Not Looking for Two Chairs

Wang Fenjiang told Zhang Kaiju everything he had heard in the past few days.

While offering advice, I was also genuinely happy for their family.

Zhang Kaiju felt much better after hearing what Wang Fenjiang said.

The two continued walking, chatting casually. Not far along, they saw Zheng Jingren sneaking out of his house, carrying something suspiciously.

Seeing Zhang Kaiju and Wang Fenjiang approaching, he deliberately turned his back to them as he walked.

"Hey bro, did you see that? That pig castrator went to your sister's house again."

That old bastard truly lives up to his reputation as a pig castrator; he reeks of sleazy charm.

Wang Fenjiang disliked Zheng Jingren because Zheng Jingren was dragging Zhang Shuhua along without marrying her.

Zhang Shuhua was proud of how Zheng Jingren treated her; no matter how good others were, she wouldn't be interested in them.

Wang Fenjiang proposed marriage twice, but Zhang Shuhua rejected him both times with a cold shoulder.

There's only one reason: I won't date a sissy, lazy man.

"Wang Fenjiang, don't blame Shuhua for looking down on you. Look at Zheng Jingren, he knows how to handle things."

Whenever I go out to castrate pigs, I always manage to buy something for my sister and send it back to her.

Look at you, so stingy! You'd pick up a bean and suck it up even if it popped out of your fart.

Speaking from Zhang Shuhua's perspective, how could he, as her brother, not know the hardships his sister faced raising children alone?

"Zhang Kaiju, people usually side with what's right, not with their own family, but you're the one who's siding with your sister."

I think you're just turning a blind eye to your sister's affairs.

You know more about Zheng Jingren and the widow than anyone else.

Why didn't you tell her, keeping her in the dark and making her suffer in silence?

Wang the powder sculptor grew angrier and angrier, grabbing Zhang Kaiju and preventing him from continuing to collect manure.

"Wang Fenjiang, let me tell you, don't delay my business."

If it gets dark and I can't see anything, I'll go and pick it up from your manure pit.

My sister doesn't want to marry Zheng Jingren, so what does it matter to my sister who he's with?

What I, as the older brother, can do is interfere in what happens in front of a widow's house.

You wouldn't understand even if I told you, so get out of my way and don't keep me from collecting manure.

Zhang Kaiju was also unhappy and used a pitchfork to push the hunchbacked, shrimp-like Wang Fenjiang aside.

While it was still dark and I could still see, I quickly went to collect the manure.

Wang the powder maker turned around and went home, muttering something unintelligible all the way.

"Zhang Changyao, I've washed all of Dad's bedding. Go hang it up to dry."

I'm going to the garden now to take care of Dad's clothes and pants.

Yang Wuni, carrying Zhang Kaiju's clothes and pants, went to the earthen mound in the garden.

Lay the clothes and pants flat, then scoop up some soil and cover them with the soil.

After covering everything, use your hands to vigorously rub every nook and cranny, rubbing the inside and then the outside.

After rubbing it inside and out twice, shake off the dirt.

Then place the clothes and pants on a wooden board.

Use the shovel handles that have been removed to tap the clothes and pants one by one.

After knocking it down, I soaked it in a washbasin and washed it four or five times until the water was clear.

The clothes and pants were washed and dried, and when Zhang Kaiju put them on, they were bright and airy.

"Changyao's wife, you've washed these clothes and pants until they're all ragged, how are we supposed to wear them now?"

Zhang Kaiju changed back into Zhang Changyao's clothes and pants.

He took his clothes and pants and went to ask Yang Wuni.

"Dad, you can wear mine for now. I'll buy you a new outfit in a couple of days."

Zhang Changyao, who was standing to the side, smiled and pursed his lips when he heard Zhang Kaiju's words.

Before Yang Wuni could speak, they quickly pulled Zhang Kaiju aside.

"Changyao, it's not that Dad's being fussy, but look at these clothes and pants, they're full of holes, how are we supposed to wear them?"

Zhang Kaiju stretched out his clothes to show Zhang Changyao, who in turn stretched out his own clothes, which were riddled with holes, to show Zhang Kaiju.

The father and son shook their heads with wry smiles, and neither of them said a word as they went about their work.

Yang Wuni couldn't understand Zhang Kaiju's behavior and was still confused and angry at Zhang Kaiju for throwing a tantrum at her.

These past few days, Yang Wuni hasn't been behaving the same way she does when she eats dinner with Zhang Changyao.

They would serve the drier porridge to Zhang Kaiju, while they and Zhang Changyao would drink the thinner porridge on top.

Zhang Kaiju was unaware that Yang Wuni was not getting enough to eat, so he ate whatever he was used to.

Zhang Changyao didn't eat much, at most he would drink a bowl and a half, and he would give the extra half bowl to Yang Wuni.

"Dad, it's winter now, and there's not much work to do at home."

I plan to go to the town's grain depot to carry large bags; I heard they pay by the bag.

We only have nine yuan and fifty cents left, which is not enough for anything.

Now there's another mouth to feed, and I think it won't be long before there's another one to feed.

I saw that my sister-in-law spent a lot of money when she gave birth and during her postpartum period.

Zhang Changyao looked at Yang Wuni, then at her belly, and said to Zhang Kaiju.

"My son, you've never done any physical labor since you were a child. Can you carry a heavy load?"

If you ask me, I'd say you should find some light work to do; even if you earn less, it's better than harming your health.

Zhang Kaiju knew Zhang Changyao well; he had never been the type to do manual labor.

If you really let him carry heavy loads, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause.

When we asked him to help gather firewood back then, he almost burned himself to death.

"Dad, I'm not the same as before. A man has to support his family. He can't do it without working."

Don't worry about my business, just stay home and collect manure every day.

Leave the work of earning money for the family to me, and I'll make sure you're all well-fed and healthy.

Zhang Changyao was a bookworm who had just graduated from school, and in his mind, making money was very simple.

It's only natural to put in the effort and get paid in return.

"Hmm! It's worth a try. Staying at home won't bring in any income."

"Don't worry about things at home. Wu Ni and I will take care of everything. You just need to go out and earn money."

After thinking it over, Zhang Kaiju felt that it was a good way out for Zhang Changyao to go out and work, so he agreed.

Yang Wuni couldn't understand what the father and son were saying, so she could only nod along with Zhang Kaiju.

In Northeast China, it snows continuously once winter begins, with heavy and light snowfalls alternating.

At minus twenty degrees Celsius, the snow falls to the ground and doesn't melt, accumulating layer upon layer until it gets thicker and thicker.

Zhang Changyao wrapped himself up like a cotton ball and walked to town to look for work.

Yeniu Town is ten miles away from Zhangzhuang, and it took Zhang Changyao more than an hour to walk there at a brisk pace.

There is a grain depot in the town, and the depot is short-staffed every winter.

It was Zhang Changyao's first time looking for work, and he was too shy to approach anyone.

They walked around in circles in the snow at the entrance of the grain depot.

They walked around, stomping the snow up to their calves until it was shiny and slippery.

He slipped and fell flat on his backside with a "Ouch!"

He looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, got up and leaned against the wall, no longer daring to step on the snow.

"Young man, are you looking for someone or for work?"