In winter, no matter in the rural areas or in the town, “Puffed rice” was popular. Some did this business by walking around or in the street with loads on shoulder, with the machine and coal stove on one end, the air box, linen bag on the other. Some would put the loads on a small boat, rowing around. In the Lane or on the River, they cried out, “Puffed rice, fried twisted pastry……”. If someone asked for the price, they would answer, “Fifteen cent per fire.” “Fire” here meant one time. One “fire” could make one jin of puffed rice. They would select the right place like a street corner or an open playground, put down their loads, lit the stove, started the business of making puffed rice. They would push the air box with one hand, turn the machine with another, very systematic, well coordinated. People crowded around the air box, lined up, either asking for puffed rice or fried twisted pastry. After the big belly machine on the stove rolled for a few minutes, it would stop, they would warn people of the sound of explosion, “Listen!” With a loud sound of “Boom”, those puffed rice or pastry would be pouring out into the linen bag. After they cooled down, people would pay, transferred them into their own containers, took them back home.

    Puffed rice were often made from rice, while popcorn from corn. After they were puffed in the machine, they both became expanded and bigger. Puffed rice still kept the base shape, but changed their color into white; Popcorn were completely changed, the corn were opened up like a flower, yellow and milky white. Testing them in the mouth, both of them were alike, crisp and scented. Add a small spoon of saccharin while puffing, they would taste a little bit sweet. More tempting, the saliva started dribbling.

    Talking about puffed rice and popcorn, they were regular consumption. People would often say, “Puffed rice under your pillar still make people hungry to death.”, which told the best part of them. No matter how much you ate, it would not hurt your stomach or became over-weighted. The rural kids had no snacks to eat, they would desperately eat when they got the chance. The adults in the family would not allow them to do so, tell them they would have a poor digestion with too much of them. But that was just a “Liar”. They wanted to keep them for their guests. When they didn’t have eggs, they would grasp handfuls of puffed rice or popcorn, mixed with saccharin, made a cup of tea, to entertain guests.

    Chungen left home out of his anger, not far away from the village, having nothing to do. Then he came to a small town called Zhuhong, where he helped carrying the loads,pulling the air box for the business. In the course of contact, he got to know the owner, Mr. Huang, of a private tea house. It was strange that the

    people’s commune movement was going on so well but the town of Zhuhong was like a land of idyllic beauty. There was a private tea house. They needed a laborer to carry water.

    Chungen came out alone with nothing, only strength. So he joined the tea house with Mr. Huang, carrying water.

    A few days later, he suggested that Mr. Huang should spend some money to build a wharf. The water quality had great effect on their business. To get good water, they must use the fresh water, so a wharf forgetting fresh water became very important. If the wharf was close to the bank, the water would not be clear and clean, because it’s inevitable that there were some living waste on the water; So if the wharf was far from the bank,close to the the center of river, the water was mostly clear and clean, less waste and pollution. The truth was self-evident, but no other workers ever suggested to him since Mr. Huang started this business tens of years ago. Chungen was really brave. He put forward the request only after a few days working here. After all, Chungen came from Xianghe Village, he was familiar with the Water Pile Wharf, had seen all people wash rice, vegetables, carry water at the Wharf. Would it possible for business on water without a water pile wharf?

    Mr. Huang agreed, gave some money, asking Chungen to take charge in  building the wharf. Chungen felt embarrassed. How could he, as a worker, make  decisions for the owner? Seeing him embarrassed, Mr Huang repeated, “Don’t be  shy. I tell you to make decisions on behalf of me. You are working here, not a guest.”

    The boss was the boss, who let you be a worker in the tea house? Chungen said to himself. Taking over the money from the boss, he began to think all about building the wharf. It’s better to save time and money, to finish it in a short time because the tea house was in need of good water. As a young man, he had a quick mind. Nobody saw Chungen finding many handymen, or artisans, or prepare many materials, but two or three days later, a brand new water pile wharf came into being in front of Mr. Huang. A wharf made up of tree sticks reaching to the center of the river. The regular wharf had stakes only at the end, but the one built by Chungen had stakes both at the end and in the middle in order to make the wharf reaching as far as possible to the center of the river. The regular wharf was made up of original tree sticks that were round and smooth, easy to fall down when people walked on it. The one that Chungen built was made up of square sticks, with very small gaps between them, the surface was flat and neat.

