Chapter 106: Touching the Soul

The four children exchanged looks, as if they had agreed, and ran towards the old broken house at the foot of the mountain, running very fast.

Four strings of footprints kicked up dust.

Two dogs, one big and one small, chased behind.

Hu Po tried her best to move her four short legs, but couldn't catch up, and barked "Woof woof" in anxiety.

The barking was crisp at first, but then it turned into a "Awoo awoo" wail, just like a little milk baby who had been wronged.

The second cub, who was running in the front, looked back and suddenly laughed "giggle giggle giggle".

It didn't matter that he laughed; the three behind also started laughing.

The laughter of the boys mixed with the barking of the dogs, echoing on the dirt road in the countryside.

"I'll carry Hu Po, let's go faster, otherwise we won't see anything again." The second cub ran back, bent down to pick up Hu Po, and ran off happily again.

The big cub and the others held hands and followed.

"Right, right, right, run faster."

The old house at the foot of the mountain only had a few thatched huts. It used to be lived in by an old hunter. There were no windows, and there were two or three holes of different sizes on the roof. People lying inside could see the stars at night.

The house was hidden in weeds half a leg high, not looking like a place for people to live.

A few strange faces stood in front of the thatched hut, each holding a broken bundle in their hands. The bundle was flat and couldn't hold much.

These people included men, women, old, and young.

They swept their eyes over the house in front of them, their expressions different.

"You will live here. Who can repair the house?" The captain looked at these people, his face expressionless, but he was worried in his heart.

He had received a document from above, saying that these people all had problems and that they needed to be educated in a series of ways that would touch their souls.

But.

He looked, and there were even little girls and women inside. This... it made him confused!

Among the few, a young man spoke, his voice hoarse as if his throat had been polished by sand. "I can."

"Okay, then you repair it. The brigade won't care," the captain said.

Above said they wanted to touch their souls, but he didn't know how to grasp this degree.

Not caring about their lives, and giving them the dirtiest and most tiring work, that was ruthless enough, right?

The captain preliminarily determined the way of doing things.

"Also, our brigade plans to raise a few more pigs. You come to feed them. If anything happens to the pigs..." He paused skillfully to show a threat.

The information given above clearly stated the identities of these people before; they were all intellectuals.

The captain himself admired those with ink in their bellies, so he couldn't really do anything too cold-blooded, at most just being fierce with his mouth.

"Understood."

The few people sent over nodded.

Even the only little girl nodded. Her appearance was timid, and her eyes were full of fear, which made the captain feel unbearable.

What problems could a little girl have, right?

"Okay, you stay here, don't cause trouble." The captain left a sentence and turned to leave.

He wasn't worried about these people running away. Where could they run? Without an introduction letter, they couldn't go anywhere.

The captain left, but the commune members were still there, looking at the newcomers, their eyes glowing with gossip.

They didn't approach these people, only watching from afar, sharing the news they knew.

"I heard these people... that, their stance is problematic."

"I also heard that they want them to raise pigs well to reflect."

"What pigs can a little girl raise? She can't do anything at that size."

"Hey, you say, will these people come to our brigade and share our grain?"

This question was very critical. Everyone tacitly looked at the captain's wife.

"Don't look at me, I don't know." The captain's wife was also shrewd, knowing what should be gossiped about and what shouldn't be said.

However, she guessed they would share it. Otherwise, let these people starve to death?

These people also had to work. Since they worked, of course they had work points. They couldn't force people to death.

"I heard they have to write some kind of inspection every week." Another person said.

"Don't understand, it has nothing to do with us, going back." The people who earned work points steadily felt it was boring and shook their heads to leave.

"They don't seem to have brought anything. It will be cold in a few months. It won't work without cotton clothes."

"I saw it too."

After watching the excitement for a while, the commune members left.

On the way back, they told their children to stay away from those people in the old house at the foot of the mountain.

When the big cub and the four arrived, they missed the excitement again.

"Ah? Missed it again." The second cub was so angry he almost rubbed Hu Po bald. The little milk dog was belly-up, spread out like a pancake.

"Hey, there really are outsiders." The big cub saw the strangers pulling weeds and said in surprise, "Why are they pulling weeds here? Are they going to live here? This is so close to the foot of the mountain. What if wild boars run down the mountain?"

The voice wasn't small, making the hearts of those people sink heavily.

This thatched hut couldn't withstand a light bump from a wild boar.

They had to find a way to build a courtyard wall.

Mao Dan said calmly, "We can only rely on them."

He usually ran all over the mountain and relied on himself.

The little boy was too calm, and the people in the old broken house couldn't help but look at him.

Is he six years old? So rational.

The young man who was pulling weeds looked at the four little boys and said lightly, "It's okay, leave. This isn't a place you should come to."

The second cub saw that he walked with a limp and asked, "What's wrong with your foot?"

