Chapter 73 Fubao's Stone 1
Autumn is the harvest season. The sorghum in the sorghum field is cut and piled up in bundles. The women then cut the sorghum ears. The sorghum stalks are dried and used for other purposes, while the sorghum ears are threshed. The threshed sorghum rice is the most common food for rural people.
After the white cotton was picked, it was piled into a cotton mountain. The balls of cotton wool looked like clouds, making some children want to jump on it and roll around. However, this was obviously strictly prohibited. Wang Baiou specially sent a member to watch over the cotton wool, and the children were not allowed to get close to it for fear of getting some cotton wool stuck in their balls.
Most of the cotton harvested by the commune had to be handed over to the cotton station to offset this year's public grain. Chen Youfu asked Wang Baiou to do some calculations. This year's harvest was very good, the public grain quota had been met, and there was still some left, which meant that some cotton could be distributed to each household so that they could make quilts, new clothes, etc.
Chen Youfu looked at the account book, crossed his legs with satisfaction, and said comfortably, "This year, our Pingxi Production Brigade achieved a great success in the autumn harvest. We will definitely be the model production brigade this year. The members will finally have enough food and warm clothes."
No matter whether you eat cornmeal steamed buns, sorghum flour steamed buns, or sweet potato flour steamed buns, you will definitely be full and won’t go hungry.
Thinking that the members would not have to go hungry, Chen Youfu sighed with satisfaction. He felt that his position as team leader was not in vain.
If someone's family is hungry and the adults come running crying and saying how hungry their children are, they will feel really bad and wish they were the ones starving.
Now it’s good, we have a bumper harvest. Just think about how smooth everything is for Pingxi Production Team this year!
Especially when he went to the commune for a meeting a few days ago, he heard that the harvest of the Taitou Production Brigade next door was not very good. Thinking of the dejected face of the leader of the Taitou Production Brigade, he became even more proud.
As he thought about this, he suddenly remembered what he was worried about a year ago. What was he worried about then? He was worried about Fubao.
Fubao, this child...
He drummed his fingers on the table, frowning in thought.
This time when he went to the commune for a meeting, Secretary Li was going to be promoted and go to the district. At that time, he specifically asked about Fubao, saying that he must make sure to place the child well and let the child live a good life.
Fubao is a really lucky child. Ever since she went to the Gu family, the Gu family has been living a very comfortable life.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.
Why did I suddenly have a strange idea?
Fubao is a lucky kid. Maybe he will bring prosperity not only to the Gu family but also to the Pingxi Production Brigade?
But...why didn't Fubao bring prosperity to the Pingxi Production Brigade before she went to the Gu family? Was it because the Nie family treated her badly?
Chen Youfu recalled that when Fubao went to the Nie family, Nie Laosan's wife became pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl.
He frowned and pondered, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was true.
But in the end, he himself was confused and slammed the table: "Forget it, forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore, this is all nonsense, maybe it's just feudal superstition, a coincidence, a coincidence!"
——
Gu Weidong didn't think about those trivial things. In the words of his brother Gu Weimin, he was now obsessed with collecting cotton and selling cotton wool in the city. Anyway, Chen Youfu didn't tell him not to do it, but just asked him to do it secretly, so he just did it.
After each family had received their share of cotton and the seeds in their private plots had been removed, he began to prepare for the harvest.
Of course, this kind of thing cannot be done in a high-profile manner, it has to be done quietly and privately. He began to look for those who had greeted him one by one, and the first one was Chen Youliang.
When Chen Youliang heard this, he stammered, "Um, um... I did have some cotton, but now it's gone... I, I used it."
Used it?
Gu Weidong was puzzled and expressed doubts about Chen Youliang, but he didn't say anything and continued to look for the next one.
Who knows, one, two, three, four people all say this.
Gu Weidong was completely confused: "We had agreed on something, why did you change your mind?"
He was puzzled and told Miao Xiuju about it after returning home. Miao Xiuju snorted coldly: "There must be something fishy going on here. You can't be sure what it is. Don't worry, go to other people's houses first and I'll go over and ask around."
Of course, to get the news, one had to ask the old lady. Every family has an old lady who has lost all her teeth and sits on the wellhead with a cane to gossip. Miao Xiujiu went there and found out the news in no time.
