Chapter 18: The words may be rough, but the reasoning is sound.
"Of course!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Weihong immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then became self-righteous, glancing at her and saying, "Do you think I'm like you?"
So stupid!
Cheng Cheng naturally understood her implied meaning and was furious. She immediately put her hands on her hips, her face full of anger: "What do you mean? Don't think I can't understand!"
"I didn't say anything, don't slander me!"
Cheng Weihong practically slid to her knees, instantly creating distance between them. She raised her hands and pointed outside.
Cheng Cheng snorted lightly, pretending not to care and to be magnanimous, but in reality, the little devil inside her was laughing hysterically!
It seems her cousin's past life wasn't very good, and she didn't seem very bright. Even though she's been reborn, her fighting ability doesn't seem very strong!
only……
She lowered her eyelashes. Judging from her cousin's behavior, she must have had a deep connection with the Zhuang family in her past life. In other words, she might have married Zhuang Zhifeng.
Well… Sister Xiaojuan… She didn’t want to think the worst, but considering that as soon as she entered the Zhuang family home, her cousin kept staring at that old bicycle, it was highly likely that Sister Xiaojuan had an accident in her past life.
How can we extract more useful information from Cheng Weihong?
She suddenly said mysteriously, "I think what you said makes sense!"
"What?"
Cheng Weihong looked completely bewildered.
Cheng Cheng rolled her eyes at her, "How can you be so stupid!"
I?
Cheng Weihong pointed to herself in disbelief. What was she saying?!
She's a complete idiot who was sold out in her past life and even helped the seller count the money, yet she dares to call her stupid?!
Cheng Weihong's expression instantly turned ashen, as if she had eaten shit, and she was so angry that her blood was boiling!
He frowned and stared at her expressionlessly.
Cheng Cheng did it on purpose!
Having piqued everyone's interest and vented her frustration, she finally revealed her guess: "What I mean is, your statement that Comrade Zhuang is all show and no substance is quite true."
Cheng Weihong was still confused. So what if this statement made a lot of sense? Doesn't that just mean she's smart?
Seeing that the other person still hadn't grasped her meaning after a while, Cheng Cheng gave her a disdainful yet smug smile, with an expression that suggested she was the smartest person, and reluctantly explained, "How can you be so stupid? You still don't understand what I mean? Fine, fine, you've never been as smart as me since you were little, so I won't make things difficult for you. I'm afraid you'd never figure it out even if you racked your brains."
Cheng Weihong: ...
So, since you know she hasn't figured it out, why not just say so directly instead of mocking and ridiculing her?!
Where are the human traffickers?!
Cheng Weihong was so angry at that foul mouth that she felt like her skull was about to burst into flames!
Oh my god!
This is so much fun!
Cheng Cheng had had her fill of admiring her cousin's facial expressions and couldn't help but think to herself, "So when people are angry, their faces really can turn as black as the bottom of a pot." She had always thought this was just an exaggeration in novels.
However, teasing her cousin was too much fun. Seeing that the other woman was about to explode, Cheng Cheng immediately said, "Is Comrade Zhuang not good enough?"
Cheng Weihong's previously glaring expression softened somewhat, and she immediately pressed for an answer: "What do you mean?"
Now it was Cheng Cheng's turn to stumble. Seriously, sis, you really didn't understand?
Besides saying the man is impotent, what else could it be referring to?
However, seeing that the other person looked genuinely confused, Cheng Cheng explained, "In that aspect, it means I can't have children!"
Cheng Weihong was taken aback, remained silent for a while, and was about to shake her head, but when she remembered that she had drunk so many fertility formulas found by old women in her previous life, she was no longer so sure.
Is it her problem or Zhuang Zhifeng's problem?
If you work hard your whole life and only get one seedling, it means the field is fine, so the problem must be the seed.
Thanks to Tian Hao, the harvest wasn't completely lost; instead, a single seedling was produced.
Cheng Weihong thought of how the old woman in her past life was still blaming her on her deathbed for not giving the Zhuang family more children. She couldn't help but want to laugh out loud and wished she could rush to the old woman right now and tell her about it!
The bookmaker is doomed to have no descendants, hahaha...
