Chapter 132 Gua Gua Gua Gua Gua.
"Hiss—it hurts! Brother Chuan, be gentle, be gentle..."
Li Xudong shrank his neck and gasped in pain.
Xiang Yao was watching Nie Baichuan applying ointment on him.
The boy's hands were all worn away by the sand and gravel on the ground. At first, he was too embarrassed to show his vulnerability and endured it with gritted teeth.
But Nie Baichuan was not a gentle person when it came to outsiders, and he wanted to give this boy a hard time for not being so arrogant and yet still picking fights. After applying the ointment a few times, the young man was already grimacing in pain.
Xiang Yao squatted aside, unable to bear to look at the bloody wound on Li Xudong's hand. She looked away and asked curiously, "Why are you being surrounded by so many people? Are you trying to steal the girl they like?"
Li Xudong grinned: "Sister-in-law, I don't have any!"
He made a face as if he had eaten shit and complained, "But it does have something to do with the girl."
Xiang Yao's eyes lit up, and her gossip radar immediately went off: "Ah? What's going on? Tell my sister-in-law!"
Li Xudong had already discovered that when he called out "sister-in-law", Brother Chuan would use less force when attacking him. Wow, he never thought that Brother Chuan would be such a person.
He said, "Oh, sister-in-law, you don't know. A while ago, I was walking down the street and saw a man harassing a girl. The girl was obviously not happy with him and tried to get away several times but couldn't."
Xiang Yao nodded: "Well, this kind of man is simply shameless!"
Li Xudong clapped his hands, then immediately felt the pain and said with a hiss, "That's right! I also thought this person was too shameless, so I immediately walked over -"
Xiang Yao looked at him seriously, her eyes sparkling: "And then?"
Li Xudong chuckled and said sheepishly, "I walked over and saw that man had a lecherous look on his face. It was obvious he was not a good person, so I took action."
Xiang Yao: ...
This young man is a bit impulsive. Isn't it usually the case that people use courtesy first and then force? If he acts like this, it would be strange if he doesn't create a grudge...
Li Xudong continued, "That guy was a coward, so I tactfully left at the time. But I didn't expect this snitch to have a bunch of buddies. He didn't dare to show up himself, so he asked his buddies to block me several times. I managed to get away the first few times, but this time, hehe, I didn't get away."
Nie Baichuan glanced at him and said, "You're not too stupid to slip away."
Li Xudong wanted to raise his hand to scratch the back of his head, but immediately felt a stinging pain in his palm, so he had to give up. He glanced at Nie Baichuan cautiously and said, "I'm smart, brother. The other side has more people, and I know I can't suffer any loss... Um... Brother Chuan, can you, hey, not tell my parents about this?"
When he was young, the Li family and the Nie family were not far apart, so he could be said to have grown up following Nie Baichuan.
They have seen each other less frequently in recent years, but after what happened just now, Li Xudong regained the feeling of his childhood, and was even afraid that the other party would complain to his parents as soon as he arrived at his house.
His father is easy to deal with, but his mother will definitely nag him for half a year, to the point that her ears are about to get calluses from listening to her.
Xiang Yao said with a smile: "Your hand is injured like this, it's hard to hide it at a glance."
Li Xudong raised his hands proudly: "This is obviously caused by accidentally falling down while walking. It has nothing to do with fighting."
Xiang Yao raised his eyebrows and gave him a thumbs up.
Nie Baichuan glanced back at him calmly, threw the ointment on him, and said neither yes nor no: "Remember to apply it every day."
Li Xudong didn't dare to ask a second time, and smiled flatteringly: "Okay, okay, thank you, Brother Chuan!"
He enthusiastically took the two back to his home, and before they even entered the door, he shouted loudly: "Dad! Look who's here!"
The Li family lived in a house with a small courtyard in the county town, but it was not theirs. Instead, it was allocated by the government and they rented it out for a symbolic rent each year.
Lao Li was probably sweeping the floor. When he heard the shouting outside, he came out with a broom and dustpan.
