CHAPTER 426: CHAPTER 343 DID LI SI REALLY SAY THAT?

Li Guozhi is working the afternoon shift today. She checked her watch—just a few more hours until she could clock out.

Today had truly been exhausting. Maybe it’s because of her age. Back when she was younger, one good night’s sleep could wash away all the fatigue. Nothing lingered.

But now? Even after a full night’s rest, she’d wake up in the morning still feeling chest tightness and shortness of breath, her back aching and her waist sore—nothing felt right anywhere!

Still, for the sake of her child, for the sake of her family, she had to grit her teeth and endure. Life, for her, had come down to this one hope: her child.

As long as Wu Yue could have a promising future, no matter how hard, how tiring, she’d accept it willingly.

Regardless of Wu Dachuan or her mother-in-law, she didn’t care anymore. In the end, what does a person’s life revolve around anyway?

It’s all for the child. That’s the only reason she’s been tolerating living with Wu Dachuan all this time.

If it weren’t for the ties created by the child, she might have left long ago.

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled by a sudden voice, "Auntie!" Li Guozhi’s heart skipped a beat as she wondered who it might be.

She turned around sharply, only to spot a gentle-looking young girl behind her, calling out to her affectionately again, "Auntie!"

"Who are you?" Li Guozhi felt this person looked somewhat familiar, but couldn’t recall who she might be.

But why was she calling her auntie?

While pondering this, she also posed the question aloud, "Why are you calling me auntie?"

After all, the ones who should be calling her auntie now were Li Si and Li Fei!

Unfortunately, Li Si was far away in Beijing, and Li Fei—ever since she started associating with that old man—had raised her nose so high, she hardly considered this poor auntie of hers anymore.

The young girl replied with a coquettish smile, "I’m Zhou Rou, Li Si’s good friend! Do you remember Uncle Bo’s Home Cooking? I also worked there for a while!"

When she said this, Li Guozhi finally remembered this young girl. But she looked entirely different now compared to how she used to. The girl standing before her was dressed in extravagant fashion—a luxurious white mink coat, a pink jumpsuit, and white knee-high boots.

Even though Li Guozhi wasn’t particularly worldly, amidst the bustling shoppers at the supermarket, she could easily tell that everything the girl was wearing was far from cheap.

"Ah, I remember now! So, you’re here to shop at the supermarket?" Li Guozhi asked, feeling a bit conflicted at the mention of Li Si. Perhaps Zhou Rou didn’t know that Li Si had long stopped acknowledging their family entirely—perhaps that’s why she was being overly enthusiastic.

Zhou Rou shook her head with a smile, "Not at all! I came specifically to find you, Auntie! Li Si sent me. She heard about Li Fei’s family forging some kind of informal kinship and got suspicious after investigating—it seems there’s a hidden truth here!"

Li Guozhi’s expression instantly changed. How could this matter have been exposed?

Li Si was all the way in Beijing, and hadn’t intended to involve herself with their family anymore—what was the point of investigating? What could they accomplish?

If this matter were stirred into a bigger scandal, how could their family ever show their faces in North City?

Everyone around them knew one another too well, and the gossip alone would crush them under its weight.

Had her mother-in-law not relentlessly poked her about it since finding out? She hadn’t let up, either dismissing her with cutting remarks or, once opinions shifted, pushing her to foster connections with Li Guofu’s family—to keep that association intact.

Why? Because, at the end of the day, it was all about money!

"That’s nonsense! How could that be possible? Li Si is just being irrational, focusing on her own life would suffice! Why bother meddling in all this?" Li Guozhi stiffened her neck, pretending calmness while refuting the claim.

After all, this was a family disgrace that couldn’t afford to see the light of day. How could she possibly let an outsider know?

Zhou Rou’s gaze narrowed slightly—it seemed she’d struck a nerve. "Li Si is just worried that the family might misjudge someone or be deceived, Auntie! You don’t have to try to hide it. What’s known is known. I came here today because I wanted to discuss Grandma Li. How is she doing?"

