Chapter 54

Standing by the river, Chu Jiujiu looked around for a long time but did not see Li Yan again.

She was full of doubts and was wondering when a wet hand patted her head.

"What are you looking at?"

Chu Jiujiu was startled and immediately jumped up on the spot. In mid-air, she turned around flexibly. After landing, she tensed her body and looked at the person who came vigilantly.

Chu Shao carried three whole lotus roots and raised his eyebrows. "So you can do acrobatics, right? Here's another one."

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

Come on, your head.

Chu Jiujiu didn't care that Chu Shao was teasing her again. She pointed in the direction where Li Yan left and said, "Chen Sanzhu and Li Yan were chatting here just now. Chen Sanzhu gave Li Yan his handkerchief and asked her to wipe her tears. How could he be so kind? Is there something wrong?"

Chu Shao looked in the direction she pointed, frowned, and lifted the lotus root on his shoulder a little higher. Then he said nonchalantly, "Who cares about them? Chen Sanzhu hangs around the village every day, hooking up with this one and then that one. No one is surprised by it. Li Zhiqing is an educated youth. She knows more than you. Don't worry about their affairs."

After saying that, Chu Shao carried the lotus root and walked forward a few steps. "I'll put the lotus root at home first. Do you have any money with you? Go to the gate of the commune and buy half a pound of vinegar. We only have a little vinegar left at home."

When Chu Jiujiu heard this, she quickly searched her pockets and took out the small purse made of scraps of cloth. Chu Jiujiu opened it and took a look, then counted out six one-cent coins. Just as she weighed them in her hand, Chu Shao reminded her, "Don't take the bottle from home. Go buy one from there. We've always been short of a bottle at home."

Chu Jiujiu paused, and this time, she took out a one-cent bill directly from her purse.

Vinegar is not expensive, only 1.2 cents per pound, and an average family can use a pound of vinegar for a month. However, the vinegar bottle is made of glass, and each bottle costs 1 cent, so every time the locals need to buy vinegar and soy sauce, they use their own bottles.

If it was only six cents, Chu Jiujiu would have proudly said she paid for it. But when she heard she had to buy a bottle, she became stingy and said, "Will you reimburse me when I buy it?"

Chu Shao glanced at her silently, then replied, "Report."

Chu Jiujiu then laughed, "Then I'll go!"

After saying that, she ran to the commune in a hurry, forgetting all about Li Yan and Chen Sanzhu.

There is a small supply and marketing cooperative next to the commune, selling daily necessities and vegetables collected from various villages. Chu Jiujiu had run errands for Chu Shao once before, and this time she came again. Standing outside the commune, looking at the juicy vegetables displayed on several shelves, Chu Jiujiu thought for a while, and then ran into the store.

The town consisted of several communes, each of which governed three to five villages. Because commuting to the town wasn't convenient for everyone, each commune was equipped with facilities and shops that catered to the people's daily needs. For example, there were small supply and marketing cooperatives selling only consumables like oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar, as well as the now-useful mailboxes and agricultural supply stations stocking a wide range of fertilizers and seeds.

Because the supply and marketing cooperative here is not big, there are only two sales clerks in it, and their attitude is much better than that in the town. They don’t greet you with a smile, but at least they don’t speak to you in a bad tone anymore.

It was afternoon, and the supply and marketing cooperative was empty. Chu Jiujiu pointed at the shelf outside and asked, "Auntie, how much are the carrots?"

Nowadays, too many children run errands for their parents, so the salesperson was used to it. She replied, "Four cents a pound, kid. If your family wants radishes, why not buy those big red ones? They're one and a half cents a pound, the same price as cabbage."

Chu Jiujiu shook her head. "Big red radish makes delicious meatballs, but I don't know how to make them. Let's buy some carrots. Auntie, could you please pick out two sweet ones for me?"

The child was polite and everyone liked her. Originally, the salesperson was not going to help pick vegetables, but seeing her good attitude, she came out and helped pick two, put them on the scale, and they were less than half a pound. The salesperson gave her a zero and sold them to her for one cent.

Pulling the carrot stems, Chu Jiujiu continued to ask, "Auntie, do you have any glutinous rice? I'll just buy two taels. Oh, and vinegar, too. I want half a pound of vinegar and a bottle."

