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Chapter 26 Everything is fine
"No, if I really broke it, Grandpa and Second Uncle would skin me alive." Xie Hushan squatted beside her, reaching into the big basin to help the aunt wash the vegetables, saying:

"I asked my grandma to change her mind. I told her that I would definitely not take advantage of the big show, and she agreed."

Chen Chunxiang didn't say anything, but just snorted, obviously not believing what Xie Hushan said.

"Well, after dinner tonight, you, grandpa, second uncle and second aunt will go to my grandma's courtyard. I have asked Secretary Han to be a witness. Let's make this matter clear in front of everyone and let Secretary Han testify that I will definitely not have any intentions on my sister's property." Xie Hushan said to Chen Chunxiang seriously.

When Chen Chunxiang heard that Xie Hushan had even invited a witness to make the matter clear, her expression did not seem to be joking. She then threw the leeks in her hand into the basin, raised her head and looked at Xie Hushan, and said with a breath:
"Is it true? Don't let the old man Han be the witness and force your uncle to admit his guilt."

"Is Secretary Han the kind of person who helps others to make a fortune? Auntie, why don't you pick someone to be a witness? Tell me who you trust and I'll ask him." Xie Hushan looked at Chen Chunxiang's hands that had been soaked in well water for years to wash vegetables. Even though the cracks from the winter frostbite had healed, there were still crooked scars left, and the skin on her hands was as rough as elm bark:
"Aunt, I don't want anything. Everything in your house belongs to Daxiu. After Daxiu gets married, you and uncle don't have to worry about her. I am here. I will honor you. I just want to ask you for one thing."

Perhaps Xie Hushan had a good attitude, so Chen Chunxiang turned away and asked, sniffing: "What's the matter?"

"I'll talk to Secretary Han about this matter. Grandma will definitely not mention it again. You and I won't mention it tonight. Just pretend that grandma never mentioned it to you and me. My grandma has a strong temper. You have to save her face in front of outsiders. She said something that hurt you and me. I'll apologize to you on her behalf." Xie Hushan wiped his hands with the hem of his clothes:

"You can also hit me a few times. Grandma said that when I was born, my mother didn't have enough milk, so I snatched your milk from my elder brother. She also said that you always favored me and let me eat first before feeding my elder brother."

"You are no different from my biological mother. Don't let your grandmother's words that she favors boys over girls alienate you from me. Besides, you are angry with her, not with me. You can just tell me directly. It's just such a trivial household matter. If you had told me earlier, I would have solved it long ago. There's no need to be so angry, right?"

"Wow, wow, wow..." Chen Chunxiang could no longer hold back her tears, and big drops fell down. She covered her mouth and cried out.

A few days ago, the mother-in-law called her husband over and said something to him. When her husband came back and told her, Chen Chunxiang was almost mad to death. Just because her son died young and she only had a daughter, the old lady was going to give all her property to Xie Hushan?

Hushan is a good kid, filial and obedient, but if I am willing to give him my family's assets, I will give them to him. It doesn't make sense for someone to ask for it when I don't want to give it.

"I knew you were going to cry, Auntie. It's not your character not to cry, so I brought some paper." Xie Hushan laughed when he saw the aunt crying. He took out some paper from his pocket and handed it to her:
"Grandpa is probably busy treating the animals, so I won't go to inform him. You can take him over when he gets home tonight. Just cry a bit, Auntie. This isn't worth crying about. Be economical. One piece of paper is enough. You can cry with the rest of the paper when I talk about Daxiu's matter. Her matter doesn't cost a lot of paper."

"Ah?" Chen Chunxiang stopped crying as soon as she heard Xie Hushan mention his daughter. She wiped her tears with a tissue and stared at Xie Hushan and asked:
"What happened to Daxiuer?"

"When I came here, I passed by the elementary school. Daxiuer was standing outside the classroom as punishment. The teacher saw me and asked me to inform her parents on the way." Xie Hushan said with a smile.

Chen Chunxiang closed her eyes tightly and took a long breath. After she had caught her breath, she continued to ask, "What trouble has she gotten herself into?"

Xie Hushan smiled and said, "Nothing. It's almost time for the exams and the holiday. We've finished our textbooks. Daxiu threatened her deskmate and tore up the textbooks into cigarette paper, saying that she wanted to save it for her grandfather and me to roll cigarettes. When the teacher found out, Daxiu was teaching her deskmate how to roll cigarettes."

"That stupid girl...if she had put the energy she put into rolling cigarettes into studying, she would have been admitted to junior high school a long time ago." Chen Chunxiang said exhaustedly, holding a paper in one hand and covering her heart with the other.

"Is this arrangement okay for your nephew? Leave all your savings to Daxiu. I don't want anything. After that, I am willing to take care of you and your uncle until the end of your life." Xie Hushan picked up the straw paper in his hand and wiped the tears from the aunt's face:

"Why are you crying when you got such a big advantage? Hurry up and have a little fun while no one is around."

