Returning to the small mountain village of '86, intelligence updated daily.

Chapter 129 The Village Guardian, Brother Tree (Sixth day of writing 10,000 words! Please support!)

"It's that Wang Ermazi again? He's always gossiping in the village. I heard he and his wife have been fighting like that lately, and he still won't stop?"

Liu Shouxin clearly showed his dislike. He didn't hold back when he was alone with Zhou Rui because he usually focused on the issue, not the person.

Regardless of seniority, sometimes a mistake is a mistake.

It was precisely because his temperament and personality were very similar to Zhou Rui's that Zhou Rui got along very well with him.

After the two talked for a while, Liu Shouxin went to get busy. It was his wedding day, and there were many things waiting for him to do.

Zhou Rui was preparing to go get some food. In the afternoon, he would also be busy in a different role, as a groomsman, and he would have to toast guests in the evening.

The lunch wasn't particularly good because it wasn't a proper meal; generally, only the dinner was a proper meal.

Even so, the host still added a meat dish to the lunch.

Most of the people who ate lunch were there to help out; only a few were shameless enough to not help but bring their whole family to freeload.

However, Liu Benshan turned a blind eye to this. Some lazy people are just like that, and it's not easy to talk to them. Usually, he could only let these people be.

At lunchtime, the lively and festive crowds sat around round tables.

Most of them were wearing patterned aprons and sleeves.

Zhou Rui sat at the same table with his family.

In the morning, Zhou Shiwei simply followed along, holding the pigs. However, it wasn't him who slaughtered the pigs; it was Zhang Ronghua, the village's butcher and hunter, who could precisely dissect each part of the pork, something Zhou Da couldn't do.

During meals, a solitary figure stood amidst the busy crowd. No one greeted or chatted with him; some children even tried to tease him. He sternly and rigidly chased away the children who were teasing him.

He actually arrived very early in the morning, but Zhou Rui's attention wasn't on him.

His hair was messy, his skin was dark and thin, his eyes were cloudy, and he was dressed in tattered clothes. You could even smell the rotten smell of over-fermented sauerkraut if you got close to him.

He looked exactly like a beggar, but he wasn't a beggar.

He was the village keeper of Shanqian Village and an orphan. His real name was Zhang Shu. Because Zhang was the common surname in the village, he also took that surname. Everyone in the village called him Brother Shu, young and old.

No matter what big or small matter anyone has, he will always be the first to come and help without being asked, asking for nothing in return, just wanting a meal.

Zhang Shu himself is not very talkative, always seems preoccupied, and sometimes even rambling.

Zhou Rui saw Brother Shu while he was eating, and he went over to him.

Brother Shu was quietly eating in the corner, holding a large bowl, his eyes unfocused, glancing at others and then back at the bowl.

"Brother Tree, come on, eat more meat."

Zhou Rui picked up a large piece of twice-cooked pork with his chopsticks and handed it to Zhang Shu's bowl.

Zhou Rui never had any prejudice against the village guards, and he also knew about Zhang Shu's unknown background.

He was found by villagers in the deep mountains and forests. He was orphaned at a young age, and his adoptive parents died one after another, leaving him alone to guard a small mud-brick house.

His early experiences led to a withdrawn personality; at times he exhibited erratic moods, while at other times he appeared profound and enigmatic.

Zhang Shu didn't seem to be used to people being too nice to him. He first used his other hand to protect the bowl, and after seeing that it was Zhou Rui, he immediately grinned foolishly.

"The Bodhisattva will protect you, and all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens will bless you with good health and your whole family with peace."

"They're all talking nonsense! Zhou, Zhou, Zhouwa, Zhou Rui is a good person!"

While grinning foolishly, Zhang Shu prayed for Zhou Rui, seemingly clearing his mind a bit, and then continued talking about the recent rumors about Zhou Rui.

Zhang Shu, the village keeper, was in a semi-mad state, and his mind was as clear as a mirror; he knew what was good and what was bad.

Zhou Rui returned his smile.

"Thank you, Brother Shu. We will all be safe and healthy."

