101
Qiao Mei nodded after hearing her concern.
I understand now. As long as you return, I'll find you a place to stay. Just come back.
This made Li Gui assume that there were still empty houses in the village.
If she would be able to find a house just by giving notice to the village, then that would take care of her very last concern. She wanted to discuss it with the Zhang family immediately as she felt like moving back as soon as possible.
Li Gui took out a small cloth bag from her pocket and placed it on the table, revealing the money inside.
This is the dowry that mom saved up for you. There's not much but that's because I don't have money. When I have money in the future, I'll make it up to you.
Qiao Mei smiled sweetly and replied,
Thank you, Mom!
Li Gui was also overjoyed. It was already a very good thing that Qiao Mei was willing to call her mom. The mother-daughter relationship that had been delayed for so many years had finally started again today.
Take a rest first. Mom is going back, wait for news from me!
Li Gui said.
You can leave after dinner!
Qiao Mei stopped her.
No, no, I still have to walk 10 miles. Otherwise, I won't be able to catch the train back today.
Li Gui insisted on leaving.
Qiao Mei turned around and walked into the kitchen. She then said loudly,
I'm going to cook now and I'll send you there on my bicycle after dinner. You're not allowed to leave.
When Li Gui heard this, she had to stay.
She did not want to leave either. It would be great to be able to eat a meal that was prepared by her daughter.
As soon as the food was served, Li Gui knew that Qiao Mei had excellent culinary skills.
Li Gui ate happily. She felt that Qiao Mei's culinary skills were so good that even at her in-laws' place, people would look up to her because of it.
After dinner, Qiao Mei wanted to give her a ride on her bicycle but Li Gui was unwilling to accept it.
You're currently pregnant so don't mess around. I'll just walk back.
Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei's stomach and felt a greater urge to return.
Now that her daughter was pregnant, she naturally needed someone to take care of her. She also needed a female elder by her side to guide her and this should fall under the responsibility of her mother.
Qiao Mei nodded in agreement and asked Auntie Dong from the neighboring house to send Li Gui off instead. Then she turned around and went back.
Although she could not ride the bicycle herself after she got it, she still got a few of the older women to bring it out to learn how to ride it. Given that knowing how to ride a bicycle was a skillset, the gesture made the older women more willing to be friends with Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei was generous and nice.
Besides, not everyone could borrow this bicycle. She would only lend it to people who were close to her and she did not let herself get bullied into lending it to just anyone.
When Li Gui reached home, she was more than 20 minutes later than usual. This made the Zhang family very unhappy.
The Zhang family members were sitting around the table. Zhang Qian and his eldest son, Zhang Cong, sat at the table and drank water out of boredom with no food on the table. Clearly, the family was waiting for Li Gui to cook dinner.
Everyone was upset by her late return.
Why are you back so late today?
Zhang Qian slammed the cup in his hand down with displeasure in his eyes.
Li Gui quickly took out a bundle of vegetables and squatted down to pluck them to prepare dinner. She lowered her head and said,
I'm late today as I ran into some issues.
Your team doesn't work overtime. What important issue can you have?
Zhang Cong, the eldest son borne by Zhang Qian's ex-wife, sneered.
The entire Zhang family worked in the food factory in town.
When Zhang Cong was getting off work, he saw her team leader, Wang Qiu, passing by. She had said mockingly to him,
As an elder brother, you have to give your younger sister a dowry when she gets married.
He asked around and found out that Li Gui did not go to work today, but had gone back to her ex-husband's village.
How outrageous!
The Zhang family helped her raise her children, yet Li Gui still missed that worthless daughter of hers.
As soon as Zhang Cong got home, he told Zhang Qian about it.
Now, Zhang Qian looked at Li Gui angrily with regret and disdain in his eyes. The
village belle
he married with expensive betrothal gifts back then had actually become so old and ugly now.
How unlucky!
102
Li Gui lowered her head silently to pluck the vegetables. She did not dare to raise her head to look at Zhang Qian or answer Zhang Cong's question.
Seeing that Li Gui remained silent, Zhang Qian stepped forward and gave her a slap across the face. He grabbed her collar and pointed at her as he asked,
Did you go back to the village to send money to your ex-husband's daughter?! You dare to lie nowadays! You still lie to us even though the story has already spread throughout the factory!
After saying that, he gave Li Gui another hard slap.
When Li Gui fell to the ground, the four children hurriedly ran into the room, afraid that Zhang Qian would vent his anger on them as well. There was only Old Man Zhang, Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Cong left in the house.
Zhang Qian hit Li Gui regularly, he would beat her up every two days. Every time Li Gui received her salary, she would have to give 25 dollars to the family first. As Li Gui was registered as a village resident, her four children were also registered as village residents. In the city, there were no such things as coupons. The 25 dollars was meant to be used to supplement the family's food rations. The remaining few dollars was left for Li Gui to buy her own meals so that it would not be said that the Zhang family did not even give her food.
Whatever money that Li Gui had was saved by eating less or not eating. Zhang Qian knew that Li Gui had some money on the side and he also knew that she did not have the guts to steal from the family. This time, he was just looking for a reason to beat her up.
He beat her up for 15 minutes.
Alright, alright, are you going to beat her to death? Hurry up and let her clean up and cook. We'll starve to death otherwise,
said the old lady of the house.
Zhang Qian stopped and pointed at Li Gui.
See if I ever find out that you're lying again! Go and cook now!
Li Gui got up with difficulty. There were no marks on her face, but her body was covered in bruises. Zhang Qian would avoid beating her on the face for fear that outsiders would gossip about her again. The pain all over her body made Li Gui even more determined to return to the village and not be beaten up here.
She took the vegetables and started to cook. When the four children saw that there was no more commotion outside, they came out of the room to set up the tables and chairs. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao went to help Li Gui with the cooking. The two sons, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, sat in the living room and did not dare to say anything. Matters like cooking and cleaning had always been done by the womenfolk.
Tsk, you good-for-nothing. Hurry up and get things done faster. Do you want to starve me to death!
Zhang Qian cursed towards the kitchen.
After she finished cooking, Li Gui called out to them to have dinner. She and her two daughters could only eat in the kitchen as there were not enough seats at home. Seeing her two daughters holding their bowls and eating in the corner, tears fell down Li Gui's cheeks.
As the Zhang family got ready to leave after having dinner, Li Gui wiped the tears off her face and rushed out, saying,
Wait… wait! I have something to say!
Zhang Qian laughed mockingly and said,
You? What have you got to say, come tell me.
He waved his hand as an indication for his family to sit down and listen to her.
Li Gui grabbed the front of her clothes and wiped her hands nervously. She said in a very soft voice,
I… I want to go back… back to the village.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian immediately smacked the table and stood up. He glared at Li Gui and rushed forward in a few steps, ready to hit her.
Back then, he had spent a lot of money to marry this
loss-making proposition
. Now, she still wanted to run away! He wanted to roll up his sleeves and beat her up again.
You still want to run away!
Li Gui hurriedly waved her hands and collapsed to the ground in fear.
No, no! I'm not running away! I'm going back there to grow bean sprouts!
When Zhang Qian heard this, he still did not understand what Li Gui wanted to do. He pointed at her and said,
You can grow bean sprouts at home, why do you need to go back to the village to grow bean sprouts! I think you just want to run away!
Li Gui hurriedly crawled over and grabbed Zhang Qian's trouser leg as she explained,
No, no! It's bean sprouts for the supply and marketing cooperative! I know how to grow bean sprouts too! I can go and earn money!
After Zhang Qian heard this and finally understood that it was not Li Gui's intention to run away, he patted his pants and sat back down.
So it's to earn money. As if you can earn money.
Zhang Qian looked disdainful.
That's right. It's not like we haven't eaten your bean sprouts before. How can your bean sprouts compare with the ones from the supply and marketing cooperative?
Zhang Cong laughed mockingly from the side, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Li Gui could feel that the atmosphere had eased up a little and she stood up to pour them a few glasses of water, getting ready to tell them what she had seen today.
103
That's because of the water! Only the water from the village can do that! I already went back and asked around!
Li Gui said hurriedly.
Then since you said you'll earn money, tell me how you're going to do it.
Zhang Qian took a sip of water, waiting to hear what she could say.
It's like this, I… did go back to see my daughter today, but I found out that the bean sprouts from the supply and marketing cooperative are supplied by their village! They supply it at 20 cents a catty and they can harvest 2,000 catties a day! The supply is collected from every household and each family can produce about 70 to 80 catties.
Li Gui stared at Zhang Qian's face, afraid that he would be angered if she said something wrong.
After hearing that, Zhang Qian looked at his mother while he did some mental calculations on how much money could be made from 70 to 80 catties at 20 cents a catty. He concluded that it was quite a fair bit of money per day.
Looking at Zhang Qian's erratic expression, Li Gui immediately said,
I'm still a registered resident in the village! If I go back, they will allow it!
So if you go back, they will collect bean sprouts from you and give you money!
Zhang Cong had recently taken a fancy to a city girl in the factory. She was young and beautiful and he was just about to woo her.
The supply and marketing cooperative based their collection on the quality of the bean sprouts. If the quality doesn't meet their standards, then they won't accept the bean sprouts.
Li Gui saw the look in Zhang Cong's eyes and was afraid that Zhang Cong would think that he could also earn a lot of money by going to the village.
Moreover, they only accept up to 2,000 catties a day. For bean sprout production, there is always a possibility of not meeting the standards three or four times out of ten times and getting rejected.
You money-losing good-for-nothing! As if those beans are not money!
When Old Madam Zhang heard this, she immediately scolded Li Gui. However, on second thought, she felt that there was still a lot to be earned. She thought that given Li Gui was unable to get any coupons by staying here, she might as well let Li Gui go back to the village, and it would also be more peaceful at home.
You can go back, but you have to hand over the money you earn to this family. You've been staying here for so many years and we have taken care of your four children. Cong Cong has been subsidizing the expenses of this family, so you have to pay it back when you earn money. Also, you have to find the money for the beans yourself as we don't have money.
Old Man Zhang looked at Old Madam Zhang. He thought that women from the village were more obedient than the daughters-in-law from the city as they did not dare to have any requests or complaints.
I will definitely hand it over.
Li Gui did not dare to say anything to the contrary, afraid that they would go back on their word again.
Old Madam Zhang was about to get up and leave when she saw Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao in the corner.
Bring the two of them along as well so that they can give you a hand.
She had no use for the two girls, and it would be good for Li Gui to take them away so she could get some peace and quiet.
After you return to the village, plant more vegetables and bring more home.
Old Madam Zhang left in satisfaction and the group dispersed.
At the village.
