Hutou was super excited!
He, his grandmother's precious Hutou, was finally being discharged from the hospital.
Actually, the little boy felt he should have been discharged long ago, but the adults wouldn't allow it.
Fortunately, the discharge day came quickly. The little fellow packed his own small backpack, which contained all his belongings. He had secretly hidden a piece of candy, planning to share it with his sister when he got home - half for each of them.
This was what he had saved up while enduring the bitter medicine.
Hutou felt he was truly a good brother who cared for his sister.
The child praised himself as he stuffed his textbooks into his backpack. Sigh, it's tough being a kid - even when he was sick, his mother brought him his textbooks, saying he couldn't fall behind in his studies.
He just didn't understand why, as just an elementary school student, he had to study so much!
Besides, he already understood many principles and knew lots of things. He didn't even fight, while adults still fought, so he wasn't lacking at all. Little Hutou mumbled to himself as he finished packing his bag and plopped down on the bed.
That's when the doctor came for rounds and, seeing his little appearance, said, "Hutou, you're getting discharged today?"
Hutou quickly nodded: "Yes, I'm leaving."
After thinking for a moment, he added: "I'm never coming back."
The doctor smiled and teased him: "Then you better not get sick again."
Hutou nodded even more seriously and said: "I know, I want to be strong and healthy. I don't want to get sick. No more IV drips, no more bitter medicine."
The doctor smiled and said: "That's good, wishing you good health, little one."
Hutou's eyes curved into crescents as he smiled and said: "Thank you, Doctor Uncle."
The doctor smiled, ruffled his head, and left for the next ward.
Although it was Hutou's discharge day, all the men in the family had gone to work. Only Zhao Guihua and Liang Meifen came. Zhao Guihua said: "Alright, we're about ready, let's go."
She looked at the others in the ward and said: "You all take care now, we're leaving. Oh my, Bai Fendou, were you out thieving last night? Why do you look such a mess? Look at those dark circles under your eyes, they're horrible."
He wasn't young to begin with, and now it was even worse.
Bai Fendou indeed looked exhausted. He cast a resentful glance at Zhou Qun and sneered, saying: "I just didn't sleep well, that's all. Some people really know how to cause trouble."
Zhao Guihua looked confused, and Liang Meifen leaned close to her ear and whispered: "Before five this morning, the factory security came to see Zhou Qun, which woke everyone up. Only kids like Hutou slept through it."
Zhao Guihua was even more surprised - coming to visit a patient before five in the morning? Was this even normal?
Truly, in both her lives, she had never seen such behavior.
Liang Meifen continued whispering: "They said they came to see Zhou Qun, but actually they wanted him to go to security to pick up someone. Zhou Qun's mother has been detained by security for three whole days. They couldn't keep holding her any longer, and they didn't want to waste food on her either. As soon as security left, Zhou Qun sent Jiang Lu to get her."
Zhao Guihua suddenly understood why she hadn't seen Jiang Lu.
These past few days, Jiang Lu had been frantically taking leave, not going to the factory at all, staying at the hospital to care for Zhou Qun instead - they were inseparable. Now she wasn't here, and Zhao Guihua had thought the young wife had finally remembered she needed to work. But it wasn't that at all - she had gone to rescue her mother-in-law from her predicament.
Zhao Guihua asked: "Does he..." her eyes glanced at Zhou Qun as she quietly asked her daughter-in-law: "Does he know about how his mother has been making him famous at the factory?"
Liang Meifen replied: "He still doesn't know. He and Jiang Lu have been in the ward the whole time, and no one's told them. The couple doesn't know." None of the people in the ward knew, and Liang Meifen certainly didn't want to break this news, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
Just thinking about the outcome made her shiver - it was too terrifying, too terrifying indeed. How would Zhou Qun go to work after this! Wouldn't he faint from the shame when he returned to work? Zhou Qun was someone who really cared about face.
Among the younger generation in their compound...
Zhou Qun, Bai Fendou, Zhuang Zhixi, and the other young men... Zhou Qun cared the most about his reputation.
If Zhou Qun knew that his mother had already completely ruined his reputation at the factory, he would cough up at least three bowls of blood, at least!
