Chapter 22 Chapter 21

After the fourth month of the lunar calendar, Guan Zhongdao has entered the season of flirting.The whole world is full of flowers, poppy flowers are red, pea flowers are purple, rape flowers are yellow, barley flowers are white.As soon as the south wind blows, the flowers shake their heads happily, swaying to and fro, smearing colors willfully and drawing various patterns on the field.When the pattern didn't stop, when the wind direction changed, it immediately changed its pattern, just like a flirtatious woman, constantly changing her floral clothes, dazzled people. And the scent of flowers.There are mountains and plains, mountains and seas, too thick to melt.The fragrance of the flower is light and refreshing, and it is strong enough to inhale people. No matter who it is, after letting the fragrance of this flower smell for a long time, the waist will be soft, dizzy and lazy to do anything.

This is God making everyone hold back.April is the last idle month of the year, and by May, it will be very busy. Once busy, it will not be able to harvest, harvesting tobacco and wheat, autumn sowing and autumn planting, winter irrigation and winter management, and the busyness will not stop until the Spring Festival. Everyone in Zhoujiazhai seized the time to enjoy the blessings.Only Zhou Ligong is not idle, he has to use this last slack time to engage in his rural construction.Zhou Ligong's work is still at the stage of propaganda and agitation, and the way is to run night schools.This stage is very important. Zhou Ligong knows that the key to transforming old villages and building new ones is to change people's ideas. Only when ideas change can there be actions to change customs.During the night school teaching during the last period of the year, Zhou Ligong decided to explain the issue of marital autonomy.This is a very difficult topic to talk about. If it is not done well, it will cause trouble. He has never dared to touch it.But now it was the end of the night school, and if he didn't talk about it, he would have no chance, so he decided to bite the bullet and give it a try.

Coincidentally, the Nanjing National Government promulgated the "Marriage Law Draft" at this time. Zhou Ligong received the "Marriage Law" brochure sent by his Beijing classmates. He read all the articles and felt confident.He knew that arranged marriages had been practiced in the countryside for a long time, and anyone who dared to oppose this would be treasonous and outraged.But now he has a solution. The "Marriage Law Draft" implements the spirit of independent marriage, which is his backing.He used this to scare the villagers, saying that anyone who dares to oppose free love is breaking the law, and if he breaks the law, he will be tied up and put in prison!The country people have never seen the world, and they are especially afraid of officials. This trick of pulling up the banner and turning it into a tiger's skin will definitely frighten them.He can also fabricate himself as a propagandist of the new marriage law, so that he can speak more authoritatively.Anyway, farmers are timid, and no one will take him seriously. Check his identity. wrong.

That night, Zhou Ligong gave a lecture on "Marriage Autonomy" in "Farmers' Thousand Characters Essay".The content of the text is: Zhou Ligong copied these contents on the blackboard and began to explain the meaning of marriage autonomy.He didn't talk about the big truth dryly, but started from the university life where men and women interacted freely.He told of college dances, field trips, civility plays, hugs, kisses, and voluntary cohabitations. What Zhou Ligong said stunned the students below, they thought it was a heavenly thing!No, there is no such good thing in the sky, and the Jade Emperor is in charge there, or Zhu Bajie and Chang'e would have been married long ago.Hei Chou wiped his long saliva and asked stammeringly, "You... what you said is true...?"

True. Whoever wants to be with whoever? Follow whoever you want. Does his father and mother not care? Parents can also take care of it, but they can't force people. How beautiful is this!Heichou said, when will we be able to do it ourselves?Heichou's words have something to say.The year before last, he went to Beishan to dig herbs, stayed at a mountain family's house, met the girl, and the girl also took a fancy to him, but the girl's parents wanted a bride price, and Hei Chou was so poor that he knocked on his legs and had no money. The girl's parents strongly disagreed and forced her to marry someone else.

