Chapter 281 IF Line: Parental Love (CP, please do not enter if you mind)

【琂玉·The most romantic thing I can think of】

"From now on, you can live a good life with Tiewazi. That's better than anything else. You two can help each other..."

Who is speaking?

The sound came intermittently, as if it was floating into my ears from far away.

Xie Qingyu's scattered gaze gradually focused, and he saw clearly the woman in front of him who was holding his hand and talking to him.

The old lady was wearing a coarse linen dress, her hair was combed into a sleek bun close to the back of her head, and wrinkles covered her face like cracks in a dry riverbed, especially the deep groove between her eyebrows, which was obviously the mark left by years of frowning.

The hands holding his were as rough as sandpaper, but the eyes were so gentle that it made people tremble.

What was filled in it was not pity, but crushed love. Xie Qingyu looked down at the layers of patches on his body. Although they were washed white, they were still clean and tidy.

The two of them were currently sitting on a wooden bed in a wooden house that looked like it would collapse at any moment. It seemed that the material conditions in this world were quite unfriendly.

The old lady continued to speak, her palm gently stroking the top of his head, tears welling up in her eyes:

"I really have no idea what to do... Everyone at home, young and old, is ill. If anything were to happen to you again, how would I explain it to your father..."

"Although Tiewazi's legs aren't very agile, he's still a capable man. He's the only one left over there..."

The old lady's voice suddenly choked, and her throat rolled a few times. "I ran back and forth several times. The child is handsome and doesn't mind your slow reaction..."

"You may not understand what I'm saying, but..."

The old lady suddenly hugged him in her arms, and her hot tears fell on his neck. "If you are not happy, remember to come back. Do you hear me?"

The more Xie Mei spoke, the more worried she became, and she clenched her arms tightly.

If there is any way, if there is even one more grain of rice in the pot, she would like to protect this child under her wings for the rest of his life.

This poor nephew lost his mother when he was born.

Fortunately, the eldest brother really loved his child, and thanks to his carpentry skills, the father and son were able to get by.

Who would have thought that a misfortune would strike, and a strange disease would take away the head of the family, leaving behind an ignorant child.

Xie Mei had no choice but to bring Xie Qingyu back to take care of him. After spending time together, she realized that the child's reactions were always slower than others and he couldn't understand many things he said.

Fortunately, although her husband's family was poor, they were warm-hearted. Her parents-in-law and husband didn't say anything and let Xie Qingyu live in this small place for twelve years.

I thought I could get by, but just after sending my father-in-law away, my mother-in-law fell ill in bed.

My husband injured his waist while chopping wood, and there are several hungry children at home.

The burden of life was like a millstone pressing on her shoulders. Xie Mei was busy all day long, but the year was getting worse and worse, and the money she saved was gone before she could even warm it up.

Who can I share this pain with?

Xie Qingyu roughly pieced together his current situation from her intermittent reminders in his ears.

At the same time, he also noticed the abnormality of this body. In addition to being stupid, there was probably some problem with the sound in the throat, as if it was blocked by a ball of cotton.

Perhaps it was because his original stupidity was too obvious, and in this environment with a lack of medical care and medicine, no one noticed that he could not pronounce complete syllables.

He is - a mute.

You can make sounds, but you can't speak or form complete sentences.

His Adam's apple rolled slightly, he raised his hand, and his palm gently fell on Xie Mei's trembling back.

This woman, who was suffocating under heavy pressure, only dared to show a trace of vulnerability in front of the idiot.

If you really have the heart to do that, you should have just gotten rid of him.

But even after carefully choosing a suitable family, when the time came to part, the guilt still cut her internal organs like a blunt knife.

Good people are always self-reflective.

Feeling the gentle touch on her back, Xie Mei's body suddenly stiffened.

She loosened her arms and cupped her nephew's face with her rough fingers. When she touched those clear eyes, her breathing froze: "Jade boy...are you okay?"

Xie Qingyu nodded frankly without hesitation.

Xie Mei's tears suddenly formed in her eyes, and she just kept repeating: "Okay...Okay!"

The time was approaching and things started to get busy outside.

Even though Xie Qingyu was awake, and even though Xie Mei had a thousand knots in her heart, there was no time to elaborate at this moment.

Xie Mei hurriedly picked up the blue cloth bundle beside her, wiped her tears in a hurry, stood up and was about to take him out, but was grabbed by the sleeve.

Under her care, the young man had seldom done any heavy work. His knuckles were white and slender. He first tapped his temples, then pointed at the precarious house.

The meaning is clear - he has woken up and can stay to help.