After he finished speaking, he got up and returned to his seat. Brother Shu stared at him blankly, and when their eyes met, Brother Shu would chuckle foolishly.

Lunch didn't last long. After eating, some people went home to continue their farm work, while others deliberately went home to avoid doing any farm work.

Zhou Rui and his family of able-bodied men did not leave, and they continued to work enthusiastically.

Meng Dan and Zhou Yun did not go back; only Grandpa went back.

Zhou Yun played well with the other children in the village, but when they bullied or teased Zhang Shu, the village keeper, he would step in and stop them like a big friend.

"My dad said we can't bully others, so I won't allow you to bully him."

Zhou Yun had a strong sense of justice, and after he intervened, very few children continued to bully Zhang Shu.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Ming felt much of the gloom in his heart dissipate. He praised Zhou Yun a couple of times, and the two squatted down beside him and talked quietly.

Zhou Rui only caught a few scattered sentences, roughly saying: "Little brother, we must be heroes! We must punish evil, promote good, and protect the weak!"

Zhou Yun simply said in a childish voice, "Yay! Yay! We're going to be heroes!"

'

A person's growth is closely related to their environment. Just as Mencius' mother moved three times to find the right environment for her son, the Zhou family has always had a good family tradition, which is why Zhou Rui and his family did not go astray.

Even the eldest son of the second wife, who never returned home, was never known to have committed any crimes in his previous life.

In the afternoon, there were still many things to do. The women washed, chopped, and prepared vegetables and meat, while the men carried and chopped firewood to do the heavy work.

Zhou Rui had changed into a clean and presentable outfit, with a small red flower hanging on her chest, without any other decorations.

This is because he didn't want to overshadow his childhood friend's wedding. It was his friend's wedding, and it would be disrespectful if he dressed too formally.

Even so, Zhou Rui's appearance and height are still outstanding, making him a striking presence in a crowd.

Liu Shouxin changed into a more formal outfit, and his fiancée Lu Qin also changed into a beautiful dress. The outfit was festive but not ostentatious, and both of them wore more beautiful and bright red flowers on their chests.

According to tradition, this morning was the day to pick up the bride, carrying her home on his back. Usually, it's a wedding between people from the same village or a neighboring village, so he would carry the bride on his back, put her on the back of a bicycle, and take her home.

However, the woman lived in the county town and was not from the same village. Moreover, transportation was not as convenient as it would be in later years, which made the wedding procession a little difficult to handle. In the end, Lu Qin suggested that it could be simplified.

To her own surprise, Liu Shouxin somehow managed to get a motorcycle to pick up the bride.

Yes, even Lu Qin herself didn't know where the motorcycle came from.

However, Zhou Rui knew that it was probably the work of Chen Xiang, a wealthy man in the town who had earned over ten thousand yuan.

The woman's parents and relatives arrived around noon. They were all reasonable people and did not look down on the Liu family. Both families were very satisfied.

As evening approached, more and more people arrived. Zhou Rui was still standing to greet the guests, but he was more efficient than at noon, and the people beside him had changed to his childhood friend Liu Shouxin and his fiancée.

Liu Shouxin couldn't find a bridesmaid because all the unmarried women in the village were too young, while Zhou Rui himself was not old, and most of his peers were older than him.

This has led to most of the women of her generation getting married, because women in this era married very young, and there were many women who had children as young as eighteen.

Since they couldn't find a bridesmaid, they decided against having one in the end, since Zhou Rui wasn't really into making a fuss.

When receiving visitors, Zhou Rui felt increasingly uneasy. This was different from what he had guessed, or rather, from what he had heard a couple of days ago.

Surprisingly, very few people spoke ill of him; most simply reacted with a slightly indifferent attitude.

It seems that much of his negative press has been erased.

Around four or five in the afternoon, two important guests arrived.

These were important guests to Zhou Rui: Zhao Jianjun and his daughter.

They arrived on foot. Based on Zhou Rui's own guess and what Aunt Li had said that morning, he knew that the two must have parked their motorcycle at their house and then walked over.

Like Zhou Rui, Zhao Jianjun didn't want to show off, nor did he like to steal the spotlight from the host. He simply dressed neatly and cleanly for the banquet.

