Chapter 375: Supporting Your Own Sky

"Mom, that, I have something to tell you."

This day, after finishing dinner, clearing the table, taking out the trash, and fetching water, the three of them were back to their usual routine. Wang Yan was reading on the kang, Zhou Bingkun was tossing and turning in the middle, and Li Suhua was sitting at the end of the kang, knitting wool pants while nagging.

Zhou Bingkun's words interrupted Li Suhua's nagging: "Look at you, child, just say it if you have something."

"Then I'll say it, don't get angry."

Li Suhua looked at Wang Yan, who was also confused, and put down her needlework: "What have you done again? Angry or not, tell me first."

"Then I'll say it?" Zhou Bingkun sat up, covering himself with the quilt: "I found a partner."

"Found a partner? That's a good thing. Look at you, why would I be angry about such a good thing? How old is the girl? Where is her home? Is she cultured? How many people in the family? What do they do?" Li Suhua's happiness was written on her face, and she gave her youngest son a symbolic slap, asking a series of questions like a household registration check.

"Mom, don't be anxious, listen to me. It's just that this girl has some problems." Stabilizing his excited mother, Zhou Bingkun let out a long breath and went all out: "Before, I told you that Tu Zhiqiang was shot for killing someone, so I went to their house to take a look and got to know Tu Zhiqiang's wife. After Tu Zhiqiang died, she returned to her mother's house. There is an old mother and a blind younger brother in the family. It wasn't because Tu Zhiqiang was good to me before, so I thought I would help if I could, so I went there often..."

"I don't agree." Before he could finish, Li Suhua shook her head repeatedly, her previous happiness turning into full seriousness: "Bingkun, you are still young, and our family conditions aren't bad; we haven't reached the point of finding a widow. If you really marry that little widow into the house, what will the neighbors think of our old Zhou family? And your dad, you know your dad's temper. Although he is an old party member, I've lived with him for half my life, and sometimes he is more old-fashioned than me. If you marry such a woman, he won't agree, and he might even kick you out of the house."

"Mom, I know all that. But I really like Zheng Juan, Mom, her name is Zheng Juan. I really like her, and she didn't register with Tu Zhiqiang. And I... I couldn't help it, she's pregnant now, almost five months."

"What the hell? Five months pregnant?" Li Suhua sat up straight, looked at Wang Yan, who was equally shocked on the side, and then slapped him hard: "Oh, you little brat, I said why you looked wrong before, and asked your brother to ask you, but you were wishy-washy, who could have thought you were hiding such a big thing? You... wait until your dad comes back, see if he doesn't kick you to death..."

Wang Yan "didn't know anything," and Zhou Bingkun doing such a thing deserved to be beaten, but he still stood up to stop Li Suhua: "Auntie, Auntie, don't beat him first. The matter has already happened, beating him now is useless. Bingkun, the girl is already five months pregnant, why did you only say it now? What were you doing before?"

"Right, why didn't you say it before? The house is on fire, and you only tell me now?" Li Suhua couldn't get over it and kicked him.

The mother's beating wasn't painful, and Zhou Bingkun said indifferently: "Mom, I didn't dare say it before. Although Zheng Juan didn't register with Tu Zhiqiang, she stayed at Tu Zhiqiang's house for a while, and you wouldn't have agreed. Later, I couldn't control myself and got her pregnant, and I didn't know what to do. You say abort it, but her mother is a Buddhist and won't allow it, saying it's creating bad karma. You don't know, Mom, Zheng Juan's blind younger brother was picked up later; people have kind hearts. He doesn't know about this yet, so don't tell anyone.

Zheng Juan also understands me, saying that's how it is, if the child is born and can be raised, she will raise it; if not, she will give it away, and she doesn't want any status from me. At that time, I had no idea, so I didn't say anything. Now her belly is getting bigger every day, and my heart is hurting, Mom. You say she doesn't ask for this or that, if I don't give her status, I'd be too much of an animal.

And, Mom, Brother, you don't know, Zheng Juan is still a good girl. Tu Zhiqiang liked men, and he married Zheng Juan just to cover up; he never touched her at all. Anyway, I've already done it, and I, Zhou Bingkun, dare to act and take responsibility. No matter what others say or think, Mom, I'm determined to marry Zheng Juan. If Dad comes back, whether he beats me to death or kicks me out of the house, I can't let Zheng Juan down."

Li Suhua pointed at Zhou Bingkun, too angry to speak. Having a Zhou Rong before was enough to worry about. Now it's even better; the youngest son is tossing again. She just wanted the family to be well, but it turned out that one wanted to break ties with the family, and the other wanted to be kicked out of the house—why is it so difficult?

