Chapter 37 The Benefits of Marrying Me (1)
The next morning, someone from the village committee came to call Bai Zhenggan over to handle some matters. Bai Zhenggan ate his breakfast leisurely, then walked slowly to the village committee using a cane.
Bai Taotao ran over excitedly to watch the fun.
Song Zhi was not interested in this kind of shit. But he heard Taotao say yesterday that she went to the cornfield again... He was so angry that he wanted to teach her a lesson last night to let her know how powerful he was, but he ended up being defeated by her and was a complete mess!
So what was he going to do with her?
Because he was really worried about the little girl and afraid that she might encounter something again, he had no choice but to come along.
But they arrived too late, there were too many people, and Taotao was too short to be seen even if she jumped.
She just kept jumping and jumping...
Song Zhi was speechless.
——Why is the little girl so interested in these gossips?
Taotao: There is nothing else to do if I stay in the village every day!
Song Zhi looked around, moved a big rock, and placed it on a higher ground a little further away. Then he called Tao Tao over and asked her to stand on the big rock. Tao Tao was now almost as tall as Song Zhi, and could barely see the people surrounded in the center of the crowd...
Taotao was satisfied then.
Then she pulled out a large, well-wrapped leaf from her pocket and carefully opened it, revealing the salt-roasted peanuts inside.
Song Zhi: ...
Taotao picked up a salt-roasted peanut kernel and put it in her mouth; then she picked up another one and naturally fed it to Song Zhi.
Song Zhi stared at her slender fingers holding a peanut kernel, with the end of her little finger raised high?
He held back his smile, his eyes darkened slightly, and he did something naughty - he opened his mouth and took the peanut kernels she fed him, but deliberately touched her fingers.
However, Taotao was so absorbed in watching the fun that she didn't notice his little movements. She only felt her fingers were wet and hot, so she subconsciously rubbed them on his shoulders, and her little hands tightly protected the large leaf that was wrapped with salt-roasted peanuts.
The girls in the Bai family are all clever and skillful.
The family is not rich, but a poor family can also have a colorful life.
Girls all love snacks, so they put their heads together and invented this salt-roasted peanut kernels.
——Peel the peanuts and take out the kernels. Add salt, star anise, cinnamon, etc. and cook and stew for a while. Then put them in the sun to dry for a few days to allow the moisture in the peanut kernels to evaporate completely. In this way, the peanuts become very, very hard and tough. Next, when you want to eat, grab a handful of dried peanuts and put them in a small iron plate, put it in the stove, and roast them over the stove until they are slightly charred.
The salt-roasted peanuts made in this way are as hard as pebbles and are impossible to bite. If you want to eat it, you have to hold it in your mouth for a long time. First, you can suck the burnt aroma and saltiness on the surface, and second, you have to wait until it is soaked with saliva and becomes soft. If you chew it again, you can taste the fragrant and soft nut meat inside.
Of course, the sisters did this to prolong the time they could eat peanuts. Such a small bag of peanuts only has about 20 to 30 pieces at most, which can take at least two hours to eat!
Song Zhi held the roasted peanuts with a burnt aroma in his mouth, and for the first time, he felt...
It seems like it would be nice to just accompany her and eat peanuts one by one, right?
Taotao's attention had long been focused on the center of the crowd - Jiang Hongzhi, Yan Naqian, Zhou Chunni and Jia Xiaohong.
Jiang Hongzhi, Yan Naqian and Jia Xiaohong were arguing fiercely; Zhou Chunni, with a pale face, sat aside in silence.
Jia Xiaohong was so angry that her face turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes. She angrily said, "I swear to God, those notes were not written by me! Besides, all my things are in the Youth Educator Station, and they are not locked. It is easy for anyone to get them!"
Yan Naqian folded her arms and smiled, looking at Jia Xiaohong with a haughty look, "So who told you not to lock the door? Besides, you can't clear yourself of suspicion! If you say it wasn't you, then show us the evidence and prove it wasn't you!"
Jia Xiaohong was very angry and said, "I think you did this, didn't you?"