In fact, according to the usual style of the CP system, this kind of situation arrangement must have a deep meaning. It is either related to the task or to the CP pair.

But Xie Mei was really having a hard time. Even though Xie Qingyu couldn't speak, he was still there and he was a man. He was willing to put aside the so-called mission for the time being and pick up the neutralization and perception within human nature first.

Even though this world might be fake, even though this might just be a script serving the CP system, Xie Mei's tears falling on his neck were hot enough, and her hand holding his was really trembling.

Since you are sincere, you will never let me down.

Xie Mei understood Xie Qingyu's look, but shook her head without hesitation, pulled his arm and walked out.

The mess at home was not caused by her nephew, so she has to bear it.

This is her fate, but she must not drag Xie Qingyu into it.

Now that you are awake, you must learn how to take care of yourself.

If he really becomes successful in the future, it would be best if he could help her. She doesn't dare to think about anything else, nor does she want to think about it.

Xie Mei was determined, and Xie Qingyu couldn't force her to stay, so she had to follow her through the villagers who were watching the fun.

The dust raised from the dirt road fluttered on their trouser legs as they walked out the door step by step, onto the ridge of the field, and in front of... a brick house.

Xie Qingyu was observing all the way.

The economic situation here is very bad, and most people have miserable looks on their faces.

The village is mostly made up of crooked wooden houses and adobe houses with peeling walls.

There is a brick and tile house in front of me. Although it has not even been whitewashed, its conditions should be considered good in the whole village.

Xie Mei said that the Tiewazi (?) who would live with him next had difficulty walking, so he was most likely a cripple.

Even so, with this house, I am not without options.

Why would she choose him, who is generally recognized as a "little fool"?

This doubt was a little understood after entering the door. What a shiny donkey dung egg!

It looks decent from the outside, but there's nothing inside.

There were several bundles of moldy straw piled in the corner, half of the stove in the yard collapsed, and the only intact eight-immortals table under the eaves was missing a leg and was padded with broken bricks.

When mice come, I don’t know what to move away.

Because Xie Qingyu could think, Xie Mei next to him also began to explain to him in a low voice.

It turned out that this iron boy was also a sinner. Within a few years after he was born, almost all seven or eight members of his family died one after another.

His biological mother was so frightened that she packed her bags and ran away at night, saying everywhere that he was unlucky for her. Tiewazi tried to catch up with his biological mother in the middle of the night but failed. He fell into a ditch and broke his leg.

It was discovered too late and the medical conditions were not good, which is why this disease has persisted.

As for this house, it was built many years ago when the family was well off. However, Tiewazi's father passed away right after it was completed, and then his mother was scared away.

Tiewazi was young at that time, and it wasn't that no one wanted to snatch the house. It was just that the interior was not yet decorated. The exterior even "scared" Xie Qingyu, who had just arrived.

But it's strange, anyone who wants to take over this house will be in big trouble, whether he takes action or not. It's so weird that the villagers behind him dare not even look at it twice.

At least there was a place to shelter from the wind and rain, so Tiewazi grew up like this.

Speaking of this, Xie Mei whispered to comfort Xie Qingyu, "Don't listen to their nonsense, it's all nonsense.

I took two eggs to the village 'master' to have your fortunes told, and he said your horoscopes are very compatible! Don't be afraid!"

As he spoke, he met Xie Qingyu's bright eyes and whispered in Xie Qingyu's ear in a lower voice:

"Be smart, remember, if things don't go right, run back quickly."

Xie Qingyu lowered his head and suppressed his laughter.

Aunt, you are really amazing!

I haven't even seen him yet. I told him twice before we set out and after we got here to tell him to turn back.

I don't believe in evil but still want to tell fortunes, I believe in fate but still leave a way out.

So whether it's good or bad, just wade into the water first, and if things get bad, just run away at night!

Just then, there was a noise coming from the inner room.

Xie Qingyu and Xie Mei turned around at the same time, only to see a figure limping out.

Xie Mei put on a polite smile and said, "Is the Iron Boy out?"

Xie Qingyu raised his hand and rubbed the tip of his nose, a smile almost overflowing from his eyes——

What iron boy? Isn't this Gu Xiaohua?

Gu Qie on the opposite side naturally recognized Xie Qingyu, but he did not rush to recognize her. Instead, he started to exchange awkward greetings with Xie Mei.

After a few pushes and pulls, Xie Mei finally managed to get away before dinner time.

No one is well off these days, let alone Tiewazi.

They said they were living together, so that's what it was like. Didn't you see those villagers who were following behind to watch the fun disperse as soon as they were sent to the door?

