Chapter 39
The villagers were busy distributing food, but the cowshed was still quiet.
However, the threshing ground was bustling with people, and even though the cowshed was far away, she could still hear faint voices from over there. Grandma Han sat at the door and looked through the mushrooms that had been drying for a few days. When she felt it was about time, she went back into the house, found a basket, and prepared to pack all the mushrooms.
Han Shengyi cranked the windlass at the Chu family's house. Ever since he and Chu Jiujiu reconciled, Chu Jiujiu wouldn't let him fetch water from the river. It was far and tiring. It was much better to fetch it from her house. The well water was sweeter and much better to drink than the river water. Besides washing clothes, people also bathed and washed their feet by the river. Although the river was alive, Chu Jiujiu still felt uncomfortable and didn't want the Han family to drink such water.
Chu Shao was right. Ever since Han Shengyi started frequenting his house, fewer and fewer people have been coming to his house to get some water. Some people just come to get water, but others go around the Chu family before leaving, insisting on seeing for themselves how the two children live and whether there are any hidden treasures at home. Chu Jiujiu was fed up with it. She wanted to kick them out, but Chu Shao wouldn't let her. Now, even if she asked them to come, they wouldn't come.
After fetching two buckets of water, Han Shengyi picked up his shoulder pole and walked out of the Chu family's yard. After a few steps, a girl came towards him. When she saw Han Shengyi, she raised her hand from a distance.
"Brother Han!"
After seeing who was calling him, Han Shengyi paused, put down the carrying pole, and the two buckets of water shook suddenly. At this time, the girl opposite also ran over.
Her face was flushed as she stood opposite Han Shengyi and waited for a while, but Han Shengyi didn't seem to want to talk to her. After a few awkward seconds, she lowered her head and took out a handkerchief from her clothes. The handkerchief was folded and bulged inside.
Handing it to Han Shengyi, she whispered, "Brother Han, my mother asked me to bring it to you."
Looking at the neatly folded handkerchief, Han Shengyi was silent for a long time before finally taking it.
Holding it in his palm, Han Shengyi raised his head after a second and said, "Thank you."
Guo Youmian laughed and said, "Why are you being so polite to me?"
"Then Brother Han, I'm going back first. My mother asked me to go back early to help with the food distribution today."
It's not about asking her to go back early to help, but about asking her to go home early and not stay in an unlucky place like the cowshed for too long.
Han Shengyi curled his lips at Guo Youmian, and after Guo Youmian turned around, he lifted the shoulder pole again, carried the buckets back home, and poured both buckets of water into the vat. Then, Han Shengyi turned around and handed the handkerchief intact to Grandma Han.
"Grandma," Han Shengyi's voice was still as gentle as usual, "The Guo family sent money again."
Hearing this, Grandma Han was stunned. She took the handkerchief and slowly unfolded it. Soon, the banknotes inside were revealed.
The Guo family and the Han family have no relationship, neither relatives nor friends, but starting from the sixth month after they arrived in Qingzhu Village, the Guo family would send them a sum of money every few months. At first it was quite a lot, about ten yuan, and later it was only seven or eight yuan. Even if it was only this much, it was a huge sum of money for the Han family. Apart from anything else, Grandpa Han's money for buying medicine came from this.
Han Shengyi handed all the money to Grandma Han and walked to the stove to watch the fire. Grandpa Han took two quick steps and came to Grandma Han. Seeing the handful of small bills, he couldn't help but sigh.
He never dreamed that there would be a day when he would have to live on small change of a few cents, and he never dreamed that at his age, he would still have to rely on others for his livelihood.
Having lived to such an old age, how could he and Grandma Han not know that the Guo family was withholding their money? But even if they knew, what could they do? Not only could they not ask for an explanation, even if they could, they would be too embarrassed to do so.
They are the stinking ninth class that everyone wants to avoid. It is not easy for the Guo family to ignore their own safety and secretly send them money. The emperor is far away and the sky is high. They have such a status that in the eyes of outsiders, everything they do is wrong. If the Guo family swallows up all the money and does not give them a penny, even if the truth is revealed, the Guo family will not be affected. Instead, the three of them will be caught by the pigtails again.
