chapter2

  When it was time to cook dinner, He Song came back with the little lamb, her two feet were covered in mud. She settled the lamb down and ran to the well to wash her shoes with dirty water from a broken basin, stopping only when there were just brown marks left. Then she went into the kitchen, brought over a small stool to put under her feet and started cooking dinner.

  They still use large iron pots on their side, which need to be burned with firewood. He Sheng only learned how to start a fire three years ago, and he was scolded and beaten many times for it. Even now, there are still faint scars on his arm.

  That day, while eating, He Yong didn't come over, and no matter how many times He Sheng went to call him, it was useless. In the end, he secretly picked out some dishes and brought them over to him. He Yong's eyes became even more confused when they came into contact with the rice bowl.

  There was one less person at the dinner table, but it didn't have much of an impact. Qian Zhao Di unusually gave He Sheng two eggs, He Sheng looked at her in surprise, his hand paused while picking food, and he muttered: "Mom!"

  "Eat! I cooked too much today." This was already her greatest tolerance.

  But He Song's good fortune that night wasn't just eating two eggs, she even didn't have to wash the dishes. Qian Zhao Di handed this task over to He San Zhuang and then pushed He Song with a shove, bringing her back into the house.

  In the old house of the extremely rich era, the orange-yellow light bulb illuminated a very limited range. He Sheng followed Qian Zhao Di and stared blankly as she pulled out an alligator skin bag and threw it in front of him, brushing her hair, "Take this away and keep it for yourself."

  He Sheng crouched down and rummaged through, looking at the clothes he usually wore every day. There were only a few pieces, all tattered and worn out. The buttons were loose and unclear. Qian Zhao Di said again: "Tomorrow you follow that person who came today, they have money, your days will be better."

  The small fingers holding the mouth of the bag trembled slightly, and her bright black eyes flashed with obvious panic. She raised her head and called out: "Mom!"

  "Take a look and see if there's anything else missing." Qian Zhao Di said as she was about to head out.

  He Sheng tightly hugged her leg, she was already 12 years old and still young, but the precocious child with a 12-year-old IQ could easily understand what she meant by her previous words, only to be shocked too much, making it difficult for her to react.

  "Mom, are you leaving too?" she asked with a pale face.

  "No, you go with him, and from now on, you'll live with that person."

  "I won't leave." The voice trembled with tears, "Don't send me away."

  Qian Zhao Di struggled, but couldn't get free. She didn't look at the person on the ground and said: "He Sheng, Mom has no choice either. You also see how poor our family is. I really can't afford to raise you three siblings. Wherever you go, it won't be worse than this. Don't worry."

  "I can drop out of school and work more!"

  Qian Zhao Di bent down slowly but firmly pried open her hand and said calmly: "No, you must go."

  "Mom, please don't drive me away." He Song cried out in fear, "Let me do whatever you want, just don't drive me away."

  Qian Zhao Di swallowed hard and said slowly: "What can you do? You're only twelve years old, I wouldn't even get much money if I sold you."

  He Sheng was stunned, and the next second she finally burst into tears. She realized that Qian Zhao Di was telling the truth, and there was no room for maneuvering. The sadness of being abandoned by her loved ones surged up in her chest like a flood, bringing with it unprecedented pain and suffocation. At just twelve years old, this child had no better way to relieve this heart-wrenching sorrow than to cry.

  Tears fell like pearls, one by one, straight down. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, leaving a dark stain on her cheek. She muttered that warm term every child loves, trying to grab Qian Zhao Di's pant leg again, but was ruthlessly kicked away.

  The force was not heavy, but that sharp collision made He Song fall into despair. She sobbed and trembled with her weak body, unable to say another word.

  She was the only one left, lying on the ground, and she didn't stop crying until her body was numb. There was a faint noise at the door, and He Yuanyue walked in with He Jun. They were not close to He Sheng, and sometimes they wouldn't say a word to each other all day. This was the result of Qian Zhaoji's teachings, and it was quite effective.

