Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The bed was small, so small that they could hear...
Jiang Qiuyue usually takes a one-hour nap after lunch.
The house was stuffy, so I moved the recliner to a cool place outside. The natural breeze blew through, which was actually quite comfortable.
When I heard the door open, I thought the two kids woke up. Before I even opened my eyes, I called out, "Is it Beibei or Nannan? Don't go out in the middle of the day. You'll get a heat stroke."
After saying this, she pulled the palm-leaf fan down a little to block out the sunlight.
"It's me."
The man's voice was low, and Jiang Qiuyue felt strange and familiar. After thinking of a person, she sat up suddenly.
The palm-leaf fan that was covering her face fell to the ground with a "click" sound. Jiang Qiuyue looked straight at the man at the door.
Hey man, so handsome?!
The man in her memory had only a vague image, but now he was standing clearly in front of her. Jiang Qiuyue rubbed her eyes.
Broad shoulders and narrow waist, deep and three-dimensional facial features, bronze skin showing a masculine temperament. The man's thick eyebrows were slightly frowned as he looked at her.
"You... why did you come back suddenly?" Jiang Qiuyue subconsciously adjusted her sitting position. Even as the original owner, she had only spent a few days with Lin Zhengrong. She was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say.
Lin Zhengrong was equally at a loss. Jiang Qiuyue was too fair, so fair that it was blindingly white. She was completely different from the simple girl in his memory.
In almost six years, can a person change so much?
"Didn't you write a letter saying that your parents abused you and the children?" In Lin Zhengrong's opinion, Jiang Qiuyue suddenly wrote letters frequently and complained, which meant that she wanted him to come back.
If he had not asked the captain in advance, looking at Jiang Qiuyue's current appearance, he would find it hard to believe that Jiang Qiuyue had been abused.
Jiang Qiuyue quickly understood the hidden meaning of Lin Zhengrong's words. Now that Lin Zhengrong was back, she had to keep this cash cow on her side.
"Yes, I was really forced into a corner." Jiang Qiuyue sobbed twice. "You were serving in the army outside and you didn't know that. After you left, my parents made me do all the housework at home. I had to wash clothes for the whole family, cook and grow vegetables, and I couldn't lose any work points. I used to think that you were working hard in the army, and I would be filial to you at home. Mom asked me to hand in living expenses, and I gave it all. I never thought that, wuwu... they actually said behind my back that Beibei Nannan was a little bastard and I was just their slave."
As she spoke, Jiang Qiuyue stretched out her hand. She had not been in the sun for some time, and her skin had improved a lot, but the acne on her hands did not disappear so quickly.
"Look at my hands, you know how difficult it is for me?" Jiang Qiuyue tried hard to squeeze out a tear.
Lin Zhengrong frowned, "I sent you the money, and you handed it all over?"
"Yeah." Jiang Qiuyue cursed the original owner for being stupid in her heart, but now she is the original owner. She lowered her head and said, "I didn't expect my parents to be this kind of people. They used the money to help my second brother get married, but they ate meat at home but didn't give me and the children any. I also said in the letter that before I woke up, the children didn't even eat eggs."
Speaking of children, Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan were awakened by their voices. Seeing a stranger in the yard, Lin Beibei rubbed his eyes and asked, "Mom, who is this uncle?"
He put on his shoes, helped his sister down, and the two of them walked to their mother.
Lin Zhengrong saw the wound on Lin Beibei's arm. Jiang Qiuyue was holding a child in one hand. "He is your father. Don't you miss your father? He has come back to see us."
"Dad? It's Dad!" Lin Beibei jumped up in surprise, "Is it really Dad?"
Facing the child, Lin Zhengrong's eyes softened. "You are Beibei, right? Come here and let daddy take a look. What's wrong with your hand?"
The son looked like him when he was a child, with some flesh on his face, but he was not tall and looked smaller than other children of the same age. Thinking of the adoptive parents who refused to feed their children enough, his eyes darkened again.
Lin Beibei was very happy to see his father. The father in front of him was just as he imagined, tall and strong. He immediately complained, "It was my aunt who beat me. I was giving taro cakes to my brother Zhuangzhuang, and my aunt saw it and tried to snatch it. I didn't let her eat it, so she pushed me. My aunt is mean, she used to beat me and my sister often."
"My grandmother wasn't nice either. She told my second uncle that my sister and I were bastards and not members of the Lin family, so we couldn't eat eggs and meat."
"My sister doesn't dare to say anything now. It's all because of grandma who beat her. Grandma is not a good person. I hate grandma!"
Seeing his father, Lin Beibei spoke whatever came to his mind. As he spoke, his big eyes became moist. "Dad, why did you come back just now? If mom hadn't wanted to divide the family, my sister and I wouldn't have been able to eat meat."
Lin Zhengrong could tell at a glance whether the child was lying or not, and he clenched his fists.
He never thought that his adoptive parents could be so mean and say such things to their child. How could they do that?