Yan Naqian narrowed her eyes and stared at Jia Xiaohong, saying cruelly: "Try to point your finger at me again? I'll break your finger, believe it or not!"
Jia Xiaohong was frightened by her cold eyes and took a step back timidly.
Jiang Hongzhi was also very angry, "Yan Naqian, you are doing this to retaliate against me for making you work every day and not allowing you to take leave, right?"
Yan Naqian smiled coldly, and looked at Jiang Hongzhi with eyes as if he was a savior looking down at an ant, and said leisurely: "Nonsense, I love labor the most! Just because you have a low level of ideological awareness, do you think that others are the same as you?"
Taotao held a roasted peanut in her mouth and exclaimed in amazement, "This Yan Naqian is really... her temperament and way of speaking are completely different from before. She used to look very gentle and pitiful on the surface, and at most she would speak with some sarcasm. Now... she is so sharp!"
The village cadres headed by Bai Zhenggan waited for a while and saw that these educated youth never took other people seriously and were only concerned with verbal battles?
The village cadres discussed in low voices for a few words and decided to ignore those educated youth.
——After all, Zhou Chunni is the only one from the village.
Bai Zhenggan asked Zhou Chunni, "Chunni, what do you think?"
Zhou Chunni sat aside, her face was pale and there were thick dark circles under her eyes.
She was in a daze and seemed to be deaf to Bai Zhenggan's questions.
Bai Zhenggan had no choice but to patiently ask a few more questions...
Zhou Chunni came back to her senses, cried out "Ah", looked at Jiang Hongzhi, her eyes instantly filled with tears, and then the tears fell out of her eye sockets and dripped down.
Bai Zhenggan said, "Chun Ni, what are you thinking... We have to let the uncles know so that we can help you!"
Zhou Chunni covered her face and cried.
Bai Zhenggan, "Let Jiang Hongzhi compensate you with some money?"
Zhou Chunni was still crying with her hands covering her face.
Bai Zhenggan, "Let Jiang Hongzhi apologize to you?"
Zhou Chunni still just cried.
Bai Zhenggan sighed, "You want to marry him?"
This time Zhou Chunni stopped crying, "He has ruined my reputation, so he has to marry me."
Jiang Hongzhi, who was standing by, was too busy arguing with Yan Naqian. After hearing what Bai Zhenggan and Zhou Chunni said, he said anxiously, "Chunni, I'm also a victim..."
Zhou Chunni, "But you are a man! Shouldn't you be responsible?"
Jiang Hongzhi, "I..."
Yan Naqian gloated and said, "Yes, you ruined the girl's reputation, shouldn't you marry her?"
Jiang Hongzhi was furious and slapped him with his hand!
Yan Naqian was stunned, covering her face and screaming, "Jiang Hongzhi, you even beat women! Are you still a man?"
In response to her, Jiang Hongzhi gave her a hard kick!
Yan Naqian screamed "Ah" and flew four or five steps away!
Jiang Hongzhi hated Yan Naqian so much - if he married Zhou Chunni, his life would be ruined! Marriage will not be his most advantageous tool to return to the city! Besides, Zhou Chunni didn’t even know how to read, so how could she possibly have a common language with him?
But in this matter, Zhou Chunni was a victim just like him, and he had no right to blame her. What's more, this is Ruyi Village, and Zhou Chunni is a native of this village, so the village committee will definitely be biased towards her.
He had already said once last night that he would not marry her, and she just said she wanted to jump off a cliff? ! If I ask her again today, does she still want to marry him? So, he couldn't escape and had to marry her? Or she would rather die?
Jiang Hongzhi also felt a bit resentful towards Zhou Chunni.
He knew very well that just as he regarded his marriage as a stepping stone to return to the city, Zhou Chunni also regarded him as a stepping stone.
He hates!
He hated Yan Naqian and Zhou Chunni. These women joined forces to destroy him.
Everyone at the scene was stunned.
In the impression of the villagers, the educated youth were all educated and well-mannered, and Jiang Hongzhi was even more of a good gentleman. No one would have thought that Jiang Hongzhi would be so cruel when beating people! And the person being beaten was a woman!