"Aiyoyo, aiyoyo, oh my poor life, oh heavens..."
Just as the mother and daughter-in-law were lost in thought, they heard wailing from the doorway, the voice as hoarse as an old village woman's, carrying a somewhat frightening tone. Everyone turned to look at the door.
Just then, the ward door opened.
Well, well, another familiar face!
Zhao Guihua: "Madam Zhou Li?"
Indeed, the arrival was none other than Zhou Qun's mother, Madam Zhou Li, who had just been the subject of their conversation.
Madam Zhou Li was being supported by Jiang Lu, whose face bore two bright red handprints, clearly from being slapped. Was it strange? Not at all - it would have been stranger if Madam Zhou Li had let Jiang Lu off easily.
Sure enough, Zhao Guihua saw that Jiang Lu's hands were covered in bloody scratches, and even her hair was disheveled.
Jiang Lu's eyes were red, clearly having cried.
Everyone fell silent.
As soon as Madam Zhou Li saw her son, tears began flowing before she could speak: "My son, I've suffered... I've really suffered..."
She was crying with snot and tears, but because she had been shouting for several days, her voice was terribly hoarse, sounding frighteningly like a cat scratching paper, both unpleasant and somewhat scary.
Little Hutou immediately hugged his grandmother's legs.
He was still small, not yet a man, and he was scared!
Zhao Guihua naturally knew her grandson's personality, so she picked up Hutou, saying: "Look at you, why aren't you gaining any weight? Light as a feather."
Hutou smiled sweetly at his grandmother, resting his head on her neck, his big eyes curiously watching Madam Zhou Li across the room. Though young, even children could be shocked by such a scene. How could they not be?
Jiang Lu already looked miserable enough, but looking at Madam Zhou Li was even worse - her graying hair was a messy beehive, her clothes were filthy beyond recognition, carrying a rancid smell, completely disheveled. That was from her struggling when she was arrested.
For three days, she had nothing but water, her face was as pale as a ghost, with eye bags that seemed ready to fall off. She was leaning on Jiang Lu, completely without strength, and her voice was beyond description. She had aged at least three years, if not more.
She cried: "My dear Qun..."
She tried to rush to her son's side, but before she could take a step, she nearly collapsed. Everyone then realized she truly seemed to have no strength left. How could she? She used to be quite strong, but because they had handcuffed her to the radiator, forcing her to stand on her tiptoes, and then not giving her any food - it would have been strange if she had any strength left.
"Mom, be careful!"
Zhou Qun quickly spoke up. He sat on the bed, his face showing concern, but he didn't move. He said guiltily: "Mom, my back hurts, I can't come help you. Your son is useless..."
Zhou Qun's eyes reddened slightly, and he quickly said: "Xiao Lu, quickly help Mom over here. Mom, it's my fault, it's all my fault. I never thought this would happen. This is all my mistake. How could I have been so careless? I didn't handle things well. You should hit me, hit me hard - I won't be able to forgive myself otherwise."
This was a six-person ward, and between Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou there was an old man, who watched very emotionally and said: "What a filial son!"
Zhou Qun: "Mom, come quickly."
After a pause, he added: "Xiao Lu, hurry and take Mom to see a doctor! Look at Mom's condition - how could you just bring her here like this? Quickly take her to see a doctor!" Zhou Qun's face was full of urgency, afraid his mother might have some serious problem.
Jiang Lu spoke softly: "I already took Mom to see the doctor. The doctor said she's just hungry and exhausted from worry, with no energy. I've arranged for her to be admitted to the hospital, and managed to get her into your ward. I can take care of both of you."
At the mention of this, Madam Zhou Li turned around and delivered a slap - smack! - right across Jiang Lu's face. She angrily scolded, "You dare to seek credit in front of my son? If I had to rely on you as a daughter-in-law, I wouldn't even know how I'd die! Stop pretending to be a good person here! What do you mean you took me to see the doctor? Wasn't I going to go myself? What do you mean you arranged for me to be in the same ward as Zhou Qun? If I hadn't thrown myself on the ground and made a scene, would they have arranged it for me?"
