"Xuemei, our food is next to you!" He Wenting and He Jing said as they came over carrying a bag of food.
"Okay, you should leave someone here to watch over it before you move it. When you transport the food later, you should also leave someone here to guard it. You can take turns." Xuemei reminded.
He Wanting nodded to indicate that she understood.
After Liu's mother and the other three people carried the newly purchased grain over, the Liu family started transporting grain again.
During the last trip, Liu's mother stayed at home to look after the grain. When Liu's father returned with Xuemei, Ruirui, and Feifei, they saw Qingya and Liu Laizi fighting over a bag of grain.
Liu Laizi's father died of an illness when he was three or four years old, and his mother ran off with a peddler. Liu Laizi was raised by his grandmother, Grandma Li, a skilled pig farmer in the village. She now tended the village's ten pigs, plus one of her own. It was this same pig farming tradition that had raised Liu Laizi.
Liu Laizi's original name was Liu Nai. He was spoiled by Grandma Li since he was a child. He finished primary school at the age of fifteen or sixteen. He was lazy and only came to work when he had no choice but to do so during the summer and autumn harvests. Usually, he either took leave or ran to the toilet all the time during work. Seven or eight hundred work points a year were considered high. It can be said that now he is in his twenties and still relies on Grandma Li for support.
Many people in the village advised Grandma Li not to be so spoiled to Liu Laizi and to talk more about him. If a grown man doesn't go to work and be diligent every day, he won't be able to support himself when Grandma Li is gone, let alone think about getting him married.
But Granny Li refused to listen and scolded others for meddling in her affairs and deliberately destroying her grandson's reputation. She said her grandson was obedient and smart, so how could any girl not like him? Now Liu Nai was the leader of the idle people in the village. He often committed petty thefts, so the villagers called him Liu Laizi.
"Qingya, what's wrong?" Xuemei and Ruirui walked over and asked.
"Sister, Liu Laizi is trying to steal the educated youth's food!" Qing Ya said as she pretended to let go of the bag in her hand. Then, when Liu Laizi wasn't paying attention, she forcefully snatched the sack and placed it next to He Jing. He Jing protected the other food and looked at Qing Ya with gratitude.
Liu Laizi wanted to say something but his father glared at him and he quickly walked away.
Xuemei and the others saw that everything was fine, so they started loading the remaining food. Just as they were putting the last bag of food on the cart, they heard He Jing shouting from behind, "Don't take our food, Village Chief! Liu Laizi is stealing it again!"
When Qingya and Ruirui heard this, they chased after Liu Laizi back home. When Qingya came back with food and Ruirui caught Liu Laizi, Han Chen and the others also came back and knew what had happened.
"Liu Laizi, why are you stealing the educated youth's food?" Liu's father asked angrily.
"Village chief, don't accuse me. This is from my family. My grandma just dropped it." Liu Laizi said with a grin.
"No, it's our food. He had been sneaking around me before. I saw him doing this and wanted to slowly move all the food together, so he took the opportunity to steal half of our bag of food. But Qingya saw it and brought it back to me just now. Then, when you, Village Chief, were loading the food just now, he took away the half bag of food that I was holding while no one was paying attention!" He Jing said nervously.
After hearing this, Liu's father looked at Liu Laizi and gestured for him to admit his mistake and apologize, but Liu Laizi continued to argue, "If you say it's yours, then it's yours. You look so quiet and gentle, but I didn't expect you to have such a vicious mind. Just pretend to be weak and the food is yours."
"You scoundrel, we have evidence. Our surnames are sewn on our bags. Look, there is a word "He" sewn on the half bag of grain you just stole. It belongs to me and my sister." He Wenting said while standing in front of He Jing.
During the dispute between He Wenting and her sister and Liu Laizi, more and more people gathered at the threshing ground. Even the aunt who lived nearby and cooked at home came to watch the show with a knife in her hand.
When Liu Laizi heard this, his eyes rolled around, and then he said with a playful smile: "You know what? Your sister took a fancy to me and specially sent me food."
As soon as Liu Laizi finished speaking, the aunts around him began to chatter and discuss.
"Liu Laizi, only a young educated youth like you would be interested in you!"
"I think Liu Laizi is crazy about his wife, and he's so shameless as to bully the educated young He."
"That's not necessarily true. After all, Liu Laizi looks like his fickle mother, doesn't work often, has a fair complexion, and is very handsome. Perhaps the educated youth Xiao He would like a pretty boy like him."
…
Liu Laizi looked at He Wanting and her sister provocatively. He Jing's face turned red with anger, and she quickly shouted, "Liu Laizi is talking nonsense. I have nothing to do with him. He just wanted to steal our food and he won't admit it!"
"Liu Laizi, it's very clear now. Not only did you steal the food from He Zhiqing and the others, but you are still talking nonsense here. You are smearing the reputation of He Zhiqing and ruining the innocence of the young girl. You must explain it clearly to me and apologize to He Zhiqing and the others. If the village hears any gossip about this in the future, you will be the one to be held accountable." Father Liu said to Liu Laizi with a dark face.
Father Liu looked at the aunts and young wives who were still mumbling, patted the cart with his shoulder pole and said, "Everyone, be quiet and stop speculating. Liu Laizi, you should apologize to the educated youth Xiao He in front of the villagers."
Liu Laizi said with a deadpan face: "Village chief, what an aunt in the village said just now is right. I am good-looking. My fickle mother has no good qualities at all, but she gave me this face. Maybe the little educated youth He is like me, right? The little educated youth He's hands are so smooth and tender! It feels so comfortable to touch them!" After Liu Laizi finished speaking, he looked at He Jing with a look of aftertaste.
Zhou Bing and Han Chen quickly stepped forward to block He Wanting and her sister behind them.
"Liu Laizi, don't think that we educated youth are easy to bully. If you dare to bully our female educated youth, you should also see our fists. If you have the guts, come and fight. Don't say such ambiguous words to ruin the girl's innocence!" Zhou Bing said with his fists clenched. Han Chen looked at Liu Laizi with a cold face. Dai Dongfeng hesitated for a while and then stood up.
"Liu Laizi, stop talking nonsense here. Xiaojing usually spends all her time with her sister except when she goes to work with the aunts. If you continue to talk nonsense and flirt with hooligans, this matter won't be solved by a simple apology." Xuemei said threateningly to the stubborn Liu Laizi.
"Liu Xuemei, you work in the supply and marketing cooperative every day, what do you know? Don't come here and meddle in other people's business. The young educated youth He likes people like me, otherwise why would he let me touch his hand? Oh, it feels so smooth to touch, isn't it, young educated youth He?" Liu Laizi moved to a place where he could see He Jing and continued to talk nonsense.
"Liu Laizi, you are a toad who wants to eat swan meat. I tell you don't try to ruin my sister's innocence. If you keep talking nonsense, I will go to the Revolutionary Committee and let them deal with you!" He Wenting said angrily.
"Liu Laizi, it seems that you don't take my words as the village chief seriously. If you continue to act like this, you will go to the Revolutionary Committee to receive education." Liu's father walked in front of Liu Laizi and blocked Liu Laizi's obscene gaze at He Jing.
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