1-10

Chapter 1

Snow is falling outside the window, and the room is warm.

It's just that the atmosphere is a bit tense and depressing.

Qi Yuan was covered with a quilt and huddled inside the quilt. His eyebrows were slightly lowered and his lips were pursed tightly, feeling uneasy inside.

Shen Lingyun felt helpless as he looked at the nervous little boy who was huddled in a small ball opposite him.

"I'm just asking about your situation, don't be so nervous."

Qi Yuan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly raised her head to look at Shen Lingyun, her lips moved, "I, I'm not nervous."

"Okay." Shen Lingyun smiled with a hint of teasing in his eyes, "Then don't shake your hands."

"ah?"

Hearing this, Qi Yuan looked confused and his eyes were dazed, as if he didn't understand Shen Lingyun's words.

"Your hands... are shaking." Shen Lingyun pointed at his hands, which were shaking while holding on to the quilt. It was obvious that he was nervous and scared, "Don't worry, just relax."

"Oh." Qi Yuan purred and retracted his hand from the quilt, "I'm not scared, I'm just shaking from the cold."

He was stubborn and refused to admit that he was nervous and scared.

Anyway, I was carried back from outside just now, and my whole body was almost frozen, so there was no problem in saying so.

"Yes." Shen Lingyun responded in a low voice and nodded as if in agreement.

Qi Yuan gave a stiff smile, a bit flattering, "What do you want to ask?"

Shen Lingyun: "..."

He was speechless. It turned out that all the questions he asked just now were in vain, and the other party didn't listen at all.

"Where are you from, and why are you alone outside the village?" Shen Lingyun asked.

In the heavy snowfall outside the village, I saw this young man squatting on the ground with tears on his face. He was almost frozen in single clothes, as if he was about to fall down and wake up at any time.

He was so frightened that he ran over and hugged the person. Before the person could speak, he lost consciousness. Shen Lingyun had to carry him back first.

"Huh?" Qi Yuan continued to be confused, pretending to be confused, his eyes were dazed, and he did not answer his words.

Shen Lingyun was silent, thinking about his own problem and there was nothing wrong with it.

But he asked another way, "Why are you there?"

"I don't know." Qi Yuan answered quickly this time, shaking his head with a puzzled look on his face, "Why am I there?"

Shen Lingyun almost laughed out of anger at him, was he asking himself?

But looking at the young boy, his expression didn't seem to be fake, his whole face was blank, as if he was also thinking about this issue.

He didn't even know what to say.

"I..." Qi Yuan wanted to ask where this was and how he came here, but when Shen Lingyun's gaze hit him, he swallowed subconsciously and swallowed back what he wanted to ask, "I really don't know."

He looked up with a small face, huddled in a small ball under the quilt, with a bun on his head and his eyes full of doubts, looking innocent and pitiful.

Shen Lingyun was full of doubts and looked at the young man carefully. The more he looked at him, the heavier he felt and his doubts became more serious.

The young man has clear eyes and a bun that makes people laugh. He is immature and ignorant and cannot see that there is anything wrong with his head, but...

He always felt something was strange.

"What's your name?" Shen Lingyun suppressed all the thoughts in his heart.

"Qiyuan."

"How old?"

"fourteen."

Next, no matter what Shen Lingyun asked, Qi Yuan shook his head and didn't know. He only said his name and age.

Qi Yuan: We can't say this. We definitely can't say it.

He didn't know how he got here. The scorching summer sky turned into falling snow in a blink of an eye, and everything he saw was unfamiliar.

The only thing I know is: this is not the place where I used to live.

He patted his head and frowned in confusion, "Why don't I know anything? My head is so dizzy that I don't know anything."

Qi Yuan said, quietly raising his eyes to look at Shen Lingyun, meeting his eyes and smiling in a busy manner, "I'm taking a few shots to see if I can tell."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted his head a few more times, as if he hated iron for not becoming steel, and muttered: "Why are you so stupid?"

Pretending to be like I really don't know, I really don't remember.

The bun on his head was about to be blown away by him, and a few strands of hair had already fallen on his cheeks. He felt itchy and reached out to brush it and tuck it behind his ears.

Shen Lingyun: "..."

How could he not see that the young man was deliberately acting like this?

As long as it's not really stupid!

"I don't remember anything." Shen Lingyun asked, "How can I remember my name?"

"Well." Qi Yuan suddenly blushed, his cheeks burning, his eyes avoided looking at Shen Lingyun, he lowered his head and covered his face, "I really can't find my home, don't chase me away."

Shen Lingyun almost laughed.

It turns out that the crux is here!

He put his fist to his lips, coughed slightly, and said with a smile, "Okay, I won't ask anymore."

Then he comforted him: "Don't be afraid, I won't let you go."

"Really?" Qi Yuan raised his head sharply, his eyes sparkling with surprise, "You really don't want me to leave?"

"No." A flash of pity flashed in Shen Lingyun's eyes, and he said gently: "If you are willing to stay, then stay."

This is a homeless child, Shen Lingyun is sure.

"You stay on the kang while I find cotton clothes for you." Shen Lingyun stood up and took out a bundle from the mahogany box at the end of the kang.

"This is the rest of what I wore before. You can wear it first." Shen Lingyun handed it to Qi Yuan, checked his size and said, "It may not fit. I'll find someone to help you change it tomorrow."

"No, no need." Qi Yuan shook his head hurriedly, holding the burden and smiling with crooked eyebrows, "I can do it myself, I will change it."

Shen Lingyun's eyes paused, and then he said nonchalantly: "That's perfect."

He made sure again, "Do you really want to stay here and not leave?"

"Life is very hard." Shen Lingyun reminded him, "You can't even have enough to eat."

"Yeah." Qi Yuan nodded in agreement, "I'm not afraid, I know, I understand."

He spoke quickly, patting his small chest as if to make a promise, and said with a smile: "I am very capable, and you will soon know my advantages."

Qi Yuan just pinched her fingers to show Shen Lingyun her strengths, "washing clothes, cooking, feeding chickens, raising pigs..."

He said a lot in one breath, and then gestured to Shen Lingyun with his arms, "He is still good at farming and making money."

"Well." Shen Lingyun glanced at him, "You are so capable, why don't you even have a cotton-padded jacket?"

Qi Yuan: "..."

Seeing that he was in a daze again, Shen Lingyun's eyes flashed with a smile, "Take out the cotton-padded jacket and put it on the kang to warm it, and then put it on again when it gets warm."

He walked a few steps outside, then turned back and said, "This is Banpo Village. If you want to stay here, you need to report to the brigade. I'll go to the brigade headquarters and be back soon."

"I, I..." Qi Yuan heard that he needed other people's consent to stay here, and immediately became nervous again, "I don't want to leave, I have nowhere to go."

His eyes were pleading, "I will freeze to death."

"No." Shen Lingyun walked to the kang, reached out and touched Qi Yuan's head, and said comfortingly: "I will find a way to keep you here, don't be afraid."

"But I don't know anything, I really don't know." Qi Yuan shook his head in panic, tears welling up in his clear eyes, "I don't know how it came about."

"It's okay." Shen Lingyun comforted him lovingly, "This is the sixteenth day of the first lunar month in 1978. I will tell you the rest slowly, and I can teach you even if you don't know how."

"Yeah." Qi Yuan grabbed Shen Lingyun's clothes as if grasping a life-saving straw, "I will study hard and work hard. I will work more and eat less."

"I know." Shen Lingyun sighed. Seeing how uneasy he was, he said, "Don't worry, you can definitely stay as long as you want."

"Have a good rest." Shen Lingyun put his hand back into the quilt, "It's hot in the pit. Please stay warm and drink more hot water."

He poured some more hot water for Qi Yuan, "Drink more, you are very cold today."

I took the bundle he was holding, opened it and took out the contents. There were two sets of cotton jackets and trousers, and several sets of single clothes.

He looked at them one by one, with nostalgia in his eyes, as if he was looking somewhere through these things, but his expression was calm and unchanged.

"I wore this when I was a teenager. I'll give it to you." Shen Lingyun said.

He brought these from home, but they are no longer useful and there is no point in keeping them, which only adds to the sadness.

After he finished speaking, he strode away with a look of determination, as if he had dropped something heavy.

Qi Yuan didn't pay attention to this. He breathed a sigh of relief after Shen Lingyun left, but then became nervous and scared, feeling a little at a loss.

How did you get here? Why is this happening? What about your own home?

Qi Yuan asked over and over again in her heart, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Although my parents are gone, there are other relatives and friends there, as well as someone I know well from the village.

Qi Yuan is a little brother from ancient times. Two months ago, he lost his parents in an earthquake, and he was the only one left alive in the family.

Today is his birthday, and he is a little sentimental. When he went up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables, he accidentally entered the mountains by mistake, and ran away in a panic when he was chased by a wild boar.

He didn't pay attention to the changes in the surrounding environment. When he looked up again after the danger passed, he found that he was surrounded by a plain and there was a strange village in the distance.

But the mountain he was on just now had disappeared, and snowflakes were floating in the sky, which immediately scared him to tears, and he didn't know where he had gone.

When he was wearing single clothes and shivering from the cold and about to faint, a pair of big hands pulled him into a warm embrace.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying on the hot kang, and sitting next to him was a handsome man with gentle eyebrows.

"Forget it." Qi Yuan shook his head and said to himself.

If you don't understand, don't think about it for now. The first priority now is to stay here and have a place to stay.

Qi Yuan looked outside through the window. The snow was falling heavily and the cold wind was howling. If he went out at this time, he would freeze to death in a short time.

The man who saved him was a good man. Qi Yuan knew it. He touched his waist and smiled, "I will repay you."

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, looked around and saw his own basket in a corner, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He jumped off the kang happily, put the basket on the kang, and took out things. He couldn't afford to lose all his wealth.

No valuables can be stored in the temporary shack. Qi Yuan always takes the important belongings dug out from the ruins of his home with him. .

Chapter 2

"He Zhishu."

Shen Lingyun came to the brigade headquarters and saw several brigade cadres drinking water and having sex around a table.

He first said hello to He Xiangjun, and then nodded to the female director and accountant beside him.

The women's director Wu Qiuying rolled her eyes.

Accountant He smiled at him, then lowered his head to drink from the enamel jar, pretending not to notice Wu Qiuying's attitude.

He Xiangjun glanced at Wu Qiuying, with a hint of disapproval on his serious face, and said to Shen Lingyun, "Why is the snow coming? Is something wrong?"

He raised his finger and pointed to the opposite side of him, motioning Shen Lingyun to sit down, straighten his body and show a serious work attitude.

"If you have something to report to Party Secretary He." Shen Lingyun moved a stool and sat across from him. "I met a child who was about to freeze at the end of the village. I carried him back and he is now in the Educated Youth Center."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Qiuying slammed the table, "How can you bring people into the village at will and cause us trouble when nothing happens? What do you mean?"

Wu Qiuying, who was in her forties, looked fierce, and had been the women's director for many years, so she slapped her hand on the table and made a "bang" sound.

The drinking water jug ​​on the shaking table also shook.

But Shen Lingyun didn't move his eyes, he just kept looking at He Zhishu, his back straight and his face calm, as if Wu Qiuying's question just now was not directed at him.

He Zhishu's eyelids twitched, his upright face suddenly darkened, and he looked at Wu Qiuying with angry eyes, "What's your attitude?"

"That's my attitude." Wu Qiuyu said unconvinced: "Finally, those educated youths left, and the people who were sent to the countryside also left. I don't know who brought them to our place. This shows that we don't see the good of Banpo Village." ah."

"What are you thinking? Where is your consciousness?" He Xiangjun was really angry. I don't know why she kept holding on to Shen Lingyun and always gave her a bad look.

"He can still watch others die without saving him?" He Xiangjun continued to scold her, "Anyone who encounters this kind of thing must lend a helping hand. Can you still watch others die?"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Shen Lingyun and asked, "What is the specific situation? Tell me."

Shen Lingyun: "Let's get down to business."

He Xiangjun: "..."

Co-author Didn't you just say something serious?

"Ahem." He Xiangjun coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment and resumed his business-like attitude, "Go ahead."

Shen Lingyun nodded, ignoring Wu Qiuying's unkind gaze, "That child has no home, doesn't remember anything, and wants to settle here."

"No." Wu Qiuying objected, "This is not a relief station. We will even take in a beggar and let him leave."

Shen Lingyun glanced at her indifferently, then looked at He Xiangjun and said, "Those are our compatriots. I can't do such a thing. Where is He Xiangjun?"

He Xiangjun: "..."

Shen Lingyun's words were like questioning, don't you even have sympathy? I can't be with you.

"You, a decentralized reformer, have what qualifications do you have to accuse us?" Wu Qiuying asked: "Everyone else has left, but you are still here. I'm curious about what you committed and why you are thrown here and you don't even have the qualifications to be rehabilitated. None."

