Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 3: Shameful of pulling a millstone in circles with one's bare bottom.

Hou Da Yanjing squatted outside the gate for a while. When he heard that there was no more movement inside the house, he crept in along the wall to see what was going on.

Seeing that Yang Wuni had pressed Zheng Meizhi's head against the pot lid so she couldn't move, she didn't dare to lay a hand on Yang Wuni.

They had no choice but to call out to Zhang Changyao, who was standing there in a daze, and ask him to come out and help.

"Hey you, let go of him. If you hurt him, I won't pay for it."

If they try to extort you, I'll send you back to your parents' home.

Zhang Changyao came out barefoot and pointed at Yang Wuni, whose name he didn't know.

This was what Yang Wuni feared most. She immediately let go of his hand and retreated to stand next to the woodpile in the corner of the room.

"Zhang Changyao, you got me pregnant, and now you've married another woman."

You need an explanation from me today, or I'm staying at your house.

Zheng Meizhi stood up, holding onto the stove, and scratched her hair a few times, trying to smooth it out.

"Zheng Meizhi, if you don't mind that I'm poor, you can stay and live with me."

"As long as your parents don't want a bride price, I'll send this woman back to her parents' home tomorrow."

Zhang Changyao thought for a long time in the room and came up with this idea.

"Zhang Changyao, you shameless bastard, I knew you didn't want to spend money to marry me."

No wonder my dad cursed the Zhang family, saying that no one in your family is any good.

Your father spent five hundred yuan to get your older brother a wife.

Why don't you want to give me even a hundred yuan?

Isn't it because they think our Zheng family's daughter is easy to bully?

Why didn't you say anything when you were sleeping in the woods with someone because you didn't have money to get married?

I think you're up to no good; you just want me to get pregnant and then no one will want the baby.

Zheng Meizhi grabbed Zhang Changyao's collar and stretched her neck to bite his shoulder.

"Just talk, why are you biting people?" Yang Wuni had eaten Zhang Changyao's pancake, so naturally she had to help him.

Before Zheng Meizhi could bite Zhang Changyao, Yang Wuni slapped Zheng Meizhi hard on the back of the head again.

The back of the head is a sensitive area, and Zheng Meizhi staggered and almost fell after being hit.

Fortunately, Hou Da, who was watching the commotion at the entrance, reacted quickly.

He darted over in two strides and grabbed Zheng Meizhi around the waist.

"You woman, are you a tiger? What if you hurt her?"

Looks like I really will have to send you back tomorrow. This reckless behavior is bound to get me into trouble sooner or later.

Zhang Changyao pushed Yang Wuni against the wall and made her stand properly.

He dared not touch Zheng Meizhi, but he dared to stab Yang Wuni.

"Zhang Changyao, you let this pregnant woman hit me, I... I'll go to the police station tomorrow to report you."

I'll accuse you of raping me, and I'll send you to jail.

Zheng Meizhi walked out crying, with Hou Da's eyes following closely behind her.

"Meizhi, listen to me, I'll discuss it with my dad tomorrow."

I'll marry you as soon as I get the money, but you absolutely mustn't go to the police station.

If I go to jail, the child in your belly will be fatherless.

Zhang Changyao was frightened by Zheng Meizhi's words and chased after her, begging her.

"Zhang Changyao, I'm giving you three days. If you don't come to marry me after three days, I'll report you to the police station."

Zheng Meizhi left without looking back after saying just one sentence.

Zhang Changyao was left leaning against a roadside utility pole, at a loss.

"Brother, what will I do if you go to jail?"

"Oh dear! You walk so quietly, you scared me to death!"

Zhang Changyao was startled by Yang Wuni's sudden voice from behind him.

Without even glancing at her, he turned and went back into the house.

"Brother, I don't want to go home. If you end up in jail, I'll wait for you to come back here."

If you don't come back, I'll stay here by myself and take care of your father.

Yang Wuni was worried about her situation, so she kept talking behind Zhang Changyao.

"Hey! If you keep dawdling, I'll send you back right now."

I'm about to be sued and go to jail, and you don't even try to help me out.

What use is a woman like you? All you do is eat.

Zhang Changyao turned around impatiently, pushed Yang Wuni away, and glared at her with a look of disgust.

"Brother, why am I useless? Tomorrow, take me to find the man who just left."

"If that man wants to marry that woman, I have a way."

Yang Wuni picked up a broom and swept the dirt off the ground.

Then he went up to the kang (heated brick bed) and pulled his own quilt to the head of the kang, creating distance between it and Zhang Changyao's quilt.

"Hmph! What can an uneducated woman like you do?"

Zheng Meizhi gave me three days. If you can get me a hundred yuan, that would be fine.

Zhang Changyao thought Yang Wuni was disgusted by him for getting Zheng Meizhi pregnant, which was why she pulled the blanket away.

Not daring to say anything more, he crawled into his own bed.

"Look, this is the place. You go in by yourself; I won't go in."

Zhang Changyao gets up early because he has something on his mind and can't sleep.

Impatiently, he brought Yang Wuni, who was about to get up and cook, to find Hou Da Yanjing.

Hou Da Yanjing was the eldest son in his family, with four younger brothers.

He's chopping wood in the yard now; it looks like he's going to light a stove.

The adobe bricks on the house wall were shaken apart by the clanging of the axe and the wood.

As the sound continued to strike the ground, the loess mud bricks fell to the ground, turning into fragments of soil of varying sizes.

"Zhang Changyao's wife, what are you doing at my house so early?"

Hou Da recognized Yang Wuni and said something without stopping his hand.

"Brother, stop for a moment, I have something to discuss with you."

Yang Wuni dodged the direction the axe was raised, waved her hand, and told Hou Daye to stop chopping.

"Don't look for me, I can't speak for Old Zheng's family."

Zhang Changyao got Zheng Meizhi pregnant; he deserves to be in jail.

Hou Da Yanjing was tall and thin with a long face and big, darting eyes that kept darting around as he looked at Yang Wuni.

"Big brother, do you want to marry Zheng Meizhi?"

If you don't mean it that way, then just pretend I didn't say anything and never came to your house.

Yang Wuni threw away the clod of dirt she had just broken off from the wall and turned to leave.

"Zhang Changyao's wife, what do you mean by saying that?"

I have a lot of things to think about, but it all depends on whether Zheng Meizhi is willing.

Zhang Changyao can't even come up with 100 yuan, do you think my family could?

I think you've come here this morning just to annoy me.

Hou Da Yanjing threw down his axe and sat on a section of wood that hadn't been chopped yet.

"Brother, if you really want to marry Zheng Meizhi, then ruin her reputation."

As long as everyone in the village believes the child in her belly is yours, she can't refuse to marry you even if she wants to.

Yang Wuni has been following in the footsteps of a cunning young man since she was a child.

She may not be good at being a good person, but when it comes to ways to harm others, she doesn't need to go home to get them; they're all in her head.

"She's not carrying my child, so why should I claim it's mine?"

Even if I say that my child is mine, Zheng Meizhi can't admit it, can she?

If she doesn't admit it, wouldn't I be making a fool of myself, like someone pulling a millstone naked in the dark?