Ever since Li Gui left, Qiao Mei had been mulling over where Li Gui could stay. Her house was not suitable as there was still her grandfather, Qiao Qiang, at home and also, it would not sound too appropriate if word got out. However, it would cost quite a fair amount to apply for a house at the brigade. Then suddenly, she remembered that she still had a house here!
Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and pondered over how to get the house back. In the past, the house was left to Qiao Zhuang's family for them to take care of Qiao Mei. Now, the house was in the hands of Qiao Zhuang's eldest son, Qiao Fu. Back then, they had signed an agreement at the brigade regarding the arrangement.
Once she thought of the solution, Qiao Mei looked for Qiao Qiang excitedly and said,
Grandfather! I'm going to ask Qiao Fu for the house!
Qiao Qiang was shocked and said,
Mei Mei, you're pregnant now. That Qiao Fu is not someone to be trifled with. Don't let anything happen to you.
Qiao Mei touched her stomach and said to Qiao Qiang,
Don't be afraid. I'll get Uncle Zhao to go with me. He still has the written agreement. Besides, don't you believe me by now. Don't worry, grandfather. I'm going now!
Qiao Mei went to the brigade to explain the situation and asked Zhao Liang to find the written agreement and then go to Qiao Fu's house with her to ask for a resolution. Zhao Liang thought for a while and called a few militiamen to follow them in case anything should go wrong. Then he took the written agreement and followed Qiao Mei.
It was noontime and also the time when everyone finished their work and returned for lunch. They all came out when they saw Qiao Mei leading a big group of people. The big troop attracted a lot of attention and everyone crowded around, afraid of missing out on something. When Auntie Dong saw them, she also joined in. Before they reached the main door of the house, Qiao Mei shouted,
Everyone, are you having lunch! Second Grandpa, I'm here to ask you to return the house!
104
The family had an early lunch today and most of the others had left the house after eating. Only the second son of the Qiao family, Qiao Gui, and his wife, Wang Qin, were at home. When they heard what Qiao Mei shouted at the door, they initially thought they had misheard. Their neighbors in the vicinity came out faster than the two of them, not wanting to miss out on such an exciting scene.
Qiao Gui and Wang Qin came to the courtyard and saw Qiao Mei leading Zhao Liang and a group of people in an imposing manner. She looked to be serious about something this time round.
Qiao Mei, your second grandfather is not at home. What did you say just now?
Wang Qin asked again, as if she did not hear her clearly.
Qiao Mei smiled and said,
Second Auntie, I said I'm here to ask for the house.
House? What house? This is my house!
Qiao Gui panicked when he heard that Qiao Mei was here to ask for the house, and yelled at her loudly.
The neighbors standing around were all whispering softly among themselves. So Qiao Mei was here to ask for the house. This house really seemed to belong to Qiao Mei. This news spread like wildfire and everyone in the village, young and old, came to Qiao Gui's house to see what was happening.
Second Uncle, it seems that an important man like yourself has short memories. What do you mean it's your house? This is my mother's house, I don't know how it became yours.
Qiao Mei was not worried about the neighbors crowding around. The more people there were, the better. Then she would have witnesses.
Qiao Gui snorted.
Hmph, when your mother left, she said that she would give me this house.
My mother didn't say that she would give it to you. Back then, she asked all of you to take care of me until I got married, then after that the house would belong to you. If my grandfather hadn't come back in time, I would have died in your pigsty in the house!
Qiao Mei pointed at Qiao Gui and shouted at him.
The villagers around them were all feeling indignant because what she said was true. If Qiao Qiang had not come back and brought Qiao Mei away, Qiao Gui and the others would have starved Qiao Mei to death, and everything left behind by Li Gui would have fallen into their hands.
Aren't you already married and pregnant?! I don't care! Anyway, this house is mine!
Qiao Gui took a few steps forward and glared at them to prevent them from going forward. Seeing this, Qiao Mei took a few steps back. It was not that she was afraid, but she was worried that she would hurt her children. She had to be extra careful at this moment.
Zhao Liang looked at the unreasonable Qiao Gui and frowned.
Qiao Gui, back then, you all signed the agreement at the brigade and I was the witness. It's true that you all did not take care of Qiao Mei. Please just return this house to her.
When Qiao Gui saw Zhao Liang about to take out the agreement, he picked up the shovel beside him and wanted to swing it. Seeing this, Wang Qin was so frightened that she hurriedly pulled her man back. Wang Qin was the village accountant, a fact that she showed off for most of her life. If Qiao Gui hit Zhao Liang, it would definitely cost her the job. It would be so embarrassing if she were to lose her job on top of all the mess this could cause, and she would lose her standing in the Qiao family.
Team Leader Zhao, isn't it against the rules for Qiao Mei to be married and yet live alone? How can her family be allowed to have two homesteads?
Wang Qin blocked Qiao Gui and made him stand back so that he could not cause trouble here.
Qiao Gui was not as ruthless as his eldest brother, Qiao Fu, nor was he as smart as the third son, Qiao Wang. He was just a silly big man who only knew how to fight.
When Qiao Mei heard this, she said laughingly,
My mother is coming back to live in the village. Who told you that I'm getting married and setting up my own household! This is my mother's house, so of course my mother will be living here.
Upon hearing this, Wang Qin could not find any other reason to refute it. Seeing that the house was about to belong to Qiao Mei, Wang Qin's attitude softened a little.
Then Mei Mei, if you want us to move away, where can we go? You can't be asking us to sleep outside, right?
Qiao Mei was not one to fall for that. She still remembered Wang Qin's attitude towards her in the past.
When I was young, you people even let me sleep in the pigsty. I didn't remember you feeling sorry for me then! Hurry up and move out!
Seeing that Qiao Mei remained unmoved by both force and persuasion, Wang Qin became anxious.
It's fine if you want us to move! Then you have to pay us! We've lived here for so long and helped you keep the place clean, otherwise it would have become dilapidated without anyone living here! We've been helping you take care of it! You have to pay us!
When the neighbors heard this, they all thought that it was a joke. This woman was really too obsessed with money and all she could think of was how to make money. They all knew that a tenant needed to pay money to live in a house, but no one had heard of a tenant asking the owner of the house for money. Auntie Dong could not stand it anymore and pointed at Wang Qin while saying,
You have the cheek to say that!
Wang Qin rolled her eyes and ignored the comment. Money was the most important thing to her now. She could not have a situation where there was no house and no money.
105
Qiao Mei weighed her options and asked Wang Qin,
How much do you want?
The neighbors around her all felt that Qiao Mei was still too young and had fallen into Wang Qin's trap. How could she really want to give Wang Qin money? Auntie Dong was also anxious, afraid that Qiao Mei would suffer a loss, and looked at Qiao Mei worriedly.
No matter whether the villagers thought that Qiao Mei was stupid, even Wang Qin thought that Qiao Mei was really going to give them money. She did not know how much money Qiao Mei had earned, but she had actually seen Qiao Mei's wedding gift with her own eyes.
800 dollars!
Wang Qin looked at Qiao Mei smugly. The neighboring villagers standing around scolded Wang Qin for being heartless when they heard that.
A villager standing at the side scolded,
Wang Qin, you're so shameless! You didn't take care of the child for even a day and you dare to ask for 800 dollars to stay in her house for free!
Wang Qin did not know who said it, but she turned around and shouted,
It's none of your business!
So you think this house is worth 800 dollars.
Qiao Mei looked around the house. The Qiao family members were all lazy people. This village was full of mud houses which needed to be repaired regularly to be kept in an acceptable condition. There were many people in the Qiao family and they did not even have enough to eat, let alone be able to raise livestock. The pigsty had long collapsed and there was not much clean space in the courtyard.
Wang Qin looked at Qiao Mei and said,
That's right! We even used the best soil for this house! You even ate at our house before! We even helped you plow this land, otherwise it wouldn't be usable anymore! It's worth 800 dollars! We'll leave if you pay up!
Qiao Mei smiled even wider and her sweet voice made every word she spoke sounded coquettish. Qiao Mei said happily,
Then give me 800 dollars and I'll sell this house to you.
The people around her all burst out laughing. Wang Qin was stunned. She did not expect Qiao Mei to set her up and replied in exasperation,
No way. Look, this place doesn't look like it's worth 800 dollars. At most it's worth 50 dollars!
Auntie Dong looked at Wang Qin with disdain. This woman could even go back on her word when she had just said that this place was worth 800 dollars. She said mockingly,
Wang Qin, aren't you an accountant, how come you don't seem to know how to calculate. You can't even tell the difference between 800 dollars and 50 dollars.
As soon as Auntie Dong finished speaking, the people around her burst out laughing. Wang Qin's face also turned red and she forgot about maintaining her image as she pointed at Auntie Dong and scolded,
Dong old woman, what do you know! You can't even manage your own affairs! If I say this house is worth 50 dollars, then it's worth 50 dollars!
Auntie Dong was so angry that she wanted to go forward and put up a fight. Auntie Wang and Auntie Fu, who were next to her, were all ready to stand up for her. Auntie Dong was a very helpful person in the village and she would help anyone who had any problems. Everyone had a good relationship with her.
Qiao Mei stopped Auntie Dong and said to Wang Qin,
200 dollars!
Wang Qin thought about it and still felt that it was too much.
100 dollars! There's no room for discussion!
Qiao Mei could not be bothered to say anything more to her and finally said,
150 dollars, or I'll tear down the house!
Wang Qin really could not argue with that and could only agree to what Qiao Mei said in the end. However, she did not want to bear the full amount and wanted the Qiao family to pay it. After all, she was not the one who made the written agreement back then.
Wang Qin gritted her teeth and said,
Alright…
Alright, send it to the brigade tomorrow! Uncle Zhao will give you the agreement then! It's settled then, 150 dollars!
After saying that out loud, Qiao Mei left.
When the villagers saw what happened, they also dispersed and went home to discuss this matter in private. Wang Qin usually walked around the village proudly just because she was the village accountant. She was haughty and looked down on everyone, and her high and mighty manner made everyone unhappy. Today, everyone felt appeased to see her behaving like a shrew.
Qiao Gui threw down the shovel in his hand and watched as Qiao Mei and the others left. He was so angry that his face turned red. When he looked at his wife, he was even more furious. Although they had managed to keep the house, they still had to give 150 dollars. They did not have so much money at home.
At night, the Qiao family gathered together and everyone looked at Qiao Zhuang without saying a word. When Qiao Zhuang heard about what happened today, he could not think of any good countermeasures. Seeing that no one said anything, Wang Qin asked Qiao Zhuang carefully,
Father, are we really going to give her 150 dollars?
All these years, Qiao Zhuang had been able to act like a tyrant because the village accountant was his daughter-in-law. Therefore, he was polite to Wang Qin and did not beat or scold her like he did to his other daughters-in-law.