So, just deduct the money. At this point, he doesn’t have the energy to argue with these people.
The Guo family always sent a child to deliver money, just money, without saying anything. Even if they asked who gave the money, the child couldn't answer. After a few times, Grandpa Han and Grandma Han realized that they didn't want to talk. It didn't matter if they didn't say it, they could guess. After all, the number of people who still cared about them in this day and age could be counted on one hand.
After much guessing, there are only three candidates: either Grandpa Han’s old friend, or Grandma Han’s sister, or Han Shengyi’s uncle, Han Jibin.
After putting these three candidates on the list, Grandpa Han and Grandma Han both tended to believe that Han Jibin had been secretly giving them money.
Han Jibin is Han Shengyi's uncle, but he is not the son of Grandpa Han and Grandma Han. He is the posthumous son of Grandpa Han's eldest brother. Grandpa Han's eldest brother and sister-in-law were both martyrs. After they died one after another, Grandpa Han took the initiative to adopt Han Jibin. Grandma Han married Grandpa Han later and became a mother as soon as she entered the family. Grandma Han's life has not been easy.
After the Han family fell, Han Jibin escaped because he had set up his own business long ago and separated the Han family's household registration book. Later, when he saw that the situation was not right, he decisively announced in the newspaper that he had severed ties with the Han family. Therefore, Han Jibin is still in the capital, has not lost his job, and his family of five lives a colorful life.
Grandpa Han was originally very shocked by the fact that Han Jibin severed ties with him, because Han Jibin was very filial and treated Grandpa Han and Grandma Han as his own parents. When he first heard the news, Grandpa Han sat in prison and couldn't recover for a long time. Until he was sent down, he couldn't believe it.
He could never understand why Han Jibin, such a kind-hearted man, would cut ties with them so decisively. Later, when the Guo family started sending him money, he thought he had figured it out. Han Jibin wasn't really so heartless. He wanted to leave a way out for the Han family. After all, if he fell, the Han family would be truly powerless. Without Han Jibin's money, Grandpa Han and Grandma Han would not have survived their first winter in Qingzhu Village, let alone maintain their current basic needs.
Grandpa Han has deep feelings for Han Jibin. Since he figured this out, he has felt much more relieved. Grandma Han's feelings for Han Jibin are a little weaker, but over the years, she has treated Han Jibin as well as her own son. Knowing that he has not forgotten the Han family, she is also happy.
Grandma Han sat on the bed, counted the money once, and then counted it again. After making sure that she had counted correctly, she put the handkerchief sent by Guo Youmian aside, and dug out an old handkerchief that was worn to the point of being almost transparent from under the bed. She put the money together with the previous money in the house, and after carefully flattening it, she lifted the mattress and put them back.
The firewood in the house was burning, making crackling sounds. Han Shengyi added two more pieces of firewood into the stove, and Grandpa Han's voice just happened to sound.
"I wonder how the eldest daughter and her family are doing. When we left, Shengwu was only six years old. She should be in elementary school now. She was thin when she was little. I wonder if she's gained some weight now. It's not good for a girl to be too thin. It can cause damage to the body. And Shengwen, he should be fourteen this year. He's a grown-up boy now."
Listening to Grandpa Han's words, Grandma Han also thought of these children. However, unlike Grandpa Han, the faces of these children in Grandma Han's memory were a little blurry. Thinking back for a while, Grandma Han lowered her head again and said, "Don't worry about them. No matter how bad their lives are, they are better than yours."
Grandpa Han: "I know. I just felt that way. I don't know if I'll have the chance to see them again in this life. Bantian was so cute when she was little. I wonder how beautiful she will be when she grows up. Children grow up in a blink of an eye. Just like my eldest brother, he went from being this tall to being taller than me in the blink of an eye."
Grandpa Han gestured, a nostalgic look on his face. Grandma Han shared the same sentiment, so she didn't interrupt him. The atmosphere grew warmer, and Grandpa Han suddenly remembered something. He turned and asked Han Shengyi, "Shengyi, do you still remember your sister Bantian? When she was little, she would cry whenever she saw you. Haha, I don't know why, but that little girl wasn't afraid of anyone except you."
