Because Zhang Liunian intended for his younger sister and the mute to get their marriage certificate the next day, he wanted to ensure they had truly thought through their decision to spend their lives together.
Suddenly asked about such a significant life event, the younger sister and the mute blushed deeply, but their intentions were clear as they nodded, signifying their desire to be together.
"Since you've made up your minds, go ahead and get your certificate tomorrow. It's best not to delay. You've seen how your parents feel; only once you're officially a couple will they be unable to send your younger sister to the Tie family. Therefore, the mute and I will go find Baldy to get his household registration now, and tomorrow we'll get his registration separated. I'll also figure out how to handle your younger sister's household registration. Tomorrow, around ten in the morning, you'll come with me to the county town. First, we'll get your certificate, then help the mute establish his separate household, and finally, transfer your younger sister's registration to the mute's name. Once all this is settled, you pick a good date, and I'll personally handle your wedding ceremony," Zhang Liunian stated his plans simply and directly.
Zhang Xiaomei and the mute's faces turned even redder. They shyly glanced at each other before nodding again. "Third brother, we'll listen to you," Zhang Xiaomei said, her face flushed as she looked at the mute. The mute returned her gaze, his own face red, his eyes conveying a mutual affection only they could understand.
Zhang Liunian suddenly realized he was witnessing his younger sister and the mute's affection, essentially being force-fed their sweetness. As he was thinking, a warm small hand rested on his leg. Zhang Liunian turned to see his wife smiling at him. He clasped her small hand, their fingers interlacing.
After a moment, Zhang Liunian released his wife's hand, stood up, and said, "Mute, let's go." It was getting late, and it was better to get things done sooner rather than later. Before leaving, Zhang Liunian instructed his wife, "I might be back quite late, so you two should get to bed early." With that, he took the mute and headed straight to Zhang Baldy's house.
"Why are you here?" Zhang Baldy, who was eating, saw Zhang Liunian appear before him and was instantly annoyed. He put down his chopsticks and stood up, ready to scold him. But as soon as he saw the renewed and healthier-looking mute standing behind Zhang Liunian, his tone changed. "Mute, you should come back! Big brother has truly missed you a lot lately."
Zhang Baldy genuinely missed the mute. Ever since their household lost its hardworking and unquestioning old ox, the mute, life had been getting worse day by day. Especially with him having five children all at an age where they needed constant feeding, it was just the two of them working, and every day felt like an eternity. This experience had also made them realize the mute's importance.
However, the mute, having finally escaped a difficult situation and enjoying a better life, had no intention of returning out of the blue. He repeatedly shook his head, signing "no" non-stop. Zhang Baldy, seeing the mute's reluctance, intended to scold him as he used to, but before he could utter a word, Zhang Liunian interrupted directly, "I'm here to talk to you about the mute's household registration. He's not young anymore; it's time for him to have his own household."
Zhang Baldy's attention was diverted. His calculating eyes fell on the mute behind Zhang Liunian, and he refused, "The mute is my brother. Him being on my household registration doesn't concern anyone else."
"Stop the damn nonsense. I'll give you twenty yuan, you hand over the household registration, and I'll help the mute get his own." Zhang Liunian, tired of haggling, directly took out twenty yuan. Zhang Baldy was taken aback, but his refusal to give up the registration was also for personal gain. Twenty yuan was not satisfactory for him.
"Are you trying to bribe a beggar? Give me a hundred, or we won't talk," Zhang Baldy's eyes darted around as he extended a finger and demanded. Zhang Liunian looked at the finger, sneered, and began to flex his hands. "Take the twenty or leave it; if you don't want it, I'll get my hands busy."
Having sparred with him before, Zhang Baldy took a step back, intimidated. "You're not going to hit me, are you? Aren't you afraid I'll call the village chief and the others?"
"Do you dare? Who in the village doesn't know you treated the mute poorly? If they find out you're still holding onto his household registration, it'll be hard to say whether people will side with me or you." Zhang Liunian wasn't afraid of him calling anyone. Zhang Baldy's actions had been exposed after the mute's hospitalization last time. If he didn't want his wrongdoings exposed further, he would know what to do.
"You..." Zhang Baldy was cornered and unable to retort. He stepped forward, intending to test Zhang Liunian's strength, but upon seeing Zhang Liunian's sturdy biceps, he lost his nerve. "At least fifty, not a cent less," Zhang Baldy conceded. Zhang Liunian directly threw him twenty yuan and held out his hand, waiting for him to produce the household registration.
Zhang Baldy, though furious, dared not speak out. In the end, he produced the registration. Having obtained the mute's household registration, Zhang Liunian sent the mute back to rest and then went to find his eldest brother, Zhang Liushui.
As the roof of the house in Daming Lake was still being built, Zhang Liushui was still living at home these days. Zhang Liunian arrived just as his family had finished their meal. Zhang Wenxue and his wife looked displeased when they saw their youngest son arrive. They had gone to see Tie Mu that afternoon to have her keep quiet, but she had extorted a hefty sum from them, and they still didn't know how they would come up with the money. It was only then that they realized they had retired too early. By the time they needed money, their pockets were empty, and they couldn't even produce a few cents. But it wasn't their fault; their children were all married, so they didn't need to desperately strive anymore, only earning enough to eat. Who could have imagined that one day they would suddenly be burdened with a debt of five hundred yuan? This was all because of their youngest son. If their youngest son hadn't pushed this problem onto them, someone like Tie Mu wouldn't have extorted them like this. All in all, it was their youngest son's fault for causing them trouble. Thinking this, Zhang Wenxue and his wife's expressions grew even more somber.
Zhang Liunian paid no mind to their expressions and walked directly into the house, but his eldest brother spoke first. "Third brother, why are you here? Have you eaten?" Seeing his third brother appear, Zhang Liushui immediately got up to greet him. "Yes, I have. Big brother, let's go out and talk for a bit!" Zhang Liunian had something he wanted to discuss, which could only be known to the two brothers for now and naturally couldn't be said here. "Sure!" Zhang Liushui, sensing his third brother had something important to say, readily agreed and went with him to Daming Lake.
As soon as they left, Wu Gudi began to complain about Zhang Liunian's disrespect, saying he didn't know how to greet elders, showing no regard for his parents or her as his sister-in-law. Wu Gudi was simply displeased with Zhang Liunian because he hadn't found her a good job. Hearing this, Zhang Wenxue and his wife understood that their eldest daughter-in-law was deliberately trying to sow discord between them and their son. However, Zhang Liunian's dismissive attitude earlier had indeed made the elderly couple uncomfortable. They put down their bowls and chopsticks and went into the house. Seeing everyone leave, Wu Gudi was left with a table full of dishes to clean, and her face immediately fell. "They're all like ancestors, eating and then leaving, none of them willing to work..." Wu Gudi grumbled in the main hall, her voice reaching Zhang Wenxue and his wife, whose faces turned dark enough to drip water.