As soon as Heichou finished speaking, Yingwa took up the quarrel.She asked Zhou Ligong, "Second Brother, I see that what you said is true, then let me ask you, have you ever kissed your female classmate?" This question made everyone's eyes widen, and the black and ugly saliva that had been wiped off just now hung into a thread again.Zhou Ligong's face was a little red, he didn't expect someone to ask this question, country people generally can't hide their faces, let alone women.But this woman is trying to attract a baby, and only she dares to ask such a shameless question.Zhou Ligong could have swaggered and slid over, but that would be unconvincing, he had to answer.

Seeing that Zhou Ligong was about to open his mouth, Yingwa was terribly nervous.She started the conversation, but she regretted it once she said it.Now she hoped that Zhou Ligong would answer, but she was also afraid of him answering.Zhou Ligong was not a roundworm in Yinwa's belly, he didn't know this, so he answered directly.He said, kissed. Yingwa's head thumped, her heart was flustered, and she couldn't speak immediately.But Heichou got excited, he couldn't help smacking his lips, and asked Zhou Ligong excitedly, what's it like to kiss? Before Zhou Ligong could reply, Yinwa yelled at Heichou, cursing, shameless!

No one expected that Yinwa's face would suddenly change, and she would get angry when she said she was angry.Hei Chou is not a fuel-efficient lamp, he asked, why am I shameless?I didn't ask you again. Is it in your way?Yinwa replied, "If you do something shameless, you still have to tell it, it's just shameless!"Hei Chou quit, he pointed at Yinwa and said, what shameless thing did I do?You explain it to me, if you can't tell me, come and see me slap you! Zhou Ligong saw that there was a quarrel, and quickly separated them, saying that the two of you talked too much, so you both shut up and gave others a chance.He turned to ask, who still doesn't understand?Bring it up for discussion.

At this time, a young woman stood up timidly. Zhou Ligong was a bit unfamiliar and didn't know who she was.Seeing the teacher's puzzled expression, Shanyan said proudly, "My daughter-in-law just passed the door!"Of course Shanyan is proud, he is so ugly but married such a handsome woman as his wife, who in Zhoujiazhai has such good luck?This daughter-in-law is not only beautiful, but also smart. You see, she dared to stand up and speak when she came to class for the first time, which made Shan Yan's face shine!Shanyan is a man who can take advantage, he has been studying in night school, and he doesn't have to pay a penny for tuition and also distributes books and notebooks, which is very cost-effective.So as soon as the new daughter-in-law came in, he also pulled her in. If he didn't try to read a few words, at least he could earn a few pieces of paper like sticking a wall and hinged shoes.As soon as the new daughter-in-law arrived, she caught up with the teacher's talk about marriage autonomy. She was just married and felt the most touched, so she stood up involuntarily and wanted to say a few words, but she was afraid when she stood up. He opened his mouth and sat down quickly.Zhou Ligong knew that she was nervous. After all, she had just married to Zhoujiazhai, and there were strangers here, so he comforted her and said, "It's okay, everyone is from the same village, so they get to know each other well."The new daughter-in-law, Shiriko, slumped on the bench, as if she was about to stand up, but she didn't stand up in the end.Zhou Ligong was a little disappointed, and Shanyan was even more disappointed. He stood up and dragged his wife up, saying, "Look at you, why are you twitching, just say what you want!"

The new daughter-in-law was erected and had to speak.She just said something, Shanyan hurriedly pushed her onto the stool, and shouted, what are you talking about! The new daughter-in-law's voice was so low that Zhou Ligong couldn't hear it clearly. He asked, what are you talking about? The new daughter-in-law was restrained by the single eye, and did not dare to speak again.Hei Chou, who was sitting in front of the new wife, heard it clearly, and he answered for her: Swap! My day your mother!One-eyed scolded, it's only your dog's mouth is long.Single eye is anxious, he is a disabled person, when he was a child, he helped his father lead the oxen and plow the fields, the bullock was frightened, and pushed his horn, gouged out one eye, and when he grew up, he couldn't find a wife, so he had no choice but to take his own sister To change relatives with others, the other party's family is too poor, and they exchange their sisters for their younger brothers' daughters-in-law.Shan Yan knew that his daughter-in-law was unwilling to have this marriage, and that her natal father and brother forced her to come here.When she asked about this now, it was obvious that she wanted to make a fuss.

