Chapter 117
The hand waved around recklessly to touch the oranges, without caring at all that it had been discovered the last time it came.
Gu Ran felt sorry for the little girl and took the initiative to pass the orange to her hand. The little hand paused for a moment, then grabbed it and snatched it away, then retracted it and didn't reach in again.
Gu Ran leaned over to the hole and took a look. There was still a white mist, but he could clearly hear the sounds of chewing and swallowing coming from within the mist.
After eating three or four bites, the hand reached in again, so Gu Ran handed over another orange. When the hand grabbed the orange, Gu Ran didn't let go: "Hey, kid, this is my home, you know?"
The hand on the orange stiffened.
"Your home?"
Judging from the voice, it was indeed a child. Because of the young age, it was difficult to tell whether it was a boy or a girl.
"Yes, you are stealing things from my house."
"You, are you a monster?"
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm hungry, can you let me fill my stomach first?"
"Are you hungry?"
"I haven't eaten for three days, and I was beaten by... bad guys. I was seriously injured..." The child whimpered and sobbed.
Gu Ran looked at the bleeding hand and instinctively knew that the child was not lying, so he let go. The hand that grabbed the orange immediately retracted.
Hearing the sound of people wolfing down their food, she couldn't help but become curious: "Little ghost, who are you?"
The sound of eating paused and then started again.
"Can you please talk to me nicely? If you can answer my questions, I'll give you not only oranges but other things to eat, too!"
"Anything else?"
"Well, something else to fill my stomach."
Oranges are fruits and are generally not eaten to fill your stomach.
The voice fell silent for a while before saying, "No, oranges are great. I just like eating oranges. Thank you...sister."
It sounded like the word "sister" was very awkward. It was probably because of fear or reluctance.
However, if he knew he was discovered, but still came here to touch the things, and was still hungry for three days without anything to eat, he must have been desperate, right?
"Is this really your home, sister?"
"Yeah, how did you find this place?" And how did you dig through the space grid?
"I, I was fighting with someone from the village. I lost, and when I was hiding, I saw it."
"Where were you fighting?"
"In the mountains."
"Is your village inside the mountains?"
"That's right."
"Where is your village?"
"Sister, sister, are you coming to catch me?"
"No, I just asked casually because I thought you were a strange kid."
"Then your family is also very strange." Although the childish voice was not from the child himself, it sounded very confused.
"Why is it strange?"
"It's clearly a mountain, and there are so many oranges in it. And you, sister, also live in the mountain. Are you really not a monster?"
It turns out that in the eyes of children, space grid No. 3 is a mountain. No, the storage space in this space grid is in the mountain?
Where's the mountain?
"No, my house is just built behind this mountain. The mountain wall you see just happens to be the wall of my courtyard." Gu Ran explained. He didn't know whether the child believed it or not, but the child didn't say anything and seemed still confused.
"If you don't believe me, just cross this mountain. If you cross this mountain and find my house, you will understand that I didn't lie to you."
"real?"
"real!"
"What's your name?"
These words stumped Gu Ran.
Just tell it straight?
No, even though the other party is a child, Guru said that the coordinate code of space grid No. 3 is the Great Sheng Dynasty. Although it is far away from home, what if he tells this to others one day? Wouldn’t she, Gu Ran, really become the monster he calls her?
no.
"This, to be honest, is actually my master's house."
"Master?"
"This yard isn't actually mine, but this wing is mine. I work for the master, and I'm diligent and capable, so he rewarded me with a beautiful wing. Who would have thought that my wing would be destroyed by you?"
"I didn't break it..." The child outside protested softly, and then asked, "Then what kind of work do you do for your master to deserve such a nice room?"
Gu Ran: ...Why is this kid so hard to fool?
"Yes, I grow oranges. The oranges my master grows are delicious, with thin skin and sweet flesh. You've tried them too. They're delicious, aren't they?"
"tasty!"
"If you think they're delicious, I'll give you a few more in the future. But can you promise me one thing?"
"What's up?"
"Please don't tell anyone else that the place is broken and that you can touch the oranges, okay? Otherwise, if the master knows that my room is broken, I will be severely punished."
There was silence outside for a long time before he said, "Okay, I won't tell anyone else."
"You're so kind, kid!"
