Chapter 32: I'm Not a Stepmother Anymore

Chapter 32: I'm Not a Stepmother Anymore

"San Ya, stay at home. Auntie has found a good match for you. It's Wang Fugui from Xidatang. He's 35 years old, tall and strong, and can earn ten centimeters a day.

There are three large rooms in the house. Although I have a 19-year-old sister who is not married yet, she lives in one room with me. He is an only child, so all three rooms will be yours from now on.

Although there was a wife who died in childbirth and left behind five boys, the children are still young and can't remember anything. If you marry her, you don't have to go through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth, and you can become a mother. "

Zhang Shan held back her eyes and asked curiously: "With such good conditions, why did you choose me?"

"It's because you are capable and sensible, and you have a good reputation. You and he can run a good family in the future, and you can be the head of the family after you marry him."

I understand. He is a 35-year-old dark, fat, poor widower. His mother is mean and his sister is difficult to deal with. His wife just died, leaving behind five sons. His youngest son is just one month old. He needs a "wife" who is a nanny and wet nurse to help him with household chores and earn work points together to raise the children.

"Aunt Wang, I am very satisfied with him, but I have a few requests."

"You said."

"First, he is an old man, and there are still so many burdens in the family. I am young and good-looking, so I can't lose out. I want a dowry of 500 yuan, and at least 46 legs. Second, his sister must get married within a month after I get married, and I will be in charge of the dowry to prevent them from spending money recklessly. Third, after I get married, his youngest son will have to change his surname to mine, and I will have to take care of the five brothers. I don't know when I will have a child, and my father must leave a descendant, right?"

After Zhang Shan finished speaking, Aunt Wang's face darkened, "San Ya, your request is too high. With Wang Fugui's family background, 500 yuan is not enough, and those 46 legs, you are going to take their lives!

As for his sister's betrothal gift, it was also for her to take as a dowry after marriage. Otherwise, how would her in-laws view her?

And why should someone's son have your last name? He is not your son. Your three conditions are unreasonable and too greedy. In my opinion, the betrothal gift should be reduced to five yuan, and you can give ten yuan as a dowry, and your father's house should also be used as a dowry..."

Zhang Shan sneered in her heart, who is greedy?

She pretended to be regretful and said, "If we can't come to an agreement, then forget about this marriage. I believe that with my conditions, I can definitely find a better family."

After saying that, she turned around and went back to the house, leaving Aunt Wang there cursing.

Zhang Shan returned to the house and received the original owner's memories.

The original owner was the third girl in the Zhang family. There was a famine in 1960, and her two elder sisters were exchanged for a bag of soybeans and sent to the next village as child brides. San Ya was very beautiful, and her parents wanted to exchange it for more expensive rice for their youngest son. Unexpectedly, before they could get the rice, the family of three were beaten to death by bandits.

Zhang Sanya lived until she was fifteen years old by eating tree bark and grass roots. Aunt Wang from the same village had been eyeing her for a long time. She charged the highest introduction fee and introduced the original owner to Wang Fugui, whose wife had just died and who had five sons.

The original owner was fooled by Aunt Wang, and found out it was a hell of a place after she married her. However, she couldn't divorce, so she could only work hard to support Wang Fugui's family and children. Wang Fugui was a mama's boy and violent, and the five children were naughty and hostile. The mother-in-law was mean and selfish, and the sister-in-law was spoiled and difficult to deal with.

The original owner worked the most, ate the least, and was despised by Wang Fugui's family.

In 1970, a mudslide occurred in the village and Wang Fugui was crushed to death by a collapsed house.

Mrs. Wang thought that she was a disaster star and instilled this in her five grandsons. The five children were very disgusted and resentful of the original owner. Although they ate the food earned by the original owner's work points and lived in the original owner's mother's house, they were very rude to the original owner.

The original owner valued her reputation so much that she could only raise five children with tears in her eyes, support the bad-tempered, mean, selfish and ungrateful Mrs. Wang, and deal with her sister-in-law who would come back to her parents' home from time to time to cause trouble.