He was nearsighted and didn't wear glasses at home. He squinted for a long time before his eyes lit up. He threw down the broom and slapped his thigh: "It's Baichuan! Come in, come in! Oh, you brought so many things, what a waste of money! Do we need you to eat this?"
"Is this your wife? I received a letter from your father a while ago saying that you were getting married. We live so far away that we didn't even attend your wedding!"
Nie Baichuan smiled gently and politely, introducing, "Yes, Uncle Li, this is my wife, Xiang Yao."
Xiang Yao smiled and called out sweetly, "Hello, Uncle Li!"
Lao Li said yes repeatedly, thinking that Nie Baichuan had made a good wife and was extremely happy for a moment.
He ordered, "Li Xudong, go call your mother back! Buy some more food! Today, we two are going to have a good drink."
Li Xudong knew that this job was his turn, so he readily agreed.
While his father wasn't paying attention, he quickly bowed to the two of them and asked them to keep it a secret. Then he turned around, moved his bike out, and rode away.
Lao Li made tea for the two young people and served them some cakes. Then he asked, "What's the matter with you coming here this time? Is your father in good health?"
Feng County is far away from here. There is generally nothing important happening here these days. People don’t even go to the commune often, let alone travel across the county.
Nie Baichuan nodded: "He's in good health. During this period of slack farming, he goes fishing with others every day."
"It's not me who came to visit you specially to ask you something," he smiled and looked at Xiang Yao beside him, "it's Yaoyao."
"Oh?" Lao Li raised his thick eyebrows in surprise and looked at Xiang Yao.
Xiang Yao smiled and was not nervous at all in front of a strange elder.
On the contrary, she knew that someone like Li Jianye must be an outstanding expert in agricultural research, so she looked at him with strong admiration.
"Uncle Li, I want to ask you something," she said, pulling out the small bamboo basket from under the chair and removing the cloth covering it. "Look at these tomatoes and peanuts. Aren't they of good quality?"
Lao Li leaned over to take a look and was surprised: "Wow! The quality is not just good, it's exceptionally good!"
He took out a few peanuts, peeled them open, and looked at the kernels inside. Seeing that the kernels were plump, he quickly asked, "Are these grown by your family? The quality is amazing."
Xiang Yao glanced at Nie Baichuan and explained, "I got this from someone I know. He provided me with a batch of peanuts and tomatoes. I wanted to ask you if it's possible to grow them on a large scale given the climate and soil in Feng County."
Lao Li tossed a peanut kernel into his mouth and chewed it. "Of course it can be grown. If this batch of seeds are all of this quality, the finished product should also be of very good quality."
He looked at Xiang Yao and asked, "Are you planning to plant it on a large scale there?"
Xiang Yao said a little embarrassedly, "I have this idea at the moment. We are poor over there and can't generate much income all year round. Peanuts are a cash crop that is widely used in the market. Not only can they be used as food ingredients and processed into food, but most importantly, they can also be used to extract oil!"
Her eyes sparkled: "If we can grow something successful, we can really help everyone get rich together."
Lao Li thought about it and said, "Your idea is good, but if you want to do large-scale planting now, you definitely can't do it in your own name. It's probably going to be quite difficult to actually put it into practice."
The first and most important point is that if you want to grow peanuts and tomatoes, it will definitely mean occupying a lot of farmland. This alone makes it difficult to gain support from the commune and the people.
After all, "taking grain as the key link" is still the most important policy in agriculture at present. We are still in a planned economy now, so how can we do it just by saying it?
Even if you do it, you have to be very careful throughout the process. If you are not careful, you may be labeled as having "capitalist tendencies" by someone with ulterior motives.
Secondly, for those who have no relevant planting experience, if they rashly carry out large-scale planting, they may encounter many difficult-to-overcome planting problems along the way.
Planting crops is simple, but if you want to achieve success, you need to take care of them carefully and meticulously, and technical support is definitely indispensable.
Pests and diseases, climate control, irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide supply...