The Qiao family members all had their own thoughts. The third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, was usually the most simple-minded. She only stayed at home to do housework, so she was straightforward and spoke bluntly. When she heard that Wang Qin wanted 150 dollars from the family, she said enviously to Wang Qin,
Why should we give it to you when everyone in the family needs money. Where can we find 150 dollars, especially since you agreed to the price yourself.
Qiao Zhuang looked fiercely at his third daughter-in-law. Qiao Wang was the smartest son in the family and very good at reading someone from their body language, and he knew how to curry favor with Qiao Zhuang. However, Jiang Ye did not manage to give birth to a boy and they only had a daughter, causing him to have very little standing in the family. When he saw Qiao Zhuang's expression, he went up to his wife and slapped her.
106
There was silence in the Qiao family house. Jiang Ye looked at her husband, Qiao Wang, in confusion. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she hid in a corner, afraid that she would be implicated.
The house is Father's house! What do you mean by yours and his!
Qiao Wang expressed his thoughts and also took the chance to remind everyone that the house did not belong to them. If they wanted to pay for it, they had to consider it carefully. This statement made the eldest son, Qiao Fu, and his wife, Liu Ying, take notice.
There were a total of three houses in the Qiao family now. One was the Qiao family's old residence, which belonged to Qiao Zhuang, and the other house belonged to Qiao Fu. Although the Qiao family did not have much money, Qiao Fu treated his wife quite well. His wife, Liu Ying, was an eloquent woman, she helped out with the family as well as went out to work, and was generally diligent. Back then, he had spent 100 dollars to marry her and they managed to build a house together after all these years with some difficulties.
The last house was the current residence of Qiao Gui and Wang Qin. Initially, they all agreed that the family would not give any betrothal gifts when the fourth son, Qiao Liang, married his wife but rather, the couple would be given them the house to live in when the time came. In the end, Wang Qin took a fancy to the house and snatched it away. Although Qiao Liang was married now, he still lived with Qiao Zhuang.
The fifth son, Qiao Gang, had just reached marriageable age. The family found a matchmaker from the neighboring village to introduce him to a good family who said that they would be giving a dowry. However, they wanted the Qiao family to give them 300 dollars as the betrothal gift. So while the 300 dollars were not even prepared yet, they were now saddled with another payment of 150 dollars.
Qiao Gang hurriedly went to Qiao Zhuang's side and said pitifully,
Father, I still have to get married. You can't give everything to second brother's family. If there's really no other way, let's go and talk to Qiao Mei and see if we can just owe her first. My marriage is more important.
Wang Qin was unhappy when she heard this.
Hey, you can't say that. You can get a wife anytime. If you really can't, I'll find you a nice girl later. You can't just watch while my family has nowhere to live.
Wang Qin turned to look at Qiao Gui, her husband. Qiao Gui was a simple man who did not know what to say and Wang Qin quietly poked his thigh.
That's right! That's right, Father! We can't sleep outside, otherwise we'd just be a joke!
Qiao Gui finally understood his wife's intentions this time round, so he was not really that stupid.
Qiao Gang was about to retort when Qiao Zhuang shouted,
Stop arguing! You're all useless!
The house went quiet and there was no sound at all. Qiao Yu, who was standing in the corner, got so frightened that she lost her balance and fell to the ground. It was only then that everyone noticed her. Liu Ying thought for a moment and said to Qiao Yu,
Xiao Yu, don't you usually get on well with Qiao Mei? Go and talk to her and see if there's any way for us not to have to give her 150 dollars.
Everyone looked at Qiao Yu, who looked back at them in panic because they were like a pack of hungry wolves staring at a thin goat. Qiao Yu quickly stepped forward and said,
I'm not that close to her! Last time! Last time, she even beat me out of the door with a big stick! She said that she won't let me go near again! If I go near again, she'll beat me to death! Believe me! It's useless even if I go!
Not long ago, Qiao Yu had indeed gone over once to borrow some grains from Qiao Mei. In the end, before she could enter, Qiao Mei had scared her off with a big stick and she did not even dare to look back. When she returned home, she got a beating from the Qiao family as well. Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Zhuang in panic.
Qiao Zhuang sighed and thought for a moment before saying to Qiao Gui and Wang Qin,
The family will give you 80 dollars and that's all. The remainder needs to be given to your fifth brother for him to get married. As for the rest of what you need, you have to find a way to make up for it yourself.
With that, he chased these few members of the Qiao family away.
Wang Qin put the 80 dollars into her pocket and went home quickly. Actually, she had the 150 dollars that was required, but she could not allow herself to take all of it out for nothing. After all, the house belonged to the Qiao family. If the eldest son, Qiao Fu, came to ask for the house, she could not count on her man for help. He was just a simple person who could not win against the eldest son and the third son. This 80 dollars could be considered enough to cover some cost. Wang Qin went home happily, and when Liu Ying saw Wang Qin's expression, she secretly made her own plans.
Did you see that your second brother's Wang Qin actually has money, but she just wants to cheat the old man out of his money. We have to be careful.
Qiao Fu nodded and went home with his wife, Liu Ying.
107
Early the next morning, Qiao Gui and Wang Qin went to the brigade to look for Zhao Liang, afraid that Qiao Mei would bring people around to cause trouble again. If that happened, Wang Qin wondered where she could hide her face. She did not want Qiao Mei to go looking for her superiors to say that she had occupied someone else's house and in turn caused her to lose her job.
After paying 150 dollars and getting the original agreement, Wang Qin finally felt relieved. Zhao Liang quickly took the 150 dollars and went to Qiao Mei's house. On the way, he could smell the fragrance of food from afar. It would appear that it was not a lie to say that Qiao Mei was capable.
Brother Qiao! Brother Qiao, are you there!
Zhao Liang shouted from the door.
Qiao Mei hurriedly came out when she heard the sound.
Uncle Zhao, why are you here so early! My grandfather went out to pick vegetables.
Zhao Liang took out the money from his pocket and handed it to Qiao Mei.
This is the money that Wang Qin's family came to pay this morning. I came by to give it to you. Take a look.
Qiao Mei walked over and put the money in her pocket without looking at it. She said smilingly,
Uncle Zhao, of course I trust you. Uncle Zhao, I just made steamed pumpkin, how about having some! Come in and eat. My grandfather will be back soon.
Zhao Liang waved his hand and was about to leave when Qiao Mei suddenly said,
Uncle Zhao, does our village still have any homestead, as I want to get one for my mother.
Zhao Liang thought for a moment and looked at the surrounding houses. He pointed in the southeast direction and said,
Look at that area. It's not very big, but it's quite close to your house. Otherwise, the area next to your Auntie Wang's house is still empty, or the area close to Qiao Zhuang's place. You can decide which area you like and just come to the brigade to let us know.
Qiao Mei looked in the direction that Zhao Liang was pointing at and thought that it was not too bad, except that there was only one and a half mu of private land. Still, she thought that she should not ask for too much. Now that she was a prominent person in the village, people would talk about it if she asked for more private land. Besides, her mother would not have the energy to manage so much land, and having more land also meant that the Zhang family could demand for more later.
Yes, alright! Uncle Zhao, I'll go and look for you after I eat with my grandfather! Take care, Uncle Zhao!
Qiao Mei did not force Zhao Liang to stay. After sending him off, she went into the house to get the dishes ready and waited for Qiao Qiang to come back to eat.
At the dining table, Qiao Qiang could tell that Qiao Mei had something on her mind, but he did not say anything as he knew this child well. The previous Qiao Mei was impulsive and willful and he was always worried that she would get bullied outside. Given that she was all grown up now, he need not worry too much.
Grandfather, do you think it is alright if the homestead for my mother is located next to Auntie Dong's house?
Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang with her big bright eyes.
Qiao Qiang smiled.
Sure, as long as you think it's alright. Grandfather trusts you.
Right! I'll talk to Uncle Zhao about this later.
Qiao Mei started to eat faster to quickly finish the food in her bowl.
Hey! Slow down, slow down! You're going to be a mother soon, yet you're still so rash. It's not good for your child if you're like this!
Qiao Qiang hurriedly stopped Qiao Mei.
Qiao Mei put down the bowl in her hand and smiled foolishly. She had almost forgotten that she was the mother of two children. She touched her slightly protruding stomach and put down the bowl and chopsticks.
I know, I know. I was so anxious that I forgot.
Qiao Mei looked at the time and said,
Grandfather, I'm off to the brigade.
Qiao Mei went to the brigade to choose the location of the homestead and exchanged her work points for some wood. Then, she asked Uncle Zhao to help her find out where she could find someone who sold mud bricks from home. Although people were not allowed to buy and sell items in private during this period in time, it was fine to carry out it secretly and nobody would talk about it.
She then went home and got on her bicycle to go to the train station to pick up Li Gui. After all, that was still her mother. Although Li Gui was not by her side to take care of her when she was young, she still looked forward to having her mother around.
When Qiao Mei reached the train station, it was still much earlier than the scheduled arrival time. The month of June in the northeast of the country was not as hot as summer in the south, and it did not feel stuffy while she waited at the train station. Looking at the clouds in the sky, Qiao Mei felt much more relaxed. A train slowly stopped in front of Qiao Mei and as there were not many people getting off at the mountain village, Qiao Mei saw her mother at one glance.
Mom! Here!
Qiao Mei waved her hands and looked at Li Gui. She also noticed the two little girls beside Li Gui.
108
Li Gui returned to the village with just one big bag given that she did not have many things to begin with. As soon as she got down the train with the two children, she heard someone calling her. She followed the voice and realized that Qiao Mei had come to pick her up. Li Gui was very shocked to see that and walked over with the two children.
Qiao Mei, why are you here? It's such a hot day and furthermore, you're pregnant. What if something should happen to you.
Li Gui asked nervously when she saw the bicycle next to Qiao Mei.
It's fine, I'm in good health. I came by to pick you up.
Qiao Mei lowered her head to look at the two girls beside Li Gui. The older one was still looking at Qiao Mei warily but the younger one did not seem to know anything. She just felt that the person standing in front of her was a beautiful big sister who looked good and whom she liked very much.
Li Gui gave the two children a little push and said,
This is Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. Both of you, come greet your elder sister.
Zhang Qin was stunned for a moment before she said awkwardly,
Hello, elder sister.
As for the younger Zhang Miao, her eyes were filled with innocence. She hid beside her mother's legs and did not dare to look up at Qiao Mei. This was because back home, her grandmother said that her mother had a daughter in the countryside who looked like a black bear, and that the person was her elder sister. That elder sister was evil and could eat people up, and she would beat people up for no reason.
Of course, the first part of what she said could be considered to be true, but the second part was a lie made up by Old Madam Zhang to scare the child.
Sigh, this child seems to be afraid of strangers. I'll give you a ride back, so you don't do anything.
Li Gui took the luggage that she was holding and placed it onto the bicycle. She then pushed it forward and walked in front while the two little girls followed behind obediently.
