Chapter 9
Fang Zhiwen walked silently behind Xu Shanshan as she rushed up the mountain, basket in hand and dragging her sister along. Her vibrant energy was more eye-catching than the lush greenery of the mountain. But his gaze was too intense, like the scorching sun overhead, almost melting one's back without even needing to meet her gaze.
Xu Shanshan lowered her head to pick mushrooms, a strand of hair slightly loose, covering her blushing cheeks.
Xu Daya placed her wet towel on her sister's head and said, "Get some shade from the sun, don't get a heat stroke." Her eyes darted around like radar, her hands swift as a shadow, and in a moment, she had half a basket of porcini mushrooms. The five girls in the Xu family were so used to working together that they didn't need words to communicate; a glance was all they needed to understand each other.
No matter whether it was the aunt or the young girl, they could never compete with the five sisters. They could only say hatefully: "It's like a bandit coming down the mountain. What's the matter, are you trying to grab territory?", and then turned around and went to the other side to look for mushrooms.
Fortunately, it rained a few days ago, and the mountains are full of mushrooms. Xu Shanshan looked at everyone's backpacks, which were almost overflowing, and couldn't help but glance at Fang Zhiwen. "Can they really sell all this?"
Fang Zhiwen saw Xu Shanshan glance at him from time to time, and then glance at him again from time to time, and he couldn't help but smile back. Then Xu Shanshan was pulled behind her by her eldest and second sisters, and the two of them stared at Fang Zhiwen as if they were guarding against wolves.
Fang Zhiwen:?
It’s another day I want to get married!
After the five sisters ran at least half a mile away from the others, Xu Daya whispered:
"Shanshan, apart from selling mushrooms, stay away from this Comrade Fang."
"Sister, he's my boyfriend."
"Ah?" Xu Daya and Xu Erya screamed at the same time, then covered their mouths together. Then, one on each side tied their sister's arms. Xu Erya couldn't help but pinch her twice and asked again, "Mom and Dad don't know?"
"Well, I didn't say."
Xu Daya sighed, "Shanshan, parents are still parents after all. They still have to talk about such a big thing."
Thinking about Fang Zhiwen's lavish spending on mountain products, Xu Erya affirmed, "The Fang family is quite well-off, right? Yes, how could the person you chose be of poor condition?"
"Erya, you can't just look at the conditions when getting married. Marriage is a lifelong thing. You, you went to the neighboring city and brought back such a person. It's too, too reckless." Xu Daya is traditional in nature and has always disagreed with her sister's standards for choosing a spouse. It's just that Shanshan is too stubborn and she, as her elder sister, can't reason with her.
Xu Erya looked back at Fang Zhiwen and suddenly smiled, "Sister, how do you know they have no feelings?"
"But the time is too short."
"You and your brother-in-law had an arranged marriage. You didn't even meet before you got married. I see you're doing fine now."
The two sisters started arguing, leaving Xu Shanshan no room to interrupt.
When the two elder sisters heard their younger sister say, "But the new brother-in-law has transferred the job to the third sister," Xu Daya and Xu Erya were so shocked that they didn't know what to say. When they arrived at the educated youth's mushroom stand, they listened to the villagers discussing the matter while queuing, and they were still confused.
They both looked at the grinning Fang Zhiwen and thought at the same time, "Where did my sister find this fool?"
Oh my, he's secretly looking at his sister again, and every time he looks, he grins like a fool. This guy's smile is too worthless, isn't it?
Also, Comrade Fang, what are you so proud of? No, my sister just gave you a look, not even a smile, what are you so proud of?
Xu's sister was puzzled, but deeply shocked!
"Comrades, I see that you two work very meticulously. I would like to ask, do you know how to use bamboo baskets to bake mushrooms?" Fang Zhiwen knew how much Shanshan valued her sisters at home, so he wanted to flatter her in front of her two sisters.
Xu Daya and Xu Erya nodded blankly.
So, is this a backdoor?
Fang Zhiwen assigned the mushroom-baking job to his two sisters and the chestnut-picking job to his brother-in-law. Then, under the pretext of not occupying the educated youth's house, he transferred all the mushrooms and chestnuts to Xu Laoer's house.
"I have to follow and see what's selling for money."
In this way, Fang Zhiwen successfully reached his father-in-law's house.
"Comrade Fang, have a drink of water." Zhao Xiaohe had just brought Fang Zhiwen a cup of cold tea when Yang Dani from next door called out, "Second brother, sister-in-law, come and help."
"Hey, I'm coming."
The Xu family's five daughters, two sons-in-law, and two children who had just learned to walk were busy. Zhao Xiaohe and Xu Laoer were called over by a shout from next door.
Fang Zhiwen asked in surprise, "Uncle, aunt, aren't you going to stay and help?"
"The sisters are very skillful and don't need any help."
"But..." Before Fang Zhiwen could finish his sentence, Xu Laoer and his wife had already arrived next door.
Xu Shanshan snorted coldly, and Xu Daya immediately said with a headache, "Shanshan, it's not easy for my parents either. This is the trend in the village. If you don't have a son, you are spineless. My parents will always rely on Xu Jun and others to smash pots and beat banners for a hundred years."
Fang Zhiwen said unhappily, "Haha, what's the matter? If a man smashes pots and hits banners, can he become an immortal after his death?"
