Bastards and Wildlings

Hu Xiao squeezed out from the crack in the door, and before looking at Yang Wuni, he hugged his mother's arm to comfort her.

He didn't feel at ease until his mother stopped watching Yang Wuni and went inside the house, then he closed the door.

Yang Wuni looked the man up and down, his voice sounding like a woman's.

Hu Xiao was small and thin, with a face so small it was no bigger than the palm of an adult man.

Their facial features were tightly clustered together, like jujubes that had dried up before they were fully grown.

The tattered clothes still had bits of bark peeled from willow branches hanging on them.

You can tell from the extent of his chapped skin that he has put in a lot of effort to support his family.

"Do you want to buy a basket? If you do, come inside and take a look. We have all kinds. Pick one yourself."

Hu Xiao licked his dry, chapped lips and beckoned Yang Wuni into the house.

"I...I won't go in. Just get me a small basket that's hanging on the roof beam."

Yang Wuni didn't go inside; she waited for Hu Xiao to come in and get her a basket.

Hu Xiao went inside, picked out what he thought was the best, and handed it to Yang Wuni.

"Brother, how much?"

Yang Wuni took out the 25 cents that the young man had left her when he left from her pocket.

"Fifty cents."

Hu Xiao looked at the money Yang Wuni had placed in his hand, waiting for her to give him another 25 cents.

"Brother, I only have 25 cents left, maybe... maybe I shouldn't buy it."

Yang Wuni didn't look for money; she knew her pockets were emptier than her face.

He put the small willow basket he was holding on the ground and reached out to grab the money from Hu Xiao's hand.

"Hey girl, wait a minute!"

Hu Xiao pulled his hand back before Yang Wuni could even grab the money.

They also brought the willow basket from the ground into the house.

"Hey, hey, hey! You have to give me back my money." Yang Wuni regretted her soft-heartedness.

She followed Hu Xiao into the house.

"Little sister, these were all made by my mother. I'll sell them to you for two cents each."

Don't underestimate my mother's skills just because they're not as good as mine. She uses thicker strips, so her braids are more durable than mine.

Hu Xiao pointed to the willow baskets halfway up the kang (heated brick bed) and let Yang Wuni choose one.

"Honey, this is the best. I just finished knitting it, and it's very dense."

Hu Xiaoniang heard that Yang Wuni wanted to buy the baskets she had woven.

She handed Yang Wuni the one she thought was the best.

Yang Wuni had no way to refuse her mother, whose eyes were full of expectation.

She picked up the basket, turned around, and left. She couldn't bear the thought of someone else having a mother, especially one with such a kind and gentle face.

Yang Wuni didn't look for anyone else; she was afraid of running into someone like Hu Xiao again.

After all, his sympathy was too expensive; 25 cents was money the guy had saved up for half a year.

"Where did you get that wicker basket? Who gave it to you?"

Zhang Changyao, who was squatting at the door of the kang (a heated brick bed) to heat it, looked up at Yang Wuni, who had returned.

"I bought it for 25 cents, who would be so kind as to give me a basket?"

Yang Wuni was unhappy after spending the money and clung to the small basket, refusing to let go.

"You spent 25 cents on this piece of junk? You're such a sucker."

If you like them, I'll go cut some willow branches tomorrow and weave ten for you.

Zhang Changyao kicked all the firewood into the stove hole and glanced disdainfully at Yang Wuni's arms.

"Zhang Changyao, you're just bragging. If you can weave baskets, why don't you have any at home?"

Yang Wuni didn't believe Zhang Changyao, thinking he was just bragging.

People weave small baskets to hang from the roof beams because they have children and are afraid the children will steal the food.

There are only two grown men in our family, my dad and me. Neither of us would steal food, so why hang it up?

Hearing Zhang Changyao say that he really knew how to weave baskets, Yang Wuni suddenly lost interest in the two mao wu in her arms.

She put the basket on the kang (a heated brick bed) and then picked it up again. Thinking that she had done it out of sympathy for Hu Xiao and his mother, she suddenly felt it was all worth it.

"Yang Wuni, the day is almost over."

How did you handle things? You can't let me down!

Zhang Changyao followed behind Yang Wuni, who was cooking, genuinely doubting Yang Wuni's competence.

"Don't worry, there should be some news by tomorrow morning."

Yang Wuni found Zhang Changyao an eyesore, so she pushed him aside.

Whenever she starts cooking, she becomes extremely serious, her mind filled with a strong desire for the food.

"Hmph! I still have to ask my father for help. It's highly unlikely that we can rely on you and me for everything."

After finishing his meal, Zhang Changyao went to find Zhang Kaiju and Zhang Changguang.

He was afraid that he would be disappointed if he placed all his bets on Yang Wuni.

"If your wife tells you to wait until tomorrow, then you should wait until tomorrow."

If you force me, I have nowhere to make money for you.

If you can cause trouble but can't resolve it, are you even a real man?

If you ask me, you should just make him potato strips and sauerkraut stew, and he'll tough it out.

I refuse to believe that it's been this long to find out who slept with her.

Zhang Kaiju put down the hemp rope he was twisting halfway through and gave Zhang Changyao some advice.

"Sister-in-law Changguang, let me tell you something interesting that happened in our village."

Sun Liudi's wife, who had just entered the house, was licking her red cheeks, which looked like a monkey's bottom.

As soon as he came in, he grabbed Sui Yumi's hand and whispered something in her ear.

"Oh my! You've come at just the right time, my dear wife."

My son, Changyao, is currently nagging my dad to get money for him to go to Zheng Meizhi's place.

After hearing what Sun Liudi's wife said, Sui Yumi slapped her thigh.

Startled, Zhang Changyao, who was angry to the side, looked at the two women with a start.

"You two, stop showing off. You'll scare the child and we'll have to call his soul back."

Zhang Changguang, who was silently smoothing the hemp thread blanks to the side, suddenly said something.

"Changyao, you don't have to be afraid of Zheng Meizhi suing you now."

The biological fathers of the child in her womb all came knocking on her door.

Li Mentou and Zhang Ergou were just discussing going to Liudi's house tomorrow morning.

Now, even if you want to marry her, you might not even get a chance.

"Sister-in-law Liudi, is what my sister-in-law just said true?" Zhang Changyao asked.

"What do you mean by 'real' or 'fake'? You'll find out for yourself tomorrow morning when you go to her house."

Sun Liudi's wife, too lazy to explain, gestured with her mouth towards Zheng Meizhi's house.

Zhang Changyao immediately felt relieved.

He didn't bother Zhang Kaiju anymore, got up and went home, wanting to tell Yang Wuni.

"I know," Yang Wuni replied calmly after Zhang Changyao finished speaking.

"Yang Wuni, is this the method you promised? That's incredibly underhanded!"

Zhang Changyao, having benefited from the situation, no longer felt like himself, and at this moment, he began to sympathize with Zheng Meizhi.

"Yeah! I'm wicked, I'm so despicable, I'll make sure you never end up in jail."

I'll go and send Ma Wu and Ma Liu back tomorrow.

"Let Zheng Meizhi give birth to this bastard for you, so you can be the bastard's biological father."

Yang Wuni couldn't stand Zhang Changyao, a person who had no real ability but still acted like a nice guy.

"Yang Wuni, I think you're just talking about other people's abilities."

"You're heavily pregnant yourself, and you're carrying a bastard child inside you too."

Zhang Changyao was angered by Yang Wuni's words and retorted without holding back.