My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 128 Brother-in-law

"It's Zhenzhen! It's Zhenzhen!"

Hearing the shouts outside, Wang Susu knew who had come without Chen Ling's reminder. She dropped what she was doing and ran outside with surprise and excitement.

Chen Ling quickly followed behind; it was his sister-in-law's first time visiting, so he dared not be negligent.

The young couple stepped out of the courtyard and saw a young man in his thirties pushing a bicycle with a young girl with two ponytails on the back, parked in front of the gate.

"elder sister."

The little girl's eyes lit up when she saw Wang Susu, and she quickly jumped off her bicycle.

"Zhenzhen, I missed you so much."

Upon seeing her younger sister for the first time, Wang Susu couldn't stop her tears. She hugged Wang Zhenzhen, crying and laughing at the same time.

"Look how thin you are, I can feel your spine. You must not have been eating properly again."

“I ate. Why didn’t I eat properly? It’s because I’ve grown so fast these past two years. Even Dad said I’m a whole head taller than last year.”

The little girl wore a floral shirt, her eyes were smiling, and she looked about seven or eight parts like Wang Susu. Although she wasn't as charming as her older sister, she was still quite pretty.

She's just a bit too thin.

"Yes, she's grown taller, much taller than before. It's been two years, and Zhenzhen has almost grown into a young woman."

"Hehe, that's for sure."

"Sister, you've gained weight and your skin is even whiter. You look even better than when you got married."

The two sisters had so much to talk about when they met.

Chen Ling watched with a smile, then nodded to his brother-in-law: "You're here."

That counts as having given prior notice.

The brother-in-law's name was Wang Qingwen. He was a thin young man about the same height as Chen Ling, just over thirty years old. He had short hair, slightly dark skin, a broad and square face, and very bright eyes.

Dressed simply in a white shirt and blue trousers, he stood there pushing his bicycle, yet he exuded a very spirited aura, as if he possessed an undeniable sense of righteousness.

At this moment, he pushed his old bicycle, glanced at Chen Ling, and said, "What? This time when you see me, you won't even call me 'brother'?"

Chen Ling had no choice but to call him "brother" again, and then smiled and invited him into the house: "Come in and let's talk. Su Su has heated up the food, so we can have a meal together."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingwen snorted coldly, said nothing, and pushed his bicycle into the yard.

She clearly still has a problem with him.

Chen Ling didn't care; he hadn't expected things to be so peaceful so quickly.

Anyway, we have a long life ahead of us, and we're all family. Can we keep a cold face to each other forever?
As she walked home, she casually tugged at her sister-in-law's braid: "It's been two years, Zhenzhen has grown so tall! What grade are you in now?"

Why should I tell you, humph!

The little girl broke free from Chen Ling's hand and made a fierce little face.

"Really!"

Wang Susu wiped away her tears and said reproachfully, "You should call him brother-in-law!"

"I won't call you that."

“He owes me a red envelope and won’t give it back, and he even thinks my dad is dirty.”

Wang Zhenzhen said indignantly.

"What?"

Chen Ling was stunned.

Wang Susu smiled helplessly: "Have you forgotten? The first time you came to my house, you refused to drink water from my dad's cup. Later, when you got married, didn't you think she was too young and the road was too far, so you didn't let her come along? She remembers the wedding money."

Hearing his wife say this, Chen Ling thought about it and realized that he did have a vague impression.

It seems that the little girl was crying and making a fuss, wanting to come along, but he managed to coax her into it, saying he would give her a double red envelope later.

At that time, her father was still alive and could come to her door, so Wang Zhenzhen believed him and kept thinking about it.

Unfortunately, his father passed away later, and he was unable to accompany Wang Susu back to her parents' home. He had long forgotten about the red envelope.

As for not drinking water from his father-in-law's cup, it's because Chen Ling was spoiled by his parents and developed a lot of bad habits.

They refuse to use towels or cups that others have used, disliking that they are soiled with other people's sweat and saliva, have a strange smell, and are considered dirty.

Parents' money is not acceptable either.

His condition only improved after he got married.

"You silly girl, when did this happen? Why do you still remember it?"

"Of course, I have a really good memory, my parents and teachers all praise me."

"Okay, okay, I didn't say I was going to renege on my debt. I'll give you a big red envelope later. Not just double, but ten or even a hundred."

