With the dust settled on the wedding, Lin Xiaoyao couldn't be my bride at her most beautiful moment, but that didn't stop us from being close. I even felt like I could live my days calmly with her. After all, I had grown accustomed to Lin Xiaoyao's face. As the saying goes, close your eyes and ignore her face. Not to mention, Lin Xiaoyao's figure and her infatuation with me made me very satisfied. If I hadn't been concerned about how others saw me, I wouldn't even want to get out of bed. Once you experience something, you can't stop.
The fatty had been busy training Lin Erdan these days. According to the fatty, Lin Erdan was a natural talent, in fact, a top-notch one, but he had a lot of brute strength that he simply didn't know how to use. It was a waste of his innate talent. So the fatty took Lin Erdan as his apprentice, but Lin Erdan initially refused. Finally, the fatty said, "Two thousand a month, full board." Hearing this, I felt a pang of discomfort. I was earning only one thousand a month as a teacher at school.
Thinking of my job, my salary used to be Lin Sanshui's responsibility in the village committee. But in the future, Lin Sanshui wouldn't be developing in Linjiazhuang. After this period of calm, I would continue to work as a civil servant in the village. I hadn't really thought about relying on Lin Xiaoyao's luck to make a quick success. I hadn't tried with other women, but after that thing with Lin Xiaoyao, besides feeling refreshed the next morning, I hadn't noticed any significant benefits.
This kind of time lasted for half a month. During this period, there was quite a lot of calm in my family and the village. Perhaps the only unrest was that there was an irresponsible person in the village, who was said to be spoiled since childhood and didn't work in the fields. His parents died, leaving the family in poverty. His wife eventually left him for someone from another village who collected scrap. This man's wife didn't even want to be with him, and it showed how lazy he was.
Yet, surprisingly, this irresponsible man had caught the attention of Wu Miaoke. He loitered around my house all day, drooling whenever he saw Wu Miaoke. My father scolded him several times, but this irresponsible man stubbornly retorted that he would come back. Due to this, my father urged me several times to talk to my second uncle about it, fearing that it would lead to trouble in the village.
I was also conflicted. There is an old saying, "a widow's door attracts many rumors." Wu Miaoke was not exactly a widow, but she was, in a way, and she had remarried her daughter off, so she was not living alone. It was fortunate that she was living in our house; otherwise, she would have attracted the attention of other men. I had mentioned the matter of Wu Miaoke and my second uncle to Lin Xiaoyao, and every time she shook her head, saying, "I don't know what my mom is thinking. It's not good to meddle rashly."
If I said anything more, Lin Xiaoyao would retort, "I won't be a matchmaker for my mom anymore. Last time, I helped arrange something for you. How did it turn out?" Her words made me feel embarrassed. Indeed, because of that night, I tried my best not to mention Wu Miaoke when I was with Lin Xiaoyao. But the guilt was that every time I held Lin Xiaoyao, I involuntarily pictured Wu Miaoke's face in my mind. Each time I did, I felt an inexplicable sense of urgency. I didn't know if this made me twisted or if many people have similar dark thoughts hidden deep inside.
So, I couldn't bring up Wu Miaoke's matter with my second uncle, partly because of the impracticality of it and partly due to the guilty desires in my heart for this beautiful mother-in-law. Although I knew it wasn't right, I had already married Lin Xiaoyao, and everything was set, but I couldn't control my inner thoughts.
One day, Jiuliang received a phone call from the bureau summoning her back from her holiday, saying there was urgent work to be done. Jiuliang had already become fond of being a substitute teacher in the village's elementary school and didn't want to go back. But the call mentioned a major case that required her immediate attention. After advising me to keep an eye on the fatty, she left. I too felt the pure friendship between us, especially when Lin Xiaoyao cried so much, insisting that Jiuliang should come back to see her when she had time. Women's grudges come fast, but friendship is even more unpredictable, and that's certainly true.
After Jiuliang left, three days later, Lin Sanshui suddenly came back to the village. This time, his return was very grand. Three cars parked at the entrance of the village, from which eight or nine people got out. They all looked very dignified, which instantly awe-struck the villagers. Even if they weren't afraid of these eight or nine people, they certainly were daunted by the sight of the three steel cars.
Before my marriage to Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Sanshui had lived a destitute life in a dirty and messy apartment in the city. How did he suddenly become so prosperous in just ten days or so? But I was genuinely happy for him. Lin Sanshui was definitely a capable person in the eyes of the villagers now, capable everywhere he goes.
Lin Sanshui was impeccably dressed, like a man returning to the village in glory. Lighting a cigarette, he laughed and said to the villagers, "This outfit looks really handsome on our village."
Seeing me from a distance, he waved, saying, "Xiaofan, come here."
When Lin Xiaoyao got married last time, she didn't argue with Lin Sanshui. It was because she was so excited on her big day, and Lin Sanshui was indeed living a pitiable life at that time. But this time was different. Lin Xiaoyao was visibly displeased when she saw Lin Sanshui. Clearly, she was thinking as I was. When I saw Lin Sanshui, a similar idea popped into my mind.
Lin Xiaoyao didn't want me to go over, but I couldn't not go. Lin Sanshui was my father-in-law, and with so many people watching, I couldn't ignore him.
"Dad, why are you back at this time?" I awkwardly called out.
When Lin Sanshui heard the word "dad," his expression froze. After a while, he walked over, patted my shoulder and said, "Xiaofan, when you call me dad, it feels like my heart's about to jump out. Here, take this money to fix the house. You need it for your wedding, and I'm tight on cash too."
He shoved a thick stack of money into my hands, probably about forty or fifty thousand, which made the villagers envious. They urged me to accept it, but I felt an overwhelming turmoil inside.
Lin Sanshui had come into a lot of money? I looked at the seven to eight people wearing sunglasses and sporting a tattoo of a huge scorpion on their left arm. They were all carrying bags and wore tight black short sleeves, giving off a stern aura. These people were definitely not good guys.
That night, the news of village head Lin Sanshui's sudden fortune and triumphant return spread throughout the village, becoming the topic of conversation during tea and meals. Except in our house, no one dared to speak a word about Lin Sanshui. But the rumors outside were fierce, and Wu Miaoke had clearly heard about it. After dinner, she went straight to her room. Later, when I and Lin Xiaoyao returned to our room, it was natural for newlyweds to be close, but she was concerned. "Do you think my dad is in trouble?" she asked.
"I really can't be sure, but Sanshui should know his limits. Don't worry, there's only so much trouble he can cause in the village," I replied.
"I feel like my mom wasn't herself today. Xiaofan, can I go and see her?" Lin Xiaoyao asked, trying to act cute.
"Go ahead, but come back in the middle of the night; otherwise, your husband will have a sleepless night," I said.
"Serves you right! Did you think I didn't know that you asked Liu Fatty for the tortoise soup recipe?" Lin Xiaoyao blushed and stuck out her tongue.
As I watched her put on her clothes and go to Wu Miaoke's room, I couldn't help but wonder, what had happened with Lin Sanshui? Did he sell a kidney?
I couldn't sleep, and suddenly there was a loud voice in the courtyard, "Xiaofan, come out! How dare someone hit me, the fatty!" It was the fatty's voice.