My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 171

Zhao Guihua had lived through two lifetimes and encountered numerous events.

However, robbery was something she had never experienced before. She looked down at the knife in front of her.

No matter how skilled someone was, they couldn't withstand a kitchen knife. She couldn't act recklessly. She stepped back and said, "You're here for money, so stay calm."

Fan Jianguo sneered, "What? Do you think I'm here to rob you of your virtue? Just look at yourself, an old, dark-skinned woman. Do you really think I would do that? Hurry up and hand over the money!"

Zhao Guihua: "..."

She didn't mean it that way at all.

Apparently, people addicted to gambling lost their minds.

She coughed lightly and said, "I'll get the money for you. Please don't threaten me with the knife."

"Hurry up, why are you talking so much? I can't stand people from the city who think they're superior. What's so great about them? Who do they think they're looking down on?" He waved the knife around, his eyes filled with malevolence.

Even though he was a coward in the village, he became extremely aggressive towards the elderly. He was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. He stared fiercely at Zhao Guihua, full of malice. He knew this old lady wasn't related to him. He had stolen from his brothers' and sister's homes before, and no matter the reason, they wouldn't turn him over to the police.

But a stranger wouldn't be so lenient.

Therefore, once Fan Jianguo made his move, he had no intention of letting Zhao Guihua escape.

Otherwise, if she reported it to the police, he would be doomed. But if he robbed her and stabbed her to death, pushing her body into the toilet, they might not find her, and people might just think the old lady had left.

His eyes flickered as he thought this idea was pretty good.

He glared at Zhao Guihua and said dismissively, "Just hand over the money, and I won't do anything to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guihua paused in her motion of taking out the money. This statement only heightened her vigilance. She glanced at Fan Jianguo, who hadn't even bothered to cover his face, showing no fear of being recognized.

Zhao Guihua didn't think this was a good sign. She felt a sudden unease. She lowered her eyes and said, "Wait a moment, my money is hidden in my shoe."

She used the opportunity to lean against the wall. Although Fan Jianguo looked haggard and tired, Zhao Guihua didn't overlook the fact that he was a thirty-something middle-aged man. If he really attacked her, her chances of fighting back would be slim.

Therefore, she had to strike quickly and decisively.

She pretended to remove her shoes to get the money, leaning on the wall, her hands trembling as if she were terrified. Fan Jianguo, seeing her reaction, smugly chuckled, thinking she was as feeble as a scared chicken.

She glanced at the toilet and then at Fan Jianguo.

Fan Jianguo: "Hurry up."

Zhao Guihua: "Alright, alright."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fan Jianguo looking pleased. She took a few more steps inside and said, "I'll get the money for you. Please don't kill me."

"No killing, no killing," he replied dismissively.

"I'm shaking with fear; it's a bit slow. Keep an eye out, don't let anyone see..." While Zhao Guihua was talking, Fan Jianguo, upon hearing this, thought her words made sense. He looked outward. At that critical moment, Zhao Guihua suddenly lunged forward, hitting Fan Jianguo's arm with the sole of her shoe, while the other hand threw a handful of dirt at him.

Fan Jianguo: "Damn it, you old hag!"

Seeing him cover his eyes, Zhao Guihua no longer felt afraid. She quickly pushed him hard, and Fan Jianguo crashed through the toilet's footboard, but he didn't fall completely, getting stuck instead.

"Dammit, old woman, I'll kill you!"

He frantically waved the dagger, trying to get up.

Zhao Guihua picked up a stone and threw it at him. Fan Jianguo: "You bitch! You..."

Zhao Guihua screamed even louder, "Robbery! Someone is robbing me!"

The public toilet was not far from the Fan family's house or the village's fields. After attacking Fan Jianguo, Zhao Guihua ran out and shouted loudly. Soon, people came running. The first to arrive was Li Weiwei, who had just had another unsuccessful blind date.

Feeling dejected, he went to the yard to smoke a cigarette when he suddenly heard Aunt Zhao's voice. Recognizing it immediately as they were neighbors since childhood, he shouted, "This isn't good!" and ran out, following the direction of the voice.

Meanwhile, Zhao Guihua didn't stick around. After throwing stones at Fan Jianguo, she ran out and headed towards the Yang family's place. Li Weiwei was the first to arrive, asking, "Aunt Zhao, what happened?"

Zhao Guihua: "Someone with a knife tried to rob me."

"What!"

Li Weiwei couldn't believe someone would be so bold as to rob someone in broad daylight.

He immediately protected Zhao Guihua and asked, "Where is the robber?"

Zhao Guihua: "In the toilet."

Soon, villagers with hoes and shovels arrived. Upon hearing about the robbery, they rushed to the direction Zhao Guihua indicated. Inside the toilet, they found Fan Jianguo stuck in the pit, unable to go up or down.

His eyes were full of sand, which he had just managed to rub out. He angrily shouted, "You old hag..."

He couldn't believe he couldn't even take down an elderly woman.

Everyone recognized Fan Jianguo. They didn't know what to say. While they had heard of vices like gambling, they had mostly only seen gambling.

Gambling had caused many families to fall apart, let alone someone like Fan Jianguo, who, for the sake of gambling, would even resort to robbery.

