Chapter 8

When girls were raised in the countryside, they usually said that girls should be chaste and diligent.

Girls from ordinary families had to learn how to cook and wash dishes as soon as they could reach the stove. When they were not even three feet tall, they had to carry a basket as big as an ox to the mountains to gather firewood and pigweed.

They had to know how to clean pots, cook stoves, sweep the floor, and feed pigs. They had to learn from a young age. If they did not learn, they did not deserve to be a girl and would not be able to get married in the future.

However, Cheng Cheng was different from ordinary girls. She did not like to learn how to do housework and embroidery. She loved to play with Da Zhuang all day long.

She dragged a bamboo pole and rode it like a horse. She ran around the village and did not rest even when she was tired and sweating.

The summer sun was hot. Dogs hid under the eaves and did not want to come out. However, Cheng Cheng was not afraid. She ran around like a wild horse.

She was originally a white doll, but now she was tanned. Tang Huaijin's wife said, "Little ancestor, you should wear a hat when you go out. Don't be as tanned as a turtle."

"Little ancestor, put on your shoes. Be careful of thorns on your feet."

Cheng Cheng did not care about that. Wearing a hat and shoes was not as fast as running barefoot without a hat.

She ran with Da Zhuang all day long. She ran from the east side of the village to the west side, and from the west side to the east side of the village. She was as tired as a dog, but she was still happy and did not get tired.

Tang Huaijin and his wife did not understand what she was doing all day long.

The women in the village could not stand it. They said that a girl did not behave like a girl. What was this?

They talked about Tang Huaijin and his wife behind their backs.

It was not that there were no adoptions in the countryside. Usually, they adopted boys. Girls could not be kept by their side for old age. What was the point of raising them?

If they raised them, then so be it. They did not let her do housework and spoiled her like a boy every day. It was equivalent to inviting an ancestor to themselves.

In fact, the Tang family spoiling their children had nothing to do with others. However, they were villagers. Other than working all day long, they did not have much entertainment. When they were free, they would gossip and gossip.

Cheng Cheng ran around the village all day long. When those busybodies saw her, they said, "This girl is very naughty. She plays all day long. Why don't you go cook for your mother and feed the pigs?"

At first, Cheng Cheng was still honest. He didn't know what the adults meant by asking this, but he felt that they were up to no good. He blinked his big round eyes and said, "My mom said I'm too young and won't let me do it."

"You're already seven or eight years old, you're still young!"

When the busybody saw that other people's children didn't work, it was as if they were taking advantage of themselves. He said, "How can a girl not work? When she grows up, she won't be able to get married.

Every family chooses a virtuous and capable daughter-in-law. If you don't know how to work, even if you look like a fairy, you'll still be beaten by men if you wait too long. "

Cheng Cheng had a rebellious temperament. At first, he felt uneasy when he heard such words, but after a long time, he started to dislike them and even developed a rebellious mentality.

The more you say, the more I won't listen to you.

When the busybody talked to her again, she pretended not to hear him.

This girl was also very shrewd. She didn't talk back to anyone she disliked. She just pretended to be silly and said innocently, "Oh." She turned around and waited for the other person to leave before cursing behind his back, "You have a long tongue!

Your mouth is going to get ulcers! "When he turned around, he forgot about this matter and ran off to play with his own things.

Tang Huaijin's wife actually wanted Cheng Cheng to do the housework with her.

It was just that when she was young, she couldn't bear to do it. When she was a little older and wanted to control her, her temperament had already become wild.

She was obedient, but she was also very impatient.

When she asked her to sweep the floor, she casually waved the broom twice and ran off to play with the dog. The floor was still covered in a layer of dust.

When she asked her to pull the grass, she pulled the melon seedlings in front of the door.

When she asked her to help her mother cook, she panicked and her eyes darted around. When her little friend called her outside the door, she immediately acted as if her feet were covered in bamboo shoots. With her little tail between her legs, she went to her mother and pretended to be obedient. "Mom, Mom, Da Zhuang is calling me. I'll go out and play for a while."