"Don't you know?" Shen Lingyun's expression remained unchanged, "Why don't you go to the commune and ask?"

"This..." Wu Qiu was stuck in English and looked at He Xiangjun. She was just a female director. How could she know this? How could she have the qualifications and courage to ask.

He Xiangjun took out a cigarette, lit it, took a puff, and fell into deep thought in the smoke.

He didn't know. He had been thinking about this matter for a long time. Ever since the redress documents began to come out, he had thought that Shen Lingyun would leave here soon.

But there was no movement at all, as if he had been forgotten.

"You were still a child when you came here!" He Xiangjun sighed and looked at Shen Lingyun with pity, "I remember you were about ten, three or four years old at the time, right?"

What mistake did such an old child make? He was curious and confused, and couldn't figure it out.

But this was not something he could care to explore.

"Thirteen years old, I haven't graduated from junior high school." Shen Lingyun felt a pain in her heart and closed her eyes suddenly, "If you have any opinions, you can report them to the superiors."

He Xiangjun was shocked. After glaring at Wu Qiuying, he said to Shen Lingyun: "No objection, no one is allowed to have any objection."

"Oh." Shen Lingyun responded lightly, not wanting to talk more about this issue, "What about the child?"

Then he said what he meant, "Or, just settle down, not participate in collective labor, and just have a place to live as an educated youth."

"This..." He Xiangjun hesitated, "Hukou is easy to solve, but if you don't participate in collective labor, then you won't be divided into rations."

What will the child eat then?

"Look, look." Wu Qiuying said with a mocking look on her face, tapping Shen Lingyun with her finger, "I don't want to work at all. With this kind of ideological consciousness, it's no wonder that I haven't been redressed."

"Isn't it good that we don't have to divide the rations?" Shen Lingyun suddenly turned around and asked.

The atmosphere was stagnant. Faced with Shen Lingyun's attack, Wu Qiuying could not refute for a while.

She just made things difficult for him and found such an excuse.

Even Accountant He looked up, looking at Wu Qiuying, then at Shen Lingyun, and then at He Xiangjun, as if he didn't understand what the situation was.

For a moment, no one spoke, and the situation was very awkward.

"Actually, anything will do." Accountant He, who had been silent all this time, said slowly, "You can't drive away a child in the snow."

He gave him a step. He Xiangjun reacted and hurriedly said: "Observe for a while first. If there is no problem with the child, then settle here. Anyway, there is a place to stay."

There are empty spaces for educated youth, and there is no shortage of places to live.

"It's just that this ration..." He Xiangjun frowned, thinking about how to solve it, but Wu Qiuying rejected it, "If you don't participate in labor, just drink the northwest wind."

"Then let's do this for now." Shen Lingyun said.

He stood up and said, "I'm going back first."

Shen Lingyun has no illusions about relief food.

He Xiangjun is a good man, upright and fair. He is not afraid that he will not agree with Qi Yuan staying here, but he is just wary of others.

"Go." He Xiangjun waved to him.

He looked at Wu Qiuying again and thought that he had to take this opportunity to talk to her. I heard that she always made trouble for Shen Lingyun for no reason.

As a female director, why would you bother a gay man?

Shen Lingyun walked to the door, stretched out her hand to open the door, then turned to look at Wu Qiuying, "Director Wu, your daughter is a good girl, and her reputation is the most important thing."

He stopped talking and looked at Wu Qiuying's own thoughts, "I don't have that intention, and I don't want everyone to know about it. It's not good for anyone."

Wu Qiuying's face twisted for a moment, and she felt her face was burning. This was not to make the matter public, but to say it openly.

"Shen Lingyun." She gritted her teeth and looked at Shen Lingyun's back, "I won't make it easy for you."

Suddenly she was excited and looked at He Xiangjun and Accountant He on the side. Seeing them both looking at her, she was momentarily panicked.

Shen Lingyun doesn't care what happens to them here.

He went directly back to the educated youth center, where he lived.

"I'm back." Qi Yuan held a rag in his hand and was running around the room packing things.

Seeing Shen Lingyun come back, he pointed at the clean and tidy house, "I've packed everything."

He greeted her with a smile and looked at Shen Lingyun with his clear eyes, begging for praise.

Shen Lingyun: "..."

Apart from a table on the floor, two benches, and two wooden boxes at the end of the kang, there was nothing else in the room. There was nothing to pack.

But Qi Yuan's eyes were full of smiles, and he said against his will: "Not bad, very clean."

He looked around him and saw that Qi Yuan had already put on a cotton coat. He was about the same size, but a little fatter.

She is too thin, and her height only reaches her chest.

"I'm very capable. Leave everything at home to me in the future." Qi Yuan promised, "I guarantee you will be satisfied."

He is eager to prove his worth and fight to stay here.

"Yeah." Shen Lingyun saw his thoughts and told him directly without saying anything else: "It's been agreed, you can stay here."

"Really?" Qi Yuan almost jumped up in surprise and spun around a few times happily, "It's really great."

"Thank you." Qi Yuan said seriously, "I will work hard and never be lazy."

"Well." Shen Lingyun walked to the kang and sat down, pointing to the kang and saying, "You get on the kang first. The ground is cold. I'll tell you something."

"Okay." Qi Yuan quickly took off his shoes and got on the kang, sitting upright, with a look on his face that he was obedient and actively cooperated with me.

"The household registration cannot be solved for the time being, but it is only a matter of time." Shen Lingyun said, "Don't worry about this, it will be done in the future."

Household registration?

Qi Yuan was at a loss and didn't understand.

"Hukou is very important. Prove your identity, otherwise you will be arrested." Shen Lingyun told him about this issue.

"What should we do?" Qi Yuan was afraid of being arrested. He already understood that Shen Lingyun was talking about household registration, and hurriedly pushed him a bunch of things, "These are all for you."

Shen Lingyun's eyes narrowed, he looked at the pile of things, and asked in shock: "Where did it come from?"

A bunch of green wild vegetables, fresh mushrooms, wild fruits...

"All for you." Qi Yuan said flatteringly.

Shen Lingyun's heart was beating wildly, and he looked at Qi Yuan inexplicably, and said solemnly: "I'll eat it soon, don't tell anyone."

Qi Yuan saw the change in his expression and immediately reacted. His body stiffened and he looked away with a guilty conscience, "I won't say it, I definitely won't say it."

"My name is Shen Lingyun, and I am here by myself." Seeing that he was afraid, Shen Lingyun comforted him: "You don't have to be afraid."

Seeing that Shen Lingyun didn't ask about the wild vegetables, Qi Yuan comforted herself and became bolder again, asking: "How old are you? Are you not married yet?"

The corners of Shen Lingyun's eyes twitched, and she looked at Qi Yuan speechlessly, "I'm only twenty-one years old, and it's still early to get married."

"Oh." Qi Yuan blinked, looking at Shen Lingyun's gentle eyebrows and handsome face, and said sincerely: "You are such a kind person, you will definitely marry a good wife."

Chapter 3

Shen Lingyun sat in front of the stove and lit the fire, feeling a little dazed.

Qi Yuan had given him a big shock just now, and those green wild vegetables kept dazzling in front of his eyes.

It was still snowing outside, not to mention wild vegetables, mushrooms... these things, there was not even a piece of land to be seen, where did he get these things?

"Where's the noodles?"

Qi Yuan was like a hard-working little bee, circling around the kitchen. In a short time, she washed the wild vegetables and mushrooms.

"I'll make the noodles." He rolled up the sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket and looked at Shen Lingyun expectantly. "The noodles I make are particularly delicious. You'll know in a moment."

When Qi Yuan asked Shen Lingyun to eat noodles, he was ready to show off his skills to show him how capable he was and that he would not regret staying.

"No need to knead the noodles." Shen Lingyun stood up and took out a cloth bag from the cupboard, "Here are ready-made noodles."

Is this noodles?

Qi Yuan looked at the noodles he was talking about with a curious look on his face. They were white, thin and short and were said to be noodles.

"These are the noodles I bought." Shen Lingyun didn't need to think too hard to know that he had never seen them before. "I don't know how to roll noodles. Let's eat this later."

"I know how to do it." Qi Yuan's eyes widened and he patted his chest and said, "If you want to eat from now on, just tell me and I'll roll out the noodles for you."

After he finished speaking, without waiting for Shen Lingyun to speak, he directly sent the basin to Shen Lingyun, "Take the noodles, you don't have to buy them in the future."

Shen Lingyun: "..."

"Go quickly." Seeing that he was standing still, Qi Yuan urged him again.

"Okay." Shen Lingyun agreed.

He is also greedy for noodles made at home and has not eaten them in many years.

Shen Lingyun did not take the basin, but pointed to the vat where the grain was placed and said, "The grain is here, you can use it yourself."

Qi Yuan was not polite. He walked directly to the cupboard and squatted down, looking at the food inside. This was also something he cared about.

If there is less food, he is prepared to eat less. After all, he is taking advantage of others and cannot eat all Shen Lingyun's food.

There was half a bag of cornmeal in the tank, which was about thirty kilograms, and there were two small bags containing white flour and white rice, which were only a few kilograms each.

"Don't put in the cornmeal." Shen Lingyun saw him scooping out half a scoop of white flour, then went to scoop out the cornmeal, "Use all white flour."

"Oh." Qi Yuan paused and scooped out half a scoop of white noodles.

"Too little." Shen Lingyun glanced at him suspiciously, "Are these enough?"

"I eat less, a little is enough." Qi Yuan said without raising his head.

He put the basin in place and went to scoop out a ladle of warm water. When he turned around, he saw Shen Lingyun scooping up a ladle full of white noodles.

"Roll more." Shen Lingyun said, "There is enough food, so you don't have to go hungry."

He took out two more eggs and a piece of meat the size of a palm, "This is your first meal here. Make something good."

Qi Yuan looked at these things and felt sour in his heart. He had eaten better than this on his birthday before, and he had no other emotions except happiness.

But today is different, he wants to cry...

"What's wrong?" Shen Lingyun's eyes turned red when he saw that he was not moving.

"Today is my birthday." Qi Yuan burst out crying, "My parents can no longer celebrate my birthday, so I am the only one left."

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" Qi Yuan burst into tears, the more she cried, the harder she cried, and her thin shoulders gradually trembled.

Shen Lingyun: "..."

"Everything in the world is impermanent." Seeing Qi Yuan crying pitifully, Shen Lingyun slowly reached out and touched Qi Yuan's head, "We can only find ways to live a better life."

He comforted Qi Yuan for a long time before he persuaded Qi Yuan not to cry. Shen Lingyun was helpless, "Why don't you stop rolling the noodles, or eat noodles and I'll cook them?"

"No, roll out the noodles." Qi Yuan insisted on cooking and wiped the tears on his face, "You go in the house, I can do it myself."

"I'll light the fire." Shen Lingyun couldn't leave at this time. He sat in front of the stove and added some firewood. "Just tell me if you need my help."

"Yeah." Qi Yuan didn't brag about his ability. He was not in the mood and just said, "I'll roll it out in a moment."

The crackling sound of firewood burning in the earthen stove made half of Shen Lingyun's cheeks red. While he was lighting the fire, he quietly observed Qi Yuan.

Seeing that he really calmed down and stopped crying, I felt relieved in my heart. If he continued to cry, I really didn't know how to comfort him.

It's just that their meal is destined to not stop.

Qi Yuan had just finished making noodles, and before he could roll them out, he heard the sound of the door outside, and was immediately pushed by Shen Lingyun, "Go inside and put on the quilt, and cover yourself tightly."

He quickly put away the meat, eggs and basins, and as soon as he put them away, someone opened the door and came in.

"Captain Wu." Shen Lingyun looked at the person who came in, a little surprised.

This was the militia captain of the Banpo Village brigade. He looked like he was coming with bad intentions, and he had a bad feeling in his heart.

"Yeah." Wu Jianmin nodded, holding his hands behind his back, looking up and down at Shen Lingyun.

He is in his thirties, slightly chubby, but his shrewd eyes tell people at a glance that he is not a good person.

"What's wrong with Captain Wu?" Shen Lingyun let him look at him for a while before asking.

"It's something, something very important." Wu Jianmin looked serious. "On behalf of the Banpo Village Brigade, I'm here to investigate the situation of outsiders and have something important to announce."

He has a high official authority, and no one in Banpo Village can resist him. He is always rude to his words, and he has a bad attitude towards outsiders. He seems to think that no one is a good person.

However, his mood at the moment was complicated. Seeing Shen Lingyun standing in front of him neither humble nor arrogant, he was not frightened at all, unlike others who did not dare to look at him when they saw his eyes dodge.

He was dwarfed in front of him for no reason, so that he could scold him at will without daring to refute him at all.

"Do you have any objections?" Wu Jianmin asked again.

"Since it's official business, how can I have any objections?" Shen Lingyun said calmly: "If Captain Wu has anything to do, just announce it."

Wu Jianmin didn't speak, his eyes were still looking at him, his brows gradually furrowed tighter, and his eyes gradually turned disgusting.