After finding out, she was very angry.
Someone is competing with her son and trying to steal his business!
Nie Lao San's family actually wanted to do this kind of thing???
Miao Xiujiu went back with a lot of anger and told Gu Weidong about it.
Gu Weidong was stunned at the time: "He, his family wants to do it? Where will they get the money?"
His original was exchanged for a gold ring given by his mother-in-law, and Fubao exchanged it for an old Yuantou he found!
Nie Laosan's family is very poor, where did they get the capital?
Miao Xiuju thought about it and felt something was wrong. Gu Weidong gritted his teeth and said, "Mom, I have to get to the bottom of this. I'll go ask again. I just don't understand. I was planning to do this and was doing it well, so why was it intercepted? Why did Nie Lao San do this?"
So one day, Gu Weidong hardened his heart and ran to the commune store. He took his money and food coupons and exchanged them for half a pound of white liquor. Carrying this half a pound of white liquor, he went to find Chen Youliang.
This is wine, it’s Lao Baigan!
Chen Youliang was stunned. Even if the country people had a wedding or funeral, they would not drink Laobaigan for no reason!
Gu Weidong put the wine on the table and the two brothers started drinking.
Chen Youliang drank until his face flushed red, and slammed the table: "Brother, if you have something to say, just tell me!"
Gu Weidong gulped down a mouthful of wine, his eyes reddened, and he said sadly: "Why is it so difficult to give my children a good life?"
Chen Youliang was stunned.
He is poor, he has no wife, and he is a bachelor, but he is not stupid, he understands Gu Weidong's thoughts.
He was stunned for a moment, then heaved a long sigh. "There's nothing I can do. I have some cotton, and I haven't thought about exchanging it for money. I always exchange it for food or something. These days, no one is rich, so where would we get the money to buy cotton? Don't you think so, brother?"
Gu Weidong's heart moved, and he suddenly understood: "Are you worried that I can't come up with the money?"
Chen Youliang felt embarrassed and scratched his head: "You said your mother-in-law helped pay for it, but, but I haven't seen the things, and I feel uneasy."
No one has ever done this, so I don’t understand it. I won’t feel at ease until I see something.
Gu Weidong was puzzled: "What about Nie Laosan? His family is so poor, how can he afford to give you money?"
Chen Youliang chuckled and said, "Old Four, you might not know this, but I have a treasure, a piece of jade. I heard it was passed down from my ancestors and is worth a fortune!"
Jade?
Gu Weidong suddenly realized something.
Nie Laosan's family had been poor farmers for three generations. It was impossible for their ancestors to pass down anything. If they had something, he would have been showing off long ago. Therefore, that piece of jade could not possibly be an heirloom of the Nie family. It should be -
Gu Weidong narrowed his eyes. He remembered that day when Huiru, a nun who had returned to secular life, said that Fubao had a piece of jade that was coveted by Nie Laosan's family.
At that time, Huiru had said that she would bring Huixin to look for Nie Laosan's family. He and Xiao Dingkun had also looked for Chen Youfu, but Huiru hadn't responded yet. He had originally thought that they would wait for Huiru to arrive and then go look for her together. Now, it seemed that he had to hurry Huiru up.
If we can get this jade back by then, Nie Laosan’s family will forget about doing this business!
After figuring this out, Gu Weidong first asked his mother to go find Mr. Nie, and then he took a few steamed buns and a bottle of boiled water and ran directly to the Huangzhuang Production Brigade where Huiru was. It was dozens of miles away from the Pingxi Production Brigade by mountain roads.
After Miao Xiujiu went to see the eldest Nie family, Nie Lao Da's wife felt a little uncomfortable. After all, Miao Xiujiu's family and Nie Lao San's family were not in harmony and were making noises all the time. Although the eldest Nie family was not satisfied with Nie Lao San, they were sisters-in-law after all.
In this rural area, you have to rely on your brothers. Sisters-in-law can quarrel and curse at each other at ordinary times, but at critical moments, in front of outsiders, brothers have to unite.