At this moment, Fan Jianguo immediately lowered his stance, saying, "You've misunderstood me. I didn't, I wasn't trying to rob anyone. This old lady is framing me. She had no good intentions..."

He paused, realizing that given she was a stranger, his words wouldn't be believed.

So, he changed his tune, saying, "I just saw she was unfamiliar and worried she might be a bad person, so I wanted to ask what she was doing here. Think about it, if she were a bad person, it wouldn't be written on her face, right? Maybe she's a trafficker? We're all from the same village. I didn't trust her, so I had to ask what was going on. It turns out she's really not a good person, and she attacked me first. Look, how could such a person be good? We're all from the same village. You can't believe her. Besides, if I were really robbing, why wouldn't I cover my face? Do you think it makes sense that I let her see me? And if I were really robbing, would I not be able to handle an old lady? I really wasn't trying to rob!"

"Pfft, stop spewing nonsense," Zhao Guihua retorted. "You can act all you want. Don't think I don't know what kind of person you are. I came to the toilet, and you immediately demanded I hand over all my money. You even pointed a knife at me, not letting me leave. I thought you wanted to kill me and cover your tracks. Robbing without even covering your face? You clearly didn't plan to let me live. Old lady? I've eaten more salt than you've walked roads. Do you think I can't tell your malicious intent? Who do you think I am? Why don't you go ask around how many bad guys I've caught? I can handle scumbags like you without breaking a sweat!"

Zhao Guihua sneered, "I threw sand in your face; otherwise, I might have already been killed by you. You're saying I'm framing you? Fine, let's call the police. We'll see who's lying. It's not the old days anymore. You can't just say anything you want."

"I can prove she's not a bad person. She's a guest at my house," Aunt Yang said. "I had three guests today, brought by my in-laws, to discuss a blind date. It's not what Fan Jianguo claimed. If you want to falsely accuse someone, that won't work."

Aunt Yang had already messed up the blind date arrangements, and she certainly wouldn't make things worse by offending her in-laws, especially since they were the ones who brought the guests.

“Fan Jianguo, you’ve got a history in this village, and you’ve stolen from your own brother and sister numerous times. They didn’t hold it against you because they still feel a shred of family kinship. But we outsiders don’t care about that! What now? You can’t steal from your brother and sister anymore, so you’ve started branching out?”

Zhao Guihua sneered. “This despicable dog today dared to hold a knife to me. Tomorrow, he’ll do the same to all of you. I’m not here to convince you, but this is robbery, and it’s not something you people in the village can handle. Li Weiwei, go call the police.”

Li Weiwei replied, “Got it.”

The villagers began to murmur among themselves. Some were reluctant because if the police were called, the village’s reputation would only get worse. But after some hesitation, no one stopped him. After all, it wasn’t their problem. If Fan Jianguo started robbing them, that would be a real hassle.

Everyone kept quiet, all acting in their own self-interest.

However, the village chief spoke up, “I think calling the police right away isn’t the right move. If it’s a misunderstanding, that would be…”

Zhao Guihua cut him off, “If you’re worried about mistakes, isn’t calling the police exactly the right thing to do? They’re the ones who uphold justice.”

“No, you can’t call the police! You wicked old hag, coming to our village and trying to throw your weight around. This is no place for you to act out… Aah!”

Before he could finish, Zhao Guihua kicked him directly in the mouth, sending a tooth flying.

If she didn’t kick him in the mouth, it wouldn’t have satisfied her.

This guy was a total piece of trash!

Zhao Guihua looked at him stuck in the latrine and thought, *Thankfully, this latrine isn’t full; otherwise, if he fell in, it would stink to high heaven.* Fortunately, everyone kept their “fertilizer” within the village.

Otherwise, the lunch couldn’t be eaten.

She said, “You better shut your mouth, you piece of trash.”

“You hit my son!” At this moment, Old Lady Fan finally came running over.

She had just arrived after climbing the mountain. Seeing the situation, she let out a howl and rushed to her son’s side, clashing with Zhao Guihua like a wild beast: “You wicked old hag, how dare you treat my son like this? I’ll kill you!”

That family, they’re all unreasonable,

No matter who’s right or wrong, if their own side gets bullied, they’ll charge recklessly.

Zhao Guihua wasn’t holding back either. If she remained passive, they’d think she was weak.

She wasn’t confident about handling a middle-aged man in his thirties wielding a knife, but she sure wasn’t scared of an emaciated old lady. When Old Lady Fan charged at her, Zhao Guihua didn’t hesitate, pinning her down and delivering two heavy punches.

Old Lady Fan tried to grab Zhao Guihua’s hair, but Zhao Guihua dodged, yanking Old Lady Fan’s arm hard and tossing her to the side. Old Lady Fan’s foot accidentally kicked Fan Jianguo in the face.

Fan Jianguo: “Ah!”

Zhao Guihua held onto Old Lady Fan tightly. Old Lady Fan channeled her inner “Nine Yin Skeleton Claw,” her hands flailing wildly. Zhao Guihua dodged nimbly, thinking, “Is this even a fight? I’m so fast, it’s like a dance.” She dodged again and flung Old Lady Fan to the side.

Old Lady Fan ended up kicking Fan Jianguo again.

Old Lady Fan shouted, “You coward! Let me go if you dare!”

