Chapter 73

Half of the village's people crowded outside their homes, keeping a considerable distance away. Some people continued to arrive…

"Yong Ge, I heard your family is hiring workers. Do you think I'd be suitable?"

"Is it true that you're paying one wen for ten mud bricks? Count me in! I've been playing with mud since I was three!"

"Yong Ge, Aunt Cuihua watched you grow up. You should hire me instead of others…"

When Yong Ge opened the door, he was bewildered and instinctively looked at Cheng Duo.

Unlike before, Cheng Duo didn't step in to protect him this time; instead, he gave Yong Ge an encouraging look.

Yong Ge understood and gathered his thoughts. "Everyone… uncles, aunties, elder brothers, elder sisters… please calm down and listen to me."

Raising his hands, Yong Ge started speaking, initially stammering a bit, but feeling a gentle hand supporting his back, he gained confidence, and his voice became firm.

"I did hire people for making mud bricks, but we already have enough workers for the first batch of molds."

The crowd felt disappointed for a moment, but Yong Ge's words soon lifted their spirits. "However, once the next batch of molds is ready, I will hire more people. Everyone will have a chance, so please don't worry."

"When will the next batch… those molds be ready?" someone in the crowd asked, voicing their most pressing concern.

"Well, I forgot to ask Carpenter Luo…" Yong Ge scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

His bashful appearance diminished the sense of unfamiliarity from the news he just announced, and the people kindly smiled.

"Well, then we'll go ask Carpenter Luo ourselves!"

They wanted to say a few good words to Cheng Duo, but turning their heads, they saw half of his face obscured by the shadow of the gate, making it difficult to discern his expression.

Since Cheng Duo remained silent throughout, some feared he might be unhappy. After exchanging a few words with Yong Ge, the crowd slowly dispersed, returning to their homes.

After everyone had left, Yong Ge turned around and looked expectantly at Cheng Duo. "Cheng Duo, did I say the right things?"

"Correct." Cheng Duo smiled and leaned closer, kissing Yong Ge's lips. "This is a reward. Our Yong Ge is so smart and teachable!"

Yong Ge's eyes lit up instantly, and his gaze towards Cheng Duo was full of affection. He thought Cheng Duo was fantastic, teaching him archery, writing, and now letting him handle matters. No other husband was as good as his Cheng Duo!

Cheng Duo quickly covered Yong Ge's eyes. "Stop looking at me like that. We haven't had dinner yet. Remember how hungry you were last time when your stomach growled in the middle of the night?"

Yong Ge's eyes, unable to see, still curved into a smile. He did it on purpose; he wanted Cheng Duo to like him more…

While the two were sweetly interacting, someone felt that Cheng Duo's silence meant he was displeased with Yong Ge acting on his own, leading to a conflict between the two.

The following day, one of the men introduced by Li Erniu to help Cheng Duo build the house came to plead with him, seemingly wanting to get his family member into the mud brick-making team.

"Master Cheng, my husband follows me wherever I go. Let him work on the mud bricks; he can help you too. It would be beneficial for both of us. Besides, he's much more capable and stronger than the man you hired. In my opinion, once a girl marries, she should listen to her husband. Don't let him climb over your head just because you pamper him…"

As he spoke, Cheng Duo's expression grew darker, but the man thought he hit the nail on the head, so he became more and more confident.

"Don't blame me for being straightforward. No matter how handsome this boy is, it's just the same when the lights go out at night."

The surroundings gradually quieted down, and even the bustling crowd making mud bricks not far away heard him.

"Yong Ge…" Aunt Qian and Yu Ge felt a little worried. This man cared about his face, and Cheng Duo being criticized in public might lead to trouble for Yong Ge when they returned home.

"Wu Lahei, stop talking!" Li Erniu knew it wouldn't end well, so he reached out and pulled the man away.

Wu Lahei was not from their village, so he didn't know how fierce Cheng Duo could be. He didn't know if he should intervene if things got messy.

Soon, Li Erniu realized he didn't have to struggle with the decision. His vision blurred, and Wu Lahei was lifted by his collar and held up. "Since you can't do anything without your husband's service, then go back. I don't need someone like you here."

After a dismissive remark, Wu Lahei was casually thrown to the ground in an open space nearby.

Since it was overgrown with weeds, Wu Lahei didn't suffer any significant injuries. He got up while holding his buttocks and stammered to Cheng Duo, "Master Cheng, you, you misunderstood. I said those things for your own good. Look at my husband, with just a few beatings from me, he obeys me completely, and he doesn't dare to oppose me…"

"He's a dog, not a husband." Cheng Duo's face remained cold as he glanced at Wu Lahei. "My Yong Ge can invite whoever he wants. As long as he's happy. Besides, for now, it's just mud brick-making, but when the workshop is built, he will have just as much say!"

Wu Lahei opened his mouth to say something, but Cheng Duo's next words silenced him. "Only men with no abilities fear their husbands riding on their heads and even resort to beating them. Your narrow-mindedness is revolting. Get lost before I have to lay my hands on you."

Cheng Duo's face was full of disgust, and although he didn't actually use violence, his effortless act of throwing Wu Lahei out made the other men working on the house aware of how formidable he was.

The others exchanged looks, and not a single one of them spoke up for Wu Lahei. After all, Cheng Duo had offered such generous compensation for the work, and they still wanted the job.

