Chapter 54. The folk remedies wanted to be obtained immediately, including by Li Linshi. ...

Zhong Ying felt that she and Li Linshi had some differences in their understanding of "being together".

Even though they are already married in a social sense, in Zhong Ying's understanding, "being together" is the same as being in a relationship.

Li Linshi has quickly adapted to his new role, taking on all sorts of household chores like a non-husband.

In this era, men and women talk about ideals, struggles, and class background... but they never talk about love.

Li Linshi's understanding of "being together" is the same as that of the older generation, supporting each other through life.

In ordinary couples, the man is the breadwinner and the woman is the homemaker. In families like the Zhong and Li, the father usually shoulders most of the burden of earning work points. Since Li Linshi is now a ghost, he can't do that, so he consciously takes on the "homemaker" role.

Although it wasn't the kind of romance Zhong Ying had imagined, but...

In the morning, Zhong Ying simply got up to wash up and went back into the room. The blanket that she had casually lifted on the bed had been transformed into a neatly stacked blanket.

Water droplets sprinkled on the floor of the house, carrying dust and dirt, and the floor was clean in a moment;

The large water tank seemed to have an inexhaustible supply, and Zhong Ying no longer needed to exert herself to pump well water.

You can take a bath in a natural hot spring pool; pick-up and drop-off by water is included.

Even the dog took advantage of the sunny day to go to the river for a bath; Brown Sugar's short black fur was shiny and reddish in the sun.

Zhong Ying doesn't even have to wash her own clothes.

Li Linshi couldn't help but look doubtful, "Are you sure that stirring the water like this will clean the clothes?"

"...Can you stop talking like a seventy or eighty-year-old while looking like you're only in your twenties?" Zhong Ying couldn't help but retort. The last time she heard this was from her grandmother.

Zhong Ying quickly understood. After all, Li Linshi and her grandmother were from the same generation. She used the same patience she would show her grandmother to explain, "That's how a washing machine works. Washing clothes by the river also involves pounding and beating them, and you even add some dried soap to remove dirt."

Li Linshi could only believe that this would work. "Then go back to your room and rest for a while. I'll wake you up when it's time to start work in the afternoon."

Zhong Ying opened her eyes wide. Could she actually take a nap now?

Understand men, become men, and transcend men.

Unlike men who take the sacrifices of their virtuous wives for granted, Zhong Ying rushed over and hugged Li Linshi's neck, praising him with emotion, "You're so good! I like you more and more!"

Zhong Ying delivered the sweet nothings meant for two people all by herself, her directness comparable to a powerful and swift weapon.

Li Linshi pursed his lips, suppressing the upward curve of his mouth, his embarrassed gaze shifting, "You, you should go and rest."

Zhong Ying returned to the room, took off her coat, lay down on the bed, sighed comfortably, and allowed the cleaned brown sugar to come up and take a nap with her.

Li Linshi took a deep breath, trying to calm his agitated emotions, and began to do the work at hand.

The water stirred the clothes in the enamel basin, creating small eddies that rolled and crashed against the basin walls. Li Linshi looked at the clothes that were tangled together and stopped trying to control the water. He bent down and began to separate the clothes one by one and start washing them by hand.

Li Linshi washed the clothes just like he used to when he was still alive. He rinsed the soap suds off in the water, wrung out the water, and shook them vigorously. He was satisfied; this was indeed the way to wash them cleaner.

If Zhong Ying were here to see this, she would probably think Li Linshi was even more "old-fashioned," still distrusting that the washing machine could clean clothes and insisting on hand-washing them—something her grandmother used to do.

While studying away from home, Li Linshi had to do everything himself. He washed clothes skillfully and efficiently, and the number of clothes in the basin visibly decreased, while the number of clothes hanging on the rope stretched across the yard gradually increased...

Li Linshi draped a slightly faded plaid shirt over the line, sat back down on the small wooden stool, and casually scooped the next piece of clothing to wash from the water. As he shook out the small, crumpled garment, his mind went blank for a moment.

Two thin shoulder straps, fabric that was half a length shorter than ordinary clothes, rough stitching, and even a torn and curled edge—clearly, it was a garment that Zhong Ying made herself and wore underneath.

Li Linshi stiffly gripped the small piece of clothing, almost relying on muscle memory to wash it, mechanically getting up and repeating the steps of drying it.

——

Although material conditions are still incomparable to those of modern times, Zhong Ying feels that her happiness index has risen sharply.

The nursery was running smoothly, with caregivers looking after the children; Yao Dongxiu and Nie Jinlong, a married couple, borrowed the production team leader's bicycle and traveled to and from the commune clinic every day for training...

Zhong Ying was left with nothing to do but go to work every day. If it weren't for the fact that she was the women's team leader and had to set an example by working diligently, she probably would have wanted to lie down and slack off again.