    “Very good. Perfect.” Mr Huang was so pleased with the new wharf which saved him time and money when he took the rest of the money for the wharf from Chungen.

    Chungen was sure happy with the wharf, because not only he could carry clear and clean water, but also he didn’t have to takeoff his shoes, roll up his trousers to get water. You never knew it’s all right to do this in summer, but too uncomfortable to stand in the water in winter.

    Chungen carried water mostly in the early morning when the water was clear with less waste. At dawn, after a little washing himself, he carried the empty wooden barrels on the shoulder, went out. Everyone could see he was a water carrier. First, look at his clothes. There was not much difference, but when you looked at him carefully, you would find a strapping on his lower legs, dark blue cloth strips, wide, one after another, from the foot neck up to his small legs. Chungen sure didn’t know about this, he didn’t understand why. At home, he didn’t use to carry water every day, never had the strapping. But Mr. Huang told him it was different from that in his hometown. He did this every day for a whole year, it wouldn’t do without the strapping. According to what Mr. Huang said, Chungen kept an eye on those water carriers. Every one had a strapping. Otherwise, the two trouser legs would entangle with each other, get in his own heels. Imagine, with a heavy load of water on the shoulder, this stumbling must cause a severe fall down. It was painful to hurt himself, but more terrible to damage the stuff on his shoulder. As a worker here, could he afford to pay that indemnity? With that strapping, definitely no more stumbling, he could walk and carry water faster and safer.

    Look at his wrist, there was always a blue striped towel on it. It was obvious for him to wipe off sweat and dirt. Usually the water carriers put the towel on shoulder.

    When getting sweated, they would take it down and wipe off the sweats. When finished, they would take it down and wipe off the dirt. But Chungen didn’t put his towel on shoulder, neatly on his wrist. So it’s more convenient to just raise his hand to wipe. Besides, the towel would not falloff the shoulder when he moved or ran. Otherwise he would have to stop and bend down to pick it up. It saved him time. As to wipe off dirt,Chungen had prepared another piece of cloth, he didn’t bear to wipe off dirt with his towel. Next, look at his tools: a carrying pole and two big buckets. The pole was made of sandalwood, smooth and light red, very old, with good elasticity on the shoulder, protecting the shoulder. The buckets were higher than the others’, with a drum shaped waist, of large capacity, a bamboo circle around the bucket mouth to prevent spilling of water. The buckets were light red because they were painted with Chinese wood oil for many years. These were tools for his job. He lived on these in the tea house. You couldn’t imagine how Chungentreated them as a treasure. As soon as he finished his job, he would dry themclean with cloth, under the sun, then put them back they were, no one else wanted to use them. One time a water carrier from the the town used them without asking his permission, he got very angry, scolded him. People in the tea house, fireman, water men, all said, although he was very polite,Chungen would become very fierce when it came to his carrying pole and buckets, hard to deal with.

    The town of Zhuhong was not very big, no decent roads or buildings. There were about one hundred households, living along four brick streets, most of them were low bungalows. The tea house was located at the third street on the east. There were two rows of rooms, with a courtyard, it was a quadrangle dwellings. The room facing the street was tea stoves in two kitchens, with two big pots, with wooden edges at the pot mouth to increase the volume. Special people made fires and special people made tea. The residents in the town had a habit of drinking tea in the house, they didn’t make tea at home. The local customs varied from place to place. To say nothing of Xianghe Village tens of miles waterway from Zhuhong. In the town, making tea was paid in cash, one or two cents in lead coins. But most of them were paid in chips, bought in advance every month. One bottle of hot water by one chip, made of bamboo with a seal of Huang’s. So you couldn’t get hot water with chips from others. Generally speaking, they were regular customers. Sometimes it was ok if the customer didn’t give chips. As they knew each other, they couldn’t get away from each other. The rear row of rooms were bed rooms. The central rooms were for Mr. Huang and his families, the others for the workers to live, with two people sharing one room, wide enough. Chungen shared the room with the fire maker. Both of them had to get up very early, looking after each other.

    Every morning, Chungen had to walk along the long street of No.3 Zhu to get water from the wharf on the west. He had to fill the two large pots with water, which needed five trips back and forth. The people said that was not an easy job for Chungen. But Chungen felt he had more than enough strength, five trips, a few miles. A piece of cake for him. After working hard in a day, then have a good sleep, he was full of strength the next day.