He looked at Shen Lingyun, who had gentle eyebrows and handsome eyes. He was like those artistic young people in the city, and he was very popular with young girls.

I couldn't help but secretly hate him, I wished I could slap him and hit Shen Lingyun beyond recognition.

His beloved daughter-in-law was actually missed by him. Shen Lingyun didn't even look at his identity. A devolved person still wanted to eat swan meat.

"Captain Wu." Seeing that he remained silent, Shen Lingyun gradually became irritated, and the gentleness on his face gradually faded.

"Where is the unknown person you brought back?" Wu Jianmin cursed in his mind enough, and raised his chin in a superior posture, "Let him come to see me."

"In the house." After Shen Lingyun said that, without looking at him again, he turned around and entered the house first.

"Here." He pointed to the whole garden surrounded by quilts on the kang, covering himself tightly, "This is the child."

"Why do you have long hair? Are you a boy or a girl?" Wu Jianmin shouted unceremoniously: "You can't learn well at such a young age. If you still want to stay in Banpo Village, it's better to be sent to squat on a fence."

"Walridge?" How did Qi Yuan know where this was, but when he saw him scolding him with a cold face, he immediately looked at Shen Lingyun nervously.

Shen Lingyun gave him a comforting look, then turned to Wu Jianmin and said, "Captain Wu, no one stipulates that men are not allowed to have long hair, and there is no such provision in the law."

"Of course, if you have any opinions, you can report them to the superiors and make a law according to your wishes. Then it will be up to you."

Wu Jianmin choked and looked at Shen Lingyun with sharp eyes, "What's your attitude? Don't forget your identity."

"I am a decentralized officer, but life and death are not decided by Captain Wu." Shen Lingyun did not show any weakness at all. "There are no criticisms, fights, or parades now."

Wu Jianmin had a sullen face and stared at Shen Lingyun, trying to use his momentum to oppress him and make him afraid to resist.

But Shen Lingyun's figure was upright, his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and there was no excessive expression on his face. He just looked calm, as if he was indifferent to his every move.

The two of them were standing there motionless, as if they were facing each other, and no one said a word first.

"Neither male nor female, what the hell." After a while, Wu Jianmin saw that it had no effect at all, so he turned to attack Qiyuan, "People like you need to be completely reformed."

He looked at Qi Yuan with disdain, as if he were a bug, "Tell me, where do you come from and what is your purpose here? Tell me honestly."

Qi Yuan looked wary and did not respond to his question at all. He just huddled under the quilt and stared with a pair of clear and beautiful eyes.

Not a word was said.

"What's your attitude?" Wu Jianmin walked back and forth on the ground angrily, his chest heaving violently with his hands behind his back. "You're more stubborn than those stinky old nines. It's obvious that there's a big problem at first glance. Maybe it's somewhere. The fugitives are trying to sneak into our Banpo Village brigade."

"Captain Wu." Shen Lingyun said with a serious face: "Please do not slander at will, let alone intimidate a child for no reason."

"At the same time, please remember that I have been rehabilitated and the words "Smelly Laojiu" should not appear again."

"What do you mean?" Wu Jianmin stopped, pointed at Shen Lingyun and said, "What you mean is that I am not qualified to control you, and I can't control you, right?"

"Let me tell you, you will go to the brigade to study tomorrow. I want to see if your bones are still so hard."

"And you." Wu Jianmin pointed to Qi Yuan again, "Let's go together tomorrow. Not only will we receive ideological education, but I will also report to the superiors to find out who you are."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and left. He kicked the door open angrily and left with it wide open, letting the cold wind rush in.

Shen Lingyun closed the door silently, turned around and smiled at the scared Qi Yuan, "It's okay, don't be afraid."

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up, "Well, I'm not afraid."

Then his eyes darkened and he asked cautiously: "Is it because of me that he did that to you?"

"No." Shen Lingyun patted his head and said with a smile, "It's because of me that he did this to you."

"Ah?" Qi Yuan didn't understand and looked up at Shen Lingyun, "Did he bully you?"

"Yeah." Shen Lingyun didn't want to say more, "That's right."

Chapter 4

"Brother Ling Yun, it's time to eat."

Shen Lingyun stopped sweeping the snow and turned around. He saw Qi Yuan sticking his little head out from the crack of the door and looking at him with a smile.

"I know." Shen Lingyun agreed,

Put the shovel and broom away and look up at the sky again.

It snowed heavily all day and night yesterday, but it was a sunny day today. It was a pity that the snow did not turn cold, and he couldn't help but frown.

"Hurry up." Seeing that he stood still again, Qi Yuan urged, "The food will be cold soon."

"Here we come." Shen Lingyun quickly walked into the house, "Bake some more ginger soup."

"I don't need to drink it." Qi Yuan waved his hand. The ginger soup tasted so bad, so he didn't want it.

Yesterday, Shen Lingyun watched him drink several bowls, and now he seemed to still be able to smell the spicy and pungent smell.

"I'll have some to drink later." Shen Lingyun refused to comment and started to make ginger soup by himself, "You go and eat first, I'll be ready soon."

"I'll do it." Qi Yuan took the lead and picked up the kitchen knife to chop the ginger. "You should also drink some. There is so much snow in the yard, it will take a long time to clean it."

He thought evilly, let's share the trouble.

"Hehe." Qi Yuan couldn't help laughing, but was patted on the head by Shen Lingyun, "What are you laughing at? It seems like you are taking advantage."

"No, no, how could it be possible?" Qi Yuan shook his head hastily. He must not say this. Shen Lingyun will definitely think that he has no conscience.

In fact, he had good intentions, but he was just hiding a little bit of gloating about his misfortune.

After the two of them finished their work, they went into the house to eat. The Kang table was already set, with two bowls of wild vegetable soup, a plate of corn pancakes, and a plate of shredded pickles.

Shen Lingyun took a sip of the wild vegetable soup. There were some cornmeal-stirred gnocchi in it, just like the gnocchi soup he once drank.

"Not bad." Seeing Qi Yuan staring at him, Shen Lingyun praised again: "It's delicious."

"Right, right." Qi Yuan was immediately happy and said with a smile: "I am very good at my craftsmanship. Leave it to me to cook the food from now on. I will make sure you are fat and white."

Shen Lingyun: "..."

OK! I am really not good at cooking, and I know very few things.

The main thing is that no one has ever taught me. In the cowshed, I almost eat steamed buns and pickles every day. The better ones are tortillas and vegetable soup.

It was also last year that all the educated youth and decentralized personnel left Banpo Village, and Party Secretary He made the decision to move him out of the cowshed and live in the educated youth center.

"We'll go to the brigade later."

"Ah?" Qi Yuan had long forgotten this matter and looked at Shen Lingyun confused, "What are you doing?"

"Accept ideological reform." Shen Lingyun said.

"Oh." Qi Yuan was a little worried, with a sad face.

"If you don't want to go, there is a way." Shen Lingyun glanced at him and said slowly, "It depends on whether you are willing."

"I'm willing, I'm willing." Qi Yuan's little chicken nodded her head, "I'm willing to do anything."

"Okay." Shen Lingyun said, "Drink some ginger soup after dinner, and then change back into the single clothes you wore yesterday."

After he finished speaking, he felt it was inappropriate. Facing Qi Yuan's surprised eyes, he said, "Wear the clothes I gave you. The more ragged the better."

Qi Yuan didn't understand what this meant at all, but Shen Lingyun didn't explain it and started eating after speaking.

Qi Yuan frowned, thinking of his experience of almost freezing yesterday, his whole body trembled and suddenly became cold and there was no warmth at all.

"I'm only going this once." Shen Lingyun saw that his body was stiff and he hadn't eaten, with a frown on his face, so he comforted him: "I won't freeze you, I promise."

"Okay." Qi Yuan was not unwilling, he knew that Shen Lingyun would not harm him, it was just a subconscious reaction.

So, after the meal, Qi Yuan followed Shen Lingyun's instructions, put on the shabbiest single clothes, and held her nose and drank a bowl of ginger soup.

"I'm ready." Qi Yuan looked at Shen Lingyun, "Do you think this will work?"

He looked eager to try. As long as he was not taught by Captain Wu, Qi Yuan would be willing to cooperate no matter what Shen Lingyun said.

"Let's go then." Shen Lingyun took a quilt and put it on Qi Yuan, then turned his back and knelt down, "Come up, I will carry you."

"No, no, no, I can walk by myself." Qi Yuan shook his head and took a step back.

"Come up, the snow outside is already up to your ankles." Shen Lingyun said.

He reached out and pulled Qi Yuan onto his back, "Put the quilt on so that it doesn't get cold."

"Oh." Qi Yuan tightened the quilt, lay on his back, and asked suspiciously, "Do you want to go like this?"

"Of course, I don't mean to make you really cold." Shen Lingyun smiled and said: "We are going to do something, so we must think of something."

He went out with Qi Yuan on his back, and suddenly a small north wind roared in. The two of them, without hats and bare heads, shivered together.

Shen Lingyun hurriedly walked towards the village. Behind Banpo Village, where the educated youth was located, it was some distance away from the village, and few people set foot here.

The thick snow was up to his ankles. Shen Lingyun walked through the snow with one foot deep and one foot shallow. The cold wind blew so hard that it was almost impossible to open his eyes.

In just a short time, Shen Lingyun and Qi Yuanrang's cheeks and ears turned red, and they couldn't help but shrink their necks.

The brigade was at the head of the village. Shen Lingyun walked forward with difficulty. In the village, he occasionally met several Banpo villagers who were cleaning the snow at the door.

Everyone looked at them curiously. One of them, a middle-aged man, asked Shen Lingyun: "What are you doing? Who is you carrying on your back?"

"Captain Wu asked us to undergo ideological transformation." Shen Lingyun stopped and said, "This is a child I picked up yesterday. He has no cotton-padded clothes to wear. I will lend him a quilt."

"Reform?" The man asked in surprise, "Didn't you say you won't do this again?"

"I don't know." Shen Lingyun shook his head and continued walking forward with Qi Yuan on his back, deliberately slowing down to listen to the discussion behind him.

"Why are you starting to remodel again? What's going on?"

"A picked-up child needs to be rehabilitated. Is Wu Jianmin crazy?"

"I don't even have cotton-padded clothes. I didn't go to that cold room to freeze the child to death."

They all know very well that the way to reform is to be in the coldest room without even a fire, listen to criticism, confess the mistakes they have made, and promise that their hearts will always turn upward in the future.

Not lighting a fire in a cold room on a cold day is so that these decentralized personnel can stay awake at all times and never forget this time and make mistakes again.

After hearing these words, Shen Lingyun quickened his pace with satisfaction and quickly arrived at the door of the brigade.

This is a large courtyard with three brick houses. Although they are old, they are among the best in Banpo Village.

The room in the middle is Party Secretary He's office.

At this time, He Xiangjun had just arrived at the brigade headquarters and was lighting a fire.

"He Zhishu." Shen Lingyun knocked on the door and came in.

"Huh?" He Xiangjun was stunned, wondering what he was doing again?

When he saw the person behind Shen Lingyun, he understood, "This is the child you picked up."

"Yes." Shen Lingyun put Qi Yuan down and gathered the quilt around him, "Captain Wu notified us last night to come and undergo ideological reform."

"Ideological reform?" He Xiangjun suddenly darkened his face and said solemnly: "Who asked him to do this? How dare you make your own decisions."

In response to his words, Shen Lingyun did not answer, but pointed at Qi Yuan and said: "This child does not have cotton-padded clothes. I will lend him a quilt. Can you talk to Captain Wu and let him be transformed in a quilt? You can't watch him." freeze to death."

Qi Yuan's face was already red from the cold, and he was hunching his neck to bury his face in the quilt. He was looking at He Xiangjun pitifully.

The anger in He Xiangjun's heart suddenly surged, "Why should a child be reformed? What mistake has he made? It's really nonsense."

"Captain Wu said... he was going to the commune to report the situation." Shen Lingyun said calmly, "They said this child is a refugee and will be sent to squat in a fence."

"He is determined to be evil." He Xiangjun rushed out of the office in a few steps, stood in the yard of the brigade and shouted loudly: "Wu Jianmin, come out here."

The corners of Shen Lingyun's mouth raised in a mocking smile.

Who doesn't know that Wu Jianmin has connections in the commune and has always wanted to replace He Xiangjun. He has also gone to the commune to complain to He Xiangjun several times.

"He Zhishu." Wu Jianmin came out of his office with a very ugly expression on his face, "What's so angry about this?"

"What's going on?" He Xiangjun pointed to his office, "Look, go in and see, who are you trying to force to death?"

He then said to the brigade cadres who were coming out of their respective offices one after another: "You should also go and see the good things that Wu Jianmin has done."

"What's wrong?" Accountant He changed his usual meek temperament. When he saw his cousin blushing with anger, he immediately asked, "What happened?"

