Chapter 18: The Fury of the Second Uncle

“No need for you to show me the melons,” Wang Peng squinted. “The melon field is mine. I’ll ask whoever I want for help.”

“You bastard! I’ll slap you to death!” Li Guifen raised her hand to strike him.

“Li Guifen, have you caused enough trouble?” Li Gui Xi grabbed her hand. “This is my home, not a place for your antics. Put down my garlic. No more.”

“Second uncle,” Wang Cheng quickly gave his mother a warning glance and forced a smile. “Second uncle, it’s all my fault for not persuading Mom. You can scold me.”

Those who take have less leverage to complain. Seeing her brother angry, Li Guifen dared not make a scene anymore.

Turning around, she pointed at Wang Peng with a cold sneer. “Just wait. I’ll have your father deal with you.”

“Fine, let him come. I’m really not afraid of him,” Wang Peng replied calmly.

In his past life, blind filial piety only led to a miserable existence. This time, he wanted to live differently.

“Big brother, don’t make Mom angry,” Wang Cheng pleaded. “I know you’re upset. Scold me a few times to vent.”

“Cut the act. Don’t play the moral card or pretend to be pitiful with me,” Wang Peng stared at him sharply.

In his previous life, he was crippled by moral coercion and false pity.

Back then, Wang Cheng had knelt and sworn that once he got into university and succeeded, he would support his older brother for life.

But in the end, after becoming the deputy director of the education bureau, he immediately cut ties with his brother and didn’t even inform him about his marriage.

At this moment, Wang Cheng knew that continuing to make a scene would only backfire. Not only would he gain nothing, but he would also anger his uncle.

He hurriedly urged Li Guifen, “Mom, let’s go home.”

Li Guifen glared fiercely at Wang Peng, snorted coldly, and carried a bag of garlic back home.

“Leave the garlic here. You don’t deserve to eat it!” Li Gui Xi snatched the cloth bag and emptied out all the garlic.

“Li Gui Xi, you...” Li Guifen gritted her teeth in anger.

“How can you be so heartless? Xiao Peng is your own son!” Li Gui Xi was furious but restrained herself from lashing out.

Her efforts were all in vain. Li Guifen lost control and pointed at Li Gui Xi’s nose. “My family matters don’t concern you!”

With that, she stormed out of the Li household.

“Uncle, please don’t be angry. Mom was just acting on impulse,” Wang Cheng hurriedly smiled. “Uncle, we’re out of vegetables at home. Please give some garlic to pickle sweet garlic...”

“You’re no good either!” Li Gui Xi was still furious, pointing at the door. “You get out too!”

“Uncle!” Wang Cheng almost choked. After a few seconds of hesitation, he could only leave in a huff.

Every pore on Wang Peng’s body felt comfortable. He couldn’t help but admire his uncle—three jin of beef had not been wasted.

“Child, you’ve suffered,” Li Gui Xi patted his shoulder and smiled bitterly. “From now on, I’m your father. I’ll support your schooling.”

“Uncle, not for now. I want to rely on myself first,” Wang Peng said. “If I can’t manage, I’ll come to you for support.”

“Let’s go see where you sell your melons,” Li Gui Xi said.

Li Fang quickly went back inside to pack, and the two men followed Wang Peng to Duzhuang.

The Du family’s place was pitch dark. The grandfather and grandson had already left; Du Lei left a note asking Wang Peng to visit him in Xinjiang when he had time.

Li Gui Xi already knew about her nephew’s situation and was deeply unsettled as she touched the watermelon in the car.

“Child, you’ve suffered. I’ll go check the melons. You get some good rest.”

“Better go back, uncle. Take the beef to aunt,” Wang Peng smiled, not wanting to trouble him for now.

Having his cousin was enough; there was no need to trouble his uncle further.

“Alright. I’ll come visit you another day,” Li Gui Xi said, thinking of his wife.

His wife was hiding from family planning policies at her parents’ home, and there was still a pile of garlic to process, so he couldn’t spare the time.