Chen Ling smiled.

"Really? You can't lie to me this time."

The little girl's face was full of doubt.

"I'm not lying to you, come on, let's go inside and eat. I'll wrap it for you after we eat, there's plenty of red paper at home."

"Fine, if you don't give it to me, I won't call you brother-in-law."

Goodness, they've been married for two years and they still have to pay a "change of address fee".

At this point, Wang Qingwen secured the bicycle to the base of the wall, and then took down the carrying pole and snakeskin bag that were resting on the crossbar.

Wang Susu was startled when she saw this: "Brother, why did you bring the carrying pole from home again?"

"Don't worry, we're not hitting him because we're afraid of running into wolves on the road."

Wang Qingwen glanced at Chen Ling and said to his sister, "This year we suffered from floods, and your father and mother have been thinking about you. They've wanted to come and see you for a long time, but the bridges and roads outside Fenglei Town were destroyed by the flash floods. They've only been passable for the past few days."

"No matter what, it's good that you're all okay."

As Wang Qingwen spoke, he untied the snakeskin bag: "These are a few free-range chickens, truly raised by our parents. They kept stopping our parents from selling them, but they wanted to bring them here for you to eat because they were afraid that my sister would suffer and not be able to eat meat."

Chen Ling immediately felt ashamed.

These words were clearly meant for him.

Then he glanced at the carrying pole in his brother-in-law's hand. It was made of mulberry wood and it hurt terribly when used to hit people, a memory he still vividly remembers.

"Brother, don't worry, Ah Ling is doing very well..."

Wang Susu's eyes welled up with tears, and she was deeply moved. But she wanted her older brother and younger sister to see how her husband had changed for the better.

Unfortunately, Wang Qingwen completely ignored this and simply handed the snakeskin bag containing the chicken to Wang Susu, saying, "Let it out and give it some water. It's been cooped up all day and it's got a bit of heatstroke."

Wang Susu sighed helplessly, glanced at Chen Ling standing silently beside her, and seeing that there was nothing unusual on his face, she felt much more at ease.

He took the bag, opened it, and peeked inside. The chickens inside had their feet tied up. They had been cooped up all the way in the sweltering heat, and they looked like wilted eggplants, completely listless.

"These free-range chickens are so plump, aren't they, sister? My mother and I raised them together, catching insects to feed them every day. They've grown so fast."

The little girl giggled.

Upon noticing Chen Ling looking in their direction, they immediately covered the bag with their hands.

This annoyed Chen Ling: "I already said I'd give you a red envelope, why won't you even let me take a look?"

"Hmph, I won't allow it."

Just as Chen Ling was about to speak, a sudden commotion erupted outside. It was Chen Dazhi leading a large group of people over.

Upon closer inspection, besides the people who worked during the day, Wang Laishun also had several elders from the Chen family there.

"What happened, Fifth Uncle?"

Chen Ling was startled when he saw this scene.

"Nothing much, I just heard you had some guests, so I came to check on them."

Wang Laishun smiled and turned his gaze to Wang Qingwen: "This must be Su Su's brother. He's truly a handsome man, a rare talent indeed."

As he spoke, he took out a cigarette case and handed one over.

Wang Qingwen thought it was Chen Ling's elder, so he quickly took it from him. When he saw Wang Laishun take out a match to light his cigarette, he quickly took out his own cigarette and lighter: "Uncle, I have some, I have some."

But he still couldn't win against Wang Laishun.

After lighting a cigarette, Wang Laishun said, "Susu's brother, we're not here for anything else, we're just worried that you don't know the situation and might have another argument with Fugui."

"Logically speaking, we outsiders shouldn't get involved in this matter. However, in the past six months, Fugui has really changed a lot. He knows how to take care of his family and how to love his wife. You've come all this way, so it's not easy for you. You should be happy to see your family. Don't make things difficult for Fugui."

After Wang Laishun finished speaking, the others echoed his words.

"Fifth Uncle is right, I can testify. Fugui is treating Susu very well now. He prepares different dishes for her every day, and he won't even let her wash the pots and pans. If you ask who in our village loves their wife the most, Fugui is second to none..." "That's right, that's right, Fugui is very diligent now."

