country bumpkin

Chapter 339 Li Fugui Returns Home for the New Year

Nie Xianghong was walking alone on the road when a northerly wind blew by, instantly clearing her head.

She had been thinking about Kong Xiangwei the whole time, and she was worried that he had drunk too much and might throw up later, or that he might have a headache when he woke up at night.

Now that she's fully awake, she just wants to poke her forehead a few times. She's dumbfounded; now that Kong Xiangwei is back home, there's no need for her to worry about him anymore.

With her parents taking care of her, why should she worry about him?

After a moment of reflection, Nie Xianghong quickened her pace home. The road was still deserted, eerily quiet. Thankfully, it wasn't dark; otherwise, she might have been afraid to walk alone at night.

When she got home, Li Chunmei asked her about Kong Xiangwei's situation. Nie Xianghong told her mother the truth, explaining that he had gotten completely drunk.

Li Chunmei asked, "Does he not usually drink? Has he never drunk alcohol before?"

Nie Xianghong said, "Mom, he has never drunk alcohol. The only time I saw him drink was when we got engaged. He only took one sip and his face turned red."

Li Chunmei: "Well, it's better if he doesn't drink. Men who don't drink won't risk getting drunk and causing trouble."

Nie Xianghong: "...Mom, have you ever seen anyone act crazy when drunk? My dad doesn't act crazy when drunk either."

Li Chunmei: "I wasn't talking about your dad. I was just using an example, you know?"

Nie Xianghong: "Oh, you scared me! I thought you'd really encountered someone who was drunk and acting crazy before."

Li Chunmei started talking.

"To be honest, I did see it. It happened when your dad went out to work with your uncle. At your grandma's house, your grandpa got drunk and beat your grandma so badly she was rolling on the floor..."

Nie Xianghong, "There's such a thing? You saw it with your own eyes?"

Li Chunmei: "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. You all went to school, and I went back to my hometown to get some things, and that's when I saw it."

Nie Xianghong, "You didn't go up to break up the fight, did you!"

Li Chunmei: "I'm not going! That old woman has been harassing me all along, she deserves to be beaten to death! Besides, the old man is drunk and doesn't recognize his own family. What if he beats me too?"

Nie Xianghong: "Yes, that's how it is. It was the right thing to not try to break up the fight. Grandpa and Grandma have always favored my second uncle's family and look down on us. We should stay as far away from people like that as possible."

Li Chunmei nodded, "Yes, remember to stay away from those with ill intentions. Also, no matter if you meet relatives or neighbors, if there's a fight and they seem to be acting irrationally, try to avoid it and never try to break it up."

Nie Xianghong looked at her mother, puzzled. Li Chunmei explained, "I overheard someone talking about something."

Here's the thing: in your grandma's village, there's a couple who got into a fight; they were hitting each other and smashing furniture.

The windows, television, and thermos flask were all smashed. A neighbor, unable to bear the sight, went to break up the fight, only to have hot water from the thermos flask splash all over her.

Nie Xianghong's mouth dropped open. "Was it that serious? What happened next?"

Li Chunmei continued, "The couple who were fighting later made up, and the neighbor who broke up the fight paid for his own leg treatment at the hospital."

Even now, his legs are covered in burn scars. And the people involved in the fight didn't pay for his hospital visit, nor did they buy him anything to visit him.

Isn't this a case of good intentions gone unrewarded? We suffered for nothing, while the couple acted like nothing happened.

Nie Xianghong said, "How could this happen! I think this couple who are fighting are heartless."

Li Chunmei: "Absolutely, that's heartless. So whether you're outside or at home, if something doesn't concern you, never get involved, understand?"

Nie Xianghong said, "Oh, Mom~ don't worry, I have Awei protecting me! Don't worry."

Li Chunmei joked, "Awei...Awei...you're practically talking about him all the time."

Nie Xianghong blushed with embarrassment, smiled, and said to her mother with unwavering conviction, "He's just good, good in every way."

Li Chunmei and Kong Tongyuan felt the same way; they simply couldn't bear to look. Why were these two so inseparable?

She thought back to her younger days, and she wasn't like this at all!

She sighed, "Sigh! Young people these days, when things are going well they're like one person, but when they break up, they're more heartless than anyone else."

Nie Xianghong ignored her mother's grumbling, got up and went to her bedroom to lie down and rest.

After watching her daughter return to her room, Li Chunmei went to attend to her own affairs.

In winter, it's cold outside and there's no work to be done in the fields, so villagers like to stay in bed and relax.

During the day, the stove is lit for cooking and boiling water, making the house warm and cozy, and the women can even do some needlework.

Aside from smoking, sleeping, and playing cards, the men spent their time playing cards. Neighbors would gather together, four or six people at a time, to form a card game.

The old man liked to stay in his room, listening to the radio or chatting with someone. The old woman liked to sew and mend.

One moment he's holding a pair of torn underwear, mending it. The next he's finding a pair of smelly, torn socks and patching them up.

These elderly people have endured hardship, so they are reluctant to throw away even their worn-out clothes.

Just like Fang Jinxiu now, she is mending a pair of cotton socks. Her son, Li Fugui, earns a lot of money, and every time he comes back, he leaves his parents 2000 yuan.

He bought a lot of things, from clothes to socks, and brought them back for the two elderly people. The old lady said her son was wasting money and didn't know how to manage a household.

They kept the new socks and clothes they brought to wear for the New Year, and continued to wear their old clothes on ordinary days. They didn't throw away their very worn-out clothes either; they kept them, pasted them together with cloth and leather, and used them to make insoles.

Li Chunmei also prefers the insoles she makes herself, as they are more comfortable than store-bought ones. The main problem is that store-bought insoles soften after washing and tend to shift and move around when you walk.

It's different when you make it yourself. No matter how many times you wash it, it won't get soft or come out with your feet.

Although Li Fugui has become wealthy, he has not forgotten his roots, is filial to his parents, and helps his sister's family.

He also liked using the insoles his mother made by hand, so every time he came back, he would bring back two pairs.

His wife is from the city and doesn't come back to the village often. She only comes back for a few days during the Lunar New Year when they reunite, then goes back home.

This year, they plan to come back on the 29th of the lunar year, spend New Year's Eve with the elderly at home, and then go home.

Li Weixiu and Fang Jinxiu wanted their son and grandson to stay at home for a few more days so they could spend more time with them.

After thinking it over and over, I couldn't come up with a good idea. In the end, I decided to pretend to be sick and have the old lady pretend to have a headache. Her son is the most filial, so he will definitely stay for a few days.

Soon, on the 29th of the lunar year, Li Fugui returned in his car in the afternoon.

As soon as Li Fugui parked his car at the gate, the elderly couple and his sister and brother-in-law's family all came out to greet him.

Li Fugui felt like he was a guest, while his sister and brother-in-law were the hosts.

Although the house belongs to her family, the fact that her sister brought her husband back to her parents' home to stay makes it seem like her husband is a live-in son-in-law.

Now, this house has nothing to do with me anymore; it belongs to my parents and sister.