"Why are you spacing out again? Don't tell me you didn't understand what I meant. I've already explained it so clearly."
Cheng Cheng's voice suddenly pulled her back from her past thoughts. This time, Cheng Weihong gave her cousin an approving look and said in a deep voice, "You're right."
“I didn’t expect you to have such insight,” Cheng Weihong looked at her in surprise, a smile appearing on her lips. “Married women are indeed different.”
Cheng Cheng: ...
Sister, do you know that your smile is lewd?
She rolled her eyes and stared at her suspiciously, "How can a grown woman like you laugh like that..."
She paused for a moment. "Just like a married woman?"
Being stared at by a pair of bright, clear eyes made Cheng Weihong feel a sense of panic, as if she were naked in front of the other person, with no secrets left.
This gave Cheng Weihong a huge wake-up call. Even Cheng Cheng, who was usually so clueless, became suspicious. She felt as if the other party had seen through her, but how could that be!
She twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "The aunties and grandmas in the village love to talk about these things when they get together. You'll understand after hearing it a lot."
"oh."
That reason is also plausible.
Seeing that Cheng Cheng didn't seem to care about the matter anymore, Cheng Weihong felt relieved.
Outside, Old Lady Zhuang's voice had changed from wailing to muffled cursing at some point, and soon after, Luo Xiaojuan returned.
With a slightly forced expression, he said, "Please excuse my poor appearance."
"How could that be, Sister Xiaojuan? We're too worried about you to even think about it!"
Cheng Cheng immediately stepped forward, took her hand, and comforted her, "Every family has its own problems, it's not your fault."
Luo Xiaojuan wasn't the kind of woman who could be easily defeated. She quickly rallied and said, "Come on, let's go to your place. My house is a mess. Not only will you feel uncomfortable staying here, but I myself don't feel comfortable staying in my own home!"
The group, carrying the flawed fabric, turned and left. Luo Xiaojuan locked the door to the room.
Cheng Cheng wasn't sure how much feeling Xiao Juan still had for Zhuang Zhifeng, so she kept quiet the whole way home. When she got to her own house, she was trying to figure out how to bring it up in a way that Xiao Juan would be able to accept.
Suddenly, a small figure rushed over, hugged her leg, and said in a pitiful voice, "Mommy, where did you go? I can't find you."
The little guy woke up at some point, and Cheng Cheng maliciously guessed that it must have been Grandma Zhuang who woke up Xiao Xiao!
Old Mrs. Zhuang is despicable!
"I'm so sorry, Xiaoxiao, my little one." Cheng Cheng squatted down and hugged the little guy, explaining, "Mommy went to Aunt Xiaojuan's house next door. Xiaoxiao is sleeping. Mommy forgot to tell Xiaoxiao."
Little Lingxiao pouted her pink lips, looked up at her mother with a wronged expression, and said, "It's not Mom's fault!"
Luo Xiaojuan watched with great interest, her face showing envy. She couldn't help but think of herself and felt a pang of sadness.
"Look, your Aunt Xiaojuan left us some fabric. Mommy can make new clothes for Xiaoxiao now."
Little Lingxiao looked at the flawed cloth. Her mother hadn't lied to her; she revealed her dimples, looked up at Aunt Xiaojuan, and said in a childish voice, "Thank you, Aunt Xiaojuan~"
"Why!"
Luo Xiaojuan agreed and smiled, "You're welcome, Xiaoxiao."
Cheng Cheng invited everyone to sit in the main room. Seeing that Sister Xiao Juan's love for Xiao Xiao was overflowing, she carefully chose her words and said, "Sister Xiao Juan, have you ever thought that it might not be your fault, but rather that Comrade Zhuang has a health problem?"
Upon hearing this, Luo Xiaojuan didn't react for a moment, and looked somewhat confused.
Beside her, Cheng Weihong couldn't sit still any longer and said anxiously, "Oh dear, that means there's nothing wrong with your body. The reason you can't have children isn't because of you, but because Zhuang Zhifeng's body is inadequate and he can't have children!"
Good heavens! Just how much hatred does her cousin harbor towards the Zhuang family?
Moreover, she was too hasty. She was carefully considering her words, not wanting to hurt Xiaojuan's feelings, but Cheng Weihong, this brave woman, blurted out the words "give birth".