Although the new daughter-in-law only said two words, Zhou Ligong understood what she meant.Changing relatives is not a new thing in Guanzhong Road, Zhou Ligong has heard of it a long time ago.Anyone who changes marriages must be because the man has difficulty in marrying, or is physically disabled, or is poor. Anyway, he is not a good match for the woman. Most of these marriages are against the will of women, and the resulting family tragedies are countless.However, those things of looking for life and death all happened in other villages. People in Zhoujiazhai generally took it as a joke, and Zhou Ligong could only laugh bitterly when he heard it.But now that this matter happened in this village, Zhou Ligong couldn't be so detached, he had to take care of it.But Danyan and he belong to the same village, and they can't write two characters in one stroke, and they don't see each other when they look down, so how can he intervene casually! But Zhou Ligong had to intervene, he was promoting marriage independence tonight, this matter was before him, if he bypassed this matter, what he said would be fart, no one will believe him from now on!Zhou Ligong looked at the new daughter-in-law and said, I understand what you mean. This matter of marriage cannot be generalized. The key is to see the attitude of the parties. If the two are willing, it will be a free marriage. Shanyan quickly said, we are willing, very willing!He tugged at his wife's arm, meaning to make her say the same. But the new daughter-in-law did not agree, and Zhou Ligong saw the resentment in her tearful eyes.Her pitifulness and helplessness made Zhou Ligong feel distressed, and a sense of heroism to save the beauty arose spontaneously.But Zhou Ligong didn't lose his head, he knew the consequences of intervening in this matter.Families that change relatives are very fragile, and they will be broken if they are provoked by outsiders. At the same time, this kind of family is very difficult.If anyone breaks up such a marriage, they will fight you desperately, and others will condemn you and say you are not kind. Zhou Ligong thought about it a little, and he had a solution, which is the method of suggestion, talking big without referring to the facts, so that others have no way to catch them. Zhou Ligong took out the marriage law booklet and said to everyone, look, this is the "Draft of the Marriage Law of the Republic of China", which was just promulgated by the government, and I will tell you about the new marriage law. Zhou Ligong focused on the three legislative principles of the Marriage Law: one is to recognize the equality of men and women, the other is to improve the health of the race, and the third is to reward relatives for mutual assistance and get rid of their dependence.Among them, the first and third are the focus. Zhou Ligong said that equality between men and women means that men and women are both human beings in a marriage relationship, and women cannot be bought and sold as goods like in the past.Rewarding relatives to help each other to eliminate their dependence means that parents and brothers can help with things, but women cannot be forced to do things she does not want, which is a barbaric act against women's will.Speaking of this, Zhou Ligong used an analogy to explain the buying and selling of marriage. He said that we all know that when buying or selling, we have to pay for the transaction. Exchange of goods, the elegant name is to barter.For example, I wanted to buy a lamb, but I had no money, so I caught a baby pig in my pigsty and dragged it to the market town. It happened that a person wanted to buy a baby pig, and he had no money, so he brought a lamb to the street. The two of us Exchange with each other, everyone gets what they want, and the deal is considered done. Before Zhou Ligong finished speaking, Heichou poked the single eye sitting next to him, and asked with a smile, are you that lamb or baby pig? The single eye became irritable when he heard it, and cursed, I hate your mother! Heichou wanted to talk back, but Zhou Ligong stopped him. He said, you are a talkative person, don't make trouble, we haven't finished class yet. Zhou Ligong then explained the five types of invalid marriages listed in the Marriage Law, including early marriage, bigamy, marriage with a mentally insane person, marriage with an inhumane person, and marriage due to fraud and coercion.Pointing out that the first four of these five types are the most obvious, and one can tell at a glance that they are arranged marriages, while the fifth type of "marriage due to fraud and coercion" is a