Chapter 4

Zhu Meizhen and Wang Lei's mother sat at the square table. Sang Xiaoqing poured them some water and sat down as well.

"Wenwen's mother, Wenwen is about the same age as our Leilei. We are all in the same production team and we know each other well. You all know Leilei well. He is an honest boy who will treat Wenwen well. Leilei's father also told me that as long as Wenwen marries, he should let Wenwen work as a recorder. It is a good job that is not exposed to the wind and rain. I am not too old either. When Wenwen gives us a grandson, I can also take care of their child."

Zhu Meizhen frowned when she heard this. "Is it necessary to rush to have a baby when the baby is so young?"

"Why are you in such a hurry? Aren't we all mothers in our twenties? It's just that Wenwen is too thin! When she marries into our family, I will give her some nourishment so that she can have children! Wenwen is pretty and educated, and she will definitely give our Wang family a pretty and smart grandson in the future!"

Sang Xiaoqing had just gotten pregnant, and her heart was moved when she heard this. She glanced at Zhu Meizhen and then at Wang Lei's mother, frowning and asking, "Auntie Wang, how do you know that Wenwen will give birth to a son? What if she gives birth to a daughter? Does your family still favor boys over girls?"

The person being asked was Wang Lei's mother and the question was also being addressed to Zhu Meizhen.

Zhu Meizhen was so focused on Wenwen that she didn't notice Sang Xiaoqing's attempts to test her. She nodded and agreed, "That's right. It's not up to us to decide whether the baby is a boy or a girl."

"Xiaoqing! This is not about favoring boys over girls! Isn't it the purpose of women to have children when we get married? Our Leilei is the only child, so it's normal to hope for a grandson, right? Besides, you can have more than one child. It's OK if the first child is a girl and the second is a boy!" Wang Lei's mother glanced at Sang Xiaoqing, "Besides, men are the ones who make money to support the family. Girls are raised by others. Who doesn't hope for a boy?"

Upon hearing this, Sang Xiaoqing looked at Zhu Meizhen.

Zhu Meizhen frowned, looking unhappy: "What's wrong with a girl? Our Wenwen is a girl, I don't think she was raised by someone else. Our Wenwen is better than many boys! Sister-in-law Wang, your Leilei is indeed your only child, you are right to hope for a grandson. In this case, why don't you consider other girls? I know our Wenwen's personality, she won't be willing to have children in the short term. Besides, our Wenwen is still in school!"

Sang Xiaoqing lowered her head and breathed a sigh of relief. Yes! What was she worried about? The Xu family was different from other families. Even if she was pregnant with a girl, her parents-in-law and Xu Wen would not dislike her.

This mother-in-law is kind-hearted, but she speaks her mind and easily offends people.

Wang Lei's mother was the captain's wife. She was always worshipped by the members. She was a little unhappy when Zhu Meizhen bumped into her, but she endured it for the sake of her son and forced a smile, saying, "Why do girls need to study so much? What's the point of going to high school? You can't get a job and you can't go to college."

Zhu Meizhen was about to open her mouth to retort, but Sang Xiaoqing patted her arm and shook her head to stop her mother-in-law from talking. It would not be good for her family to quarrel with the captain's family. When the time came to assign dirty and strenuous work and give fewer work points, it would be her family that would suffer.

She smiled and said to Wang Lei's mother: "Auntie, you are right! After all, this is Wenwen's lifelong event. It doesn't matter if we both agree. When Wenwen comes back from herding sheep in the evening, we will ask her what she thinks. Besides, my father and Xu Wen have to make the decision on such an important matter. Besides, our Wenwen is so beautiful, and many young men have come to her house to propose marriage. We should let Wenwen choose for herself, right?"

Sang Xiaoqing's words were soft and reasonable, but she was actually a soft nail. To sum it up, "I like to ask so many questions, but I don't necessarily choose you, Wang Lei. What's the point of you thinking so far ahead!"

Wang Lei's mother understood but couldn't refute it. Xu Wen was famous for her beauty in the commune, and there were indeed a lot of guys who liked her, and many of them were better off than the Wang family.