"Auntie, Auntie, steady. The matter has already happened, beating Bingkun now is useless. We don't even know what this Zheng Juan is like, so we have to see her first. Truth be told, now it's us who let Zheng Juan down." Wang Yan patted her back and rubbed her arm: "And think about it from a good perspective, Auntie, the child is already five months old, you'll be a grandmother in four months, the old Zhou family has a third generation. If you look at it this way, doesn't it become a good thing? Isn't that right, Auntie?"

After this anger passed, Li Suhua breathed violently, looking at her youngest son who was worried but didn't dare to disturb her, and slapped him again without a word: "You, you don't let me worry all day."

This was a real slap, and Zhou Bingkun was in pain, but he still grinned foolishly, knowing that this matter had passed with his mother: "What should we do now, Mom?"

"What else can we do? Your brother is right, it's our fault. Hurry up, find time to bring that girl back for me to see. No matter what, we can't let her down." Li Suhua turned to look at Wang Yan: "Xiao Yan, pour me some water."

Wang Yan responded, turned around, mixed some hot water from the thermos with the cold boiled water, and gave it to Li Suhua.

She was really thirsty and drank a large mug of water, then lay into the quilt: "No one makes me worry all day, turn off the lights and sleep!"

Zhou Bingkun obediently lay back into the quilt, honestly motionless.

Wang Yan put the quilt away, lay at the head of the kang, and pulled the light string.

It was less than eight o'clock, definitely early to sleep, but Li Suhua just didn't want to see Zhou Bingkun. Although she agreed, she also needed to digest it herself.

In the dark, one could clearly hear Li Suhua's heavy breathing and feel Zhou Bingkun suppressing himself, holding his breath for a long time before exhaling.

After a while, around nine o'clock, Li Suhua suddenly spoke: "Bingkun, did that slap just now hurt?"

"It's okay, Mom, I'm thick-skinned, it's no big deal. Besides, this is my fault, hiding it for so long, I deserved to be beaten."

Zhou Bingkun had a crying tone; Wang Yan, lying on the side, knew that it was the grievance under the mother's care. He acknowledged Zheng Juan, acknowledged the child in her belly, acknowledged the old lady Zheng, and acknowledged the blind Zheng Guangming. At the same time, he deceived his mother. Under the condemnation of unfilial piety for his mother's care, he had a belly full of bitterness and nowhere to tell it.

"Grieved? You're a big person, about to be a father, why are you crying?" Li Suhua reached out from the quilt and rubbed her youngest son's swollen eyes: "You, you deserved to be beaten. Such a big thing, you hid it until now. It's lucky your dad isn't home, or with his temper, he really could kick you to death."

"It's all my fault, kicking me to death is also deserved."

"What nonsense are you talking about? If your dad really dares to kick you, see if I don't deal with that old thing, I won't be done with him." Li Suhua sighed: "You suddenly said it like this, Mom is a bit stunned. Bingkun, is that child really yours?"

"Mom, how could I lie to you, it must be. Didn't they say that Tu Zhiqiang liked men, and he had a partner in the first place."

"Stop saying that, Mom is old and can't take this stimulation." Li Suhua waved her hand: "Bring the person over tomorrow, Mom will see what kind of girl has fascinated my son like this, and then meet her mother, let the two families discuss it, and after it's settled, you can register and get married. Write a letter to tell your dad, your brother, and your sister. As for the wedding banquet... forget it, this matter is not a good thing after all. Inviting a bunch of people to come and watch our family's joke."

"Mom... I'm sorry..."

"Fine, what's the point of saying that. Your dad will be angry for a while, and I don't have anything either. Life is ultimately lived by yourself. Since it's already like this, what else can I say? Xiao Yan."

"Hey, Auntie."

"Tomorrow you come back early and help Auntie advise."

"Okay, I'll also take a look at Zheng Juan's situation. Listening to Bingkun, her conditions are not good, don't let anything happen to the child."

Li Suhua sighed: "That's why they say 'well-matched in social and economic status,' their family conditions are indeed worse."

"Mom, Zheng Juan's mother and brother can work, although they don't earn much, they can support themselves."

"They say 'once you have a wife, you forget your mother,' you haven't even done anything yet, and you're already defending her?"

"How could that be, Mom, I will definitely be filial to you for a lifetime."

Li Suhua hummed, and there was no movement. After a while: "Son."

"Mom."

"Tell me about Zheng Juan properly."