Looking at the little girl nestling in Jiang Qiuyue's arms, her eyes timid and not daring to look at him, Lin Zhengrong's heart ached.
This is his child!
"Thanks to the help of the captain and Aunt Niu, I was able to split the family." Jiang Qiuyue sighed and looked at Lin Zhengrong with the rest of her eyes. The man's arms were bulging with veins and he looked very angry. "Anyway, my parents and I can't live anymore. What do you think?"
She had to test Lin Zhengrong's intentions first. Even if Lin Zhengrong was handsome and treated well, there was no need to continue living with him if he was a blind and foolish filial man.
Lin Zhengrong saw the situation at home with his own eyes and knew that Jiang Qiuyue's letter was not exaggerated. He took a deep breath and said, "Mom and Dad are indeed too partial. I know what's going on at home. Since we have separated, I will live alone in the future."
"Also, I told my parents that I have already paid for six years of living expenses, even though I asked for 200 yuan back when the family was divided. But when my parents see you, they will definitely blackmail you morally. You can handle it yourself."
Jiang Qiuyue wanted to see what kind of person Lin Zhengrong was and what methods he would use. "Some time ago, Sanzhu's boyfriend came to our house and asked for a 200 yuan gift. Lin Xiao just graduated, and her mother is looking for a boyfriend for her. If the relationship works out, the dowry will also cost a lot of money. Anyway, they need money."
The Lin family needed money so badly. Without Jiang Qiuyue to pay for their living expenses, even basic food became a problem, let alone marrying off a wife and a daughter.
At this time, Wang Chunhua and several others were already running home. The villagers said that when they saw Lin Zhengrong coming back, they didn't even want their work points and ran away.
"Mom, do you think big brother received our letter and came back to vent our anger?" Lin Xiao couldn't suppress the smile on his face when he thought of his big brother coming back.
Wang Chunhua said, "I raised your brother after all. He is not as heartless as Jiang Qiuyue. With him around, we can finally vent our anger."
She had made up her mind that when she saw her eldest son, she would tell him about Jiang Qiuyue and have him beat her up.
Qian Li had been having a bad temper with her family recently. When she heard what her mother-in-law and sister-in-law said, she subconsciously retorted, "Don't be too happy too soon. If Jiang Qiuyue complains first, who will Big Brother believe?"
"What nonsense are you talking about, you idiot? I'm Lin Dazhu's mother, and he has to listen to me!" Wang Chunhua glared at Qian Li, "Just wait and see, Dazhu has never objected to anything since he was a child. If I ask him to beat Jiang Qiuyue, he will definitely not object."
Lin Sanzhu on the side hurriedly said, "Mom, don't forget to ask big brother for money."
Wang Chunhua would definitely not forget, but she still punched her son. "Even if I get the money, I won't let you marry Zhang Xiaomin. Give up this idea as soon as possible. I've inquired about it. After Zhang Peng came to our house, he took Zhang Xiaomin to blind dates everywhere. Whoever can come up with 200 yuan, he will immediately marry Zhang Xiaomin. I don't want such in-laws!"
"I just like Xiaomin." Lin Sanzhu couldn't forget Zhang Xiaomin. He felt that Zhang Xiaomin was forced to go on the blind date, and she must have him in her heart.
Seeing her son's useless look, Wang Chunhua slapped him hard a few times and said, "Get lost now. I get angry when I see you."
As they were talking, they arrived at the door of their home. Wang Chunhua's expression immediately changed. She pushed the door open, crying, "Dazhu, my good son, why did you come back so late? I am so bullied!"
Having not seen her son for several years, Wang Chunhua did not recognize him immediately. It was not until Lin Erzhu called him "Big Brother" that she realized that the tall man in the yard was her son.
"Dazhu, you can't believe Jiang Qiuyue's lies!" Wang Chunhua rushed over. She wanted to hold her son's hand, but he dodged her. She was so focused on complaining that she didn't notice the scrutiny in Lin Zhengrong's eyes. "Look at your sister's face. She was beaten by Jiang Qiuyue. And the bump on your brother's forehead was also caused by Jiang Qiuyue. She is a black-hearted shrew. Not only did she beat and kick everyone in my family, she also forced me to give her all our savings."
"Are the family savings my living expenses for Qiuyue?" Lin Zhengrong asked.
"Don't worry, Mom is helping Jiang Qiuyue save the money because she's afraid she'll spend it recklessly."
Wang Chunhua pulled her daughter over and said, "Look, your sister's face is so swollen!"
Lin Xiao said aggrievedly, "Yes, big brother, look at my face, it was all Jiang Qiuyue who beat me."
"Why did she hit you?" Lin Zhengrong frowned.
"I... I'm just angry. Jiang Qiuyue has food, so she should give it to the family first. I didn't push Beibei on purpose. He was young and didn't stand steadily, so he fell." Facing his eldest brother's stern gaze, Lin Xiao suddenly felt a little guilty.
Lin Zhengrong glanced over coldly, "You know he's young, but you still want to steal his things? Lin Xiao, I don't think you take me, your big brother, seriously."