My goodness, after seeing the dish, her mind was full of the recipe, and she almost forgot the task that Chu Shao gave her.

Chu Jiujiu spent one cent on half a pound of carrots, four cents on two ounces of glutinous rice, and with the vinegar and the bottle, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative. Her purse was suddenly half deflated, with all the change gone, leaving only seven pitiful one-cent coins in it.

It's so sad and miserable.

…

However, thinking about having delicious food tonight, Chu Jiujiu's mood became cheerful again.

She left the supply and marketing cooperative and was about to run back when Han Shengyi happened to be walking out of the commune. Seeing her, he quickly called out, "Wine!"

Han Shengyi was holding two packets of seeds, and was going to plant new vegetables in the vegetable garden. There were two men beside him. One was Secretary Chen, who was responsible for distributing seeds and raising chicken seedlings, and the other was a village cadre from a nearby village.

Chu Jiujiu heard the shout and turned her head but did not move. Han Shengyi said to Secretary Chen beside him: "Secretary Chen, I saw my sister. I will leave first."

After hearing this, Secretary Chen waved his hand at him curtly.

Although Secretary Chen likes to take advantage of small things and sometimes does not take the rules seriously, he is essentially a good person. He is so impatient today not towards Han Shengyi, but towards the man next to him.

When Han Shengyi ran over, Chu Jiujiu could still hear the two of them arguing.

"Each village distributes seeds by the acre. Your village didn't just suddenly have a few extra vegetable plots, so why should I give you more seeds? If you don't have any land, what are you going to do with the seeds? Don't fry them and eat them!"

"Secretary Chen, what are you talking about? Everyone knows that we in Xujiawan have to work very hard. If there is not enough food, we have to grow more vegetables. No other village is like ours. Everyone in the village is contributing to the country. You can't tire us out and not let us eat enough!"

Han Shengyi ran over to Chu Jiujiu and, as usual, reached out to take the vinegar bottle and carrots from her. Chu Jiujiu held the two taels of glutinous rice in her own handkerchief, which she had recently bought. Chu Jiujiu was a very clean person and would wash her hands whenever she had nothing to do, then wipe them clean with a towel. She didn't use her handkerchief very often; most of the time, it was just a decoration in her pocket.

It came in handy today. Chu Jiujiu tied the four corners of the handkerchief into a knot, then hooked it with her index finger, pretending it was a small bundle.

Han Shengyi: "Chu Shao asked you to come and buy vegetables? The lotus roots have been distributed, why doesn't he come himself?"

Chu Jiujiu: "Just after the division, he carried the lotus roots back home. Brother Shengyi, who is that?"

She followed Han Shengyi forward, but her head kept turning backwards, wishing she were an owl so that it would not be so tiring for her to watch the fun.

Han Shengyi also looked back, and when they were a little further away, he whispered, "The fat one is Secretary Chen, and the thin one is the accountant from Xujiawan, his surname is Xu."

In ancient times, humans lived in clans. Most people in Qingzhu Village were surnamed Chen, and naturally, most people in Xujiawan were surnamed Xu. Chu Jiujiu had heard her third aunt talk about Xujiawan before, but when she introduced it, she just said that the people in Xujiawan were not very good, and that was it.

At the time, she wanted to ask why people in Xujiawan were said to be so bad. Wasn't that just groundless talk? But she wasn't that familiar with her Third Aunt at the time, and in order to get her to like her and get her to take care of her family more, she had to act nice in front of her, so she didn't ask.

Now, she doesn't need to be so careful with Han Shengyi.

"What's wrong with Xujiawan? Why did that accountant say that everyone in his village is contributing to the country? Isn't it the same in Qingzhu Village? Everyone works hard to farm and pay taxes. Isn't that contributing to the country?"

Han Shengyi: "Xujiawan is the main site for dam construction. Our town's dam project is located in Xujiawan. Since the dam construction began, people from their village have been called up to work there. Although they are not regular workers, temporary workers are paid. They don't have to farm anymore, so they feel more confident than usual."

Chu Jiujiu suddenly realized, "So they are drifting."

