Chapter 4: Digging Holes in the Wall

  "Later I'll go down and weed, you stay at home, if there's nothing else to do, you can take a walk around and get familiar with the surroundings."

  Zhang Shufang washed and rinsed the bowls and chopsticks, walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands as she spoke.

  "Wang Haodong asked: 'How many mu of land does your family have?'"

  "Six mu of land."

  "Nowadays, farming doesn't have much of a future unless you're doing large-scale farming or developing a farm resort. Your family only has six mu of land, and after working hard all year, there's no income to speak of. Why not think about starting some kind of business?"

  Zhang Shufang shook her head and said, "The ancestors of the Liu family have always been farmers, it's not easy to do business, what if we lose money? Besides, the wheat harvest is coming soon, my sister is also about to take the college entrance exam, I can't be distracted."

  Farmers generally attach great importance to land, as the saying goes, "people regard food as their heaven and land as their foundation". Wang Haodong knew this idea and couldn't change it for a while, so he didn't say much.

  Zhang Shufang watered the grape tree, fed the chicks, greeted Wang Haodong, and then carried a hoe on her shoulder and left with a swing of her hips.

  Until her figure disappeared from view, Wang Haodong didn't withdraw his gaze, and slowly walked out of the courtyard.

  Go out and walk 20 meters east, it's the road. Of course, it's not an asphalt road or a cement road, but a standard rural dirt road. This road goes straight south, walking more than 200 meters, you will reach the small river at the village entrance.

  Wang Haodong walked south, although the road was rugged and difficult to walk, but the air in the mountain village was quite fresh. On both sides of the road were small forests, and there were some fields between the forests. At this time, the wheat had grown very high, the ears of wheat had come out, and the green gave people a sense of vitality, looking heart-warming.

  Arriving at the riverbank in the south of the village, Wang Haodong stood on the stone bridge, looking at the rushing water below. The river was not very wide, but it wound its way from the town all the way to this point, and even here it wasn't the end - it still had more than ten miles to go before reaching its terminus in the west. At this time of year, the river water hadn't been polluted yet, and it looked very clear, almost as if you could see the fish swimming inside.

  "There are unpolluted fish, the taste is definitely delicious." Wang Hao Dong pondered for a while and decided to go back and get a fishing spear, then head to the river to catch some fish. With his hidden weapon skills, he would definitely be able to catch enough to eat.

  Last night didn't sleep well, Wang Hao Dong was a bit tired, so he returned home to take a nap and prepare for fishing.

  On the way, he met some villagers. Seeing that Wang Haodong was a stranger, they all cast curious glances at him. He smiled slightly and greeted them in a friendly manner, thinking to himself: as I stay here for a longer time, you will definitely get to know me.

  As Wang Haodong was about to enter his home, he heard Xiao Yufen's voice coming from next door.

  "Xiao Hua, come and eat corn."

  Her voice was low, with a hint of huskiness, sounding rich and magnetic. Then came the sound of clucking chickens, letting Wang Haodong know that she was feeding them.

  He took a look at her home's closed courtyard gate. Wang Haodong was new to the place and didn't feel like going to her house, so he returned to his room instead.

  "Huh?"

  Wang Haodong suddenly discovered that Zhang Shufang's house was connected to Xiao Yufen's house, and there was only one wall between them. He didn't know what was going on, but after careful consideration, he guessed that it was because the two families had shared a common wall when they built their houses years ago in order to save money.

  Back in the house, Wang Haodong lay on the bed, suddenly, an evil thought rose up, Wang Haodong got out of bed, found a iron rod and a small hammer in the yard, and slowly started digging.

  Tap tap hit hit, mud and dust flying everywhere...

  More than an hour later, a hole with a diameter of two centimeters appeared in front of Wang Haodong. He approached the hole and took a closer look, only to find that the room behind the hole was actually Xiao Yufen's kitchen. However, this room was divided into two parts by plastic sheeting, with the left half being the kitchen and the right half being a bathroom.

  In a village like Liujiayuan, the bathroom is not a separate room like in urban areas. The mountain village does not have such conditions. Rich families can afford to use solar energy, but most households do not have this facility. When taking a bath, they usually set up a large wooden tub in a small room, boil water and pour it into the tub for bathing. For those who are not particular, they can also use a plastic basin for washing.

  Wang Haodong quietly looked around for a while, but didn't see Xiao Yufen. He then withdrew his head, took some wet mud and made it into a cylindrical shape slightly thicker than his thumb. After measuring the hole with it, he thought it was about right, so he dried it over a fire and inserted it into the hole he had dug out, finding that it fit perfectly.

  "Hey, I dug a hole, it's useful when needed, but usually have to cover it up, otherwise the neighbors will find out and definitely come to bother me."

  With a murmur, Wang Haodong inserted the mud pillar into the hole and then took another calendar to block the hole in his room. After careful examination, he felt that it was well concealed. When he wanted to use it, he could remove the calendar and pull out the mud pillar to take a peek, and thus put his mind at ease.

  "If the beautiful woman next door is taking a bath, then I'll be in for a treat." Wang Haodong lay on his bed, whistling a happy tune before finally falling asleep.

  He had slept for a long time, and in a daze, Wang Haodong heard the footsteps, which were very familiar. He recalled that they belonged to Zhang Qian, so he didn't open his eyes, waiting to see what she wanted to do.

  Soon, a faint scent of body odor wafted into his nose, and Wang Haodong continued to sleep. Before long, his nose began to itch, and he subconsciously reached out to scratch it. The itching stopped for a moment, but soon started again. He knew that Zhang Qian was playing a prank on him, so he quickly opened his eyes.

  "Zhang Qian, are you teasing me?"

  Zhang Qian smiled and took two steps forward, her face full of pitiful expression. "Brother Wang, I have something that needs your help."

  A whiff of a girl's fragrance wafted over, and Wang Haodong looked up to see that her school uniform zipper was not fully closed, revealing her slender neck and the white skin below, and he couldn't help but feast his eyes.

  When spring and summer intersect, the weather has warmed up, Zhang Qian's high school uniform is a thin one, and the underwear inside can't cover it, revealing a hint of outline.

  Wang Haodong was stunned and didn't respond. Zhang Qianjiao snorted, gave Wang Haodong a white eye, "Someone is talking to you."

  "Whatever it is, just say it. If you have any difficulties, find Dong Ge, and I'll definitely help you out." Wang Hao Dong patted his chest, making a big show of himself, but he didn't withdraw that gaze, which was full of springtime warmth - not looking would be stupid.

  Zhang Qian said: "In the past two days, there have been several outsiders who keep wanting to pester me. I ignore them, but someone even pulled my bicycle and almost knocked me down. Someone also said that they would take me to a KTV in the county this afternoon."

  "Is that so?" Wang Haodong couldn't help but smile, thinking to himself that this was a great opportunity for him to show off his skills. He immediately said: "I'll take care of this matter, and I won't rest until those few bastards are kneeling down begging for mercy."

  "Really? Then I must thank you."

  Wang Haodong smiled and said, "Family members don't say thank you."

  Just then, Zhang Shufang, wearing a straw hat and carrying a hoe, returned and saw Zhang Qian in Wang Haodong's room. She couldn't help but take a few more glances, revealing a hint of vigilance.

  Zhang Shufang can let Wang Haodong live in her home, on the one hand, it is because of good sisterhood with Wang Xin's soft request, she counts as helping her sister out. On the other hand, they are not free-loading, willing to pay rent, which for her family, is also a source of income. But if this leads to inviting a wolf into their home, that would be terrible.