[Rural Areas] The Countryside is So Beautiful (Complete) - 12

Chapter 71 Night Visit to Aunt Meiqin's House
My head was heavy as I walked to Maotou's house. I pushed the door; it was indeed ajar. Aunt Meiqin had gotten into the habit these days; she knew I always came home late, so she simply didn't lock the door, knowing she'd lock it when I got back. Unfortunately, my head was a bit dizzy tonight, and I'd forgotten about it, so I went straight inside.

I figured they were all asleep, so I didn't turn on the light, afraid of waking them.

"Mom, you're not asleep yet?" A voice rang out as I entered the living room upstairs. It was Maotou's voice.

The voice was coming from Aunt Meiqin's room. He was with Aunt Meiqin? My anger flared instantly. Deep down, I considered Aunt Meiqin a taboo subject, someone only I could touch. Hearing another man's voice in her room now, I naturally couldn't remain calm. Of course, I knew Maotou wasn't capable, but would you allow a man to grope your woman?

"Maotou, you... how did you get in here?" Aunt Meiqin's voice sounded surprised. It seemed Maotou had just entered her room as well, which made me feel a little better. I stopped what I was doing and stood against the wall, secretly listening to their conversation. I wanted to see how Aunt Meiqin would treat Maotou.

"..." Maotou didn't answer, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense.

"You should go back quickly. Qingqing and Ahao will be back soon. What if they see us?" I couldn't see Aunt Meiqin's expression at this moment, but I could hear her voice, which was relatively calm and not particularly agitated.

"Mom, I... I have something to say to you." Maotou didn't leave; instead, he seemed to have mustered up his courage to say this. Through the moonlight filtering through the crack in the door, I could see him standing in front of Aunt Meiqin's window, his long shadow stretching to the bed.

"What... what is there to say..." Aunt Meiqin murmured, her voice becoming barely audible.

Could it be that she still had feelings for Maotou? My heart was filled with distrust. Perhaps it was the alcohol or the commotion, but my emotions were extremely unstable. My hands involuntarily clenched into fists. Could she still be entangled with Mao Tou? What would that make me? No, Aunt Meiqin wouldn't be that kind of person. I tried to banish this suspicion from my mind and chose to continue reading.

"We haven't been alone together like that in a long time. I remember the last time was a month ago," Mao Tou said.

"Silly child..." Aunt Meiqin sighed, "Don't you already have Qingqing? What more do you want from me?" Her tone seemed uncertain, yet also resentful.

"..." Mao Tou remained silent, standing by the bed, looking down at the ground, lost in thought.

"Go back to sleep. It's getting late. I have things to do tomorrow," Aunt Meiqin refused again.

"Mom, I know you're deliberately avoiding me. You know that all along, I've only loved you, and only you would treat me like that... I don't know how to say it... I..." Mao Tou looked at Aunt Meiqin and said something that surprised me, yet was also expected.

"Mao Tou, you've grown up... What are you going to do..." Suddenly, Aunt Meiqin's voice changed.

I peeked through the crack in the door and saw Mao Tou lunge forward.

"Slap!" Just as I was about to rush in, a loud slap rang out; Aunt Meiqin had slapped him hard across the face. My hand froze, and I stood frozen outside the door.

"Mom!" Mao Tou stood there, stunned; he clearly hadn't expected this outcome.

"Mao Tou, wake up! I'm your elder, you know?" she said patiently. "Treat Qingqing well..."

I was about to listen further when suddenly the front door slammed shut, and Liu Qingqing returned.

"Hurry back! Ahao and Qingqing are back!" Aunt Meiqin hurriedly pushed Mao Tou away.

I quickly retreated to my room, gently closing the door. Almost a second later, Mao Tou emerged from Aunt Meiqin's room.

"Is that Ahao?" he asked, standing in the living room.

"Snap!" The downstairs lights came on. Liu Qingqing turned on the downstairs light and looked up, asking, "What, hasn't Wang Hao come back yet?"

"You two aren't together?" Mao Tou asked calmly, without any trace of his earlier tension.

"I'm at my sister-in-law's house, chatting with Li Jing. Didn't Wang Hao get off work early?" From her tone, I could tell Liu Qingqing was still concerned about me.

"No, I've been waiting for you to come back at home," Mao Tou replied.

"Whatever, who knows when that deadbeat will come back? He's been disappearing these past few days. Anyway, he has a key,"

After a while, the living room light went out, and the house returned to silence. At this moment, I couldn't fall asleep. The alcohol had cleared up considerably after the eavesdropping earlier.

Aunt Meiqin hadn't disappointed me; it was just that I seemed a bit petty. The more I thought about it, the more I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The memory of Du Chunling getting drunk tonight suddenly flooded my mind.

What's wrong with me these past few months? Yes, I feel an intense possessiveness whenever I see a beautiful woman. This isn't like me anymore, but I've never regretted what I've done.

Actually, women don't ask for much. Like my sister-in-law, Sister Juxiang, and Sister Chunling, they all just need a man's embrace. Aunt Meiqin is the same. They certainly can't compare to Xie Yuling, but they possess that unique rural woman's mentality of "marrying a chicken, following the chicken; marrying a dog, following the dog," yet for various reasons, they became my women.

Thinking about this, I suddenly feel a little lost. What should I do to repay her?

Thinking this, I quietly got out of bed, pushed open the door, and saw that the living room was silent.

I went straight to Aunt Meiqin's room, gently pushed the door—it wasn't locked.

Moonlight shone on Aunt Meiqin's bed, silently. She was completely wrapped in the sheets, like a big rice dumpling. She's a beautiful woman, but I can't give her more. Although initially I possessed her by chance due to lust, after what just happened, she has left an imprint on my heart.

A soft sob startled me from my reverie. Aunt Meiqin was crying?

"Hmm..." I cleared my throat softly.

"Who?" She suddenly peeked out from under the sheets, looking at me.

"It's me, don't make such a noise." I quickly advised her, afraid she would wake Maotou and the others.

"Ah Hao, what are you doing here...?" She seemed to wipe her eyes with the sheet.

"You're crying!" I said with some heartache.

"What are you saying? By the way, when did you get back? Have you eaten?" She quickly changed the subject.

"Actually, I got back a while ago. Maotou was still in your room then." I said, walking to her bedside and taking her hand.

"You..." For a moment, Aunt Meiqin forgot what to do and just let me hold her hand.

"You heard about what happened between Maotou and me?" There was a hint of unease in her voice.

"Yes," I nodded, already stepping onto the bed.

"How could you...?" She finally came to her senses, hurriedly sitting up and pushing me away.

How could I be so obedient? I grabbed her hand again and pulled her into my arms.

"Don't do this, okay?" Aunt Meiqin said, somewhat flustered. "Ah Hao, this isn't right..."

Her protests were weak. I grabbed her body and pressed her against me forcefully.

I had intended to talk to Aunt Meiqin when I came in, but the moment I touched her body, I completely forgot my original intention.

"Ah..." Aunt Meiqin let out a soft cry, almost losing her balance. She quickly wrapped her arms around me, her cheeks flushed, her head buried tightly against my chest.

I pulled off Aunt Meiqin's pajamas, and she closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate, letting me do as I pleased. I removed all her restraints, and now Aunt Meiqin was completely naked, like a pristine sanctuary.

Strangely, she didn't react at all to my touch, not even a slight movement.

"How come...?" I reached up to touch her mouth, but unexpectedly grabbed a hand; she was biting her own hand tightly.

"You..." I was shocked and quickly stopped.

"Ah Hao, hurry up and finish, then go back to sleep." Her voice carried a hint of disappointment, and I could also hear a sobbing tone.

I touched her cheek; sure enough, it was wet, like a silent stream.

"Auntie, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," I said, stopping in shame.

