Chapter 58 They're still a couple after all.

That night, after they both drank the sweet potato porridge that Zeng Xiuzhu had mixed with breeding drugs, the absurd and crazy scenes of the following night vaguely appeared in Xie Zhongming and Qiao Xingyue's minds.

The two looked away, their gazes shifting in a flustered manner.

Xie Zhongming gripped the bucket tightly, but his ears felt like they were being scalded by boiling water.

He cleared his throat, his words carrying a feigned composure, "Comrade Qiao, could you please keep watch for me?"

Qiao Xingyue walked out of the house and quickly composed herself. She didn't really remember what happened that night, but with a man who had been with her and had given birth to her child following behind her, she felt that their relationship was different from before, creating an awkward atmosphere.

The guesthouse in Chadian Village is in poor condition. Several simple bungalows are lined up in a long row, and the toilet and bathroom are combined in one place, located at the far east end next to the pigsty.

There were still two pigs belonging to the collective commune being raised in that pigsty.

In the pitch-black night, you could always hear the grunting of two pigs.

Xie Zhongming followed behind with a flashlight, illuminating the path under Qiao Xingyue's feet. He carried a bucket of water and carefully reminded her, "Comrade Qiao, be careful, don't fall."

When they reached the restroom entrance, Xie Zhongming handed her the flashlight, saying, "Thank you for your help."

“You just kept watch for me, so it’s my turn to keep watch for you now. It’s only right.” Qiao Xingyue took the flashlight and turned her back.

Xie Zhongming quickly grabbed the toilet curtain and went inside to rinse off.

After showering, Xie Zhongming smelled of soap. The two bars of soap were ones he had brought from the Xie family home when he set off; one was sulfur soap, and the other was Bee & Flower sandalwood soap. Xie Zhongming had specially prepared the Bee & Flower sandalwood soap for Qiao Xingyue, and he had handed it to her while she was taking a shower.

It must be said that Xie Zhongming is quite meticulous and thoughtful in this regard.

Knowing that she was a clean person, she even brought her own bath tub from home, carrying it all the way on the train and then on an oxcart to reach Chadian Village.

Xie Zhongming, having finished his shower, stood in front of Qiao Xingyue.

The moonlight shone on his tall, pine-like figure, stretching his shadow long and slender.

When he reached out and took the flashlight from Qiao Xingyue, the muscles in his arm suddenly tightened, revealing a lean and powerful strength.

Beneath the grass-green vest, the outline of her waist and abdomen was faintly visible.

He exudes a strong and refreshing aura.

It has to be admitted that this man's physique is indeed extremely voluptuous. Qiao Xingyue walked beside him, not getting too close.

She was afraid that if she got too close, her mind would go blank, just like when he said he had only shown her what he looked like with his clothes off.

Even after she reached the door, greeted him, closed the door, and went inside, her heart was still pounding. She didn't know why she was so nervous.

Outside the door, Xie Zhongming didn't forget to instruct, "Comrade Qiao, please lock the door properly. I'll be on alert in the middle of the night, so you can sleep peacefully. We'll go to your mother's house together tomorrow."

Qiao Xingyue responded from inside the door, "That person is not my mother."

She wasn't the original owner's mother either.

How can someone who kicks her out of the house while she's pregnant be a mother?

Qiao Xingyue responded, locked the door, and went back to bed.

The conditions in the village were not as good as in the city. The bed was hard and covered with a straw mat, which still smelled of sweat from someone else sleeping on it.

Logically speaking, given the conditions she was in, Qiao Xingyue, who had slept in bridge holes and dilapidated temples, should have fallen asleep quickly.

After all, she had traveled for ten hours by train, then by bus and oxcart, and must have been exhausted.

But that night, Qiao Xingyue tossed and turned in bed and didn't fall asleep until very late.

The next morning, before dawn, Qiao Xingyue got up and went to the well outside the guesthouse to draw water to prepare for washing.

