Chapter 12: Causing Trouble in Lijiagou

Qiao Youfu’s eyes widened at his niece’s words, “This, this, this isn’t good, is it?”

Qiao Jiangxin turned to her uncle.  Her uncle barely had any hair left.  His head was covered in red bumps and scars, some of which were freshly scratched and crusted with blood.  Several areas on his scalp were permanently bald.

In her previous life, after her father’s death, Uncle had some money and went to the hospital when the itching became unbearable.

It was actually a fungal infection that caused folliculitis due to lack of control.  But this disease plagued Uncle his whole life, making him feel ashamed and unable to look people in the eye.

People in the village said he was contagious, and no one would play with him. When guests came to the house, Uncle wouldn’t sit at the table, eating in a separate bowl for fear of being shunned.

Aside from the external discrimination, he had to endure the physical torment. When the itching was unbearable, he wanted to bang his head against a wall. He scratched until he bled. Those bumps were painful and itchy, constantly tormenting him.

Over the years, no one in the family had ever suggested that he go to the clinic for a checkup.

Qiao Jiangxin sighed, “Uncle, don’t shrink back. You’re handsome, and you’re capable.  How many men around here are better than you?

I heard that the ringworm on your head isn’t contagious, and it’s not a serious illness.  It can be controlled with money.”

Qiao Youfu was startled, “You, you mean my… my ringworm can be cured?”

Seeing her uncle’s surprised and delighted expression, Qiao Jiangxin’s heart ached. She nodded, “Yes, with anti-inflammatory medication and topical treatments, it can be controlled.  Although it might recur, if we’re careful, you can be like a normal person.”

Qiao Youfu’s lips trembled, “Will it… will it cost a lot of money?”

Seeing her uncle’s anxious expression, Qiao Jiangxin shook her head resolutely, “It won’t cost much. If Grandpa cared, he should have taken you to see a doctor long ago.”

“Uncle, if a person isn’t loved, only giving unilaterally, everything is wrong.  Providing for the family is wrong, having children is wrong, being frugal is wrong, even striving to be loved is wrong.”

Qiao Jiangxin blinked, wiping away the tears in her eyes, “So, let’s not be selfless. Don’t think that being kind to others will make them kind to us. Be selfish, be kind to yourselves. 

Rest when you’re tired, eat what you want, fight back when you’re uncomfortable. Being too diligent and submissive only leads to an early death.”

“We suffered so much because we cared too much. We cared about reputation, face, thinking that filial piety and diligence would earn us praise. But what good is praise?  It’s a big loss.”

Qiao Youfu looked at Jiangxin, wondering why she was saying these things.

Soon, a look of pity flashed in his eyes. He reached out his calloused hand and stroked Qiao Jiangxin’s dry, yellow hair, “Jiangxin, you’ve suffered so much.  It’s Uncle’s fault for not being able to help.”

Jiangxin smiled at her uncle, “Uncle is the best. Let’s go. After we split up, things will get better. Uncle can see a doctor, we can eat meat every day, and the grain we grow will be our own. When Mom gives birth to Little Brother, and Uncle finds a wife, things will get better.”

Qiao Youfu looked at his niece’s bright eyes and smiled, “Good, we’ll all be fine. After we split up, Jiangxin will go back to school, and Uncle and your father will support you.”

Gaoshi Village and Lijiagou were only a little over five mile apart.

It was just after nine o’clock when Qiao Jiangxin and her uncle arrived.

In her previous life, Qiao Jianhua had always worked for his father-in-law, Li Sanfa. After the reforms and opening up, Li Sanfa, as one of the first people to go out looking for work, quickly formed a small team, taking on various jobs and becoming one of the better-off families in the surrounding area.

Qiao Jiangxin clearly remembered one incident. In her previous life, her father’s health had deteriorated, and her uncle went to earn money.

He had the misfortune of working with his younger brother, Qiao Jianhua, at a construction site for a while. Qiao Jianhua was a skilled mason, while Qiao Youfu was a day laborer, carrying stones, sand, and cement to the upper floors.

Qiao Jianhua resented Qiao Youfu and his brother for leaving home, treating his brother, who had supported him for half his life, with contempt and bullying him at every opportunity. He even colluded with the people who loaded the stones and sand, making Qiao Youfu’s burden heavier and heavier, loading it to the brim and stacking it high.

This caused Uncle to fall, and the foreman gave him a hard time, injuring his knees. In the worst incident, he almost fell from the second-floor stairs. Because of this, Uncle had a scuffle with Qiao Jianhua and was held down and severely beaten by Li Sanfa and his team.

After that, Uncle never went back to that construction site, going to work further away.  As a result, he didn’t even see his father one last time.

“Excuse me, Auntie, how do I get to Li Sanfa’s house?”

Several aunties sitting at the village entrance, seeing a stranger, were curious, “Go north, to the end, then turn left. It’s the first house. But they shouldn’t be home. Just now, I saw Li Sanfa and his son-in-law going to the fields. By the way, who are you? What are you doing at Li Sanfa’s house? Are you looking for him for work?”

“Oh, my third uncle isn’t home? He’s working in the fields for his father-in-law in Lijiagou?”

Qiao Jiangxin blinked, as if she had something she couldn’t say.

“I’m from Gaoshi Village. I’m looking for my third uncle. My third uncle is Li Sanfa’s son-in-law.”

Sure enough, the aunties were all interested, “You’re that kid’s niece?  Oh, Jianhua has a niece as old as you?  This man next to you, isn’t he his father?”

Another one pushed the speaking auntie, “What are you saying? Sanfa’s father-in-law is Old Qiao, I know him, it’s not this brother.”

“But I heard that Old Qiao has had two wives…” The auntie said, looking Qiao Youfu up and down.

Qiao Jiangxin quickly said, “This is my uncle. My grandparents fought, and my uncle brought me to find my third uncle.”

The aunties’ eyes lit up, “Oh, little girl, don’t rush off. Why did your grandparents fight?”

Qiao Jiangxin looked troubled, “It’s the harvest season. My third uncle barely comes home except to take food. My fourth uncle doesn’t work in the fields either. My grandpa is sixty and works tirelessly in the fields every day. He can’t support my third uncle anymore, he’s exhausted, and yesterday he got angry and fought with Grandma.”

“He scolded my third uncle, calling him an ungrateful wretch, only fawning over his father-in-law. He said that after raising him for so many years, he’s not as good as a beast.  His sixty-year-old father is working tirelessly in the fields, while he enjoys himself. He said if my third uncle doesn’t come back, he should die in Lijiagou and never return…”

An auntie was excited, “Oh my, it’s so close, and he doesn’t come back for the harvest? I’d be angry too!  Oh my, the grain will rot in the fields, who wouldn’t be worried?

Come on, I have nothing to do, let’s go to Li Sanfa’s house together.”