hidden illegal marriage, which is very harmful and causes lifelong pain for young men and women.What is "marriage due to fraud and coercion"?Zhou Ligong explained that defrauding means being cheated, and coercion means being forced. Anyone who is deceived and forced to marry against his will is against the law. Speaking of this, Zhou Ligong deliberately paused for a moment, and then asked, what if there is such a marriage?He glanced at the new daughter-in-law with his eyes, only to see that her eyes were round and staring at him tightly.Zhou Ligong picked up the booklet of Marriage Law and said that the express provisions here can be revoked. How to revoke it?Yinwa asked eagerly.She compared the five types of invalid marriages listed by Zhou Ligong, and found that she was one of the early marriages. The method of revocation is very simple, Zhou Ligong said, it is to dissolve the partnership by oneself, and the new marriage law adopts the law of natural invalidity, which can be confirmed invalid without a court ruling. Yinwa let out a cry of surprise, and she said that the family by the Beishan River and I can do the same, as long as I leave their house, I will be automatically divorced? Zhou Ligong said, yes, it's that simple. It's that simple?Yinwa said, I can't believe it, what if they fight you hard? he dare?Zhou Ligong picked up the booklet again, pointed to the national emblem of the Republic of China on the cover of the book and said, everyone, look here, what is the pattern of a twelve-pointed star in this blue circle?This is the seal of the country, that is, the official seal. Anything stamped with this seal is the law. What I just talked about is all on it.What is the law?In layman's terms, it is the same as the emperor's decree in the past, whoever commits a crime will be punished, the light ones will be tied up in prison, and the serious ones will be beheaded and shot! Zhou Ligong chopped down the book obliquely like a machete, and a gust of cool air was blown to the seat below. Everyone touched their necks involuntarily, and their muscles tightened.People in Zhoujiazhai had never seen a shooting, but they had witnessed the beheading.That year, Baiyanlang, an old bandit from Xifu, led people to Famen Temple to steal cultural relics, and was caught in an ambush by the security team because of his secret plan.For this habitual bandit who has been doing evil for decades, the county government felt that it was too cheap to shoot him down, and it had no deterrent effect, so he decided to kill him to relieve his hatred.On the day of the execution, tens of thousands of people from all over Xifu went to watch, and many people from Zhoujiazhai also went. Fifteen criminals from the white-eyed wolf group were dragged to the edge of the city moat and knelt down. Shouting, swiping a knife and chopping down, fifteen pillars of blood spouted out immediately, and fifteen people rolled down the ditch grinning with headaches, scaring most of the spectators to pee their pants. The gate of Zhoujiazhai is in the middle of the village.There is a big locust tree outside the gate of the village. The locust tree is four arms thick, and the crown of the tree supports a big umbrella, which can cover half an acre of land.Every year when Sophora japonica is in full bloom, the top of the tree is snow-white. From a distance, it looks like white clouds are sitting on the top of the tree to rest.Sophora japonica is a good wild vegetable, it tastes delicious when eaten raw or cooked, and the flowers of this tree are enough for the whole village to eat for ten days and a half months. It is said that this big locust tree was planted by the ancestors of Zhoujiazhai when they first took root in Huanglongyuan, and it is already a hundred years old.The place under the big pagoda tree has always been the public place of Zhoujiazhai people. People in the village always like to hang out here, gossiping, playing chess, basking in the sun, and eating dry tobacco. The most lively one is the Old Bowl Club.Three meals a day, the villagers always like to bring bowls here to gather and eat together. There are huge crowds of people, just like going to a temple fair. This is called the old bowl fair.The bowl must be an old Yaozhou bowl, with a wide mouth and a deep waist, surpassing a clay pot. This bowl is enough for one serving of rice, and there is no need to add more.The eating posture must be ge kicking, with legs bent and squatting, and the hips hanging in the air. It looks like relieved hands.In this posture, the whole body is tense, and it is easy to exert strength, and it is also necessary