Daqi laughed and said, "I'll just say you're all my girlfriends and my wives, so what?"
The fairy smiled and said, "Isn't it inappropriate to say that we are both your girlfriends in front of the old man?"
She thought for a moment and said, "I really can't think of anything. I can't exactly say that I'm your girlfriend and Mu Ping isn't. Actually, we're both your women. Especially Ping, she's given you everything!"
Daqi: "Just tell them you're all my wives! Don't worry, my great-grandfather and grandfather both had three wives. My mom's used to it. When I was little, I had three grandmothers, and my mom had to take care of three mothers-in-law!"
The fairy poked the man's forehead with her finger and laughed, "You womanizer! So this is what your ancestors passed down! No wonder Ping and I fell for your tricks without even realizing it. To be honest, if it weren't for you, any of us would have men chasing after us stretching from Beijing to Shanghai!"
The man smiled and put his arm around the fairy, saying, "Thank you both for making me happy and falling in love with me! I, Tong Daqi, am truly blessed, and my ancestors must be watching over me to win your and Ping's hearts! I especially want to thank you, my first wife!"
The fairy laughed and said, "That makes more sense. I'm not someone no one wants. Someone gave me ninety-nine red roses today!"
Daqi: "Huh? Who is it?"
Fairy: "Hahaha! Nervous yet? Let me tell you, he's the son of the provincial public security bureau chief. My dad and his dad were old comrades-in-arms and close friends. I've called him brother since I was little; we grew up together in the police training camp."
The man panicked: "This...this...how...how did he treat you?"
The fairy laughed smugly, "Nonsense! He's been chasing me since third grade. Now that he knows I run a clothing store at the East Street intersection, he comes to see me every now and then. You can ask Ping if you don't believe me! Blame my dad, he shouldn't have told him I run a store at the East Street intersection!"
Oh no! A rival has appeared! It seems a "battle of the heart" is about to unfold. But Tong Daqi isn't the insecure man he used to be; he's much more mature. Besides, he's confident the fairy is just trying to scare him. And look, she's lying naked in his arms right now!
However, he had never been able to obtain her precious virginity, and always felt that she was in danger of being taken away by someone else. But she refused to give him her virginity. Sigh, he could only take it one step at a time!
Daqi: "You don't happen to have a bit of a crush on that director's son, do you?"
The fairy shook her head and said something that greatly surprised the man.
Chapter Seventy-Five: Beautiful Village Girl
Qiwen shook her head and said, "At least I don't like him now. It's hard to say what will happen in the future. He's been pursuing me very hard, ever since we were little. Anyway, if you're not good to me, I'll run away with him, you know? You have to be very, very good to me before I'll be your wife. I'm not bragging, but even if I marry you, it'll be easy for me to find another man."
The fairy kissed Daqi and said smugly, "That's more like it. Honey, let's go to sleep. We'll pick up your aunt from the station tomorrow." Daqi kissed her back, and the two of them fell asleep naked in each other's arms.
The next day, after the three of them had breakfast, Daqi first accompanied his two wives to the clothing store, since his mother wouldn't arrive in Rongzhou until 3 PM, and he wanted to check on how business was going at the store.
After accompanying his two beautiful wives to "Tian Sanpin Fashion Design Studio," he casually picked up a newspaper and sat down. The man wanted to read the newspaper first.
Business was indeed booming; in just half a morning, more than a dozen female customers came to ask the fairy to design fashionable summer clothes for them. This was because it was currently the transition between spring and summer, and summer was just around the corner.
Around 10 a.m., a very handsome young man arrived, carrying a bouquet of bright red roses. Daqi immediately knew his rival had arrived. This man was damn presentable—quite handsome. He was tall, probably around 1.84 meters, and his demeanor clearly indicated he was a policeman.
As soon as the handsome young man entered the store, he handed the flowers to Qiwen and said, "Qiwen, I've come to see you. Oh, Muping is here too!" He also greeted Muping.
The fairy laughed and said, "Brother Jian, didn't I tell you not to bring roses anymore? If you do this again, I'll kick you out!"
Handsome guy: "Rose doesn't necessarily represent love, does it?"
Damn! Giving my wife red roses doesn't represent love? What does it represent then? This guy is shameless—he does it but doesn't admit it! Daqi started cursing the handsome guy in his mind!
Fairy: "This is my final warning, no more flowers! I'm telling you, I'll let it slide this time since we grew up together, otherwise I definitely won't give you any face."
