FIMA Ch100: Able to Support

“Laosan ah, you two husbands, what are you doing closing the door in broad daylight?”

On the wooden door, the ‘slap, slap, slap’ sound of knocking rang out.

Xie Yiyang stopped his face-smearing actions, stood up in a flash, and hid the things on the ground along with the snakeskin bag into the wardrobe. Only then did he shoot Gu Siyuan a meaningful glance: “You go open the door.”

Watching his little actions, Gu Siyuan shook his head helplessly, stood up with a cold face, and went to open the door.

Mother Gu and Gu Lili, as well as the eldest branch’s youngest son Gu Dahe, were all standing at the doorway. When the few of them met Gu Siyuan’s cold and stern face at first glance, they actually felt a bit of unfamiliarity and were stunned for a moment.

Gu Siyuan said coldly: “What is the matter?”

Gu Lili was the first to react and smiled: “Third Brother, why did you close the door as soon as you came back? We haven’t seen each other for so long, everyone missed you very much.”

Gu Siyuan slightly raised his eyes and said indifferently: “It’s exactly because we haven’t seen each other for so long that my wife and I closed the door to do some things we ought to do.”

“Ah…” Gu Lili didn’t react for a moment.

Inside the room, Xie Yiyang heard it clearly, however, and his cheeks immediately turned red: “…”

This big fool Gu Laosan, what nonsense is he talking about over there?

And at this time, Mother Gu slapped Gu Siyuan’s arm with a smack, and said in a cold voice: “Laosan, what nonsense are you talking about here in front of your younger brother?”

This strike didn’t hold back any strength, and the sound it made caused everyone’s hearts to tremble.

Gu Siyuan frowned slightly.

Xie Yiyang was originally quite shy and annoyed at Gu Siyuan speaking nonsense, but thinking that Gu Siyuan had brought him so many things and was now being bullied by Mother Gu, he felt somewhat unwilling to accept it.

He immediately raised his head and shouted huffily: “I’d say Little Brother is also an eighteen-year-old big ger now, at the age where he should be getting married. Does he still not know what should be asked and what shouldn’t? Coming over here eagerly to concern himself with the affairs in his brother and sister-in-law’s bedroom. Our Laosan answered with one sentence, and it became his fault? Mother, aren’t you spoiling Little Brother too much with this bias?”

Gu Siyuan glanced at his little wife. He’s quite good at being fiercely protective; I’ll buy him some more good things next time.

Mother Gu, however, became even angrier. She glared at Xie Yiyang and said: “What business is this of yours? I haven’t even scolded you yet. Laosan used to be such an honest and proper person, but now his mouth lacks any filter. Isn’t this all brought about by you?”

Hehe…

“Brought about by me?” Xie Yiyang was so angry he laughed, and stood up directly: “I’d like to bring it about, but could I? Whose family’s newlywed husband gets driven out by the family to be a coolie and disappears without a trace on the second day of marriage? It wasn’t easy for him to finally come home today, and just speaking a few words with his wife, he has to be subjected to his mother, younger brother, and nephew taking turns coming up to knock on the door and interrogate him. I, Xie Yiyang, have no knowledge or experience, but later I will definitely go ask around in the village if there’s any other family like this, and if anyone else handles things like this?”

Mother Gu was almost angered into rolling her eyes again, but she didn’t know how to retort. She could only point at Xie Yiyang and curse randomly: “How did our Laosan marry a wife like you? You don’t exert any effort when working, but you’re the most active when eating, and all you know is how to talk back, churning up a perfectly good home until there’s no peace every day?”

Saying this, she was about to pull Gu Siyuan to complain: “Laosan, it’s good that you’re back. This wife of yours…”

Gu Siyuan quietly avoided her hand, and his indifferent gaze swept straight over: “Mother, is it really necessary for you to make a scene with my wife on my very first day back home?”

Mother Gu was stunned for a moment, and only then frowned: “Laosan, you… what do you mean?”

Gu Siyuan said faintly: “On the second day of our marriage, I left home and dumped him all alone. I inherently let him down. Mother, couldn’t you stop always haggling with him over these minor matters?”

“I haggle, minor matters, I…” Mother Gu absolutely never expected that her usually honest and obedient third son would actually oppose her directly for that little goblin Xie Yiyang.

Gu Lili also immediately frowned in disapproval and scolded lightly: “Third Brother, how can you speak to Mother like this? Have you lost your mind?”

Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice cold to the extreme: “Gu Lili, I think it’s you who have lost your mind. I am your elder brother, how dare you speak to me like this? The books you studied went into a dog’s belly.”