Tang Huaijin's wife had no choice. She was absent-minded and could only let her go. "Go, go. Look at how anxious you are."

Cheng Cheng felt as if she had been pardoned and ran away in a flash.

She was restless.

Seeing that this child was getting older and more lawless at home, Tang Huaijin and his wife discussed and decided to send her to the countryside to study.

At home, she was led astray by Da Zhuang and his gang all day long. She didn't learn anything good and only knew how to cause trouble.

Tang Yanhua was already in the third grade of the primary school in the countryside. They sent Cheng Cheng to study together with him and let Tang Yanhua take care of her.

At first, Cheng Cheng was unhappy that she couldn't play with Da Zhuang and the others. She cried uncontrollably. Tang Yanhua coaxed and persuaded her to go to school. In the end, she was happy after staying there for a day. It turned out that there were a few boys in the class. When they saw that she was pretty, lively, and cute, they fought to please her and gave her the snacks they brought at home, such as walnuts, peanuts, and dates, to eat.

When Cheng Cheng saw this, she was like a dog that saw a bone. She couldn't move.

The boys coaxed and flattered her. Cheng Cheng came back to show off to her mother. "Mom, the boys in my class made me a princess."

Tang Huaijin's wife laughed. "Made you a princess?

They made you a rooster, right? "

Cheng Cheng grabbed her mother's clothes and said excitedly, "It's true. It's a princess, not a rooster!

Mom, do you know what a princess is?

A princess is a princess, not a rooster. "

Tang Huaijin's wife told this story to her father later.

Tang Huaijin was a serious person. When he heard this, he couldn't help but laugh. "This girl is not an honest person."

Cheng Cheng counted with her fingers who gave her walnuts and dates. "I promised to be friends with them, but there were too many of them. I couldn't divide them all. I could only agree to spend a day with each of them.

I gave them a number. Tomorrow is the first, the day after tomorrow, the second, and then the third and the fourth. They have to bring me food from home every day. Otherwise, I'll find someone else to play with. "

Tang Huaijin's wife frowned and scolded, "That's not allowed.

You can play if you want, but you're not allowed to ask others for food. "

Cheng Cheng said, "Okay, but they insist on giving it to me. I can't do anything about it."

Cheng Cheng was not someone who could focus on her studies. She still played when she went to the countryside, but with a different group of friends.

However, Tang Yanhua was different. Tang Yanhua liked books.

Tang Yanhua showed a studious nature when he was five or six years old.

There was only one literate person in the village, and that was the brigade's old accountant. When Tang Yanhua was young, he liked to play in the brigade when he was free and begged the accountant to teach him how to read.

There were a few old books in his father's house. They were so old that they were yellow with worms, and he read them one by one.

He knew how to study by himself. When he came across words that he didn't know, he would go to the brigade to ask the accountant. He also learned how to calculate from the accountant. He used the abacus beads and memorized the formula.

Cheng Cheng was annoyed when she saw him reading. "Brother, don't always read books. Take me out to play!"

Time flew by. Two years later, Da Zhuang had become Da Zhuang. Because his grades were too bad, he dropped out of school and went home to work for his parents.

Cheng Cheng lost this friend and had nothing to play with. He began to pester Tang Yanhua again.

Tang Yanhua raised his delicate and pretty face from the desk.

He had sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and black hair. He had the heroic and delicate spirit of a young boy.

He was even quieter than when he was young. He looked like a delicate bookworm. "Where do you want to play?"

Cheng Cheng took his hand. "I want to play in the woods.

I want to catch bamboo drills, long-horned beetles, and I want to pick grackles. "

Tang Yanhua rolled up the book and put it in the waist of his trousers. He took Cheng Cheng to the low hill behind the house where they used to play when they were young. They found a lawn and sat down.

When he looked up and saw the sunset, the fun he had when he was young was long gone.

