Chapter 27.1 Partiality

Spring plowing continued with Li Feng and Yu Mu, these two strong laborers, and the fields of the three families were quickly cleared up. The seeds that had been curated by Tang Chunming were also planted as long as the weather is favorable and the rain sufficient the harvest will surely be bountiful.

As soon as the work in the field was finished, Tang Chunrong hurried to Pingshan village. To his surprise, his brother’s land had been planted, and nothing was left for him to do. Before the busy farming season, Tang Chunming had sent a message to his school, asking him to first finish the work at home and come over to see him when he was free.

Tang Chunrong also knew that it was hard for his mother to cope alone, so he hurriedly wrapped up the work on the field with him, intending to come to help his brother as well.

“Okay, aren’t you relieved that someone is helping your brother with work? Rest assured and take a rest now that you are here, I’ll prepare you a delicious meal. You are much thinner than the last time you came here.”

Tang Chunming felt sorry for his younger brother, an eleven-year-old boy who had to bear the pressure of helping take care of the family putting a lot of burden on his shoulders.

“Brother, it’s okay I’ve just been busy for a while after I go back to school the day after tomorrow, I’ll gain back my body fat. Tang Chunrong smiled shyly, then picked up his little nephew and teased him, he asked:

“Ah-Lin, did you miss your Uncle? Have you taken good care of your mother?”

Da Mao and Er Mao also took the chance to pester him to explain their homework. Tang Chunming smiled and walked away, preparing to cook an appetizing meal for his brother, he then went out to ask Uncle Liu to go to town and bring back a few pounds of meat.

Tang Chunrong, who had been fed well for the past few days, reluctantly said goodbye to his brother and nephew. He also brought back some vegetables planted in the backyard for his mother, looking at the situation in his brother’s house he was rest assured that he could have a good life.

The rain poured continuously after the spring farming, and the entire Pingshan village was covered in mist making it look illusory. It is said the spring rain is as precious as oil, and it fell on time making the villagers happy.

^[1] TLs note: spring rain is as precious as oil, this Chinese saying emphasizes on how the spring drought phenomenon is very serious, and it’s rare to experience spring rains.

Of course, some had sad faces. Zhao Daniu and Wang Chunhua couldn’t keep up and the land was cleared and seeds planted only after the third Uncle called several men from the Zhao family to help.

Zhang Xiu and Wang Mo were sewing spring clothes at Tang Chunming’s house, they told Tang Chunming that after the third Uncle instructed them to help, some of them felt displeased.

“Old Zhao should be called Lao Zhao, after the third uncle instructed people to help on the farm, Old Zhao didn’t even give them meat to eat, I wondered if they’d agree to come and work next time without getting food.”

Zhang Xiu said with disdain, that some people in the village are now comparing Old Zhao to Tang Chunming. Although Tang Chunming got people to help with plowing the land and didn’t pay them, they ate very well, and a few men willingly came to help provided they were offered meat.

Tang Chunming had been holding his anger for several days because of what third uncle Zhao said, why bother to be angry with such unrelated people? He even thought that if he and his mother mended their relationship, then Ah-Lin and the baby in his belly would live well.

It would be better for the child to adopt his surname, Tang. He didn’t want the baby to be surnamed Zhao lest the Zhao family would continue bothering him in the future because his child has their surname.

“I don’t like that family as well, Brother Ming separating from them was a perfect choice, see how easy Brother Ming’s life is now and his face is more stunning.” Wang Mo looked at Brother Ming’s face and said, 

He was good-looking, and he must have looked even better when she first married into the Zhao family, Zhao Dahu was very lucky, but he couldn’t take good care of him.

“Yes, Wang Chunhua may have troubled Brother Ming, because he was envious.” Zhang Xiu said happily but Tang Chunming frowned; he was not accustomed to being praised for his good looks as a grown man.

Zhang Xiu continued, “Let me tell you, Brother Ming, just find someone to remarry, and change the child’s surname. If the Zhao family wants to cause trouble in the future you don’t have to bear it alone.”

When they were in the fields, he was shocked to see that some men also wanted to help but were afraid they’d be gossiped about and were not courageous enough, and Wang Chunhua spread false allegations.

Tang Chunming rolled his eyes: “Are there such men around here who could treat other people’s children as their own? It is said that if there is a stepmother then there will be a stepfather, and vice versa.”

He can’t do it, how can he expect others to be so generous? Everyone is selfish, so even if he admired someone he could not think twice because of Ah-Lin it wouldn’t be too late if he were to wait until the two children grew up and became more sensible and could stand on their own.

In his previous life, he was only thirty years old, the good days are just around the corner.

“How do you know that no one is willing to treat your children genuinely?” Zhang Xiu recalled what he said to Shen Fulang back in the field, he could clearly see Li Feng’s performance and Shen Fulang was also aware.

Li Feng was especially good to Ah-Lin, and Ah-Lin was also fond of him. If the two of them were interested, this marriage would work, he did not doubt that.

He had never thought in this direction before, how could he have imagined that Feng Xiaozi would not accept an unmarried ger and fall for Brother Ming who had two children?

Shen Fulang was also very surprised and thought of finding an opportunity to find out Li Feng’s thoughts. If this marriage can come true, then Brother Ming will have someone to rely on in the future. And he will be able to completely cut off ties with the Zhao family.

Zhang Xiu was thinking secretly over here and Shen Fulang was also mentioning this matter to Li Zheng at home. Li Zheng’s eyes widened after hearing this and the dry tobacco pole almost slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

“He fell in love with Brother Ming? But Brother Ming has two children.”

Li Feng has only been delayed for a few years, but after all, he is still an unmarried man, and he has the capability of living a life with no worries. Although Tang Chunming is literate, good-looking, and has a good character in the eyes of the villagers, remarrying a man with children is unacceptable.

Shen Fulang glared at him: ‘What’s wrong with Brother Ming? How can he not be worthy of Li Feng? Besides you are not Li Feng, how do you know what he is thinking, maybe he is the one he is attracted to, did you see how worried he was for Brother Ming the other day?”

The more Shen Fulang thought about it. The more he felt that it might be the case, Li Feng was taciturn when interacting with the villagers but was only patient with Ah-Lin. Brother Ming used to be a pushover in the past few years when he was with the Zhao family, but since he separated from them his life has improved, and his appearance is more handsome.

Shen Fulang was a little worried, there were people in the village who were malicious, and Brother Ming being good-looking, stayed alone without a man in the family and lived far away. What if someone was fascinated by him and went over there secretly? The more Shen Fulang thought about it the more worried he became.

He knew that his husband was siding with Li Feng because he was a Li family member, but Shen Fulang felt that Brother Ming’s temperament suited him(LF). He felt agreeable no matter how he observed if it weren’t for the burden of having children, he would have felt that Li Feng was a pig eating tender cabbage. People’s hearts are partial, Li Zheng was shocked and felt that he couldn’t explain anything to his husband, he simply lowered his head and continued smoking his dry cigarette in a dull mood. 

Anyway, he just felt that Feng Xiaozi couldn’t just fall in love with a Geer who is a widow and has children.

Shen Fulang turned around and went about his own business, he secretly thought that he couldn’t just go and ask Li Feng directly if he liked Brother Ming, maybe he could inquire about the situation from Yu Mu.

Tang Chunming had no idea that two people were concerned about his lifelong affairs and wanted to find a man for him. He was admiring the vegetables in the backyard with joy, he was in such a good mood that he hummed a song. It’s all money, he can start making money again, making money is the most refreshing thing.