Han Shengyi curled his lips and said, "Remember, now she shouldn't be afraid of me anymore. She won't even recognize me."
Grandpa Han was about to nod when he saw Han Shengyi bend down and pick up the backpack at home. "The firewood is almost gone. I'll go get some more."
After saying that, he pushed the door and left. Grandpa Han’s desire to talk was not relieved, so he turned around and looked at Grandma Han.
Grandma Han didn't even raise her head: "I don't have time. I don't want to listen or talk. Go out, turn right, and go find Old Song."
Grandpa Han thought for a second and stood up happily: "Okay."
…
Elsewhere, in the threshing ground, Chen Dahong's outburst exposed Zhou Xiaohe's problems, prompting many people to check their own work points before they were willing to collect their grain. Some, seeing Chen Dahong had added two work points to theirs, started making a scene, claiming they were shortchanged. These people were out to take advantage, but the team leader saw through their tricks and handed them over to deputy team leader Zhang Qingfa, who ordered them to go over to the side to verify the results. The rest of the people continued to collect their grain.
Zhang Qingfa is a pedantic person and is particularly stubborn. He is more stubborn than some villagers. It is useless to throw a tantrum in front of him. You have to produce evidence before he will give you any points. After talking over and over again for a long time, in the end, not only did these people not get any advantage, but they also had their spirits broken down.
…
Chu Shao's name was on the last page of the list. After everyone else had received theirs, it was his and Chu Jiujiu's turn. Behind them were only a few scattered families who had just separated this year. Chu Jiujiu was hungry and tired, but she refused to leave. After a long wait, the captain finally called out Chu Shao's name, and then they hurried over.
There are not many people left. The remaining ones are all people who came to watch the food distribution. These days, watching the fun is like watching a TV series. It can kill time and is also fun.
The captain stopped shouting and took advantage of the free time to quickly drink a few sips of water. Then, in his normal voice, he addressed the two children, "Chu Shao's work points are 972, and Chu Jiujiu's are 46, for a total of 1,018. Adding the per capita share, your family can receive 192 jin, 1 liang, and 6 qian. Come, Chu Shao, Jiujiu, take a look."
The captain handed the list to the two children. Chu Shao didn't even glance at the list. When the captain handed it to him, he pushed it back and said, "No need to look at it, Uncle Chen. I trust you."
Chu Jiujiu stood on tiptoe. She quickly glanced at the list handed to her by the captain, then lowered her head. She recalled the numbers on the list and found that the captain had read them correctly, not a single number was wrong.
The scorekeeper had already weighed the grain. It was a full, heavy sack of grain. Chu Shao wanted to carry it, but Chu Jiujiu was afraid he would crush it, so she quickly said, "Chu Shao, let's lift it together."
Chu Shao: "...You should take a rest. It's easier for me to carry it myself than to carry it with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he held his breath and exerted a sudden force, lifting nearly 200 kilograms of grain onto his shoulders. Chu Shao could certainly carry a full 192 kilograms, but it wasn't easy at all. He shut his mouth and walked towards his home. Chu Jiujiu followed him, holding the heavy sacks for him from behind.
Finally they arrived home. The moment Chu Shao put down the sack, he could not feel the existence of his shoulders. He grinned. Chu Jiujiu hurried to the main room and took out a bamboo tube from the cupboard. Ever since she learned about the magical effect of the necklace, Chu Jiujiu had developed a habit of keeping three bamboo tubes of necklace water at home, no matter whether she needed it or not, in case of emergency.
He took out the bamboo tube and handed it to Chu Shao, who took it and drank it in gulps. It had no effect at first, and it would take about half a minute for it to kick in. Chu Shao rubbed his shoulders and untied the rope of the sack in the yard. He used the ladle he usually used to scoop water to scoop up the grain, preparing to transfer the grain to the grain tank one trip at a time.
