Chapter 46 Bold and Heroic (85% Eldest Sister Plot)

Chapter 46: A Grand Display of Spirit (85% Elder Sister's Storyline)

The entire family set out in a grand, bustling procession. The second young master, feeling uneasy, lingered at the courtyard gate for a long while. Jian Ru repeatedly waved at him, urging him to go back inside.

Jin Hui noticed this and turned to call out to her younger brother, "Don’t worry, we’ll bring everyone back safe and sound."

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, and the second young master, somewhat embarrassed, finally returned home.

The Zhao family lived right in town, just a short walk away—no more than the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.

When they arrived, the Zhao family was having dinner. All seven members of the household were present, not a single one missing.

Jin Hui stepped inside and glanced at the table, remarking, "You’re eating quite well, I see."

The Zhao family was taken aback by the sudden arrival of such a large group.

Elder Zhao was the first to react. He quickly stood up, smiling like the Maitreya Buddha, and greeted them warmly, "So Jin Hui is back! Oh, and the eldest young master is here too? Zhao Pin, why didn’t you give me a heads-up? I would’ve had your mother and sisters-in-law prepare a proper feast!"

Zhao Pin remained silent.

Elder Zhao maintained his smile, his eyes shifting to the eldest and second sons of Squire Li’s family, then to Jian Ru and the few elderly women beside them. He wondered what these people were here for. As he pondered, he nudged his wife, who was sitting beside him. Madam Zhao stood up with a forced smile and said, "Come in, everyone, please have a seat." She turned to her two sons and said, "Go fetch a few more chairs from the next room." Then, addressing her two daughters-in-law, she added, "You two, go brew some tea and bring some dried fruits."

Jin Hui waved her hand dismissively, "No need for the trouble. I’m not in the mood for eating or drinking like you all." She glanced at the young girl, about ten years old, sitting at the dining table, and said to the eldest daughter-in-law, "Take the child to another room. We wouldn’t want to damage the old man and old lady's dignity in front of her."

Elder Zhao’s smile finally froze on his face. "Jin Hui, what do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone stiff.

Jin Hui crossed her arms. "I’m here today to settle accounts with you."

"What accounts?" Elder Zhao asked.

"Let’s not bother with the past years," Jin Hui said, turning to Zhao Pin. "Since everyone is here today, why don’t you tell us, in front of everyone, how much money you’ve given your father from the start of the new year until now?"

Elder Zhao’s face immediately darkened. Beside him, Madam Zhao sneered, "So the son and daughter-in-law are here to settle accounts over a few coins given to his father? Since Zhao Pin married into the Li family, he’s become one of you. Is this how the Li family teaches their children?"

Jin Hui smirked coldly. "You might want to hear him out before you speak."

She turned to Zhao Pin, who stepped forward and spoke in a soft but clear, unhurried tone, "Right after the new year, Father said the Spring Festival expenses were high and asked me to help out. I gave him two taels of silver. In early February, he said he wasn’t feeling well. I offered to take him to the Li Family Clinic, but he refused and asked me for half a tael to buy medicinal herbs. In mid-February, he said he had no money for a gift for his granddaughter’s birth, so I gave him another tael... Yesterday, when I came to see him, he took all the dozen or so copper coins I had on me."

Madam Zhao’s expression grew increasingly uneasy as she listened. She turned to her two daughters-in-law and said, "You two, go to your rooms."

Once they were gone, Madam Zhao grabbed her husband by the collar. "That adds up to over ten taels of silver! I’ve only seen two or three taels. Where did the rest of the money go?"

Elder Zhao stammered, "I... I spent it on tea."

Jin Hui said, "A cup of tea at a teahouse costs no more than ten or twenty copper coins. How did you manage to drink away ten taels of silver?"

Elder Zhao tried to explain, but Jin Hui waved him off. "Let’s just assume you spent it all on tea." She turned to Zhao Pin. "The household funds haven’t decreased, and I haven’t seen you spending your monthly allowance. Why don’t you tell your father where this money actually came from?"

