Chapter 34 Explosion
When Pu Xiang returned to the village, she changed her clothes into a sweater, pants, sneakers, and a light camel down jacket that was just long enough to cover her buttocks.
It doesn’t get dirty and isn’t suitable for work, but wearing this color in winter makes you look brighter than the dull black.
She also put on a dark camel wool scarf and a pair of small silver earrings. Her hair was not slicked back, but combed into a not-too-eye-catching 3:7 straight part, which gave her a youthful and bright look in the middle of winter.
Pu Xiang is only 25 years old now. In later times, this age would mean that he or she has just graduated from college. If he or she is a graduate student, he or she would still be a student.
In other words, in the countryside at that time, if a woman had a five-year-old child, she would be considered a middle-aged woman.
Pu Xiang rode her bicycle all the way from the county town to Shijia Village and went straight back to her parents' home.
Pu Xiang's home is in Damao Village, next to Shijia Village.
It's not too far away. There's just a medium-sized river between the two villages, about 20 to 30 meters wide, with deep and fast-flowing water. If you don't want to take the road to go around the two villages, you can also go to the ferry and take the ferry.
The area where Pu Xiang's mother's family lives is called Xiaohewan. The river is winding, and the houses built along the river are not as neat as those on Shi's side.
There are two on this side and three on that side. Pu Xiang's house is at the innermost. If she wants to go home, she has to go through the alleys of her neighbors.
Meeting people is inevitable.
Pu Xiang had only turned off the road a few meters when he ran into his neighbor.
She grew up here since she was a child, and every neighbor knew her face. It was just that she was dressed up and her temperament completely changed. They were stunned for just a second, then immediately pointed at her and slapped their thighs.
"Third sister!"
It was mid-morning and everyone was idle after breakfast. When they heard the sound, someone immediately poked his head out of the house.
There were also four or five middle-aged women gathered together to bask in the sun and knit, with plastic bags filled with wool balls slung over their arms, their hands busy all the time, and they just ran out like that.
"Big flower lady."
Seeing that the road ahead was blocked, Pu Xiang had no choice but to get out of the car and greet everyone one by one.
"Third sister is back. Where have you been recently? I haven't seen you since then."
"Your parents were looking for you a while ago, why don't you come back to see them?"
"That's right. If you don't come back, you should at least ask someone to send a message back. You don't even know how much your mother has cried recently."
…
Pu Xiang didn't have anything to say, she just pushed the cart forward and said, "Well, I just came back to take a look. Auntie, mother, you guys are busy, I'm leaving first."
She pushed her bike out of the crowd and could hear people whispering behind her.
"She's divorced, isn't she?"
"She must have left. Otherwise, why did the Pu family go through so much trouble recently?"
"I heard that the Shi family has started looking for a new daughter-in-law. This must be true."
"So she just left the Shi family like that? The Shi family has such good conditions, but she doesn't know how to cherish such a good life. If my daughter wants to marry into such a family, I will strangle her to death if she dares to divorce!"
…
Pu Xiang could actually hear what these middle-aged women were saying. Whether they did it on purpose or unintentionally, she had already expected this scene and didn't care.
After a few years, divorce will not be a rare thing.
"Look at her. I guess she's hooking up with a wild man. She's dressed like a seductress, not as simple as before. Naturally, she doesn't like the men in the village."
Suddenly, these words came out from behind me, and then there was a moment of silence.
Pu Xiang stopped in her tracks. Shi Dafu hadn't even started to compose a dirty talk for her yet, but this one popped up.
After being reborn, Pu Xiang decided that she would never suffer a loss. She could accept people saying that her divorce was not a good thing, but if they spread dirty rumors, she would tear her mouth to pieces!
As soon as the car stopped, Pu Xiang took off the sheepskin gloves on her hands and threw them into the basket.
She turned around and recognized the person who was speaking by the voice: Pu Xiaolian, a woman born in Xiaohewan, not someone who married into the village from another family.
Her parents gave birth to six daughters, but none of them were male. In the end, she, the eldest in the family, married a live-in son-in-law, who was only a dozen years older than Pu Xiang, so they were of the same generation.