“…” Gu Lili’s eyes widened.

His Third Brother truly went crazy.

“Ha…” However, Xie Yiyang made a ‘pfft’ sound, unable to hold back a smug chuckle from behind.

Gu Laosan was much more interesting than he imagined.

“Fine, you two husbands are of one mind now, wanting to rebel, aren’t you? Not counting talking back to me, you even dare to bully your younger brother…” Shielding Gu Lili behind her, Mother Gu glared fiercely at Gu Siyuan and the other, looking as if she wanted to peel their skin off.

The commotion here was quite large. Even the people sitting in the courtyard heard it and raised their voices to ask what they were doing.

Mother Gu responded, just about to call her eldest son and husband in to complain.

Right at this moment.

“Whew!” “Whew!” “Whew!”

Several continuous whistling sounds blew from far to near on the village road outside the door.

Hearing it, Xie Yiyang curled his lips unhappily. How did time pass so quickly?

After glaring angrily at Gu Siyuan a few times, Mother Gu also hurriedly turned and left.

This whistle sound was the brigade captain’s daily assembly call. Hearing it meant they had to go down to the fields to start work; being late would deduct work points.

In almost an instant, apart from Gu Lili and the eldest branch’s three children, not a single figure remained in the Gu family’s courtyard.

Gu Siyuan also went to the fields together with Xie Yiyang.

Yunxi Village was located in the south. At the end of March every year, it was exactly the time to raise rice seedlings. The people belonging to the Qianjin Production Brigade assembled under the large tree on the way to the paddy fields.

Captain Zhou Jiandang arrived early. Holding a whistle, he was followed by the scorekeeper counting heads and ticking off names.

The Qianjin Production Brigade had 23 households with over 140 people in total. However, only 107 people came to work. The remaining who didn’t come were either little fart children, or those already too old to work, or people like Gu Lili. Of course, people like Gu Lili were rare; there were only one or two in the whole village.

When Captain Zhou Jiandang counted to Gu Siyuan, he asked in a rather amiable tone: “Yo, Siyuan, you came back today?”

Gu Siyuan nodded: “Just arrived home at noon.”

Zhou Jiandang smiled: “Alright then, later you follow Jianguo and the others to carry water. You work nimbly and have great strength. I’ll calculate six work points for you for the afternoon.”

Gu Siyuan: “Thank you, Captain.”

Zhou Jiandang shook his head: “Why be polite.”

After speaking, he went to call the roll for the others.

After confirming everyone was correct, the captain led the mighty army marching toward the paddy fields.

The men were responsible for carrying water, digging mud, etc., while the gers and women sowed seeds, pulled weeds, etc.

This body of Gu Siyuan’s inherently had great strength. Carrying two buckets of water was extremely relaxed. Before others finished one trip, he had already completed two trips.

It just so happened that the section of the field he was responsible for carrying water to was together with the place where Xie Yiyang was working.

A man carrying water together joked with him: “Although we can only do half of Siyuan’s work, Siyuan’s wife can also only do half the work of our wives, haha…”

“That’s exactly how it’s suitable; those who are not a family don’t enter the same door.”

Gu Siyuan watched Xie Yiyang’s slender body bend down from time to time, scattering rice seeds into the field, and casually pulling up the weeds that hadn’t been fully plowed just now and throwing them onto the field ridge at the side.

In the vast fields, only he alone was left far behind; everyone else had already surpassed him by more than half.

What a fool.

By late afternoon, the patch assigned to Gu Siyuan had already been completely watered. He put down the water buckets and walked to Xie Yiyang’s side.

Feeling the shadow beside him, Xie Yiyang raised his head and asked curiously: “Why did you come over?”

Gu Siyuan said calmly: “I finished.”

“That fast?” Reacting, Xie Yiyang widened his eyes.

Gu Siyuan’s expression was calm: “Go sit for a while, I will help you finish the rest.”

Xie Yiyang felt a burst of joy in his heart, blinked his large eyes, and said somewhat hesitantly: “Carrying water is very tiring, you…”

Gu Siyuan shook his head: “Not tired, it’s fine.”

After speaking, he didn’t pay attention to him anymore, bent down, and started working.

Xie Yiyang just sat on the field ridge to the side, staring fixedly at Gu Siyuan.

It was the end of March now. Although summer hadn’t arrived, the weather was getting warmer by the day. Most of the people working were only wearing a single layer of clothing.