Zhao Guihua retorted, “Why should I let you hit me? Others might indulge you, but I won’t. Who do you think you are? You’re just an old hag, mean and vicious. If you want to fight, I’m not afraid.”

Zhao Guihua yanked Old Lady Fan’s hair, pulling out large strands, her mouth never stopping. The woman was an incredibly capable fighter.

Old Lady Fan wailed, “Aaah!”

The two old ladies were in a full-blown brawl, each giving as good as they got. But it was clear that Zhao Guihua was dominating, not taking a single hit. She slapped Old Lady Fan across the face and said, “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”

Zhao Guihua operated on a simple principle: don’t provoke her, and she won’t provoke you, but if you dared to cross her, she’d make sure you remembered it for life. Otherwise, things would just keep escalating. She had a fierce, unyielding spirit. With a few decisive moves, she had Old Lady Fan looking like a swollen pig.

Even worse, her useless son had taken quite a beating too. To be clear, this wasn’t Zhao Guihua’s doing.

Well, maybe one stone and a kick, but everything else? Definitely not her fault.

It was all Old Lady Fan’s doing. Yes, you heard that right—Old Lady Fan.

While Old Lady Fan was busy fighting Zhao Guihua, she kept mistakenly hitting her own son. These two old ladies were quite something. In a village with so much open space, they chose to fight in a narrow, confined latrine, trading punches and kicks.

The villagers watched with cringed expressions, feeling their own heads ache at the thought of getting hit. Old Lady Fan must have stepped on her son’s feet dozens of times. It seemed like she was about to accidentally push him into the pit.

Zhao Guihua didn’t shove him in, but Old Lady Fan was well on her way.

“This old lady is too tough to handle!”

“I’ve always said these days, old ladies are no joke. Look at her—scary!”

“That’s right.”

Within moments, Zhao Guihua had taken her down, standing over her with a triumphant sneer. “You think you can bully me, Zhao Guihua? No way. You don’t go around asking who I am—Zhao Guihua doesn’t take crap from anybody!”

The crowd quietly took a step back.

Zhao Guihua was victorious, and as she looked at Old Lady Fan, she thought wistfully, “If only I had a camera. I’d take a picture of my victorious state and capture this old hag’s ugly mug.”

She could even show it to someone else to vent her frustrations.

The villagers thought, “That’s a bit much…”

Before the villagers could react, the police arrived. They weren’t from around Xinghuali but were familiar with Zhao Guihua and started asking for details. When they saw the scene, one of them said, “You really went overboard with this beating.”

Zhao Guihua wasn’t taking the blame. “Ask everyone here. Sure, I was robbed by this guy, but he got like this because of his own mother, not me. She tried to teach me a lesson, but I’m not one to be messed with!”

Zhao Guihua recounted the events in rapid-fire detail.

The onlookers silently nodded. While they hadn’t seen the initial robbery, it was true that Old Lady Fan had first tried to attack Zhao Guihua. In Zhao Guihua’s fierce retaliation, Old Lady Fan’s attacks had all landed on her own son.

The police officer: “…”

Old Lady Fan wailed and sobbed upon seeing the police. “You have to arrest this old hag!”

Zhao Guihua spat, “Pssh, you should be the one to get arrested. What sort of decent people are in your family? One commits robbery, the other is a troublemaker. Did you two plan this? Don’t think the villagers will hold it against me just because I’m from outside. Police officer, he robbed me with his face uncovered—I bet he planned to kill me. You better investigate this family thoroughly. Not only is this man a gambler, but he’s broke and addicted to betting. Who knows what else he’s capable of?”

She paused and added, “And he has a criminal record.”

She wanted to mention Guan Guiling but refrained. In any case, the police would be able to uncover such details.

She continued, “I’ve heard that he’s also been stealing in the village.”

Auntie Zaohua jumped in, saying, “That’s right! Last National Day, they stole a chicken from my house, and they still haven’t repaid me. And they’ve stolen…”

“Who asked you to stick your nose in?” Old Lady Fan screeched. “You treacherous wretch, siding with outsiders against your own villagers!”

Zhao Guihua picked up a chunk of dirt and shovelled it right into Old Lady Fan’s mouth. “You better shut up. You’re spewing nothing but garbage. Listen up, police officer. This old hag isn’t any better…”

Zhao Guihua hadn’t finished when a voice emerged from the crowd: “Exactly.”

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice, and to their shock, it was Fan Family's Eldest Daughter-in-law. She glared venomously at Old Lady Fan and Fan Jianguo, saying, "Fan Jianguo always comes to my house to steal things, and this old woman just keeps watch for him. Every time we go to demand them back, she throws a tantrum, crying, shouting, and even threatening to hang herself, all because she thinks she's older and deserves respect. Even the gold ring my daughter-in-law brought on her wedding day was stolen by her." She admitted to being selfish herself, not a good person, but she never expected the rest of this family to be completely without moral boundaries. They're all garbage.

"You bitch, whose side are you on? How dare you backstab your own family..."

"Backstabbing? You two split Second Son’s family apart and drove Third Son away. If we hadn’t had so many sons, we would’ve been destroyed by you already. Don’t even talk about being a family anymore. Officer, I’m reporting them—this family has never been good. They once harmed someone else and paid off the matter with money. That incident got this guy fired. And what about the Li family’s chickens, the Zhang family’s ducks, the Xu family’s geese, and the crops from the fields? And..."

