Chapter 001 I want to stay
If this were to happen several decades later, and you wanted to stay a few more days at the landlord's place, you might find your luggage thrown out by someone
This is the sound produced by a hammer striking a piece of iron
The snow has melted, and the sky is beginning to clear
Liu Fulin is his name, and it is indeed Liu Fulin and his grandson Liu Dezhu who brought Gu Siwei back to the village
The green military coat on this person and the Lei Feng hat on their head are both new; if there is anything that is the same as others, it is only the pair of woolen shoes on their feet. These shoes are woven from bulrush flowers, and the entire village has managed to provide each person with a pair, making them a winter essential for the poor.
Not only is he fair-skinned, but the young man is also tall. Even when sitting down, he is still a head or two taller than the average person. Standing up, he must be at least 1.8 meters, and it seems he is even taller than that.
After a few days, the young man was like this, his mind was in a chaotic state, as if a train were running wildly in his head
Gu Siwei knew that this was the sound made by the village cook striking a half piece of an iron plow, signaling to the villagers that it was time to eat
This is what is called wealth that compels respect
Gu Siwei looked at Liu Fulin and sighed inwardly: People nowadays are truly sincere. Just look, he clearly wants me to leave, as the village's food supply is insufficient. Yet, as soon as this matter is mentioned, before I can even respond, he turns red in the face and seems as if he has committed some heinous act.
The nearby villagers occasionally cast glances at the young man, gathering together to discuss him in hushed tones from time to time, yet the young man remains oblivious, immersed in his own world
Height is not everything; the young man is exceptionally handsome.
"This... this, Comrade Gu, how is your recovery going?"
A delicate nose rises from the brow arch, slightly sunken at the eye socket, then forms a gentle curve that creates a perfect hump line, ending with a teardrop-shaped tip above the philtrum, with the nostrils resembling cicadas, exquisite and harmonious
Big Meng Coin
Go outside
This can be considered as alleviating Liu Fulin's embarrassment, and he immediately said: "Let's go, first we will have a meal"
Which of the essentials for survival—rice, flour, oil, or salt—can be omitted?
Liu Fulin immediately waved his hand; although that was indeed his intention, upon hearing that Gu Siwei was about to leave, he still felt as if his face was burning.
If in a few decades, Gu Siwei were to return in a carefree manner, even if his appearance were to revert to that of several decades ago, plain and unremarkable, he would still be able to smile so broadly that his lips would stretch to the back of his ears
Amidst the crowd, there is one individual who stands out remarkably, exemplifying what it means to be a crane among chickens and a unique blossom among the rest
"It's nothing, it's nothing, I should be leaving as well. I've been somewhat of a bother these days," Gu Siwei said as if he truly meant it
Gu Siwei replied: I curse you!
In fact, this matter is also his own fault; he impulsively purchased a wooden sign while wandering through a ghost market. The sign was smooth on both sides, but under the light, it seemed to reveal a pattern of an immortal guiding the way. Seeing that he liked it and the price was reasonable, the young man decided to buy it.
Beneath the nose lies a standard wide lion's mouth, with the corners slightly raised, exuding a hint of authority and a strong sense of resilience.
What, you don't even know Gu Hongming
Gu Siwei's thought is that he not only wants to stay, but also to stay with dignity. If he resorts to unscrupulous tactics, he might as well go into the deep woods and starve as a hermit
To become a hermit in the old forest
Ding! Ding! Ding!
This indicates that the clothes worn have been in use for many years, suggesting that the village has been so impoverished that new clothing has not been purchased for many years
Wearing cotton clothing to this extent, you say it is highly resistant to the cold, that is simply nonsense
Like groundhogs emerging from their burrows on a spring day, one by one they appeared, some sitting in the courtyard, while others squatted by the roadside, leaning against their own walls
The village is located in a remote area, nestled within a vast mountain range. To survive in such an environment, the most important thing is to band together, to unite.
Gu Siwei has encountered this situation before. It is not to say that every landlord behaves this way, but Gu Siwei has truly experienced it personally
"Old Liu, please feel free to speak your mind," Gu Siwei said with a polite smile
Well, you are an illiterate person, and also an illiterate person who is not knowledgeable about modern history
The youth belongs not only to the mountain village, but also to this era; however, this matter is too extraordinary for others to comprehend, and even if the youth were to speak of it, others would not understand.
However, at this moment, the young man is lying in a somewhat lazy manner
For Liu Fulin, when Gu Siwei said he was leaving, he felt a sense of relief.
Liu Fulin feels a bit embarrassed to speak
The young man was startled, came to his senses, and turned to look at the person who had called him.
On a night filled with thunder and lightning, a young man wearing a雷峰 hat and wrapped in a military coat slept in his Afghan-style four-room, two-hall apartment, as this thing attracted flashes of lightning
The square-shaped face perfectly aligns with contemporary aesthetic standards. The face is solid yet not rigid, with rounded edges that exude a certain handsomeness. A square forehead is complemented by thick hair, and beneath it lies a pair of bushy eyebrows, as thick as brush strokes, extending straight to the temples. This is paired with a pair of bright, spirited phoenix eyes, which give the youth a captivating brilliance when he gazes at others.
The entire village was filled with a rhythmic sound of clattering.
I am almost done; just wait for me to leave some tokens of appreciation for everyone before I depart said Gu Siwei with a smile
Comrade Gu, the illustrated book!
