In 1992, a small village owner became the richest man in the village by owning a car.

Chapter 38 Goodbye Second Sister-in-Law (Combined Chapter)
After exiting the north gate of the supply and marketing cooperative, you arrive at the main street of Xinglongtun. Most of the houses on both sides seem to be rammed earth houses, but there are also brick and tile houses, and even some newly built ones, though they are relatively few.

Following his childhood memories, he arrived at the western side of Xinglongtun and saw a small path. Crossing the path, he arrived at the street behind. Continuing westward, he soon saw a small courtyard.

The land is less than an acre in size, and both the garden and the house are relatively small, with a narrow passageway in the yard.

The gate to the courtyard was made of old wooden planks, with pointed ends and a red rope tied to the gatepost at the very edge.

Yu Dawei immediately recognized the man working in the small garden. He was a man in his twenties with a slightly dark complexion and a full beard. He was using a hoe to dig out the corn stalks in the yard.

This courtyard originally belonged to Teacher Yao. Across this street, the house directly in front is the home of Yao Lao Er.

A few years ago, Teacher Yao's wife passed away, and Teacher Yao moved to the compound to live with Yao Lao Er. As for this small courtyard, it has been idle ever since. Instead of growing vegetables, corn was planted in the garden.

Corn is easy to care for, but every spring when the soil is soft, you have to dig up the corn stalks in the garden.

Burning it is not advisable; it could easily set the yard on fire.

Yu Dawei placed his hands on the outside of the garden fence, staring with a smile at the big, simple-minded guy who didn't even look up.

Once he finished hoeing one furrow, the man finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up and met Yu Dawei's smiling face. The man was stunned for a moment, then excitedly threw down his hoe, ran to the south side of the garden, and jumped over the fence.

"Brother! What brings you here?" The man grinned, showing his teeth in a bright smile.

"What? So I can't come?" Yu Dawei rolled his eyes and put the fruit he was holding into his arms. "You're living here by yourself?"

“Yeah, I can cook now, and my second sister-in-law from the front yard sometimes brings me some food.” The man glanced at the neighbors peeking out around him, then chuckled and grabbed Yu Dawei’s arm. “Come on, brother, let’s chat inside.”

"Okay, when are we eating? I didn't eat enough at noon, I'm starving." Yu Dawei smiled and followed behind Yao Jinfu: "It's perfect timing since we haven't seen each other for so long, let's have a good drink and then sleep here tonight."

"Huh?" Yao Jinfu stood frozen at the doorway, looking somewhat troubled. "Brother, it's not that I don't want you to stay..."

"Alright, stop whining like a woman, come inside!" Yu Dawei left Yao Jinfu behind, opened the door, and went in first.

The house has two rooms. Opening the door leads to the kitchen in the outer room, and the living room is in the east room on the right. There is an archway between the two rooms, with an old curtain hanging on the door.

Yu Dawei knew this place like the back of his hand; he even knew exactly where Teacher Yao had hidden his secret stash of money in the house.

When we were kids, we would even go so far as to extort Teacher Yao with Yao Laosan (Yao Jinfu). The two of us could usually get three or five points, which was quite a lot and could be exchanged for a lot of candy.

"You've always been a coward, never saying a word. If you keep staying in the village like this, you'll be drowned in spit sooner or later." Yu Dawei lifted the curtain and walked into the east room. The walls of the room were covered with newspapers from various eras.

Many families in the village are like this; they don't have the money to put up tiles, so most of them just paste newspapers they find somewhere on the walls, and they replace them with new ones every year during the Spring Festival.

However, in recent years, most families in the village have been living better lives and like to use whitewash to paint their walls. In a few more years, when every household builds a new house, they will all replace it with ceramic tiles.

The development of the times is like a surging tide; if you don't seize the opportunity now, you may miss out for a lifetime.

"Mmm." Yao Jinfu leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his head drooping, staring at his worn-out black cotton shoes. His expression of being scolded was exactly the same as when he was a child.

Yu Dawei rolled his eyes: "Get your brother something to eat first, I'm hungry!"

"Oh, okay!" Yao Jinfu, a tall man of 1.9 meters, lifted the curtain, crouched down, and walked through the 1.7-meter-high archway into the outer room. Suddenly, he poked his head back in and asked, "Brother, what do you want to eat?"

"The same three things, you take care of them first, I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some sorghum liquor." Yu Dawei got up, and the two clearly divided the tasks.

When Yu Dawei was in junior high school, he would always eat at Teacher Yao's house whenever he passed by Xinglongtun. Teacher Yao was unwilling, since he would occasionally bring his youngest son to cheat him.

But he couldn't resist having a wife who was quite rare to Dawei. The wife had a fierce personality, and no one in the village dared to mess with her. She was known as the Tiger Who Descends the Mountain.

Back then, everyone in the surrounding villages knew about this fierce woman. She was fiercer in fights than men and could curse like a shrew. In the village, there were only three words to describe her: "Don't mess with her."

As for the love story between Teacher Yao and his wife, Yu Dawei had never heard Teacher Yao mention it. However, whenever he asked her about it when he was a child, Teacher Yao's wife always looked down on him with a condescending air.

