Chapter 71: There's a Backdoor to This
Shen Zhiyi didn't expect Zheng San to be so serious when he was telling the truth. But as soon as she finished praising him in her heart, Zheng San started rambling about his experiences outside, and the meeting in front of the ancestral hall became unusually lively.
She turned to look at the village chief, who was listening with great interest.
Since she wasn't worried about disturbing the ancestral tablets, she didn't object. She carefully approached the village chief with the three heads and casually asked, "Grandpa Village Chief, if I were to adopt a younger brother and give him his surname, how would I do it? Would I have to write it in the family genealogy?"
"Hmm?" The village chief finally came to his senses and looked down at the three-headed boy beside him. Although he had a good impression of the boy, he still felt that some things were being underestimated. So he said to Shen Zhiyi, "Girl, let's go over there and talk."
This means I want to speak to someone alone.
Shen Zhiyi silently followed the village chief to the outside of the ancestral hall. After noticing that no one else was around, the village chief said softly, "Girl, you need to think this through. What's the deal with this suddenly appearing younger brother? Your family is currently building a new house, the wasteland will be officially deed in a few years, and there's also Jigong Mountain... all of which you earned yourself. Are you going to share them with that younger brother?"
“I understand Grandpa Village Chief’s worries, but I believe San Tou won’t…” Shen Zhiyi’s words were cut off by the other end, who said urgently, “I won’t take anything that my sister earns. I will earn it myself.”
Upon seeing the three figures approaching, the village chief's expression darkened for a moment, but he didn't show it too much in front of the younger generation. He slowly said, "Since you've heard what we said, as Shen Yatou's elder, I should think more about her. This matter of registering her name is a big deal, and we older generation should wait a few more years before making a decision."
“Yes, I have no problem,” the three-headed man said firmly.
After Shen Zhi finished discussing the serious matter, she softened her tone and said, "Since you're calling me 'elder sister,' it should be fine to say that my surname is Shen, right?"
The village chief nodded solemnly. He knew very well that announcing the family name and recording the family genealogy were two different things.
It wasn't until dinner time, when people came to call them back, that these people reluctantly left.
"San Tou, come on, let's go back to eat with Third Brother." Zheng San greeted San Tou. "Look, it's no use looking at Sister Shen. She's staying at Ge Niu's house for now."
In the short time it took Zheng San to arrive in the village, he learned about the major and minor events in the village and took the three heads away with him in a very natural way.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Ge Niuwen stood quietly outside the crowd. Her quiet demeanor was hardly noticeable, and Shen Zhiyi and she walked slowly down the road.
After a period of deliberate training and nutritional supplementation, Shen Zhiyi's night vision has recovered, so she can see the sneaky figure more clearly than anyone else. She casually pulled out a tree branch from the roadside and pulled Ge Niu with her other hand to hide in the shadow of the fence next to them.
Seeing that no one was around, Ge Niu asked softly, "What's wrong?"
There was an inexplicable excitement in his voice.
“There’s someone outside Huaya’s house,” Shen Zhiyi whispered back. Turning her head, she saw Ge Niu pick up a large rock from the corner of the wall and reach for it with even more practiced ease than she had.
To avoid alerting the other side, they walked in the shadows, and the occasional passersby on the main road actually lowered their guard.
Without saying a word, Ge Niu swiftly smashed a rock into the back of the other person's head. However, the force might not have been enough, causing the other person to cry out in surprise. Shen Zhiyi shouted even faster, "Catch the thief!"
Old Tang, who was closest, rushed over from his house with a hoe and started slamming the hoe forward without saying a word. His strength was far beyond what Ge Niu could match. All that could be heard from the other side was someone saying, "Uncle, uncle, I'm not a thief, I'm here to find someone."
The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Shen Zhiyi looked over and said uncertainly, "Ge Ermazi?"
"Hey! Hey, it's me!" Ge Ermazi said as he ran away with his head in his hands. "Uncle, uncle, we're all on the same side, please don't hit me."
Old Tang suspiciously put away his hoe, but immediately stood in front of Shen Zhiyi and Ge Niu, protecting them behind him. He pointed at the dark figure and said, "Come out here and let me see who it is."
The figure in the shadows had no choice but to comply, saying as he walked, "I have important business to discuss with her; she's a very kind person."
As he spoke, Ge Ermazi's face gradually revealed his true feelings, and he looked very aggrieved.
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but guess what was going on, and said with a forced smile, "Who are you looking for?"
Ge Ermazi's eyes darted around, and seeing that the hoe had already been picked up, he hurriedly said, "I need to see that... that auntie who makes and sells things."
Old Tang put down his hoe and said with displeasure, "Why come during the day if you have something to do? What are you doing here at night? Be careful you don't get beaten up! Come with me."
"Huh? With you..." Before Ge Ermazi could finish his hesitant words, Old Man Tang casually waved his hoe handle and immediately changed his mind, "Alright."
After Ge Ermazi was led into the courtyard by Old Man Tang, Shen Zhiyi led Ge Niu back with a half-smile. Fortunately, nothing too big happened, otherwise it would have been another big misunderstanding.
"Is something the matter?" Ge Niu asked, full of curiosity.
