Chapter 174 Why can’t I speak or scold?
A living person was gone just like that. Just thinking about it made him feel a chill down his spine.
After things were settled, Zhang Guifang followed the Zhang family to take care of her brother's funeral.
Five days later, Zhang Guifang, with her eyes red and swollen, returned home with her niece Zhang Jingping.
At first, the Li family was not used to Zhang Jingping's arrival. After more than a month of adjustment, everyone gradually accepted her.
Time has unknowingly come to the end of the year. The brick factory has stopped working for the winter, but the farm is still operating normally.
Since the brick factory was on holiday, Li Caiyun has been staying at home all day to take care of her pregnancy, occasionally teaching her cousin to read.
That day, Zhang Jingping came back from the grocery store. Li Caiyun was sitting on the kang in the east room sewing shoe soles. The three children followed Zhang Guifang out for a stroll.
"Sister, there is something I want to tell you, but I'm afraid you'll be angry."
Li Caiyun paused while sewing the soles of her shoes and looked at Zhang Jingping with a smile: "Why are you afraid that I will be angry?"
Zhang Jingping has lived in Huaixi Village for more than four months. Although she seldom goes out, she often takes her three children to the grocery store to buy food, so she gets to know quite a few people.
Under Li Caiyun's questioning, Zhang Jingping stammered and recounted the whole story.
When she went to the grocery store to buy soy sauce, she happened to see Zhou Yong and Liu Juan talking.
It was originally a trivial matter, but when Zhang Jingping told the story, it seemed as if Zhou Yong and Liu Juan were having an affair!
Li Caiyun laughed: "What nonsense are you talking about? Juanzi is my friend, and Ma San is your brother-in-law's buddy. How could there be any problem between them?"
Besides, Li Caiyun knew Zhou Yong’s character well. He was not a dishonest man. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have lived to this day.
Zhang Jingping sighed: "Sister, I've heard that many young ladies regard their brother-in-law as the standard for choosing a spouse. Only you are so careless that you can actually laugh..."
Li Caiyun held her bulging belly and said with a smile, "That shows that your brother-in-law is very good."
Zhang Jingping curled her lips: "Yes, it's because my brother-in-law is so outstanding that I worry about me. What if my brother-in-law is involved with other women, what will you do then..."
The smile on Li Caiyun's face gradually disappeared. Although she felt that such a thing could not happen, she couldn't help but have wild thoughts in her mind.
A few days later, it was the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.
The Li family bought New Year's goods on the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the frozen pear and peanut candies were almost all eaten by the children.
Therefore, Zhou Yong decided to buy some New Year's goods today. Li Baotian had nothing to do and wanted to join in the fun.
Seeing this, the three children clamored to go with them, and Zhou Yong agreed. Zhang Guifang was afraid that the two men could not take care of three children, so she also prepared to go to the commune.
Li Caiyun was eating: "I'll go too."
If they all went to the commune, Zhang Jingping would be the only one left at home, so Li Baotian would let her go with them for a walk so that she wouldn't be bored at home.
The commune is very busy today, and the supply and marketing cooperative is crowded.
Several members of the Li family were moving among the crowd, with Zhou Yong protecting Li Caiyun on both sides.
When Zhou Yong arrived at the cloth counter, he stopped and was about to buy new clothes for his family, but was stopped by Zhang Guifang.
Normally, Zhou Yong would buy clothes fabrics for them whenever he was on a business trip. Now, there was a lot of clothes fabrics stored at home, and it would be a waste to buy more.
Zhou Yong felt that what his mother-in-law said made sense, and since new fabrics were available every year, there was no need to hoard them.
Before Zhang Guifang and the others were about to leave the cloth counter, Zhang Jingping reached out and touched a piece of Dacron cloth: "Sister, feel the material of this cloth, it feels so comfortable."
Li Caiyun touched it and smiled: "It's very comfortable."
Zhang Jingping nodded and reluctantly put down the cloth in her hand.
Zhang Guifang watched her niece's every move, and she smiled and said, "Xiao Ping, if you like this kind of fabric, I'll buy you a piece of cloth to make a coat at home..."
Zhang Jingping hurriedly shook her head: "Aunt, I was just saying that, let's go!"
Although she said this, her eyes were reluctant to leave the cloth she had touched.
Zhang Guifang said nothing more and tore a piece of cloth for Zhang Jingping.
Everyone squeezed out of the supply and marketing cooperative to buy firecrackers and Spring Festival couplets.
After buying everything, the Li family members headed back.
When they got home, some people were lighting the stove, some were putting things away, and some were cooking.
With a bang——
People inside and outside the house were startled, and the three children somehow lit the firecrackers.
Immediately afterwards, a series of crackling sounds were heard, but fortunately the three children were not injured.
Zhou Yong wanted to go forward to care for the child, but Zhang Jingping saw that her newly bought clothes were covered with firecracker debris. She hurriedly pushed Zhou Kexin, who was standing on the edge of the kang at a loss, to the ground, picked up the new clothes that Zhang Guifang bought for her, and started crying.
"How could you do this? You are so annoying. Why did you ruin the fabric of my clothes? It's so disgusting..."
The three siblings did not intentionally set off firecrackers in the house. They were already scared enough, and then Zhang Jingping pushed Zhou Kexin to the ground, and the child started crying instantly.
Zhou Yong's face broke cold. He stepped forward, picked up his daughter, and touched Zhou Kexin's head: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Daddy is here!"
Zhou Kexin cried: "Dad, we didn't set off fireworks in the house on purpose..."
Zhou Yong believed this because even if they were being naughty, they didn't have the courage to set off firecrackers in the house.
Zhou Yong comforted his daughter and did not forget to wave to the frightened Li Jingchu and Li Jingen.
He held the three children in his arms and turned away from the east room.
As soon as he left, the atmosphere in the east room became very strange.
Li Caiyun glanced at Zhang Jingping who was chattering endlessly, turned around and left the east room.
Li Baotian said nothing. After all, she was Zhang Guifang's niece. Although she was fostered in his home, it would be inappropriate for her as her uncle to say too much.
Soon, only the aunt and niece were left in the room. Zhang Guifang took the fabric from Zhang Jingping and looked at it.
A few small holes were torn in the fabric, which was a pity, but the child didn't do it on purpose.
"You are such a jerk, there are only a few small holes in the fabric, why are you so upset? You keep crying and swearing..."
Zhang Jingping looked at Zhang Guifang with tears in her eyes: "Aunt, it was clearly them who destroyed the material of my clothes, why can't I say anything or scold them?"
Zhang Guifang always thought that her niece was a sensible child, but it was not until this moment that she realized that it was all an illusion.
In fact, even if Zhang Jingping said nothing and did nothing about this matter, both Zhou Yong and Li Caiyun would buy her another piece of cloth.
Now, not only did she push Zhou Kexin down, she also kept swearing at her, indirectly making everyone dislike her.
After hearing what her niece said, Zhang Guifang was furious: "How can you be so lazy and not know the difference?"
Zhang Jingping was holding the clothes and crying. When Zhang Guifang saw this, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue, picked up the feather duster to sweep the kang, and then picked up the broom to sweep the floor.
During dinner, the atmosphere at the table was very depressing. Li Baotian glanced at Zhang Jingping, whose eyes were red, and sighed in his heart.
The three children didn't talk to Zhang Jingping, and didn't even look at her.
Seeing this, Zhang Guifang forced a smile and picked up food for everyone one by one.
Li Caiyun felt sorry for her mother, and she didn't like the depressing atmosphere at the dinner table: "Mom, I'll do it myself, you eat!"
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