In the Years When I Was a Father-Chapter 128: The Hypocritical Stepfather (7)

Li Lilan’s mood improved quite a bit that afternoon, thanks to her little grandson’s company and playfulness. After all, he was her son—though she was angry with him, she couldn’t bring herself to scold or hit him. So instead, her frustration turned toward Mi Fei. What kind of wife doesn’t rein in her husband when he’s being impulsive?
Around four in the afternoon, realizing it was time to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner, Li Lilan dropped what she was doing and went to wake Mi Fei up to help in the kitchen.
Ever since her grandson was born, Li Lilan no longer worried about this daughter-in-law running off. Having spent years suffering under the dominance of her eldest daughter-in-law, she finally had someone she could vent her frustrations on. And this younger daughter-in-law was mild-tempered—perfect for a domineering mother-in-law like her to start asserting control.
For the past few years, Mi Fei had always been the one to prepare the entire New Year’s Eve dinner for the extended Qi family. Back then, Li Lilan used to say, “You’ve all been away from us all year long. Now that you’re finally home, shouldn’t you show some filial piety?”
Once she said that, Mi Fei had no grounds to refuse. Even her husband felt it was reasonable. So, every Lunar New Year’s Eve, Mi Fei resigned herself to being the unpaid cook.
So when her mother-in-law woke her up, Mi Fei knew exactly what was expected of her.
Her expression remained calm. It’s just one day, she thought. Let it go. She didn’t want to argue—but unfortunately, Li Lilan wasn’t the kind to hold her tongue.
She shot a glare at her still-docile daughter-in-law and said with disdain, “Xiaosheng is too impulsive, and you—his wife—don’t even try to stop him. Just up and quit a perfectly good job without telling us a thing.”
Seeing Mi Fei remain silent, Li Lilan kept going. “If you couldn’t stop him, couldn’t you have secretly called us? You’re completely useless!”
Mi Fei stayed quiet, not reacting at all to the stream of blame. What’s the point? she thought. Arguing will only make things worse. She just quietly continued washing the vegetables in her hands, her calm demeanor only fueling Li Lilan’s fury.
Just as she was about to hurl a few more jabs, her son’s voice called from outside the kitchen.
“Mom, come out here. I need to talk to you.”
Li Lilan gave her daughter-in-law one last glare before storming out of the kitchen in a huff. “What is it now?”
Qi Sheng lowered his voice. “Mom, come over here for a second.”
“What’s with the secrecy?”
Qi Sheng pulled her into a corner and said quietly, “Mom, please don’t make Feifei cook by herself this year—”
“You brat, what did she feed you to make you start feeling sorry for her? If she’s not cooking, then who is—me?!”
“Mom, what are you talking about? Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s just that… well, I’m planning to invest more in my business this year, and since you and big bro won’t commit to helping me, I’ve got to look for other options.”
Li Lilan immediately exploded. “You still want to invest? Stop right now or I’ll have your dad deal with you!”
Qi Sheng sighed, “I don’t have a choice. I’ve already put in a hundred thousand. If I pull out now, I’ll lose at least eighty percent of it.”
Even with a perfectly healthy heart, hearing that number made Li Lilan feel faint. Her hands trembled as she pointed at her son. If she’d had the strength, she would’ve pounced on him and given him a beating.
“You… You really dared to put in that much?!”
Qi Sheng rubbed his nose sheepishly. “Mom, it’s not that much. Don’t worry. Once my business takes off, the money’s going to roll in faster than you can imagine!”
Li Lilan rolled her eyes helplessly, clearly exasperated. She stared anxiously at him and asked, “So how much more do you need?” She figured if it was just a few thousand, she’d help him—at least that way the hundred thousand he already invested wouldn’t all go to waste.
“Another hundred thousand.”
“What?! You little bastard, say that again!”
Seeing that his mother was about to lose it, Qi Sheng quickly tried to calm her down. “Mom, don’t be mad, please! I know we don’t have much money at home, so I figured I’d try sweet-talking Feifei and get her to borrow from my father-in-law.”
But that didn’t help soothe Li Lilan at all. In her eyes, that money would eventually belong to her son and grandson anyway. If Qi Sheng drained it all now, what would be left for her precious grandchild in the future?
She felt terrible—just thinking that if her troublesome son’s business failed, they’d lose two hundred thousand yuan in an instant. That number alone was something the old woman had never even dared to imagine in her lifetime. She glared at Qi Sheng and snapped, “No! You’re not allowed to borrow any money!”
Qi Sheng frowned. “Mom, can you really bear to see the hundred thousand I already put in just go down the drain?” Noticing her heart ache at the thought, he lowered his voice and said sneakily, “Mom, don’t worry. I don’t know exactly how much my father-in-law has in savings, but giving me another hundred thousand shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve got pensions too, and they’ll save up more money over time.”
