Chapter 27 On the Road (Please Collect)

  The rickshaw puller smiled and said, "As for skill, I'm not as good as Mr. Huang. Unfortunately, I wasn't in town that day and didn't see you deal with Old Hu. Others told me it was even more exciting than the Drunken Fist of Jiangmen."

  Huang Li laughed and said: "This is really exaggerated, it's just a small fight."

  "That's not it." The rickshaw puller shook his head, tapped the tobacco pipe on the shaft and said with admiration: "Although I didn't see how you beat up Hu Lao Si, but I saw Hu Lao Si beating a strong man who was performing acrobatics until he spat blood. As the saying goes: 'the strongest among the strong is even stronger, one mountain is higher than another...'".

  Two people chatted along the way, and it wasn't lonely. The sun rose higher and higher, and the weather got hotter and hotter. Huang Li couldn't help but ask anxiously: "How much farther?"

  "Hurry up!" The driver exclaimed, pointing with his hand, "Look, you can already see some shadows."

  Chenjiazhuang is very small, and the street is actually less than half a mile long. At both ends of the street, most of the houses are dilapidated earth houses, only three or two households are brick-tiled houses, and they have large gates.

  The car stopped, and Huang Li asked the villagers for Old Han's address. This kind of rubber-tired rickshaw was not considered stylish in big cities, but it was still quite impressive in rural areas, with many villagers stopping to watch and discuss it.

  The old foolish family's courtyard was a three-roomed earth-beam north house. When walking past the low and dilapidated earth wall, you could see that in the small yard there was a red jujube tree, with several rows of melons and vegetables planted, and a few chickens running around, including a large red rooster, particularly majestic and beautiful, constantly strutting around proudly and crowing loudly.

  Huang Li walked into the yard, where Old Man Meng and his son, as well as Lao Han and his daughter were present. After a brief conversation, Xiuer escorted Zhen Niang and Nian Nian out of the house.

  It's been a few days since we last saw each other, and Zhen Niang has clearly lost weight. Her pale face has lost its luster, and she often stares blankly into space. Niu Niu was delighted to see Huang Li, but the adults hadn't told her the bad news, so she probably didn't know where her loved one had gone either.

  "Let's go, child." Old Meng wiped his eyes and handed over a small package that had been prepared long ago.

  Huang Li hastily reached out and took it, slightly furrowing his brow, still hearing the rustling sound.

  "Uncle, aunt, you..." Zhen Niang seemed to have come back to her senses a bit, and with a thud, she knelt on the ground, crying uncontrollably and unable to speak.

  "Child, get up quickly!" Old Man Meng came forward to support him, while Lao Han flailed his arms about, somewhat at a loss.

  "I don't want to go——" Zhen Niang said tearfully.

  Old Man Meng sighed, shaking his head: "It won't do, child. Once the Bai family comes to their senses, they'll never let you off. Go, a living tree can be transplanted, but a dead one cannot. First raise the child to adulthood. If things really calm down, we'll send word and you can come back later."

  Zhen Niang cried until her body went soft, Xiu Er supported her with all her might by her side, Nai Nai didn't understand what was going on and pouted.

  "Hurry up, or it will be dark before we can reach the county town." Old Man Meng urged with tears in his eyes.

  "Take care of yourself!" Zhen Niang turned back three times in one step and was supported by Xiuer as she left the yard.

  "No need to see me off, it's causing too much commotion and attracting a crowd. Take care, everyone." Huang Li nodded at the crowd and walked out, feeling uncomfortable with the scene.

  ……

  Along the road, the sorghum ears were densely arranged, and when the wind blew, the leaves made a rustling sound. The hoofbeats of the big green mule approached, and the ants on the ground jumped up, spread their wings and flew to a distant place. The singing of the cicadas also stopped, but soon after the wheels passed by, they sang again.

  Huang Li sat on the carriage shaft, leaning against the pillar of the sedan chair, his two legs dangling under the vehicle, flipping through a cookbook he had bought. It was describing how to make Dongpo pork, and it said that the best pigs to use were those from Jinhua with "two black heads". The finished dish should have a bright red color, rich flavor, tender but not falling apart, fragrant but not greasy. He swallowed his saliva, realizing that what he had eaten before was not authentic. Did Tianjin have this kind of Jinhua "two black head" pig?

  Niang Niang poked her head out of the car awning, stretched out her small hand and patted Huang Li, calling out "Uncle". She poured out two sugar beans from a paper bag and handed them to him. From Huang Li's gift of a bag of snacks prepared in town for her, she couldn't stop talking, with some crumbs still stuck at the corner of her mouth.

  Huang Li smiled and took the thing, putting it in his mouth, chewing while saying: "It's hot outside, and there's a lot of dust, Niu Niu listen, stay inside and be good."

  Hehe, Niu Niu giggled and withdrew her little head. Children are very mischievous, and with outsiders around, Zhen Niang couldn't scold her all the time. Probably because Niu Niu thought it was fun that Uncle had become a maternal uncle, she would occasionally pop out and call out to him a couple of times.

  "Looking at her eyebrows and eyes, this child will grow up to be a beautiful girl." The rickshaw driver said half-truly and half-flatteringly: "My eldest child is also a girl, very sensible, not yet ten years old but already able to help me with things. In two more years, she'll be of marriageable age, I hope I can find her a good husband's family."

  "A woman fears marrying the wrong man, a man fears taking the wrong career." Huang Li smiled and said: "This thing should indeed be worried about."

  Hehe, Che Baixiao laughed twice and looked at Huang Li saying: "Mother's brother, this child's future affairs will depend on Mr. Huang from now on."

  Huang Li smiled and was about to speak when Niu Niu poked her head out again, furrowing her little brow and saying: "Uncle, I need to pee - no, go to the bathroom."

  Zhen Niang felt like she was about to pee in her pants, every bump making her lower abdomen feel especially heavy and swollen. She squeezed her legs tightly together, trying to prevent the dam from bursting.

  The car stopped, and Huang Li jumped out of the car and said to Zhen Niang inside: "Sister, there is a broken earth wall by the side of the road. Take Niu Niu to relieve herself!"

  Yes, Zhen Niang eagerly agreed and lifted the car curtain. Her legs were trembling and her heart was racing wildly. Fortunately, Huang Li stretched out his hand to support her, otherwise she would have...

  Zhen Niang dragged the reluctant Niu Niu, quickly walking to the back of the earth wall, almost falling in her haste, but she could no longer bother to conceal it. The relief that came with releasing everything made all worries unimportant. Yes, when the pressure on her lower abdomen was relieved and the urine flowed like a small stream on the ground, an unparalleled comfort immediately filled her heart.

  "Women are indeed a bit of trouble." Beside the sedan, Huang Li lightly shook his head, handed a cigarette to Che Baishi, lit one himself, and comfortably exhaled smoke rings.

  ……

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