Tang Yanhua felt very bored. He said to Cheng Cheng, "Why don't you play nearby?

I'll sit here and wait for you. I'll read for a while. "

Cheng Cheng pounced on him angrily and pinched his nose and ears. "You're not allowed to read. Play with me!"

Tang Yanhua's ears turned red and his nose hurt. He said, "I'm playing with you."

Cheng Cheng yelled at him, "When did you play with me?

Da Zhuang plays with me every day. You haven't played with me in a long time!

You only know how to read your book every day!

Your book is better than mine! "

Tang Yanhua said, "I'm sorry.

Let me finish reading this paragraph. Just for a while. I'll play with you in a while. "

"A while, a while. How many times have you said 'a while'?

We'll be home for lunch in a while! "

Cheng Cheng was furious. She grabbed his book and tore it in half. "Bastard!

Who told you to read?

Who told you not to play with me? "

Tang Yanhua couldn't stop her in time. The book had already been torn.

He loved reading the most. When he saw the book being torn to pieces by Cheng Cheng, his eyes turned red and tears almost came out. "I'll play with you. Why did you tear my book?"

Cheng Cheng didn't expect Tang Yanhua to cry over a book. She was stunned.

Tang Yanhua was angry. He picked up the book and said to Cheng Cheng, "I doted on you for nothing!"

Cheng Cheng was as angry as a calf. He yelled, "What!

Tang Yanhua!

You've got guts! "

Tang Yanhua walked away. "You're being unreasonable!

You shrew! "

It was the first time Cheng Cheng heard such a serious word. She was stunned at first, but then she felt indignant.

She chased after Tang Yanhua angrily. "Who are you calling a shrew? Are you talking about me?"

She was barefoot. She didn't want to wear shoes because it was hot in summer.

Tang Yanhua pointed at her. "Look at you. You don't wear shoes or socks. Your hair isn't tied up. Your clothes are full of snot. You're running around all day like a shrew."

Tang Yanhua ran in front. Cheng Cheng chased after her. "Tang Yanhua!

Stop right there! "

Tang Yanhua was tall and had long legs. She couldn't catch up with her.

She was stubborn and insisted on subduing Tang Yanhua.

She ran home in one breath. Her feet were blistered, her face was red from the sun, and she was sweating profusely.

Tang Yanhua was sitting on a small stool in the yard. He had already boiled a bowl of paste and was pasting his book page by page.

Cheng Cheng stopped and yelled, "Tang Yanhua!"

Tang Yanhua was scared out of her wits. She shrank her head and turned to hide in the house.

Cheng Cheng moved quickly. She immediately rushed up and squeezed into the house before he closed the door. She grabbed him and said, "You're running!

You're running!

Let's see if you can run away from me. "

She had heard too much of Journey to the West. She spoke as if she was singing in an opera. "You're all grown up!

You want to fly!

You're bold!

You know how to run!

Ask me if I agree to it! "

Tang Yanhua sneered and went into the wardrobe. Bang! She closed the wardrobe.

Cheng Cheng pounded on the door with her fist. "Come out!

Come out!

If you don't come out, I'll set you on fire! "

Tang Yanhua said, "I'll come out if you don't disturb me!"

Cheng Cheng said, "Naive!

Think about it!

Dream on! "

Tang Yanhua squatted in the wardrobe and refused to come out. Cheng Cheng found a ruler and poked him through the gap in the wardrobe door. Tang Yanhua laughed.

But he still hid and refused to come out.

Cheng Cheng found a big stick from the corner and hit the door with it. "Come out!

Come out! "

Tang Huaijin's wife heard it while cooking in the kitchen. She said with a headache, "My lord!

Stop it!

You're going to lift the roof.

Can't you just be quiet for a while? "

Tang Yanhua laughed. "Mom, Mom, help me get her out of here. She wants to hit me!"

Cheng Cheng said, "I didn't hit her. He's the one who hid in the wardrobe and refused to come out!"