Though Li Lilan still felt heartache after hearing this, she didn’t stop Qi Sheng anymore. Seeing this, he added, “So, Mom, you really can’t hold me back now. I’ve just managed to sweet-talk Feifei into fully trusting me. If you interfere, forget asking her to help me borrow money—she’ll go crying back to her family, and then my father-in-law won’t even let me in the house!”
Li Lilan gave him a death glare. Thinking about the hundred thousand he’d already blown through, she shot him another resentful look. “You money-wasting brat! I don’t know how I never realized how good you are at squandering money. Just opening your mouth and asking for a hundred thousand—you think money falls from the sky?!”
Qi Sheng shamelessly said, “Well, I don’t care. I already quit my job, and I’ve sunk so much into this business. If you won’t let me borrow money, then you’ll have to give it to me yourself.”
That level of audacity made Li Lilan’s chest ache again. She pounded her son twice with her fists and pointed at him, ready to explode.
“Mom, just go back to the kitchen, okay? Don’t let Feifei work alone. This is a crucial time for me—you can’t hold me back. Or I swear I won’t leave for days. I’ll wait right here until you give me the money!”
Li Lilan couldn’t believe that her once somewhat-reliable son was now so obsessed with his business ventures. She was heartbroken over the money but also terrified this stubborn fool would really stick around demanding cash. With no other option, she swallowed her anger and went back to the kitchen.
Seeing Mi Fei reminded her of Qi Sheng again, and the sight made her even more annoyed. She forced herself to stifle her dissatisfaction and said, “Fine, I’ll do it. You go back to your room and do whatever you want.”
Mi Fei was a little confused, but she wasn’t a glutton for punishment. Since her mother-in-law wasn’t forcing her to work anymore, she said “okay” and was about to leave. But as soon as she reached the kitchen door, she heard Li Lilan—who just moments ago looked like she was about to explode—now looking at her with bitter disappointment.
“You’ve already been married once before. Don’t you know how to handle a man? You can’t just let him have his way with everything—you’ve got to rein him in when necessary!”
Seeing Mi Fei’s bewildered face, Li Lilan rolled her eyes and said, “Alright, alright, go. Just seeing your whole family pisses me off.”
Qi Sheng saw his wife come out and immediately realized his mother had decided to cook by herself. Though he felt sorry for Mi Fei, he never had any intention of letting his mom do all the work alone.
So, with thick skin, Qi Sheng rushed into the kitchen. “Mom, let me help you.”
Too bad the old lady wasn’t having it. “Get lost. I don’t want to see your face!”
Kicked out, Qi Sheng took a pile of firewood into the yard to chop. He had barely started when his older brother strolled into the yard, hands in his pockets.
Qi Sheng quickly went over. “Big bro, have you thought about what I said at lunch? This really is a great opportunity to make big money. You can’t keep hesitating!”
Qi Laoda hadn’t expected his hapless younger brother to still be scheming for his money. He glanced at Qi Sheng, sighed, and said, “I know it’s a good opportunity. But you also know, with what I save from farming, I can barely support Xiuxiu and Kangkang. How could I possibly have extra money for business? Let’s just drop it. Dinner’s almost ready—go find Dad.”
Qi Sheng shook the axe in his hand and replied, “You go. I’ve got to chop this firewood. Mom’s cooking all by herself—I actually feel bad for her.”
Qi Laoda shot him a side-eye. You’ve never felt bad for Mom before. Now that you need money, you’re suddenly full of concern?
He took the axe and waved Qi Sheng off. “Alright, I’ve got this. You go find Dad. Who knows where he wandered off to. Try the east end of the village.”
Qi Sheng nodded, went back inside to change, and got ready to head out. As he passed through the courtyard again, he couldn’t help but repeat, “Big bro, really think about it. This is a solid business!”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just go get Dad back,” Qi Laoda replied, clearly irritated. In fact, he had purposely not mentioned where their father really was and had intentionally sent Qi Sheng to the east end of the village. The thought of it cheered him up. This brat’s gone mad with dreams of getting rich. Let the cold wind cool his head a bit.
Not long after Qi Sheng left the house, Li Lilan—who’d been keeping an eye on the courtyard—saw her youngest son walk off and immediately called Qi Laoda into the kitchen.
“Ay, how did our Qi family end up with such a money-burning disaster of a son?!”
After cursing, she told Qi Laoda everything that had transpired between her and Qi Sheng that afternoon. When she finished, the two shared a heavy glance.
“Laoda, if your brother asks to borrow money, don’t you dare lend it to him. Asking for a hundred thousand just like that—who knows how much he’s already lost!”
