Living like a widow? My rough neighbor is coaxing me to have a baby every night.

Chapter 71 Getting something for nothing

Niu Guihua was so choked by those words that her eyes rolled back, and the fat on her face trembled.

"That's not called taking over a bad deal! That's fate!"

She forced a smile, her old face twisted into a wilted grin, and said, "Besides, my Xianglian only has eyes for you. Who in the surrounding area doesn't know that?"

"Stop."

Qin Rushan casually tossed the axe onto the wooden stump, making a loud bang that sent shivers down Niu Guihua's spine.

He tilted his head, one foot on a wooden stump, perfectly portraying the demeanor of a hooligan.

"Aunt Niu, let's not beat around the bush. Are you marrying off your daughter? You're selling pork. Before, you demanded a dowry of three hundred yuan, and you'd slit your throat if it was even a penny less. Now you're trying to force your daughter onto me? Fine, then I'll make myself clear too."

Qin Rushan took a step forward.

He was tall, and his shadow completely enveloped Niu Guihua. The oppressive feeling of him crawling out of a pile of dead bodies forced Niu Guihua to retreat repeatedly.

"I, Qin Rushan, did cherish Xianglian before, but that was in the past. Now..."

He scoffed, his disdain blatant. "It's just for fun. What man wouldn't take a bite if it was offered to him? I used to be content with sneaking into the cornfield with her a couple of times. But if you insist on marrying her into the family, that's a completely different story."

Niu Guihua's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

Is this still the same Qin Rushan who dared to fight the entire village for Xianglian?

This guy is like a heartless traitor who abandons his lover after he's done his bidding!

"What...what do you mean?"

"What do you mean?"

Qin Rushan pulled a crumpled cigarette out of his pocket, but didn't light it; he just put it in his mouth.

"Getting a wife is about making a living; it costs money to support her. If I marry her, I'll have to pay for her gambling brother's debts and be exploited by you, my mother-in-law. If I want to sleep with a woman, I can go to the city and find one for two yuan. Why do I have to spend three hundred yuan to buy a divorced woman and keep her at home? Am I crazy?"

Those words were truly awful; they were like stabbing someone in the heart.

Er Gou, who was eavesdropping behind the house, covered his mouth tightly, almost bursting out laughing.

With acting skills like Brother Rushan's, it would be a waste of his talent if he didn't join the county's cultural troupe.

If his sister-in-law heard him say that, she would definitely twist his ears off.

But to deal with a greedy old hag like Niu Guihua, you have to do it this way—degrade yourself into a rogue and degrade her goods into rotten cabbage.

Niu Guihua was indeed anxious.

This is a very important matter concerning the iron box in her kang (heated brick bed)!

"How...how can you say that! Xianglian is a good girl! Besides...besides, three hundred yuan was before! Now..."

She gritted her teeth, her mind filled with the old Taoist priest's eerie words, "A great calamity will surely befall us within three days."

"I'll give you a discount now! Two hundred and fifty! Is two hundred and fifty alright?"

"Ha!" Qin Rushan seemed to have heard the funniest joke, spitting the cigarette in his mouth onto the ground. "Two hundred and fifty? Auntie, do you think I'm an idiot? I'm penniless now, my demobilization pay is long gone. Don't even mention two hundred and fifty, I'd think twenty-five is too expensive!"

He turned to go inside, without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing that Qin Rushan was about to leave, Niu Guihua hurriedly spoke up: "Alright, stop dawdling here. If you want to sell your daughter, go find someone else. If you want me to have fun for a couple of days for free, then we can talk things over."

"Don't go! Don't go!"

Niu Guihua grabbed Qin Rushan's clothes tightly; she was truly furious.

Besides Qin Rushan, where else in this area can you find someone with such a menacing aura?

If we can't make a decision today, what if those "Japanese devils" actually take away the iron box under the red bricks tonight?

Money can be earned back, but if she loses all her savings, Niu Guihua will have to live on air for the rest of her life!

Fear triumphed over greed.

Niu Guihua gritted her teeth and made a heart-wrenching gesture, her expression as if she had just lost two pounds of flesh.

"Free of charge! Not a penny!"

That howl startled even two crows in the tree, who fluttered away.

Qin Rushan paused in his steps.

He slowly turned around, his eyebrows raised high: "Auntie, did I hear that right? You mean... it's free?"

"Given away for free! I'd even pay you to take it!"

Niu Guihua's heart was bleeding, but she had to keep a straight face. "I only wanted to befriend you because you've had such a hard life and are a war hero. If you agree to marry Xianglian today, we'll consummate the marriage tomorrow... no, tonight! She'll be yours! My Li family won't take a single penny!"

Qin Rushan stroked the stubble on his chin, suppressing the overwhelming joy that was about to explode in his heart, and still wore a reluctant expression on his face.

"Give it away for free... I might consider that. However, it's not a good idea if word gets out that we're doing this without any official status. People might think I, Qin Rushan, am taking advantage of their misfortune."

