Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 254

As soon as Zhao Chunni finished speaking, the smile on her face vanished, replaced by sadness, and tears seemed to well up in her eyes.

Zhao Tingxu sighed and asked, "How's the boss?"

"Still the same, neither good nor bad," Zhao Chunni said, her head down.

"I'll go take a look." Zhao Tingxu stood up.

Zhao Chunni hesitated for a moment, but still led Zhao Tingxu to the room on the east side.

That room was always closed, and it was where Zhao Chunni's eldest son, Zhang Yuzhuang, lived.

In fact, Zhao Da'e had never seen Zhang Yuzhuang, not even once.

Zhao Da'e only knew that her aunt's family had a son, but she had never met him; she had only heard about him from others.

After all, she was young, and in reality, Zhang Yuzhuang's life should have come to an end soon. Zhao Da'e remembered that in her previous life, Zhang Yuzhuang passed away around the Dragon Boat Festival of the following year.

Ugh……

It's all fate.

Zhao Da'e never knew exactly what illness Zhang Yuzhuang had. He only heard Zhao Tingxu mention it briefly: Zhang Yuzhuang was a child with cerebral palsy who needed to be fed constantly because he couldn't do anything on his own. He also contracted other illnesses and had a fragile constitution; his arms and legs would break if touched. In short, he was either recuperating or on his way to recuperation.

He sought medical help countless times, but there was no cure.

It might actually be what later generations often refer to as a "glass person".

Judging from Zhao Chunni's expression just now, it seems that Zhang Yuzhuang has fractured his bone again, and the fracture is in a bad place, which may have caused more serious problems in his body.

Zhao Da'e wasn't sure whether she should go check on Zhang Yuzhuang. It was an awkward situation for her, and in the end, she decided against it. After all, she was young, and it was better not to ask too many questions.

Zhao Da'e took a piece of orange-flavored gummy candy and put it in his mouth. The industrial coloring and saccharin assaulted Zhao Da'e's taste buds...

It tastes absolutely awful.

But it didn't taste like much in my mouth, so I just ate it.

I've consumed plenty of saccharin and artificial colorings anyway, so what's a little more?

But Zhao Da'e couldn't help but ask Zhang Yumei, "Cousin, is my cousin not in good health?"

Zhang Yumei remained calm and simply said, "Children, don't ask about those things."

"By the way, Big Goose, shouldn't you be starting school? You're already six years old, seven by the traditional Chinese age reckoning. You'll be eight next year, a big kid then. Are you planning to start in the spring, or in the fall when school starts?"

Zhao Da'e shook his head: "I don't know either. I don't want to study, studying is so damn annoying."

Zhang Yumei laughed: "These days, who doesn't go to school? Only by studying can you have a bright future. Look at my third aunt..."

Zhao Da'e pursed his lips, thinking: Forget it, your third aunt isn't a naive good person.

Zhang Yumei's third aunt is Zhao Da'e's aunt, Zhao Chunqin. She is one of the few people who was able to get into university and is a role model for others in the whole township.

Teachers would often say, "You should learn from Zhao Chunqin. She has such a big face, and she still got into university. Are you uglier than her, or worse than her? Why can't you get into university?"

The teacher would often say with a touch of arrogance: "Hehe, Zhao Chunqin is the worst student I've ever taught, but she's diligent and willing to learn. So even though she's ugly, has a big face, and isn't very bright, she knows how to study hard, sometimes until two or three in the morning..."

One of the students, who was being sarcastic, asked the teacher: "Teacher, doesn't she sleep?"

Teacher: Who the hell dared to talk back? I'll slap you if you don't!

Student: Zhao Chunqin studies until 3 a.m. every night. Isn't she sleepy during the day? If she's not sleepy during the day, we can't either. We would all die if we didn't sleep until 3 a.m. Teacher, how does Zhao Chunqin manage to stay awake during the day and not sleep at night?

Teacher: Screw you, you're the worst class I've ever taught, each one more troublesome than the last...

It's not that Zhao Da'e dislikes Zhao Chunqin, it's that just thinking about Zhao Chunqin makes him feel nauseous.

"Cousin, have you finished your homework?"

Zhang Yumei: "..."

Zhao Da'e: "Cousin, what was your ranking in the whole school in the final exam?"

Zhang Yumei: "My third place..."

Zhao Da'e: "Then why aren't you number one? Is it because your third aunt cursed you?"

Zhang Yumei was speechless...

"Goose, let's have some candy instead."

Zhao Da'e obediently ate a piece of corn candy.

After a while, Zhao Chunni and Zhao Tingxu returned to the west room. Zhao Tingxu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), sighing repeatedly.

Zhao Chunni also looked aggrieved.

Zhao Chunni was in her thirties and the eldest sister in the family. She was a very honest and simple person. With tears in her eyes, she lowered her head and said, "Dad, let's have dumplings for lunch. I'll make you buckwheat dumplings so you can take good care of your arm."