Pu Xiang didn't care who the other person was or what his identity was at this moment, and walked straight up to him.
"You just said that, tell me again!"
Pu Xiaolian never expected that Pu Xiang would come right in front of her, and her gossiping face froze in an instant.
"Say, what?"
Pu Xiang looked at her coldly: "Say to me again what you just said from that broken mouth of yours."
Pu Xiaolian opened her mouth but didn't respond immediately.
None of the aunties and mothers nearby came forward to persuade them, they were all just reading the gossip.
The longer the silence lasted, the more Pu Xiaolian felt her face burning with pain, as if she was afraid of Pu Xiang.
They're divorced, so what if she said a few words?
If she wasn't with a random man, what's wrong with the clothes she's wearing? Her face is much whiter and tenderer than before. If she wasn't with a random man, why would she make herself look like this?
Thinking of this, Pu Xiaolian felt her confidence restored. Pu Xiang dared to confront her like this, it must be because she was right.
"I told you that you hooked up with a strange man, so what? What can you do to me...Ahhhhh!!"
Pu Xiang reached out and grabbed the other person's hair, pulling it hard.
"Come on! Come with me to the police station now. You have a big mouth and you dare to make up nonsense for me, right? What's the name of the wild man? Where does he live? Where did you see him? If you can't say anything, you are slandering me. I will sue you in court and make you apologize in the newspaper, otherwise you will be imprisoned for a few days!"
Pu Xiang had seen country women fighting since she was a child. Although she had never done it before, she had learned how to do it just by watching them.
She is now quick, accurate and ruthless. She blocks all this dirty talk right from the beginning, letting people know that she is not someone to be trifled with. If they want to make up lies about her, they should think about the consequences.
Pu Xiaolian was not as tall as Pu Xiang, but she was shorter and stronger. She wanted to resist and reached out to grab Pu Xiang, but Pu Xiang exerted more strength on her, making her scream in pain.
Seeing the two men starting to fight, the aunt and mother nearby hurried over to persuade them to stop.
"Third sister, third sister, let's talk it over nicely. Let go of your hands. We are old neighbors now. It won't look good if we fight."
"Third sister, we all know you are a good person and would never do such a thing. Xiaolian is just a chatterbox and has no bad intentions."
"Yeah, yeah, let go first."
Several people tried to persuade her, but Pu Xiang didn't let go at all and even put more strength on her hands.
"Auntie, mother, don't say anything yet, let Pu Xiaolian speak for herself! Today, just tell me who the wild man is and where you saw him, and I will let you go immediately! Otherwise, I will drag you to the police station!"
Pu Xiaolian felt like her scalp was about to fall off. She now believed that Pu Xiang might really do what he said, so she dragged her to the police station.
"I was just kidding! I was just kidding. There was no wild man. I didn't see anything!"
Pu Xiang tightened her grip again.
Pu Xiaolian screamed: "I was wrong, I was really wrong, I will never tell lies again, let me go!"
Only after hearing what she wanted to hear did Pu Xiang let go and said, look, aren’t they all quite smart? They know exactly what to say and when.
Pu Xiaolian's head suddenly loosened its strength and she couldn't control her strength. She staggered sideways and then sat down in a basin of clothes soaked in water placed by the well in front of someone's house.
"ah!"
Pu Xiaolian screamed again, the water was so cool!
She jumped up, holding her clothes, but they were already soaked.
"Go back and change your clothes quickly, or you'll catch a cold."
An auntie pushed her and told her to hurry up. Pu Xiaolian didn't know what was going on in her mind, but now that her scalp was free, she didn't argue with Pu Xiang anymore and just walked away in shame.
Pu Xiang shook her hands to get rid of the few strands of hair stuck between her fingers.
"You can scold me for telling me about my divorce, but if you make up such a lie, I will slap her in the face next time!"
