"So, what about your wife, Tian Jing?" Captain Ou shifted his focus to Tian Jing.
"She's the same. We have many plans. We'd never hide anything beneficial to the production team or the commune, but asking us to take on official roles, that's just not feasible."
"But, this village... Besides, this is for the betterment of socialism..."
Secretary Ji waved his hand, "Forget it. If this land responsibility system can truly increase harvests, then the contributions of that couple to socialism are far more than just adding bricks and tiles. Find someone else."
"But..."
Captain Ou still wanted to persuade, but Li Zhengguo quickly offered a suggestion, "I nominate Comrade Yang Jianjun. He graduated from high school and has led literacy classes. He's very suitable. I believe Accountant Li's health can still manage to mentor a new comrade, and he can certainly train a qualified accountant."
"Let's choose Comrade Yang Jianjun," Secretary Ji made the final decision. "We also need to select a few supervisors to oversee land cultivation."
"We must choose fair and just people. We can't have them arbitrarily confiscating well-tended land from commune members out of personal vendettas."
"Yes, we will conscientiously implement the land responsibility system and become a model for the entire commune." Captain Ou made a solemn promise, brimming with enthusiasm. This was a new opportunity for their Koushanli production team and the first step for the secretary to open a new chapter in the Zhongheda brigade.
With the matter settled, Li Zhengguo headed home. On the way, Zhang Fangcao blocked his path. He kicked her away with a single stride. This woman just wouldn't listen to reason, and he had no time to talk to her.
Kicked away, Zhang Fangcao's eyes were filled with hatred.
Fang Qiuhong leaned over and looked down at her, "How does it feel? How does it feel to be kicked away by the person you like?"
"Don't talk nonsense, I only love my husband." Zhang Fangcao glared at the ugly woman. Wait, this woman wasn't ugly anymore? Without that dark birthmark, she wasn't ugly?
"Heh, do you think I'd believe that? Where does your hatred for Tian Jing come from? You've been tricking Li Min for so many years. As a sister-in-law, Tian Jing must have intended to sort out her in-laws' affairs. How could she let you continue to fool her sister-in-law?"
"Your affection for the one who kicked you away is almost out in the open. Not only did I notice it, but your husband Li Aiguo also did. Tian Jing knows it too, and Li Min certainly does."
"Zhang Fangcao, you're like a clown. The more you act out, the uglier you become, and the more Li Zhengguo and Li Aiguo dislike you. Isn't this what they call 'the unobtainable is the best'?"
"I'll just watch you make a fool of yourself. What will you gain in the end? A woman who can't even stay put. Heh, I bet even the bachelors in the village wouldn't dare to take you!"
"You? What do you mean?" Zhang Fangcao didn't understand her last words.
"Heh, Li Aiguo wants to divorce you. If it weren't for Accountant Li's refusal and his lack of money, you'd already be a discarded wife. Keep making a scene." Fang Qiuhong waved goodbye cheerfully. Provoking her enemy's marital discord was indeed a mood booster. Thinking about how this woman had schemed against her, she laughed even more happily. Good, let's all play. We'll see who laughs last.
Li Zhengguo returned home and immediately reported his kicking incident to his sweetie. Tian Jing praised him, "Well done. You can't give people like that a good face, or they'll get on your nerves."
The fifteenth. Without glutinous rice flour, sweet dumplings were out of the question, but dumplings were still possible. The only large cabbage was paired with egg crepes and minced salted pork. Two tender pumpkins were picked, grated, and chopped. A basin of mixed filling was ready. Chen Suozhu was also called to help, but he couldn't wrap dumplings. Li Min disdainfully taught him to roll dumpling wrappers. And surprisingly, he learned to roll wrappers quickly.
Li Min's mood improved considerably. Fortunately, there was still something she could do better than her older brother. Her brother couldn't roll wrappers, but he could wrap dumplings. The first batch of dumplings, a full 130, was all scooped into a enamel basin by Li Min and sent back with Chen Suozhu to eat with Grandpa Chen. Out of nearly three hundred dumplings, Tian Jing and her mother-in-law ate eighty. The rest were eaten by the Li Zhengguo siblings. Tian Jing looked at Li Min, who was holding her stomach, and smiled, "Is this why you drove Chen Suozhu away?" Li Min wouldn't admit it, "I only ate seventy or eighty, about the same as Suozhu. My elder brother ate the most." "I don't mind your elder brother's large appetite." "Hmph, Suozhu doesn't mind my large appetite either." "Then why are you avoiding him?" "I'm not." Li Min decisively cleaned the table and washed the dishes. Her sister-in-law always teased her.
The sixteenth. Li Zhengguo registered at the team office early. Chen Suozhu followed him, wanting to join him. "Didn't the secretary say it could be a family, a team of members, or individuals? Brother, take me with you. I don't understand, and I don't want to team up with others." "Alright, you're added. No one else. If you plead for someone else, then you leave." "I won't. I won't agree to anyone else's requests. I don't understand much myself, I'll rely on Big Brother and Sister-in-law to guide me." With Chen Suozhu included, Li Zhengguo applied to adopt six mu. As for how many mu he could ultimately adopt, the village would need to count and calculate. Chen Suozhu followed Li Zhengguo to the Li family. "Minmin, I've registered with Big Brother. I'll listen to Big Brother's arrangements for everything." Li Min snorted, "Hmph! You've hit the jackpot by following my Big Brother." Chen Suozhu smiled foolishly, "If I profit, I'll give it all to you to manage." "Get away!" Li Min said shyly and angrily. This person always said such things, he wasn't romantic or smart, why couldn't he learn from her Big Brother? Chen Suozhu walked a few steps away, then returned to Li Min's side, "I'm back again." "Hahahahaha." Tian Jing watched and laughed heartily. This Chen Suozhu was truly simple-minded yet clever. Li Min raised her fist and hit him, "It's all your fault, you made me get teased by Sister-in-law." "Sister-in-law is teasing me, but I'm happy because you don't see us as separate." "Chen Suozhu!" "Why are you calling my full name? Not calling me 'ge' anymore?" Li Zhengguo quickly pulled Tian Jing away. If they stayed any longer, his sister would be furious. Entering the house, Tian Jing still couldn't help but laugh. She knew Li Min envied her, but not just for having Li Zhengguo. Their personalities were different, how could men's personalities be the same? Chen Suozhu came to the Li family every day to help build doors and windows. The Li family was planning to build their house first. The ground soil hadn't completely thawed, so sifting soil was out of the question. They would build the house first. Tian Jing suggested building two east wing rooms first, then two west wing rooms for the kitchen. The Li family all agreed, especially since Tian Da, the head of the family, had agreed to build the main house. And due to the weather, digging the foundation was difficult, so building the east wing rooms and kitchen first was a good idea. When Tian Jing took down the dried rabbit meat from the roof, she remembered there was a bowl buried underground. She decided to move the buried bones while she was at it, to avoid any exposure when digging the foundation. When the Li family was building their house, Brother Wang's two sons came to help, and Brother Niu and Sister-in-law Niu also came. Yang Jianjun, grateful for Li Zhengguo's nomination for accountant, sent his eldest son Yang Lei to help. Tian Jing offered to provide lunch every day, but they refused, saying they would come for the housewarming when the new house was completely built. Tian Jing didn't refuse. After it was built, she would give each family some gifts. A housewarming? Would there be time?