Zhao Tingxu nodded and took out the two jin of fried dough sticks from his bag from the market trip: "Yumei, you eat them."

"Chunni, have your son-in-law drive the tractor and bring back the cylinders I bought later. By the way, do you have any money?"

Zhao Chunni was taken aback for a moment: "Okay, I'll let him go when he gets back."

Zhao Chunni paused for a moment, then said, "I don't have much money left. The kids have been spending it all. Dad, how much do you need?"

Zhao Tingxu sighed, "Sigh. If you don't have it, then don't take it. Keep it for the child's medical treatment."

As they talked, neither of them treated Zhao Da'e like an outsider, always regarding her as a child.

Zhao Chunni rummaged around in the back and pulled out eight hundred yuan, handing it to Zhao Tingxu: "Dad, take this and spend it. I heard about what happened at home, and I can't go back either. Sigh... Second son's wife has been back at her parents' house for almost two or three months, and he hasn't gone to call her? That good-for-nothing third son came the day before yesterday, saying he wanted his eldest aunt's husband to drive the tractor to haul bricks and sand. It's winter, so let him go. I can't go, but Dad, you can have second and third sons load the truck. Anyway, the tractor is our own, it'll just cost a little gas. Yu Mei's grandfather got two barrels of gasoline from the city a while ago, it didn't cost much, only two hundred yuan a barrel. That's a little over one yuan a pound, that's for their internal use, the cost price."

He can work for a few days, but I won't go back. I have many children at home who need constant care.

Zhao Tingxu nodded, his face flushed, looking at the eight hundred yuan, unsure whether to accept it or not.

Zhao Tingxu was indeed out of money. He had several exceptional children to support, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

Being a parent is not easy.

"The second son's wife is alright, she lives with her parents. The third son's wife, she only comes back when she's building a new house, that's the real problem. Chunni, sigh... she's the real troublemaker. We don't have much money, and even if we did, what would we do?"

Zhao Chunni thought for a moment: "Then sooner or later they'll have to separate and live separately. Whether it's the third or second son, if things don't work out, we'll draw lots. One goes out, the other gets a handout, and we'll build them a mud-brick house. Separating the family is the right thing to do. If that doesn't work, we'll raise some money. Staying together all the time, fighting is inevitable. Didn't Da'e's mother go back to her parents' home because she had nowhere to live?"

Actually, I think she's a pretty good person. She doesn't ask for much; if things don't work out, she'll let her second son leave, and then build him a simple mud house. That won't cost much. As for building a new house, we'll talk about that later, whenever we have the money. Oh, by the way, the money Chunqin borrowed…”

Zhao Tingxu coughed.

Zhao Chunni stopped talking.

Zhao Da'e chuckled to himself: Hehe, I understand even without you two saying it.

It seems that Zhao Chunni owes Zhao Tingxu some money, probably the remaining seven thousand yuan.

However, the remaining 30,000 yuan should all be in Zhao Chunqin's hands.

Zhao Chunni has consistently admitted to borrowing money, but the problem remains that she hasn't repaid it.

So there's a fundamental question here: whether Zhao Chunni has repaid the money or not. Someone lied in the middle, but the amount owed wasn't too much. Plus, Zhao Chunni's child is indeed spending a lot of money, so she's not exactly well-off.

Zhang Yuzhuang's physical condition was extremely poor.

However, what Zhao Da'e was thinking was: Let's split up the family as soon as possible. After splitting up, Zhao Da'e could rightfully bring his mother back, and then kick Zhao Tiesheng away...

Otherwise, the family would have to fight for another 300 days.

The biggest conflict in the Zhao family is whether or not they separate. If they do separate, any disagreements between the couple won't be a major problem.

If Zhao Tiesheng is obedient, let him stay in the new house; if he's disobedient, let him go with the wind...

A short while later, Zhang Ruifeng returned.

Once inside, he asked, "Dad, how's your hand?"

Zhao Tingxu glanced at him and said, "It's alright, he won't die."

Zhang Ruifeng was immediately embarrassed and didn't know what to say. He looked at Zhao Da'e and said, "Da'e has gotten fat."

Zhao Da'e was incredibly embarrassed: "Hehehe."

Zhao Da'e: Everyone says I've gained weight, and it seems I really have. But considering I'll be eating your rice later, I, Zhao Da'e, will tolerate it…

"Zhang Ruifeng, come with me to the market. I bought a few vats. You load them onto the tractor for me. After we finish eating, bring them back to me, or you can deliver them tomorrow." Zhao Tingxu ordered directly, "Find two more people, otherwise these vats will be difficult to lift. If they get bumped or broken, it will be hard to fix."

Zhang Ruifeng said "okay".

Afterwards, Zhang Ruifeng rummaged in his pocket for a long time, but found no cigarettes.