"No. No," Shen Zhiyi hurriedly denied.
Knowing how Ge Niu's gossipy nature would burn, thankfully she arrived at Ge Niu's house quickly. Hearing what Uncle Sanquan and Aunt Chen had to say, Ge Niu had no choice but to continue playing the quiet one.
As for Ge Ermazi, he was immediately stared at by Old Man Tang as soon as he entered the courtyard. He dared not look around at all until two figures came over. He smiled and met their faces, but after looking around, he still couldn't see the woman he was longing for. He also had to deal with the voices in front of him.
"Hey, it's you, young man! Have you sold all those little items?" Aunt Zhao said with delight.
"No..." Ge Ermazi's voice trailed off abruptly. If he said no, he would have no reason to come here. He could only change his words and say, "It's sold out, and it's very popular. My friend is overjoyed."
"That's good! That's good!" Aunt Zhao beamed, glancing smugly at Old Man Tang. At the same time, she reached out her hand to Ge Er Mazi, and seeing that he didn't understand, asked, "Where's the money?"
Ge Ermazi patted himself down in a serious manner, then said, "I forgot to bring it! Auntie, I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
"No rush, why don't you... stay at Zheng San's house for the night, and I'll take you there tomorrow," Aunt Zhao said happily, having already made arrangements for Ge Er Mazi. "Wait for me tomorrow, wait for me!"
Seeing this, Old Man Tang could only lead Ge Ermazi towards Zheng San's house. He noticed that Ge Ermazi's eyes were darting around, and he felt that Ge Ermazi was not a good kid.
However, he was never one for many words, so he could only try to block the restless gaze. Finally, he said to the bewildered Zheng San, "San'er, this is the person who sells trinkets to your Aunt Zhao. He'll be staying here tonight. If you find it troublesome..."
Having seen the world, Zheng San knew exactly how to handle this situation and said, "No trouble at all! No trouble at all! I've troubled you all a lot before, this person can stay at my house!"
Seeing that the hot potato had been thrown away, Old Tang breathed a sigh of relief, but still whispered a reminder: "He's a bit dishonest, be careful."
"Okay, I got it," Zheng San replied softly.
Zheng San's family built three rooms, intending to house their family of four. So, two rooms were equipped with kang beds. He looked at Ge Er Mazi with a grin, his eloquence honed outside still intact. In fact, he managed to uncover the other's "secret" of coming here in just one evening meal.
Upon hearing the description, one immediately knows for whom the visit is intended.
"Brother, Third Brother Zheng, do you think I have a chance with my handsome appearance?" Ge Ermazi asked nervously, which was unusual for him.
"This matter..." Zheng San deliberately feigned indifference.
Ge Ermazi diligently served Zheng San food, saying as he did so, "Brother, you have no idea how tough my life has been since I was a child. I've done all sorts of jobs, so I'm really good at reading people. I can tell you're one of those guys the moment I see you!"
As he spoke, Ge Ermazi gave Zheng San a thumbs up, his flattery growing louder and louder. This taught Zheng San, who was quietly eating nearby, a lot, and it also made Zheng San secretly marvel, wondering why this guy hadn't gone out to promote the goods with him back then.
However, judging from what Sister Shen said, she will still need to go out of the village to promote her goods in the future, so this person definitely cannot miss the opportunity!
Having made up his mind, Zheng San said calmly, "Don't give me that. Girls in our village are very hard to find..."
The unspoken words were full of imagination, and Ge Ermazi, having spent so many years in the streets, knew exactly what they meant. He quickly put on a smiling face and said, "No matter how difficult it is, how will you know if you can do it if you don't try!"
The conversation in the room was back and forth, with no one wanting to be the last to speak.
By the next day, the two had developed a mutual respect. However, when Aunt Zhao came to their door, Ge Ermazi, carrying those unsold trinkets wrapped in burlap, walked with her on the main road of the village, his face full of tears.
But the next moment, when he saw Sun Sanni walk by, his helplessness completely disappeared. Ge Ermazi even heard Aunt Zhao say, "Have you memorized all the numbers?"
"I've got it." Ge Ermazi replied, his gaze subtly following the girl as she left.
"Then I'll leave this matter to you," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.
"No problem, Auntie, I'll definitely help you sell them quickly, and I'll send you the money tomorrow." Ge Er Mazi could no longer see Sun Sanni out of the corner of his eye, so he could only reluctantly withdraw his offer. Zheng San, who was beside him, had seen all of this.
"Then I can rest assured!" Aunt Zhao said happily, and only turned back after seeing the person to the village entrance.
"Don't worry, Auntie, I'll handle things perfectly!" Ge Ermazi said loudly as he turned around, hoping that his words would reach his beloved girl.
While watching Aunt Zhao's retreating figure, Ge Ermazi hurriedly searched for Sun Sanni's figure among those figures.
Suddenly, he felt a tap on the shoulder, and Zheng San exclaimed, "Brother, you'd better do your best!"
Ge Ermazi nodded solemnly. His anxious heart calmed down as he held the things in his arms. He wanted to prove to everyone in the village that he was absolutely worthy of entrusting one's life to someone!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