Standing by the chicken coop inside the fence, Nie Laoda's wife, who was feeding the chickens with a dustpan, rubbed her apron uncomfortably. "Hey, Auntie, you're looking for me. What's going on?"
Miao Xiujiu looked at Nie Lao Da's wife with a smile. You know, brothers in a family should stick together when facing outsiders, but they also have conflicts among themselves. Some time ago, Youfu asked their members to study. What internal conflicts were they?
Anyway, that's what it means. Miao Xiujiu understands this and knows what the biggest internal conflict between sisters-in-law is, which is the division of the family.
When the family business was divided, we would fight over whether you had an extra pair of chopsticks or I had a missing bowl, not to mention the jade that was said to have been passed down from our ancestors.
Miao Xiuju started to sow discord with a smile: "It's nothing, actually. I just heard something, and I think you've really suffered a loss. If I don't tell you, I won't feel comfortable and will feel bad. After all, Sister Nie, you are usually a good person. But if I tell you, I'm afraid something will happen..."
This really aroused the feelings of Nie Lao Da's wife: "What's the matter, Auntie, just tell me directly."
Miao Xiuju looked outside to see if there was anyone, and then she said mysteriously, "Let me tell you, your family's elders seem to have left behind a piece of jade. I heard it's worth a ton of money, but your third daughter-in-law stole it and hid it for herself!"
Nie Lao Da's wife: "Ah? Is there such a thing?"
This is no small matter, she has never heard of it!
Miao Xiuju: "I'm not the only one who knows this. Several families know about it. Go ahead and ask them, but don't say it was me who told it."
Several people know this???
Nie Lao Da's wife suddenly stopped cooking and washing dishes.
No, no, she had to go and ask. How could such a valuable thing exist? She was the eldest daughter-in-law in the eldest house, and she didn't get a share?
——
Miao Xiujiu was secretly happy when she saw this situation. In fact, Nie Lao Da's wife was a good person, but since she was Nie Lao San's sister-in-law, she would of course pick it up and use it.
After successfully completing the task, Miao Xiuju returned home in a happy mood. She even hummed an old tune: "I have countless cousins at home. They never come to visit unless there is something important. Even though they are relatives, we don't recognize each other, but they are closer than relatives~~~~"
Fubao and Gu Shengtian were just coming back from cleaning the pigsty when they heard the voice. Although the pigs were now raised by Miao Xiuju and everyone would share the meat equally, Fubao and Gu Shengtian were filial and would still go to feed the pigs when they had nothing to do. The more they worked, the less Miao Xiuju would have to do.
Fubao heard Miao Xiuju humming a tune, which seemed to indicate she was in a good mood. He asked curiously, "Grandma, is there something good going on?"
Miao Xiuju smiled with satisfaction: "You little people don't understand. I went to Mr. Nie's house today and talked with Mr. Nie's wife for a while. We talked quite well. Mr. Nie's wife is really a sensible and reasonable wife."
Haha, he took it seriously once provoked. But of course it was all Nie Laosan’s wife’s fault. Why did she say it was passed down from her ancestors?
Boss Nie’s wife?
Isn’t that Nie Dashan’s mother?
Fubao and Gu Shengtian looked at each other, both with surprise in their eyes.
"Really!"
"Grandma, Grandma, did you really go to Old Nie's house? Did you really have a good chat with Nie Dashan's mother? Do you think she is a nice person?"
Miao Xiuju was puzzled: "Why are you two kids worrying about this? That's right, Boss Nie's wife is good. Oh, and don't call her Boss Nie's wife from now on. It sounds so awkward. Just call her Aunt Nie!"
Fubao and Gu Shengtian were extremely excited. Did this mean they could openly be friends with Nie Dashan? They could play together, and their grandmother wouldn't say anything about them anymore?
Great, they must tell Nie Dashan quickly!
So Miao Xiujiu watched the two children run out happily, laughing as if they were eating honey.
"What's going on?" I really don't understand.
"That's really great, Grandma!"
Fubao turned around while running and said this sweetly to Miao Xiujiu.
Miao Xiuju fell into deep thought: "...Hey, a little kid, do you understand this?"
——
The wife of the eldest brother Nie is actually a smart person. She is not the kind of person who jumps forward when others instigate her, otherwise she would not always suppress the wife of the third brother Nie.