to bite the iron and the steel. Why do you like Laowanhui?In addition to being lively, it also means showing off.What are you showing off?Do you eat?In the countryside, the quality of a family depends not only on housing and clothing, but also on food.What you live and wear is a matter of face, and you can tell them apart at a glance. Only the food is in your own pot, which is generally invisible to outsiders.Now that there is an old bowl meeting, wealthy people will show off their own delicious food. If you eat coarse grains, I will eat fine grains, and if you eat black food, I will eat white food. I will overwhelm you.Poor people are no better than this. He is more skilled than his wife. If you have fine grains, you eat noodles. If I don’t have fine grains, I eat buckwheat noodles. If you have white noodles, you eat steamed buns. I don’t have white noodles. It's more delicious, my wife is more capable than your mother-in-law!Those who eat noodles intentionally suck their noodles so that they make people covet him; those who drink grits don’t show weakness, they swallow exaggeratedly, and their guttural sound shakes, trying to overwhelm the other party: I have no money, but I have a good appetite, drink cold water and gain weight! The old bowl will not only eat into the stomach, but also spit it out. Eating without vomiting will suffocate people to death.It's not food, it's gossip.Laowanhui is a good place to gossip. Parents in the village have short stories, and trivial matters outside the village are spread under the big locust tree with belches and farts.Anyone who doesn't come to Laowanhui will be cut off from the world and don't know anything about the inside and outside. On this day, there will be an astonishing news from Laowan, the new daughter-in-law of Shanyan has run away!The news came from Shanyan's father.Some people don't believe it, saying that it's not going back to her mother's house, right?Datou said angrily, she went back to her mother's house, but she didn't go back to Zhou's village, saying that she didn't want to marry me Shanyan, and ran away with her lover!Some people say, aren't you changing relatives, what are you afraid of?She ran away and you told your daughter to run away too, wouldn't his son have no wife?The big head scolded, my donkey day girl doesn't want to come back!She said that she and her man had a good life, why did they take it apart? Some people laughed at the big head, saying that you really lost your daughter and lost your army, a big loss.They fanned the big head and sued her, there is no law for the king!The big head sighed, haven't you heard of the new marriage law?You can't win. As soon as the marriage law was mentioned, the topic immediately turned to Zhou Ligong.The big head said, the one-eyed daughter-in-law went to night school the first night, and ran away the next day. Wasn't Mingdetang's second child playing tricks on her?Shanyan came back and said that the teacher said that any marriage arranged by parents is illegal, and the daughter-in-law deserves it if she runs away. Anyone who dares to obstruct the government will punish him! Really?Some people bit their tongues in surprise. They were all people who had never been to night school. Really!Those who have been to night school have confirmed it. Someone threw the bowl on the ground, saying that this is not specifically to provoke other families?What he said aroused everyone's sympathy. The marriages of Zhoujiazhai people are basically arranged. This is not to break up the family!Many people echoed and said, this is not bad, it is not peaceful anymore! While they were talking, Zhou Kewen also came with an old bowl. As soon as he came, there was silence under the big locust tree.The muteness came so unnaturally, Zhou Kewen felt strange, so he asked, what did everyone say just now? Everyone didn't speak, just looked at the big head.Seeing the encouragement in this gaze, the big head plucked up the courage to say, let's talk about your second child! Zhou Kewen snorted and asked, what are you talking about him for? Talk about doing good things for us, the big head said. Zhou Kewen heard that there was something in the big talk, so he said, he is the thirteenth uncle, he is still young in his meritorious service, and he acts rashly. If anything bumps into you, tell me, and I will teach him. The big head said, my lord, I dare say he is wrong, isn't that looking for five flowers to tie up and get knifed! What is so evil?Zhou Kewen slammed the old bowl on the ground, came over and grabbed the big head's arm and said, Thirteen, don't joke with the old