"What kind of ideological remolding is he doing again? He forces a child who doesn't even have cotton-padded clothes to do so. This is going to freeze him to death." He Xiangjun couldn't resist the disgust in his heart. He pointed at Wu Jianmin angrily and asked, "Who told you to do this? , what rights do you have, is it up to you to decide the Banpo Village Brigade?"

"I'm telling you Wu Jianmin, the higher-ups have come out early and the documents are not allowed to be the same as in the past. What kind of thoughts and consciousness do you have that you actually go against the country?"

He Xiangjun straightened his back, put his hands behind his back and said with a serious face: "I have already read the document, Wu Jianmin, do you want to say that you don't know?"

Wu Jianmin was scolded mercilessly by He Xiangjun, but he was not afraid at all.

"Didn't you see the so-called child?" Wu Jianmin said: "I went to investigate the outsiders for the sake of our Banpo Village, but what was his attitude? He refused to answer any questions. He is a young man with long hair, so I After saying a few words, that Shen Lingyun actually openly refuted me."

"Tsk." He Xiangjun sneered and looked at him with disdain, "Don't you know why? Do you think we all don't know?"

Wu Jianmin was shocked and looked at He Xiangjun in surprise, "What do you mean? I, Wu Jianmin, walk and sit upright, and I always think about our Banpo Village brigade."

"For the sake of our brigade?" He Xiangjun said with a cold face: "You just ignore the documents distributed by the superiors and force a child to come here in single clothes for transformation?"

"Okay, you don't need to say anything anymore." He Xiangjun waved his hand to interrupt Wu Jianmin's argument, "Find the other captains, we will have a meeting now to discuss how to deal with this matter."

Chapter 5

Qi Yuan leaned in a corner, sitting on the stool Shen Lingyun brought for him and huddled in a small ball.

Seeing He Xiangjun's cold face and Captain Wu's occasional malicious gaze, Qi Yuan didn't care at all.

Instead, he watched with interest as people came in one after another from outside, wondering what unexpected things would happen next.

At this time, Shen Lingyun was also thinking, why did He Xiangjun engage in such a big battle? I just want him to say something to avoid having to undergo ideological remolding.

But then he seemed to have a guess. If it was really what he thought, Shen Lingyun admired He Xiangjun for daring to think without rubbing sand in his eyes.

He also knows how to seize opportunities.

"Okay, everyone is here." He Xiangjun looked at the people who should come and said to the more than ten brigade members present: "We are having a meeting now."

"Let's talk about this child first." He Xiangjun pointed to Qi Yuan in the corner and briefly explained the situation, "Do you have any opinions on placing him in our Banpo Village?"

More than a dozen eyes looked at Qi Yuan. They had seen him just now, but they didn't recognize the child and didn't know what was going on.

I didn't care.

After hearing He Xiangjun's words, they looked carefully and saw Qi Yuan wrapped in a quilt, with her small face as big as a palm almost retracted into the quilt.

He was blinking at them with his big, pitiful eyes.

Immediately, these great men felt pity.

The leader of the production team is Liu Jianguo. He is a bold middle-aged man who despises the weak and pitiful appearance. He was the first to express his stance.

"This needs to be discussed in a meeting." He looked at He Xiangjun suspiciously, "Of course I accept it. Are we going to let such a young child continue to flee?"

"Yes." Accountant He sighed, "It will take more than a month for the weather to get warmer. Letting the child leave on such a snowy day will cost his life."

Yes, who could say no when he said this? They immediately nodded and said that this was the truth, and they couldn't get rid of him no matter what.

They didn't want to object at first, but it was just a matter of how much a child could eat.

Wu Jianmin had a dark face since he was scolded by He Xiangjun, thinking in his mind what He Xiangjun was going to do with so many people?

Now when I hear these words from them, I "sneer" and say, "You are just a child and I have fooled you."

He pointed at Qi Yuan and said, "Don't look at how pitiful he looks now. He was so arrogant when I went to investigate the situation yesterday. He held his neck and didn't say a word. He didn't take me seriously at all."

"You scolded me and kicked the door." Qi Yuan suddenly said weakly, "It's so cold with the door open, you are just a bully."

He looked at these strange people, each of them looking at him. He glanced at Shen Lingyun and saw that he didn't stop him, and he became more courageous.

Qi Yuan pointed at Wu Jianmin, "You still want to send me to squat on a fence. Why should I go if I didn't make a mistake?"

After a day, Qi Yuan no longer had the panic and fear of arriving in a strange place, and he dared to say some things.

"Because you didn't learn well at a young age, look at your hair." Wu Jianmin heard his rebuttal, slapped his hand on the table, and looked at Qi Yuan fiercely, "Which man has long hair, either male or female? It doesn't look like a good thing."

"I'm not a man." Qi Yuan straightened his back and said confidently: "Can't you tell whether I am a woman?"

"Pfft!" Liu Jianguo couldn't hold back, he laughed "Hahaha" and slapped his thigh happily, "That's right, what kind of man do you think you are when you treat a child like this?"

When he took the lead, the others also laughed, "That's right, how can a child judge whether he is a man or not when his hair has not yet fully grown."

They joked that although they looked at Wu Jianmin's ugly face and heard that he didn't want to see the child, they didn't pay much attention to it.

Shen Lingyun said calmly at this time, "No one can even cut his hair."

He didn't stop Qi Yuan from speaking because some things needed to be said, but about the hair, Shen Lingyun had to help explain.

To avoid being labeled and causing more trouble.

But as soon as he spoke, someone picked up.

Wu Qiuying: "If no one cuts it, it's just feudal superstition."

She looked at Shen Lingyun disdainfully, "Who knows which family gave birth to a boy with long hair or a strand of long hair if it was difficult to support him? This is the work of feudal ideology and should be ideologically reformed."

"There is nothing wrong with Captain Wu." Wu Qiuying looked at He Xiangjun and turned to the members of the brigade: "They need to carry out ideological reform and reflect on it. The brigade must pay attention to this matter, that is, respond to the higher ups and send It's not an exaggeration to squat on a fence."

"Well." Everyone gasped, it was too cruel!

It would be a big deal if it was labeled as feudal superstition at this time. Their eyes flickered and they all kept silent and did not want to answer this.

"Feudal superstition?" Shen Lingyun said calmly, "Don't you think it's too much to say this to a child? Have you ever seen a child who understands superstition and does superstitious things?"

"Just because there is no one to cut their hair, they have to carry out ideological reform, force a child who doesn't even have cotton-padded clothes into a cold room, and send him to squat on a fence. Such people have ideological problems."

After Shen Lingyun finished speaking, he turned to He Xiangjun and said, "He Xiangjun, since you have to report to the superiors, why don't you ask the leaders of the commune to put an end to this matter? Don't embarrass a child."

"There is nothing to break. I can't get through it." He Xiangjun said, "You are really good at labeling a child as a feudal superstitious person."

How else would he deal with Wu Jianmin if he reported to the commune?

He sneered and refused to save face for Wu Qiuying and Wu Jianmin, "Don't I know what you are thinking? Isn't it just because your two families said they would get married and Xiaojuan didn't want to, you hated Shen Lingyun."

"I still don't understand why I keep causing trouble for Shen Lingyun in the past month or so. I just found out yesterday that it turns out there are rumors that Xiaojuan's kid likes Shen Lingyun."

"So you are vindictive and keep making trouble for him. Now just because he picked up this child, you won't even let him go."

He Xiangjun slammed the table and shouted: "You are narrow-minded and selfish. Based on what you have done during this period, you are not worthy of being a brigade cadre."

He stood up directly, pointed at more than a dozen brigade members and said: "Today I announced in front of all brigade members that the women's director Wu Qiuying will be withdrawn, and the militia captain Wu Jianmin will be dismissed."

"How dare you?" Wu Jianmin was shocked, pointed at He Xiangjun and said sternly: "Why do you dismiss me as captain?"

"He Xiangjun." Wu Qiuying was also anxious and asked in a sharp voice, "What mistake did I make that you want to withdraw me?"

"Improper thoughts, narrow-minded, and seeking personal revenge." He Xiangjun's face was serious, and his face with Chinese characters seemed to be covered with frost, "especially because you are the one with feudal thoughts."

"I..." Wu Qiuying was about to retort, but was interrupted by He Xiangjun's next sentence, "Arranged marriage, what about kissing and getting married."

He Xiangjun glanced at Wu Jianmin and saw that he was unconvinced. He pointed at him and sneered, "I dare not remove you from your post? Don't forget that you are just a militia captain. I, the party secretary and captain, have this right."

What he said was correct. Except for He Xiangjun, whose appointment and dismissal required the consent of the commune leaders, others were just a matter of his words.

It's just that he is too particular about fairness, so he specially called everyone to let him know the reason for Wu Jianmin's dismissal.

"You, you avenge yourself privately." Wu Jianmin trembled with rage, "You just took revenge privately. You still remember what happened back then."

In order to show his prestige, he tried to fight the decentralized personnel many times, but He Xiangjun stopped him. He had no choice but to fight while He Xiangjun was away.

When he found out, he complained bitterly that his nose was not his nose, his face was not his face, and he informed the entire brigade not to fight with him.

In anger, he sued him to the commune, saying that he was covering up and almost brought him down.

Wu Jianmin looked at He Xiangjun angrily, "I won't let you get what you want. Let's see who can go to the commune to protect you this time."

"Go ahead." He Xiangjun said calmly and nonchalantly, "People like you who don't distinguish between public and private matters are not worthy of being cadres."

He is not afraid at all. He behaves uprightly and never does anything bad or seeks personal gain for himself. He is afraid that someone will investigate him.

On the contrary, it was Wu Jianmin's false accusation that year that almost destroyed him, and even caused his second uncle to fall ill, so he had to be carried to the commune to protect himself.

As a result, he died of cold in the middle of winter within a few days.

He took a deep breath and looked at the members of the brigade who had always been invisible. "I have a clear conscience. If any of you have any opinions, you can raise them. Wu Qiuying and Wu Jianmin will not change their positions today."

He would never let something like his second uncle happen again.

Because he had connections with Wu Jianmin's commune, he was in the way, and he was even more afraid that others would accuse him of being jealous and retaliating, so that innocent people would be harmed.

He Xiangjun's decisive attitude not only left Wu Jianmin and Wu Qiuying helpless, but others also did not dare to say a word.

"You guys go back." He Xiangjun looked at Shen Lingyun and the others, "I will take care of the child's settlement in the next few days."

But no one expected that when Shen Lingyun was carrying Qi Yuan out, Qi Yuan suddenly reached out and slapped Wu Jianmin.

"You bad guy."

"Ah." Wu Jianmin cried out in pain, and then fell to the ground, trembling all over, looking in agony.

"Captain Wu." Shen Lingyun's eyes twitched and he was speechless, "The ground is cold, you'd better get up."

Listening to Shen Lingyun's helpless tone, everyone almost told Wu Jianmin that he wanted to blackmail him, and everyone looked at him with unbearable expressions.

"Let's go, let's go." Liu Jianguo waved to Shen Lingyun and looked at Wu Jianmin lying on the ground with disdain. "Even if he is really injured, he won't be embarrassed to say that he was beaten by a child."

Wu Jianmin was so angry at his words that he almost vomited blood. Half of his body was numb now, and he was in so much pain that he didn't even dare to move. Is this him blackmailing?

But no one paid attention to him. They all sat there waiting for He Xiangjun's meeting as if they hadn't seen him.

He Xiangjun looked at Wu Qiuying who was standing aside blankly, "You are relatives, please send them back. We still need to discuss the successor."

"Help me up." Wu Jianmin gritted his teeth and called to Wu Qiuying. He looked at He Xiangjun and the other people who were watching his excitement, "Just wait for me."

Chapter 6

Qi Yuan puffed her cheeks and sat on the kang angrily.

He crossed his legs and hugged his arms, without even looking at Shen Lingyun, and sat there sulking.

He was thinking about his hair. The hair he had grown since he was a child was cut off by Shen Lingyun.

He wanted to get angry and even hit someone, but he knew he couldn't.

He kept thinking silently in his heart that Shen Lingyun was doing it for his own good, that he was right to do so, and that he could not express his anger.

It's just that Shen Lingyun was too quick. He didn't wait for a while after coming back from the brigade headquarters. The first thing he did was to use scissors to cut his hair.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" Qi Yuan became more and more sad as he thought about it, covering his face and crying, "Whose business is my hair getting in the way? Why do I have to cut it."

"Why are you still crying?" Shen Lingyun was helpless, "Didn't we agree just now?"

Qi Yuan covered her face and cried bitterly.

Shen Lingyun couldn't bear it and coaxed softly: "Being accused of feudal superstition is really troublesome. This matter should be done sooner rather than later. We must be on guard in advance."

He didn't say it was for Qi Yuan's benefit, because Shen Lingyun knew that this was not what Qi Yuan wanted.