After finishing work, I would go to the Li family's house and soon be able to eat the meals cooked by my eldest and second sisters-in-law. After the meal, Zhong Ying would wash the dishes, but Li Lin would do the work for her.

Since her parents' home was nearby, Zhong Ying could easily go home for meals whenever she wanted, which made her parents very happy. Her younger brother, Zhong Xin, would often pick melons and fruits from their private plot and bring them to her. On market days, Zhong Ying would also go to the market with her sister-in-law, Miao Suyun, and her cousin, Zhong Ni.

Zhong Ying bought three chicks, but she was too busy to raise them a while ago. Now that she has some free time, she has the idea of ​​raising chickens again.

Miao Suyun only bought one serving of crispy fruit and asked Zhong Ying and Zhong Ni to take it to eat, but neither of them wanted it, saying that she should take it home for Xiao Guoqiang to eat.

Zhong Ni bought a few sheets of red paper.

"Why would you buy red paper if it's not a festival?" Zhong Ying teased deliberately.

Zhong Ni's cheeks immediately turned bright red, and she was extremely embarrassed.

Miao Suyun, being understanding, spoke up to help her out, saying, "Don't pay attention to this bad guy. When we get back, I'll cut out the 'double happiness' character with you."

Zhong Ni's wedding is next month. She has cut out the "double happiness" characters to paste on the doors and windows of her house to add to the festive atmosphere. Normally, these things would be taken care of by her mother, but Zhong Ni lost her mother at a young age, so she has to do them herself now.

“Give it to me. I don’t have any children and I don’t need to take care of any family. I’ve been idle lately, so I’ll cut it for you,” Zhong Ying said. She was planning to have her aunt come to her house to cut the double happiness character so that she, as a mother, could also do her part.

Zhong Ni declined several times, but seeing her cousin's insistence, she finally handed the red paper to Zhong Ying, saying, "Thank you, sister."

“Don’t mention it,” Zhong Ying waved her hand dismissively, her gaze drawn to a stall in the distance. “Let’s go over there and see why there are so many people gathered around.”

The three of them didn't leave until they had seen enough of the excitement and the market closed. In this era of limited entertainment, even going to the market became quite interesting.

After walking for several hours to get back to the Tonggan production team, Zhong Ying saw two ethereal figures waiting behind the boundary stone at the village entrance from afar.

As Zhong Ying approached, Cao Fang cheerfully said, "In the past, I was always the only one waiting here. Now I have company. My nephew-in-law arrived even earlier than me."

Li Linshi tried his best to remain serious, ignoring his aunt's teasing and Zhong Ying's gaze, and only said, "I heard the sound of chicks. Did you buy chicks?"

Without Zhong Ying's reply, Li Linshi came over to look. The three chicks in the basket on Zhong Ying's arm sensed a cold and dangerous aura and immediately huddled together tightly, trembling with fear.

Besides the two ghosts, there was actually another person waiting for someone.

Zhong Ni waved goodbye to her cousin and her sister-in-law. After walking a few steps, the people waiting for her stood by the roadside and immediately straightened up when they saw her coming.

The honest young man stood straight, looking somewhat awkward. "I... I asked Brother Nie to buy some face cream at the commune's supply and marketing cooperative. You can use it to wipe your face."

As he spoke, Liu Guangtian handed Zhong Ni a small, round, yellow tin can labeled "Friendship Snow Cream," as if it were a hot potato.

Zhong Ni blushed as if she had been burned, her face turning red all the way to the tips of her ears.

Li Linshi stood at the courtyard gate, intending to follow Zhong Ying inside, but when he turned his head, he saw this scene. He had excellent eyesight and took in the bright red faces of the young man and woman standing opposite each other.

And... the face cream that Zhong Ni was clutching tightly.

The curve of Li Linshi's lips gradually disappeared.

These days, Li Linshi felt very happy. Even doing housework made him feel closely connected with Zhong Ying. They grew closer day by day. Zhong Ying would openly express her love and sometimes give him a rewarding kiss. They would sleep in each other's arms at night. Even though Li Linshi didn't need to sleep, just quietly watching Zhong Ying's sleeping face would make him feel content and hug her tightly.

Li Linshi believed that even if he were a ghost now, he and Zhong Ying could still live happily together for a long time.

But now he suddenly realizes that things are different.

His cousin can give gifts to girls he likes, but he can't.

Sadness and regret spread across Li Linshi's chest like ink dripping into water, because he was no longer human.

It wasn't until two days later that Zhong Ying noticed something was wrong with Li Linshi; that bastard was too good at hiding his emotions.

As the sun gradually climbed to its zenith in the morning, and May arrived, the winter wheat in the fields entered the grain-filling and ripening stage. The production team members began planting corn again. Zhong Ying, who had been bent over for most of the day, straightened up to take a breather.

