Chapter 40: The Hardships of the Red Army

"Second Aunt, don't cry yet. What 'big tree' are you talking about?" He Yuzhu scratched his head and asked, puzzled.

"It's what the doctor said—he can't move, can only eat and drink, he has no mind left, wuwu." Second Aunt kept wiping away her tears, the bitterness in her heart spilling out uncontrollably along with them.

"Uh... you mean a vegetative state, right?" He Yuzhu thought for a moment, patted his own head, and suddenly realized; he had been led astray by Second Aunt and hadn't reacted for a moment.

"Yes, yes, that's the word the doctor used. Old Liu is old, has high blood lipids and high blood pressure, and after being hit by the bench, he had a cerebral hemorrhage and a concussion, and became a vegetable, wuwu, what am I going to do!" As she spoke, Second Aunt started crying again.

"Sigh, don't cry. Take good care of Second Elder, there is hope for recovery." He Yuzhu could only offer a hollow word of comfort.

"Really?" Second Aunt, however, grabbed He Yuzhu's hand as if she had caught a life-saving straw, her face full of hope.

He Yuzhu could only nod and pull his hand away.

"Where are Yongfu and his two brothers?" He Yuzhu sat for a while and asked, just to make conversation.

"They, the three of them, as soon as they heard Old Liu became a veg... I'd better just say 'big tree', 'big tree' is easier to say, they all went back, wuwu, unfilial sons."

He Yuzhu sighed, remembering Second Elder's saying: "If parents are not kind, children are not filial."

He had no right to comment on other people's family affairs, so he could only offer a few words of comfort, split the two bags of apples, and said goodbye to the two of them before walking out.

Only, apart from when He Yuzhu walked in and patted him, causing him pain, Xu Damao just peeked his head out to look at He Yuzhu before hiding his head back in the cloth. He Yuzhu knew this was trauma-induced stress, and also that he had no face to see anyone.

He didn't go to mock or provoke Xu Damao again, because He Yuzhu didn't even dare to recall the injuries Xu Damao had suffered, let alone Xu Damao, the victim...

After He Yuzhu left, Xu Damao poked his head out from under the quilt with a terrified expression. He had thought He Yuzhu would at least mock him a few times, but he hadn't expected him to just leave like that...

"Is he pitying me! No! He's mocking me in his heart! Hateful! I hate this!" Xu Damao gritted his teeth in his heart, becoming increasingly twisted.

"Damao, eat an apple. You haven't eaten all day." Second Aunt washed two apples and handed one to Xu Damao.

Xu Damao didn't say a word, picked it up, and started gnawing.

"Crunch!"

With one bite, Xu Damao bit into the large chunk of apple flesh as if he were biting into He Yuzhu's body, gritting his teeth with a ferocious expression.

Not until he had chewed it all to pieces did Xu Damao swallow that mouthful of apple.

Then, Xu Damao's eyes narrowed as he looked at the apple in his hand that he had just bitten.

He saw half of a fat worm, spilling green juice, frantically wriggling its body inside the apple.

What is more disgusting than finding a worm while eating an apple?

Answer: Finding half a worm!

Xu Damao's complexion visibly turned green as well. He frantically threw the apple in his hand away, and it smashed into the face of the quietly lying Second Elder.

"Ugh! Ugh!" He retched a few times in a row, even vomiting up bile.

"What are you doing, Xu Damao!" Second Aunt immediately became angry.

"Ah! That dog-bastard He Yuzhu must have done it on purpose, he did it on purpose! Ugh."

Of course, He Yuzhu naturally couldn't hear Xu Damao's shouting.

He arrived at the place where he had parked his bike, looked at the single bicycle wheel left on the ground locked by a chain, and fell into deep contemplation.

"Hey, how did I get here? I think I rode a bike, right? Holy shit, I've been robbed! Which dog-bastard stole my bike, damn it!" Ignoring the wheel, He Yuzhu ran out frantically.

Arriving at the guard booth, He Yuzhu knocked on the door anxiously and asked: "Old man, did you see someone riding away a bicycle without a back wheel?"

The guard thought for a moment, then shook his head and said: "Didn't see that, hey hey hey, don't be in such a rush, although I didn't see anyone riding a bicycle without a back wheel, I did see someone carrying a bicycle without a back wheel walking east. Height about one meter seven, accent unknown, weight about one hundred thirty, wearing blue work clothes on top, green work clothes on the bottom, green rubber-soled cloth shoes, wearing a blue hat, calluses on the web of his hand..."

Looking at the babbling old man, He Yuzhu was dumbfounded and said: "Old man, guarding the gate is a waste of your talents. You live well, and when I become an official, I'll make you a criminal investigation captain!" Saying this, without waiting for the old man to finish, He Yuzhu ran in the direction the old man had pointed.

The old man shook his head, watched the running He Yuzhu, and continued: "Surname Yu, given name Xiaokang, lives at No. 8 Courtyard, Luoxiang Alley, about three kilometers to the east..."

