Chapter 691 - 687: Friends?
Friends?
Everyone present was stunned.
They had thought the two knew each other from hearing their conversation, but they never expected them to actually be friends.
Chen Beiguo looked at Leng Yuan. ’When did this kid get to know such a high-ranking leader, and why didn’t he say a word to me about it?’
But now was clearly not the time for accusations. He quickly stood up and addressed the group, "Why don’t you all stay for lunch here before you leave?"
He looked at the crowd.
The crowd looked toward Zhang Tianming, who waved his hand dismissively.
"If any of you have things to do, just head back. No need to wait for me here. I’m going to Leng Yuan’s house for lunch today."
Hearing this, the crowd re-evaluated their relationship. It seemed they weren’t just friends, but good friends. They spoke about having a meal together so naturally.
This clearly wasn’t the first time.
Leng Yuan’s expression didn’t change. Others might not know, but how could he not? ’The guy is just looking for an excuse to freeload a meal at my place.’
However, Zhang Tianming’s sudden decision to reveal their connection in front of everyone was, to some extent, a gesture of goodwill.
Although the human traffickers had been caught this time and many of their dens had been dismantled, there were still big fish out there. There was no guarantee they wouldn’t retaliate against him. By revealing their relationship now, Zhang Tianming was sending a message to those people.
Leng Yuan was his, Zhang Tianming’s, friend. Anyone who wanted to touch him would have to consider whether they could afford to offend Zhang Tianming.
Leng Yuan understood these intentions, so he didn’t refuse.
"Let’s go! I’ll show you around."
Seeing this, Chen Beiguo hurriedly chased after them, tagging along as Zhang Tianming and Leng Yuan went for a walk.
As for the rest of the group, they were left in the village chief’s care.
The others could also see that Zhang Tianming only wanted to walk around with Leng Yuan, so they tactfully remained at the production brigade headquarters. As for leaving, not a single person did.
’The leader is still here, how could we possibly leave?’
「On the back mountain.」
Gu Jiaojiao was with a group of children, gathering pig feed. This chore hadn’t existed before, but the production brigade had started raising pigs this year, which meant more pig feed was needed. Now, a group of half-grown kids could earn work points through their own efforts.
As an adult walking among a group of children, Gu Jiaojiao looked a bit out of place.
Fortunately, she was thick-skinned enough to endure it.
Da Hu, Er Hu, and Da Wa also came over to gather pig feed, carrying baskets on their backs. They led Gu Jiaojiao to the back mountain and showed her exactly what to do.
Gu Jiaojiao’s eyes sparkled. She looked at the children and said with genuine sincerity, "You all are amazing. You explained it so clearly."
A few of the nearby children who didn’t know Gu Jiaojiao well were speechless. ’This kind of work? We learned how to do this when we were five or six. Isn’t this the most basic skill?’
But when faced with Gu Jiaojiao’s "you’re all so amazing" expression, they all felt a little shy.
’Are we really that amazing?’
In this era, there was no such thing as praise-based education. Parents generally let their children run wild, and corporal punishment was the norm. People back then might not have been highly educated, but they believed that a good beating produced a filial child. As a result, many grew up being yelled at and hit.
Because they had never received their parents’ approval growing up, Gu Jiaojiao’s sincere praise made the children feel incredibly proud.
They looked at Gu Jiaojiao and offered advice.
"When we’re gathering the feed later, it’s okay if you’re slow. We’ll help you."
"Yeah, I know a spot where the pig feed is plentiful and good. I’ll take you there later."
Gu Jiaojiao watched these adorable children gather around her, an irrepressible smile spreading across her face.
She pulled a handful of White Rabbit creamy candies from her pocket and had Da Hu pass them out to his little friends.
One for each of them.
Candy was a rare treat in those days; many people wouldn’t even get a single piece in a year. And these were White Rabbit creamy candies, no less. Many of the children stared at the sweets in Da Hu’s hand, their eyes shining.