She threw the wooden bucket tied to the rope into the well.

A cool breeze immediately blew from the well. Just as he was about to pull the water out of the bucket, the rope wrapped around his wrist was pulled away by a strong and powerful arm.

Qiao Xingyue turned her head and saw, "Comrade Xie?"

"Why are you up so early? Why don't you sleep a little longer?" Xie Zhongming pulled on the rope and said, "You're not planning to go find Zeng Xiuzhu by yourself behind my back, are you?"

He guessed right, and Qiao Xingyue didn't deny it. "You know how greedy Zeng Xiuzhu is. If she knew you came along, she might make you pay a huge dowry before she would take my household registration book."

“Zeng Xiuzhu is indeed unfit to be a mother, nor is she fit to be my mother-in-law. Last time she brought Liu Dazhu to the army base to find me, she really wanted to swindle me out of money.”

"I know."

As they were talking, Xie Zhongming quickly pulled the rope up and easily lifted a full bucket of well water.

It has to be said that men are indeed very strong.

Although Qiao Xingyue has gotten used to doing all the work by herself over the years, her strength is still limited. She can only carry half a bucket of this well water at most at a time.

In the early morning, the village of Chadian was shrouded in mist.

The sky gradually began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

As Xie Zhongming scooped the well water down from the wellhead, his waist and abdomen tightened slightly, and his firm muscles could be vaguely seen under his thin, grass-green vest.

He placed the bucket of water steadily on the ground.

Not a single drop of water spilled from the full bucket, demonstrating the incredible strength and stability of his arms. He lifted such a large bucket without batting an eye, showing no signs of strain.

"The water is a bit cold, I'll go get you a kettle of hot water."

"No need, I'll just wash my face and brush my teeth."

"You're on your period, the water's too cold, wait a minute."

His brow bone is clean and sharp.

When you look at her, her clean jawline has a touch of softness.

I never expected this man to remember that she had her period.

Qiao Xingyue was not a person who was celibate. Judging from the man's physique and looks alone, he was indeed very attractive to women.

What is she thinking?

I quickly calmed myself down.

Under the pale light of dawn, Qiao Xingyue clutched her apricot-colored polyester short-sleeved shirt and glanced quickly at the old locust tree outside the village reception area.

Xie Zhongming's voice came through my ear again.

"Comrade Qiao, your period hasn't completely ended yet, so you can't do such heavy physical work. I'll do things like fetching water."

"Don't treat yourself, a gentle and weak woman, like a man."

For so many years, she has always considered herself a man.

No, she saw herself as a superhero, not only having to survive in this era of scarcity, but also having to take care of the frequently ill An An and Ning Ning.

Can I manage without being a superhero?

This was the first time someone had been willing to help her share these burdens.

Actually, it's a good thing.

But for some reason, I always feel very frustrated.

She looked away from the old locust tree and at Xie Zhongming. "If I weren't treated like a man, could I have taken good care of An'an and Ningning? Why weren't you there when I gave birth to An'an and Ningning?"

She had too many grievances bottled up inside, and she glared at him irritably, "What woman wants to be treated like a man, doing all the rough and tiring work?"

Those few words were like a sharp knife, piercing Xie Zhongming's chest.

He couldn't refute it.

I don't want to make any promises or say any nice words. I just want to do these rough and tiring jobs for her in a down-to-earth way, and protect her and her two children from the wind and rain in the future, and share the burden with her.

His voice was filled with guilt, "Wait for me, don't use this cold water to wash your face or brush your teeth, I'll get you hot water right away."

In the blink of an eye, he went to the guesthouse, borrowed a kettle, and filled a bottle with hot water.

Although it was the middle of summer, the water that had just been drawn from the well was indeed bone-chillingly cold.

Qiao Xingyue suffered from menstrual cramps, and she had to take aspirin to relieve the pain every time she had her period. It has to be said that the hot water was indeed effective.

Therefore, Qiao Xingyue's resentment subsided somewhat.