Madam Zhou Li felt that her daughter-in-law was far inferior to Wang Xiangxiu. Though the two families didn't get along, Madam Zhou Li secretly envied Aunt Su for having Wang Xiangxiu as a daughter-in-law. Although her family was poor and had no money, she popped out children like laying eggs, quickly giving birth to three sons, one every two years, continuing the Su family line. If it weren't for Su's son's bad luck, she probably could have continued having eight or ten more children without breaking a sweat.
Moreover, even after Su's son passed away, she stayed with the family, showing filial piety to the elderly and taking care of the children. Although there were some unsavory rumors about her relationships with men, who knew if they were true? A widow getting some food through deception wasn't such a big deal!
But looking at Jiang Lu, she couldn't produce children, and whenever something happened, she'd just give up. How could anyone rely on her?
She glared hatefully at Jiang Lu. If she had despised this daughter-in-law one hundred times before, now it was ten thousand times more.
When Madam Zhou Li's anger peaked, smack, another slap landed, and Jiang Lu silently wept. Zhou Qun quickly said, "Mom, what are you doing? Why are you hitting Xiao Lu? Even if you hadn't brought it up, she would have taken you to the hospital anyway. She's not that kind of ill-intentioned woman, you should know that she has the kindest heart. It's because I hurt my back, and she's been focused on taking care of me these past few days. Maybe other things weren't done perfectly, but you should know her - she's such a good, kind woman, how could she have any ulterior motives?"
As Zhou Qun defended Jiang Lu, Madam Zhou Li's expression grew darker, while Jiang Lu's eyes brightened.
Zhao Guihua shook her head inwardly, wondering how Jiang Lu couldn't see through this mother and son's vicious intentions. But then again, Zhao Guihua knew she couldn't see it - she was already too deep in it, beyond salvation.
"Mom, go lie down on the hospital bed first, we... oh, which bed is yours?"
The ward was already full.
There were six beds in the ward. On their side, in order, were Bai Fendou, an unfamiliar old gentleman, and Zhou Qun. Across from Zhou Qun was a young man, in the middle was Hutou, and next to Hutou was Aunt Su.
Wasn't that perfect?
But he quickly realized - ah no, Hutou was being discharged today.
"You're taking Hutou's bed, right?"
"Yes, this one," Jiang Lu spoke up, looking at Zhao Guihua and her family, saying, "Aunt Zhao, you're all packed up and ready to leave, right?"
She continued, "My mother isn't feeling well and needs to lie down. Since you're leaving, could we have the bed?"
Already starting to chase people away.
Zhao Guihua nodded, "Alright, we're leaving, you can stay here."
Only then did Madam Zhou Li notice Zhao Guihua.
Earlier, she had been so focused on her son that she hadn't paid attention to anyone else in the ward. Now looking around, she realized the people standing to the side were Zhao Guihua and her family. Madam Zhou Li opened her mouth to mock them but hesitated at the last moment, merely snorting without saying anything more.
It wasn't that she was intimidated or afraid. She just didn't want to cause trouble. She said coldly, "Help me lie down."
Jiang Lu quickly helped her to the bed. Usually, when a patient is discharged, the nurses would clean up before arranging for another patient to move in. This was why Madam Zhou Li had to make a scene. Because the bed hadn't been cleaned yet, they had planned to put her in another bed first, but they hadn't counted on Madam Zhou Li being who she was.
An old troublemaker who dared to cause a scene right after leaving the security office.
She had rolled on the ground crying and wailing, leaving everyone helpless. After repeated assurances from Jiang Lu, they had no choice but to arrange for her to come here. Madam Zhou Li had essentially "seized" this hospital bed, so she was quite smug about it. As soon as she lay down, she raised her eyebrows at Zhao Guihua's family, her expression overflowing with pride.
Zhao Guihua couldn't understand what there was to show off about - they were being discharged normally.
Hutou was even more confused, his little eyebrows furrowed into a twist. He couldn't understand why Grandma Zhou was so happy about being hospitalized. Her expression was so arrogant and pleased - he had no idea why, it was all very strange.
Could it be that adults actually enjoyed being hospitalized?
Otherwise, why did they all keep coming here?
