Facing the door, and making sure no one was outside, he lowered his head and spoke to Gu Xinyi. "Xinyi, I want to talk to you about my family. My parents were university teachers, but just before I went to the countryside, they were framed and sent to a labor camp. The person in charge of that farm is Tian Mi's uncle. So, for my parents' sake, I have to look after Tian Mi a lot. I hope you can understand."
This was the first time Gu Xinyi had heard Gao Hongyuan talk about his family, and now she could understand Gao Hongyuan's difficulties.
In such a turbulent era, the life and death of some people are truly at the mercy of a single thought. Although she has not experienced it herself, she has read quite a few of these stories in TV dramas and books.
At this moment, Gu Xinyi really felt sorry for this man. Looking at Gao Hongyuan's red eyes because he had barely slept last night, Gu Xinyi took Gao Hongyuan's hand for the first time and comforted him, "Don't worry, the darkness will always pass. I will always be with you to wait for the dawn. I will never be angry with you because of Tian Mi again. As long as the person in your heart is always me, I am willing to stay with you."
Hongyuan, let's make a promise, okay? If one day you stop liking me and someone else comes to your heart, please tell me honestly. If that happens, I promise I won't pester you. However, as long as you still love me, even if we have to separate for some reason in the future, I will silently watch over you. And I will do the same. If I stop liking you in the future, I will also tell you honestly, and we can part amicably, okay?
Gu Xinyi knew the course of history. It was only 1968, the movement had just begun, and it would take at least another seven or eight years for the movement to end.
She really didn't dare to think about what Gao Hongyuan would do if Tian Mi really used the safety of Gao's parents to threaten him one day.
Gu Xinyi knew how difficult those seven or eight years were for people in labor camps, but Gao Hongyuan didn't know. Back in Haishi, Gao Hongyuan was focused on his studies, so even though there were Red Guards and other young people at the school, he didn't participate much in those messy movements. Even without teachers, he studied on his own with his books.
After being sent to the countryside, Qingshan Brigade also had people who were sent down and imprisoned in cowsheds. However, from the brigade leader to the party secretary and ordinary villagers, everyone there was a kind person. No one would deliberately make things difficult for those living in cowsheds.
Moreover, these later educated youths started the autumn harvest almost a few days after they arrived, and the weekly criticism meetings were also stopped, so Gao Hongyuan had almost never seen those bloody criticism scenes.
Another reason is that Gao's parents were taken care of by Tian Mi's second uncle at the farm, so they didn't really suffer much. Therefore, in Gao Hongyuan's mind, his parents' life at the farm was probably similar to his when he went to the countryside, except that the work was a bit tiring and the food was a bit worse.
Therefore, he couldn't understand what Gu Xinyi meant at this moment, and only thought that she was still angry with him, which was why she said such a thing.
Afraid that she would break up with him again, Gao Hongyuan didn't care about anything else and directly hugged her and refused, "No, we don't need to make such a strange agreement. Xinyi, I like you and you are the only one in my heart. So no matter what happens in the future, I will never separate from you. And don't keep thinking about breaking up with me. I don't agree."
Gu Xinyi didn't argue with him at this moment, but just smiled and agreed, "Okay, no matter what happens in the future, we will not separate."
By the way, we're running low on firewood. The village secretary's eldest daughter-in-law just reminded me that this snow probably won't stop anytime soon, so I'd better hurry up and gather more firewood, otherwise it will be difficult to get into the mountains after the heavy snow closes them off.
"The snow seems to have lessened a bit now. How about we call Brother Wang and go gather some firewood on the back hill later?"
This kind reminder came after Gu Xinyi gave her the box of medicine; the eldest daughter-in-law of the village secretary mentioned it to Gu Xinyi out of gratitude.
Among those seriously ill this time was the old Party Secretary, who had been working in the fields to harvest crops last night when it rained.
The rain caused the already frail village secretary to develop a fever that very night, so Liu Qiaoling, who lives with the elderly couple, was among the crowd seeking medicine that day.
The village secretary's ability to predict the weather was already proven, so Gu Xinyi trusted Liu Qiaoling's words completely.
Hearing that it was the village secretary's daughter-in-law who said it, Gao Hongyuan took it very seriously. He couldn't care less about being affectionate with Gu Xinyi. "Since that's the case, we have to hurry up and go. Otherwise, if we don't light a fire today, we'll easily get sick. Xinyi, you should put on more clothes. I'll go call Wang Zhi. We'll leave right away." He gave these instructions and turned to leave.
Gu Xinyi, who hadn't taken collecting firewood seriously at first, became anxious when she saw Gao Hongyuan's posture. She hurriedly went back into the house, found a thick cotton coat, put it on, locked the door, and went to the woodshed behind the house to get a hemp rope to go find Gao Hongyuan and Wang Zhi.
Gao Hongyuan and his companion happened to be leaving the house at that moment. As they passed by other houses, Gao Hongyuan kindly called out to them.
As they passed the front yard, Liu Qiaoling's words were relayed to Feng Baoguo. After all, they were all educated youth living in the same courtyard, and although they each had their own thoughts on their daily lives.
However, they are very united when it comes to important matters, which is the fundamental reason why this group of young people can establish themselves in this unfamiliar rural area without being bullied.
Although there was plenty of firewood in Chen Shuning's woodshed, everyone in the educated youth compound went to collect firewood, so she couldn't very well not go. Therefore, she wrapped herself up like a ball and followed them out the door.
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