The two of them walked into the courtyard, gazing at the scene of devastation, and felt a headache coming on.
"Let's look at the fabric first."
As Gu Yu spoke, he led the other man into the collapsed hut. Seeing that the hail piled up on the *kang* had mostly melted, he quickly stepped forward to move the boards and the soaked quilts and sheets that had been pressing down on it, revealing the fabric underneath.
A thin layer on top had been soaked through. He reached out to separate the pieces. "The ones that got soaked can't be left for long; they must be washed and dried, otherwise the fabric will mold and rot."
While speaking, he placed the wet material into a basin in the corner of the room, picked it up, and said, "You hold onto this for a moment. I'll take it out and rub it clean. Since the wind is strong here, by the time we finish packing, it should be mostly dry. It'll be easier to carry them with us then; otherwise, it’ll be too conspicuous."
Shen Jianan nodded. "Alright."
Then he added, "Let's take apart the quilts to wash and dry them too! They're all soaked."
As he spoke, he started pulling at a quilt. Gu Yu quickly set the basin down to help. In a few moments, they had disassembled the quilts, wrung out the water, and hung them on a rack outside.
Only then did they return to the house together. "Be careful, this place might collapse again at any moment."
Gu Yu warned him while holding the basin, then turned and walked out of the broken hut. He squatted by the spring, set aside the sheets and quilt covers, and planned to wash the fabric first before dealing with the less conspicuous items.
But only a short while later, a sound of heavy objects falling came from inside the room, followed immediately by Shen Jianan’s exclamation. Thinking that something had collapsed and struck him, Gu Yu scrambled to his feet and rushed inside, panicked. "What happened? What's wrong?"
He saw the boy sprint toward him like a small cannonball and jump into his arms. Gu Yu froze for a second, then smiled, caught him, and bounced him up slightly. The boy clung to his neck, baring his teeth in an excited, low growl. "Brother Gu, we’re rich! We’ve struck it rich!"
The boy was grinning so hard his gums were showing. Infectious, Gu Yu’s own face broke into a smile. "What do you mean we’re rich?"
"Come with me."
As Shen Jianan went to jump down, he realized Gu Yu was holding him too tightly to move. The silly boy, too excited to notice anything strange, just pushed at him. "Brother Gu, put me down, quick."
Hearing this, Gu Yu reluctantly released his grip. The boy slid to the ground like an eel and reached out to hold his hand naturally, walking back into the room. Gu Yu felt happy again, his mouth curling high at the corners.
"Brother Gu, look, look!"
Shen Jianan dragged him to the *kang*, pointed at the half-collapsed mud wall, and looked at him, laughing.
"Wha...t?"
Gu Yu followed his gaze and saw glimmers of gold emerging from within the mud wall where it had split open. His eyes widened in shock. "This, this..."
"It’s gold! Gold!!"
Shen Jianan tugged at his clothes, jumping on his toes in excitement. "Brother, Brother Gu! Hurry and dig it out before someone finds it."
"Oh! Right."
Gu Yu snapped out of his daze and whispered, "Go outside and keep watch. Make a sound if anyone comes."
Shen Jianan nodded and, like a happy little bird, laughed as he sprinted out of the broken hut. Gu Yu knelt in the corner, picked up a piece of rotten wood, and dug rapidly.
Goodness, he didn't realize until he started digging—there were actually several two-finger-wide gold bars buried in the wall. He weighed them in his hand and estimated they were over a jin in weight.
In addition, there was a pair of jade pendants with excellent clarity. The designs were different: one was a jade plaque carved with a landscape scene, and the other was a little child holding a gold ingot, which looked incredibly adorable.
Both pendants were strung on black cords. Gu Yu studied them for a long time but couldn't figure out what they were made of. He gave one a tug, but the cord was so strong it hurt his fingers without even fraying.
"So sturdy?"
Possessed by the moment, he climbed onto the *kang*, took down his defensive dagger, and sawed at the cord several times, but still couldn't cause any damage. He felt a surge of excitement, thinking that such precious items should be kept for Shen Jianan.
He set the pendants aside and continued digging into the wall with the dagger, wanting to see if anything else was hidden inside.
Gu Yu guessed that these gold bars and jade pieces were the last of the Cheng landlord family's assets. The man had likely intended to use them for a comeback, which is why he had gone to such lengths to hide them here.
It was a pity that he had been persecuted so severely, and many of his family members had died filled with hatred during the endless struggle sessions. He had only been able to watch as everything happened, powerless to change it. Feeling that the future was hopeless, he and his remaining family had resorted to such extreme suicide to express their anger and dissatisfaction, while also serving as a warning to keep the commune members away from this place.
