Going out

"Once you get there, you have to follow your brother's arrangements in everything, understand? Absolutely no trouble, and keep your temper in check. It's not like home outside; no one will indulge you there..."

Zhou Yuanxiang packed everything up for him, and kept giving him a long list of instructions.

Zhou Lexing told his mother that he was going to check if Zhou Lixing's factory was still hiring skilled workers, as he was going to look for work in the city.

This is a rare instance of Zhou Lexing speaking of something positive and serious.

No one knew about the worldview shock Zhou Lexing had been experiencing lately. Therefore, even in Zhou's mother's eyes, the decision was sudden. But since Zhou Lexing had something serious to do, Zhou's mother didn't want to restrict him and simply arranged everything for him.

"I've already called your brother and told him that it will probably be dark by the time you get there. When you get to the station, don't go anywhere. Just stay there and wait for your brother to pick you up, understand?"

Zhou Lexing had naturally been on many long-distance business trips, but this was the first time he had heard such caring words before setting off. For a moment, he felt like an immature brat, but he did not refute them. Instead, he earnestly agreed.

"OK."

Zhou Lexing could not possibly actually find a job at Zhou Lixing's factory. However, the original owner's past experiences of being away from home had mostly ended badly. To avoid his mother panicking and overthinking because of his long absences, Zhou Lexing came up with this excuse that met the elders' expectations.

Although everything was packed, Zhou Lexing wouldn't be leaving until early tomorrow morning.

He wandered around the house, and seeing that everything was tidied up, he went out again, walking along the country path that had become incredibly familiar to him, and arrived at the Gu family's gate.

Gu Jiansheng seemed to have been waiting for him all along.

As soon as Zhou Lexing knocked on the door, it opened a crack, and a pair of clear eyes peered out. After a quick glance, the crack was widened until the door was fully open.

The two remained silent for a moment.

Feeling a little uncomfortable under those eyes, Zhou Lexing touched the back of his neck and chuckled, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Gu Jiansheng was the first to know that Zhou Lexing was going to the city, but he didn't offer much of an opinion on it.

The door that had clearly been opened seemed to be a thorn in his side, and Gu Jiansheng even felt that it was a good thing that Zhou Lexing left.

After all, he still had many unfinished business to attend to.

The hatred and pain do not disappear with the sweetness of pain relief; on the contrary, they make the scars appear even more hideous and terrifying.

Under this subtle psychological influence, Gu Jiansheng forcefully buried his reluctance and attachment deep in his heart, covering them with a thick layer of dust.

Gu Jiansheng: "Have you packed all your things?"

Gu Jiansheng had also left Zhoujia Village and followed He Huaizhi to many cities, but he still had only a vague understanding of the outside world. His eyes were often locked behind closed doors, and his hands and feet were often bound by shackles. What he saw and heard was like sweet rain squeezing out from the cracks in the rocks, relieving the pain he was suffering from a twisted emotion called possessiveness.

Zhou Lexing: "Yes, I've put them all away."

Gu Jiansheng turned and went into the house. Zhou Lexing subconsciously followed him in and saw Gu Jiansheng take out his pillow and hand it to him.

He needs to catch a train tomorrow morning, so he naturally can't stay overnight at Gu Jiansheng's house.

Zhou Lexing rationally felt that this was normal, but for some reason he felt that something was wrong. However, he still needed to make things clear.

"I'll be back in a while." The busy farming season has just ended, so this is the perfect time to leave. Besides, he doesn't plan to stay out for long; it's just a short trip, nothing serious.

But Zhou Lexing couldn't help but say a few more words.

"If you don't cook these days, come to my house for dinner. My mom really likes you, so don't be shy. Make sure the doors and windows are locked at night, and don't bring just anyone home. You can't be too careful, okay?"

Zhou Lexing wanted to name names, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he took out a sharpened, retractable knife and handed it over.

The knife is no longer than an index finger, and its blade gleams coldly, making it perfect for concealment.