Han Shengyi puzzled over it for a while, and finally, with his powerful comprehension ability, he understood what "floating" meant. He nodded, "Yes, it means floating."

Xujiawan is really lucky, because the dam was built in their village. But the dam will be completed one day, and after it is completed, the people in their village will have to go back to farm. The person in charge of the project cannot bring everyone back. By then, won’t they be reduced to their original state?

Chu Jiujiu finally understood why her third aunt said that the people of Xujiawan were not that good. No one likes people who like to show off. Those who like to show off are always the talkative ones and are most likely to be noticed. As a result, over time, everyone has formed the impression that the people of Xujiawan like to show off. There are obviously some low-key Xujiawan villagers, but no one notices them at all.

Hey, is this the Berkson paradox that Grandpa Song mentioned before?

At the beginning, only Xiao Ning, Deng Guoyuan and Fang Weiping gave lectures to the three children. The others felt that they were not professors and would mislead the students if they gave lectures, so they did not dare to speak. Later, as they watched the children asking questions while attending class with Xiao Ning and others, they discovered that the IQ of these three children was higher than that of ordinary children, and each of them had their own areas of expertise.

Han Shengyi is a genius in all subjects and can do very well in anything he studies, but after observing him for a while, you will find that he is best at literature; Chu Shao knows nothing about literature and is the type who is bound to fail the exams, but he is very interested in physics and chemistry. Deng Guoyuan even joked that if he had the chance, he would definitely be an experimental physicist or an experimental chemist in the future.

As for Chu Jiujiu, her strongest point is of course her amazing memory. She is also good at all subjects, but not the all-round subjects like Han Shengyi that includes mathematics, physics and chemistry. She likes to listen to knowledge and collect knowledge, especially those unpopular knowledge that others don’t know or some people don’t even bother to know. Then, she will integrate them together by herself and form her own set of theories or encyclopedias in her brain.

No one can say no to the on-demand genius. Grandpa Han initially only taught them calligraphy, then he began to teach them Marxism, and later he even taught them how to behave in society. However, as soon as he talked about his philosophy of behavior, Grandma Han would intervene, first belittling him, and then talking about her own philosophy.

Professor Han's teachings were all based on his life experiences, but Song Chaoxin was a genuine philosophy enthusiast. Chu Jiujiu confirmed this in her heart. Since Song Chaoxin did not have a doctorate in philosophy, Chu Jiujiu felt that he could not be considered a philosopher.

Others would teach all three children together, but Song Chaoxin preferred to teach Chu Jiujiu alone, and he always said some strange things to her that she could not understand now.

For example, last week, Chu Jiujiu went to Fang Weiping's room for class. During the class, Fang Weiping had a stomachache, so they extended the break for a few minutes. Chu Jiujiu went outside to get some fresh air. Song Chaoxin saw her and suddenly called her over. Then, with a kind look on his face, he asked her, "Jiujiu, aren't you tired of remembering so many things?"

Chu Jiujiu blinked and answered obediently, "I'm not tired."

Song Chaoxin asked again: "Does Jiujiu like that he can remember so many things?"

Chu Jiujiu thought for a moment and said, "I don't know. Do I have to like it or not like it?"

Song Chaoxin: "Haha, if you ask me this question, I don't know how to answer it. It's just that everyone has some satisfaction and dissatisfaction with themselves. For example, women always think they are not beautiful enough, and men always think they are not strong enough."

Chu Jiujiu: "Oh, then I feel that I am not tall enough. Mr. Chu said that I can still grow taller, but he also said that my rhubarb can grow to four kilograms. But it has been so long, and the rhubarb is still more than one kilogram."

Song Chaoxin tried to recall for a while, then he remembered that the rhubarb in her mouth was a hen. After a pause, Song Chaoxin brought the subject back to the topic, "No one can predict height. But your memory is likely to remain unchanged for the rest of your life. Jiujiu, are you afraid?"

Chu Jiujiu felt very strange, "Why should I be afraid?"

Song Chaoxin also felt very strange. Why wasn't he afraid?

