It was already July, but the weather was still hot and restless. Many of the weeds on the wasteland by the roadside had already died from the sun,
The smaller saplings also looked half-dead.
Since the summer harvest, two people in the village had already died from heatstroke.
In previous years, at this time, the villagers were the happiest after the harvest,
But now, there were no people playing chess and chatting in the courtyard of the brigade on weekdays.
Gu Dong and the Ai Cao had to go to work every day,
Except for the old people in the village,
They had already started to take turns watering the fields.
The men carried the water, the women sprinkled the water,
After working hard for a few months,
They couldn't just watch the seedlings die in the field.
On this day, the workers were in the field,
Gu Dong walked over from afar with the water and saw the Ai Cao bending over with the water ladle,
She was enduring the scorching sun like the other women,
She was moving her arms with all her might.
"Look at your strength, why is your strength so weak!" Sister Shangen, who was working together, was extremely anxious when she saw the Ai Cao working.
Ai Cao's face turned red when she heard these words,
She didn't have much strength to begin with,
Although she was eating well now, her body was gaining weight and she was growing taller,
Her arms and legs just didn't have the strength.
"Sigh,
Second sister-in-law,
My wife is a softie,
Hehe,
She's not as strong as you,
I know that second sister-in-law is capable,
You guys work together and take care of each other,
When I'm free, I'll catch fish in the river for your stone to eat! " Gu Dong put down the water he was carrying, took off the straw hat on his head to fan himself, and said with a smile,
"Heh, that's a good relationship. I'll be waiting for your fish then. Dongzi knows how to dote on his wife. Mugwort, did you see that? You've married the right person. If it was my wife, she wouldn't have the heart!"
"Sigh, I don't dare to compare with brother Shangen. Brother Shangen is a good worker in the Gu family!" Gu Dong laughed and flattered each other with sister-in-law Shangen. At the same time, he winked at his wife beside him.
The Ai Cao glared at him and signaled him to get back to work since the local captain was looking in their direction.
"Look at the sweat on your forehead!" Gu Dong did not pick up the shoulder pole. Instead, he pulled out the towel from his neck and wanted to help Ai Cao wipe his sweat.
"I, I'll do it myself!" The Ai Cao hurriedly took it over. She didn't want to be teased by the women in the same line in public.
Although the Ai Cao still didn't talk much and couldn't blend in well with their conversations and could only listen obediently, she gradually understood how these people lived and knew how to get along with them.
"Okay, here's the towel. Wash your neck again. I'm leaving!" Before Gu Dong left, he looked at the Ai Cao's red neck and said.
When facing the Ai Cao, Gu Dong's face was full of smiles. But when he turned around, his expression changed.
The Ai Cao's neck was red from the sun. Her small face was not as white and tender as it was a few days ago. Especially her hands and arms. The places that were covered by clothes and the places that were not covered were completely different.
He felt sorry for his wife, but he didn't feel sorry for her. This was because in the village, going to work was a must.
Fu Fang was pregnant in April. It had been three months since then, and the fetus was stable. She was pregnant and helped everyone in the field for two days. It was too hot. In the end, Fu Jiu felt sorry for her and went to the local captain's house two or three times at night to bring her things before she was allowed to go home.
Only Duan Xue and Ai Dabao's wife were able to take leave. The two of them were pregnant in June. They were afraid that the fetus would be unstable if it was less than three months old.
Sometimes, people didn't know anything and didn't feel anything bad when there was no comparison. They didn't know anything and lived like the people around them.
However, Gu Dong had stayed in the county and the city. He clearly knew the changes in his wife's body because she went to the field every day.
When he was hospitalized, Ai San An's words were like thorns that pierced deeply into his heart. Looking at the changes in the Ai Cao, it was like someone was constantly plucking the thorns in his heart. It was a heart-wrenching pain.
Just like what Ai San An said, if one was exposed to the wind and sun in the village and faced the yellow soil all day long, no matter how good one's skin was or how good one's appearance was, they would not be able to retain it. Everything would change. Day by day, they would become like most of the women in the village. Even if they took care of themselves carefully, the best result would be that they would not be as good as the people in the city.
Gu Dong didn't want Ai Cao to suffer like this. He also didn't want Ai Cao to be exposed to the wind and sun year after year like him.
He went to the city many times and saw the life of the women in the city. Even if the women in the city needed to work, they would stand in the shop where the wind and rain could not reach them. They would wear clean clothes and put on face cream and hand oil. Many of them were not as good looking as his Ai Cao, but their clothes showed off and made them pleasing to the eye.
Thinking about how Ai San An was now an official worker in the textile factory in the city, it was just like what he said before. He wanted to leave this place and leave the village. He didn't want to work so hard all year round to fill his stomach. Now, he had realized his dream.
If Ai Cao followed him, perhaps it would really be like what he said. She would follow him and live in the city. She wouldn't have to work in the field under the hot sun like now.
Suddenly, Gu Dong's heart twitched. He felt that this kind of life must be changed. But he couldn't find a way to change it. He hated himself for being so useless.
