Chapter 419: Zhang Tongfu’s Plea for Help!

The Li Family’s Old Mansion!

Zhang Tongfu first tapped the ash from his pipe onto the sole of his shoe, then spoke up: “Xiao Yi, there’s something I’d like to ask you. Would that be okay?”

“What is it? Go ahead,” Li Yi said.

“Could… could you help Juanzi find a job too?” Zhang Tongfu asked, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Juanzi? How old is she?” Li Yi asked in surprise.

Juanzi was Zhang Tongfu’s granddaughter. Li Yi wasn’t sure exactly how old she was, but she couldn’t be very old.

Unlike Dongzi and Xiaogouwa, who followed Li Yi around every day, Juanzi was kept on a tight leash by her mother and rarely played with Li Yi and the others.

Of course, strict supervision was one thing, but more importantly, Li Yi had previously been a good-for-nothing, and few people held him in high regard.

There were plenty of other boys and girls like Juanzi in the village!

“She’s 16 this year—not a child anymore. She’s old enough to help out!” Zhang Tongfu said.

Hearing that age, Li Yi immediately frowned.

The villagers were using the traditional Chinese age system—16 by that reckoning meant she was actually 15, and if she was born in a younger month, she might even be 14.

What could a girl that young possibly do?

Besides, if he really took her to work, he might as well be employing a child laborer.

Thinking of this, Li Yi shook his head and said, “Uncle Zhang, I can’t agree to this!”

“Xiao Yi…”

Before Zhang Tongfu could finish, Li Yi spoke again: “It’s not that I don’t want to agree, but Juanzi is simply too young. At her age, she should be in school—that’s the right thing to do. How could I let her go out to work and earn money?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Feng Kai sighed and said, “Xiao Yi, you’ve misunderstood Uncle Zhang. He’d love nothing more than to send Juanzi to school, but the She Qing couple just won’t have it!”

“Is it because of money?”

Li Yi spoke up again: “If it’s about tuition or something like that, that’s no problem at all. I’ll even pay for Juanzi’s tuition myself!”

It wasn’t that Li Yi was particularly wealthy; it was simply that tuition fees were genuinely inexpensive these days.

At the central school in the commune, tuition for a semester was less than 10 yuan.

Of course, that was the tuition when Li Yi was in school; so many years had passed, and he didn’t know if it had gone up.

But even if it had gone up, twenty or thirty yuan a year would be more than enough—a drop in the bucket for Li Yi right now.

Zhang Tongfu shook his head and said, “It’s not about the tuition. If it were just tuition, I could still afford to support Juanzi. It’s Juanzi’s ‘crazy’ mother—she wants to betroth Juanzi to someone!”

“Uh… Betrot her? How old is she? Uncle Zhang, aren’t you going to do anything about it?” Li Yi asked.

Zhang Tongfu sighed and said, “How could I possibly control that ‘stubborn old woman’? She’s completely unreasonable, which is exactly why I thought you should take Juanzi away to hide for a while!”

From Zhang Tongfu’s tone, Li Yi could clearly hear his dissatisfaction with his eldest daughter-in-law.

“What about Brother Sheqing? Doesn’t he have anything to say? Isn’t he going to look after Juanzi?”

“Why bring up that good-for-nothing? If he could keep that ‘stubborn mutt’ in line, things wouldn’t be in such an uproar!” Zhang Tongfu said.

Thinking of Juanzi’s father, Li Yi couldn’t help but shake his head.

He was a towering, burly man with a fierce, intimidating appearance, yet he was a classic case of a henpecked husband.

Just then, Li Shankui, who had been sitting on a small stool without saying a word, suddenly spoke up: “Xiao Yi, if I can help, I’ll do my best. We can’t just stand by and watch Juanzi fall into the fire!”

Li Yi paused briefly, then said, “Uncle Zhang, if you really want Juanzi to get out of there for a while, I could take her with me!”