Before leaving, Xie Mei pulled Xie Qingyu aside and gave her a lot of instructions, which were nothing more than the same old clichés like "be more diligent" and "live a good life".

When the gate creaked shut, Xie Qingyu finally couldn't hold it in any longer, squatting on the ground with her bag in her arms, she laughed silently.

There's no way, there's not even a bench in this broken yard.

Gu Yan leaned against the peeling door frame and sighed.

What is this? Two little bitter melons in one nest?

【bite--】

[Specified CP convergence successful]

[Parents' love CP has been bound, please explore the task immediately to fill the value gap! ]

The pretend-dead system is online again.

Gu Qi also keenly noticed that something was wrong with Xie Qingyu. He pointed to his throat and asked, "Is there something wrong here?"

He didn't ask Xie Qingyu why he didn't speak - who would pretend to be mute when they can speak?

Xie Qingyu nodded and glanced at Gu Qiong's unsteady right leg.

The two of them sat in silence.

That's great, the debuff has been maxed out, the family is extremely poor, Xie Qingyu is no longer stupid but mute, and Gu Qi is directly lame.

No one would believe it if you said the system wasn't operating behind the scenes!

Come to think of it, Xie Qingyu and Gu Yan have both served as team captains in some sense.

The two of them who are smart and at the front of the team always come out on top.

In order to prevent the two of them from finding loopholes, we can only try our best to increase the difficulty from a physical perspective.

So the two clever little kids were thrown into this environment that was similar to the 1970s and 1980s, with extremely scarce supplies.

It really proves the saying that the village is so strange that even birds don't want to shit here.

Not only that, the two of them could even team up to get a disability certification, if that were available in this day and age.

"The most important thing right now..." Gu Qi met Xie Qingyu's gaze and curled his lips, "Let's get something to eat first."

The time he came here should be about the same as Xie Qingyu's, but compared to Xie Qingyu who had the guidance of NPC Xie Mei, he was the one exploring blindly.

Moreover, he dared not go too far, as most of the remote places were feudal and superstitious. What if they found something wrong with him and took him away and burned him?

Xie Qingyu raised his hand and made a “√” gesture to show his agreement.

For now, we must keep calm and then make long-term plans for follow-up arrangements.

Naturally, there was not much food stored in the house.

Gu Qiong washed the few wilted sweet potatoes he had found during his previous scouting and threw them all into the pot.

Xie Qingyu opened the lid of the rice jar, looked at the thin layer of ash at the bottom, and sighed.

Fortunately, there was a small bag of broken rice hidden in the bag that Xie Mei gave him. He weighed it over and over again before he was willing to throw a handful into the pot.

What CP task?

Now his mind is full of daily necessities.

In this situation, if we don’t think of a solution, we might not be able to complete the task and we might go hungry first.

Xie Qingyu had an inexplicable premonition that this would probably be a protracted battle.

After filling our stomachs, we can finally talk about business.

There was neither paper nor pen in the room, so Xie Qingyu could only gesture with his hands, which to a certain extent increased the difficulty of communication between the two of them.

But the strong never complain about the environment. Gu Qie expressed what he could understand through gestures and eye contact.

For something a little more complicated that he couldn't understand, Xie Qingyu would simply take a fire stick, scoop some ashes from the stove, spread them on the ground, and write and draw.

He was a calm and patient person, and he was not easily discouraged by suddenly becoming mute. On the bright side, this would give him more time to organize his words and think.

Gu Qie felt sad watching from the side.

He had already thought of several ways to make money, but in this world, he shouldn't think too much about making a fortune.

Even if there really is a way, it would be difficult to accomplish anything as he is a cripple and Xie Qingyu is a mute, and they are unfamiliar with the place.

Fortunately, there are still a few acres of farmland at home. This is the foundation of Tiewazi's survival, so he must continue to farm.

You won’t starve to death if you work hard.

As for other small businesses, although he has some success, he still needs to understand the market conditions here first.

After discussing it, the two decided to take a two-pronged approach.

You have to exploit loopholes in the system to complete the CP task, and at the same time put the plan of making money on the agenda.

Are you kidding? The system has taken such good care of them. Wouldn’t it be a waste of this “kindness” if they don’t take advantage of some loopholes?

As for Xie Mei, we naturally have to take care of her and help her in any way we can.

The days passed slowly.

When the system was annoyed by two professional loophole exploiters, Xie Qingyu and Gu Qi finally saved up their "first pot of gold".

