Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Tooth for Tooth

The rain suddenly stopped at four o'clock in the afternoon, and white mist filled the Changsheng Valley, as if the entire factory area was shrouded in a layer of gauze.

The No. 43 Family Building is located at a relatively high position, and one can have a panoramic view of half of the ravine from the corridor.

Wang Nian took a deep breath of the cool air and carried out firewood from behind the door. Wherever he passed, a lot of firewood fell to the ground with a rustling sound.

Previously they were piled up in the backyard, but because it rained these few days, we had to carry them all back home for fear of getting wet, and we had to lean sideways to go in and out.

After putting down the firewood, Wang Nian hurried to get a broom to clean up the place to avoid stepping on dirt everywhere.

"Once the canvas is ready, I'll buy some bricks tomorrow at noon and build a shed in the backyard to store firewood."

Shi Xiangming was sitting on the embankment chopping wood. When he saw Wang Nian coming out with firewood, he immediately put the matter of building a firewood shed on the agenda.

When talking about the firewood shed, we have to mention the hens that the aunt sent to replenish her body.

Wang Nianke couldn't bear to kill it, so he tied its feet with a hemp rope and kept it in the yard, where he could earn an egg from it every day.

"Everything in the factory is good, except that you have to spend money everywhere." Wang Nian sighed.

Liu Chaoxian moved a small stool and sat at the door of her house to embroider her shoe insoles, saying that it would be brighter outside, but in fact she was just keeping an eye on Zhang Guiqiang.

Listening to Wang Nian talking to himself, I couldn't help but sigh

"It's not like a family needs to spend money everywhere. Money is available wherever you open your eyes..."

The factory has to pay for water and electricity. Electricity costs four cents per kilowatt-hour, water costs fifty cents per family per month, and another thirty cents per month to hire someone to do the poop.

These are just small expenses. The big expenses are still for food and drink. As for clothes and shoes, you can repair them if you can. If you make do with them, a set of clothes can be worn for four to five years.

Eating is still the most expensive thing.

"Sister-in-law, how is your family's career?"

As long as Zhang Liye was at home, his loud voice could penetrate two walls, and Wang Nian knew exactly when he would be beaten.

Liu Chaoxian then suddenly turned around and said that the person who was doing homework was still at the table: "You little brat, I wonder where you are going to slack off again."

Suddenly, a burst of small laughter came from the bedroom, one clear and one dull.

"Don't look for it, it's at my house!" Wang Nian shook his head and laughed.

"You little bastard!" Liu Chaoxian cursed with a smile, and stood up and patted the thread on his trouser legs: "I'll go take a look, so I don't bump into your things."

They couldn't afford to pay for any of the big items in the Shi family's living room if they were damaged, especially the refrigerator from Factory 431, which probably only big leaders could afford.

"It seems to be in the two children's room. I'll go see what's going on." Wang Nian also said.

There was some noise coming from the hut, and it seemed quite lively with some chattering.

"How about wearing this?"

"That's a coat. You need to find a flannel coat."

The deliberately suppressed voices of the two people's discussion came out through the crack of the door. Just as Wang Nian walked to the door, he heard a cough like an old lady.

It's sandy and hoarse, like there's phlegm stuck in the throat that won't go up or down.

"Brother, I want to wear the new clothes that Dad bought."

"I'll wear new clothes after I start studying." was Shi Shuwen's answer.

Wang Nian pushed the door open and walked in. The first thing he saw were the scattered luggage bags and two children who were busy and sweating.

Shi Shuwen was wearing a woolen coat and trousers, kneeling on the lower bunk bed, trying hard to choose clothes. In fact, there were only a few sets of clothes to choose from.

Zhang Liye buried half of his head in the luggage bag, holding a pair of pants in one hand: "Sister, can I wear these pants?"

"What are you doing!" Liu Chaoxian stepped past Wang Nian and pinched Zhang Liye's ear: "I haven't seen you for a few minutes, and you ran into someone else's house and rummaged around."

The quilt suddenly shook, and Shi Wan immediately shrank into it, leaving only her eyes exposed.

"No, I'm helping my sister find her pants."

"You need to find it!"

The mother and daughter, one of them started to laugh while cursing, while the other stood on tiptoes and made funny faces at Shi Shuwen and his sister.

"Don't be angry, auntie. I was the one who asked Brother Liye to help." Shi Shuwen quickly jumped off the bed and admitted it.

"That's right!" Zhang Liye shouted while protecting his ears, "Shuwen and I are close friends, so what's wrong with me helping him find a pair of pants!"

The adults still wanted the children to be friends, but in the blink of an eye they had already become close buddies.

