Seeing the sorrowful expressions on everyone's faces, Village Chief Xu rubbed his rough hands together, forced a smile, and changed the subject:
"Hey, don't be fooled by the fact that there are only two of us left. Life may be a bit tough, but we're young! Shui Sheng has recovered his strength and is really strong! Lin is educated and has high aspirations."
He smacked his lips, as if savoring something delicious:
"Both of them are capable! Lin later passed the exam and became a teacher at the town's primary school, holding a government job! As for Shuisheng? He can't remember anything from before, but he's not stupid at all, and he's even more nimble-fed! He earned enough work points in the fields and even joined our village's hunting team! That guy, he's a master at hunting roe deer and trapping rabbits in the woods! When it comes to dividing the meat, his family's share is always a bit thicker than everyone else's!"
Aunt Zhang couldn't help but chime in, her voice loud and clear:
"That's right! Life was tough back then, but the young couple always talked things through and worked together towards a common goal. Laughter filled the courtyard all day long! Every time I went there, I felt incredibly happy!"
Village Chief Xu nodded repeatedly:
"Yes, yes! In just three years! In just three years, the couple managed to tear down their old, crooked thatched hut and build a three-room brick house! The roof is made of blue bricks and the beams are made of old elm wood! It's so impressive! It's the first of its kind in our village!"
Lei Yuhua's eyes lit up as she listened, and she couldn't help but interject:
"Uncle Village Chief, are those houses not far from Old Xu's house, at the foot of the mountain? They look neater than the others! Gray tile roofs, stone foundations, they look bright and spacious from afar!"
"That's right there!"
Village Chief Xu slapped his thigh, his face beaming.
"Don't be fooled by the fact that no one has lived here properly for over a decade. The foundation is deep, the pebbles were carefully selected from the old riverbed, and the wood is top-quality old elm! Plus..."
He paused, his gaze falling on Zhou Qiqi, who stood silently by the window, his voice softening slightly.
"Qiqi is a sensible girl. After her parents passed away, she would go to that yard every day to pull weeds, sweep dust, and find someone to help repair the doors and windows that needed repair... That's why it didn't look dilapidated."
Political Commissar Lei and Zhou Shuhua exchanged a quick glance.
Zhou Shuhua's hand, which had been gripping the corner of the blanket, loosened unconsciously. Her chapped lips trembled as if she wanted to laugh, but tears streamed down her face silently.
"Jianbang..."
Her voice was hoarse, trembling with tears, yet carrying a strange pride.
"He's been skillful with his hands since he was little; he can handle anything..."
She remembered the little bird her younger brother had carved from wood for her when she was little; it was so lifelike.
"My sister-in-law is also a good person, down-to-earth and capable."
Political Commissar Lei gently patted her shoulder and continued in a deep voice:
"Yes, I saw that house just now. Indeed... the couple put their heart into building it, they're very capable."
Though brief, the words carry great weight.
"And then what?"
Lei Yuhua listened intently, leaning forward to ask more questions.
"My aunt and uncle got a new house, and then what happened? Did they have little Qiqi after that?"
"That's right!"
Village Chief Xu nodded, smiled slightly, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.
"Later, Lin got pregnant! Shuisheng was so happy, he was always grinning! When Qiqi was born, she was fair and clean, just like Lin, and she was adored by everyone from a young age! The three of them lived a very fulfilling life! Lin taught, Shuisheng hunted and farmed, the courtyard was filled with the aroma of food, and Qiqi ran around in the yard, her silvery laughter carrying far and wide. Everyone in the village envied her!"
Everyone's gaze in the room unconsciously and in unison fell upon the slender figure beneath the window.
Zhou Qiqi's eyelashes remained lowered, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
The memories of this happy period of her life were exceptionally clear in her mind.
Those were the most carefree and happiest times in the original owner's short childhood, and the only light that supported her through countless difficult years to come.
At this moment, as the person who carries this memory, Zhou Qiqi can clearly feel the pure happiness that is almost overflowing.
At this moment, Zhou Shuhua's gaze was also fixed on Zhou Qiqi, looking at her greedily, as if she could never get enough of her.
His gaze held an intense, overwhelming tenderness, immense joy at regaining what he had lost, and an unfathomable, unspeakable guilt.
Although the child refuses to acknowledge her now and won't even give her a glance, this is Jianbang's bloodline!
It is the only memory her brother left in this world, and it is also her only hope now.
Her chest felt tight and sore, and she could only bite her lower lip tightly, afraid that she would lose control and cry out again, disturbing her.
Lei Yuhua couldn't bear to see her mother like this, so while holding her mother's hand, she tried to change the subject and asked the village chief:
"Uncle Village Chief, what happened next? Your aunt and uncle were so kind, what became of them?"
The smile on Village Chief Xu's face vanished instantly, leaving him looking like a wilted eggplant, and he let out a heavy sigh:
"Alas! As the old saying goes, good people don't live long! When Qi'er was six years old, there was a cholera outbreak in our area..."
He rubbed his face, his voice deepening:
"Shuisheng and his wife went to town around that time and somehow they caught it! It was a deadly plague, who wasn't afraid? Nobody dared to get involved. The couple locked themselves in the house and... they just shoved Qiqi through the crack in my door and asked my family to help take care of her."
The air inside the room suddenly froze.
The cholera outbreak that year killed many people in several neighboring villages, and people in the countryside still feel lingering fear.
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