006 – Want to Divide up Family Property and Live Apart
After marriage, his household registration naturally transferred to Lei Family.
Until now, they had only been married for a few days.
Qin Mian had even heard another thing, which made his heart sink to the bottom. The fact that the two men married had spread throughout the county and it was unknown whether it had spread further. Men and women together was the right way, but there were two men in Green Mountain Village who had become a married couple; would not this be object of ridicule to others? That was to say, even if he left Lei Tie now, his reputation would be ruined. It was impossible for him to find a wife near here. Which family’s parents would like to marry their daughter to someone who once married a man?
To divorce1 Lei Tie, namely “harmonious divorce”, was imminent.During the day, Du Shi tried various devices to make Qin Mian and Lei Tie work. Only in the evening could he have a chance to talk to Lei Tie. That night, after Lei Tie finished washing, Qin Mian said tentatively, “In fact, you and I were forced to get married. You wanted to marry a wife, I mean, you wanted to marry a normal wife to live a good life, right?”
“You are my wife.” Lei Tie looked at him and didn’t seem to understand why the other person said these words.
For a period of time, Qin Mian was burning with suppressed anger; could that mean he was abnormal? He tried to be calm and patient: “I mean, you wanted to marry a wife who can have children, don’t you?”
“No need.” Lei Tie took off the straw shoes as he said simply and matter-factually.
Qin Mian didn’t know if he really didn’t understand or pretended not to. Without any better option, he straightforwardly said, “Let’s harmoniously divorce.”
Lei Tie suddenly turned back and stared at him for a moment. “I will not harmoniously divorce.”
After that, he went to bed just like last time.Qin Mian was shocked and thought with horror: could it be that Lei Tie like men originally? But that didn’t make sense. He used to look in the mirror in the space and right now, he was not good-looking at all. He was black, thin, and shriveled. Besides, he was still currently a child. Even if Lei Tie liked men, it was impossible to like him (QM).
In any case, Lei Tie didn’t agree to harmoniously divorce, so he couldn’t help it. As long as his household registration was still under the Lei Family, he couldn’t get away. As he had heard from Brother Zhang in the village, this country’s management of household registration was quite strict. If one started another one, it would not only need a lot of money, but also a connection. Even if there was money, without the right connection, there was no way. Could it be possibly hard to be an unregistered household all the time?
Qin Mian reluctantly admitted: he had better to stay at Lei Household.
Since Qin Mian decided to stay, he combed the situation of the Lei Family. The conditions of Lei Family were average in the village. The main house was made of brick, sat in the south and faced north. There were six rooms in total: the room at the entrance was a main hall and also the place to eat; Lei Daqiang and wife were in one room; Lei Xiangren’s family was in one room; Lei Xiangyi’s family was in one room; Lei Xiangzhi was a scholar, so he enjoyed a room alone; and the last room was divided into two parts for Lei Xiangli and Lei Chuntao.
Outside the main house was the courtyard. In the northwest corner was the kitchen, in the right corner was a well, and in the east was a pigsty near the entrance gate. There was a space between the pigsty to put some farming tools and other things. When Lei Tie came back later, there was no place for him, so he had to build a thatched cottage in the southwest corner of the yard. First of all, there was the problem of pigsty on the opposite side of the thatched cottage. Now, the thatched cottage could block the wind at most. Once the weather turned colder, it might not work. Moreover, when it rained and snowed, who knew if one could live in it? Very pitiful ah.
Qin Mian felt a little exasperation for Lei Tie. Why didn’t Lei Tie want to do anything about it when the Lei Family bullies him such? Since he was a person who had wandered outside, shouldn’t he have some insight at least?
It would be good if they could move out. On one hand, it would be more conducive for him to persuade Lei Tie to harmoniously divorce without the interference of other Lei members; on the other hand, it would be more comfortable managing his own life.
Oddly enough, Du Shi hated Lei Tie very much, but why didn’t she encourage Lei Daqiang to make Lei Tie move out?
“Lei Tie’s wife, be careful!”
All of a sudden, there was an urgent warning in his ears. Qin Mian quivered, subconsciously threw away the thing he had in his hand, and stepped back quickly——he suddenly remembered that he was cutting firewood. Just now, the axe cut down empty air; he almost gotten hurt.