Pu Xiang looked around and spoke very seriously. No one dared to speak immediately. Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, she smiled again and said, "Auntie, mother, don't think I'm fierce. I'm divorced. Others have said such harsh things. If I am told such lies again, I will be even more miserable. You can see that I dress differently from before. It has nothing to do with men. I just found a man in the county. I have a job selling women's clothing next to the central building. It's a job requirement. You have to dress nicely. If you have time or want to buy new clothes for the New Year, come to the store. Who says women have to rely on men to live? Can't you buy bright clothes with your own money? Every day, you think men are like you have no hands or feet. It's a new era, but you still think it's an old society. "
After Pu Xiang finished speaking, De Xin pushed the car and went home.
This time, the middle-aged women waited until she was far away before they started gossiping.
"Hey, do you think what Third Sister said is true? Did she find a job in the county?"
"I think it's probably true. If she really found a strange man like Xiaolian said, how could she be so tough?"
"Well, why should we doubt it? Third sister is the one we have watched grow up. She is such a hardworking and capable girl. When have we ever seen her chatting with a man? Do you think she would? She is divorced, and her man is having an affair outside. The news has spread."
"Hahahaha, you're right. What wild man would be so stupid as to look for someone like her? She's nothing like that kind of enchanting little goblin."
"So she really is working in the county, that's amazing!"
"When can we go to the county town? Isn't it the New Year in two months? We need to buy new clothes. We can go to her store. If it's cheap, we can buy one too."
…
蒲香回家短短不到百米的路，硬是和他們小河彎整個生産小隊的人都打了招呼。
這一個個站在弄堂邊上看她，那眼神都像是在看什麽稀罕玩意兒。
也就是蒲香的內心裏住了個65歲的老太太，不然真就25歲的她，還真不一定能頂得住。
等到将車子推到自家的曬谷場上，他爸媽、哥嫂也聽到了動靜，已經在家門口站着等她了。
蒲香把自行車停在家門口，沒往裏推。
“爸，媽，哥，嫂子。”她一一叫了人。
蒲香她媽李小草看到小女兒，立即就紅了眼眶：“這都多久了，一個多月了，你這個死姑娘，你終于知道回家來看看了？”
蒲香覺得她媽可憐，但又沒辦法真的共情她。
當時撕了她的離婚證，看着她被石家關起來那會兒，她怎麽就不跳出來哭一個，說不同意這麽幹呢？
她現在好手好腳，穿得齊整站在這裏，倒是開始朝着她哭了。
蒲香沒管她媽，走到她爸面前：“爸，我回來和你說一聲遷戶口的事。”
一向沉默的蒲有福眉頭皺得死緊：“遷什麽戶口？我說了，我不同意你離婚的事，我把你嫁出去了，你就是人家的人，沒有再回來的道理。”
蒲香挺平靜地說：“石大富要再娶了。”
“那不是還沒有再娶。”蒲有福氣道，“你上門去好好和人認個錯，親家公不是那種不講道理的人，他上次來家裏一直說你的好話，沒說你半個不好，這樣的人家你上哪裏找去？”
這些破話，蒲香聽得起膩，她全當沒聽到，說：“爸，我現在不想和你說石家的事情，我就想說我戶口的事，現在我沒地方遷，要從石家那邊遷出來，遷回娘家，你能不能點這個頭？”
蒲有福又不說話了，就是擺明了不準備松口。