Zhao Qingya didn't dress up much, just wore a clean and simple rural girl's outfit, but when she saw Zhou Rui, she couldn't hide the light in her eyes.

Zhou Rui hadn't seen Zhao Qingya for a long time either.

Their eyes met.

Zhao Qingya smiled.

Zhou Rui smiled too.

The two drew closer, and everything was understood without a word.

Zhao Jianjun first congratulated Liu Shouxin and the bride before handing over his gift money and returning.

He naturally saw Zhou Rui and Zhou Rui's eyes meet, and both of them saw the most beautiful things in each other's eyes.

Those are stars, and they are the sea.

Liu Shouxin could easily tell that there was something going on between the two, but he didn't say anything teasing or joking. He simply took his fiancée a few steps forward to greet the passing villagers.

"have not seen you for a long time."

Finally, Zhao Qingya said something to Zhou Rui with a smile.

Zhou Rui also straightened his back.

"Yes, it's been a long time."

Zhao Jianjun, standing to the side, felt a little envious.

"Hey, hey, hey, her father's right here! What kind of behavior is this?"

Zhao Jianjun first laughed and scolded Zhou Rui, then added, "It's only been a few days and you've been gone for ages. I really don't understand you young people."

"But Zhou Rui, you didn't embarrass yourself; you had class!"

Zhou Rui snapped out of his daze and smiled generously.

"Uncle Zhao, don't make fun of me. You just arrived, right? Come in and have a cup of tea."

In this era, the emotions of ordinary people were mostly very pure, because this era was not as turbulent as later generations.

If people love someone, they will usually only love that one person, because transportation and information are not yet well-developed, and letters are slow. A lifetime is only enough to love one person.

Like Zhou Yong'an and Meng Dan, like Zhou Shijie and Yang Laidi, like Zhou Shiwei and Zeng Jiamei.

However, like Zhou Shiping's wife, there are also those who succumb to temptation later in life. Of course, in any era, there are fools...

There will always be bad people, people with wicked intentions, like Chen Li.

Zhao Qingya blushed slightly when she heard her father's teasing, but she didn't say anything. She just said something to Zhou Rui.

"Brother Rui, I'll be waiting for you inside for dinner. Also, we have a holiday tomorrow and the day after, hehe, I'll come visit you then."

Unlike the other reserved and conservative people in the village, Zhao Qingya spoke openly and frankly with Zhou Rui, which attracted a lot of attention.

"See that? The Zhao family's daughter. I'd heard they were interested in each other before, and now it seems it's true."

Since neither of them did anything outrageous, there was no gossip, though quite a few people were gossiping.

Zhao Qingya didn't care at all. Zhou Rui also knew that the fact that the other party dared to stare at him for so long in this kind of situation and still be able to talk and laugh together had already shown her attitude.

Zhao Qingya no longer concealed her affection for Zhou Rui. Let others say what they want; she only had eyes for Zhou Rui.

Zhao Jianjun took his daughter into the house and went to chat with Zhou Shiwei. Zhao Qingya took a small stool and sat in a corner where it wouldn't get in the way, propping her chin up and watching Zhou Rui outside.

More and more people arrived, and the grand banquet was about to begin. Just as Zhou Rui was about to finish his "welcoming guests" duties for the day, another important person arrived.

It was my uncle, Zhou Shiping.

He came alone, without any family members, because his wife had gone to her parents' home, and his son was already here.

"Uncle, come in and sit down, dinner will be served soon."

Zhou Rui grabbed a handful of snacks and gave them to Zhou Shiping, who looked at his nephew with admiration on his face: "Not bad, you have the style of your elder brother back then. You should hurry up too, there aren't many bachelors left in your generation."

""

Zhou Shiping offered a reminder, and then, ignoring Zhou Rui's embarrassment, he leaned forward and whispered a few words in his nephew's ear.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Rui's last remaining doubt vanished.

Zhou Shiping's words were very simple.

He told his colleagues at the police station about it and asked them to help him investigate.

Because at this time, the crime of defaming or spreading rumors about others can be serious or minor, depending on how it is handled.