  "What's wrong?" He Yuer asked softly as she looked at her.

  He Xiang remained silent and didn't say a word, got up with a sob, staggered a bit before dragging his snake skin bag out.

  As they passed by, He Jun suddenly grabbed her sleeve and whispered: "Second sister, mom scolded you again?"

  He Jun was much shorter than He Sheng, she looked down at him with a worried expression on her face, He Sheng's mouth twitched and tears fell again, shaking his head and pulling away his hand to leave the door.

  He Jun looked up at He Wan Yue again, "Sister, what's wrong with Second Sister?" She had been scolded by Qian Zhao Di before, but she had never cried like this.

  She patted He Jun's head, "Don't bother with this, go do your homework."

  The sky outside had already darkened, but the night in the mountains was exceptionally clear and bright, with stars twinkling like diamonds. He Xiang dragged his snake skin bag across the yard towards the small grocery store opposite, which was so small that a bed and a chair were enough to fill the room.

  Inside, the oil lamp cast a dim light, He Yong sat with his back against the wall, slowly puffing on the long-stemmed pipe that had accompanied him for half his life. The bean-sized flame did not give off much light, and the whole room was dark and hazy as if shrouded in a layer of gauze.

  He Shuang leaned against the door frame, her fingers poking at a small hole above it. This was something she had accidentally burned out a long time ago. That day, Qian Zhao Di was so angry that he didn't give her dinner to eat, and in the middle of the night, she was so hungry that she could only get up to drink cold water to fill her stomach.

  At this time, He Yong finally beckoned her over, "Child, come here!"

  He Shuang stepped forward and strode in, with the snakeskin bag getting stuck on the threshold. She pulled it several times before finally pulling it inside.

  She knelt down across from him, looking up at him with red and swollen eyes. He stopped his smoking motion and said in a weathered tone, as if forcing the words out: "Tomorrow when you go, be more clever, be more obedient, don't cause trouble for others, also remember to take care of yourself, if there's any grievance, endure it, life will still go on as usual, understand?"

  "What? Do I have to go?"

  "Hmm!"

  "She cried: 'Does even Grandpa not want me anymore?'"

  He Yong's hand on his knee trembled slightly, and he said faintly, "No, don't."

  "What's wrong? Is it because I'm not obedient?"

  "No." He Yong touched her head, his rough palm pulling out some of her soft hair, and a layer of mist also floated in the old man's eyes in the light, "It's just that you can eat too much, Grandpa can't afford it."

  He Sheng let out a few mournful cries, and suddenly burst into loud wailing. She was so overcome with emotion that she couldn't say another word. She couldn't think of any reason to stay in this place anymore. At the same time, she realized that no matter what she said, it was already impossible to stay. The future might not necessarily be worse than this place, but it was far from dispelling her fear and dread of the unknown.

  The old man and his grandson did not sleep that night, sitting dryly in this simple house that could almost be blown down by the wind until the sky turned white.

  The small path outside the door already had the sound of pedestrians walking, accompanied by the occasional chirping of birds in the yard. He Yong rubbed his face full of wrinkles and said, "Let's go, go wash your face."

  He pulled up He Sheng's collar, lifted him up and stood him upright, then walked out stiffly. He Sheng hesitated for a moment before following obediently.

  Walk to the wellhead, take a water bucket and scoop some into the uneven face basin. The white towel has turned gray, with holes in the corners, and the fluffy thread is hanging down disheveled.

  He Yong used his rough, calloused hands to scoop up water and gently wipe He Sheng's face. The coarse skin of his palms didn't feel too pleasant on her tender cheeks, causing a slight stinging sensation. She endured it silently, her eyes swollen red with only a slit left open, yet within this narrow field of vision, she looked up at the old man in front of her, who had given her the most warmth, for the last time.

  He Yu took out a comb with missing teeth from his pocket and combed her hair, which was tangled into knots. After finally getting it untangled, his clumsy hands made it stand on end again, and the small ponytail ended up crooked and askew, not much better than before.

