Chapter 144 : Who hit my wife again?

Goudan and the other children couldn’t help but drool at the sight of the delicious snacks in Chenchen’s hand.  

“Chenchen, are you really giving these to us?” one of the boys asked in disbelief.  

Chenchen nodded earnestly. “Yes, my Aunt Su told me to share them with you. You’re all my friends, and I want to give them to you.”  

There were five children in total. Chenchen handed out one piece of the snack to each of them, leaving two pieces remaining.  

After some thought, he kept one for himself and gave the last piece to Goudan.  

He explained, “Goudan is my good brother, so he gets one more.”  

Though the other children felt a twinge of jealousy, none of them said a word.  

Goudan, deeply touched by the gesture, resolved in his heart never to argue with Chenchen again. If someone treated him as a good brother, he should be just as generous. Quarreling all the time was childish, like something women did.  

The snacks Chenchen shared were cookies from the Space brand, a well-known 21st-century favorite. Made from butter, eggs, and fine flour, the cookies were fragrant, crispy, and utterly delectable.  

For these kids, who had never tasted anything so delicious, the aroma alone was irresistible. They nibbled on the cookies bit by bit, savoring every bite.  

Two of the more thoughtful children took just one bite before carefully tucking the rest into their pockets to bring home and share with their families.  

Initially, Su Xieqiu intended to take Chenchen home, but the boy was unwilling to leave, insisting he wanted to pick more beans.  

“Auntie Su, take my sister home first. It’s still early, I’ll work a bit longer,” he said, glancing at the sky as if to gauge the time.  

Amused, Su Xieqiu thought, ‘This little rascal thinks he can tell time by looking at the sky after spending a few hours picking beans in the field.’  

Seeing her brother refusing to leave, An An also wanted to stay and play with the other kids.  

Left with no choice, Su Xieqiu stayed for a while longer. But with everyone else busy working, she felt awkward lingering around. Eventually, she had to drag both children back home.  

As they left, Chenchen reluctantly called out to Goudan, “Han Jun, I’m going now. I’ll come and play with you tomorrow.”  

Goudan waved him off cheerfully. “Chenchen, I’ll wait for you at my house tomorrow. Come early!”  

Watching Chenchen glance back every few steps, Su Xieqiu couldn’t help but laugh. She rubbed his head and said, “Let’s go quickly. Auntie will make dumplings for you when we get back.”  

Chenchen’s face lit up with a grin. “Auntie Su, I’ll help you roll the dough. I’m almost good at it now.”  

“Alright,” she agreed with a smile.  

The two children held her hands and skipped their way back home.  

—  

When Han Zhenyu returned this time, he brought back nearly 1,000 kilograms of grain purchased from the farm at a price significantly lower than the market rate, and without needing grain coupons.  

The farm offered him 400 kilograms as a goodwill gesture, and Director Chen helped him secure the rest.  

With the village preparing to distribute grain soon, and with both him and Su Xieqiu working this year, they expected to receive a substantial amount.  

Therefore, Han Zhenyu kept only a few dozen kilograms of fine grain for their own use and sold the rest in the city.  

It was already midnight by the time he finished handling the grain he had brought.  

Not wanting to disturb his wife at such a late hour, Han Zhenyu decided to sleep in the factory dormitory and return home the next morning.  

As he and Li Shaohua parked the vehicle at the transport team and walked back, Li Shaohua spoke in a hushed tone  

“My second aunt told me recently that Chen Hong from the trade union found a boyfriend. Apparently, he’s an official in the county party committee. His family seems well-off, and his brother-in-law is a leader in the Public Security Bureau.”  

Han Zhenyu narrowed his eyes and, after a pause, asked quietly, “Shaohua, can you help me find out his last name? And his brother-in-law in the Public Security Bureau, what’s his rank and name?”  

He wasn’t asking out of idle curiosity but rather as a precaution against the Chen family.  

Han Zhenyu had always thought of the Chen family as petty and malicious.  