Even Taotao, who was standing outside watching the fun, was shocked.
She opened her mouth in surprise, and the salt-roasted peanut in her mouth almost fell out... Then she closed her mouth in time, held the disobedient salt-roasted peanut, and started chewing it, making a squeaking sound.
Song Zhi strongly disapproved of Jiang Hongzhi beating people.
——In this way, he turned from a victim to a perpetrator, and the situation became even more unfavorable to him.
This guy is really brainless!
On second thought, if Jiang Hongzhi had any brains, he would not have fallen for Yan Naqian's trick. Even if he thought that the girls had asked him to go to the cornfield, didn't he ever think that the handwriting on the little notes written by Bai Lili and Zhou Chunni was the same?
All I can say is that this person is self-willed, loves to take advantage of others, is not smart enough and is very impulsive.
The current situation was certainly caused by Yan Naqian's frame-up, but it was also caused by him.
In the center of the crowd, the villagers were all unable to react and watched stupidly as Jiang Hongzhi kicked Yan Naqian several times...Yan Naqian was in so much pain that she couldn't even call for help! He rolled his eyes and fainted.
After a long while, Bai Zhenggan came to his senses first and asked angrily, "Why did you hit someone?"
The villagers finally came to their senses and stepped forward to pull Jiang Hongzhi away.
Yan Naqian's mouth and nose were covered in blood, and she lay on the ground unable to move. Grandma Qi came over, stuffed a crushed orange fruit into Yan Naqian's mouth, and then pinched her philtrum with her long nails.
Yan Naqian coughed twice and woke up slowly.
Her mouth was filled with a bitter feeling. She was confused for a long time before she realized what was going on. She covered her aching abdomen and yelled at Jiang Hongzhi, "You dare to hit me? I tell you... you're dead!"
Jiang Hongzhi's face was filled with despair, and he sneered at Yan Naqian, "Really? Then I will drag you to hell with me!"
Yan Naqian was stunned and kept silent.
——She suddenly realized that Jiang Hongzhi had no way out, so why should she add insult to injury? What if I really push her into a corner and drag her into this... that would be totally unprofitable.
At that moment, Yan Naqian shut her mouth tightly and refused to speak anymore.
Jiang Hongzhi slowly looked at Zhou Chunni.
Zhou Chunni was already frightened and her eyes were filled with fear.
Jiang Hongmin looked at her, a fierce light flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Do you still want to marry me?"
Although Zhou Chunni was very scared, she still nodded firmly.
Jiang Hongmin became even more annoyed, "But I have no feelings for you... I don't love you! Do you really have to marry me?"
Zhou Chunni's face was pale, but she still bit her lip and nodded.
The villagers who were watching were talking about it——
"Chun Ni's brain is still not working!"
"By marrying Jiang Hongzhi, she is blocking his way back to the city. Can she live a good life in the future?"
"That's right. There are so many girls in the village who like Jiang Hongzhi, but which family is willing to let their daughter marry Jiang Hongzhi?"
"She has no parents to teach her! How can she understand these things?"
"Does she think that if she marries Jiang Hongzhi, she can go back to the city with him and become a city dweller? She really thinks too simply!"
"Chun Ni is so silly, this is a lifelong thing!"
Zhou Chunni was a little confused and looked at Bai Zhenggan unconsciously.
——When her brother Zhou Chunsheng left, he told her and Xiaoni that if they encountered any difficult problems, they could ask Uncle Zhenggan for advice.
However, she clearly understood the word "disagreement" from Bai Zhenggan's eyes.
Zhou Chunni bit her lower lip.
She knew that Jiang Hongzhi didn't love her, and was also shocked by the scene of Jiang Hongzhi beating a woman. But...if she rejected Jiang Hongzhi and didn't marry him, because she was the son of a landlord, because of her already ruined reputation, and because of her family's poverty...
What kind of good marriage can she find in the future?
Jiang Hongzhi is the only one who can save her from the dire straits!
Zhou Chunni took a deep breath and said loudly: "Anyway, in this life... I am yours in life and your ghost in death!"
