Chapter 37
Grandma Han: "I haven't heard anything. What happened to Mrs. Zhang?"
Grandpa Han said cheerfully, "Didn't Zhao Shiliu break a bone a few days ago and was taken to the hospital? The medical expenses were all paid by the Zhang family. Mrs. Zhang didn't want to pay for it, so she went to Zhao Shiliu's parents' house and made a scene, insisting that they cover the bill."
Grandma Han frowned. She had been in Qingzhu Village for two years and had never communicated with Mrs. Zhang. She had also seen Mrs. Zhang swearing twice, but she never thought that Mrs. Zhang would do such a thing. Some people really have no bottom line.
As she picked out the mushrooms, she said, "Zhao Shiliu's family will definitely not agree."
Grandpa Han: "That's right. I heard that Zhao Shiliu's bones were broken by Mrs. Zhang. She had a stomach bleed and almost died. Mrs. Zhang did it herself, and now she wants others to pay for it. There's no such thing as a beautiful thing in the world. Look, when Mrs. Zhang got there, she made a big fuss and was finally beaten out by the Zhao family with a shovel."
Grandma Han looked surprised. "Did they really kick her out?"
Nowadays, everyone is extremely concerned about reputation and values family relationships. Parents can beat their children to death without breaking the law, but if a child dares to hit their parents, they will be drowned in spit. When a distant relative suddenly comes to ask for money, everyone is annoyed, but everyone has to greet them with a smile, treat them to a night's sleep, and finally send them off politely. All this effort is just for the word "relative".
If the Zhao family really attacked Mrs. Zhang, it would mean that they no longer wanted to be relatives of the Zhang family, and they would not care about Zhao Shiliu either.
Grandpa Han replied calmly, "Of course, the news has spread throughout the surrounding villages. Mrs. Zhang limped back home, and now both villages know about her deeds. Alas, whenever I see their family in trouble, my heart is filled with joy. It's not for Jiujiu, who has only known them for a few days, so we don't have a deep hatred. I'm doing this for Fengjuan. Born into a family like this, she must have endured countless hardships in her life."
He still remembers when he, his wife, and Shengyi first arrived in Qingzhu Village. They were both skin and bones, their bodies shattered and their spirits utterly devastated. It was only with Shengyi's support that they gradually recovered. The villagers were afraid to approach them, these stinking old men. Only Zhang Fengjuan would secretly slip food to Grandma Han from the fields, helping them through those difficult times.
She was clearly not doing well herself. When she walked down the street, children would come up to her and make faces at her, calling her a slut. But the village gossip had no effect on her. No matter how difficult her situation, she could always find joy in her life. She went to work during the day and returned home at night to teach Chu Shao how to write. Grandpa Han always felt that Zhang Fengjuan had a magical power. Whenever he was near her, his own mood would calm down, and he would see everything as no big deal, and that everything would pass.
Before, Grandpa Han didn’t know how to describe this experience. Later, when he met Chu Jiujiu and experienced the same feeling, he finally got a taste of it.
Chu Jiujiu and Zhang Fengjuan have completely different personalities, but when Grandpa Han is with Chu Jiujiu, he also feels calm, a very happy calm, as if he has been pulled into Chu Jiujiu's own little world. In her world, there are also troubles and sorrows, but Chu Jiujiu is so optimistic that the troubles and sorrows have changed their taste and turned into optimistic troubles and sorrows, as if they can be solved soon and there is no need to worry at all.
This must be the benefit of being content.
The common point between Zhang Fengjuan and Chu Jiujiu is that they only focus on one thing, that is, family. In their hearts, they only need family. No matter whether they are rich or poor, how far apart they are, or whether their lives are rich or poor, as long as their family is still there, they will be satisfied and continue to live their own lives.
It would be great if I could do it myself...
After sharing the gossip with Grandma Han, Grandpa Han sighed, stood up, opened the cabinet door beside him, and took out the rusty hammer.
Okay, don’t think about all these trivial things, let’s make the new stool first.
…
At around five o'clock, Chu Shao came over with the cooked fish soup. Han Shengyi was sitting at home watching the fire. Grandma Han's secret braised fish was very dependent on the cooking time. It took at least two hours to cook this fish.