    It was a few months since Chungen started working in the town. He got acquainted with the local people, started to do good deeds for them. People living on the No. 3 Zhu Street all benefited from him.

    “Chungen,bring me a bucket of water.” “Ok.”

    Aunt Zhang and Sister Li in the street would stick their head from the crack in the door when they heard his foot steps, saying hello to him as well as asking him to do a favor to carry water.

    Mr. Huang was not pleased when he heard that Chungen volunteered to carry water for the neighbors for quite some time. One day he asked Chungen, very seriously, “I hired you, you should work for our house.” Chungen nodded, accepted Mr. Huang’s teaching, expressed his agreement that he would not do this again.

    With Mr. Huang’s prohibition, Chungen didn’t dare to carry water for the neighbors. But he still got up very early, took his tools, walked along the street.

    “We are sorry about it,Chungen.”

    “That’s ok. The boss didn’t allow me. Sorry about it.”

    The neighbors in the street were very reasonable. They didn’t bother Chungen any more since his boss didn’t allow him to do it. So Chungen felt sorry for them. Mr. Huang heard about it, became happy. One day he said, “You are good to be obedient.” with a polite tone.

    In fact, Mr. Huang didn’t know that Chungen carried water for Aunt Lan who sold odds and ends of sewing. He never stopped doing that even after the talk with Mr. Huang. It was too difficult for a woman to make a living with kids. Chungen thought so, but never told Aunt Lan about it.

    It was only tens of miles of waterway from Xianghe Village to the Town of Zhuhong. But it stopped him from getting news about his family. Something happened to his sister Cuiyun. Chungen didn’t know a thing about it.

    One sunny day in winter, a group of girls and boys were digging a fishing pond. Some were carrying earth on shoulder, others were moving earth with wooden boards, lining up into rows. Very soon, they became heated, began to take off clothes. Boys and girls started to touch each other, making jokes, teasing each other.

    With the laughing and singing, boys became excited. Some one glared at Cuiyun’s bulging breasts, “Cuiyun, we will buy you a brand new Dacron shirt if you get naked with your upper half, walked around at the bottom of the pond.”

    Although these girls fed on porridge, vegetable and wheat, their body were growing tall, the breasts were getting bulged, which made boys running around them all day long. The boys would ask Xiang Dashao for a favor to arrange them to work together with the girls. Working, as well as laughing and signing relieved their fatigue. Cuiyun and Qin Yatou were the most popular among the boys. Qin Yatou was protected by Chunyu. They often went out selling tofu together, very seldom to see them working in the fields. But it was different with Cuiyun. Although someone introduced a PLA solider to her, there was no further news. She was considered a great catch by the boys.

    “Bet on it. Bet on it!” The boys began to shout, beating their carrying poles, baskets and sticks, heckling and teasing. “A Dacron shirt? Are you boasting?” The girls got suspicious. That would cost about ten yuan(*equal to CDN$2 based on the current exchange rate). You had to know that working a whole day could only make ten cents. “We would be a bitch if we lied to you.” the boys yelled.

    “Bet on it, Cuiyun. There were only a few boys at the bottom. They won’t eat you up.” The girls encouraged her. “I will bet.” Cuiyun agreed, her two bulged nipples bouncing, hoping to go out. At this moment, someone started to sing,

    The sister was beautiful,

    The two nipples were curled,

    Hoped to go and touch,

    Frightened with heart beating fast.

    After she walked around the bottom of the pond, Cuiyun became heated all over, wanted to cry out, but when she looked up, no one was there. Then she felt something hit on her head, buzzing, her legs got soft, fell on the bottom, stupidly, didn’t respond for quite some time. The sun was warm, shining on her breasts, two round nipples didn’t seem to care for her feelings, curled with youth and vigor.

    Cuiyun blearily looked at the empty sky in the distance. The sky was so empty, dazzling to her that the sunlight had become white. Suddenly she touched her breast unconsciously, “Wow”, she fell on the messy clothes, pinching fiercely on her curled nipples, tears coming down her face.

