Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 189 Bloodstains All Over the Floor

Unable to get Zhang Changyao to do anything, Zhang Kaiju asked him for money, wanting to take the corn to the health center himself.

"Dad, I'm not trying to be mean, but you should take the money and drag Sui Yumi to the clinic now."

You're trying to protect that bastard child who's with the corn and the tree.

You saved this bastard child and let my older brother raise it; you're truly my older brother's father.

Zhang Changyao got off the donkey cart, unloaded the donkey, and tied it to the newly built makeshift donkey pen.

They pumped water for the donkeys and mixed hay, but they wouldn't give Zhang Kaiju any pension money.

"In-law, if you have something to say, come inside. Changyao just got back from work, let the child rest for a while."

When Yang Deshan saw Zhang Kaiju standing there, he symbolically came over to greet him.

"Yang Deshan, don't pretend. Ever since you joined the Zhang family, I haven't heard anything about my youngest son."

You're quite the sharp-tongued uncle, even more so than my own father.

He takes care of you in your old age, provides you with food and shelter, but he won't even give you a pension.

A son like that should have been strangled in the first place, so he wouldn't have grown up to be someone else's dutiful son and grandson.

Zhang Kaiju punched a large hole in the plastic sheeting on the window.

Yang Wuni, who was inside the house, was so frightened that she fell onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

Then he crawled over and shielded Xiao Wenda under his body.

"Dad, what are you doing? Wu Ni can't be exposed to the wind during her postpartum period."

Hearing the noise, Zhang Changyao strode over and used his body to plug the hole in the torn plastic sheet.

"Zhang Changyao, aren't you protecting your wife because you're afraid she'll catch a cold?"

In a little while I'll use a knife to cut open all the plastic sheeting in your house.

I think you could cover several big holes with your body.

"As long as you don't give me retirement funds, you can forget about having a peaceful life, regardless of your elder brother and sister-in-law."

Zhang Kaiju swaggered home, his manner clearly indicating he was up to no good.

"Dad, come back here! If you want your retirement money, I'll give it to you."

Zhang Changyao knew that Zhang Kaiju was capable of anything.

In order to protect Wu Ni from the wind, Zhang Changyao had no choice but to compromise temporarily.

"Giving money isn't enough; you have to come with me to take your sister-in-law to the clinic."

Zhang Kaiju stopped in his tracks, pretended to disagree, and threatened Zhang Changyao.

"Okay, but you have to fix the hole you broke yourself, otherwise I can't leave."

Zhang Changyao pointed to the hole he had plugged with his body and bargained with Zhang Kaiju.

"Okay, you wait here, I'll go home and get the plastic sheeting. I just bought it yesterday and haven't used it yet."

Instead of using the main gate, Zhang Kaiju jumped through a gap in the courtyard wall, and a moment later jumped back in, still clutching a plastic sheet.

This time, Zhang Kaiju didn't bother with tricks and simply covered the entire window with a piece of plastic sheeting.

Using the stool that Zhang Changyao had brought over, he jumped around and nailed on a piece of plastic sheeting to a window.

Yang Deshan, who was watching from the side, glared at Zhang Kaiju, who squinted and pretended not to see.

"Dad, this is this year's pension. I'm giving it to you, and I don't care who you spend it on."

After the plastic sheet was repaired, Zhang Changyao slowly took out fifty yuan from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Kaiju.

"My dear son, I'm not giving this to your elder brother and sister-in-law for nothing; consider it a loan to them."

"When I get old, if he doesn't pay me back, I'll just live with him and make him take care of me in my old age."

Zhang Kaiju stuffed the money into his shirt pocket and patted it with a smile.

"Dad, wait for me a moment."

"Wu Ni, these are five steamed buns. I bought them for you. I've kept them warm by covering my belly."

Zhang Changyao wasn't in a hurry to leave. He went inside and placed the still-warm steamed bun he was carrying on Yang Wuni's lap.

He took one out and put it in Yang Wuni's hand, lifting her hand to make her eat it.

"Zhang Changyao, be more careful. Don't be so foolish as to open your heart to that kind of person."

Even if someone in their family dies, don't shed a tear.

Your father, your elder brother, your sister-in-law—none of these people take you seriously.

They only do this because they think you're easy to talk to, easy to manipulate, and easy to get along with.

"Can your sister-in-law's family provide for his retirement? It's obvious they're bullying our family."

Yang Wuni was unhappy, and she no longer showed the same excitement she used to have for white steamed buns.

He muttered something under his breath, then grabbed a white steamed bun and took a big bite of it.

The steamed bun bulged and rolled in my cheeks as I bit into it, as if I were biting into the open window outside.

"Wu Ni, whether others provide you with retirement benefits or not is their business."

We should cultivate our own virtues, and what others do to harm them is none of our business.

I don't expect my father, my older brother, or my sister-in-law to treat me well.

I did this so that my son and daughter could be protected by God when they grow up.

The good deeds we accumulate will eventually turn into big windfalls that fall on our son and daughter.

By then, my son will be a man of great talent and profound knowledge.

My daughter is as beautiful as a peach blossom, has a good husband, and lives a life free from want.

Zhang Changyao looked at Xiao Wenda and, as he spoke, became immersed in happiness.

"Young man, hurry up and leave, or it will be too late."

Zhang Kaiju, who couldn't wait outside, came inside to urge Zhang Changyao.

"Coming, coming! Dad, you go hitch up the donkey cart first, I'll be there shortly."

"Wu Ni, here's the rest of the money. Keep it safe and save it for the New Year."

Zhang Changyao took all the money out of his pocket and stuffed it under Yang Wuni's pillow.

"Dad, you can't drive my donkey cart. My donkey has been pulling bricks all night and can't go any further."

Look at this buttock, it's chafed raw by the back pocket.

When Zhang Changyao came out of the house, he saw Zhang Kaiju trying to hitch up his donkey cart and quickly stepped forward to stop him.

This donkey is more important than his own life; when he doesn't want to use it, no one else can.

Since his back pain stopped him from going to Wang Ga's house, his donkey hasn't gone either.

He was afraid that if he wasn't around, others wouldn't care and would misbehave on the donkey.

"Okay, let's go." Zhang Kaiju didn't dawdle and pulled Zhang Changyao away.

The two of them practically ran into Zhang Changguang's yard.

Zhang Changguang was still leaning against the door, holding his head. He must have crawled into the house with Yumi. There was blood everywhere on the floor.

The trail of dragging water stretched from the yard all the way to the door threshold.

"Boss, where's your wife?" Zhang Kaiju kicked Zhang Changguang.

"He went to the dead house," Zhang Changguang replied without looking up.

"Brother, where are the children?" Zhang Changyao looked around but didn't see Guiye and Guibao.

"My dear son, Guiye and Guibao are at my house. It was Guiye who dragged Guibao to find me."

Zhang Kaiju pulled Zhang Changguang along, making him follow the two men into the house.

Inside the house, on the kang (heated brick bed), Sui Yu lay diagonally, her lower body covered by a quilt.

His face was expressionless, ashen, and devoid of any color.

In one corner of the blanket, a small, blood-stained leg peeked out.

"Father, it looks like a child. I wonder if he's dead or alive?"

Zhang Changyao carefully lifted a corner of the blanket and pulled out the little guy, who was still attached to the umbilical cord.

The little guy isn't even a month old yet; he's smaller than a large zucchini seed.

It had long since stopped breathing, as soft as a steamed eggplant.

Along with the dead child came a small basin of bloody, mushy placenta.