When they reached the village, Li Gui started to feel a little uncomfortable. She had not returned for so many years and did not know what the neighbors would say.
As Li Gui's house in the village had not been built yet, she had to stay at Qiao Mei's house for a few days. When they entered the house, Qiao Mei brought the three of them to the west room. The east room was Qiao Qiang's room.
Qiao Mei went to the storeroom to get some fruits and vegetables, as well as took out three taels of meat to prepare a few dishes. Li Gui helped out at the side while Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao tidied up the tables and chairs in the courtyard. There were now three more people in the house, so they had to wipe down the unused furniture and clean them up.
Not long after, the fragrance of food filled the entire house. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had never smelled such a nice aroma before. They crouched at the door and stared at the meat in the pot.
Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, come over and eat.
Qiao Mei smiled at the two children as she brought out the dishes.
At the dining table, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao only focused on eating the rice in their bowls and did not dare to reach out to pick up any of the vegetables and side dishes. At the Zhang family's house, they were not even allowed to eat at the dining table, let alone eat any meat. Just looking at the meat would get them a beating. Qiao Mei's heart ached when she saw the two children behaving like this and she kept serving food to the three of them.
After dinner, Qiao Mei brought the two children to the courtyard to look at her family's fruits and livestock. She plucked a bunch of grapes and placed them in Zhang Qin's hands.
Bring your sister along to wash them before eating.
Qiao Mei patted Zhang Qin's head and went into the house.
Li Gui teared up when she saw the scene outside the window. Before this, she had never dared to imagine that her daughter would acknowledge her, nor had she ever thought that Qiao Mei would be nice to the children she had with Zhang Qian.
Qiao Mei took a bunch of grapes that had already been washed and handed them to Li Gui. She said gently,
Try it. These are fresh grapes and they're very sweet.
Li Gui quickly took one and tasted it. The grape was plump and juicy and it was very sweet. Qiao Mei took out a cloth bag containing the 150 dollars that the Qiao Gui couple had given her. Li Gui did not know what had transpired but when she saw that Qiao Mei wanted to give her the money, she quickly waved her hands and refused, asking Qiao Mei to take it back.
Mei Mei, what are you doing, I don't want money! Take it back quickly!
Li Gui said anxiously.
Qiao Mei placed the cloth bag in her hand and said,
Listen to me. Your house is still occupied by Qiao Gui and Wang Qin, but they gave me 150 dollars, so let's just take it that they bought that house. I've chosen a site for a homestead near my house. You can go and take a look later, it's not very big though. As for the wood needed to construct the house, I told Uncle Zhao Liang to use the work points to get them. I also bought mud bricks from the other families in the village and I've spent 500 dollars so far. Let's build the house first and we can talk about other things later.
When Li Gui saw that Qiao Mei had already made all the arrangements for her residence, she was so touched that she did not know what to say. She did not know how to make it up to Qiao Mei for all these years.
109
Qiao Mei held Li Gui's hand and stroked it gently. She knew that Li Gui was thinking about how to make it up to her, but it was not as if Li Gui did not care about her during all these years. It was just that she had been deceived by Old Madam Li, who was Qiao Mei's grandmother.
My little girl, please consider the building costs of 500 dollars to be a loan to me which I'll pay back later. I'll leave this 150 dollars with you for now.
Li Gui looked into Qiao Mei's eyes, afraid that she would refuse.
Qiao Mei nodded. Although she did not quite understand if Li Gui intended to use the money to repay her or it was meant for something else, she thought about it and decided that it would be safer for her to keep the money. Otherwise, if the Zhang and Li families came over during this period of time, they might just take the money away.
Alright, and I want to ask if you have any plans for Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao.
Qiao Mei looked at the two children in the courtyard.
Li Gui sighed and said,
It's better for them to be by my side. If they stay with the Zhang family, they might get beaten or scolded. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao are still in their hands. I wonder how they are doing.
They'll be fine. After all, they're two boys, nothing will happen to them.
Qiao Mei brought Li Gui to the storeroom to take a look at the remaining beans in the house. The baskets of beans were growing quite well. Qiao Mei quietly exchanged some energy with the baskets of beans in front of her so that they could grow even better.
There are a total of five catties of beans in this basket. You can take them to grow bean sprouts first. We'll talk about it after the house is built.
Qiao Mei pointed at the basket in front of her.
Li Gui nodded and said,
Alright, take it that I'm borrowing the beans from you. I'll return it when I can.
After all, the money earned from these beans had to be handed over to the Zhang family, so the money to buy the beans should be paid by the Zhang family. Even biological brothers would settle their accounts clearly, let alone this was her own daughter. Qiao Mei had already given her enough help.
Li Gui called Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao over from the courtyard.
Zhang Qin, Zhang Miao! Come and help mom grow bean sprouts!
Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao put down the grapes in their hands and ran over to help. When she saw her two daughters standing around her to help her with the bean sprouts, she recalled that the young Qiao Mei had also looked at her like this in the past.
The two children did not find it tiring to help out and they did their tasks reliably. Back when they were living with the Zhang family, Old Madam Zhang always ordered them around to do the housework and sometimes, they even had to cook for themselves. Naturally, they did not feel tired at all even with the current tasks at hand.
Qiao Mei's heart ached when she saw the two children working so hard, but there was nothing she could do about it. Children from poor families had to manage the households from young. The more they learned while they were young, the better they would be able to support themselves in the future, and they would not be as spoiled as the original owner of this body. Qiao Mei did not stay around for too long and went out to busy herself with her chores in the courtyard. She had not exchanged energy with the plants yet today.
After dealing with all the beans, Li Gui brought the two children to the site of her homestead to take a look. Earlier, the ground was still filled with bushes and branches, but there were only some weeds left on the ground now. Li Gui squatted down and hugged the two children, saying,
Look, this is our home. From now on, we will live here!
The four-year-old Zhang Miao looked around and said softly,
But there's nothing here, how do we stay here.
Li Gui smiled and patted Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin on their heads. She casually pointed at an empty space and said,
Let's see, how about we build a house there and then build a shed here and put a table here…
Listening to Li Gui's description, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao ran around happily in the middle of the yard. They took a look here at one moment and then jumped around there the next moment. They chatted about their ideas and also shared their thoughts about the future.
Mom, let's get a shelf here to grow grapes that are as delicious as elder sister's grapes!
Here, here! Let's put a pigsty here! Elder sister's pigs are so pretty! We'll get to eat meat every day!
And here! And here…
Seeing the long-lost smiles reappearing on the two children's faces, Li Gui was also very happy. The two children's laughter was clear and hearty, and the sky also seemed to look bluer on this day.
Come pluck the weeds with mom. Let's clean up the yard together.
Li Gui and the two children went around plucking the weeds and only returned to Qiao Mei's house when it was dark. Although it was very tiring, she had boundless energy when she thought about the beautiful life they were going to have in the future.
110
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Qiao Mei woke Li Gui up and took her to the storeroom for a discussion. She originally had hundreds of baskets of beans but after the agreement between the village and the supply and marketing cooperative was made, she had sold most of those beans to the villagers at a low price. Therefore, there were only about 10 baskets of beans left in the storeroom. In the corner, there were also a few baskets of shriveled bean sprouts. Qiao Mei had taken back some of the energy from the bean sprouts early in the morning so as to make them look more realistic.
These few baskets of bean sprouts are not up to standard. If you have time, you can go to the black market to sell them. It's not so convenient for me to go now but it's a pity to throw them away.
Qiao Mei looked at these bean sprouts regretfully.
Li Gui squatted down and looked at the bean sprouts carefully, the quality was indeed not at the level required by the supply and marketing cooperative. She said confidently,
Don't worry, I will definitely be able to sell it.
She had been going to the black market since she was young, so she knew very well where to find the most suitable spot to sell these bean sprouts, and it should not take her too long to sell everything. It was just that these few baskets of bean sprouts already weighed around 80 pounds. Fortunately, Li Gui had been doing manual labor in the factory previously, and there was also the bicycle available for use, so she did not have to worry about not being able to carry it.
Oh right, I still have a few pumpkins and some fruits here. Help me sell them and I'll give you half of the earnings.
Qiao Mei handed the basket beside her to Li Gui.
Li Gui took it and slung it over her shoulder.
No, no need. Take it as I'm helping you run an errand or something. You don't have to give me money.
Li Gui looked at the color of the sky outside and said,
I'll go now or the market will close soon.
It turned out that it was not that strenuous to carry the four big baskets, so Li Gui rode the bicycle and made her way to the black market. Although the rules and regulations did not allow people to buy and sell items in private now, due to the lack of supplies, everyone came together in an unplanned manner to put things up for sale in an inconspicuous place. Over time, this place became known as the black market.
As soon as Li Gui arrived at the black market, she found a place near the exit and set up a stall. The bean sprouts sold at the supply and marketing cooperative went for 30 cents a catty. She priced her stock at 10 cents a catty and was naturally able to sell them quickly. A few people grabbed a handful of bean sprouts to try and agreed that it indeed tasted similar to the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative. They then generously bought more than 10 catties of bean sprouts and it did not take long for the bean sprouts to be sold out.
Li Gui held the empty baskets and grinned from ear to ear. She did a quick count and noted that there were 13 dollars and 30 cents in her hands. This was more profitable than working in the factory. She had never made so much money in a day.
After Li Gui left, Qiao Mei cooked some pumpkin porridge and stewed some pork with cabbage for the two children. When the food was served, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao still only focused on eating the porridge in their bowls and did not dare to take any of the meat and vegetables. Qiao Mei had to pick out the meat piece by piece for them.
As Zhang Qin scooped the rice porridge from her bowl, she muttered softly,
Thank you, elder sister…
Qiao Mei smiled when she heard that. This was still a good child after all and not an ungrateful ingrate. It was good to know that the child knew how to feel thankful. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao and said,
Is elder sister a nice person?
Zhang Miao looked up excitedly and said,
Yes! Elder sister is great!
Qiao Mei touched Zhang Miao's head and asked,
Then do you think mom is a nice person?
Zhang Qin lowered her head and shook it silently while Zhang Miao also kept quiet. Seeing this, Qiao Mei brought them to the grapevine and took a bunch of grapes for the two children. She sat on a stool and said,
Actually, mom is very good to you, but mom doesn't have the ability to give you a lot. Look, elder sister has all these fruits and vegetables. I can give them to you, but if mom has vegetables, she has to give them to your grandmother, am I right.
Zhang Miao was young, but she was starting to remember things. Zhang Qin was a little older and was six years old this year and there were things that she could remember. Zhang Qin thought for a moment and nodded. It was true that if there was any food, she had to give them to her brother and father first, and she had to give everything that was nice to her grandparents.