In addition to the fish, Grandma Han also steamed steamed buns, made a dish of spicy and sour potato shreds, and a dish of stir-fried white mushrooms. The fruits that the three children picked on the mountain in the morning were soaked in water. They had to soak them because grapes are very easy to get infested with insects, and soaking them would prevent this.
By this time, Xiao Ning's snacks were ready, and she also brought out a plate of pickled cabbage from the winter. Grandpa Song from next door couldn't cook, but he surprised everyone the most because he actually brought a bottle of white wine!
No one knew how he got this bottle of liquor, nor how long he had hidden it, but when he took it out, Chu Jiujiu swore that she saw Grandpa Han's eyes become as bright as light bulbs.
The bottle of liquor that Song Chaoxin brought was actually the most common Lao Baigan, which was sold for 60 cents per pound on the market. There were turbid impurities at the bottom of the bottle, but this was a cowshed, and even just a bottle of Lao Baigan could arouse everyone's appetite.
Grandpa Han hadn't tasted wine for two years. Deng Guoyuan was a reserved person, but his eyes, which were fixed on the wine bottle, betrayed him. Seeing this, Xiao Ning divided everyone into two teams. The drinking team went to Grandpa Han's house, and the team of women and children who didn't drink stayed at Xiao Ning's house.
Regardless of whether they were in the drinking group or the non-drinking group, the two rooms were tightly closed, not letting any of the laughter and joy inside leak out. The atmosphere outside was quiet, while inside there was laughter and conversation, and hot soup and warm wine.
It seems that no matter where they go, having a meal together is the best way to enhance the relationship between people. Chu Jiujiu ran onto Xiao Ning's bed after eating a few bites. She sat leaning against Grandma Han and looked through the sewing box that Xiao Ning placed on the bed. Grandma Han was talking to Xiao Ning and didn't notice that she and Chu Jiujiu were so close. In the intervals between chatting with Xiao Ning, Grandma Han did not forget to take care of Chu Jiujiu. When she saw her take out a thin needle from the sewing box, Grandma Han immediately took the sewing box away and pushed her shoulder, "Children are not allowed to play with needles. Go, go downstairs and eat your grapes."
Chu Jiujiu habitually made an "oh" sound, got down from the bed, picked up the grapes in the bowl, and ate two symbolically.
Her eyes were darting around. She had grown tired of eating grapes when she came down the mountain. She couldn't join in the adults' conversation. Chu Shao and Han Shengyi finished their meal, and without knowing who started it, they simply sat on the ground and started arm wrestling. Chu Jiujiu watched for a while, got bored, and prepared to go out to listen to the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl whispering.
Xiao Ning was the first to see her about to leave. She couldn't help but straighten up and asked, "Jiujiu, where are you going?"
When she asked this, everyone else in the room turned their heads. For a moment, Chu Jiujiu felt like she was being questioned by four parents, which made her extremely stressed. She hesitantly pointed upwards and replied, "It's too loud in here. I'll go out and see if I can hear what we're saying."
Grandma Han: “……?”
Xiao Ning laughed and waved at her, "Go ahead, don't go too far, just listen at the door."
Chu Jiujiu went out and closed the door. She could still hear Xiao Ning's explanation to Grandma Han in the room: "I told Jiujiu that on the night of Qixi Festival, you can hear the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl in the sky..."
…
It was getting dark outside. The sunset in the distance was extremely beautiful. The sky was burned by the afterglow of the scorching sun, leaving large patches of heavy orange. Chu Jiujiu admired it for a while, then pricked up her ears, trying to receive signals from the Milky Way.
Unfortunately, there was no reception. Chu Jiujiu suspected that the signal here was not strong, so she walked around the cowshed, stopping from time to time to see if there was any signal here.
After walking around in a circle, Chu Jiujiu didn't hear anything. She was a little disappointed. When she was about to go back to Xiao Ning's house, she suddenly found that there was an old man sitting in front of the Han family's door.
He sat on the simple recliner that Song Chaoxin often sat on, closing his eyes to rest. Judging from his face, Chu Jiujiu thought that this man should be in his early fifties, but his graying hair made people think he was already in his sixties.