"Although Captain Wu and others were suppressed by Party Secretary He, they still live in Banpo Village and have many relatives and friends." Shen Lingyun explained patiently.

These people may cause trouble.

"I know, I don't blame you." Qi Yuan sniffed and looked at Shen Lingyun with red eyes, "I'm just angry."

"I'm very angry." Shen Lingyun said soothingly: "However, the hair will still grow. When we have the opportunity in the future, we can grow it longer and don't be in a hurry."

He caressed and touched Qi Yuan's head. Seeing him feel wronged and angry, and looking at him with tears in his eyes, Shen Lingyun felt funny and helpless.

"Let's talk about it later." Qi Yuan was just angry and was calmed down by Shen Lingyun with a few words, and his mood quickly eased.

He tilted his head, avoided Shen Lingyun's hand, and said dullly, "I'm going to work."

Qi Yuan was going to take apart another set of old cotton-padded clothes given by Shen Lingyun and make them again to fit better.

"Ahem." Shen Lingyun awkwardly moved out of the way, his eyes full of smiles.

He didn't know how to cut hair, so he parted Qi Yuan's hair and cut it close to his ears and down the back of his head, giving Qi Yuan a semicircular haircut.

After the haircut, he looked at Qi Yuan's face. With his palm-sized face, clear eyes, and small nose, he looked exactly like a little girl's hairstyle.

"Actually, the cut is quite nice." Shen Lingyun praised it sincerely, hiding his guilty conscience. "If you don't like it, ask someone else to help you repair it some other time."

"You still want to cut it?" Qi Yuan raised his hand to cover his hair, widened his eyes, and asked in disbelief: "You want someone else to cut it for me?"

"No, I'm afraid you won't like this hairstyle." Shen Lingyun saw that he was anxious and was afraid that he would cry again, so he hurriedly explained: "You decide this matter yourself."

"No." Qi Yuan refused, "No one else can touch me, don't even think about it."

He did not refuse Shen Lingyun, but others could never get close to him, let alone cut his own hair.

Qi Yuan pulled the thread in his hand fiercely, as if he had a grudge, and said angrily: "If I don't keep my hair long, I will cut other people's hair. I deserve a beating."

"Try not to hit anyone next time." Shen Lingyun said, "You didn't see it. You just patted Wu Jianmin lightly, and he was lying on the ground trying to blackmail him."

"I..." Qi Yuan was unconvinced and wanted to retort, touching Shen Lingyun's worried eyes, "I'll do my best, as long as he doesn't make a move against me."

"Yes." Shen Lingyun nodded, "If he really attacks you, try to avoid him. If you can't, you can't stand up and be beaten."

"Okay, I understand." Qi Yuan was immediately happy and smiled in a blink of an eye.

He knew that Shen Lingyun would not let him be beaten without fighting back.

"Yeah." Shen Lingyun looked at his careless look and smiled helplessly, "There is no water in the water tank. I'm going to fetch water now."

He picked up his hat, scarf and gloves and said to Qi Yuan, "There are very few people here. Don't be afraid. I'll be back in a moment."

"I'm not afraid." Qi Yuan agreed without raising his head.

He was no longer as hesitant and scared as when he first came here, and he also knew that Shen Lingyun would not drive him away, so why should he be afraid?

Qi Yuan put down the things in his hands, put on his shoes and got off the kang. When he arrived at the field, he happened to see Shen Lingyun scooping water from the water tank into the pot.

Seeing him coming, Shen Lingyun said: "Use warm water for washing, and cold water for washing."

"Oh." Qi Yuan watched him pick up the bucket and pole and walk out without saying anything.

Just walk to the water tank, grab the edge of the tank with one hand and pull hard to tilt the water tank, drag the body of the tank with the other hand, and use both hands to lift the water tank above your head.

Just hold the water tank and go out.

...

It's snowy outside, the cold wind is howling, and everything you see is desolate.

Shen Lingyun carried two buckets and walked towards the village well, meeting no one along the way.

At this time of the year, no one wants to go out and run around in the cold. They all stay home to keep warm.

He didn't know that Qi Yuan was following him not far behind, jumping and walking forward in his footsteps.

Seeing that Shen Lingyun was unaware, Qi Yuan smiled very proudly.

Shen Lingyun came to the water well at the end of the village. He had just put down the bucket and pole, and before he could shake the pot to draw water, he heard footsteps coming from behind.

Shen Lingyun turned his head and almost cried out in surprise.

He saw Qi Yuan holding a water tank with both hands, walking slowly and leisurely without blushing or out of breath.

Qi Yuan saw that he was overly surprised and looked in disbelief, but he didn't show it on his face but he was very satisfied in his heart.

"I'm here to help." He walked up to Shen Lingyun, looked at him lightly, and put down the water tank lightly.

It's like taking something insignificant.

"Put water into the jar." Qi Yuan patted the edge of the jar proudly, "Fill it up and I'll move it back."

"I'm scared." Qi Yuan saw Shen Lingyun looking at him blankly, and waved his hand in front of his eyes.

"A bit." Shen Lingyun came back to his senses and did not feel that he was surprised and embarrassed just now.

He looked at the water tank inexplicably, and then at Qi Yuan, "This is a medium-sized water tank, weighing almost a hundred pounds."

"Well, just over a hundred pounds." Qi Yuan patted the water tank and nodded, looking at Shen Lingyun with his head held high and a smile on his face.

Shen Lingyun could see through his thoughts at a glance and pretended to look at the water tank, "Why did you bring the tank here?"

"Fill the water." Qi Yuan said confidently, "It's too slow to carry water back with a bucket. It's faster to use a jar."

After he finished speaking, he pulled Shen Lingyun aside and said, "If you're scared, just calm down and I'll get water."

Then he added proudly: "This is a natural divine power that others cannot envy."

His eyebrows were flying, and he arrogantly used one hand to shake the pot to draw water, deliberately letting Shen Lingyun see.

It's effortless, just like playing.

Qi Yuan: How is it? Take me in, right? You won't regret it, right?

But no matter how he showed off, he still couldn't hear Shen Lingyun's praise.

He glanced at Shen Lingyun quietly and saw that his brows were slightly furrowed and he didn't know what he was thinking. He deliberately coughed a few times to attract Shen Lingyun's attention.

"I told you, I'm very capable." Qi Yuan said seriously, "If you pick me up, you've found a treasure, really."

"Yes, I found a treasure." Shen Lingyun did not refute. Seeing him staring at her closely, looking like he was seriously waiting for his answer, he said funnyly: "You are a priceless treasure."

"You have good eyesight." Qi Yuan smiled brightly and praised sincerely: "Brother Lingyun, you have to believe in your own eyesight and you won't misjudge me."

"I believe it." Shen Lingyun nodded and took off his scarf, "But can you wear a hat and scarf before going out? After all, you are also afraid of the cold."

"Oh." Qi Yuan also felt cold, and no longer deliberately showed off, and obediently let Shen Lingyun wrap it around his neck, "Cover your ears too."

"Can you move it?" Shen Lingyun said while looking around cautiously.

"I can move it, it's okay." Qi Yuan said nonchalantly.

"Why are you so strong?" Shen Lingyun asked again.

"Innate." Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow at him and said arrogantly, "I told you, you can't learn this."

"Yes." Shen Lingyun also laughed, but still urged Qi Yuan to hurry up, "Get less water, don't let anyone see it."

He was afraid that Qi Yuan was too young to understand, so he explained: "Don't let anyone know about your strength, it's better to hide it."

Qi Yuan stopped drawing water and asked blankly, "Why?"

Shen Lingyun: "It's nothing serious. I'm afraid that others will find out and arrange for you to do heavy work."

Qi Yuan is young, and Shen Lingyun doesn't want him to be exploited by someone with intentions, so he should be cautious.

Just like he was afraid that he would implicate Qi Yuan, in order to prevent others from having the opportunity to embarrass him, he assigned him heavy tasks, or made it difficult for him to do tasks that others were unwilling to do.

He said to He Xiangjun: He does not need to participate in collective labor and is not divided into brigade rations.

"Oh." After hearing his explanation, Qi Yuan blinked and asked, "Does it have to be done?"

"If you don't work, you won't have food to eat, and you will still be in trouble." Shen Lingyun said, "I will tell you this later."

Shen Lingyun walked to the water tank and saw that it was almost half full of water. He said, "How strong are you and how heavy can you move?"

"I don't know." Qi Yuan shook his head, frowned and thought for a while, then said, "More than three hundred pounds is fine."

He hadn't tried it specifically. His father was afraid that he would hurt himself if he tried too hard, so he never let him try it with all his strength.

Otherwise, he would not have been in danger while going up the mountain, being chased by a group of wild boars, running into this strange place in a panic.

"Alas!" Qi Yuan sighed.

If I hadn't come here, how could I be careful at all times? Facing strange people in a strange place, I wouldn't even dare to say a word easily.

The most hateful thing is that I cut my hair.

He sighed slightly, and Shen Lingyun's heart moved when he heard it, "Why are you worried? You sigh at a young age."

"It's really difficult here with you." Qi Yuan muttered quietly.

He didn't care whether Shen Lingyun heard it or not, he just fetched another bucket of water and poured it into the water tank with a splash.

"Okay, that's it." Shen Lingyun said, "You're not an adult yet, so you'll hurt your body if you use too much force, so you should be more careful."

"I understand." Qi Yuan felt warm in his heart when he heard the same words as his father, and his beautiful eyes were filled with gratitude, "Brother Ling Yun, you are so kind."

Chapter 7

"I'm leaving first."

Qi Yuan glanced at Shen Lingyun, as if demonstrating to him, casually grabbed the edge of the tank with one hand, and supported the bottom of the tank with the other hand.

Lifting the water tank was easy.

Then he strode back to the Educated Youth Center, deliberately stepping on Shen Lingyun's footsteps when he came, jumping and jumping as nimble as a monkey.

Shen Lingyun: "..."

No need to show off like this, right?

But he really admired Qi Yuan's strength. The water tank weighed two to three hundred kilograms with water, and he could lift it back so easily.

Even he himself thought that he was very energetic because he had been working hard all year round, but he was not strong enough in front of Qi Yuan. He only had more than 100 kilograms of strength to hold him to death.

Shen Lingyun's eyes suddenly changed, as if he thought of something, he hurriedly picked up a bucket of water and returned to the educated youth center.

As soon as he entered, he asked: "Qi Yuan, did you hit Wu Jianmin on purpose?"

Thinking of Wu Jianmin lying on the ground and grinning, Qi Yuan must have used a lot of strength.

"Yes." Qi Yuan said, "If you dare to scold me and cut my hair, why would you keep it if you don't beat him?"

Shen Lingyun said expressionlessly: "I am the one who cuts your hair."

"He didn't force me." Qi Yuan was still angry when he thought about it now. He rolled his eyes and said, "Fortunately, he is no longer an official. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to beat him to vent his anger."

He looked at Shen Lingyun inexplicably, as if he suddenly realized something, smiled and winked and said, "Don't worry, I won't beat you."

Qi Yuan puffed up her chest and said very seriously: "I know who is good to me."

Shen Lingyun shook his head and smiled. He was not worried about Qi Yuan hitting him, but he was worried that the child would cause trouble because he didn't know the severity.

"You are too strong, you can't hit people casually." Shen Lingyun told him: "It is illegal to hit people. If someone sues you, they will arrest you and pay you."

"So." Qi Yuan looked confused and didn't understand what Shen Lingyun meant. "I didn't beat him after hearing that he was dismissed."

He didn't hit hard and controlled his strength.

"If you are not an official, you cannot beat someone casually." Shen Lingyun said.

"Then I will be bullied?" Qi Yuan was not convinced. He was not from the government, so what should he be afraid of?

He angrily ignored Shen Lingyun and poured water into the basin to wash his clothes, not feeling that he was at fault.

"Then you must remember to control your strength when you attack and don't injure anyone." Shen Lingyun discussed, "There will be a lot of trouble."

He looked at Qi Yuan and said nothing. He turned his head to one side and did not look at himself, but he scrubbed the clothes in his hands as hard as if he were an enemy.

He found the washboard and said, "Wash with the washboard, it doesn't hurt your hands and it's faster."

Qi Yuan was immediately interested in the washboard. He watched Shen Lingyun rub his clothes and forgot about what he was angry about just now.

"Let me take a look at this washboard." He took the washboard, looked at it carefully for a while, then imitated Shen Lingyun's movements and rubbed the clothes, and said happily: "It's so useful."

Seeing that he was happy again, Shen Lingyun smiled slightly. Children are easy to coax, so he said warmly: "You can hit people to vent your anger, but you must always remind yourself to control your strength."

"How can I not understand this point?" Qi Yuan finally agreed to pay attention to Shen Lingyun, "I control my strength."

"That's good." Shen Lingyun smiled and said no more, "Try to hide your strength from now on, there is no benefit in letting others know."

Qi Yuan tilted her head to look at him, her clear eyes full of smiles, "I know you are doing it for my own good, and I'm not angry with you."