Clearly, everyone is chatting together, yet some individuals make you feel inferior, even if that person is wearing a military overcoat and a Lei Feng hat
The person known as Gu Siwei is an elderly man; however, in later generations, he would not be considered old, as he is only fifty-seven years old. Yet at this moment, a fifty-seven-year-old man appears to be more aged than those in their seventies in later generations
Does he want to leave
People who are cat-like in winter
Speaking of integrity, I, Lao Gu, believe I possess some, not much, but certainly some
But in this era, where can he go
Liu Fulin's feelings of embarrassment are not without reason; the tradition among the older generation in the village is to welcome guests rather than to rush them away. Even unfamiliar visitors should be treated with great hospitality
It is said that he is a worker, but according to the youth's perspective, the preceding modifier should be a successful worker. In his early thirties, relying on his own abilities and his skill in programming CNC machines, he purchased a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment in a third-tier city, and he paid for it all at once. The youth is very satisfied with his life
But heaven does not allow him!
When he opened his eyes again, the young man saw two dirty faces, one old and one young, who kindly informed him that they had saved him
A young person, around sixteen or seventeen years old, is at this moment leaning against the earthen wall by the roadside, just like many others. However, unlike the nearby peasants who are ragged and covered in patches.
It is only reasonable to send this gentleman away as soon as possible
Liu Fulin felt somewhat lacking in confidence when speaking with Gu Siwei. The old man had little education and could not articulate much, but he understood the meaning in his heart. What does it mean to be pressured by wealth and nobility?
It is still the same story; it is not that he does not want to stay, but mainly that there is truly no food left in the village. If the current food lasts until spring, the entire village will have to go out to forage for wild vegetables, mixing the powder of walnut shells with the wild vegetables to stave off hunger. How can there be enough food to support another living person?
At this moment, the young boy holds a branch in his hand, aimlessly drawing on the ground, yet his gaze appears somewhat distant, clearly indicating that his attention is not focused on what is in his hand
Engaging in casual conversation with the villagers while busily attending to the tasks at hand
A round of bright sunshine hangs high, a rare warm day
No, no! That is not what I meant
To be precise, the young man comes from several decades later, at which time he did not appear as he does now; the young man of that era was merely a worker in his thirties, standing at about one meter sixty.
Let us put it this way: if he had known he would come here, the young man would have done everything possible to avoid such a situation, as he was very satisfied with his life and had no intention whatsoever of opening another account elsewhere
Winter
It is because of the presence of capable individuals that one can defend against wild beasts and bear risks. Therefore, since the late Ming to early Qing dynasties, the villagers here have never hurriedly chased away guests when they arrive.
The fruit is not yet a chestnut, and is somewhat smaller than wild chestnuts, roughly the size of a broad bean. When the hard shell is cracked open, the inside reveals a beige fruit, with a hint of yellow in the white.
As long as they have reached a certain age, regardless of gender or age, everyone holds tools in their hands, striking hard-shelled fruits that sound like chestnuts.
Although everyone is somewhat languid, the young man, thanks to his fine appearance, can still exude the air of a well-read scion of a prestigious family even while lying lazily.
With this face, whether in model operas or classic films, whenever it appears, it is undoubtedly a righteous character and certainly the protagonist, without even playing a secondary role
What is the difference between hiding in the mountains and committing suicide? Even if you want to become a recluse in the future, you won't feel secure without at least one or two hundred thousand in your pocket
The young man's surname is Gu, the same Gu as in Gu Hongming.
At that moment, while Gu Siwei and Liu Fulin were engaging in awkward small talk, a sudden clanging sound echoed.
Gu Siwei, this is the young man's pseudonym. Aside from sharing the surname Gu, Gu Siwei has no relation whatsoever to Gu Hongming, a remarkable figure from the late Qing Dynasty who was proficient in nine foreign languages and held 13 doctoral degrees. The two families are fundamentally unrelated, at most they can be considered to have been connected five hundred years ago.
The complexion of the young person is different from others; while others appear to be burdened with deep grievances, the young person has a face like a jade crown and skin like white fat, a truly fair and clean young man
Mountain village
It is not that Liu Fulin and the villagers are stingy, but rather that the granary in the village is so empty that even a rat would come out crying after taking a stroll inside. The entire village is struggling to have enough to eat, let alone adding another sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy to the mix
It is precisely for this reason that even under the sunlight, all the children still have clear nasal mucus on their faces, their little faces are frozen red, and the majority of the children have peeling skin on their faces
Gu Siwei naturally wishes to stay, but one cannot force someone to remain; to cling like a stubborn dog is not in Gu Siwei's character
However, there is no way to avoid it; if we stay any longer, the food supplies in the village will not last.
At first glance, he appears to be a mere brat; even if he doesn't die, he will surely be skinned alive.
What left the young man even more bewildered was that he suddenly understood that the wooden sign was not an ordinary wooden plaque, but a key, a key to a realm of mystery that ordinary people could not comprehend
The youth and the countryside, along with the villagers, seem to be in stark contrast; it is evident at a glance that the youth is not from this village. Such an ordinary small mountain village could not possibly raise a young man of such exceptional grace.
Young and naive!
Where can he go
Everyone in the village is wearing patched clothing; not a single person is without patches. Not only do they have various sizes of patches on their clothes, but the old cotton jackets and trousers they wear are all stiff. What should be soft cotton has become as rigid as if wrapped in a layer of hard cardboard.