Jiang Hongzhi showed an annoyed expression, "Okay, if you want to get married, then get married!"
Zhou Chunni was stunned for a moment, and then showed an expression of unbelievable ecstasy!
Jiang Hongzhi turned to Bai Zhenggan and said, "Uncle, after something like this happened, I have no face to stay in the village anymore. Please help me write a report. I am willing to help Xinjiang!"
Anyway, his life is ruined and there is no hope of returning to the city, so he might as well go to a poorer and more difficult place and sink into despair!
After a pause, Jiang Hongzhi continued, "Also, I beat Yan Naqian, but I refuse to compensate her. If the village committee decides to report to the police, I would rather go to jail than compensate her a single cent."
Yan Naqian laughed in anger, "Why?"
Jiang Hongzhi also sneered, "And I also asked to call the police to investigate Yan Naqian for pretending to be someone else and writing me a note!"
Yan Naqian laughed crazily, "Hahahaha, you are such a funny person! Well, even if I wrote the note in someone else's handwriting, it was just a prank! Jiang Hongzhi, you are an adult. If you are decent, why would you run to the cornfield after seeing a small note? In the final analysis, it's because you are lustful and you want to take advantage of girls!"
Jiang Hongzhi was so angry that his chest heaved violently!
"You admit it, don't you? Don't you?" He wanted to rush over and hit her a few more times.
However, he was stopped by the villagers, "Jiang Zhiqing, if you have something to say, please speak properly. Fighting is not civilized."
Yan Naqian smiled contemptuously, "Oh, I was just playing a prank, who knew you would actually go..." Then she shifted the blame, "In fact, I also helped you to make appointments with other girls, but only Zhou Chunni who loves you the most went! In fact, you didn't lose out that much! You got a wife who loves you so much, Jiang Hongzhi, shouldn't you thank me more?"
Bai Zhenggan and Tang Liren in the crowd clenched their fists.
Bai Taotao was also very angry, "This Yan Naqian is too mean!"
Song Zhi, "Don't worry."
Judging from the way Bai Zhenggan and Tang Liren are protecting their cub, Yan Naqian won't be able to be so arrogant for much longer. However, such things cannot be brought to the table.
Bai Zhenggan said to them, "Everyone, including Jia Xiaohong, should clearly state your demands. Then our village committee will hold a meeting to study them and make an announcement after we have discussed them."
Jiang Hongzhi: We must hold Yan Naqian accountable for impersonating someone else's handwriting, and report to her superiors her improper attitude towards study, work, and labor.
Zhou Chunni: I am going to marry Jiang Hongzhi.
Yan Naqian: Jiang Hongzhi beat her up and she wanted him to pay ten times the medical expenses.
Jia Xiaohong: Yan Naqian should apologize to her in front of the whole village and give her ten yuan as compensation.
Bai Zhenggan asked the village cadres to write down their important notes and then adjourned the meeting.
There was no more excitement to watch, so Taotao jumped off the big rock, and Song Zhi moved the big rock back to its original place, and then the two of them walked home slowly...
The eldest sister-in-law was doing housework at home, Xingxing had just come back after cutting grass to feed the pigs, and Lili was locked in the house by her mother and not allowed to go out... Taotao told her everything that happened in the village committee in detail.
Lili was very shocked. "He hit Yan Naqian? Beat her until she vomited blood? And fainted?"
Originally, she liked Jiang Hongzhi very much. Although she knew that there was no possibility for them to be together, she still liked him silently. Until what happened yesterday... Lili thought about it all night, and couldn't understand why he went to the appointment without carefully reading the handwriting on the note. Could it be that he thinks it doesn't matter which girl asks him out, as long as someone asks him out?
Now I heard that he beat people?
The cold and bright moon in Bai Lili's heart completely turned into a sesame seed cake that went sour and fell into the ditch...
Tan Fenghui thought for a moment, "I suspect he beat Zhou Chunni to show her! His meaning was, 'Look, I beat even women, why do you insist on marrying me?' I didn't expect Zhou Chunni to be so stubborn. She's really stupid!"
