My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 227 Little Sheep

"Why did you come back? You've only come back to cause trouble at home."

"Do you have to drive your mother to her death before you're happy?"

"If you think your family is poor, if you think your parents are incompetent, if you find fault with this and that, then don't come back. You don't recognize your father, you don't recognize your mother, you don't recognize this dirty old woman. Wouldn't it be better to live a good life outside?"

The Wang family was still making noise during breakfast. The meal took almost two hours to finish, and the steamed buns and porridge got cold, but no one was in the mood to eat.

"Grandma, Bo Ming's family is really a respectable family. Young people in big cities dress like this now, it's fashionable."

"Sigh, never mind, you've never been to a big city, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Having not returned home for several years, Sanni'er has grown into a beautiful young woman. She was originally the prettiest of the five daughters, and now, after experiencing the big city, her temperament is far superior to that of the country folk. Coupled with her fashionable attire, compared to the young women and wives in the village, she is like a swan among a flock of chickens.

At this moment, however, her face was full of stubbornness and helplessness, as if she felt it was difficult to communicate with her family.

A young man was sitting on a bamboo chair behind her.

This young man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, of medium height, with medium-length hair, wearing a baseball cap, a denim jacket, and a large earring in his left ear...

If Chen Ling had to describe it in one sentence, it would be "a slightly old-fashioned rock and roll style".

However, in the eyes of the villagers, this outfit was even more outrageous than that of a hooligan, especially the large earrings dangling from his ears and the long hair covering his eyebrows under the brim of his hat. He looked neither male nor female, a bizarre and incongruous sight that gave people goosebumps.

For the elderly in the village, even being naked with just a bed sheet draped over their shoulders would look better than being dressed like this.

But the way he speaks is quite different from his appearance.

“My dad is a businessman, and my mom is a teacher. I’m not lying to you, otherwise I wouldn’t have come back with Xiaojing. But my mom said that we have to meet Xiaojing’s parents in person to see what kind of family you are before we can discuss marriage.”

"If she weren't from a respectable family, Xiaojing wouldn't be allowed into our home."

When he said this, he looked completely at ease, but it wasn't arrogant or contemptuous.

On the contrary, they seemed quite aggrieved and helpless.

He would steal glances at Sanni'er every now and then.

Upon hearing this, Wang Lixian's face darkened, and his fists clenched tightly, as if he were about to rush up and beat someone up at any moment.

Chen Ling and Wang Jusheng stood by the wall, smoking with him, their expressions also strange.

Chen Ling thought to himself, "This isn't just saying hurtful things; this is completely incapable of speaking."

And this kid, I don't know if he's missing a screw in his head, or if he's just fearless.

In this day and age, anyone would dare to follow an unmarried young woman back to her rural hometown alone. Aren't they afraid of being beaten to death?

"Fine, so you think we're not a respectable family? Your parents made you dress like this, so you're a respectable family? This is respectable to the extreme."

Aunt Wang sneered in anger.

"Grandma, what are you saying? When it comes to matchmaking here, don't both families look at each other and ask around? Why is it that when it comes to me, you find fault with everything?"

Sannier was very indignant.

“Who doesn’t like you? Isn’t it you who doesn’t like us? You’ve been gone for years without a word, and now you suddenly bring back a boy like this, saying you’re getting married. What do you take your parents for?”

"Go around to the surrounding villages and towns, ask around in the counties around here, and see if anyone has a daughter like you."

Aunt Wang became increasingly angry as she spoke, while Liu Yuzhi, who was standing next to her, kept wiping away tears. Hearing this, she pressed down on her mother-in-law's hand and shook her head repeatedly.

This mute woman is soft-hearted. Her third daughter had finally come back, so how could she say hurtful things and send her away?

"The more you act like this, the less appreciative she becomes."

Seeing her daughter-in-law like this, Aunt Wang was at her wits' end.

“How am I ungrateful? I don’t spend your money on food and clothing, I don’t rely on you to support me, and I married a good family in a big city. Am I wrong for that? I just don’t understand.”

