Chapter 11: My Wife Was Still a Young Girl!

My wife is truly thoughtful and far-sighted. While a tiled-roof house looks impressive, it also invites gossip. “Alright, let’s listen to my wife and build a thatched hut first.”

After lunch, Wang Jianguo, wearing the new clothes Huang Yuelan had made for him, took his rope and axe and headed towards the back mountain to find a suitable beam for their house.

Leaving the house, Wang Jianguo no longer took the deserted paths as he used to, avoiding people. Instead, he chose the well-trodden roads.

He used to take the small paths to avoid being called a “wild man” by the children. Although they were just kids, it hurt his self-esteem.

But now, he no longer worried about being called a “wild man.” He wasn’t a wild man anymore! Thanks to his wife, he looked better than most people!

Look at his new clothes! His wife had sewn them, and they were both beautiful and comfortable.

Walking down the road, Wang Jianguo was exceptionally confident, adding a touch of charisma and charm to his already handsome appearance.

Villagers working in the fields were stunned when they saw Wang Jianguo. Some forgot their work, staring at him dumbfounded.

“Who is that? He’s so handsome! I don’t remember anyone in our production team looking that good.”

“Not just our production team. I don’t think anyone in the entire commune looks that good.”

“I saw him coming from that wild man’s house. Could it be Wang the Hunter?!”

“That’s him! Even though he’s cut his hair and beard and changed his clothes, he’s still wearing those old shoes with his toes sticking out. It’s definitely Wang the Hunter!”

After some analysis and judgment, everyone concluded that the incredibly handsome man before them was Wang the Hunter, the “wild man” they had mocked and looked down upon.

“You wouldn’t believe it. He’s quite a looker! Huang Yuelan really lucked out!”

“Yeah, he never took care of himself before. Always with long hair and a messy beard. Anyone would avoid him. Who would have thought he was so handsome?”

“If we had known he looked like this, Huang Yuelan wouldn’t have gotten him. The girls in the village would have married him long ago!”

“What a waste of such good looks. And his wife can’t have children, so those good looks won’t be passed on!”

…

As Wang Jianguo passed by the edge of the production team’s fields, he immediately attracted the attention of a large group of members. Many young women and girls were mesmerized.

Some men, seeing their wives captivated by Wang Jianguo, felt a pang of jealousy. But remembering that his wife couldn’t bear children, they felt better.

Seeing that people no longer called him a “wild man,” and instead looked at him with envy and admiration, Wang Jianguo knew his days of ridicule were over! The three mountains weighing on him had been lifted, and from now on, he could walk with his head held high!

Due to the previous Great Leap Forward’s steel production drive, most of the trees on the nearby mountains had been cut down. To find a good beam, he had to go deep into the mountains.

The journey to the deep mountains was a bit longer. It took Wang Jianguo about an hour and a half to get there.

Wang Jianguo walked much faster than the average person. A journey that took him an hour and a half would take an ordinary person at least two hours.

In the deep mountains, Wang Jianguo quickly found a suitable piece of wood. Just as he was about to take out his axe, he heard a rustling sound nearby.

Using his hearing and years of hunting experience, Wang Jianguo quickly located a pheasant in the near left.

Since he had only come to cut wood, not to hunt, he hadn’t brought the right tools. He threw his axe towards the pheasant. With a muffled sound, the pheasant fluttered a few times and lay motionless in the grass.

Wang Jianguo picked up the pheasant. Although it wasn’t large, it would be enough, along with some potatoes, for their family of four.

Putting the pheasant in his burlap bag, he picked up his axe and began cutting down the tree.

After cutting the wood and trimming the branches, Wang Jianguo shouldered the wood and carried the bag containing the pheasant, heading back.

It was getting dark, and Wang Jianguo hadn’t returned. Huang Yuelan decided to go to the door to look.

Just as she was about to go out, she saw Wang Jianguo returning with the wood on his shoulder.

“You’re back! I’ve just finished the sweet potato porridge. I’ll just stir-fry some cabbage,” Huang Yuelan said to Wang Jianguo.

Wang Jianguo propped the wood against the wall and took out a furry creature from the bag.

“No need to stir-fry the cabbage, wife! Look! I caught a pheasant on the mountain today. I’ll make you pheasant with potatoes!” Wang Jianguo held up the pheasant, his face full of pride, as if saying, “Aren’t I great?”

Huang Yuelan responded enthusiastically, “Wow! Jianguo, you’re amazing! You can catch pheasants just by going to the mountain!”