The lame young man didn't look up, still pulling weeds, and replied indifferently, "Broken by someone."

They had to tidy up the courtyard before dark and didn't dare to waste time.

The second cub was a bit scared and asked again, "Then did you report it to the public security?"

The social butterfly little boy could chat with anyone.

He had too, too much curiosity about the outside world.

Report to public security?

The young man pulled the corners of his mouth, his smile ugly, looking more like a bitter smile.

Perhaps because these children treated them as normal people, he had a desire to speak.

"Some things are useful to report to public security, some are not."

The second cub didn't quite understand and wanted to ask more, but the young man turned his body, looking like he refused to chat anymore.

The big cub withdrew his gaze from the strange mark behind his ear and pulled his brother, "Second cub, time to go home and eat!"

The second cub listened to his brother the most and swallowed a belly of questions. "Oh, let's go back."

He stepped towards the village, saying as he walked, "Brother, I still want to eat vegetable boxes."

Clearly he had just eaten two, but now he was craving them again.

"Ask Mom when we get back," the big cub said.

The childish voices faded away.

At the old house at the foot of the mountain, the little girl heard the second cub talking about vegetable boxes. She stood in the grass, looking at their departing backs, licked her dry lips, and said in a small voice, "Mom, I'm hungry."

The girl's mother was a beautiful young woman. Hearing this, tears almost fell from her eyes.

She hadn't had time to pack her things, only hiding some money, but now... she was a woman with a child, and she didn't dare to show her wealth.

"Endure it for a while, Mom will..."

Just as the woman's words fell, a hand reached out from the side, holding a hard cake.

"Give it to the child, children can't be hungry."

The speaker was an older woman, and like the middle-aged man beside her, she exuded an air of scholarly fragrance.

In short, two very knowledgeable faces.

"This..."

The woman who gave the cake waved her hand, "We will live in the same courtyard in the future, we will see each other when we look up, no need to be polite."

"Thank you, my name is Tian Ruo, this is my daughter Xiao Xiao." Tian Ruo accepted the cake with gratitude, handed it to her daughter, and said to her, "Xiao Xiao, thank Grandma quickly."

Xiao Xiao thanked her sensibly.

"So good, my name is Wen Xin, this is my husband Ren Weian."

They were getting to know each other.

The other three joined in voluntarily.

First was the lame young man, "My name is Meng Jiusi."

As soon as his words fell, an old man with the temperament of a fairy and a faint medicinal fragrance said, "I am Jiusi's grandfather, Meng Yiheng."

Finally, one person remained.

This person didn't look young, with gray hair, extraordinary bearing, and calm demeanor. Placed in the old broken thatched hut, it didn't seem to be a matter in his eyes.

"My surname is Qiao..."

Gu family.

Gu Fu returned home after watching the excitement, sat on a small wooden stool by the wall, his expression slightly dull, as if he were distracted.

He didn't even flip through the dictionary, just sat there in a daze. The Gu family all saw the strangeness.

Lin Zhao was teaching Gu Chenghuai how to take pictures. Seeing her father-in-law wasn't right, she paused the teaching, bumped the man's arm, and the couple stood in the corner whispering.

"What's the situation with Dad? He didn't even flip through the dictionary today?" Lin Zhao's expression was puzzled. "Didn't he go to watch the excitement? Why is he like this? Could it be..."

She guessed boldly, "Among the people sent over, is there someone Dad knows?"

Lin Zhao had heard a little about the few people sent by the brigade, but she didn't go to watch. She wasn't interested in these things. Everyone crowded together, it was very hot, and the smell wasn't good.

"It's possible." Gu Chenghuai also lowered his voice. His voice was low and pleasant, and lowering it deliberately had a sandy taste.

"Dad went to Haishi when he was young and worked there for a few years."

It was normal to meet someone or something there that he remembered until now.

"Second sister-in-law said, there's a couple, a mother and daughter, a grandfather and grandson, and an old gentleman who makes people afraid to look too much. You say, among these people, who is possible?" Lin Zhao's eyes were clean and bright, looking at Gu Chenghuai like that.

Gu Chenghuai thought for a moment, "The last old gentleman. Just a preliminary judgment, no guarantee it's right."

Eighty percent sure.

The young couple was guessing.

Gu Mu sat next to Gu Fu and threw a straight ball, "Tell me, among those people, who do you know?"

Gu Fu's pupils shook, and he stammered, "You... how do you know?"

"Look at yourself, who didn't see it." Gu Mu glanced at him and said indifferently, "Hurry up, don't make me urge you."

Hearing her mother-in-law's words, Lin Zhao pulled Gu Chenghuai to sit over and ate melon earnestly.

Gu Fu didn't notice them, only saying, "I'm not sure."

"..." Gu Mu seemed a bit speechless. After a moment of silence, her eyes almost rolled to the sky. "You're not sure, and you're acting like this, like your soul is about to fly away?!"

