Chapter 6: Driving Away the Eldest Aunt
The thought of the eggs made Jiang even angrier. Her family was considered well-off in Changliu Village. They had five or six hens in their backyard, and in the spring, they could collect five or six eggs every day. However, they couldn't bear to eat them and usually saved them to sell at the county market.
But the Zhou family, who were so poor they couldn't even afford rice, were still able to afford eggs.
She pointed at the eggs in the bowl and said fiercely, "Second sister, where are your duck eggs from? Did you steal them from my house?"
The two families share a wall, which was built when they divided their property, and their courtyards are right next to each other.
Du Wanchun explained, "Auntie, these are duck eggs laid by our own ducks."
Jiang was furious and yelled at her, "Who asked you? I asked your mother, what are you going to say!"
Her shout enraged Aunt Zhou. She pulled Du Wanchun behind her to protect her and said sternly, "Jiang Qiuju, it's none of your business to lecture my daughter-in-law!"
Jiang raised her narrow eyes and smiled with a pout: "She is a junior, how can I, as an elder, not say anything?"
Aunt Zhou retorted, "Don't forget, you and my elder brother have long since severed ties with me. The reason Wan Chun is calling you 'aunt' today is out of respect for my elder brother. If you continue to be so rude, don't even think about us kicking you out with a 'stirring stick'!"
Jiang was taken aback by her reaction. When her sister-in-law had just returned from the capital with her child, she was as refined and gentle as a young lady from a wealthy family. Now, she had become quite rude. It seemed she had changed.
"If you say that, I'm really not leaving today!" she said, hands on her hips, acting like a spoiled child.
Aunt Zhou was furious. It was one thing for her to make a fuss on ordinary days, but today was Wan Chun's first day in the family. How could she let Wan Chun suffer such humiliation?
She grew angrier the more she thought about it, turned around and went to the outhouse, where she actually pulled out a stirring stick and waved it at Jiang, shouting, "Get out! Get out of here now!"
Jiang was startled by the stinky turd and quickly stood up. "Chen Yue'e, put it down right now!"
Aunt Zhou frowned and raised the latrine-stirring stick to swing at her.
Jiang was terrified and immediately ran away.
Aunt Zhou followed behind.
Jiang kept running forward, and perhaps because she was in a hurry, she tripped over a stone at the gate of the courtyard and fell.
With a thud, her greasy face fell directly into the mud.
"Oh my God!" Jiang cried out in pain.
Zhou Ruiyuan also came out of the house. He sat on a chair with two wheels and slowly walked over.
Upon seeing this, Aunt Zhou immediately put away the stirring stick and strode to the outhouse.
After seeing Aunt Zhou leave, Zhou Ruiyuan gave Zhou Zhao a cold wink.
Zhou Zhao immediately understood what he meant, and ran into the house to take out the broken duck eggshells from the kitchen.
Jiang had just gotten up from the ground and left the courtyard.
Zhou Zhao chased after her, eggshell in hand, calling out, "Auntie!"
Hearing the sound, Jiang turned around to look.
Zhou Zhao threw the eggshell directly at her face, "Aunt, did you look carefully? Is this a chicken egg or a duck egg?"
The greenish-blue eggshell, sticky with sap, stung her face when it hit her. Jiang cried out in pain and yelled at Zhou Zhao, "You little deaf idiot, are you looking for death?!"
Zhou Zhao stood there, the young boy beaming with pride, and said, "Auntie, please stop calling me deaf! My ears are healed!"
Jiang was stunned. She stood there for a long time, then finally got so angry that she stomped her feet as she went home.
Du Wanchun watched from afar and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Her giggles were as melodious as the wind chimes in September.
In the dilapidated little house, everything seemed to change in an instant.
Zhou Ruiyuan slowly raised his head to look at Du Wanchun, and after a long while asked her, "Your name is Du Wanchun?"
Du Wanchun looked down at him and smiled, "Yes."
Zhou Ruiyuan looked in the direction Jiang Shi had gone and said slowly, "Wanchun, if anyone bullies you again in the future, just come behind me."
He reached out his long, slender, fair hand and gently tapped his leg, continuing, "Even if I can't stand up, I can still protect you."
Zhou Ruiyuan's voice is very pleasant, deep and steady, and also exudes a gentle and refined air.
With the sunlight streaming in from outside, Du Wanchun noticed that Zhou Ruiyuan had a large frame, broad shoulders, and a straight back, though he appeared somewhat frail while sitting in the chair.
But if he could stand up, he would be very tall.
Du Wanchun smiled and nodded, "Understood, husband."
The sound of "husband" made Zhou Ruiyuan's heart race again, and his ears turned red without him even realizing it.
Du Wanchun pushed his chair and said, "Let's go, husband, let's go inside and eat first."
"Mm," Zhou Ruiyuan responded softly.
It was a marriage he had already agreed to, but after only meeting him once, he suddenly made up his mind that he had to get better.
She said she was stupid, but didn't mind that she was disabled.
But she wasn't stupid, and he couldn't just stay crippled like that forever.
Zhou Ruiyuan, whose wings had been worn down since three years ago, seemed to have regained his former arrogance from this moment on. He could not lose to the little girl in front of him.
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