Gu Siyuan was inherently vigorous. Slight sweat moistened his clothes, making them cling tightly to his body. Following his bending movements, distinct blocks of muscles bulged from time to time on his shoulders, back, and arms.

Xie Yiyang couldn’t help but swallow his saliva, secretly pondering to himself: This guy Gu Laosan, although he dumped me on the second day of marriage, right now he bought me gifts, and is even helping me work… o(￣︶￣)o his figure is even so good.

Hehe, then starting from today, I won’t be angry with him anymore.

But right at this time, Xie Yiyang suddenly discovered that those older wives and gers working together with him seemed to also be secretly peeking at his own husband. Those little gazes would sweep over for no reason.

After looking, they even exchanged smiles with each other, their cheeks slightly red.

“…” Xie Yiyang.

This bunch of unreserved guys.

Xie Yiyang suddenly felt his whole body full of strength again. This farm work he had always hated the most seemed not so infuriating anymore.

Puffing his cheeks, he jumped up from the ground, caught up to Gu Siyuan, and said huffily: “I will scatter the seeds, you go pull weeds.”

After speaking, he didn’t forget to fiercely glare at those older sisters-in-law and gers who were currently looking over.

Hmph, do you not know that Gu Siyuan is already married?

At this time, although there was still quite a bit of old feudalism that valued males over females, many people also had the mindset that women and gers could hold up half the sky. Every one of them was very formidable in labor, consciously feeling they were no worse than men.

Their temperaments were correspondingly quite fierce and spicy. Towards Xie Yiyang’s glaring, not only were they not shy, but they even laughed ‘hee hee haha’ aloud.

Xie Yiyang was left speechless with anger by this group of people, and could only cast a chilly gaze at Gu Siyuan, the culprit.

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Why did this mission target just properly get angry?

Minds are truly hard to understand.

Although Xie Yiyang was a fool, doing only the seed scattering was relatively fast to work through. In the end, his efficiency was basically similar to Gu Siyuan’s weed pulling.

After the sky grew dark, the captain stood at the head of the field and blew his whistle a few times again.

Everyone felt a burst of joy in their hearts and straightened their backs one after another. Beating their backs and kneading their shoulders, this day was finally considered over.

Gu Siyuan carried the water buckets on his shoulder pole to return them to the production brigade’s warehouse. These were public property and had to be registered every day.

Xie Yiyang originally wanted to go home, but thinking of the way those older sisters-in-law and gers looked at Gu Siyuan earlier, he eagerly followed along as well.

This time, those grown men started joking again: “It’s still Siyuan who has the fortune. Look how clingy this wife is.”

“Both pretty and clingy, how happy!”

Gu Siyuan glanced at Xie Yiyang, thinking to himself: He’s only here to execute the system mission, so he’s taking care of this mission target and nominal wife in passing, but this little thing seems to have truly taken a liking to him.

Xie Yiyang was thick-skinned. Seeing Gu Siyuan looking at him, he immediately raised his eyebrows smugly.

Written brightly inside them was: Now you know how happy you are, right? Having such a pretty and clingy wife like me, you must cherish and care for me properly in the future!

Looking at his high-spirited appearance, Gu Siyuan’s heart also softened a bit.

Truly a fool.

When the two returned to the Gu family, smoke was already rising from the kitchen chimney. Everyone was sitting in the courtyard around the large wooden table, and Gu Lili was even holding peanuts in his hand, shelling and eating them.

It was bright outside, so they could save a bit on the electricity bill.

Mother Gu and Eldest Sister-in-law Guo Yu happened to come out from the kitchen holding the food.

Seeing these two enter the door together, Mother Gu simply found eyes not eyes, and noses not noses (was extremely displeased). She slammed her bowl onto the table surface with a ‘bang’: “Just returning a bucket to the brigade headquarters, and the two of you have to go together? Is it that you haven’t seen each other for eight hundred years? With this whole pile of chores waiting at home?”

Gu Siyuan pulled Xie Yiyang to sit down by the table. Only then did he give Mother Gu a faint look and say indifferently: “For a newlywed husband and wife, a single day apart feels like three autumns. Yangyang and I haven’t seen each other for half a year. Although it can’t be called eight hundred years, by this calculation, it has also been over five hundred years.” (Half a year = 183 days multiplied by 3 = 549)

“…” Mother Gu.

What the hell kind of nonsense is this.

“Haha…” Xie Yiyang, however, lay on Gu Siyuan’s back, laughing so hard his whole body trembled.