After scooping two scoops, his shoulder didn't seem to hurt as much as before, and his body felt better. Chu Shao finally noticed Chu Jiujiu. She stood beside the sack with her head down, her delicate eyebrows slightly twisted. Her eyes fell on the tomato seedlings beside her, and she was obviously in a daze. Feeling something was wrong again, Chu Shao threw down the scoop.
"You've been absent-minded since the threshing floor. What's wrong?"
Hearing Chu Shao's voice, Chu Jiujiu's eyes moved away from the tomato seedlings. She raised her head and looked at Chu Shao: "Grandpa, I'm hungry."
Chu Shao: “…”
Lunch was made with the newly distributed grain. Chu Shao cooked a big pot of porridge, opened the cupboard, and took out the Xinjiang candied dates they had bought before. Chu Shao saw that there were only a few left, so he simply poured them all into the pot. They had to go to the town in two days, so they would just buy some more then.
After lunch, Chu Shao continued to move the food, while Chu Jiujiu knocked on the Han family's door with a bowl of leftover porridge.
After handing the porridge to Grandma Han, Chu Jiujiu asked, "Where is Brother Shengyi?"
Grandma Han also wants to know this question.
"He said he was going to collect firewood, and he hasn't come back yet. He hasn't even had lunch."
Grandma Han's answer was not very happy. The meal was ready, but the younger one didn't come back, and the older one didn't come back either. None of them made her worry.
Chu Jiujiu took the bowl of porridge back from Grandma Han when she heard it. "Then I'll go look for it. Goodbye, Grandma Han~"
Grandma Han: “…”
Han Shengyi couldn't be running around. He was either in the vegetable garden or on the mountain. Chu Jiujiu went to the vegetable garden first to take a look, which saved her energy. Han Shengyi was lying under a tree next to the vegetable garden, in the shade of the tree, sleeping with his eyes closed.
Chu Jiujiu was holding the porridge and didn't dare to run too fast, so she just took a few quick steps and then sat down next to Han Shengyi.
"Don't sleep anymore, get up and eat!"
For a moment, Han Shengyi thought he had sleepwalked back into the cowshed.
…
Sitting up, Han Shengyi looked at Chu Jiujiu, then at the bowl of porridge she was holding. He took the bowl and took a sip from the edge of the bowl. He found that it was sweeter than the ones they usually made. He asked, "Did you get the food?"
Chu Jiujiu nodded, "One hundred and ninety-two, less than two hundred kilograms, it's very heavy. Chu Shao was almost crushed by the weight of the food."
Han Shengyi laughed, put the bowl of porridge to his mouth, and took two more sips.
The hot porridge had turned lukewarm, and Han Shengyi drank it slowly. Chu Jiujiu watched him drink for a while, then asked him, "Why didn't you go back for lunch? I think Grandma Han is a little unhappy."
Han Shengyi wiped the corner of his lips with the back of his hand and replied, "It's okay, grandma is just like that. I'll just go back and admit my mistake to her."
He only responded to the second half of Chu Jiujiu's sentence, but not the first half. Chu Jiujiu usually didn't realize these things, but today she had something hidden in her heart, and after what happened in the morning, she now has to think about everything others say. What's more, this thought really made her discover some things that she would not usually discover.
For example, Grandma Han is very strict with Brother Shengyi.
For example, Brother Shengyi is avoiding the problem.
Chu Jiujiu hugged her knees and was quiet for a while. She suddenly asked, "Brother Shengyi, have you ever seen someone treat others badly for no reason?"
Han Shengyi paused while drinking his porridge and turned his head. He thought for a moment and shook his head: "I haven't seen it. If someone treats others badly, there must be a reason. If you don't know what the reason is, then maybe you just haven't discovered it yet."
Chu Jiujiu blinked and asked again, "Brother Shengyi, have you ever met someone who appears to like you very much, but actually hates you?"
Han Shengyi looked at Chu Jiujiu, trying to discern something from her face. However, Chu Jiujiu's eyes were too clear, leaving no trace. He frowned, "What's going on? Did you meet someone like this?"
"Tell me first, have you ever encountered this?" Chu Jiujiu replied.
Han Shengyi pursed his lips and said, "Yeah, I have."