Qiao Mei looked at the two children's reactions and continued,
Mom has to hand over her salary to your grandmother every month and your father has to hand over his salary to her as well. She gets more than 80 dollars a month and can totally support you four siblings. Why is it that you still don't have enough to eat.
Zhang Miao thought for a moment and said,
Because Grandma said that she wants to feed the boys first!
Qiao Mei waved her hands and said,
That's not right. Both boys and girls should have food. Your grandmother took everything away from mom, so mom has nothing to give you. Actually, mom wants to treat you well. Your grandmother has so much money but why didn't she spend any money on you, the clothes you're wearing are from a long time ago.
Zhang Qin suddenly remembered and said,
Grandma said that she wanted to save money for big brother to get married…
111
Qiao Mei did not expect that Zhang Cong was already old enough to get married. However, given that he was not a hardworking person at all, he would eventually just use up all his family's assets. It took some effort to ensure that he took over Old Man Zhang's position in the food factory, but all he did was to muddle along every day.
Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about all these, Li Gui came back on the bicycle. After putting it away, she headed in the direction of the children. Earlier, when she passed by the convenience store on the way back, she had bought two pieces of candy and put them in her pocket to give to Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao.
Mei Mei, I sold out everything today. I made some money!
Li Gui took out the money from her pocket and gave 10 dollars to Qiao Mei.
This is the money for the fruits and vegetables I sold today. Here you go.
Qiao Mei knew at a glance that this was the bulk of the money. She took three dollars and said to Li Gui,
How can my things be worth so much? I'll just take three dollars. Don't give me too much.
Qiao Mei took three dollars, which was not a lot, so that Li Gui would feel better and not as if she needed help with everything. Li Gui led Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to clean up the dining table and wiped the kitchen stove clean, and then entered the house with them.
Li Gui secretly put away the remaining money into a red cloth bag. Then she took out the candies from her pocket and held them in her hands.
Guess what this is!
Li Gui looked at the two children with a smile.
Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao looked at their mother's hands in front of them, not knowing what was inside. Li Gui opened her hands and showed them two colorful candies. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao widened their eyes in amazement.
Wow! Candy!
they said in unison.
Take it and eat slowly. Don't choke on it.
Li Gui handed the candies to the two girls. Seeing the two children happy made her happy too. Previously, she had to hand over all her salary to Old Madam Zhang. Now that she had some money, she could buy foodstuff for the two children.
Zhang Qin ate the candy and thought about what elder sister Qiao Mei had said in the morning. She thought to herself that elder sister was right.
The two children used to think that the countryside was not as good as the city, but now they could eat meat and delicious food as much as they wanted, and there was no beating to endure and no one bullying them. Their mother also had money to buy candy for them. It seemed that it was better to be in the countryside than in the city!
This was the first time the two children had eaten candy. In the past, Old Madam Zhang would never buy anything for them even if she had money. She was so busy ordering them around that she would never think about treating them well enough to buy things like candy for them.
Zhao Liang brought his tools to Qiao Mei's house and shouted at the door,
Li Gui! Qiao Mei! The builders are here!
Qiao Mei and Li Gui brought the two children to the site of the new homestead. The wood was ready and the mud bricks were placed at one side. The men from every family came to help out. Of course, when it came to such matters, Qiao Zhuang and his family would not come to
join in the fun
.
During that period of time, there was no such thing as hiring people to build a house. It was always the neighbors who helped out with everything. However, the owner of the house had to reciprocate by being responsible for everyone's meals.
When she saw Zhao Liang, Li Gui still felt a little uneasy. After all, they were from the same village in the past and everyone had their own opinions about widows getting remarried. However, Qiao Mei had already gone around saying that whoever bullied Li Gui would be akin to bullying Qiao Mei, so no one mentioned it anymore. In addition, they also knew that it was not like Li Gui did not care about Qiao Mei all these years, but it was because Old Madam Li had taken everything away. Everyone felt more sorry for her after knowing that.
Brother Zhao… thank you.
Li Gui looked at Zhao Liang in embarrassment. Zhao Liang had previously often helped her out in the past when they were in the same village.
Zhao Liang waved his hand and said,
It's fine. I'm the team leader. This is what I should do. These wooden logs are deducted from the work points. Besides, I'm not the one who sourced these mud bricks.
Zhao Liang whispered to Li Gui,
These are all sourced by Big Brother Qiao Qiang. Otherwise, who would be able to get so much soil? If you want to thank someone, you should thank him.
Ah! Yes I understand.
Li Gui did not expect her former father-in-law to help her out. She thought that she had already offended Qiao Qiang because of past events. If Qiao Qiang had returned a few days earlier during that time, perhaps those things would not have happened…
112
For a moment, Zhao Liang and Li Gui thought about the same thing, looked at each other and sighed deeply. Zhao Liang carried the shovel and said,
Don't think about the past. Don't worry, with Qiao Mei around, no one will bully you.
Aye!
Li Gui never dreamed that one day, she would be able to busk in her daughter's glory and enjoy the blessings of having children.
Zhao Liang waved his hand and went off to help build the house. Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei, who was busy cooking, and quickly stopped her.
Go and take a seat. You're still in the early stages of pregnancy, so go and rest at the side.
Qiao Mei did not decline and went to the side to snack on seeds. These seeds were from the sunflowers that she had planted in the courtyard at home a few days ago. Through her careful cultivation and a little extra energy from her, they grew exceptionally well and produced tasty sunflower seeds too.
Throughout the day, there were many people who came around to help, all people who used to have a good relationship with Qiao Mei's father, Qiao Yue, as well as his previous co-workers. Out of these people, there were probably more than 10 strong strappy men. It would be hard for Li Gui, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to cope with the meal preparation, it would take them a long time to get food ready for so many people.
Qiao Mei sat under the shack, not feeling any sense of anxiety. Not long after, she heard shouting coming from outside the yard.
Mei Mei! We're here to help!
Those women who were on good terms with Qiao Mei had come around to help out. A few of them even brought their own pots and pans, while others even brought stools and tables.
It was not as if they came around to help out for no rhyme or reason. Usually, Qiao Mei would help them with growing bean sprouts and their farm work, so they had come over to help with building the house or whatever they could help with. This was the good thing about the countryside. The neighbors were friendly and got along with one another. Thinking back to her other life, she did not know many of her neighbors, to the extent that she did not even know what kind of people they were. The countryside was so much better in this aspect.
Not long after, a few of the older women set up the stove and began to help with the cooking. Qiao Mei had brought vegetables, fruits and meat from her house to thank everyone for their efforts. When it was time to eat, everyone's eyes lit up. They could not imagine which family would be willing to serve meat from their own kitchen to people who came by to help. Only Qiao Mei's family would be so generous and everyone felt even more willing to help Qiao Mei.
Although Qiao Mei did not help with the cooking, the vegetables that had gone through energy exchange with Qiao Mei tasted especially delicious and the food made by the womenfolk seemed much more delectable than usual.
Many people regretted not getting a matchmaker to go to Qiao Mei's house in the past. They had only heard that Qiao Mei was a fierce woman who looked like a black bear spirit and that she ate too much and would squander the family fortune away, but did not know how to do work. At this moment, many people were filled with regret. They never imagined that Qiao Mei was not only fair-skinned and beautiful, but also good at cooking and making money. Anyone would find her to be an eligible partner but unfortunately, she was already married and pregnant.
The older women had also seen the changes in Qiao Mei in the past few months. They thought that Qiao Mei had worked so hard that she lost weight, but the weight loss improved her skin and made her look more beautiful. After mealtime, the women surrounded Qiao Mei and joined her to snack on seeds.
Mei Mei, I think you must be having a girl!
Auntie Dong said laughingly.
I think so too. Mei Mei, who knows it might really be a girl. People say that a mother bearing a son looks ugly while a mother bearing a daughter looks beautiful.
Auntie Wang grabbed a handful of seeds and agreed with what Auntie Dong said.
Qiao Mei smiled and kept quiet. She knew that she was having a pair of twins, and it was even a boy and a girl. However, she could not comment as her pregnancy was not stabilized yet, otherwise it would be terrible if people went around saying that her desire for children had made her talk crazily.
Aye! If Mei Mei has a daughter, I'll give her a pig trotter!
You only give one! How stingy! I'll give four pig trotters!
I'll give 10 pig trotters!
None of you can make it! I'll give pork hock!
…
The lively atmosphere was fueled by the discussion about whether Qiao Mei would give birth to a boy or a girl. Li Gui silently wiped her tears at the side. As a mother, she could not give her daughter anything and she could not even compare with this bunch of neighborly village folks. She was determined to earn more money and treat Qiao Mei well so that Qiao Mei would not be shortchanged anymore.
Of course, Qiao Mei did not lack these eight to ten pig trotters that they mentioned as she still had so many pigs at home. However, she knew that they were all expressing their concern for her and she was also happy to see the older women joking around.
113
One of the women held up the grapes and asked Qiao Mei,
Mei Mei, how are your grapes so sweet when my grapes aren't even this big. and they're so sour.
Qiao Mei's fruits went through energy exchange every day, so naturally they were sweeter than what others grew. Qiao Mei smiled and said,
There's a lot of knowledge required in growing grapes. It's not as simple as growing bean sprouts. There's ambient temperature, the number of times to water it a day, the time to do the watering and the amount of water to use. You also need to know how to remove the weeds, when to water more and when to water less. There's a lot of things to take note of.
Everyone was stunned when they heard this as it sounded so believable and they were all in awe of Qiao Mei for knowing so much. Qiao Mei thought to herself that it was a good thing that she had taken a gardening course in her other life. She did not expect it to come in handy here where she could bombard these people with the information.
Everyone started discussing how to grow plump grapes, but Auntie Dong felt that the taste of these grapes was not much different from the ones she grew. So, everyone went to discuss it with Auntie Dong.
Occasionally, when Qiao Mei passed by Auntie Dong's house, she would help to take care of the vegetables and fruits. She would also do some energy exchange at Auntie Wang's house. As for the plants at Qiao Zhuang's house, they were all thin and shriveled though Qiao Mei had only absorbed a little bit of energy from them. Anyway, Qiao Zhuang's family was about to run out of food, so they could not be concerned about growing fruits.
The days passed quickly. Li Gui had not been idle during the days while the house was being constructed. She had been growing bean sprouts and selling them on the black market. Bean sprouts that would normally grow out in four to five days could grow out in two days here! Li Gui sighed and said,
The water in the village is really different!
The rapid growth of the bean sprouts was also the result of Qiao Mei secretly taking care of them. Li Gui would go to the black market before dawn to sell them. However, business had not been too good of late. She did not know if it was because people from other villages had heard that there was money to be made from bean sprouts and so every family was growing their own. Once there was an oversupply of bean sprouts in the black market, one would not be able to sell much no matter how low the price was. Fortunately, Li Gui's bean sprouts were of good quality and she could still sell quite a lot.