He turned to look at his foster mother, "And Mom, what is a little bastard? What is a slave?"
Lin Zhengrong is a real veteran of the battlefield. He put on a brave face and felt full of pressure.
"I... I was joking." Wang Chunhua tried to fool him. "Don't worry about it. What I'm telling you now is that Jiang Qiuyue is not a human being. You can't send money to her in the future. You have to send it to me and your father. We raised you and we expect you to take care of us in our old age."
Since Erzhu and Sanzhu were not selected to join the army, the eldest son has a bright future, so we cannot let him go no matter what.
Lin Fugui saw that his eldest son was unhappy, so he pulled the old woman behind him and looked at him earnestly, "Let's not talk about this for now. Dazhu, you just came back, and you don't understand many things. But we will always be a family, right?"
Lin Zhengrong said nothing.
Lin Sanzhu looked at his father, then at his brother, and helped, "Yes, big brother, you took me fishing when I was little, we had such a good relationship."
Lin Erzhu also nodded, "Some things are over and done with, and the family shouldn't worry too much about it. Today is a good day for you to come back, let Qian Li cook two dishes, and we can sit down and have a good drink."
Seeing his two sons come forward, Lin Fugui smiled and said, "That's how a family should be, living in harmony."
He turned around and glared at Wang Chunhua, warning her, "Stop talking nonsense. Dazhu is our son, he will definitely not ignore us."
If Lin Dazhu was on their side, he would have questioned Jiang Qiuyue when Wang Chunhua said something bad about her.
But Lin Dazhu didn't.
Lin Fugui knew that he could not let Wang Chunhua say anything else, otherwise he and Lin Dazhu would really break up. Who would give them living expenses in the future?
Lin Erzhu tried to pull Lin Zhengrong, but Lin Zhengrong didn't move. He felt a little embarrassed, "Brother, don't be angry with my younger sister. She's just a child and hasn't grown up yet. We brothers haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's go over and reminisce about the past."
"Let's just talk about the past."
At this point, he knew exactly what his family was thinking. "You guys go back first. I'll come find you later. Some things are better discussed openly."
"Brother, what are you doing? Let's go together later." Lin Erzhu saw that his brother's face looked a little strange and said cautiously.
Lin Xiao felt the most aggrieved. She had just said that she came to complain and asked her eldest brother to beat Jiang Qiuyue, so why didn't her father and brothers allow her to mention it to her mother?
Lin Fugui was also observing his eldest son's expression, but his eldest son had been in the army for many years and had been experienced enough that he could not see through his eldest son's thoughts.
"I told you to go back first." Lin Zhengrong emphasized.
He was leading the troops in the army, and as long as he put down his pride, no one was not afraid. As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, Lin Sanzhu went to pull Lin Erzhu awkwardly, "We will listen to our eldest brother and go home to wait for him."
Lin Fugui also spoke up, "Okay, I'll listen to Dazhu." He then looked at his eldest son, "You've worked hard on the journey. You should wash your face before we talk."
As he spoke, he looked at Jiang Qiuyue and changed his tone to a loving one, "Qiuyue, let's not talk about the past. We still have to live our lives in the future, and we can't make things awkward as a family. Your mother did some things wrong, but you, as the younger generation, should be tactful and understand the difficulties faced by the elderly."
"Dad, I don't think Mom thinks she is wrong." Jiang Qiuyue didn't give him face.
"Jiang Qiuyue, are you looking for trouble?" Wang Chunhua endured for a long time and immediately pointed at Jiang Qiuyue.
Jiang Qiuyue smiled, "Dad, look, does this mean that Mom knows she's wrong?"
Lin Fugui tugged at Wang Chunhua's hand and said, "Stop talking!"
After the Lin family left, Jiang Qiuyue sat down again. "You've seen it too. Mom has no respect for me. She doesn't consider me a family member from the bottom of her heart. Dad is a showman. He will only come out to ease the atmosphere if it affects his interests. Don't you think you can't see what Erzhu and Sanzhu are thinking?"
She said with a bit of resentment that, logically speaking, Lin Dazhu had been away from home for many years and should have returned long ago, and she wouldn't have to suffer so much.
"sorry."
"What?"
Jiang Qiuyue thought she had heard wrongly and looked up at Lin Zhengrong.
"Not long after I joined the army, I received a secret mission. I continued to be on missions until a few months ago when I finally felt more stable."
Lin Zhengrong explained sincerely, "I didn't know they would go so far. I thought if I sent you a little more money every month, you and your two children would be able to live a good life. It was my fault for neglecting my family, which led to you having to live a hard life for so many years."
Jiang Qiuyue didn't want Lin Zhengrong to apologize, she just wanted to see Lin Zhengrong's attitude, after all, she needed Lin Zhengrong's support for her good life. And Lin Zhengrong would eventually return to the army, and then they would live their own lives.
Even though Lin Zhengrong was very handsome, she was not so infatuated as to fall in love with him immediately. She knew in her heart that money was the most important thing.