蒲香告訴自己別生氣，來的時候，她就已經做好了心理準備，她是準備拿錢來砸的，本來也沒指望着有什麽父女親情。
“就算你女兒今天在這裏求你，不要你費一分錢的事，你也不答應？”
蒲有福還是不開口，蒲香的視線又轉向她媽，她哥，這幾個她的至親，都不說話了。
李小草挂着眼淚，可憐巴巴地看着她：“三妹，你別和你爸犟……”
蒲香大嫂實在看不下去，打圓場：“爸媽，三妹回來了，也別站在門口說話，都先進屋裏去吧，都是一家人，有什麽事情不能好好商量的？”
她伸手推了一下李小草，看看隔壁的鄰居，都在探頭探腦聽着呢。
轉頭又是傳得全村都知道。
李小草這才記起來去推蒲有福：“進屋說，進屋裏去說。”
蒲香嫂子也過來拉人，一家子全進了屋裏。
蒲香冷靜了一下，還是想着要解決戶口的問題，說：“回石家是不可能的，人家都已經看好人了，彩禮給一千八，不可能再複婚的。”
一家子沉默，這婚看來确實是複不了了。
蒲有福：“那就趕緊再嫁個人家，嫁出去的女兒戶口遷回來算個什麽事！”
聽到這個意料之外，又完全合理的答案，讓蒲香張了嘴，一時間不知道該怎麽告訴她爸，這個世界上，女人沒有男人，不嫁人，也是可以憑着自己的能力過好這日子的。
他們生活的那個時代太苦了，家裏沒個男人這日子就過不下去。
可現在不一樣了。
蒲香說：“爸，我現在在縣城找了份工作，每個月有收入，我能養活我自己。”
這話說得完全沒錯，但是蒲有福聽了這話不僅沒有認可她，反而更生氣。
“你要是沒離婚，需要去幹這些嗎？”
蒲香：“……”
李小草這個當媽的一看父女兩個似乎又要紅臉，趕緊勸蒲香：“三妹，你爸都是為了你好，石家咱們回不去，那就再找個人家嫁了吧？啊？前幾天有媒婆來問了，聽着也是個老實人，能踏實過日子的，不然你去相看一眼？”
哈？
這是媒人都找上門了！
蒲香面無表情：“介紹的誰？”
李小草立即眼睛亮了起來，以為女兒是有興趣，趕緊接話：“是咱們村的人，離家也不遠，叫劉大壯，今年37歲，前兩年媳婦生病死了，就一個兒子，你嫁過去也不用再生孩子，過日子就行，你要賺了錢還是能貼給佳傑，男方家說了不管這個。”
同村，姓劉，37歲，前兩年死了老婆，有一個兒子。
蒲香盤了一遍，不敢置信地看她媽：“就是那個劉缺嘴？”
那男的是個天生的兔唇，農村人就管他叫缺嘴，一直用這個外號叫他。
李小草點頭：“對對，就是他。”
看着女兒的臉色不對，這表情又瑟縮了一下，嗫嚅：“年紀是大了點，長得也不好，但是，但是……”
蒲香接嘴：“但是個男的。”
她是真沒想到，活了一把年紀，也要嘗一下後世女性被逼婚的滋味。
“我不會去看的，這婚離了也沒想再結，今天我就說戶口的事……爸？”
蒲有福這沒主意的一輩子，唯一的一點主意，全用在女兒身上了。
“戶口你就別想遷回來了，要麽和大富複婚，要麽你就再嫁一個，戶口遷你男人那裏去！”
這就是沒得談了。
蒲香還真是小看了她爸的固執，現在想來，她的性格估計也是像她爸更多一些。
她也固執。
遷戶口的事看來是沒得說了，她原來還想着私底下找她哥說一下，拿錢“賄賂”，但現在她不想這麽幹了。
她爸生氣，她還氣着呢。
被別人欺負也就算了，她現在都無路可走了，卻連自家人都不幫她，她憑什麽還要拿這個錢給他們。
她有這個錢，情願給別人賺！
蒲香看了一圈這一家子，只從自己嫂子臉上看到了不贊同，和對她的同情，可這個家她嫂子做不了主。
“算了，今天就當我沒來過，就這樣吧。”
蒲香出門去推了車要走，她嫂子追了出來。
“三妹，戶口的事我幫你想想辦法，你別着急胡亂做決定，那個劉缺嘴是肯定不能嫁的，別的男人你也得想想清楚，嫁了人那是一大家子的事情，碰上個不好的，你甩都甩不掉，這才是苦日子。”
蒲香說：“我知道的，謝謝嫂子，這事情你也別管了，我爸媽和我哥那樣兒，我也死心了，以後都不會回來，嫂子你自己注意身體，還有，外面現在做小生意的多了起來，你的廚藝也挺好的，考慮一下去擺個吃食小攤什麽，比埋頭在田裏種莊稼賺錢，以後孩子上學的費用，總得提前考慮好，準備好，別聽我爸媽和我哥的，一家子都沒個出息人，不知道睜眼看看外面的世界，就想爛在地裏，得讓孩子以後上高中、上大學，去到外面的世界賺錢過好日子。”
蒲香這個嫂子是真沒話說，話不多，在曾經的蒲香冒出離婚的念頭時，也只有她沒有說那些勸她的話。
她能理解，當嫂子的不可能開口支持小姑子離婚，特別是全家人都反對的時候。
她看着嫂子，也是心疼她，累死累活，可家裏就是窮，兩個孩子，一個女兒，一個兒子，都是初中畢業就沒給上學了。
不是沒考上高中，是考上了沒錢。
當時蒲香說借錢，她嫂子想了兩天還是拒絕了，孩子上完高中還得上大學，兩個七年，14年的開銷得要多少錢？
如果只是上了高中不上大學，那和初中畢業也沒什麽區別，最終還是選擇不上學了。
然後，這事情在後來的無數年，成了孩子埋怨父母的一個點，也成了她嫂子責怪自己的一個心結。
孩子沒考上沒辦法，可這明明都考上了。
郁高珠被她說得心中一動，她家裏這幾個跟瞎的差不多，看不出來蒲香穿着打扮變化，她可是看出來了。
這也沒多久，蒲香就像是變了個似的，她說在縣城找了份工作，那肯定是真找着了，工資收入應該也還不錯。
家裏就是窮，就是沒錢啊，勉強造了這樓房，更是欠了一堆外債，也不知道要還到什麽時候，要是有賺錢的機會，她肯定去。
“好，我聽你的，我去外邊兒看看！”
蒲香挺欣慰，這家裏至少還有一個能聽進別人話的正常人，她說了自己那家女裝店的位置，讓她嫂子有空去找她。
兩人話說得差不多，李小草小碎步從屋裏奔了出來。
“三妹！”
她過來叫住女兒，伸手就将一把東西往她口袋裏塞，“這是你公公送過來的錢和三金，都是你的，你自己拿着，還有造房子借的一千塊，你公公說了那也是你自己攢的私房錢，等家裏有了再還你……再找個對象的事你好好想想，你爸還不都是為了你好，他還能害你？”
蒲香沒推，只是看着她媽。
