Chapter 7: Smart People

On the way back holding Mo Jingjing, Pu Xiang was thinking that when she was locked in the room and couldn't get out and couldn't contact anyone outside, it was Mo Jingjing who came to her with a hammer and rescued her.

Mo Jingjing probably still remembered the few bites of food she had given her when she was a child, and now she was holding little Mo Jingjing in her arms, and she was repaying the favor.

Revenge when revenge is needed, and repay favor when favor is needed.

Life is actually not that complicated. At least Pu Xiang is not that complicated.

Shi Dafu's family was unaware of the brief confrontation between the two women. Pu Xiang carried Mo Jingjing into the kitchen and first checked how badly she had been beaten.

The weather was not too cold and she was not wearing too many clothes. She lifted up the girl's shirt and saw several red marks on her back. She then took off her pants and saw even more red marks on her thighs and buttocks.

In addition to the red marks left by the thin bamboo pole, there are also red dots that look like they were squeezed out.

Pu Xiang reached out and touched it: "How did you make these?"

The little girl, Mo Jingjing, shuddered a bit but didn't dare to say a word. She knew that if Zhou Xiaorou dared to hit her, she must have threatened her so that she didn't dare to tell anyone.

"It's okay, don't be afraid. Auntie will take care of you from now on. If anyone dares to hit you, I will beat them back for you. I guarantee that no one will dare to hit you again, not even your stepmother!"

Pu Xiang comforted her softly, saying that the child was still young, only four years old, and Pu Xiang had just rescued her from Zhou Xiaorou, which gave the little girl a full sense of security.

Mo Jingjing whispered, "It was Aunt Zhou who twisted it."

really.

Pu Xiang cursed in her heart, saying that Zhou Xiaorou was not a human being. How could a normal person hurt a child?

If you don't like it, just ignore it.

Pu Xiang couldn't help but reach out and touch the child's head, saying, "You didn't do anything wrong, but Auntie Zhou hit you and squeezed you. It was wrong for her. She is not a good adult. If she hits you again in the future, you can run away and find your aunt. Your aunt can take you to the police and have them arrest her."

Nowadays, police officers are definitely sacred figures in the hearts of children. Mo Jingjing's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Really? Will the police arrest her?"

Pu Xiang nodded: "Of course, the police are there to catch bad guys. Aunt Zhou beat you for no reason and didn't give you food, so she is a bad person. The law stipulates that those who abuse children will be imprisoned and sued."

Mo Jingjing didn't know what law was, but she understood the term "lawsuit". Lawsuit means going to jail, and it means bad people are arrested and imprisoned.

In the minds of children, this is the most serious thing in the world.

If Aunt Zhou goes to court, she won't be able to beat her anymore.

Sure enough, Mo Jingjing's fear of Zhou Xiaorou became less.

Pu Xiang helped her put on her clothes and asked her if she was hungry. As expected, the little girl had not eaten yet.

There was still rice in the pot, and Pu Xiang went to get a small bowl of it. All the dishes in the house were on the table in the front room. Only some bones and soup were left of the best stewed chicken, and the rest were homemade pickled vegetables and some stir-fried vegetables.

Pu Xiang went over and poured some chicken soup into the bowl, and picked up two portions of vegetables with her chopsticks, which was enough for the child.

Mo Jingjing was originally a well-behaved and obedient child, but after living under Zhou Xiaorou for a while, she became like a little mouse, and the slightest movement would scare her into curling up into a ball.

Pu Xiang gave her the bowl and chopsticks, and she started eating.

There was chicken soup in the rice, which smelled delicious and tasted delicious. She finished it quickly while picking up some vegetables.

Pu Xiang reached out and touched her belly. She didn't know how long the child had been hungry. She didn't dare to feed her too much at once, for fear that she would get a stomachache.

"Don't eat too much at once. Auntie will make you steamed eggs tomorrow morning, okay?"