Xing Xing, "Is Jiang Hongzhi out of his mind? He actually wants to go to Xinjiang to help!"
Lili, "Did he deliberately make trouble for Zhou Chunni? Zhou Chunni insisted on marrying him, so he took Zhou Chunni to that cold, miserable and poor place?"
Song Zhi said: "This is the only smart thing about him."
Everyone was stunned.
Song Zhi explained: "He has a bad reputation here. Not to mention returning to the city, he can't even pass the work assessment! But if he takes the initiative to ask to go to the most difficult and hardest place, with his ideological awareness, his job position in the new place will not be too low. Whether he returns to the city in the future depends on how he struggles. Even if he can't return to the city, he can easily be promoted because his starting point is not low."
Everyone suddenly realized!
"Is Lili home?" Someone knocked at the door.
The aunts and sisters-in-law exchanged glances.
——This voice sounds a lot like Zhou Chunni?
Bai Lili was even more surprised.
Normally, her relationship with Zhou Chunni was not very good, so why did Zhou Chunni come to find her?
"Is Lili at home?" Zhou Chunni outside the yard shouted again.
Tan Fenghui whispered, "Just talk to her here. Remember, don't be alone with her!"
Lili nodded and raised her voice to respond, "Hey, I'm at home!"
Xingxing ran to open the door and brought Zhou Chunni back.
Taotao brought over a basket of peanuts and sat in the yard with Sister Li Zi to peel the peanuts.
Song Zhi was originally impatient to take care of these trivial family matters, but thinking that this was a troubled time, he was afraid that Zhou Chunni would suddenly go crazy and let Taotao suffer, so he took a small stool and sat in front of his house, picking up a book to read.
When Zhou Chunni came in, tears were still on her face and she no longer cared about the people around her. "Bai Lili! I, I'm going to marry Jiang Hongzhi!"
Bai Lili was a little confused.
——Because Zhou Chunni’s expression was very strange.
If you say she is happy, there are tears in her eyes; if you say she is sad, the tone of her shouting just now... seems to be full of endless pride, as if she is particularly proud and proud.
Bai Lili thought for a long time and said cautiously: "Congratulations?"
Zhou Chunni burst into tears, "Bai Lili, I'm going to marry Jiang Hongzhi!"
Bai Lili vaguely understood.
——It seems that Zhou Chunni liked Jiang Hongzhi a little bit in the past, so she is showing off in front of her?
Zhou Chunni looked at the Bai family's yard.
The Bai family is large, so the yard is big. The house has an U-shaped structure. Bai Zhenggan and his wife live at the entrance, behind the main hall. Dongsheng and his wife live in the east room with their children. The west room was originally prepared for Nansheng, but now Song Zhi lives there temporarily.
The three girls of the Bai family live in the row of houses at the back.
Zhou Chunni had never been there, but Xiaoni had been there and said there were four rooms in total, with the three sisters of the Bai family living in one each. There was an empty guest room which was now used to store miscellaneous items.
In addition, the girls in the Bai family also have a small room specifically for bathing.
Xiao Ni said that Taotao's room is not big, but it has everything: a bed, a table, a chair, a cabinet... I think Bailili's room is the same.
Xiao Ni said that the rooms of the Bai family girls were beautifully decorated, and the clothes they wore were also very beautiful... Obviously the Bai family was not wealthy, and their food, clothing and other expenses were similar to those of the villagers, but they behaved like a wealthy family, calm and dignified.
Xiaoni also said...
Zhou Chunni was so annoyed that she beat her sister!
——It’s all about the Bai family and the Bai family every day. Aren’t you annoying?
The Zhou family used to be landlords, and more than 80% of the land in Ruyi Village belonged to the Zhou family. Even Bai Zhenggan's father and Bai Lili's grandfather used to be farmhands of the Zhou family.
Zhou Chunni has grown up in this contradictory environment since she was a child.
When my parents were still alive, whenever they were bullied by the villagers outside, they would come back and complain, saying that in the past, our family was composed of master, mistress, young masters and young ladies, and you peasants are committing crimes by doing this!
