Chapter 131: Snowstorm Blocks the Door

Upon seeing his elder sister-in-law’s visit, Wang Zhenhe welcomed her with some confusion, but he decided to wait until the evening to ask about it.

“Sister-in-law, it’s rare for you to come. Stay a few more days and spend time with Zhang Lan. You two haven’t seen each other for a long time,” he suggested.

Zhang Hua was quite satisfied with her brother-in-law. He was reliable and hardworking, which was good for her sister. However, she didn’t like that he placed too much emphasis on family ties. While it was sometimes a good thing, it could also be a bad thing. For instance, she couldn’t stand her brother-in-law’s siblings and their mother.

“Brother-in-law, with that said, I won’t hold back. Don’t blame me for being a bother later,” she replied.

“Hehe, how could that be? Sister-in-law, as long as you feel at home, stay as long as you like. I’ll make sure you’re well-fed and taken care of,” Wang Zhenhe assured her.

With her brother-in-law’s words, Zhang Hua no longer worried about anything else. However, when it was time for dinner and she saw so many people in the house, she was surprised. Her younger sister had mentioned that some people would be coming for dinner, but she didn’t expect this many. She felt sorry for her sister, wondering how much food it would take to feed so many people.

“Uncle, auntie, come and have dinner,” Zhang Hua called out to the others. As she ate her sister’s cooking, she felt that it was especially delicious. She wasn’t sure if her younger sister had improved her culinary skills or if food just tasted better when shared with many people, but she felt particularly good after the meal.

After dinner, Wu Changyong and Zuo Zhanshan took the younger brothers out for a walk. Zhang Hua was puzzled by their decision to go out so late.

 “Younger sister, it’s so late. Aren’t you worried about the kids getting sick from the cold? It’s better to stay by the warm kang instead of going out in this freezing weather.”

Zhang Lan smiled and replied, “Sister, boys need to toughen up. They can’t be afraid of the cold. Besides, there are two elderly gentlemen with them.”

In her heart, Zhang Hua thought to herself that they had just finished eating, and now they were going out. They would probably come back hungry again, wasting food. However, she didn’t voice her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Wang Qian and her sister went to the neighboring room to sit with Hao Lianchun. She didn’t know how to knit, and she had never learned in her past life. She watched the old lady skillfully knit and felt a bit envious. “Grandma Zuo, when you have time, can you teach me how to knit? When the conditions at home improve, I want to buy my own yarn and knit.”

Hao Lianchun smiled and said, “Of course, it’s a good idea for a girl to learn some handicrafts. When I start my next project, I’ll teach you. For now, watch how I knit.”

After returning, Old Wu went straight to Zhang Lan and said, “Niece, I have a feeling that something’s not right. It looks like it’s going to snow. Hurry and move the chickens, ducks, and geese into the grass shed to keep them from freezing.”

Wang Zhenhe and his wife were obedient and quickly went to move the poultry to a shelter. Zhang Hua also went outside to check the weather, but she didn’t see any signs of snow. She didn’t know where the old man had gotten the idea from.

Shaking her head, Zhang Hua returned to the house. It was calm outside, and she didn’t believe it would snow. Her brother-in-law and the others were too trusting of the old man’s words.

That night, Zhang Lan arranged for her elder sister to stay in the room where the two sisters slept, and the old lady was also there. After settling everyone in their sleeping places, they all went to their respective rooms. Wang Zhenhe didn’t return for a long time, and it was natural for the couple to have some intimate time. Everyone understood, as they were all experienced adults.

The next morning, when everyone woke up, they found that the door was blocked by heavy snow, reaching as high as an adult’s knees.

They looked out the window and saw a world covered in white. Everyone couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, such heavy snow!”

Seeing the heavy snow, Zhang Hua finally felt that the old man had been onto something. It was surprising that he could predict the snow, but she also felt worried. What about the chickens, ducks, and geese? Would they freeze to death? Would the two children be okay in the cold?

Zhang Hua felt a sense of panic and looked at Mingcheng and the others peering outside. She thought about what her own children were doing at that moment and sighed. She realized that she had acted impulsively the day before. It was true, as Wang Qian had said, that she had been avoiding the problem instead of solving it.

“Dad, we can’t get out. Come and help us,” Mingcheng tried to push the door, but the thick snow piled up by the wind made it impossible to open.

Wu Changyong and Zuo Zhanshan were also trapped in the house. Wang Qian opened the vent and gestured that Mingyuan and Zuohe could crawl through.

“Brother, you and Zuohe can go out from here and clear the snow from the outside. Then the door can be opened,” she suggested.

With the help of their father, the two brothers crawled out of the window and quickly cleared the snow blocking the door. The people trapped inside the house finally saw daylight.

The three men in the house started clearing the snow from the yard, while Zhang Lan hurried to prepare breakfast as the children still had to go to school.