Mo Jingjing was really obedient. From the way she looked at him eagerly, I knew she was not full yet. But after Pu Xiang said that, she nodded obediently.

Not noisy or noisy.

When children are noisy, adults feel annoyed, but when they are too well-behaved, adults feel heartbroken.

This is because they are scared after being beaten.

Just like Shi Jiajie, he always cries for food and won’t stop if you don’t give him food. He will either cry or make a fuss, or even roll on the ground. He knows that his grandma and dad will coax him and he won’t be beaten.

Pu Xiang actually couldn't stand his son's behavior, but there was nothing he could do because the child's grandparents doted on him, especially his grandmother. This only grandson was the little emperor of the family.

If you want the stars, don't give me the moon.

It's hard to describe in a few words how much time and effort Pu Xiang put into Shi Jiajie's growth and changing his personality.

Looking at Mo Jingjing's pitiful look, Pu Xiang thought that after two hours, she would make a steamed egg for the child and it should be fine.

As an adult, she couldn't bear to see her child hungry.

At this time, the people who were eating in the front room also finished their meal, and my father-in-law Shi Hai began to clean up.

When Pu Xiang said that her father-in-law was a hard-working man, it was not just a compliment, but the truth.

Her father-in-law can handle all matters, big and small, at home and outside, and he does a good job.

Before Pu Xiang got married, Shi Hai was responsible for cooking at home. He cooked, washed chopsticks and scrubbed dishes with nimble hands and feet. He was also good at making rice dumplings, pastries and steamed balls.

My mother-in-law, Mo A'mei, didn't get involved at all. She didn't do anything and just ate until she was fat.

Pu Xiang sometimes wondered why Shi Dafu's son was not at all like his father. If he was like his father, they would never have lived the way they did.

Unfortunately, Shi Dafu is just like his mother, even worse than her.

If he was a sickly person, she would feel better.

Shi Hai walked into the stove with his bowl and chopsticks in his hands. As soon as he saw Mo Jingjing, he immediately thought about who Pu Xiangsheng had given the bowl of rice to.

The two families were next-door neighbors and were also distantly related. Although other people didn't know about Zhou Xiaorou beating the child, they were close and could have heard something.

This child was probably beaten by his stepmother again, and then ran to their house.

"Sister, are you coming to play with your brother Jiajie? He's in front and just finished his meal."

Mo Jingjing called out "Grandpa" softly, and without moving a muscle, she huddled beside Pu Xiang.

Although Shi Jiajie and Mo Jingjing are only one year apart in age, they cannot play together. The little boy always likes to play with boys older than him, while Mo Jingjing is quiet and timid and cannot keep up with them running around the group.

So, even though they are neighbors and are related, the two children are not really very familiar with each other.

Pu Xiang had already made up her mind that she would not hand the child back to Zhou Xiaorou before Mo Yang came back.

"Dad, I just saw Zhou Xiaorou beating the child with a bamboo pole. She had a lot of wounds on her body, new and old. I plan to take care of her for the next few days and send her back when Mo Yang comes back."

Shi Hai thought about it, frowned, and felt a little bit dissatisfied.

"This is someone else's business, we can't interfere too much... However, beating a child like this is definitely wrong. After all, he is a relative of ours, so he can stay for as long as he wants."

Shi Hai changed his tone halfway through his words. His daughter-in-law had just had an argument with his son, so he just went along with her wishes.

She couldn't bear to see the stepmother beating the child, so she thought it was a good thing to lend a hand. Even if she told others about it, they would still be in the right.

What's more, the two families are distant relatives, so this is not a matter of meddling too much.

Shi Hai is a man who knows how to get along with others. Pu Xiang and he have been father-in-law and daughter-in-law for decades and they have never had any conflicts.

Even if Shi Dafu, that bastard, cheated on her and locked her in the room, leaving her covered in shit and piss, and Shi Jiajie, that ungrateful bastard, threw her back home, she would still say that her father-in-law had nothing wrong with her daughter-in-law.

