Chapter 27 Receiving Educated Youth
"Zhuang Zhifeng, you coward! I'll carry you to the hospital even if I have to!"
"Mom, I've explained it to you so many times, my body functions normally, I'm definitely fine, I don't need to go to the hospital. Why are you being as unreasonable as Xiaojuan?"
Zhuang Zhifeng's voice was filled with exhaustion and helplessness. He didn't know why his wife, who had been perfectly fine, had suddenly become a different person. Since that night, she had been making a fuss, not only bothering him but also his mother-in-law's family.
Zhuang Zhifeng looked at his wife with anger in his eyes. Didn't he know whether he was capable or not? Didn't his wife know?
Why go through all that trouble and make things pointless? If he really goes to the hospital, where will he put his face as a grown man?!
"No problem? You say there's no problem, so there's no problem? If there's no problem, then why are you so guilty? Let's see a senior doctor to check it out, that way we can prove your innocence, right?"
"Everyone knows perfectly well who's hiding their guilt and unwilling to go to the hospital. Zhuang Zhifeng, let me ask you this: my sister has been married to you all these years, how many times has your mother yelled at her because she can't have children? How many times has she gone to the hospital, how much bitterness has she endured?!"
"If you're not feeling guilty, why don't you come to the hospital with us?!"
Sister-in-law Luo, hands on her hips, unleashed a barrage of insults at Zhuang Zhifeng's face.
"What makes you say there's something wrong with Zhifeng in our family? It's Luo Xiaojuan who can't have children, she's a barren hen. Our Zhuang family has been feeding and taking good care of her all these years, and she still doesn't respect this old woman like me. In the past, she would have been forced to kneel in the ancestral hall and be punished according to family rules. What daughter-in-law is as disrespectful to her mother-in-law as she is?"
"Zhifeng, you can't go to the hospital! There's no such logic in this world! I believe you'll be fine! We can't let Luo Xiaojuan make false accusations. She's the one who can't have children, and now she's trying to pin the blame on you. You can't listen to them!"
"It's too early for you, my in-law, to say who can't have children! Just because you say your son is fine doesn't mean he's fine. You're not a doctor, and the doctor said my daughter is healthy and has no problems. Who is it that can't have my daughter's child? Let's talk to everyone here and get the judgment!"
"That's right! Zhuang Zhifeng, we're giving you two choices: one is to go to the hospital and see the old doctor, and the other is to get a divorce. It's not like our Luo family can't afford to raise our daughter!"
"Xiaofang's opinion is also the Luo family's opinion. Zhuang Zhifeng, go to the hospital or get a divorce, you choose one!"
"Mom, calm down, let's sit down and talk this out. Xiaojuan and I are still young, there's no rush for children. It's just a matter of fate; when the time is right, the child will come naturally. Xiaojuan, please try to persuade Mom and sister-in-law!"
Zhuang Zhifeng was in a complete mess. How did things get to this point?
In the courtyard, Cheng Cheng and Xiao Lingxiao strained their ears to listen to the sounds coming from the neighboring yard.
Cheng Cheng thought to herself that the Luo family was too civilized. If it were her mother, she would have slapped her across the face when Old Lady Zhuang called Sister Xiao Juan a barren hen.
City people are too civilized. It was the same at the Ding family's house last time. She didn't expect things to be resolved so easily. Should she say that her mother was too strong, or that the Ding family was too weak?
However, this gave her a new idea: when you encounter someone who cares about face, you should just beat them with a flurry of punches. If the other party cares about face, then you should go all out. What is face anyway?
Since you can't eat it, and it fell on the ground, you can just bend down and pick it up when you leave after you've achieved your goal.
Turning my head, I saw Sister Ma's family on the wall, several heads huddled together, all looking towards the next door, their necks stretched out like giraffes.
Cheng Cheng: ...
When Sister Ma saw her looking over, she smiled at her and gestured for her to look in the other direction.