At this moment, the two of them were sitting on the newly purchased low stools in the inner room - although they were called new, they were actually just gadgets that they had tinkered with.

In Xie Qingyu's palm lay the wrinkled two yuan and one and three cents. The two of them stared at this "huge sum of money", feeling both relieved and powerless.

"There are many people in the village but the land is poor and the seeds are all old varieties, so the yield per mu is shockingly low."

Gu Qiong counted his observations over the past month on his fingers. "The wild vegetables outside the mountain have long been dug up. There are wolves and bears in the deep mountains. In addition..."

These days, if there is no oil and water to eat, what should we do if there is not enough at home? Isn’t everyone looking to the mountains?

Forget about wild vegetables, as long as they are edible, the roots will be dug up and taken home to soak in water to drink.

Xie Qingyu carefully put the money away and listened attentively.

There was one most important thing. When he went to Xie Mei's house to help, he learned that the village was really very far from the market.

The value of currency here is not very great. At most, it can be used to exchange some necessities when a mountain runner comes into the village, and the price is ridiculously high.

These two dollars or so were earned by them from the mountain runner by working hard for a month, using the little mountain products they had saved.

Although the two of them didn't know the specific prices, they could tell with their toes that they were being priced down.

But there is no way. People have to cross mountains and rivers to do business. It is risky and hard work. It is a complete monopoly business.

However, Xie Qingyu also had an unexpected gain.

He picked up the simple wooden board that Gu Qiong had made for him and wrote two big words with charcoal.

"White tea?"

Gu Zheng stared at the wooden board and raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Xie Qingyu nodded, and glanced at Gu Qi's face, which had become much darker in just a month, and couldn't help but sigh.

When it comes to physical work, neither of them is afraid of hardship, but the input and output over the past month is like throwing a stone into a bottomless pit, without even a sound.

I discovered these white teas by accident.

When Xie Qingyu was young, she followed her grandmother to collect mountain products, and white tea was her most important source of income.

He had carefully surveyed the area and found that wild white tea trees were growing lushly on the slopes outside the mountain behind the house.

Although the branches are messy and unattended, the leaves are thick, the tips are full, and the gray-green color glows silver in the sun - it is the top-grade white peony among white teas.

As for why no one is interested?

Ultimately, it’s the limitations of cognition.

In this remote and poor area, villagers work hard to make ends meet all day long. The quality of tea depends on its appearance, and the production process is relatively complicated. The elders in the past did not have this skill passed down from generation to generation.

Even if someone figures out the smell and picks two leaves to soak in water, it's just for the sake of novelty.

Xie Qingyu wrote on the wooden board stroke by stroke. Gu Yan's eyes followed the charcoal marks and a sales channel had already been outlined in his mind.

First of all, to develop, you must come out of the mountains.

Paoshanlang can serve as a transition, but eventually the management rights must be in one's own hands.

Although the mountain road is long, it is not impossible to go.

Currency is not used in the village, but it may not be used outside. Money can help you get things done and it can be used anywhere.

Moreover, tea has a long history and is one of the few commodities that is not restricted by the times.

It can be said that it has been hard currency since ancient times.

In Gu Qi's opinion, Xie Qingyu has the skills, and he has the strength and means, so it is quite feasible.

"Then let's go pick some tomorrow and try to make a batch to see the finished product." Gu Qiong made the decision.

There is no better way than this at the moment, not to mention that the white tea trees are on the hillside behind the house, which is a geographical advantage.

Xie Qingyu narrowed his eyes and drew a big "√" in the air with his index finger.

I strongly agree.

Since he could no longer speak, these little actions became his way of expressing his emotions.

Gu Qie's heart softened at his appearance and he chuckled.

[CP is united, and their strength is unstoppable! Victory is just around the corner, go, go, go!]

Tongzi appeared out of nowhere again, popping up to make his presence felt.

The two of them tacitly chose to ignore it.

This crappy system has been saying “just a little bit closer” and “about to succeed” blah blah blah for eight hundred times, but it hasn’t been sent back to them. Aren’t they still sitting here starving?

"Go and have a rest first. I'll go wash the dishes." Gu Qi stood up and put away the earthenware bowls and chopsticks, while earnestly instructing: "You take charge tomorrow, and I'll take care of the rest..."

Xie Qingyu's gaze followed his figure, with a faint smile in his eyes.

In fact, he did these tasks much more efficiently than Gu Qiong.

After all, he had similar experiences and adapted faster than intellectuals like Gu Qiong who came from a scholarly family in a big city.

But Gu Qi was determined to do it. If he didn't know how to do it, he would learn it and took on all the heavy and tiring work.

