Li Baoguo and his younger brother Li Weiguo brought all the beams from home.
The villagers praised this second uncle highly, saying he truly cared for his eldest nephew.
Li Zhengguo’s lips curved slightly. Sweetie was right, a barking dog doesn’t bite.
Li Rongguo’s house was being built with great enthusiasm.
The supply and marketing cooperative delivered five large rolls of plastic sheeting, but half of it was missing.
These five rolls of plastic sheeting were, of course, put up for bidding at a meeting.
One of the bidders was Li Erbo's family.
Tian Jing smiled happily. There was a show to watch. Although Li Yaoguo didn't have much to do with her, he had been affecting her man's mood for days, and it might continue to affect him and cause future trouble. It was impossible for her not to seek revenge.
It was her man who was truly insidious, much better than her straightforward approach. If she had known earlier, she would have saved some for the Wu family too.
Huh? Is it too late now?
Li Zhengguo shook his head, "No, we don't know if the Wu family has discovered the missing jar, and the more you show up, the higher the chance of being discovered. As for Second Uncle's family, we'll just watch the show."
Li Rongguo's family ran out of stones, so Li Zhengguo happily took Sweetie and her pet into the mountains to chop wood and collect stones.
Of course, he had gotten permission from the brigade headquarters.
The matter of buying stones with money was dropped, but from now on, collecting stones and felling trees would require a permit, and anything beyond that would cost money.
The villagers were naturally unhappy and collectively ostracized the Zhang family.
The Zhang family was isolated.
Zhang's father and mother were driven out of their home by their son and moved in with their daughter.
After serving their daughter and son-in-law for two days, they returned to beg their son to let them come home.
...
As soon as they entered the deep mountains, Li Zhengguo completely let loose.
He hugged Sweetie and acted spoiled, demanding compensation, kisses...
Tian Jing looked at him, amused, "You're not a child, why are you so playful?"
"There are too many people at home, and I have to avoid my eldest sister-in-law, so she doesn't turn envy into jealousy. I also have to give face to my eldest brother, so I can only endure and endure. Don't you feel sorry for me~"
At the end of the last word, his voice trailed off with a soft, charming lilt, which startled Tian Jing and made her stumble.
Li Zhengguo seized the opportunity to pull her into his embrace, "Sweetie, you haven't taken a proper bath in days. Let's go to the hot springs, please, take me."
Tian Jing looked at the basket on his back, which contained the quilts he said he wanted to bring in to dry.
She couldn't refuse this shameless approach, nor could she refuse a man acting so spoiled, and she certainly couldn't refuse a man coaxing her like this.
The result of not being able to refuse was, of course, being placed on a wide bench to sleep again.
The satisfied man went off to chop wood himself. In this deep mountain, besides wolves, there were no other fierce beasts, so his safety was assured. As for Sweetie's safety...
When Tian Jing woke up, she hugged the wolf cub and walked out of the hot spring courtyard. She saw the wolf king lying not far away.
"What? Missing your cub?"
The wolf king: "..." Forced to be a caretaker, it couldn't even check on its own cub?
Tian Jing placed the wolf cub next to the wolf king. The cub was unhappy, whining and backing away. It didn't recognize this creature; it wanted its mother.
The wolf king sniffed its cub, its nose twitching. What had this woman done to its cub?
Tian Jing raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't you be excitedly recognizing each other?"
"Wuwuwu." The wolf king growled at Tian Jing, displeased.
The wolf cub turned and ran to Tian Jing's legs, rubbing against her pants.
Tian Jing bent down and picked it up, "That's your father, and you're hiding from him? Where's your courage?"
The wolf cub whined pleadingly at Tian Jing. Tian Jing could only hold it in her arms, "Alright, stop acting spoiled and cute like Li Zhengguo."
"Wuwuwu." The wolf king turned and ran away.
Li Zhengguo was driven over by the wolf king. He wanted to act, but the wolf king ignored him, instead nudging his leg and coming this way.
"Sweetie's awake? What's wrong with the wolf king?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's sad because the cub isn't recognizing it."
"Wuwuwuwu."
The wolf king growled at Tian Jing, then growled at the wolf cub.
Then it looked up at Li Zhengguo.
Li Zhengguo was bewildered. "Sweetie, how was the wolf king acting before?"
"...then it ran away, and you came."
Li Zhengguo took the wolf cub from Tian Jing's arms and placed it in front of the wolf king.
The wolf king sniffed the cub and then looked up at Li Zhengguo.
"You mean it doesn't have any scent on it?" Li Zhengguo asked tentatively.
"Wu wu." The wolf king wagged its tail at Li Zhengguo.
Li Zhengguo confirmed the wolf king's meaning and explained, "My wife fed your cub vegetarian food. This vegetarian food contains good things that are beneficial to its body. Moreover, if it doesn't have a fishy smell from now on, won't it be able to better conceal its tracks?"
The wolf king paused for a long time, as if digesting Li Zhengguo's words, or perhaps contemplating them.
Then, it sprinted away.
"What does that mean?" Tian Jing looked at Li Zhengguo.
"I suspect it only has this one cub."
"Ah? If it only has one cub, could it be that it wants me to treat the wolf cub's leg?"
"It's possible. It doesn't seem to have given up on its cub."
"What should we do?"
"Let's wait and see."
The wolf king did not reappear until the two of them went down the mountain.
After dragging the timber down the mountain, Li Zhengguo took his eldest cousin to return it to Second Uncle's family.
Li Rongguo was extremely grateful to his second uncle. Everyone treated him better than his own family, and he was thankful.
Looking at his second uncle, who appeared even more honest and simple than his eldest cousin, Li Zhengguo felt a pang of regret. Despite being reborn, he was still not as good as his own second uncle.
Was it because his second aunt taught him well? Or his own grandmother? Or was it simply in his blood, and his grandmother naturally favored this son?
Li Erbo advised his eldest nephew earnestly, then turned to Li Zhengguo, "Zhengguo, with your help, your eldest cousin's future days will only get better."
"Second Uncle, your words make me ashamed. My eldest cousin protected us since we were young. Now that he has finally shed his shackles, as his cousin, I should help him if I have the ability."
"Second cousin and fourth cousin are also going to help, aren't they? Everyone will contribute money and effort, and we will surely ensure that the eldest son and grandson of our Li family live a comfortable life."
Li Erbo was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "Yes, the eldest son and grandson of our Li family shouldn't be too wronged."
Hearing this, and meeting his second uncle's scrutinizing gaze, Li Zhengguo curved his lips. His second uncle knew the truth.
Li Zhengguo didn't use the wheelbarrow and instead carried the timber to Second Uncle's house with his eldest cousin, one load at a time.
When villagers inquired, he told them the truth.
Niu Dasao quickly ran to Li's house, "Sweetie."
Tian Jing was feeling sleepy again.
Li's mother found someone to discuss with. "Big Niu's mother, do you think my Sweetie looks like...?"
Niu Dasao, full of gossip, couldn't quite grasp it, "Looks like what?"
"Sweetie has been feeling sleepy lately."
Tian Jing, who was dozing off, immediately sat up straight. "Mother-in-law, what do you mean?"
"Oh my~" Niu Dasao realized, "Aunt Li means you might be pregnant."
Tian Jing was stunned. Could it be? Her period was all over the place. Since coming to the Li family, it had only come once, over four months ago. She had never considered pregnancy.
Although she and Zhengguo hadn't used contraception, with her irregular periods, she thought it would be difficult to conceive.
Seeing Tian Jing's silence, Niu Dasao smiled, "Hehehe, Tian Jing, your slow reaction makes it even more likely."