Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 179 Climbing the social ladder through family ties

Liao Zhi sighed, opened his mouth, and waited for Zhang Changyao to pour the steamed egg custard into his mouth.

"Liao Zhi, you're just bored and restless."

I'll go buy writing paper and envelopes these next few days. Didn't you say you'd teach me how to write to make money?

Once we've earned back our royalties, I'll treat you to delicious food every day.

It's not your fault if you get an upset stomach; it's because your stomach is always dry and oily. Eating oily food will cause diarrhea.

Wu Ni fed you chicken soup, but you wouldn't drink it. If you drank a little every day, maybe things wouldn't be like this now.

Zhang Changyao fed Liao Zhi the entire small bowl of steamed egg custard.

Wipe his mouth clean, then give him a sip of water so he can rinse his mouth.

"Zhang Changyao, how can I take Wu Ni's things from her?"

If she can't recover and gets sick, can you support this family?

Have you ever seen a bachelor who can make a good living?

A home is only a home when there is a woman; a home without a woman is just a doghouse.

I don't want to suffer with you, so let's give all the good food to Wu Ni.

Only when Wu Ni is here can I lie here cleanly.

"If I followed you, I'd probably have to eat shit with you."

Liao Zhi regained his usual humor and said with a chuckle.

"Hahaha! Liao Zhi, don't worry, even if I have to eat shit, I'll give you the hottest first bite."

Zhang Changyao didn't hold back and joked with Liao Zhi.

"Uncle, where did you get this piece of wood? It's perfectly straight."

Hu Xianjun, who had taken Yang Xiuqing and her belongings home, drove his donkey cart into the yard.

Looking at the logs Zhang Changyao carried back from Guo Erluzi's house, he was so reluctant to take them inside that he didn't want to go inside.

"Xianjun, is that enough to make a pair of boxes?" Zhang Changyao came out and asked Hu Xianjun.

"Uncle-in-law, that's enough."

Hu Xianjun bent down, moved the piece of wood aside, and looked at the other side.

Then they took the adze, chisel, axe, and saw off the donkey cart and placed them in front of the wood.

Without Yang Xiuqing by his side, Hu Xianjun was less reserved.

Once inside, he sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), took out a cigarette from Zhang Changyao's newly bought cigarette box, and lit it.

"Xianjun, have you set a wedding date with Xiuqing?"

Yang Wuni put on her shoes and went to pour water for Hu Xianjun.

"Wu Ni, why are you out in the fields?"

Zhang Changyao quickly jumped to the ground, picked up Yang Wuni, and placed her on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Uncle-in-law, you're so good to my aunt. I'll do the same for Xiuqing during her postpartum period, not letting her do anything," Hu Xianjun said with envy.

"Xianjun, you can only tell if a man treats a woman well when she is in postpartum confinement."

It's said that children call women "Mom," so it's like a child being born to anyone.

Since you've come with us, you'll help us farm, wash our clothes, and cook for us.

What's their motive? They're only willing to do these jobs because they see we're good people.

We men need to know which end of the kang (heated brick bed) is the hottest and which end of the dish is the saltiest.

Don't break her heart. If she ends up marrying someone else and having their children, you'll be the one who regrets it.

Zhang Changyao poured Hu Xianjun a cup of hot water and patiently taught him.

He knew that Yang Xiuqing was too honest and not good with words.

As her uncle, he would help her however little he could.

We should try our best to make Hu Xianjun understand the meaning of a couple's life together.

"Uncle, I really hadn't thought about the reasons you're giving me."

I figured that after we got married, I would focus all my energy on being good to Xiuqing.

It wasn't easy for Xiuqing's mother to raise her four children.

From now on, I will help Xiuqing's mother support this family so that she can finally get some rest.

Yu Suo and her two younger brothers said they're growing up fast, and as their brother-in-law, I have to help them get married.

As long as I, Hu Xianjun, have food to eat, I will not let my mother-in-law and brothers-in-law go hungry.

Hu Xianjun spoke with foam at the corners of his mouth and his back straight as he stood.

"Xianjun, your uncle has high hopes for you. Just remember what you said."

Your aunt and I both think highly of you; we know you're a kind and righteous child.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to write you a reply for Xiuqing.

Zhang Changyao praised Hu Xianjun, making the man, who was the same age as Zhang Changyao, sound as excited as if he were going to the battlefield.

Just as the two were having a good time talking, Guo Erluzi peered into the house through the window.

"Hey, donkey, can you come inside? Doesn't your big head scare people?"

Zhang Changyao was still holding a grudge against Guo Erluzi for making things difficult for him during the day, and he spoke rudely to him.

"Brother Changyao, this is my first time helping someone with lactation, I have no experience."

"Take a look and see where you'd like to put these two old hens."

Guo Erluzi entered the house, holding up two hens in his hands for Zhang Changyao with a forced smile.

"Hey, donkey, look at this, why are you guys even having lactation massages?"

Caught off guard, Zhang Changyao quickly changed his expression.

With a big smile on his face, he pulled Guo Erluzi into the house and made him sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

She took the two hens from his hands, opened the door, and put them in the chicken coop in the yard.

"Sister-in-law Wuni, I've known you for a long time. I used to visit Old Zhang's house in your village all the time."

"I even talked to you when you were squatting under the big tree back then."

Guo Erluzi was a natural at making friends, and he immediately tried to get close to Yang Wuni.

"Oh! I remember you, you're the kid who threw stones at me with Zhang Guoding."

I smashed a clod of dirt over my head and got a big bump on it.

Go back and find Zhang Guoding's mother; she'll help you both get revenge.

In the end, I smashed his face with a tree branch, right?

Yang Wuni pointed at Guo Erluzi and laughed, and Guo Erluzi immediately blushed.

He hadn't expected Yang Wuni to remember it so clearly.

"You're Zhang Guoding's cousin," Hu Xianjun, who had been listening nearby, chimed in.

"Who are you?" Guo Erluzi didn't recognize Hu Xianjun. He scratched his head, trying hard to remember.

"I am Hu Xianjun, Zhang Guoding's brother-in-law," Hu Xianjun introduced himself.

"Oh my! Brother Hu, aren't we really relatives?"

"Sister-in-law Wuni, we're relatives now, you can't hold a grudge against me."

Guo Erluzi immediately changed his attitude after he managed to establish a kinship with Yang Wuni.

He sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed) without taking off his shoes, and sat opposite Hu Xianjun.

"What? I was just out for a little while, and when I came back I had a relative?"

Zhang Changyao went down to the outer room and heard Guo Erluzi's last words.

"Uncle, this guy is my brother-in-law's cousin."

"Erluzi, from now on you can't call me 'brother' or 'sister-in-law' anymore. You have to call me 'aunt' and 'aunt's husband' instead, just like me."

Hu Xianjun handed his half-smoked cigarette to Guo Erluzi.

Tell him to hold the cigarette he just took out of the pack up to the fire.

"Uncle-in-law, now that we're relatives, I'll be honest and not lie to you."

My mother sent me here because she needs your help with two things.

The first thing is for me to send you back the money you used to buy the wood.

The second thing is that I need to apologize to you.

I treated you that way today because I was being foolish; please don't hold it against me.