Hutou didn't like coming to the hospital at all. The IV drips were scary, the injections were frightening, and the bitter medicine tablets - Hutou hated eating them. But the adults... they seemed to enjoy coming here.
They liked getting injections and taking medicine!
The little one didn't understand, the little one was shocked.
Zhao Guihua fake-coughed and said, "Let's go."
As she turned around, she heard a shriek. Hutou quickly covered his ears, and Zhao Guihua ducked her head too. Good heavens! She turned back to see Madam Zhou Li glaring at Bai Fendou across the room, her eyes bulging with rage.
She hadn't noticed Bai Fendou earlier either. Now that Bai Fendou had sat up, she saw him, and enemies meeting made her see red. Her hatred for Bai Fendou exceeded even that for the old man in blue who had sent her to the security office.
Because this man had hurt her son.
Her son was her life, and anyone who hurt her son deserved to die.
The old lady who had been trembling just moments ago suddenly seemed to have found new strength, leaping off the hospital bed and charging towards Bai Fendou's bed in just a few steps.
"Oh my goodness!"
"Good heavens!"
"What the hell is she doing?!"
Though there weren't many people in the room, everyone's shock was palpable.
Zhao Guihua was quick to react, hugging Hutou and darting to the doorway. From there, they could both have the best view of the spectacle while avoiding getting caught in the crossfire. Liang Meifen wasn't as quick - she was just a bit slower and almost got knocked over by the charging Madam Zhou Li. She stumbled while dodging, steadied herself against the door, and quickly ducked behind Zhao Guihua, not looking very dignified.
But at this moment, no one was paying attention to her or caring about her.
They watched as Madam Zhou Li charged at Bai Fendou like a black bear spotting honey, pouncing directly onto him, her claws out. Bai Fendou's IV drip toppled over, and he cried out, "Ah!"
Madam Zhou Li didn't care about any of that. Trembling yet fierce, she climbed onto the hospital bed, straddled Bai Fendou, and started swinging both fists: "I'll teach you to bully my son, I'll teach you to hit my son, you conscienceless creature! I'll teach you to cause trouble while I'm away! I'll beat you to death! I'll send you to meet the King of Hell! You little beast!"
Bai Fendou, who hadn't been in good spirits to begin with, was stunned by the old lady's attack. But he quickly recovered and got angry too, delivering a huge slap across Madam Zhou Li's face that immediately made it swell up.
Now that Bai Fendou was angry too, one slap wasn't enough to vent his rage. He grabbed the old lady's hair and delivered another slap that knocked her to the ground. He went after her with several kicks, shouting, "You old hag! Looking for trouble when there isn't any, are you?"
"Bai Fendou, how dare you hit my mother!" Zhou Qun roared.
Bai Fendou roared back, "Your mother hit me first! Look, look at my face, look at my hair still tangled in her hands!"
Thinking about this made Bai Fendou even angrier. He didn't have much hair to begin with, and he was particularly sensitive about it at this point in his life. He hadn't expected someone to specifically target his hair, making his hair situation even worse.
He angrily stepped forward and delivered two more kicks.
"Ah! Murder! Bai Fendou is committing murder!"
"Oh my heavens, an elderly person is being beaten! Help! Someone, please help me!"
Madam Zhou Li's cries echoed like a pig being slaughtered, but the few people in the ward remained silent, as quiet as chickens.
As Madam Zhou Li's son, Zhou Qun should have been the first to step forward, but with his back injury, he didn't want to aggravate it. After all, his back was crucial to his future as a man. If it was for his mother's sake, he couldn't do it.
The next person who should have intervened was Jiang Lu. She had just been slapped twice by Madam Zhou Li, and now she cowered by the bed, trembling, too scared to move. In her heart, she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
In her view, both Madam Zhou Li and Bai Fendou deserved to die. Watching them fight was a delight. She pretended to be too frightened to act.
As for Aunt Su, who had been playing the weak and silent type, she was lying on the bed with a bruised buttock. Madam Zhou Li hadn't even recognized her yet. She wasn't about to stick her neck out. Watching Madam Zhou Li get beaten was quite the spectacle.
The other two, an old man and a young man, also dared not speak. They didn't know each other, and getting involved could mean getting hurt. They had no reason to get involved. The old man stayed under the covers, not daring to move. At his age, with his old bones, he couldn't take it.