    After this happened, there was a lot of gossip. The villagers would not look at her with regular eyes. In fact, in summer, the aged women used to leave their breasts open, shaking their fans, sitting on the same bench with men, talking and laughing, enjoying the cool air. Even young women who had kids would breastfeed in front of their husband,lifting up their shirt as if nobody was beside her, pinching their white nipples to feed the kids. However, the unmarried girls were not allowed to do so. They would be criticized by the public with a slightest presumptuousness. It had always been the local custom. The old women in the Lane were talking about Cuiyun. “Cuiyun got big guts for a young girl.” “That’s true. Disgraceful!”

    Fortunately, Qin Yatou came to stay with Cuiyun every day, otherwise Chunyu didn’t know what to do. With this kind of scandal in the family, the old gentleman Mr. Liu felt very embarrassed. Chungen went out to work without permission, which made his family become “household working privately”, he was shamed of it. Now the scandal of his daughter made him feel more sorry, he could hardly speak. This was another big blow to the family. “A family misfortune. As a teacher, I hadn’t taught my daughter well.” Anran bowed deeply, bending very low in front of the statute of Chairman Mao on the shrine.

    Anran became sick, without eating anything for a few days. Grandma Three  came to him with a box of cookies. Seeing her coming, Cuiyun and Qin Yatou met  her in the hall-room. “My brother, your sister-in-law has come to see you.” Grandma  Three didn’t sit, but went straight to Anran’s room in the east. Chunyu came out  to support her into the room. In the east room, Shuimei was putting on a drip for  Anran. The bottle was hanging on the shelf at the bed, bubbles were cooing in the  bottle. After all, Anran was an old man, very thin, his veins were big, salt water was  dripping fast. Anran closed his eyes, but when he heard Grandma Three, he moved  a little bit,opened his eyes, trying to rise up. “Thanks for your coming to see me.” Shuimei pressed Anran on the arm, said, “Don’t move, otherwise, the needle gets  crooked, you will bleed.” “Lie down. I put the tea snacks beside your bed. Eat when  you want.” Grandma Three comforted him, passing the cookies to Chunyu. “It is not the right time I get sick. Don’t know when I will recover. The last month of the year is coming. Their wedding will beheld in the first month of the Chinese Lunar New Year. We have got so many things to prepare.“Hearing what Anran said, Qin Yatou’s face went red, thinking she would be the daughter-in-law in the family, become Chunyu’s wife. She glanced quietly at Chunyu, but found him standing behind Shuimei without any expression on his face. His mind was not in this room. Cuiyun also heard his father’s words, but she was thinking of another thing. Grandma Three became worried on hearing what Anran said. The wedding of the two young people was so important to her. She would not feel relieved if they didn’t get married. Look, even the nice girl Cuiyun should have done such ridiculous thing which made the adults feel ashamed of. As the saying went, a married woman was like spilled water. She would be relieved as long as Qin Yatou married Chunyu. Then she turned to Shuimei, “What illness is their father suffering? How soon will he recover?” “Just a fever. Nothing serious. He will recover in four to five days.” Shuimei stretched her waist for a break after being busy with dripping and checking up. She felt a little bit tired, especially with a baby in her tummy. Grandma Three heard about her story, now saw her face to face, finding her tummy much bigger, properly giving birth to the baby in spring. It was said she would get Chunyu as the step father of the baby. Then what about her daughter Qin Yatou? Thinking of this. Grandma Three felt it more urgent to hold the wedding in the new year. She had made up her mind, no one could change it.

    “Attention, please. Hand in the name list of “Large Scale” laborers this year to the Brigade. We will gather and go to the work site as soon as we reviewed it.”

    This was the voice of the acting secretary Tan. They hadn’t heard the voice of Xiangyuan for quite a few days. The acting secretary Tan was the accountant, with few chances to speak in the speaker, but was asked by Xiangyuan to give some announcements for meetings, never had anything important. Now Tan came to the front, although as the acting secretary, the villagers took him as the secretary.

    In the Xianghe area, there were “l(fā)arge scale” projects every year. But only a few laborers were selected. Although it was hard, they could get around one hundred jin of grains for work in a whole winter because they got subsidies both from the government and the brigade. Those, who had not enough food for the winter, or who were single without anything to do at home, or who wanted to get some grains home for the spring festival, would simply rush to go. The question was that not everyone could go if he wanted. The selection process was very choosy.

