Chen Jianguo lay sprawled on Li Yan's grave, the child on his body crying his heart out. If Liu Jiefang hadn't been holding him tightly, Tan Yajun would have rushed over already. They had been walking for more than two or three hours. Could the child have been crying for so long?
He took a few simple steps forward, checked the side of his neck and his breathing, and then paused.
"How are you? Jianguo, are you alright?"
The others were anxious, but dared not come over; they could only call out from afar to ask.
Jian Dan squeezed her eyes shut, swallowed the sudden surge of bitterness, reached out and scooped the child up, then stood up, her voice trembling.
"It's alright, child."
Several people were also stopped. The child was fine, but what about the adults?
She handed the child to Tanya Jun, then walked over and led a few of them to the woods. She wasn't in the mood for anything else, so she simply took out a pile of meat, not caring what it was, just hoping they wouldn't cause any trouble.
The two militiamen who were following behind also arrived, and when they saw the scene, they were dumbfounded.
"Wait, wasn't the woman just buried? How come the man is dead too?"
They'd only ever heard about such things from the older generation; this was the first time they'd ever encountered something like this. It involved human lives, so it always inspired awe.
The two of them practically turned around and ran down the mountain.
The educated youth were stunned when they came to their senses. They were all young people in their twenties, and few of them had ever faced death directly. Li Yan's incident had already had a significant impact on them.
They were all sent-down youths, and in just a few years, regardless of what they had experienced, they were left here forever with no possibility of returning to the city or going home. This was the fact, and it was the scene that the sent-down youths least wanted to see. Now they were confused about their future.
This incident happened in such a short time, which is indeed cruel for them. Two lives lost in one day.
Even Lin Dongfang and Ling Weidong, those few tough guys, felt their hands and feet go cold.
"Jianguo, Jianguo, why are you so foolish?"
Liu Jiefang regretted it even more.
"I was too stupid to notice something was wrong. If I had figured it out earlier and told you, maybe we could have stopped him. It's my fault, my fault."
The child over there was still crying and fussing. Tan Yajun was sweating profusely with anxiety. In the end, she had no choice but to try putting the child next to Chen Jianguo again. She didn't know if the child really knew something, but with a pout, the child slowly stopped crying and fell asleep with tears still on his face.
"This child used to cry for help, but now she's reluctant to let go?"
These words were heartbreaking to hear, and several of the female educated youth had already teared up.
"Brother Lin, Brother Dong, what should we do?"
Having no other choice, the male educated youth discussed the matter and compared it with the village customs, together with Liu Jiefang.
"Let's bury Jianguo and Li Yan together!"
They all thought that since the father and son were left all alone, they should help them out more in the future. Who would have thought that Chen Jianguo would have such a thought?
They knew Chen Jianguo quite well. Unlike the others who had family wealth, they had to rely on themselves for every penny. To make a living in the countryside, they had to consider reality first, and only then could they think about romance.
Unfortunately, Chen Jianguo and his wife did not have any advantages. They focused more of their energy on making a living; only by living could they survive.
In recent years, Li Yan's health has become a bottomless pit. Almost everyone knows that, apart from essential living expenses, the couple spends all their money on medicine. Even with the compensation they received a few years ago, they still struggle to make ends meet.
They had also been moved by Chen Jianguo's unwavering support, but no one expected him to go to this extent.
Ling Weidong said quietly,
"Do you think their parents would feel even a little bit sad or upset if they found out?"
"I doubt it. Since they were willing to kick them out back then and have ignored them for so many years, it's likely that the family no longer has a place for this child. Even if they found out, they would probably just shed a few tears and say something like, 'This child has a hard life,' and that would be the end of it."
Back home, the family was happy and harmonious as usual.
They agreed with this statement.
Su Hong seemed to have thought of herself as well.
"Even if you knew about this, who would want to believe it?"
They all have the same parents, haha, yet they always try to rank themselves.
Most of those who are sent to the countryside by their families are those who are not valued at home; this sentiment is shared by many.
By the time the group had finished arranging the couple's joint burial, the sun was already setting, and Tanya Jun finally noticed something amiss.
"Look, what is this?"
She pulled an envelope from a lining inside the swaddling clothes and handed it to the nearest person.
"Was it left behind after the founding of the People's Republic of China? Why didn't you think to look for it earlier?"
He emptied the envelope and found several sheets of paper and some banknotes in his hand.
Lin Dongfang and Ling Weidong exchanged a glance and gently opened it.
The top document is a handwritten statement proving that his entrustment of the child to Liu Jiefang and Tan Yajun was not a sale, but a deathbed entrustment.
Below that is a house certificate, which is the house where the couple lives. It's not worth much in the countryside, but it's enough to keep them sheltered from the wind and rain. Like money, it should be left to their children.
Below that were two envelopes, with addresses and stamps already affixed. Judging from the addresses and recipients, the group guessed that they were from their home.
This one wasn't touched. At the bottom was a letter without an envelope. Ling Weidong opened it directly, scanned it from beginning to end, and handed it to Lin Dongfang without saying a word.
Just as they guessed, Chen Jianguo and Li Yan were in similar circumstances, which brought them together. Over the past few years, they have supported each other through thick and thin.
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