Even if he has his own calculations, he is a meticulous person who does things in a way that does not arouse hatred.

Pu Xiang also knew that as long as she told Shi Hai to leave Mo Jingjing at home, he would not forcefully send the child back.

With the approval of Shi Hai, the head of the family, Pu Xiang could bring the child back to the second floor, her and Shi Dafu's room, more openly.

In the 1990s, the living conditions of some families in the village had begun to improve, and the Shijia Brigade was merged with two neighboring brigades to form Shijia Village.

Although it is a rural area, many families have already built houses.

At that time, getting married not only depended on whether the couple had three turns and one ring, but the most important point was whether the man's family had a house.

As long as you have a three-story house at home, you don't have to worry about getting married.

There are plenty of girls to choose from.

Shi Dafu's family was one of the first few families in the queue to build a house, so the conditions were not bad, but very good.

When Pu Xiang married into the family, everyone said that she had married well, and many people envied her.

Of course, there were also people gossiping behind his back, wondering why Shi Hai chose such a daughter-in-law for his son. It wasn't like he had no choice but to find someone else.

Although she is tall and strong and capable, compared with other young wives, she is really a tomboy.

She has nothing to do with the delicate little woman. She got her hair cut by someone in the village, and was told it would be an "uncle and aunt hairstyle." But from the back she looks like an uncle, and from the front she doesn't look like an aunt at all.

She works harder than any other man. Which man can handle an old woman like this?

Many young people of the same age as Shi Dafu envied his family's conditions, but when they saw Pu Xiang, they felt that their lives were not bad either.

At least the wife at home is not a burly tigress.

Shi Dafu's father had a problem with his judgment of women. He married a sick woman. Perhaps he was tired of this kind of life, so he married his son to a woman who was the opposite, as strong as a wild boar.

There are many people here who are guessing, but not many can guess the point. Pu Xiang, however, knows the inside story.

When Shi Hai married Mo A'mei, Shi Hai's family had a bad background. Although they were not classified as landlords, they were classified as rich peasants. With a bad background, life was very difficult in those days, and getting married was even more of a problem.

The situation at that time was different from what it was later. If one was not careful, one might be dragged out and criticized.

But Shi Hai is a calculating man. It is not known whether his vision is problematic or not, but he knows that unless something unexpected happens, he will definitely not be able to marry a girl of his dreams. Since marriage is difficult and he can't marry someone he likes, he might as well maximize his benefits.

He married Mo A'mei, a sickly girl. The Mo family was a poor peasant family with a good background. By marrying his daughter, his family's situation would improve.

The Mo family was poor at the time and had many children. This daughter had a lot of health problems since she was young. Although she would not die soon, her body could not work and she had to be taken care of.

No matter what era it is, no family would be willing to marry such a girl. Having a stall would be a burden, not to mention in the countryside, where every household relies on labor to make a living.

Shi Hai found a matchmaker to come to the house and privately promised a huge sum of 200 yuan, and the matter was settled.

Although the Shi family's background is not good, people are starving to death, who cares about this?

Others just thought that she was a sickly woman. It was normal for the Mo family to agree to marry her if someone was willing to marry her. Although the Shi family had a bad background, they could not resist the ability of Shi Hai.

If it weren't for the issue of background, many girls would be willing to marry him.

Shi Hai would plan that by the time his son got married, the mother-in-law would already be frail and the family would be short of labor, so he wanted a daughter-in-law who was tall and strong, hardworking, and whose family had a gentle personality.

Cattail fragrance stands out from all these conditions.

For many years afterwards, Pu Xiang worked extremely hard, dragging her lazy husband along, and lived the life that her father-in-law had expected.

Pu Xiang held the little girl with one hand and pushed open the door with the other, and saw Shi Dafu, who had eaten and drunk his fill and was lying on the bed smoking.

I saw this familiar scene again after so many years.