This was the first time Huang Yuelan had seen a wild pheasant. It was beautiful, more so than domestic chickens.

Wang Jianguo was even happier to hear his wife’s praise.

“You must be tired after a day on the mountain. Leave this to me. Just don’t mind if it doesn’t taste good,” Huang Yuelan said, knowing her cooking skills were not as good as Wang Jianguo’s.

“No, no, I’ll eat anything you make,” Wang Jianguo smiled.

Huang Yuelan was relieved to hear Wang Jianguo’s words. She couldn’t help but sigh. Although he was a rough hunter, he was sweet-talking, and his words were heartwarming.

Unlike some people who were handsome but spoke in a way that could suffocate you. She could listen to Wang Jianguo talk all day.

Huang Yuelan first boiled water in a large pot to pluck the pheasant. After cleaning it, she chopped it into pieces and peeled and chopped some potatoes. There would be a big pot of pheasant and potatoes, enough for their family of four.

Her two younger brothers were wild and often didn’t come home until late, especially recently since they had some sweets and candy to show off to their friends.

They only came back when Huang Yuelan was almost finished cooking.

They were at the age where they needed a lot of food, and their stomachs were already rumbling after running around all day. As soon as they entered the yard, they ran to the kitchen, where the rich aroma of chicken meat hit them.

The pheasant meat, when properly prepared, was rich and flavorful, and the broth was delicious.

“Sister, what are you cooking? It smells so good.”

Huang Yuelan lifted the pot lid, and the aroma became even stronger. The brothers’ hunger pangs intensified. “Your husband caught a pheasant on the mountain today. I’m making pheasant with potatoes.”

“Wow! That’s awesome!”

“Brother-in-law is so awesome!”

The two brothers quickly ran to the stove to help add firewood.

Because they had pheasant to eat, everyone ate more cornbread than usual, and the two brothers ate two large bowls of vegetables.

Seeing the two brothers’ sunken cheeks gradually plump up, Huang Yuelan felt relieved. She believed that in a short time, her brothers would get better and no longer look like refugees.

The annex was soon built. Although they couldn’t afford a tiled-roof house, Wang Jianguo still found some whitewash and coated the inner walls of the main room and the annex. This made the house look much brighter and more attractive than the previous dark earthen house.

After the rooms were built, Wang Jianguo began to think about the sleeping arrangements. He and Yuelan were married, but they had been sleeping in separate rooms.

Previously, Huang Yuelan and her two brothers slept in the main room, and Wang Jianguo made do in the kitchen, which was inconvenient.

Although the children were young, they might repeat what they saw, and it would be embarrassing if it got out.

It would be unfair to ask Huang Yuelan to sleep with him in the kitchen.

Now that they had two rooms in the annex and new bamboo beds, how could he get her to sleep with him?

After spending time with her, Wang Jianguo realized that although his wife had been married before, she was still shy and might not be ready to sleep with him so soon.

Wife, don’t blame me for my scheming. It’s just that you’re too beautiful, and I can’t take it anymore.

As for Huang Yuelan, she had never been married or even had a boyfriend in her previous life. She didn’t understand these things and didn’t expect anything else.

Late at night, Huang Yuelan turned over and suddenly heard two “crack” sounds. Then, her bed collapsed!

Wang Jianguo heard the noise from the main room and hurried in, lit the kerosene lamp, and went over to her, asking with concern, “Yuelan, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s so embarrassing. I actually broke the bed,” Huang Yuelan felt embarrassed.

Wang Jianguo smiled, “Wife, it’s not your fault. The bed was already worn out. I’ll make a new one tomorrow. Why don’t you sleep with me tonight? I just finished making a new bed.”

Huang Yuelan looked at the collapsed bed, which was unusable, and then at her two brothers, who were sleeping soundly. Their small bed already had their legs hanging off the edge, and there was no room for another person.

“Okay, just a moment.” Huang Yuelan covered her brothers with a thin blanket, closed the door, and left with Wang Jianguo.

Wang Jianguo spread out the blankets, “Wife, you sleep inside. I’m a man, I’ll protect you outside.”

After they both lay down, Wang Jianguo blew out the kerosene lamp, and the room was plunged into darkness.

To avoid embarrassment, Huang Yuelan turned her back to Wang Jianguo. But soon, she heard rapid breathing, and a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Huang Yuelan instinctively tried to pull away, but she was held even tighter.