Chu Jiujiu blinked and remembered that he was the "roommate" who lived in the same room with Song Chaoxin. His name was Fang Weiping, an elderly otaku who never went out except for going to work. Chu Jiujiu had been to the cowshed so many times, but today was their first formal meeting.
Chu Jiujiu tilted her head to look at Fang Weiping. Fang Weiping seemed to have sensed something and opened his eyes. The two looked at each other. If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move either.
…
Under Chu Jiujiu's gaze, Fang Weiping's expression gradually became strange, and he seemed a little nervous.
This made Chu Jiujiu unhappy. She was Chu Jiujiu, the Chu Jiujiu that everyone loved. Why would anyone get nervous when seeing her? She didn't eat people.
Because of this, Chu Jiujiu changed direction and decided not to go back. She took a step closer to Fang Weiping and smiled, showing a few small white teeth. "Grandpa Fang, why did you come out?"
Fang Weiping looked at her in silence for a long time before he finally spoke, "I'm thirty-seven."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Shocked face.
This is unrealistic. He looks so old, yet he's younger than Aunt Xiao?!
Fang Weiping never goes out, and Chu Jiujiu can't see him. At first, she didn't know there was such a person in the cowshed. Later, when she found out, she treated him as another taciturn old grandfather. She never asked others about Fang Weiping, and others didn't think of telling her, so now it's a big joke.
Fortunately, Chu Jiujiu was very strong mentally. After a second of silence, she calmly changed the subject, "Uncle Fang, why don't you drink with Grandpa Han and the others?"
Fang Weiping: "I don't drink."
Chu Jiujiu: "Well, I don't drink either. They don't let me drink because I'm still young. But when I grow up, I must try what wine tastes like."
Fang Weiping: "Very good."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Chatting requires give and take. Fang Weiping seemed to be a natural topic terminator. His answers were always just a few words long, leaving people unable to respond. Chu Jiujiu refused to believe it and insisted on having a good chat with Fang Weiping for a while. She took a few steps forward and put her hands on the armrests of Fang Weiping's recliner. She didn't notice that when she leaned over, Fang Weiping's whole body stiffened.
Chu Jiujiu looked up at Fang Weiping expectantly, "Uncle Fang, do you know why I want to taste the wine?"
Fang Weiping thought hard for a moment, "...to make up for today's regret?"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
"It's because of my name."
Chu Jiujiu looked helpless. "My name is Jiu, so I've always wanted to taste wine. Did you know, Uncle Fang, that my name has a story behind it?"
Chu Jiujiu often asks others this question, because 99% of people will answer that they don't know, and then Chu Jiujiu can proudly give them some scientific knowledge. Who would have thought that today she would encounter this 1%.
This time, Fang Weiping answered very quickly, without even needing to think. "I remember it was Mei Yaochen's 'Wine is empty, words are spread everywhere.' Not many people know this poem, but the person who gave you your name is quite knowledgeable. However, the poem is rather tragic, so it doesn't seem very appropriate for a name. What do you think?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at Chu Jiujiu, waiting for her answer. Chu Jiujiu half opened her mouth and was stunned for a long time, "Ah?"
Fang Weiping: “…”
Chu Jiujiu shook her head and changed the subject a little, "No, Uncle Fang, what does the poem you just recited mean, and Mei Yaochen, what is this?" It sounds familiar, is it Mead Johnson's sister brand?
Fang Weiping: “…”
It seems that this is not the poem.
Fang Weiping would have spouted off words one by one when discussing other topics, but when it came to his favorite poems, he became more talkative. Straightening his back, he slowly explained to Chu Jiujiu, "Mei Yaochen was a famous poet in the Northern Song Dynasty. The two lines I just read were written in his old age, when he was heartbroken after hearing of his friend's death. These two lines form the second couplet, meaning, 'I've filled my wine cup, but there's no one to drink from it; I've written a letter of longing, but there's nowhere to send it.'"
Chu Jiujiu nodded in sudden realization, "That's really unlucky."
Fang Weiping: “…”
It had been a long time since I'd discussed this with anyone. Fang Weiping became interested and asked, "So what's the story behind your name?"
