Rebirth in Famine: She Thrives by Lucky Space

Chapter 1107: Refusal

In fact, Li Yungui really didn’t want it to be like this. This was ripping things open; there was no need for two blood brothers to go this far.This time he was truly disappointed. They only kept in mind the kindness others showed them, while what he did here was taken for granted.

They had already each started their own families. That made them two separate households.

Back then he’d rather let his own family eat less so he could give his fourth younger brother some, but what did he get in return?

Li Yunqiang was stunned by Second Brother’s question.

He lifted his head and glanced at Second Brother, seeing that disappointed expression on that aged face.

He felt he had no place to hide from shame. What had gotten into him?

"Second Brother, I was wrong, I definitely won’t be like this again."

In those days, giving grain was the same as giving your life.

Li Yunqiang went back home and saw his eldest brother‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law looking at him with pleading eyes.

"There’s nothing I can do. My second brother went to my eldest brother a few days ago, and my eldest brother clearly said this quota absolutely cannot be allowed to go out.

A lot of people in the city are already dissatisfied that we got so many quotas; these were something the top leaders fought hard to secure.

That means a lot of people are watching this. There really is no way."

Looking at the disappointed faces of his wife’s brother’s family, Li Yunqiang also felt bad inside.

"There really isn’t any way at all."

Xiang Dong was sitting off to the side. His dad didn’t know, but he did; it was his mom who’d had someone go to his uncle’s house to talk.

"Yun Qiang, what a great opportunity this is. If Dashan could get a permanent worker’s job, he wouldn’t have to spend his whole life farming."

"There really is no way."

Liu Cuilan sat to the side, secretly unconvinced. This was just Second Big Brother‑in‑law fooling their family’s idiot. How big a deal could one quota be?

But right now she didn’t dare open her mouth. So when her elder sister‑in‑law looked over, she shot her a look.

Xiang Dong saw that and was really too disappointed. In fact, he was already regretting it now, didn’t want to keep working anymore. They’d actually come to make things hard for Dad over a single quota.

"Dad, I’m going to work."

Li Yunqiang nodded. His son wasn’t happy about this either.

"Big Brother, Sister‑in‑law, Mom, you should all go back. There really isn’t the slightest thing I can do."

"Yun Qiang, what if we pay money for it?"

"Really no. If something goes wrong down the line because of this one quota, I’ll be branded a sinner for the ages.

Besides, even if I didn’t care about all that, I simply don’t have the authority to decide."

In his heart, Li Yunqiang felt lucky; good thing he didn’t have that much power, otherwise it really would have been hard to refuse.

"Yun Qiang, should we go and talk to your second brother?"

Remembering Second Brother’s disappointed look at him, Li Yunqiang said, "Sister‑in‑law, I won’t stop you, but if you make a fool of yourself, don’t blame me. This isn’t about us brothers, or just our family; this is about the whole Li Family Village."

The room went silent at that. "Yun Qiang, you still have to think of some way to help your nephew. Back then when there was nothing to eat at home, we still took out grain for you," the old lady sighed.

Now this was exactly the thing Li Yunqiang hated hearing the most.

"Mom, yes. We did eat the grain from your house. But two months later I sent over three times that in wheat."

What they brought over was sweet potato flour; what he sent back was wheat, and he sent extra.

Looks like this was a debt he’d never pay off in this lifetime.

At that, the Liu Family fell silent. In their hardest times, they really had accepted that half sack of wheat.

"Big Brother, there is absolutely nothing I can do. If you want a job, there’s definitely no way to get it from here.

Look, even my eldest brother’s second son who’s here doesn’t have a permanent worker quota."

In the end the Liu Family left in low spirits. After seeing them out, Li Yunqiang didn’t go back home.

He didn’t even know where he ought to go. He finally ended up at Li Cunshan’s doorway.

He pushed the door open and went in. Now there were only the old couple left at home; the sons had all split off and were living on their own.

"Qiangzi, what brings you here? Have you eaten?"

"Sister‑in‑law, I’ve eaten."

"Qiangzi’s here, come in and sit," Li Cunshan called from inside.

Li Yunqiang drooped his head and walked into the room.

"Come up on the kang, what’s wrong?"

"Brother Cunshan, I’m feeling miserable."

"What’s up?"

Li Yunqiang told him what had happened today.

"Ai, I know there was nothing you could do either."

"Brother Cunshan, why does it feel like life doesn’t have the hope it used to?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Xiang Dong isn’t even married yet. What are you spouting?

Your wife doesn’t know right from wrong, and you’re no better. Since you’ve come today, I’ll say a few things.

Ever since you married this wife of yours, you’ve grown more and more distant from your brothers.

That’s normal too—once you each start your own families, you live your own lives. But you know best yourself why you all drifted so far apart.

Your wife is like this purely because you’ve indulged her.

Now you feel you can’t take it anymore—what were you doing earlier? I’ve told you more than once that you can’t grow distant from your own brothers, and what did you do?

Your eldest brother’s three kids are in the village—what have you ever done for them?

This road is one you walked yourself. What’s there for you to be so upset about?"

Li Yunqiang lay on the kang, regretting as well. He’d begged for Liu Cuilan himself. Thinking back, she wasn’t close with her own family, and she wasn’t close to the in‑laws either.

He was the same way. Would his own sons in the future also end up without that family affection?

"Enough. Just for the sake of Xiang Dong and the other two, you’ve got to straighten yourself out."

"I heard about it. All three of your kids are studying medicine, but not one of them studies properly. How can that work?"

"I’ve already beaten them."

Li Cunshan sighed. He’d been through the same thing himself.

When kids don’t listen, there’s really nothing you can do.

Li Yunqiang just lay there on the kang in Li Cunshan’s house; he simply didn’t want to go home.

When it was time for his shift, he didn’t go to work. Instead, he went to find his three sons who were off fooling around, and gave them a good thrashing.

Then he sent the three of them off to cut grass, setting a required amount. If they didn’t cut enough, they wouldn’t be allowed to eat.

The three youngsters were really scared now. The youngest, Shu Wen, whispered, "Dad, I want to go study."

"You’re not going anymore. From now on, the three of you will be working in the fields. When winter comes you don’t need to go to school either. You can just stay home and play then."

Now the three of them were truly frightened. Not that they wanted to study that badly, but all the other kids went to school—if only they didn’t, they couldn’t accept that.

"Dad, we’ll study hard, we definitely won’t play anymore."

Without even turning his head, Li Yunqiang said, "Too late. Remember this: if I don’t see you cut enough grass, then don’t eat. And if within three days you still haven’t met the quota, you can leave this home—go wherever you like."

The three of them were really scared now and honestly behaved. They went home, grabbed their baskets, and went out to cut grass.

"Second Brother, did Dad really mean it?"

"I don’t know either. But if we keep disobeying, I figure Dad really might not let us go to school."