Chapter 19

The captain was exhausted. Dealing with household chores was more tiring than farming. He had already sat down. Thinking of the man's house, he frowned and said, "Chu Shao, think about it. Although his house is nice, it's too small."

Chu Shao heard Chu Jiujiu say that he would go to the south to work hard in the future. He used to think that he would never be able to leave this village for the rest of his life. Now that he knows he will leave in the future, the size of the house is not important. The most important thing is to live comfortably.

Chu Shao nodded, "It's okay, Jiujiu and I don't mind. Living in a smaller house will make us feel more at ease."

The captain thought about it and agreed. If the Zhang family refused to give in, changing the house would make them give up.

So the captain waved his hand, meaning that they could make their own decision and he had no control over it.

The man's brows lit up immediately. He wanted to give Chu Shao some extra money, but Chu Shao refused, saying that if he had any furniture he didn't need, he could just leave it to them. The man thought, that's right. Chu Shao had just received a little over 180 yuan, so he didn't need that little bit.

After making the decision, the man went home to inform his wife and children.

Zhao Shiliu and the others returned home, increasingly furious. They decided to stay put and wait for someone to force them out. And it turned out someone did. Pulling a cart full of belongings, the man slammed the door, "Zhang Qingshou, Zhao Shiliu! Hurry and move! This house is ours now!"

When Zhao Shiliu heard this, he immediately jumped out of bed.

——

After thanking the team leader, deputy team leader, women's director and others, Chu Shao took Chu Jiujiu away.

The rain came and went quickly. Han Shengyi had gone to the vegetable patch again without anyone noticing. Chu Shao led Chu Jiujiu to the back of the team headquarters. He asked Chu Jiujiu, "Besides your head, are you injured anywhere else?"

Seeing that there was no one around, Chu Jiujiu lifted up half of her shirt and pointed at her stomach, "It hurts a little here."

Chu Shao looked down and found a blue patch, almost the same color as the skin there. Chu Shao's face also turned blue. Chu Jiujiu put down his clothes with a smile, "It wasn't Mrs. Zhang who hit me. I accidentally bumped into it when I was fighting with the human traffickers."

She didn't mention the kick she had received. She looked quite happy and even went to pull weeds from the roadside. Chu Shao looked at her and pursed his lips, "This kind of thing won't happen again."

Chu Jiujiu: "Yeah, because we already have our own home!"

Patting Chu Jiujiu's head, Chu Shao took her to the new home and prepared to go over and take a look. When passing by a row of mini houses, Chu Jiujiu took a few more glances. There were three small houses side by side with small doors and windows. Judging from the area, they were about the same size as the bathroom in Chu Jiujiu's modern home.

And on the front wall of each small house, there are two red words painted.

——Cowshed.

Chu Jiujiu was only nine years old, so she wouldn't have known complex Chinese characters. But she could memorize every word in the dictionary after just one look, so she knew exactly where this place was. She wanted to go in and take a look, but Chu Shao held her back, not letting her get any closer. She looked at it reluctantly for a long time before turning back.

Grandma Han was packing bran at the door. She only looked up after Chu Jiujiu walked over.

Grandpa Han's legs hurt, so he didn't get up. However, he had sharp eyes, so he asked curiously, "Who just passed by?"

Grandma Han: "It's none of your business. Just lie still."

Grandpa Han: "Okay."

…

The family that exchanged houses with Chu Shao also had the surname Chen. There were so many people with the surname Chen in Qingzhu Village that Chu Shao called the older ones "Uncle" and the younger ones "Uncle."

Normally, there's nothing wrong with the surname Chen in the village. However, his wife's family was labeled a rich peasant, and he was implicated, and subsequently, he was looked down upon in the village. However, no matter how hard life was, he never thought of abandoning his wife. He was a true good man.

This might be the reason why Chu Shao singled him out and wanted to exchange rooms with him.

When Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu came over, the man had already gone out. When his wife saw the two children coming, she immediately called them in and gave them some candies.

Unfortunately, Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu didn’t like candy, so they didn’t want any.

