finding a job for Lǐ Wēi and he could live with them. They didn't expect such a thing to happen!

Mother and Father Li couldn't do anything and didn't want to abandon their grandsons, so they ran to Li Wei's house again. They tried to get Li Wei's family to look after their grandsons.

Li Wei and Qian Li didn't want to do such a thankless task. In the end, Qian Li asked a family member to transfer Li Wei. She followed her husband with their child. The house was entrusted to her parents.

Mother and Father Li wrote to their eldest daughter again and asked her to move to the city with their son-in-law to look after them and discipline their grandsons.

But, their eldest daughter refused without thinking. She was now living a good life in the countryside. Her son was about to get married. Why would she go back to the city to be a nanny?

Mother and Father Li couldn't find anyone, so they had to drag their aging bodies to go clean up their grandsons' messes.

Li Su learned about Mother and Father Li's current life from Qian Li's letter and laughed. She was now in contact with her 2 older sisters and her younger brother, Li Wei. Although the sisters weren't close, they still kept in contact.

In fact, after getting rid of Mother and Father Li's influence, the siblings weren't stupid. Although they had flaws, they weren't bad people.

In this way, time passed. Another 5 years passed.

Qiao Zhi was successfully admitted to the military academy through his own efforts. Xuechen was about to become a hard-working senior high school student.

Madam Qiao's health was a little bad, and Li Su was worried. Xuechen would be in her 3rd year of high school next semester and their family could not be separated. Li Su sent a request to the school to no longer take the graduating class after school started. Due to her family situation, the school agreed.

One day, after Li Su had just finished wiping off Madam Qiao, Qian Li called. "Hello, third older sister? Li Lin was diagnosed with uremia and needs a kidney transplant. The old man and the others found A-Wei's place and knelt down to beg to see if anyone was a match. A-Wei and I thought about it. That child is innocent, so we went to check. What happened was that second older brother found out that A-Qi and A-Lin were a match. As a result, the old man and the others felt sorry for their eldest grandson and were reluctant to let their eldest grandson donate a kidney. So, they came up with our Little Lei. How can there be such people in the world?! Li Qin and Li Lin are their grandsons, but Little Lei isn't?! I'm furious!"

Li Su frowned. "How could this happen?! What about Little Lei? Did you go see if he was a match?"

"I didn't know about it until I went to check, otherwise I would not have let Little Lei check! Fortunately, our Little Lei wasn't a match. But, third older sister, be careful. The old man and the others have gone to eldest sister's house to check if her children are a match. They won't dare to go find second older sister's Mingzhu, but your Big Zhi and Xuechen are fair game. Although you have not kept in contact for many years, the old man and the others will probably go to Qiaojia Village for the sake of their grandson to find you in person. Don't do anything stupid," said Qian Li.

After Qian Li hung up, Li Shu called. Li Shu said the same thing as Qian Li. "Don't be stupid! It's obvious that A-Qi would be a match, but they feel bad for A-Qi and are reluctant to let their eldest grandson donate his kidney. So, they are asking everyone else. These people are all fools! You mustn't be foolish! For those of us who are their aunties, we should just donate some money. It is a kidney. Don't be stupid, okay?"

Li Su laughed dumbly. She didn't know why the person who needed a kidney transplant changed from Lu Mingzhu to Li Lin. However, no matter who it was, she would not agree to donate a kidney.

For the sake of their eldest grandson, Mother and Father Li went to find Li Su. They didn't go to her house. They went to the school and knelt at the gate. Li Su went over after she received the news. Mother and Father Li kowtowed to her and began to cry hard enough that they could be crying blood.

"A-Su, your parents are sorry. We will work hard to compensate you in the next life. A-Lin is your nephew. Your eldest brother has been in prison for more than ten years. He was supposed to be let out, but because of his blunder, his sentence was extended! Your eldest sister-in-law ran away again! Your nephew is pitiful. He has never had his mother or father, and now he has this disease! Please save your nephew!" Mother Li cried.

Li Su calmly said, "We won't discuss the past. A-Lin is my nephew, after all. I have discussed this matter with eldest sister, second older sister, and younger brother. We will all share the cost of A-Lin's surgery. You two don't need to worry."

"That's not what I'm talking about. Your father and I are old and have no money. Of course the operation cost will be paid for by A-Lin's aunts and uncles." Mother Li saw Li Su's relaxed attitude and was finally relieved. It was okay. Third girl still had the same temperament she had when she was a child. She was still foolish.

"Then, what do you mean?" Li Su asked.

"I want your family's…" Mother Li stopped talking. She couldn't remember the names of Li Su's children.

Li Su sneered slightly. "Since I went to the countryside as an educated youth twenty years ago, we have not seen each other or contacted each other. It is normal that you can't remember the name of your grandson and granddaughter."

When the crowd watching them heard this, they began to talk about it. Li Su was well-known in the area. Everyone knew her family situation. Now, they could understand some things. Teacher Li had such a difficult life and her parents didn't care.

"That's right." Mother Li didn't feel embarrassed at all and helped Father Li up. "I am here because I want my grandson and granddaughter to go to the hospital to see if they are a match. The doctor said that, if a match between immediate family members is successful, then it would be the best. It should be possible between cousins. If a match is successful, then A-Lin will be saved."

Li Su sneered. "Do you want my family's Qiao Zhi and Xuechen to check if they are a match, and then if so, donate a kidney to A-Lin?"

"Yeah! A-Lin is your nephew. He will die without help. Chaochao and your eldest sister's family went to the hospital to check, but they weren't a match. Mingzhu from your second older sister is not in good health. Your Qiao Zhi and Xuechen are our last hope!" Mother Li stepped forward, took Li Su's hand, and cried.

Li Su threw her hand away. "I heard that Li Qi and Li Lin were a successful match! You said that it would be the best to donate a kidney from an immediate family member. Li Qi is Li Lin's eldest brother, so it is most suitable for him to donate a kidney to Li Lin. Why don't you let Li Qi donate a kidney? Instead, you came to find me. Did you know that my son is at the military academy and is a soldier. What would happen to him in the future if he had only one kidney? My daughter is in her third year of high school and you are asking her to donate a kidney at this critical time?"

"What! You can't bear to see Li Su's son, but you want her son to donate a kidney? How can there be such a person?!"

"That's right! That's too much! Seeing their attitude, I thought that Teacher Li had done something immoral. It turned out to be like this. They are so shameless!"

"I heard that they are still university lecturers! Tsk, tsk, this kind of person can still be a teacher! Won't they just ruin children?"

"Don't listen to them. Their eldest son is in prison. Also, with such a character, how could they teach such a 'good' son?"

There was a lot of discussion around them. If it happened before, Mother and Father Li would have been embarrassed. But, in the past few years, they did not know what being embarrassed was like anymore.

Mother Li immediately sat on the ground and began to cry. It was nothing more than her saying that Li Su was ungrateful and had no conscience.

Li Su didn't stop her. She just watched Mother Li make trouble.