The young man: "..." What's it to me?
As for Zhao Guihua, they had already retreated to the doorway before the fight started. Now, a crowd had gathered, and they were just ordinary onlookers. Yes, that's how it goes with fights. The moment the first scream rang out, people flocked to watch the spectacle.
After all, such events were rare!
Very rare.
Finally, a kind-hearted nurse squeezed in: "What are you doing? This is a hospital, not a place for you to act out. Help her up. Look at you all, what kind of behavior is this? How can you fight in a hospital?"
Four nurses rushed in, helping Madam Zhou Li to her feet and tending to Bai Fendou, who had been on an IV drip. The needle had come out, and his hand was bleeding. His face and hair were a mess.
Madam Zhou Li had also taken quite a beating from Bai Fendou, a man with plenty of strength.
"What's going on here? Should we call the police?"
Madam Zhou Li whimpered, "Pfft!"
She spat out a tooth and said, "Call the police! Let them lock him up, let him eat a bullet. This scoundrel dared to hit me, the damn fool!"
Bai Fendou wasn't backing down either, shouting, "Call them! I'd like to see who they arrest, me or this shameless old lady. I was peacefully getting an IV, and she went crazy and attacked me first. Am I not allowed to defend myself? Do I have to take a beating for no reason? Who does she think she is? If she were my parents, I'd accept their discipline. But who the hell is she? Just a neighbor, trying to lay hands on me? What's gotten into her? Everyone knows she just got out of the security office for stealing! This old lady is of low character, vicious, and mean. Let's call the police and see who they arrest!"
"You! You you you!"
Madam Zhou Li was trembling with anger!
Bai Fendou, on the other hand, stood tall, victorious!
It was undeniable that Bai Fendou's outburst had some effect. At least Zhou Qun didn't want to stir up more trouble. Though he felt his mother had every right to discipline Bai Fendou, even to the point of death, in broad daylight with everyone watching, it was clear his mother had started the fight. Even if the police were called, they might not come out ahead. And Bai Fendou was right; his mother had just been released from the security office. If they caused more trouble, it could backfire on them.
With that in mind, Zhou Qun quickly said, "Mom, stop making a scene. Let the doctor take a good look at you. What's with this talk of calling the police? We're all neighbors who see each other every day. If this gets out of hand, how will we face each other in the future? In the same courtyard, how will we get along? Bai Fendou, look, we're both injured. Let's each take a step back. My mom is more seriously hurt than you, and we're not holding it against you. Are you really going to argue with an old lady?"
Zhou Qun's words, though a bit of a provocation, worked on Bai Fendou.
Bai Fendou glared: "Am I that kind of person? Fine, let's drop it."
He wiped his face and lay down like a corpse, lost in thought. His injuries had worsened, meaning more hospital time and more expenses. The thought made him uncomfortable. But then he thought, maybe he was still ahead.
After all, Madam Zhou Li was more seriously injured than him. If they ended up compensating each other, he'd be at a disadvantage.
So not making a big deal out of it was better for him.
Bai Fendou lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling his recent life had been a chaotic mess. But he didn't know what had gone wrong, or if anything had really gone wrong. Maybe he was just too impatient.
In their courtyard, all the men, except for those too young or not yet grown, were married. Only he remained a bachelor. Could his temper be any smaller?
He stared blankly, feeling the weight of his situation.
The dramatic showdown quickly ended, and neither side held a grudge. Zhao Guihua watched the whole thing, feeling like she had eaten a whole melon. She said, "Let's go."
No one paid attention to them now. Zhao Guihua held Hutou, followed by the dazed and shocked Liang Meifen, and the three of them went downstairs. Zhao Guihua had come by bicycle. Zhao Guihua: "Snap out of it. You're still stunned from watching the fight?"
Liang Meifen: "They were really fierce."
She clicked her tongue: "They really dared to fight."
Zhao Guihua: "They've fought before, it's not surprising."
Liang Meifen: "Right... it's not surprising, but still, shocking!"
She took the bike, saying, "Mom, you hold Hutou on the back, I'll ride."
Zhao Guihua: "Alright, but don't get distracted."
