In November, the multi-story construction site, bustling with both machines and people, was completely finished.
From numbers 1 to 68 of Kushan New Village, arranged from north to south, villagers drew lots to decide the location of their own houses.
Numbers 69 to 132 of Kushan New Village were reserved for the brides-to-be of Kushan Village, arranged from north to south according to the order of their marriages.
The villagers were very enthusiastic.
After drawing their lots, they would ask for help from the village's big trucks to purchase renovation materials from the county or city.
Li Zhengguo told them to choose first and then come to register the dates for using the trucks.
The village office was noisy and busy for several days.
After Li Zhengguo reviewed the list of residents, he blamed Zhou Chengbing for not being thorough enough in his work:
"What about Li Daniu's? She has a house, but the owner is her father."
"Besides, she's the first one to have a live-in son-in-law. Why doesn't she have a new house? How can you do your job like this and not win people's hearts?"
Zhou Chengbing quickly moved to fix the oversight.
When Li Daniu received the key, she was so moved that tears flowed freely.
She hadn't expected the village to still remember her.
Zhou Chengbing scratched his head, "I'm sorry, it was my mistake. Village Head Li criticized me. Do you have any complaints? Feel free to voice them."
"No, no, I'm very happy."
Li Daniu shook her head, indicating her sincere gratitude that the village had thought of her.
Her heart finally felt at ease.
Her greatest fear was that her father would kick her out of the house after his release from prison. If that happened, where would she live to support her husband and child?
Zhou Chengbing went home and told Xiaomai about it, "No wonder when Village Head Li wanted to resign, no villager agreed. He has a firm grip on people's hearts."
"On one hand, he encourages the villagers to work hard and earn money, and on the other hand, he coaxes the money they earn out of them, yet the villagers are still incredibly grateful to him."
"Ow ow ow, it hurts, it hurts, wife, you're twisting my ear too hard."
Li Xiaomai twisted her husband's ear forcefully, "With you like this, do you still want to be the next village head? You're not even as good as Zhang Shitóu."
"You made a mistake in your work, and instead of reflecting on it, you dare to speak ill of Village Head Li?"
Zhou Chengbing shielded his ear and cried out in injustice, "It's unfair, wife! I was praising Village Head Li, I was really praising him."
"He keeps the villagers honest, and in the end, everyone uses their money for good purposes."
"Property is the best thing to leave for your children and grandchildren, but unfortunately, you don't have any."
Li Xiaomai let go of his ear, "Then are you willing to move your household registration here?"
Zhou Chengbing fell silent. He was arranged by his uncle to follow Village Head Li and gradually pursue a career in officialdom.
Li Xiaomai glared at him, "Hmph! For that last sentence alone, you shouldn't have said it. If you can't control your mouth, how can you be an official?"
...
The nursery and processing room also went on holiday. Bundles of semi-withered seedlings were piled up at the entrance of the nursery yard.
The village's electric loudspeaker announced, "Feed is available for collection." Villagers who had already paid rushed to fetch their feed with carrying poles and ropes.
Among the village's pheasants, Li's family raised them the best. When asked, they learned that the reason was the spent seedlings from the nursery yard. Consequently, everyone placed orders with money.
Five yuan a bundle was very cheap, considering the effort of the workers inside to sort, bundle, and move them out was worth more than five yuan.
With the nursery on holiday, apart from the greenhouses rented out to villagers from other villages, which were still busy, the area of Kushan was basically in its agricultural off-season.
After renting out the greenhouses to villagers from other villages, Zeng Jingchu had lost much interest in the watermelon and vegetable business.
Without his sister to work for, he lacked the passion. He was already too busy with the family business.
However, he didn't completely shut it down. He introduced the business to his business partners in the provincial capital.
Therefore, he didn't come this year.
But as soon as he heard that he was about to become an uncle, he immediately dealt with his current affairs and arrived with various baby supplies purchased by his secretary.
Zeng Jingliang knew that he didn't need to prepare anything; his second brother would have thought of everything for him.