Just like Sister Ma's family, people in the neighboring yard were standing on stools and chairs, eating melons and watching the commotion!
She guessed that the neighbors in the neighborhood were probably all listening intently, just like them, eager to hear the juicy gossip.
As early as that night when the Zhuang family heard noises of a quarrel between the couple, Sister Ma came to ask her about it the next day. Every time there was any commotion in the Zhuang family, Sister Ma would definitely come to her the next day, and she would also bring her the neighbors' private speculations and the latest gossip.
Even though Cheng Cheng wasn't home on weekends during this time, she could still get the latest gossip from Sister Ma every time she came back.
Xiao Juan stayed at her parents' home for more than half a month, and this farce dragged on for more than half a month as well. Every day, Old Lady Zhuang would scold her daughter-in-law in the yard, saying all sorts of nasty things.
According to her observation, Zhuang Zhifeng was at home when Grandma Zhuang was scolding Sister Xiaojuan, but he didn't say a word.
Keep listening!
Luo Xiaojuan didn't speak, but quietly looked at Zhuang Zhifeng, her gaze seeming as if she wanted to see right through the man.
After a long while, Luo Xiaojuan closed her eyes tightly, and when she opened them again, she had made up her mind.
"Zhuang Zhifeng, let's get a divorce."
She was tired and didn't want to keep trying to persuade him or beg him to go to the hospital for a checkup. She decided to just leave it at that.
They've come to this point, and there's no going back. She doesn't want to go back to the past either, where she and his mother argued endlessly over the smallest things in life, and she's had enough of his indifferent attitude.
She could no longer tolerate the pointing fingers and whispers around her. She was fed up with the strange looks from others and the pity that her neighbors showed when they stared at her belly.
That's it. Everyone will feel better after the divorce. She doesn't want to dwell on who has the problem of not being able to have children. Over the years, she has been really, really tired.
Her affection and love for Zhuang Zhifeng had long since faded amidst the daily arguments and the lack of a future.
Having made up her mind, Luo Xiaojuan looked at the man in front of her with a determined look in her eyes and repeated, "Zhuang Zhifeng, let's get a divorce."
Not to mention how shocked Zhuang Zhifeng and his mother, Grandma Zhuang, were, even Luo's mother and sister-in-law looked at her with surprise.
Sister-in-law Luo: Oh no! She just said it offhand, she really didn't mean to break up a marriage. Could my little sister have taken her words to heart?
Honestly, she was just trying to threaten her brother-in-law so he would go to the hospital for a checkup!
Even Luo's mother was surprised by what her daughter said. Judging from her daughter's expression, it seemed like she was serious.
"Xiaojuan, you..."
"Mom, I want a divorce. I can't live in this family anymore. I'll die!"
Luo Xiaojuan suddenly broke down in tears; she had truly had enough of it all!
Luo's mother lovingly pulled her daughter into her arms and gently patted her back, just like she used to comfort her when she was a child.
"Fine, fine, let's get a divorce!"
She had seen what kind of life her daughter had been living with the Zhuang family all these years, and since her daughter wanted a divorce, then so be it.
We can't even make ends meet anymore. No matter how much we care about appearances or saving face, nothing is more important than our daughter's lifelong happiness.
However, before the divorce, the Luo family will make up for all the grievances their daughter suffered in the Zhuang family for Zhuang Zhifeng over the years!
Since they're getting a divorce anyway, all those previous concerns can go to hell. The blame must be placed on Zhuang Zhifeng!
It's because Zhuang Zhifeng can't have children and can't give her daughter a child, which has wasted so many years of her daughter's life!
The neighborhood quickly quieted down, and Luo's mother left with her daughter and daughter-in-law.
Old Mrs. Zhuang cursed, "Divorce is divorce! Who's afraid of who! I bet after the divorce, besides my Zhifeng, who else would want Luo Xiaojuan?!"
