"I know, I know!"
The incessant chirping of cicadas at noon fell like waves across the bamboo forest, and dappled sunlight filtered through the layers of trees, adorning the backs of the people working in the mountains.
Xie Ming aimed carefully, raised his sickle, and forcefully chopped at the base of the bamboo. With each chop and kick, a bamboo stalk was felled. Wiping the fine sweat from his brow, he selected another stalk and easily cut it down.
After counting that there were enough bamboo stalks on the ground, Xie Ming tucked the sickle into the knife holder at his waist.
He was gathering these bamboos to build a shower room; he hadn't gone on a survival show in the modern world, but rather arrived in an ancient farmhouse.
This time, his identity is a bit hard to accept; to put it bluntly, he's a living, breathing sucker.
The story goes like this: In the southwestern part of the Great Wei Dynasty, there was a place where the north end of a river was to the east and the north end of a mountain was to the west, hence the name Liangbei Village (Two North Village).
There is a Xie family living in the village, with three generations living under one roof.
The Xie family's mother lost her husband early in life and raised two daughters and two sons on her own, barely managing to keep the family afloat.
Life only became easier after her daughter grew up and got married, and she also helped her son find a wife.
After her two sons got married, they gave birth to eight grandsons and six granddaughters. The Xie family, which had once been bullied, suddenly became a prosperous family.
With so many more sons in the third generation of the Xie family, four more thatched huts were built on the original site.
The eldest and second sons lived on the east and west sides, respectively, with their own children. Old Lady Xie lived in the middle room, so that her children and grandchildren on both sides could take care of her.
It is said that people's hearts are biased, and this old lady of the Xie family is no exception.
Her heart was not with her eldest son, who was supposed to take care of her in her old age, but entirely with her second son.
She didn't dare to openly offer any benefits to her family, but she secretly sent them to Xie Lao Er's family. Over time, not only did Xie Lao Da suffer losses, but his four daughters and two sons also suffered as a result.
Yes, of Grandma Xie's eight grandsons, only two were born to her, and Xie Ming happens to be the eldest.
Although he was the eldest son of the first wife, he was actually younger than the fifth son of the second wife because the eldest son of the Xie family had four daughters before him.
Xie Ming's life tragedy stemmed entirely from his cousin Xie Lei, the youngest son of the second wife, who was only half a year younger than Xie Ming.
Unlike other youngest children in families who are thin and small, Xie Lei was sturdy from a young age and taller and stronger than the average child. He loved to run around the village as a child.
Once, by sheer luck, I rescued an injured uncle at the village entrance. The uncle stayed at the Xie family's house to recuperate for nearly two years.
Out of gratitude, he took Xie Lei as his disciple and taught him martial arts. Under his guidance, Xie Lei mastered archery from a young age, becoming incredibly accurate.
With such skills, he naturally became the ideal son-in-law in the eyes of matchmakers.
Last year, she even married Li Xiaomei, the prettiest girl in the village, before Xie Ming. After she became pregnant, she volunteered to serve in the army.
He was indeed the most capable man in the family, but all the men were very grateful to him for standing up for them.
But life is unpredictable. Just as Li Xiaomei was about to give birth, news of Xie Lei's death came back.
Li Xiaomei was so devastated that she almost followed him in death, but she was pregnant with her unborn child, and the second wife stayed by her side to prevent her from taking her own life.
She cried at home every day, saying she couldn't live without a man, which made everyone feel guilty.
Seeing that she had no will to live, Old Lady Xie wondered if she could find someone to rely on so that she could continue Xie Lei's bloodline with peace of mind.
Once she had an idea, she started to consider which person would be the most suitable, and after searching around, she finally decided to focus on Xie Ming.
The reason is simple: Boss Xie listens to her the most.
Having made up her mind, she pulled the second couple behind the door and whispered to them as they left.
After Grandma Xie and the second wife made their own decisions, they announced the matter at home.
After hearing this, how could Xie Ming possibly be willing to marry his brother's widow?
The second couple were so afraid that Li Xiaomei would commit suicide and cut off their youngest son's lineage that they knelt and begged. Old Mrs. Xie stared at Xie Laoda with teary eyes.
Xie Laoda has never been able to stand up straight in front of his mother, and he can't resist agreeing as soon as she speaks.
Xie Ming's mother, Xie Jiangshi, immediately objected when she saw that the man had no backbone, but was beaten so badly by Xie the eldest son that she couldn't move.
Despite the opposition from the eldest son's family, the matter was settled.
Li Xiaomei was initially reluctant, but seeing the slight resemblance between Xie Ming and Xie Lei's faces, she finally nodded in agreement.
Xie Ming was thus forced by his own father and grandmother to marry Li Xiaomei.
Just a few days after their marriage, Li Xiaomei gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. The second couple were overjoyed and quickly registered the two children under Xie Lei's name.
Xie Ming reluctantly accepted his wife and her child, and could only maintain a cold and distant relationship with them.
Although the second wife took the grandson, she did not take on the responsibility of raising him, at most she would just occasionally send over a few eggs.
With two huge burdens weighing on him, Xie Ming could only reluctantly raise his cousin's children, carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders. He was hardworking and diligent, so the two little ones didn't suffer too much.
After giving birth, Li Xiaomei was no longer willing to maintain such a distant relationship with her new husband. She was a woman and also needed a man's love and care.
So she put aside her pride and tried to please Xie Ming, but Xie Ming was holding back his anger and completely ignored her advances.
Li Xiaomei couldn't discuss this at home, so she went back to her parents' home to ask for advice.
Her mother said that Xie Ming was a virgin who had never tasted the pleasures of a woman and therefore did not know how good women were. She said that once he had a taste, it would be hard to say who would be the one doting on whom.
Li Xiaomei and her mother whispered to each other for a long time. Finally, her mother handed her a packet of medicine powder and then smiled as she pushed her out of the house.
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