  He Yong had no choice but to make do with it.

  The other party arrived very early, much earlier than expected. Upon learning of their intentions, he wasn't greatly surprised. His sharp and wise eyes slowly swept over He Song, who was standing beside him with his head hung low and lacking in spirit, and nodded calmly in agreement.

  He Shuang quietly put the ceramic bowl in his hand on the table. In the last meal of the He family, he didn't eat successfully, and he always lowered his head without looking at the few people with different expressions in the house.

  Qian Zhao Di then pressed the corner of her eyes, suddenly got up and walked to He Sheng's side, saying somewhat reluctantly: "Ah Sheng, when you get there, take good care of yourself, don't be too hard on yourself, among these few children, only you are willing to suffer, Mom really can't bear to part with you."

  He Sheng looked at Qian Zhao Di's abnormal expression, pursed his lips and said in a low voice: "Then can I not leave?"

  Qian Zhao Di secretly pinched her hard, He Sheng's body shook and a few more tears fell, Qian Zhao Di automatically ignored her question and comforted her with a few words before letting her go back to her seat.

  He Sheng left, and before he did, the middle-aged man who spoke with weight gave the He family some money. Qian Zhao Di's worried expression was swept away, and through the car window, He Sheng couldn't express his feelings. Even after many years, when he looked back, it was just a cheap human sentiment.

  A sleek black sedan slowly drove away, and He Sheng could see the familiar rice fields outside, as well as the curious gazes of the farmers in the fields. Her hand clutching the snakeskin bag twisted nervously, for a child from a poor mountain village like her, luxury was not something to be enjoyed, but rather a symbol of status that brought her suffering. Her sensitive heart had already begun to feel a twinge of shame, although she couldn't yet fully understand this feeling.

  Sitting next to her was a man with an imposing presence, who He Song later found out was named Yuan Chongyang, the man who had given her life and also given her despair.

  Yuan Chongyang closed his eyes and leaned against the car seat, not very interested in the timid and dirty little kid beside him. After a while, he spoke up: "Yan Bai, as soon as we get back, find Attorney Zhou to settle the old man's will."

  The man wearing gold-rimmed glasses held the steering wheel steadily and nodded, "Yes."

  They came to this poor place only to fulfill the will, and their purpose was naturally the benefits attached to the will. Otherwise, they would not have set foot in such a poor mountain for their entire lives.

  It's hard to say whether He Sheng is lucky or unlucky. Although it doesn't put any pressure on Yuan Chongyang to raise a child, the external factors are not easy to explain. Yan Bo couldn't help but glance at the kid who was staring out of the window in silence through the rearview mirror. That little ancestor over there isn't someone to be trifled with.

  That afternoon, they took a plane back to J City. Yuan Chongyang got off the plane and directly went to the company in the car that was sent for him. In the crowded airport, Yan Bai looked down at the panicked child beside her, and the snakeskin bag on her hand had been thrown into the trash can before boarding the plane. Those so-called clothes were no different from garbage to Yuan Chongyang, and even what she was wearing now was old and tattered. Although at that time, the child still struggled in vain.

  "Let's go!" he said helplessly and turned around to walk towards the exit.

  The airport was very large, with many people, and the modern and bright atmosphere made He Song feel cramped and nervous. She tightly grasped her hem and quickly followed Yan Bai, who was the only person she knew, towards the outside. She had trouble keeping up and started to run on her short legs. The smooth and clean floor was slippery for her low-quality cloth shoes.

  Looking ahead at the tall figure getting farther and farther away, another acceleration later He Sheng finally fell to the ground with a thud, his chin hitting the ground with a crisp sound, his eyes watering from the pain. The intimate contact with the ground made it hard for him to get up, he struggled to lift his head and look around, but there was no sign of Yan Bo anywhere. He Sheng felt an unprecedented sense of despair rising up inside him, this unfamiliar city had given him a nightmare-like blow in just one moment after arriving.