A rough man in his early thirties came quickly and looked at him up and down with deep concern. The man carried a basket on his back with an old axe in it.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m alright. Thank you, Brother Zhang.” Qin Mian sincerely thanked him. Basically, all the news he heard came from this man, Zhang Dashuan. In recent days, apart from the Lei Family, he had met more than ten people. Only Zhang Dashuan and his wife, Sister Chunhua, had a normal attitude toward him. When other people see him, they either looked scornful or avoided him as if they were avoiding the plague.
In Zhang Dashuan’s eyes, Qin Mian was a child, a few years older than his son. Seeing that he was really alright, he casually asked, “What were you thinking to look so distracted?” As he said, he put down the carrying pole, picked up the axe, and cut down a tree. As soon as the axe went down, a deep trace appeared on the half-withered, arm-thick tree. The autumn harvest was coming soon; the farmers would have more chores during this period.
Qin Mian thought about it and said truthfully, “I’m thinking, since Mother doesn’t like me and Lei Tie, why don’t we live apart from them? As far as I know, isn’t the Liu Family also living apart?”
THUMP. The small tree was cut down and Zhang Dashuan continued to cut with his axe. It was easier to dry woods by cutting them into small pieces. The sound of slamming scared away the birds on the trees and made the leaves rattle.
“It’s impossible for your family in this short time.” As Zhang Dashuan cut wood, he jokingly said, “You and Tiezi had just gotten married. If she split with you guys, wouldn’t she be afraid of the villagers stabbing her backbone? Besides, Tiezi is the eldest of the Lei Family. Even if you guys live apart, in principal, you and Tiezi would have to raise the two oldies.”
Huh? Qin Mian was dumbfounded.
Behind them came the sound of branches swaying; the two turned around.
Lei Tie walked up with his big bow on his left shoulder and a deer on his right shoulder. The deer, weighing at least 50~60 jin2, hung motionless on his body.
“Tiezi, what a good luck! Such a big livestock may have sold for a lot of money or you can eat it for a long time if keeps for yourself.” Zhang Dashuan said to Lei Tie with a smile as he glanced at the deer enviously.
Qin Mian stared at the deer and couldn’t help licking his lips. He craved meat. However, he knew that even if Lei Tie hit the prey, the meat wouldn’t be eaten. Du Shi was a penny-pincher, who usually even begrudged stir-frying vegetables, let alone meat. Even the eggs were only cooked for her two baby grandsons and her only daughter. Others, including Lei Xinxin, who was only two years old, couldn’t even think about it. There were actually meat and eggs in his house [in the space], but he had no chance to cook them.
Lei Tie nodded to Zhang Dashuan as he walked to Qin Mian. He stopped and took out a thing from his inner breast-pocket, which was wrapped in a green lotus leaf that permeated a faint smell of meat, making Qin Mian swallowed his saliva secretly.
Zhang Dashuan faintly smiled at Qin Mian and continued to cut wood.
Qin Mian struggled for a moment before picking up the lotus leaf wrapper. “Thank you.” Once he opened the lotus leaf, inside was a roast chicken drumstick, which was still slightly hot.
Lei Tie put down the prey and the bow. Then, he picked up the axe and went to one side to cut wood. When he moved his arms, the muscles on his shoulder were prominently strong and powerful.
The baskets that had only four blocks of firewood previously were gradually piled up.
Qin Mian finished eating the drumstick, feeling that it was better than any other chicken drumstick he had ever eaten.
Almost at the same time as he finished chewing the chicken drumstick, Lei Tie stood up. Between the two baskets Qin Mian brought, one was full of firewood. Lei Tie put the axe, prey, and bow into the other basket and picked them up with the carrying pole.
Qin Mian’s feeling was a little subtle. Why did he feel that Lei Tie cutting the wood was just to wait for him to finish eating the drumstick?
“Brother Zhang, we’ll go first.” Lei Tie said to Zhang Dashuan.
Zhang Dashuan waved his hand. “Aye, alright. I’ll chop some more before I get back.”
