AWB Chapter 73 Dirty Water
Chapter 73 Dirty Water
The Liu family’s old house is indeed not far from Liu Youcai’s house, and it only takes two minutes to walk there.
Changping went forward and knocked on the door: "Grandpa, grandma, I'm Changping."
At this time, everyone in the Liu family's old house had just finished dinner, and Liu Wende's wife, Xiao Zhou, was cleaning up in the kitchen with her daughter-in-law, Tan.
Tan is the wife of Liu Changsheng, the eldest son of Liu Wende. They got married in August this year. She is now three months pregnant, but it is still early and her pregnancy is not obvious yet.
Liu Wende and his son Liu Changxing are not at home and will have to wait until the shop is closed for holiday before they can come back.
The second son of the eldest wife, Liu Changxing, is sixteen years old this year and has not yet been engaged. He lives in the same room with the third son, Changrong, who is twelve years old.
At this time, Liu Changxing was reading a book lent to him by his elder brother, but Changrong was very noisy and disturbed him from reading. He was so angry that he shouted at Changrong: "Get lost!"
Chang Rong, however, didn't care at all. He tilted his head and glanced at him: "Why do you tell me to get out? This is not your room alone, humph!"
Seeing his careless look, Changxing gritted his teeth and said, "I'm reading a book, can you be quiet for a while!"
Chang Rong sneered when he heard this: "You are still studying. My elder brother is so smart but he didn't pass the exam. You, stop dreaming and just stay at home and farm!"
Ever since my second uncle split up and moved out, my eldest brother went to work in the shop and Changxing became the main person doing farm work.
Although they would hire some temporary workers during the busy farming season, family members would always take the lead in the work. Over the past six months, Changxing had become tanned, forming a sharp contrast with his fair-skinned father and elder brother.
Seeing Changrong looking like he deserved a beating, Changxing wanted to pull him over and beat him up, but when he thought of his grandparents and mother's preference for him and his own embarrassing position at home, he forced himself to hold back.
Forget it, the New Year is almost here, so let’s not cause trouble. No matter who is right or wrong, in the end it will all be his fault.
Although he was the older brother, he was helpless against Changrong, who was four years younger than him.
He was neither as good at studying as his eldest brother nor as good at speaking as the third brother. They were all liked by the elders in the family, but he was the only one who was not good at speaking and was sandwiched between his brothers, the one who never attracted anyone's attention.
The two brothers are only two years apart in age. The eldest brother works in a shop and his child is going to be born next year, but he still has no plans for marriage and can only farm at home.
At this moment, Changxing heard someone knocking at the door.
Originally, he wanted to ask Changrong to go and take a look, but when he took a look at Changrong who was happily playing with a small toy, he sighed, put down the book, and went by himself.
"Changping? Second Aunt, it's you!"
Changxing didn't expect that it was his second aunt and cousin who came, so he quickly let them in.
"Brother Changxing, our family fried some fried fruits and meatballs today. Bring some over for grandpa and grandma to try." Changping showed the bowl in his hand.
Changxing suddenly realized that the Chinese New Year was only a few days away and everyone in the village had been frying things these days.
The reason why there was no movement at home was that I was waiting for my father and elder brother to come back and fry more food so that they could eat the freshly fried food.
In fact, my father and elder brother spend most of the year in the city. They have seen and eaten so many delicious things, so how could they take fried fruits and meatballs seriously!
But in the eyes of grandparents, meatballs and fried fruits are delicacies that can only be eaten during the Chinese New Year. They would feel sad if their eldest son and grandson could not have the first bite.
"Grandpa, grandma, my second aunt and Changping are here!"
Changxing brought Chen Cui and Changping to the yard and shouted towards the main hall in a slightly raised voice.
He knew that his grandparents were still awake. His grandfather would always smoke a pack of cigarettes after dinner, and his grandmother would do some needlework under the oil lamp.
Liu Youliang was a little surprised to hear the voice of his second grandson, but then a surge of anger surged in his heart.
Some time ago, there were vague rumors about the second wife in the village, saying that Chen was always running away and not at home. Even his wife believed it and almost ran to question him, but he stopped her.
At first he thought that people were deliberately lying and gossiping, but later he realized that something really seemed to be wrong.
People in the village saw that Chen was not alone in going in and out. Even if she was with her brothers from her natal family, she would not go out like this so often. This Chen was too outrageous!
Now that a man is gone, he should stay at home with the children and be obedient. It is shameful to run outside all day long!
Liu Youliang was very dissatisfied with his second daughter-in-law, but as a father-in-law, he could not go to his widowed daughter-in-law's door to complain. If he asked the old woman to go, she might say something irrelevant and cause a joke.
Now that Chen had finally arrived, he had been brewing a lot of words in his mind to teach his daughter-in-law, and he wanted her to be obedient in the future.
"Dad, Mom, this is something we fried for the New Year. I'll bring it to you two to try."
Even though Chen Cui was reluctant in her heart, she still had to take the initiative to greet the two old men, and be polite and considerate so as not to allow others to find fault with her in the future.
Changping put the basin in his hand on the table in the main room, called out "Grandpa, Grandma", and then stood aside with his hands behind his back without saying anything.
Old Zhou had already put down the shoe soles she was sewing in her hands and was staring at Chen Cui with sharp eyes.
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't afford the things you fried. Go and ask around and see if there's any other daughter-in-law like you, riding in a bullock cart all day and running around in the mourning house. How can you be worthy of my dead Eryong?"
As Old Zhou spoke, her voice unconsciously lengthened, as if she was singing an opera.
Chen Cui was fine, but Chang Ping was so angry at what his grandmother said.
He could hear that grandma was accusing mom of being unfaithful and letting his dad down, and that this was ruining mom's reputation!
"Grandma, where did you hear this gossip? My mother went out with my uncle to sell charcoal to support us brothers and sisters. Since Dad passed away, this family has been supported by her alone. The clothes we wear and the food we eat are all earned by my mother's hard work. If anyone speaks ill of my mother and I know about it, I will never let him go!"
Changping's words were so powerful that they frightened Old Mrs. Zhou.
This kid, who used to be quiet, how come he has become so talkative now?
"Oh, how would I know who said that? Everyone says that. A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. If you have done nothing wrong, you don't have to worry about what others say."
Changping was so furious after hearing this. This was his own grandmother, and she just couldn't stand them doing well. Did she really have to ruin his mother's reputation?
Chen Cui quickly held down her son, whose face had turned red with anger, and patted his back soothingly, signaling him not to speak again.
If Changping continues talking, it will definitely not sound good.
As a grandson, if he were to go against his own grandmother like this, no matter what the reason, once the news got out, outsiders would definitely accuse him of being unfilial!