Jiang Qiuyue didn't know how to respond when she suddenly heard Lin Zhengrong say sorry.
"Since we've split up, this is for you." Lin Zhengrong opened his backpack and took out the passbook wrapped in newspapers. "My expenses in the army are small. Apart from the living expenses for you, most of the money is in here. I owe you, you can spend this money however you want."
Jiang Qiuyue almost couldn't help laughing when she saw the number on the passbook, there was actually one thousand yuan!
At that time, one thousand yuan was a huge sum of money. She was also thinking about when she could buy a bicycle, so that it would be much more convenient to go to town. With this thousand yuan, it would be easy to buy a bicycle.
"Are you really giving it to me?" Jiang Qiuyue had already put the passbook in her pocket.
Lin Zhengrong said yes, and Jiang Qiuyue immediately went to pour him some water. "You must have been tired from the journey, drink some water. Are you hungry? I cooked some noodles for you at noon. Can I heat them up for you?"
Lin Zhengrong: ...Why didn’t she seem so enthusiastic just now?
At this moment, Lin Zhengrong's stomach growled twice in unison. Facing the money-making tree, Jiang Qiuyue immediately called Lin Beibei to light a fire.
"Don't bother." Lin Zhengrong held his son, "It's hot, just eat cold food."
"How can that be? You are the mainstay of our family. What if you get sick from eating cold food?" Jiang Qiuyue still insisted on hot dishes. "I added salted meat and water spinach to the dumplings, and the mushrooms were picked from the mountains. Do you like spicy food?"
Lin Zhengrong said he wanted to eat, so Jiang Qiuyue went to find chili sauce.
After a while, Lin Beibei skillfully made a fire. Seeing his son's skilled work, Lin Zhengrong thought that he must have done it a lot in normal times, and felt even more guilty.
"Dad, mom and I picked the mushrooms together." Lin Beibei was still a little unfamiliar with his father, but seeing his mother happy, he was also happy.
"Beibei, be good. I brought back some candies. They were given to them by your Uncle Chen." Lin Zhengrong found the candies in his bag and gave them all to the two children. Then he turned around and saw Jiang Qiuyue's eyes shining. While he was still curious, he saw the two children share the candies with Jiang Qiuyue.
White sugar is a scarce commodity, and milk candy is even scarcer. Jiang Qiuyue has never eaten candy since she traveled through time.
She peeled off the candy wrapper, and when the tip of her tongue tasted the milky aroma, she kissed each of the two children and said, "Okay, you can eat the rest."
The more Lin Zhengrong looked at Jiang Qiuyue, the more curious he found her.
When they first got married, Jiang Qiuyue was shy and didn't like to talk, so when the two of them were together, they were always quieter.
But now Jiang Qiuyue seems very lively, and there seems to be a kind of light about her that makes people unable to take their eyes away.
Jiang Qiuyue heated up some dough balls for Lin Zhengrong and fried two poached eggs. She dripped a little soy sauce on the eggs before they came out of the pan, and they instantly sizzled and took on a fragrant aroma.
Lin Zhengrong was not picky. He picked up the bowl and took a bite of the poached egg. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a sweet core. Then he drank the noodle dumpling soup. The fresh taste of the mushrooms softened the rich aroma of the chili sauce, and his taste buds were immediately awakened.
He went to see Jiang Qiuyue in amazement. Her cooking skills were so good?
It was just a simple noodle dumpling, but it was the most delicious noodle dumpling Lin Zhengrong had ever eaten.
After Lin Zhengrong finished eating, Lin Beibei took the bowl to wash it. As soon as Lin Zhengrong looked over, Jiang Qiuyue explained, "Children need to exercise their hands-on skills. Children in the village have been doing labor since they were young. I just let them do what they can do."
Now that you mention it, it is indeed true. When Lin Zhengrong was Beibei's age, he also helped with housework at home.
"By the way, what are you going to say to your parents?" Jiang Qiuyue asked.
Speaking of adoptive parents, Lin Zhengrong frowned, "I can see what they are thinking. Some things should be done quickly to avoid trouble in the future."
"I understand. Then go and tell it yourself." Jiang Qiuyue didn't want to interfere. She could see that Lin Zhengrong was a man with his own ideas. If she said too much, Lin Zhengrong would feel weird.
Lin Zhengrong wiped his mouth and took out the seafood he brought back from his bag. "Before you said you wanted dried shrimps, I exchanged some with the villagers. You pack up, I'll go next door."
Hearing that Dad was going to Grandma's house, Lin Beibei asked her mother worriedly, "Will Dad be bullied?"
"No, even if your grandma and the others come together, they can't beat your dad." Jiang Qiuyue was counting the things Lin Zhengrong brought back, there were dried shrimps, seaweed and scallops. This man is not bad, he always responds to requests.
Not long after, the sound of Lin Fugui swearing could be heard from the Lin family next door. Jiang Qiuyue stood under the wall, and the two children, Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan, followed her and put their ears against the wall.
