Middle-aged tycoon: Twins come knocking on his door when he goes home for Chinese New Year

Upon hearing this, Li Ze casually asked:

"Auntie, how did you know about this?"

"I didn't say I was Zhang Ruoran's ex-husband, nor did I say I was any Li Ze."

Aunt Wang draped the rag she was holding over the counter, a knowing smile on her face that only the older generation possessed.

She pointed in the direction Zhang Ruoran had just left, then pointed at Li Ze, and said with a smile:

"Is there even a need to guess?"

"I watched Ruoran grow up. She's stubborn and inflexible."

"Over the years, the men who have pursued her could line up from here to the village entrance, but she hasn't accepted a single one of them."

"She only married once in her life, and only ever had that one man in her heart."

At this point, Aunt Wang sighed, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at Li Ze:

"Since Mengli is calling you Dad now..."

"Then who else could you be but that young man from Li Family Village back then?"

"In all these surrounding villages, besides you, who else could make Ruoran so angry and Mengli so happy?"

Upon hearing these words, Li Ze felt a slight tremor in his heart.

It turns out that, in other people's eyes, things are so simple and clear.

As long as he is Mengli's father, then he is Zhang Ruoran's only man.

These words sound simple, but upon closer examination, they encapsulate Zhang Ruoran's years of perseverance.

Aunt Wang continued, her tone tinged with regret:

"It's a pity, really."

"When you two got married, you were the golden couple of our town, and so many people envied you."

"If only you hadn't left her and had stayed home and lived a good life."

"Even if we're a little poor, with Ruoran's ability to manage a household and your intelligence, your whole family is incredibly happy now!"

"It's not fair to make Ruoran suffer for eighteen years, raising two children alone. Was it easy?"

Li Ze stood there, his smile slowly fading, replaced by a deep sadness.

Yes, if only I hadn't left back then.

Although they don't have the immense wealth they have now, nor the power to command the wind and rain.

But he can watch his children grow up, warm his wife's bed, and live a life of comfort and warmth with his wife and children in this small town.

That kind of ordinary happiness cannot be bought with any amount of money.

Looking at the elderly man with a full head of white hair, Li Ze suddenly found the vague memory in his mind becoming clear.

I didn't look closely before, but now, listening to the tone of voice and looking at the eyebrows and eyes...

"Are you... Aunt Wang?"

Li Ze exclaimed in surprise.

My memory suddenly went back to nineteen years ago.

He bought fireworks and firecrackers from this store the day before he was about to marry Zhang Ruoran and return to the village for the wedding banquet.

Back then, the owner of this shop was Aunt Wang.

At the time, Aunt Wang was only in her early forties. She was shrewd and capable, and spoke in a loud voice. She even gave Li Ze two pairs of red candles, wishing them a son soon.

Unexpectedly, more than 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The energetic middle-aged woman of yesteryear is now in her sixties, her back is hunched, and her hair has turned white.

Li Ze felt a pang of emotion; time is truly a cruel mistress, and no one can escape it.

He took a deep breath, bowed slightly to Aunt Wang, and said sincerely:

"Aunt Wang, it's me, Li Ze."

"I didn't recognize you just now, please don't mind."

"You're right. I was ignorant and foolish back then. I let Ruoran down and let this family down."

Li Ze straightened up, his eyes becoming unusually firm:

"However, I'm back now."

"Now that I'm back, I'm determined to rebuild this family."

"I want to make up for what I owed them, mother and children, many times over."

"I want them to have a good life in the future, and for the whole family to live happily together."

Seeing Li Ze's serious expression, Aunt Wang smiled again and nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, okay!"

"A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold."

"It may be a little late, but as long as the person is still here and the heart is still here, it's not too late."

"If you two could get back together, that would be wonderful! I, an old woman, would be so happy for you!"

As Aunt Wang spoke, her gaze passed over Li Ze and landed on the black Audi parked by the roadside.

Although she didn't know much about cars, this car looked big and long, and it was shiny black, so it was obviously not a cheap car.

"Wow, this car looks really impressive."

"This car must be expensive, right?" Aunt Wang asked casually.

At this moment, Li Mengli, who had been standing to the side, interjected with a smile:

"Grandma Wang, this car is very expensive!"

"That's several hundred thousand!"

In the minds of elderly people in rural areas, several hundred thousand yuan is definitely a huge sum of money, enough to build two beautiful villas in town.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang's eyes widened, and her gaze towards Li Ze was filled with approval:

"Hundreds of thousands? Wow, that's really impressive."

She clapped her hands and laughed happily:

"You little rascal, looks like you've made something of yourself out there."

"Back then, your family was so poor that you had to borrow money to hold the banquet."

"I never imagined that after twenty years, you would become a big boss driving luxury cars."

"Great, you've really made something of yourself. If we make up, I won't have to worry about a few dollars anymore."

Li Ze was a little embarrassed by the praise, and just smiled modestly:

"What big boss or small boss? I just earned a little money through hard work."

"As long as my wife and children can live well, any amount of money is worth it."

After chatting with Aunt Wang for a while, Li Ze didn't forget his business.

The things Zhang Ruoran just bought were for the Zhang family.