Later, my parents passed away, and the days of barely having enough food and clothing were gone. The villagers were actually more friendly to the siblings, with less ridicule and more consolation.
But for some reason, Zhou Chunni is often compared with Bailili. Could it be because Bai Lili was born on the same day of the same month of the same year as her?
——Look at Bai Lizi. She has an older brother and younger brothers and sisters, but she is extremely hardworking. She never stops for a minute all day long. Why are you so lazy? You have to rely on your brother for everything! How old is your brother? How could the work points he earned alone support you three siblings?
——Look at Bai Lili, she keeps herself clean and pretty; you are the same age as her, why are you so sloppy? Do you still think you are a rich lady, waiting for everything to be provided for you?
——Bai Lili is good-looking, gentle, capable, well-behaved and obedient. Look at you again, you have a bad temper and you are not willing to clean yourself up...
——People like Bai Lili can go up the mountain to collect firewood, pick mushrooms and cut grass to feed pigs, and can go to the fields to plant rice and thresh millet. How come you can't do anything?
Zhou Chunni is so fed up!
But we also have to start paying attention to white pears.
After this observation, Zhou Chunni quickly discovered the shortcomings of white pears.
——Bai Lili is too kind and is always bullied by the villagers. But the villagers never dared to bully Zhou Chunni, because if anyone dared to bully her, she would scold them back on the spot and would not suffer any loss!
However, Bai Lili is more popular than her.
——Bai Lili is busy doing housework and working in the fields all day long. Her skin is rough and tanned by the sun... What's the use of Bai Lili's good facial features? Not as fair and tender as her.
However, because she was unwilling to work in the fields or mountains for the sake of her soft and fair skin, her family became poorer and was looked down upon by the villagers.
Zhou Chunni was not convinced.
Since others compare her to Bai Lili, she wants to compete with Bai Lili in everything!
After secretly competing with each other, Zhou Chunni found that she seemed to be inferior to Bai Lili in every way?
I was very disappointed.
But soon, Zhou Chunni discovered Bai Lili’s little secret—Bai Lili seemed to like Jiang Hongzhi?
Zhou Chunni followed the clues and began to pay attention to Jiang Hongzhi.
With so much attention, Zhou Chunni also fell in love with Jiang Hongzhi.
There are at least 17 or 18 girls in the village who clearly like Jiang Hongzhi, and Bai Lili is just one of them. However, Zhou Chunni still regards Bai Lili as her number one rival in love.
However, Bai Lili is quite patient.
It seemed like she had always liked Jiang Hongzhi silently, never actively approaching Jiang Hongzhi, nor did she deliberately try to attract his attention?
Zhou Chunni looked down on Bai Lili, thinking that Bai Lili was introverted and so inferior that she didn't even dare to pursue love. She was simply a coward! Humph, Zhou Chunni is not a coward. She is much braver and more confident than Bai Lili!
So Zhou Chunni plucked up the courage to confess her love to Jiang Hongzhi, but Jiang Hongzhi... rejected her.
what a shame.
Having said that, she is now about to become Jiang Hongzhi's wife!
She is simply better than Bai Lili!
So she ran over to tell Bai Lili about this as soon as possible. She wanted to see Bai Lili's envious eyes!
But why was Bai Lili’s reaction so cold? Even the congratulations sounded so forced?
Zhou Chunni didn't believe that Bai Lili was not jealous of her, so she stared at Bai Lili, trying to find a trace of unwillingness and jealousy on her face.
She suddenly noticed something was wrong.
The white pear in front of me has fair and tender skin, and her hair is as shiny as satin. The broken hair at her bangs is braided into a thin braid that hangs neatly beside her ears. There are two beautiful red-dyed wooden beads hanging from the hair tie at the end of her hair. She has light eyebrows, bright eyes, and healthy, pink lips. She is no longer the woman with dark skin and a big face that always wore braids in the past!
Look at Bai Lili's fingers again——
In the past, Bai Lili's hands were not only rough, but also had dirt in the gaps between her nails because she didn't have time to wash them. In addition, she always got her skin cut for one reason or another while doing farm work, and her hands looked so tattered and shocking, which left a deep impression on Zhou Chunni.