It had been so long since he first touched the oranges, and no one else had come to dig in this place. Gu Ran had a little faith in this child, "By the way, my name is Sister Liu, what's your name?"
As Gu Ran spoke, he picked out a number of cakes and candies that could fit through the hole and put them in the hole.
The kid opposite saw this and hurriedly took them all.
Gu Ran saw that the little brat had taken all the things but didn't say anything. He then asked, "I can't call you a child from now on, can I?"
"My name is Ling'er, the same as in the beautiful jade."
"Lin'er?" It turned out to be a little boy.
"That's what my mother and sister call me!"
"Then I will..."
Before Gu Ran finished speaking, Ling'er across from him suddenly said hurriedly, "I, I have something urgent to do now. I'll leave first. I'll come to see you next time, Sister Liu!"
"Wait, Ling'er? Ling'er?"
There was no response from outside for a long time, so Gu Ran had to give up.
"I say, if I just patch up this hole in the damaged space, can it still be used?"
[Of course, as long as no one has discovered the mountain near the coordinate code, it can continue to be used.]
It seems that only Ling'er knows about this now, and because he is young, he probably believes what I said for the time being.
Fortunately, it was a child who discovered it.
So, Guru is saying that as long as Ling'er is killed, space grid number three can be kept secret from everyone?
Do you want to kill?
Gu Ran was quite hesitant and glanced at the hole. Besides, if he wanted to kill, how could he do it?
He came here for the food, so poisoning him is enough?
Gu Ran shook his head violently. No, no, the other party was just a little boy. What the hell was she thinking, harming a child whose petty theft was not a serious crime?
But if this child is not eliminated, space grid number three will be in danger of being exposed at any time.
Is she going to give up such a large space for a child of unknown origin?
Is there no way to have the best of both worlds?
Gu Ran, who left the cabin to get food that day, looked solemn.
"Second mother!"
Pei Liu saw that Gu Ran looked strange today and called out, "What's wrong with you?"
"It's okay. I guess it's because it's my first time on a boat, so I feel uncomfortable." Gu Ran forced a smile and explained.
"In the cabin, bored?"
Gu Ran nodded.
Pei Liu hesitated for a moment, "Well, how about some entertainment?"
What entertainment can be found on board?
Gu Ran saw Pei Liu glance towards her.
Gu Ran also looked at the cloak on her body, and was shocked.
Because Liu Niang has grown rapidly in recent years, the winter clothes she sews now are all wide robes and cloaks, and at first glance she looks like a very handsome man.
Gu Ran didn't know how many times he had looked at her tall stature with envy.
It’s just that Liu Niang is tall and beautiful, but she has no breasts.
Gu Ran felt sorry several times, thinking that the nutrients that should have been used to grow breasts were diverted to grow height?
But now, there was a bulge inside Liu Niang's cloak, which had no bra.
Did Liu Niang suddenly grow breasts?
Gu Ran was surprised and looked at it carefully. Something was wrong. How could the breasts move left and right?
Gu Ran's eyes twitched: "Sixth Mother, you, you, what's wrong with you?"
Pei Liu looked at the little guy hiding in the cloak and moving restlessly, and smiled. He lifted a corner of the cloak, revealing a cute furry head, which stared at Gu Ran with round eyes: Meow~
Isn’t this Xiaohua?
No, Xiaohua is fatter than her. This is Xiaohua’s great-great-grandson, named Xiaodouhua because his fur is orange and white.
"Is it small tofu pudding?" Gu Ran looked at Pei Liu in disbelief.
Pei Liu nodded and reached out to stroke Xiao Douhua's head. Xiao Douhua acted coquettishly: Meow~
My goodness, when did she kidnap the cat from her house?
"you……"
"Xiao Douhua was always sticking to me. When I was leaving, he kept pestering me and refused to leave. I thought, since we're on a government ship, there's no danger. It would be okay to take Xiao Douhua for a stroll on the sea." After returning, Xiao Douhua was just a cat who had been to the capital and seen the world.
Pei Liu looked at Xiao Douhua lovingly, then at Gu Ran. He picked up Xiao Douhua by the scruff of her neck and handed it to her: "Put it in your arms. It's warm and can be used for entertainment."
Gu Ran's mouth twitched. Just as he was about to say something, he heard a cough from behind. He turned around and saw, "Grandpa Qiao!"
