Will he be the next substitute?

If it's not yourself, then who is next?

There will never be an answer to such a question, but during his long journey, he did witness that one acquaintance after another was "caught as a substitute".

Among them were Wang Shu's parents.

——

However, what surprised him was that as more people died, he was no longer afraid.

I don't know whether it was because I accepted my fate, or because I grew up, or because I thought that those so-called "ghosts in the cave" were actually my relatives, so I subconsciously believed that there was absolutely no way they could harm me.

If you think about it carefully, this is really a tragic and helpless contradiction.

Maybe some people will try to find a hint of warmth from such contradictions.

But at least for Wang Qing, he couldn't find it.

All he could find was the suffering and struggle of the villagers in this village imprisoned by the mountains.

Fortunately, this is finally coming to an end.

The two excavators specially designed for complex terrain are just the beginning. The county party committee office has clearly informed itself that with the support of higher authorities, a professional engineering team will come to support the road construction work in Luojiao Village.

.

They will replace the ordinary villagers in Luojiao Village and let them have a good rest.

Thinking of this, Wang Qing sighed.

He subconsciously touched the head of Wang Shu who was standing nearby. The latter raised his head and asked:

"Manman, how long will it take for this backhoe to build the road in the village?"

Wang Qing scratched his head and replied:

"Manman doesn't know. If it's fast, it's one or two months, if it's slow, it's two or three months."

"Anyway, it will definitely be much faster than repairing it ourselves. If we repair it ourselves, we may not be able to repair it in several years."

Wang Shu nodded thoughtfully and whispered:

"Then I hope they can hurry up."

"Want to hurry up? How about you go and help?"

Wang Qing said jokingly.

"Forget it. I can't help, I will only cause trouble."

Wang Shu sighed in a pretentious manner, and then explained:

"Actually, I just thought that if the road is repaired, I can walk out by myself."

"Why are you walking out?"

Wang Qing's brows wrinkled, and before Wang Shu could answer, he couldn't help but scolded:

"Ashu, you have to listen to Manman. I told you that you are still young and cannot run around and play everywhere."

"The road used to be difficult to walk on, but now it's been repaired, but that doesn't mean there's no danger outside."

"What kind of human trafficker? Cars are very dangerous!"

"Your parents are gone. If something happens to you, how sad will your grandma be?"

After hearing Wang Qing's words, Wang Shu nodded obediently.

But after a few seconds of silence, he suddenly said:

"I'm not here to play."

Wang Qing was stunned for a moment and asked:

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I want to sell medicine."

"Selling medicine? How old are you, you want to sell medicine? Don't mess around!"

"I want to buy a wheelchair for grandma."

Wang Shu said seriously.

"Grandma is old and can no longer walk."

"In the past, when my parents were still here, they would carry grandma out in the morning and let her go to the entrance of the village to sit and chat with others."

"Now that they are all gone, grandma has no one to carry her, and I can't carry her."

"She sits on the bedside every day and can't go anywhere."

"It would be great if she had a wheelchair. She can still move her hands and can turn the wheelchair out by herself. It's like this on TV."

After hearing Wang Shu's words, Wang Qing's heart made a "dong" sound as if being hit by a heavy hammer.

He suddenly realized that as a village leader, there were indeed many things that he had not done well.

He naturally knew Wang Qing's grandmother, and even thought that he had taken good care of her for a long time.

But after hearing these words from Wang Shu today, he suddenly recalled many things that he had never cared about.

——

It seems that every time I go to Wang Shu's house, his grandmother is sitting on the bedside.

Her head always tilts to one side, looking in the direction of the door.

But what can be seen through that small door?

Apart from the figure of Wang Shu returning from school, apart from the occasional villagers passing by, apart from the birds that may stay at the door for a while because of the coolness of the eaves, what else has changed there?

But, this is the only thing she can see.

She was trapped in that dark room, and the light from that door was her only hope for survival.

Perhaps, for many days after Wang Shu's parents left, she looked at the doorway like this.

When an acquaintance walks by, she may not be able to help calling out her name. If someone hears her voice and stays for her for a few minutes, that will be her greatest comfort for many days to come.

Other than that, she could only watch the sun rise and set gradually, waiting for Wang Shu to go home.

Even for an old person of her age, such loneliness should be unbearable.

——

In Luojiao Village, there are actually far more than one old person like her.

Wang Qing still remembers that he once went to the door of an old man living alone on behalf of the government to bring warmth and installed a small TV that was already outdated.

Before leaving, he helped the old man turn on the TV.

Many days later, when I went to the old man's house to take care of his funeral affairs, the TV was still on.

The old man's body fell to the ground, and the advertisement on the TV kept repeating "Only melatonin is accepted as a gift."

At that time, I only thought this scene was a bit absurd, but now that I think about it, I feel even more sad.

These old people did not die in the mountains, but they died because of the mountains.

They are lucky, but also unfortunate.

After they have passed their prime years when they are the only ones capable of contending with the mountains, they will gradually become prisoners of the mountains and eventually be trapped and die in this small land.

This seems to be a fate, a fate that even the Ox King who is full of incense cannot change.

——

But, what the Ox King cannot change, we ourselves can change.

Wang Qing breathed a long sigh of relief and said to Wang Shu solemnly:

"Ashu, don't worry."

"In the future, when this road is built, we won't have to sell medicine by ourselves anymore."

"Many people will go to the mountains to buy medicine from us. Not only herbal medicines, but also the fruits from the fruit trees in the village and the tea leaves from the tea trees can be sold."

"We will make money, and when we do, we will buy a wheelchair for grandma."

"Not only do we need to buy wheelchairs, we also need to buy medicines, buy medical equipment, hire doctors, and engage in tourism."

"We build an elderly activity center and get insurance for all the elderly. If they get sick, we will take them to the hospital."

Having said this, Wang Qing paused.

Then he continued:

"Don't worry, we will take good care of grandma."

"Someone has opened the way for us, and this is just the beginning."

"They are watching here, and they will take good care of everyone."
Chapter completed!