    The “l(fā)arge scales” were mostly state-owned key water conservancy projects. The “medium scales” were water conservancy projects organized by the commune in winter break. Two batches of laborers were selected from the village, the rest of them were aged, weak or sick people.

    The selected people were called migrant worker (* selected farmers who went to work at a special construction project). They carried a load with cotton quilt and eating tools in it on one end, spade and bamboo pan on the other. Small jars with black red pickles in it, no matter for rice or porridge, they took it as “salt”, sweet smelling, delicious to go with rice.

    Xiang Dashao had one thing determined every year, whether the secretary was Xiangyuan or Tan. The production team would host the migrant workers for a big meal as a “see-off” before they left home. They would work there for the whole winter. Five people went on behalf of the whole team. The meal was held in the evening at the same place. It was simple with a few dishes, among which were two main dishes, plus barley liquor from the store, no body cared if they were paid or not. Not only the production team but also the Brigade did the same when they bought things on credit, eventually no one would pay for them.

    The other one was pig’s head meat. Barley liquor was put in big bowls with blue flowers. Pig’s head meat was cut into square pieces, placed in coarse porcelain basins. Now the migrant workers were eating and drinking, making a pig of themselves. It was rare for them to have such a meal with meat and alcohol without paying for it. Xiang Dashao was very thoughtful, after the food and drink, he asked Agen Huo to throw a box of black cards on the table. “Come, come, Don’t be shy. Take your seat.” He already sat in the best seat as he said. “You guys will stay there for the whole winter. I will play cards with you tonight.” “The leader wants to play with you guys, Why not sit down?” Agen Huo pushed them one by one to the seats. Although the migrant workers drank lots of alcohol, they could do nothing but sit and play since the leader was ready to play.

    The”Large scale” this year was the River of Cheluhe, the important “No.1 Project” in the county. In the eyes of the leaders, No.1 was very important, in the first place. In the local custom, No. 1 was the byword of toilet. People in the town of Chu County, early in the morning, when meeting each other, would say hello, “Good morning. Going to No.1?” “Yes. No.1”. There was a public toilet not far away in the small street.

    The work site of River of Cheluhe Project was the Flagpole Marsh in the east of the town. Its area was not bigger than that of Coal Golden Marsh. Now, the whole marsh was dried to the bottom. 200, 000 people from the county gathered here in an answer to the call, building up the River of Cheluhe. Rows of people were digging earth, groups of people were carrying earth. They dug with spades and shovels, carried with loads and bamboo baskets. One section connected with another, one square pond next to another. There were flags of some regiment in every section of the site. There were color flags in every square pond, flying in the air. On the colorful flags were written, “…… Youth Shock Brigade” “…… Iron Girls” “…… Old Yugong Team” . etc. Looking from the distance, the Flagpole Marsh was a sea of people, a dark mess, all migrant workers. Flagpole Marsh became a marsh of people, a marsh of color flags.

    Some were carrying by oneself, others were carrying with two people, in a long line, winding like a snake swimming in the river. Taking earth, moving earth, the work song was loudly sung like a thunder in the sky, rising one after another, resounding in the air of Flagpole Marsh.

    There were work sheds everywhere on the site, crowded. During the day,  people worked outside, except those who cooked, did logistics, some leaders from  different regiments. They did studies on the project. When the sun set down, it got  cold and dark. The migrant workers couldn’t do anything except going to bed after  supper. The men talked everything under the sun. These were strong men, they had  been away from their wives for some days, when they lay down, their dicks began to  get hard. So they had to make their mouth happy by saying dirty things about others’ wives. Someone’s wife had big nipples, someone’s wife had a sharp ass, someone’s  wife was beautiful, etc……

    Something was going to happen. That early morning, at dawn, Qin Yatou got up to wash rice, to cook breakfast. Qin Yatou and some other girls were assigned to work for logistics at the work site of Xianghe Village. For the large project like the River of Cheluhe, a regiment was set up by the commune, a battalion by brigade, a company by production team, the whole project by headquarters. In the whole battalion of Xianghe, about one hundred migrant workers ate the meals cooked by Qin Yatou and other three women. That kept them very busy. Only by cooking that big pot of porridge for breakfast, they had to move the rice by shoveling, then turning it over, which made them sweating all over, out of breath.