Wang Nian laughed dumbly, walked over, picked up the clothes from the luggage bag and put them on the bed.

"Have you chosen what pants to wear?"

Liu Chaoxian let go of his hand and patted the back of Zhang Liye's head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "You haven't even grown all your hair yet, what do you mean by close friends? I don't know where you learned this from."

As soon as Wang Nian sat down on the edge of the bed, Shi Wan immediately shrank to the corner of the wall, staring at Wang Nian's movements intently.

Most of the clothes were old, some were even patched several times, the dirty parts were not washed thoroughly, and the smell... was also a bit unpleasant.

No wonder the two brothers couldn’t find the right clothes after choosing for a long time.

"Why are all the clothes stuffed in the bag when they haven't been washed yet?"

Liu Chaoxian is a straightforward person and doesn't like to think about complicated things. When he saw it, he immediately said what he was thinking.

As he spoke, he took out the clothes and shook them a few times.

"Washed!" A childish voice came from under the quilt, as if feeling that it was not explained clearly enough, and quickly added: "My brother washed it."

"Who asked you to wash the clothes?" Wang Nian gathered the dirty clothes and piled them at the end of the bed, then picked up a pair of goose yellow corduroy pants: "Wear these."

Although it is a bit old, at least it looks clean.

"What a sin! How can such a young child wash clothes cleanly by himself?" Liu Chaoxian muttered in a low voice.

"If I don't wash my own clothes, I'm afraid I won't even have clean clothes to wear."

Wang Nian didn't dare to make a hasty judgment on whether her parents-in-law were good or bad, even though she had never met them. However, she couldn't get close to them based on what they had done to their two children.

She is not afraid of outsiders knowing about the embarrassing things happening at home. Since she can do it, she is not afraid of what others say.

Shi Xiangming seldom mentioned his parents, and when he did mention them his tone was usually cold, and one could tell that the two sides were not close.

Liu Chaoxian looked at Shi Shuwen and said, "Grandma is not nice to you and your sister?"

This is a very direct question.

Unexpectedly, Shi Shuwen's reply was even more straightforward. He just shook his head and spat out two words: "Very bad."

"How bad is it?" Liu Chaoxian asked.

"Grandpa often scolded us, grandma beat my sister, and didn't let us eat enough." Shi Shuwen even counted on his fingers, "Uncle didn't let us eat meat either."

"What a sin!" Liu Chaoxian sighed and took Shi Shuwen's hand: "Follow your father and your mother in the future, no one will abuse you anymore."

"We are close friends. If anyone dares to hit you in the future, I will fight him to the death." Zhang Liye promised, waving his fist.

"We are all my own blood, how could there be such a cruel person!" Liu Chaoxian didn't understand.

Although her mother-in-law doesn't like her daughter-in-law, she is very kind to her grandson, like the apple of her eye.

Wang Nian's attention was all on Shi Wan.

"Put on your pants, and I'll fry some crispy pork for you."

Shi Wan's eyes rolled around, and it was obvious that he was thinking frantically in his mind. Then he swallowed saliva with a very clear sound.

“Is the crispy meat delicious?”

Wang Nian was amused and nodded, trying to suppress the corners of his mouth: "It's fragrant and crispy, and there's meat."

The quilt was put down, and the dishevelled little girl slowly crawled over, her brows showing nervousness and anticipation. She opened her mouth and said in a hoarse voice: "I have never eaten crispy meat, but I have seen it."

Shi Shuwen sniffed and said in a muffled voice: "My aunt secretly fried meatballs for my cousin, and my sister must have mistaken them for crispy meat..."

Wang Nian just nodded, grabbed Shi Wan and helped her put on her pants while asking, "Didn't I give you something to eat?"

"You can't eat it!" Shi Wan waved her hands in fear: "My aunt will beat me."

“…”

"You are so heartless." Liu Chaoxian cursed, picked up his pants and handed them to Shi Shuwen: "Your mother bought a lot of delicious food today, eat enough tonight."

After taking off her coat, Shi Wan's thinness became even more obvious, and Wang Nian could even hold the girl's thigh with one hand.

Suddenly, I recalled what Shi Xiangming said one night.

At first, Shi Xiangming actually didn't want to raise the child born from his ex-wife's affair. No one wants to be cuckolded and be the scapegoat.

But when he saw the baby in the cradle crying heartbreakingly because he had no milk, he couldn't help but think of his own sister who had been given away.

Our family was not actually poor at that time, but because my sister was born weak and was still sick every other day until she was two years old, my grandmother didn't want to waste money anymore, so she secretly gave my sister to someone else without telling the family.

