Chapter 59 This is my man

Wearing a light green shirt, Xie Zhongming stood in front of the plum tree at the entrance of the Liu family courtyard, exuding a sense of oppression.

The busybody aunt who was talking to Zeng Xiuzhu caught a glimpse of this tall, imposing figure, exuding authority without anger. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately shut her mouth, not daring to utter another word about Fatty.

Including this time, this is Xie Zhongming's third visit to Chadian Village.

But everyone in the village who had seen him was deeply impressed by him. He was even more handsome than the actor who played Chu Liuxiang in Hong Kong, and he also had the strong and resolute air of a soldier.

The meddlesome older woman dared not utter another word, gripping the hoe tightly and averting her gaze.

The gate to the Liu family's courtyard was half-open. Zeng Xiuzhu had one foot on the threshold and the other on the cement ground in the courtyard. She was still mixing sweet potato porridge with the dried tofu, green peppers, and twice-cooked pork in her bowl.

The half-open door blocked part of her view; she couldn't see Qiao Xingyue and Xie Zhongming, but Xie Zhongming and Qiao Xingyue could see her.

At this moment, Qiao Xingyue noticed that Zeng Xiuzhu had gained a lot of weight since the last time she saw her, but she was still dark-skinned. The fact that she had gained so much weight in just two or three months showed that she was being fed very well.

Qiao Xingyue knew exactly what kind of person Zeng Xiuzhu was.

She lost her husband in her early years and often secretly met with men in the village to get benefits from them. For example, sleeping with a man would result in her bringing home half a pound of meat, half a bag of rice, or a bolt of cloth.

If she were made to work in the fields to earn work points, given her lazy and slacking ways, she wouldn't even earn enough work points to cover the grain rations; she would have starved to death long ago.

Later, Zeng Xiuzhu saw that Xie Zhongming, who came to the tea shop on a mission, was a platoon leader, and she had a bad idea, which led to what happened later.

Qiao Xingyue watched as Zeng Xiuzhu ate her fill and her bowl still smelled of twice-cooked pork. These days, even the village chief's family could only eat twice-cooked pork once or twice a month.

The fact that twice-cooked pork was served with congee so early in the morning shows that Zeng Xiuzhu had a considerable amount of money that Xie Zhongming had sent back to Chadian Village.

Qiao Xingyue remembered that when she left the Liu family, the threshold was still a piece of rotten wood, but now it had been paved with cement, and the yard was also made of cement.

In this rural area, which family has the money to pave their yard with cement?

It is evident that Zeng Xiuzhu also used the money given to her by Xie Zhongming to pave the cement floor.

That money was sent to her by Xie Zhongming.

It must be said that although Xie Zhongming judged people by their appearance, when he was a platoon leader, he earned 48 yuan a month with a salary and allowance, and he still sent her 38 yuan. Later, when he became a regimental commander, he still sent 100 yuan to Chadian Village every month.

In the countryside, 100 yuan is enough to feed a family for two or three months, and they can even eat very well.

So much money!

But how despicable is Zeng Xiuzhu?

Zeng Xiuzhu actually lied to her, saying that her husband had died in a mission and that her in-laws were withholding all the compensation money.

Sadly, she didn't even know what Xie Zhongming looked like, what his name was, or even where he was from as a platoon leader; she only knew he was a platoon leader. Pregnant, she was kicked out by Zeng Xiuzhu and tried to find Xie Zhongming at the army base, but couldn't.

To be honest, Xie Zhongming's failure to return to Chadian Village for five years, marrying her but not coming back to see her, was indeed somewhat irresponsible. However, he was also tricked and harmed by Zeng Xiuzhu back then.

Now, looking back, Qiao Xingyue realizes that compared to Zeng Xiuzhu's wickedness, Xie Zhongming is actually a very kind person.

He was suddenly tricked by a country woman, slept with a fat woman weighing over 200 pounds, married her, and even received a large portion of his salary and allowances every month.

That could be considered kindness.

In front of Zeng Xiuzhu, Qiao Xingyue seemed to dislike Xie Zhongming less.

Put yourself in her shoes. If she had been a slim, beautiful female officer in the military, and had been tricked and schemed against, and had been slept with by a sleazy man from the countryside weighing just over 200 pounds, she probably would have called the police and had him arrested long ago.

In front of the courtyard gate, Zeng Xiuzhu was still scheming about how to get Xie Zhongming to come up with a large dowry.

"It's good that Fatty isn't dead. When Commander Xie married my Fatty, he didn't give her a single penny of dowry. If he doesn't give her a dowry today, he can forget about taking my Fatty with him."

"As long as Fatty is kept at my house, Commander Xie will have to obediently send my Fatty living expenses."

One hundred yuan a month, and it will all be hers eventually.

This time, she didn't plan to kick Fatty out again. Instead, she made her work in the fields and do housework, becoming her long-term meal ticket.

The meddlesome auntie glanced at Xie Zhongming again, looking at him with fear.

Looking at his tall figure, though thin, he had a very resolute air. The nosy aunt glared at Zeng Xiuzhu and said, "Xiuzhu, don't even think about such a bad idea."