This blockhead husband of his, looking like he didn’t love to talk much, but the moment he opened his mouth, he could simply anger people to death and make people laugh to death.

Father Gu swept a glance at Mother Gu, and then swept a glance at his third son, whose temper was clearly more stubborn than before, and tapped the table surface: “Alright, let’s eat first!”

Everyone hurriedly picked up their bowls and chopsticks.

In this era, wanting to eat your fill relied on snatching.

Xie Yiyang was the most active in eating, desperately scooping some solid stuff from that pot of mixed-grain porridge that was so watery you could see the bottom, and even scooped a bowl for Gu Siyuan.

Gu Siyuan took the bowl, glanced at his little wife, and thought to himself: The mission target really fell in love with me to treat me so well.

With one glance, Mother Gu caught sight of the sparse solid dregs in these two people’s bowls. Instantly, her anger flared up thirty feet high again, and she started cursing and swearing.

“Truly reincarnations of starved ghosts! Scooping out the tiny bit of solid stuff so cleanly, are everyone else just supposed to drink water? How did my Gu family produce this bunch of white-eyed wolves? You’re a hundred times more active in eating than in working…”

Xie Yiyang naturally knew she was cursing him and his husband Gu Laosan, and raised his eyes to give Mother Gu a faint glance.

Turning his head, however, he slapped his chopsticks down, repeating his old trick. He shouted coldly at Gu Lili sitting opposite them, “Lili, didn’t you hear Mother? That entire bowl of yours is full of solids. Are you making us who went down to the fields all day to earn work points drink water? Are you the reincarnation of a white-eyed wolf?”

Anyway, if Mother Gu scolded him, he would scold Gu Lili.

Gu Lili was currently burying his head in eating, and was startled by this commotion.

He looked at the expressionless Gu Siyuan sitting beside Xie Yiyang, and remembering the events of the day, deliberately tested the waters by complaining: “Third Brother, look at Third Sister-in-law. When you’re not home, this is how he bullies me?”

Gu Siyuan glanced at him and said faintly: “Your Third Sister-in-law is very right. Those who don’t work should eat less. Mother also meant this just now, right?”

Gu Lili’s expression changed. Third Brother was truly not right. When he spoke to him like that during the day, he only thought he was angry because a good deed was interrupted—didn’t all men act like that? But now, it was as if he had completely changed into another person.

Mother Gu favored Gu Lili the most. Seeing his expression didn’t look good, she hurriedly said to Gu Siyuan again: “What nonsense are you spouting? Can your younger brother be the same? He has had good fortune since childhood, fair, tender, and good-looking. Can he go down to the fields to work like us?”

Xie Yiyang mocked coldly: “What good fortune? If he truly had good fortune, shouldn’t the old Gu family have ascended to heaven long ago? As for being fair and tender, isn’t that because Eldest Sister-in-law brings him foot-washing water, his eight-year-old niece washes his clothes, and his five-year-old little nephew saves his own fruits for him to eat? Heh, he sure has good fortune, while everyone else is completely miserable.”

Hearing this, Eldest Sister-in-law Guo Yu’s complexion couldn’t help but change.

When she first married in, she also felt it wasn’t right, but the whole family was like this, what could she do?

Mother Gu was extremely furious: “What nonsense are you talking about? That’s because your sister-in-law and nephew like Lili! Moreover, Lili hasn’t started a family yet. With me and your father raising him, what’s wrong with being able to afford to raise him?”

Xie Yiyang chuckled softly, tilted his head, and postured: “Oh, well if that’s the case, I am also only one person. I have our Laosan raising me, and the work our Laosan does alone can match two people. From now on, I will also be like Gu Lili and stop working. Every day I must also eat the best and wear the best. Anyway, our Laosan can afford to raise me too.”

After speaking, he even tugged on Gu Siyuan’s hand, wanting him to back him up.

Gu Siyuan nodded calmly and said faintly: “Alright, from now on you will learn from Lili and stop going down to the fields. Raise yourself fair and tender at home. I like that kind. I will earn work points and make money.”

“…” Xie Yiyang blushed.

How did perfectly fine arguing veer off in that direction.

Gu Lili was simply so angry he was about to fall backward.

These two, do they still want face.

“Raise what raise?” Mother Gu slapped the table and said angrily: “Still wanting to create specialization within the family, are we?”

Gu Siyuan gave Mother Gu a look, his expression unchanged: “That is also because you created specialization for Gu Lili first. Do not worry about scarcity, but rather about uneven distribution.”

“…” Mother Gu had no intention of arguing over this matter with these two husbands anymore.

