Leaving Tian Yalan alone in the clinic, the mother and son rode bicycles back to the village overnight. The road was slippery due to rainy weather, and they fell countless times. Wang Shuifeng sobbed all the way, and Tian Laoliu even cried after falling.
When she got home, Wang Shuifeng ignored the mud all over her body, grabbed a broom and beat her sons. She did not let her two daughters-in-law off either, pointing at their noses and cursing them. Tian Agui had just died, so no one contradicted her at that time.
Early the next morning, Wang Shuifeng asked Tian Zhiyuan to ride a bicycle to the commune and send a telegram to ask Tian Zhigao and his wife to come back quickly. The main reason was that the third brother's wife was pregnant with a grandson, and Tian Agui always talked about it, so they had to come back to give the old man a ride.
In the provincial capital, Tian Zhigao received a telegram and learned that his father had passed away. He was shocked at first, then shed a few tears of sadness. He hurried to pick up Xian Fangfang from get off work and discuss matters of returning home.
Xian Fangfang didn't want to go to the countryside. She married Tian Zhigao because she was attracted by him as a person, his talent and ability. It was just the two of them who were going to live together. As for what his home in the countryside was like, she didn't care. She was not familiar with the people there and didn't want to get too close to them.
However, Tian Zhigao tried to persuade Xian Fangfang with gentle words, hoping that she would go back to the village with him.
He remembered how good his father Tian Agui had been to him, and how he had been proud of him for marrying a city girl. The last time he went home, Tian Agui could not speak clearly, and he asked him stutteringly when his grandson would be born. It was obvious that his father was looking forward to this child. Tian Zhigao really wanted to bring Xian Fangfang home, at least to let his father see his city girl and the grandson in her belly.
In addition, the last time he went back to his hometown, the elders in the village scolded him for abandoning Taohua, and asked him how good the wives in the city were, and whether they could compare to Meng Taohua? This made him so confused.
It just so happened that he took Xian Fangfang back this time, so that the villagers could see with their own eyes and experience for themselves: Xian Fangfang and Meng Taohua, a fairy in the sky and a village girl on the earth, how can they be compared! Tian Zhigao's coaxing skills were still very high, and finally persuaded Xian Fangfang to agree to go back to the countryside with him, but they agreed in advance that they would only stay for one night and had to return to the city the next day.
Tian Zhigao naturally agreed.
The death of an elderly person in the family was a big deal, so the factory quickly approved a vacation for the couple. Tian Zhigao listened to Xian Fangfang and packed one or three or four large travel bags, all of which were clothes that Xian Fangfang would wear. He didn't mind the hard work, as long as he spent some effort on the road and moved the clothes a few more times.
The problem is money. His salary is too low. With bonuses, it is only about 30 yuan a month. He cannot ask Xian Fangfang how she spends her salary, but he must hand it over in full. Xian Fangfang still thinks it is not enough for food and living, and often sighs and says what to do when the baby is born? Tian Zhigao is not addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. He has to work hard in the near future. In addition to taking care of Xian Fangfang, he spends almost all his spare time on learning knowledge and studying technology. He does not need to spend money if he does not go out or socialize, but he can go back to his home in the countryside, and he has to go to a funeral, so he cannot be without money.
In the past, if Tian Zhigao wanted to borrow a hundred yuan, it would have been easy to do so. But now, for some reason, he ran around all day and found no less than twenty people, but in the end he could only borrow fifty yuan. In addition, he had borrowed one month's salary in advance from the finance department without telling Xian Fangfang, which was more than eighty yuan.
This is the only way. I'll have to save it and give the thirty yuan back home. I don't have to buy any snacks to eat on the way. Fortunately, Xian Fangfang is a particular person and pays close attention to her image. She is not like other girls who would eat outside casually.
Jiang Yushan brought a net bag of apples, pears and biscuits, saying that they were gifts from others and that they could not be eaten at home, so she asked her to take them with her on the road. She felt sorry for Xian Fangfang's pregnancy and did not want her to go to the countryside, but Deputy Director Yuan said that she should go and must go, firstly to show filial piety and secondly to follow her husband and wife to earn a good reputation.
Tian Zhigao was eliminated and had to wait for the next opportunity.
During this period, Tian Zhigao and Xian Fangfang must work hard, keep a low profile, avoid attracting gossip, and little by little change people's negative views of them.
After listening to Deputy Director Yuan's words, Jiang Yushan no longer stopped Xian Fangfang from going to the countryside.
Tian Zhigao thought of the opportunity he had missed last time and sighed. Xian Fangfang pouted, feeling aggrieved and sad. She had also gone to Uncle Shen in person to ask for that opportunity. Uncle Shen said to her face that he was still discussing and would consider Tian Zhigao, but in the end, Tian Zhigao was not on the list... Uncle Shen actually lied to her and didn't treat her as well as before, and she had done nothing wrong! She took the train and changed buses twice, and had to stay in the shabby little hotel in the county town for one night. Finally, she sat in a smelly and slow ox cart and staggered back to Linshui Village. Xian Fangfang's face, which was moisturized and whitened by applying vanishing cream every day, turned into a bitter gourd face.
Fortunately, she had a good physique and had passed the morning sickness period. It was the time when she could eat and drink well. As long as she was well fed and warmly dressed, she would be fine. She suffered less on the journey. Otherwise, the suffocation of sitting on the train, the smell of oil on the bus, and the bumps on the gravel road would have made her vomit to death.
Xian Fangfang was regretting so much at this point. She knew life in the countryside would be hard, but she didn't expect it to be so hard!
Walking on the muddy village road, her leather shoes and trouser legs were all dirty, and she was surrounded by onlookers. The rural people did not know etiquette. Not only did they stare at her, but they also talked loudly. The dialect here was close to Mandarin, and she could understand a few words. They said that she was really beautiful and delicate... They didn't say bad things, and she felt a little better.
But when she followed Tian Zhigao into the Tian family yard, she felt extremely uncomfortable.
When Meng Taohua was still alive, she cleaned the Tian family yard every day and kept it tidy. But now, the yard was extremely dirty and messy. Not only was there chicken shit everywhere on the ground, but there was also pig manure because the pigs jumped over the fence because no one was feeding them. There was also children's feces in the corners... Xian Fangfang had never seen such a dirty yard before, so she ran out and squatted by the gate, vomiting.
Tian Zhigao put away his luggage and rushed to take care of his wife without even having time to see his father lying in the coffin. However, Xian Fangfang was unwilling to go in and would rather stay outside. She felt that although the village road was wet, it was at least cleaner than the yard.
Wang Shuifeng followed out and heard the city wife complaining about the dirtiness of her yard, so she turned back and asked Tian Xianglan to clean it up quickly. Tian Zhigao coaxed her for a long time, and Xian Fangfang was really tired, so she let Tian Zhigao support her to go in. She saw a large group of Tian family members standing in the yard looking at her, with expressions of flattery, inquiry, and disapproval on their faces. She felt inexplicably annoyed, and did not call anyone. She closed the door after entering the house and did not want to pay attention to anyone.
(End of this chapter)
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