"Ah-hao, you…" she said, somewhat surprised.

"Aunt Meiqin, hit me!" At that moment, I thought of Li Mei, the woman I had hurt before. Perhaps at eighteen, as my sister-in-law said, I was still just a half-grown child, not even understanding the most basic feelings of a woman.

I grabbed Aunt Meiqin's hand and slapped myself across the face.

"What are you doing…" she quickly pulled back.

"I'm sorry… seeing Maotou like that, I felt terrible for you too. I was going to wait until they were asleep before coming to comfort you, but who knew…"

I didn't finish, just pinched my leg hard.

"Ah-hao, don't do this…" Aunt Meiqin said, touching my face in the darkness.

I reached out and wiped away her tears. "Auntie, you know I like you, but I don't know how to say it. Seeing how Maotou treated you just now, it felt like my heart was being cut by a knife."

"Ah Hao, don't say anymore... I was really unhappy just now... You love me now, right?" She said, lying back down.

"Auntie...!" I was at a loss.

"Hurry up, Ah Hao!" Aunt Meiqin emphasized again.

Seeing her insistence, I could only follow her wishes. Perhaps a stimulating lovemaking would change her mood more at this moment. I kissed Aunt Meiqin's earlobe while reaching my hands over her body. My fingers traced her full body, reaching her smooth abdomen, circling it, and I rubbed it a few times with my fingertips. Immediately, a shiver of excitement ran through her body.

"Mmm..." Aunt Meiqin gripped my hand tightly, her voice trembling slightly.

My fingers continued forward, and she let out a soft moan, slightly parting her legs as if in encouragement. Sensing her tacit consent, I pressed my body against hers…

Perhaps this was the oppression of the night. Although Aunt Meiqin had a pillowcase in her mouth, her movements were incredibly rough, leaving behind one surging moment after another.

Sweat had soaked both of our bodies, and finally, we embraced each other, utterly exhausted.

“Ah Hao, do you know, if it weren’t for what you just said to me, I might never have been with you again.”

“Aunt Meiqin, actually I…”

“Don’t say it out loud, listen to me,” she whispered, stopping me from speaking.

“Actually, do you know what I was thinking just now? When Maotou came in, you saw it too, actually Maotou and I…”

“What exactly happened between you and Maotou?” I had always been curious. Maotou was a bit timid when things got tough, so how did he catch Aunt Meiqin’s eye?

"Don't interrupt, let me tell you slowly. Since I'm going to tell you tonight, I'll tell you everything. It was purely an accident..."

"Hehe, it was an accident too." I hugged her and said. Now that Aunt Meiqin's mood had improved, I felt much happier and bolder.

"That day it was pouring rain. You know I'm always scared when it rains. Maotou happened to be there, so I hugged him..."

"And then..." I pressed.

"And then... what else could happen? What do you think a man and a woman can do when they're hugging each other at night?" She pinched me and said.

"But Maotou can't do that," I said doubtfully.

"How do you know?" Aunt Meiqin sat up abruptly.

"I..." I then remembered that I only found out about this after I had taken Liu Qingqing. If I told her, wouldn't I be exposing Liu Qingqing?

"Was it Qingqing?" Her tone was a little cold.

"What about Qingqing?" I was startled, but pretended to be nonchalant.

"Didn't Qingqing tell you?" She hesitated.

“It was Third Young Master who secretly told me once,” I came up with a reason on a whim. Anyway, he’s gone out to work now, so there’s no way he can prove it.

“Oh, how could Mao Tou tell others about this?” It seemed she accepted my answer.

“You’re right,” Aunt Meiqin continued, “Do you think Mao Tou is like you? He just likes to take advantage of others. In his heart, I’m always his elder. How could he be so bold as you?”

“Hehe, if I wasn’t bold, I wouldn’t have gotten you.” I laughed smugly.

“Keep your voice down,” Aunt Meiqin quickly pulled me back, and continued, “But do you know what my reaction was when you came in just now?”

“What was it?”

“You just treated me like a tool to vent your desires!”

“I’m sorry, Aunt, I…”

“Don’t say it. Do you know why I rejected Mao Tou?”

Chapter 72 Wine Doesn’t Intoxicate, People Intoxicate Themselves
“Because after we did that, I consider you my man in my heart… so don’t look down on me in the future.”

“I know, Aunt,” I hugged her sweaty body and pinched it.

"Be gentle," she whispered sweetly in my arms. For a moment, she didn't seem like a glamorous young woman, but just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

"Qinqin?" I called out the name almost instinctively.

"Hmm?" She didn't understand.

"How about I call you Qinqin from now on?" I said gently, stroking her body.

"No, how can you call me that… I'm still your… I'm still…" She didn't finish her sentence. After all, we'd already slept together; what did a name matter?

"Hehe," I chuckled smugly, finally understanding.

"This name isn't nice!" Aunt Meiqin pinched me again, pouting.

"Then what's nice, my little Qinqin?" I teased.

"I'm older than you!" Aunt Meiqin said, displeased.

“Call me brother…” Hearing Aunt Meiqin’s voice made my head race even more, the scene of Zhang Ke and Sister Juxiang in the granary flashing before my eyes. That feeling was truly wonderful, making you feel like a king on high.

“How can this be?” Aunt Meiqin still refused.

“Will you call me brother or not?” I slapped her ample breasts.

“I won’t, what can you do to me?” From her tone, I could tell that Aunt Meiqin wasn’t angry, but rather acting coquettishly.

“Family discipline will be applied, let’s see if you call me brother or not!” I flipped over and pinned her down again.

Aunt Meiqin and I were still naked from the waist down, and because we were so close, we could vaguely hear each other’s rapid breathing. I reached out and pulled her legs over to hold them up.

“I just won’t call you brother…” Aunt Meiqin was defiant, and without realizing it, she had become even more alluring.

I naturally used all my skills to conquer this great fortress. Perhaps because of my youth, my body recovered quickly, and men are naturally stronger than women. Soon, she gave in again, letting out soft moans.

Both of them were caught up in the moment. Although I was distracted by eavesdropping outside the door to see if Mao Tou and the others had heard, I was gradually getting into the swing of things and forgot where I was...

"No more... I'm not coming anymore..." Aunt Meiqin quickly begged for mercy.

"Will you call me or not..." I was panting.

"Ah Hao... Brother..." Finally, she surrendered. A memory flashed through my mind: I had once forced Liu Qingqing to call Ah Hao "Brother."

"Too soft," I still wasn't satisfied.

"Ah Hao "Brother..." Aunt Meiqin called again, of course, an unconscious reaction in her passion, her limbs kicking and groping wildly on the sheets.

"Bang!" A sound rang out at the door, and we both froze.

"Mao Tou is coming." That was my first thought. I immediately stopped, barely daring to breathe.

Aunt Meiqin was also stunned in my arms, her hands still gripping my shoulders tightly; we had been too loud.

"Mom... you're still not asleep?" a woman's voice came from outside the door.

It was Liu Qingqing who arrived. We both breathed a sigh of relief; after all, she had already witnessed our affair, and as long as she didn't say anything, everything would be fine.

However, Liu Qingqing's timing was terrible, and I felt a pang of annoyance.

Aunt Meiqin put her middle finger to my lips and blew on it, signaling me to be quiet. "Qingqing, you're still awake? I went to bed a long time ago. It's getting late , you should get some rest."

"Mom," Liu Qingqing hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then I'm going to sleep. It's getting late, and you have to go to work tomorrow."

"Oh..." Aunt Meiqin replied.

Wait, work? I immediately realized that Liu Qingqing must have heard us and was deliberately trying to alert us. This girl must be jealous right now, which is why she's bothering us.

A malicious thought flashed through my mind, and taking advantage of Aunt Meiqin's inattention, I shifted my body.

