Chapter 14: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 14: Shagou Village 14

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Changgen went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to call the factory, originally wanting to mention his resignation, but before he could say the two words "resignation," the leader told him that because he had been absent without cause for several days, he had already been fired, and he could forget about getting this month's salary.

Wang Changgen just smiled bitterly at this, and didn't bother to dwell on it anymore. He hung up the phone, paid the Supply and Marketing Cooperative boss the phone bill, then turned around and went home.

Back home, he started working with renewed spirit.

The silkworm droppings and silkworm corpses that had been stifled in the silkworm room for over a week needed to be cleaned up and disinfected before silkworms could be raised again.

The broken chicken coops and dog kennels in the courtyard also needed to be repaired.

Along with the pigsty in the vegetable garden, Wang Changgen also went to renovate it.

The family's savings were down to only several hundred yuan, but it was enough.

Living in the rural area could be self-sufficient, basically without any expenses.

Wang Changgen used this money to buy a batch of silkworm eggs, over ten chicks, a small yellow dog, and two piglets.

The chicks chirped in the courtyard, the little puppy was adorably clumsy, wagging its little tail at anyone it saw.

The two children played very well with the little dog.

The home was full of vibrant energy.

The couple had motivation for life again.

Wang Changgen originally wanted to buy a calf to raise, but unfortunately didn't have enough money, so he could only wait until he saved enough to buy one.

He decided to cultivate more fields; an ox definitely had to be raised, because an ox was an indispensable farming tool for plowing fields.

After Wang Changgen returned, Li Xiulan's life became more and more flavorful.

They worked together during the day, leaned on each other and kept each other warm at night.

Although they were a bit poor, it was very fulfilling.

"Husband, it seems we haven't done that for a long time, do you want to?"

That night, Li Xiulan put the children to sleep, leaned in Wang Changgen's arms, and spoke in a low voice.

"It's impossible not to want to, but aren't you pregnant? I'm afraid it's not good for the child."

Li Xiulan stroked Wang Changgen's chest and said:

"It's fine, we just need to be careful. I'm afraid you're suffering by holding back."

Wang Changgen laughed and pinched Li Xiulan:

"I think it's you who's suffering by holding back."

He turned around, gently placed Li Xiulan on the bed, and looked at Li Xiulan with tenderness like water.

He felt lucky and proud from the bottom of his heart. He was a poor, honest man who couldn't even make a sound, yet he could marry such a beautiful wife.

In Wang Changgen's eyes, this woman before him, even if pregnant, even without a bit of makeup, was still as beautiful as those female stars in Hong Kong.

And it was the kind of beauty that the more closely you looked, the more beautiful she became.

Wang Changgen looked at Li Xiulan with deep affection, and finally couldn't help but ask the doubt he had always hidden in his heart:

"Wife, exactly what method did you use to get Yang Dafu to write me that letter of understanding?"

Li Xiulan was stunned, her eyes somewhat evasive.

It wasn't that she felt guilty, but that she was afraid.

She was afraid that if Wang Changgen found out Yang Dafu forced her to do nursing, to clean up Yang Dafu's excrement and urine, bathe him and feed him, Wang Changgen would be furious and then go to Yang Dafu to settle accounts, causing more trouble.

"I didn't do anything. He agreed to forgive you on his own. If he didn't forgive you, I wouldn't forgive him. If you go to prison, he would also go to prison. He forgives you, I forgive him, and neither of you would have to go to prison."

Li Xiulan said this with her head down.

Wang Changgen could tell at a glance that Li Xiulan was lying, but he didn't feel right continuing to ask.

Finally he let go of Li Xiulan, turned around and lay on the bed, suddenly losing all interest.

"Husband, what's wrong with you?"

Wang Changgen's heart was like being cut by a knife, and he always had an unresolved knot in his heart.

Because in his view, Li Xiulan being evasive definitely meant she had made a sacrifice.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired."

Wang Changgen said this.

"Husband, if you're tired, go to sleep early."

Li Xiulan's heart also sank. She didn't know how to handle this kind of misunderstanding.

If she told the truth, she was afraid Wang Changgen would go attack Yang Dafu again. If she didn't tell the truth, she was afraid Wang Changgen would always have a knot in his heart.

What should be done about this?

The next morning.

Li Xiulan got up early to make breakfast, feed the chicks, feed the puppy, and wash clothes.

Wang Changgen went to the vegetable garden to turn over the vegetable plot and plant new vegetables.

The two children followed behind their father's buttocks, turning over soil and picking earthworms in the vegetable plot. The earthworms they picked were taken back to feed the chicks, so the chicks would grow up quickly and lay eggs.

Wang Changgen used a hoe to turn over the vegetable plot, and couldn't help but think about the matter between his wife and Yang Dafu.

The more he thought, the more anxious and upset he became.

Just then, the village's old gambler He Dashu walked by smiling, stopped for a while outside the bamboo fence of the vegetable garden, and struck up a conversation with Wang Changgen:

"Changgen, you're out turning the vegetable plot so early in the morning?"

He Dashu's gaunt face was full of wrinkles, like dried tree bark.

This old gambler was over fifty and still single, always idle, either gambling or whoring.

Wang Zhanggen originally didn't want to pay him any mind, but since he took the initiative to greet him, Wang Zhanggen politely answered him:

"Yeah, turning over the vegetable garden, planning to plant some lettuce."

He Dashu suddenly said with a beaming smile:

"You've got a big heart, still in the mood to turn over the vegetable garden. I heard your wife's vegetable garden has been turned over by Yang Dafu several times already, and it was your wife who volunteered!"

Upon hearing these words, Wang Zhanggen's tiger-like body trembled, and he immediately exploded:

"You fucking stop talking nonsense, say another word and I'll believe I'll chop your head with a hoe!"

He Dashu still grinned with a beaming smile:

"I'm not talking nonsense, everyone in the village says so now!"

Wang Zhanggen picked up his hoe, about to go at He Dashu.

He Dashu hurriedly ran off with a beaming smile:

"What's the use of hitting me, if you've got guts go hit Yang Dafu!"

Wang Zhanggen was furious.

Furiously he threw down the hoe with a vicious look, no longer in the mood to work.

He returned home, brooding, his face black as iron.

Li Xiulan brought a plate of vegetable congee to the table, noticed something was wrong, and hurriedly asked:

"What happened?"

Wang Zhanggen kept his head down, face stern:

"Nothing."

He was just like this, not good at communication; many unpleasant things, he'd rather keep bottled up in his heart than say another word.

It was his eldest son Wang Dashan who spoke up at this moment.

"Mom, just now Uncle Dashu passed by the vegetable garden. He told Dad that Mom's vegetable garden had been turned over by Yang Dafu several times, and then Dad got angry."

Only three years old, Wang Dashan spoke the honest truth with eyes full of innocence.

He didn't know what turning over the vegetable garden meant, nor did he understand why his father suddenly got angry.

"Damn He Dashu, talking complete nonsense! Husband, don't listen to He Dashu's nonsense!"

Li Xiulan was very angry at this kind of behavior from He Dashu.

You can eat food carelessly, but you can't say words carelessly!

How could He Dashu say these words to her husband!

"Mm." Wang Zhanggen kept his head down, muffled his response.

Clearly, he cared a lot about this village gossip.

Li Xiulan was helpless about this, because she really had no way to make Wang Zhanggen ignore this village gossip.

This was almost a dead knot!

How was she to untie it?