General Qiao looked at the fur ball in Pei Liu's hand, smiled slightly, and took out a fur ball from his cloak with both hands.
It turned out to be her fur ball.
Because of its black and yellow colors, and large patches of yellow hair like flowers blooming on its body, the kitten is called Little Golden Flower.
Gu Ran held his forehead and said, "No, why are you two here to kidnap my cat?"
"I was about to leave, but the little guy kept pestering me, so I softened my heart and brought him here!" General Qiao held the furry ball in his hands and stroked the furry ball's little head with satisfaction.
It’s true that in these years, there is no other small heater as convenient as this one, and I can’t bear to let it go after holding it.
"Second Mother?" Pei Liu was still trying to get Gu Ran to play with the cat, but Gu Ran waved his hand, "It's okay. You guys have to take good care of the cats you brought out. If anything happens, I'll hold you responsible."
She is now worried about the things in the space, and it is not a good time to tease the kittens at this critical moment.
Returning to space grid No. 3, Gu Ran decided to find out more about Ling'er's background first.
This time, Ling'er appeared much sooner than last time. A day later, she came to touch things, but she became much more polite: "Sister Liu, are you there?"
"Yes, Ling'er." Gu Ran said sweetly, "Are you here to ask me for food again? You are so young, why are you always hungry? What's wrong with your family?"
There was a long silence on the other side before someone said, "My mother treats me and my sister badly and never lets us eat. That's why I found this hole where I could get food and came here. I never thought it was your boudoir, Sister Liu. I was inconsiderate. Please forgive me, Sister Liu!"
Hey, it turns out that Ling'er has such good articulation?
"Then Ling'er, you really suffered."
Gu Ran didn't know whether what Ling'er said was true or not, but judging from the frequent wounds on his hands, with new scars on top of the old ones, he probably wasn't having a good life.
"How could your mother treat her own son like this? She's such a shame to be a mother!" Gu Ran followed up on what Lin Ge'er said, "She's not good to your siblings. Didn't you tell your father?"
"My mother, my current mother, is a stepmother. It's useless to tell my father, and..." The other party paused for a moment before saying, "and my father is already dead."
Gu Ran was stunned.
Tsk tsk, no wonder this little boy, who lives at the hands of his stepmother, is so miserable.
"Sister Liu?"
"Why?"
"Why don't you patch up the hole?"
Gu Ran was stunned again.
Of course, it’s because I don’t dare to seal it up before I’m sure you won’t tell anyone about this. What if, after I seal it up, you find other people to smash and dig up the mountain?
"I, I didn't dare tell the owner about the damage in the room, so I could only secretly find something to fix it myself. Now, I haven't found all the materials yet, so I can only make do with it." Gu Ran immediately explained according to her identity as Sister Liu.
After hearing no response from the other side for a long time, Gu Ran could only continue speaking: "Lin Ge'er, please don't tell others that my room is here, okay?"
"I told you not to tell anyone. A gentleman's word is as good as gold. Sister Liu, you should trust me..." At this point, Ling'er suddenly paused, "If Sister Liu was worried, why didn't you poison the food you gave me last time?"
If we poison him to death, won't no one know the secret?
Gu Ran was shocked!
Wow, where did this sharp kid come from? He actually has such vicious thoughts!
Wait, how old is this Lin Ge'er, and he already knows how to kill people to silence them?
"Lin'er, do you think I poisoned your food?" Gu Ran patted his chest in shock. "You're so young, how could you have such evil thoughts?"
"Yes, that's what my mother, my current mother, said. She always scolds me and my sister, saying we are useless and that she will poison us to death one day. Without us, her life will be easier!"
Oh, so you learned it from your vicious stepmother?
"Now that I know your secret, Sister Liu, I think, Sister Liu, you must want to poison me too, right?"
"But I didn't poison you!" Gu Ran argued feebly, "The food I gave you was not poisonous."
Although she had thought about it, it was just a thought and she had not decided whether to put it into action!
"I know!" Ling'er's tone was also a little anxious, "I gave them food, they are fine, I know you are not!"
Give them food?
Gu Ran was shocked.
Ling'er thought that the food was poisonous, so she gave it to them on purpose?
who are they?
