Zhao Ying saw Li Chenggong co in, carrying two rabbits in his hand.
"Rub so salt on the rabbits and eat them tomorrow; today we’re having vegetable pancakes. Go wash up and eat first. We’ll deal with the rabbits after dinner."
"Alright!" Li Chenggong agreed readily, his actions full of joy.
In the evening, Zhao Ying and Li Chenggong slept separately; Li Chenggong went to the room next door, which used to be his parents’.
However, a grown man with a wife certainly has thoughts, but he knows they’ll have their wedding ceremony tomorrow night. He has to endure tonight.
That night, Zhao Ying slept soundly, feeling comfortable all over, reborn. She vowed to live each day seriously from now on.
The next morning, Huang Ying prepared corn pancakes. Last night, she had Li Chenggong rub one rabbit with salt, chop the other into small pieces, and soak it in water. This morning, she braised rabbit at and made pancakes.
Previously, Li Chenggong’s breakfasts were slapdash. Having a wife changed things; he could enjoy such a sumptuous breakfast now?
"I’m feeling better now. I’ll go to the fields with you. I can’t do much work, but I should pick so vegetables and recognize our land."
Li Chenggong was pleased to hear his wife say this. The young couple headed to the fields together.
On the way, many people stared curiously at Zhao Ying. Li Chenggong introduced her as his wife.
Zhao Ying just picked so wild vegetables and then returned ho, carrying a basket.
The midday al was vegetable pancakes again, convenient with both side dishes and staple.
This evening, everyone knew Li Chenggong was having his wedding ceremony, so the whole village ca to watch the excitent.
The wedding followed traditional rites, involving bowing nine tis with three sets of kowtows. Without parents to bow to, they bowed to empty space but eventually did kowtow to Uncle Li and Aunt Li.
The crowd was gleeful, seeking to tease the bride.
Li Chenggong wouldn’t agree; he got rid of the noisiest ones and helped his bride in a bright red wedding dress with a red veil into the room.
The outfit was communal for the village, used any ti a wedding ceremony took place.
Uncle Li left, and the other villagers dispersed as well.
Li Chenggong was in good health, so Zhao Ying was thoroughly tossed and turned all night, not rising in the morning.
Li Chenggong handed a white cloth with stains of virginity and the wedding dress to Aunt Li.
He accepted so pancakes from Aunt Li without refusal and went ho.
Looking at his little wife on the bed, Li Chenggong didn’t want to work in the fields; he just wanted to cuddle with her.
Zhao Ying slept almost until noon, waking up because of hunger.
She checked the ti; it was almost ten o’clock and hurriedly sat up, only to find her body aching. Thinking of that man, it was really sothing.
Getting up, she saw two pancakes in the pot with a bowl of pickles beside them.
After eating a pancake, she felt much better.
Seeing water being sunlit in the tanks in the courtyard, she decided to cook first, knowing her man must be working in the fields. She’d prepare food for his return.
She just started boiling water for noodle soup when Li Chenggong returned, still carrying two rabbits.
"Wife, you go rest; I’ll make the al."
"Let’s do it together. You deal with the rabbits."
They’ve been eating rabbit every day now.
Li Chenggong wore a silly smile, feeling so happy he didn’t know what to do; it was so comforting to have a wife to sleep beside.
After lunch, Li Chenggong took Zhao Ying back to bed.
"No way, I’m still sore."
"Wife, I’m not doing anything, just want to sleep with you."
Watching his sleeping wife, Li Chenggong felt touched; now he had a wife, and would have children in the future. He felt energized all over.
The local police station had no clues; Huang Ying seed to have vanished into thin air. The authorities took this matter seriously; it was even reported in the provincial People’s Daily.
But without any clues, the issue was set aside.
Li Family Village’s cabbages were sold out. Families planted mustard greens, carrots—a useful winter crop to make pickled vegetables even if they didn’t fully mature.
The waterlons in Wei Kaiyun’s garden had grown. Every day, the three children ca over with Monk Master to look forward to tasting the first waterlon.
Villagers envied Wei Kaiyun, standing by his field, looking at each round, plump waterlon.
Li Yungui sat by the field with Wei Kaiyun. "Xiao Wei, are you going to sell all these waterlons?"
"We’ll keep half at ho in the cellar this year and see if they can be preserved. If they can be stored until New Year, we’ll earn better money."
"Haha, nice idea. Xiao Wei, you try it out. If it works, next year our village will plant more waterlons too."
"Alright, I’ll experint this year. Two other families in our village are sending their waterlons to the county supply and marketing cooperative, right?"
"Yes, they already inford . The county probably can’t consu so many, we’ll have to send them to the city cooperative.
Try selling them at factory gates this ti. Surely there will be many buyers."
"Village Chief Li, you could approach factories about distributing welfare with them, can’t you? The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. If it works out, it saves us a lot of trouble."
"Is that possible?"
"Giving it a try costs nothing, right?"
"That’s true. Alright, lend your bike tomorrow; I’ll go ask around at the county lunchbox factory."
"No problem, you can use it anyti."
That night, Wei Kaiyun brought ho a large waterlon.
He had promised it to the three kids. Tonight, he’d let them taste the waterlon.
Shi Jing and Jianbin cheered as they gathered around upon seeing the waterlon in Wei Kaiyun’s arms.
"Dad, is the waterlon ripe?"
"It should be. I’ll soak it in the well water, and we’ll eat it after dinner."
After setting the waterlon, Wei Kaiyun went inside, seeing his wife tending to the children.
"Wife, let do that."
"No need, I’m almost done. The confinent period ends the day after tomorrow. It’s really tough doing this in sumr, I feel like I’ve gone stale. Spending sumr in confinent is such torture."
Wei Kaiyun chuckled beside her; he knew his wife was clean-loving; her patience to abstain from bathing this long impressed him.
"Wife, I picked a waterlon with Li Yungui’s help. Honestly, I have no clue about waterlon ripeness."
Jiang Xinyu sneered at Wei Kaiyun, "What’s the point telling ? I can’t eat it. Are you trying to tease ?"
Wei Kaiyun laughed heartily. "You should try it. It’s our first ripe waterlon."
Outside, Sister-in-law Liu called for dinner. "Go eat."
Jiang Xinyu was feeding her son. He was too impatient; if fed second, he’d wail for a long ti.
Jiang Xinyu feared him and always fed him first. Once full, he’d calm down.
User Comments
0 comments from readers