The scene instantly descended into chaos, with everyone who was named seething with rage.

In rural households, there weren’t many ways to make money, and raising chickens and ducks was already one of the main sources of income. But now, it turned out...were all these thefts really done by Fan Jianguo?

Fan Family's Eldest Daughter-in-law chimed in, "It was Old Lady Fan too!"

At this, the victims rushed forward like a wave. Zhao Guihua watched as Fan Jianguo was pummeled, falling down several times until he was completely dispatched. The guy had been stuck on top of the toilet earlier, but before the officers could even rescue him, he fell right in.

"Oh my god."

Seeing everyone’s shocked faces, the village head quickly interjected, "It’s fine, it’s fine—the toilet was empty."

To everyone’s relief—it would’ve been terrible to fish someone out of an outhouse—it turned out the toilet hadn’t been used recently.

The officer in charge said, "Everyone, please calm down. We will take them back to the station for a thorough investigation. We will make sure no one here suffers unfairly. If anyone has lost something, please come to us to file a report, and we will verify everything one by one."

He then looked at Zhao Guihua and said, "Madam, you’ll also have to come with us."

Zhao Guihua replied, "Of course, I’m more than willing."

She wasn’t about to let these criminals get away with their actions. "We may be old, but we know the law very well," she declared.

The officer nodded, "Alright, thank you. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Zhao Guihua shook her head, "No, I’m fine. Not injured."

With a snort, she added, "Go ask around about me—I’ve dealt with scum like them more times than I can count. Hmph."

While they were talking, Old Lady Fan suddenly let out a howl and charged at the eldest daughter-in-law, launching into a physical assault. She hated that her own family had turned against her even more than the outsiders. But the Fan family's eldest daughter-in-law wasn’t easy to deal with either; it was tough living in this family if you weren’t strong-willed.

The two women yanked each other’s hair and began tearing into each other, leaving bloodied scratches all over. The fight quickly became a messy, ugly brawl.

Zhao Guihua commented, "They’re fighting, but this isn’t good."

She even began analyzing the fight: "What everyone hates most is having their weaknesses exposed. So you must never let someone grab your hair. The best method is speed and unpredictability—when the old woman grabs, you should quickly dodge while using your hands and feet. Once you dodge, you can kick immediately."

The crowd: "..."

No wonder you win—this is all experience from fighting people, huh?

Zhao Guihua added, "They’re like this..."

Aunt Wang quickly pulled her aside, saying, "Let’s tone it down a bit."

Zhao Guihua replied, "Why should I? I haven’t done anything wrong—I’m just teaching them the fundamentals of fighting."

Fan Family's Eldest Daughter-in-law, who had been listening, suddenly darted forward and with a quick kick landed Old Lady Fan back into the toilet. Everyone was just pulling Fan Jianguo up when the old woman fell in again, and both ended up in the outhouse.

"Oh my god."

Fan Family's Eldest Daughter-in-law had endured for far too many years. Although she wasn’t exactly a saint either, she had been oppressed by Old Lady Fan and troubled by Fan Jianguo for years. The man stole everything he could get his hands on, leaving their household in a terrible state.

Even though they threatened to cut ties with him, he kept coming back to steal, and beating him up didn’t help. She’d bottled up a lot of frustration. Although there were police present, it was precisely because of their presence that she felt more emboldened to vent her anger on these two scoundrels.

"Over the years, our family has nearly been ruined by them. My kids can’t even find partners because of them! They’re truly..."

Before Fan Family's Eldest Daughter-in-law could finish ranting, Second Son suddenly rushed forward. He had stayed quiet up until now but couldn’t keep silent any longer after hearing his sister-in-law bring up these points. Thinking of his own shattered marriage and the children he lost, he snapped.

As soon as Old Lady Fan and Fan Jianguo were dragged out of the toilet, Second Son pounced and started slapping them furiously, leaving the officers watching in stunned silence.

They’d never seen a family turn on each other so viciously.

Fan Family's Second Son declared, "My family is destroyed, all because of them! I’m turning them in—even my mother stole not just once. Over ten years ago, she caused someone’s death. That old man had no children, and the adopted son took the money and let everything go, but the man died for no reason."

Zhao Guihua’s eyelids twitched at this revelation.

Come to think of it, she did know about this incident. Many years ago, Bai Fendou had mentioned it once after hearing about it from He Lan.

It seemed that what Fan Family's Second Son was recounting was indeed this very incident.

"You two, come with us."

The officers realized this family was full of filth. Although Zhao Guihua was the victim here, she was now almost excluded from the situation as the Fan family’s internal feud escalated, each member wishing for the other’s demise.

"Take the suspects and put them in the car," one officer ordered.

Aside from the family members, many others also intended to file reports.

Even though half a ridge of crops was taken from the fields, it might not seem like much, but it was enough to feed a family for a fortnight. How could anyone tolerate such blatant stealing in a small village? After a quick discussion, a large group of villagers followed the officers to the station.

As the victim, Zhao Guihua was allowed to take a ride and tagged along to the station to make a statement.