However, with Zhou Shiping's involvement and some hidden forces, they moved quickly and found many clues by following the trail.

Meanwhile, with the village chief's deliberate assistance and rumors of "witnessing" the situation, negative news about Zhou Rui became increasingly scarce.

Zhou Rui looked at his uncle gratefully, but the uncle just smiled and said, "We're family. How could we let you bear all this alone? Your dad, your second uncle, and I are all behind you."

After Zhou Shiping finished speaking, he went inside.

Zhou Rui felt peaceful and relaxed. The protection of his elders was like a pair of warm hands, so he was no longer fighting alone.

A family should be like this: supporting and helping each other, working together to create a better life.

Zhou Rui also returned to the house. At this time, the men became even busier, some cooking hot dishes and others setting up tables and chairs.

Some of the ingredients that need to be steamed are already prepared; now all that's left is to stir-fry the hot dishes so they can be served.

Today, the bride and groom are starting to prepare for the toasting ceremony at the wedding banquet. They will wait until the guests have left before they have time to eat, otherwise it would be impolite for the hosts to start eating while the guests are still there.

The banquet was lively, with both the elderly and children present. Rented tables and chairs were placed in the main room, and people were sitting in each seat.

One wave is definitely not enough to end it; usually, two or three rotations are needed.

The first group of people who couldn't find seats would appear at the right time after the previous group of people eating. This was the only way for Da Xi to get a meal quickly.

"The food is served!"

'

With a shout, one after another, strong men carrying trays filled with food walked out from the direction of the makeshift kitchen.

There are many cuisines, and there is usually an "Eight Big Bowls" meal, consisting of four meat dishes and four vegetable dishes. In those days, it was considered very luxurious and was usually only available during the Lunar New Year.

Regardless of their financial situation or whether they are wealthy, almost every family prepares "eight dishes" when hosting a banquet. The only difference is the ratio of meat to vegetables, but there is usually at least one meat dish.

The food was served very quickly, and soon everyone who was seated began to enjoy the feast.

It is at this moment that the bride and groom begin toasting the newlyweds, and the best man also plays a role at this time.

After toasting, they waited for the second wave of guests and repeated the process.

After going back and forth several times, the guests finally left, and it was past seven o'clock.

Those who helped set up the last table for themselves.

The rest of the Zhou family hadn't actually eaten yet, because that's what Liu Benshan said.

Usually, only the host's closest friends will dine with the host in the final round, which shows that the Liu family already considers the Zhou family to be their closest friends.

This only applies to the older generation. Children like Zhou Ming, Zhou Xing, and Zhou Guo'er are still young and would quickly finish their meals and go back to do their homework.

Both students were told last night that they would be attending a large banquet today, so after school they simply went home to put their bags away and rushed over to the banquet.

At the same time, Zhou Rui discovered a problem: people from one village had not come.

Li Dehua.

Li Dehua didn't come, whether it was morning or night. Logically speaking, if there had been such a big feast in the village in the past, Li Dehua would have been there faster than anyone else.

Because he loves to show off, he likes to show off whenever someone is doing something important.

This is completely different from Zhao Jianjun's family; you could say they are two different kinds of people.

But this time, Li Dehua didn't join in the fun.

It seems that the person behind Li Dehua, or perhaps Li Dehua himself, has started to keep a low profile.

Now that most of the Liu family's guests had left, and the remaining Liu family members were having dinner with some other close associates, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared before Liu Shouxin.

It was Wang Er. He hadn't left and had been busy trying to befriend the Liu family. After all, his reputation in the village was now quite bad because of his wife's affair.

He washed his hands, wiped them casually on his clothes, took off his apron, and came over to Liu Shouxin, saying, "Good lad, congratulations! May you have a big, healthy baby soon. By the way, Brother Liu, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

He was rather familiar with Liu Shouxin, so he first said a few words to him, and then struck up a conversation with Liu Benshan.

Liu Shouxin was visibly taken aback for a moment, remained silent for two seconds, and then said in a detached tone, "Okay, thank you."

Wang Er tried to build connections everywhere, but in the end, no one wanted to associate with him anymore.