“Zhenhe, Old Wu, you two stay busy at home. I’ll go out and clear a path. Otherwise, we won’t be able to get out, and I’ll also go and check on old Chen and the others,” Zuo Zhanshan said.

Zuo Zhanshan went out with his tools and cleared a path to the west. This made it easier for everyone to walk and prevented their shoes from getting wet.

Many people had already come out to help clear the roads, making it easier for everyone. In the countryside, people didn’t pay much attention to who did more or less work, and no one minded helping out.

After clearing the path, old Chen and the others joined together and returned home for a meal. They were hungry after a morning of hard work.

When they returned, Zhang Lan had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for them.

“Niece, hurry up and get the meal ready. I’m starving. After we eat, we’ll take the kids to school. The road to school is probably difficult to walk on,” old Wu said.

After breakfast, Zuo Zhanshan and Wu Changyong took the tools and went out with the children. Wang Zhenhe stayed in the yard to clear the remaining snow.

Zhang Hua stared blankly at the snow in the yard.

“Sister, what are you thinking? Are you missing my brother-in-law?” Zhang Lan teased as she sat down beside her.

“Ah, what am I thinking? We’ve been married for so long. I’m just worried about the house. I don’t know how our chickens, ducks, geese, and dog are doing. I’m not sure if the kids have gone to school or had breakfast. I hope my husband dressed them warmly in this cold weather,” Zhang Hua replied.

Zhang Lan knew her sister was worried about the family. She advised, “Sister, wait until the snow on the road is flattened by the cars, then you can go back and check. You can come to our house anytime, but the children at home need their mother’s care. Although there may not be much to eat at home, there will always be hot soup and warm meals.”

Although Zhang Hua was physically at the Wang family’s house, her heart was already back home. Zhang Lan was afraid that her sister would be anxious, so she tried to distract her and pass the time. After a while, a figure appeared outside the Wang family’s gate, wrapped up tightly, but with wet shoes and pants from the snow.

At first, Zhang Lan didn’t recognize the person. “Sister, your husband is here,” she said. Zhang Hua jumped off the kang excitedly and quickly opened the door to welcome her husband.

However, when Qu Cungen’s face was revealed, both Wang Zhenhe and his wife were speechless. They had thought that their elder sister had been taken advantage of, but upon seeing their brother-in-law, they felt sorry for him. His face was marked with scratches from Zhang Hua.

Qu Cungen grinned at Zhang Hua and said, “Wife, I’ve come to take you home.”

Upon seeing her husband in such a state, Zhang Hua felt both angry and distressed. “You fool, how did you come in this heavy snow? Quickly, get on the kang and warm up. Take off your padded trousers and shoes, I’ll warm them up for you,” she said.

Qu Cungen chuckled and replied, “Alright, I’ll take them off right away.”

Zhang Lan smiled and said, “Sister, no matter how you and your husband argue, it’s clear that you care for him the most. I’ll go to the other room to give you some space. Zhenhe, you stay and chat with brother-in-law. By the way, brother-in-law, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let me warm up some food for you. Eat before you leave.”

Qu Cungen took off his damp padded trousers and handed them to his wife. It was true that his own wife cared for him the most. Although his face had been scratched, when he looked at his wife’s concerned expression, he felt no regret. How could he have lost his mind and resorted to violence?

“Brother-in-law, quickly sit inside the quilt and warm up. You’ll catch a cold. Why did you come so early in the morning? Couldn’t you have waited until the snow was cleared?” Wang Zhenhe thought to himself that he was fortunate to have a good wife. Zhang Lan would never treat him like this. Otherwise, how could he face the world with a scratched face?

“Brother-in-law, I’ve heard about what happened yesterday. It’s not embarrassing to have siblings over for a few meals, but it’s not right if they come just to freeload every time. Here’s my suggestion: every time they come, your family should only make porridge and nothing else. Also, since they haven’t been contributing to the elderly care fees, if you feel awkward asking your sister for it, think about whether your friends would dare to visit your home. If they still don’t pay, you can ask the commune committee director to intervene. It’s not a big deal. However, if you and your wife are at odds over this, it’s not worth it. You’ve been providing for them, but instead of gaining anything, you’ve stirred up internal conflicts. When you go back this time, think about the feasibility of my suggestion. After all, no family has extra food to entertain them. We can’t keep pretending to be generous.”

Wang Qian heard as she walked in from outside. She wanted to see what kind of person her uncle was, but upon entering, she heard Wang Zhenhe’s words.

“Dad, what you said is really good in theory, but it depends on the person implementing it. You should remember what you just said. You can’t teach one thing and do another behind the scenes. I’ll be keeping an eye on you from now on,” Wang Qian added.

Wang Zhenhe felt a bit embarrassed by his daughter’s words. “My dear, I’ve already changed, haven’t I? You can trust me. I always keep my word. With you keeping an eye on me, how could I dare to do otherwise?”