Chapter Twenty-Seven: Humiliation

"It’s not that I’m trying to be a stranger with you two. Once this batch of peanuts is finished, I’ll still have to ask Fugui to bring more from the county seat for me. I can’t expect him to do that for free, can I?"

"Your money doesn’t just fall from the sky, and these are fresh peanuts from a greenhouse, not just some random crop from your own fields. We should keep things fair; I can't just take your things for nothing."

Wang Jusheng spoke with a sincere expression. Seeing that Wang Susu and Chen Ling still had no intention of taking the eggs back, he walked over to the basket hanging from the ceiling beam and began stuffing the eggs inside.

"No, no, Brother Jusheng..."

Chen Ling quickly stepped in to stop him, looking rather displeased. "Let’s keep business and friendship separate. Asking you to bring me peanuts in the future is a separate matter."

"But I cannot keep these eggs today."

"If we have to be so calculative about every little thing, I’ll be too embarrassed to even borrow your donkey cart next time!"

These words made Wang Jusheng pause. He looked caught in a dilemma, glancing between Chen Ling and Wang Susu, then shook his head with a helpless, bitter smile.

"Look at you, Fugui, talking like that. If you put it that way, I suppose I have no choice but to take them back."

"I really didn't mean anything by it, it's just... well, never mind. I won't say any more."

Seeing this, Chen Ling smiled. "That's more like it. Go on, put them away. Eggs are fragile; if we keep pushing them back and forth, they’ll end up broken."

Wang Susu chimed in in agreement.

Wang Jusheng sighed and finally set the basket aside.

"I heard from my old man that you’re planning to plow the fields in the next couple of days, Fugui?"

Chen Ling nodded. "That's right. That land has been fallow for too long, so I’m planning to plow it twice to turn the soil over properly."

"That land..."

Wang Jusheng’s lips moved, but he ultimately held back what he was really thinking. He simply followed the thread of conversation, saying, "That land could certainly use a good plowing."

"Since I don’t have any night shifts for the first half of this month, make sure you call me when you start plowing. I’ll be idle anyway, so I can give you a hand."

Knowing that Wang Jusheng was likely feeling embarrassed after accepting the peanuts, Chen Ling didn't refuse. Living in the countryside, it was the give-and-take that built relationships. He was no longer the old Chen Ling; he couldn't afford to live as an outcast.

The three of them chatted and laughed for a while until the sky outside turned dark. Only then did the conversation wind down, and Wang Jusheng rose to leave.

"I got so caught up in talking that I forgot you two haven't eaten yet."

"Hurry up and make dinner. I’m heading home."

As he spoke, Wang Jusheng picked up the peanuts and the basket of eggs and headed out.

"Woof, woof, woof..."

Just as Wang Jusheng stepped over the threshold, before he had even fully cleared the house, the two puppies, Heiwa and Xiaojin, who had been quiet until now, suddenly bolted out of their kennel.

They barked at Wang Jusheng, a stranger to them.

Though their voices were still thin and puppy-like, they stood with their little tails perked up and eyes wide, actually looking quite fierce.

Wang Jusheng froze, turned his head to look at the black and yellow pups, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, look at that, you've got two little ones..."

Before he could finish, he saw Heiwa and Xiaojin run to his side. In perfect sync, they grabbed the corners of the urea sack holding the peanuts, digging their little paws in and pulling back with all their might.

Wang Jusheng was stunned, completely taken aback.

"That’s incredible, Fugui!"

"Where did you get these pups? They’re barely big enough to walk and they already know how to guard their food. They’ll definitely grow up to be great guard dogs."

Chen Ling laughed and explained where he had found Heiwa and Xiaojin, leaving Wang Jusheng marveling at the story.

"Looking at their size, they might be from a litter of 'Tiger-Head Yellows.' They've only been here a few days and they’re already this big."

Their region, situated at the intersection of three provinces, was considered a backwater by outsiders—a place known for producing not only unruly people but also a famous breed of hunting dog called the "Tiger-Head Yellow."

These dogs were large, and they had to be either solid yellow or solid black; any hint of mixed color meant they weren't pure, and they wouldn't possess the characteristic loyalty and ferocity of the breed.

"Whatever breed they are, Susu likes puppies, so we’ll keep them."

Chen Ling smiled, detached the two little ones from the sack, and handed them to Wang Susu.

Wang Susu cradled them in her arms, stroking the pups, and gave him a sweet smile.

"You really need a dog or two in the village. If there’s any trouble, they’re very useful!" Wang Jusheng added with a smile.

He then looked at Chen Ling and Wang Susu, suddenly feeling that something about the couple seemed off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it felt strange.

After Chen Ling and Wang Susu saw him to the gate and said their goodbyes, Wang Jusheng couldn't help but glance back several times as he walked away. The further he got toward his own home, the stronger that strange feeling grew.

When he finally stepped through his own door and saw his wife, Zhang Qiaoling, the realization hit him. He finally understood what felt wrong.

He set down the basket of peanuts and eggs. "People in the village always say Fugui is lazy and beats his wife, but he doesn't seem that way to me at all. The two of them are quite affectionate."

Zhang Qiaoling, who was busy washing diapers, rolled her eyes at this. "What? You think he’s had a change of heart?"

"They say a dog can’t change its habit of eating dung. Back when he first got married, every elder in the village tried to talk some sense into him, but I never saw him change."

"Especially when he was beating his wife—he never missed a beat."

"He wasted all the money his parents left him. If his wife complained, he’d hit her; if she didn't give him money, he’d hit her..."

"Hmph, if he’s changed his nature, then the sun must be rising in the west!"

Wang Jusheng frowned. "I've heard all that too, but today, when I went to his house, he really didn't seem like the person everyone describes."

"Look, he even insisted I bring these eggs back. He wouldn't take them no matter what. The couple was in total harmony; I really couldn't see any problem at all!"

Zhang Qiaoling glanced at the basket and scoffed. "It would be a miracle if you could see through it. He’s the son of an educated youth; just like them, he’s the best at putting on a show."

"Even his father was fooled for half his life. Do you think you’re sharper than his father?"

Wang Jusheng was struck dumb. After a long silence, he said, "Let's just look at the facts. We really owe them this time. If it weren't for this, you wouldn't have enough milk, and we’d have to spend money on formula, not to mention our second child would be suffering."

"Just stop gossiping about Fugui. If people hear us, it’ll be awkward for everyone."

Zhang Qiaoling wasn't having it. She threw the diaper into the basin and glared at him. "When have you ever heard me gossip about Fugui? It’s your mother who’s always mocking them. If you feel awkward, why don't you go shut your mother’s mouth?"

"You..."

Wang Jusheng’s expression soured. Just as he was about to stand up, the baby on the kang was woken by their bickering and began to wail.

Wang Jusheng immediately dropped the argument and rushed over to soothe the child.

"Hmph."

"And these peanuts—your mother thought they weren't worth anything, so she tossed them our way. She gave all the vegetables to Fuxiang’s wife instead."

"That’s the kind of thing your mother does."

Zhang Qiaoling curled her lip and got up to put the eggs and peanuts in the inner room.

"Alright, alright, stop nagging. Go ahead and feed the baby."

Wang Jusheng’s face remained dark as he handed the baby to his wife. "You’re just talking nonsense. If they hadn't given us these peanuts, would we have even known they help with lactation?"

"Oh, my dear husband!"

"Go ahead and play the fool if you want. Once your mother helps Fuxiang and his wife empty out our home, you’ll have plenty of time to cry."

Zhang Qiaoling stood up and went to feed the child, turning her face away and refusing to look at Wang Jusheng again.