Chapter 45
"So what happened to Xu Dapao who was in charge of the reservoir?" It's no pity if such an irresponsible person dies.
"It was withdrawn. They also fined him twenty yuan. The secretary gave the money to your wife as a reward. I wonder if Xu Dapao will bear a grudge against her?"
Li Zhongxia hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said nonchalantly: "Don't worry about him. He is an irresponsible villain, and you can't do anything if you hate him. Besides, I am here, and I will never let my wife be bullied under my nose."
"That's right. Even if it's Gu Yan himself, he wouldn't dare to bully her. My daughter-in-law is so strong that she's not afraid of being beaten to death by a rolling pin. Just come at me."
"Mom, why do you start yelling about fighting? You got infected by your daughter-in-law."
"Haha, your wife hasn't fought with anyone for years. I'm just venting my anger. I've been tolerant all my life, and now I'm old, I feel a little aggrieved. If I could be young again, I would also like to be like Gu Yan, doing whatever I want without worrying about this or that."
"You are just an old man showing off his youthful enthusiasm!"
"What does that mean? You're saying I'm like a child?"
"yes!"
"You are indeed a married couple. You always say the same thing. Your wife once said I was a child."
"That shows that my wife has good vision and accurate judgment."
Seeing her son's eyes soften and his face full of smiles when he talked about his wife, the old lady finally put her mind at ease. It can be said that these two were forced together by them, and she was really afraid that her arrogant son would be dissatisfied with his daughter-in-law.
"Leilei, do you want to pee?" Li Zhongxia turned around and saw the little guy moving back and forth on the kang, feeling uneasy but not saying a word.
"No. Dad, my legs are itchy."
Li Zhongxia had come over to the west kang where the child was and was carefully observing his plastered leg.
"Mom said using a fan to ventilate the room would help, but I'm so tired I don't want to fan."
"The sunlight is weak now. Can Daddy carry you outside to get some fresh air?"
"good."
I put the rocking chair outside, put the child on it, and gave him the comic book I bought in the provincial capital. "Read it yourself, and ask dad if you don't understand anything."
"Yeah." The little guy can't read, but the little people on it are very interesting, doing various actions. What are they doing? Oh, there are words below. I'll guess first, and then ask if I can't guess.
The old lady wanted to do some needlework and refused the suggestion of going out for some fresh air. Li Zhongxia forcibly carried him out and placed him on a chair. This wheelchair was bought by him. It is not as flexible as those in later generations. Nowadays, there are dirt roads everywhere, and even the brick floor at home is not easy to control. That’s why the old lady doesn’t sit very often.
"You kid, I still have needlework to do, why are you getting it out for me?"
"I want you to get some fresh air. It's not good to stay cooped up in the house all the time!"
The old lady's words seemed to be scolding, but in fact she was very pleased with her son's considerate behavior. This child has been sensible since he was young, and as the eldest son, he has a strong sense of responsibility. Since he came back, he has been serving everyone by himself and never asks anyone else to do it. Talking about fulfilling one's responsibilities as a son of man is by no means an empty talk.
After settling the two disabled people, Li Zhongxia checked the time and went to the kitchen to cook. The daughter-in-law and her three daughters could go directly home in a large horse-drawn carriage. He didn't pretend to be attentive when accepting the job. He just wanted to do the job well.
A neighbor who had just got off work wanted to ask if Gu Yan had returned from receiving the award, but when he came in he saw him cooking. Wang Xiaomai couldn't help but shake his head in admiration.
"City men are so different from country men! They cook for their wives when they are not at home. If I were not at home, my four grandpas would starve to death."
Li Zhongxia smiled and said nothing. Aunt Li at the side said, "It's all because of habit. When I was able to move, your uncle didn't know how to do housework. Now that I can't move, he has learned it all."
"That's different. My uncle is such a good man. My man can't compare to him. Last year, I fainted due to anemia and lay on the kang for a day. We relied on the help of relatives in the village to get through it. If I lie down and can't get up, I don't know if other men will starve to death, but I will definitely starve to death."
"Hahaha..." The woman in the west room laughed so hard that she doubled over. "You're right. It's the same in our family. When the broom falls over, no one will help. If you expect someone to cook for you, it's better to hang yourself by the neck with a rope. Otherwise, it's too painful to starve to death."
The two women complained one after another, and in this environment, Old Mrs. Li couldn't help but miss her husband very much. The man she found is really good compared to the people around her. Good temper, good nature, hardworking and loves children. He took care of her tirelessly after she became paralyzed. Not to mention beating and scolding, I rarely say harsh words to her, for fear that she might get suspicious.
Gu Yan came in holding Niu Niu and heard everyone's complaints from a distance. No need to guess, Li Zhongxia must have come back and is helping her with housework, probably cooking.
You know what, I feel pretty proud to be the envy of so many people of the same sex! It turns out that I am so superficial, no different from ordinary women.
She greeted her mother-in-law and asked the children to sit on the steps to rest while she went to the kitchen with a basin to fetch water. Li Zhongxia was kneading corn dough with both hands, shaping it into lumps and cooking it into millet porridge.
"When did you come back? How is Dahua doing in school? Is she on the gymnastics team or the track and field team?"
"Gymnastics. The coach said she is very flexible and it's not too late to practice now. She is a good candidate for gymnastics. There are four people in a dormitory, which is quite spacious. There is heating in the room, and each person has a bed, a wardrobe and a desk. There are two hours of cultural classes every day."