Zhou Bingkun spoke slowly, telling the story he had prepared long ago: "It was around last year, just when Tu Zhiqiang passed away..."

Wang Yan pillowing his hands on his head, listening to the conversation between mother and son with his eyes closed, from Zheng Juan to Zhou Rong who ran away to Qian Province regardless of everything, and then to Zhou Bingyi marrying Hao Dongmei whose parents were overthrown, imagining holding grandchildren in the future, and talking about Zhou Bingkun's future hardships.

Li Suhua's voice became inaudible, and she fell asleep at some point. She was old, and her heart was insufficient. Her youngest son gave her such a surprise, which exhausted her spirit, and she talked until midnight, so it was normal that she couldn't hold on.

"Mom? Mom? Brother Yan? Brother?" Zhou Bingkun muttered to himself, and finding no response, he listened quietly and felt the even breathing of his mother and good brother, and let out a long breath.

Wang Yan, of course, wasn't asleep, but he was squinting with even breathing and didn't bother. After a while, a suppressed sob sounded beside him. He knew that it was Zhou Bingkun who finally let go of his heart and licked his own wounds.

Although he knew everything, Zhou Bingkun didn't tell him everything, just like when he was over thirty, he realized that "Is it bitter? Chew it and swallow it." Some things, some thoughts, cannot be told to others and can only be digested by himself.

Everyone has a sky they have to support themselves, and they are all unbearable burdens.

This day, Zhou Bingkun cried until he fell asleep...

Getting up is a habitual thing. Even though he slept very late yesterday, Li Suhua still woke up early, looking at the slightly red and swollen eye sockets of her youngest son, she couldn't help but shake her head and sigh, then prepared to get off the kang to light the fire.

"Auntie, you continue to sleep, I'll go light the fire and cook. You slept so late yesterday and hurt your spirit, you need to rest well." Wang Yan stood up: "I'll take your pulse when you get up and prescribe some medicine to adjust your body."

"Wait until this passes, otherwise drinking it is in vain. Bingkun caused such a big thing this time, I don't know how your uncle is." Li Suhua shook her head: "Today I'm finding Zheng Juan to come over, I can't treat people badly, I have to get busy."

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled: "Even if it's eight dishes and eight bowls, Zheng Juan won't be able to eat."

"She can not eat, but our family can't not do it. Oh my, my life of toil, day after day, I can't get over the anger of these men."

Li Suhua still got off the kang and started working.

Wang Yan didn't try to persuade her again, just got up to help. Actually, there was no need to be so busy early in the morning, it was just that today she was meeting Zheng Juan, and Li Suhua couldn't sleep and was nervous.

Busy all morning, Zhou Bingkun was called up according to his daily work time after sleeping enough.

At the dinner table, Li Suhua nagged Zhou Bingkun, asking him and Wang Yan to take half a day off and bring Zheng Juan over for dinner at noon. If possible, bring Zheng's mother and Zheng Guangming over for dinner in the evening, which counts as meeting the in-laws and getting to know each other...

The morning passed in a flash. Around ten o'clock, Wang Yan returned to the old Zhou house to help Li Suhua cut vegetables, fetch water, and pour out the trash. As for the house, it had already been wiped inside and out.

Zhou Bingkun asked for leave from the soy sauce factory early in the morning and ran to Zheng Juan's house. After comforting the nervous Zheng Juan and aligning their stories, he brought Zheng Juan to the old Zhou house slowly at noon.

"Zheng Juan, this is my mom, this is my Brother Yan."

In the outer room, Zhou Bingkun introduced Zheng Juan to Li Suhua and Wang Yan, who came out to greet them.

Looking at the kind-faced old lady in front of her, and the man standing behind her who had helped her and Zhou Bingkun a lot, Zheng Juan nodded and greeted: "Mom... ah, no, Auntie, Brother Yan."

Wang Yan nodded to the embarrassed Zheng Juan with a smile; this was their second meeting. Last time, she was called Luo Yuzhu. She was a strong woman with a different fate and personality from the Zheng Juan in front of her.

He saw clearly that Zheng Juan didn't call her "Mom" on purpose; she was just too nervous, which is why it slipped out. It must be said that this slip of the tongue was very good.

Li Suhua nodded with a smile: "Why call me Auntie, calling me Mom is just right. Are you tired from walking here? Hurry in, rest, warm up, and we'll eat in a while." As she spoke, she took Zheng Juan and walked into the room.

Zheng Juan followed into the room, sitting upright on the edge of the kang, lowering her head nervously, at a loss.

She was nervous, and Li Suhua was even more nervous. Sitting in the room, she didn't know what to say, which was a bit awkward.