The day before yesterday, the supply and marketing cooperative had only collected 200 catties of bean sprouts from the village. They had found that most of the bean sprouts were not up to their standard and the amount of bean sprouts they collected had reduced by 10 times! Every household began to reduce the amount of beans they had. From the initial 10 catties, each household had at most two to three catties now, and some even had only one to two catties. Everyone went to the black market to sell the bean sprouts that were not up-to-mark, and Li Gui found it more and more difficult to sell her bean sprouts.
When Li Gui returned home, she looked at the bean sprouts she had grown and sighed to herself. She reached out to flip the bean sprouts and wondered how she would be able to sell them. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui, already knowing what had happened recently. Currently, Qiao Mei did not go around taking special care of everyone's bean sprouts as she did not want people from other villages to get jealous and cause trouble if their village sold too much.
Sigh…
Li Gui looked at her bean sprouts worriedly.
Qiao Mei looked at the empty basket and the bean sprouts in the basin, and asked in confusion,
What's wrong? Is business not good?
Li Gui shook her head and said,
Mei Mei, there are so many people selling bean sprouts over there now. It's not easy to sell my bean sprouts anymore.
Qiao Mei thought that it was no big deal. She pulled Li Gui to the courtyard and said,
You see, there are so many vegetables here. If we can't sell the bean sprouts, then we'll sell the vegetables. I'm pregnant now and can't go, why not help me sell them. I'll bring Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao up the mountain to pick some vegetables tomorrow.
Li Gui looked at the fresh vegetables like she had something new to look forward to. However, she changed her mind and said,
Let's not sell these vegetables. Given that you're pregnant now, let's dry them to keep for the winter. Otherwise, you won't have any vegetables during wintertime.
Look at the storeroom full of vegetables. I can't even finish seven or eight of them. Don't worry about it.
Qiao Mei had indeed kept a lot of dried vegetables in the storeroom. Even if they were about to rot, she could give them some energy to maintain them in their current condition. Furthermore, they had an endless supply of vegetables in the future, so there was no need to worry about food.
Li Gui thought about it and then agreed. After selling the remaining bean sprouts, she would think of another way out.
There were eight or nine days to go before the completion of the house. After the house was built, it had to be left empty for two days. Otherwise, it would not be sturdy enough and it would be a disaster if it collapsed later.
Qiao Mei weaved baskets at home with the two children, making small clay baskets so that it would be easier for the two children to carry them. Otherwise, they would not feel like picking vegetables when they reached the mountaintop after carrying a big heavy basket.
114
Qiao Mei taught the two children how to weave baskets like how Qiao Qiang had taught her. Although they were clumsy, they learned it well. Zhang Miao was still young and did not have much strength, so Zhang Qin went to help Zhang Miao tie up the baskets. Qiao Mei was relieved to see the two children helping each other out.
In this era, many families would give birth to many brothers and then they would quarrel endlessly with each other, over food and property, until both sides ended up getting hurt. Sometimes, brothers would also turn against each other and did not interact again throughout their lifetimes. Even in her other life, when she was still a lawyer, she had seen many such cases. However, at that time, she was a criminal lawyer, so she did not really take on such cases about trivial family matters.
Xiao Qin is so awesome! You know how to help your younger sister and the baskets you made are so beautiful!
Qiao Mei smiled at the two children.
Previously, Zhang Qin had always been bullied by the Zhang family. Old Madam Zhang always said that she was a money-losing good-for-nothing who was useful and only knew how to eat. Now that Qiao Mei encouraged her and affirmed her efforts, she felt a little embarrassed. Her face went red and she did not dare to look at Qiao Mei while she silently weaved the willow branches in her hand. In the end, the two children made three baskets in one morning.
Qiao Mei brought Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to the back of the mountain to see if they could make any new discoveries. In the current season, the grass had grown very tall but there were many wild vegetables to dig up and also a lot of mushrooms. While the two children were not paying attention, Qiao Mei hastened the growth of many mushrooms among the grass and also ensured that the bushes in the distance were full of fruits.
When Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao saw the fruits scattered on the ground, they went to take some to put in the basket and totally did not notice what was happening on Qiao Mei's side. Qiao Mei took out her sickle and interrogated the mushrooms on the ground. Which ones of you are poisonous, make yourself known! Tell me quickly!
The little mushrooms scrambled to report the poisonous mushrooms. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction and called Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao over to identify the mushrooms. When they heard Qiao Mei say that some mushrooms were poisonous and that people would die if they ate them, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao widened their eyes in amazement. They listened carefully when Qiao Mei told them how to differentiate the edible ones from the ones that were not.
The two children put everything they could recognize into the baskets. Before long, the two small baskets were full. Zhang Qin took the third basket to hold the fruits from the bushes. The two children felt especially proud when they looked at the three full baskets in front of them.
Qiao Mei also picked a basket of mushrooms and then they went back. On the way, the two children did not complain about being tired or put down their baskets. They both showed great fortitude.
Qin Qin, Miao Miao, are you happy picking mushrooms today?
Qiao Mei asked the two children.
Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Mei and smiled brightly.
I'm so happy! These are enough for us to eat for a long time!
The two children thought that they were picking these things for their food. Qiao Mei said to them,
It's not for us to eat. After we dry these mushrooms, we can sell them for money, a lot of money. Once we make money, I'll give you some.
Zhang Qin widened her eyes and said excitedly,
Can we also have money!
Of course. After we sell the mushrooms, how about I give you 10 cents for each dollar we make, 20 cents for two dollars. Moreover, each of you will get a share, you don't have to split it among yourselves.
Qiao Mei wanted the children to be able to buy what they wanted.
Zhang Miao still could not understand how much money that was, but in any case, it meant she had money now. On the other hand, Zhang Qin was ecstatic to hear that. Not to mention it was 10 cents for each dollar, even if it was just a total of 10 or 20 cents, it would be good enough for her.
The three of them went home happily where they put out the mushrooms to dry and transferred the fruits they picked up into the big basket. The two children were so busy that they did not notice the big beads of sweat dripping down their faces.
When Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao first came, they looked like skinny monkeys and their clothes were in tatters. Qiao Mei took her old clothes and made two sets of clothes for her two younger sisters to be able to have a change of clothing. After they came, they ate better than before and they looked like they had put on some weight after a week. They also started to smile more.
Elder sister! Can we go again!
Zhang Qin ran to Qiao Mei with a small basket and looked at her with sparkling eyes.
Qiao Mei looked at the sky. It was still early and there was time for them to go to the stream nearby to take a look. Moreover, she had yet to exchange energy with the plants today. Qiao Mei took the basket and set off with the two children.
The endless supply of mushrooms along the way made the two children extremely excited. Qiao Mei silently absorbed the energy released by the plants near the stream and used a portion of it to grow mushrooms. Perspiration soaked through the clothes on the backs of Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. The two children ran all over the wilderness, afraid that they would miss a mushroom that could be picked.
115
The three of them could only bear to go home in the evening. The two children were already exhausted after a day of work, but they insisted on putting the last of these mushrooms out to dry. The entire courtyard was covered in mushrooms, and the baskets in the corner of the courtyard were filled with fruits.
When Li Gui came back from work that night, she was stunned to see the entire courtyard filled with mushrooms.
Did you guys pick all the mushrooms in the entire mountain? How can there be so many!
Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao rushed to Li Gui and held her hand.
Mom! Mom! Look at the mushrooms we picked! Elder sister brought us to pick these and there were so many of them! They were everywhere!
Look! Look! And these…
The two children pulled Li Gui one by one to introduce their
battle results
today.
I'll go to the county city with you to sell them tomorrow,
Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Gui.
Li Gui placed everything in the corner and said,
You're pregnant, so it's better that you don't go.
Alright, I'll find an auntie from the village to accompany you. There are too many people going there recently and I'm afraid that you won't be able to cope.
Qiao Mei went to look for her neighbor, Auntie Dong. Recently, everyone was worried about not being able to earn money given that they were unable to sell their bean sprouts. Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang, who were usually on good terms with Qiao Mei, had a lot of vegetables at home and were preparing to go to the county city to sell them. However, they were timid and did not dare to go on their own as it would be a terrible thing if they were to get caught.
Qiao Mei asked Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to come over to her house. She thought of asking them to help her bring some fruits and the last of the pumpkins to sell tomorrow.
Oh, Qiao Mei! Why are there so many mushrooms in your house!
Auntie Dong exclaimed as soon as she entered the courtyard and saw the mushrooms all over the ground .
Qiao Mei pointed towards the stream they went to today.
Aunties, the two of you can go over there tomorrow to take a look. There's a lot of mushrooms over there and they're all growing very well.
There were still some mushrooms left among the grass as their baskets were full and they had no way of bringing them back. She had never been too stingy with people who were good to her. Instead of letting strangers take them, it would be better for her own people to pick them.
Aye! Aye! I'll go tomorrow when I'm free,
Auntie Wang replied with a smile.
Qiao Mei had taken out a total of five baskets of things, namely a basket of watermelons, a basket of grapes, a basket of cucumbers, a basket of the last few pumpkins that they could not manage to finish, as well as the bean sprouts that did not grow out well at the end.
Auntie Dong, Auntie Wang, this is what I want to sell tomorrow. Please go to the county city with my mother.
Qiao Mei handed the two women a slice of sweet watermelon each.
It's fine, it's fine! It's just a small matter!
Auntie Dong took a bite of the watermelon. This was much more delicious than what she had at home. Even if Qiao Mei did not come to ask Auntie Dong to go to the county city, Auntie Dong had already intended to go there to sell some vegetables to supplement her family's income. Ever since everyone could not manage to sell all their bean sprouts, her family had been spending more that they earned and her rations were almost running out.
Li Gui had finished preparing dinner in the kitchen. A few days ago, the hens at home had laid two eggs and it was just nice to give to Qiao Mei for extra nourishment. She added some water to the eggs to make the texture more tender. First, she made stir-fried cucumbers with eggs and then, she made some pumpkin porridge. It was summer now and the hot weather was a little unbearable. She also made some green bean soup, but Qiao Mei could not drink it so she did not make too much.
After the two older women left, she called out to Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang to have a meal at home. In the past, she had been afraid of her former father-in-law and felt that she owed him for what happened back then. Now that Qiao Qiang did not quibble about the past and even helped her in the construction of her house, she could not be more grateful.
In the beginning, the two children did not dare to eat at the table nor take any food. Now, they were very close to Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. They also knew who was good and who was bad and understood that they had been deceived by Old Madam Zhang's words all these years.
After Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao washed the dishes and tidied up the courtyard, they went to bed early. After a tiring day, they finally could not stay awake anymore. Li Gui came to the courtyard to enjoy the evening breeze with Qiao Mei and they enjoyed an unprecedented moment together as mother and daughter.