"A woman who can't have children, and is divorced, is no longer a virgin. I wonder if she can get married. Who would want an old hen that can't lay eggs!"
"Bah! Your Luo family is just waiting to support your old daughter for the rest of your lives! Even if you want to come back to Zhifeng after the divorce, Zhifeng won't take you!"
"Son, let's get a divorce! After the divorce, Mom will find you a healthy, virgin girl right away! Next year, she'll give birth to a big, healthy son for our family!"
"Mom, stop talking! I'm already confused enough. Let me have some peace and quiet! Don't make things worse!"
Zhuang Zhifeng suddenly roared and stormed into the study, only to rush out a moment later.
Old Mrs. Zhuang shouted from behind, "Zhifeng, where are you going? Come back! You're not allowed to go to the Luo family! You'll make your mother angry to death!"
Old Mrs. Zhuang was yelling and cursing at the Luo family in the yard, making a huge fuss!
Cheng Cheng didn't bother to listen to the commotion afterward. After finishing lunch with her little Xiao Xiao, she was about to lie down in bed for a nap.
People from the Luo family next door have come!
The whole family came, banging drums and gongs, making a great commotion that immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding neighbors.
"Mother!"
Little Lingxiao had already lain down, but upon hearing the noise, he immediately sat up, his eyes sparkling as he looked at his mother.
The meaning in her eyes couldn't be clearer: Mom, aren't we going to go outside to listen?
Cheng Cheng belatedly realized that she seemed to have set a bad example for the little guy. Uh... let's just listen to this once, and we'll talk about it next time.
This time, Mr. Luo and his older brother also came, along with relatives and friends. The men carried things, while the women argued and recounted all the grievances Xiao Juan had suffered in their family over the years, emphasizing that their Luo family divorced because their son-in-law couldn't have children.
It's not her daughter's fault!
"This is outrageous! It's utterly heartless! This whole family is bullying us, an orphan and a widow..."
Grandma Zhuang sat on the ground crying and throwing a tantrum. When it didn't work and no one paid attention to her, she immediately got up and tried to stop them. She blocked the doorway, cursing and crying, and forbidding them from moving cabinets or sewing machines from the house unless they stepped over her.
A thin, frail old woman was no match for strong men. Brother Luo simply shoved the old woman aside and, along with his cousin who had come to support him, carried the sewing machine outside.
The men of the Luo family were bustling about moving things from the farmhouse, while the women of the Luo family were standing with their hands on their hips, cursing in the street. This whole spectacle kept everyone around on the edge of their seats!
This time of day coincides with everyone getting off work, having lunch, and taking a nap. Everyone is at home, so naturally, they all come out to see what's going on.
The discussion was lively and noisy, with everyone talking at once and spittle flying everywhere!
"Xiao Juan has been married to the Zhuang family for seven or eight years, and the couple really want to get a divorce over something like this?"
"Judging from the Luo family's attitude, is there even a question? It's definitely a done deal! Otherwise, why would the bride's family come knocking on the door with drums and gongs to move their things?"
"I think Comrade Zhuang is probably really infertile, so it's understandable that the Luo family wants their daughter to divorce him! Staying with a man who can't have children will ruin a woman's life!"
"I think this is pretty much true! Let me tell you, Xiao Juan usually seems to be in good health, hardworking and capable, and she has a big bottom, she can definitely have children! She's been married to Comrade Zhuang for seven or eight years, and we haven't even heard a sound from her! It must be that Comrade Zhuang is dragging Comrade Xiao Juan down!"
"I think so too. If you ask me, divorce is a good idea! Although it doesn't sound good to others, we can't just hang ourselves on a crooked tree! Without children, we'll have no future!"
Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it made sense, and the women looked at Luo Xiaojuan with sympathy, some even feeling indignant on her behalf.
"Xiao Juan is so pitiful! She's just too unlucky. How did she end up with a man who can't have children, and a wicked mother-in-law too? It's clearly her son who can't have children, but she keeps calling her daughter-in-law a hen that can't lay eggs!"