It can be said that Yu Dawei's teacher's wife played a significant role in his childhood, but she passed away when he was in the third year of junior high school.

Yu Dawei thought that if his master's wife were still alive, none of the villagers who didn't get along with the Yao family would dare to say a bad word about Yao Jinfu. They would all have to close their doors and stay quietly.

The teacher's wife's cooking is delicious: stir-fried dried tofu with scallions, hot and sour shredded potatoes, egg sauce (for dipping vegetables)... Yu Dawei's mouth waters just thinking about it.

For a time, my teacher's wife even helped her own grandmother in the production team. It was when she was in elementary school that her grandmother said the production team needed someone who could cook to be her assistant.

I said to myself that my teacher's wife's cooking was delicious! The old lady went to Xinglong Village the next day, and the day after that, my teacher's wife became the production team's cook. It just so happened that Teacher Yao's family was going through a difficult time, so she helped them out without even realizing it.

So, the way the teacher's wife viewed Yu Dawei was similar to how she viewed her fourth son.

At the time, Yu Dawei was too young to understand these social niceties. He only knew that his teacher's wife was very good to him and that Teacher Yao was also very good, but he was stingy and petty, so Yu Dawei didn't like to talk to him.

On the kang (heated brick bed) was an old red eight-immortal table, with dipping vegetables, hot and sour shredded potatoes, scallions and dried tofu all served. Next to it were a bunch of sorghum liquor (unpackaged), and Yu Dawei had also bought a bag of peanuts.

The liquor was poured into two large porcelain bowls, and the two began to recount their experiences over the years.

Yu Dawei is alright. He had his first love in high school, a senior who lived next door. She was also a good student, barely making it into the undergraduate program, and was the class monitor. He also had two good brothers, Meng Kai and Ai Yongqiang.

It can be said that apart from not having a household registration and ultimately being unable to take the college entrance exam, his high school life was not regrettable.

On the other hand, Yao Jinfu started crying as he spoke. After graduating from technical school, a big boss came from Hohhot and drove an imported car. Everyone was vying for the job, but he was unexpectedly chosen by him.

Then, being led there by the other party, I embarked on a journey down the wrong path.

In the beginning, things were fine. The partners and bosses didn't dare to act openly. In addition, Yao Jinfu was obedient and sensible, and his skills improved a lot by following the experienced masters. Everyone made money, including Yao Jinfu.

However, he didn't squander the money; instead, he saved it all and gave it to his father.

Yu Dawei immediately sensed something was wrong. Teacher Yao was so talkative; even if he didn't spend the money, he would still go around telling everyone!

Just as Yu Dawei had expected, this Yaoshan run was truly a long and winding journey, with people chatting everywhere. He wouldn't stop until he saw the envious expressions on the faces of the villagers, determined to find a sense of accomplishment in others.

It can be said that Yao Jinfu's current predicament is at least half the responsibility of his father, Yao Shanpao.

Yu Dawei learned the gist of what happened afterward: he was reported, arrested, and sentenced to three years. Yao Jinfu originally planned to return to his village after his release, live a good life, and never go outside again.

But unexpectedly, everything changed.

When I came back, I wanted to visit my older brother who lived in the county, but he called me out for a meal alone and then sent me away.

When he got home, his second brother didn't really welcome him. It was only after his sister-in-law and father pressured his second brother that he was allowed to stay in the front yard for a few days. Otherwise, Yao Jinfu would have had nowhere to stay.

The next day he cleaned up the old house, and on the third day he lived in it.

I didn't even go to the front yard during the Lunar New Year.

His second brother didn't treat him like a brother, but didn't he treat him the same way?

What Yao Jinfu found most unbearable was the doubts and whispers from the entire village. He had never committed any murder or arson since childhood, yet they portrayed him as an utterly wicked villain.

Some of the children in the village are so ignorant that they even throw clods of dirt at themselves when they see them, and some even make up songs about them.

All those people his mother had taken down in the village were now using every trick in the book to drag him down with them.

When Yao Jinfu talked about his situation, he recalled when his mother was still alive. Under the influence of alcohol, he could no longer control his emotions and broke down in tears.

Yu Dawei silently drank his wine, unconsciously tightening his grip on the two large bowls in his hand.

The candles in the room sat on the table, their flames flickering gently. Night had come much later than in winter, yet darkness still enveloped the village and the world every day.

"Is the third brother home?" A voice broke the silence between the two.

Yu Dawei felt the voice was familiar for some reason. When the person who opened the door came in, he realized that it was Yao Jinfu's second sister-in-law, the wife of Yao Lao Er from the front yard.

"You are... Dawei?" Yao Ersao was carrying a small pot of chicken stew with mushrooms. She saw Yu Dawei as soon as she entered the house. "My goodness! It's been so many years since I last saw you. When did you arrive?"

"You came this afternoon, Second Sister-in-law, how many pregnancies have you had?" Yu Dawei, his face flushed, was still somewhat surprised when he saw Yao Second Sister-in-law's protruding belly.