He straightened up and spoke as concisely as possible. "You remember every minute and every second of every day, everything that happened and everything you heard, clearly. But life isn't static. It contains all kinds of flavors, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty. If you remember the sweet, you'll naturally remember the salty too. I've always believed that forgetting is the fairest and cheapest protection mechanism for humans. Some people and some things are best forgotten. Otherwise, those bad, painful images will always replay in your mind over and over again. Just thinking about it gives you a headache, doesn't it?"

Song Chaoxin looked at Chu Jiujiu, trying to see some sympathy on her face, but unfortunately, Chu Jiujiu looked confused and was completely unable to empathize with him.

Chu Jiujiu frowned, and after a long while, she said, "Does 'xian' mean crying? I cry a lot. Chu Shao said I cry too much. Even Lin Daiyu can't cry as much as me."

Song Chaoxin: "..."

Tilting her head, Chu Jiujiu continued, "But why do you have to recall the things that made you cry? If you know that those things will make you unhappy, then why not just not recall them?"

Song Chaoxin smiled. It was easy to say, but there were probably not many people who could really do it.

"What does Jiujiu usually reminisce about?"

Chu Jiujiu hummed, "I don't usually reminisce."

Song Chaoxin was stunned. "No recollection at all?"

Chu Jiujiu didn't understand why he was so surprised. "Yes, I don't remember anything at all."

She used to have the habit of reminiscing about the past, but later Chu Shao ordered her to stop doing so. Chu Jiujiu never thought about the past again, unless she encountered something and her past memories automatically popped up. That had nothing to do with her. She just thought about it and didn't intend to remember it.

However, at this point, she began to understand what Song Chaoxin meant by these questions. She took a step towards Song Chaoxin's legs, getting closer to him. Chu Jiujiu looked up at Song Chaoxin, her eyes filled with confusion. "Since you know it's something that will make you cry, why do you still want to reminisce? Life moves forward, and time always runs clockwise. Unless the watch is broken, it will definitely not go backwards. The river and time are pushing us forward, so why should we look back? Even if we look back for a lifetime, we can't go back to the past, right?"

Song Chaoxin: "I used to have so many good things and toys, but I can't get them anymore. Don't you think it's a pity?"

Chu Jiujiu: "There will be many good things and toys in the future. If I miss out on the future because of the past, that would be a real shame. Since I have had it before, I want to have more!"

When Chu Jiujiu said this, she straightened her chest and looked very determined. Song Chaoxin looked at her, and after two seconds, he suddenly burst into laughter.

Chu Jiujiu was uneasy at his laughter. She felt like something was wrong with him. Song Chaoxin didn't explain to her. He just stood up and ruffled her hair. "Jiujiu, you will definitely be an amazing person in the future. When you become successful, don't forget me, your Grandpa Song!"

After saying that, he went back into the house laughing. Chu Jiujiu was completely confused and still didn't understand what he meant.

Taking the various things bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, Chu Jiujiu returned home and instructed Chu Shao to cut vegetables.

Chu Jiujiu was weak and afraid of knives. Initially, because Chu Shao was too busy, she was the only one at home. If she didn't cook, they wouldn't be able to cook, so Chu Jiujiu bit the bullet and did it. Now, even if she didn't cook, there was Chu Shao. If Chu Shao didn't cook, there was Grandma Han and the others. Anyway, no matter what, they wouldn't starve.

Since the start of the classes, the Chu family rarely had dinner at home. Today, Chu Jiujiu finally wanted to cook for herself. Seeing that she was very excited, Chu Shao threw down his homework and patiently came over to cut lotus root slices for her.

After cutting the lotus root slices and carrots, he also had to borrow some beans from his neighbor. After coming back, he also had to soak black fungus and glutinous rice, and by the way, mash a jar of minced garlic.

It was mid-October, with the temperature around 10 degrees but no more than 20 degrees, but Chu Shao actually worked himself into a sweat. After finally preparing all the dishes, he started to light the fire under the instruction of Chu Jiujiu and steamed the lotus root slices stuffed with glutinous rice.

Finally, Chu Shao reacted. He turned around with the fire stick in his hand and asked, "Are you cooking or am I cooking? What have you been doing for so long?"

Chu Jiujiu blinked and immediately coaxed him: "I'm just watching the fire. Grandpa, you're the best. Look, you're good with a knife, and you can cut things the same size. You're also faster at lighting the fire than me. If I were to do it, the water wouldn't even be boiling yet. You're working hard, so we can have dinner earlier."