One young officer, looking at the address on the report, glanced up at Zhao Guihua in surprise. "You live in the Plum Blossom Lane neighborhood?"

Zhao Guihua nodded, "Yes, it’s right there on the form."

The officer let out an audible "oh" and said, "I’ve heard a lot about that area—there was once a trafficking ring busted there. Oh, and there were rumors of ghosts in the neighborhood too. And, well...someone once fell into a pit toilet. I heard there’s even a sign by the public toilets that says ‘No swimming.’ Is it true?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "Yes, that’s true."

Strangely enough, that sign was written by her son, who helped an old man named Old Huang clean the toilets.

She never expected that their neighborhood’s reputation had spread so far. It seemed that things—good and bad—travel far and wide.

Zhao Guihua added, "The person who fell into the toilet was from our compound."

The officers were utterly stunned, letting out a long "oh" in unison. "So it was your compound? I heard there’s even a 'man-killer' in your compound."

Indeed, the speed at which rumors spread always exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Zhao Guihua: "..."

She was momentarily at a loss for words but didn’t deny it. If it weren’t true, she would’ve refuted it.

"I’ve also heard..."

Zhao Guihua cut him off. "You really don’t need to hear so much."

The young officer protested, "But I did hear about it."

Zhao Guihua: "..."

"Oh, right—you’ve caught thieves before too, haven’t you?" the officer prompted.

Zhao Guihua nodded. "Yes, we have."

That year, they almost won the title of "Model Compound," but unfortunately, too many incidents happened, and they ultimately didn't win.

By this time, everyone looked at Zhao Guihua with newfound respect.

"Ma’am, you’re amazing."

Zhao Guihua said, "Whether it's catching thieves or breaking up child trafficking gangs, it's never just one person doing it; it's a team effort. If these villains aren't caught, then the good people will cry. We absolutely can't let the bad guys win while the good people suffer."

However, Zhao Guihua felt that she herself had quite the knack for attracting trouble. Who could have anticipated that a perfectly normal blind date would turn into a confrontation with the Fan family?

Did Fan Jianguo not even bother checking the date before committing robbery? He truly had no limits, picking fights with anyone and everyone.

She said, "I might be naturally antagonistic towards criminals; they always seem to end up in my hands. But when it comes to Fan Jianguo, I think he's extremely wicked. He didn't even bother covering his face. When he was holding me hostage, I could tell from his demeanor that he didn't intend to let me go. Think about it—if no one in the village had started searching for me, I would have been harmed, and no one would have ever known."

"We will investigate in detail, please rest assured, and we will definitely provide you with an explanation," replied the police officers.

Zhao Guihua nodded. She had complete faith in the public security officers, as the ones she had interacted with in the past were all quite dependable.

The young police officer, still relatively new to the job, was still learning the ropes, but the senior officers agreed with Zhao Guihua's speculation. As a grassroots police station, they had dealt with similar cases before. Generally, robbers who don't cover their faces have no intention of letting their victims live.

It wasn't surprising that Zhao Guihua made this assumption; the senior officer shared the same thoughts.

As for Fan Jianguo's claim that he wasn't robbing anyone, the officer didn't believe that either. Their grassroots police station's workload was no lighter than that of urban stations. They kept records of dangerous individuals in their jurisdiction, such as Fan Jianguo, whose family had a criminal record. Given that he was also a gambler, he was a particularly high-priority subject of concern. They had seen too many people who, lacking funds for gambling, would take desperate risks. They had been cracking down on gambling activities continuously, but such situations seemed endless.

One location would be shut down, only for a new one to pop up a few days later. These gamblers were like wild dogs, always sniffing out opportunities to gather and gamble.

"We will continue our investigation. Please provide us with more details. Rest assured, we will never let a criminal go unpunished," the officer assured her.

Zhao Guihua nodded. "Of course, I trust you. As ordinary citizens, who else would we trust?"

"That's good to hear."

The on-site statement recording was meticulous. Zhao Guihua was open and honest, explaining her visit to the village, her reason for entering the village's restroom, and even sharing the details of her conversation with Auntie Zaohua.

The police meticulously recorded everything.

Zhao Guihua’s statement process was efficient and calm. On the other hand, Fan Jianguo's side was quite the opposite. He would suddenly act docile and helpless in front of the police, but his mother, Old Lady Fan, was a fierce one. She tolerated her son's weakness but was quick to lash out at outsiders.

The eldest daughter-in-law and the second son of the Fan family, along with the bachelor second son, were thoroughly disgusted with these two and were more than eager to see them punished. They spilled the beans about the family's misdeeds, prompting Old Lady Fan to grab a stool and start beating people.

However, this was not a place where they could act wildly. Even if she hadn't done anything, Old Lady Fan would still face detention.

Once Zhao Guihua had completed her statement, it was already late afternoon by the time they had finished dealing with the situation. The group started their journey back. Although today's blind date had failed again, Li Weiwei was not particularly upset. Who could have expected that his outing would turn into such a dramatic spectacle?

Thinking of Aunt Zhao's impressive fighting skills, he couldn't help but admire, "Aunt Zhao is truly a force to be reckoned with! Not to be trifled with!"

She was genuinely not someone to be messed with.

