Chapter 138 Returning to the Family Courtyard
The door is not locked. Is Dayong back?
Ding Dayong really did come back. He arrived in Fengning at around six in the morning, cleaned the house, lit the stove, and went to his master's house to pay New Year's greetings. He had just entered the house.
"Sister, you're back."
Ding Dayong heard the noise and ran out of the house. When he saw Ding Guo, he shouted happily.
Ding Guo approached and smelled the alcohol on him: "You've been drinking."
Ding Dayong scratched his head: "I went to Master's house at noon and drank a few cups with him."
Ding Guo nodded. He couldn't refuse such a drink. He just reminded him: "You have to drink in some occasions, but you have to be sensible and learn to be careful to leave room for yourself, so as not to make a fool of yourself by drinking too much."
Ding Dayong nodded: "Don't worry, sister, I know what I'm doing."
He hurried over and took the things from Ding Guo's hand. The brother and sister entered the house, and Ding Guo saw the things piled on the table.
Ding Dayong said helplessly: "My parents insisted that I take care of him."
Peng Guihua rubbed all the meat that Pei Che sent home a few years ago with coarse salt so that it could be stored for a long time.
We ate some of the hairtail fish that was given as a gift during the Chinese New Year, and coated the rest with batter and fried them. We also fried a lot of radish balls and asked Dayong to bring them over.
There was also a bag of steamed buns and twenty kilograms of rice.
In addition to these, Second Aunt also asked Ding Dayong to bring some things to Ding Tao.
Dayong said: "I have to stop her again and again, otherwise my mother would have asked me to take more things than this."
Ding Guo smiled helplessly and sighed: "Aunt San is just worried that we will suffer a loss."
She wanted to help the family. Third Aunt loved her child so much that she didn't let Dayong bring anything over. She had to be thinking about him all the time.
"Just take it, let's have a good meal." Ding Guo saw the woven bag on the floor in the corner of the hall, "Is that for Ding Tao?"
Ding Dayong nodded and said to Ding Guo, "We have to go to Grandpa's house to pay New Year's greetings."
Ding Guo knew that it was probably the advice of his uncle and aunt. Even if there were conflicts, it would be inappropriate for Dayong not to go on such a big festival as the New Year. He said, "Let's go back together tomorrow night. As for the things for Ding Tao, I will go to the paper mill tomorrow morning to ask her how to arrange it."
"Okay!" Ding Dayong said about dinner, "Shall we stew some cabbage with radish balls and fried fish?"
Ding Guo looked at the thick batter on the fried fish and thought that this batter would be more delicious if it was crispy and fragrant. She put it in the pot and stewed it until it became a paste. She said, "Fry the radish balls and fish again, and stir-fry the cabbage."
But...she added, "Please pack up and let's go to the Xiao family to pay New Year's greetings. The sooner we go, the sooner we can return."
So as to avoid arriving too late and having Uncle Xiao invite you to stay for dinner.
Ding Dayong said, "I'll go rinse my mouth and change my clothes."
She changed the gifts for the New Year visit to the Xiao family to two boxes of tea and two pounds of apples. Considering that she frequently cooperated with Xiao Haifeng and was afraid of a bad influence, she did not bring Wuliangye. She gathered the cakes she brought back from the capital, wrapped them into a gift package with oil paper, tied them with a thin hemp rope, and went to the Xiao family with Ding Dayong.
On the way, Ding Dayong said, "Oh, by the way, sister, on the third day of the New Year, Second Aunt and Ding Ergou had a big fight. It was so serious that several brigade cadres went there..."
Ding Guo raised his eyebrows. Has this happened?
Continue listening to Ding Dayong.
"At that time, many members gathered to watch the fun. Second Aunt argued with the village cadres in front of everyone, saying that Ding Ergou was a rat. He went out and talked nonsense all day long and even ran to the commune to make a fool of himself. It was not just Ding Ergou who was embarrassed, but the entire Yangjiawo. With such a rat in the village, how can the young men in the village find wives? How can the girls in the village get married..."