"Oh!" Sure enough, caught off guard, she let out a soft cry.

Aunt Meiqin understood what I was about to do. She pushed me away in alarm, indicating that Qingqing was outside and we couldn't continue.

That's exactly the effect I wanted, so naturally I ignored her. Besides, having an affair with her through a door only fueled my excitement.

I held Aunt Meiqin tightly, kissed her earlobe, and said, "Call me brother!"

"You..." Aunt Meiqin didn't understand my intentions, but she resolutely refused to call me that.

However, she gradually relaxed and couldn't resist calling out again, "Brother Ahao."

Perhaps because of the subtle relationship between us, with one person keeping watch outside, the contrast between hot and cold stimulated our brains, and Aunt Meiqin became even more excited in the end...

I can imagine how angry Liu Qingqing was outside the door. Of course, after hearing the sounds in the middle of the night, she would probably have trouble sleeping tonight.

"You bastard, now you're really smug." Aunt Meiqin calmed down and naturally understood what I meant, and then she pinched and twisted me again...

That night, I naturally fell asleep with erotic thoughts, but in the end, the image of the woman beneath me kept changing, first Li Mei... Liu Qingqing... Du Chunling, and finally Xie Yuling.

Just as I was getting into the excitement, I opened my eyes and found the sun already shining in, and birds chirping.

It had been a long time since I'd had a dream like this. I wondered what it meant today, but it was sure to be thrilling, I thought smugly.

"Where's Qingqing?" I asked, seeing Aunt Meiqin sitting alone in the living room after I got up.

"You know perfectly well why you made her so angry. She went to work without breakfast."

"That girl, she has such a temper." I smiled wryly and sat down next to Aunt Meiqin, watching her eat. After a night of rest, Aunt Meiqin's face was like a peony after the rain, radiant and beautiful.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen enough?" She rolled her eyes at me and continued eating.

"Qinqin is so beautiful, I can never get enough of looking at her," I said, reaching out to put my arm around her waist.

"What are you doing? Maotou will be back soon, let go!" Aunt Meiqin quickly pushed me away, and I pulled my hand back.

"The soy milk tastes especially good today," I exclaimed, taking a sip of the fresh soy milk.

"Of course, I went out of my way to buy it from Blind Liu today," Aunt Meiqin said happily.

"But even if it tastes good, it's not as good as Qinqin's," I added with a smile.

"Who cares about you?" she rolled her eyes at me and said, "Ah Hao, don't call me Qinqin, okay? What if you get used to it and can't change it in front of others?"

"Don't worry, I'll only call you that in private. I have to go to work now." With that, she opened the door and left.

"You haven't eaten yet," she said with concern.

This morning, I accompanied Xie Yuling and her husband to visit the leaders of various villages and some respected elders in Luzhen. Our first stop was naturally Zhao Ergou's house to visit Old Master Zhao.

Xie Yuling was somewhat speechless when she saw the chastity archway at the south end of the street, just like my first reaction. Liao Guozhong, on the other hand, went up to examine it closely, touched it with his hands, and finally left.

I hadn't expected Old Master Zhao to look like this. In my imagination, a head of a family who had passed the imperial examinations should be a ruddy-faced, youthful-looking, and energetic elderly man. But what stood before me was a withered old man, his face like the bark of a pine tree in winter, covered with age spots, looking pitted and uneven.

However, his mind was remarkably sharp, especially the glint of intelligence that occasionally flashed in his dim eyes, making us realize that this old man truly lived up to his reputation.

Xie Yuling seemed interested in many things, and then, accompanied by our large group, she visited several more shops.

As the saying goes, "Though small, it has all the vital organs," and despite Luzhen's unassuming appearance, it had clothing stores, shoe shops, hardware stores, and appliance stores—everything one could need.

Gradually, those following behind became a little impatient. After all, they all lived in the town and could walk around the streets with their eyes closed, so this aimless wandering was simply not interesting.

Just as Liu Qingqing was about to lose her temper, Xie Yuling finally stopped and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry to have taken up everyone's time. I haven't been back to Luzhen for so many years, so seeing every blade of grass and every tree here feels especially familiar. I completely forgot about the time. How about this, I heard from the landlord that Heji's cooking is quite good. How about I treat you all to a meal at Heji Restaurant today?"

Speaking of restaurants, there was only one that could be considered decent in the town—Heji. The others were mostly just stalls selling fried dough sticks and soy milk in the morning. But even Heji wasn't up to par; the whole place was smoky and looked drab. However, we couldn't refuse Xie Yuling's request.

Xie Yuling was also a little embarrassed by the place; she hadn't expected the restaurant to be so run-down. I personally went into the kitchen and gave instructions to make sure it was clean.

During the meal, Xie Yuling was very enthusiastic, constantly urging people to drink, while Liao Guozhong's eyes were lecherously glancing at his sister-in-law and Liu Qingqing. This made me very uncomfortable, so I got the urge to keep pouring Liao Guozhong drinks until he was passed out on the table.

Xie Yuling didn't say anything, just made some unrelated remarks.

My mind, however, was racing, recalling what had happened that morning. Liao Guozhong was a true expert, while Xie Yuling was the decision-maker. Although they hadn't shown anything wrong all morning, I had carefully observed Liao Guozhong touching the madam, clearly thinking about something. Xie Yuling's conversation with Old Master Zhao seemed to be about inquiring about something.

"Assistant Wang... what are you thinking about?" Liao Guozhong rolled his eyes at me, his breath reeking of alcohol.

"Nothing," I chuckled in response.

"You're my good brother... good brother!" He suddenly put his arm around my shoulder and mumbled, "Good brother, cheers!"

Before I could react, Liao Guozhong had already downed his drink, and I had no choice but to drink with him.

"One more!" He grabbed the bottle again.

"Guozhong, you're drunk," Xie Yuling said, frowning.

"I'm not drunk, not..." Liao Guozhong clinked glasses with me, then drank another glass.

I was a little dazed. Including what I had just drunk, I had drunk a full six liang (300ml). If this continued, it would be terrible

. I quickly helped the fat man up and said, "Mr. Liao, let's stop for a while before drinking again." "No way, there's no stopping drinking. You're making me drink, are you looking down on me?" He argued , his face flushed.

Helpless, I had to drink another glass with him.

In the end, I didn't know how much I had drunk; I couldn't remember anything at all.

My stomach was burning. I rolled around in bed, groggily calling out, "Water..."

In my hazy state, someone touched my forehead and brought me a glass of cool water to my lips...

I finally calmed down a bit and drifted off to sleep again.

When I opened my eyes again, it was completely dark. I kicked the blankets, feeling utterly drained.

"You're awake?" Li Mei's concerned gaze appeared before me.

"What happened to me?" I shook my head vigorously, still feeling a bit sore.

"You've been sleeping for half the day. What's wrong with you? It's like you haven't had alcohol in centuries." Li Mei rolled her eyes at me and said, "Lie down first, I'll get you a glass of water." I

remembered, I actually had a drinking contest with that fat Liao Guozhong at noon. This was probably the most outrageous thing I'd ever done.

"Here you go," Li Mei poured a glass of water and put it on the cabinet. "If you get drunk again, I won't serve you. I really can't stand it."

Li Mei was a typical example of someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart, I already knew that, so I just smiled and didn't care.

Finally, she looked at me and said, "Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat, it's getting late anyway."

"What time?" I rolled out of bed.

"It's 8 o'clock, where are you going?"

"The toilet, do you think it's easy to hold it in for five or six hours?" I clutched my stomach and walked out.

"You're so shameless," my sister-in-law blushed.

"Sister-in-law, did I say anything inappropriate at the banquet?" After finishing my chores, I returned.

"What else could you have said? You and Liao Guozhong stole the show, calling each other brothers, singing and yelling at the top of your lungs, practically ready to overturn the table."