"Xiao Juan has been framed for so many years. I saw her drinking medicine before. It was a big bowl of black medicine that smelled bitter from afar. I'm so glad she drank it all!"
The young woman in the navy blue shirt, who was on good terms with Luo Xiaojuan, stood up for her and gestured to show how big the bowl was. "Xiaojuan looks glamorous on the surface, and she often argues with her mother-in-law, but she actually suffers a lot behind the scenes!"
Someone else said, "Xiao Juan is so pitiful. Isn't this a clear case of marriage fraud? And she's even being falsely accused. The Zhuang family has ruined the most beautiful years of her life!"
Most of the women sympathized with Luo Xiaojuan's plight, but the men's gazes were more unrestrained. Some of them even stared directly at Zhuang Zhifeng's groin, scrutinizing him and chuckling in twos and threes.
Zhuang Zhifeng's face was like a spilled palette, turning red, white, white, and green. If he could find a place, the other party would probably bury him right away.
But he couldn't explain this to anyone, so Zhuang Zhifeng's gaze towards Luo Xiaojuan changed.
At this point, he understood that the marriage was irreversible and there was no turning back.
This divorce battle wasn't over even after Cheng Cheng took her baby Xiao Xiao out to work.
Many people were reluctant to leave, but when they realized they were running out of time, they went to work with regret, turning back every few steps.
Half of them left, and those who remained were mostly unemployed aunties and grandmas who usually had nothing to do at home. These people had plenty of free time!
Within an afternoon, the news had spread throughout the entire city.
Breaking news! Breaking news! Breaking news!
There's a couple on Jiefang Road in the city center. The wife wants a divorce because the husband can't have children!
What?
You say the man is pitiful and the woman is wrong, then I have to have a good talk with you about this husband who can't have children and this wicked mother-in-law who mistreats her daughter-in-law!
After that day, Cheng Cheng never saw Sister Xiao Juan again. She heard about the rest of the story from Sister Ma.
Fortunately, there was no cooling-off period for divorce in those days, and the two got divorced the next day. That same day, Old Lady Zhuang started arranging to find a new partner for her son.
This incident became a laughing stock among the neighbors, but unfortunately, the story of Zhuang Jia spread throughout the city, becoming known to almost everyone.
It's rare to encounter such a rare event, and this will probably keep everyone talking for months, maybe even a year or two, unless an even bigger scandal emerges.
So, Old Lady Zhuang was turned down; not only did she fail to arrange blind dates for her son, but no one even paid her any attention.
Even when she went out to buy groceries, she was pointed at and gossiped about, or people would ask her to her face if she was the evil mother-in-law of the Zhuang family, or if her son was really no good.
As the story spread, it became known that Zhuang Zhifeng was a eunuch, and that his manhood was smaller than a little finger. It was said that the wicked mother-in-law was arranging for her son to find a new wife, and someone spat at the old woman to her face, saying that she had ill intentions and wanted to push other people's good girls into a pit of fire.
Anyway, everyone in the city knows that the Zhuang family is a huge pit of fire. Even families that don't care about their daughters wouldn't dare to agree, otherwise they would be gossiped about behind their backs.
The news spread so quickly that Cheng Cheng only found out later from Sister Xiao Juan that her cousin had been in contact with Sister Xiao Juan and had been giving her advice behind the scenes.
"Xiao Cheng, I am truly grateful to you and Wei Hong. If it weren't for you two, I might still be in the dark and wouldn't have been able to get away so quickly."
After her divorce, Luo Xiaojuan was not as haggard as everyone imagined. On the contrary, she seemed to have shed some shackles, radiated new life, and was in better shape than before.
Cheng Cheng stepped forward and hugged Luo Xiaojuan. "Sister Xiaojuan, seeing how you are now, I'm so happy for you!"