No, this Lin Ge'er is really vicious!
Gu Ran took a deep breath and said, "Lin Ge'er, who did you give the food I gave you?"
Ling'er was silent for a while, and then she said quietly, "It was the bad guys in the village who bullied me and my sister."
Gu Ran was silent.
"They took advantage of my father's death and my mother didn't like me and my sister, so they always bullied me. I would fight them, but they outnumbered me and I couldn't win. In the end, I always had to hide somewhere."
As Ling'er spoke, her voice trembled a little, but she didn't sob or cry, and seemed a little too calm.
So, those scars on his hands were caused by the people in the village?
"Well, your mother doesn't care about you. Go find the village chief and the head of the neighborhood committee and ask them to seek justice for you!"
“It’s useless!”
"How can it be useless?"
"My sister, my mother, and I were exiled here because of my father's fault!"
"No matter where you are exiled, once you settle down in a village, you will be under the jurisdiction of the local village chief and resident head. If that doesn't work, you can ask the county magistrate for help."
"But we're in Minzhou, a wild place with barbaric people..." Ling'er paused, then spoke suspiciously, "Sister Liu, where do you grow your oranges?"
It’s actually in Minzhou!
Gu Ran was delighted, and immediately replied: "Of course it's also in Minzhou!"
Then after going to the capital and returning to Minzhou, she would have to look carefully for the village where Ling'er was and determine where the coordinate code of space grid No. 3 corresponded to?
Ling'er said it was a mountain, so just buy the whole mountain.
"Have you ever eaten the oranges in my house? They're from Fujian Province."
Gu Ran was afraid that Ling'er wouldn't believe him, so he quickly stuffed a few more oranges in front of the hole. "Look, Ling'er, you like oranges, right? Here are some. They were just picked from our master's orange orchard. They're still fresh, aren't they?"
Sure enough, a hand stretched out from the hole and took all the oranges.
"Do you want me to get you some other food?" Are you afraid that she will learn her lesson this time and poison you, so you don't want it?
"Okay." Ling'er nodded and sighed softly, "If I had known those cakes were not poisonous, I would not have given them to them." It was a good deal for them.
Gu Ran forced a smile and handed over the inch-long dates and rice cakes placed beside him.
"Can you give me more, Sister Liu?" Ling'er said frankly, "My sister is also hungry today."
"Oh, okay, your sister is at home now, with your mother?" Gu Ran asked while moving his food.
"Yeah." Ling'er responded while taking the food.
"Which village is yours?"
Ling'er paused, "Sister Liu, why are you asking this?"
"Your mother has been bullying you and your sister so much. I plan to go to the village to find you in the near future." Gu Ran said indignantly, "You are still young and difficult to talk to. You are weak and alone. I will go and help you!"
Ling'er was silent for a while.
"No need to trouble you, Sister Liu!"
"Why?"
"I can't trouble outsiders with my family affairs, but don't worry, Sister Liu, I won't tell anyone else about what happened in your wing."
"Your sister won't tell me either?"
After another period of silence, Ling'er said, "I won't say it."
"Okay, then I'll patch the hole later. Before that, Ling'er can come talk to me anytime."
"good."
After that, Ling'er came to see Sister Liu every few days.
Of course, they all come here to eat.
Although Ling'er was obviously very wary of her and didn't say much - of course, the same was true for Gu Ran - she still managed to get more information out of Ling'er, and finally got a general idea of his life experience and even his last name.
Lin Ge'er's surname is Lu, and his full name is Lu Yilin.
Lu Die was a minor official in Jingzhao Prefecture in the capital. Lu Niang (biological mother) died when Ling'er was two years old, and later Lu Die married a stepmother.
A few years later, Lu's father was convicted and beheaded, and his whole family was exiled to Minzhou.
The two younger brothers that Lu's stepmother gave birth to are both gone. Now, apart from his stepmother, there are only him and his elder sister in the family.
Their stepmother was not kind to them. She often ordered them to work and either beat or scolded them. Therefore, they lived a hard life. They came to the woods to dig wild vegetables and pick mushrooms. Otherwise, they would not have discovered the empty space in her room, and then secretly took food and got to know Sister Liu.
Naturally, she inquired about Ling'er's life experience through conversation, and Ling'er would inevitably ask her about Sister Liu's situation.