Chu Jiujiu widened her eyes. There really are people like this!
She was a child. She knew that there were bad people in this world, but she didn't know that some people could be very bad and at the same time disguise themselves very well. Chu Jiujiu always thought that she was very smart, but today, she began to doubt herself.
She was silent, so Han Shengyi had to ask her again, "Did you meet someone like this today?"
Chu Jiujiu was a little distressed. She didn't know how to answer this question. "I feel like I've encountered that, but maybe I'm just overthinking it, because I think... I don't think she should be that kind of person. I don't know, I can't figure it out. It's too confusing."
She had been thinking about this from the threshing ground until now, and she didn't dare tell anyone, for fear that she was wrong. Zhao Shiliu was also fond of pretending, but Chu Jiujiu saw through her true nature at a glance, so no matter how she pretended, Chu Jiujiu was not surprised, and even treated it as a joke. But Zhou Xiaohe was different. She had no grudges against Chu Shao, and was recognized as a good wife and good comrade in the village. Her husband was Captain Zhao! All these factors combined, Chu Jiujiu couldn't understand why there was no sign at all, and how could the whole village not see her true nature? Could she really pretend so well?
Seeing Chu Jiujiu's brain was about to smoke, Han Shengyi was silent for a moment and said to her, "I don't know who that person is, nor do I know what she did. But, Jiujiu, you can have more confidence in yourself. Think about it, of all the people, why do you only suspect her? What did she do to make you have such a thought that you have never thought of before."
Following Han Shengyi's words, Chu Jiujiu immediately thought of Chen Dahong's face. Among so many people, only Chen Dahong had one work point deducted and one work point missed. These three mistakes occurred on three different days, but they were all attributed to one person. It was too much of a coincidence.
And according to what Chen Dahong said, she and Zhou Xiaohe had conflicts, but they didn't break out normally, so no one knew about it.
Then there's Zhou Xiaohe's reaction. At the time, Chu Jiujiu thought it was nothing serious. But now, looking back, she realizes that Zhou Xiaohe's response was incredibly quick and flawless. In just two or three sentences, she explained everything clearly: the erased work points were due to a poor penmanship, and the missed work points were due to her feeling unwell, dizzy, and suffering from heatstroke. Anyone else would have come up with an excuse so quickly. They'd probably be stunned for a while.
Not to mention, her excuses were veiled ones, using the name of apology to create an image of herself with good intentions but bad results.
The more Chu Jiujiu thought about it, the more frightened she became. Her confused mind became clearer and clearer. Just at this moment, Han Shengyi said to her, "Jiujiu, there's a saying that a dog that bites doesn't bark."
In a flash, Chu Jiujiu stood up.
She clenched her fists. "I need to go home."
After she finished speaking, she ran away quickly. Halfway through, she turned around and waved to Han Shengyi, "Brother Shengyi, take the bowl back when you're done eating. I'll come to your house to get it in the evening!"
Then, she turned around again, but this time she didn't look back. Han Shengyi was holding the bowl of porridge with a very complicated mood.
So, he is just a tool to solve problems, right?
…
Chu Shao finished moving the food, then squatted in the miniature vegetable patch at the door, catching insects. As he did so, he started complaining to Han Shengyi: "At the beginning of the month, he said he would get chicks for their family. Now it's the end of the month, and where are the chickens? Where are the chickens?!"
I knew he was unreliable, so I might as well buy it at the black market in town.
But chickens on the black market are too expensive, with males costing 50 cents each and females 80 cents each. You don't know if you can keep them alive. Plus, buying chickens on the black market is risky. If you run into someone catching speculators, even the buyer will be in trouble.
Chu Shao didn't dare to take any risks in this matter, so he just complained about Han Shengyi in his heart. In fact, this matter still depended on Han Shengyi.
Han Shengyi knew people in the commune, the person who distributed seeds and saplings, and he also had poultry seedlings such as chicks and ducklings. Chu Shao had no say in the matter, so he could only rely on Han Shengyi.
…
Chu Shao was so focused on turning over vegetable leaves and catching insects that he didn't even hear the sound of running outside. Suddenly, a figure ran into his yard, grabbed his arm and started pulling, "Grandpa, come in with me, I want to tell you something!"
