Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 69 - 068 Zhong Liangcai

Chapter 69: 068 Zhong Liangcai

Before Tian Sisi could speak up, Granny Zhao did, "Zhong Liangcai, what do you mean by this? You come to the doorstep of the Tian Family to discipline your daughter? Is this teaching your daughter a lesson or showing a face to the Tian Family?"

Zhong Liangcai’s complexion changed, and he paused with the wooden stick in his hand, and with a forced smile said, "Auntie of the Tian Family, how dare I come to make a display in front of the Tian Family? It’s just that this little beast has driven me mad. Sorry, so sorry, Auntie of the Tian Family, don’t be angry."

Zhong Liangcai was somewhat thin and small in stature, not only unlike his brother Zhong Shancai in character but also in appearance. Zhong Shancai was tall and burly, honest and simple, while Zhong Liangcai was crafty and malicious, which made him not so popular in Yuequan Village. His wife, Wang Yueyue, was the same, needing to rush home even just to pee. Speaking of which, there’s a story about her.

Although Wang Yueyue was quite good-looking, as the saying goes, the daughter takes after the mother; Zhong Yuying later became a very successful mistress, so surely her looks weren’t bad. Hence, Wang Yueyue was somewhat of a beauty too. However, she was rather thin and small—according to the rural standards, no matter how pretty your face is, if you’re not broad-shouldered and plump-bottomed, you’re not considered a good girl; no one would want to marry you. In the countryside, taking a wife also meant bringing in half a worker, and a pretty face can’t be eaten as food. Besides, once the lamp is blown out at night and it’s pitch dark, don’t all women look the same? It’s better to have a robust one to hold—it’s more comfortable!

Therefore, despite Wang Yueyue’s flower-like appearance, no one was willing to take her. Later, someone introduced her to Zhong Liangcai, who was also struggling to find a wife because of his thin body, so the two of them ended up as a couple. Zhong Liangcai was actually quite reluctant; he wanted a strong woman because of his own frailty, but in the end, he still brought a reed-like bride home.

However, an incident later made Zhong Liangcai very pleased with Wang Yueyue. At that time, the Zhong Family had not yet divided their household, and everyone would go out to work together. Wang Yueyue urgently needed to pee, and so did the wife of Zhong Shancai and another young bride from a family neighboring the Zhong Family’s fields. The three young brides went to look for a place together. Wang Yueyue was the most desperate, but after finding a secluded spot, she refused to pee despite her face turning red with the effort, saying, "All this pee would fertilize a patch of land, I have to go home to pee," which made Zhong Shancai’s wife and the other young bride laugh. They didn’t bother with her and went on to relieve themselves, but Wang Yueyue had to run back home to pee, barely making it without wetting her pants.

This matter was later turned into a joke by that young bride and spread around. Soon, everyone in Yuequan Village knew that Zhong Liangcai’s wife was overly frugal, even holding her pee to save it for home. Although others mentioned it with a hint of sarcasm, Zhong Liangcai was quite delighted, feeling he married the right woman. Though not strong enough for heavy labor, she sure knew how to save money!

And so, after Zhong Liangcai and Wang Yueyue divided their own household, the two of them were thrifty and scheming, accumulating over a dozen acres of land and quickly becoming small landlords. However, good times didn’t last long before they encountered land reform, ending up labeled as middle farmers because of those acres, something they never anticipated.

Granny Zhao snorted. By then, Tian Manjin and his fellows had finished their work, and seeing a crowd gathered outside their door, they thought something happened at home and hurried back. Tian Bajin and the others followed behind. Tian Manjin squeezed in and saw it was just Zhong Liangcai putting on a show at their doorstep, which relieved him.

"Zhong Liangcai, are you trying to strike first by presenting your complaint? I haven’t even settled the score with you. Your daughter, at such a young age, is so malicious. What did my Ah Nan ever do to her? Over a few hair accessories, she’d go as far as to kill somebody. Where is the sense in that? It’s a stroke of luck my Ah Nan has a big fortune and nothing happened. If something happened to my girl, your whole family’s life would not make up for it. It’s just right that you’ve turned up here because I was about to come find you. ’To not teach is the father’s fault,’ today I’ll beat to death you, a bastard who raises a daughter without teaching her properly."

Tian Manjin abandoned his previously honest and simple demeanor, charging fiercely at Zhong Liangcai with a flurry of punches and kicks. Of course, he didn’t put too much strength behind them; after all, Ah Nan wasn’t seriously hurt, and they were all villagers, after all. Besides, with so many fellow villagers watching, he stopped after making his point by beating Zhong Liangcai up.

Among the villagers crowding around were many from Zhongjia Bay, and even some were related to Zhong Liangcai. However, they just coldly watched. No one even tried to stop the fight, let alone pull them apart. Part of the reason was Zhong Liangcai’s poor popularity, but more importantly, his daughter had nearly killed Tian Manjin’s precious daughter—it was only fair for Tian Manjin to vent his anger with a few hits!