"I know." Shen Lingyun rubbed his head, stood up and said, "I'll go fetch water and fill the water tank."

"It's better for me to go." Qi Yuan felt a little embarrassed, "How can I let you do so much work if I eat your food and live your life?"

What he said was very sincere. Shen Lingyun saved him and took him in. He had to do more no matter what.

Shen Lingyun: "..."

This is true, but it sounds awkward.

He finally got to know Qi Yuan a little better. He spoke straightforwardly, not to the ears but sincerely, and his heart was good.

"I'll go." Shen Lingyun stopped him, "It's cold outside, you can do the laundry at home."

No matter how strong Qi Yuan is, he is still a child and cannot be allowed to do everything.

"Hey." Before Shen Lingyun could get the pole, Qi Yuan grabbed his waist and lifted it up, shaking it twice.

"Hahaha." Qi Yuan raised his head and laughed, "I won't hit anyone anymore. I'll just hold it up and shake it until it's dizzy. I'll put it down when I admit my mistake."

"Let go." Shen Lingyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "What does this look like?"

"Hahaha." Qi Yuan put him down, his eyebrows full of youthful vigor.

"You!" Shen Lingyun helplessly pointed at him and didn't know what to say, "You're so naughty."

"No." Qi Yuan blinked his big eyes, looking innocent, "I was kidding you."

"Okay." Shen Lingyun felt that facing his innocent and well-behaved face, she couldn't express any dignity issues, "We can't make such a fuss again."

His gentle brows turned serious, hiding his embarrassment, and looked down at Qi Yuan, "This kind of action is not suitable for joking, you know?"

"I know." Qi Yuan responded immediately.

He looked up at Shen Lingyun, met his eyes, and saw that he really didn't like this.

"Um..." Qi Yuan lowered his head and whispered, "I won't lift you up anymore."

"Yeah." Shen Lingyun breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Lingyun's mood was complicated. If he lifted himself up like this at will in the future, he didn't know if he could get over this hurdle in his heart.

It's really a bit embarrassing.

He said no more and went to fetch water with a straight face.

Qi Yuan was behind him, pursed her lips, not knowing whether to call him stingy or stingy...

But he still decided not to touch Shen Lingyun with a finger from now on. This was his lifesaver!

In the next few days, Qi Yuan has been busy with his own affairs.

Making cotton-padded jackets, wearing quilts, and making cotton-padded shoes, I would sit obediently on the kang and work by the window every day.

Shen Lingyun couldn't help him, so he read a book every day and occasionally glanced at Qi Yuan.

He was a little numb.

Qi Yuan lowered his head seriously and made a cotton-padded jacket, sewing stitch by stitch with skillful and neat movements.

Shen Lingyun sometimes felt that he was born with the wrong gender.

On this day, he saw that Qiyuan's cotton shoes had been made and were walking back and forth on the ground.

"Is everything done?" Shen Lingyun asked.

"It's done." Qi Yuan looked at the shoes on his feet and said with satisfaction, "I finally have my own shoes to wear."

He has been wearing Shen Lingyun's cotton shoes for the past few days. It is very troublesome to walk with his feet at all. He is either pulling or jumping.

"Then read the book." Shen Lingyun said.

"Reading?" Qi Yuan looked at the book in Shen Lingyun's hand, shook his head and said, "I can't understand."

He was circling back and forth on the ground. He was busy working these days and it was suffocating him to death just sitting on the kang.

Shen Lingyun was half leaning on the pillow, but he sat up after hearing his words, "I'll teach you."

"I won't learn." Qi Yuan simply refused.

"Want to eat meat?" Shen Lingyun asked.

"Didn't you finish eating your meat?" Qi Yuan looked at Shen Lingyun suspiciously, "That slap is as big as a palm, but we ate three meals."

Shen Lingyun was helpless, "It's not my flesh, you can't say that."

"Do you still have meat?" Qi Yuan was concerned about this matter.

"No more."

"Oh." Qi Yuan took off his shoes and got on the kang and looked at the book in his hand, "You'd better read it yourself. Anyway, no matter who's flesh, you can't see it in the book."

He is too lazy to learn.

Being caught by his mother to learn to read, be a school girl, and follow all kinds of rules... I still have a headache thinking about it now.

Fortunately, his father was a farmer, and he was the only child, so he was as distressed as his eyes.

As long as he firmly opposes things he doesn't like, he can have time to go out and play.

Shen Lingyun was silent for a long time, and saw Qi Yuan lying motionless on the kang, with his eyes closed.

I knew he didn't want to.

"Look at what this is, do you recognize it?" Shen Lingyun took out a handful of money and placed them one by one on the kang for Qi Yuan to see.

Qi Yuan turned his head and opened one eye, "Painting?"

"Cough." Shen Lingyun covered his mouth and coughed several times.

He knew that Qi Yuan had a well-behaved face and assumed a well-behaved and obedient attitude, but...

He is really a half-grown child who can no longer be skinny.

"That's right." Shen Lingyun smiled and said patiently: "There are indeed paintings on it, but there is another name for it, money."

"Oh." Qi Yuan closed his eyes again and followed quickly, "Money."

"Money is used to buy things." Shen Lingyun said: "Just like the gold and silver used in the past, or the copper coins in ancient times."

"Um..." Qi Yuan turned over and sat up, moved closer to Shen Lingyun, and asked curiously: "For shopping."

"Well." Shen Lingyun picked up the penny and showed it to Qi Yuan, "This is one penny. It should be equivalent to the ancient coins, one penny."

Qi Yuan took it and looked at it over and over, with bright eyes, and said with a smile: "It feels much better than copper coins."

"Yes, it is convenient to use and easy to store." Shen Lingyun said.

Qi Yuan had to admit that it was indeed what he said.

"If you live here, you can't live without it." Shen Lingyun was persuasive, "How can you live a good life if you don't even know how much money you have to spend on shopping?"

He held up the book in his hand, "So, you have to read and study."

Just as Qi Yuan was about to speak, Shen Lingyun asked, "Didn't you say you can make money? You don't even know how to make money, so why are you talking about making money?"

Qi Yuan: "You can make money by doing other things, like farming."

Of course he knows that reading is good, and many people can't afford it, but he doesn't like it.

"Studying costs money, and if you spend a lot of money, you may not be able to earn back the money," Qi Yuan said.

Those scholars, if they can't get into the examination, they might as well be farmers who can earn their own living.

"Here in our country, if you don't study, you will be useless and unable to make money." Shen Lingyun said without blinking, "We are all willing to study and become literate."

"You all study?" Qi Yuan was stunned.

"Bang bang bang."

"I'm going to take a look." Shen Lingyun got off the kang and put on his shoes, "It's okay, just stay on the kang."

"Coming, coming." Shen Lingyun responded and asked, "Who is it?"

"Military captain, Wang Dali."

Chapter 8

"Captain Wang."

Shen Lingyun opened the door and saw two people following him, carrying things on their shoulders. He stepped aside to let them in.

"I am the newly appointed militia captain." Wang Dali said, "Come here today to get to know me."

Shen Lingyun smiled slightly, "Congratulations, Captain Wang."

He knew that this man was a simple and honest man with good character. It was said that he had relatives in the county.

It is probably for this reason that He Xiangjun chose him as the militia captain.

"If you need anything in the future, you can always come to me." Wang Dali said.

"Well, thank you."

Decentralized personnel cannot leave the village at will and have to ask someone to buy any daily necessities they need. This matter is under his control.

When they entered the room, they saw Qi Yuan sitting cross-legged on the kang, with his back straight and his hands on his knees, as if waiting for inspection.

Shen Lingyun gave him a look to indicate that he was fine.

"This is Qiyuan." Shen Lingyun said.

Wang Dali looked at Qi Yuan and saw that he was looking at him unblinkingly with his small face raised.

He has clear eyes and a well-behaved look. He is not at all as arrogant and arrogant as Wu Jianmin said.

"Hey." When he saw Qi Yuan's short, ear-length hair, he suddenly laughed, "Isn't he a young man? Why does he look like a little girl?"

"Huh?" Qi Yuan looked at Shen Lingyun with doubtful eyes.

"Ahem." Shen Lingyun coughed slightly, looked away guiltily, and awkwardly said to Wang Dali, "I don't know how to cut hair, so I just cut his hair short."

He helplessly spread his hands and showed a wry smile, "That's what it became."

"Hahaha."

Wang Dali and the other two people couldn't help but laugh.

"Your craftsmanship is pretty good." Wang Dali praised without hesitation, "If it were me, I'd probably have to cut it to look like a dog."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Qi Yuan saw that they were all laughing at him, and raised his hand to rub his hair a few times, "Doesn't it look good?"

He was in a bad mood again when he thought about his hair, and his little face wrinkled, full of annoyance.

"It looks good." Shen Lingyun said hurriedly: "It's just a bit longer."

He gestured to his hair and said, "Boys have to cut it as short as mine to facilitate grooming."

"You cut this." Qi Yuan said with a grimace, "It's all hair, why do you have to specify how long it should be?"

"There are no rules." Wang Dali said, "I'm just used to it. Everyone is so short."

He knew about Qi Yuan's hair and didn't think there was anything wrong with having long hair. "Maybe you are not used to having long hair."

Wang Dali is in his thirties and has several children in his family, including one as old as Qi Yuan. He doesn't want to embarrass any of his children.

"Here you go." Wang Dali took out his household registration book and handed it to Qi Yuan, "Your household registration has been lost, and we have approved relief grain for you."

He asked the two men who came with him to put two bags of grain on the edge of the kang. "The commune gave us fifty kilograms of cornmeal, and the team also gave us twenty kilograms."

Wang Dali looked at Shen Lingyun and said, "The team is too poor and there is nothing we can do."

He knew that this was not enough for Qi Yuan to eat.

"It's already very good." Shen Lingyun said, "Thank you to the leaders of the commune, and even more to Party Secretary He, and thank you to Captain Wang for specially sending it."

He didn't even think about giving relief food.

"We are all short of food, something is worse than nothing." Wang Dali added, "Why don't you let my wife cut this child's hair?"

"No." Qi Yuan was fiddling with his household registration book. Hearing what he said, he hurriedly covered his head, "Do you still want to cut it?"

He stared at Shen Lingyun with his eyes wide open, his refusal obvious.

"This kid is timid." Shen Lingyun explained.

"He's not timid." Wang Dali said with a smile on his face, "He's protecting things. My youngest son has been crying since he was born when his hair was cut. Now that he's grown up, he runs around and I have to catch him. Cut."

He waved his hand nonchalantly, "If you don't want to cut it, don't cut it. How can a child have so many opinions?"

"Maybe it's like what Captain Wang said." Shen Lingyun agreed.

"Okay, let's go first." Wang Dali stood and said a few words before leaving.

"Captain Wang." Shen Lingyun stopped him, "I want to take this kid to the consignment point to let him know the way. If he needs anything in the future, I can let him buy it and save Captain Wang from trouble."

"Well." Wang Dali thought for a moment, looking a little embarrassed, "I'm just afraid that others will have opinions."

"Let's do this." Wang Dali thought about it and said, "We happen to have nothing to do, so we can go with you."

"Thank you, Captain Wang."

He called Qi Yuan again, "Let's go, I'll take you to the agency."

"Oh." Qi Yuan put down his household registration book and quickly got off the kang to put on his shoes, "Are you shopping?"

"Well." Shen Lingyun put away the two bags of cornmeal, "Now that you are familiar with it, you can go out by yourself in the future."

"Thank you, Captain Wang." Qi Yuan was very happy and obediently thanked Wang Dali.

"This kid is pretty good." Wang Dali smiled, he was caring enough to deserve this thank you.

Several people left the Educated Youth Center. Wang Dali and others walked in front, while Shen Lingyun and Qi Yuan followed behind, not walking together.

They were unwilling to contact the decentralized personnel, so Shen Lingyun had to avoid suspicion.

Qi Yuan shrank from being blown by the cold wind.

He looked up at the gloomy sky. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and it felt like it might snow again.

There was no one in or outside the village.

He asked Shen Lingyun in a low voice: "What do you want to buy?"

In the past few days, I heard Shen Lingyun say that she wanted to buy something for him, but she didn't say what to buy. Qi Yuan didn't want him to spend money.

"I don't want anything." Qi Yuan said against his will, "I don't want to eat meat either."

But after he finished speaking, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

In the past few days, under Shen Lingyun's indoctrination, Qi Yuan knew something about this place, and he didn't even have anywhere to buy food.

In addition, for some things, money alone is not enough, and what kind of tickets are needed?

He was shocked and helpless.

This place is worse than the place where I grew up!

Shen Lingyun: "Let's see what's available first and then decide."

There are many things he wants to buy, but he may not necessarily have them all, and there is also the problem of tickets that is difficult to solve.

The sales agency of the supply and marketing cooperative is not far from Banpo Village.

