Chapter 20: When Vision is Shallow, One Lacks Ambition

After calming the old man, Li Xian remained alone in the courtyard, lost in thought for a long time. He began contemplating the vast subject of fate.

For over an hour, he stared at a small yellow wildflower at the base of the wall, pondering the path he should take in the future. Unfortunately, he gained no insight. Since the moment he woke up in a time without Wi-Fi and smartphones, he had felt completely disoriented.

Just as he was questioning life, Li You and Zou Ni returned with a group of old and young people, carrying alcohol, dishes, and half a pig with great enthusiasm.

The foundation for the new house had been laid, and construction would begin the next day. Before starting, Li You needed to treat the neighbors, friends, and the carpenters and masons to a meal.

Zou Ni and a group of women quickly set up a large pot in the courtyard, while Li You served water and cigarettes, greeting everyone. Seeing Li Xian squatting in the corner, lost in thought, Li You waved him over.

"Hey, why are you still sitting there when there are guests? Come over and greet them."

Li Xian responded with a grunt and got up, patting his pants.

He didn't remember the neighbors and friends very well, but he could vaguely recall them from his uncle's memories. He wasn't embarrassed about not recalling their names.

Though he wasn't in the mood for idle chatter due to the old man's earlier fortune-telling, it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd:

"Wow, Li You, your Li family has really produced a talent. Just look at this young Li Xian. He used to keep a low profile, and now he quietly earned back three houses. This kid is going places!"

"Old Guo, you're mistaken. Li Xian was always outstanding. Your third child and Li Xian were classmates, right? After finishing middle school, he went into farming, while Li Xian went to forestry school. That's impressive. When he graduates and is assigned to the local forestry station, he might become the station chief. With some luck, he could even become a high-ranking official in the bureau."

"Exactly. Even if he doesn't become an official, with his intelligence and education, he's bound to succeed. His articles are even published in the Forestry and Workers' newspapers, which are read by tens of thousands. Who else in the forestry station can match that? Accountant Wang wears glasses and is always showing off, but he hasn't had any articles published."

"I think you're all mistaken. Li Xian earned several houses in just a few days. With that skill, he's set for life. In the past, we used to talk about millionaires. How many millionaires were there in our forestry station? Li Xian earned back more than half a millionaire's worth in one go!"

"Right, right! That's spot on!"

Most of the men in the forestry station were workers, and they envied those who had respectable jobs without manual labor. Li Xian's impressive accomplishments had won their admiration.

The admiration turned into a torrent of praise, which Li Xian was indifferent to. However, Li You, clearly thrilled, could barely keep his smile in check and was nearly bursting with joy as he kept repeating, "It's nothing, just some small cleverness, small cleverness..."

Seeing this, Li Xian's previous gloominess dissipated considerably.

No matter what difficulties lay ahead, with such a significant windfall, every day was a gain!

While everyone was joking and teasing Li You to continue farming and make more clever moves, Zou Ni called Li Xian over from a distance.

He hurried over.

Zou Ni wiped her hands with an apron and pulled Li Xian into a corner. "Li Xian, help your mom with something."

Seeing her mysterious demeanor, Li Xian asked, "What is it, Mom? Why are you being secretive?"

Zou Ni said, "We're hosting guests today, and since there's still time, go to your elder brother's house and invite him and his wife to come over for dinner."

Li Xian smacked his forehead.

He had completely forgotten about Li Qing. It had been two days since they moved, and Li Qing hadn't visited since delivering the old man's coffin. He wasn't sure if Wang Feng had caused any trouble at home.

"Okay, I'll go now!"

As Li Xian turned to leave, Zou Ni stopped him.

"Mom, is there something else?"

Zou Ni, with an even more hesitant tone, said, "Li Xian, I want to discuss something with you. Since we're building a house, and we're buying materials and hiring workers anyway, could you bring some of the materials to repair the old house where your elder brother is living?"

Li Xian stayed silent.

He was inwardly annoyed with Wang Feng and felt that spending any more money on her was a waste.

Seeing Li Xian's reluctance, Zou Ni pleaded, "Even if Wang Feng isn't the best, she's still your sister-in-law. Your elder brother can't keep suffering because of her. Besides, no one is entirely bad. Since she married into our family, we should treat her well, right?"

Fearing that Li Xian might refuse, Zou Ni added, "But it's just a suggestion. After all, the money for building the house came from you."

Zou Ni was kind-hearted, and Li Xian knew it. Despite her lifelong poverty, she had never quarreled with anyone. Whenever he returned to the forestry station, the older folks would always mention Zou Ni, saying, "She's a good person, but she left us too early."

Seeing the young Zou Ni, Li Xian couldn't bear to let her worry over these trivial matters.

Suppressing his unwillingness, he nodded. "I'll do as you say, Mom. I'll first go to call my brother and sister-in-law, then visit the old Wang family and invite them all over. It's a good opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings."

"Ah!" Seeing her son think things through better than she had, Zou Ni clapped her apron with joy, repeatedly praising, "My Li Xian is so thoughtful."

Li Xian forced a smile, called Li Pi, and headed towards the eastern end of the forestry station.

At the old house, Li Qing had just returned from the fields. Wang Feng, with a stern face, was tidying up the cabbage beds in the courtyard.

When she saw Li Xian and Li Pi arriving, she threw down her hoe and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, so that's why my right eyelid kept twitching today—there's a wild dog at the door!"

Li Qing shot her a glance and led Li Xian and Li Pi into the courtyard.

Li Xian looked at the angry Wang Feng and the smiling Li Qing and felt more at ease.

As the old saying goes, "When vision is shallow, one lacks ambition; when the heart is narrow, one harbors deceit." Wang Feng's stubbornness stemmed from her lack of resources, causing her to fight for everything.

As a grown man, and especially one returning from the future, it was pointless to argue with someone like her.

Recalling Li Daoyun's fortune-telling, Li Xian wondered if he could overcome the likely deadly obstacle. He felt more at ease.

Compared to life and death, other matters were trivial.

"Ignore her, let's go inside," Li Qing was embarrassed by Wang Feng's attitude and quickly pulled his brothers inside.

Li Xian patted his shoulder and said to Wang Feng, "Sister-in-law, the new house will start construction tomorrow. We're hosting guests tonight. Mom asked me to invite you and my elder brother to join us."

Hearing this, Wang Feng became even angrier, shouting, "You're building a new house, so what? Why come here to show off? I'm not going! Is it as if I've never eaten before? Going there will just make me angry!"

Li Xian shook his head helplessly. "Building a new house requires sand, gravel, and cement. I thought since the old house is old and the craftsmen are here today, it would be a good time to repair it. The yard is big, and the house is still solid. Fixing it up won't be any worse than a new house."

Clang!

The hoe Wang Feng had just picked up fell to the ground again.

"You... you're serious?"

Seeing Wang Feng's disbelieving expression, Li Xian nodded.

Wang Feng was surprised that Li Xian could go this far.

Feeling a twinge of shame over past events, she was touched.