"Xiao Gu, don't just stand there, come sit down."
Zhao Dajiang greeted them warmly.
Gu Wei quickly composed himself and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
Tang Jiamei came in carrying two bowls of water.
Gu Wei stood up and took it, saying thank you.
Tang Jiamei waved her hand with a smile: "It's just a bowl of cold water, nothing special, why be so polite!"
Zhao Dajiang chuckled and said, "This kid looks refined and is so polite. He's obviously well-educated. What's your education level? Did you go to high school?"
"I've been there."
Gu Wei, afraid of saying too much and making a mistake, quickly lowered his head and drank water.
It has a sweet and refreshing taste.
It tastes pretty good.
"He's better than my youngest son. That brat is good at everything else, but he's terrible at studying."
Zhao Dajiang tilted his head back and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls, then wiped his mouth.
Gu Wei quickly finished the water in his bowl.
Tang Jiamei took the bowl, her eyes smiling, and asked, "Would you like another bowl?"
Gu Wei quickly said, "No need, Auntie."
Just then, the sound of dogs barking came from outside.
Gu Wei also stood up with Zhao Dajiang and his wife, and looked out into the courtyard through the open window.
The man who entered was an old man with gray hair, a tall and sturdy build, and a pipe in hand.
He was wearing a gray tank top and army green pants, with the right pant leg rolled up.
"Dajiang, I heard you brought someone back from the mountain?"
"Yes, Uncle Sun, come inside quickly."
Zhao Dajiang responded loudly as he went to greet them.
Tang Jiamei explained to Gu Wei, "This is the former head of our forest farm's security department."
Then he turned around to make tea and pour water.
Security Department?
Gu Wei's heart tightened, and even his breathing became rapid.
If his identity needs to be verified but he can't produce one, it could arouse suspicion and lead to his arrest.
When the time comes, a quick search of your bag will reveal many things that don't belong to this era.
Gu Wei couldn't help but regret his rash decision to come to the Zhao family.
But people were about to come in.
Gu Wei could only force himself to remain calm and brace himself to deal with the situation with composure.
Sun Xuewu followed Zhao Dajiang into the house.
Zhao Dajiang introduced them with a smile: "Xiao Gu, this is Section Chief Sun."
"What section chief? I'm retired. Just call me Grandpa Sun."
"Hello, Grandpa Sun."
Gu Wei greeted the person politely while secretly observing them.
You can vaguely tell that the old man was quite handsome when he was young.
"Hmm, I heard you're from outside the mountains?"
Sun Xuewu glanced at the young man and realized that he came from a well-off family; he was fair-skinned, delicate, and had never suffered any hardship.
With bright eyes and a high nose bridge, he's hardly a bad person.
But her hairstyle and the clothes she wore were very fashionable.
Even the most trendy people in the capital and coastal cities are no different.
Gu Wei nodded: "Yes."
Where is it outside the mountains?
"Central Province".
"What are you doing here? Why are you thinking of going into the mountains?"
Gu Wei, quick-witted, said in as natural a tone as possible, "I came here to look for my relatives, but I couldn't find them. Then I heard that there are many good things in the mountains, so I went into the mountains to take a look."
"Oh, I see." Sun Xuewu pressed for details: "Which relative of yours are you looking for? What's their name? How old are they? What company do they work for?"
"His name is Gu Jianguo, he's in his thirties, and he's my grandfather's uncle. A few years ago, they came here from outside the mountains and settled down. I don't know what they're doing now..."
Gu Wei's lies became increasingly fluent, after all, he had listened to the old man tell many stories since he was a child.
Sun Xuewu frowned and pondered: "I know many people named Jianguo, but I don't think I know anyone with the surname Gu."
Zhao Dajiang also tried hard to recall, then shook his head: "I don't know either."
Gu Wei looked disappointed.
But I felt much more relaxed.
Because he could sense that the person no longer doubted him.
Zhao Dajiang offered Sun Xuewu a cigarette, but Sun waved it away.
He struck a match and lit his pipe.
"You're lucky you ran into Dajiang. A few days ago, Chen Laoliu from our forest farm went to pick ferns and was injured by a black bear. The hunters have been searching all over the mountains but haven't caught anything yet."
Gu Wei chimed in, "Yes, I heard it from Uncle Zhao. It's really fortunate that the uncle was able to escape danger."
Sun Xuewu took a drag on his cigarette. "That Chen Laoliu was careless! He was so focused on picking vegetables that he forgot to pay attention to what was around him. He ended up getting into a fight with a six or seven hundred jin black bear on the other side..."
Gu Wei exclaimed, "My God, six or seven hundred jin!"
Sun Xuewu nodded: "Hmm, that's not even the biggest one! There's an old saying: first the pig, second the bear, third the tiger. The black bear ranks second, not because it's stronger than the tiger, but because it's irritable, easily angered, has sharp teeth and thick skin, making it extremely difficult to deal with. Once it catches someone, it will chase and bite them to death. Its tongue has barbs, and one lick and the flesh is gone..."
Gu Wei occasionally chimed in to help, and learned more details.
This greatly satisfied Sun Xuewu's desire to confide in others.
Later, he glanced at the clock, his expression relaxed as he stood up: "I'm not going to chat with you anymore, it's almost noon, I'm going home."
Zhao Dajiang warmly urged him to stay, saying, "Uncle Sun, why go home? Let's eat here for lunch. My wife will make a couple of dishes, and Xiao Gu too, we'll have a drink."
Sun Xuewu waved his hand: "No, your aunt has already cooked. You can have some drinks if you want."
Then, looking at Gu Wei, he said, "Gu, don't rush to find your relatives. When my son comes back, I'll have him ask around for you. He knows a lot of people, and as long as your relatives are in our forestry bureau, we'll definitely be able to find them."
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