The woman said that the man had already moved some of his belongings over, and some villagers wanted to watch the fun and also gathered over. No matter what, Zhao Shiliu and his family had to move today. The woman didn't care about what was going on outside, she explained the house problem to Chu Shao one by one.

The roof tiles had been installed two years earlier and were good enough to last for many more years. Several square boxes were stacked on top of each other; they were the woman's dowry, which they were taking away. Both beds were left behind, as the house over there had a kang (kang), so they wouldn't be needed. In the vegetable patch outside, the woman had planted several vegetables. The cucumbers and beans were already ripe, and the rest would be ready in a few days. These were all given to Chu Shao and his wife.

The house is about 60 square meters. On the right is the main room of 30 square meters. The main room is in full view. There is a door in the front and back, allowing entry and exit from both sides. There is also a square stove in the upper right corner.

A wall was built in the middle of the main room on the left, dividing it into two rooms, one large and one small. There was a double bed in the large room, and the quilt on the bed was blackened. Next to the double bed were two large cabinets. I don’t know how many years they had been used, and the edges and corners were shiny and covered with patina.

In the corner stood several jars of varying sizes, some containing grain, others pickled vegetables. The woman said that the large cabinet, like the bed, was to be left to Chu Shao, but that they would use the jars themselves, so they couldn't leave them.

The small room only had a single bed against the wall, with a small cabinet tucked into the gap. Apart from that, there was no room for anything else.

The big room is too big and the small room is too small, which is not a big deal. The big room faces south, and the small room, because it is separated, can only face north. Fortunately, there is a window on the north wall, otherwise the people living in it will be suffocated.

The man used to be a bricklayer, so the steps and walls of the house were painted very well. Chu Shao followed the woman out and found that even the utility room outside was painted with a layer of cement.

It is called a storage room, but in fact it used to be a donkey shed. Later, donkeys were not allowed to be raised, so the man painted it and built a very small house. Only three people can stand in it, so it is not habitable at all, so it can only be used as a storage room.

Chu Shao stood at the door and looked over. Chu Jiujiu ran around excitedly and suddenly came to his side again. "Chu Shao, there are bamboos behind the house! Can they still grow bamboo shoots?"

Chu Jiujiu was not allowed to dig bamboo shoots on the mountain because they were all public property. She had always felt very sorry about this. Hearing her words, the woman smiled and said, "Those bamboos are growing too lushly. There is not much space on the ground. Even if there are some, there will only be one or two."

It's okay, as long as Chu Jiujiu is there, she'll be happy. She moved closer to Chu Shao and peered into the utility room, "Chu Shao, Chu Shao, what are we going to do here from now on?"

Chu Jiujiu doesn't like to call Chu Shao brother, so unless the occasion is particularly serious or formal, she just calls Chu Shao by his full name.

Chu Shao hadn't made up his mind yet, "I don't know, maybe use it for bathing."

Chu Jiujiu immediately cheered: "Then I don't have to go to the stream to wash!"

Chu Shao was stunned, his face quickly darkening, "Have you ever taken a bath in the stream?"

Not only have I been there, I go there often.

Chu Jiujiu whispered, "I washed them while wearing my clothes."

Chu Shao: “…That won’t work either!”

Chu Jiujiu pouted, "Brother Shengyi is next to us, no one will see it."

Chu Shao: “…”

Isn't he a human?!

Chu Shao was nearly pissed off to death by her. Chu Jiujiu, realizing something was amiss, quickly ran away, leaving the woman stifling a laugh. Her home was only one house away from the cowshed, and she was considered one of the people in the village who knew Han Shengyi well. So, she consoled him, "Don't worry, Shengyi knows his limits. He treats your sister like his own."

After she finished speaking, she noticed that Chu Shao still looked unhappy, so she quickly talked about something else to divert his attention.

The large water tank at the door was also left to him, and next to it was the well. The wooden bucket and rope for drawing water were also left to him. There was no windlass on the well, so drawing water had to rely on strength, which was quite strenuous.

There was a big tree planted next to the utility room. The trunk was very thick and it looked like it had been there for many years. The woman touched the tree with a nostalgic look on her face.