As for the Tian family girl, since she was in love with Li Weiwei's cousin, he decided to let it go. After all, it was just a matter of not having that destined connection (yuanfen). Anyway, could anything be more humiliating than the Guan Hong incident? On the way back, he couldn't stop discussing the Fan family.

At this moment, even Zhao Guihua and the others didn't realize that no matter when, the unlucky ones were always the luckiest.

Bad people always get their just deserts.

Fan Jianguo's final outcome came as a shock to everyone.

He had also stolen many things in the village, though they weren’t very valuable. However, the news spread, and other villages reported similar incidents. After investigating, it turned out that many of these cases were true. Turns out, Fan Jianguo's own actions had led to his downfall. He lived in the village and didn’t dare to stir too much trouble, so he mostly stole small items. But when he went to other villages, where people didn’t know him, he got more daring with his thefts.

The investigation led to a series of revelations, including connections to gambling dens.

These gamblers had no conscience; their greatest joy was on the gambling table. But what happens when they run out of money? They need to find a way to get more. If their family doesn’t have it, they’ll take it from others. Fan Jianguo had a few like-minded friends.

After all, as the old saying goes, even Qin Hui had three friends.

Fan Jianguo wasn't alone; he had his own circle of gambling buddies.

They had indeed committed robberies together.

Besides this, they were also well-informed about the gambling dens set up across the countryside, providing details about various locations.

This case initially started as an attempted robbery but snowballed into a much larger affair. By the end of the year, it had evolved into a major case, resulting in commendations for the entire police station and an award for being an outstanding collective.

The case was thoroughly investigated, and by the time it was submitted, it was already the following year.

As fate would have it, the timing coincided with a crackdown on crime, leading to severe consequences for the gang. Several members, including those more severe than Fan Jianguo, were executed, while Fan Jianguo received a life sentence.

Under normal circumstances, Fan Jianguo's crime might not have warranted such a severe penalty, but with the crackdown, the sentencing was naturally more harsh. As for Old Lady Fan, although she had stolen things, she hadn't been involved in her son's criminal activities due to her age. Ultimately, she was detained for seven days.

After being released, her other children completely abandoned her, and she had to survive by scavenging...

But those were all things of the future. At the moment, everyone was unaware of what lay ahead. The group returned to the city.

As they walked back together, Li Weiwei suddenly stopped and said, "Uh... that..."

The three elderly ladies looked at him. Li Weiwei fidgeted with his fingers, looking distressed as he said, "Well... that..."

"What?"

Everyone looked at him, puzzled.

Li Weiwei: "Could you all say that I didn't like the Tian girl? Don’t tell anyone that she had someone else?"

Zhao Guihua: "...”

Aunt Wang: "...”

Auntie Lian immediately responded, "Sure, I'll take care of that."

As the matchmaker, she had hoped to earn some money from the matchmaking, but who would have thought the situation would turn out like this? The Tian girl already had a sweetheart, yet she still came to the blind date. It was truly despicable. Even more infuriating was the fact that her sweetheart was Li Weiwei’s cousin. What kind of nonsense was that?

She was genuinely unhappy about this, but it wasn’t appropriate to show it on the male side.

After all, Li Weiwei was even more wronged.

She had to coax Li Weiwei with kind words.

She said, "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this blind date situation for you. If this one doesn’t work out, we’ll find another. There are plenty of good girls out there. Seeing early that this girl isn't a good fit for you is actually a good thing. It’s better than getting married and then finding out she’s cheating on you. Right?"

Li Weiwei silently looked at Zhao Guihua.

Zhao Guihua awkwardly said, "Last time, I said the same thing."

She had used the same consolation for Li Weiwei after the Guan Hong incident.

This time, Auntie Lian also used the same comfort.

Auntie Lian paused, then said, "From now on, I’ll take care of all your blind dates. You can trust me to find you a good match."

Li Weiwei: "Great!"

He said, "Aunt Zhao and Auntie Lian both promised to introduce me, and I trust you. You have to put in more effort for me."

"Don’t worry, next time I’ll find you someone who’s both working and good-looking."

Li Weiwei let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He was also concerned about his reputation.

The group returned to the courtyard together, only to see Su Jinlai sitting at the door smoking.

Although he had no money, he sure knew how to put on airs—smoking had to be with a "Big Gatefront" cigarette. He wouldn't stoop to saving money by rolling his own tobacco; that would be too humiliating. He looked at Li Weiwei, snorted, and said sarcastically, "Oh, so you're back from a blind date, huh? How did it go? Didn't work out, right? The girl didn't take a liking to you, did she?"

If it weren't for the fact that his foot had been caught in a mouse trap, he would have definitely gone along to stir up some trouble. But secretly, he was hoping Li Weiwei's blind date had failed.

It wasn't that he had any personal enmity with Li Weiwei. He just didn't want anyone else in the courtyard to live better than he did. For the other young people in their compound, he hoped they would all be worse off than him. That was just how it should be. Besides, he was older than Li Weiwei.

Since he hadn't gotten married yet, how could Li Weiwei marry first? He had already been the first to get a job, so he had to be the first to get married too.

Otherwise, he'd feel like he'd lost somehow.

He looked at Li Weiwei and continued his sarcastic remarks, "Only someone like you would pick a village girl."