brother, just tell me if you have something to do! Then I would be offended, the big head said with a livid face. Say it, say it!Zhou Kewen could feel that this was a big event, and it was not a good one. Your second child is dedicated to provoking divorce, and the one-eyed daughter-in-law just let him instigate and run away!With a big head and red neck, he said with a raised face, all the saliva splashed on Zhou Kewen's face. What are you talking about?Zhou Kewen was also angry, can my baby do such immoral things?He pointed to the big head and said, you can't chew your tongue when you are old. The people next to him said to Datou that the old thirteen was not talking nonsense, that's what happened. Datou called his son to Zhou Kewen and said, baby, tell your patriarch about the night school. Shanyan recounted the class that night with embellishment, and Zhou Kewen turned pale with anger when he heard it, kicked his job over, and cursed, what a donkey! The big head said, are you the patriarch? You are full of benevolence, righteousness and morality, and your son does this? Zhou Kewen didn't speak, turned around and walked back. Back home, Zhou Kewen ran over to slap his son, but Zhou Liangshi stopped him. She said, you old man, you are crazy! Zhou Ligong avoided the slap and asked his father angrily, what's wrong with you?His father has never hit him when he grows up so old, this old man is eating explosives today! Zhou Kewen yelled, you still have the guts to ask!What did you tell people at night school? Zhou Ligong understood the reason for his father's anger.He had expected trouble, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.Now that he was mentally prepared, he didn't panic now.He said to his father calmly, he didn't say anything, just that men and women are equal and marriage is independent. fart!Zhou Kewen scolded, that's all nonsense, it's something that foreign devils harm people, do you still want the rules of the ancestors? Zhou Ligong said, what age is it now, and you still cling to the old antiques.Just say this arranged marriage, how many people have been harmed! Zhou Kewen said, what happened to the arranged marriage?Marriage is a good thing for two surnames, and it involves two families. This is a big deal, how can the children be allowed to do their own foolishness?Since ancient times, it has been the order of parents and the words of matchmakers.Your mother and I arranged it, how about it?Isn't it good.Nine out of ten people in our village are arranged, you tell them to break up? Mrs. Zhou Liang also said to her son, "I would rather demolish ten temples than destroy one marriage. We can't do the thing of instigating people to divorce, it will cause public outrage." Zhou Ligong said, you are all guessing out of thin air, who did I provoke? You are still stubborn, Zhou Kewen said, why did the one-eyed daughter-in-law run away? How do I know why she ran away?Zhou Ligong said that she had to ask herself and Shanyan. But Shanyan's father insisted that you did it!Zhou Kewen said. I will confront him!Zhou Ligong said that he was about to go out. What are you doing right?Zhou Kewen said, you have already said that marriage is independent, and others will rely on you.You are outraged, and when you go out, people in the village will drown you in their spit! They all scolded me, which means that my propaganda is effective, Zhou Ligong said proudly, I also admit that the saliva drowned me. So you still don't regret it?Zhou Kewen was so angry that his face was black and blue, and asked his son, do you want to go all the way to the dark? Of course, Zhou Ligong said, changing customs is not an easy task, and this is what I came home to do. I tell you to do it!Zhou Kewen walked out, Zhou Liang was so angry that he scolded his son, you stubborn donkey, I see that you made your father angry.She jumped up and hurriedly chased after him, and asked the old man, what are you doing?You can't be confused and do stupid things. Zhou Kewen didn't answer, and almost half-runned forward.Zhou Ligong also hurriedly followed, he was also afraid that his father might make a mistake. They didn't expect Zhou Kewen to rush to the Zhou family's ancestral hall angrily. As soon as he entered the door, he overturned the blackboard of the evening school, and then took the books, chalk, etc. on the table into his lapel, and took it outside and dumped it on the dung. pile up. Zhou Ligong rushed to rescue him when he saw it, but unexpectedly his father locked the door of the ancestral hall with a bang. I tell you to spit shit out of your mouth again!Zhou Kewen said harshly.