This was planted by her mother-in-law when she was alive. She originally wanted to leave it to her grandson to make furniture for his wedding. However, people move and trees die as they move away, so they couldn't take it with them, so they had to leave it to Chu Shao.

After the explanation was almost complete, the man returned. Zhao Shiliu and the others could not resist the urging of more than a dozen villagers and finally had to move out crying. Their move was simple, just taking away the quilts, basins and other things. Zhao Shiliu also insisted on taking away the second-hand furniture, so even if they took it back, they had no place to put it.

The man didn't argue with her about it and let her take it all, which made room for them. They would move in to sleep there tonight.

The man acted decisively, of course, mainly because he was afraid of the consequences, what if Chu Shao regretted it?

After moving back and forth several times, and Chu Shao helping to move twice, the house was finally empty. Chu Jiujiu stood under the tree, watching a house that was full of life turn into an empty shell, as if it had lost its life in an instant.

After they finished moving, it was already dark. The woman gave them a few pancakes and they sat on the steps of the gate. Chu Jiujiu ate the pancakes and asked Chu Shao, "Grandpa, is this our future home?"

Chu Shao: "Yeah."

"Then how are we going to sleep?"

Chu Shao finished his pancake, stood up and brushed the dust off his legs, "Let's sleep together for now. Tomorrow we'll go to town to buy things and fill up the house."

Chu Jiujiu cheered again: "Yeah! I can go shopping now!"

"Keep your voice down, come on, go inside."

Chu Jiujiu quickly shut her mouth and ran into the empty house.

Han Shengyi couldn't help but smile when he heard a familiar and lively voice coming from not far away. Grandma Han was eating mixed wild vegetables and was a little dazed when she saw the smile on her grandson's face.

So similar...

But the next second, she came to her senses, and her face became stern again, and she no longer looked at Han Shengyi.

——

In the Chu family's new house, Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao lay on the same bare wooden bed. The Chen family had taken away the bedding. Accustomed to sleeping on prickly straw, Chu Jiujiu felt a little uncomfortable sleeping on the hard wooden planks. She twisted a few times and was about to fall asleep when she suddenly remembered something. She struggled to open her eyes and patted Chu Shao beside her.

"Grandpa, I didn't get my coat back."

Chu Shao still closed his eyes and said, "I'll get it for you tomorrow."

Chu Jiujiu repeatedly reminded him, "Then you should go early, don't forget it."

"knew."

After hearing these three words, Chu Jiujiu could no longer resist the strong sleepiness. She relaxed her arms, lay down, tilted her head and fell asleep.

She was so frightened during the day that she slept much more soundly at night. She slept until seven o'clock the next morning, nearly twelve hours.

Chu Shao got up at around four o'clock. When it was still light, he tried to fetch two buckets of water and poured them into the large water tank against the wall. He then picked up a broken broom left by the Chen family and began to clean the room.

The Chen family's wife was a very clean person, and there was almost no dust in the house. This place was located in the southwest, and the summer rain was heavy. The walls of local houses would be moldy, but this house was not. Chu Shao was cleaning while remembering what to buy. At five o'clock, the sky was already bright. Chu Shao put down the broom and walked towards Zhang's house.

The Zhang family had not yet woken up, and the yard was quiet. Chu Shao put one hand on the fence and jumped into the Zhang family's yard. He came to the small house. The Zhang family was in a gloomy mood last night, and no one had the heart to work, so naturally no one would come into the small house. Chu Shao easily found Chu Jiujiu's coat. When he was walking out with the coat in his arms, a woman holding a basin suddenly came out of the house.

Zhao Shiliu was so angry. Her good house was taken away, and Chu Shao, that cunning guy, actually gave the house to someone else. It was natural for Zhao Shiliu to deal with two children with no background, but she didn't dare to confront the Chen family head-on. Even if this family had problems with their background, they were still members of the Chen family. If she really made trouble, she would not get any benefits.