Shi Xiangming was at home on the day the child was sent away, but he let the brother and sister cry their hearts out, and his sister was still taken away.

From then on, he was no longer close to his grandmother, and was sent to his grandparents' home to grow up in their care.

He didn't have the strength to protect his sister when he was young, so he didn't want to see Shi Wan living such a life where he didn't know whether it was good or bad.

How could a grown man know how difficult it is to raise a child? He immediately registered the child as his own and she became his second daughter.

"We have big carp today." After coming to his senses, Wang Nian smiled and ruffled Shi Wan's messy hair: "We will also have white noodles tomorrow morning."

"White noodles!" Shi Wan stood up with her hands clenched, her face flushed with excitement: "Can my brother and I live here forever?"

"You'll live here forever! Daddy will take you to kindergarten in a few days."

“What is kindergarten?”

"It's a place with lots of little dolls, where you can play and sing together..."

Before she knew it, Shi Wan had shrunk into Wang Nian's arms, looking up at her little face and asking questions non-stop.

A three-year-old child doesn’t understand why adults don’t like her, but she can definitely feel that this person likes her.

The aunt in front of her is good to her... Shi Wan understands.

***

A large piece of firewood was stuffed into the stove, and after a crackling sound, flames rose up and licked the bottom of the pot.

Seven or eight pairs of eyes were looking at the big iron pot.

It is said to be fried crispy pork, but rapeseed oil is expensive and the oil is just enough to cover the bottom of the pot, so the crispy pork can only be fried in several batches.

The sticky dough is picked up with chopsticks and put into the oil. There is a sizzling sound and the aroma of the oil wafts in the air.

Several children were ordered not to get close to the oil pan, so they formed a human wall at the door and breathed in air desperately. Wang Nian felt that the somewhat stinging fumes were precious to them.

"If you hadn't been willing to use the oil today, our family wouldn't have eaten crispy pork for five or six years!" Liu Chaoxian looked around hard in front of the stove.

Even though factory workers have a much better life than many rural comrades, not many of them are willing to eat greasy and meaty food.

"Today is a special case." Wang Nian smiled: "From now on, my family will have to tighten their belts and live a more frugal life."

"Who would believe it? Comrade Shi is reluctant to part with it."

Several men were sitting in the room listening to the radio. Shi Xiangming's eyes were almost glued to Wang Nian. He didn't look like someone who would let his lover suffer.

"I see that Brother Zhang cares about my sister-in-law. He brought a big bag of dried sweet potatoes home for her this morning."

"That's his own fault."

Having said that, Liu Chaoxian couldn't hide the smile on his face, and his eyes were narrowed into slits due to laughing.

"We have dried sweet potatoes!" Zhang Liye shouted suddenly, and rushed out with his arms waving: "Come to my house to eat dried sweet potatoes."

"See, I have two fat assholes." Liu Chaoxian did not stop them and continued to pick up firewood and put it into the stove.

"I'll get some dried sweet potatoes as a snack tomorrow."

As the crispy meat gradually becomes cooked, a very rich aroma wafts out, rushing into people's nostrils.

Liu Chaoxian was so greedy that he kept drooling. He couldn't help but curse himself for being a hungry ghost reincarnated. At such a grown-up, he still imitated children to be greedy.

But how could the consciousness control a body that was depleted of oil and water? After a moment, Wang Nian heard a gurgling sound coming from the stove.

"Take a bite and see if it's cooked."

Wang Nian picked up a piece of crispy meat with chopsticks and put it to Liu Chaoxian's mouth, then turned around and called the children in the room: "Come out and eat crispy meat."

The crispy pork is best right out of the pot. If you let it sit for a while until the shell softens, it will have a different flavor.

A group of figures rushed out of the house, even Shi Xiangming and Zhang Guiqiang couldn't stand the fragrance and walked out of the house one after another.

"The radio said that after two years of planting and promotion, hybrid rice has completely solved our country's food and sufficiency problems..."

While Zhang Guiqiang was talking about the broadcast, his eyes were already glued to the plate of golden crispy meat.

I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t eaten crispy pork for a long time, but I always think this plate of crispy pork looks so good and tastes better than the ones in state-owned hotels.

"Sister, you go first!"

The three children were still chewing dried sweet potatoes. Zhang Liye pushed Shi Wan to the front and stood at the back very loyally.

Shi Wan tilted her head back, her big eyes twinkling as she looked at him excitedly.

Wang Nian picked up the crispy meat, blew on it, and finally put it directly into the little girl's mouth.