Chu Jiujiu felt a little embarrassed. After hearing Fang Weiping's words, she had already realized how profound his knowledge was. Her previous behavior was purely showing off her skills in front of an expert, so she didn't dare to show off anymore. She answered honestly, "It's the first line from 'Drinking Alone Under the Moon, Part Two': If Heaven didn't love wine, the Wine Star wouldn't be in the sky. And then there's the line that goes, 'If Earth didn't love wine, there wouldn't be any Wine Springs on Earth.' Since Heaven and Earth love wine, loving wine is worthy of Heaven. My father gave me this name. He wanted me to be like the wine described by Li Bai, loved by everyone."
It was just a common parental wish. Fang Weiping wasn't particularly interested in it. He was more interested in Chu Jiujiu's father. "Is your father also a scholar?"
Chu Jiujiu shook her head. "No, he studied science and knew nothing about liberal arts. But he liked Li Bai, so he named me after a poem by Li Bai."
As they were talking, Chu Shao and Han Shengyi pushed the door open and came out. Hearing them say "Dad", Chu Shao walked over and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Chu Jiujiu turned around and saw that it was Chu Shao. She immediately pulled him over excitedly and said, "Speaking of names, Uncle Fang is amazing. He knows so many poems. Uncle Fang, can you tell me the story behind Chu Shao's name?"
Chu Shao was completely bewildered, while Fang Weiping had already begun to recite in a literary manner, "The moon rises and shines, the beautiful women are burning with fire. Shu Shao died young, and his heart is broken with worry."
No one understood what this meant. Chu Jiujiu was already eager to ask, "Uncle Fang, what do these sentences mean?"
Fang Weiping: "Ah, what a bright moonlight, illuminating your beautiful face, your graceful figure, touching my anxious heart!"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Han Shengyi: “…”
Chu Shao: “…”
Chu Shao's face darkened rapidly, and he looked like he was about to hit someone. Chu Jiujiu laughed dryly twice, grabbing Chu Shao's arm to prevent him from actually hitting anyone, while trying to smooth things over: "Uncle Fang, how about you change someone?"
Fang Weiping had gotten a bit carried away, spending every day in his small room, unable to even read a newspaper. He came from a prominent family, with several of his ancestors having passed the imperial examinations. He had been immersed in poetry since childhood. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he studied diligently, and after graduation, he stayed on to teach. His entire life had been spent with writing. However, since arriving in Qingzhu Village, he hadn't even touched a brush. Now, just hearing a child's praise filled him with elation, as if he were back in front of a university lecture hall.
Realizing that what he had just said was inappropriate, Fang Weiping quickly sat down and changed his words to something more reliable. "The Shao family is a family of successors and successors. The word 'Shao' has always meant inheritance. Chu Shao's parents probably wanted him to carry on the family legacy and carry it forward. This is inevitable. Boys have greater responsibilities and their parents have higher expectations. Girls don't have as many responsibilities. Your parents' greatest wish is for Chu Jiujiu to have a smooth life and be loved by everyone."
Chu Shao frowned, not understanding why they were talking about the stories behind names. His name was given by his mother, and Chu Jiujiu's name was given by her father. The two were born nearly sixty years apart, and had nothing to do with each other. How could it be related to the responsibilities of men and women?
Chu Shao had never been interested in such complicated and obscure things, but Chu Jiujiu liked it very much. She listened to it with admiration, and then pulled Han Shengyi over, "Uncle Fang, tell me more about Brother Shengyi!"
Before Fang Weiping could speak, Han Shengyi had already said, "Life is what I desire, and righteousness is what I desire. My father named me after this saying. It's not really an allusion; everyone knows it."
After hearing this, Chu Jiujiu immediately pestered Fang Weiping, asking him to tell her who said this and what it meant.
Grandma Han and Xiao Ning were sitting in the house when they heard voices coming from outside. Xiao Ning listened for a while and couldn't help but smile at Grandma Han, "Fang Weiping is telling stories to the children."
Grandma Han: "Isn't he reluctant to talk to people?"
After two years of living together in the cowshed, Fang Weiping had exchanged no more than ten sentences with Grandma Han. Xiao Ning explained, "Don't worry about it. He's just like that. He's afraid of strangers and acquaintances alike. He doesn't know how to socialize with people, but when it comes to academic matters, he's willing to talk a lot. Back in school, this personality always put him at a disadvantage. He was okay with students, but with school leaders, he couldn't get a word out. I only discovered this when I got here. Back then, I thought he was a complete eccentric, but who knew he was just not very good at talking?"