Amidst the fields, Mugwort was laughing so hard that it was unknown what the sister-in-law beside him said. If it was in the past, Gu Dong would be happy to see Mugwort getting along with the villagers and finally having someone to joke with. But now, Gu Dong felt that this scene was an eyesore.
He was afraid that Ai Cao would follow Ai San An and become like most of the villagers in the village.
In the evening, after work, Ai Cao felt that something was wrong with Gu Dong. But when he saw him talking and laughing, he didn't know if it was just an illusion.
Until dinner time, when he saw Gu Dong eating, Ai Cao felt that something must have happened. Otherwise, he wouldn't say those words.
"What's wrong with you?" Ai Cao asked him with concern.
"What?" Gu Dong raised his head and saw Ai Cao staring at him. He frowned and cleared his throat, pretending nothing was wrong, and said, "Nothing. Eat. The food will get cold if you don't eat."
"Is there something on your mind?" Ai Cao continued to stare at him and asked.
They had lived together for so long. If they didn't understand each other, then they would be husband and wife for nothing.
Not only could Ai Cao sense Gu Dong's emotions, but Gu Dong also understood Ai Cao's stubbornness. He knew that if he didn't tell the truth, not only would he not be able to eat, but he might also be kicked out of the house and have to sleep outside.
After weighing the severity of the consequences, Gu Dong awkwardly and shyly told Mugwort about the matter that had been bothering him.
After hearing Gu Dong's words, Ai Cao looked at him in silence for a while. Gu Dong lowered his head in embarrassment and said, "I don't think it's bad now."
"But …" Gu Dong wanted to say, "But I don't want you to be so tired with me."
Ai Cao continued, "The sun is very strong now. It's uncomfortable to be in the sun every day. Even if you wear a hat, you will still accidentally get tanned. It's very ugly. After a day of work, it's tiring to go home …"
"So you also think it's bad to be with me, right?" Gu Dong heard Ai Cao's words and asked a little anxiously. He almost knocked over the bowl and chopsticks in front of him. He was a little anxious. He admitted that Ai San An was doing better than him now. It was better than him …
The more Gu Dong thought about it, the more depressed he became.
Seeing him like this, Ai Cao wasn't in a hurry to speak. Instead, she waited for him to calm down and not be agitated anymore before saying with a calm expression, "Although these aren't good, and I even hate some of them, this is our current life."
Mugwort usually stood beside Gu Dong. She looked small, and she had a soft personality. Gu Dong had not seen such a serious Mugwort in a long time. He subconsciously sat up and listened to what she was about to say.
"To be honest, if I was alone, I definitely wouldn't be able to endure this kind of hardship. If you gave me a choice, I would definitely think that life in the city is better. But this kind of life is not all bad. There's nothing to gain. " After saying this, Ai Cao stared at Gu Dong seriously and said, "I'd rather work with you than go to the city with Ai San An. I'd rather stay in the village with you."
"Wife …" Hearing this, Gu Dong's heart was very agitated. He felt that his wife was really hiding something from him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be willing to suffer with him. He excitedly reached out and wanted to hug her.
However, Ai Cao raised her hand and pushed him away. She continued, "Life is lived by people. We are in a bad situation now, but we have to think about how to get better. We can't just muddle along and wait for death. Do you understand? Just like how you and Fu Jiu raised fish in the past. Do you even dare to dream about our family's money? "
"No, I don't dare to think about it." Even if it was a daydream on a sunny day, Gu Dong thought that at most, he would be able to eat his fill. Who would have thought that in such a short period of time, he would be able to earn so much money with his own hands?
"So, the solution is found by people. As long as you have the intention to change, there will definitely be a chance. However, if you continue to be like this and feel proud of your achievements in the future and don't do anything at home, or if you become lazy and slippery in front of me in the future, then … "
Ai Cao grinned at Gu Dong, revealing a row of small white teeth. She said sharply, "Don't blame me for chasing you with a knife!"
"Hahahaha …" Gu Dong was suddenly amused by his wife's fierce look. Half of the gloominess in his heart instantly dissipated when he laughed.
"Wife, you are simply too cute!" As he spoke, he pounced on her and hugged her, giving her a loud kiss on the face. "Hahaha, why do I like you so much!"
After this conversation, the distance between the two became even closer. Gu Dong was even more attentive to Ai Cao than before. He was so good that he wished he could treat her well at home. However, he was kicked twice by Ai Cao, who told him to live a proper life and not be so exaggerated.
In the end, he was still a man. Although Ai Cao said that she didn't mind working with him, Gu Dong still thought of a way to ask for leave from Ai Cao. He said that she had injured her foot and wouldn't be able to work for a short period of time. She had to recuperate at home.
If she didn't work, she wouldn't get any work points. If she worked, she wouldn't get any food or money. Because of the leave, some people in the village secretly said that Gu Dong was unlucky to have married a woman who couldn't work.
Gu Dong didn't care about these words. He was a man. Was he afraid that he couldn't provide for his wife? The two of them lived their lives behind closed doors. There was no need for others to interfere. It was enough for him to know whether it was good or bad.
Unknowingly, Gu Dong's way of thinking changed. He became completely different from the villagers who had lived in the village for a long time.
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