Moreover, they were tired of Wu Lahei boasting in front of them about how obediently he could make his husband behave. They had long grown weary of him.

With no one supporting him, Wu Lahei left with an embarrassed expression.

He was gone, but Li Erniu and the other villagers began to think deeply due to Cheng Duo's words.

They had witnessed Cheng Duo's abilities during this time. He could take on a dozen men alone without breaking a sweat. Even Zhao Shugen's foreman tried to please him, and he knew the young master of the Twenty Li Slope's restaurant…

Did such a person genuinely believe that only those without abilities feared their husbands' dominance? Did the wealthy people from the Twenty Li Slope think the same way? When they went there, they rarely saw people from the city beating their husbands and wives…

So, did they stand out because they thought they lacked abilities and acted arrogantly?

Cheng Duo didn't know that because of his words, the men in the village refrained from laying hands on their wives starting from that day. As Cheng Duo showcased his increasing prowess and showered affection on Yong Ge, others began to follow suit. Unknowingly, the status of the wives in Yang Village started to rise.

Of course, this rise in status was also due to Yong Ge's willingness to treat them well. As they started earning money, their confidence soared.

Grateful to Yong Ge, the other husbands started to look up to him, and it became natural for them to follow his lead.

However, Yong Ge had no clue about this. He blushed under the teasing gazes of Aunt Qian and others. From time to time, when no one was paying attention, he stole glances at Cheng Duo.

Despite the numerous men working in that area, Yong Ge could always spot his Cheng Duo with a single glance. Because he was the tallest, the most handsome, and his work was the most efficient!

Cheng Duo's perception was honed in the apocalypse, so every time he turned his head, he caught Yong Ge in the act of stealing glances. Seeing him nervously lower his head, Cheng Duo couldn't help but smile. Despite working so close to each other, why did his little brother still have such a strong sense of attachment?

Cheng Duo and the others first constructed a warehouse near the bamboo forest, a cool and dry location. By this time, Yong Ge and the others had already piled up a considerable number of mud bricks. So in the afternoon, Cheng Duo gathered everyone to move the bricks into the warehouse and settled the payment for their work.

Among them, Sister Da Zhuang received the most, a total of eighty wen, and it had only been five and a half days. The second-highest earnings went to Qian's elder brother, who appeared quiet but was actually very diligent, earning a total of seventy-eight wen in one go.

Receiving their wages, everyone felt excited. Yong Ge decided to give them a break, allowing them to rest well.

Upon returning to the village, Aunt Qian and the others proudly showed off the money they earned, and those who heard their stories were moved to tears. Some even rushed to Carpenter Luo's house, reminding him to hurry up and get to work.

To this, Carpenter Luo could only smile wryly. Did they know that every time they came to urge him, they stood in the yard and delayed his work?

As some people felt happy, others felt upset.

Sha Yang's mother and his sisters felt far from joyful because they knew that as long as Feng Ge was around, Yong Ge would never consider hiring them!

Sha Yang's second sister had married within the village, and when she saw the joy on Aunt Qian and others' faces at the village entrance, her eyes turned red with jealousy. She turned back and went back to her parents' home.

It so happened that as soon as she returned, she saw her mother forcing Feng Ge to carry a slop bucket to the pigsty.

Seeing him come out of the kitchen holding the slop bucket, looking disgusted and constantly retching, Sha Yang's second sister felt no relief. Instead, she sneered and taunted, "Serves you right! Who asked some people to cling to others' families? Your in-laws don't like you, and your husband is annoyed by you to the point of not wanting to sleep at home. Carrying slop buckets is nothing compared to what a shameless person like you deserves. You're lucky that you're just getting off with this!"

Feng Ge raised his head at her words, his eyes full of resentment, and he moved the slop bucket. Sha Yang's second sister was taken aback and instinctively took a step back. "What are you looking at? I don't believe you'll dare to splash me with slop!"

She was probably afraid that Feng Ge would lose control and act recklessly. While she stepped back, she loudly called her mother, "Mother, come out quickly! This little rascal is acting up again! He wants to splash me with slop!"

"Does he dare!" Sha Yang's mother scolded, coming out without asking for an explanation. She went straight to Feng Ge and pinched him fiercely, saying, "Bad omen, how dare you bully my second daughter? You've gone too far!"

Feng Ge cried out in pain and loosened his grip, accidentally spilling more than half of the slop bucket onto Sha Yang's mother, drenching her. Of course, he couldn't avoid it himself and got a little splashed.

"Ah!" Sha Yang's second sister screamed.

Sha Yang's mother was also furious and splashed water from the water tank onto herself to wash off the slop. Then she grabbed a broom and started chasing after Feng Ge in a fit of rage. "I told you to let go, deliberately letting go! You heartless and rotten little brat, why don't you go die!"

While avoiding her attacks, Feng Ge shouted back, "Sure, I'll die! I'll hang myself at your doorstep tonight!"

"Are you daring enough to do it? Go ahead, I won't stop you!" Sha Yang's mother had already seen through Feng Ge's empty threats, or else she wouldn't have forced him to move the slop bucket.

Sha Yang's second sister also reacted and hurriedly came forward to help. The whole yard was filled with a foul smell, and chaos ensued. Even the neighbors who came to watch the commotion didn't dare to get too close…