Chen Chunxiang was so amused by Xie Hushan's words that she could no longer keep a straight face and started to laugh. However, when she thought about how Xie Hushan arranged this, she was the one who suffered. He didn't give anything to his children, so why should they take care of her in her old age and see her to the end of her life? She felt a little soft-hearted:

"How about... I'll discuss it with your uncle tonight, and you and Daxiu can each take half... But your uncle's job is..."

"Don't do this. I told you that I can't treat you well. As soon as you get a little better, you start to worry about others. So, my grandma should deal with people like you. I have arranged everything. Just listen to me." Xie Hushan said, "Also, before the exam, let Daxiu move in with my grandma. Don't worry about how I teach her, and don't feel bad for her. If she wants to run back home, bring her back to me. I will give Daxiu intensive tutoring so that she can get into junior high school. Daxiu is not stupid, she just likes to play."

"I said that our Hu San'er is not the kind of heartless child. Auntie's love for you is not in vain." Chen Chunxiang reached out and touched Xie Hushan's head, saying while sniffing.

"Come on, how did you scold me on the mountain last night? Have you forgotten everything? Let me teach you: Xie Husan'er, you little ungrateful wolf, you bastard, you wicked boy, you little bastard, you beast who stole your sister's dowry..." Xie Hushan said beside him, imitating Chen Chunxiang's tone from last night.

Chen Chunxiang saw him imitating her words and glared at him: "I was just talking in anger, can you take it seriously?"

"Really or not, remember this next time. No matter how angry you are, you can't harm your own daughter. Good thing Old Feng sent me there last night. Otherwise, you would have made Daxiu eat a lot of incense ash. She wouldn't have had a chance to pass the junior high school entrance exam with that brain." After seeing Chen Chunxiang's mood return to normal, Xie Hushan stood up, stretched his legs and feet, and prepared to leave:
"I'm leaving first. I have to go to the market. The team has some important things to do. You and the old man should remember to go there in the evening."

"Stop!" Chen Chunxiang called out to Xie Hushan who was about to walk out of the cafeteria. She walked over, took out all the cash she had on her, 40 cents, and put it into Xie Hushan's pocket:

"Young men need to pack some money to go to the market. Go ahead and pack it up. Don't lose it."

"Just consider it as compensation for the mental damage you incurred for scolding me last night." Xie Hushan smiled, then reached out and gently hugged Chen Chunxiang:

"Don't cry, Auntie. Our family is fine. We have survived the earthquake. Better days are yet to come."

Watching Xie Hushan finish speaking and walk out, Chen Chunxiang sighed and rubbed her eyes. She didn't think as clearly as a child. Just as he said, after the old lady finished speaking, she should have told Hu Saner directly. Hu Saner would not let her feel depressed and uncomfortable for several days, so he would have resolved the matter long ago.

Xie Hushan did not take seriously this kind of thing that might cause a huge quarrel in other rural families. In his opinion, if a person's emotional intelligence is so low that he cannot even resolve conflicts among family members, then he is not suitable to fantasize about a life with three wives and four concubines, let alone start a company and manage more people.

Whistling "Sunny Day" and riding Accountant Zhao's bicycle, Xie Hushan went to Yuanmenqiao Commune, seven miles away, where the market was held today.

Rural markets are usually held in an open space planned in advance by the local commune and brigade. There is usually a market every five days. For example, if there is a market on the first day of the Chinese New Year in Zhongping Village, then the next market in Zhongping Village will be on the sixth day. The markets on the other four days will be held in another village a few miles or more than ten miles away.

Therefore, many vendors who were arranged by the production team to engage in side jobs and make money for the team by setting up stalls at the market, except for the big market in their own village when they could relax a little, to participate in big markets in other places, they often had to set out in the early morning before dawn. And it depends on what kind of side job it is; generally, if it is not a big business, don't expect to be picked up by a big truck.

Anyway, according to Xie Hushan, Ma Laowu was not willing to buy a donkey cart specifically for the sesame seed bun and wonton stall of the third team.

This also meant that Widow Han and her mother-in-law, two women, needed manpower to pull a cart full of pots, pans, firewood, flour and other things, and walk several or even dozens of miles to set up a stall at the market.

The market was obviously well planned, divided into several areas, selling large livestock such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and donkeys, poultry such as chickens, ducks, and geese, vegetables and fruits grown by the team, hand-woven straw mats and baskets, homemade farm tools, etc. In addition, the first thing that catches the eye as you enter the market is the various food stalls with soup boiling in the stoves and clouds of steam rising. The air is filled with the aroma of various foods, tempting the members who come to the market.

At a quick glance, there were seven or eight stalls selling food. Xie Hushan searched for a long time before he found two women skillfully wrapping wontons in front of a small and inconspicuous stall at the back.

Xie Hushan looked at the miserable site and sighed, "Looking at the way they chose this site, it doesn't look like they can make money."

Then he walked over and greeted the two men: "Comrade, give me a bowl of wontons."

(End of this chapter)