A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

Amidst this chaotic celebration and pilgrimage, no one noticed.

On the periphery of the crowd, a pair of murky, cold eyes were fixed on Nuannuan, who was surrounded by the crowd.

Grandma Gu was helped over by Sun Caie. Her face, which was distorted by the stroke, showed no joy or gratitude.

Only chilling scheming.

"Mother, Dacheng is alright, Dacheng..." Sun Caie cried, her words incoherent, still immersed in the ecstasy of her son's rescue.

Grandma Gu ignored her completely, her triangular eyes fixed on the small figure surrounded by the crowd.

That look in her eyes didn't seem like she was looking at the benefactor who saved her grandson; it was more like she was looking at a demon who was about to destroy everything she had.

evildoer!

This word was screaming wildly in Grandma Gu's mind, which had become dulled after her stroke.

Able to command wild beasts and make the dead speak, what else could this be but a demon?!

Gu Jianping, that idiot, still worships her like a goddess!

That bastard has been blinded by lard!

Grandma Gu's lips trembled, and a trickle of saliva uncontrollably dripped from the crooked corner of her mouth.

She hates!

She wished she could rush up right now and strangle that little devil with her withered hands!

……

At the mining area, Gu Jianguo and Su Xiulan were completely taken aback by the scene.

More and more people knelt down, forming a dense, dark mass, all chanting "Living Bodhisattva" and "Thank you, Little Bodhisattva."

This isn't gratitude; it's practically putting their whole family on the hot seat!

"Get up! Get up now!" Gu Jianguo was sweating profusely. He wanted to help them up, but there were too many people. He helped one up, and two more knelt down next to him.

Nuannuan was frightened by the scene. She buried her face in her father's arms and her little body trembled uncontrollably.

She didn't know what a living Bodhisattva was; all she knew was that the people below were about to drown, and she wanted to save them.

But why are these adults kneeling before her now?

Still want to cry?

"Daddy, what's wrong with them?" The warm, childlike voice trembled slightly.

Gu Jianguo felt extremely distressed and hugged his daughter even tighter. "It's okay, Nuannuan, don't be afraid, Daddy's here."

Gao Yuan finally couldn't stand it anymore. He strode over and waved to the soldiers behind him.

"Maintain order! Everyone get up! What kind of behavior is this?!"

A soldier's orders are more effective than anything else.

Several soldiers immediately stepped forward and, half-helping and half-persuading, pulled up the family members who were kneeling on the ground.

"Folks, the children are young and can't withstand such a large-scale battle. We understand everyone's feelings!" Gao Yuan's loud and powerful voice quelled the chaos at the scene. "The most important thing now is to get the wounded to the hospital! Don't crowd around, make way!"

The crowd then seemed to wake from a dream and quickly made way for them.

Gu Jianping was also pulled up from the mud. Blood was still seeping from the wound on his forehead. He looked completely lost, but his eyes never left Nuannuan.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just bent down deeply.

The rescue work proceeded in an orderly manner, with mine leaders and Gao Yuan's soldiers taking charge of the aftermath.

Holding Nuannuan in his arms, and pulling Su Xiulan and their two sons along, Gu Jianguo just wanted to get away from this troublesome place as soon as possible.

As soon as they stepped out of the crowd, a figure blocked their way.

It's Gu Jianping.

"Third brother," he said hoarsely, his eyes filled with complex emotions, "eldest brother... I'm sorry."

This apology left Gu Jianguo with mixed feelings.

He looked at his disheveled older brother, whose face, which was always full of calculation and meanness, now only showed exhaustion and regret after surviving a disaster.

Years of resentment seemed to have faded considerably at this moment.

"Let's go to the hospital to see Dacheng first," Gu Jianguo replied in a muffled voice.

Gu Jianping nodded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of crumpled, muddy bills.

He had a few large bills and some small denominations, which represented all his possessions.

He forced the money into Gu Jianguo's hand.

"I know this money isn't enough. I'll pay back the money I borrowed from you before, and I know the money I borrowed from Mom is all yours."

Gu Jianguo was stunned.

He never intended to take that money.

Before he could speak, Gu Jianping continued, "I know, I'm not human. Before... I was a scoundrel, I was worse than a pig or a dog! I'm sorry to you, and even more sorry to Nuannuan."

"From now on, my life belongs to your family. If you say the word, I, Gu Jianping, will go through fire and water for you, and if I, Gu Jianping, even flinch, may I be struck by lightning!"

After saying that, without waiting for Gu Jianguo's response, he turned around and followed the team carrying the stretcher, staggering towards the hospital.

Gu Jianguo stood there, clutching the handful of soaked money, motionless for a long time.

"Honey, let's go." Su Xiulan gently tugged at his sleeve.

There were many people around, and she always felt uneasy.

The family walked home in silence.

The giant wild boar king and the pangolins had long since disappeared silently into the forest after completing their mission.

Nuannuan gave them food and water.

They were reluctant to leave.

Only Little Black remained on the treetop not far away, escorting them all the way.

They hadn't even returned to the village yet, but news of what happened at the mine had already come back.

The villagers' eyes changed when they saw them.

It's no longer the same disdain, disgust, or sympathy as before.

Instead, it was an expression that mixed reverence, curiosity, and even a touch of fear.

Some people stopped in their tracks from a distance and bowed and scraped before them.

Some of the bolder ones came up to say a few words to Nuannuan, but when they saw Gu Jianguo's tense face, they sheepishly retreated.

The label of "jinx" has been removed, but the label of "living bodhisattva" seems even heavier.

Back home, after closing the gate, the family finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Xiulan quickly went to boil water to bathe and change the clothes of the mud-covered children.

Gu Jianguo sat under the kerosene lamp in the main room, smoking one cigarette after another.

The room was filled with smoke, creating a tense atmosphere.

Da'an and Xiao'an were also silent; what happened today had a huge impact on them.

After taking a bath and changing into clean clothes, Nuannuan ran out of the inner room.

She climbed onto Gu Jianguo's lap and touched her father's furrowed brow with her little hand.

"Dad, are you unhappy?"

Gu Jianguo exhaled a smoke ring, placed his large hand on his daughter's head, and gently rubbed it.

"Dad isn't unhappy, Dad is... a little scared."

afraid?

Nuannuan doesn't understand.

Shouldn't you be happy to have saved someone? Why are you afraid?

"What happened today has caused quite a stir." Gu Jianguo looked into his daughter's clear eyes and said in a low voice, "From now on, the villagers will look at our family differently."

"This is both a good thing and a bad thing."

"Wow! Human brat, your dad was right! The nail that sticks out gets hammered down! After what you did today, it'll be hard for you to keep a low profile from now on!" In his mind, Little Green's ginseng tendrils swayed worriedly. "Those people will treat you like a god. If they have a headache or fever, or if they lose a chicken or duck, they'll all come to you for help. Are you going to do anything about it?"

"If you intervene, your secret will be exposed. If you don't, they'll say you're a saint who wouldn't help someone in distress, and they'll hurl even harsher insults at you than before!"

Nuannuan's little brows furrowed as well.

It seems... to be a bit troublesome.

Just then, there was a loud banging on the courtyard gate.

Who could it be in the middle of the night?

Gu Jianguo stood up warily, walked to the door, and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

Outside the door came the voice of village chief Li Dashan, which was polite and even a little obsequious.

"Jianguo, it's me, Li Dashan."