Rebirth 78: Hunting for Treasure in the Mountains, Spoiling My Wife and Daughter to the Heavens

Was what I just did a bit too much? Going out so late at night, are you going to play cards again?

Li Xiulian frowned, hurriedly dried Lu Jiahuan's body, and put one of her own floral jackets on him.

There wasn't even time to wipe the lint off Xiao Jia Huan's body after her bath.

She hurriedly picked up the child and went outside.

As soon as I stepped outside, I heard Lu Weiguo talking to Aunt Wang next door.

"Aunt Wang, look, this is a squirrel I caught on the mountain today. I've already cleaned its skin and internal organs."

"How about I trade you for a pound of potatoes?"

Squirrel meat for potatoes?

Don't be fooled by the fact that squirrels also have the word "rat" in their name.

But this thing is different from a mouse. Squirrels are just nuts, and their meat has a natural pine aroma.

Whether grilled or boiled and used in soup, it is delicious.

Lu Weiguo originally planned to save it to make soup for his wife and children.

But just now, when I was in the hut, I saw Li Xiulian's tools for digging potatoes in the field.

He knew how stubborn his wife was.

Moreover, he strictly adhered to the village rules, and no matter what he said, he didn't have to hand over the potatoes.

Li Xiulian had to collect the potatoes herself.

The only option was to try a different approach: exchange squirrel meat for some potatoes at Aunt Wang's house.

You don't need to exchange many items; just make a show of it so your wife can see your efforts.

That way she won't have to go to work in the fields anymore.

Having been given a second chance at life, now that I have a goal, no matter what it takes, I must prioritize my wife and children.

"Oh my god, this really is squirrel meat!"

Aunt Wang's eyes lit up when she saw the bloody flesh.

The old man, his son, and son-in-law inside the house were also awakened by the shout.

"Hey Weiguo, you're something else! You caught a rabbit this morning and a squirrel this afternoon."

This is almost on par with the hunters of yesteryear! How could a gambler like you have this skill?

As soon as Aunt Wang finished speaking, she realized she had said the wrong thing.

By the afternoon, he already knew that Xiulian had eaten the rabbit that Lu Weiguo had caught.

He was used to calling Lu Weiguo a gambler behind his back, and it wasn't something he could change overnight.

"I picked these while I was picking mushrooms in the mountains. I'm also not going to gamble anymore. I'll be going up the mountain often from now on. Please take good care of my wife and kids."

Lu Weiguo was not angry; instead, his tone became even more flattering.

Having lived two lives, he has come to understand that different people should be treated in different ways.

Aunt Wang is a typical old lady who likes to take advantage of others.

This kind of person likes to gossip, but they also love flattery.

Those who suffer from poverty and develop a deep-seated inferiority complex crave the feeling of being respected.

Lu Weiguo knew what was going on, and since he would definitely be going out a lot lately, Aunt Wang, being a busybody, could also help keep an eye on the house.

I only said a few words, and I got so many benefits. Why not do it?

"Weiguo, you're the one who said those things. We're all neighbors, and you've already said them. How can I just stand by and watch?"

Aunt Wang had previously been calculating whether it was worthwhile to exchange such a small squirrel for a pound of potatoes.

It was because of Lu Weiguo's use of the word "you" (您).

It went straight to my head.

After receiving the squirrel meat, she asked her husband to fetch a bag of potatoes.

Without even weighing them, they stuffed them all into Lu Weiguo's hands.

Li Xiulian looked at Lu Weiguo with surprise in her eyes.

Lu Weiguo used to be honest and straightforward; he would never have handled his relationships with his neighbors like this.

After gambling for a year, I haven't learned anything else, but I have become a bit more shrewd!

In this day and age, being tactful is not a fault; having gone to high school, she knows that it can be considered a skill.

"Honey, you just took a shower and your hair is still wet. Don't let the wind blow on it. Come inside quickly."

When Lu Weiguo returned home, he saw Li Xiulian staring blankly, so he quickly put his arm around her and led her into the house.

This time, Li Xiulian did not refuse.

If others saw them, they would really look like a loving couple.

Back in the house, neither of them said much about exchanging potatoes.

After so many years together, the couple still have a certain level of understanding.

Together they rubbed oil on Jia Huan's groin and covered the drooling Jia Cheng with a blanket.

