Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Sister Zhenzhen

As the night deepened and the sky became dotted with stars, the entire Changshenggou fell into silence. Luo Yongde and his family walked out of Luo Shunli's house.

No one spoke, and everyone's expressions were solemn.

"If you had cared more about your mother-in-law, she wouldn't have gone down this path..."

After knocking on Wang Nian's door, Luo Yongde turned around and said to his son and daughter-in-law with emotion.

Shi Xiangming quickly opened the door, and several people walked in and the door closed again.

"What does Aunt Qi say?" Shi Xiangming asked.

Fu Fang took the child and shook her head gently. For a moment she didn't know where to start.

Luo Yongde sighed deeply, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Hu Manjun is really a piece of shit..."

The two were initially forced by Hu Manjun, and Qi Xiu'e was worried that her reputation would be damaged and her daughter would not be able to find a partner, so she had no choice but to swallow the humiliation.

But she didn't expect that as time went on, Qi Xiu'e actually found that thing in bed was quite enjoyable, and therefore became half-hearted.

Later, when Sun Xiumei was getting married, Qi Xiu'e saw her daughter and son-in-law joining the army together. She felt lonely and had a bad fate. In a moment of confusion, she took the initiative to seduce Hu Manjun.

I don't know what's wrong with Hu Manjun.

Qi Xiu'e was willing to be his lover, but this man insisted on ending the relationship.

Qi Xiu'e was not at home tonight. In fact, she went back to the old house and used the excuse that she had not packed all the clothes yet, just to look for Hu Manjun again.

The reconciliation failed, and instead they were humiliated by Hu Manjun.

Qi Xiu'e was so angry that she burst into tears, but she was afraid of being seen by others, so she waited until it was completely dark before she dared to go home.

"Let Aunt Qi rest at home these days. Hu Manjun must not go there again..." Shi Xiangming remained calm.

Wang Nian was so shocked by what Fu Fang added later that he kept blinking.

Hu Manjun must have some psychological problems...

He forced all lesbians between the ages of 40 and 50. Qi Xiu'e could have been his mother if she was old enough.

And the age issue was exactly what he used to humiliate Qi Xiu'e.

Wang Nian never expected that the swan in “the toad wants to eat swan flesh” actually came from Hu Manjun’s description of himself.

"It's not convenient for me to interfere with the Political Department. You must tell me in advance if there is any progress."

"I will go to the Political Department tomorrow to inquire about the progress. I will let you know if there is any news."

Luo Yongde and his family left with mixed feelings.

And Shi Xiangming brought some news that was definitely good for Wang Nianlai.

Even if Shi Xiangming doesn't call tonight, he will receive a telegram from Shao Ming tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Before the New Year, Shao Ming will represent the project team to go to Xinding City to investigate candidates, and Shi Xiangming will also go to the provincial capital to take the exam.

So he planned to take his family to the provincial capital and let his senior brother meet her.

In the fifth year since traveling to this world, Wang Nian finally had the opportunity to leave Wenxi Township.

***

It's getting warmer as we get closer to January. As soon as the sun comes out, even cotton jackets become unwearable.

Due to his biological clock, even on his day off, Liu Chaoxian still gets up and washes up at his usual time.

I opened the door with the mouthwash cup in hand, and sure enough, the fragrance wafted in.

Liu Chaoxian took a deep breath of an indescribable fragrance in the air and gave Wang Nian a weak glance on the side of his face.

"What good thing happened to you? Why have you been smiling these past two days?"

"What do you think this is?"

A khaki clay pot was bubbling with steam on a beehive coal stove, with bubbles constantly coming out and exploding from the vents.

The aroma that Liu Chaoxian smelled came from the clay pot.

"Such a big clay pot! Did you buy it from the factory store?"

If you really want to buy a clay pot, you can't find one. Most families use earthenware pots. If you want to make an authentic clay pot, you have to have an experienced craftsman around you.

Wang Nian raised his eyebrows and said ostentatiously, "A friend sent this to Shi Xiangming. How was it? It looks good, doesn't it?"

"Yes, yes, your Chief Engineer Shi is really capable." Liu Chaoxian grinned and waved his hand towards Wang Nian as if to dismiss him: "You better watch out for someone else snatching it away!"

Wang Nian laughed too.

Hu Manjun's investigation was completed within a month. Due to the negative impact and in order to protect the reputation of the martyr's widow, the factory did not publicize the matter.