  He Sheng's face turned white in an instant, and he stared blankly for a while before bursting into tears. Two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks, and after a long time, a blurry outline of two hands appeared in his line of sight. He heard Yan Bo's puzzled voice asking, "What happened?"

  He Shuang was stunned, stopped crying, and stared blankly at the people coming and going, and only after a long time did he utter a word with a nasal tone, "hua".

  Yan Bai grabbed her slender arm and lifted her up, scanning her from head to toe. He found that those dirty cloth shoes had lost their glue, his gaze then shifted to the tear-stained face with a big nose, a red chin, which would probably turn into a bruise later.

  "How old are you?"

  "Twelve years old."

  Yan Bai raised an eyebrow, his frail and bony appearance didn't look like a 12-year-old at all. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe her face, but the child took a step back nervously and whispered, "Dirty."

  Furrowed eyebrows, dull facial features, this was just a twelve-year-old child. Yan Bai's hand paused for a moment, realizing the other person's awkwardness and fear, thinking back to what she had experienced that day, suddenly feeling some sympathy for this poor, precocious, sensitive child.

  "It's okay, I'll give you this handkerchief." Yan Bai pulled He Song over a bit, wiped her face for her, and then put the dirty handkerchief in her hand. "Is your name He Song?"

  He Shuang lowered her head to look at the light gray checked handkerchief, and the refreshing fragrance she smelled when wiping her face seemed to still be there. She had never known that a piece of cloth could be so noble. She nodded slightly, "Mm."

  "My name is Yan Bo. From now on, I will be in charge of your daily life. If you have anything, just look for me." He paused and said: "You can call me Uncle Yan."

  He Xiang raised his eyes and carefully looked at his fair and handsome face, calling out in a low voice: "Yan Gege."

  "Call me Uncle Yan, I'm more than a decade older than you!"

  He Sheng still called out, "Yan Gege."

  Yan Bai cried and laughed at the same time, "Whatever."

  He was about to head towards the exit, but after taking a few steps, he turned around and saw He Song stumbling behind him. Her shoes were untied and she almost fell again. Yan Bai hesitated for a few seconds before walking back over to her and taking her hand. The other person's unhidden surprise made him chuckle, "Walk slower, so you don't fall again."

  Call a taxi to the exit and head to the city, the bustling street scene slowly unfolding before her eyes. At that moment, He Song rushed to the suffocating unfamiliarity, Yan Bai bought her clothes in a beautiful and clean store that she had never seen before, and even felt like it was desecration to enter. The clothes were very pretty, soft to the touch, He Song touched them once and then didn't dare to touch again, because her hands were too dirty, and the white clothes made her feel inferior to dust.

  Later they went to a small Western-style house, with a delicate red exterior structure, and there was also a small garden in front of the door, where greenery was planted.

  The one who opened the door was a slightly plump middle-aged woman. Seeing them, she smiled and said: "Mr. Yan, why have you come today?"

  "Send the little guest over." He lowered his head and looked at He Song, "This little girl will be living here from now on, Wu Ayi will have to take care of her, and we'll give you an extra allowance for it."

  "It's nothing." Wu Aunt looked at He Song and hesitated: "Isn't this girl the one?"

  "Yes, life was tougher before, but from now on, we should take good care of each other." Yan Bai patted He Song's shoulder. "He Song, call Wu Shu."

  He Shuang called out in a spoiled tone, "Auntie Wu."

  "Ah, let's go, I'll take you to the room." Wu Shu smiled and responded, taking over several shopping bags from Yan Bai's hands, leading him upstairs.

  The floor was covered with carpets, and He Sheng stared at his feet, not daring to glance around randomly. Before he even stepped up, a loud and unruly voice rang out from inside: "Who allowed her to live here?"

  He Sheng only looked up at the source of the sound, and in the luxurious and elegant interior, a young man with a bold attitude was leaning on the brown sofa, holding his chin, his eyes lazily scanning He Sheng, his thin lips pursed, revealing an unmistakable hostility, and spat out two words, "Get out."

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