Thinking of this, his anger subsided a lot, and he said shamelessly: "That's what I said, we are all from Production Team 7, so we should know more about the situation than the people in other teams, right?"

"Wei Zhuang is a small place, but we know it inside out." Zhu Meizhen couldn't help but blurt out.

Sang Xiaoqing sighed softly, then spoke to make amends: "Auntie, you have the final say. You watched Wenwen grow up, and you know Wenwen's personality very well. He is very opinionated. My mother and I cannot make the decision on this matter. When we have a letter, we will ask Auntie Liu to convey it."

Zhu Meizhen followed up, "That's right. Sister-in-law Wang, we asked Sister-in-law Liu to be the matchmaker. We can't do good things without her help." What's the point of coming here on your own without a matchmaker?

In the end, Wang Lei's mother had to leave in disappointment.

Zhu Meizhen and the others walked away and spit loudly: "She is just the wife of a small team leader of a production team. Does she really think she is the wife of a leader? Look at her ugly face! Does she think she is the queen mother choosing a concubine for her son?! Why don't you take a piss and look in the mirror! Her Wang Lei is short and ugly, and he can't even make a dick out of it with three sticks! Ask her before you look down on her!"

Xu Wen just came back carrying a hoe and asked in confusion, "Mom, who offended you? Why are you so angry?"

"Wang Lei's mother came to ask Wenwen to marry into the Wang family and give birth to a son." Zhu Meizhen was still angry.

Xu Wen raised his eyebrows, "A toad wants to eat swan meat! How can that shorty Wang Lei be worthy of us asking?"

Sang Xiaoqing heard Xu Wen coming out of the house and asked in confusion, "Why are you back? Didn't you say you were going to catch moths in the rice fields tonight?"

Xu Wen saw that Sang Xiaoqing's expression had softened a lot, and he looked at her from head to toe with concern before speaking: "How are you? Are you still vomiting? Are you feeling unwell?"

Sang Xiaoqing shook her head, glanced at Zhu Meizhen, and lowered her head with a red face.

Zhu Meizhen raised her hand and patted Xu Wen on the shoulder, "I'm asking you a question! Why are you back?"

"I went to record the completion of work and happened to meet Wenwen coming back from herding sheep. She said Xiaoqing was pregnant and needed to be taken care of, so she insisted that I go home first to accompany Xiaoqing for dinner. She went to light the lamp in the rice field for me first, and I would replace her after dinner."

In summer, the days get dark late. When Xu Wen arrived at the production team's rice fields, it was just getting dark.

The Commune had been plagued by White Russians in the past two years, and in order to prevent the crops from being destroyed, they had to be killed.

To catch White Russian you need two tools: a light and water.

The production team dug a few large pits around the crops and in the empty space in the middle of the field, filled them with water, and used wooden sticks to prop up a not-so-high frame directly above the pits.

When it gets dark, the member on duty will bring a kerosene lamp and hang it on the rack.

The moths abandoned their crops and flew towards the kerosene lamp one after another, only to fall into a puddle and die.

The lamp must not be turned off all night, and lamp oil and wicks must be added on time.

The moth-catching point that Xu Wen was in charge of guarding was at the southern end of the path between the rice fields of Taoyuan Production Brigade and the rice fields of the neighboring production brigade.

There is also a moth-catching site in Beitou, which is managed by people from the production team next door.

Xu Wen initially thought it was quite amusing to see a real-life moth flying into a flame, but later he discovered that the kerosene lamp attracted not only moths but also mosquitoes.

Soon, she was bitten by mosquitoes so much that she couldn't stand or squat. She kept stamping her feet and slapping or scratching her itchy body with her hands.

I regretted wearing a short-sleeved shirt when I went out.

"Comrade, please make way, we want to pass!"

Xu Wen looked up and saw a young gay man holding a little boy in one hand and a kerosene lamp in the other hand stopping beside her.

The road is only about one meter wide, and after digging the pit, a small path was left that was just wide enough for people to pass through.

Xu Wen moved aside to make way, wondering: This voice sounded familiar. Where had he heard it before?

The little boy suddenly said, "Dad, isn't this the female ghost?"

Xu asked: "..."

I remembered, this is the father and son I met while taking a shower yesterday morning.