Now what?
Bai Lili is peeling peanuts. Her hands are dexterous and nimble, and her fingers are slender and long. Her nails are trimmed smoothly and cleanly, full of the tenderness of a young girl.
Zhou Chunni looked at Bai Lili's clothes again.
Bai Lili was wearing an old set of clothes that had been washed to a dull gray color. The collar, cuffs, corners... had all been washed down, but a layer of floral cloth was ingeniously sewn on from the inside to reinforce the collar, cuffs and corners, and the buttons were also uniformly covered with floral cloth of the same color.
The clothes are still old, but they reveal the girl's careful thoughts everywhere. They are more beautiful and exquisite than the old clothes worn by others.
Look at the shoes on Bai Lili's feet...
They were also black handmade cloth shoes that had been worn for a long time and had holes in the uppers, but a simple flower patch was nailed on the damaged part of the upper. At first glance, they actually looked pretty?
Since when did Bai Lili's whole body look so refreshing, clean and delicate?
Looking at her yard again, it was no different from that of other houses in the village, but it was elegant and dignified amidst its poverty!
Zhou Chunni couldn't find a trace of jealousy in Bai Lili's eyes, but instead saw a look similar to pity and sigh?
For a moment, Zhou Chunni's emotions broke down.
Her tears suddenly rolled out of her eyes for no apparent reason, and she yelled at Bai Lili, "I'm getting married to Jiang Hongzhi! Did you just... say congratulations?"
Bai Lili stared at Zhou Chunni, stunned.
——So, congratulations is not enough? Zhou Chunni, is she bringing a gift?
Bai Lili blinked her eyes, stopped shelling peanuts, wiped her hands with a wet towel, and said, "Chun Ni, wait a moment!" Then she went into the house, found a few things, and hurried out again.
She handed the things to Zhou Chunni and said, "I don't have anything to show off, so these things can be considered wedding gifts for you and Jiang Hongzhi!"
It was a pair of flowered sleeves and a piece of gauze that she wore around her hat to protect it from the sun when working in the fields. To prevent the edges of the gauze from turning inward, she also locked the edges with fine flowered cloth. There were also seven or eight hairbands sewn with scraps of cloth, and a pile of a dozen or so patches that she made when she was free. They were all very good for sewing clothes and shoe uppers.
Zhou Chunni stared at Bai Lili blankly.
Bai Lili wrapped it in a handkerchief and stuffed it into Zhou Chunni's hand. "I have used this handkerchief twice, but I have washed it. If you don't mind, you can use it too! I wish you happiness!"
Zhou Chunni was still in a daze.
After a long while, she asked, "Aren't you jealous of me?"
Bai Lili shook her head.
"Don't you like Jiang Hongzhi?" Zhou Chunni asked again.
Bai Lili's face showed embarrassment and annoyance, "Don't talk nonsense!"
Zhou Chunni shouted, "I know you like him!"
Bai Lili was annoyed, "So what?"
Zhou Chunni screamed, "I won! The one who finally married Jiang Hongzhi was me! Not you!"
Bai Lili understood, "So you are here to laugh at me?"
"Yes!" Zhou Chunni said, "I am better than you! I am definitely better than you! Everyone in the village compares me with you. Now tell me for yourself, am I better than you?"
Bai Lili was silent for a while and said, "If your brother were here, he wouldn't let you marry Jiang Hongzhi."
"Are you jealous of me?" Zhou Chunni asked, "Do you understand how I feel?"
Bai Lili, "I'm not jealous of you at all. On the contrary, I think you're pathetic and stupid."
Zhou Chunni laughed, "I'm pitiful? I'm stupid? Bai Lili, I married... the person you like!"
Bai Lili, "I don't like him anymore."
"Oh? Because he will marry me?"
Bai Lili, "My parents never agreed to let me marry Jiang Hongzhi... There are so many girls in the village who like Jiang Hongzhi, but no family is willing to let their daughter marry him. Do you know why?"
Zhou Chunni was stunned.