Chu Shao was caught off guard and sat down on the newly grown tomato seedlings.
The tomato seedling let out a wail and died on the spot.
Chu Shao: “…”
"Chu! Wine! Wine!"
"I've told you so many times, don't be so reckless. Running around like crazy every day, you don't act like a girl!"
Chu Jiujiu didn't even bother to argue with him. She stamped her feet anxiously, "I really have something to say! Grandpa, let's go inside and talk."
Chu Shao wanted to teach her a lesson, but seeing how anxious she was, he looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then he supported himself on the ground and stood up, patting his dirt-covered butt. He followed Chu Jiujiu into the house, "It'd be better if you really have something wrong, otherwise..."
Chu Shao fell silent.
Well, he had no way to punish Chu Jiujiu. He couldn't bear to give her corporal punishment, and if he didn't allow her to eat, he was afraid that Chu Jiujiu would get sick from hunger. If he didn't allow her to go to school, that would be hilarious, because Chu Jiujiu didn't want to go to school in the first place.
It's so miserable.
He is such a miserable grandfather.
…
After entering the house, Chu Jiujiu ran to the bedroom and took out the notebook and pencil that Chu Shao had bought before from the empty closet. She spread the notebook on the bed, then knelt beside the bed and carefully wrote the letter D on the notebook.
Then she raised her head and asked Xiang Chushao: "Grandpa, what do you think this is?"
Nowadays, there are very few schools in the country that offer English classes. It has been opened in the capital, but English is not taught in primary schools. Children only have their first English class in junior high school. Chu Shao's mother is a top student. She teaches Chu Shao at home, so even before entering junior high school, Chu Shao has already been exposed to some English.
I'm just not very proficient yet.
After frowning for a long time, he said uncertainly, "Is this a capital D in English?"
Chu Jiujiu jumped up when she heard it. "You think so too, right? Grandpa, I'm telling you, I saw this in the scorebook, right behind your name!"
Chu Shao didn't understand, "When did English appear in the scorebook?"
Chu Jiujiu: "Where's the English number on the scorebook? This isn't a D at all, it's a zero, but how do you write zero like that? Grandpa, look carefully, doesn't this look like a 1 with a half circle next to it?"
Chu Shao didn't understand at first. After Chu Jiujiu finished speaking, his expression gradually changed and he frowned heavily. Chu Shao also squatted down. He took Chu Jiujiu's pencil and wrote it again on his notebook. Just as Chu Jiujiu said, add a semicircle to 1 and it becomes 0. If you have learned English, you will think this is D. If you haven't learned it, you won't think there is anything wrong with this number. No matter how you look at it, it's just a 0.
Chu Shao turned around and asked Chu Jiujiu, "What day was this?"
Chu Jiujiu: "I didn't see what day it was. The date was at the top and I couldn't see it, but I knew it was written by Zhou Xiaohe. Her handwriting is different from the marker's, and you can tell at a glance."
Chu Shao stopped talking. Obviously, he hadn't expected this. He didn't even believe that Zhou Xiaohe would do such a thing. But he knew how strong Chu Jiujiu's photographic memory was. If she saw it and remembered it, it would definitely not be wrong. Other people's memories might be confused, but Chu Jiujiu wouldn't.
After a long while, Chu Shao spoke again: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"You discovered it in the threshing ground. You were in a daze, was that what you were thinking about?"
Chu Jiujiu quickly explained herself: "I wasn't sure at the time, and I was afraid that if I told you, you would tell the captain."
Chu Shao stood up and said angrily, "Of course I have to tell the team leader why Zhou Xiaohe changed my work points. Oh, and Chen Dahong's. She said it was a black spot from a pen, and that she missed a work point because she was not feeling well. She can explain these two, but what about mine? She must have done it on purpose."
Chu Jiujiu stood up and said, "Yes! She did it on purpose, but Grandpa, don't you think she's a scary person? I didn't realize she was that kind of person at all! She changed your work points, but every time she saw you, she was always concerned about you. She's so pretentious. Whenever I think of her now, I feel uneasy. I'm afraid that if we tell the team leader about this on the spot, she'll see it and she'll be even more unhappy. Who knows what she'll do if she's unhappy."
