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"Get lost! Youâre spouting nonsense!" Sheng An was livid, glaring at Qin Cuifen., "Itâs all your fault, you must be the one behind this. Itâs all lies, all lies!"
In an instant, the scene erupted into chaos, Xu Laidi shouted with all her might, "Everyone come quick! Sheng Ning actually did such a disgraceful thing, what a shame!"
As Xu Laidi yelled, just when she felt good about her vocal tirade, a big mass of dark, murky stuff splashed in her face. The others panicked and dodged to the side, and by the time Xu Laodi realized what it was, she had already been drenched from head to toe.
She opened her mouth wide, and some of the liquid splashed directly into her mouth.
It was manure water.
In the rural areas of the 1980s, chemical fertilizers werenât yet popular. Every household would dig a pit behind their toilets and, come wintertime, carry the manure water out to irrigate the fields.
This way, the next yearâs crops were sure to yield a good harvest.
Lately, Sheng Laosanâs leg had been getting worse, and he couldnât sleep at night because of the pain. So Shen Luhua couldnât bear to let him work in the fields, shouldering a great deal of the family burden herself. She had gotten up early that morning to water the fields with manure water.
She had intended to finish before lunch. Hearing the noise from a distance, she got so angry that she flung the bucketful of manure water right out.
Many people got splashed by her manure water, including those who had just pompously advised Mr. Sheng to sever his relationship with Sheng Ning, now looking incredibly uncomfortable.
"Wow... it stinks, it stinks..." Xu Laidi couldnât stop spitting and was hopping and jumping around on the ground.
"Since your mouth spews dung, why donât you eat shit?" Shen Luhua, hands on hips, holding another bucket, glared at the people around her, "Who dares to say another word? Say it and Iâll make you eat shit."
Sheng An stood there, jaw agape at his motherâs imposing figure, utterly impressed and filled with admiration.
"Unreasonable!"
"Has she gone mad?"
The villagers, scared of being splashed, hurriedly scattered and left.
Qin Cuifen glowered at Shen Luhua, who had suddenly appeared, wishing she could snatch the manure bucket and splash them head to toe.
But she couldnât; she was currently playing the role of a weak, pitiful victim.
"Letâs go, weâre going home!" Shen Luhua dropped the manure bucket, grabbed Mr. Sheng with one hand and Sheng An with the other, storming off home. All the while, she scolded, "How can you two be so useless? Canât you fight? Letting them run their mouths, if anyone dares speak again, see if I donât tear their mouth apart."
Lao San looked at his wife, his heart brimming with gratitude and guilt.
Luhua was a city girl; when she first came to their home with Anâan, she was so precious she never did any hard labor, not even able to tell chives from wheat.
Following him for so many years without a day of happiness, she learned to do all the farm work, and that was that. But now, she was forced into behavior she had once despised, just like a rural woman.
Shen Luhua knew what he was thinking and proudly declared, "Donât be silly, I think throwing manure on people is great, it makes me happy!"
"Really, Mom?" Sheng Anâs eyes sparkled.
Shen Luhua yanked on Sheng Anâs ear and thundered, "You wretched girl, if you dare to do such a thing, Iâll twist your ear off."
"Ow, ow, ow... Mom, I wonât do it again, let go, please let go." Sheng An hurriedly pleaded for mercy.
*******
Everyone had dispersed, Xu Laidi cursed under her breath as she sprinted home.
Zhang Fang, who had been standing outside, finally made her way to Qin Cuifenâs side.