Seeing his sister open her mouth wide and bite the crispy meat, Shi Shuwen immediately said awkwardly: "I'll get it myself!"

As he said this, he turned his head away, fearing that Wang Nian would not listen and would really say it.

Wang Nian followed his lead and grabbed a piece of cake and hung it in the air, letting him slowly catch it with his hands.

There wasn't much in the first pot to begin with, and after the three children lined up and ate two pieces each, there were only a few small pieces left.

Wang Nian passed the basket over and said, "Try it all."

You can taste the crispy skin and soft dough when you take a bite, with a slight spicy taste and the fragrance of ginger wrapped around the meat strips, which is very fragrant.

"Is this what crispy meat tastes like?" Zhang Guiqiang even wondered if he had forgotten the taste of crispy meat. After chewing it a few times, he was completely confused: "It tastes better and better the more I eat it."

"I saw with my own eyes how they added the seasonings, but the food turned out delicious." Liu Chaoxian had to admit that food made by two hands would be different.

“People will think it tastes good only when they are empty-handed.” That’s what Wang Nian said.

From now on, the seasonings in the space were really put to use, and as Wang Nian used the snow ginger powder on the third layer, a new cabinet suddenly appeared out of thin air on the spice rack.

However, there were too many people there, so Wang Nian didn't have time to check it carefully. He planned to study it carefully in the evening.

"It's better than the ones in the state-owned hotels in the provincial capital." Shi Xiangming suddenly interrupted, and when he noticed that everyone was looking at him, he continued seriously, "It would taste even better if you used as much oil as the hotel chef does."

"What's more delicious?" Zhang Liang and his wife walked closer to the family building. Huang Qiuhong smiled and picked up the basket of vegetables in her hand: "Add another dish tonight."

Zhang Meili and her brother Zhang Liguo lagged far behind, and the two siblings were arguing fiercely with saliva flying everywhere.

"Look at my memory! It was Sister Huang who reminded me that I had also prepared some sausages. They were a New Year gift from my classmate Lao Zhang."

Although we are visiting, every family is living a tight life right now, so thoughtful people would bring some vegetables and meat to round out the meal.

This way you can eat with peace of mind and everyone can eat their fill.

Liu Chaoxian winked at Zhang Guiqiang, saying that since Wang Nian was generous, they should not be stingy.

"Hey! Where's the fried pork?"

Zhang Liang walked closer and discovered the crispy meat floating in the pot. He rubbed his hands with a happy look on his face.

"Are these Xiang Ming's two dolls?"

Huang Qiuhong began searching for Shi Shuwen and his sister from a distance, and soon saw several children with their mouths full at the door of Liu Chaoxian's house.

"The eldest is Shi Shuwen, and the second is Shi Wan." Shi Xiangming introduced them with a smile, and asked the children to call their names one by one.

"They look good." Huang Qiuhong handed the basket to Wang Nian: "These are the pork kidneys that Qiushui sent over this morning. No one in my family knows how to cook them. Can you show me how to fry them?"

Four dark red pig kidneys, you can tell from their color that they are not very fresh.

However, this thing is a rare item. Usually, pig kidneys are delivered directly to the factory hotel, and employees may not be able to buy them even if they have money.

Wang Nian was delighted: "I just happened to have a few green onions at home, so I'll stir-fry some kidney slices."

"Okay! It's up to you."

Huang Qiuhong knew that it would be a good idea to give it to Wang Nian, so she put down the basket and hurried to see the two children.

A few people went into the house and sat down. Zhang Liang first looked around the house, secretly smacked his lips in his eyes before he set his eyes on the two children.

Huang Qiuhong called Shi Shuwen over and then took Shi Wan to sit on her lap.

"Tell Auntie Si, are you tired from riding the train all this way?"

Zhang Liang and Shi Xiangming were relatives beyond the eighth degree of mourning, and they didn't even care about their generation, so they usually just called each other by their first names.

Zhang Liang is the fourth child in the family, so Huang Qiuhong calls herself the fourth aunt.

Shi Shuwen talked eloquently about what he had seen along the way, showing no sign of stage fright at all.

"They are all good kids." Huang Qiuhong nodded, pinched Shi Wan's arm casually and couldn't help frowning: "Why is there no meat at all..."

“…”

After saying this, I felt a little regretful. Why else could it be... It's just that the parents are not good to them. I'm just plain hungry!

Shi Xiangming shook his head and smiled bitterly. He did not talk about how his parents treated their children, but instead talked about his eldest brother Shi Xiangqian's work.

Shi Xiangqian's family lived in Anhuai City. They were allocated two rooms in their unit, while his parents lived in three rooms allocated to them by Shi's father Shi Guoqiang.

