nashuaworldcup Chapter 63 As long as he dares to marry me, I dare to marry him.
Chapter 63 As long as he dares to marry me, I dare to marry him.
The next morning, before dawn, the rooster in the front yard crowed loudly, dispersing the thin layer of morning mist.
"Bang bang bang!"
The broken door of the woodshed was pounded so hard it was deafening, and the fragile door panel looked like it was about to fall apart.
"You brat! The sun's high in the sky and you're still lying there like a corpse? Get up and get yourself ready! If you embarrass the Li family today, I'll skin you alive!"
Niu Guihua's voice was shrill and sharp, and she squeezed right through the crack in the door.
Then came the dull thud of those big feet slamming into the door, causing the rust on the door frame to fall off.
Li Xianglian lay on the pile of straw, not in a hurry to move.
She stared at the light-leaking hole in the roof for a while before slowly sitting up.
A thin layer of dust had formed on the half basin of water left over from last night, but she didn't mind and scooped up the cold water to splash it on her face.
The icy water made my skin feel tight, and I felt more awake.
She pulled the divorce certificate from her inner pocket, her fingertip lingering for a moment on its rough texture before carefully putting it back in her pocket.
Comb your hair and tie it into a bun.
The blue cloth jacket that had been stored away was a bit wrinkled, and the cuffs were frayed.
She buttoned up each button carefully and looked at herself in the half-broken mercury mirror.
The person in the mirror had a sallow complexion, but held their back ramrod straight.
Pushing open the door, the morning sun was a bit dazzling.
The courtyard was truly festive.
The crippled square table was leveled with stones, and a piece of red cloth, which had been found somewhere, was laid on top of it, with a few oil stains on it.
Two plates of sunflower seeds and peanuts were piled high, with two bottles of the cheapest Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) placed in the middle.
Niu Guihua, wearing an apron stained with oil, was directing Li Laogen to paste red paper cutouts of the character "喜" (happiness) on the wall.
The "喜" (happiness) character was cut crooked and pasted on the peeling mud wall, looking awkward no matter how you looked at it.
Hearing the door open, Niu Guihua shoved the bowl of paste in her hand into Li Laogen's arms and turned away from his fat body.
"You're smart enough not to let me go in and drag you out."
Niu Guihua glanced at Li Xianglian up and down, her gaze lingering on the blue cloth jacket. She pursed her lips and said, "Go, empty the slop bucket by the wall. Don't think you can become a young mistress just because you got married today. As long as you haven't left this house, you still have to finish all the chores."
Li Xianglian didn't respond, but walked to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of water, and drank it.
"Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!" When Niu Guihua saw that she was ignoring her, her anger flared up instantly, and she raised her hand to hit her.
Li Xianglian put down the gourd ladle, turned around, and stared intently at Niu Guihua's hand, which was suspended in mid-air.
"beat."
Li Xianglian's voice was not loud, and even a little hoarse, "If Zhang the butcher asks about my swollen face, I'll say that my mother thinks the bride price is too low and wants to raise the price."
Niu Guihua's hand froze in mid-air.
Her eyelids twitched twice, and she sheepishly withdrew her hand, wiping it on her apron. "You brat, you've gotten smart, haven't you? You've learned to manipulate your mother now? Fine, today's a joyous occasion, I won't hold it against you. As long as you obediently go with Zhang Xiangui and give me back the remaining 150 yuan of betrothal gifts, I'll pretend nothing happened before."
When money was mentioned, Niu Guihua's fleshy face instantly relaxed, and greed gleamed from every wrinkle.
Li Laogen squatted on the doorstep, smoking a pipe, puffing away at the cigarette holder. His cloudy old eyes darted behind the smoke, not daring to look at Li Xianglian.
"Nier..."
Li Laogen tapped his pipe, his voice muffled, "When you get there... be diligent. Zhang the butcher may have a fiery temper, but at least he has meat at home. Don't blame your parents; we're really starving..."
"Can't even afford to eat?"
Li Xianglian's gaze swept over the pile of peanuts and melon seeds on the table, then landed on Li Dabao, who was hiding under the table secretly eating peanuts.
Hearing the noise, Li Dabao poked his head out from under the tablecloth, with a peanut skin still hanging from his mouth.
"Sister, don't blame Dad."
Li Dabao chewed the peanuts in his mouth with a loud crunch. "Butcher Zhang is so rich! I've heard all about it. Although his two wives died young, they ate big slices of fatty meat every meal when they were alive! Your skinny body would be good to nourish you. It's also to bring some benefits to our Li family."
As he spoke, he kept stuffing peanuts into his mouth: "Butcher Zhang said that after you marry into the family, he'll send us ten catties of lard every month! Ten catties! That's pure white oil!"
Li Dabao gestured with his hand, almost drooling.
Upon hearing this, Niu Guihua chuckled and said, "That's right! This is a blessing earned over several lifetimes! Don't be ungrateful; when you get there, making sure you take good care of your man is the real deal."
Li Xianglian looked at the family of three.
One is greedy for money, one is lazy and gluttonous, and one is a good-for-nothing.
These are her closest relatives.
"Okay." Li Xianglian nodded. "As long as he dares to marry me, I dare to marry him."
The sun gradually rose higher, scorching the ground with its scorching heat.
Xiahe Village also became lively.
