mesbooks Chapter 37 The Visitor
Chapter 37 The Visitor
Upon hearing that there was some juicy gossip to be had, everyone immediately gathered around.
The woman who had spoken cleared her throat, glanced around, and said in a low voice, "You know, this article has been accepted for so long, but it hasn't been published yet. I guess it was rejected by the magazine."
"You can't just say that. The postman read the letter aloud in front of everyone, and there's an official seal on the back."
"If it's not published in the newspaper, then it doesn't count. Besides, this isn't my opinion, but something said by a fellow educated youth at the educated youth settlement. He's a highly educated person. Think about it yourselves, isn't that true?"
"Alright, Widow Li, shut up. All you do is gossip and spout nonsense."
Ermaita happened to be passing by and overheard someone talking about Chen Weidong, so he immediately chimed in to refute it.
"Another piece of trash like you pops up out of that ditch. We're not talking about you, so why are you in such a hurry? You're always so sloppy, no wonder you can't even find a wife."
Widow Li immediately retorted, saying that with so many people watching, Er Maitai definitely wouldn't dare to do anything to her, so she was very confident.
"That's still better than you. You've ruined two men in a row, and now you're so badly unwanted you wouldn't even accept someone for free. It's probably all because of your mouth. Go home and brush your teeth properly! You're so old, have some decency!"
"you……"
Widow Li was furious, her face turning pale and then red, and she couldn't even speak.
"What about me?"
"Hmph, I think you're just Chen Weidong's dog. I won't stoop to his level."
Widow Li took a breath, threw down a harsh remark, and left the crowd. She dared not speak to Er Maitai any further.
Her words had really struck a nerve. If Ermaitai continued talking, she was afraid that the firefight they had just discussed would fall through.
When everyone saw that Widow Li had left, and there was no more gossip to be had, they dispersed in a noisy uproar.
Ermaitai walked towards Chen Weidong's house, and as soon as he entered the yard, he shouted loudly.
"Brother Dong, Brother Dong, are you home?"
"Stop shouting, come in."
Chen Weidong lifted the curtain and peeked out, saying...
Hey~
Ermaita grinned and went inside.
"sister in law."
"Erhu is here. Come, sit down and have some water."
Su Man poured a cup of hot water for Er Maitai in a bowl. There were only a limited number of cups at home, and there were no spares. When guests came, they had to use a bowl instead.
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
Ermaitai sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), took the bowl, and placed it on the kang.
Chen Xiaosui had been staring at him ever since Ermaitai entered the room.
"This is your Uncle Tiger. Say hello to Uncle."
"Tiger loses~"
Perhaps due to nervousness upon meeting strangers, Chen Xiaosui's accent, which she had previously corrected, started to slur again.
"Hey, you must be Sui Sui! This kid has such sharp eyes, you can tell she's clever just by looking at her! She's definitely going to be a great student! No wonder she's your child, Dong Ge."
As Ermaitai praised it, he took out a dime from his pocket and handed it over.
"Here, this is a New Year's red envelope from your uncle."
"Erhu, I appreciate your kindness, but I can't accept this money."
Su Man immediately refused, feeling a bit amused and exasperated. This guy was a bit reckless, yet he knew how to give red envelopes; he was sensible, yet his compliments were somewhat inappropriate.
"Sister-in-law, this is for the child, not for you."
As Ermaitai spoke, he took out another dime and stuffed it under Chen Xiaoan's mattress.
Su Man was at her wit's end and looked at Chen Weidong, wondering what to do.
"Aren't you going to thank your uncle?"
Given his relationship with Ermaitai, he doesn't need to be too accommodating about the two New Year's red envelopes.
"Thank you, Uncle."
Although Chen Xiaosui didn't know what money was, she was happy when given something, and suddenly Ermaitai seemed much more pleasing to the eye.
"Brother Dong, I saw Widow Li on my way here. She was talking badly about you at the village entrance. She said that your article was rejected by the magazine and that she heard this news from a sent-down youth."
However, halfway through the conversation, I said something that made her angry and she left.
Widow Li?
Educated youth?
Chen Weidong and Su Man exchanged a glance and instantly understood who this educated youth was.
"Thanks, I understand."
Chen Weidong patted Er Maitai's arm, "It's lunchtime, stay for a drink later."
Ermai glanced at Su Man out of the corner of his eye, wanting to agree, but thinking about how every time he drank at Chen Weidong's house, it would lead to Chen Weidong and Su Man arguing, he was unsure whether he should agree or not.
"There are still some peanuts at home, you can eat these first, I'll cut some more meat for you."
Su Man said with a smile.
She had noticed all the changes Chen Weidong had made during this time and knew that he was slowly learning to be better.
Especially since Chen Weidong's article was recently published in "October," Su Man was overjoyed. Therefore, even when she saw Er Maitai today, she was not as resistant as before.
Instead, she acted with composure and gave Chen Weidong face.
"Dong-ge, it has to be you!"
Ermaitai saw Su Man turn around to start the fire and whispered to Chen Weidong.
It's you again!
However, while she managed to defend herself against Su Man, she forgot that Chen Xiaosui was also nearby. Listening to Er Maitai's words, she also imitated a sentence in a seemingly proper manner, but omitted a word in the middle.
"You shouldn't imitate your uncle's way of speaking; it's a bad habit."
Chen Weidong corrected Chen Xiaosui, who giggled. She wasn't afraid of him at all now, and instead rolled away to avoid his large hand.
"Brother Dong, your daughter is really smart. I wish I could have such a cute daughter someday."
Ermaita said with envy.
You're overthinking it!
Chen Weidong glanced at Er Maitai and muttered to himself.
In his previous life, Ermaita had three sons in a row. If it weren't for the family having some savings, they could have fined him into bankruptcy.
"Didn't Uncle Shuiwang arrange a meeting for you with a girl through a matchmaker? They were supposed to meet after the New Year. How did it go? Where is she from?"
Chen Weidong picked up a peanut and asked with concern.
Su Man placed a plate of meat between the two of them and looked at Er Maitai with curiosity.
"I met someone from Duanjia Village once, and I felt they were quite nice."
Ermaita blushed and whispered.
"If things feel good, then let's keep at it and try to get married by the end of the year. Maybe we can have a baby next year."
Nowadays, marriage mainly relies on arranged marriages, and it's rare to see couples like Chen Weidong and Su Man who find love through free choice.
Most of the time, it's through matchmakers, then the two families meet, and if they feel it's a good match, they discuss the bride price, choose a date, and that's it. The next time they meet might be on their wedding day.
"I understand, Dong-ge, let's drink."
Ermaitai said with a blush, but his eyes still revealed a hint of longing for a bright future.
The two stopped drinking after finishing a leather bag of loose wine, which he had bought at the market.
The current bulk liquor has a high alcohol content, around 60 degrees, and is all made by the production team's "small distillery" with high-proof corn or sorghum liquor.
In the late 1960s, many communes built distilleries to brew white liquor using local corn, sorghum, and millet. It was commonly known as "loose liquor" or "white liquor" and cost a little over one cent a bowl. It had a strong flavor and was quick to intoxicate, but it was also good for keeping warm and was cheap, making it a "must-have" for heavy work, keeping watch at night, and hosting weddings and funerals.
In the past, when Chen Weidong and his men went out to herd horses in winter, they would carry some loose wine in leather bags to warm their stomachs and ward off the cold.