The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 223 Licking the Calf (Part )

While Qu Jing was chewing the corn cob, Qin Huai took a stroll in the village.

Qin Huai's current range of activities is within a radius of 20 meters with Qu Jing as the center, which is not a small space. Qu Jing has good physical fitness, but his teeth are just like those of normal humans. It is still very difficult for him to chew corn cobs. Even if his teeth are broken, he may not be able to chew off a few pieces.

The range of 20 meters is enough for Qin Huai to visit the village chief's house and his neighbors' houses.

In general, the conditions of the village chief's family are still good. The house is a red brick house, with large furniture that can be seen at a glance that the craftsmanship of a carpenter, a firewood room, a pig pen, and a yard.

There are two piglets in the pigsty, seven or eight chickens in the yard, and two geese. The economic conditions are far ahead of those of the neighbors next door.

The houses next door are all adobe houses.

It is still unclear what era Qinhuai is from, but it is most likely from before the 1960s. Even in the home of the wealthy village chief, there is no trace of modern technology.

There was no electricity, running water, bicycles, or even an enamel pot. The only thing that showed that the village chief's family was well off was that he had furniture, fewer patches on his clothes, and everyone in the family could afford trousers and bacon in the kitchen.

When Qin Huai went to check next door, he found three or four children huddled on the kang. They had no pants to wear and had to stay at home during the day.

"Oh, how can you chew the corn cob like this? You'll break your teeth if you chew it raw. It has to be ground into powder before you can eat it." The village chief's wife exclaimed when she found Qu Jing chewing the corn cob, rushed into the room, snatched the corn cob, and met Qu Jing's eyes, which showed that he wanted to eat.

Ten minutes later, Qu Jing sat in the kitchen and ate boiled sweet potatoes.

There was a circle of people sitting around watching.

The village chief, his wife, the eldest son's family, the second son's family, the youngest son's family, the whole family, young and old, were all watching from the sidelines, just because Qu Jing had just eaten eight big sweet potatoes, two corns and three bowls of wild vegetable porridge right under their noses.

"Burp." Qu Jing made a sound of fullness after swallowing the last bite of sweet potato.

"She's full, she's full!" The village chief's wife was overjoyed. She was afraid that Qu Jing would eat another sweet potato, so she immediately rushed to her side and took away the rest of the food in the bowl. "My dear, if she eats like this, I'm afraid she will die of overeating here and won't be able to explain to Old Qu."

The village chief also had a face full of doubts about life, as if he was thinking about whether persuading the hunter to adopt Qu Jing was the right choice. He wouldn't be pushing his old friend into the fire pit, right? It's understandable that no normal person could afford to feed a child with such a big appetite and would want to throw him away.

Qu Jing had changed into a clean set of old clothes, which were gray and had seven or eight patches on them. Her whole body was clean and looked much better than before.

The village head's wife did not throw away the clothes she was wearing. In her words, they were all made of good material and could be sewn up and worn again.

Qu Jing was full and didn't react at all. She sat quietly in the kitchen, not moving, and looked at everyone quietly.

The village chief's eldest son was a strong man. Seeing that Qu Jing had eaten his fill and had no major reaction, he couldn't help but ask, "Is he a fool?"

Qu Jing did not respond.

The village chief took two puffs from his pipe and showed a worried look: "This is a difficult situation. He can eat, is dumb, and is also stupid. Am I not pushing Old Qu into the fire pit?"

The second son said, "Dad, you don't have to worry about other families wanting to raise the baby. Don't worry, there will definitely be no one to raise the baby."

The village chief became even more worried.

The younger son asked stupidly, "Even the stupid Qu Bo can afford it. Didn't he hunt a tiger seven or eight years ago and the county magistrate bought it? He sold it for a lot of money. Qu Bo can definitely afford it."

"What county magistrate? That's the county chief."

"But wasn't the county magistrate beaten to death by the bandits?"

"That was the previous one. This one ran away three years ago."

"Ah? Then why do we have to pay taxes?"

"The tax collectors are not the same group. In the past two years, it was the Wang Lao Hu who was chased away who collected taxes."

"So what is it now?"

“It seems like the new China.”

“Is there a county governor?”

"Yes, last year, Dad went to attend a meeting somewhere, and the third child was so scared that he thought he was going to be conscripted, so he packed up his things and ran to the mountains. He couldn't find the way, and it was Uncle Qu who found him in the end."

Qu Jing just listened with her eyes open as the people in the village head's house talked about some irrelevant things, with a look on her face showing that she didn't understand but was eager to learn. In the end, it was only when the village head knocked on his pipe that everyone stopped discussing.

"Old Qu will come to deliver food in the evening. I will then tell him about the girl's situation and he can decide whether to raise her or not." The village chief made the final decision and left.

After the village chief left, everyone continued to discuss.

Maybe it was because they thought Qu Jing was young and a little fool who couldn't speak, so everyone talked to her without avoiding her. If she wanted to listen, she could just sit aside and listen, as long as she didn't try to eat sweet potatoes again.

If she eats any more, everyone is really worried that she will die of overeating.

Based on everyone's discussions, Qin Huai summarized some key information.