The original owner raised five children to adulthood, but received no praise from them. When she was old, she was driven out of the house by her five children.

Zhang Shan couldn't help but sympathize with the original owner, but now that she had become Zhang Sanya, her life could not follow Zhang Sanya's trajectory.

……

*

Aunt Wang told Wang Fugui's family exactly what Zhang Shan had said. Regardless of what the Wang family thought of Zhang Shan, Aunt Wang spread the news first.

When Zhang Shan went out, she met a busybody who asked, "San Ya, did you really say that?"

Zhang Shan: "Yes, I am the only one left in my family. I can't let the Zhang family die out!"

The visitor was not surprised by this. Too many people died during those years of fleeing famine. The lucky families could still have a few people alive to spread the incense, while the unlucky families all starved to death.

Zhang Shan followed her aunts to work in the fields. She earned ten cents a day and was the most diligent girl in the village. Many families were vying to bring her home.

But now that Zhang Shan’s standards for choosing a partner have been revealed, everyone is discouraged.

Zhang Shan also saw Wang Fugui and Wang Pozi in the field. Xidatang was not far from here, and the team members were familiar with each other. Wang Fugui was staring at Zhang Shan's back, and Wang Pozi spat at Zhang Shan.

"You slutty bitch! You seduce people all day long. You have no shame!"

"That's right." Wang Xiaomei also responded.

Zhang Shan gradually became familiar with life in the village. Although Aunt Wang and the mother and daughter of the Wang family tried to ruin her reputation, Zhang Shan quickly gave it back.

It rained heavily a few days ago and the house where Wang Fugui lived collapsed, so he had to move to Wang Pozi and Wang Xiaomei's house. Wang Pozi moved to another house to take care of her grandson. Some busybodies kept a close eye on the Wang siblings and saw that the two lived in the same house and behaved in an ambiguous manner.

So, when Wang Xiaomei was looking for a date, rumors started spreading in the village that Wang Xiaomei had been sleeping with Wang Fugui, and that the brother and sister were having an affair. Now that Wang Xiaomei could no longer keep her pregnancy a secret, she wanted to find a scapegoat to take over.

The people Wang Xiaomei dated kept coming and going, especially as her belly gradually grew, the way people looked at her became more and more strange.

Even Mrs. Wang believed the rumor and slapped Wang Xiaomei in the face, "You slut, you want men so badly that you even don't let your brother go. I'll beat you to death!"

"Mom, mom, I didn't, I didn't seduce my brother, we didn't..."

Wang Pozi didn't listen at all and kicked her hard in the stomach. Wang Xiaomei covered her stomach and cried bitterly, while Wang Fugui hid in the corner without saying a word.

Wang Xiaomei was bleeding a lot from her lower body. Mrs. Wang was frightened and did not dare to ask anyone to send Wang Xiaomei to the hospital. She just took out a handful of wood ash from under the stove and sprinkled it on the wound, not caring whether Wang Xiaomei was dead or alive.

The reputation of the Wang brothers and sisters was completely ruined. Wang Xiaomei couldn't get married, Wang Fugui couldn't find a wife, and the five children were hungry and needed to be fed, which made the whole family worried.

In the golden autumn of September, the sun is very scorching. Working during the day is already very tiring, so the only way is to go out for a stroll at night under the moonlight.

Children, in particular, are very tough and always like to hide in the dark and pretend to be ghosts to scare adults.

"what!!!"

"Hahahahaha..."

"Uncle Fugui is naked, shameless, lelelele~"

Everyone came over and found Wang Fugui lying naked on the haystack. Everyone looked at each other with ambiguous eyes.

"Get out of the way, don't look!!!"

Wang Chunhua, also known as Aunt Wang, covered her white chest and waved her hands in frustration.

Someone shouted, "It's Wang Chunhua. I knew she was having an affair with Wang Fugui. Otherwise, why would she be so eager to help Wang Fugui find a wife?"

