flstandardbreds Chapter 113 Separation of families!
Chapter 113 Separation of families!
Li Mu stepped forward, wanting to persuade him: "Fourth Uncle..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Siming interrupted him: "Mu Zi, don't worry about it, this is my own business."
Tao Qingshan noticed that Li Siming's expression was off and, fearing he might do something impulsive, quickly said, "Siming, let's talk things out. Please don't act rashly."
Li Siming did not answer, but only gave Tao Qingshan a deep look, his eyes seemingly filled with both determination and helplessness.
Then he turned around, looked at Wang Cuihua and Zhao the hunter, and said in a hoarse voice, "I think today's matter is just a misunderstanding. Yinglian would never do such a thing; someone must have deliberately framed her."
Upon hearing this, Wang Cuihua immediately became displeased: "Li Siming, what do you mean by that? Are you implying that I deliberately framed her? I saw her clothes on my kang (heated brick bed) with my own eyes, how could that be false?"
Li Siming gave her a cold look: "Whether it's fake or not, you know in your heart."
Wang Cuihua was speechless, and Zhao the hunter was also a little embarrassed, pulling on his wife.
"Let's go, let's go! What are you doing meddling in this farce? Let's go home!"
Wang Cuihua glared at He Yinglian resentfully, but dared not say anything more, and could only leave dejectedly with the hunter Zhao.
Li Siming turned around and looked at He Yinglian, his voice weak as he forced back his emotions: "Yinglian, come home with me."
He Yinglian nodded tearfully and followed Li Siming home.
"Uncle Tao, this... I hope Fourth Uncle won't blame me?" Li Mu looked at Fourth Uncle's back, his heart filled with worry.
Tao Qingshan sighed and patted Li Mu on the shoulder: "It's not appropriate for us outsiders to interfere in this matter. Siming knows what he's doing, so let's go back first."
Li Mu nodded, still feeling uneasy, but also knowing that there was not much he could do at the moment.
In less than two days, everyone in Lijia Village knew that Li Siming and his wife had locked themselves in their room and were arguing fiercely. The villagers were gossiping and speculating about why this seemingly harmonious couple had become so hostile.
Some say it's because Li Siming is having an affair, while others say Wang Cuihua is jealous of He Yinglian and deliberately stirred up trouble. But the truth remains unclear.
The door to Li Siming's house was tightly closed. Two days later, He Yinglian packed some simple clothes, picked up a tattered cloth bag, and left. No one knows where she went.
Li Siming didn't go out to search; he just stayed home all day, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
The villagers all say that this matter is unlikely to be resolved, and that the couple's relationship is probably over.
Sure enough, not long after, Li Siming proposed to separate from He Yinglian and live their own lives, which caused a huge uproar in Lijia Village.
No one expected that Li Siming, who usually seemed honest and unassuming, would make such a decision.
After He Yinglian left, Li Siming's home became like a stagnant pool, devoid of its former vitality.
He was always disheveled and unkempt, and did nothing but drink and daydream.
The villagers all said that he was driven mad by He Yinglian's affair.
After the news of the family split spread, the elders of the Li family all stepped forward to try to reconcile the couple. After all, in their view, it was normal for couples to quarrel, and there was no such thing as holding a grudge overnight. Moreover, Li Siming and He Yinglian had two children, and they couldn't just break up so easily for the sake of the children.
However, this time Li Siming seemed determined to separate the family, and no matter how the elders tried to persuade him, he remained unmoved.
He said, "There are no feelings left between Yinglian and me. Forcing ourselves to stay together would only be torturing each other. It would be better to separate and live our own lives."
When the elders heard this, they all shook their heads and sighed, thinking that Li Siming was bewitched and couldn't understand why he was so stubborn.
However, they didn't know that Li Siming was actually suffering more than anyone else.
He recalled the early days of his marriage to He Yinglian, when they were inseparable and their love was sweet and devoted to each other. However, as time went by, their feelings for each other gradually faded.
Especially in recent years, He Yinglian's temper has become increasingly bad. She would argue with him over the smallest things, and even trivial matters could escalate into major arguments.
Li Siming had also thought about communicating properly with He Yinglian, but every time he hadn't said more than a few words, He Yinglian would start crying and making a scene. Coupled with the fact that he had angered Tao Qingshan to the point of stroke, he was really exhausted and didn't know what to do.
Li Mu guessed that Li Siming probably knew that He Yinglian was up to no good outside.
In fact, Li Siming had already noticed that He Yinglian was acting strangely.
She often leaves early and returns late, sometimes even staying out all night. When asked where she went, she always stammers and can't give a clear answer.
Li Siming knew in his heart that He Yinglian might have another man, but he never confronted him, thinking that he should just endure it for the sake of the child.
Unexpectedly, Wang Cuihua caused a scene in the village this time, and it became known to everyone.
Li Siming felt that continuing like this would only cause him more pain and make the children unable to hold their heads high in the village.
Jiang Xuefen berated He Yinglian for a few moments, then sighed, "A woman's life can be ruined if she marries the wrong person. Look at He Yinglian, she used to be the most beautiful girl in our village, so many men chased after her. But look at her now, she's ended up like this, who can she blame?"
"Alright, Mom, I'm going to find Fourth Uncle."
Li Mu carried a pot of rice wine brewed by Huang Xiu'e, intending to take it to his fourth uncle and try to persuade him.
Li Mu arrived at his fourth uncle's door and gently knocked. After a while, the door slowly opened, revealing his fourth uncle's haggard face.
"Fourth Uncle, it's me, Mu Zi." Li Mu handed over the rice wine in his hand.
Li Siming glanced at Li Mu, then at the rice wine in his hand, and forced a smile: "Muzi, what brings you here? And with wine? I'm not in the mood for drinking right now."
Li Mu placed the rice wine on the table, pulled up a stool and sat down: "Fourth Uncle, I know you're upset, but what's done is done, we have to move on."
Li Siming sighed and sat down opposite Li Mu: "Muzi, I've really fallen for Yinglian in this life. I just want some peace and quiet now, and I don't want to be bothered by all that gossip."
Looking at his fourth uncle's worried face, Li Mu felt a pang of sympathy. "Fourth Uncle, I know you're suffering. But you have to think about the children. They can't live without their mother. Besides, this incident might not necessarily be Fourth Aunt's fault. Maybe there's some misunderstanding."
Li Siming shook his head: "Mu Zi, hey, I'm not talking about it anymore!"
He picked up the wine and took a big gulp, the spicy liquor sliding down his throat.