From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 430: Chapter 431: There’s News

Li Zhengguang grabbed the old man’s hand and held it tightly, as if to give him strength. "Uncle, we have news of Aunt."

"You have news of your aunt?" Li Bingkun squeezed Li Zhengguang’s hand hard, his eyes flying wide. Alarmed, Li Zhengda and Li Zhengming, who were beside him, quickly patted his back.

"Quick, tell me," Li Bingkun asked impatiently as soon as he caught his breath. "Where is your aunt now?"

"Aunt... she sent someone to find us. I haven’t asked where she is exactly, but the person is right outside..."

The moment the words left his mouth, Li Zhengguang regretted them. ’Why didn’t I remember to ask more questions? If it’s good news, the old man will be happy, which is fine. But if it’s bad news, how will I handle the fallout?’

"Quick, bring him in." Li Bingkun’s heart pounded with excitement. Before his older brother passed away, his little sister was all he could think about.

If he could find his sister before he died, he would have something to report to his parents and older brother in the underworld.

The moment Luo Gang stepped through the door, he knew he hadn’t made a mistake. The great-uncle before him looked quite a bit like the Old Madam.

"This humble one, Luo Gang, pays his respects to the great-uncle. I wish the great-uncle well." Luo Gang performed a formal kowtow, startling the three generations of the Li Family present.

"Get up, quickly, and speak. We’re a family of farmers; we don’t stand on ceremony. Come sit here next to me." Li Bingkun patted the spot beside him, worried his hearing wasn’t good enough and that he might miss something.

Luo Gang carefully sat on the edge of the kang, occupying a corner.

Li Bingkun squinted at Luo Gang. "Our boy just said you have news of my sister. How is she? Is she doing well?"

Luo Gang gave a simple account of the Gu family’s current situation, not forgetting to make an excuse for Gu Dashishi. "After the long journey, the Old Master is not feeling well. He is currently resting in town, but he will certainly pay a visit when he is able."

Listening to all this, the Li Family members felt as if they were in a dream. They had clearly been fleeing a disaster, a life-or-death struggle, yet their aunt and her family had unexpectedly found a blessing in disguise.

"Good! As long as my little sister is doing well, that’s all that matters. Now I can rest easy." Li Bingkun nodded repeatedly. With his sister’s children and grandchildren being so successful, she would have support for the rest of her life.

He turned to look at his own sons. "In the future, when I’m gone, you brothers must support each other. Make sure your own children study hard, so they’ll have more skills to make a life for themselves."

At this, he looked into the distance. "You three brothers, guard the family’s inheritance well. Knowing your aunt is well should put your minds at ease. Her life hasn’t been easy, and from now on, she’ll be relying on her children and grandchildren. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t go and bother her, alright?"

As for his brother-in-law who hadn’t yet visited, Li Bingkun couldn’t even be bothered to mention him. He might be old, but he wasn’t easily fooled.

Just now, when this Luo Gang spoke of Gu Dashishi, his eyes had flickered evasively. They had seen through that man’s character long ago, right after their sister married him, and had regretted it ever since.

But thankfully, his sister’s sons were successful. Even without her maternal family by her side, she had support.

He patted one of the young men’s heads. "Go on out and entertain our guest. I’m going to sleep for a bit."

Choking back sobs, the three Li brothers helped the old man lie down flat on the kang and covered him with a quilt.

Luo Gang pursed his lips, took out the silver note the Old Madam had tucked away for him, and carefully placed it under the old man’s pillow. "This is what my Old Madam asked me to bring back for her brothers. Please, rest well, venerable sir."

Li Bingkun said, "No need. My older brother and I have no use for it anymore. Just give her a message for me... tell her that her big brother can’t protect her anymore."

As the old man’s voice faded, his eyes closed. The three Li brothers at his side sensed that his breathing had stopped and couldn’t help but break into wails of grief.

Luo Gang quietly retreated outside. ’I’ll hold this against Gu Dashishi,’ he thought. ’I’m sure the Old Madam will settle the score with him when she gets back.’

Back at the inn, Gu Dashishi, who was hugging a quilt in his sleep, suddenly felt a chill and muttered, "They could at least add more wood to the fire for this kang. It’s freezing me to death."

The Li brothers stared at the large-denomination silver note in their hands. It was a full fifty taels. Like it was a hot potato, they quickly shoved it into Luo Gang’s hands.

"Take this back to our aunt. We’re getting by just fine right now; we can’t take her money."

Luo Gang was speechless. ’They’re selling grain to buy a coffin, and they call that "getting by"?’

He said with a sincere expression, "The Old Madam gave me instructions before I left. She said that even if I didn’t find the two great-uncles, as long as I found descendants of the Li Family, this silver is a token of her affection as their aunt.

The Old Madam also said that if you have a mind to move over there, she will help you get settled."

The three Li brothers looked at each other and shook their heads in unison. "Just knowing our aunt is well puts our minds at ease. We won’t go over and be a bother to her.

But please, we must trouble Brother Luo to take this silver back."

Luo Gang replied, "The three of you young masters don’t need to be so anxious. This amount of silver is something the Old Madam can certainly afford.

You should accept the silver, if only to put the Old Madam’s mind at ease.

Otherwise, it will be difficult for this humble one to explain things to the Old Madam when I return."

"Then I’ll give it to our uncle-in-law," Li Zhengguang said, thinking of Gu Dashishi, who had come along. ’Giving it to him is the same thing, and it won’t put Brother Luo in a difficult position.’

Luo Gang said, "I would advise you three young masters against that. The Old Madam gave me this silver note in private.

If you give it to the Old Master, it will put the Old Madam in a difficult position."

He had wanted to reveal a little of what Gu Dashishi had done, but in the end, he changed his tack, hoping the three brothers weren’t too dense to understand.

Fortunately, the three brothers weren’t fools. Hearing his words, they fell silent.

"Please, accept it without worry. As for the Old Madam, our master will not treat her poorly. Besides, the young masters all have silver on hand now and show their filial piety to the Old Madam every so often.

On the other hand, if you all live well, you will save the Old Madam some worry. That, too, is a form of filial piety."

Persuaded by Luo Gang, the brothers finally agreed to accept the silver note for the time being. They then immediately began to arrange the old man’s funeral.

Seeing there was nothing more he could help with, Luo Gang rented a horse-drawn carriage from the village and hurried to the county town to deliver the news.

When Gu Dashishi, who was just about to eat dinner, heard the news, he actually let out a foul-mouthed curse about it being bad luck, which earned him a direct slap from Gu Datian, who was sitting beside him.

"Don’t you glare at me like that. Everyone has been putting up with you this entire trip.

You haven’t even washed the mud from your own feet, yet you spend all day putting on airs like some great lord.

I thought someone like you was just getting carried away by your sudden wealth and would return to normal after a while.

I never thought you’d become so ignorant of basic human decency."