Chapter 203
"Wang Cuihua, are you saying I'm useless?" Li Yaozu was displeased upon hearing this.
"Am I wrong? We're all from the Li family, so why is there such a big difference? How come others can make a fortune while you can't even bring back half a tael of silver? And you blame me?" Wang Cuihua stood up, pointing her finger at Li Yaozu's nose as she scolded.
"You foolish woman, what nonsense are you spouting? It's true that Li Tianyou is a Li, but what does that have to do with me?" Thinking of Li Tianyou, Li Yaozu also felt a sour taste in his heart.
He's so rich, why couldn't he lend some money for me to spend?
Wasting that hard-earned money on repairing roads and bridges...
If he has money, he might as well build a house for me.
"What do you mean, what does it have to do with you? No matter what, he's your cousin. He's now a high official in the capital, while you're here, barely able to put food on the table!" Speaking of this, Wang Cuihua grew angry. Back then, she married Li Yaozu precisely because he was somewhat related to that richest man, Li Tianyou.
But after all these years of marriage, not only had they received no benefits,
that family had never even acknowledged them as poor relatives.
She had slaved away day and night for this Li family. Now, with their son about to get married, this man of hers not only had no skills to speak of, but couldn't even come up with the betrothal gifts.
How could she not be furious?
"He is he, and I am I!" Li Yaozu said stubbornly.
"Hmph, I've heard that your brother's whole family is moving to the capital. Such a big house, who knows who it will fall into the hands of." Every time Wang Cuihua passed by the Li residence and saw that compound, she couldn't help but feel envious.
"I say, child's father, Li Tianyou only has a daughter. That girl will marry out sooner or later. Now, they're all going to the capital. By rights, shouldn't the Li family property belong to us?"
Wang Cuihua suddenly remembered similar cases from before. When a family had no sons, didn't the property eventually go to the clan brothers?
Although Li Yaozu wasn't Li Tianyou's blood brother, he was his cousin!
If their whole family moved into the Li house, wouldn't they stop worrying about their son being unable to find a wife?
Hearing Wang Cuihua's words, Li Yaozu's mind also began to stir.
That's right, Li Tianyou has no son. Shouldn't his property go to my son?
"You say Li Tianyou's whole family is moving to the capital?" Li Yaozu asked Wang Cuihua excitedly.
"Yes, I heard they're setting off in the next few days. I say, old man, how about we go to the Li house first thing tomorrow morning?" Wang Cuihua's eyes were full of excitement as she spoke.
"Go! Our whole family will go!" Thinking of his elderly parents, Li Yaozu felt a surge of emotion. He could finally let his parents live in a big house.
Early the next morning.
Zhong saw several shabbily dressed people standing at the gate of the Li residence.
One of them was even lying on a dilapidated wooden cart.
"Shoo, shoo, what are you doing here? Don't dirty our ground." Zhong unhappily shooed them away.
Thinking to himself, what bad luck to run into such people first thing in the morning.
"You blind fool! This is your Second Master!" Wang Cuihua instantly stepped forward with a look of displeasure, pointing at Zhong's nose and berating him.
"What Second Master?" Zhong was utterly confused.
How come he didn't know there was a Second Master in the household?
"Hurry up and open the gate, let the Second Master in." Wang Cuihua said to Zhong with great dissatisfaction,
as if she had truly become the mistress of this mansion.
"Alright, alright, you just want money, right? Wait here!" Zhong closed the small window and went to find the accountant.
In the past, the master would always give some small change to beggars. These people clearly looked like they were here for money.
He planned to get a few copper coins from the accountant to send them away.
To avoid the masters seeing them when they went out later—what bad luck.
"Mother, why won't that person open the gate and let us in?" Li Yaozu's son, Li Dazhu, said with dissatisfaction.
"Er Zhu, you go and knock on the door!" Li Yaozu said, equally displeased.
Thinking to himself that once he was in charge, he would definitely teach these blind servants a lesson.
After a short while, Zhong tossed out a few copper coins, saying, "Alright, take the coins and leave quickly."
"What do you mean by this?" Seeing this, Li Yaozu understood perfectly—this person was treating him like a beggar to be dismissed.
"My master is not at home. Take the money and leave quickly, or don't blame me for being rude!" Zhong hadn't expected this person to complain about the amount of money, and he too became displeased.
Beggars who aren't even satisfied.
Moreover, these people looked perfectly able-bodied, yet had sunk to begging. Clearly, they were just lazy good-for-nothings. Such people were utterly undeserving of his master's or young lady's pity.
"You scoundrel! I am your Second Master! Open this gate at once and have Li Zhiwei come out to greet me!" Li Yaozu knew Li Zhiwei was in Li'an County. After all, a few days ago, when Li Zhiwei was attacked, he happened to witness it not far away.
"Where did these madmen come from? My master has no brothers or sisters. If you want to impersonate our Second Master, you should go out and ask around—what Second Master does our household have?" Zhong looked at them as if they were a joke.
"Dazhu, Er Zhu, break down the door!" Li Yaozu was also infuriated, directly ordering his two tall, sturdy sons to break down the Li family's gate.
"Husband, if we break this door, we'll have to spend money to repair it later!" Looking at the vermilion gate, Wang Cuihua thought about how much silver it would cost to fix.
"Should we just stand outside the gate then?" Li Yaozu said impatiently.
"Watch me." Wang Cuihua's eyes darted.
She walked directly to the entrance, sat on the ground, and began wailing loudly.
"Heavens! My brother, after getting rich himself, won't acknowledge us, his own family! Our parents are ill right now!"
Wang Cuihua cried and shouted.
By now, quite a few people had gathered around. After all, they had never heard before that Li Tianyou had any brothers.
The sudden appearance of these people claiming to be Li Tianyou's brothers and parents made everyone very curious.
"Oh dear, could it be that Lord Li, after becoming successful, really abandoned his poor parents and brothers?"
Hearing that person's words, Wang Cuihua cried again, "All these years, my husband and I have desperately taken care of our parents. But they're old and sick now. We had no choice but to come beg our elder brother to find a doctor for them. Yet, they won't even let us through the door!"
Wang Cuihua tearfully accused the Li family of inaction.
The crowd looked at the tightly shut gate of the Li residence, then at the two emaciated elderly people lying on the wooden cart, and began to somewhat believe Wang Cuihua's words.
They felt that Li Tianyou was not acting properly in this matter.