Originally, the onlookers did not take it seriously and were still laughing and watching the fun. But after hearing Huang Meihua's shouting, many people thought that what Huang Meihua said made sense. They stood up and started scolding Ding Ergou, clamoring for the village to deal with Ding Ergou.
In addition, Huang Meihua mentioned that Ding Ergou was obsessed with the bad guys, and everyone realized that the person Ding Ergou had wanted to get close to had been demoted.
Ding Ergou wanted to bite back, saying that Huang Meihua was a relative of that family, but Huang Meihua righteously spat back and yelled, "Bullshit relatives, that girl is not from our Ding family, what does she have to do with us? But you, you are always thinking about your 'relatives' who are high-ranking officials. If you are so obsessed with them, why don't you go down with your 'relatives'..."
Because the "rat shit" setting aroused public anger, and the village cadres had long been dissatisfied with Ding Ergou, they took the opportunity to punish Ding Ergou. After the New Year, he was responsible for carrying a year's manure and had to make self-criticisms in the village frequently.
"Second Aunt is smart this time, she knows how to take advantage of the situation." Ding Dayong smiled and talked about Ding Ying again, "As for her in-laws, she asked her uncles to help find one. Ding Ergou disagreed and made a scene at home, so Ding Ying's uncles came and beat Ding Ergou. If he hadn't had to go pick up manure after the New Year, I think Ding Ergou would have been beaten so hard that he couldn't get out of bed."
Ding Guo smiled happily when he heard this.
Unexpectedly, Ding Ying was quick to act. In just a few days, she restored relations with her maternal family and even asked several uncles for help.
Ding Dayong sighed, "It's Aunt Ergou... She really can't figure it out. Ding Ergou treated her and the children so badly, but she still protected Ding Ergou and stopped the brothers from taking action. But Ding Ying was very smart. She dragged her mother out directly and asked her sister to watch over her and not let anyone go home. After the uncles beat her father, she sent the uncles away and took her mother back. I heard that she cried for several times, but I don't know what Ding Ying said to her mother, and she didn't make a fuss later."
Ding Guo's mind immediately flashed with a pale, thin, and submissive face. It was Aunt Ergou in the original owner's memory. She sighed, "She can't protect her child herself, and she doesn't allow her family to help protect her. She is really confused."
With such a mother, if Ding Ying doesn't take the opportunity to control her mother, she will have a hard time in the future.
But the village's handling of the matter was still too mild...
It’s all about human relationships!
Fortunately, Huang Meihua's words could arouse some public outrage. From now on, the villagers will help to monitor Ding Ergou's every word and action, so he should be more restrained.
As for the long-term situation of the family, it depends on Ding Ying.
"I hope Ding Ergou can learn his lesson."
The brother and sister sighed and went to Xiao Haifeng's house.
Finally, he couldn't refuse the dinner at Xiao's house, so Xiao Haifeng asked his daughter Xiao Ling to call Xiao Hong over to have some fun together.
The dinner ended around seven in the evening, and Ding Guo invited Xiao Hong and Xiao Ling to gather at his place the next evening.
The two sisters happily agreed.
Early the next morning, Ding Guo saw Ding Tao waiting at the factory gate.
"Sister!" Ding Tao waved at Ding Guo from afar, shouting loudly, very happy.
Ding Guo rode over and got off the bike, smiling, "I was thinking of finding time to visit you later. Second Aunt asked Dayong to bring you some food, and I wanted to ask you how you plan to arrange it."
Ding Tao's eyes lit up and she said, "I'll keep some and take the rest back to Grandpa's house. When did you come back? I went there yesterday morning and the door was locked. I wanted to go again yesterday afternoon, but Grandma asked me to help my cousin's wife cook at home, saying that Ding Nianjun and Pan Dingfeng were back, so I didn't have time..."