"Yes, yes, Wang Mazi, your wife is having an affair with another man, come here quickly, or the adulterer will run away!"

Wang Mazi is a thin and small man with a treacherous face, but don't be fooled by his ugly appearance, he is a well-known ruthless man in the surrounding villages.

"Wang Chunhua, Wang Fugui, how dare you cuckold me? I will kill you!"

Although Wang Fugui looks dark and fat, he is no match for Wang Mazi when it comes to a real fight. Both of them were pinned to the ground and beaten by Wang Mazi, especially Wang Fugui's third leg, which was beaten to a bloody mess.

The screams continued, and the captain arrived quickly and pulled Wang Mazi away.

Wang Fugui and Wang Chunhua were sent to the town hospital. Although Wang Fugui, who was the most seriously injured, survived, he had to be a eunuch from now on. Wang Fugui became Little Fugui, and Wang Po couldn't help crying.

In a corner where no one was paying attention, Wang Xiaomei grinned and tears of joy flowed from the corners of her eyes.

This incident had a great impact. In order to prevent Wang Fugui from suffering on the farm, Wang Po took out the coffin book and wanted Wang Mazi to change his words and let Wang Chunhua take the blame.

"Sister-in-law, why should I help you? Wang Chunhua is my wife. If she goes to the farm, I will be left without a wife. You can't marry a wife as good as her with your fifty dollars. This deal is not worth it, don't you think?"

"As long as you agree, I will give you my younger sister as your wife. You already have six sons anyway, so it doesn't matter whether my younger sister can give birth or not."

"Sister-in-law is really straightforward. Whenever Wang Xiaomei comes to my bed, I will make Wang Chunhua confess her guilt. Sister-in-law, please don't delay too long. Wang Fugui's injury is not easy to heal!"

"Okay, okay, I'll let my little sister come to you tonight, so don't go back on your word!"

Wang Mazi counted the money and various bills in his hand with satisfaction. His eldest son came over and looked at him eagerly. "Dad, I want some candy."

Wang Mazi's eldest son and second son were born to his first wife and are now eleven years old. The remaining four were born to Wang Chunhua, and the youngest is only five years old. Wang Mazi doesn't care about his wives, but he is good to his sons.

"Take it, and remember to share it with your brothers after you buy it. If I find out that you kept it all for yourself, I'll break your legs!" Wang Mazi took out a dime and a candy ticket.

The eldest son was not afraid. He took the money and tickets and ran away happily, followed by his five younger brothers.

When Wang Po returned home, she asked Wang Xiaomei to take a pound of coarse rice to Wang Mazi's house to apologize. Wang Xiaomei was deceived and went to Wang Mazi's house. After Wang Mazi carried her to the bed, she found out that Wang Po had sold her.

The next day, Wang Mazi walked slowly towards the town, holding a piece of dogtail grass in his mouth.

Wang Chunhua was also afraid of being beaten to death by Wang Mazi, so she confessed her guilt readily. Soon she was hung with a pair of broken shoes and paraded through the streets for public display. Three days later, she was sent to a farm in the northwest for reform.

Since Wang Fugui became Xiao Fugui, his temper became unpredictable and he would even get angry with his own mother. Mrs. Wang felt sorry for him and indulged him.

She had to take care of her older son and several younger grandchildren at the same time, and she was overwhelmed and soon fell ill.

That day, Zhang Shan came down the mountain carrying a basket of wild vegetables, and was stopped by Mrs. Wang. "Sanya, our Wang family doesn't mind your bad reputation. We are willing to let you marry here. Please pack up and come live here."

Zhang Shan took three steps back and was one meter away from Wang Po because the smell on her body was too pungent.

"Mrs. Wang, how come I have a bad reputation? Isn't it all because of you? You don't dislike me, but I do dislike you. You are a family with brothers that are not brothers, sisters that are not sisters, men that are not men, and women that are not women. You better stay away from me, or I won't be bothered by your stench."