My eldest brother and his family eat at my parents' house every day, and they give him 15 yuan a month for food. He gives him 30 yuan a month for living expenses, and he also sends the children's clothes and shoes separately.

Three rooms, forty-five dollars for living expenses.

The two children slept at the end of the bed, wearing old clothes that their cousins ​​didn't want anymore and eating leftovers.

"I brought the kids here to see if thirty yuan could feed two kids." Shi Xiangming concluded calmly.

Through the corridor window, Wang Nian saw Shi Xiangming finish this sentence in a very calm tone, and even smiled faintly at the end.

Zhang Liang, who had heard about the Shi family's situation, patted Shi Xiangming on the shoulder and said, "You grew up with your grandparents. You have achieved what you have today entirely by yourself. We all know it's not easy..."

Shi Xiangming grew up with his grandparents who were teachers. He was admitted to university and went abroad to study at public expense based on his own abilities. His parents probably don't even know what kind of job they are doing now.

I have to say, Zhang Liang guessed it right.

During this trip home, Shi's mother asked Shi Xiangming more than once about his current salary level, and even wanted him to pay Brother Shi to use his connections to get her a position as a boilermaker in the unit.

Shi's mother's original words were: What's the point of reading so many books? If something happens, you will be the first one to be criticized.

Shi Xiangming knew clearly that his parents were actually worried that his experience of studying abroad would become a handle and affect his eldest brother's work.

So even though he knew that his second son had attended university, he still let him be a boiler worker.

“I’m used to it.”

Now he has his own home, his lover and his children, and he no longer needs to go back to Anhuai City.

"Good days are yet to come!" Zhang Liang could only comfort Shi Xiangming in this way.

Every family has its own problems. His family members who lived thousands of miles away would write to him every now and then to ask for money. They said it was to honor their parents, but in fact, the money all went into his second brother's family's pocket.

"Don't talk about those annoying things. We're in a good mood today. Old Zhang will buy a bottle of wine for you two to have a couple of drinks." Huang Qiuhong saw that something was wrong and quickly winked at Zhang Liang.

Zhang Liang laughed it off and insisted on asking Shi Xiangming to go to the store with him to buy a bottle of wine.

As soon as the two of them left, Huang Qiuhong immediately went out to find Wang Nian: "Comrade Shi and the two children have had a hard time. You must be nicer to them in the future."

"Sister-in-law, I can." Wang Nian smiled.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. Look at these delicious dishes made by Sister Wang Nian. Does she look like she would mistreat a man?" Liu Chaoxian pointed at the stove.

Wang Nian was very quick and agile. He listened to the conversation of several people in the room while his hands did not stop. After about 20 minutes, the side dishes were basically ready.

Yu Guang suddenly noticed that Shi Shuwen and the other two had run to the stairs, and hurriedly reminded them, "The stairs are dangerous, hold on to your sister."

"Auntie Wang, I got it!" Zhang Liye replied immediately.

Shi Shuwen paused, as if he was still embarrassed to call someone, and said "Oh" hesitantly.

The three dolls treated the stairs as a playground, climbing up and down with constant laughter.

"You naughty boy." Huang Qiuhong smiled, and glanced at the girl who was hiding alone and sulking in the corner with some surprise: "Don't stand here, go and look after your brothers and sisters."

"Oh!" Zhang Meili replied aggrievedly, and then stretched her head to look into the pot: "Auntie, how are you going to cook the fish?"

"I remember you like sweet and sour fish! Let's make sweet and sour fish tonight."

"Auntie is still the best to me!"

When she heard that there was a dish she liked, Zhang Meili's expression immediately changed and she skipped towards Shi Shuwen and the others.

"I competed with her brother for the pencil, but I didn't win."

With just one sentence, Zhang Meili's simple troubles were explained. The winner was now in the house, listening attentively to the storytelling on the radio.

"Sister-in-law, let's..."

"Why are you pushing your sister?"

Suddenly, Zhang Meili's roar at the stairwell interrupted Wang Nian's voice. Followed by Zhang Liye's scream, two cries exploded at the stairwell.

Wang Nian put down the kitchen knife and wiped it casually on her apron because she had just finished cutting peppers.

"Who let you get in the way?"

At the top of the stairs, a boy of about seven or eight years old was looking down at the few people, waving a table tennis racket in one hand and with the other hand on his waist.

"You didn't want to go up such a wide staircase, but squeezed us." Zhang Liye complained loudly when he saw the parents coming: "Auntie Wang, Zhou Song pushed his sister."

