The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 107 "Touching the Soul"

The four children looked at each other, as if they had made a pact, and then took off running towards the old, dilapidated house at the foot of the mountain, running as fast as they could.

Four sets of footprints kicked up dust.

Two dogs, one big and one small, were chasing after them.

Amber struggled desperately with her four short legs, but couldn't catch up no matter what she did, and barked anxiously.

The cry started off crisp and clear, but then turned into a mournful wail, just like a wronged little baby.

The second kid, who was running in the lead, looked back and suddenly burst into laughter.

That one laugh was enough to make the three behind him burst into laughter as well.

The boy's laughter mingled with the barking of dogs, echoing along the country dirt road.

"I'm holding Amber, let's hurry up, or we won't be able to see anything." Erzai ran back, bent down to pick up Amber, and then ran off happily again.

The older children followed hand in hand.

"Yes, yes, run faster."

……

At the foot of the mountain, there are only a few thatched houses, which used to be inhabited by old hunters. They don't even have windows, and the roofs have two or three holes of different sizes. People lying inside can see the stars at night.

The house was hidden among waist-high weeds, and it didn't look like a human dwelling.

Several unfamiliar faces stood in front of the thatched hut, each carrying a tattered bundle that was empty and could not hold much.

These people include men, women, young and old.

They glanced at the house in front of them, their expressions varying.

"You're all living here, who knows how to fix the house?" The brigade leader looked at the group of people, his face expressionless, but he was worried.

He received a document from above stating that these individuals all had problems and that they needed to undergo a series of soul-searching educational sessions.

can.

He looked inside and saw a little girl and a woman, which... completely baffled him!

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

"Okay, then you fix it, the brigade won't take care of it," the brigade leader said.

The above text says to touch the soul, but he doesn't know how to grasp the right balance.

We neglect their daily lives and assign them the dirtiest and most tiring jobs. That's ruthless enough, isn't it?

The captain initially determined the procedures.

"In addition, our brigade plans to raise a few more pigs. You will be responsible for feeding them. If anything goes wrong with the pigs..." He paused skillfully to indicate a threat.

The information provided by the authorities specified the previous identities of these individuals; they were all intellectuals.

The captain himself admired those who were well-read, so he couldn't really do anything ruthless; at most, he would just make threats verbally.

"understood."

The people who were brought in nodded.

Even the only little girl nodded, her timid appearance filled with fear, which made the brigade leader feel sorry for her.

What problems could a little girl possibly have, right?

"Alright, you guys stay here, don't cause any trouble." The captain left those words behind and turned to leave.

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

The brigade leader left, but the commune members remained, their eyes gleaming with gossip as they looked at the newcomer.

They didn't approach these people, but just watched from a distance, sharing what they knew.

"I heard that these people... well, they have questionable political stances."

"I've also heard that they're told to raise pigs properly and reflect on their actions."

"What kind of pigs can a little girl raise? She's too young to do anything."

"Hey, do you think these people coming to our brigade will take away our grain?"

This was a crucial question, and everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the brigade leader's wife.

"Don't look at me, I don't know." The brigade leader's wife was also shrewd; she knew what to gossip about and what not to say.

However, she guessed that the money had to be distributed, otherwise, would they let these people starve to death?
These people also need to work, and since they work, they should receive work points. We can't force them to their deaths.

"I heard they have to write some kind of self-criticism every week," another person said.

"I don't understand, it's none of my business, I'm going back." The hardworking man who was earning work points found it all meaningless, shook his head and left.

"They don't seem to have brought much. It'll be cold in a few months, and they'll need warm clothes."

"I saw it too."

……

After watching the commotion for a while, the members left.

On the way back, I told my children to stay away from the people living in the old houses at the foot of the mountain.

When the four eldest arrived, they missed the excitement.

"Huh? Missed it again." Erzai was so angry he almost rubbed Amber bald. The little puppy lay on its back, flat as a pancake.

"Hey, there are really outsiders here." Big Cub said in surprise when he saw the strangers pulling weeds. "Why are they pulling weeds here? Are they going to live here? This place is so close to the foot of the mountain. What if a wild boar runs down the mountain?"

The sound wasn't quiet, causing those people's hearts to sink.

This thatched hut couldn't withstand even the slightest bump from a wild boar.

We need to find a way to build a wall around the courtyard.

Cat Egg calmly said, "We can only rely on them."

He usually runs all over the mountains on his own.

The little boy's unusual calmness drew the attention of the people in the old, dilapidated house.

Is she six years old? So rational.

The young man who was pulling weeds glanced at the four little boys and said indifferently, "Leave if you have nothing else to do. This is not a place for you."

Seeing that he was having difficulty walking, Erzai asked, "What happened to your foot?"