That's the truth.

After figuring it out, Chu Shao turned around coldly and continued to add firewood to the stove.

…

Chu Jiujiu took out the rock sugar and brown sugar they had bought a long time ago from the cupboard. Originally, the brown sugar was kept for soaking in water. But unlike other children, who would have headaches and fevers all year round, the two children of the Chu family were in good health, and Chu Shao was as strong as a bull. The brown sugar had no use and stayed in the cupboard for such a long time. Grandma Han only used some of it when she made sugar triangles for them.

Today, Chu Jiujiu plans to use all the brown sugar to make rock sugar glutinous rice lotus root.

The remaining lotus root slices, carrots, beans, fungus, etc. are used to make lotus pond stir-fry. Chu Jiujiu squatted beside Chu Shao and recited the recipe. After reciting the recipe, she also recited the gourmet's comments at the back of the recipe. Who is a gourmet who can describe a dish of rice as crystal pearls cooked over high heat? Chu Shao's stomach began to protest after hearing this, and he added firewood faster.

Rock sugar glutinous rice lotus root needs to be fried with sugar color. Chu Shao thought that Chu Jiujiu should do this step herself. Facts proved that he was overthinking.

Chu Shao was frying sugar color for the first time. He was extremely nervous, afraid that the fire would be too high and it would burn. Chu Jiujiu on the other side was only making things worse.

"Hurry, hurry, stir it up! Ouch, it's bubbling, Grandpa, go slower... No, no, hurry up!"

Chu Shao: “…”

Chu Shao came to the Han family with two dishes. His face was expressionless. Chu Jiujiu happily put the dishes down and told Grandma Han, "This one is called Rock Sugar Glutinous Rice Lotus Root, and this one is called Lotus Pond Stir-fry. They are all mine—"

Before she could finish her words, Chu Shao turned his head and looked at her with a sinister look.

Chu Jiujiu: "...My dear Chu Shao made it, but I provided the recipe and I also contributed."

While eating, Grandpa Han couldn't help but comment: "Chu Shao's cooking skills are great. When you grow up, you can go to a state-owned restaurant to be a chef. I'm sure your cooking will be better than theirs."

Grandma Han: "Why don't you become a chef? Chu Shao has so many skills, why don't you become a chef in the end?"

Grandpa Han: "I just said it casually. There's nothing wrong with being a chef, Jiujiu, right?"

Chu Jiujiu had so much food in her mouth that she couldn't fit any more. She nodded randomly while trying to swallow.

Seeing her like this, Han Shengyi quickly poured her a glass of water.

Grandma Han didn't say anything else. Grandpa Han took two more bites and then remembered something. He said with a gossipy look on his face, "Have you heard about it? Captain Zhao and Zhou Xiaohe are divorced."

Chu Jiujiu hadn't heard from Zhou Xiaohe in almost a month. She drank water, unable to speak. Chu Shao, standing beside her, had already asked for her, "Has Zhou Xiaohe's verdict been announced?"

Grandpa Han: "Not really. The process will take at least two or three months. Zhao Qianjin has wanted to divorce her for a long time and has asked around in town several times. Now, it's finally been done."

Chu Jiujiu finally swallowed her food and asked quickly, "Did Zhou Xiaohe agree?"

Grandpa Han: "Who cares whether she agrees or not? As long as Zhao Qianjin wants to leave, she has no say."

This was the first time Chu Jiujiu heard of this, and she was a little surprised. "I thought both parties had to be present for a divorce."

Han Shengyi handed her a piece of sugar-coated glutinous rice lotus root and said calmly, "No need. As long as one of the spouses is in prison, they can divorce whenever they want. The rules here are quite strict. In the capital, it can be done in one day. Divorce in the morning, publish in the newspaper at noon, and everyone will know about it by the afternoon."

Chu Jiujiu heard this and curiously leaned towards Han Shengyi, "Advertise in the newspaper? Do we still need to advertise in the newspaper for a divorce now?"