"Lin Dazhu, do you really think you are capable and powerful enough?" Lin Fugui had just told his family not to say any more unpleasant things. Now that Lin Dazhu is back, the most important thing is to coax Lin Dazhu to continue giving him money.
As a result, Lin Dazhu wanted to sever ties with them. Upon hearing this, Lin Fugui could not help but slam the table and said, "You were not born by us, but we raised you, right? The mother who adopted you is worse than the mother who gave birth to you. Don't you know this truth?"
Lin Zhengrong stood at the door, looking at his adoptive parents expressionlessly, "I'm not trying to end this, Mom and Dad, ask yourselves, do you treat me as a family member?"
"You don't have to argue with me. Before I went home, I had already asked the captain. Qiuyue told the truth. Qiuyue is not the only one in the family, but you let her do the work for the whole family. There are also two children, they are so sensible, but Nannan was beaten to silence."
The atmosphere gradually became tense. Lin Fugui gritted his teeth and refused to respond. Lin Erzhu frowned and said, "Brother, why don't parents treat you as a family? Are they finding you a wife on a whim? Do they have nothing else to do after having a full stomach?"
"Yes, Dazhu." Wang Chunhua looked at her eldest son with tears in her eyes, "I really don't treat you as my son, why would I marry you off?"
"That's because you heard from someone that I was going to join the army, and if you didn't find me a partner, I would become very successful and never come back, so you asked me to go on a blind date."
Lin Zhengrong already knew about this. "Mom, you don't have to cry to me. You know what you are thinking. I didn't destroy this house out of consideration for the fact that you raised me. I have already taken a step back."
When he said this, Hu Haizhi and others came to the yard. It was Lin Zhengrong who asked Niu Jianshe to help call.
Seeing Lin Zhengrong calling the captain and Lin family relatives, Lin Fugui realized that Lin Zhengrong was serious and his face became even uglier.
Wang Chunhua didn't expect that, and immediately cried, "Captain, you have to make the decision for Fugui and me. We worked hard to raise Dazhu. Even if he didn't have any merit, he still worked hard. Now that he says he doesn't recognize us, we won't recognize him anymore."
Lin Jiawang looked at Lin Zhengrong. He was a member of the Lin family and most of the time he stood on the Lin family's side. "Dazhu, what's going on?"
The others also looked at Lin Zhengrong. Broken relationships were rare these days, and it would be embarrassing to tell others about it. It hadn't happened in their village in the past five years.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lin Zhengrong spoke slowly, "I believe everyone knows how my parents treated Qiuyue and the other two during the years I was away. It's not an exaggeration to say that they were evil landlords in the old society."
"Dazhu, you're too kind." Lin Jiawang frowned. Landlords were to be criticized and criticized. If his cousin's family was labeled as such, it would be a huge disgrace to their Lin family.
"Uncle, you said that, but didn't you see what kind of life Qiuyue lived before?"
Lin Zhengrong called the captain and other members of the Lin family to serve as witnesses so that if the Lin family made trouble in the future and the troops came to investigate, the whole matter would be clear.
Lin Jiawang was speechless and could not speak.
Hu Haizhi knew how difficult it was for Jiang Qiuyue to raise the child these years. He supported Lin Zhengrong in breaking off the engagement and persuaded Lin Fugui and his wife, "Uncle Lin, we are all from the same village. There is no need to play tricks on each other. In fact, it is better this way. You were wronged by Dazhu first. Instead of continuing to make trouble, you should just be polite neighbors in the future."
"Captain, you are talking without any pain in your back!" Wang Chunhua's back teeth were almost broken. "If it weren't for Fugui and I, Dazhu would have starved to death. I worked hard to raise him, and now he wants to break off the relationship. What should we do?"
Hu Haizhi thought to himself, you guys never treated Lin Dazhu as your own son, and you only thought of Lin Dazhu when you needed money. What kind of parents are you?
He didn't want to say something so unpleasant, so he asked, "So what do you want?"
Wang Chunhua glanced at her husband and said with determination, "You can break off the engagement, but you have to give us money. We can't raise this son for nothing! If you don't give me money, I will report you to the army and see if you can still stay in the army!"
When she said this, Lin Fugui did not object, because he knew that there was no room for change. Instead of breaking off the engagement, it would be better to take some benefits, as Sanzhu was getting married and needed a dowry.
Hu Haizhi asked how much it would cost, and Wang Chunhua opened her hands, "At least five hundred!"
"Five hundred?" Hu Haizhi's eyes widened. "Why don't you go and rob people for money?"
Wang Chunhua, however, did not think that 500 yuan was too much. "It is so hard for us to raise him, how can 500 yuan be too much? If Dazhu disagrees, then he can take care of us in our old age and send us living expenses every month."
Anyway, she only wants money. It doesn’t matter whether Lin Dazhu calls her mother or not. She has her own biological son.
Hu Haizhi was stumped and turned to ask Lin Zhengrong, "What do you think?"