Zhong Liangcai was thin and frail to begin with, and feeling guilty, he was no match for Tian Manjin’s fury. He was beaten while crying out in pain. Watching this, Tian Sisi felt really satisfied inside. Oh, how blessed she was to have a Daddy willing to stand up for her!

Old Man heard the commotion and walked out, with hands clasped behind his back. He had a natural authority about him, and as the villagers saw Old Man, they all instinctively hushed. In no time, it became as quiet as if crows and sparrows were mute. Zhong Yuying, too, dared not wail aloud, silently sobbing instead.

"Zhong Liangcai, isn’t it? Your daddy, Zhong Wuantian, once worked with me; he was a pretty honest farming fellow. It’s just a shame he died so young. Your mom was good too, a nice woman, but also unlucky, never got to see the establishment of New China, what a pity!" The Old Man unexpectedly started to reminisce, leaving Zhong Liangcai, who had just picked himself off the ground, clueless about the Old Man’s intentions, and all he could do was to keep smiling apologetically.

"For us farmers, the most important thing is to be honest and straightforward, not to be too cunning, and to be down-to-earth. Your brother, Zhong Shancai, has done quite well. Being honest is key to conducting oneself. Zhong Liangcai, there’s no need to put on such a big act at my doorstep. I’ve killed more men than I can count; a few hits from you are no big deal to me. If you really have the guts, strike her down with a club and kill your own daughter; I wouldn’t even blink an eye."

The Old Man stared into Zhong Liangcai’s eyes. Though he spoke softly, his words landed on Zhong Liangcai like hammer blows, causing him to sweat profusely as if all his little schemes were laid bare. His real concern was the possibility of the Tian Family seeking revenge against his, prompting him to take the initiative by beating his daughter in front of the Tian Family’s house—signaling that he had already disciplined his daughter and they need not trouble his family in the future.

"Uncle Tian, that wasn’t what I meant. Please, don’t be angry, sir," Zhong Liangcai said in a subdued voice.

"If that’s not what you meant, then go home and properly teach your daughter. A nice young girl, and you’ve turned her into a venomous snake. That’s really a great harm to others!" The Old Man had a strong aversion to the father-daughter duo and didn’t want to say a single good word about them.

"Yes, yes, yes, I’ll take this little beast home and educate her properly." Zhong Liangcai could not even stand up straight in front of the Old Man; he kept nodding and bowing, unaware that the more he did so, the more the Old Man loathed him.

Some of the villagers gathered around already knew about yesterday’s incident where Zhong Yuying pushed Tian Sisi into a hole over a few hair ornaments, while others were still in the dark. Now after hearing what Tian Manjin said, they confirmed the story with those in the know. They couldn’t help but click their tongues in astonishment, feeling a chill at Zhong Yuying’s cruelty, and determined to warn their children to stay away from Zhong Yuying, that venomous snake, lest they carelessly lose their lives.

Zhong Liangcai dragged Zhong Yuying back home. The moment his back was turned, his face darkened, and he winced as he touched the corner of his mouth, which had swollen from Tian Manjin’s beating. He glared fiercely at his daughter lying on the ground. Such a foolish thing, can’t she commit her misdeeds without leaving traces? Leaving evidence for others is simply idiotic. She seemed somewhat clever on normal days, and he had thought about nurturing her so that when she grew up, she could bring benefits to his son. Now, it seemed like a waste of effort; he planned to betroth her in a couple of years in exchange for some money, to get his son a bride.

Zhong Yuying felt ice-cold under her father’s snake-like gaze, the pain in her body nothing compared to the chill in her heart. She knew she wouldn’t be returning to school; she was already 12, and with Daddy’s temper, he might only support her for three more years at most. After that, she would be handed over to those dirty, ugly country men. Zhong Yuying shuddered at the thought. No, she must find a way out of this pit; she refused to be sold off like an item for a good price.

As the center of attention left, the onlookers also dispersed. Tian Bajin and his family were thinking about going home for a meal but were stopped by Granny Zhao, who invited them to eat here instead. The Tian Bajin family didn’t hesitate, as they had already enjoyed many meals at their big brother’s place during this time.

Tian Sisi and Tian Xinhua brought the dishes, one by one, from the heated stove. Tian Bajin and the rest washed their hands and came in, their eyes widening at the sight; these dishes were clearly not cooked by a woman of the household—they looked like they were made by a restaurant chef.

"Big sister-in-law, what’s the occasion today? Did you invite a chef to cook at home?" Tian Bajin asked curiously.

Granny Zhao smiled without saying a word, gesturing for everyone to eat. The Old Man did the same, pouring himself a cup of liquor, taking a small sip, then nibbling on a peanut, closing his eyes and savoring it. The sight made Tian Bajin and the others envious; drinking a small cup of liquor after laboring was such a delight!

PS: Thanks to the support of Xingyu Feng Qiwu, Fat Girl 0915, I Love Myself xx, Yaxing, 123 Listen, Nini Wai, Qibu Zhi, anna0626, pen pal 150707080759665, and Passerby A hyx, as well as many other dear readers. Old Yang is truly grateful to you all! Thank you!

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