There's always a thief who steals for a thousand days, but there's no such thing as a thief on guard for a thousand days. Who knows how bad Zhou Xiaohe really is? Maybe her greatest audacity is to tamper with a few work points, or maybe she's capable of something even more terrifying. Chu Jiujiu didn't want her family to suffer any more losses. Besides, they now knew Zhou Xiaohe wasn't a good person, so they could keep an eye on her and prevent her from doing anything immoral again.
After hearing what Chu Jiujiu said, Chu Shao calmed down a little and nodded. Chu Shao sat on the bed and said, "You're right. One work point is not a big deal. I just can't understand why she did this."
On the one hand, she was so enthusiastic towards him, but on the other hand, she was secretly trying to trip him up. If she didn't like him, couldn't she just walk away? But every time, she had to take the initiative to come up to him and show him all her concern. If she was just pretending to be nice, then she was too tired.
Chu Jiujiu hadn't figured it out before, but now she remembered something else. "Grandpa, do you remember the day we went to Zhao Shiliu to ask for the remittance? Zhao Shiliu cursed Captain Zhao, saying he had no conscience and didn't care about his sister, only about Grandma. Our family and Zhou Xiaohe have no grudges in the past or in the present, but if there's any connection, it's probably this matter. Do you think she hates us because Grandma and Captain Zhao were engaged before?"
Chu Shao: "That shouldn't be the case. Zhou Xiaohe and my mother have a good relationship. She doesn't..."
Chu Shao suddenly shut up mid-sentence, because it suddenly occurred to him that if Zhou Xiaohe could pretend to be a caring aunt to him, then she could also pretend to be a caring neighbor to Zhang Fengjuan. After a moment of silence, Chu Shao gritted his teeth and said, "This person must be sick!"
Chu Jiujiu felt the same way. Not only was she sick, but she was also a hidden pervert. Normal people's joy, anger, sorrow and happiness were all expressed on their faces, but she was not like this, keeping everything rotten in her stomach. She was like this, and that Captain Zhao was probably not a good person either. As a husband and wife, it was possible that Captain Zhao had always known about what Zhou Xiaohe had done, and was secretly covering for her.
Chu Jiujiu said angrily, "Let's stay away from her from now on. I'll avoid her whenever I see her. Luckily, the team leader said today that she can't help keep score in the village. Otherwise, not only your work points, but mine too, would be altered by her! I don't have many work points to begin with!"
Chu Shao objected, "No, let's keep doing what we have to do in the future."
Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, and her expression instantly turned into horror, "What if she sells me out!"
It's not impossible. She and Zhao Shiliu are of the same kind. Maybe they even have the same brain circuits.
Chu Shao: "...Then don't let her see that you are hiding from her."
Chu Jiujiu looked at Chu Shao in confusion. After a pause, he explained, "I'm a little worried. Changing work points is a big deal. No matter how much trouble the villagers make, they won't tamper with work points. You may not know this, but changing work points is just like the house-raiding and pot-smashing incidents of the past. It's a particularly bad act."
"The fact that she can do this shows she has no boundaries. There's no telling what she'll do in the future. For the next few days, treat her normally. Didn't Chen Dahong just offend her? She even ruined her scorekeeping job. Let's wait and see if she starts a fight with Chen Dahong again."
Chu Jiujiu: "Oh, I understand, but Grandpa, what else does she want to do? She pretended to be so sincere in the threshing ground today, but if she starts a fight with Chen Dahong again, won't she expose herself?"
Chu Shao glanced at her and asked, "Have you ever thought about her changing her work points?"
Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.
"That's it. You're an ordinary person. How could you possibly guess what's going on in a madman's head? Just be careful. There's no point in thinking about it. Besides, if you were to figure it out, you'd be a madman too."
Seeing Chu Jiujiu looking thoughtful, Chu Shao stroked her hair and said, "Okay, don't think too much. Maybe it's okay. I still think Zhou Xiaohe isn't that crazy."
