At noon, Old Gu came back from herding the goats for lunch. As soon as he entered, he saw his grandson chopping firewood in the yard. Under the sun, his forehead was covered in sweat.
"What happened to your face and arms? Did you bump into something in the mountains? "Old Gu looked at the bloody spots on his body and asked him with concern.
Gu Dong said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. I got hung up by a tree branch. Wash your hands and let's eat. I exchanged some grain for some food. We'll have dough noodle soup today. " He saw that it was time for lunch. He found a handful of chili and made lunch with some white flour and wild vegetables.
It was normal to bump into something in the mountains often. Old Gu heard his grandson's words and did not ask further. He washed his hands and asked him, "Where's Ai Cao?" He had not seen her since he entered the yard.
"She's sleeping in the house. Don't worry about her for now. Let's eat." Gu Dong said and pulled his grandfather into the kitchen. Old Gu had not had a mouthful of the fragrant dough noodle soup made with white flour for a long time. Now, just smelling it made his brows relax and he was in a good mood.
No wonder he was the eldest grandson of the Gu family. Dongzi was capable. No matter how difficult it was, he could still find something to eat for the family.
Gu Dong filled a bowl for his grandfather and took out a bowl for himself. The grandfather and grandson did not go back to the house. They sat on the wooden block in the yard and ate while holding their bowls.
"Grandfather, are there any lunatics in the surrounding villages?" Gu Dong asked his grandfather after taking a bite. He felt uneasy if he did not clarify what happened in the morning.
"Lunatics?" Old Gu was puzzled. He thought for a while and said, "There aren't any lunatics, but there's an idiot. Don't you know? Idiot Lin from Jianggou Village is muddle-headed. He stutters and drools when he speaks. "
Gu Dong had seen this person before. He was not the same person as the one he met in the morning. He had never seen the one he met in the mountains. He had no impression of him at all.
"We are surrounded by mountains on three sides. The closest villages are our Xinglin Village, Jianggou Village, and Shikan Village. Which village have you not seen anyone in the past few years? Or someone who likes to go into the mountains? "The more Gu Dong thought about it, the more he felt that the person he met in the morning was not a normal person.
"Why are you asking?" Old Gu found it strange, but he still chatted with his grandson. "Who dares to run around these days? If you go to the city without a recommendation letter, you'll be arrested by the Red Guards as spies. Those who dare to run out are all suicidal."
"Really? Do you want to die? "Gu Dong's face was filled with disbelief. Then what about the person he met in the morning? Was it really someone from the neighboring village that he had never seen before?
"We're not so poor that we can't even hold a bowl. No matter what, as long as we're not lazy to the bone, we can still earn some work points by working in the fields with the village production team. Who would be suicidal to run around? Household registration is so strict now. Usually, when you go to work, you have to be named. When you're free and don't have to work, there will be people like you who will go to the mountains to look for wild animals or do some small work in other villages to exchange for some soy sauce and salt. "
"Oh." Gu Dong responded. He lowered his head and ate the rice in his bowl. He was thinking.
The person he met in the morning was dressed in rags. His hair covered his face. He only made a sound and did not speak. Could it be that a villager from the nearby village was pretending? But it didn't look like it.
"What are you thinking about?" Old Gu saw that his grandson was not right. He looked at him and asked, "What happened?"
"Master." Gu Dong thought about it and told his master the truth about what happened in the morning. "I don't know who I met. It didn't seem like someone from the village."
After hearing his grandson's words, Old Gu's old face darkened. He stared at his grandson and said sternly, "In the future, look after your wife in the mountains. Try not to let her go deep into the mountains alone."
When Gu Dong saw his master's reaction, he felt that his master should know something. He asked curiously, "What happened?"
Old Gu raised his head and drank the last mouthful of rice in his bowl. He put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hand and looked at the door of the central room. When he saw that there was no movement, he turned to look at his grandson and said, "This happened a long time ago."
"What?" Gu Dong was confused. He did not understand what his master was talking about.
"You know that our village is poor. There are lazy bachelors in every village who can't find a wife. Some of them can't find a wife, but they covet women. After a long time, some of them have evil intentions. They hide in the mountains and forests and target married wives."
"F * ck! What kind of people are they? Aren't they afraid of being caught and beaten to death by other men? If they're caught, they'll be sentenced to death. " Gu Dong's face darkened. When he thought of the person in the morning, he instinctively felt that such scum should be caught and beaten to death.
"Ha," Old Gu smiled sarcastically and continued, "How can they be caught so easily? People are smart. Some of the wives who got into trouble can't wait to cover up for themselves. Why would they go around shouting about it? "
Gu Dong understood what his master was talking about. His face turned even uglier. He was full of anger.
In this small mountain village, if a woman lost her virginity, the whole family would not be able to hold their heads up high. Even if she was forced, as long as the news of her being raped spread, her in-laws would definitely not want her anymore. Her sister-in-law who had brothers in her maternal family would also not let her stay.
In the end, she would most likely be homeless. She would have to find a tree in the mountains and hang herself.
As for the man who committed the crime, if he was caught, he would be sent to the Public Security Bureau. If he could not be caught, then so be it. On the other hand, the woman who was raped and this incident would be pointed at and discussed for a long time.
Therefore, if something happened to some people, as long as it was not seen by others, they would rather hide it from everyone. They would swallow the bitter fruit and pretend that it never happened. This way, they could still continue living.
"Damn it!" The more Gu Dong thought about it, the angrier he became. "Can't you just catch them?"
"How can you catch them? You just pressed them down when they took off their pants. If they don't admit it, the woman won't take the initiative to come forward and talk about it. You're still young. This happened a few years ago. You just don't know about it. Sometimes, when you help people catch them, the victims don't appreciate your help. "
Old Gu lit his cigarette and took a puff. He blew out a smoke ring and said casually, "Men want to save face. No one is willing to spread the news that his wife was raped. Some of the victims go home and tell their men about it, but they only suffer. Those who are cowards will just lower their heads and admit it. When they meet a man with a bad temper, they will only torture the woman at home. "
"Then we don't care about those people?" Gu Dong was indignant.
"Don't worry. There will be retribution. It only happened in the past eight or nine years. All the village captains are secretly watching the village. If they really have evidence and find out who the culprit is, they will directly send him to the police station. "
After Old Gu finished speaking, he warned his grandson, "Don't look for trouble. Ai Cao was frightened this time. Treat it as a lesson. You should be more alert in the future. As long as you don't let her go deep into the mountains alone, it won't be a big problem."
"But the others …"
"You can't care about the others. If you expose them, it will only harm those who have been harmed!" Old Gu reprimanded his grandson not to care about this matter, "I know you're soft-hearted, but you don't have to care about this matter. Nowadays, every family in the village who gets married will have their mother-in-law and men tell them not to go deep into the mountains alone. This is my negligence. I forgot to tell you before. "
"Wash your face and clear your mind. You can't tell anyone about this outside. Otherwise, your wife will not only be frightened, but she will also be rumored to have been raped. It's not like you don't know the temperament of the villagers. "
After Old Gu finished speaking, he sighed. He knocked his pipe on the leg of the stool next to him and put it away. It was time. He should go and serve those sheep ancestors.
"Master …" Gu Dong didn't feel right no matter what. He knew that no matter how good it was, he just felt sullen and angry.
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