Luo Xiaojuan hugged her back, feeling her sincerity. She felt more relieved than moved. In the past few days, she had met too many people who sympathized with her and worried about what would happen to her in the future. This was the first person who did not ask why, did not sympathize with her, and was genuinely happy for her without looking at her with any strange eyes.
She definitely didn't mistake the person!
"Thanks."
Luo Xiaojuan said softly, her voice conveying a sense of ease and comfort.
"Next Monday, I'm treating you and Wei Hong to a meal at a restaurant to celebrate! You can't refuse!"
"OK!"
Cheng Cheng smiled mischievously, "Sister Xiaojuan, you've got it all wrong. I'd be thrilled to be invited to dinner, how could I possibly refuse? I've already decided what I want to eat, I'm just waiting for Sister Xiaojuan to say that!"
The two smiled at each other. Although they would live far apart in the future, their friendship would not fade away with distance.
"When you go back on Friday, remember to tell Wei Hong that if she's free, she can come over on Monday. If she's not free, I'll see when she's available and then invite her separately."
"Leave it to me!"
-
The next day.
Cheng Cheng went to the market to buy groceries and was pulled aside by her older sister's mother-in-law, who asked her about the divorced woman next door.
Cheng Cheng looked at her older sister's mother-in-law strangely, "Aunt Xiulian, why are you asking this?"
Although she had met many people asking her gossip these days, most of their attention was focused on Zhuang Zhifeng's inability to have children, the fact that Old Lady Zhuang was a wicked mother-in-law who tormented her daughter-in-law, and the pitiful state of Sister Xiaojuan.
This is the first time someone has asked her if Sister Xiaojuan has any plans to remarry.
Liu Xiulian sighed, her expression full of pity. "Oh, I just felt sorry for that girl, that she had met the wrong person, and I thought I'd lend her a hand."
"Little Orange, let me tell you, your auntie has a really sharp eye, I've never misjudged anyone!"
"Back then, I chose your sister as my perfect wife at first sight. Look how well she and your brother-in-law are living now, their life is thriving!"
"Hey, let's get back to business. I have a good candidate in mind. If that girl is planning to remarry, just let me know. I'm sure my judgment is right!"
Liu Xiulian patted her chest and guaranteed, looking around before lowering her voice: "The person I'm introducing is guaranteed to have children! I had your uncle check him out; his testicles are like a donkey's, he'll definitely be able to!"
"ah?"
Cheng Cheng was completely bewildered, looking utterly confused.
The image of her eldest sister's father-in-law's stern old face involuntarily popped into her mind. She couldn't imagine how he could keep such a serious face while secretly peeking at the other man's "things," and even give him a "donkey-sized" evaluation, which was considered the highest praise for a man.
The next second, Cheng Cheng couldn't help but shiver.
The scene is so beautiful, it's a little disgusting!
Seeing the expression on her face, Liu Xiulian assumed she didn't believe her and continued, "If you don't believe me, I'll have your brother-in-law go and check again."
"No, no need."
Cheng Cheng quickly waved her hand to refuse, afraid of being a second too late.
That's enough. She can't even look her older sister's father-in-law in the eye anymore. At least they don't see each other often and don't interact much. If it were her brother-in-law, ugh, how disgusting!
I reckon she'll never be able to look her brother-in-law in the eye again; every time she sees him, she'll be reminded of this incident.
"Then let me ask for you first, Aunt Xiulian. Tell me about the man's situation in general."
...
On Friday afternoon, Cheng Cheng left work an hour early, taking her baby Xiao Xiao and lots of bags home.
She waited at the intersection for a while before her second brother arrived in a tractor.
Her second uncle, Cheng Aimin, and her cousin, Cheng Weihong, were also there. Cheng Cheng put the two packages in the car, carried her baby Xiaoxiao up first, and then grabbed the guardrail and jumped onto the tractor.
"Second Uncle, what brings you here?"
