The next day, Shen Ying got up early, took a wet towel to wipe Jiang Yu's face, and then went out to buy breakfast.
Perhaps because of the overcast weather, a layer of fog covered the outside, making everything blurry. After breakfast, Shen Ci went to the ward, partly to check on Jiang Yu's condition, and partly because he learned that his younger brother was going to Shi Village today and planned to go with him.
If something really happens, or if the other party doesn't let you in, they can make an exception for Shen Ci's sake.
The two trekked through mountains and rivers, and soon arrived at Stone Village. They first went home to check on things, and learned that Shi Dajin had become unusually well-behaved since Shi Tian was arrested. He stayed indoors all day, and they wondered what he was doing at home, so they were relieved.
The two decided to keep quiet about the person, glanced around the house and found it unchanged from when they left, and went to the neighboring Shiyi Village.
Shiyi Village is a bit far from their village, Shisan Village, and since they live in the very back, it takes about twenty minutes to get there.
Fortunately, one brother was in the army and the other shuttled between the shop and home, so the distance didn't feel very far. They arrived at Shiyi Village before the villagers went to work in the fields.
After making inquiries, it was learned that the woman in that family was named Cuixia, and she had married into the village from there. Her mother was unreasonable, would scold others at the slightest provocation, and loved to take advantage of others. Her father had died when she was very young, and he wasn't a good person when he was alive either.
The man she married, Shi Xinzhong, was not only a drunkard but also infertile. That's why she bought a child.
Because Shi Xinzhong not only loved to drink, but also sometimes gambled, his family became destitute. Moreover, whenever he lost at gambling, he would run home and beat his wife.
Let's talk about Cuixia again. Because she was raised by her shrewish mother, she would fight back against her husband whenever she was abused. But besides getting injured, she got nothing in return.
After having this child, she took her anger out on the child.
Upon hearing the villagers' description, Shen Ying felt a pang of heartache and deep distress. While Shen Ci was still chatting with the villagers, trying to obtain more important information, the man couldn't wait any longer and rushed towards Cui Xia's house.
It was around May Day, the time when villagers planted cotton. A small boy, covered in dirt, was squatting in the yard picking up cotton seeds.
He was extremely thin, with not a single fleshy spot on his body. He was even thinner than the siblings Sui Sui and Nian Nian from years ago.
Especially after picking them up for a while, they would stick their dirty little hands inside their clothes and scratch around, revealing lice all over their bodies.
"Dog Egg, your dad's awake. Go empty his pee."
A woman's shouts came from inside the house, followed by a woman whose face was tanned dark, dry, and fierce-looking.
The boy named Gou Dan was already numb to what she was told, his eyes lifeless.
He jogged along, carrying a chamber pot almost as tall as himself out of the house, and headed towards the outhouse at the back of the house.
The man felt a pang of guilt watching his son serve others. As he was about to walk into the yard and called out to Gou Dan, Shen Ci stopped him.
“I called the village chief over, under the pretext of sponsoring the child, to come and take a look. If you really want to take the child back, you’ll have to find the midwife from back then, as well as your so-called sister-in-law. To avoid things getting complicated, we’ll also need to have a police officer come and witness it.”
Shen Ci's words were like a wake-up call. This tall man, over 1.8 meters, had always been at a loss in such matters.
As they were talking, the village chief of Shiyi Village arrived. The old man looked to be about the same age as the village chief of Jiang Village, and he was followed by two young men, who were said to be the newly elected deputy secretary and director, who had come to do publicity and broaden their horizons.
When they saw the two carrying oil, flour, and children's clothes, the group couldn't stop smiling. They were especially delighted when they learned that Shen Ci was the owner of the oil shop, their faces crinkling with laughter.
"Shen Ci, I heard you're the owner of the oil shop in our town, and the brother who brought the donation to Gou Dan is a leader in the army. I wonder how much good fortune Xin Zhong's family has accumulated to be able to meet such philanthropists like you."
The village chief knew that Gou Dan had been adopted and was furious with Shi Xinzhong and his wife for their actions. He thought that they had only taken in a child because the man was infertile, and now, instead of abusing him, they showed no remorse whatsoever as parents.
But he didn't know that the child was bought through illegal channels. Otherwise, he would be the first to object.
"As you know, my son Yangyang has a very serious illness. The reason I came here is to do something for him and make the surgery go more smoothly."
Shen Ci had already prepared his explanation and was just waiting for them to ask.
Led by the village chief, everyone arrived at Shi Xinzhong's house. At that moment, Gou Dan had just finished urinating and was about to continue squatting on the ground picking up cotton seeds when Cui Xia pulled him up.
"You child, I told you not to do chores, but you still won't listen. If people see this, they'll think I'm abusing you."
When Cuixia saw the village chief bring strangers to her house, she assumed that someone had reported her for abusing her child, or that her husband had done something bad, and her heart pounded in her chest.
Everyone knew what she did all along, so they pretended to turn a blind eye.
"Comrade Cuixia, Comrade Shen Ci from the Third Village knows about your family's situation and has brought his brothers over to help Gou Dan. Go and call Xin Zhong out to entertain him properly."
Hearing the village chief's words and glancing at the food on the ground, Cuixia couldn't stop smiling. After a soft "okay," she ran briskly into the house to wake the man.
"Little friend, how old are you?"
Seeing an opportunity to interact with the child, Shen Ying squatted down in front of Gou Dan and asked him questions in a seemingly indifferent manner.
Three years old.
Dog Egg pondered for a long time, scratched his head, and said softly.
Although he didn't recognize the uncle in front of him, he could sense a shadow of sadness in his eyes. He didn't know why.
A short while later, Shi Xinzhong walked out of the courtyard, stretched, and lazily sat down on a bench in the yard, saying:
"So you're going to sponsor my son? Tell me, why?"
His tone was extremely impolite, and the village chief's hints were useless. Just as Shen Ci was about to speak, an elderly woman's voice came from afar, panting and shouting:
"Cuixia, keep an eye on the children. These people are here to snatch them from our home."
Before anyone could react, she said:
"Several cars arrived at the village entrance, carrying many soldiers. Also inside was the midwife who delivered Gou Dan."
After saying that, he slumped down at the doorway, panting heavily.
Upon hearing this, Cuixia's face was filled with tension. She kept a watchful eye on the people in the courtyard. Especially when she saw Shen Ying talking to Gou Dan, she took advantage of a moment when they weren't paying attention and pulled the child behind her.
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