"I don't have any money, and even if I did, I shouldn't give it to you." Lin Zhengrong had given up completely. "Since I was old enough to understand, I have done the most housework, and the food I earned had to be shared with Erzhu and the others first. Speaking of Beibei and the others not having enough to eat, have I ever eaten enough at the Lin family?"
No, that's why he sent the money to Jiang Qiuyue. He just didn't expect Jiang Qiuyue would give all the money to support his parents. Fortunately, Jiang Qiuyue woke up in time, otherwise he couldn't imagine how long Beibei and Nannan would have to suffer.
Wang Chunhua argued, "It was always like this before. The older ones gave way to the younger ones. Who could have enough to eat every day?"
Lin Zhengrong chuckled, and when the Lin Erzhu brothers saw it, their hair stood on end with horror.
"If you want to go to the army to cause trouble, you can go ahead. You bought me from a kidnapper. I don't mind letting the army know about this. If you buy and sell a child, you will be shot." Lin Zhengrong's face showed ferocity. "I can choose not to join the army, but do you want to die?"
Hearing the word "shot", Wang Chunhua panicked. She went to see her husband and asked, "Fugui, what do you think we should do?"
Lin Fugui's heartbeat quickened. "Why did you have to do such a ruthless thing? We raised you up, and now you are creating hatred for us?"
"I didn't beg you to buy it from me." Lin Zhengrong emphasized, "You guys are just too extreme. When I was a kid, I also wondered why you made me live in the woodshed and didn't let me eat enough. Now I know, in your eyes, I am just like Beibei and Nannan, we are all bastards."
At this point, the situation is very ugly.
The other elders in the Lin family all knew that Lin Fugui and his wife were in the wrong, and they did not want to offend Lin Zhengrong. Now Lin Zhengrong was an officer in the army, and they might need Lin Zhengrong's help in the future.
Lin Jiawang sighed, "Fugui, you guys just agreed. You are the ones who are wrong, there is no reason to blame Dazhu for being ruthless."
The others nodded one after another, and Uncle Lin Fugui also advised, "There's no need to argue anymore. You have the nerve to ask Dazhu for 500 yuan. I don't even have the face to listen to this. If you tell others about this, our Lin family will be stabbed in the back. Do you still have the face to stay in the village?"
"It's good that Dazhu didn't get angry and hit people, and you still agreed."
"Yes, uncle, if you guys keep making trouble, we won't have any contact in the future. I can't afford to lose face like this!"
…
Facing the overwhelming accusations, Lin Fugui's back bent a little. Lin Sanzhu said he disagreed, "Brother, you can't be so heartless. If you don't want 500, you should at least give 300, right?"
"Shut up!" Lin Jiawang raised his hand and punched him. "You keep talking about money. Are you out of money? I don't know what you are thinking. The girl from the Zhang family is about to get engaged, and you still want to get a dowry from Dazhu, right?"
Lin Sanzhu was hit on the heart, but he did not deny it. "So what? Is it wrong for me to like Xiaomin? She went on the blind date out of desperation. As my elder brother, what's wrong with helping me?"
"How can you have the nerve to do that?" Lin Jiawang couldn't bear to watch it, it was too embarrassing.
"Why are you embarrassed?" Lin Sanzhu was determined to make the most of it. He knew that if he didn't seize the moment, his family would not be able to afford the money in the future. "I'm fighting for my own happiness. What's wrong with that?"
"Brother, I didn't bully my sister-in-law and the others. You can't just watch me be a bachelor for the rest of my life, can you?"
"Lin Sanzhu, you know whether it happened or not." Lin Zhengrong didn't buy it. "Even if it didn't happen, when you saw other people doing evil, did you say a word for Qiuyue?"
Of course not.
Being exposed in public, Lin Sanzhu was speechless for a moment.
Lin Zhengrong found a pen and paper, wrote two severance letters, signed his name, and pressed his fingerprints.
Lin Zhengrong: "There is no point in talking any more. Just sign. If you don't sign, I will go to the town police station later."
Wang Chunhua was really afraid of death. Her legs were shaking uncontrollably. Lin Fugui would be punished for scolding Lin Zhengrong.
But Lin Zhengrong remained unmoved. He stared at Lin Fugui and waited for him to sign.
"You are a good guy, Lin Dazhu. You are indeed a bastard that no one wants. I will keep an eye on you. You'd better not end up in disgrace!" Lin Fugui signed angrily, and Wang Chunhua pressed her thumbprint.
Hu Haizhi and other witnesses also signed, and the matter was resolved. Lin Zhengrong took his own copy of the severance letter and walked out without any reluctance.
Arriving at the gate of the Lin family, Lin Zhengrong and Hu Haizhi thanked them, "I am sorry to trouble you uncles and aunts with today's matter. Although I have severed my relationship with the Lin family, you are still my elders. Today's matter came unexpectedly, I will visit you another day with a thank-you gift."
Originally, Lin Jiawang and his friends felt sorry for losing such a promising relative as Lin Zhengrong, but when they heard that Lin Zhengrong was still willing to interact with them, they all laughed.