"Didn't you discuss anything serious?" I asked uncertainly.

"You were both so drunk, how could we talk about business? But Miss Xie did mention to me during the banquet that she's planning to open a craft processing factory," "

A craft processing factory? When did that happen?" My mind was still foggy.

"At noon, of course. Ah Hao, is our local history missing a lot of information?" Li Mei suddenly asked a seemingly random question.

"Sister-in-law, how did you come to this…" My heart skipped a beat. "I was

n't drunk. You and Liao Guozhong were talking about the local history, and I overheard some of it."

"I was drunk and talking about the local history with Liao Guozhong?" I was shocked.

"Hmm, Miss Xie also asked me to ask you where the complete local history is. She said our Luzhen town has karst topography, so we need to be careful when choosing a factory site and avoid these underground fissures."

"What else did I say?" I asked, rubbing my head.

"Nothing much. Who knew you'd be like a dead pig after getting drunk? Qingqing and I had to carry you back."

Chapter 73 Three's Company
"Where's Li Jing?" After drinking a few sips of water, my mind finally cleared up.

"She went to Qingqing's house with Xiaomei," Li Mei said, looking at me with a gentle look in her eyes. "

Thank you, sister-in-law." I hugged her tightly.

"What are you going to do now... I just got up and you're already..." Li Mei was caught off guard and slumped into my arms.

"What? I didn't have any ulterior motives." I gently wrapped my arms around her abdomen, slipped them inside her clothes, and felt her smooth skin.

"You still say you didn't, but you..." Her face was flushed, like a cockscomb flower at dusk.

"I'm innocent!" I kissed her forehead and said, "Sister-in-law, I really want to hold you like this forever. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just live together like this?"

"Ah Hao!!" Li Mei sensed my sincerity and rested her head on my shoulder. "Just for this one sentence, you can make me do anything from now on!" Her hand gently stroked my cheek.

"Anything?" I smiled knowingly.

"You bastard!" She looked up and reached out to hit me, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back into my embrace. Neither of us spoke, and we remained seated on the edge of the bed in this position.

"I don't know why, but I just love being with you like this. I don't even feel this way with Li Jing," I sighed.

"You," Li Mei snuggled closer to me, "you're about to marry Xiao Jing, and you're still thinking about other women."

"Does sister-in-law want me to forget you?" I gently lifted her face and asked seriously.

"..." Li Mei didn't answer.

"Sister-in-law, sometimes I wish you were Li Jing," I said softly. In fact, no man can forget his first woman, and I am no exception. Perhaps it was my sister-in-law who led me to the hall of love.

"After you get married, I'll be your sister-in-law..." she said hesitantly, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Sister-in-law, are you willing to let me go?" I asked uncertainly, a pang of pain in my heart.

"Silly Ah Hao, how could I bear to let you go? But after you and Xiao Jing get married, you'll have a new home, and then you won't need me anymore."

"No, sister-in-law, didn't you say you'd be my woman for life?" I said, stroking her body.

"Can I be your woman for life? Have you considered Xiao Jing's feelings? Will she allow you to act so recklessly after we're married? Besides, I have a family too. Although your brother Zhang isn't good to me, Xiao Mei is growing up every day. In a few years, she'll be a grown woman. What will you do if she finds out?" Li Mei wrapped her arms around my waist.

She continued, "Sister-in-law, you're all a hypocrite, but you can't live without me. I don't know what's wrong with me these days, I keep dreaming about you every night. That night I was with Xiaomei, and I called your name in the middle of the night. Luckily it was her, otherwise, I don't know what would have happened if your Brother Zhang had heard."

"Sister-in-law," I stammered, my heart skipped a beat. This was the first time she'd revealed her feelings to me like this. I hadn't expected Li Mei's feelings for me to be so deep. I made a silent vow in my heart that I would never let her suffer any injustice.

"No matter what, I will never abandon you, even if Li Jing doesn't marry me," I said firmly.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How can you face me after I knelt before Xiaojing that time..." Li Mei quickly covered my mouth.

"By the way, sister-in-law, what did you ask her for that time?" I recalled the first time Li Jing discovered my affair with Li Mei.

"What else could it be but to let her find you a boyfriend? I can't ruin you because of myself. I grew up without parents, and Xiaojing and I grew up together. Naturally, I want to find her a suitable man to put my mind at ease. You think I don't want to be with you, but I also don't want to see Xiaojing suffering in silence."

***

"Xiaojing, I know you're good to me. This time it was my fault; I shouldn't have done this. But I hope to be with Xiaojing forever, never to be separated."

"Do you remember when you were little, when you had a high fever? You kept calling for your mother, and when you woke up, your mother was gone. You told me you'd be with me forever."

...

The image of Li Mei's tearful pleas flashed through my mind, and I said, "Then how could your sister-in-law bear to leave Li Jing?"

"What did you say?" she asked, puzzled.

I repeated those two sentences and continued, "I remember your sister-in-law saying she'd be with Xiaojing forever."

"Those were just silly words back then, how could you?" Li Mei's face turned red, probably remembering that embarrassing time, and she punched me hard.

“If I marry Li Jing, then you can live with us too,” I said with a smile, holding her close.

“How could you…you bastard!” Her face pressed against my chest, hot, searing my heart.

“Why not? We’re already like this anyway.” My hands continued to slip inside her clothes, feeling her burning body.

“I can’t bear to part with Xiao Mei either,” Li Mei said, a look of loneliness on her face. She couldn’t bear to part with Xiao Mei. This time, Li Mei didn’t even mention Zhang Ke, which made me feel slightly relieved.

“Xiao Mei will grow up too. She won’t stay in Luzhen forever. She’ll go to university, and maybe she won’t come back after seeing the beauty of the city.”

“Yes,” Li Mei sighed silently, “Xiao Mei has grown up too.” Suddenly, a smile appeared on her face, as if she had remembered something.

“Then does that mean you agree, sister-in-law?” I smiled smugly, finally changing Li Mei’s mind.

"Agree to what? I was just thinking that when you have kids in the future, I'll come over and help you take care of them."

"Yes, take care of the kids during the day, and at night we..."

"You're going to kill me, stop talking nonsense! I'm not talking to you anymore, I'll go get you a basin of water to wash your face, and then call them back for dinner."

Li Mei is a virtuous wife and loving mother. I watched her busy figure inside and outside and sighed inwardly.

I strolled over to Aunt Meiqin's place, and sure enough, they were playing cards, with Maotou and Qingqing playing together, and Aunt Meiqin and Li Jing on their side. However, the pleasant atmosphere was ruined by Xiao Mei, who kept running behind Maotou to report the cards to Li Jing.

"Oh, our 'God of Wine' has woken up." Liu Qingqing was facing the door and teased me when she saw me put down my cards.

"Hehe, I can tell you lost, so you're taking it out on me." I yelled at Maotou, "Don't you control your wife? How can you give people nicknames like that?"

"I can't control her. I heard you were quite arrogant at noon today, walking around on the street like a tyrant." Maotou took the opportunity to kick me while I was down.

"Those are crabs crawling sideways!" Xiao Mei suddenly interjected.

Everyone burst into laughter. I quickly said, "Alright, it's getting late. Li Jing, Xiao Mei, let's go back for dinner."

"Dinner so early? What time is it? 8:20!" Aunt Meiqin glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up in a panic. "You forget the time when you're playing cards."

Coming out of Mao Tou's house with Li Jing, I couldn't help but grab her delicate hand and hold it.

Li Jing pulled away slightly, then took my hand in return, and we walked slowly together.

By this time, the summer heat had completely subsided. The streets were deserted, only the lights of each house were brightly lit, and Lu Town was completely enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere.

"Auntie, hurry up!" Xiao Mei called out from ahead.

