He spoke while looking at Su Xiaotian.
He knew how much this young girl from the Su family was doted on by her family. Could a child raised so indulgently endure the smell of the cow shed?
For some reason, he didn't want her to see him at his worst.
The sensitivity of youth made him fearful, afraid that Su Xiaotian would look down on him, despise him!
"It's nothing, we're all farmers, who's afraid of this," Grandpa Su said, already leading Su Xiaotian towards the cow shed.
"Brother Yiyuan, let's go together!" Su Xiaotian said with a sweet smile.
Her smile was like the warm sun in winter, and for a moment, the ice and snow in the young man's heart melted a little!
Chi Ge was cleaning cow dung in the cow shed when he heard someone outside. He looked up and saw the Su family of three.
"Professor Chi!" Grandpa Su greeted him.
"Why have you come over? Xiaoyuan, take them inside, it's very dirty here," Chi Ge said apologetically.
Guests were here, and there was no reason to entertain them in such a place.
"It's alright, it's alright, Professor Chi, we are country folk, we're used to it. To be honest, I herded cattle for landlords since I was young, and I've done a lot of this kind of work," Grandpa Su said cheerfully.
Su Laosan went straight over, snatched the wooden shovel from Chi Ge's hand, and started working.
Chi Ge repeatedly said, "You can't do this, this is my work, I can't let you trouble yourselves!"
"Professor Chi, just let him do it. My son is very quiet and doesn't talk much, but he has a lot of strength."
Grandpa Su spoke while looking approvingly at Su Laosan, clearly very satisfied with him.
Su Xiaotian also stepped forward, took Chi Ge's hand, and said, "Grandpa Chi, you rest for a while, my father works fast!"
Su Laosan smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I'm young, I'll finish it in a few minutes. Professor Chi, you rest first."
They saved his precious child, so what was wrong with helping with some work?
Besides, the old man and the child, neither of them could exert much strength, unlike him, who was strong and healthy.
Since they ran into each other, he would help if he could!
Chi Ge refused several times, but Su Laosan insisted, so he could only accept their kindness and thank them.
As Su Laosan worked, Chi Ge invited Grandpa Su to his home for a brief visit.
Grandpa Su, holding Su Xiaotian's hand, followed Chi Ge to the low house next to the cow shed.
This was Su Xiaotian's first time in the home of Grandpa Chi and his grandson. Although it was low and dilapidated, it was kept quite clean.
It could be seen that both the grandfather and grandson were diligent people.
In the small room, on a not-so-large kang, there was an old chest without a lid, and a neatly folded quilt from which cotton was escaping.
Besides that, there was a simple earthen stove with pots, bowls, and chopsticks on it, and nothing else.
Su Xiaotian clearly did not expect that the Chi family's life was so difficult.
Grandpa Su's nose also felt a pang, and he almost shed tears.
The Su family had been poor peasants for generations, and their lives had never been easy, but seeing the situation of the grandfather and grandson now, she realized what true destitution was.
Professor Chi was a scholar, how could his life be like this?
"Professor Chi, you've suffered!" Grandpa Su sighed and said.
"I am already very grateful. The people in the village are good, and we grandfather and grandson can live a peaceful life," Chi Ge said with deep emotion.
In the three years since coming to the village, apart from living in the cow shed, he had not suffered any other torment.
When the village distributed grain, the grandfather and grandson also received some. Although it was less than others, they did not do much work.
Occasionally, villagers would give them a pumpkin, half a winter melon, or two radishes.
It could be said that if it weren't for the kindness of the villagers and their care for them, they might not have survived until now.
"Scholars shouldn't live like this," Grandpa Su said in a low voice.
"To be honest, some of my old friends are not living well. Two of them had their legs broken, and one even lost his life," Chi Ge said with emotion.
He was lucky. If he hadn't come to this simple village, how could he have such a comfortable life?
One must be content!
"You are all good people, and you will be rewarded. I also believe that this tribulation will eventually pass," Chi Ge said, forcing a smile.
"Grandpa, will it really pass?" Chi Yiyuan suddenly asked!
Su Xiaotian saw the doubt in the young man's eyes.
"Brother Yiyuan, Grandpa Su said it will pass, so it will definitely pass!" Su Xiaotian answered Chi Yiyuan, her tone extremely firm.
Chi Ge did not expect that a little girl of six or seven years old could understand what they were saying and answer so resolutely!
"See, little sister says it will pass. Xiaoyuan, you are still young, when you grow up, all of this will be over!" Chi Ge knew that his grandson had an unshakeable thorn in his heart, making him full of doubt about society.
But he believed that the dark clouds would eventually disperse, and the sun would surely shine upon the earth!
"The little girl can understand?" Chi Yiyuan asked suspiciously.
Grandpa Su also looked at his granddaughter curiously. It shouldn't be like this.
But clearly, Tian Bao had understood.
"Xiaoyuan, does understanding really matter that much? Isn't the most important thing to have a dream in your heart and believe that your dream will eventually come true?" Chi Ge said, looking at his grandson.
Chi Yiyuan remained silent, clearly not fully believing his grandfather's words.
"Sweetie also has a dream, which is to let her brothers go to college!" Su Xiaotian spoke again.
"Little girl, you've only learned a few characters, and you already know about going to college?" Chi Ge couldn't help but be amused by Su Xiaotian's demeanor.
"Going to college means having a future! I understand!"
"But where are the real universities now?" Chi Yiyuan said.
The Worker-Peasant-Soldier universities were just a name, nothing more!
He never thought they were universities in the true sense!
"Brother Yiyuan, you will also go to college in the future, a real university!" Su Xiaotian held Chi Yiyuan's hand and said with an incomparably pure tone.
Chi Ge believed these words.
"Little girl, do you like to read? How many characters do you know?" Chi Ge became interested. He hadn't seen such a cute child in a long time.
Su Xiaotian nodded solemnly: "I like it, and I know many characters."
Grandpa Su knew that his granddaughter had only attended school for a few months, so he thought she was just saying it casually.
He was still amused, this child, she didn't even know what modesty was, when Chi Ge said, "Grandpa Su, I'll give you a newspaper, read it for me?"
The newspaper was delivered by the village head, with the reason being that Professor Chi should study more, reform his ways, and accept re-education.
But in reality, it was because not many people in the village could understand the newspaper, and the village head couldn't grasp some of the spiritual messages, so he needed Chi Ge's help to interpret them.
Su Xiaotian calmly and steadily took the newspaper, holding it with her two fair and tender little hands, and prepared to read.