After washing up, Qiao Xingyue returned to her room, preparing to pack up and head out to find Zeng Xiuzhu, when she suddenly smelled a fragrant aroma.

Looking up, Xie Zhongming walked in carrying a steaming bowl of egg noodles.

The basin was made of enamel and was half the size of a washbasin. It contained enough noodle soup for two people.

"Where did you get the egg noodles?" Qiao Xingyue sat on the hard bed, somewhat incredulous. "There's no food sold in this village."

Xie Zhongming served her the egg noodles. "I ran into Aunt Liu last night and gave her five yuan to help me cook and bring it to the guesthouse. Comrade Qiao, eat it while it's hot, be careful not to burn yourself."

As he spoke, Xie Zhongming kicked the wooden stool next to him over with his foot and then put the enamel basin containing the egg noodles on it.

Qiao Xingyue looked at the large bowl of noodles and said, "This bowl is so big, I can't finish it all. Do you have a bowl? I'll take one bowl out and give you the rest."

"Aunt Liu knew we were a couple, so she brought us a big basin of food and didn't bring any extra bowls."

After Xie Zhongming responded, he added, "It's okay, you eat first. If you can't finish, I'll eat."

Right now, there's only a ceramic basin, a pair of chopsticks, and a bowl of noodles; there aren't any extra bowls or chopsticks.

"How about..." Qiao Xingyue wanted to be polite and say that she would eat after he had eaten.

Even though he was handsome, she still disliked him a little; she didn't want to eat his saliva.

She said without hesitation, "Then I'll eat first."

She only ate a third of the large bowl of noodles before she was full. "Wait for me a moment, I'll go wash the chopsticks for you."

Are you full?

Qiao Xingyue nodded and stood up.

Knowing that she didn't eat much, Xie Zhongming stopped urging her to eat more and took the chopsticks from her hand, saying, "It's okay, you don't need to wash them."

Anyway, she's my wife.

No need to be so particular.

"I used it." Qiao Xingyue tried to stop her, but it was too late.

Xie Zhongming picked up his chopsticks and ate the noodles in big bites. Although he ate quickly, his slurping motion was not rough at all.

It exudes a sense of strength and vigor.

He didn't mind at all that the chopsticks were used by her and the noodles were eaten by her. He quickly finished the rest of the bowl of noodles, soup and all.

He wiped his mouth, looked up at Qiao Xingyue who had been watching him the whole time, and said, "I'll go wash the basin, and then we'll set off."

Qiao Xingyue quickly looked away, "..."

Since transmigrating to this era, she has never lingered her gaze on any man for so long.

A few minutes later, the two left their luggage at the guesthouse and walked together along a country path, heading to Zeng Xiuzhu's house.

Xie Zhongming visited Chadian Village twice.

He left a particularly deep impression on the villagers on both occasions. The first time, he was tricked by Zeng Xiuzhu and married Zeng Xiuzhu's daughter.

The second time he came to find Pangya, he discovered that Pangya had long since disappeared. Zeng Xiuzhu had swindled him out of more than 6,000 yuan, and the whole village knew about it.

That time, everyone privately cursed Zeng Xiuzhu for being greedy for money, kicking her own daughter out of the house, and cheating her son-in-law out of his military allowance.

An old man carrying manure in the fields recognized Xie Zhongming. "Hey, isn't this Commander Xie? What brings you to Chadian Village again? Did you find the missing Fatty?"

Before Xie Zhongming could answer, Qiao Xingyue, who was walking beside him with two braids, had already recognized the old man who carried manure. "Uncle Zhang, I'm Fatty, I'm back."

Grandpa Zhang, who was carrying manure, stopped in his tracks. "What? You're Fatty? Girl, how could you possibly be Fatty? Fatty weighs over 200 pounds, and you're as thin as a bamboo pole. How could you possibly be Fatty?"

Qiao Xingyue also stopped.