In Wang Village, Li Guifen cried as she complained to Wang Song.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go settle things with Wang Peng. He’s turning his elbows outward, not sharing any good things with us.”

“Three jin of beef! That’s a thankless wolf!”

“And that scoundrel Li Gui Xi—his word means nothing. He promised the garlic, but after Wang Peng tricked him, he didn’t give it.”

Li Guifen grew angrier as she spoke, covering her mouth and groaning.

“Don’t be mad, Mom and Dad. Big brother just lost his mind temporarily. He’ll come around,” Wang Cheng quickly comforted his parents.

Wang Song shook his head. “Let him sell melons to save money first. Once the watermelons are gone, I’ll go settle the final score with him.”

Li Guifen snorted coldly. “When he can’t manage outside anymore, when he comes back, he must kneel at the gate for three days and nights.”

“Right. That ungrateful son mustn’t get away with it,” Wang Song nodded firmly.

They assumed Wang Peng would return home and admit his mistakes, but Wang Cheng had a bad feeling. His older brother was determined to leave this family.

At dawn, Li Fang brought a lunchbox to the Du family’s melon field and woke Wang Peng, who was sleeping in the melon shed.

Braised eggplant over rice, with soft fragrant rice and eggplant that was salty and sweet.

Wang Peng finished it all in one go, feeling warm and comfortable in his stomach.

He immediately praised his cousin, “Fang, it’s great to have you around.”

“Hehe.” Li Fang smiled. “You go sell watermelons. I’ll stay and watch the melons.”

After a brief chat, Wang Peng took the lunchbox back to the village and went to set up a stall in the textile factory’s staff quarters.

Soon, an uncle bought forty jin of melons but didn’t enter the staff quarters.

“Uncle, don’t you live here?” Wang Peng pointed to the staff quarters.

The uncle smiled. “My family lives in the cotton and linen factory’s staff quarters. You should come sell there sometime. Many people want to buy your melons.”

“Alright, thank you for the recommendation, uncle. I’ll go whenever I have time.” Wang Peng beamed.

He was overjoyed. His reputation was growing, and nearby customers were beginning to know the melon-selling boy.

Word of mouth would spread, more people would learn about him, and business would improve.

Today’s business was especially good; the watermelons sold out before noon.

He went to the market to buy pork belly and hurried home to make mustard greens with braised pork.

The main ingredients were large slices of pork belly and pickled mustard greens, seasoned with scallion, ginger, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, salt, and soy sauce.

Two hours later, he carried the lunchbox to the melon field and saw his cousin resting in the shade.

“Fang, you must be hungry. Look what I brought.”

“Mustard greens with pork belly?” Li Fang’s mouth watered instantly.

“Try my cooking.” Wang Peng handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Li Fang ate piece after piece, looking like a starving ghost reborn. After ten slices, she burped contentedly and smiled with enjoyment.

“Peng, my family hasn’t eaten meat for half a year,” she said sheepishly.

Suddenly, she felt a pang of sympathy and softly added, “From now on, just buy cheap vegetables. You have many other expenses.”

“Money spent filling the stomach is the most worthwhile,” Wang Peng smiled.

After eating, the siblings selected watermelons for sale the next day, working until the sun set behind the western hills.

Days passed like this. Except for rainy days, Wang Peng steadily sold five hundred jin of watermelon daily.

The watermelons in the field grew fewer, and his wallet grew fuller.

Whenever he had time, he studied the ninth-grade curriculum intensively, making life feel fulfilling.

In the blink of an eye, August arrived, and the watermelons were finally sold out.

Wang Peng was temporarily free from financial pressure and immediately prepared for the new school year.

He worked hard reviewing junior high lessons to prepare for the placement exam and sought a way to obtain his household registration booklet to register independently.

“Hmm, I still need to keep making money. Living this life again, good or bad, I have to have a home of my own,” Wang Peng pondered hard to find a way to earn money and finally thought of a suitable small business.