Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 51 The Price of Lying

Yang Wuni released her grip on Gu Jialin's trouser leg, clutched her stomach, and her face contorted in pain.

"Neither of you are leaving. If anything happens to my wife today, I'll make sure you both lose everything to pay for it."

Second brother, keep an eye on these two people. This one is that person's brother-in-law.

Zhang Changyao pointed at Lü Gui, then at Gu Jialin, and then squatted down to look at Yang Wuni.

Yang Wuni kicked Zhang Changyao while crying out "Ouch!"

When their eyes met, Zhang Changyao realized that Yang Wuni was faking it.

Guan Lin, unaware that Yang Wuni was faking it, tied the donkey cart to a tree.

He moved closer to Lü Gui and Gu Jialin to prevent them from taking the opportunity to slip away.

"My wife has a stomachache right now, I'm not going to waste time with you guys."

Here's fifty yuan. Hurry up and give me back the two hundred yuan I gave you too much.

Why don't we go to your brigade and talk to the person in charge of your village?

Not only did you lie to me, but you also kicked and injured my wife. You deserve an explanation!

Zhang Changyao helped Yang Wuni up, put his arm around her and held her. Yang Wuni clutched her stomach, lowered her head and pretended to sob.

"Brother-in-law, hurry up and give the money to them. I told you not to lie to people, but you wouldn't believe me."

Now look what's happened, they've come knocking on my door, and I've been dragged into this mess.

"If you don't give it to him, you'll be responsible for anything that happens to his wife, but I won't clean up his mess."

Lu Gui, who had been perfectly fine just moments before, was now furious.

He kept pestering Gu Jialin, urging him to quickly pay up to avoid further trouble.

"Stop arguing, I'll give it to him, I'll give him the money, okay?"

Gu Jialin was also afraid that something might really happen to Yang Wuni, so he immediately took out twenty ten-yuan bills from his shirt pocket and handed them to Zhang Changyao.

"Young man, you have to give me back the piece of paper I wrote for you."

From now on, you are not allowed to come to us whether this horse lives or dies.

Lü Gui reached out his hand to Zhang Changyao, asking for the piece of paper he had written.

Zhang Changyao was overjoyed to have bought a horse for fifty yuan and even get a foal.

He immediately took out a guarantee and handed it to Lü Gui, who glanced at the words on it.

Once you've confirmed it's the one you wrote, tear it to shreds and throw it on the ground.

Watching Lü Gui and Gu Jialin walk away, Yang Wuni finally looked up at the chestnut horse.

"Changyao, you two are really cunning. If I hadn't seen you asking them for money, I would have really thought Wuni had a stomachache!"

Guan Lin was amused by Zhang Changyao and Yang Wuni's tacit cooperation.

The three men tied the chestnut horse back to the back of the donkey cart and went home.

Zhang Changyao spent fifty yuan to buy a horse, and the news spread throughout the village.

Many curious people came to see it, wanting to know how old the horse was.

Zhang Changyao and Yang Wuni no longer think that the chestnut horse is old.

They feed and drink them well every day, almost to the point of chewing the food themselves to feed them.

The two of them each drank one less bowl of cornmeal porridge, leaving the rest for Zao Hongma.

As the chestnut horse's back became flat, its bones gradually disappeared from view.

"Changyao, your father said that having only horses isn't enough. How can you farm without a cart and a plow?"

Zhao Xiulan squatted on the ground, watching Yang Wuni prune the corn stalks off the chestnut horse.

"Aunt Xiulan, we've bought horses. Shouldn't you and Dad buy the cart and plow?" Yang Wuni looked up at Zhao Xiulan.

"Wu Ni, that's not how it works. We two old bones won't be able to work for more than a few years."

In the end, all the land will be for you two to cultivate.

"We're saving our money for retirement; we're not buying things for everyday life."

Zhao Xiulan stood up and walked away, swaying her large buttocks nonchalantly.

"Hmph! Even a miser isn't as good as you, always thinking about Qingqian."

"You just wait. Once I have my own house, you won't be allowed to order a single horse around."

Yang Wuni picked up the clean, bare corn stalks that the horse had eaten and threw them forcefully into the woodpile in the garden.

"Wu Ni, keep your voice down. Just because you're hard of hearing doesn't mean everyone else is like you."

I was dumping manure outside in the yard, and I heard everything you said.

Zhang Changyao entered the yard, leaned the shovel against the garden wall, and nudged Yang Wuni's elbow.

"Hmph! I was just saying that to them. They don't want to spend a single penny; they just want to take advantage of us."

"How can there be such people, elders who don't care whether their juniors live or die?"

Yang Wuni stepped on the corn stalks on the ground, one foot at a time.

Not satisfied with crushing the corn stalks, he kicked them so hard they flew into the air before he was satisfied.

"Yang Wuni, would you believe me if I told you this is your fault?"

Zhang Changyao grabbed Yang Wuni, preventing her from kicking the corn stalks anymore.

"Why blame me? It's not like I told them not to pay."

"Yang Wuni, do you remember when we bought the horse, how much did you say it cost?"

Zhang Changyao stepped on Yang Wuni's foot, preventing her from moving.

"Three hundred yuan, so what?" Yang Wuni stared at Zhang Changyao with wide eyes, completely unconcerned.

"You yourself admitted that you said it was three hundred yuan, right?"

Then everyone knows that I spent fifty yuan to buy the horse, right?

So, after all that calculation, everyone thinks we saved 250 yuan, right?

Zhang Changyao meticulously calculated the accounts with Yang Wuni, counting them off on his fingers.

"So what? It's my own money. I can spend as much as I want and keep as much as I want. What business is it of theirs?"

Yang Wuni pushed Zhang Changyao away and pulled her foot out.

It nimbly jumped onto the half-earth wall next to it, kicking its legs defiantly as it retorted.

"Yang Wuni, you're right, this matter has nothing to do with anyone else."

But it was different for my father and Aunt Xiulan.

They had planned to buy a cart and a plow, but when they heard that we had money again, they definitely wouldn't be willing to spend that money.

So, in the end, we've essentially installed this ourselves, so we can't blame anyone else.

We can use the car and plow we bought ourselves without having to worry about what others think.

We have enough money, so please don't argue with those two old folks, okay? My dear ancestors.

Zhang Changyao spoke his last sentence very loudly.

Ostensibly, it was about Yang Wuni, but secretly it was meant for Zhang Kaiju and Zhao Xiulan, who were whispering to each other at the front gate.

"Changyao, your father and Aunt Xiulan have discussed it, and we can't keep taking advantage of you."

When we buy corn kernels, we'll bring yours with us.

The composted manure will be divided equally between the two families, which will save your family a lot of money.

Zhang Kaiju pulled Zhao Xiulan over and spoke to Zhang Changyao, but the words were actually meant for Yang Wuni to hear.

"Dad, that's not what I meant. I'm just worried that we won't have enough money."

If you have enough money, then... then you and Zhang Changyao can go buy it tomorrow.

Seeing that Zhang Kaiju and Zhao Xiulan had given her an out, Yang Wuni had no choice but to agree.

"Wu Ni, Aunt Xiu Lan is telling you that Zheng Meizhi is having an affair."

When I went to her house yesterday, I saw her coming back from the woods to the north.

I asked her what she was doing. She said she went mushroom picking.