They moved back to the Zhang family yesterday with dejected looks on their faces. Mrs. Zhang started cursing while sitting in the house. After leaving the team headquarters that scared her and returning to her own little piece of land, Mrs. Zhang immediately regained her confidence. And for some reason, she remembered what Niu Ailing said and transferred all her hatred to Zhao Shiliu, insisting that it was Zhao Shiliu who caused their Zhang family to become what it is now.

Mrs. Zhang threw all the housework to her. Now, she not only has to cook breakfast, but also lunch and dinner. As soon as it was dawn, Mrs. Zhang woke her up.

When Zhao Shiliu thought about how this would happen every day, he felt that his life was bleak.

Just when she was feeling upset, Zhao Shiliu saw Chu Shao standing in the yard. She was not Mrs. Zhang and was not afraid of him. So, she raised her arm and splashed the dirty water at Chu Shao's feet. "Well, you sneaked in so early in the morning, are you here to steal something?"

"What are you holding in your arms? Show it to me!"

Chu Shao did not hide it. Zhao Shiliu had actually seen it. It was the clothes that Chu Jiujiu had worn at the beginning. She thought it was just right to leave such nice clothes for her daughter Xia Hua to wear. Chu Jiujiu caused their family to lose money and house, so shouldn't she compensate them with a piece of clothes?

She planned to wait for Chu Shao to come over and snatch the clothes from his arms, but who knew that Chu Shao had the same idea.

Walking in front of Zhao Shiliu, Chu Shao held the clothes in one hand and snatched the enamel basin from her hand with the other. This was the one his mother had bought for him. Chu Shao grabbed it and threw it to the ground with a bang without saying a word.

Zhao Shiliu was frightened by the sudden sound. She covered her ears and looked at the enamel basin that had fallen to the ground. She was heartbroken and bent down to pick it up. Unexpectedly, a shovel fell from the sky and hit the ground next to her hand, almost breaking her fingers.

Zhao Shiliu retracted her hand as if she had been electrocuted. She raised her head in fear, but found that Chu Shao was not looking at her. He picked up the shovel he took from the wall and smashed it hard under the enamel basin. The front end of the shovel was very sharp, almost like a knife. The first hit made the enamel basin dent. The second hit broke the surface, revealing the iron sheet inside. The third hit made the iron sheet burst through.

This was not the end. Chu Shao hit it a few more times until a big hole appeared in the middle of the basin, which could not be repaired. Then he threw away the shovel in his hand with a clang.

The people in the room heard the noise and quickly got up, not even having time to put on their clothes, and rushed out to see what was going on. Zhao Shiliu stood stiffly on the ground, pointing a shaking finger at Chu Shao: "You, you are a bandit!"

Old Man Zhang and Zhang Qingshou were both standing behind Zhao Shiliu. Mrs. Zhang came out and saw the mess on the ground. Chu Shao kicked the broken enamel basin on the ground away, then looked at all the Zhang family members.

"Don't provoke me again. I will fight you to the death for the rest of my life for yesterday's grudge."

After saying that, Chu Shao went out with his clothes in his hand. Mrs. Zhang was crying and wailing behind him. "Killing people is not the right thing to do. You are not letting us have an easy life!"

Chu Shao pushed open the Zhang family's gate with an indifferent expression. "Yes, I won't let you have an easy life."

The house and money originally belonged to him. Who said to return them to him? Even if it was an apology, he was just asking for back what belonged to him. He still had to settle other accounts.

——

Early in the morning, there was a lot of noise at Old Zhang's house again. If it were someone else, the neighbors would have come out to ask. It turned out to be his house, but the neighbors were too lazy to even raise their eyelids. It was like this every day, nothing new.

The dew was thick in the early morning and the sun had not yet risen. Chu Shao walked back and forth and his hair was half wet. There were even fine water droplets on his eyelashes. He came to the west side of the team headquarters and knocked on the gate of the captain's house.

Soon, a woman came out, "Who is it?"

Chu Shao answered from outside: "Auntie, it's me, Chu Shao."

Hearing that it was Chu Shao, the team leader also came out. His wife was Lin Danli, a rare high school student in the village. She and Chu Shao's mother Zhang Fengjuan were high school classmates. Because of this relationship, Chu Shao had a good relationship with the team leader's family.

