DGNTT chapter 61

At dawn, Wu Chun rushed to the construction site.

When the villagers came looking for him, what they saw was Wu Chun with his sleeves rolled up, forcefully piling up bricks, almost repeating the movements his grandfather had made that night.

 

After the incident that night, the bricks had been randomly placed here and hadn’t been cleaned up.

 

Even though Wu Chun had arrived early in the morning, he had only managed to tidy up a little.

 

“Wu Chun.”

 

Hearing the voice, Wu Chun paused his movements and turned around. His eyes were still swollen, as if he had cried the entire night.

 

“Village Chief.”

 

Wu Chun’s voice was still a bit hoarse. He coughed lightly twice and picked up a bottle of water nearby, taking a sip.

 

“Wu Chun, why are you here so early?” The village chief walked over and asked.

 

“Just here to do some work,” Wu Chun replied casually.

 

The village chief seemed like he wanted to say something but hesitated. The villagers who followed him were also looking at each other cautiously, which made Wu Chun feel a warmth in his heart.

 

“You…” The village chief stammered, hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly and said directly, “Why don’t you rest for a few more days?”

 

“The more I rest, the more tired I get. Besides, the construction team is waiting.”

 

“I can—”

 

“Village Chief.” Wu Chun interrupted him with a smile, “I’m really fine now. I can’t let the whole village bear the burden of my sorrow. And I really need to keep myself busy. The more idle I am, the more uneasy I feel.”

 

When people are idle, their thoughts wander.

 

Especially during the day when Xu Shi Yao wasn’t around.

 

Even when he sat under that pine tree, talking to himself, Wu Chun’s mind would inevitably drift to places he didn’t want it to go.

 

And during those times, when emotions surged, Wu Chun had to bear it alone.

 

Rather than that, it was better to keep himself occupied during the day.

 

Even though it might accumulate exhaustion, at least when he returned home tired, Xu Shi Yao would be there.

 

“Village Chief, please let me work.” Wu Chun’s voice was almost pleading.

 

The village chief was taken aback. After a brief pause, he suddenly turned around and shouted to the people behind him, “Call everyone over, we’re starting today!”

 

Someone shouted “Alright!” and the heavy, oppressive atmosphere that had weighed on the village for three days seemed to dissipate quietly at that moment.

 

The village came alive again.

 

It felt like the morning when everyone was excited about the village’s first step toward change.

 

It turns out that sorrow can be wiped away, as long as everyone tacitly agrees not to bring it up.

 

Any environment that seems unadaptable will gradually become bearable when there’s no choice but to adapt.

 

…

 

Having something to do makes time pass quickly.

 

By dusk, Wu Chun dragged his tired body to the foot of Shili Mountain.

 

Just as he was about to start climbing, he suddenly felt a cool breeze envelop him. Before he could react, he was scooped up by someone around his waist.

 

“Tired?” Xu Shi Yao asked softly.

 

Wu Chun rested his forehead on Xu Shi Yao’s shoulder and responded with a soft “Mm.”

 

The distance from the foot of the mountain to the pine tree wasn’t long, but Wu Chun felt Xu Shi Yao slow his pace, as if deliberately giving him more time to rest.

 

At that moment, Wu Chun allowed his mind to completely relax, immersing himself in the atmosphere.

 

Wu Chun realized that no matter how much he tried to keep himself busy, nothing could make him feel as at ease as Xu Shi Yao’s presence by his side.

 

Xu Shi Yao carried him up the mountain, and after a long absence, the two of them sat under the pine tree again, side by side.

 

Once Wu Chun was set down, Xu Shi Yao’s hands moved to his shoulders, gently massaging them.

 

Wu Chun felt that Xu Shi Yao had a kind of magic. No matter how tired he was, as soon as Xu Shi Yao touched him, half of the exhaustion seemed to disappear.

 

“How was today?” Xu Shi Yao asked softly as he continued to massage.

 

“Not bad.”

 

The day’s progress had been faster than Wu Chun had expected. If every day went as smoothly as today, he felt they could finish the project much sooner than planned.