If Chen Hong had indeed found a powerful connection, they might harbor thoughts of revenge.  

With a wife and children to support, Han Zhenyu couldn’t afford to take any risks.  

And as for Chen Hong, she clearly hasn’t let go yet.  

Just a few days ago, she deliberately approached him, and the way she looked at him was like a resentful wife abandoned by her husband. It was revolting.  

So, he had to stay vigilant.  

Li Shaohua nodded. “Alright, I’ll ask my second aunt tomorrow. She should know.”  

“Thanks, brother.” Han Zhenyu smiled and patted him on the shoulder before heading to his dormitory.  

The dormitory housed six people in one room, and since they were all grown men, the door wasn’t locked.  

Han Zhenyu lay on his bed, mulling over what Li Shaohua had just said. He reflected on his network of connections built over the years and realized the importance of maintaining them. If trouble arose, having alternatives would provide him with a way out.  

—  

Su Xieqiu woke up at six in the morning. It was just starting to get light outside.  

The day before, she’d spotted a large number of mushrooms growing nearby. When she asked her neighbor, Fengqin, about them, Fengqin confirmed they were edible and a rare treat.  

Because it was late the previous day, she hadn’t had time to pick them.  

She’d been thinking about the mushrooms all night, worried that someone else might discover and harvest them.  

So, early in the morning, without even cooking, she grabbed a basket and headed into the woods to collect mushrooms.  

By the time she had filled her basket, no one had yet emerged from Sun Dahan’s house.  

Su Xieqiu guessed that Sister Fengqin might have assumed she had first claim to the mushrooms and felt too embarrassed to compete for them.  

Determined to share, she walked to the door of Sun Dahan’s house and knocked. “Sister Fengqin, are you awake? Come out and pick mushrooms quickly.”  

Wang Fengqin smiled as she opened the door. “Zhenyu’s wife, your family doesn’t grow vegetables. You go ahead and pick them for your own use. We’ll go to the mountains to gather some in a couple of days.”  

“Sister, there are plenty of mushrooms, more than I can pick alone. If someone else finds them, it would be such a waste. It’s better for our families to pick them together.”  

Seeing Wang Fengqin hesitate, Su Xieqiu encouraged her with a grin. “Sister, go grab a basket. Let’s go together, and you can bring the little one too.”  

“Alright,” Wang Fengqin agreed with a smile, though she didn’t call her daughter.  

She grabbed a small basket and joined Su Xieqiu in the mushroom-filled forest.  

“Zhenyu’s wife,” Wang Fengqin said, “the harvest is coming up soon, and the villagers will head into the mountains to gather firewood. We can join them to pick mushrooms and pine cones then.”  

“Okay, sister, make sure to call me when the time comes,” Su Xieqiu replied enthusiastically.  

She was especially excited about the mushrooms, a rare treat. Used in soups, they were so delicious they could make you savor every bite.  

—  

As Han Zhenyu rode his bicycle back to the village, he happened to encounter the team leader at the entrance.  

He stopped, got off the bike, and greeted him with a smile. “Captain, heading to work so early?”  

As he spoke, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it to the captain.  

The captain’s stern expression softened as he caught the cigarettes.  

Thinking about his wife’s behavior over the past few days, he wanted to speak with Han Zhenyu about it.  

“Zhenyu,” the captain began earnestly, “go home and talk to your wife. She needs to settle down and stop stirring up trouble.  

“You’re now a city worker, and a well-respected figure in our village. If your wife keeps fighting with people, it won’t look good.”  

Han Zhenyu’s expression darkened at the captain’s words. “Captain, who hit my wife again? Damn it, are they asking to die?”  

The captain was so startled that he laughed.  

“I said your wife was fighting with others, and you interpreted it as someone beating her?” He shook his head at the couple’s closeness.  

Stuffing the cigarettes into his pocket, the captain turned and walked away, unwilling to waste more time on this man.