After finishing everything, Lu Weiguo walked out of the main house on his own.

Although he looked at his alluring wife, her size changing repeatedly, he was truly suffering from arousal.

There's no rush to appease your wife; it's not worth it to freeze something that's just been warmed up a little.

Haste makes waste.

Li Xiulian's eyes rippled slightly as she watched Lu Weiguo leave.

She turned around, hugged the two children, and peacefully closed her eyes.

That was the best night's sleep she had had all year!

. . . . . . .

Early the next morning.

Lu Weiguo woke up early, cut two small potatoes, steamed them, and mashed them into a puree.

After mixing in a little broth, it was put back into the pot to keep warm.

Seeing his wife and children sleeping soundly.

Carrying some half-dried mushrooms, I was ready to hitch a ride to the county town.

He did not tell Li Xiulian about going to the county town beforehand.

Although his parents-in-law always looked down on him for farming, they couldn't bear to see their daughter suffer.

During the year he gambled, he went to the county town many times to borrow money from the elderly couple under the pretext of buying malted milk powder for his child.

When Li Xiulian found out, she did not expose him, giving him ample face.

She threatened to kill herself to force Lu Weiguo to promise that he would do whatever he wanted to her in the future, but he must never harm her parents!

If Li Xiulian knew he had gone to the county town, she would definitely overthink things.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, shuttle buses were not always available.

Many rural people have never been to a county town or even a larger city in their entire lives.

In some places, trains pass by, and people even find enjoyment in watching them.

There is no train line in Fendou Village. If you want to go to the county town, you can only take the village's oxcart to deliver grain back and forth.

We arrived at the village entrance.

The last batch of grain from Fendou Village has been loaded onto trucks.

During the collective farming period, after paying the national taxes, the rest is for the village's own use.

"Uncle Niu, you're busy! You're up so early this morning. You're really hardworking."

"Slow down, don't strain your back. Let me help you."

Niu Erliang, with his hunched back, recognized Lu Weiguo as soon as he heard the voice.

He hurriedly threw the sack onto the oxcart, looking at him warily: "Dog Egg, you gambled all night again? You have no good life to live, do you?"

You do all sorts of inhuman things. Your parents can't even hold their heads up high among us old guys because of you.

Can't you just study properly?

Dog Egg was Lu Weiguo's nickname. In those days, it was fashionable for people to have nicknames that were as humble as possible so that their children would be easier to raise.

In a village, most of the nicknames are related to dogs.

"Uncle Niu, I'm not gambling anymore."

Lu Weiguo replied awkwardly.

"You've switched from gambling to stealing? Let me tell you, this grain is all counted. Don't let my age fool you, my eyes are as sharp as a scale, and I've never lost a grain of grain."

Everyone in the village knew that Lu Weiguo was selling off his family's belongings.

When he saw Lu Weiguo rushing over to help, his first thought was that Lu Weiguo had lost so much last night that he had come up with a bad idea.

"Oh dear! I didn't intend to steal the grain."

Lu Weiguo slapped his thigh and showed Niu Erliang the mushrooms in the basket and on the wire.

"Uncle Niu, what am I stealing? I just want to hitch a ride on your oxcart to the supply and marketing cooperative to sell the mushrooms."

My little girl is malnourished, so I'm thinking of selling the money to buy a can of malted milk powder.

"It really is a hazel mushroom? It hasn't rained for several days. Where did you find it?" Niu Erliang stepped forward, looking surprised.

At this time of year, many villagers also go mushroom picking.

However, it mostly happens in the few days after it rains.

"I can't tell you about this, it's my secret base."

"Uncle Niu, I'll help you carry it. Let's go and come back as soon as possible. If we come back early, I can go up the mountain again."

"Secrets? There are no secrets in our group!"

This time, Niu Erliang did not refuse.

He even lit a cigarette and watched by himself.

Of course, it was also to keep an eye on Lu Weiguo and prevent him from smuggling food into his pocket.

Lu Weiguo didn't pay any attention; being young and strong, he quickly loaded the sacks onto the oxcart.

Then he sat down next to the oxcart driver's seat.

Lu Weiguo was well aware of how he was perceived by the villagers.

Trust that has been lost can only be rebuilt through his own self-awareness.