"Lin Zheng? Is that you?"
Xu Zijiang had seen him a few times before, but he had grown up a lot in the years he hadn't seen him, and he was holding someone's hand with him, which made Xu Zijiang unsure and hesitant to ask.
"It's me."
Eighteen-year-old Lin Zheng nodded slightly, but he couldn't help but tighten his grip on the child's hand, presumably feeling a little nervous and scared.
What's wrong with this child?
Xu Zi frowned as he looked at the child, who was probably only three or four years old. He couldn't even tell if the child was a boy or a girl. The child's hair only reached his neck, but it was a cute bob. The child was dressed in clothes that resembled those of a little boy, but the child's face was round, and especially the child's big, watery eyes, which made the child look more like a little girl.
“My younger brother was originally supposed to go with other people, but he refused and insisted on coming with me. My dad had no choice but to let him come with me.”
Wow, the big boss is something else! It's been years since we last met, and he's even had such a young son. He's already so old, yet he's still so virile!
"Alright, let's go then. You'd better keep him calm and make sure he doesn't cry on the way. We can't stay here any longer, let's go over here."
His only direct contact with that leader was the phone call before he arrived. The big leader was currently unable to contact him, so the two of them were only acting according to the pre-arranged code. Although Xu Zijiang had some doubts about the little boy, he couldn't contact that leader now, so he could only take both of them with him and embark on the journey home.
Instead of taking the train, he took a winding, detour, and traveled along many remote dirt roads, making the most difficult routes possible.
Taking care of an eighteen-year-old boy would have been quite easy, but suddenly having a three-year-old child added to the mix, even though he was very well-behaved and didn't cry at all, made eating, drinking, and toileting much more troublesome than the boys. Xu Zijiang could only patiently find food for him. It wasn't until they reached another city halfway through the journey that he started buying train tickets.
Once on the train, the increased number of people inevitably made it noisy. However, the large crowd also provided natural cover, concealing the traces left behind. It was unlikely that anyone could find their way back. But Xu Zi was naturally cautious. This train wasn't heading home; instead, it was heading east. He would have to transfer several times after getting off the train before finally buying a ticket home.
So we'll have to stay on the road for a few more days, and I wonder how the young educated youth are doing at home.
Xu Zijiang missed his wife, but the two people in front of him were more important at the moment. He held the little one in his arms and couldn't help but weigh him in his hands.
"Although I told him not to cry, there's no need for him to stay silent all the time, is there? It's been three days, and I haven't heard him say a word. Could there be something wrong with his voice?"
He lowered his eyes to look at Lin Rong in his arms.
“It’s not a problem with his voice. He’s been terrified lately and won’t speak.”
After spending a few days together, Lin Zheng seemed to have trusted Xu Zijiang, and his tone of voice became more relaxed. He was even willing to let Xu Zijiang hold his younger brother. Just a few days ago, Lin Zheng would have been exhausted but refused to let go of his brother.
"Really? Such a timid little man?"
Xu Zijiang teased him on purpose, even pinching his little cheek, but Lin Rong covered his face and still refused to speak.
"Now that you're coming with me, there's no need to be afraid. I can't help much with your family, but I can still take good care of you two brothers. Just say you're a distant relative of mine, and you can call me your cousin, okay? I'll build you a house, and you can settle down there for the next few years."
"What's going on at home isn't something you two kids should worry about. Adults have their own solutions. Just don't let anything slip when you get to the team, understand?"
Xu Zi glanced at Lin Zheng; all his instructions were directed at him.
He is the eldest son and an adult, so he has the responsibility and obligation to take care of his younger brother. Whether it's keeping it a secret or forgetting everything from before, it's his responsibility to help his brother settle down in the team. He, as an outsider, can take care of their daily needs, but the emotional void is something they need to fill themselves; no one else can help.
"I know."
Lin Zheng sighed, trying to tell himself to forget the past. Taking care of himself and his younger brother was the best choice now, so that his father's efforts in sending them both out would not have been in vain.
"Good to know. If the villagers ask why your brother doesn't speak, just tell them the truth: something happened in the family, and he's too young to accept it, so he's traumatized and doesn't want to talk."
A mix of truth and falsehood makes it easier for people to believe.
"Okay, sure."
Xu Zijiang was someone his father trusted, so Lin Zheng had no reason not to trust him. Therefore, he had been relatively well-behaved so far. He seemed to have listened to everything Xu Zijiang said, which reassured Xu Zijiang somewhat. At least he wasn't a troublemaker; he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't beat up the son of a high-ranking official later.
Anyway, we'll just build a house in an empty lot when we get home, put them both in there, and check on them occasionally. That should be enough. Boys need to be raised roughly so they can develop a sense of responsibility; they can't learn to take care of every little detail.
The only person he could take care of in every detail was his wife.
Xu Zi closed his eyes, rested, and went to meet his young wife in his dreams.
On the other side, the Dongtang Production Team.
"Let me out! I'll never dare to mess around again, and I'll never dare to curse you again. Yu Zhiqing, please let me go! I'll accept the deducted work points, okay? I'll go to work right now, I'll go right away. I'll never be lazy again."
Sun Dage was the first to break down. He cried and begged for mercy in the dark room, hoping that Yu Jiu would let him out.
"I don't dare to do it again. Can't I just go and do the work? Waaaaah."
"I won't dare to do it again, I'll never dare to do it again."
Being locked in a dark room was bad enough, but it was small and poorly ventilated, with nowhere to use the toilet, and no one brought them food. Just being hungry was unbearable for these three people. They had weak willpower and wanted to beg for mercy, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it, so they could only endure it, hoping that Yu Jiu would be scared and let them out soon.
Unexpectedly, Yu Jiu was not only unafraid, but also used even more underhanded tactics. She let a slippery snake in. Although it was non-venomous and its fangs had been removed, the slippery feel and the hissing sound alone were enough to scare the three men to death.
They quickly knelt down and begged for mercy, telling them to leave as soon as possible. They were willing to do the work and have their work points deducted, as long as they could get out of there first.
"Are you sure you'll work after you get out? I'm only giving you one chance. If you don't behave after this, you know what will happen."
Yu Jiu stood outside the door and asked in a clear, lingering voice.
“They were wrong, they really know they were wrong, Yu Zhiqing, please let them go, they didn’t mean to hit you.”
Yu Jiu had only locked them up for two days when the women of the Sun family started pleading for them. With them being so indulged, no wonder these people were so brazenly lazy.
However, Yu Jiu refused to budge, and no amount of pleading could change his mind. He wanted to scare the three people inside into begging for mercy. Sure enough, on the third day, they couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears. But Yu Jiu felt that this wasn't enough. This might just be a trick they came up with. Wasn't Li Nannan the same way before?
They begged for mercy when they were locked up, but after they were released, they continued to court death. She didn't want to repeat everything that happened with Li Nannan, so this time she not only locked up the three of them, but also put a snake in to scare them.
Using snakes to deal with a little girl might be a bit cruel, but she had no qualms about dealing with these three lazy men.
“I said I would lock you up for five days, and I will lock you up for the full five days. You have two more days to reflect on your actions here, make sure you really know you were wrong, and then you can come out.”
You only have one last chance. If you don't work hard after you get out, then no one can save you.
Yu Jiu announced this domineeringly, then turned and left, leaving behind only three men wailing and howling.
"No!!! Yu Zhiqing, come back quickly!!!"
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