Chapter 198

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Wang Zhanggen had not been this excited in many years.

He hurried into the bedroom to get the motorcycle keys, his hands trembling slightly.

Seeing him like this, Li Xiulan hurriedly asked:

"What's going on?"

Wang Zhanggen grabbed the keys and hurriedly pushed the motorcycle out the door:

"Dashan says he found Erhai, and they're in town now. He wants me to take the motorcycle to pick them up!"

Hearing this, Li Xiulan couldn't help but cry with joy:

"That's wonderful, that's wonderful. Erhai is finally back. Let me go with you to pick them up!"

But Wang Zhanggen said:

"You stay at home. This motorcycle can't carry three people. Stay home and hurry to kill a rooster to offer to the gods. When we get back, we must set off firecrackers to drive away all the bad luck!"

Li Xiulan nodded quickly:

"Okay, okay. I'll go boil water and kill the chicken right now!"

Wang Zhanggen pushed the motorcycle outside, kicked it several times to start the engine, then hurriedly drove off.

Li Xiulan, meanwhile, hurried to the firewood room to boil water.

Once the water was hot, she picked out the largest rooster from the chicken coop, tied its legs and wings with straw rope, then stepped on its body with one foot, grabbed its neck with one hand, and used a knife to slit its neck and bleed it with the other.

Most people would find it hard to kill a large rooster alone, but Li Xiulan could do it easily—a skill she had honed when she once raised three children by herself.

After bleeding the rooster, she brought a large aluminum basin of boiling water and scalded the rooster in it. Not too long, not too short—too short and the feathers wouldn't come off; too long and the skin would scald and tear, pulling off with the feathers and ruining its appearance.

This rooster for the gods had to look perfect.

Li Xiulan was experienced and knew exactly how long to scald it.

The roosters she scalded had feathers that came off easily without damaging the skin.

In just a few moves she plucked all the feathers, then used a small knife to cut two small holes—one under the neck and one under the buttocks—and pulled out the innards through them.

A chicken for the gods must not be cut open; it must stay whole, so generally two small holes are made to remove the innards, then it can be blanched to set its shape.

At this point Li Xiulan discovered there were no firecrackers at home.

Wang Zhanggen had instructed before leaving that when he brought Dashan and Erhai back, they must set off firecrackers to drive away their bad luck and ensure their future safety.

So she hurriedly ran to the village entrance small shop, wanting to buy several strings of firecrackers.

But she found the small shop closed; Li Yunxia was probably home eating dinner.

Li Xiulan hurriedly ran to Li Yunxia's home.

Sure enough, Li Yunxia was at home eating dinner with her husband and child.

Seeing Li Xiulan arrive, Li Yunxia hurriedly greeted her:

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, have you eaten dinner? Why not eat a bowl with us?"

Li Xiulan's face beamed with a smile as she politely said:

"No, no. I came to buy firecrackers. Seeing you weren't at the shop, I came to your house to find you."

Li Yunxia's husband asked curiously:

"Buying firecrackers this late at night? Can't you buy them tomorrow?"

Li Xiulan truthfully said:

"Erhai is back!"

Li Yunxia's husband was immediately stunned. Everyone in the village knew Wang Erhai had been cheated into a pyramid scheme.

So he immediately said:

"That's good news! Yunxia, hurry and open the shop and deliver several strings of firecrackers to Sister-in-law Xiulan."

Li Yunxia put down her chopsticks and said:

"Okay, okay, I'll go right now!"

Li Yunxia's husband then added:

"Remember, it's a gift, not a sale!"

Li Xiulan said with a smile:

"How can I do that? I must pay you. Your convenience store is a small business; I can't let you lose money!"

But Li Yunxia's husband said:

"Sister-in-law Xiulan, your second son is back. That's a happy occasion. I must give you these firecrackers!"

Li Yunxia also said:

"A few strings of firecrackers aren't worth anything. Sister-in-law Xiulan, don't argue with us!"

Li Yunxia took the keys, brought Li Xiulan to the village entrance small shop, opened the shop door, found the firecrackers, and gave Li Xiulan eight strings of firecrackers.

Li Xiulan tried to stuff money into Li Yunxia's hands, but Li Yunxia refused to take it.

Finally she could only hurry to thank them.

Bringing the firecrackers home, Li Xiulan placed the blanched rooster on a basket and arranged it on a plate, then first offered it to her own kitchen god, then went to the ancestral hall to worship her ancestors, also went to the old house to burn incense, and only then went out to the village entrance to wait for Wang Zhanggen and her two sons to return.

Under the night curtain, it was pitch black.

Standing at the village entrance was an old woman.

Her back was already slightly bent, her face aged, her figure withered and thin, her hair gray-white.

The second son she had longed for day and night was finally coming home.

From the road far off at the village entrance came the faint, indistinct sound of a motorcycle; the sound grew clearer and clearer, the motorcycle's headlight brighter and brighter — Li Xiulan knew it was Wang Zhanggen carrying her two sons back.

She immediately stuck a stick of incense at the village entrance, devoutly offering it to heaven and earth, thanking the Lord of Heaven for his protection.

As the motorcycle drew near, she lit the firecrackers that represent driving away plague and evil.

The firecrackers crackled and popped in this quiet little village.

This counted as a kind of celebration, and also counted as a kind of gratitude.

Wang Zhanggen's motorcycle arrived at the village entrance.

He stopped the motorcycle and let Wang Dashan and Wang Erhai get off.

When Li Xiulan saw Wang Erhai, she immediately couldn't help but rush up and embrace him, weeping softly:

"Erhai, you've finally come back!"

Looking at Wang Erhai's face still bearing bruises, Li Xiulan's heart nearly shattered.

She knew this second son of hers had surely suffered a great deal out there.

Seeing Li Xiulan, Wang Erhai also couldn't help but shed tears.

His nose stung, and he hurriedly knelt down and said:

"Mother, I'm sorry! I made you worry!"

Wang Erhai felt that during this period when he was seized and forced into a pyramid scheme, the person he had wronged most was his mother.

Because he knew that calling home to ask the family for money would deal a heavy mental blow to his mother.

Li Xiulan hurriedly helped him up:

"Erhai, as long as you're back it's fine, no need to apologize, apologize for what, coming back safe is all that matters, the one who should apologize is me, I didn't teach you how to spot bad people, that's why you were deceived!"

Mother and son embraced and wept, the scene moving.

A smile appeared on Wang Dashan's face, and he too was deeply moved.

"Mother, Second Brother is back, he's all right, you don't have to worry so much anymore."

Seeing this scene, Wang Dashan felt that these nearly two months of effort had all been worth it.

Wang Zhanggen was also moved inside, but he still kept a straight face and said:

"Stop blubbering, what kind of appearance is that, hurry home and cook, Dashan and Erhai have traveled all day, they must be starving!"

Li Xiulan hurriedly wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes:

"All right, all right, I'll go home and cook right away!"

She was very happy today; she would make a sumptuous dinner to welcome her second son home.