After leaving the village, keep walking forward, and you will reach the road about three or four miles away. Follow the road, turn east, and walk another two miles.

Several brigades nearby come here to buy things.

"Look ahead." Shen Lingyun pointed to Qi Yuan when they were approaching the sales point. "The big courtyard not far ahead is the school, Qinglin Commune No. 6 Primary School."

"School." Qi Yuan was surprised how to call it this name.

Shen Lingyun did not give up persuading Qi Yuan to study. Since he stayed, he would have to take some responsibility.

He told Qi Yuan little by little about school and the benefits of studying, hoping to arouse his interest.

Qi Yuan said it would cost a lot of money.

He specifically mentioned the issue of money, "As long as you go to college, you can make money."

"You don't have to spend a little money to pay back." Shen Lingyun emphasized this point, "You said spending a lot of money is completely untrue."

"Really?" Qi Yuan didn't believe it, and said with doubts in his eyes: "You don't need to spend any money?"

"Elementary school and junior high school will cost a little money." Shen Lingyun said, "I will teach you at home first. After you finish the primary school courses, you won't have to spend money."

Shen Lingyun said that there was no pressure at all. He knew that Qi Yuan didn't understand these things, and it didn't matter even if he found out in the future.

After all, you are spending your own money.

"Oh." Qi Yuan thought thoughtfully, "Is there such a good thing?"

"Of course." Shen Lingyun: "This is the country's talent cultivation. As long as you study hard, anything is possible."

"Then why don't you go?" Qi Yuan asked.

Shen Lingyun paused for a moment, feeling sour in his heart. He even dreamed of going to school.

Too bad he didn't get the chance.

Seeing that he was silent and filled with sadness, Qi Yuan felt a little blocked for no reason.

Shen Lingyun is elegant, handsome, gentle and approachable. Even if he doesn't smile, people would still want to get close to him.

At this moment, it was shrouded in gloom.

"Brother Lingyun." Qi Yuan carefully pulled his sleeve, "What's wrong with you?"

Shen Lingyun's throat rolled a few times, and his voice was a little hoarse when he spoke, "Qi Yuan, not everyone has the opportunity to go to school."

He looked at Qi Yuan with sad eyes and said, "If you have an opportunity, you must seize it and don't miss it."

"I..." Qi Yuan was speechless.

He doesn't like it, but he is more afraid of spending money.

They spoke without anyone behind their backs. Wang Dali and the others heard clearly from the front. He suddenly turned around and looked at Shen Lingyun with complicated eyes.

He turned to Qi Yuan and said, "Qi Yuan, not everyone can go to school. You must go if you have the chance. Don't let others down."

Wang Dali understands very well how many people cannot go to school.

Now that the college entrance examination has been resumed, the state has been vigorously promoting it, and even the educated youth have left.

But Shen Lingyun is still here, with no chance at all.

"When I study, I listen to you." Qi Yuan grabbed Shen Lingyun's arm.

He was afraid that Shen Lingyun wouldn't believe it, so he nodded heavily, "I must study hard and never be lazy again."

Qi Yuan knew Hao Lai and understood that Shen Lingyun was doing it for his own good.

I was tempted when I knew that studying didn't cost much and I could still make money.

But after seeing Shen Lingyun's sadness, he forgot all about it and focused on hoping that Shen Lingyun would be happy.

"I study hard, study hard, and study hard." Qi Yuan continued to promise, gritting his teeth and stamping his feet, "I will earn a lot of money back."

He was full of expectation, hoping to see Shen Lingyun's smile and say seriously: "As long as you are happy and no longer sad, I will listen to you from now on."

"Really." He shook Shen Lingyun's arm, "As long as you smile, I can do anything you want."

"You really want me to laugh?" All Shen Lingyun's sadness was defeated by Qi Yuan's sincere words and cautious and expectant eyes.

He couldn't help but smile, "I hope you are learning for yourself, not because of other people."

This was the purpose of his painstaking efforts to persuade and guide Qi Yuan, and it did not require him to make concessions for himself.

"For both of us." Qi Yuan stretched out two fingers and shook them at Shen Lingyun, "If you are happy, I am happy. For you and for myself."

"Okay." Shen Lingyun smiled bitterly and shook his head.

He did not continue the discussion on this issue and just said: "I will teach you for a while first, if you really don't.

Chapter 9

"Like a grocery store."

Qi Yuan followed Shen Lingyun into the consignment point and said something casual when he saw that everything was sold inside.

"Yeah." Shen Lingyun's eyes narrowed and he responded immediately.

Qi Yuan looked around curiously and found that there were many things here that he had never seen before.

There are also bright red characters on the wall.

"Serve the people." Shen Lingyun saw him reading those words, read them to him again, and told him: "Study hard and you will know these in the future."

"Comrade, take two pencils and five exercise books." Shen Lingyun said to the salesperson.

"Pencil?" Qi Yuan looked at the pencil in his hand curiously.

"For writing." Shen Lingyun said.

"You old hat." The salesperson sneered and rolled his eyes at Qi Yuan, "I don't even know him."

"Children have never been to school." Shen Lingyun said lightly.

He has a handsome appearance, a gentle temperament, a tall and erect body, and a literary and artistic atmosphere.

Like someone who works with books all year round.

The young salesman blushed, secretly annoyed at himself for speaking so quickly.

Qi Yuan blinked, but suddenly pointed at the salesperson and said, "She blushed."

He looked at the salesperson curiously and asked, "Look at my brother, why is he blushing?"

"You..." the young saleswoman was annoyed. She was only ten, eighty or nine years old, and her skin was still a bit thin. "Who is blushing?"

"Don't make trouble." Shen Lingyun patted Qi Yuan comfortingly, his eyes a little helpless, "Hurry up and buy something."

"Oh." Qi Yuan responded noncommittally.

Taking advantage of Shen Lingyun's turning his head, he stuck out his tongue and made a face at the young salesperson.

"I'll do it." Another older salesperson saw this situation and came over and said to the young salesperson.

She smiled and asked Shen Lingyun: "What do you want?"

Shen Lingyun repeated that they were all related to learning.

It was rare for him to come out openly, and he didn't care that Wang Dali and the others were waiting outside the sales point, and bought all the daily necessities such as lamp oil, soap, towels...

When Shen Lingyun realized that Qi Yuan was not beside him, he turned around and saw Qi Yuan lying on a counter, looking at something in trance.

I don't know how to keep up even if I leave.

"What are you looking at?" Shen Lingyun walked over and asked.

"This." Qi Yuan pointed to a mirror and asked with a longing look on his face: "You can see me."

"Mirror." Shen Lingyun asked the old salesperson to take out the mirror, "I can see your face clearly."

"Yes." Qi Yuan held it in his hand, smiling with crooked eyebrows, "I blinked, and he blinked with me."

He winked at the mirror and had a lot of fun. Finally, he touched his cheek with one hand and said, "I can't get a tan even though I have white skin."

Qi Yuan looked at Shen Lingyun proudly, "Even some girls' families envy me."

"Yes." Shen Lingyun nodded and said with a smile: "You are so talented, how can others compare to you?"

What he said meant something, but it was also a sincere compliment.

The boy in the small mirror has fair skin, clear eyes, a small nose and a cute appearance.

At this moment, I couldn't put it down holding the mirror, my beautiful big eyes blinked, and my long eyelashes trembled, like a beautiful butterfly dancing in the wind.

"Take it if you like it." Shen Lingyun chuckled.

He also discovered another side of Qi Yuan, a young boy who loves beauty.

"How much?" Qi Yuan immediately asked the salesperson.

His eyes were hesitant and anxious, fearing that Shen Lingyun would spend too much money and that he would not be able to afford it.

"One dollar and twenty cents," said the old salesperson.

She looked at Qi Yuan and then at Shen Lingyun, and saw that the two people were wearing shabby clothes, and their clothes had been washed white and their true colors could not be seen.

Patches are everywhere and I probably can't afford them.

"This is usually a mirror that someone bought for their wedding." The old salesperson said, "The price is a bit more expensive, but there is no ticket."

"How much does this cost?" Qi Yuan pointed to a smaller mirror and asked, "It should be cheap, right?"

The mirror he looked in just now was half a foot in size, and the one he's asking about now is about the size of a palm, so it should be cheaper.

"I want this mirror." Shen Lingyun didn't wait for the salesperson to speak and said, "This mirror can be placed on the table or hung up. It is convenient to use."

As he spoke, he demonstrated to Qi Yuan, folding the plastic frame and placing it just on the counter.

Then he picked up the mirror again, folded the upper frame upside down, and made gestures for Qi Yuan to see.

"Put it straight like this and you can hang it up." Shen Lingyun said.

Qi Yuan didn't know how much it was. He didn't understand and didn't want to ask in front of the salesperson. He pursed his lips and hesitated.

"It doesn't cost much." Shen Lingyun saw him struggling and rubbed his head in a funny way, "Buy it back for convenience."

"Okay." Qi Yuan nodded seriously, but his eyes were full of joy.

"You are kind to your brother." The old salesperson sighed.

As long as it involves more than 1 yuan, no one will buy it unless it is an important matter at home.

But according to Shen Lingyun, they wanted to take it back and use it themselves.

"Well, it's just good to me." Qi Yuan felt the same, and at the same time he puffed up his chest and said proudly: "Most of the things you bought are for my use."

Shen Lingyun looked at his proud face and chuckled from the side, "Okay, there are still things to buy, so hurry up."

"What else are you buying?" Qi Yuan said, "It cost a lot of money."

"Buy more today." Shen Lingyun was rarely free this time, and he no longer acted cautiously on a whim.

He walked to the food counter and asked the old salesperson: "Do these require tickets?"

"It's cheaper if you give a ticket, but it's more expensive if you don't have a ticket." The old salesperson said, "The cake costs eighty-two cents a pound without a ticket, but it's only fifty-eight cents if you give it a ticket."

"One pound of chicken cake, one pound of walnut cake." Shen Lingyun said, "One pound of fruit candy, and half a pound of White Rabbit toffee."

"Buy so much?" the old salesperson asked in surprise.

"I usually don't have time to go out, so I buy more and keep it at home." Shen Lingyun said with a slight smile.

"Gudong." Qi Yuan swallowed involuntarily, his eyes full of longing, but his mouth said: "Buy less."

Shen Lingyun glanced at him and saw Qi Yuan's eyes falling on the pastries on the counter, swallowing while looking at them.

"Then don't swallow your saliva, I will buy less." Shen Lingyun laughed at him.

Qi Yuan raised his eyebrows and said with burning eyes, "I swallowed when I looked at these things. I didn't mean to swallow them."

When the old salesperson heard what he said, he also smiled and said, "Yeah, everyone who looks at it will want to swallow their saliva."

She was shocked as she praised him. The young man in front of her looked like Dai was from a poor family, but who knew he was generous with his money.

"Put it in the basket." Shen Lingyun helped put the things in the basket Qi Yuan took and walked to the next counter.

"What else are you buying?" Qi Yuan followed him and looked at the almost full basket and said, "It won't be able to hold it anymore."

"And soy sauce, vinegar, salt..." Shen Lingyun said.

We don't have many things at home and need to buy too much.

"Is there any cloth here that doesn't require stamps?" Shen Lingyun asked while waiting for the old salesperson to add soy sauce, vinegar, etc. "Even defective products are fine."

The old salesman looked at him and said that even if he had one, it wouldn't be your turn.

But something suddenly occurred to me.

"A few pieces of cloth have been eaten by rats, do you want them?" the old salesman asked.

"What cloth?" Shen Lingyun was surprised. He didn't expect to be so lucky.

"I'll get it for you." The young salesperson heard him ask: "They are all cotton cloth, two pieces of floral cloth, one piece of white cloth, one piece of blue cloth and one piece of gray cloth."

"Go and have a look." Shen Lingyun said to Qi Yuan.

"Oh." Qi Yuan went over immediately, not angry that the young salesperson looked down on him.

"How much?" Qi Yuan went over and asked the price first.

"Painted cloth costs 16 cents per foot, and cloth of other colors costs 10.2 cents per foot," said the young salesperson.

She glanced at Shen Lingyun not far away and whispered to Qi Yuan, "It's very cheap."

They, the salespersons, often come across slightly defective products with prices similar to this, and no one cares about these rat-eaten ones.

"Yeah." Qi Yuan looked at the fabrics and smiled in a flattering way, "Sister, can it be cheaper?"

"This won't work." The young salesperson didn't expect him to ask this, and frowned in embarrassment, "I can give you some cut rags."

"Thank you, sister." Qi Yuan glanced at the cloths, "I will help sister cut them."

He helped the young salesman cut the fabrics, leaving the good ones and the bad ones piled aside.

A sister shouted in her mouth, while pointing at the fabric and saying that it was not good, the cut was wrong and it was a little crooked.

When Shen Lingyun bought everything and came to Qi Yuan's side, Qi Yuan was busy and happy.

"Let's have more." Qi Yuan blinked at Shen Lingyun, maybe he didn't understand what he meant.

