Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 86

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Zhao Tiesheng grew impatient and went straight to the west room. His cousin, Zhou Chunwen, was combing her hair when she saw Zhao Da'e approach and asked, "Your father's here. Why are you here? Aren't you going back?"

"I'm not going back. Going back would be torture!" Zhao Da'e pouted. "Big sister, could you comb my hair? It's a bit dry."

"Okay, sure." Zhou Chunwen came over with a wooden comb to comb Zhao Da'e's hair. Zhao Da'e didn't have much hair, but it was jet black, though a bit short, barely reaching her shoulders.

"Hey Goose, do you want to buy some conditioner or something? I heard they sell that stuff now."

"Don't even mention it." Zhao Da'e sighed. "I bought some last time and took it to my mom, but then I got busy and forgot about it. I think the Bee & Flower rose-scented shampoo is the best; it smells so nice."

"In a while, I'll have some money. I'm going to go to town and do some serious shopping. I'll get all sorts of food, drinks, and household items."

"By the way, did your dad really come to call you home? Why would he come so late at night?" Zhou Chunwen asked suspiciously.

People in rural areas tend to go to bed earlier, especially in winter. It's already dark around 4 or 5 a.m., but it's already past 6 a.m. and it's pitch black. Although there's still some time before bedtime, it's very unusual for someone to be up at this hour.

Zhou Chunwen generally believed that if Zhao Tiesheng genuinely wanted to call Zhao Da'e, he would have come either in the morning or at noon, and besides, it didn't really need to be deliberate. The two houses weren't far apart, and Zhao Da'e would run into Zhao Tiesheng every day when he went home to get water in the backyard.

Why didn't he mention it then, but now he's coming over in the middle of the night to tell people to go home?

That's a bit of a stretch.

Zhao Da'e shrugged: "Who says otherwise?"

"My dad has something else to do, he's looking for my aunt's husband. Based on my own analysis, I guess someone on the Zhao family's side is getting restless. It's almost Laba Festival, and my mom hasn't come back from her parents' home, so they're getting anxious."

However, it shouldn't be my dad and grandpa who are anxious. It should be my great-uncle or my third great-uncle's two uncles. They are all upright and good people. They're worried because my mom isn't coming back. What if she never comes back? My dad will be a bachelor forever. Who can stand by and watch their brother or nephew remain a bachelor?

Our family was dirt poor. We didn't own a single house, nor a single penny. No matter who came, hard work was useless; it could only keep my grandparents from starving temporarily. But after a while, we were finished, and we could only rely on government relief food.

As Zhou Chunwen combed Zhao Dage's hair, she nodded and said, "That's right. The three of us sisters go to fetch water every day. Your grandpa, with his hands behind his back, has more airs than an ancient emperor. Your grandma doesn't leave the house, your third uncle drinks a little wine, and your third aunt doesn't leave the house either. Your dad pretends to be gathering firewood. Your family is really a strange one."

Zhou Chunwen sometimes wondered, "Tell me, even if they just stay indoors all day, how can they stand it? Don't they get bored? I couldn't sit still. Sitting on the kang (heated brick bed) all day, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, that's even more uncomfortable than squatting on a bamboo fence. I'd rather go out and do some work, even if it's tiring, it's more comfortable, and I can sleep more comfortably at night. If I had to stay indoors all day, doing nothing, I'd become a complete idiot."

Besides, even putting aside what others say, at least your grandfather cooks, but your grandmother really doesn't come out and doesn't do any housework. If she stays there for too long, won't she get all sorts of illnesses?

Zhao Da'e nodded: "That's not how it is, my grandma later..."

Later, Zhao Da'e's grandmother passed away due to a combination of high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and heart disease.