Zhao Pin pursed his lips and said, "After you went to the clinic, I went out to the streets—writing letters for people, selling paintings, and even minding shops for merchants..."

"And what else?" Jin Hui pressed, frowning.

Zhao Pin said, "I also worked as a porter at the docks and carried loads on the official roads."

Upon hearing this, Jin Hui’s eyelids trembled. She lowered her gaze, swallowed hard, and then looked at Elder Zhao. "He is your son. As his father, how can you continue to exploit him knowing all this?"

Elder Zhao’s face turned bright red with anger. "It’s because he’s useless! If he had just followed my advice—" He caught himself mid-sentence, then snapped in shame and fury, "What’s wrong with a son supporting his father? And what about your Li family? Do you think you’ve done everything right all these years? I let my son marry into your family, and what did I get in return? Instead of gaining any benefits, I’ve lost face for the Zhao family and become the laughingstock of the neighborhood!"

Though Madam Zhao was angry with her husband, she had no choice but to stand by him in front of outsiders. She gritted her teeth and said, "Li Jinhui, no matter how you spin it, he is Zhao Pin’s father. Even if this were taken to the authorities, there’s no crime in what he’s done."

The two Zhao sons clenched their fists, ready for a fight. The eldest, with a roguish look, sneered, "Zhao Pin, you good-for-nothing! Can’t handle things yourself, so you bring your wife to fight your battles?"

The second son, with dark circles under his eyes, chuckled coldly. "Li Jinhui, I suggest you leave now before this escalates. If the neighbors come to see what’s happening, the two of you will be known throughout the town as unfilial children."

Zhao Pin’s hands clenched tightly at his sides. He stepped forward, but Jin Hui grabbed his arm. She stared directly at Elder Zhao and said, word by word, "Who is Yanhong?"

Elder Zhao’s expression changed dramatically upon hearing the name. Madam Zhao looked at him in confusion. "Who is Yanhong?"

Jin Hui pressed on, "Whose child is Yanhong carrying?"

Madam Zhao’s face darkened as if she had already guessed the truth. Her lips trembled in disbelief. "You... you promised me you wouldn’t fool around outside anymore! Tell me, who is that woman, and what about the child?"

Elder Zhao tried to defend himself, "I don’t know any Yanhong..."

Jin Hui sneered, "You don’t know her, yet you begged your son to support her and her father? You truly are a rare ‘philanthropist.’"

*Slap!* Madam Zhao struck Elder Zhao across the face. "Because of you and that wretched woman—Zhao Pin’s mother—I lost a child! And you still haven’t changed your ways! No wonder your money disappeared so quickly. Today, I’ll avenge the child I lost!" With that, the old woman lunged at her husband, and the two tumbled to the ground, grappling and fighting.

The eldest Zhao son tried to intervene but failed to pull them apart. He began hurling insults at Jin Hui, each curse filthier than the last.

Without Jin Hui having to say a word, Granny Jin and the others, who were no pushovers, stepped forward and showered the eldest Zhao son with a torrent of abuse.

Enraged, the eldest Zhao son spat, rolled up his sleeves, and charged at Jin Hui.

Zhao Pin stepped in front of his wife. The eldest Zhao son threw a punch at his face, but Zhao Pin dodged and retaliated.

At that moment, the second son also rushed forward, cursing loudly. The Li family had been waiting for this.

Jin Feng stepped up to confront him, followed by the eldest and second sons from the second uncle’s family.

Jian Ru rolled up his sleeves, pulling Jin Hui and Granny Jin behind him while positioning himself at the front.

The dining table was overturned, chairs and furniture were smashed, and the sounds of chaos filled the room. Neighbors peered in through the courtyard gate, curious about the commotion.

Jin Hui covered her face, pretending to cry, and wailed loudly, "My father-in-law has been fooling around outside again, spending all his money on another woman! Poor my mother-in-law..."