"Forget about titles and ranks! Once you're married into our family, you're a proper son-in-law!"

Niu Guihua was so anxious she was stamping her feet, her eyes practically screaming that she wanted to pack Qin Rushan up and take him away right then and there. "I'll go back and prepare right away. We'll have the banquet at my house tonight! Don't worry about any fancy stuff, just show up!"

"Wait a minute," Qin Rushan suddenly said.

Niu Guihua, who was about to rush out, suddenly froze, turning back with a look of horror: "What? Are you going to change your mind again?"

Qin Rushan bent down and picked up the old military uniform, which was folded neatly, from the stool.

It was a Type 65, washed until it was almost white, with bright red collar insignia.

He slowly and deliberately put on his military uniform, his slender fingers pinching the row of brass buttons, fastening them one by one with utmost care.

Even in this dilapidated farmhouse, the moment he put on this outfit, the carefree hooligan disappeared, replaced by an aura of uprightness and sternness.

He adjusted his top button, concealing the gruesome old scar on his collarbone.

"There has been no change of mind."

Qin Rushan raised his hand to straighten the brim of his hat. The shadow cast by the brim covered most of his face, revealing only a section of his cold, hard chin.

"But since it's a free gift, there needs to be a plan. Things can get complicated if we delay, and I don't like things dragging on."

He strode up to Niu Guihua and looked down at the old woman whose face was covered in oil and sweat.

"Take your household registration book to the commune now and get your marriage certificate. We'll have the wedding banquet tonight. After tonight, it'll be a fait accompli, and nobody can back out now."

"Today...?"

Niu Guihua was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting this jinx to be even more anxious than she was.

"What? You don't want to?"

Qin Rushan's hand was on his waist, where there was no gun, but the gesture conveyed a ruthless intent to draw his gun and kill the enemy at any moment.

"If you don't want to, then forget it. I don't have time to play house with your Li family."

As he spoke, he made a gesture as if to unbutton the buttons he had just fastened.

"No, no, no! I'm willing! I'm willing!"

Niu Guihua was terrified, fearing that the Buddha statue would run away.

Her mind was racing with calculations: Qin Rushan may be fierce, but he seems to be an impatient person. The more impatient he is, the more it proves he's been single for too long and is desperate for women!

Once the marriage certificate is issued, he will be the undisputed son-in-law, a vicious dog chained to Old Li's doorstep!

At that time, wouldn't those "Japanese devils" be so scared they'd wet themselves?

That money from that hole in the kang (heated brick bed) is finally safe!

"As long as we can get the marriage certificate, I'd even be happy to consummate the marriage right now!"

Niu Guihua's face was covered in wrinkles, and her expression was as obsequious as could be. "I'll go back and get the notebook right away! You wait under the big locust tree at the village entrance, I'll bring Xianglian over to you right away!"

After saying that, Niu Guihua didn't dare to delay any longer. She turned around and rushed out of the yard like a whirlwind. She was so fast that her cloth shoes with exposed toes almost flew off.

Until Niu Guihua's plump figure completely disappeared at the end of the dirt road.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Only the cicadas in the trees continued their tireless chirping.

Qin Rushan stood there, his aggressive aura slowly dissipating.

He looked down at his military uniform and gently smoothed out a wrinkle on the hem.

"Come out, don't suffocate." He said calmly without turning around.

Er Gou popped out from behind the haystack, giving a thumbs-up with an admiring look on his face: "Brother, you really are my brother! That was an amazing scheme to get something for nothing!"

Qin Rushan didn't respond to that.

He walked to the well and looked at his reflection in the water.

His military uniform was impeccably tailored; it was the greatest respect he could give Xianglian.

"Er Gou" (Second Dog).

"Hey! Brother, what do you say?"

"Help me with a few things..."

……

The sun was blazing in the Li family's courtyard.

Li Xianglian was holding a worn-out bamboo broom, sweeping away the sunflower seed shells and chicken droppings scattered all over the ground.

"Clang!"

The courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open, and the two broken wooden doors slammed against the earthen wall, shaking off a layer of dust.

Li Xianglian was startled and almost dropped the broom in her hand.

As soon as she looked up, she saw Niu Guihua rushing in, covered in sweat and panting heavily.

"Stop sweeping! What's the point of sweeping at a time like this!"

Niu Guihua rushed over, snatched the broom from Li Xianglian's hand, and threw it onto the top of the chicken coop, sending up a cloud of chicken feathers.

"Get inside! Hurry up and get inside!" Niu Guihua's rough, large hand gripped Li Xianglian's arm, her nails digging into her flesh. "Find that unpatched floral jacket from the bottom of your trunk! Comb your hair! Quickly!"

Li Xianglian's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition welled up in her heart.

She instinctively took a step back, pressing herself against the wall: "Mom, what are you doing?"