The limping young man didn't look up, still pulling weeds, and replied indifferently, "I was interrupted."

They had to tidy up the yard before dark, not daring to waste any time.

The second son was a little frightened and asked again, "Did you call the police?"

She Niu can chat with anyone.

There is so much I am curious about the outside world.

Should we call the police?
The young man twitched the corners of his mouth, his smile awkward, more like a bitter laugh.

Perhaps because these children treated him like a normal person, he felt a little inclined to speak.

"Some things are useful to report to the police, and some are not."

The second child seemed to understand but not quite, and wanted to ask again, but the young man turned to the side, clearly refusing to talk anymore.

The older brother looked away from the strange mark behind his brother's ear and tugged at his younger brother, "Second brother, it's time to go home for dinner!"

The second son listened to his older brother the most, swallowed back all his questions, and said, "Oh, let's go back."

He started walking towards the village, saying as he went, "Brother, I still want to eat vegetable pancakes."

I just ate two, and now I'm craving them again.

"Go back and ask Mother," the eldest son said.

The child's voice faded into the distance.

At the foot of the mountain, in an old house, the little girl heard Erzai mention vegetable dumplings. Standing in the haystack, watching their departing figures, she licked her chapped lips and whispered, "Mommy, I'm hungry."

The girl's mother, a beautiful young woman, almost burst into tears upon hearing this.

She didn't have time to pack her things, only hiding some money, but right now... she's a woman with a child, she can't afford to flaunt her wealth.

"Just bear with it, Mom will be here soon..."

As soon as the woman finished speaking, a hand reached out from the side, holding a hard, flatbread.

“Give it to the child; the child cannot go hungry.” The speaker was an older woman, who, like the middle-aged man beside her, exuded an air of scholarly refinement.

In short, two very knowledgeable faces.

"This……"

The woman handing out the cakes waved her hand, saying, "From now on, we'll all be living in the same courtyard, so there's no need to be polite."

"Thank you. My name is Tian Ruo, and this is my daughter, Xiaoxiao." Tian Ruo gratefully accepted the pancake, handed it to her daughter, and said, "Xiaoxiao, quickly thank Grandma."

Xiaoxiao sensibly thanked her.

"Good girl, my name is Wenxin, and this is my lover Ren Weian."

They got to know each other.

The other three joined voluntarily.

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

Before he could finish speaking, the old man, with an air of otherworldly elegance and a faint medicinal fragrance emanating from his body, said, "I am Jiu Si's grandfather, Meng Yiheng."

In the end, only one person remained.

The man looked quite old, with gray hair, an air of refinement, and a composed demeanor. Being in an old, dilapidated thatched hut seemed like no big deal to him.

"My surname is Qiao..."

……

Gu family.

After watching the excitement, Gu's father returned home and sat on a small wooden stool by the wall, looking somewhat dazed, as if he were lost in thought.

He didn't even look up the dictionary; he just stood there in a daze, and the Gu family all noticed something strange.

Lin Zhao was teaching Gu Chenghuai how to take photos when she noticed her father-in-law acting strangely. She paused the lesson, nudged the man's arm, and the couple stood in a corner whispering to each other.

"What's wrong with Dad? He didn't even look up the dictionary today?" Lin Zhao asked, puzzled. "Didn't he go to watch the fun? Why does he look like this? Could it be..."

She boldly guessed, "Among the people sent here, there must be some that Dad knows, right?"

Lin Zhao had heard a little about the fact that the brigade had sent several people, but she didn't go to see them. She wasn't interested in these things; it was hot with everyone crammed together, and the smell was unpleasant.

“That’s possible.” Gu Chenghuai also lowered his voice. His voice was deep and pleasant, and when he deliberately lowered it, it had a slightly husky quality.

“When my father was young, he went to Haishi and worked there for a few years.”

It's normal for him to encounter someone or something there that he still remembers.

"My second sister-in-law said there's a couple, a mother and daughter, a grandfather and grandson, and an old gentleman that people don't dare to look at too closely. Which of these people do you think is possible?" Lin Zhao looked at Gu Chenghuai with clear and bright eyes.

Gu Chenghuai pondered for a moment, "The last old gentleman's assessment was only preliminary and cannot be guaranteed to be correct."

I'm 80% sure.

The young couple were guessing.

Gu's mother sat down next to Gu's father and went straight to the point, "Tell me, which of those people do you know?"

Father Gu's pupils dilated in shock, and he stammered, "How...how did you know?"

"Look at yourself, everyone can tell." Gu's mother glanced at him and said indifferently, "Hurry up, don't make me rush you."

Hearing her mother-in-law's words, Lin Zhao pulled Gu Chenghuai to sit down and began to eat melon seeds earnestly.

Mr. Gu didn't pay attention to them, only saying, "I'm not sure."