"This is for self-defense. If you really encounter someone unreasonable, don't fight them head-on. If a fight breaks out, go for the lower body..."

Zhou Lexing kept telling him a lot of sneaky self-defense tricks, but when he saw Gu Jiansheng looking at him with a meaningful look, he quickly defended himself: "Hey, your brother has never done that."

After all, given Zhou Lexing's skills, very few people could make him suffer.

Gu Jiansheng didn't know whether to believe it or not. He just lowered his eyes and stroked the outer shell of the retractable knife in a daze.

"Keep it safe and don't cut yourself."

After Zhou Lexing finished speaking, it was as if he had pressed a switch to end the conversation.

The two fell silent again.

Zhou Lexing looked at the courtyard, which had been tidied up in a completely different way. When the moonlight shone on the glass shards on the courtyard wall, it reflected a pleasant shimmering light.

Is there anything you want to tell me?

Zhou Lexing tried to make his tone as casual as possible.

Gu Jiansheng lowered his head and remained silent.

For a moment, Zhou Lexing felt as if he had returned to the time when the two of them had just met. Looking at the whorl of hair on Gu Jiansheng's head, he followed his heart for the first time and reached out to rub Gu Jiansheng's head.

"Go to sleep early. When I get back, I'll take you to town."

Gu Jiansheng slowly raised his head, the twisted emotions reflected in his clear eyes rippled in the moist light. But Zhou Lexing had already turned and left, his broad back stretched out, tossing and catching the pillow in his hand twice, leaving in a carefree and oblivious manner.

.

On the evening before leaving, Zhou Lexing originally thought he would see a big show at the village chief's house. After all, although he had only met Zhou Laozhuang once, Zhou Laozhuang's cunning, slippery and shameless image was deeply rooted in people's hearts.

But when Zhou Lexing saw Zhou Laozhuang again this time, the other party was indeed lying on the ground.

The villagers were then convinced that he had lost his battle with the female ghost and had even lost his soul. He was just babbling incoherently, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, his body twitching occasionally, his hands twisted and tucked into his chest, making him appear as if he were paralyzed on one side.

"Well... how about we take him to the clinic?" one of the villagers, who had been all fired up and ready to help Zhou Lexing deal with Zhou Laozhuang's shirking of responsibility, said hesitantly.

Zhou Fugui, the eldest son of Zhou Laozhuang, immediately burst into tears: "You look down on us! We really have no money left, Aunt Yuanxiang, please have mercy on us. My dad's current state is his just desserts! We'll never dare to mess with your family again. Please, have mercy on us, we really can't afford it!"

The crowd immediately began to whisper among themselves. Zhou Yuanxiang frowned deeply. She had anticipated that the money would not be easy to obtain before she came, but she did not want to offend the villagers. However, she never expected that Zhou Fugui would even drag his paralyzed father to the village chief's doorstep in order to avoid the compensation.

Old Yang, however, was not going to tolerate this family: "Look at what you're saying! What? You've ended up like this and you're still acting all high and mighty? Your father is in this state because of his own bad behavior, not because Yuanxiang and the others made him like this. One thing at a time. Even brothers keep clear accounts, let alone your family, who are so utterly despicable!"

Feeling guilty, Zhou Lexing looked away and glanced at the sky.

Fortunately, everyone present still kept their eyes on Zhou Fugui, who was all talk and no action, and watched their confrontation with great interest, with enthusiastic spectators occasionally adding their own comments.

Without Zhou Laozhuang, who was so shameless, Zhou Fugui was no match for them in terms of fighting power.

However, deadbeats don't need much verbal skill. Zhou Fugui simply lay down on the ground, looking like a dead pig that's not afraid of boiling water, clearly saying, "You can't do anything to me even if I don't have money." To be honest, he looked quite irritating.

When the first person couldn't hold back his anger and kicked him, it was like a signal to start a war. The villagers all stepped forward, without any weapons, just patting and hitting him, but it was enough to make Zhou Fugui unable to take it.

