The cannery only had a week off. The two brothers, Su Yahu and Su Yalong, got together, made a plate of cold cabbage hearts, clinked their glasses, and started drinking.

Su Yahu clicked his tongue: "That kid from Li Shiqing's family really doesn't know what's good for him. He thinks he's something special just because his dad became the village chief. He dares to meddle in everyone's business."

Su Yalong took a bite of the cabbage heart and said disdainfully, "We're in this situation now because we were forced into it. Are we not going to take care of her in her old age? Back then, we talked until our lips were sore, but our mother insisted on raising that brat. Why? Did she ever think about the two of us? Now that she's gone, we know she had two sons."

"Hmph, let her grandson be the one to see her off in her final days. Come on, let me touch you."

The two brothers, Su Yahu and Su Yalong, felt very wronged and believed that the current situation was entirely their own fault.

However, Su Yalong's eyes lit up: "Now that the old lady is dead, what about that kid?"

"Why do you care what happens to him? What does his death on Nanshan Mountain have to do with us!"

“Hey, you don’t know, little boys this age are incredibly sought after these days.” Even though they were at home, Su Yalong couldn’t help but lower his voice. “Why don’t we try to find someone to take this kid to a good family?”

Living conditions are much better now than they were two years ago. No matter how hard life is, families won't have to sell their sons or daughters. Only families that favor sons over daughters abandon their baby girls.

However, the level of medical care is still very poor, and the treatment of infertility depends on fate. Many families who cannot have children but want to continue the family line are looking everywhere for someone to adopt a child.

Su Yahu's eyes immediately changed: "Do you think I haven't thought about it these past two days? It's just that he's so old now, he can remember things, would anyone want him?"

Su Yalong thought for a moment and said, "Then let's look further away. It's not convenient to go anywhere right now. Do you think that kid can run back?"

The two clinked their glasses again: "Alright, let's look carefully and find a good place for our nephew to enjoy a life of luxury!"

The better the family Su Zhigao went to, the higher the price they would offer. Su Yahu was being sincere in saying that.

Not only that, he's already starting to plan whether he'll go to Su Zhigao's adoptive parents' house to freeload.

.

Within two days, the road to Shili Village had been built out of the village.

Although the tools were inadequate and the weather was freezing, there was strength in numbers, and they were able to make several dozen meters of progress each day.

It snows from time to time, so the newly cleared land needs to be compacted quickly, otherwise the melting snow will turn it into a muddy mess.

Su Zhigao had gotten used to living at Bai Jiaojiao's house, and for so many days, he hadn't asked his grandmother or said he wanted to go home.

Now, Shen Heng goes out to repair roads during the day and can only come back at night to study with Bai Jiaojiao. Su Zhigao saw the two of them lying on the table with serious expressions, so he wanted to join in the fun.

Bai Jiaojiao was very pleased. During the day, she taught Su Zhigao to recognize a few Chinese characters and numbers, and taught him two addition and subtraction problems.

Bai Jiaojiao thought that the days would pass by like this, and that once Su Zhigao's father returned, her mission would be successfully completed, and she would also be able to gain a great favor.

However, with more than twenty days left before the Lunar New Year, the two Su brothers returned to the village.

They didn't even go to their ancestral graves; they went straight to the home of the brigade leader, Zheng Xu.

Where is my nephew?

Su Yahu immediately asked Zheng Xu about Su Zhigao's whereabouts, which made Zheng Xu so angry that veins popped out on his forehead: "How many days has it been? And now you know to come back to look for us?"

"What happened? Did you die with that old lady?" Su Yalong stared at him nervously, then gave Su Yahu a disapproving look.

He had said long ago that the child couldn't be left alone in the village; in this freezing weather, with no one to care for him, he would either freeze or starve to death.

Well, now the five hundred yuan I was about to receive has vanished.

Su Yahu was furious: "What's wrong with you? This village is so big, can't you even support one child?"

To be fair, Shili Village is relatively wealthy compared to other villages because it owns its own boats.

Su Yahu also knew this. His Su family had connections in Shili Village. No matter how troublesome this child was, the village could always find a place to settle him, so that he wouldn't be left to wander the streets in the cold.

He had a well-thought-out plan: he didn't want Su Zhigao to eat even a single meal at their house.

Zheng Xu got even angrier: "You two uncles don't care, so you expect us to take care of you?"

"If you don't care, who will? Is Su Zhigao's household registration in Shili Village? Aren't you going to take care of the villagers?"

Su Yahu had a bad temper. After being away for a few years, he returned looking down on the villagers and spoke with an arrogant attitude.

Zheng Xu didn't know if he was cold or angry; he was trembling all over. He had never met such an unreasonable person in his life.

Su Yalong frowned, his tone impatient: "Really dead? If he's dead, we two uncles won't let this go easily. Such a good child, gone just like that. We'll demand an explanation no matter where we go."

Su Yalong was quick-witted. Seeing that the five hundred yuan was about to disappear, he wondered if there was a way to extort some money from the village.

Su Yalong immediately chimed in, "Yes, Yalong is right! We've been incredibly busy in town, and in just two days you've killed the child! This isn't over!"

Seeing the rise and fall of Zheng Xu's chest, his wife was worried that he would be driven to death by these two people, so she quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Old Zheng, you should tell them right away."

Zheng Xu's moral standards are too high, and Bai Jiaojiao is sharp-tongued and always knows how to annoy people. If you call the two of them over, who knows who will choke on whom?

Zheng Xu felt that even glancing at these two people would taint his eyes: "Su Zhigao is at Shen Heng's house right now. If you dare to go and ask for him, then hurry up and do it!"

"What's there to be afraid of? He's just a middleman who speculates and makes profits. Does he really think no one dares to touch him?"

Su Yahu had been away for two years and was now living a carefree life. He took Su Yalong and swaggered towards Shen Heng's house.

Shen Heng's house is at the foot of the mountain; it's a separate, isolated room, and the easiest to find.

As Su Yalong and Su Yahu stood in front of the brand-new brick house, they suddenly began to doubt whether they had come to the wrong place.

Su Yahu muttered, "Looks like this kid made a lot of money as a middleman."

Su Yalong lowered his voice: "Brother, if this kid wants Zhigao and is willing to pay more than five hundred yuan, we'll give it to him."

"Didn't you say you'd deliver it from a distance?"

Su Yahu was puzzled.

"We only said we'd give it to him from afar because we were worried about finding him. If Chen Heng isn't afraid Zhi Gao will run away, what are we afraid of? Besides, his house is right here, so isn't it convenient for us to visit our nephew?"

Su Yalong made a pointed remark, and Su Yahu immediately flashed the same greedy smile.

Yes, living so close makes it convenient for them to come back and visit their nephew often, and for him to give them some gifts as a token of their respect.

After the two discussed it, Su Yalong reached out and knocked on the door.