We exchanged a glance and quickened our pace. Although Li Jing's personality seemed no different from Li Mei's on the surface, she possessed a more youthful romanticism.

Perhaps this was the reason for the slight rift between us; I'm not a very romantic person. But walking through the hazy streets with my woman at this moment, the gentle breeze whispering in my ears, naturally brought a sense of comfort. Li Jing, especially, was deeply affected by the surroundings, resting her head on my shoulder and gently taking my arm.

Just a few minutes ago, Li Mei had leaned on this shoulder, and I was enjoying the same tenderness twice.

"Auntie, Uncle Hao, what are you doing? Why are you so slow?" Before we could react, the little girl, who was ruining the atmosphere, turned around and called out to us.

Li Jing smiled helplessly, letting go of my arm but still holding my hand.

"Two people holding hands and still walking so slowly," Xiao Mei muttered strangely.

"You're back?" Li Mei was busy in the kitchen, and seeing us holding hands, she smiled with relief.

"Sister, let me help you." Li Jing rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen.

Dinner was ready in no time: stir-fried potatoes and green peppers, and millet porridge. It was clear Li Mei had put some thought into it; these light dishes were just right to soothe my stomach after lunch's drinking, and I ate very comfortably.

"Sister, I'll move back tomorrow. I'm feeling much better these past few days," Li Jing said.

"Yeah, that's about right. Taking too much leave isn't good," Li Mei nodded, jokingly adding, "But it'll be harder for Ahao to see you later."

"If he misses me, he'll naturally come to school," Li Jing said, blushing again.

"Mom, can I not stay at Auntie's? Let Auntie stay with us, then we can all be together. I don't want to be separated from Mom. Everyone in my great-uncle's family, except Auntie, is very fierce," Xiao Mei said, frowning.

"What about your grandma?"

"Then I'll go," she nodded reluctantly.

"I'll take you tomorrow," I said, having finished eating. "Sister-in-law, you stay with Xie Yuling and the others tomorrow. Try to fulfill any requests they have."

I planned to use this as a strategic retreat to see what these people were up to and whether it conflicted with my goals.

Just like last time, Xiaomei sat in front, and Li Jing had her arm around my waist on the back of the bicycle. The three of us rode slowly forward.

Although it wasn't my first time visiting Li Jing's uncle's house, I still carried a basket on the handlebars containing two bottles of wine, several pounds of sugar, and some meat. Li Jing and I weren't officially dating, but in Luzhen, it's customary for a young man visiting his wife's family to bring gifts each time.

As soon as we reached the village entrance, I asked them both to get off. Because of my work, most of the villagers knew me, but this time was different; I was now considered a son-in-law, so I naturally greeted everyone and handed out the cigarettes I had just bought.

By the time we got home, there were only a few cigarettes left in the pack. Luckily, I had come prepared, or I would have embarrassed myself.

Li Jing's uncle and his family were quite hospitable, perhaps more so because of my status. Only the two elderly people lived at her uncle's house; their son and daughter-in-law had gone out to work. Our arrival immediately enlivened the courtyard. Aunt Zhang was very happy to see me, constantly pulling my hand and asking me all sorts of questions.

We naturally ate lunch at Li Jing's house, but this time Li Jing insisted I not drink too much, leaving the guests her uncle had brought unable to do anything. Her uncle kept sighing, "Girls are all outgoing."

After chatting with the elderly people for a while, I said I had things to do in town and left around 4 PM.

The sun was still strong at this time, but it had gotten much better. After riding for a while, I saw a young girl in a skirt sitting under the shade of a tree by the roadside in the distance; she seemed very familiar.

Sure enough, as I rode up to her, I immediately recognized her as Xia Xiaoli, Jiang Ailian's daughter. She still had her hair in a ponytail, and her face was adorned with two round dimples, her eyes sparkling with captivating charm. A beige dress hugged her entire body, radiating youthful energy. Her full, shapely legs were glossy and supple, as alluring as freshly ripened fruit. Thinking back to that enchanting night, my heart stirred, and I quickly stopped my bike in front of her.

"Assistant Wang?" She saw me and her face lit up with joy.

"Still calling me Assistant Wang? That sounds so formal. Call me Brother Wang, we're only two or three years apart anyway," I said.

"I'll call you that then. I think Brother Wang sounds better too," Xia Xiaoli said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her curiously.

"I went to my second aunt's house. I came in a brick-hauling truck, but they haven't come back yet."

"That's a good coincidence. No need to wait, I'll take you home directly," I said, patting the seat vertically.

“Okay…” Xia Xiaoli looked around, and nodded before seeing the brick-hauling truck appear.

“Front or back?” I asked, stopping the bike.

“I’ll sit in the front. I’m afraid of falling if I sit in the back,” she said somewhat shyly.

“Oh,” I looked at this pretty girl, finding it a little unbelievable.

“Don’t laugh when I tell you, I can’t ride a bike. I fell off a bridge once when I was learning to ride in elementary school, and I had to get seven stitches in my hand. I’m afraid of bikes now,” she quickly explained.

“You’re something else,” I said. I knew that girls are generally timid, especially delicate girls like her.

With my help, Xia Xiaoli slightly lifted her skirt and leaned against my chest. In that instant, my eyes lit up when I saw her fair and delicate legs. Although I didn’t go any further, that fleeting glimpse made my heart race…

Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. If a woman were naked in front of you, you might not have such a strong reaction. Without the excitement and stimulation of voyeurism, there would be less fun.

"Be careful, this is my first time carrying such a pretty girl," I said, my foot slipping on the ground.

With that slight movement, Xia Xiaoli, due to inertia, leaned against my chest, a faint, sweet fragrance wafting towards me, and my hand trembled.

"Brother Wang, be careful," Xia Xiaoli said, gently patting her chest twice.

That one action was incredibly seductive; I felt my nose was about to bleed. She was pressed tightly against my chest, and if I looked down, I would see… almost bewitching my soul.

Unconsciously, my desire began to grow, especially when I pedaled and touched her thighs. Those long, smooth legs were like silk, a thrilling and exhilarating sensation. I gradually became conscious of touching them.

Along the way, although I was riding, my eyes weren't on the road; they were completely fixed on Xia Xiaoli's snow-white legs, and I was simply riding forward by instinct.

Further on, there was a sharp bend in the road, a high mound of earth, with a grove of trees on either side. Li Jing and I had rested here last time.

"Brother Wang, let's rest for a bit. You're all sweaty from riding," Xia Xiaoli said softly.

I was naturally more than happy to oblige. For some reason, there wasn't a soul on the road today.

Chapter Seventy-Four: Du Chunling's Sister.
The scene just now unintentionally brought back memories of our steamy encounter at the movie theater, and waves of emotion surged within me. For some reason, the woman I was thinking of wasn't Xia Xiaoli, but Jiang Ailian. This kind of woman was like an autumn persimmon, getting redder with age and full of charm.

"Brother Wang, look how hot you are," Xia Xiaoli leaned against me, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Her body lightly brushed against my arm, and I immediately felt its unique elasticity.

I couldn't help but rub my arm against hers, and a wave of heat washed over me.

"Brother Wang, you'll be fine after a rest." Xia Xiaoli clearly felt it too, and shrank back, her face flushed.

"Oh..." I gave a weak sigh, turning my gaze back to her body. Xia Xiaoli's skirt clung tightly to her thighs, concealing her ample curves, but only accentuating the long, slender smoothness of her legs, like silk.

"Brother Wang, what's wrong?" Xia Xiaoli noticed my gaze and involuntarily pulled her

legs back. "Nothing..." I realized my lapse and quickly looked away.

Xia Xiaoli was slightly out of breath, a few strands of hair damp with sweat on her forehead, making her shy face even more alluring. However, I didn't dwell on her any longer, but instead talked about some funny things at school. Xia Xiaoli was very happy to have someone listen to her, and for a moment she was in high spirits.