Handsome guy: "I know, I know. I know you too well! Back in the police force, when you got going, even the instructors were afraid of you! Don't let it happen again, don't let it happen again!"
Hehe, kid, you know how formidable my wife is! It's best to stay away from her. But, it's really frustrating! As long as a rival exists, the possibility of my fairy being stolen away remains! Daqi is still a little worried.
The fairy called Daqi over, and the man smiled as he watched the handsome man walk over.
Fairy: "Let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, my classmate from vocational school. His name is Tong Daqi." The fairy first introduced Daqi to the handsome guy.
The two men almost simultaneously extended their hands to greet each other. "Hello, hello! My name is Ding Jian, and I'm a childhood friend of Wen's," the handsome man said.
"Hello, hello. Just call me Xiao Tong. I'm Wen's boyfriend," Da Qi said with a smug smile. *Hey kid! You know what? I'm her husband! Get out of here right now,* the man thought to himself.
The two men exchanged polite pleasantries. Ding Jian praised Da Qi: "Xiao Tong, your shop design is really beautiful! The entire east end of the street..."
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Section Reading 58
Of all the clothing stores, yours has the most unique decor.
"Just getting by, so-so!" Daqi replied.
On the surface, everything appeared calm. However, both men read a single meaning in each other's eyes—hostility! They both harbored hostility towards each other!
No wonder there have been so many wars throughout history. Hey, it's all about women, beautiful women! The Western "Troy Muma" and the Chinese "Wu Sangui" both prove this point!
Ding Jian: "Wenmei, I have some things to take care of at work. You stay with your boyfriend, I'll be going now. I was just passing by and thought I'd drop by! Xiaotong, when are we going to have dinner together?"
Daqi: "Sure, sure. I'll definitely treat you to a meal sometime. It's a way of showing 'police and people are one family,' right?" Daqi and Ding Jian both laughed, but it was a fake laugh, of course. The man knew perfectly well that Ding Jian's expression was far from pleasant, while he himself wore a smug look!
The fairy smiled and said, "Goodbye, Brother Jian! Come visit again when you have time."
Ding Jian and Tong Daqi said goodbye to each other. "Yeah, you fucking should go," Daqi thought to himself with amusement.
At lunchtime, the three ordered three takeout meals from the shop. After eating, Fairy closed the shop and stopped operating. The three were going to the station to pick up Daqi's mother.
At the train station, the three stood at the passenger exit waiting for their mother's arrival. The two women were simply too attractive! Passengers constantly turned around or paused to glance at them. Even the station security guards seemed smug upon seeing them, constantly directing the not-so-crowded crowd, always lingering in front of the two women, and occasionally stealing glances at them. "What a fucking lecherous bitch," Daqi cursed. Of course, he was secretly very pleased; "Aren't my wives beautiful? Both of them are my wives!"
Look, Mother is out! Mother with a full head of white hair is out!
"Son, Mom's here!" the mother called out, waving as soon as she saw her son.
"Mom, I'm here!" Tong Daqi waved his arms happily. His wives and children also waved.
Wait a minute, there's a girl following behind Mom. Yes, a girl dressed plainly, even a bit plainly, but with very pretty features, probably around eighteen or nineteen years old, and really beautiful!
Daqi quickly went to meet his mother and took the luggage from her hands. His mother looked curiously at Qiwen and Muping, while Daqi looked curiously at the girl behind his mother. The girl looked at Daqi and then at his two wives, and actually blushed.
The girl was quite fair-skinned, and her complexion was now a beautiful rosy glow! Daqi outwardly ignored her, but in reality, he had already thoroughly examined her from head to toe. Whose daughter was this?
Daqi: "Mom, who is this?"
Mother: "This is your distant cousin, your godmother's granddaughter. And these two are—?"
"Hello, Auntie!" The two wives greeted the mother very politely, and the mother also greeted them warmly.
"Mom, let's go home first. It's hard to explain in a short time," Daqi said to his mother.
The five of them hailed two taxis to go home: one for the wives and one for Daqi, his mother, and the girl, who was also his cousin.
The mother and son chatted as they walked up the mountain. The younger cousin blushed and avoided looking at Daqi. Fortunately, there was a slight smile on her face.
The mother whispered to her son, "Son, do you remember I told you I was going to bring you a surprise?"
Daqi: "I know, show it to me quickly!"
The mother smiled mysteriously and said, "He's right here beside me." She gestured with her eyes to her cousin on her right, while the man sat on her left.