Zhong Ying looked around at the people working in the fields. Their progress varied. Her parents, who had worked in the fields for most of their lives, were now planting corn seeds in an orderly fashion on the plot of land they were allocated. Cheng Bin and Qiu Yucai, the two educated youths, were the slowest to start because they were still clumsy.

Do you like his face?

A sinister voice suddenly came from behind, "He also said before that he wanted to marry you."

Zhong Ying glanced to the side and saw Li Linshi standing behind her, bending down and resting his head on her shoulder, the cool air enveloping her from behind.

Li Linshi stared at the refined young man in the distance for a while with his deep black eyes, then turned to Zhong Ying and said softly, "How about I borrow his body to return to life?"

His handsome face was covered with a chilling, ghostly aura, as if it were frosted over. It was clear that if Zhong Ying nodded at this moment, Li Linshi would pounce on Cheng Bin like a vicious dog on a command, ending his life and taking his body.

Zhong Ying suddenly felt a headache coming on. Why did it suddenly become so eerie?

So, is it true that no housewife or stay-at-home husband can avoid a breakdown?

Zhong Ying frowned in thought. Had she not provided enough emotional support? Or should she actually share some of the burdens instead of just lying around at home like a lazy bum, taking advantage of Li Linshi's indulgence?

Seeing her troubled expression, Li Linshi stared at her even more intently. "Once I possess his body and become human again, I'll come back to marry him—"

Zhong Ying interrupted him, lowering her voice, "We're breaking up."

The chilling aura emanating from Li Linshi froze instantly.

"What are you thinking?" Zhong Ying bent down to plant again, continuing with the action, "I am your widow in a social sense, a widow. If you become Cheng Zhiqing, then get as far away from me as possible."

Zhong Ying said bluntly, "I didn't want to marry a living, breathing man before, which is why I wanted to marry you."

She did so much, planned so carefully, and only a month after achieving her goal, her promising stock suddenly went awry. Zhong Ying became increasingly angry. "I'm living a good life now. Even if I like you, don't try to pull this 'if you love me, I'll be there for you through thick and thin and weather the storm of public opinion' act. Don't try to manipulate me."

Zhong Ying glared at him fiercely, "If you want to break up, just say so!"

Li Linshi didn't expect her to react this way. After being glared at by Zhong Ying, he calmed down, reached out and grabbed Zhong Ying's hand that was still holding the hoe, and hurriedly retorted, "I didn't want to break up with you."

"I just thought that if I could be a human again, I could bring you face cream and food..." Li Linshi lowered his eyelashes and said with a touch of melancholy.

Zhong Ying straightened up again, somewhat speechless, "If I want it, can't I just buy it myself?"

She never shortchanges herself; she gets what she wants immediately, including Li Linshi.

“But if you really want to give me something,” Zhong Ying said softly, pretending to cough lightly while covering her mouth, “help me get some peach gum from Ying Mountain. I need it to mix paint.”

Zhong Ying had previously worked with a painting team to paint propaganda posters, and learned about the folk recipes for mixing paint at that time. These recipes involved mixing red clay, soot, quicklime, or other colored plants with water and glue. Everything else was easy to obtain, but the glue was difficult to come by. Zhong Ying remembered that she ate fruit all the way up the mountain that time, including peaches. The resin secreted by peach trees was the peach gum that could be used to mix paint.

If she could mix more colors, she could paint colored clothes while playing "Miracle Linlin".

Zhong Ying glanced at Li Linshi and thought, "Hmm, with fair skin, he should be able to pull off any color of clothing."

Li Linshi wasn't afraid that Zhong Ying would have needs of him; in fact, he hoped she would want as much as possible. "I'll go find it for you right now."

But not everyone will be comforted by their loved one.

In the dead of night, in one of the families in the production team, Fan Dani looked at the pitch-black medicine in the bowl in front of her. The warm candlelight couldn't illuminate the darkness, which seemed to carry an ominous aura. But this was a folk remedy she had heard about. Several Chinese herbs were boiled in water, and if she drank it for a period of time, she would be able to have a son.

She needs a son.

Her mother was scolded by her father for most of her life because she didn't have a son, and her second sister's marriage was called off because neither she nor her mother had given birth to a son, and she hasn't been able to find a husband since.

Fan Dani thought about her three younger sisters and knew she had to have a son.

She reached for the bowl in front of her, looked at her husband sitting opposite her, and asked, "Shall I drink this?"

Liu Mancang remained silent, as dull as ever.

Fan Dani swallowed the black water, tears welling up in her eyes. She felt uncomfortable drinking it, not just because it tasted bad.

When she asked, Fan Dani hoped to be stopped or comforted, but she didn't hear anything.

Sure enough, no man doesn't want a son.

A mocking smile appeared on her lips, hidden by the bowl, mocking herself, mocking the man opposite her, and mocking this absurd world.