
Usually, when people hear a name like Zhaodi[1], they will know that the family prefers boys over girls. Little Zhaodi was no exception. His family always wanted a boy. As the eldest daughter, she was given the name Zhaodi. Later, her younger sisters were named Yindi, Daidi, Sidi, Niandi, and Pandi [2]. Because her family lived on the mountain and did not have a household list, her mother gave birth to one child each year in hopes of getting a son.
When she finally gave birth to a son that year, she no longer needed to use names like 'Xiangdi' and 'Laidi[3]'.
Because they were unable to raise so many children, the next baby girl was given a name.
However, this is not enough. Now that they had a son, they had to take good care of him. The only girls left at home to help with homework, Zhaodi and Yindi, must be 'sent' as well.
As the oldest, Zhaodi has been helping her parents with their work for a long time. She was very diligent and even said that she could help take care of her younger brother. He initially thought that this way, he would not be expelled, but in the end, they still sent him away.
Zhaodi is very thin and dark. He doesn't talk much either. He huddled all day and just worked hard.
He was so young that he could not take care of Zhao Lan at all. However, he did not dare to oppose Eldest Brother-in-law Shao, so he did as he was told.
Eldest Brother-in-law Shao was very satisfied with what he saw. He would shout for Zhaodi to work immediately, as it made him feel like he was commanding Li Zhaodi.
He was very dissatisfied with Li Zhaodi. In the past, everyone in the village hated and rejected Li Zhaodi. Oldest brother-in-law Shao also hated Li Zhaodi. But now, Li Zhaodi had actually entered the county town to do business, and she was the one who was insulted and rejected in the village instead.
Eldest Brother-in-law Shao felt sad. Ordered Zhaodi to work to satisfy some of her imagination and feel happy.
He was in a good mood and he felt satisfied, but Fu, Lu, and Shou were very dissatisfied. “He's very dark. I don't want her to be my wife.”
“I don't want that either. She's very small.”
"Mom, we both don't want it."
“You don't want it? If you can, find your own wife!” Eldest Brother-in-law Shao was dissatisfied.
“ Anyway, we don't want it. Anyone who wants such a dark girl can have one. Everyone will laugh at us. No family has a child bride. Only our family has it.”
“Then help me take care of your grandmother. Don't I also need a maid?”
“It won't work. He really stinks and dirty!”
There was a commotion in the courtyard. After hearing this, Little Zhaodi felt terrified. He was afraid that he would be expelled from this place as well. He gritted his teeth and, unconcerned with dirt, exerted all his strength to reverse Zhao Lan.
After hearing the commotion outside, Zhao Lan could not stop crying. “What a sin! This is vengeance from heaven.”
His son and grandson whom he once loved dearly now hated him. Their promise to buy him leather shoes and cars in the past was only meant to persuade him.
After crying for a while, he looked at the shy Little Zhaodi. It was rare for Zhao Lan's compassion to be moved. "You're so young. Stop torturing yourself. Leave it dirty. I can't keep sinning.”
Zhao Lan asked Little Zhaodi to go out. As soon as Little Zhaodi came out, Shao Fu took a step back. "You stink."
"out. Don't come to our house again. We don't want you!”
Shao Lu stepped forward and pushed Little Zhaodi. Eldest Brother-in-law Shao frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Mom, get rid of him!"
"That's fine. We don't want him. If Shao Dong and his brothers marry the girls from the city in the future, it would be a great shame for us to take him. We also want to marry girls from the city.” Only then will they live a good life as freelancers.
Shao Lu took a broom and drove Little Zhaodi out. He wouldn't even let her stand at the door. Eldest Brother-in-law Shao was helpless, but he did not scold his sons. After all, in her heart, she knew that if she were not forced by reality, she would also not be satisfied with the child bride like Little Zhaodi.
First, Little Zhaodi's mother had only given birth to a son after having several daughters. Girls tend to resemble their mothers. What if Little Zhaodi keeps giving birth to girls too?
Second, Little Zhaodi came from the mountain, which was even more secluded than the Little East Village. Moreover, she was very dark-skinned and her mother's family was unreliable. If possible, Eldest Brother-in-law Shao wanted to find a girl from the city. After all, Dong, Nan, Xi, Bei, and Zhong would definitely marry someone from the city and live a good life. How could he take her lying down when her children were left behind?
“Alright, don't say anything more. I know what I'm doing. Although she is a child bride, if you really do not like her and manage to find a good partner, you do not need to marry her.”
He just wants to be safe and find someone to work for him. Someone he can squeeze to dry.
His family always forbade him to cry. They say that she will drive away good fortune if she cries too much and that they will not get a boy because of all her crying.
Little Zhaodi held back her tears when she suddenly heard the sound of laughter in front of her. "Third Brother, you won't start running first!"
When Little Zhaodi looked up, she was stunned. This guy is very fair and handsome. The dresses she wore, her hair, and the hair ornaments on her head were all very beautiful. As he bounced, he seemed to shine in the sunlight.
Little Zhaodi thought, 'This must be a little elf, right?'
The little elf in his dream looked like this.
“Eh?” The person he thought of as Little Fairy was actually Little Bei. He was originally competing with Shao Nan to see who would come home first, when he suddenly saw Little Zhaodi at the door.
"You who? Why are you standing there?”
As she looked at Little Bei's beautiful and beautiful appearance, Little Zhaodi carefully hid her dark and petite hands behind her. However, she was afraid that Little Fairy would find it stinky, so she took a step back before saying, "I'm Zhaodi."
“Zhaodi? Isn't this Grandma's name?” Little Bei looked at Little Zhaodi. "You actually have the same name as Grandma."
Shao Nan was beside him. "Let's go home. She must be the bride of the child they brought back.”
Shao Nan was extremely cold and did not want to pay attention to these things. He glanced at Little Zhaodi and pulled Little Bei home.
Little Zhaodi silently glanced at Shao Nan, who was similar to Little Bei, and thought in a daze, 'This is a little fairy child, right?'
However, the little elf boy did not seem to like her too much…
Little Bei was dragged home by Shao Nan, but his eyes were dazed. “My brother, if I had not been saved by Mom back then, would I have become like her?”
When she was expelled by Zhao Lan, the family wanted to send her to be a child bride. He remembers it very clearly.
Shao Nan immediately denied it. “No, you won't do it. We'll find you.”
"Then, can any family members look for Zhaodi, who shares the same name as Grandma?"
Shao Nan stopped. Unlike Little Bei, when he went to the bathroom at recess, he had already heard the story about the child bride.
No family will come looking for him because it is his family that has sold him.
After Shao Nan heard that, she did not say anything to anyone and did not take heart of the matter. He will only pay attention to the people he cares about.
But Little Bei doesn't seem like it. The child was the same age as him, so this made him think about himself.
Just as Shao Nan was about to say something, Mu Jingzhe came out. “Why are you standing on the page? Why don't you want to go in?”
"Mom, there's someone outside with the same name as Grandma."
"Is his name also Zhaodi?" Mu Jingzhe did not expect the child bride found by Eldest Sister-in-law Shao to have the same name as her mother.
“That's right, Mother. How old? He looks younger than me. Why is he also called Zhaodi?”
“I think he's as old as you. As for why he was called Zhaodi .. many people have this name.
Although it was not a good name, there were too many girls named Zhaodi in that era.
[1] Sounds like 'pulling little brother'
[2] These five names mean attractive/missing/waiting for a younger brother
[3] want a little brother