I secretly sold grain at age 60

Chapter 7 Entering the Mountains Again

Having carefully planned out his strategy for the next few days, considering every possible escape route and every tactful measure, Gao Huaiyi stopped thinking about other worries, lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep peacefully. Now that the plan was set, his mind was at ease, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep, sleeping soundly through the night without any dreams.

The next day, just as dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the entire village awoke early. Smoke billowed from every chimney, and the sounds of doors opening, coughs, and calls filled the air. Everyone rushed to the fields to earn work points, not daring to waste a single moment.

The Gao family also got up early to start a fire and cook.

These are the most difficult famine years. Food is already scarce at home, so breakfast is especially simple: a pot of bland and thin cornmeal porridge, cooked until it's watery and you can hardly see any whole grains, served with a small dish of pickled vegetables pickled with coarse salt. There's not a drop of oil in it, and that's the family's breakfast.

The family ate quietly with their heads down, no one gossiping, their eyes filled with the helplessness of struggling to survive in poverty.

After quickly finishing his breakfast and putting down his chopsticks, Gao Huaiyi deliberately pretended that his wounds were throbbing with pain and slowly spoke to his parents:

"Dad, Mom, my wounds are still a bit painful and uncomfortable, my head is also not feeling well, and I feel weak all over and have no strength, so I can't do any work. I plan to ask the production team for another day off today and rest at home."

These days, people often go hungry, and it's common for them to be weak and suffer from minor illnesses. His parents noticed that he didn't look well, and after thinking about it, they knew what he was up to. They didn't say much, assuming he was trying to catch wild game in the mountains again by luck. They thought to themselves, "How can he be so lucky every day?" His parents didn't expose him or say anything more, only telling him to be careful and that safety comes first.

Without saying anything else, he took his older sister, younger sister, and younger brother, along with hoes and farm tools, and went out. His younger brother, being young and simple-minded, still remembered the rare meat the family had enjoyed the night before. He skipped and hopped out, turning back to shout loudly at Gao Huaiyi:

"Brother! You should rest at home! Hopefully, we'll have better luck today and be able to eat meat again tonight!"

Children speak without restraint; a simple wish is expressed with heartfelt joy.

Gao Huaiyi's heart skipped a beat, he smiled slightly, and casually replied, "Okay!"

Soon, his parents, along with his older sister, younger sister, and younger brother, all left the house and hurried towards the fields outside the village. The courtyard suddenly became quiet, leaving Gao Huaiyi all alone.

After everyone had completely gone far away and could no longer hear footsteps or voices, Gao Huaiyi calmly picked up the bowls and chopsticks on the table, patiently and carefully washed them clean, and arranged them neatly.

He outwardly pretended to be recuperating and staying home, but in reality, he had already made up his mind. With his family all out in the fields and most of the village's able-bodied men away from home, it was the perfect time to go into the mountains. After getting ready, he closed the courtyard gate and, feigning a casual stroll, slowly walked towards the back of the mountain.

Not far from his house, after turning a bend in the dirt road at the village entrance, Gao Huaiyi suddenly stopped.

Not far ahead, several familiar yet annoying figures were standing.

The person in charge was his cousin, Gao Huai Ren.

Gao Huai-ren was usually idle and lazy. He disliked working in the fields to earn work points and spent his days hanging out with a group of good-for-nothing hooligans in the village. He did nothing productive and spent his days wandering around watching the excitement and gossiping. He was petty and vengeful and had secretly disliked Gao Huai-yi before.

At this moment, Gao Huai-ren stood with his arms crossed, looking nonchalant. He was surrounded by four or five cronies, all of them idle and staring at Gao Huai-yi who was walking towards them with amusement.

Gao Huai-ren stepped forward first, his eyes scanning him up and down with ill intent, and asked in a sarcastic tone:

"Hey? Gao Huaiyi, everyone in the production team is busy going to the fields to earn work points today. Everyone's busy working, so why aren't you going to work? You're acting all sneaky, are you planning to go up the mountain again?" Be careful not to fall and get hurt again! If you fall again, your second uncle's family won't be able to afford to support you! After saying that, he looked at him with a smile.

A group of hooligans around him joined in the laughter, their eyes gleaming with amusement as they watched the spectacle unfold, all eager to see Gao Huaiyi's response and to witness his embarrassment.

This group of people usually like to gang up and bully honest people, and they are also envious of anyone who is doing a little better. At this moment, they are obviously deliberately going up to pick a fight and question each other.

Gao Huaiyi felt a chill run down his spine. Knowing that there was no point in arguing with someone like Gao Huai Ren, he said nothing.