If you don't grasp these key points clearly, it is easy to get nothing out of it. If you don't handle them properly, you may end up getting into trouble.
Lao Li is a senior agricultural researcher. He explained all the situations to Xiang Yao in detail. The more he spoke, the more serious his expression became, while the other one became more and more lost in thought as he listened.
Xiang Yao had thought about some related issues, but compared with Lao Li's analysis, her previous ideas were somewhat naive and lacked consideration.
However, she had such a good melon field in her hands, and it would be a real loss if she didn't make good use of it.
Furthermore, she didn't know what had gone wrong with the melon field. Obviously, before she had done a thorough study, it would be impossible for her to build her fruit empire solely relying on the fruits and vegetables produced in the melon field.
In this case, it would be better to make use of the few remaining fruits and vegetables, and use peanuts and tomatoes, which are most suitable for local cultivation, to get the entire Shitang Brigade involved.
She has big ambitions. Planting is the first step in a long journey, and she must take this step firmly and steadily.
Xiang Yao asked, "Can we do this planting thing? I'll think of a way later. Even if everyone disagrees with large-scale planting, as a second best option, if each family sets aside a piece of private land for trial planting, there shouldn't be too much resistance."
She smiled and said, "Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. I still hope to push forward directly and vigorously."
Lao Li also smiled. He admired the girl's frankness in expressing her ambition, so he said, "If the seeds you have are all from fruits of such high quality, at least the first batch you plant should be able to harvest very good fruits. As for the rest, you'll have to spend time selecting high-quality seeds."
Xiang Yao nodded: "This is also my confidence."
The quality of the fruits and vegetables produced in the melon fields is impeccable.
She had an inexplicable connection with the melon field system and could confidently judge that even if the seeds were sown in an environment outside the system, although it would be difficult to grow the same size and quality as in the melon field, they would still be of very high quality.
As he was speaking, Li Xudong came back at lightning speed on his bicycle with his mother Zhang Wan.
While the two were still in the yard, everyone heard Zhang Wan cursing loudly.
"I told you to slow down. You're not in a rush to be reincarnated, so why are you in such a hurry? Are you happy if you kill me?"
"You fell like that, I don't know what's wrong with your eyes! If you're nearsighted, go get glasses. If you're just blind, don't go out!"
"Your dad is the same. Seeing your hands hurt like this, he still asked you to ride a bike to pick you up. You don't know how to walk! You are so stupid!"
Xiang Yao and Nie Baichuan looked at each other and secretly smacked their lips in amazement: This aunt is quite fierce.
However, when the fierce Ms. Zhang walked in, Xiang Yao saw a woman with a smile on her face and gentle features.
Ahem, this is completely different from the attitude and momentum of the scolding just now...
"Oh, this is Baichuan's wife. She is so pretty! So beautiful!" Zhang Wan took Xiang Yao's hand, looked left and right, and was very passionate about her and couldn't let her go.
Xiang Yao also called people obediently and started chatting with this aunt.
But not long after, Zhang Wan called Lao Li, and the couple went to cook dinner together.
When Li Xudong saw his father's expression, he knew that his brother Chuan still didn't tell him about the fight. He was very grateful and kept shouting "Sister-in-law, have some snacks" and "Sister-in-law, have some tea."
Until Nie Baichuan looked at him with cold eyes, he was still secretly confused. What's the matter? Wouldn't he be happy if his sister-in-law called him Brother Chuan?
Why are you unhappy again now?
Will this sister-in-law continue to shout or stop? It's really hard to predict!
Xiang Yao actually thought this guy was quite funny. She smiled and took a piece of egg cake from the dessert plate handed to her: "Okay, okay, I'll eat it."
After taking a bite, she asked, "Are you still studying now?"
Li Xudong shook his head and sneered: "How could that be possible? I graduated a long time ago."
Xiang Yao: "So what are you doing now? Are you doing agricultural research like Uncle Li?"
Li Xudong was a little embarrassed: "No, I don't do anything right now. I stay at home every day. My dad said that after the New Year, he would find me a job in a factory."
