"Li Bao, you..."
Third Aunt Kang was about to leave the courtyard when she saw Kang Li coming with some people. She paused and said, "I just came back from your house and fed the pigs. I was just about to go back to your place to chat with your mom and Big Aunt Kang. Didn’t expect you to come over. Come in and have a seat."
She invited Kang Li to sit in the main room. Seeing Kang Li instructing two bodyguards in black to put down the things they were carrying, Third Aunt Kang looked moved. "Why bring gifts when you come? You’ve been busy studying and working outside all these years, and though you don’t come home often, you always send things back for the holidays. Now that you’re back in person, why go to such expense?"
"Auntie, it’s just a little gesture from me. Please accept it," Kang Li smiled and said, "Since I can remember, I know everyone in our family cares for me a lot. And I remember clearly how much love you and Third Uncle have shown me!"
Third Aunt Kang laughed, "Silly girl, your uncle and I love you as we should, never expecting anything in return."
"I know."
"Alright, your mom’s gone back to her room to rest." Cai Xiufen smiled and nodded. "You should get to sleep quickly, I’m leaving now." Saying so, she got up from the edge of the bed.
Kang Li responded with a slight "Hmm," watching Cai Xiufen exit the room. She snuggled back under the covers.
...
"Is Li Bao asleep?"
Cai Xiufen returned to the room she shared with Captain Kang. Before she could speak, she heard him ask, and she nodded, "Li Bao was already lying down when I went over."
"Didn’t mention the color TV to Li Bao?"
As Cai Xiufen lay down on the bed, Captain Kang pulled the light cord, plunging the room into darkness, while casually asking her another question.
"What’s there to ask?" Cai Xiufen rolled her eyes and said, "Li Bao is doing this to give us face. If you ask to return the money for the TV, wouldn’t you worry she’d feel we’re distancing ourselves from her, not treating her like our daughter anymore?"
Captain Kang felt wronged, "I just don’t want Li Bao to spend so much. After all, she has many kids at home and is also funding road repairs, building a school, and setting up a factory here. There’s so many financial burdens. If we can save her a little, we should."
"Li Bao bought that big color TV as an act of filial piety towards us, which shows it wasn’t a big deal for her, so don’t worry about it," Cai Xiufen said, pausing slightly before continuing, "Now that Li Bao’s lineage has been revealed, if the family suddenly starts calculating everything, with Li Bao’s intelligence, she’s bound to overthink."
Captain Kang felt even more wronged, "How many times do you have to say it? I just want to help ease her burden, but you keep misinterpreting it, I just don’t get what women think about all day."
Turning over, Captain Kang shifted from lying on his back to his side, turning away from Cai Xiufen, "Li Bao is someone we’ve raised since she was little, she’s always been my real daughter, and no one can change that fact!"
As his speech went on, Captain Kang’s tone noticeably intensified.
Cai Xiufen laughed, "Alright alright, I misunderstood you. But why is our Li Bao so fond of quietly doing big things? Back during Spring Festival, she surprised us greatly, and now she came back home and, without us knowing, bought a big color TV for her grandparents, and told Guozhu it’s an act of filial piety from us to them. Honestly, when I heard Guozhu say that, I felt so proud!"
Hearing this, Captain Kang remained silent, but his thoughts mirrored Cai Xiufen’s.
Listening to Kang Guozhu, especially with his brothers present, he too felt a sense of pride at that moment.
"When have I ever been bad to Li Bao? Now we all know Li Bao wasn’t born to Third John and his wife, but to me, it doesn’t matter, you know?"
"It doesn’t matter. Li Bao has been a good child since she was young, and it doesn’t matter who gave birth to her, she’s charming just the same."
Big Uncle Kang spoke, with an undeniable hint of envy in his tone, "How come we didn’t have the good fortune like the third couple, to have a daughter as good as Li Bao?"
"Maybe we just don’t have that destiny," Sun Fengzhu sighed, "Come to think of it, the second couple has been pretty tight-lipped about Li Bao’s background. If not for Li Bao’s biological father finding her, I suspect with Third John’s temperament, he wouldn’t say a word about her background till their eyes were closed."
Big Uncle Kang: "If it were you, would you have said?"
"No."
Without thinking, Sun Fengzhu answered, then added, "Go to sleep. No use envying the second couple for having such a good daughter."
At Young Uncle Kang’s house.
"Li Bao really brings glory to the second brother and his wife," Young Uncle Kang smacked his lips and said, "It’s not just that she’s successful on her own, but she also thinks of helping the villagers build roads, a school for the local kids, leading the villagers to prosperity, and even bought a big color TV in their name to cheer up her grandparents. Why don’t we have a daughter as clever and accomplished?"
"It’s just not our fortune! But you have to admit, as her Uncle and Aunt, ever since Li Bao went to North City, all these years we’ve received no shortage of gifts from her. Just today, Li Bao got us both a fine set of new clothes, even with high-quality fabric and meticulous craftsmanship, I reckon it cost quite a sum."
"Earlier this year, Li Bao sent military woolen boots to me and Big Brother, and padded jackets to you and Big Sister-in-law. How long ago was that? And she’s still buying us things, it’s really something!"

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