Chapter 18 : I Married Her

Zhuang Guoliang was furious. He was already a scoundrel, and now he scowled, “I raped her? Do you have eyes? Jiang Hongmei looks like a sow. How could I like her?”

The crowd burst into scattered laughter. His words were harsh, but there was some truth to them.

Jiang Hongmei was as large as a water tank, with a thick body like two water tanks stacked together, an awkward match for the handsome Zhuang Guoliang.

“Stop laughing!” Jiang Baoshan scolded the villagers. “Jiang Hongmei is a girl after all. Now that this has happened, what do you plan to do? Give me a clear answer!”

“And you two,” Jiang Baoshan pointed at the two women who had been holding Wang Juhua back, “If you keep causing trouble, I’ll beat you to death.”

Zhuang Guoliang glared at Jiang Hongmei, who was wrapped in a bed sheet beside him. She lowered her head, but her large body was leaning against his arm.

“I’ll marry her,” Zhuang Guoliang said through gritted teeth.

This was the second time he had done something like this. The first was when he inexplicably ended up with Cui Lingling, the educated youth from Bailutang, who was his first wife. Though Cui Lingling was cunning and scheming, she was still pretty and charming, far more so than Jiang Hongmei.

“Hongmei, my poor Hongmei,” Wang Juhua slapped her thigh and wailed, but she had no choice but to accept her fate. Hongmei had lost her virginity, and if this gangster was taken away and shot, who would marry Hongmei in the future?

“Alright, then you two families should settle this and get the marriage done quickly.”

“Go away, go away, don’t gather here. Don’t you want to go to work?” Jiang Fugui, the secretary of the Dashuping Brigade, waved his pipe to drive the crowd away, casting a disdainful glance at Jiang Hongmei.

It was immoral, just immoral!

After eating braised pork yesterday, Jiang Li had a good sleep and woke up early. The house was empty. She went to the kitchen and found that not a grain of rice was left for her.

The rice, flour, and sweet potatoes that had been in the cupboard were gone, and even the cabinet where the seasonings were kept had been locked.

Jiang Li found this amusing. It had to be Old Mrs. Zhou who was so wary of her.

She went back to the house, ate a few pieces of egg cake, and two oranges. She dissolved some White Rabbit milk candy in boiling water and drank it as milk. Then she grabbed the cotton cloth she had bought and went to Aunt Jingui’s house.

“Xiaolan, are you home?”

Jiang Li called out, and Li Chunlan leaned out of the window and waved at her, “Lizi, I’m twisting straw ropes in this room!”

The door to the east room was wide open, and the floor was covered with golden rice straw. Li Chunlan sat on a small stool, with twisted straw ropes on one side and scattered tools on the other. Mai Miao, sitting next to her, held her little face in her hands and obediently passed things to her sister now and then.

Seeing Jiang Li coming, Li Chunlan instructed her younger sister, “Maimiao, go get a small stool for Sister Li.”

Mai Miao, only five years old, struggled to bring a stool to Jiang Li and said sweetly, “Sister Li, sit down.”

Jiang Li’s heart almost melted. She took a White Rabbit candy from her pocket, peeled it, and fed it to Mai Miao. She stroked her chubby little cheeks and asked, “Maimiao, is it sweet?”

A rich milk aroma filled Mai Miao’s mouth. Her eyes opened wide, and her mouth couldn’t close, with a drop of saliva trailing down.

Li Chunlan laughed at the sight and grabbed Mai Miao to wipe her face. “Maimiao, what do you want to say after eating your sister’s candy?”

Mai Miao, with candy still in her mouth, mumbled, “Crab, crab…”

Both Li Chunlan and Jiang Li laughed.

“Lizi, if you have any candy, just keep it for yourself. Don’t give it to the little ones. They’re greedy like cats and their stomachs are bottomless pits.”

Li Chunlan kept working as she spoke. An oval-shaped chicken coop was taking form in her hands.

“Our wheat seedlings are well-behaved, so it’s fine for them to eat some candy!” she said.

Jiang Li gently touched Mai Miao’s soft hair. The little girl leaned happily against her arm.

“Lizi, is there something you want to talk to me about?” Li Chunlan asked while staring at Jiang Li, sending Mai Miao to play in the yard.

Jiang Li handed over the fine cotton cloth. “Xiaolan, could you make me two sets of small underwear? I won’t let you do it for free, I’ll pay you.”

Li Chunlan glared at her. “What’s the point of talking about money or no money? We’re close, and you’re still talking about this between us? “

“Wait a minute, I’ll wash my hands and grab the fabric, and we’ll see how to save on it.”

Li Chunlan washed her hands and returned to unfold the cloth. “This fabric looks simple, but it’s soft and perfect for making close-fitting clothes. I can make you three sets of these. Come pick them up in two days!”

“Xiaolan, make them like this…” Jiang Li whispered the style of the underwear into Li Chunlan’s ear, which made her blush.

Most rural girls wear small vests and boxer shorts, but Jiang Li felt hot, yet since she was wearing something underneath, it didn’t matter being different from others.

To avoid suspicion, Jiang Li added, “I heard all the girls in the county wear this style! I saw it in the department store last time…”

“I’ll do it for you, don’t say anything,” Li Chunlan whispered, covering Jiang Li’s mouth with her hand. Her face was as red as an apple, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Jiang Li.

Li Chunlan was pretty, with big eyes, a round face, and curved eyebrows. When she smiled, her teeth were as white as snow.

However, years of hard work had tanned her skin, concealing some of her beauty. Still, she looked vibrant and made others feel refreshed.

“This is mine!”

A loud cry from a little girl could be heard outside, and both Li Chunlan and Jiang Li went to see what was going on.

Nearby, a fat black boy was drooling, holding the White Rabbit candy Jiang Li had given to Mai Miao in his dirty hand.

When Mai Miao saw her sister, she got up, cried, and threw herself into Li Chunlan’s arms, sobbing and saying, “Daniu stole my candy and beat me.”

At the same time, Daniu glared and said, “My mom says all the good food in the house is mine. You’re a girl, you don’t deserve to eat it!”

Li Chunlan was furious. She grabbed the boy and slapped his butt several times. “Li Daniu, Mai Miao is your aunt! You stole her candy and beat her up. Apologize to her.”

After being slapped a few times, Daniu started crying and rolling on the ground, kicking his legs. “You hit me, just wait! I’ll tell my mom to kill you!”

The door to the east wing creaked open. Zhu Xia, holding her belly with both hands, frowned and hugged Daniu, who was rolling on the ground. “Chunlan, how can you, an adult, hit a child!”

Li Chunlan snapped, “Daniu’s already seven and is beating up five-year-old Mai Miao. Why shouldn’t I hit him?”

“This little girl is eating alone! The money and food in the family come from the public treasury. You guys stole snacks from our eldest wife behind her back. Why can’t we take them?”