Suddenly, someone hugged her arm from behind. "Mum, don't worry. Older brother Chao'an has already called the police."

Li Su turned around and saw her daughter with Xue Chao'an behind her. She felt a little helpless. In front of so many people, couldn't he restrain himself a little? Her Xuechen was still young.

However, Xue Chao'an smiled at Li Su. He came here for Xuechen. He had thought about it until today. As long as Xuechen was admitted to the university in the capital, he would get engaged and married as soon as they graduated from university. He wouldn't let Xuechen donate a kidney!

"Don't worry, auntie. I have made the call. Soon enough, they won't pester you," Xue Chao'an said with a smile.

Li Su smiled helplessly, then turned her head. "Mum, dad, I remember your kindness in raising me. But, I won't let Qiao Zhi or Xuechen go check their compatibility! If you didn't have a suitable kidney donor, then I might have considered it. Now, you obviously have a suitable source, but you two… At any rate, I won't let Qiao Zhi or Xuechen go check. As I am living a pretty good life now, I will bear a part of the cost of A-Lin's surgery. I will also bear some of the pension costs for you two. If you want more, I can't do anything about it. I am only a middle school teacher. My abilities are limited." She earned less than 2000 yuan a month. She would give 200 yuan, so one-tenth of her salary. It was a lot!

Mother Li was still making trouble, but Father Li stopped her. Didn't she hear that they had called the police? The couple then returned to the hotel.

As a result, they received a call from the prison saying that Lǐ Wēi was sick. The couple couldn't sit still and hurried back.

Li Su knew that, even though Mother and Father Li went back, it didn't mean that this matter was over. Mother and Father Li would definitely come again.

Xue Chao'an gave Li Su an idea. "Auntie, it just so happens that grandma's health isn't good. Didn't you say you wanted to take her to see a doctor in Modu? Why don't you ask for some leave from school and take grandma to see the doctor? You can also take some time off there. I have already called Qiao Zhi and told him about this. He will not leave school to see anyone. You don't have to worry about Xuechen since she has me here. We can wait, but we can't wait here."

Li Su glared at Xue Chao'an. He looked so pleased with himself! But, it was a good idea.

"Let me warn you, Xuechen is still young. You should restrain yourself. I don't want to be a grandmother now!" Li Su gave Xue Chao'an a warning look.

"Don't worry, auntie. I have already made plans. When Xuechen is admitted to the university in the capital, we will get engaged. When Xuechen reaches the legal age, we will get the certificate and hold the wedding as soon as we graduate," Xue Chao'an said happily.

Xuechen, who was behind him, blushed. She reached out to hit his back. "What nonsense are you spouting? Who wants to marry you?!"

Xue Chao'an grabbed Xuechen's small hand. "If you don't marry me, then I won't get married for the rest of my life."

Li Su was too lazy to deal with them. "Don't be too flirtatious! Just study and take the exam!"

Qiao Xuechen stuck out her tongue and tugged on Xue Chao'an to go do homework. Older brother Chao'an had put in a lot of effort into their future. She had to work hard. She knew that her family's status was vastly different from older brother Chao'an and older brother Chao'an had to deal with a lot in order to be with her. She had to work hard and improve herself so that she could stand next to older brother Chao'an with confidence.

Xue Chao'an touched Xuechen's head and smiled softly. This was why he liked Xuechen. In addition to her appearance, he was more attracted to her character. She was strong, independent, cheerful, lively, and kind. When you were with her, you would unknowingly be attracted to her. Then, you just wanted to be with her.

When Li Su saw this, she smiled knowingly. She then went into the room to discuss things with Madam Qiao.

Although Madam Qiao was not very healthy, her mind was still very clear. After they talked about the options and the consequences, Madam Qiao agreed. "Okay, let's go. But, what about Xuechen? She will be starting as a senior in high school. This time is very important."

"Don't worry. Xue Chao'an has a special nanny and auntie who will take care of them. As for studying, Xue Chao'an is perfectly capable of tutoring Xuechen." Li Su laughed. In fact, if it wasn't for Xuechen, Xue Chao'an would have graduated from college a long time ago.

Madam Qiao nodded. "Okay, you can arrange it."

Li Su quickly asked for time off from the school. She called Qiao Zhi again to explain things to him. As for Xuechen, Li Su repeatedly told her to focus on studying and not get distracted.

Qiao Xuechen blushed with shame, but obediently listened. She believed in older brother Chao'an and she knew what to do. She wouldn't get confused.

Not long after, Mother and Father Li really came again. They were blocked at the school gate. The guard told them that Teacher Li took time off to take her mother-in-law to see a doctor.

Mother and Father Li didn't believe it. They waited at the door all day. At 11 pm, everyone in the school was gone. They didn't see anyone, so they went back.

Mother and Father Li waited at the school gate for 3 days and did not see Li Su. They ran to Li Su's house again and knocked on the door, but nobody was around.

Only then did they believe that Li Su was really not at home.

Mother and Father Li couldn't help but scold the house. The neighbours were so annoyed that they called the police and they had to stop.

Mother and Father Li thought that Li Su was just not there, so they tried to contact their grandson and granddaughter directly. They forgot their granddaughter's name and appearance.

Mother and Father Li considered going to the school the following day to make trouble, but they received a phone call from the hospital informing them that Li Lin's condition was very bad.

Mother and Father Li had no choice but to return in tears.

In the end, they had no other choice. Mother and Father Li had to agree to let Li Qi donate his kidney. They talked to Li Qi and he refused to donate a kidney. Mother and Father Li knelt down and begged him, but he did not agree.

"I won't donate. I'm not married yet!" Li Qi said.

Mother and Father Li wanted to persuade him, but after hearing Li Qi's reason, they were stunned. Yes, A-Qi was the eldest grandson of the Li family. If he donated a kidney, would it affect his future children?

The doctor said that donating a kidney would not affect his fertility, but no matter what he said, Li Qi wouldn't agree.

Mother and Father Li had no choice but to call Li Wei and Li Shu. They had the same attitude – they would give money, but no more than that.

Mother and Father Li had nobody else they could ask for help, but they were reluctant to force their eldest grandson. In the end, they had to watch Li Lin miss the best opportunity for surgery. He then finally died of kidney failure.

After Li Lin died, Li Qi was sad for a short period of time. Then, he was happy again. He asked his grandparents to ask his aunts and uncles for money. What happened to the money they promised for the surgery, along with the money for his grandparents' pension?

Mother and Father Li saw how cold Li Qi was, but he was their beloved eldest grandson.

Finally, they listened to their grandson and asked their son and daughters for money.

As a result, one person gave 200 yuan, which wasn't as high as Mother and Father Li's retirement salary. Li Qi was unhappy and urged Mother and Father Li to sue his uncle and aunts for not supporting the elderly.

Mother and Father Li had no choice but to go to court. Of course, after the court's investigation, their appeal was rejected.

As for Li Qi, he was beaten on a dark and windy night a month later. He went to hospital and was discharged a month later.

