Chapter 207

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Liu Zhijing listened to Song Qiushui's mockery, but didn't take it to heart, smiling as he said: "This is fashion."

Song Qiushui: Hehe! Don't insult fashion, Da Zhi you're purely fucking tiger-beaten. Fashion doesn't mean brain-damaged, wearing a leather jacket in the dog days of summer, do you think you're those dumbasses watching Wimbledon?!

They're just pretending to be refined when they've got nothing better to do...

What's Da Zhi trying to do...

Aren't you hot?

"Alright, let's go. It won't be good if we go too late." Chai Mi didn't want Song Qiushui to nag on and on, so she spoke up.

Liu Zhijing's expression immediately brightened, his face serious and earnest, white gloves gripping the tractor's steering wheel as he started turning...

"Hey hey hey... Da Zhi, has your fucking brain flooded? Your tractor hasn't even started yet, what are you miming the steering wheel for?!" Song Qiushui held her forehead and reminded him helplessly.

Only then did Liu Zhijing snap out of it, hurriedly grabbing the crank handle to start the tractor, then got in and drove off slowly.

Inside the tractor, things were actually quite thoroughly prepared.

A brand new quilt, red on one side white on the other, stuffed with a hell of a lot of cotton, sitting on it didn't hurt your butt at all, Song Qiushui looked at the mandarin ducks playing in water embroidered on top, and had questions again...

Song Qiushui strongly suspected Liu Zhijing wasn't normal...

This kid Da Zhi, his brains got kicked by a donkey!!!

Absolutely!!!

This quilt should be the new cotton quilt Village Chief Liu Changgui's family kept for Liu Zhijing's marriage, it was a bottom-of-the-chest quilt.

This era had a particularly serious common flaw: although people could feed and clothe themselves, they didn't live well. Like everyone could eat rice, but not eat well; everyone could wear clothes, but not wear them well; everyone could cover with quilts, but quilts were generally thin.

Especially when quilts — this kind of hard currency — were particularly scarce, a thick quilt was what all Northeasterners dreamed of. You have to know, in this era, the country's cotton output was very low, and extremely expensive.

Of course, expensive was only one aspect, being unable to buy was the main reason.

You have to know at this time one catty of pork was only two-something yuan a catty, but one catty of ordinary cotton cost six or seven yuan, high-quality cotton was even more bizarrely expensive, at least ten yuan a catty.

In the Northeast, the weight of cotton inside the quilt was the standard for measuring a quilt's quality.

Generally divided into several tiers.

Poor families' quilts had two catties of cotton, ordinary families' quilts had four catties, well-off families' quilts had six or eight catties.

But the quilt Liu Zhijing spread on the tractor bed boards had at least ten catties of cotton minimum, belonging to the must-have divine artifact for marrying a wife in this era.

Generally in this era, when young people married, the bride's relatives and friends would all ask: how many quilts did the groom prepare.

More quilts meant whether relatives visited or the mother-in-law came to stay a couple days, it would all be very comfortable.

Because locally there was a custom that when the bride gave birth the first few days, the mother-in-law would come serve the confinement period, so this quilt appeared very important.

Someone would definitely wonder: this ten-catty heavy quilt, isn't it suffocating to sleep under?

The actual situation is it's damn heavy, sleeping under it is like ghost pressing bed.

Say a digression, many Northeast folk ghost stories' ghost pressing bed, causing listlessness, suppressed emotions, loss of appetite etc., have a large factor in the quilt being very heavy.

Art certainly originates from life.

The common people here, quilts too heavy causing physical discomfort, would say ghost pressing bed... especially in this era quilts had cotton inside and cotton cloth outside, especially sweat-absorbing, sleeping once the room got warm, pressing a body of sweat was also very common in this era.

But this era was just this situation, there weren't those later-era cool things like duck down, fiberglass, duck feather quilts, all were cotton-made. Some even poor families used red cotton.

Due to lax supervision, plus forced by livelihood, many hospital-used beddings, taken apart, came out to sell cotton. Red cotton refers to cotton used long, clumping into balls, color red cotton. Most flowed out from hospitals, also some from personal family use.

Main selling point: cheap.

But hygiene worrying.

Just like Song Qiushui's family was also a relatively well-off household, but the family only had three or four sets of bedding for own use, and not thick either, when winter came and it was cold, Song Qiushui wanted to find a quilt to weigh down her feet, couldn't find one.