Lin Danli opened the courtyard door and asked, "Why are you here at this time? I heard that you and Jiujiu moved out yesterday. There's nothing in the house. You must not be sleeping well."

Chu Shao shook his head. "That's fine. Uncle Chen, I'd like to ask for a leave from you. I'll take Jiujiu to town to do some shopping."

The captain nodded and said, "Go ahead. We can buy everything at once. Do we need to go with others?"

The captain was just being polite. After all, he was used to dealing with others in this way. He thought that Chu Shao, who was solitary, would definitely refuse. Who knew that Chu Shao actually agreed.

After a moment of silence, the team leader recalled who would be going out today, and then said to Chu Shao, "Then you wait a little longer. The educated youth from our village are also going to the town today. They mentioned it a few days ago. The educated youth get up late, so you and Jiujiu should wait a little longer."

Chu Shao frowned, clearly not happy about it, but he still nodded reluctantly, "Okay, we'll wait for them at the village entrance."

"Okay, I'll tell Ding Zhiqing, you go back first."

Chu Shao returned to his new home as he said. It was past six o'clock and Chu Jiujiu was still asleep. After about ten minutes, Chu Jiujiu rubbed her eyes and walked out the door. Chu Shao picked two long cucumbers with thorns, washed them with water from the vat, handed them to her, and told her about going to the town.

When Chu Jiujiu heard that they were going to the city with the educated youth, she raised her cucumber and asked, "Can we take Brother Shengyi with us?"

Let’s go to the city. I heard there are a lot of delicious food and fun things in the city, so of course she can’t forget her friends.

When Chu Shao heard her mention Han Shengyi, he felt very complicated. On the one hand, he knew that Han Shengyi had helped Chu Jiujiu a lot. For example, yesterday, if it weren't for Han Shengyi, Chu Jiujiu would have been sold. But on the other hand, he felt that Han Shengyi was just an outsider, but Chu Jiujiu trusted him so much and would definitely think of him when good things happened. This made Chu Shao feel very unhappy.

"He can't go."

Chu Jiujiu: "Why?"

Chu Shao stood in the vegetable patch and saw an eggplant that had grown big enough. He plucked it and put it in the house. "Because he lived in the cowshed, no one in the cowshed was allowed to go out."

Actually, that wasn't the case. Grandpa and Grandma Han were sent to the cowshed to work, and they weren't allowed to leave. Their status here was equivalent to that of prisoners, with no freedom to go out or contact anyone. The brigade would assign them labor. Han Shengyi, on the other hand, came here with his grandparents. He wasn't a regular employee of the cowshed, so many of the rules and regulations didn't really restrict him.

For example, the vegetable garden he tends every day is an easy job that the people in the cowshed cannot do.

He is not considered a cowshed worker, nor a normal villager. This is the embarrassment of Han Shengyi in Qingzhu Village.

While there was still time, Chu Shaohao explained Han Shengyi's situation in the village to Chu Jiujiu. Chu Jiujiu exclaimed, "Brother Shengyi doesn't have any work points?"

"Of course not, he is not from Qingzhu Village."

Chu Jiujiu sighed, "Brother Shengyi is so pitiful."

Chu Shao nodded.

Chu Jiujiu sighed again: "He's just as pitiful as me. We're both in the same boat."

Chu Shao: "...What's wrong with you? Why are you so pitiful?"

Chu Jiujiu counted on her fingers: "I don't have any work points either. I'm also an outsider in the village, which is very embarrassing."

Chu Shao: "You have me, your grandfather."

Chu Jiujiu spread her hands. "Brother Shengyi also has a grandfather, and he also has a grandmother. So, it seems that I am more pitiful than Brother Shengyi. Grandpa, when will you find my grandmother for me?"

Chu Shao: “…”

"You're so young, what's going on in your head? Let's go! If you don't leave now, the opportunity will be gone!"

After saying that, he walked out the door first. Chu Jiujiu looked at his figure striding away, curled her lips, and then quickly followed him.

Everything is fine, why are you in such a hurry? She just wants her grandma. But her grandpa wants something weird, even his ears are red!