Traveling through time and space to meet a replacement bride? But I’m a man!

Only when I got closer did I see clearly that it was the first and second wives who were arguing.

"This chick is mine. When did it become yours?" He Xianhua covered the chick with a small basket and yelled at Wang Cuijuan.

"Sister-in-law, you're going too far. Our family has only hatched seven chicks this year. I remember what they look like. Do you have to take my chickens?" Wang Cuijuan was a little sickly, but she still had the momentum to quarrel.

Xu Wenyan was standing outside the yard, not knowing whether he should go in or not, so he should wait for his second uncle to come and call him.

"If you say it's yours, then it's yours? Two chicks are missing from my house, and I haven't found the other one yet, so how can it be yours?"

The two quarreled for a while and Xu Wenyan could hear what they were quarreling about.

We are all from the same village. In this day and age, losing a chicken would cost several cents, and everyone would feel sad.

Just when Xu Wenyan didn't know what to do, his second uncle Zhou Jianye saw a few people. He pulled Wang Cuijuan and said, "Forget it, my nephew and his family are here."

Although Wang Cuijuan was very angry, she still put aside her grudges and went to pick up Xu Wenyan and others. When passing by, Xu Wenyan felt that He Xianhua gave him a cold look. He was really a mad dog that would bite anyone.

No wonder the second branch separated so early. They must have suffered a lot from the family.

"Haha, I made a fool of myself in front of you." Wang Cuijuan laughed awkwardly and went into the kitchen to prepare food.

Xu Wenyan put the things he had brought on the table and looked around. In fact, Zhou Jianye's house was not much bigger than Chen Sanlin's, and was even smaller.

Moreover, the room was very damp. Xu Wenyan felt gloomy after staying there for a while. It was obviously because the humidity was too heavy.

"I asked you to come for dinner, but what else did you bring?" Zhou Jianye looked at the persimmons and crabs on the table and said, "These crabs are not easy to handle."

Xu Wenyan found Zhou Jianye interesting. Although no one in the village ate crabs, he knew they were delicious. "Second uncle, have you ever eaten this crab?"

Zhou Jianye smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I've never eaten such a big one. When I was a kid, I saw one in front of a restaurant in the county with my father. I heard it was very expensive."

The words "very expensive" hit home for Xu Wenyan. The crabs in the mountains had not yet dug holes, so it would be good to catch more and sell them to restaurants. If he processed them himself, he could sell them at a higher price. But now he had no start-up capital, and a cold winter was coming, so he didn't have much time to prepare.

"Haha, my second uncle is also a worldly-wise man." Xu Wenyan said as she walked towards the kitchen with a few crabs. After all, she was Chen Sanlin's wife, so it wasn't good to let her second aunt busy in the kitchen alone.

"Sanlin's wife, what are you holding?" Wang Cuijuan took a few steps back. She had never seen such a thing before. Although she was a little scared, it was within her tolerance range.

Although she didn't like the words "Sanlin's wife", she could still let Xiaohu call her brother, but the elders might not agree with that: "Second aunt, this is a crab. I'll teach you how to cook it later."

Xu Wenyan still steamed these crabs. In fact, they taste better if fried. However, in this era, fat meat is much more expensive than lean meat, and oil is naturally very precious. Who would be willing to use oil to fry food?

Looking at the layout of the house, Xu Wenyan could see that the situation in his second uncle's family seemed to be very bad. He had a good impression of this family, so he would help if he could. It would be impossible to survive this cold winter living in such a damp house.

Wang Cuijuan felt something was wrong when she saw Xu Wenyan busy in the kitchen alone, so she asked him to stay away.

As soon as I came out, I heard Zhou Jianye chatting with Chen Sanlin, and the specific meaning was that he wanted to go hunting with him.

Zhou Jianye looked a little ugly and embarrassed, and it seemed like he had been thinking for a long time before he spoke: "Sanlin, is the autumn hunt over this year?"

"Well, I caught some prey a few days ago and that's all." As for winter hunting, hunters generally don't take other people with them. There are fewer animals active in winter. If you're lucky, you can catch some rabbits or something like that, but if you're unlucky, you'll get nothing.

Hearing this, Zhou Jianye's eyes darkened a little.

"Second uncle, do you want to go hunting with Chen Sanlin?" Xu Wenyan could tell that Zhou Jianye was a shy person, so he asked for him.

"Yes, we separated last year, and the little money we saved has been used up, and your aunt is not feeling well, so I was thinking about doing something to supplement the family income."

Xu Wenyan nodded. Although he wanted to help the couple, it was hard to say whether their family could survive the winter. They only had a bag of rice, half a bag of noodles, and coal, which cost money to buy anywhere.

Moreover, Chen Sanlin had spent nearly ten taels of money on him. Xu Wenyan would feel uneasy if he didn't help Chen Sanlin earn it back.

"Uncle, I see your house is very humid. If you live here for a long time, you will feel tingling in your ankles, and it hurts when the wind blows."

Hearing Xu Wenyan say this, Zhou Jianye was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened: "Sanlin's wife, what you said is true. Your aunt and I have always felt pain in our ankles and even our knees have been a little bit wrong over the years."

