Just when the two of them thought the matter with Fang Daming had come to an end, he showed up again the next morning.
Fang Daming said, “I’ve been thinking. We were classmates for several years, after all. Since you’re getting married, I don’t really have anything to give you. However, I heard that buying things in the countryside is extremely troublesome. If you don’t have the proper supplies for your wedding, people will laugh at you. So, I’m here to help. I know the location of a black market in the county. Do you want to go?”
Li Baoling and Lin Mingyuan exchanged a glance: What is this guy up to now?
Fang Daming naturally didn’t miss the eye contact between them, but he was very confident that he could trick Lin Mingyuan into it. He deliberately said this in front of the female educated youth because he knew every girl wants a dignified wedding. The more supplies they had, the better; it would make everyone else envious.
“Even though our relationship wasn’t great before, I’m thinking of you when such a good opportunity arises,” Fang Daming added.
Lin Mingyuan was speechless. Did this guy take him for a fool?
“I’m not going. That’s a place one shouldn’t visit,” Lin Mingyuan said directly.
Fang Daming thought he was afraid. “It’s fine. If I say you can go, you definitely can. Have you forgotten what my uncle does? He’s the one in charge of catching people for that. I’ll give him a heads-up, and it will definitely be fine. Just put your heart at ease.”
“I’m still not going.”
“Are you short on money?” Fang Daming was determined not to fail this time. He had to make Lin Mingyuan suffer a bit. As he spoke, he pulled twenty yuan out of his pocket.
“Here, consider it a loan from a brother. You can pay me back when you have it later.”
Lin Mingyuan looked at the twenty yuan forced into his hand and thought for a moment. “Will you be going too?”
Fang Daming wanted to say, “Why would I go? You’re the one being caught.” He just needed to give Lin Mingyuan the location. But as soon as Lin Mingyuan asked, he immediately said, “Of course. How else would I lead you there? Besides, if something happens, the people catching us will let us go when they see me.”
“Then just tell me the place directly. I’ll go find you there. Otherwise, if the two of us go together, the target will be too big.” Lin Mingyuan seemed to agree.
“That works.” Fang Daming gave him the location. He was sure Lin Mingyuan wouldn’t dare go alone, but he still added, “Don’t go by yourself. If you run into those people and they take you away, think about the consequences.”
“If you’re actually caught red-handed, I won’t be able to help you.”
“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll meet there. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“You must go, or I’ll definitely come looking for you again.”
Fang Daming gave a few more threats and left only after confirming the time. He came quickly and left quickly, leaving the two of them looking at the twenty yuan in their hands.
“Is he a fool, or does he take us for fools?” Li Baoling was puzzled.
“Probably both,” Lin Mingyuan said. He didn’t know what else to say, then added, “But he’s always been this arrogant. He thinks that since he’s helping you, what else could you possibly worry about? In his eyes, we’re just country folk who have never seen anything good. And country folk are easy to fool.”
“So as soon as he speaks, he thinks we should agree eagerly. After all, once there’s a first time for something like this, there’s a second. Everyone is short on food now. Having a good opportunity with a contact seems like a great chance.”
“But I know from reading novels that things in the black market are expensive. Poor people like us probably wouldn’t be willing to spend,” Li Baoling added.
“That’s why I said he’s a fool. But didn’t he give us twenty yuan anyway?”
“So what do we do?”
“Of course we aren’t going. We aren’t fools.”
“But if we don’t go, he’ll come back to ask for the money, right?” Li Baoling was looking at the money greedily. Only a fool like Fang Daming would believe Lin Mingyuan’s words.
“He definitely will. His plan this time is likely to trick me into going there, then find someone to arrest me, and then torture me ruthlessly!” Lin Mingyuan guessed.
“I think so too. How annoying. Why does this Fang Daming keep pestering you?” Li Baoling began to try hard to recall the content of the novel, but this part hadn’t been written.
In the end, the two decided to ignore it. Fang Daming could do whatever he wanted.
“Let’s go. We’ll head back and see if there’s anything else that needs to be done.”
As long as they weren’t made to work in the fields, they were happy to go anywhere to buy things. However, just as they reached the street corner, they saw a crowd gathered. Something was clearly happening.
“What’s going on?” Li Baoling tapped Lin Mingyuan’s back with the back of her hand. He understood her meaning immediately and stopped the bike.
Who doesn’t love to watch a scene? Li Baoling pushed her way to the front.
“You’re just a hen that doesn’t lay eggs! You even dare to talk back after a few words? After being married in for so many years, you haven’t even given me a granddaughter, let alone a grandson. I’ll beat you to death, you useless thing!” Liu Heini didn’t care if others were watching. She pinned her daughter-in-law down and started hitting her.
Li Baoling took the opportunity to see the daughter-in-law Sun Zhaodi had described as having a hard life. She was a delicate-looking girl who didn’t dare to fight back. She could only block and dodge. Sensing the eyes around her, her face was full of embarrassment and pain.
“Stand still! You dare to dodge after I hit you a couple of times? Eldest daughter, pin her down for me. See if I don’t beat her to death.”