The Li family's petty squabbles had already spread far and wide.
Many curious villagers gathered outside the Li family's courtyard wall, some clinging to the top of the wall, others squeezing through the gaps in the fence, all craning their necks to peer inside.
These days, entertainment is scarce. The Li family's daughter was just divorced by her son-in-law from the city, and now she's about to marry Zhang the butcher, a notorious ruthless man from the next village.
This is big news, even more exciting than the commune showing a movie.
A few gossipy women huddled together, spitting sunflower seed shells all over the ground.
"Have you heard? That butcher Zhang is a ruthless character. He lost two wives, and I heard they were bruised and battered when they were put to their final resting places."
"That's right! If he used that pig-slaughtering energy on beating his wife, who could stand it? I heard that when he's drunk, he'll chop the table with a pig-slaughtering knife. If anyone marries him, they're risking their life."
"That Li couple is so heartless! They're pushing their own daughter into a fire pit. They've completely abandoned all shame in their pursuit of a wife for their son."
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Didn't you see Niu Guihua's mouth practically stretched to her ears? She's selling her daughter to get a dowry for her son! Three hundred yuan! You wouldn't even be worth that much if you were sold!"
The sounds of conversation outside drifted into the courtyard on the wind.
Li Xianglian stood in the shadows at the base of the wall, not even lifting her eyelids, as if the people were not discussing her life or death.
Niu Guihua did hear it, but she pretended not to.
She was cracking sunflower seeds there, her triangular eyes glancing anxiously towards the dirt road at the village entrance, pacing around the yard in a hurry.
"What time is it? Why is there still no movement? Could it be that they've changed their minds?"
Just then, a commotion suddenly came from afar.
"Rat-a-tat-tat—"
That was the sound of a hand-operated tractor.
"Here he comes! Butcher Zhang is here!"
The crowd watching at the entrance stirred briefly, then scattered to make way for the behemoth.
Niu Guihua tossed the melon seeds in her hand into the plate, dusted herself off, and went out to greet them with a fawning expression.
"Oh, you're here! Please come in, please come in! Da Bao, quickly go and light the firecrackers!"
With a piercing "putt-putt" sound, a hand-operated tractor draped in a large red silk cloth, belching black smoke, arrogantly stopped at the entrance of the Li family compound.
The wheels rolled over the ditch in front of the door, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust that made the people around cough.
The car was still running, the engine was still shaking violently. A chillingly muscular figure jumped out of the driver's seat.
The big leather shoes stomped on the ground with a dull thud.
Zhang Xiangui made a special effort to dress up today.
He changed his perpetually greasy white vest into a blue Dacron shirt, but his belly was so big that the buttons were pulled tight, and you could see the dark flesh inside through the buttonholes.
His hair was slicked back with hair oil until it shone so brightly that even a fly landing on it would have to do a split.
Although he didn't carry the butcher knife at his waist openly, the stench of blood that had seeped into his bones from years of killing, mixed with the smell of lard, sweat, and cheap tobacco, hit you in the face, making you feel nauseous.
"Mother-in-law! I've come to pick you up!"
His shout was like a thunderclap in mid-air, almost making Li Laogen drop his pipe.
Niu Guihua's old face instantly broke into a wide grin, her wrinkles filled with dust.
She didn't mind the choking dust kicked up by the tractor, and rushed forward in three steps to help Zhang Xiangui's thick, muscular arm, which looked like a pig's trotter.
"Oh, my good son-in-law! We've been waiting for you! Da Bao! Where have you been? Hurry up and light a cigarette for your brother-in-law!"
Li Dabao ran out excitedly.
He held the packet of "Da Qianmen" cigarettes he had swiped from Zhao Gang in his hand, and handed it over with a servile expression, his hand trembling slightly.
"Brother-in-law...brother-in-law smokes! This is the best cigarettes in the city! Most people can't afford it!"
Zhang Xiangui glanced at the cigarette box, snorted through his nostrils, and without reaching out to take it, simply leaned over.
Li Dabao quickly struck a famous match and respectfully lit it for him.
Zhang Xiangui took a deep breath, his cheeks almost sinking in, and then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
Those small eyes, with mostly white and little black, looked past the greedy mother and son and stared straight at Li Xianglian, who was standing at the base of the wall.
Today, Li Xianglian stood there quietly. Her blue cloth jacket made her face look even paler, but also made her look even cleaner.
In this smoky, fly-infested environment, she was like a lotus just emerging from the water, completely out of place with everything around her.
Zhang Xiangui watched with envy, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, as if he was about to bare his large, yellow teeth.
He strode forward, shoving Li Dabao, who was blocking his way, aside, and walked a few steps to Li Xianglian.
That nauseating stench instantly enveloped Li Xianglian.
"Great! Really great! So handsome!"
Zhang Xiangui threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it hard with his leather shoe. "That three hundred yuan was well spent! From now on, she's my wife. If anyone dares to look at her again, I'll gouge out their eyes!"
He said this to the group of villagers who were watching the commotion outside the courtyard wall.
At this moment, the area outside the Li family's courtyard wall was already crowded with people.
There were idle men just watching the spectacle, women cracking melon seeds and making sarcastic remarks, and in a corner of the crowd, huddled a young man in a gray cloth jacket—that was Li Weimin.