Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 13 Explanation is Equivalent to Covering Up

"Wu Ni... Yang Wu Ni... Get your ass inside the house."

Zhang Changyao knew that Yang Wuni had seen his hand inside Zheng Meizhi's clothes.

I was afraid she would misunderstand and pull her hand away, so I called her inside and explained to her.

"I didn't see anything, I... I'll go get another bundle of firewood."

Yang Wuni was at a loss. She ran out and squatted on the stone at the gate, too afraid to go back inside.

"Yang Wuni, come inside! It's so cold tonight, are you torturing yourself?"

Zhang Changyao followed her out, kicked the gatepost, and told her to come inside.

"Oh!" Yang Wuni had nowhere to hide, so she could only clutch the hem of her clothes and go inside to heat the kang (a heated brick bed).

Zheng Meizhi, wrapped in a quilt, leaned against the heated wall on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Her loose hair draped over the top of the fire wall, which was no taller than a stool.

Zhang Changyao stood somewhat awkwardly behind Yang Wuni, who was squatting down to heat the kang (a traditional heated brick bed).

After Yang Wuni stuffed the last corn stalk into the stove, she picked up a broom and swept the floor.

Yang Wuni climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), pulled back the quilt stack, and laid out the bedding in order.

He then dragged his own set of clothes to the far end of the kang (a heated brick bed), far away from Zhang Changyao and Zheng Meizhi's bedding.

"I said, Yang Wuni, even Zhang Changyao's father knows that you two hid away for a few days when you got married."

"You're blatantly trying to sleep on the same kang (heated brick bed) as us. What do you mean by that?"

Zheng Meizhi stood up and kicked over Yang Wuni's blanket.

With his hands on his hips, he clearly didn't want Yang Wuni to sleep on the same kang (heated brick bed) with him.

"Zheng Meizhi, don't go too far. This is my and Yang Wuni's home."

You're the one who shamelessly refuses to leave my kang (heated brick bed).

Now you've kicked over Yang Wuni's blanket, aren't you going too far?

"You get down to the ground and go home right now. I, Zhang Changyao, can't afford to keep a shrew like you."

Zhang Changyao saw Yang Wuni standing on the ground, clutching a quilt, with her head down and tears streaming down her face, having nowhere to go.

He climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), grabbed Zheng Meizhi's arm, and tried to pull her to the ground so she could go home.

"Zhang Changyao, I'm not going anywhere tonight. If you dare to drag me again, I'll blackmail you."

I'm going to the police station to report you for molesting me, tearing my clothes, and touching my breasts.

Zheng Meizhi shook off Zhang Changyao's hand, crawled into bed, covered herself with the blanket, and was about to go to sleep.

"Wu Ni, put the quilt on the kang and come with me."

Zhang Changyao knew that under the current circumstances, he was definitely not capable of dealing with Zheng Meizhi.

He then took Yang Wuni to his aunt Zhang Shuhua to ask for help.

Zhang Shuhua's home is located in the northeast corner of the village, at the end of a downhill road.

Her husband died from smoking years ago, and she and her children were taken in by the landlord's father to be raised.

My father and mother passed away one after the other when the land was divided up during the land reform.

She had no choice but to move back to this impoverished Zhangzhuang.

Zhang Changyao's father and mother also came to Zhangzhuang around that time, carrying their three children in baskets along with their older sister.

Zhang Shuhua raised three children alone, and they lived a very frugal life.

Fortunately, neither of his two sons, Guan Shu and Guan Lin, spent any money on their weddings.

The house was built by the two children themselves, without making things difficult for her, the widow.

But this daughter, Guan Shuyun, was the only one who gave her trouble.

The mother and daughter are sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) now, discussing the families who came to propose marriage today.

"Auntie, Sister," Zhang Changyao greeted as he entered the house.

He then pulled Yang Wuni, who was behind him, over and made her sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Changyao, why aren't you two sleeping at home? What are you doing out so late with your pregnant wife?"

