Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 167 If the roots are not right, the seedlings will not be right.

Yang Dianjun's words left Yang Wuni feeling uneasy.

She knew Du Qiu was a good person and wouldn't refuse other people's requests.

He decided to speak first, lest Du Qiuniang find out and blame him later.

"Wu Ni, don't overthink it. I'm not just trying to help your brother-in-law."

A few days ago, my mother asked someone to act as a matchmaker for me. The woman had a face full of pockmarks and a limp.

I disagreed, and my mother scolded me severely.

I had no choice but to stay in your brother's car and ride around with him.

After Du Qiu had eaten and drunk his fill, he straightened up and told Yang Wuni about his situation.

"Oh my! There are so many people in this family, and the house smells so good inside and out."

I could tell from the smell that it was stewed pork and cabbage.

Zheng Meizhi smoothed her wind-blown hair and pushed open the door to enter the house.

"Zheng Meizhi, what are you doing? Wu Ni is in her postpartum confinement period. Let's talk outside if you have something to say."

Zhang Changyao felt uneasy whenever he saw Zheng Meizhi; the messy things that had happened these past few days had been bothering him.

He was afraid that if something else went wrong, Wu Ni would get angry and hurt herself.

Zhang Changyao, I'm not here to see you this time. I'm now the head of the Women's Federation in our village.

Your wife gave birth to a son, and she will have to get sterilized after her postpartum period.

The women in our village are all very cooperative, so your family can't afford to find me any trouble.

Zheng Meizhi took out several small notebooks, each about the size of a palm, and slapped them together in her hands.

"I've heard that after having a son, you need to get an IUD inserted, but I've never heard of having a tubal ligation done directly?"

Yang Wuni frowned as she looked at Zhang Changyao, who in turn looked at Zheng Meizhi.

"Zheng Meizhi, who appointed you as the head of the Women's Federation? If you become the head of the Women's Federation, what will happen if all the women in our village follow your example?"

Let alone tubal ligation, we wouldn't even consider getting an IUD inserted.

Don't think you can come to our house and act tough just because you're using the Women's Federation as a front.

Now we have a popular election system. I don't care whether others agree with you being the Women's Federation or not, I just don't agree.

The Women's Federation represents the women in our village.

What outstanding contributions have you made, or what remarkable achievements can represent women?

Ever since Zhang Changyao found out that Zheng Meizhi was seeing him while also seeing Hu Xianfa, he had been holding a grudge.

He didn't care about Zheng Meizhi's feelings when he said those words.

"Zhang Changyao, you...I...I was appointed by Village Chief Hu."

Whether you admit it or not, I'm also a member of the Women's Federation in this village.

If your wife doesn't get sterilized, I'll have the family planning office come and arrest her.

I refuse to believe that you can outsmart the law, no matter how stubborn you are.

Zheng Meizhi, having failed to get a good cigarette, turned her large rear end up kicking open the door and walking out.

"Wu Ni, we're not going to get sterilized. I heard it's like casting a sow; she'll never be able to have babies again."

Yang Deshan, who was feeding Liao Zhi, whispered to Yang Wuni.

"Zhang Changyao, you need to go to town and find my childhood friend tomorrow."

Just tell him to do it the way I told him when I came back last time.

Besides, you registered Wenda's household registration under my name.

Even without proof, you can have one son or two daughters.

Liao Zhi had selfish motives; he was afraid of losing Liao Wenda, his hard-won son.

"Yes! Liao Zhi, you're right, Wenda will be registered under your name."

That way, Wu Ni and I can have one or two more children.

Zhang Changyao rubbed his hands together excitedly, looking at Liao Zhi with gratitude.

"Brother-in-law, why did you have so many children? I think one is enough."

Du Qiu went down to the ground to help Zhang Changyao pick up the bowls and chopsticks, and asked Zhang Changyao why she didn't understand.

