Chapter 107: “touching The Soul”
The four little friends exchanged glances, as if they had agreed beforehand, and bolted their legs toward the old dilapidated house at the foot of the mountain, running very fast.
Four strings of footprints kicked up dust.
One big and one small dog chased behind them.
Amber desperately flailed her four short little legs, but couldn’t catch up no matter what, anxiously barking “woof woof.”
The barking started crisp, then turned into “awoo awoo” whimpers, just like a aggrieved little baby.
Er Zai, running at the front, looked back and suddenly burst into “giggle giggle” laughter.
This laugh was contagious, and the three behind also started laughing.
The boys’ laughter mixed with the dog’s barking, echoing on the rural dirt road.
“I’ll carry Amber, let’s hurry, or we’ll miss everything again.” Er Zai ran back, bent down to pick up Amber, and dashed off again happily.
Da Zai and the others held hands and followed.
“Yes yes yes, run faster.”
…
The old house at the foot of the mountain had only a few thatched rooms. It used to house an old hunter, without even windows, and the roof had two or three holes of different sizes. Lying inside at night, one could see the stars.
The house was hidden in waist-high weeds, not looking like a place for people to live.
Several unfamiliar faces stood in front of the thatched house, each carrying a tattered bundle, flat and holding not much.
These people included men, women, old, and young.
They glanced at the house in front of them, with varied expressions.
“You’ll live here. Who knows how to repair houses?” The Brigade Leader looked at them expressionlessly, though worried inside.
He had received a document from above saying these people all had issues and needed a series of soul-touching educations.
But.
Looking at them, there were little girls and women—this confused him completely!
Among them, a young man spoke up, his voice hoarse like his throat had been sanded, “I do.”
“Good, then you repair it. The brigade won’t help.” The Brigade Leader said.
Above said to touch their souls, but he didn’t know how to grasp the degree.
Ignore their living needs, assign them the dirtiest and hardest work—that should be tough enough.
The Brigade Leader preliminarily decided on the method.
“Also, our brigade plans to raise a few more pigs. You’ll feed them. If anything happens to the pigs…” He paused skillfully, as a threat.
The materials from above stated their past identities—all intellectuals.
The Brigade Leader himself admired those with lots of ink knowledge, so he couldn’t really be too harsh, at most just talk tough.
“Got it.”
The sent people nodded.
Even the only little girl nodded, her little appearance timid, eyes full of fear, making the Brigade Leader feel unwilling.
What issue could a little girl have, right?
“Alright, stay put, don’t cause trouble.” The Brigade Leader left a sentence and turned to leave.
He wasn’t worried they’d run—they had nowhere to go without a letter of introduction.
The Brigade Leader left, but the members stayed, eyeing the newcomers with gossip in their eyes.
They didn’t approach, just watched from afar, sharing news they knew.
“I heard these people… that, have stance issues.”
“I heard too, saying make them raise pigs to reflect properly.”
“The little girl can’t raise pigs, too young to do anything.”
“Hey, do you think these people coming to our brigade will take our grain?”
This question was key; everyone tacitly turned their gazes to the Brigade Leader’s Wife.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t know.” The Brigade Leader’s Wife was shrewd, knowing what gossip was okay and what words not to say.
But she guessed they’d share; otherwise, let them starve to death?
These people would work too, and work meant work points—couldn’t push people to death.
“I heard they have to write some inspections every week.” Another said.
“Don’t understand, none of our business, let’s go.” The steady work points earner found it boring and shook his head to leave.
“They seem to have brought nothing. In a few months it’ll be cold, no cotton-padded clothes won’t do.”
“I saw that too.”
…
After watching the excitement, the members left.
On the way back, they told their children at home to stay away from those people at the old house at the foot of the mountain.
By the time Da Zai and the other three arrived, they missed the excitement again.
“Ah? Missed it again.” Er Zai was so mad he nearly rubbed Amber bald; the little puppy lay on her back with legs up, flattened like a pancake.
“Hey, there really are outsiders.” Da Zai saw the strangers pulling weeds and said in surprise: “Why are they pulling grass here? Are they going to live here? It’s so close to the foot of the mountain—what if a wild boar comes down?”
His voice wasn’t small, making those people’s hearts sink hard.
This thatched house couldn’t withstand a wild boar bumping it lightly.
They needed to find a way to enclose the courtyard wall.
Mao Dan’er calmly said: “Can only rely on them.”
He usually roamed the mountains by himself.
The little boy was too calm; the people in the old dilapidated house couldn’t help looking at him.
Six years old? So rational.