After chasing for a long time, He Yuzhu didn't see anyone carrying a bicycle, so he could only gloomily take a cab home. Now he had no heart to cook, so he lay on the bed with an empty stomach.

"Grandson, why are you asleep so early?" Long Laotaitai leaned on her cane and gently tapped on He Yuzhu's door.

He Yuzhu hurriedly climbed up and helped the old lady in.

"Grandma, why are you here?" Looking at this kind old lady, He Yuzhu felt a pang in his heart. Was the old lady the only one who was good to him?

"Did you buy New Year's clothes, grandson?" The old lady looked mysterious.

"Ah? No... it's not too late to buy them in a couple of days." He Yuzhu was stunned. He really hadn't taken the New Year seriously. A stranger in a strange land, with no family to think of during every festive season.

He even disliked the holidays; he was afraid that the happiness of others' reunions would disturb his loneliness.

"Hehe, Grandma knew it. Grandma had your First Elder take the grain to exchange for coupons today, and got you an outfit from inside to out. Tomorrow is the Little New Year, you come with Grandma to get it. Grandson, for the New Year, you have to wear new clothes. Grandma just loves to see people wearing new clothes."

He Yuzhu crouched down gently by the old lady's legs, lowered his head, and said softly: "Thank you, Grandma."

The old lady's rough hand kept resting on He Yuzhu's head, stroking it continuously, and she said in an even gentler tone: "Grandma is old, and my ears aren't good either. Grandma knows you young people don't like staying with us old folks, but really, if you're ever free, just come to the Back Yard to see Grandma. After all, Grandma doesn't have much longer to live, and Grandma can't bear to part with you, grandson."

"Plop." A tear slid onto He Yuzhu's face. He Yuzhu raised his head, and the two looked at each other.

At this very moment, He Yuzhu truly felt a sense of flesh-and-blood reality.

The cynical, indifferent attitude he had held since transmigrating here officially began to change from this moment on.

"Grandma, you sit for a while, your grandson has a gift for you too." Wiping away his tears, He Yuzhu said loudly.

"Good, good, Grandma loves gifts the most, but don't spend money. You're still young, there are many places you need money." The old lady patted He Yuzhu's hand, her face full of concern.

He Yuzhu smiled, nodded, ran into Yushui's room, took out a Down Suit, and carried a large armful back to his own room.

"Look, Grandma, how is it? Do you like it?"

"This, this must cost a lot of money, silly grandson. Keep this for Yushui's wedding, or keep it for your future wife to wear." The old lady gently stroked the soft Down Quilt, then immediately lifted her hand.

"Hi, this? The Big Leader rewarded your grandson with it, there are several sets. Come, I'll carry it to your room for you, you wait here." He Yuzhu sent the suit to the old lady's room and then carried the old lady back.

"Grandma just loves being carried by you, grandson, haha."

"Then your grandson will carry you every day."

Carefully spreading the quilt and mattress for the old lady, He Yuzhu explained the Down Jacket, and only then did he finish his work and sit down.

"Good, really good. Grandson, you don't know, the Red Army had it hard back then. If everyone had had one of these, so many wouldn't have died when they went to Korea. Grandma sewed shoes for them, and many of the young soldiers couldn't bear to wear them. I heard that many of them froze or starved to death. At minus thirty or forty degrees, wearing summer clothes, just relying on a few cold potatoes to fill their stomachs. The children were so pitiful. You must cherish the days we have now. Every bit of happiness we have now was won for us with their lives. Grandson, you can't forget your roots, you know? Otherwise, Grandma won't acknowledge you!" The old lady touched the quilt, her eyes reddening.

"Don't worry, Grandma, I promise!" He Yuzhu nodded firmly, feeling his eyes sting, and a kind of impulse in his heart that he couldn't vent.

"Good, that's my good grandson. Grandma has lived this long and never worn such good clothes or covered herself with such good bedding. I'm basking in your glory, grandson. Grandma is blessed. Come, look at the clothes Grandma bought for you, do you like them?" As she spoke, the old lady took out a black cotton-padded jacket, cotton trousers, and cotton shoes from the cabinet and placed them in He Yuzhu's hands.

He Yuzhu lowered his head and said with a choked voice, "No, having you is my blessing, it is my blessing. I have never been loved like this by anyone. Grandson thanks you!"

As he spoke, He Yuzhu knelt before the old lady and knocked his head against the floor twice with a loud thud.

The old lady, ah! She lived only on a meager social security allowance every month. Although First Elder would take care of the old lady's meals, this set of clothes was something the old lady had saved up for, grain by grain, from her own mouth!

How could He Yuzhu not be moved by this?!

When he was old, after He Yuzhu donated hundreds of billions of US dollars and all the assets of several large multinational technology companies to the country, he said nothing, only taking out an old, outdated set of clothes to stroke repeatedly, his eyes filled with happy memories.