"..." Gu's mother seemed speechless, remaining silent for a moment before rolling her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. "Aren't you sure you're not completely out of your mind with this whole thing?!"

Mr. Gu looked aggrieved and explained, "I originally planned to ask after dark."

"Don't say so much yet. Just tell me which one looks familiar and why?" Gu's mother pressed. The old man had piqued her curiosity, and she wouldn't feel comfortable until she found out the truth.

“That old gentleman.” Mr. Gu’s expression was somewhat awkward.

Recalling the past, his eyes lit up. "If the surname is Qiao, then it's correct."

Before his mother could ask any more questions, he said, "Mr. Qiao taught me all those characters."

"Back then, we couldn't make a living in our hometown. A few of us heard that Haicheng was full of money, so we seized the opportunity to sneak onto the train and go to Haicheng to make a living. When we got there, we found that it's not easy for poor people no matter where they are."

“I’ve worked as a newspaper seller and a cigarette seller. 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 go back to my hometown, and I wouldn’t have had the money to get married and raise my children.”

"He's such a good person, how could this happen..."

When the topic turned to his youth, Mr. Gu, who was usually taciturn, became more talkative than twice as much.

The thought of Mr. Qiao made him unable to stay still for even a moment, so he turned around and went home, but he couldn't calm down even after returning home.

Lin Zhao asked, "So much time has passed, Father, do you still remember that benefactor?"

"I can't forget it. Mr. Qiao had a red mole under his right eye, which was very special. I haven't seen anyone with it since him," said Mr. Gu.

Of course, it wasn't just one mole; he remembered the excellent manners and composed demeanor that Mr. Qiao exuded.

It was rare for Gu's father to value someone so highly, so Lin Zhao couldn't help but become curious about the old gentleman he was talking about.

What kind of person could a teenager remember for decades?

She shifted her right leg to the right, lightly bumping Gu Chenghuai's leg, and laughed, "When it gets dark, you can take your father with you to find out the truth."

"Hmm." Gu Chenghuai had no objection. He was also curious. If he was truly a benefactor, he should repay the debt of gratitude.

Mr. Gu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he began to look forward to it.

I glanced at the sky and suddenly complained about how slowly it was getting dark!

Gu's mother saw through his thoughts and warned, "The captain said that those people who were sent here are all..."

After a pause, he said, "If there really is that Mr. Qiao you mentioned in there, don't make it obvious. If someone finds out and it implicates your family, see how I settle accounts with you."

Mr. Gu was indeed so excited that he forgot himself.

His wife's words instantly brought him to his senses.

"...I know all of that."

He responded and got up to go back inside.

The old man had tentatively chosen names for his grandchildren, but since names are a lifelong matter, he was still struggling with the decision.

Gu's father returned to the house, found a new piece of paper, and copied down a string of names.

He thought that if it really was Mr. Qiao, he would ask him directly for advice. Mr. Qiao was eloquent and had read an absurd number of books, so he would definitely be able to answer his questions.

Outside the hospital.

Gu's mother sighed softly.

“It’s rare to see your father so happy. I don’t know… should I hope that the person he’s talking about is Mr. Qiao, or not?”

If so, we certainly can't ignore it. He's our benefactor. The Yuanshan brothers are so tall and strong thanks in part to that gentleman. Wouldn't it be heartless and ungrateful not to help?
But if we help them, those people have special identities, and if it gets discovered, their families will be in trouble.

I'm really torn.

Gu Chenghuai's eyes were calm as he said steadily, "There's always a way out. Mother, don't worry. I'll persuade Father and come up with a foolproof plan so as not to burden the family."

Lin Zhao remained calm, saying, "I think the situation in the brigade is alright. No one is in the mood to cause trouble; they're just focused on getting by. Perhaps in a couple of months, those people will be forgotten."

The people in the Fengshou Brigade are very laid-back. They rarely even go to the county. Their minds are all on the fields. They just want to take good care of the land, get more grain, and have enough to eat.

Gu's mother spoke with pride, "The fact that the people in the brigade don't get involved in anything is thanks to the third son."

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

The man sat calmly and composedly, not seeking credit.

Mother Gu continued, "Cheng Huai talked to the brigade leader several times, discussing the situation outside and asking him to persuade the brigade members more. I think the effect is quite obvious."

Oh, so you were looking for the team leader.

Lin Zhao was not surprised.

The brigade leader is the most powerful person in the entire brigade, and when he speaks, the members will still give him some face.

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

The children are back.

"Mom, we're back from watching the excitement!" Erzai's loud voice rang out.

"Mom, a few people have moved into the thatched hut at the foot of the mountain. Have you gone to see it? There's even a little girl there!" The eldest son shared what he had seen with his mother.