But the hut had fallen into disrepair, and after yesterday's hail, it couldn't withstand the damage any longer and collapsed, falling into their laps instead.
Gu Yu dug for about 40 minutes until the entire mud wall was practically demolished, but he found nothing else. He stopped and picked up the jade and gold bars.
Looking at the items in his hands, Gu Yu was overcome with emotion and couldn't help but speak aloud. "Since we have received these items, we have accepted the favor of the Cheng family."
He paused, then added, "We may not be able to clear the Cheng family's name. But as long as we can return to the city, we will definitely find a propitious spot to build a cenotaph for you. In the future, during festivals, we will never fail to sweep your graves and offer our respects."
*Whoosh—*
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sudden, icy breeze swept through the room. Gu Yu’s pupils constricted, his heart pounding like a drum. He stood up quickly, feeling several cold gusts brush past him—very light, very faint—before they vanished in the blink of an eye.
He was stunned for a moment, then hooked his lips and looked around the room, solemnly offering a word of thanks. Only then did he kick over the rest of the ruined mud wall; he was worried that if he didn't, the debris might draw attention when they repaired the house later.
After finishing, he took his finds and quickly walked out of the broken hut. Seeing that Shen Jianan had finished washing the fabric and was hanging it up, he headed straight for the spring and dumped everything into the small pond below to give it a quick wash.
The other man turned around at the sound and saw the gleaming gold bars in his hands. Excited, he quickly finished hanging the rest of the fabric, hurried over with the basin, and squatted down in front of him. "This must be worth a lot!?"
"Yes, and it’s all thanks to you."
Gu Yu responded with a smile. He tilted his head toward the boy and, seeing his gaze linger on the little child pendant several times, knew he liked it. His eyes crinkled with warmth. "I knew you liked this one. Keep it and wear it!"
"Hee hee! Okay."
Shen Jianan nodded happily. "We'll keep both. One for you, one for me."
He reached out to fish out the jade pendant, washed it clean in the water, wiped it on the hem of his shirt, and quickly fastened the landscape jade plaque around the other man’s neck.
Gu Yu reached up to touch the plaque, gazing at it fondly. His heart was filled with joy—this was a gift from Jianan! He looked up happily and saw the boy fastening the other pendant around his own neck.
A flicker passed through his eyes, and he said nonchalantly, "Let me help you with that."
He leaned forward slightly, naturally took the pendant from Shen Jianan's hands, loosened the slipknot of the cord, and placed it around his fair, slender neck. He adjusted it to the perfect length before letting go and pulling back.
Inadvertently, the pad of his pinky finger brushed against the side of the boy’s neck. The sensation made the boy giggle. "Brother Gu, that tickles..."
Meeting those deep, dark eyes, Shen Jianan felt a sudden, inexplicable shyness. Remembering how he had jumped into the other man's arms when they found the gold, his face flushed even redder.
How could he have acted like that at the time? The boy lowered his head in guilt, unaware that the bright red tips of his ears had already betrayed him completely.
Gu Yu rubbed his fingers together, the corners of his mouth lifting involuntarily. "Let's hurry up and pack, so no one comes by."
He scooped the gold bars out of the water and headed into the house. Seeing him leave, Shen Jianan exhaled, patted his hot, crimson cheeks, stood up, and followed him.
Aside from their bedding rolls, clothes, and a pile of fabric, they only had the broken pot from the kitchen, a few chipped bowls, and a pitifully small amount of firewood, rice, salt, and oil.
They put away the dried fabric, wrapped it in a bedsheet, and tied it with a rope to set aside for the moment. Then they cleaned up the pots and bowls. By the time they finished, everything drying outside—except for the quilt covers—was completely dry.
The two of them gathered the fabric, wrapped it into another bundle, and each shouldered a pack. They first delivered them to Zhao Hongjun’s house.
When they arrived, Li Shulan and her sister-in-law, Xu Xiaomei, were sweeping up trash with a few children. Old Man Zhao, his eldest grandson Zhao Chengcai, and his second son, Zhao Jianshe, were on the roof replacing tiles.
The hail had broken many tiles on the Zhao family's roof. Even the big tree in the courtyard had been smashed into a bare stump, with not a trace of green to be seen. The chicken coop and vegetable seedlings in the corner hadn't been spared either.
When the family saw them arrive, they greeted them warmly. "Educated Youth Shen/Jianan, Educated Youth Gu/Brother Gu, you're here!?"
Both replied with smiles. "Yes, we’re here!"
"Come in quickly, put your things down and take a rest."
Li Shulan patted her youngest son Zhao Xiaofeng’s head. "Take the two brothers inside to put their things away first."
"I know, Mom."