Furious, Li Weiwei clenched his fists, said nothing, and directly charged at Su Jinlai, delivering a solid punch to his eye. He shouted, "You damn bastard, talking crap about me? Think I daren't beat you up or something?"

Auntie Lian quickly chimed in, "Su boy, this isn't good. You should be looking for a job instead of loafing around all day like a vagrant. And here you are stirring up trouble between neighbors—it's really not appropriate. This just won't do."

Since the matter of the blind date's outcome, Auntie Lian felt she had to unconditionally support Li Weiwei, or else if people found out she had set him up with an unreliable girl, her reputation as a matchmaker would be ruined.

Being a matchmaker also required integrity.

She said, "This just isn't good."

And then again, "Li Weiwei didn't take a liking to that girl from today, so tomorrow I'll introduce him to someone better. As for you, hehe, you're the type who'll be a bachelor forever."

Seeing as this vagrant didn't need her to introduce any matches, and she couldn't make money off him, Auntie Lian wasn't holding back.

Yes, she was that blunt.

"What do you mean by that, old lady? You looking for a fight or something? You really don't know who I am, huh? Ask around the street—who doesn't know me, Su Jinlai? You're really... unbelievable."

"N... Na... Nana!"

Su Jinlai was still ranting when Yuanyuan came running into the courtyard like a spinning top. Out of breath but with her flushed face resembling a red apple, she shouted, "Nan, Grandpa caught a big fish."

Zhao Guihua: "A big fish?"

Yuanyuan hurriedly pulled her grandmother along, saying, "Yes, yes, come and see—it's huge, over a meter long! It was a tough catch, broke the fishing line pulling it up."

Upon hearing that, Zhao Guihua quickly agreed, "Let's go see."

Aunt Wang: "Count me in."

Aunt Zhou: "Can't leave me out."

When it comes to watching the excitement, no one hesitates. In a flash, everyone followed Yuanyuan toward the riverside. After walking not too far, Zhao Guihua suddenly asked, "Yuanyuan, weren't you supposed to be reviewing your lessons today since school starts tomorrow? Why did you go to the riverside with Grandpa?"

Yuanyuan: "Ah!"

Her little mouth opened slightly in realization—she'd slipped up!

Originally, she and her brother had planned to go out and play for a while, making sure to return home before everyone else did, so no one would notice. But... Yuanyuan hadn't expected things to change so quickly.

She fiddled with her fingers, acting coquettishly towards Zhao Guihua, "Nan, I'll be going to school tomorrow, so I just wanted to relax today. I won't be able to come out and play once school starts."

She added with a smile, "And I've already finished my homework."

Zhao Guihua: "What about previewing your lessons?"

Yuanyuan's eyes darted around, saying, "Tonight, I'll definitely do it tonight."

Zhao Guihua: "You little rascal."

Grinning, Yuanyuan swayed her grandmother's arm, pleading, "Nan, don't tell Mom and Dad, okay?"

She raised her hand, "I promise, I'll be good from now on."

Zhao Guihua: "...

Before she could agree, they heard someone say, "I heard that."

Yuanyuan: "Ah? Ah!"

She turned back to see her father.

Yuanyuan: "Mom! Dad, why aren't you at work?"

Zhuang Zhixi spoke confidently, "Since you can skip reviewing your lessons, why can't I take a break and join the crowd to see some excitement?"

Yuanyuan immediately coyly approached her father, secretly praying that her mother wouldn't take the day off as well, or else the whole family would know she hadn't been preparing her lessons. Her little heart sighed with worry, but she continued to act sweetly.

Zhuang Zhixi: "This time, I'll let it slide. The next time won't be so lenient. Understand?"

"Understand, understand."

She giggled coyly before her curiosity got the better of her, and she looked at the bag her father was carrying. "Dad, what did you buy?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "From the junk shop, look."

Yuanyuan peeked inside, though she didn't quite get it.

Zhao Guihua: "What are you buying these parts for?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Grandpa wants to assemble a radio. I'm helping him—just some secondhand parts, pretty cheap."

Zhao Guihua: "Can these secondhand parts even work?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "They can. I didn't buy everything secondhand; some important parts are new."

Zhao Guihua knew that Lan Sihai, her son's father-in-law, was an impressive man. Though he hadn't received much formal education, if he had, he would have been even more extraordinary. Even now, he was quite remarkable. Though some viewed his skills as somewhat unconventional, they were undeniably a form of cultural heritage.

Being quite familiar with Lan Sihai, Zhao Guihua knew he could do just about anything. From making radios to crafting paper items used in funeral ceremonies—even playing musical instruments and operating films—he was a true jack-of-all-trades. Though he was retired now and couldn't do intricate work, assembling radios was still within his expertise.

Actually, Zhuang Zhixi could assemble radios too—Lan Sihai had taught him. Their current radio at home was assembled with parts Zhuang Zhixi bought himself, and it worked quite well.

Zhao Guihua: "Isn't there already a radio at Grandpa's house?"

Zhuang Zhixi lowered his voice: "Grandpa wants to make a batch of radios to sell."

Zhao Guihua: "???"

She remembered the old man had a pension. Besides, he had been rehired after retirement, bringing in significant income. After all, he was an eight-level worker in a specialized industry.

Zhuang Zhixi: "Who doesn't like money?"