Gu Fu felt wronged and explained, "I originally planned to ask when it got dark."

"Don't say so much first, just tell me who you think looks familiar, and why you think they look familiar?" Gu Mu pressed. The old man had hung her curiosity up, and she felt uncomfortable if she didn't find out clearly.

"That old gentleman." Gu Fu's expression was a bit awkward.

Thinking of the past, his eyes lit up, "If his surname is Qiao, then it's definitely him."

Before Gu Mu could continue asking, he took the initiative to say, "The characters I know were all taught by Mr. Qiao."

"Back then, I couldn't survive in my hometown, and a few others and I heard that Haicheng was full of money, so we found an opportunity to sneak onto the train and go to Haicheng to make a living. Only when we got there did we realize that poor people have a hard time no matter where they are."

"I learned to sell newspapers and cigarettes. I met Mr. Qiao when I was selling cigarettes. He helped me a lot. If it weren't for him... I wouldn't have been able to return to my hometown, nor would I have had the money to marry a wife and raise a few children."

"He is such a good, good person, how could he..."

Mentioning things from when he was young, the usually taciturn Gu Fu spoke more than twice as much.

Once he thought it was Mr. Qiao, he couldn't stay for even a moment, turned around and came home, and couldn't calm down even after returning.

Lin Zhao spoke up, "It's been so long, Dad still remembers that benefactor?"

"Can't forget. Mr. Qiao has a red mole under his right eye, very special. After him, I never saw anyone else have one." Gu Fu said.

Of course, it wasn't just a mole; he remembered the extremely good upbringing and calm bearing that Mr. Qiao exuded.

Gu Fu rarely valued someone so much, and Lin Zhao couldn't help but be curious about the old gentleman he mentioned.

What kind of person was he to let a young boy remember him for decades?

She moved her right leg to the right, bumped Gu Chenghuai's leg lightly, and laughed, "Wait until it gets dark, you take Dad to find out clearly."

"Mm." Gu Chenghuai had no objections. He was also curious. If it really was a benefactor, the kindness that should be repaid must be repaid.

Gu Fu's tightly knitted brows relaxed, and he began to look forward to it.

Looking at the sky, he suddenly complained about why it was getting dark so slowly!

Gu Mu saw his thoughts and warned, "The captain said, those people sent over are all..."

She paused before saying, "If there really is that Mr. Qiao you mentioned inside, don't be obvious. If you're discovered and implicate the family, see how I settle the score with you."

Gu Fu was indeed a bit forgetful in his excitement.

His wife's words made him sober up instantly.

"... I know."

Responding, he got up and went back to the room.

The old man had preliminarily named the grandsons and granddaughters in the family, but naming was a lifelong matter, and he was still struggling with it.

Gu Fu returned to the room, found a new piece of paper, and copied down a string of names.

He was thinking, if it really was Mr. Qiao, he would ask him directly. Mr. Qiao was eloquent and had read an outrageous amount of books, so he would definitely be able to answer his questions.

Outside the courtyard.

Gu Mu sighed gloomily.

"Your dad is rarely this happy. I don't know... whether I should hope that person is the Mr. Qiao he mentioned, or hope he isn't."

If it is, the family certainly can't ignore it. That's a benefactor. Yuan Shan and his brothers grew up so tall and strong with a few parts of that gentleman's credit. If they don't help, wouldn't that be heartless?

But if they help, those people have special identities. If they are discovered, the family will be in trouble.

Truly a dilemma.

Gu Chenghuai's eyes were calm, and he said steadily, "There will be a way when the car reaches the mountain. Mom, don't worry. I will persuade Dad and also think of a foolproof plan that won't implicate the family."

Lin Zhao was also very calm, "I see the situation in the brigade is fine. Everyone has no intention of making trouble, just living their lives. Perhaps in two months, no one will pay attention to those people."

The people in the Harvest Brigade were very Buddhist. They didn't even go to the county much, and their minds were all on the land, just thinking about tending the land well, distributing more grain, and eating their fill.

Gu Mu's words were full of pride, "The fact that the people in the brigade don't get involved in things has the third one's credit."

"Oh?" Lin Zhao looked at Gu Chenghuai in surprise.

The man sat steadily, not taking credit.

Gu Mu's words continued, "Chenghuai found the captain several times, talked to him about the situation outside, and asked him to persuade the commune members of the brigade more. I think the effect is quite obvious."

So it was finding the captain.

Lin Zhao wasn't surprised anymore.

The captain was the biggest in the whole brigade. If he spoke, the commune members would still give him some face.

Just as they were talking, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.

The children were back.

"Mom, we're back from watching the excitement." The second cub's loud voice rang out.

"Mom, a few people moved into the thatched hut at the foot of the mountain. Did you go to see? There's even a little girl!" The big cub shared what he saw with his mom. ===== CHAPTER 107 =====