Some people wanted to go to the county city to exchange for some things to earn some money, while some people in the county city were discussing how to go to the countryside to ask for things and money and food to supplement their families.
116
In life, one man's joy could be another man's sorrow. The Zhang family had been living an eventful and exciting life for the past week. In the beginning, when Li Gui left with the two children, there were three less people to feed in the house and the happiest person was Old Madam Zhang. However, as time went by, when no one did the housework and she had to do the cooking, she complained non-stop.
You good-for-nothing! Go and find Li Gui and get her to come back!
Old Madam Zhang shouted at her son, Zhang Qian.
Zhang Qian ate in silence. He had already gotten used to such verbal abuse which had been going on for a week. In the beginning, he would even retort a little, but later on, Old Madam Zhang was brazen enough to go from house to house to spread rumors that she had been beaten up by her son and that her daughter-in-law had run away. She may be shameless, but Zhang Qian still cared about his reputation. Otherwise, in the past, he would not have spent so much money on betrothal gifts to marry a beautiful widow.
Zhang Cong quickly stopped Old Madam Zhang and said,
Grandma, what can she do here when it's better to let her earn money there. She can make more than 30 dollars a day. That's easily 300 dollars in a month.
It was not that Zhang Cong did not want Li Gui to come back, but he had taken a fancy to a girl in the factory. Her surname was Sun and her full name was Sun Yan. She was 19 years old, beautiful and capable. Her registered residence and household register was in the city, so her family wanted a lot of betrothal gifts. They wanted 300 dollars and the Four Big Things.
At that time, it was popular to have the Four Big Things, also known as 'three turns and one sound', which referred to four items, namely a wristwatch, a bicycle, a sewing machine and a radio. They were all symbols of respectability. The Sun family even said that if getting the 'one sound' was not possible, they were fine with the 'three turns' and 500 dollars.
As if I don't know what you're up to! You just want to marry Sun Yan! You got her pregnant and now you need your family to clean up your mess!
Old Madam Zhang berated him. The Sun family was not in a hurry and insisted on having the 'three turns and one sound' as the betrothal gifts. If they could not get it, they would report Zhang Cong for committing rape and send him to jail.
The only people in the family who were able to go out and make money were Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong. They could not count on the two younger ones. Zhang Wei was only ten years old, while Zhang Chao was eight years old. They could not go out to work and still depended on the family to support them.
Zhang Qian did not care whether Zhang Cong wanted to marry the daughter of the Sun family. After all, he would support his son if his son liked beautiful women as it would make the family look good. Moreover, he handed over his salary to Old Madam Zhang every month. He did not have a single cent to his name and Zhang Cong would never come to him for money.
The supply and marketing cooperative has stopped taking in bean sprouts recently! If you ask me, Li Gui just made up a lie and ran away! How much money can she make from selling that! It would be hard to make 30 dollars a month, what more to think about 300 dollars.
Old Madam Zhang looked at Zhang Cong and rolled her eyes. This Zhang Cong was still counting on Li Gui to earn money. It would already be good enough if she came back.
What!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cong panicked. His plan to propose to Sun Yan this month was about to go down the drain. It would be so embarrassing as he had already made a promise to her. That would not do, he would need to go to the countryside to take a look.
As soon as he decided on that, Zhang Cong left home early in the morning to go to the village to find out more. He even brought along a big bag, thinking that even if he could not get the money, there was at least farmland in the village and he could get some vegetables and send them to Sun Yan's family to appease them. This could probably help to ease the tension and get him a grace period of a few more days.
Zhang Cong had just bought the train ticket and was about to leave when he heard a bunch of people near the county train station saying that they were going somewhere to buy something. Zhang Cong followed them out of curiosity and when he got closer to the destination, he could smell the fragrance of fruits .
Li Gui and the other two aunties had already been selling vegetables and fruits in the area since early in the morning. Due to the bumpy road on their journey, the basket of watermelons was not transported properly and some of the bigger watermelons with thinner skins had cracked open. Li Gui was initially worried that it would not be easy to sell the cracked watermelons, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Due to these cracked watermelons, people could smell the fragrance from faraway and were attracted to the area to buy them. Some people even got into arguments and fought over the watermelons, and it did not take long for them to be sold out.
Zhang Cong also went forward curiously to find out the source of the fragrance. When he got closer and saw Li Gui, he was so shocked that he quickly covered his face and turned around to leave. He only dared to look around secretly after he reached a corner. This business was so good that she could not say she did not have any money. Zhang Cong now felt that he would be able to get the money for the betrothal gifts this month.
117
When Li Gui was doing her sales, she saw a shadow flash past in the crowd, but she did not pay much attention to it and continued to sell the remaining vegetables and grapes. After she sold all her things, she even helped Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to sell theirs. Zhang Cong saw many people buying from them and counted more than 10 baskets of items which he thought all belonged to Li Gui. He estimated her earnings to be more than 50 dollars and quickly engaged in some wishful thinking and came up with a plan.
After everything was sold, Li Gui packed up her things and prepared to go to the county city with Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to buy some household items. After all, they could find more things in the county city than in their small village. Auntie Wang did not need to buy anything, so she stayed behind to keep an eye on all their things. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient for them to go shopping while carrying their big baskets. Auntie Dong went to buy needles and thread as she wanted to mend the torn clothing in her house so that her family could continue to wear them.
Li Gui first went to buy shoe soles and crochet needles, then some fabric, needles and thread. She looked joyful as she thought about the two pairs of shoes that she was going to make for Qiao Mei's baby. After hiding the rest of her money, she went back to look for Auntie Wang. She did not expect Zhang Cong to see all of this.
Zhang Cong followed behind silently, feeling very unhappy. Li Gui had always said that she had no money and no food to eat. Yet, she went to the black market every day to sell vegetables and even had the spare money to buy fabric to make new clothes. This was really outrageous. Zhang Cong followed her all the way to the village and only revealed himself after Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang had left.
How great, so you've made a lot of money here.
Zhang Cong stood outside the door and looked at Li Gui, who was putting the baskets back in their places. Li Gui was shocked when she heard Zhang Cong's voice and thought that she had heard wrongly. She turned around and saw him standing at the entrance of the courtyard.
Zhang Cong pushed open the door and looked around the house. He had no intention of entering the house as it was obvious that it was a newly built mud house. There was probably not even a warm mat in the house, let alone anything valuable.
I… I'm not earning any money. I'm usually busy with work, how can I have the time to earn money…
Li Gui looked at Zhang Cong guiltily and grabbed the corner of her clothes, not daring to speak loudly.
Don't deny it! I saw everything. You had watermelons and grapes. Look at all the mushrooms in this courtyard. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How can you say that you don't have money?
Zhang Cong casually grabbed a handful of mushrooms and looked at them before throwing them aside with a look of disdain. The things in the countryside were so uncouth that even the mushrooms smelled low-class.
Li Gui was so frightened that she did not dare to move and quickly denied,
No, no, no, these are not mine. I sell them for others. I usually have to go out and work.
When Li Gui got married to Zhang Cong's father, Zhang Cong was about 15 or 16 years old. He often watched his father beat up his mother, so he also felt that women were meant to be beaten up. and he often hit Li Gui as well. After four or five years, when Zhang Cong was already in his twenties, the neighbors all gossiped about Zhang Cong beating up his stepmother. Therefore, Zhang Cong no longer hit her, but he still beat up her children often. She could not stop him from doing that and she remained very afraid of Zhang Cong.
Oh, then where did you get this house, don't tell me you stole our family's money.
Zhang Cong looked carefully at the newly built house.
Li Gui hurriedly explained,
I borrowed it from the brigade! I borrowed money to build this house…
Before she could finish her sentence, Zhang Cong already stepped forward quickly and gave her a slap on the face. Li Gui fell to the ground from the force and covered her face, not daring to look at Zhang Cong directly. There was no one in this place who knew him, so he could hit her however he wanted.
You money-losing good-for-nothing! My father is right! You're not thinking about how to earn money for your family! You actually spent money to build a house! How much money does this house cost!
After saying that, Zhang Cong was still all worked up and he slapped Li Gui again.
Li Gui lay on the ground and cried silently. She did not dare to resist because she knew that as long as she resisted, she would be beaten up even more. No matter what, she would still be beaten up anyway. As long as she gave Zhang Cong the money, he would calm down and not beat her anymore.
However, she felt really indignant! The money was from the mushrooms that her three daughters had painstakingly gathered on the mountain, and the vegetables that Qiao Mei had to water and irrigate every day. She was unwilling to let Zhang Cong snatch everything away just like that. Even if she had to be beaten up, she refused to say where she kept the money she had earned today.
At this moment, she only hoped that her three daughters would return later so that Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao would not get beaten up. Also, she worried about what could happen to Qiao Mei if she came back.
Mom!
A shout at the door made Li Gui widen her eyes.
118
Coincidentally, at this moment, Qiao Mei returned with Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao from their outing to pick mushrooms and dig up wild vegetables. The two children were originally very happy and had run home to show Li Gui their harvest, but as soon as they entered the house, they were stunned and the small baskets in their hands fell to the ground. They did not dare to retreat nor move forward to approach Zhang Cong.
Eh? Why are you…
Qiao Mei felt curious about their strange behavior, then she saw Li Gui lying on the ground as soon as she entered. The two children also seemed to be very afraid of the man.
Who are you!
Qiao Mei hugged the two children and looked at this man that she had never seen before.
Zhang Cong turned around and saw a beautiful girl standing at the entrance of the courtyard with his two younger sisters beside her. This was probably Li Gui's daughter, Qiao Mei. Wasn't she supposed to be a fatty who weighed more than 200 pounds, and was dark and ugly like a black bear spirit. The person in front of him did not fit this description at all. She had milky smooth skin, a slender figure, and a beautiful face with red lips, pearly white teeth and a sweet voice. Even when she was angry, she looked like she was throwing a charming little tantrum.
Oh! I'm Zhang Cong. Are you Qiao Mei?
Like his father, Zhang Cong liked beautiful women. He did not expect to see such a beautiful young woman in this remote village, and she was so much prettier than Sun Yan.
Qiao Mei lowered her head and asked Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao,
Who is this?
It's… it's my big brother,
Zhang Qin said softly.
He looked to be in his twenties, so it was likely not Zhang Wei, but the ignorant and incompetent Zhang Cong. At this moment, Li Gui slowly got up. Her nervousness about the wellbeing of her children made her forget that she was injured. She could only remember that she had to protect her children. Furthermore, Qiao Mei was pregnant and nothing must happen to her.
Go, dry the mushrooms before entering the house.
Qiao Mei patted the two children's shoulders. If there was going to be a fight later, she did not want them to get hurt. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao picked up the baskets on the ground and put back the mushrooms that had dropped out. The two children walked along the side of the fence, not daring to go near Zhang Cong.