Later, Lǐ Wēi was released from prison. The father and son lived depraved lives. They ate, drank, gambled, and got prostitutes. When they had no money, they asked Mother and Father Li for some. When they had money, they continued to eat, drink, and play. When they had no money, they cursed.

Mother and Father Li were initially hopeful that, on Lǐ Wēi's release, he would discipline Li Qi. Then, the two would be able to marry and have children. They didn't expect that the father and son would turn out like this.

Mother and Father Li couldn't bear it anymore. They quietly packed up and wanted to go to their youngest son. But, when they got to that point, they realised that they didn't know their youngest son's address. After they called their youngest son, they learned that he had been transferred to the southernmost city, City G.

Mother and Father Li had no choice but to seek refuge with their eldest daughter in the countryside. Their eldest daughter and eldest son-in-law accepted them, but they lived in the countryside. It couldn't compare to the city. Additionally, after a long time, Mother and Father Li became soft-hearted again. They thought about their eldest son and his grandson, so they quietly called the two.

The son and grandson cried out that their lives were difficult. Mother and Father Li softened again and gave the two money behind their eldest daughter and eldest son-in-law's backs.

After a long time, the eldest daughter and eldest son-in-law became unhappy. They had given Mother and Father Li food, shelter, and even money, but Mother and Father Li ended up subsidising Lǐ Wēi and Li Qi behind their backs.

The eldest daughter was unhappy, and so quarrelled with Mother and Father Li. "Since you feel sorry for eldest brother, then you should go live with them!"

Mother and Father Li went back to live with their eldest son for a while. They couldn't bear it for long before they ran away again. This time, they would seek refuge with their third daughter. When they got to the place, they found out that Li Su had moved again. They had no idea where she moved.

Mother and Father Li had no choice but to go back to their hometown. Their salary card was taken away by their eldest son, so they only had the pension money from their other children which was 200 yuan a month. They could barely make ends meet.

As for Lǐ Wēi and Li Qi, nobody cared about them.

Five years later when Qiao Xuechen had just graduated from university, Xue Chao'an couldn't wait to hold the wedding. At this time, their son was 2 years old. He was smart and cute. The family of 3 was happy.

Qiao Zhi also met a like-minded girl in the military. In addition to attending Qiao Xuechen's wedding, the parents of both sides officially met to discuss marriage.

Lu Wei, Li Shu, and Lu Mingzhu also came to attend Qiao Xuechen's wedding. Lu Mingzhu had a boyfriend for 6-7 years. They had gotten married last year. The two had a good relationship, but Lu Mingzhu was afraid of pain and had been reluctant to have children. Lu Wei and Li Shu were reluctant to force her. Her husband loved her more than life itself and resisted the pressure from his family.

When Lu Mingzhu saw her cousin's smart and cute son at the wedding, she was a little moved and took her husband's hand. "Should we have a baby for fun?"

Her husband's sparkling eyes and excited hug was all the answer he needed to give.

Li Su smiled at everything in front of her. She turned to look at Madam Qiao. Madam Qiao was sitting in a wheelchair and her mind was no longer clear. "Mother, are you happy?"

Madam Qiao opened her cloudy eyes as if she understood what Li Su said. "Okay, good!" she said vaguely. Then, she took Li Su's hand. "Thank… you!"

Li Su smiled as she looked at her daughter and her high-spirited son who was snuggling his girlfriend under the sun.

Chapter 167 – My Son is not Mine (part 1)

Li Su opened her eyes and felt that she was being held. Someone was whispering sweet words in her ear.

Li Su slammed her elbow against the person. The man clutched his chest and took a deep breath. "Susu, what are you doing?!"

"What are you doing? Hmph!" Li Su sneered and looked around furtively, but couldn't find any weapons. So, she simply kicked the man and knocked him to the ground. She then went to beat him up.

At this moment, the door to the room was kicked open. The group of people who came in to catch the adultery could only stand there stunned at the scene in front of them. "What's going on?"

"What is going on? My husband has just passed away. Before his death, this so-called friend came to seduce and bewitch me. He wanted me to sell my shares and fly away with him! A-Yuan and I were in love with each other. How could I betray A-Yuan?! I just made excuses with him before since I wanted to know what he wanted. Now that I know, how could I easily let him go?!" Li Su said solemnly.

Everyone was stunned. Lin Siheng's, the man dressed in a black suit, eyes widened. Damn that bastard, Chen Zhijie. Didn't he say that everything was under control? Who brought them here? How did things turn out like this?

"Since everyone is here, I will officially announce that I will give all the shares I have of Feiteng International to my son, Lin Jihao. This will prevent others from thinking about them!" Li Su said as she looked at the silent teenager in the crowd.

When everyone heard this, they flared up.

Lin Siheng, in particular. He had almost broken his teeth. He had planned everything. So long as it all went well, Feiteng International would have been his tomorrow. He didn't expect such a thing to occur.

Before Lin Siyuan's death, he left a will. He didn't leave the shares to his ex-wife's son, he left them to his current wife, Li Su. Therefore, although Lin Jihao was Lin Siyuan's only son, his shares were similar to Lin Siyuan's second younger brother, Lin Siheng. So, the shares in Li Su's hands were very important. Whoever got them would get Feiteng International.

Hence, the previous scene.

Only now, Li Su had offered to transfer her shares to Lin Jihao, thus making Lin Jihao the largest shareholder. Since he was Lin Siyuan's son, that made him the chairman.

"Lawyer Li, please draft a share transfer agreement as soon as possible," Li Su ordered. She didn't ask why Lawyer Li was here.

"Yes, Madam Lin." Attorney Li sighed in relief.

"One more thing… It's best not to have Chen Zhijie and the Chen family at places that I will go to in the future. Otherwise, no matter who it is, I'll fight them!" Li Su looked around at the crowd. Lin Siyuan really loved the original owner. Apart from the company's shares, the property he left to Li Su could last her several lifetimes. Therefore, she had the confidence to say such words.

Immediately, someone stepped forward and dragged away Chen Zhijie, who was on the verge of death.

"Okay, the show's over. Everyone should leave!" said Li Su.

Everyone left. Lin Siheng was about to turn around and leave with a dark face when Li Su stopped him. "Second younger brother, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Stay and talk!"

A trace of disgust flashed across Lin Siheng's eyes, but when he turned around, he had an honest look on his face. "Is there something wrong, sister-in-law?"

"Your eldest brother said that you took a hundred million yuan from him before to invest in a movie. It's been over half a year now. Have you gotten your money back? You know that, now that your eldest brother is gone and with Jihao and I not being very close, my heart isn't at ease. There's nothing more assuring than money, right?" said Li Su.

Lin Siheng bit down hard. He really did borrow 100 million yuan from his brother, but it wasn't to invest in a movie. He secretly bought shares. How did she know this? Right, his eldest brother was really good to this bitch so he must have told her everything. Damn it! One hundred million in such a short time… How was he to get all this money together?