This was because they missed each other. It should be because Dayong went to his master, and Ding Tao went to Zaohua Lane, so they didn't meet each other.
She said, "I came back on the same bus with Ding Nianjun yesterday."
Ding Tao sighed, her expression somewhat complicated: "Her coming back has her benefits, we can have a good meal with her. You don't know, Auntie bought New Year's goods before the New Year, but she was stingy and didn't give us any to eat after the New Year. Yesterday, she told me and my cousin's wife to cook a table, and my cousin's wife was very upset."
She added: "They were already arguing about splitting up the family, and now their attitude is probably even tougher."
Ding Guo was surprised: "No points before the New Year?"
Ding Tao thought of the purpose of her coming here: "No, I have to wait for you to come back. I came here just to tell you so that you know what's going on. It's better not to get involved in this matter. It's not pleasing to both sides."
If you help your cousin and his wife, they may not appreciate it, and you will further offend your uncle and aunt; if you help your uncle and aunt, your cousin's wife will probably be dissatisfied.
Ding Guo smiled: "Who said I have to come back to talk about it?"
"Master said so!"
Ding Guo nodded: "Your uncle has always done a good job in tricking me."
Ding Tao couldn't help laughing.
"Don't worry, I know what's going on." Ding Guo rummaged through his messenger bag, took out a can of meat and two steamed buns, and handed them over, saying, "Da Yong and I will go back tonight, and I'll deliver your things to the paper mill tomorrow."
Ding Tao took it and held it in her arms shyly, and asked, "Sister, how are my parents?"
It was the first year that she didn’t spend the New Year at home. No matter how tense she usually was, she still cried secretly on New Year’s Eve.
But he was also holding back a feeling of anger, thinking that if he could settle down in Fengning, he could take care of his two younger sisters, and his parents' life at home would be better.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "Very good." She remembered what Ding Dayong had said to her yesterday, and added, "Ding Ergou won't dare to cause trouble to Second Aunt in the future."
Ding Tao was surprised and delighted: "Really?"
"Really? But don't tell your grandparents."
She was still counting on her second aunt to continue using this matter to pressure Yue Hongmei for a while.
If Yue Hongmei knew that the conflict had been resolved, the guilt in her heart would quickly disappear and she would be free of any psychological burden.
Ding Tao nodded heavily.
Because they still had to go to work, the two sisters didn't say anything more. Ding Tao turned and left, and Ding Guo went into the factory.
The workshop was filled with joy and the sound of people wishing each other a happy new year could be heard.
It was the first day of work after the Chinese New Year. The workshop was not very busy and there was not much work. It was a very relaxing day. We just gathered together to chat and talk about gossip that happened in our own homes or neighbors' homes during the Chinese New Year.
Someone's daughter who went to the countryside came back and was scolded at home every day because she didn't bring back any food; someone's son-in-law got drunk and overturned the table in his father-in-law's house; someone's daughter-in-law came back to her parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year with a basket on her shoulder, and her mother-in-law followed her on tiptoe and secretly lifted the bag covering the basket from behind her to look at it, fearing that she would take a little more things from her parents' home...
Ding Guo was fed up with listening to all the gossip about other people.
Ding Guo got off work half an hour earlier than usual in the afternoon. As soon as he walked out of the factory gate, he saw Ding Dayong waiting there.
The transportation company was not busy today, so Ding Dayong took an hour off and went home early to get his things and came to wait for Ding Guo.
Ding Guo could go back empty-handed, but Ding Dayong would not look good with empty-handed, so he took a bag of peach cakes and two canned fruits.
The two men rode their bikes to the steel plant's staff quarters and met Ding Zhigang on the road.
"Dingguo, Dayong!"
Ding Zhigang stopped the car, looked at his eldest daughter with complicated eyes, and said, "I was just about to go to the factory to look for you."
As he said this, he turned the car around and drove parallel to them.