"The floral cloth is used as the back or the lining of the cotton-padded jacket, and the white cloth is used as the quilt lining." Qi Yuan said, "The rest are used as clothes."

"Not much good cloth can be cut from these pieces of cloth." At this time, the young salesperson said to the old salesperson: "There are too many rats."

"Let me take a look." said the old salesperson.

Unexpectedly, Qi Yuan suddenly lay down on the bad cloth and said with a defensive look: "I gave all the bad cloth to me."

Two salesmen: "..."

"If I didn't have these bad ones, I wouldn't be able to buy these good ones." Qi Yuan said matter-of-factly: "Quickly measure how much good cloth we have, we're leaving."

"You can't ask for other people's things in vain." Shen Lingyun looked at his appearance and said funnyly: "You can give it to you, but we can't take it if you don't give it to us."

Qi Yuan looked ugly and said a little aggrievedly: "I heard that you can send damaged cloth, so I helped cut these cloths."

"I can give you some, but I can't give them all to you." The old salesperson said.

She also wanted to pick some good ones to take home.

"Then let's buy it." Qi Yuan looked at the cloths reluctantly, looked at the old salesperson with hope and asked, "It's cheaper."

"This..." The old saleswoman was not very happy, but she could see that there was a lot of good cloth mixed in it.

"How much does it cost?" Qi Yuan asked.

"This..." the old salesperson muttered, "Three yuan is a bargain for you."

The young salesperson pursed his lips and snickered. It was quite interesting to see Qi Yuan messing around.

"Two yuan, right?" Qi Yuan held out two fingers, "We didn't bring that much money."

"Give it to them." The young salesperson interceded, "I'll help you cut it for half a day."

"Okay, here you go." The old salesperson waved her hand impatiently.

"There are also these good cloths." Qi Yuan said.

The two salesmen started measuring the cloth together and quickly determined the size, "Eighty-six feet."

The old saleswoman crackled her abacus, "These good cloths, plus two yuan for bad cloths, and other things you bought."

After doing the calculation, the old salesperson reported that it cost twenty-three yuan, six cents and two cents.

After hearing this, Shen Lingyun smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's rare in this life, so it's worth spending more."

Chapter 10

Qi Yuan has been in a good mood these past two days.

Ever since he bought the cheap cloth, he has been busy sorting it out, and now he is sorting it into three, six, and nine grades.

"We can make a lot of money by selling these cloths." Qi Yuan suggested.

He had a smile in his eyes and looked at Shen Lingyun expectantly.

But Shen Lingyun's words made him feel as if he was struck by lightning. He stared in disbelief and asked, "What? I'm not allowed to sell it."

With all conscience, he bought these cloths to make money.

Thinking of how I almost lost my face and rolled around at the consignment store, but ended up smashing it all in my hands.

Qi Yuan felt bad and asked again with trembling lips: "Why? Why don't you let us sell it?"

It's not like stealing or robbing in public.

"Don't get excited." Shen Lingyun hurriedly reassured: "I haven't finished speaking yet."

As soon as he said he wouldn't sell it, Qi Yuan was furious. What a child!

Shen Lingyun told him the policy. Individual buying and selling was not allowed. This was a serious matter and could not be violated.

"Ah ah ah." Qi Yuan raised his head and shouted, no longer caring about pretending to be good and venting his emotions loudly.

"I can sell it." Shen Lingyun said these three words quickly.

Sure enough, these three words are the most effective.

Qi Yuan shut up and stared at Shen Lingyun.

"Sell it quietly, don't let others know." Shen Lingyun knew that he was waiting for her to explain, "I will go to the black market tonight and I promise to sell it to you."

Qi Yuan said nothing and continued to stare at him.

"There are people who buy and sell secretly." Shen Lingyun continued: "The price is high, but there is danger."

He explained to Qi Yuan the black market and some private rules.

Qi Yuan pursed his lips, his face was tangled and he didn't speak for a long time.

"Don't worry, people will rush to buy these cloths when they come out." Shen Lingyun saw him struggling and said with a smile, "I'll go there tonight, don't worry."

"You can't leave the village?" After he said this, Qi Yuan became more entangled and more confused.

"I can always find a way." Shen Lingyun felt funny about his question, "Who do you think is looking at me now?"

Since he was rehabilitated, he has been the only one left under devolution, and there is almost no control.

He can't appear openly during the day, and he can't go out at night.

Otherwise, under Wu Jianmin's coercion, how could he survive until now in a healthy and safe manner.

"Caught it." Qi Yuan sighed.

He thought he could make money, but he didn't expect that he would cause trouble for Shen Lingyun.

Qi Yuan went crazy, covering his head and lost in thought.

If he couldn't sell things, where would he make money? Shen Lingyun spent so much money on him.

I also bought a mirror.

Qi Yuan was in an extremely bad mood, and the wealth he brought with him seemed like a joke now.

If it can't be sold or used, what's the use?

Shen Lingyun saw him sitting cross-legged and meditating again, holding his head as if repenting, looking full of regret.

"Okay." Shen Lingyun sat next to him, "I've been there many times, and it'll be fine."

Qi Yuan looked up, his eyes red, "I can't let you take risks."

Shen Lingyun's eyes were soft and she gently rubbed his hair with her hands, "It's okay, don't worry."

"I'll go." Qi Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he swept away his dejection, "I can run fast and I am strong."

He looked excited, "Who can catch me?"

Shen Lingyun wanted to say: It is difficult for two fists to defeat four hands, let alone Mucang.

But he didn't dare to say it easily again.

Qi Yuan pointed to his nose again and said with an unquestionable expression: "I have never lost in a fight."

"Can you find a place?" Shen Lingyun was noncommittal and just asked Qi Yuan: "Do you know money?"

Qi Yuan: "..."

He covered his face in shame, Shen Lingyun's words hit the point.

Seeing him like this, Shen Lingyun smiled and said, "Are you studying? If you don't study, you won't even be able to find your way outside, and you will be cheated when you buy things."

"Okay." Qi Yuan was dejected, straightened his back again, and said in a loud voice: "Study, just for you, I will learn too."

"Okay, I'll give you some candy." Shen Lingyun gave him a piece of White Rabbit candy, "Study hard and I'll give you candy every day."

"Yes." Qi Yuan held the candy in his mouth, narrowed his eyes sweetly and showed a happy smile, "I have never eaten such delicious candy."

He waved his fist vigorously, "I will fight for the candy."

Shen Lingyun chuckled, it seemed that she was worse than candy in his eyes.

...

At around one o'clock in the middle of the night, Shen Lingyun called Qi Yuan and took him to the black market in the town.

Each of the two men carried a large bamboo basket with cloth inside.

Qi Yuan followed Shen Lingyun, walking in the dark night. After leaving the village, Shen Lingyun took out a flashlight and turned it on.

In the dark night, a light came on, illuminating the road ahead, making the two people go faster.

"What is this?" Qi Yuan looked at the flashlight in surprise, once again seeing the magic of this place.

"Flashlight." Shen Lingyun said, handing the flashlight to him, "Take it."

"Okay." Qi Yuan cheered immediately, took the flashlight and looked back and forth, even shining it on his own face, "I can't see it."

"Don't shine your eyes." Shen Lingyun pulled his hand away and said, "Light the road."

"Hehe." Qi Yuan giggled, "This thing is really good, much brighter than an oil lamp."

"There are brighter things than this." Shen Lingyun told him about electric lights, not forgetting to brainwash him. "After you go to school, you will come into contact with many things, and a flashlight is nothing."

The two people walked and talked, and arrived in the town in more than an hour.

Shen Lingyun looked at the watch on his wrist. It was just three o'clock and the black market hadn't opened yet.

He led Qi Yuan through many twists and turns, and arrived at a remote alley where some people were already setting up stalls.

There are also some people who have just arrived to buy things.

"Let's put it here." Shen Lingyun pointed to a large open space and said, "This place is spacious."

"Okay." Qi Yuan nodded, spread out the bundle of straw in his hand, and spread a piece of cloth on top.

Shen Lingyun lit the oil lamp and went out with Qi Yuan to get the cloth. Before the stall was set up, someone who saw it came over.

"How do you sell this cloth?" asked a middle-aged woman.

"Five cents a foot." Shen Lingyun said.

What they put out were small pieces of cloth cut to a length of half a foot or more than a foot.

"These are just pieces of cloth." The middle-aged woman said with disgust, "They are all so short, not enough to make clothes."

"It's enough to make clothes for children." Qi Yuan said, "One or two years old is just right. It's so cheap and you don't have to pay for it."

These words speak to my heart. Cloth tickets are in short supply. Even if I have money, I have no clothes to wear.

"If it's a large piece of cloth, it's not at this price." Shen Lingyun said, "Yes, it is, but it's one yuan a foot more expensive."

"One dollar?" The middle-aged woman's eyes lit up, "Bring it to me and take a look. I'll buy some if it's suitable."

When she came over, there were people listening nearby. When they heard the price, they hurriedly came forward to buy large pieces of cloth that could be used to make clothes for adults.

"Let's talk about it first." Shen Lingyun said ugly words beforehand, "The large piece of cloth has some flaws, or it won't be worth a dollar or a foot."

"It doesn't matter." Qi Yuan waved his hand nonchalantly, "As long as you pay attention to the tailoring and don't hinder the making of the clothes, it's as if there are no flaws."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of floral cloth and showed it to the middle-aged woman, "This piece of cloth is enough to make a dress for you. Even if there are a few small holes in it, it won't be a problem at all."

Qi Yuan gestured to the middle-aged woman. He was proficient in tailoring and making clothes, and he spoke eloquently.

The middle-aged woman nodded frequently.

"Are there any other colors?" the middle-aged woman said, "I want to make clothes for the men in my family."

Qi Yuan immediately found it for her, choosing blue or gray as she pleased. Soon the middle-aged woman bought some pieces of cloth.

Shen Lingyun was looking at the stalls while doing calculations. The middle-aged woman bought a 16-foot-3-inch piece for 16 yuan and three cents.

The middle-aged woman looked pained and said, "I came here to buy meat today, but now all the money has been spent."

"You can buy meat another day." Shen Lingyun comforted: "Cloth is not available every day. It will be gone after we sell it."

He was talking to the people who had been watching.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the few people watching on the side, both men and women, all rushed over, fearing that they would be gone soon.

"Give me a piece of gray cloth to make a coat."

"I want to buy some fabric to make a suit of clothes. Please bring it to me first."

"I also bought a lot, please take it to me first."

Several people were fighting for each other, but Shen Lingyun stood aside, focusing on looking at the stall and observing the movements around him.

Qi Yuan, on the other hand, followed the pre-discussed plan, and he did the work of selling and measuring the cloth, and at the same time reported the numbers to Shen Lingyun so that he could settle the accounts and collect the money.

Following the commotion they made here, people coming to the black market came over one after another after hearing the news, and when they saw a ticket asking for no tickets.

One after another, they joined the rush to buy.

The black market starts at three or four o'clock in the morning in winter and ends at six o'clock at dawn.

But as more people came, Qi Yuan and the others sold their cloth faster, and eventually Shen Lingyun had to start helping to get the cloth.

Fortunately, no one warned them, so they successfully sold out all the large pieces of cloth.

Only some small pieces of cloth remained.

"Huh." When the crowd gradually dispersed, Qi Yuan could take a breath and rest for a while.

If he wasn't wearing a hat, you could see the sweat on his forehead. "Finally, the sales are almost done."

Both he and Shen Lingyun were fully armed, with hats and scarves on their necks, covering their faces tightly, leaving only two eyes exposed.

Qi Yuan felt that his breathing was not smooth, and he pulled the scarf covering his face before feeling like he could breathe some fresh air.

"It's past five o'clock." Shen Lingyun said, "We have to go."

"Okay." Qi Yuan knew it was inconvenient for him and agreed immediately.

"There are only these small pieces of cloth left. I can sell them all if I come back tonight." Qi Yuan said happily.

But unexpectedly, Shen Lingyun said he couldn't sell it.

"Why?" Qi Yuan was stunned.

"We'll talk about it on the way." Shen Lingyun quickly closed the stall, and then led Qi Yuan to run away quickly.

"We can't attract people's attention." Shen Lingyun told Qi Yuan on the way: "If someone is jealous, they will cause trouble."

His explanation made Qi Yuan frustrated.

But when he went home to check the money, Qi Yuan almost jumped up with joy, "One hundred and fifty-six yuan and eight cents."

He pointed to the remaining small piece of cloth, "There are still dozens of feet left, and it can still be sold for a lot of money."

"Yeah." Shen Lingyun said, "Spring plowing will be done in half a month. We will go to the black market then and buy something on the way back."

"Meat, we didn't buy meat today." Qi Yuan remembered this and stamped her feet regretfully, "I just said I forgot something."

"It's okay." Shen Lingyun smiled and said, "We'll go there again tonight and buy some meat for you."