Under the table, Chu Shao kicked Chu Jiujiu. Chu Jiujiu turned around and wanted to ask him why he kicked her, but before she opened her mouth, she suddenly sensed something unusual about the atmosphere at the table. She was stunned for a moment, then turned her eyes and looked at the reactions of the others.

Chu Shao lowered his head and ate his meal silently without saying a word. Grandpa Han put down his chopsticks with a sad look on his face. Grandma Han was still eating, but her movements were mechanical and her expression was cold. Han Shengyi was the most ordinary person. When he saw her looking at him, he even smiled at her.

Very occasionally, the atmosphere in the Han family would become so strange. Chu Jiujiu had the intuition of a small animal, so she always didn't dare to ask. This time was no exception. After finishing her meal and class, and returning home with her own bowl, Chu Jiujiu finally couldn't help but ask Chu Shao: "Why is it that everyone is silent when the divorce is published in the newspaper?"

Chu Shao: "Do I need to ask? This kind of thing must have happened to the Han family before."

Chu Jiujiu: "But what's wrong with putting a divorce in the newspaper?"

Chu Shao glanced at her and realized that she really didn't understand, so he explained: "A normal divorce doesn't need to be announced in the newspaper. An announcement in the newspaper indicates that the couple has severed their relationship."

Chu Jiujiu finally understood. She let out a long "oh". Han Shengyi had mentioned his father in front of her from time to time, but never his mother. So, the one who published the announcement to sever ties with her should be his mother.

Publishing a statement in the newspaper at that time must have broken Han Shengyi's heart.

Remembering that Chu Shao's parents were also divorced, Chu Jiujiu asked again, "Didn't great-grandfather and great-grandmother also divorce? Did they publish an announcement in the newspaper?"

Chu Shao: "Of course not. If we had announced it, my mother and I would never have left the capital."

It was to maintain their family relationship, to ensure that Chu Shao would always be a member of the Chu family, Chu Liqiang's son, that Zhang Fengjuan brought him back to Qingzhu Village. Divorce could still be remarried, but publishing a statement in the newspaper was a rather heartless act, and at this point, there was no turning back.

Once a statement is made, there is no way to go back on it. Even if you do, some agencies will not recognize it.

After listening to this, Chu Jiujiu sighed. It is true that every family has its own problems. Every family has its own troubles. There is no family that is always at peace.

——

Chu Jiujiu ignored the news of Zhao Qianjin and Zhou Xiaohe's divorce and didn't take it seriously at all until Zhao Qianjin came to his yard with a bag of grain.

Before divorcing Zhou Xiaohe, Zhao Qianjin packed up all of Zhou Xiaohe's things, but had no intention of disposing of them. But right after the divorce, Zhao Qianjin packed up all her things and sent them to her parents' home. Since their own daughter had done such a thing, the Zhou family couldn't hold their heads up in the village, and people pointed fingers at them wherever they went. Zhao Qianjin was also a rare good son-in-law. No matter how he treated his daughter, he truly treated the Zhou family as his own relatives.

Over the years, no matter big or small, Zhao Qianjin has never refused as long as he was needed. Therefore, when the Zhou family saw Zhao Qianjin returning all of Zhou Xiaohe's things, they were even sadder than when they heard that Zhou Xiaohe's life or death was uncertain.

But no matter what their mood was, the divorce was final and they had no relationship anymore. Zhao Qianjin also didn't want to have anything to do with Zhou Xiaohe's relatives.

When he returned home, he weighed out Zhou Xiaohe's portion when the food was distributed, and then added most of his own portion. He only kept a small portion, which was only enough for him to live on by drinking porridge every day.

Carrying the food on his back, Zhao Qianjin returned the grain door to door according to the list of people whose work points had been changed.

In fact, there was no reason for his return. Zhou Xiaohe withheld other people's work points. This was purely retaliation, not for her own benefit. She withheld the work points, and the grain did not end up in her hands, nor in the hands of the team headquarters. Instead, it was handed over to the grain station together with the public grain. Zhao Qianjin is now using Zhou Xiaohe and his own rations to make up for everyone's losses.

For other families, Zhao Qianjin deducted a certain amount and then returned it twice as much. Everyone saw that he had been traveling around these days and it was not easy for him to live alone, so they didn't want to accept the money. However, they couldn't stand Zhao Qianjin standing at the door without saying a word. In the end, everyone accepted the money and took the food back, but they still felt bad about it.