"Brother Wang, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No," I teased, looking at her flushed face.

"Really? You don't have a girlfriend?" Xia Xiaoli looked at me in disbelief.

"How about you be my girlfriend?" I said with a smile.

"I don't believe you, you wouldn't want me..." She suddenly lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing... Let's not talk about that. By the way, Brother Wang, is my mom going to be transferred to the town soon?" Xia Xiaoli looked at me eagerly.

"This was decided when Mayor Zhang went to the county for training. He'll probably arrange it when he gets back. Is this something your mom asked you to ask?" I said, looking at her.

"No, I was just asking casually. It's getting late, let's go back." She stood up and brushed the grass off her clothes.

"Okay." Only then did I realize that more than half an hour had passed, and the sun wasn't so strong anymore.

I took Xia Xiaoli straight to her house. This was my first time visiting her home. On the way, I learned that Xia Xiaoli's father was a carpenter who frequently went out to do work for others, so he was very busy. In addition, he was often invited to drink at weddings and funerals, and he often got drunk, which was probably one of the reasons Jiang Ailian complained.

Her house had a tall gate, similar to Mao Tou's, which was very conspicuous.

I was about to turn back when I saw her to the door, but Xia Xiaoli stopped me, saying, "Brother Wang, come in and have a glass of water."

"No, I'll drink at the town government building. It's not far anyway."

"Xiaoli, you're back?" Jiang Ailian's voice came from inside the house. She came out wearing black trousers, and standing in front of me, we looked like sisters. I silently compared them in my mind.

"Assistant Wang?" She was also surprised to see me.

"I took Li Jing home, and on the way back I ran into her waiting for a car by the roadside, so we came back together," I explained.

"Oh," Jiang Ailian didn't even say thank you, just gave a soft reply, her face pale and unpleasant. She seemed still resentful about me spying on her in the city that day.

I didn't expect this woman to be so vengeful. More than ten days have passed, and she's still like this. I only used her underwear to masturbate once; it didn't hurt me. Is it worth it?

But this only highlights my sister-in-law's kindness and tolerance towards me. I really don't understand Jiang Ailian. You could call her a chaste and virtuous woman, but you can't see it in her behavior, especially in her disgust for her husband. I really don't know what she's thinking. Of course, these were just my fleeting thoughts. What I didn't expect was that something even more surprising would happen later.

"I won't go in. I still have to take care of Xie Yuling and her husband's business later," I smiled at Xia Xiaoli and turned to leave.

“Assistant Wang, wait a moment, I’ll go with you,” Jiang Ailian said, going into the house to wash her hands before running back out.

When she came out, I felt a little awkward; I thought Jiang Ailian looked better in a dress, her face less stiff and serious.

I pushed the bicycle, and the two of us walked along the road, passing several houses, until we reached the main street.

“Miss Xie talked to us this morning, saying she wants to live in her old family home.”

“Xiaohe Xie?” I turned my head sharply.

“Yes, we all advised her to live in town, so that things would be easier to take care of, but she said she still wants to live in Xiaohe Xie, planning to rebuild a house on the old site, saying it's so she'll have a place to stay when she returns to Luzhen.”

“What do you think?” I didn’t offer an opinion.

“That’s only right. After all, they’re investing in building a factory back in their hometown, so we should give them some support. But the key issue is that their homestead has been occupied by someone else; no one has come here for over ten years. I was thinking of having the town and village negotiate to help them allocate a new plot of land to build a house.”

“Hmm,” I nodded, “I’ll discuss this with the village head of Xiaohe Xie with my sister-in-law later. What else did Miss Xie do this morning?”

“Nothing much. Liao Guozhong specifically asked you to accompany him this morning, but you had something else to do, so we ended up chatting in the office all morning. Oh, and Miss Xie mentioned that we have so many stones on our mountain, especially granite, and she’s planning to set up a crafts factory. That’s called living off the land. She also said that if it’s profitable, she plans to set up a carpet factory and have suitable women from the town work there. But she has one more request.”

“She wants the crafts factory to be located in Xiaohe Xie, right?” I said with a smile.

“How did you know?” Jiang Ailian asked, her face full of surprise.

“Isn’t that obvious? She’s made money and comes back to help her hometown. If you don’t let her set up a factory there, where else can she?” I said. Without realizing it, I squinted again.

“That’s true,” Jiang Ailian said, smoothing her hair, her face glowing in the bright light.

“You look even prettier in a dress,” I couldn’t help but say.

“What?” She suddenly looked up.

I repeated what I’d just said, but Jiang Ailian’s face immediately turned cold again: “Assistant Wang, don’t make such pointless jokes with me, do you hear me?”

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

This woman… I could only push my bike and follow her.

We walked all the way to the government building entrance, and Jiang Ailian didn’t say a word to me. It seemed she was determined to ignore me. Old Sun, on the other hand, greeted me very warmly, wanting to chat.

Unexpectedly, when I arrived at the office, my sister-in-law was receiving two visiting villagers. The situation could actually be explained in a few words: one family's sheep kept wandering into the other's field and eating their crops. After warnings failed, the first family secretly sprinkled pesticides in the field, which poisoned the sheep. The two families then went to the town government to complain to my sister-in-law, but despite her efforts to mediate, she couldn't persuade them to leave.

These kinds of trivial matters give me a headache, and after this commotion, I had no desire to ask any further questions. I simply left the town government office early and forgot about Xie Yuling's matter. Old Sun tried to pull me aside to say something, but I declined.

Before I knew it, I was back in front of Du Chunling's house. Remembering her inexplicable anger the day I got drunk, I felt uneasy. I heard voices inside, and it sounded like Sister Juxiang was there too, so I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice asked from inside.

"It's me!" I answered loudly, a secret thrill creeping into my heart. It had been a long time since I'd dealt with those two; I might as well take this opportunity to settle things.

"Ah Hao!" Sister Juxiang stepped forward and opened the door, letting me in.

"And this is?" I asked, noticing a woman sitting in the room.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a yellow sweatshirt that accentuated her firm, full breasts, making one want to secretly grab them. She paired it with a knee-length white skirt, which, though somewhat incongruous, looked quite pretty.

"This is your sister Chunling's younger sister. According to her age, you should call her Sister Chunyan."

"Oh, hello Sister Chunyan!" I greeted her quickly.

"This is Assistant Wang, a poverty alleviation cadre from the city. He doesn't know how to do anything," Sister Juxiang said, pointing at me.

"Hello," she greeted me shyly.

"Ah Hao, what brings you here? What do you want? Do you want to buy something?" Sister Juxiang asked again.

"Me...?" I looked at her, somewhat puzzled, until she winked at me and I understood. Why would a grown man like me go to a widow's house for no reason? With Du Chunyan, an outsider, present, she naturally didn't want me to appear inappropriate.

Luckily, I reacted quickly and followed up with Sister Juxiang's words, "Yes, I wanted to buy some food, but the shop was empty, so I came here."

"Oh," she responded, looking at Du Chunyan.

"Sister-in-law, it's alright, you go ahead, my sister will be back soon." This Du Chunyan was quite understanding.

"Then I'll go, I'll be back after I get her things." Sister Juxiang said, leading me out.

"I missed you so much!" As soon as I arrived at Juxiang's house, I saw her long, slender legs encased in her black miniskirt, and I couldn't contain myself. I glanced outside; no one on the street noticed. I gently closed the door, stepped forward, grabbed her, and pulled her towards the back.

"You jerk, what are you doing? I need to go back right away!" Juxiang trembled, frantically slapping my hands away, her eyes darting frantically outside, her face flushed. "Are you crazy?! Someone's coming to buy something soon, and you're still being so bold? Be careful someone sees us!"