“This is the money he should give, how can it be a bad idea?”

At that moment, Qiao Xingyue casually picked a plum from the top of her head.

Summer is the season for the harvest of peaches, plums, melons and fruits. The white frost on these plums proves that they are very sweet.

Qiao Xingyue wiped the white frost off her body, took a bite, and found it really sweet.

Fruits from that era were grown without pesticides, irrigated purely with chicken and pig manure, and their sweetness was indescribably delicious.

"Would you like one?"

Qiao Xingyue picked another plum, wiped it on her clothes, and handed it to Xie Zhongming.

Perhaps because she felt that Xie Zhongming was already a very well-mannered and kind person in front of a villain like Zeng Xiuzhu, Qiao Xingyue found Xie Zhongming's profile today to be particularly handsome through the dappled sunlight under the trees.

Who doesn't want to see good-looking people?

Who can like a fat and ugly monster?

She also judges people by their appearance, and it seems she understands why Xie Zhongming had been avoiding Fatty Ya all along.

Xie Zhongming glanced at the plum, then looked at her. Before he could finish speaking, his once clear and resolute eyes suddenly softened, becoming as soft as cotton soaked in water, so soft it could envelop a person.

An unconcealable tenderness welled up from his eyes.

The summer wind blows from the ridges of the fields.

The wind blew up the stray hairs on Qiao Xingyue's cheek.

Xie Zhongming raised his hand and patted her shawl. "Xingyue, don't worry, I'll be here from now on. I'll never let this family bully you again."

He couldn't imagine how harsh his vicious mother would be to Qiao Xingyue.

Xingyue must have had a very hard life from childhood to adulthood!

Qiao Xingyue clenched the large, translucent plum in her hand, her fingers gripping it tightly.

This man always called her Comrade Qiao.

Why did they call her Xingyue today?

She clutched the plum in her hand and pressed it against her chest. Perhaps because the wind had stopped, she suddenly felt warm.

Others had called her Xingyue, but the name "Xingyue" sounded especially nice coming from his mouth.

She laughed it off, "How could I be afraid of her bullying me? Just you wait and see how I deal with this old witch."

"Eat plums, they're really sweet." She put a brightly polished plum into Xie Zhongming's mouth.

When her fingertip touched Xie Zhongming's cool, thin lips, she felt a burning sensation and quickly withdrew it.

She clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, "...Hey, try this. The plums from the plum tree in front of my house are always very sweet."

"What are you doing, stealing plums?"

Then, a rough, gruff shout drifted closer and closer to Qiao Xingyue's ears, making her eardrums feel like they were about to burst.

She frowned and looked over.

Zeng Xiuzhu carried the bowl of sweet potato porridge and stepped out of the courtyard.

The bowl of dried tofu and twice-cooked pork was piled high. This meal was even better than the pig slaughtered by the villagers during the New Year. I wonder how much of Xie Zhongming's salary and allowance he had in his bag.

She pointed at Qiao Xingyue with her chopsticks and said fiercely, "Did you steal my plums? Pay up."

Qiao Xingyue picked another plum, popped it into her mouth, and took a big bite. "What money do you want?"

"Didn't you see the sign hanging on that plum tree? Stealing a plum will result in a one-dollar fine."

Why don't you just rob it?

A fine of one dollar for every plum? Are these plums made of gold or something?

Zeng Xiuzhu is illiterate, so the words on that sign must have been written by someone else on her behalf.

The villagers didn't like Zeng Xiuzhu much. If she clung to someone's house, that family was bound to be in trouble. They guessed that the person who wrote the sign for her was her lover outside.

Qiao Xingyue was too lazy to argue with her and went straight to the point, "Zeng Xiuzhu, today is to ask you to pay back the money."

Once we get the money, we'll let her take her household registration booklet.

At this moment, Zeng Xiuzhu noticed Xie Zhongming standing next to Qiao Xingyue.

Upon seeing Xie Zhongming, she temporarily put aside the matter of Qiao Xingyue picking plums.

Zeng Xiuzhu was used to being fierce and menacing, but when she saw Xie Zhongming, who was tough and resolute, her arrogance immediately diminished by half.

"Zhongming, you're here! Didn't you say my chubby girl had been found? Where is she?"

"That's good. Now that you've found Fatty, take her to the army with you. But when you married Fatty, you didn't pay a single penny of dowry. As long as you pay the dowry, Fatty will stay with you."

“If you don’t give more dowry, Fatty will stay in the countryside, but you still have to send her 100 yuan a month for living expenses, just like before. I’ll take care of her for you.”

"I don't want much in bride price, but the 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a set of three turns and a radio) are a must, plus 1,000 yuan in cash."

One by one, villagers who wanted to watch the excitement gathered at Zeng Xiuzhu's doorstep.

These were all the villagers who had just greeted Qiao Xingyue and confirmed her identity.

Some people came to watch the spectacle, while others came to see the chubby girl's sudden transformation into a thin, fair-skinned, and beautiful woman, and, not having had enough, came to continue watching.

The old man who used to carry manure stood up and said, "Zeng Xiuzhu, you want three watches, a radio, and a thousand yuan in cash as a bride price? Why don't you just rob someone?"