Wang Yan spoke up: "Auntie, look at how good-looking Zheng Juan is, our Bingkun will have blessings in the future."

Li Suhua was inspired and picked up the conversation: "Isn't that so? Girl, how did you take a liking to our Bingkun?"

"He is a good person." Zheng Juan raised her head, squinted around, and lowered her head again: "Auntie, Bingkun should have told you about my family's situation, back then our family..."

Giving Li Suhua a wink, signaling for the two of them to have a good talk, Wang Yan turned and nudged the nervous Zhou Bingkun out of the room.

"Brother, why did you call me out? Look at Zheng Juan, if we don't watch her, what if she slips up?"

Wang Yan washed the big spoon while stewing meat in the pot, set up a pot on the stove in the west room, heated the lard and soybean oil, and glanced at Zhou Bingkun, who was squatting on the side, whispering: "Are you stupid? Don't you understand this little bit of human affairs? Your business has already happened, and our family is in the wrong, so your mom feels sorry for Zheng Juan, how could she still talk about this? It's just a little bit of asking, mainly confirming whether the child is yours.

You said it like that before, and now you can't verify whether the child is biological, so what other problems could there be? Your mom is a mother-in-law looking at a daughter-in-law, mainly looking at whether Zheng Juan is a good woman and whether you two can live a good life in the future, understand?"

"So that's how it is..." Zhou Bingkun understood the joints, grinned foolishly, and after being happy for a while, asked: "That's not right, Brother, why didn't you tell me before?"

"Think about it, you and Zheng Juan planned to make up lies, making Zheng Juan so nervous and afraid. Now that you've met, it turns out she doesn't ask at all, but asks about other irrelevant things. Wouldn't it be easier to accept? Would she feel more relaxed? Would she feel your mom is easy to talk to?"

Zhou Bingkun gave a thumbs up: "Brother, it has to be you, really high."

"Wait five minutes before you go in, I'm stir-frying, stay away, don't get in the way."

Nodding, Zhou Bingkun ran to the door to eavesdrop...

Li Suhua and Zheng Juan chatted well. Of course, since things had come to this, they had to be good. After Zhou Bingkun insisted that the child in Zheng Juan's belly was his, and added a reasonable process, Li Suhua had actually believed it.

So just as Wang Yan said, it was a mother-in-law looking at a daughter-in-law. Zheng Juan was beautiful, could make people feel her kindness and virtue, and plus the child in her belly, although the previous bad experience inevitably deducted points, the youngest son had taken a liking to her, and the matter had been done, so even if points were deducted, she was very satisfied. So she easily crossed the hurdle that Zhou Bingkun thought was very difficult, and everything went smoothly. And Li Suhua decided to meet Zheng's mother and Zheng Guangming in the evening, register for marriage tomorrow, and then bring Zheng Juan over to live.

"I'm leaving, Auntie."

"Slow down, Juan'er. Bingkun, be careful, if anything happens to Juan'er, see if I don't deal with you."

"Don't worry, Mom, I know."

Watching Zhou Bingkun and Zheng Juan walk away, Li Suhua sighed, ignoring the pointing of the idle people sunbathing, and turned back into the room to clean up the bowls and chopsticks.

Wang Yan was puzzled: "What's wrong, Auntie? I see you are very satisfied with Zheng Juan, then why are you sighing?"

"It's just that the more satisfied I am, the more of a pity it is." Li Suhua stacked the bowls: "You say such a good girl, why didn't she run into him earlier? She added the name of a little widow for no reason, what is this?"

"It's fate, Auntie. If there weren't so many things, Bingkun wouldn't have known Zheng Juan, and there wouldn't be the grandchild in her belly. We live our own lives, why care how others see it."

"You, you're just young, those idle words can kill people. Back then, in this Guangzipian, there was a..."

Talking about past events, Wang Yan and Li Suhua cleaned up the bowls, chopsticks, and table, took off their shoes and got on the kang, and drank water.

Li Suhua sighed: "Xiao Yan, you say Zheng Juan is coming, where will she live? During the New Year and holidays, her dad, brother, and sister all come back, and our house can't fit them."

With such obvious words, how could Wang Yan not understand? He shook his head and smiled: "Isn't there my house? This house has no kang in the west room, and it's not warm in winter. Just let them live in my house, and we two will stay here."

Li Suhua must have thought about it for a long time before saying it. People want face, and this matter has a bit of the meaning of using kindness to demand repayment.