Cheng Weihong didn't have so many concerns or worries. She urged, "Sister Luo, think about it. You've tried for so long without any good news. Who says it's definitely your problem? Maybe Zhuang Zhifeng can't have children?"
“When our brigade breeds sows, we have to select the best male pigs. Every sow can give birth, but it’s different with the male pigs. Some can mate, and some can’t. The ones that can’t mate have to be culled and replaced with another male pig.”
"Pfft—"
Cheng Cheng spat out a mouthful of water, dumbfounded, and turned to look at Cheng Weihong with a shocked expression!
Cheng Weihong gave her a look of disgust and winked at her, saying, "I'm about to get to the point, don't interrupt me!"
"Cough cough..."
"Mommy~"
Xiao Lingxiao immediately handed over a handkerchief to wipe his mother's mouth.
Cheng Cheng prepared several handkerchiefs for the little guy, changing one every day, and keeping the handkerchiefs in the little guy's pocket to carry with him.
Thank you, baby!
Cheng Cheng wiped her face and gestured for her to continue, "You may continue—"
Cheng Weihong regained her senses, looked at Sister Luo, and said, "Hey, that's strange! The sow got pregnant after we changed to a new breeding pig. What does that mean?"
"This means the problem lies with the breeding pigs!!"
Luo Xiaojuan was initially skeptical when she heard what she said, but as she listened, she couldn't help but follow the other person's train of thought, and finally revealed a look of sudden realization.
"Wei Hong, you're right!"
Cheng Cheng watched as Xiao Juan excitedly grasped her cousin's hand, her face solemn, her expression a mixture of emotion, relief, and exhilaration, as if she had grabbed the last straw!
this……
Cheng Weihong is quite impressive.
She continued, "Yes, Sister Xiaojuan, my cousin's words make sense."
What do you mean by "it also makes sense"?
It is clearly the truth!
Seeing that Cheng Cheng didn't contradict her but stood on the same side, Cheng Weihong held back, internally refuting that what she said was clearly true!
Truth! Truth! Truth!
"Why don't you and Comrade Zhuang go to the hospital for a checkup? Sister Xiaojuan, you've probably already been to the hospital, and the doctor must have told you that there's nothing wrong with you, it's just that your time hasn't come yet, right?"
Strangely enough, Xiao Cheng guessed it perfectly, and Luo Xiaojuan nodded.
"That's right. The problem might not be with you. Take Comrade Zhuang to the hospital for a checkup, and you'll probably find out the cause."
Luo Xiaojuan nodded in agreement. She was almost at her wit's end. She had never thought about it from this perspective before. It turned out that it wasn't her problem.
Luo Xiaojuan burst into tears instantly. The weight that had been pressing on her heart for so many years seemed to have lightened and shrunk.
"Sister Luo, it's okay to cry it out."
Cheng Weihong gripped her hand tightly; she understood Sister Luo's feelings all too well!
Who says there's no one in the world who can truly empathize? She can!
She had experienced everything that Sister Luo had gone through, and no one understood Sister Luo's suffering better than her.
"Waaaaah..."
Luo Xiaojuan covered her face and sobbed, her shoulders trembling.
This matter... sigh...
"Mother?"
Xiao Lingxiao looked up at his mother, his face filled with bewilderment.
"Auntie Xiaojuan is feeling down, it's alright. Shall we get her some water to wash her face?"
Okay~
Cheng Cheng took the little one out first.
Luo Xiaojuan cried uncontrollably, and Cheng Weihong tried to comfort her for a while, but the other party only cried harder and harder.
She couldn't help but scratch her head. "Sister Luo, it's enough to cry it out and release your emotions. If you keep crying, you'll only hurt yourself!"
"This isn't your fault, yet you've taken the blame for others for so many years, endured so much abuse, and suffered so much indifference. I'm asking you, are you content with this?"
Luo Xiaojuan raised her head, revealing a pair of red and swollen eyes, and gritted her teeth: "I'm not reconciled!"
That's right!
Cheng Weihong continued, "Since that's the case, it's not that there's a problem with the farmland. Maybe the soil is even quite fertile. It's that there's a problem with the seeds. Instead of going to the person who sold you the seeds to demand an explanation, you've been suffering all this grievance. I ask you, is it worth it? Can you swallow this insult?"