Shi Wan sat on the stairs, holding her knees, tears welling up on her little face.

"Are you injured?" Wang Nian stepped forward and picked up Shi Wan.

However, because there were peppers on my hands, I couldn't check it myself, so I could only signal Liu Chaoxian: "Sister-in-law, help me check if the child is injured?"

"Bad kids give birth to bad kids!"

As soon as Huang Qiuhong saw who was bullying others, her face immediately turned very ugly and she started scolding him without caring whether the other person was a child or not.

Zhou Song - the second son of Wang Wenfang and Zhou Tong.

Just like his mother, he was overbearing and tyrannical, and often bullied the children living in the same building.

"Who are you calling a bad seed?" Zhou Song stamped his feet in anger, and then rushed upstairs and shouted, "Mom, an old woman is scolding me."

“…”

Just from this one sentence, we can see how Wang Wenfang and his wife usually educate their precious son.

"Xiaowan's knee is slightly scratched." Liu Chaoxian said immediately after examining Shi Wan.

Wang Nian lowered his eyes and waved to Shi Shuwen and the others.

Soon, a woman came down the stairs, cursing, "What is that person talking about?" Turning the corner, her eyes immediately fell on Huang Qiuhong, and she snorted, "Who was that? It turns out to be Director Huang!"

"Zhou Song pushed my child."

Wang Nian took a step up the stairs and spoke coldly, and only then did Wang Wenfang notice her.

"Who are you?"

"Shi Xiangming's lover, your son Zhou Song pushed my daughter. Are you going to give us compensation and apology or let us push him back?"

“…”

Every time Wang Nian spoke a word, he went up a step, and when he finished speaking, he was already in front of Zhou Song.

Wang Wenfang saw that Wang Nian was small and looked like someone who could be easily bullied, so she turned her head away and snorted in disdain: "It's just a fight between two kids. What's the matter? Are you planning to sue the factory?"

In terms of appearance alone, Wang Nian is actually much better looking than Zhou Shanxiu, except that he is a little shorter.

But at the moment, Wang Wenfang saw Wang Nian with his head tilted up. All she could see were his half-closed eyes and nostrils. In her heart, she was still criticizing Shi Xiangming for being so blind as to find such a person.

But it was just a thought, and when he saw the situation clearly, he was immediately scared out of his wits.

Wang Nian grabbed Zhou Song by the collar with one hand and dragged him down the stairs.

Zhou Song obviously didn't react to what happened. He screamed and cursed subconsciously: "You damn bitch, wait and see how I'm going to deal with you."

After a few steps, Wang Nian had already reached the stairs and shook Zhou Song, who had become limp as a pile of mud.

The truth is that he just fell forward and was dragged down like that. If there were a few more steps, it would not be just a simple leg pain.

"Shi Shuwen." Wang Nian suddenly turned to look at the terrified Shi Shuwen: "Did he push you?"

"It was him!" Shi Shuwen suddenly became excited, her face quickly flushed, and she pointed at Zhou Song and complained loudly: "He pushed me and then pushed my sister. If it wasn't for Sister Meili who caught her from below, my sister would have fallen down the stairs."

"Go back to him the way he pushed you." Wang Nian just said coldly.

Shi Shuwen's eyes flickered with joy, and he rushed over like a cannonball as soon as Wang Nian finished speaking.

At the same time, Wang Nian let go of his hand.

“Now we’re even.”

Unfortunately, Shi Shuwen was thin and weak, so he didn't have much strength. He only pushed Zhou Song so hard that he staggered, and then he lost his balance and sat on the ground.

My butt and legs hurt, and after a while I finally reacted and started crying loudly.

“…”

Except for Zhou Song's crying, everyone else in the corridor on the first floor didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wang Nian...it was so satisfying to attack.

"Oh! You're crying already." Wang Nian still felt it was not enough. After looking at Zhou Song, she looked at Wang Wenfang with a smile.

The female comrades in the factory are either intellectuals who like to reason with others, or they are from the countryside and like to make a fuss.

Wang Nian was neither of the two, so he just fought back.

"What are you doing? If anything happens to my son, I will go to the office and sue you."

Wang Wenfang ran down the stairs in panic. She raised her arms when she passed Wang Nian, but then she remembered how easily she had lifted Zhou Song like a chick just now, so she paused and finally uttered something harsh.

"It's just kids fighting. Why are you so angry, Comrade Wang? Everyone heard what you said..."

"It's quite loud!" Huang Qiuhong immediately added with a smile.

With such a protective stepmother, what else do you have to worry about? You don’t need to worry about your child being bullied.