Xiao Ning, Deng Guoyuan, and Fang Weiping are all professors at the same university. Deng Guoyuan has the highest rank and is the head of the Department of Physics. Xiao Ning is a professor of the Department of French, and Fang Weiping is an associate professor of the Department of Chinese. In terms of knowledge, Fang Weiping is the most capable. Unfortunately, he is not good at scheming, and his professional title was not promoted until he was demoted.
After opening the door a crack, Xiao Ning saw Fang Weiping telling a story to Chu Jiujiu with his head down. He looked very excited, unlike his usual gloomy look. Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi were listening very attentively. Chu Shao was a little restless, but he still kept his patience and continued to sit aside.
After closing the door again, Xiao Ning returned to Grandma Han and mentioned what happened during the day. "I thought Jiujiu didn't like studying. In the afternoon, she told me that she didn't want to go to school."
Grandma Han nodded. "She also told me about this and asked me to persuade Chu Shao not to send her to school. This child always has so many ideas."
Grandma Han was clearly on Chu Shao's side; she also wanted Chu Jiujiu to go to school as soon as possible. Han Shengyi wasn't attending because their current circumstances didn't allow it; otherwise, Han Shengyi would have been there long ago. Xiao Ning pondered for a moment, but had a different opinion: "Schools aren't the same now as they used to be. Besides teaching people to read, they don't teach much else. Look at Jiujiu and the others; there's no one who can't read. Going to school or not, it doesn't really make a difference. Universities aren't running anymore anyway, so even if you get into high school, you're still just wasting time in school."
Sighing, Xiao Ning continued, "For people like us, this is how our lives will be, but the future of our children is uncertain. My daughter lives in the countryside, and I don't even know if she can read yet. Old Deng's parents are farmers, and I'm afraid they won't be able to spend money and keep her at home, only teaching her how to wash clothes and cook. When I think of this, I..."
Grandma Han only had one grandson, Han Shengyi, who was always around her. Naturally, she didn't understand how Xiao Ning felt. However, out of neighborly affection, she still offered a few words of comfort, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. No matter how much you worry, it's all in vain and useless."
It would have been better if Grandma Han hadn't said anything to comfort her. After she finished speaking, Xiao Ning felt even worse. Knowing that she had said the wrong thing, Grandma Han silently shut up.
When it was completely dark, everyone prepared to leave. Everyone tasted a little of Xiao Ning's cookies, but remembering they were made for Chu Jiujiu, they didn't eat much. In the end, there were only three cookies left, which Chu Jiujiu took home. Grandpa Han and Grandpa Song had eaten and drunk quite a bit that day, and lay in bed tipsy. Grandpa Han's smile never faded all night.
Grandma Han couldn't sit still. When she wasn't sleeping, she was always working, either cleaning the house or dealing with the remaining mushrooms. She picked up two shiitake mushrooms and removed the stems. Suddenly, Grandma Han raised her head and glanced at Han Shengyi who was sitting next to her washing clothes.
Xiao Ning said something right. This is how their lives are in this lifetime, but it is still unknown what the future will be like for these children.
Grandma Han seemed to be thinking about something. After a while, she lowered her eyes and continued to process the mushrooms in her hands.
It was a sunny day on Qixi Festival, but the night was pitch dark. The moon and stars were hidden in the thick clouds, unwilling to let any light shine through. Li Yan had just returned from town. As she entered the village, she accidentally stepped into a puddle. There was mud underneath the puddle, and Li Yan had to work hard to pull her shoe out.
So unlucky!
This morning, because Chu Jiujiu had spoken out loudly about her attempts to take advantage of her, Ma Wenjuan got angry, and she had no choice but to chase her down the mountain. In the past, Ma Wenjuan had gotten angry, but she'd lowered her stance and said a few kind words, and Ma Wenjuan would let it go. But who knew what had gotten into her today? She insisted on telling Ding Boyun about this, even if she begged for mercy.