Li Guozhi’s mind leaped to the possibility—could it be that Li Si wanted to take the elderly woman away?

That would truly be a great relief! Ever since Grandma Li returned to her hometown, even though that old man had recognized Li Guofu, his mother hadn’t received much better treatment. She was still left all alone in the village.

Last time, during one of her days off, Li Guozhi secretly visited the elderly woman and noticed her poor complexion. If things kept on like this, it wouldn’t be surprising if she fell seriously ill someday.

"Li Si’s grandmother is still in decent health, but her energy levels are lacking. Sigh..." Li Guozhi had just begun to speak when her supervisor barked out, "Quit standing around chatting! Get those shelves organized properly!"

"Alright! I’ll take care of it now!" Li Guozhi nodded hastily. If the workstation wasn’t cleaned up well, she could face fines.

Zhou Rou silently fumed, irritated at the timing. Out of all moments, why did this have to be when things were finally getting somewhere? These supermarket employees could truly drive one mad.

The supervisor scanned the surroundings briefly, giving Zhou Rou a deliberate glance before turning and walking away.

Once the supervisor left, Li Guozhi turned back and whispered, "I’m still at work. Let’s talk again when I have more time, alright?"

While sorting the goods, she suddenly recalled something—the young girl had claimed to be Li Si’s good friend back when they were at Uncle Bo’s Home Cooking. But Li Si herself had never mentioned her. Could this girl be hiding something?

Zhou Rou’s face briefly stiffened, realizing that Li Guozhi had become cautious. She quickly forced a smile and nodded, "Alright then, Auntie. I’ll head out now and come back to find you after your shift ends!"

"Alright!" Li Guozhi nodded and watched her leave, distracted by thoughts—could there be things going on that she wasn’t yet aware of?

Zhou Rou stormed off, frustration bubbling underneath. She simply couldn’t believe there was a wall of secrecy she couldn’t breach; if there was something she wanted to know, she’d figure out a way to uncover it.

When Li Guozhi left the supermarket through the back entrance after her shift, she immediately noticed Zhou Rou standing there waiting. "You haven’t left yet?"

Li Guozhi headed toward the bike shed to unlock her bicycle, while Zhou Rou followed closely behind. "Auntie! Let’s talk as we walk, alright?"

"Fine, go ahead." Li Guozhi replied as she unlocked her bike. She was beginning to grasp the girl’s persistence—if she didn’t spill everything today, chances were she’d be back again tomorrow.

Once Li Guozhi had pushed her bicycle out of the bike shed, Zhou Rou started speaking in a soft, deliberate tone, "Li Si already knows you and Li Fei’s father aren’t biological siblings. She specifically asked me to come tell you that, regardless of anything, you will always be her dear auntie!"

Li Guozhi turned to her sharply, brimming with emotion. "Li Si actually said that?"

Her heart surged with excitement as her eyes reddened slightly. To think that the girl was so virtuous!

Regret washed over her—how could she have been so selfish and clouded by her own interests back then, blindly ignoring her conscience and failing to stand up for the girl?

Glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, Zhou Rou spoke gently, "Of course! Auntie, Li Si told me herself! However, she asked me to clarify one thing with you—Li Guofu really is that Han guy’s son, isn’t he?"

Li Guozhi hesitated briefly before nodding tearfully, "Yes! He is Han Mingxue’s biological son!" Unable to contain herself, she clutched the bike handle with one hand and wiped away tears with the other. The knowledge that Li Si cared for her filled her heart with mixed emotions—joy and shame intertwined, overwhelming her.

This period of her life had been so stifling, and finally, her bottled-up emotions erupted today.

Zhou Rou’s lips curled into a smug grin—so that’s how it was! Li Fei—who would have thought you’d end up like this?

The adage "trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the bait" fit perfectly here. Even if she snatched Han Mingxue, so what? In the end, she gained nothing worthwhile!

And thinking about what had transpired between the two—it was nothing short of sinful. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)