    Qin Yatou carried a big rice basket, went out of the work shed, going towards the river. Suddenly she felt pain in her stomach, she wanted to make water/pee. Looking around, she found no where to shade, all bare. It was not convenient for the women on the work site. It was said that a few days ago, on the work site, a woman was digging earth when suddenly she threw off her spade and fell down, then never came back to life again. Later it was found out that she wanted to make water, but there were people all around her, no toilet. So she just waited and waited for the chance that no other people were there, but in vain. She thought and thought, then couldn’t bear it any more, felt very uncomfortable. But no one ever noticed that because everyone was busy working. Her face went red and white, finally something happened to her. Her bladder was bursting. She was taken to the medical clinic on the site, turned from side to side for a check up, then transferred to the people’s hospital in the town. It was too late, she was choked to death with urine.

    Now, Qin Yatou had suffered a lot, thinking this was true. One couldn’t hold back urine. She had to put down the rice basket, ran faster. She was urgent to urinate. She was lucky to see a place full of reeds before her. She ran into it, lowered her pants, began to make water. She breathed deeply after it, feeling comfortable. Just as she rose up to leave, put on back her pants, a man laid her down, pressed on her. The man put his hard dick right into her vagina, no trouble at all, so easy, totally into her crotch.

    There was a blank in her mind. She was raped before she found out what was going on. When the man rose up from her, Qin Yatou saw a familiar face. It was the agricultural technician in Xianghe Village, Genshui.

    It turned out that Genshui was cutting reeds, because water leaking at the center of the pond, which made it difficult for the workers to step on. The battalion leader asked him to cut some reeds before going to work so that it would not influence the people to dig and to carry. Genshui had obeyed the acting secretary Tan so as to keep his position as the agricultural technician. He had to be serious with the job assigned by Tan. So he got up very early to cut reeds. He saw very clearly when Qin Yatou ran into the reeds. Last night when they talked about dirty things, he got so excited that he masturbated, cum. Now it was no one else’ fault. Qin Yatou hit the gun. She presented herself before him.

    Talking about this “l(fā)arge scale”, Genshui was pleased. Because his family became “Working privately outside”, Chunyu wasn’t qualified to come. But Qin Yatou came. He always liked her. Genshui had thought that Qin Yatou would not come if Chunyu didn’t. But she did come, he could see her every day. He went out so early to cut reeds hoping that he might meet her because cooks always got up early to cook breakfast.

    Genshui himself didn’t expect things to turn out like this. All of a sudden, he fell on his knees in front of Qin Yatou, burst into tears. “You never knowhow much I liked you. I dreamed of you every night, but you always had Chunyu in your eyes, never looked at me in the eye. Except he had a father with education, where was I inferior to him? My heart is so bitter and stuffy.”

    “Don’t mention my Chunyu. No, pleasedon’t.” Qin Yatou got crazy, pushing  Genshui hard with her hands. Genshui didn’t fight back, only crying out, “Why  should I be so unlucky? The girl I liked never had me in her mind, the girl who are  going to marry me didn’t have me in her mind, either. Little Qin, I beg you to marry  me since we had sex. I will refuse Shuimei. Since Xiangyuan is not the secretary,  he can’t do anything to me.” Without waiting for Genshui to finish, a slap of “Pop” was heard on Genshui’s mouth. “Don’t call me Little Qin. You don’t deserve it.” Qin  Yatou was almost yelling. “Little Qin” was first called by her loving Chunyu, he was  the only one qualified to call. Who are you? How dare you call me Little Qin? She  felt sick, wanted to vomit, more intolerable than being raped just now. She thought it  was a stain on her feeling, which she couldn’t suffer.

    “Go to hell. You brute. Marry you, that’s your dream, unless I die, then take my dead body home.” Qin Yatou gave Genshui dead words, staggered off the reeds where she was slandered that way. She had only Chunyu in her mind, she couldn’t let him know about this, nor other people. She couldn’t afford to lose her face.

    There was nothing like an absolute secret in the world. The rumour that Qin Yatou was raped by Genshui at the work site of Cheluhe was soon spread out. Everyone was talking about it.

    It really killed Grandma Three. A few days ago, she went to Anran’s house to discuss about their wedding in the first lunar month of the New Year. Who knew that something was going to happen? It did happen to her. This damn Genshui almost killed her.