Little did Li Yan know that Ma Wenjuan's anger was constantly accumulating, from countless small things that accumulated together, and today it exploded. Ma Wenjuan really couldn't stand it anymore, so she went to Ding Boyun and told him about Li Yan's daily evasion of labor, using villagers to help her with work, secretly eating from the kitchen, and many conflicts with villagers. Ding Boyun had long known that Ma Wenjuan and Li Yan had a bad relationship, but he didn't expect it to be so bad that he had to deal with it. Moreover, every one of Li Yan's actions was too much, and even Ding Boyun couldn't help but frown.
Ding Boyun called Li Yan out and criticized and educated her for the whole afternoon. At the end, Li Yan was crying. But that was not the end. Ding Boyun said he would write her performance in the report, and Li Yan cried even harder.
She felt that Ma Wenjuan and Ding Boyun had teamed up to bully her, but she didn't think there was anything wrong with what she had done. After returning to the educated youth site, she lay on the bed and cried for a while, then got up angrily and prepared to write a letter to her second uncle.
She wrote several pages of eloquent complaints about the brutality of the local people, how everyone from the team leader to the children bullied her, and how she was going to die if her uncle didn't save her. After finishing the letter, Li Yan gritted her teeth and took out two-thirds of her savings, intending to remit it all to her uncle.
It was around three in the afternoon when Li Yan went out. Not to mention how muddy and difficult the road was, the post office was almost closed when she arrived. She finally sent out the letters and remittances, but because she had no money, Li Yan could only come back hungry. The sky was getting darker and darker, she couldn't see the road clearly, and she fell several times. When she entered the village, there was no one on the road. Looking at the pitch-black surroundings, her heart began to pound.
Because she was afraid, Li Yan walked faster and faster, not noticing a dark figure appeared in front of her. With a bang, she collided head-on with the figure. In the darkness, she couldn't see who was standing opposite her. She only heard the figure curse, "You have no eyes!"
The voice is rough and unpleasant, as if it is still in the voice changing stage.
Knowing it was a boy from the village, Li Yan became bolder and retorted immediately: "You are the one who is blind. You have hurt me. Your whole family will have to support me!"
"you!"
The voice sounded even angrier, but Li Yan didn't want to pay attention to him. She continued walking forward. The boy behind her saw her leave, stood there for a while feeling frustrated, and finally went home.
After walking past two more houses, a teasing voice suddenly came from the darkness, "Li Zhiqing, come to my house. I won't hurt you, and I'm happy to support you."
The voice was vulgar and obscene. Li Yan looked around vigilantly. Coincidentally, the clouds passed by and the moon came out. Li Yan saw Chen Sanzhu standing by the wall, looking at her in a vulgar way.
Chen Sanzhu is an adult man. Li Yan has the courage to retort to the little boy, but she dares not say a word to Chen Sanzhu. She can only look at him with a timid look.
"What do you want to do? There are people everywhere here. The educated youth station is right in front. I am an educated youth. If you bully me, I..."
Chen Sanzhu suddenly laughed, imitating Li Yan's tone, "I bullied you, what can you do? My eldest brother is the deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee. Who dares to deal with me? Tell me."
As he spoke, he took a step towards Li Yan. Li Yan was frightened and immediately took two steps back, looking at him with horror, afraid that he would really do something. Seeing her expression, Chen Sanzhu immediately looked at her with disgust, "Nothing has happened yet, but you look so scared, it's boring. Don't worry, I, Chen Sanzhu, don't look down on a stupid woman like you."
He clicked his tongue and shook his head at Li Yan, "It's boring."
Then he really left. Li Yan was stunned for a moment, and then she came to her senses and ran back to the educated youth site. She opened the door of the dormitory and after entering, Li Yan poured herself a large jar of water.
Ma Wenjuan was sitting on her bed. Seeing her come back, she couldn't help but frown, "Where have you been again? You haven't been seen all night."
Li Yan didn't care about the quarrel between them during the day, and turned to Ma Wenjuan and said, "I saw Chen Sanzhu outside just now."
That second-rate guy?
It was late at night, and Li Yan was pretty, so Ma Wenjuan had to think, "He didn't do anything to you, did he?!"
"No." After answering, Li Yan continued to drink water.
Ma Wenjuan felt a little relieved, but still felt strange. "Doesn't he live in the west end of the village? How did he come to our side? Where did you see him?"
Li Yan pointed outside the door while drinking water, "Outside the courtyard of Goudan's house."
