Chapter 109: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 109

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

As soon as Li Xiulan said this, Li Yaozu and Li Jiahao both looked stunned.

Asking them to smash the pot and split it in half — they certainly weren't willing.

How could a smashed pot still be used?

They were dirt poor now; earlier, to treat their mother's illness, they had not only spent all the family savings but also owed quite a lot of debt outside.

No exaggeration — right now they had to think twice even to buy a new pot, not daring to spend money lightly.

"Sister, what kind of talk is this? Why smash a perfectly good big pot?"

Li Yaozu said with a long face.

Li Jiahao also said:

"Once smashed it becomes scrap iron, can't be used anymore."

Li Xiulan then said:

"Since neither of you is willing to yield an inch, then besides smashing it in two, what other way is there?"

Li Yaozu and Li Jiahao both had nothing to say.

Both wearing gloomy expressions.

Li Xiulan spoke again at this point:

"If you ask me, you shouldn't divide things so clearly; you're own brothers, things that can't be divided — just keep them for shared use. Big Brother can use them, Second Brother can use them too. Not just this big iron pot; the hoe, water bucket, stove, and so on at home can all be kept for shared use."

Hearing this, Li Yaozu said coldly:

"If even pots, bowls, ladles, and basins are all shared, then we might as well not separate the family."

Li Xiulan then said:

"Not separating is even better; you're blood brothers, you should help and support each other!"

Li Yaozu, however, said:

"That won't do. Father and Mother are gone, and we each have our own families now — how can we not separate? We definitely have to split up; otherwise it doesn't comply with the rules!"

Li Xiulan was speechless:

"Then smash the pot, stop wasting words — smash it, one half each."

Li Yaozu fell silent.

Li Jiahao also wore a bitter look.

In their hearts neither actually wanted to smash perfectly good things in half, but neither was willing to share, and they couldn't come up with a better solution.

In the end they could only smash the pot.

Not only was the pot smashed and split in two.

All odd-numbered items that couldn't be halved had to be made into two halves and then divided.

Li Xiulan watched, and felt uneasy inside too.

But there was no choice.

The two elder brothers didn't want to live together anymore, and neither would give an inch — what else could be done?

This family separation lasted until after three in the afternoon before it was finished.

It even drew quite a few villagers from nearby to come watch the spectacle.

Everyone watched with amusement, laughing and whispering among themselves.

It was obvious they had become a laughingstock in the villagers' eyes.

From now on whenever people mention the two brothers, they'll surely talk about the pot-smashing during the family split.

Seeing Big Brother and Second Brother both downcast, Li Xiulan didn't stay longer; after giving each other's children red envelopes, she said goodbye and left.

After leaving her hometown, Li Xiulan went to Town again, bought a grey bucket, brick knife, and other masonry tools, then caught a ride home.

Tools all bought, the next day Wang Changgen came to the New house side; with a cigarette in his mouth, he checked the basic condition of this Construction Site.

The steel bars exposed on the Column Body were already rusted, but should still be usable.

Red bricks were piled beside the House; he didn't know if the quantity was enough.

Lifting the plastic sheet covering the Cement, he discovered bag after bag of cement, most of which had already hardened and could not be used.

Wang Changgen couldn't help looking worried and grim.

He returned Home and couldn't help complaining to Li Xiulan:

"Those cement bags are almost all hardened; you didn't move the cement back Home either — what's the use of just covering with plastic sheet? Wind and rain beating on it for so long, water still seeped in; now it's good, we have to buy new ones!"

Li Xiulan had no good reply; she simply didn't know cement would harden even covered with plastic sheet — she had always thought cement wouldn't harden as long as it didn't directly touch water.

"How many to buy?"

Li Xiulan asked this one sentence.

"At least 20 bags."

Wang Changgen said irritably: "And that still doesn't include Roof casting; if we have to cast the roof, that'll need even more cement!"

Li Xiulan frowned worriedly at this; she said:

"After the Lantern Festival the kids start school; Erhai has no Household Registration and still needs over five hundred tuition; right now I only have a little over five hundred left — if we use this money to buy cement, what about Erhai's tuition?"

Wang Changgen had a splitting headache over this too.

He smoked one cigarette after another.

After a long while, she finally spoke:

"Why don't you go borrow some from Niu Chunsheng."

Li Xiulan couldn't help but be stunned:

"Didn't you not want me to have any further dealings with Niu Chunsheng?"

Wang Zhanggen pulled a long face:

"I don't want to, but what other method is there now? If we don't borrow from him, who else can we borrow from?"

Li Xiulan didn't want to go borrow from Niu Chunsheng; a surge of resentment blocked her chest. She said coldly:

"You can go borrow from your older brother."

Wang Zhanggen actually had an older brother, but they had separated the family long ago.

At the time of separating the family, he and his older brother also fell out on bad terms.

And now, his older brother had dragged his family to the city to work, and hadn't even returned for the Spring Festival.

Because of the family separation back then, Wang Zhanggen hadn't contacted his older brother for a long time.

"I'm not going. He's in Guangzhou; do you expect me to make a special trip all the way to Guangzhou?"

Wang Zhanggen was a man who valued face and dignity. Having fallen out with his brother back then, it was absolutely impossible for him to swallow his pride and take the initiative to beg his brother for money now.

He also said coldly:

"If you won't go find Niu Chunsheng to borrow money, then don't build this house. And if the house isn't built, after the Spring Festival I'll go out to work; you handle it yourself!"

Li Xiulan heard this and was furious:

"How can you say such a thing? You're too irresponsible!"

Wang Zhanggen just said:

"No money and you expect me to be responsible for a damn thing!"

Finished speaking, he flung his sleeve and went into the room.

He couldn't be bothered to waste breath on Li Xiulan.

Otherwise they might start arguing again, or even come to blows.

Li Xiulan was furious, but had no choice; in the end she could only compromise.

Time flew by; in the blink of an eye two days passed. Today was the town's market day.

Li Xiulan went to town alone to borrow money from Niu Chunsheng.

She first bought some fruit at the market, then walked to Niu Chunsheng's convenience store.

Along the way, she kept rehearsing what she would say to borrow the money.

"Chunsheng, can you lend me some money? I'm so poor I can't even uncover the pot..."

"No, that won't do, it's too direct... Chunsheng, my mother's illness used up all my money, now I really can't uncover the pot. Can you lend me some... what if Lin Xiaofang isn't willing to lend? Should I talk to Chunsheng alone... no, talking to him alone, if Lin Xiaofang sees it, it'll probably cause unnecessary misunderstandings..."

Li Xiulan's heart was in her throat; she had very little confidence.

The result was something she absolutely never expected: when she arrived in front of Niu Chunsheng's convenience store, she discovered that inside the store, the person minding the shop was actually a strange woman; neither Niu Chunsheng nor Lin Xiaofang were to be seen.

Li Xiulan couldn't help but stare blankly, her face showing shock.

Had Niu Chunsheng transferred this store?