Another aunt, Aunt Liu, chimed in, "That's right. Back when Fatty was pregnant, you heartless mother starved her for three days and three nights before kicking her out. Now that Fatty's back, how dare you ask for a bride price?"

"Go away, go away, go away." Zeng Xiuzhu swept her fierce eyes across the crowd and warned, "Mind your own business."

At this moment, two more people walked out of the Liu family's courtyard gate, one after the other.

One was Liu Dazhu, and the other was Liu Dazhu's wife, Jinhua.

"Mother, who is it?"

The one speaking was Liu Dazhu's wife, Jinhua.

Although Zeng Xiuzhu was used to being the villain, she still had to listen to her daughter-in-law.

When Jin Hua married into the family, she heard that Zeng Xiuzhu had been receiving a stipend from the army of Pang Ya's husband for years, a stipend of one hundred yuan a month, and she insisted on a dowry of six hundred yuan.

Because Jin Hua had already slept with Liu Dazhu before marrying into the family, and was already pregnant.

If Zeng Xiuzhu doesn't give the 600 yuan betrothal gift, Jinhua will accuse Liu Dazhu of raping her.

In this day and age, rapists are executed.

Zeng Xiuzhu dared not refuse Jin Hua's request.

After Jin Hua married into the family, she did no work whatsoever. She threatened that if Zeng Xiuzhu and Liu Dazhu dared to treat her badly, she would abort her unborn child. With this tactic, Jin Hua enjoyed good food and drink and was waited on hand and foot by Zeng Xiuzhu every day at the Liu family's house.

Zeng Xiuzhu treated her like a fairy.

At this moment, Zeng Xiuzhu leaned close to Jinhua and whispered, "Hua'er, this is the fat girl's man I told you about. I'm going to extort a large dowry from him later. If he doesn't give it to you, we'll make him keep the fat girl here, but he's not allowed to take her to the army. The fat girl will take care of you from now on. This fat girl's man will also send us money every month."

Upon hearing this, Jin Hua laughed, "Mom, how could there be such a good thing!"

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Qiao Xingyue could tell at a glance that Jin Hua was no good person. Someone who could make Zeng Xiuzhu so obedient must be even more vicious.

She moved closer to Xie Zhongming and said, "Don't worry about them. I'll just go in for a bit and come right out. Wait for me."

Taking advantage of the crowd, Qiao Xingyue slipped into the Liu family's courtyard, passed through the main hall, and went to the room on the east side.

Sure enough, a lot of new furniture had been added to the room: a new wardrobe, a bed, and a bedside table, with a large mirror on the wardrobe.

These days, even people in the countryside don't have this kind of furniture.

It must have been Zeng Xiuzhu who used Xie Zhongming's money to buy the new furniture.

Qiao Xingyue skillfully took out a carved wooden box from under Zeng Xiuzhu's bed. The lock on the box was the same as before.

This is the box that Zeng Xiuzhu used to store money and her household registration book.

She walked out carrying the box.

Outside the courtyard, Zeng Xiuzhu asked, "Zhongming, didn't you say you found my chubby girl? Where is she?"

The villagers all gathered around to watch the excitement, but looking around, there was no sign of Fatty.

If Xie Zhongming doesn't give the bride price, she, as his mother, will have to keep Fatty away from the village. Only by keeping Fatty away can Xie Zhongming continue to send money to Chadian Village.

Zeng Xiuzhu felt uneasy when she didn't see Fatty.

The old man carrying manure said, "Wasn't Fatty just here? How did she disappear in the blink of an eye?"

As they were talking, Qiao Xingyue stepped out of the Liu family's courtyard gate, carrying Zeng Xiuzhu's wooden box. "Zeng Xiuzhu, my husband has been sending me money every month from the army all these years. It was for me. But it ended up in your pocket. Shouldn't you return it all to me?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Zeng Xiuzhu turned around and saw Qiao Xingyue holding her precious box, handing a bowl of porridge to the heavily pregnant Jinhua, saying, "Hua, give this to your mother."

Before Jin Hua could even properly hold her lunchbox, Zeng Xiuzhu rushed forward and tried to snatch it, saying, "Put my box down! You dare to steal from my house? You want me to call the police, don't you?"

Zeng Xiuzhu didn't touch the box, but Qiao Xingyue held it high and sneered, "Zeng Xiuzhu, all the money in the box is mine. It was sent to me by Xie Zhongming. Today you have to spit it all out and give me the key."

Zeng Xiuzhu said fiercely, "Who do you think you are, coming to my house to cause trouble? Do you believe I'll beat you up?"

One minute she'd hit someone, then she'd fall to the ground and throw a tantrum, only to be beaten up herself and then demand compensation.

Would Qiao Xingyue fall for this?

In order to get the money, she pulled Xie Zhongming over and took his arm. "I'm Fatty. This is my man. Your suitcase is full of money that my man sent me. Should I take it?"

"You're Fatty? My Fatty weighs over 200 pounds. Where did you come from? If you want to replace my Fatty, why don't you get a little fatter? Look at you, you're so skinny. I might push you and you'll fall over."