Daqi: "What? Her? A surprise?"
Mother: "Yes! How about she be your wife? She's your godmother's granddaughter. Marrying her would be like doubling the family ties. Look how pretty and fair-skinned she is! Let me tell you, she can do all the housework. If you really marry her, it'll be the luckiest thing you've ever done in your life." The mother then whispered to her son, "She'll definitely take good care of you as your husband. You'll love her to death. She's the most beautiful girl in her village! Trust your mother, you won't regret it!"
Daqi quickly whispered to his mother about his affairs with his two wives, saying that he already had two wives and couldn't have a third, and told her to go home.
The mother sighed and whispered, "You rascal, you've only just started to amount to a little and you're already following in your great-grandfather's footsteps. You're so young and you already have two wives, and they're both so beautiful, even prettier than movie stars. Why is the feng shui of our Tong family so strange? Either we're like your father, who can't even support one wife, or we're like your great-grandfather, with a harem of wives and concubines. It's really... sigh, never mind, Mom won't say any more. Anyway, your cousin can't just go back like this!" Then the mother explained to Daqi why she wanted him to marry this cousin.
This cousin's name is Zhang Yijing. She is the granddaughter of Daqi's maternal grandmother, who is also his mother's godmother. Her whole family drowned in the "8.8 Flood" in Changqing County in 1996. So she became an orphan, a true orphan.
Whenever the catastrophic floods of August 8, 1996 are mentioned, Daqi recalls the events of that year.
August 8, 1996.
It seemed like the sky wouldn't brighten up early this morning. The rain had been pouring down non-stop since last night. Especially around 8 or 9 a.m., the sky grew even darker, as if night were about to fall, and the rain intensified.
Tong Daqi and his mother didn't go to the hotel to wash dishes that day because the rain was too heavy to go out. They chatted with their neighbors about why the rain had been so heavy these past two days.
A short while later, Grandma Fang, the neighbor, walked into Daqi's house and said to the mother and son, "Oh dear, this is terrible! The Qingjiang River has risen to the ground level, and even the Shuidong Bridge (author's note: one of the largest reinforced concrete bridges on the Qingjiang River) is almost submerged!"
"What?" the mother exclaimed in surprise. "Grandma Fang, no way! I've never seen the Qingjiang River this high in my entire life!"
Grandma Fang: "I'm almost 80 years old, and I've never seen the Qingjiang River with such a high water level! If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself. The 'riverside market' next to the Shuidong Bridge is completely submerged. You can even see dead bodies in the Qingjiang River!"
At this moment, Grandma Fang suddenly knelt down and prayed to the heavens, "God! Please stop raining! If it rains again, everyone in our city will be doomed! God, please, please!"
Tong Daqi was startled by Grandma Zhang's behavior. Suddenly, firecrackers went off all around!
"Oh my god! Someone's setting off firecrackers!!!" Daqi quickly ran out of the house to see what was going on. It turned out that many neighbors were setting off firecrackers. As they did so, they shouted into the sky, "God! Please stop raining! Give us a way out! God..."
Many women were also burning incense towards the sky, praying to the heavens: "Heavenly Father, please spare us, Heavenly Father..."
Ignoring his mother's objections, Tong Daqi rushed straight to the Shuidong Bridge in the center of the county town to see just how high the water level was. He'd barely reached the main street near the bridge when the water was already up to his thighs. Undeterred, he waded through the water to the bridge surface. Thankfully, the water was only a few centimeters below the bridge deck.
He wasn't afraid of the bridge being washed away by the flood. He stood on the bridge with several adults, holding onto the railing and watching the water level of the Qingjiang River below. Looking out, the houses along the riverbank were submerged in the turbulent, muddy water. Suddenly, a series of "ga, ga, ga" sounds rang out. An old man on the bridge shouted, "Everyone, look across!" Everyone on the bridge, including Tong Daqi, looked towards the other side.
With a series of creaking sounds, houses along the riverbank collapsed in droves! Beds, televisions, bedding, tables, and chairs from inside the houses all floated on the river's surface…
The next day, the streets and alleys of Changqing County, an ancient city with a history of thousands of years, were covered with a thick layer of mud. What impressed Daqi most was that all the bread in the city's bakeries had been sold out. Vegetable prices in the market skyrocketed! Vegetables that usually cost seven or eight cents per pound were now five or six yuan per pound. Green onions were even more than ten yuan per pound. For a whole week, Daqi's mother didn't buy any vegetables to eat at home; they were too expensive, and the old lady couldn't bear to spend the money!