"Don't worry."
Liang Meifen rode carefully. After all, if she fell into a ditch, who knows what kind of beating she might get? She had seen it; these people were all fighters, including her mother-in-law. She'd better behave. If it came to a fight, she wouldn't stand a chance.
Liang Meifen considered herself an educated person and never resorted to physical means. Usually, when mothers disciplined their children, they would hit them, but she never did that. At most, she would lightly pat their back or bottom.
She didn't advocate for hitting people or using physical force to discipline children.
So Zhao Guihua always felt that people were hard to judge. They might have countless flaws, but there was always a bright spot. Liang Meifen was no exception.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law quickly rode home. As soon as Hutou entered the courtyard, he shouted, "I, Hutou, am back!"
Although he knew his friends were at school, the child still wanted to shout out loud. The hospital stay had been too dull. Hutou's shout didn't attract his friends but brought Aunt Wang from the back yard.
Aunt Wang came over, smiling, "You're out of the hospital, Hutou."
Hutou nodded eagerly, asking, "Is Weiwei home? Is Junjun home?"
Aunt Wang: "They're all at school. Wait until they get out, and they'll come play with you."
Hutou nodded quickly: "Okay!"
He was overjoyed: "I want to play with my friends."
The child then added: "No fighting, just fun."
Aunt Wang: "???"
Why mention fighting?
Zhao Guihua hadn't even entered the house yet, saying, "Oh, don't mention it. Just as we were leaving the hospital, Madam Zhou Li was being admitted... She just slapped Bai Fendou... Bai Fendou fought back fiercely..."
Zhao Guihua grabbed a small stool and sat down, and Aunt Wang quickly followed.
Women from the back yard who weren't working, like Second Aunt Cui and Sister-in-law Li, also came over, quickly joining the tea party. They all expressed their shock in a chorus of exclamations. Who would have thought that after being locked up for three days without food, Madam Zhou Li could still muster such fierce combat power?
And Bai Fendou... The guy even beat up an old lady.
Zhao Guihua: "They really are a spark of fire and lightning, I'm convinced. Even injured, they can't stop."
This Aunt Zhou, she's too, too..." Someone wanted to comment on this person but found there wasn't a single appropriate word to describe this "dama" (middle-aged woman), as if any word wouldn't do her justice.
Aunt Wang also sighed: "She just keeps causing trouble. At her age, is it worth getting beaten up? To me, she's just spoiled by her good life. In our courtyard, who has it as comfortable as her? An old lady holding onto her daughter-in-law's thirty-something salary, with only three people eating at home. There's no way it would run out, she could have good food, good drink, and good use of everything. But she just doesn't know how to live well, always looking for trouble, not getting along with this one or that one. If she really got some benefit, it would be understandable, but she clearly doesn't. Every time she ends up losing out, yet she still stirs up trouble. It seems that once someone gets muddled, no amount of cleverness helps."
"Yes, she's even holding onto her daughter-in-law's salary."
"Jiang Lu is also a fool, how could she just hand over all her salary? How does she live?"
"She leeches off her family, you see how Aunt Su's two daughters, Zhaodi and Pandi, send everything back to their family, almost emptying their husbands' pockets to support their family. She's the opposite. If I had a daughter like that, I'd be livid."
"I don't expect my daughter to subsidize me, she just needs to live well, but not as muddled as Jiang Lu. Zhou Qun is a good person, but his mother, Madam Zhou Li, is really not."
"That's right, Zhou Qun doesn't know what his mother has been saying, wait until he goes back to work at the factory, he'll be so embarrassed."
"What else can he do? It's not like a wife, where you can just get divorced and be done with it. She's his mother, he has to endure it."
"Exactly!"
Everyone was discussing passionately when Second Aunt Cui said: "Hey, isn't today payday? Are you buying meat?"
"What for? Life is tight."
"Guihua, what about you?"
Zhao Guihua: "I'm making meat stew at home today, but it's not because of payday. It's because Hutou is getting discharged from the hospital today? We have to eat something good to get rid of the bad luck."
Who knows what eating well has to do with getting rid of bad luck.
But everyone just thought it made sense.
