Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 838 - 828 Shameless

The next day, Shen Yunfang let the kids go back to school after their leave, and she drove to the farm to check if everything was running smoothly in her absence.

Thank goodness, the farm’s managing staff, after two years of training, had gained some management experience, and even if there were unexpected issues, they could discuss and solve them on their own.

Shen Yunfang looked at the orderly farm and nodded with satisfaction.

But when the farmworkers saw Shen Yunfang wearing mourning clothes on her arm, they all came over to offer a few comforting words. She listened with a smile and nodded her thanks, but truth be told, she didn’t feel sad at all, rather, she felt somewhat relieved.

It may sound unfilial, but having married into the Li Family, she should treat Qiu Shuping with the filial piety due to a mother. Yet Shen Yunfang truly couldn’t do it. She always considered herself to be quite easygoing, handling affairs on the principle of "stay together if we agree, part if we don’t," but when it came to getting along with her mother-in-law, there was just no way to make it work.

When Qiu Shuping had been in prison for two and a half years, Shen Yunfang had enjoyed a peaceful life for that same duration. But ever since the old lady got out, a continuous stream of antics from back home kept reaching her ears. Though she found them amusing, an involuntary feeling of annoyance would rise within her. Now that the old lady was gone, in an immoral sense, she felt a thorough sense of relief. Of course, she hadn’t foolishly shared this with Li Hongjun; after all, he was her son. Even if he could understand this sentiment intellectually, emotionally, it might be too much to handle.

Shen Yunfang strolled around the farm and then went to talk with Li Tuo, the person in charge of the processing plant, to catch up on recent production and sales. She took some time to check the accounts as well. After making sure there was nothing that required her immediate attention, she drove back home. freēnovelkiss.com

Since there were no issues at work, she shifted her focus to family matters.

With the old lady gone so suddenly and Mr. Li irresponsibly bedridden, it was tough on Li Hongjun. From the moment they returned to their hometown, he had been rushing about and keeping busy. During the few days they were back, Li Hongjun was busy non-stop. When the old lady’s funeral came, he barely slept three or four hours a night. After ten days, the strapping man had lost weight and looked worn out.

Others might not feel for him, but his wife did. Now that there was nothing else pressing, her goal was to make some delicious food for her husband and kids, to nourish them.

While the family was gathered around the table eating, there was another knock at the door.

"It must be Li Xianghe and her husband again, they can’t keep coming over like this, why don’t you talk to them properly?" Shen Yunfang, hearing the knock, was sure it was Li Xianghe and her husband.

Ever since they had returned from their hometown, Sun Chengbin had come with his wife and child to apologize. Li Hongjun didn’t want to see them and wouldn’t even let them in, resulting in that family persistently knocking on their door every couple of days. When more onlookers gathered, Sun Chengbin stopped coming, but Li Xianghe continued her relentless pursuit, possibly coached by Sun Chengbin in the background. Unlike Sun Chengbin, who still cared about his dignity, Li Xianghe was the kind who’d do anything to achieve her goals. If Li Hongjun and his wife didn’t open the door, she’d just stand outside and spout ambiguous words, drawing the attention of neighboring onlookers before leaving.

"I’ve talked to her nicely several times now, but Li Xianghe acts like she can’t understand me. I’m really at a loss," Shen Yunfang said. When faced with someone who either genuinely can’t understand or pretends not to, you really are out of options.

"In the past, I didn’t see Sun Chengbin as someone so thick-skinned, how did it come to this?" Shen Yunfang shook her head, unable to comprehend. In her mind, military men were always frank and decisive, with swift actions—never so insistent and troublesome.

Both Li Hongjun and his wife agreed that Li Xianghe’s frequent visits must be orchestrated by Sun Chengbin; otherwise, she wouldn’t have the brains for it.

"Don’t they say you can’t judge a book by its cover?" Li Hongjun stood up and signaled to his mother and the others to continue eating while he went to open the door himself. If he didn’t, the neighbors upstairs and downstairs would come out to gawk again.

"Big Brother." At the door, Li Xianghe looked at Li Hongjun with a hint of a pleading smile, unable to utter anything more than that one phrase. As expected, Sun Chengbin hadn’t come; it was just her bringing Niuniu over.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Li Hongjun was clearly displeased.

"I don’t want to do anything, I’m just afraid that you misunderstood me. I really wasn’t being unfilial to our mother..."

"Alright, alright, I know what you’re going to say. You’ve said it eight hundred times. Now let me tell you again, I haven’t misunderstood anything. If you want to go back, then go back; if you don’t want to go back, no one is saying anything. After all, your legs are your own, and you don’t have to explain any of this to me." Li Hongjun patiently repeated himself.

"But, but Big Brother, deep down you still resent me, I know it. I’m your sister. If our mother isn’t here, then you’re all the family I have left. Please forgive me, Big Brother," Li Xianghe said, sounding pitiable.

Li Hongjun took a deep breath to soften his expression, "Fine, I forgive you. Is that good enough?"

Li Xianghe didn’t expect her stubborn brother to suddenly say he forgave her. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, disbelieving.

"Now that you’ve said everything, and I’ve forgiven you. Go back home for dinner, and don’t come knocking for no reason in the future. The neighbors have been complaining a lot." Li Hongjun finished speaking and, without another glance at his sister, was about to close the door.

"Hey, wait, wait, Brother, do you really forgive me?" Li Xianghe, realizing what was happening, quickly wedged her foot in the door to prevent her brother from closing it.

Noticing her brother’s impatient, about-to-lose-his-temper expression, she hurriedly said, "Then, Big Brother, since you’ve forgiven me, how about tomorrow Chengbin, the kids, and I come over to your place for a meal? Otherwise, Chengbin won’t believe it." If it weren’t for Chengbin saying that he wouldn’t forgive her unless Big Brother did, she wouldn’t come over every day to be embarrassed.

Li Hongjun truly couldn’t bear it anymore, "That’s between the two of you. Go back and settle it behind your own closed doors; I’m an outsider, so I won’t meddle. Also, we’re not living a life of luxury in my house, so please skip the idea of us hosting a meal. It’s best for you to just eat at your own home." As he spoke, he cleverly moved her foot away from the doorway.

"Big Brother..."

"Oh, right, if you keep pestering me like this, then I’ll have to go to the military district and talk to Sun Chengbin’s superiors. After all, this constant harassment is causing a lot of complaints from the residents here. It’ll be up to the organization to decide how Sun Chengbin will be disciplined or how they’ll deal with the two of you," Li Hongjun suddenly remembered something as he was about to close the door again, then reopened it to speak to Li Xianghe, who was outside, hand raised, about to knock on the door.

This was a stark threat.

Fortunately, the threat worked. From that point on, Li Xianghe no longer appeared in the hallway outside Li Hongjun’s apartment.