“Beast, what are you jabbering about?” Chen Dagui was mystified.
Chen Goudan continued to wail loudly. “Wu wu wu, I almost fell down the slope the last time I cut wood on the mountain, but Elder Brother Mo saved me. Today, I wanted to thank him by giving him the fish I caught. I don’t have anything. We don’t have enough to eat at home, so I didn’t dare to give him any food.
“I finally managed to get a few small fish and prawns, then Elder Brother Mo even invited my little sister and me to have a meal with them. I didn’t take any food from the house. I didn’t! Wu wu wu!”
When they heard that, everyone immediately understood.
Chen Goudan had no parents and had to take care of his little sister. The Chen family usually did not give them much to eat. They were so young, but had to put up with daily scoldings and beatings. They even had to do chores at a young age.
The siblings had depended on kind souls in the brigade who gave them a little food, and that was how they had survived until now.
As Chen Goudan gradually grew up, he often repaid the people who gave him food by working for them.
Everyone in the brigade was used to this arrangement.
Now, the few small fish and prawns in the brigade’s reservoir were mostly for the children’s enjoyment. They could not possibly catch much.
As long as Mo Beihan was home, his family would not lack food. Everyone saw that Mo Beihan had caught many fish this time.
The few small fish and prawns that Chen Goudan had caught in the reservoir was not enough for the two children. By bringing them home, Mo Beihan was actually giving them food, instead of being repaid by Chen Goudan.
But Chen Dagui was still angry. In the end, it was all because Chen Goudan had not brought those few fish and prawns home!
If he had brought them home, Chen Goudan and his sister would certainly not get a share.
Everyone was instantly contemptuous. He had beaten the children so severely over such a small amount of food, which the children had, in fact, caught themselves. He really treated them like mules to be ordered around.
“Dagui! Goudan is showing his gratitude. That’s a good thing!”
“That’s right. They’re young children and don’t know any better. Stop beating them. Look at the state they’re in.”
“Look at Xiaocao. I’m sure she hasn’t eaten much in your household. Why do you need to go so far?”
…
Chen Dagui was enraged. “This brat dared to hit my Xiaobao. Xiaobao is so small, but he was so vicious. How can I not beat him?”
Wang Qiuhua hugged Xiaobao, who was still crying and screaming, and said maliciously, “Beast, how dare you hit our Xiaobao. See if I don’t flay you today.”
As she spoke, she rushed forward and continued beating them.
No one could bear to see these two adults beat the two children so brutally, especially as Chen Goudan and Chen Xiaocao had cried until they were hoarse.
They had been beaten before, but had never cried and screamed so terribly. This showed that this beating must be truly brutal.
“Please don’t. Ah ah ah. I didn’t, I wouldn’t dare… I really didn’t take any food…”
“Save me! Eldest Uncle, won’t you please have mercy on me? I will never eat the food from your household again. I will save it all for Xiaobao. Wu wu wu. I won’t eat, I’ll never eat again…”
Food was the most precious. Chen Dagui was surprised to hear Chen Goudan say he would never eat his household’s food again. “Wow! Beast, you dare to say such things? You’re the one who said it! Don’t dream of eating a single grain of rice from my household again.”
Chen Goudan hugged his sister and huddled on the ground, watching his Eldest Uncle’s face in terror. “I… I won’t eat anymore. Eldest… Eldest Uncle, don’t worry! I will take care of my little sister in the future. I certainly will not burden your family any longer.”
“I… I’m grown up now and I can take care of my little sister. I don’t need to burden Eldest Uncle any longer.”