Following Liu Heini’s command, a young woman who looked very similar to her immediately stepped up and grabbed Liu Ling’s hands, pinning her in place so she couldn’t move. Liu Heini had worked the fields for years and was very strong. The sound of her slaps landing on the petite girl’s body was audible to everyone.
With so many people around, no one helped, and not even a single person spoke up for her. Li Baoling understood why Sun Zhaodi said her life was bitter.
Li Baoling couldn’t stand this. Seeing another slap about to land, she immediately pushed aside the people in front of her. “Hey, hey, hey! If you have something to say, say it. Why are you getting physical?”
Liu Heini glanced at her, not taking her seriously at all. Li Baoling was afraid of that heavy palm, but she still braced herself and grabbed Liu Heini’s hand. Heavens, surely she wouldn’t hit her too?
Liu Heini was in the middle of the assault when her hand was suddenly caught. “Let go! Who do you think you are?”
She was strong and shoved Li Baoling away. “This is my own daughter-in-law. I can hit her however I want.”
“Lin Mingyuan!” Li Baoling was no match for the woman.
Lin Mingyuan propped up his bike and hurriedly squeezed to the front. “What happened? What happened?”
“Auntie, how can you hit people?”
Lin Mingyuan and Li Baoling stood together, blocking Liu Ling.
“Get lost! This is our family business. Even your parents don’t dare to interfere, yet you two youngsters are sticking your noses in. Scram!”
“Exactly. Lin the Fourth, oh, this must be your new wife. She’s quite pretty.” Zhang Dahua had returned to her mother’s house today. Hearing that the fourth son of the Lin family was married, she was curious and hadn’t expected to see them here.
“Still, you cannot hit people,” Li Baoling said. She didn’t know the specifics and didn’t dare to speak recklessly.
“I cannot hit her? Ask her yourself. If our Baogen hadn’t insisted on marrying her, her parents would have sold her to some old bachelor long ago. She wouldn’t be where she is today! Not only will I hit her, I’ll beat her to death, that useless waste, that hen that doesn’t lay eggs.”
“What use are you? You just eat for free. Spit out all the food you’ve eaten.”
“If I had known, I should have sold you to an old bachelor. He would have beaten you to death for not producing a child.”
The more Liu Heini spoke, the more vicious she became. Her expression looked as though she really intended to kill her daughter-in-law. Now, the people around them could no longer stand it and began to try to persuade her.
“Oh, it’s not such a big deal. The girl is a good girl. Having children depends on fate. The fate just hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Exactly. Your Liu Ling is so hardworking. Every day before dawn, she’s by the river washing clothes. I’ve seen her many times.”
“You cannot force the matter of children. Just wait a bit longer and they’ll come.”
Although people said this, they had no real hope. What young couple gets married and goes several years without having a child?
“Wait, wait, wait! It’s been several damn years! Others her age were pregnant within two months of marrying in. As for her, there’s not even a sign of it!”
“I really don’t know what sin was committed to marry such a thing.” Liu Heini pointed fiercely at her daughter-in-law, Liu Ling. If Li Baoling hadn’t been standing in front, the force of the gesture would have poked her.
Behind Li Baoling, Liu Ling remained silent.
“Alright, Baogen’s wife. No matter the reason, you should bow your head to your mother-in-law. Not being able to have children is your fault to begin with.”
“Heini is just anxious. Some of the things she says don’t sound good, but they make sense.”
“Not even being able to produce a child—the Zhang family is already being decent by not sending you back to your mother’s house.”
Damn it! Li Baoling couldn’t listen to this anymore. She wanted to give these people a heavy slap across the face. Restraining herself, she looked back at Liu Ling and found her face numb. She had clearly grown used to hearing such things.
“A woman who cannot have children—who knows what sins she committed in her past life,” Liu Fengying muttered quietly, fanning the flames.
In fact, she was the one who started it. If she hadn’t deliberately bragged about her grandson in front of Liu Heini, saying his name over and over and telling him to play at home so he wouldn’t be stolen by those who couldn’t conceive, Liu Heini wouldn’t have been this angry.
“Shut up!” Li Baoling was truly about to lose her temper.
Liu Fengying was startled by Li Baoling’s serious expression, then realized who she was talking to. “You haven’t even entered the Lin family’s door yet, and you’re already talking back to your elders, you little brat.”
“You old brat!” Li Baoling was not about to let herself be insulted.
Liu Fengying wanted to move, but Li Baoling pushed her away. Then she looked back at Liu Heini.
“Do you want to have a grandson?”
“Of course I do!”
“Then do as I say. Have your son and daughter-in-law go to the hospital for an examination together. See where the physical problem is. Once it’s treated, they can have children.”
As soon as Li Baoling finished speaking, Liu Heini gasped in anger. “You little brat, you… who are you saying cannot conceive!”
“Your son! Let me tell you this: at this age, if a couple cannot have children, it is mostly the man’s problem. If you don’t believe me, go get him checked!” Fearing the old woman would go on a rampage, Li Baoling had wanted to be more subtle, but it seemed that was useless.
Lin Mingyuan also chimed in: “Baoling is right. If the two of us cannot have children later, it will definitely be my problem, and I’ll have to go to the hospital for a check-up.”
In the future, Lin Mingyuan would often say: “Brother Baogen, let’s go to the city for a check-up together.”