Enemies meet on a narrow road!

Xu Wen raised his hands to cover his face, thinking: I was careless! The man did not see her face clearly, but the little brat named Dongsheng saw it.

However...

What does female ghost mean?

You are the ghost, your whole family is a ghost!

Xu Wen put down his hand and looked at the father and son with some anger.

It wasn't too dark yet, and the two kerosene lamps were enough for Xu Wen to see the other person's face clearly.

The man had a three-dimensional face with sharp features, a high nose bridge, and prominent facial features. He had a crew cut with a widow's peak, and a scar on the right side of his face that slanted upward from his cheekbone, brushed against his temple, and disappeared into his hair, ruining his otherwise perfect appearance.

The scar looked like it was caused by a sharp weapon and was quite ugly.

On someone else, it would be a real disfigurement, but on this man, it's not scary and adds a bit of masculinity. Very cool!

Seeing Xu Wen staring at the scar on her face without moving, Lu Yuanzheng thought she was scared, so he slightly tilted his head to avoid her sight, raised his hand and slapped Dongsheng on the head, scolding: "Speak properly! What female ghost?"

Dongsheng touched his head with one hand and pointed at Xu Wen with the other, saying aggrievedly: "She is the missing female ghost in the pond!"

"How many times have I told you, she is not a ghost but a human!" After Lu Yuanzheng finished training Dongsheng, he looked up at Xu Wen suspiciously.

He didn't see Xu Wen's face yesterday, and was not sure whether what Dongsheng said was true or not, so his eyes fell on Xu Wen's waist.

The waist he was hugging was the same as the woman's, very thin.

Xu Wen saw him looking at her and shook her head subconsciously to deny: "It's not me! I didn't go swimming yesterday!"

Lu Yuanzheng was stunned for a moment, then looked at Xu Wen with a half-smile.

Dongsheng didn’t say it was yesterday.

What's more, she looked like she was trying to cover up something.

Xu Wen also reacted, lowered his head, and wished he could bite off his tongue.

Fortunately, Lu Yuanzheng did not expose Xu Wen. He thanked her and held Dongsheng's head and led him forward: "You have the wrong person!"

Dongsheng was forced to move forward, and tried to get rid of Lu Yuanzheng's control and look back, unconvinced and refuted: "She is the most beautiful female ghost I have ever seen. I was not mistaken!!"

"I told you it's not a ghost but a human." Lu Yuanzheng patted Dongsheng lightly on the back of his head, but did not deny that he was flattering.

It is indeed beautiful!

She had a small oval face, a pair of big, expressive eyes, a small, straight nose, and a red cherry mouth. She was also the most beautiful lesbian he had ever seen.

It’s just that the female comrade ran away quietly yesterday, and today she denied it flatly, making it clear that she doesn’t want to mention what happened yesterday.

He couldn't say anything else and could only cooperate with her.

Dongsheng ran a few steps to get rid of Lu Yuanzheng's control, turned around and looked at Xu curiously and asked: "Beautiful sister, are you a ghost or a human? How come you can't disappear? Is it because the sun is out and you can't see the light?"

Xu asked: "..."

You shouldn't be called Dongsheng, you should be called Shiwange why.

Thinking that children would be easier to fool, Xu Wen denied it again: "Little friend, you are wrong. I am not the female ghost you have seen. I am a human."

Lu Yuanzheng kicked Dongsheng on the butt again and warned him, "Are you not done yet?"

It was obvious that Lu Yuanzheng didn't exert much effort, but Dongsheng was too small and he staggered and almost fell.

Xu Wen bent down and reached out to help Dongsheng. He frowned and protested to Lu Yuanzheng: "Child abuse is illegal! Even if you are the child's father, you can't always beat him! Although you didn't use too much force, it's very bad for the child's physical and mental health."

In just this one encounter, the man hit Dongsheng three or four times. Xu Wen inexplicably felt sorry for Dongsheng and couldn't help but speak up to meddle in his business.

Lu Yuanzheng was stunned.

Dongsheng reacted quickly. He hugged Xu Wen's neck and kissed her on the face, "Wow, sister, you are so nice! You can be my mom!"