PFC Chapter 25 Old Man Su and Widow Li
Chapter 25 Old Man Su and Widow Li
Old Su slammed his pipe heavily on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), sighed, and stood up, saying:
"Fourth brother, fourth brother, all you ever think about is the fourth brother. I think it's because you never care about the second brother that he quit. Whatever! I can't handle this anymore!"
After saying that, Old Man Su turned and left the house. Right now, he had to hurry to the village entrance to squat down and watch Widow Li work. He had no time to worry about these things at home.
Every day at this time, Widow Li, who lives at the village entrance, opens her courtyard gate to start working. She has a daughter who married and moved away a few years ago, and now she lives alone.
Although she is over sixty years old, she looks young because she doesn't have to worry about household chores or serve men.
Previously, every man in the village had wanted to enter Widow Li's house, but without exception, they were all driven away by Widow Li with a kitchen knife.
Although this old man Su was old and had a house full of children and grandchildren, he was still young at heart. He couldn't help but feel a strong urge to see Widow Li whenever he saw her.
So, like the other old men in the village, he spent his days squatting at the village entrance, chatting idly. Anyway, the chores at home were done by his second wife's family, so he didn't have to worry about them.
The worst thing about people is that feelings can develop over time. All the old men around here are in their sixties, and they all have to work in the fields.
So when people are busy at home, there aren't many people chatting at the village entrance. But Old Man Su is different; he's always so busy that he has to come to the village entrance to "check in" every day.
As time went on, he gradually managed to strike up a conversation with Widow Li. After that, Old Man Su was able to go into Widow Li's yard again to help her fetch water...
Thus, Old Man Su's relationship with Widow Li was different from that of others. Therefore, whenever he sat at the village entrance chatting with others, he was more assertive, as if he were the master of the house.
If anyone dared to say a bad word about Widow Li, he would glare at them and argue with them to show that he had a very close relationship with Widow Li.
Sure enough, as soon as Old Man Su arrived at Widow Li's house, he saw her open the gate. He wasn't shy at all; he simply walked right up to her and entered the yard.
"Sister Li, I figured your big vat should be empty by now, so I came here specifically to fetch you some water."
Hearing this, Widow Li felt a warmth in her heart and smiled shyly at Old Man Su.
"Thank you so much, Brother Su, for keeping track of all the chores in my yard every day. I was just about to go out to fetch water."
When Old Man Su saw Widow Li point to the carrying pole and buckets in the yard, he quickly stepped forward and hoisted them onto his shoulder, looking just like a young lad. Without a word, he carried the carrying pole out to fetch water.
The old women passing by chuckled as they saw this.
"This old man Su doesn't do any work at his own home; he saves all his energy to do chores at Widow Li's house!"
"I don't think this Widow Li is any good either. She's been a widow for so many years, and she's seduced quite a few men in our village!"
"You're right. I can't let my husband come to this village entrance to gossip anymore. I don't want him to end up in Widow Li's bed while he's chatting!"
"Haha, isn't that right!"
The old women left Li's widow's house, chatting and laughing loudly, making sure they weren't hiding anything.
Everyone knows that Widow Li's husband died not long after she married into Sujia Village, and now her daughter has also married far away. In Sujia Village, she has no one to rely on, so the old woman naturally doesn't bother to talk behind her back.
When Old Man Su returned, he saw Widow Li sitting on the doorstep, secretly wiping away her tears.
Old Su quickly put down his carrying pole and sat down beside her. Their bodies pressed tightly together, and touching Widow Li's soft body, Old Su's heart melted.
"Li Meizi, what's wrong with you? You were fine just now, why are you crying now?"
As he spoke, Old Man Su grabbed his sleeve and began to wipe away Widow Li's tears.
Widow Li pushed Old Man Su's hand away and said aggrievedly:
"Brother Su, please don't come to my courtyard again in the future..."
Old Man Su immediately became anxious upon hearing this.
"Oh dear, my good sister, if I don't come to your yard, who will help you carry water and manure? Who will chop the firewood for you? And who will fix anything that's broken or collapsed in the yard?"
Widow Li sighed heavily as she wept.
"Sigh, I have no choice but to do it myself. I've made it through all these years. If I really can't go on living, then I'll just die and be free. That way, I won't have to drag you down with me and let you carry this bad reputation!"
Upon hearing this, Old Man Su grabbed Widow Li's hand and exclaimed excitedly:
"My dear sister, how could I bear to let you do such dirty and tiring work? But what did someone say to you? Tell me, and I'll go find him!"
Widow Li met Old Man Su's anxious gaze, hesitated, then lowered her head, struggled to pull her hand away, and got up to walk into the yard.
"Brother Su, you should leave now. Don't come to my courtyard again. I remember all the kindness you've shown me! I can't let you get into trouble!"
When Old Man Su heard this, his heart clenched. He had spent so many years chatting at the village entrance, through the cold winter and hot summer, just to get closer to Widow Li.
Now that their relationship has just started to progress, it's about to end. Wouldn't all my previous efforts have been in vain?
Thinking this, Old Man Su also got up and hugged Widow Li from behind. With a forceful pull, he accidentally grasped two soft mounds. Old Man Su stiffened and quickly withdrew his hands, but their bodies were still pressed tightly together.
"My dear sister, please don't break your brother's heart. Seeing you like this makes my heart ache as if it's being stabbed. If you won't let me see you, I'd rather die right now!"
Widow Li, who had remained a widow for so many years and had never let a man into her courtyard, was now genuinely tempted.
She, a woman, has lived in Sujia Village for so many years, enduring the gossip and slander in the village, and raising her child with great difficulty. Only she knows the hardships she has endured.
Now that she's getting older, she really wants to find someone to rely on in the village; otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to let Old Man Su come into the yard to help her fetch water that day.
Thinking this, Widow Li turned around and leaned against Old Man Su, her eyes red and gazing at him tenderly. She then naturally wrapped her arms around his neck.
Just as the two were gazing deeply into each other's eyes, their hearts burning with passion, they heard a gasp from outside the courtyard:
"Dad, what are you doing here! Come home with me right now!"