Guan Shuyun was displeased when she saw Yang Wuni, so her tone naturally became harsh.

She had just been telling her mother about how Zhang Kaiju and Zhang Changyao had married a pregnant woman to save money.

"Sister, Yang Wuni and I have nowhere to stay, so we'd like to ask to stay at your place."

Zhang Changyao had lived at his aunt's house since he was a child, so he didn't hesitate to take off his shoes and sit on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Since his mother left, his aunt has been his mother.

"Zhang Changyao, do you get itchy rashes all over your body if you don't get beaten up for a few days?"

Looks like I really need to train you properly, so you won't go looking for trouble.

Guan Shuyun picked up a broom and was about to hit Zhang Changyao.

Beating up Zhang Changyao was just an everyday occurrence for Guan Shuyun.

"Shuyun, you're acting like a big sister-in-law. Changyao's wife is still here."

Changyao, tell your aunt what happened. Why do you have nowhere to live?

Zhang Shuhua was a composed person. She grabbed Guan Shuyun's broom and threw it aside, then asked Zhang Changyao in a slow, drawn-out voice.

Zhang Changyao then told Zhang Shuhua, without hiding anything, about how Zheng Meizhi had stayed on the kang (heated brick bed) at his house and refused to leave.

"Changyao, I told you but you wouldn't listen, and you always said Zheng Meizhi couldn't do it. Now look what happened! I was right, wasn't I?"

Everyone in our village knows what she's like, but you're so naive and clueless, getting involved with her.

Guan Shuyun knew that her previous warning to Zhang Changyao had come true.

He wouldn't let it go and poked Zhang Changyao's elbow with his finger, scolding him relentlessly.

"Changyao, your aunt says we can't just keep hiding from this."

That's your and Wu Ni's home; you can't let others take it over.

You two come with me now to Zheng Jingren's house to find him.

He can't just stay home and enjoy the peace and quiet, ignoring our lives.

If he doesn't bring his daughter back tonight, we'll shout it all over the village.

I refuse to believe that Zheng Jingren would ever be so shameless.

Zhang Shuhua got out of bed, put on her shoes, found a thick cotton-padded coat to wear, and put on a blue and red checkered headscarf.

"Changyao's wife, why are you getting involved with other people's fun while you're heavily pregnant?"

If you bump into something and have to pay for medical treatment, who would want to take advantage of that?

Yang Wuni wanted to go too, but Guan Shuyun pulled her back and made her sit next to her.

The matter was handled well, but the words spoken were extremely harsh.

"Sis, I..."

Yang Wuni was angered by Guan Shuyun's words and was about to retort, but she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Guan Shuyun ignored Yang Wuni, pushed the small basket containing the roasted clams to her, and lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) with her eyes half-closed, pretending to be asleep.

"Is anyone home at Old Zheng's house?"

Zhang Shuhua led Zhang Changyao to push open the wooden door of Zheng Jingren's house.

I assumed it was just a single old man at home, so I went straight to the door of the outer room before greeting him.

"Someone's here...someone's here...wait a minute...wait a minute before you come in."

Inside the room, Zheng Jingren spoke in a flustered manner, stammering as he answered.

"Auntie, let's not go inside yet. It seems like something's happening inside?"

Zheng Jingren's rapid breathing aroused Zhang Changyao's suspicion.

He stretched out his arm to stop Zhang Shuhua, who was about to reach for the door.

"That lewd old man gave birth to a shameless little brat; there's not a single good person in this family."

Zhang Shuhua cursed under her breath; the grudge between the two was far more complicated than could be explained in a few words.

"Zhang Shuhua, what brings you here so late?" Zheng Jingren blocked the doorway, preventing anyone from entering.

"Zheng Jingren, you don't let your guests come in when they visit?"

Zhang Shuhua pushed Zheng Jingren aside, turned sideways and went into the inner room, with Zhang Changyao following closely behind.

"Zhang Shuhua, how could you do this? You're trespassing!"