Sannier looked even angrier than Aunt Wang.

After venting her anger, she frowned and said irritably, "Forget it, I knew all along that you were still thinking the same old things, and I couldn't explain it to you."

Compared to Sannier, the rock youth looked completely bewildered. "Xiaojing, speak properly and stop arguing with your family. Have you forgotten what my mother said? When we get married, your parents have to come over and see what kind of person I am. Otherwise, they won't feel at ease."

As soon as she said that, Aunt Wang's mouth twisted with anger.

Wang Lixian didn't even bother to listen anymore. He got up and strode out, afraid that if he listened any longer, he wouldn't be able to resist beating the kid to death.

Chen Ling and Wang Jusheng followed behind.

……

"No matter how disobedient or stubborn this girl is, as long as she's willing to come home, it doesn't matter what kind of husband she marries. Let her be ashamed or make a fool of herself. Anyway, she's never given us a moment's peace since she was little."

“Last night, I was already thinking about getting things done as soon as possible, so that I wouldn’t make your sister-in-law cry all day because of this ignorant thing, and make everyone feel uncomfortable.”

"Who knew that the boy's family insisted that my sister-in-law and I go to his house to meet his bastard parents. After we got there, they would see what kind of people we were before they would agree to the marriage."

"This son of a bitch, how can such a thing happen in the world? My family scrimped and saved to raise our daughter, and now when she gets married, we have to go to other people's parents and beg them. Isn't this blatant bullying?"

Wang Lixian is usually a man of few words and has a somewhat dull and taciturn personality, but when this matter was mentioned, his eyebrows stood up, his face turned red, and he uttered a string of curses, clearly very angry.

Chen Ling understood after listening.

The key point isn't that Sanni brought a man home and made a fool of herself in the village.

However, Wang Lixian's family was at their wits' end with their third daughter. Despite their anger, they were actually prepared to agree to her marrying this young man. But the man's conditions were too outrageous, and the couple had to go there to meet his parents before the marriage could be finalized.

They said their son wanted to marry into a respectable family with a clean reputation.

Good grief, who wouldn't be furious after hearing that?
"Where did this person come from? They're so inconsiderate," Wang Jusheng said, frowning.

Chen Ling nodded: "That's a bit too disrespectful. I've never heard of such a thing before."

Sanni'er hadn't been home for several years, and now that she's back, she's causing this mess. No one can stand it.

If they were truly from a respectable family, then it would be understandable.

But this kid's strange attire made people at the time frown and find it hard to believe him.

In fact, even twenty years from now, most families will still dress formally and neatly when meeting their father-in-law.

There's really no such thing.

“If it weren’t for your sister-in-law’s soft heart and love for her daughter, I would have already beaten them out with a stick and they would have been better off not coming back.”

Wang Lixian was furious.

The three of them were talking under a big tree outside the yard when Wang Lixian's brothers and cousins ​​came over. After a while, his two older sisters from the county town also arrived at the door.

The courtyard soon became noisy and chaotic.

In the end, after saying something in annoyance, Sannier pulled the rock youth away in anger.

But what puzzled Chen Ling and many villagers was that the two did not completely leave, but temporarily stayed in the county town. Every now and then, San Ni would bring the boy back. Sometimes she would soften her tone, and sometimes she would have a big fight. The purpose was the same: she still wanted her parents to go to the boy's house to meet him. This caused a lot of gossip in the village.

Many people couldn't stand it.

Even Wang Lixian's brothers were itching to teach this unfilial daughter a lesson.

“If it were my daughter, I would have broken her legs long ago. She’s not married yet, but she’s already living with someone outside and sleeping in the same bed with him. Doesn’t she feel ashamed?”

“Beat him! That effeminate boy deserves a beating too. He dares to harm young girls and even dares to come to our house. What does he think our family is?”

"..."

