Why does Chapter 30 feel heavier and heavier?
Even the most good-natured Grandpa Chen and Grandma Xi were quite upset.
After lunch, the two took flashlights and trekked over mountains and valleys to reach the matchmaker's house, where they gave the matchmaker a good scolding.
“Wang Chunju, our two families have known each other for so many years. When your child was in school, he said he didn’t have money to buy books or go to school. My husband didn’t charge tuition, and he even bought the books for your child.”
"I taught them for several years, and even if I didn't do them any favors, I didn't make enemies of your family either, right? And what did you do to my family? Introducing a woman who wasn't divorced yet to my family—even if we were enemies, this wouldn't be the way to do it, would it?..."
Grandma Xi stood at the door of the matchmaker's house, cursing loudly; she was clearly furious.
Hearing the noise, several neighbors came out with their bowls to see what was going on.
The matchmaker explained, "I wasn't fooled by them, was I? The woman clearly told me she was divorced and wanted to find someone who would care for her, so I introduced her to your son..."
Before she could finish speaking, Grandma Xi interrupted her excitedly.
"Stop pretending with me. I've already checked. The woman is your brother's daughter. She's your own niece. I don't believe you wouldn't know!"
The neighbors finally understood what had happened.
Then, other families who had previously sent their children to study at Grandpa Chen's place chimed in to criticize the matchmaker.
“Chunju, what you’re doing is really not very ethical. Don’t you know your own niece’s situation? As the matchmaker and introducer, how could you not know this before the blind date?”
"Yes, yes, you really are..."
Knowing she was in the wrong, the matchmaker dared not utter a word.
She was also thinking that her niece was about to get divorced and had two children, so it would be difficult for her to find a husband in the future.
It just so happened that the Chen family asked her to be their matchmaker, so she simply arranged the marriage.
The Chen family members are all good-natured; at least her niece, who brought two children with her when she married into the family, wouldn't be bullied.
Despite all her careful planning, she never expected that a gossipy person would tell the Chen family that her niece was still married...
Now I'm in a bind, caught between a rock and a hard place.
After this incident, no one in Chen Fangyang's family pressured him to get married for a short period of time.
Because of this incident, Grandma Xi felt extremely guilty towards Chen Fangyang and made him cured meat for several days in a row.
Chen Fangyang ate without any restraint, his mouth covered in oil, showing no trace of his handsome demeanor.
In November, Shen Xuewei officially turned seven.
Her seventh birthday was uneventful. She went to get out of class, ate meals, and had a meal as usual. But before lights out, she opened her notebook with the combination lock that she hadn't opened in a long time and wrote a few words.
She turned seven, and gradually, after returning home on weekends, she would be allowed to go to the fields to do some work.
For example, weeding, fertilizing, and... harvesting corn.
The Chen family grows two crops of corn a year.
Spring corn is sown from late February to early March and can be harvested around June.
Autumn corn is planted in July or August and can be harvested around November.
The last time Chen Fangyang returned home, the corn planted by the Chen family had already been harvested, so he didn't need to go to the fields to carry the corn back.
However, this time, he couldn't escape it.
After breakfast, he was urged by his maternal grandfather to put on his backpack and the whole family of five went to the field to harvest corn.
As autumn arrives, the sun is no longer scorching hot; instead, it feels quite comfortable and warm on the skin.
The grass by the roadside was turning slightly yellow, and the leaves of the trees were also half yellow, occasionally falling from the trees.
As the autumn wind blows, a cool breeze seeps into your heart.
Shen Xuewei wore long sleeves and an overcoat that Chen Fanglan had worn when she was a child. She carried a small basket on her back and followed her grandparents to the fields.
After walking for about twenty minutes, we finally arrived at our destination.
Because she was young, Grandpa Chen and Grandma Xi didn't let her carry corn home one trip after another, fearing it would stunt her growth.
We brought her here mainly so she could pick corn in the field. The four adults would then carry the picked corn back together.
There are several cornfields in front of us, all planted by the Chen family.
It would take at least ten days just to harvest all the mature corn grown by the Chen family.
Corn has many uses in farming households.
Humans eat it occasionally, but it's mostly used to feed livestock.
After the Chen family's sow gave birth, they sold a few piglets and kept three to raise themselves.
These four pigs alone consume a lot of corn every day, not to mention that the Chen family also raises a lot of chickens and ducks in addition to pigs.
With Shen Xuewei's help in promoting the chickens and ducks, the Chen family's sales improved significantly compared to previous years, leading them to plan to raise even more.
The animals we keep at home consume a lot of corn every day.
Therefore, corn has always been the main crop grown by the Chen family.
Five people worked together to pick corn, and soon they had picked a bunch and put them in their baskets.
Granny Chen carried some of the load on her back and slowly walked home.
Grandpa Chen packed a basket and urged Chen Fangyang to carry it back first.
After waiting for a while, he and his grandmother carried a basket home.
Shen Xuewei kept picking corn at a steady pace, and soon all the corn in this field was picked and stored aside.
After a morning of hard work, the corn in several fields was still not harvested, but it was time to prepare lunch.
Shen Xuewei put some corn into her small basket, planning to go home and cook.
With her grandmother's help, she carried the basket on her back.
Grandma Xi asked worriedly, "Weiwei, is it okay? If not, Grandma will take some out."
Shen Xuewei felt the weight on her back.
It was a bit heavy, but still within her weight tolerance range.
She called out, "Okay, Grandma, don't worry. I'll go home with my second uncle first. When you come back, there will be food."
When she said it was okay, Grandma Xi took her hand off the basket and watched her leave.
Chen Fangyang walked in front, and Shen Xuewei followed behind.
After walking for about ten minutes, she gradually started sweating. The weight that she had felt she could bear before now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, as if a huge rock was pressing down on her.
Hearing Shen Xuewei panting heavily behind him, Chen Fangyang mocked, "Little Weiwei, you finally realize this job isn't easy, huh?"
"Sigh, I don't know why your grandparents plant so much corn all day long. I just took a look, and my shoulders are rubbed raw by the baskets they carry."
“You’re all so tired. When you get back and cook, don’t ask me for help. You can cook by yourself. Oh, and could you help your second uncle with the laundry these next couple of days? The work in the fields is just too exhausting. I won’t have the energy to do laundry when I get home…”
He kept talking incessantly ahead, while Shen Xuewei remained silent, only giving him a wistful glance before continuing on her way.
As they walked down a slope, she silently reached behind her and took out one ear of corn after another from her basket, placing them into Chen Fangyang's basket.
The weight on her back became lighter and lighter, while Chen Fangyang's basket, which was originally more than half full, gradually filled up.
As Chen Fangyang walked, he slightly raised the basket on his back, sensing that something was amiss.
"Why does this basket feel heavier and heavier?"
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