Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 177 So what if I have a bad stomach? The sky isn't falling.

Hou Jiu anxiously tugged at Zhang Changyao's sleeve, urging him to persuade Hou Liping.

"Liping, this is not Xiao Jiu's fault. He is young and does not understand the situation."

Tomorrow I'll have Brother Du Qiu come over and sleep with Xiao Jiu.

Even if Zhao Xiulan had ulterior motives, she was still afraid of the two young men. Zhang Changyao came over to persuade Hou Liping.

"Changyao, go with Xiao Jiu now and move your relative's luggage over."

I don't feel at ease going home without someone keeping him company.

When my parents died, they were still worried about him even as they were dying.

I've only been gone for a short time, and he's already caused such a mess.

"I'm glad I arrived just in time. If I had come during the Lunar New Year, I would have had to call that old lady 'brother's wife.'"

Hou Liping glanced at Hou Jiu sideways, her eyes full of worry.

"Come on, Xiao Jiu, come with me to move Brother Du Qiu's luggage to your house."

Zhang Changyao didn't want to talk too much with Hou Liping, this woman whose husband had just died.

He knows better than anyone how vulnerable he is right now.

Too much care will make her dependent, which will harm her.

Still shaken, Hou Jiu obediently followed behind Zhang Changyao and carried Du Qiu's luggage over.

What she called luggage was actually just a few layers of cloth pieced together and sewn together by Yang Wuni from clothes that were too worn to wear.

Every night when Du Qiu went to sleep, she would layer her own clothes and other people's clothes on top of her blanket.

In order to prevent the clothes and pants on the quilt from falling off.

He barely turned over all night, and if he did, he would immediately wake up from the cold.

When Zhang Changyao returned home, he began preparing meals so that Hu Xianjun and Yang Xiuqing could eat as soon as they came back.

The food had just been cooked when a terrible stench filled the house.

Yang Wuni, carrying the child, didn't care about the wind and went straight to the east room.

"What's wrong, Uncle?" Zhang Changyao asked as he entered the house, covering his nose.

"Changyao, you need to get out of here right away. Liao Zhi has a bad stomach and keeps having diarrhea."

"Take the quilts from the kang (heated brick bed) to the east room; Wu Ni and the children shouldn't get cold."

Yang Deshan watched as Zhang Changyao picked up the quilt from the kang (a heated brick bed), then quickly pushed him out and closed the door.

Liao Zhi's nose was stuffed with toilet paper, while he himself was busy without stopping for a moment.

The newly replaced sand on the kang (a heated brick bed) is no longer very clean.

Yang Deshan simply shoveled everything into the basket with the cloth sewn on.

Zhang Changyao didn't dare to delay and ran to Zhang Shuhua's house to borrow a donkey cart.

Whipping the donkey, they rushed off to the riverbank to collect sand.

After two hours of fussing and changing the sand three times, Liao Zhi's butt finally stopped "launching".

"Uncle, you rest for a while, I'll go and clean Liao Zhi up."

Zhang Changyao saw Yang Deshan leaning against the door frame, his head drooping listlessly.

They helped him into the east room and onto the kang (heated brick bed) so he could rest for a while.

She then used a basin of warm water to wipe Liao Zhi's body clean.

The floral shirt and pants that had been taken off were washed clean and placed on the kang (a heated brick bed) to be burned. Liao Zhi liked them and was unhappy if he wasn't allowed to wear them.

"Uncle, it's all my fault. I insisted on giving Liao Zhi dumplings."

Seeing Yang Deshan so exhausted that he couldn't move, Yang Wuni began to blame herself.

"Wu Ni, you silly child, you always take on everything yourself."

So what if Liao Zhi has a bad stomach? It's not like the sky is falling.

You only gave him the food because you cared about him; if it were anyone else, he wouldn't even be able to smell it.

Yang Deshan didn't want Yang Wuni to blame herself, so he turned around and tried to comfort her.