Gu Yan nodded and finally felt relieved. Dahua has been learning martial arts from her for more than four years. Emei Kung Fu emphasizes softness, gentleness, and body flexibility. Nowadays, martial arts are declining, so engaging in sports is a good choice. Winning a competition can give people a strong sense of honor. Being recognized by the world will also increase personal happiness.
"Wife, why can't I smooth out this lump? It's not as pretty as what Xiaohua and you made, and I guess it won't taste as good as yours."
"It's okay. I don't mind. I'm already very satisfied with a man who cooks for me. If I ask for anything else, I'm afraid God will strike me down. Where can I find such a considerate and gentle husband?"
She was joking and didn't notice that she used a word from later times. Li Zhongxia blushed at her funny tone. Just as she was glad that he wasn't paying attention, the man spoke.
"What do husband and lover mean? Where did you learn these words? Why haven't I heard of them before?"
Gu Yan was speechless and didn't know how to justify himself. In the past, she used a lot of random words when she was talking to people, and she also mentioned words that only appeared in later generations, but no one ever asked her.
Because they either cannot read or know only a few words and have only a vague understanding of these things, and they are afraid that asking questions will make them appear uneducated and expose the fact that they are illiterate.
Anyway, I knew from his expression that he was being scolded, and there was no way I could have misunderstood it. It would be fine if you don't understand a foreign language at all, but this kind of half-understanding is fine. The more angry people are, the more they jump up and down. It was as if he was mocking them for being stupid and not even understanding what they were saying. The kick was directed straight at my heart and I couldn't say anything.
But Li Zhongxia was different. He had studied in a private school for many years and had participated in the War of Liberation and the Korean War. He would definitely ask questions about things he didn't know.
"It's a name in the south, I forgot where it came from." She giggled and tiptoed to kiss him, "It means lover."
After the woman finished flirting, she ran away with the water, leaving the man alone there with his cheeks burning and his heart pounding. The last six words were like ripples in the lake of my heart, echoing in my ears again and again.
It means lover = You are my lover, I love you.
This woman really refreshed his cognition time and time again. In his more than 30 years of life, the women he met, whether they were gentle and shy or strong and career-oriented, some were generous or shy in front of love, but none of them was as bold as her in flirting again and again.
I imagine that women who do this are thick-skinned and men will be impatient and annoyed. But every time he was teased, he would blush and his heart would beat fast, like a newlywed young man, helpless but mostly happy.
"It's a case of one willing to fight and the other willing to be beaten."
A short separation is better than a new marriage. After the exercise in the evening, the seductive little devil lay on top of him and explained like this when he said she was thick-skinned.
"It seems that being heart-stirring and being annoying are two extremes, but in fact, they may be the same in the first place. The result depends entirely on the relationship between the teaser and the teased. If you like someone, you will be flirting, but if you don't like someone, you will be annoyed and impatient."
The words coming out of her rosy little mouth seemed to make sense. Li Zhongxia nodded and admitted that she was the one who liked to be teased.
Then the woman smiled sweetly, ruffled her long hair charmingly, and lowered her head to kiss him. This kiss was hot and passionate, with a heat that seemed to burn everything.
"Do you like it?"
"I like it." Both of them were panting, and the man suddenly turned over and pressed her under him. It is better for men to take the initiative in this matter. It is fun to be pressed by his wife once in a while, but if it happens too often, where will his dignity as a man be put?
The red waves are rolling and the room is full of spring love. The two of them were doing the most primitive exercise passionately but restrainedly, for fear of disturbing the baby sleeping nearby.
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Festival which has been passed down since ancient times. On the 15th day of July, the gates of hell open and every household burns paper. Invite the ancestors back home early in the morning, burn incense and place offerings, and the whole family kneels down and kowtows.
At around ten o'clock in the morning, Li Bailu came with a basket and her child. The local custom is that daughters visit their parents’ graves, but daughters-in-law are not required to go. That is why on this day all older women go back to their parents’ homes, except those whose parents are still alive. People in later generations have some understanding of who should be filial to their parents.
"They're being offered in the main hall. Do you need a plate or something to put the things you brought?" These are offerings for their deceased father, so one cannot be polite.
"Well, sister-in-law, please get a plate. I brought some pancakes for Dad, which was his favorite food when he was alive."
"Okay, wait."
Gu Yan actually also prepared a plate of scallion pancakes. The two portions are placed one on the left and one on the right, which is considered the filial piety of the daughter-in-law and daughter. The two women lit incense again, knelt down and kowtowed. Leaving the mother and daughter to talk, Gu Yan went out to pour water and wash clothes. The team finally had a break, so I took the opportunity to take off the children's quilt covers and wash them.
Li Zhongxia fetched some water and poured it into the basin for her. The jar was already full, so he went to pick up another load and put it in the yard for use. "Let me wash it, and you can go play with the children."
"No, we have to dig up the soil of the beans and melons in our private plots, level the ground and add some fertilizer to prepare for planting cabbages and radishes. If we delay any longer, they may not grow well."
"I see. Then I'll go to my private plot." The man said and went to pick up the hoe on the kang. When they got to the street gate, his wife yelled again: "Don't pull up the pumpkins and squashes. They need to wait until late autumn to grow well and can be stored over the winter."
"I know." The man turned around and smiled helplessly at his wife: "I also grew up in the countryside, I can do farm work well."
Gu Yan smiled and waved his hand: "Then hurry up and finish all these today. Weed at the same time, because we have to go to work again tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
He walked away, leaving only Gu Yan's hearty laughter in the yard. Li Bailu in the room looked out the window and spoke to her mother in disbelief.
"Is this really my brother? He's actually joking with his wife."
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