pjbooks Chapter 6 You've All Been Kidnapped
Chapter 6 You've All Been Kidnapped
"You dare!"
Tang Zhengjin and Li Xiujuan's father both glared and shouted at the same time.
Li Xiujuan shuddered involuntarily.
Li Xiuzhi, the third daughter in the inner room, and Li Xiufang, the eldest daughter in the courtyard, also came over in surprise.
What's going on? Why is it so noisy?
Despite the angry shouts and unpleasant expressions of the two middle-aged men, Tang Huaiyi did not change his mind.
If they had known that spending the next few decades burying themselves in farming would only leave them lagging behind the times, and that their only way out would be to "farm during the farming season and work odd jobs during the off-season," then the college students and those who came to the city in the 1980s would have had a completely different fate.
Others might waver and doubt whether it's necessary to so resolutely oppose their elders; but he alone truly knows how things will develop and will absolutely not waver.
"Father, Uncle Li, does this mean you disagree?"
"Yes, we disagree!" Tang Zhengjin and Li Xiujuan's father both said.
"Give up on your studies!"
"The agreement on a marriage exchange, with the bride moving to our home, cannot be changed!"
"Can't it be changed?" Tang Huaiyi chuckled, reaching out to take Li Xiujuan's hand. "Li Xiujuan, let's go!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Li Xiujuan and pulled her towards the door.
Li Xiujuan was taken aback and then nodded vigorously, grasped his hand tightly, and the two stepped over the threshold of the main room together.
Li Xiuzhi and Li Xiufang stared in disbelief as Tang Huaiyi took Li Xiujuan's hand and was about to leave right before their eyes.
How could he be so bold and so capable?
"You dare!"
Tang Zhengjin and Li Xiujuan's father stared wide-eyed and took steps to catch up.
Li Xiufang subconsciously reached out her hand: "Father..."
"Get out of here!" Li Xiujuan's father said irritably, slapping away her hand, which was still covered in chicken feathers.
At this moment, Tang Huaiyi did not rush to run away. Instead, he stood in the courtyard and looked at Tang Zhengjin and the other man: "Father, Uncle Li, what I said today, I did."
"If you disagree, then think about it carefully."
"Is it better to wait a year and see, or to make a big fuss and become a laughing stock for the whole surrounding area?"
"I keep my word. If we don't get into university within a year, we'll both come back."
Tang Zhengjin stared at Tang Huaiyi, his expression stiff, seemingly angry, yet also deeply worried, without shouting or making any further moves.
By this time, he understood that his second son was determined to continue his studies.
Li Xiujuan's father reached out to grab her, shouting, "You come back here!"
Li Xiujuan hid behind Tang Huaiyi.
Tang Huaiyi stepped forward and took her father's hand: "Uncle Li, what are you afraid of, just wait a year?"
"Once I get into university, you'll have a university graduate son-in-law; once your daughter gets into university, you'll have a university graduate daughter. Either one of them can bring you to the city to enjoy a comfortable life. What's the rush?"
Li Xiujuan's father ignored Tang Huaiyi's words and kept shouting, "Let her go! Erni, come back here!"
Li Xiujuan remembered Tang Huaiyi's words and shook her head vigorously.
Tang Huaiyi released his hand and said it clearly again.
Li Xiujuan's father finally understood and retorted indignantly, "You make it sound so easy! Is getting into university easy?"
"Just wait a year."
Tang Huaiyi cautioned: "If you get married now, even if your ancestors were farmers for generations, after a year, someone in your family might have a stable job, and then your grandson—"
"He's a grandson! You're an adopted son, so the child will have the surname Li!" Li Xiujuan's father immediately emphasized.
"I really don't care about that."
Tang Huaiyi laughed and said, "Anyway, the Tang family invited me to their home. If you let us study for another year, our children can take the surname Li; if you don't, not only will our children not have the surname Li, but I'll also kidnap your daughter and never come back to your house again."
Li Xiujuan's father was immediately startled: "You dare!"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Tang Huaiyi said. "It's easy to talk things over, and we can handle anything. If you don't want to discuss it with me, then I won't discuss it with you either."
Li Xiujuan's father was also a little worried when he heard Tang Huaiyi's threat.
Not only did his child not bear the surname Li, but his daughter was also abducted. This Tang Huaiyi... is not the kind of honest, hardworking farmer who just keeps to the land.
"Doesn't your family care about this?" he said to Tang Zhengjin.
Seeing that he couldn't do anything, Tang Zhengjin sighed helplessly, "You've seen it yourself, this child is very stubborn, I can't control him."
"If we insist on fighting today, the two kids will run away the next day, and I don't know if they'll ever come back..."
"What should we do then?" Li Xiujuan's father asked, distressed. "If this gets out of hand, how ridiculous will people be?"
He was a man with three daughters, and his wife died in childbirth before giving birth to a son. The lack of male offspring made him somewhat looked down upon by the villagers. If he became the laughingstock of the village, wouldn't he be bullied to death?
At that point, the village hooligans will probably dare to harass his daughter!
Tang Zhengjin scratched his head, unsure of what to say.
Erwa has given him a big problem. If he doesn't handle this well, he'll be laughed at.
Seeing that they had calmed down and were starting to consider what to do, Tang Huaiyi chimed in, no longer provoking them: "Let's put this matter aside for now and talk about it again in a year."
"We told the outside world that Li Xiujuan and I need to get to know each other better."
"Oh, right, just say you two are dating, and you'll get married after you've settled things!"
Li Xiujuan's father chimed in, also feeling that the matter couldn't be allowed to continue escalating, or it would become a laughing stock.
However, he didn't forget to emphasize: "If you don't get into university next year, you'd better obediently agree to the arranged marriage. Tang Huaiyi, you can't go back on your word, and the children you have will have to take the surname Li!"
"Okay, if we don't get into university, we'll come back and get married ourselves," Tang Huaiyi said.
After speaking, he looked at Tang Zhengjin.
Tang Zhengjin sighed helplessly, "You brat, do whatever you want... I'm not going to bother with you anymore."
"Okay, that's exactly what I wanted to hear, Dad."
Tang Huaiyi felt relieved: "No matter what, let's wait a year first, and then we can talk about marriage."
After speaking, he turned to look at Li Xiujuan.
Li Xiujuan stared blankly at him, not blinking, as if the long winter had finally given way to warm sunshine, the wind had stopped, and the snow had ceased.
"Is this alright?" Tang Huaiyi asked.
Li Xiujuan nodded earnestly, her bright eyes fixed on him, unwilling to look away.
He really did it...
"Father, Uncle Li, Li Xiujuan, you all agree, so it's settled then."
Tang Huaiyi released Li Xiujuan's hand and said, "Shall we go home now?"
Li Xiujuan looked down at her still-warm palm and nodded slightly.
Tang Zhengjin was somewhat embarrassed and said to Li Xiujuan's father, "I'm really sorry, my family lacks discipline and I've been impolite..."
Li Xiujuan's father waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, alright, let's go!"
"Your family doesn't just lack discipline; you're practically trying to discipline me!"
These words were unpleasant to hear, but Tang Zhengjin could only listen to them and then called Tang Huaiyi to leave together.
Just then, Da Ni Li Xiufang suddenly stepped forward, put her hand in front of Tang Huaiyi, and said, "Dad, if you kill the chickens and don't let anyone stay for a meal, the villagers will start gossiping."
"Shouldn't you at least let them have a meal before they leave?"