"They say a prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold. This kid has become much more mature in the last six months and is starting to act like a man. Her older brother and we elders and relatives are all hoping that the young couple's life will get better and better."

"Yes, every couple argues sometimes. Every family has its share of bickering. Brother, don't make things too difficult for Fugui. Eat and drink well today. Let Fugui cook a feast for you. It's not easy for you to come all this way, so stay a few more days this time."

"..."

This guy, talking back and forth, really startled Wang Qingwen. He glanced at Chen Ling in surprise, thinking that his brother-in-law used to have a terrible reputation. Last time he caused trouble at their door, the whole village was laughing at him and no one was willing to help him.

How come you're so popular now, after only half a year apart?
In fact, he had read his sister's letter, which said that Chen Ling had changed a lot in the past six months and was treating her better and better. He could be considered a good husband. He had raised dogs, bought cows, and had a flock of chickens and ducks. Their lives were getting better and better. She also attached many photos to the letter.

At first, Wang Qingwen was also skeptical, but after arriving here today and seeing Wang Susu's radiant appearance, he finally believed what his sister had said in the letter.

You can't fake whether a person is doing well or not.

Now that these villagers have come to his door on their own initiative, he can finally put his mind at ease.

However, their younger sister suffered so much hardship and injustice following this scoundrel, causing her parents to suffer as well over the past two years.

Does he want me to give him a nice look?
Not that easy.

Wang Qingwen thought to himself, a smile spreading across his face: "It's good that he can correct his mistakes. Thank you all for your help."

"There are no elderly people in this family, so we'll have to rely on everyone to take care of them in the future."

"It should, it should."

"Fugui, you'd better treat them well today. If you don't know, I have a few jars of old wine at home. I'll have Yuqiang bring them over for you in a bit."

"No need, Brother Guoping, I have quite a few at home too."

Chen Ling smiled, opened two packs of cigarettes and distributed them. This whole commotion surprised him, but also touched him a little.

That's how human relationships work. If you treat others well, they will treat you well in return and remember you. If you encounter difficulties, you don't need to say anything; people will spontaneously come to help you.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? There's a lot of leftover food from lunch. Everyone, sit down, eat and chat, I'll go get the wine."

"Stop busying yourself, Fugui. You drank quite a bit at noon and haven't recovered yet. We're having another round tonight. Do you want to work for you tomorrow?"

"Haha, what's the big deal? If it doesn't work, we can just stop for a couple of days."

"You rascal, it's almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, hurry up and finish building the house so you can feel at ease."

"Alright then, once the house is built, I'll treat everyone to a drink."

“That’s fine, but you have to keep your brother-in-law here. Apart from Li Xian and Da Zhi, none of us have ever drunk with our wives’ family.”

"No problem, no problem. I'll definitely keep him for a few more days. He's a strong laborer, isn't he?"

"Haha, listen up, big brother from your mother's side, aren't you afraid of getting beaten again?"

Chatting and laughing, seeing that Chen Ling was indeed alright, and that his brother-in-law was quite nice and easy to talk to, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Today, the main beam was raised at Chen Ling's house, and it was quite a lively occasion. Most of the people who came were drunk and hadn't quite recovered yet, so they were eager to go home and sleep.

……

"Judging from what they just said, they also want to renovate their house?"

After seeing the young couple off, Wang Qingwen sat on the threshold of the main room and asked.

"Yes, we're going to renovate the house, tear down the front and back yards, and turn it into a big courtyard."

Wang Susu was packing her things in the room when she responded, "My older brother and younger sister are here. They'll definitely be staying for a few more days. We need to prepare everything they need."

"It's great, the courtyard is spacious."

Wang Qingwen nodded, then saw his younger sister playing with the two dogs, chasing them all over the yard, and frowned and said, "What's all the fuss about? They've just arrived home and they're already making a scene. Aren't they afraid of biting you?"

"It's alright, brother. Heiwa and Xiaojin are both very well-behaved and never bite. When you came to our house, they didn't even bark. They must have known you were family. Otherwise, they wouldn't usually act like that when other strangers come to visit."

"Hehe, my dog ​​is very intelligent, just like our old dog, Dahuang."

Wang Qingwen thought about it and realized it was true. Just now, the two dogs had only come out and sniffed around them before squatting down at the door and not moving.

