Renovation of old house
Granny Sun felt a little uneasy when she looked at her. Her eyes were too calm, not like those of a young person.
She laughed dryly twice.
"It's good to live here, it's good to live here, the air in the country is good and nourishing."
"It's just that it's inconvenient for a girl like you to live here, right?"
The implication of this temptation is already obvious.
Zhong Ling didn't respond, turned around and continued working, leaving her back to Grandma Sun.
Grandma Sun was disappointed, curled her lips, and went back to her home with the bowl.
But as soon as she left, everyone in the village knew that Li Xiulan's granddaughter had returned and inherited the old house.
In the next few days, there were always villagers "passing by" or "visiting", and intentionally or unintentionally gathering near the old house.
Some looked at him curiously, some pretended to be concerned and asked questions, and some pointed and whispered.
Zhong Ling ignored all this and continued cleaning and repairing as planned.
That afternoon, Zhong Ling was arranging some old farm tools that were still usable in the yard when a slightly plump middle-aged woman walked in with a twisted waist.
She had a warm smile on her face and was carrying a small bamboo basket with a few unripe peaches in it.
"Xiao Zhong, are you busy?"
The visitor was Aunt Liu, a well-known "warm-hearted" woman in the village, who was particularly keen on matchmaking.
"Um."
Zhong Ling responded calmly and stopped what she was doing.
"Oh, you look so tired and sweaty."
Aunt Liu walked up to her familiarly and put the basket aside.
"I've just picked some peaches from my aunt's tree. They're not quite ripe yet. Try one first to quench your thirst."
As she spoke, she looked around the yard and the house without hesitation.
"Tsk tsk, you are really amazing, you have cleaned up this old house and made it presentable in just a few days."
"Even neater than your grandmother's time."
Zhong Ling didn't say anything, just looked at her.
Aunt Liu felt a little uncomfortable being looked at by her, but soon regained her enthusiasm.
"But, Xiao Zhong, let me tell you the truth."
She leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"It's so unsafe and inconvenient for a young girl like you to live alone in such an old house."
"There's no one to talk to at night. It's so lonely."
Here she comes. Zhong Ling understood, but remained expressionless.
"This village is dark at night. If something happens, no one will hear you even if you shout."
Aunt Liu looked serious and sincere.
"In my opinion, you still need to find a companion."
"Look, you've cleaned up your house now. You'll be settling down in the village from now on. Find a local who knows you well, so you can look after each other, right?"
She paused, observing Zhong Ling's expression, and seeing that she had no reaction, she became bolder.
"Auntie, let me tell you, the second son of the old Chen family at the west end of our village is called Chen Qi. He's energetic and capable. He works on a construction site in the city and earns quite a bit every month."
"We've built a new house, but we haven't found a wife yet."
"I think it's a good match for you. How about I ask for you?"
Aunt Liu became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she had already seen the two of them getting together.
Zhong Ling finally spoke, her voice was not loud, but it carried a hint of chill.
"Aunt Liu."
"Do you think I need someone to 'look after' me?"
As she spoke, she broke the firewood with her hands.
Obviously, a woman who can break wood really needs a man to "take care of her"?
Seeing this, the smile on Aunt Liu's face froze for a moment.
"Oh, that's not the truth. A woman always needs someone to rely on..."
"rely on?"
Zhong Ling interrupted her, with a smile on her lips.
"Are you afraid that I can't keep this house by myself, or do you think this house needs a male owner?"
The question was so direct and pointed that Aunt Liu's face flushed instantly, as if her thoughts had been exposed in public.
There were indeed people in the village talking about how Zhong Ling, a girl from outside the village with no relatives or friends, would sooner or later be targeted by others for occupying such a residential plot.
It seems natural to find her a husband and a man from the village to "tie" her down.
"You...how can you talk like that, kid!"
Aunt Liu was a little angry and embarrassed.
"Auntie is kind enough to help you, why are you..."
"Good intentions?"
Zhong Ling took a step forward, and although she was looking at him straight in the eye, her aura was completely overwhelming.
"Aunt Liu, do you think I look easy to fool, or do you think my house is a place where anyone can come in and make the decisions?"
Her voice remained calm, "I can handle my own affairs."
"This house now belongs to the Zhong family."
"Anyone who wants to take advantage of it, or me, should think twice before doing so."
Zhong Ling's eyes were cold, and the aura around her made Aunt Liu's heart palpitate.
That's not the look an ordinary girl should have.
Aunt Liu was frightened by her gaze and subconsciously took a step back, bumping into the bamboo basket behind her, and two peaches rolled out of it.
"I...I was just saying it casually..."
Aunt Liu tried to defend herself, but her voice lacked confidence.
"You kid, you have a pretty bad temper..."
She picked up the peaches on the ground, and without saying anything else, she almost ran away with the basket on her shoulder.
Looking at Aunt Liu's hurriedly leaving back, the coldness on Zhong Ling's face slowly dissipated.
Establish your authority to avoid endless flies in the future.
Before long, the whole village knew that Li Xiulan's granddaughter from the city was very strong and could break wood with her bare hands. She was not someone to be trifled with, and she drove Liu the matchmaker away with just a few words.
In the following days, the number of villagers who came to "stroll" or "pass by" near the old house decreased significantly.
Grandma Sun from next door would still chat with her across the fence, but the content was limited to small talk and she didn't dare to touch on any private topics.
Zhong Ling enjoys the quietness.
More than half a month later, the old house looked brand new.
Although it still has green tiles and earthen walls, the whole house exudes a sense of neatness and stability, which is in sharp contrast to the surrounding houses that appear more or less dilapidated.
Even the bamboo fence in the yard was reinforced and replaced with the more resilient Qingling bamboo in the space, which is both beautiful and practical.
After finishing the house, Zhong Ling prepared to clean up the wasteland behind the house.
Zhong Ling stood at the edge of the field, took out a hoe from the mustard seed space, and started working.
The next morning, the villagers were surprised to find that a large area of land behind Zhong Ling's house, which had been abandoned for a long time, had been cleared overnight.
The weeds were neatly piled at the edge of the field, and the stones in the soil were picked out.
The speed was so incredible that some people couldn't help but go to have a look secretly out of curiosity.
I saw that the clods of soil in the field were turned into even sizes and the ridges were straight. It didn't look like work that a girl from the city could do at all.
"Tsk tsk, I never knew this little Zhong was so capable. He can work as well as a strong laborer."
"That's right. He cleaned up the house by himself, and now he's done the land too. He's really capable."
Zhong Ling turned a deaf ear to these discussions.
She deliberately spent a few extra days to clear all the wasteland, and then went to the farm store in town to buy some seasonal vegetable seeds and sowed them.
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