Chapter 203: I Disagree

That evening, at Li Chenghui's home.

Li Chenghui had indeed earned a lot from his construction work over the years, and his family was quite wealthy.

Just looking at the house the Li family lived in now, one could see the opulence—it was just as well-decorated and spacious as the house Li Dong owned in Pingchuan.

By the time Li Dong and Li Chengyuan arrived, Li Chenghui's son and daughter had already returned.

When they saw Li Dong and Li Chengyuan, Li Nanming merely pursed his lips and sulked on the sofa without moving.

Li Qing nodded but did not greet them either.

Li Dong frowned. He should have known these two would still be so high and mighty even after so many years.

Today was not their choice to come; if it weren't for Aunt Wang saying there was something to discuss, Li Dong would not have wanted his father to be involved in this matter.

Aunt Wang, Li Dong's aunt, was somewhat more polite than before. She forced a smile and said, "Second brother, Dongzi, please have a seat."

Li Dong and Li Chengyuan found a place to sit. Before Li Chengyuan could speak, Li Dong asked, "Aunt, what is it you need to discuss with my dad?"

Just as Aunt Wang was about to speak, the doorbell rang.

Li Dong didn't need to guess; it was most likely the person who had argued in the afternoon. He was surprised that the person actually dared to come.

Aunt Wang and Li Qing's expressions turned dark as they remained still.

Soon, the doorbell turned into loud banging, and someone outside shouted, "Open the door, or I'll break it down!"

Li Nanming, whose temper was already bad, immediately cursed, "You dare try breaking the door? I'll make sure to deal with you!"

"You little brat, is this how you talk to someone who raised you?"

"…"

The two of them continued to curse at each other through the door. Li Chengyuan's face darkened as he scolded, "What's all this commotion? Have you no shame? It's embarrassing for everyone to hear!"

"This is our family matter; stay out of it!"

As soon as Li Nanming finished speaking, Li Dong stood up and said, "Dad, let's go. Why get involved in their family's problems?"

"What attitude is that!" Li Nanming shouted angrily.

Li Dong glanced at him coldly and said, "Li Nanming, don't act so arrogantly. Do you really think you're something special?"

Li Nanming, taken aback, pointed at Li Dong, ready to shout back.

Before he could speak, Li Dong swatted his hand away and said, "Stop making threats. Do you believe I won't knock you out?"

Li Nanming's eyes flickered. He was indeed a bit intimidated.

When he was young, he often bullied Li Dong during family visits. There was one time he pushed Li Dong too far, and Li Dong nearly beat him to death.

If not for the intervention of adults, Li Dong might have actually killed him. Even so, Nanming had ended up with a bruised head.

Since then, he had been a bit afraid of his cousin.

The relationship between the two brothers in the Li family had not been good for years, and this was part of the reason. Li Nanming had always used his family's wealth to look down on Li Dong.

Although he would never dare to truly anger Li Dong, the sight of Li Dong's anger reminded him of the past.

As Li Nanming found himself in a difficult position, Aunt Wang shouted, "Nanming, stop making a fuss. I'm here to discuss something with your second uncle. Don't create trouble!"

Li Nanming took the opportunity to back down, grumbling, "I won't stoop to your level."

Li Dong sneered, clearly disdainful, and chose not to engage further.

Inside, as the argument continued, the banging on the door grew louder and louder.

Aunt Wang, her face dark, said, "Qing, go open the door!"

Li Qing, reluctantly, stood up and opened the door. Seeing the two people outside, she said coldly, "Shameless!"

Without waiting for a response, she turned and returned to her seat.

The middle-aged woman outside was unfazed, dragging her timid daughter inside. She said, "Daughter, remember, this house is also yours. If your father is dying, you are part of the Li family too. If they want to take everything, they won't get away with it!"

Li Nanming, who had just sat down, immediately exploded with anger. "Stop talking nonsense! Try saying that again!"

The middle-aged woman sneered, "What? Am I wrong? Your father admitted this is his child. Do you still deny it? If your father can't control his pants, why are you taking it out on me?"

Li Dong watched with great interest while Li Chengyuan frowned and said, "Chen Jing, let's discuss things calmly. No need to make a scene."

Chen Jing, with a pained expression, said, "It's not about making a scene. Look at how this family is bullying us, the orphaned mother and daughter. As long as your eldest brother is alive, this family wants to force us to death. After he's gone, what will become of us? I'm not asking for money, but Lan is your niece. We can't let her starve to death."

Li Chengyuan's lips twitched, but he had no rebuttal.

After a long pause, Li Chengyuan finally said, "Sister-in-law, what exactly do you want to discuss?"

Aunt Wang ignored Chen Jing and said to Li Chengyuan, "Today, I mainly want to discuss your elder brother's arrangements after his death. The doctor said he will only last until the end of the month at most. Your brother is determined to be buried in our hometown, and neither Nanming nor I are familiar with the people there…"

After Aunt Wang finished speaking, Li Dong realized the point. In short, if Li Chenghui passed away, the arrangements for his funeral would be handled in their hometown, and Li Chengyuan would be responsible for everything.