Ding Guo said calmly: "I'm just about to go home."
Ding Dayong hurriedly shouted, "Uncle, Happy New Year."
Ding Zhigang nodded casually and said, "Happy New Year." Then he said to Ding Guo, "Why don't you go back to your own home during the New Year, but go to your hometown instead?"
In front of Ding Dayong, his tone was relatively mild, but still contained some condemnation.
Ding Guo smiled and said, "What's so strange about this? I've spent three New Years at your house since I was a child. All I can remember is washing and washing. My hands were frozen like carrots. It's so nice to go back to my hometown to celebrate the New Year. Aunt San loves me and doesn't let me do any work. She just waits for food. Dad, if it were you, where would you go back to celebrate the New Year?"
Ding Zhigang choked and said uncomfortably: "Isn't it normal for a girl to do some work?"
Ding Guo smiled and glanced at her: "But I remember that Ding Nianjun, who was also a girl at the time, did nothing. She just went out to play. Today she went to the movies, and tomorrow she went to skate on the lake in People's Park."
Ding Zhigang: "...It's all your mother's fault." He muttered, "It's been so many years, stop bringing up the past."
Ding Guo: "Old accounts are meant to be revisited. If we don't revisit them, what's the point of them existing?"
Ding Zhigang couldn't win the argument with her, so he simply ignored her and asked Ding Dayong: "Are your parents doing well? Are your second uncle and second aunt doing well?"
Ding Dayong: “Everything is fine.”
Ding Zhigang asked about the dates of their return before and after the New Year, chatted casually with Ding Dayong, and entered the family compound.
A neighbor saw Ding Guo and called out, "Hey, Ding Guo is back. Why didn't you come back during the Chinese New Year?"
Ding Guo smiled and said, "I'm back to my hometown. I grew up there and I'm close to my hometown."
Ding Zhigang, who was stabbed in the heart, said:
He glared at Ding Guo helplessly, wondering if he couldn't save face for his family when he was outside.
Ding Dayong held back his laughter, locked the car, carried his things and went upstairs with the gloomy-looking old man.
The house is...quite crowded.
Everyone was there. Ding Nianjun and Pan Dingfeng hadn't left yet. Seeing Ding Guo coming in, Ding Nianjun stood up and greeted Ding Guo: "Sister, you left too fast yesterday. I couldn't catch up with you."
Ding Guo ignored Yue Hongmei's gloomy gaze and asked curiously, "We are on different paths, why are you chasing me? Are you chasing me to give me a red envelope?"
Ding Nianjun was furious and turned to look at Yue Hongmei with grievance.
Yue Hongmei had been holding back her anger from before the New Year to after the New Year, and was fanned by others. Now she couldn't say anything nice, and said sarcastically, "You still remember to come back?"
Ding Guo: “I know!”
Yue Hongmei: ...
"Alright!" Ding Zhigang scolded, "It's New Year's Day, talk nicely!"
They have to discuss the division of the property later, and he also wants Ding Guo to stand on his side and say a few fair words.
I talked to my wife for a long time last night, asking her to be nicer to Ding Guo, to be nicer to Ding Guo, but it was all in vain.
Ding Jianguo and Lu Xiaomei greeted Ding Guo and Ding Dayong, not to mention Ding Tao, who directly took the plate of melon seeds in front of Ding Nianjun and handed it to Ding Guo: "Sister, Dayong, eat melon seeds."
Ding Xiang and Ding Jianshe were still ignoring them as usual, but Ding Guo, who was not a big shot, smiled and greeted them: "Little Five and Little Six, you haven't grown much, you're still so short. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, your mom has squandered all the money in the family, and you can't eat nutritious food. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, you're at the age of growing up but you can't eat oily food, how pitiful!"
Ding Xiang, Ding Jianshe: …
Ding Zhigang's face turned dark. Somehow, he thought of the extremely sumptuous reunion dinner yesterday and the meals at home before yesterday.
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