More Help Arrives

Reading Note:

The characters appearing in these chapters are closely tied to Shen Jianan and Gu Yu's future development, so the plot progresses rather slowly.

Main Text:

Zhong Ning followed his friend into the courtyard. Liu Zhihe and the old lady, who were drinking tea beneath the tree, hurriedly called out to him. "Child, come over and sit."

As he spoke, Old Master Liu took the initiative to pour Zhong Ning a cup of tea, while the old lady got up and went inside. Liu Chen, quick on the uptake, stepped forward to take the teapot and poured himself a cup.

The old man shot his grandson a look, then leaned back in his rattan chair with a smile. Fanning himself, he chatted with Zhong Ning. "What's your name, child? This is the first time I've seen you."

As they spoke, the old lady came out carrying a heaping plate of peanuts and sunflower seeds, piled high with all kinds of fruit candies.

Zhong Ning glanced at it and secretly sighed at how generous the elders were. Those candies were in high demand on the black market and sold for exorbitant prices.

He quickly gathered his thoughts and replied with a smile, "Hello, Grandpa. My name is Zhong Ning. I used to be Liu Chen's classmate."

"Zhong Ning!"

The old master sat up straighter, looking at him with a face full of affection. "Were you the one who helped my Liu Chen chase off those little bastards? You took him along to exercise and protected him for an entire semester before moving away?"

"Your memory is excellent, Grandpa."

Zhong Ning smiled and nodded. Liu Zhihe laughed as well, then said with a hint of reproach, "Exactly! Liu Chen invited you over to play so many times, but you never came. Or you'd just stand outside the compound gate for a moment before leaving. Then you moved away without saying anything. We..."

The moment Liu Chen heard his grandfather bring that up, he knew things were going badly. He quickly interrupted, "Grandpa, enough."

He then looked at Zhong Ning. Seeing his face turn pale, he was instantly consumed by guilt and began resenting his grandfather. "Why did you have to bring all that up? It's been so long. Besides, Zhong Ning contacted me afterward, didn't he? He just didn't come to the house."

Seeing his grandson get angry, Old Master Liu was somewhat confused. But noticing that Zhong Ning did not look well, he guessed his words had struck a sore spot and hurriedly apologized.

The old lady seemed to have noticed Zhong Ning's discomfort as well. Smiling, she unwrapped a milk candy for him. "Child, have a candy. Sweeten your mouth."

"Thank you."

Zhong Ning accepted it, then looked up at the two elders with a smile. "I'm fine. I didn't dare come over before because my clothes were shabby, and I was afraid of embarrassing Liu Chen. Also, if I stayed out too long and got home late, my father would beat me.

"Later, I didn't say anything when I moved because my father... died. My mother had no job, so she had no choice but to take me back to our hometown. After that... she remarried and had another child."

He pressed his lips together, his voice trembling slightly. "My stepfather and she both didn't want me, so they drove me out. I... I found a cave and lived there for a month.

"During that time, I secretly gathered mushrooms and medicinal herbs in the mountains. Once I had filled a basket, I carried it for an entire day and night to sell at the black market in town.

"After that, I... I stayed in town, sleeping wherever I could. I picked up scraps and did odd jobs for stonemasons to barely keep myself fed.

"But after a while, the security patrol started watching me. They wouldn't allow me to wander around anymore, saying they would send me off for reform if I did.

"I had no choice but to ask the crippled old man at the recycling station to take me in. I knelt before him and swore that after he passed away, I would mourn him as his grandson, break the mourning basin for him, and erect his grave. If I broke that oath, I would die a miserable death.

"The old man had no family. He was old, and his health was poor. When he heard me say that, he agreed.

"I don't know how he managed it afterward. He probably spent money, but he got my household registration placed under his name. He was a truly good man, but less than three years after taking me in, he died of illness..."

Zhong Ning fell silent. When he looked up and saw that all three of them were crying, he smiled and wiped his face. Apology filled his eyes. "I'm sorry. This is my first time visiting, yet I've told you all this."

"Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about!?"

The old lady wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and said tenderly, "You only told us because you consider us your own people. If it were someone else, I'm afraid you wouldn't have been willing to say anything, right?"