Chu Jiujiu thought to herself that she had thought the same when she doubted her life, but it was Han Shengyi who woke her up.
The day passed peacefully, and the next day passed peacefully as well. The two children gradually forgot about Zhou Xiaohe and prepared to pick a good day to go to the town to fulfill the long-promised dinner.
It started raining again these two days, but it was just a drizzle. The roads were walkable and the river was calm. Chu Jiujiu liked this kind of rain and didn't like heavy rain, which looked scary.
As soon as it rains, Chu Jiujiu's precious bamboo umbrella has to be put away. If it gets wet, the umbrella will not only be deformed but also easily moldy. If possible, Chu Jiujiu wants to keep this gift for a lifetime. She doesn't want it to be damaged so soon.
In a few days, the village would be busy planting peanuts. The slack season was over. Chu Shao didn't need to work so hard to earn work points, but since he had nothing to do at home, he decided to go with the others. A drizzle fell outside, and the air was humid inside. Chu Jiujiu and Chu Shao sat together by the gate, arguing about going to school.
Chu Shao: "No need to discuss. I've already asked the team leader. School starts in mid-September. As soon as school starts, you have to go. Wait until it stops raining. Let's go to town and buy everything we need."
Chu Jiujiu: "But I don't want to go to school!"
Chu Shao: "You have to go even if you don't want to! If you don't go to school, are you going to stay at home every day? You're a girl, if you don't go to school, what can you do in the future?"
Before Chu Jiujiu's time travel, society was embroiled in a heated debate over gender issues. Her mother, known for her avant-garde and radical thinking, had instilled in her from a young age the idea that women must be strong, that women could live without men, but they must have careers. A similar mother, seeing her say such things to such a young child, offered some advice, only to be rebuked on the spot. Not only did she find her mother speechless, but she also began to question her own life. She tossed and turned in bed in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. The next morning, she woke up to find her mother grabbing her five-year-old daughter's ear and beginning to instill the same strong female ideals in her.
…
With such an independent and strong mother, Chu Jiujiu, who was raised by her, is naturally full of self-confidence. She has many ideas and is very persistent in her own thoughts, all of which are the result of her mother's education.
He is also very aggressive in arguing with others, which is also thanks to his mother.
…
Because of these, Chu Jiujiu especially hated Chu Shaozong for bringing up her girl identity. It was true that she was a girl, but why should girls have to go to school?
Thinking so, Chu Jiujiu also asked the same question.
"Just because I'm a girl, I have to go to school? Which law says that? You're my grandfather, not my father. Besides, even if you're my father, you can't force me to go to school!"
Dad can't do it, but mom can.
However, Chu Shao didn't know that Chu Jiujiu was only afraid of her mother and not her father. He stood up and looked down at Chu Jiujiu. "Other children cry and shout to go to school, why is it the other way around with you? You're a girl, so of course you have to go to school. If you don't, you'll just be at home doing laundry and cooking. You won't know how to do anything, and no one will look down on you! I don't want to go to school, but at least I can farm and weave, so I won't starve anywhere. Do you want to farm too? You'll die of heat in the summer and freeze to death in the winter. Look at the women in the village. Do you want to live like this in the future?!"
Chu Jiujiu sat on a small stool and opened her mouth. She pulled her legs inwards and spoke in a softer voice than before. "I... I can learn other things. I can still study even if I don't go to school. I don't hate studying, I just don't like it..."
The more he spoke, the lower his voice became, until it was reduced to a mosquito-like voice. "I don't like wasting time."
Chu Jiujiu lowered her head and said softly, "Chunhua goes to school, but I already knew everything she learned. When I was at home, going to school was a waste of time, and going to school here is still a waste of time, but I don't want to waste it anymore. Because of going to school, I haven't been able to spend more time with my parents."
Chu Shao was stunned. He suddenly didn't know what to say. He stood silently opposite. Chu Shao racked his brains and finally came up with some appropriate words, but at this moment, the voice of the postman came from outside.
"Chu Jiujiu! This is the Chu Jiujiu store, right? They have your letter and a remittance!"
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