Wang Yan, of course, didn't care. Originally, people's houses were enough. After all, the time was a bit later, and the old Zhou family's children had places to go. Unlike now, the time was advanced by several years, and he wasn't a member of the Zhou family, so it was always inconvenient. Besides, the matter was instigated by him, so moving a house was nothing. Not to mention just living for a while, giving it to Zhou Bingkun was no problem, of course, that was based on a certain method.

"That won't do, Xiao Yan. You're getting married too, giving them the house to live in, what will you do? Just let them sleep in this room. I'll sleep in the west room, and you go to your house. I'll light the fire for you when the time comes. When those outside come back, our two houses can fit them."

Wang Yan was stunned for a moment; it turned out he was narrow-minded. He waved his hand: "Don't, Auntie, you're so old, it won't do in the west room. I'm not getting married yet, we'll study it later. Besides, that young couple Bingkun also needs to say some intimate words, right, Auntie? Just settle it as I said, let them live in my house, Auntie you stay in this room, and I'll go to the west room."

Why is Zhou Bingkun in the middle? Because he is not a Zhou family member, so he must have a sense of distance. So now he goes to the west room, which is also as it should be.

Li Suhua still hesitated: "This isn't good, Xiao Yan, you go to the west room, this..."

"Listen to me, Auntie, it's settled. My house, can't I make the decision?" Wang Yan stood up: "Let's go, Auntie, it will be a while before dinner, let's go over and clean up first."

Zheng's mother and Zheng Guangming had already been informed by Zhou Bingkun and Zheng Juan, knowing what Li Suhua was like. Although they were still nervous, they didn't feel the same way as before, and it was much easier to accept.

Li Suhua and Zheng's mother were both kind people, both good people, and they communicated well. As for Zheng Guangming, when he came, he saw Li Suhua and Wang Yan, called them, and then kept his mouth shut, eating the vegetables piled high in his bowl.

Wang Yan basically didn't say much either. He had already explained not to show any gratitude and to act as if he didn't know. So his presence was very weak, just eating with Zheng Guangming.

Lunch and dinner were both quite rich, and the standard was enough. Lunch had four dishes, dinner had six dishes. Besides meat, fish, and cold dishes, there were also deli foods Wang Yan bought, and he also participated in cooking.

Zheng's mother was embarrassed to eat, Zheng Juan couldn't eat, Li Suhua and Zhou Bingkun had no heart to eat, and even the youngest Zheng Guangming was afraid that Li Suhua would have an opinion of him, so he held back. If others didn't pick vegetables for him, he wouldn't move a chopstick. So while picking vegetables for Zheng Guangming, he ate fiercely, basically eating it all.

As for Zheng Guangming's eyes, he also took a look. He had light perception, and the retina wasn't damaged; it was just that the visual nerve had some problems. In his view, surgery would likely restore his sight, but not to mention the domestic medical conditions, the price was not something they could afford. So he could only try to treat it with TCM methods, internal and external application supplemented by acupuncture.

Even if his medical skills were superb, he didn't dare to guarantee the treatment of such a disease. Because the eyes are too complex, this is not a simple job. And he had very little TCM medical experience in this regard, and even fewer successful experiences. He could only say that he guaranteed it wouldn't get worse and would maintain the current situation, not delaying future Western medicine surgery.

His affirmative words were good news for Zheng's mother and Zheng Juan, including Zheng Guangming, who was the person involved. They didn't pin their hopes on Wang Yan's TCM methods, but hoped for surgery in the future.

Although it was a bit out of reach, the preciousness of hope lies in this.

Zhou Bingkun also knew that Wang Yan wanted to give the house to him and Zheng Juan, and he himself would live in the west room of the Zhou family, which was a bit cold. Of course, he strongly opposed it. But Wang Yan insisted, throwing out a pile of words, and plus it was good for them, so he agreed half-pushingly.

The next day, Zhou Bingkun got up early, ate breakfast happily, went to the soy sauce factory to ask for a day off, ran to Zheng's house with the household registration book, and after picking her up, the two went to the photo studio to take pictures sweetly, and then ran to register for marriage.

The two officially became a legal couple, Zheng Juan moved in directly, and Zhou Bingkun also shouldered the responsibility that belonged to him.

They still have to face the storm together, which is Zhou Zhigang's reaction, and the pointing and pointing of the neighbors... ===== CHAPTER 376 =====

The two of them officially became a legal married couple, Zheng Juan moved in directly, and at the same time, Zhou Bingkun shouldered the responsibility that belonged to him.

They still had to face the storms to come together, the reaction of Zhou Zhigang, the pointing fingers and gossip of the neighbors...