"This matter… I was going to pay it back, but then that happened with eldest brother, so I forgot about it for a while. Don't worry. I'll find a way to get the money when I go back." Lin Siheng pretended to be sincere. He deliberately emphasised 'money together'.

"That's good. I thought you forgot," Li Su said with a smile. She pretended not to understand the subtext to Lin Siheng's words.

Li Siheng saw Li Su pretending to be stupid and figured that she knew about his plan with Chen Zhijie. But, she had no evidence, so she didn't dare to accuse him.

There was nothing to say.

Lin Siheng glared at Li Su. He turned to leave and saw Lin Jihao at the door. The corners of his mouth barely twitched and he left without saying a word.

Li Su sighed in relief when she saw Lin Siheng leave. Shen then looked at her stepson, Lin Jihao. "This is all I can do for you. The rest is up to you." She couldn't manage the company. However, as the number one villain, Lin Jihao should have this ability, even though he was still young.

Lin Jihao gave Li Su a deep look. The relationship between him and his stepmother had never been good. His stepmother often spoke ill of him to his father and instigated the two of them. If it wasn't for his stepmother being unable to give birth, his fate would have been even worse.

So, why did his stepmother change her mind and help him?

He didn't believe in his stepmother's nonsense.

Early on in his father's sickness, he had discovered that the relationship between his stepmother and Chen Zhijie was not quite right. However, he didn't have any evidence and his father trusted his stepmother a lot. Lin Jihao could only lie low and collect evidence.

Before he could find any concrete evidence, his father died. After his father's death, his father's lawyer took out his father's will. His father had given all his shares and most of the property to his stepmother. He did not care about the property, but did his dad ever think about him?!

That wasn't the most important thing. Lin Jihao was scared that his stepmother would be tricked into selling off her shares. Feiteng International was his father's blood, sweat, and tears. He couldn't let it fall into the hands of others.

So, Lin Jihao had designed all of this. He had organised it so that everyone would catch their adultery. Lin Jihao even brought a lawyer and the police. Then, he planned to doubt his father's cause of death and the authenticity of the will, overturn the will, and get his shares back.

For Lin Jihao, who would be a successful businessman in the future, this plan was not perfect. It was like cutting off his nose to spite his face. But, for Lin Jihao who was only 15, this was the best method he could think of.

In fact, Lin Jihao's plan really succeeded.

The original owner and Chen Zhijie had a tryst. Chen Zhijie had encouraged the original owner to sell the shares to him. The two would leave for a foreign country and live happily ever after.

Under Chen Zhijie's bewitchment, the original owner had agreed to do all those things. The two couldn't help themselves. As a result, at this time, everyone came over from Lin Siheng's instigation and found this scene.

The crowd had been very surprised.

At this time, the person who was arranged by Lin Jihao stood up. He said that he had accidentally left his cell phone here and had luckily turned the recording on. The conversation between the original owner and Chen Zhijie had been recorded.

The truth came out. The original owner's reputation was ruined. Lin Jihao questioned his father's cause of death and the authenticity of the will. In the end, he successfully got back the shares and property.

Naturally, the original owner had nothing left and her reputation was ruined. Chen Zhijie had abandoned her so she lived on the streets, abandoned herself to her vices, and finally disappeared into the vast sea of people.

However, due to this suicide scandal, Feiteng International's share price plummetted. Investors lost confidence in the company and sold their shares. It took Lin Jihao 4-5 years to turn the tides and another 10 years for Feiteng International to regain its former glory.

During this period, Lin Jihao paid a huge price. Because of the original owner, Lin Jihao lost confidence in women and suffered from a phobia of women. In the novel, the first person the female lead fell in love with was Lin Jihao. But, Lin Jihao didn't trust her and took precautions against her. When the female lead tried to get close to him, he pushed her away and humiliated her in every possible way.

The female lead couldn't bear such humiliation and finally left Lin Jihao. She then went through a series of events and fell in love with the male lead, who was starting a business. They got together.

After the female lead left, Lin Jihao realised that he was really in love with her. When he figured it out and wanted to get back with her, he discovered that the female lead had a new lover by her side. No matter how much regret Lin Jihao had or how much he apologised, the female lead wouldn't leave the male lead for him.

Lin Jihao couldn't accept losing to a man who was inferior to him in every way, so he began to target the male lead, even attacking his career.

Of course, the reason why the male lead was the male lead was because he had a lot of cheats. The male protagonist had actually rescued a drowning old man in the park. It turned out that he was actually the grandson to the drowning old man and they had been separated since he was young. After the male lead went back to pay his respects to his ancestors, he transformed into a fourth generation Hong.

With the support of his family, the male lead had a successful career. Lin Jihao, who had been targetting the male lead, began to have bad luck after the male lead gained power. First, he was reported for tax evasion. Then, there were ancient tombs in the land that the company sold at auction for a high price. There were many other incidents. It didn't take long for Feiteng International to go bankrupt.

Lin Jihao couldn't accept this fact and wanted to take revenge on the male lead.

It so happened that the female lead was pregnant. The male lead accompanied her to the hospital for a check-up. Lin Jihao didn't even think about it. He hit them with his car. Although nothing happened to the male and female leads, the female lead had been frightened so badly that she miscarried.

The male lead was furious and sent someone to quietly capture Lin Siheng, fed Lin Jihao □□, and then found a few broad-shouldered and solidly built women. He put them all together.

In fact, Lin Jihao's fear of women had not been cured. He suffered greatly, and was forced to death.

Lin Jihao's death did not cause any waves. The male and female leads soon forgot about him. The female lead took good care of herself and eventually gave birth to twins. The family lived happily together.

Li Su sighed when she thought of this. When you love me, I don't love you. When I love you, you don't love me. What a tragic love story.

Li Su smiled. She turned to the sofa and grabbed the cell phone in the corner. She broke it with her hands.

Lin Jihao's expression changed greatly.

"Okay, I know you plotted this. But, have you ever thought about what would happen if you succeeded? Who would be embarrassed? It would be your father and Feiteng International!" Li Su said softly. "Young people think that this kind of thing is worth the loss. You should do less in the future!"

Li Su patted Lin Jihao on the shoulder. She put the phone in his hand.

Chapter 168 – My Son is Not Mine (part 2)

Li Su didn't know what a wealthy family looked like before. Now that she had become a part of a wealthy family, she knew that money was just a number in the bank card for them.

Li Su looked at the luxury goods in the room. There were all kinds of bags and jewellery everywhere. The cloakroom in the villa was 70-80 sqm and was filled with shoes.

Li Su spent another week sorting out the property that belonged to the original owner and then sat on the sofa with a blank expression. How should she spend the money?

Being too rich was also a problem.

Lin Jihao had been busy taking over the company's affairs these days. Although he was smart, it was inevitable that he would be overloaded.

It was not until Li Su came to help him that Lin Jihao remembered that he had a stepmother. Although he had people keeping an eye out for his stepmother's activities, he had been too busy to pay attention to her.

