Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 67 Eating salty radishes and worrying about nothing

Sui Yumi was indeed anxious; she stamped her feet and grabbed Zhang Kaiju's hand, ready to leave.

"Youngest son... Changyao... you're fast, hurry to your elder brother's house, don't let him kill the donkey."

If a donkey's leg is broken, you should take it to a veterinarian. How can you just operate on it?

Zhang Kaiju was also anxious, and afraid that he was too slow, so he shouted for Zhang Changyao who was downstairs.

When Zhang Changyao heard Zhang Kaiju shout, he knew this matter was urgent.

He took off running without stopping for a moment, heading towards Zhang Changguang's house.

When he entered the courtyard, he was dumbfounded to see only a blood-stained donkey hide spread out on the ground.

He knew that Zhang Changguang had already slaughtered the donkey.

He wasn't in a hurry to go inside, so he leaned against the wall and took a breath.

Zhang Kaiju and Sui Yumi followed them into the courtyard.

"Dad, look at me, I can't handle your son anymore. How will we live without the donkey?"

I'm going back to my parents' house right now. I'm not going to suffer poverty with a guy like that.

As Yumi pointed to the donkey hide on the ground, she slapped her thigh and cried, put Guibao on the ground, and turned to leave.

"Youngest son, quickly grab your sister-in-law and don't let her go back to her parents' home."

The house is already a mess enough; I can't let her cause any more trouble.

Zhang Kaiju pointed at Zhang Changyao, and then gestured to Sui Yumi, who was about to walk out of the gate.

Zhang Changyao understood his father's meaning, ran a few steps, grabbed Sui Yumi, and pulled her back.

"Dad, it's no use you and Changyao pulling me back."

With your son like this, I can't stay in this house for even a day longer.

To start planting immediately and kill the donkey—is this what a proper farmer does?

I told him not to steal trees, but he wouldn't listen and stubbornly refused.

Now that the donkey's leg is broken, he doesn't blame himself for being blind while driving the cart; he says the donkey was disobedient.

If a donkey knew everything, it wouldn't be livestock.

Zhang Changguang, you're stronger than livestock; you can kill it if you get angry.

It can only make "gruntling" noises; it can't speak human language and can't express its suffering.

As Yumi squatted down, touched the donkey hide, and burst into tears again.

"Mother, Father said he'll give you donkey bones to eat so you won't cry."

At this moment, a little girl with a face covered in stove ash and two pigtails pointing upwards came out of the house.

She used her small, grime-covered hands to wipe away the tears from Sui Yumi's face.

The once clean corn kernels, after being wiped by her, became a cat with a smeared face just like her.

"Guiye is so well-behaved, he understands human language better than your dead father."

"You're too young to start a fire. Take your younger brother and go play in the garden."

Sui Yu used his sleeve to wipe the little girl's face clean.

Place Guibao's hand in the little girl's hand and let her hold it.

The little girl is Zhang Changguang and Sui Yumi's eldest daughter, Zhang Guiye, who is one year older than Guibao.

Guiye had been living at her maternal grandmother's house and was only brought back a few days ago.

"Guiye, how is Grandma's house? Do you miss Grandpa?"

When Zhang Kaiju saw Guiye, he had long forgotten about bringing corn.

Follow the two children to the garden to enjoy family time.

"You can't count on anyone; your whole family is the same."

"Anyone who marries into your family must have committed a terrible sin in their past life—killing Da Niu."

As Yumi watched her father-in-law go to play with the children, Zhang Changyao remained unmoved.

They then intensified their insults, dragging the entire family into it.

"Corn, go inside and keep an eye on the fire in the stove."

I'm going to my aunt's house to borrow a donkey. Freshly slaughtered donkey meat sells better; if it sits for too long, the color won't look good.

Zhang Changguang came out of the house and casually told Sui Yumi to come out.

Then he hurriedly went to Zhang Shuhua's house to borrow a donkey.

"Zhang Changguang, I won't light a fire for you to eat donkey bones."

I'm so angry, you guys are all just watching the show.

He plopped down on the ground with a thud, his face as long as the sole of his shoe.

With nowhere to vent his resentment, he rolled up the donkey skin next to him and kicked it into the potato cellar.

"Sister-in-law, get up quickly, the ground is cold."

Zhang Changyao had no choice but to go forward and try to pull Sui Yumi up.

"Zhang Changyao, I don't need your help. You just want to see my family make a scene."

Ever since you got married, you haven't respected me, your sister-in-law.

I know you look down on our family because we're poor, and you're afraid we'll benefit from you.

No one should judge another by their own standards; we may be poor, but our ambitions are not.

"By the time your family has a few children, who knows which family will be poor?"

Then Yumi turned her attention to Zhang Changyao, picking out the most offensive things to say.

"Sister-in-law, if you keep making unreasonable demands like this, then I'm not going to take care of you anymore."

You should handle your own family matters. Don't blame us for everything.

My father is getting on in years, and he still has so much to worry about.

People say a virtuous wife brings less trouble to her husband, but I think all the troubles in your family are caused by you.

Zhang Changyao was no pushover either; he insisted on having a meal with corn before leaving.

"Zhang Changyao, don't be so arrogant. Watch how I subdue you."

"Your wings aren't even strong enough yet, and you're already lecturing me. You just wait, I'm not done with you yet."

Yumi had never been treated like this before. Pointing at Zhang Changyao's back, she stomped her feet and challenged him.

Zhang Changyao heard Sui Yumi's words but didn't take them to heart.

How can you take a woman's angry words seriously? Let her do whatever she wants, it's not like it's your own home anyway.

"Why are you back so angry? Did you have a fight with your older brother?"

"It's their own donkey; they can kill it or not. If they can't stop it, they can't stop it."

Yang Wuni was spreading corn husks on the floor of the house, intending to keep the foal inside.

Seeing Zhang Changyao come back angry, she patted his back to help him calm down.

"I'm not angry. What does other people's business have to do with me?"

"I'm just being nosy, worrying about things that don't concern me. You can't treat her like a human being just because she acts like this."

Zhang Changyao said he wasn't angry but still felt uncomfortable. He cursed and went outside to bring the foal back in.

"Zhang Changyao, your sister-in-law has your father and you two figured out."

I don't think your dad has come back yet. Eating at her house can't be anything good.

We'd better be careful; these two families might team up to scheme against us.

Yang Wuni was unsure of herself, so she gave Zhang Changyao a heads-up beforehand.

"Wu Ni, we're living separately now, so they can't scheme against us."

Let's just remember one thing: he has countless variations, but we have certain rules.

Even if they ramble on and on, it won't work if we have to believe them, right?

Full of confidence, Zhang Changyao drank the porridge that Yang Wuni had left for him in one gulp.

"Zhang Changyao, go to your aunt's house tomorrow and borrow the guillotine."

The corn is reddish-brown with few teeth, and it's difficult for it to eat a whole corn stalk.

I thought I'd chop it up a bit, then soak it in hot cornmeal water until it was soft before feeding it to it.

"A chestnut horse has plenty of milk, so the foal can drink enough milk and grow quickly."

Yang Wuni stroked the little colt that was nudging her thigh.

"My dear son, Wu Ni, your sister-in-law asked me to get you two catties of donkey meat and some cooked donkey bones."