The young man pulling weeds glanced at the four little boys, tone flat: “Nothing to see, leave. This isn’t a place for you.”
Er Zai saw he walked with a limp and asked: “What happened to your foot?”
The lame young man didn’t look up, still pulling weeds, indifferently replying: “Someone broke it.”
They had to tidy the yard before dark and couldn’t waste time.
Er Zai was a bit scared but asked again: “Did you report to Public Security then?”
The social little friend could chat with anyone.
For the outside world, there was too much curiosity.
Report to Public Security?
The young man tugged the corner of his mouth, an ugly smile, more like a bitter one.
Perhaps because these little friends treated them as normal people, he felt like speaking.
“Some things reporting to Public Security helps, some don’t.”
Er Zai half-understood and wanted to ask more, but the young man turned sideways, clearly refusing to chat further.
Da Zai’s gaze withdrew from the strange mark behind his ear, pulled his younger brother: “Er Zai, time to go home for meal!”
Er Zai listened most to his older brother, swallowed his questions: “Oh, let’s go back.”
He stepped toward the village, saying as he walked: “Bro, I want to eat vegetable box again.”
He had just eaten two, but was craving again now.
“Ask Mom when we get back.” Da Zai said.
The childish voices faded.
At the old dilapidated house at the foot of the mountain, the little girl heard Er Zai say vegetable box. Standing in the grass pile, she watched their departing backs, licked her dry cracked lips, and softly said: “Mom, I’m hungry.”
The girl’s mom was a pretty young woman. Hearing this, tears nearly fell.
She hadn’t packed things in time, only hid some money, but now… as a woman with a child, she didn’t dare show wealth.
“Endure a bit first, later Mom will…”
The woman’s words just fell when a hand stretched from beside, holding a hard flat cake.
“Give it to the child, children can’t go hungry.”
The speaker was an older woman, like the middle-aged man beside her, exuding a scholarly air.
Anyway, two very learned faces.
“This…”
The woman who gave the cake waved her hand: “We’ll live in the same yard from now on, seeing each other all the time, no need to be polite.”
“Thanks, I’m Tian Ruo, this is my daughter Xiao Xiao.” Tian Ruo gratefully took the cake and gave it to her daughter, saying: “Xiao Xiao, quickly thank Grandma.”
Xiao Xiao sensibly thanked her.
“Such a good child. I’m Wen Xin, this is my husband Ren Wei’an.”
They were getting to know each other.
The other three joined in.
First the lame young man: “I’m Meng Jiusi.”
His words just fell when the immortal-like old master, emanating faint medicinal fragrance, said: “I’m Jiusi’s grandfather, Meng Yiheng.”
Last one remaining.
This man looked not young, hair graying white, extraordinary bearing, composed demeanor. In the old dilapidated thatched house, it seemed no big deal to him.
“My surname is Qiao…”
…
Gu Family.
Gu Fu returned home after watching the excitement, sat on the little stool by the wall, expression slightly dazed, as if lost in thought.
He didn’t even flip the dictionary, just sat stunned. The Gu Family Members noticed something odd.
Lin Zhao was teaching Gu Chenghuai photography. Seeing her father-in-law off, she paused the lesson, bumped her husband’s arm, and the couple stood in the corner whispering.
“What’s up with Dad? He didn’t flip the dictionary today?” Lin Zhao looked puzzled. “Wasn’t he watching the excitement? How come he looks like this—unless…”
She boldly guessed: “Among the sent people, there’s someone Dad knows, right?”
Lin Zhao had vaguely heard about the brigade sending a few people but didn’t go watch. She had no interest; everyone crowded together was hot and smelly.
“Possible.” Gu Chenghuai also lowered his voice; his deep pleasant voice, deliberately lowered, had a raspy quality.
“Dad went to Haishi when young, hustled there for years.”
Normal to meet someone or something there he remembered till now.
“Second Sister-in-law said, a couple, a mother-daughter pair, a grandfather-grandson pair, and an old mister you don’t dare look at much. Which of these could it be?” Lin Zhao’s eyes were clear and bright, looking at Gu Chenghuai like that.
Gu Chenghuai thought briefly: “That last old mister. Just preliminary judgment, no guarantee.”
Eighty percent sure.
The young couple was guessing.
Gu Mu sat beside Gu Fu, threw a straight ball: “Spill it, which of those do you know?”
Gu Fu’s pupils shook, stammering: “You… how did you know?”
“Look at yourself, who couldn’t tell.” Gu Mu slanted him a glance, indifferently: “Hurry up, don’t make me urge.”
Hearing mother-in-law, Lin Zhao pulled Gu Chenghuai to sit, seriously eating melon.