First of all, this village is Guojia Village. Most of the people in the village have the surname Guo. Hunter Qu is actually from Guojia Village. He has the surname Qu because he was adopted by the previous hunter in the village.

In terms of kinship, Qu Liehu is actually the village chief's cousin who is somewhat related.

Qu the Hunter did not live in the village, but at the foot of the mountain. That place was closer to the mountain and more dangerous. When there was not enough food in the mountain, wolves and wild boars would often come down the mountain to look for food, and occasionally there would be beasts like bears and tigers coming down the mountain.

The hunter guards the mountain, but in fact he is also guarding the village. If there are wild animals coming down the mountain, he will fire a gun to warn them. A few years ago, tigers came down the mountain and killed many people. In the end, they were killed by hunter Qu. The villagers remember the kindness of hunter Qu. Hunter Qu is unwilling to go to the city to buy food, cloth and daily necessities. The villagers help him buy them or directly exchange them.

As for Qu Liehu, he is actually a famous person in this area.

It was not because he had once bravely fought a tiger, but because of a statement made by a traveling fortune teller decades ago.

Qu Liehu's real name was Guo Erdan. When he was a child, his father went to the city to work and his master broke his leg. After the wound became infected, he lay in bed for more than ten days and died in pain.

Then a wandering Taoist priest came to the village to collect grain and tell fortunes. Guo's mother took out half a bowl of porridge and figured out that Guo Erdan was destined to be unlucky.

Guo's mother believed that her father was killed by the curse. When she remarried with her children, she took her daughter with her, but left her youngest son, Guo Erdan, at the foot of the mountain to die.

Then Guo Erdan was picked up by the old hunter.

The old hunter was named Qu. He was an outsider and had a good hunting skill. He originally had a happy family with a son and a daughter, both of whom were well raised. However, his daughter was favored by a local wealthy family and was forcibly bought away as a maid. She died within two years.

The son went to ask for an explanation, but he found neither the person alive nor the body.

After his children left, Qu Liehu's wife fell seriously ill and died one winter.

Under such circumstances, Qu the Hunter found Guo Erdan. He was not afraid of the Taoist priest's words about his fate as a lonely star, so he adopted Guo Erdan and changed his name. Guo Erdan became Qu Shan. After the old Hunter died, Qu Shan became the new Hunter and inherited the old Hunter's name. Others called him Qu the Hunter.

Qu the Hunter had married a wife a few years earlier, but she died of illness.

Later, someone introduced him to a second wife, who died during childbirth, leaving two lives.

Later, the world became chaotic, with wars and conscriptions everywhere. Originally, a lone family like Qu Liehu would never be caught, but the soldiers and bandits who were conscripting men later ignored the basic law. Qu Liehu was conscripted, but he escaped and continued to be a hunter.

This year, Hunter Qu is 47 years old, which is indeed the age of a grandfather in this era. His hair is gray, and his health and energy are not as good as before. Seven or eight years ago, he could still hunt tigers, but now he can only set traps and catch rabbits.

Over the years, the village chief has been persuading the hunter to adopt a child, so that when he is really old and can no longer work, at least there will be someone to take care of him in his old age.

However, Qu Liehu seemed to really believe what the fortune teller said, thinking that he was doomed to be alone and should not harm the children of good families. In recent years, there were also families with many children who wanted to adopt their children to Qu Liehu because of his good conditions, but they were all rejected by Qu Liehu.

Even if someone abandoned the child at the doorstep of Qu Liehu's house at night, Qu Liehu would send the child to the village chief's house that night and ask the village chief to send the child back.

Over the years, the village chief may not know much about other things, but he knows exactly how old the children in every household in the nearby villages are.

This is also why when Qu the hunter skillfully led Qu Jing to the village chief's house today, the village chief felt that this was an opportunity after asking about the situation.

Qu Jing's situation is exactly the same as Qu Liehu's back then.

No matter how old a child is, if they are thrown into the mountains, especially deep mountains, it means that the parents have made up their minds not to raise the child and want the child to die.

The village chief was betting that it was impossible for Qu Hunter to remain indifferent when he saw himself decades ago.

As for whether it was a boy or a girl, the village chief didn't care. Qu Liehu was already this old, and in this day and age, living to 60 was considered a long life in the village. Anyway, everyone only had about ten years to live, so he just wanted someone to take care of him in his old age, and it didn't matter whether it was a boy or a girl.

This was the village chief's original idea.

But when the village chief discovered that Qu Jing might be a fool, he felt that he might have cheated his cousin.

In the evening, when it was almost dark outside, the village head's wife took advantage of the light to distribute food to everyone, as there were not enough chairs in the house, so everyone ate standing or squatting with their bowls in hand.

In fact, there were not enough bowls, so several children shared one bowl. They took a bite, grabbed the food with their hands, and ate without looking down on each other.

Because Qu Jing had a big appetite and someone was providing meals for him, he was given a large bowl with a hole in it and three sweet potatoes.

Qu Jing squatted silently in the yard, gnawing on sweet potatoes, staring at the chickens in the chicken coop, looking like a little fool.