 

But while everything was going well, Wu Chun’s mood couldn’t quite reach the level of “not bad.”

 

He couldn’t quite describe how he felt inside, only that he was very tired and just wanted to find someone he could lean on and have a good sleep.

 

Wu Chun closed his eyes slightly and leaned against Xu Shi Yao

 

As the wind picked up in the evening, the rustling sounds echoed around the mountain.

 

Leaning on Xu Shi Yao, with his hands gently pressing on different parts of his body, Wu Chun realized that being with the person he loved made everything feel right, even if they did nothing.

 

Rather than saying they were past the stage of needing conversation or dates to sustain their relationship, it was more accurate to say their bond had skipped that phase altogether, reaching a point where they could understand each other without words.

 

“This is so nice.”

 

Wu Chun said softly, still with his eyes closed.

 

He only said those two words and nothing more. After a while, Xu Shi Yao laughed softly and repeated, “This is so nice.”

 

“What’s nice?” Wu Chun asked casually, as if without thinking.

 

“The village is building a new road, that’s nice; their lives are getting better, that’s nice; the trees here won’t be harmed anymore, that’s nice;” After listing three reasons, Xu Shi Yao paused, then gently kissed Wu Chun on the forehead before continuing, “Having you, that’s really nice.”

 

Wu Chun was briefly stunned, then he reached out and held Xu Shi Yao hand on his own.

 

“It’ll pass, and everything will get better.”

 

A simple sentence, as if meant for Xu Shi Yao, but upon listening closely, it sounded like Wu Chun was speaking to himself too.

 

…

 

Twenty days later, the four large village wells were all equipped with protective fences. The wells that had claimed lives for years seemed to have been sealed shut.

 

After finishing the well project, there were still some leftover bricks, so Wu Chun discussed it with the village chief and transported the bricks to Shili Mountain.

 

He planned to build a home there with Xu Shi Yao.

 

After a brief rest day, the next day marked the start of the road-paving project for the village’s only main road.

 

This road ran from south to north, cutting through the entire village, with houses symmetrically aligned on both sides.

 

The southern end of the road led straight to the foot of Shili Mountain, while the northern end extended to the village’s edge, reaching the fields.

 

Wu Chun’s grandfather was buried there.

 

The opening ceremony for the road construction was lively. When the cement trucks stopped in front of each house, the families would bring out tools to smooth the road in front of their own homes.

 

Compared to the well-protecting project, this task saw much higher participation from everyone.

 

Wu Chun worked nonstop during those days, as the village chief entrusted him with decision-making. During the day, Wu Chun oversaw everything, and at night, he and Xu Shi Yao would inspect the road when everyone else was asleep.

 

Only in the dead of night.

 

The newly paved road was one-third wider than before.

 

When Wu Chun finally announced that the road was ready for traffic, the villagers were overjoyed. At first, they walked cautiously, afraid of damaging the surface, but soon became bolder. The younger ones even kicked off their shoes to run along the road.

 

Wu Chun smiled as he watched them.

 

“You said you’d do it, and in such a short time, you did,” the village chief said, standing beside Wu Chun.

 

A small goal had been achieved.

 

After spending six months in this village, Wu Chun had used up all his savings from four years of university.

 

“It’s not enough,” Wu Chun smiled in response.

 

“True,” the village chief sighed, “This is just the beginning, but I feel comfortable entrusting the future of this village to you.”

 

Wu Chun turned to look at the village chief, silent for a long time.

 

The village chief simply smiled, patted Wu Chun on the shoulder, and said in an admiring tone, “Wu Chun, I don’t know what to say, except congratulations. You’re now the youngest village chief.”

 

Wu Chun smiled back and gently patted the village chief’s hand on his shoulder, “I won’t let you down.”

 

“Shall we go tell your grandfather the good news?” the village chief suddenly suggested.

 

Wu Chun paused, and at that moment, the people on the road seemed to disperse after having enough fun.

 

With the view now unobstructed, Wu Chun could see, at the end of the road, the fields where his grandfather was buried.

 

Wu Chun smiled softly and said calmly, “I will. But I think he already knows.”