Cheng Cheng had just returned with Xiao Xiao, her little darling, a basin of water, when she heard Cheng Weihong spouting her usual rhetoric again, uh…
The words may be rough, but the principle is sound.
"I can't swallow it!"
Luo Xiaojuan wiped away her tears. What did she have to cry about? There was someone else who should be crying!
Alright, it seems Cheng Weihong's approach really works on Sister Xiaojuan. Cheng Cheng: "Sister Xiaojuan, wash your face."
Little Lingxiao ran over and placed his little hand on Luo Xiaojuan's leg, his soft little voice saying, "Auntie Xiaojuan, don't be sad~"
Luo Xiaojuan's defenses crumbled instantly. If she had married a normal man, her child might be older than Xiaoxiao, calling her "Mom," running, jumping, and being mischievous...
"I can't think about it anymore," Luo Xiaojuan said, suppressing her tears and choking out, "Okay, I won't be sad."
Luo Xiaojuan washed her face, composed herself, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I'm sorry you had to see this."
Cheng Cheng understood her feelings. Sister Xiao Juan had always been a cheerful and generous person with a strong will. She had probably calmed down by now and was overthinking things, getting stuck in a dead end again.
"Sister Xiaojuan, you're being too polite. As long as you don't blame us for exposing this and making you feel embarrassed, that's fine."
"No, no, how could I blame you? I should thank you for telling me the truth, otherwise I would have been kept in the dark all along."
"That's settled then. I think we shouldn't say any more polite things. You've been blamed for so many years, Sister Luo, you can't just let it go like this."
Cheng Weihong spoke up.
"In my opinion, Sister Luo, you should clear your name as soon as possible. If the other party really can't have children, you should divorce him as soon as possible!"
Cheng Weihong thought about it more and more and felt that this was a good idea. In her previous life, Sister Luo had an accident on her way to work and was hit by a car and died.
She had no idea when Sister Luo was killed in the accident, and she couldn't possibly stay by Sister Luo's side every day. It would be better to let Sister Luo get a divorce, start a new life, and escape from the scorching heat of the Zhuang family.
She originally thought of having Sister Luo teach that old hag a lesson, but Cheng Cheng gave her a brilliant idea: Zhuang Zhifeng was no good, a spineless coward, so they should tear off all the pretense.
Completely shattering the old hag's dream of having a grandson, making the Zhuang family lose face and never be able to hold their heads up again, and nailing Zhuang Zhifeng to the pillar of shame—this kind of revenge was clearly more to her liking.
Then, she'll put in a lot of effort and make sure the whole city knows that Zhuang Zhifeng is impotent and infertile, hahahahahaha...
"divorce?"
Luo Xiaojuan looked completely bewildered and at a loss.
Cheng Cheng glanced at her cousin. This was truly earth-shattering news, especially in this conservative era. However, divorce might be a good thing for Xiao Juan. She could get rid of the useless man who couldn't have children and the difficult mother-in-law, and she could also start a new life.
"That's right, Sister Luo, do you really want to be ruined by the Zhuang family for the rest of your life? Zhuang Zhifeng can't have children, but there are plenty of men out there who can't have three children!"
"Sister Luo, you can't be foolish! Don't hang yourself on one tree in their farm. If he can't have children, that's fine, then get a divorce! Sister Luo, just find a suitable man who can have children and marry him!"
"Are they really going to refuse to release him? That's outrageous! They'll be drowned in the spittle of the neighbors! Sister Luo, you haven't even held them accountable for the marriage fraud, wasting so many years of your life! What use is a man who can't have children?!"
Cheng Cheng gave her a thumbs up!
That's amazing!
Receiving an admiring look from her usually arrogant cousin, Cheng Weihong proudly puffed out her chest!
Luo Xiaojuan's expression kept changing, finally settling into a firm resolve. She murmured to herself, "That's right! I can't waste my youth any longer. I'll be thirty next year. If I delay any longer, I might not even be qualified to be a mother."
Luo Xiaojuan made up her mind and looked at them firmly, "Xiao Cheng, Wei Hong, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Once this is resolved, I'll treat you to a meal at a restaurant."
