The room had only a small ventilation opening, and the light inside was dim. Chen Chongshan and Ah Huang sat together in the corner, leaning against the wall...
Having completely calmed down, Chen Chongshan looked at the dark house and couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation, even despair.
He simply couldn't understand what was wrong with this world. His parents were gone, and they had become orphans. All he wanted was to try his best to raise his younger brother and depend on each other for survival, to try his best to heal his leg, and to live a simple life.
But even this simple desire for a peaceful life cannot be fulfilled. There are always people who come into their world and cause them all sorts of harm.
The police said he would go to jail, but Chen Chongshan was not afraid, nor did he regret everything he had done. Huang Maosan had already done something inhuman.
He couldn't let Chongming be hurt, not even in the slightest. He had promised his father to take good care of his younger brother, but due to his own negligence, he hadn't done so.
The thought of the bruises all over Chongming's body filled Chen Chongshan with guilt. He wished he could tear Huang Mao San to pieces. Huang Mao San had learned his lesson, but the price was that he himself had been arrested and taken to the police station.
Chen Chongshan was very worried. He wasn't worried about himself, but rather about what would happen if Chongming was scared and worried if he didn't get back before dark. And if he couldn't go back, would someone cook for Chongming?
Chen Chongshan gave a self-deprecating laugh, neither confirming nor denying it. Thinking about the behavior of his neighbors during the day, they wouldn't even set foot in his supposedly cursed family, let alone cook for Chongming.
After laughing, Chen Chongshan became somewhat worried. Whether he would go to jail, and what would happen to Chongming if he did, were all matters for later. Just looking at the present, he knew he wouldn't be getting out today. So what would happen to Chongming?
Chen Chongshan finally felt a pang of regret. He was too young and hadn't considered things comprehensively. He had only impulsively thought about avenging Chongming, without thinking about what would happen to Chongming afterward.
Chen Chongshan thought of one name after another in his mind, but eventually gave up on them all. The only relative left for the two brothers was their uncle, Chen Futian. But when he thought of Zhang Lan, Chen Chongshan shook his head again.
As darkness fell, the light coming through the ventilation vents grew weaker and weaker, and Chen Chongshan's anxiety increased.
Chen Chongshan felt as if he had been forgotten by everyone while he was being held in the police station. He had been there for more than two hours and no one had paid any attention to him. He hadn't heard a sound from outside either.
Normally, I would be home by this time, no matter what I was doing outside. Chongming must be anxiously waiting for me.
Chen Chongshan took out his phone and looked at the names in his contacts one by one, finally settling on one number.
"Yuan Yuan".
Chen Chongshan looked at the name and felt a few ripples in his heart. After a moment of hesitation, he nervously pressed the number.
If there's anyone in this world besides Chongming and Ah Huang whom he can trust, it's Yuan Yuan.
They were high school classmates, in the same class for three years, and also sitting at the same desk for three years.
The call was quickly answered, and a clear, cheerful voice on the other end said with a hint of joy, "Chongshan, you haven't contacted me in a long time."
“Uh…yes…” Chen Chongshan nodded, but was at a loss for words, unsure how to begin.
"Chongshan, what's wrong? Is something the matter?" Yuan Yuan on the other end of the phone noticed the unusual sound in Chen Chongshan's voice and asked.
"I'm fine," Chen Chongshan replied hastily, then paused and added, "Yuan Yuan, I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Oh, just tell me what's wrong, why are you being so polite with me?" Yuan Yuan replied with a light laugh.
"By the way, have you started school yet? Have you left Meishan?" Chen Chongshan asked again.
"Not yet. Our Tanzhou Normal University won't start for another week. What about you? When are you going to Tanzhou?"
"I remember the freshman military training at Tanzhou University was pretty much the same as ours. How about we go to Tanzhou together sometime?"
Yuan Yuan replied with a smile that they had been deskmates for three years and had worked hard together, consistently ranking among the top students in the school. In this college entrance examination, they both performed well, and she was admitted to Tanzhou Normal University as she wished, while he was admitted to Tanzhou University, the best university in Chu Nan Province.
Although universities can no longer be in the same institution, Tanzhou University and Tanzhou Normal University are back-to-back, so it seems no different from being in the same school.
"Ah...? Oh... well... we'll talk about it later..." Chen Chongshan stammered, unsure how to tell Yuan Yuan his decision not to continue his studies.
"Hey, Chongshan, what's wrong with you today? Why are you stuttering? By the way, what do you need my help with? Tell me quickly, and I'll do my best."
"Um... Yuan Yuan, I have something to do today and I'm not in Meishan. I might not be able to get back tonight either. Could you please take care of Chongming for me?"
Chen Chongshan stammered, "The boy isn't afraid of the fierce wild boars in the mountains, nor is he afraid of the notorious thugs in the city, but he showed nervousness and confusion in front of this girl."
"Oh? Is that all?" Yuan Yuan laughed. "It's nothing, just a small matter. I'll go over there now to cook for Chongming and stay at your place tonight."
Yuan Yuan had visited Chen Chongshan's home before and was familiar with Chen Chongming, the disabled but determined child she liked very much. She also felt great sympathy for the Chen Chongshan family's plight.
"Okay, that's great, thank you."
Yuan Yuan agreed, which relieved Chen Chongshan and eased his worries a little.
"No need to thank us, we don't need to be so polite."
Yuan Yuan smiled and said, then paused and asked, "Chongshan, if you're not in Meishan, where did you go? When are you coming back?"
"Oh, I had something to do outside, I came back as soon as I finished." Chen Chongshan's heart tightened, and he lied again, feeling a little guilty.
"Chen Chongshan, you're not hunting in the mountains and planning to spend the night there, are you?" Yuan Yuan's tone became more serious as she seemed to sense the guilt in Chen Chongshan's voice.
Yuan Yuan already knew that Chen Chongshan and his younger brother made a living by hunting. She especially admired this self-reliant boy, but she also reminded him many times that safety should be the top priority, as it was too dangerous for him to stay in the mountains alone overnight.
"No, really not," Chen Chongshan quickly explained, his tone hardening.
"That's good. Okay, that's all for now, it's getting dark, I'm going to cook for Chongming."
Yuan Yuan said this, and then hung up the phone. Listening to the busy tone on the other end of the line, Chen Chongshan felt a slight sense of loss and confusion.
…………
As darkness fell, the streetlights along the street gradually came on, and the faint light shone in through the ventilation openings, preventing the room from feeling too dark.
Chen Chongshan had been locked up for several hours. He seemed to have been forgotten. After the young police officer left, no one paid any attention to him. Fortunately, his phone was not confiscated, otherwise he would not know how to contact someone to take care of Chongming.
With no food or water, Chen Chongshan, who hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since he left in the morning, was starving. Fortunately, he had habitually carried a water bottle on his waist when he went up the mountain, and there was still half a bottle of water in it.
After drinking a few sips of water, Chen Chongshan poured some more onto the kettle lid and fed half of it to Ah Huang. As night fell and hunger set in, the man and the dog huddled together and fell asleep on the cement floor of the room...
In a daze, Chen Chongshan didn't remember how long he had slept until Ah Huang nudged him with his head, which woke him up.
Sunlight streamed in through the ventilation vents, indicating that it was quite late. Chen Chongshan, who hadn't eaten for a day and a night, was starving. He shared the last bit of water in the kettle with Ah Huang, and then the door was opened...
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