Hu Manjun was fired for dereliction of duty, and his work style problems were only mentioned briefly.

It was rumored that Hu Manjun left Changshenggou with his wife and children, and the disappearance of this family did not attract much attention.

In fact, Hu Manjun was taken away by the public security bureau as soon as he left the factory gate, while Wu Taohua and the children were sent back to their hometown.

In the report materials, Qi Xiu'e was reported as the initial victim. Not only was she not punished, but Sun Xiumei's salary was specially increased as compensation.

As soon as the punishment result was reported to the factory director's office, Luo Yongde knew that Shi Xiangming had contributed to it.

This clay pot and the chicken inside it were the thank-you gift that Fu Fang sent to my home at night.

Wang Nian kept the clay pot and the chicken, and returned all the bills in the clay pot.

The reason for accepting the clay pot was actually to tell Fu Fang...they would not tell anyone about this.

It can also be considered as a disguised form of... hush money?

"Sister-in-law, have you prepared delicious food so early?"

As more people got up, Luo Shunli and his wife came out of the house one after another to wash up, and Sun Xiumei came over while combing her hair.

Once the matter was resolved, Sun Xiumei became lively again, and her voice scolding Luo Shunli could be heard across several houses.

"Make some porridge for breakfast." said Wang Nian.

"I heard from Shunli that you guys are going to dig up pomelo trees today? After breakfast, let's borrow a cart and go along to help."

"Just dig one. Xiang Ming and I will go."

"You're so polite!" Sun Xiumei turned around and yelled at Luo Shunli, "Go borrow a car first and come back for breakfast."

"I'll go after I wash my face." Luo Shunli spit out the toothpaste foam and replied vaguely.

"Don't be embarrassed, sister-in-law. I'm also planning to dig one and plant it in the backyard," Sun Xiumei added.

Wang Nian just let her go, since it probably wouldn't have any effect anyway.

Luo Shunli wanted to ask Shi Xiangming to be his teacher but failed, so the couple started calling each other brother and sister-in-law. They were so intimate that outsiders would really think they were brothers.

"I'll come and call my sister-in-law after I finish eating."

As soon as Sun Xiumei left, Liu Chaoxian came over and said, "Let's go there later to see if there are any extra ones. If there are, I'll dig some and plant them on the dam."

Their yard was not as big as Wang Nian's, so the couple decided to plant the crops next to the bamboo forest since they had plenty of land.

Wang Nian was a little amused: "One pomelo tree is enough for all of us to eat, why are we making such a fuss?"

"It won't be wrong to follow you." Liu Chaoxian smiled.

After dinner, three families, in two carts, carried a large group of chattering babies to the auditorium.

The auditorium was built on the top of a mountain, with its back against a col, which was previously the collective land of the Red Star Brigade.

"It's right behind. When I came here a few days ago, someone was pooping there... We must watch our way when we go in."

Luo Shunli enthusiastically introduced the discoveries made during the exploration a few days ago, and also specifically pointed out some precautions.

There was a half-person-high wall behind the auditorium, and the cart was left next to the wall. The men climbed up the wall first and then pulled their wives.

Except Wang Nian...

Shi Xiangming had long legs, so climbing up didn't take him much time, except that he was a little clumsy.

He turned around and looked under the wall, but Wang Nian was no longer there. In fact, he was even faster than him and had already jumped to the other side of the wall.

"Auntie Wang Nian is amazing at climbing trees!"

Shi Shuwen sat on the cart and recalled with Zhang Liye the day when he first met Wang Nian.

“…”

"You guys jump down and keep an eye on it." Wang Nian stepped aside with a lingering fear, and hurriedly reminded them while covering his mouth: "The corners are full of shit."

There is no toilet in the auditorium, so the corner of the wall nearby has become an open-air toilet.

Luo Shunli stood on the wall and laughed: "Didn't I just say that?"

After passing the open-air toilet and walking through a small woods, we can see several pomelo trees on the slope.

The grapefruit trees in Vinci do not grow tall, and because there is no one to take care of them, the trunks are only as thick as a wrist, and the branches will bend during the fruiting season.

These trees were all about the same size, so there wasn't much to choose from. Everyone just picked one and started digging.

There was no need for female comrades to dig trees, so Wang Nian thought that since he was already here, he might as well go for a walk around the neighborhood.

If I find any wild grape vines, I'll dig them up.

