Looking into Zhou Hongsong's clear, big eyes, Li Xiangdong couldn't help but feel a little guilty, as his purpose in getting to know Zhou Hongsong was not pure.

Besides wanting to use Zhou Hongsong to guard against Pan Jixian's retaliation, there was another very important matter that required Zhou Hongsong's help.

Sigh, I'll try my best to save his life in this lifetime, that's my way of repaying him.

Li Xiangdong quickly convinced himself.

——————————

Guitang County, Shangfang Commune, Duyanggang Brigade.

Just by hearing the name Duyanggang, you can tell that it is a very remote mountain village. Li Xiangdong spent one yuan to hire an oxcart from the commune to take them there.

Zhou Hongsong's home is on a hillside, consisting of three dilapidated mud-brick houses without even a proper courtyard; only a broken wooden gate stands forlornly.

As soon as he entered the house, a cloud of dust hit him, causing Li Xiangdong to sneeze several times.

"Fifth Brother, we'll be staying here for a few more days, let's clean up first!"

"OK!"

Zhou Hongsong readily agreed.

Suddenly a dark shadow swept past his feet. Zhou Hongsong didn't even flinch. He turned around, raised his foot, and stepped on the shadow.

"Squeak squeak squeak—"

It turned out to be a large rat, whose long tail was firmly pinned down by Zhou Hongsong, causing it to squeak and squeal in frustration.

"That rat is blind, it insists on living in my house, look how skinny it is!"

Zhou Hongsong lifted his foot and let the mouse go.

This area is near the Taihang Mountains, and the weather is quite cold. Zhou Hongsong's water vat is half-buried in the ground, but even so, a layer of ice has formed inside.

With a few punches, Zhou Hongsong smashed a large hole in the vat with a few "crack" sounds. He scooped out a pot of water, heated it up, and used it to cool down the chill in the room.

Li Xiangdong squatted in front of the stove to tend the fire, while Zhou Hongsong took a rag to wipe the dust off the stool.

"Fifth Brother, let's use the hot water from the pot later. Cold water will hurt your hands (meaning they're freezing cold)!"

"It's not cold. A couple of years ago when I was in a labor camp in Zhangjiakou, it was much colder that day. If I went out to pee in the middle of the night, there would be a small lump of ice left after I finished!"

Li Xiangdong was quite interested in Bashang. "What do you mainly do there?"

"Labor reform! Planting potatoes, harvesting potatoes, herding cattle, horses, and sheep, cutting down trees in the forest and transporting them down!"

Zhou Hongsong seemed to have been given a chance to talk, "Bashang is so interesting! In the summer, after it rains, there are mushroom rings all over the grassland, and the mushrooms that grow there are especially delicious. There are also potatoes in Bashang, all kinds of varieties. There's a big purple-skinned potato that tastes like chestnuts when roasted!"

"Fifth Brother, you guys can still go mushroom picking?"

Li Xiangdong had never been to a labor camp, and he was a little puzzled. Was it really this free during a labor camp?

"Hey, our labor reform team is called Bashang Farm, and it covers a huge area. People like us who haven't done anything seriously wrong are all assigned to production teams and can even earn wages!"

This completely changed Li Xiangdong's understanding.

Zhou Hongsong spoke at length, "To be honest, I was actually lucky to have been thrown into the labor camp by Zhou the Cripple. Back then, we barely had enough to eat at home, but in the dam area, we had enough to eat and could even earn money. I sent all the money back to Hongmei, so that she, a young girl, could have a better life..."

As he spoke, Zhou Hongsong's voice grew softer and softer. Who knew his sister had suffered so much while he was away? It was all his fault. If only he hadn't been thrown into the labor camp.

Li Xiangdong noticed Zhou Hongsong's dejection and changed the subject, "Who is Zhou the Cripple? Why did he throw you into the labor camp?"

"It's also my fault. Before, when the village was starving, the brigade leader, Zhou the Cripple, handed over all the grain to the commune. So I led a few people to intercept the grain and then distributed it to each household."

At that time, the grain had been distributed and everyone hid it away, no one was taking any out. The grain quota could not be completed, and Zhou the Cripple was furious. In the end, he had no choice but to send Zhou Hongsong to a labor camp.

Li Xiangdong was speechless. Wasn't this stealing government grain?

"To be honest, Fifth Brother, this Zhou the Cripple has been really good to you. Given your crimes, it wouldn't be unfair for you to spend a few years in prison."

Zhou Hongsong nodded and said in a low voice, "That's true. I came back a few days ago and heard that Uncle Cripple was also dismissed because of this."

"I'll take some things and go see him tonight."

The two of them worked until the afternoon before they finally cleaned the house. They managed to make a pot of corn and sweet potato porridge, which they ate with Yueshengzhai braised beef they bought from Yanjing to fill their stomachs.

......

Zhou the Cripple was chopping firewood outside. He had a limp in his right leg, but it didn't stop him from working. Soon, he had piled up a small pile of small firewood at his feet.

He threw down the axe in his hand, carried the firewood into the house, and you could tell he was limping as he walked.

Outside the courtyard, Zhou Hongsong whispered to Li Xiangdong, "Uncle Cripple is a demobilized soldier who became a brigade leader as soon as he returned. He became lame because he rolled down the mountain while saving someone."

"Fourth Uncle!"

Zhou Hongsong shouted.

Zhou the Cripple was taken aback. He slowly turned around and it took him a while to recognize who it was in the darkness. "Fifth Brother is back."

"Fourth Uncle, I've come to see you and Fourth Aunt."

Zhou the Cripple's voice was indifferent, "Come in!"

Li Xiangdong followed the two inside and saw that the room was steaming hot, with a dim kerosene lamp hanging on the wall, and a middle-aged woman was cooking.

The kerosene lamp on the table

A kerosene lamp that can be hung

There's no electricity here yet; it's dark everywhere.

"Please sit down. Who is this?"

Zhou the Cripple took his seat first, and only then did he notice that a young man he didn't recognize had also come in.

"Oh, Fourth Uncle, this is my new brother, Li Xiangdong."

Zhou the Cripple's voice was indifferent, "From now on, live a good life and stop messing around."

This means they're mistaking Li Xiangdong for someone Zhou Hongsong knew from the labor camp.

While cooking, Zhou the Cripple's wife couldn't help but speak up, "Old Zhou, stop meddling in other people's business all the time!"

The dissatisfaction in those words was blatant.

"Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, I know that you were implicated because of me back then. Fourth Uncle was removed from his position as brigade leader because he was protecting me. I... I'm sorry to you!"

As Zhou Hongsong was speaking, he suddenly knelt down on the ground with a "plop".

Aunt Zhou was shocked. What happened to this Iron Head who was always so reckless? Why was he kneeling down?

Zhou the Cripple quickly stood up, limped over to Zhou Hongsong, and helped him up. "What are you doing? Get up quickly!"

After being helped up, Zhou Hongsong sat back down on the stool. He quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and handed the things he had brought to Zhou the Cripple.

"Fourth Uncle, this is braised beef, lamb trotters, and noodles that my brother bought from Yanjing City. You and Fourth Aunt can keep them for yourselves!"

"How much money does this cost? You, you didn't do anything bad, did you?"

Zhou the Cripple was horrified. "If you don't walk properly, how am I supposed to face your father in the future!"