Speaking of making money, she remembered an important matter.

She tried her best to calm her anger, looked at Gu Siyuan, and asked: “I forgot to ask earlier, what about your wages for the last month? And what was in that snakeskin bag you were carrying earlier? Your younger brother told you to bring him vanishing cream; you didn’t forget, did you?”

Gu Siyuan went to the county suburbs to dig canals, earning a salary of 15 yuan a month. Previously, at the end of every month when wages were issued, he would immediately entrust someone to bring it back and hand it to Mother Gu. But for this last month, he was coming home himself, so naturally there was no need to entrust someone to bring it.

Therefore, this money logically remained.

Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes: Good thing I didn’t hand it over, otherwise I’d truly be completely destitute.

Xie Yiyang also immediately stopped his shyness and secretly pouted his lips.

If I had known Gu Siyuan had money on him, I would have searched it out beforehand. Now it might just be taken away by Mother Gu.

Gu Siyuan looked at Mother Gu with an indifferent expression: “I have a use for the wages.”

“It’s fifteen yuan, what do you need so much for?” Mother Gu’s face was extremely cold, directly reaching out her hand and saying: “Give it to me quickly.”

Gu Siyuan just acted as if he didn’t see it, continuing: “When I was working at the canal, I met a driving master. He taught me how to drive and repair cars. I need the wages to buy some gifts to send over.”

Mother Gu widened her eyes: “Why buy such expensive gifts? And learning to drive and repair cars, can you even learn those things? Could it be that person saw you were foolish and is swindling you?”

“The money I earned myself, I can afford to spend, and I am happy to.” Gu Siyuan said coldly.

“…” Mother Gu.

Has this son of hers truly been possessed by evil?

Gu Lili hurriedly chased after and asked: “Third Brother, you promised me before you left, saying when you earned money you’d buy me vanishing cream! Did you buy it?”

Gu Siyuan naturally couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him, lowering his head and concentrating on eating.

We just fell out entirely, and you still have the nerve to ask.

Xie Yiyang didn’t let it go, however. He immediately glared huffily at Gu Lili and said: “Buy what buy? Where would your Third Brother have the money to buy? Weren’t his wages all handed over to Mother? Your Third Brother even gets scolded for spending a bit of money to give a gift to his master; where would there be spare money to buy any vanishing cream?”

Hmph, of course, the one bought for me is counted separately.

Xie Yiyang felt immensely smug inside.

Seeing that Xie Yiyang was working hard at arguing, Gu Siyuan kindly gave him a chopstickful of green vegetables: “Eat.”

“…” Gu Lili.

Fine, now Third Brother not only doesn’t dote on him.

They two husbands are even deliberately bullying him together, right?

“Good, very good, learning to point at the mulberry and scold the locust tree (scold indirectly) here now! What are we still eating for? You two quickly scram for me.” Mother Gu was, however, angered to the extreme.

Gu Siyuan turned his head to glance at her, and said coldly: “Very well. It just so happens I need to go to the brigade headquarters to record work points later. I will just directly ask the captain to separate out Yangyang’s and my work points and grain relations. Starting tonight, the two of us will separate from the family and live on our own.”

“You wish! Still wanting to separate the family?” Mother Gu was furious.

Father Gu, who had been sitting on the side eating without speaking all along, also slapped the table: “Laosan, what nonsense are you talking about? Your mother and I are still alive! Are you trying to force us to death?”

Gu Siyuan gave them a faint sweeping glance, saying indifferently: “This has nothing to do with whether you are alive or not. The state inherently supports those who have married to move out early and separate the family into independent households, to improve production enthusiasm. All this ‘three generations under one roof’, ‘four generations under one roof’, these are all feudal patriarchal forms. Doing this, you are wanting to engage in restoration (of old systems).”

Father Gu and Mother Gu’s faces turned pale.

Seeing the situation, Eldest Brother Gu also hurriedly patted Gu Siyuan and said: “Laosan, Father and Mother just can’t bear to part with us, don’t talk nonsense.”

Gu Siyuan didn’t speak.

Xie Yiyang, however, hummed: “Can’t bear to part with us, I truly couldn’t see it. Can’t bear to part with the free labor of our Laosan to help them raise that ghost lucky treasure younger brother is more like it! Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, could it be that you don’t want to separate the family?”

Eldest Brother Gu and Eldest Sister-in-law Guo Yu immediately both hesitated for a moment.

Now, Father Gu and Mother Gu were even more furious. What does each and every one of them mean by this?

Support me on Ko-fi