Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 31 The Woman Who Gives Birth Every Year

After giving his instructions, Zhang Kaiju went to Zhang Shuhua's house to borrow a donkey cart.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to dip her sparse hair in the washbasin and smooth it out.

The new Landica clothes I bought yesterday fit me perfectly.

The little red flower he was wearing on his chest was the same one Zhang Changyao had used when he got married. He couldn't bear to throw it away, and now it was finally coming in handy.

Zhang Shuhua knew that Zhang Kaiju wanted to marry Widow Xing, and she wholeheartedly supported it.

Putting aside her feelings for Zhang Kaiju, the fact that Zhang Kaiju married Widow Xing was enough to keep her up at night with joy.

As long as Widow Xing wasn't vying for favor with her, the little money Zheng Jingren carried in his pocket belonged to Zhang Shuhua.

Zhang Kaiju was holding a quilt, which he spread on the donkey cart.

They slapped the little donkey's rump and galloped away in a flash.

Before leaving, he reminded Zhang Shuhua to call a few more people to help make it more lively.

Zhang Shuhua didn't invite anyone else; her eldest daughter-in-law hadn't finished her postpartum confinement and couldn't go.

He then called upon his second daughter-in-law, Li Yue'e, who was Guan Lin's wife.

Li Yue'e was tall, with a round head, big eyes, thin lips, and protruding ears. She spoke in a muffled voice.

The mother and daughter carried their second son's twin daughters to help Yang Wuni cook.

When the two of them arrived, Zhang Changyao and Yang Wuni had already cleaned the house inside and out.

Yang Wuni was taking the old bedding apart and folding it neatly.

It was fitted with new red and green silk embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, and a white polyester lining.

The pillowcase was also changed, and a pink pillowcase was placed over it.

The kang mat was also new; Zhang Changyao took the old, torn one and used it to cover the kang in his storage room.

Zhang Changyao carried all of his father's discarded items back to his room.

He waited patiently beside Yang Wuni, not minding the smell of food, with a smile on his face, looking quite content.

"Zhang Changyao, do you think if Dad married a few more wives, our family would lack nothing?"

Yang Wuni sewed the quilt with both large and small needles, though she wasn't very good at needlework.

She put on her patchwork floral apron and went to the outer room to prepare the meal.

"Zhang Changyao, look how good Dad is at buying groceries. I've never seen any of these vegetables before, and I don't know how to cook them."

Yang Wuni was carrying a string of dried mushrooms, but it was unclear where she had put them.

"Wu Ni, these are dried mushrooms, put in the chicks."

This little chick is the one I brought for you to eat during the Chinese New Year.

Zhang Shuhua spoke to Yang Wuni with one foot inside and one foot outside the door.

"Auntie, you know my dad is very shrewd. He didn't hold a grudge against you for giving him the chicks."

"Wu Ni, your father has his own plans. He can't marry a wife who isn't decent enough."

Whether you eat it early or late, you can eat it anyway, so don't complain about him.

"Just eat a few more bites later, don't feel wronged."

Zhang Shuhua put the child on the ground and asked Zhang Changyao to watch over him.

Li Yue'e and I helped pick vegetables, chop chicken, and soak mushrooms.

Zhang Changyao led the twin girls into the house.

He grabbed a handful of candies and peanuts from the ones Zhang Kaiju had prepared and gave them to the two children.

Peanuts are delicious; people would lie on the kang (heated brick bed) and stuff them into their mouths without knowing that peanuts should be peeled and eaten whole.

Little Shuang'er was very possessive of her food, putting it all into her pockets and covering it up, afraid it would fall out.

Li Yue'e was tall and strong. She grabbed a handful of straw stalks, broke them with one foot, and stuffed them into the stove pit.

"Yue'e, please help Wu Ni more in the future. Wu Ni is too young to do needlework."

I saw your fifth uncle's new quilt; it was sewn with rough stitches.

I guess that widow Xing was making fun of our family for being rough with their work."

Zhang Shuhua put the fermented cornmeal on top of the starter, stirred it again, and set it aside.

"Auntie, I was afraid that my second sister-in-law would think I was stupid, so I never dared to go to her house to ask."

I heard from the villagers that my second sister-in-law is very good at needlework.

Yang Wuni glanced at Li Yue'e, who was bent over tending the stove.

"Wu Ni, just ask me and I can teach you. You'd think you knew it all by yourself if you didn't ask me!"

Li Yue'e looked up and smiled in response; she seemed to be a woman of few words.

Especially when he was with Guan Lin, he had nothing to say to him.

Guan Lin was a chatterbox, and this chatterbox married a quiet, reserved woman.

This must be a deliberate arrangement by God; the couple's personalities are completely different, they're the opposite of each other.

"Wu Ni, your father's marriage to Widow Xing is such a big affair, you're not going to have any bad feelings about it, are you?"

When I married you, the house was deserted and no one came.

We were so anxious at home, we just didn't dare to come over.

Your father was worried you'd be shy around strangers, so he repeatedly told us not to bother you and your husband.

Zhang Shuhua is a smooth talker; whatever she says always sounds pleasant.

"Auntie, my dad is so thoughtful. I'm really afraid of strangers."

It's just a pity about that matchmaker who went with Zhang Changyao to pick me up.

I went home without even having a sip of hot water when I got there.

Yang Wuni didn't dare to say anything to criticize Zhang Shuhua, knowing how formidable Zhang Shuhua was.

"Mom, don't always speak up for my fifth uncle. If you ask me, he's just petty."

They're afraid that because our family is large, we'll be eating their food for free.

Who wouldn't let people come to watch their son get married? Only my fifth uncle could come up with such a thing.

Now that it's his turn to get married, why isn't he cleaning up the house?

It's all because they're taking advantage of Changyao and Wuni being young and naive.

If Changyao had married Zheng Meizhi, you'd think my fifth uncle would have dared to go and fetch her without making a big fuss.

Even with four, six, and eight dishes being served to him, Zheng Jingren might not even open his eyes to look at him.

Li Yue'e silently spoke out for Zhang Changyao and Yang Wuni, feeling indignant.

She didn't even look up at Zhang Shuhua; she just kept talking to herself.

"Second sister-in-law, you're the only one in the whole village who dares to talk about my father like that."

When Zhang Changyao married me, my father really had no money.

If he had money, he wouldn't be so stingy as to skimp on even a single meal.

Anyone who has face powder and doesn't want to put it on their face is just being poor.

Yang Wuni handed the two slightly damaged curtains to Zhang Changyao inside the house, asking him to take them back to his own room.

She was still speaking well of Zhang Kaiju, not to oppose Li Yue'e, but to Zhang Shuhua.

"Wu Ni, you're so easy to talk to. Chang Yao puts all his money in my fifth uncle's hands."

Now all of it has ended up in Widow Xing's pocket, used by her son to find a wife for his father.

Li Yue'e is usually quiet; that's because she doesn't like Guan Lin.

When I saw Yang Wuni today, she started talking non-stop.

Li Yue'e's dislike of Guan Lin didn't mean she disliked him as a person.

It was still the same old thing that happened between the couple at night, which was bothering her.

Ever since Guan Lin got married, he has developed a fondness for this at night.

Unable to control her lower body, Li Yue'e was frustrated by her actions.

She has had ten children since getting married, including two sets of twin daughters.

This doesn't even include the miscarriage and the three stillborn children.

Guan Lin married early; he married Li Yue'e when he was just over sixteen.

In short, she's been having babies every year, never getting a moment of peace.

"Second sister-in-law, you said my father is getting married, can my eldest sister-in-law's family come?"