After a month, except for the first few days when he was still clumsy working in the fields, Gu Yan later took on almost all the farm work.

It’s not that Xie Qingyu is lazy and doesn’t want to work, but Gu Qi always has a lot of reasons to use small trivial things to delay him from going to work.

While Gu Qi was charging in the front, Xie Qingyu took care of the logistics in an orderly manner.

The two of them really lived up to Xie Mei's words and supported each other in their daily lives.

Times are hard, but with each other there is a backbone, and there is nothing that cannot be overcome.

At this moment, both hearts are burning with fire, running towards a good day together.

As soon as the sky turned pale, the two men went up the mountain carrying bamboo baskets.

The morning dew has not yet dried, so we can't rush to pick tea.

Fresh leaves with moisture tend to turn yellow easily, which affects both the color and the aroma.

They come early to "dress up" the tea trees first.

Gu Qi was wielding a hatchet to clear the weeds, while Xie Qingyu was carefully trimming the branches.

Dew soaked their trouser legs and thorns left red marks on their arms, but the two of them were working hard.

By the time the sun climbed over the ridge, the area around the tea trees had been completely transformed.

Tea picking requires certain techniques.

To pick the white peony, you need to pick one bud and one or two leaves. Gently pinch the tender stem with your fingertips, and the crisp "click" sound will be accompanied by the fragrance of green grass.

At first the movements were unfamiliar, but gradually I got the hang of it.

Just from looking up and raising my hands for a long time, my back and waist felt so sore as if a millstone was pressing on them.

Gu Qi looked at Xie Qingyu's red neck from the sun and said helplessly:

"I should have gone back first. The harvest is small, and I can't pick more fruit for a while."

Xie Qingyu didn't look back, shook his head and continued walking.

The survival pressure of two people should be shared by both of them. If you have thin skin, you can get more sun exposure. Even if you are relatives with blood ties, no one is born to belong to anyone.

Gu Qi would also be tired. He couldn't just put his hands in his pockets and act like a rich young master when the situation was difficult. That was not Xie Qingyu's way of doing things.

After returning home, Xie Qingyu had a quick lunch and set up the drying rack.

The tools at home were incomplete and many were substitutes, but he handled them carefully.

The production of white tea seems simple, but the withering and drying processes actually require careful control of the heat.

And the most important thing is the natural color. When withering, the green leaves should be spread out thinly, allowing them to slowly absorb moisture in the draft and soft light, and the tea polyphenols inside are quietly transformed.

When the tea leaves are about 70% to 80% dry, they are dried slowly over low heat to further remove moisture from the tea leaves and bring them to a suitable moisture content for easy storage and subsequent drinking.

Xie Qingyu originally thought that he had long forgotten the memories in these corners, but in the mist of tea fragrance, those deeply buried past events may have never really left.

Because it is a delicate job, Pao Shanlang does not come every day, so Gu Qiong and Xie Qingyu take turns to produce more finished products in the limited time.

On the day when the first batch of white tea came out of the oven, the sunset was just right. They moved their homemade stools and sat under the eaves, drinking from coarse porcelain bowls.

"It tastes good," Gu Qi blew away the floating leaves and took a sip, his eyes slightly raised as he teased, "Our young Master Xie is indeed quite skilled."

White Peony has a sweet taste and a pure and slightly sweet flavor.

Xie Qingyu raised his right hand and waved it casually.

Sprinkle some water~ Little white tea, take it~

With a goal in mind, time flies by.

Connecting with the mountain runner, Gu Qiong went out of the mountains to explore the way, opened up the market for white tea, raised funds to build mountain roads... Xie Mei had a new livelihood, and the worries on the faces of the villagers gradually faded.

Xiaoshi Village, an unknown small mountain village, now has a well-known name outside - Baicha Village.

Xie Qingyu made tea, sold tea, and drank tea. The brick and tile house expanded again and again. He sat under the expanded corridor, holding the storybook that Gu Qiong brought back from the city.

The hanging chair swayed slightly, and the tea soup formed golden circles in the white porcelain cup.

Suddenly, a familiar sound of footsteps was heard outside the courtyard gate. He looked up and saw Gu Yan, who had just returned from a journey, leaning against the door frame and smiling at him.

The fragrance of the blooming white peonies on the back mountain came with the wind, wrapped in the warmth of the sun.

Ding!

[Congratulations to my parents for achieving the "Never Leave" achievement!]

[The most romantic thing I can think of is that the little things in life are combined into poetry, and the public and the sisters are all crazy about it - the value filling is completed!]