Therefore Song Qiushui while patting this brand new quilt, said in a low voice to Chai Mi: "Chai Mi, did you feel it? This Da Zhi, seems like he has designs on me... otherwise why would we go out buy vegetables, this guy both dressing up and spreading a quilt afraid my butt gets sore, what's he after? Isn't it after this miss..."

Chai Mi blanked for a while, didn't dare reply to Song Qiushui.

After all, Chai Mi hadn't thought too much...

Chai Mi felt Liu Zhijing dressed up today indeed had a bit of spiritual young man vibe, but lacked a pair of sunglasses...

But Chai Mi after all had lived two lives, for Liu Zhijing this "sweet-talking kid thinking of candy" performance, she didn't buy it. And Chai Mi knew well Liu Zhijing's family had money, spreading a new quilt, though luxurious, wasn't improper either.

After all, Chai Mi was used to it, here if you went out sitting a tractor or tricycle, you needed a cushion, otherwise too bumpy.

If pulling those old folks up in years, or some women with inconvenient legs, they'd also use small quilts as cushions.

Liaoxi side's unique small quilt, generally one meter square, in this era almost every household had one.

Usually small quilts used to cover feet, when something came up used to sit on.

Families with kids also all used this kind of small quilt, covering kids or holding kids, all used it.

This actually relates to local climate.

Actually even Chai Mi seeing Liu Zhijing wear a leather jacket didn't find it too weird. Of course, now eight-nine o'clock, sun strong, it's bizarre, if early morning or evening, not too bizarre.

Liaoxi belongs to special climate, although belongs to Northeast, but customs and climate, more similar to Inner Mongolia's grassland climate.

An old saying goes well: early wear fur coat noon wear gauze, around stove eat watermelon. Liaoxi's summer except dog days, basically all like this.

So Chai Mi also didn't feel this quilt had much impropriety, but Liu Zhijing's driving was very improper.

Compared to ox cart, not much faster...

Just when Chai Mi prepared to say drive faster, Song Qiushui's father Song Qingshan spoke.

"Girl, let me tell you, this Village Chief's family has no good intentions. Liu Changgui keeps telling me, you look spirited, stylish..."

Isn't that just fancying your own daughter?

"Eighty percent chance, Liu Zhijing pulling this stunt, it's all for you..."

Song Qiushui also nodded in agreement.

"Da Zhi pulling this dead stunt... hehe. Because so... but, I don't like idiots!!!"

Not caring in the slightest that due to the tractor's slow speed, Liu Zhijing heard it afterwards, with a dazed expression.

Liu Zhijing: I didn't say a single word... Song Qiushui just bizarrely categorized herself into the idiot category? Does it have to be this bizarre!

"Lower your voice, what if Da Zhi hears you call him Er Shazi, how to handle..." Song Qingshan said.

Song Qiushui didn't mind: "No matter, tractor noise is loud, he can't hear."

"Mhm mhm, indeed can't hear." Liu Zhijing said helplessly: "In a bit we'll be out of the village, sit tight, the turns, easy to skid."

Chai Mi laughed at the scene, thinking Song Qiushui this simple-minded one, speaks without any filter.

Song Qiushui rolled her eyes, lay on the tractor, put her head on Chai Mi's lap, after a while opened her eyes, with an awkward face said: "I was still figuring Da Zhi couldn't hear... he's not deaf..."

"Should... not be deaf."

So Song Qiushui played dead.

Fortunately the tractor drove very steadily, coming out of the village, passing patch after patch of already withered corn fields and millet fields, entering a stretch of road padded with sand, then after a while, got onto the highway.

Chai Mi looking at those drooping corn leaves, mood somewhat uncomfortable, sighed endlessly: If no thorough rain falls again, this year's crops will be a total loss.

Right now, dog days, high temperature high evaporation, a little rain falls, next day it's dry. Even moderate rain, probably can't last two or three days.

Moreover, this weather might be extremely dry. In previous life, these crops had total loss, patch after patch falling over.

Many people haven't seen the scene of crops total loss due to drought, that scene truly makes one's heart break.

In previous life, whole three to four months no thorough rain, causing corn to almost fall directly from the root, leaves also directly yellowed, strike a match, can ignite a whole field.

Even pine trees on the mountain, some dried to death.

Encountering this kind of extreme weather, truly takes old farmers' lives.