He didn't want to run into these idlers and waste time, nor did he want his hunting trip in the mountains to be discovered and cause trouble. Faced with Gao Huai Ren's deliberate provocation and the mocking gazes of the group of idlers, he was too lazy to explain himself and didn't want to waste his energy arguing with these scoundrels.

Gao Huaiyi merely raised his eyes coldly, gave Gao Huai Ren a cold glare, his expression indifferent, and without saying a word, he walked without stopping, simply sidestepping past the group and heading straight into the depths of the forest behind the mountain without looking back.

From beginning to end, there wasn't a single unnecessary conversation; his attitude was distant and forceful.

Completely ignored, Gao Huai-ren's smile froze, and his expression immediately turned sour. He watched Gao Huai-yi's retreating figure stride quickly into the mountains, a dark glint in his eyes, and a growing sense of unease crept into his heart.

Gao Huaiyi is usually a reliable and conscientious person who never shirks work without a reason. Today, however, he pretended to be sick and asked for leave from the fields. He even went alone towards the back mountain. He must be hiding some secret. Maybe he secretly found something good and doesn't want anyone to know.

He made a mental note of this and planned to keep a close eye on the other party later.

On the other side, Gao Huaiyi ignored the people behind him and hurried up the mountain with light steps.

The mountains behind the mountain are vast and dense, with abundant vegetation and a great variety of wild animals. Taking advantage of his familiarity with the terrain and his hidden spatial abilities, he slowly searched and wandered through the forest, calmly looking for traces of prey.

For the entire morning, he moved among the bushes and grass, patiently tracking and quietly lying in ambush, and his luck was exceptionally good.

After several attempts, they managed to catch two plump and healthy wild rabbits, and also caught a large, plump pheasant with bright feathers.

With a bountiful harvest, Gao Huaiyi was very satisfied.

Before we knew it, time had slowly passed, and it was already past two in the afternoon, with the sun gradually setting.

Seeing that it was getting late and worried that returning home too late would arouse suspicion, Gao Huaiyi stopped exploring deeper into the mountains and turned to walk along the familiar path towards the village entrance at the foot of the mountain, preparing to go home.

As they descended to a place with a wide view halfway down the mountain, Gao Huaiyi casually glanced around, and his brows furrowed slightly.

At the only road leading down the mountain to his village, Gao Huai-ren was still there, pacing back and forth by the roadside, his eyes occasionally glancing towards the mountains. He was clearly waiting there for him to come down the mountain.

Gao Huaiyi instantly understood.

This guy is too suspicious. He couldn't get any results from the interrogation earlier, so he deliberately blocked the way and waited to see what he had brought back from the mountains.

This concerns a huge secret about the portable, heaven-defying space, which must not be exposed in the slightest. If anyone discovers anything amiss, the consequences will be unimaginable. Not only will I be in trouble, but my whole family will also suffer.

Gao Huaiyi's mind raced, and he immediately made a cover-up without making a sound.

He quietly moved his mind and took one of the wild rabbits out of his spatial storage.

He then bent down and pulled up a large handful of dry, dense wild grass and vines from the roadside, thickly wrapping them around the rabbit to cover it. He held the covered rabbit in his left hand, with only a small section of its fur showing, making it impossible to tell what kind of prey it was without careful observation.

Having concealed himself completely, Gao Huaiyi remained calm and acted as if nothing had happened, walking step by step along the main road towards the village entrance.

Even though he knew the other person was deliberately waiting there to ambush him, he still didn't stop to acknowledge them. He kept his eyes straight ahead, not even glancing at the other person, intending to walk straight past them and go home, not wanting any involvement or entanglement.

But Gao Huai-ren had been staring intently at the mountain path leading down the mountain. He spotted Gao Huai-yi approaching at a glance and immediately noticed the heavy object wrapped in grass leaves that Gao Huai-yi was carrying.

His eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately understood most of it—the other party had indeed made a great harvest in the mountains and must have hunted some good wild game!

He immediately changed his previous sarcastic and provocative demeanor, his face instantly plastered with a fawning and insincere smile. He hurriedly stepped forward, his attitude completely different from before, his face beaming with warmth as he shamelessly inquired about her well-being.

"Huaiyi, you're finally back from the mountain! Was it tiring going up the mountain alone? Was it easy to walk in the mountains? I see you're carrying something in your hand, you seem to have had good luck..."

While feigning intimacy and trying to please him, her eyes kept greedily glancing at the wild rabbit wrapped in straw in his hand, filled with curiosity and envy.

Without waiting for Gao Huaiyi's response or refusal, he shamelessly followed closely beside Gao Huaiyi, step by step, stubbornly heading towards the Gao family's courtyard. It was clear that he was unwilling to let go easily and was determined to eat this wild animal, no matter what it was.