...

That evening, the Li family’s main kitchen remained unused. Li Jinhui treated the entire family, including the two brothers from the second uncle’s family, to a lavish feast at a famous restaurant in town.

At the banquet, Jin Hui, her face flushed from drinking, stood up unsteadily and said, "Let me propose another toast to everyone!"

Zhao Pin, looking worried, tugged at her sleeve quietly. "You’ve had enough. Drink less."

Jin Feng also advised, "Elder Sister, you should drink less."

Jin Hui waved her hand grandly, full of heroic spirit. "I’m happy today! I want to drink!" She then leaned over and asked Madam Li, "Mother, can I drink today?"

Madam Li waved her hand cheerfully, "Drink!"

Jin Hui threw her head back and laughed, raising her glass to clink with each person. "Come, cousins from the second uncle’s family, my brothers, thank you for coming all this way to help."

She then clinked glasses with Jin Feng and Qing Lan, "To my big younger brother and sister-in-law, the most righteous brother and sister-in-law."

With bleary eyes, she went to toast Jin Rong, "My dear sister...". Jin Rong, expressionless, clinked glasses with her, then guided her chin to turn her toward the next person.

Jin Hui went over to her younger brother and his husband, patting Jian Ru on the shoulder and giving a thumbs-up, saying to Jin Tong, "My little brother-in-law, you're a real one!"

The second young master, afraid that his elder sister might hurt the delicate Jian Ru with her pats, quickly stood up to toast her. Jian Ru also rose, and the three of them drank together. Jin Hui then headed toward her mother.

Madam Li, both amused and exasperated, drank a toast with her daughter.

Finally, Jin Hui returned to her seat, and Zhao Pin quickly straightened her chair and fluffed her cushion to make her more comfortable.

Jin Hui poured herself another drink and, swaying slightly, said to Zhao Pin, "This last toast is for you. The best decision I’ve made over the years was marrying you."

Zhao Pin’s face turned bright red. He glanced around and tugged at Jin Hui’s sleeve, "Everyone’s watching."

Jin Hui, already heavily drunk, paid no mind. She filled Zhao Pin’s glass and loudly declared, "You’re so unfair to me."

"What?" Zhao Pin exclaimed in surprise.

Jin Hui said, "You already know I like you, but you haven’t said whether you like me or not."

"Huh?" Zhao Pin wished he could vanish into the ground.

Just then, Qiao Zhi and Xian Yu seemed to catch on. They put down their chopsticks, slid off their seats, and ran around the table, clapping and chanting, "Daddy likes Mommy, Daddy likes Mommy..."

Zhao Pin had no choice but to mumble, his face and neck flushed, "I like you."

*Clink!* Jin Hui’s glass hit Zhao Pin’s forcefully. The couple looked at each other and downed their drinks in one go.

The second young master watched from the side, feeling a bit envious and strangely tickled. He glanced over and saw Jian Ru happily munching on a chicken leg, his face beaming and his mouth greasy.

The second young master took a cloth from his robe and, while no one was paying attention, wiped Jian Ru’s face and the corners of his mouth.

Jian Ru smiled at him, his eyes sparkling, making the second young master’s heart skip a beat.

Jian Ru swallowed the chicken and said cheerfully, "I was awesome today."

"Oh?" the second young master asked, "How so?"

Jian Ru put down the chicken leg and gestured excitedly, "That Zhao family’s second son seemed disreputable, but he could really fight. It took both the eldest brother and the second brother from the foster family to pin him down. I took the chance to kick him in the butt a few times—he was yelling in pain and even begged me for mercy, calling me 'grandpa'!"

The second young master couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image.

Jian Ru, still buzzing from the fight and a bit drunk, leaned closer to the second young master and said, "If anyone ever bullies you, just tell me. I’ll have your back, just like my big sister!"

The second young master nodded and smiled, "Then I’ll be counting on Xiao Ru from now on."