We walked down the hillside and soon arrived at a deserted valley.

There were originally two or three families living here, and they must have moved to Changshengpo Commune with the Red Star Brigade.

Most of the roof had collapsed, leaving only a pile of broken walls, with spider webs even hanging in the cracks.

The house was nothing to look at, so Wang Nian went around the back of the house and climbed up the slope, grabbing onto a tree and looking around.

You know what... this sweep really allowed her to see something good.

"Look! There's a beehive!"

When I looked down from a high place, I noticed that there were several boxes in front of a house, and from time to time I could see bees crawling out of the wooden boards.

It seems that the family who moved away did not take the beehives with them.

"Let's go and take a look." Liu Chaoxian was afraid of getting dust on his hands, so he also climbed up the slope.

The road became deserted once people left. It seemed quite close, but it took several minutes to reach the house.

The three of them did not dare to approach rashly. Wang Nian chose the nearest beehive and observed it in a circle, then confirmed: "It's a bee, not a wasp."

"Let's go back and find them. My husband grew up in the mountains and is best at digging out beehives." Liu Chaoxian rubbed his hands excitedly.

Wang Nian nodded.

In her previous life, even though she was a farmer, she had no chance to come into contact with bees. She had no way to deal with a beehive even if it was placed in front of her.

"Then we'll go back and call someone, and you just wait here."

"I'm going to go around the neighborhood. I'm not going to stay here and let this creep in."

Even though bees are not active in winter, Wang Nian was still scared. Whenever Liu Chaoxian and Sun Xiumei went back, she would go higher.

It can be seen that almost no one has ever set foot here, and the path is covered with weeds as tall as a person.

The bushes were startled and the snakes and insects hiding inside immediately fled in all directions.

As he was walking, Wang Nian suddenly stopped and rubbed his eyes.

A dead tree not far away is covered with... mushrooms?

Looking more closely, it seems that there is not just one tree, but a large area of ​​wild mushrooms growing densely.

The old people often say that as long as you are diligent in living in the mountains you will not starve to death. Now Wang Nian truly experiences this feeling.

Since he had nothing on him, Wang Nian had no choice but to turn back and look for everyone.

Several people were discussing how to get the honey, starting with the more experienced Zhang Guiqiang. Wang Nian and Liu Chaoxian went home to get the bags.

"I told you good things would happen if I followed you!"

After taking the bag and climbing over the wall again, Liu Chaoxian was still talking to Wang Nian with a smile when he landed.

The next moment, she and the man squatting at the corner of the wall stared at each other.

“…”

Wang Nian covered his face with a sack and quickly dragged the red-faced Liu Chaoxian into the bushes.

The frightened man was left sitting on the ground.

This open-air toilet... is really popular.

"Oh my god, this is too old!" Liu Chaoxian looked down at the bag he brought with him, and suddenly felt that his bag was too small: "I'm going to stew pig's feet during the Chinese New Year after drying them. I'm drooling just thinking about it."

Wang Nian didn't hesitate at all. As soon as he opened the bag, he climbed up the tallest tree: "The tree is slippery, you guys shouldn't come up."

"You are the reincarnation of the fortune-bringing boy, right? Good things always happen to you wherever you go."

I just said this morning that it’s a good idea to follow Wang Nian. You can get lucky even if you go out to dig a tree.

This patch of wild mushrooms had been untouched for at least several years, which is why it became so cheap for the three families. Ten minutes further ahead is the collective land that is still used by the Red Star Brigade.

Although picking mushrooms is fun, the repetitive action can get boring after a while.

Liu Chaoxian is a person who likes to be lively, and after being quiet for a while, he couldn't help but chat about family matters.

Looking up at Wang Nian, he felt that there didn't seem to be anything interesting to ask, so he started the topic from Sun Xiumei's home.

"Sun Xiumei, why haven't you come out these few days?"

"She has had a cold these days and has been lying at home." Sun Xiumei made up an excuse without even pausing.

Could it really be said that he was frightened enough by Hu Manjun's incident and was afraid of being arrested by the security department if he went out, so he hid at home?

Liu Chaoxian was also planning to ask what they talked about at Wang Nian's house that night that made them stay there so late.

Just as he raised his head, Wang Nian suddenly interrupted.

"Has Huang Xiaohui's lover's job been assigned to him?"