"You, you, you, I am your elder after all, how can you humiliate me like this, I... I... I will not live any longer, someone, come, Old Wang, come and see, the daughter of the Zhang family is bullying the old man..."

People passing by or not all came over after hearing the noise and pointed at Zhang Shan and Wang Po.

"San Ya, Mrs. Wang is your elder after all, your words are too cruel."

"Captain, I was too angry and lost my temper. First, Mrs. Wang ruined my reputation, and now she wants me to marry Wang Fugui. Wang Fugui doesn't even have a child now. Isn't this going to make my Zhang family extinct?"

"I'm so angry too. Does the Wang family have any grudge against my family? They always want to harm my family!"

"Uh……"

Maybe people just think that you are a girl and easy to bully, and it has nothing to do with the previous generation.

But the way the Wang family eats is just too ugly.

"Wang Pozi, please stop being so rude. You were wrong in the first place. Why would San Ya, a pure and innocent girl, marry into your family?"

"Then I can't let her humiliate me in vain. No, either she marries my son or she pays me compensation."

"Mrs. Wang, you are crazy about money!"

Even the captain began to get impatient.

"I don't care. If you don't pay me, I'll just sit here forever."

"up to you!"

The captain was so angry that he left, and the others followed him.

Zhang Shan wanted to leave, but Wang Po knelt directly in front of her. She thought Zhang Shan would give way and she would get something if she made a fuss.

Unexpectedly, she not only refused, but also took out the tablet of Zhang's father. This made Mrs. Wang really angry.

"you you you……"

Why do you carry the tablet with you?

Mrs. Wang stood up immediately, but for some reason, her knees went weak and she sat down on the ground. Zhang Shan turned a corner and slipped away.

In 1970, a massive mudslide hit Datang Village. The three large earthen houses of Wang Fugui's family collapsed, and all their belongings were swept away by the mudslide. The family then lived in a makeshift thatched hut.

"Saya, your house has many rooms, let them live here first, and move out after they build the house." The team leader was wearing a straw raincoat, his legs were covered in mud, and he looked very embarrassed.

But when Zhang Shan heard who he was talking about, she decisively rejected him.

"Captain, the house in the Youth Farm has collapsed. I asked them to move here. I'm afraid there's no place for Mrs. Wang and her family to rest."

The captain left with a stiff smile. Later, Zhang Shan learned that the captain had taken Wang Po's family to his own home. The food in the house was stolen by her five grandsons, and they had to eat wild vegetables for most of half a year.

The Wang family's reputation in the brigade became worse and worse, and several of their children were also stealing and were not well-liked.

Mrs. Wang died in the river while trying to save her eldest grandson who fell into the water. No one took care of the children in the Wang family anymore. The eldest son hung out with the town's gangsters, was used as cannon fodder, and was beaten to death.

The second and third sons were taken away by a beggar and taken to the mountains in the south. Their lives or deaths were unknown. The fifth son was too young and had no one to take care of him. He ran to the river to catch fish and died in the river.

When only the fourth child was left among the five children, Wang Fugui realized that no one would take care of him when he was old, so he kept the fourth child with him. However, when the fourth child grew up, he could not get married and had to live off his parents.

The fourth brother forced Wang Fugui to go out to work, while he took Wang Fugui's salary to play cards. He would use the winnings to drink and would only go home when he was drunk.

After losing the fight, he went home and beat Wang Fugui up. That's how Wang Fugui was beaten to death by the fourth brother.

During the crackdown period, the fourth child beat his father to death and was sentenced to death.

There is only one daughter, Wang Xiaomei, left in the Wang family. Wang Xiaomei's situation is much better than the original owner. Although her stepsons don't like her and she also works as a nanny, her stepsons are not so ruthless. When she is old, they send her to a nursing home, although it is the worst one.

In 1972, Zhang Shan married the educated youth who stayed in her house. In 1978, she took the college entrance examination and the couple left Dongdatang together.

After the reform and opening up, the couple went into business and became the first group of people to become rich.

After making money, they immediately gave back to Datang Village by building the first cement road and the first school for the village...