Qi Laoda immediately nodded. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t lend him a dime. Sigh… What’s wrong with that kid? Why is he so dead set on chasing after some business dream?”
The two of them sighed together and came to a mutual agreement—not to go anywhere near that troublemaker for the next few days.
Qi Sheng wandered around the village but didn’t spot Old Man Qi. He wasn’t in a hurry, figuring the old man had probably already gone back home. He strolled along leisurely in the cold breeze, even greeting familiar villagers with a cheerful mood.
By the time night fully fell, firecrackers were booming in his ears, and Qi Sheng found himself sighing with a bit of nostalgia—only in recent years did the New Year still feel somewhat festive. In the future, even the countryside might not stay this lively.
When he got back home, his sister-in-law Wei Xiaohui and her two kids, Qi Wenxiu and Qi Wenkang, were already there.
Qi Sheng greeted her with a “Hi, sis-in-law,” then saw his nephew and niece and joked, “Xiuxiu, Kangkang, how much lucky money have you gotten these past few days?”
It was a casual question, but as soon as Li Lilan and Qi Laoda—already traumatized by his borrowing—heard it, they became instantly alert. That little bastard couldn’t possibly be eyeing the kids’ lucky money too, could he?
They both stared at Qi Sheng in stunned silence, with just one thought in their minds: Absolutely shameless!
This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was cooked by Li Lilan and Wei Xiaohui. Shortly after Qi Sheng left earlier, the three of them had returned from Wei Xiaohui’s parents’ house. Still fuming from her younger son’s behavior, Li Lilan’s temper flared when she saw her relaxed daughter-in-law and immediately called her into the kitchen. Fortunately, Wei Xiaohui was in a good mood that day and didn’t take the old lady’s bad attitude to heart.
She was a bit puzzled that Mi Fei hadn’t come to cook. Has that pampered city girl finally realized she can’t afford to be soft in front of the old lady?
Over the years, whenever Mi Fei had been the only one cooking New Year’s dinner, Wei Xiaohui had always watched coldly from the sidelines. It wasn’t that she particularly disliked Mi Fei—she just couldn’t stand her overly soft personality. Wei Xiaohui had grown to despise women like that.
Back when she first married into the Qi family, she’d been the same way—doing whatever her mother-in-law said, swallowing all the mistreatment. But it never earned her any kindness. Worse, since her first child was a girl and they were under the family planning policy, the old lady constantly found ways to bully her. If they hadn’t secretly gone off to have a second child—a son—Wei Xiaohui wouldn’t have had the confidence to stand up to the old woman.
Ever since she hardened her temper, life had gotten much better. That’s why now, she had no patience for meek daughters-in-law. So, seeing Mi Fei not show up to help cook this time didn’t bother her at all.
That New Year’s Eve dinner, Qi Sheng figured everyone should enjoy the holiday, so he didn’t bring up borrowing money. But what he didn’t know was that once everyone went back to their rooms, Qi Laoda began to warn his son.
“Stay away from your second uncle the next few days—and don’t mess with that stepson of his either.”
“Why, Dad?”
Qi Wenkang was about the same age as Qi Chenghao, and in past years he loved provoking him just for fun. He hadn’t even started yet this year—why was his dad suddenly defending the guy?
Qi Laoda shot him a glare. “Don’t ask so many questions. Just do as I say. You cause trouble with your second uncle, and I’ll deal with you myself.”
Qi Wenkang pouted, confused. He didn’t get it—until the next day, when he received a big red envelope from Qi Sheng and proudly showed it off to his dad. “Dad! Look at this fat red envelope Uncle gave me!”
Qi Laoda glanced at both kids’ red envelopes and rolled his eyes, muttering to his wife, “Still trying to sweet-talk me into lending him money.”
Seeing his wife confused, he explained what had happened the day before with Qi Sheng asking for a loan. Then he turned to his son and said, “Remember what I told you yesterday? Your second uncle’s being so generous because he’s after my money.”
Qi Wenkang looked skeptical. “Dad, Uncle’s got so much money. Why would he care about yours?”
Qi Laoda shot him another look and chuckled. “Don’t believe me? Think about it—why do you think he asked about your lucky money yesterday? He wasn’t even going to spare that little bit you got!”
That one sentence was enough to shock Qi Wenkang. “No way!”
Even though he still had doubts, the thought that his second uncle might actually be after his red envelope money was scary enough. Just in case, he decided not to mess with Qi Chenghao that year—and definitely to keep his distance from Qi Sheng.
So that New Year, thanks to Qi Sheng’s terrifying image as a money-hungry borrower, Mi Fei and Qi Chenghao unexpectedly enjoyed a relatively peaceful holiday in the Qi household.