As they were talking, someone actually took action. However, it wasn't the elders, but Da Ni, Er Ni'er, and Si Ni'er. They thought San Ni'er was too outrageous, and knowing that Liu Yuzhi was soft-hearted, they came back several times to force Liu Yuzhi to agree to go with them to meet the man's parents.

When she got angry, she even scolded Liu Yuzhi for treating her badly since childhood, which made Liu Yuzhi cry all the time.

Seeing their mother being treated like this, the three daughters, Da Ni'er, Er Ni'er, and Si Ni'er, couldn't bear to see it anymore. Er Ni'er even called her son-in-law, and the group beat up San Ni'er and the young man.

If someone hadn't pulled them apart, those three angry girls could have beaten them to death.

After this incident, the two were so frightened that they dared not return.

However, Chen Ling and Wang Cunye still saw the two of them several times when they took eggs to the county market.

They hadn't spoken to each other for many years, and with this incident, the villagers were making a laughing stock of them, so naturally they wouldn't talk to Chen Ling.

However, after meeting him several times, the rock youth named Fang Boming caught Chen Ling's attention.

Chen Ling and most of the villagers originally thought he was a troublemaker, after all, his appearance was quite edgy.

But after observing him more closely, I discovered that he was actually a simple-minded, naive young man who was ignorant of the ways of the world.

No wonder what I said at Wang Lixian's house was so unpleasant; I said whatever I was thinking without any tact.

This child is probably spoiled by his parents.

But in front of Sannier, he was like an obedient little lamb, always following her lead, and often couldn't take his eyes off her.

Twenty-five or twenty-six years old is considered an adult, yet he was completely outmaneuvered by a nineteen-year-old girl.

This really surprised Chen Ling.

In fact, he wasn't the only one; other villagers also noticed this.

Even Wang Lixian knew that this boy lacked his own opinions and always listened to Sannier. It was said that he had come back with Sannier without telling his family.

His family made Sanni call her parents, probably because they looked down on this country girl and it was just an excuse.

But the boy took it seriously and eagerly followed Sanni back to her hometown.

It leaves one speechless.

……

Time passed quickly, and it was soon the fifth month of the lunar calendar. After the Dragon Boat Festival, every household had to prepare for the wheat harvest. The wheat harvest was of utmost importance, and no one cared about Wang Lixian's family's matter anymore.

Chen Ling's family planted wheat late, and it wasn't harvest time yet, about a month later. He started preparing for his wife's childbirth. Since it was their first child, the whole family was extremely cautious.

Sure enough, just a few days after the Dragon Boat Festival, Wang Susu was sent to the hospital ahead of schedule.

There was nothing we could do; her pregnancy symptoms were too mild, and no one could be sure when she would give birth, so we had to leave it at that for now.

Moreover, staying in the hospital not only gives me peace of mind, but it's also close to the small courtyard in the county town, making it very convenient to cook whatever I want to eat.

When Wang Susu was admitted to the hospital, her relatives and friends all thought she was about to give birth, and they would come to see her every time they went to the county town.

Not to mention Liang Hongyu's family, who live nearby, they have nothing to do and come almost every day.

Qin Qiumei and Zhong Xiaoyun would also come every few days.

I've also spoken with Xiang Wenxia, ​​Du Juan, and Liu Yinhuan in the city several times by phone.

Actually, Wang Susu's personality wasn't exactly endearing, but unfortunately, she was very kind and friendly. Everyone who had spent time with her found her gentle and approachable and enjoyed interacting with her, making the ward lively every day.

Gao Xiulan had no idea that her daughter was so popular. Seeing people coming to visit her daughter every day, the old lady was overjoyed.

……

"I'm going back to make lunch, Mom, Susu, is there anything you'd like to eat today?"

Inside the ward, Chen Ling glanced at the time and asked.

Currently, the father-in-law stays at the farm to look after the house, Gao Xiulan is taking care of him in the ward, and Chen Ling spends most of his time in the small courtyard, only returning to the village to bring eggs to sell when he has free time.