Inside the room, Zhang Changyao pulled the paper off Liao Zhi's nose, and Liao Zhi was so disgusted by the smell that tears streamed down her face.

Helpless, Zhang Changyao unfolded the towel and covered Liao Zhi's head.

Then he placed the newly bought scented soap next to Liao Zhi.

"How is it? Still smelly?"

Zhang Changyao, who had opened the door to let out the smell, bent down and asked Liao Zhi.

"It smells good and it smells bad!" Liao Zhi squeezed out a few words, which amused Zhang Changyao.

Hu Xianjun and Yang Xiuqing, who had just returned from shopping, smelled the strange odor coming from the outer room and didn't dare to say anything.

They assumed that this was how the house would be after a baby was born.

"Auntie, Uncle, your house is too empty."

I'll bring my tools with me when I pick up the car tomorrow.

"Get me some planks, and I'll make you some furniture."

Looking at the empty four walls, Hu Xianjun couldn't resist showing off his skills.

Xianjun, I'll go look for wood tomorrow. I don't need anything else, just make a pair of boxes for me.

Zhang Changyao didn't stand on ceremony with Hu Xianjun; it was a good opportunity to test his cooking skills.

"Okay, let's open the boxes."

Hu Xianjun was secretly pleased; all he knew was how to make boxes, and he hadn't yet mastered any other skills.

The next morning, Hu Xianjun and Yang Xiuqing left the courtyard, and Zhang Changyao went out to look for wood.

The best wood for making chests is completely dry wood. Chests made from wet wood will develop cracks after they dry completely.

A thick log stood in front of Guo Erluzi's house, catching Zhang Changyao's eye.

Zhang Changyao saw Guo Erluzi squatting on the ground collecting corn kernels in the Guo family's yard.

Instead of calling him first, she used her fingers to measure the piece of wood she had chosen, one stab at a time.

Guo Erluzi heard the noise and turned around. Not understanding Zhang Changyao's behavior, he walked closer to him to see.

Guo Erluzi's real name is Guo Xuezhi. He is 1.7 meters tall, with big eyes and a round face.

Square mouth, parted hair, floral shirt, bell-bottoms.

He stood silently behind Zhang Changyao, waiting to see what he was up to.

Zhang Changyao took the measurements and made sure it was usable before turning around.

When he came face to face with Guo Erluzi, he was so frightened that he cried out, "Oh my god!"

"Zhang Changyao, what are you doing, coming to my house to touch this piece of wood?"

Guo Erluzi is two years younger than Zhang Changyao, and he usually doesn't take him seriously.

He not only disregarded Zhang Changyao, but he disregarded everyone in the village.

"Hey Erluzi, my family needs to make a bunch of chests, and this piece of wood you have is perfect for it. Would you sell it?"

"Sell! I'm just afraid you can't afford it!" Guo Erluzi replied to Zhang Changyao with a smile.

"How much?" Zhang Changyao didn't waste any more words and asked for the result directly.

"It's not much, just fifty yuan. Pay right now, and you can take your things away."

Guo Erluzi crossed his arms and looked at Zhang Changyao defiantly.

"Erluzi, your family doesn't lack wood, so why are you asking for such an exorbitant price?"

This wood is just firewood in your house, and you're asking for fifty yuan? Aren't you taking advantage of us?

Zhang Changyao was enraged by Guo Erluzi's words and argued with him, his face flushed.

"Zhang Changyao, if you don't have money, just say so. I'm not forcing you to buy it."

If you don't buy it now, you won't see this piece of wood again in a while.

I'll carry it inside now to heat the kang (heated brick bed), so no one will covet it.

Guo Erluzi didn't wait for Zhang Changyao. He said whether to buy or not, picked up the wood, and was about to go into the house.

"Second brother, your brother Changyao is here. Why don't you let him come in and visit?"

"Changyao, come inside quickly. Your auntie needs your help with something these next few days."