"If I can't understand life, how can I understand death?"
Xu Daya frowned after hearing this. How could this third brother-in-law be dead or alive? He really couldn't talk at all.
Xu Shanshan chuckled and asked curiously, "Comrade Fang, don't you care about your son?"
"Whatever my wife gives birth to in the future, I will cherish. It's also okay if she doesn't have any children. DINK is popular in foreign countries now. I think it's good for couples to live in love for the rest of their lives." After saying this, Fang Zhiwen secretly gave himself a thumbs up. This is a perfect answer sheet for future generations.
"dink?"
"Yes, if you don't have children in your life, you are a DINK."
Xu Shanshan couldn't laugh anymore. She thought to herself, "Comrade Fang said something about being a DINK. Is he trying to give me a shot in the arm? Because he can't have children due to a health condition, so he wants me to prepare myself mentally? To get used to it? Oh! Comrade Fang really doesn't plan to go to the hospital again? Maybe there's still hope?"
Fang Zhiwen quietly looked at Xu Shanshan's expression: Huh? Why isn't my wife smiling?
The work team suddenly fell into an eerie silence. It was my eldest brother-in-law, Qiang Zhijie, who said, "It's better to have a son." With all the family planning going on these days, and Xu Daya having an IUD, he couldn't have another child even if he wanted to.
"Brother-in-law, don't talk nonsense in front of the child." Xu Shanshan glanced at her diligent and lovely little niece and quickly stopped her.
Why didn’t I realize before that my brother-in-law also favors boys over girls?
Xu Shanshan frowned and looked unhappy.
Xu Daya smiled and said, "Your brother-in-law was just saying it casually. He loves Hongxia more than anyone else."
Xu Shanshan was too lazy to speak, so Fang Zhiwen suddenly said, "Then I have to thank Guo Ce on behalf of the lovely little Hongxia."
After these words were spoken, no one spoke again.
Xu Daya sighed again: This third brother-in-law is really bad at speaking.
But Xu Shanshan laughed when she heard it. She couldn't help but stare at Fang Zhiwen's lips, thinking that he was really good at talking.
Qiang Zhijie quickly smiled and said, "Thanks to Comrade Fang, I have earned enough money to pay for Hongxia's tuition."
Before Fang Zhiwen could speak, Xu Erya said, "Sister, are your parents-in-law happy with this?"
"Second sister, second brother-in-law, I was just about to discuss with you, can I deposit the money I earn this time with you? When the children go to school, I will ask to borrow money from you." Qiang Zhijie glanced at his wife and did not refuse.
Xu Shanshan frowned. She didn't expect that her elder sister's family would live like this.
After finishing their work, when the five sisters were chatting in the room, Xu Shanshan said seriously: "Sister, don't let Hongxia take your way."
"I know. But if you can avoid arguing, then avoid it."
Xu Erya snorted coldly, "Sister, forget it. Others may not know about the things going on in your family, but I know them. My brother-in-law's surname shouldn't be Qiang, it should be Xu. He's cut from the same cloth as our father. But I'm also reminding you that in life, if you take a step back, you'll always take a step back. For the sake of our daughter, what's wrong with a quarrel? You should also try not to learn from our mother's temper and mistreat your daughter for the sake of others. We have five sisters, and besides you, who doesn't feel angry?"
"Second sister, you're a mother now, how can you still say such things? Shanshan is young and naive, but you're also ignorant? I wanted you to persuade Shanshan. How can parents not be involved in a marriage? How can Shanshan be respectable in the man's family if she behaves like this?"
"Sister, I still say the same thing. You can tell on me if you want, but I won't change my mind."
"Shanshan, there's no need for us sisters to say anything out of anger. I'm doing this for your own good."
"Sister, if you really want to do this for my own good, please let me quietly establish myself in Lin City. Fang Zhiwen's family conditions are so good, and he himself is also outstanding. It's not without pressure for me to marry him. Do you want me to be like you, and have to go to the man's house and then make up some betrothal gifts to my uncle and cousins? Sister, I'm not you. You can tolerate it, but I can't. My parents gave birth to me, and I'm not an unfilial person. It's just that I'm still young, and I don't want to be dragged into the quagmire by them. I don't want to carry the weight of my uncle and aunt's family on my shoulders for the rest of my life. I don't have the ability, and I can't bear it."
"Sister, can you save me?"
For some reason, Xu Shanshan felt very aggrieved. Was all this because she didn't want to? It was because she couldn't!
Xu Daya looked at her trembling and crying sister and suddenly didn't know how to persuade her. Hongxia came running over with a towel to wipe her aunt's tears.
Xu Ruyi, who had a bad temper, hated her eldest sister's similar moralizing with her parents. She picked up Hongxia and said, "Sister, if you fall into a trap, it's your own business. My third sister and I are just as beautiful as each other. We both want to live a good life. By the way, Xu Fei will graduate from high school next year. My parents want to find him a job in town, and my parents have agreed to lend them my betrothal gift."
Xu Meili asked in surprise: "Fourth sister, we are together every day, why didn't you tell me?"
"What's there to say? I'm not the eldest or second sister. If you really push me, I'll take a knife and chop off Xu Fei's two taels of meat." Xu Ruyi wiped her tears and sneered, "Eldest sister, second sister, you've made a good start."
After these words were spoken, even Xu Erya didn't know what to say.
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