The slap landed on her face, burning with pain, but Tian Xiaorou was already used to it.
Tian Tieniu looked up, gave Tian Xiaorou a cold glance, retracted his hand, and said slowly, "No matter what, that’s still your third brother, it’s not your place to gossip."
Her lowered eyes burned with resentnt, and Tian Xiaorou squeezed out a hum from her throat.
Seeing Tian Xiaorou behave more obediently, Tian Tieniu cald down, "Tell , about the task I gave you, how did it go?"
"It’s hard to do."
Tian Tieniu frowned, raising his tone, "Hard to do?"
"Yes."
Tian Xiaorou bent down to the well, scooped a handful of cool water, splashed it on her face, the burning sensation eased a bit, then she opened her mouth and said, "Xiao Chenye doesn’t even fancy Li Lihong, let alone ."
"It’s only right not to fancy Li Lihong, isn’t it?" Tian Tieniu comnted disdainfully, "A skinny little girl, always shouting around. You’re different."
He looked Tian Xiaorou up and down, his turbid gaze falling on her body, making Tian Xiaorou feel sick.
She couldn’t understand how the sa father, Tian Tieniu, could be so disgusting.
"You have a good figure, a good temperant, even your appearance is more delicate than Li Lihong," Tian Tieniu concluded decisively, "She won’t do, but you definitely can."
"He doesn’t fancy ."
Tian Tieniu suddenly got angry, his face cold, "You damn girl, are you deliberately trying to make mad?"
Knowing it was pointless to argue, Tian Xiaorou straightforwardly said, "If that’s the case, then how about first getting rid of a strong competitor for ?"
"Who?"
"Li Lihong."
At the ntion of Li Lihong, Tian Tieniu felt a bit intimidated. Although he looked down on this girl, Li Lihong was the daughter of the accounting officer of the team. Offending her might provoke the Li family to retaliate and make his life difficult.
"You’re not trying to trick , are you?"
Tian Xiaorou felt powerless. She realized that the father who was so authoritative at ho was just a pushover outside, anyone could kick him around.
"No," Tian Xiaorou said softly, "Li Lihong’s family conditions are good, and she’s more willing to take risks than I am. If I act later and she sses things up, I reckon, what I want to achieve would be even less likely to succeed."
Indeed.
Tian Tieniu beca more serious, "So what do you suggest we do?"
Images of Li Lihong’s face, so arrogant and nasty, uncontrollably floated in Tian Xiaorou’s mind.
Since she looks down on the third brother so much, then...
"Dad," Tian Xiaorou gave a short laugh, turning her head, "I have a win-win solution. Why not help consider it?"
Tian Tieniu looked skeptical.
Tian Xiaorou leaned closer to Tian Tieniu, whispering sothing.
Tian Tieniu’s face lit up, "Is it really feasible?"
"How could it not be?" Tian Xiaorou smiled, "Isn’t this the best solution?"
"Alright, let’s do as you said."
Tian Xiaorou urged quietly, "Dad, this kind of matter needs a swift and decisive approach. It’s best to get it done before the end of the year."
"Alright."
"..."
Sitting in the house, fretting over what to say next ti she talked to Xiao Chenye, Li Lihong had no idea she had already been targeted.
"Lihong," Mrs. Li pushed open the door, smiling brightly, "Stop being so vain, co on, I boiled an egg for you, eat it while it’s hot."
"Really?"
Li Lihong peeled the egg shell happily and ate it, muttering, "Mom, are there any more eggs at ho?"
"Why? Do you want to see Xiao Chenye?"
Everyone in the family knew about the daughter’s thoughts.
Mrs. Li teased with a smile, making Li Lihong a bit shy, "Mom~ don’t tease your daughter."
"Ah~" Mrs. Li looked at her young daughter fondly, feeling a mix of emotions, "Truly, daughters are like water, hard to keep around, keeping and keeping until it turns sour."
"Mom!" Li Lihong hugged Mrs. Li coquettishly, "Even if I get married, I’ll always be your daughter!
Besides, there will be one more person to honor you then!"
A few words made Mrs. Li beam with joy, "Alright, alright, then I’ll wait for your good news?"
Looking at Li Lihong, she was satisfied everywhere, and couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of the Xiao family.
To have such a lively, intelligent, and delightful daughter-in-law, she wondered how much good fortune the Xiao family’s ancestors had accumulated.
Thinking about it, Mrs. Li asked, "Honestly speaking, Chenye is not young anymore. Instead of dragging it out, how about I let your father inquire about the Xiao family’s intentions?"
Li Lihong’s face turned rosy, "Ah? Mom, would that work?"
"What’s wrong with that," Mrs. Li thought, rather than letting her daughter drag her feet, it would be better to take the steps directly and settle the matter.
Don’t think that she didn’t know because of her age, there were so many young girls outside eyeing Xiao Chenye.
Although her daughter was excellent, to be fair, Xiao Chenye was not bad either.
While other young n of his age were toiling in the fields, he managed to secure a job with the county transport team, showing his abilities.
In the future, when her daughter married over, she wouldn’t suffer, she was sure.
The more she thought, the more she felt this marriage was good. Mrs. Li patted Li Lihong’s shoulder, "You silly girl, usually naive, but so clever now, knowing to act before others do."
"Hmph!"
Li Lihong pouted, "Of course, your daughter’s taste is picky!"
The mother and daughter chatted for a while longer before Mrs. Li left, satisfied, heading straight to her sister-in-law’s house.
Li Qingshan was the eldest, Li Qingshui was the second. The Li family was straightforward in raising children back then: those who would care for them in old age were cultivated, and those who wouldn’t were given just enough to survive.
Therefore, although born of the sa parents, as the brothers grew up and each started a family, the gap between them widened.
The eldest learned to read, and with Mr. Li Sr.’s help, beca the accountant of the Silly Deer Team, relaxed throughout the year and respected by everyone.
The second was miserable, without parents’ favor, married a wife after hard work, only to be cast out.
Apart from the three dilapidated houses at the entrance, nothing else was shared.
He couldn’t read, had no connections or help, and could only toil in the fields to earn work points.
The two families had little interaction.
The eldest looked down on the useless second, and the second didn’t care to curry favor with the eldest. Thus, they maintained a superficial relationship,
and kept it very low-key.
"Laidi, washing clothes?"
Wu Laidi looked up helplessly at her sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, why are you here?"
"Oh dear, listen to you," Mrs. Li rolled her eyes, sarcastically, "We’re family, yet you talk to like this when I visit?"
Wu Laidi: "..."
When ordinary people visit, she certainly wouldn’t react like this. The key was that her sister-in-law was not soone to be trifled with!
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