RBCT Chapter 82 Who Will Take Charge?
Chapter 82 Who Will Take Charge?
"I've been thinking about this for a long time!"
Li Zhenshan sat upright in the main seat, his sharp and deep gaze slowly sweeping over the people standing below the kang (heated brick bed), finally settling on Li Xiangyang, and said in a deep voice:
"Xiangyang, from now on, you'll be in charge of this Li family!"
"Me...?" Li Xiangyang's eyes widened immediately, and he pointed to himself incredulously, saying, "Me, in charge?"
His first thought was that his father must be drunk and confused to be talking nonsense.
My parents are only in their fifties, a time when they are experienced and good at managing the household. Why did they suddenly retire?
Besides, even if they really don't want to get involved, it's not his place to worry about it.
He was the youngest in the family, so it was definitely his older brother Li Xiangdong who should be in charge. Although he was honest and simple, his sister-in-law Lijuan was very shrewd and capable. The couple worked together to manage the family well.
"Father, I'm not suited to be the head of the household."
Li Xiangyang quickly waved his hand in refusal, his eyes glancing intentionally or unintentionally at Li Xiangdong and Zhao Lijuan, a married couple standing to the side.
Then he looked to his wife, Liu Xiulan, who was stunned by the news Li Zhenshan announced, for help.
He was truly afraid that his brother and sister-in-law might have other ideas because of this, thus disrupting the Li family's hard-won peace.
Seeing that Liu Xiulan did not react for a long time, Li Xiangyang became really anxious and actually reached out and tugged at the corner of Liu Xiulan's clothes.
"Yes, it's not appropriate for Father Xiangyang to be in charge of the household. If you really don't want to manage it, then Uncle Xiangdong should be in charge of the household."
After all, they've been a couple for over two years, so they have this much in common.
Although Liu Xiulan had been daydreaming, she was jolted awake by Li Xiangyang's sudden movement, and before she even met his eyes, she knew what he wanted to do.
"Since Xiulan recommends that Xiangdong should be in charge of this household, then Xiangdong, you should say it." Li Zhenshan turned to look at Li Xiangdong, his expression very calm.
The others also turned to look at Li Xiangdong. This was a family matter for the Li family, and they were not in a position to interfere; they were simply curious.
"This was my suggestion to my father. I felt that my younger brother was more suitable for this family than I was."
After Li Xiangdong finished speaking, he responded to everyone with unwavering determination in his eyes, except when he met Zhao Lijuan's gaze, he looked away slightly.
Indeed, Li Zhenshan had talked to him about this before. At first, he thought Li Zhenshan wanted him to take charge of the family, since he was the eldest son.
But to his surprise, Li Zhenshan's first question was whether he wanted the Li family to continue to suffer from hunger and cold, and be looked down upon by others in the village, or whether he wanted the Li family to become rich and powerful, and finally hold their heads high in the village.
Li Xiangdong naturally chose the second option, and then Li Zhenshan continued to ask him if he had the confidence to lead the Li family onto the second path if he were in charge of the family.
He didn't answer then, nor did he know how to give a direct answer. As the eldest son of the Li family, he should have been the one to manage the household, but his lack of ability was a fact...
After that day, Li Xiangdong barely slept for three consecutive nights. In the end, he chose the second path and let his younger brother, Li Xiangyang, take charge of the household.
He hadn't had a chance to mention this to his wife, Zhao Lijuan, for fear that she might have some thoughts about it.
"Xiangyang, since your brother has said that, do you... have anything else to say?" Li Zhenshan continued to ask.
"Father, I..." Li Xiangyang pursed his lips, then looked up at Liu Xiulan and then at Li Xiangdong before saying, "Since Father and Brother both believe in me, then I'll take charge of this household!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone else started clapping.
Everyone was taking photos very enthusiastically, which was both a show of support for Li Zhenshan's decision and an affirmation of Li Xiangyang's personal abilities.
From ice fishing and selling fish on the black market, to the brigade cracking down on speculation and profiteering, to hunting deer, setting traps to catch pheasants and rabbits, to later buying straw in advance at low prices, and this time repelling the wolf pack.
Li Xiangyang's handling of each and every matter demonstrates his extraordinary insight, decisiveness, and adaptability.
Everyone admires him not only verbally but also in their hearts.
"Bang."
The applause had barely ended when the door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhao Lijuan ran straight out.
"Ah, this..." Sun Caifeng was the first to react and immediately chased after her, saying, "Lijuan, let's talk this out."
After Li Zhenshan proposed that Li Xiangyang take charge of the household, Sun Caifeng had been quietly keeping an eye on her sister-in-law.
She knew Zhao Lijuan's personality very well. She had been spoiled by her brother Zhao Liren since childhood and had a very strong sense of self-esteem. As the eldest sister-in-law, she would definitely not want her younger brother to take charge of the family.
"Oh dear, what should we do?" Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law slam the door and leave, Wang Guiying panicked immediately. She grabbed Li Xiangdong, who was standing nearby, and said, "Xiangdong, why don't you go check on your wife?"
"Mom, I..."
Li Xiangdong wanted to escape and didn't want to go. He also didn't know what to say if he went.
"Stop talking to me like that. She's your wife. If you don't talk to her, who will?" Wang Guiying didn't care and pushed Li Xiangdong out as well.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
"Haha...hahaha..." Zhao Liren suddenly laughed, "I support Uncle Zhenshan's decision!"
Upon hearing this, the others looked at him in surprise. They looked at this brother who had always doted on Zhao Lijuan and wondered if he was being sarcastic.
"I know you all think I'm drunk." Zhao Liren poured himself a full glass of wine, and then filled Li Xiangyang's glass as well.
Then he said properly, "Although I don't have much contact with Xiangyang, I admire him very much just from the incident last night when we all attacked the sheepfold together."
It's not that my brother-in-law, Xiang Dong, is bad at managing the household, but Xiang Yang is better able to lead the Li family to greater heights.
As Zhao Liren spoke, he raised his wine glass and clinked it with Li Xiangyang's, then drank it all in one gulp: "Xiangyang, I've spoiled my younger sister since she was little, that's just her personality, but she's not a bad person at heart, and she's quick-witted and can figure things out in no time."
If I've offended you in any way, please don't take it to heart.
"Brother Liren, Sister-in-law Lijuan has been with our Li family for several years now, not just a day or two. We all agree that she is a good person."
The Li family's success today is all thanks to her constant support and management; there's no question of offending her.
These are Li Xiangyang's true feelings.
For as long as Zhao Lijuan married into the Li family, he continued to joke and make a scene, and Zhao Lijuan tolerated him for just as long. If it were any other sister-in-law, they would have made a huge fuss long ago.
"Alright, then it's decided on this." Li Zhenshan made the final decision.
He knew that his eldest daughter-in-law would be unhappy with these words, but he had to consider the future of the entire Li family, not the emotions of her or any other person.
"Guiying, take the things out," Li Zhenshan said, pointing to the camphor wood box on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Then Wang Guiying opened the box, took out a rectangular oil paper package that was bulging with grease, and slowly opened it.