Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 861 - 851 What on Earth is Going On?

"Pah, I only spoke because the old man was lying in the room. You all think everyone else is a fool, only you are cunning," Wang Dan also feared that Li Hongjun would blame her for the old man’s death, so she was fully fired up against Li Hongqi and his wife. "Hey, why are you pulling me?"

Wang Dan turned her head unhappily and glared at her husband.

"Let’s all stop arguing. The most important thing now is to discuss our father’s funeral," Li Hongxing said assertively, which was rare.

Actually, in the Li Family, he was the one with the least presence, but since he was still the eldest, it was now his responsibility to take the lead in organizing the old man’s funeral.

Shen Yunfang didn’t really care, she wouldn’t have kicked if Zheng’s mother and daughter hadn’t started bullying people as soon as they entered, right? Tch, everyone looks out for their own.

Li Hongjun then directly looked at Li Hongqi, who was always sitting on the kang, and asked, "Li Hongqi, shouldn’t you explain to us, why did our father die? Why so suddenly?"

The scene went quiet, everyone’s eyes turned to Li Hongqi, waiting to hear what he would say.

After all, those rumors outside were also leaked by Li Hongqi, only those who took care of him closely knew the real situation.

"Second brother, what do you mean? Are you suspecting that I killed our father?" Li Hongqi stood up from the kang somewhat agitated.

"I didn’t say that, but father’s death can’t just be left unclear. As a son, I have the right to ask about the specific circumstances," Li Hongjun did not back down, staring directly at Li Hongqi.

"Hmph, you don’t have to say that, as if I don’t know what you all think. Keep your filthy thoughts to yourselves. I might not be capable, but I wouldn’t stoop so low as to harm my own father. You really think too highly of me," Li Hongqi sneered.

Shen Yunfang just felt something was off about him, hmm, it seemed like a guilty conscience.

"Come, everyone, open your eyes wide and look. This is the death certificate issued by the police station." Li Hongqi took a paper out of his jacket pocket and slapped it on the edge of the kang.

Things are different from a few years ago; nowadays in the Northeast, when an elderly person at home dies, you can’t just hold a funeral and bury them in the mountains. Cremation has been mandated, and a death certificate from the police station is required, or the crematorium will not proceed with the cremation.

Li Hongjun picked up the paper, unfolded it, and looked at it carefully.

It listed the old man’s time of death and cause of death, which was consistent with what his elder sister-in-law had said: death by choking due to food blockage in the trachea. It also had the official seals of the village committee and the police station.

"Understand now?" Li Hongqi continued to assess the expression of his younger brother, feeling slightly more relaxed at that moment. The old man really had suffocated, but to be honest, it was also his negligence. He hadn’t anticipated such a consequence when Zheng’s mother fed the old man a few bites and, ignoring his moans, just went back to her room to nap. Who would have expected that when she returned later to feed him dinner, she found the old man with his eyes wide open, already stiff.

Li Hongjun passed the death certificate in his hand to his elder brother for a look.

The paper made rounds in the hands of Li Hongxing, Wang Dan, and Shen Yunfang before returning to the bedside.

Shen Yunfang glanced at the expression on Li Hongqi’s face and tugged at Li Hongjun, mentioning that since the police station had already issued the certificate, there was no point in arguing anymore. At most, they could blame Li Hongqi for his negligence, but that was a matter of conscience, and the law couldn’t do anything about him yet.

"Alright, the old man is gone; talking about anything else is useless. Now, the most important thing is to discuss what to do about the old man’s post-death arrangements?" Shen Yunfang brought the topic back.

"Yeah, right. Li Hongqi, you say it. When we split the family, it was agreed that you would take care of the old man. Now you decide what should be done." Wang Dan’s intention was clear. The old man had passed away, and as a daughter-in-law, she was willing to help, but she wouldn’t think about contributing financially. After all, wasn’t there a son meant to care for the elderly?

"The way you put it, at the time of the split it was agreed upon care, but no one said our Hongqi had to handle the funeral. We’re all sons, born and raised by the same parents, why should it fall squarely on our Hongqi whenever something happens?" Zheng Huilan had finally recovered, aided by Zheng Huilan to a seat on the kāng. She had intended to remain quiet, but she feared her son-in-law might be taken advantage of, hence she risked her own health to make her presence felt again.

"Oh, there’s a saying that goes, ’Don’t strike the lazy or the gluttonous; only strike those who can’t see.’ I never understood it before, but now I do. I say, Big Madam Zheng, we’re here discussing the Li Family’s old man’s posthumous matters. What are you, a woman from the Zheng Family, meddling for? What, did you live in the Li family for less than a year and developed affections with my dad, or should we call you ’stepmom’ now?" Wang Dan said mockingly, her words suffused with deadly sharpness.

Had Zheng’s mother lived in the Li Family during that period, there might have been a chance, especially since Zheng’s mother was divorced and homeless, looking for someone to rely on could have been excusable. But upon her return at a time when the old Mr. Li was already bedridden, if Zheng’s mother still had ties with him, that would have been desperately unchoosy.

Zheng’s mother gasped with indignation, always holding herself in high regard. Not to mention she had never thought of finding another partner, if she did entertain the thought, old Mr. Li wouldn’t have been her pick at all. Now, with Wang Dan fabricating tales, making them sound almost true, how could she not be furious?

"Big sister, save some face," Zheng Huilan couldn’t listen any longer.

Claiming her mother had an affair with her father-in-law — where would she, a daughter-in-law of the Li Family, place herself in such a situation? It was a blatant slap on her face.

"Oh, I thought decorum was meant for those who actually have it. Do you, behaving like this, really deserve it?" Wang Dan’s contempt for them was palpable.

Others might not know how these people had taken care of the old man, but she lived next door; even if she couldn’t see, she could still hear quite a bit.

Throughout these six months, Madam Zheng didn’t hesitate to scold her father-in-law, and the third child never intervened.

Some might ask, knowing all this, why would you stand by and watch the old man suffer? You’re also a daughter-in-law; how could your heart be so hard?

Wang Dan felt no guilt about this matter. When she had first heard the shouting from across the way, she took Li Hongxing and confronted them, but no matter how tough she was, she couldn’t overpower the victim, old Mr. Li, who was willing. What could Wang Dan, a daughter-in-law, do about it? It was his choice, then he could endure it.

Li Hongjun looked around the room, guessing the argument would last a while longer, "You all keep discussing, I’ll go check on our dad. Li Hongqi, where is dad placed right now?" He knew as long as his sister-in-law was here, she definitely wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

Typically when an elder passes away, they would be laid in the main hall for a day or two, awaiting distant children to return and see them for the last time. However, upon his recent entrance, there was nothing in the main hall, prompting Li Hongjun to inquire Li Hongqi.freewēbnoveℓ.com