Yao Erge and Yao Ersao got married when they were eighteen. At that time, he was just in the third year of junior high school. Logically speaking, several years have passed, and they are still having children. They must have at least four or five children by now.
This family planning policy can...?
“The second one, the eldest is only three years old this year. Your second brother and I had children late. Our last child was a girl, and we wanted to have a son this time.” Yao Ersao put the chicken stew with mushrooms on the table. “Perfect, let’s add another dish for you two brothers.”

As soon as Yao Ersao put the dishes down, she turned her head and saw her brother-in-law with red eyes. Although he was smiling, anyone could tell that he had just cried, and cried very sadly.

"Axe, what's wrong! It's those few bitches talking about you again! Damn them!" Yao Ersao's temper flared up instantly. She strode out the door and yelled at the neighbors, "Damn you bitches! You're all so idle! All you do is talk nonsense all day long. If you've got the guts, don't hide at home!"

"You dare to gossip behind people's backs, but you don't dare to stand up to them?! Don't make me arrest you, or I'll tear your mouths to shreds! You bunch of shameless bastards!"

"When my mom was alive, you were all like mice! Don't think that just because my mom is gone, you can bully the Yao family. If you piss me off, I'll chop you all to death with a kitchen knife! Let's see what you've got to say!"

Yu Dawei and Yao Jinfu pulled their sister-in-law into the house with all their might, explaining as they pulled, "Sister-in-law, no one provoked me. I just drank too much, really."

"Yes, Second Sister-in-law, you're pregnant! Why are you getting so angry? Come inside and have some hot water to calm down." Yu Dawei was so frightened by Yao's Second Sister-in-law that he was covered in sweat.

It's not anything else, I'm just really afraid something will happen to the child.

With such a bulging belly, she'll probably give birth in a month or two. She can't afford to get any air out.

"Hey you two, don't pull me back! I'm going to teach these bastards a lesson today! They really think they're something special, who do they think they are! Just because someone thinks they can bully our third son!"

Seeing that the other party was getting angry again, Yu Dawei quickly gave Fu Zi a wink.

Having known each other for many years, Yao Jinfu understood at a glance and quickly moved closer to Yao Ersao: "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, come inside, come inside and I'll explain it to you in detail, okay?"

"Row!"

After much effort, the two finally got Yao Ersao into the house. Fortunately, after calming down, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

Only after asking did Yu Dawei learn that the child was due in a few days, which immediately turned his red face pale with fright.

She felt quite helpless; Yao Ersao had truly learned the essence of her mother-in-law's ways.

Back then, the mother-in-law was attracted to Yao Ersao's fierce spirit. In addition, Yao Ersao was a repressed and eccentric person, so someone had to keep her in check. After much persuasion, she invited this younger man from the same village to her home and make him her second daughter-in-law.

It was precisely because of Yao Ersao's presence that the Yao family still held some prestige in Xinglongtun, and no one dared to provoke them openly.

It was also because of his second sister-in-law that Yao Lao Er's family was able to build a big house in the village and have a front yard.

"Second sister-in-law, it's okay to get angry at other times, but this time you must hold your temper. You have to think about the baby in your belly." After explaining the cause and effect, Yu Dawei began to give his second sister-in-law some advice. "Look at my wife, she's due in a few days now, and we all advise her to be less angry."

“It’s okay! I was like that when I gave birth to my first child, and nothing happened.” Yao Ersao glanced at Yao Jinfu. “When Mom passed away, my third and younger sisters were still small. Before she left, Mom called me into the room and told me to help my younger siblings more.”

"I haven't been a very good sister-in-law either," Yao Ersao said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Yu Dawei and Yao Jinfu comforted her again, finally calming Yao Ersao down and quietly sending her back to the front yard.

"Sigh, I didn't expect my second sister-in-law to still have such a temper all these years, she's practically a powder keg." Yu Dawei sighed as he stood in the courtyard.

"Yeah, I'm in a rush. I'm pregnant with my second child now, and I've already thought of a name for the third one." Yao Jinfu's lips curled up. Besides his father, the person who treats him best in his family is his second sister-in-law. With her around, he can feel that his mother is still there.

"What the hell? What does Yao Lao Er mean? You haven't planted trees for years, so once you start, you just won't stop?" Yu Dawei's words were dripping with sarcasm.

"Hehe, Second Brother, are you going crazy for a son? Especially these past two years, after Eldest Brother had a son. And my father, he's a patriarchal man." Yao Jinfu turned and followed Yu Dawei back into the house. "He's probably been traumatized. If it's another girl this time, he'll definitely have to have another one."

"Then my sister-in-law got angry and said, 'Since you want a son, then have one. I'll name the girl first.'" Yao Jinfu opened the door and chuckled. "However, my second sister-in-law named the baby in her belly Yao Meiling, and the third child in line was named Yao Meishuang."

“If my dad and my second brother hadn’t begged her to stop, I probably would have had my fifth child.”

"Haha, sister-in-law is really something, huh?" Yu Dawei sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed), his expression suddenly changed, and he looked at Yao Jinfu in shock. "What did you say! Say it again! What's the name of the baby in second sister-in-law's belly!"

(End of this chapter)