She has always known that her family is not as good as she imagined, but it is not as bad as she imagined either. Just like many unhappy families in this world, it is not good enough to make people become better people, nor is it bad enough to make people determined to get rid of it at all costs.
There is affection, but not much.
Pu Xiang didn't say anything else. She just said "let's go" and rode away.
Li Xiaocao looked at her daughter's resolute back and couldn't help shedding tears. Yu Gaozhu felt unhappy seeing her like this.
"Mom, if you really love Third Sister, then you should persuade Dad. He has forced the person away. What's the point of crying? It makes you feel like the person being forced is you!"
How can you be a mother like this!
When Li Xiaocao was confronted by her daughter-in-law, she immediately stopped crying and looked so aggrieved that she looked more like a little wife in front of her daughter-in-law.
"I, I can't persuade you. You know your father's temper... How dare I say anything..."
Yu Gaozhu was so angry for Pu Xiang that she walked into the house irritably and saw her man who looked like he had no mouth.
"Third sister just left like that, and you didn't say a word?"
Pu Jianguo had a bitter face, just like his father: "Dad has already said it, what should I say?"
Yu Gaozhu was so angry that her heart ached: "You said you agreed to let the third sister move back! It's just a household registration issue, what's wrong with letting her move back? The third sister is right, this matter doesn't cost the family a penny, and no one needs to support her, why don't you agree?"
Pu Jianguo was speechless. It wasn't like he disagreed, so why was he yelling at him?
Pu Youfu came out upon hearing the sound, but said nothing.
Yu Gaozhu was holding back her anger, but somehow she couldn't suppress it anymore. She openly said it to her man, but in reality she was also speaking to her foolish father-in-law.
"You guys are so pushy. She's already divorced, but you still don't let her transfer her household registration back. You want her to marry a man like Liu Quezui. It's better for her to live alone than to marry a man like that! She doesn't even go home to live now. I don't understand why it's not okay to just transfer her household registration? Do you think it's shameful for her to get divorced? Even I, your sister-in-law, don't mind, so why do you? It was her husband who cheated on her and they got divorced, not her! No, let her transfer her household registration back. I agree. If you don't agree, I can't live like this anymore!"