Changing the subject, Li Yi added, “But once we get her to Beijing, I probably won’t let her work at the shop. She’s too young—in her words, I’d be breaking the law!”

“Alright, take her out of here to hide for a while!”

“But what about Sheqing and the others…”

“No problem. I’ll talk to them in a minute and tell them you’re willing to take Juanzi to Beijing to work. They’ll definitely agree!”

Zhang Tongfu continued, “Come year-end, I’ll give some money to that ‘live stock’ and say it’s money Juanzi earned. That’ll settle the matter!”

“Alright! But I’m leaving for the capital first thing tomorrow morning, so you’ll have to get Juanzi to pack up early!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, I’ll head back right now!”

With that, Zhang Tongfu stood up, picked up the empty basket, and left the Li household.

Seeing this, Feng Kai immediately followed him out!

After seeing them off, Zhang Yuehong glanced at Li Shankui and couldn’t help but complain, “You really are something. You have to show off about everything. Is the Youth League secretary’s wife someone you should be messing with? Aren’t you just causing trouble for Little Yi?”

Hearing Zhang Yuehong’s nagging, Li Shankui sat on a small stool without saying a word.

That was just his personality—he was very reserved!

Seeing this, Li Yi hurriedly said, “Mom, please stop. Dad meant well…”

“He’s just a soft-hearted old man who wants to take the lead in everything, but there are some things we really can’t control. If it ends up in a total mess, I’d like to see how you get Xiao Yi out of this!”

“Mom, it’ll be fine. Maybe things aren’t as bad as you think…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Li Shankui sighed from the side and said, “Do you know which family the village youth group’s wife plans to betroth Juanzi to?”

“No, who is it?” Zhang Yuehong asked instinctively.

“It’s that dim-witted son of Secretary Liu from the commune!”

Hearing this, the rest of the Li family froze in shock.

Liu, the town official’s mentally disabled son, was well-known throughout the surrounding villages. It was said that a fever in his childhood had damaged his brain, leaving him with the mental capacity of a six- or seven-year-old despite being in his twenties.

He’d have moments of clarity, but would also fly into rages and lash out.

No wonder Dad said he didn’t want Juanzi to fall into a pit of fire—he was absolutely right!

“What was Juanzi’s mother thinking? Why would she betroth Juanzi to that dim-witted boy?” Zhang Yuehong asked in bewilderment.

“What else could it be? Greed, of course. I heard the Liu family promised Juanzi’s mom 500 yuan as a dowry, plus they’d provide all the necessary household goods—that ‘dumb thing’ was tempted!” Li Shankui said angrily.

“A 500-yuan dowry? Are they marrying her off or selling her?”

“Selling her!”

Then Li Shankui added, “I want Xiao Yi to help Juanzi. Besides feeling sorry for the kid, it also reminds me of Meizi!”

Hearing this, Li Yi immediately understood his father’s meaning.

It was clearly a case of having been through the rain himself and wanting to hold an umbrella for others.

Back then, hadn’t his eldest sister been in exactly the same situation as Juanzi now? To clean up after him, she knew full well that Yang Wenguang was physically disabled, yet she had no choice but to marry him—all for that 100-yuan dowry.

And for the three years after she married into the Yang family, she toiled like a beast of burden, subjected to everyone’s abuse.

Although his father hadn’t spoken of it, he had always kept it in his heart.

“Dad, don’t worry. I’ll handle Juanzi’s situation!”

Li Yi continued, “And as for my eldest sister, please don’t worry about her. Her husband is actually a decent man—it’s people like Yang Zhong, Yang Wenxi, and Yang Wenjuan who are the troublemakers!”

Li Mei quickly chimed in, “Father, Wen Guang and I are doing just fine now. Please don’t blame yourself!”

Li Shankui nodded and said, “Juanzi was raised by your Uncle Zhang and his wife all these years. She’s a good kid; she shouldn’t cause you any trouble!”

“Alright, then let’s take Juanzi with us when we leave tomorrow!” Li Yi said.

“Mm-hmm!”

……..