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Dotdot-kun appears frequently in this chapter. Please bear with it.

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When Shen Jianan sneaked over carrying his things, Lu Jianfeng had just finished feeding the pigs and was scooping manure. Shen Jianan hurried over and called out, "Grandpa Lu, I'll help you."

"Jianan's here."

Grandpa Lu turned back with a smile and waved. "Don't come over, don't come over! Go wait inside. I'll be done here soon."

Shen Jianan glanced at the pig manure by his feet. There was not much left, so he obediently nodded. "All right! Then I'll make you some Malted Milk."

He raised the string bag in his hand, then turned and ran into the room next door. Lu Jianfeng did not even get the chance to refuse, and could only shake his head with a smile before quickly gathering the manure in front of him with his rake.

After setting the tool aside, he walked straight out of the pigsty, went to the riverbank to wash his hands, feet, and legs clean, then returned to the Cattle Shed. There, the boy was holding out a small enamel mug of steaming Malted Milk with both hands.

The old man smiled and accepted it, then sat steadily on the edge of the bed and asked, "Tell me. What do you want Grandpa to help you with?"

"Grandpa truly knows me best."

Shen Jianan's eyes curved into crescents as he stepped forward and squatted before the old man. He naturally rested both hands on the man's knees, tipped up his head, and wheedled.

"Grandpa, I want to ask you to see a patient. She's a revolutionary woman warrior. She suffered terribly when she was young, and some time ago..."

Worry clouded the boy's face. "After she was admitted to the hospital some time ago, she only got worse the more they treated her. The day before yesterday, I went to the city to see her. The doctor said she should go home and recuperate—that it was only a matter of dragging out the time. I... she's my older sister's mother-in-law..."

"Have her come here!"

Lu Jianfeng freed one hand and gently rested it on the child's head, patting it. "Since she is someone important to you, Grandpa will make an exception and take a look at her. But I can't guarantee whether I can cure her."

"Mm! I know, I know!"

Shen Jianan nodded excitedly. Smiling, he rubbed his cheek against the old man's arm, then looked up at him again. "Grandpa! It's good enough that you don't blame me for acting on my own. Besides, I'm doing this because I want you all to have an easier time too."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Mm!"

Looking at the old man, he explained with a smile, "I truly do want to help Aunt Ling, but I want even more for you all to live well. Sister Bai Yun's husband is the deputy director of the city furniture factory, so her parents must hold no low status. Otherwise, as the daughter of a bureau chief, she could not have married into the Su Household.

I thought that if we could help them out, then given Sister Bai Yun and Brother-in-law's way of dealing with people, they would definitely find a way to look after you."

The boy reached out and took the old man's hand, tenderly stroking the cracks across its back. "Brother Gu and I still don't have the ability to change the situation for now, but I don't want to see you suffering so much anymore. I want all my grandpas to be well and free of illness and disaster until the day you return to the city."

"Jianan..."

The old man's eyes immediately reddened. This child cared about him more than even the children in his own family did. If he still refused the child's kindness, he would truly have no conscience.

"All right. Grandpa will listen to you."

Lu Jianfeng clasped the boy's hand in return and squeezed it hard. "You lead the brigade members in making handicrafts and make clothes yourself too. You must take care of your health and not tire yourself out, understand?"

"I understand."

Shen Jianan smiled and nodded, then asked him, "Grandpa, where are the other three grandpas? Where did they go?"

"It's nothing. They all went to carry manure."

Lu Jianfeng made light of hardship. "They all said my hands were too precious and should be saved for treating illnesses and saving lives, so they left me at home. Yet they rushed to carry manure themselves. Even Grandpa Lin, who is the oldest among you, was no exception."

When Shen Jianan heard that, he nearly could not hold back his tears. He hurriedly blinked hard and joked with the old man.

"Grandpa, I got an advantage from being young when I went to the city too. Zhang Qiao and Qu Feng protected me... but the vehicle jolted too much, and Qu Feng couldn't hold it in. He threw up all over that man's head!"

"Hahahaha! Didn't that fellow get angry?"

Listening to the child recount his motion sickness ordeal, the old man burst into delighted laughter. Shen Jianan nodded with curved brows. "He got angry and even wanted to hit someone.

But Qu Feng is really good at pretending. He just stayed silent with a pitiful look on his face, and everyone helped him curse that man. Even the driver spoke up later. Hahahaha!"

"Is that so?"

Lu Jianfeng raised his voice slightly, approval flashing through his eyes. "He did the right thing. When you are away from home, you should show weakness when it is called for. Being able to borrow the strength of others to get out of trouble is indeed safer than taking action yourself."

"Mm!"

Shen Jianan agreed aloud, his eyes full of admiration. "Grandpa, you're so smart. The other three grandpas must be the same. When Brother Gu and I are done being busy for a while, can we come learn from you?"

"Oh? What do you want to learn?"