In the end, it was Zhou Lexing, the 'victim', who hurriedly stepped forward and stopped everyone.

“I know everyone is doing this for our own good, but there’s no point in making a scene any longer. Why don’t we both compromise?” Zhou Lexing looked at Zhou Fugui’s face, which was practically shredded into radish strips. He found it amusing but was also certain that this family could no longer cause any trouble. After all, the eloquent and cunning old man was already lying on the sidelines, unable to come up with any bad ideas. And this guy, who could even provoke public outrage by playing the victim, was even less of a threat.

"From now on, your family must take a detour when you see anyone from my family, and you are not allowed to linger near my house. In addition, you must write a self-criticism of no less than three thousand words in the presence of the villagers. As long as you do these three things, we will not ask for your family's compensation."

Zhou Fugui's face stiffened when he heard the word count was 3,000, but he still gritted his teeth and agreed when he heard it was free.

This farcical spectacle has thus come to a rough end.

"With this 'role model' in mind, I can feel more at ease."

On the way back, Zhou Lexing casually remarked.

Zhou Yuanxiang glanced at him, realizing his eagerness to settle the matter that night.

Although the reasoning is simple, in order to gain a foothold in this small village, one really does follow these simple yet somewhat unreasonable unspoken rules.

Everyone is swept along and compelled to follow, and the weak are often attacked for no reason, yet in this helplessness, they perceive the precious friendships between neighbors.

.

The next morning, Zhou Lexing arrived at the station before dawn and boarded the train in a hurry and chaos. He didn't even have time to say a few more words to his mother. He just waved through the train window and left the increasingly familiar village with his simple canvas bag.

This wasn't Zhou Lexing's first time traveling far from home, but even when he went to a strange country alone, he had never experienced such a turbulent and complex feeling. He stared out the window at the farthest peak, unsure whether he was hoping for the edge of emptiness to appear or not wanting any bugs that challenged his values ​​to appear.

With mixed feelings, Zhou Lexing changed buses twice and took a train once to reach the city where Zhou Lixing lived.

It was already dark, and there weren't many people in the station. Many people had spread out fertilizer bags on the ground as beds, but Zhou Lexing was one of the few who had traveled so lightly. Based on his appearance and build, Zhou Lixing found him as soon as he entered the station.

The two brothers didn't exchange many pleasantries. They went together to a guesthouse near the station to settle in before they had the energy to say a few words.

"Speak, what are you doing here?"

Zhou Lixing got straight to the point. He didn't believe his third brother would suddenly have the leisure to come to the city to find him, nor did he believe Zhou Lexing was unaware of the high demand for factory jobs at the time and was genuinely looking for work.

Zhou Yuanxiang was actually aware of the situation, but she felt that Zhou Lexing had been behaving well lately, and with Zhou Lixing around, she wasn't worried. So she let Zhou Lexing use a flimsy excuse to get by and let him go out to relieve his boredom.

Although Zhou Lexing was unaware that he had already been exposed in front of his mother, he adapted well to his second brother's bluntness.

"Just wandering around," Zhou Lexing replied casually. Seeing Zhou Lixing's skeptical look, he thought for a moment and added, "And do some small business."

Hearing this, Zhou Lixing believed it to some extent at first, but he still had some doubts mixed in with worry: "Where did you get the money?"

Zhou Lexing briefly explained his car repair experience.

Actually, he didn't bring much money with him this time, but he was able-bodied, so Zhou Lexing wasn't worried. Besides, it was still unknown whether things would function normally in a place without a main character.

Zhou Lexing: "I'm leaving tomorrow. You go about your business and don't worry about me."

He lay on the bed in the guesthouse, his arm under his head and his legs dangling off the edge of the bed, speaking in a calm, even relaxed tone.

Zhou Lixing looked at him and felt as if he had never really looked at his third brother before. A strange feeling washed over him, but fortunately it didn't leave much of a mark.