Grandpa Zhang was only two or three meters away from her, and the smell from the latrine bucket was really unpleasant.

However, Qiao Xingyue paused for a moment, "Uncle Zhang, your old sow once gave birth to thirty piglets, and twenty-seven survived, right? Also, your Zhang Qiang was the only high school graduate in the village. Is he still teaching in the county town now? He must be married and have children by now. When I was little, I even stole your Qiang's roasted potatoes and beat him up. Uncle Zhang, I was ignorant back then. But your family is very kind. They didn't blame me at all and even gave me a few extra roasted potatoes."

Upon hearing Qiao Xingyue recount these past events, Grandpa Zhang's eyes lit up. "Fatty, is that really you? Your mother was heartless! Back then, when you were pregnant with Commander Xie's child, she actually kicked you out, causing you to disappear for so many years. Wait, Fatty, why are you so thin now?"

Qiao Xingyue replied, "I gave birth, but I didn't have enough milk for the baby, and I had to do physical labor, so I gradually lost weight over those few months. Uncle, I have to talk to you now, my child needs to go to school in the city, and I need to go to my house to get the household registration book."

Throughout the journey, Qiao Xingyue greeted the villagers in the same way.

Her purpose was obvious: she wanted to prove that she was indeed Fatty, so that Zeng Xiuzhu wouldn't try to renege on her promise and refuse to give her the household registration book later.

Xie Zhongming, dressed in a military green shirt, walked with her through the countryside, creating a beautiful scene.

After chatting with Qiao Xingyue for a few minutes, the villagers who were passing by all believed that she was Fatty.

Is that really Fatty?

"Of course it is! Didn't she just say that she stole your chickens and got caught?"

"How did Fatty become so beautiful after losing weight? She looks just like a person in a painting."

"This chubby girl who has lost weight is a perfect match for Commander Xie. He is tall and handsome, and she is fair-skinned and eye-catching."

"Let's hurry over to the Liu family's place. If Zeng Xiuzhu finds out that Commander Xie is here again, she'll probably come up with some dirty tricks to swindle him out of money. Let's go see what's going on."

Xie Zhongming, tall and straight as a pine tree, walked behind Qiao Xingyue.

The country path was narrow, and the two walked one after the other. Xie Zhongming asked from behind, "Comrade Qiao, didn't you refuse to admit that you were Fatty? Why are you taking the initiative to greet everyone?"

"I deliberately spread this message when I'm dealing with Zeng Xiuzhu later."

She added, "It's not that I don't want to be honest with Aunt Lan and Uncle Xie, it's just that we're getting a divorce anyway, and I don't want my two elders to be upset."

The word "divorce" made Xie Zhongming feel a tightness in his chest. He had just thought the air in the countryside was much fresher than in the city, but now he felt suffocated.

...

At the entrance of the Liu family's house, some busybodies from the village stood at the door and shouted, "Xiuzhu, something strange has happened! Your chubby girl is back, and she's even back with Commander Xie."

The busybody stood at the door with a hoe.

Zeng Xiuzhu came out carrying a bowl of sweet potato porridge, which also contained twice-cooked pork stir-fried with dried tofu and green peppers.

These days, having twice-cooked pork with porridge first thing in the morning is enough to make the nosy aunties drool. Zeng Xiuzhu lives a life of luxury every year with the living expenses that Commander Xie sends to Fatty. Who in the village doesn't envy her?

After Zeng Xiuzhu came out, she asked, "What? Fatty and Commander Xie are back together? Really back? Wasn't my Fatty dead?"

"Look at you, what are you saying? Who would want their own daughter to die?"

“It’s good that he’s still alive. I’ll make that Xie family man demand a huge dowry. He didn’t give a single penny when he married my chubby girl.”

"You're still asking them to give a bride price? Don't you know how much salary and allowances you've taken from Commander Xie over the years?"

"Mind your own business."

As they were talking, Qiao Xingyue and Xie Zhongming walked to the Liu family's door one after the other.