Witty Wife, Better Life-Chapter 609 - 599 How do you want to show your filial piety?

With that said, Li Hongjun, no matter how silly, couldn’t directly tell his wife. But even without him saying it, Shen Yunfang could easily imagine.

"Your mother scolded me, didn’t she?" Shen Yunfang asked, but the conviction in her tone was unmistakable.

Li Hongjun couldn’t say it outright, "You know what my mother’s temper is like. She can’t go a day without scolding someone. Plus, now that she’s over there, having no one to talk to all day, she’s bound to have a few words with me when she sees me." Although he knew that the conflict between his mother and wife was now irreconcilable, as a son and a husband, he still didn’t want the situation to escalate. No man doesn’t desire a peaceful and thriving household.

"Hmm, with so many sons, daughters and daughters-in-law in your family, your mother has always only scolded me." Shen Yunfang was well aware that from the day she married into the Li Family, her mother-in-law had never taken to her. At first, there was some pretense of getting along, trying to play the good mother-in-law. But later, perhaps because of unbridled inner desires or the need for an outlet, the facade was torn off. And she became the only one in the family whom the mother-in-law could vent on.

Li Hongjun felt sorry for his wife and took her into his arms, "Wife, it’s my fault. If I could be by your side every day, my mother wouldn’t act this way." He knew his mother was bullying others, and if he were at home, his mother wouldn’t dare trouble his wife so blatantly. Of course, he didn’t rule out that Li Hongqi might be stirring things up behind the scenes, and now he had completely given up on this brother.

"Hmm, as long as you’re clear about it, that’s fine. But either my mother-in-law is too cunning, or my brother-in-law is— even if I stay far away from them, they can find a way to bother me," Shen Yunfang saw the situation very clearly.

"Don’t worry, it won’t happen again," Li Hongjun said and sighed. The two who used to bother his wife were both now locked up, so it would be tough for them to cause any more trouble.

"Don’t speak so assuredly. Your mother and brother weren’t given life sentences. It’s not impossible that they’ll come out in a few years and continue to torment me." Shen Yunfang anticipated dealing with her in-laws in the future. As long as she lived better than them, even if they were at odds now, they would still come to bother her.

Li Hongjun fell silent at that. Although he didn’t say it, in his heart, he knew what his family members were like. What his wife said was very likely to happen.

"I don’t care. Now, I don’t have the slightest bit of goodwill left for your mother and brother. If it weren’t for considering your feelings, people like them, I wouldn’t even bother to acknowledge them. When your mother gets out, you, as her son, can fulfill your filial duties, but don’t expect me to indulge her like I used to," Shen Yunfang stated her position frankly.

"Hmm, I’m not asking you to. But as you said, she’s still my mother, and as her son, I can never neglect her..."

Shen Yunfang didn’t let him finish and asked with a stern face, "What exactly do you plan to do?" Hoping it wasn’t what she thought, otherwise, she was truly ready to turn against him.

She no longer cared about reputation; for the sake of her child, she couldn’t let her mother-in-law control her with those ethereal notions of respect.

Li Hongjun sighed as soon as he saw his wife getting worked up, and embraced her to console her, "Look at you, why is it that the older you get, the fiercer your temper becomes? Now you won’t even let me finish speaking."

Shen Yunfang huffed displeased, thinking to herself, what does he mean ’older’? She was just twenty-three this year, still young.

"You and my mom don’t get along, I see that. So how could I ever bring you two together? That would turn our house into a constant battlefield. I was thinking, no matter what, when we separated from the Li Family, it was agreed that my younger brother is responsible for taking care of our parents in their old age. We can’t fail to give the agreed 100 yuan yearly for their care. Now that my parents are old and don’t work, having that 100 yuan to spend in the countryside is more than enough." Li Hongjun thought that no matter how much his parents erred, he should fulfill his filial duties, and since his wife and mother were like oil and water, it was his job to provide financially.

"What if Li Hongqi refuses to take care of your parents in the future?" Shen Yunfang raised the possibility now as a precautionary measure, knowing full well that it might happen.

In her mind, even if Li Hongqi decided not to care for the elderly, they couldn’t live with them. She was willing to give money though.

Li Hongjun initially thought it impossible, as who would take care of the parents was clearly stated when the family separated. But then he considered Li Hongqi’s character and wasn’t so sure anymore.

"Even if Li Hongqi doesn’t want to take care of our parents, I won’t let them live with us," Li Hongjun quickly assessed the situation and found what he believed to be the most reasonable solution. "If that situation really arises, I’ll discuss it with my eldest brother. If he can take care of our parents, I’ll contribute more money. If he won’t take them either, I’ll rent a place for my parents near us and hire a caregiver to look after them. However, that could end up costing quite a bit more."

After hearing this, Shen Yunfang also felt it was the best solution they could come up with at the moment, "Alright, I have nothing to say against giving more money, and I won’t stop you from honoring your parents. But we need to be clear about one thing. If Li Hongqi refuses to take care of your parents later on, and your parents then use the money we provide to subsidize Li Hongqi, I absolutely won’t agree with that. It’s unreasonable that, being both sons, he doesn’t lift a finger, stirs up trouble, and we still have to fund him."

Li Hongjun nodded in agreement with this point, "Okay, I understand. If that ever happens, I’ll make things clear with my parents." Li Hongjun felt that there were many ways to honor one’s parents. If his mother continued to be obstinate, he could simply convert the money intended for his parents into daily necessities and send them over. Without cash in hand, they wouldn’t be able to act on any schemes they might concoct.

"Wife, I also want to discuss something with you. You see, my dad is on his own back home, and he as an old man can’t manage things like cooking and laundry. I was thinking of talking to my eldest brother, to have him take care of my dad for now. What do you think?" Li Hongjun was also worried about his father; during the days he had returned to the army, he had called home, and even though his father didn’t say much, he could tell that the old man wasn’t having an easy time on his own.

Although Qiu Shuping usually didn’t fuss about things, having a woman around meant that Li’s father didn’t need to worry about meals or laundry. Now that Qiu Shuping wasn’t home, all these things had fallen on Li’s father to handle. After years of comfortable living, the sudden change was something the old man couldn’t easily adapt to.