She glanced at the old man, who hurriedly nodded in agreement. "That's right! Come here for meals whenever you have time. We'll be your grandpa and grandma, all right?"

"Okay!"

Zhong Ning answered crisply, then explained why he had come. "Grandpa, Grandma, I came to find Liu Chen because I want to ask him to help me look into something."

He paused briefly, polished the story Gu Yu had told him, and explained it to the three of them. "My friend was framed by Zhao Qiancheng and Zhao Manjiang, the son-in-law of that Lin Xingguo next door.

"They claimed my friend forced the Zhao Household's daughter @&#¥Б@... and nearly got my friend dragged before the tribunal.

"Fortunately, the public security officers were sharp-minded and noticed something was wrong. After investigating, they discovered that the Zhao brothers had impure thoughts and improper conduct. They were very likely enemy agents hiding among the people.

"And the man who nearly ran into me just now was sent by their family to report to Lin Xingguo. His name is Qin Guangtao. He's a squad leader in the militia company, and I heard he has done plenty of wicked things with the Zhao brothers over the years."

After hearing this, the three were furious on behalf of Zhong Ning's friend, but they were also excited. Lin Xingguo's son-in-law and relatives had caused such a huge scandal, and he was involved as well. If the Liu Household did not make good use of this hard-won opportunity, it would be a terrible waste.

Old Master Liu made the decision on the spot. "Leave Lin Xingguo and his daughter and son-in-law to me. As for Zhao Qiancheng and his father, you'll have to put in some effort yourself.

"After all, I move in different circles from them. It won't be easy for me to interfere in certain matters right away. If we delay, I'm afraid we'll miss our chance."

"Don't worry, Grandpa."

Liu Chen took over, saying, "Zhong Ning, I, and some other friends will help. You just focus on getting hold of Lin Xingguo."

"All right."

Since his grandson had said so, the old man did not waste any more words. He immediately asked his wife to cook so they could eat and head out to handle their business.

"Sure!"

The old lady stood up and patted Zhong Ning on the shoulder with a smile. "You're in a hurry, so Grandma won't make anything complicated. I'll make you some minced-meat noodles and stir-fry a couple of dishes, all right?"

"Okay."

Zhong Ning got up as well. "Grandma, I'll help you pull the noodles."

Liu Chen also offered to help. The old lady nodded happily and took them into the kitchen. Before long, she brought out four large bowls of minced-meat noodles, along with a plate of scrambled eggs with chives, a plate of dried tofu, and a plate of stir-fried pork with peppers.

As Zhong Ning ate, he praised the old lady's cooking. He also said Old Master Liu was blessed to have found such a wonderful wife.

The two elders were so amused that they could not stop smiling. They said Zhong Ning was more obedient than their own grandson, Liu Chen. Liu Chen was so annoyed that he turned his grief and indignation into appetite, eating another bowl of noodles before wiping his mouth and leaving with Zhong Ning to find their other friend, Li Hao.

When the two arrived, Lin Qi and Fang Chen were chatting with Li Hao. The moment he saw them, Li Hao got straight to the point and immediately told them what he had learned.

Zhong Ning frowned deeply as he listened. He had never expected Qin Guangtao to be even more vicious than the Zhao brothers, daring to do such things. He asked whether there were any witnesses or physical evidence.

Li Hao shook his head. "Not yet. But my informant can find out where their hideout is. As long as we can pay, he's willing to take the risk."

After thinking it over, Zhong Ning agreed. Though Li Hao also worked the black market, his situation was more complicated. His family had ties of all sorts going back two generations, and he had connections with people from every gang, so they had to do things by the rules.

Seeing him agree, Li Hao immediately named the price. "They want one hundred yuan. I already advanced it for you. Just pay me back later."

Zhong Ning froze for a moment, then nodded and said that was fine. He liked Li Hao's personality. Even brothers should settle accounts clearly. Liu Chen was good too, but perhaps because his family was too well-off and he had never suffered, he did not care much about money. Sometimes that made Zhong Ning and Li Hao uncomfortable instead.