So after she heard the news about Miao Xiuju, she did not immediately go to trouble Nie Laosan's wife, but first asked around. Nie Laoda's wife first approached her husband indirectly, asking if his ancestors had any good things.
"Good stuff, yes!" Nie Lao Da had just finished his farm work and was exhausted. When he heard his wife ask this, he said casually.
"Ah? What?" Boss Nie's wife glared at him. Why didn't he tell her the good stuff?
"Didn't our mother leave us two new shovels and a loom?"
"I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about gold, silver, jade..." Nie Lao Da's wife continued to ask.
"You—" Boss Nie glanced at his wife and said, "Have you gone crazy from living in poverty?"
“???”
"My family has been poor peasants for three generations, digging in the soil for food. We have never been landlords. How could we possibly have such a thing?"
“…”
Nie Lao Da's wife suddenly stopped talking. Since she couldn't get the answer from the man, she asked someone else, pretending not to care, and inquired carefully and slowly.
After a day or two, she finally found out.
Nie Laosan's wife really has a piece of jade, and several families have seen it. Nie Laosan's wife also said that after she sells this jade, she can privately buy everyone's cotton and then sell it in the city!
This, this, this is outrageous!!
Nie Lao Da's wife was so angry that her whole body was trembling with hatred.
She had been married into the Nie family for all these years, acting as a well-behaved daughter-in-law, carefully serving her parents-in-law, bearing three sons for the Nie family, and taking care of her parents-in-law until their death. Yet, she had no idea there was such a treasure in the family? ? ?
Nie Lao Da's wife's heart sank, tears streaming down her face. "You, your Nie family, are really bullying me! I can't live like this anymore!"
Boss Nie got anxious when he saw the situation: "I, I haven't heard of this either. I'm not hiding it from you. I don't know what's going on. We have to go ask the third brother!"
Just as he was getting anxious, he saw his younger brother Nie Laoer and his wife also hurried over.
"Brother, what's going on? What's going on with that jade?"
Nie Lao Er also felt a headache. Everything was fine, but his wife was crying and making a fuss, saying that they couldn't live like this anymore. She said that all the treasures in the Nie family were left to the third wife, and that her parents-in-law didn't care about her.
The two brothers were helpless and at a loss when facing their two wives. It’s not that they can’t be the boss at home normally, but the problem is that the wives were feeling aggrieved in this matter, and they couldn’t do anything about it. Who knew what the old man was thinking before he passed away, and why he left such a treasure to the third wife?
In the end, all I could say was: "Let's go find the third brother!"
——
Just when the two daughters-in-law of the Nie family rushed to Nie Lao San's house to seek justice, Gu Weidong also found Huiru and Huixin. He was very tired in the past two days, but he finally found them both.
The former nuns have now returned to secular life and married, and all have children. Huixin, in particular, has two or three children, which is quite stressful for her. However, even so, when Huixin heard about Fubao, she immediately dropped everything and rushed over.
They first settled down at the old Gu family, and Huixin also got to know Fubao. Seeing that Fubao had grown up so big and was so fair and handsome, she was naturally very moved.
Fubao was like their own child. They were very reluctant to send him away, but there was nothing they could do. A nun who had left secular life was already eye-catching, and they couldn't bring a child with them. That would be inappropriate and not good for Fubao.
Now that I see Fubao again, and see how well he is taken care of, and think of what he has gone through in the past few years, I feel filled with remorse and get angry whenever I mention Nie Laosan's family.
Gu Weidong called Chen Youfu, Grandma Hu, and brought Huixin, Huiru Fubao and his own mother, and they went to Nie Laosan's house in a mighty manner to seek justice.
When Chen Hongying and Liu Zhaodi saw this, they couldn't help but want to join in the fun.
"You said that Fu Bao really has a piece of jade?"
"Who knows? We'll find out if we follow her. If she really has a piece of jade, then we hadn't even split up when she came into our family... It's hard to say what this thing is..."
Liu Zhaodi pondered for a long time and suddenly said something sarcastic.
Shen Hongying was startled.
She had never thought of taking advantage of the jade, but she didn't expect that Liu Zhaodi had already thought of it.
