Zhao Yunxiang took Zhou Yuanyuan back to Zhoujia Village. Only two men, Zhao Qingshan and Wen Ziqing, were left in the Zhao family, and the family suddenly became much quieter.
Thinking of how Zhou Yuanyuan had waved to Zhao Qingshan without a care in the world before leaving, forgetting about him, Wen Ziqing felt a surge of bitterness in his heart. His heart was filled with the little girl, but his little girl didn't care about him at all!
On the first day Zhou Yuanyuan and her friends left, Wen Ziqing wondered: Will Yuanyuan still be bullied by her cousins after returning to Zhoujia Village? (When Yuanyuan was playing with Xiaocao, she mentioned that she was often bullied by Zhou Miaomiao and Zhou Meimei at Zhou's house, and Wen Ziqing secretly overheard it.)
Yuanyuan is in Zhoujia Village. Does she miss him? Wen Ziqing thinks about the little girl every day, and in his heart, of course, he hopes that Zhou Yuanyuan also thinks about him all day long.
After enduring for a few days, Wen Ziqing couldn't bear it anymore. Taking advantage of the convenience of going out to exercise his legs and feet, Wen Ziqing spent almost two hours running from Zhaojiagou to Zhoujia Village.
Feeling embarrassed to appear in front of Zhou Yuanyuan so openly, Wen Ziqing saw the big sycamore tree in Zhou's family and, in a fit of excitement, became a "peeping boy".
At this moment, Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhao Yunxiang were fast asleep in their room. The dozens of kilograms of fish balls they'd made today weren't a lot, but time was tight, so Zhao Yunxiang and her daughter both worked incredibly hard. After Zhao Guohui left, the aftereffects of sore hands and back pain slowly set in. As soon as they lay down on the bed, both mother and daughter fell asleep.
Zhou Jiasheng also bustled around, lighting the fire and carrying firewood. This was far more than he normally did, and he was feeling a little tired. He lay in bed for a while, then gradually fell asleep to the gentle snoring of his mother and sister.
Wen Ziqing, who was on the tree, could not see the situation in the room. He heard three subtle and long breathing sounds coming from the west wing, and knew that Zhao Yunxiang, her mother and son should have fallen asleep.
Seeing that it was already past noon, Wen Ziqing thought of Zhao Qingshan who was still waiting for him at home. He glanced at the window of Zhou Yuanyuan's house reluctantly, then jumped up and went far away in a few jumps.
From the beginning to the end, Zhou Yuanyuan had no idea that Wen Ziqing had stayed in her backyard for so long. Even if she knew, she probably wouldn't have thought that Wen Ziqing was there to see her.
Who made Wen Ziqing have such a cold, expressionless face all day long? Zhou Yuanyuan said she had been puzzled by the profound question of whether someone liked someone or not just by looking at their face, regardless of their tone of voice.
When Zhao Yunxiang, her mother and her two children woke up, the sun had already set.
Remembering that she still had things to do, Zhao Yunxiang hurriedly prepared dinner, took a few bites herself, told Yuanyuan and her brother not to run around at home, and then walked towards Aunt Qiuju's house.
Night had gradually fallen over Zhoujia Village. To save money on electricity, many villagers had gone to bed after dark. With the exception of a few more affluent households who kept their lights on, the entire village was practically plunged into darkness.
Zhao Yunxiang, clutching a flashlight, trudged along, making her way to Aunt Qiuju's house. Back then, flashlights were considered a luxury item. A few batteries cost fifty cents, and they needed replacing every few days. Ordinary farmers wouldn't use such an expensive item.
The flashlight in Zhao Yunxiang's house was brought back by Zhou Zhixin when he went home to visit his relatives last time. Zhou Zhixin had lived in Zhoujia Village for so many years, so he naturally knew that flashlights were very useful at night.
Back then, toilets were located outside the house. A wooden barrel would be placed inside, and when someone got up at night, they would relieve themselves in the barrel. If someone in the family had diarrhea or something, they would have to go to the toilet outside. At this time, a flashlight, which was more convenient and simple than a torch, could be of great use.
Even so, in the entire Zhoujia Village, there were no more than ten households with flashlights. You know, there was plenty of pine wood for lighting torches in the mountains of Zhoujia Village. As long as the villagers were not lazy, they could go up the mountain and cut pine branches for half a day to provide enough for their families to light torches for several months.
The idea of old ladies in the countryside is: if you can use something free, you should use it. Flashlights are too expensive and a waste of money!
If Zhao Guohui hadn't been so urgent, Zhao Yunxiang wouldn't have gone out after dark. Women are naturally timid, and facing the pitch blackness, they subconsciously fear. Zhou Zhixin wasn't home. If Zhao Yunxiang lit a bright torch and walked around the village, many people would see her, and who knows what would happen tomorrow. For the sake of her family's reputation, Zhao Yunxiang didn't dare to take the risk.
Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhou Jiasheng both offered to accompany Zhao Yunxiang, but Zhao Yunxiang refused. There were still over twenty pounds of fish balls in the small kitchen. What if Wu Jinfeng went in to check if their mother and daughter weren't home?
With Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhou Jiasheng around, Wu Jinfeng would be more cautious and wouldn't do something shameless like walking in and slamming someone in front of them. Furthermore, with Zhou Chunping in the county seat today, Wu Jinfeng no longer had anyone to control her. If she saw Zhao Yunxiang and her son weren't home, she might get carried away and do something.
Zhou Miaomiao's daily behavior was a carbon copy of Wu Jinfeng's. She'd throw tantrums, curse, rummage through other people's things, and grab anything she found that was good for her... Every single one of these things was taught to her by Wu Jinfeng through words and deeds.
Zhou Yuanyuan thought about it and decided that with Wu Jinfeng being a time bomb, someone really needed to stay home. Zhou Jiasheng was worried about his mother and even more worried that his younger sister would be bullied by Zhou Miaomiao and the others at home alone, so he had to stay home as well.
Zhou Yuanyuan wanted to persuade Zhou Jiasheng to go out with Zhao Yunxiang, but before she could get a result, Zhao Yunxiang had already left in a hurry.
Zhou Yuanyuan sighed and had no choice but to accept this arrangement. Fortunately, Aunt Qiuju's house was not far from Zhao Yunxiang's. It was only a few minutes' walk north along the main road.
In Zhoujia Village, Aunt Qiuju was one of the few sources of warmth Zhao Yunxiang found. She was a righteous woman with a strong hatred for evil. In the eight years Zhao Yunxiang had been married to the Zhou family, she had spoken well of her in the village.
If it weren't for the kindness of Aunt Qiuju and Aunt Li, Zhao Yunxiang's next-door neighbor, Zhao Yunxiang's life in Zhoujia Village would have been even more difficult. After all, the two Zhou sisters-in-law and Wu Jinfeng would never speak well of Zhao Yunxiang in front of outsiders. If it weren't for Aunt Qiuju and Aunt Li's outspoken words, Zhao Yunxiang's image in Zhoujia Village might have been tarnished by Wu Jinfeng.
Aunt Li has many sons, all of whom are filial to their wives. She also has many grandchildren, from newborns to those running around naked, and there are more than a dozen of them, big and small. With so many grandchildren, Aunt Li is always there to help out. If any of her wives is too busy, she'll help out with the kids, cooking, and other things, keeping her busy all day long.
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