After a long while, she asked with difficulty, "Why?"
Bai Lili, "Because Jiang Hongzhi is a city dweller, no matter how nice he says, he responded to the call to go to the countryside to build the countryside, he wants to go to where he is more needed... but he wants to go back to his parents and family after all. If he marries you and takes root in our Ruyi Village, it will not help him return to the city... Chunni, have you considered this?"
Zhou Chunni's face was pale.
--joke! Why does she think about others? Considering other people's feelings is equivalent to having concerns yourself!
She doesn't want to think so much!
Bai Lili continued, "The villagers don't let their girls marry him because parents love their daughters... Jiang Hongzhi is indeed very popular with girls, but once they really marry their daughters to him... it will block his dream of returning to the city. Then this is not a marriage, but an enemy, do you understand?"
"Chun Ni, look at the uncles and aunts in the village who are old but still have a good relationship with their spouses. Look at the uncles and aunts who have been quarreling all their lives... So it is so important for a person to choose the right partner to marry! After all, people only live once!" Bai Lili said.
Zhou Chunni said in a trembling voice: "So, you won't marry Jiang Hongzhi at all?"
Bai Lili shook her head slowly, "I will never marry... someone who is not recognized by my parents and family."
Zhou Chunni was stunned.
She couldn't help but think of what her brother Zhou Chunsheng said when he left -
"When I'm not around, all important matters must be consulted with Uncle Zhenggan. Your marriage must be checked by me... Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! I'll tell you again, Jiang Hongzhi is not a reliable husband, you better give up on this idea! But Chunni, you have to believe in your brother, I will definitely find a good marriage for you!"
Zhou Chunni shook her head desperately, trying to get rid of her brother's words.
"How is this possible! I married Jiang Hongzhi, and I am his wife. No matter what he eats, I will always be included. No matter where he goes, he must take me with him, even if it is back to the city! He always has to take care of me as his wife..." She screamed hysterically, not knowing whether she was trying to numb herself.
"Second sister!" Zhou Xiaoni's voice rang out.
She was also present when the village committee held a meeting. There were a lot of people around, and she was young and standing far away, so she couldn't stop anything. I wanted to talk things out with my sister after the meeting, but as soon as the meeting was over, my sister disappeared?
Xiao Ni had run to several places and finally found her sister in the Bai family.
Zhou Chunni took two deep breaths, calmed down, looked at Zhou Xiaoni, and asked woodenly, "What are you doing here?"
Zhou Xiaoni asked with tears in her eyes: "Second sister, are you really going to marry Jiang Hongzhi?"
"So what?"
Zhou Xiaoni, "But my brother said when he left that he would decide your marriage!"
"What can I let him do when he's not here? Do I have to stay single for the rest of my life if he never comes back?" Zhou Chunni was angry.
Zhou Xiaoni cried, "But Jiang Hongzhi said that he was going to Xinjiang to help! I asked people... Helping Xinjiang means that he is going to a place that is poorer and more desolate than our village! Sister! If we stay in the village, the uncles and aunts will not watch us starve to death! But if you follow him to the border to suffer, will you be able to eat enough? Will you be able to wear warm clothes?"
Zhou Chunni said angrily, "Then I can stay here and have enough food and warm clothes without suffering. I marry him, I follow him... at least I don't have to worry about three meals a day! Isn't it a million times better than staying here and thinking about where to dig some wild vegetables to eat every day?"
Zhou Xiaoni, "What about me? My brother is not here, and you left too! You...just left me here alone? Aren't you worried that I'll starve to death?"
Zhou Chunni said coldly: "Didn't you just say that your uncles and aunts won't let you starve to death!"
"Sister! Are you my biological sister? Why are you so cold-blooded?" Zhou Xiaoni started to cry.
Zhou Chunni, "I earned this marriage with my own ability... If you have the ability, you should marry yourself. Marry a man, you will have clothes to wear and food to eat. When you marry a man, you don't have to worry about being hungry or having no clothes to wear."
Zhou Xiaoni was stunned.
Zhou Chunni stuffed the white pear into her hand again.
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