"You want me to help you invest?" Lin Jihao couldn't believe his ears. Hadn't she considered their relationship? She was his stepmother! Was she not afraid of losing everything?!

"Yeah, I discovered that I had too much spare money. Everything else is easy to handle. I just need to collect rent from the buildings. As for the shares from the other companies, I just need to wait for the dividends at the end of the year. Your father left me two billion in cash alone. It is a pity to have so much money in the bank. Your father kept saying that you had a good eye. So, I wanted to give you this money to invest it for me." Li Su had been thinking about how to get closer to this stepson.

Li Su thought about it for a while. Anyway, she didn't betray the Lin family. Even if Lin Jihao didn't like her, he shouldn't lose confidence in women because of this. This would be enough to have Lin Jihao and the female lead become a couple.

But what should she do next? Did she just eat, drink, play, and have fun? It was a bit too boring!

So, Li Su decided to pursue a great career.

"I've figured it out. I have about 2.1 billion I can take out. I'm going to use a third of it to set up a charity fund. I will build schools in remote areas. The rest of the money will be given to you to use however you like. But at the end of the year, I want to see gains. Of course, I'm not familiar with how a foundation works, so I will need your help. I also don't know much about building schools, so I'll need your help there too," Li Su said directly.

Lin Jihao felt a bit of an incoming headache. Even though he said he didn't care about the estate his father left for his stepmother, he still felt a little uncomfortable when he heard this. His dad probably left his life savings to his stepmother, right? Did his dad not trust him so much? Or was he just protective? Was his dad afraid that he would treat his stepmother poorly, so his dad left a lot of property to his stepmother so that she could live with food and clothing?

Also, was his stepmother crazy? Before she only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. Now she wanted to start a charity? However, it was fine. No matter what the reason was that spurred this change, so long as she didn't touch the company's interests, he was willing to maintain peace on the surface. Additionally, he was very moved by his stepmother's proposal. The 1.4 billion was enough for him to do a lot of things.

"Well, have you figured things out?" Li Su asked.

Lin Jihao glanced at Li Su. "Mum, can you tell me why you suddenly want to do charity?"

Li Su was frightened by Lin Jihao calling her 'mum'. She got goosebumps. She had been married to Lin Siyuan for almost 15 years and Lin Jihao had never called her 'mum'. When things reached an extreme, they could only move in the opposite direction. It was suspicious.

She suddenly understood how Lin Jihao felt when he saw her do those things. He must have been as shocked as she was!

Li Su pretended to be calm and said something at random. "One should do more good deeds in this life so there will be good results in the next life. Your father was so kind to me, but we didn't have long in this life. I want to do more good deeds and accumulate merits in the hopes of meeting your father in the next life."

Lin Jihao rolled his eyes. It would be strange if he believed that nonsense. "I don't care why you decided to change your mind, but Feiteng International is my father's life's work. As long as you don't hurt Feiteng International's interests, I don't care what you do. Don't worry, I will help you get the team you want within a month."

Li Su smiled. "I am sincere towards your dad. It is up to you to believe my words. There is no other man in this world that would treat me better than your dad. I have realised this now. The reason why your dad transferred all his shares to me was that he actually wanted me to transfer them to you so that you can accept my feelings and ease the relationship between us."

Lin Jihao was still young, so he couldn't keep his composure. He stood up from his chair. "Is what you said true?"

"If you don't believe me, look at this." Li Su took out a document from her bag and threw it on the table.

Lin Jihao took it and looked over it carefully. It was a notarised agreement signed by his father and stepmother. The content of the agreement was that his stepmother must transfer all the shares she had of Feiteng International to Lin Jihao within 3 months of his father's death. Otherwise, Lawyer Lin would take out another will and take everything back from his stepmother.

Li Su continued. "I can't spend the property your father gave me in eight lifetimes. The shares are useless to me. So, if you hadn't planned all of that, I would have still transferred the shares to you. This is your father's will and I will help him execute it."

Lin Jihao fell back onto the chair. Was it really true? Dad had always had him in his heart? What was all that indifference and neglect he had to deal with before? Was it to give him experience?

Dad only met his stepmother 4 months after his mother died after giving birth to him. Dad fell in love with his stepmother at first sight and insisted on marrying her despite the backlash he would receive. When he was young, he thought that his stepmother was the mistress, just like everyone else, and that it was because of his stepmother that his mother died.

When he grew older, he investigated the events of that year. He discovered that his parents were married for business and there wasn't any love between them. His stepmother was indeed not a mistress and she married his father out of love. But, at that time, Lin Jihao had a deep prejudice against his father and stepmother.

It just so happened that his stepmother didn't like him either. Therefore, the misunderstanding between them deepened.

Before his father died and he discovered this will, Lin Jihao's hatred of his mother and stepfather had reached its peak. That's why he set up such a trap.

But now he learned it was because he thought too much about it all. Dad had always loved him, but couldn't balance his relationship between his true love and his son. Before his dad died, he had been thinking of a way to ease the relationship between Lin Jihao and his stepmother.

"Jihao, I've come to my senses. Your dad was a good man and I don't want to let him down. I hope that you can understand that you and I are the two people that your dad cherished the most. He is the last person who would want to see us turn against one another. I hope you can understand this." Li Su patted Lin Jihao's shoulder.

Then, she turned around and walked out the door, closing the door quietly. She smiled, complacent. That document was forged by her and her lawyer. There was no doubting Lin Siyuan's love for the original owner. He was afraid that his son would not treat Li Su well, so he left all the shares to the original owner. In that case, his son had to treat Li Su well if he wanted to inherit the company.

The original owner's mind was only focussed on love. After that man said a few sweet words, she didn't care about anything else. Her husband's body was only just cold and she did such a thing, forcing Lin Jihao to do that.

But now, Li Su had the job of whitewashing the original owner as much as possible. So far, the effect wasn't bad.

In the office, Lin Jihao looked at the documents on the table, lost in thought.

After Li Su said all that, she went abroad quickly. Since she decided to take the charity route in the future, she should enjoy herself before that!

A month later, Lin Jihao called her to tell her that the team she wanted had been assembled.

Li Su then reluctantly returned from Norway. Fortunately she had already seen the aurora. Nature was really amazing.

After Li Su returned to China, she met with the team to discuss the details. Li Su said that she wasn't a professional, so she wouldn't intervene too much. She would not participate in management and would only contribute the funds. The foundation would be under the Feiteng International name and would be called Yuansu Charity Foundation. The main direction of the charity would be towards education.

Lin Jihao's expression was as expected. He knew that his stepmother's so-called charity was just for the name and not to do anything stupid.

Li Su nodded. It was better to leave these things to the professionals.

Lin Jihao had mentally prepared himself a while ago. It was better for Li Su to be like this. It was better than her knowing nothing and yet interfering in everything.

After finishing all the work, Li Su asked, "What happened to your second uncle recently?" Lin Siheng had paid off the 100 million within a month. After that, Li Su had been busy and never paid attention to Lin Siheng. She saw a lot of other people, but not Lin Siheng, so she asked this question.