Unexpectedly, Wang Nian smiled and walked over with a caring look on his face: "Auntie, take a look and see where you fell. Do you want to roll with an egg?"

" ..."

Liu Chaoxian sneered out loud, and his hands holding Shi Wan were shaking like a sieve.

Wang Nian wiped the face that was crying like a tearful child a few times, and Zhou Song cried even harder.

Everyone remembered that Wang Nian had just cut peppers and didn't have time to wash his hands.

"What are you doing, you crazy woman!" Wang Wenfang was startled, thinking that Wang Nian was taking the opportunity to grab Zhou Song's face.

Wang Nian took two steps back, saying, "I was careless. I forgot I was just cutting chili peppers! There's a water pipe on the embankment. How about going and washing it?"

"I'm not done with you today!"

Looking at Wang Wenfang taking Zhou Song towards the water pipe, he left a harsh word before leaving.

But the fleeting glance on that long face only revealed a hint of cowardice.

When a scholar meets a soldier, she has no way to explain herself. In the past, she was the "soldier", but now Wang Nian is the "soldier"

I can’t beat him, so I’ll file a complaint…where can I file a complaint?

Her husband Zhou Tong also worked in a factory. Whenever there was a problem with the equipment, he had to ask the engineering team for help. Shi Xiangming was the chief engineer after all, so he would never dare to offend him.

If she didn't want to get closer to Shi Xiangming, she wouldn't have gone to the trouble of helping Zhou Shanxiu to make connections.

Thinking of this, Wang Wenfang immediately recalled the incident a few months ago when she was in the single dormitory and yelled at someone. She was also very angry at that time. If Shi Xiangming still held a grudge against her, and what happened today...

They scooped up tap water and washed Zhou Song's face roughly, then the mother and son dragged each other away.

After he left, the harsh words he had just said seemed even more ridiculous.

"Why is Wang Wenfang here?"

After watching the mother and son walk away, Liu Chaoxian and Huang Qiuhong looked upstairs in surprise.

When I looked up, I really saw a young female comrade with short hair standing at the corner of the stairs, looking at... Wang Nian in surprise.

Although her hair was cut short, Wang Nian still recognized her at a glance... Zhou Shanxiu.

"Comrade Zhou." Wang Nian said.

Although the two families did not have much contact, they were in the same group after all, so they could still call each other by their names.

"Comrade Wang...Comrade Wang."

To be honest, Zhou Shanxiu was completely frightened by Wang Nian's ruthlessness just now, and he couldn't help but change the name from Wang Ermei to comrade, which he had always followed the team members in calling her.

"What a coincidence! You are..."

"My wife and I came to see the houses allocated in the factory."

While they were talking, another person poked his head out from the stairwell. His sparse hair was particularly noticeable. The man glanced downstairs and turned around.

"I haven't finished choosing a house yet. I'll be back soon after I see all the excitement."

"Well...then you guys go ahead and get busy. I'll go upstairs first." Zhou Shanxiu hurriedly followed.

Wang Nian couldn't help but frown.

This timid look is completely different from when she was having an affair in the haystack. She looks exactly like a wronged young wife.

"They actually moved into our building." Liu Chao sighed. Half an hour ago, they were thinking that they didn't want to live together, but now they have become neighbors.

"I'm going to wash my hands and check on the kid." Wang Nian didn't care.

Only Huang Qiuhong kept looking at the stairs, seeming to be lost in thought.

Shi Wan's knee was slightly scratched, but luckily there was no bleeding. There was no Band-Aid or anything, so Wang Nian could only use warm water to clean the dusty surface.

The yellow pants had big holes in them and could no longer be worn.

"Get down and let me see if you have any problem walking."

After changing into the pink pants that Shi Xiangming had just bought, Wang Nian put Shi Wan down on the ground.

"It doesn't hurt!" Shi Wan answered crisply. Wang Nian pushed her shoulder forward, took two steps, and then turned back: "It doesn't hurt at all."

"It's good that it doesn't hurt." He picked up Shi Wan with one hand and looked at Shi Shuwen again.

"I'm fine!" Shi Shuwen patted his chest, fearing that Wang Nian would also take off his pants for inspection: "If you don't believe me, ask Brother Liye."

"Shuwen took the initiative to protect his sister, which is very brave." Zhang Liye quickly assured his partner.

"If anyone bullies me again, just run home. I can beat you even if you can't."

In his previous life, Wang Nian had suffered all kinds of bullying. He had to endure it since childhood, but later he never let grudges stay overnight. During this period, he had thought countless times that it would be great if there was someone he could rely on temporarily.