Of course, Gu Ran was not afraid. He told a story he had made up about how his master had seized the opportunity, reclaimed wasteland, and spent a lot of money to buy orange saplings to become rich. He said that he was the capable person who was invited to work in the house by the master's discerning eye.
"Yellow Dragon Disease?"
"Well, it's yellow tip disease. You know, the kind that turns all the leaves at the top of tree branches yellow. It's a terminal illness, incurable by anyone," Gu Ran boasted. "Since so many orange orchards are experiencing problems, that means the supply and demand for oranges in the market will be even worse, right? So the owner immediately seized this opportunity and planted their own orange orchard. Don't you think she's amazing?"
"Awesome!" Ling'er said with admiration.
Gu Ran was secretly proud: That’s right, awesome!
Ling'er asked again: "Is the yellow tip disease very common?" If it is common, families who grow oranges will suffer from the disease more often. Wouldn't that be a loss?
"Will your master's orange tree also be infected with this disease?"
"No, no."
"Why not?"
"Yellow tip disease is very rare. I've never heard of anyone's orange trees in Jianzhou having this disease before. As long as we properly treat the diseased trees and soil this time, there will be no problem in ten or eight years." Gu Ran explained, "My master's orange orchard has taken preventive measures, so there is no fear of disease."
"Oh, so that's how it is!"
"If you were lucky enough to come to our master's orange orchard, you would surely see numerous lush green orange trees. Every year when they bloom, the orange blossoms are so fragrant that it almost feels like a light snow has fallen on the trees. Just looking at them is refreshing and cool. In the fall, the trees are covered in golden fruit."
Ling'er couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"No."
"real?"
"Um."
There was a crunching sound coming from the hole.
This kid, she was so interested in telling him about her orange grove, but he was so absent-minded.
After a while, Ling'er's voice came over: "Sister Liu, Sister!"
"Um?"
"Sister, when I grow up, I will go to Minzhou to find you."
"Huh?" Gu Ran was startled.
"Thank you for giving me so much food, but I... won't come again."
"Hey hey?"
"My mother is not good to us, so I decided to leave the village. When I have learned some skills, I may come back here, or I may not come back." Ling'er said, her tone a little excited and a little sad.
"Where are you going to learn skills after leaving the village? Don't let anyone fool you!"
Gu Ran had always felt that Lin Ge was opinionated, but he had never expected her to be so opinionated. "Also, if you leave, your sister will be the only one left. What will your sister do?"
Ling'er responded by stuffing an object into her through the hole.
When Gu Ran took a look, he saw a small and exquisite jade pendant on the cupboard, with flying bat patterns on the edge.
"Thank you for being so kind to me, sister. However, after I leave, you'd better fix this hole as soon as possible. Otherwise, if others find out, they might dig their way all the way into your boudoir."
"Young lady, you should pay attention to your own safety." Ling'er sighed like a little adult, "Not everyone who enters this forest is like me, adhering to the gentleman's principle of taking what he gets."
"You... Ling'er, you haven't told me which village you are in yet?"
"You didn't tell me which village you were in?"
Gu Ran was choked for a moment.
"Well, it's time for me to leave the forest. Sister, you must work hard, live a good life, and earn more money. When I come to find you, you must be able to give me so many delicious oranges!"
"Wait, Ling'er!"
Gu Ran went to the cave and still saw white fog, but he heard footsteps running farther and farther away.
It seems that Ling'er has really left.
After confirming it, Gu Ran felt empty inside.
At first, I was worried that the space grid had been destroyed, but then I met Ling'er and was sure that he really had no ill intentions. He did not tell others about the discovery of the space grid, nor did he continue to destroy the space grid. However, I guess he was only a seven-year-old boy, so he probably couldn't destroy it even if he wanted to. Otherwise, why wouldn't he continue digging to expand the hole and make it easier to touch things?
After getting to know each other, they were able to talk to each other quite well. This sea journey, because of the matter with Ling'er about the space grid, did not feel boring at all, and the time passed very quickly.
Gu Ran glanced at the small jade pendant left in the cupboard and picked it up.
This jade pendant is used to cover the cost of feeding him these days, right?
Despite his young age, he understands quite a lot!
[Host, do you want to repair space grid number three? ]
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