Lu Jianfeng smiled as he teased him. "My medical skills can't be learned in just three or two years, you know?"

"That's not what I want to learn."

Shen Jianan curled his lips and waved a hand before explaining, "I had my family send me a set of high school textbooks. Brother Gu and I plan to study hard and review them. When the country restores the College Entrance Examination in the future, we'll get into a good university and soar into the sky in one bound.

Mm! Also, we'll have many businesses and do many things in the future. The knowledge we learn from textbooks alone will be nowhere near enough to handle it all, so we want to learn some skills from you."

The old man felt deeply gratified when he heard this. The two children were so ambitious—what reason did he have to refuse? He nodded and agreed.

"Come anytime after you're done being busy. Then have Grandpa Li teach you some financial knowledge, and learn some self-defense skills from Grandpa Liu."

Lu Jianfeng said seriously, "Since you want to do business in the future, these are all required courses."

"Mm! All right."

Shen Jianan could not have wished for more. He smiled so broadly that his gums showed. "Then, Grandpa, I'll head back first. Remember to drink the Malted Milk with Grandpa Liu and the others. Eat those cakes and such quickly too, or it would be a pity if they went bad."

"All right!"

Lu Jianfeng smiled and rubbed his head. "Go on!"

"Mm!"

Shen Jianan stood up with a curled smile, waved to him, and quietly left the Cattle Shed. When he returned home, everyone else had already come back. Gu Yu was cooking, so he washed his hands and planned to help.

"No need. It'll be ready soon."

As Gu Yu chopped vegetables, he asked, "How did this trip to the city feel? Was it fun?"

Shen Jianan tilted his head at him. "Didn't Zhang Qiao and the others tell you?"

Gu Yu chuckled. "They did, but I want to hear you tell it again."

"Oh!"

Shen Jianan's face reddened slightly. He unconsciously turned his face aside, but still obediently began recounting it. "After we got on the vehicle the day before yesterday, we were squeezed so badly... Later, I threw up too..."

Gu Yu listened to him while his hands never stopped moving. The boy followed at his side, going in and out, his little mouth chattering nonstop.

"When we got to the hospital, I saw Sister Bai Yun's mother-in-law... I wanted the grandpas to have an easier time, so I went to talk to him about it just now."

Seeing him buzzing around Gu Yu like a little bee, Chen Ming, Zhang Qiao, and the others found it amusing and could not help teasing them. "Gu Yu, why do I feel like you're raising a child?"

"Exactly, exactly!"

Qu Feng looked at Zhang Qiao and chimed in, "Jianan looks like an elementary school student reporting his daily studies and life to his own older brother."

"You're the elementary school student!"

Shen Jianan shot back. Then he reached out and tugged Gu Yu's shirt hem, tipped up his head, and complained, "Brother Gu, when we were in the city, those two said I was short."

Seeing him accuse them first despite being the culprit, the two were so angry that they stood up and moved to catch him. "When did we say that? Don't talk nonsense!"

Gu Yu immediately pulled him into his arms protectively and glared angrily at the two. "What are you doing? You dare bully him right in front of me? Are you tired of living?"

Shen Jianan was especially smug as he nestled in Gu Yu's arms and made faces at Zhang Qiao and Qu Feng. Both of them were angered into laughter. "You little brat, are you throwing your weight around because you have someone backing you?"

As Zhang Qiao spoke, he reached out to grab him. The little fellow shrank backward in fright. "Brother Gu, Brother Gu! He wants to tickle me."

Gu Yu found it amusing too, but he still cooperatively raised a hand to block Zhang Qiao's move and made a fierce face. "You dare bully Jianan right in front of me. Who knows how you mistreated him these past few days. Tonight, you're forbidden from eating meat."

"Huh!?"

The two froze, then began howling like ghosts and wolves. "No!"

Gu Yu ignored them and put his arm around Shen Jianan as he entered the kitchen. "Chen Ming, time to eat."

"Oh! Coming!"

Chen Ming happily followed. As he passed the two, he clicked his tongue in schadenfreude. "Serves you right for running your mouths. Shen is Educated Youth Gu's precious darling, yet you insisted on teasing him. Sigh!"

He shook his head with the air of someone who hated iron for not becoming steel, then clasped his hands behind his back and walked into the kitchen. Zhang Qiao and Qu Feng were so angry they wanted to tickle him. That after-the-fact commentator had laughed just as happily earlier, hadn't he?

"If you don't come in now, you won't get any braised chicken chunks today!"

"Oh! Coming."

Hearing Gu Yu call out, the two immediately put on smiling faces. They knew their brother could not bear to let them go hungry. They promptly ran inside, sat down with everyone, and happily ate.

After dinner, the five sat in the yard chatting. Chen Ming asked Shen Jianan and Gu Yu what they planned to do next.

The busy farming season had begun, but the brigade's teaching, publicity work, and handicraft production could not stop either. On top of that, Shen Jianan had a batch of autumn and winter clothes that needed to be custom-made in a hurry. The four of them, together with Chen Hu's family of three, simply could not handle it all.

