The Gu family lived in the westernmost part of Xinglin Village. The nearest neighbor was 50 meters away from their house. Back then, when Old Man Gu was defeated, everything in the Gu family was confiscated and turned over.
The old landlord didn't have the right to live in a good house. He had to live in a cowshed, graze the sheep during the day, and take care of the cattle at night. However, other than him, the Gu family also had a grandson, Gu Dong. In the end, the team leader decided to give the Gu family a new piece of land. However, because of the composition of the land, no one was willing to live next to them.
The west side of the village was near the foot of the mountain. It was full of big and small gravel. There were weeds and trees growing around it. It was completely different from the muddy forest at the back of the mountain. There weren't many villagers who came here to pick wild vegetables, forage pigweed, and collect firewood. Therefore, many of the villagers didn't have any objections when the Gu family was given this piece of land.
Now, the Gu family had three broken thatched huts. The courtyard walls were made of mud and large stones. There were two almond wood doors. There were two crooked jujube trees and peach trees that were transplanted from the mountain. There was a shed on the east side of the courtyard. Under the shed was a stove. It could be considered a shelter. Behind the courtyard was a forest. Not far in front was a gravel beach. Standing there, one could see the fields in the village. There was only a small dirt road on the east side that connected the village to the village.
Because the matter with the Ai family was settled, Old Gu didn't return to his cowshed after grazing the sheep. Instead, he came to his grandson's place to help him clean up the broken and leaky thatched hut.
"Grandpa, you don't have to worry about it. I'll clean it up myself someday!" Gu Dong carried the rabbit into the house and saw his grandpa leaning on the ladder to pass some straw to his roof.
The old man was 65 years old. He climbed so high that Gu Dong's forehead was covered in sweat. He quickly threw away the rabbit in his hand and ran over to help him up. If he fell, he would be half-dead!
"Clean it up! Clean it up! How many times have you said that? It was leaked in June. You haven't touched a single blade of grass. I'd rather do it myself than count on you. " Previously, when Old Gu saw that the house was leaking when it rained, the sunlight was exposed during the day, and the wind was blowing all day long, he told his grandson to repair his house. As for Gu Dong, he would always agree politely and promise that he would do it immediately. But after that, he did not do anything.
"Aiya, isn't it just the beginning of summer? It's too hot up ahead. There's a cave to cool down!" Gu Dong lived in the East Room. He usually moved around the East Room and the central room. There was nothing in the West Room, so it was fine if it was damaged. It was still cool in the leaky room.
"All right, all right. I won't argue with you. Quickly go up and do something. You're going to get married soon. You still have a hole in your house. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at after you get married?" Old Gu came down and let his grandson go up. He handed him things from below and nagged at him.
"Laughing at me? Hmph, if she dares to laugh at me, I'll beat her up. Also, my family is like this, whether you want to stay or not! "Although Gu Dong was stubborn with his words, his hands and feet did not stop as he swiftly repaired the wound.
"Sigh."
After saying that, Gu Dong did not hear his grandfather scolding him. He thought that his grandfather had gone into the house to get something. But after a few seconds, he heard his grandfather sigh.
"Dongzi, I'm sorry." Old Gu knew that his grandson was unhappy. How could he not be flustered in his heart?
His Dongzi had a thick skin and a tall head. He was not stupid either. If this kid was placed in any village, matchmakers would break the threshold. But because he was an old landlord, matchmakers from eight to ten villages were not willing to matchmake for his grandson until now. There were even matchmakers who said in front of him, "Your Dongzi. Even that stupid kid from Erga Village was not willing to marry into your family, let alone a good girl from a good family."
Could it be that his Dongzi was going to be a bachelor for the rest of his life because of his identity? Old Gu was not willing to accept this.
"Grandfather!" Gu Dong leaned on the roof frame and stretched his neck. He looked down and said, "I don't blame you for anything. It's good that we are like this." His grandfather had been working hard and suffering alone all these years. He raised him up and did not deprive him of food and clothing. He also did not give him away. He was quite content.
"Dongzi, I know you despise that girl from the Ai family. But you can't not marry a woman and sleep alone for the rest of your life. You know what our family is like. If you miss this opportunity, you might not be able to meet another one even after waiting for a long time. "
"I know, Grandfather. I'm not unwilling." Gu Dong said with a frown. Ever since he turned 16, marrying a wife had become a sore point for his grandfather. From time to time, he would sit there and feel sorry for himself. He felt that he had let himself down.
The young men in the village married one after another. They all grew up together. How could he not have any thoughts when he saw them hugging their wives and sons? However, no matter how his grandfather went to the surrounding villages, no one was willing to marry into their family. Sometimes, when he walked on the road, those "good girls" who claimed that their ancestors were innocent would make a detour when they saw him.
Forget it. That girl from the Ai family, so be it. If he married her and left her at home, at least his grandfather would not be so worried about his marriage that he could not sleep at night.
"Okay, when I'm done, I'll go around the village and borrow some money. I'll also inform the other old men about your marriage. Are you at home? Yi? Yi Liang? Mei asked Yi Liang to Yi Liang? Yi Liang Si Liang Ji! Tiring Xian Fang to Death This Yu Yu Shishan Gully Α Su Liang Ji? Ge Ping Cheng Xing Huan Sun Zheng?? Qiu Bi Yong Xiao Chen Dong Xue Meng Nan Thexun
"Tomorrow? It's so urgent. Isn't it a little too rushed? "Gu Dong was a little pressed for time. His family was still in a mess.
"What's the hurry? When you have enough money, hurry up and bring her back. I'm afraid that something will happen if we delay it for one more day." Old Gu told his grandson what was in his heart.