Now that he's back, he should visit the Li family's ancestral graves.

Moreover, as a son-in-law, even a former son-in-law, one cannot go to pay respects to one's parents-in-law empty-handed.

Then Li Ze turned around and pointed at the fireworks and firecrackers, saying:

"Aunt Wang, give me another set."

"The same as what Ruoran just bought, but double the amount."

"I also need to go back to Lijia Village to pay respects at my parents' graves, and burn some paper money for Ruoran's parents."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang quickly began packing the things:

"Okay! I'll get it for you right away."

"Knowing how to be filial to the elderly, that's the right thing to do."

Soon, the trunk was packed full.

Li Ze paid the bill, said goodbye to Aunt Wang, and got back into the car with Li Mengli.

The Audi restarted and drove along the asphalt road toward Zhangjiazhai.

Inside the car, Li Mengli was clearly in a good mood, fiddling with her phone as she spoke to Li Ze:

"Dad, I think Grandma Wang is a really nice person."

"What she just said will definitely reach my mother's ears."

"This can be considered a huge assist for us."

Li Ze smiled and nodded:

"Yes, the old man is kind-hearted and hopes for our well-being."

The car drove onto the village road.

Although the road surface has been paved and is much easier to walk on than before, it is still the same road.

The scenery on both sides felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

The difference is that the low mud walls of the past are gone, replaced by brick walls and iron railings.

The people walking on the street are different now; most are elderly people and children, and you rarely see young people.

What they have in common is the earthy smell unique to the countryside, and those familiar places.

Passing by that old pond, Li Ze remembered washing clothes with Zhang Ruoran there back in the day.

Every corner holds a memory.

As Li Ze drove, he told his daughter about the funny things that happened back then.

"See that little hill? Your dad once rolled down it while picking wild fruit for your mom, and he got bruised and battered."

"And that threshing ground, in the past, on summer nights, the whole village would go there to cool off. That's where your mother and I first kissed."

Li Mengli listened with great interest, occasionally letting out a silvery laugh.

Before we knew it, the car had entered Zhangjiazhai.

Zhang Ruoran's parents' old house is at the westernmost end of the village.

From afar, Li Ze could see that familiar courtyard.

However, upon seeing this, my heart sank.

This house looks really dilapidated now.

The roof tiles were broken and incomplete, and weeds had grown in some places.

The courtyard wall was mostly collapsed, and the remaining half was also teetering on the brink of collapse, offering no protection against wind and rain.

The red paint on the wooden gate had long since peeled off, revealing the grayish-white wood grain, making it look particularly desolate.

After all, the old folks are no longer here.

The younger generation all work or live in other places, so no one lives in this old house anymore.

An uninhabited house, like a soulless person, deteriorates very quickly.

No one is willing to fund the maintenance of this empty house.

The only purpose of this place now is to provide a place for the former sisters to gather during the Lunar New Year and offer incense to their ancestors.

Li Ze slowly drove the car over.

Zhang Ruoran's Volkswagen was already parked in the open space at the entrance of the yard.

However, to Li Ze's surprise, besides Zhang Ruoran's car, there were three other cars parked next to it.

One was a white Haval H6, another was a Wuling Hongguang minivan, and the third was a Kia K3.

The three cars completely filled the not-so-spacious open space in front of the gate.

It looks like there are other people at home.

Li Ze found a flat spot a little further away and parked his car. Looking at the other cars, he had a vague sense of foreboding.

He turned to Li Mengli beside him and asked:

"Mengli, whose cars are these?"

"Besides us, who else came today?"

Li Mengli craned her neck to take a look and casually said:

"Oh, isn't that obvious?"

"That Haval belongs to my eldest uncle, the van belongs to my second uncle, and that Kia belongs to my youngest uncle."

My mother has three brothers, who are my three uncles.

"They must be coming back to pay respects at the graves; they're here every year at this time."

Upon hearing the words "three uncles," Li Ze's hand on the steering wheel suddenly paused, and his heart skipped a beat.

My brother-in-law is Zhang Jianguo, my second brother-in-law is Zhang Jianjun, and my brother-in-law is Zhang Jianmin.

These three names suddenly popped into my memory.

Li Ze's expression became somewhat unnatural.

These three people were known for being fiercely protective of their own back then.

When he was dating Zhang Ruoran, his three brothers-in-law often gave him a hard time, thinking that his family was poor and that they were afraid his sister would suffer after marrying into the family.

Later, on the day of the wedding procession, when I got married...

Li Ze had sworn a solemn oath, patting his chest, in front of all his relatives and friends, including his three uncles.

他 说:

"Eldest brother, second brother, third brother, don't worry."

"If I, Li Ze, ever treat Ruoran badly in this life, or if I ever let her suffer even the slightest injustice..."

"May I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

"I will definitely cherish her and pamper her like a princess."

The vows we made back then still ring in my ears.

But the reality is that he broke his vow.

Instead of cherishing Ruoran, he abandoned her at home for eighteen years, causing her endless suffering and injustice.

Now, this "heartless man" is back.

She also had to deal with her three hot-tempered brothers-in-law.

Li Ze felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.