Chi Yiyuan didn't know why he had to sneak to the Su family's doorstep.
When he saw the Su siblings diligently studying and interacting intimately under the shade of the trees in the courtyard, he had to admit he was jealous.
He wanted to go in and join them, but in the end, he was afraid and chose to return the way he came.
However, being just a child, he couldn't help but tell Chi Ge after he got back.
"Xiao Yuan, these Su children, in such an environment, haven't lost their beautiful yearning for life!" Chi Ge sighed with emotion.
He had thought that Su Xiaotian was different, but now it seemed that might not be the case. Perhaps it was the good family tradition of the Su family.
Indeed, among so many families in the village, the Su family was the most harmonious. A whole family living together affectionately was truly rare!
"Grandpa, do you really believe that life in the future will be beautiful, not dark?" Chi Yiyuan asked in a low voice, glancing at the cowshed.
At this moment, the young boy was lost. His grandfather, a clear intellectual, had ended up shoveling cow dung in a cowshed. In such a time, was there really hope?
"Grandpa believes that after darkness, dawn will surely come!" Chi Ge looked at his grandson and said firmly.
"Grandpa, Grandpa Du and the others were not spared either!" The boy's eyes held a hint of suppressed emotion.
Grandpa Du and Grandma Du, such good people, always showing compassion to the poor and weak, always being kind to others, had helped countless people.
During the War of Resistance against Japan, Grandpa Du and Grandma Du had also donated most of their family fortune, and even their only son had sacrificed his life on the battlefield.
People like them had contributed to the country, yet in the end, they could not escape the fate of being destroyed.
Grandpa still wanted him to be full of hope for life, how could he be?
Chi Ge was silent for a moment.
Finally, he reached out and stroked his grandson's head, saying, "The development of an era always goes through some dark stages. Once it passes, it will be better."
He didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or his grandson, perhaps both!
"Xiao Yuan, if you have the chance, Grandpa hopes you can interact more with the Su children."
The Su children were positive and upward-looking; they had not lost faith in life because of the poverty they experienced.
Xiao Yuan had seen too many unpleasant things and needed someone to guide him out of it.
As the grandfather and grandson were talking, they heard voices from outside the door.
"Uncle Chi, Uncle Chi!"
"Captain, you're here?" Chi Ge quickly came out of the cowshed.
Standing outside the cowshed was Captain Su Changjiu. Following behind Su Changjiu were a couple in their sixties with graying hair, supporting each other, their weakness and haggardness evident.
Su Changjiu was a man in his forties, with a simple and honest appearance, and he was truly simple and honest in his daily life.
He had also taken care of the Chi grandfather and grandson a lot, much better than how other captains treated those living in cowsheds.
"Uncle Chi, this is the newly arrived Du Tonghe. From now on, he will live next door to you." The captain got straight to the point without any preamble.
As Chi Ge looked over, a flicker of unbearable pain and heartache crossed his eyes, but he said nothing, only nodding slightly.
The couple on the other side also nodded towards Chi Ge.
"Now you know each other. Uncle Chi, they are new here and don't know anything. For the next few days, please help take care of them so they can adapt to the new environment," Su Changjiu instructed.
Chi Ge quickly agreed and expressed that he would take good care of the newcomers.
"Uncle Chi, they are also from the capital."
Captain Su Changjiu said this specifically, not forgetting to glance at Chi Ge and Du Tonghe.
"Thank you for your care, Captain. I will learn more from Comrade Lao Chi in the future!" Du Tonghe, before Chi Ge could speak, quickly thanked Su Changjiu.
"You're welcome. Although your work is a bit dirty, it's easy and doesn't require too much effort."
Su Changjiu looked at the ages of these people and finally said this, as if to comfort them.
After seeing Su Changjiu off, Chi Ge then called for Chi Yiyuan to help Du Tonghe and his wife move their luggage to the small room next to theirs.
Only after entering the house and confirming that no one else was outside did Chi Ge embrace Du Tonghe.
The two elderly men in their sixties cried like children at this moment, their faces streaming with tears without any pretense, yet they dared not make a sound.
After crying enough, Chi Ge said, "Old Du, I never expected to see you in a place like this!"
"Old Chi, we can be considered fellow travelers in misfortune!" Du Tonghe said with a sarcastic smile.
Du Tonghe's wife, Yu Ruiyuan, couldn't help but cry again.
She hadn't expected that at such an old age, she would still have to endure such hardships, leaving her homeland and living in a cowshed!
"Ruiyuan, everything will get better. From now on, we'll live next door to Old Chi, and we can look out for each other!" Du Tonghe released Chi Ge, put his arm around his wife's shoulders, and comforted her in a low voice, "After all, it's just the two of us. We can live anywhere!"
"We are already so old, yet we have to be reduced to living in such a place! I am not reconciled!"
Du Tonghe said, "After the spring rain, little plum blossoms, nowhere is home, everywhere is home. Ruiyuan, try to think positively!" Du Tonghe gently comforted his wife.
"I miss our Jinghuan. If he knew we were living like this, he wouldn't be able to rest in peace down there!" Yu Ruiyuan was somewhat emotionally breaking down, burying her head in her husband's arms and sobbing quietly.
Mentioning their only son, Du Tonghe's eyes turned red again, but he did not cry!
"Actually, the people in Hongxing Brigade are all good. Here, at least we won't suffer." Chi Ge's heart was filled with mixed emotions, he couldn't quite describe how he felt, but he still did his best to comfort his old friend.
Du Tonghe shook his head, "Good or not, can they still treat people like us kindly?"
"You'll know when time passes. At least, life here is much better than in other brigades. Old Du, I've saved some good things, and I've made them all today to welcome you. It's also a celebration of our reunion." Chi Ge forced a smile.
Chi Ge's good intentions were hard for Du Tonghe to refuse, and Yu Ruiyuan's emotions gradually stabilized as she began to tidy up the shabby little room.
Chi Ge and Chi Yiyuan busied themselves with preparing dinner.
Dinner consisted of sweet potato and pumpkin pancakes and millet porridge.
This was the only small bowl of millet Chi Ge had, which he had cooked into a very thick millet porridge, emitting a fragrant aroma.
The sweetness of the pumpkin and sweet potato was brought out, making it sweet and very pleasant to smell.
Du Tonghe and his wife, having endured the hardships of their journey and not eating or drinking well, couldn't help but swallow their saliva upon smelling such a sweet aroma.
"Come, let's have a good meal tonight. We'll worry about tomorrow tomorrow!" Chi Ge distributed the millet porridge and sweet potato pumpkin pancakes separately to everyone.
When Su Xiaotian and Su Ciliang arrived, they smelled this aroma.
It was just that such an aroma appearing next to the cowshed made people feel a little uncomfortable.