Fortunately, Liu Chen was smart. Once he realized what they were thinking, he learned to give way and understand them. That was why the three of them had remained friends all this time, and their friendship was still as strong as ever.

"All right!"

Li Hao interrupted his thoughts and continued, "Tell your friend to stay ready at all times. We'll try to catch them red-handed and succeed in one go. Once this chance slips away, it'll be hard to get another."

"Okay."

Zhong Ning nodded and stood. "Then we'll return to Abundant Source Town first. We'll meet here again in three days."

"Fine!"

Li Hao stood as well. "If anything unusual happens, I'll come find you in advance."

"Thanks."

Zhong Ning patted his shoulder, lifted his chin toward Liu Chen, then took Lin Qi and Fang Chen back to Abundant Source Town.

Meanwhile, Gu Yu had just arrived in town. Earlier, he had asked the spouse of his younger uncle to investigate Luo Tianming and Jiang Jianhua. They had agreed that, regardless of the outcome, the other party would send a letter after one month. Several days had now passed beyond that date, so he had come to check.

After arriving in town, Gu Yu hid in his space to change clothes, then went to the home of an old friend of Old Master Lu. The man's surname was Kang and he was an influential figure in Abundant Source Town. His home had high walls and a grand courtyard. No one would have imagined that he would pass messages for someone labeled an XX element who had been denounced and sent away.

When Old Master Kang saw him, he smiled and handed him the letter without another word. "It arrived two or three days ago. I was wondering when you'd come by. Speak of the devil."

"Thank you."

Gu Yu accepted it with both hands, then got up to say goodbye. "Please don't see me out, Grandpa. I have things to do. I'll come visit you next time."

"All right, all right. I'll walk you out."

The old man did not ask any questions. Smiling, he rose and escorted Gu Yu to the door before returning home.

Gu Yu tucked the letter away and headed to the recycling station. Once he made sure no one was outside, he hid behind a pile of waste paper and cardboard and entered his space to change again. He wrapped himself from head to toe in black, then slipped back out and walked into an open area.

To his surprise, Zhong Ning and the others were just riding their bicycles into the recycling station. They were all startled by him suddenly darting out, hurriedly braking and clutching their chests as they cursed him.

"What are you doing? Dressed all in black in broad daylight, you scared the life out of us!"

Gu Yu smiled. "Sorry! I'll warn you beforehand next time."

Zhong Ning choked, then rolled his eyes at him. "I was joking! Did you really take it seriously?"

He parked his bicycle to the side, then tipped his chin toward the building. "Come in. We found out something."

Gu Yu nodded and followed the three inside, only to find the room filled with sleeping people. Most of them were faces he had seen before, and the children from last time were there too.

He frowned but said nothing. He simply sat down and asked Zhong Ning what they had found.

"Something wicked Qin Guangtao did."

Zhong Ning smiled as he poured him a cup of water, then told him everything he had uncovered, along with the matter of cooperating with the Liu Household.

Gu Yu raised his brows slightly, surprised. He had never expected Zhong Ning to have such capabilities. But that was good. The more connections Zhong Ning had, the smoother their cooperation would be in the future.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "Until Zhao Qiancheng and his group are completely sentenced, I'll come by every night in case of emergencies.

"If your friend suddenly uncovers something and needs you to cooperate, but I'm not here, you can leave a note in advance. I'll follow the instructions and come find you. Also..."

He paused, then continued, "If we can successfully bring down Zhao Qiancheng's group this time, I'll give you several legitimate businesses.

"Make good use of them and try to clean up the people in this room. You can make money on the black market, but no one should have to live in the shadows forever."

At those words, Zhong Ning sat bolt upright and stared at Gu Yu in disbelief. When Gu Yu nodded at him, he knew Gu Yu had seen through the truth of the recycling station. His eyes instantly reddened, and he repeatedly thanked him.

"You're welcome."

Gu Yu stood. "As long as you work properly, don't betray me, don't drag me down, then within three years, I'll make sure you earn a fortune."

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out. This time, Fang Chen did not need to chase after him. Zhong Ning ran out first, only to find that Gu Yu had vanished as usual. He felt a moment of disappointment, then smiled again.