He smiled, adding, "Besides, Grandpa also wants to teach me a thing or two."

Zhao Guihua cast a doubtful glance at Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, your grandfather will carry you along—such is your fate."

She truly wanted to say, "Just how much cosmic luck has your grandfather Lan acquired?"

Why is his thought process so quick?

But then she calmed down and thought: she was indeed reborn and had gained life experience, but experience alone doesn't boost intelligence, so the way her mind worked remained the same as before. She posited that as a middle-aged woman, her capacity had limits.

Still, while she couldn't make a fortune, she could live comfortably enough.

Additionally, considering she was born a native of Beijing itself, life was pretty good as it stood.

Being alive is about making do with what you have.

"Alright then, just follow your grandfather's lead—I won't stop you," she said. "As for me, I still have my humble social group to deal with on Earth."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled silently.

He hadn't joined the commotion to see the big fish his father had caught; he'd just happened to run into the entire courtyard heading out en masse on his way home, so he'd silently tagged along. That's how he discovered his little girl had tried to cut class.

He asked, "Mom, is Dad really catching a big fish?"

Zhao Guihua answered, "So it seems, though I have no idea what it will look like."

"Weren't you guys supposed to go to the countryside for a blind date today?"

Zhao Guihua hesitated slightly before quickly replying, "Li Weiwei didn't take a liking to that girl."

Zhuang Zhixi noticed his mother's subtle hesitation and his eyes darted around, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He understood.

It was definitely the girl who didn't take a liking to Li Weiwei.

Truth be told, it really does come down to fate. Li Weiwei's family isn't bad, he's not unattractive, and he even has a job. His conditions are decent, but for some reason, the blind dates just weren't going well.

It's really strange.

But Zhuang Zhixi wasn't curious about other people's affairs. Their courtyard was always full of gossip; this level of news didn't even register.

The group soon arrived by the riverside, where they saw many people surrounding Old Man Zhuang. Old Man Zhuang was in high spirits; he had been fishing for years and had just landed a massive catch for the first time. He was so excited he was practically bubbling with glee. "Look at this, just look! See my skills? No one else can match them!"

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The other elderly fishermen around him were so jealous, their noses practically crooked.

Zhao Guihua smiled, "You're the best, Old Man Zhuang. You're the greatest!"

She gave him a thumbs up.

Old Man Zhuang's eyebrows shot up with joy.

Zhao Guihua continued, "Should we make a fish soup tonight..."

She paused briefly, then said, "Nah, let's just have dumplings. We'll go home and make fish dumplings to reward our big hero. What do you think?"

Old Man Zhuang nodded, "Alright, I like that."

Zhao Guihua added, "Then I'll get you a little drink."

Old Man Zhuang agreed, "Sounds good to me."

The couple's deep affection was so heartwarming that everyone around them was filled with envy. Despite Zhao Guihua's stern demeanor, she always consulted with her husband and spoke kindly to him. Their relationship was truly commendable; even the younger couples couldn't compare.

Everyone envied Old Man Zhuang's good fortune.

Zhao Guihua didn't care what others thought. She felt she was quite fortunate too. From a young age, she had married Old Man Zhuang, and the two had rarely quarreled. He had treated her very well, taking care of her and the household diligently for decades. He was frugal with himself but very generous with Zhao Guihua. As a result, he hadn't truly enjoyed much comfort in life. Zhao Guihua made sure that her husband wouldn't deprive himself, emphasizing good food and drink, which turned out to be the right choice. In their previous life, their family had saved money and lived a hard life, causing her husband's health to deteriorate. By this point, he was already sickly.

Old Man Zhuang had passed away without enjoying much happiness.

Zhao Guihua didn't want to face that situation again in this life. She prioritized good food and regular health check-ups. It seemed to be effective, as her husband's health was now quite robust. Clearly, lifestyle habits were incredibly important.

No one knew that Zhao Guihua hardly saved any money.

Old Man Zhuang earned a considerable income, yet Zhao Guihua still didn't save much. Her lifestyle was quite extravagant. After all, one should live without too many regrets. If something unexpected happened, Zhao Guihua could rely on her secret weapon: she could sell a large gold bar.

But that wouldn't be necessary now.

Mentioning the large gold bar made her think of braised fish.

Zhao Guihua said, "Let's make some braised fish when we get home. In this cold weather, something spicy and hot would hit the spot."

"Great idea!"

"I love it, I love it."

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan enthusiastically responded to their grandmother's suggestion.

Zhao Guihua laughed, "Alright, I'll make some for you at home."

Yuanyuan chimed in, "I want to eat the fish eyes. Eating fish eyes makes you clever."

Tuantuan retorted, "I don't need to eat fish eyes to be clever. I'm the smartest!"

Zhuang Zhixi let out a cold chuckle, saying, "You two got your smarts from me. If it weren't for me, you'd both be little dunces."

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan blinked, feeling that their father's logic was flawed. Was he implying that their mother was an airhead? Otherwise, why was it only smart to be like their father?

Little Tuantuan muttered, "I'm going to tell mom. You're implying she's dumb."

Yuanyuan added, "Me too, I'm going to tattle."

Zhuang Zhixi's mouth twitched. What did he mean by that? He was just joking! These kids, they really couldn't be kept around anymore.

Two little troublemakers!