"Then find more brigade members in the village to help. Call in the people from the Educated Youth Station too."

"Mm!"

Shen Jianan nodded in agreement. Looking at Gu Yu, who had spoken, he said, "I plan to have Aunt Qiulian, Aunt Shuqin, Niu Chunhua, Zhao Hongying, Lu Xiaoyue, and the others help me make the winter clothes.

Also, we can have Chengcai, Zhao Tian, Zhao Ming, Xiao Guang, and those half-grown kids learn to make Blackboard Newspapers with us and give big lessons to the villagers and such.

For one thing, it can cultivate their abilities and lessen our burden. For another, it can let the relevant leaders see Chaoyang Production Brigade's attitude."

"Understood."

He had made it that clear. If they still could not understand, then they really would be stupid beyond saving.

Seeing that everyone understood what he meant, Shen Jianan nodded in satisfaction. "Then that's settled. After work tomorrow, we'll go to the brigade and explain everything. Meeting adjourned."

"Wash up and sleep. I'm exhausted to death."

Qu Feng stood and stretched lazily. Everyone laughed, then rose one after another, returned to their rooms to get their washing supplies, and stood by the spring to wash their faces and brush their teeth. A few minutes later, they said goodnight to one another and went back to their rooms.

Shen Jianan took off his shoes and lay on the kang. Watching Gu Yu change clothes, his eyes unconsciously drifted to the chest where the denim jacket and backpack were stored. After thinking it over, he ultimately did not take them out.

He did not know why, but he wanted to wait until Gu Yu's birthday and wear them together with him. At the thought, the boy's face began to flush again.

Just then, an icy-cold large hand suddenly covered his forehead. Shen Jianan shrank back in fright and heard the other man ask gently, "Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?"

"N-no."

Guiltily, he rolled over to face the wall. "I just feel hot. Hurry and turn out the light. I'm sleepy."

Gu Yu stood by the bed, looking at the boy curled into a ball, his lips lifting slightly. "All right."

He then turned off the light and got into bed. The room became pitch-black. Shen Jianan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly rolled onto his back, but accidentally kicked Gu Yu. His right big toe slammed into the hard side of the other man's knee, making him suck in a breath from the pain.

"Hiss..."

"Did you hurt yourself kicking me?"

His foot... he unconsciously drew it back.

"No, it only hurt a little. I probably caught my toenail on something."

"Let me see."

Gu Yu released his foot, then ignored the boy's protests, got up and turned on the light. He sat on the edge of the kang, while Shen Jianan hurriedly pushed himself half upright. Gu Yu pulled the foot that had been tucked beneath the blanket out and gently cradled it.

Sure enough, the big toenail had grown somewhat long. A small piece had been flipped up from the kick, turning whitish and cracked.

"Wait here."

Pain flashed through Gu Yu's eyes. He found a small folding pair of scissors, placed Shen Jianan's right foot on his thigh, held the other man's soft, slender sole in one hand, and clipped his toenails with the other.

Snip, snip, snip...

Tiny sounds rang out in the room, yet they struck Shen Jianan's heart like heavy hammers. Watching the man lower his eyes and work with such focus, mist gradually rose in Shen Jianan's eyes.

After living for so many years, no one had ever treated him this well. His heart felt hot and stifled, with a trace of sourness mixed in. He opened his mouth and unconsciously asked.

"Brother Gu! Do you think...?"

Gu Yu froze. After a moment, he set Shen Jianan's trimmed right foot back on the kang, then lifted his left foot and continued what he was doing.

"You look good. Jianan is the most... the very, very smartest boy I've ever seen."

"Really?"

Shen Jianan... "Then, then are you...?"

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Y-you are...?"

Gu Yu paused once more. ...He drew a deep breath and said, "Wait," then quickly finished clipping the last toenail. He ran out to wash his hands clean, then hurried back in. Slightly out of breath, he sat at the edge of the kang and looked at the anxious boy...

"I used to... but back then, I hadn't thought that far ahead..."

Gu Yu reached out and gripped his shoulders, his eyes dark and deep. Seeing his own reflection in those eyes, Shen Jianan blurted out, "W-what?"

"I... understand?"

"I, I..."

Shen Jianan lowered his head, then thought for a moment and looked up at him again. Seeing that those black eyes were filled with... Shen Jianan pressed his lips together and nodded.

"I understand. I..."

As the words fell, Gu Yu smiled, his eyes rippling with light...

"Jianan, I will work hard..."

Shen Jianan froze, then shook his head. His eyes held a maturity and seriousness unlike before. "Brother Gu, in this era... your family still hasn't been rehabilitated. If this really gets out, I'm afraid the Gu Household will suffer another heavy blow."

"It won't. I will definitely wait until I become strong enough..."

Gu Yu's face was full of resolve...