"I was assigned the job a few days ago." Liu Chaoxian straightened up and pounded his sore shoulders. He could hear the obvious dissatisfaction in his tone: "Technician in the workshop of Factory 1."

"Huang Xiaohui's lover is called Xie Hua, right?" Wang Nian asked again.

"How do you know? Oh, yes! Now I remember, Xie Hua's file says he was an educated youth from the Red Flag Brigade. You guys are from the same brigade!"

Wang Nian sneered and lowered his eyelids, showing his contempt to the fullest.

Seeing this, Liu Chaoxian immediately stopped what he was doing and asked, "What's going on?"

"Can you tell me why he didn't go back to the city but came to our factory instead?" Wang Nian asked back.

"I heard him say that it was because the old house in the city had collapsed, his parents had passed away, and he had no place to live even if he went back." Xie Hua said this himself, but Liu Chaoxian didn't quite believe it: "I don't think he's telling the truth!"

"How did you know that?" Sun Xiumei asked curiously.

"Think about it...if he really has no family in the city, will it be his turn to go back to the city?"

Wang Nian raised his eyebrows, agreeing with this guess.

If there were no one moving around in the city, Xie Hua would never have been able to become one of the first educated youth eligible to return to the city.

According to the original owner's memory, Xie Hua sent many letters to the city in order to return. If there were no family members in the city...who should he send the letters to?

"Anyway, I think Xie Hua is unreliable," Liu Chaoxian concluded.

Sun Xiumei was very curious about how many immoral things Xie Hua had done to make Wang Nian express her dislike for him so bluntly.

"Tell us about the Chinese people."

They were assigned to a factory area without any bias, and the three men would have to deal with Xie Hua in the future.

"Let me tell you this..." Wang Nian turned around and sat on the tree trunk: "He is not a good person. If I had known earlier that Huang Xiaohui wanted to marry him, I would have definitely gone to persuade her earlier."

"It's no use trying to persuade her." Liu Chaoxian waved his hand. "Huang Xiaohui won't listen to anything I say. You don't even know that she had a big fight with Sister Xu last week because of Xie Hua's work. Sister Xu was so angry that she said she would ignore her from now on."

Another obsessed "love brain"

"You should stay away from Xie Hua in the future." Wang Nian sighed.

Huang Xiaohui is not a fool, and the original owner is not stupid either. Both of them were fascinated by him. Xie Hua must have his extraordinary side.

"If it was Chief Engineer Shi, maybe I would have taken a closer look, but Xie Hua is like that... He's not even as good as my husband Zhang," said Liu Chaoxian.

Sun Xiumei followed suit and said, "My son Shunli just has less hair, but he's still pretty good-looking."

Zhang Guiqiang rushed over to help: "..."

Luo Shunli touched his head unconsciously.

Only Shi Xiangming curled his eyes, put his clenched fists against his lips, and tried hard to suppress the corners of his lips that wanted to curl up.

Wang Nian followed up after the two of them finished speaking: "Shi Xiangming is good-looking, tall, smart, and most importantly, has a good temper...there are no flaws."

“…”

Zhang Guiqiang and Luo Shunli turned to look at Shi Xiangming at the same time.

I finally understand why Shi Xiangming insisted on marrying this rural girl... No one can stand such exaggeration.

***

"Where can you find so much wild honey?"

"Several large basins full of it, enough to last us several years."

"It's burnt yellow and looks sweet."

The cart returned fully loaded, attracting countless people's attention along the way.

Fortunately, the large bags of mushrooms hidden in the pomelo tree did not attract anyone's attention, otherwise the wall behind the auditorium would have been trampled today.

Four honeycombs were cut out from several beehives.

Liu Chaoxian and Sun Xiumei each asked for one, and Wang Nian, who found it, got an extra one.

"We don't have that many cans at home, so we can only put it all in a basin. I'll get some empty bottles tomorrow and filter them."

Since getting married, the cans and jars in the house have always been useful, and there are two rows of them filled in the cabinets.

"I'll go dry the mushrooms. You take a rest first."

Even if Shi Xiangming took the initiative to take over the remaining work, Wang Nian would not be able to rest.

The clock on the wall indicated that it was already ten past five. In the blink of an eye, it was time to make dinner.

I washed my hands, picked up the apron hanging behind the door and shook it.

The shaking sound immediately attracted a curious little boy. Shi Wan leaned on the door frame and asked in a childish voice:

"Aunt, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

The voice came from Liu Chaoxian's house. Wang Nian had his back to him at the moment, so he just smiled and replied, "We are making chicken soup today."