After paying back all the other families, Zhao Qianjin came to the Chu family. There were at least several dozen kilograms of grain in the sack. He knocked on the Chu family's gate and waited for Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao to come out, then explained his purpose to them.

"...Take this food for now. I'll send you more when the food is distributed. Chu Shao, you won't have to do so much work anymore. It's time for you to go to school. I'll help you earn work points for your family. Don't worry about the food. I'll help you solve it."

After hearing this, Chu Jiujiu's first reaction was to look at Chu Shao. To be honest, she felt that what Zhao Qianjin said was a bit strange, but she couldn't tell what was strange about it.

Maybe she is not used to accepting charity from others.

But is this alms?

Chu Jiujiu was confused. Chu Shao looked at the sack at Zhao Qianjin's feet and was silent for a moment. He turned to Chu Jiujiu and said, "Go sweep the floor in the house."

Chu Shao seldom asked Chu Jiujiu to do housework. Most of the time he asked her to read newspapers and do the homework assigned by Aunt Xiao and others. Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a second, then realized that he wanted to get her away.

Chu Jiujiu was a little unhappy. Ever since the incident with Zhou Xiaohe, Chu Jiujiu always felt that she was much more mature than before, but Chu Shao didn't seem to think so. Whenever something happened, he wanted to get her away and not let her hear it.

Chu Jiujiu pursed her lips, turned around and left. Chu Shao watched her return to the house, then walked out of the yard and closed the gate casually.

Without speaking to Zhao Qianjin, Chu Shao bent down, opened the sack, and took out a handful of grain from it. He had an idea of weight. He could tell how heavy something was by weighing it in his hand. The handful Chu Shao took out was exactly the weight of one work point, neither more nor less.

Zhao Qianjin frowned, "Chu Shao..."

Chu Shao interrupted him, "Captain Zhao, please listen to me first."

Zhao Qianjin was stunned and looked at him in confusion.

"Whatever Zhou Xiaohe did is Zhou Xiaohe's problem. Now that she's been arrested, Jiujiu and I are already very content. We don't want to hate anyone or hold anyone responsible anymore. You sent us food today, and we appreciate your kindness, but I only want this handful. It's mine, and I'll take it back. If it's not mine, I won't take it."

Zhao Qianjin: "I just want to help you. You are both children and need to go to school."

Chu Shao: "We know about this. I have discussed it with my father. You don't have to worry about our lives. My father sends us money every month. We live a prosperous life and have no shortage of food."

It was the first time Zhao Qianjin heard Chu Shao mention his father. He was stunned for a moment. Before Zhao Qianjin could think of what to say, Chu Shao had already raised his head, looked into his eyes, and spoke word by word.

"Captain Zhao, my father will support us."

My dad will support us.

So you, stop doing these things that are beyond your authority.

Not only now, but also when he first came to Qingzhu Village, Chu Shao felt this subtle feeling. Zhao Qianjin was always kinder and closer to him and other children in the village. He himself might not realize it, but he always invisibly favored him and his mother.

Maybe some people would enjoy this bias, but Chu Shao didn't like it, and he really didn't like it.

Zhao Qianjin's behavior was self-touching. He quietly did some "good things" that made him happy, but he didn't think about whether these "good things" were appropriate, nor did he think about what identity he had to do these good things.

On the one hand, he married Zhou Xiaohe, but on the other hand, he couldn't let go of Zhang Fengjuan. On the one hand, he felt guilty towards Zhou Xiaohe, so he doubled down on making amends for her in other ways. On the other hand, he couldn't help but miss Zhang Fengjuan and her son, so he cared about them in every detail. He was indecisive and reluctant to make a decision. He said that on one side was responsibility, and on the other side was love, and he couldn't make a choice, but in reality, he was not firm enough. He was neither firm enough to forget Zhang Fengjuan nor firm enough to reject Zhou Xiaohe. If he hadn't frequently given her hope and despair, Zhou Xiaohe wouldn't have gone to such a crazy point in the end.

wrong.

It's more than just dislike. Chu Shao feels that he is disgusting.