Wang Susu thought for a moment and then said, "Whatever, I'm fine with whatever I eat. It's hot, so please make something simple and don't stay in the kitchen for ages."

She has actually been eating a lot more lately, but she has plenty of fruit to eat, so she doesn't go hungry.

Gao Xiulan also said, "Let's just make some dumpling soup. We don't need to stir-fry any vegetables. Just cut some cucumbers and tomatoes and we'll eat that. If we want to eat more when it's cooler in the evening, we can make more."

Chen Ling nodded repeatedly after hearing this, then left the hospital and went to the courtyard to cook.

It's getting hot, and his wife and mother-in-law are worried about him, afraid he'll get too hot in the kitchen.

Actually, there's no need to worry. Just move the stove into the cave to cook, and control the breeze; it'll be quite cool.

As soon as Chen Ling returned to the courtyard, he witnessed a surprising scene.

The young man named Fang Boming was struggling with Wang Lixian outside the door.

"Uncle, please agree, please agree, okay? My parents are very easy to get along with. You'll see once you visit them. They are both very nice people."

This kid doesn't speak effeminately, but when he asks for favors, his tone is like a child's. I don't know if it's to change Wang Lixian's family's opinion, but he actually shaved his head and took off his earrings, and he looks like a spirited young man.

He used to never greet people at home, but now he's grabbing Wang Lixian's arm and calling him "uncle."

"What you're saying is useless. From now on, our family will not get involved in Sanni's affairs."

Wang Lixian's face darkened. His third daughter was too outrageous. She had caused chaos at home several times when she returned, and Liu Yuzhi had been completely heartbroken by her.

With the comfort of her other children, she gradually stopped crying for her and resolved to no longer concern herself with her affairs, as if she had no daughter at all.

Otherwise, if we let her continue like this, the other daughters won't be able to live their lives in the future.

Si Ni'er is getting married this year. If this continues, her in-laws will find out, and who knows what they'll do then.

We can't let the whole family break up just because of one unreasonable person.

"No, Uncle, Xiaojing is just impatient. She's too anxious. Actually, she's suffered a lot working away from home, and she's missed you all a lot these past few years..."

But when Wang Lixian saw Chen Ling walking over, he stopped listening to what Chen Ling was saying and told him, "If you don't want to get beaten up again, get out of here."

Then she went towards Chen Lingying.

Liu Yuzhi often thinks about her daughter's hardships outside, which is why she always feels soft-hearted and cries incessantly when she thinks about it.

But for years, Sanni'er refused to send a single letter and neglected her family. Only when she was about to get married and had no other choice did she finally come back. When she did come back, she acted as if she was always right. How could her parents not be disappointed and heartbroken?

The fact that he didn't physically beat her shows how magnanimous Wang Lixian, as her father, was.

"Brother Xian, what brings you here?"

Chen Ling glanced at the helpless little lamb and wanted to laugh. He wondered how someone with this personality could be paired with San Ni'er.

“Wu Ni’er wrote that she received another scholarship, so I’m calling her. Uncle Cunye also asked me to bring you some groceries.” Wang Lixian handed him the snakeskin bag.

The bag contained some vegetables grown in the family garden, and a bunch of sweet corn given to them by someone in the village.

"He was worried that you wouldn't have enough food in the county town and would have to spend money to buy more."

"Sigh, what's the point of sending any more gifts? I'll be going back in two or three days. I was caught up in the Dragon Boat Festival temple fair last time, and I didn't have a chance to sell my eggs." Chen Ling said helplessly. That's how it is when there are elderly people in the family; they're afraid of wasting money.

Then he unlocked the courtyard gate and led Wang Lixian inside.

It was noon, so he stayed for a simple meal, and then Chen Ling packed the lunchbox and took it to the hospital.

Interestingly, when the two of them went out, Little Sheep was still waiting in front of the middle school across the street. When he saw Wang Lixian, he scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, but he was afraid of getting beaten up again, so he didn't dare to follow them.

(End of this chapter)