"Brother Du Qiu, you don't know until you get married, but no matter if you've been poor or rich, you have to have something to strive for."

As long as a person is alive, they will grow older day by day, so that certainly can't be considered a goal.

Raising a child changes everything; you watch him grow up day by day and become more sensible.

People surround you, begging for food and drink; that's the meaning of your work, earning money, and surviving.

Zhang Changyao walked between the inner and outer rooms, explaining to Du Qiu the reasons for having a child.

"Brother-in-law, I think you're wrong. What you're describing is a filial child."

If you end up with someone who beats and curses their parents, someone who is heartless and unjust.

"Can that still be hope? It might be despair." Du Qiu disagreed with Zhang Changyao's words and retorted.

"Brother Du Qiu, you don't understand the situation here. As long as the parents don't beat or scold each other, the children won't beat or scold each other either."

As long as you act uprightly and honestly, your child will not grow up to be a crooked tree.

What a child becomes when they grow up is something they learn from their parents and society.

Don't blame your child for going astray; it's because their parents didn't create a good environment for them.

Children who grow up in the soil can make clay bricks, and children who swim in the water can catch fish.

Farm children learn to hoe the ground before they even grow up, and children from merchants learn to haggle as soon as they start talking.

A child's character is determined by their parents, so how can you blame the child?

Just as Zhang Changyao was about to wash the dishes, Yang Deshan snatched them away, the old man complaining that he was just trying to fool him.

"Yes! Having more children is also good, because if one person produces a lot of beans, the whole family benefits."

"Changyao is right. If the roots aren't straight, the seedlings won't be straight either, and the gourds that grow will be crooked." Yang Deshan echoed Zhang Changyao's words.

The next day, Zhang Changyao sent Du Qiu to Wang Ga's house to work.

After teaching Du Qiu, he drove his donkey cart to town to find Liao Zhi's childhood friend.

Liao Zhi's childhood friend is of medium build, rather thin, with a dark, shiny, side-parted hairstyle.

Oval face, big eyes, square chin, thin lips.

I sat in my office chair, organizing the documents in my hands.

"Young man, I'd like to ask if Meng Lizhi is in this house?"

Zhang Changyao pushed the door open a crack and asked in a voice slightly louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Who are you looking for?

When Meng Lizhi saw Zhang Changyao acting like a thief, he couldn't help but frown.

Is Meng Lizhi in this room?

Zhang Changyao pushed the door open and continued to ask in a louder voice.

"I am Meng Lizhi, why are you doing this to me?"

Meng Lizhi put his things on the desk and stared at Zhang Changyao.

"Young man, this is a letter Liao Zhi asked me to write for you."

Zhang Changyao handed the letter he was holding to Meng Lizhi, then stepped back and waited for him to finish reading it.

"Brother, sit down. You two are really kind-hearted."

If you treat Liao Zhi badly, I doubt Liao Zhi would write to me in this tone.

"I will definitely take care of what he asked me to do. Did you bring everything I needed?"

Meng Lizhi subconsciously glanced outside the door to make sure no one was passing by.

He then reached out and took the paper household registration booklet that Zhang Changyao handed him.

He then asked for the child's name and gender, and hurriedly finished the task before handing it over to Zhang Changyao.

Zhang Changyao bowed and made gestures of gratitude, unsure how to express his thanks to Meng Lizhi.

Meng Lizhi put his finger to his lips and made a "shh" gesture.

Then, gently pushing Zhang Changyao's back, she saw him out the door.

Zhang Changyao was so happy that he forgot he had come in a donkey cart.

Only after walking out of the gate did he remember there was a donkey cart, so he ran back.

As soon as he entered the village, he saw his father-in-law, Yang Deming, come out of the gate of his old man's house.

Zhang Kaiju held Yang Deming's hand, his eyebrows and forehead wrinkles crinkling together with laughter.

Zhao Xiulan, who was following behind, shyly rubbed the hem of her clothes, clearly having fallen for him.