Chapter 14 p3
Since this match didn’t work out, Wei Jianbing’s mother couldn’t blame her. It was his own bad reputation. It was normal for Ye Qingzhi to be angry and refuse.
“Is that so? I’m not from Houxi Village, after all, so I don’t know him that well. Let me introduce you to another one. He’s from my village, Lin Hongdong. He’s tall and strong, a hard worker, and the only son in his family. Everything in the family will be his in the future,” the matchmaker immediately switched to someone else.
What a coincidence. Ye Qingzhi had just passed through Qianxi Village yesterday and had heard people talking about this Lin Hongdong.
He had four older sisters and was born prematurely. He had been weak since childhood. To pay for his medical treatment, all four sisters had been married off for a bride price. Despite all the money spent, he was still as fragile as a reed in the wind and might not even be able to have children.
So, this Lin Hongdong wanted to marry her because she was healthy and hardworking and could take care of his whole family in the future. And second, he wanted her two sons. After all, he couldn’t have children of his own. The two boys didn’t have a real father. He could just bring them over, change their surnames, and raise them as his own.
Ye Qingzhi took a deep breath. “Auntie, Qianxi Village isn’t far from Houxi Village, just across a creek. Although I don’t like to gossip, I know a lot of things. For example, this Lin Hongdong is a sickly man who can’t even perform in bed. Are you trying to make me a living widow?”
She held up a hand to stop the matchmaker from speaking. “No need to explain. I’m really not in a hurry to remarry. You should go. I’ll find you if I need you.”
The matchmaker hadn’t expected her to know about Lin Hongdong. After introducing two bad matches in a row, she was too embarrassed to continue and could only wait for another time.
She thought that was the end of it, but she was stopped by Wei Jianbing on her way to work.
“Qingzhi, I asked the matchmaker to propose to you. Why didn’t you agree?”
Her face darkened. “Wei Jiancheng was your cousin. Please call me sister-in-law.”
“Brother Jiancheng is already dead. Are you going to be a widow for him? Qingzhi, it’s so hard for you to raise two children alone. I don’t mind that you’re a widow, and I don’t mind your two children. Marry me. I’ll be good to you,” he said with a feigned look of deep affection.
“Ooh, ooh, say yes, say yes…” The other loafers with him started to hoot.
Ye Qingzhi looked at them with cold eyes. “What, you want to force me to marry you? You want to act like hooligans? I’m going to call the police. I’m going to the Revolutionary Committee. I’ll ask them if they’ll handle this.”
Hearing that she was going to call the police and go to the Revolutionary Committee, the loafers panicked.
They only dared to act tough in the village. In front of the police or the Revolutionary Committee, they wouldn’t dare to even fart.
“Don’t listen to her nonsense. She doesn’t dare,” Wei Jianbing said, gritting his teeth as his friends looked at him.
Ye Qingzhi sneered, shouldered her hoe, and turned to go down the mountain. It wasn’t her fault. Why would she be afraid?
“Brother Bing, what do we do?” a younger one asked, trembling with fear.
Wei Jianbing also panicked. He quickly chased after her, reaching out to grab her and stop her from calling the police.
Seeing him about to make a move, she swung her hoe at him. If the tiger doesn’t show its claws, do you think I’m a sick cat?
“Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, I was wrong, I was really wrong,” Wei Jianbing said, almost getting hit by the hoe, then running and begging for mercy.
Many people heard the commotion and peeked out. Good heavens, Ye Qingzhi is hitting someone?
Looking closer, it was Wei Jianbing.
It must have been this loafer who started the trouble.
No matter what, they had to separate them first. It wouldn’t be good if someone got hurt.
“Qingzhi, what’s going on? Did this bastard Jianbing bother you?” Auntie Ye rushed over, her hoe on her shoulder, her face full of anger.
Ye Qingzhi glared at Wei Jianbing and pointed at him. “Yesterday, a matchmaker suddenly came to propose on behalf of Wei Jianbing. No matter how she praised him, we’re from the same village. How could I not know what kind of person he is? Even if I’m a widow remarrying, I would never marry him. So I refused on the spot. I didn’t expect him to dare to stop me today and try to force me to marry him. Pfft, in his dreams! Wei Jianbing, for the sake of our distant relation, I’ll let it go this time. If you dare to bother me again, I’ll go to the commune and find the comrades from the Revolutionary Committee and tell them you’re harassing me.”
Everyone was taken aback by her threat to go to the Revolutionary Committee. But thinking of Wei Jianbing, he must have pushed her too far. Otherwise, why would such a gentle person say such things?
Just then, the brigade leader came over. He forced Wei Jianbing to apologize to her before letting him leave in disgrace.
Ye Qingzhi cleared her throat and said loudly, “Since all the elders and villagers are here, I’d like to make a statement. It’s not easy for a single woman to raise two children. If there’s a suitable match, I’m not opposed to remarrying, but only after the hundred-day mourning period is over. In the meantime, please don’t come to me. I’m really not in the mood for it right now.”
She was giving them a heads-up, so that when she announced her marriage after the hundred days, people wouldn’t gossip.
Auntie Ye linked her arm with hers and whispered in her ear, “Qingzhi, you did the right thing. With people like Wei Jianbing, you have to be a bit fierce. And what you just said was also good. It’ll prevent people from gossiping about you after you marry Qiming.”
