Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 107 Disarming the Sickle with Bare Hands

The first thing Zhai Qingming said when he came over was the gossip he had been thinking about all day.

"Zhai Qingming, would you like to take over this job from my family?"

"If you don't want to do it, I'll go to Nantun and find Ma Wu and Ma Liu right now."

Zhang Changyao intimidated Zhai Qingming by pretending to get up and leave.

"Changyao...Changyao...I was just joking, why are you getting so worked up?"

How could Zhai Qingming let Zhang Changyao, this god of wealth, leave his home?

She dragged him into her room, calling out to Sun Fengying and asking her to cook.

"Qingming, the house needs to be built quickly and well."

I'll take the whole package and not interfere. You calculate how much it will cost.

Also, I have to work as your assistant, and the pay will be the same as Hou Jiu's.

That way I can earn money while keeping an eye on you, kid, to prevent you from trying to save money and fool me.

In fact, Zhang Changyao trusted Zhai Qingming, but he was just worried that Zhai might lose control of himself for money.

"Okay, whatever. I can hire whoever I want. One or two people can't build a house anyway."

We don't have much firewood, so we have to use yours to feed the sheep that are stuck in the wall.

Also, you need to give me the money in advance. I don't have the money to pay for the purlins, beams, and reeds.

Zhai Qingming and Zhang Changyao didn't pretend and spoke frankly.

"Okay, the money is already prepared. Just let me know after you've calculated it."

Zhang Changyao unceremoniously sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), and the two of them clinked their wine cups together and drank them down with a "sizzle".

Zhang Changyao returned home after a satisfying meal, and before he could even sit down, he saw Zhang Shuhua push open the door and come in.

"Changyao, hurry up and hitch up the car to take me to pick up your older sister."

I just heard from Zhou Ba, the tofu seller, that your older sister is being beaten up by Hu Xiao's mother at the door.

I don't even know what she looks like now. That brat just wouldn't listen to me, and now look what's happened.

I knew Hu Xiao's mother wouldn't forget a grudge; she might even kill her again.

Zhang Shuhua's speech was incoherent and rambling.

Without waiting for Zhang Changyao to react, she pulled him towards her home.

"Auntie, we also have a donkey. We can use this cart to get there."

Startled, Zhang Changyao sobered up, grabbed Zhang Shuhua, pushed her to stand against the wall, and went to hitch up the car.

"Auntie, here are the bedding. Put them in the car in case my older sister comes back. Make sure she's covered up properly."

Yang Wuni climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), took out Zhang Changyao's bedding, and stuffed it into Zhang Shuhua's arms.

"Wu Ni, your aunt's heart is breaking, what... what should we do?"

Why don't you come with us? You're a smart kid.

If your older sister doesn't want to come back with us, could you help me persuade her?

We can't stay at this animal's house any longer; nothing is more important than life.

Zhang Shuhua placed the bedding on the donkey cart, took Yang Wuni's hand, and begged her.

Yang Wuni couldn't bear it, and with red eyes, she followed Zhang Shuhua into the car.

Zhang Changyao whipped the donkey again and again, the donkey's four hooves kicking up clouds of dust.

In a short while, the group arrived at Hu Xiao's front door.

Several neighbors who were watching the commotion from the wall jumped onto the wall in fright when they saw a car speeding into the yard.

"Mother, I beg you, Shuyun is my wife, she is not a ghost."

Mother, put down the sickle and stick so I can bandage your arm.

"Mother, Shuyun is carrying your grandson; you can't hit her anymore."

Hu Xiao stretched out his arms, his thin body blocking the doorway of his own outer room, pleading with his mother.

Hu Xiaoniang held a wooden stick in one hand and a sickle in the other.

Her hair was a tangled mess, with a few willow leaves stuck to it.

His clothes were torn open, revealing a shriveled chest and visible ribs.

There's a deep groove on my arm, about the length of a chopstick, where you can see the bone.

Warm blood kept gushing out of the "deep trench".

Fresh blood dripped down her elbow and onto her bare feet.

Blood had covered the entire foot, and the surrounding area was dark red, clearly indicating that the blood had seeped into the soil.

"A ghost...it's a ghost...son, she's a ghost, you shouldn't be with her."

I can't be mistaken, that's exactly how it looks, I remember him.

He wants to kill you and leave. If you don't go with him, he'll kill you...

Hu Xiaoniang's eyes were filled with fear, and her body trembled violently.

He kept muttering these words to himself.

"Hu Xiao, where's my older sister?"

Zhang Changyao tied the donkey cart to the garden gate and was about to go over and settle accounts with Hu Xiao.

"Changyao, don't come any closer. My mother is having a mental breakdown and she might kill someone. Your older sister is fine; she's inside."

Hu Xiao waved his hand forcefully, preventing Zhang Changyao from getting close to his mother.

"Hu Xiao, we've come to pick up my older sister and take her home. I need to see her."

Zhang Changyao had never seen a madman kill anyone, so he continued walking forward fearlessly out of ignorance.

"Changyao, I'm here."

When Guan Shuyun heard Zhang Changyao's voice, she leaned against the window and called out.

"Sis, climb out the window, I'll come catch you." Zhang Changyao went straight to the window.

"Ghost...the ghost is out! I'm going to kill you and see how you'll harm my son then!"

When Hu Xiao's mother saw Guan Shuyun's face in the window, she became agitated.

Waving sticks and sickles, they hacked and slashed at the window frame.

The stick was bounced off the windowsill by a chicken wheel, and the sickle got stuck in the edge of the wood.

Hu Xiaoniang used both hands to forcefully pull the sickle out.

He started hacking at Guan Shuyun in the direction she was going into the house.

The window paper was cut into strips, and the window panes were also cut to pieces.

Guan Shuyun, terrified, huddled at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed) and dared not utter another sound.

With one hand holding a sickle and the other grabbing the window sash, Hu Xiaoniang tried to climb inside.

Hu Xiao, who was standing at the door, had already entered the house and was holding Guan Shuyun, who was trembling.

He spread his arms and legs, shielding Guan Shuyun behind him, and waited for his mother to crawl in.

Zhang Changyao disregarded the danger and hugged Hu Xiaoniang from behind.

Zhang Shuhua and Yang Wuni had already gotten off the donkey cart.

Unable to get involved due to the chaotic scene, I searched the yard for something handy and usable.

"Zhang Changyao, watch out for the sickle."

Seeing Hu Xiaoniang raise her sickle and slash at Zhang Changyao behind her, Yang Wuni saw Hu Xiaoniang raise her sickle and slash at Zhang Changyao behind her.

Ignoring his fear, he ran a few steps and grabbed the sickle blade with his hand.

The excruciating pain made her instantly loosen her grip, yet she was forced to grab the sickle handle again.

He leaned back and finally managed to wrest the sickle from the ground.

Due to inertia, Yang Wuni stumbled backward, but fortunately, Zhang Shuhua caught her from behind.

The two of them fell down together, and Yang Wuni happened to sit in Zhang Shuhua's lap.

Zhang Shuhua, who was quite old, cried out "Oh dear!" and fainted.

"Zhang Changyao, Aunt... Aunt..." Yang Wuni raised herself up and roared.

Zhang Changyao was too busy to attend to everything, so he could only focus on Hu Xiaoniang, whom he was holding.

"Hu Xiao, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get down to find a rope."