Gu Fu didn’t notice them, just said: “I’m not sure.”
“…” Gu Mu seemed speechless, silent for a bit, nearly rolling her eyes to the sky: “You’re not sure and you act like this, soul flying away?!”
Gu Fu looked aggrieved, explaining: “I planned to ask after dark.”
“Don’t say so much, just say which one looks familiar, why familiar?” Gu Mu pressed; the old man had her curiosity up, she felt uncomfortable not digging it out.
“That old mister.” Gu Fu’s expression was awkward.
Remembering past events, his eyes lit up: “If surname Qiao, then no mistake.”
Before Gu Mu could ask more, he volunteered: “I learned those characters from Mr. Qiao.”
“Back then at hometown couldn’t survive, me and a few others heard Haicheng had money everywhere, so seized opportunity to sneak on the train, went to Haicheng to make a living. Got there and found poor people have it hard anywhere.”
“I learned to sell newspapers, also sold cigarettes. When selling cigarettes I met Mr. Qiao, he helped me a lot. Without him… I couldn’t return home, no money to marry wife, raise kids.”
“He’s a very very good person, how could he…”
Mentioning young times, the usually taciturn Gu Fu talked more than twice as much.
Thinking it was Mr. Qiao, he couldn’t stay a moment, twisted home, but still couldn’t settle.
Lin Zhao said: “So long ago, Dad still remembers that benefactor?”
“Can’t forget. Mr. Qiao has a red mole under his right eye, very distinctive. After him, I’ve never seen anyone with one.” Gu Fu said.
Of course not just the mole; Mr. Qiao’s excellent upbringing, composed demeanor, he remembered all.
Gu Fu rarely valued someone so much; Lin Zhao couldn’t help feeling curious about that old mister he mentioned.
What kind of person could make a youth remember for decades?
She shifted her right leg right, lightly bumped Gu Chenghuai’s leg, smiled: “After dark, take Dad to find out clearly.”
“Mm.” Gu Chenghuai had no objection; he was curious too. If really the benefactor, the owed kindness must be repaid.
Gu Fu’s furrowed brow relaxed, starting to anticipate.
Glanced at the sky, suddenly resenting how slow it was getting dark!
Gu Mu saw his thoughts, warned: “Brigade Leader said, those sent people all are…”
Paused, then: “If there’s really that Mr. Qiao you mentioned, don’t act obvious. If discovered, implicating family—see how I settle with you.”
Gu Fu was indeed excited to forget himself.
Old wife’s words sobered him instantly.
“…I know.”
Answering, he got up and went back to the room.
The old master had preliminarily named the family’s grandsons and granddaughters, but names were lifelong matters; he was still deliberating.
Gu Fu returned to the room, found new paper, copied down a string of names.
He thought, if really Mr. Qiao, he’d directly ask him. Mr. Qiao spoke like poetry, read absurdly many books, surely could resolve his doubts.
Outside the yard.
Gu Mu sighed faintly.
“Your dad is rarely this happy; I don’t know… whether to hope that person is the Mr. Qiao he says, or not.”
If yes, family definitely couldn’t ignore; that’s benefactor. Yuan Shan and brothers grew so tall and strong partly thanks to that mister—not helping would be heartless.
But helping, those people have special identities; if discovered, family in trouble.
Really in a dilemma.
Gu Chenghuai’s eyes calm, steadily: “We’ll cross the bridge when we come to it, Mom don’t worry. I’ll advise Dad, think of a foolproof plan, won’t implicate family.”
Lin Zhao was calm too: “I see the brigade’s situation is okay; everyone has no mind for trouble, just focused on living. Maybe in a couple months, those people won’t be noticed.”
Fengshou Brigade people were very laid-back, rarely even going to county, minds on the fields, just tending well, more grain share, eat full.
Gu Mu’s words full of pride: “Brigade people not meddling in things is thanks to Third Son.”
“Oh?” Lin Zhao surprised, looked at Gu Chenghuai.
The man sat steadily, not claiming credit.
Gu Mu continued: “Chenghuai found Brigade Leader several times, chatted outside situations with him, urged him to advise brigade members more. I see the effect is obvious.”
So he found Brigade Leader.
Lin Zhao wasn’t surprised.
Brigade Leader was the biggest in the whole brigade; when he spoke, members would give some face.
As they spoke, the yard gate was pushed open from outside.
The little friends were back.
“Mom, we watched the excitement and came back.” Er Zai’s loud voice rang out.
“Mom, several people moved into the thatched house at the foot of the mountain. Did you go see? There’s even a little girl!” Da Zai shared what he saw with his mom.