Being a worker these days is an honor and a stable job.
However, because of the poor family background of the Li family, they were not eligible to be recommended to study at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University. Apart from working, they had no other way out.
Xiang Yao nodded: "That's good."
Li Xudong, however, wasn't particularly interested in taking this route. He glanced furtively into the kitchen, and seeing his parents showed no sign of coming out, he approached them and whispered, "Brother Chuan, my dad told me you're collecting mountain produce to sell in the city?"
Nie Baichuan glanced at him and nodded: "Yeah."
Perhaps Old Nie had no place to talk about these family matters, so he said everything in the letters to his old friends. Most of the words were rather obscure, but people who knew each other well could tell what he was writing at a glance.
Lao Li did not quite agree with Nie Baichuan's behavior. The older generation had experienced a lot and was always a little hesitant and afraid of something going wrong.
Therefore, he also talked about this secretly at the dinner table and warned his son not to think about it.
But this kid Li Xudong not only didn't take his father's warning seriously, but also kept it in his heart.
But Nie Baichuan obviously knew Lao Li's attitude, so he said in a deep voice: "I did that because I am familiar with the situation over there and I am sure there will be no danger, but you should not try it lightly."
Li Xudong nodded repeatedly on the surface: "Yeah, don't worry, I won't."
But no one knows what he actually thinks.
Nie Baichuan didn't say much. After all, the boy's parents were still alive, so there was naturally someone watching over him and keeping an eye on him.
If only Nie Baichuan and Li Xudong were sitting here, Li Xudong would be suffocated to death facing the rather taciturn Nie Baichuan.
But Xiang Yao, the new sister-in-law, was a lively person and got along very well with Li Xudong. The two of them soon became chattering together.
Xiang Yao loves to listen to gossip. She likes to dig out some gossip wherever she goes. Now is no exception. In a few words, she can make Li Xudong excitedly share all kinds of interesting things with her.
He whispered mysteriously, "There's a house at the end of the alley where we live, and it's been haunted lately!"
Xiang Yao also lowered his voice unconsciously and leaned forward: "Ah! What's going on? Tell me quickly!"
Li Xudong: "This family married a woman, but for some reason, she gave birth to a child, but the child died before the baby was out of the womb. After that, she started to act strangely, saying her child was killed by her in-laws and her husband."
Xiang Yao's interest dimmed a little. After a moment of silence, he asked, "And then?"
Li Xudong said, "Look, the couple of the daughter-in-law in front of us are still saying that their daughter-in-law is crazy. Recently, they have been a little weird and told people that his house is haunted."
"They say that every now and then, late at night, they hear a baby crying from the big locust tree in the yard. It's terrifying."
Xiang Yao said, "Could it be some bird that lives in that tree at night?"
Some birds' calls sound like children crying...
Li Xudong waved his hand. "Well, they thought about it as you said. They squatted under the tree for several nights, waiting to see what it was. But as soon as they stood under the tree, the sound disappeared. As soon as they returned, the sound started again on time."
Xiang Yao blinked his eyes. Although he didn't believe that it was some ghost or god at work, he couldn't help but feel a little creepy when he imagined the scene.
She hesitated, but ultimately turned her suspicions towards science: "It must be some small animal that's keenly aware of being observed, so it's quiet."
Li Xudong chuckled, "That old couple has been so scared lately that they don't even dare to leave the house. They've been practicing superstitious tricks at home every day. I heard they even hired a fortune teller to exorcise the evil spirits."
Xiang Yao hissed, "It's not okay to engage in feudal superstition."
Li Xudong snorted coldly: "Not only did they do this, they also thought that their daughter-in-law was possessed by evil spirits, and used all those tricks on her."
"A few days ago, someone spilled some black dog blood from who knows where, but it didn't work. Instead, the daughter-in-law made a scene at home and even beat up the fortune-teller."
Xiang Yao clapped his hands: "Well done."
According to her, she should also beat up the father-in-law and mother-in-law...
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