Chapter 24: Mr. Qi's Hardships End in Sweetness
If anyone says anything bad about Qi Man, they will be the first to object.
After this meal, both of them got a lot of chicken wings and steamed pork with rice flour, and each of them could take a bite back to satisfy their cravings.
Now, the two men worked even harder to move things, running back and forth as if they were injected with chicken blood.
Liu Hongmei was sitting at the door with a bowl in her hand, chatting with some other women. Looking at the two men working hard to move things, she couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I don't know what tricks Qi Man used to lure Da Zhuang and Wang Cai away. It doesn't seem like they would be so enthusiastic about working, but they end up moving things for others like they're full of energy!"
There is not much to entertain people in the village, so most women like to hold their bowls and chat under the locust tree at the entrance of the village to enjoy the cool air.
Chen Chunhua was also among them. When she heard Liu Hongmei's foul language, she immediately opened her mouth to refute.
"What? Are you jealous of others' good life? I don't know who was so shameless a while ago, holding a bowl with a shameless face, begging for meat like a beggar. This person may be poor but his spirit is not. Although I am poor, I have dignity. I am not like that person who begs at others' doorsteps. He is dirty and thinks everything is dirty."
Manman has a good personality and is gentle. If she heard what Liu Hongmei said, she would probably be sad for a long time.
Liu Hongmei was inexplicably confronted and became so angry that her face turned red and her neck became thick. She took two mouthfuls of sweet potato rice in anger and said angrily.
"We are all from the same village. Qi Man eats so well, so what's wrong with me coming here to ask for some meat to satisfy my grandchildren's cravings? We are from the same village after all. No matter what, we can't speak for outsiders, right?"
Although she and Shen Chunhua don't get along on a daily basis, they will help each other when they have conflicts with people from other villages.
As a result, in broad daylight, Chen Chunhua was like seeing a ghost. She actually spoke up for that vixen Qi Man. Why didn't she defend her when she complained about her before?
Chen Chunhua pouted and retorted, "How is Manman an outsider? Everyone in the village knows that Manman's parents are martyrs and members of the Qi family. Even the village chief doesn't dare to say that Manman is an outsider. You came first and started to sow discord. If anyone dares to say anything bad about Manman, I, Chen Chunhua, will make things difficult for her. Don't blame me for being ruthless and tearing her stinky mouth apart. Especially you, Liu Hongmei, be careful!"
Although Liu Hongmei is a gossipy woman that everyone fears, Chen Chunhua is even better at arguing with people.
He was no match for Chen Chunhua with his mouth. He was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. He was holding back his anger and ate his sweet potato rice in silence.
There weren't many things in the old house, so Shen Wangcai and Shen Dazhuang finished moving in two hours.
Qi Man gave each person one dollar as a reward for their hard work.
Chen Wangcai was not willing to accept anything he said: "The village chief has already paid us two wages, how can I ask you for more! These meat and vegetables are our extra hard work fee. If you need anything, just ask us two for help. We have to go to work later, so we will leave first."
As he said this, Shen Dazhuang, who was holding a plate and a bowl, walked away.
Qi Man touched his nose and could only put the money away, then pushed Grandpa Qi in a wheelchair towards the new house.
Shen Wangcai and Shen Dazhuang carried the meat home. The rich aroma of the meat spread for miles, causing many villagers to stare in amazement.
"Where did Wangcai go? Why did he bring back so much meat?"
The man who was speaking stared at Shen Dazhuang closely, the steamed pork with rice flour in the bowl, swallowed his saliva uncontrollably, and asked involuntarily.
Chen Wangcai scratched his head in a simple and honest manner, and said frankly: "Didn't the village chief just ask us to move things for the Qi family? Well, Dazhuang and I not only had a good meal at the Qi family, but also got two yuan for moving expenses. Manman also gave us the remaining meat and vegetables, so let's take them back for the children to taste."
The man was stunned and asked in disbelief: "What did you say? Not only did I get two dollars for moving for the Qi family, but I also got a good meal!"
"Yes, before the village chief asked you to go, none of you were willing to go. Now you know you are at a loss."
Shen Dazhuang suddenly felt a little fortunate and agreed to ask the village chief to help.
The village chief initially found six people, but when they heard that they were going to move Qi Man's family, none of them were happy.
Because Qi Man had a bad reputation in the village, most wives were unwilling to let their men go to help, for fear that Qi Man would seduce their men away.
Some people think that there is no benefit in moving, so few are willing to go.
When they heard that not only would they get paid, but they would also have a good meal and could take meat home, several people felt very regretful.
Shen Dazhuang and Shen Wangcai happily returned home with the meat.
At around one o'clock in the afternoon, it was not yet time to go to work, and the wheelchair sitting on Mr. Qi was very new, which attracted the attention of many villagers who were enjoying the cool air under the eaves.
"Old man Qi, what is this thing under you?"
The person who spoke was called Old Man Shen. He had a good relationship with Old Man Qi. He was over 60 years old, had a bent body, and all his old teeth had fallen out. His speech was a little unclear. Looking at the wheelchair under Old Man Qi, he couldn't help but ask curiously.
Mr. Qi introduced cheerfully, "This is my granddaughter's wheelchair. I brought it back from abroad. It's convenient for movement. In the future, even if no one helps me, I can still come to you and chat with you while using this wheelchair."
Due to his poor health, Mr. Qi has not been out for a long time, and he has not seen Mr. Shen for a long time.
Old man Shen was full of envy: "You really have a good granddaughter. Unlike me, I only have a few mouthfuls of food to eat."
Old man Shen is now being supported by his eldest son. He is in good health, but his legs and feet are inconvenient and he can only move within a short range. He can only have cold water and dry steamed buns for three meals a day. He lives a poor life, even more miserable than old man Qi.
Mr. Qi took out a few pieces of candy from his pocket and stuffed them into Mr. Shen's mouth.
"This is the soft candy my granddaughter bought for me. She said it was imported and made for old people like us with bad teeth."
Apart from his poor health, Mr. Qi's teeth are quite good. Mr. Shen's teeth have almost all fallen out, with only a few left.
Old man Shen chewed the candy. The candy was soft and fluffy, and the taste bloomed in his dry mouth. He smiled happily.
"It tastes really good. Your granddaughter is so kind to you."
Mr. Qi can be said to have finally reaped the rewards of his hard work. The second and third wives were not kind to him, and at first they felt sorry for each other.
Old Master Qi was later driven out and lived alone in a shabby house at the foot of the mountain. His life was worse than his. Now he has a lovely granddaughter who is filial to him, which means he has finally gotten what he wanted after all the hard work.
"Eat more if you like it. Hide it well, don't let your daughter-in-law snatch it away!"
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