Chapter 465: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 465: Has Wang Zhanggen Changed His Nature?

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Li Xiulan came before the worn-out large red wardrobe; this was the cabinet she and Wang Zhanggen bought when they got married, over twenty years have passed, and it is still in use to this day.

The mottled cabinet doors were like knees afflicted with geriatric rheumatism, emitting a creaking sound when opened.

All the clothes in the house, whether winter or summer wear, were piled inside this cabinet.

When they used to live in the old apartment building, the space was relatively wide, and some clothes could still be hung up; now living in this narrow dilapidated house at the village entrance, the room is so narrow there is barely room to set foot, so all the clothes can only be stuffed haphazardly into the cabinet.

Li Xiulan searched layer by layer from the top down.

She rummaged for a good while and found a relatively decent piece of clothing.

"You look at this one and see if it works?"

Li Xiulan handed a black winter coat to Wang Zhanggen.

That was what they bought last winter.

It was also the only new piece of clothing bought in the recent period.

Wang Zhanggen put the coat on, looked at himself in the dilapidated mirror beside the cabinet, then shook his head and said:

"This probably won't do."

"How won't it do?" Li Xiulan asked, "This one is the newest."

Wang Zhanggen glared:

"It's high summer now, you want me to wear a winter coat, trying to roast me to death? Even if I don't die of heat, I'll be laughed to death!"

Li Xiulan had nothing to say.

She had only cared about finding good-looking clothes just now, hadn't considered the temperature issue, so she thought this one looked good and pulled it out.

"Then I'll go find another one for you."

Li Xiulan turned around and went back to rummaging through the cabinet.

Wang Zhanggen sat to one side with his legs crossed, smoking.

This wasn't because he wanted to slack off, but because the clothes in this cabinet are stacked layer upon layer, and only Li Xiulan knows exactly what clothes are in what positions.

If Wang Zhanggen went rummaging, he would definitely make a complete mess of it.

"Try this one!"

After rummaging for a good while, Li Xiulan pulled out another piece of clothing.

This one was what Wang Dashan wore when he was a soldier before; the style was passable, and although it was long-sleeved, it wasn't very thick, so wearing it for a while in summer would still be passable.

The only problem was that it had been gnawed with several holes by mice before, and had several patches sewn on.

"You want me to go be a laughingstock for others? These patches make it look like I'm too poor to afford clothes, and you still want me to wear it?"

Wang Zhanggen's face was full of speechlessness.

But Li Xiulan said:

"The patches use fabric of the same color, and the holes the mice gnawed aren't very large, only fingertip-sized; if you don't look carefully, others won't be able to tell."

"What if they do spot it?" Wang Zhanggen kept a straight face: "If this clothing is to be worn, you wear it yourself, I absolutely won't wear it!"

Li Xiulan could only go back to rummaging through the cabinet.

She rummaged through several more pieces, and Wang Zhanggen was still unsatisfied.

Finally she reached the very bottom of the cabinet and took out the last piece of clothing.

"If you're still not satisfied with this one, then tomorrow we'll go to the county town and buy a new set."

The last piece of clothing Li Xiulan pulled out was the black suit Wang Zhanggen wore when they got married over twenty years ago.

The style of this suit was very old, the fabric had also become aged due to the accumulation of years, but because it hadn't been worn much, aside from some creases on the clothes, it still looked quite good.

Wang Zhanggen put the suit on and checked himself in the mirror.

His mind involuntarily conjured up his own appearance when he was young.

Back then he was young and handsome, paired with this suit, he married Li Xiulan this great beauty and brought her back to the village; the wedding firecrackers at the village entrance crackled non-stop, and how many villagers cast envious and jealous gazes.

That was one of the few highlight moments of his life.

Unexpectedly, in a blink, over twenty years have passed.

Life's daily necessities, like a giant and slow millstone, had long since ground him and Li Xiulan into completely different people, but those beautiful moments once experienced still seem like yesterday, vivid before the eyes.

"I'll wear this one then!"

Wang Zhanggen looked at himself in the mirror, and a proud expression involuntarily appeared on his face.

"Really wear this one? It's too old and worn, aren't you afraid people will laugh?"

Li Xiulan asked.

But Wang Zhanggen said:

"This is quite good, who dares to laugh?"

Li Xiulan didn't want to argue with him, rolled her eyes:

"You say wear this one then wear this one, this is what you chose yourself! If you get laughed at then, don't come blaming me!"

Wang Zhanggen at this time said:

"You pull out that red skirt you wore when we got married too!"

Li Xiulan was stunned:

"You want me to wear that skirt?"

Wang Changgen hurriedly urged:

"Hurry up and find it, don't spout so much nonsense, put it on and try!"

Li Xiulan found that skirt.

Although that skirt was old, it was still very red, still very bright.

Worn on Li Xiulan, it actually still fit very well.

Li Xiulan looked at herself in the mirror, and also couldn't help but fall into a trance.

Back then when she had just married into Shanggou Village, she was the Village Beauty of Shanggou Village.

And now, her face was covered in wrinkles, life's bitterness and exhaustion like a carving knife, had carved full of marks on her face.

"I'm this old now, not suitable to wear this kind of skirt anymore, right……"

Li Xiulan couldn't help feeling ashamed of her own ugliness, and said this one sentence.

Wang Changgen however said:

"Just wear this, anyway you don't have any other clothes better looking than this!"

Li Xiulan at this time said:

"How about we go to County Town tomorrow to buy a set of new clothes?"

Wang Changgen however said:

"Just wearing it for one day, why waste that money?"

Li Xiulan then said:

"Isn't it because I'm afraid of losing you Face?"

Wang Changgen however said:

"My son is the Gaokao Top Scorer, even if I dress like a beggar, no one would dare not give me Face, right?"

Li Xiulan muttered one sentence:

"Before you always insisted on Face and suffered for it, now instead you don't care about Face that much?"

Just at this time, footsteps came from outside.

"Changgen, Xiulan!"

It was Zhang Zhongtian's voice.

Wang Changgen hurriedly turned around and went out.

"Party Secretary Zhang, what matter brings you to find me?"

Wang Changgen hurriedly passed a Cigarette over, Zhang Zhongtian laughing heartily accepted the Cigarette, and said:

"Actually it's no big matter, just came to inquire a bit, has your family Xiao Hua's admission result come out yet?"

Wang Changgen immediately full of pride and smugness, then pretending to be very calm spoke one sentence:

"It's out, Xiao Hua was admitted by Tsinghua University, but this is also to be expected, nothing to make a big fuss about."

"Admitted by Tsinghua, ah, that's wonderful, our Shanggou Village is going to produce a famous person!"

Zhang Zhongtian full of happiness, hurriedly returned a Cigarette to Wang Changgen.

Even took the initiative to take out a lighter, lit a Cigarette for Wang Changgen.

Wang Changgen with an air of taking it for granted, accepted Zhang Zhongtian helping him light the Cigarette.

Zhang Zhongtian at this time asked:

"Changgen, this time how many tables do you plan to set?"

He thought Wang Changgen would definitely make a big splash, after all before Wang Xiaohua was just an ordinary final exam scoring County first place, he insisted on setting twenty-odd tables.

Now Wang Xiaohua was admitted by Tsinghua University, if he doesn't make a big splash, would he still be Wang Changgen?

However, Wang Changgen's answer, yet exceeded Zhang Zhongtian's expectations:

"Not setting a banquet, that's too wasteful, don't have that money."