Why is this person so greedy!
However, Shen Hongying's reputation is not very good now. She was laughed at by everyone for writing self-criticisms and reports before. Now she just has a relationship with Liu Zhaodi, so she swallowed it and no longer despised Liu Zhaodi for being greedy.
A group of people ran to Nie Laosan's house. On the way, they met an old man collecting manure, a wife feeding chickens, and an old lady who was out for a walk to digest her food. They were all puzzled: "What are you doing?"
Miao Xiuju: "Nie Laosan's family embezzled my Fubao's things. We have to ask for them back!"
When she shouted like this, many people on the street heard it, and word spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and soon almost the entire production brigade knew about it.
Needless to say, those who had things to do continued to work, and those who had nothing to do hurried to watch the fun.
So when the eldest and second Nie brothers and their wives went to the third Nie's house, the Gu family and the onlookers had already gathered outside the fenced yard of the third Nie's house.
Chen Youfu negotiated with Nie Laosan's wife with a serious face: "Third sister-in-law, Huiru and Huixin have said that they once gave Fubao's things to you for safekeeping. You must hand them over, otherwise this matter will not be justified."
Could Nie Laosan's wife admit it? Of course she didn't admit it: "You are blessed, that's not right. They said that this thing is theirs, right? They also said that if you worship Buddha, the Buddha will bless you to make a fortune. So, have you made a fortune?"
Chen Youfu was speechless. Nie Laosan's wife was really good at talking nonsense!
Is it reasonable or not?
Gu Weidong stepped forward and said, "Third sister-in-law, we have witnesses to this matter. If you insist that it's not Fubao's, then why don't you take it out and show it to Huixin and Huiru? Otherwise, how can we prove it?"
Gu Weidong has now learned cultural knowledge and he knows that everything must be based on evidence.
But is Nie Laosan's wife the kind of person who would listen to reason? She would deny it to the end even if beaten to death!
Nie Laosan's wife squatted on the ground and said, "What? What are you doing? Are you coming to my house to steal my things? They are my things, my things! Tell me, why do you think that what you say is yours is yours?"
Huiru was furious when she saw how shameless Nie Laosan's wife was. "Do you still have any shame? Huixin handed it to you personally and told you it was Fubao's and would be given to Fubao in the future. It's ok for you not to raise the child well, but you also took it for granted? God is watching over you. You'd better be careful or you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later!"
Nie Lao San's wife: "Humph, what's your business if I have to pay back my karma? Why should a nun like you worry about it? Or is Fu Bao the child of you two little bitches who stole men's money?"
A nun raising a child, this was the term used to insult nuns in the past.
The nuns in the nunnery have no husbands, so when people scold the nuns, they say that they have raised children.
These words were unpleasant to hear in the first place, not to mention that they involved Fubao.
Huiru was so angry that she rolled up her sleeves and was about to beat up Nie Laosan's wife. Even a good-natured person like Huixin was so angry that her face turned red: "Don't insult us and spread rumors without any evidence!"
Nie Laosan's wife was so arrogant. She pinched her thick waist, her face flushed and she cursed: "If you don't have evidence, don't talk nonsense in front of me. You are a human being, and you are evidence? I've already said that this is my family's heirloom, my family's heirloom, this is my old thing, who dares to steal it? I will fight her to death! I'm risking my life this time, I'm risking my life!"
When she said this, it was so powerful that no one dared to challenge her.
The scene was completely silent. No one spoke a word inside or outside the fence. Only the little hens raised at home pecked at the food while curiously looking at everyone with one eye, clucking from time to time.
Liu Zhaodi curled her lips and said privately, "They say it belongs to Fubao, but I don't think it's necessarily true... It's useless for a few nuns to come. If they can't bring it back, it's all in vain!"
Who knew that just as he finished speaking, Miao Xiuju burst out laughing: "Ancestral inheritance? That's a good thing. It just so happens that your two sisters-in-law are here, you should have a good talk with them."
After hearing this, everyone turned around and saw that in the alley, the wife of Nie Lao Da and the wife of Nie Lao San were walking towards them with red eyes and full of hatred on their faces. They looked as if they could kill ten ants with one foot.
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