Zhao Guihua: "I don't usually care if they get paid or not, my family has a fixed living expense, I have to plan it out."
Zhao Guihua and her husband's household pays ten yuan, really not much.
"Guihua, you're really hands-off."
Zhao Guihua: "What's there to worry about? They're not three-year-olds, who doesn't know how to manage money? Besides, they're all married and should save for themselves, it's all for the kids. If it weren't for the fact that eating together is cheaper now, I'd actually want to split up. But my family's situation is like an internal small split. If Hutou gets married, I'll really have to separate quickly, otherwise with all these old and young, I think I'd go crazy."
Little Hutou, running around in the courtyard, stopped his running and asked, dumbfounded: "Grandma, are you not going to keep me?"
Zhao Guihua: "No, I'll keep you, but you'll grow up and get married too."
Hutou shook his head: "I don't want to get married, getting married is too troublesome. I want to live with Grandma."
The child said seriously: "Wives always want to control people, I want to be free."
Pfft, hahaha!
"Little Hutou, you've exposed your family situation!"
"Guihua, you have a female-dominated household!"
Zhao Guihua also laughed, saying: "You little rascal, go play, go play."
Hutou said seriously: "Then I won't leave Grandma."
Zhao Guihua: "Alright, alright, whatever you say. Go play."
The child immediately ran off, jumping and hopping.
Zhao Guihua, seeing everyone still laughing, said: "What's so funny? Isn't this normal in my family? My husband, Laonian, if I didn't keep an eye on him, he'd be fooled to death. He's got no mind for schemes. In a family, there has to be someone who takes charge. Besides, women can hold up half the sky, I can do it too."
"You're amazing."
Zhao Guihua: "Hehe."
She laughed enough and said: "What about you, don't you manage money at home?"
Everyone started laughing again. Zhao Guihua: "Men can't be left in charge entirely, they don't know how to plan, living without a plan, eating and drinking extravagantly at the beginning of the month, starving at the end of the month? Can't even fill their stomachs with the northwest wind."
"Hahaha."
Everyone laughed again.
"You're right, men managing the household won't do, they'll mess it up."
"Mine can't either, he doesn't know how to plan at all."
Aunt Wang said gloomily: "My family is different, my old man is very thrifty."
Thinking of Chef Li, everyone nodded in agreement. Chef Li, anything that doesn't cost money is fine, but anything that does, he's reluctant. They've been neighbors for so many years, everyone knows it well.
"Hey, it's almost Qingming Festival, I want to pick some mugwort to make green dumplings, do you know what green dumplings are?"
Most people shook their heads, but Zhao Guihua nodded: "I know, I know, I can make them too."
She learned from Moyin.
Moyin, Zhao Guihua's cooking class.
"Oh? Aunt Zhao, you can too? You're amazing. Normally, northerners don't eat this, did you learn from your mother-in-law?"
Zhao Guihua certainly didn't, but she smiled and said: "I just heard her mention it once, I don't think it's hard."
Aunt Wang: "Are green dumplings only eaten during Qingming Festival?"
"Not really, you can eat them anytime, but usually in spring, it's like a feeling of spring really arriving with Qingming Festival." It's already spring, just a bit cold, so people don't feel it yet.
"What are they made of?"
"Mugwort, and flour, then prepare the filling, red bean paste is fine."
"Ah, so many good things... forget it, can't afford it."
"Flour is good enough for steamed buns, why add mugwort with that weird taste?"
"I don't like that taste either."
Everyone chattered away, but Zhao Guihua thought, come to think of it, it really could be made and eaten. Just for the novelty, after all, nowadays everything is seasonal and regional, unlike the internet-connected days where you can follow recipes and buy anything.
A group of old ladies chatted enthusiastically, and at that moment, Zhuang Zhixi was queuing up to get paid, just ahead of him was Wang Xiangxiu. When it was Wang Xiangxiu's turn, Zhuang Zhixi glanced and saw she got twenty-something, less than thirty.
But after getting paid, Wang Xiangxiu didn't leave, instead standing there with a smile: "My neighbor Bai Fendou is injured and can't come, can I collect his pay for him?"
The cashier, with a smirk, asked: "What's your relationship with him, you collecting for him?"