Tian Jing looked through the baby supplies and was quite satisfied. She threw the baby's clothes at Zeng Jingliang,
"Go wash them. Take advantage of the remaining time to sun-dry them."
Zeng Jingliang, holding a pile of clothes, was at a loss.
Afeng intended to help but was stopped by Tian Jing, "Afong, you need to learn to trust and let go. Otherwise, he, the expectant father, won't know anything, and you, the expectant mother, will have to do all the tiring work."
"The baby is his too. Whether he knows how to take care of it or wash its clothes is his business. Don't interfere, let him learn."
Zeng Jingliang agreed, "Afong, don't worry, I will definitely learn."
After washing for a long time with much effort, his hands became red and chapped. His second brother even asked him about his feelings.
He retorted, "You're about to become an uncle, how do you feel?"
Zeng Jingchu thought for a moment and said, "Happy, and a desire to show off to the whole world."
Zeng Jingliang nodded, "The same, times ten. If you asked me to pick stars from the sky right now, I would immediately find a way to fly."
A few days later, the baby's father and second uncle finally welcomed their longed-for treasure.
As soon as they held the baby, the two brothers almost dropped the swaddling blanket:
"Why is it so ugly?"
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Mother Li spat several times, "Babies can be temperamental, don't talk nonsense. Newborns look like this, they'll grow into their looks in a few days."
The little red and wrinkled baby closed her eyes and grinned, instantly capturing the hearts of her father and second uncle.
The brothers scrambled to hold her.
Mother Li smiled and shook her head, "Be careful, babies can't be exposed to the wind, and you need to constantly check if they've pooped or peed, you'll have to change diapers."
The baby's second uncle asked, "Don't we have diapers?"
Mother Li shook her head, "I've looked, and those diapers are too stiff for babies. Tian Tian said that babies need to keep their legs apart after wearing diapers, or they might develop bowlegs. You should use them at least after three months, or once at night."
The baby's father immediately disagreed, "We'll use cloth diapers, and I'll wash the dirty ones."
After washing them with much effort for a month, he had a complaint, "Second brother, come help me wash my niece, I'll hold her."
Zeng Jingchu hugged the swaddling blanket and refused to let go, "No, my hands are rough from washing, she cries whenever I touch her."
Finally out of confinement, Afong had had enough of these two brothers and snatched the swaddling blanket away.
She held it all night. How would she raise the baby in the future?
Zeng Jingliang was happy, humming a little tune as he scrubbed diapers, "If you want to hold the baby, have your own! If you snatch her again, she'll only call you second uncle."
With an empty embrace, Zeng Jingchu felt his heart also empty. His elder brother's words provoked him, and he gritted his teeth and agreed, "I'll have one! I'll wave my hand, and a line of people willing to have children for me will come."
Zeng Jingliang glanced at him, "If you have the guts, don't use your identity as the CEO of the Zeng Corporation to wave. Try acting like a beggar or a disabled person."
"If you can truly find someone willing to have a child with you, that would be true love. Understand?"
"I'll try!" Zeng Jingchu returned to the front yard, tidied up a few sets of clothes, and went to the village to find someone to trade with.
Naturally, he didn't find anyone to trade with. The villagers no longer had any tattered beggar clothes.
When Tian Jing learned that the brothers were arguing over Afong's daughter, she couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire:
"Zeng Jingchu, I'll help you alter the clothes. You can pose as a down-and-out young master, because you'll look unconvincing as a beggar."
"However, you must bring Zeng Jingrong along. Tell him that if he can make a woman fall madly in love with him by pretending to be so destitute that he's almost begging, then I won't urge him to have children."
"And if he also falls in love with this woman who loves him to death, then I'll reluctantly continue the Han family lineage."
"Later, when I find a suitable candidate, I'll hand over the Han family lineage."
Zeng Jingchu, a novice in love, readily agreed.
Zeng Jingliang, an experienced person, shivered. Sister Tiantian was too ruthless.
However, what he most looked forward to was his second brother also stepping on a love landmine.