country bumpkin

Chapter 226 Changes in Xiong Shanhe

In the warm spring of March, the orchards of Xiongshan Ridge are ablaze with peach blossoms. In the fields and at the foot of the mountains, grass grows tall, orioles sing, flowers bloom, and willows are green.

The fields of Xiongshanling are made up of mounds of earth, and people are already busy plowing and turning the soil.

At this moment, an old farmer with a wrinkled face was plowing the field. In front of him was an old yellow ox.

The old ox moved forward slowly, pulling the plow with steady steps, each step firm and powerful, the turned soil exuding a fresh scent.

The old farmer followed behind, occasionally brandishing his whip in the air without actually striking it, while shouting "Giddy up, giddy up!" to direct the old ox.

Suddenly, the old man stopped, bent down, and picked something up from the soil he had just turned over.

It turned out to be a smooth pebble. He frowned, then casually tossed it aside, worried that it would interfere with plowing.

After walking a while longer, the old ox seemed to get tired and slowed down.

The old man patted the ox's back tenderly, took the water bottle from his waist, poured some water into his palm, and fed the old ox a few sips of water.

After a short rest, the old ox regained its spirits and continued to plow the land diligently.

In this bright spring sunshine, the figures of a man and an ox create a simple yet vibrant picture of labor in the fields.

This old man is Xiong Shanhe's father, Xiong Yongfu. Xiong Shanhe's mother, Zhang Guixiang, is hurrying over with food from the edge of the field.

The reason the elderly couple works so hard in the fields is because their second son is unfilial, and their eldest son has fallen out with him.

Seeing that their brothers were arguing and wouldn't respond, and realizing they couldn't rely on them to help with the work, the elderly couple had no choice but to go down to the fields and do the work themselves.

When Xiong Shanhe came back last time, my parents were overjoyed for days. My younger brother and sister-in-law were also all smiles.

Later, when they learned that Xiong Shanhe had been divorced and lost his job and was penniless because he had an affair, his younger brother and sister-in-law changed their attitude.

Xiong Shanhe could only take some money from his parents to return to Grandpa Ren. He also had his parents help clean up the old house before he could finally settle down.

His younger brother discussed with him the issue of caring for their parents in their old age, and even proposed dividing the family property, including separating the elderly's land for them to cultivate.

Furthermore, their parents are getting old and need to be cared for by both families in turns. Upon hearing his younger brother's words, Xiong Shanhe lost his temper, accusing him of being unfilial and saying that he used to send money and gifts to their family every year.

Now my younger brother turns on me so easily, showing no mercy whatsoever. He's such an ingrate.

His younger brother, Xiong Shangang, and his wife, Ji Lanhua, got into a huge argument with him. The two families had a terrible falling out, eventually becoming estranged and never speaking to each other again.

Xiong Shangang ultimately decided that the elderly couple would take turns living with each other for a year. Xiong Shanhe objected but still decided to let his parents live with him.

The younger brother only needed to give some grain to their parents each year. Xiong Shangang, having gotten a good deal, naturally agreed.

Kong Xiujin got up today; her injuries have almost healed. So she got up and started moving around, and she even helped with housework.

Xiong Shanhe had nothing to do, so he went to the fields. His land was next to his parents'.

My younger brother and sister-in-law's land has been divided. They also have two children, so it's land for four people.

Xiong Shanhe hurried on his way, passing through the fields along the paths, where villagers working in the fields greeted him.

Just then, Xiong Shanhe saw his parents working in the fields in the distance, and a pang of sadness welled up in his heart.

He strode forward and took the food from his mother's hands. "Dad, Mom, take a rest and eat first." Xiong Yongfu and Zhang Guixiang looked at their son with eyes full of relief.

Xiong Shanhe put down his food and picked up the farm tools beside him. "Father and Mother, I'll farm this land from now on. Don't overwork yourselves."

