1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

"You little brat, you're always trying to pin this on your father! Even someone whose head was kicked by a donkey or mated with a donkey wouldn't say something like that!"

The old man was so angry that his face turned red, and he pointed his finger at Erzhuzi, spitting as he cursed.

He grew angrier as he spoke, raised his leg, and kicked Erzhuzi, wishing he could kick this eager son who was trying to become his father to the ground.

Erzhuzi wasn't one to stand there dumbfounded and take a beating. Seeing his father's foot coming at him, he twisted his body, nimbly took two steps back, and ran towards the door. In a few steps, he darted to the door frame, hiding far away, and didn't forget to shout back.

"Father, Mother, I don't care! I've chosen Chunni for the rest of my life, and I'm going to marry her! You just can't stand to see me happy, and you try to stop me when I find someone I like!"

Xinghua's mother watched as the father and son argued until their faces turned red. She knew her second son's temperament best; he was like a stubborn mule, only responding to gentle persuasion and not to force. The more forceful the approach, the more stubborn he became, and a head-on confrontation would not solve the problem at all.

She quickly stepped forward and pulled at her angry husband, signaling him to stop getting angry. Then she turned around and spoke to Erzhuzi in a kind and gentle tone.

"Erzhuzi, it's not that your mother and father are heartlessly stopping you, there are plenty of good girls out there. There are plenty of pretty and sensible girls in our village, why did you have to fall for Chunni? It's not that I'm saying bad things about her, but that girl is wild and even wilder-minded. Even if you marry her, sooner or later she'll put a big green hat on your head, and then you'll have nowhere to cry!"

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Zhou Xiulan, Dazhu's wife, walked in from outside carrying a full basket of peanuts, intending to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and peel them.

Actually, she and Dazhuzi, who was busy in the outer room, had already overheard most of what was said inside.

Speaking of Zhou Xiulan, it took the dowry money of Dazhuzi's two younger sisters, Xinghua and Lianhua, to marry into the Wang family.

She was of average appearance, with dark skin, and only about 1.5 meters tall. She was also three years older than Dazhuzi and was not particularly attractive. However, she had one great advantage: she was an excellent worker. She could handle all kinds of chores, both in the fields and at home. She also knew how to cherish her husband and take care of her family. She was a truly down-to-earth person.

She served Dazhuzi with utmost deference, not only in bed but also in all matters, big and small, at home and outside. Dazhuzi always listened to his wife's arrangements.

As the old saying goes, a daughter-in-law's status in her husband's family depends entirely on the support of the men. Dazhuzi protected Zhou Xiulan, and the mother-in-law, out of respect for her son, never dared to mistreat her. Zhou Xiulan lived a comfortable life in this family.

Let's talk about Dazhuzi. His two daughters, Xinghua and Lianhua, as well as Old Wang and his wife, are all good-looking, so Dazhuzi is naturally not much different.

At 1.7 meters tall, in those years when people were starving, cold, and emaciated, he was considered quite tall and had a fairly sturdy build.

But he has only one flaw: he's terrible with words. It's something he was born with. He's usually quiet and reserved, and you can't get a word out of him.

It was precisely because of this personality that he was easily tricked by Zhou Xiulan into going into the cornfield. After the deed was done, he came back determined to marry Zhou Xiulan and was determined to bring her home.

So don't let Zhou Xiulan's dark complexion fool you; she's eloquent, quick-witted, and knows how to manipulate men.

Even if they were skilled in acrobatics on the kang (heated brick bed), the men's belts would still be tightly fastened, preventing them from going out to seduce others.

Therefore, her words carried some weight at Old Wang's house.

Seeing that the argument at home was going on without any resolution, I realized that...

"Mother, Father, since Erzhuzi is determined to marry Chunni, I have an idea that might make it happen."

Erzhuzi was anxious because no one was speaking up for him. When he heard his sister-in-law say she had an idea, his eyes lit up instantly. He immediately ran to Zhou Xiulan's side and took the winnowing basket from her hand.

"Sister-in-law, what's your idea? Tell me quickly, stop keeping me in suspense, give me some advice!"

Zhou Xiulan glanced at him sideways.

"What other ideas could there be? Erzhuzi, no wonder Dad scolded you just now. Is your brain rusted and you can't see things clearly? This is very simple. If Chunni is really pregnant with your child, then everything will be easy."

"A young, unmarried woman, without her knowledge, got pregnant. If the Liu family still wants to hold their heads high in our village and maintain their reputation, they'll have to beg you to marry their daughter. Then you won't need to go through all this trouble to beg Chunni. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Upon hearing this, Erzhuzi slapped his thigh.

"Yes, yes, yes! Sister-in-law, you're amazing! That's exactly the idea! Why didn't I think of this? This way, the Liu family will definitely be begging me to marry their daughter, and the deal will be done! Sister-in-law, you're truly my savior!"

Inside the house, Zhou Xiulan had just finished explaining her idea when Erzhuzi was still praising it. The two of them, singing in unison, completely infuriated Old Wang, who was standing to the side.

"Erzhu, this is something you did willingly, so don't blame your father for not reminding you! Anyway, I'm telling you this now, from now on, you can do whatever you want, I won't interfere anymore! Don't you even know what kind of people the Liu family are? What kind of bastards wouldn't they do!"

"If you really do as your sister-in-law says, and end up with a bastard, don't let that kid call me 'Grandpa.' I can't bear the shame, and I'll have no face to acknowledge that grandson!"

Old Wang got angrier and angrier as he spoke, standing there with his hands behind his back, still fuming.

When Xinghua's mother saw that her husband was so angry that his lips were trembling, she quickly stepped forward, reached out and gently patted his back to soothe him, while muttering something to herself.

"Calm down, calm down. Don't take it to heart with a child. It's not worth getting sick from getting angry."

She turned to look at Erzhuzi, feeling disappointed and disappointed.

"Look at you, what have you done to your father? Since your father has given in and won't stop you, I won't stop you either. If you're determined to marry that slut who's been slept with by other men, then go ahead and marry her!"

But let me make this clear: the family won't give you a single penny, and you can't expect to get anything from them. You'll have to figure it out yourself!

After saying that, she turned back and continued patting the man's back.

Hearing his parents relent, Erzhuzi felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. Coupled with the good advice his sister-in-law had given him, he felt even more confident. He stopped arguing with his parents, moved a small stool to sit next to Zhou Xiulan, picked up some peanuts from the winnowing basket, and started peeling them for his sister-in-law with his head down.

"Father, Mother, you can rest assured, just wait and see! I'm determined to marry Chunni, and I guarantee that you won't have to spend a single penny on her, not even a single cent from the family. Is that alright now?"

Dad is just talking without understanding the situation. He has Mom to keep him warm at night, while he's all alone.

Chunni is the best girl he can choose right now. Even a hero can be brought down by a penny. If his family were rich and he himself were better off, who wouldn't want to marry the most beautiful girl in the village?

But reality is what it is: if you have a basket, who would want to pick eggplants to carry?

He had no choice but to seize the opportunity before him, hoping to at least get married and start a family.

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