Everyone says man can conquer nature, but heaven doesn't rain, relying on manpower really very hard.

If say among all crops, what's most drought-resistant, should only be Mi Zi. Others all not so good...

Moreover, near Sanjiacun there's no big river, irrigation almost no possibility.

Besides, in previous life, Da Ling He even ran dry...

Unlike Chai Mi's worry, Song Qiushui already heartlessly fell asleep. Song Qingshan also leaned against the tractor bed dozing.

To enter town need to take bus, still half an hour or so, take tractor, at least one hour.

Wait until Liu Zhijing drove the truck past Ke County's Aomulun Bridge, then counted as entered town.

Unlike future's high-rise buildings, current county town also more or less has a bit of a ramshackle state.

No high-rise buildings, only some four to five story residential buildings staff dormitories. The rest all uniform small bungalows...

Even County Government is a Da Yuan, not a building. County Government's office area, just rows of big tile-roofed houses, old and shabby.

And where Chai Mi wants to go, is County Town's Vegetable Fruit Wholesale Market.

Here actually not much different from Xiang Zhen's Daji area, this era's Xiang Zhen Daji, is open-air, while County Town's Vegetable Fruit Wholesale Market is two rows of cement-tile sheds, can block wind and rain.

That's all.

"Arrived at place." Liu Zhijing stopped the truck, said somewhat embarrassedly, even didn't dare raise his head.

Mhm.

He afraid raise head too high, blown air, might accidentally hurt Chai Mi...

This whole journey...

"Da Zhi, you stupidly standing there doing what?" Song Qiushui with a look of despair rolling her eyes: "You help support my dad..."

Song Qiushui shouting like this, Liu Zhijing then woke as from a dream.

He hurriedly ran over, supported Song Qingshan off the truck.

After all it's a tractor, a bit high, Song Qingshan age a bit old, if bump or knock not good.

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui instead jumped down themselves, got off the truck.

"Da Zhi, in a bit you help move things. What veg to buy, I listed a list last night." Chai Mi took out a paper from pocket.

Paper listed things to buy: two boxes Sorghum Liquor, ten boxes Beer, one box Almond Dew...

Also other vegetables and cooked food.

Chai Mi handed list to Liu Zhijing: "Da Zhi, you're a man. Us three basically count as old weak sick disabled, we buy first move later, you keep this remember the count. I myself remember what to buy, list give you."

Liu Zhijing's face instantly brushed red.

Then with an extremely exaggerated attitude, respectfully took the list from Chai Mi's hand.

Then like receiving a treasure, placed it in palm...

Chai Mi: "Uh..."

Song Qiushui also baffled: Done for, this guy no salvation, early morning out already feel Da Zhi recently mental state not too good...

Heard his mom came back last night, wouldn't be brought back some poverty god evil ghost from elsewhere right, possessed Liu Zhijing this guy.

Otherwise...

How is he like an Er Shazi?!

Song Qingshan instead awkward face, he old, eyes blind, always thought Liu Zhijing interested in his own daughter...

Heart always thinking: This too not upholding man's way, how can see own daughter then face red heart racing?! This too excessive!!!

Later definitely must talk to Liu Zhanggui, must properly educate Liu Zhijing, don't have ideas about own daughter!

Just Liu Zhijing this kind of age old man, already damn twenty-five or six, how can still blush?!

He not worthy of that with own daughter...

"I know." Liu Zhijing said softly, but ultimately didn't dare raise head to look at Chai Mi more.

Even a second glance seemed like a desecration of the divine.

Chai Mi paused for a moment, but didn't have much to say in response.

She was still busy buying vegetables, and simply had no mind to spare for him.

Under the cement tiles by the roadside was a group of merchants. However, there were no hawking cries.

This is a wholesale agricultural market; most deal mainly in wholesale, with only sporadic retail, but retail is ultimately in the few.

Although there are many stall owners, they are not particularly keen on hawking; only when customers ask do they state the price.

If one buys a lot, they become interested; if one buys little, they show no spirit at all.

However, there are also those who hawk — the roasted sweet potato sellers...

A peasant woman wearing an apron that was originally red but had now turned pitch-black hawked in the bustling market: "Roasted sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, deliciously tasty roasted sweet potatoes. Local red earth roasted sweet potatoes, eat one and you'll want three... Old Man eats and howls, Young Lady eats and buys and won't leave..."