10. Male Supporting Roles in Period Novels (10)

On the way back, Li Hongfeng found that the people in the village were looking at him with strange eyes, as if they were sympathetic and pitiful, and he felt a little panicked.

She couldn't help but ask people why they were looking at her like that, and if something had happened. Seeing that she was almost at the door of her house, she could only speed up and walk forward.

Opening the door, Ye Cuixiang was choosing vegetables. Duan Qingen was not in the yard. He must be writing and drawing in the room with a notebook. The usual scene made Li Hongfeng relax, who was tense.

"Hongfeng is back. If you want to eat something, mom will make it for you."

When Ye Cuixiang found out that Li Hongfeng was back, she immediately smiled with great enthusiasm.

Li Hongfeng felt warm in her heart, shook her head and said softly: "We ate at school. Mom, please take a rest while I choose the food."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I have something to tell you."

Ye Cuixiang guiltily told her daughter-in-law everything that happened in the Duan family. She really wanted to help cover it up. Seeing that the village was so big and the trouble was so big, even if she didn't tell her, she would Someone who has something good to say tells Li Hongfeng.

Instead of letting her daughter-in-law listen to others' exaggerated words, it would be better for her to tell the truth clearly. With this idea in mind, Ye Cuixiang made it clear directly. After speaking, she couldn't help but turn around and glare at the room behind her.

This brat said harsh words neatly, without even thinking about how his wife would feel.

Staring, the mother still had to help her son, so Ye Cuixiang sighed, and said to Li Hongfeng distressed and lovingly, "Don't blame Qing En, he is also angry, you are not at home, right?" You know, your mother-in-law and cousin just want to step on and piss on us, and force us to buy a load of tattered clothes. "

"If you don't agree, they will sit at the door and make trouble. They will even try to get on top of you. They insist on saying that you are unfilial. You also know that our Qing'en has always been looking out for you. No, when they heard that you were not good, they became anxious. You opened your mouth and said something like that. A bunch of people were watching and you couldn't take it back. I definitely didn't mean to force you."

Li Hongfeng was silent for a few seconds, then broke into a smile and said, "Mom, I know Qing En is doing it for my own good."

It is definitely a good thing for her to break off the relationship at this time. She can see it just by looking at the Li family stepping on her and forcing the Duan family to buy clothes. If they continue, they will only get worse in the future.

"Don't worry. Now that Qing'en has brought this matter out, I will not go to their house without hesitation."

Ye Cuixiang comforted herself and nodded, "I also know that forcing you to break up with your mother's family is wronging you. Mom promises you that from now on our family will be both your mother's family and your husband's family, and no one will be able to bully you."

"Okay, let's go back to the house to rest, and say some thoughtful words to Qing En. From now on, our family will live a steady life."

Li Hongfeng didn't stay to help this time. She couldn't wait to see her husband.

When she entered the room, she immediately saw Duan Qing'en sitting by the window, settling accounts in a book. When she heard the sound of opening the curtain, Duan Qing'en raised her head and looked over. When she saw it was her, her lips curled up.

"Back?"

The next second she heard his voice, Li Hongfeng's eyes turned red uncontrollably. She hurried forward and hugged her husband, her voice choked with sobs:

"You don't have to worry about others gossiping if you do this."

She has always been smart, otherwise she would not have been receiving scholarships. After listening to her mother-in-law explain the cause and effect, Li Hongfeng already understood why her husband had to say something to force her to make a choice in front of so many people.

Even if the Li family took away her family's property and claimed the compensation as a benefactor, it was an indisputable fact that she was raised by them. As long as the relationship was not severed, as the niece raised by them, Li Hongfeng could not be "ungrateful" for a day. ".

Under such circumstances, Duan Qingen stood up and took all the infamy on himself, leaving Li Hongfeng "forced" to cut off contact with the Li family.

"What am I afraid of? It's not me who started the trouble." Duan Qing'en smiled and touched his wife's head, and comforted her gently: "A bunch of people saw them pressing me step by step and I kept tolerating. Besides, I'm still a human being. When others talk about young people, they will only say that they are bullying others too much.”

Li Hongfeng wiped her tears, but her voice was still choked with sobs: "You don't know, some women in the village love to gossip, and they can tell you anything, not to mention you really said those words."

She still remembers what some people in the village said about her when she wanted to go to junior high school but her eldest uncle didn't want to.

——"It's not enough for a girl to go to elementary school. She wants to go to junior high school. She's really ambitious."

——"Her uncle is a farmer. It takes a lot of effort to raise such a loser like her. Why doesn't she know how to be considerate of adults?"

——"You look like a hard-hearted person, maybe you will become a white-eyed wolf in the future."

At that time, if Li Hongfeng's elementary school principal hadn't valued her and made a special trip to the junior high school to apply for free tuition for her, she would have dropped out of school and gotten married early.

From then on, Li Hongfeng understood that in her situation, public opinion would never be on her side.

"Have you forgotten that our family still collects clothes from the village?" Duan Qing'en raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled proudly at Li Hongfeng, "Our family is the bread and butter of the whole village. As long as they still want to make money, they don't dare to offend us. They dare to gossip about everyone in the village, but they don’t dare to gossip about us. Even if they do, it’s just to say that you are pitiful, so don’t worry.”