Upon hearing this, Ma Wenjuan calmed down. "Goudan's house is next to Captain Zhao's. Even if he wanted to do something to you, he wouldn't choose a place like that. Okay, stop scaring yourself."
Li Yan finished drinking the water and angrily threw down the enamel pot. "Who said I was scaring myself? You know what he told me—"
Li Yan suddenly shut up mid-sentence when she met Ma Wenjuan's puzzled gaze. She then remembered that they had a quarrel during the day, and she was still angry with Ma Wenjuan and Ding Boyun. She didn't want to talk to Ma Wenjuan. She even gave money to her second uncle today. It wouldn't be long before her second uncle would send her back to the city. When that happened, she would be so envious of Ma Wenjuan again.
Thinking of this, Li Yan snorted coldly, turned around and went to get some water to wash her face.
Ma Wenjuan: “…”
What's wrong.
Li Yan's mood gradually recovered, but the boy she bumped into today was still in a state of shock after returning home.
He returned to his own yard, kicked over the broom at the door, and walked into the room angrily. His mother saw him, wiped her hands, and came over to ask, "Did you deliver it?"
The boy remained silent for several seconds after she asked. Her patience ran out, so she reached out and slapped the back of his head. "I'm asking you a question, are you mute?"
The boy, Guo Youtian, grimaced in pain, but didn't dare to answer: "No, I went to the cowshed and saw several people chatting outside. Mom, you said we couldn't let others see, so I came back."
Guo Youtian is one of the people living in the west end of the village. His family rarely goes to the team headquarters and has little contact with villagers from other places. His father is Guo Heizi and his mother's surname is Chen. Everyone usually calls her Heizi's wife or Aunt Guo. Guo Youtian is the eldest son of the Guo family. He has a younger sister named Youmian and a younger brother named Youliang.
They are all typical farming names.
After saying this, Guo Youtian took out the money from his pocket and returned it to his mother. It was a thick handful of small change, but in fact, each of them was only one or two cents. It looked like a lot, but the total was only seven or eight yuan.
When Auntie Guo took it, the first thing she did was to count them all to prevent Guo Youtian from hiding a few of them.
Guo Youtian rolled his eyes when he saw this. At the same time, he complained to his mother, "Mom, why do we keep giving money to the Han family? The Han family is full of stinking ninth graders and has nothing to do with our family. If someone sees us one day, where will I put my face? I don't want others to know that I know the people who live in the cowshed."
Aunt Guo scolded, "Do you think I want to give it to them? It's your father who insisted on giving the good money to their family. With this money, I can buy you three another set of clothes. Youmian has been wanting a new skirt for a long time, but your stubborn father just won't be willing to spend the money!"
When he heard about new clothes, Guo Youtian immediately stood up and urged, "Then Mom, let's not send them money. Let's hide the money. If Dad asks, we can just say we've already sent it. Anyway, he's just like me, and we don't dare talk to the Han family. Let's go and make new clothes secretly. The Han family can't leave the cowshed, and they won't come to ask us."
Aunt Guo laughed sarcastically, "Ask for information? Give them some courage."
She listened to her son's words, but looking at the money in her hand, she hesitated for a moment and still shook her head, "No, if your father finds out, not only you, but also me will be in trouble."
Guo Youtian wanted to say something else, but Aunt Guo didn't want to argue with him anymore. "Okay, stop talking nonsense and go back to your room."
Guo Youtian was unwilling, but he had to go back to the house. Guo Heizi had not come back yet, and Aunt Guo was looking after a table full of leftovers and a pile of money, feeling very annoyed.
God knows how much she wanted to keep the money. Guo Heizi had already embezzled the money. Every time a remittance came from the capital, he would take the lion's share and give the Han family the rest. Since he had already embezzled the money, why not just take it all? The three members of the Han family had cried out to the sky and the earth in the village, but no one could get them to give a cent. What could they do?
Moreover, this money was different from the money Zhao Shiliu had swallowed. Every time it was remitted, the recipient's name was written as her husband, Guo Heizi, and he had no apparent connection to the Han family. Such a good opportunity, but her husband was so timid.
Alas, she shouldn't have married into the Guo family. It's so frustrating to be with a man who has no future and no courage!
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