Zhou Lixing thought for a moment and didn't stop him: "Okay, just don't cause trouble. If there are any problems, come back to me."

Zhou Lexing readily agreed, and the two of them slept together for one night.

When Zhou Lexing woke up the next day, Zhou Lixing had already left.

He had to rush to work, so he left a note on the bedside table, with two hundred yuan hidden underneath.

Zhou Lexing sat on the bed for a while. The extreme unease he felt about the world seemed to gradually subside over time, but in the end he simply wiped his face in silence, got up, packed his things, and left.

.

In front of the small shop in Zhoujia Village, the young man in the white shirt was undoubtedly handsome. However, it was unclear what the person on the other end of the phone had said to him, but the sinister look on his face diminished his good looks and made people around him afraid to get close.

"Gu Chengfeng, if you still want your son, watch your mouth. I can nip this last remaining child in the bud anytime." He Huaizhi lowered his voice, his magnetic tone exuding a chilling coldness. "Heh, I'm in this business for a reason. You dare to try?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone before a slightly hoarse male voice finally spoke: "What do you want?"

When Gu Chengfeng left, the little boy looked like a little girl, with no resemblance to him in any way. The child was undoubtedly gentle and beautiful, but Gu Chengfeng could not find any trace of himself in him. He was suspicious and angry, and he vented this powerless rage with sticks. His subsequent departure and abandonment were even more effective in using this suspicion as a tool to cover up the illusion of peace.

But fate seemed to have played a cruel joke on him. In the nearly 20 years since, Gu Chengfeng, who thought he had climbed out of the lowest point in his life, suffered an accident and had no children.

The hospital report was like a slap in the face.

This time, as a son-in-law who married into the wife's family, he had no right to be above his wife and once again vent his powerless anger.

Thus, the suspicions that he once used to vent his frustrations gradually faded with time, only to be stirred up again when he was seriously ill. He pondered the details day and night, and finally it resurfaced completely when his wife, who was helping him, decided to seek a successor.

The man on the other end of the phone had indeed hit a nerve with him.

In Gu Chengfeng's mind, it was better to entrust his wife's vast fortune and power to his own flesh and blood than to a nephew who was impossible to raise. But before that...

"A paternity test?" He Huaizhi found it amusing. In every previous rebirth, the Gu family had always taken the initiative. He Huaizhi was unaware that Gu Chengfeng had such concerns. "Alright, I suppose you, Master Gu, are also not comfortable entrusting this matter to him. I will have my men deliver Gu Jiansheng's hair and the gift list to you. I hope you will make a decision soon, as the goods at the port and your son cannot wait much longer."

After He Huaizhi finished speaking, he hung up the phone decisively, settled the bill, and then stepped aside to light a cigarette.

The wisps of smoke obscured He Huaizhi's unpredictable expression.

He hasn't smoked in a long time.

His smooth-sailing life and the trials and tribulations of his past lives have convinced He Huaizhi that many things are just minor setbacks in his long life. However, recently he has been hitting walls repeatedly. First, he couldn't find Gu Jiansheng. Then, he discovered the murderous intent hidden beneath Gu Jiansheng's harmless exterior. Next, he encountered Zhou Lexing, who had completely broken free from his control.

He was unaware that Zhou Lexing had left Zhoujia Village, and searched the village like a headless fly for several days before realizing this fact.

Why did Zhou Lexing leave?

How could he leave?

He Huaizhi felt a strange anger and sense of betrayal, but this unusual emotion strangely awakened him.

We can no longer sit idly by and wait for our demise.

The long years of peace and tranquility only temporarily appeased his innate ferocity, but could not dull the sharp edge that had long been nurtured and grown.

He Huaizhi admitted that he had complained that his life, which brought him both fame and fortune, was too smooth and boring, but he was the only one who could control the situation.

Gu Jiansheng.

Zhou Lexing.

He will clean them up one by one.

No one can escape his control!