If it were up to Li Dong, he would prefer that his father not get involved, as it would be quite a hassle.

However, Li Dong thought his father would definitely agree, as Li Chenghui was his only older brother. Moreover, Aunt Wang's point was valid; she and Li Nanming were indeed unfamiliar with the hometown.

As expected, after Aunt Wang finished speaking, Li Chengyuan nodded and said, "Alright, I'll take care of it."

He then added, somewhat unwillingly, "Is there really no other way? How about we consult another hospital?"

Li Nanming frowned and said, "What's the use of consulting another hospital? The doctor has said there is no cure. It's a waste of money."

Li Chengyuan glared at him. "I'll pay. It's better than watching him die without doing anything!"

Li Nanming sneered, muttering, "As if you have that much money. Don't be surprised if we end up paying for it in the end."

Li Chengyuan, irritated, was about to speak when Aunt Wang added, "Second brother, we appreciate your intentions, but Nanming is right. Your brother has been to every hospital in Qingyang. Going to another place won't change anything."

Li Chengyuan sighed and shook his head, not speaking further.

After discussing the funeral arrangements, Aunt Wang said, "There's one more thing I want to discuss with Second Brother."

"Sister-in-law, go ahead."

Aunt Wang glanced at Chen Jing and said, "This was also what your elder brother mentioned after you left this afternoon."

"Your elder brother said that you should adopt Li Lan. The Chen family will give her thirty thousand yuan to leave."

Upon hearing this, Li Dong and Li Chengyuan were stunned, as were Chen Jing and Li Lan.

Li Dong reacted the quickest and immediately said, "Aunt, our family won't be involved in this. How you handle it is up to you. My parents are old and can't take care of this."

Li Dong was secretly cursing. Wasn't Li Chenghui trying to create trouble? If he didn't trust his illegitimate daughter, there was no need to make things so complicated.

Even if Chen Jing were no longer around, this was not something Li Chengyuan should handle.

Li Chengyuan was also stunned for a while. Before he could respond, Chen Jing screamed, "I disagree!"

Aunt Wang glanced at her disdainfully and said, "Your disagreement is your problem. If you disagree, don't expect to get any money! Thirty thousand yuan is already generous for someone like you!"

"Also, don't think that Li Chenghui has a lot of money! Over the years, he has squandered it all on eating, drinking, and gambling. Apart from this house, he has nothing left! This house still has a loan of over a hundred thousand yuan! The thirty thousand is borrowed from my brother. If you don't want it, consider it as if I never said anything."

Chen Jing, of course, did not believe this. She immediately retorted, "Are you lying? Does Old Li's construction team not make money? There's at least hundreds of thousands in income every year. Do you think I don't know anything?"

"The construction team? So you were counting on that? To be honest with you, the team disbanded. After your father got sick, the team fell apart. There's still some outstanding payments, and if you're capable, go collect them. Whatever you get from that will be yours."

Aunt Wang sneered and continued,

 "Moreover, Li Chenghui has spent almost two hundred thousand on medical bills. If you want a share of the money, you'll need to cover those medical expenses too."

Chen Jing was nearly enraged to the point of insanity. She didn't believe a word Aunt Wang said!

How could Li Chenghui be broke? If he were broke, why would Aunt Wang be making a fuss?

But with Aunt Wang saying this, she didn't know how to refute it. After all, she only heard rumors. Whether Li Chenghui had truly squandered his money, she was not sure.

Chen Jing was infuriated but did not argue with Aunt Wang, repeatedly stating, "I disagree!"

"I also disagree!" Li Dong snorted. He couldn't believe that his father's affairs were being dragged into this mess, and now they were even asked to support an illegitimate child. His uncle really had some nerve.

After Li Dong spoke, he glanced at Li Chengyuan and saw that his father looked hesitant.

Li Dong realized his father might be wavering and quickly whispered, "Dad, don't get involved. If Mom finds out…"

It wasn't that Li Dong was cold-hearted. The issue was that Li Lan had a mother and half-siblings. This was not a matter to be taken lightly.

Taking in one person was not a big deal, but what about Chen Jing?

Even if she agreed now, wouldn't she cause trouble in the future?

If she took the thirty thousand and came back to pester Li Chengyuan once the money was spent, would Li Chenghui's death mean Li Chengyuan had to support his elder brother's mistress?

Li Chengyuan had indeed been contemplating this, as he had heard about this niece from Li Chenghui before.

Chen Jing was very timid, and she wasn't a compassionate person. It was fine while Li Chenghui was alive, but once he was gone, Chen Jing might mistreat his niece.

If they could get some money out of this, Chen Jing might treat Li Lan better. If not, Li Lan would have no good life ahead.

Li Chengyuan, after looking at Li Lan, who appeared as frightened as a little rabbit behind Chen Jing, saw a flash of worry in his eyes. Finally, he said, "Sister-in-law, I can't agree to this. I will help with the elder brother's matters, but this matter, you'll need to discuss among yourselves."

With that, Li Chengyuan, fearing he might soften, quickly dragged Li Dong away.