Zhao Chunni found a general in the back cabinet.

General, this cigarette costs 1.5 yuan a pack, and it's not very strong.

Zhao Tingxu glanced at it, then took out his cigarette pouch from his pocket and rolled one himself: "That one's too weak, I can't smoke it."

For long-time smokers, cigarettes with low strength are simply unbearable.

After Zhao Tingxu finished rolling the cigarette, he lit it and started smoking it.

Zhang Ruifeng looked at it and said, "Then I'll roll one too."

Zhang Ruifeng also had a tobacco basket at home. He took it out, rolled a cigarette for himself, and then went out with Zhao Tingxu. They got on the tractor and drove off.

Zhang Yumei hugged Zhao Da'e for a while and felt that Zhao Da'e had indeed gained some weight, so she asked her to sit on the kang (heated brick bed): "Da'e, sit by yourself for a while. Your cousin can't take it anymore, you're a bit overweight now."

Zhang Yumei felt that Zhao Da'e weighed sixty or seventy pounds. Although she was young and short, Zhao Da'e was all flesh and blood...

Zhao Da'e sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) with an embarrassed look on his face, took out the candy from the plastic bag, and started eating.

Since Zhao Chunni's family is from a rural area, although they don't farm much, they raise a few pigs and also run a tractor business, so their income is still decent. It's just that her eldest son's illness keeps recurring, taking up too much of her time and energy.

"Auntie, do you still owe my grandfather money?" Zhao Da'e asked sincerely, without any embellishment.

Sincere people often say things that put others in a difficult position.

When Zhao Da'e asked this, Zhao Chunni was taken aback for a moment, then lowered her head and did not reply. Instead, she brought over some roasted peanuts: "Here, Da'e, have some peanuts. I'll bring you some back later. Your sister used to be short, but after eating peanuts, she grew taller."

Zhao Da'e raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zhang Yumei: She's of average height, but rather thin...

Afterwards, Zhao Da'e looked down at herself. Her height was just right, fitting her figure at six or seven years old—neither too fat nor too thin.

Adhering to the principle that not taking advantage is a loss, Zhao Da'e's eyes darted around: "Auntie, why don't you just bring some roasted peanuts? Otherwise, no one will roast them for me when I get home."

Zhao Chunni: "..."

“You can’t eat peanuts as a meal,” Zhao Chunni sighed. “Go home and have your dad fry some for you. I’ll fry about ten or eight pounds for you in a bit, and your grandpa can take the rest home.”

Zhao Chunni paused for a moment: "Your grandfather's fried peanuts are pretty good. He has a good grasp of the heat."

Zhao Da'e chuckled, which was taken as an agreement.

Zhao Tingxu and Zhang Ruifeng went out to load the large vats they bought; it would probably take a while. Zhao Chunni thought it was still early to cook, so she went to fry peanuts first.

Zhang Yumei handed several books to Zhao Dage: "Dage, do you want to read?"

"Hiss... Cousin, I can't read."

“It’s alright, just comic books.” Zhang Yumei chuckled, revealing two small tiger teeth: “The Legend of the White Snake, Meng Jiangnu Crying at the Great Wall, The Peacock Flies Southeast, Du Shiniang Angrily Sinks the Treasure Chest, The White-Haired Girl, Little Cabbage Sues Zhu Yuanzhang…” Zhang Yumei read through the books one by one.

Zhao Da'e frowned and asked in a low voice, "Cousin, look at this, doesn't my aunt care?"

Zhang Yumei was taken aback: Wasn't Zhao Da'e illiterate? She understands?

“This… is quite good.” Zhang Yumei tossed aside the others and kept only a copy of “Meng Jiangnu Weeping at the Great Wall.”

"Come here, goose. Your cousin will tell you a story..."

Zhao Da'e shook his head: "I won't listen. I've heard the story of Meng Jiangnu. I'll tell you a story you haven't heard before..."

Zhang Yumei was completely stunned: "What story?"

"Ninefold Purple..." Zhao Da'e spoke eloquently.

"Speaking of Dou Zhao, she was an ancient person, and a little girl about your age was reborn one day..."

Zhao Da'e kept talking non-stop, and Zhang Yumei listened with her eyes wide open...

Zhao Chunni was frying peanuts over there. Seeing that the two children were quiet and well-behaved inside, she fried them for a little longer...

Zhang Yumei listened to the story with rapt attention...

After a long while, she asked, "Big Goose, you didn't explain clearly just now. I'm confused. Is the old lady a princess, or is the girl's mother a princess? I feel like this story is from the Northern and Southern Dynasties..."

"Her mother, I can't quite remember... Listen carefully, don't keep interrupting, you're making me forget... Where were we? Right, we were talking about how the little guy learned the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, the Soul-Chasing Kick, the Golden Lion's Roar, and the Ice Soul Silver Needle... That's truly remarkable..."