So now she won't let her children swallow their anger, now they... have a backer.

"I will run home with my sister." Shi Shuwen immediately promised, looking at Wang Nian with eyes shining with admiration.

"But!" Wang Nian raised his index finger again and reiterated his premise: "If you take the initiative to bully others, then I will let others bully me back, just like today."

Shi Shuwen nodded heavily.

"Then go play in the dam and don't go upstairs."

The cooking process was interrupted halfway through, and the fire in the stove was still hot. Wang Nian sent the children out to play and prepared to continue cooking.

After hearing this, the older ones happily prepared to go into the bamboo forest to pry ants. However, Shi Wan hugged Wang Nian's neck and refused to get down no matter what.

There was no other choice, Wang Nian could only move a small stool for her to sit on beside his legs while peeling garlic.

"What an obedient little girl." Liu Chaoxian teased Shi Wan, allowing Wang Nian to continue cutting vegetables.

"You have to be careful with Zhou Shanxiu in the future."

Amid the sound of cutting vegetables, Huang Qiuhong suddenly came up to Wang Nian's ear and said something meaningful. Without waiting for the next sentence, she went to meet Shi Xiangming and his companions who had just returned from buying wine.

Of course...mainly to file a complaint.

Shi Xiangming just nodded silently, then picked up Shi Wan to comfort her, as if he really thought it was just the children fighting.

Seeing this, Wang Nian focused his attention on cooking again.

The reason why kidney flowers are called kidney flowers is that the kidneys are cut into flowery shapes.

Wang Nian first sharpened the blade of the knife on the bottom of the bowl before starting to cut.

Each cut may seem light, but it actually tests the control of the wrist. If it is too light, the kidney will not be cut into pieces, but if it is too heavy, it will be cut off.

After cutting the kidneys and soaking them in water to remove the blood, Wang Nian walked into the house and took out two colorful small jars from the cupboard.

One of the jars is flat and round, and the other is long and thin, with colorful patterns on them. It doesn't look like the style that everyone likes nowadays.

"I really admire you for being so particular even about the salt jar."

Zhang Liang's family only has a can of salt as seasoning, and they don't even use soy sauce when eating noodles. Wang Nian is nothing like him, who can fill up an entire shelf with soy sauce.

Liu Chaoxian was curious more than once about where Wang Nian got all those seasonings.

In the end, all I could say was: they are everywhere in the mountains.

"I'll definitely call you next time if there's a bargain."

The basket of ceramics that Wang Nian found a few days ago really gave him a lot of surprises. In addition to those suspected antiques, the patterns on these small jars were equally exquisite.

"You have to call me. After seeing all these bottles and cans, the can box in my house has become more and more annoying."

The thing to fear most in life is comparison. Liu Chaoxian now has to dislike the old furniture in the house as soon as he enters the house.

The wooden sofa had no springs, the paint on the five-drawer cabinet was peeling, the radio was not as big as Wang Nian's, and even the porcelain bowls used for eating felt hot.

The key point is that Wang Nian felt that he was wasting money when he bought those broken bowls!

"I promise I won't forget you."

Everything was ready, and the clouds in the sky were gradually dyed a crimson by the setting sun.

With a sizzling sound, a pungent and spicy smell wafted upstairs, causing several people who had just moved in to come out and look down.

In an era when every household used oil and water to cook, there was no chance to smell the fragrant aroma of such vegetables except in the kitchens of state-owned hotels.

Those who were far away were hooked and drooling, not to mention the few people standing in front of the stove.

Bacon and garlic sprouts are a perfect match, but there were no garlic sprouts at the moment, so Wang Nian fried the bacon with potato chips.

Finally, after sprinkling some scallions into the pot, the aroma increased exponentially.

"It's strange! I never thought bacon and potato slices fried together would be so delicious."

The edges of the golden potato slices have been fried until they are slightly charred, and become moist after absorbing the bacon oil. The combination with the emerald green onions instantly whets your appetite.

"Okay, let's eat!"

The bacon was not a big piece, and Wang Nian was too embarrassed to fry it all, so he just cut off a small half piece and fried it with potatoes to make a full plate.

"Don't tell me, this dish looks good."

Even the grown men who served the dishes to the table couldn't help but praise it.

Shi Xiangming didn't even ask Wang Nian how much money he spent on these dishes. After gently placing the fried pork liver on the table, his eyes subconsciously looked at the flower on the wall that should have been made of broken porcelain pieces.

Probably... a flower.

It looks good, but the wall still feels a bit empty.

Maybe what’s missing is a photo of their wedding, and a photo of…the whole family.