The two brothers, Cheng Aimin and Cheng Aiguo, don't actually look alike, and their personalities are also quite different. Cheng Aimin looks honest and down-to-earth, and his personality is also more pragmatic. After becoming the brigade leader, he gained a bit more imposing presence.
Seeing his niece and grandniece, his furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he took out a handful of fried beans from his pocket.
Beside her, Cheng Weihong immediately reached out her hand and looked at her father.
Cheng Aimin: ...
I glanced at my daughter. I don't know what's wrong with her lately. We haven't been short of food or drink at home, so why is she getting more and more greedy?
Cheng Aimin poured some fried beans into her palm, then grabbed a handful from his pocket for his grandniece, leaving only a tiny bit left.
"Second Uncle, you eat."
Cheng Cheng shook her head and refused; she didn't want to hurt her teeth and declined.
When Cheng Aimin saw that his niece didn't want it, he was about to pour it all into his own mouth when a hand suddenly reached out from in front of him. He looked up and saw his nephew smiling at him.
Cheng Aimin had no choice but to give half of it to his nephew. His daughter had finished all the fried beans at some point and was now holding out her hand to him.
Cheng Aimin: ...
Cheng Cheng watched helplessly as her cousin snatched all the fried beans from her second uncle's hand, poured them into her own mouth, and chewed them so hard they made a crunching sound, while also reaching into her second uncle's pocket.
Uh...you have really good teeth!
The tractor chugged along towards the city, and Cheng Cheng asked in confusion, "Second Uncle, where are we going?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Aimin's already deep frown lines deepened even further.
"Sigh, the higher-ups have sent another group of educated youth to our brigade. We have to go to the train station to pick them up."
"You know, these educated youths shouldn't stay in the city. They were sent to our rural area to guide our production and construction, but none of them know how to farm. They're all skinny and weak, and they're all sham. It's so frustrating to watch them work!"
They can't get much work done in a day, yet they complain and grumble, saying that the rural environment is bad and everything is bad.
To be honest, these kids, except for the first year when the educated youth came, everyone was still a bit curious and willing to be tolerant. But after seeing what these educated youth were like, that tolerance turned into rejection.
Especially after learning that these educated youths were incompetent at work, often dragged the team down, and took up everyone's rations and distributed grain from the village, they were even less fond of them.
At most, Cheng Aimin could manage to avoid making things difficult for these educated youth and appear fair on the surface, but deep down he did not welcome them.
Especially after learning that seven educated youths had been assigned to their brigade this time, his brows never left his face. Eleven educated youths had already come to the village, and if seven more came, there wouldn't be enough room for them at the educated youth settlement!
"Dad, this is an order from above. We just need to do it. Can you really refuse?"
“Dad, let me tell you, if you keep looking so gloomy, the people in the educated youth office will think you’re unhappy with the organization’s arrangements.”
As they approached the train station, her father still wore a bitter and resentful expression, as if someone owed him money. Cheng Weihong was somewhat dissatisfied and advised her father, "They're doing just fine in the big city. Do you think those educated youth wanted to come here? It's all arranged by the higher-ups. We'll just follow their orders."
“Those educated youth can’t stay in our rural area forever. What if they have a chance to return to the city in the future? Dad, please stop with that deadpan expression and at least smile.”
She didn't ask her father to be particularly kind or caring towards those educated youth; she just hoped he wouldn't hold her back.
Cheng Cheng remained silent throughout, observing coldly. Was her cousin's attitude a bit too attentive?
Is her cousin really that kind?
Cheng Cheng carefully recalled her memories, shook her head, and then nodded.
Without even thinking about it, there's definitely something fishy going on here!
Unless the new educated youth have unusual identities, or there are some among them with unusual identities who made a name for themselves in their previous lives.
Let's wait and see. Anyway, we'll meet these new educated youths soon. We'll see which one her cousin cares about the most.
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A note from the author: Goodnight, everyone!
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