"Dazhu, you should be more considerate. This is what we should do." Lin Jiawangsi didn't care about Lin Fugui who was swearing in the yard. Compared with her cousin's family who were obsessed with money, Lin Zhengrong, her relative who was a soldier, was of course more important!
After sending the Lin family away, Hu Haizhi patted Lin Zhengrong on the arm and said, "You are indeed courageous. Ordinary people really can't be so decisive. But I'm curious, if your father firmly disagrees, will you really go to the police station?"
"I can say this with absolute certainty. Having lived with them for so many years, I know exactly what their personalities are like." Lin Zhengrong did not answer directly.
Hu Haizhi was not interested and said, "Okay, I won't say any more. You haven't been back for so long, take a good rest. I'll invite you to dinner when I'm free next time."
Lin Zhengrong smiled and said yes, and waited until Hu Haizhi walked away before going home.
As soon as she entered the yard, she heard a man talking and couldn't help but frown.
Jiang Zeyu was checking Lin Beibei's wound. "Not bad, Qiuyue, you took good care of Beibei. Beibei's wound is not inflamed."
He squatted in front of Lin Beibei, and when he looked up at Jiang Qiuyue, his eyes were crooked.
"Thank you, Dr. Jiang, for taking the trouble to come here." Jiang Qiuyue poured tea for Jiang Zeyu and did not notice Lin Zhengrong at the door.
Jiang Zeyu took the tea bowl and drank it in one gulp. "I just happened to be passing by, so I came to take a look. Since Beibei is fine, I'll leave first. If you have any problems, you can always come to the health center to find me. And you have to take care of yourself, too. Although the wound on your head has healed, you still need to rest."
Jiang Zeyu and Lin Beibei waved, and when they turned around they saw the tall Lin Zhengrong standing at the door.
Jiang Qiuyue looked over and introduced with a smile, "Dazhu, you're back. This is Doctor Jiang. You probably haven't met him. He's an educated youth from the city, and now he's in charge of the village health center."
When Lin Zhengrong went to serve in the army, Jiang Zeyu had not yet come to Taohua Village, and this was the first time the two met.
Lin Zhengrong walked to Jiang Qiuyue's side, their shadows touching each other, and looked at her appraisingly, "Hello, Doctor Jiang."
"Hello, hello. So you are Qiuyue's husband." Jiang Zeyu looked completely different from Lin Zhengrong. He wore glasses, was gentle and his skin was much whiter. "When I first arrived in Taohua Village, I heard that you were very powerful. Nice to meet you."
He stretched out his hand, and after a while, Lin Zhengrong shook it briefly.
Jiang Qiuyue said she would send Jiang Zeyu out, and Lin Zhengrong followed her. When Jiang Qiuyue turned around, she accidentally bumped into Lin Zhengrong's chest.
Tsk.
What a hard muscle!
Although there was clothes between them, she could still feel the burning breath from Lin Zhengrong.
Jiang Qiuyue's face slowly became hot, and she thought that with such a great figure, it would feel good if she could pinch it.
I just don’t understand, is Lin Zhengrong really that generous?
After closing the door, Jiang Qiuyue was just about to ask Lin Zhengrong what he was doing next door, but Lin Zhengrong spoke first.
"Are you familiar with that Doctor Jiang?"
"No, Dr. Jiang is a nice person and very patient with everyone."
"Has he been here long?"
"Dad, Doctor Jiang will be here in a moment." Although they were only separated for a short while, Lin Beibei already missed her father and couldn't wait to interrupt, "I was standing by the wall with my mom, but I couldn't hear clearly sometimes. Dad, what did you and grandma say? What does it mean to break off the relationship?"
Jiang Qiuyue wanted to leave in embarrassment. How could this kid be so innocent? How could he say that he could eavesdrop on other people’s conversations?
However, she didn't expect that Lin Zhengrong would be so straightforward as to directly break off the relationship with the Lin family and not let the Lin family get any benefits.
Seeing that the tip of Jiang Qiuyue's earlobes had turned red, Lin Zhengrong's hands were itchy and he wanted to pinch them. He sighed in his heart, "This girl is so fair, even her earlobes are beautiful."
"Actually, I just wanted to listen because I was curious." Jiang Qiuyue said quickly, "You are really amazing. You said you wanted to break off the engagement, so you did. It's good to break off the engagement. I don't have to interact with them in the future, and I can be much more peaceful. To celebrate the breakup, I will cook shrimps for you tonight, and I will also make pumpkin cakes with the pumpkin that Auntie Niu sent me."
Speaking of food, Lin Beibei immediately forgot about the breakup and happily said he would go light a fire. Lin Nannan followed him, and the brother and sister cooperated well and quickly helped to light the fire.
Jiang Qiuyue hadn't eaten seafood for a long time, and the moment she saw the dried shrimps, she was craving for them.
She steamed the pumpkin, kneaded it with rice flour, left some pumpkin as the core, and pressed them into half the size of a palm.