He sighed and said, "Dahuang, it's been many years since I brought Dahuang home. He was a puppy that your second brother and I adopted. In the family, besides your father, Dahuang was the closest to you. Back then, he would take you to and from school every day."

"Later, you went to junior high school in town. Every Saturday when it was time for you to come back, Da Huang would go down the mountain to pick you up. It's strange, sometimes even people can't keep track of the days, I don't know how it remembers them so clearly."

Wang Qingwen said with great emotion.

As she spoke, she suddenly sniffed and glanced at the kitchen. "Now, he's the one who does all the cooking at home?"

"Yes, it's all done by A-Ling. He's basically the one who takes care of things at home and in the fields now, so I don't have to worry about it much."

As she spoke of these things, Wang Susu smiled gently, her eyes filled with amusement.

"That's good, it should have been done a long time ago."

Wang Qingwen sniffed towards the kitchen again, unconsciously swallowing, thinking to himself that this kid's cooking smelled pretty good.

"Brother, I forgot to ask, why did you guys take so long to get here?"

Fenglei Town is quite a distance from Changle Township, and Wang Susu's home is relatively remote. It would take at least four hours to get to Changle Township, and another two hours by bike from Changle Township to Chenwangzhuang. A trip like this would take up most of the day.

However, if you leave in the morning, you can arrive by the afternoon at the latest.

“The road was difficult to travel, and there was construction and road repair everywhere. I accidentally got a flat tire, and the hole was quite big. I couldn’t find a place to repair the tire, and the pump couldn’t be put in, so I pushed Zhenzhen here.”

Wang Qingwen lit a cigarette and spoke slowly.

"Huh? You walked here?"

Wang Susu was stunned for a moment.

"It's okay, sister. It's breezy today, and it's nice and cool on the road. We're not tired."

Wang Zhenzhen also ran over and squatted on the threshold with Wang Qingwen, while reaching out her little hand to tease the two dogs.

Did you eat on the way?

"Yes, I ate. When I left this morning, I bought more than a pound of fried dough sticks in town, enough for my brother and me to eat for two meals."

Hearing this, Wang Susu felt even worse.

Just then, Chen Ling came out of the kitchen: "Susu, I cooked two more dishes. You can serve rice to our brother and Zhenzhen. They've come such a long way, they should eat something before they rest."

"I'll go and tidy up the east room first; it's all piled up with grain."

"Okay, you should eat something later too. You drank a lot of alcohol at noon, and your stomach will feel uncomfortable if you're not eating on an empty stomach."

"Oh, I see."

Chen Ling went to tidy up the room, and Wang Susu invited her older brother and younger sister to have dinner.

"Brother, take Zhenzhen to wash her hands. I'll go get you some rice. A-Ling's cooking is delicious. You should try it later."

"it is good."

Wang Qingwen responded and watched the young couple busy themselves, secretly nodding in approval.

It's been more than half a year since I last saw my brother-in-law, and he's really matured quite a bit.

At least it looks like they're living a decent life now.

but……

If the young couple has a good relationship, why haven't they had a baby yet?

Did I hit him too hard back then and damage his body?
Upon realizing this, Wang Qingwen was startled by his own thought.

The more I think about it, the more frightened I feel.

But we can't ask our sister about this. Maybe we should stay a couple more days and find out what's going on with this kid.

"Brother, what's wrong with you? Hurry up and wash your hands, I need to wash them too."

"What's the rush? All you do is play around with the dog. Didn't you know to wash your hands earlier?"

"Hmph, you talk about me at home, and you still talk about me at my sister's house."

"What are you muttering about? Hurry up and wash."

"Brother, Zhenzhen, the food is ready, come and eat."

"I'm coming."

Today's lunch was rice and stewed pork, but all the men went out drinking, so it was mostly the women eating. There was no work to do in the afternoon, and there's still half a pot of meat left.

With the addition of the two new dishes Chen Ling has cooked, it can truly be described as a feast.

Wang Susu went to the kitchen and filled two bowls with rice, then scooped out large chunks of meat and poured on some broth. The rice smelled delicious. She then placed the chicken pieces and fish that Chen Ling had cooked on the table.

After washing their hands, Wang Qingwen and Wang Zhenzhen were so surprised by the table full of food that their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

(End of this chapter)