Surrounding people also had expressions of watching a show. Wang Xiangxiu wasn't shy, boldly saying: "Of course it's neighbors, we get along well, isn't that fine?"
"Bai Fendou's father is also in the factory, can't he collect for his son?"
Who knew Wang Xiangxiu was even more shameless, directly saying: "Then I'll collect his too, I'll collect for both father and son. Saves them a trip, and I'll sign for it, everyone's seen it, what's there to worry about? That old saying goes, the monk can run away but the temple can't, what's there to worry about?"
The cashier laughed again, laughing enough, saying: "Alright, if you want to collect, collect. If they complain, they'll definitely come looking for you."
They're all from the same factory, just like Wang Xiangxiu said, the monk can run away but the temple can't, no one dares to falsely collect money. Don't they want to work anymore? This is out in the open, everyone can see.
At this moment, there was really no privacy to speak of.
Wang Xiangxiu counted the money one by one and put it in her pocket, her eyeballs turning, she said coquettishly: "I just remembered, I have another neighbor. Zhou Qun, I'll collect for him too? After all, we're all neighbors, I'll just do a good deed."
The cashier looked at Wang Xiangxiu in surprise and said, "Zhou Qun's salary has already been collected by his wife. Hey, Wang Xiangxiu, what's going on with you? Don't cause trouble here. Did you even discuss this with them? You want to collect someone else's money? Let me tell you, if they don't receive this money, you won't be able to get away with it!"
How does this woman think of one thing after another?
Wang Xiangxiu's face stiffened, but she quickly smiled and said, "I understand. I just thought they're in the hospital, and Jiang Lu rarely comes to the factory, so I thought I'd help out. You know, my mother-in-law is in the hospital, Zhou Qun is in the hospital, Bai Fendou is in the hospital, all in the same ward. I just wanted to do a good deed and deliver it to them."
"Hey, Wang Xiangxiu, why is your mother-in-law in the hospital? Is it terminal?"
"Is it because she's hooked up with Bai Fendou's father? If they're together, you'd be Bai Fendou's sister-in-law, and you two can't be together anymore, right?"
Wang Xiangxiu bit her lip and said, "What are you talking about?"
Her voice raised a bit: "My mother-in-law was bitten by a dog. Those words are nonsense, don't believe everything you hear and spread rumors. My mother-in-law may be old, but her reputation is very important. You can't just talk nonsense."
She secretly resented, but on the surface, she looked pitiful. Her gaze swept over the crowd and saw Zhuang Zhixi there. She immediately walked over and said, "Little Zhuang brother, we live in the same courtyard, you have to vouch for us, we're not like that. My mother-in-law and Uncle Bai are as clear as tofu with green onions, absolutely innocent."
She winked at Zhuang Zhixi after saying this, almost making him vomit his lunch.
But even so, he could remain calm and innocent, asking, "Sister-in-law Su, what's wrong with your eyes? Why are you blinking so much? Is it some kind of illness? If there's something wrong with your eyes, you should go to our clinic and see Dr. Wang. Your family is relying on you, if your eyes go bad, what will you do? Your children are still young, and you can't rely on your frail mother-in-law."
He spoke quite seriously, making it hard for people to tell he was being sarcastic.
"Pfft!"
"Oh, is that what she meant?"
"This young man just doesn't understand her hints."
Wang Xiangxiu stamped her foot in anger and said, "What are you talking about? My eyes are fine!"
Although she acted this way, she still looked expectantly at Zhuang Zhixi, not only hoping he would speak for her but also thinking that since today is payday, maybe she could flirt a bit and get some extra money.
Zhou Qun hurt his back and won't be looking for her anytime soon.
She's missing out on another source of income!
"You have to vouch for my family."
But all her efforts were in vain.
Zhuang Zhixi wasn't buying her act at all. With a bitter smile of grievance, he said, "Sister-in-law Su, don't put me on the spot. I dare not vouch for your family. The proof must be truthful..."
"Pahahahahaha..."
The onlookers burst into laughter again.
Wang Xiangxiu glared at Zhuang Zhixi and said, "You little rascal!"
With that, she turned and stormed off in a huff.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Tch."