After the oil in the pan is hot, put the pumpkin cakes in and fry them. Wait for two years until they are golden and ready to be taken out of the pan.
She gave each of the two children a piece, and seeing that Lin Zhengrong was looking at her, "You want to eat it too, so I'll give you one too. Before you eat this, you have to drink some cooling tea first, otherwise you'll get a sore throat."
Lin Zhengrong: ...My throat is indeed a little itchy.
The pumpkin pie was crispy on the outside and sweet on the inside. After Lin Beibei finished eating it, she was still thinking about Niu Zhuangzhuang. "Mom, I want to get a piece for Zhuangzhuang, can I?"
"Of course you can. Take a few more and let them try them. Wait, I'll go with you." Jiang Qiuyue took out all the pumpkin pancakes from the pot, went back to the house to get the money, and took Lin Beibei to Niu's house.
A few days ago, she heard Aunt Niu say that there was an old hen at home that stopped laying eggs, but the family couldn't bear to eat it, so they planned to secretly sell it one day.
Jiang Qiuyue was happy at the thought of breaking off the relationship with the Lin family, so when she arrived at the Niu family, she directly said that she wanted to buy a chicken.
"Why do you suddenly want to buy chicken?"
Since trading is not allowed now, Auntie Niu took Jiang Qiuyue to the chicken coop and asked in a very low voice.
"This isn't a severance of the relationship. I'm thinking about how hard Dazhu has worked, so the whole family is trying to help him." Jiang Qiuyue stuffed the money into Aunt Niu's pocket.
"It doesn't have to be that much. You always give Zhuangzhuang something to eat. Just give him two dollars."
"Yes, I asked, and this is the price. Even brothers have to settle accounts clearly. I also want to thank Auntie for often giving me food." Jiang Qiuyue took the old hen that Auntie Niu caught. It weighed about six pounds. She would use it to make soup tomorrow.
After returning from Aunt Niu's house, Jiang Qiuyue was holding a chicken in her hand, while Lin Beibei was holding some vegetables.
Jiang Qiuyue held up the chicken and smiled at Lin Zhengrong, "I'll give you some nourishment tomorrow and make some old hen soup!"
Lin Zhengrong, full of strength: ...Does he need more replenishment?
The old hen was locked in the cage. Jiang Qiuyue cooked some dried shrimps and egg drop soup.
The two children had never eaten shrimp before, so Jiang Qiuyue taught them how to peel shrimp and remove the shrimp thread, step by step very carefully.
She didn't realize that Lin Zhengrong saw all her actions during the meal.
"It's delicious!" Lin Beibei finished a shrimp and did not eat any more. Instead, she peeled the shrimp for her sister. "Nannan, eat more. Mom said shrimp is nutritious."
Lin Nannan smiled sweetly at her brother and fed the shrimp to him.
Seeing the two children interacting cutely, Jiang Qiuyue couldn't help but smile. Fortunately, she was lucky and didn't give birth to two naughty children.
When she looked at her bowl again, she found two more shrimps in it. She turned around and saw Lin Zhengrong peeling shrimps seriously.
Jiang Qiuyue looked at the shrimps in the bowl and her face suddenly felt a little hot.
However, it feels good to have someone peeling the shrimps.
After dinner, Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan were supposed to wash the dishes, but Lin Zhengrong took the initiative to wash the dishes, and Jiang Qiuyue took the two children to take a bath.
After she washed up, she realized a problem: how was she going to sleep tonight?
There was only one bed in the house, just enough for Jiang Qiuyue and her two children. She didn't know that Lin Zhengrong would come back today.
But it was already dark, and the two children had already climbed onto the bed. Seeing Lin Zhengrong coming in, Jiang Qiuyue blurted out, "I'll sleep inside, and North North South South will sleep in the middle, is that okay?"
Seeing Jiang Qiuyue hurriedly taking off her shoes and lying down, Lin Zhengrong also felt a little unnatural.
They hadn't seen each other for a long time, and now they had to sleep in the same bed. He was tall and took up almost half of the space when he lay down, so he didn't dare to move.
The two children were very happy. Not only did they get to see their father today, but their father also slept with them. Lin Beibei was so excited that he couldn't sleep.
He started asking this and that. Children always have a lot of strange questions. After a while, he yawned and fell silent.
It suddenly became quiet and Jiang Qiuyue couldn't sleep anymore.
She had never slept in the same bed with a man before. Even though there were two children between them, the bed, which had been very spacious before, felt very crowded today.
Although the room was pitch black, Lin Zhengrong was sleeping outside, and the moonlight outside the window was enough to reflect the outline of his face.
I have to say, this man is really good-looking. She thinks he is handsome just by his outline.
The cicadas' chirping seemed to have become quieter tonight. The night was very quiet, so quiet that they dared not move.
The bed was also very small, so small that they could hear each other's breathing.
Jiang Qiuyue slowly turned sideways, and Lin Zhengrong turned around as well. They couldn't see each other clearly, but they knew that both of them were still awake.