Lin Jihao smiled slightly. "Second uncle has a family matter. I don't know what's going on right now."

How could Lin Jihao let Lin Siheng go? He knew who Chen Zhijie was! Lin Siheng was just his father's half-brother and their relationship wasn't good. So, Lin Jihao didn't plan on showing mercy.

"Don't make too much trouble. He is your uncle after all." Li Su didn't plan on intervening. She just tried to persuade. In the past, Lin Jihao had a terrible reputation in the business world, so when he had an accident later, nobody spoke for him.

"I know. It's just a small punishment." In this life, Lin Jihao's starting point was much smoother, so his mentality was relatively peaceful.

"I don't need to worry when you do things. By the way, you are taking over the company now. What about school? You haven't graduated from school yet, have you?" Li Su asked.

Lin Jihao sighed. It had been almost 3 months before Li Su remembered to ask this. Wasn't it a bit too late?

But, she did ask, and it seemed heartfelt.

"I have already made an agreement with the school that I will go back and take the exam as usual. For the rest, I will have a private tutor," said Lin Jihao. "Also, I'm in my third year. I can take the university entrance exam next year." He skipped 2 grades in middle school. Didn't she know?

Li Su nodded. "Very good. Although the company is important, studying is also very important! You can do it! When you are admitted to university, I will give you a big red envelope!"

Lin Jihao rolled his eyes helplessly. "Thanks, mum!"

Li Su shuddered. "Don't call me mum. I'll panic. I'm going to have afternoon tea, and then I'll go to the beauty salon to take care of my skin. I've been flying a lot lately and my skin feels a little dry." After she said that, she took her bag and left.

After Li Su left, a man entered Lin Jihao's office. "If your stepmother continues to be like this, then maybe it isn't a bad thing to be at peace with her."

"Cousin, why did you return?" Lin Jihao looked at the person who entered and smiled.

Chapter 169 – My Son is Not Mine (part 3)

Lin Jihao was very happy when he saw the other person come in. That other person said, "If your mother saw you like this, she would be very happy."

Lin Jihao lowered his head and smiled. He didn't answer. "Cousin, sit down." Then, he called on the intercom, "Secretary Wang, bring two cups of coffee."

Jiang Lei sat on the sofa and looked around. "Is the company okay? If you need help, you can just tell cousin."

Lin Jihao smiled slightly. If he had said this a few months ago, he might have been very moved, but now…

Jiang Lei didn't care about his cousin's estrangement when he saw this. In fact, since his aunt died and his uncle remarried, the relationship between the 2 families had become estranged. His uncle kept his cousin from getting too close to him. His cousin was rebellious. Since the Jiang family didn't object to uncle's remarriage, his cousin didn't want to be close to the Jiang family.

When his uncle had an accident this time, his parents wanted to return to China as soon as possible. But, Jiang Lei stopped them. It was the perfect time for the two to mend their relationship since his cousin was in need of help and support at that time. But, Jiang Lei felt that Jiang family didn't owe Lin Jihao anything. It wasn't that they didn't want to get close to Lin Jihao. It was just that Lin Siyuan was afraid that his new wife would not be happy, so they weren't allowed to get close.

Jiang Lei wanted to take this opportunity to fix his cousin's temper, so he prevented his parent's from returning to China. He wanted his arrogant and rebellious cousin to realise the warmth and cold nature of the world so that he would understand the value of family affection. They were fully prepared to only extend a helping hand to Lin Jihao when he couldn't hold on any longer.

They didn't expect this result. Jiang Lei couldn't sit still, so he returned.

"Why did cousin come back to China now?" Lin Jihao asked.

Jiang Lei bowed his head. "I came back to deal with something. I figured I could pay you a visit. I'm relieved that everything is fine with you."

"Is grandma okay?" Lin Jihao asked.

"She has been able to speak recently. She misses you a lot. If you have time, you should go see her!" said Jiang Lei.

Lin Jihao thought for a while. Just as he was about to speak, Secretary Wang knocked on the door, then entered.

Lin Jihao looked at the coffee in front of his cousin and then at the glass of milk in front of him. He was a little displeased. Who decided this?!

"It was ordered by the madam. The madam said that drinking too much coffee is not good for your health and that you are only allowed to drink two cups of coffee a day. If you want more coffee, then it will be replaced with milk," said Secretary Wang softly.

When Lin Jihao heard this order from his stepmother, he rolled his eyes. She really regarded herself as his mother! Lin Jihao tapped the table. "Fine, I got it. Get out!"

Secretary Wang turned around and left, closing the door behind her.

Jiang Lei laughed softly. "Madam Lin is a little different from the rumours."

"Cousin did say it was a rumour," said Lin Jihao.

Jiang Lei lowered his head slightly. It seemed that after this incident, the relationship between his cousin and Madam Lin had improved. He made the wrong move. It wouldn't be easy to improve his relationship with his cousin in the future!

Lin Jihao smiled and dialled the internal number. "Secretary Wang, arrange a table at Guanyue Restaurant at noon. Ask the madam if she has time then to have a meal together."

Jiang Lei looked at Lin Jihao and Lin Jihao smiled. "Won't cousin honour me with your presence?"

Jiang Lei asked, "What do you mean?"

When Li Su answered Secretary Wang's call, she was at the beauty salon. "Okay, I will head over there."

Lin Jihao wanted to invite her to lunch? She was afraid it was a trap! She was secretly vigilant.

When Li Su thought of this, she ordered, "Help me put on some beautiful make-up after. It must be one that will amaze everyone!"

Li Su was a VIP customer at the beauty salon and she was very generous. Every time she came, the manager would personally help her. This time wasn't a surprise.

The manager said with a smile, "Madam Lin is just as stunning without make-up. Make-up is just the icing on the cake. Where will Madam Lin be going? I can help you design your make-up."

"Oh, I'll be having dinner with my son and his cousin," said Li Su lightly.

"Got it. Madam Lin doesn't need to worry." As one of the most high-end beauty salons in the city, the manager also knew about the inside story of these people and quickly understood Li Su's intentions.

Lin Jihao and Jiang Lei were sitting in the booth. They were each holding a notebook. One was working on documents and the other was studying. It was an awkward atmosphere.

Jiang Lei raised his head from time to time, trying to have a break from all the dullness. He saw Lin Jihao listening to a lecture on his computer; it looked like he was studying seriously. Jiang Lei was a little unhappy. When he saw Lin Jihao like this, it seemed that his cousin had forgiven what his uncle did.

As for his stepmother… He always felt that there was something wrong with her.

Jiang Lei was a little irritable.

At this moment, the door suddenly opened. A fragrant breeze went by and a graceful woman strolled in.

"Jihao, you are sitting facing the air conditioner again. Aren't you afraid of developing rheumatism when you get older? Go sit on the side." As soon as Li Su entered, she unceremoniously pulled the earphone from Lin Jihao's ear. She tapped his shoulder.