The village chief was holding the sweet potatoes, but he had no mood to eat them. He stood at the door with a sad face, waiting for Qu the hunter.

Qu the Hunter is here.

He was carrying a basket full of sweet potatoes, a small bag of rice and a rabbit. When he saw the village chief squatting at the door waiting for him, Qu the hunter put down the basket.

"enough?"

The village chief's eyes sparkled as he looked at the rabbit. He felt both excited and guilty, and kept saying, "Enough, enough. Even if this little girl you picked up is a big eater, it's enough."

"Let me tell you something." The village chief pulled Qu the hunter into the yard and told him what everyone had observed in the afternoon.

He can't speak, doesn't respond, just stares, and can eat, which fits everyone's stereotype of a fool.

"I said, even if she was sick and can't talk, the girl has grown up and looks good. No matter how cruel a family is, they won't just throw her into the mountains to feed the wolves. She must have been stupid because of the fever, and she has a big appetite. If they throw her nearby, she can walk back, so they specially found a faraway place to throw her into the mountains."

The village chief analyzed the situation and looked at Qu the hunter: "Are you still raising them?"

Qu the Hunter looked at Qu Jing.

Qu Jing was busy eating sweet potatoes.

Qu Liehu did not hesitate: "Raise him."

"My mother threw me into the mountains, but I was lucky enough to stay there for one night without being taken away by wolves. I was picked up by my father who came behind me."

"This kid is tougher than me. When I met her, she was almost deep in the mountains. Judging from her appearance, she had been there for at least five days. She knew how to find water and used branches to fish for small fish by the stream. She knew how to find fruits and even had some uneaten wild fruits in her arms. She was alert enough to hide when she heard any noise. If she hadn't been unable to stand, I wouldn't have found her."

"I have a tough life. My father and two wives died, and my own daughter died before she was even born."

"This child is tougher than me. If no one else takes care of him, I will."

"I have delivered the food. I will leave it here with you for a few days. There is only one bed in my house. I will ask a carpenter to make a small bed for you tomorrow. You can take me away after the bed is ready." After saying this, Qu the Hunter was about to leave.

"How many days? How many days are these days? Don't go to our village's big head Guo to fight, he is the slowest at work, go to the fourth child of the Zhang family, he makes beds quickly."

"I told you it will only last for 5 days at most. After 5 days, there won't be enough food. Your daughter has a big appetite. You didn't see it this afternoon. She made my wife scare me so much that she might die of overeating."

"What daughter? My granddaughter." Qu Liehu said without turning his head, "I'll bring another basket tomorrow."

"Take two eggs. Your granddaughter ate one egg today!"

"Wait, you haven't named her yet! What are you going to call your granddaughter? You can't call her a girl. She's stupid. What if she thinks she's called a girl? These names are too ugly. They're not as good as my Da Ni, Er Ni, and San Ni."

Qu the Hunter paused and turned around.

"Who said my granddaughter is stupid?" Qu the Hunter said dissatisfiedly, "If I throw you into the mountains, you may not survive for five days. My granddaughter must take my last name. Qu... Qu... then she will be called Qu Jing, meaning quiet."

The village chief looked at Qu Liehu's receding back and whispered, "Mute, can you be quiet?"

"Qu Jing... Jing, why didn't I think of this name when I named Dani? Guo Jing sounds much better than Guo Dani, alas."

"Old lady, Lao Qu's granddaughter will sleep with your eldest, second and third daughters tonight. Old woman, Lao Qu said to bring another basket of food tomorrow, and cook two sweet potatoes and an egg for his granddaughter. Let Lao Qu return the four tomorrow!"

"Are you still cooking? Don't let him get too full. Have you forgotten how the stupid son of landlord Qian died? He died of overeating the steamed buns." The village chief's wife was a little worried.

"That's different. This girl has been hungry in the mountains for five or six days. If I had been hungry in the mountains for five or six days, I would have eaten more than her. And I don't necessarily think I'm a fool." As he said that, the village chief looked at Qu Jing, and Qu Jing gave him a look that said, "I can still eat."

The village chief walked towards Qu Jing and said in a gentle voice: "Girl, from today on you are Old Qu's granddaughter. Do you remember the one who brought you food and led you down the mountain? Remember to nod your head."

Qu Jing nodded.

"From now on, you will be called Qu Jing, the quiet Jing. Remember? Remember to nod your head."

Qu Jing continued to nod.

The village chief was happy: "See, you're not stupid."

The village head's wife shook her head helplessly: "There are different types of fools. Not all fools can't understand. The fools in the village next to my mother's family can still dress themselves and eat, and they know to run home when it rains."

"You should teach Qu Jing more these two days. It's best to let this girl take care of herself. Old Qu doesn't know how to take care of children, and this one is a little stupid, so it's even harder to take care of."

"I know." The village chief's wife nodded and took Qu Jing's hand and walked into the house. "This child is blessed to be Old Qu's granddaughter."

Qu Jing was reluctant to leave, so she turned around and pointed at the chicken coop.

"Cook the eggs later." said the village chief's wife.

Only then did Qu Jing follow him obediently.

(End of this chapter)