"Well, this problem is still very serious. Tomorrow we are going to go up the mountain. You come with us. There is a kind of stone called limestone. It will turn white after being calcined with a big fire. Grind it into powder and add bamboo charcoal to it and sprinkle it on the ground. Sprinkle more on the corners." Xu Wenyan paused here and said, "Second uncle, you know how to cover the charcoal, right?"

"Yes, we have some stored at home."

"Oh, then I suggest that you store more this year. The weather is a bit abnormal this year." Xu Wenyan could only say this. As for whether they heard it or not, that was their business. "Also, you can use the lime powder mixed with yellow mud and repaint the wall. You don't have to paint it too high. Two inches is enough."

Zhou Jianye suddenly felt that the man Chen Sanlin married was not that bad. He had a good personality and knew a lot, but he couldn't have children. "Yes, I will go to you tomorrow morning."

After that, Wang Cuijuan brought the food and taught the couple how to eat crabs. It was a new experience for them as they had never thought that there was such delicate meat besides fish, and it was much more fragrant: "No wonder crabs are so delicious when sold in restaurants." Zhou Jianye praised repeatedly.

"Aunt, eat less. This thing is cold in nature. It's not good for women to eat too much. One crab every two days is enough." Xu Wenyan then remembered that Wang was sick and should eat less crabs.

Wang Cuijuan nodded. After all, Xu Wenyan was a man and it was normal for him to understand more.

He Xianhua had smelled the fragrance not long ago. She started to mutter at the table as the whole family was having dinner: "That Shanlin kid went to the second wife's house for dinner and brought a lot of food. He didn't share any with his eldest uncle's family. He really looked down on our family."

Hearing his wife say this, Zhou Jianjia began to think about it. Although the two families had rarely met each other, he was the only one who went to the second wife's house to give gifts. This nephew must have done something wrong.

The two old people were also slightly partial to the eldest wife. Although He Xianhua gave birth to a girl as her first child, she gave them a big fat grandson as her second child.

Let’s look at the second wife. She has been married for several years and still has no baby. The old couple is becoming more and more dissatisfied with her family.

"Mom, it smells so good, I want to eat some too!" Zhou Dabao smelled the aroma of crabs in the yard and even the oil residue in the bowl no longer smelled good.

There were only a few pieces of lard in a plate, and Zhou Rong only dared to look at it. Those good things were for her younger brother.

Seeing her precious son throwing a tantrum, He Xianhua quickly coaxed him, "Be good, Dabao, let's eat some lard residue."

"No, no, I want to eat the delicious food at my second uncle's house." Zhou Dabao threw the bowl and chopsticks down and started making a fuss.

This week Dabao has grown into a little fat boy. The whole family has spoiled him since he was born, and all the good things in the family are given to this only grandson.

I feel so sad when I get bumped or bruised.

Old Mrs. Hua couldn't bear it any longer and said, "Jianjia, go to your brother's house and ask him what he has to eat, and bring some back for our Dabao." The old lady felt really distressed seeing her precious grandson crying.

Zhou Jianjia frowned. His brother's family had already been separated. What kind of thing was it to ask his family for food at this time? He still had shamelessness: "Mom, Jianye has already been separated. It's not appropriate for me to go."

"Ahhh! I want to eat from my second uncle's house." Zhou Dabao's voice became louder and louder, and he looked like he would not give up until he could eat it.

He Xianhua also felt sorry for her son, but she had just had a quarrel with Wang Cuijuan, and going there would be a slap in her face, right? But her son was crying so hard, and she was really in a dilemma.

"Enough! Zhou Dabao, do you think you can achieve anything?" Zhou Jianjia yelled, feeling a little annoyed.

"Wow!!!" However, this roar did not calm Zhou Dabao down, but made him cry even harder.

Old Mrs. Hua quickly took her grandson in her arms and comforted him softly, "My dear grandson, if they don't go, I, an old lady, will go by myself. Let's go to Second Uncle's house and have a good meal."

"Mom." Zhou Jianjia frowned, wondering if he had spoiled his son too much.

"If you don't go, am I going to watch my precious grandson starve?"

Seeing that his mother was really going out, Zhou Jianjia stood up. After all, he was a filial son and couldn't really let his mother go: "Okay, okay, mother, I'll go."

Zhou Jianjia walked to the door and struggled for a while before going in.

"Brother, you're here." Zhou Jianye stood up to greet his brother as he walked in, and Wang found a bench for him.

"Well, haha, I came to see you. Nephew Sanlin is here too." Zhou Jianjia made preparations and sat down without any hesitation.

Chen Sanlin nodded without saying anything, while Xu Wenyan continued to eat his food. Since no one called them, the two little guys were a little scared. They didn't dare to eat their food and just held the bowl and looked at Xu Wenyan.

"What are you eating? The yard is full of fragrance, and Dabao is so greedy." Chen Jianjia rubbed his hands and pointed at the crabs on the table with his chin.

"Cuijuan, get a bowl and serve two for Dabao." Zhou Jianye could of course hear why his brother came. He hadn't come to sit here for two years since the family split up, so it was a rare occasion now.

"Oh, how can this be so embarrassing."

That being said, Wang Cuijuan couldn't really stop pretending, so Zhou Jianjia brought the things, said a few words and left.

Xu Wenyan just shook his head and said nothing.

After eating and drinking, I left my second uncle's house because I still have a lot to do tomorrow.