"Sister-in-law, I'll be quick," I whispered, carrying Juxiang into the house. I slowly moved my hands up, reaching for her chest.

"Then hurry up..." Her breathing quickened as I touched her, even her ears turned red; I could see a hint of excitement in her.

I took off my shorts and stood in front of the bed, leisurely observing Juxiang on it. At this moment, Sister Juxiang's shirt was half-tied and half-open, and her skirt was pulled up to her waist. Her long, slender legs appeared even whiter in the slightly dark room, and I was somewhat stunned.

"Hurry up and get on the bed, what are you staring at? You'll see later," Sister Juxiang said, lying on the bed with a smile and a hint of reproach, spreading her legs wide on the mat.

Seeing that Sister Juxiang had spoken, I quickly knelt on the bed...

With a soft moan, Sister Juxiang's face began to look hazy, her eyes appearing watery, and with her languid posture, she was a perfect sleeping beauty. Sister Juxiang was a little older than Li Mei, but because she took good care of herself, her skin was smooth and delicate, very attractive.

"Sister Juxiang, what happened to Sister Chunling a few days ago?" I asked, moving my body as I spoke.

"I haven't even called you a heartless bastard yet." She wrapped her arms around my waist and bit my shoulder hard. "How did you make Chunling so angry?"

"Sister-in-law, I'm innocent too. I didn't do anything."

"Still saying you didn't do anything?" Sister Juxiang looked at me with a flirtatious gaze.

I didn't expect her to joke with me at this time, so I naturally accepted it without hesitation. "Then I'll show you."

"Ah...no...not now..." Sister Juxiang cried out and shook her head vigorously, her long hair dancing wildly beneath me. After

a long while, our panting stopped, but we didn't separate.

"Ah Hao, I have a question for you." Her eyes were tightly closed, like a silent lamb.

"Go ahead." My hand slowly caressed her breasts.

"Have you done anything with Sister Li?"

"Who..." My hand paused, then I

pretended to be confused and said, "You mean Li Jing? How could that be?" "Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about Li Mei." Sister Juxiang pinched me.

"How could that be? What are you thinking?" I quickly denied.

"Still won't admit it? I've been there, and I can tell from Li Mei's current state that she's definitely seeing another man."

"How can I tell from your appearance, sister-in-law?" I asked, puzzled.

"Li Mei has been all smiles every day for the past month or so, and she's become increasingly fond of dressing up. I've never even seen Zhang Ke like this at home. What could make a woman so happy? She must have been... you know. Look at Chunling, you know what a woman looks like after being with a man. You're the only man who frequents Li Mei's house, who else could it be?" She looked at me with a glint in her eye, gave me a push, and made me roll over.

I was amazed that Sister-in-law Juxiang could deduce things from such subtle clues.

She grabbed a wad of toilet paper from the bedside table, wiped herself, threw it into the trash can in the corner, and then began to tidy up the clothes that I had messed up. In just a short while, she had tidied herself up and returned to her usual self.

"Sister-in-law, you mustn't tell anyone about this," I said, putting my arm around Sister-in-law Juxiang.

"What are you talking about? I'm already annoyed by you... How can I tell others?" Sister Juxiang blushed, her eyes watery.

That's true. I touched her lower body and asked suspiciously, "Any reaction?"

"What reaction?"

"A child," I whispered.

"Not yet." Her face immediately darkened. Perhaps Sister Juxiang's greatest desire was to have a child, so people wouldn't say behind her back that she was a barren hen.

"I've figured it out, maybe I really am useless." Her tone was somewhat disheartened.

"No, it must be that we haven't tried hard enough. Why don't we try again?" I said with a smile.

"You rascal, always thinking dirty thoughts. Okay, I need to hurry to Chunling's place, otherwise someone will get worried. You should go too." She said, pushing me out.

Chapter 75 Zhang Shaohan
After leaving Sister Juxiang's shop, my mind was still racing. I hadn't expected Sister Juxiang to be so clever, able to deduce my relationship with Li Mei from just a few clues. Luckily, I had taken advantage of her, otherwise, what would I have done?

"Ah Hao, why are you only just getting back? Li Mei has called several times already." As soon as I stepped into Mao Tou's house, Aunt Meiqin looked at me anxiously and said.

"What's wrong?" I asked, puzzled. Had something happened just now?

"She didn't explain clearly on the phone, only saying there was an emergency at home and that you should go to the town government to answer the phone."

"My home is calling?" My mind went blank. Could something urgent have happened at home?

Without thinking further, I said to Aunt Meiqin, "Then I'll go first," and ran towards the town government.

I had given my dad the town government's phone number, but my mom thought phone calls were expensive and usually didn't call. I was the one who usually called home. Something must have happened this time. As

I walked to the town government building, my sister-in-law watched me from afar, her face full of anxiety.

"Sister-in-law, who called?" I asked quickly when I saw her.

"Probably your mom. I didn't ask much, but she sounded very anxious." My sister-in-law said, following me upstairs to the office.

I quickly dialed home, and it took a long time before I heard my mother's voice: "Hello?"

"Mom, you called just now?" I asked hurriedly.

"It's Ah Hao. Where did you go? I called for ages but couldn't reach you." My mother's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"I got off work a long time ago. If someone hadn't been on duty in the office, probably no one would have answered." Luckily, my sister-in-law was dealing with a dispute between two villagers. "What happened at home?"

"I can't call you if there's nothing wrong. When are you coming home? Your dad and I miss you so much."

"Mom, I'm afraid it will be a while. Maybe I'll go back for the New Year. The town is very busy right now." I said guiltily.

"How busy can it be? You don't even have time to come back to see your dad and us?" My mother grumbled on the other end.

"Mom," I had to calm myself down and say, "I will definitely come for the New Year, and I'll give you a surprise." I planned to bring Li Jing home for the New Year to meet my parents, as if I were bringing my wife home.

Li Mei, who had been by my side, naturally understood what I meant and smiled.

"How busy can a mere assistant be? I refused to stay in the city, so why go to such a faraway place to suffer? By the way, your dad's been in the hospital lately. He didn't want me to tell you, but I thought about it and decided to let you know anyway."

"What?!" I almost dropped the phone, my voice sounding strange. "My dad's in the hospital? What happened? He's always been healthy!"

"That old man likes to drink, and it hurt his stomach. He's been getting IV drips at the hospital these past few days. I wanted you to come back and talk to him. Are you coming back or not? You can't even take a week off?" My mother's voice was filled with disappointment, gradually rising in volume.

"Sister-in-law!" I covered the receiver and looked at Li Mei. This was a crucial time for entertaining Xie Yuling, and without someone in Luzhen to oversee things, things would be difficult.

"Take a week off, go home and see your dad, and try to persuade him to drink less. I and Village Chief Jiang and others are taking care of him here; there shouldn't be any major problems. Besides, I can call you if anything happens," Li Mei said very understandingly.

"Mom, then I'll take leave and go home tomorrow." After thinking for a while, I finally made up my mind.

"Okay, I'll wait for you. About what time will you be home?"

"Probably in the evening. You don't need to pick me up; I don't have much stuff."

...

"Sister-in-law," I said, hanging up the phone and hugging Li Mei.

"Let's have dinner at my house tonight. Xiao Mei isn't home," she said softly, her words laced with teasing.

"Then I'll sleep in your bed tonight and catch the bus to the county town early tomorrow morning."

"You bastard, how will my sister-in-law face people if Qingqing and the others find out?"

In the end, I didn't stay at my sister-in-law's house. Liu Qingqing woke me up at six in the morning to catch the first bus from Luzhen to the county town. Aunt Meiqin even specially boiled some eggs for me so I could eat them if I got hungry on the way.

In my bag were local specialties from Luzhen that my sister-in-law had gotten for me to take home. After arriving in the county town, I waited for more than an hour before I finally caught the bus to Ruzhou.