Lin Qi caught up and asked, "Big Brother, does Yu Gu mean he wants us to build his empire? Then you..."

"What's wrong with that?"

Zhong Ning turned to look at him. The smile on his face seemed more relaxed than ever. "As long as he can let the brothers in this room live openly in the sunlight, I don't mind."

Lin Qi glanced sideways at Fang Chen, and both of them smiled. "No matter what, you'll always be our Big Brother. If Yu Gu can help everyone fulfill their dreams, then he'll be our Big Brother too."

"That's more like it!"

Zhong Ning patted his shoulder and turned back into the room. He crouched beside a sleeping mat and tucked in the blanket around one of the sleeping children, his eyes full of tenderness.

By the time Gu Yu returned to Half-Mountain Courtyard, it was already afternoon. Cheng Hu had left, while Chen Ming was cooking. Gu Yu put his basket in the kitchen, greeted him, and went into the house alone.

"You're back?"

Hearing the familiar footsteps, Shen Jianan turned and glanced at him with a smile before lowering his head to continue writing. Gu Yu answered, stepped over, placed his hands on Shen Jianan's shoulders, and gently kneaded them. "Why are you still writing?"

"I have free time now! I'm writing three chapters to send to the publishing house first, then I'll slowly work out the rest."

The young man moved his neck. "Put a little more pressure on my left shoulder."

"Okay."

Gu Yu smiled and did as asked. "How much is left?"

"I'm almost at the ending."

Shen Jianan glanced back, then continued writing rapidly. About five minutes later, he finally stopped. Gu Yu naturally took his right hand and gently massaged it.

The aching, swollen feeling in Shen Jianan's wrist immediately eased by more than half. He closed his eyes comfortably, leaned back against the chair, and began humming.

"That feels so good... Brother Gu, your massage skills are getting better and better."

"As long as you like it."

Gu Yu smiled at him. "I'll always..."

"Dinner!"

The shout from outside abruptly cut him off. Gu Yu felt his chest tighten and was just about to curse when Shen Jianan suddenly sprang to his feet and shouted toward the door, "Coming!" Then he pulled Gu Yu outside. "Dinner, dinner. I'm starving."

Gu Yu was instantly soothed again and smiled.

During dinner, Chen Ming told them that Huang Qimei had not gone to work all day, claiming her stomach hurt. Zheng Lei had only shown up in the afternoon as well. He felt that the two of them were definitely plotting something bad.

"Be careful. After all, it hasn't been just a day or two since they started targeting you."

The two understood and thanked him. Chen Ming smiled and waved them off. "Don't mention it."

After dinner, Chen Ming took several pieces of clothing that needed mending and returned to his room to work. Gu Yu and Shen Jianan then closed the door and read the letter.

Sure enough, just as they had guessed, the Gu Household had indeed been harmed by Luo Tianming and Jiang Jianhua. Although Gu Lingwei had initially been kept in the dark, after discovering something was wrong, she did not inform the Gu Household. Instead, she chose to conceal it and even helped push things along behind the scenes.

As for Jiang Hongmei, she had indeed been ordered to go to the countryside and torment Gu Yu, hoping he would contact Gu Jun to save him in order to survive.

However, her recent actions were difficult to understand. Shen Jianan guessed that something had gone wrong with the novel's plot, causing her to go mad and make mistakes.

But regardless, now that the enemies had been identified, they could not sit around waiting to die. Moreover, after Gu Jun's spouse uncovered the truth behind the Gu Household's downfall, a plan for revenge had already been set in motion. They could not delay any longer, lest something go wrong again.

Gu Yu stood and murmured coldly, "I'll go take a look at the Educated Youth Station first. Zheng Lei and Huang Qimei aren't worth fearing, but having flies buzzing around all the time is disgusting."

"Okay, be careful."

Shen Jianan nodded. He watched Gu Yu flash into his space and disappear in the blink of an eye. The young man pursed his lips, then went to the side and began sewing clothes.

Gu Yu reached his destination and happened to see Zheng Lei sneak into the small woods near the Educated Youth Station. Not long afterward, Huang Qimei followed him in.