Now that the matter was settled, the grandfather and grandson were in a good mood. They worked together and were very fast. In a short while, they were done. When they finished moving the ladder, Gu Dong suddenly turned his head and asked, "Grandfather, how old is that girl?"
"How old?" Old Gu thought about the year when the Ai Cao entered the village and said, "Sixteen."
"Oh, she's still young." Gu Dong muttered as he moved the ladder.
"Pa!" Old Gu took out the pipe from his waist and knocked on his grandson's back. He taught him, "What young? When your grandmother was your age, she was already pregnant with your father!"
"Hey, hey, hey." Gu Dong dodged as he retorted, "But she looks very young. She doesn't even look like Fu Jiu's uncle's thirteen-year-old daughter, Fu Yunyun, looks tall and strong."
Because of his grandson's words, Old Gu couldn't help but think of the Ai Cao's pitiful little body.
"She's indeed a little thin." Old Gu lowered his head and thought. He lit his pipe and took a puff. Then, he rushed to Gu Dong, who was throwing the rabbit in the yard, and said, "Leave a leg of the rabbit. I'll go to the blind old woman's place tonight. Tomorrow, I'll bring her back and let her take a look."
Actually, the blind woman wasn't completely blind. It was just that in her early years, she had been a doctor, prescribed medicine, and read people's physiognomy. Later on, she started exercising. Like Old Man Gu, she belonged to the bad category. She was caught and raped. Once, her left eye was injured. Since then, everyone in the village slowly called her the blind woman.
"Is there a banquet tomorrow at noon? There's nothing to eat at home. "Gu Dong stood at the east side of the kitchen and frowned as he spoke to his grandfather.
"There's probably only five or six people who can come. Even if there's nothing to eat, there's still a table full of dishes. This is a big event in your life. How can you just let it pass without saying anything?" His grandson was already at a disadvantage. If he brought his granddaughter-in-law back without saying anything, how could he live the rest of his life foolishly! Those who didn't know better would think that the girl from the Ai family ran out to cheat on him.
The more Old Gu thought about it, the more he felt that there were many things he had to do tomorrow. He greeted Gu Dong, who was killing the rabbit, and left like the wind.
It was obvious that his grandfather was really happy that he could get a wife.
Unlike the Gu family's happiness, the old woman from the Ai family in the south of the village was sitting at the door of the house, pointing at the Ai Cao and scolding her.
She was about to be taken away by the Gu family. The Ai family had raised her for so many years in vain. Thinking about how much rice had gone into her stomach all these years, the old woman was full of anger. No matter how she looked at her, she felt that she was an eyesore.
"Blind money-losing thing, can't you see that the floor is dirty? You didn't even sweep it. Even the reincarnation of a lazy pig isn't as delicate as you. You dilly-dallied for half a day and still didn't finish washing the clothes. Speak! Are you deliberately avoiding being lazy? Hmph, don't think that you're a fairy just because the Gu family wants you. Bah! The goods that no one will pick up by the roadside, only the old hag and the little hag from the Gu family are suitable for you. In the mud … "
Old Madam Ai usually had a shrewd and reasonable appearance on the outside, making people think that she was easy to get along with. Hmph, that's because you haven't met her family before. If you really met with trouble, she would definitely let you see what it meant to be unreasonable, what it meant to be outstanding, and what it meant to be a shrew cursing on the streets!
Looking at the Ai Yaozong, who was still blindly searching in the courtyard, the Ai Cao closed her ears and pretended that she didn't hear the old woman's obscenities. She quickly tidied up the central room, then put the porridge, wild vegetables, and cornbread for dinner on the table. Without stopping for a moment, she left the room and went to the water jar in the courtyard to wash the clothes.
Seeing how the old woman treated her harshly, the Ai Cao predicted that if it wasn't tomorrow or the day after, the Gu family would come to marry her. She had to endure it. They had the advantage in numbers, yet they were so shameless. When she had a firm foothold in the future, she would come back to take revenge and settle accounts with them.
Mugwort forced herself to stay awake and endure her hunger. Mugwort washed for another hour before she finally finished washing their family's dirty clothes. However, she secretly did something naughty and either made a hole or tore a seam in a few of the clothes.
In any case, with the current weather, it would take at least two or three days to dry the clothes with more water. Moreover, the Ai family was lazy, so they definitely wouldn't take them back in time. Heh, by the time they see the tattered clothes, she would already be no longer a member of the Ai family.
When the Ai Cao finished washing the clothes, the other members of the Ai family who hadn't slept had also entered the room. She quietly ran to the kitchen, found the cornbread that she had hidden when she was cooking, and quietly brought it back to the small room in the backyard.
After taking a bite of the cornbread made from wild vegetables, the Ai Cao almost cried again. She had already eaten this meal for several days, but she still couldn't get used to it. Not only was it not bad, but it also had a strange taste.
However, no matter how bad it tasted, she had to force herself to eat it. Because her body was hungry and her stomach was empty, she still had to continue living. She didn't want to starve to death now.
While hiding under the blankets and eating the cornbread, the Ai Cao comforted herself by not thinking about how bad it tasted and fantasized about how the Gu family would marry her.
If it was in her previous life, she would definitely be married off with a tall horse and a large palanquin carried by eight people. However, the situation was different now. She didn't ask for those extravagant things. If it was really like the Ai Dabao's wedding in the original owner's memory, the bride would find a mule cart and bring her home with new clothes and blankets. She would be able to bathe and eat until she was full, then she would accept it. No matter what, it was better than living in fear and trepidation like she was now.
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