Zhao Xiaofeng tilted his head with a smile. "Brother Jianan, Brother Gu, come with me."
He led them to a narrow door beside the side room, stood on his tiptoes to take the lock off the door, placed it on a nearby table, and stepped aside, moving out of their way with a sheepish look. "Brother, this used to be where my sister and I lived. It’s a bit small."
"That’s alright."
The two waved their hands, smiling as they stepped inside. As the boy said, the room was very small; with their luggage on their backs, they could barely turn around. However, it was kept very clean.
On the table sat a small desk lamp, a few picture books, and two tin toy cars the size of matchboxes.
It was clear that Zhao Hongjun and Li Shulan loved their children very much; otherwise, why would they buy these things when life was so hard?
They placed their bundles on the bed and stepped back out. They hadn't finished moving their belongings from the mountain, so they still had one more trip to make. Li Shulan, guessing as much, told her youngest son to go with them to help carry things.
Zhao Xiaofeng was more than happy to agree. He liked the two brothers very much now—not only were they good-looking, but they were also his and his sister’s saviors.
On the way, the little boy took the key from around his neck and handed it to Shen Jianan. "Brother, this is the room key. There’s another one with Mom; she keeps it because she’s afraid my sister and I will lose it. I’ll ask her for it for you when we get back."
"No need."
Shen Jianan took it with a smile. "We’re always together wherever we go, so this one is enough."
"That's right, we're together, one is enough."
Gu Yu’s mouth curled high; he loved it when Jianan said they were a pair. Hearing them both say the same thing, Zhao Xiaofeng didn't insist. "Alright then!"
As the three talked, they reached the foot of the mountain. Seeing the boy was still small, Shen Jianan was afraid he might trip over branches and weeds brought down by the hail, so he told him to wait at the bottom.
Zhao Xiaofeng wanted to refuse but was afraid the brothers wouldn't be happy, so he complied. The two then headed up the mountain to bring down the rest of their luggage.
There wasn't much, but the items were awkward to carry. Gu Yu thought for a moment and had the boy help hold the two enamel mugs and the not-yet-dry quilt covers.
He and Shen Jianan each shouldered a bundle, carried the pot containing their rations and bowls, and headed back to the Zhao house.
Just as the three entered the courtyard, Zhao Hongjun walked in right behind them. Shen Jianan asked him how things were going.
"The brigade leader has already gone to the commune to report it. With a situation like this, the authorities won't ignore it, but we have to wait for instructions on how they'll handle it."
He sighed with concern. "This hail storm hasn't just affected us!"
Hearing this, both of them wore troubled expressions. If the disaster area was large, next year would be even harder.
"Forget it, let’s not talk about it."
Seeing their gloomy faces, Zhao Hongjun didn't want to bring it up anymore and make everyone anxious. Besides, all problems had to wait until the higher-ups arrived; there was no point in them worrying. He changed the subject. "Don't bother starting your own fire while you’re staying with us. Just eat with us."
They thought that starting their own fire in someone else's house would be inappropriate and might offend people, so they agreed. "Then you must accept a food allowance, or we won't stay."
Seeing how firm they were, Zhao Hongjun knew there was no point in arguing. Originally, he had wanted to use this as an opportunity to repay them, but his family ate together. While he was deeply in their debt, his younger brother wasn't. If he didn't take the money, his brother and sister-in-law, Xu Xiaomei, might eventually harbor resentment.
So he simply agreed, waiting for a better opportunity to repay their kindness.
Shen Jianan and Gu Yu knew this too, which was why they were so insistent. Besides, they had helped him out of genuine heart, not for any reward.
So, as soon as Zhao Hongjun nodded, Shen Jianan took out five yuan in front of the whole family and handed it to him.
Zhao Hongjun only took three yuan, saying he would settle the difference later, then added, "You can't do any work in the fields for the next few days. Everyone will be busy repairing their houses. You two should go do whatever you need to get done now, or it won't be easy to ask for leave once things get busy later."
The two had already planned to help the Zhao family fix their house first before handling their own business, but Zhao Hongjun refused without a second thought.
"What’s a little roof repair? Go do what you need to. As for that hut on the mountain, I'll find a few people to help you fix it when I have time."
Shen Jianan was delighted and thanked him quickly. "Then thank you, Clerk."
"Enough with the 'Clerk' this, 'Clerk' that."
Zhao Hongjun waved his hand impatiently and climbed the ladder. "Just call me Uncle Zhao from now on!"
The two looked at each other and smiled. "We understand, Uncle Zhao."
They hung the quilt covers the boy had been holding and their own cotton batting on the rack in the corner, put the rest of their things in the room, and left together, sprinting toward the cowshed.