After saying that, Luo Xiaojuan hurriedly got up and said, "I'm going back to my parents' house first. We can talk properly another day. I'm leaving now."
Luo Xiaojuan left immediately.
Cheng Cheng watched Xiao Juan's hurried figure and couldn't help but sigh, "From ancient times to the present, people have always blamed women for not being able to have children, never thinking about looking for the cause in men. It's clearly the men who have bigger problems!"
"Exactly! They always try to pin the blame on women! It's clearly the men's sperm that's inadequate, but they like to blame the soil for not being fertile! They're just good at burying their heads in the sand!"
Cheng Weihong was furious!
Great minds think alike. Cheng Cheng and Cheng Weihong exchanged a glance, and these words were exactly what she wanted to hear!
The next second, the two of them turned their heads and looked to the side.
Harmony is indeed an illusion.
Little Lingxiao looked up at his mother, then glanced at Aunt Wei Hong, his little head filled with confusion.
Oh, adults are so strange.
After a while, Cheng Weihong broke the silence, "What time is it?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng subconsciously raised her hand to check her watch, "4:18."
"It's already 4 o'clock?"
I have to go right now.
Cheng Weihong turned to leave, but Cheng Cheng reminded her, "Don't you want your things anymore?"
Oh right!
Cheng Weihong turned back and picked up her flawed cloth. Alas, she only received one piece. If there were more, she wouldn't need to take it back; she could just sell it on the black market.
There's no need for this if there's only one flawed piece of cloth. It's better to take it back and let her mother make her two sets of clothes.
She turned and left, clutching the cloth, without even saying goodbye.
Fine, this sisterhood is as fake as it gets. Cheng Cheng pouted and didn't take it to heart.
While the sun was still high, Cheng Cheng first washed the little guy's hair, and then washed her own hair. Her hair was long and thick, and it dried slowly; it would take a long time to dry after washing it at night.
For dinner, Cheng Cheng made a vegetarian dish: stir-fried bitter melon with eggs and braised winter melon.
Bitter melon is cooling, and it's perfect for hot summer days. She was worried that her little Xiaoxiao wouldn't like bitter melon, so she made stir-fried bitter melon with eggs. The eggs also absorbed the refreshing aroma of the bitter melon, giving it a unique flavor.
The little one loved it; she ate all the scrambled eggs, while she was responsible for dealing with the bitter melon. And let me tell you, it really was quite bitter after eating so much of it!
After finishing their meal, Cheng Cheng washed the dishes and took Xiao Xiao to the yard to digest for a while. During this time, she kept listening to the sounds coming from the neighboring yard, as it seemed that Sister Xiao Juan had not yet returned.
Even after the bright moon hung high in the sky, Cheng Cheng finished washing the clothes, locked the door, and returned to her room, there was still no sound from next door.
"Xiaoxiao, is there anything you want to say to your father?"
Cheng Cheng turned her head and looked at Xiao Xiao, who was doing somersaults on the bed.
Ever since she told the little one the story of Journey to the West, the little one has become particularly fond of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and has fallen in love with somersaults. Every time he gets into bed, it's as if some kind of command has been triggered, and he rolls from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed, and then from the foot of the bed back to the head of the bed.
With boundless energy and nowhere to channel it, I find myself endlessly entertained!
Hearing his mother's words, Xiao Lingxiao stopped what he was doing and looked up at his mother.
Cheng Cheng waved, "Stop doing somersaults, come to Mommy."
She was in a dilemma, wondering what to write to Zhou Yue. The two weren't close, but Zhou Yue was now not only her husband in name, but also the "bread and butter" of her and her baby Xiaoxiao. She would just write something to comfort her "bread and butter".
We can't just leave without saying a word, can we?
How should she phrase her words to express her condolences to the leader? She couldn't think of any ideas for the moment. Then, her eyes darted around and she fixed her gaze on the little girl who was rolling around on the bed with great enthusiasm.
Cheng Cheng picked up the little one and put him on her lap, then asked in a low voice, "Xiao Xiao, what do you want to say to Daddy?"