"Then can I invite Sister Zhenzhen to our house for dinner?"

"Hmm?" Wang Nian then turned around.

There was another little girl of about the same age clinging to the door frame. She was so thin that her face was sunken, making her eyes look particularly large.

Little girl...malnutrition?

"Whose child are you from?" Wang Nian tried to keep his voice low, fearing to scare the little deer-like child: "I have to tell your parents first, otherwise they will come to you for dinner tonight."

"Sister Zhenzhen is our new neighbor." Shi Wan answered, pointing to the end of the corridor on the first floor: "Sister's family just moved in today."

"Okay! I'll go say hello later." Wang Nian smiled.

"Sister Zhenzhen, let's go to my house and watch TV."

It was a rare opportunity to meet a girl of similar age, so Shi Wan was very enthusiastic about Zhenzhen and quickly invited her to her home to play.

Zhenzhen nodded timidly, and followed Shi Wan into the house, looking back every few steps.

The children came back early in the afternoon. Before Wang Nian and the others came back, Zhang Liye had already led everyone from the small garden to his home.

When they heard Shi Wan say to turn on the TV, they all rushed to the next room again.

Wang Nian reached out and grabbed the collar of Shi Shuwen who was passing by.

"Where are Zhenzhen's parents?"

"I don't know. I didn't see anyone." Shi Shuwen shook his head and turned to ask Zhang Liye: "Brother Liye, have you seen Zhenzhen's parents?"

"It seems not." Zhang Liye recalled: "The two people who moved in the afternoon were obviously men. Could one of them be a woman?"

Wang Nian: “…”

You shouldn't count on their brain circuits.

Wang Nian let go of his hand and waved it away like a fly: "Go and have your fun."

The two boys shouted happily, ran into the house and came out again. Shi Shuwen looked at Wang Nian with sparkling eyes: "Can I make a cup of grapefruit syrup for sister Zhenzhen?"

"Let your dad make it and use the kettle to burn your hands."

This meant that the brother and sister could also drink it. Shi Shuwen jumped up and down happily and hurried into the house to tell his sister the good news.

It was a long time later that Wang Nian realized that the reason why the brother and sister loved to invite friends home so much was because of the day they invited Zhenzhen home.

Not long after, the voice of Zhang Liye asking Shi Xiangming to make some sugar water was heard from the room.

"Do you know him?"

Liu Chaoxian was drinking a cup of honey water with a smile on her face. When she saw Wang Nian asking her, she quickly shook her head.

"I'll go check it out. It would be a joke if the parents were to go looking for their children."

I was worried that the parents' search was fake, but I just wanted to see what kind of parents would raise their child to be so skinny.

"I'm going too."

People soon saw it.

The two adults and one child in Room 1 were having dinner. The pot was steaming and the three of them were eating enthusiastically.

Wang Nian's gaze fell on the face of the boy about seven or eight years old sitting opposite him.

The eyes on the chubby face had been squeezed into slits, and the mouth was greasy as meat was being stuffed into it.

If they can raise a child so fat, there’s no way they’re from a poor family.

"Hello." Wang Nian stood at the door and smiled slightly: "Excuse me, is Zhenzhen your daughter?"

The woman wiped her mouth and was about to stand up. She was stunned for a moment by Wang Nian's words. Then she looked left and right and pushed the man: "Why didn't you call Zhenzhen when we were having dinner?"

"I thought you screamed!" The man glared back at the woman unhappily.

“…”

Wang Nian and Liu Chaoxian looked at each other, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

How can a person of your age forget something so easily? No one even knows that the meal is missing?

Wang Nian glanced at the dining table and saw three pairs of bowls and chopsticks...there was no portion for Zhenzhen.

"Zhenzhen is having dinner at my house tonight. This kid gets along really well with my Xiaowan."

"How can I do that? We don't have no food at home." The woman's smile was so fake that even her eyes didn't move at all. She stood there motionless while speaking. But she didn't really mean to look for someone.

Wang Nian retreated to the corridor and smiled again: "Then I will go back first, and we will send the children back after they finish their meal in the evening."

“…”

Wang Nian returned to the stove, and Sun Xiumei followed him mysteriously with a bowl of honey water.

The first sentence is: "I know who they are!"

The two of them have limited sources of information, but these three people... are no longer constrained.