Differences between the Two Families of Nanbeitun

"No," Yang Wuni grinned foolishly, twisting her hand that was gripping her long braid incessantly.

She was too embarrassed to speak up because she felt that this condition was almost the same as extorting Zhang Changyao.

"Just tell me! As long as I don't go to jail."

Zhang Changyao readily agreed, letting her speak freely.

"I don't want to go home, so please don't send me back. Also, please don't tell anyone that I'm a 'naan-eaten-full' (a derogatory term for someone who is well-fed and naan-eaten)."

Yang Wuni blushed with embarrassment, resting her forehead on the table, too ashamed to look up at Zhang Changyao.

"Oh dear! What kind of condition is this? I've agreed."

If Zheng Meizhi doesn't force me to marry her, you'll be my wife.

From now on, I'll make sure you're well-fed every day. I don't believe you can keep eating like this forever.

However, that's only if you can resolve Zheng Meizhi's issue first.

Zhang Changyao also gave Yang Wuni a condition in return: she had to help him deal with Zheng Meizhi.

"My name is Yang Wuni, everyone in my family calls me Wuni. Big brother, what's your name again? I forgot?"

Yang Wuni and Zhang Changyao became quite familiar with each other, so she tried to chat with him about everyday things.

"Zhang Changyao, you can just call me by my full name. We don't distinguish between senior and junior."

Zhang Changyao quickly grew accustomed to this seemingly gentle and weak woman who was decisive and efficient in getting things done.

People who have never been to school all have one thing in common: they have an exceptionally good memory.

Yang Wuni remembered the names and villages of the several people Zheng Meizhi had been involved with, as told to her by Zhang Changyao.

He got up early and went to Nantun to find the two brothers, Ma Wu and Ma Liu.

Although it's called Nantun, it's not far at all; it's just across a main road from Zhangzhuang.

Nantun is a collective term used by the people of Zhangzhuang to refer to the villages south of their own village.

Ma Wu and Ma Liu from Nantun lived by the roadside, across the road from Zhangzhuang.

Yang Wuni disliked single men, so she cautiously carried a sickle.

If anyone asks, just say you want to cut some dry grass to start a fire.

Ma Wu and Ma Liu are two lazybones, the kind who don't even want to get up when the sun is shining on their backsides.

"Look at the dog. Is anyone home?"

Yang Wuni saw a yellow dog lying in the yard and started shouting.

The yellow dog was tied around the neck with a rope made of strips of cloth, barking and trying to break free.

A tattered burlap sack hung on the broken window of the two mud-brick houses.

"Who the hell is visiting so early in the morning?" Hearing the dog barking, a corner of the tattered sack was lifted.

A man with his head slumped over like a bird's nest peeked out from behind.

"Brother, is this the Ma Wu or Ma Liu family's house?"

Yang Wuni saw the man, who hadn't even opened his eyes yet, trying to pull his head back, and quickly asked.

"Sixth brother, she's a woman, and she's quite pretty."

The man who pulled his head back was Ma Wu. Seeing Yang Wuni's appearance, he quickly went to pry up Ma Liu, who was lying down and wouldn't get up.

"Fifth Brother, what's this woman doing at our house? She's not planning to settle down with us, is she?"

When Ma Liu heard that it was a beautiful woman, he perked up.

He was naked, wearing Landica pants and a prison uniform with ripped edges.

He spat twice into his palm and then roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

Just a moment ago, its feathers were all puffed up like a chicken coop, but now they're much smoother.

"Hey girl, this is Ma Liu. What can I do for you?"

Ma Liu pushed open the door and went out, then opened the wooden door to let Yang Wuni in.

"Brother Ma Liu, I'm not going in. I'm just here to tell you that Zheng Meizhi is pregnant."

She's now declaring that she'll marry whoever is the father of her child, without asking for a single penny.

"I just happened to be passing through this village, so I thought I'd let you know." Yang Wuni said, and then turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Ma Liu hurried a few steps and stopped Yang Wuni.

"What are you doing? I'm carrying a sickle. Don't mess with me. My sickle doesn't have eyes."

Yang Wuni held the sickle horizontally in front of her chest, preventing Ma Liu from getting any closer.

"Why are you telling us what your purpose is?"

"I don't believe you came here out of kindness to tip us off." Ma Liu didn't believe Yang Wuni's words.

"Zheng Meizhi said that the child in her belly is my man's child."

This woman wants to kick me out and live with my man.

That's why I'm asking you to acknowledge the child, as long as you can prove that the child is yours.

My man won't kick me out, and you'll get a free wife.

After saying that, Yang Wuni bypassed Ma Liu and went to Beitun to find Hu Xiao.

Hu Xiao is a willow basket weaver, but his willow baskets are not the kind of large baskets that ordinary people use when working in the fields.

The small willow basket he wove was about the size of a regular household's small rice bowl, with a handle as thick as a thumb.

They were sold specifically to housewives to hold eggs and to hang on roof beams to store food that they were afraid their children would steal.

To be honest, Hu Xiao was doing alright, but the main reason he couldn't get married was because he had a crazy mother.

Her mother was widowed when she was young and suffered bullying while raising him.

The person who bullied her went at night, his face smeared with soot from the bottom of a pot.

From then on, Hu Xiaoniang ran around the streets in a madman-like manner.

Before Yang Wuni even entered the courtyard, she saw that the gate was completely blocked by a mountain of willow branches.

She squeezed in sideways and saw that there was no one in the courtyard.

"Is anyone home at Old Hu's house?" Yang Wuni asked, standing in the yard, without daring to go inside.

"I'm a person, what do you want with me?" A neatly dressed middle-aged woman came out of the house.

Her hair was gray, which was very different from her age, and her clothes were neat and without wrinkles.

It's just that the eerie smile on his face makes people feel uneasy.

The whites of the eyes visible through the drooping eyelids are so prominent that they resemble those of a dead person.

One corner of his mouth twitched incessantly, a hint of mockery mixed with a sinister charm.

"Auntie, I'm looking for your son, Hu Xiao. Is he home?"

Yang Wuni took a few steps back and leaned against the pile of willow branches.

His eyes darted sideways at the gap between the gate and the willow branches.

Prepare yourself to be able to escape this courtyard at any time.

"You're too late. Hu Xiao is already dead; he was just cremated."

Hu Xiaoniang covered her face and cried, "Waaah, waaah, waaah!"

"Auntie, well... I'll be going now." Yang Wuni turned to leave.

"Mother, who's looking for me?" A delicate male voice came from inside the house, revealing his feminine nature.

"Young man, don't come out! She's a bad person, she's going to kill you!"

When Hu Xiaoniang heard her son about to come out of the house, she hurriedly ran to the door of the outer room.

Close the door tightly and lean against it to prevent Hu Xiao from coming out.

"Mother, the person who came must want to buy baskets. If we don't sell baskets, we'll starve to death."

If you don't let me go out, I'll starve to death. Aren't you heartbroken?

Hu Xiao didn't push the door open; he just reached out through the door latch and patted his mother's hand.

The movements were gentle, seemingly filled with compassion, and without a trace of anger.

"Young man, she...she's holding a knife?"

Hu Xiaoniang moved her body away, but her eyes remained fixed on the sickle in Yang Wuni's hand.