Xiong Yongfu sighed, "Sigh, you're having a tough time now too." Although his eldest son was unfaithful to his wife, he was a filial son.

Xiong Shanhe smiled and said, "Dad, I'm not afraid. Things will get better."

As they were talking, Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua arrived at the edge of their fields. Their fields were adjacent to each other, so it was normal for them to run into each other.

Ji Lanhua said sarcastically, "Oh, big brother, has your conscience finally been awakened?"

Xiong Shanhe wasn't angry. "We agreed that from now on we'll each live our own lives, not bother each other, and be well. I'm only responsible for my parents; the rest is none of your business."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Shangang blushed, grabbed Ji Lanhua, turned around, and went to work in the fields.

Xiong Shanhe continued, "Father, Mother, you can rest assured and enjoy your retirement. I'm here." The family sat together, eating a simple meal, which was exceptionally warm and cozy.

As for this old ox, it was bought for Xiong Shanhe's father when he had money. His father said that having an ox made farming much easier.

You can also become old friends with the old ox and keep the elderly couple company. It's similar to how some empty-nest elderly people keep cats and dogs.

Over the years, the younger brother, Xiong Shangang, has benefited greatly from his older brother's success. The family has become a bit wealthier and even rebuilt their house.

I still have some money left over, and my food and clothing are much better than before. But once the money is in my hands, there's no way I can get it back.

After getting familiar with the land for a while, Xiong Shanhe began to cultivate it seriously. Although he hadn't done farm work for a long time, he still had the strength and soon cultivated a large area.

Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua watched from the side, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Suddenly, the old ox went berserk for some unknown reason, broke free of its reins, and charged towards Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua. Ji Lanhua screamed in fright, and Xiong Shangang panicked as well.

With quick reflexes, Xiong Shanhe dropped his farm tools, rushed forward, stood in front of Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua, and grabbed the reins of the old ox.

The old ox was very strong, and Xiong Shanhe was dragged several steps, his arm was scraped.

Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua were stunned, never expecting their elder brother to risk his life to save them.

Xiong Shangang's face was full of guilt. "Brother, thank you." Ji Lanhua also blushed and lowered her head.

Xiong Shanhe looked at his younger brother and said, "We're brothers, why are we talking about this? Even though we've had a little conflict, we should look after each other when our lives are in danger. After all, blood is thicker than water."

After this incident, Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua toned down their attitude towards their elder brother.

They also took the initiative to get in touch with Xiong Shanhe's family, and the relationship between the two families gradually improved. But it didn't go back to the point where Xiong Shanhe was giving them money.

As the days went by, Xiong Shanhe's state of mind also changed. He worked hard with Kong Xiujin to cultivate the land, and the crops in the fields grew well.

After spending time with Xiong Shanhe's family, Kong Xiujin temporarily abandoned her escape plan. She had nowhere to go and no money on her.

Most importantly, Xiong Shanhe has their marriage certificate on him. Even if she runs away, she still can't get rid of this man.

That day, news suddenly came to the village that a developer had taken a fancy to the land in Xiongshanling and planned to develop a tourism project.

The villagers were in an uproar, discussing how much compensation they would receive. Xiong Shanhe's family was no exception; everyone hoped it would improve their lives.

The developer quickly reached an agreement with the village and began measuring the land. Xiong Shanhe's land received particularly generous compensation because of its prime location.

Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua felt a little resentful, but remembering their elder brother's previous life-saving grace, they didn't say anything.

However, just as the compensation was about to be disbursed, the developer suddenly changed his mind and was only willing to give half of the original amount.

The villagers were furious and confronted the developer. Xiong Shanhe stepped forward and led the villagers in negotiations with the developer. Through his efforts, the developer finally compromised and paid the compensation according to the original agreement.

After this incident, Xiong Shangang and Ji Lanhua were completely impressed by their elder brother's sense of responsibility, and the relationship between the two families returned to normal.

The people of Xiongshanling have also ushered in a better life amidst these changes.