Lin Jihao rolled his eyes. He found that the number of times he had rolled his eyes had skyrocketed recently. When he saw his stepmother, he couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. For example, just now, she was obviously hot, yet said such high-sounding words.

However, Lin Jihao moved away obediently.

Li Su sat down. It was a really hot day. Her make-up was so pretty today so she didn't want it to go to waste.

Jiang Lei's eyes almost fell out of their sockets when he saw such a scene. Was this really his cousin? He was so obedient?

"You're Jihao's cousin? It's been a long time since we last met. You've grown so big so fast! Do you have a girlfriend? When are you planning on getting married? How many kids are you planning on having?" Li Su was very self-conscious. She spoke with enthusiasm and familiarity.

Jiang Lei's mouth twitched slightly. Didn't she know her identity? She shouldn't pretend to be his elder and say such things.

Lin Jihao watched from the side and wanted to laugh.

Although Jiang Lei was a little broken, his upbringing made him unable to refuse to answer Li Su. So, he had to answer some of the questions lightly. "I don't have any plans to fall in love yet."

"It is good for young people to focus on their careers, but family is also very important. Your family only has one son so your parents must be anxious? You young people have your own ideas, but you should also consider the mood of your elders, shouldn't you?" Li Su was just chattering.

Jiang Lei had no power to fight back.

Lin Jihao was trying hard not to laugh. His cousin had put on airs all day. Even if Jiang Lei was only 7 years older than him, Jiang Lei always looked at him like Jiang Lei was an elder and that he was ignorant.

After the meal, Jiang Lei was a little exhausted. He declined Lin Jihao's invitation to drink tea and couldn't wait to leave. He would rather hang out with the old fox in the mall than chat with Li Su.

Before leaving, Jiang Lei still stopped Lin Jihao. "Whether you believe me or not, we have no malice. If you need help in the future, you can come to us at any time."

Lin Jihao smiled, but he was undecided about Jiang Lei's words. Yes, he believed that his uncle and the others had no malicious intent, but when he was in his most difficult time, they didn't show up. No matter what their reason was, it was already too late.

Li Su came out of the washroom and found that Jiang Lei was no longer there. "Hey, why did he leave? I wanted to ask him to a morning tea and introduce him to a girlfriend!"

Lin Jihao couldn't help but laugh. Cousin was scared away because Li Su wanted to introduce his cousin to a girl who was her best friend's daughter.

His cousin, who had received elite education since he was young, was self-disciplined to the point of being boring. He had high vision. He wouldn't like the people his stepmother would introduce to him.

"Would you like to come with me in the afternoon? Although you are still young, you can be friends first! Hey, don't go!" Li Su said as she looked at Lin Jihao.

"I have two meetings in the afternoon," said Lin Jihao.

"Oh, that's fine. Then I'll go by myself." She wouldn't disturb her son!

Lin Jihao was processing the documents when Secretary Wang suddenly knocked on his door and entered. "Director Lin, there is news from Executive Wang saying that Madam Lin has made several investments into the charity fund. Although it isn't much, it adds up to thirty million."

Lin Jihao was stunned for a while. He remembered that at lunch, his stepmother said that she would be having afternoon tea with her girlfriends. He understood. Most of his stepmother's friends had similar identities as her and could relate more.

"Understood. Tell VP Chen that if Executive Wang needs anything, he should give him full support," Lin Jihao ordered.

"Yes."

Wang Wenying was the vice-chairman of the Yuansu Charity Foundation. Li Su was the chairman of the board and didn't care about anything, so Wang Wenying was the main person in charge of the Yuansu Charity Foundation. He had the ability to handle affairs. After he took over the charity fund, he quickly got started.

In less than a month, he found a few places that met their conditions and urgently needed their help.

Li Su read the documents that Wang Wenying brought. "I want to invite my friends first to take a look. They are all good money-makers. If it can impress them, then they will donate more money later. When running a charity, it is always good to have money, don't you think?"

Wang Wenying quickly understood what Li Su meant. Half an hour later, he took out a plan.

Li Su was very satisfied after she read it. She raised her head and glanced at Wang Wenying. Where did Lin Jihao poach him from? He was so clever. It seemed like such a waste for him to stay in the charity fund.

In the evening, at the Lin family's dining table, Li Su asked this question. Lin Jihao's mouth twitched a little. Wasn't it because she was lazy and unwilling to manage things that he had to find a shrewd person to manage the charity fund? Otherwise, no matter how much money she had, it would go to waste sooner or later.

Chapter 170 – My Son is Not Mine (part 4)

Li Su was dressed in simple clothes. She trekked with a few of her girlfriends on the country road. There was a big mountain in the south-west region. They couldn't go by car and could only walk. They had been going for half an hour and hadn't yet reached their destination.

A few people couldn't hold on anymore. One of them, named Lisa, asked, "A-Su, how much longer will it take to get there? I can't walk anymore."

Several others also complained incessantly. What did they do to suffer so much? They should have known better than to listen to Li Su's words. Doing charity and donating money. Why were they asking for hardships?

"Pay attention to your image! We are broadcasting the entire process. Little Liu, how many people are there now? Is it popular yet?" Li Su was also exhausted, but she still insisted on gritting her teeth.

"Only more than a hundred people are online." Little Liu was a young girl who had just graduated from college. She was smart and had many ideas. She was mainly responsible for publicity and remembered the proposal of this live broadcast.

"It's not popular!" Li Su thought for a while. "Sisters, take out your cell phones and forward it on Weibo to gain some popularity."

Lisa hesitated. "Is that okay?"

"What's wrong? What age is it now? When we sisters do charity, we need to make a big splash and let everyone know. Didn't you say that your sister-in-law looked down on you? Show her. Can she do what you do for charity?" Li Su said loudly.

Lisa gritted her teeth. "You're right!" Then, she took out her cell phone and reposted the live broadcast on Weibo and her social media.

In an instant, the popularity of the live broadcast room rose.

Little Liu said excitedly, "Chairman, there are five thousand people in the live broadcast room. No, eight thousand! Ten thousand! Twelve thousand! Thirty thousand!"

Li Su was very happy when she heard this. She took the selfie stick from Little Liu and said hello with a smile. "Hello, everyone. I am Li Su, the chairman of the Yuansu Charity Foundation. Behind me are my friends, who are also committed to charity. We are now on ** Mountain near ** City. This time, we plan on going to the mountains for a field trip. We plan to build a school here. Here, there are no roads, so the car can't come up. We have been walking for half an hour and are still on our way. Fortunately, we don't have make-up today or we would be very embarrassed by now."

A barrage1 hit the live broadcast room. Some were good and others bad.

Li Su habitually ignored the barrage of these sunspots2 and only picked some good messages to answer. "There are too many messages, everyone. I can't read all of them, so I won't answer them all. Some people ask, if we do charity, then we should just do charity. Why make noise about it? This is very simple. We hope that more people will pay attention to this and join us in doing charity together. Yes, this netizen is right. The beauty behind me is Lisa, the third young lady of Xiyuan Jewellery. Haha, Lisa, come and say hi to everyone."