After the floodwaters receded, the locals were abuzz with discussion. Hundreds of people had died throughout Changqing County. According to the residents, the flood was caused by a mismanagement by the county's flood control headquarters—the failure to release water from the county's largest reservoir, Lianhua Reservoir, prematurely.
Because of the torrential rains at the time, the river swelled rapidly. Fearing the Lianhua Reservoir would be washed away by the flood, the county flood control headquarters made a last-minute decision to release water. This combination of torrential rains and reservoir release resulted in the highest water level in Qingjiang's history, leading to the devastating "8.8" flood. If the Lianhua Reservoir had been breached, the entire Changqing County would have been submerged in the raging torrents…
You might be wondering why I didn't mention the massive flood that occurred in Changqing on August 8, 1996, earlier. The reason is that Tong Daqi's family didn't suffer any damage at the time. More importantly, Daqi was deeply grieving the loss of his first love, Meiting. As soon as the floodwaters receded, he and his mother went back to washing dishes at the hotel. Therefore, I didn't mention this major event in Changqing earlier.
Here's a little anecdote: Shortly after the floodwaters receded, the Vice Premier of the State Council personally visited Changqing County to offer condolences and assistance to the disaster-stricken areas. The then-Secretary of the Changqing County Party Committee was soon dismissed and removed from office—he went to take up a post elsewhere. The people applauded his departure!
The mother then told Daqi that his godmother's whole family had been swept away by the flood. His cousin Yijing, who was attending a summer program for first-year high school students at the county's No. 2 Middle School, escaped the disaster. When she was in high school, she would often visit her aunt—Daqi's mother—for a nice meal every weekend. She and her mother had always gotten along very well, and her mother adored her!
After the flood, Yijing became an orphan, her only relative being Tong Daqi's mother. Therefore, she dropped out of school. She worked as a waitress at the hotel where her mother washed dishes, living in the hotel's dormitory. In the past few years, Tong Daqi had been studying in Rongzhou and rarely returned home, and had never visited his maternal grandmother's house. Therefore, he had no idea he had a cousin named Yijing. He thought his mother had mentioned her to him, but he truly had no recollection of it.
Yijing is not only beautiful but also exceptionally hardworking. Daqi's mother told her that Yijing always helps with housework whenever she's with her. His mother adores this niece, and she is very filial. After the Spring Festival this year, she even moved into Tong Daqi's house to live with his mother.
Her mother always treated her like her own daughter, and she gradually began to call her aunt "Mom." Later, her mother had an idea: to make her her daughter-in-law, that is, to have Tong Daqi marry her. Because her mother liked her so much!
The mother and son whispered to each other in the car. The mother said to her son, "Son, you are the apple of my eye, and so is Jing'er. I asked her, and she said she'd marry you and be your wife as long as you don't mind. Think about it, she's so beautiful, good at housework, and filial to her mother, so I took it upon myself to bring her out. But I never expected that you, you rascal, already have two wives. Sigh, you little philanderer, I really don't know what to say to you! Anyway, Jing'er is the apple of my eye. You don't have to marry her, but I can't live without this daughter! She's part of our family! She's an orphan; if you ask her to go home, where will she go?"
Daqi quickly said to his mother, "Mom, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know the situation. Don't worry, I won't mention letting her go home again! She can stay with you here, that's settled!"
The mother sighed and said, "I feel better after hearing that. Son, at least treat her like your own sister. She won't have trouble getting married. A lot of families have proposed to me recently. She's such a good girl!"
Daqi nodded repeatedly and assured his mother, "Mom, don't worry! I will definitely treat her well!"
At this moment, Daqi secretly glanced at his cousin Yijing. To be honest, from the first moment he saw her, he thought this girl was incredibly beautiful and radiant!
Her hair was jet black and glossy, her skin as white and delicate as snow, and she had a slender, petite figure, about the same height as Qiwen. She had large, bright, and expressive eyes, and a small, bright red mouth that was both sweet and adorable. She was truly a beauty! It was just a pity that her clothes were rather simple. But that was understandable; after all, she was a poor child and an orphan!
Actually, Daqi really admired his mother for finding him such a beautiful and charming woman to be his wife. It was just a pity he already had two wives, otherwise he definitely wouldn't hesitate to marry her! She was beautiful and filial to her mother; he had no reason not to marry her!