booktalesy Chapter 76: Things Are Getting Troublesome!
Chapter 76: Things Are Getting Troublesome!
The woman remained silent for a long while before asking, "So? What do you want me to do for you?"
Liu Guangtian looked around and said, "Let's go inside and talk."
The three entered the room, and half an hour later, the woman smiled and saw the two out.
……
Zhang Chengfei spent the afternoon in the micro-tiller control room.
Their mini-tillers are assembled using external parts. Because they are not custom-made, some parts are not the right size and they have to be hand-made by themselves.
These days, technicians can all work independently, and they're quick at it too.
According to Lao Tai's expectations, the mini-tiller will be assembled and put into field testing in no more than three days.
Everyone was immediately motivated after hearing Lao Tai's words, except for Xiao Ke, who started bringing up the old story again, muttering that if Lao Tian were here, everyone could have an easier time with his skills.
Before he could finish speaking, Lao Tai scolded him with a dark face: "No matter what, technicians must be able to stand on their own."
If you feel you can't handle it, just submit a written application to leave the group, and I'll sign it immediately, then you can leave.
His words were sharp and merciless, and the others fell silent in fear. Xiao Ke shrank back and became completely obedient.
The familiar, nostalgic end-of-get off work bell rang, and everyone in the control room straightened up, stretched, tidied up their workstations, and left.
Zhang Chengfei went to the bike shed to get his bicycle and then rode with Sha Zhu, Xu Damao, and Jia Dongxu, whom he had just bumped into.
Xu Damao rode his company bike with Jia Dongxu on the back, while Sha Zhu rode Zhang Chengfei's new bike with Zhang Chengfei on the back. The four of them quickly passed through Dongzhimen and arrived at Nanluoguxiang.
As soon as I reached the entrance of the courtyard house, I heard a commotion coming from inside.
The four of them looked at each other, their eyes gleaming with a thirst for gossip.
Xu Damao listened intently: "They're fighting again? I can't tell who's arguing by the voices. Could it be Aunt Zhang arguing with the other people in the courtyard?"
Jia Dongxu shook his head: "I didn't hear my mother's voice, but I vaguely heard my master's name."
"What business could it be of Grandpa? He never argues with anyone." Sha Zhu thought Jia Dongxu was talking nonsense.
"What's the point of guessing? Let's go back and take a look." Zhang Chengfei said, taking the lead.
The four returned to the courtyard house, only to find the front yard deserted.
When I arrived at the Intermediate Court, I saw a middle-aged woman sitting on the ground, crying and shouting something very fast, which was hard to understand.
However, words like "Yi Zhonghai," "child," and "not wanting to live" occasionally appear.
Several middle-aged women from the courtyard looked at each other in bewilderment. Liu Haizhong, who was working the night shift, was also present.
Upon seeing Jia Dongxu appear, he hurriedly called out, "Dongxu, where's your master? Why hasn't he returned yet?"
Jia Dongxu replied, "On my way, I think I'll be there soon."
Liu Haizhong then turned to his wife and asked, "Where's that old lady?"
Auntie Er said with a hint of excitement, "She went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy eggs. She should be back soon."
Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.
Before the second aunt finished speaking, the first aunt had already entered the courtyard with a net bag of eggs.
"The old lady is back!" Xu Damao shouted.
The woman who had been sitting on the ground immediately stood up, walked over to the older woman, and gave a curtsy, saying, "Hello, elder sister."
The middle-aged woman looked completely bewildered: "Young lady, who are you?"
She doesn't remember having this relative in her family.
The woman smoothed her stray hairs and explained with a smile, "Big sister, you're Zhonghai's legal wife, and I'm his mistress. According to old customs, it's perfectly normal for me to call you 'big sister.'"
What? A small one kept outside?
The woman felt a sudden buzzing in her head, and the net bag in her hand fell to the ground, shattering the eggs all over the floor.
Yan Bugui, standing to the side, was so anxious he was stamping his feet. Those were eggs! They only had a monthly ration of one pound of eggs! And they were just going to waste them like that.
The older woman, however, didn't care about any of that and stared blankly at the woman in front of her.
The woman touched her flat stomach: "Originally, I wanted to keep to myself and avoid any conflict with you, but now I'm carrying Zhonghai's child..."
Flesh and blood? The middle-aged woman felt dizzy: "You, you and Lao Yi... are you sure?"
The woman smiled and nodded: "It's still early in the pregnancy, so it might not be very noticeable, but the baby is definitely there..."
The woman fell headfirst to the ground.
Yan Bugui hurriedly told his second and third aunts to come forward and carry her back to the courtyard.
Liu Haizhong shouted, "An eighth-grade fitter, a courtyard house manager personally appointed by the neighborhood committee, actually dares to take a concubine! It's simply outrageous!"
"I suggest that Yi Zhonghai's position as the eldest uncle of the courtyard house be removed, and that my position and the third uncle's position be inherited in order!"
That gesture was comparable to Zhu Di announcing his intention to inherit the throne.
Xu Fugui retorted with dissatisfaction, "Second Uncle, is this the time to talk about this? Even if you want to be an official, you have to prioritize!"
Liu Haizhong was very upset after being criticized. Just as he was about to argue again, he saw Sha Zhu carrying the deaf old woman into the central courtyard.
"Grandma, you've finally arrived. Yi Zhonghai has been cheating on his wife, getting a woman pregnant, and now she's come knocking on our door. What are we going to do?"
The deaf old woman got off Sha Zhu's back, her dim but sharp eyes sweeping over the woman before looking at the crowd: "Find Lao Yi first, and find out what happened."
Sha Zhu, Xu Damao accepted the order and left.
Not long after, he led a bewildered Yi Zhonghai into the courtyard.
On the way, Sha Zhu had already told him the situation. At this moment, looking at the woman in front of him whom he did not recognize at all, Yi Zhonghai immediately cried out that he was innocent.
"Who are you? I don't know you at all. Why are you framing me?"
The woman stroked her stomach with her hand: "Zhonghai, I know you look down on my status and despise me for being a prostitute."
Even if you don't acknowledge me or care about our relationship, you still have to acknowledge the child in my belly, right?
Didn't you say that your wife, after more than twenty years of marriage, couldn't give you a child? The baby in my belly now is your flesh and blood, your eldest son!
Yi Zhonghai's head was buzzing, and he pinched his hands to try to remain calm: "Comrade, I don't know who instructed you to do this."
But I'll say it again, I don't know you, and the child in your belly isn't mine.
"I advise you to go back to where you came from, or don't blame me for calling the police!"
Sha Zhu, standing to the side, also yelled, "You say the child in your belly is my uncle's? What proof do you have?"
The woman tilted her chin up: "Of course I have evidence, Yi Zhonghai. You say you have nothing to do with me, so let me ask you, don't you have a black mole on your left buttock, and a black hair on that mole?"
Liu Haizhong's eyes sharpened: "That's right!"
Yan Bugui shook his head: "It's true that the old man has a mole, but that's not a secret... Everyone goes to the public toilet every day, who hasn't seen someone else's butt?"
Without further ado, the woman pulled a piece of cloth from her pocket and held it high: "If the mole doesn't count, how about this?"
Everyone looked over, and the third uncle gasped, "This... isn't this the first uncle's underwear?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui's face darkened.