Zhang Qin brought her sister, Zhang Miao, into the house first and told her not to make a sound while she carefully laid out the mushrooms to dry outside. From time to time, she would use her peripheral vision to see if Zhang Cong was coming towards her.
Why are you here to look for my mother?
Qiao Mei actually already knew what he was here for.
Ah… I came to see if Auntie Zhang is doing well here and if she lacks anything. I'm here to visit her.
Zhang Cong smiled awkwardly.
Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Cong mockingly and sneered,
But you came empty-handed. Is this how you visit someone?
Zhang Cong was caught in speechless surprise and he turned around to look at Li Gui. His gaze was not fierce, but rather to size her up.
Li Gui knew that something was wrong when she saw Zhang Cong's gaze and quickly said,
It's fine, it's fine! I don't lack anything! Don't come again!
Zhang Cong did not expect Li Gui to have such a trick up her sleeve. This young woman was beautiful and had a sharp tongue. Yet Old Madam Zhang had always said that she was a
Black Bear Spirit
who weighed more than 200 pounds and was greedy and lazy!
The two of them had probably teamed up to cook up this scheme so that he would not take a fancy to Qiao Mei. If he had known that Qiao Mei was so beautiful, then Sun Yan would never have been in the picture!
Old Madam Zhang would have felt so grievous about this unjust accusation. It was really a disaster that befell her out of the blue as Old Madam Zhang did not even know that Qiao Mei had already become as beautiful as a flower.
I… left in a hurry and did not have time!
Zhang Cong took two steps forward and slowly approached Qiao Mei.
Oh dear, is the thing that you're carrying heavy, let me help you!
When Li Gui saw Zhang Cong walking towards Qiao Mei, she hurriedly limped over to stop him. Zhang Cong pushed Li Gui away and thought to himself,
What an obstructive old thing. I'm looking at the little beauty, don't cause trouble for me.
Seeing Li Gui fall to the ground, Qiao Mei frowned. Zhang Qin quickly ran over to help Li Gui up and pulled her away from Zhang Cong. At this moment, Zhang Cong was not in the mood to look at them. His attention was all on Qiao Mei, especially her curvaceous figure and beautiful face.
Seeing that he was about to get close to Qiao Mei, Zhang Cong said fawningly,
Younger sis, you must be exhausted. Come, let me help you carry the basket. There's no need to be so formal with your big brother.
As he reached out, his hands veered towards Qiao Mei's chest instead of the shoulder strap of the carrying pole holding the baskets.
119
Zhang Cong reached out and was about to pounce on Qiao Mei when Qiao Mei nimbly turned around, stretched out her leg, and took advantage of Zhang Cong's posture to give him a push.
Zhang Cong fell on his face and got covered in dust. His legs even hit the sharp stones on the ground. This set of clothes was new! He had intended to rush off to see Sun Yan after getting the money, but now, he had gotten himself injured without managing to get the money.
Ah! Ouch… What the hell!
Zhang Cong wanted to stand up and hit Qiao Mei but he fell back into a sitting position. Only then did he realize that his right leg was injured and he had twisted his ankle. His injury looked quite serious.
Qiao Mei shrugged and pretended to be concerned with a look of panic.
Oh no! What happened to you!
Zhang Cong's shouting at the door had attracted the attention of the surrounding neighbors who came over to take a look. The people of this era did not have any communication equipment. Their usual pastime was to see who had something going on in their family and then discussed it with one another. Even if it was something that happened in the mountain area, it would spread throughout the village the next day and the story would usually sound more ridiculous than what actually happened.
Therefore, everyone went around to see what was going on when something happened. When they heard that this was about Qiao Mei's family, Qiao Zhuang's family naturally came to add insult to injury.
Who is this…
I don't know, I've never seen him before!
What's wrong with him?
The people around them discussed the situation animatedly. Seeing that everyone was here, Zhang Cong did not want to be outdone and thought that this would be the best time to embarrass Qiao Mei. He lay on the ground and stopped moving, then he cried loudly,
Qiao Mei, why are you so vicious? You actually pushed me down.
Auntie Dong arrived late, but seeing this unfamiliar man admonishing Qiao Mei, she pointed at him and asked,
You said Qiao Mei pushed you? Look at Qiao Mei's small build, how can she have the strength to push you!
That's right, that's right…
Qiao Mei is so thin, how can she have the strength to push down a man…
You don't even blush when you lie!
The people around them did not think that Qiao Mei could push the man down. If he was talking about the original Qiao Mei, he might still be able to convince people. However, the current Qiao Mei was petite and looked weak. The fact that she was also pregnant made her seem even more frail. People thought it was obvious that this man was lying.
Only a few people knew that Qiao Mei was actually very strong. People like Zhao Liang, Auntie Dong, Auntie Wang, and the others who were close to her knew the amount of strength Qiao Mei had when she worked. The rest of the people felt that Qiao Mei was thin and weak and had become even weaker after she got pregnant.
You!
Zhang Cong covered his leg and pointed at Qiao Mei, not knowing what to say.
Uncle Zhao, you have to help me. I'm just a girl, how strong can I be? He's just extorting me!
Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Liang, who was rushing over.
Zhao Liang naturally knew how strong Qiao Mei was, but she was from his village after all, so he could only go against his conscience and said,
Well… that's true. You're a girl, so you really don't have much strength… What does everyone think? Don't you agree!
That's right, that's right!
Yes!
Everyone laughed.
Between a stranger from elsewhere and Qiao Mei, their neighbor who helped them earn money, it was obvious who everyone would side with.
You! All of you!
Zhang Cong pointed at the people around him and was speechless from anger. He had never seen such shameless people. Were they all blind!
Zhang Cong was indeed quite seriously injured. He would probably need to rest his ankle for a period of time, otherwise it might not heal properly. Anyone could tell from the huge beads of sweat on Zhang Cong's forehead that it must be very painful. In addition, the small slope outside Li Gui's house was not steep at all.
But so what? Putting aside the question of whether Qiao Mei was the one who did it or not, everyone believed that the amiable Qiao Mei would not hit someone for no reason. This person must have done something first.
He wanted to push me! He's my mother's stepson and came to ask my mother for money! He took all my mother's money! Then he found it was not enough so he came and asked me for more!
Qiao Mei pointed at Zhang Cong when she spoke and then she quickly pretended to cover her face and sobbed bitterly.
That's all my hard-earned money! That's the money I need to raise my children!
Qiao Mei slapped her leg as she sobbed. When the people around her heard this, they looked at Zhang Cong fiercely.
120
These lies just flowed out of her mouth. Auntie Dong was the closest to Qiao Mei among all the rest. When she heard what Qiao Mei said, she clenched her fists and wanted to hit Zhang Cong. However, seeing that Zhao Liang was around, she held back and went over to hold Qiao Mei.
Mei Mei, your body is weak so don't cry.
Zhang Qin thoughtfully brought a stool out from inside the house for Qiao Mei to sit on, but Qiao Mei cried even louder.
You black-hearted b*tch! I'm not here to ask for money! I was kind enough to want to help you when I saw you carrying things, but you pushed me! You're such an ungrateful person! I'm going to sue you!
Zhang Cong stood up with a limp and pointed at Qiao Mei as he scolded her.
Huh? You said you're not here to ask for money?
Qiao Mei immediately stopped crying once she heard what she was waiting to hear and she quickly posed a question to him.
Of course not!
Then you won't come back and ask for money in the future as well, right?
Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Cong with a smile. Only then did Zhang Cong realize that this woman was trying to trick him.
However, he did not know how to answer her as he definitely still wanted the money. In the end, the longer he stayed silent, the more everyone understood why this guy was here.
He's been exposed!
It's so obvious that he's not a good person!
The people in the city must find life very tough! They need to come to the countryside to ask for money, how great is that!
Auntie Dong put her hands on her hips and looked at Zhang Cong mockingly.
Hahahahahahahahaha…
Everyone around them burst out laughing.
That's right. His father even said that my mother has to hand over all the money she earns in the future. Also that my mother has been living off him all these years and even gave birth to four children, and that she will never be able to pay back the Zhang family in this lifetime!
Qiao Mei shouted from the door.
The villagers all spat at Zhang Cong.
Pfft! What a joke! What rubbish! A woman bears children for your family and yet she still owes her life to your family. What a joke, we can laugh our heads off!
Zhang Cong really could not bring himself to deny that his family ever said all these because he was afraid that Qiao Mei would use his words against him again. He also could not say that he would not come to Li Gui for money and vegetables in the future. Otherwise, Zhang Qian would skin him alive when he returned home.
You! Aiyo… You have to take me to the hospital! You've caused me to break my leg!
Zhang Cong moaned when he saw that there was no way for him to rebut.
Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Liang, not knowing how Uncle Zhao was going to handle this. In this era, the Public Security Bureau did not really deal with issues like this, they only took up matters like murder, arson or poisoning. Basically, for such matters, the production brigade had the final say.
This is extortion! He's trying to extort money! Which one of you saw that happened!
Qiao Qiang stepped out and pointed at Zhang Cong, though he could tell that the bruised ankle was really injured. Whatever Qiao Mei did, she really did not hold back.
Ever since Qiao Mei had this pendant, she had become stronger and her body constitution had improved a lot. Her face had also become rosy.
Everyone shook their heads and said that they did not see it. This time, Zhang Cong was even angrier and cursed,
You bloody old man…
Before he could finish speaking, everyone got angry with him. Qiao Qiang was an old war hero and the pride of the village, no one could slander him. How dare he scold Qiao Qiang!
Quickly get lost from our village!
Zhao Liang did not bother to be polite this time. A few militiamen grabbed Zhang Cong and wanted to drag him off. Seeing this situation, Zhang Cong did not dare to stay any longer and limped away. Before he left, he saw Li Gui standing at the edge of the crowd and shouted at her,
Give me money! I want to go to the hospital!
Li Gui was afraid of getting into more trouble, so she just followed behind the crowd, not expecting that Zhang Cong still caught a glimpse of her. Just as she was about to reach into her pocket for the money, Auntie Dong stopped her and said quietly,
Sister, are you stupid, what good is there from giving him money. Then he will still come back to ask for money again and there will be no end to it. Just don't give it to him!
Li Gui fell into deep thought when she heard this. Although Li Gui was timid, she was not irrational and took the advice. She covered her pocket and said softly,
I… I don't have money!
You still say that you're not extorting money!
Auntie Wang, who was at the front of the crowd, said mockingly.
Who's extorting money! You're all so unreasonable!
Seeing that everyone sided with Li Gui and Qiao Mei, Zhang Cong was so angry that he pointed at Li Gui and said,
Li Gui, let me tell you! You're dead meat! Wait for my father to come! My father will beat you to death!