Li Hongfeng was stunned, yes, she had forgotten about this.

She is no longer the helpless orphan girl now, she is already Qing En's wife.

Li Hongfeng leaned against him: "How do you know that my parents have compensation? I never told you."

"Needless to say, if you calculate your uncle's expenses, you will know that unless they really stole the money, based on their expenses, they will not be able to earn so much money in twenty years."

"You don't have to feel sorry for them. From the beginning, no one in the village knew that your family had paid compensation. If they didn't mean to hide it from anyone, who would believe it, and they could use your reputation to threaten me? Such a relationship is no longer possible It’s a good thing.”

After saying that, Duan Qingen turned sideways, took his wife's hand, patted it, and said gently: "You don't have to worry about these things, go to school with peace of mind, I am at home."

There is no other word that can make Li Hongfeng, who is used to swallowing bitterly, feel more at ease than this sentence.

She didn't know what to say for a moment, but she weakly leaned her head on her husband's shoulder.

This was his husband, the husband who would protect her.

"Thank you."

Duan Qingen smiled after hearing Li Hongfeng's soft words.

"You're welcome."

"I promise, the days will get better and better in the future."

****

The days that followed were uneventful. The Li family became the laughing stock of the whole village. Father Li was furious that his wife and daughter went to the Duan family to cause trouble without telling him, but ended up being generals. He originally wanted to apologize in a low voice, and see if he could let this person go. The big thing turned into a trivial matter, but Duan Qingen, that young boy, didn't even give him any face. If he was bitten to death, he would either go to the police station or pay back the money.

There was a lot of discussion in the village, and some old people always looked at him with disappointed eyes. Duan Qingen gave them two days to either pay back the money or go to the police station, but the Li family's money had already been spent. Where? Pay back if you have money.

Duan Qingen had a strong attitude and refused to give in at all. Father Li could only bite the bullet and return all the land and houses of Li Hongfeng's family.

The young boy took these things but was still not satisfied, "Where's the compensation?"

Li's father wished he could eat him alive. After so many years, his family had added so many items and built a house. Where could he find compensation to pay back to Li Hongfeng?

But looking at the old people standing with Duan Qingen, Li's father could only grit his teeth and put on a pitiful look, "The family really has no money. How can it be so easy to raise a child..."

Duan Qingen took out his abacus on the spot and calculated Li Hongfeng's expenses from childhood to adulthood very quickly.

Finally, under the livid look on Li's father's face, the young man put his calculations aside and said calmly, "Not counting the scholarship Hongfeng took home, the money she spent growing up is not as much as you spent on buying a bicycle. Of course, If you have anything to add, you can submit it now.”

Li's father couldn't add anything. Duan Qingen would tell clearly which part he was calculating every step of the way. Just like what he said, Li Hongfeng didn't spend much money at all, and even gave a lot to the Li family because of his excellent results.

He didn't have the shame to talk about how much money he spent raising Li Hongfeng. He just tried to squeeze out a few tears, "But the family really has no money... Qing En, at least you can call me uncle. Are you trying to force me to do this?" It will kill our family..."

"uh-huh."

Duan Qingen smiled at him, looking very talkative, "Uncle, how much money can your family pay back?"

Father Li really wanted to say that he couldn't pay back a penny, but looking at the old people behind Duan Qing'en and the village party secretary looking at him with a frown, he kept thinking about it and changed it to something else.

"Only one hundred and two at most."

Duan Qingen asked: "Is it true that you can't get a penny out? Didn't this just have a good harvest?"

Father Li nodded, "I can't get a penny out... It's true that life is hard and I can't sell it for much."

"Okay, we are a relative. Even though the relationship is severed, I am not willing to force you to die. Since I can't get it out, I will give you one hundred and two."

Father Li felt relieved, and his brows suddenly felt relieved.

A kid is a kid, and it's easy to fool him.

Even if he figured out that he still had money in his hand, would he still be able to rummage through the boxes and cabinets to find it?

The next second, Duan Qingen spoke again, "The next time I sell grain, I have to wait at least three and a half months. I know how much I can earn from one sale. Since you said that the family has no money, I believe you."

"I won't spend the one hundred and twenty, I'll just put it in the house. Now everyone knows that your family has no money and can't get out a penny. Whoever sees your family eating meat or buying wine in the future will , or if you want to add something small or big, just tell me and I’ll give him ten dollars.”

This is equivalent to asking the entire village to monitor the Li family.

As he said that, Duan Qingen smiled at Father Li who looked stiff, "I know you love wine. If your family still has money, you won't tolerate it. If you have money, you can't spend it. You can obviously have a lot of fish, meat, wine, and food." If you want to eat plain porridge, isn’t it like suffering alive? It’s worse than dying.”

"Of course, you are sincere and will definitely not lie, so you will not suffer this crime. I just go through the process. I believe that you must have no money,"

After saying that, he smiled at Father Li again.

Kind, innocent, and trusting.