After this battle, the loafers no longer dared to hang around her door, and the matchmakers also stopped coming.
Life was peaceful until August. The busy farming season was about to begin. Ye Qingzhi planned to buy some meat to eat during that time; otherwise, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold up.
Before she reached the village entrance, she saw Wei Youliang sitting on the ground, wailing. After asking around, she found out that Fang Xiaomei had moved out with her son and daughter-in-law, saying she wanted to break up with him.
“Break up?” Ye Qingzhi asked, puzzled.
“They never got a marriage certificate or had a wedding banquet. What kind of couple were they? They were just living together. Of course it’s a breakup,” Auntie Li said, watching the show with her arms crossed.
“Xiaomei… Xiaomei, I can’t live without you…”
A man in his fifties was rolling on the ground, throwing a tantrum and crying out a woman’s name. The scene was truly horrifying.
“Qingzhi, Qingzhi,” Auntie Ye beckoned to her.
“Auntie?” Ye Qingzhi walked over to her.
“Fang Xiaomei has run off. Wei Youliang is all alone now. When he’s old and has no one to take care of him, he’ll definitely latch onto you. In my opinion, after you marry Qiming, you should hurry up and transfer the children’s household registrations too, so he can’t latch onto you,” Auntie Ye said earnestly.
Ye Qingzhi nodded and followed her to her house. “I was just about to discuss this with you. After I marry Qiming, I’m going to transfer the children’s household registrations. The village might take back my private plot, but it’ll be fine if I give it to you beforehand. Auntie, do you want it?”
“Give it to me?” Auntie Ye looked at her in surprise.
Of course she wanted the private plot, especially since Ye Qingzhi’s was in a good location.
“There’s one more thing. I want to sell the house,” Ye Qingzhi said, pressing her lips together and revealing her ultimate goal.
“What, sell the house?” This time, Auntie Ye was truly shocked.
“Yes. I’m remarrying with my children. I won’t be able to keep this house for long. In the end, it will either go to Wei Youliang or someone else in the village.” Ye Qingzhi was very clear about the rules of survival in the countryside. Once she transferred her household registration, she wouldn’t be able to live in the house even if she owned it.
Auntie Ye sighed. It was a pity that Ye Qingzhi’s two children were still so young. If they were even ten years old, she might have been able to keep the house.
“I understand what you mean. I’ll ask around for you. I remember Second Great-Aunt was thinking of buying a house,” Auntie Ye said, taking the matter to heart.
“Auntie, thank you. Ever since Jiancheng passed, if it weren’t for you helping me all this time, I really wouldn’t have made it,” Ye Qingzhi said sincerely.
“Oh, don’t be a stranger. Weren’t you going to buy meat? You should go early, or all the good cuts will be gone,” Auntie Ye said, waving her hand in embarrassment.
Ye Qingzhi went to the meat stall at the commune. The pork belly was already sold out, so she could only get two catties of lower-grade pork belly.
She was about to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to see if there was anything she needed when she saw Fang Xiaomei following behind Old Niu like a little wife, carrying a package in her hand. From the smile in her eyes, it was clear that Old Niu had bought it for her.
Ye Qingzhi had no desire to run into her and was about to turn and leave when Fang Xiaomei called out to her.
“Oh, Qingzhi, here to buy meat?” Fang Xiaomei glanced at the meat stall. “Why didn’t you come to me? My Third Brother works at the meat processing plant. I can’t get you a lot, but a catty or two is no problem.”
“No need, I’ve already bought some.” Ye Qingzhi glanced at Old Niu and quickly looked down. What do I do? I think I just saw an ugly orange smiling at me.
“Is that so? Well, you can come to me next time. With our relationship, I’ll definitely help you. But you have to pay. Do you have money? Hohoho, I forgot, you don’t have money. If you ask me, you should hurry up and find someone to marry. Do you want me to introduce someone to you?” Fang Xiaomei looked at her smugly.
So what if she’s young and beautiful? She’s as dull as a block of wood. Not as good as me, a woman of almost fifty.
Ye Qingzhi sighed inwardly and forced a smile. “Yes, yes, I don’t have money. You’re amazing, you’re the most amazing. Alright, I’m going home now.”
Watching her retreating back, Fang Xiaomei felt a lump in her chest that she couldn’t swallow or spit out. It was extremely uncomfortable.
On the tenth of August, the work in the fields suddenly increased. Besides the regular work, there was also early morning and evening work, which could earn an extra two work-points each.
In previous years, the original owner would always do the extra work. But Ye Qingzhi didn’t lack money now, and she didn’t want to tire herself out, so she didn’t sign up.
“Qingzhi, you’re not doing the extra work this year?” the brigade leader asked curiously.
“No. I haven’t been feeling well recently. Health is the capital of the revolution. If I collapse, what will happen to my two children?” she said, shaking her head.
So, while everyone else was working hard, Ye Qingzhi got off work at six and went home.
She wasn’t idle, though. She was organizing the things in the house, figuring out what she could take with her and what she couldn’t. The things she couldn’t take would be stored at He Qiming’s house in Dayang Village.
That night, she packed up all of Wei Jiancheng’s things. What could be given away was given away, and what couldn’t was burned.
“Qingzhi,” Auntie Ye said, knocking on the door. “I have some news about the house.”