At this time, there were few trains and many people. Luckily, I managed to snag a seat at the starting station. Soon, the carriage was in chaos; a train with only twenty-eight seats had over forty people crammed on, filling the aisle completely.

The morning weather was still very hot and dry, and with poor ventilation and no air conditioning, the air quickly filled with the smell of sweat, making me want to sneeze.

I could only lean against the window and look at the scenery outside. When we passed through the city, the train stopped briefly, and some people got on and off, but the carriage remained crowded. The man next to me got off, and this time a woman in her twenties boarded. She was probably from a small town, wearing a blue plaid cotton shirt that pressed tightly against my body.

I knew the carriage was crowded, so I didn't pay much attention. But after a while, her soft, warm breasts pressed tightly against my arm, like damp cotton. I could clearly feel the sweat on them, and my arm felt numb from the pressure, so I couldn't help but shift slightly.

The young woman blushed; she clearly felt our movement. She struggled to shift her body to the side, but the carriage was cramped, making even turning around difficult. The people standing next to her were constantly pushing and shoving, so her efforts were futile.

I smiled at her, unable to resist glancing at her. Seeing a woman with a rather attractive face, anyone would be tempted to take advantage.

"You're from the county town too, right?" she said, her lips a thin, alluring red, similar to my sister-in-law's.

"Yes, you are too," I replied, squeezing further in.

Despite the carriage's jostling, one of her buttons slowly loosened. From my angle, I could see through her crumpled collar, peering down at her ample bosom and the deep cleavage between her breasts.

Her soft, large breasts slowly pressed against me. Even through my clothes, the slight trembling from her full, rounded breasts stirred my mind and made me temporarily forget the heat and stuffiness of the bus. We started chatting.

"Sister, what do you do in the county town?" "I'm a cashier

at the credit union. Young man, you must come to me for your deposits in the future. Our credit union's interest rates are very high." She seemed completely unconcerned.

"Sister, do I look like a rich man? I'm penniless. I'd be more likely to borrow money from you." I narrowed my eyes and smiled at her, teasingly.

"Young man, you're quite the joker. What do you do?"

"Me? I work in a small town. I'm out here on some business."

...

We chatted like this all the way. There weren't many people on the bus, and her breasts would intentionally or unintentionally brush against my shoulder, tempting me to commit a crime!

At noon, the bus stopped in Liuhe County, where we had lunch. Then, the crowd gradually boarded the bus and continued on its way. After a morning of conversation, we had become acquainted. I learned that this young woman's name was Bai Jie, a counter clerk at the Meixi Road branch of the county government. Her husband, however, had been assigned to work in a government agency in Ruzhou, and the two suffered greatly from being separated. Many couples were in similar situations; due to the different assigned work units, many couples tried every means to transfer to the same place.

The car bumped along the way, traveling very slowly, and we didn't arrive in Ruzhou until after six o'clock. When I got off, I gave Bai Jie my home phone number, telling her to call if anything happened.

It had been several months since I'd been home. Walking onto the streets of Ruzhou, I felt a sense of familiarity. Carrying my backpack, I walked straight to my doorstep, only to see my mother waiting in the distance.

"Ah Hao's back?" My mother saw me and hurried over, running on tiptoe.

"Mom, slow down." My nose stung with tears, and I rushed to meet her, feeling guilty for my impulsiveness.

"You've gotten tanned and thinner," she said, taking my hand and examining me closely.

"How could that be, Mom? I've become much stronger." I put my arm around my mother and walked into the yard.

We still live in a courtyard house; my dad's work unit allocated three rooms.

"Brother Hao, you're back!" At that moment, a little girl ran over.

This girl was Uncle Zhang's daughter, Shao Han. She wore a very pretty light green floral jumpsuit, and her bright eyes sparkled with misty tears.

Shao Han's name was quite unique; it was a combination of Uncle Zhang's and Aunt Shao's surnames.

This girl was my little shadow when we were little, always following me around. We even slept in the same bed once. When we were young, both our families were very busy with work, especially Uncle Zhang and Aunt Liu, who were often away on business trips. So, she was practically raised by us. Aunt Shao even joked that Shao Han would be my wife when she grew up.

I remember we were puzzled for days about the differences between us, especially the differences between a boy and a girl. Later, I encouraged her to ask my mom, and when my mom found out, she gave me a good beating. As we

grew older, we lost touch. She understood our embarrassing childhood memories, so we never did anything inappropriate.

"Shao Han? You've become even more beautiful! How's university going?" It's true what they say, girls blossom into beauties in just a few months; this girl has blossomed into such a lovely young woman.

"It's alright. The classes are much easier than in high school. I come home for dinner every day now." She saw my obvious surprise and delight.

"Come on, come inside. Your dad knows you're coming back, and he couldn't sleep a wink last night," my mother said, taking my hand. "Shao Han, come in too."

"No, Auntie, I still need to cook. Besides, Uncle Wang is probably getting impatient waiting for Ah Hao. You guys should go inside quickly. Anyway, our houses are right next to each other. I'll go play after I eat," Shao Han said with a smile.

"What are you cooking? Is your mom coming back tonight?" my mother asked again.

"I don't know, probably not. She might have to work tonight. High school students are hard to manage these days."

"Then you don't need to cook. Let's eat together. You haven't eaten at our house for a while. Ah Hao happens to be back today, so let's get together."

My mother pulled her over without giving her a chance to object.

"Auntie, this isn't appropriate," Shao Han said softly, looking at me.

"What, are you being shy now that I'm back?" I said irritably, looking at her. It seemed that this girl was still angry with me, even though she was a little excited earlier.

We walked through the alley and into our small courtyard. The courtyard was full of vegetables, gourd vines were climbing everywhere, and the only elm tree was entwined with loofah.

"Mom, you still grow so many vegetables. Why don't you grow some flowers and plants?" I complained.

"You don't know the cost of living until you're in charge of the household. Your dad and I haven't gone to the market to buy vegetables all summer. We're saving money for when you get married. What's the point of growing those flowers and plants? They can't be eaten." My mom tapped my head.

Parents always worry about their children, so I didn't say anything.

"Auntie, Ah Hao is so old already. You still hit him. What if someone tries to set you up with someone? That would look bad." Shao Han said with a smile, seeing my embarrassed expression.

"So what? Even if he's a hundred years old, he's still my son..."

"It's only right for a father to hit his son," I quickly interjected.

"You're back," my dad heard my voice and came out of the house, giving me a curt greeting.

"Old man, what are you pretending for? You were staring longingly when Ah Hao wasn't back, and now that he's back, you're acting like nothing happened. Hurry up and take the bag." My mom angrily shoved the bag into my dad's hands.

I can understand my parents' feelings. To be honest, this is the first time I've been away from home for so long. I also went to university in Ruzhou, so even though I lived on campus, it was still in the same city. This trip to Luzhen made my parents worry a lot. Every time my mom called, she asked how I was eating and sleeping, afraid I was cold or hungry.

"Dad, weren't you in the hospital?" I asked my dad, looking at him strangely. My mom had said it was very serious on the phone, but now my dad seemed perfectly fine.

"What illness?" My dad was even more puzzled than me.

"Mom?" I turned to look at my mom.

"Hehe, I was just kidding. Your dad and I have been really looking forward to you coming back to stay for a while since you haven't been back for so long."

"I knew it," I could only manage a wry smile. But since I was back, I should do my best to be filial.

"Alright, you two chat. I'll wash my hands and cook. Shao Han, help me."

"Okay," Shao Han obediently followed my mom into the kitchen.

The meal was very lavish. My mom had bought the chicken, duck, and fish in the morning and had been busy all afternoon, so all that was left was to fry and stir-fry, which was finished in a little over an hour.

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