    An unmarried girl was raped which would be something bad on her for her life. How would she be able to look up and live? Lai Tizi, how could you raise such a little animal without humanity?

    Grandma Three was so angry that she asked Er Kuazi to close the store, which had never happened before. Even when he went to get supplies, the store was not closed. “Close the store and follow me.” Er Kuazi heard from his mother’s tone that this was an order, not allowing him to say anything. “Where is Duck Li? And Agen Huo?” the elderly mother checked the other two who were not present. Er Kuazi locked the gate, said to his mother, “Duck Li has gone to Hunchback Tan’s house, taking “Black Vegetable Melon” to Yang’s Village for the communication. Tan is still in prison. Xiangyu was not easy.” “Not easy? What about your sister? You and your wife didn’t do anything about it. Are you able to pass with your conscience? Where has Agen Huo gone?” “Relax, relax. Since it happened, it doesn’t help even if you get so angry to be sick. Agen Huo has gone to the “l(fā)arge scale”. You are confused, I am afraid.” “This useless guy, we can’t count on him. Well, let’s go to Lai Tizi’ s house. I have got something to talk with her.” She walked before Er Kuazi, straight to Lai Tizi’s house.

    Lai Tizi was crying out at home, “Genshui, you animal. We are widows and orphans. It’s so difficult to raise you up. But you have done such humiliating thing. Where should I put my face? Thanks for your Uncle Xiangyuan to have cultivated you, why did you make us down?” Xiangyuan was in the hall-room, too, with his bands behind his back, walking round. “You made me disappointed. All my good intentions were regarded by you as evil intentions. You can afford to lose face, but I can’t. Lai Tizi, tell me how I can tell Shuimei about it.”

    It was true that people were not bias/eccentric, the dogs don’t eat shit. Finally Xiangyuan was thinking about his daughter. Originally Shuimei was reluctant to marry Genshui in the first month of the Chinese Lunar New Year. With this, would Shuimei still agree? Xiangyuan had no idea. He didn’t even think about Qin Yatou, would Chunyu still marry her with this?

    “Lai Tizi, Lai Tizi, come out. I have got something to talk to you.” Grandma Three raised her voice as soon as she arrived at the door. Lai Tizi came out from the hall-room to meet her, “My dear sister-in-law, I am so sorry for Qin Yatou, sorry for all your family.” She cried as she fell on her knees with a bump before Grandma Three, then continued scolding her son, “Genshui, you animal. You are too nasty.

    Better to kill your mother. How can I look up and live? Where can I put my face? Too humiliating.”

    “Let’s go. Go to the work site, I won’t stop until I see Genshui. I wish I could bite him.” “My elder sister-in-law, I have the same feeling, I would bite him even as his mother.”

    The people who really wanted to bite him were not only the two women but also Chunyu. Chunyu thought it was immoral for Genshui to have done it. Qin Yatou was after all the girl that he loved. No matter how he was struggling between Qin Yatou and Xuehua,but it was not his turn to hurt her. “Little Qin, it was my fault. If it were not for my impulse with Xuehua, I would not have done something like that. Then I would not have been indifferent to you. Otherwise I would go to the work site with you and protect you. Well, what should I do now?” Chunyu suddenly felt Qin Yatou was not his girl any more, something separating him from her, not clear, unknown.

    Genshui had done such cheap thing, which made Shuimei make her decision to give up the marriage with him. She told Xiangyuan and Qiao Guanzi that she would rather remain single than marry such a mean man. In her opinion, they had the same problem, but she did it with love, the baby was their crystallization of love. The world didn’t accept it, but she didn’t feel ashamed of. It was different with Genshui, happened with the instinct of an animal, a kind of simple sexual gratification, without any feelings of love.

    If Shuimei had a despise on Genshui, Xuehua had a little gratitude from her heart for Genshui. Although this was almost vicious for Xuehua to think so, unfair for Qin Yatou, the feelings of love between a young man and woman was selfish, exclusive, even without any reason. To be honest, Xuehua had hated the world for unfairness to her, why the same love from her was not accepted by Chunyu, while Qin Yatou was so lucky and happy, she was jealous of her. Xuehua thought that her infatuation moved God so that such dramatic changes happened. She even felt that Chunyu was walking towards her. His steps were beating her heart.