Lisa was also a frequent headliner. Naturally, she wasn't afraid to greet the camera.

Soon, someone recognised the identities of the others. They were all wealthy and noble women. In the past, they were all radiant when they appeared on TV. It was rare to see them dressed so plainly. Suddenly, more people flocked towards them, and the number of online users reached 200,000.

They hadn't arrived at their destination yet, but fortunately Li Su was a very active person. She was chatting to everyone for a while and turned the camera so everyone could see the natural scenery. The popularity of the live broadcast room was very high.

Lisa and the others also gritted their teeth and no longer complained thanks to the live broadcast.

After holding out for more than half an hour, they finally reached their destination.

When the principal got the news, he took the children to the stand on the side of the road early to greet them.

Li Su, Lisa, and the others looked at the dishevelled children and then looked at the crumbling earthen houses not far away. Their expressions were indescribable.

They knew that the conditions here were bad, but they didn't expect it to be so difficult.

The live broadcast room was also full of excitement. The screen couldn't even be seen because of the barrage.

"Welcome, welcome. Everyone is welcome to come and inspect!" The principal and the 2 teachers nervously spoke half-baked Mandarin.

Li Su, Lisa, and the others were not good at dealing with such a scene. Wang Wenying rushed forward and talked with the principal and the others.

Li Su gave the selfie stick to Little Liu and went to chat with the children. She asked about their situation.

Lisa and the others didn't dare to approach at first. But, they listened and slowly went over. These children were so pitiful. It turned out that the money they spent on an afternoon tea was worth the income of these children's families for several years. How could there be such poor people in the world?

Although they would still have afternoon tea and buy bags and luxury items, it would not diminish what they would do for these children at this time.

Li Su learned that many of the children lived deep in the mountains and had to walk for several hours to go to and from school. When it was raining and windy, the mountain road was more difficult to walk on. Children would be injured every year.

"Executive Wang, in addition to the school building, we will build a dormitory for them. Children from far away can stay here and easily get to school. It will save them time," Li Su said with red eyes.

The principal was a little excited, but he remembered his situation. He still gritted his teeth and refused. "Thank you, but the dormitory will be useless. Most of the children have been left behind and have to take care of their younger siblings and elders at home. If they don't go home, then what would happen to the elders at home? If possible, can the dormitory be replaced with computers? I heard that they can access the internet and see videos. The children's parents are all out and sometimes don't even come back during Chinese New Year. The children miss their parents," the principal said cautiously.

"The dormitory still needs to be built. If it is windy or raining, the children will have a place to sleep. If they travel back and forth, there will be a higher chance of accidents. We won't only build a dormitory and a school building, we will provide computers and have a library!" Li Su said. It was just money. She had plenty!

This was way beyond the budget. Wang Wenying wanted to say something, but he looked at the phone and then at the children around him. Forget it. Since that was what Li Su wanted, then he would try and get it done as perfect as possible!

The principal was so excited that he was almost speechless. He kept bending over to say thanks and wished to kowtow to Li Su and the others. "Thank you! Thank you on behalf of these kids!"

"Count them. How many children are in the school? How many teachers are there? I'll have someone bring you clothes right away," said Lisa.

"Yes, I'll be in charge of the books in the library. Make a list of what books are needed." This one was more emotional and was wiping away her tears.

"Then I'll be in charge of the computers. Is thirty enough? Do you need anything else? Do you want an air conditioner? How about a refrigerator?"

There was an uproar in the live broadcast room. Having money was great!

All in all, this charity trip was quite successful. When they left, the principal and the children escorted them for 7-8 miles. Wang Wenying had to repeatedly tell them that it wasn't necessary until they finally stopped.

Li Su looked back at the children who were standing there and sighed. "Executive Wang, what I promised must be delivered. The children must not be disappointed. I will make up the excess."

"Yes, chairman!" Wang Wenying looked at Li Su with a complicated expression. At first, he thought that Madam Lin's so-called charity was just a pretense. He didn't expect that she was actually serious.

"A-Su, what are you talking about? Could I fake what I said in front of hundreds of thousands of people? Don't worry. I will definitely give what I said," said Lisa.

The others also nodded. "Yes!"

"I think this event is very interesting. My Weibo fans have increased by about seventy to eighty thousand."

"My mother-in-law sent me a message praising me. That's great. I've been related to her for five years and this is the first time she has praised me."

"Me too. Our Old Zhang not only liked my friend circle but praised me in his friend circle. This is the first time he's mentioned me to his friend circle. I want to cry so much!"

"A-Su, next time there is such an event, remember to call all of us. It is very meaningful."

"Okay, okay, I will remember to call you next time," Li Su said with a smile.

"When can I take a car? When can I go home? The first thing I will do when I get off the plane is to go to the beauty salon. I'm not sure if I tanned today."

"I'm going too. My skin needs to be hydrated. It's dry."

The ladies began discussing their beauty maintenance.

The conversation topic suddenly shifted and the simple Little Liu couldn't adapt for a while. But, she somehow felt that these high-class ladies were quite cute. They didn't seem so difficult to approach as people said online.

Wang Wenying and the other staff exchanged glances. They probably felt the same as Little Liu, but they weren't as simple as her. They did not have everything show on their faces.

Lisa suddenly turned her head and saw Little Liu. "Your name is Little Liu?"

"Yes, my name is Liu Tingting. Everyone calls me Little Liu," Liu Tingting said quickly.

"Tingting is so nice. Why do people call you Little Liu? People should call you Tingting. I heard that you are in charge of the foundation's Weibo? How many fans do you have? Let's follow each other!" said Lisa.

"Yes, I am taking care of the Weibo. The fans are… Fifty-three thousand. No, it has increased to eight hundred and seventy thousand!" Liu Tingting opened the Weibo and was frightened by the sudden private message prompt. Her voice was high. She realised this was a bit rude and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry. I am too excited."

"Eight hundred and seventy thousand? That much? Wow! It's still going up." Lisa leaned over to take a look. "You can do it, little girl. Come on, let's follow each other."

The rest of the people also gathered around. After, the official account of the Yuansu Charity Foundation had a few more accounts of the wealthy ladies.

Liu Tingting ignored the private messages and opened the comments first. As always, there were good and bad ones. Some showed them support for the show, but others scolded them. Liu Tingting didn't care. She picked a few black fans with high comment count and blocked them. She picked a few more friendly comments and boosted them.

After they got into the car, the women were all tired and slumped in their seats.

Liu Tingting suddenly had an idea. She turned on the beauty camera, took a photo, and touched it up. After she confirmed that it was flawless, she posted it on Weibo. "The first stop of the charity trip – ***. My sisters walked a few hours on foot. After they got on the bus, they were exhausted and distressed." Then, she tagged Li Su, Lisa, and the others.

As soon as the post went up on Weibo, there were thousands of people who liked it within a minute. Liu Tingting was very satisfied.