They had only offered to help the Zhaos because they didn't want to be impolite, but they were actually worried sick about the elderly folks there and had wanted to visit them the whole time.
It was just that the fabric was too conspicuous, and they were afraid of being watched, so they had planned to hide it first. Then, they had found the gold bars, which had delayed them even further.
By the time they arrived, they could see from a distance that the cowshed had been smashed to pieces, and a few cadres were actively leading the villagers in repairs.
The three large pigs fed by the brigade were tied to a nearby tree, squealing non-stop, clearly terrified.
As for the elderly folks, they were drying items in the open space in front of the shed. They looked ragged, but at least they hadn't been injured.
Gu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Shen Jianan back. It wasn't that he was heartless; it was just that the cadres there weren't as easy to deal with as Zhao Hongjun and Zhao Gang.
Given the special status of the elderly people, if they went over now, it would definitely invite gossip. For everyone's sake, he decided to wait until there were fewer people around before coming back.
The two left the cowshed and headed to Cheng Hu’s house. His place was on the other side of the fields—four rooms with green bricks and large tiles, which was quite rare in the countryside.
But later, Old Man Cheng died, Cheng Hu became lame, and with Zhao Qiancheng’s deliberate oppression and the ostracism of the clan, life had only become harder.
"Educated Youth Gu/Brother Gu Yu! Educated Youth Shen!"
Hearing the call, Shen Jianan looked up and saw the Cheng Hu family standing in front of their courtyard, waving at them. His son was especially excited, calling out, "Brother Gu Yu!"
"Hey!"
Gu Yu responded and hurried forward, ruffling the child’s hair. "Is your studying keeping up lately? Anything you don't understand?"
The child shook his head, looking proud. "No, I know everything."
"Great job..."
Shen Jianan watched the interaction, feeling a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Gu Yu’s relationship with the Cheng Hu family to be this good.
Wait. The boy’s expression hardened. He suddenly remembered the original plot of the book: not long after Gu Yu was imprisoned, Cheng Hu was shot and killed by the militia for allegedly stealing grain and resisting arrest.
The man who shot him was none other than Qin Guangtao, Zhao Jianguo’s uncle. A few days later, his ten-year-old son, Cheng Guang, suddenly went missing. When he was finally discovered, he had been gnawed on by wild animals, leaving only half his face identifiable.
Coincidentally, it was Zhao Jianguo who led the search party that found Cheng Guang’s body and personally handled the burial. Cheng Hu’s wife, Xiang Haiyan, unable to bear the string of tragedies, jumped into the river that very day. Zhao Jianguo, pretending to pity the family of three, paid for their gravestones.
Shen Jianan didn't believe for a second that someone as selfish and devoid of morality as Zhao Jianguo would suddenly do such a kind deed. Not to mention, Old Man Cheng’s death years ago had been linked to Zhao Qiancheng.
There could only be one reason: Cheng Hu must have discovered some of Zhao Jianguo’s dirty secrets and intended to expose them, only to be found out.
To cover his tracks, Zhao Jianguo had orchestrated a plan to eliminate Cheng Hu. As for Cheng Guang, he likely discovered something too, which was why he was killed on the mountain.
The more Shen Jianan thought about it, the more plausible it felt. He cursed the author of the novel in his heart. The Cheng Hu family were kind and honest people; how could he/she bear to write them like that? Didn't he/she fear retribution!
And that Zhao Jianguo—without any morals or conscience—how was he worthy of being the protagonist!?
"Someone like that should end up alone, with sores on his head and pus on his feet, and..."
Gu Yu heard the boy muttering continuously as they finished their greetings, his face a mix of emotions. He frowned and asked, "Jianan, what’s wrong? Who upset you?"
The boy retorted angrily, "Who else but that idiot Zhao Jianguo!?"
He then looked up, only to see three adults and one child looking at him with varying expressions of confusion. He was mortified, and just as he was about to explain, little Cheng Guang spoke up. "Brother, I don't like Zhao Jianguo either. He’s so annoying."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Xiang Haiyan reached out and covered her son’s mouth, her eyes instinctively flickering toward her husband’s lame leg. "Be careful, or you'll bring trouble upon us, you hear?"
Cheng Guang’s face turned pale. He looked at his expressionless father, his eyes filled with guilt. "I know."
He broke free from his mother’s hand and went to hold Cheng Hu’s hand ingratiatingly. "Dad, let’s invite the two brothers inside!"
"Alright."
Knowing the child was just afraid of seeing him upset, Cheng Hu quickly forced a smile and invited Gu Yu and Shen Jianan into the house, then told Xiang Haiyan to bolt the front gate—they wouldn't even repair the roof today.