Little Lingxiao looked up, her face full of confusion, staring intently at her mother. After a while, she frowned and asked in her childish voice, "Has Daddy eaten?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng's eyes lit up. "Good question!"
The young girl was well-versed in Chinese greetings: "Have you eaten?"
Hehe, Cheng Cheng picked up her pen and started writing, asking Zhou Yue if he had eaten yet and if he had eaten well, emphasizing her daughter's concern for her elderly father, and then what?
"Xiaoxiao, is there anything else you want to say to Daddy?"
Cheng Cheng was at a loss again and continued to recruit young girls as laborers.
Little Lingxiao racked his brains for a long time, then suddenly slid off his mother's lap and ran into the main room. A little while later, he returned with a stack of drawing paper.
"My mom taught me to draw!"
Great, this can also be written in the letter. Cheng Cheng couldn't help but let her thoughts wander. She didn't have anything to say to Zhou Yue, mainly because they weren't really familiar with each other and she didn't know how to have an awkward conversation!
But! She can talk to Zhou Yue about Xiaoxiao baby, that's what she should do!
With lightning speed, she wrote as if guided by divine inspiration. First, she wrote in the letter about teaching her precious Xiaoxiao to recognize characters, then she asked Zhou Yue to guess what she thought: their daughter is a genius!!!
Photographic memory!!!
In the letter, she lavishly praised her daughter, Xiaoxiao, and then expressed her worries, wondering how to educate her genius daughter so as not to waste her talent. She wrote down her current study plan and asked Zhou Yue for his advice.
Finally, she wrote about teaching Xiaoxiao to draw, mentioning that she took Xiaoxiao to a bookstore to buy crayons, but the bookstore in the county didn't sell crayons, which disappointed the little girl.
As she wrote this, she recalled the scene of the little girl squatting on the ground, struggling to choose a comic book, and she described the scene in just a few words.
Suddenly, she reached out and took the sketchbook, flipped to the sketch she had drawn that morning, carefully tore it off with a ruler, and planned to put it in an envelope and send it over.
As for the other chibi version picture, she wanted to keep it for herself and wouldn't give it to Zhou Yue.
"Xiaoxiao, why don't you pick out a few paintings and send them to your dad?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxiao lowered her head, a conflicted look on her face. She picked and chose among the many sheets of drawing paper, and finally reluctantly gave up three of her treasures.
Cheng Cheng was secretly overjoyed. Holding the little girl's hand, she wrote a few words on the letter.
"Mother?"
Little Lingxiao tilted her head, looking at her mother with a puzzled expression. Although she couldn't write yet, it didn't mean she couldn't read.
"Doesn't Xiaoxiao miss her dad?"
The little girl pursed her lips and remained silent. What is her father like?
She had never met him, but she had met her aunt's husband, her eldest uncle, and her second uncle. Sometimes, she envied her older sister, Da Ni, and the others, because they could see their father every day. But... would her father carry her on his shoulders like her second uncle did?
The little girl nodded; she was just curious about her father, not actually wanting to!
"Okay, Mommy will start teaching you to write tomorrow, okay? Next time, if you have something you want to say to Daddy, you can write it down yourself. Mommy will also give you an envelope so you can write a letter to Daddy, okay?"
Xiao Lingxiao wasn't very interested in writing letters to her father, but she wanted to learn to write. She had asked her mother to teach her, but her mother said she was too young, her bones were still soft and hadn't fully developed, and that she should learn to recognize characters first.
Mom said that she has already surpassed other children her age in her studies by a large margin, so there is no need to rush. She should wait for the other children to catch up. The most important thing for her now is to learn to play happily, grow up healthily and joyfully!
But she didn't find it fun at all; she was happiest when she was learning new things!
But she didn't say anything, instead nodding her chin, "Okay~"
"Zhuang Zhifeng, are you really infertile?!"
In an instant, a passionate and high-pitched female voice broke the silence of the night.
Cheng Cheng and Xiao Lingxiao exchanged a glance, and the mother and daughter had the same instinctive reaction—to get up.
Little Lingxiao quickly slid off his mother's lap, stepped onto the ground, and took his mother's hand.
Cheng Cheng quietly opened the door, and the mother and daughter tiptoed and crouched down to the courtyard wall.
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Author's note: See you tomorrow!
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